#i am sorry that you have had to experience that

[propertyofwicked]

WAS IT REAL? - LN

lando is at risk of losing his job if he doesn't clean up his image, and his best friend needs a way of travelling the world. they come up with a flawless plan - which could not possibly go wrong, right?

based on this request! (i went a little overboard im sorry) ✧ my inbox is open! ✧

warnings - fluff, angst, small allusion to smut at the end - fake dating to lovers hehe. also, 5k words??? who am i?? (writen BEFORE the miami gp!! i needed a few days to recover lol)

the song inspo for this got removed from spotify but it is based on "was it real" by ben rodrigues <3

masterlist the playlist

✧ tell me was it real...

...or was it just pretend? ✧

“and now i’ve had zak sit me down and essentially said ‘we don’t hire slags’”

“he said that your recent behaviour was causing concern for mclarens image - not that you were a slag, lan.”

“same thing,” he argued, ”i’m 24 for gods sake, if i want to speak to women in a nightclub that shouldn’t be any of zak’s business.”

“i think it became his business when someone filmed you, in your mclaren, having what im sure was a lovely conversation with the girl sat on your lap,” she teased back, emphasising her words slightly. he huffed at, crossing his arms over his chest as he leant back into her sofa.

lando had walked into her flat 20 minutes prior, as he had hundreds of times before, threw himself down on her sofa and launched into a long rant about the meeting he had just come from.

since he was at the woking offices, zak had taken the opportunity to discuss the several occasions in recent weeks where lando had been caught in predicaments with multiple different women. when he finally left, zak’s ultimatum ran through his brain on a loop as he drove to one of his closest friends houses.

“clean your image up, or we’ll have to reconsider the possibility of you having a seat next year.”

“it sucks, lan, but i really don’t know how i can help you here,” y/n told him, moving a stack of research notes to the table before sitting cross legged next to him so that her body faced his.

y/n l/n was a newly graduated environmental researcher, who was taking a year out to decide what kind of work she wanted to pursue. she needed to travel, see the world, and experience all elements in her field before she could make that decision - but travelling was expensive and she could not afford to be in anymore debt after university.

“i have an idea,” lando announced, the realisation of what he was about to propose never really settling.

“that’s never good,” she joked.

“no, no hear me out -” he started, “i need to look like a man in a stable relationship, you need to see the world.”

“yeah? so?” she questioned, confused as to where he was going with this.

“look, it’s ok if you say no. i’m just saying - you could pretend to be my girlfriend and use the opportunity to travel the world and research your little bugs.”

“i don’t know, that seems a bit…deceitful?” y/n replied, yet the idea mulled in her brain more than she wished.

“just a few public appearances. you come with me to my races and use it as a research opportunity. maybe stay in monaco with me for a bit? let people film us being domestic and that?” lando replied, stuttering as he tried to think of more reasons - truly, he had started talking before he’d really thought it through.

“it’s tempting,” she replied slowly, “and for the last time lando, i do not study bugs, i study the environments they live in.”

“all expenses paid, travelling the world, looking at trees across the world,” he added teasingly, “- and all you have to do is hold my hand in public,” he finished, trying to summarise the arrangement.

“ok.”

“ok?”

“yeah, what’s the worst that can happen?”

✧ tell me all the places that you wanna see...

....i can take you all the places that you've never been ✧

the two of them fell easily into a natural act, almost gaining a sixth sense for cameras and fans and reaching for each other. it started small - a hand on her back, standing close to each other, being seen arriving and leaving together. but it hadn’t been enough, many pointing out that y/n had been at races and stayed with him in monaco multiple times, and concluding the two were still, just friends.

so they upped the ante. lando began holding her hand when they walked anywhere together, kissing her forehead lightly as they both pretended to be clueless to the snapping of cameras. at the last race, y/n had spotted a reporter and made a quick decision to tug at lando’s fireproof, pulling him down and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

“that’s new,” he had told her, laughing lightly, but keeping his hands firmly on her waist.

“camera,” she told him, smiling up at him as he nodded.

and lando kept up his end of the deal, the two of them using the week of the australian grand prix to visit the great barrier reef.

their plan was working - the two were elated that people were finally putting the pieces together and believing the two really were together. even zak began to notice the positive effect y/n had on not only his image, but lando’s entire life.

“say y/n,” zak started as he walked up to the woman, “you work in environmental protection, don’t you?”

“i guess you could say that,” she responded, too tired to correct him, and slightly startled that he’d approached her as she sat minding her own business in the garage before the race began.

“we’re doing some work with the barrier reef group and oscar in a few days - would you consider being a sort of environmental advisor? just tell oscar a few things that he could talk about for the project?” he asked her assertively, smiling as her eyes widened at the request.

“i’d love to! but im supposed to be flying back tomorrow. let me ask lando later and ill get back to you?” she replied.

“sure,” he replied, smiling at her again before returning to his job. she was filled with excitement, it wasn’t often that she got to talk about her degree, and being able to contribute to a project of this scale was an amazing opportunity.

and her excitement only continued throughout the race, a feeling she always got watching lando compete, but overwhelmed when he cross the line 3rd. y/n ran round to join the rest of the mclaren team at the pit lane, watching as the podium cars pulled in and the drivers hopping out to celebrate with their teams.

lando climbed out, removing his helmet quickly before turning, scanning the crowd for y/n, and half sprinting when he spotted her. later, he would celebrate with his team, but for now he ran to her, pulling her in closely as he pressed his lips hastily to hers, pulled in closer by her hands cupping his jaw. when they pulled away, he kept her close to his embrace.

“im so proud of you,” she told him, smiling as he bent down to kiss her again, before rushing off to join his team.

y/n tried so hard to push away the feeling rising in her stomach - she didn’t like him like that, it was just the excitement of watching her friend succeed. so she ignored it, the same way she pushed away the feeling she got every time he calls her angel, even when they were alone.

im only here so that he keeps his job she reminded herself.

lando was distracted - he got podium, he was excited, his team were celebrating. yet he couldn’t help but let his thoughts linger to that feeling that shot through his veins when he’d kissed her. the same feeling he got every night, when she wrapped an arm tightly around his chest as they fell asleep.

she’s only here for research opportunities he told himself.

“im so proud of you,” y/n told him later that day as they left the track. wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him in to a tight hug, his arms falling naturally to hold her waist close to him. lando risked everything in that moment, pulling slightly back to look at her, before pressing a kiss to her lips.

“camera,” he told her, feeling her hesitation. her smile fell slightly before she leaned up to kiss him again. of course - the cameras, that’s why he kissed me she thought to herself, saddened slightly at the realisation.

there was no camera. they were totally alone.

✧ colours of the sky in your eyes

...fragments of the truth in your lies ✧

lando felt alone, his apartment felt so empty without her. he was happy she had the opportunity to stay in australia and do what she loves, but he couldn’t help but dwell on the flames igniting inside of him when he saw the videos of her and oscar together. it wasn’t jealousy, he told himself, he just missed her. after spending the last few months in close proximity, it made sense that he missed smelling her perfume around, or hearing the way her voice travelled through his brain.

y/n had a calming effect on him, and right now, lando was anything but calm.

which is why he found himself going back to his old ways, in a club, surrounded by women he wouldn’t remember the next day. he was too gone to remember that people with cameras tend to follow him around, capturing his every move in 4k - and he was far too gone to realise that publicly he was in a relationship, a relationship that should not include him leaving a club with a blonde.

and of course, y/n had seen the images blasted over twitter, headlines titled “cheating scandal?” consuming her entire feed. it was hard to remind herself that this thing between her and lando was not real, it was all pretend. and no matter how many times she told herself that fact, y/n couldn’t help but feel jealousy consume her entire existence.

the flat had never felt so awkward than the week before their flight to japan for the next race. she had returned a few days after the incident, lando greeting her at the door with a tight hug and a kiss to her forehead, but something was off.

“you have fun?” he asked her offhandedly as they moved to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water for himself.

“i did,” she said with a smile, though her tone held malice, “did you?”

lando’s hands stopped opening the cap of the bottle as he breathed in sharply.

“the fuck does that mean?” he replied, his tone harsh in defence.

“i was just asking if you had a good time, lando,” y/n answered, “she looked pretty, your type.”

“nothing happened, y/n,” lando told her, his voice sounding almost guilty.

“it’s ok if something did happen - we aren’t actually together,” she assured him, even though she could feel the jealousy bubbling up inside her again, “can you just be more cautious next time? im not sure i enjoy being told i deserved to be cheated on every time i open twitter.”

“im sorry, y/n, i am. i dont know what i was thinking,” he apologised, his eyes still softening with his guilt.

“clearly not a lot,” she tutted, before moving to take her bags to her room.

the rest of the week followed a similar vibe - the two of them barely spoke if they didn’t have to, making a few affectionate public appearances to show the world that their relationship was as strong as ever… oh the irony y/n thought every time she saw something dismissing earlier lando’s actions. however, by the time they flew out to japan, the friendship between the two seemed to have recovered - lando had almost sighed in relief when he saw her smile at him again.

“where you off to today?” lando asked her, pacing around the hotel room as he packed his bag for the day.

“the marina,” she replied, smiling as she pulled her coat on, “looking at the fish.”

“gross.”

“what time is qualis?” y/n asked him, ignoring his statement.

“uhh…3 i think - but you should try and get there by 2?” he told her, glancing down at his phone to see the current time. lando strode over to her, cupping her face lightly as he pressed a quick kiss to her head - this was becoming second nature to him, and she wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

“perfect!” she replied, trying to stop the nervous blush rising her face, ignoring the way her stomach flipped, “ill be there,” she added before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek and leaving the room. the moment the door closed, lando’s hand raised to touch where she had kissed him, smiling fondly at the thought.

he was utterly and truly fucked. how had he let himself fall for her? how could he continue to pretend to love her, when he really did?

y/n spent the rest of the morning in a similar state of panic, mentally shutting down at the prospect of loving lando and knowing he’d never feel the same. she hadn’t even intended to leave him today, but found herself quickly googling anything for her to do the moment she woke up with his arm wrapped tightly around her stomach and his head resting on her back. y/n needed space, she knew she couldn’t keep up their little act when her heart was slowly shattering every time he kissed her for the cameras.

so caught up in her own thoughts, she didn’t realise the time until it hit 2pm and she was stuck at the marina, desperately trying to find a taxi to get her to the track. and when she finally made it, y/n wish she hadn’t bothered.

lando was pacing angrily, talking under his breath as he checked his phone constantly - he only had 5 minutes before he needed to go down to the garage and get ready for qualifiers. the door slid open, and y/n walked through - ready to spurt out her apologies - but she stopped suddenly, sensing the anger looming in his room.

“where were you?” lando asked her, trying to keep himself calm, though the race nerves mixed with his temperament made that quite difficult.

“im sorry lan, i lost trac-”

“lost track of time? found something more interesting to do? save it, i don’t wanna hear your excuses,” he argued back, interrupting her with his ever loudening tone.

“you’d know all about ‘finding something more interesting’, wouldn’t you,” y/n replied, her own voice raising to meet his. if there’s one thing y/n will do, it’s stand up for herself, even when all she wanted to do was kiss him. dont kiss him, hit him she told herself.

“fuck you,” he spat, shoving past her to leave the room.

“at least im here!” she shouted back down the hallway, desperate for the last word

y/n stayed in the room for qualifiers, trying to stop the tears running down her face before lando returned. she hoped his anger was only heightened by his nerves, praying that after securing P3 he would return as his normal self, laughing and joking with her. in a strange way, she wanted cameras on them, she wanted him to be affectionate with her - she needed him to comfort her.

the woman walked nervously down to the garage, hoping to catch him quickly before he had to run off for media duties. maybe now he had secured a solid start position for tomorrows race he would be more willing to have a mature, sensible conversation with her.

or not.

lando spotted her immediately, pulling her arm quickly to lead her round to a secluded area outside the garage. he wasn’t angry at her, he was angry at himself for letting it get this far. he was so irritated, he couldn’t even spare a moment to see the fear in her eyes as he took in a deep breath.

he wasn’t angry at her, but he didn’t know how else to express his overwhelming emotions.

