#took me a second to get used to it but I really love it now

[planetaryupscaled]

Steamy Vacation

Male OC x Yeji x Yuna

Tags: 5k, cheat, oral, creampie, threesome

The story is not ours, we alternate the original story to match our desired settings.

“Fuck! Yesss! Keep going!” Hwang Yeji moaned.

“Almost there,” Minho told Yeji as he repeatedly impaled the ravishing idol with his cock.

“Little bit longer…almost there,” she said between breaths. “Do it…at the same time.”

Both of them were naked and having sex in the Jeju apartment bedroom. Minho had his arms on either side of Yeji as he was on top of her doing her in the missionary position. She had one of her legs wrapped around him and as her third orgasm of the afternoon approached, she reached up and grabbed onto his biceps.

“Now, Minho. Now! Annhhhh!,” She let out a loud moan as she came, and watching her o-face and feeling her already incredibly tight pussy clamp on his cock drove him to fill the condom he was wearing with his second load with her that day. He lowered himself to kiss her before rolling off of her. She let out a pleasurable sigh, and then said, “I love vacation sex.”

“You’re happy to be out for a bit, or are you happy to be on vacation from your boyfriend?”

“Watch it,” she said giving him a playful slap. She didn’t like him talking about her boyfriend, especially not while they were both naked together. Minho and Yeji’s boyfriend had never warmed up to one another. Minho wasn’t sure what the deal was between Yeji and her boyfriend.

They had been dating for several years, but that didn’t stop her from hooking up with him after that summer time in Busan, at first, he thought it was supposed to be a one-time thing but one thing led to another, now he just consider himself a lucky guy.

You bet he is.

“Sorry,” he apologized.

“I need to take a shower,” she said, getting out of bed and walking naked to the bathroom.

“Want some help?” he asked as he followed her.

“No, we need to get ready,” she told him.

“We have time,” he said as he plopped the used condom into the trash bin.

“Not really, and we both know what will happen if we get in the shower together.”

“I’m not sure if you can, but I can control myself,” He said confidently, but jokingly. She did not give an audible answer, she rolled her eyes at him and then looked down. She slapped his cock lightly, and his erection bobbed up and down for a moment.

“Alright, fair point,” he conceded, “but you know what we could be doing is better than seeing anything on Lotte.”

“Yeah, sure,” she laughed. “Look, I promised Yuna I’d take Hongsam for a walk before leaving, so you can go do that while I shower. This way I don’t need to worry about you sneaking in with me.”

“So you’re kicking me out?”

“Temporarily,” she answered and lightly pushed him back until he was outside the bathroom. Minho didn’t put up a fight and just redressed. He then went to take Hongsam for a walk. Hongsam was Shin Yuna’s dog. The room he was just having sex with was the guest bedroom of Yuna’s apartment, which they rented while performing here in Jeju.

Minho too was visiting Jeju, but he was there for work and was staying at a hotel room that his employer was paying for. He was happy that his trip lined up with ITZY performing so he could see his friend perform on stage.

Though it appears as though Yeji might have had some other ideas for the trip as well. The two went to lunch together, and then she invited him back to Yuna’s place to hang out before the show. And from there, things quickly progressed into them having two rounds of sex on the guest bed.

After about thirty minutes, Minho took Hongsam back to the apartment and gave him a treat for doing his business. As Yeji got dressed, he took a quick shower to wash the sex scent off himself. Once they were both dressed, they got a quick bite to eat since they were planning on having a very late dinner with Yuna after the show.

Yuna had left them tickets and they were in their seats with five minutes to spare before the curtain opened. ITZY was great on stage, though Minho could not help but notice how good Yuna looked. Dressed in black with her legs exposed in black tights. He was still a little turned on from being with Yeji that afternoon and watching Yuna was not subduing those feelings.

Yeji notices after they’ve finished their performance. She saw how focused Minho was on the stage, and it was after the intermission that she thought she noticed a lump in his pants.

“I can’t believe you had an erection,” she laughed.

“Quiet,” he tried to hush her.

“Was that just from watching us, or were you thinking about something else?”

“Hoping I was thinking about this afternoon?” he quipped while waving at Yuna as she came out the door. She waved back but had to sign some fan autographs and take selfies before she could go with them.

“Want me to stand in front of you? Hide any boners you might get.” Yeji said.

“Is that the reason you want to stand in front of me? In case I get an erection, I’ll have someplace to hide it.”

Her teasing him had somehow morphed into some high-level flirting. As Yuna got closer, bringing more people closer to them, they quit talking. Though even when they went to go have dinner with Yuna, Yeji dropped a number of euphemisms and double-entendres during their meal. She told Yuna that they had Minho’s “full attention” throughout their performance. Minho was not entertained by this, but he did his best not to show it and have Yuna catch on.

After they eat, they all went back to Yuna’s apartment. Yuna went right to her room to change into sweatpants and a t-shirt, and then she took Hongsam outside for a quick walk. Minho thought it was time for him to leave, but Yuna told him to stay and they could hang out for a bit when she got back. Once she was out of the apartment, Minho turned to Yeji and snapped at her “What the hell was all that?”

“All what?” she played coy,

“All that stuff at dinner. All the erection innuendos.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Minho paused and thought a moment. “You know, I thought you were just making fun of me, but now I’m thinking that you’re jealous that I might have gotten hard looking at Yuna.”

“There was no might about it,” she snidely replied.

“See I knew it.”

“Look, Minho, I’m sorry you had a HARD time at dinner, but you’re crazy if you think I was jealous of anything.”

“I’ll show you a hard time,” Minho snapped back and lowered the fly on his jeans. Yeji excitedly bit her lip as she saw him reaching into his pants…

When Yuna got back to her apartment, she heard some strange sounds and noticed that neither of her friends were anywhere in sight. She took off Hongsam’s leash and gave him a treat before she went to investigate. She followed the sound to the hallway and before she rounded the corner she heard a loud moan from a woman. Turning the corner, she found her friends in the hall.

“What’s going on here!” Yuna exclaimed. “I can’t believe you two.” Of course, it was extremely obvious what was happening. Yeji was braced against the wall in the hallway with her pants down just above her knees, and Minho was right behind her with his pants below his ass, and his cock pumping in and out of Yeji.

“Oh God, this isn’t…ummm…” Yeji tried to think of something to say.

“This is exactly what it looks like,” Minho said and then withdrew his cock. Exposing his condom-wrapped hard cock to Yuna, with it glistening in the hallway light from her friend’s pussy juices.

“Wow, she was pretty wet, huh?” Yuna said as she looked at his cock and took a few steps forward.

“Yeah, she is,” he agreed.

“Let me ask, are you hard because of her, or because you are still thinking about me on stage?” Yuna asked, and Yeji laughed. Minho’s head quickly snapped and looked at Yeji.

“You told her? When?” He wanted to know.

“I texted her about it as soon as the show was over.”

“So the whole time you were making subtle jokes during dinner?” he asked Yeji.

“I knew what she was doing,” Yuna answered.

“Don’t worry, I found it flattering.”

Yuna then grabbed hold of his cock. “Maybe we should take this to the bedroom,” she suggested.

The three of them quickly moved into the guest room.

Yuna had Minho sit on the edge of the bed and she dropped down to her knees. She yanked off the condom and began sucking his cock. While Yuna hungrily sucked his dick, Yeji stood nearby and began stripping out of her clothes. Once naked she got onto the bed with him. She and Minho began kissing, and he reached out and began fingering her. Yeji moaned into his mouth when she felt him slide a second finger into her. Yeji eventually reached down for his cock that Yuna was still sucking on. Yeji’s hand replaced Yuna’s on his shaft and she began stroking him while Yuna’s lips and tongue focused on the tip. Eventually, it was all too much for Minho. He could no longer even concentrate on trying to kiss Yeji, he was just lost in the feeling of pleasure he was getting on his dick.

“So how is she?” Yeji asked.

“Soooo good.”

“Is she better at it than me?”

“No chance I am answering that,” he said smartly.

“And you really don’t want to play that game,” Yuna teased Yeji before going back to giving him a blow job.

“Well, you do look good with a dick in your mouth,” Yeji teased her back. Yuna responded by flipping her off.

“She is right, you do,” he told her honestly.

“Yuna, I’m going to…”

“Then do it already,” she told him. Like with Yeji, Minho and Yuna had hooked up dozens of times after that summer in Busan. Also, just like Yeji, Yuna was currently dating a guy that Minho disliked. While Minho never got along well with Yeji’s boyfriend, it was Yuna’s that he really didn’t much care for. He could not understand how they ever got together or why they are still together.

Normally he could feel Yuna swallowing as he came into her mouth, this time he could not. He found out the reason for that after he finished cumming. Yuna dragged her lips off his cock with a pop before opening her lips to show him all the jizz she’d collected in her mouth. Yuna then got up off the floor and moved to Yeji. She grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. Minho watched as the two pretty idol kissed, and saw Yuna push some of his cum from her mouth to Yeji’s, with some trickled down the sides of both of their lips as they kissed and snowballed his cum.

Even after they had swallowed all of the cum, they continued to kiss. Yuna was the aggressor, and Yeji fell backward to the point that Yeji fell backward.

Yuna did not allow Yeji to escape and crawled onto the bed, so her knees were right on the edge with her feet hanging off of it, and her hand propped her up as she leaned over Her teammate before bending back down to kiss her some more.

Minho, just like any other guy in his position, could not help but get aroused by the sight next to him. If his dick deflated at all after the blow job, it was now back to full mass. He took off his shirt and kicked off his pants and boxers, which had pooled around his ankles as Yuna began to suck his cock again.

With Minho and Yeji now naked, there was only one person in the room who was still wearing clothes. Yuna except for having no shoes, was still dressed as she was when she took her dog out for a walk. That did not last long. Minho got off the bed, positioned himself behind Yuna and yanked down her sweatpants. She had a pair of white panties that were soaking. He could clearly see how wet they were.

He put his hands on Yuna’s ass and bent down to look at her flawless backside. Her smooth-shaven pussy was literally dripping wet as he ran his tongue along her slit, licking up all her excess juices. Yuna sat up and moaned as she felt his tongue. She then turned around to face him when she felt his tongue pull away.

“Don’t tease me…” she pleaded.

“Trust me, I’m not,” he told her and then slid his hard cock inside of her. She was so wet that despite being crazy tight, he had no issue sliding his dick into her. Yuna moaned and smiled back at Minho, who began to fuck her from behind.

“God I missed this,” he told her. “You feel so good… so tight.”

“Nnhhh yesss,” she said with pride about how tight she was.

“Ahhh, I’ve missed this too,” Yuna told him as he slowly began working his dick in and out of her.

Despite Yuna laying on top of her, Yeji was feeling left out of the action. She reached up and gave Yuna’s hard brown reddish nipples a tweak. Yuna let out a bit of a yelp when she felt her nipples suddenly being played with.

“Oh, oh, wow, already, ugghhh,” Yuna moaned. It had only been a few minutes, but Yuna was so aroused even before Minho had his cock in her that it didn’t take long for her to reach the point of near orgasm. She grunted as her pussy gushed as she came, dripping down onto the bed she soaked the bedsheets beneath her. Minho pulled out of her and Yuna rolled over onto her back.

“That was a good one,” she said, sounding satisfied.

“You know, I was on the verge of something close to that before you interrupted us earlier,” Yeji said, reminding the other two that she two was still on the bed.

“I can help you out with that,” Minho replied.

“You, better,” she told him. She had him lie down on the bed and was quick to get on top of him. She was quick to sink down on his dick and began riding him. While she was on top of him, Yuna slid next to him.

“Doesn’t she have the cutest nipples,” Yuna whispered to Minho as she watched her friend methodically grind on her snatch on top of him.

“Yeah, she does,” he agreed, as he reached up and cupped her tit and ran his thumb back and forth over her small nipple. Yeji moaned as she felt her tits being played with. Minho groaned as Yuna kissed the side of his neck. Having one idol ride him while the other kissed and rubbed his chest made him even more excited. He then grabbed Yeji’s hips and started thrusting his cock up into her. Yeji’s moans were getting louder as he fucked her hard and fast. After a few minutes, he flipped her over. Once again Yeji was on her back with Minho between her legs. She raised her legs and spread them wide as he pushed back into her. Just like the afternoon, Minho and Yeji were doing it missionary. However this time, Yuna was right there with them.

After stripping off her shirt and removing her pants completely, Yuna went back and forth kissing both of them. Now with Yeji on her back, Yuna’s hands roamed over her friend’s chest, playing with her tits. Looking over at Yuna, Minho could not help himself from reaching over and pushing two fingers into her tight cunt. He fingered her for a minute before pulling his fingers out and sucking them clean. Minho remembers the first time he ever went down on Yuna, and he couldn’t believe how good she tasted and still tastes just as good now as she did then. He then pushed his fingers right back into her, which caused Yuna to moan right into Yeji’s mouth as they made out.

After several more minutes, Yeji got the orgasm she desired, but Minho still continued to pound her pussy. He thought about pulling out and driving back into Yuna, but she whispered something in his ear that made him change his mind.

“Are you close,” Yuna asked between neck kisses she was giving Minho.

“Kind of,” he grunted.

Yuna then moved right up beside his ear, “Cum in her,” she whispered, giving him a devilish smile. Unlike Yuna, Yeji almost always made Minho use a condom when they hooked up. He was so caught up in the moment that when he switched between the two women, he didn’t think about a condom. Now that he had noticed it, he was becoming increasingly aware of how her pussy felt around his cock. He then began fucking her faster, harder.

“Ohh ahnn, fuck!” Yeji called out in response to him taking things up a notch.

“That’s it, Minho,” Yuna encouraged. “Fuck her good, and fill her.”

“Fill me?” Yeji asked. “Wait, condom.” You’re not wearing a condom?

“No,” He informed her.

“Ahh…shit…” she said.

“Just let it happen. You know you want it,” Yuna advised Yeji. She thought for a moment, as Minho continued to rail her.

“Fuck it…” she gave in.

“Slut,” Yuna giggled at her.

Minho’s response was to grab Yeji’s legs from out on the side and move her legs up over her head. He continued fucking her hard as he had her folded in half.

Yuna repositioned herself behind Minho as she watched her friends fuck. She encouraged him.

“Stop holding back and do it, she wants it, breed her.”

He could feel her tits pressing into his back, her hands moving around his body, and her lips working on his neck and shoulder between whispering into his ear.

He looked down at Yeji’s face as he thrust into her. He could feel the build-up rising in his balls, and the look on her face said that she was closing in on another orgasm as well.

“I- I’m gonna cum,” he announced, giving Yeji one last chance to back out. She just gave him a simple acknowledgment nod as she moaned. He gave three more pumps before burying his cock deep inside her.

“Oh god, Minho,” Yeji moaned as she felt the steady stream of cum filling her unprotected womb.

When he did finally stop and did pull out, Yuna was right there to polish his dick clean of the mix of his and Yeji’s cum. Though Yuna did have ulterior motives as well. Even after she had given his cock a spit shine, she still kept blowing him for a bit longer, not giving his dick any chance to go down at all. Once she felt his cock twitching in her mouth, she knew he was ready to go.

She had Yeji move up on the bed and then she laid down herself between Yeji’s legs. Yuna then went to town on her friend’s well fucked pussy, freshly full and leaking with cum.

Yuna then lay on her stomach in front of him. He knew she loved to do it prone, and he had an open opportunity to do that, but he was going to put that on hold for a minute. He had already creampied Hwang Yeji; there was no way he was not going to do it to Shin Yuna as well, but first, he was going to eat that pussy.

Minho got down low and spread Yuna's legs. Feeling him move her, she gave up little resistance and allowed him to move her body as he pleased. With her legs now open, he then spread Yuna's ass with his hands, allowing him deep into her while burying his tongue.

For the next several minutes, the three of them were laying in a straight line. Minho laying on his stomach eating Yuna out, who was laying on her stomach eating out Yeji, who was on her back. Yeji was the first to cum, as she cried out while grabbing onto the bedding which between sweat and cum was becoming wetter and wetter.

Before Yuna could have one of her own, Minho pulled away from her. She let out a disappointing groan. That groan was soon replaced by a sudden squeal from the petite idol as she felt Minho wedge his cock into her cunt. Yuna was still eating her friend even after Yeji orgasmed, However, she soon became too distracted to continue. She almost had an orgasm from his tongue as he took her prone on the bed.

“Yes, Minho, keep going,” Yuna moaned.

She was now holding onto the bed tightly. She was so close that she began rocking her body back into him. It was only a matter of time, Minho could feel the buildup happening, and then suddenly she popped. Yuna cried out and once again she drenched the bed below her as her body twitched in orgasm bliss. Minho pulled out as soon as he felt her cumming. God knows he loved that feeling from her, but he loved it a little too much and was not ready to be done with her.

While Yuna was cumming, and then coming down from her high, Yeji moved in and she repeated what Yuna had done and sucked his cock clean of the other’s juiced. Once she had sucked him clean, both Minho and Yuna were ready to take things to the next step.

Neither were usually much for reverse cowgirl, but there was a full-length mirror across from the bed and on the far wall. He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Yuna on top of him. She sat right on his cock and began to bounce on it. The two of them are looking at each other in the mirror. She has a bright smile on her face and her perky tits are shaking as she bounces up and down on his dick. For the first two minutes or so, Minho is just happy to observe Yuna. Putting aside the sensation of her tight pussy gripping his dick as it moved up and down the shaft, seeing a naked Yuna bouncing like this made him feel extremely lucky.

Eventually, he did get into the action, brushing her hair over to one side, and then moving his hands around her body. One hand when north to cup her breast and the other traveled south between her legs. As she had done to, him, he began kissing the side of her neck as he rubbed her clit and tweaked her nipple.

“You know this was what I was thinking about when you were on stage, right?” he said into her ear. “As good as you looked on stage, I couldn't stop thinking about your sexy body and how you'd look doing all that without anything on.”

“That’s why you got hard?”

“Um-hm,” he said as he kissed her neck. “And then my mind went to how much missed the feeling of cumming inside your tight pussy.”

“Maybe you should stop thinking about it and do it already,”

“You want that?” He asked her.

“You know I do,” she moaned. Minho had her spin around. She was now sitting on his lap, facing him, with her legs wrapped around his back. With their faces just inches apart now, they began making out as they fucked. Yuna rolled her hips while on top of him. He did not give her any warning before cumming. He just moaned into her mouth as they kissed and let it go. Exploding his load into her. When she felt him cumming, she moaned right back to him and her nails dug into his shoulder. Even as he was cumming she continued to move her hips until she got off once again as well. After they finished, they moved back and laid on the bed next to Yeji, who had been fingering herself while watching her friends fuck .

The three of them all lay in a pile in the guest bed for a few minutes, catching their breaths and coming down from the sexual high. Yuna suggested that if they were going to go to sleep, they should all go to her bedroom. She didn’t say why, but they all knew the why. Between sweat, cum, and vaginal fluids, the sheets on the guest bed were at a minimum moist, and in spots were just flat-out soaked. So they got out of the guest bed and headed to the master bedroom, but before getting back into bed it was suggested that they should all take a quick shower first.

While they washed the sex off of each other, there was a significant amount of bumping, grinding, and touching as they shared the shower. Some of it was unintentional, some of it not so much. The bumping increased as Minho’s shaft swelled to its full size. Yeji and Yuna enjoyed teasing him.

Although the teasing from the two pretty idols was becoming a little too much for him. He finally snapped when Yeji dropped the loofa and bent down with her straight legs and her ass pointed right at him as she went to pick it up. He couldn’t help himself and quickly moved right up behind her and thrust half his cock into her.

“Ahh! Fuck!” Yeji yelped in surprise.

“Tell me to stop, and I will,” he told her as he pushed the rest of his cock inside of her. She said nothing, so he began fucking her. Yeji raised back up a bit and put her arms out to brace herself against the shower wall. Yuna was not going to be left out of the action. She moved to the side of both Yeji and Minho. With one hand she pulled his face down to kiss her, and with her other hand, she moved it between Yeji’s legs and teased her clit.

“Oh god, seriously Yuna?” Yeji moaned and questioned her friend as she felt her love button being played with. Not to leave her out, Minho moved a hand between Yuna’s legs and fingered her while the two of them made out as he fucked Yeji. With the two of them working on her, Yeji did not last long. She let out a moan and her leg buckled as she came. Minho grabbed her around her waist to make sure she did not fall.

Once she was steady on her feet, Minho pulled out of her and turned to Yuna. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and leapt up. Minho grabbed her body and quickly had his cock completely embedded in her. As they fucked, Yeji gave herself another long rinse under the shower spray before leaving the stall.

“You two have fun,” she said then gave him a long loving kiss. “Thanks for today,” she told him before stepping out of the shower and wrapping herself in a towel.

Meanwhile, Yuna and Minho were lost in their own lust-filled world, aggressively fucking against the glass of the shower stall. Yuna had her back against the glass with hands holding onto the top of the shower above, and her legs over his shoulder. The two were going at it, until Minho tried to readjust his stance and almost slipped on the shower floor, nearly bringing them both tumbling to the floor.

After that, they briefly stopped what they were doing, turned off the water, and exited the shower. They did not move far as they set up right on the large bathroom countertop. Yuna stood in front of the counter and bent down at the waist, pushing her ass back against him. He quickly got behind her and lifted her leg onto the counter before sliding his manhood straight back into pristine her pussy. As they fucking on the counter they maintained eye contact nearly the entire time through the mirror.

“God, Yuna. You feel so fucking tight” he groaned.

“Ehm-mm, anhhh, fuck…”

“I can't hold out for much longer.”

“Cum inside me...pleaseee, Anhhh…”

“Turn around!” he said.

Yuna had barely gotten her foot on the floor when Minho grabbed her hips, spun her around, and lifted her onto the counter. He quickly inserted his cock back into her. After two more pumps, Yuna expressed her desire for him to unload inside of her.

“Now Minho, do it now!” She demanded him and his cock busted, and that feeling got Yuna to hit her climax as well. They both came hard. He moved in to kiss her, and they exchanged a series of kisses, as euphoria from their orgasms died down. They cleaned up a bit and went into the bedroom and saw Yeji sleeping in the bed. Minho had to work the next morning and debated heading to his hotel at that point in the night.

Yuna asked him to stay and when he was still on the fence, she promised him a morning blowjob before he left. That made his decision an easy one. He set his alarm for a few hours and got into bed with his two idols friends. Yuna slept on her side in the middle of the bed facing Yeji, while Minho slept on the other side spooning Yuna.

Yuna kept her word and gave him a blowjob when his alarm went off the following morning. Minho got a great start to the day before heading to his hotel room for a quick shower and change of clothes before heading out to work.

—

Yuna called him later that night.

“Hey, do you mind coming over on Friday and taking Hongsam for a walk after you’re done with work? I can leave a key for you at the front desk.”

“On Friday? Yuna you know that’s my last night here. I was planning on going out with people after work.”

“I know, but I thought you could help me out and then we can do something after the show.”

“So you want me to take your dog out and then just hang out at your place alone for a few hours?”

“Yes, but I would put it as more as, I was hoping you’d be waiting in my bed… preferably with your pants on the floor.”

#yeji smut #yuna smut #itzy smut #kpop smut #girl group smut #female idol smut #male reader

[magics-neptunes-things]

Williamson Holding

Hi guys!

Sooo this is a request from @holly-wallis and honestly it's massive. Like more than 14K words. It took me forever to do it, that's why I haven't post as much as before those last days/weeks.

I really hope that you will enjoy it. I proofread it two times but it's so big that I might have forgot some faults.

TW : Angst, Jealousy, Break up, One-side love, Game lost, mention of Covid. Reader is Leah Williamson's sister.

Gif credit for Caitlin’s one at @teenwolf-theoriginals

______________________________________________________________

You were an accident. Not really wanted at first, you were born 354 days after Leah, the 18 March 1998. Your parents weren’t ready to have a second child so early after the birth of their first daughter, but you never felt anything but love from them. People joke sometimes that they used the same recipe for Leah and for you. It’s true that you look a lot like her physically and for the character you have definitively some similar points too. You both are determined, loyal, funny, and very close of your family. But the person you are the closest is definitively Leah.

3 years after you, your brother Jacob is born. You like to joke about it and saying that they finally weren’t to traumatize by you more than that. Jacob is your brother, and you love him very much, but your relationship is different from the one with Leah. You like having time with him, but with him being away in Australia now, it’s a little bit harder.

Oh, and like Leah and your mother you’re an Arsenal fan, obviously.

You started football together, but you played the goalkeeper, letting Leah practicing striking and dribbling. You weren’t bad to be honest, but they was to many competition to be a goalkeeper and you decided during your teenager period to go for study instead of football.

You were great in it honestly; Leah sometimes asked you to do her homework when she came back too late from training. You’ll do it with pleasure, happy to help your big sister who paid you generously in candy. Or dried mango, your great passion.

On day after Leah turned 17, she made her big debut with Arsenal senior team. You were so proud of her, cheering her from the stand with all your family. It was very different of what it is now, but you already knew that she would make something amazing in football. And how much were you right.

It was at this period that Leah and you talked about a company that you could make together. Leah was studying accounting in case of her career wasn’t successful and you were very interested in marketing, publicity and human relations.

The Williamson Holding Corporation was founded in summer 2016, when you finished your tuition. You learned several languages (French, Spanish and Mandarin) during your free time and thanks to Leah and your parent’s financial help, you were able to start this adventure. Your company always were able to have a good profit every year. You were able to repay your parents already and Leah always refused, so you made her a founder, just like you.

Through the years, your company get a sponsorship with Arsenal and in particular Arsenal Women, obviously. Along the years, you managed to travel a lot to make your company known in other countries and find other financials, but you always managed to come back to see Leah play. You never missed one of her games, as crazy at it sound.

February 2020 – When you properly met Caitlin for the first time.

“Y/N! Sorry, can I borrow my sister for one second?”

Leah doesn’t wait for the answer to your interlocutor and takes your arm to drag you somewhere else. You let her though, secretly happy to have to finish this uninterested discussion with that weird man. You note mentally to be sure not to invite him to the next gala.

“Where’s the dead body?” you ask your sister who rolls her eyes.

“Don’t joke about it, we’ll get catch by Covid otherwise.”

You roll your eyes yourself, but don’t say anything. You just wait to your sister to stop at some time, for what she almost kidnapped you. You end up right in front of Caitlin Foord, the new signing for Arsenal. You already saw her to the games, you smirked when you caught her looking at you two time before realizing that you weren’t Leah, the first time she saw you. To her point, you were wearing Leah’s jersey.

“Cait, my sister. Sis, this is Caitlin.” Leah introduces you, before leaving you both to catch someone else.

“Uh, hello?” Caitlin mumbles with surprise, apparently not advertise that Leah were going to introduce you both.

“Hi” you giggle. “Nice to be properly introduced to you. Please excuse my sister, she isn’t the one who studied human relations.”

Your giggles and your joke help Caitlin to relax and you’re happy to see her smiling too.

“I can see that” Caitlin answers with her Australian accent.

You had a small talk with her about Australia, a country where you never been for now. You really looked to it though, and not only to have the opportunity to make your company bigger. Jacob and you always talked about going there for holidays. And after talking to Caitlin, you will definitively go to the east part of the country.

You were joined by Katie McCabe and the three of you started talking for a long time after that. Caitlin asked you several questions about your company and seems surprised to learn the amount of work you are putting in it.

“She’s a natural” Katie smirks “Everyone comes eat in her hand, she can make people do whatever she wants.”

You smirk back, raising an eyebrow while crossing your arms on your chest at the same time.

“Not everything with everyone.”

Katie doesn’t have the time to answer anyway, because Leah is back with her Williamson’s frown.

“No flirting with my teammates Y/N!”

“I wasn’t! I wouldn’t have any problem with Irish mafia.” you answer, thinking about Katie’s girlfriend.

You raise both of your hands to prove your innocence. Katie and you aren’t really flirting, it was more for fun and for joking with each other. Katie laughs while Leah hums for any answer and changed the subject just after that, training you, Katie and Caitlin in the discussion.

The night went great, and you are happy to be able to have some time with Leah’s teammates who are also your friends, especially the ones who are in the team since a long time. You get along pretty well with Caitlin too, who would accept really quickly to at least make a photoshoot and a sponsoring for your company. Unfortunately there is suddenly the lockdown and you weren’t able to do it before that.

October 2020 – The shooting

“Hi Y/N!”

You smile to the employee who greats you when you enter the building where the photoshoot for Caitlin was attending. Being at every single one is something you do every time, so your employees aren’t surprised to see you coming. You great them back, asking around if everything is fine with everyone. It seems to be, so you go to find Caitlin.

The Australian girl is just coming out of the room where she changed her clothes and find herself right in front of you.

“Oh hi! I didn’t know you will come.”

“I like to be here for this kind of things” you answer with a smile. “How are you?”

“I’m fine thank you” she smiles back.

“Y/N are you ok if we start?” the photographer asks.

“Of course. I’m going to sit here.”

You look at your phone on the way, answering a message from one of your managers before sitting on a chair some meters away from the different cameras. Caitlin doesn’t seem to be at ease at first, but soon she finds her way. You have a perfect and entirely trust in your team, but you have already red too much time how people can make other bad with their comportment, and you clearly don’t want that in your company. That’s why you don’t have a lot of employees too. That and the fact that you love have the control on everything.

After several shots, the photographer decides to make a break and you come over to see what the pictures look like. They are great to be honest.

“I really love this one” you smile, pointing one of the pictures.

Caitlin’s blue eyes are really showing in it. You haven’t realized how blue they are since now to be honest. You then raise your gaze on the girl, just to cross the same blue.

“I think this is my favorite too.”

You hum, before congratulating the photographer for her job. It’s the first time she does it for you, but you will certainly ask her to work for you again. She’s young, like you, and you like the idea to help young people to start in their life. Provided they deserve it, of course.

They take other pictures after that, and you choose five of them to post on the social media.

“Do you want to go to eat something?” you ask Caitlin when everything is finished.

You don’t always have the time to do it with everyone, but when you can, you do it. Like you said before, almost every girl in Arsenal is your friend. You know some of them more, like Jen Beattie, Katie McCabe, or Lia Wälti who are the closest to Leah to be honest. But you like all of them. You didn’t have the time to meet Steph Catley for now though. It probably will be coming soon.

Caitlin accepted your offer, and you take her to one of your favorite restaurants.

“I didn’t expect to eat at Nando’s to be honest” Caitlin smiles after you sat at your table.

“Oh” you answer, looking up from the menu you know by heart. “We can go somewhere else if you want, I thought – “

“No, it’s perfect here. I like it. I used to go there with my Mum and my sister a lot back in Australia.”

You smile softly, relaxing a little bit. People seems to forget sometimes that you are still a young woman who can enjoy eating burger or fries with her fingers.

“How are you settling in London?” you ask after the waiter came to take your command.

“Good, actually. The rain is something else, but the girls are great.”

“I heard you especially like the Swiss part” you smirk.

You laugh when Caitlin blushes. Leah told you about Lia and Caitlin relationship several weeks ago, when they start to date officially. You don’t have to tell Caitlin how you know it though; the girl understands it really quickly.

“Leah talks too much” she smiles nevertheless. “What about you? Are you seeing someone?”

“Not for now” you shake your head, adding when you see Caitlin’s questioning look. “I mean I had some dates slash fling with someone but it’s hard to be in a relationship while working so much. Girls seems to have a hard time understanding I will pass my family and my job before something else. I can understand though, so it’s better for me to be single for now.”

“I didn’t know you were into girls too. You really are Leah’s copy.”

“Maybe” you smile.

Your sister is your favorite person ever. You will never be upset to be compared to her. In your eyes, she’s the most amazing person in the world.

“I am lucky to be able to see her so much. I won’t be able to deal with it as good as you do.”

“It’s very hard sometimes. Because of the lockdown and all I wasn’t able to go back to Australia. I haven’t seen them for almost a year now…”

You wince at the sadness suddenly present in Caitlin’s eyes, regretting to have point this. You are interrupted by the waiter and your meal coming for you, but you excuse yourself anyway.

“I’m sorry to bring it up. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I know, don’t worry” Caitlin smiles softly. “I will see them soon now.”

You look into Caitlin’s eyes for some more seconds to be sure that she’s saying the truth, before nodding slowly. She seems to be honest, and you are really relieved. Starting a friendship like this would have been the worst way. You finally smile back and report your attention on your plate just after Caitlin did.

The following of the conversation is a little easier, talking about Arsenal helps a lot. You talk to Caitlin about all the little things she maybe didn’t know for now and learn a lot of things about her and her past. She talked to you about her childhood and the financial difficulties her mother had, raising two children as a single mom. That makes you realize one more time how lucky you are to be where you are now. This kind of stories remember you about it and it’s never enough in your opinion.

October 2021 – The surprise

Unlike Caitlin was hopping, she wasn’t able to see her family as much as she wanted. She went in Switzerland with Lia though and told you that it was a very great time. You thought about her sometimes, remembering the trouble her eyes did to you, but you erased this kind of thoughts very quickly. Caitlin was in a happy relationship and there is no way you even look at a no-single lady.

You managed to build a friendship with her though and you sometimes went out with her, Lia, and Leah. You had a great time every time and you decided that it was perfect for you like this.

Caitlin opened herself to you about missing her family, but the tickets to come in London from Australia were expensive and you know that she doesn’t mean it like that, but you don’t think twice before contacting Caitlin’s sister and offering to them the tickets. They refuse at first, but you managed to find the good words. And, not for the situation being strange, you included Lia in the surprise.

After all, Caitlin was your friend and Lia was her girlfriend.

