#a mix of new teams and groups and old teams and groups is the BEST because we get old and new dynamics

[amirasainz]

Hi queen. Can you please write for little alonso one, where she is still pretty young and mostly hanging out with the spanish speaking drivers (please include Franco♥️) and one of the others accidentally uses a english cuss word in front of her and she repeats it. Thank youuuuu.

Enjoy reading and send some requests!!!

-xoxo babygirl 💚

La Niña del Paddock

The Formula 1 paddock was always alive with energy, the hum of engines, and the chatter of mechanics filling the air. Today, however, it had an extra spark of excitement. Two-year-old Yn Alonso was in attendance, her tiny form dressed in a summer outfit and her hair in two braids.

Clinging to her father’s hand, Yn looked around the bustling paddock with wide eyes. She was shy, clutching tightly to Fernando's leg every time someone tried to say hello. Not that most of them could converse with her—she only spoke Spanish, and her vocabulary was still that of a toddler.

"Papá, quiero un jugo," she murmured, tugging at his hand. ("Papa, I want juice.")

Fernando crouched to her level, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "Después, mi amor. Ahora papá tiene que trabajar, ¿vale? Carlos te cuidará por un rato." ("Later, my love. Right now, papá has to work, okay? Carlos will look after you for a while.")

Yn pouted but nodded solemnly, her grip loosening as Carlos approached with a big grin. "¡Hola, princesa! ¿Lista para pasar un buen rato con el mejor babysitter del mundo?" ("Hello, princess! Ready to spend some time with the best babysitter in the world?")

Yn tilted her head, studying Carlos. “¿Eres mejor que Papá?” ("Are you better than Papa?")

Carlos laughed, scooping her up. "Por supuesto que no, pero soy el segundo mejor." ("Of course not, but I’m the second best.")

---

Carlos wasn’t alone in his efforts. Franco and Sergio often joined in, creating a small team of Spanish-speaking drivers who adored Yn. Today, as Carlos carried Yn through the paddock, they encountered Checo, who immediately lit up.

"¡Ahí está mi amiga pequeña! ¿Cómo estás, Yn?" ("There’s my little friend! How are you, Yn?")

"Quiero jugo," Yn replied seriously, causing both men to laugh. ("I want juice.")

“Ya veo que sabes lo que quieres,” Checo teased, ruffling her hair. "Ven, vamos a buscar uno." ("I see you know what you want. Come, let’s go find one.")

As they headed to the hospitality area, they ran into Charles, who, while not fluent in Spanish, had picked up a few phrases. He knelt to Yn’s level. "Hola, Yn. ¿Cómo… cómo estás?"

Yn hid her face in Carlos’s shoulder, making Charles frown.

"She is shy," Carlos explained with a shrug. "But you can try."

Charles smiled softly. "¿Quieres… jugo? ¿O… un helado?" ("Do you want… juice? Or… ice cream?")

At the mention of ice cream, Yn peeked out, nodding eagerly. "Helado."

“That was easy!" Charles laughed, standing up and joining the group as they searched for treats.

---

Other drivers began to notice how much time Yn spent with the Spanish-speaking contingent, sparking a mix of amusement and envy.

"Why does she never come to us?" Lando complained to Max, watching as Yn giggled in Franco���s arms.

"Maybe because she doesn’t understand you," Max replied with a smirk.

"But she’s so cute! Look at her little cheeks!” Lando exclaimed. “I want a turn."

“Good luck with that,” Max muttered, though he was secretly curious too.

---

Eventually, Yn’s circle expanded, and she found herself surrounded by other drivers who, despite the language barrier, adored her. George was attempting to teach her a clapping game, while Lewis showed her pictures of his dog Roscoe. Everything was going smoothly until Max stupped his toe and muttered a curse under his breath.

"Fuck," he said, slapping his thigh.

Yn, ever the sponge, tilted her head. "Fuck."

Silence fell over the group. George gasped, and Lewis froze mid-sentence.

"Max," Lando hissed. "What did you just do?"

“It wasn’t my fault!” Max said, panicking. “She’s too quick!”

"Fuck," Yn repeated, smiling as if she’d learned a new toy.

“Nonononono,” Charles said, rushing over. "Yn, don't say that. Es malo. Muy malo." (" It’s bad. Very bad.")

"¿Por qué?" Yn asked innocently, looking up at him. ("Why?")

Checo appeared just in time, his eyes wide as he realized what was happening. "What happened?"

“She heard Max swear,” George explained, flailing his arms.

Checo groaned. "¡Ay no! If Fernando finds out, we're dead."

---

Despite their frantic efforts to distract her with other words, Yn’s new phrase stuck. When Fernando finally returned from his duties, Yn ran to him, arms outstretched.

"¡Papá!"

"¡Mi niña! ¿Te portaste bien?" Fernando asked, lifting her into his arms. ("My girl! Were you well-behaved?")

Yn beamed at him, her tiny voice ringing out. "Fuck!"

Fernando froze. The drivers around them collectively held their breath, some looking ready to bolt.

Then Fernando threw his head back and laughed, a hearty sound that echoed through the paddock. "¡Eres toda una Alonso, mi amor!" ("You’re a true Alonso, my love!")

Checo wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. "We're saved…"

Fernando looked at the guilty group, smirking. "But if it happens again, you all will be to blame."

Yn, unaware of the chaos she had caused, snuggled into her father’s chest, content as ever. And the paddock? They had learned their lesson: don’t teach a toddler new words unless you’re ready to face the consequences.

[batsandbirdbrains]

So you know the yj episode where Dick drags the others to the circus? I have some ideas for their time there

The one where the team realizes Robin is a circus kid

Basically I just like the idea of 13 year old Dick Grayson being desperate to help the circus he calls home, so he drags his team to help him without giving them like any real information.

And while they’re there, they all see how seamlessly Robin blends in with the rest of the troupe. He knows their slang, he knows how to help out when they pack and unpack at different stops, he knows how to set up booths, he knows what the foods they cook together are called. They think he must’ve just really done his research, that he was well prepared.

The circus members know different. They recognize him instantly, those who have been in the circus since before Dick was even born. They know he’s Dick Grayson, but they also know he’s trying to hide that fact, so they don’t say anything. They assume he must’ve run away from that billionaire who took him in Gotham, that he found a group of runaways and stayed with them. They think he must be afraid of being sent back to Gotham, so they humor him.

But the fortune teller he called auntie still treats him like her favorite nephew, and the strongman still tosses him in the air when he walks by just to hear Dick laugh, and the knife throwers still show him new techniques when they’re practicing between shows.

Dick forgot how much he missed the circus, he forgot how much he missed his family. And for a few days, a few weeks, however long they’re there - Dick lets himself get lost in the fantasy that he can stay here with them.

Mr. Haly dotes on him entirely, gives him extra little tasks to do for a few extra bucks, always saves him something special if he misses lunch or dinner.

And the team notices. Roy is the only one who knows the truth, who knows why, but he does his best to throw the others off if they start getting too suspicious or too close to the truth. He may not want to be on the team, but Dick is still one of his best friends, he still thinks of Dick as a little brother, and he won’t let any of them find out Dick’s secret ID if Dick doesn’t want them to.

Maybe Dick starts letting his usual accent slip, and it’s a mix of several accents because he grew up speaking so many different languages. Maybe the core troupe is celebrating something, and Dick of course goes, he knows all about it, he knows what to do and what to say and he helps his auntie with the cooking because it’s some of his favorite food and he hasn’t had it in years, he’s so excited.

And he heads back to the couple of rooms the team was given, and he’s breathless and his cheeks are flushing and he looks like a kid, it’s so jarring. And he hangs off Roy’s arm and asks, “Aren’t you guys coming?”

“We weren’t invited, Robbie,” Roy says carefully, ruffling Dick’s hair. Dick’s brow furrows, and he frowns as he looks at all of them.

“Weren’t invited?” he repeats. His grip on Roy’s arm slackens for a moment before he tightens it, standing on his toes to pout at Roy. “You have to come! I helped auntie with the food!”

“They called us outsiders, Robin,” Artemis says with a huff, crossing his arms. “I can’t believe they just let you slide right in so fast. The workers still give me a hard time when we help load the train.”

“Roustabouts,” Dick corrects, not really thinking about it. But then he pouts at Roy again and asks in a quiet voice, “You’ll come with me, won’t you? I want you to try the food!”

“I’ll come with you,” Roy promises. “I’m sure they’ll let me in if you vouch for me.”

Dick nods his head enthusiastically. But then he looks at the others, and he asks them in a timid voice that’s so unlike what they’re used to hearing from him, “None of you guys wanna come?”

“Pass,” Artemis snorts, flopping back on her bed.

M’gann gives a guilty little smile, telling Robin, “I think I’ll sit this one out.”

He turns to Conner, and even though he’s still wearing the mask they use for performances, Conner has a perfect view of his big, blue eyes pleading for him to come.

“I guess I can go for a bit,” Conner agrees, standing up. “But the food better be as good as you say it is.”

“It will be!” Dick says, beaming, and he moves to hold both Conner and Roy’s hands in his own, dragging them out of the room and out to the celebration. He chats their ears off the whole way there, telling them things like, “You’ll love the music, Gustav is playing tonight! He’s always really good!”

Conner sends a baffled look Roy’s way, but Roy just shakes his head.

The others of course let Roy and Conner in when Dick is with them, and they don’t say anything or try to get them to leave. Conner can’t believe this is the same Robin he knows, because he looks so carefree right now, just having fun. And maybe at one point, Dick is dancing and his mask slips, but he just pockets it and continues on. And Conner can’t help but feel breathless, because he knew Robin was young, but he looks like such a kid right now, he looks so happy, and Conner has never seen him like this.

Idk I just like Dick at the circus and the others seeing him at the circus and him just being a little circus boy.

[oh-obrien]

GRID ACE 0.2

GAMER READER X Lestappen SMAU

Summary: Reader is a Red Bull e-sports athlete who happens to catch the attention of two particular drivers with her streams

PART TWO BABY WOOT WOOT. I've never seen anyone really mix twitch streams into these so let us see how I did!

And my requests for these are open!!

All pictures are from Pinterest!!!

Reader has various face claims!

Masterlist / Previous Part / Next Part

Xx.y/n.xX just posted

tagged @ maxverstappen1 @ charles_leclerc

Liked by landonorris, yourbestfriend, and 9,678 others

Xx.y/n.xX another race weekend or something like that

-> yourbestfriend she’s oh so casual about it too

-> Xx.y/n.xX they had good lattes I’ll keep going

-> Redbullgaming I'm sure there were plenty of Red Bulls also 😉

-> Xx.y/n.xX admin is going to lock me in a cage if I say espresso and coffee are actually my choice of caffeine intake.

-> Maxverstappen1 She took a sip of mine, I feel like that has to count

-> Xx.y/n.xX he did share his cooties with me so I could steal a sip

-> Landonorris with the way she behaved she needed to be locked in a cage

-> Xx.y/n.xX you're uninvited from game night. @ Danielricciardo there's a spot open now!

-> Danielricciardo I'LL BE THERE

User1 Is no one going to comment on the nails

-> Xx.y/n.xX they played rock, paper, scissors to decide what merch I wore and what nails I did.

-> Danielricciardo who won

-> Xx.y/n.xX me when I broke up the fight after cheating allegations got thrown around.

-> Maxverstappen1 @ danielricciardo I won.

-> Charles_leclerc no.

-> Xx.y/n.xX he actually did Charles...

-> Maxverstappen1 officially the favorite

-> Xx.y/n.xX OKAY I didn't say THAT

Redbullgaming those nails look like those of a traitor

-> Xx.y/n.xX I'm sorry admin but you can't get rid of me I carry too hard 🫡

-> User3 there hasn't been a stream in a few days I miss watching my queen carry daily

-> Xx.y/n.xX keep your eyes pealed 🍌

-> Redbullgaming 👀

User4 so is this a soft launch, or a hard launch, or a best friends launch?

-> User5 THATS WHAT I WANT TO KNOW TOO

-> User6 like no word from ANYONE on any of this

-> User7 I mean it could be contract related with RB Racing and RB Gaming but then why would they also be constantly hanging out with Charles? It seems like other drivers also now too.

-> User4 EXACTLY if it was just y/n and Max I’d be like oh RB is looking for some cross promotion to grow fan bases but 🫣

Scuderiaferrari please never wear Red Bull merch in our garage again

-> Xx.y/n.xX @ Charles_leclerc your admin is threatening me

-> Charles_leclerc It isn’t a threat you just look better in red

-> Maxverstappen1 wrong.

-> Xx.y/n.xX he's kinda right actually

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

Landonorris just posted

Tagged @ Xx.y/n.xX, @ maxverstappen1, @ charles_leclerc

Landonorris Come watch me and y/n destroy Charles and Max in a custom match before we play some unranked.

User8 Lando finally gets to stream with y/n!!!

-> User9 this group keeps growing like weeds

-> User8 it’s actually really cool to get to watch the boys stream with a girl who’s just good at what she does?

Yourteammate1 so this is why she wouldn’t get on with us??? Traitor @ Xx.y/n.xX

-> Xx.y/n.xX bite me 😘

Liked by @ maxverstappen1 @ charles_leclerc

-> Yourteammate2 you probably taste bitter anyways

User10 Y/N collecting F1 drivers like they’re valo agents

-> Xx.y/n.xX I’ve still got some to unlock!!! (I want to unlock Carlos next he seems cool!)

-> Danielricciardo rude

-> Xx.y/n.xX oh I already unlocked you, learn how to play valo then we'll talk old man.

User12 I NEED to know who everyone mains!

-> Xx.y/n.xX tune into the twitch stream to find out 👀

Redbullgaming we're always looking for new talent to join the ranks

-> Xx.y/n.xX sorry admin he vroom vrooms for the orange team

-> User13 she calls McLaren the orange team she's so unserious

-> Landonorris @ Xx.y/n.xX we're actually Papaya

-> Xx.y/n.xX semantics

-> Landonorris I'm dyslexic

-> Xx.y/n.xX so am I and I know what that means...

Charles_leclerc come watch me and @ maxverstappen1 carry!

-> Xx.y/n.xX carry the bottom of the scoreboard maybe

-> Maxverstappen1 if you're this mean all the time you're never staying with me again

-> Xx.y/n.xX your cats like me too much, I am one of them

-> Charles_leclerc she did blend in with them rather well napping in the sun.

Liked by @ maxverstappen1

User13 SHE STAYED WITH MAX IN MONACO???

-> User14 DETAILS 👏

-> User15 y/n is totally going to spill the beans on her stream

-> Xx.y/n.xX or will I?

-> User14 PLEASE, she strikes again.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

Xx.y/n.xX is live on Twitch!

Y/N: I beg of you, I am on my knees BEGGING you both, please don’t embarrass me this time.

Lando: You know they’re going to.

Max: I take that very personally.

Y/N: And I take you going 4 and 20 last game very personally.

Charles: How do I put out my teleport again?

Lando: Remind me why we let him play Chamber?

Y/N: He’s French, Char insisted I’m afraid. It’s E Charles, you press E. Okay Max and what does Omen’s blind do?

Max: It blinds teammates too.

Y/N: Lando stop laughing!

Lando: I'm sorry! It's too good!

Y/N: You are not sorry and we both know it.

Yourbestfriend: I’m just here for a good time not a long time.

Y/N: No you are in this game for the long haul! I’m going to take the spike and push on to A and if I’m not drinking by the end of this half or if more than two of us make it to the end of the round god has performed miracles.

Lando: I’ll flank!

Charles: Can I go with Lando?

Y/N: Sure, ba- Char.

Max: I’ll go with the girls!

Yourbestfriend: Roadtrip to A site!

Y/N: I’m going to go get the alcohol shortly I can feel it.

Max: I fell off the side.

Y/N: Im definitely going to get the alcohol now.

Lando: New drinking game, take a shot every time Max falls off abyss.

Y/N: I like being tipsy not dead, thank you very much.

︶֪︶︶֪︶︶︶֪︶︶֪︶︶ིྀ︶︶֪︶︶︶֪︶︶֪︶︶֪

Y/N: Someone in chat has asked what I am doing in Monaco and where I am staying.

Lando: Creepyyyyyyyy

Max: Judging by the cat in her lap I would assume she's staying with someone with cats

Y/N: Judging by the two men in the background of my stream I am staying with Max and Charles is over.

Yourbestfriend: and she didn't invite me, rude

Y/N: Someone needed to watch my cat, thank you very much

Max: I want to try another character.

Lando: No.

Y/N: No.

Charles: Can I try someone new?

Lando: Try sitting in spawn this game Charles

Y/N: Here

Max: For those unaware Y/N has now gone to look at characters with Charles

Charles: Oh she's cool!

Y/N (through Charles' mic): I play her or her if I don't play Neon.

Charles: First one!