“what do you want? make it quick, ive got media to do,” he snapped, letting go of her arm as they stopped walking. she rubbed at it, her skin still burning from his tight grip.

“i just wanted to see you lan, congratulate you,” she replied softly, biting back tears once more.

“oh now you want to be here to support me?” he breathed out, crossing his arms over his chest.

“what does that mean?”

“i let you come with me to help with your career, and yet you can’t even turn up to support mine. i knew you were selfish but thi-”

“selfish?” she argued, trying to keep her voice low, “me? selfish? i haven’t got enough fingers to count the amount of times you’ve missed my important things because you were busy with your career. and have i complained once?”

“well no but-”

“but nothing, lando. i can’t even pretend to love this version of you,” she ranted, her anger being overcome with sadness, “you know what? fix your own reputation - or don’t. i don’t care what or who you do anymore,” she finished, turning on her heel and storming away from him.

he wanted to follow her, he wanted to hold her close as he apologised. lando knew he was being selfish, he knew it wasn’t fair to string her along under the pretence of saving his career. he knew he could no longer pretend, not with her and not with the public. lando needed her in every sense of the word. but duty calls, so he settles on dealing with this later, sitting her down and telling her the truth, even if it had the potential to destroy their friendship - he figured he couldn’t make it any worse.

but y/n isn’t at the track when he finishes up for the day, and she’s not at the hotel when he returns - and neither are her belongings. lando checked his phone repeatedly, messaging her desperately.

he fell to the bed, head in his hands as he tried to regulate his breathing.

she was gone, and it was all his fault.

✧ i know that you're perfect for me

…tell me that you're sorry

…won't you please just take my heart again ✧

it took a few weeks for lando to finally stop messaging her, though y/n noticed an increase in visits from max, their mutual friend, under the guise of “just checking in” on his childhood friend. y/ wasn’t stupid, she knew who was behind max’s sudden interest in her wellbeing. but max was stupid either, he knew why the two of them had taken this fall out so hard.

“you did what?” max shouted in shock.

“i asked her to pretend to be girlfriend so i could keep my job,” lando sighed, hiding his face in his hands.

“you’re stupid.”

“i know.”

“in what world was that ever going to end well?”

“the world where i didn’t realise i actually do fancy her?” lando replied quietly, questioning his own admission.

“im so stupid,” max replied.

“how are you the stupid one here?”

“stupid for believing the two of you had finally worked out what has been right in front of you since we were 13.”

lando was desperate. he needed to talk to her, he needed to tell her how he felt - but for now, he settled with knowing she was ok.

“she’s alive and healthy - and she had pizza for lunch,” max told him over the phone, growing tired of this weekly routine the two of them had started.

“but she’s doing ok, right?”

“she’s good, lan,” he reassured, neglecting to tell him the part where she cried on him about losing her best friend over a trivial, child-like crush.

“but…?” lando asked, sensing there was more.

“but - she still doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“i could’ve guessed that one, thanks mate.”

“hey dont get mean with me - im just doing what you asked.”

“i know, sorry.”

“don’t apologise to me, find a way to fix this you muppet.”

y/n was not ok, spending most of her nights alone, scrolling through social media seeing the rumours about her and lando’s supposed split - “she’s wasn’t at the race” “i saw her leaving suzuka crying” “he looks so sad in interviews”. why do they care so much? but they aren’t wrong, she thought.

she began looking for a job, but nothing seemed as exciting as the work she’d done with mclarens environmental programme - which seemed to no longer be an option. unbeknownst to her, mclaren also loved the work she had done with them - her presence was greatly missed in the garage by many, especially those on the receiving end of lando’s current outbursts.

y/n’s phone lit up the entire room, the notification cutting through the silence of her room, breaking her away from her own thoughts.

-

y/n was still convinced this was a trick, luring her to miami under the pretence of work so that oscar could push her head first into a trap. the thought stuck with her throughout her plane journey, as she checked in to her hotel, even up to the moment she knocked on oscar’s door to discuss the project. she was waiting for lando to appear, push her into a locked room and force her to talk to him.

“…’but if i talk to him, ill end up telling him why i ran, and how i feel about him, then he’ll reject me, laugh in my face and im back to feeling sorry for myself,” she told oscar, having finished giving him the run down for their project, and allowing the conversation to move to the elephant in the room - what had happened between her and lando.

“im sure that’s not true,” he replied, feeling sad for the girl in front of him, though he already knew most of the story from hearing lando’s self-destructive rants.

she opened her mouth to responded, but was stopped by a sharp knock at the door.

“oscar? are you ready to go?” a familiar voice called from the other side, sending y/n’s blood cold, her eyes widening in panic.

“what the fuck, oscar?” she whispered shouted, feeling betrayed.

“i didn’t know he was coming y/n, i swear, i’d never do that to you,” oscar reassured her truthfully, although slightly beaming as a plan formulated in his head, “stay there, ill tell him to meet me downstairs.”

oscar stood, moving to open the door slightly.

“hey mate - just got some things to sort out, ill meet you downstairs in 15?”

“sure,” lando nodded, turning to leave, but not before his eyes drifted into the room, spotting the same pair of flowery vans that had spent months sitting in his hallway. y/n’s vans.

lando walked down to the lobby, taking a seat as he waited for oscar, his mind consumed with the fact that y/n was here, in miami, in his hotel. why was she here? why hadn’t she told him? was she still avoiding him?

“he-”

“where is she?” lando interrupted the australian the moment he approached.

“’hi oscar, are you ready to go?’ would’ve been my response but ok,” oscar replied.

“where is she, oscar?” lando continued, determined.

“she doesn’t want to see you.”

“i know,” he replied bluntly, “why is she here?”

“y/n was invited to join mclaren as an advisor on a new climate video,” oscar gave in, replying as professionally as he could - he wasn’t here to discuss their ‘breakup’.

that’s a lie, he’s pretty sure zak asked him to do another environmental video purely to suggest that he contacted y/n to be an advisor. and he’s absolutely certain that zak, equally as fed up with lando’s attitude, was looking for a reason to bring the two back together.

“who invited her? where is she staying?” lando quizzed him as they walked towards the car, doubting he’d even get an answer.

“zak invited her, he appreciated the work she did for us in australia,” oscar replied, ignoring his second question. lando hummed in response, if oscar wouldn’t tell him, he would find out for himself.

it was only a press day, so lando split from his teammate and began his hunt for zak brown. it wasn’t hard, the man was wearing bright orange and had a laugh that could be heard for miles.

“hey zak,” he started.

“hey lando, what can i do for you?” zak asked, glancing at his at a text on his phone quickly before giving lando his full attention.

“how are you?” lando asked hastily, beginning his attempt to bombard his boss with questions till he slipped up.

“im good.”

“what are you doing today?”

“just going over some things with the team.”

“what do you think the weather will be like on sunday?”

“war-”

“where’s she staying?”

“the marriot i-” zak replied, pretending to stutter as he answered, feigning shock at accidentally revealing the hotel.

“thanks zak, love you,” lando called out as he jogged out. zak smirked to himself, replying to oscar’s message.

z → mission complete.

o → you made sure it looked like an accident, right?

z → jesus oscar i just told him the hotel name i didn’t kill him

of course lando couldn’t leave the track immediately, he had a job to do first. but the moment he became free for the evening, he was off, arriving at the hotel in record time. there were many cons to being a recognisable face, but a pro of being so famous was a hotel receptionist who barely batted an eyelid as lando demanded to know the room number of y/n l/n.

his knuckles rapped on the door quickly, his heartrate beating rapidly as he did. this could go so many ways, and most of them were not good. the door swung open, his eyes coming to look at the woman in front of him - she looked good, but she looked different, like something was missing.

“lando? what are yo- OSCAR!” she called out, turning to look back into the room, the door widening as she did revealing his teammate sat at the desk, “did you do this?”

“not me,” he replied, holding his hands up in defence. her head spun back around to look at lando, she was taking him in. he had a plaster on his nose, the curls were alive and well, and his everlasting tan ran the expanse of his skin. she didn’t want to admire him, but damn, miami was treating him well.

“go away i dont want to see you,” she announced suddenly, trying to shut the door but finding his foot blocking it.

“i know you don’t, but i need you to just listen to me, please. and then you can shut the door and never have to deal with me again,” he told her, pleading.

“oscar’s here.”

“actually, i should probably get going,” oscar announced moving to grab his stuff to leave. y/ns head shot back around, her eyes shooting daggers at him as if to say ‘dont you dare leave me alone with him right now’ to which he merely shrugged and walked out.

lando closed the door behind him, moving the two of them back into the room - y/n sat down awkwardly on the edge of the bed as he remained stood in front of her.

“what do you need to tell me?” she asked him impatiently.

“y/n, these last few weeks have been hell for me. i know i hurt you, i said some horrible stuff that you really didn’t deserve and i will do anything for you to forgive me and move past this,” he said, pausing before adding, “i don’t know about yo-”

“oh, so it wasn’t you sending max to “check in on me” every week?” she interrupted, her eyebrows quirking with her accusation.

“you worked that one out then?” lando replied, laughing slightly, relief washing over him that she didn’t seem angry at him.

“it was so obvious! since when has max ever felt the need to check im doing ok ever? let alone every week?”

“i sent him because i care about you y/n. you weren’t responding to my messages, dodging my calls,” he told her, watching her smile slightly, a blush rising her face.

“so why are you here now?”

“look, this whole ‘thing’,” he started, waving his arms to indicate he meant whatever the two of them were doing, “it started as something purely to benefit the both of our careers. but i think somewhere down the line, it turned into something more. something that should’ve happened years ago,” he told her, his heart ready to beat its way out of his chest and jump out the window.

the two sat in silence for a moment, y/n mulled over his words in her head. this is what she wanted, wasn’t it? she wanted him to love her the way she loved him. so, why did she feel so apprehensive about letting him back in?

“i know you felt it too, y/n,” lando said again, not letting her thoughts distract her too far.

“feel,” she said bluntly.

“huh?”

“you said felt. i still feel that way about you lan.”

“then why won’t you let me in?”

“you said some really nasty stuff to me, lan. really horrible stuff that had me reconsidering my entire life. you’re lucky i even let you stay. why couldn’t you just be honest with me - instead of pushing me away?”

“i didn’t know how to,” he admitted, stepping closer to her, “if i had a time machine, i would take back everything i said. id go back and slap some fucking sense into myself.”

lando now stood directly in front of her, his thighs brushing her knees lightly as his hand moved to her face, wiping away a tear she didn’t even know what trailing down her cheek. his fingers tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear before settling on cupping her jaw lightly.

“can you forgive me?” he asked her softly, thumb stroking at her cheek.

“it’s not all your fault, lan. i could’ve said something too,” she told him.

“please just say you forgive me so i can kiss you, you idiot,” he laughed out.

“forgiven,” y/n said quickly, her head tilting so that their lips met. it was familiar, the feeling his lips on hers, but this time there was a sense of urgency. a sense of love that was absent anytime they had kissed before. his tongue swiped at her bottom lip, desperate for more which she granted happily, as her hands moved to rest in his hair, tugging at the curls lightly.

“fuck, y/n. ‘missed you so much,” he moaned out, the grip on his hair sending his mind blank.

“missed you too,” she replied as he moved to kiss down her neck softly, “even if you were a bit of a dick.”

“let me make it up to you?” lando teased, nipping at the skin of her neck whilst his fingers toyed with the hem of her top.

“there’s a lot to make up for.”

“ive got time,” he replied, pulling the fabric away from her body fully. her hands reached out, grabbing at his mclaren polo to remove it as well, dropping it next to herself on the bed.

lando laid her back on the bed, hovering over her as he continued kissing down the flesh of her torso.

“y/n i forgot m-” oscar started, barging back into the room, “oh my god, ive been gone what…? 3 minutes? how have you already taken your clothes off?” he exclaimed with a laugh.

“fuck off!” y/n and lando called out in unison, lando reaching for his top and launching it in oscar’s direction.

“ok ok, im going,” he replied, raising his hands again in defence, “stay safe kids,” he added before leaving the room, his forgotten phone now in tow.

“kids?” lando muttered, “im older than him?”

