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#AUSTRALIA TEST SIDE
usanewsnigts · 1 year
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Take 10 Minutes to Get Started With CALM, CONFIDENT TODD MURPHY JUSTIFIES QUICK CLIMB INTO AUSTRALIA TEST SIDE
The spinner gets five presentation wickets in India’s most memorable innings in Nagpur, including KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli usanewsnights.com CONFIDENT TODD MURPHY JUSTIFIES QUICK CLIMB INTO AUSTRALIA TEST SIDE or on the other hand a meeting slow bowler, India can be a snare. It is the otherworldly home of twist, the still focal point of the universe of unrests, where you…
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mihotose · 2 years
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Taskmasters around the world
Greg Davies, Taskmaster (UK) Gert Verhulst, Het Grootste Licht (Belgium) Babben Larsson, Bäst i Test (Sweden) Anabel Alonso, Dicho y Hecho (Spain) Reggie Watts, Taskmaster (US) Lasse Rimmer, Stormester (Denmark) Atle Antonsen, Kongen Befaler (Norway) Jaakko Saariluoma, Suurmestari (Finland) Jeremy Wells, Taskmaster (New Zealand) Ivan Šarić, Direktor Svemira (Croatia) Vasco Palmeirim, Taskmaster (Portugal) Louis Morissette, Le Maître du Jeu (Canada)
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elakiyaweekly · 3 months
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garavigujarat02 · 3 months
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softgrungeprophet · 11 months
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genealogy always one of those things i'm curious about but is too much of a pain in the ass to bother with
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harrysfolklore · 4 months
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jacob elordi and yn take a lie detector test | vanity fair
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MASTERLIST | MY PATREON | jacob insta blurb
"YN," the interviewer said, you and Jacob were sitting side by side with expectation shown in your faces, "Jacob."
"Hello," you said in unison, which made you look at each other and laugh.
"We're going to be taking a lie detector test today," the interviewer explained, "One of you will he hooked up to the machine while the other asks questions, and then you'll switch."
"Why are my palms sweating?" you said, making Jacob laugh and kiss the side of your head quickly.
"Who would you like to go first?" the interviewer asked again.
Jacob and you looked at each other for a few seconds before he winked at you and told the interviewer he would go first.
The video showed someone from the crew getting the machine ready and getting Jacob hooked to it.
"Do I look afraid?" Jacob asked, making you relax and laugh.
"You look fine, babe," you looked at the guy who was in charge of the machine, who give you the cue that you could start asking questions, "Okay, is your real name Jacob Elordi?"
"Yes," he answered.
"Were you born in Melborune, Australia?"
"No, I was born in Brisbane."
"Are you ready to take this lie detector test?" you asked, a smile playing on your face.
"I think so," he looked at you with a nervous smile and then looked at the camera.
"Okay, let's get started."
JACOB ELORDI TELLS THE TRUTH
"So, you were born in Australia. Do you like LA better?" you asked, reading the folder in front of you.
"Right now, yeah," Jacob answered, a small screen on the top left showing the lie detector machine working.
"Would you say you've adopted the LA lifestyle since moving here?"
"Yes,"
"Do you like going to yoga classes with me?" you raised your eyebrow, noticing a smile appearing on Jacob's face
"Absolutely." he answered confidently and you directed your raised eyebrow to the man behind the machine.
"He's telling the truth," the man said
"Were you doubting me?" Jacob said, an offended tone in his voice.
"Just confirming," you looked at the folder once again,"Do you consider yourself a heartthrob?"
"Yeah," he answered, but the look on his face said otherwise.
"A lie," the man said.
"I don't consider myself a heartthrob," he began, "but I mean I guess I kinda have to accept it."
"Yep, there you go," you said and a cheeky smile played on your face as you read the following question, "Have you ever felt jealous of any of my co stars?"
The room got quiet after the question, Jacob threw his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, and you couldn't help but laugh.
"Just answer the question!" you said and he shook his head.
"I wouldn't say that I'm a jealous person, specially not of your co stars because I'm an actor myself and I know how it works," he began, "I'm just protective, okay?"
"No reading, that was too close," the man behind the machine spoke, "It was a gray area, we could ask it again or we could just move on."
"Let's move on, he doesn't want to admit that he was jealous of Andrew Garfield on camera," you joked and Jacob couldn't help but laugh along, "Did you feel nervous during our first date?"
"Yes," his eyes widened at the memory, "I was about to piss my pants, actually."
"Truth,"
"Oh I already knew that," you shrugged with a cocky smile, "If I asked you to move to New York with me, would you do it?"
"Yeah, definitely," he smiled, "New York is the shit."
"Alright, babe, let's keep this interesting," you said with a grin. The lie detector machine still monitoring his responses, "Have you ever borrowed my clothes without asking?"
"Of course, guilty as charged," Jacob chuckled, "Your oversized sweaters are just too comfy to resist, love, and don't get me started on your purses,"
"This shouldn't have been a question, everyone knows the purses you use to go out are mine," you rolled your eyes with affection,"Okay last one from me,"
"Bring it,"
"Do you believe in love at first sight?"
You looked at Jacob curiously, and he took a moment before replying.
"Yeah, I do," he answered smoothly, "I mean when I met you, there was this instant connection, and I just knew there was something special about you."
"He's telling the truth," the lie detector confirmed, and you couldn't help but smile.
"Smooth answer, Elordi. Looks like we're on the same page about love at first sight," he smiled back at you, "Lord that was so cheesy, It's my turn! But, did at any point of this interview did you lie and we didn't catch you?"
"I mean, I don't know if you caught me," Jacob rested his chin on his hand.
"Did he lie?" you asked the man, both you and Jacob turning to look at him.
"He's not lying," He confirmed and Jacob gave you a smug smile
"I guess you passed the test."
YN TELLS THE TRUTH
You took your place in the hot seat while Jacob prepared to play the role of the interrogator, nerves kicking in as the crew hooked you up to the machine.
"Okay, YN," Jacob said, a smirk showing on his face, "Let's get started, shall we?"
You nodded and he sent you a wink.
"Is your favorite movie still 'The Notebook'?"
"Absolutely," you answered immediately and the machine confirmed your answer.
"Classic," he muttered, "Have you ever faked a compliment about my cooking?"
"Maybe once or twice, but it's only because I didn't want to hurt your feelings," you bit your lip, and Jacob gave you a surprised expression
"So, I've been living a lie?" he raised his eyebrow at you.
"No, no," you reassured him, "Your cooking skills have definitely improved over time."
"Truth," the man in charge of the lie detector said, and Jacob nodded in approval.
"Fair enough. Now, have you ever pretended to like a movie just because I wanted to watch it?"
"Guilty again," you covered your face in embarrassment,"But in my defense, no one wants to watch the Star Wars movies after a long day of filming."
"My feelings are definitely hurt," Jacob said and dramatically put a hand on his chest, "This test is making you look like a bad girlfriend, actually,"
"Come on now, give me more questions,"
"Alright, let's dig a little deeper," Jacob said with a smirk, "Have you ever considered stealing my phone to read my text messages?"
"Maybe once or twice," you said, "But only out of curiosity, not suspicion."
"Well, you know I'm wrapped around your finger so I would let you go through it anytime," he shrugged, "Do you think my Australian accent is sexier than your American one?"
"Oh, come on! That's not a fair question," you couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Just answer the question, love," Jacob teased.
"Fine, fine," you said, still laughing, "Yes, your Australian accent is undeniably sexy."
"Truth," the machine confirmed, and Jacob playfully raised an eyebrow looking satisfied.
"Do you regret any of the roles you've played?" he asked, and you took a deep breath before answering.
"No, all of the roles I've played have been very meaningful to me," you replied, and the man operating the machine machine looked at you with a raised eyebrow."
"She's lying," he simply said, and you shut your eyes hearing Jacob laugh.
"I guess you have some explaining to do," he chuckled, shooting a playful glare at you, "Come on, spill it."
"Okay, fine," you admitted, "There was this one project early in my career that I took for the paycheck, and looking back, I wish I had chosen something more aligned with my values. It's not a regret per se, but more of a lesson learned."
"Fair enough," Jacob nodded, moving to the next question, "Have you ever stalked fan accounts dedicated to me?"
"Maybe a casual scroll here and there," you admitted, trying to seem cool about it.
"Casual scroll, huh?" Jacob raised an eyebrow and peeked at the lie detector, "The machine doesn't seem convinced, right?" he asked the man.
"It's a lie," he confirmed ad Jacob burst into laughter.
"Caught red-handed, love. What's next? Have you ever used my toothbrush without telling me?" he teased, making you laugh
"No way! That's just gross," you protested
"You hesitated there. Are you sure?" Jacob raised an eyebrow again
The machine signaled the truth, and you sighed in relief.
"I was just grossed out by the thought. I promise I've never done that."
"It's not like we haven't kissed before," he teased and you rolled your eyes but smiled, "Okay last question.
"Hit me with it," you said, ready for whatever it would be.
"Have you ever thought about what our future holds? Like, where we'll be in 10 years?" he asked, his expression turning serious.
You took a moment to contemplate the question.
"Yes," you answered sincerely, "I think about it quite often. I imagine us still together, maybe with a family, still acting and pursuing our passions and of course supporting each other."
"Truth," the lie detector machine confirmed your words, and Jacob's serious expression softened into a warm smile.
"Well, looks like we're on the same page there once again," he said, "Did you lie at any time and we didn't catch you?"
"Nope, I was an open book, babe," you replied, sending a wink his way.
"Did she lie?" Jacob turned to the man behind the machine,
The man hesitated for a moment, building suspense, before finally saying, "She's telling the truth."
"Told you!"
The video ended with both of you laughing at each other, and it became one of Vanity Fair's most watched Lie Detector tests.
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seananmcguire · 4 months
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I know I periodically ask people to look at Alice, but I would like to explain why.
That, above, is Alice when she was just ten days old. It was December 2008, and I had gone to Seattle to prepare to die. I was tired, I was dealing with a massive disruption in my social circle, and I was done. So I went to see friends, and to say my goodbyes before I went home and politely made my exit. I had a fully articulated plan, and no desire to tell people about it, which is not a good place to be.
Then we went to visit Betsy, who had recently ushered a litter of kittens into the world. And she put this little blue tabby potato in my hand and said "That's the girl."
And just like that, I decided to live. "Do you take checks?" I replied, and Alice entered my life.
(That makes it sound much easier than it was. Betsy was intending to keep Alice, who was without flaw by Maine Coon breed standards. Seriously, she was the kind of cat breeders work to produce for their entire careers. I spent two months wearing Betsy down before she agreed to let me have her.)
Alice was my first Maine Coon. Alice was my heart and soul somehow walking around outside of my body. She was without flaw. She was everything I wanted in this world, and she loved me as much as I loved her, and I would happily trade a year of my life for another hour with her in my arms.
In 2017, I went to Australia as a convention guest, and when I came home, Alice wasn't right. She was always food-motivated, and she was refusing to eat. I made a vet appointment immediately, and we started the necessary tests to find out what was wrong. Roughly a month later, while I was at another convention, my vet called me.
"I am so so sorry," she said, and the world ended.
Alice had large-cell feline lymphoma. It wasn't a surgically treatable cancer; we were going to have to go through chemo, and hope. So we did. And we did everything it was possible to do. Thanks to my Patreon, there was never a point where I had to decline treatment due to money, and I know what an incredible gift that was. Bit by bit, she faded, but she was still my Alice, and we were still fighting.
Then, on February 13th, 2018, I woke up and she was stretched out along my side from hip to knee, making the worst sound I have ever heard every time she took a breath. I didn't want to let her go. I could no longer make her stay. We left for the vet immediately, and my oncologist agreed that she was done; she was ready to go, and the last gift she gave me was staying by my side, not running and hiding like most cats would.
I held her. I sang "Beautiful Beast" for her. And she went ahead of me to the clearing at the end of the path, to the place she stopped me from going.
I miss her more than I knew I could miss anything in this world. She was my best friend and my favorite thing, and my mother told people I'd lost a child to explain why I would just wander around, dead-eyed and sobbing. Alice saved me when I didn't think it was possible, and I'm grateful; I have no such plans at this point.
But fuck my poor, broken heart, I just want her to come home. And in the absence of that as an option, I want everyone to look at Alice.
Please look at my poor girl.
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thefitnessdiary · 2 years
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seospicybin · 2 months
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TOO HOT TO HANDLE.
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PART III
Hyunjin x reader. (s)
Too Hot To Handle Masterlist
Synopsis: You and Hyunjin become contestants in a reality dating show, Too Hot To Handle. (14k words)
Author's note: Feel free to vent in my inbox once you finished reading it :)
LANA: In order to test how committed my guests are to the process, I call for help from my former retreat guests: Felix, Chris, and Avery. Their mission is to entice them to find out if they're capable of following the rules outside the retreat.
-
Everyone is going around exchanging hugs and cheek kisses while telling each other's names.
You only remember it now, the name of the girl, it's Avery and she looks like a Malibu Barbie with an Australian accent.
When it's your turn to hug Chris, you have to actively tell your brain to stay calm and not think about how you have a secret crush on him.
"Chris," he introduces himself, opening his arm for a friendly hug.
It's a good thing that he's not shirtless or else, you'd be drooling by now but those big biceps are quite distracting.
"Hi, Chris," you manage to sound coy saying it.
You catch a whiff of his perfume as you exchange a hug and Gosh, he smells amazing. You're staggering as you walk backward to be with everyone else.
"The three of you are Australians," Edie innocently says.
"We' are Australia's sexiest export since... ever," Felix jokingly says then breaks into laughter.
Even his laugh is so attractive, It's sonorous and infectious, inviting you to laugh along with him.
"We came back because we learned so much on the previous seasons that we came to pass the lesson on to you," Avery says, then she glances at the guys standing on each side of her, "Right, guys?"
Felix puts his hand against his waist and puts all of his weight to one side like he's striking a pose in a photo shoot.
"Well, yeah," he says with his nose scrunched, "but also we came here to show you guys how to have fun!"
Chris pops open the bottle of champagne on cue, sending the content spurting out of it and he hurriedly takes a chug to stop it from spilling.
It's unfair how Chris can easily make you feel the slightest bit hot and bothered, just standing there with that wine dripping down his chin. You lick your lips while imagining licking the wine on his veiny neck.
Realizing that you're in the presence of other people, you hurriedly snap yourself out of it.
"Wait, wait, it's not fair that there's three of us and five of them," Avery says while adorably crossing her arms in front of her.
Felix puts his arm around her and brightly smiles, "Don't worry, we'll make it even," he says.
Your head starts looking around the boat, anticipating something and perhaps, anyone's arrival based on what Felix said.
"Give a warm welcome to the two new arrivals!" Avery cheerily announces.
With Lana, it can't be just a boat party, you can tell that she threw this party for certain purposes other than to introduce the new arrivals.
