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norrisleclercf1 · 10 months

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You’re My Love Story

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Horner!Reader

Rating: PG-13

Words: 2.9K

Requested: Yes/No

Warnings: Time Jumps, Angst, Fluff, Christian Horner is an ass in this, Gerri is team you and Charles, Happy Ending, I promise

A/N: I've been listening to my favorite Taylor Swift songs a lot while I study and couldn't help but put each one to a driver, this one is for Charles

Poll Winner

Synopsis: Love Stories are meant to be heartbreaking, but would yours be the opposite?

2014, Ages: 17 and 16

You hated these parties, boring and stuffy. You're forced to wear a dress far too fancy for your taste, but your mother just wanted you to look nice. A party in the Monaco summer air had you wishing you could be swimming in the ocean than smiling and faking remembrance of people you don't know.

Your father was moving from person to person, shaking hands, laughing at crude jokes that had your mother giving him multiple looks. He's quick to stop, clearing his throat as he introduces you.

"My daughter, Y/N Horner. Sweetie, this is-" You zone out, giving a picturesque smile and faking interest in the conversation. "Mama, can I go take a breather? It's hot in the dress." You whisper. Firey hair turns, giving you her approval and whispering for you to not go far. "I won't, just on the balcony." Pointing to the double doors open, exposing the sparkling lights of Monte Carlo.

Floating through the crowd, stepping out on the balcony, you suck in the tinge of cold air clinging to the night. Your posture drops when you don't feel your mother's eyes on you, leaning over the railing. Laughter draws your attention to the people below as they dance around each other, talking loudly and freely.

Your heart yearns for that to be you, to escape this place and have some real fun. But, your father would refuse, saying you had to uphold your family name. The name, you sometimes hated being a Horner. Anytime someone would hear that last name, it was always followed by the same question.

"You're Christian Horner's daughter? Team Principle of Red Bull?" Like a broken record, you smile, nod, and give the infamous one-liner back. "Yes, and I fully support the F1 Team. They're definitely going to win." Everyone getting hyped hearing those words.

And why wouldn't they? You had the ultimate powerhouse Sebastian Vettel and the up-and-coming Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo. Speaking of which, turning around your eyes and scan the crowd, not hearing the familiar groups of laughter around Daniel.

Not seeing Daniel, you notice a boy make his way through the crowd instead. He was new. You could tell from how no one talked to him, say a few people but not enough for him to be somebody. His suit was nice, hair stringy as he looked around before darting onto the balcony with you.

"Oh, hello." His eyes widened, finally noticing that he wasn't alone out here. "Hi." Giving a curt answer and moving to leave. "Wait, you don't have to leave!" His hand grabs your wrist, making you turn, shocked that someone would touch you.

"Sorry." Hand-dropping as he fidgets, you clock in quick that he has never done something like this. "Have you ever been to one of these parties?" Hazel-green eyes pinch, hating that it was noticeable. "No," He trails off, playing with a ring on his finger. "Okay, yes. I'm a driver. But, just for Formula Renault. I'm driving for a British team called Fortec Motorsports," He looks up, sees your bored face, and sighs. "And you clearly don't care." Huffing, he leans on the railing missing your growing smile.

Laughing, you move closer. "No, I know the team. Daddy talks about all the younger teams all the time." The boy looks at you, his body more relaxed as he smiles. "Really? If you're here, you must be a daughter of a retired driver or worker, right?" He asks, teasing you.

Instead, you feel that familiar dread. Does he know who you are? Pretending to approach you and be nice just to meet your father? It won't surprise you if that is true.

"Yeah, I am." Back straight, wrapping yourself back in that perfect media daughter cover. "Oh, that's cool. My godfather is a driver. Made me come along and try to mingle. You see how well it's going. You're the first person to actually talk to me." Your heart picks up, seeing that smile directed at you.

The two of you talk away the rest of the night; laughter and blushes pass between you. Only for your bubble to be popped when your father's voice cuts through.

"Y/n? Are you ready to le-" You and the boy jump back, having been very close. Looks of guilt on both your faces have your father freezing. "Y/n, go to your mother now." Voice stern, no room for argument. With a nod, head down, you slip past your father. "Wait! I didn't tell you my name; I'm Charles. Charles Leclerc." A blush spreads over your cheeks, seeing that heart-stopping smile again.

"Nice to meet you, Charles. I'm Y/n Horner." Your introduction is ended when your father grabs your arm, dragging you away from Charles, the balcony boy.

2017, Ages 20 & 19

"Charles, stop throwing pebbles." Giggles as you poke your head out the window, seeing a red and white shirt in the dark. "What? You weren't answering my texts." He whispers, yelling up to your window. "I was studying. Shouldn't you be getting ready for your last F2 race?" Leaning out the window, your heart still beating fast in your chest, seeing that smile.

"Wanted to see you." He admits, scanning the wall, trying to figure a way up to you. "Charles, if Daddy knows you're here, we're dead." It's been 3 years since you met Charles on that balcony and 1 year since your father gave you strict order for Charles to stay away from you.

At that time, the two of you couldn't stay apart. Your mother caught you more than once sneaking out. With a smile, she'd just nod, kiss you on the cheek and tell you to be careful. "So? I wanted to tell you some exciting news. So, you either come down here, or I come up." Dropping your head, you have to cover your laughter. "Wait." He nods, watching the outline of your body dip back in the window.

You curse as the bedroom door creeks, and you whisper that you'll get it fixed. The hallway plunged into darkness, with no light from your parent's bedroom. Score. Sliding out of the doorway, you tiptoe like clouds are under your feet. On the steps, your body freezes when a step groans under pressure.

Taking a moment to ensure no one woke you wait before darting down the hallway to the kitchen's back door. Charles jumps, worried that it's your father, but instead, you close the door and stop staring at one another.

"Hello." Smiles pull on both your lips, darting forward. He opens his arms gathering you in them. "Hi." You gasp, arms and legs wrapped tight around him. "I've missed you." You don't need to repeat it back, kissing him as a way to say it. Smiling, he kisses you back, but it ends earlier, pulling a slight whine of protest out of you.

"I'm driving for Sauber next year." The words have your brain stutter to a stop. Sauber? As in the Formula 1 Sauber team? "What?" He chuckles, putting you down, and looking at you, his smile drops. "Oh my god, Charles. That's….I'm so proud of you." The two of you mold into each other as Charles tells you everything.

You laugh, seeing him so happy, something he's needed for a long time. Finally able to uphold his promise to his father so long ago. A light in a window flicks on, having you two freeze. "Fuck, that's my parent's room. Go!" You whisper yell. Charles scales the garden wall, stopping as he leans, kissing you. "See you on the track." Dropping down the wall, lips tingling.

But you have to forget that, rushing back into the house quick and quiet steps and into your room. Placing yourself back at your desk, studying. A knock has you jumping, your father's head poking in. "I heard something? Are you okay?" Faking concern, you knew he was suspicious from how his eyebrows knitted together, and eyes were drawn.

"Yep, all good." Trying to hide your hard breathing, he looks over you before disappearing and clicking your door closed.

2019 Ages 21 & 20

"I knew it! I fucking knew it!" Something slams on the table, flinching. You try hard not to look up. You'll only be met with articles and newspapers of you and Charles kissing. Your father's furious face, your mother's worried one. That's all you'll see if you look up.

"Christian, you need to calm down. She's an adult." Your mother tries to reason, but he refuses to see reason. "I told you AND him to stay away from each other. And did you LISTEN? NO!" He roars. Tears slip down your face, and hurried hands wipe them away. "I love him." A confession you haven't even said to him.

"Love him? You love him? He's the enemy, Y/n. How could you betray me? This family? The team?" Each word is a stab to your heart, just wanting to run away into Charles's arms. "I'm sorry, Daddy. But I do. I love him!" Head whipping up, you meet your father's eyes. Yours blurry from the tears running down. He just shakes his head.

"If you ever see him again. I'm shipping you back to London, where you'll never see him again. Understand?" Voice steady, he was past angry. Now in the stage of silent fury. "Answer your father, Y/n." Gasping on a sob, you nod, stumbling out of the chair and rushing upstairs.

You knew time had passed when your Mama knocked on the door, the sun dipping into the sea. "Y/n?" A sniffle is the only reply you can give her. Throat and eyes are raw from all the crying you've done.

"Sweetie, he's here to see you." Sitting up, you are shocked and scared by those words. "Your father isn't here. Had business to attend to." She leaves your door cracked. All you can see is her red hair bouncing down the stairs.

Checking the mirror, you know it's pointless trying to fix yourself as you head downstairs. His back is to you, staring out the door that gives you a look at the Monaco docks filled with fancy boats.

"Charles?" Voice cracks, and he turns, wearing sunglasses. He doesn't even remove them to look at you. "I was told by everyone that we need to call this off." White noise fills buzzes in your ears, tears all gone, you just slip down the steps sitting on them.

"Don't, not you too. Please, don't." Charles flinches, unable to read him properly, his sunglasses blocking all his emotions. "Y/n," His own voice breaks. He has to clear his throat, keeping a reasonable distance. Charles knew if he stepped forward, he'd gather you up and never let go. "Please don't go. Charles, you can't. I'll leave. I'll go with you. We can…we can run away and never look back. Let's just run. I can't keep being told how I'm supposed to feel." Eyes burn, and tears drip down your cheeks.

"I love you. I love you, Charles Leclerc." Sunglasses taken off, he pinches his eyes, trying to keep his tears at bay. "We can't. I'm sorry, Y/n." The front door opens and closes. "Oh, oh god." You sob, holding your chest. "Y/n? Oh, my baby." You bury your head in your knees, not wanting to hear your mother's voice.

Current, Ages 26 & 25

"Are you okay?" If you could groan out loud right now, you would. It was thoughtful the first couple of times your mother asked, but now it was annoying you. "Mama, for the last time. I'm fine; my faith in us ever getting back together is long gone." You hiss, watching Charles with fans from the Red Bull hospitality.

"I was sure you two would get back together. Neither of you have dated since that day. Also, I think me kicking your father out for that month taught him a lesson." A chuckle passes your lips, painfully pulling your eyes away from Charles. "Yes, I think it did." She smiles, sipping on her tea.

A small wave to someone, you're too busy to look up, worried Charles would see you staring. "Who are you waving at now?" Your Mama is a social butterfly, always chatting and waving at someone. "Charles." She replies.

Eyes bludging, you whip around, seeing Charles still in the same spot. Eyes locking, the two of you look away at the same time. "Pity, you should go talk to him. You're clearly still in love with him."

"MAMA!" You gasp. She shrugs her shoulder, lifting her teacup to her lips and sipping. "Don't deny it. I know you cheered for him like crazy last year." Cheeks red, you grumble how you were just glad he was doing well.

"Okay, but he's staring at you. Again." You knew he was. Whenever his eyes are on you, your body heats up. Basically glows under his watch, cursing that you still loved him so much. "Oh, he's gone. Guess you can leave now." With a silent thanks, you leave the safety of the hospitality, walking back to your apartment.