Lando: For those with no eyes Charles has now locked in Fade and he is in his goth girl era after not being able to get more podiums yet this season.

Y/N: Be nice or you're not coming out to brunch tomorrow!

Lando: Is no one going to comment on that

Max: I’m definitely not

Yourbestfriend: She’s always like that I’m not surprised

Y/N: Don't test me Norris

Charles: I really wouldn't

Max: Yeah please don't

︶֪︶︶֪︶︶︶֪︶︶֪︶︶ིྀ︶︶֪︶︶︶֪︶︶֪︶︶֪

Y/N: Max please stop staring at the ground you literally play video games somewhat professionally. And I know, it’s not this game but for the love of god LOOK the fuck UP!

Max: You’re dead stop talking

Y/N: I’m dead because you blinded me as I was pushing on to site and I ran straight into like three of them!

Charles: You’re still dead!

Lando: SO ARE YOU! Max why are you shooting at their fucking feet?

Max: Fuck, I died.

Y/N: YOU DIED BECAUSE YOU’RE SHOOTING AT THEIR FEET! Okay, new round, we can do this.

Lando: Y/N is no longer using her inside voice, it has now gotten serious.

Charles: What gun do I buy?

Lando: Nothing you’re going 2 and 10

Y/N: You can’t buy what you need. Here, I’m not buying this round.

Charles: It’s pink! This is the cat one!

Max: Can I have a cat one?

Y/N: No we’re both poor. I’m poor because I bought Char you’re poor because you’re bad.

Lando: They’re going to think he’s your pocket Sage with that skin.

Y/N: They both might as well be. I’m gonna ult.

Max: You’re gonna what?

Charles: Pocket what?

Lando: She’s going to run around and electrocute the other team.

Max: Oh that one!

Yourbestfriend: It's like she's your sugar daddy but the girl version and with kills not money.

Lando: A Valo sugar mommy.

Y/N: One, I'm going to scream soon, two.

Charles: oh she’s good at this.

Lando: You’re just bad mate, and it's her job.

Y/N: three, shut up this is literally my job, four.

Lando: See! It's her job!

Y/N: LET ME ACE PLEASE MAX YOU ARE SHOOTING THEIR FEET AGAIN AND- FUCK

Max: I GOT ONE!

Yourbestfriend: HE GOT ONE!

Y/N: Yes, yes you did an amazing job.

Lando: I’d like to announce to the world that Max is officially going, drumroll please, 3 and 11!

Y/N: Would you like to share our KDA’s Mr. Norris?

Lando: Why of course Y/N! While Max and Charles have a collective five kills our lovely top frag is going 28 and 3 while I am going 15 and 5.

Yourbestfriend: I’m going even!

Lando: ahh yes our middle frag who still has more kills than Max and Charles combined!

Charles: I’m getting better!

Y/N: sure Char.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

User16 NO BECAUSE SHE COVERED IT UP SO FAST

User17 I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAUGHT IT

-> User18 NO! I totally caught it also

-> User17 and then she called him Char?

->User18 NICKNMAE BASIS ALREADY

User19 I wanted to talk about her staying at Max's while she's in Monaco!

-> User20 Or whose WAG she wants to be

-> User16 If you watch Y/N's streams she doesn't need to be anyone's WAG

-> User20 All I'm saying is it's suspicious that she had been to two GP's and is taking a little trip to Monaco and they haven't seemed to be friends that long

->User21 just because they only recently started streaming together and just because Y/N only just went to her first GP's doesn't mean they haven't been friends behind the scenes

User22 Max was in her liked starting almost a year ago

-> Xx.y/n.xX the devil works hard but fangirls work harder!!!

-> User16 OH MY GOD

-> Xx.y/n.xX I'm everywhere, no one seems to remember that!

[hrtwayne]

Hasta Los Dientes || Alexia Putellas [Part Four]

Pairing: Alexia Putellas x Lionesses!Reader

Summary: One of Arsenal's top players receives an offer to play for Barcelona after recovering from a cruciate ligament injury in her leg. Following a recent fallout with the Gunners' captain, the athlete decides that the best course of action is to accept the offer and escape the tension in the locker room.

Note: English is not my first language!

Warning: None!

Previous Chapter | Women's Football Masterlist

It was a Monday morning when Y/n stretched in bed, her eyes still heavy with sleep and her hair a mess. The midfielder had woken up just over ten minutes ago, with the sun not even showing signs of rising yet. The comforting silence was proof that her sister was still asleep and that likely a good portion of the Catalan population was still in bed as well.

She grabbed her phone, which was charging on the nightstand, and saw a few messages. There were texts from Rachel, with reminders about the day’s schedule and some updates on the preparations for the press conference happening later in the week. Y/n quickly replied, confirming that everything was under control. Next, she saw a message from Haley, who was still in London.

Y/n smiled as she read the message. Haley had always been her biggest supporter, even from afar.

After replying to the messages, Y/n stretched again and got out of bed. She had already laid out her training clothes the night before. As she packed her clothes into her bag, her eyes landed on her Adidas cleats, faithful companions in so many matches, and the personalized shin guards her niece had designed. An involuntary smile spread across her face as she remembered little Emma, just two years old, handing her the shin guards as a good luck gift. "Aunt Y/n, you’re going to be the best in the world!" the little girl had said, with the innocence of a child.

Y/n carefully packed everything into her bag, as if preparing a kit for an important mission. She knew the first training session was crucial. Not just to showcase her skills, but also to integrate into the group and earn the coach’s trust.

After carefully organizing her bag, Y/n headed to the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth, she looked at herself in the mirror, analyzing her reflection. Her hair was a bit messy, but she decided to leave it down for now. There was a determination in her eyes, a mix of nervousness and excitement.

After leaving the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, she thought about breakfast. She didn’t want anything heavy, but she knew she needed energy for the training session. She decided on avocado toast, scrambled eggs, and a cup of coffee. As she ate, she mentally reviewed the day’s routine: morning training, lunch at the club, and then a few meetings with the technical team. In the evening, she planned to explore the city with Aliyah.

Before leaving, Y/n wrote a quick note for her sister and stuck it on the fridge.

"Ally, I’ve gone to training. I’ll be back by the end of the day. Call me if you need anything."

She grabbed her sports bag, took one last look around the apartment, and left. The morning sun was already shining in Barcelona, and the fresh air greeted her with a gentle breeze. Y/n walked to the garage where her car had been delivered, tossed her bag onto the passenger seat, and started the car.

The British defender had her back to the door as she rummaged through her bag to pull out her clothes and gear for training. Y/n was so focused that she didn’t hear the loud voices entering the locker room. She was already in the Catalan team’s training kit, holding her cleats, when the voices suddenly fell silent.

Aitana was the first to recognize Y/n, from the last Euros.

"Y/n?", Aitana said, causing the midfielder to turn toward her with a friendly smile." When the news broke that you were coming, I thought it was just rumors."

"Well, you know. It’s hard to be welcomed on a team when you’ve had a fight with the captain," Y/n replied in perfect Catalan, making the other players raise their eyebrows. "And you don’t need to speak English with me; I speak Spanish and Catalan."

"Well, this is Alexia and Vicky," Aitana introduced them, and Y/n quickly shook hands with both.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you," Y/n smiled, noticing Alexia sizing her up.

"Excuse me, Y/n, your fitness coach has arrived and is calling for you on the field," One of the staff members said, and Y/n nodded as she grabbed her cleats.

Y/n quickly said her goodbyes and walked through the training center corridors with the dark-haired girl. She sighed, knowing she would likely get along well with the players.

"Damn it, Hen. I swore you wouldn’t come," Y/n complained, pushing the blond guy.

"I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves like that, Y/n," Henry replied, gently shaking Y/n’s hand." Have you met the girls yet?"

"Hmm, yes," She confirmed, walking alongside the blond through the corridors. "I talked to the captain, Aitana, and Vicky."

"I thought Keira would be the one to introduce you," Henry uncrossed his arms as Y/n finished putting on her cleats. "The coach asked to test your fitness with the starting team. I may have sent him your last training session at Arsenal. He was impressed."

Y/n shrugged, adjusting her cleats before testing the quality of the field. Her eyes met those of one of the players. It was the first time Alexia and Y/n would play together, and they both knew the clash of egos could be a big problem.

"I hope you’re not too old for a few hours of training," Keira appeared beside Y/n, making the midfielder jump in surprise.

"Damn it, Keira," Y/n muttered, placing a hand on her chest.

"I should be the one mad at you. Ten years of friendship, and you don’t even tell me you’re coming here?" Keira said, still with a fake tone of anger.

"It was a surprise to me too," Y/n replied, making it clear it hadn’t entirely been her choice.

"Does this have something to do with your almost-relationship with Leah?" Keira asked.

"Apparently, yes. And you know how the girls sometimes treat Leah’s word as gospel," Y/n shrugged, following the player. "But it’s fine; I needed a fresh start."

The two walked together to the center of the field, where the coach was already gathering the group to start the training session. As the coach explained the day’s exercises, Y/n felt the curious gazes of some of the players. She knew she was the new girl, the foreigner who had arrived with a reputation to prove. But at the same time, she felt welcomed by the smiles and nods from some of them.

The training began with warm-up exercises and short passes. Y/n quickly adapted to the pace, showing the refined technique that had brought her here. Keira, by her side, didn’t miss the chance to crack jokes and keep her relaxed.

"Remember that training session with the under-17 national team, when you fell flat on your face?" Keira said, laughing quietly as they passed the ball to each other.

"Please, don’t bring that up now," Y/n replied, laughing too."I need to maintain my professional image, you know?"

"Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me," Keira teased, sending a precise pass back to Y/n.

As the training progressed, Y/n began to feel more comfortable with her new teammates. The on-field connection with Keira was natural, as it always had been, but she also started building chemistry with other players. Coordinated attacks, precise passes, and communication that flowed better and better. Y/n felt like she was fitting in.

At the end of the session, the coach called the group for a quick talk. He praised the overall performance and gave some individual feedback. When it was Y/n’s turn, he made a brief comment:

"Y/n, you came here with a strong reputation, and today we saw why. Keep working hard and integrating into the team’s style. You have great potential here."

Y/n nodded, feeling a wave of pride and relief. She knew there was still a lot of work ahead, but the first step had been taken.

As the players dispersed toward the locker room, Keira slung an arm around Y/n’s shoulders.

"See? I told you you’d do just fine."

"It’s only the first day," Y/n replied, but with a smile on her face. "But yeah, it was good. Really good."

[savvymantis]

Not the same anon of the Junior fic, but what are the chances of Junior getting contact with a cybertronian artifact or an allspark fragment making them into cybertronian and is a legit sentient baby of Reader and Ratchet. Oh, the chaos of accidental sparkling.

Junior, Part Two

Ratchet hasn't looked up from his servos since Junior was smacked by that glowing crystal. You don't understand too much about Cybertronian technology or whatever plain magic their god seems to hold, but apparently such abilities include the creation of life, as your toy car has now transformed into a small, quick metal toddler. And they seem to find nothing but utter glee in their new life, zipping around and honking and beeping as you chase them.

"Looks like Ratchet is a sire now." Smokescreen snickers, some ways away with the other Autobots, all looking upon your situation with a mix of pity and mirth, though mostly the latter.

"Primus help that poor kid." Arcee snarks back, and Bumblebee giggles.

Junior skids to a stop beside Ratchet, little servos scrabbling at his leg to try and haul themself up. They squee when your hands grip under their arms, easily swinging them away from the utterly defeated mech.

"You're a born troublemaker, huh?" You ask the little bot. Given your car was a toy, they're barely bigger than a four-year-old, easily situated on your hip. They coo at you, touching your cheeks and squeezing at your skin. "Careful, kiddo. . ."

A servo hits the back of your knees, and Junior lets out a squeal to echo your own as you topple back into Ratchet's palm. He lifts the two of you to his helm, and you discover that it's possible for robots to have bags under their optics.

Ratchet bops the tip of a digit to Junior's helm, earning a beep. "This is. . . ridiculous."

"The Allspark has been known to create life before." Optimus says from somewhere behind you.

"It brought a toy to life!" Ratchet exclaims. "A little Earth toy made of plastic and-" He cuts himself off when Junior wraps his arms around his digit, barely able to encircle the whole thing. His expression softens just enough to melt your heart. "An Earth-born Cybertronian, a sparkling at that! This is just what we need in the midst of a war. . ."

"I think they're cute." Smokescreen says, none to concerned by the sound of it. He points to Junior, now imitating Ratchet's twisted expression best they can. "They've got your scowl, Ratchet!"

Ratchet lobs a wrench at the young bot. Junior cackles like mad when it hits and makes Smokescreen yelp.

"He's got your humor too!" The scout grumbles, rubbing the new dent in his helm. Bulkhead and Bumblebee crack up at his misery, and even Arcee has to hide a smile behind her servos. "You all suck!"

Junior whoops their siren loud enough to make you flinch. Ratchet shushes the little bot, who instead beeps incessantly at him, pointing to Smokescreen, wanting another show. Ratchet just shushes him again, cradling the two of you to his chassis and sighing when Junior immediately starts to climb.

"I suppose we have a new member now." Optimus says. He leans over your little group, and a small smile crosses his faceplate. "Congratulations on your new family, old friend."

"I'm not their sire, Optimus!"

"Seems I need someone to fill the position then." You muse, ignoring Ratchet's shocked stare. "Optimus? You interested in being a dad-!"

"Don't you dare." Ratchet grumbles against your cheek, face warm from the laughter of his team. Junior hurries over to nuzzle into your other cheek with a happy 'wee.' "You're not playing house with some other bot."

"Guess you're stuck then, sire." You tease him, happily peppering your new sparkling in kisses. They whistle and do their best to smooch your cheek in return. "Come on, Junior. Let's give your pops some love too."

"Woop!" Junior chirps, copying you as you begin to pepper Ratchet's face in kisses. He protests, but doesn't push either of you away.

Seems Junior has taken after you too, already wiggling deep into Ratchet's spark to share in the warm space with you.

[nerd-artist]

Horizon Rock Bands AU: Alpha Prime

This is heavily inspired by the animated series Jem and The Holograms (I’m sorry if you know the reference because it means you’re as old as me 😆). There will be posts about other bands. Ereloy implied 🧡.

The band

Alpha Prime is a synth-punk rock band that performs songs about the struggles of social life and humanity's downfall. Aloy and her twin sister Beta started the band to take down Nemesis, the evil group that was winning every contest through dishonest ways before Alpha Prime showed up. Petra, Alva, Zo, and Talanah also had their own personal discordances with Nemesis, so they teamed up with the sisters to bring them down and make the world a little brighter with their music.

Unstoppable on stage, they've been number one since their first appearance at The Proving, the most prestigious battle of the bands in the music scene. There, they met the band Rock Breakers, who are not only their competitors but also great friends and allies against Nemesis.

With their manager Ersa, they’re getting ready for the competition by touring across the country. Their shows are called epic, thanks to their magical computer GAIA, which adds awesome visual effects and illusions to their performances.

Character profiles under the cut

Aloy

She's the leader of the band and their main songwriter. She plays her guitar ‘Outcast’, and her soft voice mixed with her feral screams make her the perfect backup vocalist. When she and her sister Beta were little, their mother disappeared, which shattered Aloy's trust in others. This caused her to become closed off, and now she struggles with social interactions. She seeks revenge on Tilda, the leader of Nemesis, because she suspects her of being involved in her mother's mysterious disappearance. When the weight of her mother's legacy and her own frustrations become too much to bear, she turns to her best friend Erend, the leader of Rock Breakers. Being by his side makes her feel more at home than anywhere else, sparking emotions she doesn't quite understand—emotions that end up fueling her songwriting.

Zo

Fans describe the soothing tone of her voice as healing, so it’s no surprise that she uses her ‘Fa’ mic to take on the role of the band’s lead vocalist. Always looking out for the other girls, it’s common to see her setting up meditation sessions before shows. As an environmentalist, she’s determined to take down Nemesis to stop the pollution caused by the companies owned by their members. She’s also (very) openly in a relationship with Varl, a member of Rock Breakers.

Beta

Even more isolated than her sister after their mother disappeared, she found solace in sci-fi movies and video games, completely avoiding social life. She’s a tech nerd who spends most of her time planning new shows with the computer GAIA. For her, forming Alpha Prime has meant gaining a new, bigger family that’s slowly helping her come out of her shell. Though she keeps a low profile, the deep beats of her bass, ‘Matrix,’ make the crowd feel the tremble and are essential to completing the band’s sound.

Talanah

Her cultural background made her believe all her life that guitars weren't meant for women—until she picked up "Khalis," the guitar passed down from her father, who was said to be the greatest guitarist under the sun. It felt like she had finally found herself. She made it her mission to become the best guitarist out there, regardless of gender—and she did. Now, she shreds alongside Aloy to take down Jiran, a member of Nemesis and the one responsible for her father's death.

