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libraryofloveletters · 8 months

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Find Your Way Home

Daniel Ricciardo x Engineer!Fem!Reader

Warnings: the curse that is mclaren racing, < mclaren/zak slander, the highs and lows of Danny's career, monaco 2016, horner warning lmao, a few bitter words, angst, unspoken feelings, sadness, 2022 silly season and a few swear words.

Word Count: 4.6k

Author's Note: after plotting this, i realized that The Red String Of Me And You follows a similar timeline but this one is more detailed and sooo much sexier of me so enjoy it :)

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RedBull Racing - 2014; Montreal, Canada.

Under-qualified crossed your mind every time you got into your chair on the pit wall.

You had recently graduated and you were lucky enough to snag a job with Red Bull Racing. You were told it would be a job at the factory, that you would be handling the reviews from the races from an engineering point of view.

Now you were sitting on the pit wall in Montreal, your driver in your ear. "Are we set?" His voice came through.

Your eyes scanned over the screens, pressing the button. "We're all set, Daniel."

Daniel was gunning for his first race win and you've been hoping and praying every weekend that he'd win. It was your first time as a race engineer and you were starting to think you two hadn't fully clicked yet, hence why you've yet to get a win.

He starts in P6 and his teammate Sebastian, was in P3 this weekend. There's a lot of pressure when your teammate is a 4 time world champion and you're sure Daniel felt it, especially on weekends like this.

You sat patiently, buzzing into him once more before they started the countdown. "Be safe."

"Safe is my middle name, y/n."

"Whatever you say, Joseph." The use of his actual middle name earned you a laugh. The radio falls silent; three, two, one, lights out.

It's a gruesome 70 laps, there's overtaking left and right, Daniel fights his way up to P3 and you're praying he can do what he does best. You watch as the laps count down towards the final one.

67, 68, 69, and into the final corner. The navy car crossed the line and it takes you a second to catch yourself. Christian squeezes your arm from next to you, a massive grin on his face when you register what just happened.

"YOU DID IT!!" You shouted into the radio, Daniel's laughter and hollering filled your ears and your heart with love and happiness, "we did it!" he shouts, correcting you.

Everyone's running, you're following the mechanics to under the podium, all of you squished up against the fence like sardines as the navy team awaited their two drivers.

Daniel had won, followed by Nico in P2 for Mercedes and Sebastian in P3 for RedBull.

Seb runs over to his half of the garage, there's a sea of navy and everyone is mixed up together but when Daniel gets out of his car, he's looking for one person and one person only. He spots you, a big smile on your face and even though he knows you'd never admit it, there are tears in your eyes.

The driver jumps straight into your arms, putting all of his weight on you and the fence. A few of the mechanics squeeze into the hug, holding Daniel so he doesn't crush you.

Your hands cup his face, well what would be his face under the helmet. His visor is lifted, brown eyes meet yours; the crinkles by his eyes signalling to the massive smile under the helmet.

"We fucking did it!" His shout comes out muffled.

You smile, nodding. Daniel is standing again, still holding onto you. He leans into you, arms wrapped around you with his face buried in your shoulder. You kiss the side of his helmet, hand reaching down to rub the top of his back. You internally gag at the dampness that meets your hand but that was the least of your concerns.

Daniel just won his first race.

Proud was an understatement.

RedBull Racing - 2016; Monte Carlo, Monaco.

He could taste the victory.

The win was reaching out to him, the finish line on the tips of his fingers and he could feel it slipping away from him.

"Pit now," you called to him, Daniel was confused by your sudden decision. "Tyres are good, y/n."

"Team decision, please pull into the pit lane."

Daniel groans letting you know he'll be there in a few seconds.

You saw when he pulled into the pits, watching as the mechanics scrabbled to get the tyres ready in time. They had Daniel sitting there, his position falling with each wasted second.

"What the fuck!" His radio was still on, you weren't even sure what you could tell him in that moment to make him feel better. He pulls out with a sense of speed you'd never seen before. He finds himself racing to beat Lewis coming out of the pit lane but the Mercedes turns into the corner before he gets the chance too, overtaking him.

"Why did we pit?" He asks you, you pretend not to hear him as you look over at Christian. The older man gives you a look, urging you to answer the driver.

Daniel calls your name once again, his voice making you want to cry; all of the horrible emotions mixed in with the guilt of the horrible pit stop made you sick.

You finally answer; "team decision."

He scoffs, it's like you can feel the tension over the radio, see the way his hands tighten around the steering wheel as he goes into the tunnel. "Bullshit, y/n."

"I'm sorry Dan-" "Stop, nothing you could say will make this better."

And with that, the radio fell silent. The nauseous feeling builds with each passing second, your leg shaking and your eyes staying fixed to the screen until Daniel crosses the finish line in P2.

It was better than nothing but you knew he could have won the race, you knew he would blame the team, blame the crew, blame you for this loss.

Christian squeezes your shoulder as he gets up, a smile on his face - his quiet way of telling you good job. He knows how difficult drivers can be, especially when things like this happen. The race engineers are the first to take the blame, you called him into the pit so you'd take the brunt of the anger.

You nod, hearing Daniel's voice over the radio, "place?"

"P2. Well done, Daniel."

"Okay."

Daniel stood next to Lewis, Checo on the other side of the Mercedes driver. It was quiet as you watched Daniel shake the champagne bottle, spraying over his fellow drivers. He had a smile on his face but you knew he wasn't happy. You knew him like the back of your hand and once again, the nauseous feeling creeped up the back of your throat, the feeling strangling the life out of you with each passing second. You had to go, you couldn't stand there and watch him like that, knowing you were the one he was blaming.

And that he did; not in so many words but the bitterness in his voice and way he spoke was enough to tell you he did not want to be there.

The interview replayed in the debrief that afternoon, the press officers wanting to go over something he had said.

"It hurts, this one hurts a lot. More than any other."

His words hurt you.

You couldn't even bring yourself to look at him, let alone be in the same room as him. There was a sense of despair, you couldn't shake it.

It wasn't until you were about to leave that you found yourself turning back, walking in the direction of his driver's room. You stopped outside the door; D. Ricciardo, 3 - with an Australian flag beside it. As you were about to knock, Michael opens the door, a bit shocked to see you.

"Is he in there?" You asked quietly and he nodded, stepping aside to let you in. Michael shuts the door on his way out, leaving the two of you alone.

Daniel's yet to turn around or yet to realize you were there. "I'm sorry," you speak, your quiet voice startling him. "I'm not sure what went wrong."

"Everything did."

"It wasn't my decision."

"You're my engineer; when I'm out there, it's me and you. It was your decision, y/n. Only yours."

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I really am."

"Nothing you can say will fix it, and I know you're sorry but right now, I don't want your sorry."

You nod, taking a step back. "Then what can I say? Or do?"

"You can leave," his arms fold over his chest. "Because if you stay, I might say some things I can't take back. I know we aren't cool right now but I don't want to hurt you, y/n."

"You already have," you give him a tight lipped smile, the sadness clear across your face. "Goodnight Daniel."

RedBull Racing - 2018; Monte Carlo, Monaco.

It was off to a good start, Daniel had managed to give it his all and snag pole position on Saturday. He was in a good mood, there's a smile on his face and the sun was shining down on Monaco which was a nice change from the rain that was setting up in the morning.

The cars on the grid, the drivers counting down the seconds to lights out. You buzz into him, waiting to hear the little click. Daniel's breathing comes through from his side.

“50% done, remember?” You tell him.

“50% done.” He says, the radio goes quiet as he waits for lights out.

Daniel drove amazingly, despite the issues the car was giving him. He finds himself aggravated half way through the race, the car giving out on him and losing power; thus losing hope in himself. The win was slipping through his fingers all over again with each passing corner and turn.

The weight was lifted off his shoulders when you watched him cross the finish line as the winner.

"P1 baby!!!!" You shout into the radio, Daniel's hollering fills the line and a big smile on both of your faces. "We fucking did it!!" He laughed, driving his cool down lap.

You were by the fence, watching as he climbed onto the halo of his car. Daniel's hand in a fist, placed on his chest as the team cheered. You're sure you've got the goofiest grin on your face, squished between Christian and Adrian.

Much like he did after his first race win, he makes a beeline straight for you, his arms open as he jumps into yours. Once again, you find yourself struggling to hold the man up but you try your best, arms wrapped around him.

Daniel's squished against you, your hands on his helmet, holding where his jaw would be. "Got that other 50%."

"Redemption day baby!" He shouts, giving you one last squeeze.

The rest of the afternoon was like heaven on earth; the smell of champagne, RedBull and chlorine covered everyone, you all watched as Daniel dived into the pool of the energy station.

"Come on!" He shouts to you but you shake your head, "I'm not getting in there."

Daniel pulls himself out of the pool, running over to you. "Dan, no." Your finger stuck out to warn him, the man comes closer. "Stop it," you get up, about to run away. He grabs you before you get the chance to run away, his arms wrapped tightly around you before he jumps into the pool.

"Daniel!" You scream when you get back up to the surface, "oh my god!" You laughed, your hand passed over your face to wipe away the water. He laughs, swimming - more like blobbing his way over to you, his race suit was weighing him down.

He grabs your arm, pulling you to him. The team photographer takes a photo of the two of you; arms wrapped around each other, covered in disgusting pool water with the world's biggest million watt smiles on your face.

You smile at the man next to you, "I'm so proud of you."

"I'm proud of you," he smiles, hugging you once more. "I couldn't have done it without you."

RedBull Racing - 2018; Abu Dhabi.

The announcement over the summer break threw everyone for a loop.

Breaking News: Daniel Ricciardo set to join Renault Racing for the 2019 season.

You weren't sure how to handle it or what prompted it.

Well that's not entirely true; after Monaco, things went downhill fast. There was bad result after bad result and it was weighing heavily on him.

When he returned from the summer break, you didn't say anything to him about the departure from the team. You knew he must have thought about it, you don't just up and leave a team just like that. It was a hard decision for him to make.

The last thing you wanted to do was make him feel worse.

It was his last day, the race was over and Daniel had made his rounds to say goodbye to everyone. You had been busy when he made his way around the garage and hospitality but you felt like a general goodbye wasn't enough for the man who you have spent almost every day with for the last 4 years of your life.

You knocked on the door of his driver's room, Michael smiles when he opens the door. "Come in, y/n."

Daniel turns when he hears your name. "I uh, I forgot something in the garage, I'll be back." Micheal says, announcing that he's leaving so you'd get a moment of privacy.

The two of you were quiet, looking at each other for a moment before you spoke.

You break the silence. “So this is it?”

“Yeah.” He nods, shifting from one foot to the other. You hum, lips pressed together as you look around. You'd never seen the room so empty. “Do you really have to go ?”

Daniel smiles, “afraid so, bags are packed.”

“You could always unpack.”

He smiled, his heart aching at the sight of you. You reached out, your hand placed on his warm cheek. “But you’ll come back, right?”

A sad smile on his face, bringing his own hand up to rest on yours. “In another life, maybe.”

“You promise?” You stuck your pinky out towards him.

He nods, interlocking his pinky with yours like you were children. “I promise.”

Renault Racing - 2020; Imola, Italy.

The rain poured down, the night sky as dark as it could possibly get as you pulled your hood over your head; the race hadn't gone as well as you'd like but you were no longer needed for the night, on your way back to your hotel for some sleep and then home before you head off to Turkey.

You could barely see where you were going let alone hear anything over the rain. The sudden shelter over you caused you to look up; an umbrella, a black and yellow one to be precise.

The man next to you smiles when you turn to see who was next to you. "Hello stranger," he grinned, the big smile on his face.

"Hello Daniel," you smiled.

The two of you hadn't spoken much since he left RedBull, it was a hi and a hello here and there in passing but you've yet to have a proper conversation. Frankly, you aren't sure what to say without it being awkward.

"Need a ride?" He asks, his arm over your shoulder to pull you away from the rain. "If it's not too much trouble." You pull the hood off of your head, flattening a few fly aways.

Daniel leads you towards the parking lot, holding the umbrella over your head until you get into the car. The man backed out of the parking spot, the sound of the rain on the windshield filled the silence, you translated the road signs in your head as he passed them by.

"You looked good up there today," you say quietly, Daniel glanced at you when he came to a stop. "You were always suited for the podium."

"Top step though," he smiles and you nod in agreement. "I'm sorry.. about the race. Sucks for Max and Alex."

You shrugged; A DNF for Max and P15 for Alex, so all in all, a shit weekend. "That's racing, what can you do?"

"The good and the bad." He pulls off when the light turns green. "You know how it is," you smiled, picking at the chipped nail polish on your index finger.

"Daniel, can I ask you something?"

"Oh full name, you've got me shakin' in my boots, y/n; but yes you can."

You shift in the leather seat, smooth and expensive and suddenly you're aware of how wet your hoodie is. The question you wanted to ask slips away momentarily as you think of how much this must be damaging the seat.

"Y/n," he calls out to you, glancing over to make sure you were alright after you had gone quiet. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Why are you running, Daniel ?"

The question catches him off guard, the car comes to a stop as he pulls into the parking lot of your hotel. His jaw hung open a bit as if he was unsure how to answer you; which he was. You watched as he blinked, trying to gather the thoughts in his head into a cohesive sentence.

"I'm not."

You can't help but chuckle; those who are running never seem to realize that they are, in fact, running.

"You are. You have a habit of doing that, Daniel."

You reach over, your hand rests atop of his; Daniel's skin is warm in comparison to yours that's still ice cold from the rain. His free hand moves, his index finger tracing up and down your hands, from your knuckles down to your wrist; another habit of his. He would distract himself during boring debriefs, his fingers pinching at yours under the table.

He's quiet, still unsure how to answer the statement that he knows in his heart was true. His fingers wandering over your hand, the raised skin by your thumb felt out a pattern identical to his; a rose in the same spot only slightly smaller in size.

Daniel had talked you into it. Another habit of his, getting you to do things you'd never do otherwise.

You were scared, you thought it would hurt but somehow he managed to talk you into it. There you were in his hotel room, Daniel's hand in your free one as you two got matching tattoos.

It felt like a million years ago - so much has changed since then.

You speak again, breaking the silence. "I hope you find what you're looking for at McLaren. You deserve some peace, Dan. You and I both know it."

McLaren Racing - 2021; Monza, Italy.

Back where he belongs.

A hell of a drive, something only Daniel could have pulled off after the horrendous start that was McLaren. You knew it was the car, not him; if anyone asked you, the car was always at fault. Daniel was one of the most talented drivers you had ever come across and had the pleasure of working with. You'd tell anyone who asked, anyone who'd listen to you.

It was a lacklustre weekend for the team; Checo was in P5 and Max had a DNF after an accident with Lewis, which caused both drivers to lose out on points that were needed for the championship.

Despite RedBull not having a driver on the podium, you and a few of the mechanics that used to work on Daniel's side of the garage went to watch the podium to cheer him on.

You watched as he and Lando did a shoey, your face twisting into disgust much like the younger McLaren driver. Valtteri watched in a bit of confusion and disgust, shaking his head as he took a swing of champagne from the bottle like a normal person.

The champagne bottle in one hand and the other on the railing as he climbed up. Daniel shouts, a big grin on his face as he lifts the bottle above his head. Everyone cheers for him, clapping and shouting for the winner. You were needed back in the garage for a meeting so you couldn't stick around long but you made sure to text Daniel.

To Daniel Ricciardo: Congrats winner! Back on the top step.

You got caught up in the meetings, back to back that felt never ending. Eventually you have a chance to check your phone but when you feel your pocket, it's not there.

You must have put it down somewhere. You find yourself retracing your steps, asking each person you saw as you passed by.

"Y/n!" GP calls for you, getting your attention. "Looking for this?" He holds up a phone with a navy blue case, your initials inscribed in gold on the bottom.

You let out a breath, "how'd you know?"

He hands the phone over to you, shrugging. "You know I always know." You roll your eyes at your co-worker's theatrics and thank him for your phone before walking off. You see you've missed a few messages so you scroll through. One in particular catches your eye.

From Daniel Ricciardo: Thanks boss lady! Congrats to you too, you helped make me the man I am today.

The message pulled on your heart strings; it was true. You and Daniel were so young when you got paired up together. You learnt a lot about life and yourselves, how to be a good person and what you wanted from life, and most importantly, how to get it.

You grew up together and Daniel would always hold a special place in your heart.

McLaren Racing - 2022; Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

You couldn't believe it.

After everything he's done for the team, he'd hurt him like that. What could you expect from a team when their CEO was a walking snake?

It was a chain reaction.

Sebastian had thrown everyone for a loop in Hungary, announcing that he would be retiring at the end of the 2022 season. That left Aston looking for a replacement that came from Fernando. There was an opening at Alpine now which they just assumed they'd fill with their reserve driver, Oscar.

Safe to say Oscar wasn't a fan of that plan, actually he wasn't even aware of that plan.

While all of this was going on, Daniel had publicly committed to McLaren for the next season and McLaren was giving away his seat to different drivers behind his back, including none other than Alpine's reserve driver, Oscar.

Eventually it did come out that Daniel would be leaving McLaren at the end of the 2022 season to no fault of his own.

Returning from the summer break, everyone is left to face the music; particularly Daniel.

His music shuts off when he pulls the key from the ignition. You had forgotten your pass in the car, walking all the way back to the parking lot to get it.

"Morning, y/n!" Daniel grins, stepping out of the car.

You smiled at him, knowing you can't show the anger you were feeling to that wretched team he has to work with for the rest of the season. "Morning, Danny. How are you?"

He laughs.

The question feels so stupid, he feels so stupid. Obviously there's the obvious, he's angry, upset, sad, mad; at who was the question. There's so many thoughts in his head, he isn't sure how to answer your question.

"Daniel, c'mon. Seriously. "

"I'll be okay, y/n. Life works in weird ways."

A huff slips past your lips, arms folded across your chest much like a disapproving mother. "Life working in weird ways is finding something you thought you lost years ago, not you getting sold out of your seat without your knowledge."

He gives you a sad smile, nodding in agreement. "I know."

You can't help but reach out, a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be okay."

"I always am, aren't I?"

Red Bull Racing - 2022; Abu Dhabi.

Headphones covered your ears, legs folded under you as you went over the last set of race footage.

You hadn't heard the door open, your eyes glued to the screen only looking away to scribbling something down on the page next to your laptop.

You barely get a second to look back before someone's hands over your eyes, startling you. Instinctively, you brought your own hands up, grabbing the person. The raised skin along the wrist and the arms was enough to signal who it was but the smell of his cologne filled the room. You let go of his arms, pulling the headphones off your ears.

Daniel smiles, his hands on your shoulders before you stand up and turn to face him. “Miss me, miss me, now you gotta-“

“Gotta what, Dan?”

“Kiss me,” he says, his signature cheeky grin on his face. You can’t help but smile, pressing a kiss to his cheek. You smooth the wrinkles on his navy blue shirt, admiring him in the colours that meant home to him, to you.

Your hands held his face, “you came back.”

“Pinky promises are sacred.”

“That they are.”

Scuderia AlphaTauri - 2023; Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

He's back on the grid, his focus was on racing.

Daniel's excited to be back, it felt good to be back. Racing wasn't a burden anymore. Yuki was happy to have him, his new teammate welcoming him with a smile and a hug as did the rest of the Alpha Tauri team before he made his way to his driver's room.

The door was unlocked, left ajar slightly. Daniel just assumed the team was doing a last check, making sure things were in order.

He wasn't expecting a person to be in there. He found a woman, her back turned to him as she scribbled down something on the board.

He knows that handwriting from anywhere. The words let's fucking go written in all caps in bright blue.

"Hello," he calls, you turn with the marker still in hand. "Hello," you smiled.

Daniel can't help but laugh, "what are you doing here? Come to welcome me back ?"

"Something like that."

At that moment, Daniel noticed you weren't wearing your usual navy blue uniform. Today was different; a different logo, a different cut.

"What are you wearing? Why are you wearing that?" He points to the Alpha Tauri logo on your shirt.

Your brows furrow, a bit confused by his reaction. You thought he'd be happy to see you. "Do you not need a race engineer or.. you're just gonna wing it? Maybe you could borrow Michael to do it?"

"Don't be a smart ass," he rolled his eyes, dropping his bags as he walked over to you. "Thank you," he whispers, pulling you into a bone crushing hug.

You pat his back, trying to wiggle away from him. "No need to thank me, we have a lot of work to do."

"I've barely been here for 5 minutes and you're already hassling me."

"Someone's gotta do it," you smiled, leaving him there to settle in.

It wasn't until it was time for practice that you saw the man again, you're across from him on the pit wall, looking over the stats before you hear the radio buzz.

“We all set?” He asks.

You look over the screens. “All set. Be safe.”

“Safe is my middle name, Y/n.” The words remind you of the path you walked along many many years ago.

You smiled, waving to him as he pulled out of the garage. “Whatever you say, Joseph.”

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wosoamazing · 2 months

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Mummy or Leah

Summary: Based on this request.

Warnings: Mention of death (Rs parents, Cancer) - like in last Paragraph thats it, mention of Arsenal's Injuries last year....

Summary: It's only short, but I hope you like it :) - currently I am working on the McFoord Teen!Reader Fic and the next story in the McFoord Baby Series.

Today you were going to your first England camp since your Mum got an ouchie knee that meant she couldn't play for a long time, Beth and Viv had also hurt their knees, and Laura, something about an ACL. Lia, your Mummy’s friend had moved in to help originally but then she got hurt too. You had only recently been adopted by your Mummy when she got hurt, it scared you, you didn't want her to die too.

“You excited bub?” Your Mum said as she got you out of your car seat, you didn't say anything immediately seeing Lucy.

“Ucy!” you screamed as you ran to her, she scooped you up and threw you into the air.

“I think you’ve got your answer,” Alessia giggled.

“Nice to see you again, little one, where is your Mum?” She asked, picking you up, you pointed to where your Mum was standing with her Arsenal teammates, she started to walk over to them.

“Wessi” you said as you made grabby hands for her.

“That didn't take long,” Lucy said as she handed you over to Alessia.

“Oh Lessi is currently the favourite, isn't she monkey,” Alessia asked you as she tickled you, causing you to giggle.

“Wove Wessi, we go pway? Tooney, Mary?” Alessia looked over to Leah, who nodded.

“Sure monkey, let's go find them, I just need to go take my stuff up to my room,”

“We’ve got it Less, don’t worry,” “Thanks Le.”

“Weah,” you said as you reached up and tugged on her shorts, she hadn't noticed you walk in with Mary, you and Mary had run away from Alessia, so she was still outside, “What did you just say bub?” “Weah”

“Who’s that?” you pointed to her, “is that my name?” you nodded, she should know this shouldn't she, “but I’m Mummy, I’m your-”

“Leah,” Alessia said loudly as she walked into the common room.

“Weah” you repeated after Alessia.

“Oh, I see the problem, do you think you need to call me Leah because everyone else does bubs?” you eagerly nodded your head, “oh, well yes, everyone else does call me Leah bubba, but that's only because I’m not their Mummy, you see I’m you Mum. Aren't I?” you eagerly nodded your head, “Well then, you get to call me Mummy.”

“O-tay” you replied before a big yawn escaped your mouth.

“Nap time?” you shook your head, “I think so bubba, why don’t you see if Beth will let you lie with her and you can nap,” you nodded slowly and your Mum put you down and you toddled over to where Beth was laying on a bean bag, she almost seemed sad.

“Bef, I nap wif you?” “Sure monkey,” she picked you up and you curled up on her torso, your head resting on her chest.

“Wove oo,” you said to her, causing her heart to melt, a few tears started to well in her eyes, she tried to push them down as she drew circles on your back but when you drifted off to sleep and Leah went over to her, they left her eyes. Leah didn't say anything but wrapped her arms around her as best she could without disturbing you. A year ago today was the day a few of the Arsenal girls had met you, they were visiting kids in the hospital and saw you just walking about, as soon as Leah met you and found out your Dad had just died and that you had no one to care for you, as you Mum had died earlier from cancer, she knew she was going to adopt you. Your adoption was made official after you had been living with Leah for just over a month.

April 19 2022 marked the best and worst day of Leah’s life, it was the day you became hers officially but it was also the day her whole world came crashing down.

#woso #woso community #woso fanfics #woso x reader #woso imagine #arsenal wfc #awfc x reader #leah williamson x reader

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downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le · 12 days

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Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) - Chapter 3

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 2627 Warnings: death, violence, fighting, bloody wounds, angst, infuriatingly oblivious love interest, slowburn Spoilers: Young Justice Seasons 1-3 plot partially, but it ended in 2022 so catch up.

Y/N Prince - miracle daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor - and Dick Grayson - first adoptive son of the Batman himself - have been best friends since day one. They went to school together, trained together, kept each other's alter ego secret from everyone else, and they founded the Young Justice alongside their friends together.

But as time progressed, Y/N and Dick grew up and Y/N found herself wanting more than friendship with Dick. But he never seemed to indicate that he reciprocated her feelings. And when Wally died and Dick abandoned the team, Y/N realised he never would. So she heads to the one place she knows will help her become a stronger warrior so that one day she can take her mother's place: Themyscira.

Two years after his leave, Dick reaches out to his old friends to help him with a mission. But when he finds out Y/N left too, he chases after her in the hopes to bring her back.

However, when the two finally reunite, it isn't as warm as he hopes. Not to mention Themyscira becomes under siege as they go to war against Echidna, the Mother of Monsters in Greek Mythology, and her army of monstrous children.

