#Best Flowers in Liverpool

[zenasflower]

Flower Delivery in Liverpool

Stunning flowers from your local florist. For dazzling Mother’s Day bouquets, romantic anniversary flowers and thoughtful get well flowers, you’re sure to find just what you need from this trusted flower shop in Liverpool.

A classic mix of fragrant white oriental lilies, roses and alstroemeria complemented by lush foliage. Sent in a special Eflorist box for a wonderful unboxing experience, your blooms will arrive in bud and open beautifully with the addition of water and our included flower food.

The Orient

The Orient is an Flower Delivery in Liverpool white arrangement featuring fragrant oriental lilies and white roses, complemented by fresh seasonal foliage. It’s beautifully presented in a classic Eflorist box designed to protect the flowers, and give your recipient a

pleasant unboxing experience.

The historic city of Liverpool is located in Sydney’s South Western suburbs, 27 kilometres (14 mi) from the central business district. It was founded as a thriving port in the 18th and 19th centuries and today is renowned for its heritage, art and culture.

The best Liverpool florists create a wide variety of flower arrangements and gift baskets for any occasion, including birthday flowers and Mother’s Day flowers. They can even deliver a beautiful anniversary bouquet or surprise them with a romantic Valentine’s Day flower arrangement. When you choose Noble’s Flowers, you can trust that your flowers will be hand-delivered with care. We offer local and nationwide delivery through our reliable florist network! Order now to send the perfect gift to your loved one.

Roses & Chrysanthemums

A fusion of irises - wisdom and tranquillity, roses – love, friendship, and happiness, bush chrysanthemums – longevity and joy, viburnum - beauty and elegance, and alstroemeria - lightness and airiness, this bouquet will create unforgettable emotions and pleasant memories. It is a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or simply to please someone.

Featuring hot pink stock, dark orange roses and lavender chrysanthemums complemented with fresh foliage, this attractive garden arrangement is the perfect way to show your appreciation. Delivered in a protective Eflorist box, your flowers are sent in bud to preserve their freshness. With the addition of water and our flower food, they will transform into their final form within just a few days.

Alternatively, send this beautiful white bouquet to celebrate any occasion with a special person in your life. This warm and welcoming arrangement is made up of pure white roses, lilies, and germini, all hand-tied by a florist and sent in a

convenient gift bag for easy display.

Freesias & White Roses

If you're after an elegant white bouquet, look no further than this gorgeous posy. Filled with pure white freesias and pretty lilac roses complemented by stems of gypsophila and foliage, it offers stunning blooms at a price you'll love. A beautiful choice for a romantic surprise or as a thoughtful tribute to the deceased.

Liverpool has a large wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market and hosts two major horticultural shows, the Knowsley Flower Show and Southport Flower Show. The people of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians and enjoy the rich diversity of music, culture and history in their city.

Flourish offers an effortless and affordable flower delivery service to Liverpool, making it easy to make someone's day. Simply choose the flowers you want, select a delivery date and we'll do the rest. The recipient will receive their floral gift from one of our trusted local florists, bringing happiness and joy to their day. Our Liverpool flower delivery service has been designed with your convenience in mind.

Birthday Flowers

Give a birthday surprise that they’ll remember with this classic white Perfection flowers, featuring fragrant white oriental lilies and roses, complemented by the freshest alstroemeria and seasonal foliage. Each flower bouquet is a one-of-a-kind creation by our local florists, which means that whilst your gift may differ slightly to the image shown, it will be equally as beautiful.

This birthday gift comes in a stylish Eflorist box that is perfect for protecting the delicate stems, so your recipient can unbox their beautiful surprise with ease. The flowers are sent in bud so they’ll arrive at their destination in pristine condition, ready to bloom with just a splash of water and our included flower food.

Situated on the Mersey estuary, Liverpool is a historic city with plenty to see and do. From the iconic Royal Albert Dock to a range of museums and art galleries, there’s something for everyone here. The birthplace of the Beatles, it’s no wonder that this bustling city attracts visitors from all over the world.

[richarlisonny]

hello

[cinnaleaf]

ESSENCE OF US - CH 4: YOU, ME, US*

Please read responsibly. This fic will get hot and heavy as the story progresses, 18+ only MDNI | READ CH 3 HERE | MASTERLIST | READ CH 5 HERE

summary: a fleeting encounter with a mysterious Trent leaves you wondering if fate is playing a bigger match. your paths continue to cross in unexpected places as the fragrances around you mirror the growing tension between you. maybe it's just a coincidence..or maybe its destiny in the making.

warnings: extreme fluff, SMUT, unprotected sex, oral sex (male receiving), language, implied anxiety genre: fluff, angst, slow(ish) burn romance wc: ~6.5k a/n: y/n did a number on this man, he's enamored! i wanted to evoke every emotion with this one. hopefully it worked bc i had to dig deep in my feels for this.

You were already awake when Camille barged in, coffee in hand with a grin plastered across her face. The scent of jasmine filled the room from some flowers Trent sent earlier; the jasmine flower was woven intricately into the stems of a garden rose bouquet, curling through the air like a gentle reminder of him. It made your heart race every time you caught a whiff, butterflies enveloping your body as you tried to think of anything other than match day. “Okay mystery girl,” Camille announced as she plopped onto your couch without hesitation. “How are we feeling about being in WAG territory?” You groaned, throwing your head back against the couch cushion, “Ughhh, you’re not helping Camille. I’m not a WAG!” You took a sip of coffee, biting your lip as the feeling of uncertainty twisted around in your stomach. “I don't know if I'm ready for all of this. It's a lot.” Camille stood up, giving you her full attention, “Real talk, if you can survive running a business then you can survive this. You're the most capable person I know.”

You smiled nervously, “It's just...different. Everything is so intense. It's happening so fast.” Camille raised a brow, her curiosity growing. “Okay..I gotta know. How did this even start? You didn't tell me you knew him already!” You exhaled, setting your coffee aside as you explained the story in full detail, Camille's eyes widened in disbelief. “Your meet-cute with TAA happened on a train?? Why the fuck was he on a train?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “It was completely random..and then it took me so long to realize it was him. He said he just wants to be like everyone else.” Camille's jaw dropped, “So, he could have a private jet and he just... chooses to be on the train? That's kind of hot.” You rolled your eyes, but the nerves still lingered below the surface. “Yeah but..I just—I don't knowww. I feel like I'm getting swept up in it because it feels like a fairytale.”

Camille sat back down, leaning in as her expression softened with her trademark sass. “Y/N, you've bumped into this man three different times in two different countries. Sometimes you just gotta ride the wave. But…” she paused, raising a finger, “keep your head on straight, yeah? From what I know, Trent's great but he's still a baller at the end of the day.. so, no tripping head over heels immediately. Just see where it goes if that’s what you really want.” You smiled, still feeling the weight of the situation clinging to you. “Ugh, but what if it's too good to be true?” Camille shrugged, giving you a no nonsense look. “Maybe, maybe not. You can still see where it goes. Worst case scenario? You have some crazy stories you can use as inspiration for a new line. Best case? Liverpool’s most gorgeous WAG.”

The nerves in your stomach were hard to shake as you settled into your seat with Camille. The weight of Trent's name on your back felt heavier than you anticipated, it felt like there was a spotlight shining down on you. You didn't want Camille to catch on to that though.

“Okay Y/N..how are we feeling now?” Camille teased as she nudged your arm. You rolled your eyes, snorting “I'm not feeling anything right now. Just trying not to have a public meltdown.” 

She gave you a side eye as she laughed, “Stop being dramatic and just enjoy the match girl.”

Camille kept cracking jokes to try and soothe your nerves as the match started, it helped, but only for a moment. You felt a rush of excitement watching Trent on the pitch, it was like he was born to be out there. You tried so hard to focus on him and the game, but every time you caught someone glancing in your direction your nerves spiked again. You leaned toward Camille, keeping your voice low “Do you think anyone’s noticed?”

Camille scanned the crowd, looking around dramatically before turning back to you with a grin. “You're wearing his shirt..in the best section. But nah, you're blending in.” She winked, amused at your discomfort. You placed your focus back on Trent, watching him on the pitch as he sprinted across. Part of you wanted to shout and cheer him on, but the other part of you was still battling the fear of being seen, especially in his shirt. As if the universe decided to dial up the pressure, Trent glanced up into the stands, locking his eyes on yours as his familiar smile spread across his face and blew you a kiss. You tried to keep your cool, but the butterflies in your stomach were having none of it. Camille noticed immediately, nudging you excitedly. “Ooo Y/N, look at him! That's all for you!! We're getting a highlight reel moment right now.” You smiled, feeling a bit more confident as Trent's eyes caught yours before he turned back to the match.

But then the talking started. It was faint at first but grew louder as people stared between you, Camille, and the name on your back. Your heart began racing and you could feel the attention shift as if everyone was putting two and two together. Camille noticed your expression change immediately and swiftly leaned in, her voice low and firm. “Hey hey. Eyes on the pitch, not on them.” You swallowed, taking a deep breath as you tried to shift your focus back to the match, but the stares were hard to ignore. Camille nudged you again, pointing down toward the pitch. “Look at him. Don't let them get to your head. He wants you to be here. Remember that.”

You took another deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. She was right. You weren't here for anyone else, just Trent. You refocused on the pitch, feeling your nerves calm slightly. Camille, who was always the best at calming your anxiety leaned in and whispered “He's been looking at you so much. Just focus on that.” And with that, you found yourself slightly more relaxed as you watched Trent's presence on the field. At the end of the day, none of the cameras or whispers mattered. The only eyes you cared about were already on you.

When the whistle blew for halftime the crowd erupted into chatter and movement. You exhaled deeply, grateful for the break while Camille stretched dramatically next to you. “Okay, I'm getting a bev. Want anything?” Camille asked, already scanning around the crowd. “Just water,” you replied, glancing around nervously as fans moved about. 

“Water?? We’re at Anfield babe. You don’t want anything stronger?” Camille smirked, nudging you playfully. You laughed, shaking your head, “No thanks. I need to stay calm, not get buzzed.” Camille rolled her eyes, “Fine, water it is. Be right back.” As she disappeared into the crowd you leaned back into your seat, trying to focus on the positive energy surrounding you. The tension in your chest started to loosen but then you heard a conversation happening behind you.

“Isn’t that the girl who owns ‘Love Notes’?” a voice asked, which provoked your curiosity immediately. You froze, daring not to turn around but listening intently. “Oh my god, yeah! It is her,” a second voice chimed in. “I follow her on Insta, her brand is blowing up. Did you see the new collection she teased?” 

Your heart skipped a beat as your body stiffened, unsure of how to feel about being noticed so quickly in public.

“Yeah she's killing it. I’ve been dying to work with her” the first voice continued, “I was actually thinking about reaching out to see if she’d be down to collab for her next launch. She seems so sweet.”

A mix of pride and panic built in your chest. They didn’t seem to notice that they were talking loud enough for you to hear them. “She definitely has the ‘it’ factor, she’s gorgeous. But you know how it goes…one bad headline and it's over.” the second voice said casually, as if they were discussing the weather and not the career you worked your ass off for. Your heart sank as you took in their words.

“Especially if she’s really with Trent. That's all anyone will care about. The press is going to eat her alive, poor girl.”

Camille’s words from a couple of days before echoed in your mind. 

Don’t give them more fuel. Just be chill. But it felt like it was already too late for that. People were talking about you regardless, you were suddenly feeling overwhelmed, a spiral of panicked thoughts repeating in your mind. 

Is that really what’s going to happen? 

Camille returned, oblivious to your inner turmoil. “Here’s your water, Boring.” she teased, handing you a bottle before plopping back down in her seat. “Anything exciting happen?” You forced a smile, trying to push away the sudden stab of discomfort before staring blankly down at the pitch, “Nope, just enjoying the view.” But your mind was racing. The two girls behind you had planted a seed of doubt in your mind, one you just couldn't shake. You worked too hard to build your business from the ground up and the thought of being reduced to ‘Trent’s girlfriend’— if it ever even went that far, gnawed at you. You tried to shake it off and focus on the match, but your fears lingered like a heavy rain cloud. 

What if this really does change everything? What if this overshadows everything I’ve built?

When the second half started, the cheering of the crowd faded into the background as you mulled over the weight of the strangers’ words. You hated that it was affecting you so much, but you didn’t want to be reduced to a footnote in Trent’s life. Camille noticed your silence and leaned in, “You okay?” she asked in a concerned voice. You nodded but you couldn't bring yourself to speak. Every time Trent touched the ball the crowd erupted and your heart pounded. There was no denying the connection with Trent, it was there from the very beginning, but this public life? 

It terrified you. 

Liverpool won but you barely registered it. The uncertainty that had been swirling around in your chest was a full storm, pulling you inside your head as you overanalyzed every little thing that had occurred since meeting Trent on the train. Your phone vibrated in your lap, thrusting you back into reality. 

T: Meet me by the side exit, we can head out.

You exhaled, grateful he understood how you felt about being in the spotlight. Despite having his life on display, he was growing increasingly mindful of your boundaries when it came to your personal life. 

On my way.

Camille nudged you playfully, noticing another shift in your mood when you looked at your phone. “Oop, is that your man?”

You nodded, speaking quietly, “Not my man yet..but yes. He wants to head out. I just don't want this to blow up.” Camille squeezed your arm in support, “Don't let it. Control the narrative. Go have fun, babe.” You appreciated her words but as you slipped through the crowd towards the exit, you started to wonder how long it would be before Trent's world came crashing directly into yours. You made your way through the corridor near the exit, spotting Trent leaning up against the wall with his hands shoved into his pockets. You admired how easy it was for him to look so good without trying, just being around him made you feel calm..and the view wasn’t bad either.

“You again?” he teased, looking up at you. “First it was the train, the café, Paris, now Anfield?” I'm starting to think you're stalking me.” You laughed as you rolled your eyes, playfully pushing your hand against his chest. “You can’t escape me now.” Trent chuckled as he pulled you closer. “Y’know..we did everything backwards. Random meets, sex..but we haven't had a proper first date.” You raised an eyebrow, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck, “And whose fault is that?” He smirked, leaning down slightly to meet your eye. “My fault for sure. But I'll fix that real soon.” You grinned, lightly massaging the back of his neck with your fingertips. “I'll hold you to that.” He gave you a quick peck on the lips, “Enjoy the match?” he asked, in a soft but curious voice. You bit your lip, hesitating for a moment before answering. “Yeah..it was fun. Parts of it anyway.” Trent pulled back slightly, his smile faltering. “Parts of it??” You sighed, glancing down at the ground before meeting his eyes. “Everything is moving so fast..people are talking. I just don’t want to lose myself in all this.” His expression softened as he gently cupped your chin, forcing you to look at him directly. “I get it Y/N. It’s a lot. But I won’t let that happen to you, you’ve worked too hard.” You smiled, leaning into his touch; his reassurance meant the world to you, but you still had some lingering doubts in the back of your mind. You took a deep breath, deciding it would probably be best to lighten the mood. 

“So…where are we going for our first date?” you teased, as you and Trent headed toward the car. He grinned, opening the car door for you, “I was thinking we could do a private cooking class. We could make something fancy..it’ll be just us and the chef. Lowkey..no pressure.” You slid into the passenger seat, raising a brow, “You? Cooking??” Trent laughed as he got into the driver's seat. “Don't doubt me! I have some skills..sorta. But that's what the chef is for. We can have fun, maybe a little competition.” You giggled, buckling your seatbelt. “Okay..but don't be mad when you lose.” He leaned over, kissing you quickly before starting the car. “Oh yeah? We'll see about that Y/N.” 

After arriving at Trent’s, he led you through his house, his hand resting on your back as you navigated the space before settling on the couch for a cuddle. The two of you had been lounging for hours, your feet resting in Trent’s lap. The TV hummed in the background with whatever show you decided to binge, but you really weren’t paying attention anymore. You stretched a bit, glancing at the time, and sighed. “I should probably go…” you said softly, trying to prepare yourself mentally but not really wanting to get up. “Gotta get back to work. I still have so much to do.”

Trent, who was absentmindedly running his fingers along your legs, smirked. “Or you could stay longer.” You laughed, but the way his hands were sliding up your leg made you feel a little dizzy. “I..I can't. I have to work.” He leaned forward, placing a kiss on your ankle “I'll go with you tomorrow. I’ll help,” he muttered. You laughed, rolling your eyes playfully. “You?? What are you going to do? Stand guard all day?”

“Maybe” he said with a grin. “Just teach me. Like how you’re learning my world, I want to learn yours.” Your heart rate increased as his kisses trailed higher, reaching your knee. 

“I can't think when you're doing that” you whined, trying to keep your composure but failing miserably. He knew exactly what he was doing and it was working. “Then don't think.” he whispered in a low and husky voice, making you thrum with need. You bit your lip, trying to stay focused. 

C'mon.. be strong. Don't let him distract you Y/N, you told yourself. 

His kisses moved to your neck, your mental strength quickly slipping away. Your body was reacting faster than your brain could keep up. “I really need to get going..” you managed to say, not really sounding convincing at all.

