#maybe with actual tomato sauce it's better

[sweetienans]

Lonesome || R. Cameron

Summary

"What are you going to do with all the money?" Rafe followed you to the store that he didn't even know it was there. Stores in the cut were a new world to him.

"What are you talking about? I don't have any money" You said grabbing some apples and peaches.

"I know you do, or you will do" He reached your lower back trying to gain your attention but you slapped his hands out of it.

"Don't touch me. Rafe I swear to god I don't know what are you talking about. Are you high or something?" You tried to look to his eyes to see if they were dilated but they were the normal blue and tinted green as always.

"I heard my dad talking with one of his lawyers yesterday" he looked straight to your eyes to try to see if you were lying to him. You weren't. "Your mother is dead, and she left you all of her wealth"

Nothing ever happened. No gold, no cross, no El Dorado. Everything followed the normal course. Except for you. Your mother died, not that you actually care. She never raised you. She never appeared until now when apparently she was rich and left you all of it. You didn't want to know anything about the money even though you needed it. And if it wasn't for Rafe, you wouldn't even check the numbers on your bank account. He has a plan, a plan that he would do anything to achieve even if he has to use you.

Pairing: Rafe cameron x reader.

Warnings: use/mention of alcohol, mention of drugs, smut eventually but will be labeled. Violence (jj's father) Ward is still a bad father. 18+ MDNI!

wc: idk

Pt.1

Your house was a complete mess. Your dad has been lingering with Luke for three nights in a row, drinking, smoking, and maybe doing some lines (not your dad at least), but the mess they left was nothing in comparison to hurricane Agatha. The living was teared apart, and the fridge was empty. You'll never leave the house again even if JJ begged you.

You took a bag that you found in the closet and sighed at the sight of your home. Luke and your dad have been missing for two days at least, and that was the last footprint that they were alive. They'll come around, They'll always do. Meanwhile, you'll have to eat and buy supplies.

You passed around your old car, the one you begged your dad not to sell, the one that brought more problems than solutions, but the one that you clung to it with your life. JJ had promised to come by to help you fix the alternator, but since his dad was in your home, it was better for him to stay away.

Following the sidewalk along the street, you passed in front of the most deplored house in the cut. As in every town, they were places in places, the cut in general wasn't a bad place to live but there were parts of it that you would never allow yourself to visit. Barry's for example.

Luckily for you, your nearest store wasn't in the bad part of the cut.

You entered the small store that had everything you would ever need for a few days, some fruits, maybe pasta and tomato sauce, and something to drink. It would be just you in the house, at least for a couple of days.

The timber that announced that someone was entering the store sounded behind your ears. You were in the first aisle, near the door, grabbing and smelling some of the fruit with your basket hanging in your arm.

"Hey," a clear voice that you would recognize anywhere appeared from behind. Your mind was playing funny tricks. There was no chance that he was there.

"Rafe?" You turned around mesmerized. Rafe in the cut was no good. Rumor has it that he made some mistakes and ended up getting in Barry's radar. Totally his fault.

"Did you get it?" He asked straight. You glanced at his tall figure and returned to your task, finding the most juicy fruit in the store.

"Mm, I'm not sure I'm following," you said plainly, walking around the huge baskets of fruits.

"What are you going to do with all the money?" Rafe took one of the apples and bite it, making an annoying sound. You looked at him in disapproval.

"What are you talking about? I don't have any money, " you said, grabbing some apples and peaches and also grabbing the apple half bitten from his hand to put it in your basket.

"I know you do, or you will do." He reached your lower back, trying to gain your attention, but you slapped his hands out of it.

"Don't touch me. Rafe, I swear to god I don't know what you are talking about. Are you high or something?" You tried to look to his eyes to see if they were dilated, but they were the normal blue and tinted green as always.

"I heard my dad talking with one of his lawyers yesterday." he looked straight to your eyes to try to see if you were lying to him. You weren't. "Your mother is dead, and she left you all of her wealth"

Now you fully turn around to face him. He was expecting some kind of reaction, but this wasn't what he imagined. You looked astonished, like a million of thoughts were running through your mind in a second.

"You okay? You didn't know?" He asked emotionless. Like he was really surprised that you didn't even know. He never saw you with your mother. He had known the woman. She was a close acquaintance of his dad. You looked liked her.

"I don't know how to feel..." You said slowly, forgetting who was by your side but regaining notion in a bit. "Not that you care anyways"

"Well, now that you know, what about we do some business" He let out a charming smile, and you looked at him stunned.

You reached in your basket the half bitten apple and threw it to his chest.

"The fact that i didn't know her doesn't mean that you can be a pig about it, show some emotion and respect you asshole" you walked quickly to the next aisle praying that he would stay behind and hopefully left the store. You were wrong.

"Okay, I'm sorry. No need to throw stuff at me" He was wearing a nice white polo shirt that now was stained with apple juice and saliva. "Think about it, it's a great opportunity for the both of us, your money my mind..."

"Let me stop you there" you said putting some pasta and tomato sauce in the basket. "There's no 'both of us' because it's not going to happen"

"Just invest your money with me goddamn it" You were railing him up in a way that not many people could.

"Invest? With you? Like in drugs?" Your left brow lifted, and he rolled his eyes. "Look, there's no money. My bank account now has two digit funds. If you can make us rich with ten dollars, then be my guest, but not today, buddy. I'm buying shit to eat"

"Don't you realize what I am telling you? You are filthy rich even more than-

"Stop it," you interrupted. "I'm not rich and If I was I would put my money were I can see results not in somebody's hand to end up in white powder that's going up your nose, now leave me alone, it's too late for you to be around here"

You walked to the register and paid to the chashier. Rafe was slowly coming from the aisle to approach you again. You could feel your eyes rolling on your skull.

"You are going to give in eventually," he murmured, right behind your ear.

"Here," you pressed two dollars against his chest, his reflex was quick to grab the bills before they were in his feet. "That's all you're going to get from me"

Given the previous events, you expected that Rafe followed you to your home to keep pushing his idea to your brain, but he didn't.

Your situation with Rafe was there. You weren't friends with him, but he wasn't a total stranger to you either. He just existed. Being Sarah's brother made you see him more than often. When you were with Sarah in Tannyhill, Rafe made his appearance glancing towards you and then disappearing until late night when you were about to go home, crossing your paths at the door.

Since you weren't a troublemaker like JJ or John B, you were actually invited to Kook's parties (Sarah doind the job) you refused most of the times but sometimes, when you got really bored at home, you made your way and enjoy partying with them. You didn't believe in Kooks vs. pogues shit.

Rafe was always in those parties. He always kept an eye on you even when you didn't notice. He always found you intriguing, and now that he had the opportunity to find out what you were hiding in that friendly facade, he wouldn't waste it.

You got home around ten. The moon was showing your path to go back to your home. It wasn't different from the other homes around the cut, but growing up, you started to look after it more than everyone else around the neighborhood. You understand that not many people have the time to arrange their gardens or clean the outside, and honestly, you didn't have the time either, but planting some flowers and tidying up the porche was something that you could find your peace on doing it.

You opened the door in your house and immediately flipped the switches on. A muffled yellow hair appeared out of nothing, scaring the shit out you

"JJ!" You dropped your bags out of the scare. "Why didn't you turn on the lights you psycho"

"I'm sorry, i thought you were asleep," he said, coming to you to grab the food from the floor.

JJ was your best friend since you were kids. Your parents, Luke, and your dad were friends and practically raised both of you together. Both with different antics, obviously, that's why every time Luke was around, you warned JJ to not come near your house. Your dad was just a man who only had a daughter and his problematic best friend and at the end of the day he ended up getting tangled in his troubles leaving you behind. You were born just for your dad to share a moment with his best friend. You didn't mind, you had JJ with you.

"Cool, I love green apples," he said, biting one of them, taking you out of your thoughts, reminding you of your encounter with Rafe. You shouldn't tell him.

"Have you seen your dad?" You asked.

"Yeah, he's in the house... your dad is there too, " you exhaled, letting go a weight in your shoulders you didn't know you had.

"Help me with the house, and you can stay," you said, placing the things in the fridge. "I'll make food, and we can watch a movie"

JJ jumped to one of the kitchen tables, hitting his head with the shelf that was above him.

"Can't," he passed his hand in the bump in his head. "John B is waiting, we're going fishing tomorrow morning. We have to find the equipment.

You rolled your eyes. It could be a lie just to now help you.

"I'm serious," he lifted his pinky to you, swearing.

"Fine," you said. "It's your loss, I was going to make pasta"

"I'll bring you fish so you don't have to buy it from Heyward," he said, jumping off the table. "You can cook it for the pogues"

They loved your cooking.

"We'll see," you said, fetching every beer can from the floor to put it on a black bag. "Be safe and please return with all your fingers"

JJ came to hug you real quick and kiss your head. He was like a brother to you.

"How would you enjoy yourself without my fingers, right?" He said, flirting to you.

You pretended to gag.

"Gross," you said while he pinched your side poking his tongue out while exiting your house.

You ended tying up until 2am. It was pretty late, but the house was clean on the inside. If somebody asked you, you would definitely prefer spending your summer by the pool drinking iced tea, but you couldn't. The image of being surrounded by a big house and a pool reminded you about what Rafe said. Was it true? Were you rich? You couldn't. If your mother had passed, the attorneys would've noticed you, and they would make you go to their office and read some kind of will. They would've reached you.

You went to your dad's room and opened the closet, looking for all of the papers he had from your birth day. The story he always told you was that your mother didn't want you, but he convinced her to continue with the pregnancy, promising her that he would leave her with you under his arm, more like a ham than a baby.

You grabbed a folder with your name on it and started flipping the pages, searching for your mother's name. You knew about the existence of the folders but never had the curiosity to find more about your mother until now.

Grabbing your phone from the back pocket of your short, you started typing your mother's name in the search bar. Results popped up quickly.

"Respected lawyer dies at the age of 47 in a car accident in the Bahamas"

The news was from only a week ago occupying the headline from the digital paper.

She died. A weird discomfort bubbled up your throat. Exiting the browser in your phone, you tapped your bank app and put the password waiting for the main page that said that you only had ten dollars left to appear.

There it was, your ten dollars in your main account.

But under it, there was a new one with more zeroes that you could count.

Shit. Rafe was right.

Author's note: Here she is, the first part. I would say it's part 1 and what comes after it's a 1.5 part because I think that there's no much Rafe here. I SWEAR that he is coming. This is just the beginning. What can you expect from this? I think some sappy, fluff, smut eventually shit but it's coming at its pace, so be patient. I have to build the mc well enough for you you enjoy it. Also there's no love triangle between rafe, main character and JJ (he is just a good friend) and yeah I hope you enjoyed 💖

Taglist:

@sublimepenguinpeach-blog @haruvalentine4321

#rafe obx #rafe cameron x reader #rafe outer banks #rafe cameron #rafe x reader #obx rafe cameron #rafe cameron smut #obx fic

[letterstotheflre]

Have you tried the regular Doritos with ketchup

noo, i tried them with melted cheddar tho

#ngl it doesn't sound very appealing #maybe with actual tomato sauce it's better #but ketchup is kinda sweet :/ #ask

[outlying-hyppocrate]

imagine being like. human. i'm just a silly little creature. happy cryptid. occasionally a very sad cryptid who ponders its own existence and questions his sanity but. that's mostly during the winter months. we do not speak of the winter months. except for the fact that we are in them and. fuck never mind. i just need some tea and a bit of will wood to ensure my serotonin levels go back to normal and i can be. happy cryptid

#random thoughts #i also do this when i have deprived myself of food for a certain amount of time. don't worry. i am making spaghetti #there will be sauce. with an obscene amount of garlic. i apologize to potential vampire boyfriends #my stomach hurts though so. maybe i'll eat later #but FUCK. i don't want it to be cold #hng. microwaved pasta is just Not As Good. yknow what i mean. it tastes much better fresh #perhaps i will simply eat it cold. i will put parmesan on it. then it will not melt. melted parmesan makes me cry because #i'm a pathetic piss baby who can't stand the texture. or maybe it's the autism diagnosis i don't know #do not mind me. i am simply discussing whether or not i should eat my spaghetti #wait. why did i say making? i haven't even made it yet. lmao #yknow what? no spaghetti for today. i'll just suffer i guess #admitting to pain irl in any way is embarrassing as fuck for some reason? like i felt like i was going to die in french class #the lights were so bright and everyone was so so loud but i couldn't wear my sunglasses in class. hng. and then of course #it stressed me the fuck out. and then. stomachache. at that point i was ready to cry #then my friend saw me and asked if i was okay. i just said yes. she believed me. i think #still suffering. not fun. not fun at all #WHY THE FUCK AM I SO OFF TOPIC. credence you need to stop. please just post this already #actually wait. i will post this. and then just make the sauce. i will put it in the refrigerator and eat it the next day #it is similar to tomato soup. except. cold. and obviously thicker. i don't know why it tastes good. hng #on my way to make the sauce. goodbye everyone

[medicinemane]

.

#like when I have gyro; give me that cucumber sauce; give me tons of feta... but no diced tomatoes #actually same with olives #and you know; the fucked up thing is it's not like I even hate hate them... or... #it's like I; me; mentally in my head; I don't hate tomatoes or olives... I think I maybe could like them #but my body; my body just viscerally gets revolted #it makes me physically want to recoil... don't even really know why #I'd love to love them in some ways #but I just... can't... fucking... put them in my mouth #and the times I force myself to; maybe they're ok... and next bite is just as painful #(but also a lot of tomato stuff just legit sucks) #(like the tomatoes I might like are like... the best of the best; the freshest; firmest; all star tomatoes) #(canned tomatoes suck; full stop... they're slop to me) #actually... this is part of why I want to get my hands on some dried chilies #want to make myself this zero tomato salsa I saw someone make on youtube #middle aged mexican guy; so you can just tell it's good shit #I want that... finally a salsa with no nasty wet tomatoes in it... I put up with it sometimes... but I don't like salsa much either #that's how much I don't like tomatoes #(unrelated; but I honestly often prefer avocado to guacamole... guac is good; but avocado is better)

[luveline]

kisses before dinner — steve comes home to his girls after a long day. 2k, mom!reader

Steve has a back ache twinging between his shoulders that takes his breath away as he treks the last step up to the front door. The door gets caught on the latch when he pushes it open, which is awesome, Steve’s so glad you’re being safe late at night, but deplorable in that he has wood grain etched into his jaw and no way inside. 