The Swiss woman went to the airport to take Jamie and her mother back to Caitlin home. Leah asked the team to put some interview or media things for Caitlin at the right time, to let you and her decorate Caitlin’s house with the most too much decoration ever. There is a banner writing “Surprise” on it, yellow and green balloons, an Australian flag, and you even managed to find a kangaroo balloon who is floating around the living room.

“That’s so kitsch. I love it” Leah smirks.

You giggle while looking around. You have to admit that you made a great job together. Two seconds after, Lia and the two Foord were coming inside the house. After some greetings and hugs, they looked at the decoration and approve it too.

“So, I guess this is our time to leave.” Leah says while looking at you.

You nod and prepare yourself to take your things to leave. It was without counting on Caitlin’s mother opinion.

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Simone asks with her Australian accent. “You helped to do that; you’re definitively staying.”

“But – “ you start.

“No but.”

You see Jamie, Caitlin’s sister, rolling her eyes at her mother antics, but you don’t have time to say something else because Lia comes, running from the entrance where she was looking outside.

“She’s here! Hide!”

After a moment of panic, Jamie and Simone hide behind the couch while Leah and you went to the kitchen. Two seconds later, the door is open.

“Lia? You’re home?” Caitlin asks.

“In the living room, Love.”

You hear the characteristic sound of keys dropping on a wood furniture and Caitlin walking to the living room. You can’t help but peek in the room, Leah doing exactly the same thing a second after, her head above yours.

“Surprise!”

Caitlin probably had a heart attack, but you can’t help but smile seeing her face. Lia is doing the same thing while Jamie and Simone went to hug the shocked girl. You smirk seeing Leah getting emotional, what’s coast you a slap on the head. You send her the Williamson’s glare, but she doesn’t seem to be impress by at for a single second. Which probably make sense.

After some tears and explications, Leah proposed to serve the Champagne she choose to celebrate the reunion. Your sister and you try to escape one more time to let the Foord in family, but Simone doesn’t let you one more time.

It’s a little bit later that you find yourself alone with Caitlin, while you were looking for something alcohol free to drink.

“Lia told me what you did. I don’t have the words to thank you enough.”

Of course, Lia isn’t the kind of girl to take credits for something she hasn’t done. You smile and shrug at Caitlin.

“You don’t have to. I was happy to do that for you.”

Caitlin bites her lip and looks in your eyes.

“You know, when I mention that the tickets were expensive…”

“I know you weren’t saying it for me to do that, Cait. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.”

“Ok.”

You smile again and were ready to go back to the living room, but Caitlin surprises you by giving you a hug. You weren’t expecting it to be honest, but it’s still pleasant. You hug her back, tightening her briefly against you.

“Thank you” she mumbles.

“You’re welcome.”

Spring 2022 – The Breakup

“Caitlin and Lia broke up”

“What?”

You stop your movement, your chopsticks between your mouth and your plate. You were having dinner with Leah in her house, like every Monday when you are in London. Leah snorts when the noodles fall back in your plate, making some sauce splash your shirt, but that’s not what you are concentrating on.

“What do you mean they broke up?”

Leah shrug et finish her chicken before answering you.

“It happened this weekend, Lia called me Sunday evening.”

“What happened?”

You were shocked. Lia and Caitlin seem to get along very well the last time you saw them.

“Nothing much. Lia said they just went apart and that her relationship was more comfortable than passionate now.”

“So, they’re ok?”

“I don’t really know for Caitlin. But Lia was still very upset about it. They are still friends and care for each other obviously, but they aren’t a couple anymore.”

You frown only, not really sure what to do about this information. Lia was a good friend of yours and you kind of have avoided Caitlin since you make her family come to England. You realized that day that you were too impacted with her happiness to be only a friend. In your mind, she was with Lia and this relationship would be like forever. It was to protect yourself too, falling for someone who isn’t single isn’t really your thing.

“Did you have news from Caitlin?”

“No” you answer, eating again. “I mean I saw her at the last games but that’s all.”

“Mh.”

“What?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing.”

“‘k.”

Several hours later, you were on your bed, your phone in your hand and the conversation with Caitlin opened. It wasn’t used since your birthday, Caitlin sent you a message to wish you happy birthday, but nothing since that.

Writing to her isn’t a good idea, even if she’s single now, she still in a middle of a breakup. But you still can be a good friend to her, right? You just have to put your feelings away.

From You Hi Caitlin, I heard about your breakup by Leah. I just wanted to tell that if you need someone to talk or something, don’t hesitate to call or write me, ok? I hope you’re ok. Take care of you.

You feel stupid to send her something like that after reading it again. It’s kind of cliché and you hate it. But surprisingly, Caitlin answers you relatively quickly.

From Caitlin Hello, thanks for your message. I will do and I hope you are ok too.

You bite your lips, not really happy about the answer. But in another way, what could you have expected? You didn’t really talk since last year and you were avoiding her like the plague. It’s only your fault.

After that day, you keep checking more frequently with Caitlin, asking her if she needs anything and how she is feeling. From what she answers, she was around a lot with Jordan and Katie. Your sister broke up some weeks ago with Jordan after longs years together, so that’s maybe the explanation of why Leah stays a little away of Caitlin.

You start to talk a lot and when Caitlin starts to be the first to write you can’t help but feel a strange something in your stomach. You also went to eat or drink something, your friendship slowly beginning to start again. You have to admit that you missed her. But she never said or show you anything to make you think that she missed you the way you do.

You think it’s better to have her in your life as a friend than not to have her, though.

Autumn 2022 – The New Season

You never missed a single match from Leah’s team since she plays for Arsenal, so there was no way that you will miss this one too. It’s the first game of the new season and you just came back from your holidays. You went some days with Leah in Ibiza before flying to Dubai with a friend.

You just have time to go home, take a shower and put your Arsenal jersey before coming to the stadium.

“Here she is!” Leah says happily when she sees you.

She hugs you like you haven’t seen each other in months and not ten days. But you hug her back, kissing her cheek before she releases you.

“Someone got a tan” she smirks, taking a step back to have a better look at you.

Unlike Leah, you have the ability to tan. Leah just gets red when she exposed herself without protection. You roll your eyes but don’t respond anything, your attention being catch by a certain Australian striker coming in your direction, five steps away from Leah now.

“And you’re not with your girlfriend?” Leah asks, a teasing smirk always on her face.

“Girlfriend?”

By now Caitlin is just next to Leah and was able to hear your sister. You roll your eyes at her antics before answering.

“She’s not my girlfriend, she’s a friend.”

You frown when Leah snorts and left saying something like “yeah sure”. You watch her leave several seconds before turning to Caitlin.

“She’s not my girlfriend” you say again.

You don’t know why you feel the need to assure that to Caitlin, she probably doesn’t give a single shit about it. In fact, she smiles at you and pass an arm around you to salute you. You didn’t talk a lot a lot during those ten days, the different timetables were insane.

“It’s good to see you” she says before letting you go.

“Good to see you too. How is the comeback from Australia?”

“Still a little jet lag, but I’m fine.”

You smile at her and take the time to really look at her. You don’t do it a lot, scared to fall for her again. I mean, harder. Because now that you have thought about it a little more, you remembered that Leah always told you not to even flirt with one of her teammate. Falling in love with one of them would be worse than everything. You know that she will react very badly to you in a relationship with one of them. You are scared to lose her; Leah will probably never forgive you if she learns that you are in love with Caitlin.

“You look good” you smile sincerely at her.

“Thanks”

You both hear someone calling her on the back, the drills are going to begin, and she has to go.

“Hey, are you still in London tomorrow?” she asks suddenly.

“Yes, why?”

“There is a new place near mine, and they are making brunch who look stunning. Do you want to come?”

“Sure” you smile. “Text me the address and the time.”

After a nod and a smile, she’s gone where she’s needed. The game went great, they got an easy win. And you try to stay impartial when Caitlin got carded.

Christmas 2022 – The New Delivery service

You were at your parent’s house with all your family, without counting Jacob who stayed in Australia this year. Your mother was sad but thanks to a long video call during the moment when you all opened your presents, she seems a little less sad about it. You eat way too much, drink maybe a little too much too. That’s why your mother more or less forbade you to take your car to go home.

Leah stayed too and you are both chilling in one of your parents’ couch with a hot tea. Some Christmas movie is on TV, but you are in a food coma and can’t really focus on it to be honest. You are cuddling against Leah who is playing with your hair.

“Have you heard from Caitlin those days?” your sister asks suddenly.

“We said Merry Christmas to each other this morning, but I guess she’s sleeping now given the time. Why you ask?”

The friendly relationship you have with Caitlin is known by a lot of your friends and family now. And despite all your efforts, you are now deeply in love with her. Seeing her at least both a week don’t help, but you can’t help yourself. When you’re not asking, Caitlin proposes you something and you can’t say no to her.

She told you during autumn that she doesn’t feel very well in her life sometimes, so you made the statement to keep an eye on her.

“She asks to have a mental break. I’m not sure when or if she will come back from Australia. She will miss the first trainings for sure.”

“She didn’t say anything to me” you frown.

She doesn’t have to, to be fair. You are just friends, you’re not her best friend or her sister. She doesn’t owe you anything. But you are still worried.

Later, in your room, you are thinking about a way to send her a message. You don’t want to accuse her of anything or make her feel more pressure. You don’t want to take a place you don’t have too, you sometimes wonder if she’s not having something with Jordan, which would be a little strange maybe. But once again, she doesn’t owe you anything.

From You Hey, I’m sorry if you feel that it’s not my place to ask. But Leah told me that you needed a mental break, so I was wondering if you were ok?

You wait some minutes before thinking again and realizing the stupidity of your message.

From You Forget my question, it was stupid. You asked for a mental break, of course you’re not ok Can you forget those messages please?

You stop there not to look even more strange. You cringe when you throw your phone somewhere on your bed before deciding to go take a long and hot shower. You roll your eyes when your father menace you to make you pay their hot water bill but don’t say anything other than a “Sorry Dad”.

You smile when you hear Leah laughing from her room, before going back to your childhood bedroom. You have a double bed since you are eighteen so you can lay down crosswise it in your towel and look at the ceiling how you want. You soon start to think about how weird your messages to Caitlin were, so you take your phone again.

Just to see that you have two missed calls from Caitlin.

You call her back without waiting a single second, putting your headphone while you wait for her to answer. You realize that it was a FaceTime call only when she answers you with a black screen.

“Hello” she says in a sad voice.

You may be only imagining that because you learned about her need of a mental break only two hours ago.

“Hi. Sorry I missed your calls.”

“Don’t worry. Were you in the shower?”

“How do you know?” you frown.

“You literally are in a towel?”

You lower your eyes on your body and facepalm mentally. If you had one pound every time you humiliate yourself in front of her, you would have been way richer by now.

“Oh shit. Can you wait for a second?”

She hums and you put your phone on the bed to put a shirt and some panties, mentally insulting yourself. You take the time to take a big breath before going back in your bed and taking your phone in your hand.

“Are you still in bed?” you ask, curious about the black screen.

“No, I’m still in my room though. I just… I don’t know. It was stupid to me to call you in FaceTime.”

“Don’t worry. How are you feeling?”

“I’m tired. Like mentally tired. Being at home made me realize that I don’t have a lot keeping me at London right now.”

That hurt. But you don’t say anything, planting your nails deep into the skin of your palms.

“What are you talking about? You have friends here; the girls of the team love you. And the fans too.”

“The fans aren’t really happy of me right now, I’m not able to score a lot and making my job right. I keep disappointing everyone.”

“You have the right to feel a little uneasy, that doesn’t take away from you what you achieved those last months, you know.”

Caitlin doesn’t answer, but you hear her sight a little bit. You don’t know if it’s something to hide some tears and you feel your heart break a little imagining that. You let several seconds pass before talking again.

“What can make you feel better right now?”

“For real? One of the brunches we eat.”

You smile hearing that. The place next to her house became one of your favorite spots to eat together. You really love it too, maybe because you share a lot of secrets and laughs here.

“Really?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing.”

You are lying. An idea had already pop in your head and you feel your brain running while you’re planning something in your head. Caitlin knows you enough to realize that you are up to something. You hear some shuffling, and you imagine that Caitlin just sits on her bed.

“What are you thinking?”

“Nothing” you answer, smiling.

“Y/N. Don’t you dare do something stupid.”

You did. The morning after the call, you went to the restaurant, took Caitlin usual command, and jump in the jet who belongs to your company. You don’t usually use it for long trip like this, but you wanted to be in Australia as soon as possible.

You feel a little bit stupid with your suitcase and the bag where Caitlin’s food is. You ask for it to be wrap carefully and explain that you want to take it on a trip, without mentioning it was a very long trip. Thanks to the fridge, you are sure that you won’t poison Caitlin.

You told to Leah that you have an urgent meeting somewhere in Australia with a possible investor that you can’t ignore. She’s a little bit gutted not to be able to pass New Year with you, but you promised to bring her some Lamington to eat with her tea. In fact, you’re not really lying, you do have someone who is interested by your company in Australia. You just aren’t really obliged to travel here to talk to him.

You swallow with difficulty when you are in front of Caitlin’s porch, hopping that you won’t have to face her mother or her sister. You didn’t mention to Caitlin that you were coming, so if she wants you to go away, you just will. You still have some things to do in Australia, you weren’t totally lying to Leah. You just hide the fact that your priority was to see Caitlin.

You take a big breath before knocking on the door. This is a bad idea. Maybe the worst idea you never had. Why are you so good in your job and so stupid when it concerns the girl you are in love with?

But you don’t have the possibility to stress even more, because soon the door is opening. Caitlin looks at you like you are a hallucination or something.

“Um. I have a delivery for miss Foord?”

You let your suitcase in the car you rent, so you just have the bag with the food in your hand. You lift it to show it to her and it doesn’t take her more than a second to recognize the logo.

“Y/N, what the hell?” she mumbles, taking it in her hand.

“I… Uh. Well, I have stuff to do in Australia for the company and I thought that because I’m on this part of the globe, it could be great to please you.”

You’re lying. And very bad. Caitlin is looking at you like you are crazy, and you can’t blame her, you made a 24 hours journey to take her some breakfast and see her. She’s not supposed to know the truth, but you feel like she has some suspicions. You feel yourself blush and offer her a small smile.

“I better go. Enjoy your food and see you later.”

Maybe you’ll go let yourself die in the middle of the Australian’s desert. With a little luck, some snake or scorpions are going to come to bite you and you will die in atrocious suffering.

“No, wait!”

She grabs your arm with her hand, and you turn in her direction. She’s looking at you with a strange gaze, that you don’t know from her.

“Do you want to drink something? We don’t have Earl Grey, but I still can make you a tea if you want to.”

“Ok” you smile softly.

Caitlin doesn’t let your arm go and took you inside. It’s very quiet and after several seconds you ask her if her mother or sister are here. She answers no, her sister is now leaving with her fiancé and her mother is working today. You nod, secretly relieved to know that you won’t have to face Simone for now. You’re pretty sure that she understood when you saw her the last time the real feelings you have for her daughter.

“Where are you staying?” Caitlin asks while you look at her making you a cup of tea.

“At Park Hyatt”

“In Sydney?”

You hum and she frowns while giving you the cup of tea. It’s fuming and because you are drinking a lot of tea, she knows that you like it with sugar and milk.

“And you wanted to go back in Sydney just after giving me the brunch?”

“Brunch that you aren’t eating, by the way.”

Realizing it, Caitlin takes the bag one more time before taking out the different packages. She still looking at you discreetly, but you busy yourself by drinking your tea.

New Year 2022-2023 – The New Beginning

Caitlin proposes to you to stay at her home and not to go to your hotel, but you refused. You don’t want to bother Caitlin or her mother. That doesn’t mean you don’t see Caitlin; in fact, you see her every day for several hours.

She even invited you to come to the party her friends are making for the New Year. You accepted, after asking her several times if she’s sure that you won’t be a burden. The third time you ask, she threatened to knock you out with her vegemite pot, so you stopped.

And when you’re not with Caitlin, you work. You don’t have the possibility to see your brother who is on the other side of Australia. You almost lost consciousness when you learned that it takes 41 hours by car to get to Perth. So, you promise Jacob that you will see him before going back to England. Still with your jet.

You call Leah and your mother every day, but you are still focused on your goal to make Caitlin comes back to London with you. She seems a little down to be honest, but she seems to be better day after day. It gives you hope.

“Would you like to stay her to sleep tonight?” Caitlin asks on the 31th December while you were sitting next to her on the couch.

“Oh… I don’t know, I still have my hotel room.”

“Come on, it’s like 2 hours from here. And if you drink, I would rather that you stay here. My Mother will sleep in one of her friend’s houses anyway.”

“Yeah, ok” you mumble. “Wouldn’t let you all alone I case you’ll be scared.”

You can see Caitlin’s smile from the corner of your eyes. You hate the pleasant feeling with the fact that she seems to care about you. One thing is sure, this trip doesn’t help you about how in love you are with this girl.

You never talked so much with Caitlin before now, and you never were so close of her. Like right now, you are watching TV and Caitlin’s legs are on yours. You put your hand on the knees of the Australian like it’s nothing, mechanically drawing shapes on it. Sometimes she put her head on your shoulder, and you have to concentrate yourself to stay cool about it.

You grab something to eat before going to take a shower and prepare for the party. You know that they would have been pictures of the night so you tell Leah that Caitlin invites you to pass the night with her and her friends, you know your sister would have been worried to learn that you are alone tonight. Or sad. And you don’t want any of it.

To be honest, you haven’t taken an outfit for the party, you thought that you would be alone in your hotel room. So, you have to shop in Sydney to find the right one. You were getting ready in Jamie’s old bedroom and were looking at yourself with skepticism when Caitlin comes to knock on the door.

“Can I come in?”

“Yep” you simply answer.

She enters the room, and you want to cry. You always had something for her with her hair down and with the outfit she chooses, she’s just breathtaking.

“You look stunning” you say, without thinking about the consequences.

You are surprised to see her blush and hide your smirk by finishing to style your hair.

“Can we take a picture for my sister?” you ask to the Australian woman.

She nods and you briefly hesitate between a selfie or a mirror picture. You choose the second one, posing with a smile and the V-form with your fingers while Caitlin is sticking out her tongue.

You send the picture to Leah with Caitlin looking above your shoulder. The proximity makes your heartbeat faster, but you try to keep it cool one again.

“Are you ready to go?”

You follow Caitlin outside and in the Uber you command to go to her friend’s house. Knowing you both will be drinking, it’s safer this way. You already met some of Caitlin’s friends during your stay and they all are very friendly. But tonight, they will be more of them. The house is pretty crowded already when you arrived, and you are relieved to feel Caitlin grabs your arm.

“Stay next to me, yeah?”

You thank the World for Caitlin being a little shy at first and making her able to understand that you might not feeling ok surrounded by a lot of stranger people. You take the excuse to cross the house to slip your hand in hers. Her hand is soft and warm, and you miss the feeling when you have to let her go.

Caitlin introduces you to some of her friend’s you haven’t met for now. And if you notice the interested and non-subtle look of one of them, you act like you don’t realize it at first. But then, she starts to talk to you so much that you almost don’t have the possibility to pass time with Caitlin.

At some point, you even lose sight of her. And you don’t like the idea, what if someone get close to her? In the way you dream of it? You don’t know if you would support it to be honest, not after being so close of her.

“Come on, let’s dance!” Julia tells you, taking you away of your thoughts.

She takes you on the part of the house being dedicated for the dancefloor and you follow her without saying anything. You look around to see if you can see Caitlin, but it seems like she’s not here. You distract yourself by dancing with Julia who is a pretty good dancer to be honest.

At some point, she comes closer to you to be able to be heard through the loud music. Her hand is on your hips and her mouth right next to your ear.

“It’s a shame that you live so far away. I really would like to know you better.”

You sigh internally, wondering how someone can flirt with you with such facilities when you can’t even make a hint for Caitlin to understand how much you care for her. You don’t have time to answer anything, because there is suddenly someone taking your arm and you recognize the softness of those hand before turning around.

“Mind if I take her back?” Caitlin asks.

Julia raises both of her hand in sign of surrender with a smile. She says something like “Talk to you later” but you don’t really listen to her, your eyes being plunged in Caitlin’s one.

She looks upset, but her voice is calm when she speaks to you.

“I’m going outside. Would you come with me?”

“Sure” you smile softly.

She hadn’t let go of your arm, but you pass your other around it to be sure not being separated from her during your journey to the door. You feel pathetic but you’ll do anything to be able to be close from her. Everyone seems to be here by now and the house is very crowded. With the music, the laughs, and the discussions, going outside is finally a good idea.

There is no one in the garden and the fresh air makes you shiver. But you prefer to be concentrated on Caitlin who has a wrinkle between her eyebrows from frowning. She sits on a low wall, and you follow her to stand next to her, looking at the moon to forget how much you want to touch her.

“Are you ok?” you ask after several minutes of silence.

“I am” she only answer, looking at the horizon.

It seems to you that she is not, but you don’t say anything else. You thought that she asked you to come with her to talk or something, but it seems like you were wrong. Caitlin doesn’t stay silence for long though, turning suddenly in your direction.

“No, in fact I’m not.”

“What’s up?”

“I’m trying to figure out things, and I can’t. And I really need to do it now because otherwise I think I’m really going to become crazy.”

She seems angry and desperate at the same time. She’s talking with her arms, a thing that she usually doesn’t. Hopping to help her to relax a little, you come near her, putting your hand on her knee.

“You can tell me everything, you know that right?”

She sighs, passing a hand on her face. You have the feeling to understand what she think, and that it’s the fact that she doesn’t know where to begin.

“I just… You came here from your appointment but you brought me food just because I mentioned the day before.”

“Yes” you confirm quietly.

It’s maybe better for you not to precise that you went to your appointment because you came here. This feels maybe a little creepy.

“And you told me that you start writing me and talking to me more because you heard by Leah that I was struggling after my breakup with Lia.”

“Yes” you say again.

“Why did we stop talking by the way? It looks like suddenly we grow apart?”

You shrug only, not knowing what to answer to her. You obviously take care not to cross her eyes when you answer.

“Why did you come back anyway? After my breakup?”

“Because I care for you” you answer, looking at her carefully.

“I think I need to know how much you care about me” she says slowly, and you are happy to be in the dark because your cheeks are bright red. “Please, Y/N. Because sometimes I feel like you like me as a friend and sometimes, I feel like there is more than that. But when I tell myself that, you kind of back off and everything is strange and blur again. Just like tonight, I thought that we would pass the night together, but you kept dancing with Julia and I understand because she’s fun and beautiful. But I hated to see you with her, and everything is… blur. And I really need to understand.”

It's your turn to stay silence, because where the hell could you start. You are not closed to answer to her questions, but you are scared because what you have seems so fragile to you.

“Are you interested in me more than a friend?” she finally asks.

Well, maybe you should have talk before because this question is very difficult to answer. Not because you don’t know the answer but because it can change anything. You swallow your saliva with difficulty before answering. You can’t lie to her.

“Yes. I am.” you mumble.

You hear Caitlin taking a big breath before expiring and you just can’t look at her. You hear the people inside getting excited and you wonder if it’s because it will soon be midnight.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Caitlin asks quietly.

“Because I care about you! At first you were in a relationship, and you seemed so happy in it and why in the world would I be between someone and their happiness? Then you broke up with Lia and you seemed so sad and so lost, and I didn’t want to take advantage of you in any way.”

You were talking fast, and loud, the feelings of all of it taking over the rest. You were struggling too, so much, but it was easier anyway to keep all of those feelings inside.

“And now? Why didn’t you say anything?”

You sigh and shrug. You just admitted that you were basically in love with her since day one, what can be worse than that anyway?

“Because I prefer to have you in my life as a friend than to take the risk to lose you.”

There is a moment of silence and just before Caitlin start to talk again, you hear the other people starting to count the seconds before midnight and the New Year.

“You are an idiot.”

10… 9… 8…

You hear Caitlin talk and even if the words could have been harsh, you have the feeling that she is smiling. You just have to look at her to see that she actually is, not her big toothy smile, but the small one. Her smirk.

“What?” you ask.

“You’re an idiot, Y/N Williamson.”

7…6…5…

Caitlin jumps from the small wall she was sitting on to come closer to you. You are frozen, you just watch her move to be right in front of you. You can smell her perfume, see how much her eyes are blue. She looks at your eyes too, before that her eyes drop on your lips.

4…3…2…

She cups your jaw with her hand, so tenderly that you just want to melt only with that gesture. Your heart almost went out of your body when you realize that she’s leaning to you, still letting you the possibility to back off if you want to.

You don’t want to.

1…0

Just when your lips met, the firework of the city irrupts in the sky, being a pretty good metaphor of what you’re feeling inside right at this moment. You are finally kissing the girl you are in love with and she’s kissing you back. She even put her hand in your back to press you against her while her other hand left your jaw to be on your neck.

When the air became an issue, you press your forehead against hers, without being able to suppress the big smile on your face. When you open your eyes, you see that she’s looking at you, offering a shy smile.

“Do you want to go home? To talk about all of this?”

“Talking?” you smile softly.

“Well, maybe kissing too, a little bit.”

16 August 2023 – The World Cup

You shouldn’t feel that way. It’s the semi-finale of the Women World Cup in Australia and your national team, England just won it place for the finale against Spain. You distractedly prevent your sister from jumping from excitement, so as not to make her knee injury worse. You would probably have been happier about the results if Leah were on the pitch, to be honest.

You are looking at your girlfriend’s silhouette, sitting on the floor. You can’t express how much you would like to go on the pitch and hug her tightly. You know how much this game meant for Caitlin and the rest of her team. Seeing her away from you from only several meters when you weren’t able to see her from almost two months is hard too.

You chose to hide your relationship with Caitlin to anyone around you, except Caitlin’s mother who definitively can read way to easily into people. So, you weren’t able to explain to your sister why you felt so moody those past days, the distance between you and Caitlin being hard to deal with. You can’t explain how much you missed her. Even if you call each other every day, it wasn’t the same.

You were busy helping Leah with her injury though, taking her to every single of her appointment, letting Lia Wälti doing it when you weren’t able to. Since Caitlin left, you went to live to Leah’s. And when your big sister told you that she was coming to Australia to the match, you came too. You even were able to see your brother this time.

After the game, Leah took you to the locker room to meet her teammates and you hug the ones playing to Arsenal. And Alessia Russo, who is coming for the new season too. You were talking to Mary Earps when you feel your phone buzz in your pocket. Excusing yourself, you get out the locker room to answer when you see Caitlin’s ID on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Are you still in the stadium?”

“Yes. Where are you?”

“I just went back to my hotel room. Everyone is so sad, I can’t look at them right now.”

You pout, hearing that said sadness in Caitlin’s voice too. You can easily imagine her on her bed, still her Matilda’s jogging.

“I’m so sorry Babe” you whisper in your phone, looking around you to be sure that no one is around. “You played great and I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks” she mumbles before adding “I miss you.”

“I miss you too, so so much. When are you going back to London?”

“Two days after the game against Sweden. They still want to make a celebration about all of it in Sydney. Are you still staying to watch the finale?”

“Yes, Leah got us tickets. I’m going back the day after though; would you like to go back with me instead?”

She hums only and you’re not sure that she really understands what you ask her. You are not angry or hurt anyway, you know that she has to deal with the lost and the sadness of it. You just want to make her feel better.

One hour later, you were waiting for her to answer to you in front of her door. You managed to sneak inside the hotel and left Leah with Keira and Georgia. You are not sure that she realized you were missing, so happy to be able to pass time with some of her closest friends.

You knock again when you realized that no one is answering, not too hard. You don’t want to attract anybody’s attention. You were tense, scared to be seen by someone. Thanks God, Caitlin finally opens her door and looks at you like she’s seeing a ghost.

“Are you alone?” you whisper.

“Yes, but…”

Just like her mother would say, no but. You entered the room and immediately pass your arms around her neck to kiss her. Caitlin needs several seconds to realize what is happening before kissing you back.

“What are you doing here?” she asks gently when you release each other.

“I missed you. And you are sad and being just dozens of meters away from you without being able to talk to you killed me.”

Caitlin smile sadly, taking your hand to make you sit on her bed. Unlike you were thinking, she changed her clothes and is wearing a short with a hoodie. It feels very soft when you take her against you to hug her. You close your eyes, letting yourself invade by her sent.

“I was looking at you every time I was able to. You are hot in a jersey, but yellow would have suits you better than white.”

She pulls gently on the white t-shirt you’re wearing, a number eight with Williamson on the back, of course. You smile softly, kissing her temple. She snuggles closer to you, passing on of her leg on your own.

“Have you eaten something?” you ask.

“Nah. I’m not really hungry for now.”

“What about a bath?”

“I already took a shower.”

“Ok, I’m asking the question again. What about a bath with me?” you ask after a sigh.

You feel her smirk against you, and she sit on the bed to be able to look at you.

“You mean I’ll have the possibility to get you away from this horrible jersey and having you naked against me by the same move? I’ll be crazy to say no.”

You roll your eyes and throw a cushion at her before getting up from the bed. You then go to the bathroom to start running the water, waiting patiently to find the right temperature. You check your phone just to be sure that Leah isn’t looking for you when the tube is getting filled, and then you go back to Caitlin in the room.

“It’s ready when you are Babe.”

You give her both hands to help her to get up from the bed, which she doesn’t hesitate to take. But, as she gets up from the bed, she’s not following you to the bathroom like you thought she would. She passes her arms around your shoulder, holding you tight against her.

Understanding what she needs, you hold her back, even firmer against you. You are higher from several centimeters from her, not so much though. But you like the way she can easily hide her face in your neck without taking strange position. You rock her softly, kissing her cheeks and her hair several times, only to release her when she’s ready.

“Thanks for coming here for me” she whispers against your skin.

“Every time” you smile sincerely, looking tenderly at her.

She smiles back and cup your chin with her hand, before following you to the bathroom this time. You try to make her go alone in the tub; you really just want her to relax. But you finish with her in it, massaging slowly her back.

You know her team has special masseurs and that they are definitively way more skillful that you are. But seeing how your girlfriend has her eyes closed and let you do whatever you want, it must not be unpleasant. Except that the moan and whispers she’s making are making you think about something else, and please everyone forgive you, but you don’t had sex for two months and your girlfriend is naked in front of you.

“Why d’you stop?” Caitlin mumble with a pout.

You are glad that she’s sitting in front of you and that she can’t see your face, because you are bright red once again. You don’t want to take advantage of her, she’s upset and tired. You kiss her shoulder though, getting her hair out of the way. You love her with her hair down. Have you already mentioned it?

“Isn’t it time for great footballer to go to bed?”

She groans and turn around to face you. You are trying hard to just look at her face and not being distracted by everything else. But then she sits on your lap, and you have to get out of the water right now.

“Why are you so tense?” she frowns. “You may be the one needing a massage.”

You laugh softly and decide to be honest with her since not talking about your feelings made you lost time before. And you are a very bad liar. You bite your bottom lip before answering.

“I haven’t seen you in like two whole months, which mean that I haven’t touch you from two months, Caitlin. And you are naked on me and I’m really trying to be a good and caring girlfriend without sinful ideas because I know how much disappointed you are, but you make it very hard. Plus, the water is getting cold.”

The realization appears on her face, before being erased by mischievous smile.

“We still can put hot water in it.”

In the end, you add hot water on the tub several times. When you emerge from the bath, you are as tired as Caitlin, and she doesn’t need many pleas to make you stay with her. You were planning to go back to your hotel room that night to be honest. But you don’t. You answer to Leah who wrote you to tell you that she’s sleeping with the team and asked you if you want to go with her before going under the cover next to your Aussie’s girlfriend.

You lie face to face with her and smile when she starts to stroke your face.

“You are so beautiful.”

You roll your eyes and smile.

“You need to sleep Foord; you are starting to get delirious.”

She frowns and hit your forehead before leaning to kiss you. You smile against her lips and when she turns around to let you cuddle her from behind, you don’t need more than several seconds to fall asleep.

Hours later, you are waking up of your peaceful sleep by a deep voice with an Australian accent.

“Caitlin Foord what the hell?!”

Caitlin jumps next to you and you groan, hiding under the cover. Before you understand what is really happening, your girlfriend took Mackenzie Arnold by the arm to take her with her in the bathroom.

“Why the hell is there Leah Williamson half naked in your bed?” Mackenzie whisper-shout from the bathroom.

You roll your eyes, rolling on your back to grab your phone. It’s more than 9 in the morning, you really should have put an alarm on your phone. Thanks god, there isn’t message from Leah for now.

“It’s not Leah” you hear Caitlin answer.

“I have bloody eyes you know?”

Now that you realize what is happening, your heart is pounding. Mackenzie isn’t a close friend of Leah, but you know that her girlfriend is a good friend of Alessia who is a good friend to Leah. And you. But more to Leah. And you obviously can’t let anyone near Leah know about your relationship.

“It’s not Leah! … It’s her sister.”

There is a moment of silence and then

“You are in so much trouble. Leah is going to kill you.”

“I know! That’s why you have to shut your mouth Macca, even with Kristy.”

Mackenzie snorts and even you can’t see it, you easily can imagine Caitlin’s imploring look. There is a sigh, and you sit on the bed.

“Alright, I’m not saying anything. But you really should have chosen someone else to get over the lost.”

“It’s not just… We are together, actually. Like in couple.”

“Oooh that’s why you are always glued to your phone?”

“It’s not really the time to talk about that right now” Caitlin points.

She’s right, but you can’t help but smile at this. You are happy to have a good abonnement though, otherwise you will probably be poor because of your phone’s bill. There is some more noise, and the door handle goes down before the gesture suddenly stops.