It's wise that you keep cautious with whatever you're doing at this party. You don't want to mess with either Lana or the money, and you surely don't want to mess it up with Hyunjin.
The new arrivals are looking hot and heavy, ready to fuck everybody. The girl is a gorgeous blonde with big, blue eyes named Emile and the guy is a Brazilian man with a chest tattoo, Gustav.
With Chris tirelessly filling the glass and Felix distributing it to everyone, they make sure everyone holds a drink in their hands and is ready for a toast.
"Cheers!" Everyone says in unison, raising their champagne flutes in the air before taking a sip of it.
Things get crazy whenever alcohol is involved so to be safe, you moderately drink your wine and sip as little as possible.
"Okay now we each choose someone to do a body shot with," Felix suggests an icebreaker to fully kickstart the party.
Avery is the one who enthusiastically welcomed that idea and she starts looking for someone to do it with. The boys must be buzzing and whoever gets chosen, he's lucky as hell.
"You," Avery says, pointing in your direction.
You look to the side at Edouard and elbow his side to make him aware of this one-of-a-kind offer.
"No. You," Avery says, talking to you.
Aghast, you unconsciously point at yourself and ask her back to confirm, "Me?"
Avery laughs at the way you reacted, "Come here, my darling," she puts away her drink, then holds her hand out at you.
Half disoriented, you reach for her hand and she makes you sit on the wooden floor with colorful cushions strewn around for people to lay about.
"Now, lay down," she instructs you.
Somehow, you find yourself obeying her words and putting yourself in a compromising position. You rest your head on your pillow and try to stay calm even though everyone is looking at you.
Avery grabs a glass of shot in her hand and she puts all of her hair away on one shoulder, she smiles as she lifts the shot before dripping it onto your chest.
"Oh, my gosh!" You shakily gasp the second the liquid makes contact with your skin, making you shiver from the cold.
But that's the least of the things you should be surprised by. Avery then leans down while keeping her hair down on her shoulder and drinks the puddle of alcohol gathered on the valley of your breasts.
Avery lands a long lick down your front, her tongue feels slick and hot on your skin, making you grip the cushion and try so hard not to squeal.
She seems to enjoy doing it and everyone else can only watch it with envy in their eyes. The laugh she lets out as she lifts her head confirms it.
"Now that's how you start a party!" Edouard says.
Without having to look, you know you're flustered and your hands fly to cover your face, embarrassed. Also, you must admit it gets you a little aroused as well and the party has only started.
-
YOU: In the middle of the sea, on a boat with these sexy, horny people and plenty of booze... [exhales] That's the recipe for chaos.
-
Hyunjin's head is all over the place. He can't stay still and when he finally does, all sorts of thoughts go through his head and they're all not helping him relax.
And he can't help but wonder is this how you felt when he was going on that date with Saskia?
He'll take it as his karma then but he's not the only one feeling restless, the others who are in couples are going through the same things but have different ways of handling it.
Andy, however, is not taking it well. He's going through five stages of grief around the villa.
"When I went on that date with Edie she made it clear that she only wanted to be friends and that she wanted to connect with someone else," Andy croons while tugging his blond hair.
Hyunjin nods to let him know that he's listening to his rant but has nothing to respond to that.
"I think it'll be good for her to connect with someone else," he says with a nonchalant shrug.
That would be nice of him to think so because Hyunjin could never think that way, he wants you to be happy but God, he'd hate to lose you to someone else.
Andy plops onto the lounger next to him and roughly runs his hands through his hair.
"I've already detached myself from her and I feel bad for still wanting to be with her," he grumbles.
"We've all been there," Hyunjin says, trying to sympathize with him.
Hyunjin almost forgot about that part where Andy broke up with Edie. Even though they're no longer a couple now, you can just detach yourself from people but the feelings, they're pretty much still intact.
It's even harder in the villa because the person is there and you have to deal with it face to face.
God, Hyunjin hopes he doesn't need to go through that much pain.
-
HYUNJIN: [Breathing deeply]
-
The boat party is in full swing.
Felix is making sure everyone's glass is filled, Avery is floating around with her wide, bright smile and Chris is playing some party music on his small DJ set-up.
So far so good, no one has broken the rules yet but 'yet' is the keyword here, you get the feeling that it's only about time until someone caves in, and when that happens, it will trigger a chain reaction.
You decide to sit this one out and watch the party from the side, avoiding any potential risk that would lead you to break the rules.
You're quietly sipping your wine while sitting against the big cushion and enjoying the nice, warm sea breeze when the temptation comes over to you carrying a bottle of champagne.
It's hard not to smile whenever he's around and he's smiling at you.
"Do you mind if I join you?" Chris asks.
"Not at all," you reply, scooting a little to the side to make space for him.
"Let me refill it for you," he says, offering to fill your glass with more wine.
In return, you take the bottle from him and fill his glass for him, having a toast to finally have a sip together. He's sitting so close to you, that you can feel your arms brushing together from the slightest of movement.
He looks out at the view of the sun that is slowly sinking into the horizon and delightfully sighs. Then he turns his head at you and asks you something that you're not ready to answer.
"Would you kiss anyone here?"
Well, there is someone you would like to kiss but he's off-limits.
"Oh, I would love to but uh..." you break into a laugh as your eyes meet his.
Chris licks his lips after sipping his wine, "Are you worried about the rules?"
Not the main reason why but yeah, that's one of the reasons. You chuckle and answer, "I've spent a lot of money already."
He cracks a laugh and his dimples appear on his cheeks, "Been there, done that."
As someone who went through this before, you're sure he knows how it felt because there's no other reason why he laughed.
"So, tell me about this guy you've spent a lot of money with," he asks.
You contemplate for a moment how much can you tell but since he's someone from outside of this retreat and went through the same thing, maybe he can give you some insights.
"Well, he kind of messed up a while ago actually," you share with him.
"Ouch!" He exclaims.
"But I found myself still liking him despite all of that," you continue, sipping your wine in between sentences, "It's actually scared me because I think I've lost my head a little."
It's been gnawing inside you, how you doubt Hyunjin will be the right one for you as you get haunted by this fear that he'll make the same mistake again.
Chris holds his drink in the other hand and slightly turns his body to face you, "Maybe losing your head means you're maybe in your heart," he warmly tells you.
You smile hearing his words and you really wish they're true, you're having this doubt because you want this to be something genuine.
"That's what I hope," he adds with a smile.
"Thank you, Chris," you sincerely tell him, clinking your glass with him for another toast.
When you said it's only about time, well, the time is here. As you look around for another bottle of wine, you see Edie and the new guy going at each other's faces like animals in heat.
But that's the least of your worries. When you turn your head the other way, you see Edouard doing body shots on Saskia.
It's not only about the money now, but also loyalty and friendships. You drain your wine glass empty and gasp, "We're fucked!"
-
YOU: They forgot everything! They forgot about the purpose, forgot about Lana, forgot about everyone.
-
Hyunjin can hardly think of anything when you haven't returned on dinnertime. He barely eats his food, he tries shoving a few spoonfuls but has a hard time swallowing them down.
"I'm not hungry," he says, pushing the plate away from him.
"Your plate is still full," Frida says, her voice tinted with concern.
He reclines in his seat and sighs, "I'm too tense."
"I know how you feel," Vic says as she's also waiting for Edouard to return.
Andy pats his shoulder and with a mouth full of food says, "At least you're not worrying someone who doesn't want to be with you."
Well, that's a way to look at the brighter side of things.
The longer you're away from him, the more he worries and his worries affect other people in the vicinity as well. However, there's one person in particular who is having fun in this situation.
"If Edouard kissed someone, would you be pissed?" Diego asks Vic who's sitting cross-legged on the single sofa on the terrace.
"Depends on who he did it with," she answers while picking at her nails.
"If he kissed Saskia, would you be pissed?"
"Very," she answers without a beat.
That gets Hyunjin more alerted, because what if you kissed someone? You know, like out of curiosity? Speaking of experience, he almost did it once with Saskia.
"Do you think they might do something?" Hyunjin nervously asks.
"What do you think?" Diego tosses the question at Vic.
"If I know him like I think I do, I think he won't kiss anyone," she diplomatically answers.
Hyunjin doesn't know how she's doing it but he must admire Vic's patience and calmness in handling this.
"They won't do anything," Andy says, perhaps still stuck in the denial phase.
"If I were with someone here and I went there, and people started kissing each other, I'd probably do it," Diego is here to fuel more gas into the fire.
Frida grabs him by the knee and makes him listen to her, "It is something that I won't do to you because not only it would affect us, but also my friendship with her."
That seems to work on putting some sense into Diego and makes him stop talking altogether.
Hyunjin always thinks highly of you, he knows you wouldn't throw away what the two of you have built together, and that gets him a little hopeful.
"I bet my ass they're doing stuff," Vic remarks out of the blue.
Hyunjin doesn't expect this change of mood, she seems to have reached her limit and can't keep her composure anymore.
Andy sighs and leans back on the sofa, playing with the cushion on his lap, twirling it in the air a couple of times.
"There's a lot at stake today. Relationships, friendships, the house, the money..." he pauses to turn his head to the side to look at Vic, "...Vic's ass."
Everyone laughs at that and it helps to lighten up the mood, the only one who doesn't take it well is Vic.
"Fuck you!" She curses while laughing, hurling a cushion at Andy.
-
HYUNJIN: I hope for the best. But I also expect for the worst [blows air]
-
"Okay, honestly, but there is one person I'd like to kiss here," you suddenly share.
That gets Chris' eyebrow raised in curiosity, "Yeah. Who is it?"
You look him right in the eyes and answer, "I'm looking right at him."
He closes his eyes and grins, from the way his ear reddening you can tell he gets shy from what you said which is why you said that in the first place. That, and because of alcohol.
"But I know you're engaged and all," you quickly add.
He grins wider, and he looks so cute and shy like that, if he weren't off-limits, your head would definitely take a hard turn.
"I may be bad but I'm not that bad," you further explain, giggling along with him.
"So, not because of the guy you broke rules with?"
That catches you off guard and you laugh in embarrassment, "Well, yeah, that too."
"In that order?" He asks again, bumping his shoulder against you.
"Exactly in that order. You then him," you jokingly say.
This time, his cheeks get all red and his dimples sunken deeper into his cheeks as he keeps grinning.
"Guys, let's swim!" Felix shouts at both of you.
To be honest, you feel comfortable sharing the space with Chris and want to stay in it a bit longer. You shake your head and kindly refuse his offer.
"No, I'm good," you tell him.
The screams and squeals of the girls jumping into the water startle you, more so, because they ditch their bikinis.
"Oh, come on!" Felix grumbles, coming over to you and taking you by the hand.
"You're coming too," he shouts at Chris.
He's forcing you to get up and join him, taking you by the end of the edge of the deck. Since everyone is going in anyway, you have no option but to follow suit but decide to keep your bikini on.
"Wait, wait, I have to take this..." you tell him, untying the outerwear you're wearing.
"I'll help you," Chris says, helping you to take it off of you.
You're shivering as his hands brush the skin on your back but it's nothing compared to when he's taking his top off. You don't think this moment will come but here you are, looking at his body in its glory with the golden rays of the sun hitting him just right.
Impatient, Felix gets ahead and jumps into the sea while shouting some gibberish words out loud.
"Do it together, yeah?" He offers.
"Yeah, okay," you nervous answers.
He holds his hand out at you and you take it without hesitating, he counts from three, and on one, you both jump into the water together.
Everyone is having fun, you see Pablo is going at it with the new girl and Edie is simply having the time of her life. She squeal when she finally acknowledges your presence, waddling her way to you and clinging to you.
"Did you see me kissing him?" she whines,
"You mean sucking his soul out?" You joke.
"I didn't know how many times I kissed him," she whines again, putting her hands around you.
"Don't worry. Lana will know," you tell her.
For this once, you don't want to think of the money. You let yourself enjoy it, this moment and the company you're with, and also the beautiful view of the sunset.
-
YOU: I must admit, I had a lot of fun. I really needed that party.
-
Everyone is already waiting in the cabana for your return from the boat party.
You don't know why you're nervous, maybe it's coming from knowing everything that happened at the boat party and you came back with your hair and bikini damp from swimming.
Since there's no space left, you take the remaining spot that is on the far end of the sofa, sitting far away from Hyunjin.
Lana chimes in not long after everyone has settled down.
"Welcome back," She greets everyone who just came back from the boat party, "And welcome to the two new arrivals."
No one seems to realize the new additions to the retreat until Lana mentions them.
"Thank you, Lana," Emilie says with a smile.
"To test your growth, I prepared a party on a boat with the illustrious presence of some of my former retreat guests: Felix, Avery, and Chris," Lana informs.
Frida reacts with a loud gasp, "Really?"
"Yeah. It was so nice to meet them," Edie answers.
"You had no idea. It was awesome," Saskia adds, making her more envious.
"Damn!" Andy quietly curses next to Hyunjin.
Which makes you glance at Hyunjin and he seems a little tense, his jaws are all clenched yet it makes him more attractive.
"As soon as you left for the party, your friends had to choose whether or not to bet on your loyalty to the principles of the retreat."
A scoff slips out of you because your guess is right, you're not new to Lana's hidden agenda, the boat party was a test and you may not broken any rules but you failed nonetheless.
"We can double the prize money you know," Diego says, "All you had to do was to not break any rules."
"Oh, no..." Saskia cringes.
"What did you bet?" You ask, feeling a little anxious if they choose to bet all of the money.
"We bet to put our trust in you," Andy answers.
And that's where you failed, you could have prevented anyone from breaking the rules but you let them happen.
-
YOU: I never thought that they would bet double, that we weren't going to do anything.
-
Hyunjin is nervous, anxious even but when he finally sees you coming, he feels so relieved. Now that you're back, a new question pops in his head: did you break any rules?
His faith wavers a little as he notices that your bikini is damp and so is your hair, and you sit on the far end of the sofa. He doesn't even dare to ask and waits for someone else to do it for him.
"It's a good time to tell us if you broke any rules," Andy says, taking the role to ask the big question.
Edie's hand raised in the air and the sheer smile on Andy's face falters, "I broke the rules. I kissed Gustav," she admits right away.
"We kissed, yes," the new guy, Gustav, confirms with a sly grin.
"I thought the rules didn't apply outside the retreat," Edie innocently says in an effort to defend her rule break.
"Felix and Chris, and uh... Avery, they were encouraging us to break rules, saying that Lana wasn't there," Saskia delivers a weak argument.
Hyunjin is getting more tense with every detail of the boat party getting exposed in this heated argument.
"We held back at first," Edie calmly remarks.
"But you did give in," Remy says, easily diminishing her remark.
"I regret to inform you that many rule breaks were detected," Lana spoils another detail.
"I thought it was only the two of you," Marie says, pointing at Edie and Gustav, "Was there someone else?"
Hyunjin looks around and deeply hopes that he doesn't see your hand raised in the air, he sees Pablo's hand instead.
"Emilie and I kissed," he admits a little too late.