“Girls?” He knocks the glass pane. “Anybody home?” 

Everyone should be home. Your car is in the driveway, the girls’ shoes are by the wall. He pushes the door open as far as he can (not far) and weasels his face into the gap to look for you. It’s dark besides the upstairs bathroom light. 

Steve calls your name a few times, but eventually comes to the realisation that you’re all asleep and he’s locked out. He closes the door and heads back to his car to scrounge the spare back door key from under his seat. 

He fights through the garden gate covered in brambles to the backyard. It hasn’t been touched since summer, forgotten things left to the elements. Avery’s bike flakes with copper coloured rust against the wall. The trampoline net is tangled and fallen off of one side. There are plastic cups in the stinging nettles growing back beneath it and gummy bears swollen with water along the paving stones like some poor retelling of Hansel and Gretel. He unlocks the back door and promptly knocks over the trash can he’d left in front of it. His back whines as he cleans it away, but at least it’s warm inside. 

It’s good to be home. 

He shoves the toppled garbage back into the can, washes tomato sauce off of his hands in the sink, and lets himself bask in his own poorly lit company for a moment, rubbing his tired eyes. He was hoping for a welcome party. It took longer to help Robin move than they’d anticipated. 

“I won’t be back for a while,” he’d said apologetically down the phone. 

“Okie dokie,” you’d crooned. He didn’t need to see you to know there was a baby in your lap. “Just come home when you can, babe. And lift with your knees! I’ll put your plate in the fridge, yes? Love you.” Your voice turned to sugar. “Love you, love you, love you, honey.” You definitely weren’t talking to him at that point. Mother of my kids, he’d thought reverently, the strength of a thousand men restored for an hour or two before the fatigue truly set in and he and Robin considered leaving the rest of her furniture on her new front lawn.

He scratches his hair from his eyes with both hands. Mother of my kids, he thinks again. You’ve actually managed to keep the kitchen tidy, the only evidence of a day of play being the grape juice rings on the dining table placemats. How the fuck you’ve done it is a miracle worth marvelling. Three children, one (admittedly smaller) baby bump, and a full eighteen hours by yourself. You’re very impressive. 

He decides to tell you emphatically with his face in your neck. He should shower, and he will apologise to you for subjecting you to his sweaty hair in the morning. You’ll shrug off his apology, say something sweet about for better or worse or maybe wrinkle your nose and kiss him anyways. 

Steve honestly can’t find any shame about how much he likes you. Like and love can begin to diverge in a marriage, especially after kids when your duty as parents is more important than it is as partners, but you’ve yet to let him pull away, and he won’t give you a reason to. He’ll keep trying as hard as possible to be a husband you can adore. And you don’t have to do much, really. Realistically you give the majority of yourself every day to Steve and your kids, but he would cling to you if you got sick of it. He knows he would. You could turn hermit and live under the bed, and Steve would spend half his life on his stomach just looking at you.

Half trying to pull you out again. The other half getting the girls ready for school. He’s so tired he doesn’t realise that this is too many halves. 

When he gets to the top of the stairs he feels like a lifetime has passed since he left that morning, bright and early at 5AM. There’d been driving, car swaps, booing at people from behind the wheel, a hundred boxes, a million trips up and down the stairs, and a suspicious washing machine recalibration. This was without the cold coke drinking, peanuts, popcorn, mistimed movie references, and the obligatory insulting of Robin’s girlfriend’s mauve chaise, of which Robin refused to participate. 

Between all that, there’d been worrying, and a want for more phone calls. Promise me you’ll call me if you need anything at all, he’d said that morning, giving your face a fond caress. There’s a confidence that comes with this much love. Steve can pour every inch of his affection for you into one touch and knows you’ll soak it up like a sponge. Really. Any problems, any stress, any tantrums. Just call me. I’m ten minutes away. 

You were grateful if amused, telling him he didn’t need to worry so much, and then offering him another slice of toast. 

Is it weird how much I love my wife? he wonders, pushing open the bedroom door gently. 

You’re actually awake! He’s shocked and a little betrayed to find you looking at him, but the betrayal fades when he notices the swelling around your eyes and your trembling arm as you hoist yourself up under Avery’s weight. He’s woken you up coming in. 

“Sorry,” he mouths, frowning at your shakiness. 

You manage a smile and beckon him forward. The problem is the little ladies strewn about in the way. Avery drools on your chest while Dove takes up the entirety of Steve’s side, spread into a star shape, and Bethie snores loudly by your knees. An especially aggressive one makes him laugh as he rounds the bed to your side. 

“Hello,” he whispers, taking your face into a loving hand, “sorry I’m back so late.” 

You smile into his palm but don’t say anything. 

“You okay? Had a good day?” he asks.

You hum something nonsensical. He wipes at your cheek in the rough way you enjoy, your face bumped with every stroke of his thumb.

“Did you…”  Your eyelashes flutter closed. “Did you eat?” 

“Loads. Sorry. I’ll eat my dinner tomorrow.”

You wrinkle your nose. He’s been dying to see it. “Don’t bother, it wasn’t my best.”

“All dinners are your best.” 

You cover his hand with yours, and then you steal it away from your cheek and kiss it all over. Steve bends down to hug you.

“Missed you,” you say at the same time. Steve laughs. “Was it a long day?” you ask. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” 

“It was aeons,” you say. “The girls were good, mostly. Baby not so much.” 

“Aw, no,” he croons softly, “what’s she been doing?” 

“She won’t let me eat.” 

Steve rubs the top of your arm. “I’m sorry, honey. You should’ve called me.” 

“What are you gonna do, H?”

He breathes out into the side of your face. “You’re right, like always. What can I do?” 

He can’t do a thing to ease your morning sickness, so… Steve ends up taking a knee on the bed beside you to hold you for a while, no rush to lay down even though he aches in strings and shouts. “I’m glad I can’t get pregnant. I’d have hundreds of your babies if I could and it would be torture.” 

You laugh at his absurdity in the giggly startled way he’d been hoping for. 

“Did you throw up?” he asks, pulling away enough to see your face while his hand starts the soft journey down your front to your bump. You’re about three months along and the bump came quickly. It’s cute and Steve loves it and he tries not to be weird about it but he’s weird about you. 

“No, just kept churning. I made eggs for breakfast and we can’t eat them anymore.” 

Steve kisses your cheek, the corner of your eye, knowing it’ll make you happy. Your smile follows swiftly after, and he kisses that with gusto. “I don’t even like eggs,” he mumbles.

“You love eggs.” 

“What was it like being the stay at home mom today?” he asks. 

“Hard. But fun. Avery was being really nice to me all day, did you have something to do with that?” 

“Avery’s always nice.” 

Your smile widens impossibly, “Yeah, but she was asking me if I wanted to sit down and if I needed a glass of water all day.” 

Steve shrugs. “Doesn’t sound like something I’d do.” 

“Well don’t do it again, H. She’s just a baby. She doesn’t need to worry about me.” 

Steve strokes your forehead, totally in your orbit. “She’s not worrying. Are you worrying about her when you take care of her? And sometimes you need a reminder.” 

You chew it over. “Okay… you’re right. You win that one, Harrington. Mostly ‘cos I’m too tired.”

Steve always wins when he gets to slide into bed next to you. You push yourself over and bunch the kids up tighter. There’s not quite enough room for him. He feels as though he’s one little legged kick from falling back out, but he doesn’t mind, wrapping an arm around you and Avery where she’s sliding off of you and onto the mattress between you both. The poor girl is in a deep sleep, dribbling from the corner of her mouth. Steve wipes it away. 

“You comfortable enough?” he asks. 

“I’m fine. Thank you for asking.” 

He rests his head against yours on the pillows. “Missed you.” 

“But you had fun, right?” 

“It was great. I feel like I ran a marathon.” 

“Exhausted?” you ask. 

“And accomplished… You sure you’re okay? It was a long day by yourself. That stunt you pulled in the kitchen? Incredible.” 

“I thought you’d like that. I told the girls you’d buy them a pony.” 

“You did not.” 

You laugh into his cheek. “No, I didn't, you caught me… I’m fine, really. I did miss you. It’s not nice, not seeing you. I’m used to a couple of hours, but it started feeling wrong when it was dark out, I… it’s silly but I was thinking about how horrible it would be if you never came back–”

Your pitch lifts up as Steve gasps and slaps a hand over your mouth (doesn’t slap, but covers, big hand on your lips and pressing them shut without sympathy). 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He meets your eyes, smiling hard despite the fatigue clinging to you both, and doesn’t buckle, even as you kiss his palm again. “Pregnancy brain is a scary thing.” 

Your eyes turn to melting. He’s putty immediately, pulling your hand away to caress your cheek. 

“Wanna be crazy in love in the morning?” he asks gently. You put your arm behind Avery’s back and smile as she snuggles into your ribs. Steve kisses your nose. “Go to sleep, honey. I can feel how tired you are. Back to normal in the morning.” 

“Love you, Steve.” 

“Love you, too.”

#kisses before dinner universe #stranger things x reader #stranger things fic #stranger things #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x fem!reader #dad!steve harrington #dad!steve harrington x reader #dad!steve harrington x mom!reader #steve harrington x afab!reader #afab!reader #mom!reader #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fandom #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fic #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington fluff

[russellsppttemplates]

Did you lose her? (Lando Norris)

Maybe it was never a change of heart

Note: english is not my first language. It's angsty with a happy ending, and it's also the first piece that's I've written that's based of a song, Stick Season by Noah Kahan. I hope I did it well enough! 🫶 also, it has smut, and if you have followed me for long enough, you know I don't usually do it, but I think it's these AUS pics 😮‍💨😌🥵

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Cw: curse words, previous break-up and themes related to that, smut (mentions protected sex, hormonal contraception, praise kink if you squint at the whole thing)

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog

And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed

Doing the food shop was one one of the mundane adult life tasks you actually enjoyed doing. You had some music on your ears and walked along the supermarket, making sure you weren't buying too much outside of your list.

Tomato sauce and two packets of the instant noodles for when you didn't feel like cooking or were in a rush, you told yourself as you browsed through the aisle.

The scent should've been the first give away, but lots of people wore the same perfume. However, not all of them had the characteristic underlying scent that to this day meant comfort.

"Y/N! I wasn't expecting to see you", Cisca said as he placed the item she took from the shelf on her shopping cart, "goodness, how long has it been since we've seen you?", she smiled sadly.

Five months, you thought. One hundred and fifty two days since you and Lando parted ways and you shipped your belongings back to England. You told yourselves it was amicable and that you'd still be there for eachother, but you had published your first article and he had started his season without the other by your side.

"It's been some time, yes. How are you?", you wondered, "we've been good, you know how busy it gets around this time of year. But Savannah had their little girl, Athena - let me show you a picture!", she scrambled her phone out of her bag.

"Oh, how cute!", you cooed at the little baby bundled up in a pink blanket, "Mila is such a good big sister, too!", she showed you a picture with the two of them in Lando's lap, the baby tucked safely into his chest as Mila seemed to be showing him one of her toys.

Gulping and swallowing the tears that threatened to fall, you looked up at her and smiled, "I'm glad everyone is doing good - send Oliver and Sav my congratulations!", you nodded, hoping she would get the hint.

Storing her phone back in her bag, Cisca smiled, resembling the smile that you woke up many times to, "I will, darling. All the best for you, hopefully we'll see you around", she said before rubbing your back soothingly.

You found an aisle without people and allowed yourself to cry. Just for a little bit before you had to go back to pretend it didn't hurt still.

And I'll dream each night of some version of you

That I might not have, but I did not lose

"I'm on the podium, dad!", Lando yelled as he hugged Adam, cackling in excitement as he hugged the team who were there to celebrate and congratulate him.

"Congratulations, baby!", you yelled as Lando turned to hug you, arms going around your waist and pulling you as close as the safety barriers allowed, clicking open his visor so you could look at your favourite eyes in the world.

"I love you so much, Y/N!", he yelled back, winking before he went up to get weighed in.

On the podium, he looked at you like you two were the only people there, smiling up at him as he blew you a kiss.

"I knew you'd be on the podium, baby", you smiled once you were back in his driver's room, "How are you so sure?", he wondered, kissing your neck soflty.

"The development they're doing, your talent, Lando, I knew it was going to happen, and from now on, you better get used to being up there every single weekend", you smirked, kissing from his throat to his jaw and up to his lips, humming when his tongue poked at your lips begging for entrance.

It was hot and he was sweaty. His phone read 4:30am as he stood up against the headboard, finding the light switch so he wouldn't walk around the hotel room in complete darkness.

It was the third night in a row you showed up in his dreams. The first time, it was subtle as he dreamed about flying on plane and he was sure you were there. The past two, however, had you in there as a main character. He dreamed of walking in the paddock with you, of having you there to comfort him and knock some sense in his head when his P4 in qualifying didn't feel enough, and now you were celebrating his podium.

It's weird how his brain went there, how his arms and face felt like they had truly been holding you despite not having done it in months. Muscle memory betrayed, he thought as he poured himself some water and took little sips of it as he looked outside the window.

Fuck, he missed you. And not just for these big moments where he was on a high and wanted to share it with you or when he was do low you were the only person that could make him crawl out of the dark hole he snuck himself into. It's when he's making his bed back home and the other pillow remains fluffed because no one's using it, it's the mug you left behind and he doesn't have the courage to send back to you or give to someone else or when he sees something that reminds him of you and he gets it, hoping one day he can get them to you.

You once called me forever, now you still can't call me back

Lando sighed again as the call went to voicemail. It was the third time it happened in the last couple of hours. It was media day at Suzuka and they were having lunch.

"You know it's 3 am back in England, right?", Oscar asked bluntly, "when we were having breakfast, sure, you might have got hold of her if she was doing a late night, but I think you should wait", he reasoned.

Oscar was right. He didn't want to risk it waking you up even though he was sure your phone was on silent since you loved your sleep dearly.

"I hate this", Lando muttered, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. Oscar was aware of some of what had happened between Lando and you. The start of the season always came with new gossip and this one's was filled with rumours and conspiracy theories about the paddock's sweetheart and young couple.

Lando started driving in Formula One when he was nineteen, so they had seen his grow up through the years along with your relationship. At first, you were pinned down as his sister, then a best friend when they realised you didn't share genetics, and then you were his girlfriend. The lingering touches and big smiles they caught never rushed you to admit your feelings or put a label on your relationship, but everyone was there when you walked hand in hand on the paddock and confirmed the suspicions they had for months. Lando Norris and his best friend were in love and they all felt like proud parents as they watched you support him unconditionally every time you could.