The walk is longer than expected. Streets shut down in Monte Carlo due to the race. You can't help but shake the feeling someone is following you. With a slight turn, you notice many people behind you, all wearing regular clothes to Formula 1 gear. "Going crazy." You turn and pop out using a shortcut, slamming into a body.

"Ow, watch where you're going." Snapping, you lock eyes with the person, and blood runs cold. The last time you saw his eyes this close was years ago. You even forgot the exact color of his eyes. Honey green.

"Y/n." He breathes. That stupid heart-stopping smile is still the same, at least. "Excuse me, I have to go." He body blocks you, making sure you don't leave. "Don't go." Hearing those two words, you're pulled back to the memory of when you said that same exact thing to him.

"I'm sorry, I can't." Throwing his own words in his face. This time no sunglasses to hide the sorrow in his eyes. "I love you, I still love you." He confesses. "I had to walk away. I just joined Ferrari. Your father was making my life hell on and off the track. He said if I didn't stop seeing you, he'd make sure I'd lose the seat. Fuck, it was so stupid to pick a fucking seat over you. But all I could think about was my father, Jules, and you. I thought you'd be better without me. God, was I wrong." A sharp turn on your heel, you stare at him.

"Do you have any idea how lonely I've been? That I lost my best friend and the love of my life in one go? I shipped myself back to London to finish school cause everywhere I looked, you were there. Yet, with new faces, places, and everything else, I still looked and craved for you. My dumbass even thought you'd come running after me? But that was all in my head." Charles shakes his head no.

"I did come after you, but your fucking father found me and the ring and told me you hated me. Never wanted to see me again, so I flew back. I didn't learn how you still felt until 2 months ago. Gerri is a talker when drunk." You try to follow his words, but the word ring is all you can stay on. "And she was drunk, spilled everything to me. How you fell apart, kicking your father out for a month. All of it. Grew some balls and went to your father, talked to him, and told him I would marry you with or without his permission." Taking deep breaths, he calms down, leaving you two in silence.

"You have a ring?" He nods, pulling out a little black box. "I carry it with me everywhere." Neither of you says anything as you just stare at the box. "Ask me."

"What?" Eyes wide as you smile, eyes watery. "Ask me to marry you. Please?" He laughs, dropping his head. He gets down to one knee on the empty Monte Carlo street. "Y/n Horner, will you marry me?"

Laughing, you nod. They're happy tears as he slips the ring on your finger this time. "Yes, my balcony boy." His own laughter filled the quiet street.

2024 Ages 27 & 26

"Y/n? Come on, don't be late for our wedding rehearsal!" You smile, blinking out of the memories as you stare at that ugly dress you wore the first time you met Charles.

"Coming!" You stare at your rehearsal dress. A white dress hanging off the door. One dress you wore when you met the love of your life, the other you'd be wearing to promise yourself to him forever.

This was a love story that survived.

Turning, he stops fidgeting with his watch, mouth open. "Is that? Woah." He gasps, seeing you wearing the same dress he first meet you in.

"Yep, had it altered like crazy, but bringing back memories?" Charles can only nod as he moves to your side, kissing you.

"We were both so young when I first saw you." He whispers, kissing you again. "And I'm going to ensure we're never apart again." Placing a kiss on your ring.

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salbei-141 · 5 months

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Be honest with me (Roman Roy x reader)

Masterlist

word count: 1.1k

warnings: 18+, pure fluff and comfort, mentions of verbal abuse

a/n: Inactivity who? A rare update I know lol. Anyway y’all I’m so in love with him - honestly in love with all the Roy siblings, but Romulus got a special place in my heart <3

I love how late I jump onto writing trends for characters, but in my defence I've had this in the drafts for MONTHS. Anyway, hope you enjoy my loves <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The apartment was silent, it felt too out of character, especially for Roman. The both of you lay in silence on his bed, still in today's clothes.

You move your hand slowly - scared that a sudden movement would cause him to suddenly get up and leave without warning. Tentatively, you inch your fingers onto his own - he said nothing, nor did he move. Gaining more confidence and desperate to comfort him knowing how loud his mind must be right now - you encapsulate his hand within your own. They’re soft and warm - Roman was always warm to touch. You feel his hand squeeze your own back - still no words being said.

You take a deep breath, feeling the need to break the silence finally, but before you can, Roman cuts you off.

“Please don’t,” his voice came out weak - he was usually so quick witted…he just sounded tired.

“Okay,” your voice was soft - a complete dichotomy to the tone he was used to from his father and siblings.

Another 30 minutes went by in complete silence - the both of your steady breaths being the only thing heard. Your hand still lay in his - he hadn't moved an inch unless it was to gently squeeze your hand every so often.

You turn on your side, slipping your hand out of his - he still didn't move. You decided to move closer to him, laying your head on his shoulder and draping your right arm across his chest that rose up and down with each breath he took.

You studied his face - he looked like he wanted to push you off of him, and yet simultaneously he was aching to pull you closer to him. Your touch was the only touch he felt safe feeling - you'd never hurt him, and he never doubted that thought for a second, but he was just so used to being alone and pushing people away.

You were desperate to hear his voice, to understand what was running through his head. You knew he was probably going to say some stupid quip to hide how he really felt, but you'd see straight through him; he knew this and it was the scariest thing to him - that you actually saw him.

"Ro...," you were gentle - a part of him just wanted you to shout at him and tell him he was a waste of space just like his father had - it was all he knew. However, you were just too kind, you actually cared for him, and not in the way his father cared for him - if you could call it that - but in a way that was so genuine and pure that it felt wrong to him, but he craved every second of it.

His gaze moved from the ceiling to your worried face - you looked beautiful he thought, he had always thought you were the most beautiful person he knew. "Yeah," his voice sounded small and tired.

"Are you okay?" the question was stupid, you knew he wasn't, but you wondered if he'd answer you honestly - if for once he'd be vulnerable with you, and truly let you into what was going through his mind.

"What? Pfft yeah I'm fine, real fucking good...just thinking about who has bigger tits - you or Gerri...I think Gerri does," there it was...he couldn't be honest with you for a minute if he tried - he'd rather say some crude shit and hope you'd be weirded out enough like everyone else and just leave him so he could avoid sharing his emotions.

You sat up, leaning on one hand as you stared down at him while he tried to avoid your gaze which was slowly glazing over with unshed tears. "Roman...please I-...can you just be honest with me?" your voice had a slight shake - scared that you were going to push him over the edge and he'd run.

He made eye contact with you, his heart clenching in his chest, no one had made him feel the way you could make him feel, and that scared him. He didn't know what to do - his mind was screaming so many things at him all at once that he couldn't really make a decision, so he stayed silent.

Several minutes passed of you both just holding each other's gaze then he opened his mouth tentatively, "Why do you care about me? Why can't you just call me a freak or a perv and leave?" You watched as his eyes reddened and glazed over as he tried his hardest not to cry in front of you. Had you cracked him? It felt bittersweet that he might finally just be honest with you, but the pain in his eyes was tearing at your heart.

You smiled, giggling softly as you lifted a hand to his cheek and wiped away a singular tear that had managed to fall, watching as he turned his face to meet your caress - he trusted you. "Because I fucking love you Roman".

"But why?" he interrupted you like a child would trying to understand such a foreign concept that you were trying to explain.

"There's no reason - I mean there is, you're...you. I love you Roman." You were so soft with him, it felt alien to him. It broke you that he couldn't fathom the concept of someone genuinely loving him, and in such a pure way too. This love wasn't like the love from his father, nor from his siblings - it was something so foreign that he couldn't understand it, but he liked it...he liked this.

You laid back down beside him, "Come here Ro...please" your eyes had such a soft stare - they were so warm and inviting, he couldn't object to the embrace you were offering him.

Roman inched across the bed over into your arms, wrapping his arm around your waist and burying his face in your chest, while you wrapped an arm around his back, holding him close to you. You fell into a comfortable silence, holding each other without a care in the world - it was just the both of you.

"I love you too, you know?" he muttered it so quietly that it almost went unheard, but a smile spread across your face at his confession. You knew that he had probably been having an internal argument with himself on whether or not he was actually going to say it to you; without any sarcasm too.

You felt your heart fluttering in your chest and you pulled him closer to you, "Yeah I know". You tilted your head down slightly and pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. He went to open his mouth to say some sarky comment, but immediately shut it - he didn't need to feel defensive around you, not now, and not ever.

#fluff #fem reader #sucession #roman roy x reader #roman roy #roman roy fluff #roman roy imagine #roman roy x you #succession x reader #comfort #fanfic #succession roman #logan roy #shiv roy #kendall roy #gregory hirsch #tom wambsgans

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the-west-meadow · 1 year

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Heartbreaker

Roman Roy x Reader

summary: As your relationship with Roman grows more uncertain, you turn to the person who knows him best for advice.

Midway through the day, you spotted Gerri on her way out of the office and sprang up from your desk, jogging after her.

“Hey Gerri,” you said, “Could I buy you lunch today?”

“I’m flattered. What’s the occasion?”

“I need your input on something.”

She eyed you suspiciously.

“Is this business or personal?”

“Personal.”

“Fine. But you’re buying me a drink, too.”

Gerri took you to a high-end lunch spot downtown. You settled at a table near the window, picking up your menus. No prices. You swallowed. You had known this wouldn’t come cheap.

“What’s on your mind, Y/N?”

“It’s Roman.”

Gerri let out a subtle sigh, adjusting her glasses as she scanned the menu.

“I should have known,” she murmured.

“I’m completely at a loss.”

“Welcome to the club.”

“I mean, what can you tell me? Every time I ask him about his relationship history he starts mumbling and won’t make eye contact.”

“I don’t know much more than you,” she said. “There were a few girls that I know of. But as far as I know they never went anywhere, if you know what I mean.”

“I don’t.”

“Do I have to say it?”

“Yes, Gerri.”

“Well, then.” She cleared her throat. “As far as I know, they never… you know. Fucked.”

You sat back with a somewhat satisfied smirk on your face.

“Okay then,” you said.

“Don’t let that hearten you. In fact, it might be a reason for you to pack up and look elsewhere.”

Gerri sighed and rubbed her nose lightly.

“Roman is extremely complicated,” she went on. “You think you have him figured out, then he surprises you again. He’s chaotic, he’s unpredictable, he’s highly unstable—“

“Gerri,” you said, interrupting. “You’re saying all this like it should deter me.”

“If you were a sane human being, it would.”

“Let’s say I’m not. Let’s say I’m invested in seeing where this Roman trip takes me.”

She finally looked at you with something like mingled sympathy and admiration.

“Then I might be able to give you a few pointers.”

The drinks arrived. Gerri took a long sip before considering what she would say next.

“First, it might help if you told me what it is about Roman that interests you.”

You took a swig of your own drink before you responded.

“Let me just say that I didn’t choose to feel this way. I fully intended not to like Roman when I came to work for this company. Everything I heard made me dread meeting him. Even in our first few meetings, I was still determined not to like him. He was weirdly twitchy, he wouldn’t stop climbing on furniture. I thought he was a self-absorbed prick.”

“You weren’t wrong.”