"They threw away kisses," Andy sighs while pinching the bridge of his nose in distress.
Pablo tries to throw the blame back at Edie, "She kissed a lot."
"Everyone did body shots," Edie reveals another detail and her hand flies in your direction.
"I only did one body shot," you defend yourself, "And I don't think that counts."
Hyunjin is fine with body shots, he has done it a couple of times during parties but his concern is who you did it with.
"We also went skinny dipping," Edouard reveals another thing.
And now skinny dipping? He's so wrong to think that you won't do anything, he slumps in his seat, disappointed.
Frida groans out loud, also slumping in her seat.
"Lana, give us the bill!" Diego says, no longer enjoying this.
"Fuck! It's going to be bad, it's double," Andy says in distress.
It takes Lana a moment to calculate the rule breaks and finally comes up with the final result, "All of these rule breaks have cost the group $72,000."
A minute passes in eerie silence as everyone tries to process how much money have lost at that boat party. There were only five people invited and yet they were capable of spending that much money.
"It must have been awesome being there," Marie sneers with a scowl.
"Of course it was," Pablo unapologetically says, being insensitive to his surroundings.
"The prize fund now stands at $60,000," Lana updates the current prize fund.
There's not much money left and with the new guest, he can't guarantee that it'll stay on that amount for long.
"You have the opportunity to develop and learn to connect. Don't take the process for granted," Lana concludes the session with a warning.
-
HYUNJIN: We are paying the price for something that wasn't our fault. All I can do is laugh.
-
It's close to bedtime and you head straight to the dressing room to take a quick shower and put on a pair of comfortable clothes of camisole and white shorts.
You're not purposely avoiding Hyunjin because at some point you'll have to talk to him, you merely give yourself and him some time to process what happened at the cabana earlier.
As you're doing your skincare routine, you see him entering the dressing room with an apparent scowl on his face and you take this as a cue to talk to him.
As he walks past your chair, you grab him by the hand and look up at him, "Hey, let's talk."
He rather seems reluctant to your invite but you don't want to wait anymore, it's a great time to have a talk since the two of you are alone in the dressing room.
You pat the chair next to you where Edie usually sits, "Come, sit here!"
He obeys you without saying anything, sitting facing you and letting you hold his hand on his lap. You have told everything about the boat party but you know you have to assure him that there's nothing else happened other than that.
"What happened at the boat party, I've already said everything that I did. I only did a body shot and nothing else," you tell him, keeping your tone soft and calm.
He gets quiet for a moment and it's his turn to speak so you wait for him to say anything, rubbing the back of his hand with your thumb.
He slightly slumps on the chair, sending his long legs spreading open in front of you and you know it's not the time for it but you feel tempted to tease him.
"We were all talking about all of you and the things you probably do there," he says.
You let go of his hand and rest your hand on his thigh all the while your eyes are looking at him, "Yeah?"
"I said if it were me, I wouldn't do that because one, out of respect for you and what we have."
Based on experience, you doubt that his act would match his words but you give him the chance to finish his talk.
"Two, for the group," he continues.
He makes it sound like you are this selfish person who does things as she pleases and you don't care about him at all when in fact, you did nothing on that boat party except for that one bodyshot with Avery.
"It wasn't intentional, someone chose to do it with me," you tell him the reason why you did it, not because you wanted to.
"I'm just—" he abruptly stops talking as if he has a change of mind in the middle of a sentence.
"I know what I feel for you and it's just that I can't act like that I'm okay with what you did," he explains.
You retract your hand off of him and grip the edge of your chair, "I told you, I only did one body shot and nothing else."
"You wouldn't like it if I did it," he hastily replies, almost losing himself there as he gives you an intense glare.
You hate to sleep without resolving it but it's obvious that he's angry so it's best to give him time to cool down and you can talk it all out with clear heads the next day.
-
YOU: He almost kissed another girl on a date and what makes him think that he won't do anything at that boat party? [Scoffs]
-
It's when you wake up that you realize that some people were switching beds last night.
Vic is sleeping with Marie while Edouard sleeps with Andy so you guess she already knew about what happened between Edouard and Saskia. At least, she knew it from Edouard himself and not from someone else.
As for you, you're not going into the talk yet. You still cuddle him and give him a morning kiss, you treat him like usual to let him know that nothing changed between you and him. This is just another thing you need to overcome together and deep down, you know you will.
The morning continues with a mumbling mess that is Vic at the breakfast table.
"I'm only going to try again if he can actually win me over," she says, stirring the scrambled egg on her plate with a fork.
You don't have the energy to deal with drama first thing in the morning so you decide not to meddle and risk saying things that upset her more.
"Then let him win you over," Marie from two chairs over tells her.
"I don't think he understands that he really needs to do the work to win me back," Vic grumbles again, dropping her fork onto her plate.
"So tell him," Marie coyly responds.
Vic sighs and runs her hands through his dark long hair, "But I know I'm never going to work things out with Saskia."
You know it's better not to stay away from it but you can't help it when your friends are going against each other, especially over a boy.
You put down your cutlery and look at Vic, "Vic, I think that you're a grown woman, and whether you want to or not, you should work things out with her."
She subtly rolls her eyes in response, not taking your words when it's possible to do so if one of them is open to reconciliation.
"You could figure this out together," you assure her.
"I am not going to talk to this girl. If she wants to talk to me which she won't then I'll talk to her. But she won't," Vic says with her nostrils flaring in anger.
It's obvious that Vic is not open to reconciliation, moreover, it's tricky considering that she has stubbornness in her. Then there's nothing left to do but tell her which side you're taking and it's neither.
"I just want you to understand that I love you and I also like talking to her. I don't want you to think that I'm two-faced," you carefully explain not avoid getting your words twisted.
"I just want everything to be fine because I like you both a lot," you add.
In the afternoon, Lana called everyone to the cabana as usual and she prepared something for everyone there. There's a TV with the word 'Cinelana' on the screen.
"Cinelana?" Edie says in genuine confusion.
Marie puts all of her hair to the side before taking a seat, "Will it be...?" She wildly guessed with a raised eyebrow.
Not long after everyone has taken their seats, the melodic chime comes and the cone lights up to signify Lana's arrival.
"Hello, everyone."
"Hi, Lana!" Everyone replies in unison.
"How are you?" Lana asks.
"Poor," Frida shortly replies.
"Broke and scared," Saskia answers.
To be honest, you feel more scared than broke. Maybe it's coming from knowing that you didn't contribute to that money deduction.
"From what I can see from your behavior, some forms of physical contact can be more sexual than those prohibited at the retreat," Lana says.
You have a feeling that she's about to expose everyone with this Cinelana and that's what you're scared of.
"But it's better to show than tell."
-
YOU: I have no problem showing everything that happened. Showing the thing I did is fine by me. But when it comes to the others, I don't know.
-
"I want you to see yourselves through my eyes."
The ones who went to the boat party seem to be nervous and everyone pretty much knows what Lana is about to show. Hyunjin can only hope that he doesn't see what he doesn't want to see.
"What is she going to show?" Diego curiously asks.
"Is there popcorn?" Marie casually asks.
"May the first session of Cinelana begin," Lana announces.
Cinelana starts with them having a big toast and from there, things escalate quickly, everyone reacts with a lot of gasps and squeals, cheering when they catch someone doing the rule break.
Hyunjin's heart skips a beat when you come on the screen, a girl pours a drink onto your chest and proceeds to drink it straight from it. He sees that you cover your face with your hands, looking flustered.
He feels a little jealous but not the kind that makes him angry, It's the kind that makes him envy. It's even crazier that he doesn't which one he should be more jealous of, the girl who did the body shot on you or you.
"Calm down. This is just the beginning," you tell everyone.
It suddenly turns quiet when the footage of Saskia and Edouard doing body shots on each other. Hyunjin can't help but look to the side, at Vic who looks uncomfortable and displeased with what she's seeing.
Thankfully, the attention is shifted to Edie who's devouring the new guy with ferocious kisses that get everyone hysterically screaming.
"Wow. Edie!" Diego clicks his tongue at her.
The movie ends with them going into the sea naked and Hyunjin is relieved to see that you told the truth to him, in fact, he should be proud that you stick to the principles even though everyone around you doing the opposite.
"And that's why we're poor," Marie comments as the screen turns dark.
Lana chimes once more, "What do you think about the movie?"
"I liked it, Lana," Pablo jokingly says.
"Do you think this behavior is fair to the group? Would anyone act differently?" Lana asks.
That seems to make everyone turn quiet again, offending the ones who went to the boat party. He turns to the side and sees that you open your mouth to speak.
"For me personally, when I got on that boat, that's when it stopped making sense to me. I realize that I would much rather be here than be there," you say.
You turn your head at him and smile, an unexpected gesture that makes him feel touched. All of a sudden, he doesn't know why he's mad in the first place, you've told him the truth and that should be enough for him.
"I think I'd have acted differently if I knew how much it would affect some people here," Edouard adds with a defeated look on his face.
"Now is the time to think about how are you going to move forward. I really hope you try harder," Lana says.
In other words, Lana demands everyone to do better from this moment on. Hyunjin figures that he should do better too in building this connection with you, he doubted you when he should have trusted you just like you trust him.
"That's all for today," Lana concludes the session.
Now is the time to pick up the conversation from last night. He takes you to the firepit to get some privacy so the two of you can talk comfortably.
"So, what do you think?" You ask, folding your legs on the sofa facing him.
Hyunjin cracks a smile and answers, "I can't even be mad at that. That was so hot."
You burst out laughing and playfully hit his chest, he catches your hand to stop you, pulling you onto his lap. He looks up at you and brushes your hair to the side, "I think I was made because you were gone the whole day," he honestly admits.
A smile rises on your face, "You missed me?"
"So much," he shamelessly answers.
"You're so into me, mmh?" You ask, putting your forehead against his.
"I'm so into you," he shortly replies, ignoring how stupid he sounded.
"Me too," you tell him with your hand cupping his jaw, "I'm so into you."
It's one of those moments that Hyunjin wishes he could freely kiss you just to prove his words to you with actions and it stresses him that he can't do that.
As if you read his mind, you land a soft kiss on his nose to compensate for not being able to kiss his lips and smile when you pull away. It doesn't quite satisfy his needs but it's enough to make his heart pitter-pattering inside his chest.
"We're even now," he jokingly says.
You hit his chest again a little harder this time, "Excuse me? This was different!" You strongly disagree.
He laughs and pulls you closer, what he did that time with Saskia is far worse than someone doing a body shot on you. He nods and immediately agrees with you.
"Okay, okay, but you owe me a body shot," he says, trying to get something out of it.
"That's fair," you agree to it.
-
HYUNJIN: My honest reaction? I liked the movie. It's better than I thought [chuckles]
-
The drama between Vic, Edouard, and Saskia continues onto the next day.
It gets even messier when the girls are doing makeup in the dressing room, it was a nice and quiet afternoon until Vic starts a fight, unprovoked.
"Do you think Edouard was hitting on her?" She asks you, fully aware that Saskia is there on the opposite side of the vanity table, curling her hair in peace.
Hearing that she is being indirectly addressed, Saskia puts down her curling iron and looks at Vic.
"No, he wasn't hitting on me, Vic. It's not like that," she tells him.
Vic acts nonchalantly, she continues putting foundation on her face as she talks, "Then what was it like?"
"He wasn't hitting on me and I wasn't hitting on him either," Saskia remarks.
"If you were hitting on him, then I have a problem with that," Vic argues more instead of dropping the conversation there.
"You think I hit on him? For God's sake, Victoria, don't be silly!" Saskia says with a sarcastic scoff.
The fact that Saskia addresses Vic by her full name only means that she has struck her nerves.
"No, I mean it," Vic keeps arguing.
You hate to get caught in the middle of the conflict so does everyone else on the vanity table but to meddle in is not the best option either.
'Yeah, keep believing that men are so honest. Men always talk their way out of things and the woman is the slut, the woman is the whore," Saskia says, still managing to curl her hair despite being in the middle of an argument.
Vic roughly puts down her makeup brush onto the table with a clang, "But if you led him on—"
Saskia cuts her off to defend herself, "Everyone was drinking, and when you drink—"
And Vic cuts her off midsentence in return, "You led him to believe you wanted him."
Saskia scoffs again and stops doing things altogether, "Oh, so you mean I can't drink? I can't get excited. I can't have fun at a party?"
You grab Vic's hand to stop her from keeping going and escalate things further, filling the room with palpable animosity. You don't want to be seen as taking anyone's side but no one is trying to stop them from coming at each other and turning it into a whole fight.
Looking around for help, you have no one to turn to but the cone perched on the shelf in the dressing room. Before you can ask for help, she chimes in.
Things are getting out of hand that Lana has to intervene, she gathers the three in the bedroom to talk and hopefully, they get to work it out together.
Since there's a party tonight, you continue doing your makeup with the rest of the girls while hoping for the best outcome for the three of them.
You still feel a little tense from being caught in the middle of conflict and Hyunjin seems to notice it. He comes from behind you, putting all of your hair away to the side so he can kiss your neck.
With his hand wrapped around your neck to keep you still, he gently sucking on the skin. You're squealing as he keeps placing ticklish kisses along your shoulder blade.
"Oh, I'm jealous," says the new girl, Emilie.
Somehow, it feels good to know that your relationship is making someone jealous. Hyunjin places another kiss on your cheek before leaving for the bathroom.
"Let's be a throuple," Emilie says as she sits on Saskia's chair.
"A sincere relationship with three people," she explains as if you don't know what it means.
You almost broke up with him when you knew he almost kissed another girl and what makes her think that you'll be okay sharing Hyunjin with her? You give her a pass because she's new so you awkwardly chuckle in response.
-
YOU: Back off, girl. I'm not into this throuple business.
-
It's a real party when everyone is getting along well and having fun.
The talk seems to be a success with Vic looking so much better, she's back to her chipper mood and she's dancing with Edouard. On the other hand, you sense that things between her and Saskia are not doing that well but at least, they're staying civil to each other now.
Putting drama aside, you and Hyunjin are doing better than ever. You trust each other more now and your connection is getting stronger, the next plan is to show true growth in your relationship to earn a green light.
Hyunjin hoists you against his body until your feet are off the ground, you hurriedly cling to him by putting your arms around his shoulders and your legs around his waist.
"Is this how we're going to do it?" You jokingly ask with a sly grin on your face and your hand massages the nape of his neck.
"In front of everybody? Yeah, that's the idea," he playfully responds.
The fun time has to end with Lana being a party pooper as usual. Everyone knows what to do when the chime comes, heading to the cabana like animals about to get slaughtered. Considering that she crashed the party, she'd better have some good news for the group.
"Hi, Lana. Do you have another movie?" Diego jokingly asks.
"Do you want her to show yours?" Edie pokes fun at him.
Lana skips the casual greeting and goes straight into the talk, you hate whenever that happens because it means she's not pleased with something. But everyone has been behaving well, especially after that huge blow to the prize money at the boat party.