Will Dick and Y/N be able to put their past behind them and save the Amazons' homeland? Or will they fall, unable to tell one another their true feelings?

~~~

'You are five miles from the estimated target, Master Dick,' Alfred said over the intercom of the Bat Wing.

Immediately upon entering Wayne Manor, Dick had rushed to his childhood room - the one he still used on the occasion he worked with Bruce as the Dynamic Duo, or he needed some space from his duties as Bludhaven's hero - and packed a small duffle of clothes and weapons and ran straight for the Bat Cave. As promised, Alfred had the Bat Wing waiting, ready for take off, and Dick barely greeted the old man before leaving Gotham far behind.

Dick had been flying for almost twelve hours and hadn't slept a wink. Sitting at the control panel with only a wide window of open sea to look at, Dick rubbed his tired eyes as the shadows of sleep flickered in the corners of his vision. He had to stay awake, just a little bit longer at least.

And then... Well, he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

'Is there anything else you need from me, Master Dick?' Alfred asked.

Dick shook his head initially, then remembered Alfred couldn't see him. 'No, thank you, Alfred,' Dick replied, sitting up straighter in his seat. 'I should be fine from here on out.'

It was quiet for a moment, and Dick thought Alfred had signed off accidentally. But then he spoke. 'Are you sure there is something out here? I know you and your friends' findings seem well-supported, but there is only open ocean. There isn't even an under water volcano or ancient mountain range recorded there.'

'Which makes it an even more suspicious place,' Dick countered. 'Trust me Alfred, there is something out here.'

'Let's just hope Miss Y/N is too, or you'll have wasted Master Bruce's fuel. And I will tell you now, he will not be pleased about that.'

The mention of her name caused Dick's heart rate to increase with anxiety. But he quickly recovered as he scoffed. 'I don't know why he's complaining,' Dick said nonchalantly. 'He's the billionaire of the family, after all.'

'Have you seen the price of fuel these days?'

That caused Dick to chuckle slightly, just imagining the singular raised eyebrow Alfred used to ask the silent question of Are you serious? In that moment, he was once again grateful for Alfred. He barely asked any questions as to why Dick needed the Bat Wing, he just trusted Dick that it was for a good reason. Unlike Bruce, where trust needed to be hard earned, Alfred had always given his trust and love unconditionally.

The Bat Wing suddenly jerked as it seemed to hit something. Or, maybe, something hit it.

'Master Dick, what was that?" Alfred asked, worry lacing his words.

Suddenly alert, Dick brought up the different cameras hidden in the ship to try and find what had cause the sudden shift, but sound nothing.

'I'm not sure, Alfred,' Dick answered, running diagnostics over the ship in case of damage. 'There seems to be no damage to the Bat Wing, and there is nothing on the radar indicating another ship or flying creature of sorts.'

The ship rocked again, and Dick gripped tighter to the control handles as he took the ship off autopilot. 'What in the world!'

'Master Di-,' Alfred said, but his words were glitchy and some parts were coming through slowly. 'A-re yo- all rig-' Alfred was cut off before he could finish.

'Alfred? Alfred,' Dick called, but he got no reply. He slammed the control handles in frustration. 'Damnit.' He was on his own now.

However, his annoyance dissipated at the site he'd only ever seen in books he'd borrowed from Y/N when they were children.

To say Themyscira stood atop a mountain would be an inaccurate description. It was more like Themyscira was the mountain, with a long staircase weaving and winding up the entire mountain from the ivory beach and cerulean waters at the base of it. There were small stone huts with woven roofs closer to the beach, but quickly evolved into larger houses and buildings of impressive white columns and marble. As Dick flew closer to the island, he spotted a large coliseum used for sports and physical trials like the ruins in Greece, and a small amphitheatre next door that no doubt was used for the arts.

Atop Themyscira's mountain could only be the royal palace, held up by intricately carved statues of women and marble columns, decorated in plates of gold and held together by green grape vines that covered the palace walls, the statues, the columns.

The bed time stories he'd heard from Wonder Woman when he and Y/N would have sleepovers was more than his imagination could ever conceptualise, and the few descriptions and drawings of the island in the books he'd read were amateur attempts that held no candle to the real deal.

It was, in a word, paradise.

I must've hit the invisible barrier before, Dick deduced as he took in the sight of it all. That's why communications were knocked. That's why he'd felt so anxious and tired the closer he got. Now that he'd passed through, he felt ten times better.

A beeping pulled Dick out his trance, drawing his attention to the radar. Something was coming at him. Fast.

Dick looked up in time to see a large fire ball flying at him and barely dodged it. It was so hot Dick felt its heat through the window as it scraped by.

'Woah!' Dick cried, angling the Bat Wing so Dick could see where the fireball had come from. And, more importantly, who had thrown it. Down on the ivory beach was a line of catapults set up Dick hadn't spotted before, and he could just make out an army milling about around each catapult as they reloaded the catapults.

Before he knew it, he was swerving as another fireball flew at him, this time catching part of the left wing and melting it. Sirens blared, indicating the damage, but Dick didn't have time to worry about that. The Amazons thought he was a threat. He needed to change that, or he'd be a goner.

Crazy an idea as it was, Dick manoeuvred through the line of fireballs the Amazons catapulted at him towards the beach. Once he was close enough, he turned on the speaker so the outside world could hear him. 'Please, Amazons of Themyscira, I mean you no harm,' Dick announced to them, hoping he sounded genuine. 'I am going to land my aircraft on your shore. I just want to ta-'

He didn't have time as a small boulder connected with the left wing, sending the Bat Wing into a spin that Dick couldn't control. Sirens blared in the cockpit, reds light flashed and his front window lit up with the message SYSTEM FAILURE in bright red letters. The steering was shot, his vision was impaired, so Dick just closed his eyes and braced for impact.

The Bat Wing hit the beach hard, knocking the wind out of Dick for a moment. Once he'd regained his breath and the world had stopped spinning, Dick checked his immediate surroundings. He was in one piece still, and the Bat Wing hadn't exploded. Good start.

Before he could unplug himself, a spearhead stabbed through the glass of the front window, shattering it completely as the Amazon wielding it pulled it out. Dick was temporarily blinded by the sudden invasion of sunlight to his senses, but he still put his hands up in surrender in case they still thought him a threat.

'Please,' he begged through laboured breaths. 'Please, I don't mean you any harm. I just need to talk with someone you might know. Please.'

'Síko órthios, pareísaktes,' a strong voice hissed above him, her words whipping out like a delicate snake. She yanked him from his seat, breaking the seatbelt as she did, and threw him onto white, hot sand.

Vision coming back ever so slowly, Dick saw more figures approaching where he laid on the beach, spears and swords and shields in hand. All women, and all wearing brown leather skirts, sandals, and breast plates and bronze helmets of the ancient greeks. A small crowd formed around him, leaving no room for escape.

Realising this, Dick hauled himself to his feet and spun around to survey the group with his hands raised. The women ranged from youthful to mature, but all of them looked capable of killing him should he dare run. Capable, and willing.

'Poios eísai esý?' a woman with long brunette hair asked. She looked slightly older than him, perhaps mid to late 20s. But knowing how old Wonder Woman had lived for already, Dick was almost sure all of the women surrounding him were much older than they appeared.

I really regret not taking those Greek classes with Y/N now, he thought to himself, not having a clue what the woman had asked him. When he didn't reply though, she repeated her question but with more annoyance and aggression, pointing her spear towards his chest.

'I am Dick Grayson,' he said, not sure if they could understand him or not. 'I mean you no harm. Please, I must talk with someone you know... Do you understand me?'

The blank faces he received in return were answer enough. The brunette turned to two other women beside her, whispering to one another. It only lasted a moment, for then the brunette raised her spear higher towards Dick's throat. The rest of the women also raised their weapons, all pointed at him.

'Ánthropos apó to exoterikó,' she announced for all to hear, her delivery final and true, 'edó tha petháneis!'

Just as she raised her spear, Dick threw his hands up again and cried, 'Y/N!'

He waited for pain, for the sensation of falling and then nothing, but it never came. The brunette paused, spear still raised above her, and looked at him curiously.

'Pós gnorízeis tin prinkípissá mas?' she asked, and to Dick's surprise, he recognised one word. Prinkipissá. Princess.

'Yes,' he said, seizing potentially his only chance at surviving. 'She would be your princess. Sorry, your prinkipissá. Daughter of your champion, Diana.'

At the mention of the mighty Wonder Women, the brunette lowered her weapon entirely and turned to the other women as quiet murmurs broke out amongst the group. Dick wasn't sure what he'd started, but he knew they knew of who he spoke of, and what power her name held. Not just anybody could wield her name.

'I came here to speak with Prinkipissá Y/N,' Dick continued, and then he put his hands together as if he were about to pray. 'Please, can you lead me to her? Is she even here?'

The brunette and her two friends looked him up and down for a moment before consulting one another one last time. After what felt like an eternity, the brunette stepped forward and looked him dead in the eyes.

'Piáste ton!' she cried, and two women grabbed both his arms, ensuring he couldn't escape. 'Tha ton páme stin prinkípissá mas.'

She then turned away, and Dick was lead by the arms after her and the rest of the crowd. He managed look over his shoulder to see the wreckage of the Bat Wing. The left wing was one metal sheet away from tearing off completely, and the shattered glass and the many dents in the side of the ship just added to Dick's dismay. Oh yeah, Bruce is going to be pissed.

If the Amazons let him live and he ever got off the island, Bruce would definitely make sure Dick suffered long and hard.

Dick was lead up hundreds and hundreds of steps, walking through the bustling city of women and young girls all going about their daily lives. For some reason, it was off putting to Dick to see women and children doing the washing or playing games in the open street. He wasn't sure why, but he envisioned the whole island as warrior women who all fought and died for each other and their home.

They could probably still whoop my ass, he thought as he was marched by some children who were previously playing a game with some dice and a ceramic cup before he came along and stole their attention. It came to Dick's mind that these young girls probably had never seen a male before, and so he smiled at them as kindly as he could. Some of the children smiled back, others had their mothers nearby collect them and take them inside. Dick couldn't blame them for it. Wouldn't he do the same for his child if the roles were reversed.

Why the hell am I thinking about children right now? he asked himself, but he didn't have time to ponder the question as they quickly walked up a final set of stairs into an open field of green covered in warrior women training. When the whole group stopped, Dick was brought to such a startling halt that he thought his arms were going to pop out of their sockets. Thank God for that, he thought, feeling his legs ache with all the climbing. Or is it Zeus I should thank? Maybe Hera? Athena?

The brunette raised her spear, and those not holding Dick prisoner did the same. 'Prinkipissá,' she called out above the din of all the sparring and training. 'Échoume kápoion gia esás.'

Dick wasn't sure who the brunette was talking to at first, but then his gaze settled on a group of women just ahead of them. It seemed it was a six-versus-one situation, as six women surrounded one young woman with familiar H/C hair. The six women ran at the young woman in the middle, all taking swings with their fists and swords, aiming for her head and legs and mid section. While the young woman took a few punches, she didn't flinch with pain. She would just grab her attacker's wrist and flip her over and slam her into the ground.

The fight only lasted a minute, and ended with the H/C haired pointing a sword at her final opponent's throat as she pressed her to the ground with her foot.

When she flipped her hair as she turned to face their group, only then did Dick fully realise who it was.

'Y/N!' he cried out, the brightest smile spreading across his face. Two years since he'd last seen her, his best friend. After the not-so-very-warm welcome, he was beyond relieved to see a familiar face.

But instead of reciprocating his smile with the one he'd always admired since they were children, Y/N paled as if she had seen a ghost. Her whole body seemed to freeze up as her eyes connected with Dick's, and for a moment Dick feared he had mistaken some poor girl for his best friend.

But her shock melted away, and Dick was met with angry eyes and a stony face. Oh, yeah. That's Y/N. He couldn't recall the amount of times he'd seen that expression before, but there was no mistaking it.

His fear turned towards himself as she suddenly, with sword still in hand, stormed towards him, ignoring the other women around her still training.

'Y/N, it's me Dick,' he said, just in case she hadn't recognised him, but still she came at him, raising the sword to her side. 'Wait, what are you doing?

As she stood a step from him, she changed her grip on the sword's hilt and swung the butt of it at his head.

'Hey! Don't-'

The last thing he saw were Y/N's angry eyes of E/C before pain exploded from his right temple and darkness overcame him.

~~~

Síko órthios, pareísaktes = On your feet, outsider

Poios eísai esý? = Who are you?

Ánthropos apó to exoterikó, edó tha petháneis! = Man from the outside, you will die here!

Pós gnorízeis tin prinkípissá mas? = How do you know our princess?

Piáste ton! = Grab him!

Tha ton páme stin prinkípissá mas = We shall take him to our princess

Échoume kápoion gia esás = We have someone for you

---------------

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cheriladycl01 · 1 month

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Ghost - Oscar Piastri x UnknownDriver! Reader Part 5

Plot: Reader is the first female F1 driver of the century, however no-one knows that as you are a ghost on the grid. You started in 2022, coming in P12 in the championship. You get moved to Red Bull Racing in 2023 with the off year for Sergio Perez.

Over the winter you'd not really done much. You'd spent time with family, and then done a bit of solo travelling in which you ended up bumping into Lando randomly in Finland.

You'd spent a lot of time with Christian and Max and the Red Bull HQ looking at the car for 2024 and whether you'd still be in a rocket ship.

You could tell this year wouldn't be as dominant as Red Bull were last year, you knew the Ferrari and McLaren would be up there fighting for the points.

The start of the season was stressful. Lewis announcing his leave from Mercedes and would be joining Ferrari in 2025 meant that there was a free seat available and Carlos Sainz had no confirmed seat.

There was some heat on you, you'd worried so much that you'd actually gone to Christian's home in pure panic about your seat. You didn't want to have your seat removed like Perez did in 2023.

He'd confirmed that he had no reason to get rid of you and presented you with a contract extension until 2028. The longest Red Bull contract extension in the last few years. 5 years of commitment with a currently best performing team.

You'd be stupid to turn it down.

"Y/N, it's great to have you here with us today. Thank you for joining us, first things first. Congratulations are in order not only for your incredible season last year, but your 5 year extension in the Red Bull Family, how does it feel knowing that you and Max will continue on together now that you both have your contracts running out at the same time?" the interviewer asks.

"Thank you for having me, and thank you for that! 2023 was a great season, not only as a learning experience but for no longer being Ghost. I didn't think 2023 would be the year for a win but with a great team like Red Bull backing me it was sooner rather than later a win would occur even alongside some of the best drivers that are currently on the grid! As far as my contract extension goes, it's a really funny story of how I was offered it!" you start with a little laugh.

"Do tell!" they exclaim looking over you.

"Well, I went to Christians house. I was worried with the Lewis move that my seat would be 'up for grabs' and came to him in a slight panic and yeah he wanted me until 2028 and I think i would have been very silly had I not accepted that proposal" you smile.

"And were there other talks about you switching seats at all?" he asked.

"I mean, there's always talks and whispers. I had Toto reach out to me, I had Mike Krack call me. But the most interesting was Zac Brown's phone call!" you chuckle remembering speaking to the McLaren Team Principle before he'd renewed Lando's contract.

He'd basically said a seat was up for grabs, if Red Bull removed your seat because he thought Oscar and Lando would potentially take that seat. Then Lando extended his contract and Oscar hadn't said anything so he called you again to say that it was just Oscar now which is when you went to Christian as rumours had circled last year about him wanting to have another Max Verstappen in RedBull.

"Care to comment on that conversation with Zac?" he asks you, looking at his notes seeing that he had only asked one question so far as he didn't think he'd get this much from you.

"I don't think I can just because of the nature of the conversation we had, but there was multiple conversations across the board over the winter break between loads of different drivers and team principles because of that one move so I can imagine the start of 2025 and 2026 with those new regulations will be different"

"Yeah that's going to be very interesting, we're all very excited. Obviously with the mention of Zac we're brought onto the Oscar situation, obviously there was a true rivalry that I think went deeper just racing after you revealed yourself as Ghost... has that relationship improved over the winter?" he asks and you actually felt ready to fully speak out on the situation, you felt safe on this podcast and heard.

"Well, I don't like to talk about it to much out of respect for Oscar but recently he's not been very polite in the media. I had to sign an NDA when i signed with RedBull to not reveal anything about my identity until Christian Horner said I could. I could have lost my seat if I'd told Oscar and I'd worked so hard to get where I was. So I upset him, by not being honest with him when I posed as my own PR manager... but I still hold a lot of respect for him and he was at one point one of my closest friends on the grid. I hope this year he's able to just focus on racing on not make childish comments like he did last year" you say seriously knowing it was time that you should really start to speak out on the matter as it was only getting worse with time.

"Thank you for speaking out on this!" the interviewer smiles before asking a few more questions all about racing and your predictions for the 2024 season.

You left and the week later you were catching a flight to Bahrain, you weren't travelling with the team and managed to get a first class seat from London to Bahrain. You were boarding when you saw a familiar face.

"You've got to be shitting me" you said stopped by your chair pod in first class seeing none other than Oscar.

"Huh?" he says fully looking up to see you and hos face turns sour.

"Great, just great!" he sighs turning away from you.

"So fucking childish!" you exclaim putting your bag down under the seat.

"I may be childish but at least I'm not a liar!" he scolds with a frown on his face.

"Oscar, as much as I loved you... i wasn't about to risk a career I'd worked so hard for and can be snatched from me in seconds if someone better performing comes along!" you admit looking over him once before taking your seat and sending the partition that separated you guys from each other and putting a lock in place.

You thanked the air-host when he came round and offered you a drink and an extra blanket for the duration of the flight. He also asked you to take a picture with him which of course you did and you ended up giving him your Red Bull team hat.

Afterwards you had a small nap, waiting for dinner where the partition was pulled down by the airhost.

"Look Y/N..." Oscar tries as his food is placed in front of him.

"I'm trying to enjoy my meal Osc, I wont entertain this" you sighed not looking over at him and continuing to eat the fancy pasta dish in front of you.

"I'm trying to apologize can you stop being so stubborn!" he says with a raised voice making people look towards the pair of you thanks to the disruption.

"Your calling me stubborn when your the one making the apology. All you've done for the past 6 months is chat shit about me Osc, you were my friend and I wanted to tell you for so long, but I couldn't so don't call me stubborn when you've hurt me too!" you cry before pulling the seat separator up just wanting a moment to collect yourself.

After 20 minutes, and some silent crying on your half and plates having been collected, he pulls the separator back down making you look over at him with red puffy eyes.

He opened his arms up with a guilty look on his face. You looked at him a little shocked before nodding and climbing over and laying on top of him in his lap. He wraps his large arms around you and you nuzzle down into his neck, your body shaking against his as you sob. He pulls you tightly against him.

"I know, I know! I'm so sorry" he whispers into your ear holding you and rubbing your back.

"It was so scary Osc, I lost my best friend just as the highest point of my career and life was about to start!" you cry against him, wrapping your own arms around him and clinging to him like a teddy bear.

"I'm so sorry, I was so angry and then i just kept screwing up and I got more and more mad when you didn't retaliate because you are such a good and kind person and I'm not" he says with a few tears of his own.

"I was so scared I lost you. Have a lost you?" you ask looking over at him and he smiles a puffy cheeked smile at you.

"I think i should be the one asking that" he sighs holding you and kissing your forehead.

"Always, you'll always have me Osc" you say nuzzling down further into the crook of the hoodie he was wearing.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @kapsylia @laneyspaulding19 @lazybot @malynn @cassielikereading @viennakarma @teamnovalak @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @jlb20416 @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @seomako @urdad-hot @formula1mount @tinydeskwriter @butterfly-lover @ironmaiden1313

@0picels0 @openthenyoor01 @fionaschicken @urdad-hot @seomako @dr4g0ngirl @teamnovalak

#f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula 1 x you #formula one #formula 1 #formula one fanfiction #oscar piastri x you #oscar piastri f1 #oscar piastri one shot #oscar piastri imagine #oscar piastri #op81 fluff #op81 imagine #op81 x reader #op81 fic #op81

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lovelytsunoda · 1 year

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starstrukk // zhou guanyu

summary: there were many things that fred vasseur took on when he became the team principal of alfa romeo racing. the hardest task, however, seems to currently be keeping zhou guanyu away from his daughter.

or, the four times that y/n vasseur and zhou guanyu were almost interrupted by fred, and the one time that he found out about his daughter and his rookie

pairing: zhou guanyu x vasseur! reader

warnings: fred is in a constant state of disappointed father energy, there will be multiple sex or almost-sex scenes, so you have been warned. secret relationships, google translated mandarin. mentions of silverstone 2022.

author's note: this is pure crack. i came up with this idea during me real estate law test review when i should have been paying attention and just chose not to.

when y/n met zhou.

she hated parties. especially team parties.

there was no reason for her to be at the gala, and she'd told her father as much, but he wanted his family around him to open the 2022 racing season. and, as much as she wanted to protest, y/n vasseur was a daddy's girl through and through. she loved her father to bits.

which was how she found herself dressed in a cherry red gown she bought at melanie lyne for less than $500, the dress that she wore to all of these stupid events, with her forty-dollar skin-tone aldo heels on underneath, her dark hair curled in her apartment bathroom less than an hour before. the curling iron hadn't been hot enough, and her hair was already starting to lose it's shape.

she was sitting at the table alone, reading a romance book on her phone that followed an fbi agent and the woman he was sworn to protect. it wasn't the best thing she had read in her life, but it was better than following her father around and pretending to be interested in chatting with representatives from orlen and singha.

that was the night that she met zhou guanyu for the first time.

the driver looked like a deer in headlights as fred paraded the rookie around the room, brushing elbows with investors. valtteri was smart enough to slip away from fred at any chance he could get, but zhou hadn't gotten the memo. he was new to this. he probably didn't even know that there was a memo to begin with.

when she saw how miserable the driver looked, it was like something inside her changed. she knew well enough that she had had that same look on her face throughout every sponsorship event she had attended since she was thirteen years old. she found herself shutting off her phone and slipping it into her sequined clutch purse before she made her way over to where her father and zhou were talking to a tuxedoed representative from mitsubishi.

"hi." she cut in, introducing herself as she stuck a hand out for the rookie driver to shake. "y/n vasseur. has my father bored you to death yet?"

she felt a sense of accomplishment when zhou smiled at her, his hand heavy and inviting in hers. "not yet, but i think i lost a few decades since this whole thing started."

"oh, you and me both."

the first time fred thought something was up.

it was the third race of the year. y/n vasseur was sitting in a corner office in the alfa romeo motorhome, her thick hair tied in a clumsy ponytail, legs crossed underneath her as she hunched over her macbook, a ceramic hot chocolate mug rapidly cooling next to her as she narrowed her eyes at the pdf file she was reading.

she considered herself lucky to be allowed to work remotely. she worried about fred a little too often, and found herself accompanying him to a few races a year, not just for the atmosphere, but to make sure that her father didn't work himself too hard.

the office door slowly clicked open, something she barely noticed as she chewed on the end of her pen, music thrumming through the airpod in her right ear.

the door closed as quietly as it had opened, two strong arms wrapping her in a warm, comforting embrace as zhou guanyu kissed her softly on the cheek.

"don't work yourself too hard, bao bei. you've been stressed out all weekend. i'm worried about you."

"if anyone should be worried, it should be me." she joked. "my boyfriend is the one who's about to strap himself into a three-hundred mile an hour death trap".

she leaned back in her chair, looking over at the driver. he still had his arms around her, and she reached up to lace her fingers with his.

"have you eaten yet? i brought you a bowl of fettucine from hospitality." zhou hummed, kissing her forehead.

"thank you, baby." she said softly, standing up from her desk chair to properly wrap her arms around the driver.

her father still didn't know that she was seeing his rookie driver. she knew that frederic would overreact, and someone (likely zhou) would lose their job, and all credibility within the sport, especially given how high-stress everybody felt during a race weekend. she was planning on at least waiting until the summer break to tell her father.

"i love you." she hummed, kissing him softly, one hand gently carding through zhou's hair as he held her, his tongue moving softly with hers.

"i love you more." he hummed, cradling her body close. "my lucky charm."

"hm, yeah? i'm your lucky charm?" she giggled, pressing up on her tiptoes, looping her arms around her lover's neck.

"yeah, yeah you are." he hummed, kissing her again as she pushed him down onto the couch, halfheartedly looking over at the large tinted window to make sure that the blinds were drawn enough that nobody could see what they were about to do.

she kicked off her slip-on vans, straddling zhou with one knee on either side of his lap as she kissed him hard, grinding down on his lap, one hand on either side of his face. the driver clutched her thighs, moaning softly as he tilted his head back to allow the heated make-out session to take on a better angle.

"mhm, should i give you a little extra luck, baby?" she hummed, gently tugging at his hair before she kissed him deeply, one hand moving down his chest.

"mhm, yeah, how are you going to do that, angel face?" he breathed as she kissed his neck, hands fumbling with the buttons on his slacks.

"i can think of a few ways." she grinned, wrapping her palm around zhou's erection before moving her hand up and down his shaft, peppering kisses to his neck as she worked.

"oh, bao bei." he hummed, throwing his head back. "just like that, darling. just like that." he moaned as he bucked his hips into her hand, and she could feel the heat building up between her legs as she slipped off his lap, hand still working as she situated herself between his spread legs.

she smiled up at her lover, pressing a kiss to his thigh before taking his length into her mouth, hands braced on his thighs as zhou moaned in pleasure, biting his lower lip as so not to be heard through the thin walls before he mumbled something in mandarin.

"your mouth feels like heaven, baby." he hummed, reaching down to wrap his hand around her ponytail. "take it nice and slowly, let's not rush this."

he leaned back against the couch, another strangled moan leaving his throat.

until there was a knock on the door.

y/n had never sprung to her feet so fast, wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth with the hem of her cotton crop top, her lover's still-hard cock falling from her mouth as she looked over at the door.

"y/n? are you in there, kiddo?" fred vasseur's voice echoed into the room, panic sinking into y/n's bones.

"closet, now." she hissed, practically pulling zhou off the couch. "he can't know you're here." she turned back to the door as her boyfriend backed into the small closet, a throw pillow from the couch covering his painful hard on. "one second, dad!"

she kissed zhou apologetically before she closed the closet door, quickly giving her appearance a once over in her phone camera before opening the office door.

"hey, dad. what's up?"

"just checking on my beautiful daughter." fred vasseur answered honestly, pulling his daughter in for a hug. "are you coming out to watch the qualifying session?"

y/n nodded. "yeah, i need a break from my work. i feel like my eyes have gone numb from staring at that screen all morning. how are you doing? you aren't working too hard?"

fred shrugged. "you know how it is. have you had lunch yet?"

y/n nodded. "i had something brought up from hospitality, literally like ten minutes ago. i haven't eaten yet, though. when does qualifying start?"