“Right. But we both know there’s something underneath that.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“He’s a heartbreaker, Gerri.”

“I know.”

You put your head down on the table. The waiter arrived with your entrees, unsure where to put them until Gerri nudged you beneath the table. You shot up, composing yourself. Gerri leaned towards you.

“Listen, I know Roman. He’s tough. But I think he’ll open up to you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Roman’s been looking in all the wrong places for love. I think his relationship with his dad shows that pretty clearly. He has an image in his mind of the kind of partner he should have. But that’s not the partner that he ultimately wants.”

“And what kind of partner does he want?”

“Maybe one who’s as broken as he is.”

You cracked a grin.

“I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not,” you said.

“It’s meant as one. I know you’ve been through some tough times, but look where it’s brought you. Sometimes the most broken people end up being the strongest.”

She looked at you with that same admiring glint in her eye.

“When I first met you, I thought I saw a lot of myself in you.”

“Sorry, but there’s no way Gerri Kellman is a broken person.”

A small smile.

“You’d be surprised.”

You ate for a while in silence, thinking over each other’s words. Gerri finally glanced at her watch.

“We should be getting back soon.”

“Tell me what to do, Gerri. I’m lost when it comes to him.”

“My advice?” She dabbed at her lips with her napkin, took a sip of ice water. “Don’t give up on Roman.”

“Give me one good reason.”

She looked you straight in the eye. “Because,” she said, “Last week, he asked me to lunch to talk about you.”

Your heart leapt in your chest.

“You’re kidding me.”

She shook her head firmly.

“I thought he didn’t like me,” you said.

“Quite the opposite.”

“Holy fuck.”

Gerri shook her head, gathering her bag with a smile on her lips.

“That’s an understatement. You’re in for a wild ride, Y/N.”

You drove back to the office with her, riding in silence up the elevators. As you walked back towards the conference room, Roman strode out of his office, hands in pockets.

“Oh look,” he said, “It’s my two favorite people.”

He stopped in his tracks. You could see his mind backpedaling in real time.

“Sorry, did I say that? I meant my two favorite corporate thralls. Get back to the conference room where you belong. Why aren’t you on a call right now? Fuck you. Leave me alone.”

Gerri had a smirk on her lips. Neither of you budged. Finally, Roman hurried past you, running a hand through his hair, throwing obscenities into the air.

“See?” Gerri said. “He does like you.”

#succession #roman roy x reader #roman roy/reader #roman roy #gerri kellman #reader insert #taking a lil break from requests to do something indulgent #next i might do the flip side of this... roman's lunch with gerri

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there-was-never-a-door-there · 24 days

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Woops I Accidentally Character Studied Michael Shelley...

I actually did this a while ago, but all of you are being subjected to it now as well

HERE WE GO!!

I think Michael was the person who always wanted to be an extrovert and had the social skills to be one (he may have even considered himself an extrovert, who knows)- always bubbly, happy, didn’t mind talking to people- but he lacked a certain sense of self that most extroverts have. We don’t know much about his home life, but I feel like he must have come from some sort of environment where he was always told to do this and this and this by people without them earning his trust in return, so we’re left with this person who doesn’t know the proper way to really connect with people and question them when he feels like he’s been wronged and who is, in short, easy to manipulate. He was so used to relying on people his whole life that he didn’t have to get used to the idea of actually making a whole lot of decisions for himself.

Okay okay and because I sold my soul to gerrymichael, you get the part two to this as well (featuring a bit of Gerry character study as well)

Gerry is a good contrast to this because he’s a person who is similar enough in that he’s trapped in this calling that started with Mary Keay, but is altogether still a more independent person than Michael in most ways because he’s been trying so long to break out of his mom’s sphere of influence. I think that, were they to meet in canon, they would probably start out quite a bit at odds just because they were so different from eachother and so they might not have actually been initially inclined to be friends, but I think that Michael was probably a little bit lonely. He was purposely kept in the dark about a lot of things at the institute, and I think he may have been a bit drawn to Gerry because he was another loner in the institute staff. Eventually they would hang out and I think once they started to open up to each other, Michael would say things and Gerry would be like “Eyo??? That’s sort of not cool of your coworkers? You can stand up for yourself, you know that, right?” And they would just have a lot of conversations like that which would slowly make Michael think more and more and see exactly how isolated he’s being kept from the archive staff and it leads to a new sense of identity that lets him become more of his own person before he and Gertrude go to Sannikovya SO THAT HE CAN REALISE HOW HE'S BEING USED AND MANAGE TO STOP THE GREAT TWISTING WITH GERTRUDE WITHOUT SACRIFICING HIMSELF AND GOING THROUGH THE DOOR

#Big Feelings Time #micheal shelley #gerry keay #the magnus archives #tma #tma podcast #tma michael #tma gerry #doorkeay

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r0semultiverse · 2 months

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Mr. 6 made you do a good show to be released?? 👀 um....

This is already giving serious eye vibes.

A whole show dedicated to public humiliation?

The Mr. Bonzo suit started moving??? 👀 Serious stranger vibes. 🤡

"It actually became a sort of ritual"

I've seen people being like "don't cross tag" but buddy... the writing cross tags itself here I mean c'mon! 😂 Something something ritual of the stranger- okay, I'll keep listening!

Hey, what's with the music?? Hey, who is Terrance Menki???👀

"The police said there were eleven bodies in total and his wardrobe was full of all sorts of homemade costumes." BRO IS ACTUALLY MAGNUSPOD WILLIAM AFTON-

"It certainly had a profound effect on the Mr. Bonzo brand." Oh I'm sure it did, holy fucking shit. 👀

Oh, me using this image is rather ironic now.

"In a lot of ways I’m more his prisoner now than I ever was on my show." WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? 👀

"The witness statements from three murders over the last five years that claim a person in a Mr. Bonzo costume was at the scene? Do you think there could be a copycat?" Has the fear of clowns manifested as an actual clown-guything?

"Don’t contact us again." "Us?" "Why am I still trapped dealing with all this this- Why won’t he let me go?! Why-" So Mr. Bonzo is absolutely a clown cryptid of sorts with some sort of hold over Nigel.

Oh no, Gwen's about to fuck around & find out, isn't she? 👀

Hey, is Colin still himself & is he supposed to be back?

Hmm, okay, I guess that's him (hopefully).

"Maybe don’t tell them I’ve been on their terminals. They’ll only get the wrong idea." "If Lena asks, I wasn’t here." Seems like everyone's got their own little secret investigations going on, fun! This can only go well! 🙃

One of the episodes absolutely no one shows up to work except Lena is there & is like "where the fuck did everyone go?"

"Time to get some new hires again I guess."

Let's go!! Ruin exploration gang!!

"Like, it’s Saturday night and I’m choosing to hang out in a hole with you. A wet hole. And not the good kind either."

Alice with the absolute best quotes. lmao

That sounds like something with giant wings like a bat or some sort of cloth flapping in the wind. Let's hope it's the latter!

Oh a rusty old filing cabinet! Wait tetanus- 😭

"That carved floor in the big atrium – I don’t know what’s going on with that." Ah so we're just gonna breeze past that then. 😶

These are probably the remnants of old avatar creation test areas like mentioned in the Gerry & Gertrude episode. I'm just assuming here.

A key? Big find! Let's go!

AS I WAS SAYING-

Gwen, it was nice knowing you. 🫡

"Now get out of his house."

Archivist! 👁👄👁

"symbols of ancient otherworldly power"

Wait could this be a timeline where this universe's Jane Prentiss actually did manage to invade the building & succeed? I'm thinking out loud.

21:10 that sounds like critters, insects specifically 👀

"I have memories of weird stuff I saw here, but no context. I want to know what was happening, why they chose us… why they didn’t choose me. Maybe find the bit where everything started to go wrong." I am so captivated & intrigued please recount said memories to us- I mean Alice so we can learn more. Please. 👀

EXCUSE ME, WHO THE FUCK WAS THAT?!? WHO IS "[ERROR]?"

WHY DO THEY SOUND DISTORTED AS FUCK?? ARE THEY FROM THE PRIME TIMELINE OR IS THIS A NEW THING?

ARE WE GAZING OUR EYES UPON A WRETCHED THING FROM THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES?!

edit:

Is Lucia Wright an avatar of The Flesh now (in this universe or from the original timeline somehow)? Because it sure fucking sounds like it! 👀 Well, at least that key was put to good use! 😂

Also, supposedly Mr. Bonzo is a reference to Mr. Blobby.

Gwen, I'd be quaking in my boots too. That thing is terrifying!

Late observation but this universe & story seems to focus a lot on the cryptids & I like the direction it's going in! Loving this plot of cryptid hunters, childhood avatar experiments, a strange institute where our main character has past trauma, & just all of it is so good! 💜

Amazing episode, 10/10, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! 💜 That Bonzo scene & the sound design were absolutely horrifying, thank you! The ending too! 🔥

#nigel dickerson if you need help from mr. bonzo or mr. six please blink twice omg #what if bonzo & six are actually the same creature or entity of sorts?#someone keep an eye on Colin; I'm worried about him #that carved floor in the big atrium is gonna come back into importance I just know it #so Lena uses mr. bonzo as a hitman crytpid of sorts... & now Gwen is exposed to the occult #this episode is a lot... holy crap #these episode do not miss; oh my gods; hit after hit; every time!#worm tracks made me think of jane prentiss; I just made the connection #did lucia wright become an avatar of the flesh & invade this world or is she a left over experiment of the magnus institute #I can only hope Gwen Bouchard will tell the others about wtf she saw (likely against Lena's wishes)#tmagp liveblog #mine #op #tmagp 10 #tmagp #tmagp spoilers #tma spoilers #tma #the magnus protocol #the magnus archives

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motions1ckness · 10 months

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“Sweetheart”

This is pt 2 to my last story “Don’t Call me Kid”!! Read that first so this’ll make sense! ♡

Summary: After Kendall’s birthday, your relationship with Roman seemed beyond repair. Until he comes into your office to talk about Caroline’s wedding. (3x08)

Content: Established relationship, f!reader, insecurity, repressing emotions, bit of angst, implied body image issues, mention of age gap, dom/sub relationship dynamics, fluff?, roman hating himself

It’s been almost a week since Ken's birthday, and you've been doing your best to avoid Roman Roy. I mean, you work with him since he’s technically your boss. Luckily, you have your own office, helping you isolate until he apologizes, which he hasn’t yet. He hated talking about his feelings. But, he hated your absence more. Before all this, Roman had invited you to Caroline's second wedding as a plus-one. The thought of having to brush off Roman's actions and show up as his date made your stomach knot.

But the wedding was in two days, meaning the flight was later today. The miscommunication between you two made it unclear if you were still going. While wrapping up an email, you heard a patterned knock at your door. To no surprise, you saw Roman through the glass with his head hanging low. Great. You slightly rolled your eyes as you signaled him to enter. This will be swell.

He shuffled to the couch, indirectly facing you. He seemed anxious. You took notice of his abnormal behavior the past week, being less involved in conferences and more in his head. Like someone turned off his neuro receptors. He started picking at his nail beds, refusing eye contact with you. Again.