Alva

CEO, a member of Nemesis, controls the town of Alva from a distance. Both he and his predecessors have erased music from existence there, repressing the creative minds of its inhabitants and keeping them submissive. Alva is determined to recover musical knowledge and bring it back to her people, across the world, along with her beloved Federa. With her keyboard 'Ancestor' in hand and performing alongside Aloy, she feels capable of freeing her people from the torment of living without music.

Petra

It's no coincidence that the crowd's cheers grow louder whenever Petra shows up. The power of the rhythms from her drums, 'Forge’s Breath,' combined with her strong personality and physique, make her a favorite, especially among women. She's an amazing musical engineer and has crafted all the band's instruments in their players needs. She's not here seeking justice or revenge; she's here to hit hard and push the rhythm of their songs to the max.

Thank you for reading! What do you think they would sound like?

If you want to know more about Rock Breakers check this post ✨🤘

[im-not-a-ghost]

Are you on the right path?

Group 1

Song : Meltdown - Motionless in White, Lost At Sea - B.I ft Bipolar Sunshine & Afgan Cards : Knight of wands, Emperor, queen of pentacles, Empress, knight of cups, 7 of cups

Not only are you on the right path but you're also on the verge of manifesting your divine counterpart. With a bunch of other lovely souls that will likely confuse you. Because all of them are possibly soulmates. Group 1, are you a candle? Because you shine so bright a lot of people are gathering around you and celebrating you. Some might even want to blow that candle of yours (pun intended). The future seems pretty positive for you so far. Expect several romantic offers, a lot of flirting and a lot of fun, mixed with a pinch of confusion. It feels like even though you reject some offers, these souls will stay in your lane because yall are a team. A soul fam. A pack of hungry wolves that strive for success. Look at you! All sexy and pampered, ready to secure the bag and be the next big thing. Dear Lord, you are gorgeous! The Universe is clapping for you and so is good old Wade. What more can you ask for? You'll be stepping into your power, getting them opportunities and living your best life. Yall have been doing the work and it's paying off big time. In terms of potential zodiac signs to look out for, we have Aries, Sagittarius, Taurus, Cancer and Pisces. Possibly Scorpio and Leo as well. You'll be attracting men and women identifying individuals alike, even non binary people. Every one seems to be drunk in love with you. I feel like you're the Empress in this spread. And then you have two knights, one queen and one emperor circling around you like sharks. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The Emperor person is your divine counterpart. Now, choosing them isn't mandatory. I feel like there is no wrong answer in this situation. Whomever you choose to be with is the one for you. Fate is in your hands.

Letters/possible significant signs : M, B, E, K, camels, horses, koi fish, stars

Group 2

Songs : Nakigahara - The GazettE, Awake and Alive - Skillet Cards : 10 of cups, the world, 5 of wands, 4 of wands, 7 of cups, black numen rx

Though you may face hardships coming from your community or the environment you're in, feel confused at the amount of fork in the roads you're presented with, you are heading in the right direction. And the outcome of your journey is a positive one. You may be travelling or relocating soon, finding a new home. This is a new begenning for you. You're getting out of a dark night of the soul. I was about to write "dark knight" instead. There could be Batman fans in this group. If we take the Batman metaphor, Bruce Wayne has been through a lot. Many times, he was faced with hardships and doubted his purpose. He doubted the good in him as he was flirting with the shadows of humanity, dealing with the worst in people. Yet, he never stopped moving forward. He kept fighting, he kept hoping for a better future for humanity. And eventually he'd find something positive to hold on to. Well, same goes for you. Because there are obstacles on your way and people that don't see eye to eye with you doesn't mean that you should stop believing in and fighting for your ideals and dreams. Which you will be doing in the future without a doubt. Expect more happiness, fulfillment in most areas of your life. Expect a healthier and more supportive community, a lot of interesting opportunities. You're taking your destiny in charge and deciding to work towards your goals no matter the opinion have of you. This time, you are choosing yourself over others. That's the spirit group 2! Hit the bull's eye! You can be proud of yourself.

Letters/possible significant signs : koi fish, dogs, roses, A, W, N

Group 3

Songs : Break me The GazettE, path of the wind aekasora, The Beginning One OK Rock

Cards : knight of swords, 10 of pentacles, king of cups, wheel of fortune, page of pentacles, hanged man

You may have had a rough time lately group 3 and were in a phase where your reality didn’t match your expectations and hopes nor did it align with the amount of effort you put into manifesting your desired reality. You may have felt desperate, depressed, frustrated. But let me be the bringer of good news : that vicious cycle is ending. A new wind is blowing in your direction. One that will make you soar high and above that dark cloud you were stuck in. You’re going to see the bigger picture and you will thank yourself for holding on all these years. Your career and studies are going to take a major positive turn. Luck is in your favor. Yes, you are on the right path. You always were. You just didn’t see it because you were in the maze. But you’ll gain a new perspective soon with that hanged man energy. I feel like you’ll be taking a completely different approach to your life in general. If you were considering completely changing your work methods or habits, that is definitely your sign this is the right thing to do. If you were the kind to follow others and hang to tradition as a safety measure, now you’ll be taking the lead and innovating. If you were the kind to wait for others to notice you and ask about you, now you’ll be the one reaching out and asking about people. And vice versa. You may be learning new skills that will benefit you financially. You may get help from an Earth and/or a Water sign. If you are a Virgo or a fixed sign (Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, Scorpio) then this is your confirmation this reading is for you. You are encourage to keep going in the direction you’re heading and be resilient. You are doing a good job group 3. There may be a connection solidifying in the 3D over time. That grounding of the connection will however happen slowly. It may take a lot of time before it comes to fruition. You may at some point enter a stagnating energy and feel like nothing is moving. Do not be scared when that happens. This is only temporary.

Letters and significant signs : spiders, eyes, squirrels, B, O, K, P, W

[sarawayne0510]

ATE

pairing: Bangchan x fem!driver

summary: What if the worlds of Formula 1 and K-pop collided? Follow the story of a Red Bull rookie driver and Stray Kids' leader, Bang Chan

warnings: none?? just cute fluff basically, mention of Y/N

word count: 2.2k ish

Genre: SMAU/Fluff

The golden hour in Monaco was always breathtaking, casting a warm, soft glow over the city. I wandered into a small album store, tucked away from the bustling streets, hoping to find some new music to add to my collection. The scent of vinyl and freshly printed album covers filled the air, instantly putting me at ease.

As I scanned the shelves, a particular album caught my eye-Stray Kids' latest, ATE. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't resist; my hand instinctively reached out, and I grabbed it. The cover was stunning, the colors vibrant, and I could already hear the tracks playing in my mind. It was impossible not to smile as I held it, admiring the print.

I was completely absorbed in the moment when a voice broke through the silence. "Stray Kids, huh?" The words were familiar, yet they startled me. I was sure I was alone when I walked in.

I turned slowly, my heart pounding, and there he was-Bang Chan, standing right in front of me. He looked just as casual and cool as ever, a cap pulled low over his forehead, but there was no mistaking who he was. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that Stray Kids have been on their European tour and decided to take a little break but In Monaco!?

For a moment, I just stared at him, too shocked to say anything, clutching the ATE album as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

Hi, by any chance, are you (Y/N)?" Chan asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Yeah," I said, trying to keep my cool. "And you're Bang Chan, right?"

He chuckled softly, nodding. "I didn't expect you to recognize me. These days, I'm just trying to get into F1, and when I saw you, I couldn't help but ask."

"Oh, really? Well, how could I not recognize my favorite band member?" I replied, feeling a mix of excitement and disbelief. "This is definitely the best day of my life."

Just as I was soaking in the moment, my phone buzzed with a message from my manager, calling me in for an urgent meeting. I sighed internally-of all the times, it had to be now. "Oh lord, I've never wanted to kill someone as much as I do right now," I muttered under my breath, feeling a pang of frustration.

I quickly excused myself, offering an apologetic smile to Chan. "I'm really sorry, but I have to go."

"Of course, no worries," he said with an understanding nod. "It was great meeting you."

With a heavy heart, I left the store, heading back home as quickly as I could. Once I got there, I opened my laptop, ready to join the meeting. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about him the entire time. Bang Chan-THE Bang Chan had recognized me, talked to me, and now, I couldn't get him out of my head.

The last thing I wanted was to attend another F1 party. After a long day, the idea of socializing felt more exhausting than exhilarating. But George had other plans, practically dragging me along despite my protests.

As soon as I stepped into the venue, I felt the familiar wave of reluctance wash over me. The music was loud, the lights were dim, and the room was packed with people -just the kind of setting I wasn't in the mood for. Before I could slip away to a quiet corner, Christian called me over, waving me toward a group of team principals. To my dismay, Christian was standing right beside Toto.

Oh lord, please don't tell me they're at it again, I thought, bracing myself for another one of their infamous spats that somehow always seemed to drag me into the middle of it. But to my surprise, everything was calm. They just wanted me to listen to their old man talk, reminiscing about races and strategies from before I was even born.

After what felt like an eternity, I managed to excuse myself. I needed a break, and the bar seemed like the perfect escape. As I approached, I noticed someone sitting there, casually sipping a drink. My heart skipped a beat when I realized who it was.

Bang Chan.

Of all the people, in all the places, here he was again. I couldn't help but grin. Maybe I was God's favorite after all.

I slid onto the barstool beside him, feeling a rush of excitement. "Fancy seeing you here," I started, trying to keep my voice casual but failing to hide my enthusiasm.

Chan turned to me, a smile spreading across his face. "Seems like fate, doesn't it?"

And just like that, the conversation flowed naturally, as if we'd known each other for years.

As Bang Chan and I continued our conversation at the bar, I could feel a few pairs of eyes on us. When I glanced around, I spotted a small group of drivers-Max, Lando, Carlos, and George-hovering nearby. They were clearly trying (and failing) to be discreet, whispering and exchanging wide-eyed looks.

I caught Lando nudging George, who nearly spilled his drink as he tried to keep his excitement in check. Max, usually so composed, was grinning like a kid who'd just uncovered the world's biggest secret, while Carlos had a look of utter disbelief on his face.

I couldn't help but laugh softly. "I think we've got an audience," I whispered to Chan, nodding subtly in their direction.

He turned to see what I was talking about and chuckled, shaking his head. "They look like they're about to explode," he said, amused.

Just then, George gave Lando a not-so-subtle shove, and the group erupted into barely contained laughter, causing Chan and me to exchange amused glances.

"Should we give them something to really talk about?" I joked, raising an eyebrow.

Chan grinned, clearly enjoying the idea. "Why not?"

We leaned in closer, pretending to be deep in conversation, which only made the drivers freak out even more. They were practically bouncing on their heels, trying to contain their excitement, and it took everything in me not to burst out laughing.

Chan pulled out his phone. “You know, we should definitely stay in touch,” he said, a playful glint in his eyes. “Let’s exchange numbers.”

I smiled, pulling out my own phone. “I’d like that.”

We quickly exchanged numbers, and I saved his contact under “Bang Chan <3". As we finished, I noticed the drivers watching us intently, their faces lighting up with barely contained glee.

“Looks like they’re pretty excited for us,” Chan said with a chuckle.

“Seems that way,” I agreed, trying to keep my composure. “I think we might have just given them a story for the ages.”

With our numbers exchanged and the excitement of the evening bubbling around us, it was clear that this was one night neither of us would soon forget.

The tweet was accompanied by a photo from the party where Bang Chan and I were chatting, and the reactions were immediate. Fans were abuzz, speculating and shipping us together. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sudden attention.

Deciding to lean into the fun, I posted a photo on Instagram

Playing Stray Kids-JJAM

"On repeat 🎧"

And posted a reel of me and Lily dancing to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”

@(username)

"💃💖"

@lilymhe

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@Lilymhe: “@(Y/N) my wife 💖✨️

↳@(your_username) MY WAG!!

↳@user our fav couple

↳@alex_stop GIRLS STOP! ITS CONSERNING AT THIS POINT GO TO YOUR AUSTRALIAN MAN!!

↳ user127 alex don't be shy spill

@LandoNorris nurse she is out again!!

@gnabnahc 💖

↳@lilymhe back off

@maxverstappen1 So THIS is what was happening in the hotel hallway last night?

@CarlosSainz55 I left you alone for 2 minutes!!!

The Monza GP had been a nightmare. The car was in its worst state, and there was a moment when I almost lost control entirely. It was a close call—too close. My heart was still racing from the near-accident, and the disappointment of not finishing not even in top 5 weighed heavily on me. All I wanted was to forget about the day, but the memories kept playing on a loop in my mind.

Just as I was about to curl up and try to sleep, my phone buzzed with a message from Chan:

Chan: “I heard about the race. Are you okay? Big hugs from afar 💛”

I sighed, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

Y/N: “It was a disaster… I was so close to crashing, and the car was a mess. I could really use a hug right now.”

Moments later, there was a soft knock on my driver's room . Confused, I got up and opened it to find a figure standing there, in all black and in a facemask and sunglasses. It took me a second to realize who it was, but the familiar warmth in his eyes gave him away immediately.

“Chan?” I whispered, my voice cracking slightly.

He nodded, pulling down the mask to reveal his face. Without a word, he stepped forward and wrapped me in the tightest, warmest hug. I buried my face in his chest, the tears I’d been holding back finally spilling over.

“I’m so sorry,” I mumbled against his shirt, my voice shaky. “I almost crashed, Chan. It was so close…”

“Hey, hey,” he murmured, his hand gently rubbing my back. “But you didn’t. You’re okay, and that’s what matters. I’m here now, okay? Big hugs, just like I promised.”

We stood there in the doorway for a long moment, neither of us saying anything, just holding each other. His presence was calming, like a warm blanket on a cold day, and slowly, the tension in my body began to melt away.

“How did you even get here?” I finally asked, pulling back just enough to look up at him.

Chan grinned, a little sheepishly. “I was already in monza for promotion, so I thought I’d come see you. Had to go incognito, though—don’t want to cause a scene.” He gestured to the mask and glasses with a small laugh.

I couldn’t help but smile, despite everything. “You really didn’t have to do that, you know. But… I’m so glad you did.”

“Of course I did. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now.” His voice was soft, sincere, and it made my heart skip a beat.

“Thank you, Chan,” I whispered, leaning into his embrace once more. “You always know how to make things better.”

“Anytime, (Y/N). I’ll always be here for you.”

And in that moment, wrapped in his arms, I realized just how much he meant to me. The world outside didn’t matter—just the two of us, here, together.

With two weeks until the next race in Baku, I finally had some time to relax. Chan and I decided to escape the spotlight and spend our break in Capri, Italy—a perfect getaway where we could just be ourselves, away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives.

Capri was everything I needed—crystal-clear waters, picturesque views, and a peaceful atmosphere. We spent our days exploring the island, walking hand-in-hand through narrow streets lined with colorful buildings, and taking boat rides around the stunning coastline. It was like a dream, and being with Chan made it even more special.

One afternoon, we found a quaint little café tucked away from the more crowded areas. The sun was shining through the vines that draped over the outdoor seating, casting dappled shadows on the cobblestone path. We settled into a cozy corner table, laughing over the silly adventures we’d had that day.

As we waited for our drinks, Chan suddenly grew quiet, a thoughtful expression on his face. I raised an eyebrow, curious about what was going through his mind.

“What’s up?” I asked, nudging him playfully.

“Just… thinking,” he replied, a small smile playing on his lips.

Before I could ask him what he was thinking about, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. Carefully, he started folding it, his fingers moving with surprising precision. I watched in fascination as the paper slowly took shape, until it became a small, delicate ring.

He looked up at me, a bit of nervousness in his eyes, and gently took my hand. “I know this isn’t much, but… I wanted to make something for you. Something to remind you that I’m always here, no matter where we are.” He slipped the paper ring onto my finger, his touch sending a warmth through me that I couldn’t quite describe.

My heart skipped a beat as I looked at the simple yet meaningful ring, and then back at Chan. “It’s perfect,” I whispered, touched by the gesture.

He took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage, and then met my eyes with a sincerity that made my heart melt. “(Y/N), I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while now… Spending these days with you, away from everything, has made me realize just how much you mean to me. I don’t want to hide how I feel anymore. I love you.”

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. My heart swelled with emotion, and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “Chan… I love you too. I’ve felt this way for so long, but I didn’t know how to say it.”

His face lit up, and before I knew it, he was pulling me into a tight hug. We stayed like that for a while, holding each other close, both of us smiling like lovestruck fools.

When we finally pulled back, Chan brushed a strand of hair from my face, his eyes full of warmth and love. “This is just the beginning, you know,” he said softly. “I want to be with you, no matter what.”

I nodded, my heart full. “I want that too, Chan. Wherever this journey takes us, I’m just glad we’re in it together.”