"in about an hour. i'm trying to wrangle the drivers. you haven't seen guanyu, have you?"

"no, i haven't sorry." she wondered if she answered too fast, if her dad knew something was up.

if her dad knew that his rookie driver was hiding in her office closet. that zhou guanyu's cock had been down his daughter's throat not even a minute before she opened that office door. "dad, i hate to cut this short, but i really do have work to do."

fred cleared his throat "right, sorry kiddo." he looked like he was about to back away, when he paused. "do i smell men's cologne?"

shit. zhou's dior cologne had a very distinct smell to it, following the chinese driver around like a cloud.

"dad!" she warned, moving to close the door. "you have work to do!"

"no boyfriends in the motorhome, y/n! you know the rules!"

"goodbye, dad!"

at the sound of the door closing, zhou knocked on the closet door from the inside. "can i come out now?"

she opened the closet door, frowning sadly at her boyfriend. "hey. sorry about my dad. no boys in the motorhome has been a rule since i was sixteen. not like i ever had boys to bring in to the motorhome."

"it's okay." zhou said softly, kissing her on the forehead, one hand cupping the side of her face. "i know why you don't want him to know about us."

"thank you for understanding, guanyu. i love you, baby." she pressed up against her boyfriend to kiss him softly, her tongue slipping into his mouth before she gently bit down on his bottom lip.

"now, let's take care of that pesky little problem you've got down there." she hummed mischeviously, her hand sliding down the front of his boxers.

now fred definitely knows that something is up, but he doesn't know with who.

the sun was filtering through the sheer curtains into y/n vasseur's bedroom. she was curled up comfortably underneath the goose down duvet, zhou guanyu's arms wrapped securely around her, her head resting on his chest as she stirred awake.

"good morning, gorgeous." zhou hummed, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she nuzzled her nose into his bare chest.

"mornin'." she grumbled, pulling the covers up over their groggy bodies. "can i go back to bed?"

zhou laughed, running his fingers through her hair. "don't you have to go to work?"

she shook her head, hooking her leg over zhou's thigh before kissing him softly. "i'm working from home today. do you have to do anything?"

"just a sponsorship meeting." he hummed softly, kissing her again.

"so we can stay in bed longer?" y/n said hopefully, raising her eyebrows as she moved to straddle her lover, silk pajama shorts riding up on her thighs.

"of course we can, angel face." zhou grins, his hands on her hips as he rolled their bodies over so that he was hovering over her, his arms caging her to the bed.

he kissed her softly, smiles of contentment blooming on their faces. y/n loved soft, cozy mornings like these. mornings where she could lie in bed with the man she loved, feeling safe, loved and secure. days where they would be content doing nothing at all.

"i love mornings like these." she hummed as zhou softly pressed kisses to her face, the knotted drawstring of his sweatpants pressing into her bare stomach where the old band shirt she slept in had ridden up. "just you and me. no worries, no responsibilities." she giggled as zhou blew a raspberry into her neck.

"so how do you want to spend this free morning?" zhou hummed, his fingers teasing the waistband of her shorts.

"i can think of a few ideas." she said huskily, raising an eyebrow as she slipped one hand down the back of her lover's sweatpants to cup the globe of his ass within her palm.

zhou smiled, leaning in to kiss her sweetly, and deeply. "i like the way you think, vasseur."

she hooked her leg over his thigh, grinding against the ever-growing bulge in her boyfriend's sweatpants as zhou slipped his tongue into her mouth. she moaned in contentment, burying her fingers in his hair as the driver gripped her thigh tightly.

zhou's nimble fingers began to unlace the drawstring resting just below his lover's navel when her cell phone began to ring from the nightstand.

"motherfucker!" y/n groaned, gently pushing zhou off of her. "again, dad! seriously?"

zhou chuckled, sitting back on his heels. "how do you know it's your dad?"

"because my phone is on 'do not disturb' and he's one of three people that are on the greenlit calls list." she groaned, throwing her arm over her eyes.

her lover looked at her thoughtfully, running his thumb over the soft flesh of her calf. "do you want me to run you a shower, bao bei? that way the water is all warm and ready for you when you're done talking to your dad?"

"that would be great, love. thank you." she hummed, sitting up and kissing zhou softly before reaching for her phone. once zhou was safely out of her bedroom, she swiped to answer the whatsapp video call from her father. "hi, dad. why in god's name are you calling me at seven in the morning on a friday?"

fred vasseur chuckled, looking at his daughter's dishevelled appearance and the messy, crinkled sheets that she had pulled around her shoulders. "i was just double checking if we were doing lunch today or tomorrow. your mother tried to get me on that google calendar thing, but i don't think it synced properly with my phone and i can't find the lunch anywhere."

y/n groaned, rolling her eyes. "dad, that could have been a text message."

"i know. but i just wanted to talk to my baby girl."

"dad, i'm twenty-two years old, hardly your baby girl any more." she chuckled, running a hand through her hair.

frederic smiled. "nonsense, y/n. you'll always be my little girl."

she could hear the shower in her miniscule ensuite bathroom whistle to life, the rush of warm water a comforting background noise through the pale pink wall.

"y/n, is there someone else in your apartment? is that why you wanted to get rid of me so easily?"

"no!" y/n said, again, a little too fast for her father not to have gathered that there was, in fact, another person in her apartment. "i just turned the shower on before i answered your call. you know how long that the water takes to warm up in my apartment."

"babe!"

fuck me. y/n visibly recoiled when zhou's voice echoed through the apartment.

"what body wash did you want?" the rookie driver grinned, sticking his head out the doorframe.

y/n glared at him, hiding the camera from her father as she made a slicing motion across her throat to indicate that the driver should probably stop talking.

"y/n y/m/n vasseur! do you have a boy in your apartment? and is that a hickey on your neck?"

"i'll meet you for lunch at 1:30, the usual spot." y/n said hurriedly, grabbing her cell phone from the mattress next to her and reasdjusting the duvet that was wrapped around her shoulders so that her father couldn't see the glaring red mark where her neck met her collarbone. "we are not talking about my love life at any point today."

"no, i think it's good that you've found someone!" fred beamed. "is it somebody that i know?"

"no, dad. i'm not dating within the sport." she wondered if her father could hear the untruths in her voice. "but i'm not ready to introduce him to the dumpster fire that which is my father's workplace."

"do i at least get a name?"

"goodbye, dad." she groaned, hanging up before she flopped back on the bed, head in her hands as she fought the urge to scream.

the time he guessed but knew better than to say anything.

the silverstone crash had rattled everybody. but what hurt y/n vasseur the most was having to keep her emotion under wraps as she watched her boyfriend's car flip over going into the first corner, the halo dragging across the tarmac and the grass before tumbling over a tyre barrier.

as far as her father was concerned, her friendship with zhou guanyu was strictly platonic, and she was struggling to keep her composure. she needed to be as calm as every other person in the alfa romeo garage as she stood on the pit wall next to her father, nervously clutching frederic's arm and chewing on her nails to distract herself.

to refrain from shouting out, refrain from sobbing.

her lover was strapped in a tin death trap, dangling from his seat and pressed up against the chain link fence, and she couldn't show any emotion whatsoever.

when it was confirmed that zhou was okay, and he had been transferred to the medical bay, y/n finally allowed herself to feel the torrent of emotions that she had kept bottled up like the seashells and sand she kept in that jar on her mantel.

she made her way out into the paddock, still struggling to force her weak, cement-block legs to move, trying to process the gut-wrenching, straight out of tv moment that had just unfolded in front of her eyes.

the first few silent tears began to fall, and when she walked past charles leclerc, who grabbed her by the arm and asked if she was okay, the monegasque driver's voice sounding like it was miles away, she woke up.

and she let out the first heart-breaking sob as she collapsed against charles' side, still unable to find the words.

how was she supposed to explain that she had just watched the love of her life almost lose his.

"i love him!" she coughed out, struggling to stand on her own two feet as charles gripped her arms, trying to avoid making a scene. "can you take me to see him, charles? i need to see guanyu."

if charles was fazed by how shaken up his former team principal's daughter was, he didn't show it as he guided her towards the medical bay, allowing the french girl to compose herself before going inside.

her face was red and puffy, and it was clear as day to all inside the room that she had been sobbing just moments before. she waved wearily at alex albon, who flashed her a look of discomfort along with a subtle raise of the hand as one of the nurses conducted an ultrasound on his wrist.

she quietly asked one of the nurses where her lover was before slipping behind the thin plastic sheet keeping zhou's condition private from the rest of the wards.

"you scared me, jackass." she tried to smile, voice shaky as she tried not to cry. "i'm glad that you're okay."

"oh, bao bei." zhou's voice wavered. "come here. i'm so sorry for scaring you, but i'm fine, see?"

shaking her head, y/n slipped onto the hospital bed next to zhou, gingerly wrapping her arms around him before pressing a single kiss to the side of his head, balaclava lines still visible on his face. "please, never do that to me again."

"i'm not going anywhere, angel face." he sighed, turning his head to kiss her. "i was so scared. i genuinely thought i wasn't going to be able to get out of that car. if it wasn't for george..."

"i know, honey." y/n sighed, resting her forehead against his as a tear began to fall down her face, following the tracks of the many salty emotions that had spilled over before it. "i love you." she whispered, her lips ghosting over her boyfriends skin as she curled into his side.

the plastic curtain slid open again, and fred vasseur jokingly knocked on the wall before making his way inside. if he was at all shocked at the sight of his driver and his daughter curled up in the hospital bed, he didn't show it.

fred had been beginning to suspect something was up in his daughter's love life for a few months now. but if this breif moment in time was confirming anything at all in his mind, he chose to keep it to himself.

"hey, champ. that's one hell of a recovery you've made."

and the time that fred vasseur walked in on a very compromising situation.

the moon was high as fred vasseur steered the alfa romeo into his daughter's driveway. the team had just had a sponsorship meeting, a gala if you will, and y/n and zhou had decided that it would just bea easier for zhou to just leave his car outside y/n's flat.

of course, what fred didn't need to know was that zhou guanyu had just spent the weekend at his daughter's flat, and had really all but moved in with her.

"thanks for the ride, dad. i'll call you in the morning." y/n said, leaning over the console to kiss her father on the cheek before opening the passenger side door and slipping out of the luxury vehicle.

behind her, zhou slipped almost ghost-like out of the backseat, waiting for frederic to reverse out of the driveway before he allowed himself to slip his arm around his girlfriend's waist, the couple turning to walk up the cobblestone drive to y/n's front door.

as soon as the front door was closed and they were certain that they wouldn't get caught, y/n slipped out of her leather jacket, spinning barefoot in the front hall so the shimmery black fabric of her gown swirled around her legs.

this was a different dress than the one she normally wore to such an event. she decided to change things up this far into the season. and it helped that her boyfriend was sponsored by dior and prada.

"i'm not going to lie," she hummed, reaching for zhou's collar and undoing the first few buttons on the white silk shirt she wore underneath his suit jacket. "it's been very hard to keep my hands off of you tonight. you look very sexy in a suit, my love."

zhou smiled, sliding his hands gently over his girlfriend's waist. "well, clearly you are the only one who had that problem."

"yeah, what were you thinking with that under-the-table stuff?" y/n giggled, playfully smacking zhou's chest. "i thought for sure that dad would realize something was up."

"i was barely touching you." zhou laughed, "my hand was literally just on your thigh."

"yeah, under my dress!" she smiled, pressing up on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. "i love you, zhou guanyu."

"love you more, y/n vasseur."

they kissed softly in the front hall, both parties finding it increasingly difficult to keep the kisses gentle and sweet as hands began to grip tender flesh tighter, hands fumbling with buttons on shirts, sliding up slits in dresses. teeth nipping at lips, tongues brushing up against each other, sharp gasps escaping throats.

zhou's suit jacket fell to the floor, his shirt hanging limply off his frame without the buttons to hold it closed, his lover's hands roaming his warm, soft skin as his lips dipped down to kiss her neck, backing her up against the kitchen island.

"zhou, honey," she breathed, fingers tangling in his hair as he sucked a hickey into her collarbone. "i'm not wearing a bra."

zhou paused, drawing away from y/n's neck to look her in the eyes, a cheeky grin on his face as he brushed her hair behind her ear. "just when i thought you couldn't get any sexier."

he kissed her again, hungry and full of passion as his hand slinked around her back to undo the ties holding her dress together, watching the straps slip down her shoulders and reveal her perfect, beautiful breasts.

"you're the most beautiful woman i have ever met." he mumbled huskily, kissing her again as her hands wrapped around his biceps, his hands moving to grope her chest, feeling himself getting harder with every breathy whine she let out.

switching his focus to her neck, he slipped his hands underneath the glittery lace of her dress, teasing his fingers along the outline of her lacy panties.

"guanyu," she whined, voice shaky and desperate, bucking her hips against his slender, nimble fingers. "i need you so badly. i need you to fuck me."

"i've got you, bao bei." he hummed, kissing her forehead sweetly before tugging at the waistband of her panties, doing his best not to rip them but simultaneously not caring if he tore them in half.

the skimpy fabric fell to the floor, y/n's hands flying to the fabric covering her lover's very obvious hard-on. she undid the button holding his slacks together, slipping her hand into his boxers before palming his cock and guiding it towards the center of her spread legs.

he sunk inside of her, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as she cursed in french, the end of the curse pitching into a moan as he began to thrust inside her, a deep groan leaving his own throat

"fuck, just like that, baby." she whined, throwing her head back as her fingernails dug into his shoulders, his cock sliding in and out of her dripping core, each thrust sending shockwaves through her body.

"y/n?" a heavily accented voice called from the front hallway, followed shortly by the front door swinging shut. "you left your purse in my- holy mary mother of christ!"

"dad!? what the fuck?" y/n screamed, jumping off the counter and scrambling to right her dress as zhou hastily does up the zipper on his slacks, turning his back to his team principal. "you can't just barge into my flat!"

"you left the door unlocked!" fred vassuer moaned, his eyes still closed. "can i open my eyes yet? are you both decent?"

"uhh, i think so?" she said hesitantly, panic flaring in her bones as she scrambled to kick her discarded panties behind the island and out of sight. "what the fuck are you doing here?"

"you left your purse in my car." fred glared, passing his daughter the small dooney and bourke handbag. "i've known somethignw as up since silverstone, but seriously? on the kitchen island? you guys haven't been home half an hour yet!"

"i'm so sorry, sir." zhou pleaded, reaching for his girlfriend's hand. "we never meant for it to be like this. we were going to tell you once the season was over."

"were you at least using protection? or not, i mean, i'd like to become a grandfather before i die."

"dad!" y/n scolded. "can we talk about this another time, please?"

"i am so taking that ferrari job."

Tags:

@sidcrosbyspuck @magnummagnussen @libraryofloveletters @daydreamingleclerc @scuderiamh @estevries

#zhou guanyu x y/n #zhou guanyu x reader #formula one x reader #formula 1 x reader #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #lovelytsunodas katy perry series

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lanawinterscigarettes · 1 year

Text

Nothing But A Dream (Chandler Bing x reader)

Kinkmas Day 3: wet dream + begging

A/N: day 3! This was such a pleasure for me to write, bottom Chandler means the world to me

Warnings: SMUT, gender neutral reader, top reader, bottom Chandler

As Chandler tossed and turned in his bed, desperate for a good night's sleep, he dreamt of you.

You were riding him, your hand gently pressed against his throat. Your mouth whispered the dirtiest things in his ear between the kisses you were pressing to his jaw.

"Do you like that, baby? Do you like it when I ride you? Hm?"

He looked up at you through hooded lashes, so drunk on all the attention you were giving him he couldn't even form a proper sentence in response.

"Aw, you're so cute."

In the back of his mind he knew it wasn't real; it couldn't be. There's no way someone as breathtaking and extraordinary as you would ever see him as anything more than just a friend.

But something about the dream felt so real, almost as if you really were on top of him, dragging your hands up and down his chest while you commented on how pretty he was.

Part of his mind was screaming at him for his perverted thoughts (how could he be having a sex dream about one of his best friends and not feel guilty?) while another part was telling him that he should calm down and just enjoy it while it lasts.

After all, there's no possible way for them to find out unless he explicitly tells them, and it's not like that'll ever happen, so what's the harm?

Chandler gave in to his taboo desires, cupping your face with his hands so he could pull you down for a gentle yet passionate kiss.

"Please," he said after the two of you broke apart, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Please what, sweetheart? I'm gonna need you to be a bit more specific than that," you replied, smirking at the way he whined at you.

"Please, please, let me cum," he begged, his hands now at his side, tightly gripping the bedsheets.

"Hmm." You pretended to think about it as you sat back on his cock. "No, I don't think so."

He whined. "But why not?"

"Because only good boys get to cum, and I don't think you've been a good boy, now have you?"

"I have, I promise I have!" He said, trying to convince you, but he could tell by the look in your eyes that it wasn't working.

"Have you, though? I mean, you're literally fantasizing about having sex with me right now. I'd say that qualifies as a bad boy, wouldn't you?"

"No, I- it was an accident, I promise! It'll never happen again!"

By this point he was close to tears. You hadn't stopped moving completely, but it wasn't fast enough to properly satisfy him, and he was getting impatient.

You let out a chuckle. "Okay, as long as you promise."

You began to move quicker, and he threw his head back against the pillows as he let out a moan so loud he was certain it would have woken up the entire apartment building had it been happening in real life.

Leaning closer to him, you kissed his neck before saying one final command.

"Cum for me, baby."

Chandler jolted awake, his boxers feeling damp and sticky. He sighed as he rolled over and tried to fall back asleep. Maybe one day his dreams would become a reality.

Kinkmas 2022 | main masterlist | Friends masterlist | wanna be added to my taglist?

🏷 taglist: @anxiously-sad @iloveentrapta @ghot-girl @gilmore-angel @amalfoyandariddle @seterra-sage @raykol @bigboobslilheart @natashaswife4125 @uniquemongerkidcop @mattxxamryli (if you were crossed out it means I couldn't tag you for some reason)

#kinkmas 2022 #kinkmas day 3 #lanawinterscigarettes kinkmas 2022 #friends #friends imagines #friends imagine #friends x reader #friends fic #friends smut #chandler bing #chandler bing imagines #chandler bing imagine #chandler bing x reader #chandler bing fic #chandler bing smut

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canirove · 4 months

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My neighbour Rúben | Chapter 1

Summary: Have you ever watched this movie Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans did before Marvel called “The Nanny Diaries”? It's about a girl, Scarlett's character, who finds herself working as a nanny for a very rich family, and Chris happens to be her hot and very cute neighbour. And something very similar is what has happened to me, neighbour included. Though in my case, mine is very cute and very hot. And handsome. The most handsome man I have ever seen. And his name is Rúben.

Author's note: This story has been finished and waiting in my drafts since 2022. I wrote it as a new and different version of "The Nanny Diaries" (my story with Ben Chilwell) because I didn't like it, and then I ended not liking this one either 🙈 But time passed, I read it again recently, thought it was cute… And here we are, having now both of them posted when they weren't supposed to 😅 I hope you like it, and as always, thank you for reading! 💜

Next chapter

Masterlist

Have you ever watched this movie Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans did before Marvel called “The Nanny Diaries”? It's about a girl, Scarlett's character, who finds herself working as a nanny for a very rich family with a spoiled kid and Chris is her hot and very cute neighbour. And something very similar is what has happened to me, but let's start from the beginning.

My entire life was designed to achieve one goal: become the best piano player in the country. Or in the continent if my father got too excited. And since I can remember, I've been glued to one.

While my friends were going out to the park, I was going to my teacher's house to practice. While my friends were meeting to go shopping or watch a movie at the cinema, I was practicing. While my friends were going out clubbing and meeting boys and girls, I was going early to bed because I had practice in the morning. And while my friends were choosing a career path they liked and enjoyed and moving to different cities all around the country, I only had one option: playing the piano and moving to Manchester, where the best teacher lived.

The weather sucks, yes. But it isn't such an ugly city as they say, and all the people I met were lovely and very welcoming. Unless you are fighting with them for a spot on the next recital or to get the next scholarship. That's when things get nasty, and that's how you end up with broken fingers and the dreams your parents had for you shattered. Because becoming the best piano player of my generation wasn't my dream, it was theirs. Or my father’s to be precise.

So when Anastasia Hamilton pushed me down the stairs and I found myself with two broken fingers on my left hand, a sprained ankle and my body covered in bruises, I didn't complain. Well, that's a lie. I complained and cried because it hurt like hell. But I didn't complain when they told me I wouldn't be able to play the piano like I used to due to one of my fingers not healing properly despite being treated by the best doctors. I didn't complain because I was finally free. If I wanted to play, I would be doing it because I wanted to, not because it was my job, because I had to, because my future depended on it. Now I was free to finally follow my dreams and not my parents’. Or that's what I thought.

I told them I wanted to take a gap year to figure out what to do with my life, but they said no. They had decided that I should study to become a music teacher, to help others achieve what I hadn't been able to. We argued, they said that if I wanted to do anything different it would not be with their money, I said ok, and I found myself alone in Manchester with barely any money or a place to live.

And that's when I crossed paths with Julia.

I had gone to the shopping centre to see if anyone was looking for a waitress or someone to fold t-shirts in a shop, when I saw her crying in the middle of one of the corridors, most people walking past her and ignoring her.

"Hey, are you ok?" I said, kneeling in front of her. "Where are your parents?"

"Quiero a mi mamá" she sobbed. That was why people were ignoring her. She only spoke Spanish and they didn't understand her. But, lucky me, I used to go to the north of Spain for music summer camp and I can speak it fluently.

"¿Dónde está tu mamá?" Where is your mum?

"No lo sé. Estaba comprando una taza fea y..." Her mum was buying an ugly mug. I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Ok, let’s go find her.” Where we were most shops only sold clothes, but I remembered I had just walked past a Zara Home. Maybe she was there? "Come" I said, grabbing her hand. She didn't say a word and just followed me, her sobs turning into hiccups.

"Julia!" a woman screamed the moment we turned the corner. "Oh, Julia, I thought I had lost you!"

"Mami!" the kid said, letting go of my hand and throwing herself at the woman. "Me perdí y esta chica me ayudó."

"Did you help her?" the woman asked me.

"I saw her crying and that people were ignoring her, and I decided to check on her. She was speaking Spanish and I think that's why most people were walking past her, because they weren't able to understand her."

"Oh, she always does that when she gets upset. Do you speak Spanish?"

"Yup."

"Oh, you are an angel" the woman said, hugging her daughter a bit tighter. "I don't know how I'm gonna be able to thank you."

"Knowing that she's alright is enough, don’t worry."

"No, no, no. You must allow me to do something for you. What do you say, Julia. Should we invite this wonderful angel to have lunch with us?"

"Yes!" Julia said, her English coming back. "We'll bake you a chocolate cake! Do you like chocolate cake?"

"I actually do, yes" I smiled.

"Then it's settled. Let me give you my card, it has my office phone number on it" Julia's mum said, opening her bag. "Call tomorrow morning and we'll schedule that lunch together."

"Ok. Thank you."

"Thank you" the woman said, giving me a hug. "My name us Lucía, by the way. But you can call me Lucy like everyone in this country does."

"Nice to meet you, Lucy."

Lucía, Lucy. A Spanish lawyer specialized in divorces, and the divorces of very wealthy people. Which meant that when I arrived at her house for that lunch date, I found myself before one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the city.

"Are you coming in, miss?" the doorman asked.

"Yes, hi, sorry. Do I have to tell you where I'm going or..."

"You don't look like a thief" the man chuckled.

"I'm not, I promise. I'm meeting with Lucy and Julia."

"Oh, yes. Miss Julia said a friend was coming for lunch today. An angel."

"That must be me" I said, blushing a bit.

"Then welcome, miss" the man said, opening the building's door. "Do you know their floor number?"

"Yes, the 7th. Letter B."

"That’s the one. Call for the lift and push the number, their house will be the one to your right."

"Thank you very much, sir."

"My pleasure, miss" the man said with a smile. Roger. The loveliest man you'll ever meet.

"So glad you could make it" Lucy said after opening the door, giving me a hug.

"Angel!" Julia screamed, coming to also hug me. "You came!"

"Of course I did."

"She’s decided to start calling you angel because of what I said at the shopping centre. I hope you don’t mind.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry" I smiled.

“Come, let me show you my room" Julia said, grabbing my hand and forcing me to follow her.

After a tour around the house and its many rooms, we were back in the living room, one where the small flat I was renting thanks to some money my grandparents had been sending me without my parents knowing, could perfectly fit.

"Is that a real piano?" I asked Julia.

"It's daddy's" she said. "We used to play together."

"That's lovely." My dad never played with me just for fun. It always was about practice, practice... And oh, yes, more practice.

"Do you play?" Lucy asked me.

"Since I was Julia's age."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Why don't you play something for us while we wait for our food?"

"Sure" I said, sitting in front of the huge black piano. It was a very expensive one like everything else on that building.

"Daddy used to play that!" Julia said when she recognized the song. "Hey Jude, don't make it bad... Mami, why are you crying?" she asked her when we finished.

"Because it was beautiful, sweetheart. And you play so well" Lucy told me. "Have you ever thought about giving lessons?"

"Not really..."

"Julia started to take them a few months ago, but her teacher... Had other things to do, so now she doesn't have one. Would you like to take her place?"

"Me?"

"Yes, angel! Be my teacher!" Julia said, clapping her hands and jumping.

That was what my parents had wanted me to do. To become a teacher. I wasn't going to be doing it at the music school, but this still was teaching, right? And I liked Lucy and Julia a lot despite only knowing them for just a few hours.

"I'll do it" I said. "I'll be Julia's teacher."

"Oh, perfect!" Lucy smiled. "When can you start?"

"Whenever you want. I have nothing else to do" I shrugged.

"Then tomorrow. I have to work, so maybe you could pick up Julia from school, bring her here and start your lessons? I'll pay you for that extra time."