“Not a word to Alanna too, please.”

“Promise.”

After that they are both out of the bathroom and you smile awkwardly to Mackenzie before she waves at you and get out of the room.

“I’m so sorry.”

Caitlin looks so tense that you almost feel sorry for her, but you are really stressed too. You shouldn’t have stayed the night here. Sighing, you get up from the bed to look for your clothes.

“It’s not your fault.”

Caitlin hums and while you are getting ready, a question pops suddenly in your head. You look up at your girlfriend who is sitting on the windowsill, looking outward. She’s still in her pj’s with her bed hair.

“Cait?” you call her softly.

She just turns her head in your direction. To distract yourself a little bit, you braid your hair while asking the question bothering you.

“I shouldn’t be concerned about Mackenzie coming in your room at random hours of the day or night, right?”

Her face goes soft, and she breaks the few meters between you to stop right in front of you.

“You don’t have anything to be worried about” she answers, slipping a rebellious lock of hair behind your ear. “No one is in my mind apart from you. Plus Macca has her own girlfriend.”

“Ok.” you smile before hugging her.

You stay in her arms longer than usual. Saying her goodbye is hard even if you know you will see her again in several days now.

April 2024 – The Fight

It was several months after the World Cup that Caitlin mentions for the first time to talk to Leah about your relationship. You were still hiding at that time, just like you are still doing now. You refuse to do it, saying that it was too early and explaining to her again why you can’t do that for now.

She understood your place but then she talked about it again in January, when you had to wait for several days to have a date to celebrate your first anniversary. The date being the First of January, you were obviously passing the day with Leah and your family. You gave her the same answer, it’s too soon and you don’t want to fight with your sister when she’s about to come back on the pitches from her injury.

But now, Caitlin is talking about it again and you can feel how much she’s frustrated about it. You try to make everything to distract her from that idea. You took her on trip just the two of you, using once again your jet to gain time. You are sleeping at her house every time you can. In reality you would love to be open about your relationship, in front of your friends and family at least. But you can’t take the risk to lose or disappoint your sister.

“It’s been a year and three months, Y/N.” Caitlin is saying, frowning like never before. “Leah is back on the pitch; we won the finale against Chelsea and your last deal went well and there is nothing holding us now. Well, except you.”

You sigh, pitching the base of your nose. You don’t want to fight with her. It happens almost never to be fair, only when you are talking about this.

“I can’t do it now, Babe. I just… I don’t know how Leah would react and I can’t take any risks.”

“You can’t or you won’t?”

“I can’t, Caitlin.”

She snorts and cross her arms on her chest. She’s hurt, you can see it. You try to take a step to touch her, but she backs up from two steps where you took one. Your arm falls stupidly against your hip.

“Come on, you can’t ask me to choose between you and my sister. I told you since the beginning why we can’t talk about it to people.”

“Why are we even together then?” she asks coldly.

The question hurts but you decided to ignore the feeling to stay honest to your girlfriend and make her understand your statement.

“Well I don’t know, because I love you?” you answer, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t feel like it’s really the case right now.”

“Don’t say that” you frown too. “You know that I love you.”

But Caitlin is shaking her head and starts collecting her things around your living room. She’s shaking and you try once again to make her stop. Your arguments have never been deeper.

“Baby, please…” you start but she cuts you.

“No. I can’t do that anymore. I can’t stay with you if that means we’ll never evolve in any way. I just can’t.”

You feel numb when you look at her putting her shoes and taking her vest. You follow her like a lost puppy in the entrance, trying once again to grab her arm. You are successful this time and she stops her movements.

“Where are you going?”

“Home. Let go of me now, please.”

You just obey, slowly releasing her arm. There is a lump in your throat when you talk again.

“Are you breaking up with me?”

Your voice is hardly even a whisper, but Caitlin doesn’t miss it. Her blue eyes cross yours when she looks up over her shoulder.

“Talk to you soon.”

And then, she’s gone. You try to call her of course, texted her too, but she never answered. It’s with puffy red eyes and tears on her face that Leah finds you under your covers in your bed several hours later. She got scared when she doesn’t receive any answer to her text and just come to your home.

She hugs you at first, helping you to calm down to be able to talk and explain what is happening. You hesitated at first, before telling her everything. Well, almost everything because you never mentioned Caitlin’s name or the fact that she knows Leah.

“Tell me her name and I will go on her to make you cry like this.”

Your big sister managed to take you out from your bed to go to the living room and made you drink water and eat something. There are still tears running on your face from time to time, but Leah takes the time to wipe them gently each time.

“She just broke up with me. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Leah makes a grimace before taking you back against her for a new hug.

“If she can’t wait for you, it means that she didn’t deserve you, Love.”

“Can we stop talking about her? Please.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

Leah puts the TV on, starting a random show and you try to concentrate on it. You can’t really, but you are still so thankful for your sister. The way she listened to you talking, holding you while you cry like a crazy woman without pushing you to know anything else makes you think that maybe she wouldn’t have scream if you talked to your love for Caitlin. But it’s too late anyway. Caitlin doesn’t want you anymore.

********

Two days after, on Saturday, Leah took you to the game. She almost hasn’t left your side, only to go to training. You are still working though, losing yourself in work. Like you always did before Catilin.

“What’s happening to your sister?” Lia asks Leah during the training.

Your sister turns in your direction, watching you several seconds before sighing. She’s aware that Caitlin isn’t far away from them, but she doesn’t know where your problem comes from, so she answers anyway. Caitlin is supposed to be your friend after all.

“She’s navigating through her first breakup” Leah answers, still looking at you.

Your mother is sitting next to you, she has her hand on your shoulder. Leah explained to your parents what was happening to you and of course your mother is looking for you like you are dying. You are looking at the pitch, but Leah can tell that you aren’t really looking. Unless you’ve discovered in yourself a passion for corner posts.

“Oh? I didn’t know she had someone.”

“Me neither” your sister sighs. “She’s like this since Wednesday but she doesn’t want to tell me who she is.”

Next to your sister, Caitlin gulps nervously when she crosses Steph’s gaze. Caitlin is a mess since Wednesday too. She took the decision to leave, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy for her. She almost called you a thousand times. She missed you and wasn’t able to hide her sadness with the people who know her the best. Steph Catley is one of them.

“What?” Caitlin snaps at her teammate.

“Nothing” Steph answers, still looking at her suspiciously.

Caitlin went back to the bench nervously to grab something to drink, looking discreetly in your direction. Now your mother is talking to you, and you are looking at her, but Caitlin knows you very well and realizes how destroyed you look. Of course, it made her sadder than ever, but she still has her point. She wants to move in with you, be able to talk about her girlfriend to everyone one, she wants to take you on date in London and not only seeing you in one of your apartments. She wants to be able to walk holding your hand where you both live, not in the other side of the world. She wants to be able to take a plane without needing to hide in the airport.

You were hopping that Caitlin will be benched today, but she’s starting just like Leah. Which means that you will have to look at her for 90 minutes, knowing that you lost her.

It’s a great game to be honest, and while your mother feed you with fries and chicken nuggets (it’s a family thing) you are able to distract yourself enough not to cry while watching your ex-girlfriend.

Leah is sub at the 78th minute and Caitlin is still playing. You would have preferred for her to go on the bench too, particularly when she got hurt five minutes after that. The tackle wasn’t clean at all and you know right away that Caitlin is hurt. Like really hurt. You don’t need to see the stretchers coming for her, you don’t need the concerned looks of her teammate or Katie shouting at the girl taking Caitlin down.

You are up of your seat instantly, trying to have a better look of what is happening. They take longs agonizing minutes to get Caitlin out of the pitch and you run in the locker room in hope to be able to see her. But you just run into Leah.

“I’m going to the hospital to be with her” your sister explains to you. “I’m not allowed to go with her to the ambulance so I’ll take my car.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Sure.”

You are relieved that she doesn’t question you, but once again Caitlin and you are supposed to be friends. Even close friends. You follow Leah to the parking, and she’s ignoring the fan calling her name for the first time. You are so nervous that you want to throw up and you are glad that your sister isn’t talking, otherwise you are not sure that you will be able to contain yourself.

One of the Arsenal’s medics is waiting for you when you arrive, and he takes you into a private waiting room. From now, you just have to wait. Sitting next to Leah, you put your head on her shoulder and are glad that her cuddle instinct is so high when she passes her arm around your waist to hug you. You really don’t deserve her love; you were lying to her from months now.

Leah was scrolling on her phone for what feels like hours when someone comes in the waiting room.

“Are you here for miss Foord?” the medic asks.

“We are” Leah answers while getting up. “How is she?”

“Right. So, her leg has a doble fracture, but those are sharps break so she normally doesn’t need any surgery. She’s in a lot of pain though, so we give her something to help her. She also has a big bruise on the knee, but it will resolve itself. Would you like to see her?”

“If it’s possible, yes” Leah nods.

“Only one person for now.”

Your sister turns to you and you shrug, trying your best to smile at her. You would kill to be able to see Caitlin right now, but she doesn’t know that you are here. And you’re not sure that she wants to see you. Probably not.

“Go. I’ll text or ring her mother.”

Leah nods once again and follow the male nurse to Caitlin’s room. There are strange machines in the room, but Caitlin is up.

“She’s under drugs. She might be a little out of it” the medic whispers to Leah before leaving the room.

The noise of the door makes Caitlin turns her head in Leah’s direction. The blonde gives her a smile and take a chair to sit next to her.

“Oh. Wrong Williamson.”

“What?” Leah laughs softly while sitting up.

Caitlin is speaking like she’s half-asleep but when she looks at Leah, your sister feels like she knows very well what she’s saying. At least that the words are real.

“I would rather see your sister.”

She shrugs and wince, the drugs making her head feels fuzzy.

“Well she’s here, I still can ask her to come if you want” Leah proposes kindly.

“She’s here?”

The surprise on Caitlin’s tone is astonishing to Leah, who frowns a little while looking at her friend. She knows how much time you pass together, well for the brunch or this kind of things. Not really that you passed almost every night together when you are in London. Unless it’s a Monday and you are at Leah’s.

“Yeah?”

Caitlin stays quiet for several seconds, before sighing and looking at the window. The view isn’t amazing to be honest, just the parking lot of the hospital.

“She wouldn’t want to see me anyway. I fucking broke her heart.”

“What are you talking about?” Leah frowns deepens.

She doesn’t mean to take advantage of Caitlin under drugs, but it’s about you and you are the person who is the most important in her life. It’s not a one-side thing, you are Leah’s person as much as she’s yours.

“We had a fight Wednesday because I wanted to tell you about our relationship or at least that she really thinks about telling you. But like usual she had excuses, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I love her so much it’s hurt. I just want to be able to hold my girl in public and tell the world how wonderful she is. Who travel the world to bring someone fucking pancake? We were amazing and now we are nothing and a fucking prick just broke my fucking leg and I just want to her to hug me. But she can’t because I fucking wasn’t patient enough with her.“

Leah is stunned. And not only because of Caitlin’s unusual use of swear words. She never though a single second that Caitlin and you were more than just friends. Or that the Australian was the reason of your tears for the last days.

“I know that she loved me, but she loves you even more Leah. She was so scared to lose you. But now I lost her. And I’m really tired.”

“You should sleep a little maybe” Leah mumbles.

Caitlin sighs and close her eyes.

“I’m going to see my sister, will you be ok alone a little bit?”

“Yeah” Caitlin breath before opening her eyes. “Will you tell her? That I love her?”

Leah hesitates some seconds before nodding and smiling softly.

“Yeah. I will.”

She watches the Australian woman closes her eyes and falling asleep as soon as her eyes are closed. Her mind is running, trying to understand what she just learned. She feels like she isn’t really here when she finds you still sitting on the waiting room. You immediately spot her concern look and get up from your chair.

“Is everything ok? I just wrote to Caitlin’s mother that she will be fine?”

“Yeah, she just fell asleep.”

You let a shaky breath pass your lips, really relieved. Your sister still looks pale, but maybe it’s because of those white walls?

“She has a message for you though, that she asked me to tell you.”

“What is it?”

You are curious to know and look at your sister who cross her arms on her chest while looking at you.

“She asks me to tell you that she loves you.”

Well now you might be whiter than Leah. Your big sister watches you become paler than ever, she watches your eyes widen too and how you open your mouth several times to talk without anything coming out.

“What were you thinking Y/N, really?”

You could cry right now. You passed months perfectly hiding your relationship to Leah, giving you probably the onset of an ulcer due to anxiety, and some drugs from a public hospital is going to break all the efforts you made?

“Leah, I’m so sorry” you began, begging while looking at her. “Please, I never wanted to hide something to you, I swear.”

You were panicking. You just lost your girlfriend and now you are about to lose your sister too. The two most important people in your world, sorry to your mom.

“I just don’t understand” Leah says, shaking her head.

You probably are going to have a panic attack.

“I…”

“I don’t understand” Leah cuts you “How you might have thought that I will be mad at you for being with someone who made you happy?”

You don’t understand and you probably don’t look very intelligent with the way you are looking at Leah. She’s still frowning, but you realize that she isn’t mad at you, she just seems lost.

“You said several times that I wasn’t allowed to flirt with one of your teammates, Le” you point, whispering.

“I said flirt because I didn’t want some of hormonal footballer taking advantage of you! Being in love is something else.”

“You are not mad at me?” you ask shyly.

“Of course not, you idiot. I love you more than anything, your happiness is what comes first.”

Leah rolls her eyes and reach out to you. You don’t hesitate to go in her arms, relieved by the unexpected turn of events. The nose in her hair, you whisper :

“I’m sorry for keeping things away from you.”

“It’s ok” Leah says softly, squeezing you a little harder. “I’m sorry you were in so much pain.”

She kisses your cheek and let you go, not without taking you by the shoulders to have a better look at you.

“We are going to make things better between you and Caitlin now, if it’s really what you want. Ok?”

“I’m not sure she’s still interested. She really is mad at me.” you shrug.

“Please. She told me I’m the wrong Williamson, if she doesn’t take you back, I’ll send her back to Sydney.”

********

When Caitlin wakes up almost three hours later, the sun was gone and the room is almost in the dark. There is a small light on the nightstand, and she needs some seconds to remember where she is and why her leg is hurting like hell. She groans and try to roll on her side, her back sore to have been in the same position for hours now. But her leg hurts more, and she opens her eyes, grimacing slightly.

Then she sees you and froze several seconds.

You were already looking at her, like you were doing since you entered the room. She doesn’t seem really peaceful while sleeping and your heart hurt to see her in pain.

“Hi” you whisper, in case her head is hurtful.

“Did I really told your sister than I’m in love with you or was I dreaming?”

You look at her several seconds, trying to see in her eyes if she’s stressed or anxious before answering.

“You ask her to tell me that you love me, but I guess it’s the same thing.”

“Shit. I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok” you say, coming closer to the bed. “It’s not what bother me now. How are you feeling?”

“Ok, I guess. Thanks god we are at the end of the season. The doctor said I will be ok to play for the Olympics.”

“That’s a good new”

Caitlin hums and you look at your hands, lost in your thoughts. It’s maybe a good think that she hasn’t ask you for now to get out of her room, but you chose not to push your luck too much.

“I uh, I’ll let you in peace now. I wrote to your mother and your sister to reassure them, but Beth came with your phone and other stuff like one hour ago” you explain while getting up. “You can write to them if you want to.”

“Oh… No wait, please. Can you stay? Just a little bit?”

You hesitate for several seconds, looking at Caitlin before answering anything. You want to stay, of course. You finally slowly sit down again on the chair.

“Thanks” she mumbles. “Look, about what I said to Leah…”

“It’s ok” you say again, shrugging. “She isn’t mad.”

“No?”

You shake your head, playing with your nails and fingers without looking at her. Caitlin knows how much Leah means for you so you’re pretty sure that she would have feel guilty if Leah was mad at you.

“Is she not mad because she knows that we are no longer together, or would she have been even if we were still together?”

“I think she would have been ok. If that was the case.”

You hear Caitlin takes a deep and big breath, making you look at her. You can’t read the feeling on her face, so you are happy to see her talking again. You don’t know what behavior you can have with her now, are you still able to ask her all the questions you want?

“I don’t know how to say that” Caitlin sighs. “But is there a chance that we maybe try to make things better between us?”

“Better like in being friends again?”

You see Caitlin rolling her eyes and you understand quickly that you haven’t guess right. You are surprised to see a small smile on her face despite the situation you are in.

“How can you be so clever when it’s about your company and so obvious when it concerns relationships?”

You roll your eyes too, used to being criticized about your lack of ease in human relations when they do not concern your job.

“Yes, because you are the most sociable and none-shy person in the world yourself.”

“Touché.”

There is a silence, during which you are looking at each other.

“Can you forgive me for running away the other day?” Caitlin asks softly.

“Only if you forgive me for believing during all this time that my sister wouldn’t accept our relationship and how I was wrong.”

She smiles again and you smile back at her. You get up when she asks you to sit next to her by patting the bed next to her. That place being the other side of her injured leg, you oblige.

“I don’t know how explain how sorry I am. I shouldn’t have left like this.”

“I get it. It wasn’t a pleasant situation. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t love you or anything.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“I am too” you whisper.

After one second of hesitation, you put your head on her shoulder, and you close your eyes when she put her chin on your head.

“So, what now that Leah knows?” Caitlin asks.

To be honest, you don’t really know. Today was a lot of feelings to deal with and you don’t even know where to start. Your girlfriend (?) seems to understand what is happening in your head, because she kisses tenderly your temple before talking.

“What about I get out from here first?”

“That sounds good” you smile softly. “And from here, you come right to mine so I can take care of you.”

“Perfect.”

You watch the Aussie laying down on the bed and you turn on your side to be able to look at her better. With your finger, you are tracing random patterns on her arm. You know that she’s falling asleep but you need to ask the question.

“Cait?”

“Mh?” she answers, without opening her eyes.

“Are we back together? Like, are you my girlfriend again?”

She snorts and snuggle closer from you, already half-asleep.

“Yes we are. Weirdo.”

#woso imagine #woso x reader #woso fanfics #woso one shot #caitlin foord imagine #caitlin foord x reader #caitlin foord #leah williamson #leah williamson imagine

[f1smutwriter]

Hi tis me again

I feel awkward with all the request. I'm just obsessed with f1 rn.

Pierre learning to do your acrylic nails so he can spend more time with you during the f1 season.

This guy's love language is acts of service and quality time

Chilling in the hotel in pajamas drinking wine and sushi getting your nails done by pierre gloating about your man on socials like "your bf could never but here's what mine does." Maybe he gets teased about ut by the other drivers but who cares he bagged a bad bitch and he's in love.

Almond shape but otherwise what ever is fine.

| 𝐌𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐧 (𝐩𝐠𝟏𝟎)

𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Pierre the perfect boyfriend anyone could ask for. He adores his girlfriend and treats her like the princess she is. So he learned to do nails just for his princess

Warnings: nothing just some tea and cursing

Notes: Gosh these Pierre fics you request gosh I love them. Like these are my favorite things to write when the guy just does something to spend time with you. This is my first time doing the Instagram thing on tumblr but I do them all the time on Wattpad so if you don’t like it just let me know and I’ll change it for you girl. Hope you love it!

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Ma chérie you ready” he called out for me as I come out of the bathroom with a smile. “Hi handsome” I smiled kissing his lips softly as I sit down on the bed so he can paint my toes. “I learned this cool new thing. Best thing ever” he smiled as he rubbed my feet softly making me sigh feeling more relaxed.

“Handsome I don’t know why you do this, you don’t have to” I whispered softly making her chuckle softly. “Mon cœur I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t want to” he smiled softly kissing my leg making me shiver softly. “I get to spend more time with you, plus I want to pamper my girl” He smiled making me blush from his words.

“Why do you have to be so perfect all the time” I mumbled before he snorts causing me to laugh with him. “You know what sounds amazing right now” I whispered softly as he looks up at me. “Why are you whispering” he laughed making me kick him softly. “Sushi and wine” I groaned softly craving both of them. “Want me to order us sushi and wine” he asked softly making me nod frantically. He goes over to the phone and orders room service.

“Coming in about 30 minutes” he said softly making me squeal. “thank you baby” I whispered kissing him feeling him grab my waist to kiss me back softly. “Gosh you have no idea how in love I am with you” he whispered kissing my neck softly. “Let’s get back to your nails before I take you right here right now” he said sitting me down on my chair while he paints my nails.

˚｡⋆ ୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆ ˚｡⋆ ୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡

yourusername

Liked by pierregasly, and 1,000,000 others

yourusername: get you man who does all this for you, and his excuse to do all this was. “Amour I need to pamper you”

Tagged: pierregasly

view all comments

charles_leclerc: this needed to stay in the drafts

yourusername: someone is mad I took their man

charles_leclerc: mad your always second place 🤷‍♀️

yourusername: really because last time I checked I’m first place babes 😙

pierregasly: my pretty girl I love you ❤️

yourusername: I love you more handsome

User: Charles hate to break it to you but your second

charles_leclerc: I know :(

alexandrasaintmleux: oh for Charles to do this for me

yourusername: you don’t need Charles babe you have me 😉

charles_leclerc: back up bitch or we fight

yourusername: I’m slashing all your tyres

carlossainz55: NO please don’t we need to win

yourusername: oh well bye bye Ferrari

lilymhe: the fact I’ve been stalking your page

yourusername: babe stalk my page all you want

alexalbon: not only are you stealing my girl but Charles girl to

yourusername: I’m after all the wags my master plan

lilymhe: tbh I’d let her take me

alexalbon: 😣

maxverstappen1: he’s lowkey whipped for you

yourusername: yes he is and guess what I love it

pierregasly: I am she gives good head 💁‍♂️

yourusername: 😧

pierregasly: it had to be said Mon amour I’m sorry

User: I want a guy to treat me like this

User: me to they make me feel so single

˚｡⋆ ୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆ ˚｡⋆ ୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡

“Mon amour you posted me” Pierre asked shaking his head making me giggle. “Yes I had to baby, had to show everyone who my man was” I smiled before he grabbed me putting me on his lap. He started kissing my neck softly, feeling myself let out a small whimper. “I love you so much you have no idea baby” he whispered softly in my ear making me blush. “I love you more handsome” I smile before he kissed my head softly. “I love you the most princess” He whispered going back to kissing my neck.

˚｡⋆ ୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆ ˚｡⋆ ୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡

Pierre just got on the paddock now walking towards his garage to look at the car, but he got stopped by one of his best friends. “Bro painting her nails and all of that your whipped mate” Charles snorted before laughing at him. “Why am I whipped because I love my girl” He smiled at Charles before Charles shakes his head.

“I do it because I don’t spend time with her I’m always away, so it gives us some time together” Pierre explained making Charles let out a small smile. “It’s nice to see you like this man, all in love and everything” Charles commented as Pierre feels his cheeks get red. “Me in love what about you and Alex I see how you guys are with each other” Pierre laughed softly now making Charles blush a bit. “Look at us two blushing fools” Charles snorted making them both laugh out.

“Who would have thought” Pierre laughed softly as they both walk down the paddock.

“Who would have thought” Charles smiled softly

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Notes: I’m sorry this was short but I kinda was running out of things to say. I hope you guys liked it, and please send more requests I beg you.

#f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #pierre gasly x y/n #pierre gasly f1 #pierre gasly fluff #pierre gasly blurb #pierre gasly x reader #pierre gasly imagine #pierre gasly fanfic #pierre gasly #pierre gasly smau #charles leclerc #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc x reader #f1 fluff

[almondamaretto]

sunday

matt sturniolo x reader

summary: a rainy sunday afternoon is perfect for two things: getting high, and making out with hot people.

warnings: weed, kissing

a/n: i lowk hate this but idc!

not proof read.

✄┈┈┈┈

she stirred as the familiar vibration of a phone call interrupted her deep slumber, slinging her arm around in search of the agitating device. without lifting her head, her fingertips fell upon the cool, glossy screen of her phone. 

she opened her eyes just to squint them closed at the bright phone screen, the caller id reading off "matty b." 

pressing the bright green button, she pulled the phone up to her ear and slung her arm over her eyes, blocking any light from seeping in. 

"hey matt." she answered in a groggy voice that nearly resembled that of a whine. he always loved the way she sounded in the morning. or all the time really. 

she could hear the distant sounds of wheels driving on wet pavement and cars passing. that along with the poor bluetooth connection through is car told her he was driving. 

"hey doll, i'm on my way to your house right now, that ok? nick and chris are being annoying." 

slightly more awake now, she could hear the sleepiness in his voice, as if he too had just woken up. she pulled the phone from her ear to check the time. 12:32pm 

"say, it’s a bit early for you, isn't it?" she asked in a teasing manner, suppressing a yawn. she could now hear the faint sound of rain against her window. 

matt snorted in amusement, "yeah, the two idiots woke me up screaming at each other." 

"that's alright, I'll go unlock my door. see ya soon?" 

"i'm 5 minutes away." 

"be safe, bye matt." 

"bye, doll." 

doll. 

matt had used the nickname throughout their entire relationship. 

still, it never failed to bring heat to her face, her neck--all over. 

she remained in bed for a few moments, letting herself fully wake up before tossing her heavy comforter off. 

she shivered at the chilly air suddenly caressing her exposed skin, standing up and stretching her arms high into the air, inhaling deeply. 

she slipped a pair of socks on as a barrier between her feet and the cold floor, slipping out of her cozy room into the main section of her apartment. 

the cool, metallic texture of her lock was a stark contrast to her warm hands as she turned it, peeking out from behind her curtain to see what was happening outside. 

she waltzed over to her turntable, flicking it on and letting the record already on the platter play.  

as she walked over to her kitchen, the familiar crackling sounded throughout the apartment, followed by the reggae notes of bob marley's "three little birds." 

the sound of lucky charms cereal clinking against a ceramic bowl masked the noise of her door opening and shutting. so, when a slightly damp matt saw her swaying slightly to the music, he couldn't help himself. 

he snuck up behind her, wrapped his hands around her front, just under her loose baby tee, and lifted her up. "boo!" 

she yelled out in fear, until she recognized the voice of the man he startled her. "matthew!" she scolded in an angry tone. 

matt sat her back down gently, and dropped his head in fake guilt, failing to mask his sly smirk. "sorry, i couldn't pass up an opportunity like that." 

"first of all, fuck you. second of all, 'boo' is crazy." she responded through her laugh and turned to finish her much-needed bowl of sugary cereal. 

matt reached up beside her for a bowl--one from a different set--as a way to ask her for cereal. she filled both up with cereal and milk without a word. 

"i'm too cold for this shit." she mumbled under her breath and padded back into her welcoming bedroom. 

the sky outside was dark, so she turned on her array of string lights and lit a cinnamon scented candle, joining matt who had already climbed into her warm, plush bed. 

"i fucking love this bed." matt groaned out int pleasure, sprawling his limbs out as much as he could without risking spilling milk. 

she took a spoonful of cereal into her mouth and grabbed her tv remote, powering it on. "what do you wanna watch?" 

"gravity falls." he spoke from behind a mouth full of food. 

then, the two just sat in comfortable silence. bob marley playing lowly in the background, the television turned up just loud enough to hear it, wrapped in the comfort of her sheets. 

cereal bowls placed on her nightstand with care, the two cuddled into each other, legs tangled as she hugged his torso, head laying on his chest. 

they both recognized the palpable tension that followed them everywhere. they both knew there was something there. something unspoken. 

but that it what it remained--unspoken. neither took any action, too afraid of the outcome. 

matt glanced down at her, watching her eyelashes bat as she blinked, focused intently on the screen. however, as if she could tell, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. 

panicking, he looked back at the tv screen, urging himself to breathe normally. 

she stood up, a faint smirk painted on her beautiful face. "i have a great idea!" she said proudly, spinning to unlock one of her many windows to open it slightly. 

matt watched her intently as she bent over to look in the drawers of her nightstand, pulling out the essentials for a joint. "there's a reason we get along so well." he responded happily. 

she took mock offense. "what, its not my winning personality?"

"i guess that too."

"i'm gonna go flip the record, will you please roll it?" she asked with big pleading eyes, grinning widely when he nodded his head. 

upon her return, she saw him focused intently on creating the perfectly rolled joint. chewing on her lower lip, she watched as he rolled it tightly between his fingers, stinging his tongue out of his mouth to seal it shut. 

once finished, he held up the small object with a proud smile on his face. she giddily climbed back into the bed, placing the filter end between her lips, and lighting the end. 

she inhaled deeply, ignoring the burning in her throat, and passed it over to matt. 

exhaling, she once again snuggled into his side, craving his warmth. 

they passed the drug back and forth, enjoying the intoxicating feeling swarming their brains. her eyes had dropped down and turned red, and her need to be close to matt grew even stronger. 

at this point she had tuned gravity falls out, instead taking interest in the way the smoke lifted and swirled throughout her room, taking on the color of the few and far between sun rays that filtered through the rainclouds.

the sound of the rain falling against her balcony outside was comforting, nearly as much as matt pressed up against her, his heart beating steadily against her head.

passing it back once more to matt, she looked deeply into his eyes, refusing to look away, other than a quick few glances at his pink lips. she took her own in between her teeth. 

matt took a large hit, thankful for the drug's confidence boost, and brought his free hand up to her face. 

warily, he inched closer to her, pulling her closer with his hand. 

their lips were inches apart when he used his thumb to part them gently, tilting his head and blowing the vapor into her willing lungs. 

her hand snaked up to the back of his neck where she gripped the short hairs, and she exhaled the smoke. 

they paused for a moment, and in a quick decision she grabbed the thoroughly smoked roach, turned to snuff it out in her bedside ash tray, and turned back around to smash her lips against matt's. 

she was filled with the warmth she so desperately craved and needed. she straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, shuttering as he traced up and down her sides and back with his. 

the music playing from the other room was forgotten about along with the cartoon show on the tv. all of their thoughts were consumed by each other. 

slipping his tongue into her mouth, he tilted his head and brought a slender hand up to push her even closer to him, if it was possible. 

they fought over dominance of the kiss, exploring each other's mouths with need, short, breathless whines falling from their throats. 

without hesitation, matt flipped them over completely, so he was laying his weight on top of her.  

Small hands caressed his face and gently tugged on his hair, wet noises making both faces heat up in embarrassment. 

finally, they pulled away to catch their breath, chests heaving and pressing against one another with each intake of breath. both were left speechless, gazing into each other's eyes with starstruck looks of awe and affection. 

it wasn't long before matt leaned back in, this time acting with double the desire, twice the passion as before. 

they made out for what seemed like hours--it probably was--rolling around in her warm bed, impossibly tangling themselves in her cream-colored bedsheets. 

the only breaks they took were to breathe and for short, affectionate conversations which always led back to them shoving their tongues down each other's throats. 

they pulled apart again, still breathing heavily. 

"matt, y'know... i've-i've never liked someone the way i like you.” 

he smiled against her lips, placing a few more longing kisses on them. 

tucking hair behind her ear and holding both sides of her face, he stared intensely into her eyes. 

“i am in love with you, doll.” he confessed truthfully. 

she beamed with joy, her sheepish reaction telling him she felt exactly the same way. 

“even when you have really messy hair and a little bit of dribble on your chin.” he teased and wiped her pointy chin with his slender thumb.

she rolled her droopy eyes and shook her head, her giddy smile never leaving her red, swollen lips “just shut up and kiss me, idiot.” 

#matt sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo #matt sturniolo x reader #matt sturniolo fluff

[didhewinkback]

likes to watch

these photos required a blurb out of me sry it took 800 years but heres 4k of smut from the something old universe

---

You flicked off the lights of the ensuite, throwing the towel into the hamper as you headed over to the floor length mirror in the corner of the bedroom, lotion in hand. It’s been a long week, culminating tonight with what felt like the longest work dinner of your life, capped off with desperately needed drinks with the only two coworkers who get it. 

You barely saw Harry all week, two ships passing in the night as you dealt with extensive crises at work and he spent his days doing his unemployed side quests. He had texted you once the show was out, seeing if you wanted him to pick you up on his way back but you were already home by then, hopping in the shower to scrub the corporate small talk away. You tightened the rope on your robe and took a deep breath, more than ready to be in that bed and as far away from this week as possible.

You heard the front door open, immediately followed by his whistling. It was a tune you didn’t recognize but it still brought a smile to your face, the impact the show he just saw had on him seemingly immediate, even if he wasn’t conscious of it. His whistling is almost instantly drowned out by Sammy’s barks, and you can almost picture the scene as you hear it. Him crouching to greet the dog, his “‘s only me, Sammy! Just saw you a couple hours ago mate, ‘m not back from war” before a softer “yeah, yeah I missed you too.”

You place the lotion on the dresser, squirting it into your palm and rubbing it into your face and neck as you listen to him coo at the dog. It’s a few minutes before you hear his footsteps down the hallway, his knuckles on the door as he pushes it open and you look over at him, almost choking on air when you get a sight of him as he leans against the doorway, smiling over at you. 

He looked good. 

The beard and hair both growing in nicely, the mullet look you were tentative about at first really doing wonders on you now. And the fit? 

The fit.  

The blazer over the tight fitted tee, tucked into trousers that made his legs look like they went on for days. You couldn’t help gaping a bit, your eyes roaming up and down as you got a good look. 

“Like the fit?” he asks with a laugh, your grin widening as you lock eyes. 

“Love the fit.” you say, your eyes snagging on the words emblazoned across his chest, squinting as you try to read the lettering. “What’s the shirt say?”

He smirks, keeping his shoulder pressed against the doorframe as he uses his free hand to pull one of the lapels of the jacket open, helping you read the words 'I like to watch'.

You huff a laugh, smirking as you look back at his face, eyes staring back at you with a twinkle, a glint, and not an ounce of shame. 