#lando norris #lando norris x reader #lando norris smut #lando x reader #lando smut #lando norris imagine #lando norris fanfic #formula 1 #mclaren f1 #mclaren #lando norris fluff #propertyofwicked

[sunkissed-zegras]

Hi! I hope your day is going well :)). Do you think that you could do Nika with the manager? Like where she gets protective with her at a game or party? That women is so fine and I've barely even seen anyone write for her😭😭.

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐒 & 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐄𝐆𝐎𝐒 ─ UCONN WBB MANAGER

─ word count | 905

─ warnings | descriptions of partying/drinking, manager's friends being kinda stupid, frat guys (ewww), one singular shove, uh nothing else??

─ taglist | @xocherishxo @iienstein @yazmunson @euphternal @uraesthete @hello-nah817 @wanderlusturous @paigeszn @ekisokau @plushkhiii and here's a link to my taglist if anyone would like to join!!

NIKA'S HANDS FOUND their way to your waist effortlessly, pulling you in closer to her chest as you laughed along to what your friends were saying.

Nika didn't like to party unless she absolutely had to, or if she was in the mood. She didn't like any aspect of it ─ the booze, the loud music, the overwhelming smell of weed and especially how weird people got. She liked partying when it wasn't in some random person's house, with a bunch of frat guys with huge egos and terrible hygiene.

However, you wanted to go out tonight and she refused to let you go alone. Even if she wasn't super close to your friends, she still wanted to be there with you (despite both of you having a very early morning practice the next day).

She wasn't having the time of her life but she certainly wasn't miserable, she liked being around you even if you weren't talking to her. Your laughter, your occasional glances her way, and the warmth of your presence were enough to make the experience bearable for her.

"So, Nika," your friend began, her voice slightly slurring. "You're from Croatia? And you play basketball? That's a really... really random combo."

You sent a glance toward your very tipsy friend then looked back at your taller girlfriend. "She's really good,"

"I know, we've all seen her play. She's like... amazing," your friend spoke as she smiled at Nika. "I just thought you'd like be into soccer or something cause like, you're European. Or something,"

You sent your friend a glare as Nika laughed, pulling you closer into her chest. Nika chuckled at your friend's comment, her laughter warm despite the slightly awkward situation. "I get that a lot," she said with a good-natured shrug. "But basketball's always been my thing."

You couldn't help but smile at her, feeling a surge of affection for the way she effortlessly handled the conversation, even in her slightly tipsy state.

"Yeah, she's the best," you chimed in, wrapping an arm around Nika's waist and pulling her closer. "And she's pretty amazing at everything she does."

"Ew, my god. Get a room," you friend gagged as she turned from the two of you, earning laughter from the two of you.

Suddenly, you felt some clash into you, spilling their drink all over you. As the liquid soaked through your clothes, you couldn't help but groan in frustration, the sudden interruption jolting you out of the moment. Nika's arm tightened around you protectively, her expression shifting from amusement to concern as she assessed the situation.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine worry as she gently brushed a stray strand of hair from your face.

"Oh my god, dude. I am so sorry, I should've been more careful," you both looked up to meet the man's eyes.

Of course, he was a frat guy, Nika thought to herself. Nika's protective instincts flared as she shot a glare at the guy, her expression a mixture of annoyance and frustration. Despite the apology, she couldn't shake the feeling of irritation at the carelessness of his actions.

"You two are gorgeous, by the way. I've seen you, aren't you like the manager for women's basketball team or something?" The guy's gaze was fixed on you as his lips turned upward into a smirk.

"Yeah, that's me," you replied tersely, trying to keep your composure despite the uncomfortable situation. Nika shot a warning glance at the frat guy, silently urging him to back off.

"Can I get you two beauts a drink?" He spoke, his voice husky as he leaned in closer. And before you could even process the situation, Nika sent him flying with a rough push.

Before he could even regain his bearings, Nika stepped forward, her expression fierce as she stood between you and the frat guy, her stance unwavering. "First of all, back the fuck up. We're not interested,"

The frat guy scrambled to his feet, his expression a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "You're crazy, how would your coach like to hear about you assaulting a guy, huh? You'd be off the team in no time, bitch."

Nika's eyes narrowed at the frat guy's threat, her fists clenched at her sides but before she could react, you stepped forward, your voice dripping with anger.

"Yeah, yeah go ahead and talk to him and see what happens. Nothing, this is obviously self-defense because you can't take fucking hints," you shouted as your eyebrows furrowed.

The frat guy hesitated for a moment, his anger warring with his sense of self-preservation. Finally, with a muttered curse, he turned on his heel and stormed off, disappearing into the crowd.

"Are you okay, baby?" She muttered as she pulled you into a tight embrace.

"No, no I'm fine. Are you okay?" You mumbled into her chest as she nodded. "He's not gonna do anything,"

"No, he's a little bitch." Nika spoke sharply as you let out a slightly breathless laugh. She smiled at the sound, her stomach filling with butterflies as she did.

With a final squeeze, Nika pulled back slightly as she pulled your lips into a soft kiss. "Let's get out of here," she said, her voice firm but gentle.

You looked back at your drunk friends, then back at Nika. You said your goodbyes quickly as she held your waist, leading you to the door.

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

#uconn women’s basketball #uconn #uconn wbb #uconn huskies #nika muhl x reader #nika muhl imagine #nika mühl #nika muhl #wcbb x reader #wcbb #wbb x reader #ncaa wbb #seattle storm #wnba draft #wnba basketball #ncaaw #uconn wbb manager ★

[calicoheartz]

Embracing Truth ; Paige Bueckers ┈﹒

꣑୧ — summary | paige helps her gf come out of the closet 💐💌❤️

wc ; 870

— warnings | smalll hints of homophobia , anxiety related topics , mainly fluff + established relationship

my master list ㇀♡

1) i am sooo sorry for not responding to ur request anon! I accidentally deleted it from my drafts :(

a/n : this was so sweet and cute to write 🥰 this definitely healed something in me. Enjoy ◡̈

Paige sat on the edge of the bed, watching as her girlfriend, y/n, paced nervously back and forth between the blondes dorm. She could tell something was weighing heavily on your mind, and her instincts told her it was something serious. 

You and Paige had been dating since your second year of college, meeting during one of your shared classes. You knew you had always been into girls, often experimenting with them in highschool. But there was one problem, your parents didn't know.

They weren't necessarily homophobic per say, but to be fair the conversation of you being gay never was a topic of conversation. But the idea of one day having to tell them terrified you, especially since you knew the relationship with your girlfriend was becoming serious.

“Y/n, what's wrong?” Paige asks, snapping you out of your thoughts as she stood up and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder to stop your pacing.

You took a deep breath, looking up at your girlfriend with tears welled in your eyes managing to croak out , “I don't know Paige, I really need to tell my parents… I need to tell them about us. But I'm just afraid that they won't accept me, accept us. What if they kick me out? Disown me??”

Paige’s heart ached at the sudden fear that lingered in your voice,  as she pulled you into a warm, comforting hug, holding you tightly. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. I’ll be right by your side every step of the way. We’ll get through this together, I promise.”

You nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over you, knowing that Paige would be there for you, and be by your side. “Okay,” you whispered, “Okay, let’s do this.”

A few days had passed since you had the conversation with your girlfriend, part of you wanted to procrastinate for as long as possible, because they would eventually find out regardless of when they were told. But your subconscious knew that now was the time, especially since you were serious about the blonde. You had to embrace the truth, your truth.

You and Paige drove over to your parents house one Friday evening, in the hopes of possibly sharing this important news over dinner. You were a bundle of nerves, but the blonde held your hand reassuringly as the two of you began to walk towards the front door. You took a pause, hesitating to ring the doorbell , after gathering your thoughts, you gently pressed on the round button in front of you, revealing a small chime in reply. You were soon greeted by your parents, who were surprised but happy to see them. 

“y/n, Paige, what brings you here?” your mother chirps. Hugging the both of you before inviting you two inside.

As you walked through your house, skimming past the dining room and making your way towards the living room, you plopped down on the couch before breaking the silence, “We have something we need to talk to you both about” your voice trembling slightly.

Once the rest of them had joined you on the couch and surrounding seats, you took a deep breath and began to speak again. “Mom, Dad, you know how I’ve known Paige since freshman year of highschool? And how we’ve spent a lot of time with each other since then..” the two of them nodded in response before you continued, “well.. I realized that I like her  more than a friend way. What I’m trying to say- I’m saying is that I’m with Paige. Like we’re dating..” your voice trailing off before facing them both in the eye, as your eyes had been previously wandering and focusing on different objects in the area. “Im gay.”

There was a brief moment of silence as your parents processed the information. You feared the absolute worst as the seconds of silence passed by, but then you mom spoke up, her voice filled with love and acceptance. “Sweetheart, we love you no matter what. We just want you to be happy.”

You couldn't hold back your tears as you hugged them both, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude. Paige wrapped her arms around them all, feeling grateful to be a part of such a loving and accepting family.

After the initial shock wore off, your parents welcomed Paige with open arms, eager to get to know her now officially as their daughter's girlfriend. You all spent the evening talking and laughing, and you couldn't have felt more loved and accepted. 

As the night came to a close, and as the both of you drove back to the blondes dorm, you couldn't stop smiling. Your heart was full of love for Paige and your family, as you squeezed her hand as a way to silently say I love you.

“I love you, P,” you whispered quietly, your voice filled with emotion. “I love you too, y/n” Paige replied, squeezing your hand back gently. “I'm so proud of you.”

And in that moment, that's when you knew that no matter what challenges you both faced in the future, as long as you had your girlfriend by your side, you could handle anything.

as always, thank you guys so much for reading!! don't forget to leave reqs :)

#wlw #wlw imagine #wcbb #my hcs #headcannons #paige bueckers #wcbb x reader #paige bueckers x reader #paige buckets #uconn women’s basketball #uconn huskies #wlw community #caitlin clark #caitlin clark x reader #iowa wbb #kate martin #uconn wbb

[reiashiftsrealities]

shifting storytime <3

So sorry for the wait but IM FINALLY POSTING IT LETS GOOOO. So excited to share this experience with you all and I actually am tweaking from how much I want to go back. Also this is NOT proofread I apologize for any mistakes 🫶

DR: Hunger Games

How long was the shift: A week, give or take.

Method: Gaslighting Method (my own)

So in this DR, my name is Loralei Walker, and I’m from District 3. I think I said at least the district already but I’m reiterating. I’m going to be dating Peeta eventually but I didn’t meet him this shift. Finnick, Johanna, and Evangeline (friend I scripted in) are the people i’m closest to.

OH MY GOD okay so when I shifted, I woke up in my room with Chewy curled up in my lap. It like actually scared the living shit out of me so I shot straight up which caused him to nip my leg (granted I did like throw him upwards).

He’s so adorable ☹️☹️. He follows me around EVERYWHERE. He even followed me to the reaping ☹️. I scripted that I can take him to the Capitol cause he’s an emotional support animal, but it’s kind of sad to think that when I actually go to the Arena he can’t follow me :(

Now onto District 3: I didn’t expect this, but D3 is COLDDDD. It is FREEZING. It is FROSTBITE inducing. And blankets are a luxury, ironically. Like ice cubes in D12. Thankfully since I live in the Victor’s Village I have a couple of them but you literally can’t escape the cold.

Another thing; In D3, kids start learning about their district career at like 4 years old. School is from 5 am to 5 pm, kids 4-18. At 16, you have the option to take a test about 16-18 curriculum, and if you pass you get to graduate. If not, you stay until you’re 18. No do-overs. Not going to school is punishable by death. There are only a few careers you can choose from, which are: Technical Engineering, Technology Advancement, Robotics, and Computer Science. Being a Victor automatically exempts you from school + choosing a career.

D3 is very desolate and dark, considering we’re a tech district. There isn’t much wildlife or wilderness as big buildings completely take over the land.

District 3, except it’s a bit smaller.

Okay so onto the Reaping: That shit can only be described as ominous. Like watching it on TV really cannot compare to how it felt IRL. Hearing my name being called was like chilling almost, and I expected it! Literally can’t even think about how it must feel for the people who didn’t. My District partner was Beetee, which was so sad cause he was my mentor during my Games. After we left, he told me he’d do everything to make sure I was safe. I started crying he’s so sweet.