You scooted your chair, making him clear in your eye line, “So, what’s up?” acting oblivious. Of course, you knew why he was there. You both did. But perhaps he could dumb it down because 'you’re so young.'

He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head “ I was just, uh, checking in. Like seeing if you were going to Italy still? You know, with me? Like is that still a thing?” On the last question, he eventually met your gaze. His delicate eyes made you empathetic. You can't shun him out completely? He needs to apologize. He needs to apologize.

Cocking your neck, “I don’t know ‘sweetheart.’ I might try to fix you with my terrible, aching savior complex because ‘I’m just so young and naive.’” Using his own words against him. Making it evident you were not over that night.

Roman shuddered at your response, darting a remorseful expression your way. You didn’t like fighting with him, and the last thing you wanted to do was argue. But you couldn’t let him get away with this. “Y-yea, whatever y/n, I’m a piece of shit. Okay? Fuck, is that what you want me to say?” He stood, throwing his hands up, peering down at you.

You scoffed, “Yea, whatever Roman, you’ve answered your question,” you fixed your attention back to the computer until Roman angled the screen towards the window, forcing you to stare at him.

“No, c’mon y/n. Fuck,” fighting with himself, if he could be vulnerable. “I just, don’t want to fight anymore. I mean c-c’mon. F-fine I’m sorry, there. Y/n, I'm serious. I am sorry. P-Please.”

Reconciliation isn't recurring between you two, especially when he’s begging for your forgiveness. His puppy dog expression helped his apology, “Okay. Thank you for apologizing. I just, I think I need some space. Maybe I'll fly separately,” you attempted to put on a sincere smile. Trying to ease the blow, hoping this doesn’t cause his insecurity to run rampant. You weren’t rejecting the invite, but you worried how Roman would react.

His face dropped a bit, not completely satisfied with your response, “Okay, I, uh, I guess I’ll see you there then.” He thumped on the top of the door frame as he left your office. Shit. Is he disappointed?

—

You flew in with the rest of the staff. Gerri kept you company, talking strategy about GoJo. Your flight arrived first, beating Roman to the shared room in the Villa. It was beautiful. You threw yourself onto the massive mattress, allowing your brain to rest for the first time since the party. You could’ve fallen asleep; until you heard a gentle knock at the door, followed by an entrance.

“I can see you had a lovely flight,” you turned your head to see Roman shutting the door behind him. A faint smile appeared on your face. “C’mon, we need to walk down for welcome drinks and see this, Peter Onion motherfucker,” having a slight smile, he stepped to the edge of the bed, holding his hand out for you to latch onto.

You pull yourself up while fixing your hair. You two were close, still holding hands, his other resting on your hip. He scanned your body, “You look fucking hot y/n, but maybe less ‘I want to fuck my boss’ and more ‘I'm meeting my boss's mom.’” You smirked at his comment, pulling away to get your bags left outside the door.

The two of you faced away from each other and started to change, “You know, I like spending time with you Rome,” turning your head to meet his gaze. You didn’t want to say love. Worried he’d freak out at the phrase.

He adjusted his shirt, smiling to himself, “Yea, I like spending time with you too.”

#roman roy fanfic #roman roy #roman roy x reader #roman roy x you #roman roy angst #roman roy fluff #succession fanfic #succession #kendall roy #waystar royco #roman roy drabble

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hellomystraightlacedfriend · 1 month

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The Osborns' 'Weird' Relationship: An Analysis

◇ Spectacular Spider-Man #146 - Gerry Conway/Sal Buscema ◇

Okay, so I know it was awhile ago that I said I might write an analysis of some of the emotional dysfunctional aspects of 616 Norman and Harry Osborn’s relationship, but I really struggled with the format and how I was going to present this.

One thing that I ended up having to do was throw out any speculation on the writers' intent. With comics, you have so many different writers - especially with a long ongoing, popular series like Spider-Man - that I decided to focus a lot more on the patterns I was picking up when I was reading.

But before I go any further:

CW: discussions of child abuse, mental illness, and suicidal ideation

Disclaimer: In this analysis, I am trying to provide an explanation for why Norman might behave the way he does. However, this explanation of Norman’s abuse is not meant to be a justification of his behaviour.

Also, before we start, you are absolutely allowed to disagree with this analysis! Every reader sees/interprets things a little differently, but I've seen other people pick up on the Osborns' relationship being well, strange, so I decided to examine that a little closer.

There were certain things I kept noticing in Norman and Harry's relationship that I found abnormal (you know, apart from Norman's extensive verbal abuse). Things like: Harry's really intense and misplaced loyalty to his father (that interfers with his other relationships.) The way in which Harry feels responsible for his father. The way Harry doesn’t have a strong identity outside of his father, and how his father doesn't allow (or think Harry needs) any emotional privacy. Also, just some of the ways Norman talks to his son don’t make it feel like a normal parent-child relationship.

In particular in this analysis, I did want to talk about emotional incest and enmeshment, which I am going to define now.

The psychological definition of emotional (or covert) incest is when a parent relies on their child for emotional support that they should be getting from another adult. They treat their child like a friend or partner, instead of well, a child.

And

An enmeshed family is one where there is a lack of boundaries, and often, the child isn't allowed to have an individual identity.

I think we see a lot of the after affects of this kind of emotional abuse in Harry as an adult, and while we don't see a whole lot of Harry and Norman's relationship dynamic when Harry is growing up, I do want to start from there, using what flash backs and other information we have.

Actually to give some background on why this kind of abuse occurred, I will go back a bit further than that and talk briefly about Norman’s childhood and his relationship with Harry’s mother.

Norman definitely didn't have a great childhood. His father was a bitter and abusive alcoholic who blamed all of his problems on other people, including his son. And while Norman's mother wasn't abusive towards him, she did fail to protect him. This betrayal from an early age from both his parents would have been a huge contributer to Norman's extensive trust issues (and his drive to be in control so he's not hurt again.)

Norman didn't get the emotional support and attention he needed while growing up, so that's really what he was seeking as a young adult, and he found it in Emily Lyman aka Harry's mother.

Now while I don’t think that Norman and Emily's relationship was perfect like he presents it to be, I do think from his point-of-view this was a great time in his life. He was finally out from under his father's thumb. This beautiful woman believed in him. They had their whole lives ahead of them. The possibilities were endless, and then - she died.

Or faked her death and left him because he was so controlling.

Either way, she was gone, and he still a young man was left to go on as a single father.

Interestingly, Norman both blames Harry for Emily's death and compares him to her. Much later in his life, when talking to Harry's grave, Norman says that he tried to be fair to Harry 'even though you were so much like your mother in so many ways.' In this scene, Norman is angry at Harry for dying and thus 'abandoning' him to be alone. And I think that's what Norman felt when Emily died too, this deep sense of abandonment.

◇ Spider-Man: Revenge of the Green Goblin #1 - Roger Stern/Ron Frenz | Peter Parker: Spider-Man #44 - Paul Jenkins/Humberto Ramos ◇

(Later, it's revealed that Harry is not dead. Or maybe he is. I am NOT getting into the whole post-OMD-Harry-is-a-clone mess. For the sake of this analysis, they are the same person. They would have the same memories anyway.)

Now I am going to be piecing some things together and doing a bit of speculating. One thing that always stuck with me is that Harry keeps saying that his and Norman's relationship used to be different, that they used to be 'pals,' and then something changed. While I know a lot of people dismiss this, become Harry is delusional about his father at other points, I do think when Norman became the Green Goblin, there was a shift in their relationship dynamic, and Norman stopped opening up as much to his son.

I still absolutely think Norman was a neglectful and preoccupied father, but I also think that Norman was an emotionally needy person, and once Emily died, Norman (who was most likely extremely depressed and lacking a support system) tried to have Harry meet some of those needs. I say tried to, because Harry was just a little kid, a baby, and he wouldn’t be capable of doing that.

I think a lot about a panel from Spectacular Spider-Man #178 where Harry is talking to his own son Normie Osborn. Normie is a very young child/toddler. While Harry is talking to Normie, and Normie is watching TV, Harry starts hallucinating that his father is in the room. (Both Harry and his father have had psychotic episodes.)

Norman tells Harry that Normie should be listening to Harry, and when Harry says that Normie is just 'a little guy' and 'doesn't really understand all this,' the Norman Sr. hallucination becomes angry and says that Harry was just the same. That Harry was lost in his own head when he was young, and couldn’t hear when Norman talked to him.

◇ Spectacular Spider-Man #178 - J.M. DeMatteis/Sal Buscema ◇

It's interesting the way Norman and Harry differ here. Harry wants his son Normie to be able to enjoy these early years and have this chance to be carefree. Whereas Norman doesn't seem to really understand the concept of childhood and childhood innocence.

I also find it interesting (because I'm obsessed with word choice) that both Norman and Harry use 'pals' to describe their relationship.

◇ Amazing Spider-Man #39 & #40 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. ◇

And just in general, Norman and Harry's relationship doesn't seem to fall into the typical parent-child relationship - where the parent takes care of the child and meets the child's emotional needs. Instead, it's more complicated and codependent.

Norman and Harry both view Norman as Harry’s provider and protector. Norman is abusive towards Harry, but he does show deep concern about Harry's safety and worries about what would happen if he (Norman) suddenly died - because he's afraid Harry wouldn't be able to fend for himself.

On the other hand, Norman really doesn't give Harry any tools to become independent or encourage a separate identity, and I think part of that is because subconsciously - as much as he keeps saying he wants Harry to be strong - Norman actually wants Harry to be dependent on him.

Like on one level Norman does want Harry to be strong and be able to think for himself, so that he can take over the company and continue the Osborn legacy (and he is angry at Harry and verbally punishes him for not living up to this). But on a more personal - and like I said before subconscious - level, I do think that Norman wants Harry to have to rely on him. Because Norman doesn't want Harry to be able to leave him. Because he doesn't want to be alone.

And that's the thing, I do think that Norman is also dependent on Harry.

Harry is the nurturer to his father's protector and provider. He cares for and worries about his father a lot, and as much as Norman does not like to be seen as weak, there are quite a few moments where we do see Norman be vulnerable around his son.

Why this happened is probably largely circumstantial. Norman is a very paranoid man, who constantly fears betrayal from those around him. Even with the other adults in Norman's life who he is 'close' to - like J Jonah Jameson and George Stacy, he is not open. He does not trust them. He thinks that people are conspiring against him. However, he doesn't see his young son as a threat, as someone who could turn against him and hurt him. And he pulls Harry into this emotional isolation with him by telling his son not to trust anyone but his family (anyone but Norman.)

◇Amazing Spider-Man #62 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. || Amazing Spider-Man #47 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. || Amazing Spider-Man #67 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. || Spectacular Spider-Man #200 - J.M. DeMatteis/Sal Buscema◇

That puts Harry in a very difficult position, because he has deal with these adult concerns at such a young age, and he also can't fully open up to anyone else. This strain, along with Norman's exacting standards and scathing criticism, puts a lot of pressure of Harry.