And as we sat there in that little café in Capri, the world outside seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of us, wrapped in the warmth of our newfound love.

@gnabnahc

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@gnabnansc In the end

@(your_username)

@(your_username) it's him and I

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@lilymhe welcome home cheater

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@user143 MOTHER IS THAT A MEN WITH YOU!!!!

@gnabnahc love is patient. Love is kind. Love is slowly losing your mind.

↳@lilymhe alex when I catch you alex... Why can’t you be like him?!

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@alexandrasaintmleux pick up the phone RIGHT NOW!

@(your_username)

"I need a big boy😮‍💨"

@gnabnahc

Posted a story!

"Sometimes big boys also need passengers princess treatment"

______________________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading my fanfiction! It’s my first time writing, and I really appreciate your support. If you’re interested in a part 2 or want to be tagged, just let me know. Thanks again! :3

@charizznorizz

[orlaunderrated]

The Edges of Us: Chapter 4

First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Will Lenney x fem reader; George Clarke x fem reader Summary: Y/N has always been close to George—but everything changes when she catches feelings for his sharp-tongued, infuriatingly charming friend, Will. Torn between loyalty and desire, Y/N finds herself caught in a messy tangle of friendship, secrets, and unexpected love.

Word Count: 2.6k+

Note: Guys i never expected so much love on my very first writing project, its literally making my heart sing. I also randomly wrote chapter 16 today?! its a fucken doozey so get ready.

xxx

It’s my first official after-work drinks with my new team, and I’m both excited and a little on edge. I’m usually a social butterfly, but London has been really getting me down.

Going out with George last week was nice, as much as I hate to admit it. But it's hard to keep up with his lifestyle. He invites me to shoots or to casual hangs but I have a 9-5, I can't just go to some warehouse to film.

So when someone put the work drinks in the team calendar, I decided I had to join. I need friends and I've never met a pub dinner i didn't like. I’m used to making friends easily, but things just feel harder right now. I’m determined to push past the isolation and throw myself into the moment.

I walk into the pub, and the atmosphere hits me immediately. The loud conversations, laughter, and the clink of glasses. It's literally straight after work, but I’m surprised by how noisy it already is.

I spot the group almost instantly. They’re easy to spot, boisterous, unmistakable, tech nerds in their natural habitat. People in tech can drink, that’s for sure. I glance down at myself, feeling the usual discomfort in my work clothes, as if I’m sticking out like a sore thumb in a sea of casual, after-hours wear.

It’s funny, back home I was always the one who could walk into a room and just click with everyone. Here, though, it’s different. The familiarity I used to have feels miles away.

I join the group, settling in with a smile, but I still feel like I’m trying to find my place. We all look like we could be in a catalogue for office wear, everyone’s sleeves are rolled up, hair’s let down, but it’s clear we’ve all come straight from work.

Someone orders a round of drinks, and another orders three serves of chips. The chatter begins, we go through the usual work grumbles, laughing about the printer that always jams, and moaning about our director’s latest genius move.

Then someone suggests we swear off work talk for the night. "We work all the time," they joke. "Let’s actually have some fun."

The conversation shifts, and I feel a bit of the old spark return. The techy jokes, the playful banter, the random opinions about everything from apps to reality TV. But then, I notice something. The group has its own rhythm, its own inside jokes, its own shorthand. They've been together for years, and I’m just the newbie trying to catch up. I laugh along, not fully in the loop, but doing my best to join in.

I love being social. I always have. But in London, sometimes it feels like that skill isn't enough. It’s like I’m wearing a new identity, trying to slip into a place that still doesn’t quite feel like home yet.

Just as I’m starting to relax into my third pint, nursing it a little too eagerly, I catch the shift in my co-worker’s expression. She points behind me, her eyes widening.

"Who’s that?" she asks, her tone a mix of curiosity and surprise.

I turn, expecting to see some random guy she’s eyeing, but instead, I am greeted with a welcome sight.

It’s George.

His grin is wide and easy, and he’s standing there, looking like he belongs. I feel a sudden mix of confusion and relief.

"Oh my goodness! What are you doing here?" I say.

"I’m with a few mates," George says back, pointing toward the corner booth. "You should swing by if you’re still around later."

I glance in the direction he’s gesturing, catching sight of Chris and a guy I remember from the party, (his name on the tip of my tongue UGH), who are deep in conversation, and another guy I don’t recognise. He's very broad-shouldered, but he's smiling very wide.

Then my eyes land on Will. Of course. He’s lounging at the far end of the booth, cocky smile firmly in place, his gaze already locked onto mine. I feel that damn flip in my stomach again, like I can never quite escape the pull he has on me.

"Yeah, I’ll swing by if you guys are still here," I say, trying to keep things light, but the flutter in my chest is hard to ignore.

Will and I have been DMing relentlessly this past week, and honestly, I don’t know why I keep coming back for more. It’s not like we get along. If anything, it's a nonstop string of sarcastic barbs, eye-roll-worthy comments, and the kind of back-and-forth that should be exhausting. Yet somehow, it’s the most fun I've had in a while. I think maybe that's the problem.

I can't stop myself from responding to his messages. I’ve found myself staying up until 2 a.m. once, WAY past my bedtime, getting caught in the vortex of our relentless banter. The way he can get under my skin, twist my words, or make me laugh when I should be irritated is almost infuriatingly brilliant. And yet, I can’t walk away from it.

My lunch hours have turned into a game of "How many ridiculous comments can Will send before I can't help but engage?" And, unsurprisingly, I never seem to win. Even when I’m on the tube, trying to zone out during my commute, my phone buzzes with his latest teasing message, and I can't help but look. It’s like he's there, even when he isn’t, pulling me into this back-and-forth that has no end in sight.

Sometimes I catch myself checking my phone while I'm still at work, mid-task, as if something urgent might pop up. And maybe it does. A snarky comment here, a mocking joke there, and somehow, I can’t look away. It’s frustrating. It’s ridiculous. But every time his name pops up on my screen, I feel that little pull, like it’s impossible to ignore.

I hate the way I can’t shake the feeling that he’s got some hold on me. I tell myself it’s just the thrill of the chase, the way he thinks he can outwit me with every message. But deep down, I know I’m getting caught in something I don’t want to admit, because I know, somewhere, he’s probably just as smug and arrogant as he seems. I should pull away. But I don’t.

Two pints and a chicken burger later, three of my co-workers trickle out, each of them making a hasty exit in quick succession. The remaining trio gets lost in a heated conversation about some programming topic I’ve heard a thousand times before. It's something about optimizing back-end code or streamlining frameworks, or whatever it is. Clearly the 'no work talk' rule left with the person who made it. To be honest, I’ve long since stopped listening.

Feeling the tension of being an outsider again, I decide it’s time for a change of scene. I quietly slip away from the table, dodging the odd person walking towards the bar until I reach the corner booth where George and his friends are sitting. It’s a welcome escape from the work talk (and maybe a chance to feel like I actually belong somewhere tonight).

I'm still feeling the residual buzz of my last pint as I slip into the booth with a smile. George looks up, his usual easy grin on his face as he gestures to the empty spot next to him.

“Y/N, good to see you! You made it,” George says, pulling his drink a little closer, as if he wants to make room for me to settle in.

I glance over at the other faces in the booth. Chris and Arthur (His name is Arthur! George having two friends called Arthur is getting annoying) are still deep in conversation, as expected. Arthur's laughter cuts through the air, a little tipsy but always charming.

Then there's Will, lounging like he owns the place, his signature cocky grin plastered across his face. But it’s the guy sitting across from him that catches my attention first.

This guy is massive, like, actually massive. He looks like he could lift a car if he wanted to. His shoulders are wide enough to make the booth seem a little smaller. And his teeth. God, his teeth are so white they practically glow in the pub lighting. He gives me a wide, disarming smile.

“Oi, you must be Y/N,” he says, his voice has an unexpected warmth that almost makes me laugh out loud. “I’m Ollie, but most people call me Reev. Nice to finally meet you.”

I extend my hand to shake his, and when he grips it, I feel like I’ve just shaken hands with a rock. He might be built like a Prop in a League game, but there’s something friendly about him that puts me at ease almost immediately.

All the awkwardness I was feeling just a few minutes ago melts away. The noise in my head dims, replaced by the soft hum of new friends and the clink of glasses.

I shift my attention to Will, who’s watching me with that look. The one that always makes me feel like he's about to pounce with some kind of comment. Sure enough, he doesn’t disappoint.

“Look at you,” he says, giving me the kind of once-over that makes me want to shrink into myself. “wearing business casual to the pub, eh?.”

I roll my eyes, trying to suppress the smile that’s fighting its way out. “Says the guy who looks like he’s been living in that hoodie since 2018.”

Will doesn’t miss a beat. “Nah, this is my 'I just came from the gym and I’m too cool to change' look.” He shrugs dramatically. “You know, effortlessly casual.”

“Effortlessly is one word for it,” I shoot back, trying to hide the grin forming on my face. It was very effortlessly casual.

The tension in the group lightens immediately, and I feel myself relaxing into the booth, my body easing into the familiarity of sarcastic banter I’ve come to appreciate. Will leans back, eyes gleaming with that infuriating mix of confidence and mischief.

“Don’t worry, Y/N,” he says, looking me dead in the eye. “I’ve got your back. You’ll get the hang of this whole not wearing office attire thing soon enough.”

I snort, leaning into the back of the booth. “Yeah, keep the fashion advice to yourself, at least I have a real job.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see George ready to step in, but I handle it myself. I meet his gaze, it's hard to read, I'm unsure if he’s jealous or just being protective, Will's 'big brother' comment fresh in my mind. Whatever it is, I push it aside. Work had already been too much today.

Reev, who’s been watching the exchange with a smile, chimes in from the side, giving me a playful wink. “Don’t mind him. Will’s always got something to say. But you’ll get used to it. He’s harmless, really.”

“Harmless?” Will scoffs. “I’m basically a teddy bear. You should try hugging me sometime. Very cuddly.”

I shake my head. "I'll pass. Thanks."

The group bursts into laughter again, and I can’t help but feel that little spark of belonging flicker in my chest. It’s small, but it’s there.

Despite my reservations and the internal battle I’ve been fighting, I realise that tonight isn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. The jokes, the laughs, the easy rhythm of the conversation. For the first time since arriving in London, I start to feel like maybe this place isn’t as foreign as I thought.

But then, as I glance around the table at everyone. Reev is laughing at something George said, Arthur’s wild hand gestures as he talks, Chris’s wry smile. I feel it again. That familiar pull. The one I can never quite escape.

Will catches my gaze from across the table and raises an eyebrow, as if to say what now?

I pretend I don’t notice, but I do. And I’m starting to hate how much I do.

A bit later, Will gets up, slinging his jacket over his shoulder. "I gotta go to the bathroom," he announces, voice dripping with that usual smirk.

The rest of the booth shifts around, making room for him to leave, and I do the same, trying to subtly adjust my position. It’s always a little awkward when someone moves, and everyone feels like they need to rearrange just to make it look like it was intentional.

As soon as Will disappears toward the back of the pub, the conversation at the table shifts again, but it's less chaotic. Chris starts talking about a new VR setup they’re testing for a video, while Arthur starts talking about how hyped he is for that shoot.

I try to join in, nodding along, but I can’t help but feel like I’m playing catch-up. These guys have been doing this for years. I have no fresh content ideas nor have I ever even used a VR headset. I’m sitting there, smiling like I understand, but it’s all flying over my head.

It’s then I feel a shift beside me. Will’s back. He slides into the booth with an almost practiced ease, squeezing in beside me, his knee brushing mine. I glance over, a little surprised. He’s always so... unpredictable.

He catches my eye and immediately clocks the way I’m trying (and failing) to break into the conversation with Chris. A slight, knowing smirk curls his lips.

“So, how’s it going with the YouTube talk?” he asks, his tone teasing. “Not exactly your scene, huh?”

I roll my eyes, trying to hide my frustration. “Not really.”

Will leans back in his seat, crossing his arms. His gaze flicks over to Chris, then back to me. “It’s fine,” he says with an almost too-casual shrug. “Some people just don’t get how exciting planning football videos all day can be. No offense, Chris,” he adds, tossing a wink at him. Chris just chuckles and waves it off, clearly used to Will’s teasing, and only half listening to him.

I half-smile at Will, relieved that he’s not giving me a hard time for being... well, not one of them.

After a beat, his smirk shifts into something more playful, and his eyes narrow slightly. “So, Valentine’s Day is in a few days, huh?” he says, tilting his head, the question hanging in the air between us.

I blink. “Uh, yeah, I guess so,” I answer, not sure where this is going.

Will raises an eyebrow. “You got any plans?”

I shake my head, unsure what to say. “Nothing set yet. Maybe just stay in and avoid all the ridiculous heart-shaped crap, honestly.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, sounds about right. If I didn’t have to travel for a shoot, I’d definitely ask you out. You know, like, properly. Instead of over text,” he adds with a grin that feels a little too knowing.

I stare at him for a beat, processing what he’s just said. He’s messing with me. He has to be. “Reallllllly?” I ask, the sarcasm practically dripping from my voice. “You’d ask me out? That’s soooooo sweet of you.”

His grin widens, and there's that unmistakable gleam in his eye. “I’m not a monster, Y/N. Who wouldn’t want to spend Valentine’s Day with me? But, hey, the shoot’s in Brighton. So,” he shrugs dramatically, “guess I’ll just be thinking about it from a distance.”

I can’t help but laugh at how seriously he’s playing it. “Yeah, sure, you will be.” I almost say something about how ridiculous it is that he’s acting like Brighton is lightyears away, back home, people drive that distance like it’s nothing. But I bite my tongue. I can’t keep falling back on the whole "not from here" thing.

Will smirks, clearly enjoying the moment. "I’ll be sure to send you a postcard. You know, to remind you of how sad I am about not taking you out"

I shake my head, still smiling but rolling my eyes. “You’re insufferable.”

Will just laughs. “That’s why you like me,” he shoots back, voice rich with amusement.

And, for the first time tonight, I can’t help but agree.

[that-sudsy]

THE TACTICAL FROG | GAZ FANFIC

FT. TASK FORCE 141 IN NEW ORLEANS

a/n: this story is inspired by the story Princess and the Frog but there's no princess in this story. Please do not steal my work. And the drawing is create in Infinite Painter (free version)

In the streets of New Orleans, the team was sent to stop a group of mercenaries who were busy with a mission there. As always, New Orleans was known for its voodoo.

Gaz, on the other hand, due to his kindness and soft-heartedness, got tricked by a man in New Orleans after helping a young woman in the streets. He knew New Orleans was tricky, but he never thought he would get deceived. The man showed him magic using tarot cards, and then he nicked Gaz, taking his blood and cursing him, turning him into a frog. The team searched relentlessly for Gaz, and even in his frog form, he tried his best to catch their attention. He jumped on their feet and croaked, doing everything he could think of, but he always got dismissed or kicked away.

"Great, just great I'm a Tree frog stuck in a city of Jazz and Trickery."

Now he roamed the streets of New Orleans in frog form, hopping from alley to alley. He tried to get his team's attention, but they were too quick. He tried to catch their eye, but his frog legs were too small, and they didn't notice him, leaving Gaz alone in the rainy alleyways of New Orleans.

One night, Gaz stumbled upon a party. He saw people celebrating, wearing costumes and props, and one of them was a woman wearing a crown and a blue dress. Gaz hopped his way there as far as his frog legs could carry him and stood on top of a garbage bin, his frog form helping him blend in better among the New Orleans trash. Gaz's heart raced anxiously, fearing someone might find him as he watched the beautiful woman in the crown. He didn't know much about the people here since he didn't belong in the first place, but her graceful movements caught his attention. Gaz's eyes followed her every step, feeling a mix of desperation for help and shame at his current form. Maybe she could help him, he thought.

He watched her from the bin as she stood on the balcony, looking at the stars. He leaped to the ground and into a waitress's trolley filled with grapes and fruits. While the trolley traveled, he ate some grapes until it was time to jump out. He jumped up the stairs and onto the balcony where the woman was. He didn't know why he felt drawn to her, but he thought he could probably trust her. When he croaked accidentally, he startled her, making her back away. So, he stood on his hind legs and spoke.

"Please don't leave... I need to talk to you," he said in his British accent, whispering desperately while watching her back away.

She turned around and screamed, picking up a "Princess and the Frog" book, ready to hit him. Then realization dawned on Gaz.

"Wait! That's it! The Princess and the Frog! You can help me!" he exclaimed, realizing that maybe the legend was true.

She still looked ready to hit him, so Gaz quickly hopped behind another bin, his heart pounding as he heard her distressed scream.

"Oh no! Wait, please, I can explain!" he tried to call out, but his frog voice came out distorted and scratchy.

"...are you talking?" she asked in disbelief.

