#tweak tweak tweak tweak - oh PERFECT - tweak tweak tweak tweak - no wait not quite - tweak tweak tweak - this is definitely getting revised

[keeps-ache]

shoutout to the wobbliest lines in the world give it up for the wobbliest lines ever !!

[eyneyke]

Secret smiles

Pairing: Max Verstappen x PewDiePie!sibling Summary: What if Felix had a genius brother who works as a RedBull's engineer and is also secretly dating Max part 36 of A Calm to my Storm Masterlist

Videos: 1: Sam Walking Through the Garage, Grinning at His Phone

Sam was strolling through the Red Bull garage, phone in hand, smiling softly at the screen as he typed out a reply. He was so engrossed in his texting that he barely noticed Calum walking up to him.

Calum: "Hey Sam, what’s got you smiling like that, mate? You win the lottery or something?"

Sam (chuckling): "Something like that."

As he replied, his phone buzzed again with another text from Max:

Max: [“You looked really hot when you were fixing the car earlier. I may have gotten a little distracted 😏”]

Sam blushed and quickly typed back:

Sam: [“Focus on your race prep, not me!”]

Calum (smirking): "You sure it’s nothing? That smile is suspiciously lovey-dovey."

Sam (waving it off): "Don’t worry about it. Just a friend being ridiculous."

Tim chuckled and walked away, leaving Sam still grinning like an idiot at his phone.

2: Sam Talking with Christian and Adrian Newey

Sam stood in front of the garage with Christian and Adrian Newey, who were discussing some final tweaks for the weekend. Sam’s phone buzzed, and he quickly glanced at it, the smile creeping back onto his face. Christian noticed immediately.

Christian (smirking): "Sam, you’re supposed to be focused on the car, not your phone."

Adrian (teasing): "Seems like someone’s a little distracted today."

Sam blushed but couldn’t help the grin as he read the text from Max:

Max: [“Don’t tell Christian, but I may have done a little extra damage to that laptop in the conference room... Can I bribe you to fix it for me later? 😉”]

Sam (laughing softly): "He’s so dead."

Christian (raising an eyebrow): "Who’s dead?"

Sam (shaking his head, still smiling): "Nothing. Just Max being Max."

Christian exchanged a knowing look with Adrian, both of them smirking slightly.

Christian (teasing): "Max, huh?"

Sam (playing it off): "Oh, shut up... He’s needy, what can I say?"

3: Sam Approaching Max’s Car

Sam was making his way towards Red Bull in the paddock his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, still walking, and his face lit up as soon as he saw Max’s name.

Max: [“If I get P1, can I have a reward? Asking for a friend 😜”]

Sam shook his head, trying not to laugh as he quickly typed back:

Sam: [“No promises, but I’ll think about it 😏 What would that friend like for a reward?”]

Just as he was pocketing his phone, Max approached, looking focused. Sam tried to look professional, but the smile hadn’t quite left his face.

Max (grinning): "Texting someone special?"

Sam (smirking): "Maybe. Focus on your race, Verstappen."

Max laughed as they continued chatting, but Sam’s smile never faded.

4: Sam Chatting with a Random Team Member

Sam leaned against a wall in the garage, listening as one of the Red Bull team members rambled on about the upcoming night-race strategy. His phone buzzed, and he glanced down at the screen, a sappy smile instantly appearing on his face as he saw Max’s message.

Max: [“This race better be worth it because I’d rather be in bed with you right now.”]

Sam blushed slightly and typed back quickly:

Sam: [“You’re racing in one of the biggest events of the year and thinking about me? Focus, Max.”]

The team member kept talking, completely oblivious to Sam’s distraction, and Sam just nodded absently, sneaking more glances at his phone.

Team Member: "So yeah, the setup should be good. You good with that?"

Sam (barely listening): "Yeah, sounds perfect."

The team member walked away, and Sam quickly sent another reply to Max:

Sam: [“But… I’d rather be with you too ❤️”]

5: Christian Teasing Sam in the Paddock

Christian and Sam were walking through the paddock when Sam’s phone buzzed again. He looked down, and that familiar soft grin appeared on his face as he saw Max’s message:

Max: [“Can’t wait to see you later. Any chance we can sneak off without the meeting after the race?”]

Sam tried to suppress his smile as he typed back:

Sam: [“We’ll see. Don’t make trouble to make our chances greater.”]

Christian noticed Sam’s grin and leaned over to see Sam's screen with a smirk.

Christian: "Tell your boyfriend I said hi and that if he doesn't cause any shit that'll get me in trouble, you can leave early. But don't overwork him, we have a race tomorrow and I need you both at 100%"

Sam immediately turned red, laughing as he shoved his phone back in his pocket.

Sam (blushing): "You’re too nosy."

Christian chuckled, clearly enjoying the teasing, while Sam tried to keep a straight face. As Max walked to them, Sam turned red again, and Christian walked away laughing.

6: Sam Sitting in the Garage, Scrolling on His Phone

During a quiet moment, Sam sat at the back of the garage, scrolling through his phone with that same love-struck smile plastered across his face. He wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore as Max’s texts kept coming in.

Max: [“Remember that time you called me a reckless idiot? Well, with this rain, I’m about to live up to it. Wish me luck.”]

Sam (laughing softly to himself): [“You’re an idiot. I love you. Just don’t crash the car, okay?”]

Max replied almost immediately:

Max: [“Love you too. And I’ll try not to. I do like it more when you're in bed next to me than fixing a car I crashed😏”]

Sam smiled to himself, blushing as he re-read the messages, his face lighting up every time his phone buzzed with another reply.

---

In each instance, Sam’s smile was unmistakably soft, full of affection, and it only seemed to get stronger whenever Max texted him. Little did the rest of the world know, the ‘boyfriend’ they kept teasing Sam about was none other than Max himself. Christian and Adrian Newey might have known the truth, but they kept quiet, allowing Sam and Max their little secret.

[darethshirl]

Arranged Marriage AU, Lucanis & Illario angst

The cravat choked at him.

It shouldn't have; it was made from top-of-the-line antivan silk, Lucanis well knew, the fabric breezy and smooth against the skin. He'd touched it before. Weeks ago, in the mansion's cavernous antechamber, with the merchant obsequiously sweating under Caterina's crow-sharp gaze. A rainbow parade of swatches spread out for Lucanis's perusal, from velvety black to sentimental lilac. He was supposed to pick the colour.

Such an inconsequential choice, a mean and pointless allowance of freedom. Lucanis, self-hating, had grasped at it like a man drowning.

Now that same sky-blue cloth swirled over Illario's fingers, his dexterous movements tying up the knot like the most delicate of nooses. Lucanis stared at his cousin's face, so close to his he could map each tiny mole doting the man's left cheek. Illario ignored him—or perhaps was simply focused on his task. His gaze was downcast, his eyelashes dark and delicate against his cheekbones.

"There," Illario said, finishing up with a flourish. "The perfect groom." He looked up at Lucanis, his mouth curling up in a teasing smirk. "Now all we need to fix is his attitude."

"Hm."

"Smile, Lucanis. It's not that hard. See?" Illario gestured at his face, and all at once the mask was on: pearly white teeth on a wide slash of a smile, a warm, coy light dancing in his eyes. A smile that enticed, rejoiced, invited one to join in the joke. Even his crow's feet crinkled, for added sincerity. Lucanis stared, expressionless and a little helpless, unable as always to figure out the magic behind the trick.

"I don't need to smile," Lucanis said instead, too gruff. "It's not like either of us have a choice in the matter."

Illario sighed. "You're acting like you're marrying an ogre. I've seen your bride-to-be, you know." He smoothed the thin fabric of Lucanis's shirt like a fussy mother, tweaking golden buttons that didn't need any straightening. "Quite the beauty. Full cheeks, full lips. Rich black hair down to her waist. Gorgeous, really."

"You marry her then."

"Oh, I would."

And it was said as a joke—it was always said as a joke, the rhythm of their childhood rivalry, their benign competition—but the more they grew the more the undercurrent deepened, grew sharp edges. Turned treacherous. Lucanis met Illario's eyes and felt the weight of all they left unsaid, the mutual understanding forged through their common, if parallel, life path. Then Illario's expression turned opaque, his eyes shuttering behind the mask, and Lucanis could no longer read him.

Illario turned away. "Come on. The First Talon can't be late to his own wedding."

But Lucanis stayed rooted to the spot, struggling with his thoughts, with an elusive emotion that would have made his eyes smart if he'd let it. "Illario—if I could—"

"Stop."

Tension wracked their silence, the muscles on Illario's back. Lucanis waited, and clenched his fists, and couldn't breathe.

Then Illario exhaled—Lucanis felt it in his own lungs, like a taut line suddenly cut—and just like that the world made sense again. Illario looked over his shoulder, and this time he had his real smile on, small and playful and a little bit mean. "Look, if you need an exit strategy, just give the signal and I'll plunge a dagger in her heart. I'm not even kidding, I'd do it."

Lucanis laughed despite himself, a quiet huff that warmed him up from the inside out. "Thanks," he said, and meant it.

[saturnzskyzz]

Lee!Cait/Ler!Vi fic

𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑠

Word count: around 815-830 (I tweaked it after deleting the doc 😔)

A/N: 𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘒 𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘍𝘖𝘙 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘙𝘌𝘘����𝘌𝘚𝘛!!!! 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘤 😔 (𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴) 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩! 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦, 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 30 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴. 😭😭

(Happy tickle day!)

Arcane divider

The sun glistens from the window's reflection, causing a brief golden hour for the morning to shine bright for piltover. Vi was lucky to have spent the night in the Kiramman's lovely abode. Snuggling up to Caitlyn on her comfortable bed, it was the night she had dreamt of forever. Now experiencing it in real time, she got to enjoy holding her partner close, breathing in the sweet scent of Caitlyn's recently washed hair, and just being at peace with the unbothered company the two shared, even when one is sound asleep.

Vi was the one to wake up first, now waiting for her lover to wake up, but it took a bit. Unfortunately for Vi, she had been laying there with Caitlyn in her arms for quite some time since she's been awake, and couldn't wait any longer. She tried waking her up once or twice, but each gentle shake, or whisper didn't wake up the Kiramman. She grew restless. Wanting to do something. Anything!

After some time of pondering, she finally thought of an idea that could possibly work!

You see, the Kiramman's are known for being sensitive. Vi has seen it way too many times, especially being the one to give her partner the same treatment. When she walks by the main room, sometimes she will catch a glimpse of both parents laughing quietly, while one or the other will gently exchange a few pokes here or there to each other to stir up the comfortable atmosphere, or other's, she'll even see Caitlyn tickle her parents-mostly her dad- when wanting to get her point across, and almost every time, it works! Don't forget that Caitlyn gets her fair share of being on the receiving end by her parents when she's being sassy, or trying to make a point across annoyingly, according to her parents. It's quite common for the Kiramman's to enhance their bond through tickling. So, Caitlyn has done the same.

After a brief memory dive into the Kiramman's, she went through with her plan, carefully repositioning her arm to have her hand rest close to Caitlyn's stomach, and moved closer to Caitlyn's head so she can go for her sensitive neck. After she had found the right position, she started her harmless attack.

She began to lightly wiggle her fingers against Caitlyn's stomach, and nuzzled into her neck as well before peppering small, affectionate kisses. Almost instantly, unsurprising to Vi, Caitlyn started to move a bit from the sensations. Quiet, and mummbled giggles could be heard, yet were muffled by the sleepiness that she was slowly getting out of.

Perfect, Vi had thought. Vi was ever greatful for Caitlyn having drew her impatience away in an instant. Desperate to hear her lover's beautiful giggles, she dug in a bit more into her stomach to drive her fully awake.

In an instant, Caitlyn blurted out more giggles in full, already fully aware that she was being tickled. "Whaha-ahaha? Vihihi?" she giggled out, drowning herself in her sleepy daze.

Oh, how Vi loved how she giggled her name? "Good morning, cupcake! I missed you." she said, deciding to hug her now so she can kiss her fully on her neck, causing Caitlyn to become startled by the new tingly sensation.

"AHAhaha! Ihihih cahan fehehehel ihit!" Caitlyn startledly replied. Vi could melt by the sounds of her giggles right then and there. She could already picture Caitlyn scrunching up her face as she scrunched up her left shoulder, the same side that Vi decided to plant her attack on.

"Oh, can you? I'm glad. I hoped you missed me too, especially these hungry teeth of mine." All of a sudden, she nibbled gently on Caitlyn's neck to get her squealing. Her favorite sound of all.

"AAAHahaha, nohohoh- nohoho bihihiting, Vihihihi!" Caitlyn giggled out. She lifted up her right hand to gently shove Vi out from under her neck, but unfortunately that didn't work.

"Yohou can't escape these fangs, babe." Vi chuckled out, having fun with the morning playfulness. Out of nowhere, she quickly gave Caitlyn a raspberry to her neck, making her shout.

"OHOHOohkay, ohohokay! Nohoho mohohore!! Plehehease Vihihih!" quickly, the Kiramman grew tired of the playful act. On que, Vi stopped her onslaught, bringing Caitlyn closer to give her an affectionate kiss to her neck before nuzzling into it, making sure that it didn't tickle this time. Caitlyn silently thanked her for that.

"I love you, Cupcake. Don't ever lose that beautiful laught of yours." Vi said, closing her eyes with a satisfying sigh.

Caitlyn smiled at the comment. "Ihihi'm sure ihi won't, Vi." Caitlyn answered, now closing her eyes with a satisfying sigh.

They both basked in the comfortable silence as birds chirped their beautiful song. The sun never once lost its elegant hue that came through that very window to make the room look aesthetically pleasing.

What a beautiful morning the two thought.

[certifieddilfenjoyer]

Why is Haarlep so different from Raphael - a theory

Hello! Welcome to another theory of mine.

"I am Haarlep. Raphael's personal incubus. Glamoured and transfigured to look like him. I'm a perfect copy(...)"

Hold your horses, sir Wait, they are nonbinary: Hold your horses, noble.

Haarlep states that they are a perfect copy, however there are some major differences in their appearance that could not be caused simply by the visual age difference.*

Haarlep's face has a few major differences:

Lack of darkened skin around the facial hair area (they appear a lot smoother).

The nose is straight and while the tip is shaped similarly, there is no bump across the bridge. They don't even have the cute-angry wrinkles in between the eyes! (Female form has them wrinkles, but the bump is softer)

Maybe it's just me but I was thinking that the upper lip appears to be a bit plumpier.

The face is shorter and because of that, the cheekbones are a lot sharper, Haarlep looks like they had some botox done 💀

The ears appear to be less sharp and shorter (aging hits ears quite hard, but they usually sag and the difference here is with the tip.

Archduchess form does have the roman nose, however the lips are plumpier.

See for yourself below:

And in comparison to Raphael (even to his EA model that has the famous bald spot):

But where is this leading, you may ask?

Well, I am proposing two different perspectives on that:

Haarlep's 'tweaks' point to Raphael's insecurities (a version of theory that my friend @shutexco proposed)

Raphael's devil form resembles MEPHISTOPHELES and he can't stand looking at the actual accurate depiction of his cambion form. Also, if that's the case, take a moment to consider how F-ed up it really is to have Haarlep gifted to him if his father was completely aware of the resemblence. But it would make sense, wouldn't it? Raphael left Cania at some point, but his father made sure he will haunt him all the time.

Have you noticed how Raphael has two portraits of himself that also don't look like him at all?

The second portrait has two horns, so it could be made during the EA, but there is no other similarity.

The first portrait looks like it's wearing some kind of variation of the Helldusk Armor, you can spot the 'Teeth' across the chest, but apart from that and 4 horns, it doesn't look like Raphael at all.

To sum up: the portraits are some kind of a 'vision' of Raphael. For a narcissist he really seems to be avoiding an actual perfect (as in 1to1 accurate) copy of himself.

Also, a few fun facts/smaller theories I'd like to include!

I think he made his own portraits. There are two easels in House of Hope. One behind the Archive (with brushes and cup at the ready and some paint stain spilled below them) and second is on the right hand side of the bed in the boudoir.

Now, the paintings on both easels can be found across Faerun, but the devil portraits are exclusive to HoH and I believe (please fact-check me if you know) that the painting inside Raphael's safe, right above the hoarded treasure, is also exclusive. Raphael is very talented. His diaries are like poetry, full of symbolism, bro is literally a composer, so why not an artist as well? I wouldn't put it past him. And because HoH was made by the head of Mason's Guild, then I guess he had the major influence on the design and I've heard someone say that it's Italian baroque and it's just beautiful.

Here's the Magic the Gathering card of Raphael (I think it was issued in 2022??). It looks more similar to the Statues at House of Hope than the portraits or Haarlep. Oh, btw, I've seen many people saying (mainly on YT and tiktok) that House of Hope is full of Raphael's statues. Not true, those are just cambions

Statues are present not just in HoH but inside Devil's Fee (yes, with both the belt and kneepads)

That's it! Thank you for reading all the way over here, appreciate it so much <3 <3

*Some aging research, specifically for bone structure changes: "As we age we all lose some bone which means that our cheeks flatten, our jaw bone shrinks and our eye sockets get larger. The structure of the face changes so the tissues above the bones will sit differently and so look different." Source "Facial bone loss can lead to retraction of the jawline, which emphasizes jowls and an unstructured neck. Widening eye sockets give your eyes a more sunken appearance and make you look tired. The angle of the bones beneath the eyebrows decreases, which contributes to frown lines on the forehead, droopy eyelids and crow’s feet at the corner of the eyes." Source

So as we can see, Raphael doesn't really suffer from any of those, besides the crow's feet that are imo so gorgeous that I lose my shit, AHFAIHFAJDSKSHA

[mayiwritesomething]

Echoplex (One-Shot)

This is a oneshot from LIAUN Series (Masterlist here)

Wordcount: 2,3k

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x f!reader

Warnings: +18 MDNI, SMUT, teasing, sex (p in v, no protection), oral sex, cursing words, etc.

A/N: I wrote this a while ago while writing the chapters of love is an unfamiliar name (still 2 more chapters to go), i didn’t like it at first but anyway i decided to give it a chance haha. Considering the upcoming chapter 8 will be quite sad, let smooth things with a smut one 😜

Btw it fits somewhere between chapters 6 and 7 but can be read as a one shot on it’s own.