"Ok" I nodded.

I had found a job, one that I liked, and one that was going to pay me handsomely judging by the numbers Lucy had mentioned while doing a draft of my contract.

I was so busy thinking about all that, checking the details she had given me about Julia's school, that I hadn’t noticed the lift had made it to the lobby and the doors were open.

“Are you going up again?” a male voice said.

“Uh?” I replied, lifting my eyes from my phone. And what did they see? The most handsome man you could ever imagine.

“Are you going up again?” he repeated.

“I…” I had forgotten how to speak. I may have not been wearing an ugly costume like Scarlett in one of the scenes where she met Chris Evans, but I had my jaw on the floor and definitely was making a fool of myself. “No” I finally managed to say.

“So… are you leaving, then?” he asked, trying to hide a smile.

“Yes” I said, still looking at him. Was he real? He was real. When he stopped the lift’s door from closing again, taking a step forward towards me, I saw that he was very real. “Thank you. Sorry. I’m leaving” I blurted out, my brain finally remembering how speaking worked. Kind of.

“It’s ok” he replied with a smile. No, not a smile. A smirk. One that made everything inside me turn upside down. “Bye” he said, walking inside the lift and letting go of the doors, disappearing behind them while I just stared. He must have thought I was stupid. A creep. Or both. But what else are you supposed to do when you find yourself face to face with the hottest man in planet earth?

“Miss, are you alright?” I heard Roger say from the door.

“Yes, yes. Just… Processing what just happened. That I got a job, I mean” I quickly added, noticing how he was arching an eyebrow, his eyes moving to the lift.

“Oh, those are great news, miss. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. I guess you’ll be seeing more of me from now on.”

And hopefully, I would be seeing more of him too. Of the hot neighbour, my own Chris Evans. Though later on I would find out that his name wasn’t Chris, that would have been too much of a coincidence.

His name was Rúben.

#ruben dias #ruben dias fanfic #ruben dias imagine #football fanfic #football imagine

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 3 months

Note

AITA for not contacting my best friend of 10+ years in 3 years almost?

I (16f) haven't talked to my friend (18f) at all in almost 2 years now. Last time I texted her was probably December 2022? Just a stupid little "Merry Christmas" message on Insta. We meet when I was 4 or 5 (I don't remember for sure) because we lived on the same street. Throughout our friendship I was homeschooled and she started being homeschooled later on (10 I think). When she was 11 she moved about 20 minutes away and my mom would still drive me over, all was good. Then when I was 10 I moved 45-60 minutes away and I still went to see her, but instead of everyday it was like every week or two. Now I've been away for 6 years (obviously) but I visited her up until 2018-2019 area. Then I kept texting until 2022. Then I stopped texting cause I felt like I was always starting the conversation instead of her, which I know now I probably should've just told her how I was feeling but I was an angsty awkward 14 year old who was ✨️going through some shit✨️. Anyways, she never texted me. Not even on my birthday (even though I texted her on her's every year since I got a phone) and it's not like she could've forgotten easily, my birthday is two weeks before her's. To add to things, the past few years when I started figuring out I was queer, I realized I may have had a little crush on her. I hadn't ever been exposed to a lot of queer things as a kid so I didn't realize until 11-12 what it even was let alone that I was allowed to feel that for another girl. I want to contact her again, I really fucking want to. Not even to try and act on my crush, I doubt she ever thought of me like that, but just to be her friend again.

So, Tumblr, AITA?

TL;DR I fucked up my friendship of 10+ years by not contacting her, but she didn't contact me either.

P.S. I left out some details so hopefully she doesn't realize it's us, last I knew she didn't have Tumblr (though, she could say the same about me) but still I think all the important details are here. Thanks.

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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heartandfangs · 2 years

Text

I OWE YOU— PART FIVE.

GENRE Roommates AU, Playboy!Jake, Virgin!Reader, BestFriend!Heeseung, Heavy Smut, Slight Angst, Fluff (if you squint)

PAIRING f!Reader x Jake/Jayeun, f!Reader x Heeseung

WARNINGS 18+ ONLY, Cursing, Possessiveness, Manipulation, LOTS of jealousy, Implied one-sided feelings, Unresolved feelings, Trash talking, Alcohol, Flirting, Slight slow-burn, Morally-grey characters, Sexual inexperience, Sexual tension, Anxiety, Making out, Teasing, Finger sucking, Grinding, Breast worship, Brief rimming (very brief), Fingering, f!Receiving Oral sex, m!Receiving Oral sex, SoftDom!Heeseung, Sub!Reader

WORD COUNT +13k

SUMMARY In which you realize that your playboy roommate and your best friend share one common thread: their uninhibited desire for you. With Jake giving you the cold shoulder, you choose to indulge the latter this time around… consequences be damned.

AUTHOR'S NOTE Even if you're not caught up with the series, if you love Hee, you'd enjoy this part alone. 🫠 It came out a lot more romantic than I intended, but Heeseung's character just brought it out of me and it's not even in his own series– that's how badly he's been coming for me! 💗 But tbh it was a long time coming and set up in part 3, so letting soft dom Heeseung have his reign here. I added extra smut for you all which is why it took a week more than I said it would to post, but I think it was worth it. Fucking enjoy 🫶 I'm officially deceased, you’ll find me in my coffin ⚰️ (See end of work for cont. A/N)

YOU WISH, Part I, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Masterlist

TAGLIST @skzenhalove, @axartia, @stbwe, @duolingofanaccount, @writingmochi, @thejjrl@fan-zhan, @kazuhugs, @sweetnightleeheeseung, @rpkth, @btskpop17, @markleeisdabestdrug

It perturbed you how much your body yearned to be near Jake Sim.

Seemingly, Jake shared the same sentiment, despite having vied for your attention one day and then ignored you entirely the next, right after you rejected his kiss during your last encounter. It must've been the tipping point after you cruelly renounced your heated first kiss with him, chalking it up to anything but feelings despite you initiating it.

However, you were nearly beginning to wonder if you called it too soon; his feelings for you, that is. Not to say that you were in love with him; you knew better than that. But after much thought and a healthy amount of denial on your end, you were beginning to realize Jake had fallen for you in a twisted sense.

It was a challenging notion to wrap your head around. If he had, at what point had Jake fallen and why?

After all, that wasn't what Jake was about.

Your rejection of his romantic advances drew such a strong reaction from him, though, like the man wasn't sure what to do with himself. As if it was his first time dealing with such feelings, but he had to have gotten his heart broken at least once, right?

Although, it really seemed like Jake was infatuated rather than in love– because you were the sole one he'd yet to get his hands on from the start.

So, the dissonance in his behavior made sense after what had transpired between you two in that short time frame. Callousness was a reaction you hadn't anticipated coming from Jake– and you would never admit out loud that it hurt.

The ghost of Jake's touches lingered on every inch of your skin and had you rutting into your pillow late at night when the vivid memories of him persisted. A consequence of your carelessness, even though you knew what you were getting yourself into.

Jake had shown you facets of himself you hadn't even known existed beyond his mischievous persona and capricious way of living. He'd push your boundaries in ways that irked you but also expanded your little world. It was such an intriguing dynamic, one you could imagine yourself exploring further with him… perhaps without strings attached.

You never thought you'd come to consider such a thing, especially after how cold you've been with Jake and how precious things like first kisses once were to you.

Although Jake never verbally expressed it, he clearly thought otherwise and seemed to want you romantically. He was growing attached to you in ways he hadn't shown to have been in the past.

One kiss– and suddenly yours and his intentions swapped. How was that even remotely possible for him, let alone for you?

Two weeks had gone by begrudgingly slowly and each day was like a hellish repeat of the day prior, consisting of an unbearable tension you hadn't known was possible to exist between two people.

Jake would either rise earlier in the day or stay in later than you just to avoid contact. If either of you did happen to pass by each other in the common areas of the flat, no words were exchanged, and god forbid you made eye contact.

It was a good thing life had many distractions.

Being a working member of society meant that you were more than eager to get out of the four walls of your bedroom after being at your desk all week. Saturday evening arrived like the answer to your prayers, and since you didn't go out much, you intended to have as much fun as you could within your means.

A notification sounded from your phone, informing you that the Uber you were currently in was approaching one of your favorite speakeasies. The sound pulled you out of your thoughts, the blur of buildings starting to look familiar.

By recent habit, you tapped on your photo album to indulge the source of your guilt and irritation. Turns out when Jake stole your phone those couple weeks ago, he filled your gallery with ridiculous selfies— several blurry, taken at hilarious angles, and others, obnoxiously flirtatious, as if he intended to get a rise out of you.

He was shirtless in all of them, which only made your nerves hum, and your palms sweaty.

One photo in particular always made you feel hazy– Jake had fallen over your sheets, sweatpants hung low on his hips, and a veined hand wrapped around his neck like a choker, his demure, heavy eyes telling of his arousal for you.

Fantastic— As if you needed a fucking souvenir photo for that day.

In frustration, you slammed your head back on the headrest, drawing a concerned look from your Uber driver in the mirror. The car had come to a momentary stop in a free parking space.

"Sorry," you quickly apologized and hurried out of the car onto the busy streets of downtown.

A red neon sign that read Deities & Denizens glowed several feet above you, indicating that you were at your stop. You glanced at your reflection in a tinted window and smoothed your fingers over the soft velvet fabric of your dress, ending at the tops of your thighs.

The black dress dipped sharply to reveal the skin of your decollete, the panels wrapped and tied to the side of your waist. Its long fitted sleeves would keep you warm, as would your trusty thigh-high, suede boots you'd chosen for the night.

Thin, woven strands of leather kept them tied behind your thighs, and at the end of each dangled a silver horned charm. The heel gave you a couple of inches of height without compromising comfort, along with the false hope that you might have a chance at appearing less like a child next to Heeseung.

You pocketed your phone into your dress and ran your fingers over the simple diamond choker resting at the base of your neck; it was a lovely gift from your mother, who you hadn't seen in a long time, and you've only worn it out on occasion.

A gust of wind from the cars driving by swept your hair, and the bustling street activity along with the chatter of people caused a thought to intrude on your mind.

What if I had taken Jake instead?

With a frustrated huff, you dropped your arms to your sides and yanked open the door to the venue.

Why would I even think such a thing? I'm here to spend time with–

"Hey."

To your left stood the man of the hour with his arms crossed over his chest.

Immediately your face brightened upon seeing Heeseung, who gave you a small smile in return.

"What are you doing over there brooding against the wall for?"

"Waiting for you, of course," Heeseung replied.

Well, you set yourself up for that one.

"Yeah, I know– Sorry I'm a bit late."

Although Heeseung was as much of a wallflower as you were, his exquisite fashion sense consistently garnered attention from anyone in close vicinity. Dressed head to toe in black with a sleek leather coat and dress boots, he must've been drawing glances from strangers since he arrived, even appearing slightly intimidating to you despite knowing him.

Heeseung pushed off the wall and made his way towards you. He easily pulled you into his arms as you rose to the tips of your toes, barely able to thread your arms around his neck in a warm embrace without his help.

Immediately, you appreciated the proximity; after all, it was the first physical human contact you've had in weeks. Almost wanting to just fall limp against Heeseung, you opted to rest your cheek against his shoulder and take in the scent of his cologne. He smelled of warm musk, and subtle spice layered over crisp apples, reminding you of a crackling fireplace amid the cold woods.

Heeseung felt you relax against him and rubbed comforting circles against your back in response.

"You looked a little distressed there; something happen along the way here?"

Coming to your senses, you slipped your arms from his shoulders, but his hands settled on your hips, keeping you close. It startled you slightly, being able to feel the outline of his natural bulge press against you.

Breath catching, you replied, "...No. It was just a weird Uber drive. You know how those can sometimes be."

"Next time, let's just meet at your place, and we'll go from there together," he looked into your eyes, and you thought you imagined his thumb slowly dragging over the curve of your hip.

Gosh, Heeseung feels different.

"You're sweet," Taking his hand, you tugged him along to the back of the restaurant, "Next time."

His skin was warm to the touch, and you willed your palms from getting sweaty.

Heeseung leaned down, his warm breath tickling your ear, "You look beautiful tonight."

Even amongst all the noise, his gentle voice managed to send shivers across your skin.

"It's nice pretending to be a participating member of society once in a while," You smirked up at him, fighting the urge to shy away.

"It is nice, sometimes,” he agreed.

As you weaved between groups of people and servers alike, the aroma of the food spread on each table made your stomach growl.

"This place is pretty cool; the vibe reminds me of the 1920s," He looked over his shoulder, eyeing the busy old-fashioned bar drenched in warm lights, "Is this not where we're sitting?"

"Remember, it's a speakeasy– which means the bar we're going to is hidden further in," You turned around and stood in front of him as he came to a halt, "And you have to find it."

The both of you found yourselves in the middle of a dim hallway, luxurious glass cases filled with massive blocks of ice on trays to your left, rows of large steel kegs lining the furthest back wall behind you, and a mysterious door on your right.

An amused smile tugged at Heeseung's lips as he brushed by you and reached for the gold door knob, the most obvious choice.

He peered into it curiously before shutting the door, "That is a fancy bathroom."

You chuckled, stepping aside to watch him further explore the space while taking in… well, him.

Somehow Heeseung had grown since you last saw him in person; his shoulders had broadened, filling out his leather coat, and the slight angle of his jaw was more mature. A stranger probably wouldn't have guessed he'd move with such grace across the stage with his long limbs, but you knew how exceptional of a performer he was.

Everything from his subtly styled hair to the steel toe of his boots was impeccable; Heeseung naturally exuded an intriguing aura that people picked up on even when he wasn't on stage. Perhaps it came with the familiarity of being in the spotlight. You've never been the sort to care to perform in front of others, and with Heeseung, you've never had to.

Heeseung curiously ran his hand over the wall of steel kegs and shot you a questioning look.

"You're hot," you hinted.

"Am I?"

You rolled your eyes as Heeseung held his hand out to you with a glimmer in his eye, "Come on."

Without a second thought, you took his hand in yours.

Jake wove his palm over a flickering candle, hunched over his chosen glass of amber poison. Its heat stung, but only when he stayed put for too long.

It was no different with his sexual encounters.

He was reminded of how candlelight spilled over your serene expression in the bath and the mess of feelings that overcame him after your last tryst weeks ago. How he left you on your knees in that tub after everything— after he used you.

A pang of guilt throbbed in his chest, so he swallowed a mouthful of his drink, enduring the burn down his throat.

"So, handsome. What are you headed after this, my place or yours?" A perfectly manicured finger reached out to trace the back of his hand, and he instinctively retracted it.

… Instinctively?

"I don't have any plans, and I'll likely be keeping it that way for the rest of the night."

The woman huffed and shot an irritated look at him, then glared across the table at Jake's more relaxed companion.

Jake glanced over at Sunghoon, who had an arm draped around another random woman that suddenly appeared at their table about twenty minutes prior, already sipping on her third martini.

As the woman at Jake's side downed her drink, Sunghoon shrugged at his friend’s prickly demeanor. "Really, Jake? Hey Jay, can we get another—"

Said bartender quickly approached their table from the bar and directed a threat to the man under his breath, "I will personally slip cyanide into your drink if you order another Zombie, Sunghoon."

"It's for Jake; look at him. The poor guy needs to get fucked up a bit," Sunghoon insisted, brushing his fingers through his bleached locks, "And then maybe he'll tell us what the hell has been going on."

Jay gave the younger man a good look, taking in Jake’s unusual stony expression before nodding and rolling up his sleeves, "…Fine."

Just as Jay turned back to the bar, he paused in his tracks.

Sunghoon followed the bartender's line of sight to a young woman dressed in black, never mind the man next to her.

"Is she a regular?" He asked Jay.

Jake didn't bother to turn around or listen in to the ongoing conversation, fully caught up in his vehement thoughts about you.

Jay's attention snapped back to the task at hand, and he began pouring a couple of glasses of water behind the bar. "Even if she wasn't– don't even think about it."

"Why, you got dibs?" Sunghoon probed.

"No. She's just never come off as the type that'd give you a chance– Plus, she's brought company, for once."

Jay approached Sunghoon's short-term object of interest for the night, who was admittedly his favorite regular and her plus one, who Jay– if he were being honest with himself– was a bit envious of.

Heeseung's expression upon entering the speakeasy was absolutely priceless. His mouth fell agape upon noticing the long wall lined with rows upon rows of skulls to the left where you both stood. The walls reached the incredibly high ceiling, decorated with obscure framed paintings and portraits of people staring down at the unsuspecting diners.

On his right, several deep, inverted shelves that were tucked into the walls displayed an impressive stock of spirits and booze for the clientele's ailments. People occupied each booth and table, yet it wasn't nearly as noisy as the restaurant outside.

The room was bathed in warm, dim lighting from the individual tea lights scattered along the tables and the grand candle-lit chandelier hanging at the center of it all.

"It's like something out of Disneyland, isn't it?" You said.

"Feels like a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion," He agreed, "It's right up your alley."

"Exactly," you smiled, tugging him to your reserved seats at the closest end of the bar.

On queue, a familiar face approached you.

"Hi, Jay."

"___," He greeted, replacing the reservation plaque on the marble counter with two glasses of water, "It's been a while, and you've brought company this time."

"I have! Meet my best friend, Heeseung."

"Hello, best friend," Jay nodded at Heeseung, who returned the gesture.

"Hello."

That drew a chuckle from you just as Jay brandished a menu with a flourish and slid it across the counter, "Let me know when you're ready, love."

"I will," you said shyly, unable to help yourself when interacting with the bold bartender.

Heeseung rapped his knuckles against the marble counter while looking after Jay as he walked off. He observed you closely as you studied the small, gold foiled menu.

You slid a hand over your stomach as it growled, "I swear, I'm about to order one of everything."

"The menu's not that big," Heeseung propped his chin up on his palm, "Why don't we?"

"Really?" You grinned, "You gonna help me finish it all?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yeah, yeah– keep thinking you put it away better than me," You drawled, finger running down the list of specialty cocktails to choose from, "What are you thinking drinks-wise?"

"Since you know what's good here, why don't you choose for me?"

"Aw, you trust me to get you something nice and sweet for your baby taste buds?"

Heeseung pouted, "I don't have baby taste buds."

"Yes, you do, Mister I'd like extra, extra sugar in my milk tea, please."

Heeseung gently nudged you sulkily, and you mischievously made a big show of nearly slipping off your stool. Just as he caught you, your hand shot out to grip his arm and steady yourself, a bit surprised to feel his muscles flex under his jacket.

"Geez! I almost fell on my ass."

He pulled you back onto your seat with ease, "You did not—"

"Ready for some drinks?" Jay suddenly reappeared after seeing your arms flail from across the room.

You straightened up, a smile plastered over your face. "Oh, yes. He'll have the Love Note, I'll have the Fallen Angel, and we'll get one of everything off the shareables."

Off to your side, Heeseung looked curious at the names of the cocktails you rattled off.

"I'll put those in for you…"

You thanked Jay, but it appeared he wasn't finished speaking with you.

"… So, I received an anonymous request. This shot is from the hottest guys in the room," Jay sighed loudly, holding a glass filled with a creamy citrine liquid, "And they want you to go figure out who it is."

You stared at Jay, and he visibly cringed. "Hint: it's not me."

Heeseung gave Jay a tight-lipped smile, clearly not amused.

"I completely understand if you don't want to tip me." The bartender set the single shot glass down in front of you and quickly turned on his heel to tend to other guests.

"What the hell?" Too curious for your own good, you scanned the dark room over your shoulder.

It was only a matter of seconds before you met the sharp gaze of a handsome young man with silver hair who sat on the opposite end of the room. A woman accompanied him, and another man with his back turned to you.

The man facing you whispered something to his companion before sending an enticing wink your way. The girl at his side sent you a nasty look at the attention you were receiving, causing you to avert your eyes.

Unsettled and feeling a heat work up your neck, you were glad Heeseung couldn't see your face.

Then his dark haired companion turned your way, appearing somewhat lethargic until his sights settled on you. The same mixture of disbelief spread across both your faces.

Jake.

Heeseung paused. "Isn't that your roommate?"

"Yes," Your stool creaked as you turned back to the counter and stared down at the shot. It smelled sugary and citrusy; Heeseung would probably like it. "Yes, and I have no clue what's going on right now."

Jake's appearance at one of your favorite bars had to be coincidental. It wasn't his idea to send a shot over and get your attention, right? Did his friends even know what you looked like? He's never had them over except girls, and you've never taken any photos together, but it's possible Jake spilled everything to them…

Shit. Did he actually? You hadn't even told Heeseung yet, but you hadn't exactly been planning on it.

Heeseung blinked at you in silence before his eyes narrowed in on your roommate. The last time they'd seen each other was through your laptop's screen, and Jake had been all up in your space if he remembered correctly.

Clearly, something had gone down between the two of you.

Jake couldn't take his eyes off you, even as you tried to duck your head out of sight… until he felt Heeseung's scrutinizing stare.

If looks could kill.

"Shall we people watch for old times sake? I'm sure it'll make them uncomfortable if they see us whispering to each other while staring at them," Heeseung suggested.

You couldn't help but laugh out loud despite your nerves.

In college, there had been countless nights you'd spent together in boba cafes while people-watching and whispering made-up stories of strangers' lives for fun.

Perhaps it was a bit juvenile and silly of you two, but the stories you two spun had you doubled over in laughter by the end of the night. The two of you always did it on the down-low, but Heeseung must've been feeling a little bolder today.

"…What do you think about the guy with my roommate?" You asked distractedly, preferring to speculate about Jake's friend rather than himself.

Heeseung spun your stool back around, so you both faced the suspected try-hards of the night. When his hand rested on the small of your back, you straightened up in your chair.

"He's likely a player if the guy's hanging around your roommate. Probably still in college and wants to hang with the big boys. I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled that stunt with the shot— tacky birds of a feather flock together."

"Damn, you're not pulling any punches tonight, are you?"

"I don't feel inclined to these days… it's an easy read."

Sunghoon's expression slowly shifted into a frown as he convened with Jake, who'd quickly turned his back on you.

You snickered, "I'd agree with you. The silver-haired kid probably secretly has a mommy kink."

Heeseung choked on his water, sending you into a fit of giggles only feeling a bit apologetic. He quickly recovered himself, shaking his head at you in disbelief.

"Sure you didn't pregame before meeting me here?"

"Hey, I'm here to have all the fun with you tonight!" You said.

"Right… So, what’s in our drinks?"

You shot him a sly look at how quickly he changed the subject but decided to go along with the flow.

“Love Note’s got vodka, gin & crème de violette. It's like a cloudy purple and looks a bit mysterious, but it's partly fizzy and tastes like candy. Even the presentation reminds me of you; you'll see when it comes," Heeseung found himself bashfully glancing down at his lap as you continued, "Fallen Angel supposedly has crème de menthe with gin & sugar in it. Not sure how that combination is with lime, but I thought, why not give it a try? Sometimes the names of drinks are enough to get me to taste it."

"Is menthe essentially mint? Kind of sounds like a toothpaste cocktail—"

"Don't even start," you warned, pressing a finger into his chest.

Heeseung chuckled and you pursed your lips, the two of you sitting back to observe your surroundings again in comfortable silence.

To your annoyance, your eyes kept wandering back to Jake; you had to force yourself from staring at his back, feeling the weight of his unexpected presence on your shoulders.

Giving Heeseung your full attention was challenging when so many things were pressing on your mind. Part of you wanted to leave after seeing Jake, but you didn't want to ruin your night with your best friend.

And even though you didn't owe Jake anything, you also felt the pressure to say something after weeks of silence, but you weren't sure what, and this certainly wasn't the place to do so.

Suddenly, the tips of Heeseung's fingers began tracing lazy shapes across your back as if he knew you'd drifted away in your thoughts. His touch sent tingles sparking across your skin, causing you to press your thighs together.

Oh gosh, what was he doing?

You felt Heeseung staring at you with a knowing look, and in a panic, you quickly reached for the forgotten shot on the counter before giving it a quick taste.

"Lemon drop. Try it," You tipped the glass towards him.

Heeseung's long fingers curled around yours as he took the glass and knocked it back.

While Heeseung ran his tongue over his lips in consideration, you hadn't realized you were licking at your own, mirroring him. "Tastes like sour candy and vodka. I would've gotten you something different."

"Like what?"

"Just champagne, and lots of it," He said simply, setting down the empty glass.

"Quit making me out to be a drunk," you bumped his knee with yours and gave him an accusing look that had him beaming.

A chic string of notes filled your ears and drew your attention to the corner of the room; a live band had shuffled in and begun playing a sultry-sounding number that was a bit on the R&B side. Heeseung's hand dragged across your spine, causing you to squirm.

"___. Want to dance?"

You hunched your shoulders, at the thought. "Heeseung, you know I'm no good at dancing. I haven't had enough to drink yet to get into it. I really can't–"

"Dance with me," he whispered lowly.

The cocky look he gave you said you had no chance of skipping out this time. That this would be very different from the times you'd stubbornly stay on the sidelines whenever he found himself in the middle of a dance floor at the occasional family party you dragged him to.

Without a crowd to hide in, this just might be the first time in a while that Heeseung would push you out of your comfort zone. Whatever happened to the boy who let you have your way?

He threw his coat onto his seat and was already gently pulling you forward. With stiff limbs, you stumbled over to the small dance floor while hiding your face by staring at the tips of his leather shoes.

Suddenly, you felt his warm hand brush the sides of your cheek as he delicately tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, the slightest frown pulling at his features.

"What?"

Honestly, Heeseung didn't like seeing you like this, believing that you deserve the spotlight with how beautiful you looked… And perhaps for a more selfish reason.

His gaze turned chilly as he spotted your obnoxious roommate, keenly aware of his nuisance of a friend that sent you a shot, even picking out the slick-haired bartender who seemed to have garnered your warmth.

Heeseung turned back to you, releasing a deep breath that you didn't think much of, "I was just thinking about how popular someone is these days."

You merely scoffed, “Never.”

"Why not?" He challenged.

You gave him a look as though the answer were obvious, "I'm me."