“Stay,” he suggested as his lips moved dangerously close to your ear. “Just stay the night and I'll take you back in the morning. I’ll wake us up.” You tried to focus on the reasonable part of your brain. The part that knew you had to get up early to meet deadlines, but Trent's lips found your neck again and your brain went foggy. “Trent..” you tried, though your voice betrayed you. “I can't just—”

“Why not?” he interrupted, moving his lips to your collarbone. “I'll go with you tomorrow. It'll be fine.” Your body started reacting before you could come up with a decent argument. His kisses were soft, so slow, and perfect with each one sending waves of heat to your core. All rational thoughts dissipating. “Y/N, you know you want to,” he whispered.

Oh, he was absolutely fucking right and that was the problem. 

Your heart was racing as his hand moved to cradle the back of your head, pulling you closer. You were rapidly losing the battle to keep it together. "I really..should..go," you barely managed to say, it sounded weak even to your own ears. You could barely breathe let alone think straight. “Stay with me tonight,” he whispered, voice full of promise. “I'll make it worth your while.” You let out a soft moan, barely able to hold it back as he kissed you deeper. Your thoughts of leaving were long gone, being drowned out by the feeling of being wanted, desired and completely out of control. 

“Okay..I’ll stay,” you managed to say in a faint whisper, but he heard it. He pulled you onto his lap swiftly, your legs straddling him. “Mmm good,” he murmured, his hands roaming your body as they reached for the hem of the shirt you were wearing. “You looked so fucking good in my shirt today. But I need it off now.” He lifted the shirt over your head, immediately moving to the clasp of your bra to unhook it. You giggled, running your hands up his chest as you began to roll your hips in a teasing motion. “Ride me, baby. I wanna see you move,” he whispered.

You bit your lip, rolling your hips against his lap as you began to feel him harden between your thighs. The sensation made you gasp and Trent let out a groan as his hands squeezed your hips. “Fuck, you feel so good already.” He lifted you up off his lap, pulling your bottoms and underwear off before removing his own. You shifted your hips, slowly lowering yourself onto his cock as he filled you completely. The feeling made both of you gasp as your hands tightened on his shoulders. You started to roll your hips in a slow, but teasing rhythm. Trent groaned as his fingers dug into your waist. 

“You like it when I ride you?” you asked, your voice breathy as you moved your hips with more urgency against him. “I fucking love it,” he mumbled as his head fell back against the couch. “You look–fuck..so fucking pretty on top of me Y/N.” His praise encouraged you to move your hips faster and harder as you rode him. Every roll of your hips sent waves of pleasure through you as your moans turned into desperate gasps. “Write your name on me baby,” Trent growled, his voice now strained as his hands tightened on your waist. “I wanna see you really fuck me.”

You laughed, not fully understanding what he meant. “My name?? Like this?” You started to spell your name with your hips, continuing to grind against him. “Yeahhh. Just..like..that.” he groaned, thrusting his cock up into you in a way that made you gasp loudly. “Look at you taking me so good baby.” Your laughter quickly turned into loud moans due to the intensity of his thrusts, each one driving you closer and closer to an orgasm. The passion between you two was off the charts. Every touch and sound pushed both of you closer to the pinnacle of ecstasy. 

“Oh my goddd. Trent...I can’t–” you gasped as your body began trembling, the tension inside of you snapping as you continued to ride through your orgasm despite your thighs burning from exhaustion. Trent groaned beneath you as he watched the way your body shook with pleasure. “Gonna make me cum moaning my name like that.” he grunted, his voice rough as he thrust into one last time, his cum spilling inside of you.

For a moment, you both stayed tangled in each other, still trembling from the intensity. You were breathless and slumped against his chest as the aftermath of your orgasm washed over you. Once you caught your breath, a wicked thought crossed your mind. Before Trent could fully recover, you slipped off his lap and kneeled between his legs as you parted his thighs. “What are—”

You silenced him with a kiss to his inner thigh, “Shhh.. just relax,” you whispered in a teasing voice. Trent's breath hitched as soon as he realized what you were about to do. His fingers tangled in your hair as his body tensed with anticipation. You licked a slow, deliberate path on his shaft, pausing as you reached a small, sensitive patch of skin just below his balls. You flicked your tongue there and his reaction was instant. “Oh fuckk—” Trent gasped, his hips jerking involuntarily as a deep groan escaped him. “Holy shit.” You smiled, loving the way he reacted to you. You licked that spot again, teasing him with enough pressure to make him squirm. His hands tightened in your hair as his head fell back against the couch. His body was trembling with each flick of your tongue, his moans filling the room as he let out a string of curses. 

“You're unreal,” he moaned in a strained voice. You continued your slow assault, your tongue tracing the sensitive line along the underside of his dick before swirling around the head. You looked up at him through your lashes as your lips curled into a wicked smile. You sucked gently on the tip before moving back down in a zigzag pattern with your tongue. Trent groaned loudly, his body shaking as his hips bucked toward your mouth. 

“Where the fuck did you learn that?” he gasped, his voice filled with disbelief and pleasure. You didn't answer him. Instead, you wrapped your lips around him fully and took him deeper, your tongue working in a rhythm that had him at your mercy. “Shit..keep going..please," he moaned as his grip on your hair tightened the harder you sucked. Your movements were purposeful and teasing. “Fuck. Baby, I'm gonna cum.” Hearing him moan like that spurred you on, and you hallowed out your cheeks to take him deeper; your tongue still tracing the sensitive spot beneath the head that had him trembling. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. I'm cumming baby,” Trent gasped as his body tensed beneath you. You didn't pull away, you kept his cock in your mouth as he spilled into you, his groans loud and raw as he came hard. You swallowed every last drop, your lips still wrapped around him as you continued to suck him gently through his aftershocks to savor the taste of him. Trent's body slumped against the couch, his chest heaving as he dragged a hand over his hair lazily. “What the fuck Y/N?” he muttered in disbelief. “You're something else.”

You grinned as you wiped the corner of your mouth, climbing back up next to him to nestle into his side. “I told you to relax.” Trent laughed, pulling you into his arms and giving you a deep kiss. “You're stuck with me now. I'm never letting you go.”

“Good.” you whispered against his lips. “I have more where that came from.”

After spending some extra time on the couch enraptured in the night's events, you glanced at your phone and your eyes widened. It was already 1AM, and as much as you loved spending time with Trent, you had to wake up in a few hours. You felt Trent shift underneath you, his fingers brushing over your back. He pressed a kiss to your shoulder and you knew he wasn't done just yet.

“Don't even start.” you stated, already knowing where this was headed. As much as you didn't want to admit it, you were tired after so many rounds. “What'd I do? I'm just enjoying my view.” Trent grinned as his hand traveled up your waist. You laughed as you nudged him playfully. “Well 'your view' is getting up to shower and go to bed.” He groaned, dramatically throwing his head against the couch. “You trying to run away from me now?” You rolled your eyes, standing up to make your way to the bathroom as he watched your every move. “I'm not running away. I just don't want to be all sweaty and gross.” He was already up and following you, “Damn. You're just gonna leave me out here like that..after all we've been through?” You shot an amused look at him over your shoulder, “Why are you being so dramatic?? It's just a shower.” 

Before you could say another word, he caught up to you and wrapped his arms around your waist. You turned to face him, your back pressed against the sink as you tried to hold back a laugh. “You're not going to let me shower in peace, huh?” Trent's hands moved to cup your chin as his lips brushed against yours in a teasing kiss. “Nah, not a chance,” he muttered before giving you proper, deep and slow kisses.

“Trent..” you murmured between kisses. “If you don't stop we're never going to get any sleep. It's really late.” He laughed, clearly not giving a fuck. “I'm not tired yet,” he teased before kissing you again, his tongue tracing the curve of your bottom lip. “We can stay up..” You pulled back a little, lightly pushing against his chest. “Nooo. I'm getting in the shower. Behave! Or get out.” Trent grinned as he stepped back to turn on the shower before looking over at you. “I'm definitely staying,” he said, with cheeky confidence.

Steam filled the bathroom as the water hit the tiles, and you slipped past him to get under the water. Trent followed close behind, his hands already finding their way to your waist as he pressed his naked body against yours from behind. “You're being so clingy” you teased as he leaned in to kiss your neck. “Can you blame me after you just took my soul like that?” You turned to face him, the water streaming between your bodies. “Don't make me regret inviting you in here.” His hands slipped down to your hips as he pressed you against the cool tile before finding your lips again. “Just making the most of our night.” The kiss deepened, his hands were everywhere. On your waist, your ass, tracing the curve of your back, pulling you close until there was absolutely no space left between you. When things started heating up again you laughed, breaking the kiss and pushing gently at him. “If you don't stop we’ll be in this shower all night.”

“Ah, okay okay. I'll be good then.” he said, though his hands were still cemented on you. 

Once you were both clean, you stepped out the shower. The bathroom was warm and steamy. Trent reached for a towel and wrapped it around you. His playful banter from earlier softened and was replaced by something more tender as he dabbed at your skin with the towel. He grabbed a bottle of lotion from the counter, squeezing some onto his hands. “Can't have my girl out here dry and ashy. C’mere.” You burst out laughing at his comment, “Hmm..'your' girl?” You gave him a teasing look, trying not to smile. “I don't remember you asking.”

He grinned up at you as he kneeled down, gently smoothing the lotion over your legs. “Ah, you're right. Guess we have to talk about that, huh?” You giggled, crossing your arms as you watched him work his way up. The way he focused on you made you feel things you weren't really expecting to feel. “I guess so. I'm not yours until you ask and you haven't asked.” He stood up, leaning in to press a quick kiss to your shoulder as the fresh scent of the lotion mixed with the leftover steam from the shower. “Got it. But I'm still not letting you be ashy. My girl or not.”

You burst out laughing again, the sound filling the bathroom as Trent gave you a fake offended look, as if lotioning you up was the most important task he'd ever done in his life. His hands moved deliberately as he massaged the lotion over the rest of your body, his fingers trailing lightly over your skin. “You're a mess but I'm kinda into it.” you said, feeling your heart melt at how sweet and tender he was being.

“Only for you Y/N.” Trent replied as he gave you a peck on the lips. He rummaged through a drawer before handing you an old, worn LFC shirt that smelled like him, and a pair of his boxers. “Put this on, you’ll sleep better.” You smiled as you slipped the oversized shirt over your head. He watched you as you pulled on his boxers, which sat low on your hip since they were too big. “Feeling better?” he asked.

“A little. But I'm sooo tired. I need sleep” you whined. He let out a dramatic sigh, pretending like he was annoyed. “All that effort and no cuddle? No reward? C'mon.” You laughed, pushing him lightly as you made your way to his bed. “You're cute, but I still have to work in the morning.” He followed you, still being needy as he wrapped his arms around you from behind, both of you settled in the bed. “Yeah, yeah. The shop,” he said in a soft murmur. He pulled the covers over you both. The way he held you close to him without making it feel like a big deal was so sweet. It felt natural and easy. “Goodnight,” you whispered as your eyes started to close.

Trent's voice was soft, “Goodnight, beautiful.”

You stirred awake the next morning as faint sunlight crept in through the blinds in Trent's room. You shifted slightly, feeling Trent's arm wrapped around your waist. It was comforting, but something felt too peaceful.

Too perfect. 

You opened your eyes, reaching for your phone on the bedside table. It was 9:37AM.

“Shit!” you exclaimed, sitting up quickly trying to wake yourself up fully. You smacked Trent on the chest. “Trent, get the fuck up! We're late!” He groaned, still partially asleep as he muttered something incoherent and tightened his arm around your waist, pulling you back down on the bed. “Gimme five minutes.”

“GET UP!” you yelled, pushing against him. “We're late, late! I have to open up and we're still at your house!” Trent slowly opened his eyes, his face scrunching in confusion before finally realizing what you said. “What time is it?”

“Past 9:30! I was supposed to be there by now, you were supposed to wake us up!” He laughed sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he sat up and stretched his arms. “Universe had other plans for us like always.” “Oh yeah? The universe wanted me to be late because you couldn't keep your hands off me last night?”

Trent swung his legs over the side of the bed, laughing. “Maybe so.” He stood up, his toned torso catching your attention before you snapped yourself out of it. “We're awake now though. Relax, we'll make it.”

“Relax?? A business can’t run itself!” you scoffed. You got up, hurrying to the bathroom as you tried to pull yourself together. Trent followed you, moving a lot slower than what was acceptable for how late you were. He leaned against the bathroom door, watching you with amusement as you tried to tame your hair. “You look fit in my clothes y’know.” You shot him a look. “We're not doing this right now Trent. I'm gonna be late forreal and it's your fault.”

“It was worth it though.”

You were annoyed at first but as you turned to face him, the annoyance faded when you looked at his satisfied smile. “Maybe..but I still have to get to work.”

Trent smirked, stepping closer as he wrapped his hands on your hips. “I'm sorry. Couldn't help myself.” You shook your head, leaning into him for a quick kiss. “You're lucky you're cute.” He deepened the kiss for a second, knowing it would annoy you before pulling away laughing. “Stoppp! I need to get ready,” you whined, gently swatting him away. “We need to stop by my place so I don't have to wear your boxers to work.”

“Boxers and all, you're still the hottest girl out there.” You grabbed your phone, beginning to head out the door. “Shut up and lets go!” The two of you bolted out of his house, Trent still pulling on a hoodie while you jogged to the car in his oversized shirt, his boxers fluttering around you as you tried to check the emails on your phone. Trent unlocked the car, you slid into the passenger seat muttering to yourself. “Oh my god how are we this late?” 

He shrugged, “The universe wanted us to sleep in.” 

You laughed, tossing your head back, “Will you shut up and drive?”

“I'm just saying!” he exclaimed, pulling onto the road. “Fate or whatever you wanna call it..that's why we're here aren't we? Maybe the world wants you to chill.”

You shot him a glare. “I'll 'chill' after I open up the store.” Trent turned up the music to something that matched the sunny morning as you glanced at him, a loving smile creeping up on your face. You couldn't deny the connection between the two of you. The sex was amazing but it wasn't just physical stuff. The ease you felt with him despite being the most anxious person ever, the laughs you shared, the way he made you feel like time was an illusion...that was something else.

But you had absolutely no time to be thinking about that right now. 

Zero.

Once you got back in town, you quickly stopped at your apartment and sprinted inside to polish yourself into something more presentable. When you finally arrived at Les Notes d'Amour you were running around, unlocking doors, turning on lights, and trying to remember every little detail you needed to put in place. Trent followed behind you lazily with his hands in his hoodie pockets, looking entirely too relaxed. “Need any help?”

You were still frantic as you glanced over your shoulder. “I think you've caused enough chaos the past twelve hours.” He laughed as he started to wander around the shop. “Just making your day more exciting.”

“Exciting? This is stressful.” you echoed, shooting an annoyed look at him. “It's different.”

You couldn't stay mad at him though, not with that beautiful face and dazzling smile of his. He looked like he was having the time of his life watching you scramble around the shop.

After things finally settled down, you leaned against the counter. Trent wandered, scanning the shelves of the different fragrances and oils. “So what's this new collection you're working on?” Trent picked up a small bottle, giving it a curious sniff. “Tell me about it again.” You shrugged, feeling a little deflated as you leaned on your elbows. “It's supposed to be about unexpected moments in life..like chance encounters. But I haven't figured out how to tie it all together.” Trent raised his eyebrow, coming to a realization. “Kinda like us, yeah?” You shot him a look but there was something in his eyes that made your heart feel like it may burst out of your chest. “Maybeee…”

He picked up a bottle, wafting it in the air. “What's this one?”

“That's bergamot,” you said, walking over to stand next to him. “It smells fresh. I was gonna use it to represent the first time we met.” Trent looked down at you, surprised. “The train?” You nodded, “Yeah..when you had on that ridiculous outfit.”

He grinned, looking into your eyes, making you feel butterflies. “Yeah, yeah. I remember.” Trent picked up another scent. “What about this one?”

“That's cardamom. From when we saw each other at the café.” He brought his hands up to your face, faintly tracing the outline of the cupid's bow on your lip with his thumb. “and Paris?”

You picked up two bottles, one pistachio, and the other ylang-ylang. “I thought these could represent Paris.” His expression softened as he leaned in to kiss you. 

“Paris was nice.”

“Yeah..it was,” you agreed, pressing your lips to his for a kiss. At that moment, it felt like a missing piece of you had just connected back to you. Trent pulled away from you slowly, “Y’know what's missing?”

“...What?”

He leaned in, his voice low. “An aftershave. Something for me.” You burst out laughing. “Are you being serious right now?” He shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah..you said I need to step my game up. Let me be your muse or something.” You gave him a teasing look, "Oh, now you want to be helpful?”

“I'm just saying..I'll test it out. I’ll bring it to all my matches. Just for you.” You rolled your eyes, still laughing at him. “Maybe I will.”

The air between you thickened, not from the scents surrounding you, but from something far deeper. Something that was undeniably felt yet still unspoken. The quiet understanding that every moment you shared with Trent had woven itself into something you couldn't explain. You didn’t feel like you were even close to defining what the two of you were. Yet, the gravitational pull between you was so strong, so sincere. It wasn't just attraction or a coincidence, it was like the universe took these random moments and stitched them together. 

You looked at him, so calm and comfortable in your space, your world. His fingers brushed against a glass bottle with the same ease he carried with everything else. His presence wasn't loud or overwhelming. But it lingered, like the perfect note of a scent that stays with you after it fades from the air. It felt like you were both waiting for something you couldn't name. 

Love was just like that. 