You jetted off to LA on Monday night. Since you and Pedro hadn't met before your departure, you kept exchanging messages. Back at home in your satin sleep dress, feeling gorgeous, you decided to send him a selfie lounging on your sofa with the caption: Movie night. Wish you were here 💔

Almost immediately, you heard the notification sound. It was Pedro. His response was, "Don't you tease me like that baby." Smiling and feeling a rush of heat, you replied with a picture in front of the mirror, the dress slipping from your arms, revealing the curves of your breasts, and the caption, "Or what? Gonna make me pay? 😇"

Forgetting that Pedro preferred calling over texting, you were surprised when he video-called as you returned to the sofa. He was eager to see you, and you wanted him right then and there.

"Oh my god... this looks perfect on you," he said mischievously, then added, "It makes me wonder so much about what's underneath it—why the fuck do you do this?"

"Well, I can show you if you want," you replied with a naughty smile.

"I do, baby... I really do want to see—fuck," his smile faded. "Baby, I have to answer this; it's my manager. I'll be right back."

"Okay," you muttered, frustration taking over as you sank back onto the sofa, scrolling through your Mubi main screen.

Ten minutes turned into twenty, but there was still no call from Pedro. You decided to watch Bowie's Labyrinth, a movie that always made you feel at home.

Nearly two hours later, Pedro finally called, his excitement palpable through the phone. "I've got a fantastic project opportunity," he exclaimed while you listened, intrigued and staring at the screen. "Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, baby. I had to sort a few things out."

"It's alright," you replied, feeling drowsy. "I understand we can't ignore a manager's call."

"Well, the good news is I can make it up to you in person," he teased, causing you to melt a little inside. "Are you free on Thursday?"

"I'll be working on some mixes in my studio, but you're welcome to stop by. I’ve seen you working much more than I’d like; now you can watch me do my thing," you said with a smile.

"I'd love to," he responded eagerly. His enthusiasm was endearing, and you couldn't help but bite your lower lip in anticipation; you couldn’t wait to see him in person.

On Thursday morning, anxiety enveloped you as you meticulously organized your home, ensuring everything was precisely in place. Seeking distraction, you headed to the studio on the other side of your yard to begin mixing a song you were producing. A few hours later, Pedro arrived, bringing your favorite coffee in a thermal cup along with a pack of peanut butter M&Ms.

Engrossed in conversation throughout your mixing session, you were captivated by Pedro's curiosity and respect for your work. You knew that for someone not directly involved in music production, watching someone tinker with synthesizers and create sounds could be quite boring.

"You're like some kind of witch with this whole hocus pocus thing," he marveled, seated in front of you.

Walking over to him, clad in a tank top and sweatpants, your inner music nerd emerged as you explained, "It's not that complicated; I just piece things together and tweak transitions. I'm not sure if it's good yet; I'll have Tim take a look tomorrow."

Pedro rose, drawing nearer to you, his hands gently tracing your face. "Sometimes, a simple 'thank you' is enough when receiving a compliment babe," he whispered, planting a kiss on your forehead, leaving you feeling a bit sheepish.

"I'm sorry, thank you," you murmured.

"No need to apologize, mami," he reassured, cupping your face to kiss you tenderly. Chuckling at the new nickname, you kissed him slowly, feeling the desire building as he lifted you onto the wooden part of the mixing table. Craving his touch, you pulled him closer, kissing his neck and sensing his longing for you as well. While trying to position you on the table and removing his shirt, his hands accidentally slipped, nudging some buttons.

"Careful, man! This is some expensive shit," you cautioned between kisses as your hands fumbled.

"Sorry," he responded, stepping back. "Don't be mad at me, but I'd love to fuck you right here on this table, like right now." You felt a surge of conflicting desires—a battle between primal urges and rational thoughts raging in your mind. Drawing nearer to kiss you again, you reciprocated, feeling his intensity.

"I want you to fuck me now," you confessed, beginning to remove your top.

"Leave it," he instructed, laying you back on the table, as your primal instincts won this round. "Let's not rush," he whispered in your ear, kissing your neck, as you moaned softly, feeling him between your legs, yearning to shed your clothes.

In a frenzy, you attempted to reach for his pants, but he firmly grasped your hands and gently guided them back to the table.

"Come on," you pleaded in exasperation between kisses as he began to trail kisses along your collarbone, slipping a hand under your top to caress the softness of your breast. Sitting before him, his warm touch in the air-conditioned room momentarily stole your breath, causing you to gasp silently.

"We have no neighbors now, baby. I want to hear you; I know I haven't seen everything yet," he murmured, locking eyes with you as his hand continued to tease beneath your top. Your attempts to remove it were thwarted once more. "I told you to leave it," he gently reminded you, guiding your hands back to the table, leaving you burning with frustration inside.

"Seriously? This isn't some master and servant kinda shit," you snapped, annoyed.

"You can have your revenge next time," he whispered into your ear, his breath tickling your skin as he gently removed his hand from under the top and adjusted it on you, the fabric showing how stimulated you were. "These are your words, not mine." He said it ironically.

Frustrated and conceding defeat, you seethed, "I fuckin hate you," while he chuckled, slipping a hand inside your pants and teasing you slowly. Involuntarily, you parted your legs, moaning softly and closing your eyes as he continued to explore.

"Are you sure of that?" he inquired, his gaze fixed on you. "Cause your body is telling me otherwise... Or are you wet like this all the time?" You could see how he was enjoying his little torture session.

"Stop—ah—stop fucking teasing me," you protested, feeling a mix of pleasure and anger.

"One word is missing, baby. Where are your manners?" His voice dripped with lust as his touch alternated between pleasure and torment.

"Please," you mumbled, trying to resist the urge to give in completely.

"I know you can do it a bit louder; I almost didn't catch that," he taunted, quickening his movements before abruptly stopping, holding your jaw with his other hand. You couldn’t think straight anymore.

"Please... PLEASE… PLEASE DON'T STOP," you cried out of sudden, your hand gripping his arm as you bit your lower lip, urging him to continue. "Please, Pedro—please, baby, don't stop," you pleaded, a mixture of desperation and desire in your voice.

“I didn’t see that coming this fast,” he said, still holding your jaw with one hand, then kissing you as you moaned, grinding on him. Surprised and aroused by your response, he resumed his ministrations, and as the pleasure intensified, you could only whisper, "It feels so good... it feels so good—please," your plea trailing off. "Just like that—please keep going like that, baby," you urged, locking eyes with him as you kept moaning adrift in the moment.

"It's so beautiful to see you swallowing this pride of yours and begging like that," he remarked, cupping your face tenderly. "I'd do anything for you—fuck, you’re so wet—I want to hear you scream for me," he whispered in your ear, his words causing you to melt in his arms.

"You could start by letting me do what I want," you protested, a hint of playfulness in your tone. “What about that?”

"Today there's no negotiation," he laughed, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Really?" This time, you drew him closer and whispered, "Not even if I ask you nicely…”Taking his hand from inside your pants and gently sucking his fingers. “Please?”

Once again, he maintained control better than you. "Not today, baby," he reassured, planting kisses along your neck and holding your face tenderly. "Just lay down," he instructed, gently guiding you onto the table and slowly taking your pants off, though you felt a pang of worry as your knee knocked against something. As you settled into a comfortable position, a sudden intrusive thought crossed your mind: There goes a $10,000 synth.

Letting the tought aside, you longed for his touch as he focused on taking you to new heights, his attention focused between your tights. Gripping his hair, you let go of any concerns about the noise of your pleasure filling the room as you were fully immersed in the moment with him. It was just the two of you, lost in pleasure, clearly enjoying the experience.

As you finally screamed his name and struggled to maintain your balance, he crawled closer, pressing his lips to yours in a passionate kiss so you could taste yourself. He was so caught up in his own pleasure in between your legs that he didn't even notice you slipping off your top, the last piece of clothing remaining.

Drawing you closer, he whispered, "You're so perfect," his words a mix of adoration and desire as he gazed upon your exposed body, then kissing it as you tried to hold him closer. You wanted to feel him inside.

"Tell me something I don't know," you chuckled playfully.

"Your humility brings tears to my eyes," he teased, planting kisses on your breasts. Your hands roamed freely over his body, eliciting goosebumps from feeling him as he teased you before giving you what you wanted. Returning to kiss you, the sensation of him finally being inside you was fenomenal. Suddenly, your hand accidentally hit a button, causing a burst of bass sound that startled both of you, leading to shared laughter.

"I'm pretty sure I broke something this time," you fretted, concerned about the unexpected noise.

"Wanna go down?" he suggested, worried, ensuring he kept you close. You nodded in agreement, indicating the armchair where he had been seated.

Taking a seat, he maintained eye contact with you, holding you close. The desire burning in his eyes was a sight to behold as you gently pushed him back and cupped his face, a smile playing on your lips. "I want you inside again," you whispered almost inaudibly, your words filled with longing.

"Babe, please," he murmured in response as you trailed your fingers over his lips, settling on top of him to ensure you could move and fully feel him.

The way he gripped your hips left you with no control over your own movements; he was once again in charge after the brief moment of stillness you both shared. Your hands clung tightly to his back as one of his hands guided your hair gently, not forcefully, exposing your neck as you ground against him, feeling every inch filling you. Even the fact that he was controlling your movements didn’t bother you this time.

You wouldn’t let him know this easily, but he knew what he was doing. You loved to feel how harder he would grip you each time you moaned. His laughter ringing out, asking, "Does it feel good?" at every curse word that escaped your lips. How lovely he kissed your body, muttering “es tan rica” while hitting you firm but slowly. The way he touched you. How In those moments of almost silent, heavy breathing, your eyes locked in a wordless understanding as you both discovered the perfect rhythm.

The pleasure building within brought you to tears as you reached your climax. Right after hearing his voice calling out your name as he held you close tightly in his own moment of release, which felt so warm inside of you, a mix of cries, laughter, and trembling filled the room. Struggling to kiss him back, you felt his heavy breathing and sensed his shaking body as he rested his head against your chest, muttering words you couldn't quite make out.

Seeing his smile, you returned it, both of you trying to catch your breath in the aftermath. He tenderly kissed your chin as you held him close, both of you sweaty despite the air conditioner running. Without a word, you simply gazed into each other's eyes for a while, sharing smiles and kisses.

"If we keep this up, we could compete in Iron Man," you remarked with a chuckle.

"Sure," he agreed, clearly out of breath.

"You should quit smoking, old man," you teased, laughing. He shot you a playful yet judgmental look in response. "Don't give me that look; I’m aware of my glass ceiling," you defended yourself, a playful glint in your eyes.

“You destroyed me,” he laughed while kissing your breast, his beard tickling you and causing you to chuckle.

“Want to take a shower?” You asked shyly.

“Yes, we made a mess.” He adjusted your hair and kissed you, pulling you as close as he could.

“Consider yourself lucky because I’ve never had sex here,” you laughed.

“I’ll help you tidy things up,” he said, trying to be useful, “and we can check if everything is working because if it’s not, I—” You sensed his anxiety.

“Well, it’s nothing I can’t afford,” you said, kissing him. He just gave you a surprised look. “All I want is to have a shower and another round, if you’re up to it,” you teased.

“I think I can handle another one,” he smiled back at you.

"So, what are we waiting for?”

I can't believe that life's so complex

When I just want to sit here and watch you undress

This is love, this is love

That I'm feeling

[russellsppttemplates]

Let me be there for you (Lance Stroll)

Your way of dealing with things makes Lance question if you are both on the same page

Note: english is not my first language. I never thought that a small blurb could lead to this, but I'm happy it did. Thank you to the people who sent in their ideas, and coincidence or not, some of them I already had in mind (some were tweaked a little), and they also go perfect with something I want to do for Lance and reader when they want to start a family, so hopefully soon I'll get to that!

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

my masterlist

Tw: mentions reader's period, a couple fight, hospital/exams, female fertility problems

"Would you be able to come here by the end of the week?", the lady asked over the phone, "this week is going to be difficult, I need to push a few things around to see if I can make it. Can I call you back once I know for sure?", you suggested back to her, "thank you for understanding. Have a nice day", you ended the call, sighing as you looked at the calendar app open on your laptop and, quite frankly, not seeing many available options for the appointment you were trying to book.

You were in the middle of changing things around when your boyfriend's text interrupted your chain of emails questioning if your schedule could be altered.

"Shoot, forgot that was today!", you cursed yourself for having forgotten that you had planned to have dinner with Lance at your place, now grateful that he had won the battle of who should be in charge of the food despite your previous insistence. The text could read that he was leaving his place to go to the take out place and then he would make his way to yours, which meant you had about forty fives minutes until he arrived.

Deciding that you'd leave the problem for tomorrow, at least until you knew for sure if you had the time, you switched off your laptop and moved to the living room, tidying it up a little and arranging the table so it was set when Lance arrived.

A knock on the door was enough to pull you out of your focus on the show playing on the TV, getting up to open it and allowing him inside, you waited until the paper bag was set on the table so you could cup his cheek and kiss his lips, "hello, sweetheart", he hummed as he separated your lips.

"Hi, handsome, how was your day?", you asked, helping him spread the food containers, "it was good, we did some testing on the latest developments of the car and some promotional videos, too. And yours? Is this a new table?", he said, "it was good. Oh yes, I got this on the weekend, the guys delivered it on Friday and I spent the whole weekend building it", you smiled, seeing Lance look at the plaster on your arm, "I had some trouble with one of the legs, but I got it under control", you explained, seeing his concerned expression, "you could've called for help", he noted, holding your hand as you sat down, "no need, I was able to complete it myself. Hopefully this doesn't fall all over though", you giggled, trying to soften his expression with a kiss on his cheek.

"Do you want to go to this weekend's race?", he asked, biting the food he gathered on the fork, "I don't think I can go, I'd love to, but I was only able to schedule an appointment for the weekend, and even that I'm trying to see if that works, but I'd love to go", you pouted, "I'll be watching from home, I promise", you cupped his cheek, rubbing the stubbly skin and smiling, "this one usually broadcasts early in the morning, like six or something", he nudged you, "then I'll just have to get a big mug of coffee to get me through".

"You said you had an appointment?", Lance recuperated the subject when you had finished tidying the plates, now sitting on the sofa enjoying eachother's presence, "yes, I have to go to a check-up, nothing major", you said, kissing his clothed chest.

.

Since Lance was leaving for Japan the next morning, you opted out to have dinner that his place, despite your insistence that you could do it at yours so he didn't have to worry about having a tidy kitchen and house, "I've told you I don't mind having to clean up, and I always love having you here, especially when you wear my clothes", he reasoned with you, feeling a bit cocky about how you had gone to his wardrobe and grab one of his hoodies because you were cold.

"Did you book the appointment?", Lance asked once you sat on his big sofa while he flickered through the channels, hoping to find something good for you to watch.

"I did, Friday afternoon they're going to do some exams", you subtly mentioned, "exams? I thought it was just a routine check-up", he wondered, now concerned about the situation. Truth was, he sometimes felt like he didn't get everything out of you. Like you'd tell him the basics of your life, almost in a way of not having him just about enough involved in it, but far way enough as well.

"They're doing some studies, but I don't think it's that big of a deal, it's about my period. Probably some bloodwork, they talked about a scan, but only if they think it's necessary", you mumbled, feeling Lance change his position so he could face you.

"Are you sure? I'd like to help in any way I can", he forwarded, "you know I want to be here as much as I can for you, you don't have to go through this alone, or do this alone, I'm here for you", he stated.

"I know, love. But I'm fine", you mumbled, "no need to worry, yeah?".

And it was like it broke then and there. "But I do worry, you know? I want to know things and do things for you, and you barely let me", he began and you allowed for him to continue, sensing that you needed to think about what to say, "it's like you don't want me to be involved in your life, like you don't want to rely on me, you don't want my help. And I'm all in Y/N", he said, rhe frustration clear in his face.

Being on your own for a while did that to a person. You'd grown protective of yourself and of your values, so you burst a lot bigger than intended, "what do you mean? I tell you about my things, and I have you in my life. And I love that, but I don't think I'm pushing you away", you reasoned back.

"You don't?", Lance snapped loudly enough to be heard but calm enough to still allow you to feel safe, "a while ago, you were busy juggling family matters and work matters, and I only found out after the problems were solved. Surely, I couldn't help with the problems themselves, but I could've helped you deal with their burden. Not even to build a table, Y/N. I'm sure I could've helped with that, and this appointment? I'm only finding out you're being examined because I asked. If you don't want me to know things, maybe we need to sort things", he gulped. He himself didn't like that option. He saw a future with you, so suggesting it came out of his mouth as quickly as he regretted saying it.

"I think you're being unreasonable, Lance", you stated. Was this the end of it all?

"We can't see eye to eye on this, can we?", he said, "I think we should think about this, with a clear head. I've already said things I don't mean in the slightest", your boyfriend suggested.

"I think it's a good idea, too", you gulped, getting up and grabbing your bag so you could leave.

You put on your shoes, lacing them carefully whilst feeling Lance's gaze on you, waiting desperately to hear the three words from him. Despite his opinion, you cared about him and wanted him in your life, so much so that at the beggining of your relationship you promised eachother that, no matter what, you'd never let the other go to sleep wondering if the other loved then. You could be mad or upset at eachother, but you had to know you loved eachother, so when he said "I love you", and looked at you, it made you feel a little bit better.

"I love you, Lance. Travel safe, okay?", you said, looking at him one last time before closing the door behind you.

.

The Buzzin Corner had been the first activity Lance got to do that got his mind off of what had happened, and for a bit he actually thought he had a good plan for when he came back, wanting to focus on his race first and then head home to you.

Sebastian had stopped by the Aston Martin hospitality, wanting to greet his old team when he saw Lance sitting in one of the sofas in the corner, "May I? You know being alone always makes your own thoughts louder", he smiled, sitting next to the number eighteen driver.

"Sure, it's probably for the best to be honest", Lance mumbled, "are you enjoying the weekend?", he asked, "it's different when I'm watching the cars race rather than racing myself", the German driver added simply, "it's a good thing I know a lot of people here. Just saw your sister too, and her husband. How is Y/N? I don't mean to be nosy, but I'm curious to know how she is", Sebastian asked Lance. He had met you in the last couple of races from the previous season, keeping you company a few times since you, too, preferred to stay in the hospitality rather than in the buzz of the paddock.