Heeseung sighed, and decided to let it go for the time being.

Oblivious girl, he thought.

On the other hand, he found it cute how your hands tried to find somewhere comfortable to rest, frantically running over his arms and shoulders in a fuss.

With a chuckle, he caught your shaky hands before placing one just above his chest and clasping the other with his own.

"Are you trying to tickle me?"

"No, my anxiety is just through the roof right now," you admitted.

"Let's just sway," Heeseung held you by the waist and turned you around; that way, you could only see the band playing over his shoulders rather than the curious crowd, "Easy. You can do that for me, right, love?"

He's teasing me, isn't he?

When you said nothing and merely bit your lip, looking up at him cheerlessly, Heeseung grinned and pulled you tighter against him in reassurance.

"I hate you," You uttered while furrowing your brows at him.

That was far from what he was hoping to hear from you that night.

"... I've missed you."

In the blink of an eye, his expression suddenly turned troubled, and you were taken aback at his seriousness. It was difficult to discern the reason for the affliction in his eyes.

"I've… missed you too."

There was no doubt that he could feel your heart beating wildly through your rib cage while you followed his lead, stepping side to side at a pace that was way too slow for the song. Regardless, Heeseung didn't seem to care about being behind one bit, proud that you were slowly catching onto the rhythm he set for you.

The odd look in his eyes lingered, even as he masked it with a smile and praised you.

"You've got it."

However, he placed too much trust in you when he spun you around in a twirl, your stomach lurching when you felt the heel of your shoe catch on the floor.

You cursed as you rocked backward, trying to brace yourself to meet the hard floor. The room swirled and then went still at the oddest angle in your vision.

To your relief, Heeseung's hands effortlessly supported your back and secured your wrist, suspending you in mid-air. At the angle he held you at, the room appeared upside down, and you found that you couldn't pull yourself up without his help.

"Heeseung–"

"Relax, ___," Heeseung's lips brushed against the pulse of your neck, an unexpected moan slipping past your lips, "I'm not going to let you fall."

Oh fuck…

Blood rushed to your head and downwards— pulse throbbing between your thighs as he finally pulled you right side up, securing you against him. With Heeseung pressed between your legs for the second time that night, you realized you didn't need several drinks to make you feel intoxicated.

Your surroundings were a blur as he led you across the floor, oblivious to Jake's steely eyes searing into you with longing from across the room.

"Heeseung," You repeated, more urgently this time.

The man noticed the shift in your tone and although you tried to sound intimidating, the underlying neediness in your voice nearly set him off.

The two of you stumbled into the back hallway, the live music growing quieter, and the sound of blood rushing through your ears suddenly audible. Heeseung steadied you by the waist as he pressed near, your back quickly hitting a wall as you did your best to quiet your pants.

Deeply affected by the culmination of his touches and whispers against your skin all night, you struggled to get your thoughts in order.

He just–

"What is it, ___?"

Taken aback at his nonchalance, you searched his eyes, almost crumbling under the intensity of his stare. You glanced at your boots, needing a distraction with your heart rate rapidly picking up.

"M-my boot is untied."

Heeseung blinked while you reached down to fix it, but he was much quicker than you.

Lightly dragging his hands down the sides of your body, he dropped to his knee, presenting you with an indulgent view of him at your feet.

Heeseung's nimble fingers grazed the skin of your bare thigh, causing your teeth to tuck against your bottom lip as he adjusted the suede fabric in place. He reached behind your leg and caught the thin leather tassels to tighten in a pretty knot, the horned charm dangling against your calf.

His hands never left your skin, even as his gaze flickered up at you.

You could only stare back, the concept of time arresting for you both. The slightest of Heeseung's touches made your core clench in want, thoughts devolving into a jumbling mess of insistent urges.

He saw it all over your face, but you still tried to suppress it.

"I could've–"

Before you got another word out, Heeseung tenderly pressed his lips to the curve of your thigh, his warm palms sliding over your skin.

Oh.

Your last shred of self-control slipped from your grasp upon feeling arousal drip down your inner thigh, your hands slapping over your mouth in shock. Heeseung pulled back his hand to inspect the wetness, assuming it to be sweat… until realization hit him.

"___," He said darkly.

"Fuck– I'm so sorry–" Wanting more than nothing but to disappear into thin air, you tried to get past him only to be caged in by his arms.

"Where do you think you're going?"

When you clutched at his shoulders, he sought your undivided attention with piercing eyes that you refused to meet.

"I'm sorry, I can't..."

Heeseung's voice softened as he moved his hand to thumb at your lips. "It's okay, baby. You can't what?"

To stay or to leave; your mind and body battled.

This is your best friend.

"I can't keep it together anymore," your voice fell to a hush, but he caught it all.

With a shaky breath, you slid your hands down his chest, feeling his taut muscles underneath his shirt– sensed him shudder with the difference in how you touched him this time.

When your gaze fell to his lips, Heeseung leaned forward until you pulled him against you, not an inch to spare between your bodies.

Once your lips slid together, you noted every detail about how he kissed you, how his tongue tasted bright and sweet as he heavily caressed yours in a way that made your mouth water. The kisses he gave you were deep and coaxing, never quite overpowering but certainly leaving you wanting so much more.

And the way he held you, no differently than the self-assured manner in which he did out on the dance floor, had you wondering why you never entirely gave yourself over to his embrace in the first place.

You hadn't noticed you were pressing your hips against his until he gripped beneath your thighs, hoisting you into his arms. Naturally, your legs wrapped around his waist, hands threading around his neck to run through the soft hair at his nape.

Your eyes fluttered when he quickly rolled his hips into your core, your whiny moans muffled against his mouth. He was already so hard, and you were dripping.

"Oh, you like that."

"Hee—" You pulled away to catch your breath, but Heeseung merely dipped his head to press sweet kisses above the swell of your breasts, running his tongue along your gleaming choker.

"Too much, baby?"

"No, but—" His thumbs rolled over your sensitive nipples through your velvet dress, causing more whimpers to leave your lips. "Mmn, fuck— Why are you doing this for me?"

"I could ask you the same question," he peered up at you and began to kiss along the soft line of your jaw, struck by how you melted into his touch, "Why do you think?"

"Hee, I can barely think right now," you huffed against his neck, mouthing a kiss against his pulse in return, "Back lounge, on my left. Hurry."

Once he set off in the right direction, you should've taken a moment to catch your breath but instead, you laved your tongue over the protruding curve of his throat, teasing over his adam's apple. The heat of your mouth drew a deep moan from him, a sound you’ve never heard, full of something akin to frustration and hunger.

Heeseung threw open the door, barely considering his surroundings as he laid you down onto the nearest ruby red couch, pressing you into the luxurious cushions. His hands left your body only to slam the door shut; then, they were back on your hot skin, roaming, and pleasuring, along with his lips.

The moment Heeseung felt your nails dig into his shoulder blades, he lifted his head from the crook of your neck, voice straining as if he were holding himself back, “Use your words with me, baby. For once, don't leave me guessing what's inside your head."

Oh, you want to tell him you're aching.

That you've been aching inside since your first love left you feeling empty. That although you took back what you wanted from Jake and more, you still felt so unfulfilled for reasons you couldn't place.

Even now, as you realized Heeseung harbored feelings of some kind for you and that you'd been insistently ignoring Jake's odd ways of expressing his own.

I'm moving too fast again, aren't I? There's a pattern here, you thought, as Heeseung captured your lips sweetly with his.

What did this pattern mean, and what did it say about yourself?

"I don't want to lose you," You gripped his shoulders, "If I let you do this, I'll lose you."

"___, you're not going to lose me." Heeseung dragged his lips against yours again, unable to get enough of you.

Something deep inside you knew that wasn't true, not because of your lack of faith in Heeseung, but in yourself. Still, you chose to ignore it.

"You can't just do this," You finally got out in between kisses, "It's not fair."

Heeseung chuckled against your lips, "What isn't fair?"

"The way you've been acting all night, this isn't like you."

"Not like me, huh? That just proves we don't spend enough time with each other nowadays."

When your hand gripped his jaw, Heeseung bit his lip and swallowed a groan. "So, you do this to girls often? Flirt with them all night just to have your way with them?"

"No, I'm not like your roommate, ___."

The mention of Jake made you freeze, and Heeseung took note of it, eyes hardening.

"When I touch you like this," Heeseung dipped his fingers between your thighs, dragging them against your lace-covered pussy, and began to rub circles, "When I kiss you—," he licked into your mouth with a sigh, tasting your sweetness, and was delighted when you granted him more access, "— I mean it."

Momentarily, your eyes squeezed shut at the intensity of it all, your hand twisting into the collar of his shirt.

Heeseung drove his point home when he took your hand and guided it to his lap, breath hitching when you didn't hesitate to palm his hard cock through his pants.

"Only you make me like this," he admitted breathlessly.

You felt him up, kneading your hand firmly along his thick length. "Since when?"

Heeseung shook his head, inching ever closer, his thumb brushing over your flushed cheek. Those half-lidded eyes of his that bore into you had your panties dripping with arousal. "I don't think you would believe me if I told you, ___."

You were genuinely surprised at the suggestion of his words.

"... I don't let just anyone kiss me, you know?"

"I know. I know," Heeseung punctuated with a graze of his lips across your collarbone, "So let me do this for you."

He switched from rubbing circles against your clit to dipping his fingers into your entrance through your panties to collect your wetness. Unhurried, the pads of his fingers spread it along the swollen lips of your pussy.

"You're soaked, baby."

You were fast approaching the point of no return for you two, if not already there.

"T-this is going to change things between us, Heeseung."

He paused. "Do you want that?"

There was nothing to be guaranteed about this exchange except for the inevitable drastic shift in your relationship with Heeseung. And even though he told you that you would never lose him as a friend, you questioned being able to guarantee him the same reassurance. Could the two of you come back from this unchanged?

You weren't sure what you wanted to be to him, and vice-versa. All you knew was that you needed him like this, right here and now.

Why? Why am I like this?

"… I don’t know, I just know I want you." His eyes widened in slight surprise for a split second before they turned roguish, a haze overcoming them.

"Alright then. Either you tell me what you want…" He tapped on your clit playfully, making your hips twitch "… Or you tell me when to stop."

"I don't have anything like a condom and I’m not on a pill," you admitted, knowing Heeseung would understand, "But do whatever else you want to me, Hee. Just promise me you'll make me come hard, please?"

Heeseung nodded, and it drove you nuts when he took his hand off your pussy to toy with the neckline of your dress while he leaned over your chest.

"Oh, I can do that for you and more."

His hands slid under the deep collar of your midnight black dress to reveal your swelling breasts and pert nipples. Heeseung parted his lips as though to take one of your tits into his mouth, but his warm breath only ghosted over your nipples, a smirk slowly pulling at his lips as he watched you pull your hair out.

Now he has the self-control to slow down?

"A-ah, don't tease me, Hee. You've teased me all night."

"You know, I've had that image of you with your pretty set of tits out in your kitchen burned into my memory ever since it happened. Hence, a bit of harmless teasing is only fair," Heeseung kneaded your breasts in his hands before he chose a peak to ripple his warm tongue against.

Inwardly you screamed, never expecting to hear those words come from Heeseung's lips, let alone see them wrapped around your tits. With the way he worked his mouth, you figured you could stay beneath him all night.

"Haah— what have you done with the Heeseung I know and love?" You whined half-heartedly, embarrassed that he brought up that mishap of you dropping your towel in front of him over that damned video call.

"I'm still here," He pressed a light kiss to your chin, "But I'm sure with some time you'll come to love this side of me too– So don't shy away from me, ___," he reached up to stroke your cheek tenderly before he leaned back down and switched between engulfing each of your nipples in tight, moist kisses.

Heeseung would deepen the kiss against your breasts and suckle a little harder each time, provoking your moans to grow louder along with his pace.

Fuck, you had almost forgotten how amazing this felt like.

Feeling desperate, you caught his wrist to lick a stripe against his palm and along the length of his fingers, needing something to do with your mouth. Heeseung slid two of his fingers past your lips, and you eagerly sucked on them, letting your tongue swirl over his knuckles and messily coat them in your saliva.

Heeseung's groan rumbled against your breast, causing you to moan against his digits and buck your hips into his waist. His mouth slid off your tit, giving each one a final caress with his tongue, then he tugged you up to sit against the back of the smooth couch cushions.

Your head spun; it was utterly dizzying to be worshipped by him.

"Please, don’t stop touching me," you urged.

"I know, let me give it to you, baby,” Heeseung cooed, “Let me make your aching pussy feel better."

Once he had you situated and comfortable, he sank to his knees between your legs, and just the rough appearance of him made your clit throb. Heeseung's dark hair was a bit disheveled from your entanglements, and his lips were swollen, glistening in the loveliest way. Then it hit you that he was still clothed from head to toe, to your disapproval.

"Come here and let me take off your shirt."

Heeseung obediently sat up on his knees, and you leaned over, roughly dragging your hands down the center of his torso, the buttons to his black silk shirt giving under your fingers with a pop. He pushed back your hair to mouth kisses just under your ear, distracting you a bit.

Once you undid his shirt, you made a point to admire his lean physique, unmistakably that of a dancer's. With too much excitement, you pushed his shirt past his broad shoulders to reveal his sculpted chest and abs.

"Wow," your brows rose as you trailed your touch down his chest, "You're literally ripped."

"It sort of comes with the job…" He glanced down at the carpet, a small smile tugging at his lips.

There was that shy boy you were all too familiar with, but the moment Heeseung met your eyes again, he'd switched back to his current self, his gaze abounding with desire– and suddenly, you were the one faltering under his attention.

His bulge had remained prominent in his pants and empathizing with his needs, you reached down to touch him. However, he caught your hand.

"Let me take care of you first," Heeseung pulled you into a heated kiss, palms stroking along your inner thighs.

Oh god.

It was impossible to keep track of how many times Heeseung kissed you so far in the night, but somehow, each one felt sweeter than the last.

"Still wet for me?"

"Yes," you shuddered as he trailed kisses down your stomach, hovering over your clothed mound.

Heeseung slipped his fingers under the lacy waistband of your panties and peeled the soaked fabric back from your pussy. He was enraptured with the way the strands of your slick fell against your skin, the scent of your arousal making his entire body ache.

"So pink and pretty," He sat back and spread his knees to steady himself between your legs, "Have you tasted yourself, ___?"

Flustered, you hesitated to answer, but when Heeseung inclined his chin, the truth came out, "...Yes."

"Naughtier than I thought," Heeseung tugged off your panties from your ankle and shot you a mischievous look when he brought the soaked fabric to his lips, "Bet you taste sweet."

He wouldn't—

Heeseung ran his tongue over the pool of wetness on your lace panties, collecting your arousal on his taste buds. The feverish look he sent you had you reeling.

“Hee…”

"I was right, but I think you're sweeter from the source."

Speechless, your face burned, and your clit tingled as he tucked your panties into his back pocket and pulled you closer to him by your hips.

"Guess I'll just have to find out."

Heeseung dragged the tip of his tongue around your engorged lower lips, coming teasingly close to your clit just to blow a cold gust of air on it.

"Oh my god, Hee, please," Your body trembled with unbearable tension as you tried to lift your hips towards him, chest heaving because of his torment on your body. "Don't tease—"

Finally, Heeseung flattened his tongue and sloppily lapped up your slit to capture your clit against his lips. You threw your head back as a moan ripped from your throat, eyes squeezing shut in pleasure. There was no way the sensation of getting eaten out could ever get old to you. Although it was only your second time, you were positively addicted.

And Heeseung devoured you with fervor, the feelings he'd built up for you over the years finally releasing through this outlet of pleasuring you. He continuously rolled his tongue over your clit, and suckled kisses over the nub, the moist sounds mixed with his muffled groans filling your ears.

He felt so soft on your pussy— a perfect mix of gentle and frenzied to push you over the edge.

"Ahn, fuck, you’re so good at this..." You praised while stroking Heeseung's hair away from his eyes; you were surprised to see the immense fondness in them.

With a twinge in your chest, you realized there was no way you were his first, not with how skilfully he used his tongue. When did your Heeseung grow up in between graduating from university and the present day?

Heeseung noticed your expression waver and immediately picked up the pace, pulling you back into the moment. He wriggled his tongue back and forth on your clit, and held you open by your thigh while his middle finger dragged up your entrance.

"A-ah! I haven't yet…"

With much difficulty, Heeseung released your clit with a smack and looked over you curiously. "You haven't what yet, baby?"

"I haven't fingered myself yet," You caught your breath, trying to read his reaction.

"Oh," He considered your words while playing with your wetness by circling his thumb over your pussy, "I'd rather we do what you're comfortable with then, baby."

"Well, I want to try it with you… if you go slow." You nibbled on your lip, trying to control yourself when Heeseung's insistent touches kept you squirming.

"Yeah? I promise I'll be very gentle. Tell me if you don't like it, and we'll stop," Heeseung rubbed his cheek against your thigh, his sweet eyes crinkling as he gave you a pleased smile, "I wanna know all the things that make you tick..."

With that, his mouth was back on your pussy, lovingly working you open and getting you back into the mood, so you were thoroughly soaked to take his fingers.

Knowing how much you liked it, Heeseung reached up to squeeze your tits and rub at your sensitive nipples, eliciting a muffled moan from you as struggled to stay quiet. The combined stimulation of all your sweet spots had you reeling, the start of an orgasm building in your core.

Heeseung pulled back only to cover his index and middle finger with his own saliva as he observed your conflicted expression from under his lashes.

In that moment, he realized he’s never wanted to ruin you more than now.

Swiping his tongue over his lips, he twisted a single finger against your entrance, mixing his saliva with your slick. At the slightest pressure, your pussy gushed with arousal.

"Hnhn, H-Hee–"

"Relax, baby, you can let me in. I'll go slow, promise. One finger at a time."

Determined to keep from clenching, you released a breath and calmed your nerves, your hands moving to squeeze your tits out of comfort. Heeseung took the opportunity to press into your warm folds, and you felt him nudge even deeper inside you.

"You're doing so well for me, ____. Want me to keep going?"

"Yes," you nodded and felt his knuckles slowly push past your slit to stroke against your velvet walls.

"Oh shit–" You seized around his digit and spilled more of your wetness onto his hand.

"Feel that, how deep I am?" Heeseung felt so hot, rubbing your insides so wonderfully, and it was just the effect of his single finger.

"T-this is intense..."

"Your body knows it was made to take this," his voice deepened, "See?"

Heeseung took his sweet time, letting you feel every sensation of him slowly pumping in and out of your tightening walls. A surge of wetness accompanied his fingers each time he pressed in, your insides overreacting to his intrusion while you mesmerized him.

"God, you won't stop dripping, baby," he remarked in awe, swiping his tongue along your pussy to lap up your wetness.

"A-another," you splayed your hands out against the velvet sofa and coerced him with a grind of your hips, feeling as if you were about to go insane.

Immediately Heeseung appeased you; he worked a second finger into your tightness, attempting to stretch your walls that resisted him. So he eased out slightly— pressing back in at the halfway point— and peppered your thighs with kisses. At the same time, he thumbed your clit to give you a break you didn't realize you needed.

Of course, you thought he was only teasing you to death, and two could play at that game.

"More," you untied your dress completely, letting it fall open while you fondled your breasts seductively from above him, "I want more."

"Need more of my fingers inside of you, baby? Is one not enough for this tight pussy?" Heeseung smirked at how quickly your demeanor shifted in comparison to just before he began to finger you.

The intense pressure in his pants persisted, but he was doing his damndest to keep himself in check, determined to see you come undone first. Because the moment you walked into the lobby, he felt it in the air, in the way you nearly dissolved in his arms; you needed this.

"Yes, yes— need more of you," you begged.

So Heeseung didn't hesitate to resume fitting his knuckles past your walls, and once he felt your insides give, he filled you with his fingers. The man didn't give a damn about your slick spilling past his wrist and soaking into the velvet texture of the sofa— he was much too preoccupied with the way your beautiful body writhed under him, testing him.

The stretch of his fingers was perfect, your luscious moans and the deep flush over your skin incredibly telling of your pleasure.

"Ahn, haah, Hee…"

Heeseung curled his fingers against a sweet spot deep inside of you, and laved his tongue over the expanse of your pussy, sucking tenderly at your clit.

“R-right there,” you sobbed, squeezing your eyes shut.

There was no way you'd last any longer at this relentless pace; you were already arching off the cushions, and Heeseung had to hold your hips down with his free hand to finish you off.

He moaned deeply against your clit upon feeling your fingers thread through his hair to brace yourself against him, his lips and tongue working together to suckle and plunge into your pussy ‘till you spilled your sweetness against him.

"Oh god, oh god, ohhh god…"

"C'mon, sweetheart," Heeseung sped up and slid his fingers from your entrance only to twist them back in at the perfect angle, "Want you to soak yourself, want to taste you on my tongue for the next week— come on me, baby."

"Heeseung– Hee–" Your hips jerked against his face once, twice— and you nearly blacked out from the ecstasy of his tongue shaking against your clit, his fingers heavily stroking your insides even though you squeezed him like a vice.

You were falling apart in a way you never have before, the closest you've ever been to being filled, and you could almost cry from the crashing waves of pleasure flooding your body. Everything felt so blindingly sweet; it was incredible.

When your tremors began to subside, you could barely open your eyes and prop yourself up to look at him, taking in one of the biggest messes you've ever been a culprit of— from the soaked cushion underneath you to Heeseung's cum stained lips and chin. His reddened cheeks and jaw were glistening as well and you felt like fainting on the spot.

Heeseung wasn't quite done with you because he pressed your knees into your chest and buried his hot tongue inside you with a deep squelch. He continued to lap lower between your cheeks, then back over your taint, and along your folds to kiss your swollen nub.

"Mmmn," He hummed against your skin teasingly, and there was no way you could hold yourself up anymore, so you fell back with a breathy moan, fingers tugging on anything of his that you could grab hold of.

"Fuck, Hee!"

An excess of heat spread across your face, body trembling from Heeseung's rather passionate acts. Pleased with your reactions, he sat back and massaged his palms over your legs as helped you stretch them out, a wince pulling at your features.

"Such an obedient pussy. You took my fingers so well for your first time, baby," Heeseung smiled, mouthing along your thigh.

How were you supposed to move a muscle after that? You felt drunk out of your mind.

"T-that felt so good, Hee."

"Yeah? How good?"

All you could do in response was tug him against your lips for a kiss that lasted until you both had to break for air.

Why was it so easy to kiss him?

Heeseung's eyelids lowered as he stood up and slid against your side. "Huh, so good enough for a second time?"

"Maybe," You shoved at his chest, and he fell back against the sofa cushions while you climbed over him, "It was good enough for me to want to do something about it right now, so I'll let you choose."

You steadied yourself over his lap on the sofa and ran your fingernail along his pant zipper, still a bit shaky from your orgasm. "When you come, do you want my pussy rubbing on your cock or my tongue?"

Heeseung looked genuinely conflicted. "...What if I want a little bit of both?"

"Both?" You questioned, unsure if you should be flattered or taken aback, "For you, I could make an exception… Why, you want me every which way that badly, baby?"

Heeseung grazed your chin with his thumb. "___, I'm just being greedy since I haven't seen you in so long."

"… Tell me, why all of this all of a sudden?"

Heeseung settled back against the couch with a sigh and pulled you onto his lap, quietly considering your question. You let him, but neither of you moved besides his palms caressing over your hips. Part of you was hoping to get some insight into his feelings for you without this being an outright interrogation.

"It may seem sudden to you, but it's not for me," He admitted, “Back then, I leaped at any opportunity to hang out, like when you'd invite me to study at your favorite boba shop after classes. You were always the focused sort, and I admired you for it, but when we'd sit at those long tables, and you'd lay your head on my lap while you slept— well my thoughts would run wild."

"Seriously?" You smirked, "How wild?"

"Shamelessly so. The depraved side of me thought about you laying on your stomach next to me and quietly unzipping my pants to suck on my cock while no one was looking. The equally terrible, naive side of me wanted to pull a Sleeping Beauty, but I knew I would've gotten my ass beat, and rightfully so."

Holy shit.

"That’s so… I can't believe you thought about me that way," You murmured, despite the reframing of your innocent memories with Heeseung making your face burn.

"I know, but can you blame me? I mean," He ran his fingers up the side of your waist, admiring your figure, "Look at you, you're beautiful."

"I am so embarrassed right now," You admitted under your breath.

He held your hands against his chest and chuckled when you started shrinking away. What else were you supposed to do under such circumstances? Heeseung was the sweetest, but there was only so much attention you could take in a night.

"Hey, don't get shy with me because that's not all."

"It's not?"

"No. ___, you had your shit together, and I was just a kid who probably wouldn't have survived university without you whipping my ass into gear. I always looked up to how you took care of the people around you, even if it was your special brand of tough love."

You stifled a laugh by biting down on your lip, taking in his words.

"I felt special being one of the few, but I knew you had a reputation for being a bit of a heartbreaker. People who dared to ask you out never stood a chance," Heeseung smiled, then hesitated, "... I never got the chance to tell you, but I got into some relationships after we graduated. One was a little more serious than the other, or so I thought."

He failed to hide the disappointment and hurt in his expression when your features wilted in confusion. It was impossible to identify the untold feelings you experienced in that very second, but most of them had to do with the astonishing fact that Heeseung had fallen in love when you weren't looking; when you should have been looking out for him as his best friend.

"They didn't work out, and it was for reasons out of my control," He glanced at you, and was touched to see your concerned expression, "But you know how it goes sometimes."

Heeseung knew about your first love, which you'd shared with him long ago— but he didn't know about Jake.

Stunned, your mind raced for something to say in response. Even though you nodded slightly and remained quiet, he could see you processing his words with a forlorn expression.

"It's okay. It's one of those things you come out stronger from, you know?" Heeseung reassured you, even though it should have been the other way around, "I only brought that up because I could never get enough of you back then— even now."

Absentmindedly, he ran his hands down your arms; his even gaze slowly descending your body, making you even more breathless, in your emotional state.