"I see how you talk a lot about finding a connection but I also see that some of you do little about it," Lana says.
There's still hope that this going to turn out well and you cling to that hope.
"Connecting is not necessarily trying to be a couple, but opening up to the process and being aware that mistakes are part of any learning process."
Everyone stays quiet, no one is saying anything but intently listening to what Lana says to know where this talk leads.
"Getting it wrong is one thing. Giving up on the process is another. And that can no longer continue to happen here on my retreat."
"Y-yeah?" Edie stammers, sensing that Lana is onto something, something unpleasant.
"I detected some of you have a lack of interest in new connections. Therefore I need to continue my work here without the presence of some people."
It's only a minute ago you thought about how you need to show growth in your relationship and now you're worried that you haven't done enough. Your hand immediately grabs Hyunjin's as you close your eyes, anxious.
"Two of you must leave the retreat tonight," Lana announces.
-
YOU: And we thought we'd get good news [exhales]
-
The tension in the room heightens as Lana is about to announce the two people being sent home tonight.
Hyunjin is nervous and so is everyone because, at this point, it could be anyone. Lana sees everything and he admits that he hasn't shown enough progress which puts him at risk of leaving the retreat.
"One of you has spoken many times about being a closed-off person, and couldn't see how the retreat would change that," Lana explains the reason why she chose this person.
Hyunjin can think of someone who fits that description, he turns his head to the side where Marie is sitting and she kind of guesses who it is as well.
"The second person I'm eliminating tried opening up to the process at first but it seems that they lost focus on the purpose of the retreat," Lana gives another explanation on the reason why she sent home the second person.
For this one, Hyunjin can't tell who it is but he prays inside that it's not him. He hopes that Lana gives him so more time to continue building this connection with you.
"Therefore, their stay at this retreat has come to an end."
He slowly inhales air and quietly lets it out while continuously wishing that Lana would not call his name.
"Exiting the retreat tonight are..."
He sees no one is feeling safe either because no one wants to go home yet.
"...Pablo and Marie."
He feels relieved that it's not him but it doesn't make him feel good either knowing that someone else has to go. He gets up from his seat to give Pablo and Marie a farewell hug for he found friendship in them.
"Pablo and Marie, it's time for you to leave the retreat," Lana orders.
Everyone standing up to send them off with a wave goodbye and sending well wishes their way.
Tonight started fun and it turned into the opposite in a flip of a switch, but that's life, we never know what's going to happen next.
What Hyunjin knows is that he's grateful that he's still here. He rests his head on your neck as the two of you lie on the bed still dressed in your party costumes, he puts his arm across your chest and pulls you close.
"I'm happy we still have each other," he softly whispers to you.
You endearingly brush his head and place a sweet peck on his forehead, "Me too, baby."
Lana has given him more time in the retreat when it could have been him going home tonight and for that, he feels grateful because he's not ready to go, he can't even imagine himself leaving you.
-
HYUNJIN: It's been hard, but at the same time, I... understand the situation.
-
This morning is the same as like other morning in the retreat.
The lights are on as a wake-up call for everyone at the same time every day. You wake up and see Hyunjin the moment you open your eyes, you give him a morning kiss on the cheek.
You run your hand through his hair and softly greet him, "Morning, baby."
He smiles in response and mumbles, "Morning."
He takes your hand, puts it around him, and leans in to make a trail of kisses on your inner arm, continuing it to your shoulder and neck.
"Morning, fam!" Edie cheerfully greets everyone in the room who is still stuck in their beds.
"It's crazy that sometimes I can see this mole of yours and sometimes I don't," you say in bewilderment as your index finger poked the faint mole under his left eye.
He closes his eyes and blissfully smiles at you, "Want to hear something crazier?"
"Yeah. What?"
"You're getting sexier and sexier every day," he answers while squeezing the flesh on your waist.
"Ouch!" You yelp in pain but that only encourages him to tighten his hold around you.
It's a peaceful morning until someone recognizes what is missing in this room.
"Wait, where's Lana?" Frida asks.
You scramble to turn on the bed to see the cone is missing from its usual place, she usually sits prettily on the small round table in the corner of the room but she's not there.
"Shit! Lana's gone," Edie says, her mouth stays open.
You exchange a glance with Hyunjin but he's also befuddled with Lana's sudden disappearance, well, a staff probably took the cone away while we were asleep but there must be a reason they're doing it.
"We're always in a throuple with her so it's weird Lana is not here when we wake up," Saskia says while cuddling with Remy on their bed.
"She's out on a date with Siri," Andy jokingly says with a satisfied laugh.
"Maybe Lana prepared breakfast for us," Diego wildly guesses, "she's in the kitchen being Lana Ramsey."
Everyone laughs at that one but it starts to get serious when everyone is getting their breakfast and Lana is not there, Andy goes to check the cabana just in case someone misplaced her.
"She's not there either," Andy returns with an answer.
"Do we have to find her?" Gustav confoundedly asks, not knowing what to do since he's still new in this retreat.
"Just don't make us dig sand to find her, please?" Edie grumbles, getting flashbacks from that first day we arrived at the villa.
"Do you think Lana's disappearance is good or bad for us?" Edouard asks, curious about what everyone thinks of it.
"Maybe she needs some time alone, guys," Saskia coyly says with a glass of orange juice in her hand.
Everyone comes up with various theories about Lana's disappearance and they react differently to it, some are nervous, a few are excited and the rest are a mix of both.
"Oh no, she's not here either," Emilie whines as she looks around searching for the cone in the dressing room.
"Maybe she's tired of us?" Frida coyly says, plopping onto her usual seat at the vanity table.
Vic hands you a bottle of sunspray and turns her back to you, "As long as she doesn't take the money with her, I'm cool," she says.
You turn on your chair to help her spray her backside evenly and make sure you don't miss a spot, you've been doing a very good job at it considering that her skin remains pale while everyone else has gotten tan lines.
"I think Lana is watching us from afar you know when you leave kids by themselves to see if they're going to misbehave or not?" Saskia comes up with another theory.
Her theory is the most plausible one, it's Lana we're talking about, just because she isn't there doesn't mean she's not watching. She wasn't there during the boat party yet she knew everything that happened.
"She probably sitting in the control room laughing at us right now," Edie jokes.
However, the scariest part of this is not the disappearance but what will happen with Lana not around to keep everyone's behavior?
-
YOU: This can't be good. She's just gone like that?
-
Wait, is everything allowed now?
With Lana disappearing this can only mean that the rules no longer exist as well and that gets Hyunjin excited. He's been good all these times so he thinks he deserves, at least, a little something for his good behavior.
"Lana is gone. The rules are off," Hyunjin mutters as he styles his hair next to Diego in the bathroom.
Diego chuckles and sprays some hairspray into his hair, "I don't know, man, I think that's a bad idea," he disagrees with him.
"Why don't we kiss to test the water?" Hyunjin boldly suggests.
Diego shoves him to the side in reaction to his crazy idea, he gets it that he's been careful with Frida ever since they got the green light. He then leaves the bathroom only for Edouard to come and take his spot.
"Lana's gone. What does that mean?"
Hyunjin's question is not merely a question, it's a test to find out which side Edouard is on: the side that wants to break the rules or the other side that thinks Lana is still watching.
"There's no rule, bro. Know what I mean?" Edouard says with a devilish grin as he combs his hair to the back.
This is the energy that Hyunjin seeks from someone and he feels more confident now knowing he's sharing the same brainwave with someone in this retreat, an accomplice to his mischief.
"Bro, I'm definitely breaking the rules tonight," Hyunjin boldly remarks with a wild, wide grin.
"Been holding it in for so long," Edouard says in continuation of Hyunjin's remark.
"This is going to be a mad night!" Hyunjin concludes with a wicked grin on his face. He raises both hands in the air at Edouard and claps their hands together for double high fives.
Tonight, Hyunjin wants to do a lot of things with you and he'll make sure that it's going to happen.
-
HYUNJIN: My plan for tonight is to give her the best night of her life [smirks]
-
"As soon as I found out Lana's gone, everything I learned from the retreat has gone out of the window," Vic openly admits.
The dressing room is buzzing and the girls are exceptionally energized tonight, maybe it's the fact that the cock-blocker is nowhere in sight. Vic's words are true, it feels like everyone is back to their default settings and forgot about the purpose of the retreat.
"Okay, but out of all of the boys, who is most likely to break the rules tonight?" Emilie curiously asks while swinging her mascara wand in the air.
"Pfft... I hope it's Edouard," Vic mumbles.
Edie smacks her lips together then places her hand on your forehand, "To be honest, I think it's Hyunjin," she says, sticking her face at you.
"Oh, yeah," Saskia agrees with an exclamation mark drawn on her face.
Frida chuckles and glares at you, "You better be satisfied tonight 'cause if you ain't, girl..."
"You'll be satisfied tonight," Edie teases you with a sing-song tone while shaking your shoulders.
Their assumption is only making you nervous because of how it comes close to the truth. Hyunjin is and has been ogling at you. Not that he never ogled at you before, he does it more often today and it's not hard to read his mind when he's acting like that the whole day.
Hyunjin chooses the firepit to spend some alone time with you, he makes you sit on his lap even though the sofa could fit seven people. You don't have to second guess everything, you know exactly what he's trying to do.
"Are you alright?" He asks, splaying the hand resting on the small of your back.
"I'm feeling good, babe," you reply with a convincing smile and hope it's enough to hide how nervous you are inside.
His other hand rubs down your thigh and plays with the hem of your skirt, all the while he's putting on this gaze that is soft yet intense and lustful.
"You look very, very cute," he compliments.
He touches the strap of your top and then your hair, "Cute dress, cute smile, cute everything."
Wow! He really is trying hard to win you over and put that sweet mouth to use, and you need to toughen up more.
"Thanks. You look gorgeous," you compliment back.
Hyunjin is wearing a plain white shirts and leaves the top three buttons open, exposing his firm chest muscles and soft skin, inviting you to touch.
Instead of giving in to your intrusive thoughts, you start buttoning his shirts.
"Why are you buttoning up my shirts?" He asks while chuckling.
"So you don't get cold," you simply answer with a suppressed laugh.
He ends up unbuttoning them again and parts the opening of his shirt wider to entice you more. You look away to keep your composure and look back at him when get yourself under control.
But Hyunjin steps up his game, he mixes his sweet words with some physical touches, weakening your defense system with each passing second.
He brushes your hair to the side and holds it there, "You know I never thought I'd meet somebody like you. You're such a lovely person," he mutters to you.
You reach for his hand and put it down, you're holding it on your lap after.
"That's very sweet of you," you reply with a smile.
He brings your hand to his mouth and then places a soft kiss on your knuckles, reminding you of how plush his lips are.
If this keeps going, you don't know how long you can restrain yourself.
-
YOU: I'm not sure if Lana's testing us, but I'm going to try really hard to not break the rules.
-
Hyunjin knows which side you're in.
You don't want to break rules while Hyunjin is doing exactly the opposite of that. He can see your defense is up, you're a little rigid, you're being cautious with everything you do, and trying so hard not to fall to his charms.
It's a good thing that Hyunjin has a lot of charms and a strong will to crack your defense. He did it once, he just needs to do it again, except that he needs to do it better this time.
He swipes his thumb across your lips and does it carefully to not smudge your lipstick.
"I miss kissing you," he says in his low, sultry voice, "I want to feel those soft lips again."
You nervously chuckle and slip your hand into the hair on the back of his head, "We've known each other better and I don't think we need to put pressure on ourselves to do anything," you tell him.
Hyunjin drops his other hand to your leg, resting it on the back of your thigh and lightly rubbing the skin with his thumb.
"We could do something," he says with a low laugh, "We can break the rules tonight. Like... why waste the opportunity?"
You chuckle again, tilting your head to the side, away from him to put a safe space between you and him. But, he only needs to close that safe space so he leans in.
"A little kiss, come on," he sweetly whispers.
You cup his jaw and fondly smile at him, "I'm rather suspicious that this is actually a test," you say.
He playfully pinches the skin on the back of your thigh and seductively smiles, "Just a bit of fun. No one will find out," he assures you.
He gets a move on by planting kisses on your neck, fluttering little kisses that he's sure make you tingling inside. He puts his hand on the nape of your neck so he can angle your head as he pleases.
He tilts your head to the side and presses his mouth to your ear, "You're so special to me."
He notices that you're slowly lowering your guard down, your eyes are fluttering shut and your hand helplessly gripping the front of his shirt. All it takes is a bit more of his charm.
"You're my special, special, special," he places a kiss along your jaw every time he repeats that one word.
"Special girl," he murmurs for the last time and then he crashes his lips against you
There is no way you will say no to his kiss, not when he kisses you so passionately, lathering your lips with his, soft on soft, slowly and tenderly.
He pries open your mouth with his tongue to taste you more, he uses his teeth to gently bite your lips and puts his hand in the right place to gain access to deepen the kiss.
You break the kiss first and immediately gasp for air, the next thing you do is wipe the lipstick mark around his mouth.
"Does the color look good on me?" He playfully asks.
"Yeah," you shortly reply.
"Put some more then," he teases.
This is only the first rule break of many and it's already a success.
-
HYUNJIN: Told you, Hwang Hyunjin always gets what he wants [nonchalantly shrugs]
-
Now that he's already got what he wants, you hope it's enough for him.
Honestly, you didn't know how you also needed that until he kissed you. You stay in the firepit while everyone else is starting to turn in for the night and the two of you are the only ones still outside.
He brushes your hair, putting it away from your face, and holds your head in his hands like you're a fragile object.
"Should we do something else?" He jokingly asks.
Gosh. You hope he's not seriously asking to do more than a kiss. You pretend to not hear it and take his hands in yours.
"It's getting late," you tell him with a pout and half-shut eyes, showing him that you're getting drowsy even though you're not.
He gently rubs your chin and softly asks, "Want to head inside?"
You nod and smile, "Mm-hmm."
It's a relief that Hyunjin stops trying, you feel like you can properly breathe now as you get off his lap. He gets up from the sofa too and leads the way back to the villa.
You may have failed not breaking the rules but you've tried your best to show some restraint until Hyunjin stops by the terrace and turns his head to the side.
"Want to check the suite first?" He asks.
You nervously chuckle and jokingly ask, "Is it even open?"
Your words only encourage him to take you there and check it. You deeply wish the suite is locked or else, you don't have any other reasons not to get in there with him.
To your dismay, the suite is unlocked.
Hyunjin opens the door and lets you in first. The suite looks exactly like the last time you've seen it, except, there's no chilled champagne, no rose petals on the bed and it's dim with no lit candles in sight.
He closes the door behind him and then goes straight to the bed, sitting on the end of the bed with his legs spreading open.
You're nervous to even get close to him, afraid of what it would lead to. You stand in between his legs, not sure what to do in this enclosed space with him.
Hyunjin puts his hands on each side of your waist and pulls you close, he then buries his head in your chest. You both stay like that for a moment with you softly scratching his head.