"She's back home, work has been keeping her busy and she had an appointment", Lance forwarded, thinking about telling him more. He and Sebastian had grown close, especially after being teammates, and he seemed to have a good marriage, so maybe he had some helpful insights about the situation. And the worst he could do was gossip about it with Mick, and even that he didn't think would be the case, so Lance figured it was okay.

"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to someone about this", he tried, seeing his previous teammate show no signs of not wanting to hear it, "Y/N, she's incredible, we've established that from the beggining. But I feel like she's not in this as much as I am?", Lance shrugged.

"What makes you think that?", Sebastian questioned, "it's like she doesn't want me to be there for her. Am I unreasonable to think that I should be involved in her life? She never asks for my help, and we had a fight about it before I travelled here", he gulped.

"I don't know her enough to answer from her side, nor do I want such meddling", Sebastian began, "But have you considered how it feels for her?", he pointed out, "I'm not taking any sides here, but I think it's important you see her side and she sees yours. Y/N is an incredibly intelligent woman, you know I said that to you after she visited us for the first race weekend", he smiled, recalling the many teasing comments of the German driver stating how he had definitely got lucky and of how whipped he looked for the young woman. "I don't think she would do anything to purposefully hurt you, I saw how much she cares about you. Maybe her love language is not the same as yours. I remember me and Hanna also had to work around them", he finished.

"I really don't want to lose her, you know?", Lance admitted. He saw a future with you. Whenever he thought about being married or having a family, or even growing old, he had you by his side. Despite knowing you wouldn't want a celebration like his sister had for her wedding, only because it wasn't your thing, but he couldn't help himself but think of how it would be for you. To see you in a dress and celebrate your love in front of the people you cared about most, to dance around and, most importantly, to spend the rest of his days with. "I don't want to throw the towell, but it's difficult to navigate this, and I don't want to say anything that would hurt her. When we talked about it, I already said things I didn't mean", Lance added, looking up at Sebastian, "make sure you talk it out like grown adults. No offensive words thrown around, because that will do you no good. If you're really in love with eachother, you find compromises and discuss them, see where one or the other bends, with balance, of course", the older driver advised, patting his back, "I hope everything goes well with you two, she's an incredible young woman", he smiled.

"Thanks, Sebastian", Lance smiled, too, now wanting the weekend to be over so he could talk to you.

.

Hi, love. I'm sorry your race got cut short but a technical issue. I hope you all have a safe travel home.

Also, I'm going to be home for the next few days because I had a small exam (I'm fine, by the way, just a little crampy), so if you want to drop by so we can talk, let me know, okay? I love you.

Those two texts on his phone warmed his heart slightly. He was gutted that he didn't get to finish the race, but still comforted by the fact that you had been watching and supporting him.

"Smiling about your lover, little brother?", Chloe asked, sitting in front of him. The family was flying back home together and everyone seemed to be either working or asleep, so Lance had the options to either talk to his sister or do what the others were doing.

"Yes, she just texted", he smiled faintly, his eyes not budging the part where you mentioned you'd be home, surely because it was medically prescribed given the exam you had. "She had an appointment today and she's saying she's done with the examination they did", he said.

"Oh, bless her. Is it because of her periods? She was telling me about it the last time we visited and she was very uncomfortable", Chloe thought out loud, "I've never had them, but some of my friends have had them and some of them are hard-core. Hopefully she can manage the pain and hopefully not need surgery", she finished, taking a sip from her drink and not notice how her brother's face had turned into worry.

Pain? Surgery? What was she on about? You mentioned some blood work, scans if they saw fit. But maybe you had a reason behind not telling him, so until then, he was going to work with the information he had.

.

Lance was up bright and early given the jetlag, thinking he would just get his day going before dropping by to your place. When he arrived the day before, he only had the energy to send you a text that he was home before he found the energy to shower and go to sleep, hoping to visit you today.

After his workout and another shower, he got ready and ate breakfast, taking his car keys out of the decorative bowl they lived in before making his way out of the door.

Driving to your place, he rehearsed the words and ideas he wanted to say. Now, he understood the importance of hearing your side of the story, because while he felt frustrated and a little hurt, he knew you were most likely not doing it on purpose, so there had to be another reason behind it.

Sending you a quick text and getting a positive reply back, he made his way to your place, parking his car and heading up to knock on your door.

"May I?", he wondered when you opened the door, getting inside and taking his shoes off before he kissed your forehead, heading with you silently to the living room.

"This is where I've been spending my days, so that's why there's pillows and blankets everywhere", you blushed, sitting yourself in a comfortable position so Lance could sit next to you, "we're here to talk, so do you mind if I start?", you asked, earning his nod.

Letting out a big breath, you looked at your boyfriend's brown eyes, "I've been on my own for a while, so I had to learn how to do things on my own. My parents always made sure I was raised as an independent woman because that gave me a feel of self security and some self confidence", you explained, "and so, for me, asking someone for help or accepting is not as easy as it is for some".

"But is that because you don't trust me to help you? Or that you don't want my help?", Lance asked softly, starting to understand where you were coming from.

"No, not like that. I trust you completely. And when I choose to not ask for help, it was never with the intention of hiding it all from you in a malicious way... I guess I'm just doing things like I was wired to do, and because of that I couldn't understand why you were so upset and mad about it", you breathed out, finally letting it all out.

"Then, maybe you can trust me enough to let me help? I understand where you're coming from now, but I promise I'm only have good intentions, and I want to be here for you. You don't have to deal with things on your own all the time", he brushed some hairs behind your ear.

"I didn't want to seem distant. It's just, I've been like this my whole life, and I never wanted to be overbearing. It's jus how I do stuff, but I'll make an effort to be better. Can't say it will be easy and linear, but we'll talk along the way, yes?", you added.

"Exactly. So, what are these exams?", he asked, holding your hand in his, rubbing the soft skin with his fingers, "I've always had pretty painful cycles, you know that. And because of that, my doctor thought it was best for me to get some further tests just to make sure things are working as they should. This time it was just a blood sample and the did a scan of my belly, and next week I have a smear booked which depends on what the other tests' results say when they come back", you gulped, "they're worried about some conditions, and fertility and all of that, so they think it's best if they catch it early", you shrugged your shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell me?", he asked, "Well, we established I'm not the best at asking for help, am I?", you blushed, "it's a lot for someone to take in. They keep saying that it could be nothing or that it could be something big, we just have to wait and see. And you've been in hospital recently in far worse shape, I didn't want to burden you", you said, earning a shake from his head, "I want to he here for you as much as possible in this, if you'll let me, please. Wether it's just bloodwork of a full body scan. I don't care if they're poking you with needles or some sort of exam, I want to be there because I care about you. You could never be a burden for me, and in matters like this, I'm not letting you walk through it alone, no matter what happens, okay?", Lance checked, earning a nod, "I need words, sweetheart", he teased, "yes, I'll tell you", you smiled, cupping his cheeks so you could press your lips in his.

"And we'll talk to eachother whenever we feel like we're not being understood. I don't care what it is about, we talk about it. You want me out of your hair? Okay. I need you to let me help you put on a sock? Let's do it!", he chuckled, making you smile too, "I want you for the long run, so I'm willing to make this work for the best if you are, too", he kissed your forehead, "we have a deal?".

Smiling, you pecked his lips a few times, "we have a deal. Thank you for being so understanding", you blushed, nuzzling your face in his chest, "now, I'm just going to get you a hot water bottle, your meds, and then we'll get comfortable enough to watch this show".

[rom-e-o]

"New Beginnings and Second Chances" (Ebenezer/Constance)

It's proposal time, all.

I've been tweaking and writing this as an epilogue to "Begin Again", and I think we're ready to share.

Thank you to everyone who has come along on this amazing journey! (Oh, it's not over. We're STILL trucking along strong, but man ... you can't deny that we've come far.)

Enjoy!

Ebenezer Scrooge, on most days, was an exponentially composed man.

He had tackled business negotiations, fortified good clients (while tastefully dismantling the smarmy ones) and cemented deals with estimated costs comprised of more numbers than most phone numbers, plus extensions.

However, on this very morning, the man was practically carving a path into the walnut floors of his home as a result of his pacing. He was in his study, and had been for the better half of the morning, waking and readying himself even before the arrival of his maid, Magda.

The day had come. He was going to do it. It was the second time he’d taken on the upcoming task, and yet this time, he felt more nervous than he had the first time.

He was going to propose to Constance DoGoode – the woman he’d been privileged enough to meet, fall in love with, and even receive her love in return.

He was going to ask her to marry him. To be his … wife.

Gods, the words gave him chills.

“Be steadfast, man,” he mouthed aloud, hand flying to his chest as his heart threatened to burst from his ribcage. It was soaring beneath his fingertips. “Don’t kick the bloody bucket before you even ask her!”

His treacherous heart continued to race, and he resigned himself to stepping close to the window for some fresh air. That actually helped, and he filled his lungs with the green-tinted, early morning haze of the early spring morning.

He’d acquired the ring a few days ago after sneaking one of her other bands to a jeweler to get the correct sizing. Now, every time he glimpsed the glittering stone, it took everything in him to not sod all his proposal plans and fall on one knee at the next sight of her. The ring had been burning a hole in both his pocket and mind since he’d purchased it; the stone seemingly just as excited to sparkle upon her finger as he was to place it upon it.

The ring had been an easy choice. A solitaire, square-cut diamond on a polished gold band. Simple. Elegant. Classy.

He’d known it was the ring from the moment he’d spotted it glittering in the case at the jeweler’s shop. One resize later (using one of her everyday rings that he’d silently apologized for taking from her jewelry box) and it was ready. He fitted it into a blue velvet ring box, and kept it in the very back of the only drawer in his work desk that required a lock to open. Just in case.

The ring, all things considered, had been a straightforward acquisition.

The proposal itself? That was a slightly more complicated matter.

Ebenezer had spent the better part of the last month seriously envisioning different scenarios for how he could pop the question. While the gesture itself had dominated his thoughts for the better half of a year, he’d seriously started noodling around ideas and putting pieces together in recent weeks.

It had to be as perfect as possible, he reasoned. Not so perfect that he put it off forever, of course, but it had to be worthy of her.

It had to be completely different than the experience that rat bastard of an ex-husband had given for her. That meant not proposing in a public place (quite fine with him) and not proposing while stumbling over himself drunk (exceptionally fine with him).

So …

Suddenly, like the first call of a meadowlark ending the silence of night, a knock sounded at the door.

“Mr. Scrooge, sir?”

Without waiting for an answer, another giddy knock came from the other side of his study’s door, the sound practically dancing across the lacquered. He bid the guest entry, knowing it was Magda just from her voice.

When the Hungarian woman slipped inside, an excited grin decorated her face. She practically glided through the door’s crevice, careful to latch the door noiselessly behind her before she spoke. “My stars, sir! Today is the day, is it not?”

He nodded, taking a deep breath as Magda bounced on her heels. After an energetic clap, she reached out to take the man’s hands and give them a reassuring squeeze. “Oh, don’t fret! She’ll say yes!”

He hoped. Gods, he hoped so. He hoped she said yes, and he hoped she said yes out of desire and not obligation, like she had with Orin. Although she loved him, it had been too soon, she’d said.

…Gods, was it too soon for them, too?

No, his mind raced to think, there was no going back. He didn’t want to wait, like he had with Isabel.

No, he had to ask. To make his love known and open. The rest was in her hands.

“I sent for the carriage this morning,” he said, breathy with nervousness, “By the time she awakens and dresses, they should arrive.”

Reaching into his pocket, he procured his silver pocket watch and glimpsed the time. The hands sat at 6:48 a.m. It wouldn’t be long before his love began to stir.

“Shall I prepare any breakfast? Or are you lovebirds going to eat in the coach?”

“Much obliged, Magda, but I went ahead and prepared something.”

She waggled her brow in intrigue. “You.”

He waggled his brow somewhat defensively. “Yes, me, as a matter of fact. Thank you for that sign of confidence.”

“I didn’t know you could cook, sir!”

“Magda, may I remind you that I survived many, many years – decades, actually – without a maid helping me cook? While I am infinitely grateful for all the help you’ve provided me, I assure you I am quite capable of…”

“…”

“…Ethel assisted me. Happy?”

Magda let out an amicable laugh. “Happy, and less worried for the poor lady’s stomach, as well.”

Scrooge hmph!-ed at her playful teasing. He knew her jabs were all in good faith, and presented a welcome distraction from his nervous pacing and racing thoughts. Whether it was intentional or not, he appreciated her company in that moment, just like had every single day he’d had the pleasure of employing her.

“Magda, I—”

Then, the faint sound of creaking stairs from outside the study door caught their attention. Both ceased talking just in time to hear a gentle knock on the study door.

“Come in, love,” Ebenezer called, knowing exactly who was on the other side.

Sure enough, Constance peered in, blue eyes wide and her smile bright, but still a touch sleepy. “Ah, there you both are,” she said, chuckling as she slipped inside, shutting it behind her just as Magda had.

Even fresh from bed, Costance was a sight to behold. Her red hair was pulled back in a loose chignon and fastened with large, satin ribbon. She herself was donned in a blue velvet peignoir with golden trim and matching sash that highlighted the hourglass curve of her waist.

“I must confess, I was a little worried,” she said in an adorable, sleep-bitten rasp. She was still waking up, bless her. The woman had awoken to see that her partner was missing from his side of the bed, and had taken little time to wait before investigating fully. “The house is never so quiet in the morning.”

She’s made the comment as a light joke, but upon seeing the main master and maid of the house gathered together so close in the study, she suddenly lowered her voice in concern. “Is everything alright?”

Before Scrooge could think of an excuse, Magda was quick to the rescue.

“I was just asking Mr. Scrooge if he wouldn’t mind if a took a bit of a last minute day off,” she said, “I have some personal errands and appointments, and thought it might be easier to take a full day than mince apart various other working days.”

She glanced at Ebenezer, giving him a coy smirk that matched the mischievous slant of her eyes. She looked like a tabby that had just filled its cheeks at the nearest birdcage, and gotten away with it, too.

“Why, I believe that sounds like a capital idea,” Scrooge agreed, clapping an agreeable hand over her puff-sleeved shoulder. “After all, the house will be vacant all day today.”

“It will?” Constance asked, her surprise palpable but pleasant.

“Indeed so,” he said, turning to her, hands reaching out to take one of hers. “I’ve arranged a bit of a … surprise for us today. A surprise outing.”

“Oh, really?” A flush of joy made her freckles pop across her sun-kissed cheeks.

He laughed softly, pleased by her excitement. “I’ve prepared breakfast, and a coach should be here on the hour for us. I-If you’d be so kind as to join me, I would be most honored.”

Magda tried hard to not roll her eyes as Constance enthusiastically agreed, both leaning into a embrace and chaste kiss that Magda had the decency to avert her eyes from.

Of course Constance had agreed to the outing, the maid thought secretly. She had no work that day, and when the happy couple wasn’t at work, they were spending time together in some capacity. Reading in the sitting room together, taking a stroll together, sometimes even rowing out on the Serpentine in Hype Park to bask in the sun and watch the swans skate across the waters.

Today was no different, but he had still kindly asked her if she was free to spend time with him.

Silly man, she thought kindly, though the maternal side of her longed to pull them both into a hug and wish them luck. Especially him.

“I’ll get dressed this instant,” Constance said with a nod. “I won’t be long, promise.”

“I’ll help.”

“Oh, Magda, I thought…”

“I’ve got a moment to spare,” she said lovingly, fluttering to the young woman’s side and giving her a nudge. “Come now, let’s make you look like an absolute vision! I have the perfect dress in mind, as well.”

“But…”

“Please, love. It would be my honor.”

As the carriage pulled up to the house and Scrooge loaded the basket and blanket they needed, he called up the stairs for Magda and Constance to come down.

While they waited, he made small talk with the driver, paid him in advance, and offered him a vague outline of the day’s itinerary. As for the directions, he’d scribed those carefully as well, and even provided a map, though the driver gave him a reassuring look.

“Been doin’ this ‘ob for many a year, Mr. Scrooge,” he said, taking a long drag of his pipe at the end. “I’ve got many maps, compasses, and back-ups of all me back-ups. You and yer lady are safe wit’ me.”

Well, he had hired the best, he reasoned. It seemed the sterling reputation of the driver and business was true, even if the man himself was a little rough around the edges. “Good man. Thank you again. Oh, um…here’s some breakfast for the road.”

Scrooge handed him a slab of cheese and an entire loaf of bread wrapped in a cloth. This excited the driver more than the directions. “Cheers, mate! I’ll take th’ smoothest paths for you and yer lady!”

“Much obliged.”

“Oh, and betw’n you and me, feel free to close those curtains if you lot would pr’fer some alone time, yeah? I can’t hear a peep fro’ where I’m sittin’.”

“…I’ll remember that.”

He would not act on that, but he supposed the gesture was … kind? Thoughtful? It was something, he ultimately decided.

While the conversation with the driver had been interesting in and of itself, all memory of the conversation seemed to fly out of his head as Magda rushed out with Constance on her arm.

As always, Magda met and exceeded expectations by leaps and bounds.

Dressed in a gown of chocolate brown satin with golden-white petticoats shimmering beneath the skirts, Constance stepped carefully down the stone steps of the house, her heels a matching shade of deep coffee. A matching shawl, trimmed with pearly fringe, concealed her shoulders from the morning chill. Her hair was adorned with a white ribbon nestled in a perfect bow in the back, the curls falling in loose spirals around her shoulders.

He noted that she also wore the freshwater pearl earrings and choker that he’d gotten her for her birthday a few months ago. Also, on her right ring finger, a fire opal ring she had inherited from her father blazed brilliantly. She rarely wore the piece, treasuring the item too much to risk losing it.

Magda really had worked her magic.

“Are you sure this isn’t too much?” Constance asked as she plucked at the skirt of her dress. Magda distracted her tentative movements by helping her into a pair of satin gloves, occupying her fingers for a moment. “This dress is beautiful, but is it too much for…um …”

She laughed and glanced at him somewhat bashfully. “Oh … I just realized I never even asked you where we were going.”

Gods, she was lovely, he thought.