Gaz peeked around the bin, his frog body shaking slightly as he realized he was being observed. "Yes, I can talk! And I'm not... I mean, I used to be a human, but..." His words came out in broken croaks as she slammed the book on him, squishing the poor frog. But his quick reflexes saved him, though his frog body got hit on the back leg.

"AHHH! Stop! I really am telling the truth!" he attempted to stand up straight while hopping backward. She paused, and Gaz quickly regained his balance, standing awkwardly on all fours.

"I swear on my old human life that I'm being honest! The frog thing happened completely by accident..." he said, his voice getting quieter.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Gaz nervously stepped forward, keeping his distance but trying to appear less threatening. "I was cursed by a voodoo witch here in New Orleans. I didn't ask for this..." He looked down at his frog body. She winced in suspicion, listening to him.

Gaz's frog eyes looked up at her with a mix of shame and pleading. "Please... I just need a way to break this curse. I won't harm you, I promise..." His voice broke slightly.

"And that is?" she asked, looking at him.

Gaz fidgeted nervously, his frog legs shifting on the balcony ledge. "The only way is a kiss from you..." His voice trailed off, feeling vulnerable.

"A kiss?" she asked.

Gaz's face turned red with embarrassment, his frog body shivering slightly. "Yes... but I understand if you find me repulsive like this..." His voice became softer.

"Never... I'm not kissing a frog," she said, but Gaz was giving her puppy eyes.

Gaz's frog heart skipped a beat at her response, but he maintained his composure. "You're... not? But... I'm just... a frog with bad luck..." He hop-stepped closer cautiously. She looked into his brown orbs, wondering if he was telling the truth.

So, she picked him up and sighed. Gaz felt the warmth of her hands on his frog body, his heart racing with mixed emotions. The frog's soft croaks were unusual; you don't find talking frogs every day.

"You sure about this? Just one kiss?" she asked.

Gaz's heart pounded furiously, his frog legs trembling with anticipation. "Y-yes... just one kiss..." His voice was barely a whisper as he leaned forward slightly.

She kissed him, and as sparkles of magic rained over them, magic happened, but there was no change to Gaz's form. Gaz stood there in shock, his frog form still intact. "What... I don't understand?" he looked at his hands, then back at her, his voice now deeper and more human.

The girl groaned in the puddle of her dress cloth, now in her frog form. Gaz grumbled a curse, "Shit," as he hopped off the ledge and into the puddle of cloth. "Here, let me help you," he said.

"What?!" she yelled as she looked around, then at her hands, seeing five fingers. All she saw were three slimy webbed fingers, making her panic. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" she rambled.

Gaz tried to calm her down, realizing she was panicking. "It's okay, I know this is a shock... you might want to avoid mirrors for now." He tried to reach for her hand, but in her frog form, she pounced on him in attack. "What did you do to me!?"

Gaz dodged her attack quickly, his frog reflexes making him move instinctively. "Whoa! I didn't do anything!" He stepped back, holding up his hands. "I'm slimy! I'm moist!" she rambled. "Look at me! I'm an amphibian!" she yelled.

Gaz tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. "Yes, you are... It's also dazzling too... you're sparkling under the moonlight, darling. I'm pretty moist too... see?" He glanced down at his own froggy body.

"This isn't supposed to happen! You said it would break the curse!" she panicked.

Gaz moved closer, trying to soothe her panic. "Hey, hey... I know, but I didn't mean to turn you like me. We're in this together now. Just breathe with me..." He sat down cautiously, and she pounced on him in anger.

Gaz caught her in mid-pounce but gently pinned her down. They were quite small on the big balcony, and the chatter of people in the other room could be heard.

"Okay, okay! Calm down! If you take this as anger, nothing will be solved," he tried to maintain his calm despite his new frog strength.

"You're stronger than you look..." she said.

Gaz let out a soft chuckle, his frog face showing genuine amusement. "And we're both pretty cute frogs... in our own way..." Still holding her down, suddenly a guest lady screamed, "FROGS! EW!" before kicking them off the balcony, making them fall into the fountain below.

"We need to get out of here!" Gaz grabbed her tighter, his wet skin sliding against hers. "These people aren't being nice..."

She still hopped, following him, trying to hop instead of running on both legs. Gaz maneuvered them through the crowd, trying to find an escape route. "I think I see an alleyway over there!" he pointed urgently toward a narrow passage. "Come on, quickly!"

They managed to slip into the alleyway but found themselves surrounded by more aggressive citizens. "Stay close!" he said as he dragged her along until they reached a clearing in a lot full of tall grass.

"I didn't get your name," she asked.

Gaz turned to face her, his wet face showing a hint of amusement. "I'm Sergeant Kyle Garrick, but you can call me Gaz. And you are?" He tried to keep his cool despite the situation.

"Y/N L/N."

Gaz's expression shifted to a mix of shock and understanding. "Y/N... wait, you're a commoner? This is bad..." He looked at her with concern. "We need to get you somewhere safe..."

She looked at him. "I never said I was a princess."

Gaz's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're not a princess? But you just... wait, you helped me without hesitation... and you're a commoner?" He tried to process this revelation.

"What made you think I was a princess?"

Gaz scratched his head, still damp from the fountain. "Well... you have this kind of... aura about you. You were dressed differently, with a crown that looks real not to mention you helped me without hesitation..."

"It doesn't mean I wear a crown and I'm a princess." You said like it was obvious

"And now we're both frogs!" Gaz ran his hands over his new frog legs. "This is all so all my fault..."

Gaz looked down at his new legs, then back at her. "At least we have each other to rely on now." He smiled weakly.

Gaz noticed the growing commotion from the crowd outside the alley. "We need to keep moving. The citizens are getting restless, and they seem determined to find us."

Gaz spotted a maintenance entrance nearby. "This way! There might be some supplies or tools we can use to help us." He helped her through the door.

She hopped with him into a tool shed. Gaz carefully navigated the small space, keeping her close. "This might be our best chance to hide." He opened a toolbox, searching for anything useful.

"What are we gonna do in there?" she asked.

Gaz rummaged through the toolbox, finding some old rags and a can of oil. "Maybe we can use these to make temporary disguises. And... I think there's a small flashlight here."

"For what?" she asked.

Gaz showed her the flashlight, its beam barely illuminating the cramped space. "For lighting our way when we need to see. And maybe we can figure out how to change back."

She looked around and saw a matchbox. She picked it up and placed rubber bands on it, making a backpack.

Gaz watched her make the makeshift backpack, impressed by her ingenuity. "Smart thinking," he said before picking up a roll of twine and a paperclip. He handed it to her, then picked up a matchstick, which could act as a flare if needed, placing it in the matchbox backpack.

"We might need that flashlight to navigate when the power goes out," he said as she handed it to him.

You noticed a needle in your hand; it felt like a sword. Gaz wiped his damp face with his hand before you asked, "So you're a prince?"

Gaz laughed, running his hands through his head. "Not exactly. I'm a SAS operative."

"And you're now a frog?" she asked.

Gaz looked down at his new frog form, still adjusting to this unexpected reality. "I'm not exactly thrilled about this turn of events, but yes, I'm a frog now. Not sure what's worse..."

"What happened?" she asked.

Gaz's expression turned serious as he recounted the incident. "We were tracking a lead on some stolen tech and mercenaries when that voodoo witch cursed me, and then this all happened."

You frowned, crossing your arms. "So what now?"

Gaz shrugged as he sat on a small rock. "I don't know... maybe if we rest for the night and think about what to do tomorrow. So far, we're safe here in this little shed." He said they should be at the extraction point in 10 hours, but walking during evening rush hour, we couldn't risk being spotted. "But we need to stay quiet and hidden until we figure something out."

You looked down. "I'm gonna make this clear..."

Gaz listened intently, his attention focused on your words. "Go ahead. I'm listening."

"I'm a waitress at that party."

Gaz nodded understandingly, appreciating her honesty. "That's fine. You're still someone I'd trust to have my back."

"You're not mad?" she asked.

Gaz shook his head firmly. "No, not mad. Just relieved we're still together in this... unusual situation." He walked over to the dusty basket, fixed it, and placed a handkerchief on it for cushion and sponges, leading you there.

"Let's try to get some rest. We'll need our strength tomorrow."

You nodded as you settled on the sponges. "It's soft."

Gaz smiled. "I know." Gaz carefully positioned himself beside you on the basket.

You woke to the sound of drilling and clanging. You opened your eyes, wishing it was just a nightmare, but you realized it wasn't. So, you peeled off the handkerchief blanket and got off the basket bed before making your way to where the sound was.

You saw a clatter of tools and stuff being stripped off for parts, and Gaz working on a skateboard. He was drilling on the skateboard, his whole frog body shaking violently.

"Ahhh, good morning," he said when he finally noticed you. "What are you doing?" you asked.

"This is... my invention," he said. "It's not much, but it's a vehicle."

"A vehicle?"

"Here, let me show you," he said before getting into the plastic container he screwed onto the skateboard, which served as the shell. "I used parts of that toy car and attached it here," he pointed to the wheels of the skateboard. "We can drive it if we drive it like a real car using the controller, which I attached here," he said, pointing to the controller now serving as the steering wheel of the skateboard.

You were impressed, but for sure you both needed to add more stuff for this. "We can make this work if we go to the hardware store," you said.

At the hardware store, you sneaked in, pushing the skateboard in during closing time. The lights were off, and you two used all the tools needed—screws and supplies. Gaz used his knowledge to help you build the vehicle packed with features that you couldn't find in other cars.

When Gaz turned on the toy car's battery, the makeshift lights switched on, and you were ready to go.

You heard a buzzing sound, and your eyes fell on a fly. You made an uncontrollable tongue spring out. "No... no," you said, trying to close your mouth. "I'm not eating that... not in my—" but your tongue instinctively sprang out and captured the bug, making you groan in disgust.

"You should get used to that," Gaz laughed from the vehicle. "Since the hardware store is still closed, we should get something to eat," he said.

You two made your way around the hardware store to the canteen. You picked up some good food like chips and other salsas available. Then, that's when your eyes fell on the dollhouse that was on sale.

You and Gaz looked at each other. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked before you two dashed, running to the dollhouse. Opening the door, the dollhouse was for a Barbie doll, but your frog height was perfect for it. It was a mansion in your vision. "If only I could choose a house like this," you said, walking around the dollhouse before making your way to the stairs.

Gaz was on the couch of the dollhouse. "This isn't bad; all we need is a TV," he laughed.

You went upstairs, looking around the hallway when you found the doll's bedroom with a cushioned bed. You lay on it and sighed. "This is good; the best bed I've had in a while," you said, making Gaz walk in too.

"Have you tried the doll's clothes?" he asked.

"Are you suggesting I'm gonna raid Barbie's closet?" you asked.

"Well, Barbie can't call the cops, love, and report you," he said with a grin. "You are evil, Mr. Garrick," you laughed despite being frogs.

You two proceeded to the toy section when Gaz pushed an army doll off the shelf and dropped it. He raised the doll's clothes: cargo pants, a vest, and boots. He took some toy hats too.

You, on the other hand, raised and stripped off Barbie's clothes, picking out the best ones and pairing them with the military doll's boots.

You saw Gaz in full gear. "Ooooh, not bad, Mr. Garrick."

"Please, love, call me Kyle," he said, laughing. "This is the best steal I've ever had."

You two went back to that dollhouse and rested on the doll's bed. When dawn came, you hopped on the makeshift car you two made. When the roll-up of the shop opened, you rolled out to the streets. There, you read the map. "Alright, if we take this alley, we get to the extraction point faster than if—"

"Bang!" A shot was fired, missing the car.

"What the heck! What was that?!" you yelled.

"Frog hunters..." Gaz said, looking at the side mirror of the toy car. You were both in it. "Hang on," he said, skidding around corners as he turned for the alley. The hunters were fast on their feet, running after both of you.

"Alright, I placed a toilet paper roll in the back. I want you to light it up," he said as he drove, handing you a matchstick. You hopped on the back and lit the string of the toilet paper roll, pushing it off the car when he said so.

The hunters were gaining on both of you, then Gaz said, "Push!" You pushed it off when it fell on the ground, exploding in fireworks. "What was that?!" you asked.

"Firework grenade," he laughed and hollered as he drove, losing the hunters.

By the time you reached the extraction point, you saw the team standing by the helicopter. "They're leaving!" you yelled, making Gaz speed up. "Nope, they're not," he said. He took off his matchbox backpack and pulled out a rubber band-powered paperclip bow, loading in a toothpick as the arrow.

"Keep driving!" he yelled, aiming for Johnny's neck. "Hold, hold," he said before firing as you drove around the team, catching their attention. Johnny groaned, "Ahh, something bit me," he said, looking down. "Gaz!" he exclaimed, waving his webbed hand around.

"Gaz?" Johnny looked at the small figure waving. He no longer listened to Price, who was giving a briefing. "Soap, are you listening?" Ghost asked, making Soap snap his head at Ghost "Uh... no," he admitted.

"Look," Price shifted on his legs, pointing to a small skateboard driving around.

Making Ghost and Price turn their full attention to it. "What on earth is that?" Simon said before raising his rifle to see in the scope what it was. Gaz was waving his arms, holding his hat. "It's Gaz!"

"A frog?" Soap said in his thick Scottish accent.

"Have you two lost your minds? Let me see that," Price said, grabbing Simon's rifle and looking through the scope. "Oh, why are there two of them?"

"Probably another victim?" Soap said with a smile before yelling, "Gaz!"

You and Gaz cheered, "Yes!!! They saw us!!!! Yes!!!" You drove towards them as you both hopped off. The team walked over and knelt down. "You look terrible, Gaz. I thought falling off the heli was worse," Price said as Soap knelt down too. "Good to have you back, mate."

Gaz gave them a frog fist bump. "I never expected to become a frog," he said, looking at his teammates with a mix of relief and disbelief.

"Well, we need to get you both back to normal," Price said, glancing around to ensure the area was clear. "Let's get you out of here before people could see you."

"Right," Gaz said, a sense of camaraderie swelling within the team. "I just hope we can figure out how to reverse this curse."

As they made their way to the helicopter, a mix of excitement and anxiety coursed through you. "What if we can't change back?" you asked, glancing at Gaz, your heart racing at the thought of remaining in this bizarre form.

"We will," Gaz reassured you, his voice steady despite the uncertainty that loomed over the mission. "Or we'll be stuck living in dollhouses and eating bugs. And trust me, we don't want that..."

The team boarded the helicopter, the whirring blades cutting through the air as it lifted off. Gaz gazed out at the sprawling city below, determination etched on his face. "Next time I see that woman who cursed me, I'll make sure she remembers never to take advantage of someone who helps."

You smiled back, feeling a bond forming between you two that transcended your current predicament. The shared experience of facing the unknown had forged a connection that felt unbreakable.

Upon arriving at the base, the team gathered around a table, and Price slid a small box in front of Gaz. "We need to find that woman and destroy the necklace. It’s the key to bringing you both back to your human forms," he stated, his tone serious.

"And how do we break it?" Soap asked, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Smash it into pieces?" Simon suggested, his arms crossed.

"More like that," you interjected, your mind racing. "We need to break that necklace when Gaz and I get there."

Gaz was already on the laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard. "Yeah, I think I found her," he said, struggling to turn the screen around for everyone to see. Simon leaned in to help him, both of them squinting at the glowing map. "Ah, I think I know where to find her."

*Later that evening*

You held an earpiece to your ear, straining to catch any signs of the team. Perched on Simon's shoulder, you scanned the area. "That's her," you heard Gaz say through the comms, urgency lacing his voice. Just as Johnny made a move to strangle the girl from behind, a shadowy figure tugged him back and tossed him aside like a rag doll.

Price sprang into action, but a shadow lunged at him, scratching his chest. You watched in horror as the chaos unfolded, whispering, "Oh no," just before you opened a flare and tossed it into the fray. The bright light illuminated the darkness, causing the shadows to recoil.

Johnny scrambled to his feet as the shadows dissipated. Gaz leaped onto the walls, agile and determined, while Johnny managed to grab hold of the woman. In a swift motion, Gaz snatched the necklace and slammed it onto the ground, shattering it into pieces. The fight raged on, but the woman’s scream pierced the air, "Noooooooo!"

In the end, the shadows enveloped her, dragging her into the depths of a grave. A small ball of energy burst forth from the broken necklace, dividing into two and landing on you and Gaz. You felt a surge of power as your frog bodies lifted and glowed brightly, transitioning back to your human forms.

You looked at your hands, a smile breaking across your face. "I'm back!" you exclaimed, only to realize you were covered in thick slime. "And naked..."

Gaz, on the other hand, grinned widely. "I'm back in action, baby!" His eyes landed on you, and you felt a rush of warmth. "Kyle?" you asked, seeing him for the first time in his true form.

"Hey, Y/N," he replied, a hint of relief in his voice.