Soft at first, barely noticeable. Like the first trace of a perfume in the air, you might even miss it if you weren't paying attention. But just like the notes of a carefully crafted scent...it settles into you. It deepens, wrapping itself around you until it becomes something you can't imagine being without. Love didn't need to be loud to be transformative. It didn't need grand gestures or declarations. Sometimes it simply shows up quietly, filling in spaces between words and moments. It changes you in ways you don't see coming. 

Every laugh, playful nudge, and quiet glance had woven into something deeper...even if neither of you had spoken it out loud yet. 

“I don't know how this happened,” you whispered, your voice trembling as you looked up at him. “It feels like—” 

He nodded, his hand brushing lightly against yours. “Like we weren't supposed to meet any other way.” It felt like fate had nudged you into each other's paths.

Every missed chance or twist of time was always meant to bring you..

Right here.

When love feels like magic, it's called destiny. When destiny has a sense of humor, it's Serendipity.

READ CH 5 HERE

i think this may have dethroned ch 3 as my fav..feeling very lovey dovey atm 🕊️ if you made it this far, thank you for reading! feel free to share any thoughts in my inbox.

[tinycoffeeroom]

tiny room | arthur hill

again inspo from the lovely @mrstelevision [and by extension @whoetoshaw :) ]

face claim: sophia birlem ᡣ𐭩

request: here !

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

liked by arthurtv, georgeclarkeey and 10,394 others

arthurnfhill i'm going on my first ever headline tour! manchester, glasgow, liverpool and london see you in feb! (tix in bio)

arthurtv can you dedicate a song to me xx ↳ arthurnfhill only if it can be fuck you

georgeclarkeey big sexy arthur hill can i be a groupie ↳ arthurnfhill you get enough of it at home big boy x

fan1 !!! may have accidentally got 2 tix to london instead of 1 but i will clone myself if i have to!!!!! ↳ arthurnfhill appreciate the support <3

📍 london

liked by georgeclarkeey, youruser and 19,083 others

arthurnfhill despite the absolutely terrified look in my eyes, london you were amazing! ended ar-tour on a complete high! thank you to everyone who came along, you made this chappy very happy <3

youruser was not familiar with your game but you're not a god has rearranged my brain chemistry ↳ arthurnfhill that song is definitely one of my faves ↳ fan1 youruser thanks for coming with me! glad you enjoyed the show and the cocktails after! <3333 ↳ youruser fan1 thank YOU for introducing me to his music, love you! ♥️ arthurnfhill

👤 fan1 liked by fan1, arthurnfhill and 19,495 others

youruser enjoying new music with new friends fan1 absolutely adore you sweetie pie ❤️

fan1 could do a little weep... sweetest girl alive!! ↳ youruser excited for our next adventure ❤️

max_balegde the second slide... no one has ever looked at arthur like that before ↳ arthurnfhill ?? well fuck my life i guess ↳ youruser apparently i'm a sucker for a good singer :p ♥️ arthurnfhill

📍 ibiza

liked by youruser, arthurtv and 29,485 others

arthurnfhill don't let my cool exterior fool you, june in ibiza is no joke

youruser this is certainly a look mr hill ↳ arthurnfhill it's called fashion sweetie, look it up x

arthurtv the sunburn really ties the look together ↳ arthurnfhill i will bring up the surfboard incident. ↳ arthurtv apologies big man 🫡

liked by arthurnfhill, faithlouisak and 21,493 others

youruser happy halloween from your fave fembot ❤️

arthurnfhill still think my dress looked better ↳ youruser idk i think george looked the best... before the incident :p ↳ georgeclarkeey uncalled for?

faithlouisak absolutely obsessed with you 😍 ↳ youruser date me xx ↳ faithlouisak behzingagram gonna have to leave you sorry babe

👤 queenofthebabies, arthurnfhill, friend1, friend2 liked by arthurnfhill, queenofthebabies and 59,283 others

youruser save a horse, ride a cowboy xx (also arthur's big head stretched out my cowboy hat 😡 )

faithlousiak its a yes to you, a no to arthur ↳ youruser come over babygirl xx ↳ behzingagram being cucked in my own household wow ♥️ youruser

theburntchip bet that wasn't the only thing he stretched out ↳ youruser pooja what is this behaviour sabrinablair come get ur man ↳ theburntchip dragged the mrs into this... i won't forget this y/n

arthurtv yeehaw🤠 ↳ youruser yeehaw!! 🤠

liked by fan1, arthurnfhill and 83,948 others

youruser another trip around the sun ☀️ excited to see what this year brings :)

fan1 happy birthday loml! would have gotten you smth else if i knew there was gonna be 6 whole cakes 😭 ↳ youruser don't be silly!! yours tasted the best ❤️ (don't tell the others :p)

faithlouisak january is y/ns month only!! happy birthday pookie can't wait to give you a million kisses tonight xx ↳ youruser ditch ethan, tonight can just be about me and you xx

arthurnfhill happy birthday y/n 💜 the fella in the second slide seems to be having fun ↳ youruser tbh he's a bit of a nuisance, rocked up at my door at 8am with arms full of flowers 🙄

👤 youruser liked by youruser, fan1 and 42,942 others

arthurnfhill happy birthday lover 💜 so glad you stumbled upon my silly little show

youruser thank you my love, so excited to experience life with you ❤️

fan1 y/nnie got the guy 🥹 i was serious arthur, don't fuck this up ↳ youruser can always count on you to have my back xx ↳ arthurnfhill even though you threaten me, i appreciate you for bringing her into my life :)

behzingagram now you're official can she leave my girlfriend alone? ↳ youruser NEVER! that's wifey ♥️ faithlouisak

👤 arthurnfhill liked by arthurnfhill, georgeclarkeey and 78,939 others

youruser 1 whole year of us :) will always be your #1 fan ❤️

fan1 happy to give up his #1 fan title to you, a worthy opponent x ↳ youruser we come as a pair!! #1 fans together 4eva

arthurnfhill most successful groupie award goes to... ↳ youruser behave mr hill

georgeclarkeey we get it you're in love blah blah blah ↳ youruser you'll find someone clarkey xx (also stop trying to take my someone you lil homewrecker) ♥️ arthurnfhill

TIME SKIP 2 YEARS

👤 arthurnfhill liked by faithlouisak, arthurtv and 89,394 others

youruser easiest yes of my life ❤️ my forever lover

arthurnfhill guess i gotta rerelease bride and gloom ↳ youruser i take back my yes ↳ arthurnfhill no can do sweetheart, you're all mine now 💜

arthurtv HE'S DONE IT LADS !!

faithlouisak y/n it's not too late, i'm right here xx ↳ arthurnfhill womp womp thats MY wifey now ♥️ youruser, behzingagram

georgeclarkeey g'warn lad!! gonna miss our snuggles xxx ↳ youruser he'll still be getting shipped off to yours regularly, don't worry

fan1 y/n!!!!!!! actual tears in my eyes!! wedding of the year incoming!! ↳ youruser hope you have a good bridesmaid dress in mind ❤️

[dontexpectmuch]

(if ur still taking requests) smth abt jude surprising a very stressed out student for their bday! i'm projecting horribly here 😍😍

author: happy (belated (?)) birthday!!!

—

you feel your phones vibration against your desk, gently tickling your skin. it pulls you out of a trance you didn’t even know you were in, your eyes now focused on the device.

a tired smile stretches on your lips, the contact name making you chuckle.

[from; The bestest best boyfriend]: open the door !

sighing, you get up from your chair and move to open the door of your small apartment, the sound of your steps as the only sound inside.

you open the door, immediately being met by a huge bouquet of blood red roses and red balloons, judes happy face the center of your sight. stepping to the side to let him enter, you take the flowers from his hands and move them to your face, the gentle scent of roses meeting your nose.

“hey, baby.” jude leans down to press a kiss on your lips, pelvis moving closer to press against yours.

you greet him back, though you see his eyebrows draw together, forehead creasing.

“you okay, love?” jude pushes your body towards your living room slash working space, placing the sweets tied to the ballon onto the table, taking the flowers from your head to put them on your desk.

you sigh for the nth time today, leaning against his body, slightly relaxing as you feel his warm hands caress your back.

jude speaks up again, voice laced with confusion, “babe?”

“‘m so tired, i don’t even know what to do.” you explain your behavior, though it doesn’t even come near to what you actually feel.

on top of being stressed and tired, you start to feel even worse because you can’t be happy to see your boyfriend. he doesn’t deserve to be greeted by your gloomy self like that, but you also know that he would never be mad at you for your feelings, immediately trying to help wherever he can.

“why aren’t you ready?” he asks, siting down on your couch and pulling you along by your wrist, positioning you on his lap.

“for what?”

you feel his hand move up and down your thigh as you lean against his body, head resting on the crook of his neck as you take in his manly scent, his aftershave tingling your brain in a way that you wouldn’t dare to put into words.

jude gasps, pushing your head up to hold it between his hands, thumbs drawing circles against your cheeks.

“your birthday dinner? you wanted to eat at that restaurant when we visited liverpool?” his words making bells ring in your head.

you loudly gasp as you stand up, “jude, babe, i,” your heart sinks as your eyes skim over his face, “i forgot?”

he tucks you down again, your legs caging his as you come face to face. “did you forget your own birthday?”

though jude smiles at you, thinking that this situation is quite funny, a moment the two of you would remember in your graying days, you can’t help but feel sad, closing your eyes as you put your forehead against his shoulder.

“exams are stupid.” you mumble, finally understanding why so many people have been calling you throughout the day.

you two sit on your couch for a while, small talk being exchanged between you. that is, until jude decides to get up to get your present that he left by the door, your heart’s rate picking up as you watch him sit next to you, a big bag placed on your lap.

“you didn’t have to-“

he puts his finger against your lips, successfully stopping you. “just, i hope you like it.”

you smile at him, thankful to have him in your life before you look down to pull out a rectangle box from the bag. your eyes widen as you are greeted by a white box, the familiar apple logo making tears sting your eyes.

your voice is soft, looking at your boyfriend who shyly looks at you through his lashes, “jude, i, oh my god, thank you so much.”

you move towards him to hug him tight, gratitude expressed through soft kisses spread over his neck.

“you said that your laptop was slow, and how many breakdowns you had because of it, so i thought, well, yeah.” he explains, his hand resting on your cheek once again, warmth radiating from his eyes.

your heart beats against your rips, heat creeping up your neck.

you knew that is an incredible person, someone who cares about his loved ones, giving as much as he can without expecting anything in return. you knew that he pays attention to everything you say, almost hanging on every word spilling from your lips, never making you say anything twice, but right now, fuck.

right now you feel loved in a way you never knew that existed, you feel so warm, so safe and comfortable that you wish to bathe yourself in this feeling for eternity, never once thinking of leaving this feeling. all the negative energy, all the thoughts of failure and the pain of final season wash away as you continue to look at your boyfriend, him returning your gaze of adoration twice as much.

“i love you.” you whisper, afraid of losing the moment.

jude leans forward to kiss your forehead, engulfing you with his scent.

“i love you even more.”

LETS FUCKING GOOOOIOOOOOOOO

(exams make me question my existence.)

[blouisparadise]

Today we have a rec list of bottom Louis fics where Louis and/or Harry have popular jobs such as firefighter, flight attendance, florist, and mechanic. Since we get requests for rec lists with these particular jobs often, we decided to compile them into one list. We're marked each fic according to which job it features. If you enjoy our rec lists, please be sure to like and reblog the post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) December | Not Rated | 1,924 words | 💐

Magic happens here, in December.

2) Pilot | Teen & Up | 5,279 words | ✈️

“We have fifteen minutes.” Harry glanced down at the watch on his wrist. “How fast do you think my tongue can make you come?” Still against the wall, Louis felt a shiver run from the back of his neck down his spine. In three years walking on moving planes, he’d never had such zero control over his legs. At least not until now.

3) Your Apathy’s Like A Wound In Salt | Explicit | 5,312 words | 🛠️

“What a fucking ass!” Louis shifts his body so he’s completely facing away from the scene. “I asked him last night to fix my car and he said he would accept a payment in the form of me sucking his dick. I guess he’s really desperate, I can’t believe him.” Louis rolls his eyes, finishing off his drink in one go. Niall shakes his head and shrugs, “I told you to ask any other mechanic in town but you didn’t listen to me.” “Well, I didn’t think he would fucking say that now did I, Niall?” “Louis,” Paige rests a manicured hand on his shoulder, “So, you’re saying you still wouldn’t hit it?” “My ex?” She nods. “Yeah, I’d still hit that. Except this time it would be with a car or a baseball bat.” Suddenly, Niall spits out his beer all over the table as Paige bursts out laughing. “Fucking ruthless, you are.” Niall runs a hand through his styled hair.

4) Oil and Lube | Explicit | 5,552 words | 🛠️

The one where Harry's a car mechanic and Louis' engine can't seem to stop revving around him.

5) A Place To Call Home | Mature | 8,113 words | 💐

The thing is, he’s pretty sure he’s found home in a person in his life, someone who’s been essential in everything he’s done since he was seven years old. Through every broken bone, through every breakup, through every failure; through every triumph, personal and professional, and every goal he has scored in his time in Man U, there’s been someone there for it all.  That’s his best mate. Harry. A twenty-two year old with the kindest heart known to man, a slow drawl that is entirely too endearing, with the dreams to open up his own flower shop. A quiet and earnest boy with those he doesn’t know, and open and honest and absolutely lovely with those he loves.  It all hits him, really, the night of their final game of the Premier League. Again, timing is not his forté. They’re gearing up, ready to hit the field for the second half against Liverpool that determines their ranking in the League, when his brain decides to come online (after seventeen years, apparently), and conveniently supply him with the revelation that oh yeah, you’re kind of in love with your best friend.

6) If This Room Was Burning | Explicit | 8,629 words | 🔥

Where Louis’ cat gets stuck on the roof and Harry is the firefighter who ends up saving her.

7) Decorated Emergency | Not Rated | 10,359 words | 🔥

So what if they kissed once. It was the end of a shift that had seemed to drag on for twelve days instead of twelve hours. Their doctor was slow and felt the need to transfer every single patient, putting more work on every member of staff. Harry was stressed. Louis was the one who crowded him up against the door in the break room. It was Louis' fault, he was always pulling shit.

8) Taking The Long Way Home | Mature | 12,499 words | 🛠️

Coming home from the beach, Louis' car breaks down and he has to call mechanic Harry.

9) Bloom | Explicit | 24,887 words | 💐

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Harry tucks the flower into the top pocket of Louis’ jacket, patting over his heart just once. “What is it?” Louis asks, eyeing the sunny little yellow flower, a bit like a buttercup, “It’s lovely.” Harry pushes a piece of hair behind his ear and smiles, “It’s a primrose. I got them in this morning, reminded me of you.”

10) A Trail Of Honey Through It All | Explicit | 27,083 words | 🛠️

The boy in front of him, well really, the man in front of him, was like something out of a confusing wet dream. Built, tall, tan and muscular, his skin glistened with sweat after a long day of working outdoors with his hands. He was wearing a cut up old American football shirt, the bottom hem was torn and the sleeves were cut off to the point where the t-shirt was really just a loose tank top. The shorts he had on had clearly been full length jeans at one point, and were now just crudely cut off above the knee. His white socks were pulled up too high on his calves, and the brown work boots he had on were old as fuck, the leather peeling along the edges of the soles. Curly brown hair stuck out from the edges of his backwards snapback, and there was a smudge of grease wiped along his brow bone. The smattering of hair along his jaw proved that he hadn’t shaved in a week or two, the hair growing in thicker across his upper lip and around his chin. His sinfully bowed mouth was pink and plump, and Louis was suddenly hyper-focused on the way that he chewed at the toothpick stuck between his lips. He looked like he needed a shower. Louis wanted to lick him.

11) A Hungry Heart | Explicit | 27,601 words | 💐

Harry Styles, florist and Great British Bake Off contestant, loves many things. He loves his flower shop, he loves baking, and there’s also that little crush he has on pop star Louis Tomlinson. But when Louis arrives on set as the surprise guest judge, Harry’s worlds collide. Throw in a cup of cuteness, a teaspoon of teasing, and a pinch of pining, and there’s all the ingredients for an epic love story, or absolute chaos.

12) Tangled Up And Blue | Explicit | 30,159 words | 🛠️

Kai just shakes his head, making his way down the small batch of stairs with a hop in his step. “Have fun on your weird adult date.” Harry sighs. “It’s not a date.” “Dad, you already have him in your bed most nights,” Kai sings, walking backwards towards Louis’ car with an insufferable smirk on his face. “It’s not looking too good for you,” he shrugs, hands curled around the straps of his backpack.

13) You Wish I Was Yours And I Hope That You’re Mine | Not Rated | 31,259 words | 💐

“What did you wish for?” Harry blushes, “If I tell you it won’t come true…” Louis sits straight again, a cute little determined look forming on his face, “I wished that a certain curly ‘aired boy would take me on more dates because I ‘ad such a good time on this one. And that’s going to come true, isn’t it?” “Of course,” Harry nearly splutters. “Yeah, yeah definitely.” “See?” Louis grins smugly. “Now I told you mine and it’s still going to come true, so will you tell me yours?” Their wishes were different though, because whereas Louis’ wish was cute and endearing, Harry found his own wish rather embarrassing. But he can’t lie to Louis, nor can he say no to Louis, so he sucks in a shaky breath of air before he speaks softly, “I wished that I was brave enough to kiss you…”

14) Stay Until Tomorrow | Explicit | 36,766 words | 🛠️

There’s a dull ache seeping through Louis’ body as he wakes up; a mild headache from last night’s alcohol intake, a cramp in his right arm from sleeping on it weird and a familiar soreness between his arse cheeks that Louis fully blames on his lousy one night stand.