“A picnic,” he supplied vaguely, almost breathless as he took in the sight of her. “And no. P-Please don’t change. You look absolutely beautiful…and you’re comfortable, yes?”

“Oh, very comfortable.”

“Then that’s what matters.”

Prudence bounded down the stairs, barking excitedly at the sight of the sleek, cherrywood carriage.

Of course, she would be invited along for the proposal. Why, it was largely because of Prudence that he and Constance had bumped into each other in the first place on that fateful December day, as he’d been in the butcher buying bones for her. As sch, it seemed only right for her to be present on the day that he asked Constance to be a part of his life for the remainder of his days.

Seeming to sense the importance of the occasion, she trotted up to her master and pawed at his leg.

Scrooge chuckled, then opened the door so she could hop in. “Go on, Prudence.”

After an excited spin, she leapt up and instantly made herself comfortable on one of the long, leather-clad benches, just beside the picnic basket and rolled up blanket. The mastiff flopped down and let out a satisfied huff.

Thank goodness he’d sprang for the larger cab, he thought as he surveyed the remaining space.

“We may need to cozy up just a tad for the trip,” Ebenezer warned Constance playfully. She returned an amused look, her smile only broadening when she peeked into the carriage and saw Prudence curled up on the opposite bench.  

After bringing Constance her purse (which contained only her pillbox, a book of poetry she’d been reading, a money clip, and some rouge), Magda then turned her attention to him. She helped Ebenezer slip into his black overcoat, smoothing the fabric as she did so. She also produced his top hat and cane, which she’d pulled from the entryway closet ahead of time.

As she skimmed the lapels of his coat with her fingers to make sure they laid flat and symmetrically, she gave him one last, reassuring stare, the burning resolve in her eyes all the more magnified by the thick lenses on her spectacles.

He took one last deep breath …and nodded.

“Right. T-Time to go.”

Assuming his post at the carriage’s open door, he extended a hand to Constance. Slowly, he helped her mount the step to the cab.

Once she was seated, he slotted himself into the space beside her.

“We’ll be back before sunset!” he called before shutting the door. He gave her one last wave.

“Have fun, you two!” Magda called innocently, stealing a handkerchief from her apron pocket to wave as the driver snapped the reins and the carriage rolled forth across the cobbled roadway. “Be good! I won’t wait up!”

Prudence let out another bark, and Constance leaned out the carriage window to wave excitedly. The maid also saw the woman lose her balance, and Ebenezer’s arms frantically circle her to pull her back to safety.

As soon as the cart was out of sight, Magda was off like a shot back inside. She raced to grab her coat and hat, practically flinging them on her body. The maid didn’t even bother to check her reflection as she shimmied down the strop steps of the house and made her way down Lime Street and into the churning streets of Cornhill. The woman had a few key destinations in mind.

First, she’d traverse Lime Street to a residential neighborhood a few blocks over, where Harry and Hela lived.

Then, she’d wind her way through the alleyways and cobbled roadways until she reached Camden Town.

 The carriage ride out of town lasted all but two hours, but inside the cab, the minutes all but flew by.

The couple shared bites of breakfast (orange peel-flecked scones that he’d practiced in secret for days) and read passages from the small book of poetry Constance had tucked into her purse.

« Mon bras pressait ta taille frêle Et souple comme le roseau; Ton sein palpitait comme l’aile D’un jeune oiseau. »

« Longtemps muets, nous contemplâmes Le ciel où s’éteignait le jour. Que se passait-il dans nos âmes ? Amour! Amour! »

« Comme un ange qui se dévoile, Tu me regardais, dans ma nuit, Avec ton beau regard d’étoile, Qui m’éblouit. »

Ebenezer pronounced the words graciously are carefully, Constance using her French lessons from long past to speak alongside him.

“It has been quite a while since I’ve spoken French,” he admitted, “Not since I was a boy, reading some of the classics for my studies. I fear I’m rusty in the romance languages.”

“You are doing well,” Constance enthused.

Ebenezer knew Constance was fluent In English and Dutch, but Frensh was a … more recreational language for her. A nifty party trick, although it was a vast help in situations just as this, where they crowded over a small book and took great care to read the delicate writing accurately.

“My arm clasped your fragile waist that’s supple as a reed; Your breast beat like the wing Of a young bird.

“In a long silence we contemplated The sky where the day was fading away. What was happening in our souls? Love! Love!

“Like an angel who reveals herself, You looked at me, in my night, With your beautiful star’s gaze, Blinding me with … light.”

A comfortable silence settled over them as the words lingered a beat.

“I do so love that one,” she said with a dreamy, wavering sigh. “Especially the ending.”

“Very beautiful indeed,” Ebenezer husked, deepening his voice to a burr to attract her attention. When she glanced up and saw the smirk upon his visage, seeing only her own reflection in his icy eyes, her cheeks bloomed with pleasant color.

All the while, the sun continued to climb in the sky outside. By the time they near the spot that Ebenezer had directed the driver to, it was nearly midday.

Another turn of the page, and Ebenezer spotted a familiar piece of literature. “Venus and Adonis, by Shakespeare.”

“Oh, that one is wonderful, but quite long,” Constance chuckled.

“Certainly longer than his most famous sonnets,” he said, “Sonnet 29 comes to mind. Shorter … and easier for a man to memorize and recite to his lovely lady.”

His last remark harbored just enough cheekiness for her to wonder how many men he’d witnessed recite the same sonnet over and over across the city during romantic, spring days. Probably dozens, she thought in intrigue and amusement.

“I saw it performed a few summers ago in New York. By a theater troupe in Central Park. They memorized the entire thing – amazingly impressive for such green performers! A duo, in fact.”

It was a tragic poem, of course. It was also an erotic epic. Not necessarily appropriate for the occasion. Still, right as she was about to close the book, he reached out and paused her. With the tap of his finger, he urged her eyes to fall upon a specific passage.

She read:

“Ten kisses short as one, one long as twenty:  

“A summer’s day will seem an hour but short…”

As the words finished leaving her painted lips, he leaned down and placed the gentlest of kisses upon her mouth. In that moment, the sentiment on the parchment manifested into warm, breathing reality.

“Now that,” he said, reaching up and thumbing the curls about her cheeks, “Reminds me of today.”

She blinked slowly. Again, dreamily. “Does it, my Adonis?”

An airy chuckle left him, but his fingers tightened their grip just slightly. He did grip her tight, he held her tight. “With you, the hours blend into beautiful, fleeting moments. Evey second with you feels…healing.”

He thought of yet another line from the poem: “Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.”

A perfect summary, he thought as he leaned in again, kissing the tip of her nose. “My Venus.”

A few precious moments later, the couple heard the driver gently urge his horses to a gentle stop. They obeyed with a few clicks of the man’s tongue, and once they were fully stopped on a well-trodden side path, the driver alerted them of their arrival.

“Splendid,” Ebenezer said, praying his voice didn’t convey the nervousness he felt. “Shall we?”

He opened the door to allow Prudence to jump out (which she eagerly did). As the mastiff busied herself biting at butterflies and rolling in the dust like a chipmunk, Ebenezer stepped out and instantly felt the heat of the sun above them. It was considerably warmer than it had been the morning before.

He shed his hat and coat, leaving them in the carriage with his cane.

Constance followed suit by shedding her shawl, then tilted her head back in bliss as she stepped into the sun. “Mm. Warm.”

Sun was a rarity in England, he noted. It was rare to see the sun or moon in their true glory.

In that moment, she appeared to be drinking in the light, her tanned skin and vibrant hair giving the blazing a star a run for its money in radiance.

“Here we are, lovebirds,” the driver said, giving his horses a pat as they dipped their heads to graze. “Spot to ya likin’, Mr. Scrooge?”

“Very much so. Much obliged.”

Just like before, he reached into the basket and produced some food and drink to help bide the time while they made merry, so to speak.

Surprised and pleased by the next round of gifts, the man took a large bite of a mincemeat pastry from his share before waving the couple off and telling them to “have a bit o’ nanty narking, ya hear! I won’t ‘ell, haha!”

Constance gave Ebenezer a playful grin while he blushed red as a beet.

“T-Thank you, sir,” he mumbled, ushering Constance away with one arm while carrying their picnic basket with the other.

 The air was scented with the sweet fragrance of wildflowers, and the distant melody of birdsong accompanied their amicable conversation as Ebenezer led her up an ambling stone path to the spot he’d picked. Their destination was atop an overlook with a perfect view of the swaying fields for miles around, different patches dotted with clouds of fresh blossoms.

The couple set up their spot, then sat on a blanket spread across the lush grass, surrounded by the serenity of nature. The smog and incessant chatter of the city was long forgotten as they basked in the aroma of sun-warmed wildflowers and relaxed to the melody of the babbling brook nearby.

As they enjoyed a picnic of sandwiches, fruits, and a bottle of sparkling cider, Ebenezer couldn't shake the anticipation bubbling within him. For the entire duration of their outing, he stole glances at Constance. In fact, he would have been hard pressed to remove his gaze from her on any occasion, and especially in this moment and setting. It was a scene he knew he didn’t want to forget for the rest of his days alive, and as he drank in the details of her, he knew he never would.

By the time they’d finished eating, they lounged for a while against the shade of the oak, even making a trip to a nearby stream to dance in the ankle-deep water and splash around a bit. Prudence even followed, running circles in the riverbank under her entire belly and paws were dripping with river water and mud.

When they returned from that, lazily strolling up the hill hand-in-hand, it was the golden hour of sunset.

In the halo of warm light that radiated from the horizon’s dark edge, it was a treat marveling at the way the sunlight played in her hair, making it glow like strands of molten bronze. The way her cornflower eyes glittered like the sea captivated him further.

A moment of silene stretched between them … and with the sun slowly vanishing, he knew the seconds of his opportunity were literally ticking away.

Constance, catching the anxious way Ebenezer fumbled for his coat, glanced over. “Are you alright, love? Are you cold?"

Love. The endearment bolstered his resolve.

“Quite alright,” he said. “In fact, I’ve never been happier.”

Ebenezer took a deep breath, steadying his nerves.

Something touched her expression as she realized when was happening. She didn’t say a word, but her eyes widened almost knowingly, the blue color shining like the isles of Neptune.

Now or never, he thought.

“Constance. The Christmas of my 50th birthday, I…became a changed man. I realized the error of my ways, and became transformed. I realized that I’d wasted much of my life in misery, content to be alone and deprive others, and myself, of happiness. I remember thinking that I would never go back.

“Then, the moment we met, you did the impossible … you transformed my life again. Since then, you've brought … warmth to the coldest corners of my heart, and every day with you feels like a gift. A gift that was almost stolen away by circumstance …”

Stolen away by a past of abuse, falsified medical records, a razor blade, and a man with eyes like the coldest fog.

“As turbulent as the start of our time together was, facing those trials, it made me realize that parting ways from you was never even a consideration. Even if we only remained friends or coworkers, you were always in my future in some capacity. As we continued to court, I stopped imagining you as just a coworker or friend, or even as just a lover. I-I know some might roll their eyes at the ide of a man of my age wanting such pomp and circumstance, but…I do.

“I’ve thought of little else in the past few weeks … hell, honestly, the past few months. What would life without you be like? I … can’t fathom it. Or if I could, I can’t bear the thought of it.”

Sensing the weight of his words, she nodded with a nervous swallow. “A-And I can't imagine mine without you, Ebenezer.”

With a tender smile, Ebenezer reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. The sight of it made Constance's breath catch.

He opened the box to reveal a delicate ring, the sunlight catching on the glimmering diamond in the middle.

“Constance, my angel,” Ebenezer began, his voice filled with emotion, “I-I never thought I’d ask this question of another, but I have to know. I must. W-Would you do me the honor of remaining by my side, in spirit and name? Will you marry me?”

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, the world seemed to pause. His emotions were suspended in stasis as well.

Then, a wave of joy swept over her face, and she nodded, tears of happiness glistening in her eyes.

“I-I will.”

He blinked, huffing out a laugh. “You will.”

“Yes! Ebenezer, a thousand times yes!”

A delighted smile broke across Ebenezer's face as he took the ring from the box. Laughing in equal parts disbelief and bliss, he leaned forward to meet her as she rushed to kiss him.

Prudence, who had been watching from the edge of the blanket, barked in excitement as the two kissed, arms wrapping around each other and holding on tight.

“Oh, thank you,” he praised, lips moving against hers. “I’ll be good to you, my angel. I promise with all my heart.”

“I know you will.” Her tears, warm and fresh, fell upon their laps. “I-I know. Oh, I’ve dreamed of this.”

“You have?”

In tandem, sharing a desire, their raised their hand in tandem to entwine their fingers.

“Y-Yes, and today…it’s been even more perfect than I ever imagined,” she confessed, bumping their noses together as another joyful sob threatened to clench her.

A pause. Then, her fingers gripped his arm firmly, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “It’s just … m-me? Are you certain?”

A redheaded New Yorker of questionable pedigree, former socialite and divorcee, married to a wealthy Englishman and philanthropist. It was certainly an eye-catching combination, he supposed, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Absolutely yes,” he replied, voice breaking at the sight of her tears. He brandished a handkerchief and dabbed them away, pepping her forehead with more kisses all the while. “I’m beyond certain. You have my heart, Connie.”

Gently, he slid the ring onto Constance's finger, sealing their promise beneath the setting sun.

“And you have mine.”

With another kiss, their commitment was sealed.

From afar, the Scrooge manor looked quite vacant. No lights shined from inside, no smoke plumed from the chimney, and no shadows busied themselves beyond the windows. It was almost an uncanny sight.

“Goodness, it looks so ominous from here,” Constance joked, arm-in-arm with her fiancé as the carriage approached the estate. As the sun had dipped below the horizon, and they reentered the scrutinizing eyes of the city limits, they donned all their proper layers.

“It used to always look this dour, I’m shamed to admit,” he said, giving her hand an affectionate pat “We’ll fix that straightaway once we’re indoors. Get a good fire going – well, maybe just some candles. It’s a little warm.”

“Too warm for celebratory glass of wine?”

“Oh, never too warm for that! Especially on such an occasion.”

“I think you’re quite right,” she agreed, eyeing a very muddy Prudence from across the car. She lifted her heeled shoe and gave the mastiff a light tap. “And you need a bath, miss. I don’t think it would be very comfortable to sleep in muddy fur, yes?”

Averting her eyes (as if that made her invisible), she pretended to not hear the woman’s theory. In turn, the couple chuckled at the sight.

The carriage pulled up to the house, right under the light of a gas lamp to provide better visibility. Ebenezer, having redonned his coat and top hat, stepped out with his cane in hand. Then, he helped Constance out. In the process, he glimpsed the sight of the dazzling ring upon her still ungloved hand, and his heart started up again.

The ring also caught the attention of the driver, who let out a whistle. “Oi, hearty congratulations ar’ in or’da to ye both!”

After a few last goodbyes, the driver tipped his hat one last time and wheeled himself away into the foggy night.

There, they stood before his home, arm-in-arm again. He carried the dirty, rolled-up blanket and while carried their now empty basket.

After a glimpse to make sure they were truly alone on the quiet street, they shared a lingering, public kiss. It was the kind that always sent Beryl and her boys reeling when they did it outside the privacy of their bedroom.

As they parted, he offered her a grin and squeeze of the arm.

“Welcome home, Mrs. DoGoode-Scrooge.”

She returned his affection with a gleaming smile of her own. She noted that he’d included her maiden name, her father’s name, in the title. If possible, that sentiment was the final, stone-enforced in the proud, tall tower of certainty.

“It is my honor to bear the name, and have the heart of the man who gave it to me,” she replied.

Giggling like excited teenagers, they shimmied up the stone stairs leading to the massive front door. He fished out the substantial key from his coat pocket and slipped it in, the tumblers of the lock giving way with the same, comforting melody they always had.

They opened the door, expecting the same darkness within that they’d glimpsed from the outside.

Yet, once the door opened, the room lit up as the gas-burning chandelier roared to life. The rest of the wide foyer was decorated with glittering, gold crepe paper and vases bursting with fresh lilies, daisies and sunny daffodils from the flower market.

Friends and family stood shoulder to shoulder around the circumference of the room, clapping and cheering as they came through the door.

The Cratchit children jumped up in greeting from behind one of the chamber’s marble-top tables, and Beryl’s gang of boys cheers from the railed hallway overhead, clapping and cheering as if they’d just watched an amazing stuntman at one of the London fairs.

“Surprise!”

Magda, looking pleased as punch, uncorked a bottle of icy prosecco from the cellar with a swift yank of the corkscrew. “There you are, the two turtledoves!”

Tim, who saw Scrooge as a second father, ran to the man and hugged him. “Congratulations, Mr. Scrooge! You’re gonna be a good husband, I know it!”

He was too overjoyed to be stunned for long, the man’s heart melted as he returned the boy’s hug with a tight embrace of his own. “Thank you, my boy.”

“Congrats, Miss Connie,” the blond boy turned and said sweetly. “You’re going to be a mighty pretty bride.”

She dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her fingertips. “Thank you, Tim.”

“C-Can we see your ring?” Kathy asked timidly, fiddling with the end of one of her braid as she approached.

“Yes, the ring!” Martha echoed excitedly, her chignon bouncing as she danced closer.

Constance nodded and held her hand aloft. Immediately, an audience gathered around her.

“Blimey, girl, that’s a stunner,” Tom Jenkins noted, appraising the gem with a keen eye. “Good job, mate.”

“Oh, it’s positively beautiful, uncle!” Harry agreed, before breaking away to pull the former curmudgeon of a man into a teary bear hug. “I-I never thought I’d see the day! My uncle getting married to a woman he loves! Oh, the way my mother must be smiling now!”

“H-Harry, ow.”

Meanwhile, Bob and Ethel embraced Constance tightly, Ethel pecking her cheek joyfully. “Oh, a wedding! I hope you know that Hela and I would be absolutely enthralled to help, my pet.”

“Indeed,” said woman agreed, her earrings jingling in agreement as she nodded her head. “I know you’ve done this before in New York – getting married I mean, but it’s intimidating to do in a new country! I would be honored to provide the names of those Harry and I worked with and found pleasant. I’m also happy to share a list of those I did not enjoy working with, haha.”

“Oh, that would be very helpful! Thank you both, truly.”