You threw your arms around him, overwhelmed with gratitude. "Aww, thank you, thank you!"

"Nah, don’t thank me. This wouldn’t have happened without you," he said, hugging you back tightly.

"Alright, let’s get you both out of here before those ghostly shadows come back," Soap said, a smile breaking through the tension.

The team nodded in agreement, and as you all made your way back to the base, the view shifted to an aerial perspective of New Orleans. Gaz broke the silence, shaking his head. "I’m never coming back here."

"I wonder how Gambit from X-Men lives here," he mused, a hint of humor returning to his voice, even as the weight of the night’s events lingered in the air. The bond forged in battle and the thrill of survival hung between you all, a testament to the strength of Task Force 141.

[podiumackles]

the moments that stay (they turn out all wrong)

In which the man she could never forget suddenly turns up at her cell, but he has no remembrance of the woman in front of him. And the moments that stayed with her for decades, turn out to be her memories only.

series masterlist

CHAPTER 2

A/N: English isn't my first language!! apologies in advance.

Outlines: After being his sidekick in Payback for years, you-better known as your supename Fury-ended up on the same end of Soldier Boy's violence as every other person. What you didn't realise, however, was that your old team had set you both up for betrayal, right when you thought you were helping them in getting him. After decades of being stuck in Vought's testing lab, you heard Soldier Boy got out. But the man who appeared in front of your cell wasn't the man you knew.

Warnings: not much in this chapter. mentions of power imbalance, possibly swearing, Soldier Boy's incorrect view of what a man needs to be, mentions of (mental) abuse and manipulation, and possibly wrong storytelling in lines of the canon events. I'm not that good at remembering, guys. and the boys was just kinda complicated. forgive me.

1980s

Soldier Boy had noble intentions to protect and serve his country. He had dignity, honour, and believed every man should grow up to be a “real man”, as his father had repeatedly told him.

Enduring the Second World War wasn’t enough.

Becoming a superhero wasn’t enough.

It would never be enough. Not for his father.

His father’s words echoed in his mind, a constant reminder that no matter what he achieved, it was never sufficient.

A real man builds his own success, with his own two hands. He doesn't cheat his way into power.

Those words shaped him, pushing him to become something greater than just a soldier, more than just a hero in the public eye. But no matter how many enemies he thought he vanquished or how many medals adorned his chest, he couldn't escape the feeling that he was failing his father’s impossible standard of manhood.

But the 1980s were a far cry from the battlefields of his youth. Superheroes were no longer symbols of patriotism and sacrifice—they were products, controlled by Vought, manipulated into glossy icons for public consumption. Soldier Boy's clean-cut, all-American image had become a brand, slapped onto cereal boxes and comic books. In private, however, he was chafing under the weight of being Vought’s golden boy. He was a symbol, a puppet, but to his father, he was still just a disappointment.

The breaking point came when Vought began assembling a new team of supes- as Vought would call them- to form the latest supergroup. Ben, a natural leader in his own eyes, felt a simmering resentment. He wasn’t a team player. He was meant to be the star—the hero who stood above the rest, not one who shared the spotlight. To him, the team would only drag him down, undermine his own success, and ruin the carefully crafted image he had worked so hard to build.

But, despite everything, Vought’s grip would always have been too strong. So, despite his disdain, he reluctantly agreed. They understood him. And he needed them. He had been sure he would be appointed the leader of this new group. When he was, he would ensure control over every aspect of the team so they wouldn’t lead to his downfall. This was his time.

As he stood in Vought’s headquarters, a sense of superiority coursed through him. He was the seasoned war hero, the one who had fought on real battlefields. These supes were nothing more than attention-seeking showboats, eager for fame rather than true service.

You, dressed in an orange-red suit, stood next to him with wide-eyed curiosity. You looked like you were barely out of your teens, your youthful face betraying your lack of experience. "Is it true, then?" you asked, your voice a mix of awe and disbelief. "You killed the president?"

Ben thought the suits Vought had made for the team were ridiculous. He wouldn't need a special suit to be the best version of himself. He wouldn't need anything but himself.

Without looking at you, he growled, “You believe everything you hear?”

You blinked, taken aback by his gruff response, but quickly recovered. “No, I just…” you tore your gaze from him, focusing on the other supes getting in the final pieces of their attire. “Would be a shame to be on the team with a murderer.”

Your words lingered in the tight air between you. He realised you had put up a facade, a mask to hide your wariness of the man next to you. You didn’t idolise him. In fact, you might have been close to despising, if he didn’t know any better.

Ben finally turned his head to face you, his eyes cold and unwavering. Your suit tied around your body, but it seemed loose enough to not reveal too much to the outside. Cloves hugged your delicate hands and reached until well near your elbows. A small cape was fastened onto your wrists, which Ben found all the more ridiculous. Who the fuck needs a cape?

“I’m no murderer,” his words were short, harsh. This woman had no right to speak to him like that. “At least not to people who didn’t deserve it.”

“Did he deserve it?” You started, looking back at the slightly taller man next to you. “The president.”

“I didn’t kill the fucking president.”

Soldier Boy’s glare intensified as he sized you up. Your audacity infuriated him. He had dealt with enough scepticism from his father—he didn’t need it from some rookie in a costume Vought had only designed to sell toys.

The room around you buzzed with activity as the other members of the team prepared for their first group appearance. Ben seethed in silence. These so-called superheroes were nothing like the comrades he fought alongside in the war. They lacked discipline, focus, and the hardened edge that came from seeing real combat. They were actors in a carefully orchestrated performance, and to him, that was a disgrace.

You still stood beside him and seemed to sense his irritation, but you didn’t back down. Instead, you tilted your head and raised an eyebrow, as if daring him to lash out.

“You think you're better than us, don’t you?” you asked, your voice quieter this time, but laced with a subtle challenge.

Soldier Boy scoffed, crossing his arms. “Better? I don’t think, doll. I know.”

Your lips curled into a smirk, and for the first time, Ben noticed a flash of something in your eyes—something darker, more calculating than the wide-eyed naivety you'd shown earlier.

“Maybe you do,” you said, your voice a low murmur now. “But this isn't the ‘40s anymore. It’s not about who’s the toughest soldier out there. This world, Vought’s world, is about control. It’s about image and playing the game.” You glanced around the room at the other supes. “And you, with all your medals and war stories, are just another player.”

Your words rang through his ears more than he’d like to, and he started to think he thought of you wrongly. You weren't an ordinary trophy girl- you weren't someone to idolise him. You had your own strong opinion, and it wasn't something Ben was sure he could live with.

He clenched his fists, a storm of rage starting to brew inside him, but before he could respond, a booming voice cut through the tension.

“Alright, team!” The commanding voice belonged to Vought’s newest public relations handler, a slick man in an expensive suit. “It’s showtime!”

You shot Soldier Boy a final, knowing glance before you turned away, your cape swishing dramatically as you moved toward the centre of the room. Ben remained where he was, his jaw clenched, watching you. He hated your arrogance, but deep down, he knew you weren't wrong.

This wasn’t the battlefield. This wasn’t about sacrifice, honour, or even survival. This was a new kind of war, one he wasn’t sure he knew how to win.

But win it, he would.

Because failure? That was never an option. Not for him. And certainly not for his father.

As the team assembled for their public debut, Soldier Boy straightened his shoulders and put on his best, most patriotic smile. No one in the crowd would ever know the battle raging inside him, the war he fought against the crushing weight of expectations.

He would play the game, for now. And when the time was right, he would remind them all just how dangerous a man like him could be.

Cameras flashed; eight new heroes to represent America, to supposedly save the residents from upcoming threats, upcoming wars.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the commanding voice rang through their ears again. “May I present to you, your heroes, your idols, your team; Payback.”

Pictures were taken, but Ben paid it no mind. He was used to all the attention, to all the girls swooning over him. He stood front and centre, flashing his most practised, toothy grin. The name Payback echoed in his ears. A team to stand up for their people. But this wasn’t about anything but pride to Ben—it was about staying on top, holding onto the power and prestige he had built over decades.

And the team around him felt like a joke.

You stood a little behind him, a faint smirk still playing on your lips. Your audacity lingered in his mind, taunting him. Despite himself, he couldn’t shake the way you had spoken—calm, deliberate, and entirely sure of yourself. That was rare. Most of the other heroes around him were too obsessed with fame and too concerned with their image. They fell in line because Vought told them to.

Ben clenched his jaw, his father's words echoing in his mind once again.

A real man builds his own success, with his own two hands.

But was this success? Standing here, posing for the cameras, while Vought puppeteered them all? It didn’t feel like the heroism he had once envisioned. The battlefield, the grit, the true sacrifice—it had all been replaced by PR campaigns and flashy photo ops.

Still, he knew better than to show weakness. He had perfected the art of hiding his inner turmoil, just as his father had taught him. To the world, he was still the unbeatable war hero, the icon of American masculinity. No one would ever see the cracks beneath the surface—the doubt, the frustration, the endless quest to be enough.

As the cameras continued snapping, Soldier Boy’s mind wandered your words. It’s about control. Image. Playing the game. You had said those words so matter-of-factly as if you had already accepted the new rules of this world.

After the press conference, the team dispersed to prepare for their first mission together—a staged event, of course, meant to show the world how “heroic” they were. But Soldier Boy lingered, watching as the others left the room.

One thing was certain: he wasn’t going to let anyone take his place at the top. He would play the game his way, and when the time came, he would show them all—Vought, Payback, his father—that he was still the strongest, still the best.

Because if there was one thing Ben knew, it was that in the end, power didn’t come from suits or smiles. Power came from dominance, from control, and from the ability to crush anyone who dared to stand in your way.

And that was exactly what he intended to do.

As he turned to leave, Soldier Boy caught a glimpse of himself in one of the giant mirrors that lined the hallway. He stared at his reflection—his square jaw, broad shoulders, and the tight-fitting mask over his head. He looked every bit the hero Vought had made him out to be. But simultaneously, he looked ridiculous.

“Suits are cool, huh?” your familiar voice spoke up as he left the previous room and wandered the hallways of the slightly known building. “Kidding. You look awful.”

Ben hadn’t thought he looked awful altogether; the green hugged his features wonderfully, the gold details shining as a representation of his pride. Just the mask was a reject.

“Can’t say any different about you.” Ben said matter-of-factly.

The hallway was dimly lit, and he continued walking with purpose, ignoring the voice behind him. He didn’t need anyone's approval—especially not from the cocky rookie now catching up with him. The smirk he had seen earlier was back, and you walked with a casual confidence that irritated him even more.

You weren't one to shy away from confrontation, clearly. Your snarky comment about his suit wasn’t just meant to jab at him; it was part of the ongoing game you seemed intent on playing. Ben found it annoying, yet there was something about you that stood out. You weren't like the obedient pawns he was used to, always falling in line and praising him without question.

"Aw, don’t be like that," you teased, still walking alongside him. Your cape fluttered with each step, an accessory he couldn’t understand the need for, as if to taunt him for eternity. “Just saying, for someone who’s supposed to be the leader, you sure look like you're heading into a costume party instead of a mission.”

Ben clenched his jaw but kept walking. He wasn’t going to give you the satisfaction of a response.

You continued, undeterred by his silence. “But you know, maybe that’s the point. We’re all just playing dress-up here, aren’t we? Vought dresses us up, makes us look shiny, and sends us out to wave at the cameras. Nothing heroic about it.”

“Speak for yourself,” Ben finally muttered, his voice low. “I’ve seen real combat. I’ve been in the trenches. What have you done, other than talk?”

Your smirk didn’t falter, though your eyes darkened slightly. “You’re right,” you said, a hint of venom in your voice. “I haven’t been in your precious war. But I’m not stupid. I know how things work now. And this… all of this,” you gestured around the hall, “isn’t about being a hero. It’s about staying relevant. It’s about power.”

Ben stopped walking, turning to face you. His eyes narrowed as he looked you up and down, sizing you up again. “Power?” he scoffed. “You think prancing around in that cape gives you power?”

Your smirk faded, replaced with a more serious expression. “No, I think understanding how to use what I’ve got gives me power. You’re strong, Soldier Boy. No one’s doubting that. But strength doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know how to play the game. And that’s where you’re going to lose.”

Ben’s fists clenched. “I don’t lose.”

“We’ll see.” You stepped back, eyes locked with his. There was no fear in them, just a cool, calculated calm. “But you should know, they own you, just like they own all of us.”

Silence fell between them, only the annoying presence of you urging him to keep on walking.

“Name’s Fury by the way. For the public, that is.”

He glanced at you quickly, frowning before letting his eyes fall on the relics on the walls when they continued their way.

“Soldier Boy.”

Ben could’ve sworn he heard you laugh; just the faintest hint of a breath leaving your mouth in a way that angered him.

“I know that,” you spoke, and he grew to feel more frustrated at the feeling you wouldn’t leave him alone. “You got a real name?”

“Yes.”

“Mine is Y/n.”

“I don’t fucking care.”

“Alright, I’ll figure it out eventually." Your words echoed in Ben’s mind as you walked away, pace speeding up to leave him alone in the hallway. He stared after you, his mind racing with a storm of thoughts he wasn’t used to entertaining. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to force his mind back to what mattered: control, power, dominance. But your words lingered like a stubborn itch he couldn’t scratch.

You were audacious, irritating, and worst of all, you had a point.

Ben hated to admit it, but you seemed to understand the game better than most. Vought didn’t care about his war stories or his medals. To them, and to the world they controlled, he was just another pawn in a machine far bigger than the battlefield. For all his strength, for all the wars he had fought and won, Ben was no longer the master of his own destiny. He was trapped in a world of PR stunts and corporate interests. And that gnawed at him, more than he cared to admit.

He had always believed power came from raw strength, from being the toughest, the strongest. But this new world, this world of superheroes-for-hire and manufactured images, was different.

Ben’s jaw tightened as he turned and continued down the hallway, alone with his thoughts. Vought owned him, you had said. That was the part that stung the most. He had spent his life trying to prove to his father that he could succeed on his own terms. But the truth was, his success had always been shaped by someone else. First his father, now Vought.

As he entered the large meeting room, where Payback's first mission briefing was about to take place, he felt a new kind of resolve building inside him. He didn’t like playing games, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Vought—or you—think they had the upper hand. He was still Soldier Boy, the greatest hero America had ever known, and he would prove it.

The team was already gathered, some stretching, some chatting, all waiting for their cue from Vought’s handlers. You werethere too, standing off to the side with your arms crossed, your eyes scanning the room with that same calculated coolness. You caught his gaze for a moment, but there was no smirk this time. Just a flicker of something that almost looked like respect—or perhaps it was just curiosity.

He didn’t care.

Ben straightened his shoulders and strode to the front of the room, where the mission briefing was about to begin. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t need anyone to tell him how to lead.

The lights dimmed, and a large screen flickered to life. A Vought executive appeared, slick and polished as always, ready to guide them through their heroic PR spectacle.

The exec began, his voice oozing with rehearsed enthusiasm. “Your mission today is simple: protect, serve, and show the world why Payback is the team they can trust.”

Ben barely listened. The mission was standard fare—save some politicians from a staged crisis, and make it look good for the cameras. Easy. What he cared about was how he would position himself at the top of the group. This wasn’t just about completing the mission; this was about showing everyone that Soldier Boy wasn’t just another cog in the machine.

After some specifics and unnecesary questions from his lower ranked team, they filed out toward the transport that would take them to the mission site. Ben was the last to leave the room, watching as the others chatted excitedly, eager to get into costume and play the part Vought had crafted for them.

He glanced once more at you, your back to him as you spoke quietly with another member of the team. You were different. You weren't a puppet like the others. That made you dangerous.

But Ben wasn’t worried.

Because at the end of the day, he knew one thing for certain: he didn’t lose.

And when the time came, when he reminded the world just what a real man, a real hero, could do, You—and everyone else—would be forced to recognize that.

He was Soldier Boy. And this? This was just the beginning.

A/N: as always, feedback is appreciated! let me know if you want to be added to the taglist.

thanks for reading! <3

taglist: @demodemo909 @deangirl96 @mostlymarvelgirl @n-o-p-e-never

[paigesbasketball]

Under Oath

Prologue

NEW YORK CITYThe buzz of the city below barely reached the quiet sanctuary of my office, high above the chaos. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased a sprawling view of Manhattan, but I was too busy typing away at my desk to notice. At 25, I had accomplished what most could only dream of—an undergraduate degree from Syracuse, a law degree from Yale, and a career as one of New York’s rising legal stars.

I was in the zone, preparing briefs for my next high-profile meeting, when my secretary, Sammy, knocked on the doorframe. “Ms. Johnson, you have a call from UCONN on line two.”