He then lifts his head and looks up at you, "I want it to do it," he straightforwardly says.
He loops his arms around your waist and closes the gap between your bodies, "Do you want to do it?"
You don't want to be a hypocrite by saying no when the truth is you want it, you want it so bad that you don't want to resist anymore.
"I do," you honestly answer.
"But it's a big decision," you add with a thin smile.
With Hyunjin, you know you want more than just casually dating each other, you want this to be a genuine relationship, and in a genuine relationship, having sex means taking a step further into a more established relationship.
"You know how I feel about you so let me show you that," he says.
He slightly rises from the bed just to place a kiss on your jaw, "I'm only waiting for you to say the word," he says.
The moment you step into the suite, you know that you've made up your mind and honestly, you're tired of pretending like you can resist him.
You take a deep breath and hold his head in your face, you look into his eyes to seek assurance that you're ready for the next step.
Instead of using words, you plant your lips on him and let your kisses answer it for you.
-
YOU: How am I going to resist Hyunjin?
-
Hyunjin wastes not another second, he takes your top off, exposing your half-naked body to him and he gladly buries his head in between your breasts. He takes one into his mouth while the other one is being fondled by his big hand with his fingers circling your nipple.
"Baby, be gentle, please?" You whine when he accidentally sucks too harder.
He keeps your words in mind but sometimes his body won't obey his commands, it's like it has a mind of its own, a mind that is so hungry for you and only knows a lot of ways to devour you.
He lifts your leg, making you straddle him to satisfy his need for closeness. He crashes his lips against yours again and again yet, can't get enough of it.
Without him knowing, you manage to undo all of the buttons on his shirt and he helps by getting rid of it for you, hurriedly tosses it aside so he can hold you again.
"You never cease to amaze me, baby," he tells you before roughly leaning in to kiss you again.
It's quiet in the room except for the sounds of his lips placing kisses all over you. Your skirt is all hunched up around your waist, your hands are cupping your breasts and Hyunjin keeps going down south, continuing the trail of kisses to your feet.
He then kneels on the bed and looks down at you, his dark lustful eyes traveling down your body, making him realize that you still have your skirt on.
He tugs his fingers on the waistband of your skirt and softly he says, "Raise your hips for me, baby."
You obey right away, raising your hips high enough to let Hyunjin pull your skirt down and off your legs, leaving you with nothing but lacy underwear, the fabric is so thin he can see through it, the thing that endlessly tantalizes him.
He grabs both of your legs, holding them close to his chest before parting them open. He turns his head to the side, bringing your ankle close to his mouth to kiss it. He doesn't stop there, the kisses continue to your inner thighs.
Hyunjin doesn't bother to remove it first, he dives right into your clothed cunt, his greedy mouth full of your flesh and your underwear soaked wet from his saliva.
He's enjoying, enjoying it so much that he puts your underwear to the side so he can taste you better, his slick tongue and his soft lips drenched in your wetness.
He can hear you moaning but it's somewhat muffled, he pulls away for a moment and looks at you between your legs.
"Moan louder for me, baby. I can't hear you with my head between your thighs."
Well, the only way he can make you moan louder is by pushing the right button. He adds his fingers to the combination, giving you the utmost pleasure by moving them in sync.
You keep arching your back and grinding at his mouth, enough to tell him that he only needs to continue his delightful assault to get you to your release.
"Baby, oh..." your voice cracks as your eyes screwed shut, overwhelmed with pleasure.
He kisses your inner thigh as he watches your cunt soaking wet with a mix of your essence and his saliva, but it's your gushing hole that makes him impatient to be inside you.
"Why are you so good with your mouth?" You ask in awe, half panting from all the moaning.
Well, Hyunjin takes pride in his prowess at giving head and it gives a boost of confidence to show you what else he's good at. He pulls the duvet until it covers both of your bodies so as to not expose yourselves to the cameras installed in the room.
Under the cover, he manages to take your underwear off without looking and plays with your bundle of nerves after, feeling it swelling and pulsating under his touch.
"I'm good with my hands too," he says.
You shyly smile and pull him for a kiss, but you show him you want the other thing. You put your hand inside his jeans and his boxer altogether, easily finding his hard cock and wrapping your hand around it.
"So hard. So big," you breathlessly murmur against his lips.
"So ready to be inside you," he finishes your sentence.
You crack a laugh and peck his lips, "Well, what are you waiting for?"
It's good to know he's not the only one being impatient here, but first, he has to get rid of his jeans and put
"Give me a minute to get a condom on," he gives you a peck before rolling to the side of the bed.
He sits on the edge of the bed, rummaging through the small drawers on the bedside table to find a condom, and then takes his jeans off. He unwraps the foil wrapper and carefully rolls the rubber down his length, it's not hard to do so when he's fully erect and it's all because of you.
Once he makes sure he properly put the condom on, he climbs onto the bed and gets under the duvet with you, arms instantly wrapped around you.
The only fear that still lingers in him is that he won't last long considering that he's been refrained from any sexual activities for these past couple weeks. What if he cum the second he put himself inside you? He wants to make the first time having sex with you a special moment, not a humiliating one.
"I want to do it with you," you tell him out of the blue.
It's as if you heard his mind, you assure him that this is what you and there's no pressure whatsoever, you merely want to do it with him.
"And I want to do it with you," he says back with a soft smile on his small face.
You put your hands around his neck and pull him for a kiss, "Let's do it together."
In that moment, Hyunjin gets hit by the realization that everything else doesn't matter. What matters is this moment with you.
He kisses you, fueling himself for what he's about to do next, and while brushing your hair to the side, he says, "I'm going in, yeah?"
You nod with a smile, permitting him to enter the most sacred part of your body.
It's tricky to keep the duvet from sliding off of him as he kneels on the bed again, he then takes your legs and parts them open. He starts by repeatedly rubbing his length against your slit, using your bodily fluid as a lubricant.
With the reminder to be gentle, he uses his tip to tease your entrance before slowly easing himself inside, little by little. You're breathlessly moaning as you keep taking his length so well that Hyunjin can only watch as his cock disappeared into you with your mouth agape.
The only time his eyes stray away from your cunt is to see you moaning with your eyes closed and your hands squeezing your breasts.
A moan slips past his mouth when he is fully sheathed inside your warm, velvety walls and he's not ashamed of it. He keeps groaning as the pleasure of being inside you gets to him, sending his brain close to short-circuit.
He glides his hand up your front and holds the hand cupping your left breast, "Do you see that, baby?"
Hyunjin is eyeing his cock fully buried inside you to the hilt, the image is being imprinted in the back of his head as he thinks out loud.
"I look so perfect inside you, don't you think?"
You nod in a way that is innocent but arousing at the same time which reminds him of how much he wants to ruin you.
He rubs his hand up and down your inner thigh, admiring the view of your body and how it's connected with him.
"You feel so good," he lowly mutters.
He glides his hand up to your chest and kneads on your breast, "I think I need a moment."
Hyunjin takes a minute to adjust himself inside you, how good it feels to be wrapped in your warmth, tight walls, and the way you clench and unclench around him in the slightest of movement.
He kisses you hard and deep to finally start moving and feeling his cock launches deeper and deeper for every thrust into you.
He keeps kissing you and when he's not, moans keep spilling out of your mouth, and calling his name in between those moans. Your bodies eventually move in sync and work together to chase that release.
When Hyunjin finally snaps, he has a moment of clarity. He couldn't believe that he managed to not do it the last time he was here, he had that much restraint in him but now, all bets are off and he's fully aware that it's his biggest gamble yet.
-
HYUNJIN: Best believe, I'm going all in tonight.
-
The next morning, Lana is still no-show.
You know she'll be back at some point but you feel a little relieved that she hasn't, you don't want to deal with that yet. You still want to live in this bubble together with Hyunjin.
"Good morning, angel baby," he sweetly whispers into your ear as he spoons you from behind.
You giggle as he places ticklish kisses on your bare shoulder and neck. He holds you close as he rests his head in the crook of your neck to get a little extra sleep.
The two of you returned late from the suite and sneaked into the bedroom while everyone else had fallen asleep. You see that no one is suspecting anything but Lana's sinister disappearance.
"Lana, girl, how long are you going to hide?" Frida asks while twisting her curly hair and securing it with a hair claw.
Thinking about Lana gets you a little uneasy, you break away from Hyunjin's hold and sit on the bed, offering your lap to let him rest his head on.
He gladly does that, resting his head on your lap and putting your hand in his hair, asking you to play with his dark, silky locks.
"Lana is not running away with our money, right?" Andy asks in a panic.
It's funny that he puts a sense of ownership over it when it's no one's money in the first place, and Lana has the right to run away with the money if she wants to.
"Did anyone break the rules last night though?" Diego asks around, scanning the room with his eyes.
Everyone is playing innocent, shaking their heads or completely ignoring the question like you and Hyunjin did. Avoiding it doesn't mean you're not free of guilt, it's there and it's pooling in the pit of your stomach, making you feel faint.
After lunch, you share the hammock with Hyunjin, simply enjoying each other's presence and the beautiful view of the sea.
"Last night felt like a dream," he says out of the blue.
You get butterflies whenever you recall moments from last night and you find yourself smiling like a fool, "Yeah."
The memories are still fresh in your brain, you remember every detail from the way he looked at you, touched you, kissed you, where he put his hand on your body, and oh... just everything.
He puts his arm around you and puts his head against yours, "I didn't regret doing it with you. It was special to me," he tells you.
"You made me feel special," you sincerely tell him because that's what he made you feel last night: nothing less than special.
"Last night, we took a big step in our relationship," he says.
You nod in agreement.
"Whatever happens, we're in it together," he says, pressing a kiss on your temple.
Of course, he knows that you need comfort and assurance, that's why he said those words. You gently hold his jaw and place a tender kiss on his cheek.
"We're in it together," you repeat his words back to him with a smile.
Hyunjin is right, whatever happens, you shouldn't be afraid because you're not alone, you're in it together with him.
When you walk back to the villa, Andy comes running toward the two of you, his blond hair bouncing on his head.
"What's going on?" You ask him.
"It's Lana. She's back," Andy answers.
-
YOU: I knew it was all too good to be true [exhales]
-
"Anxiety is back, my friend," Edouard shouts as he takes a seat on the curved sofa.
No shit. Your legs are shaking, your hands are sweating and you press your lips together so that it forms a thin line on your face. Even with Hyunjin sitting next to you, you can't seem to relax.
"Even though my conscience is clear, I'm tense," Frida says then lets out a sigh.
The cone is there on the table and she's quietly glaring at you. When she chimes, you almost jump on your seat.
Everyone is gasping in response to her return, even though you know no one is expecting she will be back this soon.
"Hello, everyone," Lana starts with her usual greeting.
"Hi, Lana," you weakly reply with your knee bouncing against the floor.
"Yesterday, I disappeared from the villa to test how you would behave when left to your own devices. Just as you will be in the real world after my retreat," Lana explains.
You do not like where this is going but you have nowhere to go either, you have to face the music.
"Despite my absence, my sensors kept monitoring your every move," Lana further reveals.
"I knew it!" Diego exclaims, triumphantly fisting the air.
Emilie shakes her head and sighs, "It was all too good to be true.
Your guess is not off the mark either, you were right that this was all just a test from Lana and you clearly failed.
"I am very disappointed to report that there were several breaches of the rules," Lana informs.
This is where the witch hunt begins, everyone is looking at each other and trying to spot any guilty faces. Somehow, you manage to keep a straight face despite your heart beating out of your chest.
"Anyone want to start?" Diego asks.
You see Remy and Saskia are glancing at each other and then she turns her head to face everyone again.
"We had a kiss," Saskia comes clean.
"We had a chat, we got carried on. Just once, I swear," Remy explains the details and ends it with a sincere apology.
"There was another breach of the rules," Lana will not stop exposing the rule breakers until they come out with the truth.
Remy and Saskia had it easy because it was their first time breaking the rule and it was only just a kiss. You can't compare it to what you've done with Hyunjin.
"We also kissed, Edouard and I," Vic immediately admits, not holding back from telling everyone about it.
"I just thought that the rules were off," Edouard coyly explains, but the grin on his face tells otherwise.
"Told you, Lana was watching the whole time," Andy tells him.
"I'm sorry," Edouard quickly apologizes to end the conversation.
"The prize fund now stands at $48,000," Lana updates the current amount of prize money.
Everyone must think that's the end of it, that no one else breaking the rules and losing $12,000 is the worst anyone could have done to the prize fund.
You hate to break it to them but they haven't heard the worst of it, you look at Hyunjin and he's pinching at his lower lip which is something he does whenever he's nervous.
"However, there was an additional, serious breach of the rules," Lana further reveals.
-
YOU: I don't know what's coming but Hyunjin and I might be in some trouble.
-
Hyunjin knows he's got to be a big boy and owns up to his mistake. Also, he can't stand seeing you all tense and anxious next to him.
Before it gets messy and uncomfortable for everyone, he leans forward in his seat and starts talking.
"Last night, we... uh," Hyunjin couldn't find any words that would help him soften the blow.
He takes a deep breath and tries again, "Last night we took a step further—"
He gets cut off as everyone else starts groaning in response, knowing the rest of the sentence without him needing to finish it. A few of them seem to have expected this to happen and most of them are disappointed in him.
"This is all my fault, I messed up and I do feel bad," he sincerely says.
He looks at everyone, each and every one of them eye to eye, then with all of his heart, he apologizes.
"I'm sorry," he earnestly says.
"You yet again failed to show any form of restraint and broke the ultimate rule of my retreat, sexual intercourse," Lana says.
Hyunjin didn't think that it would hit him this hard, he may have said he did not regret what he did last night but he regretted acting so selfishly.
"There was $48,000 in the prize fund but because of your numerous rule breaks last night, your prize fund is now at $0," Lana finally drops the shocking news.
There's no money left in the pot anymore and it is all his fault, he understands if everyone is disappointed in him or even hates him for it. He deserves it.
"The prize fund is at $0. However, there will be more tests and opportunities to replenish the prize fund," Lana suddenly shares uplifting news.
It's very rare for her to share good news after bad ones and the mood turns a little lighter, everyone is cheering and applauding for the good news.
"Yes, Lana!" Diego exclaims while clapping his hands together.
"Now I need everyone on their best behavior!" Frida scolds everyone.
But as we all know, happiness is fleeting because Lana hasn't finished with the announcement yet.
"But not for all of you."
Everyone knows what that means and it means she's going to send someone home. He hates to admit it but he has a feeling that Lana is going to send you and him out of here.
"Oh, my days!" Edie whines, fanning her face as she gets red all over from holding her tears.
"No, please, Lana," Saskia hopelessly begs at the cone.
His thought somehow manifests into reality as Lana calls both of your names and his heart drops to his stomach.
"Please stand up!" Lana orders.