Constance then turned her attention to Magda, smirking and giving out crystal flutes of prosecco to guests.

She paused at Constance, their eyes meeting in a moment of understanding. The redhead flew to embrace her tightly, skirts swinging around her ankles. “This morning. You knew.”

Magda patted the redhead’s back affectionately. “I did, love. I’ve known for a while, in fact.”

“Have you?”

“I knew it the day you came to live with us,” she said, “The day your former husband’s boat left that dock, I knew you’d never leave. I know I’m always right, but I’m extra pleased about it this time.”

She laughed airily, but the way her grip tightened was sincere in the deepness of her gratitude. “Thank you.”

Nodding between happy tears, Ebenezer came behind Constance to lay a delicate hand upon her shoulder. She stepped away at that moment, now wanting to detain Magda for uncomfortably long, and accepted a flute of celebratory bubbly eagerly. She also passed one to Ebenezer, who kissed the top of her hand in thanks.

Errol, Magda’s ballet dancer husband, passed out cider to the young children in small, purple-tinted glasses. He’d also had the good sense to wrap Prudence in a thick pestemal to protect the guests. It would take only one shake for the guests, and wallpaper, to become polka-dotted in pattern.

Once all the glasses were passed out, Ebenezer hoisted his high. Everyone followed, anxious for the former miser’s toast.

“Everyone, to each other,” he said, wrapping an arm around Constance’s waist and glancing down to meet her gaze. “To second chances and new beginnings.”

She then glanced around the room, taking care to make eye contact with each smiling face. Each person who had helped her. Each soul that had believed in her, and her redemption.

“To second chances and new beginnings,” Constance agreed proudly, tapping her glass against his. “And all those who help us find them.”

Thank you to everyone for your support, likes, comments and more: @quill-pen, @crimson-phantom-designs, @thedivinelights, @alolaamii, @bluestarliight, @vixx-ari, @ray-painter, @shipshroom, @akitauma, @blueapplesiren,

I see you and appreciate you! <3

[dailycass-cain]

Birds of Prey #5 kicks off 2024 with our first appearance of Cass in the new year! It is also near the end point of the series' first arc!

So how's it going with the fill-in artist? Well, time for my thoughts...

I think I'll start with the only "minor nitpick" and that's we're on the fifth issue and well I'm so accustomed to Leonardo Romero's version of Cass I'm thrown a little off that we're back to "normal" looking bat ears Cass by Arist Deyn for the issue.

It took a moment for my mind to adjust to the fact, "Oh right another artist's interpretation of Cass." And that's when my mind went back into the story. Besides the other cues of the Romero tweak is there with the blue hue inside the cape.

Sides...

It's an artist I've never seen draw Cass. I'm good with it. Moving on.

Cass has a surprisingly meaty role in the issue going back and forth throughout. I was expecting a lesser role like in #3 but nope every member gets a good chunk in this issue.

Cass is mainly in "go-to" position. She's one of the first Birds who sees Dinah after Sin is taken. She's given the task to fetch something, is the witness to Zealot/Wonder Woman "round 2", and---

-- well to quote a famous web series I love to rewatch, "Multiverse theory is a bitch". See we get another clue as to why Babs and maybe a few others aren't in this arc (or why some are and still events are going down as they are).

From this brief exchange between Meridian (gosh I want to call her "Mirai Maps" from now on given the way this issue clicked).

It's obvious that Mirai Maps has been playing a game. A game to try and stop Megera from absorbing Sin, achieve "perfection" and destroying the world.

So far, the "attempts" at trying this has seems like A LOT, and you can tell Cass catches on with the last bit. I'm just a bit surprised she didn't inquire more into the OTHER outcomes.

It sounds like Dinah knows this, hence why she's been following Mirai Maps' rules of not letting Babs in on this (and I'm curious what happens if Babs finds out).

Regardless, it seems like A LOT of attempts have been made, and this just happens to be the latest against Megera.

Also one tiny little note, I love that Megera is literally the panel-lines in this issue. They are EVERYWHERE after being unleashed last issue.

I wonder if it'll continue next? Be nice if it still goes on until the issue's end given the implications of this issue that multitasking without a host is quite hard for Megera.

However, they do possess the mega rod. So there is that.

This issue was fun ramping everything up even more with the arc's villain staying their plan, showcasing their powers (their strengths and weaknesses), and well all the Birds get a fun moment.

I'm really curious how writer Kelly Thompson will wrap this arc up, and given the seeds throughout these issues how the next will go? Not to mention how they pertain to Cass?

Gawds I almost wish we had Batgirls around still with Cass absent with this going on while Steph/Babs have an adventure. That'd be SWEET.

So yeah, another stellar issue from the GOAT of series at DC right now. Gosh, it hurts as much as Tec waiting for that next issue to drop next.

[kquil]

HI POOKIE~~~

It’s okay, I’m glad you’re back on track now woohoo! The cold is hitting here, I’m unsure how cold it is where you are but make sure to stay warm and eat meals that build up your immune system! Oh—moisturise yourself too! ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

I’ll make sure to show more of my geeky side hehehehe (๑>◡<๑) the least I can do is show my appreciation towards your work. I know I can count on your for domestic fluff and I’ll surely tweak when the babies are teenagers, rest assured  (⸝⸝> ᴗ•⸝⸝) 

HAHAHAHAHA! Good to know I’m not alone laughing maniacally. And I’m glad with what you’re doing with Mr Dumbles, war made him make some crazy decisions that I don’t necessarily agree with—I think he could have done so much better, but alas! War makes you desperate. Nevertheless, we have reader to change the outcome ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

OH EM GEE~ the motherly golden trio!!! I think my frontal lobe just developed. I am so excited just hearing about it!!! (ㅅ´ ˘ `)

I’m so glad I plucked up the courage to write in your inbox, you’re honestly the first author I’ve interacted with this way—you make it easy to talk to you ( > 〰 < )♡

here is me giving kissy: 

(˶ ˘ ³˘)ˆᵕ ˆ˶) !!

Can’t wait for the blacks and Damocles + Ruth’s family friends era

I will definitely give my random theories or whatever comes to my mind mwahahahaha

-

OF COURSE ITS THE LEAST I CAN DO AHHHHH!!!! *faints cause you called me a darling again*

I yap a lot but I love talking to you so I hope you don’t mind me constantly going back and forth to reply to your responses 

ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ )

NOT YOU CALLING ME A TREAT AGAIN *faints* hehe thank you, I love these emojis too! YOURE CUTER!!! And thank you for cheering me on (づ> v <)づ♡

I’ll do my best to send the resources soon! I usually use social media to keep myself updated mainly Instagram and TikTok sometimes. 

*faints cause you called me your friend*

-

I have yet to read the new chapter, I read the preview though! So, I’m very excited to read it once I get free hehehe

I also saw a new sirius fic you posted, I’ll probably be reading that first since it’s short mwahahaahah

I saw the tag games you played, you look so cute in one of the slasher smth au!! I think you’d be pretty useful especially with how naturally comforting you are, people need that everywhere. If we don’t have emotional/mental support we’d all collapse in such a state. Idk you personally so besides this I can’t comment much on how you’d be “useful” haha.

-🌸

my darling! hello again! i missed you so much!

awww~ thank you for always thinking of me, it has gotten quite cold where i am so i'm staying cosy and warm always, i hope you are too now that the cold is hitting you; the two of us will be devouring all the soups and hot chocolate hehe~ (✿˶◕‿◕˶人◕ᴗ◕✿) 

you're always such a sweetheart, what did i do to deserve you?! thank you thank you thank you, i can't say it enough ( ˶˘ ³˘(⋆❛ ہ ❛⋆)!♡

don't worry, no traumatising war is happening yet so Dumbles is safe to be around, but our reader isn't taking any risks, not when it comes to our babies, yes ma'am!

your frontal lobe just developed from that?! haha! you're so silly but yes! the motherly golden trio are going to be a force to be reckoned with! unstoppable! ᕙ( ᗒᗣᗕ )ᕗ

oh goodness, really? you know, you aren't the only one who's happy you came into my ask box, you're such a sweet person and i adore talking to you no matter if it's about my writing or not, you're just that wonderful to talk to -- conversations go both ways, my love (⸝⸝> ᴗ•⸝⸝) i'm only matching your lovely energy

i adore all the kissies and happily reciprocate! ( ˶˘ ³˘(ˊᗜˋ*)!♡

bahaha! you're so silly! (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑) imma catch you! yoink! (づ。◕‿◕。)づ

i don't mind at all, i love seeing you in my inbox! please write in my inbox as much as you want, my darling (。>\\<)♡

lol i'm happy to have introduced you to these emojis, they're super cute and add the perfect touch to messages -- i love seeing you use them because your words become so much more animated to me -- please take your time with the resources, i don't want you to feel rushed, you come first, always especially because, yes, you're my beautiful friend now and there's nothing you can do about it!

take your time, my darling! my writing isn't going anywhere and i'd much prefer that you lovelies take your time with reading the updates than rushing to read it and not being able to enjoy it as much

hehe~ enjoy biker boy sirius, he deserves all the love (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)  and those tag games, i'm really spoiled being included in so many, it's a shame i barely have much free time recently to participate but they're always fun to do -- and that's super sweet of you to say, from our interactions, i can confidently say that same about you! you speak to me beyond my writing and it shows just how considerate you are, in your words, we need people like you everywhere too and aren't i lucky to be friends with such a person? hehe~ (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)♡

[horizontal-fitouts]

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[ggidolsmuts]

Soft and hard “wares” - Eunbi

A/N: People stress eat, I stress write, very short, quite filthy

"Ah oppa, ah ah ah ah!" Eunbi's cheeks are red from the pounding you are giving her, making her powerless to resist you, both in pleasure, and in the fact that your hands are pulling on her arms, yanking her off the bed. Eunbi's bountiful chest jiggles wildly, fleshy counterweights that keep her at the perfect angle for you to almost hammer at her g-spot.

"Nngh oppa, you feel so good, so good!"

"That's not all baby." You had a surprise for Eunbi. To her immense disappointment you pull out, her upper body flopping to the bed. She's still weak in the legs, and you half-carry her over to the floor-to-ceiling window of the room. You throw open the curtains, and Eunbi hurriedly covers herself.

"Oppa!"

"What? There's no one outside." It was true, it was pitch black outside, and you couldn't see a person. While Eunbi's distracted you press her hands on the glass, pushing into her from behind once more. Driven by her loud moans, you push her further into the glass, squashing her chest against the cold window pane, her nipples no doubt getting even harder. You move your hands around to them, squeezing and grabbing at her tits.

"God Eunbi your nipples are so hard." She whimpers as you tweak them.

"Ahh, not as hard as oppa in me, fuck me harder!"

"Since when do you talk so dirty, my little bunny?"

"When... mmm! When you fuck me so hard I can't think, when it feels like you're stuffing my whole body with your dick! Ahh! I swear I can feel you in my throat, nngh..."

"Don't be ridiculous." You give Eunbi something to suck on, feeding her your fingers so that she does have something in her mouth.

"Mmm! Mm! Mmmmmm!" Eunbi's moans are muffled around your fingers, sucking needily as an outlet for the pleasure. "I'm so close, I'm so close oppa!"

"One sec..." A switch is flipped, and the pitch black outside is suddenly fully lit, revealing everyone watching the two of you go at it.

"AHHH! Wait oppa, wait, there's—" Eunbi panics, but she also tightens around you insanely.

"Fuck Eunbi, so fucking tight!"

"T-There's people!" she cries out shrilly.

"I know, they're here to watch you feel good, do you feel good?"

"Yes, I feel so good, fuck oppa you're even bigger inside me..." Suddenly Eunbi grabs your arm, tightly. "Wait, oppa I feel weird."

"Does it feel good?"

"Yes, but, but—"

"They're here to watch you cum, give it to them!"

"Oppa, oh my god, oppa, fuck fuck fuck!" Eunbi grunts, and you pull out as she squirts all over your shaft and on to the floor. Eunbi's paralyzed by pleasure, and you lift a leg, showing her off to the watching audience as she lets out jet after jet of girl cum, which splashes on the floor and splatters the window with droplets.

"N-no wait, nngh!" You rub her clit to heighten her orgasm, and Eunbi continues to squirt all over your fingers, redirecting them every which way, coating both your legs in juice. Her legs go weak, and you "support" her the only way you know how—with your shaft deep in her, pinning her glorious body against the window for all to see.

"Such a good baby girl, did you like that?" you whisper in her ear.

"Yes, oh my god, I can't feel my legs."

"You don't need to, just feel good." You continue fucking Eunbi, who's like a broken hose at this point, gushing in between every pump of cock. Both of you can hear the audience's chants through the glass, the vibrations traveling through Eunbi's body.

"Creampie, creampie, creampie!"

"Do you want a creampie?" you ask her, neither of you considering it a real question.

"W-Whatever you want, it's your pussy, do whatever you want with me..." Eunbi bites back a deep moan, another squirt. "Just don't stop fucking me, god!"

You rapidly pound Eunbi until you couldn't take it anymore. You yank her head back, and pin her flush against the window, and with a scream from Eunbi you start filling her up.

Her round tits, a taut belly, her delicious thighs, her shapely hips—all of Eunbi is on full display as she is jammed tight on your throbbing shaft, letting everyone watch your balls pumping her full of spunk, until she begins spewing it back against you, her pussy unable to swallow all of that cum into her womb. The leakage grows as you finally soften and slip out, a veritable stream of seed dripping out from between her legs.

"Let's show them." With both your hands under her knees, you lift Eunbi up, giving the audience a good look at her thoroughly bred hole. You can still see the imprint Eunbi’s body left on the glass, outlined by sweat and juice. The audience starts cheering, and Eunbi grows warm in your "hug".

"Ahh, that's so embarrassing."

"You weren't complaining when I fucked your brains out." You carried her over to the sofa, putting her on all fours. "Let's do it again."

"Of course— Sir."

"Sir?"

"Sir?"

You blink, and you're looking at the blank white ceiling of a lab.

"Sir? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Doctor...?"

"Doctor Kwon. I'm sorry, the Dreamfluencer equipment had a glitch, it was sending you my— I mean random, dream samples. We'll send it back to the lab for further configuration."

"That's okay, it was fine."

"Umm here, you might want to..." As you move in the seat you realized that your crotch was uncomfortably warm, and gooey.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry!" you blush, both at the thought of blowing a load in your pants, and the memory of your rather "vivid" dream.

"That's okay, it, umm, happens. I'll leave you to clean up, please let yourself out after. We'll reschedule you for a subsequent appointment."

"Right, okay, thank you!" Hastily you leave Doctor Kwon's office, embarrassed at yourself.

Back in her office Doctor Kwon plays back the audio of your recording back, of you acting out her fantasies with her. She stands and turns to face the gorgeous view her office offers her, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Eunbi reaches between her legs, only to be stopped by her skirt.

Maybe you would be open to some "alternative" experiments.

[sunnyville36]

A(rouse)d

Requested from anon

Pairing: Lee Felix x fem reader

Themes/warnings: idol!verse Felix, soft!dom Felix, explicit sexual content, wet dream, masturbation, vaginal fingering, unprotected sex

Word count: 1k

A/N: Sorry this took so long to post, but I hope you like it!! As always, happy to hear your thoughts, and thank you for reading!

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

Felix loves sleeping with you in his arms.

Tonight, maybe a little too much.

It had been a long day and he was looking forward to relaxing with you after practice, maybe taking things in a more intimate direction, since it had been a while for you both.  But when he’d gotten home you were already sound asleep on the couch, face so serenely peaceful he couldn’t bear to disturb you.  He’d scooped you up and carried you to bed, changing into sweats and pulling you close to him once you were both settled, happy just to be with you.

Turns out his subconscious wasn’t too keen on just getting a good night's sleep.

He’d woken up about ten minutes ago, skin warm and sensitive, a tent in his pants from the dream he just had where he fucked you after finding you waiting naked for him on the couch.  You were still in his arms when he came to and he had to fight not to rut against you, flipping over onto his other side to ease the temptation.  I’ll just face the other way and cool down a bit, he thought.  I don’t need to wake her.

Now he’s palming himself over his boxers, sweats already shed as his arousal grows.  He’s intent on letting you sleep while he works himself over; he doesn’t need to bother you for something he can do just by jerking off.  But your presence next to him is so enticing; the sweet, clean smell of your freshly washed pajamas, the softness of your hair, your skin.  He tries to distract himself, running his hands down his chest and tweaking his nipples, but it only makes him crave you more, envisioning your hands, your touch.

Ah fuck it.

He turns back around and leans over your sleeping form, gently caressing your face and tucking your hair behind your ear.  “Y/n, sweetheart,” he whispers, “can you wake up for me, baby?”  His words don’t seem to have much of an effect, quiet little snores still escaping your lips.  Taking a firmer grasp of your shoulder, he shakes you ever so slightly, voice a little louder.  “Y/n, I really need you right now.”

Your eyes blink awake to the pretty face of your boyfriend staring longingly down at you.  “Lixie,” you ask groggily, “w-when did you get back?”

“Just a little bit ago.  I took you to bed but uh… “  You glance down, noticing his hard length, and even in your sleepy state your desire is piqued at his apparent desperation.  “... I couldn’t take it anymore.  You looked so beautiful; I could only think about your hands replacing mine.”  He leans down, nuzzling into your neck, placing gentle kisses on your chest.  “You think you could do that for me, Y/n?”

“Yes,” you breathe out, not quite wide awake but definitely awake enough to want to pleasure the man above you.

“Yeah?” he rasps again, your head nodding.  “Would you let me fuck you, baby?”

“Please…”

He gently eases off your underwear from beneath the covers, followed by his own.  He pushes the hem of the tiny tank top you’re wearing up over your breasts, taking a nipple into his mouth.  You let out a quiet moan, bringing your own hands to his chest and back, running long, languid stripes up and down with your fingernails as he continues sucking your tits, being careful not to leave too much of a mark.  His hand leaves your waist and makes its way between your legs, spreading open your folds.

“Lix - “ you gasp, desperate for him.

“Gonna let me open you up, angel?”

You feel his fingers enter you, two already slipping in easily to your wet heat.  He pushes them in oh so slowly, taking his time with you.  You can feel him scissoring you open, but you’ve both waited long enough; you want him now.