15) One Heart Broke, Four Hands Bloody | Explicit | 47,429 words | 💐

Louis’ life is really fucking dull until one day he happens upon the scene of a crime, as said crime is happening. A murderer with big hands and a charming smile somehow manages to change his life for the better.

16) Once Burnt, Twice Shy | Explicit | 52,644 words | 🔥

Louis and Harry are polar opposites in every way. Where Louis is a bestselling author from the city, Harry is a small-town firefighter who’s never left his home. Where Louis is spontaneous and spirited, Harry is introverted and calm, never straying from routine. When an ill-fated accident and an exceptionally intelligent tabby bring them together, they are forced to confront their pasts and forge a better beginning for themselves. Will sparks fly, or will it all go up in flames?

17) No Going Back | Explicit | 56,102 words | 🛠️

Sales reps Harry and Louis are bored with their jobs and their lives. After meeting at a conference in Cardiff they hook up, have a few too many drinks, and jokingly apply to become remote lighthouse keepers. Six months, just the two of them, looking after the southernmost lighthouse off the bottom of Australia. It’s not like their applications will be accepted. Right? This is the story of how one choice - a left instead of a right, a go instead of a stop, a yes instead of a no - can change the future forever and that sometimes, taking that leap of faith, is worth the risk.

18) Between The Sand and Stars | Explicit | 63,128 words | ✈️

When an earthquake strands flight attendant Louis Tomlinson on a tropical island, he’s got paradise at his fingertips - miles of sunny beaches, immersion in vibrant culture, and a beautiful seaside mansion to enjoy. Unfortunately, it belongs to the egotistical musician Harry Styles, whose incorrigible management can do little to hinder his playboy complex. Despite Louis and Harry’s abhorrent first impression, contrasting backgrounds, and tendency to bicker every time they speak, who says opposites can’t attract? Them, of course, because they hate each other … right?

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[callmewrinkles3]

When Emma Falls in Love - DR3 x Fem!OC

Summary: Christmas involves the same thing every year for Em. A week in Liverpool, formal clothing, and returning to her apartment to shower and have a bottle of wine to forget how bad it was. But this year she's spending it in Australia with Dan and his family. No big deal.

Words: 11.4k

Warnings: Mentions of past bad relationships, mentions of cheating, mentions of toxic family relationships. Panic attacks, worry, mentions of sex (but nothing explicit) and mentions of sex toys.

AN: HEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY remember us? First things first - apologies for how long this took. The plan was Christmas, but life has been ridiculous and too busy and we just apologise. Thank you for still being here and enjoying reading more about Em and Dan!

December 2018

When she was growing up, Em never kept a diary. She was the odd one out for many reasons in primary school, that was just one of them. She was too afraid of her mother finding it when “cleaning”, reading what was on her mind and telling her to stop. She hadn’t started it as a kid, and it didn’t begin when she was an adult either. But if she did have one, the first words on the page for December 22, 2018, would have been "I think I'm in love with Dan." And to say "I think" would have been a blatant lie because she knew.

She knew that night in the bar for his birthday that she was going to fall for him. She knew in Philadelphia as she sang that she only bought that dress for him to take off. She knew in Austin when he kissed her in front of another woman.

That morning in July when she woke up from one of the greatest nights of sleep in her life with Dan’s arms around her and his snoring lulling her back to sleep like white noise. Every single time he let Blake out of their shared taxi first and circled the block to come into hers when he got back from travelling. The way he never arrived home without a bouquet of flowers because she’d once said she never thought she could buy herself some. But that afternoon in Perth she couldn’t hide from the realisation anymore.

She’d been working in the early afternoon after she made lunch for the two of them and Isaac, coming out to find her boys napping on the couch. The plan had been for them to watch a film while they waited for her but toddlers were not known for their patience. She couldn’t blame Isaac for sleeping, and once Dan got comfy he could nod off anywhere.

The two of them had been up early that morning picking Isaac up for a day out and a sleepover to let Michelle finish getting ready for Christmas. Once they made it back to the farm it was running around and playing at the pool with a stop for lunch. Em had prepped sandwiches for their lunch before disappearing to work for a few hours so she didn’t fall even further behind. And now they were fast asleep, blond curls against Dan’s off season stubble.

The craving to curl up on the couch and cuddle into them was overwhelming. There was nothing else she wanted at that moment, just hug them and kiss Dan and stay there forever. But she couldn’t.

Yes, she was Auntie Emmy to Isaac - a fact he’d announced to them that morning running to greet her with chubby cheeks and “ANNIE EMMYYYYYYYY” - but Auntie Emmy was Uncle Dan’s friend. And nothing else.

She was just his friend. Even though she was the only one sleeping in his bed, even when he was basically living in her crappy flat in London. Even when it was her name he groaned out when they were together as he pulled her close. And that was why she couldn’t admit it to him. Admitting it to herself felt nearly too much.

It hurt. Oh it ached. But it was better to hurt a little bit and enjoy getting to have Danny in the way that so many people didn’t know Daniel Ricciardo, than say how she felt and break the spell. She could suck it up and bury her feelings and stay by his side as his best friend. If she didn’t say it out loud then it wasn’t real and if it wasn’t real then it couldn’t hurt her badly.

And she couldn’t tell him. She couldn’t see his face fall, couldn’t hear “we said we were just friends, nothing more.”. Couldn’t bear to have to leave people who for the first time in her life seemed to actually like her because she’d ruined it. So she’d stay quiet and get to have Christmas with people who seemed to want her there. She’d enjoy summer in December and have those weeks. Especially if it meant she got time with Isaac.

Em had fallen in love with him the first time she met him in real life in Abu Dhabi, and the feeling was mutual. She could count how many times she’d seen him in person on both hands, but he was as crazy about her as she was about him. His cheeky smile warmed up her heart. The way he ran to give her a hug after the first time they met was one of her favourite things in the world. How he reached out to her so she would hold him during the insanity of that first weekend. But it was the way that he was so much like Dan that made her heart grow ten sizes.

Physically they didn’t look alike apart from those curls they’d all inherited from Grace, but their personalities were identical. Dan joked it was why Isaac liked spending so much time with her, but she smiled and brushed it off. For her own sanity she couldn’t let that get into her head. She couldn’t do it. Not when whatever they were had an expiration date and she didn’t know how long it would last.

All of that combined meant she couldn’t resist watching them for an extra couple of moments, enjoying how relaxed they were snoozing together. She took a photo of them with her phone to secure the memory forever. She wasn’t sure what caused him to stir, if it was the small noise from the camera or if it was her moving, but Dan opened his eyes slowly and focused on her. A smile began to go across his face.

“Wanna join us? We can stay like this for a while.”

She desperately wanted to say yes. She wanted to lie down next to Dan and fall asleep with his arm around her. But she shouldn’t and she couldn’t. Anything that wasn’t at least platonic seeming had to stay just them. Sure Dan had put an arm around her shoulder or waist with his parents, but not with Isaac. She didn’t want that with him. He was too small and she didn’t want to confuse him with acting like a couple when they weren’t. If she couldn’t explain what was happening to herself then she couldn’t to him.

“I’m gonna get a start on dinner,” Em whispered, blurting out the first excuse she could think of. “Is pasta ok?”

The moment the words left her lips, she made her one fatal mistake. Kissing the top of Dan's head and then Isaac's cheek. It was supposed to be the briefest moment, a peck and then go to the kitchen. But the moment she leaned down to kiss Isaac's head his litttle hand reached out for her, not letting go. He didn't say anything, just grumbled and rubbed his head against Dan's chest before settling back down.

"I think you have to stay for a while. C'mon." He shifted slightly to let her slip beside them, settling down. "I know what you're thinking. It's fine."

"Danny-"

"I promise. It's fine." She should have stood straight up and headed out. Before she could even think about moving away Isaac woke up enough to smile at her, moving across to have half his body over Em, half on Dan. Then she was definitely not going anywhere, not when his tiny hand clung to her shirt to hold her there.

"I always knew he'd be a heartbreaker and steal someone's girl at some point in his life. I just never imagined it'd be mine."

"He's got that Ricciardo grin and those curls, what can I say?" Dan chuckled lowly at her words, his chest shaking as he held it back.

"That's not fair, I saw you first."

"I'm not some toy, you don't need to fight him over me."

"I mean if I need to I will." It was Em's turn to keep her laughter down, swallowing it so she didn't wake the sleeping toddler.

"No, it's fine. You don't need to."

"Just had to be sure."

She really didn't mean to fall asleep. She shouldn't have, she wanted to just stay for five minutes before carefully moving Isaac across and standing up to do something. But having Dan's chest as a pillow and Isaac as a tiny weighted blanket didn't help her. Dan smelled like the shower gel they were using and home, Isaac's baby shampoo mixing and making her feel peaceful and dozing off easily.

When she opened her eyes she thought she'd find her fast asleep boys, but instead they were wide awake. The youngest was staring at the film he hadn't finished, the oldest looking straight down at her when Em looked up.

How was she not supposed to fall in love with him? That broad smile and big eyes and how was she supposed to keep it platonic when he looked at her like she hung the moon and stars every single day. He called her his moon once and the compliment made her blush for a week. It was impossible to not fall in love with him, and that was the moment she admitted it. The way he stole tiny kisses while Isaac was distracted. She was gone.

They stayed like that for the afternoon, what was supposed to be a homemade meal turning into driving out for pizza for the three of them. Isaac stayed on her hip until they got him into a highchair, laughing and enjoying his food. She felt at home and happy and was so glad she was there.

It was why she said yes when he asked her what she was doing for Christmas and if she wanted to come to Australia with him. She missed him when he had a double header abroad, she couldn't imagine spending six weeks apart when he went home for Christmas. They could have done it and would have been fine. They'd done it before, but that was before feelings and sex and friends with benefits was added to the mix they had going on.

Em missed him back when they just texted and had a couple of calls, so she had to say yes. But it was terrifying to get on that plane with Dan to go to Perth. It took a call from Grace insisting she wanted Em there and everyone was looking forward to seeing her to make Em feel like it was ok.

Once she made the decision to go to Australia to spend weeks there with Dan it wasn't too scary, but the fact that she was introduced to Dan's world was. Especially now that she was slowly admitting that she'd fallen in love with him. Since the start Em had tried to deny it to herself, insist that it wasn't true. That she had no feelings for him apart from friendship and being proud of him.

But that was like saying the sun wasn't going to come out the next day. On those days where Em wasn't sure about it herself, he made her sure. If she didn't know better she'd think that was his own personal mission to make her fall in love with him. There were texts, calls, facetimes when he probably didn't have time. A text telling her to open the door because she had a delivery. How could she not fall for him?

The easiest way to fall in love with him was what he did every single trip home. She'd leave a sandwich in the fridge before she went to bed, and he came back to her tiny apartment. He had his own one that he could be in, he could go back to somewhere comfy and warm rather than her tiny one bed where the heating rarely worked. But he stayed with her. He took over doing things to make her life better, buying new sheets that were more expensive than she'd ever pay because they were softer and calling the landlord to make him fix the heating after he came back from Brazil and the apartment was freezing.

She couldn't help falling deeper and deeper in love with him when he slid into bed and wrapped his arms around her, whispering how happy he was to be back home. He could have been comfortable and warm in his apartment but instead he was there with her. The chill in the air was ignored as they pulled whatever clothes were on off, Dan marking her body as his. Week after week that was exactly what happened in beds around the world as she travelled to the US and Abu Dhabi to watch him race. She was starting to believe that maybe they did belong together as night after night they got into the same bed, whispering sweet nothings and bringing each other pleasure before curling up to sleep.

It's what happened at the farm when they were alone. Officially Em had a guest room to herself, but Dan's room became theirs. She spent so much of her days stepping outside of her comfort zone, it was exhausting and made her stomach ball up, but being with him was easy. Waking up with his arms around her was perfect. Getting into bed with him every night felt normal. It was terrifying and normal and brilliant. It was easy for her once she got over her worries, especially after that day with Isaac on the couch. His tiny hand over her chest became the reminder that what she thought would be a bad day wasn't so bad. It's part of why she wished Isaac could have been there the night she met Dan's friends.

She knew what coming to Australia when Dan went home for the winter break involved. And when she was invited she didn't even think about it, just went for it. She knew she was going to be introduced to his favourite places in his hometown, spending most of their nights out on the farm, getting to be around his family, and some nights out with his home friends to meet them. She could excuse herself once or twice from nights out because she was never a big fan of it, but she could let the social butterfly she was accompanying go out to hang out with people. He didn't get to see his friends for most of the year, she was more than happy to stay home with her huge to read list on her kindle or a good movie.

But Dan wanted her there. He wanted to spend time with her and his friends and have them all together, and she couldn't say no to those big brown eyes. Spending time with his family was easy, she knew most of them and those she didn't know at least knew of him. But the bigger issue was when she met his friends.

It was supposed to be easy. A get together with his mates so they could catch up and everyone who lived in Perth could finally meet the famous Em. There was just one problem.

Em wasn't good with people.

It wasn't that people didn't like her, it wasn't even that she didn't like people, it was that whenever she was around people she got tired quickly and couldn't deal with them for too long. Dan was one of the rare people she didn't hate being around for more than a few minutes. He'd promised it wouldn't be anything fancy or crazy, that she didn't need to stress about it, but she still worried.

She liked to think that it would have been different if they met somewhere else. In a bar or club where she could have made an excuse to go outside for a few minutes, be somewhere neutral. But meeting at the farm was somehow worse. Dan had told her to stay by his side and she did, but she felt like she was being a bother. He told her that she didn't need to do anything, she was a guest too, but her mother's words kept going around in her head. She should be helpful, she should be useful, she should be this that and the other. If she didn't help at gatherings then what use was she? Sitting next to Dan cutting tomatoes and onions for the burgers wasn't enough.

She shouldn't feel like she was suffocating when she was with his friends. They all seemed lovely, the guys who'd known Dan since he was a kid and told her stories about what he got up to in school, girlfriends who were genuinely sweet asking her about England and her work. But it felt like it was too much. The flickering light from the firepit and the music playing and the voices made her brain go a million miles an hour, all she wanted was to get out of there. Curl up and bed and read a book. She stood there smiling and she couldn't even lean against Dan because they were supposed to be just friends. They were friends. It's how he introduced her. Em, his friend from England. Not Emmy, that was only for him, but Em.

Nobody there had any idea that as soon as the parties and dinners were over he snuck into her bed. That when he got back from being all around the world he came to her home. She was just Em and she had no idea what she was doing there. She didn't know what they were but just friends didn't cut it anymore, and even being outside on the farm it felt like she couldn't get a deep breath into her lungs. The air slowly left her body and she could barely get it in.

She wouldn't forgive herself if she ruined Dan's night. He was so happy there, tanned and grinning as he talked to people. Em decided another beer to replace her empty one and a deep breath in the kitchen would help. Just two minutes away from the crowd. She went in, grabbed two bottles from the fridge and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She could do it. She'd be fine and she'd get through the rest of this night. She could do it.

"Thought you were into blondes, mate," it was clear as a bell even through the noise, a dagger hitting into Em's chest. Did she seem like just a girl?

"Shut up, it's not like that." She knew they were just friends. But hearing it like that was different. It was the straw that broke the camel's back and she didn't remember the last time she wanted to cry that badly. She wanted the ground to open up beneath her and just swallow her whole so she can hide but she wasn’t lucky enough. She blinked back tears, ignoring the knot growing in her stomach and the anxiety seeping into every pore. Em’s heart raced and she could hear the whooshing sound in her eardrums. Why was she there? The questions bubbled through her brain but that was the loudest. Why did Dan invite her there? Why was she there? Why did he want her to be in Perth?

Em couldn’t stay there anymore. If she stayed out with everyone she’d break down and start crying and the last thing Dan needed was her dramatics. She didn’t want to ruin the reunion and the good time he was having. So she took a deep breath, had a sip of her beer, and pretended she heard nothing. She just needed to keep it together for long enough so Dan didn’t suspect anything. She could smile and nod as if she didn’t care about what his mates said.

All she needed to do was pretend that she was fine, and then she could run back inside and be alone. She felt terrible just thinking about it. She couldn't do one fucking thing right and be a normal person for one night and have a normal night. It just made her feel awful for Dan because he had done everything to make her comfortable. Not just that night, but he'd changed his home so she felt at home. He insisted he was in charge of the burgers so that he could make one that was cooked the way she enjoyed it - a squirt of ketchup, one slice of cheese, wrapped in two napkins so her fingers didn't get greasy. He got her a Coke Zero or a lemon San Pellegrino so she had options when she didn't want a beer. There were even some of her favourite songs on his playlist for that night, Paramore playing out over the group. He did every single thing right. But she was ruining it all.

Em tried hiding how she was feeling but it was useless. The second she was back at Dan's side he knew something was wrong. The question was quiet, asking if she was ok, but her nod was too fast and she could tell that he didn't quite believe her. Dan's brown eyes stayed on her as she tipped the rest of her bottle back.

"Mind if I head to bed?" She was proud of how even her voice sounded.