I froze. UCONN. Just hearing the name stirred an old, bitter ache. It wasn’t my pain, exactly—it was my sister’s. Her time there had been a nightmare, filled with humiliation and hardship. Picking up this call felt almost like a betrayal of everything she’d endured. But duty called. I sighed, composed myself, and answered, “This is Catayela Johnson, Esq. How may I help you?” My voice was professional, but there was a tinge of annoyance. People rarely called my office without an appointment—it was practically an unwritten law.

The voice on the other end made me pause.

“Hey, girl! How’s it going? Are you free right now?”

I blinked in surprise. “KK Arnold?”

Most people knew KK as a lively, chatty social media personality, but I knew her differently. She was my childhood best friend, the one who had been my rock through thick and thin. Without her, I doubted I’d even be here today.

“Girly, I’m never free,” I teased, “but I think I can make an exception. What’s up?”

Her voice shifted, becoming unusually serious. “Would you come to UCONN?”

I laughed nervously. “KK, I told you I’d catch one of your games someday. It’s just been hard—”

She cut me off sharply. “It’s not about that. It’s a legal matter.”

The shift in her tone immediately put me on edge. Concern crept into my voice. “Does this need to be handled at UCONN, or can you come to my office?”

There was a muffled sound on the line—whispers I couldn’t quite make out. My worry deepened. “KK? HELLO?”

“Oh, sorry!” she said, snapping back. “I think it’s best if you come up here tomorrow.”

“Alright,” I said, already mentally rearranging my schedule. “I’ll clear my day. See you tomorrow.”

As I hung up, I leaned back in my chair, staring out the window. What could KK have gotten herself into? “Sammy,” I called out, “cancel my meeting tomorrow. Just one, right?”

She nodded and immediately set to work.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

AT UCONNKK’s POV

The team stood around me, their expressions a mix of anticipation and skepticism. I tucked my phone away and turned to face them.

“She said she’ll talk to me tomorrow,” I announced, shrugging. “So I guess we’re driving to New York.”

Confusion rippled through the group. Jana tilted her head. “Wait—did she say we all could come to the office, or just you?”

I hesitated but brushed it off with a grin. “Okay, fine—she technically said just me. But trust me, she won’t mind. I’ve known her my whole life.”

Jana didn’t look entirely convinced, but before she could argue, I threw my arms up. “Alright, Huskies! Next stop: New York!”

The team broke into excited chatter, but I noticed one person hanging back. Paige sat in the corner, her expression distant and sad.

“What’s up, Captain? You look like you just lost a game,” I said, nudging her playfully.

Paige glanced at me, her blue eyes glassy. “I need a different lawyer,” she said softly.

I blinked, confused. “Wait—I just got us one. And trust me, she’s good. Top-tier. Yale graduate. One of the best in the city!”

“It’s not about that,” Paige said, shaking her head. “It’s…personal.”

I frowned. “Personal? What are you talking about?”

She hesitated, then took a deep breath. “I knew her when we were kids. It didn’t end well. She’d never willingly help me—not after what I did.”

“What could you have possibly done?” I asked, stunned.

Paige’s voice dropped to a near whisper. “Something unforgivable. And the worst part? I still have feelings for her.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re joking.”

She gave a bitter laugh. “I wish I were. But trust me—what I did was bad enough that she’d refuse to help me, even under oath. ”

[481mclarg]

Scared to love you | AL65

★ I've never been good at telling people how I feel, but you make me want to try.

STLY       •       FANFIC + SMAU.

    • Arthur Leclerc x Male!Oc driver

« K » This is my very first smau/ff on here & my very, very first work on ENG. I was trying to write a MV33 AU, but clearly things happened

Warnings: homophobia, sexual content & mention of sex, absent parents. (basically, shitty childhood). !! English is not my first lenguaje. I'm trying my best.

★          introduction. | one. | two. | three. | four. | five. | six. | seven. | eight. | nine. | ten. | eleven. | twelve. | thirteen. | fourteen. | fifteen. | sixteen. |

Deaken Bluman as... Matteo Lombardi.

📱matteolombardi

LOLO . . . 22yo : 5 de February '02. aquarius.

🇮🇹📍sicilian boy, english-italian driver ; 🐎 Ferrari Academy ; 🏎🏁Prema Powerteam.

 ┈─ Just stay with me. Lean on me today. In my warm arms, take a break. I want you to. ─┈

Arthur Leclerc as... Arthur Leclerc.

📱arthurleclerc

LELEC . . . 24yo : 14 de October '00. libra.

🇲🇨🧾 monegasque ("french") driver ; 🐎 Ferrari Academy ; 🏎🏁 Prema Powerteam.

          STLY     •                                     Introduction.

[ 💻 ] Google News. 2020.

Matteo Lombardi joins the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Lombardi takes another step towards Formula 1. The British-Italian driver was selected by Maranello to join the Ferrari Driver Academy.

FDA | Arthur Leclerc, Dino Beganovic, and Matteo Lombardi for the Scuderia’s young driver program.

Ferrari Driver Academy is pleased to announce three new talents joining the group of students in the company's driver training program. These are Arthur Leclerc, Dino Beganovic, and Matteo Lombardi, three young drivers who demonstrated during 2019 that they have the qualities to participate in the Scuderia training school.

   

   

[ 💻 ] Google News. 2021.

F3 | Prema Powerteam announce 2021 line-up.

The Prema Powerteam will feature Dennis Hauger, Arthur Leclerc, and Matteo Lombardi.

  

  

[ 💻 ] Google News. 2023.

BREAKING. Matteo Lombardi to race for Ferrari in 2024.

  

   

[ 💻 ] Google News. 2024.

Scuderia Ferrari HP: @/Charles_leclerc and @/arthur_leclerc7 will be taking part in Friday's FP1 session as team-mates. You won't want to miss this 🤩

  

 

          It's finally happening. «We made it.» He thought, as he went back to bed, hiding under all his blankets.

  

 

 

  

   

  

[ 🗺; 🇮🇹 ] Maranello.

          With Giancarlo Girotti as his trainer, Matteo had become one of the most feared and hated drivers on the karting grid. He was only eight years old, competing with other little kids but also many other older drivers. Age wasn't an impediment to having resentment towards the Italian.

          When the news of his joining the Ferrari Academy was published, none of the drivers who knew him could be surprised. If it wasn't Ferrari, it would be the academy of some other big team.

          Most still remember him as a little kid, shorter than the rest and who could barely manage a mix of Italian and English that only a few could understand. Neither his age, size, nor the language were an impediment for him to lead in more than one race, placing himself comfortably within the top positions of the championship.

          His professional career was successful from the beginning, but complicated. Money was a big problem for the teams, just as his isolation was for him.

          "He is a talented child, what the teams want" without friends, Matteo learned at an early age to hate the press. "Beginner's luck, right?"

          Luck? An innate talent? Talent would have been getting into a karting and winning races without training; lucky to win a championship that way. Spending months training from the morning to the night was not talent, or even luck. He hadn't spent years working hard on his training for them to classify his achievements as random, detracting from him.

          —Never give them the pleasure of seeing you angry, Pupo. —His coach told him, noticing on his face that feeling that was beginning to brew deep inside him. —That's what they want, for you to react, for you to lower yourself to their level. —With curious eyes, the dark-haired boy saw the gray-haired man next to him, listening to him attentively. —Are you going to stoop to their level? —

          —No. —he quickly denied. The old man almost let out a half smile.

          —Things are shown on the track, Pupo, and you have already proven to be better than him. Than all of them. —Matteo nodded. He had to be better than the others, show that it wasn't luck, that he tried harder than anyone there.

          He wanted to scream at them, to explode, but he knew it wouldn't be necessary. Hitting another driver wouldn't help, it wasn't good for him either. Beating them on the track would be more rewarding, when he can see them from the top step of the podium, smiling at the camera in interviews, posing with a brighter medal or a bigger trophy.

          He is better than them on the track. He had to be better, and he trained to be the best. He didn't need to talk in interviews, brag with words, if the results made it clear who is on top.

          —What do I have to say? —he asked his coach, knowing that he was next for the post-race interview.

          —You know what to say. —Simply, but it seemed to be enough for the boy, who nodded and start walking towards the journalist waiting for the champion of the race.

          «Last question, are you worried about any of your rivals?» The boy didn't have to think, before denying:

          —My only rival is myself. —

481MCLARG | 11 . 01 . 2025 | CORREGIDO.

[onskepa]

Hi hi hi!!

Can i get neteyam x human reader? Let's say she was jake's teammate back on earth before he lost his legs. And they had some cool nicknames for each of them. Jake calls her 'bullet' (or anything else you want) and she calls him 'marine' (the way grace always called him) or 'mermaid' (to mock him. Idk you chose). When quaritch appears and kidnaps the kids, she's there too fighting along with him. But she doesn't know these are Jake's kids. When she finds out, she sides with them and saves the kids. At first, Neteyam hated her because initially she sided with quaritch. I need them to have the 'enemies to lovers' trop

Hello sweetie! So I went over your request a couple times. While I love your idea, I hope you dont mind if I did some adjustments to it. Reader will most likely be the same age as Jake, meaning she will be old enough to be a parent herself. So, I thought if it is ok to have it be platonic instead of romantic. I hope you are ok and understand the change of it. Hope you can enjoy this one!

---------------------

Swaxpi

The natural sunlight of Pandora blinded the marine for a few seconds. Blinking a couple of times to adjust the sudden brightness. Here she was, in the far away planet that is the ideal of new human colonization. And by god, is Pandora beautiful, almost makes her wanna cry. But she came with a new mission and goals. Now arriving and being assigned under the group section following ex-colonel Quaritch. 

After hearing the news of Jake Sully now considered a traitor to human kind, the marine now needed answers. It isn't like him to just act out like that. There has to be some logical reason. Seeing as he has gone native, it will be tricky to find him. But hopeful with her new position, finding Jake sully will be easier. Hopefully. 

“Our mission is to hunt down the one they call Toruko Makto, Jake Sully” Quaritch gives a brief description of their new mission. Marine stood out among the rest of her ‘squad’ as everyone else literally is 4 feet taller than her and blue. Though she paid close attention, she couldn't help but feel weird. 

But now that the squad is heading out, to look for him in the forest to look for him. And while no success, they did find the old shack at the last battle that Jake had with human Quaritch. Not only that, but to see the last minutes of the fighting in a recorded camera of the old armor, the marine almost didn't recognize jake. He looked feral and angry. 

“That is Jake’s woman” one of the members points out the female na’vi in the recording. “She is an animal,” the other commented. In a way, she did. 

But then suddenly, with a turn of her head she looks at the direction of the forest. “You see something soldier?” Quaritch asks, noticing her looking out. Giving a quick look around her, she shakes her head. “No sir, nothing” she replies. 

Though, she could have sworn she heard a voice. Somewhere near a distance.

The surprise attack was indeed surprising. The recom team captured four na’vi children and one human child. Yet two of the four na’vi children have five fingers and eyebrows, indicating they are mixed. 

“Show me your fingers” Quaritch demanded one of the children, and without hesitation, the young boy flipped his middle fingers up at Quaritch’s face. It made the man grin, but the marine almost wanted to laugh. Why does it remind her so much of jake? 

“You’re his alright” Quaritch comments. The marine girl blinked a few times. Are they Jake’s kids? 

Quaritch takes off the mic neck piece from the child and turns it on. And out comes a voice the marine woman thought she would never hear in a long time. 

“Lo’ak? Lo'ak, do you read me?” Jake Sully. Sounding alive and well. And it seems Quairtch knows it too. Shit, if the kids really are his, it will make the situation tense and anything could go wrong. Yet she is the enemy to them. What on Pandora is she gonna do? Be part of the reason for hurting her best friend's kids or will she go rogue? 

Guns were pointed at the children's heads, neither recom hesitating to be rough on the kids. Especially the little one. “Really sir? They are just kids” the marine girl spoke, her eyes narrowing at her commander. Quaritch shook his head dismissively. “They are the spawn of the traitor. They are valuable so long as they dont do anything rash” he responds. 

She is not liking every second of it. 

The youngest child yelps in pain as the one holding her was causing her pain. “Easy! Damn, let me have her” she tells the big blue off. She grabs the youngest in her hold, still being strong but hopefully softer than how the other was holding. The recom walks away in annoyance. The child however was close to crying. Leaning closer to her ear, the marine whispers “ssshh, its going to be ok. Your dad will come save you soon. I need you to be a big girl and be strong”. 

It sort of seemed to work. Now to figure out how to help the other literal big kids without having her head blown off. She can only hope Jake can get his blue ass faster.

It was night but it was perfect for neteyam and his parents. Yes, they told him to stay put and not move. But how could he stay still when his siblings are in the hands of the enemy? Following quietly, neteyam hid among the large plants, letting the darkness cover him. 

Getting closer, he can see those false na’vi holding down his siblings. He looks and sees tuk, scared yet calm. A human woman was holding her from behind. Narrowing his eyes, neteyam wonders why there is a single human in an all blue team. It won't matter, she along with the others will die. 

So being quick, he managed to kill one false na’vi, however he exposed himself. 

“NA’VI!” one of the recom shouts. Just in time jake catches neteyam and pushes him down to the ground, avoid a flood of bullets. Neteyam knows he will be in big trouble later, but it will be worth it. 

The marine knows she will be in serious trouble later but right now it will be worth it. 

Bullets and arrows were flying around, taking a moment to use it, the marine woman took out one of her bombs and yanked off the ring. Throwing it in the center of where everyone was at. Quickly counting how many seconds she has, the marine grabs the kids and yanks them to a certain direction. 

“Go go go go!!” was all she yelled, pushed the youngest first to the direction where she saw the na’vi. The others followed as she did, counting the time the bomb exploded. Bodies flying all around. The light from the bomb gave her enough sight to see where she was going. However, it was too good of an escape. A sudden and quick sharp pain was felt on her leg. But she couldn't stop to see what it was. Mostly likely she has been shot. By why? It doesn't matter at the moment. 

“MARINE!” she heard quaritch shout. Not looking back she continues to guide the kids deeper into the darkness. 

Until a giant blue body tumbled her to the ground, blade against her neck.

Neteyam hissed dangerously at the unknown woman who kept touching his siblings. He raised his arm ready to kill the woman once and for all. 

“STOP!” kiri shouted, grabbing his arm, forcefully trying to take the blade away from him. Lo’ak also forcefully neteyam to back off from the woman. He looked at them in confusion. “She didn't hurt us! If anything she made sure those killers didn't hurt us any further” kiri was quick to explain. Lo’ak nodded, “yeah, she calmed tuk down and made sure she didn't cry '' he added. 

Tuk wasn't far, “she is really nice! Not like those killers' '. 

Neteyam looked down at the human who was still laying flat on the ground. “Listen, I understand you want to end me. But I am not your enemy. I know I looked like it, but trust me-” the lady’s words were cut by the worried shriek of a female na’vi. 

The kids turned around and saw their parents approaching. Quickly they all ran towards them and hugging them for dear life. Weeping and crying, the parents hugging their children as they sigh in huge relief. “My children! oh thank eywa, you are all safe!” the female na’vi says. After the kids were being checked over, the marine took a good look at the male na’vi. Looked a lot like the recom blues, but also a native. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when the oldest son yanked her up and pushed her rather roughly towards the parents. “The human was there with the demons, holding tuk against her will” Neteyam states. Anger still present. 

“She is not like them!” Tuk protests. Eager to go side with the human woman but jake wasn't letting her. “Please, she didn't want to hurt us,” Kiri adds. Neytiri was ready to kill the human, but Jake gently placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. Getting right at the marine’s face, mad yet confused.       

The marine couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle, “long time no see little miss damsel” she says. 

“No fucking way….”

Neteyam didn't know what to feel. One moment his father was ready to kill the human, and now his father was happy and rough housing with the demon. His mother was just as confused as he was. His younger siblings however were happy and enjoyed playing with the human. Maybe it was so late into the night, maybe the thrill was dying down and he was just hungry and tired. 

Yet he cant help but not trust the human woman. How can his father have him accept the demon who held a weapon near his baby sister? Sometimes he understands his mother more. 

“And this I dunked him in the orange liquid! Oh you should have seen his face! He looked like a shaking, crusty chihuahua!” The marine woman was retelling a funny memory to Jake's family. While the kids laughed, neytiri trying to remain a stoic face couldn't help but crack a smile. 

Jake looked like he wanted to die on the spot. 

“Oh yeah? What about that one time when we were in Guatemala? You were so drunk that you were flirting with that bartender” Jake smirks as he recalls another memory from their shared past. The woman blushed but also looking ashamed. “Not my proudest moment,” she confessed. 

“Swaxpi is so funny! I hope she stays with us” tuk giggles as neteyam tucks her in bed hammock. Neteyam gave a surprised look, “why?” he asks. Tuk shrugs, “I like her!”. Shaking his head, he gives her a kiss on the forehead and leaves. 