“Please Lixie… need your cock inside me…”

Felix lets out a groan, lining himself up with your core.  “Fuck, I knew you would sweetheart, my perfect girl.”

He eases in, the delicious drag of his cock on your walls making you cant up into him, but he holds your hips down gently.  “Don’t rush me, love.  I want to feel all of you tonight.”  You relax back in his grip as he rocks into you with deep, slow thrusts, curling his body above you so you can wrap your arms around him.  He’s vocal in a different way than he usually is, softly moaning in your ear, whispering tender praises.  “You feel so good around me, baby, just what I was craving.”  As he fucks you, he rubs his fingers against your swollen clit, leading you to the edge of orgasm with him.  The anticipation brought on by each tantalizing thrust has you on the verge of ecstasy, and with one last push, he buries himself deep inside you.  Your pussy spasms around him as you cum with a cry of his name, feeling his hot, wet seed fill you up.

He hugs you close to him as you come down from your highs, and then he’s peppering your face with kisses, thanking you and telling you how much he loves you.  You giggle as he tickles your tummy and gets up to grab a cloth to clean you with, wrapping him back in your arms when he joins you on the bed.

“That might be the best thing I’ve ever woken up to,” you say with a satisfied sigh, admiring the pretty galaxy of freckles that grace his cheeks, “but don’t you even think about setting that alarm for tomorrow.”

[starfishthestarfish]

Bitter Lovers

AU rapper!Kim Hongjoong x singer!Park Seonghwa (enemies to lovers)

Word count: 5183

Warnings: NSFW (minors dni), au!solo artists, tiny bit of angst (I'm sorry Hwa TT), top!Seonghwa, bottom!Hongjoong, anal play, anal fingering, anal penetration, slight nipple play, marking, handjob, one night stand, drunk sex, drunk confessions, did i forget something?

5k!??!?! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS 5K I THOUGHT IT WAS 3k. I'M FINALLY DONE WITH THIS AJSHJJS HERE YOU GO WORLD-

Challenge created by @treasureourfever

Challenge!! Create a fic plot based on these images

Bonus points: make it enemies to lovers (i tried? :/)

Hongjoong sat down in his designated seat as he waited for the ceremony to begin. As a well-known rapper/producer, he was usually seated in the first row in events, this one not being any different. He looked around, trying to recognize familiar faces. He was early, so he wasn't surprised to find some empty spaces around him. As the time for the event to begin came closer, the seats were slowly beginning to fill. All but two seats besides him.

These artists were really late. The beginning performance was already a few minutes in, and Hongoong's two right seats remained empty. He wasn't really paying attention thought, way too into the performance. That until he saw a person hurriedly sit next to him, hunching over to not bother the others behind him. Hongjoong looked at him and groaned in annoyance.

The artist turned out to be Seonghwa. He was just beginning his career, but his first single was already a mega hit. Plus, his mother being a famous actress had helped to his own fame. Climbing charts and gaining collabs with bigger artist, Hongjoong didn't think well of him. He seemed superficial and while most people had to work hard to get where he was, he did it in a few months with just a single.

"Late..." Hongjoong muttered before looking at the performance again, enough for the older boy to hear him.

"It's not as if it affected you." Seonghwa answered him. Seonghwa found Hongjoong hard to stand. They have only met a couple times. But while people considered him talented and understanding, Seonghwa thought he was kinda self-centered. Hongjoong would usually scoff or roll his eyes at him, he even tried ignoring him once. Still, Seonghwa wasn't someone who hated easily, and let that all slide in the past.

A girl rushed to other seat beside Seonghwa, fixing her dress before sitting down.

"Did I miss something?" She asked Seonghwa.

"No, honey-"

"You lost the whole entrance performance, did you guys not read the event planning?" Hongjoong looked at them annoyed.

"Could you- Please, mind your own business." Seonghwa answered him before looking back at his girlfriend. He might tolerate him, but he wouldn't let him talk back to his girlfriend.

*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*….*

"Guess what did I do?" Hongjoong's manager proudly asked while Hongjoong tweaked some tunes in his computer, his DAW open.

"What did you do?" He asked monotonal, way into his work.

"I was talking with Seonghwa's manager yesterday and he agreed to do a collaboration."

Hongjoong spun in his chair as fast as he could, breaking contact from his computer, eyes wide.

"You did WHAT!?" He asked dumbfounded.

"Do you imagine that? Two striking artists in one song! It's gonna be a hit!" The manager kept saying excited.

"What are you saying, I don't wanna collaborate with him! He's superficial and his fame isn't even real-"

"Oh, but you will. Think in the money, think in the money." The manager kept nodding at his perfect idea.

"Money?! I am in this industry because I love music, and I'm not quite excited to work with someone like him! Besides, I have a new single coming out in a few days!"

"Ok then you'll love making music with him and I'll love the money."

"THAT'S- DAMMIT!" Hongjoong slumped in his chair.

*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*….*

Hongjoong listened through the headphones to Seonghwa singing in the booth. At the end, he really didn't have an option and had to follow his manager and CEO's orders. Seonghwa wasn't a horrible singer, he was actually... A not so bad singer. Still, Hongjoong felt his presence make the ambience tense as soon as he walked in his studio. Besides, being his own producer, Hongjoong was usually the only one in his own studio unless he was during the last steps, where more producers would come and help by his request. Seonghwa had still tried to be court with him, despite Hongjoong's attempts to piss him off.

He stared at the taller boy with a poker face, trying to not express his surprised face when he kept on going higher in that high note. When the instrumental finished, Hongjoong clicked the button for Seonghwa to hear him in the booth. He paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts to not spit out his voice was outstanding.

"Might need loads of tuning but I can work with it, get out of there." Seonghwa sighed at Hongjoong's harsh words and took off the headphones, leaving them on the microphone. Hongjoong sealed his lips to avoid smiling as he felt he was finally beginning to get into the older's hair. Maybe he'd leave faster that way. Still, Seonghwa walked out and pulled a chair besides Hongjoong before sitting down.

"Can I check it out?" He asked, trying to contain the passive aggressiveness slowly growing in him as he felt Hongjoong tried to annoy him on purpose.

"I don't know, can you?" Hongjoong answered, still looking at his computer. Seonghwa groaned and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms.

"Hongjoong-"

"Oh, do you wanna call your mommy to accuse me of bothering you?"

It was impossible to be nice at him, really, but he still did his best to keep himself calm.

"Fine. Send the file to me once it's done, please." He got up, taking his jacket from the chair. He didn't even bother saying goodbye or looking back, he just left. Hongjoong looked back at the door after it was slammed, not actually surprised by it. He looked back at his computer, finally letting the edges of his mouth curl in satisfaction.

Actually, he hated to admit it but Seonghwa's voice did sound naturally good. He tried convincing himself otherwise, adding tuners but just ruining everything. His parts were outstanding when raw, just the mixing had to be done. Turned out he had more talented than Hongjoong originally thought. He never had paused himself to hear a full song of him, maybe he had judged him wrongly. That cute, fluffy, pink-haired boy looked like he meant no harm, and had tried being nice to him all along. Hongjoong shook those weird thoughts away, too stubborn to accept even the tiniest idea of him being wrong.

The door opened again, but Hongjoong didn't bother to take off his headphones nor turn around, knowing it would be either Seonghwa or his manager. He felt a tap at his shoulder, making him look back. Surprisingly, there was Seonghwa's girlfriend. Dressed in a very revealing dress. Hongjoong took off his headphones, still looking at her.

"Do you need something?" He asked, trying not to sound bothered.

"I was looking for Hwa. Do you know where is he?" She asked him before fixing her hair.

"He left a few minutes ago. You should call him with your phone, he might answer you." He said in a sarcastic tone, nodding at her.

She sighed.

"He doesn't answer my phone calls and we were supposed to have dinner together tonight... I guess he forgot..."

Hongjoong shifted uncomfortably in his seat, obviously not wanting to get between couple problems. He said nothing, expecting her to leave faster if he was silent. Seonghwa didn't look like the type to actually forget his girlfriend, so this was pretty weird.

But instead of leaving, she looked at herself.

"Do you think my dress choice is alright?" She twirled once, showing off her dress. To Hongjoong, he couldn't care less. He tried giving a discrete opinion.

"It's fine, depending on where you're going."

She pouted, bending over a bit and pulling at her skirt. Hongjoong slid back in his chair to keep distance, her sudden approximately making him feel even more uncomfortable than before.

"I'm not that pretty anymore, right? Do you think I'm pretty?" She asked, earning a confused look from Hongjoong. Well, he had seen prettier people, or maybe it was his own taste. Her own boyfriend was prettier than her, his broad shoulders and thin waist being more appealing to him.

Hongjoong stared nervously around as his cheeks began flushing a light pink. He was too nervous as to notice the girl in front of him smiling.

"Joongie?" Hongjoong flinched, looking at her while raising an eyebrow, the nickname shattering all previous thoughts. She actually was acting very suspicious now that he noticed.

"Won't you ask that to your boyfriend?" He replied, now slightly angry. If anything, she should try to respect her relationship with Seonghwa, or else someone could try taking him away from her.

*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*….*

Seonghwa arrived back to his apartment much earlier than expected. Turns out he had confused dates and he didn't have to film with Hongjoong as his newest single came out today.

Hongjoong. His efforts of being nice with him finally worked when he slowly seemed to accept him more. Two weeks ago, he might've thrown him out of his studio when he arrived. Today, still sarcastic and harsh as ever though, he told him he confused dates, and even insinuated inviting him to go drink with his team after the single was released. He declined, having plans to surprise his girlfriend to have dinner since he had been too busy working the last days to focus on her. He wasn't even close to being as nice as Seonghwa was with him, but he could accept that.

He took off his coat and loosened his tie, sighing at the feeling of being home. He walked towards the living room to have a seat when he noticed something oddly weird. Half a bottle of wine and two glasses were sitting over the table. He furrowed his eyebrows, confused. It didn't look like a setup; someone had been here.

Then he thought that maybe his girlfriend was back home early too. Maybe she chatted with a friend before leaving and left it all like this. He shrugged it off, knowing the maid would pick it up later. He went upstairs, thinking about taking a nap before going out again if his girlfriend hadn't arrived yet. However, things became odd by the end of the footsteps. Clothes were scattered on the ground, making a path to his own room. Not just his girlfriend's clothes, but also other men too. His heart raced, wanting to still be oblivious at the truth he had come to see. He kept walking, taking his time to reach the room as if everything would disappear in his way to the door. He felt his stomach twist at the same time he twisted the doorknob.

He couldn't come up to say a single word at what he saw, not even a sound. His throat closed, too many thoughts flashing in his head. He turned around, dumbfounded and ran away despite his girlfriend's-no, ex-girlfriend’s shouts, tears in his now red eyes.

*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*….*

A few hours had passed since Hongjoong's single release, and it was already beginning to climb charts. It looked like the single strived to reach the top, just as all his previous ones did. To celebrate, his team and him had decided to go have a night out at their favorite bar in the heart of the city. They didn't meet too late, 5pm, but did chat quite a lot for it to become dark. And in all that time, Hongjoong chugged down bottles after bottles of drinks, along with his team.

Hongjoong began feeling dizzy and lightheaded around 9pm. He shrugged it off and kept on drinking, thinking that it was product of his restless nights in front of his computer.

"Wow, take it easy, we don't want a scandal." He heard his manager say but didn't quite recognize him. He then felt his bottle being taken away from his hand. He immediately touched his head, feeling a strong pulse inside. "I think that's our cue. Let's get going." He heard the chair screech when his manager got up. "We'll see you tomorrow at the studio, guys." The manager said, lifting Hongjoong from his arm. He began pulling him to the entrance while calling the driver and order him to stay right next to the door as a drunk Hongjoong would be getting out of the installations.

Hongjoong suddenly froze, not moving with his manager anymore.

"Hey, let's go!" His manager tried pulling him. Hongjoong still didn't budge, squinting his eyes towards the bar counter after seeing that familiar styled pink hair.

"Seonghwa?" He whispered to himself. Why was he alone in a place like this so late if he had a girlfriend?

Hongjoong pulled his arm away from his manager and tried mixing with the people as fast as he could, avoiding his manager's yells. When he finally reached the counter, he sat beside who he had now confirmed was Seonghwa.

"Hey. What are you doing here so late? Bored of your girlfriend?" Hongjoong jokingly asked him, and Seonghwa turned to look at him for a moment. His eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks had wet trails from where his tears had fallen. His eyes held a mixture of disappointment and sadness, now surprise at the boy's sudden appearance. He looked away as soon as their eyes met.

"...Gosh, you reek of alcohol..." Seonghwa murmured instead of answering his question. Not like he wasn't tipsy, he had already drunk a few more glasses than what he normally managed.

"What happened? Why were you crying?" Hongjoong asked, his sarcastic tone fading away for some moments, staring anxiously at him. Seonghwa didn't answer right away, alternating between a spot in front of him and his drink. Hongjoong didn't know why, but he felt genuine worry about what had brought Seonghwa to this state, as he had never seen him before like this nor on tv nor personally.

"...I broke up with my girlfriend... She..." He murmured. He took a deep, shaky breath before he kept on talking, staring at his drink. "She cheated on me..."

Hongjoong's jaw tightened and he looked around. He wasn't actually surprised, she seemed to be an attention-seeker that day she came into his studio. And with the time working together, Hongjoong had noticed small flirty actions from her towards other men, especially when Seonghwa wasn't there. He didn't tell Seonghwa for this exact reason. The thought of Seonghwa tumbling down to his currently broken state made Hongjoong feel uneasy. So, he had always given his girlfriend piercing glares to drop her slutty act after threatening to tell Seonghwa about her real persona, at least while Seonghwa was close.

Hongjoong remained silent, deciding with his little sense left it was better to not talk about the theme. When he finally organized what to say, he talked.

"It'll be better if you go home instead of drinking here until you get as boozed as me."

"How can you still make sense while drunk...?" Seonghwa looked at him once again, and he shrugged. "I can't go, I don't know if she's still there with... that other guy."

"SHE CHEATED ON YOU IN YOUR OWN HO-" Seonghwa slapped a hand over Hongjoong's mouth.

"There goes what was left of your good sense- Please, I don't want a scandal!" Seonghwa scolded him before slowly removing his hand from his mouth.

"You can stay over my apartment then." Hongjoong blurted out as soon as he could talk. Seonghwa gave him a weird look in return. "What? It's better than staying alone in a hotel where you'll probably keep drinking your tears out."

Seonghwa thought about it for a few seconds. He didn't want to risk going back home and finding his girlfriend there, even though he was partially sure she had already left. Partially. But how could he spend the night over Hongjoong's house. Hongjoong didn't look like he hated him, but to be honest, he felt as if he could get stabbed while sleeping. It's not like he had many options, though, and it was getting late.

*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*….*

Seonghwa followed Hongjoong across his apartment silently, looking at the city through the enormous windows. It felt oddly familiar, new and comfortable at the same. Hongjoong's apartment was more of a mess though, compared to how clean and tidy Seonghwa kept his.

"You can stay here; I'll be across the hall if you need me." Hongjoong said while opening the door in front of them.

"Why would I need you...?" Seonghwa murmured while walking inside, straight to the glass pane to continue gazing at the city.

"I was just tryna be nice." Hongjoong muttered, staying at the door. Seonghwa walked towards the bed without answering, never removing his eyes from the window. Hongjoong felt a moment of awkwardness, unsure if to leave Seonghwa alone to his thoughts or stay for a while to keep him company. Well, why would he want his company anyway?

"...thank you, it's pretty weird to receive help from the person I least thought would care about me." Seonghwa said just before Hongjoong touched the doorknob.

"Thank my drunk self, I'd probably laugh at your pain while sober." Hongjoong joked, trying to light up the mood. Once again, Seonghwa didn't answer. Hongjoong stared at him for a few moments, expecting any type of reaction that would mean he didn't fuck it up. Seonghwa moved his hand up to his face, sniffling softly. Hongjoong tensed up immediately and walked towards the bed, sitting beside him. He felt words stuck in his throat. "...I was joking. You'll find someone better anyways, believe me. She wasn't worth you."

Finally, Seonghwa's head lifted up and he laughed a bit, wiping his eyes with his forearm.

"Don't worry, it wasn't your joke that made me feel like that." He sighed before looking at Hongjoong. "She wasn't worth me?" He asked smiling. Hongjoong spun his head to the front as soon as he finished formulating the question, trying to avoid his gaze.

"...again, I was trying to be nice." He answered. He felt his face slightly hot. Thankfully for him, the little light provided by the moon illuminating the whole room wasn't enough to display his blush. "Plus, she was way too slutty."

"You shouldn't talk about her like that... And she was worth it for a while." Seonghwa replied at his comment, looking back outside.

"She literally cheated on you in your own house. What should I call her? She wasn't half worth it. Anybody could be better." Hongjoong said.

"Anybody is...? Are you better?" Seonghwa blurted out. He didn't expect Hongjoong to answer, he didn't even know why did he ask that in first place. His expectations were confirmed when a long silence was the only thing he heard. He shifted uncomfortably on the bed and cleared his throat, unsure of how to get out of the situation.

"Yes." Hongjoong answered after the long silence. Was he even supposed to answer or was it a rhetorical question? His mind told him to shut up but his wasted self-kept spilling words. "I don't even think I can compare myself to her. I wouldn't ever think on doing something like that to you."

Seonghwa stared at him, shocked from him answering, a slight blush growing over his cheeks.

"But you've always acted as if you... had something against me."

"We can change that tonight." Hongjoong did his best to try and not escape his stare, he felt completely tense but strangely weird. Seonghwa didn't move though, nor did show signs of wanting to leave. "I've come to notice you're caring, sweet and talented, not to mention handsome. You're worth it all-"

Hongjoong's eyes widened when he felt a pair of soft, plump lips pressed against his. To just have finished a relationship, he had moved on very fast. Or, he thought it would be easier to try and forget it with someone else, that someone else being Hongjoong. In either way, Hongjoong kissed him back after a few seconds, his lips moving against his. The bitter taste of alcohol was still present in his mouth, combined with the sweet peach chapstick and a tingle of salt due to his previous crying.