"You sure you're ok? What's up?"

"I'm fine, just jetlagged and tired still. I'll be fine."

"See you in a lil bit?" She didn't answer him, making excuses and quick comments so she didn't start crying around new to her people. It was saying how lovely it was to meet them and saying they'd get coffee or meet before she went back to England. She was so polite and correct she almost sounded like her mother and it made her want to vomit. A final quick squeeze on Dan's shoulder and she was gone.

As soon as she was in the house she just had to do a quick trip to the bathroom, change her clothes, and go into bed. But she couldn’t go into the room she'd been sleeping in. That was Dan's bedroom and she couldn't switch the light on or people would see. So in the fading light of dusk she grabbed her pjs, the book she'd been reading, and the bottle of water she kept on her nightstand. From there she went to the guest room that was supposed to be her room. Dan had mentioned it'd be her room in Abu Dhabi, just across from his. That first night he'd insisted she didn't have to sleep there if she didn't want to and they'd ended up in his bedroom and Em didn't want to leave. But now she had to be in her own room. It'd be fine.

The last thing she wanted anyone to see was her crying. Somehow she got the door of the guest room closed without letting out a sob, panic growing in her chest. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She shouldn't be crying. She had no reason to cry. She knew what she was doing.

Her back slid against the door as she ended up on the ground. Her sobs turned to gasps as she struggled to get a deep breath, thoughts burning her head. She wanted to be curled up in the bed that she'd spent the last week sleeping in. She wanted Dan's arm around her, wanted to sit on his lap and sip from his beer bottle. Wanted to forget that the night had even happened. That the man who'd been sharing her bed for the last six months preferred blondes. That the man who she'd been falling in love with might not feel the same way, and they'd agreed they were just friends and said that they weren't going to break the rules and love each other but she had. She wanted her brain to shut up with the "why the fuck does he sleep with me then" that was filling her mind with doubts.

But more than all of that she wished she was brave enough to leave. Pack her bag and go to the airport and fly back to London. Because Dan deserved so much better than anything she could offer. He deserved a beautiful blonde woman who didn't freak out during a party and could afford to rent an apartment with working heating and didn't run away to hide and cry because she couldn't cope. Of course he wouldn't pick her.

But she could barely move. Somehow she managed to stand up once she'd caught her breath, pulling on her tshirt and leggings to sleep in. From there she made it to the bed, lying and pulling up the blanket to try cocoon herself as her tears kept falling. All she wanted was for Dan to magically appear and hold her to stop her chest from feeling so tight. A hug from Dan was magical, it'd make the pressure go away in no time. But he was with his friends and she didn't blame him. She was his friend. They were just friends and she had absolutely no right to be upset about it, but it hurt.

She wasn't planning on getting a lot of sleep that night. The awful feeling in her chest wasn't getting any better, her heart was still racing, and her head ached thanks to crying so much. Finally the tears stopped and she turned onto her side in the too big bed.

A knock on the door made her close her eyes and force her breathing to even out. She didn't want Dan to see her like that. She couldn't explain what she was feeling, she couldn't start rambling about it because then she'd have to admit how she felt and that wasn't going to happen. She couldn't admit that she'd broken every rule they'd come up with and fallen in love with him. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't lose his friendship and what they had so she had to stay quiet.

"Emmy? You awake?" Em should have known he wouldn't leave even if she didn't answer, listening as he padded around to her side of the bed and knelt down, his thumb brushing the still damp skin on her cheek.

**

The second Emmy squeezed his shoulder as she said she was still jetlagged and going to bed, Dan knew something was wrong. She hadn't been ok since she got back from the kitchen with their drinks, but watching her nod and fake smile as she went back inside felt so wrong. And then he stared at their room, waiting for a light to go on and the curtains to close. But nothing happened and it felt even worse.

He knew she wasn't a fan of big parties, his friends were more like him than her and were loud but she'd been ok. He made sure she was stuck to his side for the evening, she smiled when he handed her a perfectly wrapped burger made just the way she liked them. Dan knew it wasn't easy for her, she'd told him that she found big groups hard to deal with. She was the dictionary definition of an introvert who preferred to sit with a book in silence rather than be surrounded by loud people. But she was fine.

He'd asked a couple of times, not wanting to annoy her by constantly thinking something was wrong. He'd offered if she wanted to go inside and hide out for a while he'd make excuses but she insisted she was fine. Emmy ate her burger and snacked on some chips while chatting with his mates. He heard her laugh and one of the lads made a comment about how Dan kept staring at her. He was happy.

And Em was fine until she'd leaned over to offer to get him another beer when she was getting hers. He knew she heard what Mark said, his quip about blondes. The shut up didn't go fast enough and she'd been close enough to hear. She came back looking like someone had punched her in the stomach, big eyes sad even under her fake smile. There was nothing Dan could do to make her feel better.

What he wanted to do was pull her onto his lap, arms around her waist as they shared a drink. He'd tell her that yeah he'd slept with blondes before, dated some as well, but he was hers. He was so fucking crazy about her it was insane. Dan was absolutely in love with her, and terrified to say it because she could do so much better than him. They'd promised they'd stay friends, falling in love wasn't on the list.

But he couldn't even describe how much he loved her. He loved her long brown hair, the way it fell down her shoulders and back. He loved standing behind her and brushing it out to apologise for the mess he'd made it by wrapping it around his hand and pulling her hair the way that made her groan in all the right ways, using it as an excuse to kiss along her neck. He loved the way she smiled at him. How she made jokes and laughed at them herself. How she wrapped her arms around him and welcomed him home. The carefully covered sandwich that waited for him.

He didn't want any blondes. He wanted his gorgeous, brunette Wrinkles, and just maybe in the future if he was lucky enough he'd get to have gorgeous little babies with her hair and eyes and personality. He'd never, ever wanted that until now. And then it felt like she was slipping through his fingers with one evening.

She finished her beer, excused herself saying something about jetlag, was sweet and polite and so un-Emmy it hurt, and whispered to him that she was going to bed. The going to bed wasn't a surprised, she was still jetlagged and had been tired before they even got to Australia. She was the first to head to bed every night anyway. But the way she did it worried him.

Even around his family she kissed his head before she left the room to go to bed. It was what they did when there was people around and they couldn't actually kiss because of the comments. She'd move his curls from his forehead and give him a quick kiss there or on his cheek, or if he was sitting she'd kiss the top of his head. When they were alone he'd go to bed with her, but if he was staying up she'd peck his lips and wait for him in bed.

There was none of that. Instead she gave him a tiny, sad smile and squeezed his shoulder. Like they were just friends. Like she didn't share his bed every night. It was like a knife in his back, a kick in the stomach. That was enough to tell him that something was very, very wrong. He didn't expect a kiss, but he never thought that would be it.

It was all his fault, and the second he realised their bedroom light wasn't going on he knew it. She was nothing like his friends, his life was so different to hers, but he wanted his people to love her. He needed them to. He was so used to the way their lives were intertwined that he didn't think. He was so excited to be home and happy to see his friends and introduce them to her that he made the wrong choice. He should have had it at some neutral place, brought her to a bar to meet everyone. The way he'd done it when she met his family, how it was easier because it was a new place for them all. But he took the party to her one safe place in a foreign country and that wasn't fair on her.

It wasn't how he imagined the night ending. All he wanted to do was hold her. That was his plan for the night. Get into bed, hug his girl, steal some kisses, and call it a night. He wasn't even thinking about sex that night, just curling up with Em. He knew she'd be too tired to do anything and he'd probably have too many beers to make it good for her. So he wasn't even going to try to make a move. He'd hold her, sleep drooling into his pillow, and not have the alarm on so he could have a chill morning with her. Dan was too used to going to bed holding his Emmy, falling asleep with her in his arms and her hand against his chest. And then she was gone and he had the biggest hole in his chest knowing he'd ruined it all.

Dan had no idea what to do. He couldn’t kick his friends off the farm telling them his girl wasn’t ok and needed him. Firstly Em wasn’t his girl, not to them. He’d said over and over that they were friends and she was visiting. Nobody truly believed him, but it was the official story. He couldn’t make them leave but his brain was screaming that he needed to go to Em right then. Something was wrong and he needed to fix it. He needed to make sure she was ok. But all he could do was wait and yawn.

"You alright, DR?” One of the guys asked him.

“Yeah, just exhausted. Nightmare of a season if I’m honest. Looking forward to next year! Maybe I’m getting too old now I’m turning 30?” It was a half joke that got a laugh from the assembled guests. Fortunately they took it for what it was and started making their excuses to leave. An hour later he watched the last people leave as he waved. Once those lights were gone from the driveway he ran back to the house as quickly as he could get in.

His heart broke as he opened the bedroom door to find the empty room in complete darkness. When he switched the light on it was even worse, Em’s belongings still there. Her pillow, the blanket she loved, her Snorlax plushie he’d brought her back from Japan, even her Kindle. Only her water bottle and the book she was reading were gone.

It was a punch in the gut to realise the only other room she could be in was his least used guest room. The fact that Emmy thought she needed to stay in another room felt wrong. His room was their room. He’d made sure to decorate it to be similar to their room in London, parcels arriving to the farm the week before they arrived. The fairy lights, the purple curtains, the scented candles, the extra soft sheets and bed linen to make her smile. It was all for them. It was to make Emmy happy and feel like she was at home because in the back of his head there was a hope that it could be their home in the future. Dan had thought it was working, but now it felt like it was falling apart.

It took a few seconds for Dan to get the courage together to knock on the spare room door. He was scared Emmy would tell him to leave, would tell him to go away. But instead there was silence. He knocked again but the same lack of answer was the response so he decided to go in.

The room was in absolute darkness apart from the faint moonlight coming through the window. It was enough that Dan could make out Em resting on the bed, blankets up to her chin. All Dan wanted to do was get into bed with her, to spoon against her and hold her close, but he knew she wouldn’t like that. So instead he walked around to her side and knelt in front of her, stroking a lock of hair falling over her cheek. He didn’t know if she was in the mood for hugs, didn’t know if she wanted anyone, so he didn’t want to do too much. He saw how her eyes were closed and could feel her damp skin under his thumb. Em’s breathing was too even, she wasn’t really asleep.

“Emmy? I know you’re awake Baby girl.” It took a moment for her eyes to open as she looked up at him.

“I was tryna sleep.”

“I know. But why aren’t you in bed?”

“I am.” Her words were short. “This is a bed.”

“It’s not our bed, Beautiful.” She was at least looking at him, but something still wasn’t right. “C’mon back to bed.”

“I’m fine, D. Go on, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine. You’ve been crying.” She looked like she was about to start crying again, Dan holding her hand and running his thumb along the back of it.

“I’m fine, Dan. I’m fine. I’m just tired, it’s been a long day. Go to bed.”

“Not without you.” He watched as her gaze softened slightly and he just wanted to kiss her to make her smile. “Can I like down here with you and give you a hug?”

“You don’t have to, Dan. We can just go to sleep.”

“But I want to. If you want me to.”

“…That’d be nice.” It took a few seconds for Em to respond and Dan was terrified she’d say no. He’d accept it, but he wouldn’t like it. He got in behind her, pulling Em against his chest. Her whole body was tense as he turned her around so they were in their usual sleeping position. She began to relax as his hand rubbed her back, Em’s head finally resting against his chest.

“You know, Snorlax is all alone in the other room. And our bed is way comfier than this one.” He kept his hand moving as she tensed up again, looking into Dan’s eyes.

“I’m too tired to move.”

“Nobody said you have to move. Trust me?” There was a nod and he pulled her over to the other side of the bed before stepping out. It was easy to pick her up and carry her out to their room, carefully depositing her back in their bed before he got in beside her. “See? Back where we belong and without you needing to move a single one of your cute toes. And back with your fluffy friend.”

It was quiet between them for a few moments, something Dan mostly expected. Whenever Em got like this she always went quiet while she thought. Finally he heard her bare whisper.

“I’m sorry I ruined your night.”

“You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t ruin anything, you never could. I’m sorry I invited everyone around and had them all invading your space. I shouldn’t have.”

“Dan.” She leaned up and kissed his jaw to make him smile. “It’s your house and your friends, of course you should have. It’s fine.”

“No it’s not. I should have done it differently, we should have gone somewhere else. And believe me when I tell you that you can’t ruin anything. Even if you tried to ruin something you couldn’t.”

“You’re too nice to me.” The hollow way she said it broke a little part of Dan’s heart.

“Emmy I promise. Everyone should be nice to you because you deserve it. You deserve happiness and goodness. And a whole lot of cuddles.”

“Will you cuddle me?” He couldn’t help but hold her even closer at her request.

Dan had no idea which lucky star was looking out for them but it felt like there was a whole constellation instead of just one star. He knew Em wouldn’t do it but he was ready for her to kick him out of the room. Instead he was so damn lucky that he got to hold her while she dozed asleep. He didn’t have the guts to try to explain the comment she’d overheard, he wasn’t going to push his luck, but at least he got to hold her. They could keep going from there.

—

Em couldn’t remember when she actually fell asleep. She was positive that she wouldn’t sleep at all that night, but Dan’s arms around her and his heartbeat under her ear was the best sleeping pill to ever exist. She didn’t know how he did it but he always managed to make her drift off. Even on the worst nights when her brain wouldn’t shut up he did it.

She woke up too early, the sun barely rising and illuminating the room through the blinds. She shot awake at the realisation that Dan wasn’t against her back anymore. At some point in the night she moved from Dan spooning her to her turning around and cuddling into him like she always did. Her face was buried against Dan’s chest, his arms holding her tight, and their legs tangled between each other. She raised her head slightly, Dan grumbling at her moving, and kissed his chest before going back to sleep with him.

The next time she woke up it was full morning. The sun was coming in through slits in the blinds and felt completely opposite to her emotions. She was so exhausted. Em had cried herself to exhaustion, her anxiety and nerves filling her. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed with her book and preferably with Dan cuddling her. But she was so tired she barely even noticed Dan kissing her shoulder and gently leaving her in bed. He was probably just going to the bathroom before coming back to the warmth and cuddle her.

She must have dozed off, she had no idea how long he was gone for, but she woke up to kisses on her cheek and the scratch of his off season stubble against her skin. The smile on her face was automatic. Waking up that way was one of her favourite things in the world, kisses from the man she was falling for were the best feeling and she wouldn’t change it for anything in the universe.Without even thinking Em hugged him back, almost forgetting the words from the evening before. After a horrible night all she needed was Danny. Em just wanted her human weighted blanket over her.

“I made breakfast,” Dan whispered, lips still glued to her skin. “I’ve got your coffee and toast and that jam you like. Figured you wouldn’t want to get up so it’s here whenever you want it.::

“Huh? You didn’t have to do that.” She looked up at him with disbelieving wide eyes. How could he get up to make breakfast and bring it into her after everything that happened? He did it more often than not when they were in England, but she didn’t think he’d do it that morning.

“You always say that, and I always say I do it because I wanna. Are we gonna have this conversation again?”

“No, not really. Thanks for doing it anyway.” She caught him in a kiss but as she went to move he didn’t let her.

“Don’t thank me. Especially considering it’s gonna get cold cause I’m too comfy to move.”

“Dan…”

“Five minutes.”

Like every morning when Dan asked for five minutes in bed with her, those five turned into ten, then fifteen, and then she lost count. It started with kisses against Em’s neck and her hands running along his shoulders and back. But it ended with their clothes somewhere on the floor, fingers laced and moaning each other’s name. Coffee could be reheated, toast could be eaten cold or remade. But none of it mattered when Dan was inside her, whispering how good she felt and how she was the best girl, giving her another reminder that it was still them. Inside the walls of their bedroom it was always going to be them. If that was all she was going to get, it was going to have to be enough. Dan’s groans and gasps helped silence Em’s ghosts for a little while so she took advantage.

The rest of the day involved Dan looking after her while they had a lazy day. A few small excuses, a rescheduled afternoon with his family blamed on hangovers, and they decided to either stay in the bed or on the couch and do nothing. Dan insisted it was payback for the mess of the night before. Em didn’t particularly care about his reasons as long as she was by his side.

It was how they spent their days in Perth, mostly glued to each others sides except for if Dan was going to Michael to start working on a training plan or see his friends. She started to get used to being a part of his life in Australia. Dan made sure that none of the events were at the farm, always at a restaurant or bar unless it was just his family. Every single time they went anywhere Dan whispered in her ear before they went in that she was the one in charge. Say a word and they’d be on the way home. She was trying to fit into his life just like he was trying to keep her safe, and Em couldn’t thank him enough for it.

She was starting to get used to Perth, relaxing more as she spent more time there. But as Christmas got closer she lost her chill. Two days before Christmas she went through the clothes she’d brought with her and none of them were good enough for an event. She had no idea what a Ricciardo Christmas involved, but none of her outfits were right. She had some cute summer dresses, but they were normal everyday things. She’d wear them to the beach or to lunch or maybe even to dinner with Dan’s friends, but not for a proper day. There was nothing formal like what she’d wear to her family’s Christmas dinners that met her mother’s approval.

Em knew Dan would say she looked good in anything she wore, but she was terrified. All she wanted was for them to like her. The idea that Dan’s family might not like her was scary, and she needed to make sure that she was perfect. She couldn’t ruin it over clothing. Em had hidden most of the anxiety she had around being good enough for them but that night it was too much. Her stomach was in knots and she kept fidgeting in bed. The same page was read over and over, but she had no idea what it said. She pretended it was fine until Dan kissed her cheek, pulling her book from her hands as she jumped.