"I always wished you were my first, it made the most sense, but I made my choices. I guess I was too reserved with my feelings and didn’t realize I should be a little more honest with myself until we started doing our own separate thing. It's hard, but I've been trying to be better at that."

"Heeseung."

Just the way you sighed his name had him lightheaded as if he weren't already hanging on a thread with you in his arms. It was almost too much when you cupped his cheek with your palm. His eyes fluttered shut for a mere moment before they took you in with deep affection.

Heeseung continued, "I know you, ___, so tell me later when you've taken some time to think. Way down the line, after we've caught up and you've given me the time of day to properly express everything to you," He pressed close to you, his lips barely brushing yours, eyes steady, "But please don't make me wait too long. I'm here when you need me... when you want me."

"Like now?" You asked, already knowing his answer.

"Yeah— like now."

With a gentleness that threatened to undo you entirely, Heeseung moved his lips against yours, causing a fluttering in your stomach that was reminiscent of what should have been your first.

So many should-haves and could-haves.

However, Heeseung in all of his abilities was intent on disallowing you to dwell too long on the past. His restless lips on your skin and hard body beneath yours served as a reminder that in the present moment, he wasn't anywhere in the world but right here with you.

The entire expanse of your skin felt ultra-sensitive under his touch because of your last orgasm, but he still pushed your limits. His thumbs rolled over your puffy nipples, the addition of his insatiable kisses bringing them to pleasured peaks while you panted sweetly, and soon enough, you were dripping from between your thighs onto the dark fabric of his pants.

"A-ah," You gasped against his neck and bucked your hips against his waist when you felt him drag his middle finger between your folds and circle your clit. He did it again, swiping at your slit and pulling back a few inches to see your pre-cum string along his fingers.

"Look at you falling apart on me. Your body can't get enough, can it?"

"Can't imagine how you feel, Hee," You shot back, even though you were about to lose it, "You must be aching."

"I just might be," Heeseung grunted and lightly squeezed your jaw, “Think you could take it if I stuffed your adorable cheeks with my cock, baby?"

"Yes,” you breathed.

“Good answer.”

With that, you were quickly undoing the closure of Heeseung's pants, wanting to feel the heat of his cock against your pussy and tongue, in whichever order he wanted. He strained under the layers of fabric, but once you tugged his pants and black briefs low enough on his hips, you dipped past his waistband and seized his cock.

You salivated at the gorgeous sight of him; Heeseung's thick girth was incredibly hot to the touch, pulsing against your hand with considerable length. Your finger traced along the ridge of his tip up to his bubbling slit, wanting to taste him.

You slid off his lap to kneel between his spread thighs, and god, did he look gorgeous staring down at you with darkened eyes and a flush across his cheeks. His bare chest rose and fell irregularly, and his muscular thighs on either side of your body flexed under your ministrations.

"Fuck," Heeseung groaned when the first thing you chose to do was to press a kiss to the head of it, wetting your lips with his pre-cum as you locked eyes with him. You gripped him at the base with both hands and coated his cock with more of your saliva, gliding your mouth along the sides of his length and sucking messily at his overflowing tip.

He was so incredibly tasty.

"Sucking my cock perfectly," Heeseung ran his hands through your hair, doing you a favor by holding it back from your face. Grateful, you hollowed your mouth around his cock and sucked continuously, ignoring the ache in your jaw from his size, making sure to adequately accommodate him. His shaft slid against your face when you'd lick along his base and mouth at his balls, smearing saliva and pre-cum across your cheeks.

"Like that, Hee?" You asked around a mouthful of him.

"Ah god— Yes, yes. Wrap your hand beneath my balls and fist my cock with your other hand. Good,” Heeseung reveled at your acquiescence; it showed through his commands and praises, "Suck a little harder; that's it. Show me what you've got, baby."

Heeseung could feel himself grow desperate when you continued to pump his cock with one hand and took his balls captive in your other grip, how you slurped and stretched your lips around them; holding his gaze all the while. Even with absolute self-control, he was slipping under your touch; every graze of your mouth seemed beyond his reality.

Anyone would slip, he reasoned, due to his adoration for you all that you were, from your humanizing faults to the few passions you held dear and everything in between.

But not just anyone could attain your favor as he did– and the darkest part of him wanted to ensure it stayed that way, regardless of who came before him and those who would try to come after.

Pushing the irritating thought to the back of his mind, Heeseung found himself enamored with the view he had of you between his thighs, your eyes glossy with lewd sounds spilling from your throat, pleasuring him with a vigor he knew he didn't deserve. It was officially his second favorite view next to being between your thighs, his face streaked with your cum while you convulsed in ecstasy.

Mine.

Amid Heeseung's length occupying your mouth, he nudged you off his cock and dragged you up into his lap.

"Enough of that," He gripped his flushed cock and swiped the tip of it teasingly along your sopping folds, "You're amazing baby, but I just wanna feel you like this. Wanna see your eyes roll back when you come from humping my cock. How's that sound?"

All you could do was nod eagerly, and make pathetic noises of agreement against his damp neck.

He's just as worked up as I am, but he somehow hides it better than me.

Heeseung let his soaked shaft fall against his abs, and then his hands were kneading into your ass, sliding your lower half against the underside of his hard cock. The head of it rubbed against your clit with each thrust, the knot in your core tightening more and more.

"I want you to look at me when you come, ___."

Your nails dug into his chest, and you shut your eyes tight, feeling dizzier than ever. "No, I can't. That's too much…"

"I wasn't asking," He whispered lowly, nipping at the lobe of your ear.

When you lifted your head to look at him, Heeseung recognized the same helpless expression you wore on the dance floor. It was the one you'd put on during unwanted attention, precisely when overthinking got the best of you.

"___, it's just me," He cradled your face in his hands and comforted you with a soft peck on your lips, ”It’s just you and me. Look...”

Obeying Heeseung, you watched the way you met each other’s hips in tandem, his red cock peeking out from between your folds with each messy thrust, your bouncing tits framing the perfect view of your deprived body.

“You’re so fucking sexy, baby,” Heeseung tipped your chin back up to look at him, “I’m about to come just from how good your pussy feels on top of me. The taste of your sweet cum nearly did me in, but here I am, letting you get off on me again. It’s driving me nuts—“

Heeseung’s brazen confession made you whimper, your muscles tensing up, “— But I think you love grinding on me, like I’m your big, personal teddy bear to get off on in secret. Is that all I am to you, ___?”

“N-no,” You shook your head and weakly denied his words out of shame, even while your thighs burned from rubbing your slit against his cock non-stop.

“No?” Heeseung had the gall to laugh, albeit breathlessly as he caressed your cheeks, “You’re so cute.”

Just as he saw your eyes start to shake and lose focus of him, Heeseung began to grind his hips deeply against yours, drawing out your orgasm with never-ending stimulation to your pulsing clit. The force of his thrusts was jarring but so perfect as you rolled your hips into him, smothering his cock with your pussy while he watched your lovely features contort into an even more euphoric expression.

Heeseung just couldn't get enough of your rapturous moans, proud that they most definitely could be heard through the walls. He felt his impending release near just from you clawing at his sweat-stained skin, chasing his lips of your own accord.

"F-fuck—" You choked out when he continuously lifted and slammed you down against his hips despite you being sensitive, his rough fingers digging into your flesh, "Heeseung!"

In a heartbeat, Heeseung was overwhelmed, pure bliss fiercely invading his senses by force after such well delayed gratification. He hid his face against your shoulder with a tempered growl as hot cum shot against his damp chest and abs.

To your satisfaction, Heeseung's release smeared into your stomach and inner thighs when you rocked into him despite trembling, helping him through his high. With how he held you so tightly against him, you felt like you'd almost burst against his chest, but he loosened his grip on you immediately once he realized his strength in the moment.

"Sorry," He huffed against your lips, "I’m sorry, baby, I thought I was holding back. You just feel so good…"

"It's okay," You swiped his damp hair back from his dazed features, pretty sure that you looked as out of it as he did, "You came a lot…"

With a hoarse laugh, he responded, "Yeah, guess who's fault that is?"

Heeseung's jaw went slack when you dipped your head to run your tongue up his chest to taste his sticky release, and you were immediately taken by his taste. It didn't help that you went so casually about it, swiping remnants of his cum off your lip with your thumb just to suckle it clean.

"... Whatever do you mean? I plead innocence."

God, so help him.

His mind sang three words over and over when his sight focused on your glowing face, but he withheld them, knowing all to well that you weren't ready to hear them.

So instead, he kissed you, for all it was worth, even though he knew it wasn't enough to make up for your past, the old wounds and fresh ones alike.

Still, he had to try.

He had to.

When you both emerged from the lounge and peeked into the main room, it was empty and quiet save for two workers that were on the night shift.

Jake had left, and you were relieved.

Jay was flipping up the stools of the bar so his co-worker could easily mop the floor. At the bar's edge, you spotted Heeseung's coat, your watered-down cocktails, and bags of food that Jay must've thoughtfully bagged for you.

How sweet… and embarrassing!

"Shit. Jay, I really appreciate you packing everything up for us," You slowly approached your belongings, the handsome bartender acknowledging you with a nod, "Um, can we close out with you and finish our drinks?"

"Sure thing, lov–" Jay's eyes darted to Heeseung at your side before he cleared his throat, "Sure thing."

Heeseung slid his card across the marble bar before you could pull out yours, and Jay swiftly took it over to the cash register on the opposite end.

"Hey," you glared up at him, "It was supposed to be my treat. This is what I work hard for."

"Well, the next one's all yours," he said just to quell you.

Heeseung moved his coat off one of the remaining two stools and took his seat facing you. You remained standing at the bar, a little too antsy about being judged by Jay and the employees to take a seat. Afterwards, you did your genuine best to clean the stains out of those luxurious sofas, but god forbid they put two and two together, and you'd never be able to show your face in this establishment again—

"___," Heeseung held his glass towards you, "Cheers."

Looks like you were the only one who was worried.

You forgot that you were starving and even more so after… all that. Drinking on an empty stomach was not the brightest idea, but you didn't want it to go to waste. With caution, you took your glass in hand and clinked it against his, the citrusy peppermint aroma wafting off the light emerald liquid.

You took a sip as Heeseung tried his drink. Minty indeed, but you refused to make the connection with the flavor of toothpaste.

"Verdict?" You asked him.

"It tastes good; sweet although it lost its fizz. I like it," Heeseung eyed the heavy swirl of deep purple beneath the floating opaque cream in his glass, a small grin growing on his face, "Tell me your psychological analysis on how this drink reminds you of me again…"

"Oh, you can forget it," You brushed him off when you knew what he was getting at and instead began to drain your cocktail clean.

"Wait, let me try," He reached out, and you moved to hand him your drink. Instead, he gently took hold of your jaw and swiped his tongue past your lips, making your stomach flip as if the filth that took place in the past few hours didn't just happen.

"Mm–"

Heeseung pulled back ever so slightly, his voice dropping seductively, "I actually kind of like it. Reminds me of those fruity mints you'd feed me to keep me awake during classes."

"I'm sure that doesn't bring back the greatest memories. Still, you remember the little things, don’t you?"

"Can't help it when it comes to you."

Someone cleared their throat and startled you.

"Hey, thanks for coming guys. Have a great night," Jay returned Heeseung's card but also had something to whisper to you, "Jake covered half of the bill."

Your brows rose, "Jake did? You know Jake?"

"Yeah, he's your roommate, isn't he? I sort of just found that out tonight; we're friends. He said it was to pay you back for something he owed you," Jay said simply.

You nodded dumbly.

"By the way, this goes for both of you guys,” Jay addressed Heeseung, “Don't mind that silver-haired guy's shenanigans, it's just our dumbass friend’s way of stirring things up on a night out. I only oblige because I get paid."

So, Jay just expressed he thinks you and Heeseung were more than you initially let on, but Jay still didn’t seem to regard differently than normal… Did that mean Jake kept quiet about you two?

"Oh, no worries…” you unintentionally drew out your words while searching for your thoughts, "Did Jake head home a while ago?"

Jay's eyes shifted to Heeseung momentarily, noticing the man's rather impassive expression, "… Yeah, I think he decided to stay over at Sunghoon's place."

You nodded, "I see. Well, thank you for everything, Jay.”

"Thanks," Heeseung said to Jay, with one hand full of bags and the other slipping into yours.

"… Of course. See you guys around."

This time Heeseung saw you home, the entire way.

You felt the alcohol hit quickly during the Uber ride; usually, it'd take a few drinks, but since you were on an empty stomach, it affected you quite a bit. Besides the tiredness in your muscles a calmness came over you, and you couldn't stop staring at Heeseung along the way.

When Heeseung noticed, he found it amusing but didn't try to start anything with you. He just stared back momentarily and squeezed your knee, leaving his hand there to gently caress your skin.

It was hard to leave him when you found yourself staring at the door to your apartment, keys in hand.

"It's late…" You stated, and Heeseung looked surprised when he saw your sweet eyes inviting him in.

Lord, was he tempted to.

He had inkling that you were more to Jake than he first thought, and there wasn't a single part of him that sat right with it. For tonight, at the very least, he could leave you in peace knowing your likely-to-be drunk roommate wasn't in.

Heeseung decided to be forthright with you, "It is late… but if you invite me in tonight, I can't guarantee what might happen."

Even though his words were promising, he was right to warn you. There was only one thing left to do after messing around with him and this wasn’t about having protection or not… What were you thinking?

Slightly disappointed at yourself, you nodded and slid your hand from his grasp, but he caught it— held it.

"I had an amazing time with you," Heeseung began, "But it almost felt like I didn’t catch up with you enough. You know what I mean?”

Ah, beyond making out, going down on each other and sweet talking… Honestly, with the way things had been going, I’m not really sure if that could’ve been helped.

“I do,” you said.

“Then are you down to do this again, soon?”

“So like, do what exactly?” You giggled and lifted a brow at him, “Catch up more?”

Heeseung smiled at your tipsiness, “Yes, but how about I take you out to an amusement park or something like that and we have a day to ourselves. You down?”

“Hee, I haven’t gone to one in so long! Obviously, I'm down.” You bounced excitedly on your toes.

“Yeah? I’ll ask you again in the morning, alright?”

“Mhmm,” With the alcohol clouding your thoughts, you weren’t sure whether to pull him in for a kiss, a hug or both.

Heeseung being both a tease and gentleman, decided for you and pressed a kiss to your cheek that lingered with heat.

Damn.

Feeling cheated out, you pressed your body flush against his and hung your arms around his neck under the guise of a hug. You sensed Heeseung tense up and heard his sharp inhale, knowing he could feel every soft contour of your body because you could feel his. He embraced you against his chest— tightly— and released you just in time before you lost it.

Heeseung looked down at you; his eyes heavy and dilated, “Good night, ___.”

Oops.

"Night, Heeseung… get home safely."

"Thanks. Don't forget to eat," He said over his shoulder, holding his half of the food in tow.

"Oh, I won't,” you smiled.

Once you slipped into your dark apartment, you set down the bags to lock up with a sigh.

The lock clicked in place, then suddenly, you were being pressed up against the door by a warm, hard body behind you, a whiff of hard liquor hitting you first before the intoxicating scent you knew to be—

"J-Jake?"

His arms squeezed you tightly just beneath your breasts, locking you against him. Jake’s soft breath tickled your neck as he buried his face against your shoulder.

"Missed you, ___."

–

AUTHOR’S NOTE CONT.

Big thanks to those of you who have been waiting for this and spurring me on to get this up through compliments and feedback! To preface this post, I'll be taking a little break from this series to work on some other ideas I've been thinking of, but how fast I get back to writing this depends on what you guys are wanting too. I might do an 800 follower celebration and take requests also, so stay tuned (I'm 6 followers away lol)!

I've always pictured this to be a slow-burn and tagged it as so since part two. Between this chapter and the series finale– Jake has an obstacle course to get through before he can win MC's heart. Let's be honest, the boy needs to suffer a little bit of what he put MC through. Likewise, MC has to sort her shit out.

Also, it turns out a lot of you are Hee biased with Jake as your wrecker based on the survey I put out a while ago (just like me hehe). I wonder if some of you are still team Jake after this chapter or has your allegiance changed in IOU? Or both?

Please let me know if you enjoyed it and want more asap or are more interested in new AU’s. Feedback from you has proven to keep me motivated! 🖤⚰️

— P.

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the-whispers-of-death · 4 months

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Let me preface this by saying this not a usual Reader Drabble, this is for my OC "Stone" who is a Fleet Marine Corpsman in the U.S. Navy who is lent to the Task Force 141 to be their medic as a gesture of goodwill between the U.S. and the UK. And all of 17 of you know of him from "Save Me from Myself (Chapter 1)" and I most likely will not be updating that any time soon because I have not finished writing a work since late 2022-early 2023 and I just keep looking at the unfinished chapter two of "Save Me from Myself" and wanting to curl up in a ball because I'm not motivated. But I do have little bits of brain rot for Stone, so here it is. Okay, so Stone is cold and stoic, right? He's not one for making friends and he's freakishly tall (at 6'8") so he's an intimidating man when combined with his lack of friendliness. But still, he's too good of a Corpsman for the Task Force to turn him away. So they just deal with his behavior, grimacing whenever he patches them up efficiently but roughly because the man has no proper bedside manner.

But interactions with him can get... weird, almost. Especially with regarding his masala chai that he makes every morning for himself.

He'll glare at Ghost if Ghost comes around the stove while Stone's making the chai and maybe he'll growl beneath his muzzle-like mask if Ghost pushes his luck by asking for a cup (or cuppa as the British people say). But then one day, Ghost looks particularly weary, in body language alone of course, and all of a sudden, a cup of chai is pushed into his hands and before he even realizes it, Stone is walking down the hallway like he didn't just give Ghost a cup of chai.

After a particularly rough day of working and just being basically holed up in his office doing so much paperwork, Price comes to his barracks for the night and there it is. A lone, hot cup of chai on his nightstand, waiting for Price to drink it so that he could relax enough to sleep. There's no Stone in sight, because that would've been so creepy, but Price knows it's from the tall, cold Corpsman because he can smell the Indian spices when he picks the cup up to drink. And the trend continues whenever Price is feeling absolutely exhausted but also has his mind racing too much to sleep.

Gaz knows better than to try and drink Stone's chai, he's seen how Stone reacted to Ghost asking for a cup. So he most likely just tries his best to be out of the recreational room in the mornings so that he's out of the woods of interacting with Stone while Stone's making the chai. But one day, he woke up after one of the worst nightmares he's had in a while and he stumbles into the recreational room and there Stone is, making his chai. And Gaz, like a total sweetheart, just says good morning and even though he's eyeing that hot chai that would totally soothe him and his racing heart, he forces himself to go to the fridge and take out some food for breakfast. Only for Stone to slide over a cup of chai over to him after a few minutes, looking anywhere except Gaz like he hadn't just done something. (Yes, I think Stone would like Gaz more than the rest, enough that he'd be around Gaz after giving him some chai.)

Soap getting a cup of chai is the funniest, because he doesn't like tea. He's the only one who doesn't eye Stone's cups of chai, but he too cannot escape Stone giving him a cup. It happens when Soap gets sick, the Sergeant having gotten a cold after a previous mission in a rather colder climate and he hadn't been properly covered up fully. He's sort of still in a sickly haze, but he's able to be up and about, kinda. He was straight up just stumbling a bit as he moved along the base hallways, when all of a sudden he just gets pulled into the recreational room and to the couch. He gets sat down and a cup of chai is placed in his hands, Stone's heavy footsteps walking out of the room the only indication Soap has that it was in fact Stone who pulled him into the room. And he's so tempted not to drink the chai, hates the way tea tastes and he doesn't think Stone's will be any better, but his sore throat begs him to, so he eventually drinks it. And lo and behold, he actually likes it better than any of the teas Ghost, Price, and Gaz make.

Reblogs are welcomed & appreciated!

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fitzs-trained-monkey · 1 year

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Treading On Thin Ice

Word Count: 8,000+

Warnings: Some language, insanity, frightening sequences???

Summary: A little bit of peppermint bark goes a long, long way. || Kol x reader || Here lies my Masterlist || Christmas At The Compound 2022 ||

A/N: This fic was requested on Wattpad. The books mentioned and quoted in this fic are The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I do not own them. Thanks for reading!

☃️Story Begins Below☃️

Generosity - The spirit and action of freely and frequently giving to others.

"Y/N/N!"

Rebekah's voice carried your name across the compound and you glanced up from wrapping garland around the railing of one of the Mikaelson's many stairwells. You knew you should have been prepared for when the blonde girl just appeared at the top of the stairs as if having teleported, yet the sight still made you jump. It wasn't your fault though, despite having been raised in the house of a witch. You were really only used to the concept of vampires - not the reality.

"Y/N/N," She repeated. "I need to ask you something."

"Hi, Bekah." You offered her a small smile to show that you were listening. The girl waved her hand dismissively.

"Yes, hello. I-" She paused, regarding the decorations you'd been working on. "Oh, darling, that's coming along splendid!"

You let go of a chuckle at her attitude. Oftentimes Rebekah would forget that she didn't have to be terse with you. "Why thank you, Bex," You said, moving into a mock bow.

"You're welcome." The girl smiled, grateful you understood her behavior. So few did. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if you intended to make any more of those thin mints by chance?"

You raised a brow. "Are they gone already?" You wondered, amused but not surprised. "Man, I knew those were gonna be popular but I didn't know they were gonna be that popular. I should've made a bigger batch."

Rebekah's smile turned a little sheepish. "Could you make another one? Please?" She turned her pleading eyes on you and though you hadn't intended on refuting her request, you most certainly weren't going to now. You couldn't deny that girl anything. "I don't mean to be demanding, but they were so fantastic."

You snorted and turned back to your decorating with a slight shake of your head. Mass murderers or not, her family was way too good to you. "You're not being demanding, Bekah. Honestly, I don't think you guys ask enough of me, all things considered."

She frowned. "But you're-"

"Pregnant! I know. Trust me, I'm well aware." You cut her off, holding up a finger. "However, one month pregnant is not dead. I'm fine and I feel great. So as long as you guys are providing room and board for me, the least I can do is help out and cater to y’all’s raging sweet tooth's. Savvy?"

Rebekah groaned playfully. "Ugh! I suppose if you must," She huffed.

“Oh, I must.”

The blonde original's face softened affectionately and she sighed. "Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are, Y/N?"

"No, not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?" You tossed her a wink and she rolled her eyes. "I'll get on those thin mints as soon as I'm done here," You said. "Who knows? Maybe I'll make some Chex Mix too."

The girl's expression lit up and she skipped down the stairs to pull you into a hug. "You're the best Christmas present ever!" She cheered.

You couldn't help but laugh. Turns out, all those stories about the youngest Mikaelson were completely wrong. She wasn't outright cruel and snide, she was just cautious. She didn't like being betrayed and thus didn't trust easily. However, you had quickly worn down her defenses with your sugary confections.

You pulled away from her arms upon hearing the familiar squeal of the front gates. Elijah was back! Though you turned to greet him with a smile on your face, that excitement quickly dimmed as you caught sight of the grim expression he wore. Beside him, Josh - one of your closest friends since you'd moved in - looked equally disturbed. Something was very wrong.

"Joshua, in the basement you'll find what we need. Fetch them quickly please," Elijah said. His tone was polite as always but it carried an undercurrent that made it clear he wasn't asking. Josh nodded, quick to comply.

Worried, you cast a quick glance at Rebekah - a question evident in your eyes. The blonde just shook her head, lips pursed and brows drawn together.

"Rebekah?" Elijah called from below. Something in his voice was urgent.

"What is it, brother?" The girl demanded, pushing passed you. "What's going on?"

A scowl twisted your good friend's lips and his eyes darkened. "It's Kol."

Rebekah inhaled sharply. "What?"

"He's come back." Elijah's frown deepened. "Kol is here in the quarter and he appears to be in the midst of one of his episodes."

"Oh bloody hell." That was the first time you'd seen Rebekah look truly frightened.

"I know," Elijah sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We have to get Y/N out of here. Now."

You blinked, feeling a spike of dread slash through your chest. You-you couldn't leave. You couldn't. He was out there. He would find you. You couldn't let him get to you. You didn’t care what sort of danger you were in now, getting torn to shreds by an original vampire would be preferable to allowing that disgusting excuse for a man to ever lay his beady eyes on you again. Elijah had promised.

"It's too late for that!" Rebekah argued faster than you could open your mouth. "If he's already in the city, then he'll be watching us, brother. The second we try to send Y/N anywhere, knowing Kol, he'll probably try to eat her!"

Alright, admittedly that didn't sound like a great option.

"Then what?" The dark-haired original questioned. "What do we do with her, Rebekah? Because, by the old gods, I will not allow that girl and her child to be hurt by anyone, especially Kol."

"And I appreciate that!" You called down to them timidly. "Excuse me, just so we're on the same page, is this the super insane brother who likes to snack on people like I snack on cheese and crackers?"

"That would be the one," Rebekah huffed, frowning. She turned back to Elijah. "If we caught him, could we keep him contained until he rides it out?" She suggested.

Your friend shook his head. "I don't like the idea of Kol and Y/N under the same roof."

"I don't think we have another option," Rebekah said.

“It’s too risky,” Elijah insisted.

“I’ll take that risk,” You spoke up. Your voice shook only slightly and you clutched the railing for support but you stood your ground. You would be brave.

Elijah sighed again - he’d always taken such good care of you and you loathed to ask him for one more favor but you had to. “Y/N, you know I respect you, but I don’t think you comprehend how dangerous my brother truly is.”

“Maybe not,” You admitted, shrugging. “But you’ve beaten him before, haven’t you?”

“Only with the help of Niklaus, and only when we’ve managed to catch him by surprise,” He pointed out with a shake of his head. “But Niklaus is miles away, and Kol is expecting us to retaliate.”

“Expecting?” Rebekah scoffed. “He’s not expecting us to retaliate, Elijah. You make him sound passive. This is Kol! You know as well as I that he intends to force us! I’d bet he’s already dropping bodies, so either we subdue him or we lose the quarter!”