The train ride to the Capitol was SOOO AMAZING. I couldn’t even think about the fact that I was going to the Captiol. Seeing the Districts was so crazy, the Captiol really can’t compare to the beauty of them. I can’t remember which District it was, but we passed by a huge sunflower field. It was so pretty. And the sky was like a purple/pink. I wanted that sky tattooed on my body it was so pretty.

When we pulled up to the Capitol I was like IMMEDIATELY greeted by my prep team. I couldn’t remember their names and my stylist couldn’t either so we just called them Hughie, Dughie, and Lewie.

OH MY GOD I LOVE MY STYLIST SOOOOO BAD. Her name is Xotia and she’s a literal goddess oh my god she slayed so bad. Hold on I’ll show you the getup she had me in.

My outfit as a mood board. Didn’t wanna put that many photos.

SEE????? She ate so bad holy shit. Had me down bad for myself anyways

Slight deviation; My first impression upon meeting Finnick was “this mf crazy.” The aura on that man is INSANE. He’s such a natural flirt despite being enamored with Evangeline. I didn’t really meet anyone else besides Johanna, and she is actually insane. Her and Finnick are really good friends and they complement each-other well. Also, Johanna is a major lesbian. Like major. Yes I scripted she was but I’m considering it canon ☹️

I shifted back around the time we got to the training centre so I didn’t get to meet my man BUT I will definitely next time I shift 🫶 so I’m not upset about that. Besides I could’ve stayed longer but I didn’t want to.

All in all I am SOSOSOSOSOSOSO in love with this DR and actually can’t wait to be back I’m literally tweaking oh my god i canMt do this

Edit: IM SO DAMN SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG IVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE FOR LIKE TWO WEEKS PLS ☹️☹️☹️. Not an excuse really but it’s finally here so yay!!!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

#reia shares shifting stories!! #reality shifting #shiftblr #shifting realities #shifting #desired reality #shifting community #reality shift #shifters #hunger games dr #hunger games #thg

[thoughtidtry]

Mr. Perfectly Fine - MV CL

SUMMARY: Angst: After your break up you take time to reflect on the man you once thought hung the stars. Who knew another would help you find the beauty in the stars as they fell. PAIRING: Ex!Max Verstappen X fem!reader, Charles Leclerc x reader at the end. A/N: Inspired by Mr. Perfectly Fine by Taylor Swift. Experimenting with formatting so please let me know if it helps with reading! 2.8k+ words... I apparently can't write anything smaller let me know if you all would rather have it in thousand-word parts instead of one long post!

"Mr. "Perfect Face" Mr. "Here to stay""

"You're so beautiful liefje"

Max hummed in the crook of your neck as you lay back on his chest while watching a movie. These moments were your favorite, the quiet murmurs, and gentle touches while enjoying each other company. The times when you had him all to yourself with no cameras or teammates looking at you both.

"Look who's talking pretty boy"

You responded back with a playful smirk knowing he hated being called pretty.

"Only pretty liefde really. I'm offended"

All you could do was giggle before looking back at your boyfriend to find him clutching his chest like you would imagine an old lady clutching her pearls.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't know being pretty was a bad thing now"

Faking an innocent look as you apologized for your disrespectful comment. You wanted to see how far you could tease before he reacted. Already he looked like he was mulling over whether or not to accept you heartfelt apology.

"Of course pretty could never fully articulate how a face as perfect as your looks. I again am so sorry for the offen-"

"Oh that's it!"

You were interrupted by being picked up and tossed on the couch beside him before he was on top of you looking done. With a smug smirk on his face, he pinned your hands above your head with one hand before starting to tickle you with the other.

"You gonna really apologize now"

You couldn't help but laugh as he poked and squeezed your sides till you were gasping for breath. His laughter echoed in your ears as he continued to torture you.

"I-I'm sorry p-please max"

You finally gasped out and he stopped still chuckling before leaning down to peck your lip quickly.

"That's what I thought"

He declared with a look of triumph on if face. You study his face for a moment with a soft smile before you glance over to see you already looking at him.

"What, liefde?"

Max questioned, his eyes filled with curiosity. You shrugged before answer as if it was the most common phrase ever spoke.

"I just wish we could stay like this forever. Here. Just the two of us."

He softly smiled back at you taking in how relaxed and angelic you looked in the soft glow of the TV.

"Well, I don't plan on going anywhere without you. I'm here to stay as long as you'll have me."

"Mr. "Change of heart" Mr. "Leaves me all alone""

You had never minded Max having to travel to races it was a part of his job. He used to love you tagging along with him to the races, being in the paddock with all the other girlfriends and wives of the other racers, and going back to the hotel with him after to help him relax after a long day. It made sense that you wouldn't be at every race but recently it seemed like he didn't want you there at all.

There was always some last-minute reason he needed to be at the track days before free practice started and you couldn't get off work in time before he had to leave. Trips started to become longer and longer to the point he was never home. You tried your best to understand but you missed him.

You talk on the phone when possible but they were always short. He always had an excuse why he had to go. The engineers needed to talk to him about the car, Checo was waiting on him for a video, or he had made plans to hang out with one of the other drivers.

"Mr. "Never had to see me cry" Mr. "Insincere apology so he doesn't look like the bad guy""

At some point, you stopped trying to call him and just resorted to texting him. His responses were few and hours apart with a made-up reason why he hadn't answered. You were beginning to lose hope when your phone rang one day. The excitement in your voice was evident when answering the call.

"Hey Max, how's the race going?" He sighed in annoyance that you even asked. "Yeah it's fine, look we need to talk" You took a step back at his tone. He was cold or maybe even angry. This wasn't like him at all at least not the side of him you knew. "O-okay yeah. What's up? Everything alright?" You were panicking a little worried something bad had happened. Was he hurt? Did something happen at the track? "Look I just don't think this is really working out. I think we should end things." You froze in shock, this had to be a joke right? He did just say that. All you could get out was a whisper like your voice had been stolen and tears started to well up in your eyes. "W-What?" Another sigh came from his side of the phone. As if this was becoming a more tedious conversation than he had planned. "We just aren't the same anymore you know. I'm sorry, I need someone less clingy, someone who understands what I do for a living." There was a pause as you heard another voice before he continued "I got to go, Christian wants to talk about something. I'll send you any stuff you left in my apartment when I get back. Bye."

"Cause I hear he's got his arm 'round a brand-new girl. I've been picking up my heart, he's been picking up her"

The last few weeks had been nothing but painful. Ever since the break up you've had several people calling and texting you. From the girlfriends and wives you used to spend time with in the paddock check to see if you're okay to random acquaintances wanting to hear all the dirty details. It made you sick thinking about that call, you thought that would be the worst of it until you got a text from Charles Leclerc.

At first, you thought he was just another person trying to figure out what had happened. You had spoken to him multiple times and were able to joke around with each other before everything happened but you weren't surprised. At least you weren't until you opened up the messages.

Hey, I know you probably want to be left alone, but I don't want you to get blindsided by seeing later. Max is seeing someone else. None of us knew until yesterday when he brought her to the paddock and started introducing her to everyone. I just wanted to let you know instead of you finding out through the media.

All the healing you thought you had done crumbled like a house of cards. The tears started to fall before you even got to read the last message. It hadn't even been a full month. How could he have moved on so fast? Through tear-blurred gaze you decided to respond to Charles.

Thank you for letting me know.... I appreciate your honesty. You're right I would like to be left alone. I'm glad to have met you and everyone else, but I can't keep talking to you all. It hurts too much, too many memories. Hope you have a great race, Charles..... Thank you again.

Charles felt a pang of guilt reading those messages. You had always been kind to him and seemed to care a lot about everyone you came in contact with. He felt angry at Max on your behalf and wanted to help you in any way possible.

You are an amazing person chérie. I know you want to be alone but I can't abide by your wishes. Please let me be there for you. We don't have to talk about anything in particular, just tell me about your day or we can talk about our hobbies. Just let me be here for you, please?

It took you a moment before responding to the process. Charles wasn't a bad guy from what you knew of him. You had been isolating yourself from everyone the last couple of weeks not wanting to talk about everything. Maybe having someone to talk to about normal life would be nice? A sigh of defeat left as you messaged him back.

okay.... so what do like to do in your free time?

Charles softly smiles at your message. It was a start and he'll take it. He responded back quickly telling you about how he likes playing the piano and how he had released a few songs. This was a pleasant surprise for you and you told him you listen to them.

"Oh, he's so smug, Mr. "Always wins" So far above me in every sense."

The end of the racing season came quicker than you could have imagined. You and Charles had become closer than you had ever expected. He was there for you to cry to and laugh with and as your heart mended he filled in the cracks still seeping sorrow with his own love and compassion.

Sitting on a stool in his kitchen while he tried to cook you dinner, you couldn't help teasing him for his terrible cooking skills. He mocked you back at how inept you were when it came to baking. The conversation lulled as he began to focus on not burning the food before he hesitantly brought up the award ceremony. "If it's too soon I understand, but I would love for you to be my date."

You took a moment to consider the proposition. As long as you were in Charles' life Max would be in yours. You knew you would have to see him sooner or later, so why not now? With your decision made you smiled a bit.

"I would love to be your date, Charles. This is your night to celebrate a great season. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The night arrived sooner than you had anticipated and there you were walking on Charles' arm in a velvet red dress looking in his words like an angel. You held the compliment close as you made your entrance together.

Friends and acquaintances were rightfully shocked at your attendance. They quickly came to hug you and let you know how happy they were to see you before you all were seated for the ceremony. It felt good to be around everyone again, you had missed them. Missed the funny moments and heartfelt chats. The night seemed to be shaping up to a great time.

Max made a speech when accepting his WDC trophy. He made sure to thank a woman named Kelly, who you assumed was his girlfriend, along with the normal thank you to his team.

He seemed so calm, relaxed, and perfectly fine. It had only been a few months, how could you still be recovering while he was at ease. You felt so small and lowly at that moment, looking up at him at the top of his career.

Charles, of course, noticed like he always did and grabbed your hand in his with a soft squeeze before running his thumb across your knuckles. Once the ceremony ended, the people who had not noticed you before came to say hello while others said their goodbyes.

"Now I'm Ms. "Gonna be alright someday" and someday, maybe you'll miss me. But by then, you’ll be Mr. “Too late”."

Max stood near the front smiling as he talked to some of the other racers. He was dressed in a simple black suit with a bow tie to match and a beautiful woman on his arm. You could see why he liked her, she was gorgeous and seemed to fit perfectly beside him. As the commotion around your appearance began to reach an all-time high, he looked to see who it was about.

Never did he expect to see you, in a criminally perfect red dress that hugged your curves in all the right places, hanging on to none other than Charles Leclerc. He couldn't have stopped himself from staring if he wanted to. You looked amazing and he could tell you smile was genuine.

The sharp sting of past memories hit him as he studied your body language. So open, warm, and cheerful as you spoke you Lily, he realized how much he had missed you. Once your eyes locked it was over, your grip on Charles' arms tightened as Max strides forward completely leaving his girlfriend behind.

Charles noticed your discomfort, immediately following your gaze. He thought something might happen, Max would never just let you attend without having something to say. Looking down while shaking his head, he swore so quietly you barely heard before leaning close to your ear.

"Let me know if you want to leave. It's okay if you don't wanna talk to him."

Looking up at him, you softly smiled at how empathetic he was about your feelings. The worry in his eyes was evident but you had prepared for this. Resting a hand on his chest you shook your head.

"No, it's okay. Let's just get it over with and have a great night."

“Goodbye, Mr. “Casually Cruel”, Mr. “Everything revolves around you”.”

Max's blood boiled as he watched you touching Charles. How did you even know him? You had barely spoken to the Ferrari driver during your relationship. When did you get so close to him? He would find out soon enough as he drew closer.

"Charles" He nodded to the driver after coming to a stop in front of the pair before glancing over at you.

"What are you doing here Leifde"

He hadn't meant for that to come out but it still felt natural to call you that even after all this time. It sent a surge of anger through you to have him call you that again.