However, Harry is used to being his father's confidant, and he becomes extremely anxious if his father shuts him out - or worse if he doesn't know where his father is. In a way, as much as Harry says that his father is strong and great, I think (at some level) Harry must also see his father as (emotionally) fragile.

This is especially noticeable in Amazing Spider-Man #121, where Harry is supposed to be resting because he has just overdosed, but he can't because he's so worried about how his father will react to possible financial ruin. He goes to him, tells his father that he doesn't need to worry about him, that he can take care of himself, that he's just worried about his father. He then proceeds to collapse in Norman's arms because he is not well.

◇ Amazing Spider-Man #40 - Stan Lee/John Romita || Amazing Spider-Man #61 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr., Don Heck || Amazing Spider-Man #63 - Stan Lee/Don Heck, John Romita || Amazing Spider-Man #121 - Gerry Conway/Gil Kane ◇

This collapse leads Norman to want to rid Peter Parker/Spider-Man from his life (by killing Peter), because he falsely blames Peter for Harry's drug overdose and also the collapse of Osborn Indistries.

Now Peter’s involvement in the Osborns' personal lives is interesting. Peter is the first person that Harry really opens up to outside of his father - when Harry breaks down and complains that his father had been very distant in the last few years. When Peter responds with the emotional support Harry had never gotten from Norman, Harry draws Peter further into his life by asking him to be his roommate. Harry’s demeanour toward Peter also becomes similar to his attitude towards his father, submissive and eager to please. (He even calls Peter 'sir' at one point when he's trying to get his attention - an address he uses towards his father.)

Peter, however, is so caught up in being Spider-Man that, like Norman, Peter often neglects his relationship with Harry. This leads Harry to be rather passive-aggressive. At one point, Harry offers to make Peter breakfast, but when he hears Peter locking his stuff up, he becomes insulted that Peter would think he would steal from him and storms off to see Norman instead.

This becomes an ongoing element, Harry being torn between Norman and Peter, and seeking love/support from both of them, but seemingly unable to get it.

Now I want to make it quite clear that Norman and Peter are not equally responsible here. Peter is Harry’s age and has troubles of his own. Norman should be acting as Harry’s father, but he really isn't, not emotionally anyway. He is meeting his son's material needs (to an excess), but he is emotionally neglecting his son while also emotionally burdening him with his own troubles. Plus Norman is constantly verbally berating Harry for failing to live up to his impossible expectations - leaving Harry feeling worthless and extremely depressed.

Harry takes drugs to cope with these negative feelings - first abusing prescription medication and then moving on to street drugs. There is even already a note of passive suicidal ideation here, as when Peter asks him how many pills he's taking, Harry's response is 'What’s the difference? Who counts?' (Amazing Spider-Man #97 - Stan Lee/Gil Kane.)

Now I refuse to believe that Harry doesn't understand that there's a possibility of overdose here: he's a chemistry (and business) major with a father who sells drugs for a living. He knows that it is a possibility. So, while he's not actively seeking to end his life, he also doesn't really seem to care if he lives or dies - as long as he can escape from his pain.

Harry does eventually overdose - and it's an overdose that leads Norman to go after Peter & also Peter’s girlfriend (and Harry's friend) Gwen. Norman blames all of Harry’s friends for his condition, but especially Peter. And Norman blames himself for failing to protect his son from them. He threatens to kill Gwen if Peter doesn't end his own life, and when Peter doesn't comply, Norman goes ahead with his threat - throwing Gwen Stacy off the George Washington Bridge. (Amazing Spider-Man #121 - Gerry Conway/Gil Kane.)

Peter (as Spider-Man) goes after Norman in revenge, and Norman ends up dying (albeit by his own glider and not Peter’s hand.) Harry eventually figures out that Peter is Spider-Man, and this leads him to think that his and Peter’s friendship wasn't real, that it was entirely a ruse on Peter’s part. That Peter was just getting close to Harry to close in on his father.

Harry ends up forgetting about Peter Parker’s secret identity after his first attack on Peter though, and so for years the threat of Harry's revenge remains dormant. However, even from 'beyond the grave' (Norman, um, kind of faked his death, but Harry didn’t know that) Norman still had a hold on Harry’s psyche.

One early warning sign of the return of Green Goblin might have been that Harry names his child both after his father and himself (Norman Harold Osborn), keeping their names (and identies) close together. Harry also tells young Normie how special a man his grandfather Norman Osborn was. Then Harry begins to hear his father's voice telling him to revenge his death, to kill Spider-Man/Peter Parker.

Harry goes back and forth on how he sees his father. At times, he is able to see his father as who he really was/is, a dangerous criminal who ruined his own life. However, at other points, he calls Norman 'wonderful' and 'the greatest man this world has ever known.' He claims that his father's spirit is in him fuelling all his efforts, and blames Peter for both Norman's and Gwen's deaths.

Of course, it would be hard for anyone to admit that their father killed one of their closest friends, however, I think with Harry it goes even beyond that. Because Harry doesn't have a solid identity outside of his father, he is unable to fully see himself and his father as two separate people. So, in his head, Harry can't admit that his father killed Gwen, because then he would also have to think that he killed Gwen - something I don't think that Harry can wrap his head around doing. It's easier then to blame someone else - Peter/Spider-Man.

When Harry does finally admit that Norman killed Gwen, he still absolutely thinks (pretty understandibly) that it was Peter who ended Norman's life. Because of this, Harry decides that both he and Peter would be better off dead - and that their deaths would protect their loved ones from further harm.

It is only an outpouring of unconditional love from Peter (something Harry had never really felt before) that sways Harry from ending Peter’s life. He carries Peter out of the building where he had set up a timed bomb, but then seemingly dies himself (from side effects of the serum he'd taken to make himself stronger.)

🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻

Break!

🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻

Okay, this is here because this is getting long, but I don’t want to make it a two-parter, but also sometimes people need to take a break and breathe, you know?

I will also be concentrating more on post One More Day Harry in this section, though referring back to earlier comics as well. I will also be talking more about sex and romantic relationships, and how Harry's focus on his father (and Norman seeing himself as the most important person in Harry’s life) complicates things.

The Dan Slott and Joe Kelly runs leading up to and during Dark Reign were the first Spider-Man comics I read, and these were the issues where I first got to see the Osborns' relationship on page. What really struck me then about the relationship was how Norman talks to Harry more like a separated spouse than his grown child: 'I need you,' 'the world could be ours,' 'come home,' 'your place is here, by my side.'

During this period, Harry is pulling away from his father and trying to be independent, and Norman does not like this at all. He mocks Harry’s business ventures, then bombs Harry’s place of business - almost killing Harry’s then girlfriend Lily Hollister in the process. When Harry goes to confront him, Norman says that girlfriends are replaceable and tries to win Harry back. This, however, does not work, and shortly following this, Harry goes no contact.

Norman will not accept this boundary, however, or any boundary really. He admitted earlier to recording and listening to all of Harry’s therapy sessions, and when Harry won't answer his calls or letters, Norman has people spy on his son and report to him on everything Harry is doing. He then gets himself invited to a wedding that Harry is attending.

This is when he tells Harry that he needs him, something that does visibly affect Harry. Peter steps in between Harry and Norman, and tells Norman 'and that's what therapy's for.'

This scene is interesting because Norman does not like admitting that he needs other people, but also because Peter doesn't consider this (entirely) as a ploy on Norman’s part. He does think that Norman is being honest about 'needing' Harry. He just thinks that the way Norman seeks support from his son is unhealthy.

There is also an 'us'-ness in the Norman-Harry relationship, that is more typical of couples. This along with how Harry is thrust into this nurturing role with Norman, makes him (at times) seem more like his father’s spouse than his son.

And when Harry and Norman do end up cutting ties, Harry even says: 'I was never your son.'

◇ Amazing Spider-Man #573 - Dan Slott /John Romita Jr. || Amazing Spider-Man #595 - Joe Kelly/Phil Jimenez || Amazing Spider-Man #598 || Writer: Joe Kelly/Artists: Paulo Siqueira & Marco Checchetto || Amazing Spider-Man #599 - Joe Kelly/Stephen Segovia, Marco Checchetto, Paulo Siqueira ◇

This relationship with his father - before the eventual break up - does also lead to problems in Harry’s romantic relationships.

Because Norman basically sees himself as the centre of the universe and because he is very possessive of the people around him, Harry grew up internalising this idea that he belongs to his father and that he should prioritise Norman above everything else.

And because of this, Harry does tend to elevate and choose his father over his other relationships. Like how when he was seeing Mary Jane Watson, that relationship ended because Harry wouldn’t unlock the door for her - choosing to be alone with his dead father's costume over being with her. His marriage with Liz also deteriorates as Harry obsesses over avenging his father's death and continuing the Osborn legacy.

Of note, in these moments Harry isn't exactly thinking clearly - there are definitely signs of psychic breaks, with Harry having delusions and hallucinations. Still, a huge part of Harry's psyche is consumed by his father - to the detriment of other aspects of his life.

Even after Harry sees Norman as a bad person (acknowledging that his father was Gwen's killer and knowing for sure that Norman has committed countless other heinous crime), Norman still has a hold over his son. Harry still holds out hope for winning his father's love and approval - and completely dismisses his then girlfriend Lily Hollister's encouragement and support. Instead focusing entirely on his father's criticisms.

◇Amazing Spider-Man #595 - Joe Kelly/Phil Jimenez || Amazing Spider-Man Family #4 - J.M. DeMatteis/Val Semeiks || Amazing Spider-Man #390 - J.M. DeMatteis/Mark Bagley◇

◇Amazing Spider-Man #126 - Gerry Conway/Ross Andru || Spectacular Spider-Man #189 - J.M. DeMatteis/Sal Buscema || Amazing Spider-Man #569 - Dan Slott /John Romita Jr.◇

Another thing involving Lily Hollister - a rather controversial decision - was to have her be in sexual relationships with both Harry and Norman Osborn (with the timing being so close together that the paternity of her child was called into question.)

I actually don't think it's so surprising that Norman would go after someone his son was seeing. He is very self-centred and delusion enough to think that he could somehow get away with it.

Also, back in Amazing Spider-Man #96, there was this whole thing about Harry bringing along Norman to watch the girl he was then seeing - Mary Jane Watson - dance. It kind of comes across like Harry is trying to impress his father with how hot his 'girlfriend' is, and Norman is quite publicly enchanted by her.

There is something similar in the Raimi adaption where Harry Osborn wants Mary Jane Watson to dress in black (like Harry’s mother/Norman’s wife used to do) because he wants Norman to be impressed by her/find her attractive. Which people have pointed out is kind of weird/creepy.

Also kind of weird is just how much empathy Harry has towards Lily Hollister after she ditches him for his dad. Like yes, I think it's a coercive relationship, and Norman is much more to blame, but I still think most people would be a little more angry in this situation. And what Harry does say to Lily at the start of her and Norman's relationship is very interesting to me:

'He's an amazing man, Lily...I know, and he takes very special care of his "nice things"...until he doesn't.

I hope you see him for what he is before that happens...