Hyunjin can't even feel the ground beneath him as he gets up from the sofa and takes a stand, he puts his arm around you and holds you close, providing you comfort even though he knows you're just as anxious as him.
"As a couple, you have broken the most rules but one of you has shown more disregard for the rules than the other. And that person will be going home," Lana announces.
"Oh, my god," Edie whines again, burying her face in her hands.
"The person leaving the retreat is..."
Deep down, Hyunjin knows that Lana is sending him home, he looks at you and holds you tighter. He can see that you know that he knows.
"...Hyunjin."
-
HYUNJIN: At the end of the day, you can only point one finger and that's at me.
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rudrjobdesk · 2 years
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SL vs AUS: पहले टेस्ट में जीत के बाद ऑस्ट्रेलिया को लगा बड़ा झटका, ये स्पिनर बाहर
SL vs AUS: पहले टेस्ट में जीत के बाद ऑस्ट्रेलिया को लगा बड़ा झटका, ये स्पिनर बाहर
Sri Lanka vs Australia: ऑस्ट्रेलियाई टीम इन दिनों श्रीलंका के दौरे पर (Australia tour of Sri Lanka) है. यहां दोनों टीमों के बीच 2 टेस्ट मैचों की सीरीज खेली जा रही है. सीरीज का पहला मुकाबला ऑस्ट्रेलिया ने 10 विकेट से जीत लिया. सीरीज का दूसरा मुकाबला 8 से 12 जुलाई के बीच खेला जाएगा. इस मैच से पहले ऑस्ट्रेलिया के लिए एक बुरी खबर सामने आई है. स्टार स्पिनर एश्टन एगर (Ashton Agar) चोट के कारण दूसरे मैच…
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cheriladycl01 · 3 months
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Better than me - Charles Leclerc x Reader P7
Plot: You are a rookie in your first f1 season, adding to the ever-growing amount of Brits performing in the grid
Credit to countingstars-17 for the GIF
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You left Japan as quickly as you could, you wanted to completely forget about the race.
You'd gone home as there was a pretty large break between Japan and Australia, you spoke to your family about whether they thought getting more of these therapy sessions was a good thing.
Everyone thought it was a good idea, they could tell you'd been struggling for the last few weeks as you looked nervous and pressured during media duties and even though your driving was good, they knew you were made of more you were just scared to push.
So you had started to pay Chris, he made himself available 24/7 to you over text message and you were set to have weekly calls with him. You'd had one before Australia stressing some of you minor concerns about the race.
But all in all, Australia was one of your more confident tracks. You'd spent al lot of time on the sims going round Albert Park, you'd started to test out new racing lines because you were that confident.
When you got to the paddock, entering in a blazer and trousers with a nice pair of stilettos. You always liked dressing up when walking through the paddock for the first time, there was a certain level of power you felt when you did. You had a lot of cameras on you, as you walked through with Chris, who agreed to come to this race weekend with you and your PR manager.
You saw some fans waving you over so you hastily walked over to them.
"Y/N! Y/N!" they cry making you smile and start to take pens and caps and your mini helmets signing as much as you could while taking pictures with all the phones being offered to you.
A little boy shyly comes up to you, holding a little Audi car all boxed up, one that you promoted.
"I-I don't have a pen! Some-one stole it from me" he sniffles and you squat down to his height seeing the tears in his eyes.
"Can i borrow that please?" you ask a girl whose cap you just signed and she nods politely, squealing a little when you touch her hand as you reach up from your lower position to take it.
You sign the little boy's car for him and he pulls you into a big hug, thanking you. The parents further the thanks before you look at the paddock lanyards round their necks. You take the little boys hand and start to take him with you.
The parents follow behind happily talking to Chris and one of the Audi Mechanics that had seen you signing stuff.
You walk him to where you can buy merch. You get him an Audi Hat, Audi top and you get a little driver's poster. You sign it all there on the desk and hand it to the parents in the bag while placing the hat on his head.
"Thank you" he grins at you, the parents thank you as well before leaving. You leave towards the Audi garage, waving at the few people who you still trusted.
Alex had eventually caught up to you and walked side by side with you.
More people took pictures of the pair of you as you walked down the large and open stretch. Martin Bundle had come up to you both during his media day grid walk asking you both questions that you simultaneously answered questions too.
Eventually, you found yourself getting bored. Your PR team wanted to give you a cool down after the accusations from last week and not force your image back so soon. So they mainly focused on Alex.
You eventually left Audi hospitality where you'd been doing some private work on a laptop. You needed to get some fresh air and go for a walk. There was also only an hour before the F1 Academy Qualifying started and you wanted to be there for that.
You were walking down the strip when you see the two Ferrari boys walking towards you.
"Y/N? Can we talk?" Charles asks and you cross you arms looking down at him. Usually you felt quite small around Charles, not just because of his personality but because he was naturally taller than you. Now you were in these heels he was the one looking up at you, and if he was about to apologize you'd find that kind of funny.
"Depends what you want to talk about!" you admit to him.
"About how I acted about what I said!" he offers looking down meekly making you scoff.
"Look Charles, the fact that you ignored me all last weekend when I tried to reach out to you and then went as far as to not believe me when I'd be accused of drug use... which is a really serious accusation which was pulled into investigation because of your team and Red Bull... I don't really feel like I owe you a conversation! So no, we cant talk" you say, before walking off and towards the Mclaren garage in hopes of finding Lando.
You walk up to the entrance finding two workers outside who wave at you.
"Hey Y/N!" one of them smiles at you.
"Hey guys, how are you?" you smile at them and they nod talking to you about their stressful day trying to get content for Mclaren. You nod along with them as they rant until Lando comes trotting down the steps.
"Y/N! You wanna go for a track walk?" he asks and you nod, pit walks were always really good. It gave drivers the change to see it up-close and take it in while you walk around it.
"So, Charles text me" Lando starts as you both walk out of the pit lane and onto the track.
"Mmmm" you mumble quietly not really meeting his eyes.
"Said you weren't ready to talk to him?" he almost asks as if he's seeing if you thought you made the right call in not talking to him.
"All last week i tried to talk to him, tried to be his friend but tell me why he ignores me and pushes me away at every opportunity he gets. You don't do that, not when he spent the whole time between Japan and South Korea with me" you admit, rubbing your hands together.
"Maybe if you let him explain?" Lando suggest with a shrug.
"You meddling little bitch" you say lightly making his shoulder.
"Hey, hey! Ease up or i'll report you for trying to sabotage another team!" he jokes rubbing his shoulder a little.
"Seriously though, I agreed to this walk to talk with you, not talk about Charles, it's not just the fact he ignored me anyway" you sigh holding a hand up to block the lowering sun.
"Anyway, how are you feeling about the race?" you ask trying to steer the conversation away.
"Yeah pretty good, this year could be our year!" he smiles looking over at you.
Australia went alright, considering you not only had a lot on your mind but had car troubles you managed to finish P10, in the points Alex just above you in P8.
Team debrief was longer. talking about the car troubles you experienced before you were let go.
You met with Daniel, both he and Oscar wanted to take you out for food where they were both in their home country. Of course this meant you guys picked up Lando as a default. You guys went out for a meal, everyone online was excited to see the four of you out together.
Next weekend up was Jeddah, you performed really well there, your team thought it was time to use you for media again as much as Alex, and you ended up coming P4, Carlos just ahead of you taking that podium alone with Lando and Max.
After that came your most feared circuit... Spa. It was sort of a meme, when you were working your way up through feeder series and driving in other motorsport championships before you came to F1 that you never finished a race in Spa, there was either car problems or it rained and strategy was awful and you'd crash out or you would just have a problem driving.
You were hopeful to end that streak, the Curse of Y/N in SPA.
And it looked like that throughout all the free practices you completed and coming in P3, having set the fastest lap in Q1 on top of that.
You were nervous, but everyone was telling you that it looked like clear skies for the whole day and that it should be fine.
"Y/N?" a voice said behind you as you were about to hop into your car. You turn round spotting Charles there looking at you.
"Oh, Charles! You okay?" you ask looking over him.
"I know you struggle here, but I just wanted to say that I believe in you and what you can achieve today" he says in a small voice. The words, they were just words but it was the way he said them that you could tell that there was a different meaning behind them. And you appreciated it.
So you went into the car with a clear head.
"Radio check Y/N?" your engineer asks.
"Loud and clear, lets make this a good one" you reply before heading out for the formation lap. You do it and everything feels normal with the car.
You then wait for the lights out, you get an incredible start managing to go between Carlos Lando.
"OH WOAH, INCREDIBLE RACING FROM Y/N. She's managed to go between the Mclaren and Ferrari and SHE'S IN P1 Y/N Y/L/N LEADS THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX" Crofty exclaims as he watched you on the screen in the commentators box.
You lead for the next few laps defending exceptionally from both Lando and Sainz who had managed to keep pretty close to you. After that it was a complete shit show. You had a really long pitstop, it was around 15 seconds and you were asking your engineer what was going on but they just said they were looking into it. It sent you down from P1 all the way to P18.
"Fuck sake!" you complain.
"I'm sorry for that Y/N, but lets pick up the pace and try get back up there" you have a spectacular drive. Your car was a rocket ship and you managed to get all the way back up to P4 and was about to overtake Leclerc when the rain report came through.
2 laps later and it was really raining, you'd pitted after a safety car was deployed changing tires and you managed to get the overtake on Leclerc. Into P3.
The rain only got heavier and that was when the race went tits up. The rain somehow interfered with your radio and it was only static you were receiving.
For the next laps you were relying on the pit board.
"What an interesting race this has been. Y/N has driven phenomenally and this is to date with out a doubt her best race in Spa, even through all the bad luck she's managed to pull through and she is currently in P1, defending her ass off from Lando and Lewis who are close behind her. This is just immense racing here today. She really came here with the mindset of a winner!" he explains looking at your on-board.
"Yeah, i mean she'd been without radio communications for 20 laps of this race, and the rains fading now, most crews are preparing to pit and make a final tyre change but its seems like nothing has been communicated to her"
As the track started to dry up you loose grip on the tyres more and more. There was no communication from your team and you were debating what to do. If you eased up now, you'd let Lando, Lewis and Carlos all past and risk your first win.
The last peice of communication you saw going past the pits was that you were leading and there was only 3 laps to go.
Lando was very close behind you, constantly in your wing mirror. He had tried some moves in an attempt to overtake but you'd kept defending like your life depended on it.
You go round one corner at the same speed you had been for the whole wet part of the race not realizing how quickly this corner had dried out. You attempt to break a little quicker, Lando doesn't antisipate and rear ends the back of your car, flipping you over.
"OH MY LORD THAT A MASSIVE CRASH FOR Y/N DOWN ON TURN 6. She broke early being on those intermediates where the tracks starting to dry out and Lando hasn't reacted quick enough. In the process he's busted his front wing!"
Lando Radio: Is she okay? I didn't mean that! I was it bad i went past to quickly to see where she went
Engineer: Red flag Lando, Red Flag
Lando Radio: Please tell me she's okay?
Lewis Radio: Holy shit, is she okay man. Why is she still on the inter's?
Engineer: Lewis that a Red Flag
Lewis Radio: This was a bad one.
And it was, you flipped multiple times before your car slammed into the barrier. You felt like an elephant was sitting on your chest right now and your head was dizzy.
"That's a really bad crash, and we don't even know if she's alright because the radio isn't working, the look of all the audi workers right now is really a sight to see" he says panning to all your colleagues with jaw's dropped and hands covering there mouths as their eyes water.
Some of them are actually crying, as no-body could detect movement and the car was barely visible from the damage caused.
You tried to keep your mind open with the adrenaline, but slowly your vision blacks out.
A/N: Oop i feel like this is my first proper cliff hanger!
Taglist:
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adventuringblind · 3 months
Text
White Clover
Oscar Piastri x Reader x Max Verstappen
Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort, fluff
Summary: Childhood crushes are normal. Max has been racing for a while now, he's a world champion, it's only natural they would look up to him. It wasn't supposed to go this far...
Warnings: Hanahaki disease, authors limited knowledge of flower language, sickness, Oscar and Reader literally deteriorating, blood,
Notes: One of my favorite tropes! I hope le requester likes it! Hoping to get some loscar comfort out soon!
Side Note: Reader drives for Aston Martin in place of Lance
Masterlist // Request Form // My Website // buy me a Ko-Fi
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It really doesn't make sense in her head. Every time she tries to rationalize it, the answers come up even more ridiculous then the last.
It's always been her and Oscar, Chasing their dream together. It was meant to be, it had to be destiny with the way the two of them fit together so naturally.
Then Max Verstappen happened. A supposed childhood crush. Then a hero they looked up to. Then a rival in their sport. It was supposed to end with that.
Her and Oscar and their weird fascination with Max Verstappen.
Then there was a shift. Suddenly Max was acknowledging their existence. He was talking to them, giving them pointers, including them in the usual playful Max like banter. Their mutually discussed respect for Max turned into a full blown crush.
Not a small crush either. The kind that has them both fumbling around him.
Lando is no help either. He picks up on it immediately. Teases them about it relentlessly.
They are sitting in Oscar's driver room when it happens. The first of many coughing fits as Lando is trying to cheer them up. Because Max is with Kelly; It would never work. They don't even know if he would be into it.
She starts it. Hacking up a storm and Lando and Oscar trying to get her to take water. Oscar starts up a minute later.
The cough up white clovers. Small ones, but a handful.
Lando looks at them sympathetically. All three to in shock to say anything.
"There is no way this is real, right?"
~~~~~~
It is, in fact, very real. The tiny white clovers continue for about a month. Frequently enough that when their helmets come off, they tumble onto the ground.
Being around max makes it better. The ache in their chests lessens enough to breath deeply again.
Then it switched on them. Gone were the little white clovers. Now there were bigger pink camellias. A longing for Max that they didn't know they had.
They lay in bed for most of the winter break. The toll this stupid disease is having doesn't feel fair.
Both of them stare at their breakfast. Neither wanting to eat knowing it'll be a waste.
"We're not going to be able to hold out for much longer..." She trails. Both of them know what's going to happen sooner or later, but losing the memories they do have feels worse.
Oscar sighs, having weighed the options on numerous occasions. "Lets give it until Australia. My mum knows a doctor who'd be willing to do it privately and make sure it doesn't get out."
"Will she make us food while we recover too?"
"I highly doubt she'll let us move until we're cleared."
~~~~~~
Pre-season testing - for lack of a better phrase - fucking sucks. They've moved onto red roses. The thorny kind that catches in their throats. She didn't realize it until she was coughing in the car again and it burned more then normal.
She hustles her car into the pits and stumbles her way through the garage until she can't keep herself up anymore.
The stem that comes up with the full rose is speckled with thorns that catch on things as she pulls it out.
She's so lost in trying to get it out, that she didn't notice who had come in. A hand rubs her back and moves any loose hairs away from her face.
The drops of blood mixed with bile causes the panic to finally set in. Her body gives out, but her teammate is there to get her sitting upright.