"I'm not your Leifde anymore Max. You lost the right to call me that. Would hate for your girlfriend to hear you."

You sneered back like venom making it clear you did not appreciate the name. He smirks at your reaction, loving that he still has an effect on you. Turning to look back at Charles he decided to try and get a raise out of him. After all, he's the reason your here right.

"What couldn't find your own date so you settled for my ex?"

Charles' composure snapped at that. How dare Max speak about you in such a disrespectful manner. You, even on your worst nights, couldn't say a negative comment about this man and here he was acting like you were damaged goods. He went to step forward and get in Max's face when you held him back getting in between the two placing both hands on his chest. Looking up at him, hoping he would understand what you were planning to do.

"He's not worth it, amour."

You loudly spoke the last word to get Charles' attention. He snapped his head down to you at the sound of his native language on your tongue. With a cheeky smirk on your face, you lean up to whisper in his ear.

"Please just play along."

There was a hint of mischief he caught in your eye as you moved one hand slowly up to the back of his neck.

"Mon chéri, let's just go home. I wanna slip into something more...comfortable"

Not only did this make the Dutchman scoff from behind you but also stormed off mumbling something under his breath. Charles can’t take his eyes off you, not when had just hinted at being a couple to get Max to leave. He didn’t mind it. If he was honest, he had actually enjoyed the way it felt to have you holding on to him all night. You let out a sigh of relief once he was gonna looking back up at Charles. Taking a small step away you started to apologize before being cut off.

“Come on ma belle fille, let’s get you home.”

Charles smiled a sweet smile grabbing your hand to usher you out of the room.

“Goodbye, Mr. “Perfectly Fine”.”

As you and Charles arrived at your house, he broke the comfortable silence of the driver. He looked like at scolded puppy as he began to talk.

“I’m glad you came with me tonight. Sorry I almost lost my cool at the end there.”

You snicker a bit before hanging him a half shrug.

“Honestly, it felt great to put Max in his place so thank you.”

He chuckled a bit in response while shaking his head slightly. Max was an idiot for losing you and Charles wasn’t gonna make the same mistake.

“Glad you had a good night Cheri. I know this might be too soon but could I possibly take you on a date? “

He pause hesitantly before continuing to ramble on

“If it’s too soon I completely understand but I couldn’t let my chance to show you how much I liked you pass without at least-“

You cut him off by grabbing his face, pulling him in for a kiss. At first, the shock of you kissing him caused him to freeze but he quickly recovered, kissing you back with so much passion that you were left speechless. Smiling as you both pulled apart, he had to be certain.

“So, is that a yes?”

You threw you head back laughing before confirming.

“Yes Charles, I would love to go on a date with you.”

#max verstappen #max verstappen x reader #light angst #charles leclerc #charles leclerc x reader #breakup #formula 1 #formula one

[projectbluearcadia]

[P2] My Love, I Am Drinking PLeNTy of WAteR

NSFW Lucifer x F!MC Spice Rating - 4/4 HOLY F*CK THAT'S HOT

[ Part 1 ] [ Part 2 ]

I fully support Luci having a praise kink, full stop. :) @ourfinalisation the food is ready muahaha.

Wordcount: 2470

smutty notes (consult if you haven’t read my smut before.)

“It’s so hot in here,” he complains, still picking at his buttons and undoing them all out of order. It would help if you didn’t keep your fireplace lit all the time, you think as you help him take his vest off. “Mmm… aren’tchu hot too?” 

---

“...yes,” you reply honestly after a moment, almost unconsciously helping him out of his shirt to leave his chest exposed. 

“Then… let’s cuddle naked!” 

Oh good lord… you think, not quite sure how to respond to the innocent way he said that. Neither of you kept your hands off each other when the clothes were gone. But then you’d be taking advantage of a drunk. Though the only reason Lucifer would be upset about you doing that to him is that he wouldn't remember the experience. 

Of course, Lucifer’s jumping full-steam ahead as he takes your shirt off and presses his face into your belly as he hugs your lower abdomen.

“C’mere, MC… stop just standing there holding my mug like a pretty mannequin… Let me love you!” He pulls, and you half-stumble your way to half-sitting on him. He takes the mug from your fingers, sliding it open and taking a drink before he grimaces at you. “That is the most watery coffee I have ever tasted,” he says in the most grave tone of voice that you can’t help yourself from bursting out laughing. “You should be ashamed of yourself, MC; why are you laughing?” 

“You’re already wasted, Lucifer; I’m not giving you caffeine too,” you reply after you recover, belatedly realizing that his hands are shimmying your pants off you. He started this, you think before you unzip him, and, amused, watch him try to take his trousers off with you sitting on one of his thighs. 

“You’re mean,” he says as you laugh again. “You know I’m all…” He makes a vague gesture, and you smile as you obligingly help him undress the rest of the way. You worry your lip lightly as your eyes carelessly absorb him for a moment, half-fantasizing about absolutely wrecking him so that he wakes up embarrassed without even remembering why. No, MC, only if he pushes it. Still… naked cuddles. On his bed. Where we’ve had sex several times.

You don’t even get to the cuddling part because Lucifer had already pulled you on top of him, kissing you. You have the sudden and distinct suspicion that the conniving little shit had been actually planning to make love to you since the moment he came home. Yeah… come to think of it, the way he looked at you at the door was pretty close to his “I want to fuck you so bad right now” face. 

“MC… I wish you were always here,” he mumbles before he kisses up and down your neck. “Every time I think of you, I want to hug you, and then I get hard thinking about you, and then I feel bad when you’re not even there…” 

“I can’t be in here perpetually,” you joke, though he obviously takes it seriously. 

“You could if I tied you down,” he grumbles, nibbling on your collar. “Then I could do anything I want whenever I want.” He pauses before he groans and butts his head softly against your chest. “I’m sorry that I fantasize about that. I’m not an asshole that would use you and do bad things to you and, I just… want more of you…” You pet his head sympathetically, surprised by his consideration. 

“I fantasize about slightly concerning things too, Lucifer.” Some things I wish I had the ovaries to ask you to try with me. “So don’t worry about it. We’ll talk about it if it’s a problem.” 

“You're so sweet… what’d I do to deserve you???” Lucifer squeezes you tight to him. “Can I thank you? Can I eat you out?” You decide to throw away how startled you are by the sudden offer. Oral from you? The person who rarely does it unless I (sexually) beg for it? You think I’d say no? 

Saying “yes” would quickly become a regret. But all in good time. 

As it turns out, Lucifer’s drunken stupor meant he was a lot more into making noise during sex, and that included while he was busy thrusting his tongue inside you. Not to mention when he was busy licking the hell out of your clit like it had something sweet and sticky on it. And there he was, flushed and naked between your legs, eagerly taking what seemed like mouthfuls of your slick and heartily groaning like it was his first meal in five years. 

You thought he wasn’t lucid enough to pleasure you with his fingers, which was why it was taking you a little bit of time to cum. Oh, how wrong you are. No, this fucker is playing with you. 

Which is why you’re so surprised when he starts giving both your clitoris and your eager pussy attention, nibbling and sucking and rubbing. Your orgasm at that point is very forthcoming. 

As is the one directly following it. 

“Lucifer,” you gasp, squeezing his hair in your hands. 

“Mmm… I’m not finished drinking my water~” the little shit teases into you, and you’re quickly learning that his desire to see you overstimulated is even more pronounced than usual. 

Which is why it was a mistake. Because you’re now on your fourth orgasm, and he didn’t seem like he was going to stop until he had destroyed your sanity. 

“Lucifer… please… can’t,” you try between gasps, and he kisses your thigh. 

“Just a little more? You’re so good for me; just let me do everything, okay? Just a little more… want you to like it.” He gives you another lick that practically sends stars to your eyes, looking up at you as you try in vain to squeeze your thighs closed. 

“Bad…Lucifer,” you mewl as he keeps giving your clit attention, his long fingers still nursing your ever-tightening insides. He stops, right as you were reaching another peak.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, not seeming to realize the fact that he’s edging you. “I wante’to see your face when your brain has nothing in it but me…” Didn’t you get that out of me the first time!?!?

“Lucifer, I’m already thinking just about you, so please let me finish…” 

“No, not that, I want to see your fucked out face. The way you drool and cry and stop being able to form a sentence.” Fucking hell, he’s remembering that? Now? “But I can’t?” Lucifer makes a face like a kicked puppy, making an x with two fingers, one of which was struggling to separate from a wet membrane attached to the other finger. 

“Goddammit, do whatever you want, just please!” You groan, covering your eyes and feeling your cheeks warm. You can practically feel him brighten as he dives back between your folds. Not long afterwards, your most intense orgasm makes you scream his name while you grip his hair frantically like you’re trying to shove him even closer than he already is. 

Calming down is almost an ordeal as he licks at your convulsing, needy hole that was currently spilling your release like it was water. 

“I think this is better than demonus,” he mumbles, probably to himself, but your ears catch it just fine. You really can’t tell whether he’s referring to your pleasure or messily drinking in your natural lubrication. Is this what he fantasized about without telling you? Getting on his knees and tongue-fucking you so hard that your entire body was left buzzing afterwards? “MC?”

“Wh… What?” you gasp, faintly realizing he’s finally risen from his position on the floor, his lips and the tip of his nose still shining. 

“Love you,” he says sweetly, kissing your lower stomach and almost making you convulse in the process. Especially because the rosy head of his cock is very much visible from between your knees. “Did you like my thank-you? You did, right? I was good, right?” He looks up at you like he wants to be petted, and you just can’t help yourself from fluffing his hair. He leans into your touch, letting out a satisfied, deep hum. You internally promised to tease him later for this. As payback. 

“Yes… you were good.” It seems like your praise just makes his cock stand up even taller, and you feel your insides twitch in response. You have your doubts that he can stay concentrated enough to keep it up, but God, you’re wishing he would. “I never knew you liked it this much whenever I praise you,” you tease him. 

“...maybe I have a kink for it.” Lucifer slurs. “Izzat a bad thing? Can I be a top with a praise kink?” 

“Of course, silly.” You ruffle his hair some more, just messing it up even further. There is certainly a quiet yet powerful satisfaction in knowing you’re the only one allowed to see him like this. To do this to him. “Everyone likes being praised for doing something well. Even you.”

Lucifer giggles a little and says, “How come you’re so wise when you’re less than a hundredth of my age?” 

You have to bite your tongue to avoid calling him an old man and killing his happy mood. He’s already insecure about that no matter how many times you told him that you didn’t care because he (and his brothers) never acted like, thought like, or looked like his age.

“You’re drunk, one, and two, you restrict yourself too much for the sake of your pride, so you don’t use that wonderful brain of yours.” 

“Mmm…” Lucifer kisses you, and for a moment you cringe at the taste of yourself before you get used to it. In another moment, your body is pressing harder into his lavishly soft bed as Lucifer’s hovers over you. “Fucking hell, I love you so much,” he mumbles before he dives back to your lips, the wet sounds of his kisses echoing through your ears. “Want you… Want to put it in… mn… what position do you want? Missionary? Please say missionary.” You must say, Lucifer’s flushed, hopeful expression is a sight to behold as he eagerly waits for your response. 

“Missionary is fine,” you reply with a soft grin as you rubbed his cheek. He pushes into your touch, closing his eyes and savouring it. “Come here.” 

“Cum where?” he asks, blinking at you with a dusting of pink on his ears. “I-I mean, it’s not a problem, I um… I would like that a lot actually…” Lucifer’s blush turns darker. “Wait… shit.” Lucifer buries his hot face in your chest. “...sorry.” 

“What are you apologizing for? That’s a normal mistake in this setting.” 

“No, I’m apologizing for the image that popped into my head.” 

“You don’t have to be shy; you can tell—” 

“MC, please, let this one just… stay in my head. It’s really bad.” 

“...I won’t press you right now because you’re making me impatient, but I’m going to find out later what kind of dirty shit is going through your m—Aghnnn!” 

Lucifer groans into your neck, softly panting as he shoves his last inch into you. He throbs against your walls, and you cling to his sweating back, softly digging your nails in from his size. 