"Did you lose her?", Oscar quesioned his team-mate as he picked on the food on his plate.

"I don't have her with me, have I?", Lando snapped and regretted it almost immediately.

Oscar put it down to tiredness, jet lag and the fact that he seemed a bit lost on how he was navigating the situation, "What I'm saying is, did you lose her? Did you do your absolute best to keep her with you?", he said sternly, "Used all of the options and possibilities and it still didn't work out? You don't lose someone because things fell apart in a stressful situation", he reasoned.

He was young but not dumb, truly.

"Feels like I have though", Lando added.

"What I'm saying is if you really want to know how she is and if you want to have an honest conversation with her, you have to make an effort. Not just calling and asking your mother to see if she's spotted her lately, or your sisters to check in your circle of friends whether or not she has moved on", Oscar lectured.

"Do you think I can do it? Do I have what it takes?", Lando confessed his doubts out loud. One of the reasons he had yet to act on it was because having a second chance wasn't for everyone and he needed to make sure it went perfect. You deserved that.

"You're a Formula One driver with deep pockets and a massive heart that still belongs to someone. What can't you do?", the young australian driver mused before he got up, taking his plate with him and leaving Lando pondering about what to do next.

I hope this pain's just passin' through

You sang loudly as you dusted the living room shelves, windows open to let the autumn air in. While cleaning wasn't your favourite thing to do, you had woken up with an urge to clean and given that it happened very rarely, you were taking it in stride.

So far, you found a receipt of a pair of jeans you were meant to return but gave your friends instead, a concert ticket and a bigger amount of dust than you'd like to admit. When you pulled the fabric strap, though, you knew that you wouldn't want to get rid of it. The lanyard belonged to one of the passes for one of the Grand Prix weekend you went to see Lando. Inspecting it closer, you realised it was his second home race, the Polaroid picture attached to it confirming the date.

It started with you joking about the fact that the pass was not the prettiest, so Lando hunted down the paddock to find a Polaroid camera, snapping a picture of you two and pinching a hole on it so you could carry it around and cover the supposed ugly pass. The photo was still intact, just a little dusty as you wiped it with your sleeve. Lando was kissing your cheek as you smiled impossibly big, eyes squinty and smile beaming because of the guy whose lips were on your cheek.

A single teardrop fell on the plastic covered paper before a few more followed as you sat down, looking at what you had once been and how things were right now. The missed calls on your phone led you to believe that maybe he still felt something too, but the potential heartache of trying again and it not working would hurt more than it already does.

The vibration from watch caught your attention as you read the two notifications. One from your e-mail with Qatar Airways written in bold and a text from Lando.

Qatar Airways

Thank you for choosing to fly with Qatar Airways!

Lando ✨️

I need you here with me, Y/N, please

I made the flight reservation for you, they will hold the ticket until two hours before the flight leaves, you just have to confirm with your passport ❤️

You promised me that I was more than all the miles combined

Heathrow Airport, 7th October 2023, 6:30 am.

You couldn't back out now, that would mean Lando would lose the money he spent to get you here in the first place. It wasn't by all means quiet, but your thoughts were loud enough.

You shouldn't be here. Why were you here? Why did you accept this, Y/N?

Because Lando needed you there.

Simple as that.

Boarding the flight, you smiled and thanked as the flight attendant pointed to the area where your seat was and where you would spend the next six hours and a half.

"I'm sorry, our seats are by the window", a woman in her thirties said as she bounced a little girl on her hip, making you get up so she could get to it, "thank you", she smiled, sitting down and buclking herself and her daughter to her body.

"Lyla, you can't go pulling on other people's clothes - I'm so sorry", she apoligised as the little girl pulled on your shirt's detailed button buckle.

"No worries, I know how restless they can get. You do the best for your baby. You're only responsible for yours and her emotions, no one else's on this plane", you offered her, remembering the times you would take flights and fully grown adults would go up to a stressed parent to let them know they could hear their crying child as if the parents themselves didn't know.

"My husband is somewhere in there, too", she chuckled, sometimes I feel I'm responsible for his too - accountantable in a way at least", she chuckled.

"You weren't able to sit together?", you wondered.

"My husband planned the weekend to go watch a race and come back, but we found some holiday days and we decided on a spontaneous trip. This was the only seat left they had", she explained.

"I can change seats if you want", you offered, "I'm flying on my own and I'll get to the destination all the same", you giggled.

"You wouldn't mind?", she asked, relief settling over her as she tried to see her husband, waving at him to come closer as you touched the button to call the flight attendant as the passengers were all sat down on your section.

"This lovely young woman says she doesn't mind switching seats with you", she said to her husband as you spoke to the flight attendant.

"No, there's no problem with that if you both agree", the flight attendant smiled as you got up, ignoring the frown on the man next to you who had to get up so you could swap, "bye bye, Lyla!", you waved at the little girl before her parents thanked you once again.

Finding your new seat, you put your bag under the seat in front and sat down, excusing yourself to the older couple next to you, "I just swapped seats with the gentleman that was here, I'm sorry", you smiled, hoping they wouldn't be too mad.

"Oh, he was able to sit with his family after all - I told you, Harold!", the lady winked at her husband, "I'm Francesca, you can call me Fran", she said sweetly.

Despite the early flight, they both seemed to be full of energy as they started telling you stories of their life and family, showing pictures of their kids and grandkids.

"One day you'll have all of that with the person you love, darling - if that's something you want, of course!", Harold peeped in, "our granddaughters are always telling me not everyone wants the same things!", he chuckled softly.

"It's okay - I would like that, actually", you smiled sadly as Francesca landed her hand on top of yours.

"Why does that sound like a confused heart, dear?", she commented, reading you like a book. The flight was closer to be three quarters of the way to the destination, so you still had some time to kill.

"A little bit; I'm actually flying over to see the person who still has this confused heart", you mumbled.

"Your eyes sparkle when you talk about him, dear - something tells me he's going to 'unconfuse' your heart", she smiled, "tell me about him".

"Godness", you chuckled, "He's kind, respectful, honest, goofy, cute, charming, loving, he's all that is good. We just lost our way, I think", you recalled, smiling at the thought of him.

"You'll find it back, dear. Life has mysterious ways but it has the right ways - I like to believe it does, anyway", the older lady assured, squeezing your hand in hers.

Waving goodbye to Harold and Francesca when you found the taxi bay, you requested to be taken to the paddock.

When you got there, you payed the kind driver before he helped you take your suitcase from the boot, "enjoy the race!", he smiled.

You were thankful all eyes were on the track already, making you cross the whole paddock and step into McLaren's hospitality quickly after collecting your pass.

"Y/N!", Zak said as he was the first person to spot you, "you're here, you came!", he smiled, hugging you tightly, "we're all very happy you're here", he said as he asked one of the team members to store your suitcases somewhere appropriate before leading you to the corridor to the drivers' rooms.

"Lando is inside, and the race starts in less than ninety minutes, so you won't talk all you need to, but it's a good start", he said, knocking on the door before he left.

When Lando heard the knock, he hoped it was you. Sophie and Oscar were great people, but in the last hour, everytime he opened the door, theirs were the faces he saw instead of yours.

"Y/N", he welcomed you into his room before closing the door, "I hope it's okay that I flew you here, thank you for coming", he said as he hesitated on giving you a hug.

Taking a step forward, you laced your arms around his waist as he did the same around your shoulders, inhaling eachother's scent and feeling like a weight was lifted off both of you, "I missed you so much, Y/N", he whispered before you pulled apart.

"It's not the first time you've done that for me", you fumbled with your hands, "although I was very surprised. We haven't spoken to eachother in some time, Lando", you sterned.

"Not because I didn't try", he bit bat with an ironic chuckle, "Why did you come here then?", he defended, taking your words as immediate offense and not taking a second to process them properly.

"Because even though we're not together anymore, you matter to me. I care about you! I'm not sure what monster you depict me as or that you imagine I've turned into, but I wouldn't dream of wishing you misery! If you call me and tell me you need me here, I'll be here because I care about you!", you snapped, "you have no idea how many times I wanted to give up and cancel this! Why am I here, Lando?", you asked.

You didn't expect him to react that way, not that you had a much better reaction anyway.

"Fuck, this is not how we do this", you took a deep breath as Lando held your hands in his, mimicking your movements as he did the same. Three long deep breaths, in and out, in and out, in and out.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that", Lando began, hands laced on yours still, "thank you for bring here, I needed you here because there's no one else in the world that can make me feel comfortable like you do, and I need that. I need to feel like myself - and I know it's a selfish ask to make you get up and drop your things to be here with me but-", you interrupted him.

"It's okay, Lando, you're okay", you cooed, searching for his eyes and hoping you'd get the message your mouth was failing to say through.

You pulled him to sit in front of you in the massage table, "I've been seeing all the podiums you've been getting - the team have done such a great job developing, and your talent and skills have brought it to the podium", you tried a lighter subject even though you were 99% sure of his worries.

"Oscar still qualified above me", he began, "He's a rookie and he's managed to do in months what I haven't done in five years", he allowed himself to express his feelings. After all, it was you.

"Oscar is not driving a tractor like you were", you shrugged your shoulders as Lando laughed.

"For someone who was invited last minute and got a pretty good pass, I'm not sure how the team would feel about you talking like that", he smirked, hand finding your own as he rubbed his thumb on your palm.

"I'm only telling the truth", you smiled, "and I mean it. I know how this sport works, but you shouldn't compare yourself to your teammate when the circumstances are so different", you mused.

"The team have been great and they still haven't said anything", he reasoned.

"Of course they haven't because it's something that happens, Lando. I was watching the highlights and so many drivers went over the limits because that's how this track goes", you stated, "there's only so much you can do and you shouldn't put all that pressure on yourself", you tsked, "I know you do, but you shouldn't", you smiled.

"You always know what to say, don't you?", he chuckled, "I have an inkling on how this here works", you winked and tapped his head with your free hand.

A knock on the door interrupted your moment as Jon opened it right after, "Lando, we need to start prepping for the sprint", he said before he turned to you, "Hi Y/N, good to have you back!", he smiled before he let you finish what you were doing.

"I should go, then", Lando trailed off, "are you going to browse around the paddock? I bet a lot of people miss you and your face here", he nudged.

"I came here for you, I don't care about anyone else", you smiled as you leaned over to press a kiss on his cheek for a few seconds, smiling against his warm skin before grabbing your bag and walking out.

Most of the team must've known you were coming since not many of them took a second look whenever you greeted them or entered a different area.

One of the media girls got you a set of headphones as she stood next to you, Oscar and Lando getting ready to go to the track.

His routine hadn't changed as your eyes followed him while he got dressed appropriately and safely for the race.

Before Lando put his helmet on he looked back at you, winking and smiling when you winked back.

When the gap wasn't closing in, you knew Lando would be disappointed with P3, not because of the place itself but because his team-mate had done better.

As you moved to a better spot to watch the interviews on the media pen, your heart felt like someone was using it like a trampoline, jumping and stomping on it as Lando spoke about himself with such a negative tone.

Surely, the interviewers were fishing for answers with biased questions and his mind took him there.

As you waited for him to be back to the hospitality, you got yourself something to eat, realising you hadn't done it since the plane.

Lando was beating himself up and he couldn't shake the bad mood he was in even when he thought you had travelled to see him and be there for him.

As Sophie gave him a quick debrief about his interviews, he stepped into his driver's room so he could have a quick shower and then head to the team debrief.

"It wouldn't hurt going up to her, you know?", Jon told him, ready to take any harsh words first if it meant you didn't hear them.

"I know it wouldn't, I'm just going to eat something and then I'll join the debrief with the rest of the team", Lando mumbled as he walked up to you.

"Hey", he said sitting down on the sofa next to you.

"Hey, Lando", you said, testing the waters and approaching his body until you rested your head on his shoulder.

"You are going to get your win, Lando. It's going to be an amazing weekend and it's going to be your first. Surely important, but you'll be a race winner and go on to the next race", you said as he seemed to be unsure of the tone you were going for, "as that will be a big moment in a long career - because it won't define it - this doesn't define you either, as a person and as a driver", you concluded, hoping to bring a little bit of his confidence and self-esteem back up a little.

"And you're going to be there?", he asked. He was feeling like shit and needed to know. It wasn't fair, but he needed to know.

"I can't make promises like that, not before we speak properly", you remarked, looking up at him from where you were, kissing his cheek and squeezing his hand in yours, "do you want me to stay here or should I go back to the hotel?", you asked. It wasn't the right time or the right place to talk about it.

"Could you stay here, please?", he said as you took your book out of your bag, knowing it would run long and you'd need some entertainment as there was only so much catching up you could do with the team when they're suppose to be working.

"I will, then", you said as Lando took the plunge and kissed the top of your head.

Ten chapters and a tea later, Lando tapped your shoulders, "I'm finished, are we ready to go?", he asked as you got up accepting his hand to hold as you walked out of the hospitality, grabbing your suitcase from the storage room and bidding goodbye to the team.

"I couldn't get a separate room for you, but the room I'm staying in has this living room area and the sofa opens into a bed, they said it's really comfy and they also left an extra mattress topper and some blankets", Lando said as he drove, "in case you didn't feel comfortable, I- I just want you to feel comfortable", he emphasised nervously.

"Lando, you don't need to walk on eggshells, okay? It's me", you smiled reassuringly as he stole a quick look at you before focusing back on the road, "sounds like a nice solution, fine by me", you reassured him.

Leaving the car to the valet and taking the lift up with you, you stayed silent until you were inside the hotel room, "That's the bedroom area, bathroom's here - and it has a double sink - and then the living room", Lando patted the extra linen folded on the sofa.

"Thank you", you assented, "would you like to talk now or is it bad timing? You must be tired f,-".

"Yes, please", he agreed immediately sitting on the sofa and making room for you to sit in front of him.

"I don't know where to begin", you observed after a while, "it's been tough being without you - I have been so used to having you there for me and to be there for you that nothing quite has the same meaning. I can live without you - barely, but I can -, that's not the question, but I don't want to", you manifested.

"We ended things because we had to, and it did us both well to see from another perspective - that's what it felt for me anyway -, but I want to be with you and to have you with me", he elaborated, "I don't care if you have to spend more time back home because of the distance, or come with me to the races because of the distance, too, I-".