Seonghwa didn't know he'd fall that easy for some sweet talk, but it felt different coming from someone so cold and indifferent to him. It's as if secretly, he had always wished for Hongjoong to praise him, as if deep inside he wished for his nice actions to be returned. And it could also be too much alcohol in his system plus Hongjoong's tongue intertwining with his in an intoxicating and addicting way.

As the kiss went on and became steady, the younger boy laid over the bed, Seonghwa following to avoid breaking the kiss and ending up topping the other. He supported himself against the bed pressing his hands on both sides of Hongjoong's head, caging him in the process. Hongjoong's arms wrapped around the other boy's neck, pulling him even closer if still possible. When there wasn't enough air left between them, Seonghwa broke the kiss but never breaking contact with his skin, immediately drawing a trail of kisses from Hongjoong's mouth to his jawline. Hongjoong tilted his head to give him more access as Seonghwa kept descending to his neck, his soft, wet kisses plus his panting against his skin leaving goosebumps wherever his lips touched. For a few seconds he thought he was being used out of spite by Seonghwa to forget his girlfriend, but he had tried being nice the past few hours. He could keep being nice for him a few more. Just to make him feel better.

Hongjoong gasped slightly when Seonghwa nibbled midway through the path on his neck, beginning to leave small love bites. Before he could keep on marking him, he held Seonghwa's hair with one hand and pulled softly.

"No hickeys..." He said in between pants. Seonghwa nodded and kept on kissing until he found himself halted by Hongjoong's shirt collar. His hands slipped to the shirt's hem. Hongjoong lifted his back from the bed while Seonghwa pulled his shirt above his head. As soon as the shirt was off, Seonghwa kept moving lower, sucking very lightly at his chest as to not leave any trace. Just as he began unbuckling Hongjoong's belt, he felt a little push. He looked up to check on the other boy, ceasing his actions.

"...let me bring the lube before it's too late to stop." Hongjoong murmured, pushing a bit stronger to move Seonghwa aside.

"Where do you keep it...?" Seonghwa asked, staring at Hongjoong while he got up.

"In my room, I'll go get it." He answered right before leaving the room. Hongjoong went into his room and right to his nightstand, opening the first drawer and shuffling desperately along the objects for a few seconds, his mind still clouded in want. He pulled out the lube and a condom, closing the drawer before leaving his room back to the one in front. He found Seonghwa already shirtless and unzipping his pants. Hongjoong stayed at the door a few seconds, staring at his muscles flex with every little movement and feeling his mouth water. He shook his head and walked in towards Seonghwa, tossing the lube and condom over the bed, catching the other's attention.

Before he could say anything else, Hongjoong pulled him once again into a kiss, pushing him back onto the bed and making sure he was the one on top this time. He straddled him, never breaking the kiss, shifting his position to press himself against the other's crotch. Seonghwa moaned in the kiss, moving his hands to the younger one's waist, bucking his hips slightly upwards at the feeling. As soon as their lips broke contact, Seonghwa flipped Hongjoong over to have him under him once again, earning a small yelp from the younger one at how sudden the movement was.

Seonghwa finished taking off Hongjoong's pants from where he left off, pulling down his boxers in the process too. Hongjoong's eyes kept tightly shut, his cheeks a vibrant red. Of course, he wasn't a virgin anymore but there was something about Seonghwa that had him feeling intimidated and exposed. Maybe it was how easy did his strength overpowered his own, how he submitted so easily to slight touches and how he was the first person who actually topped him from all his sexual encounters.

Hongjoong gasped and held tight on the sheets when he felt a single lube-coated finger push past his rim knuckle deep, stretching him. It slowly began moving, and Hongjoong rolled his hips to try to make it move faster. Seonghwa chuckled over his skin and kissed his chest before moving his head to lick over one of his nipples. He pushed another finger inside after seeing the other boy's eager actions, moving them faster. He groaned when he felt Hongjoong clench around his fingers while moaning, his mind wandering off to think he would soon be feeling the same heat around his own cock.

"H-Hwa, I'm close..." Hongjoong whispered, his moans growing in pitch as Seonghwa increased the speed of his fingers. His hands flew to hold onto the older one's pink hair who kept nibbling softly at his nipples, hips moving in a desperate attempt to try and make Seonghwa's fingers reach even deeper than they already were, make them stretch even further his insides.

Hongjoong opened his eyes, panting heavily, a very slight whine leaving his lips as he clenched around nothing after Seonghwa removed his fingers. He didn't complain though, watching Seonghwa open the silver package and roll on the condom. He bit his lip and laid his head back against the bed, his eyes still staring down at the other boy who pumped himself after adding more lube onto his cock.

Seonghwa pushed the tip past through his hole, sealing his lips at the tight feeling that slowly engulfed him, and Hongjoong closed his eyes, a moan escaping his lips.

With a single, careful but fast thrust, Seonghwa bottomed out while gasping, and Hongjoong felt the air being knocked out of his lungs. He used all his will power to not move, leaning forward onto the younger one while he waited for him to adjust.

After one or two minutes, Seonghwa pulled out a bit before thrusting forward once again, testing the other's reaction after watching him relax under him. Hongjoong whined and gripped onto Seonghwa's shoulders.

"...g-go on, please..." Hongjoong muttered, his eyes still closed to not have to face any tease Seonghwa might give him. Instead, Seonghwa groaned slightly, the words clicking somewhere around his clouded mind and making him give a thrust harsher than the last one, earning a loud moan from Hongjoong after hitting right against his prostate.

Soon enough, his hips had found a solid, steady pace, speed increasing every second until he found himself drilling the other one against the bed. Hongjoong kept on panting and moaning his name, nails digging into Seonghwa's skin to try and keep himself together as Seonghwa's tip pressed against his prostate over and over again. Seonghwa hid his face in the crook of his neck, panting over his skin and occasionally whimpering at the warm feeling. He knew he wasn't supposed to leave marks, but he couldn't help to begin sucking slightly at the exposed skin, Hongjoong not even minding anymore in his current state.

Seonghwa wasn't sure he was able to resist much longer while watching the smaller body underneath him wither and moan out his name repeatedly, all while clenching around him each time he was inside and sucking him back while he pulled out. He bit his lower lip and wrapped a hand around Hongjoong's throbbing cock, almost sure Hongjoong was as close as he was. In fact, Hongjoong whined even louder just at the contact, trying to buck up his hips and making Seonghwa hit newer spots inside him.

"G-gonna cum, Joongie..." Seonghwa warned him, his thrusts becoming sloppier and his hand jerking off the younger one. Hongjoong could just nod, mouth too busy in moaning, assuring the older one he was close too.

Hongjoong felt his whole body tremble and he let out a broken cry as he came, spilling his cum on both of their torsos, all while Seonghwa groaned against his neck, snapping his hips while coming himself too. He decreased the speed as he slowly rode down both of their highs, pants filling the room. Hongjoong wrapped his arms around his neck, eyes still closed and pants still loud. Seonghwa let himself fall over him, head lifting up from his neck to look at his blissful state. His eyes traveled to his lips, swollen and red from the making out session they had earlier. He gave a quick peck at them, almost as if he weren't allowed to do so freely.

Hongjoong, who was slowly drifting to sleep, couldn't help but smile when he felt Seonghwa's lips against his for a brief second. He woke up a bit more when he felt Seonghwa pull out slowly and his weight on top of him moving, hearing the sheets ruffle and Seonghwa standing up. For a moment, he thought he would be leaving, not wanting to talk about what just happened. It didn't make sense for someone like Seonghwa to do so, but Hongjoong wouldn't blame him if he did leave. Therefore, he didn't bother in opening his eyes when he heard a door open.

He did open them though when he felt a cold cloth against his skin, his whole body jolting at the sudden feeling.

"Sorry... I'll be done soon..." Seonghwa told him while cleaning him up. The particular care and warm voice made him unconsciously melt, and Hongjoong wondered if it was the alcohol in his system playing a bad move at him. After a few minutes, Seonghwa joined him in bed once again, arm creeping around his waist to hug him and the other one combing back his blue hair. It didn't take him long to drift to sleep.

*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*…..*….*

The sunlight hitting against Hongjoong's face finally made him open his eyes. For a second, he wondered why were the curtains open. His eyes traveled through the room and he once again wondered why wasn't he in his room. He touched his head with a groan; it was pounding aggressively. How much had he drunk yesterday? He stared at the floor, clothes scattered around. As his view shifted to look at himself, he stared at an arm locked tightly around his naked waist, and that's when he noticed the warm body flushed against his own. He turned his head around, eyes widening in the process.

Seonghwa was still asleep, his usual perfectly styled pink hair disheveled, strands falling over his closed eyes, breathing peacefully. His lips were slightly parted and his cheeks just a bit rosy, one of them squished against the pillow. His naked tanned skin was glowing underneath the sun light, just adding to the cute, heavenly view.

Eyes still wide, Hongjoong began remembering the events from last night, his own cheeks turning bright red, his stare lost in the scene he had in front.

"...oh, shit..."

.

.

Masterlist

[nnatsume]

hello! may i request natsume with a barista s/o who loves doing those cute latte art thingies and perhaps comes up with a whole new design for natsume to surprise him? i just think its fitting with natsume for some reason <3 brain full many thoughts … also ty in advance!

🔮 ; natsume special

a / n: WAAAAAIT THIS IS SOOO CUTE NONNIE . nd it fits.. so well.. gets a scenario!!!!!! sorry for the wait!! even these natsume rqs seem like they are gonna take me a while, unfortunately.. my motivation is. very. barely there and i'm nooot quite sure if i'm really satified qwp

natsume's seen you do these things—you take some foam, tilt the cup, put it in the espresso in some way, pick this and that spot, and suddenly it's art. the chemistry of it, he knows—obviously—but the art of it leaves him a bit curious every time. how do you do that?, he'll ask himself, watching you pour a cup. what kind of trick is this?

he's fond of it, though. watching you focus on something you like to do, even from afar, is the cutest thing in his eyes. this is your element—and your enjoyment is his too.

naturally, natsume wants to take a closer look at it, but every time he asks, you slide around the question—oh, it's not perfect yet, you say, i'll show you soon, i promise. soon became later and later never arrived. so do you blame him for being so direct?

“good night. ♪ you seem surprised.”, he comments smugly when your eyes lock. you almost dropped his cup—you didn't expect a visit. “i wanted to come and see up close. now that i came such a long way, it would be impolite to dodge.”

you looked aside, tugging at your collar. “you just walked down the road, natsume. but.. it's not really perfect yet, so i can't show you.”, you placed the cup on his table. the top layer was devoid of even the usual pattern, staring up at him blankly.

“if you want it to be perfect, won't you need feedback? i'd say i'm qualified.”, he argued in a light-hearted voice, letting his head fall onto his palm. with sharp eyes as ever—you know very well of his judging abilities. “you've shown everyone here so nicely, except the one you've locked a promise with. don't you love me anymore? ♪”

you sighed, “you're impossible.. but not.. not wrong. here. i'll do my best.”, with that, you pulled the cup back to your edge of the table. his eyes narrowed with a triumphant spark as he scooted closer, nearly on the edge of the bench. “not so close—the drink is going to have your hair in it.”

at that, he leaned back. “there's people dying for that, out there.”, natsume joked, little bits of his previous excitement showing in his tone, “anyhow—i won't bother. do your thing.”

a final scoff left you before you diverted your attention back to the cup. a container of foam in one hand and a needle in the other, you began to work—and he watched you like a hawk. taking in the way your hands moved with such precision and skill, pouring and tweaking—admirable.

in the end, the design looked.. a bit out of the ordinary. it's not a design that he'd seen anywhere on any panel, where you so nicely displayed your art—it's entirely new. much more.. detailed. precise. he placed a hand on his chin so his jaw wouldn't drop.

“impressive.. you practiced a lot.”, natsume chuckled, “you can make a good thing out of this, for the shop. how come it's not on the menu yet? that's such a waste.”

deep breath. “that's because it's for you. it's a new design.”

natsume froze completely, staring into the espresso you so lovingly prepared for him. the cogs started turning—you were talking about it as if it's one thing, and he thought it was the art, not this specific one. his heart skipped a beat.

“why you.. you. you can't just say that here. don't you think this should only be between our eyes? if you would've said so, i wouldn't have bothered you.”, he muttered, head hung low—to the left was the window, and to the right were you—his face felt embarrassing. he sighed. “but.. thank you, it looks lovely. i almost don't want to disturb it, but it smells otherworldly—letting it waste would be a shame. say, when's your next break? ♪”

[miiserableee]

( POLAR MYSTIQUE ) ▸ DOS : ! ( uno ) / ( tres )

scaramouche × fem!reader ! ( summary ) a point of view from other characters which coincidentally is a close friend of scara , where they all state why , just why , you both still remain still within the state of friends with extended definition of being something not yet official but is patently there , ( mentions ) of reader having an older brother , being perfect , smart athletic u know the drill , scara being ooc ! annoyed scara ! reader also have dead parents ! drunk reader ! reader w/ abandonment issues ! reader kind of a bro-con ! reader is weak to alcohol ! reader being somewhat , moderately socially approachable ! this is uh , kind of in a 2nd person viewpoint of kazuha ! ( 5.2k words ) modern!au!

𖥼 , A DIFFERENT FLOWER , BLOOMED IN HIM !

HE WALKS . with a tall ginger at side , atleast a ruler's length away . namely called childe . blabbering about how he loved their just a few minutes ago lesson with prof. zhongli . the considerably shorter ; scaramouche couldn't even bother give a nod or a brief reply . simply seeming to not want the ginger's company but couldn't be bothered to try and escape from it either . he tweaked with his phone , childe has noticed him typing something before , and him placing it back on his pocket , then swishing his swinging bag just hanging by one shoulder , and checking it again . he kept on checking and checking until they were from their last room , out here in their campus' open fields .

childe had quite the clear idea of just who exactly he texted and has yet to reply . couldn't be anyone other than the only being he ever mentions with slight bit change with his usual mundane expression . he may not gush about it so often with his words but he does almost always sound like your name was the only one that can ever leave his lips more times than ten in a day .

he'd never tell anyone about such fixation but also would never deny any sort of assumption . childe has only been with this guy for three years now , since the start of their college life , but man was that enough for him to notice the subtle differences of how he treats you and how he deals with others .

anyone on same standing as childe in scaramouche's life would wonder , just how you two are still not dating . it didn't seem like scaramouche didn't have the guts to confess , and never did it seem like you'd ever reject him . so whatever was the reason that kept you both from leveling up from the close as hell yet nothing more than childhood friends basis .

just as he thinks of you , you came right of rear view , coincidentally walking to them , a few girls with red tints on their cheeks , visible enough for childe ; meters away to see . what got them blushing so furiously ? you didn't seem to be passing on hitting on them either with that calm and tranquil label on your face sticking with persistent trace . they soon left though , giggling and almost audible small speech bubbles with kya kya around them , grouped with pecks of pink small giddy flowers .

you were walking the same route close to where the two of them were headed , and just as suspected , scaramouche already got eyes at you ; still aloof and unaware , hand at your gray tote bag , snug against the silk of your sleeveless , buttoned black top , its collar hiding that one pendant necklace you got from , oh why don't you readers guess .

as soon as you raise your sights away from the smooth of the ground floors is when you noticed them two , though it'd be more plausible to say that you only noticed scaramouche .

"Scara ? Scara !" those fog in your eyes cleared with his figure on sight . immediately speeding up your walking into pacing as you raise a hand as if to wave at him . he only waits . "Nice seeing you here . Oh , hi Childe ?" he swore you've forgotten his name and is unsure as you spoke of it but he's keeping that hypothesis to himself .

"Hi Y/n , done with classes ?" he giddy up at you with a small grin and a friendly wave to return your not meant for him one . regardless , you acknowledge his presence , "Yeah , I got a long vacant next so I was planning on killing some time ."

"Where ? At that arcade down a few rides away again ? You know , I can take you on a better place to kill some time !" indirectly insulting your place of comfort and original homes of huge ass stuff toys , now rested on the blankets of your bed , you , already immune to it , just snark up a reply . "Yeah ? Like a week-trip in France ?"

"Of course ! Whenever you're free ."

"Sweet—"

"Y/n ."

"Mhm ?"

it's simply astonishing how you didn't at all react stiff with the cold of his voice that interrupted your conversation—maybe that's the benefit of having been close to him since of young age . "We can live in Paris for 10 years if that's what you so like ."

"Scara , I'm still poor <33 ." you jokingly slump your shoulders and he scoffs , "Obviously ." and you just look at him with a stop agreeing look . he had already pulled you atleast five feet away from childe and barely a feet away from him . said tall ginger had nothing to say both in mind and aloud but WHAT ??? TOGETHER ?? LIVE IN PARIS ???? FOR 10 YEARS ??? IS THAT WHAT CHILDHOOD FRIENDS DO NOWADAYS ???? he internally regrets not keeping any of his childhood friends as close as scaramouche and you kept each other for many years end .

"Why weren't you answering my messages ?" he so complains , pinching up at your side as you immediately release an ouch and caught his wrist , teary eyed a bit as you ask back , "You sent messages ?" damn , now there you just dug your grave deeper . he pinches noticeably harder as your face flinched and the bit of you being teary eyed ? shattered .

"I was scolded during class cause it rang and wouldn't at all stop . Nii-chan was spamming so I had to mute it . I didn't get to check since right after getting out the halls , those girls asking about you swarmed at me again ." he seemed unbelieving at first before he just pinches more one last time and you held unto his wrist much tighter . "Ow ow , I'll check it , I'll check it , alright ?"

so you did , fiddling with your tote and fishing out your phone to see that he did send a message . "You wanna eat lunch together ?" he pinches harder . "OW OW—Okay okay !"

and just as he thought you have forgotten him , it seems as though you still haven't . "Childe ? Wanna eat with us ? You haven't eaten yet , right ? I'll call Kazuha over , too ."

there it was . it wasn't uncommon . how you held hands out for people that needs something to hold unto . you were that one girl snug at the friend group but keeps eyes out for the ones being left behind . you were that one that asks everyone for their orders at restaurants before you say yours . you were the one that listens to everyone and let them drag you wherever and whenever they could . you were naive .

scaramouche , how exactly did you get him to open up to you ? with how easy you were ? how much of a light baggage you are to carry ? oh , could it be that it's simply easy to drag you around ?