“Don’t ask…” he mumbles, drawing himself out as he traces over your nipples, the pads of his fingers circling the hardening nubs. He snaps his hips forward again, leaving you gasping as stars flicker brightly in your eyes. “But… it made me really excited, so…” 

“Ughn ah…! Ahh!” you moan out, your voice abruptly starting to fail as Lucifer grips a tight hold of your hips and starts slamming himself into you over and over again. Your overstimulated clitoris seems to thrum with static, and it thrums harder when Lucifer presses close to messily kiss your neck. 

“Gh… Every time…” he groans, his voice strained. “Your pussy always sucks me in so hard… Hghn. it makes me feel like… I’ll lose it right away.” And as if he wants to prove himself wrong, he starts going at you faster, leaving you gasping and crying at the ceiling, speechless as you actively claw at his back.

Your clit, alongside the place deep inside you that loves Lucifer's thrusts, are receiving such great stimulation that you can barely say anything. All that comes from you are your incoherent whines and raspy croaks alongside the creaks of the bed and the lewd slurps of your soaking wet hole taking Lucifer in over and over again. 

And then, all movement ceases, leaving you looking up dumbly at his concerned face.

“MC? Are you okay?” he murmurs. “Am I hurting you?” God bless this sensitive dingbat, but fucking hell, why does he always stop at the worst damn time? 

“Hghhn… n…no,” you manage to moan out, your vision flickering with how tight your lower abdomen is. You just barely manage to urge him closer, squeezing him with your legs before he throws your ankles over his shoulders, his hands squeezing your thighs as he climbs back up to his earlier pace.

“MC,” Lucifer gasps, dropping his head down to yours, digging his neatly trimmed nails into you as he falters. “MC.” He kisses you again as your nails score scratches into his back that, if anything, just egg him on. “MC, going to… together… please…”

“Yes,” you cry out. “Lucifer…!” With your vision dyed a startlingly brilliant white, your body floating somewhere in the sky, attached only to the electrifying feeling of Lucifer’s body against yours, you’re left to soak it in while you try to get your bearings back. 

It’s as you’re calming down that you realize Lucifer is drowsily wrapping his arms around you, squeezing your sweaty bodies together in the center of his bed. He snuggles you, getting himself comfortable as he whispers half-broken sweet nothings in your ear. Just a moment later, and he falls sound asleep, his soft breathing falling on your flushed skin. 

“Well… I guess the shower can wait,” you croak as you nuzzle him, your own drowsiness sweeping over you in the warmth of Lucifer’s embrace. Not a bad reward for looking after his brothers while he’s gone… I can’t wait… to see his sleepy face in the morning…

Bonus:

Lucifer woke up first about six hours later, painfully hungover and not quite remembering why he was still inside you. Almost everything came back to him however when you explained to him what had happened, and he proceeded to apologize several times, his cheeks flaming red behind his hands. 

You later shared a bath together, Lucifer insisting that he should spoil you for behaving in such a “boorish and absolutely unacceptable manner unbefitting of a responsible demon.” He cleaned you up with meticulous care despite the fact that he was nursing a very stubborn case of morning wood.

#lucifer is domestic happiness incarnate #change my mind #drunk lucifer #obey me lucifer #obey me shall we date #fanfiction #obey me! #shameless self indulgence #obey me lucifer smut #lucifer brainrot #lucifer x mc #lucifer smut #lucifer x reader

[hellaarknight]

Nothing can change the way I see you

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ✩ *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ✩ *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ✩ *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙

Pairing: Chuuya x femreader Warnings: pet names, mental and physical struggles, being pregnant, a bit oc (a bit more actually) Genre: Fluf/Comfort

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ✩ *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ✩ *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ✩ *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙

Chuuya never thought about seriously having children. Yeah, sure, he did find the idea entertaining, but he could not see himself as a father. Firstly because of his job and the dangers it entails, and secondly because he was afraid of being a shitty father. Probably many other reasons, but these two were enough to engrave in his mind that he would never be a father. And honestly, all was working out when he met you, his now wife, and a person who also did not want kids. So when you presented him with a pregnancy test he was conflicted. Scared. And so were you.

Despite these feelings, he hugged you and reassured you that you would figure it out together. He wiped away your tears when one day you confessed you were afraid his feelings would change with this pregnancy. „Doll... There is no way in hell that my feelings for you will ever change” „But...but... You say that now, but when I will have a belly and stretchmarks and I will be in pain, you will be repulsed by me” His hands cupped your face and he put his forehead onto yours. „Never. There is nothing in this world that could happen to make me lose my feelings. Nothi'g, pretty. You are my everything and despite you not wanting children, you chose to go forward with the pregnancy and gift me a kid. Baby doll, I'm staying by your side every step of this life.”

Unfortunately, no matter how much Chuuya was trying to convince you about his intentions, the story of your work colleagues and some friends did nothing but aggravate a feeling of dread for the pregnancy, birth experience, and whatever would happen afterward. Partners lose interest in their wives, not being attracted by them anymore, being repulsed because they saw the birth of their kids, and not wanting to engage in intimacy anymore, abandoning their spouse to all the chores of the house, minimizing the struggle of a new mom. And these were just some examples of what was told to you and what you read online. But Chuuya... Chuuya wouldn't do something like this, right? Chuuya was unaware of your internal struggles as he worked his but off in the Mafia so he could take more months off to be by your side in this process. It wasn't about the money, he had plenty, but about gaining more time from his life as an executive. Chuuya read a lot about pregnancy, side effects, and everything that had to do with the struggles of becoming a mom. He swore he would try to be as supportive as ever for you and the best dad he could ever be. When the hormones hit you like a brick, having you going from one emotional state to another, he wouldn't get angry once. Instead, he navigated through your mood changes the best he could. Was he going crazy? Yes, absolutely. But never once has he got mad at you. Not once has he raised his voice or made you feel bad about your own outburst, for your tears for your pitiful sight. „Baby, I'm not mad at you.” His voice soft, his hand holding yours while you tried to avoid his gaze. „Yes...hic... you are... I'm a terrible wife... I forgot, I'm sorry, I forgot to pack your lunch and now you're mad”. „No, baby, no, I am not mad, I ate plenty and you are not a terrible wife. You shouldn't even bother to think about doing things for me in this period, ok? You should rest as much as possible. Since the pregnancy is one with risks, you need to focus only on yourself, ok love?”

When you started having morning sickness and emptying your stomach almost every morning, he was there by your side if he was home, holding your hair up and rubbing your back. It pained him to see you vomiting so often, barely eating anything because everything made you nauseous. When in those moments you found yourself disgusting, he found you the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world. You kept pushing through. You kept drinking your prenatal vitamins to have a healthy baby and tried to have a variate diet, even tho you could barely tolerate food. In his eyes, you were shining, glowing, and wiping your mouth after one nauseous episode was the least he could do for you. „Chuu... I'm disgusting, how can you stay here?” Laying with your face near the toilet, tired, as you emptied your stomach for the fourth time today. „Stop talking like this about yourself, honey. It is something natural that happens and there is nothing to be disgusted of. C'me here, let me clean you up and I'll carry you to bed, you should sleep, you're barely getting around. And I'll have something else cooked when you wake up and you'll try again to eat, 'key baby?”

Chuuya was sure, there was nothing in this world, nothing that this pregnancy could bring that would make him look at you with less adoration. His feelings only grew bigger, if possible, he found you more and more charming every day, every day that belly grew and you faced another struggle in the process.

#chuuya x you #bsd chuuya #chuuya nakahara #bungou stray dogs #chuuya x reader #chuuya bsd #hellawrites #bsd men #bungou stray dogs chuuya #bungo stray dogs x reader #chuuya fanfic #pregnancy #nakahara chuuya #bungo stray dogs

[acourtofswiftiesandshadowdaddies]

Down Bad

luke castellan x apollo!reader

warnings: angst

a/n: inspired by down bad by taylor swift (i am ignoring all my drafts i have no will to write for 😭) THIS IS NOT ACCURATE

italics - flashback normal - current bold - (idk js impacting lines 😭) this - lyrics

i paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, my siblings long asleep. percy had just returned from his quest, successful, luke was taking him to chiron. normally i would just sit on my bed waiting for him to come back, but i had a vision. one where percy got hurt.

which was strange since he was with luke, and luke wouldn't let percy get injured unless luke was injured too. but it was probably just another of my visions that made no sense. i waited two minutes, five minutes, however when the clock ticked over to ten minutes i stood up and rushed to chiron.

seeing the half man half goat safe in the middle of the bonfire, running to him i questioned him.

"chiron, do you know where luke is? he was meant to take percy to you,"

my concerned tone was met with a swift shake of his head and then he resumed his conversation with mr d.

"i think i saw them heading into the forest," a camper responded.

running to the woods, i saw the faint light deep in the woods. sprinting through the woods, i sighed in relief when the source of the brightness came closer.

not thinking twice, i broke the bushes hiding the opening from me and barged in to see percy on the floor.

"percy oh shit, what happened- where's luke?" my rambling became quicker and louder.

"behind you," percy hoarsely whispered.

"what-" my question was broken by a small pinch to my neck and black spots invaded my vision and strong arms held me up.

"im sorry y/n, i love you" those were the last things i heard before i fainted.

───────────────────────────────────────────

my eyes opened, but i wasn't on the forest floor anymore, i was in the infirmary. annabeth was sitting at my side, my hand jerked when i realised she was holding it.

"y/n you're awake" she sighed.

"where's percy?" i asked. she smiled and replied "he's safe".

"it was luke." i breathed out.

"i know."

"it was luke" my bottom lip wobbled.

───────────────────────────────────────────

there was no one to talk about this with. no one would've understood me. the pain i felt for losing luke, even though i knew this was his choice and his doing, it still hurt inside me.

i tried talking about my feelings once with clarisse, but she didn't understand no matter how much she pretended she did, and the dirty looks i got from campers at the slightest mention of luke hurt.

they'll say i'm nuts if i talk about the existence of you

luke is the perfect boyfriend, he picks me up from my cabin making sure i reach my destination safely. he gives me flowers weekly, tells me he loves me, is the perfect gentleman and cares about me. just when i thought i couldn't love him more, i saw him helping a fairly young camper, the way he crouched down so the boy didn't get intimidated, with a genuine smile that was normally only reserved for me and for a moment my heart ached with how much i loved him.

for a moment, i was heavenstruck

"you look beautiful today, love" luke said with a smile. "i look the same as yesterday luke" i giggle. "yes but you in the sunshine is gift to the world" he says as he pulls me in for a soft kiss.

did you really beam me up in a cloud of sparkling dust

"luke was the one who betrayed the gods" and me.

just to do experiments on?

i stood at the cliff where me and luke hung out, where we had our first kiss, where he first asked me to be his-

"fuck you luke" i scream out into the abyss, so loudly hoping it reaches him

"please don't leave me," i break down, my voice cracking.

how dare you think it's romantic leaving me safe and stranded?

"daughter, you need to fix yourself, you are a daughter of apollo not some peasantly god" dad normally doesn't visit but i guess his daughter ruining the face of apollo was a good enough reason.

"i'm sorry-"

"you're destroying my image and the image of all your siblings," he reprimanded.

"but dad, luke-"

"i don't want to hear that traitors name from your mouth again,"

and with that he left.

down bad (like i lost my twin)

"i get that y/n is sad, but he was just a boyfriend, she's dragging it," one of my siblings said.

"i know she's so overbearing, i feel bad for annabeth and percy,".

tears i didn't know i was holding broke free and spilled over wetting my cheeks.

"i might just die, it would make no difference"

"you know you look like a star reincarnated" luke said his hand caressing my face. pulling away with a blush i replied "you're too kind luke,"

"come back"

staring at the sky, come back and pick me up

"i love you luke".

my eyes shut as the darkness of hades' embrace swallowed me whole.

cause fuck it i was in love fuck you if i cant have us cause fuck it i was in love

a/n sorry abt the shitty post but i didnt want to ghost you guys (like i have been doing) soooo yeah

#acourtofswiftiesandshadowdaddies #pjo #percy jackon and the olympians #charlie bushnell #luke castellan fanfic #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan x you #luke castellan #pjo series #pjo tv show #the last olympian #percy series #angst #book #percy jackson #annabeth chase #clarisse la rue

[lisbeth-kk]

May Prompts

Today's prompt: hobby

The Luckiest Girl in the World (chapter 8)

Summary: A rebuke turns into something Rosie had only dared to hope for.