"It was never about the distance, Lando", you interjected. You both used that excuse way too many times but deep down you knew it wasn't because of it.

"We'll work it out then", Lando suggested, "we'll work on us because knowing eachother doesn't mean we don't have to put ourselves first and keep investing on our relationship. I value you so much Y/N, I love you so much and I want to do this right", he whispered as if he spoke any louder would disturb the moment.

"I love you too", you smiled as you laced your hands together, "we'll work on it, together".

It was already late so Lando offered you the bathroom so you could shower and do your night routine first and then make the sofa bed to your liking while he did his night routine.

"Good night, angel", Lando said after you hugged him goodnight, kissing the top of your head before letting you lie down first since the light on his bedside table was the only one illuminating the room.

After you cocooned yourself in the sheets comfortably, you spoke up, "Lando, I'm sorry I didn't answer back sooner", you apoligised.

"It's okay, love, you don't have to worry about that", he cooed softly and you could hear the smile on his voice.

"I know it's not, but thank you for making me feel better about it, goodnight", you smiled, feeling hopeful about it.

The next morning, you were woken up by the noise coming from the bathroom, assuming Lando was showering inside as you stretched, surprised at how well you slept. Maybe the bedding was genuinely nice, the sofa bed wasn't bad to begin with, especially considering the hotel you were staying in, or maybe it was the fact that for the first time in months, you fell asleep knowing the person who your heart belonged to was more than happy to let you keep his, too, and he was in the same space as you.

"Good morning, beautiful", Lando smiled as he noticed you were awake already, "did you sleep well?".

"Good morning, Lan", you yawned, "I did, really well, actually. At what time do we have to be at the track?", you wondered. It was a night race, so the call up was later than usual.

"I'm leaving after breakfast, but you can stay and head there later if you want", Lando declared as you walked up to him, "I just need to freshen up and get ready", you smiled, kissing his cheek and heading for the bathroom with your clothes.

As soon as you arrived at the track, you took one of the back entrances as you knew Lando would spend some time with the fans and other drivers he bumped into, finding a nice spot on the lounge and going back to your book.

"I'm going to start race prep", Lando stopped by you in the lounge after a quick meeting, "I probably won't talk to you much until afterwards so I just came to check on you", he reasoned.

Getting up, you moved to one of the corridors, leaning up to kiss his forehead softly, "Good luck, my love, you're going to do so well, I know it", you smiled against his skin.

"I have my lucky charm with me", he smirked, kissing the top of your head before he got back to Jon.

From P10 to P3, Lando had an eventful race. Fortunately, and compared to the rest of the grid, he seemed to be doing fairly well as he stood in front of AC Units while replenishing the water he lost during the fifty-seven laps.

"I'm so proud of you!", you cooed as he got back to the garage, shaking hands with all the mechanics and engineers before he got to you. You hugged his sweaty body, not caring about it as long as you felt his close to you.

"They're postponing race debrief so I'm going to shower quickly and then we can get going, beautiful", he smiled, kissing a spot on your cheek very close to your lips.

Smiling giddily, you went to the bar area to get a bottle of water for yourself as Sophie walked last you, "seems like we will be seeing a lot more of you again soon - maybe Zak can also hire you as our lucky charm!", she winked as you shook your head, blood rushing to your cheeks at her words.

Back in the hotel room, it was your turn to freshen up and get ready to sleep. The spirits were high and you were feeling like the wait time was over. Your heart was healed enough as you sat on Lando's bed, "I'm so proud of you, you had an incredible drive tonight", you smiled as you moved closer to him as he sat on the edge, back against the headboard and one leg on the mattress while the other hung beside the mattress.

"It felt so good", he smiled, "thank you for supporting me", he cupped your cheek as he silently asked you for permission to kiss your lips. Lando couldn't waste anymore time as he pulled you to him so he could kiss you properly, your legs on either side of his as you straddled him, revelling in the feeling of being in eachother's hold as your hands played with his hair while his held your waist.

"As much as I'd love to continue this, I'm exhausted, baby", he rubbed your thighs, "it's okay, my love, I wasn't thinking of letting you do anything else anyway", you smiled, kissing his nose softly before you got on one knee so you could flop to the side and land on the mattress.

"Sleep here, yes?", he mused and you nodded, undoing the bed and getting under the sheets, his arm holding you to him and making sure he didn't let go.

As if you'd leave anyway.

4.30am and Lando woke up again. This time however, the sight he longed to see was right there. The you he had and had got back, cuddled up to his chest as your leg was hoisted up on top of his own and very close to his aching cock.

As he tried to change the angle so every time you moved, your smooth skin wouldn't pratically tease him, you stirred in your sleep, eyes opening as he tried to adjust your knee.

"Is everything alright, baby? Am I hurting you?", you said as you recoiled from his body.

"No, angel, no!", he quickly guaranteed, "I'm sorry I woke you up, it's just that your knee was very close to me and I was having a hard time dealing with it".

"A hard time indeed", you snickered as you felt his hard-on strained on his Calvin Kleins. Dating after being friends for so long brought an easy joking side to your relationship so much easier and funnier as you wouldn't get offended with most of what you said to eachother, "need help with that?", you smirked.

"But I wanted to treat you", Lando pouted, "Can I, gorgeous girl?", he whispered as he kissed up your neck once you whispered "yes", hands roaming on your body as he pulled up your nightshirt, finding your nipples and twisting them slightly to work your body up the way you did with his.

Your sighs and whimpers let him know he was doing a good job as undressed your torso, littering small kissed from your throat to your tummy, "you're so gorgeous, Y/N, I can't believe you're mine", he said as he blew a raspberry on your tummy, earning giggles from you before he licked up a stripe near your panties line.

"You know how much I like it when you wear your pink panties", he voiced as he touched you over the cotton fabric, feeling you pulsate already, "Do you like it when I tease you over your pink panties, baby?".

"Yes", you scrambled out betwen moans and deep breaths, "Oh my Goodness, princess", he cooed as you squirmed, "You want me to fill this pussy up?", he wondered as you let out a yes followed but a deep mewling sound.

"Let me take a little peek, then", as his fingers pushed the fabric down, a string of wetness caught in the material as he smiled, "Oh my Goodness, look at this pretty little pink pussy", he kisses your clit, "all of you, you're se beautiful, baby".

Rubbing the inside of your thighs with his thumbs, pressing the soft skin as he got rid of your underwear, "Are you going to let me fill you up?", he asked as he wouldn't do it without consent.

"Yes, please do it, Lan", you moaned, hand looking for his own to hold.

"You don't need to say please, my love - here", he whispered as he laced your hands together, "you'll always have me, you hear me? I'm yours, sweet girl", he smiled.

His hand that wasn't securely laced in yours helped you take his underwear off before he came back up to kiss your lips softly.

"Does it feel good when I tease your clit like that, gorgeous?", he smirked as he ran the tip of his cock in your sensitive bud, "Yes - uhg, baby", you gasped, looking into his eyes and swearing you could get lost in them had you not been in such a state of arousal as you were.

"You look so pretty like this, my beautiful, sweet girl", he praised as he saw your twitches and heard your moans at his words, "we need protection, though", he stated.

"I'm good, didn't see anyone else - you?", you wondered as he shook his head, "didn't see anyone else either - condom?", he asked, making you nod and separate so he could get it from his toiletries bag. Hormonal contraception left you feeling worse that it made your life easier, so you and Lando always used condoms.

Rolling it down his shaft, Lando climbed back in the bed and kissed your lips, adjusting himself before he entered you.

You whimpered as Lando slid inside you, a low groan escaping from his throat as he gently slid, taking your hand back in his and resting them next to your head on the pillow.

"You feel so good for me, sweet girl, so wet so warm, so good - aah", he breathed out, "so tight, my sweet sweet girl", he squeezed his eyes shut at the feeling of your walls squeezing him.

You stretched your arm out enough to pull his face closer to yours, kissing his jaw and then his lips before whispering "you can move, love".

Lando pulled back slowly, thrusting in gently to begin with and savouring how you felt around him.

"I love you", you muttered into his neck between moans as he picked up the pace, thrusting into you faster, harder and deeper.

"I'm close", Lando groaned as he felt your walls clench around him, his hand crawling between your bodies and drawing lazy circles on your clit to get you to your release.

"Me too, feels so good, I feel so good", you moaned out, a high pitch one particularly when you felt the band was about to snap.

“My sweet girl, my beautiful sweet girl, are you going to come for me?”, Lando worked you up as your body started to show signs of it, "let go, my love, I'm here, I've got you”, he soothed, still gently rubbing your clit with one hand and keeping hold of the other.

Your back arched, sensitive nipples rubbing against his skin, as you came with a high-pitched whine, nuzzling your face on his thick neck as you came undone around him. Lando came soon after, his hand that was not holding yours groping your waist as he groaned.

“Good, sweet girl, that was good, you did so well for me. I’ve got you, it's okay", he assured as he felt you flutter around him, probably from overstimulation considering neither of you had been with anyone else and you hadn't slept a full night yet, the tiredness he felt also a cause for how quickly he finished.

Lando kissed your forehead sweetly before he pulled out, getting up and throwing out the condom on the bathroom bin before he cane back to you on the bed.

"Let's put this on, yeah?", he whispered soflty as he helped you put on his linen shirt, buttoning it enough to let you breathe but still feel hugged by the fabric, and then a clean pair of underwear he got from your suitcase.

Before he laid in bed with you again, he put on his own underwear, pulling you to his arms and then pulling the crisp white covers over you.

"Do you feel good, baby?", he asked once you were cuddled up to him, "yes, I do", you smiled, a mixture of post sex glow and being back in his arms.

"Thank you for not giving up on us, I love you, sweet girl", Lando said as he played with your fingers, bringing them up to his mouth so he could kiss every single one of them, "you're the best thing in my life", he mumbled, letting you drift off to sleep.

#lando norris imagine #lando norris fluff #lando norris smut #lando norris x reader #lando norris x you #lando norris fanfic #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #f1 smut #f1 fanfic

[ultrasharpy12345stuff]

Proof that Law of Assumption is Real

You can literally experience what you want right now. Let's use an example, think of something simple.

Think of a burger. It's juicy and succulent. It smells really good. It has the fat dripping off it it, it has fresh lettuce and tomato slices. Maybe some pickles. It's thick and meaty and it has it's aroma wafting in the air. You can smell the seasoning. You can smell the butter brioche buns and of the oil is fried to the underside of them. The air is filled with the scent of barbeque sauce and fried meat. And it's not cheap like from McDonalds or something, oh no. I mean this is a REAL burger made in house by hand.

Did your mouth start to water? Did you start to imagine what it would be like if you got to eat this burger?

If this all started happening to you then you have just proved to yourself that imagination is real. Imagination is literally another dimension. What's in your mind is another world. And you're able to bring what's in your mind outside.

Artists do it all the time. They have a picture they want to make. They envision it, they imagine it, they think about it. And then they make it! And then boom it exists! Isn't that cool? They actually brought something from another dimension into the real world!

I have a confession: there's a videogame I want to make. I've been thinking about what this videogame would look like. I keep thinking about how this videogame would play. And it's gotten to the point where I can almost clearly see it in my head, this fantasy videogame that doesn't exist. But here's the kicker: I FEEL like I've literally played it. It's so weird.

So that's the same way with LOA. See, what you imagine is real. It's REAL. It's in your mind. And you can actually experience what you want RIGHT NOW.

You can do it. Think of something you want. Now ask yourself, "What if this were true right now?" I myself just got this really dumb grin on my face. And that's proof that it's real. Because I experienced what I wanted THAT MOMENT.

Here's another proof: you're supposed to be happy. No, I'm not just saying that to make you feel better I mean literally human beings aren't supposed to be in undesirable situations and have terrible emotions. The reason is because feeling good... well, feels good. Doesn't it? So doesn't that mean you're always supposed to feel good or more often than not? If feeling good feels good then that means you're supposed to feel that way. It's a reward.

You do something and you get rewarded for it. That's a pavlovian response. This is nature, this is natural. That is how we are wired. We are supposed to feel good, we are supposed to be rewarded. So why not feel good? If life is hard enough as it is doesn't that mean we should make it less hard? So doesn't that mean we should naturally feel good?

Then logic follows that if feeling good feels good then we are supposed to feel good. And if we're supposed to feel good then we should do everything in our power to feel good (within reason of course). And in that case giving to ourselves what we want in our mind will do that.

#law of assumption #loa #law of attraction #manifest #manifestation #neville goddard #void #void state #void success

[familyvideostevie]

stand to gain

did i write this for me? maybe. enjoy anyway <3 you get a raise at work. steve has a tough day. and yet somehow your good news turns it around for him. | fluff, established relationship, being loved wholly and completely, 1.3k

It's a small victory in the grand scheme of things. Life these days is like that -- normal enough that sometimes a seemingly insignificant thing will make your whole day. A rainbow on the way to the grocery store or a perfect leaf on your windshield. Steve washing and folding your favorite shirt or calling you on your lunch break. It doesn't take much to feel like you've got it pretty good.

But maybe this is something you're allowed to be extra happy about: you got a raise at work. You'd been expecting it and practiced your pitch for weeks with Steve and had been waiting for the right time to sit down with your manager. Today ended up being that day and it worked. Better than you'd expected, really. You're feeling pleased with yourself, ready to share your news and maybe celebrate once you get him. You want to see the look on Steve's face when you tell him all of the prep paid off and then some.

You hum as you unlock the door and look for him when you toe off your shoes and plunk your keys into the bowl. He doesn't seem to be on the couch or in the kitchen as far as you can tell but you know he's home as his jacket is hanging on the hook. The entryway smells vaguely of his cologne, so he must have arrived not long before you.

"I'm home," you call.

"Bedroom," Steve yells back. "Thank god you're home," he continues. You set about putting away your bag and getting a snack, trying to be quiet so you can hear his hollering. "I had such a shitty day."

Oh. Your excitement shrinks back into a box in your chest, shoved to the side for later. He had a bad day? Bad days for Steve can mean anything from someone being rude to something really bad actually happening. He's not great at specifying.

"What happened?" you ask.

He grunts. "Just...shit." He finally appears, hair a mess from tugging his sweatshirt over his head. He's already in comfortable clothes and looks ready to go to bed. You can see the tension in the line of his shoulders and the twitch of his jaw. 'Not worth hashing out."

Steve steps into your space like he was made to be there. Arms around your shoulders, chin hooked over your shoulder as he slumps into you. "I'm sorry," you say softly. "That you had a bad day."