He was tired but not sleepy, so much has happened in the few short hours. He needed some time alone. So he quietly leaves his family’s hut and out to the nearby area. Silence was perfect. 

Until it wasn't 

Seems like the human woman was also in the same area neteyam wanted to be in. Neteyam grabs his blade by instinct, observing her move in case she does something. “Calm down kid, I will be gone soon” the human woman explains. 

She turns around and her eyes meeting his. 

“Come here, I could use some company,” she says. 

Huffing in annoyance, neteyam walks over to her and sits near a branch, keeping distance from her. It didn't bother the woman. From what Jake told her, his oldest son is more cautious of possible danger and tends to be alarmed often. 

“Swaxpi, your siblings and your mother have started calling me that, I'm not very well educated on your language, so what does it mean? I hope nothing too mean” the woman asks.  Yes, neteyam has also noticed that too. Mostly tuk and lo’ak calling the odd woman hat name. But hearing that his mother calls her that too was very surprising. 

“It means family member…” neteyam replies slowly. 

The woman humms at that. Seeming more relaxed, swaxpi makes herself comfortable on a branch. “I like it, but I find it odd. I only have met all of you in less that a day, was part of a enemy squad, exposing some of your father’s embarrassing secrets and now look. Already seeing me as family-” 

“I don't, you are a demon no matter what. A killer.” Neteyam cuts her off. 

Swaxpi lowered her gaze, her smile faltering a bit. “Call me what you like neteyam, but never call me a killer. Yes, I joined the RDA. Yes I have held weapons. But never ever have I taken a life. Human nor na’vi. I never brought death to anyone” Swaxpi calmly defends herself. 

Long minutes have passed and neither spoke a word. 

“They can call you swaxpi all they want. But in my eyes, you are nothing to me” neteyam declares. Almost trying to convince himself more than the human. The woman however lets her lips grow back into a smile. “Sure neteyam, whatever you say” she replies. 

Yes, neteyam will never call her Swaxpi or anything endearing towards her. She is nothing to him, nothing. 

But if she is nothing to him, why does it feel wrong? 

This took too long that I would like. BUT! I hope you all liked this one. And also hope you guys understand the changes I made. So, until next time! See ya!

-------

Swaxpi = Family member

[scottxlogan]

Get to Know Your Author

Get to know your author

Tagged by @mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea (Thanks for the tag)

1. How many works on AO3? 345

2. Total AO3 word count? 6,632,998 (Yeah I've written a lot through the years)

3. Top 5 fics by kudos?

Under Your Spell (pairing Scott/Logan, Rating E) While on a mission Logan’s deviation from the objective takes him down a surprising path when he finds himself suddenly overtaken with thoughts of Scott Summers.

Ever After (Pairing: Scott/Logan, Rating T) Post Days of Future Past timeline Logan awakens to find himself in a very different place than the one he left.

The Confession  (Pairing: Scott/Logan, Rating E) After a night of drinking with Logan, Scott makes quite a few drunken confessions in an attempt to coax Logan into sleeping with him. The next morning Scott faces the aftermath of his actions humiliated and concerned about what truly happened the night before.

Uninvited  (pairing Scott/Logan, Rating M) An eighteen year old Scott Summers goes on a mission that end up horribly wrong. When he ends up stranded in Canada away from his team in bitter weather conditions he has a chance encounter that causes him to cross paths with Logan. Logan takes Scott in and grudgingly offers to help Scott find his way back to his team. However, before that can happen the two make surprising discoveries about one another that leads to an undeniable attraction and uncovers a history of violence behind them at the hands of William Stryker. (Set in between Wolverine Origins and the original X-Men film; written as a loose prequel to another fan work I did called Starting Over)

The Key To the Past  (pairing Scott/Logan, Rating E)   Post Days of Future Past Charles Xavier sends his group of teenage mutants out in search of a man who once helped him not so long ago. When the group led by Scott Summers finds their way to the mystery mutant, Scott finds himself wrapped up in a situation he isn’t quite prepared for when his past, present and future all collide.

4 What fandoms do you write for? Marvel, X-Men, Avengers mostly. I've done characters outside of this fandom in the past, but not in a while. Mostly just things within that context.

5 Do you respond to comments? Always. It might take me a moment but when someone leaves me a comment I always respond to them. Comments are what keeps the creative fires alive.

6 Fic with the angstiest ending? I'm such a sucker for happy endings that it's hard for me to write an angsty ending, but in this particular one shot I did and it ended on such an angsty note. Of course I did write a follow up one shot that didn't end so angsty, but this one is probably the most angsty thing I've ever written: The End (Pairing: Scott/Logan, Rating T)  Logan’s latest outburst during a training session leaves Scott discovering just how unhappy Logan is in their current living arrangement with Jean. Unable to keep carrying on the way he has been Logan calls it quits on his relationship with Scott. Desperate to make Logan stay, Scott makes one last appeal for his heart.

Runner Up would be this Bucky-centric Stucky angst I did forever ago:

Gone (Pairing: Steve/Bucky, Rating T) Bucky Barnes is haunted by a life of pain and misery, but on a night surrounded by fear he finds himself longing for the one thing he can never have.

7 Fic with the happiest ending? Probably Ever After that was listed above for Scogan, but just to mix it up a bit, I think I'll throw in one of my WinterIron pieces that had a happy ending after an angst filled journey to reach happily ever after :)

Home Again (Bucky/Tony, Rating M) Bucky returns from a grueling mission to his new best friend Alpine. He begins pondering the path he’s been on after facing the reality that some wounds can never truly be healed. In the height of his exhaustion, Bucky comes face to face with the last person that he ever anticipated seeing again in this lifetime or any other. When one of his biggest regrets manifests before him in impossible ways, will Bucky find the strength to make up for the mistakes of the past and find something even more profound along the way?

8 Do you get hate? I have written for a long time and never really got hate until I started writing WinterIron (Tony/Bucky) fic. I got so much hate from an anti that every day for 6 months+ I was getting death threats and a lot of horrific comments sent my way. I tried to be polite with the person, tried to offer up alternatives to spreading hate, but ultimate after that abuse I wound up closing off my anon asks after having Tumblr for years and never wanting to because I enjoyed allowing anons the opportunity to reach out. I've also put my WinterIron fics under moderation which is sad because fandom should be a celebration of fun for those who enjoy it.

9 Do you write smut? Yes, I have and if you look at my AO3 you can see it's there.

10 Have you ever co-written a fic? Yes, I've co-authored a couple of fics with @mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea and I've participated in a few Round Robins through the years which are always an adventure.

11 All time favorite ship? I'd have to say it's Scogan (Scott/Logan). I love a lot of other ships and ship both characters in other places to, but that's been the longest lasting ship for me that's brought me joy through the years. I don't always write them as I love lots of other ships, but they will always be near and dear to my heart regardless of my other fandom loves.

12 WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Oh you know I never say never because I've been trying to make this year about finishing fics that absolutely should reach an ending. I found that I have 20 WIPs on AO3 that I want to find a way to finish one day (there were 22 a few months ago and one of them was started a decade ago so I am working on it). I don't want to close the door on unfinished fics because at this point I'd like to say never say never to the reaching an ending.

13 Writing strengths? I love world building and working through the dynamics of a relationship between two characters. My favorite types to write are characters who aren't perfect and have flaws, who make mistakes and then spent time trying to untangle the messes they have gotten themselves into as it's fun to dip into their heads and see what they want to say/do. So for me I think it's fun to step in and see where the characters take me. I'm also good at cliffhangers apparently lol.

14 Writing weaknesses? I tend to get frustrated when there's no response in general to my writing. I'd like to say I rise above it, but when there's literally no response or likes to something it makes me second guess what I'm doing and reconsider if something is worth continuing. In a lot of instances in WIPs when I had no engagement I felt as if it wasn't worth pursuing because people weren't responding to it and those who were were offering up hate to just simply troll. It's a sad day when the trolls are the ones speaking up in fandom, but when it reaches that point where no one else has anything nice to say it stifled the creative process. Maybe that's not a writing weakness, but that's something that really has been bothering me as of late with writing/art in general. If you want a 'technical' answer I think my biggest weakness is I get these 'big' ideas that go beyond where my time allows and I want to see them all through but sometimes veer off into other stories because the idea is so big I'm focused too hard on how to make it 'perfect' in it's execution.

Tagging: @sgfic, @naughtyneganjdm, @stormxpadme, @chaoticgardenbread, @pandagirl45, @psychiccatpanda, @polizwrites, @scottcyclopssummers, @shewhowillrise, @poepoe-thebunny, @strangenewwords, @morrow-dim, @rowinablx @riotwritesthingsand absolutely anyone else who would like to participate. No one is under any obligation to respond, but I figured I would toss it out there to anyone who might be interested :)

[i-am-not-dal]

Reunion of old friends

✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩ Pairing: Student! Beomgyu x Student! Reader

Author's Note: Happy birthday Beomgyuuu! I truly love and appreciate you so much, and as proof of that, I'm uploading this (I said it as if he was going to see it LMAO). I hope you like it. I based it on a personal experience, so I simply added a happy ending… Enjoy!

Warnings: School au, reader x Beomgyu, childhood friends, school activity, reader is in love with Beomgyu, thats all

Word Count: 1.1k

✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩

It was halfway through the school year, and with each passing day, your life became more and more difficult. You had lost one of your closest friends, but the worst part was that you didn't even know why. Loneliness began to take over you, and although you tried to maintain a facade, inside, you felt lost. The only thing that still gave you a bit of hope was your favorite group, Enhypen, and the few friends you had left. They weren't many, but they were enough for you to not feel completely empty. And then, there was him: Beomgyu, the boy you liked. Although quite a bit of time had passed since you first knew him, that feeling, which had once been innocent and almost childlike, never completely disappeared.

You had known him since you were little, from the days of preschool when you used to share laughs and play together. Now, almost nine years later, fate had brought him back into your life, as he joined your school. The surprise of seeing him again hit you like an unexpected blow, but there was something that terrified you: you had never had the chance to talk to him. He belonged to the group of popular boys, surrounded by friends like Soobin, Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Hueningkai, while you, at best, went unnoticed.

You had tried to get closer a few times, but your shyness always ruined everything. Cowardice had made you miss so many opportunities. You didn't know anything about him beyond the fact that he was one of the most popular boys at school, and what little you had heard about him were just rumors. The only connection you had with him was Yeonjun, who, luckily, was in your class. But as the days passed, things seemed to start changing.

In the middle of the year, they announced a school activity where each grade would compete against each other, presenting a choreography and a stage setup. At first, you didn't think much about it, until suddenly, a piece of news surprised you more than you had imagined: Beomgyu joined the stage design team. What did that mean? Was it a sign that fate was giving you an opportunity to get closer to him? The idea of sharing something with him, even if it was in that environment, filled you with nerves and excitement. You didn't know how to react, but the thought of being near him overwhelmed you with a mix of fear and hope, something you hadn't felt in a long time.

When they started working on the stage, you noticed that not many had signed up, and you assumed the same would happen with the choreography group. But that didn't matter to you. What really mattered was the chance to be near Beomgyu, or maybe even talk to him. What you never imagined was that you'd manage to get his number on the very first day.

"Okay, we're going to create a group chat for all the stage design people. So, before you leave, write your name and phone number on the registration sheet," said Yoona, one of the most popular girls in your grade, with whom you had only spoken a few times in elementary school, and who was the leader of the stage design group. She and a new girl, Chaewon, had been the most voted, although you didn't care much about who the leaders were.

At the end of the first meeting, you wrote your number on the registration sheet and headed home, not realizing that you had forgotten something.

Beomgyu's POV:

Today was the first stage design meeting. I joined mainly to kill time, and honestly, I wasn't very good at it, but that was the least of it. At the end of the meeting, while I was writing down my number, some girls started shouting that someone had forgotten their phone. When I saw it, I offered to bring it to them since they apparently lived near my neighborhood. One of the girls gave me their address, and I headed there. A little later, I arrived at the address they had given me. It was a few blocks from my house. I rang the doorbell and saw a woman who seemed a little older, probably about my mom's age, but she seemed to know me.

"Beomgyu, is that you? I haven't seen you since preschool!" she said.

"Sorry?" I said, confused.

"Of course, you and my Y/n went to the same preschool, remember?" she said cheerfully.

"Oh, right... now I remember," I replied with a smile.

"By the way, I came to bring something to Y/n, she forgot it at the meeting today."

"Sure, I'll call her right now! Y/n, come down! There's a boy from your school here!"

"I'm coming!" a third voice shouted from upstairs as someone descended the stairs. Y/n came down with a surprised expression, and when she saw me, her face lit up with a shy smile.

"Wow! I didn't expect to see you here, Beomgyu," she said, a bit embarrassed, as she walked toward me.

"Yeah, I noticed you left your phone at the meeting, so I came to return it," I said, handing her the phone I was still holding. I saw her look at the device, then back at me, as if trying to remember something.

"Oh, thanks! I'm a mess, I always forget everything," she said, laughing nervously.

"No problem, it was the least I could do," I replied, also smiling, although deep down, I felt a little nervous. There were so many things I wanted to say to her, but the words wouldn't come out.

Her mom, who had been watching the scene from the side, smiled knowingly. "I'm glad to see old friends reconnecting. Y/n, why don't you invite Beomgyu to stay for a while? I'm sure you have many stories to tell from when you were kids."

The idea made me feel even more uncomfortable. The last time I had spoken to Y/n was in preschool, and since then, life had taken us in completely different directions. Still, I felt a spark of hope.

"I don't want to interrupt... but if it's okay, I can stay for a bit," I said, a little unsure.

Y/n looked at me, surprised, but then nodded with a shy smile.

"No, of course, it's no trouble. Come in, if you want. Would you like something to drink?"

We both entered the house. It was warm and cozy, with simple but elegant decor. Y/n's mom offered us juice, and as we sat in the living room, I couldn't help but notice how much she had changed, but at the same time, she was still the same as before, with that sweetness in her gaze.

"How's school going?" her mom asked, trying to make the conversation more pleasant.

"Fine... pretty normal. And you, Y/n?"

"The same... you know, the usual stuff," Y/n replied.

The conversation was a bit awkward at first, but slowly it began to flow more naturally. Eventually, the conversation turned to school and what we were doing with the stage design project. Y/n told me more about the details of the activity and how she was feeling about the project.

"Have you been in stage design for long?" I asked.

"Yeah, a couple of weeks, I liked the idea of helping with the set. Although honestly, I'm new to all this, I'm not very creative," she admitted, laughing.

"I saw you doing great at the meeting, it didn't seem like you were new," I said, trying to give her a little confidence.

Suddenly, I felt like the atmosphere wasn't as tense. Even though we had never been very close since childhood, something about the way she was made me feel comfortable. It was then that I realized that, even though so much time had passed, something inside me still wanted to be close to her.

"Well, I'm glad I could bring you your phone. I should go now, I don't want to take up too much of your time," I said, standing up.

"Ah... sure, Beomgyu. Thanks again," Y/n replied, accompanying me to the door.

"See you at school," I said, smiling.

"Yeah, see you," she said, closing the door behind me as I walked away.

The feeling of spending those few minutes with Y/n filled me with a strange warmth. Even though it seemed like words and opportunities to get closer were few, something inside me knew that this small moment wouldn't be the last.

Y/n's POV:

Beomgyu had come to my house... How was I supposed to react? He had stayed a bit longer, sharing some brief conversations about school and stage design. During that time, Y/n's mom couldn't help but intervene, watching the interaction with a smile on her face.

"It's so nice to see old friends reconnecting. I remember how you two used to get along in preschool," Y/n's mom commented while observing us from across the room.

Y/n blushed slightly but couldn't stop smiling. "Yeah, Mom... it was a long time ago. Sometimes it feels like it was all a dream."

Beomgyu, hearing her, looked at her and then gave me a curious glance. "Do you remember when we used to play on the swings? You always tried to push me as high as you could," Beomgyu said, with a nostalgic smile on his face. "I never got tired of shouting because I thought I was going to fall."

Y/n nervously laughed, looking at her mom as if seeking confirmation. "Yeah, I remember... I didn't really know what I was doing, to be honest," she replied with a somewhat shy smile. But when their eyes met, something in the air shifted, as if an invisible current brought them closer, even if only for a few brief moments.

Y/n's mom smiled fondly, as if watching an old movie that brought back good memories. "You two were inseparable back then. You just needed a little more time together, and you'll see, those old bonds reconnect pretty quickly."

Beomgyu nodded, with a spark in his eyes. "I hope so... although everything is so different now."

Y/n nodded, looking at her phone, feeling a bit lost in her own thoughts, but at the same time not wanting the moment to end. She knew that the words and childhood memories were what connected them now, and the idea of reliving that, even in a different way, filled her with a strange emotion. Even though it seemed that words and opportunities to get closer were few, something inside her knew that this small moment wouldn't be the last.

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