Eight Years Old

Dad and Papa, well, to be fair, mostly Dad, had a stern talk with me in the aftermath of my performance in the school play where I told the tale of The Tipsy Burglar that occurred a half year earlier. I had kept it a secret from them, which I knew was a bit not good, but I thought they’d be pleased that I put Papa in the spotlight of that particular case, even if he was nowhere near London at the time. It turned out they weren’t.

“Your choice of title is…” Papa began.

“Sherlock,” Dad said in a tone that told both Papa and me that this was not the time for humour.

Dad cleared his throat and began his lecture, asking me to keep quiet until he was finished.

“We both appreciate that you love speaking about us and dramatize a little about Papa’s work.”

He sent a warning glare in Papa’s direction when he wanted to protest that it wasn’t just Papa’s work, but Dad’s too, when he wasn’t at his actual job as a doctor.

“What we don’t fancy, is your changed personality of late. You’ve become cocky, using Papa’s fame to your benefit, to become a more interesting person, and that is just not on. You should be proud of who you are. In the long run, you’ll end up with no audience or true friends if you continue down this road. It is you who matter, not who your family is, alright?”

Dad looked pointedly at me to see if I understood what he was trying to convey. I nodded.

“Good. We have a proposition for you. It has come up earlier as well, but back then we thought you were too young for this hobby, or…”

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer, because those last words could only mean one thing.

“You mean martial arts?” I asked hopefully.

A deep chuckle from Papa confirmed my deduction, and I threw myself into Dad’s arms.

“I promise I’ll be good, and I won’t be such a…”

“Alright, best not finish that sentence,” Dad said mock serious.

***

Both my fathers had experience in this area. Sort of, anyway. Papa from fencing, Dad from rugby and the combat training when he was in the army.

I was euphoric by the prospect, but still a bit irked after the rebuke, so when two options were suggested, I obviously chose a third one.

“Taekwondo or kickboxing?” Papa asked expectantly.

“Neither,” I said defiantly, but regretted my tone immediately when Dad spoke my name in thatvoice.

“Watson,” Papa prompted, his tone also a bit harsh.

“Sorry,” I said. “Jiu jitsu. Please, let me.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Dad said. “You’ll learn self-defence, respect and humbleness as well as self-esteem. Not sure you need more of the latter, though.”

That elicited another chuckle from Papa. Dad turned to him, cocking an eyebrow, but the mirth on his face ruined is effort to look disapproving.

***

A week later, my martial art career started. Papa had wanted to fully equip me with the correct clothes, mouthguard, gloves and shin guards, but Dad suggested that we postponed the shopping spree until we were certain what was required. The web site had said that I only needed to show up in whatever clothes I found comfortable, so I chose tights and a t-shirt in a breathing material.

When we arrived in the dojo, I learned to bow every time I entered and departed. A sign of respect for the room where the training was executed. 

“No socks,” the trainer told us when several of the children skidded around on the mats.

The trainer wore a crisp white costume, called a Gi, and her black belt had three golden stripes, her name, and Japanese signs embroidered on it.

“I am Sensei Ida. Inside this dojo, you’ll address me as Sensei. Understood?”

“Yes, Sensei,” we said in more or less unison.

When the session was over, we promised our Sensei, that we would keep it up until we attained the black belt. Only two of us were successful at keeping that promise.

Also available on AO3

Tags in the replies.

#may prompts 2024 #may 8: hobby #sherlock fandom #rosie watson #sherlock #john watson #johnlock #bbc sherlock #sherlock fanfic #ao3 fanfic

[gutterfuuck]

“ANYONE ELSE BUT YOU—☆”

something short, haha 😅 this could be an epilogue to my other rex fic, just a quick few paragraphs as i have had them in my notes.

cws - none, really (i am not sure? will update tags), just fluff! mdni. rex x cecil’s daughter!reader. for my sistas that are reading!!: it is not specified wether reader is biological or adopted child of cecil, you can fill that in if you would like! i personally prefer that is adopted, however you can imagine as you’d like. i’m not too happy with this one because i did not know how to end it, haha. maybe i will have to extend more

rex sloan met you in the summer while he had been training at the guardians’ headquarters, running on a treadmill with sweat sticking auburn brown strands onto his forehead.

you strolled right past him with your arm linked onto cecil’s, excited eyes taking in your surroundings. you had begged him for a job at the pentagon for as long as you could remember, you wanted to be just like your father, ever since you were able to identify what a job was. cecil had finally given in one day,

“whatever my baby girl wants.” he sighed, watching with a smile as you jumped up and down, a shrill scream reverberating off of the walls as you thanked him, your arms thrown around your dad’s shoulders with your eyes squeezed tight, trying your hardest to keep tears from rolling down your cheeks;

and now you were here, having already finished your little tour of your soon to be work place and teleporting over to your well awaited tour of the superhero headquarters you had been so excited to see. you were going to be just like your father, you worked so hard for this. you passed the top of your class, A+++ across the boards, you memorised the layout of your father’s place of work and kept every single secret identity sealed tightly and locked away behind your lips, never to be spoken. you had proved yourself, you hadn’t just been given the job because you were cecil steadman’s ‘spoiled kid’ (even though you were, and it did improve your chances of getting the job), you had put your blood, sweat and tears into this.

rex sloan couldn’t take his eyes off of you, he couldn’t tell wether you were the one making his heart race faster or if it was the fault of the increasing speed of the treadmill. he was sure that if aphrodite had been reborn, it would’ve definitely been you. rex watched breathlessly as you and cecil made your way to the exit door, your image burning into his eyelids. beauty incarnate. the treadmill slowed, he opened his mouth to say something before you left.

silence.

and you were gone, your giggles echoing around in his head. for once in his life, rex had been speechless. he stared blankly at the closed door, blinking slowly with his lips parted.

“i’m y/n steadman, i’ll be overseeing you all today on account of my father getting me a little work experience.” you introduced yourself, white collared shirt tucked into your striped formal trousers, blazer buttoned with a pink tie fastened around your neck. “it’ll be nice getting to meet you all.” you finished, standing in front of the sitting heroes for a few seconds before you realised your mistake; “-oh! ah, sorry, any questions?” you corrected yourself, nervously playing with your fingers. they blinked at you blankly, you cleared your throat. a hand raised, your attention shifted, nodding and pointing at the hero,

“i-.. it’s nice to meet you…!” rex blurted out, monster girl laughed. “that isn’t a question, stupid. do your brain cells blow up when you use your powers, too?” she joked, making kate cover her mouth so she could giggle behind it. “hey! don’t you grow younger every time you transform? you’re the one who’s loosing brain cells!” he retorted, to which she laughed harder. you chuckled, rex’s attention turned towards you, “are you smarter than a 5th grader?” you joined in, lightly poking fun at him. you looked beautiful, your smile was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

rex nodded at you, teeth exposed in a wide smile, “good one, at least we know you’re not as stuck up as your pops.” it were as if he had to recover every time you spoke, his response had come fifteen seconds after a silence that everyone else had found weird. everyone would just brush it off as rex just being stupid and waiting for an applause or something. he had just gotten lost in you, taking in every feature and savouring the way your shocked face looked around before your shoulders heaved with a silent laugh, hoping that your father wouldn’t hear this when listening in.

you met rex sloan in the summer while at your first job, he never failed to make you laugh. you never failed to snap back just as wittily.. and that never failed to make him go silent, face heating up as he mocked your laugh, nothing to rebuttal with. it wasn’t because he couldn’t keep up banter, it was because you looked so goddamn gorgeous with a smile on your face, you’d playfully slap his arm to defend yourself against his mockery.

you and rex met on top of the roof in the summer evening, his head in your lap with your fingers loosely braiding his hair. you both looked up into the pinkish red sky, watching as the sun melted into the hills and switching with the moon, red turning to purpleish blue, finally settling on a pitch black, starry scattered sea of night. rex’s hair would fall over his face as he propped himself up on his elbows, not even having to ask as you pressed your lips onto his, short and sweet. “no fair, if i moved that quickly around you, you’d probably zap me or something with that weird tech shit.” rex shook his head, sitting up fully and pulling you into his lap, “oh rex, you really think i hate you… that much..?” you poked him in his forehead, sticking out your tongue at him. rex could only bring his face closer, nuzzling his nose against yours. “i already know how much you hate me, i can tell that you hate me, that why you can’t sleep without me.” he whispered, kissing you and resting his head against yours, “that’s why i gotta bust my ass climbing up to your window so your dad doesn’t skin me alive,”

“and that’s why you gotta be gone by 5:30am, cuz dad wakes up at six sharp.” you found your hands in rex’s hair as you spoke, stroking through his soft locks and scratching his scalp gently, “and i like to sleep in with my girl for a while.” he finished, his hand rubbing up and down your leg lovingly. it was late, you had to be in bed early to wake up in the morning on time to get back to work and cecil would definitely be asking you questions about where you had been later, even though he was fully aware. your father actually didn’t mind, but refused to give you the impression that he was becoming more lenient. he wasn’t stupid, cecil actually woke up at five in the morning. he could see rex’s legs dangling from the kitchen window one time, watched him closely before he fell onto his back with a loud thump onto the grass, winding himself for a moment and sneaking off of the property with his shoes in his hands. well, at least he took his shoes off in the house.

“you got a boyfriend yet, kid?” your father would ask, sipping bourbon from his little glass while he scanned his laptop one last time, his finger pressing down on the power off button. you quickly stammered to find your words, leaving your space in the kitchen with your yellow rubber gloves still on your hands, soapy bubbles running down your wrist as you stood there, “not a boyfriend, sir. a colleague who i have taken a liking to, sir.” you fiddled with the yellow rubber gloves, eyes avoiding your father’s in an attempt to keep your composure. “c’mon, honey. we’re not at work, we’re home. you don’t need to be so… formal.” he raised an eyebrow, clearing his throat as he fixed his tie. hypocrite. you smiled at his habit. “it’s hard to-“ “hard to break out of, yeah.” he finished for you, shaking his head with a soft chuckle, “you’re my pride and joy, y’know that?” and you’d nod back at him, conversation dissolving as you made your way back to the dishes.

you and rex sat on the roof of your home, setting off fireworks into the sky. you thought it was so cool how he could do that, produce colourful sparks and loud bangs from virtually nothing. it’s the bangs of the fireworks he remembers when he’s on his knees, staring at the remains of his teammates as his life starts to flash before his eyes, the only thing worth remembering being you. he remembers your giggles and gasps when he’d shot off a firework that he’d managed to make look a little like a flower, he’d been practicing to impress you. he remembers the first time he’d seen you, the way you’d made his heart almost burst out of his chest… and that’s when he snaps, just as the gun fires, just as the bullet strikes him through his brain. not now, not when he still had to make it back to you tonight. he still had things he wanted to do with you, you hadn’t even tried out that new ice cream place that opened up, the one just five minutes away from your house, the one he’d promised to take you. one question remained in his adrenaline filled state. how dare you shoot me, how dare you try to take me away from my girl?

if not for his body running on instinct, he’d have probably collapsed and died right there, he should’ve died. it was a blur, beating that green piece of shit to a bloody pulp while he momentarily blacked out each time he landed a punch… when backup showed up, he was sure he’d thrown up a thumbs up, even with his missing hand. you were gonna be so worried about him, he could hardly wait for the earful you were going to give him about being careful. rex just wanted to hear your voice, that was the only thing he needed right now, along with some intensive care. like, soon.

rex holds your hands as you try your hardest not to cry, biting down on your bottom lip with your eyebrows knitted together, glassy orbs observing his injuries. “m’sorry i didn’t make it back to you last night, i bet you thought there was something really wrong when you didn’t see me this morning.” he touches your face with his hand that’s still there and you want to slap him, you want to grab him and shake him by his shoulders so hard that he’d quit being a hero, this was so close! you could’ve lost him forever, never seen him again. your anger translates into a puff of your chest, leaning yourself forward to place your lips into his, hands flying around his shoulders to pull him close. “thought- when dad told me- you were shot in the head and..-“ you sobbed softly, resting your head in the space between his shoulder and neck, wetting his skin with your tears. it was a miracle he’d survived, maybe your boyfriend really was stupid enough to take a bullet to the brain and have almost no changes. you’d laugh about that idea on another day, when the event wasn’t so raw to you. you couldn’t wait to get home that night, you’d finally tell your father about you and rex’s real relationship, if this had ever happened again then cecil would go on without ever being able to know how to comfort you since he only really saw the guy as an employee. you loved rex, you loved his resilience. who else would be able to survive a gunshot to the head and still have enough in him to beat the culprit with a bloody stump for a hand and his vision blanking out?

rex sloan gave you a ring just at the start of fall; nothing too special, not expensive by any means. plastic, pink and it hardly fit your hand. you’d acted offended upon receiving a cheap toy as an ‘engagement ring’, his lips kissing the back of your hand. “i couldn’t find one perfect enough for you. this one isn’t any better, but it’s cute. it’s you. you don’t care about flashy shit, you’re cool like that.” his words make you feel warm inside, he really knew you. he really loved you, you loved him just as much. he couldn’t wait to get back to work, you’d be there to keep him confident.