“Cheeky,” you murmur and if possible, his smirk only deepens, your stomach twisting. You just stand there, staring at each other for a few moments. “You look fucking fit.”

“So do you.” he says, eyes simmering as they sweep slowly down your body.

“Me?” you ask incredulously, looking down at yourself. “I’m wearing your old robe.”

“Meant what I said,” he shrugs, unbothered as he pushes off the doorframe and makes his way over to you. 

His hands come up to frame your face as he leans in to kiss you, stealing a few in rapid succession before pulling away and wrapping his arms around you, pulling you close. You wind your arms around his neck, holding on as he rubs a hand up and down your back, pressing a kiss to your temple before pulling back to look at your face. “Hi.”

“Hi.” you say, leaning up to kiss him again. “Missed you this week.”

“Me too. You had a long week, huh? How was that dinner?” he asks, snorting a laugh when you make a face. “That bad?”

“Three of us immediately ran to a different pub the second it was over because we so desperately needed to talk shit,” you say, feeling warm down to your toes when he honks out a laugh. “The ballet was good?”

“So good,” he says, pulling a hand from your waist to brush a strand of hair behind your ear, brushing the backs of his fingers against your cheek before pressing a kiss there. “Really inspiring. The movement and the music - just the way they use their bodies to tell a story, express an emotion. Made me think about how much I need to stretch.” 

You snort.

“Made me think about more than that, y’ ninny.” he says, pinching your chin between his index finger and thumb when you laugh. “‘M just saying, It really moved me in a way art hasn’t in a while, so I’m excited to see what comes from it.” 

“Mmm, me too,” you say, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. “You haven’t called me a ninny since we were, like, 12.”

“Felt right in the moment,” he says with a smirk and you laugh, shaking your head before reaching for the lotion on the dresser and he whines when you move out of his embrace.

“I’m almost done,” you say, “Just be two seconds.”

You lift your leg, resting it on the pouf beside you and you hear his sharp intake of breath when the sides of your robe fall back, revealing the skin of your naked thigh. You go to squirt the lotion onto your hands when his hand clasps around your wrist.  

“Let me do that,” he says quietly, taking the lotion from your hands as he presses a slow, soft kiss to your cheek. 

He sits down on the pouf, looking up at you with a warmth in his eyes, the promise of more. He taps his thigh, before curling his hand around your calf, bringing it up so your foot rests on his thigh, your knee in line with his shoulder. He smooths his hand over your skin, your breath catching in your throat as he leans in to press his lips to your thigh. He closes his eyes, taking a shuddering breath and losing himself in the moment, as he slowly drags his lips up along your skin.  He pulls back after pressing a kiss to your knee, squirting lotion on his hands before working them up your legs, rubbing it into the smooth skin, kneading the muscles. You have to reach out a hand to hold on to his shoulder for support as his hands move up under the robe, before sliding back out. 

He places your foot on the floor and grabs the other, giving it the same treatment, taking his time to kiss up along your inner thigh before he works the lotion into your skin, fingers digging into the muscles until they loosen under his touch. You can’t take your eyes off him, feeling your breath quicken as he moves his hands over your skin, eyes not wavering from yours as he goes higher and higher, just shy of where you suddenly need him the most. 

He smirks when you deflate slightly as he puts your other foot on the ground though he immediately makes up for it by wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you in between his legs, lips twitching at your sharp intake of breath. He rests his chin on your belly, looking up at you. You bring a hand up to drag through his hair and he leans into the touch, his hands holding you tight before loosening their hold, slowly moving up and down the robe, squeezing as he goes. He presses a kiss to the terry cloth fabric covering you before pulling at the tie, sighing happily when it comes undone, the robe falling open to reveal your naked body underneath. 

He leans in slow, taking his time to kiss along your belly as his beard scratches your skin. His hand slides up to grope at your breast, arousal pooling in your stomach when you feel his tongue dart out against your stomach. He groans when your hand tightens in his hair as he switches hands, bringing one hand to grope at your bum while the other works over your other breast. Christ. You just stand there, practically panting as he makes you melt underneath his hands and mouth, taking his time to suck a mark by your ribs. 

“Missed you so much this week,” he murmurs against your skin. “My hard working girl.” 

He wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you down into this lap and burying his face into your neck, kissing a slow line up your neck.

“Smell so nice,” he murmurs, his hot breath making you squirm, your naked thighs sliding on his trousers. “Feel so soft and warm.”

His lips find their way up your jaw, nose brushing against your temple as he presses a slow kiss to your cheek, his hands slowly moving up and down your body, getting lower with each pass.

“Is this what the ballet inspired then?” you ask, breath catching when his hands knead your bum.

“No, this is all you, darling,” he murmurs against your cheek. “It’s always all you.”

His index finger draws back and forth on your jaw before turning your mouth towards his. He brushes his nose against yours, once, twice, wide grin breaking out when you let out a frustrated whine. His hand cups your face as he presses his lips to yours. It’s been mere minutes since he last kissed you, but it somehow feels like ages, both of you inhaling sharply at the contact before pressing in for more. Your hand sliding up into his hair as his mouth opens, his tongue rolling over yours in a smooth pass, making your thighs clench against his. Each kiss somehow deeper than the last, each of you pouring all you have into every kiss, every swipe of tongue, every lingering press of lips until you’re both gasping for breath. 

“Need to touch you.” He pants against your cheek before taking your mouth again.

“Please - oh.” you gasp against his lips as his hands trail down your body, inching closer and closer to where you’re wet for him before he freezes, stopping suddenly. 

“I - fuck. I’ve still got lotion on my hands.” he says breathlessly. “Trying to be sexy but don’t want to - like if I stick these inside you, I’m gonna give you an infection or summat.”

“Oh my god,” you laugh, feeling his stomach shake with laughter as he mutters apologies against your temple.

“Ruined the moment haven’t I?”

“A bit of a dip in the momentum, I’d say” you say and he sputters a laugh.

“Just let me - gonna wash my hands. Just don’t want to - feel like that would be itchy later on down the road.” he says and you groan before laughing again. “Sorry, darling - sorry  - just give me a mo.” 

He kisses you quickly before sliding you off his lap and shuffling to the ensuite as you take a deep breath, the unexpected break making you aware of your racing heart, the ache between your thighs. You can hear the sink and his frantic scrubbing, shaking your head as you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, huffing a laugh as you take in the sight, the open robe, the messy hair, the sections of your neck where your skin’s been rubbed raw by his beard. 

You hear the sink turn off, can hear his footsteps making their way back into the room and turn to face him. He stops in his tracks when you look at him, murmuring “wow” before shaking his head slightly and closing the distance between you, wrapping his arms around your waist once more.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to kill the vibe. But ‘m all clean now, ready to just -” he pauses, jabbing his two fingers in the air, his eyes twinkling with mirth, “get up inside you now.”

“Jesus Christ.” you honk out a laugh as he tightens his hold on you, giggling into your neck. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry” he apologizes through giggles. “Had y’ right where I wanted yeh a few minutes ago, let’s get back to that, yeah? Let me make you feel good.”

He leans in, lips brushing against yours as he mumbles “Back to our regularly scheduled programming” that has you laughing against his mouth. 

“You are so stupid.” you say before he shushes you and quiets you with kisses, pressing his lips to yours firmly before sucking on your bottom lip. He dives back in for more, licking into your mouth slowly, letting you fall back into the rhythm you were in before only this time it's more charged somehow. He’s a man on a mission as he pulls away from your mouth, kissing down your neck, his tongue darting out for a taste. 

“Yeah but y’ love me, right?” he murmurs, lips dragging against your skin. “Y’ think I’m funny? That I look nice?”

You hum noncommittally as he pulls you closer, though you find yourself taking in his outfit once more, eyes scanning him from top to bottom, snagging on the parts you like best. When you look back up at him, his eyes are dark, hungry, his jaw clenched as he brings a hand up to cup your face.

“Do y’ have any idea how you look at me when y’ like what I’m wearing?” he says, practically growling, his eyes lit up in the way they get when he’s got his mind set on something, a chill rushing down your spine at the thought of that something being you. “Not even sure if I can describe it…makes me feel like I’m on fire.”

He pinches your chin between his index finger and thumb, holding you in place as he claims your mouth, taking his time to kiss you so thoroughly your head spins.

“Sometimes when I’m, like, nervous about an outfit, I’ll picture your face seeing me in it,” he says when he pulls away. “The way you look at me - the way you devour me with your eyes. Makes me feel like I can do anything. Y’ make me feel so good about myself, the way you want me.”

“I do - I do want you” you say breathlessly, his confession making your heart race, the never ending pattern of his hands and mouth making arousal pool in your stomach. You’re needy and wet -

“Gonna show me?” he murmurs against your mouth, smirking when you nod. “Me too. Gonna show y’ how much I want you. How much I always want you. I always -”

You moan, cutting him off with a hard kiss, your tongue swiping over his in a way that has him groaning into your mouth. You pull him impossibly closer, your hands sliding up his blazer covered arms and over his shoulders, weaving your hand into his hair as you sink deeper into the kiss. 

He pulls away slowly, panting as he kisses your jaw slowly, tongue darting out to taste your skin.

“Turn around,” he mutters lowly, spinning you in his hold until your back is against his chest, his hands splaying across your stomach. You look up to see that you’re both now facing the mirror. 

Oh. 

“Let’s get this off,” he murmurs, pulling the robe up and off your shoulders, letting it crumple in a pile at your feet. He pulls your body up against his as he hooks his chin over your shoulder, running his hands up and down your body. His eyes dragging up and down your reflection, feeling like molten lava as they take you in. “God, look at you.”

The momentary instinct to look away from the mirror, to hide from the reflection of your naked body is immediately overpowered by the sight you see, your naked body against him in his suit, his clutches turning white knuckled in desperation as he drags his mouth along your neck, mumbling praise into your skin without ever breaking eye contact with you. Where this should be a vulnerable situation, instead you feel dead sexy. Amost turned inside out with how much you want, how much you need him. You can feel how much he wants you, how he’s already hard for you, just from this. You can see it in his eyes, feel it in his touch. And fuck if it’s not the hottest thing you’ve ever experienced. 

Your chest is heaving as he pauses his ministrations, resting his hands on your lower belly before bringing one up to clutch at your jaw, instantly covering your mouth with his. You wind your arm around his neck, hand grasping at the hair at the nape as he groans into your mouth, fingertips sinking into your skin. 

He slides his hand down and you gasp against his mouth as you feel his fingers sliding through your folds.

“Fuck - feel that?” he groans as his fingers lightly circle your clit, your hips twitching towards his touch. “I know, I know. Gonna take care of you, baby.”

He kisses you deeply once more, before pulling away and guiding your head back to face the mirror. 

“But I want you to watch.”

He hooks his chin over your shoulder, dark eyes never wavering from yours as he draws circles on your clit, kissing you on the shoulder when you moan. 

“Yeah - let me hear you,” he groans as he continues to draw circles on your clit, increasing his pressure the more sounds you make. 

Your stomach burns with arousal, feeling a deep ache in between your thighs as he teases his fingers over your entrance before bringing them back up to your clit. He does this over and over, smirking at you in the mirror before you finally break, a whimpered “please” that has him clenching his eyes shut for a moment. Seeing his reaction in the mirror makes you just about lose your mind. You slide your hand up his arm, clutching at the muscles that flex beneath your palm as the fire burns in your belly. 

“‘M right here, baby. I got you.” he murmurs, resting his cheek against your temple, facial hair scratching into your skin as he dips his fingers lower, sliding two fingers into you with ease. “Fuck - all this for me?”

You nod, barely able to swallow back a moan as he works you over with his fingers, fucking them into you deeper before he reaches the spot that makes you cry out. 

“Fuck, H -” 

“That’s it,” he groans, his palm rubbing over your clit as he curls his fingers deeper. You’re practically soaking his hand but can’t bring yourself to care, not when he’s looking at you like that, not when he’s making you feel this good. You can feel your abdomen tighten, knees weakening as he brings you closer and closer to your high. He presses his palm down hard on one particular stroke that has you shutting your eyes and leaning your head back before he tuts. 

“Eyes on me, baby. Want you to look at me when you come.” He smacks a kiss to your temple when you open your eyes. “‘S my girl.”

He doubles down on his efforts and what was once a slow burn is now a raging fire. Your eyes never waver from his as he murmurs endless streams of praise into your ear. You’ve never been so on display and you’ve never felt hotter as you hurtle closer and closer to the edge. You can barely make sense of the sounds you’re making, trying desperately to keep your eyes open, finding yourself transfixed by the way his brow is furrowed in concentration, his tongue darting out to lick his lips as his eyes never move from your reflection, sheer determination as he takes you apart. 

Your chest heaves as you try to get a breath in but he’s overwhelming all your senses. You clench down on his fingers and it’s the guttural groan you get in response that sends your right over the edge with a curl of his wrist. You see stars as you come, hand sliding along his jacket sleeve as he mutters praise into your ear, working you through your high until you’re batting his hand away. 

You watch breathlessly as he slides his fingers out and brings them up to his mouth, eyes locking with yours as he sucks, moaning at the taste. You spin in his hold, crashing your lips to his as you wrap your arms around your neck. His hands immediately adjust, big palms squeezing your bum as he kisses you deeper. You slide a hand up into his hair, pulling as he opens his mouth wider and you give as good as you’re getting. You pull your mouth away, moving to kiss along his jaw as you slide a hand down his front, fingers dancing over his pecs before sliding down his abs, smirking when the muscles jolt at your touch.

Without pulling your mouth away from his neck, you unbutton his trousers and slide your hand inside his briefs, sliding your hand along his length, gasping when you feel how hard he is for you. He grunts when you start to stroke him, fingers digging into your skin when you lean up to say in his ear, “Need this inside me.” 

He moans, leaning down to capture your lips with his before walking you backward into the mirror, hand coming up to cradle your head from hitting it. 

“Want it like this,” he mumbles against your mouth, hands coming to squeeze at your hips. “Want y’ against the mirror.”

He spins you around, your chest pressing against the cool glass as he takes a step back and pulls your hips flush against his so that only your hands touch the mirror, your back arching to put you back on complete display, giving you a vantage point of everything. His eyes sear through you as he drags them up and down your form, knuckles clutching and eyes darkening as he visually devours you.

He nudges your heels apart with his foot, spreading you wider as he pulls down his trousers and briefs, just enough to pull himself out. Making no moves to take off any of his clothes. The image alone sends a shiver down your spine.

 You’re so close together, you can feel when he strokes himself a few times, knuckles dragging against your bum. He looks up at you, shaking his head almost in disbelief before leaning in to press kisses along your spine, palms dragging up and down your spine. 

“Look so hot like this,” he mutters, bringing one hand to rest on your hip while the other wraps around his cock, guiding it towards your core. You both moan when he slides the head against your entrance. He taps it against your clit, hand tightening on your hip when you gasp, eyes locking with yours.  “Ready?” 

“Need you.” you moan out and he pushes into you in one swoop, sliding his hand up your back to wrap around your shoulder, pulling you back as he thrusts forward.

“Christ,” he groans, taking it slow as he thrusts into you steadily, letting you get used to the stretch. “Feel so fucking good.” 

You lock eyes in the mirror as you push your hips back, meeting his thrust halfway, brow furrowing as his mouth drops open from the feel. His grip on your shoulder tightens and suddenly, It’s hard and fast instantly, the sound of your skin slapping against each other reverberating through the room. You can’t take your eyes off his reflection. The clench of his jaw, the vein in his neck bulging as he pulls you back onto his cock over and over. 

Your hands slip on the glass with the force of his thrusts, fire licking up your spine at the reflection in front of you. The way his muscles bulge under his clothes, the way his clothes look against your naked body. The way every clash of your hips punches out a sound from him that makes your stomach twist, how a particular circle of your hips has his eyes rolling into the back of his head. 

“Prettiest thing I’ve seen all night. Love watching you. ” he grunts out, brushing your hair away from your sweaty nape, letting the cool air hit it before wrapping his palm around the back of your neck, fingers digging into your skin. “Gonna make me come. Y’close?”

You nod, words failing as each drive of his hips brings you racing to your finish for the second time tonight. 

“Touch yourself for me, baby. C’mon.” he murmurs. “Wanna watch you come on my cock.”

No sooner are the words out of his mouth than you’re bringing your hand to your clit, rubbing fast circles that have you practically whimpering. He’s muttering encouragement as you struggle to keep your eyes open. His hand slipping from the back of your neck to the front. One squeeze is all it takes for you to come, feeling your walls flutter around his cock as you moan.

“So good for me. Such a good girl.” he grunts, squeezing his hand around your neck once more as he pistons his hips, before moaning lowly, coming hard as you feel him spill inside you, squeezing your neck as he collapses onto your back. He places on hand next to yours on the mirror for support, panting against your head as he catches his breath. His hand not on the wall dragging up and down your spine, pressing kisses to your shoulder as you both come down from your high.

He squeezes your shoulder before pulling out, tucking himself back into his pants as you push off the mirror, turning to face him. You smile at each other, huffing out laughs before he pulls you towards him, cupping a hand under your jaw as he captures your lips in a kiss, tongue smoothing over yours. 

“That was fucking hot,” he murmurs before claiming your mouth again. You hum in agreement, sliding your hand up and into his hair, fingers looping through sweaty strands as you kiss each other deeper. 

The kisses slow, eventually. Your racing hearts returning to their normal pulses, hands grazing each other’s bodies slower until you both pull back. 

“Do you think that’s how everyone else ended their night at the ballet?” you ask and he barks out a loud laugh, eyes crinkling around the edges as he tilts his head back. 

“Reckon so.” he says, pulling you in closer and pressing a kiss to your cheek. “I gotta take Sammy out.”

“I’ll come with you,” you say, heart flipping when his grin widens. “Just gimme a sec.”

You kiss him quickly before heading off into the bathroom, cleaning yourself up and catching a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror. How well fucked you look. 

You head back out, grabbing an old shirt of his and gym shorts from the dresser, feeling his eyes on you as you quickly get dressed. 

“You’re not going to change?” you ask, looking over at him as he shrugs.  

“My girl likes my fit. Trying to see if I can get lucky twice in one night,” he says, grin widening as he holds open the door for you, hand on your lower back as you make your way down the hallway. He wraps his arm around your waist, slipping his hand up under your t-shirt, splaying his hand against your belly.

And yeah, he probably will.

---

a/n: did not edit this whatsoever needed to get it out in the world bc i had been working on this for so long. and its absolute filth i could not bring myself to read back. lmk what you think !

taglist:@tobesolovelysstuff, @louyoursins, @daydreamingofmatilda, @jojo-blog53, @marzhshaim, @devilsqueen722, @just-happiness-only,@lomlhstyles, @feestyles, @spock4presidnet, @sunshinemoonsposts, @indierockgirrl, @jerseygirlinca, @kissitnhekitchen, @goldnrry,

#something old #harry styles smut #harry styles fanfiction #i dont even know what this is it is filthy as hell im worried it sucks #hope u like it lmk what u think #can u believe this is 4K

[felinefractious]

I tried to adopt a cat from a rescue, I really did. I filled out and submitted applications to 5 different rescues because the local SPCAs didn't have cats that fit my needs (social with cats and dogs, approximately 1 year old, high energy, and preferably long or medium haired).

I explained in detail the care I give my current cupcake. She's spayed, gets routine vet care, is up to date on shots. She has her own room (my room) which is set up with shelves, trees, 2 litter boxes. She gets supervised free roam of the house (not 24/7 because of lifestyle reasons). I use puzzle feeders for her meals- high end brands like The Honest Kitchen, Open Farm, Stella and Chewy (I like to mix it up to keep it interesting). I play with her at least twice a day, or whenever she asks. Indoors only. She has a water fountain. We're working on harness training. I made it clear I had a second room set up similarly and ready to go, and carefully researched introductions. Dogs are cat social and kenneled unless supervised. I don't know, I feel like my cat lives a good life. She's happy, fit, and I adore her.

Couple of weeks past and I received 5 rejection emails with reasons such: I maintain a very small flock of exhibition poultry, that I do breed and sell the chicks of seasonally, which is...immoral to them, I guess; my brother who does live in the same household has intact show and working dogs; the dogs are kenneled (what??); I don't work full-time; one even said it was because I feed my current cat dry food instead of wet food. My cat straight up won't eat wet food! She hates it! I replied and said I would offer wet food if the new cat wanted it, and they never responded.

It all just seemed like weird reasons to me. Maybe not, I don't know if that's just how rescues are. I ended up with my cat through the pregnant cat distribution system (my mom owns her mom) so I didn't have to deal with takes on cat care I didn't get.

Dejected, I started looking on Craigslist and saw a cat that perfectly fit my needs- a sphynx outcross project that tested positive for mild HCM (asymptomatic for now) so the breeder who purchased him immediately neutered him. So I asked about him, located a cardiologist and scheduled an appointment with my vet ahead of time to get a referral to the cardiologist. Did lots of reading on HCM. Met with them and they were lovely. Got all his paperwork with his health testing and his whole history and genetics. I fell in love with him immediately. Everything they said about him has been true: he's confident, well-mannered, has the exact same play style as my kitty. There was not a single point during the 4 hour drive home that he showed signs of stress, he took treats and just lounged. When I set him in his room, he waltzed right out of his carrier with his chest puffed out, head held high, and rubbed all over me, purring and bumping his head into me. There hasn't been an adjustment period, he just came out and was like, "sweet, new digs! now, pet me!" Settled into a routine so fast. Has been perfect for his nails and bathing him. We're already making tremendous progress with recall.

This cat is so fucking well socialized. And his structure? Fucking gorgeous. Exactly as sphynx are described, with a deep chest, solid belly, longer hind legs than front, long creepy fingers which he uses to grip me instead of his claws and it feels like a human infant gripping me (deeply unsettling).

It's been such a good experience, and the rescues were so weird, I honestly don't know if I can ever get a cat that wasn't selectively bred again. He's not even pure bred! His dad is 100% sphynx but his mom is a dominant blue eye project from approved sphynx outcrosses.

Don't get me wrong, I love my first bastard kitty, she's the best cat there is. But now I have two perfect cats! I didn't realize that was possible...all my friends' cats, they're often much more nervous and shy. I was prepared for my second kitty to just never live up to my first.

Here he is, my weird coated mostly sphynx:

Bonus DNA results

I wonder what that person bit is about.

Unfortunately your story is not unique.

These excessive and unrealistic standards are part of what I mean when I discuss barriers to adoption as being one of the actual issues contributing to overpopulation of homeless pets.

I’ve seen people discuss being rejected due to their age despite being staffed in the veterinary field, the person was in their early 20’s.

I’ve seen people discuss being rejected due to having intact animals in the household despite them being species that aren’t traditionally altered, like reptiles.

A rescue I knew would avoid adopting out to people who indicated they would feed a brand of food the rescue considered to be lower quality, such as Friskies canned.

I’ve spoken to rescues for a veterinary reference who were disappointed the prospective adopters most recent cat wasn’t current on their vaccinations despite being an 18+ hospice case.

I could go on and on and on.

I’m glad you were finally able to find a cat to give a good forever home to, it’s clear that you’re passionate about your animals and knowledgeable about their care.

I would put too much stock in the 12% Persian, you can’t test for breeds in cats the same way as you can in dogs. Wisdom Panel is great for health and trait testing but nonsense for breeds.

You can really see the Devon in his face in the picture you used for the test, though!

#lostinthelegs #asks #adoptshop tag

[wingedhallows]

right company; james potter

pairing: james potter (marauders) x fem!oc | 1k words plot: You knew which company to keep, no matter if your own house might disagree. authors note: hi hi, i cooked up a small little something for you :) as a thank for your lovely support all the time.

navigation

The library was quiet, peaceful as you held James’ hand, his thumb stroking the back of your hand with a small smile on his face.

“What’s for dinner?” Sirius asked, his head resting ontop of Remus’ shoulder. Lily barked a laugh. “We ate an hour ago.” He frowned and threw a plastic wrapper at the girl. You laughed and took a sip from James’ canned soda. 

“We could go to hogsmeade and have some beef or chicken, how does that sound?” Sirius clapped his hands with a smile on his face. “Y/N, my savior. I’d love that.” He smiled and threw his arm over Remus’ shoulder.

“We could also have some-”Oh all gathered her, a freak show meeting?” Guinever Sutton leaned her hand on the corner of the table. Vivienne Blaine smiled over her friends shoulder but quickly sat herself down on the empty chair next to you.

“Is this really the company you should seek, Y/N?” Vivienne twisted some of your hair between her fingers and gave you an awfully sweet and fake smile.

You were a Slytherin, alright. You liked being a Slythering but James and his friends held a big spot in your heart, the house rivalry was stupid and had no place at this table.

You stared at her through your lashes, jaw clenched as you swatted Vivienne’s hand away.

“Fuck off.”

You said, voice low. You were always the more reasonable one between James and you.

He was a hothead, someone who would get angry on your accord but he let you handle this, you were always better at handling Slytherins than he was.

People didn’t fuck with you though, no one has dared to bully you. Afraid of James but mostly of you. You were peaceful, not provoking fights but neither did you back down.

“Oh, not very nice.” Guinever spoke, lips in a dramatic frown.

“I’m telling you once, leave us the fuck alone.” You spoke, slapping your textbook shut as you now faced Vivienne. She gulped but tried to keep her poker face up.

James’ hand squeezed yours, a sign. He was angry, maybe even angrier than you. You released your hand from his grip and faced Vivienne.

“You should bow your head if you want to keep it, Vivienne.” You gave her a kind smile to which she only scoffed.

Sirius and Remus watched you, Lily and Peter stared in shock. Marlene rested her head on her hand with a small smirk.

It was no secret that you were able to be mean, hold your own in an argument but it was rare for anyone to witness you angry. You’d dismiss the argument if you could, too lazy to put up with these antics.

 “You don’t scare me, little Y/N.” Vivienne spoke, her head cocked to side like she was talking to a child. The searing rage in your chest bubbled up further and further.

“Though I have a question, how come you stay friends with a blood traitor, a scratched up bookworm looser, a cowering rat, a halfblood and a mudblood?”

Your eyebrows rushed up as you stared at her, James shifted in his seat to stand but you put your palm on his leg, you’d handle it.

“Excuse me?” You snapped, dark, low and sinister. Remus ducked his head, Sirius had his hand on his shoulder. 

“And worse of all, a boyfriend who pined after a mudblood, of all people. I can’t even imagine how tarnished your family's reputation would be if you decided on further progress.” Vivienne gave her a small smile. You couldn’t think straight, the moment James’ name fell in her truly awful insult your vision went red, blood red.

You grabbed her by the throat and pushed her off her chest to the stone floor, slamming her head down as hard as possible. Her hands clasped your hand with wide eyes as you slapped her once, twice, a third time.

Guinevere snapped out of her daze after a few seconds and pushed you off of her friend. You lifted your leg and kicked her back, she held her stomach with a cough as you clasped your fingers in a fist and with as much as strength as you could muster, you brought your fist down on her face.

She stumbled back as blood rushed down her robes. You grabbed Vivienne by her head and tore her head back, her eyes squinted as she watched you with a horrified expression on her face.

“You should’ve bowed that head of yours.”

Before you stood you looked at the squirming friend of hers.

“The only thing which would tarnish my family’s reputation would be to have company like you two losers.” 

You stood, blood coating your hands as you turned to your friends, who watched you with shocked faces. You grabbed your coat and tucked it over your hand.

“I feel like having firewhiskey instead.” You said before your friends stood. James planted a kiss on your cheek before Sirius high fived you.

“I knew you could fight but damn, almost had a double homicide on your hands.” He laughed before Lily rubbed your back with a small smile.

“Drinks are on me tonight.” You raised your hand and your friends cheered.

“Keep her close, James, I think I just fell in love.” Marlene smiled as she hastily pressed a kiss on your cheek. You only laughed as James pointed his finger at her with a smile on his face, playfully warning the girl.

#harrypotter #hp fanfic #marauders imagine #the marauders #marauders era #sirius black #remus lupin #james potter x reader #james potter #james potter imagine #james potter fanfic #harry potter fanfic #james potter fanfiction #the marauders fanfiction #the marauders era

[tvseries-writings]

Fight for us

Maya x Carina x reader

PLOT: A big fire makes the reader worry more about other people than about herself and her pacemaker is not very happy about it, as are her girlfriends.

TW: heart failure, pacemaker

You didn't think the week could get any worse than it was already going then, all of a sudden, you had received a call from Teddy Altman, your cardiologist, alerting you to the fact that it was time to change the batteries in your pacemaker and that the latter was exhibiting some malfunctions that she definitely wanted to check. You sigh, shrugging your shoulders with the intent to shrug off that phone call before sipping your second cup of coffee. And to think that today is your day off and you are already stressed.

“Bambina, that's decaf right?”

Carina walks up to you and kisses you on the lips, biting your lip and looking at you with a look you know very well.

“No, I would definitely say it's not. You know it's not good for you y/n and besides, move that phone; it needs to be at least six inches from the pacemaker.” You sigh, rolling your eyes and shaking your head, but before Carina can scold you again, both yours and her phone ring. That's never a good sign, never.

“Dr. DeLuca”

“Pamedic Y/n”

And if the week had already seemed like crap to you, the words coming out of your boss's mouth only dangerously dash all your hopes for improvement. You and Carina end the call at the same time and then, after a moment of silence, finally finding the courage to speak.

“There's a fire in Fall City’s forest, I've been asked about-”

“Me too,” you say, looking at your girlfriend and voicing the same thought that is haunting both of you.

“Have they called Station 19 yet?”

“I don't know Bella but since they've called all the available workers I think so.”

You exchange a worried look before you decide to pull Carina into a hug.

“She will be fine love, Maya is a fighter and will always come back to us. Let's go save some lives now.”

........................................................…………………..

You are treating a patient's burns when you see Maya enter the tent where both you and Carina are treating patients. You finish bandaging Kelly, the girl in front of you, before quickly running into Maya's arms.

“Woah, hey, I didn't know they called you guys too.” Maya returns the hug, and although your girlfriend smells like soot, you bask in her scent before pulling away when you hear Carina join you.

You hear them talking but you don't really listen to what they're saying; you're tired, your body is telling you to take a break, and your heart, despite the pacemaker, is really acting up at the moment.

“Y/n, are you okay?”

You realize you're rubbing your hand right over the pacemaker only when Carina stops you by locking your wrist.

“Hey, are you-”

Maya is stopped by a sweaty Warren who comes running into the tent.

“Bishop, we need you. The captain wants you with her.”

Maya gives you a look and then an apologetic smile before hurrying off but not without first giving Carina a look that was definitely not aimed at the Italian.

The two of you watch the blonde leave and just as Carina turns to you to speak, a dozen patients are rushed inside and the Italian is forced to put off questions until later.

You turn to Vic and Travis and run toward them.

“Thirty-nine-year-old female, under cardiac arrest two minutes. Performed two rounds of compressions on scene with no results.”

You nod, quickly slipping on another pair of gloves before replacing Vic, performing a new cycle of compressions yourself as Travis connects the patient to the monitors.

“Vic, get the defibrillator ready.”

You shouldn't exert yourself, you know you shouldn't with the pacemaker discharged, but you really have no choice when you have to choose between your life and a patient's. You swore it to yourself when you took this job.

“It's ready.”

Victoria says and you take the pads from her hands. If Carina saw you using it yourself, she would probably kick your ass and a good lecture in Italian; fortunately, she is very busy at the moment. Travis places the electrodes on the patient's body and then, after a glance, places the paddles on her chest.

“Clear!”

You feel the electricity leave the paddles and see the woman's body lying in front of you jerk before falling back onto the gurney. You will never get used to this feeling.

“There's a pulse, call heli-rescue and keep her monitored until it arrives.”

You say entrusting it to the only two free people in front of you who weren't strictly necessary in there, two residents.

You take off your gloves and throw them in the nearest trash can, quickly procuring another pair before moving on to the next patient then, like a bolt out of the blue, you notice Teddy Altman enter the tent and if your day was already sucking, it now gets drastically worse.

The faint hope that Teddy has not come exclusively for you quickly vanishes when the blonde doctor catches up with you with a look that is anything but friendly.

“Heyy Teddy, what's the best heart surgeon in Seattle doing here? Were you so bored at home that you wanted to help us out?”

You smile, cheekily, before turning to a new patient but before you can even ask her what's wrong, besides the obvious second-degree burn on her shoulder, the cardiac surgeon grabs your arm and drags you away, far enough away from prying ears.

“What the hell are you doing here? A woman came into the hospital and said there was a beautiful paramedic who saved her life and pulled her out of her panic attack by talking about her beautiful girls: an Italian doctor and a blond firefighter.”

You mentally curse yourself for being so specific, dammit. You would have saved yourself at firefighter or doctor, damn it, did you have to be so specific?

You open your mouth to speak, looking for any excuse in the meantime, but before you can formulate one, Teddy starts talking again.

“No no, y/n, don't even try. I had made it clear, no efforts until the checkup and then I find you literally on the biggest fire in years performing CPR?!”

The blonde tries to keep a normal tone even though, from the look on her face, she probably wants to strangle you with her own hands.

“Teddy, look, I know we're friends and you're my cardiologist but you have to understand that I'm also doing my job here. I'm a paramedic and I have to take care of other people's health.”

“I understand that y/n but you won't save anyone when your heart collapses and it will if you don't get checked right away. I came here just for you, I had to ask Bailey's permission and don't think Miranda will let you get away with this recklessness of yours.”

You sigh, moving a lock of hair from your face and thinking about the long lecture Miranda Bailey, who is like a mother to you, will give you as soon as your slender body ends up in front of her judgmental eyes. You're screwed.