"Do I want to know who it is?"
"Just need Osc, please."
Fernando leaves to track down Oscar and ends up coming back with both McLaren drivers in tow. The Aussie doesn't look like he's fairing any better then herself. Paler than usual and still coughing.
"If Max doesn't get his act together then I'm going to run him off at turn one." Lando, their self designated caretaker, sets about getting her cleaned up since Oscar look seconds away from passing out.
"He doesn't have to, not like Max would want us anyway-"
"Oscar Jack Piastri, I swear if I have to listen to anymore of your self-loathing I will tell Max myself." Since when did Lando become a mom? "Plus, he does. He won't shut-up about you two. Daniel is losing his shit and begging him to just end it with Kelly if he adores you two so much!"
Fernando ends up driving them back to the hotel.
~~~~~
Being in Australia with Oscar has always been something to look forward to. This time feel more like dread and guilt.
Telling their teams had been the easiest part. The off week after Australia will be for recovery. It almost made her cry with how supporting they were.
They just have to get through the weekend now... and hopefully avoid Max in the process. The harder part of this whole thing. Specifically when he won't leave them alone.
It's during the drivers parade that everything goes downhill. They are standing in Max's vicinity, Landing becoming a wall between them and Fernando keeping him occupied. It's helping ease the weight in their chests and burning in their throats.
Max, inevitably, makes his way over to them and starts up conversation. Only it doesn't make the pain better this time. The second he starts up conversation she feels the rose blooming in her lungs.
"How have you two been?" Max is awkwardly stammering his way through pleasantries with Oscar while she chokes back her coughs. She throws Lando a pleading look, trying to get him to understand what's happening.
"Doing pretty well, you?" She can hear the strain in Oscar's voice, but he's holding it together. Unlike her, apparently.
She stays silent the rest of the parade. Unable to tune into the rest of the conversation.
Her physio is there waiting for her when she gets back to the garage. The amount of blood she loses is concerning. The bundle of roses makes her want to scream.
Something isn't right. Her body is screaming at her not to move. The flowers refusing to stop.
She doesn't know how Oscar manages to finish the race. He looks miserable when he meets her at the car. Lando has an arm slung around his shoulders to keep him upright.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk to Max first?"
"What would we even say, Lan? That he's the reason we're dying?" Oscar slides into the back with her. Nicole sits in the drivers seat and Chris on the passenger side. They get sympathetic looks from both of them.
"I mean he broke up with Kelly-"
"Lando, we appreciate what you're doing but it's to late for this. We are knocking on deaths door and we'll still have each other. We'll be okay." She tries her best to comfort the worries Brit.
"Promise."
"Pinky."
The car ride is painfully silent. Not like either of them can talk anyway. It's just her and Oscar wrapped around each other as much as they can be.
They enter the hospital with fingers intertwined. They sit together in a private room waiting for the pre-op to start. A hard decision but one they know had to be made.
"Is it bad, that I don't want to forget?" She peers up at Oscar through watery eyes.
He sighs, the heavy kind followed by another cough. "No, I don't want to either."
She feels like falling asleep in Oscar's arms. Pretending that this isn't what's happening. That she's not growing flower bushes in her body. That she'll remember Max when she wakes up in a few hours.
"At least we get the next week off."
"Nando said he's going to drop some kind of care package off later." She laughs, remembering how he'd fussed over them with homemade remedies. "And Mark, I thought he was going to lose it when you handed him a rose."
"The look on his face was priceless!"
They can do this. They have each other and that's all they need.
Then the door bursts open.
"Max?"
~~~~~~
It's not like he thought he would ever find himself in this situation. Smitten with two of the younger drivers and driving himself insane by not confronting his own feelings.
He tried his best to just be friendly and leave it at that. He invited them to do things with the other drivers, struck up conversation, did his best to give them tips for their driving when he had the opportunity.
But the two of them have Max wrapped around their fingers. Both are smart and intuitive. They think he's funny. Max also thinks they are funny and compliment each other well.
This cannot be a normal kind of attraction... Right? No, it's not. It's the whole reason he had to split with Kelly because he knew this went much deeper then he wanted to admit.
The last minute driver change took him off guard. Then he saw Oscar on the grid talking to Lance. The Aussie looking miserable and on the brink of falling over.
He jogs up to Lando, concern lacing his facial expression. "What's going on? Why the last minute driver change?"
"She's sick." Lando doesn't look at him, anxiously fiddling with his fingers while getting ready. "She's been sick so they had a contingency just in case."
"And Oscar?"
"... Also sick."
Obviously Lando isn't telling the whole truth. If the lack of details is anything to go by. "Are you going to tell me with what?"
And Lando is a terrible liar. Max has known him long enough to read his expressions. "The flu?" Max raises his eyebrows in suspicion. "Okay but if i tell you then you can't say anything because it's really bad."
Max gives him a confirming nod. Not like he wants to spread gossip about the two.
"It's hanahaki, but they should be better soon. Surgery is after the race today. She's our due to blood loss and Oscar is nearing that point but determined to race."
Max gapes. What is his reaction supposed to be? "Do they not love each other?"
Lando rolls his eyes. "Max - there is a third that they are both in love with."
"Who is it because I swear-" Maybe anger wasn't the right emotion to have given Lando's annoyed huff.
"It's you! You're just so oblivious that you didn't notice. You were with Kelly so long and they didn't want to make things weird for you that they didn't say anything."
Max gets two steps towards Oscar before he's being shoved into the car. Forced to race despite being able to fix the problems of two people. He’ll just find them afterward.
He, unfortunately, does not escape the people wanting to speak to him. By the time he ends up at the McLaren garage, Lando looks miserable sitting on a counter and swinging his legs. “You just missed them.”
Max deflates to the floor. It looks obnoxiously dramatic and leaves Lando to huff at the scene. “Relax, you can catch them at the hospital if you’re quick enough.”
Lando ends up driving because he’s in no state to do it himself. The anxiety he’d been fighting off is hitting full force now. Enough to make his entire body shake.
He dives out of the car. Disregarding the fact that the sleeves of his race suit are hanging off his waist and nearly collides with the ground because of it.
Oscar’s parents are in the waiting room. They look at him with the most aghast looks he has ever seen. “What are you doing here?” The death glare Nicole is giving him strikes fear into his heart.
“I need to know where they are, please.”
“Now you want to see them?”
Chris puts a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “They are getting prepped for surgery at the moment. You might be too late.” He gives Max a sympathetic smile.
“Please-“ desperation is evident in his voice. “-please, I love them back. I have to try!”
He gets the room number and continues his sprint to the pair. The weight of possibilities comes crashing down on him, that they might not remember him if he is too late.
Times he went to them when he didn’t want to be alone.
When he sought them out at the bars and clubs when Lando subsequently ditched them.
Dragging them around Monaco when they were there for the Grand Prix.
Max should’ve made himself think about it. How he spent hours with them when he didn’t have to.
He doesn’t bother knocking on the door when he gets there. He slams the door open wide and almost sobs in relief when he sees them still waiting.
While her face is buried in Oscars shoulder, the Aussie is staring right at him. “Max?”
He takes a tentative step forward but stops when they both start violently coughing. “Sorry - I’ll stay over here.”
“What ever are you doing here?” The rasp is her voice makes him flinch. It’s scratchy, like her throat has been torn to pieces.
“I just - Lando told me what’s been going owns I know it’s not fair that I’ve made you suffer for so long.” He wants to get closer, hold them, provide them comfort. “It took me too long to get my shit together but, I love you both.”
Oscar tentatively tries to get up, the female not able to move without falling over and the Aussie in no position to carry her. Max lunges forward to catch him when he stumbles and down to the floor they go.
Max attempts to get him back up, but isn’t fast enough when the female slides down to join them. They end up falling asleep against him, breathing evenly.
They stir when the doctor announces himself, but don’t move from their spots. Max assumes that they are exhausted from coughing up literal flowers.
“This was not what I expected to find.” There is an amused tone in the doctor’s voice. “I take it you were the one?”
“Yeah, that would be me.”
“Well, we’ll keep them for observation and make sure any lingering thorns don’t do anymore damage. Would you be alright saying near them?”
Max nods hastily, eager to do whatever is necessary.
The hardest part is actually getting them to let go of him. The second he retracts contact is the moment they start panicking and coughing again. It’s a stressful few hours until it dies down again.
Nicole and Chris look ecstatic to see the three of them together. They’ve informed her parents about the change in plans and are also happy to know they’ve had a good outcome.
The residual flower petals come in waves, but they are dying down in intensity. The painkillers they are on make them wake up with dopey smiles on their faces.
“Hey Max?” She whispers. The three of them laying in the hospital bed together despite it being cramped and having a second one.
“Hmm?”
“Thanks…” The drowsiness in her voice evident.
“For what?”
Oscar is somewhere between asleep and maybe consciouses. “For noticing us.”
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hookhausenschips · 11 days
Text
Found {OP81}
500 Follower Special!!!
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Summary: Sometimes you think you want to disappear but all you want is to be found.
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Y/N's POV
The pit lane bustled with activity as the sun rose over the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, casting long shadows over the paddock. Among the chaos of mechanics preparing cars and engineers analyzing data, I found solace in the quiet corner of the McLaren garage. My name is Y/N, and I'm a Formula 1 driver for Red Bull Racing. But today, as I prepared for another grueling day of testing, I couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness that gnawed at my insides.
Oscar Piastri, my best friend and fellow driver at McLaren, stood by my side, his unwavering support a beacon of light in the darkness of my doubts. We had grown up together, chasing our dreams of racing glory on the dusty karting tracks of our youth in the small town of Bathurst, Australia. From an early age, we forged an unbreakable bond, our friendship fueled by a shared passion for speed and a relentless drive to succeed.
Now, as we stood on the precipice of our F1 careers, I felt the weight of expectations bearing down on me like a leaden sky. The scrutiny of the media, the pressure from sponsors, and the unrelenting demands of the sport threatened to consume me, leaving me feeling lost and adrift in a sea of uncertainty.
"Hey, Y/N," Oscar's voice broke through my thoughts, his blue eyes filled with concern. "You okay?"
I forced a smile, nodding weakly. "Yeah, just pre-race jitters, you know how it is."
But Oscar saw through my facade, his gaze piercing through the layers of pretense I had carefully constructed. He knew me better than anyone, and I couldn't hide the truth from him any longer. We had been through too much together, our lives intertwined like the threads of a tapestry, woven with memories of triumph and heartbreak, laughter and tears.
"You don't have to pretend with me, Y/N," he said softly, his hand resting on my shoulder. "I know this isn't easy for you, but you're stronger than you think. Remember when we were kids, and we'd race our karts until the sun went down? You never gave up, no matter how many times you crashed or spun out."
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over as memories of our childhood flooded my mind. "It's just… I feel like I'm drowning, Oscar. The pressure, the scrutiny… Sometimes I wish I could just disappear and go back to those simpler times."
But before I could stop myself, the dam broke, and the words poured out in a torrent of emotion. "I'm tired of feeling like I'm constantly under the microscope, like I have to prove myself every time I step onto the track. And with Max being the star driver, it's like I'm always living in his shadow."
Oscar wrapped me in a comforting embrace, his presence a soothing balm to my wounded soul. "You're not alone, Y/N," he whispered, his voice filled with conviction. "I'm here for you, no matter what. And together, we'll get through this, just like we always have."
As the day wore on and the sun climbed higher in the sky, I found the strength to face my fears head-on. With Oscar by my side, offering words of encouragement and sharing stories of our childhood adventures, I tackled each lap with renewed determination, pushing myself to the limit and beyond. And with every corner conquered, I felt a glimmer of hope ignite within me, a beacon of light guiding me through the darkness.
During the midday break, we retreated to the motorhome, sharing a simple meal and reminiscing about the dreams we had nurtured as kids. Oscar regaled me with tales of our early karting days, when we would spend hours tinkering with our machines, fine-tuning every component in pursuit of the perfect setup.
"Remember that time when we accidentally swapped the spark plugs, and your kart wouldn't start?" he chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "You were so frustrated, but we eventually figured it out, and you went on to win that race."
I couldn't help but laugh at the memory, the weight on my shoulders momentarily lifted by the warmth of our shared history.
But as the sun dipped below the horizon and the track fell silent once more, the weight of my insecurities returned, threatening to engulf me once more. It was in those moments of doubt that I found myself reaching out to Oscar, the only one who truly understood the turmoil raging within me.
"Hey, Y/N," Oscar's voice crackled over the radio, his words a lifeline in the darkness. "You did great out there today. I'm proud of you."
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips, warmth flooding my chest at his words. "Thanks, Oscar," I replied, my voice choked with emotion. "I couldn't have done it without you."
And as I sat alone in the quiet confines of my trailer, surrounded by the echoes of the day's trials and triumphs, I realized that sometimes, all you need is someone to remind you that you're not alone. That even in the darkest of times, there's always a glimmer of light to guide you home.
In the weeks and months that followed, Oscar remained a constant source of strength and support, his unwavering belief in me fueling my determination to succeed. We celebrated each other's victories, commiserated over setbacks, and pushed each other to new heights, our rivalry on the track tempered by a bond that transcended the sport itself.
Through the highs and lows, the triumphs and heartbreaks, we clung to the memories of our childhood dreams, reminding ourselves of the journey that had brought us to this point. And as we raced towards the horizon, our hearts beating as one, I knew that no matter where life took us, we would always find our way back to each other, two souls bound by a love for racing and a friendship that defied the boundaries of time and space.
As the season drew to a close, we found ourselves standing on the podium, our names etched in the annals of motorsport history. But in that moment, the trophies and accolades paled in comparison to the pride and joy I saw reflected in Oscar's eyes. For in the end, it was our friendship, forged in the fires of adversity and tempered by the relentless pursuit of our dreams, that mattered most. And as we raised our champagne glasses in a toast to our shared triumph, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, we would face them together, as we always had, our racing hearts beating in perfect harmony.
=================================
OP81 Taglist: @tallrock35, @yourbane, @evie-119, @asparklysoul, @dhanihamidi, @leclercdior, @ilivbullyingjeongin, @ggaslyp1
F1 Taglist: @hiireadstuff, @really-fucking-tired, @donteventry-itdude, @spookystitchery
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lilyrizzy · 6 months
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day 2 of the 12 days of Christmas maxiel advent calendar for @catofthecanals289!
"What are you reading?"
Max had been expecting this or some other conversation starter from Daniel. Since climbing into bed to find Max ignoring him in favour of his book, he's been making a big show of 'getting comfy'. It’s involved a lot of dramatic sighing, rearranging the bed covers and wriggling, all of which Max has been stubbornly ignoring.
He is just getting to the interesting part.
"A book," he says not lifting his eyes from the page, then just to be an asshole, "You know, the paper that has words on which tell a story?"
Of course, Daniel knows really. On his bedside table there is his own stack of books that range from the biographies of UFC fighters filled with bloody tales of victory, to the romance novels that he and Victoria post back and forth, and then spend hours discussing on the phone when they have both finished.