“Emmy what’s wrong?”

“Huh?” She shook her head and looked over at him.

“You haven’t turned the page in like fifteen minutes, you jumped when I kissed your cheek, and your feet keep moving. You’re overthinking. So talk to me, what’s going on?”

“What if they don’t like me? I didn’t bring anything proper to wear because you kept saying it was hot and I don’t look proper. I should have brought something proper with me.”

“If who doesn’t like you?” The concern in his voice made her want to melt.

“Your family, Dan.”

“Emmy…Baby you know they lo-like you already. Mum’s the one who invited you. Isaac absolutely loves you and is obsessed with you, ‘Chelle made a joke that you’re gonna have to have him on your lap when we’re eating. You can wear any of the dresses you’ve been wearing. You look phenomenal in them. I’m gonna wear shorts so you’ll be fine. What’s this about?” Her head spun. Shorts? At Christmas? No no no. What?

“Huh? Not a suit? Or at least trousers and a shirt? You’re wearing shorts?”

“I’m not wearing a fucking suit, it’s summer. It’s way too warm to do that.”

“Oh.”

“We can head out tomorrow, find a new dress for you if you want. But if you want my opinion you should wear that little red one you have, it’s cute. You look good in all your summer dresses, but red is kinda Christmassy, right?”

“But it’s a summer one?”

“And it’s probably gonna be like thirty. What’s wrong with that?”

Her head was filled with the reminder of the year before, of her mother’s glare at the heels Em made herself wear because if she didn’t she’d barely be allowed into the party. But they were only Primark so they weren’t good enough. And she didn’t have many presents for Dan’s family and

“Emmy. What’s up? Talk to me.”

“It’s stupid. But if I didn’t have changes for the different parts of Christmas Day and if I wasn’t wearing a formal dress and heels and men weren’t in suits then it wasn’t acceptable. Plus I only have little presents not proper gifts, I don’t know what to do.”

“Calm down. It’s ok. All you need to do is turn up as yourself, that’s it. We’re having a barbecue and hanging out by the pool cause it’s way too hot for anything else, I promise. We’ll be in swimwear most of the time.”

The next morning Em was still half convinced she should try to have something proper to wear, but Dan convinced her there was no need. If she wanted to go shopping he’d drive her in and help her choose, but she didn’t have to. She didn’t need to do it so his family would like her, they’d like her anyway. Instead it was a morning of soft kisses on the couch to convince her but Em agreed to wear the red dress Dan liked so much. It had a shallow v neck, was knee length, and the fabric had a white floral pattern. Dan insisted it looked wonderful with the soft tan she’d picked up since they got into the country. Pairing it with black slip on sandals meant she’d be ok. She’d look fine.

Which led her to the freak out of how could she appear at Joe and Grace’s home to stay a few nights without bringing anything as a thank you? She couldn’t do that. So they stood in the Cole’s checkout queue for far too long on the 23rd as Dan watched her pick out her baking ingredients. By that evening there was a berry tart and a three layer chocolate cake packaged up in the fridge awaiting delivery with them. It was entirely stress baking, even Dan knew it. But he didn’t make any comments. Instead he sat on the kitchen counter and watched, stealing strawberries and taste testing her concoctions.

Christmas Eve morning arrived and Em wasn’t as nervous as she thought she’d be. The full day of Dan talking to her about how it was going to be alright and everyone was looking forward to see her had helped. There were still nerves, but she was going to spend a couple of nights with people who wanted her there, wear cute clothes, and she had host presents to give as a thanks for being invited. Really she couldn’t wait.

Plus Dan had made it his personal job to make sure that she was completely relaxed that moaning. It started with slow morning sex, Em waking up to kisses along her shoulder and wandering hands. After that a shower for the two of them and waffles with her leftover berries for breakfast really helped, Em fully relaxed. She double checked that the presents were all perfectly wrapped and packed to go, and after lunch she decided to finally start getting ready for heading over.

Dan was sitting on the side of the bed switching between watching her put makeup on and fiddling with his phone. She knew she wanted to look mostly natural but she put a red lip on to go with her dress. She was put together and ready to go. She could do this. It was going to be good. As soon as she opened her lipstick up Dan spoke.

“You know red’s a risky colour when you consider I’m definitely stealing kisses under the mistletoe.”

“The package says it’s kiss proof. You’ll be fine stealing a peck.”

“Ah my sweet, innocent Emmy. You thinkI’m gonna steal just one little peck?” He grinned and kissed her briefly but filthily, tongue slipping between her lips as Em kissed him back.

“That’s the last one, your entire family will be around.”

“And?”

“And that means your family and kids. So no.”

“We’ll find somewhere, you’re not gonna make me go a full day without a kiss.” He pursed his lips at her but Em ignored them, focusing on making sure her liner was perfect and her lipstick matched it.

“You know you’re ridiculous, right?” It was supposed to be a joke, but he got the look on his face that she knew meant he’d done something.

“Talking about ridiculous, actually-“

“Daniel what did you do?” He went to his side of the wardrobe, pulling out a red glittery box from behind some bedsheets.

“Before you say anything, I did nothing. It was all Santa. Not me.” He handed Em the box and she looked up at him carefully. They’d agreed that he wasn’t getting her a present this year because he’d paid for her flights to Austin and Perth. She never wanted him to ever think that she was friends with him because of his money. None of it mattered to her.

“Dan we said.”

“I know. But it was Santa. And he couldn’t give this to you in front of everyone so it had to be now.”

“What have you done?”

She opened the box he’d handed her carefully, lifting the lid and pulling back two layers of tissue paper to reveal the gifts. The main one was some of the most beautiful lingerie she’d ever seen in her life. It was sage green and lacy, the fabric soft against her finger. The corset wasn’t a proper one, not boned but she knew it’d look amazing. A pair of stockings at the bottom of the box made her realise how perfect it would be.

“It’s nothing. I just wanted—“

“Oh this is pretty. This is really, really pretty.” She lifted the underwear out to let the lace catch the light, admiring the design through it.

“You like it??” Dan sounded nervous.

“I really like it. I mean, I could wear it Boxing Day when we get b…what’s this?” As she moved tissue paper a smaller box she hadn’t realised was there hit off her fingers. Em picked it up and looked at the sleek silver lettering. For her pleasure. When she opened the box there was a light lavender vibrator in the black box. A charging cable was neatly beside it along with a dust bag.

“Look if you don’t wanna use it, it’s fine. If you want to pretend that you never saw it and throw it away, that’s completely fine. But we were talking and you said you’d never tried one, so I thought why not? It could be an option for you.”

Em’s cheeks were on fire as she realised that Dan was doing it for her. She’d barely made it through the awkward conversation when he’d asked her what she liked in bed. It was impossible to explain how bad her sex life had been before him. She’d never thought it was, but the way he acted when she said it was ok for him to not worry about her orgasms had soon taught her the opposite. She still remembered the way Gregory looked at her when she said she wasn’t enjoying their sex life. Now she knew he’d been with Millie that entire time when he insisted she was enjoying herself.

She forced herself out of her thoughts, staring at Dan. He looked worried and she forced a smile. His face relaxed when he realised she was ok.

“Will you use it with me?” She felt like her body was about to rip apart from shakes and nerves as she got the words out but Dan’s grin made it worth it.

“Absolutely. We can do it right now.”

“We have to go to your parents, so when we get back. And thank you. But Dan you didn’t have to. I don’t need presents, you paid for my flights. That was enough.”

“I mean I think it’s technically more for us than just you, so it’s fine. Right?” She grinned at him and leaned against his shoulder for a moment before getting up.

“Get dressed or you’ll be late.” Em started to fix her makeup as Dan looked at her.

“Can I watch you get dressed first?”

“No touching, but you can.”

“You’re killing me here, woman!” It hurt to not just sit in his lap and kiss him but they were already starting to be late. She couldn’t be late for a visit that involved staying over.

As a little nod to his request, Em slicked on a light pink lipstick instead of the red one she planned on wearing before putting on her red dress. The no touching rule was ignored the second she moved past Dan. Instead he squeezed her butt and kissed her neck before going to get changed. As promised he was casual, one of his party shirts, a pair of shorts, and Vans. Effortlessly handsome as normal and Em was jealous of how good his slightly longer curls and stubble looked.

If she was honest to herself all she wanted to do was take her dress off, get rid of the stupidly expensive shirt he was wearing and spend the day kissing him. Ask him to use the new toy sitting in the box. But they couldn’t. They needed to get going. When they were about to head out the door Dan decided to steal a kiss. It was supposed to be just one final one, but it turned into two. Then three. Then Em was pinned against the wall, hands running through Dan’s hair as his hands gripped her hips and waist. She pushed her lips to wherever she could reach, kissing up the bridge of his nose and along his cheeks.

Em would never admit it in a month of Sundays to him, but it was the right decision to not wear the red lipstick. Her whole face would be red. They needed to go. Get in the car and leave, but he was addictive. It was one of the things she adored about him and sometimes hated, how hard he was to leave behind. Every time they said it was the last one there was just one more.

She knew they wouldn’t be able to do this for another two days. The plan was to stay with Grace and Joe for Christmas Eve and Day, so they could be around all the family for the festivities before coming back on Boxing Day. Which meant no touching or kissing, and she couldn’t say no to the last make out session for 48 whole hours. She giggled at Dan’s expression as he moved away, Em using her thumb to clean the sheen of lipstick from his lip.

The one thing she didn’t expect was Dan grabbing her hand when they walked to his truck, and holding it again in between shifting gears while he was driving. It had never been a thing for them until they arrived in Perth. They’d been grocery shopping and picking up last minute presents in a crowded supermarket, everyone out to prepare for the season. Out of the blue there were fingers linking hers, Dan holding her hand while they walked through the aisles. His fingers interlaced with hers until they got to the checkout, and then went back as they walked back to the truck.

Grabbing someone’s hand for a moment in a crowded place was fine. Friends did that in busy places so they didn’t lose each other, especially when one of them was new to a place. You don’t lace your fingers with them. And Em couldn’t bring herself to let it go while she tried to ignore the size difference or how good it felt.

She really did try not to think about it, but it was impossible while his thumb rubbed lazy circles against her skin. He was soft and warm and his long fingers were one of her favourite things in the world. Sitting in the car then she could admit it to herself, she loved him. She loved the way he made her feel about herself almost as much as she loved him. And then the playlist flipped over and a grin spread across her face while she heard the opening fiddle strains of Our Song.

Em didn’t even need to say anything. All she did was look over as Dan was intently staring at the road with a grin on his face to know he did it deliberately. He’d learned pretty early on that a surefire way to cheer her up was to put Taylor on. Em could still never thank him enough for that night in Philadelphia when they’d gotten to see Our Song live without the band. It had been magical. Dan started to sing along with his exaggerated accent to make her giggle. There was nobody else for her, all she could focus on was being happy. The nerves, the worry faded away as she sung with hi, and collapsed into giggles when they finished. Em sang it looking over at him, watching how he grinned and shimmied in his seat as they drove the road back to the city instead of staying out at the countryside. All she wanted was to kiss him silly and start her Christmas Day sharing a bed with him. It’d still be worth it, but it was weird.

She may not have gotten a Christmas Eve kiss from her favourite member of the family, but Isaac wouldn’t let her go and kept kissing her cheek. He insisted on sitting next to her at dinner, Dan on Em’s other side. Dan casually ran his hand along her thigh under the table cloth as they all ate. She joked and laughed along with everyone, getting Isaac to eat his veggies thanks to the joy of stealing from Auntie Emmy’s plate and not even realising what was happening.

The best part about the meal was nobody judged her for her plate of food. Everyone else was eating the Feast of the Seven Fishes, plates piled with seafood that she didn’t particularly enjoy. Instead Grace had handed her a plain one, with pasta and sauce and cheese. She smiled when she got it, getting a “enjoy”.

There was no pressure on Em to try new things. The serving platters were spread on the table for people to take what they liked. If she wanted something and it looked good to her she could have it. If she liked it, great. If not Dan was happy to eat off her plate. Once they started talking and sharing drinks she couldn’t remember why she was so nervous. She knew the Ricciardo’s. She’d spent days with them, relaxing and watching Dan race. This was just another dinner like the ones they’d had before, except here they had a celebration as an excuse.

When dessert came around Grace brought out Em’s cake and tart, placing them in the centre of the table.

“Em made these, so I’m saving the pav for tomorrow. I hadn’t put it together and these are fresh!” Grace announced as she handed out bowls, Joe cutting into the cake first and showing the layers. It was congratulations and compliments towards Em, Isaac grinning as he ate his tart. It felt strange to get complimented for what she’d done by people. Usually she stayed quiet and in the background because she didn’t want to speak too loudly.

Even with the worry that someone would ask questions Em could feel herself relaxing beside Dan. He had his arm resting on the back of her chair, hugging around her shoulders like it was nothing. She wanted to move away but she couldn’t, Isaac on her lap before she lifted him and carried him into the living room for Christmas Eve presents. They settled in on the sofa, Isaac waking up a bit more and looking around.

Em wasn’t expecting anything. They’d welcomed her into their home, offered her somewhere to stay and it was more than she thought. But as stockings were handed out Joe offered one over to her.

“Everyone gets a stocking. We guessed on the pjs, apologies if they’re too big.” She smiled as she opened it, Isaac handed back to Michelle so Em could open it. Inside was new shorts pjs with red and black checkers, shampoo and conditioner, and a mixture of sweets. There was also a new notebook and a smooth writing pen. She couldn’t believe it. It was presents chosen specifically for her. The tiny little gold E in the bottom right corner of the notebook cover proved that for her. It was the middle of summer, she was in Australia for Christmas, and there was a group of people together who genuinely liked each other and somehow liked her. It didn’t feel real.

As midnight hit it was hugs and congratulations, everyone heading towards their rooms as they were shooed away with the promise that Santa was on his way so everyone had to go to bed. For the first time in far too long she didn’t have to suppress a shudder as someone who wasn’t Dan hugged her, smiling at Grace and Joe and returning the hug. Michelle and her husband got a one armed one that she gave willingly. It felt magical. And it wasn’t weird that the biggest hug was from Dan. She wouldn’t kiss him in front of everyone, but once everyone was going to bed he followed her into the guest room she was staying in.

“Two hands or the hug doesn’t count, right?” Em asked as he pulled her into a hug. His head leaned against hers and Em pushed her head into the spot where his neck and shoulder met. Alone she was able to run her hands along his warm back, pulling him close as Dan nodded and squeezed her waist. “That’s my huggy boy.”

As he hugged she didn’t want to let go, holding onto him in the privacy. Dan pushed kisses to the top of her head and her shoulder as much as he could. Em was just glad to have him there. He made things easier for her. She’d come with him and been so nervous but it was easy with him. Terrifying, but easy. She looked up at him and saw the smile, reaching up on her toes to kiss him.

The smile on Dan’s face as he realised what was going on and what she was doing would sustain Em forever. He was contagiously happy as they kissed, and Em was so close to telling him everything. But for the first time in years she was going to have a good Christmas and she couldn’t say no. She couldn’t ruin that on herself. So she held onto him as he kissed the top of her head and pretended everything was fine. She could do it.

“You need to go back,” Em whispered, afraid of breaking the spell between them.

“Can I stay here?”

“You need to go. What if your parents find out?”

“It’ll be fine. I’ll go back to my room early in the morning. Please?” She couldn’t resist him and he knew that.

“Fine.” It was one more kiss before she went to get her pjs on. They were curled up in bed and Em heard him barely whisper.

“Merry Christmas, Emmy.”

“Merry Christmas, Dimples. Thanks for inviting me tonight,” she murmured before pushing a kiss to his shoulder and cuddling in to sleep.

“Any time, Wrinkles. It’s gonna be the first of many.”

-

Taglist

@dr3lover @sabrinaselina55 @majx00 @tall-tanned-tattoo @lovingdennishauger @lauehr @msolbesg @f1medlife @idkwtfimdoing2 @leclercsbae @hiphopdancer101universe @mehrmonga @lewispool @saintandrea-droidsmuggler @coldheartedmar @sugarbabygirlofdaddy @nonsensical-nonce @a-distantdreamer @tita010 @leslizzleuribe @javden @mloyer @saintandrea-droidsmuggler @magical-imagination-kgp @danarysstormborn @kakorrhaphiphobia @g-l-o-b-e-w-h-o-r-e @elizanav @neiich @luckyladycreator2 @scotlynaurora @belledawnidk

[footballerimaginess]

Fluff Alphabet | Trent Alexander Arnold

Here is my fluff alphabet, give it some love and feedback please. This takes me a long time to make, so will really appreciate the love on this fic. Let me know what players you want more fluff alphabets on. Word Count: 1,334 ANNIVERSARY - "Happy Anniversary" you smiled as you read the text and sighed also, knowing that you weren't with him today as he was in Europe. You were so upset but when a bunch of flowers arrived at your door, they instantly made your day even better.