“Oh come on Teddy, couldn't you have said some shit to her? Besides, aren't you bound by attorney-client privilege?”

“Well, sure. Or at least we are until the patient turns out to be a danger to himself and-”

The cardiac surgeon's tone of voice rises to such an extent that the speech you are giving is heard by people who should not have heard a single word, such as your very protective Italian girlfriend.

“Hey, Bella is everything okay here? Teddy, hi, did they call you too?”

Carina girds your hips protectively and you lean a little into her grip; the fatigue was already starting to set in before Teddy's visit and now it's only getting worse.

“No, they didn't call me too but I'm here for a patient of mine.”

The Italian observes the look the blonde gives you and it doesn't take her long to realize that you are the patient.

“Y/n, why did Teddy come here for you? Is something wrong with the pacemaker?”

You want to talk, really, tell the truth and face her stern look and a long, long lecture about how you don't take care of yourself but all your attention is diverted to a firefighter, you don't recognize him since he's not from Station 19, who runs inside the tent and talks loudly to Chief Ross.

“Chief, Bishop and Herrera are stuck in a circle of fire and we can't get the flames under control.”

Although there is no shortage of noise in the tent, both you and Carina hear those words perfectly and in less than a second run toward the two.

“What the hell do you mean Maya is stuck? Why hasn't she been pulled out already!”

Carina screams, Italian slipping off her tongue as she does every time she is gripped by a strong emotion, and you know that fear is the strongest and most destabilizing of all, along with love.

Your heart beats in your chest so loudly that you think it might as well pull off the pacemaker, the sounds resulting muffled as you cling to Carina's side to try to calm both her and your crazed heart.

“Apparently Lieutenant Bishop found herself trapped in a circle of fire while she and Herrera were trying to rescue a civilian. We managed to get Herrera out but it was too late for Bishop...now we are trying to transport as much water as we can but they are in a spot we can't reach with trucks and-”

“Damn it, get Bishop out of there at the cost of filling buckets and climbing that damn mountain. Is that clear?”

Chief Ross yells and the fireman jerks before nodding and hastily exiting. Then, the woman turns to the two of you.

“I know it's hard but I promise you we will get Maya out of there; she's a fighter, she'll be fine, I've never met a woman as tenacious as she is.”

The thought of not being able to see Maya again makes your heart even heavier than it already was; you and Carina hug each other tightly, the Italian drops a few tears, and you kiss her head repeatedly, the same way Maya does, caressing her back and suppressing the sharp pain in your chest you are feeling.

“Car..what if last night was the last time we saw her? I can't lose her, not Maya, not today, I can't, I can't,” you sob, the weight of what's happening is too much to keep inside and even though you know you should console Carina, the anguish you're feeling won't let you.

“It will be all right, she will be all right, I must be...” Carina wipes away her tears and then looks up at you, “I am pregnant Bella, it worked.”

And for a moment, for just a moment, you forget where you are and Maya's condition, for just a moment you think only of you, her and Maya holding a beautiful baby and you kiss her. You kiss her deeply and with such passion that if you were not in that situation you would already be on the bed. When you pull away, you run a hand over her stomach and gently caress it with a smile on your face.

“Hey little bean, we love you so much already, you don't know how long we've been waiting for you.”

Carina rests her hand on top of yours and her head on your chest. The adrenaline rush that the news caused you fades and the dull but constant pain in your chest returns like a bolt of lightning as does the fear for the life of the other woman in your life, the other mother of your child.

Teddy, who has been standing on the sidelines up to that point, approaches the two of you and gives you a sympathetic smile.

“I'm sure Firefighter Barbie is fine, she's strong and wants to get back to her girls.”

“Thank you Teddy.”

And then, you hear Carina realize again what you were talking about before you were interrupted.

You sigh and close your eyes for a few moments; Carina turns away from you, and when you open them again, you see her looking at you with the same look you've been dreading ever since you got the call.

“I hope you didn't come here knowing you had problems with your pacemaker.”

Your silence is worth more than confirmation for the Italian.

“O MIO DIO, I can't believe it y/n, you're so stubborn and an idiot I ahh non so cosa fare con voi due, sei mille volte peggio di Maya dannazione.”

You don't understand a single word she said but considering the fact that she is gesticulating…well, you are definitely in trouble.

Fortunately, however, even the wrath of an Italian vanishes when your girlfriend's colleague runs up to you and waves you to follow him and that's exactly what you do, temporarily forgetting what you were discussing.

“Jack, is Maya okay?” Carina says and when the firefighter does not turn to look at you, you fear for the worst: “Gibson, is Maya okay? Is she alive? Is she hurt? Damn it Jack! Answer me!” You yell, shoving the fireman until he turns toward you. His gaze gives nothing away and you are literally about to grab him by the throat but then a familiar face appears in your field of vision.

“Hey, I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm okay, I'm fine, I feared for the worst but the guys managed to pull both Andy and me out of there.”

Maya has an oxygen mask on her face and a blanket around her shoulders but except for that, she seems fine and you think you can squeal from relief. You pounce on her and stuff her face with kisses before letting Carina do the same.

“If you worry us like this again, I'll kill you myself, is that clear?”

“Crystal doc” Maya smiles, leaning over to kiss her before kissing you too.

“Fuck you Gibson” you huff, giving him a shove and he smiles, raising his hands as if to defend himself, “hey, I just wanted you to see it for yourself.”

The fireman walks away and leaves you alone; you rest your forehead on the Italian's back while she and Maya discuss what happened and how Andy is doing. You don't really listen to them; the pain in your chest with Jack's little joke has only gotten worse, and your breath shortens as tiny drops of sweat wet your back.

You have experienced this feeling before, when you had your first heart attack more than four years ago. You feel the pulse in your ears, you cannot even tell whether it is high or extremely low; despite your medical knowledge, you are not clear-headed enough at the moment to tell. You gradually lean more and more against the Italian so much that you almost risk dropping her.

“Car, call...call Teddy. Pacemaker” you whisper and then, everything goes dark as you fall to the ground with a thud.

Carina and Maya freeze for a few seconds before springing into action.

“Hey! We need help, help us!” Carina shouts, turning you over on your stomach and checking your heart rate.

“Maya, I'm going to get Teddy don't move from here, check her pulse and don't you dare take off that oxygen mask.”

The firefighter does not even have time to react that the doctor is already running away.

“Come on love, come on, stay with us.”

Maya massages your chest, checking your pulse and trying at the same time to stimulate your pacemaker. Carina returns in less than a minute, falling on her knees next to your body lying on the floor, followed by Vic, Travis and Teddy.

“Maya, give me her heart rate.”

“32 bpm.”

“Damn, her pacemaker stopped working, it's set on 50 bpm. We need to take her to the hospital and change the batteries or the pacemaker if necessary.”

“The fire has blocked the roads, we can only go to Eli-rescue but it left a while ago and will never be back in less than 40 minutes.” Travis says, looking at the doctor.

“You don't have forty minutes, you don't even have ten minutes.”

Teddy shakes his head, rubbing his forehead as he constantly checks your pulse on the monitor Victoria has diligently hooked you up to. Carina takes an oxygen tank and connects it to a mask that she places on your face, stroking your hair and leaving a kiss on your forehead.

“It will be okay Bella, we are here with you, you have to fight for us. Please.”

The Italian doctor's voice cracks and Maya promptly takes her into her arms, also stroking your hair.

“I have an idea but it is dangerous and I don't know if it will work .”

Maya and Carina cast a glance at each other and then nod.

“Do what you have to but bring her back to us, please.”

Teddy pulls out his stethoscope, auscultating your pulse.

“Montgomery, get the defibrillator.”

Carina and Maya stiffen and look at the monitor. Your heart is not beating above 30 bpm and your blood pressure is dangerously low and falling.

“Teddy, what do you want to do.”

Carina's voice trembles as her hand falls instinctively on your stomach; Maya notices but at the moment is more concerned about you than intrigued by her wife's gesture.

“With a jolt the pacemaker should restart and keep her alive until the hospital or at least I hope so, I only did it one other time in Afghanistan.”

“Did the patient survive?”

Teddy pauses, remaining silent for a few seconds as he applies the electrodes to your chest. Then, after a deep sigh, he turns to the two women kneeling over your dying body.

“No, it was too late for him.”

Carina runs a hand through her hair and then, grabs the blond fireman's hand.

“Maya, I need to tell you something I-”

“Clear!”

The Italian freezes, as does Maya's heart as they watch your body jerk and the terrifying flat line noise that is emitted from the monitor immediately after.

“Come on Bella, please.”

Maya removes her mask and leans over your forehead, leaving a kiss on your temple.

“Come on love, you can do it. Come back to us.”

Your heart starts beating again after one round of compressions from Teddy, and Maya and Carina burst into tears from relief praying that helicopter rescue will arrive in time.

..........................................................................

More than six hours pass before your eyes open and an annoying but familiar pain in your chest, just above the pacemaker, lets you know that you are still in the world of the living. Your hand reaches for the mask on your face but before you can pull it off, a hand stops you.

“Hey, no, you have to keep it on a little longer Bella.”

Carina leaves a kiss on your forehead, turning a small smile to you and intertwining your fingers.

“Welcome back love” Maya smiles at you. She still has her oxygen mask on and at the sight, your stomach knots.

“Are you okay? What are your oxygen levels?”

You sit up and reach toward the fireman; your gaze is so concerned that Maya strokes your cheek and grabs your hand to kiss your knuckles.

“I'm fine my love, I'm sorry for worrying the two women of my life, or three ,” the blonde's smile increases as she rests her hand on the Italian's stomach and your worried look is quickly replaced by a smile. “We're going to be moms.”

“The best ones.”

“Yes, although two of these three moms should learn to take better care of themselves. Did you understand y/n? It was stupid to ignore the device that helps your heart beat idiot”

“Yes, it was totally irresponsible of you” Maya nods, agreeing with Carina, before patting your leg lightly.

“Don't ever try something like that again, you are too important to us.”

Carina whispers and you notice she is holding back tears so you reach out and push her toward you, dropping her sitting on your lap.

“Oh and don't think this is the end of it, Bailey can't wait to give you a good talking to.”

“Shit, I'm screwed.”

“Yeah but not by us. No sex for two months after what you did.”

You pout and then playfully shove Maya while Carina taps her hand on her forehead shaking her head with a smile on her face.

You do believe you will be good mothers after all.

Thank you for reading! It's not my best work but lately I feel like everything I write sucks so...well, thanks anyway and have a great day!

Buy me a coffee on ko-fi

Taglist: @wandanatsbaby @bioquake-archives @bioquakeweek @daisyjohnsonx @wandanatsgirlfriend @chaekhan @station19 @resilientpendragon @so-no-kissing-then @thearchpitbullmx @ashadash0904 @kingshitonly @alwaysgoodnight @callistic @xjule @yuleni18 @simpforwandanat @alexxislexi @mrsdanversromanoff @coollemonsaresour @hushed-woodsman @razorscooteer @eponine-xx @maniacallinc @michelle170 @classyig @elenaguarnieri @scarletwidow @tati3001 @cristin-rjd @your-my-mission @mr-nicely @hi-i-1 @anniethurs @ktstwice @scarlet-raccoon @maria-403 @goldfishthegr8 @wandanatfan @looiegirl-blog @bioquake-blog @daisyjohnsonx

#carina deluca x maya bishop x reader #maya bishop x carina deluca x reader #maya x carina x reader #maya bishop x reader #carina deluca x reader #carina x maya #maya x carina #carina deluca #maya bishop #station 19 fics #station 19 #wlw fanfic #poliamore

[starlyxn]

Heavenly Pleasure ♡⁠

⋆｡˚✩ : Angel!reader x Occultist!Kazuha

⋆｡˚✩ , genre: smut, nsfw

⋆｡˚✩ , synopsis: Kazuha wants to try summoning a demon, yet to his surprise he summons an angel?? You're curious about human love, so he decides to teach you just how it is to "love" <3

⋆｡˚✩ , cw: fingering and oral (f receiving), p in v, unprotected sex, creampie, usage of pet name (angel), reader is really innocent and lowkey turns into a whore at the end lmaoaoao, your angel wings are sensitive for some reason and uhh I also added aftercare :3

⋆｡˚✩ , note!!: there are 2k words + omg this is my first time ever writing I'm sorry if it sucks lmaoaooaoa

Kazuha was a college student who specialized in literature. He was pretty popular and attractive, he was also amazing at poetry. You would never expect that such a nice guy like him would be interested in occult.

Last night he took one of the occult books he found in the library and tried to do a ritual to summon a demon. Was he really expecting it to work? Well, no. But he still wanted to give it a try.

It's the middle of the night when he wakes up in a cold sweat. He feels a strange presence next to him and sees a pale, feathery, human like creature sitting on the edge of his bed, giving him a sweet smile. It was you.

So.. how exactly did this happen? Well, yesterday while Kazuha was doing the ritual, he got some stuff wrong and instead of summoning a demon he summoned an angel. You heard his call and came down to earth to see your summoner.

Kazuha looks at you in shock. "What the hell..? Is this a dream? It gotta be..." You look at him with a sweet smile. "No, it's real!! I'm the angel you summoned last night!" you declare.

Kazuha's mind was racing with thoughts as to why an angel would be in his room right now.

"An angel? So the the ritual I did actually worked??" He seems to think about the situation he's on right now, panicking a bit. "Fuck..! How do I get rid of it..?!"

Get rid of it?? Oh.. did he mean me? You frown when you realize he infact did. "You wanna get rid of me..? Why?" You look up at him, your eyes staring into his amber ones.

He seems to notice your sadness and reconsiders his decision, immediately trying to make you feel better, after all he wouldn't wanna sadden an angel. "N-no! I mean.. uhh..." He looks away thinking of what words to use next. "I don't know... What do I even do with an angel..?"

Why would he call you if he doesn't know what to do with you? You were clueless. "Well... I don't know, you're the one who summoned me after all, so.. you decide what you wanna do." You say and smile at him again.

"Well, you do have a good point..." He was still unsure about what to do with his unexpected visitor. "So.. what's your name?" He says, trying to make some small talk. He was quite charming, yet also incredibly awkward.

"I'm [name]" you say. He smiles at you. "What a pretty name, fitting for an angel such as yourself." He looked at you more closely now, taking in your pretty features. He thought you were extremely pretty but well.. being an angel probably helped with that.

After a short pause he notices how he has been staring at you and blushes, looking away in embarrassment. "I'm Kazuha..." is what he stammers out, refusing to look you in the eyes. You smile at him, you didn't mind the staring at all! He was pretty cute... "That's such a pretty name!!" You say happily.

This just makes Kazuha's face go a deeper shape of red. "Oh, thank you..." He says with a gentle smile on his face. Then after a few seconds he awkwardly shuffles in his place. "Are you like, here to judge me or something..? You know, since you're an angel and stuff..."

You're a bit taken aback by his question. "Oh no, of course not! I'm here because you summoned me!!" He sighs happily. "Well that's a relief, though... How did I even manage to summon you?" You just look at him and dryly answer. It didn't make sense to you that he was even asking that in the first place... "With the ritual."

"Right, right... So you're like a real celestial being from up there?" He points up to the ceiling. You giggle a bit at the way he's acting. "Yup!! Straight from heaven!!" You stand up and do a little spin to show off your wings and halo. "See?"

Kazuha looked at you and smiled, seemingly impressed by your features. "Archons.. you look as if you're straight out of a book or something..." He couldn't help but stare a bit longer, admiring your beauty.

You just give him a sweet smile in response. Kazuha's heart skipped a beat at your sweet look. "So you just.. hang around looking pretty?" He chuckles awkwardly, obviously not used to holding conversations with the supernatural.

You giggle at his question. "I guess so..? I'm still pretty new to all of this to be honest." You blush a bit. He thinks a bit and then opens his mouth to ask another question. "Anyways.. I summoned you, you're here and you'll do anything that I want? Right..?" You nod at his question.

This was a once in a life time offer for Kazuha. He looked you up and down, he seemed to be mesmerized by the beautiful details of your feathery wings. You wait patiently for his request and after a moment he stands up, a bit nervous to ask you what he wishes for.

He points at your wings. "Can I take a closer look..? Or like.. you know... Touch them?" You smile at his request and accept. "Of course you can!!"

Kazuha approached you and started gently caressing your wings. He carefully checks out every detail of your pretty feathers while gently grazing his fingers across them.

You let out a little sound. It felt weird to have your wings touched... Kazuha's face flushed a bit when he took notice of your sound. "Does it feel good..?" You feel your face heat up by his touch. "It feels a bit.. weird..? It's kinda sensitive... But good!" Kazuha looks at you with a gentle smile. "I'm glad it's good..."

Kazuha understood that your feathers were sensitive and he didn't wanna make you feel uncomfortable but the sounds you make and the way your body reacts to his touch was just mesmerizing... I mean, it couldn't be a sin right..? He was just caressing you, gently... Not at all sexually!! Well, just.. just a bit maybe...

His hand travels from your wings to your soft cheeks. You giggle a bit at his touch and the way he's blushing "That's not my wing.." He blushes a bit and looks into your eyes. "Am I allowed to touch you elsewhere..?"

Well, what could possibly go wrong? He seems like a nice guy!! Right? You smile at him "Sure, go ahead." His hand travels over your soft features and eventually ends up on your inner thigh, his face flushes red when you shiver at his touch.

"Are you okay..? I-I can stop.." You shake your head, "No no.. continue.. it just felt a bit weird." He looks at you a bit guilty, knowing that what he was doing just had to be a sin, get he couldn't hold himself back. Well, I mean, he didn't fuck you yet so it's okay!

His hand reaches up higher and you open your legs out of instinct, letting him see up your dress. He notices that and his thumb softly presses on your clothed clit making your eyes open wide as you whine at the feeling. Your face feels hot.. your whole body does actually.

"Kazuha.. It feels weird when you touch there..." He stops his motion on your clothed cunt which makes you.. rather sad. "I.. I should stop then..." Before he can pull his hand away you get a hold of it, pulling it against yourself again. "No.. don't stop.. I want more... I'm just not used to this..."

His face grows red and well, the color in his face isn't the only thing that grows. Yet you don't notice the growing tent in his pants. You were too focused on this new sensation you had discovered. Kazuha pulls against your panties "May I?" You nod, he knows better than you when it comes to this stuff so you put all your trust into him.

He mutters something under his breath after he takes your panties off, you didn't quite get what he said but it sounded something like "so pretty.." Kazuha rubs your clit and lowers himself down until he's facing your bare core, before you can mutter something about how this is embarrassing he starts licking your clit.

Which results with you moaning out his name. He places his middle finger right infront your entrance "I-Ill put my finger in..." You were a bit confused. "In..? In me..?" He blushes even more when you look at him with those innocent eyes. "Y-yes.. it'll feel good for you..."

"O-okay... I'm ready then" He gently pushes his finger in, "Archons... You're so tight, yet also wet..." he starts to rub your insides gently and latches his tongue back on your little bud. You moan and clench around his fingers, "Ah! It feels good..! M-more..."

"Needy.." he smiles and pushes his ring finger in too, watching the way your body takes him in. He fingers you with wet squelches and sucks on your clit. You shake as a weird feeling engulfs you, it felt good, almost too good. It's like there's a coil in your stomach, about to snap.

"Kazuha.. too much... I feel like I'm gonna..." You didn't know what it was, but there was something... Kazuha immediately understood that you were about to cum. And so.. he stopped. "Why..? Why did you stop..?" You whine at the lost of contact.

"I want your first time coming to be on my cock, angel" Your face grows hot at his dirty words. "So vulgar..." You look away and try to hide your flushed gaze. "Sorry, angel..." You smile at him "Never said I didn't like it..."

He grins and undresses both you and himself. He begins playing with your perky nipples making you softly sigh at his touch. "You're so pretty angel..." Your eyes travel down to his erection. "Kazuha..." You mumble his name. Your hand goes to his cock, you rub your finger over his head which was already leaking precum.

"Fuck.. angel... I can't take it anymore... Can I, can I fuck you..?" Fucking..? What was that again... "What is that..?" Oh, that's right. You were an angel, literally from heaven. Of course you didn't know what that was.

"Um.. I wanna make love to you... Do you know what that is..?" Love.. love... The word left a sweet taste in your tongue. "Love... I've always wondered what it is like to love. I heard so much about it, yet never felt love..." He smirks at your words, so cute and innocent.

"I'll teach you all about it then, don't worry angel, you'll feel a lot of love tonight." He climbs on top of you and aligns his cock with your wet entrance. "I'll be gentle... But make sure to tell me if it hurts, okay?"

Before you can answer he pushes himself in, feeling your soft walls engulfing all of him. You moan and grip his sheets, looking up at him and then back to where you are connected. His hips stutter and he hisses when he's finally all in.

"Fuck.. angel, you're so tight..." You grip his arm with one of your hands and look up at him with pleading eyes. "Huh? Oh, you wanna hold my hand?" He gives you a sweet smile and gently places his hand on top of yours, intertwining his fingers with yours as he starts moving his hips slowly.

"So, ah.. fucking cute... Even while you're being fucked by me..."

"Kazuha.. it feels good when you ahh.. move..!" Kazuha's pace picked up as you said that, his thrusts getting harder and deeper. His wet lips met yours in a passionate kiss, your tongues tangling together as you shared your mutual pleasure. The sound of your heavy breathing and wet slapping of flesh on flesh filled the room, creating an erotic symphony.

Everything after that was a haze, Kazuha was kissing and licking you all over, it felt like you were melting from the pleasure. The only sounds you could get out being moans and whines. Everything was a blur, the only thing you could think of was Kazuha Kazuha Kazuha...

Until you suddenly got that weird feeling in you again, everything feeling even more sensitive. Kazuha could already feel you were close by how your thighs started shaking and how you were clamping down on him.

"Ah–!♡⁠ Angel..! I'm ahn– I'm gonna cum too, fuck.. cum– cum with me..!♡⁠" You moan shamelessly and hold on tight to him, something in you screams that you want.. no, need him to do whatever that cumming thing was inside of you.

"Kazuhaa!♡ Cum– cum inside of me!!♡⁠♡⁠ Ahhnn..!♡⁠ Fuck– faster!! Ohhh– keep going.. just like that..!" He seems to get even more aroused, if that was even possible. He snaps his hips against yours fast and hard, making you shake with each thrust.

"I thought you were ahh–!♡⁠ Supposed to be an angel... Yet you're saying such unholy things right ahn– now! Did I fuck the innocence out of you, angel?♡⁠♡⁠♡⁠" You can't even answer and only manage to blabber some words about how you're gonna cum and then your orgasm washes over you. Kazuha finishes with a loud moan, his warm load filling you up and painting your insides white.

The only thing you could hear now was the panting of you both. Kazuha pulls out of you and lays beside you. "You did so good angel..." He tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear. "It felt like nothing I've ever felt before..." is what you say, tired after what you just did.

"You really made me feel like I was in heaven." You just smile at him and he suddenly stands up. "Noo.. don't go..!" He giggles when you say that "I'm gonna get a wet towel to wipe you off. I'll be right back!"

After a few minutes he's back and starts gently wiping you off, getting rid of the sticky mess you two created. Especially between your thighs.. both your and his cum dripping down your them. He gets you all clean though!!

He also rummages through his closet and takes out a few clothes and put them on you. They were warm and comfortable, plus they smelled just like him... "I hope you're comfortable right now..." He smiles at you and takes you in his arms. "More comfortable than I ever was before..." You mumble and cuddle up to him.

He looks down at you, adoring you. "Get some sleep angel, I know you're tired. I'll be here in the morning, still laying right beside you." ...you wanted to tell him something. What was it..? Oh! "I love you..."

He freezes at your words and looks at you, dazzled. "I– I love you too..." He said, still not believing that you just told him that. He hugs you tight and caresses your soft hair, massaging your scalp until you fall asleep in his arms.

#genshin smut #genshin impact smut #kazuha #kazuha smut #genshin imagines #kazuha imagines #genshin x reader #kazuha x reader #sub reader #kaedehara kazuha #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader

[simplydannie]

Hi Dannie! I just thought of another fanfic idea, what if the twins had some sort of redemption arc where they work at Bruce n’ Sons as community service for their crimes. I’ve seen fanart based on this but I would love to see it be turned into a story! No rush, take all the time you need! ❤️

Haii!

Sorry it took me awhile! There’s a lot I’ve been doing lol Omg I’ve seen that fan art too! Their time at Bruce n’ Sons would honestly be so interesting! Of course fun times await them at Bruce N Sons, but before all that, Velvet and Veneer’s name weren’t that greatly received when they started there:

Bruce didn’t like this one bit. No matter what Floyd would say, they were still criminals. Bruce just couldn’t see how he still wanted to give them a second chance, he couldn’t see how in the world they were redeemable, but he agreed, he’s doing this for his brother.

Bruce sighed as he put on his apron, “Well, time to get the day started.” He walked out the door.

It was 6:15 in the morning, he told the twins to report at 7 to debrief them in their shifts, he was definitely surprised when he saw the two Rageons waiting for him in the kitchen.

“Morning Bruce!” Veneer chimed. The kid was literally to happy for his own good. His sister, well, the complete opposite. She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“Good morning. And nice to see you to princess.” Bruce said.

“Whatever. Can you just tell us what we need to do and get this over with please.” Her tone earned her an elbow to the ribs from her brother.

“Well since you did say please so nicely.” Bruce smirked. “Let’s see yesterday we had Velvet working the mini bar, Veneer you washed dishes. So far so good. So today, Veneer you seem like you have a likable aura, I want you waiting tables.”

“Oh!” Veneer said happily taking the notebook and pen by Bruce’s side, “I’ve always wanted to give this a try.”

“Velvet, you’ll be cleaning up tables today.”

“Why can’t I do the minibar again?”

“I want you guys experienced in every area. So we’re going to get the practice that you need while we can. Besides, it’s all going in your community service record.”

Velvet rolled her eyes as she reached over for an apron, “Fine. Whatever.” She walked behind the counter to collect her cleaning supplies.

“Vennie, Brandy has your waiter outfit ready for you. Go get dressed.”

“Okay!” He was off. Bruce rolled his eyes, a gesture Velvet noticed and scowled at. She waited till Veneer was out of ear shot before she walked over to the Troll.

“Quick word.” She demanded.

“Well thanks a lot for asking. What’s up?” Bruce turned around and looked up at Velvet… he still couldn’t get over how big Rageons really were, much taller than Vacationers.

“There are these young people at the resort that keep giving me and Veneer a hard time. Well, more Veneer now than me but….”

“Oh ya! What’s up with you beating up some of my customers?”

“They were asking for it! They wouldn’t stop…”

“You’re supposed to be redeeming yourself.”

“Yes, but Bruce I was defending-…”

“No excuses.”

“But Veneer, he’ll…”

“He’ll be fine. Now get ready.”

That day and Bruce N Sons was busy. More tourist were coming in day by day… and the one thing they came to see… where the twins.

Word had gotten out that the fallen stars Velvet and Veneer were spending the rest of their time doing some service hours there. People wanted to marvel and see how the twins actually worked… this panicked Bruce. He had to make sure the twins were on top of their game, his reputation was on the line.

But he didn’t hear what they would yell at them: “fakers”, “frauds”, “abusers”… Velvet pulverized a guy the other day for harassing her and her brother. He promised not to press charges on Bruce n Sons but Velvet had to pay his medical fee from her own check. After that incident, many left her alone… but Veneer was a different story.

Velvet watched him as he waited tables, many didn’t withstand giving him a nasty remark. Veneer would just smile and say, “May I take your order?” He loved earning his dues, he loved trying to make it up to the Trolls, despite them not trusting them… it made him feel good. So Velvet couldn’t stand when he allowed anyonento just talk down on him.

Velvet was cleaning near the mini bar when Veneer came up.

“I think I’m getting the hang of this! Look! I even got my first tip!” He pulled out a white piece of paper and opened it…. His face dropped to a frown… “Oh.” Was all he said.

“What? What is it?” Velvet attempted to grab the paper but Veneer withdrew.

“They didn’t have any money on them so they’re just thanked me…with very, colorful words….” He forced a smiled. He’s lying, Velvet thought to herself.

“Whatever. I don’t care.” She fumed and continued to clean.

“Here you go sweety! Order for table 21 is ready.” Brandy chimed as she brought out the food.

“Oh! Okay! I got this! Thanks!” Carefully grabbing the tray Veneer mad his way over to the table. Velvet rolled her eyes as she saw how hard he was working. Pathetic, she thought as she turned her back to him.

CRASH!

The sound of crashing dishes and broken plates echoed through the area. Velvet whipped her head to see Veneer on his knees.

“Oh, no, no, no.” He murmured to himself. Velvet saw that next to him, a group of teens were snickering. One bent over, she could hear the whisper he gave Veneer in his ear, she could read his lips.

“That’s what you get fraud.” The teen snickered spitting on Veneer. Everyone in his table laughed. An anger rushed over Velvet as she saw Veneer helplessly try to gather the fallen plates and food.

“Hey! That was my order!”

“Apparently he can’t even get that right!” People began to shout. The teen who tripped Veneer still hovered over him laughing, making it obvious what he did. Before she could comprehend, Velvet was at her brothers side, pushing the teen back against his booth.

“Hey!” He yelled.

“You leave him alone dickhead!” Velvet scowled.

“Vels!” Veneer warned.

“If I ever see you touching my brother again, I swear-…”

“Velvet!” Bruce’s voice was heard from across the dining area. The small Troll quickly made his way where the twins stood, the teen leaning back in his both in fear. “Vel’s, Ven, what’s going on?”

“She’s threatening me!” The teen pointed towards here. She scowled…Oh how she wanted to rip his arms out..

“He dropped all our food!”

Complaints and shouts began being yelled left and right, Bruces head began to swirl and hurt. This can’t be happening, this restaurant, this resort cannot be going downhill so quickly…he worked to hard for this. And all this, for a batch of criminals he decided to help, all for his brother. Velvet and Veneer had done nothing but mess everything up since the day they kidnapped his brother. Why did Floyd care what happened to them? He should care that his business was going down to the ground.

“Okay, okay!” Bruce held up his hands, attempting his best to keep his cool. “I hear all your complaints, and I’m sorry. I have no control what these two have been up to since their prison days. We agreed on community service to help them…” He turned to look at them directly in the eye, “But they have yet to prove themselves.”

“Are you freaking kidding me! He tripped Veneer on purpose!”

“This is the second time you harass a customer. You CANNOT be doing this! You’re costing me customers, money.”

“She’s just trying to protect me Bruce.” Veneer said as he finally stood up.

“Stop making excuses for her. And could you NOT be clumsy for a second! You keep dropping and breaking things. It costs a lot to replace EVERYTHING you break.”

“But…but sometimes it’s not my fault…It’s…” Veneer casted a side eye at the teens who sat at the booth.

“No excuses. I’ve had enough. I can’t do this anymore. Get out.” Bruce stated with a rising anger in his voice.

“But…but Bruce…” Veneer began to say.

“Out! We’re done.”

Velvet narrowed her eyes at the Troll, “Fine! Screw you!” She grabbed her brother by his wrist and pulled him away before anyone could see the tears forming in his eyes. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose…a gut feeling that he had just done the wrong thing, made the wrong choice, but it was done. One of his other associates picked up the mess and took over the customers, attempting to satisfy them. Bruce needed some time…he walked away and headed towards the back…he needed some space to think, some time away from this chaos. He stopped when there in the hallway, leaning against the wall…was Veneer. He was hugging his knees, tears falling down his face. Velvet was attempting to sooth him, comfort him.

“…Why are things always my fault…” He heard the boy say.

“This isn’t your fault. That jerk kid is going to get what’s coming to him, you’ll see.”

Veneer wiped his tears away, “….Vels….You need to start a new life on your own. People need to see that you really aren’t bad, that you CAN change. I’m just ruining it…You don’t need me doing that…”

“Shut up!” She cut him off.

“But…”

“I said shut up! I’m not leaving you, and your’e not leaving me. You hear me you idiot!” She wiped away some tears that were beginning to fall down her face. “It’s just us two. And we need each other now more than ever. Everyone is going to be mean and we have to be careful..”

“….We deserve it though…After what we did…I don’t blame the Trolls for not forgiving us…”

“I know…I know…” The twins fell silent as they contemplated on what their next steps were….Bruce N Son’s was done with, they messed that up along with everything else they have tried. A feeling hit Bruce in his gut, seeing them now, he began to see the twins in a different light…They were still kids, misguided kids. He couldn’t imagine having his own children misguided into doing things they weren’t supposed to. Luckily they had him and Brandy to guide them along. Who did Velvet and Veneer have? Their parents were gone…They trusted Floyd, and Floyd trusted his brothers to help him…Finally now, Bruce understood why. Both twins sat next to each other against the wall, Velvet leaned her head on her brother’s shoulder, both of them feeling cold and distant…The way they looked, reminded him of his own kids.

With a deep sigh Bruce made his way towards the Rageons. “Hey.” He stated simply. He earned a scowl from Velvet, but a small, weak smile from Veneer. “Listen…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have went off on both of you the way I did. I should’ve heard both sides of the story. You guys have been trying…and you’re not perfect, so why should I expect the work to be perfect. I’m sorry.”

Velvet opened her mouth to say something, but for the first time, she was speechless, she didn’t know what to say. Instead she looked at Veneer. He pursed his lips, “Maybe we should go. Having us here probably isn’t the best…given our reputation. But Floyd tried, you tried….”