"Wow, really?" Daniel says sarcastically, as his toes poke Max's calf under the covers. Then, settling closer, so his head is resting on Max’s pillow, "What’s the story?"
Max sighs, resting the book open on his chest so as not to lose his place. Even after years together, Max still hasn't become immune to the way Daniel can so easily steal all his attention, making it impossible to focus on anything or anyone else. Since he started talking Max has already read the same sentence three times over.
It is of course, not very fair because Max had warned Daniel that he wanted to finish this chapter tonight, but Max finds that, like always, he isn't really annoyed. It is just so typical of Daniel to now demand his undivided attention.
Maybe this is payback for all the blow jobs Max initiates while he is having ‘important’ phone conversations with his Enchanté people, though Daniel never seemed to mind much at the time.
"It is a mystery book," Max says simply, then, "a scary one, so of course you will not like it."
Daniel makes an indignant noise of protest.
"Woah, come on mate," he says, his soft brown eyes wide on Max’s face as his head tilts up to look at him. Now, it is firmly rested on Max's shoulder, Daniel inching closer by the second. "I've got balls of steel, nothing scares me."
Max doesn't need to say, except sharks, and dogs, and coming out of the closet, because his raised eyebrows do it for him. Daniel rolls his eyes, but he does relent a little.
"Well, okay,” he allows, "whatever. But a little book can't scare me."
Taking in the stubborn look on Daniel’s face, Max can’t help the way his lips twitch upwards. Daniel’s toes have stopped prodding, and are now just rubbing gently up and down Max’s leg, catching the hair there against the grain. Daniel’s own legs are buttery smooth from his waxing appointment earlier today. Max knows because nuzzled between them on the sofa as soon as Daniel got home, just had to get his mouth on them to feel how there would be nothing for his tongue to catch against for a few days, until it started to grow back.
Every change to Daniel’s body, Max wants to be the first to know it.
“Do you want sex again?” Max asks, “Is that why you are being a pest?” Then, giving into a grin, he adds, “A sex pest.”
He’s proud of his joke, then prouder when Daniel laughs so loud Sassy raises her head to glare at him from where she had been sleeping soundly at the bottom of their bed.
“Nah,” Daniel says easy, and nuzzles further into Max’s side as if to prove a point. “I just- Will you read to me?” As though sensing Max’s hesitation, he adds, “It’s been a long fucking week.”
It has. Daniel got home from Australia only a few nights ago, dead on his feet with the jet lag only to be thrown straight into Alpha Tauri’s media duties, and Max into Red Bull’s. In a few days, they will need to leave again, to fly to Barcelona for testing. The moments they manage to snatch truly for them and nobody else will become farther and farther apart again, as will the nights they get to spend in their own home, in their own bed.
“Okay,” Max relents, with this in mind, “but no interrupting all of the time with questions. The Q and A will take place at the end.”
His request will fall on deaf ears, no doubt, and Max will indulge all of Daniel’s musings like always.
“Pinky swear,” Daniel promises, and he lifts up his little finger to hook around Max’s. It’s the one with the blank space that Daniel has also promised to cover with the number ‘33,’ when they retire, to match the other. Max lifts it to his lips to kiss it, before he picks up the book to find his place again.
He still doesn’t think Daniel will like the story much, but as he shuffles down to settle his head against Max’s chest, breath fanning out over the sensitive skin of Max’s nipples, Max begins to read.
“Now imagine just beyond your peripheral vision, maybe behind you, maybe to the side of you, maybe even in front of you, but right where you can't see it, something is quietly closing in on you, so quiet in fact you can only hear it as silence. Find those pockets without sound. That's where it is. Right at this moment.
But don't look.
I didn’t.”
-
Max is at the beach.
There are soft grains of sand under his toes, and sunlight so strong it is blinding him as he squints out to the sea, looking. He’s walking towards the water, but even though the sand becomes damp against the soles of his feet, the vast expanse of blue seems to get further and further away.
“Max,” Daniel’s voice comes as a hushed but frantic whisper, as though carried to him on the wind. “Maxy.”
It’s then Max realises whose silhouette he is trying to make out on the horizon. He can’t see him though, no matter how much wider he tries to open his eyes against the overbearing sun, and how fast he starts to run towards it.
“Daniel!” He yells, but it’s as though the wind carries his voice the wrong way, behind him. It’s lost. “Daniel!” He tries again, but this time there is only silence in the place of his voice. Now in the water, he can make out circling objects in the shape of shark fins. His lungs burn as his feet slap wetly against the ground, slowing him down.
“Max,” Daniel’s voice is louder now, more urgent. The sharks are going to eat him, if Max doesn’t get there in time. “Maxy, baby-“
“Max, wake up.”
Max’s eyes fly open. Gone is the quicksand beneath his feet, the blazing light, and the battering wind. It’s replaced instead with the dark and warm of their bedroom. Against his side, Daniel’s body is so hot and every place they are touching is sweat sticky. Still, Max’s arms tighten around him, silently reminding himself that home means safety these days.
His heart is still hammering in his chest, but he tries to sound controlled when he lets out a sleep-stained, croaky, “Hey.”
“Sorry.” Daniel sounds guilty, and Max frowns, his brain still too cloudy with sleep to work anything out.
“What is it?”
He’s expecting to hear that one of the cats- which always become Max’s cats the moment they misbehave- has thrown up on the bed again, or maybe Max was just disturbing Daniel with his nightmare. Instead-
“Don’t laugh,” Daniel says, his voice a whisper in the dark even though there is no one else to wake up now. “Don’t- Can you go check the bathroom?”
Max rubs his eyes, blearily. A glance at the clock on his bedside table tells him it is 2 AM, so he can’t have been asleep for long.
“Check the- What? Daniel, what-“
“I think I heard something,” Daniel interrupts him, “can you just- Please, baby, can you just check no one is in there.”
For a moment, Max lies completely still, trying to catch the noise Daniel is referring to. Probably, it is one of the cats, but when Max sits up in the bed and looks down at where Daniel is curled beneath the covers with only his head poking out from beneath them, he can make out the shine of his wide, pleading eyes even in the dark.
“Is this because of the scary book?” Max asks, his eyebrows raised, “Because-“
“Max, please,” Daniel says again, a little desperately, interrupting the glory of Max’s, I told you so.
Shaking his head with a fond smile, Max swings his legs over the side of the bed and gets to his feet.
“Really, Daniel,” he says, padding towards their bathroom door, “it is very unfair that if there was a murderer in our home, you are happy to sacrifice me to them.”
What he doesn’t say is the way it is also nice, that they can find just the kind of safety they need in each other.
“Yeah, yeah,” Daniel says, trying for casual but his still slightly shaking voice gives him away, “I’ll remember to feed the beasts if you get ghost murdered.”
“Oh, it’s a ghost now?” Max muses with another laugh as he flicks on the light. He doesn’t need to look, because of course there is no one in the home apart from him, Daniel and the cats, but he makes a show of doing it anyway, to put Daniel’s mind at ease. “Well, please be quiet Mr Ghost, it is bedtime.”
As suspected, Sassy looks up at him guiltily from where she’d been sharpening her claws on the bathmat. Max leans down to pat her bum and move her along, then flicks the light off again. Just for good measure, he looks inside their wardrobe and under their bed, before getting back into it.
“The coast is clear,” Max promises, lifting up his arm for Daniel to curl back underneath. Still, he is too hot, but for a few more moments he can stand some cuddling, if it means the thundering of Daniel’s heart he can feel pressed against him begins to slow.
“The ghost is clear,” Daniel corrects, and then they both dissolve into overtired giggles. When they’ve trailed off into silence, save for the purring of Jimmy who has now joined them to see what all the excitement is about, Daniel says again, softer, “Thank you, baby.”
Max just presses a kiss to the tip of Daniel’s nose, before succumbing to his heavy eyelids, and turning over onto his side to sleep. Of course, Daniel presses himself all along the line of Max’s back, but Max doesn’t protest. He can endure a little longer.
He is about to drop off, when-
“You can’t tell anyone your stupid book scared the shit out of me, okay?” Daniel whispers, lips catching on the back of Max’s neck, making him shiver. He’ll save the follow up of that feeling for the morning.
Now, he just reaches a hand behind himself blindly in the dark, until he finds the top of Daniel’s tattooed thigh to squeeze it gently. His fingertips trace over where he knows the heart will be, without even having to look
“Of course, I will not,” he promises easily, “would not want to ruin the, what was it again? 'Balls of steel' reputation?”
Besides, there are some parts of Daniel he likes to keep all for himself.
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harrysfolklore · 1 year
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since sarah n mitch are taking a break from the band, could you write a blurb abt babysitter!y/n?? like did she stay home or is she still on tour w harry??
nanny on tour
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i really really really hope you like this ! let me know your thoughts
BABYSITTER!YN MASTERLIST | MY PATREON
Life couldn’t get any better for YN and Harry at the moment.
Even though they just celebrated their first anniversary together a few months ago, it felt like their relationship had been going strong for years, deciding to move in together after Harry’s Los Angeles residencies were done with the promise of a bright future.
However, not everything had been easy for them and they had to face a big challenge for their relationship in the middle of Harry's NYC residencies, when they had a pregnancy scare.
"Okay, let's not panic," Harry said when YN told him about her period being late after many days of feeling sick, taking her hand in his. "We'll figure this out together."
And they did.
After being by her side when she took the pregnancy tests that came out negative, he promised her that it would´t change their relationship, it would only make it stronger.
And now they were on their shared Los Angeles home where they were staying for a few days before embarking on the next leg of Love On Tour; Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Harry was excited to say the least, not only because he was finally going back to playing for those crowds, but also because YN was finally going to be able to actually attend the shows, since Sarah and Mitch decided to step back from the tour life for a moment and focus on their baby son.
"I can't believe you're finally going on the road as my girlfriend and not Mitch and Sarah's nanny." Harry said as he watched her throw stuff on her suitcase from the bed, they were catching their flight to Australia early in the morning.
"I'm excited," YN told him, a small smile showing, "I'll finally have the full Love On Tour experience, huh?"
"And then some." he replied with a smirk on his face, and YN's packing up was long forgotten as he pulled her to the bed with him.
The next morning, they woke up early and headed to the airport to catch their flight to the first stop on the tour, Perth. As they arrived at their hotel, Harry watched as YN's eyes widened in amazement at the sights and sounds of the bustling city. They spent the day exploring together, trying new foods and taking in the local culture.
As Harry prepared for his first show, YN watched in awe as he rehearsed with his bandmates. It was a part of the show she rarely got to see since she was on the road working, and as she watched him command the stage and do what he enjoyed the most, she felt herself falling even more in love with him.
When the time to get dressed for the show finally came, Harry's nerves about YN being in the crowd and watching the show for the first time kicked in.
"You're going to be amazing out there," YN said, taking his hand in hers.
"I hope so, I don't want to disappoint you." Harry replied, his nerves still getting the better of him.
"Come on, how on earth could you disappoint me, lovie? You're Harry Styles, that's like, impossible" YN tenderly said, rolling her eyes with affection.
Harry couldn't help but laugh at her words. Even though he was one of the biggest stars in the world, YN had a way of making him feel like a regular guy, and that was one of the things that made him fall for her.
"I'm just a guy with a guitar," Harry said, pointing to his instrument.
"And an incredible voice, and cool outfits, and a nice arse too" YN added, standing up and walking over to him, making him laugh and pull her closer.
"I'm going to miss you while you're on stage," YN spoke again, her voice soft and sweet, making Harry melt, "But this time, I'll be right here when you get off stage and not all the way back in the hotel."
Harry instantly smiled at her words, excitement taking over her body, "I'm going to miss you too," he pulled her close and gave her a kiss, "I'll be thinking of you the whole time," Harry said, his forehead pressed against hers.
"Go make me proud, rockstar." and with a final kiss to her lips, Harry was ready to take stage
That night, YN stood in the crowd as Harry performed for thousands of fans. She felt a sense of pride and admiration wash over her as she watched him sing his heart out on stage for the first time as his girlfriend. When the show was done, Harry rushed backstage where YN was waiting for him, held her tightly in his arms.
"I'm so happy you're here with me, Nanny." he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"I'm happy to be here," YN replied, smiling up at him. "I can't wait to see what other adventures we'll have together on this tour."
As they headed to the next city, Harry felt a sense of excitement and contentment wash over him. He knew that having YN by his side on this journey would make everything even more special, and he was grateful for every moment they had together.
taglist: @cucciolafaerie @eleanordaisy @sunflowersndpeaches @golden-hoax @alienorknight @daydreamingofmatilda @ivyproblems @ayeshathestyles @stylesmygucci @gimsaysay @rosaliedepp @dontworrysunflower @milfrrynation @manifestrry @iceebabies @harrystylesrecs @pleasingrryyy @harianaswhore @noitsmebecky @abeanontoast t @grapejuice-rry @vrittivsanghavi i @msolbesg @tati813 @sad1esgf @itsgabbysblog g @theekyliepage @watermelonsugacry @be-with-me-so-happily @a-strange-familiar @reveriehs @musicforcinemas @harrybabyyyyyyy @tinydeskwriter @noooovaaaaa @tenaciousperfectionunknown @mxltifxnd0m @rach2602 @balletdancerry @b-reads-things @juiceboxrry @lomlolivia @itsgigikay @goldensstateofgrace @missmielyhoran @fdl305 @lightsoutstyles
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apricitystudies · 9 months
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what i read in aug. 2023:
(previous editions) bold = favourite
race, gender, sexuality
the blind side was always trash
he’s the trans son of an anti-trans influencer. it's his turn to speak
'the eurocentric fallacy': the myths that underpin european identity
is there a sinister side to the rise of female robots?
i call myself a spinster, but that doesn’t mean l’ll be single forever
politics & current affairs
the land beyond the drug war (usa)
how torture, deception and inaction underpin the uae’s thriving sex trafficking industry
wa mp james hayward found guilty of child sex abuse, disqualified from parliament (australia)
a north korean defector captivated us media. some question her story (usa)
history, culture, & personal essays
loneliness: coping with the gap where friends used to be
inside barbados' historic push for slavery reparations
ahead of time: on poetry and mourning
dreaming of water with tiger salamanders
i stole my neighbour's tragedy to write a short story
nuclear tech: war, power, & oppenheimer
the cautionary tale of j. robert oppenheimer
315 nuclear bombs and ongoing suffering: the shameful history of nuclear testing in australia and the pacific
revisiting hiroshima in iran (journal of international security, open access)
japan releases treated wastewater from fukushima nuclear plant into pacific ocean
spectre of maralinga hangs over aukus nuclear waste for indigenous communities (aus/us)
the dark history oppenheimer didn't show
don't let the victors define morality – hiroshima was always indefensible
if you're interested in more peer-reviewed resources on the american bombings of hiroshima/nagasaki please let me know!
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