#invincible x reader #rex sloan x reader #rexplode x reader #💬 sparkie is typing…

[shmaroace]

don't get me wrong, i love all the positivity around being aro, like "be proud of being aro!! love who you are!!", but we never talk about how hard it is to reach that spot. so here's to the aros who are still trying to understand themselves, who aren't proud of who they are yet, who are still coming to terms with their new identity.

#i was in serious denial about being aro for a long time like i knew the label and knew it fit but i refused to use it for several months #even after that point it took a while for me to be comfortable with the label or saying it #and this is not a bad thing!! being aro basically requires you to undo all the societal brainwashing you grew up with #and there is so much arophobia that it's hard to find positivity #i got lucky w/ this blog and the people i follow but i know i had a hard time being as proud of myself and my queerness as i am now #this doesn't even really have to be an aro statement like i think it could fit most queer experiences #sorry for the long tags haha #aro #aromantic #arospec #aromanticism #aro pride #aro positivity #aroace #aspec #1k #5k #6k #7k

[ms-hells-bells]

is it mean that i legit think that a large portion of young people who claim to be asexual are just socially inept so no one wants to date or have sex with them, leading to a large group of virgins who go 'well, i didn't want to be with anyone anyway!', meanwhile they are constantly hornyposting and talking about how sexually attracted they are to fictional characters?

#just saw a poll with like 16000 votes and a QUARTER claim to be asexual #sorry that is complete cap i know a bunch of you just don't have any real life relationship experience because you never leave the house #i'm not saying this as an insult #i am also often socially inept and have never had a proper relationship #that doesn't make me asexual i'm just awkward and autistic and high standards

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Aw! XL cooking reminded me of when I was working with children and they'd get nightmares/scared of monsters, so was go to the garden and make Monster Soup! Anything that looked good would go into the nearest source of water (often a bird bath) so that the monsters would know we are kind people and stay outside and not come inside. Also the monsters would think of us as friends and protect us instead of scaring us. Now I'm hoping that I have turned any of these kids into bad cooks bc I was like that flower looks good! Toss it in! 😅😄😄😄

Thank you for reminding me of this memory!

I'm-In-Love-With-The-Monster Soup.

#tgcf #xie lian #hua cheng #ask #This story was extremely sweet thank you so much for sharing B'*) #I also used to work with kids and I really miss it!! This brought back lovely memories for me as well. #I am sure you helped a lot of kids through rough feelings by taking them seriously and letting them grow by confronting their fears. #Monster soup is something I am going to be thinking about for a long time.... #If anything; experimenting in the kitchen and feeling the permission of freedom to cook helps encourage kids to learn! #even if its a pretend kitchen. A birdbath is just as valid as a soup pot! #Comic-commentary time: I am so sorry to people who didn't know or forgot that this is how I draw the TGCF pair. #Xie Lian actually tried to make a sandwich but it got to wet so he had to put it in a bowl. #no one knows where the green colour came from. #One more comic on this coming tomorrow (what have WWX and HC been up to?)

[fatuismooches]

EVEN MORE CUTE DOTTORE MOMENTS TO MAKE YOU SMILE 🙏 (because I am too tired to post anything of quality)

#smooches talks #ouhhhh... to experience the domestic life with him... #someone motivate me to start writing actual fics again... #the dottore honeymoon fic merely has the title “medicus scriptor amorem” and “Honeymoon fic” in the actual document LMFAO #i made it on... january 27 oops #idek if im gonna stick to that name because google translate for latin is so bad omfg #(TO THAT KIND PERSON WHO SENT ME IDEAS ILY AND I PROMISE I WILL RESPOND. I PROMISE IM NOT IGNORING U) #i also have another wip i havent touched with loving the harbingers when they weren't in the fatui yet #no like seriously i think churning out 50k words did something to my writing state 💀🙏 #a snippet from dottores part: Il Dottore’s strength was nearly unmatched in the Fatui being the Second Fatui Harbinger and all. #what most people do not know is that he was… certainly not the best fighter during his Akademiya days. #A claymore was also out of the question - he grumbled when he had to lug his numerous research materials and parts to the desert… #In the end you settled on teaching Zandik the basics of a sword. do with this as you will... #however i am still so proud of myself for fabulam diu oblitus #i was rereading in class bc i was bored and i was like #damn i kinda ate with this #thanks for listening to smooches mini writing life crisis if u made it here #okay i go sleep now... i have midterms this week #OMFG THESE TAGS R SO LONG IM SO SORRY

[utilitycaster]

I just want to say, that I agree with almost all of your Critical Role takes and you have 1000% better and more nuanced takes than all of Twitter and I greatly appreciate it! The takes over there regarding Liliana and the gods are just wild and you bring some much needed sanity to the content I see

Thanks! I hope you don't mind because I've been thinking about this re: the Twitter takes but the thing about Twitter and Liliana specifically that I've seen is that there's this really bizarre fetishization of like, the fact that she is a (white) southerner (this also weirdly happened for Birdie though to a much lesser extent, and the person who spearheaded that wasn't even American so I have to assume this is a specific corner of Twitter Culture At Large). And like, here's the thing. It's true that fantasy tends to be very British in its accents, and it's also true that accents in a fantasy world are used to convey the same things we'd assume in our world - RP British for educated, southern American for rural, Cockney for rougher types, etc.

It's also true that laying the exact socioeconomic parallels from our world onto, say, Liliana and Orym (who reads to me as non-regional but I, like Liam, am from the Northeast originally) is a recipe for disaster. Or rather, it's not, but it is going to reaffirm your own biases, some of which are dangerous to reaffirm.

There was a popular post on Tumblr a while back, probably not long after Trump was elected, of someone talking about how they were convincing a relative with the confederate flag towards socialism by appealing to the idea of "isn't in unfair how uneven wealth distribution is and how a small group has so much control" and a number of people were rightfully like "uh, maybe you should focus on the racism" or "hey OP ask your relative who they think that small group in control is because I'm getting a really bad feeling they're going to say it's The Jews." And I feel that a lot of the empathy for Liliana from those spaces feels like that OP. Or in other words: I get that you see your relatives in Liliana. Unfortunately, I cannot help but see me and mine in Orym.

You see someone trapped by circumstance and desperation in a dangerous ideology. I see the fact that I haven't gone to a synagogue in easily 6-7 years without there being a security guard present and usually, the doors locked with someone looking through the window to let you in, and then in the sanctuary there's been an installation so that you can quickly bar all the doors in case an alarm goes off or you hear shots in the lobby.

I think there's a great case for seeing yourself in Imogen, who is in a painful struggle with the fact that her mother does love her very much but is in dangerously deep and has done a number of incredibly terrible and harmful things. That latter point is important, incidentally; I get that cult members sometimes rise through the ranks but all but the leader are being manipulated. But the fact remains that a brainwashed person can still commit atrocities, and in this story, they have, many times over. It's especially true because like...sure, plenty of people are like "I lost my relative to a cult and I just want them back and I couldn't harm them," but also, as we've seen, this cult can and will harm Imogen! Plenty of people are also like "yeah I gotta cut them off, it hurts but unfortunately my horribly bigoted and violent relative, while a victim of brainwashing, is a threat to me too." It's not even the full picture of the Temult side of things, let alone the picture that includes the Vanguard's victims.

I also think the Southern gatekeeping is unhinged because it's like. guys there's QAnon members and other cults across the country; the Confederate flag example above was actually notable in that OP wasn't even Southern so you couldn't even write the flag off as deeply misguided heritage but rather was explicitly being used as a hate symbol. It's awfully presumptive to assume all southerners have the same experience (especially since the Temults are portrayed, physically and in accents, as white southerners, not that the experiences of white southerners aren't also incredibly varied). It's awfully presumptive to assume that people find Liliana threatening because they have no personal experience with people like her; often, it's because they have all too real experience with people like her, and it says something even worse about you if you can say "but you guys, I see me and my family in Liliana" when people are telling you that they see them and their families in Orym. I would not, personally, publicly admit that one's empathy extends to the people who remind you of your family but runs out before it reaches their victims. Nor would I publicly admit that I assume everyone who disagrees with me clearly has never had personal experience with this topic.

I should also note that, as I've noted a number of times before, that these are fictional characters and not real people. Twitter seems to be really fucking bad at grasping that. Like, yes, this is the other thing; I do not think that OP should kill their Confederate flag-toting relative, whereas if Imogen did so to Liliana I'd be like "hell yeah." The former is a real person who I do hope gets deprogrammed, just, you know, maybe adjust those priorities; the latter is a fictional character in a story.

#answered #anonymous #if steel had a southern accent do you think people would feel differently about her? sound off in the comments i guess. #cr spoilers #it really is like. with the people who can't separate characters from real people...there's this assumption #that everyone who doesn't agree with them lacks the same experiences or is bigoted #don't like liliana? well it's because you're not southern. don't like laudna? it's because you're neurotypical and straight and hate women. #notice how none of these carry within them any argument within the text? notice how they just rely on the assumption #that you can only understand things through direct personal experience and not like...thought and empathy? #that if you fit certain demographics you obviously Will hold these exact opinions bc clearly all nd people or wlw are a monolith? #it's like. yeah man i see why you have more sympathy for the vanguard than their victims...you think like a cultist even if you're not one #you say There's Those Who Understand And Have The Mandate of Heaven Because We're (southern or nd or queer or whatever) #and then there's Them The Ones Who Don't Get It And Never Will Bc They're Not Like Us (even though plenty of times...they are) #anyway. as always i am sorry that twitter sucking hurts the careers of countless creatives #but i think it does foster this sort of no-nuance no-argument Me First thinking so. can't be too sorry. #long post

[essektheylyss]

Okay but for real, please download Merlin, the Cornell-based bird-logging app. It is so great. It will tell you about birds in your area. It will make you so insufferable on hikes and outings. It doesn't have any comments section so if this site gets nuked do NOT try to find me there but know that that's where I'm hanging. Having a great time birdwatching. Logging the bluejay that bullies my cats. Helping researchers track where birds are for climate change-related population monitoring. 10/10, highly recommend getting a life and doing some silly birdwatching.

#I forget who here recced me the bird app cuz it's PHENOMENAL so I'm sorry I am blanking #also if anyone has recs for apps for tracking flora pls lemme know cuz I am on the hunt #if you have had a good experience with inaturalist I wanna hear about it cuz it felt too social media-y for me #is it good? I do not know. I actually really want to cuz I need to be able to better identify plants. #it would be so funny if I just didn't open my inbox and instead made a post about birdwatching for every ask I get this weekend lmfao #I really think it's what the dash deserves #I'll tell you about arizona birds! it'll be great #I also have seen some GREAT juniper trees and stars today. yes STARS. #literally if you haven't done it lately go find somewhere dark and see the stars. v important. #anyway junipers are making berries rn! they're delightful!