“Stop right there kid. I didn’t try. What I did try was to blame you and get rid of you, yeah, that ain’t happening anymore. No you guys deserve a redemption. People need to see the REAL you and not some peacock, pop stars you guys painted yourselves to be. What do you say? Want to give it another shot?” Bruce extended his small hand. The twins looked at each other: Veneer gave his sister a smile and small nudge, Velvet knew this look…he wanted to try again.

She sighed in annoyance, “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” She finally replied.

“Oh! Before we begin again, there’s a small announcement I need to make.” Bruce turned around and headed back towards the busy dining area. The twins looked at each other questionably, they scurried to their feet and quickly followed after Bruce. The small Troll stood on top of the mini bar, with a booming voice he called out…

“Attention all customers of Bruce N Sons!” The crowd quieted and hushed as they heard his booming voice, “Early on, there was a misunderstanding. An accident caused by a reckless load of customers that caused one of my associates to fall.” He eyed the teens, “Don’t deny it! We have cameras! Listen, we all know, and word has spread quickly, that the one and only Velvet and Veneer are here. Rest assured, they are, and they are working for me in hopes of redemption. While they work for me, they will be provided with the same care I give all my associates, and that includes protection from harassing customers.” He pointed out the group of teens, “You guys, out!”

Security came and removed them, sending a wave of talk and murmurs amongst the crowd.

“You may not like it, and you are more than welcomed to leave. I was too worried about loosing customers rather than helping two kids in need. Rest assured, the twins are trying their best, a little socialization never hurt anybody. If you decide to stay, please expect them to be regular faces here for a good while.” Bruce turned and smiled as the twins watched by the door. Turning to face the rest of the crowd, he was surprised to see no one leaving… everyone stayed…, “Alright then, let’s enjoy the rest of the evening!”

Music began to play again, laughter and talking filled the room. Bruce walked over to the twins to find that two of his kids were at Veneer’s ankles.

“Can you play with us pleeeaasssseee?” One begged.

“I uh…” Veneer didn’t know what to say.

“Later kids! He’s got work to do. Veneer start waiting those tables again. We need that happy smile out there.”

“Yes sir!” Veneer chimed as he headed towards the tables. Bruce turned to face Velvet.

“I have something else in mind for you.” He smirked, “How would YOU like to be our bouncer?”

#trolls band together #trolls 3 #velvet and veneer #veneer #velvet #trolls veneer #velvet and veneer trolls #velvet trolls #trolls 3 veneer #trolls 3 velvet #veneer trolls #trolls velvet #trolls bruce #trolls fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #my asks #answered asks #asks

[jessicaloons]

Chapter 44:

Sometimes walking out is the one thing, that will find you the right thing

Masterlist - Previous - Next

"Do you really think it was a good idea? Taking him with us?" I asked, while Arlo spread out in my lap, yawning.

"He will be fine! Everyone will look out for him when we're in the car..." Charles replied, scratching our little baby's head "Look at him! Could you leave this cutie behind? No, you couldn't!"

"No, I couldn't, you're right." I chuckled, leaning back in my seat.

Since the moment I walked through the door and Arlo appeared in my peripheral I was done for. He followed me everywhere I go, always tilting his head adorably when I ignored him for a moment.

"He's a mama's boy..." Charles sighed, and I looked at him.

"He loves his daddy just as much..."

"Absolutely not true! But its okay, he's your baby boy..." he leaned back as well and as if on cue, Arlo scrambled up over the armrest and console, making himself comfortable rolled up in Charles lap "Oh well, never mind, he's my baby now." he chuckled, gently rubbing the little puppy's back.

"He's our baby!" I insisted patting Arlos head before I put on my headphones, watching how Charles leaned a little down, cooing at the little fur baby.

I started a movie and by the end of it I saw that Charles fell asleep, his seat reclined and Arlo rolled up on his chest, slumbering as well. Carefully I grabbed my phone out of my bag and took some pictures, knowing that Charles would love them, then I reclined my seat as well and put on some music, trying to sleep a little myself. I watched Charles and Arlo for a while when I must’ve fallen asleep.

"Shhh… it’s okay. We‘re okay. Just…" I heard Charles mumbling next to me, shifting around "All good, Arlo."

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Charles sitting, a wet stain on his T-Shirt, Arlo halfway wrapped up in his hoodie. I sat up immediately and they both flinched.

"What happened?" I asked and both looked at me.

"There was a little accident. All under control. We just need a moment in the bathroom." he got up, searching through his backpack "See? I used to have a spare shirt with me because of Liam in the past, now because of Arlo. All good." he walked away and I looked over his seat, where everything looked dry and clean.

After a couple of minutes Charles returned with Arlo, the puppy with slightly wet fur, wrapped up in a towel and Charles with a new shirt on, he handed me Arlo right as a flight attendant appeared, handing him a plastic bag.

"Here you go Mr. Leclerc." she smiled at him and then at me and Arlo "If you need anything else, just call me."

"Thank you." Charles nodded, while he packed his wet t-shirt and hoodie into the plastic bag, stuffing it back into his backpack.

"I guess such a long flight was a little too much…" I said quietly, stroking Arlo’s back.

"Maybe a little. But it’s okay. We’re almost there."

"And then it’s welcome to Miami, Arlo."

"There's a new family member since China? The little one is here as well?" Natalie asked and I smiled.

"Yep, his first big trip with us. We won’t take Arlo with us to every race, well out of Europe at least. But he's still in the phase where he has to get used to us so we didn't want to leave him at our family to take care of him..." I smiled and she nodded.

"Arlo was your gift from Charles for your second anniversary?"

"Yeah, he's crazy! After last year surprising me with tickets for the Era's Tour, even meeting Taylor, I was like, he can't top that... and then I come home from the supermarket and this little fur baby appeared out of nowhere and yeah... crazy!" I chuckled

"Maybe he's your good luck charm then for this weekend!" Natalie laughed.

"That would be amazing, we'll see I guess." I waved goodbye and followed Julie back to our hospitality, where Arlo was playing on the lawn with Charles and Liam, the moment he saw me he bolted and Charles got up immediately but then relaxed when he saw that Arlo was running towards me.

"Hey my little boy..." I cooed and scooped him up, smothering him with kisses before I sat him back down, walking to Charles and Liam.

"For one second I thought he would run off... you scared me, you little rascal!" Charles bent down, scratching his head "But of course, he only saw you and we're long forgotten..."

"Oh don't be so dramatic!" I laughed, watching Arlo playing with Liam.

"I'm not dramatic, I'm honest. But it's okay, I understand him." he laughed pulling me to his side, kissing my temple.

"Ewww don't kiss. That's eww..." Liam scrunched his nose and began to giggle hysterical when Charles picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder and tickling his sides "No stop! That's unfair... Charlie..."

"You want me to give you some kisses? Huh? Bubba?" Charles laughed and I joined in.

"Yeah, come on, give your favourite auntie a kiss."

"Nooooo... girls have cooties!" the moment Charles sat him down he ran off, Arlo following him.

"I don't have cooties!" I pouted a little and Charles laughed, pecking my lips.

"Nope, you don't have cooties... but even if you would have, I still would kiss you." he chuckled and I rolled my eyes playfully, when I saw a young boy approaching.

"You've got a visitor." I smiled at the boy, waving him over and he shyly stepped next to Charles, who turned around and smiled at him.

"Oh wow, look at you!" Charles said, gesturing to the boys Ferrari shirt, cap and shoes.

"Hi Charles." the little one said nervously, and Charles kneeled down "Could you- umm could you sign my car and cap? Please? If it's okay?"

"Of course! Do you have a pen?" he asked, and the boy nodded, turning a little to his mother, who opened her purse, but then searched frantically for the pen.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I must've lost it!" she said, looking at her son, whose shoulders slumped a little "I'm really sorry, Micah."

"How about we take a picture together?" Charles asked, and the little fan nodded "Great... now a big smile for the camera!" he said and the mother of the boy took a picture, right when Arlo jumped into the frame.

I walked back into the Audi hospitality looking for my bag.

"Do you need anything?" Julie asked and I nodded.

"Do you know where my bag is? I need a sharpie for Charles." I said.

"Oh yeah, wait." she walked in the back and pulled my bag out "Here you go. Oh wow, you have a lot of sharpies?" she chuckled when I pulled one out of the zipper bag.

"I'm with Charles, do you know how often people ask for an autograph and then their pen doesn't work? Or they don't even have one? Yeah no, their sad faces? Nope. So, I carry around some myself, just in case." I shrugged and she smiled.

"That's cute!"

"Girlfriend duties, I guess." I walked outside, where the little boy petted Arlo's head

"Here." I handed Charles the sharpie and Micah made big eyes.

"Looks like you're getting that autograph after all!" Charles smiled, taking the car from the floor, signing it "On your cap as well? Yeah? Alright."

"Thank you so much! Can we-... umm can we maybe take a picture with you too, Lizzie?" Micah looked at me and I smiled, kneeling down next to Charles, with enough space for Micah to stand in between us "Thank you!" he smiled and after one last pat on Arlos head he and his mum walked off, waving us goodbye.

"You made his day!" I smiled at Charles who cocked an eyebrow.

"Me? Who brought out a pen so I can sign his car and cap?

You know how many fans day you already have made with carrying a pen with you all the time?"

"I mean, I'm with you. I have to be prepared for your fans!"

"Our fans, cara mia."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. His fans. Most definitely his fans.

"I don't understand why they didn't manage to bring your car back to the pits and then get it ready for you to drive for at least half an hour? 20 minutes?" I asked, my legs dangling in the pool.

"I don't know. I made a mistake and that's what you get for it.

It's like this." Charles scratched Arlo's ears and I sighed.

Miami didn't start the way we hoped it would. After Charles spin in FP1, making him miss the entire session and my engine problems in SQ2, making me start the sprint from P15, I hoped that the Saturday would be better for us. And for Charles it turned around with a second place in the sprint race and a P2 in qualifying. Not for me though. The car didn't feel good the entire sprint race and in Q1 my worst nightmare came true and I had to stop the car, setting no time, making me start from P20 in the race. I made it from P15 to P9 in the sprint, but from P20? Not a single point this weekend. Another bad weekend, right when Sainz was in talks with Audi about my seat in the team. On the way back to our hotel I looked out the window, deep in thoughts when I felt Charles knuckles brushing gently over my cheek.

"Cara mia?" he asked and I nodded slowly "I know it's looking bad right now, but you're an amazing driver! Overtaking in tight corners is one of your best treats! Don't give up already... the race is long and you can make up a lot of positions, okay?"

"I have to finish ahead of Sainz at every race. I have to show Audi that I'm the better driver." I breathed out, making Arlo look up from my lap, tilting his head

"And you will. It was their car that ruined your weekend so far! Not you! You didn't make any mistakes!" Charles insisted

"I know, but it's a scary feeling, not to know if I have a seat next year or not."

"Audi would be stupid, if they would choose him over you." he scratched Arlos head "Come on, little one, cheer up your mummy."

"You already did that, Arlo." I kissed his head and he stretched "Ouhhh big stretch!"

"He's so cute!" Charles chuckled a little and I nodded.

"You topped Taylor. I honestly didn't think it was possible, but here we are!"

"I mean, just buying you the tons of different versions of her new album would've been boring..."

"No! That was already enough!" I shook my head and smiled at him "You're too good to me!"

"Only the best for you, cara mia." he took my hand in his and kissed the back of it "And now stop frowning and worrying, you'll be amazing tomorrow!"

"If you say so."

"You'll see, I have a feeling that we'll have a good race. You and I."

Charles POV:

"Swap positions with Sainz." I couldn't believe my ears.

Swapping already? He was only faster because he was in my DRS range.

"Why?"

"Sainz is faster."

"But I don't un-..."

"We will swap back if he can't catch up to Verstappen." I heard that before. And what happened was, we did not swap back. I lost a potential race win. But this time it was different. Fred was here. He made the final decisions. I swallowed hard. Letting Sainz by. I focused on my tyres. My lap times. My pace. But after 10 laps, I was still in his DRS range, having definitely more pace than him.

"I'm destroying my tires like this, guys. We need to swap back."

"Copy. We are checking."

"No, there is nothing to check. We need to swap back." I was getting frustrated "Xavi?"

No answer. I knew what that mean. Sainz refused to swap back.

"Xavi? Tell them that I have pace. I can catch Max."

Radio silence. Once again fooled by my own team. Why was I this stupid? I kept pushing and pushing to overtake Sainz by myself but he left me no space. He was ruthless. And the inevitable happened.

"I need to box. My tyres are fucked. I have no grip at all."

"Copy." at least now Xavi reacted "And box for hards, next lap."

"No. Not next lap. NOW!" I was getting furious.

I was sick of it. Again, I did what my team asked from me and again I would be the one losing.

"We will box next lap." his words were final.

"Fantastic." I spat out.

I was almost blinded by rage. I did what was asked of me, although it didn't make any sense and here we were again. I was fooled again. After I had my new tyres, I stopped listening at all to what Xavi said. I drove the way I thought it was right, ignoring his input. At one point I managed to get Sainz behind me, he was not able to go my pace and I made sure it would stay this way, pushing as hard as I could go. I had Oscar in front of me, then Checo. It was a long way up to P3 but when I parked my car and got out I congratulated Lando for his first win and then went straight to my weighing. Not to my team. I know it wasn’t moat of them’s fault, but I felt betrayed. I had good pace. I was managing well. I was getting closer to Max. But they ruined my chances of trying to fight with him.

"Hey mate." Max said when I sat my helmet down, wiping my face with a towel "Amazing for Lando, right?"

"Yeah. I’m happy for him." I tried to sound cheerful. Tried to not show how furious I was "Do you know where Lizzie ended up?" I looked at him but he shook his head and I sighed.

"Why didn’t you ask your engineer?"

"I forgot." I lied.

"Then ask her herself." he nodded towards someone behind me and I turned around.

Just a moment later she pressed her warm and soft body against mine and I felt all my anger and frustration leaving me.

"I’m so sorry, Charles… Pete told me what they asked from you, how they messed up your race…" she whispered in my ear and I took a deep breath, inhaling her scent "Stop smelling me, I’m all sweaty and disgusting."

"Oh stop…" I chuckled, kissing the side of her head "How was your race? I didn’t ask Xavi where you finished? I was ignoring him…"

"I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to make it up to P6…" she began and then let out a surprised squeak when I lifted her up, spinning her around "Charles!"

"P20 to P6? Fucking hell, Lizzie! You’re brilliant, you know that?" I was so proud of her "What an amazing race!" I sat her back down and kissed her, not caring for the cameras flashing, the people cheering, not even the surprised gasp she let out.

"Go get your trophy…" she whispered, cheeks flushed, pushing me towards Max before she disappeared in the crowd.

"Oh lover boy, you’re so down bad for her…" he laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah I am. I mean look at her? Look what she’s doing?" I shrugged and Max nodded.

"No, I totally get it."

"So, little Lando is a race winner now." I said, taking a bottle of water and sitting down.

"Yeah baby I am!" Lando cheered as he walked through the door, going for some water himself, before plopping down in the chair next to me "That safety car was your guys doom."

"Maybe, maybe not." I replied and Max nodded along, watching the race highlights.

"They made you swap with Carlos?" he looked at me and I followed his look on the screen "And he refused to swap back then or…?"

"I don’t know. We’ll see later at the debrief I guess…" I said, trying to sound calm although I was anything but it.

I was putting on a brave smile. Waving as the crowd was cheering for us. Spraying Lando and Max with champagne. Smiled for the cameras. Then I left. Getting into the golf cart that would bring me back to the hospitality to get prepared for the media pen and press conference.

"Directly to the media pen, if that’s possible?" I asked the driver and he nodded. I didn’t want to go back to my team. Not yet. So the media pen was the only place I could hide for now. All questions were about the swapping of our positions, the not swapping back, how I was met with silence when I asked why this decision was made. I just smiled, said it all would be discussed at the race debrief. Lizzie walked in, talking with Mia and both looked relieved when they spotted me, walking over.

"Where the fuck were you?" Lizzie looked at me with wide eyes.

"Didn’t want to go back to the team…"

"You could at least tell me that? Did you say something to the press already?" Mia sighed.

"I did, sorry, but I said nothing that would make us look bad, don’t worry." I reassured her and she nodded.

"I’m sorry about what happened…"

"Yeah, me too. It’s like this…" I replied and Lizzie rolled her eyes next to her "Can we wait at the press centre? I don’t want to go back to the team…"

"Umm- yeah. Sure." Mia nodded and I looked at Lizzie.

"See you later, cara mia." I kissed her cheek but she held my hand "What?"

"Your team fucked up today, okay? Not you. You did amazing. You fought back and made it even onto the podium… with the input they were giving you, you wouldn’t make it up onto P3, okay? That was you. You alone. Don’t blame yourself… please." she looked at me, her eyes soft and pleading.

"I know. It was out of my hands today." I nodded and she smiled a little, pecking my lips.

"Good. Pick me up later? Arlo is probably missing us like crazy already…"

"I’ll text you."

"I never saw you this quiet at a press conference…" Mia said as we slowly walked back to the hospitality.

"I didn’t want to say something I might regret." I replied, sighing when I spotted the big, prancing horse "Let’s get this over with…"

"It’ll be okay, come on now." she smiled and we walked inside, where we were met with silence, everyone looking up from what they were doing, glancing at us.

"Charles…" Andrea walked over, handing me my bag with my bracelets and watch.

"Thanks mate."

"I’m sorry." he whispered and I nodded, putting my watch back on "I brought your bag and stuff down from your room… I figured you want to leave as fast as possible."

"Thank you, Andrea." I took the bag from him and walked to the quiet hallway with the bathrooms, locking myself in to one of them, quickly changing into jeans and Ferrari shirt. I laced my shoes when there was a knock on my door "One minute." I squashed my race suit, fireproofs and boots into the bag and put my RayBans on, unlocking the door.

"Fred wants to see you." Andrea said and I scoffed.

"Now? Can’t he say whatever it is at the debrief?" I handed him the bag and he shrugged his shoulders, handing me my phone, pass and car keys.

"I don’t know. He’s waiting at his office…"

"Alright. Thanks." I walked up the stairs, feeling a lot of eyes on me but I didn’t care. I was mad. That was no secret. I knocked once and opened the door when I heard Fred.

"Charles… come in, come in." he looked older than usually. Exhausted.

"You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes. Charles, I know you’re not happy with the race today…" he began.

"Damn right. Not even 7 laps in and you already wanted me to swap positions… telling me we would swap back if Sainz wouldn’t catch up to Max, which he didn’t do, so when I had more pace again and said we need to switch back? Nothing. Xavi ignored me." I blurted out.

"Just like you ignored him in the end?" Fred raised his eyebrows.

"Wouldn’t I do that, I wouldn’t have ended up on the podium. So yeah. I ignored him."

"I understand Charles, I do. But you’re not alone on this team… we had reasons to believe that Carlos might be a little faster than you, so we had to give it a go. You have not all the input we have at the pit wall."

"And I understand that, but the race had barely started. I had to build up my pace before anything else, and as soon as I had it, we should’ve swapped back, like it was told to me! But we didn’t! I fucked up my tyres!" I was getting frustrated again.

"I know Charles. And it wasn’t right from us to not swap back. But Carlos…"

"I don’t care what Carlos said. Or what he did. He was slower. End of the story. That’s all that matters. He was slower. I was faster. I should’ve been allowed to swap back immediately when I asked for it and maybe I could’ve caught Max. We’ll never know."

"We told Carlos to swap back. But he said he can extract more from the car."

"Yeah? He said that too in the past. And that costed me a win in Silverstone. And maybe it costed me a win today as well…"

"Charles, you are both my drivers and I need to equally make sure that both of you can extract every ounce of performance. And if he says he can go the pace and push more, I have to let him try. Carlos has his own driving style on track, you have yours, but at the end of the day I have to make sure that you both don’t interfere with each other and have to make decisions you might not like, but they benefit the team."

"And did it benefit the team today? Did it benefit the team in China?" I asked him and he wiped his brows.

"No. But you have to understand-…"

"Why can he drive like he wants to, not giving a shit about me, the team, but as soon as I’m slightly doing the same, I’m the one to blame?"

"No one blames you! We just need to make sure that we are all on the same page for this season, Carlos is part of our team. Our family. We have to look out for each other and so when he steps over the line-…"

"It’s tolerated? He can do whatever the fuck he wants? Is that it what you’re telling me?" I was seething.

"Charles! It’s not-…"

"No. I’m done. I was promised that it would change. I was promised that now that Mattia is gone and I signed a long term deal with the team that I’m the number 1. The future. But still I get treated like shit. Still my races get compromised. Australia? China? Today? No, Fred, I signed because I believe in this team. In you. And in myself. But not like this. I want to be world champion with Ferrari more than anything else. But if this team doesn’t treat me like they want the same, I maybe need to find a new team." the words were out before I could stop them. They were true. Every single one. But still. I swallowed hard, Fred looking like I just punched him straight in the guts. I walked out of his office. Down the stairs. Out of the hospitality, a bunch of reporters already waiting. But I shook my head and walked past them. Not reacting to any of their questions. I walked straight into the Audi hospitality where Felix looked at me, shaking his head.

"A shame Charles. A real shame. I’m sorry!" he said and I nodded slightly "They should’ve listened to you."

"Something they tend not to do for some reason…" Lizzie said bitterly when she appeared next to me "Let’s get out of here, come on. Let’s go home."

"Are you sure? You don’t have to-…" I began but Felix patted my back.

"No. It’s good. You can go." he smiled a little and I nodded.

"Thanks Felix, I really appreciate it." I watched Lizzie walking back into the hospitality and a minute later she returned, an overly exciting Arlo in her arms "Hey my little boy. Come here." Lizzie handed him over and I cradled him close to my chest. He snuggled right into me, licking my face and my bad mood was almost gone.

"Come on. Let’s get you both home…" Lizzie smiled and we walked to the parking lots, where a bunch of fans were waiting, Arlo saw the many people and hid his face in my chest.

"Guys, can you leave us a little space? He’s a little scared…" I smiled and thankfully the crowd took a step back "Let’s get you in the car little one." I cooed at Arlo, sitting him down on my seat, before I turned back to the fans, Lizzie already writing autographs and taking selfies. I did the same and after a couple of minutes there was only a little girl and her father left, talking to Lizzie about the race. I opened the door for Arlo who jumped out, running straight to Lizzie.

"Hey my little one…" she cooed, kneeling down, her eyebrows scrunching together, a little scowl on her face, but it was gone after a second and she smiled again "Say hi to Sarah, Arlo." the young girl kneeled down as well, carefully sratching Arlos head.

"He’s so cute!" she smiled and Lizzie nodded, although not as enthusiastic as usual when it was about Arlo.

"He really is. Charles gave him to me for our second anniversary!" I smiled a little when she looked up and Sarah looked at her dad.

"Oh I know that look…" he chuckled.

"I want a puppy too, daddy."

"Puppies are a lot of work, you know? It’s not just all sunshine and rainbows… it’s a big responsibility, taking care of a little one." Lizzie explained and the girl nodded.

"Maybe when I’m older?" she looked at her father and he nodded.

"Yeah. Then we can discuss again." he looked at Lizzie, mouthing thank you "Come on now Sarah, I’m sure Lizzie and Charles need to relax now, after the race."

"Okay…" she got up and scratched Arlo’s head one last time before she looked at me "Bye Charles."

"Bye Sarah!" I smiled at her and she turned to Lizzie.

"Bye Lizzie!" she said and Lizzie hugged her.

"Bye Sarah!" Lizzie got up, waving the girl and her dad off "She was the cutest."

"Are you okay?" I asked as we walked back to the car.

"Hmm?"

"You looked like you’re in pain there for a minute?" I mustered her face, every little movement.

"Yeah, it’s nothing. Just a headache." she sat down, Arlo jumping on her lap, then I closed the door, rounding the car "Come on, let’s get out of here."

"Lizzie… you know that I can tell when you’re lying?" I looked at her pointedly.

"Okay, okay! God! I think I’m getting a migraine… it was pretty bad this morning already, and it’s only getting worse…" she rolled her eyes and I sighed "Can we now please go back to the hotel where I can take some painkillers and go to bed?"

"Yeah…" I looked her over and decided to not pressure her anymore for now. I was sure it wasn’t just a migraine she was hiding "You would tell me if your sleep paralysis would’ve started again, right?"

"Yes. Yes, I would." she mumbled, her head leaned back against the head rest, eyes closed "But it’s not that. Please believe me."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

"You should just call him? Or go to him..." Lizzie said when she saw me pacing back and forth.

"I can't! You haven't seen his face. Lizzie I said some horrible stuff." I groaned plopping down on the sofa.

After we arrived back in our hotel room and I took a long shower, in which I thought about what I had said to Fred I felt bad. Horrible. I shouldn't have said half of what I did. It wasn't his fault that Carlos didn't swap back. Could they anticipate it? Maybe. But at the end of the day he had more pace at one point, so they of course tried to maximise our performance. Letting out all my anger and frustration on Fred wasn't fair.

"Charles?" Lizzie straddled me, cupping my cheeks "Its Fred we're talking about. He loves you. Okay? Go. Talk to him. Explain why you said what you said. He'll understand."

"And what if not?" I whispered.

"Then you still apologise and tell him that you show him on track that you believe in him and his vision for the team." she gently kissed my lips and I felt myself melt into her. I pulled her tight into me, inhaling her scent "Come on now, you can do this." she got up and pulled me with her "Go."

"Okay..." I whispered, slipping on my shoes, leaving our room, making my way towards Fred's room a floor under ours.

I stood in front of his door for some time, five minutes, ten, maybe more, when I finally found the courage and knocked on the door. Anxiously waiting for Fred to open up and as soon as the door cracked open and I saw Fred's confused face I took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. I mean not all of it. I was just so frustrated. But I shouldn't have said that I would look for a new team. I would never. You know how much this team means to me and I'm ready to give my all for it. But I just need some reassurance every now and then, I need to know that it's not me against the rest, like it was in the seasons before a lot of times. And I know that you treat us all fair and equally. I'm sorry-..." I blurted it all out and Fred looked at me with wide eyes.

"Charles..." he began but I shook my head

"I understand that your mad at me and need some time but I really wanted you to know that I'm sorry. And I will show you that it wasn't a mistake extending my contract and…"

"Oh you silly boy stop the rambling! I'm not mad at you! Was it painful to hear that you would look for another team? Yeah, but it also made me realise how fed up you must've been over the last seasons. I'm not mad, or hurt or anything else, okay?" Fred said and I looked at him.

"You're not mad?" I asked confused.

"I'm not mad. At least not at you." he shook his head a little.

"Okay..."

"After you left I thought a lot about what you've said. There are some things that need to change. Some things might take time, but there is one thing that I will change immediately." he sounded determined and I cocked an eyebrow "Miami was Xavi's last race as your race engineer."

"Lizzie, little Arlo is with us this weekend?" Clarkson asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, in Europe we take him with us as much as we can." I replied, smiling at the picture they showed of our little fur baby.

"Will he see a win of Charles or you?"

"I mean we will try it, right? With both our cars having new upgrades? We’ll see."

"Alright, let’s open the floor for questions."

"Alba Marquez. Marca. Carlos, how are the talks with Audi progressing? Your father said in an interview that for now he’s confident about the negotiations."

Negotiations?

"I don’t want to talk about that now. It’s still early in the season and I want to focus on my current team, not on my future team." Sainz replied, smirking knowingly.

Future team?

"That sounds like we will hear soon some big news?" the reporter asked and Sainz laughed.

"Next question." he said and I swallowed hard.

Why did it sound like I already lost my seat to Sainz? I felt the bike rise up my throat, everything becoming a blurry mess. I didn’t listen to the questions, trying to calm myself down as good as possible and whenever I was asked a question, I answered in short sentences. No details. Just straight up facts. But there were too many questions about my future in Audi. Too many questions if I already thought about a plan b if I would lose my seat to Carlos. I stuttered out that I would focus on this season, and then at the end of the year I would start to think about the next one. My heart was racing. Should I start looking for a new seat already?

"Michael Hauer. Autobild. Question for Carlos. Last year there was a physical altercation between your father and Lizzie in Maranello. The official statement read that it came to a verbal disagreement that turned physical as Lizzie punched your father. You were asked multiple times what this disagreement was about. You stated it was a simple disagreement over the race a day prior in Monza. Lizzie disagreed with your father and then overreacted?" the grey haired man in the first row asked and I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes and say what really happened.

"Yes. That’s what I said and that’s what happened? What’s the question there for me?" Sainz asked and although he lied shamelessly, in all fairness, I had to agree with him, it wasn’t a question. It was more a statement.

"So you’re saying Lizzie punched your father because she had a different opinion about the race and not because your father said and I quote him here 'He, I guess he was referring to Charles, He should learn how to tame his bitch', after saying that 'She should go back in the kitchen and cook her man a meal'?" the reporter had a satisfied smile on his lips and I looked at him "The video that has been posted was without sound but as of today we have another video, from a different angle where the conversation that was being held was clearly audible. An interpreter translated the Spanish into English."

It was quiet in the room. Too quiet. The female reporters all looked at Sainz with wide eyes, some of them with an angry look on their faces. The male ones were just shocked. Then all eyes wandered to me and I felt slightly uncomfortable.

"Am I correct when I assume that you speak Spanish?" Michael Hauer asked me.

"I’m fluent in Spanish…" I replied when my phone vibrated.

"Good umm- I think that’s it for today. Good luck this weekend." Tom Clarkson ended the press conference and Sainz jumped up, leaving the stage immediately.

I checked my phone. A text from Charles. Check mate.

I walked back to the Audi hospitality, flanked by Julie and JK, as a lot of reporters were trying to get a word with me.

"No comments." Julie said for what felt like twentieth time, as I walked inside our hospitality and I already dialled Charles number, flinching when it rang behind me.

I turned around and looked at him, a slight smirk on his lips.

"What did you do?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I didn't do anything..." he replied, and I groaned.

"Charles! That was you! I know it!"

"Did I maybe write some fan accounts who I saw posting pictures from that day with me? Asking them if they knew someone who was in that school class and maybe finding someone who filmed it? Yeah. Did it take a damn long time because they weren't allowed to take their phones inside, and they were scared of the consequences they might have to face if it comes out that they filmed? Yeah. But did I reassure them that no one will ever find out their names? That I'm the only one who knows, and it stays that way? Yep, I did." Charles smiled and I pulled him in, crashing my body into his.

"Thank you... seriously..." I whispered and he stroked my back gently.

"I told you, I won't let them get away with it? Silencing me, us, by threatening to file an official complaint at the FIA because you were there? No. This is justice. And the look on Carlos face? Priceless." he chuckled a little.

"But you send that video anonymously, right? I don't want you to be in trouble because of me!"

"I'm not stupid, cara mia. Let's see how Audi likes the way Sainz sr. was talking about you and Carlos lying."

"I honestly don't care about that. I care more about the fact that everyone knows now that I didn't just punch him for no real reason. I mean, sure, violence never is the answer, and I shouldn't have punched him in the first place, but at least now everyone knows that I punched him because he's a sexist asshole." I shrugged my shoulders a little and Charles nodded.

"He deserved that punch, sadly you were-..." he began when his phone rang and he groaned after he saw who it was "That's Sylvia. She probably wants to talk to me about this little dumpster fire she has to take care off now."

"You should go, and don't look too pleased with yourself. You have to act innocent!" I said and he rolled his eyes "I'm serious!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure... I'll act all surprised.." he pecked my lips and left, not before scratching Arlo's head, who laid on one of the armchairs, rolled together.

"Lizzie? Can we talk?" Felix waved me over and I nodded

"Looks like the Sainz family has some explaining to do..." he winked and I grinned a little "That's good. The board should think twice if they want to replace their female driver with the guy who covered for his sexist father. Doesn't look to good on them."

"Are you sure?" I asked and he nodded.

"I will talk to them after Monaco. I want to discuss your contract extension with the board."

"Thank you, Felix. Really. You have no idea how much it means to me, that you, the rest of the teams has my back like this." I hugged him and he patted my back.

"You're our driver, little one. We want you. And we fight for you. And now off you go. I have some calls to make."

"Alright. And Felix?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for having so much faith in me."

Charles POV:

"... a disaster! Here in Imola! At home!" Sylvia was on the phone, while furiously typing away on her iPad "I don't know! No. No. Yes. Okay, talk to you later." she hung up the phone, groaning.

"What's going on?" I asked, as innocent as possible and her eyes narrowed.

"You don't know? Your girlfriend caused us a lot of trouble. Again!" she let out and I had to bite my tongue.

"What are you even talking about?"

"Haven't you seen the press conference? Where were you, by the way?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I was waiting for Lizzie, playing with Arlo, then you called, so I came? So, what did Lizzie do?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"There's a video going viral, from Maranello last year, that day she didn't have herself under control a-..."

"You mean when Carlos' dad called her a bitch that I should tame? After telling her to go back into the kitchen to cook a meal for me? Yeah, I know what he said, Lizzie told me as you know." I looked at her pointedly.

"Well, everyone knows it now. The cat's out of the bag, Ferrari put out a false statement while one of our drivers was lying about what happened."

"Thank god that driver is not me." I chuckled and if looks could kill, I'd be dead by now.

"Do you have any idea how this looks? For the team? For Carlos?" she spat out and I shook my head

"I told you to be honest and tell the truth about what happened! I told you that Ferrari should be on the right side!

You didn't listen. You didn't care. That's what you get. You fuck around and find out." I shrugged my shoulders when Fred walked in, together with Carlos.

"Carlos, we will have to put out a statement." Sylvia looked at him and he nodded in silence "This is a disaster for the team."