You're partners. Partners comfort each other when things are tough, and that's what you're going to do. But there's a part of you that's a bit down now, too, that it isn't the time to share your good news with Steve. It can wait but you really did want to tell him.

"Not your fault," he huffs. He presses his lips to your neck, your cheek, your temple, and then pulls back, hands on your shoulders. The tension has seeped out of him somewhat but he's frowning now.

"What?" you ask.

"Hold on," he says. His hands frame your face and tilt your jaw side to side gently. "You look like..."

"Steve, what?"

"You look like you're excited about something."

You laugh out of shock. "How do you know that? I didn't know I could look like that."

Steve shrugs. His thumbs stroke the skin of your cheeks. "I know all of your expressions," he says. "You get a crease here when you're thinking --" he presses between your brows "-- and a line here when you're holding something in." His pointer finger traces a line at the corner of your mouth. "And when you're trying not to laugh at me you get three tiny creases here --" He presses his thumb to the corner of your eye.

You bat his hand away. "Alright, alright, I get it." He looks pleased with himself. "It's not a big deal."

You circle his wrists with your hands and try to pull away. He likes pasta when he's in a bad mood and you know you've got some tomato sauce leftover. But you can't make anything if he's still holding you.

"Hey," he says, softer than before. His eyes are bright and warm. "Tell me. It'll make me feel less shitty."

You're not sure that's true, but you really do want to tell him. "Okay," you give in. "I got a raise today."

Steve's mouth drops open and he smiles at the same time. You can see all of his teeth before he lunges, wrapping his arms around you and twirling you in a circle right there in the kitchen, your toes brushing the ground.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he cries.

"Steve!" He puts you down and laughs. "No, I'm not kidding." You're both breathing quickly.

"You let me talk about my bullshit day when we could have been talking about how you got a raise! You should have screamed it when you got home!"

He starts to press kisses to every inch of you he can reach. Your forehead, your brow, your nose, your cheeks.

Breathless giggles surge out of you, the excitement you felt all day returning full force now that he's sharing it.

"That's amazing," he says between kisses. "Best shit I've ever heard. I'm so glad and I knew it, that pitch was really fucking good."

Steve kisses you properly once, twice, three times in quick pecks before pulling you in for another hug.

"I'm happy about it," you say into his shoulder.

He sways you in his hold just a little. You press closer to him and breathe him in. His sweatshirt smells a little like him, a little like you. "Are you proud of yourself? I'm really proud of you."

"Yeah," you admit. "I am. I...almost didn't tell you because I didn't want to make you feel like we couldn't commiserate about your bad day.

Steve pulls back. He palms your hip with one hand and cradles your jaw with the other. You lean into the touch.

"Okay," he says. "Hey, listen."

"I'm listening," you tease, but he doesn't laugh.

"That's nice of you but your good news is my good news, yeah? This makes me really happy even if my day sucked," he says. "Because I love you and you being happy makes me happy."

"But you being upset means I can be upset with you," you counter. "We can wallow together."

"Yeah, but we can celebrate together, too. Don't keep good things to yourself because I'm carrying bad ones," he says. Steve isn't always the most verbose guy but when he wants you to understand something he always manages to get his point across in a way that makes you feel incredibly tender.

It's a battle you know you won't win. Steve loves you and that means he wants as much of you as you'll give him, good, bad, and ugly. And you love him, so it's the same in reverse. It's a good problem to have, being loved this much.

"Fine," you allow. He beams.

"So how are we celebrating?"

"I didn't think about that," you say. "I just wanted to tell you."

Steve's expression softens. "Okay, now that's just stupid sweet," he says.

You roll your eyes. "We could order food?"

He snaps his fingers and heads for the phone on the wall. "Amazing idea. Genius. That's the kind of thinking that got you that raise," he says. "Go put on your pjs and I'll order. The usual, right?"

You nod. He looks so happy, receiver in hand as he looks for the phone number in your menu drawer, hair still a riot and feet bare. You love him for being so excited for you. You love him for loving you.

"Steve," you say softly. He doesn't look up.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." That gets him to look.

"Don't thank me, baby," he says with a smile. "I'm just a trophy boyfriend." You laugh all the way to the bedroom.

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, general masterlist here!

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fic

[estapa-edwards]

WAITING FOR HIM---- N.HISCHIER

paring: nico hischier x fem! reader

word count: 1k

requested? yes - maybe he comes back to your apartment after a loss and you’re asleep and you hear him come in and you wake up and it’s just super fluffy 

warnings: use of y/n.

The living room is dimly lit, the soft glow from a table lamp casting a warm light on the couch where Y/N sits. The clock on the wall ticks away, its hands inching closer to midnight. A hockey game blares from the TV, the commentator's voice echoing in the otherwise quiet room.

Y/N shifts on the couch, her eyes flicking to the clock again. She checks her phone, no new messages. Sighing softly, she wraps herself tighter in the blanket draped over her legs.

"He should be home by now." y/n thought to herself. She rests her head against the back of the couch, her eyes heavy from the long day. She fights to keep them open, wanting to greet Nico when he walks through the door.

The TV's noise becomes a distant hum as Y/N's eyelids grow heavier. Slowly, her breathing deepens, and the rhythmic sound of her soft snores fills the room. 

The room is still dimly lit, the TV now showing the end credits of the hockey game. The front door clicks softly as it opens, revealing Nico, carrying his hockey gear and looking disappointed. He enters cautiously, trying not to disturb the peaceful sleep of Y/N on the couch.Nico tiptoes around the living room, his movements slow and deliberate. He sets his hockey gear down gently near the door and takes a moment to watch Y/N sleep. Her face is relaxed, a soft smile playing on her lips even in her dreams. 

Y/N stirs, her eyelids fluttering open slowly. She looks up to see Nico standing over her, his expression a mix of exhaustion and disappointment.

"Hi Nico, how was the game?"

"Hey, it was... tough. We lost."

Y/n sat up rubbing her eyes “"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

nico takes a seat next to her ‘’Yeah, it was a rough one. But seeing you here when I got home makes it a little better." 

Y/N gives Nico a soft smile, touched by his words. "I'm always here for you, win or lose. Do you want to talk about the game?"

Nico sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, not really. It's frustrating, you know? We practiced so hard, but things just didn't click today."

She reaches out to place a comforting hand on his arm. "I understand. Sometimes things just don't go the way we want them to. But you gave it your best, and that's what matters." 

He looks at her, his eyes searching hers.‘Thank you, Schatzi, Your support means everything to me." She leans in, pressing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I'll always be your biggest fan, Nico." He smiles, the weight on his shoulders seeming to lighten a bit. "I know, and I'm grateful for that."

"Do you want me to cook you dinner?" y/n asked. Nico's eyes light up at the offer, appreciating the gesture of care and comfort from Y/N. "That sounds wonderful, Y/N. Thank you." "i can help if you want." nico exclaimed. Y/N smiles warmly at Nico's offer, touched by his willingness to help. "That would be great, Nico. Cooking together could be fun."

Nico nods, eager to contribute and spend time with Y/N. "Alright, what are we making?"

Y/N thinks for a moment, then suggests, "How about we make some homemade pasta? It's comforting and I know you love it."

Nico grins, "Sounds perfect. Let's do it."

They head into the kitchen together, Y/N taking the lead with the pasta dough while Nico offers to prepare a simple tomato sauce. Working side by side, they quickly fall into a rhythm, laughing and chatting as they cook.

As they finish preparing the meal, Nico looks over at Y/N with a smile. "Thanks for letting me help, Y/N. It was actually really fun."

Y/N smiles back, wiping her hands on a towel. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Cooking together was a nice way to unwind and spend time together."

They plate up the pasta and sauce, sitting down at the dining table to enjoy the meal they've made together. The atmosphere is relaxed and cheerful, the earlier disappointment of the game now a distant memory as they focus on their shared meal and the joy of each other's company. 

After enjoying their meal and cleaning up the kitchen together, Nico and Y/N decide it's time to head to bed. The earlier fatigue from the long day still lingers, and they both look forward to a good night's sleep.

As they enter the bedroom, Y/N begins to change into her pajamas, while Nico takes care of his nightly routine. The atmosphere is calm and comfortable, a stark contrast to the tension of the hockey game earlier.

Once they're both ready for bed, Y/N climbs into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Nico joins her, wrapping his arms around her as they settle into a comfortable position.

"Tonight was really special, Nico," Y/N whispers, her eyes meeting his in the dim light of the bedroom.

Nico smiles, brushing a strand of hair behind Y/N's ear. "It was. Cooking together and spending this quiet time with you was exactly what I needed after today."

Y/N snuggles closer to Nico, feeling the warmth and comfort of his embrace. "I'm glad we could make the best of a tough day. I love you, Nico."

Nico tightens his hold around Y/N, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I love you too, Schatzi. Thank you for always being my rock."

In the stillness of the night, with Y/N in his arms, Nico feels a sense of peace and contentment wash over him. The disappointments of the day fade away as they focus on their shared love and the comfort of each other's presence.

#nico hischier #nico hischer x reader #nj devils #new jersey devils #hockey #nhl #nhl x reader

[greenishghostey]

Prompt lol

"Are you humping me?" "...maybe."

The good shit right here 👌

///

Most people would look at Eddie and assume that he was a slob. The town’s running theory about how he lived was close to that of a feral raccoon in a restaurant dumpster.

However, that could not be further from the truth. Eddie was messy - who wasn’t at the best of times. But he was never dirty. He always made sure to do the dishes, hang up laundry and vacuum when needed.

Eddie “domestic goddess” Munson. That’s what you liked to call him while he dashed around doing chores because you showed up to his trailer too early.

There was something oddly attractive, almost sexy, about watching Eddie clean. He usually changed into comfortable clothes that he didn’t mind getting wet. An old Slayer t-shirt and navy pyjama pants with one of the back pockets missing. The pyjamas hung low on his hips and shifted perfectly when he walked.

After a magnificent spaghetti and meatball dinner, Eddie insisted on doing the dishes because you were the guest. He always seemed to forget just how much time you actually spent at his.

With his back to you, Eddie hunched over the soap-filled sink. The muscles in his back moved as he scrubbed at the dried tomato sauce on the bowls. His hair was loosely tied back so he wouldn’t need to keep shaking it out of his face.

The guy was obscene. And he was doing the dishes. It amazed you just how effortlessly alluring he was. Even in the most mundane moments, there were little flecks of saccharine intimacy.

The sweetness of the situation was comforting, and calming too. But you had a much better method of expressing just how much you appreciated his domestic efforts.

“Babe, can you bring the glasses over too?” Eddie asked, gesturing behind his back at you and the dinner table. You were already silently on the prowl towards him. He wouldn’t suspect a thing.

“I’m gonna leave mine out. Need more lemonade.” You replied, keeping your voice quiet to imply distance as you closed in on your target.

“You've had two glasses already! I only got like half of one because you had to take a leak-" Eddie was just about to turn around to point a soapy finger at you, but it was too late. You had launched your attack.

Your arms snaked around his waist as you pulled yourself impossibly close to his back. You reeled your hips back and started humping Eddie like some feral animal in heat. Exaggerated moans and groans were also included - it added an element of dramatic flare that he would no doubt appreciate.

"Are you humping me?" Eddie laughed, standing still and peering over his shoulder at you. He was glad that you could be such a little weirdo with him.

"...maybe." You did your best to imitate his sex noises - groans and a wonderful amount of whimpering. "You're so wet, couldn't help it." It wasn't a lie, his hands were dripping, and some of the water had gotten on his t-shirt.

"Uh-huh, all for you," Eddie whined, trying his best to imitate your sex noises. Douchebag that he was. "You wanna feel how wet I am?" was he actually getting off on this? He couldn't be.

Eddie wasn't getting turned on - well, at least not entirely. He had about a half-boner going. The moment that you started to slow down in your thrusts against his ass was when he struck. A pile of dish soap bubbles were pressed into your chest as Eddie cackled like some mischievous gremlin thing.

"God, you bitch!" You shrieked, swatting at Eddie as he continued to basically massage your boobs. The ulterior motives were all too clear.

"Yeah, call me that again. Fuck, I'm gonna cuuuuuum." He moaned and giggled, now humping at your thigh with a firm grip around your waist - you weren't going anywhere.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x reader fluff #eddie munson fic #this likely isn't even close to what that prompt is aiming for but I can't pass up writing silly stuff #eddie #fluff #smut adjacent #fic #my writing

[brokenstar28]

Incorrect Bat-Family Quotes

Bruce: I tried to write ‘I'm a functional adult’ but my phone changed it to ‘fictional adult’ and i feel like that’s more accurate.

~~~

Jason: God has let me live another day and I'm going to make it everyone's problem.

~~~

Tim, sleep deprived: There are three chairs and five kids. What do you do?

Dick: Get two more chairs.

Bruce: Cut each chair in half to make six.

Damian: Make them fight for a chair.

Jason: Get rid of two kids.

Babs: Just make two of the kids stand.

Bruce: ...That makes more sense.

~~~

Dick: Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, and wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Tim, sleep deprived: That's deep.

Damian: That means that ketchup is a smoothie.

Tim, still sleep deprived: That's deeper.

Jason: ...You guys are idiots.

~~~

Damian: So I got this amazing plan!

Tim: We fail almost every time you say that.

Damian: Well this is the same! But with a hamster involved.

~~~

Jason: I just found out that humans are capable of fitting a light bulb into their mouth with ease but can’t take it out without shattering it, and now I have to physically restrain myself from putting a light bulb in my mouth

~~~

Damian: I thought you were going to give me a book recommendation or something.

Bruce: *laughs* Book recommendation? I can’t read!

~~~

Jason: Problem, I can't tell if this food is over-sauced or under-cooked.

Dick: Solution, just pop it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. There's at least a 50% chance that'll fix it, right?

Jason: Result, the food has somehow become unpleasantly soggy and unpleasantly crunchy at the exact same time.

Tim: No better time than this to pull out my favorite word! Slunchy!

Damian: ...put it away.

~~~

Jason: If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're impressed.

Damian: But you do know better. Somehow.

~~~

Tim: I am going to cry. I’m going to cry until I can no longer physically cry anymore because all the water in my body is gone and I die from dehydration.

Jason: Are you okay?

Damian: Did you actually just ask him that? Like, you need that to be answered otherwise you won’t know?