Because when Norman Osborn is through with you, no one gets to have you.'

One) because it's really quite strange to call the father you suspect is sleeping with your ex-girlfriend 'an amazing man'

Two) because the way Harry is saying this makes it seems like it applies to both her and him. The 'I know' in particular stands out, because what he seems to be saying is 'I know exactly what you are feeling/going through right now.'

Which given that she is in 'romantic' relationship with his father certainly raises questions.

◇Amazing Spider-Man: Extra! #3 - Joe Kelly/Dale Eaglesham || Amazing Spider-Man #96 - Stan Lee/Gil Kane◇

In any case, I could probably write more, but this post is already more than long enough. I just find the dynamic between Norman & Harry Osborn fascinating because I don’t think it's one we see as often in fiction, and I love reading about dysfunctional families/relationships.

I also find post-OMD Harry really interesting, because I think it's even rarer to see a person, who was in a relationship like this, have to move on, fully cut ties, and figure out how to build a life for themselves without this person (who they had such codendency with.)

#harry osborn #norman osborn #analysis #spider man #peter parker #gwen stacy #liz allan #lily hollister #marvel comics #marvel 616 #my post

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redstringredeye · 3 months

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OKAY OKAY I know we are all so happy right now but we ARE listening to a horror podcast so let me SPEAK

(TMAGP 08 spoilers/theory)

my hot take is that Gerry's paintings ARE supernatural, outward expressions of his subconscious link to the fears (???) and that link is why he was in the Magnus gifted program in the first place

GERTRUDE HAS TO KNOW THOUGH you can HEAR that something is up with her. And she tells Gerry the paintings take up too much space and he has to keep them out back??? Gertrude is playing her own game with Gerry's special talents but she is FULLY trying to keep Gerry in the dark about it hence trying to get Sam and Celia the fuck out of that apartment.

Also maybe she “adopted” him as her grandson when she found out what he could do?? Was she working at the Magnus Institute? Did she know Eric Delano and vow to take care of his son again? Or just like… see this kid in danger with these powers and decide to take him on… Gerry wouldn't know if she was lying to him about their familial connection and why she was acting as his legal guardian, he doesn't even remember the Magnus program, whether because of his age or his trauma And I think she wants it to stay that way

I don't think it's nefarious, I am sure she cares about him but ALSO i know that woman can PLOT when she needs to and I’m thoroughly unconvinced by her grandmother act

#also what were they candidates for?#hmmmmm #tmagp #the magnus protocol #tmagp spoilers #tmagp theory #mine

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slow-writer · 3 months

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TMAGP Episodes 7 & 8 Reactions

That was totally my face during both episodes, I swear.

Spoilers below!

Okay, I'm freaking out on a cellular level, it feels like.

Episode 6 had the introduction of new OIAR employee, Celia Ripley, who is voiced by Lowri Ann Davies. Those of us from the TMA fandom recognize her as the voice of Lynne Hammond who later became Celia because her name was taken from her after the Change. There have been speculations on whether she is playing the same Celia (even though this is a separate universe) or if this is just a little wink from Jonny and Alex behind the scenes. But then came the next 2 episodes.

The sheer amount of lore that was dropped in these 2 episodes has the fandom REELING. So, let's get into what we've heard!!

EPISODE 7: Right off the bat, Celia not only references that the dated computer system is basically better than "wrestling with tape recorders and manila folders." This feels like a TARGETED MISSILE at the TMA fandom. But right after that, she asks if any of the spoken cases have anything in common, and if there's a way to search the cases that have common threads, like, "Oh I don’t know. Every case about being buried alive or meat or… whatever." And if that wasn't enough, she recognizes the voice that Alice calls Chester (AKA, John!).

Those statements alone have me thinking with 99.99999999% certainty that this is the SAME Celia from TMA (or at least, she's tapped into her memories in some way).

Apart from Celia, we have Hilltop being referenced in a case, which could very well mean that it's a similar situation from TMA. Very possibly a rift in space-time or whatever. Some nexus of power or something.

Then Sam received a supposedly internal email from someone called "John" that contained an address and a name. Does this mean that John is truly trapped in the computer system like we've all been theorizing? Is this his attempt at making contact and warning Sam not to follow in his footsteps? AGH!

And then we have poor Colin, driven mad by whatever's corrupting the code he's been trying to maintain, taped over his webcam, and full on refusing any electronics to enter his office (that weren't already there, and he must have clearly tampered with them so they cannot spy on him). He even attacks Sam when he pulls out his phone. That man has a lifetime subscription to Paranoia Plus, if you ask me, poor thing.

Lastly, we get confirmation that Lena at least tried to kill Klaus, but may not have succeeded, and Gwen's blackmail of her puts her in a new role of "External Liaison," whatever that may be. (Oh boy, oh boy.)

And if that wasn't enough, we have today's episode....

EPISODE 8: No preamble on this one, just straight into a case. And man, are we having fun with the whole liminal horror plus Stranger vibes in this one! But the GOOD SH*T comes after the case ends.

Poor Colin's been put on Mental Health Leave, so I'm really hoping that wasn't the last we'll 'see' of him. And the banter between Gwen and Alice has much more of an edge now that Gwen's been promoted. But!!!

Sam and Celia went off together after they ended their shifts early (ooooh), and who did they meet?

GERRY EFFING KEAY AND HIS 'GEE-GEE' GERTRUDE!!!!

And I checked, yes, they are 100% voiced by their TMA counterparts, Jon Gracey and Sue Sims (Jonny's mom).

Gertrude calls Gerry her grandson (though I'm curious if this means Gerry's actual mother is dead here too, and when Gertrude stepped in as a surrogate, or if she's actually his grandmother).

When Sam and Celia ask about the Magnus Institute, they both kind of go quiet, like they don't know what they're allowed to say or if they can trust these strangers who randomly showed up to their house. Sam reveals that he was part of their "gifted kids" program (hello, ARG info!) and saw Gerry was also listed and wanted to "swap stories." Gertrude seems to want to push them away, all protective, but Gerry just says he doesn't remember much.

Did Gertrude blow up the Magnus Institute in this universe and adopt Gerry after she found him there?!?

And finally, after Gertrude kind of rushes them out, Celia makes a deal with Sam. They agree to keep track of anything that falls under each other's mystery interests. Because she's "doing a favor for Georgie" (HFGJHFD!), she needs to look into "Weird physics stuff: time travel, other dimensions, teleportation, all that good stuff."

Was Celia sent here from the TMA dimension to do recon?!?

Anyway, there's so much more to dive into, but those are the things that are currently making my brain buzz. How has your Thursday been?

#the magnus archives #the magnus protocol #tmagp #tma #spoilers #lore #im freaking out here wtf

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its-your-mind · 3 months

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OKAY HOLD ON. Did Jon send Sam to Gerry bc he still credits Gerry with teaching him the most about the Dread Powers in a way that was only meant to be helpful in combatting them? Did he want Sam to have Gerry as a Helpful Contact?

🥺 I hope Jon hears everything FR3-D1 records!! I hope he got to hear Gerry happy and free!! I just know that as frustrated as he would be that Sam’s still in the dark, he would be absolutely fine with all of it if it meant that Gerry was thriving.

(IF on the other hand he and Gertrude DO know something and Gertrude’s “I’m sorry but I don’t think Gerry can help you” was code for “Gerry don’t tell these people Shit” I’ll bet Jon is equally thrilled for Gerry and PISSED at Gertrude bc I’ll bet our jarchivist is still bitter at her for all the bullshit she pulled ESPECIALLY when she bound OG Gerry into the book)

#tmagp #tmagp spoilers #the magnus protocol #magp 08 #gerry kaey

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pynkhues · 4 months

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Oh you know I need your dream cast for a Succession prequel, Sophie

(x)

Okay okay okay, SO first thing's first, my dream Succession prequel is set against the 80s clusterfuck expansion into parks because every little bit of canon we got about that era just cooks. You've got Logan meeting Frank (and probably Gerri), Logan's whirlwind romance then toxic marriage to Caroline, Logan starting to have the golden trio and reconnecting with Connor and dealing with the aftermath of what happened to, and with, Connor's mother! Plus Ewan may or may not be still involved in the company? (I choose to think he is!)

As a result, a lot of my casting is partially determined by the age the characters would be then, which means I've had to change some actual dream casting (Romola Garai as 40yo Gerri, my beloved), but it's also a pretty fun era to think about so that's fine.

Anyway, let David Tennant as Young(er) Ewan invite you in:

I really love the Snr. Roy's being from Scotland, and their backstory feels so entwined with Scottish WWII history, so I wanted to honour that a bit in the fancasting, but all the same, I think I probably would've cast David Tennant anyway. I think he can sell that simultaneous moral superiority and absolute hypocrisy in a way that Ewan needs, and honestly, I just love the idea of him reading Jesse Armstrong's dialogue, haha.

Was Karl working for Logan in the 80s? I choose to believe yes, because I love him. Jack Lowden's been one of those actors who's popped up in a few things I've watched lately - Fighting with My Family, Small Axe and Slow Horses in particular, and I've been consistently pretty impressed with him? I think he's got a good handle of comedic timing (important for anyone taking up the Karl mantle) but also is a compelling dramatic actor and I think he could kill it opposite...

David Rysdahl as Young Frank! I've always figured Frank would've been a bit younger than Logan, and I love that little glimpse we got in canon of Frank having been brought in to advise on the parks acquisition and then Logan basically making him an offer to stay. There's something extra crunchy there for me if Frank's a little wide-eyed at the time and Logan oozes that charm that we know that he can turn on when he wants to. I like the psychosexual drama, and I also like the idea of Frank having this weird sort of connection to Caroline and Kendall because he met them while he was still impressionable / in the midst of being swept up.

But yes, haha, David Rysdahl I think is a bit of an up-and-comer, which is kinda funny given he's been in a lot of stuff. I've liked him though in the newest season of Fargo, and lowkey think he looks a bit like a young Peter Friedman.

Honestly, I just loved her in Swallow a lot, and she played the smart, unhappy, unhinged, WASP-y wife there to such perfection that I think she'd be ideal for a young Gerri who's still better known as Baird's wife than as counsel. There's such an attitude and vulnerability to Haley too which I think would match J's quite well, plus they have a bit of a similar look too which works for me? I want to see her claw her way in! And I also want to see her toxic relationship with Caroline which leads to her being Shiv's godmother.

Speaking of...

Honestly, I went through a few people for Caroline and she was surprisingly hard to cast. A lot of actresses who felt like they might fit the bill - Michelle Dockery and Claire Foy were two that sprung to mind - didn't really work as I didn't think they could quite balance the acidity with the blunt charm and playfulness that Harriet Walter just does so well (and honestly is a testament to what an actress she is). But then! Jessie Buckley! I've loved Jessie in everything I've seen her in, from Women Talking to The Lost Daughter, but it was actually thinking about her turn in Misbehaviour which made me think of her for this, exactly because of how she can play, well playfulness.

Plus I think she'd be a lot of fun opposite...