BABIES - Whenever you saw a baby, you were so broody. You and Trent had always spoken about babies and how you would love children in the future. You knew he would be the most perfect father whenever you decided to have babies. When the time was ready of course. COFFEE - "We haven't had a coffee date in ages, come on" you smiled as you suggested to Trent as your eagle eye saw a starbucks in the distance and you knew you needed an iced coffee. "You are the worst, anytime we drive past one you need one" you smirked. "Alright, guess you aren't getting one" you laughed as Trent's brow furrowed. "Well we are here now, so I suppose" he teased. DATE NIGHT - Date nights were rare when you dated a footballer, but Trent always had the best ideas for what you did on date night. It was always so special because he put so much effort into your dates it meant so much to you. EXPLORE - One of your favourite things to do was exploring new places, it had been one thing you loved to do. There was so much on this list that you'd both wanted to explore and made sure it was your mission to do so. FLOWERS - One of Trent's ways of showing love was buying you flowers, not really having a reason behind why he got them. But they were always so beautiful whenever he bought them back or got them delivered whenever he wasn't here due to football. He always knew how to brighten up your day even when he wasn't here. GAMES - You loved going to games, whether it was England or Liverpool, you love going to away games on your own and being in the middle of the crowd. It just felt so special supporting your man. HOLIDAY - Holidays were one and the only time seeing Trent in the summer, he always made sure that you would do a lot to try and make up for how much time you missed when the season was happening. You were so excited to spend time with him and having ICKS - The one thing you hated about Trent and was one of your few icks in the relationship. "If you slurp that drink one more time, that straw may be leading somewhere fucking else" you gritted your teeth as he coughed, your comments taking him by surprise. "Woah okay okay" he holds his hands up before gently pushing the glass away from him. JUMPER - "Have you stolen one of my jumpers again? I can't find it anywhere" you turned around as you spoke to him as you had the jumper on. "Oh so you do have it, good job I love you because this is taking the piss now. I love that jumper" he asked you sternly with a straight face. "Well you're not having it back now" you shrugged. KITTEN - You had told Trent that you had wanted a pet, desperately. So when Trent came home with a huge box, you were confused as he placed it in front of you. "Open it" you smiled as you opened the box to reveal the cutest black and white kitten. "Oh my gosh, she is so cute" you whispered as you placed your cat on your chest. LIVERPOOL - You were the biggest football fan before you started dating Trent, so when you would go to games you were just so excited anyway to watch him at Anfield and travelling around the UK and Europe watching the team play. MEETING - You and Trent met at a bar as you walked straight into him, say it was love at first sight. In your mind obviously, not Trent's. But you were too shy to say anything when you bumped into him. But you gradually worked your way over to talk to him more and more. NAME - "So when are you going to be y/n alexander arnold?" the boys asked as you blushed. "I dunno, one day i hope" you shrugged as you watched Trent's facial expression. "Guess you'll just have to wait, gotta keep you on your toes" you laughed as the boys all smirked. "So much love from you there Trent" he laughed. OCEAN - "Come swim with me" you shouted to Trent who was laying on the beach whilst you were standing in the ocean which was looking so beautiful. "You go, it looks so pretty" Trent smiled, shouting away as the beach was so quiet as it was still pretty early.

PAMPER NIGHT - You and Trent were having a pamper night, phones were off (not even allowed to do a sneaky photo for social media because Trent would kill you within seconds that was uploaded). Face masks were always your favourite especially when you had a full collection of them on hand. QUESTION - When Trent popped the question, you thought he was joking when you were on a beach on holiday one summer. You were so shocked when he opened the ring box, taking you completely by surprise. Saying yes of course as you jumped straight onto him as you looked at the ring and grabbed him as tightly as you could. RAIN - Of course the British weather being as awful as it is as always, you stupidly decide to go out for a walk which meant the heavens opened as it usually would. You were absolutely soaked as you ran as fast as you could in the rain. SUNSHINE - You were laying in the sunshine as it hit down onto your chest as hot as he could be. "I could get used to this heat, it feels so glorious. It is a shame that we don't get this weather in England. But it seems lovely" he mumbled as he barely raised a look up as he was enjoying the sunshine.

TRENT - Life with Trent was amazing, working your job was something special you loved working on your photography and getting to do it within football was amazing also. You knew you were so happy with Trent and couldn't wait to experience more life with him. UNDER THE STARS - You and Trent were laying under the stars in your garden, watching the night sky. "I love this, with you" you smiled as you rolled over to talk to him closely. "Me too" Trent whispered gently as he stroked your hair. VICE CAPTAIN - You were so proud of him when he told you that he was becoming vice captain. This was huge for him, especially as he has been at the club for so long. When Trent posted it on his instagram, you were so proud of him and all the fans were too which especially warmed your heart. WEDDING - The wedding wasn't for a while. but you were planning it all and had been for months. It had been a crazy few months, Trent was convinced that you were slowly turning into bridezilla. "We've had so many deliveries, how many things have you got. We are only having one day" you laughed as he was right. But you wanted it to be special. X - The kisses he left you whenever he texted you were always adorable, he was just so cute. YELLOW - "That dress is so beautiful on you, yellow is your colour. Ready" he smiled as he laced your hand in his hand as you headed to the car. You were going to the award ceremony Zzzz - You and Trent were having a lazy day on the sofa after Trent had been having a busy week of training and a midweek European game. All he wanted to do was have a chilled day, laying on the sofa snoozing in and out of sleep.

[lethalchiralium]

Take My Breath Away | John Price x GN!Reader

a/n: hiiii. i love this man so much, happy v day!

warnings: allusions to sex

summary: It’s been a long day, you knew you were going to be alone on Valentine’s Day when your husband sent a bouquet of roses to your office. All you wanted to do was go home and watch a movie.

Work at the office was rough and long. Finally shutting off your light of your office on the flowers your husband sent for Valentine’s Day, you let out a sigh of relief. It was 7 in the evening, you didn’t even think of dinner on your way home, knowing that you would most likely be alone for the holiday again this year. Your husband was a busy man, but never too busy to send you flowers every chance he got - but always three dozen red and white roses on Valentine’s Day.

The drive home was quiet, work still on your mind as you drove through traffic in Liverpool. Your home was near the outskirts of town, which was perfect for you to unwind and your husband felt it safe enough. Classical music played in your little car, a folder of notes to look at over the weekend was in your passenger seat. You desperately wanted a weekend to take a breath, to leave work at its threshold and finally catch up on that series your friends keep bugging you about. Maybe even get to call John at a decent hour for him, albeit probably one in the morning for you.

You yawned, grabbing your phone from the center console before tapping John’s number. You put it on speaker, holding it up as you heard the beep. “Hi baby, I just got done at the office. Just wanted to call you and tell you Happy Valentine’s Day, thank you for the roses. They’re beautiful.” You stopped at a red light before continuing, “Maybe next year you’ll get to spend Valentine’s with me, but I’m just gonna stay in and order some takeout. I love you. Stay safe. Bye.”

The light turned green when you put your phone back into your console, lightly tapping your fingers on the steering wheel as you began to leave the city. You recognized the bus and tram stops, you were only a few minutes away from home, from your TV, from your bed. You could feel the relaxation flowing through your veins as you drove down your street, only to have your heart stop as you pulled up to your house.

The lights were on, you could see through your living room window, you would’ve thought you had forgot to turn them off but your husband was an important man - a dangerous, important man. You felt fear grip your chest, you parked your car in front of your lawn and turned it off. You got out, shutting door as quietly as you could before you stalked forwards. It wasn’t uncommon for him to not tell you that he’s home, but there would always be a sign-

Your front porch light was on, you had just noticed. The sign that he was home, you heart swelled. You walked briskly up your walkway and to your front door, unlocking it with your keys. You pushed open the door quietly, and almost gasped.

There were rose petals on the floor.

You stepped inside before you silently closed the front door. You could hear jazz playing from somewhere in the house and you smelled something cooking, it smelled exactly like your favorite food John makes for you when he comes home. Toeing your shoes off, you placed your keys into your coat before taking it off. Swiftly hanging it on the metal coat rack before moving towards the living room, ready to move across it to get to the kitchen. Yet, you found yourself stopping in the doorway, jaw dropping at the beautiful sight.

Every inch of your living room was covered with vases of red and white roses, the overwhelming scent of them almost made you step back. You knew this had to be an expensive bill of flowers, seeing that there were vases on your coffee table, breakfast bar, floor, and only one on your dining room table with candles next to it. A smile tugged at your lips as you watched your husband fix a couple vases so the best flowers showed towards the hallway from the front door. He was dressed in a white button down, black slacks, his boonie hat nowhere to be seen.

“Shit.” He chuckled, going to place his thumb in his mouth - presumably to wipe away blood that had drawn from pricking a thorn. He turned towards you, keeping his head down as he kept turning vases to face your doorway, thumb moved away from his mouth as he gently shifted a couple roses in one of the floor vases before standing up straight, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. He sighed, placing his hands on his hips before he looked up, making eye contact with you and eyes widened in surprise. “Shit.”

Your smile was so wide as you walked towards him, cautiously dodging the glass vases full of beautiful flowers before you reached him, one hand settling on your cheek while the other sat on your hip.

“Your thumb okay?”

He chuckled, “All this and you’re worried about me pricking myself?”

A laugh escaped your lips, your hands settling on his face, gently brushing your thumbs over his mustache. “You’re such a lover.”

He smiled at you, moving forwards to press his forehead to yours. “I couldn’t miss another Valentine’s, it would break my heart.” He whispered, closing his eyes as he gently spoke, “I just hope you like it, I made your favorite.”

“John Price, you’re worried that I don’t like it?” You almost laughed, his eyebrows furrowed as his eyes opened. “Baby, you could give me one rose and I would be over the moon. Not that this isn’t gorgeous,” Your hands moved to his jaw. “But all I need is you.”

He smiled brightly, “I’ll love you forever, my love.”

You leaned forwards and kissed him sweetly, his mustache tickling the top of your lip before you pulled away, gazing up to his eyes before saying, “We could eat or…”

“Or?” His eyes narrowed, a smirk on his lips.

“We could go upstairs.”

It didn’t take the Captain more than a second to pull you up into his arms, his hands holding the bottom of your thighs as you squealed, arms around his neck as his lips pressed into your neck.

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OH MY GOD IT DIDNT EVEN POST THE LAST PARAGRAPH WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED WTF

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Copyright © 2023 lethalchiralium. All rights reserved.

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Copyright © 2023 lethalchiralium. All rights reserved.

[jobesbabe]

Summer Baby Pt 4 / Dominik Szoboszlai

It’s July, 2024. A few of the Liverpool boys are looking for a getaway before and between the summer series and stumble upon your mom’s vacation home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There, they spend their time enjoying the sun and one in particular, enjoying the company. You find yourself falling for a charming Hungarian- Domi.

PART 4

waking up early, you again ventured into the boys side of the house and began your morning routine of making coffee and tea. Pouring yourself a cup, you heard steps coming from one of the bedrooms and crossed your fingers it would be the hungarian man you were not-so-secretly obsessed with. Your wishes came true when Dominik emerged from his room and enveloped you in a hug from behind. 

“Good morning,” you cooed. 

“Good morning édesem,” he whispered into your ear, placing a kiss on your temple and swaying with you in his arms. 

You closed your eyes and let yourself rest in his arms for a while. 

He again kissed you, but this time on your cheek, then the side of your forehead before turning you in his arms to kiss you on the lips slowly and passionately. 

“Coffee?” you asked him from his in between his arms.  

“oh, yes please.” He told you. 

You smiled at his unshaven face and messy bed head that he somehow made look intentional and perfect. 

“what?” He asked you in his raspy morning voice . 

“Nothing, it’s just- you’re really cute in the morning.” You told him. 

He smirked at you. 

Of course he knew how hot he was, he was Dominik Szoboszlai. To hear it from you though, drove him absolutely insane. 

You turned on your heel, going to the cupboard for a mug. 

“I think you’ll like this one,” You told him pointing to the red liverpool mug with an 8 on it. 

He laughed and you filled the mug with coffee, handing it to him. 

“thank you baba,” he told you with a kiss to the temple. 

He slurped his coffee and smiled. 

He watched you make breakfast, offering to help every few minutes, but you assured him you would be fine making the crêpes on your  own. 

Slowly, the rest of the boys came out of their bedrooms, rubbing their eyes. 

“morn’n” Curtis said, followed by good-mornings from the rest of the crew. 

You quickly served them breakfast and coffee. 

They asked you to eat with them, but you wanted to get an early swim in at the beach and you assured them you’d eat after. 

Heading towards the beach in your pink flowered bikini, you ran, eager to hop into the warm water. 

Floating in the water face up,  you breathed in the hot summer air. Water made you calm, it always had. The beach was your best friend when you had nobody to talk to. You found solace in it when you were lonely. But now, in a whirlwind of a romance blossoming with a football player, the beach felt like a never ending paradise.

After about thirty minutes, you swam closer to the shore, ready to get out. You noticed one of the boys resting on the shore, shoulders slumped. He was tanning, in his swim shorts, but he looked like he’d like to be just about anywhere but there. 

It was Harvey. His noodle-like permed hair was crazy, his face hanging low and his shoulders even lower. 

You walked up to him and placed your towel next to him, sitting as you did. 

“Harvey, is something bothering you?” you asked him.

“no, well. I don’t know, it’s stupid. and no offense but you wouldn’t understand.” He told you frowning. 

You looked at him through his black sunglasses. 

“try me.” you told him, hoping that your voice sounded compassionate. 

“I- Last season, I-uh didn’t preform as well as I know I can,” He sighed, “I just looked at instagram. I don’t think the fans think I should stay. They’re saying I should be sold or benched. I know I didn’t do my best but I’m trying Y/n. I’m not Trent Arnold. I’m Harvey Elliott. I play well and I’m on first team from academy, but at the end of the day, I still somehow feel like the fans hate me. I never see anyone wearing my jersey. I just feel forgotten and hated,” He told you, spilling his guts. It seemed so raw, so unlike everything you’d ever seen, read or thought about Harvey. 

“I have it,” you said smiling at him. 

“What? What do you have?” He asked confused. 

“I have your jersey. I bought it last season. I thought you were excellent. That’s because you are excellent.” You told him. 

He smiled and shook his head. 

“No, I’m serious Harvey. Come on, come with me. I know something you need right now,” you told him. 

You walked in the house, practically dragging Harvey with you. 

You brought him to the kitchen where you started bringing out your homemade sorbet, raspberry and mango. 

Footsteps met the two of you in the kitchen and suddenly it was you, Dominik and Harvey in the kitchen.

You could tell Dominik didn’t realize Harvey was there at first because you heard him say, “Hey baba-“and then stumble over it and say “buddies,” 

Harvey snorted.

“Did you just call me baba? Thats weird man.” Harvey asked. 

“No, no you know my english is not great,” He said, lying.

Harvey nodded and hummed in agreement. 

You turned for a moment to hide your smirk and then turned back composed.

“homemade sorbet anyone?” You asked, grabbing three bowls for the three of you. 

“yes please!” Harvey exclaimed, smiling like a little kid. Clearly his sour mood had melted away. 

You laughed. 

“Me also,” Dominik said, leaning on the counter in a black compression shirt. 

For a moment you allowed yourself to gaze at his chest muscles before snapping back to reality. 

Lucky for you, Harvey hadn’t noticed you staring at his teammate’s chest. 

Dominik however, definitely had and smiled widely. 

“The sorbet, Y/n?” Domi asked you licking his bottom lip. 

“Yes, the sorbet. I make it in two flavors. Raspberry or mango. Or both, which would you guys like?” You asked focusing. 

“I’d try raspberry.” Harvey said. 

“How about a bit of both for me?” Dominik asked. 

“Sure,” you said, scooping some sorbet for each of you. 

Harvey took a big scoop into his mouth and you saw his eyes almost roll back. 

“How are you sooo good at cooking??” Harvey asked while Dominik tasted his. 

“I don’t know,” you say, “I practice.” 

“This, This is good.” Dominik says, not looking up from his bowl of sorbet, shoveling it into his mouth. 

You have some of yours before asking them a question. 

“Did you guys want me to make dinner or are you all going to out somewhere?” you asked them. 

Dominik’s face lit up with an idea but he stayed silent. 

“As much as I love your food, it might be nice to go out,” Harvey said. 

“Okay cool,” You said, “Just let me know when you guys leave, I wanna clean up in here a bit.” 

The boys nod, and you excuse yourself back to your room. 

An hour and a half later, you get a text from Harvey. 

All of us but Dominik are out, He said he felt like staying home, but it would be fine if you cleaned. 

And then a few seconds later, a text from Domi.

 Hey, Come over. I want the two of us to go out to dinner 😉

You smiled and texted a thank you to Harvey and got up out of your room and towards Dominiks room. 

You knocked at his door.

“Come in baba,” He said, and you could hear the smile in his voice. 

He was wearing Khaki loose-ish pants, fixing a watch on his wrist. 

He had two shirts out on the bed, but not a single one on. 

“Hey,” You said to him. 

“Hey, which shirt should I wear?” He asked pointing at the light blue shirt and the pale yellow one. 

“hmm,” You said holding up the two shirts to his body, pressing it to his chest.

He smiled, and you made your decision. 

“The light blue looks good on you with your dark hair.” You told him. 

He nodded, and then went into his closet pulling out a box and giving it to you. 

“What’s this?” You asked him, smiling. 

“A dress, I wanted us to match on our first date,” He said to you. 

You opened the box and saw a beautiful dress, the same shade as his shirt and with ruffles on the side wrapping around to the top with a slit on the left side. 

“Domi, this is gorgeous,” you tell him gasping a bit. 