~~~

Tim: Just took a personality test and got an A+.

~~~

Dick: Just one more! And then maybe another one.

~~~

Jason: If you could guess, how many brain cells do you have?

Tim, has not slept all mouth: Doritos cool ranch.

Jason: ...

Jason: I'm just gonna assume zero for now.

(It's the 14th of April) Tim: I love that song.

~~~

Bruce: Hey Jason, do you have any hobbies?

Jason: Swimming...

Bruce: Really? That’s cool. I never expected you to-

Jason: In a pool of self hatred and regret.

#bruce wayne #batman #jason todd #red hood #tim drake #red robin #dick grayson #nightwing #damian wayne #robin #barbara gordon #oracle #batfam shenanigans #incorrect batfamily quotes #incorrect bat-fam quotes #sleep deprived tim drake

[infinitywrites]

I Didn't Expect You Part 2 ~ Conrad Fisher

(Part 1) (Masterlist) (Part 3)

gif credit @madscline

synopsis: Y/N never expected it to be the summer that everything changed. Conrad, Belly and Steven were all dealing with the consequences of recent break ups whiles Jeremiah's wasn't acting like himself. Susannah was undergoing treatment that provided unpredictable health results and kept her loved ones on the edge of tragedy. Had they drained the well of the magic of Cousin's beach? Or could something new fulfil it again?

warnings: multichapter slow burn, warnings will update with every chapter, timeline is both POST S2 and a retelling of S2 with changes, everyone swears, Laurel/Cleveland, Susannah is sick, otherwise lots of fluff in this one

word count: 4,434

___________________________________________

I just wanna know you better,

know you better, know you better now

All I know since yesterday is

Everything has changed

After I snuck in a power nap after unpacking with Belly, I headed down to the kitchen to check on the plan for dinner. I'd always looked forward to visiting Cousin's to taste Susannah's Pinterest recipe of the month. I shouldn't have been surprised to see Jeremiah at the stove stirring something aromatic, warming the kitchen up. "Well, look who's taken up the mantle of vacation cook." I teased and patted his back lightly after a quick peek over his shoulder at the sauce simmering.

"Not just vacation cook, either. Just wait, I've gotten a lot better in a year." Jere smiled through his intense focus and turned his head towards Laurel sitting at the island. "I'm ready for the carrots now, Laur."

As she dumped the shredded carrots into the sauce, she assured me when I sent a raised brow her way, "Don't worry, I'm just helping with prep. Cleveland is actually looking forward to impressing you all with his culinary skills so Jeremiah can actually enjoy his summer."

Jeremiah never took his eyes off the pot, "I told you, I'm into this now. Maybe I'm destined to be a famous chef!"

"You just had to add 'famous' in there, didn't you." Conrad turned the corner into the kitchen and flicked his brother in the ear. Jeremiah smacked his hand away as they both snorted a laugh.

"What can I say? I dream big!"

My hands found my hips without even noticing, "I'm really proud of you, Jere. It smells incredible. No thanks to Conrad." I shot my glare directly at him when his name left my lips.

He'd lifted two grocery bags onto the counter by the sink and was starting to unload vegetables when he scoffed. "Hey! I went all the way to the farmer's market to get stuff for the salad, if you must know. Actually make yourself useful and chop these." He tossed me a cucumber and a pepper before I could tell him that's the exact reason I came down in the first place. I got distracted by my own thoughts when he threw a big tomato that should have splattered all over the floor if not for sheer dumb luck. Conrad paused and mimicked throwing a radish bunch before I stared him down mouthing 'don't you dare'. When he finished washing the lettuce, he slid next to me at the island and pulled out the salad spinner.

Luckily there weren't any more shenanigans as we all worked together to finish the pasta, salad and fresh garlic baguette that Jeremiah swore was an elevated form of garlic bread he'd learned about from Top Chef. Conrad pointed out that he was surprised he picked anything useful up while watching Padma Lakshmi. Eventually Belly and Steven joined as a clean up crew, while Laurel set the table just like Susannah used to have it done up. Cleveland complimented Jeremiah's hard work and thanked Conrad for the quick surfing lesson before he'd tested his limits that afternoon. When everything was ready, Laurel went to get Susannah and the room was in a standstill. The anticipation was suffocating. It wasn't until Belly reached out and grabbed my hand that I realized I was holding my breath.

Susannah walked slowly, supported gently by her elbows by Laurel, with her signature bright grin for everyone in the room. She looked both better and worse than I'd seen her last. It was incredible what a sunny disposition could do and Susannah was the best at it seconded only by Jeremiah, with her sparkling blue eyes. The build up released into an awkward tension for exactly three seconds before Susannah sighed, "I can't believe you guys let me sleep all the way until dinner. Who's sneaky idea was that?" Her eyes scanned the room while Laurel chuckled by her side.

"That was all big brother over here, Mom. We wanted to surprise you!" Jeremiah smacked his brother in the chest as Conrad hung his head waiting for his mother's reaction.

"We had everything under control, Mom." He said and I glanced his way, taking in the new information until Conrad caught my eye and I looked back at Susannah in a flash. I kinda felt bad for giving him shit after hearing that.

"Of course you did, sweet boy, but I'm feeling good and next time I want a chance to order everyone around the kitchen." Laurel sat Susannah down at the head of the table while Jeremiah got to work fixing her a plate.

Cleveland, Conrad and Steven grabbed the various serving dishes and took their seats while I heard Steven yell back, "You got it, Susannah. I'm not going the whole summer without your jambalaya."

Dinner went smoothly after that. Susannah's spirit was as full as her energy when she focused on catching up with everyone around the table. Everyone complimented Jeremiah's culinary progress and Cleveland joined him in plans to treat everyone to a weekend feast before we all parted ways. Steven even talked a little bit about his breakup with Shayla and I reached over to give his hand a quick squeeze when his mouth turned down at the corners. Laurel got quiet before she admitted she couldn't believe how grown up Steven had gotten all of a sudden. The mood lightened a bit when he rolled his eyes and teased her for making his breakup about her empty nest syndrome.

Steven had been my best friend as long as I'd been staying at Cousin's over the past eight summers or so. Mom said it gave me a necessary break from the monotony of her condition and when Auntie Laur split from Uncle John, she said they needed me more than she did. Steven's breakup with Shayla happened before Prom at least and he seemed more angry than hurt after he talked to her the last time. Long distance was hard and she wasn't planning on coming back before Steven was headed to Princeton anyway. It was what was best for both of them and he knew it too. I tried to lift his mood after he got his Princeton acceptance a few weeks later by reminding him that he would have hated being tied down freshman year. Now he could charm his way around campus all he wanted without feeling a lick of guilt. This got the first smile out of him I'd seen since his Prom photos. He'd made the most of that night at least.

Jeremiah seemed to have the same idea and said, "This is exactly what you want though, Steve-O. No strings. No commitments. Focus on school…and Jersey girls." He really wasn't as slick as he thought when he put a hand up to direct the last part away from the parents. Conrad and Steven still shrugged and chuckled amongst themselves like he'd had a point.

"All right. New topic. I know you're dying to ask Y/N about Stanford and this is your moment." Laurel waved her hand to both shut Jeremiah up and encourage Susannah at the same time.

She put her hands down on the table for emphasis as her gaze narrowed in on me, "I can't believe you're going to Stanford in the fall. It's so exciting!"

"I'm glad you approve." I couldn't help but let the smile stretch my face at her joy.

"Approval, are you kidding? My little California twin." Susannah winked in my direction and I could have sworn I saw Conrad watching the scene play out.

"You can take the girl out of Cali but you can't take the Cali out of the girl." Laurel sing-songed as she finished her glass of wine.

"Why you gotta be so lame about it, Laur?" Susannah's shoulders dropped and she sent an exasperated look to her lifelong friend.

When Susannah got like this it always made us laugh and this time it was no different. Sometimes the only adult in the room was Laurel so at least she had Cleveland around, who was just listening attentively and taking in the group dynamics.

Laurel looked shocked for a second and cut back, "You're the one who–All right," and huffed in defeat before she turned back to me. "I'm excited for you too, Y/N. Beck's right, a change of scenery and a fresh start is an incredible opportunity at your age wherever you go."

Jeremiah was looking at Conrad when he said, "Summer everyday sounds pretty good to me," and punched his brother's arm which made me furrow my brow in confusion.

Susannah glanced their way with a mischievous look, "You know, I always told Conrad he'd find himself in the West coast."

Conrad looked at them both,"Subtle, mom."

"Well, if you aren't going to tell them–"

My jaw must have been on the floor as I gaped at him. "Wait, you're–"

"I'm waiting on late admission offers. Mom convinced me to apply over Christmas break." He shrugged it off like it wasn't a big deal but everyone knew the meltdown I'd had at the end of last summer trying to perfect my Stanford application.

Belly added with a teasing tone, "He made me proofread his essay like five times."

"Yeah, me too," Cleveland pointed at him and shook his head.

"OhmiGod, did everyone know but me? The person already going?" Steven looked scared as he swore he didn't so I looked around the table in disbelief and finally landed on Belly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Don't look at me! I told him to tell you." Belly raised her palms in surrender.

My eyes went back to Conrad who's smile just grew, "It's a big campus. We don't have to see each other." He shrugged again and dove into his second helping of pasta.

My face dropped as I rolled my eyes and swore to ignore him for the rest of the night. Susannah sighed and caught my eye, "Don't listen to him, Y/N. He's terrified of moving so far away from his mommy–"

"Hey!" Conrad tried to interrupt but he was laughing almost immediately when he heard Steven and Jeremiah break.

Susannah continued despite his protest and the howling in the background, "so I'm putting you in charge of him. I wanna see you both back at Christmas with the best tans of your life."

Jeremiah was dying and hitting his brother in the chest, "Okay, but is she wrong though?"

"Fuck you, bro. You still live with her!"

Jeremiah sobered long enough to utter, "And I cherish every second." He blew his mother a kiss like the charmer he always was and Susannah smiled stretched a little further.

When the boys finally settled down, it was time for dessert that Conrad had picked up from the market and snuck into the fridge without my knowledge at least. Strawberry shortcake; one of Susannah's favourites and we all assured her that while it was decadent, it still wasn't as good as her recipe. After the cake was polished off, I ran upstairs to slip into my swimsuit and coverup dress in case I felt like a dip in the pool once the food settled. A few of us tried to offer our help to Cleveland but he insisted that he had a clean up ritual he really enjoyed as long as we gave him the space to do so. He said it was a thank you to everyone for the meal and the invitation.

Conrad came up behind him and patted him on the chest, "I was just an errand boy and didn't know you were coming so have at it, boss!" And exited quickly out the backdoor, already pulling a joint out of his pocket.

Steven's eyes followed him even as Jeremiah was trying to make plans to head down to the beach for the bonfire. "Uh, yeah man. I'm down. Gimme a second to change and I'll meet you out front." Steven nodded in his direction as Jeremiah agreed and headed for the door.

"Yeah, thanks for the invite and everything but I no longer have the energy or the patience for bonfire party bullshit." I teased in Steven's direction, who was still staring out the backdoor.

When he finally looked my way again, he looked sheepish, "Yeah, yeah. I was gonna invite you but I figured as much. It was never really your scene."

"You know me well. Have fun though, seriously." I was about to walk away when Steven asked me to wait.

"Hey, do you think you could talk to Conrad?"

There's nothing he could have said that would have shocked me less. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I know. It's weird but…he's been off since we got here and Jere said longer. I don't know if it's Belly or just Susannah stuff but…"

"Did you hear him at dinner? What makes you think he wants to talk to me?"

Steven gives me a look like it's the stupidest thing I could have asked him so I concede. "Okay, whatever. Other than my family shit."

"You've always been the person who makes me feel better when…-like with Shayla. I think, no, I know he needs some of that right now." Steven always had the most effective puppy dog eyes. I was too weak to resist.

"I guess…I can try." I moved my gaze to a dark figure sat by the pool and started mentally preparing myself.

He started to back away but wouldn't take his eyes off me until he saw me heading outside. "Yes! You're amazing. I owe you, for sure."

I spat over my shoulder, "You think?"

"Okay, now. Before Jere leaves without me."

"Jeez, I'm going." Steven watched as I opened the sliding door and mouthed his thank you before jogging back upstairs to get ready for the bonfire.

The sun was almost down and the pool lights lit up the yard as the smoke wafted from the shadowed figure sitting on the edge. I rolled my eyes at my own apprehension and took a seat beside him before I lost my nerve entirely. The water was just cool enough to make the summer heat bearable for more than a few minutes.

"What's up?" He didn't look my way, occupied with his ritual.

I decided to start casually and try to work up to the kind of talk Steven was expecting. I still wasn't convinced that Conrad would be open to talking at all let alone to me. "Steven and Jere are headed to the bonfire soon. I wasn't sure if they told you."

He nodded. "You're not going?"

"No, the day was long enough. I came out here to stop myself from falling asleep on the couch." I kicked my feet in the water and debated splashing him.

"So much for Belly's power naps." He chuckled and finally glanced in my direction.

"Whatever, they work for her but I'm the one who drove us here." I shrugged.

There was a beat of silence before I pressed again. "What about you? Why aren't you going?"

"Same as you. Tired."

I tried not to let myself get too frustrated by his lack of response. It was weird behaviour from him though, "Hm."

That caught his attention again, "What?"

"Nothing. It's just, we know the bonfire was never my scene but you always went."

"And now I've accepted that it's not my scene either." There was an edge to his voice that told me to drop it.

"Fair enough… I was uh, I was gonna swim." I probably should have jumped in and splashed the shit out of him but there was an uneasiness that got to me.

"Okay. Don't mind me."

I stripped down to my one piece and kicked my dress and sandals a few feet away before driving in. The water really was the perfect temperature to be refreshing after the heat and stress of a long day. It felt good to stretch my limbs and work the muscles that no doubt were starting to cramp from driving for hours and falling asleep in an awkward position. Everytime I looked up, Conrad's eyes were on me and I struggled between meeting them for a few seconds before I realized he wouldn't be the first to look away. Belly had told me once that Conrad was confident in a way she'd never seen before. Shameless even, when he looked at her sometimes and she worried she'd never feel butterflies like that again. That same look intimidated other guys and coined him 'the mysterious type' around the Cousin's beach crowd. Belly said as she grew up, she'd hold his gaze longer and longer to test her theory and never saw him break concentration before her heart felt like it would beat right out of her chest. I had no intention of testing said theory and redirected my breaststroke in the opposite direction.

His joint getting smaller was the only real indicator that time was passing at all. The smell was annoying, of course, but it seemed to be wafting above me so I could admire the look of it dissipating into nothing instead. It was probably half an hour later, Conrad still perched on the pool's edge, when I climbed up the ladder, towelled off and sat back down beside him.