I did say I''d go with a Scotsman! Ewan McGregor's been in a few mmm, less good things lately, which makes a turn in a role like Logan Roy could potentially be pretty great. He's always been a remarkable actor, and one who, I think, can find the heart in any role, which is arguably what any actor playing Logan needs. Plus I always tend to think Ewan has chemistry with everyone he acts opposite, and I think he could really sell Logan's naked charisma in this era in a way that would make sense given he's making some pretty questionable choices across the board in the 80s. Plus, y'know, to the point of the post that inspired this one, I think him playing Logan would do a lot of psychic damage to people who could only ever see Logan as perpetrator of abuse and never as product or victim.

#also i lowkey think alan ruck looks a bit like david tennant?#i think it's sort of around the eyes #which makes that casting fun too #i always wonder what ewan's wife / marian's mother must've been like #but yes #making this post has made me want to write this fic again haha </3 #hbo succession #recastings #kinda #welcome to my ama #logan roy #ewan roy

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blasphemous-lies-and-deceit · 27 days

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From the touches ask game: 31. Hugging while straddling the partner. Gerry/anyone please!

Lucky you, I had this idea cooked already, just needed the time to write it.

"Jon," Gerry breathed quietly. He really didn't want to wake his Archivist, since it seemed like his nightmares were over and he was sleeping peacefully, but he could hear Basira or Melanie moving around in the other room, and he needed to get up. Unfortunately, the only way for him and Jon to both fit on the cot was for Jon to to sleep on top of him, which meant he couldn't get up unless Jon did. And Jon seemed rather resistant to the idea.

"Jon," Gerry said again, louder. "I need to get up."

"No," Jon grumbled under his breath, hitching his limbs in closer and hanging on tightly. "No. Stay."

"We can't stay in bed forever." Despite himself, Gerry was smiling, threading his fingers through Jon's coarse hair. He privately loved the mixture of silver and black, the length and slight curl to it, the way it felt against the bare skin of his chest. It felt so real, even when it was so hard to believe sometimes, that he could be so close to Jon, could touch him and hold him and give him comfort and whatever else he needed. "You gotta let me up at some point, you know."

"No, I don't," Jon countered stubbornly, raising his head to peer at Gerry with one unnaturally green eye, bright with mischief. "As your Archivist, I insist you stay right here. Where you belong."

As tempting as that was- as much as a rather large part of him was more than okay with following Jon's command- Gerry resolutely sat up, the slight weight of Jon not nearly enough to weigh him down. Jon made a disgruntled noise and shifted with him, arranging his legs around his hips while still pressed to his front. His arms cinched tight around his middle, fingers trailing possessively along his tattooed spine. "Clingy," Gerry chided, wrapping his arms around Jon's back and daring to press his lips to the top of his head.

"You're worth clinging to," Jon agreed, burying his face in the crook of his neck. His voice was sleep-rough and honest, and Gerry swallowed down a rush of emotion. After everything that had happened, after all the pain and loss they had suffered through, being the one that Jon could cling to felt like a gift he wasn't supposed to have. But he wouldn't give it up, not for anything. Not for the whole world.

The close intimacy of their positions was making his blood warm and thoughts wander, and his hips shifted involuntarily. "Jon, do you..." he trailed off, and Jon pulled back slightly, considering before he shook his head.

"No, not now. Perhaps later." He shifted back even further, out of Gerry's lap, before he abruptly stopped, staring at his chest. "Ah. Your...Gerry, your tattoo is missing."

"...what?" Gerry asked blankly after failing to process what the fuck Jon had just said. Jon reached out and rested his cool fingers over his heart, and when he glanced down, Gerry could see no familiar ink on the only patch of skin that was free of burns. "What the fuck?"

"Hmm." Jon's eyes glowed, but whatever he was Seeing seemed to only confuse him more, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Its...it is something that the Eye initiated, but I don't quite...understand why."

"What about how?" Gerry demanded, raising both hands to check them. The tattoos there were unchanged, as faded and familiar as always. The eye over his heart was the oldest of the bunch, but that really didn't explain how it had just up and vanished.

"The Eye influenced your decision to get them," Jon explained slowly, lost in thought. "It gave them, and took them away. For..." he abruptly pulled back, face turning red before he ducked his head, pulling at his shirt. He yanked the neckline out and stared down at his own chest, eyes growing very wide. "Oh. It's. It's here."

"Excuse me?" Gerry lurched forward and caught the sides of Jon's shirt, quickly pulling it over his head before he could react. Jon yelped and tried to cover himself, but Gerry caught his wrists and held them away from his body, staring incredulously at the familiar ink that now decorated Jon's chest. "You stole my tattoo?"

"I-technically the Eye did," Jon protested. "I-I didn't have any hand in this, I promise you!"

The sudden alarmed desperation in his voice snapped Gerry out of his surprise. Shit. Jon probably thought he was angry, and his rough treatment wasn't helping. He quickly let go, pulling away from Jon before he could do anything else to him. "Fuck, no, Jon, I-I'm sorry. I believe you, I'm not mad at you, I swear. I'm so sorry."

Jon sighed and shook his head, shifting to close the distance between them. Gerry took the hint and wrapped his arms around him again, much gentler. "I understand," Jon whispered against his chest. "It is a...a shock."

"It's not your fault," Gerry insisted. "I'm sorry I freaked out at you. You didn't deserve that." Jon sighed and slumped even further into him, and Gerry wondered how badly he needed to hear that. "So why'd the Eye give you my tattoo?"

"Because we're connected," Jon admitted, muffled against his skin. "Because you're my Assistant, and I'm your Archivist. We're meant to be together, and this-" his hand rose to rest over his heart, over the eye that had once been Gerry's. "This is the physical representation of our bond. Tied together by the Eye."

"Fuck," Gerry whispered past the lump in his throat. He should feel upset, he should feel robbed and violated, they should resent the Eye for forcing such an obvious declaration onto their bodies when they could barely say it outloud. It should feel like another horrible thing in the long list of horrible things done to them, another sign of hopelessness against the awful forces corrupting their lives.

But it really didn't feel like that to him.

It felt...right.

"Glad it's you, at least," he managed to get out. That was really the least he could say, the barest amount of words that could encompass all that he felt. Jon chuckled brokenly, a noise both painful and affectionate. God, he was his, it was written right on his skin, he was Jon's and Jon was his, Archivist and Assistant and more, so much more. Gerry screwed his eyes closed, clutching Jon close.

If the Eye wanted them together, then they would be.

#jongerry #the magnus archives #gerry keay #jonathan sims #rebelwriting

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corn-fanfiction · 6 months

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SAVIOUR COMPLEX (Pt. 5)

(Pt. 4)

Rated: M

TAGS: language/past abuse/Mark Hoffman being a c*p/sensuality/reader is normal and likes to do normal things/Mark is protective bc it's his job but he's also problematic/because he's a c*p/Terrezanos/dead bodyodyodyody

When Mark comes to collect you, he's in a somewhat nicer suit than usual, but you look drastically different. Yes, you want a nice romantic dinner with this powerful man that keeps you on your toes…but you also want to wear something that will look incredible on a bedroom floor.

His eyes rake over you when he sees your black dress with lace detail, your painted red lips, your legs that seem to go on for miles.

“Ho-ly,” he starts. You shut him up with a tip-toe kiss. His large hands wrap around your waist and he tries to deepen the kiss, but you pull away.

“This is MAC, Hoffman. Don't you dare smudge it.”

“Sweetheart you could put that lipstick all over me and I'd buy you 100 more.”

“Damn you're perfect, huh? Come on. We can ruin my makeup after dinner.”

He hides it pretty well, but you can still see the effect that comment has on him. He grunts inaudibly and his pants definitely tighten. You can picture it, too. On your knees, on the bed (his or yours, doesn't matter), your lipstick is smudged, your eyeliner and mascara streaming down your face. You fight every urge to just drag him back inside and fuck his brains out.

He opens the car door for you and you thank him sweetly. They weren't all bad before Ted, but Mark is different. He's confident, maybe cocky at times, but he's gentle with you and hasn't pushed you too far yet. And he respects you. You don't remember the last time you were respected like this.

“So, where are you taking me?” You ask as you put on your seatbelt. Mark doesn't miss the way the safety fabric cuts between your breasts and he clears his throat.

“Terrezanos.”

You gawk at him. “What? Mark, no, that place is way too expensive.”

“Yeah, well, I'm trying to impress you. Besides, you've always wanted to go there.”

You narrow your eyes. “How do you know?”

“I overheard you telling Gerry one day at the restaurant. If you really don't want to, we can go somewhere else-”

“No!” You laugh. “No, it's just…I don't know. Thanks, Mark.”

He flashes a quick glance between you and the road but when he sees your genuine face, it gives him pause.

“Of course. I want this to be special, you know?”

God, your heart flutters. How do you go from being a horny mess to love-struck in a matter of minutes?

The drive is short and you relish in the comfort of Mark's nice car. Leather seats that are warm, quiet wheels, clean smell. Better than any car you've been in lately. And when you pull up to the restaurant, you're absolutely blown away to see-

“Holy shit, they have valets!”

Mark smirks and parks in front of the restaurant. You unbuckle your seatbelt but Mark puts a hand on your arm to stop you.

“Hold on,” he says, then exits the car. You groan as he comes around to your side.

“Mark! Chivalry isn't dead but I'm starving!”

He opens the door for you and you take the waiting hand that helps you from the car. Mark hands his keys over to the valet with thanks. And as you walk in, a gentle hand hovers over your lower back. You feel like some sort of rich wife walking in for the monthly dinner with her husband.

The sudden and seemingly random imagery shakes you for a moment while Mark talks reservation and walks you to the table. You force yourself to remember that this is good fun. He's nice, he's sexy, he treats you well. You're gonna have a good night- a great night, maybe, as long as you get your head out of your ass.

Expensive wine. It's not your preferred and as soon as Mark sees your soured face that you did your best to hide, he orders a different glass.

You both order steak and you pick at a bread stick during the wait.

“Okay, you know too much about me,” you remark. Mark chuckles. “What about you?”

“Eh, what about me. I live at my job. I don't like running.”

“Family?”

“Mom upstate, dad passed a few years ago. Had a sister, but uh…”

Shit, you're stupid. You're a full fucking idiot. You're just trying to make small talk and here you are forgetting about one of the most tragic things you've ever heard.

“God, I'm so sorry, Mark. I completely forgot. You don't have to say anything else.”

“No, no it's fine. I don't ever really talk about her anymore.”

“Seriously, Mark, I understand.”

“But she deserves better than that. I think you woulda liked each other.”

You watch him for a moment silently, hands folded under your chin. Suddenly, he's disarmed.

“Tell me about her.”

And he does, and he lights up. Angela. Angel on earth. His best friend and only person he ever really trusted. Slaughtered by her ex boyfriend.

You wonder about her. How similar your bones are and the tethers that tie you. You'd seen the crime scene photos on the internet. How similar she looked to the photo on Mark's office shelf. She was the same person, after all.

You laugh through your dinner and start the flirting through dessert. You sigh.

“What's that?”

You shrug with a smile. “Can't decide if I don't want this to ever end or… If I want us to get out of here.”