Grim realization cast a shadow over your dearest friend’s expression and he nodded his weary agreement. “It’s a trap,” He conceded. The deceptively young man raised his eyes to you again. “Now do you see why you must go?”

“If I leave, then that just plays into his hand doesn’t it?” You noted. “If his whole goal is to bait you into reacting, then-” you jabbed a finger toward your chest “- let’s not hand him extra bait!”

“You know she’s right,” Rebekah pressed softly. He clenched his jaw.

“Please don’t make me leave?” You whispered. “Please don’t break your promise.”

He held your eyes for a moment, then Elijah cursed under his breath and turned to his sister. "Fine, we do it your way," He reluctantly agreed. "Y/N, go to your room and stay there please. Don't come out unless Rebekah, Josh, or myself come to collect you. This is for your own safety, do you understand?"

You could sense the seriousness of the situation in the depths of his pine bark eyes. You decided it best not to question.

"Okay."

It wasn't as though you'd been living with the Mikaelsons for very long - no more than a few weeks really - but even in such a short time, the three siblings you were familiar with had told you plenty about their youngest brother. Horror stories, that was what you'd been told. Even Rebekah, who spoke of the wild Original with the most fondness among her family couldn't deny his thirst for mass slaughter. According to his siblings, Kol liked hurting people.

That wasn't a concept you could really understand. While it was true that you didn't know him personally and that you had a tendency to see the best in people, you found it hard to believe that Kol could be quite as horrid as his siblings claimed. From what you had been told about their kind by your mother, the Mikaelsons themselves, and Josh, Kol sounded more like a raging addict than a raging psychotic. Though you were probably wrong. Again, your familiarity with the nature of vampires was purely theoretical.

That was why you decided to heed Elijah's orders.

All danger aside, being confined to your room for a few hours didn't bother you so much. After all, you had the entire Stormlight Archive sitting on your shelf, so it wasn't as if you could really get bored. Funnily enough, it was only after Elijah and his sister returned that you found it much harder to remain behind your locked door.

Your head shot up when the first scream tore through the air. Ear piercing, shrill, bloodcurdling, and ominous, the sound alone was enough to set your heart racing. That scream was followed by several shouts.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Get that away from him!" That voice belonged to Josh - he sounded worried, disturbed.

"No!" A different voice cried. "No, Ethan! Don't do it!"

Then that scream came again. It morphed into words.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

"Ethan, no!" Josh yelled desperately.

The scream came once more, intense and unremitting, rising to a crescendo that chilled you to your very bones. Then, all at once, the sound cut off.

You sat there on your bed, frozen. Your back ramrod straight as you clutched your book to your chest and waited. For eight beats of your pounding heart, silence permeated the compound - a shocked, absolute sort of silence. The kind that follows death like a shadow.

Then like a crack of thunder in the night, there was laughter. Sick, horrid laughter. It was rasping and manic, crazed and deranged - unfeelingly cold and slick like ice, there was a hoarse, retching quality to it, lurking just beneath the surface. It echoed off the walls and through your skull, sending a shiver down your spine. The sensation of a thousand invisible eyes descended upon you and your breathing turned harsh and frantic.

The laughing stalled.

"Oh, what fun this is!" A new voice exclaimed, you'd never heard it before and you would have been satisfied never to hear it again. "I do so love a little jaunt through an inferior mind. Perhaps you should mandate vervain intake for your lackeys, Elijah. After all, the least you could do is make it a challenge for me, eh?"

That voice… That voice! It was repulsive - downright sickening. There was no warmth in it whatsoever - no life - only stone-cold death and wretched, scathing, venom. It stole the warmth of the room you resided in. Yet, at the same time, something about the sound was so smooth, so alluring and playful, that you almost felt inclined to listen. Something in his voice nearly goaded you to relax, to trust whoever welded it like a gleaming silver blade. That voice didn't sound dangerous.

It sounded… tempting.

Perhaps that was what made it so bloody terrifying. You had never felt more unsettled in your life. Not even when he had been shadowing your every step. That man's obsession with you was nothing compared to the stark horror now flooding your senses.

What was going on out there?

The calm timbre of Elijah's voice cut through the air soon after, but his words didn't do much to calm you.

"Why do insist on this bloodshed, brother?" He demanded, voice ragged - patience worn thin.

"Because. It's. Fun."

And that awful laughter came again, seeming to fold in on itself and multiply. Growing louder, almost gleeful, it was manic and maddening, like a pack of hyenas encircling their prey. Locked in your room, you felt trapped yet exposed. What was going on out there? You had to know.

So you did something undeniably stupid. You got up and opened your door. Stealing out into the hall, you swiftly ducked behind a pillar and peeked through the second-floor railing, taking in the courtyard below. There in the center of the compound, a ring of vampires stood around a young dark-haired man.

He both scared and fascinated you.

Perhaps you would have thought the boy to be beautiful had his features not been tainted with madness. His thick dark hair seemed soft and you might have liked to run a hand through it had those locks not been disheveled and flecked with blood. His lips might have distracted you had they not been twisted into a vile sneer. His teeth were perfectly white but the terrible, deadly fangs he displayed ruined the illusion. Perhaps his eyes might have been deep enough to lose yourself in, but the curse in his blood and the rage in his heart had corrupted them with a horrific blackness that seemed to overflow, fracturing his otherwise innocent features into the visage of a monster.

Two steel cuffs clad his forearms, these attached to hulking, robust chains that looked strong enough to hold the weight of an ocean liner. Those cuffs burned the skin beneath them, rendering his arms a repulsive mess of scorching red flesh and blood. He hissed and laughed, purely demented, as he tugged and tore at the chains but, positioned on either side, each holding fast to a chain, stood Rebekah and Elijah. Both of your friends had their respective chains wrapped around their arms, struggling despite their teamwork to restrain their brother.

The vampires circled around them each kept hold of their own ropes. The thick cords were wrapped around his throat, others around his arms and legs and yet, all of them together couldn't seem to bring him down. There was one rope, you noted, that had gone slack. You followed the line with your eyes and quickly stifled a scream. A bloody corpse lay sprawled on the ground with a jagged length of wood impaled through his heart - self-inflicted.

Above you, a clap of thunder shook the sky and the heavens opened, raining down vicious hail though the day had been cloudless only minutes before. This was New Orleans - it doesn’t hail in Louisiana. You shuddered from the cold and the horror, but that disgusting, unhinged laughter only re-doubled.

"No matter what you see or hear, know that it is merely an illusion!" Elijah's voice rang through the courtyard. Bold and commanding, it rose over the unnatural icefall. "Keep him out and you will not be deceived."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," The awful voice drawled, sounding so clearly from the boy at the center of it all. He merely grinned.

Within moments, a second scream - not the first you'd heard - erupted from the courtyard. Then another, seconds later. And another one again after that! One by one, shrieks permeated the atmosphere until the cries of the undead were all you could hear. Several of the surrounding vampires collapsed to their knees. There was retching and sobbing, some were choking while others gasped for breath.

Amidst the pain and the chaos, Kol lifted his face to the sky, eyes closed and mouth warping into a grin. And that monster kept on laughing. "I don't think they can help it, Elijah!" He taunted, sadistically gleeful.

"Josh?" Rebekah called over the gathering storm. "Josh, you have to fight it!"

Of all the others surrounding the siblings, Josh was the only one left standing. He screwed his eyes shut, his expression drawn with effort.

"I-I'm trying!" He bit out between clenched teeth.

You drew in a sharp breath, wishing you could reach out and take your friend away from this insanity. "Josh…" You whispered, still crouched as you watched from your hiding place.

The monster in the courtyard heard you. His eyes snapped open and locked onto your own. It all happened so fast.

You had never wanted to imagine what a lobotomy might feel like, but you were certain you received a taste of one then as something - some powerful, vile force worked itself into your mind with all the delicate touch of an ice-pick driven by a sledgehammer. You squeezed your eyes shut, shaking your head in an attempt to wrest his consciousness away from yours but your feeble inexperience was pathetic in the face of this practiced maniac, backed by enough raw power to rival that of Klaus. An unnatural chill ran down your spine as any mental barrier you had shattered like stained glass in a storm and the last glimpse of reality you caught was that demented grin of his widening into a bleeding gash across his face.

"Now, now, now… What do we have here?" That terrible voice whispered into your ear. A pair of hands - soft and warm though you didn't want them to be - settled on your shoulders and you froze. You didn't move. You couldn't move as his hands trailed down your arms and he knelt just behind you. Those hands slid to your wrists, thumbs pressing in to find your pulse. "Human," He hummed a second later, blunt teeth tugging gently at your earlobe, nipping almost teasingly. "How interesting." You didn't understand why you couldn't move! Your body simply refused to respond. "You know, I've torn through quite a few of your kind today…" Kol's mouth moved lower, leaving soft kisses along your throat as his hands shifted to your hips. Two sharp points scraped over your jugular. "Yet, not one of them smelled so sweet," He murmured, that insatiable hunger more than evident in his tone. "What are you going to taste like, I wonder?"

Finally, you could react. (He let you react. He was the one in control here. Kol wanted to see you run scared.) You cried out, jabbing your elbow backward into his chest and scrambling away from him as fast as you could. The monster just watched, amused, and tilted his head. "Who are you, sweet-thing?"

"Y-you're not real," You stammered, trying to sound brave.

"Are you sure?" His tone was playful, mocking as he grinned and stalked closer. "I think you should guess again."

He seemed real, he felt real but it was all in your head. Elijah had said so. You could always trust Elijah.

"You're not real! " You shouted, voice growing firm. "Get out of my head and leave me alone!"

His expression soured into a scowl. "Perhaps you're right," He said. Then, in a split second, Kol was behind you. "But I'm not too far away, am I?"

Your eyes snapped open and you knew he had let you go because those haunting black abysses stared back at you with a promise.

Yet, in the moments you had grabbed Kol's attention, Josh had found his opening. He raced up from behind and jabbed a syringe directly into that monster's neck, injecting him with enough vervain to down three original vampires. Kol roared and threw his head back, clipping Josh's skull with an impact that would have killed any human instantly, but it was too late. His legs soon gave out and he fell to the ground - out cold.

Yet, you found yourself unable to truly process what had happened. You got to your feet, clinging to the railing for support but you didn’t move beyond that. Below you, the other vampires recovered from whatever attack Kol had unleashed on their sanity.

“Take him to the basement,” Rebekah ordered, letting go of a long breath as she collapsed into a chair. The others nodded and got to work. You just watched them, seemingly unable to tear your eyes from her brother as they dragged the temporarily lifeless corpse away.

“Would you like to tell me exactly what you were thinking,” Elijah’s voice sounded from behind you, effectively shocking you from your stupor. You jumped, turning to face his displeased expression. Yeah, you were in trouble all right.

“I can honestly say I have no idea,” You replied, pressing your lips into a thin line. “It just sort of… happened.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Do you have any idea what my brother could have done to you if he had broken free?”

“I don’t think I want to imagine that, thank you.” You rocked back and forth on your heels nervously as Elijah’s glare intensified. “But, hey! He’s out for the count, so it’s all fine!” He crossed his arms over his chest and you let go of a nervous chuckle. “How was he so powerful anyway, huh? I mean, that was weird,” You pointed out, gesturing to the storm overhead. Its intensity was rapidly waning.

“The dude was higher than a kite, that’s how!” Josh called up to you. He’d begun cleaning up the body of his fallen friend.

You raised a brow. “What does that have anything to do with it?”

“Kol’s been snacking his way through several states on his way here, and with our father dead, its not like he had to worry about avoiding attention,” Rebekah sighed, rubbing at her temples.

“I mean, we’re talking a kill count higher than my carrer best in Call of Duty,” Josh added. “And that’s saying a lot!”

“Is it though?” You teased.

“It is actually,” He sassed. “Anyway, running on that much death is like running on a concoction of jet fuel, monster energy, red bull, sixty three pounds of sugar, eight tablespoons of the essence of Dwane Johnson, a five hour energy, seven triple espresso shots, and gorilla testosterone… with just a dash of peppermint.”

You blinked. “Interesting metaphore,” You admitted. “Please never say that again.”

He just shrugged grinning. You turned back to Elijah. “So if your brother is that doped up, then what’s going to stop him from tearing his way outta’ this joint as soon as he wakes up?”

“We'll keep injecting him with vervain on the hour until he regains a grasp on his fragile sanity,” Rebekah answered for her brother.

“And if that fails we’ve raised a barrier spell to keep him contained,” Elijah said. His expression softened and he placed a hand on your shoulder, meeting your gaze. “As long as you stay out of the basement, Kol will be unable to harm you.”

Nodding, you bit your lip. “I sure hope so.” Unwittingly you cast your eyes toward the doorway through which Kol had disappeared, and a thread of curiosity tugged on the corner of your mind. You shook it away. “I’m gonna go make those thin mints now.”

For the next week and a half, you did a rather excellent job of putting Kol out of your mind. It was no easy task, mind you, considering the occasional screams of outrage, strings of profanity, and creative death threats that rang through the compound every now and again. (That boy had quite the set of lungs on him.) The death threats especially gave you a good reason not to go wandering into the basement. It wasn't until the tenth day of administering hourly vervain injections, that Josh finally declared the guy "moderately chill".

"Define, moderately chill?" Rebekah demanded. Elijah had forbidden her from seeing their brother - knowing their presence was only likely to rile him up. But that couldn't keep her from worrying.

Josh shrugged. "I mean, he's not trying to impale me on my own rib cage anymore."

"Wait, I thought you guys said he was restrained!" You said, a slight note of panic rising into your voice.

"Oh, he is," Josh assured you. "Doesn't stop him from trying though."

You grimaced, reminding yourself yet again why going down to see the wild Original was a less-than-intelligent idea.

But two days after that, your curiosity began to outweigh your common sense. You started to pity the guy, he must have been lonely down there all alone - not to mention bored… and hungry. As a person who was quite fond of food, you didn't want to imagine what going without it for a week would have to be like.

Thus, you decided to pay him a little visit and came up with every justification in the book as to why because morbid curiosity was an awful reason. Rebekah had told you that Kol could be really sweet when he wanted to be, so you figured that it certainly couldn't hurt to earn yourself a place in his good graces. Bringing him something to eat sounded like an excellent way to do just that. Besides, you had found a new recipe for peppermint bark and you needed a guinea pig. Elijah and Rebekah were off doing whatever it was they did to keep the peace in the French Quarter, and Josh was on a date. You wouldn't have a better chance.

So, you pushed all thoughts of self-preservation aside and ventured down into the basement, armed with a cookie sheet, a billiard cue, two blood bags, a plate of peppermint bark, and Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings.

There wasn't exactly a cell down there per se - just a dingy alcove behind a small archway with a cot set up in the center. Despite it being invisible, you could instantly tell where the barrier spell was. Apparently, Kol had been entertaining himself by attempting to spit past it. He clearly hadn't had much luck as there was a semi-consistent line of dried blood marring the stone floor. It reminded you of something out of Lilo and Stich. Well, you'd been right about the boredom.

Peering through the archway, you studied the boy inside. His wrists were still clasped in those shackles you'd seen before, except now those had been secured to opposite walls. The skin beneath the cuffs was still red and raw, in fact, you thought you could see smoke curling off of it. That had to be painful, though you tried very hard not to pity him. Shifting your attention to his face you were shocked at how peaceful and innocent his expression seemed. He was sprawled across the cot, fast asleep and you couldn't help but find him… cute. This boy looked nothing like the monster you had seen two weeks ago.

You sat down on the floor just beyond the magic barrier and watched him for a bit. Not in a creepy way. You just didn't want to wake him and if you did, you had no idea what to say.

Turns out, you didn't need to worry about that because Kol woke up on his own. He groaned, lifting his head and his eyes fixed on yours.

"It's you…" His voice was dry and scratchy, though you couldn't expect much less from a person who hadn't had anything to drink in two weeks. Confusion colored his expression initially but within seconds, dark veins crawled outwards from his eyes, spilling down his cheeks and you caught a glimpse of his fangs. You froze as he stared at you longingly. Then he groaned and curled himself into a ball like a child with a stomach ache. Only then did you notice the shadows beneath his eyes and the profound lack of color in his skin.

"Are you hungry?" What a stupid question.

"Starving," Kol growled miserably. "Come to torture me, have you?"

"No, actually I brought you a snack."

He glanced up, raising a brow. "Excuse me?"

You held up one of the blood bags and his eyes widened. In a split second, he was off the cot and straining against the chains. Their length allowed him within a mere three feet of where you sat and you jumped back. Kol hissed, his pitch-black eyes singularly focused on the bag in your hand. He struggled and thrashed, gleaming fangs on full display.

The color in your face drained away.

There was the monster you'd seen in the courtyard.

"Scared, are we?" He growled, sneering. Those teeth snapped at you with all the power of a hyena.

You didn't reply. You just backed away.

"DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!"

But that's exactly what you did. You turned and ran from that place as fast as you could, clamping your hands over your ears to block out his voice as Kol screamed insults at your back.

Yet, you found yourself returning two days later. Apparently, Josh's date had gone well and there was some problem across the river that Bekah and Elijah had to take care of. You knew you had absolutely no reason to extend your kindness to that monster in the basement again, especially after he'd so completely rejected it the last time; however, you were a generous person and if he wanted to be a jerk to you then that was his problem. You would keep being kind regardless of how he decided to treat you because really Kol was only hurting himself. He was growing weaker by the minute - starvation had to be excruciating and you were offering him a respite from that pain. He was sure to concede eventually.

So down the steps, you descended once again, moving to sit on the floor just beyond the barrier spell. This time, Kol was already awake. He struggled to sit up, arms shaking, and glared at you viciously.

"Ah, she's back," He snarled, lip curling with disgust. But it wasn't entirely genuine, you could see the curiosity and surprise shining through his eyes.

"I am." You nodded, holding up the blood bag as you had done before. "And I brought you something."

Kol's eyes immediately turned black, but this time he remained carefully still. "What do you want?"

You shrugged. "I wanna give this to you."

His eyes narrowed as he forced himself to look at you - not the crimson substance in your hand. "What do you really want?" He pressed.

"I really want to give this to you! Unless you try to attack me again, in which case I'll leave and come back tomorrow and the next day and the next until you get over your ego and take the hand that's being offered to you."

Kol scoffed, rolling his eyes. "And why would you want to help me get out of here, darling? First thing I'd do is rip into that pretty little neck of yours."

"Oh, heavens no," You snorted, grinning wryly. "I don't want you out of there any more than you want to be in there."

"Then why offer?" He demanded.

You shrugged. "Well, starvation doesn't sound too pleasant. You must be feeling pretty sick by now."

The vampire's eyes darkened and he scowled. "I don't want, nor do I need your pity, bug," He spat. If looks could kill, you would have been drawn and quartered.

"Good thing this isn't pity."

"Then what is it?" He mocked.

"The fruit of generosity," You answered, “which you have long denied your fellow men.”

“That’s Charles Dickens,” Kol hummed. “Never did like him.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of your lips. "Well, in that case, think of it as a Christmas present."

"Generosity…" Kol hummed the word, watching you appraisingly. "People will take advantage of that, you know."

You huffed a laugh but there was no humor in it. "Believe me… I know." You knew better than most. You quickly met his eyes again. "But you won't."

He seemed to find that deceleration extremely amusing. "Oh, is that what you think?" He chuckled. "Darling, with that in your hand, I could easily find my way back into your head. I could do whatever I wanted. I could drive you mad."

"You could. But I know you won't."

"Do you have faith in my humanity, sweetheart?" He teased. His grin was a sharp row of gleaming teeth.

"Nope!" You exclaimed. You held up your hand exposing a ring. It wasn't really your vervain jewelry - that was the new ankle bracelet that Elijah had bought you - but Kol didn't need to know that. "I got an upgrade. Smart bug."

He huffed a laugh, amused by your cheek. "The possession of a brain does not make you intelligent."

You just rolled your eyes. "Look, do you want this or not?" You asked, gesturing to the blood bags again. Kol's attention was once again enamored with it. You watched him try to hold back, try to retain his pride but it wasn't long before he broke.

"Fine," He bit out. His eyes flicked to meet yours. "I want it."

"Next time I'll teach you to say please." You smirked and tossed him the bag.

He caught it easily and for the briefest of moments, you thought you caught him watching you. Then that moment was gone and he tore into it, groaning voraciously as he practically inhaled its contents. As soon as he was done with it, you tossed him the next, wordlessly. He downed it without a second thought, and though he tried to keep up the spiteful, angry facade, you could see Kol's relief visible in his posture.

"Is that better?" You asked as soon as he finished. He just glared and tossed the empty bags back at you.

Shrugging, you scooped those up and opened the Tupperware container you'd brought with you - the one full of peppermint bark - and shook it.

He watched you for a moment, seething. "Now what?"

You grinned cheekily. "Want some? I made it just yesterday."

Kol rolled his eyes, moving to sit on the cot where he rested his arms on his knees. He watched you with narrowed eyes but took his time to reply. "What I want, darling, is to know who the hell you are."

"Me?" You raised a brow. "I'm Y/N Y/LN."

Kol huffed. "What's a bloody name mean to me?"

"Not too much, apparently," You muttered.

"Who are you? What are you? Why are you here?" The boy in the cell demanded, seeming more curious now than furious.

"Well, I already told you my name. I'm pretty human as far as I know, and I'm here because I make poor life decisions," You said. It was no crime that you didn't want to tell Kol your life story. He didn't need to know any of it.

"Poor life decisions, eh?" He offered you a wry grin. "Would you mind elaborating on that?"

"Yes," You deadpanned. "Look, I did something stupid and Elijah brought me here. That's all you need to know."

"Why would my brother bother himself with you?" His tone was somewhat accusatory, though you couldn't comprehend why.

You shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it's because Elijah's sorta like my… cousin."

"Cousin?"

"One can never have too many cousins," You said, smirking.

Kol scoffed. "I beg to differ. One can absolutely have too much family."

"True, however, cousins are not immediate family," You countered. "They're more like friends who feel obligated to do you favors."

"Ahh…" He nodded. "I see. So you're a manipulative bitch then, eh?"

Your face soured though it was mostly theatrics because Kol was entirely right. Beneath that frown, you were smirking. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I prefer the term: opportunist. Plus, I'm not a complete leech. I help out here and there. I dust shelves, sweep floors…" You shook that container of peppermint bark again and shrugged. "I bake... I'm helping."

Kol snorted. "It's cute that you think that."

"Oh, so you admit that I'm cute?" You teased, winking at him.

He raised a brow. "Flirting are we? When you're so fond of my brother? Darling!" He shook his head reprovingly. "That'll get you onto Santa's naughty list for sure. Then again, my brother does have a thing for women who take advantage of him…"

"Elijah?" You balked. "Dude! I just said he's like my cousin… This ain't Alabama!"

Kol chuckled darkly and once again, he was in control of the conversation. The guy was quite good at gaining the upper hand. "Well, in that case, sweetheart, I'd be infinitely more worried."

"Why?" You questioned, narrowing your eyes.

"Because you won't be able to keep this little ruse of yours up forever," He reasoned. There was a sick gleam that didn't belong in such innocent eyes. "Niklaus or my sister - one of them will figure out what really drives you, then you'll be wishing you had the romantic affections of that noble stag to protect you when the claws and teeth come out. My family is not one to be manipulated."

Kol was good at intimidation, that much was true, and his inferences were logical but he needed to work on his humility. That boy had jumped the gun.

You smirked. "Who said it's them I'm manipulating?"

He blinked, tilting his head. His eyes flicked along your frame, inspecting you again. "Clever bug." He grinned. "This isn't generosity, is it? No, not at all. You're just trying to butter me up."

"Is it working?" You hummed.

"Nah."

"Alright!" You shrugged. You didn't need it to work. Not right away. "I've got some time, want me to read to you?"

"Certainly not!" Kol said. "I want more answers."

"Then ask more questions." You shrugged, mostly indifferent. "But at least be a decent person and try the treats." You loaded up the cookie sheet with a few pieces of peppermint bark and, using the billiard cue, pushed it past the boundary spell. Kol got up, regarding you somewhat distrustfully. Despite the restraints, he managed to get close enough to hook his foot around the lip of the cookie sheet, pulling it closer to himself before bending down and picking up a shard of the treat. He inspected it carefully, then after a moment, cast his eyes back up to yours.

"It's poisoned, isn't it?" He accused.

You scowled, taken aback. "Of course not! I'm offended, Kol. Honestly, what do you take me for? I wouldn't waste perfectly good vervain on you! Not to mention, that's a vile misuse of perfectly good peppermint bark!"

"Then why are you so desperate for me to ingest this?" He challenged with a sneer.

"Because it's a new recipe," You reasoned, tossing your hair over your shoulder with an indignant huff. "What if it turns out to be nasty? I wouldn't want to feed my friends something subpar, now would I?"

He rolled his eyes leaning back against his cot. "I thought you said Elijah was like your cousin," He said. Kol popped one of the pieces into his mouth idly. He probably wouldn't have done it had he not been so hungry - anything to at least provide the illusion of comfort, you supposed. Yet, he couldn't hide his genuinely surprised reaction when he tried the treat.

The boy did a double take and a small, yet radiant smile overtook his face. You grinned. Though, a second later, he caught your eyes and wiped that expression away.

It didn't bother you, however. It couldn't bother you because, though it had been for just a moment, Kol had proven you right. There was more to him than that horrid monstrosity of an exterior. There was more to him than the villain he played. Under all of that, there was a boy - scared and hungry, upset and alone. Beneath the monster, there was a person with the same desires as any other.

Because this month was December and December is the time when all people just want the same things. Generosity and companionship are the two things everyone wants for Christmas and deep down, Kol was no different.

A few beats passed and Kol reached for another shard of peppermint bark as silence settled between you. Tilting your head, you watched him and, after a moment, you opened your mouth.

"Bravado," You said, smiling just slightly.

Kol's head shot up. His eyes were wide and weary but not near as sharp nor as threatening as they'd been merely a moment before. He looked more like a child who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar because you'd seen him. You'd seen past his front and he knew it.

"What?" Kol's voice was hardly more than a whisper.