I looked at him, blowing smoke out over the pool water again, "Okay seriously, why didn't you tell me?"

He wouldn't look at me now, like he was sick of the sight but he still knew what I meant. "Do you own the school now?"

It didn't take much to deadpan my response. "You're funny."

He tried again. "So what? We tell each other things now?"

"When they directly impact each other's lives? Sure we do." I decided to let him get out whatever snark he needed before I got a real answer. This wouldn't turn into another stupid fight; we were too old for that shit now.

He narrowed his eyes in my direction. "You know I don't owe you anything just because we could be at the same school and living in the same state, right?"

And all of a sudden the plan went out the window and Steven would just have to accept that I tried and failed. "Okay, Conrad…" I got up to leave and went to bring my things inside.

"No, wait! I'm sorry. I–I dunno why I'm being such a dick."

I paused with an armful and hadn't decided yet if I wanted to listen to him. "Probably because you're so good at it."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Honestly. Belly was right, I should have told you when I applied. I just…I thought it might piss you off."

That made me turn to look his way, his head hung between his shoulders and his face lit up light blue and sullen as ever. "Since when do you care if you piss me off?"

"Now! Now, I do. With this. I didn't want you to think I was encroaching on your thing or following you or something. My mom's been talking to me about going to Cali since the beginning of high school but I never really thought–not with everything that happened."

The mask seemed to be gone now and that was the only reason I sighed and sat back down. Maybe Steven was right; maybe Conrad wanted to talk in his Conrad way. "I didn't think you were following me. Or encroaching. I just didn't expect you to wanna leave right now so I was even more surprised to hear it at all."

"I don't but…" It was like he was losing his words or thoughts halfway into getting them out. Maybe it was the weed going to his head. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Of course we would see each other at school. You know, if you want to. It's nice to know we wouldn't have to figure everything out alone there, right? It's exciting." He sounded sincere until he mocked the excitement.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…and Jere's right too. I'm worried about being so far away from Mom."

"She seems really excited for you. You're giving her what she wants, you know."

"I know, I'm just used to being an hour away at Brown and that was bad enough. Let alone six and that's just the flight." He got worked up by the thought alone and my heart clenched in my chest for him. I knew that feeling. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Conrad took a moment to collect his thoughts before he let out a deep breath. "You've come here every summer for years and you're away from your mom for so long. How do you…?"

I audibly sighed and started chuckling at myself before I could stop it, "Is it a cop out if I say practice? No, that's partly true. It gets easier and it helps that I know my dad is dedicated to taking care of her. And when I'm there there's nothing I can really do to help. I think that's the worst part actually. Sorry, I–"

"No, I asked."

I looked at him then and it was one of the few times I knew he was really listening to me. "A few years ago, I think I was 13, I begged my mom to let me stay home that summer. It was really bad for a little bit before and I just thought, what if I miss it? What if I'm not there? She said I was grasping for control I never really had. I was trying to pause my life for something inevitable. And not only was that not fair to myself but it wasn't fair to her either."

His eyes fell as he nodded and then flashed a small smile, "The moms must be conspiring behind our backs because that sounds suspiciously like what Mama Beck Fisher said about Stanford. Do the thing that scares you. That's how you really live."

I laughed a little at the sentiment. "Sounds like you got a cooler version at least."

"It's not like I didn't know about your mom but…I don't think I ever realized–"

"It's okay, Conrad." I shook my head, wanting to avoid that line of thought.

"You just seem so together all the time." I could feel his direct gaze when he said it even when I wanted to laugh in his face.

"I'm not, I just…when it comes to Susannah I feel like I've done this before. Been here. The worst fucking kind of familiarity. I don't even know what that has to do with anything, I just think I don't feel it yet. Not really. God, does that make me horrible?"

Conrad immediately shook his head in reassurance as I took a steading breath. "No. I don't think so, anyway. I think it'll catch up to you but…would you promise you'll tell me if– if you wanna to talk about it ever? You know if Steve-O or Belly aren't around. I dunno, maybe it'd help me to be there for someone else, you know?"

I turned my head to gape at him for the second time that night but he wasn't looking back at me this time. He was inhaling the smoke and blowing it over the pool again like he'd been doing for over an hour now. "Yeah sure."

He nodded once and put it out on the concrete and then away in his pocket before he lifted himself up.

I had to ask before he walked away, "Hey, Con?" I didn't continue until he turned a bit to acknowledge me. "Stanford is what you want too, right? It's not just for Susannah?"

A smile grew across his face, "You think I would've put myself through that brutal application process if I didn't?"

I coughed a laugh at his quick mood change, "That's right. I forgot about those ten proofreads."

He shook his head in amusement, "Exaggeration. Besides, I might as well follow my built-in babysitter."

"Fucking hell…" I winced as my head hung between my shoulders this time.

"Can't take it back now! Mama's boy like me, I'll never make it on my own!"

"I never agreed to that!" I said louder than I meant to in my frustration. It had been dark for a while even though I had no idea what time it was. "Would you keep it down?!?"

Conrad opened the sliding door and scolded, "Shh Y/N, the neighbours!"

I was left with the usual exasperation that was signature oldest Fisher and everything felt right in the world again. Well kinda. It should satisfy Steven anyway and I could mark it off as my good deed of the week. I looked out over the view and thought about the strange connection you had with the Fishers now. My mom had had MS for as long as I could remember and the constant state of grief in my house growing up was as normal as anything else in my life. Everyday was clouded with some difficulty, old or new, and the only real reprieve was summer with my cousins at Susannah's beach house. I could be a different person there who no one really knew outside my family, Fishers included. I'd even heard the whispers of my quiet, closed off nature and it always put a smirk on my face. It was like a fresh start at the end of every school year even if I didn't change at all. I could pretend for a few months that I was a normal girl who's biggest problem was my baby cousin's unrequited crush on an unattainable older jock, my sad lack of crush to obsess over instead and my best friend's tendency to get himself into trouble without ever trying.

A yawn pulled me from my thoughts and I gathered my things and climbed the stairs towards the quiet upstairs. I heard the shower running but didn't think anything of it as I passed the bathroom until the door swung open and the yellow light hit my peripheral vision. I looked right at Conrad walking across the hall to his room. He was noticeably wet-skinned and sauntering in a pair of boxers. The moment lasted a second before my eyes caught his trailing down and then back up to my eyes as he ruffled his wet hair with a towel. And then the door was shut and I turned away and shook my head to rattle my brain awake enough to make it to my bed in one piece. There was no counting for the ways in which the first night at Cousin's beach could mess with my head.

Next

___________________________________________

author's note: I'm blown away by the response and hope this next chapter lived up to expectations! Thank you so much for the support 🩵💙💚💛. I meant to get into the 4th of July party in this part but it got away from me so that's up next! Do the changes make sense? Y/N's backstory? More explanation is coming but please let me know if anything is too confusing to follow. Reply with comments and let me know if you wanna be added to my taglist. If you'd like to ask me about any upcoming chapter warnings you wanna be warned of ahead of time (angst? 18+ smut?) then come visit my blog with any questions and I'll be happy to answer!

taglist: @c4rpediem-s @jackierose902109 @lcvecstiel @h0t-as-h3ll @fandom-addict404

#conrad fisher #conrad fisher x reader #conrad fisher x y/n #conrad fisher x you #tsitp conrad #the summer i turned pretty #team conrad #conrad fisher fanfic #conrad fisher au #conrad fisher x fem!reader #conrad fish imagine #tsitp imagine #the summer i turned pretty fanfic #the summer i turned pretty imagine #the summer i turned pretty au #Spotify

[lilyrizzy]

sorry to post so much everyone, promise i will resume to writing fic only like, once every three months after this lol

“That is a very nice watch, Max.”

It’s Victoria who is the first to notice it, the two of them sat out on his and Daniel’s balcony, the August evening warm. Between them are two empty bottles of wine and a quarter full bottle of gin. Inside, her babies are sleeping on the pull out beds, and Daniel has taken Tom into their ‘hobby room’, where Max’s sim lives also, to show him the newest addition to his camera collection. Apparently the one Tom had been using to document their children as they grow died a smoky death last week, losing all the photos of baby Lio in the process.

“Daniel got it for me,” is all he says, glancing down at his wrist.

It’s Tag Heuer of course, because Max has to wear those kind with the sponsorship rules, but this one is much nicer than the big flashy ones he usually gets for free. More you, Maxy, Daniel had explained nervously when Max opened the box to see it for the first time. A classic, smooth black leather strap instead of the usual shiny silver metal, the face a little smaller, round. In the middle, where the two hands of the clock meet, a tiny little diamond that you can only see if you look close enough, like a secret. The real secret is, of course, the inscription on the back, the engraved cursive words, for my world champion.

It’s so lovely. Max hates it a little bit.

Victoria lets out a laugh that bounces loudly through the too-still night air.

“Oh no,” she says, voice teasing. “You do not like it?” When he looks up from where he’s been staring at it, her eyebrows are raised.

Max has had maybe a little too much to drink, if he’s letting his complicated feeling about the watch show on his face, but it is the summer break of course, so it’s okay, and this is his sister. Maybe he can tell her what he is sometimes too afraid to think about on his own.

“I like it,” he insists, “but-“

“Max it is okay,” she says with another laugh, her cheeks bright pink from the wine she has drunk. She says it like she is trying to help him by telling him how he feels. “Sometimes they do not always get these things right, yes? The nice thing is that they try.”

But that isn’t it. This isn’t like the time Tom brought Victoria a pair of shoes for her birthday and she had telephoned Max to ask unhappily, “do I look like the type of person who would wear Michael Kors,” like Max was supposed to know who that was. Daniel is good at presents. He is very good at making Max happy.

“I do like it,” he tries again, a little defensive now on Daniel’s behalf. His words slur together a little, and without realising it, he’s switched back to Dutch. “It is lovely, I- It even has something written just for me on the other side, so of course it is special, I just- I thought-“

He thinks back to that night, two weeks ago now, the first of summer break that they got to be alone together. The first of their break, five nights to spend in some outrageously flashy Ibiza villa that Daniel booked, 120 hours stretching out in front of them, almost too sweet like toffee.

By the pool, laughing together, as they twirled pasta around their forks. Daniel had made it for Max, one of his ‘sabbatical projects’, to get better at cooking. That way you can hire me as your chef Maxy, if I don’t get a seat, yeah? It was so nice because the rich tomato sauce almost tasted the same as Max’s favourite kind of soup, and when Max had told Daniel that his face had gone all soft the way Max loved to see it, like he’d said all the right words in the right order.

“I’ve got something for you actually,” Daniel had said then, and he’d leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of Max’s mouth before getting from his chair to go and get his present.

When he’d come back with a black box and a shy, nervous smile on his face, Max’s heart had fluttered like there was a bird inside his chest, beating it’s wings against his ribcage. Daniel wanted to-

But then it had been a watch.

Looking at Victoria now, he can feel the wonky line his attempt of a smile makes of his mouth.

“For a moment, when he gave it to me,” he explains, thumbing over the smooth glass of the watch face, “I thought it was- I thought, maybe, a different kind of jewelry.”

It takes a few seconds for realisation to spread across his sisters features, but when it does it doesn’t make him feel any better the way he’d hoped it would to share this.

“Oh Max,” she says, reaching for his hand across the table, and he wants to recoil at her pity, “I did not- I did not even know that was something you wanted.”

Which to Max, seems like a silly thing to say, because of course it’s what he wants. He and Daniel have been together for so many years now, why would he not? It’s what you do when you love each other and want to be together always. He’d thought, maybe, now Daniel was happy again and not racing, but-

“Maybe it is not what Daniel wants,” he says with a shrug, but just saying the words out loud make his eyes sting and his throat ache. He is probably just too drunk for this conversation.

Victoria hums, like she is thinking. Over the balcony, Max can see the shimmer of the moon bouncing off the sea. His face feels so hot suddenly, like he is melting, and he imagines diving into the cool water.

“Have you two ever spoken about this?” Victoria asks, and Max just shakes his head, not looking at her. “Then how can- How can you know he does not want to? Why- You could always ask him too, you know.”

She’s right, of course. It’s just- Max doesn’t know how to explain it. That he wants it to be simple, for Daniel to want Max so much that he can’t stand to not ask him. That Max is afraid if he is the one to ask, Daniel will say yes just because he wants to give Max what he wants, and not because he wants Max.

Behind him, he hears laughter, the sound of footsteps, and Victoria’s face looks up, worried, to the sliding glass door behind him. It opens. Max wipes his eyes quickly, feeling even more foolish than before as Daniel runs a hand through his hair, presses his cheek into the top of his head, just as drunk as the rest of them and asks, “what are you two gossiping about then?”

#i scrolled for so long in my ask box seeing if there was an ask prompt this could answer but #i wrote this silliness all by myself lol #anyway there is a sequal! in my brain! where they acc are adults and talk about this and everything gets resolved if anyone is interested #but for now there is only angst lol im sorryyyyyyy #fic #max/daniel

[axelsagewrites]

Daemon Targaryen*Dessert

Sugar Baby Series Part 4.5 smut edition

Part one - Part two - Part Three

Pairings: Daemon x f!reader

Summary: Daemon and the reader finally decide to add a new level to their relationship

Warnings: teasing, p in v sex, fingering, f!receiving oral, smut 18+

This can be read with or without reading the rest of the series and if you voted to not have smut you can completely skip this part without affecting the plot. The rest of part four is linked at the bottom

Word count: 1886

Masterlist Here

“I’m sorry I know this isn’t what you were expecting- “you tried to tell Daemon as you sat across the dining table from him.

“I love it,” Daemon cut you off, smiling as he took another bite of the spaghetti you had made together. Cooking hadn’t gone dreadful however you knew it was far below the standards of his regular food. “I liked cooking with you, it was fun,” he said.

You couldn’t help but laugh a little. He had tried his best, but this man had never even boiled his own water before today. He tried to use a large broth pot to fit the spaghetti until you explained that it went soft in the boiling water. It was cute to watch his amazement when he learned canned tomatoes don’t spoil and that you put a little sugar into the sauce. “We should do it again then,” you smiled at him from across the table.