You slip a foot out of its heel and slide it against his ankle, up his calf, and against his inner thigh. Mark inhales sharply and sets an elbow on the table a little too hard, shaking the glasses.

“You are playing a risky game.”

“Risky? I'm just looking for what was promised me.”

“Promised?”

“I'm collecting.”

“Say less.”

You don't even realize that Mark's going in the direction of his place (or what you assume is his place because it's in the opposite direction). You've got a hand ghosting up his leg and he's giving you the same treatment. If he weren't driving, you'd give him head right here, right now.

You both jump when a crackle comes from his police radio.

“Shit,” he mutters, tuning into the frequency.

“Dispatch, all available units to the factory off third…looks like another one.”

Mark nearly swerves off the road. You pull you hand back as your heart hammers in your chest.

“Jesus. What did he mean?”

Mark stares into the dark ahead, lips parted slightly in some intense thought.

“Another trap,” he breathes. “Fuck. I gotta get there. I'll drop you back at your place-”

“No, it'll be quicker for you to go straight to 3rd. I'll stay in the car. You need to do this, right? Catch this guy?”

Mark is fighting himself. Something within him wins and he nods, puts the car in reverse, and speeds to the factory. It's an old, abandoned place, something to do with manufacturing. But when you arrive, there's already ambulances, cop cars, and people, so many people. Mark practically throws himself out of the car and into the throngs. From your seat, you can barely overhear a conversation.

“You're not supposed to be here-”

“No one gave more to this case than me. Let me through.”

Another car pulls up beside you and two men step out, wearing windbreakers with “FBI” plastered on the back. Shit. Your hand moves instinctively to the handle as though there's anything you can do to help this situation.

You watch as Mark is now in a proper screaming match with someone. They aren't letting him through, and then you see a body being wheeled out on a stretcher. The blanket is pulled up too far. Whoever this poor bastard is, they're dead.

And then you spot the hand. The tattoos on the fingers. The ring you had bought him two Christmases ago.

You have no trouble now leaving the car. You stumble in your heels towards the back of the ambulance. Some notice you and go to grab you away but you avoid them. You only get close enough to confirm your suspicions before Mark has a hold of your wrist, then your arm, then all of you as you realize fully that Ted is on the stretcher before you, dead. A victim to the Jigsaw killer. Bringing you one step closer to a serial killer, and hundreds of miles away from anything ever making sense again.

#mark hoffman #saw fanfic #mark hoffman x reader #angst #fanfiction #smut #hurt/comfort #fluff #enemies to friends to lovers

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eternally-smitten · 2 months

Text

Late Visit

summary: Roman visits Natalie late in the morning due to reasons he doesn't want to share

word count: ~ 1.7k

content warnings: lewd jokes at the end of the fic

author's note: "There was only one bed" trope lovers come get your nourishment

divider credit: cafekitsune

The house was dead silent, but Roman still made sure to make slow, steady steps in his socks on the carpeted hallway. He knew no one in their right mind besides him would be awake at this hour but he didn’t want to risk waking anyone up and drawing attention to him. He especially didn’t want people to notice where he was going.

“Three, four, fifth door on the right.” He whispered under his breath as he counted the doors he passed. Roman held his hand up to knock on the one he stopped at but hesitated before his knuckles touched the wood.

Is this really what he wanted to do? What would someone think if they saw him? What would someone do if they saw them together? They would probably sneer and spread rumors, right?

He decided that it was a risk he was willing to take and with that burst of confidence, he rapped his knuckles against the door three times. The sound echoed down the hallway, startling Roman slightly. He then took a step back from the door and looked around to make sure the noise didn’t stir anyone. A few moments passed without any sign of anyone being awake. Even the one inside the room he wanted to get into. He almost decided to retreat back to his room with Tabitha when finally, the door before him opened, making him freeze in place.

Natalie squinted her eyes at him. “Roman? What the…Do you know what time it is?”

She looked like she had just rolled out of bed and that’s because she did. Her hair was slightly askew, her eyes seemed to have a hard time focusing, and her voice was slightly hoarse and groggy. She was also wearing very loose clothes; she had a small camisole and soft looking pants on. Roman couldn’t remember if he had ever seen her in something so casual before now.

“Uh, whatever happened to saying hello?” He joked, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

“...Hello.” She didn’t look impressed. “What are you doing? Is something the matter?”

“What? No! Of course not.” Roman did not want to embarrass himself by telling her why he left his room with his girlfriend so late in the morning. In fact, he’d rather eat glass than even utter a singular moment that happened earlier. “I just, uh, wanted to see how my favorite employee is.”

Natalie snorted and leaned against the doorframe. “Oh, then you have the wrong room. I think Gerri is down the hall to your left.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” He sneered at her before laughing quietly. “So, are you gonna let me in for the night or not?”

Her smile faded and instead, a look of confusion plastered itself on her face. “You wanna come in?”

“Yes?” He uncomfortably giggled before saying, “What? You have a secret partner I don’t know about staying the night?”

“You know I only have one bed, right?”

“...And?”

Natalie blinked a few times in surprise. “The fuck you mean ‘and’? You’re acting like this is a normal occurrence.”

“So what, you have the one bed? It’s big enough for two, isn’t it?” Roman asked, getting antsy now.

“Is uh, everything okay?” She hesitantly asked, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

He furrowed his eyebrows and casted his gaze to the floor. “Yeah, I’m fuckin’ peachy. Why?”

“Nothing, nothing. Just…”

Why the hell aren’t you sleeping in your bed with your girlfriend right now?

“Just…?” He looked at her expectantly.

Natalie sighed and stepped out of his way. “Alright, come in.”

Roman took no time at all barging his way into her room. He glanced at her unmade side of the double bed she was sleeping in. He also took note of how the other side was completely untouched. The duvet was neatly tucked in and the pillow was fluffed up. He silently wondered if she felt lonely at all before he visited her.

Natalie cleared her throat and grabbed his attention. “Make yourself at home.”

“Gladly.” Without thinking too much about it, he tucked himself into the other side of the bed. It was now unmade, messy, and looked used. It oddly brought him a sense of comfort.

She stayed where she was and debated whether or not she should take her pillow and sleep on the floor. Instead of thinking about that, she finally asked, “Why did you come here?”

He froze before he got too comfortable and replied with, “I told you, to see my most favorite employee.”

“No, seriously. What's up?” She wasn't buying it at all. “This is weirder than your usual weird behavior.”

“Fine, I'll tell you.” Roman propped himself up with the pillow behind him and looked at her. “I had a feeling you probably didn't really have any friends in high school, so I wanted to give you a taste of what a sleepover felt like.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. I did this out of the kindness of my heart.”

Natalie knew that he wouldn't actually answer her question. Since he avoided answering it directly, she decided to not press and just accept that he was staying the night with her.

“Fine. Thank you for being my best and only friend, my dearest Roman. Now, don't hog the covers on me or I'll kick you out.” She got into the spot beside him and nestled in like how she was before.

He then slouched down and fixed his pillows before resting his head. Without saying anything else to each other, Natalie leaned over and flicked the lamp off. They were in complete darkness now and the entire room was still. She was curled up on her side to avoid having to look at Roman being in her bed.

A thousand thoughts raced through her head. What made him leave his room with Tabitha? Why did he leave so late? Why did he come to me of all people? Why did he want to sleep in my bed instead of the one he shared with Tabitha?

She felt Roman turn over and face her back. Her face felt hot and she did her best to steady her breathing to make it look like she was asleep. Never in a million years did she think she'd wind up in this position.

“Aren't you gonna say good night?” He whispered to her. Even when his voice was quiet, she could still hear that smug tone he always used when speaking to others.

Natalie looked over her shoulder in an attempt to look at him. “You're a bastard, you know that?”

She heard him let out his small hyena giggle in response to what she said. “That's a funny way of saying it.”

“Oh, come on,” she groaned. “What? You want a bedtime story too? Or maybe you wanna cuddle me to stay warm?” She grimaced at that last sentence. She said it without thinking and started getting anxious when he went quiet after that. She cleared her throat and nuzzled into her pillow again. “Just kidding. Sorry, that sounded weird. Good night, Rome.”

“Methinks you have a thing for your boss. Don't worry, I won't tell.” Roman chuckled. “Finally, a proper good night. Night, Nat. See you tomorrow.”

They fell into a hushed silence yet again; only this time, the only noise that broke it was the sound of soft breathing coming from Roman.

Natalie found it hard to fall asleep as easily. It amazed her that he could sleep so soundly in a bed that wasn't his. With someone he only seemed to view as an employee or a work friend if she was lucky. She flipped over on her back and tried to peer at him in the darkness. Just once, she wished she could hop into his mind and swim around in the thoughts he had. Especially the ones he had about her. She was just so curious to see how he actually felt about her.

She yawned and turned over again, facing the wall now. Deep down, she had an inkling that she already knew how he felt. She couldn't really deny that him being here instead of his actual room filled her with some kind of schadenfreude. A weird sense of pride that made her feel a bit shameful. Despite what her gut was telling her about his feelings, he still picked her over his girlfriend. Natalie felt both proud and a little embarrassed at that.

Finally, she closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind. It proved to be difficult but after what felt like hours, she finally drifted off to sleep.

The morning light trickled in the window and woke Roman up first. He took a few moments to drink in his surroundings and almost forgot that he didn't sleep in his room last night. Very slowly, he sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, squinting at the bright sun. Then, he looked over at the still sleeping Natalie, who was hugging her pillow tightly. The covers were slightly draped off of her but she looked comfortable. He was chagrined that he even thought of doing this but with a feather light touch, he pulled the duvet up closer to her chin and covered her up again. Then, just as quickly as he invited himself in, he slipped out of her room and headed back to his to get dressed.

Not too long after, Natalie finally woke up. She wasn’t surprised that she was the only one in the room this morning and carried on like usual. She also knew that they would never discuss this moment again so it was best to pretend that it never happened. After taking time to get ready, she finally left her room to join the rest for breakfast.

Quiet chatter filled the room she entered and she didn’t partake in any of the ongoing conversations. Instead, she grabbed a plate and started to pick at the pastries laid out for them to enjoy.

Natalie heard Roman speaking to those around him, loudly exclaiming, “I jerked off in Gerri’s bathroom last night. It was her idea, actually.”

She couldn’t help but softly laugh at that. Of course he would say something so outlandish to cover up where he was. She would expect nothing less from the immature Roy sibling. After he said that, they exchanged a subtle glance of knowing.

Natalie knew that this look would be the only acknowledgment he would ever give her about last night. Surprisingly, she was comfortable with that but she couldn’t resist wondering where their strange friendship would turn up after that. Just friends don’t sneak into each other’s beds at night. They both knew it.

tag list: @bobmckenzie @kylars-princess @gideongrovel @bioexorcizm @marigoldmavs @fates-theysband @lieutenantselnia @sunflawyer lmk if you want to be added/removed!

#my stuff ♡#⸝⸝⊂➜ corporate flirt ⊃⸝⸝#suggestive #ok to rb!

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