"Well, the team just tried to protect their driver. Oh no wait, their drivers' father. Hmm not a good statement, sorry..." I couldn't hold back and in the corner of my eyes, I saw Fred fighting a grin "I'm sure you'll come up with something. Just like last year. And now if you excuse me. The media pen is waiting for me."

I walked out of the hospitality right into Mia, the look on her face showed me that she knew where I was coming from.

"How convenient that this clip was found and released right when it looked like Audi would really offer Carlos a seat next season..." she said, and I nodded

"What a coincidence, no?" I winked at her.

"I don't even want to know if you had anything to do with it. But just for the record, I'm happy that video was found. The hate Lizzie got afterwards? Deemed to be an emotional, overreacting girl who didn't have herself under control? That wasn't fair."

"No it wasn't. Then again, what was fair when it came to the media's perception of Lizzie? The way she was portrayed? Talked down? Insulted?" I replied.

"You're right. But as much as I hate to admit it, it doesn't look good for Ferrari." she sighed "A podium or win would help." she wiggled her eyebrows and I laughed.

"I'm on it."

"I'll take Arlo to Joris, you take care of your fans. See you later" she kissed my cheek, walking away, Arlo following her.

I took some selfies, signed caps and shirts, before I said my goodbye, going straight for the Ferrari hospitality.

"There he is, go..." Joris unclasped Arlo's leash and he ran towards me, jumping excitedly up my feet "I thought he would never stop howling!" he shook his head, when I bent down, scratching the fur balls ears "You will have to learn to love me more than these other fellas! I'll take care of you at the track!"

"Loving you more than me? Possible. More than Lizzie? You lost. Don't even try to compete... did you see how his ears peaked up, just mentioning her name... Lizzie... see! Sorry Jo, but that's a battle you'll never win." I laughed setting Arlo down, right when Andrea walked in "Let me change real quick and then I'm good to go."

I put on my race suit and boots, leaving the hospitality with Andrea, walking towards the garage, when an Italian reporter joined us.

"Charles, quick question, is it true that the reason why you and Lizzie didn't speak up and tell everyone the truth about what happened was that Ferrari threatened to file a complaint against Lizzie, for trespassing a competitors' faculties?" he asked and I contemplated answering.

I didn't want to throw Ferrari under the bus. It was my team. My home. And since Fred was here it all changed. But on the other hand, I didn't want the people to think that I just accepted what Ferrari did to Lizzie.

"Partly true. The only people who witnessed what happened were Mattia, the three Carloses, Lizzie, Joris and 1. The direct threat came unfortunately from Mattia. He was the one who asked us to stay quiet otherwise the complaint against Lizzie would be filed." I answered honestly. It was Mattia who said that. And he and Sylvia were responsible for the statement.

"Will there be any consequences for the team? For Carlos?"

"I don't know. And I honestly don't know why the whole team should face consequences for one man's decision." we arrived at the garage and he nodded

"Thank you Charles." he walked away and I sighed.

"I didn't want to throw Mattia under the bus like that, but rather him than the team…"

"He did enough damage to the team. Its only fair if he takes the blame." Andrea said and I nodded thankfully "Come on now. Today is important. We need to get you on pole."

"I'll try it."

"And that's P4. You did a good job, we knew that the track doesn't suit our car." Bryan said and I sighed.

"Yeah, I hoped the update would help a little but it's like this." I said and drove back into the pits, climbing out of the car when Lizzie walked over, a bright smile on her lips.

"That was... hot." she whispered, and I laughed "Seriously, you should do that more often."

"What can I say, sometimes I really like the dark side." I shrugged my shoulders and she laughed.

"How was it with Bryan?"

"He did a good job. It's nice to have someone who actually listens to your input for once."

"That's good. Really good." she smiled, and we walked inside for our weighing "He's fuming, I would guess..."

"His problem."

"Who are you and what have you done to my sweet Charlie bear?" she laughed, and I pinched her side.

"Sweet Charlie bear realised that he sometimes has to be selfish and not so sweet..."

She nodded and as soon as we had our receipts we went to the media pen, where Mia was waiting already.

"You know that they will ask about it. Be neutral. Not petty. And for god's sake don't be happy about it!" she said and I nodded.

"Don't worry, I got this." I laughed, ready to face the interviews were I did what Mia asked of me and when we left and made our way back to our garage she looked relived. Not like Sylvia, whose eyes shot daggers at me. But I ignored her and took my helmet from Andrea who walked by.

"What was that?" Carlos asked when I sat my helmet down.

"What?" I replied, wiping my face with a towel.

"You overtook me in fucking qualifying! I was out in Q2 because of you!" he was fuming and I took a sip from my water bottle.

"Sucks, doesn’t it? When your own teammate does that?" I winked and he was taken aback.

"Wha- that was-… that was different!" Carlos said immediately.

"You’re right, it was, because you did stuff like that and it was okay for everyone. You were even praised for it. I do stuff like that and all of a sudden I’m a bad teammate… but thankfully the drivers championship is only for one driver… and not for him and his teammate." I grabbed my helmet and left a too stunned to speak Carlos behind.

"So you think you can win?" his voice was a sneer and I turned around "The championship?"

"I know I can. I will." I smirked.

"First podium for Ferrari in Imola since Michael Schumacher’s win in 2006. Sounds fancy." Lizzie kissed my shoulder and I laughed.

"First winner for Ferrari in Imola since 2006 would sound even fancier, don’t you think?"

"Mhhh… maybe, but you can’t have it all, no? But you know what you can have? Another win in Monaco." she smiled at me, looking over the railing onto the harbour, where hundreds of yachts were trying to secure their best spot along the race track.

"We’ll see. But I would have nothing against it, that’s for sure. But first I need to get the pole."

"I have a pretty good feeling for both."

"Or maybe it’s your first win of the season?" I pulled her in my lap, nipping at her lower lip and she let out a soft moan "Lizzie Doetterer wins her first home race of the year…"

"First? So Hockenheim will be my victory as well?" she cocked an eyebrow and I nodded.

"I’d say no one on the grid knows Hockenheim the way you do. You raced there for years. Testing several cars, for several teams. Hockenheim is yours to win this year." I nodded.

"I’m just glad there is a race in Germany this year, for me to drive in. Winning it? That would be freaking amazing, not gonna lie." she whispered and I kissed her slowly "You win Monaco. I win Hockenheim. Deal?" she breathed out against my lips and I smiled.

"Deal."

Right when I pulled her into a heating kiss Arlo drew attention to himself, beginning to howl, jumping up my feet.

"Silly little rascal, come up here." I picked him up and sat him down between Lizzie and me and he happily began to litter us with kisses.

"Our little fur baby doesn’t like to be left out." Lizzie cooed at him and he tilted his head a little, basking in the attention he got from Lizzie.

"I understand him. I hate it when I’m around you but can’t constantly pull you into me, kiss you, cuddle you…" I sighed, scratching Arlos head.

"Oh come on! You do that!" she laughed.

"Not true."

"So true! You can’t keep your hands to yourself!" Lizzie said pointedly and I shrugged.

"I mean I could, but why would I want to, when it’s you I’m touching?"

"Focus on me?" I looked at Elijah and he nodded.

"People were disappointed that you were barely in the last season of DTS. So we thought it’s Monaco, it’s your home race, Lizzie’s now too, kinda. We should film not just her, but also you. I have some amazing visions of split screens, showing you both at the same time, probably doing the same thing just in different hospitalities, divided by colour, but the work remains the same…" he replied and I looked at Lizzie, cuddling Arlo.

"What do you think?"

"Sounds fun. And I agree, you didn’t have much screen time last season…" she chuckled.

"Okay… but you know we still make a lot of things together? Like now, we were heading to my mum’s hair salon, I need a haircut."

"It’s almost like a ritual, before every Monaco GP, he goes and cuts his hair." Lizzie got up, grabbing Arlo’s harness, securing it on him.

"Be as natural as possible. We just follow you around and film you." Elijah nodded and I got up, slipping on my shoes and grabbing my car keys.

"No." Lizzie said and I looked at her, confused.

"No?"

"No." she glanced at the keys and I rolled my eyes "Stop the eye rolling but if you want to drive, then we’ll not taking this car…"

"I honestly don’t know what your problem is with the 812-…"

"It’s so not you? The colour, the car, it’s just a monstrosity. It’s horrible. Daytona or Purosangue… or we’re taking my car."

"Which has the same colour like the…" I began but Lizzie scoffed.

"Don’t you dare compare my beautiful, pure alpine white with this pretentious, ugly off white of your car!"

"Daytona it is…" I chuckled and looked at the camera rolling my eyes "See what I have to deal with?" I whispered.

"Excuse me?" Lizzie looked up from securing the leash on Arlo’s harness.

"Nothing. Let’s go, Maman is waiting…"

"We’re not alone today, Maman." I said when she released me from her tight hug, going straight for Lizzie.

"I’m not blind, Charles." she scolded me a little, while pulling Lizzie close "Mon belle fille. You look beautiful today." she kissed Lizzie’s cheeks who only chuckled, her cheeks blushing a little.

"Oh come on!" she said.

"No! It’s true, look at how you smile today." Maman laughed, scratching Arlo’s head "Hello mon petit chou."

15 minutes later I sat in the chair, Maman combing my hair, chatting a little with Lizzie and answering some questions from Elijah about me and Lizzie.

"Are you als cutting Lizzie’s hair?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, it started at a race weekend in Italy, our families knew each other for about a year, I think? Lizzie was a little annoyed by her hair, it was too long to be comfortably under her helmet and so she wanted to cut them off herself…"

"I was so annoyed! They were not fitting all under my balaclava!" Lizzie said and Maman nodded.

"I saw her with the scissors and discussing with Marina, her mum and before she could do any damage I said I would cut it. And even since then I was cutting her hair." she said proudly.

"So you’re the hairdresser of not one but two famous F1 drivers?" Elijah asked and I shook my head.

"Charles, dear, stop moving your head please!" Maman said gently and I laughed.

"First off, she’s the hairdresser of 3 famous drivers! She did David Coulthard’s hair in the 90s! And also, you’re so much nicer to me when there’s a camera, Maman!" I said and Lizzie punched my shoulder "Ouch! I’m just honest!"

"You’re so full of shit, don’t listen to him, Pascale is always the sweetest to our Charlie bear!" I said, looking at Elijah "Please Pascale if there is one day you have to mess up it’s today."

I looked at Lizzie in the mirror, her eyes twinkling with mischief, Maman just laughed, patting my shoulder.

"I would never do that, you know me." she smiled, right when Lizzie stepped next to her with a scissor in her hand.

"But I will." she laughed and I flinched a little "Oh the fear in your eyes. Priceless."

"We edit that out, later…" I looked at Elijah, but saw Lizzie looking at him, shaking her head.

"We’re not." she whispered and I laughed.

"Done." Maman said and I looked in the mirror. She styled my hair a little and then took off the cape "Now you look perfect again."

"And before I didn’t?" I laughed.

"You look always perfect." she replied and Lizzie scooped up Arlo, walking over.

"Arlo approves."

"That’s all that matters." I said, booping his nose.

An hour later we were back at home and I cooked pasta for everyone, while we were chatting about the upcoming days.

"Do you cook often?" Elijah asked and Lizzie chuckled.

"Yeah Charles, do you often cook for us?" she wiggled her eyebrows and I rolled my eyes a little.

"Lizzie is teaching me some easy recipes…" I said, stirring the pasta.

I mixed the sauce with the pasta, grating some Parmesan on top and turned to Lizzie.

"I think I’m done." I opened the cabinet to my left, looking for plates and she laughed.

"Plates are not in there. I set the table. You cut the bread." she smiled and I nodded.

"It smells pretty good." Diego, one of the camera guys said, sitting down.

"Yeah, if it tastes how it smells? I’m not worried!" Elijah said and I nodded carrying the pot over to the table.

As soon as everyone was sitting and had a plate full of pasta and salad in front of them

I was waiting for everyone taking their first bite.

"It’s good… the pasta is maybe a little… a little more than al dente?" Sarah, the sound lady said carefully and I tried the pasta myself.

"Not the first time we’re eating crunchy pasta, no?" Lizzie chuckled and I swallowed the really too al dente pasta down.

"Yeah but come on, that was different!" I said.

"True…" she laughed.

"What was different?" Elijah asked.

"Don’t you dare say it!" I looked at Lizzie.

"He made some pasta dish al forno… and burnt it… very crunchy." she said and they laughed.

"Hey! You said it tasted good!" I pouted a little.

"It did, it was just very crunchy!" she kissed my cheeks and I laughed.

"Thank you. But sorry guys, cooking this much pasta was a little more tricky."

"It tastes still pretty good." Diego said and everyone was nodding in agreement.

"Then I’m glad."

The next two days were filled with media duties, events and of course practice sessions on Friday, Elijah and his team following us around everywhere we were going. On Saturday morning they arrived too early and filmed us getting ready for our day ahead

"You just used my perfume…" Lizzie said when she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and I looked at the flacon.

"I have not…" but then I smelled at the bottle "Oh nooo, cara mia why does it look like mine? I don’t want to smell like you… oh now she’s giving me the death glare." I said when she left the bathroom and the camera followed her walking out.

"I didn’t know you don’t like how I smell…" her voice was quieter now, as if she was walking towards the front door.

"Are you leaving? Lizzie? Is she leaving?" I looked at Elijah, walking towards the door, right when she walked back in.

"And it looks like yours because the spray cap of mine wasn’t working and then I used your empty bottle you wanted to throw away to fill it in that one…" she put a sticker on the bottle and looked at me.

"Oh… I remember, but… didn’t the smells mix?"

"I rinsed it thoroughly…" she said, putting her bottle into her cabinet.

"Thor- thorow-fowly?" I stuttered.

"Like super clean? What’s the word? Soigneusement?"

"Got it!" I nodded grabbing the Ferrari shirt on the counter, ripping off the tag.

"You do know we have scissors in this house!" she shook her head and I laughed.

"Yeah but that way it’s faster." I shrugged and she sighed.

"Okay… Let’s go now. I don’t want to be late today." Lizzie walked out and we followed her.

"Quali day, baby." I cheered and she laughed.

"Who will get the pole today?" Elijah asked and Lizzie and I looked at each other, stepping into the elevator.

"She will."

"He will."

I laughed and Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"Aren’t you adorable." Elijah joked.

"That was a tight battle!" Lizzie looked at the replays on the tv of our last flying laps "But in the end Mr. Monaco did it."

"Mr. Monaco?" I chuckled, handing her her food.

"Prince of Monaco?" she wiggled her eyebrows.

"That title is already taken, I’m afraid." I sat down next to her, careful to not squish Arlo, who was lounging between us.

"Nope. For me you’re the real prince of Monaco." she chuckled and Arlo yawned, looking up "And you too."

"Don’t let the real real Prince hear that." I chuckled.

"I don’t think he would have a problem with that. And maybe when you win the race this time, you’ll even attend the victory dinner he held for you…"

"I told him that it was a really emotional day that I wanted to spend alone with my girlfriend." I replied and Lizzie dropped her fork into her salad "What?"

"You did not say girlfriend? Charles no one knew that we were dating back then!" she looked at me with big eyes.

"Well… the Prince knew… sorry." I said sheepishly and she laughed.

"Unbelievable!"

"Look at the bright side, he approved of you."

"What?"

"He said he always knew that one day you and I would finally admit that we belong together, he said although he never met you, he felt like he knew you, because of how much I talked about you…" I held a piece of cheese in front of Arlo’s nose and he sniffled a little before opening his mouth.

"You talked with the Prince of Monaco about me?" Lizzie asked slowly.

"Yeah… I mean, I talked with him about my life. My family. Of course I talked about you."

"Wow… now you so have to win tomorrow! I want to go to that fancy dinner!"

"Or you could win? And then it’s your dinner!" I suggested but she laughed.

"Was there a dinner for Max last year? No. Was there one for any other winner? No. It’s only for you." she rolled her eyes a little and I leaned over Arlo, gently grabbing her chin, turning her head.

"But maybe if I ask him, he’ll still host it, for my gorgeous girlfriend." I pecked her lips and she blushed slightly.

"I don’t want to break up the Leclerc 1-2…" she whispered against my lips and I chuckled.

"But cara mia, you’re a future Leclerc, no?"

Winning a race is always awesome. But winning your home race is special. It hit’s different. And when the checkered flag was waved and I won my second home GP, I screamed my lungs out. Seeing all of the principality plastered in our flag, my name, my number, even my face, was incredible. No words could describe the feeling that I had when I parked my car in the P1 spot, standing on the hood, throwing my hands up. Cheering with my team. All of them lined up, waiting for me to celebrate our win. I jumped into them, felt everyone patting my back, shoulders, helmet.

"Grande, Charles!" Arthur chanted when I managed to hug him, ruffling his hair. Next up was Fred, teary eyes, clapping excitedly.

"You’ve done it boy! What a brilliant day!" he said and hugged me, John Elkann behind him.

"Congratulations, Charles. Good job!" he said and I hugged him when Andrea was patting my shoulder, pointing behind me.

I turned around and saw Lizzie wiping her face with a towel, patting Oscar’s shoulder, congratulating him. I couldn’t do it 2022. But today I wouldn’t let this opportunity pass. I pulled my helmet off, next my balaclava and handed it Arthur, then I walked towards Lizzie and spun her around and she looked surprised for a moment. I pressed my lips on hers eagerly, gently biting her bottom lip to make her gasp. I forgot the world around us, the race. The win. Everything. It was only Lizzie and I in this moment. And when all the oxygen in our bodies was gone and we had to pull away I looked at her, pink cheeks, mouth slightly agape, eyes twinkling.

"Congrats, race winner. I’m so proud of you." she whispered.

"Congrats, Miss I wait for the last lap and the last corner to go for the tiniest gap there is and secure P2." I chuckled and her cheeks turned a shade darker.

"It was stupid. I don’t know what got into me. It’s way too narrow there. I could’ve ended Oscar’s and my race…" she rambled but I pecked her lips again.

"You saw a gap and went for it. That’s what every true racing driver would do."

"Yeah… I guess so…" she mumbled but I lifted her chin up and looked at her, saw the grin forming "You’re right. And now go. Your interview is waiting!" she pushed me towards Jenson Button and walked towards Oscar, both of them watching me, smiling and joking.

"Longest press conference of my life, I swear. Where the bell were you?" Lizzie chuckled when we walked back to the garages.

"Yeah! Lizzie and I took a nap, while waiting for you!" Oscar nodded and I held my hands up apologetically.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! But there were so many people!" I said and Lizzie smiled.

"They all celebrated their Prince of Monaco."

"Does that make me a Prince as well?" Oscar joked and Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"Hold your horses, I didn’t even agree to this whole adoption thing, okay?" she joked and Oscar played offended.

"So I can’t call you mum? Mummy?" he laughed and Lizzie shoved him a little.

"You better not!"

"We’ll see…" he walked inside the McLaren garage "See you Dad… Mum…" and he was gone, not without laughing his ass off at Lizzie’s offended look.

"Next race I’ll push him off." she said and I laughed.

"Hey! You can’t do that to our son!" I joked and she punched my arm "Ouch… okay, okay I’ll stop! Will you be at the harbour?"

"You think I’ll miss out on the opportunity of seeing you and Fred jump in there?" she scoffed a little and I laughed.

"Then I’ll see you later, have fun with your team." I kissed her cheek and watched her walk into the Audi garage, Pete and Felix waving at me. I waved back and then walked the rest of the pit lane to the Ferrari garage, where the whole team sang Sarà perché ti amo, dancing around the table with our trophies. The moment they spotted me they erupted in loud cheers.

"There he is! Mister Monaco!" Fred laughed and I grinned "I hope you know that I was serious about us jumping into the harbour."

"Good, because I make sure that you keep your word." I chuckled a little.

"Here!" someone pushed a large bottle of champagne in my hand and I took a swig out of it, immediately frowning "Yeah it has no fizz from all the shaking and spraying."

I laughed and celebrated a little with the team when Fred grabbed me by the arm and nodded.

"It’s time. Let’s do this."

"Everyone, to the harbour!" Fabrizio shouted and it almost looked like a procession.

We stopped at the edge and I looked for Lizzie, leaning against a fencing giving me the thumbs up.

"It’s going to be cold, no?" Fred looked at me and I nodded.

"Probably, yeah." I laughed and he took a deep breath looking at me.

"See you in there!" he screamed and jumped in, I quickly followed, diving into the cold water.

"Daghe Charles!" everyone was cheering and celebrating but I only had eyes for Lizzie, smiling at me.

Fred and I splashed around for a moment and then swam back to the harbour wall, I saw an empty bottle floating in the water and grabbed it, taking it out with me. Everyone was patting our backs and I looked around for Lizzie, when I spotted her, talking with Andrea.

"Here." I handed her the empty bottle.

"What’s that?" she cocked an eyebrow, looking at the bottle.

"That bottle swam in the harbour, I thought I’ll take it out with me, would you’ve seen it, you probably would’ve asked me to jump back in." I shrugged my shoulders and her face softened.

"Oh Charles…" she pulled me in, pressing her soft, warm lips against my cold, wet ones.

When she pulled away her hair was glistening with water drops, she licked her salty lips and smiled.

"My Prince of Monaco, who cleans the ocean." she whispered and pecked my lips again.

"You love me, right?" I whispered against her lips.

"Yeah… what’s that even for a…" she began when I hugged her tight and she shuddered a little, then I took a few steps back, pulling her with me "What are you doing?" she asked when I grabbed her tight, preparing for the jump "Wha-… No! No! Charles!"

"I love you, cara mia." was the last thing she heard before the cold harbour water engulfed us.

"I’m going to kill you!" she spluttered out as soon as she emerged from the water, wiping her wet hair out of her face.

"No you won’t." I laughed, swimming towards her and hugging her close to me, not caring at all about the people watching us "I’m your Prince of Monaco. Which basically makes you my Princess. So, princess, ready to party?"

"I would’ve been ready without a bath in the sea, but yeah. I’m ready." she chuckled and I kissed her, swallowing down the little surprised gasp she let out. My team, the fans, spectators all erupting in cheers and whistles.

"Let’s get out of here."

Chapter 44- HE DID IT! CHARLES LECLERC, THE MAN YOU ARE! I think when I say we’re all beyond proud and happy for him, it’s still an understatement!

Please leave a comment/ like/ reblog/ message and tell me how you liked it! I'm dying to hear your thoughts!

If you want to be added to the taglist, drop a comment!

Last but not least, English is not my first language and although I tried my best: please excuse any mistakes I made!

Taglist:

@silkenthusiasts @eugene-emt-roe @sunny44 @itsjustkhaos @glitterquadricorn @aundercover @kakorrhaphiphobia @alittlebitofbooksandmagic @ru-kru @shimmermotorsport @janeh22 @kahhorri @18754389 @chiliwhore @hellowgoodbye @queensassybitchsworld @harrysdimple05 @skynel09

All the images I’m using are from Google, Pinterest and Instagram (or self made).

#charles leclerc #charles leclerc 16 #charles leclerc f1 #charles leclerc fic #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc x female driver #cl16 #cl16 fanfic #cl16 fic #cl16 imagine #cl16 edit #cl16 fluff #ferrari #scuderia ferrari #formula 1 #formula 1 fanfic #formula 1 fic #formula 1 fandom #formula 1 imagine #formula 1 fluff #formula 1 x female driver #f1 #f1 writing #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 fiction #f1 fandom #f1 imagine #f1 x female driver #female driver

[coloradocharmiegirl]

Chapter 42 here -- New 5/27/24

Summary:

Armie heads up the mountain with his crew, while Timmy focuses on training and figuring out a way to feel worthy of Armie again--intent on making the transition from guest to contributing member of the household by the time Armie gets back.

Excerpt:

Timmy pulled into the parking space at the training center, shifted into park, and turned off the car. He saw the metallic blue key alongside the other keys hanging from the ignition, but unlike the nervous excitement he’d felt seeing the key on the morning of their two-month anniversary, now he only felt nervous. Armie was out there, somewhere, fighting the fire whose smoke filled the air, even here, a couple hundred miles away on the other side of the Continental Divide. The sun glowed orange in the sky through the smoky haze–a constant reminder of the peril Armie could be facing.

Taking notice of the shining blue key once more as he pulled the keys from the ignition, Timmy took a deep breath. It was hard to believe that it had only been four mornings ago that he’d sat right here in the parking lot and stared at the key, convincing himself it was okay to make the leap of faith and move into Armie’s house. And yes, he still ended up in the house, but under such different circumstances.

What a difference those four mornings made.

But things between them would be okay… were okay–maybe even good, if the last few conversations were any indication.

Welcome home, my love.

Timmy could see Armie’s words, penned in elegant script. Armie wanted him in the house, hadn’t stopped wanting that, even in the face of Timmy’s insane assumptions and ridiculous behavior. He’d refused to take his key back, even as Timmy was kicking him out, and thank fuck for that. The universe had granted him a second chance, had smoothed the bump he’d so stupidly built in the middle of their road, and Timmy wanted with all his heart to live up to Armie’s idea of the house being destined to be their home. And honestly, now that Timmy was there, he never wanted to leave.

And if it is to be my home, Timmy reasoned, I need to get with the program and quit being a guest.

Or start from the beginning here

Hi everyone! I'm back, faster than I have been lately (it hasn't even been 6 weeks!) Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Also, I'd be really grateful if you would do me a favor and reblog. My posting schedule isn't really a schedule and hasn't been for a while. I can use all the help I can get in letting people know a new chapter is up. Thanks so much! 💙💚CCG

#charmie fanfic #charmie #charmie ff #doctor timmy #fireman armie #charmie fic #rescue me

[awfulwriter123]

Second Mom Part 2 (Rhea Ripley x Reader One-Shot)

Hey Everyone! ik its been... *checks calendar* awhile since my last upload, I'm not gonna lie to you, i have a VERY hard time trying to translate my ideas to these works. But I REALLY wanted to get back into it so why not start small? Happy Reading and a good morning/night/afternoon to all! Part 1 for anyone who's interested!!

Warnings: None, Just fluff, Also D/n is daughters name

Okay, You were nervous....Nope, Scratch that. You were scared. I mean you only flew half way across the world to Australia. Not just for Rhea's probably biggest show ever performing Infront of her family and people. But also because you were also here to introduce your now Four year old daughter d/n to her family. No pressure.

Rhea of course, was able to sense your nerves as you guys were on the plane ride over. D/n comfortably asleep with her head leaned on her shoulder. She looked over towards you to see you picking at your nails, a nervous habit you had. "Hey?" She whispered towards you has to not disturb the child sleeping on her shoulder.

You turned your head towards her to see the gentle smile on her face, that smile just slightly calming your nerves. "Hey" You whispered back with a slight smile of your own as she grabbed your hand in her own and squeezed reassuringly.

"They are gonna love her, Don't worry." She said as she leaned over slightly to place a kiss on the top of your head, gaining a huge smile out of you in the process. "I know they will, I just can't help but feel nervous you know?" You said as you looked towards your feet in nervousness.

You felt a finger under your chin causing you to lift your head. You had little time to react has you felt a pair of lips on yours for a split second before that feeling was gone. "It'll be alright, Trust me please?" She practically whispered against your lips. You nodded with a soft smile on your face before pecking her lips for quick kiss again.

You leaned back into your seat and closed your eyes and took a deep breath. 'It's gonna be a lonnnnnngggg couple of days' You thought to yourself as you slowly drifted into a nice nap before the inevitable.

~ Time Skip ~

"Hehe, I feel so tall up here!" D/n said/giggled from atop of Rhea's shoulders, You couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Tell me, What do you see up there koala?" Rhea asked while using her favorite nickname for your daughter.

"Ummmmm.... OH! I see Uncle Priest and Dom! HEY GUYS!!" She basically shouted while waving ethuastically. Dom and Priest both looked up from whatever they were looking at on Dom's phone to laugh at the sight and wave back.

"D/n, Inside voice please." You said softly next to Rhea while looking up at your daughter. "Sorry Momma." She said softly leaning on Rhea's head and closing here eyes, still a bit tired. You couldn't help but chuckle and shake your head at the sight and say. "Like mother like daughter." Rhea looked at you out of the corner of her eye. "What was that honey?" "Nothing." You said cheekily.

You guys walked a bit further before you asked. "Where did your sister say she was picking us up at?" "Should be right over he- oh I see her." You turned your head slightly to see a woman who looks just like Rhea but with blonde hair lookign around. "HEY! SIS!" Rhea shouts while waving a hand.

You see her eyes snap in your direction before a big smile comes across her face as you guys walk up to her. You gently reach up to take d/n off of Rhea's shoulders so she can greet her sister properly. D/n of course whines at not being so high up anymore.

"Hey sis, how you been?" Rhea's sister asks as she gives her big hug, Rhea instantly giving her one of her own. "I've been great, How abou you, mom and dad?" She asks while pulling back to look at her sister. "They've been great, looking forward to seeing you and meeting the Mrs." She said while looking torwards you with d/n in your arms with a smile.

You smile back and reach a free hand out. "Nice to meet you, I'm Y/n." She shakes your hand enthusiastically. "Oh I know, Rhea never shuts up about you." She laughs while pulling her hand away only for Rhea to push her shoulder playfully. "Oh piss off you-" "Language!" You quickly reprimand Rhea nudging your head towards d/n.

"Sorry love." She quickly apologized before coming over to put her arm around you and kiss the top of d/n's head. Her sister coming over to introduce herself to d/n who was currently trying to hide by burying her head in your shoulder. "Hi sweetie, It's nice to meet you." She said softly to her, d/n looking at her for a split second before hiding back into your shoulder.

"Sorry she's a bit shy around new people." You said to her before she gave you a big smile. "It's alright, that's understandable." She said before hearing a quiet voice. "So your Mommy's sister?" D/n asks while giving her a big puppy eyed look. "Yep, sure am kiddo." She said with a soft smile on her face. "So that make you my aunt?" D/n looks towards you as to make her logic checks out, which you couldn't help but laugh at.

"Yes honey, she's your aunt." D/n gets a big smile on her face and a glint in her eye as she quietly asks to be put down. As soon as you put her down she immediately runs over to Rhea's sister and hugs her legs tightly. "Hi auntie." She says as she looks up at her to which she immediately gets picked up into her aunts arms. "Good to meet you too possum."

You lean into Rhea at the sight as all your worries seem to wash away just like that. "Hope she'll be like that around your parent's." You say quietly as you look up towards Rhea who is still looking at her sister with her daughter in her arms with a look of pure happiness. "Oh she will." She said confidently before kissing your temple as you guys walk out towards her sisters car. You now know, you were worrying for no reason.

#rhea ripley x reader #rhea ripley imagine #rhea x reader #rhea ripley

[ryuichirou]

I wanna start with I love your blog sm and I’m not trying to jump on the train, in fact I don’t even mind if you just read this and don’t post or even just delete after you read, but I know where the “Rook gaslighter” thing comes from and wanted to explain (I also just LOVE talking about rook even if its negative). Im not explaining to change your mind but rather to inform!! Because I love spending hours analyzing the characters, pls don’t stop drawing rook!! Ever!!

ANYWAYS now that “please don’t hate me I have to uncontrollably explain everything about my favorite character(s) the second someone doesn’t know about one small detail 😭” is over, I will explain! During Vil’s lab wear vignette, Rook asks Vil when he’s going to start his new diet. Vil, confused, is like what??? Tf?? And rook is like “yeah :D you have put on 3 pounds exactly :)”. Vil is lowkey like wtf Rook I haven’t noticed shit and rook is like “okayyy but who do you believe? Me or literally anyone else?” And vil is like “yeah you’re right, I’ll adjust my diet, thank you rook”.

The ‘issue’ with the “rook is a gaslighter” is it’s SOLELY a fandom thing (and maybe with other characters, but still, like. Vil is a world class model he CANT put on weight like a normal person could because it’ll unfortunately affect his career. The beauty world is just like that, irl too. Plus, this is something he wants for himself, even if he admits to hating the diets during his overblot, it’s still a part of who he is). Vil, himself, views rook’s behavior as a helpful thing, he appreciates Rook’s supernaturally keen eye! He might be offended but ultimately he would not have Rook as his vice-prez if he didn’t respect or admire Rook in some way.

I adore the way you draw them together!! The one where vil is like “how dare you! Just because he’s strange doesn’t mean he’s like that!” And rook is behind him with blood on his face, he’s so cute! I recently found another blog that is similar to yours that I also wanted to see if you knew bc they draw rook out the same way you do! @/fadiesismin is so cool and I think you’d love their artwork!!! Also I’m very sorry for the long-winded ask, in my defense, I’m also a Sagittarius. Rook 🫶 Me, xoxoxoxoxo!!

Sagittarius Anon! I’m sorry it took this long to reply.

First of all, thank you for enjoying our stuff and for your support! I am very happy that you like the way we portray RookVil. Their relationship is very interesting and honestly quite nuanced; we don’t usually gravitate towards ships that have this strong of a “they’ve been dating for a while” vibe, but these two are just too charming. Probably because despite them deeply understanding each other and sharing a lot of values and passions, they really aren’t a perfect couple, and we get to see it in moments like the vignette you’ve mentioned, or Rook’s lab wear vignette, or on multiple other occasions. Rook isn’t the perfect boyfriend, in fact, he is quite a menace sometimes without really meaning harm (still, he technically made Vil cry at least once); but there also isn’t another person that would get Vil as deeply as Rook does and support him as well as Rook does. What they have is special, but isn’t perfect at all.

As you already know, we also love talking about characters a lot, so I even though I am late with this reply, I am happy to have an opportunity to talk about these two and Rook specifically. So thank you for sending this ask and waiting!