It was the first house you’d been in that had a whole separate room for eating. Being in daemons house for the first time shouldn’t have shocked you as much as it had but every inch of the place screamed luxury. The windows went from floor to ceiling and the ceilings would be too high for even Cregan to touch if he had a running jump. The kitchen was impeccable, white, and sleek and half of the dining room was made out of glass. Daemon found your awestruck expression adorable when he had let you inside.

Once the food was finished you stood up to carry the plates to the kitchen, daemon just behind you. “Sorry we don’t have any dessert,” you said as you started running the tap.

“You’re my guest, I’ll get this,” Daemon said as he took the plates out your hand to clean, “and you apologise too much darling,” Daemon said as he let the water run over the plate. You watched his movements, wondering if he even knew what he was doing, “I know how to wash a dish doll,” Daemon said as he rolled his eyes and looked down at the dish, “Well I think at least,” he said squinted at the still sauce stained plate.

You leaned over the counter, grabbing the dish liquid and squirting a little onto the plate. “Ahh,” Daemon said as he took the sponge you passed him and started to actually clean the dish, “See told you I got this,”

“Well done love,” you laughed, moving to stand behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty,” you joked. 

“Careful now,” Daemon said as he sat the plate to the side to wash the next, “you’re starting to sound like me,”

“Would that be so bad?” you asked as you moved to dry the dish he had sat on the counter. You took the opportunity to sit on the counter and sneak a glance at his face which somehow looked even more handsome in this light.

Daemon chuckled as he continued his newfound skill with ease, though he used more dish soap than most, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to seduce me doll,” he said, his eyes flickering over to you if only for a moment.

You paused for a moment, placing the dish down in the drying rack, “Maybe I am,” you said, eyes locked on daemons face.

Daemon looked up from the dishes for a moment before moving to stand in front of you, taking the cloth from your hands to dry his as he stood between your legs, “I thought you said we didn’t have any desert?” he asked, his voice low as his hands moved to your thighs, squeezing the flesh softly over your new satin dress that did little to hide your figure, not that daemon minded.

Your arms moved to rest over his shoulders, hands dangling down his strong back. You tilted your head and pursed your lips before giving a teasing smirk, “I lied,” you said, your hands moving to rest on his neck, “And what are you gonna do about it?” you said, desperate to provoke him into closing the gap.

Daemon stepped in closer, his eyes darkening as they met yours. “You really are a little minx aren’t you doll?” he said but before you could answer his lips crashed down onto yours. his hands snaked behind your waist, pulling you forward and flush against his chest.

You weren’t sure what was coming over you as your fingers searched for the buttons of his shirt, frantically unbuttoning them. Daemons hands slid down your waist to your ass, grabbing at its flesh over your dress. When you finally got the last button down your hands were finally able to slide up his abs, feeling the toned muscle properly for the first time.

“Here?” Daemon mumbled against your lips. “Are you sure?”

“Fuck yes,” you muttered, your hands reaching to undo his belt as your lips crashed onto his again. Daemon meanwhile pushed the fabric of your dress up, pulling at it till he was able to get it over your hips. His hands slid under the fabric, finally able to grab your ass properly.

You managed to undo the belt and it didn’t take long for you to undo his button and zip. You could see his bulge through his black boxers. Daemon gripped your hip, sliding you forward on the counter till his bulge was pressing into you, grinding it into your still clothed cunt. your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist.

“I’ve dreamt of this,” Daemon said, his hands pawing at your skin. “Fucking you in every room in this house,”

“Why stop there?” You smirked.

“You’re killing me doll,” Daemon groaned as he pulled out of your grip. He laughed at your whine as he quickly crossed the room the grab his jacket, he’d left on the kitchen island. “Patience love,”

“I’ve already been patient,” you pouted, leaning forward to watch what he was doing. You chuckled when you saw him pulling a condom out his jacket pocket, “Someone was hopeful,” you joked.

Daemon quickly crossed the room, “Someone needs to shut their pretty mouth,” he growled, pulling you in for a brief and needy kiss that left you whining when he pulled away, “Now who’s desperate,” daemon chucked as he pulled out his cock, handing you the condom to put on him. you opened the condom before grabbing the base of his cock, stroking it gently a couple times making daemon groan, before you quickly slid it on. “Sure, about this doll face?” Daemon asked, grabbing your hip with one hand and his cock in the other.

“Just fuck me already,” you said, your legs wrapping around his waist to try pull him in as your hands moved to hold his shoulders.

“I’m not just going to fuck you doll,” he said with a light chuckled, resting his forehead against yours as he lined his tip up with your entrance. Your breath caught when you felt him start to push in, his cock stretching you out slowly at first as he eased in. “I’m going to fucking ruin you,” he said, his fingers digging into your hips as his cock sunk all the way in. You almost whimpered at the feeling, but it was cut off by gasps as Daemon started to set a relentless steady pace.

His head fell down, hanging in the crook of your shoulder, mumbling obscenities. your hands slipped down his back, almost clawing at the soft skin but the scratches only seemed to spur daemon on. he started sucking harsh marks into your soft skin, kissing over them once satisfied, “Mine,” he mumbled against your skin, “All mine,”

“All yours,” you moaned in agreement, a knot bubbling in your stomach.

you whined when daemon pulled out of you but didn’t have time to argue as he pulled you off the counter. his hands grabbed your hips tightly, spinning you around. one strong hand on your back pushed you down, your face against the cold counter. “You want my cock?” he asked, his voice dark and husky.

“Please,” you whined, practically begging already.

daemon chuckled as he grabbed your hips, spanking your ass, before you felt the tip of his cock sink back into your aching cunt. His pace was messier than before but just as desperate, “You take me so well doll,” Daemon groaned, hand hands going between squeezing and spanking your ass. “So good for me,” you felt one of his hands move down your hip, moving to your front and finding your clit within moments. daemon rubbed fast circles on the sensitive bud.

you could feel your stomach tightening and you did not to stop the shameless moans falling from your lips. you could feel his cock start to twitch inside, your cunt squeezing around it, making daemon groan. with two last, deep thrusts, you felt daemon stiff behind you. for a moment you were disappointed when you felt him pulling out, your orgasm so close had now almost washed away, when you felt his fingers start to run up your slit.

“What are you doing?” you stuttered out, trying to turn to see him but daemon pressed you back down.

“Just let me take care of you love,” Daemon said, his fingers teasing your entrance, “relax,” he told you but you whined when you felt his fingers slip in, “So wet for me,” he praised, his fingers beginning to curl inside of you, his thumb rubbing slow circles onto your clit.

you heard him moving before you felt his hot breath fanning your wet cunt. “Please,” you whimpered, the knot from before quickly reappearing.

daemon shushed you gently before moving his thumb, placing a soft kiss over your clit. you moaned when you felt him begin to press wet kisses to the sensitive bud, his fingers curling inside you. “Such pretty noises,” Daemon whispered, just loud enough for you to here, before he started to gently suck on your clit.

you could feel your body practically light on fire, shivers going down your spine, as his tongue worked wonders, his fingers never stopping. your orgasm was quickly approaching but when daemon lightly grazed your clit with his teeth it crashed over your body in a wave, loud moans leaving your mouth which only encouraged daemon to keep going. he made you right out your orgasm on his tongue till you were a panting mess on the counter.

finally, daemon pulled away, standing behind you to catch his breath. his hands gently took your shoulders, helping you to stand. when you did your legs felt like jelly, your stance swaying. daemon wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you to lean your back into his chest. “Take it easy princess,” he said, kissing the top of your head, “you were so good,” he mumbled, “Let’s go sit down yeah?” daemon said but it wasn’t a question as he helped lead you to his living room, leading you to the plush sofa.

Daemon guided you to lay on the sofa with him, his arms wrapping around your frame. “You okay doll?” he asked as he played with your hair gently.

“Better than okay,” you mumbled making him chuckle lightly.

Part Four non smut edition to be read after this one

Part Five - Finale Part

Taglist: @clairacassidy @valeskafics @starkleila @delicious-xx @pet1t3 @skyesayshi @urmomsgirlfriend1 @dark-night-sky-99 @lantsovheiress@themotherofblood @avalyaaa

#daemon targeryan #hotd daemon #daemon headcanon #daemon au #daemon x you #daemon x y/n #daemon targaryen x you #daemon targaryen #daemon targeryen x reader #Daemon targeryn imagine #modern daemon targeyen #modern daemon #modern daemon targaryen #House of the dragon #House of the dragon x reader #House of the dragon imagine #HOTD #HOTD imagine #hotd x reader #Modern HotD #Modern HotD imagine #sugar daddy daemon targaryen #Part two #Game of thrones #game of thrones imagine #Game of thrones x reader #Got #Got x reader #Got imagine #daemon targaryen smut

[breelandwalker]

hi, i'm currently potted plant witching as well (just planted my first crop of veggie/herb/flower seeds & got some more containers & soil today for more planting this weekend) and i would love to know more about your garden this year; would you be willing to outline your plans? any special herbs or projects? Thanks!! <3 love your blog!

🌿🌿🌿 HYPERFIXATION ACTIVATED. 🌿🌿🌿

OH I HAVE SO MANY PLANS, LET ME TELL YOU.

This is the first year that Ragnar and I are doing actual work and sweat equity with the yard at our new place. Last year things were just too chaotic and we didn't have the time or the energy to do much of anything. We trimmed occasionally and I harvest some wild plants, but that was about it.

This year, it's Go Time.

Last weekend, I finally busted out the gorgeous barrel pots we got for Christmas and spent my April market earnings on potting soil, garden tools, and seedlings. When we lived in the apartment, I had a pretty hefty window garden with herbs and flowers and a few vegetables, so I'm eager to recreate that in an outdoor space where the plants can really thrive. (I mean, I grew cherry tomatoes and three kinds of peppers in 10" pots indoors and they got pretty big, so I can only imagine being outdoors will go even better with fresh air and rain and pollinators.)

The potted garden has Napoli tomatoes, poblano and cayenne peppers, green sage, and rosemary, along with something I've never tried growing before - blueberries! I'm planning to add additional pots and more herbs later on, but I felt like this was a really good start. If I can manage it, I want to grow a huge planter of nothing but spinach and sweet basil so I can make pesto this summer.

We've also started clearing and tilling a space out in the yard proper for a raised-bed garden. Nothing too big or ambitious, just something we can try some larger veggies in. We're hoping to try the Three Sisters model with hybrid corn, snap peas, green beans, and kabocha pumpkins. I was also hoping to put in napa cabbage, but there are quite a lot of slugs in the yard when it rains, so perhaps not. I'm toying with the idea of planting some late crops for fall and winter harvests as well. I have sugarplum visions of strings of peppers and braids of garlic hanging in our kitchen with many jars of preserves and sauce in the pantry.

We might also try some other fruits if things go well, maybe raspberries or grapes, but that's more of a Next Summer project. The fence and the ground around it needs some work first and we don't want to overdo things the first year. (I'd really love to put in a little serviceberry tree, but that might be pushing things a bit with regard to space.)

There's also a side garden that's in need of some TLC where I'm vaguely tossing around the idea of climbing flower vines (clematis or morning glory or trumpet flower maybe? something local) and maybe some ground cover in the form of periwinkle. There's also a downspout that really needs a rain barrel, so that's next on the list.

There are sections of the yard that we've deliberately left wild as well, hoping to encourage native plants and pollinators. The clover patches are massive and produce lots of four-leafers and blossoms, so the bees are having a field day. There's also wild dogbane sprouting up now that the vetchweed is cleared and wild plantain (aka white man's foot) starting to come in along the walkway. If I have my druthers, I'll be planting more wildflowers this summer.

Have some pictures and tell me about your garden!

#girlhalfburning #gardens #gardening #plants #green witchcraft #wildcrafting #Bree answers your inquiries #life and times of a cottage witch

[foodandfolklore]

Using Sigils in your Kitchen

If you are not familiar with sigils, in a nutshell they are created by people using words, imagery, and symbolism to communicate intention through a magic symbol. These can be personal and super specific or just really general and shared by many. They're highly recommended to try since it works well for witches still in the broom closet and witches on a budget.

So what are some ways we can use Sigils in kitchen magic? A lot, actually! I touched on this briefly on my easy ways to kitchen witch, but I thought I'd go over them again, as well as offer more ideas.

Cook your food in your sigil Adding heat is one of the most common ways to activate sigil powers. So, if you got a hot pan and are about to pour some oil, why not draw a sigil? A sigil of energy to help give you a boost in the morning. A sigil of co-operation for those tense family dinners. Or maybe a symbol of beauty cause you're just so fabulous.

Eat Your Sigils So once you're done cooking, maybe at the end you want to add some sauce. Draw a sigil on your food with your sauce. Different sauce types may also help enhance your sigil. A sweet tomato based sauce like ketchup could enhance self love sigils, for example. But don't think too hard on it. Focus more on the sigil rather than what you're making it with.

Stir your Sigils I've mentioned before that I prefer to mindfully stir towards me and away from me; instead of the traditional clockwise and counter clockwise. However, if both of those methods don't work, try stirring your intentions in by recreating the sigil. Stir as though you were trying to create the sigil one stroke at a time.

Add Sigils to your Appliances I don't see this talked about nearly enough, but you can add sigils to your appliances. Maybe add one to your coffee maker or toaster to help infuse your food and drink with specific energy. I have one for my fridge to help food last as long as it can. But take a look at your appliances. Is there anything you want to work better? Anything you want to last longer? Maybe consider creating a sigil for it.

Sigils on your Work Space There are a lot of other places you can put sigils as a kitchen witch. Your spoons, your cutting board, measuring cups; add one to your cupboard to protect from broken dishes or just charge whatever dishes are in there. You can add a sigil to the bottom of your table where you eat to encourage communication and keep away negativity. If you got windows in your kitchen, maybe use a window writer to make a sigil for motivation. Do not feel like kitchen witchcraft is limited to food!

Charge Your Spices I feel like most people, when they get dried spices, will transfer them into a jar. This is for easy access and also helps preserve the spice as it's protected better from the air. So if your spices are in glass containers, why not add a sigil to charge your spices? I mean, if they're just sitting around while you do stuff like sleep and work, they may as well be doing something. I feel like general sigils will work better in this case like "Prosperity" or "Calm" sigil.

#kitchen magic #kitchen witch #kitchen witchcraft #green witch #sigil magic #sigil #witch #pagan #magic #food and folklore #cottagecore #cooking #culinary