"Childe ?"

no . it's none of those . it's because , you so fit him .

"Yeah , I'll go ." he says with a cheeky grin which scaramouche brushes off with a closed glare as he more puts focus on your hold on his wrist . he pinches again . "Stooooop that ." you almost have the tear pouring but he just smirks , soon putting aside his clamped fingers and just pressing his palm against what part he had been inflicting stings at .

childe watched it happen . those silent antics of odd affection . they weren't often noticed by others as when said others do contort a few of his moments , they only ever get caught up in the pretty of his snow skin and almost amethyst-like eyes . childe sighs , walking ahead as you follow , scaramouche letting go but you ended up snatching at his shirt's hem and pulling him in again to show him the spam of a mess your brother had supposedly done on your chatbox . laughing and being giddy lightly as scaramouche just stared and reads every detail-quite the look resembling that of glare present as he venture eyes at what you had him see . he puts those emotions aside as you got in the canteen .

"Kazuha !!" you bemused at the presence of the newcomer , said newcomer just smiles and nod , quite expected of his quite the calm nature . completely why others are beyond baffled as to why and just how he ended up being one of the closest to scaramouche . well , this others , really is just childe and a few people , like their some seniors like venti and rosaria , juniors like chongyun and xingqui . to others that could be deemed as ; almost everyone , scaramouche is the silent , cold type but knows how to smile and throw thorny bouquet of words , quiet poetic , but , just ; no .

"When can I have a girlfriend myself , comrade ?"

"When you stop using comrade as a means to refer to people , perhaps ."childe pouts at the immediate response , kazuha just providing another teeth aching smile as he takes bites of his own meal . "How was classes , Y/n ?" you and kazuha weren't really of same major but a few of his classes , you also attend ; you really find the fun in his taken word-y lectures .

"It was fun ." your smile is so spent back when it's to be shown to others , kazuha who never really minded just nods .

"Did you take a class same as Kazuha again ?" scaramouche asks as you just turn at him as you take in whatever your chopstick could pick up at your tray . "Kinda , he took that class last sem ."

scaramouche looked the least bit displeased before he just doesn't reply and continue to focus on his thing . childe would judge that as him being jealous , as his major is more on businesses and all that , you couldn't really relate . but maybe scaramouche wasn't that jealous type of a person ? since you were always crowded by people the time childe and kazuha had come to witness you two's foolish unofficially announced chasing of each other-maybe he liked it when others see just how great you are ?

"You don't have classes anymore ?" kazuha asks scaramouche whom was just about to follow you ; already a few meters ahead . "Hm , we'll be going for a drive down the riverside ."

a drive down the riverside . that often meant that you would be busy the next few days so he's off to take you somewhere to have some quality time together or he's the one who's gonna be busy . "Okay , Childe and I will go , get home safe ."

childe just stands there behind kazuha , it was past the hour of sunsets and the orange and reds , yellows and grays were turning more into blacks and violets .

"How are they not dating yet ?" childe mumbles out as he walked with kazuha to where their cars would be . "He says he doesn't feel like it's yet time for him to confess ." though , said scaramouche have never really said that aloud , it's more so the message kazuha gets from those few plucked-luck situations when he does accidentally ask and receive a flare glare instead .

"Haven't they been at it for quite the time now ? Even before college ." to be exact , when childe first started associating himself with scaramouche and witnessed one of those moments said man would have with you , the initial question that popped off of him , for scaramouche to answer , was ; is she your girlfriend ? its almost as if he was speaking for everyone when he asked that . which was legit as almost everyone either leaned or stopped whatever they were doing just to listen in the table said him and scaramouche sat in , be it boy or girl , the popular ones or the quiet ones—everyone wanted in .

everyone wanted , maybe even needed to know . as you two were a pair so secretive yet public . no one could bash you for it when individually everyone loved you both . scaramouche , the smart , and moderately social guy that keeps his boundaries known even with his flowers-covered words of steeled knives—you , whom is never problematic and completely neutral , the silent type with over brimming charisma . you who'd never show any emotion more than the bare minimum , unless when he comes of view , and him who never really does anything for anyone unless you come into being the one in need .

it's so obvious . so so obvious .

and kazuha agrees .

he didn't at all when he first met you . he didn't even think you were all that of a big deal , just a regular friend of scaramouche with a bit of different tang and whiff along your airs , but never really anymore than that . you were introduced as the one who took his side as being scaramouche's personal really close friend , as he had to leave for canada . he did come back to study college and ended up having to meet you as you were often called on by scaramouche or you were the one nearing him . he brushed off the almost unnoticeable but still there selective affectionate antics his friend displayed for you as something not worth his time to think about as scaramouche couldn't possibly be meaning to do all that intentionally—

who would have thought that the seven years he's gone was enough for flowers to bloom in some man like scaramouche ?

time and time again , he'd sometimes freeze when labeled witness of times scaramouche would act to you like how a lover would and you'd do the same . even if the said act could be seen as mediocre and especially affection-lacking , it was still enough for kazuha's smile to stiffen and thought process crumble . he felt foolish to think that even scaramouche wouldn't change or find the one on the course of seven years .

he was in denial , thinking at one side that maybe you weren't all that special , to scaramouche , even when clearly , you are . on the other side , he was near believing and understanding scaramouche's unsaid feelings even if he'd always had a concrete belief that said pal of his would never have a speck of romantic whatnot to spare .

who knew that all he needed was one scenario for said concrete belief that have already shattered to pieces , get blitz to dust there and then ?

"You're with who ? That alcohol loving bastard and his tattooed companion ? Who else ? Not even with that Lumi-girl you always mention ? Wouldn't your brother be worried ?"

kazuha remembers well how scaramouche came back the table with a restless air around him . both their parents knew each other having been acquainted during their days of college and early endeavors to before all the well known good success . there was then a big dinner with said two families , catching up and listening in on stories that could be tips or just completely entertaining were being shared and discussed but all kazuha did was drink his alcoholic drink silently .

when it was time to head home , as him and scaramouche lived at different dorms for easy transport and convenient privacy for college , they were advised to head home together . and as kazuha is yet to be bought his own ferrari or mercedes because uni was in the way , he had to hit up a ride with scaramouche . which the man just didn't care about at all as he reaches for his keys , not minding if said kazuha were to follow or not .

the ride was silent as both were tired . having been questioned multiple things for both being either heir or helpers of the heirs , they were quite up for the roller coaster like questions , a gut shrieking ride . they were used to it , but it still sucks at their HP no matter the number of times it happens .

it's only ever broken , said still in the scented air of the car , when scaramouche's phone rang . he eyed it where it was , laying neatly on the seat beside him . kazuha was on the backseat , he doesn't like seating himself beside the driver of any car he is to ride on . scaramouche didn't bother doing anything like taking his airpods , maybe because he was driving . just answered and put it on speaker . "Y/n ?"

"Ah hello ? Sir , uh , Scara-mama's-boi ? Lol , what a name . Anyways , this isn't Y/n~ ! We didn't know she could get drunk this easily , sorry . Uh , mind picking her up ? If you're busy , my boyfriend Xiao here can do it . Say hello Xiao !"

"If he's busy just tell him to send us her address ."

the so called venti laughs heartily at this xiao's way of saying hello , before continuing , "This is Venti by the waaaaaaay !!"

scaramouche squinted eyes at this , catching glances at his phone . the two seniors are well known around the uni . the uni is big and filled of people from other countries and places . xiao and venti are well known to be the first ones to be as popular as scaramouche and you now . their looks and attitudes , talents being a means of their fame . scaramouche never really even bothered with their existence but they approached you , well , venti did . since you're always with scaramouche , it came to be a fact that he grew a bit acquainted to them as well . they may have known that there was simply no way he'd answer any call if it wasn't from you . scaramouche exhales , almost sounding irritated , the cause of the hint of irritation ; unsure was kazuha ."Which bar are you at ?"

"Oh ? You're not busy ? Nice ! We're at the recently opened one here in uhhh . Near the plaza ? Wait let me send ."

after a while , of exchanging locations , scaramouche turned his wheels to where he knew said location would be . "I'll drop you off later , Kazuha . Or you can just get down here and call up a cab . I'll pick up Y/n ." kazuha wasn't in that much of a hurry , and he did need to let loose after the straining persistence of appointed imagery , he's been acting on since earlier . "I'll accompany you . I haven't seen Y/n in a while too ."

"Suit yourself ."

the bar was grand . it was large and spacious , loud and tenacious . kazuha and scaramouche were only able to enter after having bribed the bouncers a hefty load of under-given money . not really under when the annoyed scaramouche just slapped the cash right at the big men's face . annoyance seemingly increasing at the loud of the room , but that sort of reaction wasn't all that visible anymore when the two of them walked to the vip section where their senior said they were .

you weren't really breaking havoc or dancing all giddy with beats disregarded and limbs swayed all ragged . you were just sitting there at the bar stool , sipping at a huge beer glass mug , rather quickly too . almost as if the burning it does as it travels down your throat is nothing at all . you drank it like water . kazuha thought , oh , what a calm drunk she is . the only actual indication of you not being sober were the light hiccupping, deep strikes of red on your cheeks and the way your eyes rested at the shelves of other alcoholic beverages . completely lost and aloof much like usual .

until scaramouche started speed-walking and turning you with a hand at your shoulder , smiling eerily at the tattooed senior who was attained to mandatory caressing of your back . said senior flit away his hand in motion the moment he notices scaramouche under the pink and violet streams of light from the attached things above . as for you , when you turned at him , it wasn't even a second after , yet somehow , tears just started erupting . your e/c eyes shining , your hiccupping reducing to a mantra of his name . scara , scara , scara .

you were crying and he just looked , one eye twitching and an irked expression to be of seen as he stealthily moves the glass which was full when they came in and was already half way done with just your recent last sip ; away . latching at his waist were your arms . you hugged him tight as you sobbed his name out for a reason kazuha just couldn't begin to guess out .

he's seen you smile , laugh , annoyed , upset and many more before but that never meant he had seen you cry at all . with how you're usually mistaken to be void of any sort of humane and not-practiced emotions and reactions , it had his eyes widening at the sight of you , practically on the edge of actual wailing .

"Weird, right ? I never thought I'd ever see her cry at all !" venti tuned out with a laughter to finish it off as he leans on kazuha's shoulder , sipping more alcohol , a different kind than what got you like that and probably much stronger on the alcohol-meters too . "Is she okay ?"

"We don't know too , she just started crying and mumbling about her brother and things . Would then stay still like what you saw earlier , almost fell asleep too ."

you were a lightweight . the kind that allows alcohol right through their veins within three above-average sips yet still had guts of steel to chug in more than three above-average full-filled cups .

there wasn't anymore said and replied but a nod as scaramouche was already prancing out with wobbling you , still wiping at your tears . most have already gone back to your lips along with couple of snots and scaramouche just wiped them off with a disgusted look and a handkerchief which you were now using to rid of other more fluids coming out .

"You aren't even 20 yet and there you were , drinking . Are you stupid ?" scaramouche comments as he gets his keys , his words were harsh but kazuha found that normal , as he gently laid out hands on your head and wrist when you were heading to sit with him in the backseat . all the more ready to lay your head in his lap momentarily and nap . still sniffing . scaramouche immediately yanks you back to him though when you were just about to fall in the car , to be caught by kazuha . "You're sitting on the front . Don't bother Kazuha ."

"But I wanna lay down ." you said that between light attempts of pushing back dripping snot , trying to escape your nostrils . scaramouche glares at you and proceeded to ignore you as he gently guided you to where he wants you to be . surprisingly , you just stirred a last ; also not minded by him ; look of pity before you did as told .

"The house suddenly feels so lonely , Scaramoochie ." kazuha barely contained his snort at the nickname . you three were already on way to where you live , which scaramouche knows all too well that he didn't even need no gps / navi . "Nii-chan doesn't come home every night anymore . We don't get to watch movies anymore . I'm always alone at home . I don't wanna go home . Drop me off here ." you had your head leaned against the car's window and your arms bent at your covered legs , much to scaramouche's relief . you reeked of beer , good thing kazuha was used to it , having an aunt with such great drinking habits .

"We're stuck in traffic , in front of motels , Y/n . Shut it ."

you sniff, kazuha presumes you've started crying once again . "It's cold . I'm so lonely . He's so busy . Uni isn't 24/7 and my shifts at the cafe is so , once in a blue moon . I don't wanna go home , Scarabooobs . Even the alcohol didn't help me forget shit . Just had me crying even more . I should be happy for him ." your sentences were so random yet it pieces up a certain context for kazuha . scaramouche just scoffing at you as he turns the curb . "Your brother is finally getting married and this is how you act . How stupid ." you nod , tears pooling even more despite your barely-even-there disagreement .

"He's finally living his life and here I am . Stop reminding me , I hate you, Scaracootie." he rolls his eyes again with a small grin at face this time . kazuha was so near voicing out why he still hasn't tried choking you to death with all the weird twisting of his name . "Just start living your life too . Your world should start a stop with this idiotic revolving around your brother and only him , seriously ."

"You say that as if you don't know how he's the only one I've ever had around ." kazuha finds you more pitiful than idiotic . having no parents during the stages of growing . he's never actually known that you thought that way until this day . alcohol may really be a strong truth serum . he kept his eyes closed and leaned against the seat to fake being asleep , not as though him hearing any of these is weird since you have been friends with him for a while and had your own synopsis of your life with what little details you let slip during sharing of your stories and such .

"Find another to take his place of improtance then ."

"Like , replace him ? My perfect brother ?" you retort all too quickly and he shrugs , "Figure it out ." you blink aside again . "I already have someone as important as Big bro around . But he sucks actual tamarind and bitter gourmet all days he lived and lives . Big bro would be offended if I were to replace his place in my heart with said someone ."

"You know . . . what I . . . mean . . . ?"

the obnoxious amounts of periods actually is proof of how long the distance your words in that sentence made with all the yawning and drowsiness you kept on signaling . right after saying that , you were already fast asleep , snoring smallish even . as much as kazuha found that totally too clichè of a thing to actually happen along his line of sight from almost fully-closed eyes , it happened anyway .

hm , yawning and sleepiness may really be contagious , the moment you went to sleep with such notions and motions , kazuha whom has been keeping his eyes close since earlier felt a sensation akin to that of pulling , his senses dulling but before he could resign off of consciousness , he hears scaramouche say first , with a voice low and a grin a bit snarky , a reply to your dozing message ,

"I don't , stupid ."

kazuha awoke to the sound of you mumbling things as scara seem to have already parked near your home and is now casting vibrations on your shoulder to get you awake . you simply groan and try to be one with the car door and scaramouche exasperated out a sigh and walked out his side of the car door and walked out to circle round and get to you , opening up the door and pulling you out . "Wake up or you're sleeping in the car ."

you hated the smell of cars . kazuha watched as you seemingly sobered a bit to stand up and walk wobbly beside him . mouthing more of your slurred out jokes of his name and his bitter interior . a bit of seldom sobbing commercials are your constant complains of your brother's marriage . all falling on deaf ears as scaramouche just guides you to your home .

you both disappear of the staircase of that apartment complex and kazuha patiently waits in tha car . the fact that he saw you crying being under the influence of alcohol wasn't what amused him most . it was the other side of the amusement coin that scaramouche dealt with it all .

when said pal came back from your home and was grumbling about how much trouble you drunkenly caused , kazuha asked with not much in mind but the will to confirm his assumptions . "Do you like Y/n ?" if scaramouche were to answer properly then he'd probably understand why he was all mad the time he skipped from last name basis phase and went ahead to calling you by your first name .

but said man only ever contradicts his earlier actions by mouthing such unreasonable sentence , "As if , I hate her guts ."

right , tell yourself that . kazuha somehow snaps back , snapping only being said by him in his mind but he'd rather not exert that much effort anymore , he just slept the whole drive home .

things didn't change at all ever since , maybe the fact that you and kazuha somehow got closer after that incident was one of the very few changes . regarding you and scaramouche's relationship though , you two stayed stagnant along the waters . still somehow not moving at all , not forward or backwards , just frozen stiff along such unsure lines , as if you two feared the ripples , as if they weren't bound to come due some time .

"What the fuck , Kazuha !! Focus !!" childe almost scream into his mic and into kazuha's ears , and that somehow got kazuha back from his reminiscing . he knew from the tone that childe was in no way mad , the one reason why he ever so casually just throw at him , a "Oh , right , yeah ."

"YOU DROPPPpPED iTTTT !!" referring to the gun , childe screech in a means kazuha has yet to figure out . he tries to find peace in this chaotic set up , "Can you , like zip it for a minute—" only to admit defeat with a stubborn , irritatingly loud , "AAAAAAAA KAZUHA WE GON' DIE !!!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP CHILDE ! YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT ." scaramouche shouts , kazuha falls into a case of laughter as soon as childe erupts one . finally having a kind of realization to why childe was being even more annoying than usual . kazuha though , felt a bit bad for laughing when their friend was fuming at the other line at how they were losing their winning streak . he didn't particularly care , as much as victory prove to be sweet , losing isn't in any means that bitter for him .

it wasn't every night that they have a game night , its actually a very rare occurrence . it's most of the time just him and childe , some friends of childe , or maybe some friend of his . scaramouche rarely joins in . it's quite nice to hear his knife-birthed words from time to time , as weird as that sounds . today was one of those days where you somehow get into a fight with scaramouche . that's also a rare occurrence .

the two didn't know what the reason for the fighting was but they knew it happened even if they didn't see it , since scaramouche just suddenly hits them up with a dorks , lets play tonight . childe assumes and murmurs that it must have something to do with whatever occurred yesterday when you two walked by the riverside .

though none of two would really pry .

that went on for a while , them shouting at each other over the mic as they play , in an attempt to drift the night away , kazuha sounding the most sane out of them three , the other sounds high while one sounds like all his capability to stay calm have gone down the drain of impossibility-s .

it all came to a pause when scaramouche's phone rang and he answered . it also wasn't that usual for scaramouche to answer a call during a game , so they bet they knew who called . it was silence before the beeping faded and a voice came along hoarse and obviously tired , a man's too .

"Hey , uh , Scaramouche . Yeah it's , hm , us again ."

maybe this repeat can lead to a different end .

SCARA-LiNE ! / WORK NAVi ! next chap : YOU & XIAO !