I’ve seen this vignette being used as an example of Rook being gaslighting/manipulative before, and to be honest, I don’t really get this argument. I understand that the reasoning is usually that Rook sounds similar to a man that lies to his girlfriend about her being fat because he wants her to be even skinnier or just to be an asshole about it, but here is the thing: this isn’t what Rook is doing though. Gaslighter always has ulterior motive behind their manipulations, even if it’s just to mess with someone else’s head for fun or to control this person. But with Rook (both in this vignette and in general), what you see is what you get: the man is brutally honest, sometimes even too honest. Vil himself is very aware of that and has mentioned it multiple times.

It’s just like you said! Vil never lets anyone forget that his looks are important to him (both because of his own standards and because he is a model), so of course Rook would comment on something that he noticed. This is the foundation of their relationship: Rook gives Vil his feedback because Rook sees things that other people don’t. Does it mean that this feedback is always 100% necessary and Vil should change things according to how Rook critiques him? Of course not. Maybe sometimes it would be better for Vil to just take it easy and relax instead of perfecting every single thing, but this isn’t what Vil wants for himself: he doesn’t want to be pampered, he wants to be appreciated for his hard work. Rook enables Vil’s perfectionism, but don’t forget that Rook is that force in Vil’s life that doesn’t let him forget what he is doing all that for (I’ve talked about Rook being protective of Vil’s “beauty” = love for art here). Vil having a toned body is something that Rook enjoys, but this is mainly something that Vil wants himself; I kind of think that as long as Vil’s passionate and unapologetic about things that he does, Rook would find beauty in him no matter how he looks. Remember him at the end of ch6 after Vil’s grandpafication? Yeah exactly.

Alright, I digress. The point I am trying to make is that Rook is very direct with Vil, sometimes even too direct, and this is the opposite of gaslighting. Even when he suggests things “lightly”, he is still upfront about them: he doesn’t try to plant any ideas in Vil’s head.

Rook sounds and acts like a jerk sometimes, but he means well, and it’s not an excuse, just a fact. In Rook’s head, Vil always takes his direct remarks and observations very well, what’s so different this time? Even if you’ve been with someone for years, fuckups are unavoidable, especially for someone who has problems with tact.

To reiterate: could this scene be triggering or upsetting? Absolutely. Are there people who comment on other’s weight to make them insecure or make them doubt themselves? Absolutely. Is this what Rook does? Absolutely not. It just isn’t true to his character: he wouldn’t gain anything if Vil started doubting himself, in fact, he would have hated it. He doesn’t want Vil to be insecure or unsure, this is literally what he confronted him about at the end of Ch5. He also doesn’t need to do anything for Vil to trust him more than others: Vil already does. When he was saying that he knew better than anyone or anything else, he stated the truth, and this is what so fucked up about Rook: he really does know better.

It’s very important to remember that these characters have their own circumstances and their own writing, and we are fucking blessed to have a cast of characters this interesting and complex.

By the way, I am saying all of this as someone who wouldn’t mind Rook being a gaslighter and could see fanon scenarios where it could work, but those need to be very well-written not to ruin his character, because honesty is an integral part of Rook Hunt. For better or worse.

Also, I know you haven’t mentioned Jade, Anon, but since this entire discussion started with comparing the two, I wanted to note that Jade’s Dorm Uniform vignette exists. Vil literally looked at him man and decided not to trust him for one moment, even scolded Rook for even humouring the idea that Jade was telling the truth. And this is just one instance; we are constantly being reminded by everyone in cast about the fact that Jade is shady and we shouldn’t take seriously the majority of things that he says (pretty much verbatim to what Floyd said about him in the Playful Land event). Jade doesn’t care about honesty, he doesn’t care about lying either: all he cares about is what to say to make the others react in the most interesting way possible. He loves messing with people, and the world is his playground….

(I am also pretty sure that he comments on Azul’s diet; this has nothing to do with gaslighting either, just thought I’d mention that since we’re talking about this)

Anyways, thank you again for your ask, Anon! I hope this wasn’t an exhausting read. I always feel like I haven’t said everything that I wanted to say, but fortunately I still have tons of replies to write, so I’ll have my chance..! Probably.

PS. @/fadiesismin’s works are very good!!

#replies #rookvil #about characters

[strlvvr]

my best friend's brother (is the one for me) - matt sturniolo x reader

where y/n has had a crush on her best friend nick’s brother for years

word count: 1.1k words

“i’m not setting you up with my brother.” nick said as he was unlocking the door to his house.

“oh come onnnn,” i whined walking into the house behind him, “he’s so fine though.”

“i’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that actually.” he laughed as matt came out of his room. i stopped for a second or two staring at him. i took in what he was wearing, grey fresh love sweatpants and a tight tank top. his hair all over the place, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"what did she say?" he questioned with tiredness in his voice. "nothing, nothing." i quickly replied eyeing nick not to say anything to his brother.

"you do know it's two p.m. right?" nick asked matt seeing the boy still in pajamas and obviously tired. 

"and? can't a man sleep in?" he said sarcastically. i couldn't help but laugh as i put the snacks me and nick had just bought in the fridge. "why are you laughing miss ‘sleep until four p.m.’? you can't be saying anything here." matt eyed me making me stop laughing as soon as he spoke.

"hey now, i haven't done that in months. didn't you just do that, let me see, yesterday?" i retorted watching him roll his eyes at my comment. 

i've been friends with the triplets since high school and moved out to l.a. around the same time as them. we became closer with the move, all of us looking for houses and making sure whatever houses we found weren't too far from each other.

i've had a crush on matt since we first met. only recently have i realized it's way more than a crush. i find myself craving him and his presence. we've always had more of a flirty friendship, which didn't help any of my feelings towards him. his nicknames for me bordering pet names, sweetheart, princess, baby.

“whatever you say, princess.” 

“of course we can get food, sweetheart.”

“I don’t want to not live by you, baby.”

of course i never believed he ever meant anything by it, but they still made my stomach flutter and my heart skip a beat. the way he said it so casually but yet so lovingly never failed to have me in my head wondering if he really meant what he said.

"what'd you guys get me?" chris asked the second he walked up and saw the bags, no "how are you guys" or "how was the trip".

"nothing. you said you didn't want anything. all four times we asked you." nick said after grabbing one of the drinks we had just bought. i grabbed the pepsi i knew he wanted, along with some of his usual snacks and threw them to him.

"see at least y/n loves me." chris said to nick and then stuck his tongue out at him.

"did you get me anything?" matt asked walking over to me, not stopping til he was right behind me. my breath hitched as he put his hand on my waist.

"yeah, a root beer and the food you texted me about." i replied as calmly as i could, secretly hoping he wouldn't leave his spot to grab them. 

"thank you, baby." he whispered into my ear before he pulled away to go find everything, his hand trailing my lower back as he walked away.

he knew what he was doing. there was no way he didn't. i know he feels the way my body shifts into him, the way my breathing gets heavier, the effect only he seems to have on me.

“what are we watching tonight?” i asked while walking over to put my drink on the coffee table, and then grabbing my blanket from the basket. 

“what about retribution?” matt suggested sitting in his usual spot on the couch next to me.

“you only wanna watch that for liam neeson.” i told him, grabbing the remote to put on something that wasn’t a liam neeson movie.

“yeah, but he’s just so good.” matt emphasized, moving his arms around trying to make a point.

“what about the crow?” i asked everyone, only to be met with groans from everyone.

“yeah for the thousandth time? no thanks.” chris said, rolling his eyes and throwing popcorn at me. 

“yeah and it’s my turn to choose a movie tonight so i don’t see the problem here..” i told him while going to amazon prime and searching up the movie. 

as the movie got to my favorite scene, i moved closer to matt to lay on his shoulder. as i was moving he pulled his arm up for me to be closer. as the movie got more gruesome, i felt him hiding in my hair so he didn’t have to watch.

“something funny?” matt asked once he felt me laughing.

“yeah, you. you do this every time at this exact part too.” i looked up at him still laughing a bit, only to find him already looking at me. i put my head back down onto his chest to hide the blush creeping onto my cheeks, directing my attention back to my favorite movie.

“i don’t know why you like this movie so much, it’s weird.” nick complained, obviously intrigued in the movie though. 

i roll my eyes, “is that why you’re still watching?”

as the movie went on and i got more tired, i moved down into matt’s lap and put my feet up on the couch. once i was comfortable, i felt matt start to shift around underneath me. 

“can you stop moving around, you’re bothering me.” i almost yelled at him, while trying to stay comfortable.

“sorry sweetheart.” he said, moving his hand to my hair, slightly massaging my head. after a couple minutes of that, i was starting to fall asleep. i woke up to him adjusting himself, yet again. this time he got up and started walking towards the bathroom. 

“where are you going?” i whined, missing the comfort of him.

“nowhere, just the bathroom.” he said quietly, before rushing off to the bathroom. i moved into his spot, trying to keep what was left of the warmth before he got up. i squint my eyes in confusion, wondering why he rushed off so quickly. but i decided to ignore it and got up and went to the kitchen to grab something to drink. i heard something behind me when i closed the fridge, i turned and saw a disheveled matt behind me. 

“you okay?” i questioned once i took in the sight in front of me.

“all good, sweetheart.” he answered, with a familiar look in his eye that made my knees weak. 

“you wanna grab me another drink while we’re here?” he asked, still staring at me.“oh yeah, sure,” i turn back to the fridge to grab whatever was in there for him. as i handed it to him i couldn’t help but watch him take the can, the way his fingers wrapped around it had my mind going places it shouldn’t be going.

especially not about my best friend’s brother.

tag list:

@beersangel @whoseyouare @wh0schl0

#matt sturniolo #matt sturniolo x reader #sturniolo triplets #nick sturniolo #chris sturniolo #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo imagine #matt sturniolo x you #matt sturniolo imagine

[farfromstrange]

Do No Harm

CHAPTER TWELVE: Oh, Chaos!

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Summary: You have an eventful day at work rekindling with a new acquaintance and dealing with a peculiar trauma case, but the most prominent thing on your mind is dinner with Matt, and you could really use some advice from someone who knows a thing or two about dates to keep you from canceling.

Warnings for this chapter: slight angst, self-hatred/doubt, mentions of past abuse, mentions of injury

Word Count: 5.3k

A/n: I'm sorry this took so long. I took an unexpected hiatus, and I couldn't break out of the writer's block, so this took close to a month to finish. I read this a dozen times, and I fixed what I could. This is rather "boring" compared to what came before and what I've got planned, but there is plot in there that will become important again later down the line. Just so you know what you're getting yourself into in advance. 'Kay, thank you!

Read Chapter 12: Oh, Chaos! here on AO3

Four missed calls, and twenty text messages. The chat is full of one-sided advances. ‘Claire’ is written on top, but her contact resembles an empty void in contrast. 

I don’t know what I did to deserve this radio silence, but I thought you would like to know I asked Matt out again. I like him. We’re having dinner on Friday. Do with that as you will. 

Hope you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere. 

Call me when you can. Please. 

I’m worried about you. 

Love you. 

It has been like this since Matt called you when you least expected it. Whether he was looking for support, professional advice, or just the sound of your voice, you’re not sure, but it warmed your heart to know he thought of you and no one else, and he picked up the phone to call you. 

Before, you tried telling yourself that there isn’t much between you. You tried telling yourself that perhaps, it would never go anywhere and not to be disappointed because from the start, Matt has been too good to be true, but after sharing a glimpse of your past, you feel closer to him, and you don’t want to let him go. He is the first good thing that has come to you in years. 

Claire’s radio silence hurts. You don’t want to admit it, but sending text after text to your best friend and receiving not even a ‘read’ sign both concerns and upsets you. Ever since she took you under her wing when you came to New York, you’ve—sometimes involuntarily—shared your anger with her, your sadness, your pain, and those rare moments of happiness. 

She was the one who told you to go for it, so her behavior remains suspicious. You want to ask her; you want to confront her about everything and get the truth out of her, but unless she answers your contact attempts or shows up to work, there is not much you can do. You tried from the moment you got home to the second leading up to your next shift at the hospital. So far, nothing. A few days ago, you would have called the police and said that this was nothing like Claire, but now, you’re not so sure anymore what to believe, and it is pissing you off when you should be excited.

Things are looking up. You don’t want to look down and ruin this for yourself, knowing there is a chance your thoughts will most likely turn against you again at some point. You have to enjoy it while it lasts. 

Glancing down at your phone, you walk down one of the hallways at Metro General. You shake your head. It’s been hours. Perhaps after you get off work, you will head to where Claire is staying. Just to check on her. The nagging feeling that shit is about to hit the fan won’t leave you, and it seems like the right thing to do, even if just to ask her what her problem is. 

She’s always so quick to tell you what’s good for you. She gives you advice you never even asked for, but you end up appreciating it regardless. She knows what she’s doing, and she is a lot smarter than you are most of the time. You know her as well as you possibly can after two years; Claire is hiding something, and that is unlike her. If she gets herself in danger because of something she feels like she can’t talk to you about, or if she has an opinion afraid to share with you, you need to know because it is important to you. Your mind is disordered and distorted; you are well aware that sometimes, you don’t see things as clearly as you should. Claire’s rationality is a blessing and a curse. You’re dependent on it.

“Hey, Doc,” a familiar voice sounds from the nurse’s station.

You stop in your tracks, looking up from your phone to the man standing across from you. You haven’t seen that face in a while, even though he spends a lot of time here—almost as much as he does at work. You doubt he ever goes home to sleep. 

Your face lights up, and you stuff your phone back into the pocket of your coat. “Ben!” you exclaim, your lips curving into a smile. 

“Long time no see,” he says in an attempt to match your delighted reaction.

You hate to admit it, but Ben Urich looks worse for wear. Dark circles under his eyes match the deepened wrinkles of exhaustion, and his lips are cracked in more places than one. His shirt shows the slightest of coffee stains he tries to cover with his visitor badge. You doubt he has had the time to do his laundry in a long time. And there is that expression of agony he usually knows how to hide, but the walls he once built around himself are starting to crumble. 

The sympathy you have for this man cannot be put into words—because your feelings are unpleasant most of the time, too, and unless you have been in an impossible situation, all you can have is empathy. You, however, are not a stranger to despair, and the people around you all seem to be carrying too much of it, too. 

You clear your throat, putting the file in your hand aside to shake his. “How have you been?” you dare to ask. 

He shrugs. “Could be better, but… I’m alive. Healthy,” he says. It’s a modified standard answer you do not buy for even a second. 

Your eyes soften, but you try to keep the mood light. God knows what he has been through since the last time you saw him on this very floor. “Yeah? That’s good. The Bulletin still giving you a hard time about the things you want to write?” You chuckle. 

“Ah, you know how it is.” Ben leans against the counter. “Readers these days are apparently more interested in celebrity scandals and gentrification than true crime.”

The pen scratches against the chart you have to sign. “Well, just know that you will always have a loyal fan of your true crime section in me, and I would tell that to Eric’s face if you ever need me to.” You offer him a smile of pure honesty, and his eyes actually light up this time. 

He chuckles. “Can I quote you on that?”

“That depends. Am I getting paid?”

“I’m afraid the only form of payment I have is cheap office coffee.”

“You’re in luck then,” you say, “I am a sucker for cheap office coffee because it’s still better than cheap hospital coffee.”

His face contorts. “Yeah, I’m not going to argue with you on that,” he says. 

Again, you chuckle. The question rests on the tip of your tongue, but only when the silence stretches out painfully long enough to prompt a drop of sweat to run down his temple, you ask, “How’s your wife?” No pain or pity in your voice—you know he doesn’t need it. 

Ben swallows in response, scratching his fingers through his hair. “Uh, hanging in there. They told me she’s had a good day today. Lucid,” he tells you. 

“That sounds like progress. You know, with her condition, every good day is a success.”

“Yeah, yeah, I, uh… I agree. But… she’s not the only reason I’m here. Shelly called me here today to, uh, discuss my wife’s future at this hospital…”

The muscles in your shoulders tense and stiffen. You slowly lift your head. “Oh,” is all you can muster up to say. You know where this is going.

“Yeah,” he says. “I tried convincing her to keep her here a little while longer. But apparently, you guys can’t accommodate her much longer, and she wants me to look into hospice or some other form of long-term care.”

“I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s not your fault.”

But what else are you supposed to say? You clear your throat. “I, uh… Shelly’s under a lot of pressure, you know? We’re having funding issues in every department, and she is just trying to make due, but… I know your wife’s been here for a very long time, and she’s dependent on the care. Alzheimer’s can be incredibly cruel, and I’m sure hospice is a lot more expensive than what your insurance covers if she stays here, so it isn’t fair. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” says Ben. 

“Can I help in any way?” you ask. 

“Well, unless you can win the lottery or find a cure for Alzheimer’s in the next seven days, I’m afraid not.”

“Believe me, people are trying, but—”

“I know,” he cuts you off. “I still appreciate it. You’re one of the few doctors here who still care about the people.”

You shake your head, saying, “It’s not that easy. The system is rigged against us. We’re all aware of it, but some of us just… fall off the wagon because they think the only way through is to become what we hate the most. Selfish, egotistical money-makers always chasing recognition rather than caring about the patients we’re supposed to serve,” you explain. “These new fancy medical centers only those with millions in their bank accounts can afford are where all the funding goes, and those who cater to the underprivileged and uninsured—like us—have to suffer the consequences because we don’t chase after money. I would know; I did my residency at one of those hospitals, and I hated how some of these people treated their patients, so I always tried to use the resources we’ve got to help people, even those who couldn’t afford it. Of course, not all of my fellow residents stayed on that path with me. The more high-risk surgeries, the better the payout, even when unnecessary. Upcoding and needless tests were the standards we were held to. I’ve always hated that. Public hospitals are at the bottom of the food chain, and the patients end up pulling the short straw, but most doctors don’t start with the mindset that it’s just something we have to accept. That lethargy comes with time. And the system.”

“Kind of reminds me of that kook in the black mask,” Ben muses. “With his disbelief in the system and his…his twisted sense of justice.”

You scoff. “Well…”

Your mind flashes back to the other night in that alleyway. The way he interfered when he heard you in trouble. The cockiness he seemed to exceed, but it quickly vanished when he realized you may have risked your life to save someone else’s, but you were not going to leave another person injured. You don’t have a lot of trust in the justice system, but that man seemed… different; like the only way he could believe in justice is when he does something against the persistent injustice that so many turn a blind eye to. 

But it’s not just Hell’s Kitchen, which the Man In Black seems to gracefully ignore. He does what he needs to where he thinks he has to, but it is not just the system in his beloved city that is wired against the people it is supposed to protect and serve. It’s not just the justice system or society overall, it’s the government, too. And you truly believe he knows that, too, he simply does not have the manpower to fight all battles at once. No one has. 

Ben eyes you curiously, up and down. “What, you don’t agree?” he asks. 

You sigh. “I don’t think he has a twisted sense of justice, no.”

“Why? You met him?”

Saying yes would make you an accessory to his crimes. “I’ve heard the same things you have, Ben, and I think he really is trying to change something,” you answer instead. 

You find a sudden determination in his eyes as he leans closer. “You treat his victims, right? You’ve seen what he can do with his bare hands. Taking out entire syndicates that have been bothering Hell’s Kitchen for decades, going up against bad seeds and corporations, and he never backs down,” he says. 

“If you’re trying to say it’s a bad thing…” You trail off. 

“I think it’s a grey area. A fine line.”

“Well, as fine as that line may be, I don’t feel as much empathy for the people he puts in here because I’ve seen what they can do just a few blocks from here,” you state and close the chart in front of you on the counter. “I had to watch lives and families get destroyed. The ones responsible for serving justice either didn’t have the evidence, or they were too late, or the only witnesses died on my table, or—and that happens quite frequently, too—they just didn’t care,” you say. “The times I watched them make arrests, the legal system ended up failing the victims anyway. Now, I’m not saying I condone violence, but this city needs help. Depending on the area, police sometimes don’t even bother to check, and that pisses me off because a lot of the time, tragedies could have been prevented if first responders just got there on time. Or if the perpetrators involved in a crime suffered the consequences for their actions instead of bailing out the same day on a domestic violence charge. I know that the police can't be everywhere at once, but… A lot of people feel safer with this guy out there because they know he tries.”

Ben desperately scribbles along on a small notepad you’re not sure where he got it from. He’s not even wearing a coat. 

“It’s like David and Goliath,” you tell him, too animated to pay closer attention to your surroundings. “It’s a contest wherein a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much bigger and stronger adversary. I just… I don’t know. In this city, there are a lot of metaphorically weak individuals who don’t have the means to fight back against the big guy. Like I said, a system rigged against its people does not help the people live a safe and happy life in a city that makes them feel like all their advances are futile.”

“That’s excellent,” he murmurs.

You glimpse down at his hand, frowning. “It’s just my opinion.”

“There’s nothing ‘just’ about it. I know a lot of people feel the way you do, and yes, that’s fucked up. But that’s why we need people like you to speak up. People with more influence than the little guy. People who serve the people.”

“Ben,” you try to get a word in.

“Hear me out,” he says. “If I can get Eric to sign off on it, I want to write a think piece for the public. About the man in the mask. About Hell’s Kitchen and New York, and the things no one likes to talk about. And I’d like to get you on the record.”

“With all due respect—and I do love the concept—I don’t think interviewing me would be such a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Your pulse has inevitably gotten higher. Because if my ex finds out where I am, he’ll kill me. The thought screams like a banshee, echoing like the trajectory of a bouncing basketball. It takes you a moment to realize that the thudding is your heart. Dull, aching, and infused with a panic as old as time. 

You squeeze the pen in your fist, feeling the plastic crack under the weight. “I can’t have my name or face on the record,” you confess. “It’s a, uh… protection thing.”

The most human thing to ask would be, ‘Protection from what?’ You don’t have to read minds to know that those are the words forming on Ben’s lips the second you offer him an explanation that is not quite the truth. It couldn’t be further from it, but your truth is a tank and tanks can take down everything in their path without suffering as much as a scratch. 

You take the stage before he can ask—before you can ride yourself further into this pile of dirt and lies. “I treat people for a living, and my opinions out there… I need to protect myself if someone ever wants to file a lawsuit against me for prejudicial behavior because they could easily use an interview I gave as evidence,” you say. “I could lose my license.” Your license, and your life. 

He releases a strangled breath. “Yeah, no. Of course,” Ben says. “I knew that. But I could always refer to my source as anonymous. Most of the time, people don’t care about who said what anyway. They just want something to talk about.”

You want to scream. The alarm is blaring loud enough for the nerves in your body to hear it. The rage is so hard to swallow. Not at him though. It isn’t Ben’s fault that even now, you have to live your life as if it was never yours to begin with.

“But,” he adds upon seeing the look on your face, like a deer in bright headlights, “unless a certain Man in Black decides to leave another stranded criminal on my doorstep, Eric will never sign off on it. I’m sorry,” the exasperation in his voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard. “I didn’t mean to jump this at you. I know you have more…important things to do than worry about an old journalist who knows damn well his best days are behind him.” 

The shake of your head follows in an instant. His confidence lies drowned in the invisible puddle at your feet. “You don’t always have to go with the flow of time,” you tell him. “If you want to write something, you should. People’s tastes change, but there will always be someone out there who wants to read what you have to say.”

Ben smiles at you. “Does that mean you’ll think about my offer?” he asks.

You return the gesture. “When I’ve done my important things, maybe I will.”

And chances are, you will think about it. You will think about it, and then you will cry over a bottle of wine and wish you were never born or that, once again, he killed you when he had the chance. You will wish that you didn’t run, and you will curse John and your entire existence to hell and back because without him, you wouldn’t have to guard your heart like a maximum-security prison, and you wouldn’t have to hide who you are like a secret from Pandora’s box. In the end, though, you know you will have to decide if he doesn’t forget what he offered you—and knowing Ben Urich, when he is allowed to write about what he wants, he won’t forget the sources he tried to recruit along the way. 

You look up suddenly when the sirens start blaring above your head. 

Attention all staff, Code Red, Emergency Department. Code Red, Emergency Department. Trauma team to the Emergency Department immediately.

“That sounds bad,” Ben comments. 

You turn back to him, but before you can open your mouth and excuse yourself from the conversation (and your internal self-hatred party), one of the nurses behind the counter picks up the phone with a knowing nod. A second passes and all color fades from her skin before her features contort. “I’m sorry, what?!” she damn-near screeches.

You frown back at her. “Hey, Evie,” — you snap your fingers — “What’s going on?”

She moves the speaker away from her lips. “Um,” she stammers. “Have you ever seen Texas Chainsaw Massacre?”

“Oh, my God.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s 11 am!” you say, your eyes darting between her and the wall as if that would change anything.

Ben cuts in, “That doesn’t mean much in a city that never sleeps,” he says. “People are always crazy ‘round here.”

You scoff. “Apparently! I’m so sorry, but I’ve gotta–”

“Yeah, no. I know.” He nods, his eyes softening in an instant. “Go!”

With a grateful nod, you leave your work on the counter and head into a sprint down the hall. 

A life-saving surgery can take up to several hours. There really is no margin for error, so you tune out the noise of the world outside and focus on the chaos you have to control. You focus on what you know and what you have learned because if you don’t, the person you are cutting into with a scalpel could die at your very touch. For those few critical hours, you are nothing but a doctor, but the world doesn’t stop or disappear in real life when you cease to exist; when you come back after those few hours, the world is still falling apart, and you still have to go back home and face the reality you are forced to live in. But how can you think that when people are fighting for their lives every day before your eyes; when you can try as hard as you want to help them, but you fail more often than you do not? Mental scars often out-rule the physical scars of a trauma patient, and whenever you tell them it gets better, you feel like you are lying to them. Because it never gets better, it feels like.

People are dying and falling apart, and so are you, and it hurts that nothing ever seems to change, not even when you try to tell yourself that people are dependent on you and that your world can’t stop again because this is your job; you signed up for this. But you didn’t sign up for this kind of life. You fell in with the wrong person, craving a love like in the fairytales you used to read as a little girl. You missed the feeling of being loved because the people who were supposed to love you died and fell apart, and you were left fantasizing. It’s a downright mess in your head and everywhere around you, and you are continuously stumbling over the broken glass on your floor, falling into the shards and cutting yourself over and over again until you’re bleeding out but never fully dead. 

You spend the next six hours in the operating room, forgetting about Matt and the implications of your dinner. The one you asked him out to. You forget about Ben and his offer, and you think finally, finally, you can breathe. Human anatomy isn’t quite as complicated as this. The one thing you have been worrying most about, the person who has occupied your every waking thought for days now, fades into the shadows for a little while, but then you’re threading the needle through the skin of the man whose life you have saved, and your second to breathe turns into a riot.

Ben’s words return to your conscience; the masked individual he seems most fascinated with moves to the forefront of your fragile mind. He is all over you again, and it sends a thrill down your spine that positively terrifies you; it terrifies you that it doesn’t terrify you. He shouldn’t matter, and you shouldn’t lose another thought to him, but Ben Urich knows how to cast out a net to catch even the most unlikely adversary. 

You redial the last number on your phone. Standing in the emergency room that has grown quiet for the afternoon, you feel the weight of the world sinking back in. The clock keeps ticking closer to the end of your shift and inevitably, dinner. Forgetting is a blessing until you realize that thinking about it would have prepared you more, and now you barely have time. 

You want to cancel. You should cancel. Claire has not been picking up, and you’re worried about her. But she’s an adult, isn’t she? She pushed you into doing this, and then she bailed. A good friend would at least give you a reason for her change of mind. She hasn’t said a word because she refuses to answer, and it’s starting to leave a bitter taste in your mouth. 

“This is Claire. Leave a message,” her voicemail greets you. 

You sigh. “Hey, I don’t know why you refuse to pick up my calls, but I could use your help. I’m, uh, freaking out about this stupid dinner that wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t for what you said, so the least you could do is call me back and help me pick a dress, maybe talk me off the ledge,” you say. Your voice cracks. “Please, Claire, call me back.” 

The silence is defeating. You put your phone down, staring at the paperwork before you. You have a lot more of that in your office, but you can’t be bothered to be entirely alone right now. Not when you are fighting a war with yourself inside your head. The one soldier you thought you could count on has retreated from the frontlines. 

You look up when your peripheral vision picks up on movement. “Trouble?” one of the nurses asks, motioning to your face.

“Depends on the definition,” you say.

“Hit me with it. Maybe I can help.”

You couldn’t shut up even if you wanted to. “Well… Do you know anything about proper date attire?” 

She grins, dropping whatever she was holding before to turn her undivided attention to you. “A date?” she asks. “Well, well, Doc. Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Oh, just… a guy I met. A good guy.” You smile sadly at the thought of those beautiful brown eyes, and the green forest that he hides in his irises whenever the light hits his beautiful face just right. The wrinkles, the dimples, and the faint freckles on his nose, too. He is so beautiful. 

She leans forward on her elbows on the counter of the nurse’s station. “The good guy who left your number here the other day?” 

You raise your eyebrows, flabbergasted. “Wh—” The blood rushes to your face, and you suddenly feel very warm as you gape at her. “Does everyone here know about that?” you ask, your voice bothered on a high-pitched siren of embarrassment. 

The nurse only smirks. “He is very handsome,” she states. “It’s hard to forget a face like that. And he’s come here twice. One of those times he sat by your bedside. Now, I don’t know about you, but I would marry a guy like that in a heartbeat. Bodies in the basement included.”

You hope he doesn’t have bodies in his basement. What if he does though? What if he is just another bad choice waiting to be made? What then? You can’t imagine it, and the things you’re feeling… you have only felt them in your mind because nothing you had was ever real, but you love feeling them now more than you thought possible. It’s the fact that you love that treacherous feeling so much that you feel like you’re not thinking clearly enough to make rational decisions. But you don’t want to make rational decisions, you’ve realized. Life shouldn’t be about that. You can’t turn the voice in your head off and make it stop screaming at you, but you know how to feel. If you only knew how to channel that without falling apart at the hands of your self-doubts though. If only you knew. 

You run a wary hand over your face. “Okay,” you murmur, closing your chart so you can look at your colleague. “Claire isn’t answering her phone and this date… it’s freaking me out. She said I had to get back out there, but she bailed on me,” you tell her. “I don’t know what to wear or how to behave because the place we’re going to is… fancy? And I don’t even know how to pay for it. I… I don’t know if I should go because the last time I was on a date… let’s just say it didn’t end well. So, if you could just tell me that this is a bad idea and I should take on a second shift instead so I won’t feel bad about lying to him, I would be forever in your debt.”

She shakes her head, not having missed a second of your rambling. “Oh, hell no!” she exclaims. 

You match her incredulity, propping your hands up on your hips. “Excuse me?” you ask.

Her head stops, and the way she stands there reminds you of your English teacher from high school. Tall, brunette, and sassy. “You are not bailing on that date like Claire bailed on you just because you’re experiencing anxiety,” the nurse tells you. She’s insistent. You doubt you will get a word in that isn’t an utterance of agreement. 

“You don’t understand,” you try to convince her, or are you trying to convince yourself? “I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can.”

“Did you miss the part where I said my last date ended in disaster?”

“So what? I’ve had a lot of disastrous dates.”

“That’s not…ugh!” It is your turn to shake your head, looking at the sterile wall as though it were a screen. 

A life built on a lie is not much of a life at all. You have as good a reason as anyone to bail on this date, and it’s not just a disastrous date. You didn’t pick the wrong guy off of Hinge and fall in love with him. What happened to you was different on a level you can’t easily describe, but it also shouldn’t define you; she’s right. Your insecurities are going to be the death of you one day.

“Let me ask you this,” she says. “Do you like him? Or do you just think he’s a really good guy because he was nice to you?”

Your jaw slacks. The Audacity. “I… I think he’s a great guy. Nice. Forthcoming. That’s all,” you answer. It’s not a lie, but it is not the full truth she wanted to hear.

“Uh-huh. I may not be a human polygraph, but I can smell a lie from miles away like a bloodhound. And you, Doctor, are lying and therefore interfering with your treatment.”

“I’m not a patient.”

“Are you though?”

You sigh. You should not have confided in her, but also, perhaps it was the best choice you could have made. 

“I like him,” you confess upon looking into her eyes. “Okay? I like him. He’s not just a good guy. He’s… different, and that’s why I like him.”

She stands up straighter, a newfound energy filling her veins. “That’s more like it. Now, let’s forget the whole ‘canceling and using work as an excuse’ thing. What’s the vibe?” she asks.

The change of subject throws you off for a second. You’re walking on eggshells, fragile train tracks you could fall off and electrocute yourself with if you only take one wrong step. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take risks. 

“Fancy-ish,” you answer. You don’t have any strength left to fight. “I don’t know. It’s dinner.”

“Dinner’s romantic. Put on a silk or velvet dress because those are the fabrics with less risk of becoming a sensory nightmare, possibly some jewelry, but you don’t need much more than that. He’ll fall in love with your personality first. The rest is just… for your confidence and his imagination.”

She looks so proud of herself. You can’t deny that it’s good advice. It’s not the sound of your voice filling a voicemail to the brim or a solely blue chat history; it’s something you can work with. 

You nod slowly. “If I didn’t have mountains of paperwork waiting for me, I would kiss you,” you say.

With a chuckle, she retorts, “Save that for your date.”

“I’m not kissing him.” You grab your pile of work. “It’s just dinner. I don’t even want to kiss him.”

On your way to the elevators, you catch a glimpse of her smirk. She’s not buying it. You don’t want her to. You don’t even trust yourself to tell the truth.

“I don’t,” you say, loud enough for her to hear but mostly to yourself. “I don’t want to kiss him,” you repeat because you don’t.

You don’t want to kiss Matt Murdock.

Except that you do, and you would do anything to make that happen—if your world wasn’t so unfair to begin with. 

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