You leaned forward, settling with your elbows on your knees.

"Bravado," You repeated, gesturing minutely to his hands which still shook, though not as severely. "Bravado is the hallmark of insecurity."

It was the wrong thing to say.

Whatever warmth you had seen in his eyes drained away in hardly an instant, his expression growing hard as obsidian as his posture closed off to you yet again. You cursed yourself. You should have known better than to push.

"Get out," Kol hissed, teeth and fists clenched tight.

"Kol I didn't-"

He spoke again, voice taught with barely constrained rage. "I. Said. Get. Out." He kicked the cookie sheet back at you with force and it skidded across the stone floor, nailing your knee hard enough to make you wince.

"Fine," You said, quietly. Then, you gathered your things and left.

Yet, Kol's ire didn't stop you from coming back. You returned, again and again, every day and though Kol continued to take the blood bags from you, he refused to engage you in conversation. This went on for days. Though it wasn't long before you grew tired of it. You had seen something in him that day, and he was trying to forget it existed but you weren't going to let him.

The next time you descended those stairs and sat on the floor, you waited for him to down the blood bags just as you had every other time. Kol grew weaker by the day, though he was in less pain than he would have been thanks to you. He sat facing you, with his back resting against the far wall of the cellar. You knew he expected you to leave, but you didn't. You held your ground and said what he needed to hear.

"I'm not mad at you, Kol."

The boy slowly raised his head, it lolled to the side as though he hadn't the strength to keep it up. His skin was ashen and his eyes were dull, sunken into his face as though there was some black hole inside him. The breaths he took were shallow and unstable. He was falling apart, yet still, a bitter smirk spread across his face.

"Well that's a first." Somehow his voice, raw and quiet, was more unsettling than the screams you'd heard weeks ago in the courtyard. The hollow whisper worried you more than that unholy laughter had. It made you empathize with him.

"I'm not mad, because it wasn't your fault," You continued.

"Another first."

You sighed, shrugging. "Your reaction was only natural. I would have done the same thing."

"I'm sure you would have."

You took a deep breath. You were about to do the dumbest thing you would ever attempt, yet you weren't all that afraid. Getting to your feet, you approached the barrier spell - the only thing guaranteeing that Kol could not harm you - and crossed over the invisible boundary. Those deep brown eyes followed you, trailing your every step with suspicion and disbelief as you crossed his cell and knelt beside him.

Kol, starving as he was, didn't attack you. So you offered him a gentle smile.

"It's okay, Kol. It was my fault," You said quietly. Kol froze. "I just got too close, didn't I?"

His eyes grew wide, pupils dilating as he stared at you with an uncomprehending expression. Reaching out slowly, you ran a hand through his hair. The dark locks were dirty and tangled, but soft all the same. Kol hesitated, but leaned into your touch as though he simply couldn't stop himself.

Leaning in, you pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I forgive you."

"Why?" He demanded, watching you with wonder.

You just smirked. "Think of it as a Christmas present."

"For me?" He coughed, grimacing. "Or for Elijah?"

You sighed. "I'm not here for Elijah."

"Then why are you here?" He looked at you, desperation for understanding showing clearly through those eyes. "My brother hardly bothers with his own siblings if he deems them unworthy of his limitless time."

"I'm in over my head," You said simply, shrugging. "I think it's what got me in so deep that maybe he saw something in."

"And what was that?"

"Generosity." You smiled - thin as a strand of hair. "I showed someone too much and he turned out to be a creep who took advantage of me. Elijah's making sure it doesn't happen again. That's all."

Kol's expression twisted with confusion, then cleared with understanding. "A-are you-" He trailed off, unsure.

"Oh come on," You said, chuckling slightly. "I know you've heard it by now."

Your baby's heart had started beating three days before.

The boy's bright grin confirmed your statement. He laughed, though the sound was tired. "You're going to make an excellent mother," He said.

You smiled. "Thanks."

Kol leaned his head back against the wall, weak but grinning, and sighed. "So, what's that book you brought with you?"

With a bubbling laugh, you stood and wandered back to the boundary spell where you'd left your stuff.

"Wait, don't-"

"I'm not going anywhere, Kol," You snickered, bending down to snatch the book. Then you made your way back to sit beside him. The boy leaned against your shoulder and though it made you just a tad bit nervous, you let him. Carding a hand through his hair, you opened the book and began to read aloud.

"Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, wore white on the day he was to kill a king."

It wasn't long before you lost track of time. Unfortunately, reading out loud ensured that you couldn't hear the footsteps of your friends when Elijah, Rebekah, and Josh returned. If Kol had heard them, he didn't inform you.

The door to the dungeon swung open on hinges that protested rather loudly and your head shot up from your reading.

"Y/N, I'm going to have to ask you to step away from him," Elijah's cold, commanding voice sounded from the entrance.

You bit your lip. "You know, uh… I can explain this," You promised.

"Can you?" Elijah's glare was a frigid sort of rage and it was concentrated entirely on Kol.

You opened your mouth. "No. No, I cannot."

"I see," Your friend hummed. His eyes flicked to you and you thought you felt just a little of what it might be like to jump into a freezing lake. "Y/N, return to your room at once, please. I would like to speak to my brother."

"Okay." You weren't going to object, not when Elijah was providing your room and board. Though, that didn't stop you from looking back at the boy you'd finally brought to the surface. Picking up the tray off the floor, you gave him a small smile and slid the Tupperware container full of peppermint bark back toward him. Then you left without another word.

You didn't hear anything from Elijah, Rebekah, or even Josh for the rest of the day. You sat on your bed and waited, but the only sound that came from downstairs was an exasperated Elijah's indistinct yelling. Whatever discussion took place in the basement lasted for a few hours, but no matter how many times you texted Josh, all he would tell you was how reckless your actions had been.

The following day, you ventured to the kitchen. You weren't going to stay in your room the entire day. If Elijah wanted to stay put, then you would do so while being productive via baking. That day, you decided to bake thin mints. Tasting one, you hummed as the chocolate melted on your tongue. You didn't even hear the kitchen door open.

"Might I try one of those?"

You shrieked, jumping nearly a foot into the air. Whirling around, you were rather surprised to find Kol standing in the kitchen doorway, smiling at you - not smirking, just smiling. He looked a lot better

"I dunno," You said, returning the expression. "I think you're gonna have to say the magic word."

Kol stepped closer, crossing the room until he stood directly in front of you. He reached out and took your hands in his own, pulling them to his chest. “Please?” He said, in the sweetest tone you’d ever heard. The puppy-dog eyes he gave you were the color of melted chocolate. You grinned.

“Here-” You held up one of the squares. “-Catch!”

Tossing the mint up in the air, you giggled as Kol threw his head back and caught it between his teeth. He winked at you, biting a piece off as he leaned against the counter.

“These are fantastic,” He said. “Thank you.”

“Ah… So he does have some manners - good to know.” You nodded to yourself sarcastically and he rolled his eyes.

“Only for you, sweetheart,” He hummed. “Only for you.”

You chuckled. “I see. Now, do you wanna tell me how you convinced Elijah to let you out on - what I’m assuming is - vampire parole?”

Kol shrugged and tried to steal a second mint but you slapped his hand away. “We made a deal,” He said simply.

“You promised to behave?” You questioned, raising a brow. “You? Just like that?”

“You seem surprised,” He chuckled.

“Oh. Well, then I’m not being expressive enough because I am astounded!”

Kol waved a hand dismissivly. “Eh, shouldn’t be too hard, I don’t think - not with you manipulating me and all that.”

You blushed. “Is that permission to keep making sweets?”

“Oh, yes. Absolutely.”

Snickering, you passed him another thin mint. “Well, in that case, Merry Christmas, Kol.”

He took it. Then he leaned forward and pressed a kiss sweeter than chocolate to your cheek. “Merry Christmas, darling.”

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choke-me-joey · 1 year

Text

Ch1/Ch2

Summary: As Joe's long-term girlfriend, you reflect on your relationship over the last 4 years.

Content warning: 18+ so minors are not welcome, real person fiction (don't like, don't read, don't bitch), smut, fluff, angst, probably inaccurate timelines and processes but does anyone really care?, alcohol use, smoking...if I've missed anything please let me know!!

Author's note: when I was deep in my Dan and Phil phase I wrote this, published it on AO3 and then took it down so before anyone says "Hey this looks familiar" don't panic, I'm not stealing anyone's work and I can prove it lmao. Thanks to @harrys-four-nipples for reading this first chapter and telling me it wasn't as shit as I thought. Love you girl 🥰 feedback is always appreciated, let me know if you'd like me to continue this!

Paris

December 2022

After the craziest year anyone could ever imagine, exploring and staying in a variety of hotels across the globe, the last convention of 2022 was finally happening. You had been by your boyfriend's side the entire time; your job as a freelance photographer/social media specialist pretty much allowed you to travel anywhere and everywhere and luckily Joe's team were on board with you providing his official con photos and managing his social media. But as ideal as that sounds, it hadnt been easy.

It had been one of the best experiences of your life, watching the man that you love so, so much bring so much joy to the millions of people around the world who adored him. Despite being at every convention, watching all the fan interactions and all the panels, you were never bored. It hadn't all been perfect though, in fact it had been extremely trying at times, what with Joe being so damn exhausted there was barely any 'you' time, or fans getting a little bit too crazy at the meet and greets, but you wouldn't have traded it for the world.

You'd think that being cooped up on planes, in hotel rooms and travelling constatnly for months on end, spending almost every waking minute of the day together would have seriously damaged your relationship, but in all honesty, it brought you and Joe closer together. Sure, there have been times where you’ve wanted to smother each other with the shitty hotel pillows, but what couple doesn't argue? Without the option of slamming the bedroom door shut and sulking, you've learnt to just talk it out, and move on, and things have just gotten better and better. You had just celebrated our 4 year anniversary in Tokyo last month, and Jamie was constantly teasing you, telling you if you didn't get a ring this Christmas, you two could just run away together instead.

Of course, Joe had gotten super salty at the joke, seemingly never being able to escape the never ending question from his family and friends of when he was finally going to pop the question. He didn't need it from Jamie now too. He was going to do it, he just didn't want to rush it after all.

As it was the last con of 2022, Joe's team had given you some time off to just enjoy the convention, acknowledging that you had worked through your anniversary in Japan. This meant you could actually walk around the con and hang out with some of your friends, and enjoy the panels, which you were grateful for. You had some time to chat with Joe's dad too, which was always a good time, you got on so well with him and it was nice to see just how proud he was of his son.

Although you had been together for 4 years now, you and Joe weren't quite comfortable with going public with your relationship just yet. Joe had sky rocketed to fame overnight and his fanbase could be a little...intense. They went into a frenzy if he was spotted within 5 feet of another girl, and said girls were always stalked and harassed online and Joe didn't want that for you. You'd been pretty good at hiding it so far, most fans just thinking you were part of Joe's management team always there to keep him on schedule. It was a bit shit not being able to hold his hand or give him a hug in public but when the time was right, you both agreed you would go public.

You had headed back to the hotel a little before the con was over, Joe would no doubt get waylaid by fans outside the convention centre and you'd said you would order you both some food and run a bath for him so he could just relax now he was done for the Christmas period. New Orleans was a little after New Years so you'd have time to explore Paris, get home for Christmas and see in the New Year together.

Joe practically collapses through the door and you run to hug him, you were both desperate to touch each other after a long day of pretending to be work friends.

"Hi," you mumbled into his neck. "Last one for this year done, babe. I'm so proud of you."

He doesn't respond, he's holding onto you as if someone was threatening to take you away from him. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"I love you so much," he whispers. "Thank you."

"Joe, you don't need to thank-"

"Yeah, I do. I just thought that you've been there from the very start, and you've worked so hard, putting up with all my shit and you've been so supportive. I couldn't have done it without you." He sniffs, looking a little emotional. "Tonight was the first night I've actually been able to see you and not your camera, and knowing you were actually there, right in front of me, like, everything from the past 4 years went through my head and I could see you smiling at me, and the fans and I just..." he trails off, at a loss for words. You kiss his cheek, your own eyes welling up.

"You're such a soppy git, Joe." You tease him, but he knows you're joking.

"Shut up, you're just as soppy. " He laughs, poking you in the side gently. You poke my tongue out at him and he crosses his eyes in response, before my phone buzzes to let me know our food has been delivered to the hotel lobby. You break away from Joe, kissing his cheek and heading downstairs to grab your food.

You both scoff down your food, both of you having been way too busy to really eat a proper meal today, and then Joe gets into the bath. He tries to persuade you to join him, but honestly the bathtub here was smaller than the one at home, and even that could be a struggle to fit the both of you in, so you decline, changing into your pyjamas and watching some random show on TV and scrolling through your phone, replying to messages in the Quinn family group chat and your own family group chat.

You can't help but bite your lip in appreciation as Joe comes back into the bedroom, a towel around his waist and his curls dripping. He makes his way over to his suitcase in search for a pair of clean boxers. Your eyes scan over his bare torso, his broad shoulders, sharp collarbones, toned arms and his perfect stomach with a dusting of dark hair disappearing into the towel. He feels your eyes on him, standing up and turning around.

"What?" He smirks, stifling a yawn. You return his smirk, stretching a little.

"Nothing, just admiring my boyfriend. That alright with you?"

"Depends, can I ogle you like a pervert the next time you come out in just a towel?" Joe jokes, quickly pulling his boxers on under his towel, pulling it off and hanging it back up in the bathroom, before crawling on the bed and collapsing on his stomach, sighing heavily.

"You do anyway, I'm just more subtle about my staring, Quinn."

"You're just as pervy as me, Y/N, dont even try and pretend you're not. " he laughs, turning onto his side, pulling you down and wrapping his arm around you. You cuddle into him, burying your face in his neck.

"Difference is, Joseph, the whole Internet can see what a flirt you are, nobody has dirt on me."

"M'too tired for your smart arse right now."

"You like my smart arse." You grin into his skin, and he chuckles, the sound rumbling in his throat.

"I like your smart everything," he mumbles, kissing the top of your head. You sigh in response, enjoying the feeling of him cuddled up to you. "M'so tired. And my back is killing me."

"Did you twinge it again?"

"Mm. Hurts."

You untangle myself from him and roll off the bed, rummaging through your suitcases until you find the baby oil you always use to keep your skin moisturised after a shower. You shake it up as you walk towards the bed. "On your stomach, babe."

"That is the most terrifying thing you could say to me whilst holding baby oil." He eyes the bottle in your hands suspiciously, but does what you've said anyway.

"I believe that would actually be 'face down, ass up and just relax'." You smirk, climbing back on the bed, straddling his legs. He groans dramatically, making you roll your eyes and laugh. "You're such a drama queen, babe."

"Making a living off of it, aren't I?"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up Mr Man of the Year." You quip, opening the bottle and pour some of the oil into your hands, rubbing them together to warm it up before pressing your palms against his shoulder blades. You apply just the amount of pressure that you know he likes, rubbing his flawless skin. "That okay?"

He responds by letting out a quiet moan of approval.

"How did I get so lucky?" Joe groans into the pillow as you continue to rub his shoulders and upper back, trying your best to work out the knots in his muscles. You smile, placing a kiss to the back of his neck that makes him shiver slightly.

"You elbowed me in the tits on the Underground and made me spill my coffee all over myself." You chuckle, adjusting your position on his legs so you could massage further down.

"The one time in my whole life that me being a clumsy twat has actually worked out in my favour." Joe's voice is muffled by the pillow, but you can tell he's smiling. He grunts in pleasure as you knead his lower back gently.

"Meh, you're just lucky I thought you were hot." You teased, gently poking him in the sides. He chuckles softly. "And you were, and still can be, so socially awkward, it was endearing."

"Mm, love you." He mumbles, and you know he's slowly falling asleep by the way his body is relaxing beneath you.

"Love you too, babe." You whisper back, moving off of his back and into bed next to him, pulling the covers over both of you. Ypu push his curls back from over his face. "Always have, always will." You kiss his temple and turn off the bedside lamp, letting him sleep off the post convention exhaustion whilst you take advantage of the good selection of TV channels the hotel has.

A few hours later, you're still awake and on your phone, scrolling through Instagram, the TV long turned off. You're laid on your side facing away from your currently snoring boyfriend. Joe grumbles in his sleep and rolls over, moulding his body around yours and spooning you. You feel something poking you in your bum and smirk to yourself, wiggling your butt back against him.

"Hmm, you still awake?" Joe whispers, his voice rough with sleep and exhaustion, one of his hands running over your thigh.

"Mm, I didn't wake you up, did I?" You reply, shivering in delight as his lips graze your neck. You roll over to face him, and he moves your leg on top of his, moving your bodies closer together as he kisses you hard, his hands wandering around to your ass and squeezing it.

Oh.

You see where this is going.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Joe? You're exhausted." You say quietly, trying your best to control your breathing after you break away. Thanks to your busy schedules, it been at least two weeks since you'd last had sex. You snuck in whatever you could, but mostly it was just heavy make out sessions or occasionally a hand and/or blow job to help with Joe's anxiety levels. You were practically soaked already and he'd barely touched you.

"Never too tired for you," he mumbles, pecking your lips softly, and slowly lifting up the hem of your (his) shirt. "Off?"

You nod, and you both work together to rid you of the oversized shirt. "C'mere," he grunts, rolling you on top of him, his hands on your hips as he looks up at me.

"Lazy," you tease, your skin feeling like it's on fire as he runs his hands up your sides.

"Beautiful." He responds, giving you that little smile that makes your heart melt every time. It's a smile that only you get to see, and it's during your intimate moments like this that he smiles like that, and you fall in love with him all over again. You hum and lean down, kissing him passionately, your tongues dancing around each other. His hands return to your hips, pushing them down against his crotch as he lifts his hips up, and the friction and heat makes you both moan. You nibble on his bottom lip, which you know drives him crazy, before moving to kiss his jawline and neck, a somewhat external G-spot for him. "Fuck..."

"Well, if you want, I mean, I was just gonna suck you off and then take care of myself," you grin against his skin, and he responds by slapping your ass lightly. In return, you bite gently on his collarbone, and he grunts, the noise going straight in between your legs. "What do you want, Joe? Tell me."

"Wanna fuck you," he growls, turning his head and capturing your bottom lip between his teeth and tugging gently. "Wanna be inside you so bad, baby, please."

You whimper, nodding. Foreplay would have to wait for tonight.

You sit up and awkwardly peel off your underwear, throwing it somewhere in the room, deciding you'd find it in the morning. You gently palm Joe's cock through his boxers, making him grunt and moan your name loudly, before pulling them down his legs, and he kicks them off his feet. You take his cock into your hand, squeezing gently and stroking him a few times. "Please, baby, m'not gonna last long..." You'll let him off for that, it really has been forever since you last fucked. You reach across to the bedside table, grabbing a condom from your makeup bag (damn your birth control prescription running out before you'd realised) and tearing it open. He holds his hands out to put it on himself, but you slap them away, rolling it on him as slowly as possible, making him grit his teeth, grunt and buck his hips slightly.

Deciding to be a bit more of a tease, you hover above him for a few seconds, grinding down ever so slightly. He grips your hips so tight there will definitely be bruises in the morning, and he bites his lip, whimpering and cursing. You decide to let him off, because you want this just as much as he does, and you place the head of his cock at your dripping pussy, slowly sinking down onto him. He throws his head back and moans, a little too loudly, as do you. "God, I missed this...missed you."

"I missed you too," you sigh, placing your hands on his chest, giving yourself a bit of leverage before you start to move your hips. "Fuck, Joe, you feel so fucking good..." as much as you want this to last, you know it won't. You can already feel your orgasm growing as you grind down against him. He bucks his hips up, his cock brushing my g-spot. "Oh my god, Joe!"

"Fuck," he growls, his breathing heavy. "Faster, baby, please, I-" he cuts himself off with a moan as you obey. "Shit, fuck!"

"You're so loud," you giggle breathlessly, gasping as he places his thumb on your clit and rubs in time with your thrusts. "We're gonna get noise complai-AH, FUCK, JOE!"

"I'm the loud one, am I?" Fucking asshole.

"Shut up," You gasp, as he sits up, wrapping your legs around him and attaches his lips to your collarbone, sucking and biting as you move together. You can tell he's getting close from the way his breath is coming out in pants, and his moans are getting more desperate sounding. He rests his forehead against your shoulder, and you run your fingers through his curly hair, and he looks up at you.

"Kiss me," he whispers, and of course, you do. "M'getting close."

"Me too," you whisper back, and he reaches between you to stroke your clit. "Joe, I-"

"I know."

The room is filled with your moans, and heavy breathing as you both get closer and closer to the edge. Joe moves his hand and lies you down on the bed, so he's on top. He winks at you, and smirks as he puts your legs around his waist, and his hands either side of your head. He ducks down and kisses you softly before moving his hips, fucking you hard and fast, the way he knows you like it.

"Oh,my god Joe, I'm gonna cum!" You moan, digging your nails into his back.

"Do it, wanna feel you cum for me," he groans, and all it takes is him angling his hips just right, and you're coming, moaning his name probably way too loud, your whole body shaking. Joe curses and stills, pushing his cock inside you one last time as he cums into the condom, hard, his head dropping onto your shoulder as he whispers your name, telling you he loves you. You say it back, stroking his neck gently as he collapses on top of you, his head on your chest. "You're amazing."

"I think you'll find that's you, babe." You say breathlessly, grinning like a fool.

"I am pretty fucking good in bed, aren't I?" Joe grins, a teasing lilt to his voice.

"You always know what to say...so romantic," you roll your eyes, poking him in the tummy.

"Mhmm, you're very lucky. I mean, I even make sure you cum every single time we fuck, if that's not true love, I don't know what is." He pulls off the condom, tying it and throwing it into the bedside bin.

"Be still my beating heart!" You laugh and kiss the top of his head, rolling out from underneath him. He pouts, reaching out for you with grabby hands. "Joe, as much as I'd love to cuddle right now, I seriously need to shower after that. Wanna come with?"

"Depends, you might have to roll me, you've worn me out." he yawns, sitting up on the bed. "Besides, I already had a bath. Can't you just give me a sponge bath or something so I don't have to move?"

"Again, lazy. And I know you already showered, but if you think I'm cuddling with you when you smell like sweat and sex, you can fuck right off." You tease, grinning with your tongue poking between your teeth. You turn around, heading into the bathroom and turning on the shower. After waiting for the water to warm up, you step in, relishing the warmth cascading over you. A few minute later, you feel Joe's arms wrap around your waist and his body pressing up against yours. You stand in silence for a few moments, letting water fall down over you both. He then turns you around in his arms so you're facing him, your arms around his neck.

"Y'know, we could have just done it in here, that way we could be in bed right now." He says, flicking his wet hair out of his eyes. You run your fingers over the short hairs at the back of his neck as he leans his forehead against yours.

"Hey, I'm not the one who fell asleep before we'd even had a chance to do anything."

His face falls a little. "I'm sorry, I've been kind of a shitty boyfriend recently, haven't I?"

"What are you talking about?" You frown up at him, his beautiful brown eyes avoiding yours.

"Well, just with conventions and appearances and everything, and how busy we've been, I haven't had time to just...be with you, y'know?"

"Joe, we live together, we travel together, we're with each other every day almost-"

"That's not what I mean, we haven't been on a date in literally forever, I was at the con in Tokyo the entire day of our anniversary, and my dad was with us all day before that, for fucks sake!"

"Your dad is pretty much with us all the time, babe. It doesnt bother me, you know how much I love him. Turn around." You say, squirting some shampoo into your hand and massaging his scalp. He sighs.

"See, this is what I mean. You do all this nice stuff for me, like the back rubs, the food runs, the surprise blowies-"

"Which I do because I want to, not because I feel like I have to." You take the shower head off the wall and rinse his hair out, before running some conditioner through it. "I love you, and I know exactly what being with you entails. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I got salty about everything?"

"A normal one." Joe retorts, turning back around and gesturing for you to turn your back to him so he can wash your hair for you. "And I'm glad you're not, I just feel bad. You do everything for me and I can't even give you five minutes recently."

You don't respond, revelling in the feel of his fingers on your scalp, massaging in the shampoo. You hum appreciatively. He rinses out the shampoo and runs conditioner through your hair, making sure to cover every inch. "When we get home, I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Joe-"

"Please? We can go out and celebrate our anniversary properly, dinner, drinks, a movie, whatever you want."

You turn back around to face him. "What I want, is to stay in, order Chinese, shag and then fall asleep on the sofa with you. Joe you don't have to take me out, or buy me shit to make me feel like you love me. I know you love me, without all the materialistic crap, okay?"

He said nothing, instead he looked at you his eyes looking a little misty. He was an emotional mess tonight, but you couldn't really blame him. He blinked a couple of times, and kissed you on the nose.

"Turn around, you sap." He mumbled, giving you a small smile. He basically meant 'stop before you make me cry' in fewer words. You laughed softly, before turning back around so he could rinse your hair and his. Once you're clean, you step out and dry yourselves off, and you put on Joe's shirt again, this time pairing it with some pyjama shorts. You quickly dry my hair before getting back into bed, settling down with your head on his chest and his arms around you. "See, isn't this better than standing up and actually moving?"

"Mm," you sigh, already feeling your eyes getting heavy. "I miss our bed though."

"Me too, when we get home we are gonna spoon so fucking hard in bed for like a week." He mumbles into your hair.

"What about food and stuff?" You look up at him, raising an eyebrow. He laughs.

"Of all the things you're worried about, I love how food is at the top of that list. I fucking love you." He kisses the top of your head and switches off the bedside light. "Maybe we can persuade Wes to bring us breakfast in bed."

"Oh yeah, I can totally see him being okay with that," you laugh, my hand resting on Joe's stomach. "If anything, you owe me breakfast in bed after all these bloody photos I've taken of you. Know how hard it is to make you look good mid sentence?"

"Ouch, low blow, babe."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You know I love looking at you, chocolate button eyes." You tease, laughing as he groans into his pillow.

"I need to learn to think before I divulge all this stuff. I'm never shaking that am I?"

"Never ever."

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