“I thought you’d like it.” He told you smirking, “Go get changed, I have a plan.”

“okay,” you told him, but before leaving, you wrapped your arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the lips. 

You went to release him, but he pulled you back into an intimate kiss, instantly snaking his tongue into your mouth and kissing you passionately. After a few minutes, The two of you released each other and you rushed to put on some makeup and fix your hair before putting on your new  dress. 

He took you to a nice restaurant and you two sat in the back room. 

He didn’t often get recognized in the US, but he didn’t want to risk an interruption on a night that he was a bit worried over.

If tonight didn’t go well, would you be interested in him at all? 

His unwavering confidence told him ‘no, shes into you and this won’t change it,’ But he couldn’t deny that he was overthinking it. 

Before you could sit, Dominik pulled out your chair and pushed it in once you were seated. you were blushing like crazy. You only hoped the redness on your cheeks didn’t make you look silly. 

Dominik, thought you blushing was extremely cute and made it known with a kiss to each cheek before heading over to his own seat. 

The evening rushed by oh too soon.

One second you were ordering and speaking of his 23/24 season debut, the next you were eating and discussing your family. 

The date ended with Dominik insisting on paying the bill and holding your hand in his back to the car. 

He opened your door and rested his hand on your back as you went in. Before closing the door, he placed a gentle and slow kiss on your lips. He pulled away, smiling and heading over to the drivers side. 

“Thanks for tonight. I feel like we’ve known each other for years,” Dominik said to you smiling. 

“Thank you Domi, tonight was really special. I had a really good time.” you told him nodding your head. 

He placed his hand on your thigh and began driving, the contact sending butterflies to your stomach. 

You hated the fact that the beach house was so close to the restaurant that you two ate at because you could have spent forever just driving around in the car with him. 

As you approached the house, Dominik sighed. 

“I don’t really want this date to end,” He confessed. 

“Me either,” You said. 

None of the other cars had returned to the driveway yet, and you figured that they were probably out clubbing and would be so until the ungodly hours of tomorrow morning. 

“We could watch something, a movie or a show,” Domi suggested and you nodded, unbuckling your seatbelt. 

You tried to get yourself out of the car but he ran over, and opened your door. 

He held out his hand for you to take, and you gladly accepted it. 

He guided you inside and towards his room, where he turned on the tv, dimmed the lights and set out some blankets.

The two of you were sat up at the head of the bed with his arm around you and your head resting on his chest, along with one of your hands. He turned on a Netflix film you both agreed upon and the two of you cuddled there until long after the movie was over and you no longer had the energy to keep your eyes locked on Domi’s. You fell asleep in his arms, they had locked over you in a protective way that told you he didn’t want you going anywhere. Soon after your eyes shut for the night, his did too. And you both rested there until the morning sun.

-here’s a lil first date aesthetic for you all xx-

a/n- im so sorry this is late but i just cant write rn!!! im in a bit of a writers block and the only ideas i have are literally for other players so im sorry if this is bad!!

tags- (lmk if you wanna be tagged)

@szoboslays-girl

[zenasflower]

The Best Flowers in Liverpool

A gift of flowers is always appreciated and never forgotten. Choose from our list of the best florists in Liverpool and make a lasting impression on someone you love.

Booker Flowers and Gifts is a highly recommended local florist with a 4.9 star rating on Google. They have a wide selection of Valentine’s gifts, including roses accompanied by chocolates and fizz.

Passion For Flowers

Flowers are a great way to show your loved ones how much you care. You can buy them online or at a local florist. These flower shops offer a wide variety of gift baskets and plants that are perfect for any occasion. They also offer a selection of vases and other accessories to enhance your floral display.

If you’re looking for the Best Flowers in Liverpool, look no further than Booker Flowers and Gifts. This florist is located on Booker Avenue in Allerton and offers same-day delivery throughout the city and Wirral, as well as nationwide through Interflora. They’re also members of the Good Florist Guide.

Nikki Tibbles is a pro in decadent floral arrangements and has been behind the backdrops of many a fashion week party. Her posies are wrapped in recycled paper and include sprigs from British growers to limit their environmental impact. Customers love her service, which is always exemplary.

Booker Flowers & Gifts

Booker Flowers and Gifts is a flower boutique in Liverpool that offers same-day delivery throughout the city and surrounding areas. They can also deliver flowers nationwide and internationally through Interflora. They have a wide range of bouquets, from wedding flowers to funeral arrangements. They are a highly-rated florist, and have won many awards over the years. Their customer service is excellent and their staff is always happy to help.

They are a full member of the Good Florist Guide and will be able to create stunning designs for your special day. They can provide everything you need, from buttonholes to floral headdresses, and will even decorate your venue. They are a family-run business, and will be happy to meet with you before the big day.

This South Liverpool flower shop has a 4.8 rating on Google, and their Valentine’s Day rose options include the ’Love Bug’ and ’Love Actually’. They are open seven days a week and can deliver locally, nationwide, and worldwide.

Price Chopper #182

This Liverpool florist is the top choice for Valentine’s Day, birthday flowers, wedding bouquets, funeral sprays, and get well flowers. Its designers use fresh flowers to create unique, elegant bouquets for any occasion. Customers love its beautiful flowers and excellent customer service.

Located on Booker Avenue in Allerton, this Liverpool flower shop has been in business for over 30 years. Its florists are expertly trained and can create hand-tied bouquets, gift baskets, and other arrangements. They also offer same-day flower delivery in the area and nationwide through Interflora.

With a focus on vintage pastels, this Liverpool flower shop is the place to go for unique floral arrangements. Its renowned designer Nikki Tibbles is behind some of the city’s best dinner parties and fashion weeks, and she regularly creates bespoke pieces for the likes of Jimmy Choo. Their posies come in a variety of colors, from antique pastel hues to bolder options that make for Instagram fodder.

Noble’s Flowers

The floral experts at Noble’s Perfection flowers in Liverpool are dedicated to creating the perfect floral gifts for any occasion. They offer a wide selection of flower arrangements and gift baskets, so whether you’re looking for the perfect Mother’s Day flowers or romantic anniversary bouquets, you’re sure to find just what you’re looking for.

They also offer beautiful get well flowers and sympathy funeral flowers that are the perfect way to show your loved ones how much you care. Update business information, get appointment requests, engage visitors with web chat and more. Claim this business today. 1 out of 5 stars based on 3 reviews.

[merrychristmasfaith]

TV Shows Watchlist

TV Shows:

Tom Jones

(Adaptation of the classic novel by Henry Fielding.)

Downton Abbey

(Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville & Elizabeth McGovern star in Julian Fellowes’ hit series, a glittering period drama following the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family.)

Lost

(After Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes down, the survivors are on what seems to be a deserted tropical island. Their survival is threatened by a number of mysterious entities, including polar bears, an unseen creature that roams the jungle, and the island's malevolent inhabitants.)

The Forsyte Saga

(Damian Lewis & Gina McKee lead this sexy & powerful period drama about three generations of the upwardly mobile Forsyte family at the turn of the 20th century. Based on the novels.)

Death Comes to Pemberley

(Adaptation of PD James's bestselling homage to Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy, now six years married, are preparing for their annual ball when festivities are brought to an abrupt halt.)

The Lost Flowers

(After losing her parents to a mysterious fire, nine-year-old Alice Hart is raised by her grandmother June on a flower farm where she learns there are secrets within secrets. But years on, an unearthed betrayal sees Alice forced to face her past.)

The Miniaturist

(THE MINIATURIST, the debut novel by Jessie Burton, has become a publishing phenomenon. Selling in over 35 countries, it stormed to the top of the bestseller lists in both hardback and paperback. Winner of the New Writer of the Year, overall Book of the Year in the National Book Awards and Waterstones Book of the Year, it has now reached an audience of almost a million readers.)

Little Dorrit

(Andrew Davies's adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens tale of hardship and struggle in 1820s London. The Dorrit family has spent years in a debtors' prison due to the financial mess in which father William (Tom Courtenay) managed to land himself as a youth.)

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

(Powerful, haunting and disturbing, Anne Bronte's classic story is as unforgettable as those of her more famous sisters. In a remote village on the Yorkshire moors, a beautiful widow and her son move into the near-derelict Wildfell Hall. Befriended by a handsome young farmer, she remains mysteriously silent about her past and why she is afraid - until she becomes the focus of village gossip.)

Black Work (i'm not sure this has the best reviews but i think Sheridan Smith is a really good actress so thought i'd try it? it's a murder mystery)

(Sheridan Smith is a grieving cop in this fast-moving police thriller. When there are unanswered questions around the death of her husband, can PC Gillespie hold it together?)

The Suspect (again idk how good the reviews are but i love Aidan Turner lol)

(Tense thriller starring Aidan Turner as a psychologist with a secret. Does his glowing career, media profile & family mask a different story? Five-part series airing now.)

Truly Madly Deeply (idk why this is listed under TV shows i'm 99% sure it's a movie)

(A love story and a quirky ghost story starring Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman.)

Cilla

(Sheridan Smith stars as the hit singer in this lively biopic. Chart "our Cilla's" rapid ascent, from hanging out with the Beatles in Liverpool, to new-found stage stardom.)

Big Little Lies

(Based on Liane Moriarty's bestseller, this subversive, darkly comedic drama series tells the tale of three mothers of first-graders whose seemingly perfect lives unravel to the point of murder. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley star.)

Pretty Little Liars

(Set one year after the disappearance of Alison, the manipulative queen bee, the one-hour drama revolves around four 16-year-old girlfriends — Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily — who each receive taunting messages suggesting Alison is watching them. Linked by their former bond and the panic and confusion the messages cause, the estranged friends are reunited, though each girl has her own secrets.)

Leonardo

(A compelling look at one of the most restlessly brilliant men of all time, Leonardo gets inside the mind of the genius, showing the drama behind his art and exploring a tantalizing murder-mystery.)

Desperate Romantics

(All six episodes of the BBC period drama series depicting the turbulent lives of four young artists in mid-19th century London: William Holman Hunt (Rafe Spall), John Millais (Samuel Barnett), Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Aidan Turner) and Fred Walters (Sam Crane).)

Sharp Objects

(Based on the bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn ("Gone Girl") and directed by Jean-Marc Vallee ("Big Little Lies"), this limited series stars Amy Adams as a journalist who returns to her hometown to cover the apparent murders of two preteen girls.)

Howards End

(The Schlegel sisters are two independent and unconventional sisters seeking love and meaning as they navigate an ever-changing world.)

Gentleman Jack

(Sally Wainwright adapts the extraordinary life of Yorkshire landowner Anne Lister.)

The Undoing

(In this HBO limited series based on the book You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz, a successful therapist, wife and mother tries to survive in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster.)

Thirteen

(Tense psychological drama about a woman freed from a cellar after 13 years in captivity.)

Sanditon

(First-class fictional retelling of an unfinished novel by Jane Austen. A spirited young woman moves to a sleepy seaside town, and it's not what she expected.)

Tipping the Velvet

(Nan journeys from a simple provincial life by the sea to the margins of society in 1890s London, where she finds she is a wanted, and wanton, woman… When Nan, a young innocent oyster-girl from Whitstable, goes to a music hall for the first time, she embarks on the journey of her life.)

War and Peace

(Leo Tolstoy's epic story of life, love and loss in nineteenth-century Russia.)

Vanity Fair

(A period drama series adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray's classic novel. Olivia Cooke is heroine Becky Sharp, who attempts to claw her way out of poverty and scale the heights of English society; against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.)

Bridgerton

(As a new crop of debutantes yearns to become brightest of the ball, a wallflower with a double life finds her light amid secrets and surprises. )

Miss Julie

(Daughter of the manor Julie breaks off her engagement only to fall for one of her staff. A romance that begins innocently ends in a tragedy.)

My Lady Jane

(Are you ready for an epic tale of true love, high adventure, regicidal maniacs, deadpan heroism, devious intrigues, swashbuckling swordfights, a soupçon of magical realism and oodles of yearning, banter and undeniable chemistry? Of course you are. Welcome to My Lady Jane.)

The Woman in White

(When Walter Hartright, a young drawing master, encounters a spectral woman dressed all in white on a moonlit road on Hampstead Heath, he is drawn into a web of intrigue that will transform his life forever.)

Deceit

(Niamh Algar shines in this gripping true crime drama about a controversial honeytrap. In 90s London, a mother's murder sparks a police investigation that spins out of control.)

The Fall

(Gillian Anderson stars in this dark & twisty thriller about a London police officer who is sent to Northern Ireland to review an unsolved murder case. When Stella Gibson arrives, she realises that this case might only just be getting started.)

Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story

(The victim no-one believed. Held captive on a modelling job in Milan, Chloe's nightmare didn't end with her release - the media frenzy was just beginning.)

Deadwater Fell

(When a devastating house fire rocks a close-knit community - was it a tragic accident or something more sinister?)

Paranoid

(The sleepy town of Woodmere is devastated when a local doctor is murdered in a children's playground in broad daylight.)

Midsomer Murders

(World-renowned murder mystery series set in the idyllic Midsomer county. Inspector Barnaby and his young sergeant probe an alarming number of suspicious deaths in the community.)

Killing Eve

(Being recruited by an intelligence agency puts Eve in the direct path of Villanelle, an assassin. Though the mission is to kill her, the two women find themselves strangely drawn to each other.)

[elisabeth515]

The Crew Shuffle (9th April)

Check this post for more background context!

Sorry that I have not been in the best state of my mental health so I have not been making a talking video on my tiktok today but I will be back tomorrow morning for a video version of this post and the stuff on sailing day!

111 years ago, it’s almost the day of the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic. Easter had just passed, yet a lot of work were still going on…

For Henry Wilde, today was the day when he was known that he was officially part of the crew for Titanic’s maiden voyage.

For the entire weekend, Wilde has been very occupied by work onboard the Titanic as the ship was very behind schedule [a], that the White Star Line did not organise a public inspection to the people in Southampton prior to her maiden voyage. The smell of the paint was very fresh that additional flowers were needed to be brought in to cover its smell for the sake of the passengers. His employer has not yet sent in an official confirmation that he was to sail on 10th. Nonetheless, he was constantly in a hurry to help everyone to get everything done.

At 2pm, 9th April, Wilde finally got the official telegraph from White Star Line’s Liverpool headquarters. From the letter written to his children’s nurse on this day, it seems like he has been buried himself into work:

“Just a few lines to let you know that I am sailing on the Titanic tomorrow for a few voyages. I have only just heard that I am going, had a telegram from Liverpool at 2pm this afternoon so I have to go. […]. I have been busy and unsettled… Give the little ones my best love and tell them I will come and see them as soon as I can.”

Letter to nurse, 9th April, 1912; Sincerely Harry by Mike Beatty

On the night of 9th April, the preparation is finally done. Titanic is sailing on schedule, and Harry is going to New York.

The assignment was temporary [b], but it was not the news that the other senior officers were happy to hear. Given the letters sent from David Blair and William Murdoch, the original 2nd Officer and Chief Officer of Titanic, they were already aware of it when Wilde was onboard to assist the fellow officers, nevertheless, they were all disappointed. Murdoch was bumped down to 1st Officer, never being able to get his Chief Officer run debut, and Blair was bumped out and accidentally took the key to the lookout binoculars with him. He was later being somehow blamed for the sinking even though in the circumstances of the night of 14th April, the lookouts would not have used binoculars as they restrict the peripheral view. As for Lightoller, the original 1st Officer, he was bumped down to 2nd Officer and later in his autobiography he wrote:

“Unfortunately, whilst in Southampton, we had a re-shuffle amongst the Senior Officers. Owing to the Olympic being laid up [c], the ruling lights of the White Star Line thought it would be a good plan to send the Chief Officer of the Olympic, just for the one voyage, as Chief Officer of the Titanic, to help, with his experience of her sister ship. This doubtful policy threw both Murdoch and me out of our stride; and, apart from the disappointment of having to step back in our rank, caused quite a little confusion.”

Titanic and Other Ships by Charles Lightoller

There were no clear signs of animosity among the officers on Wilde’s presence. However, given the above passage, and Lightoller’s acts during the evacuation [d], it has been a speculation by some (predominantly by biographers of William Murdoch) that there were some resentment between both men. Given that Wilde perished in the sinking, we could only speculate on his own perspective on the crew shuffle given the evidences we have.

The news of the crew shuffle came in less than 12 hours before Titanic’s maiden voyage. Given the amount of work to be done by Lightoller and Murdoch on the day, they did not have much time to alter their uniforms. In the photo below, we could see Lightoller wearing his 1st Officer uniform (2 stripes). While it is not seen, we assume that Murdoch was doing the same for his Chief Officer uniform (3 stripes). This would later cause confusion between Murdoch and Wilde during the evacuation given that both were wearing their Chief Officer uniforms.

Back to Wilde: what is also interesting to note in the excerpt from the letter to the nurse is that he was seemingly “unsettled”. This was perhaps because a huge load of work were still underway on Titanic and he has been working day and night to get everything done. Yet, given that Wilde has been looking depressed in his other letters written since the death of his wife and twin sons, was this an indication of his mental health state as well? Now he knew that he was to sail to New York on the ship was Chief Officer, still it looks like he was feeling a bit uneasy; not because of the ship herself as we tend to believe, he was probably worrying about whether she could set sail on schedule given that this wasn’t clear until the night. Nevertheless, it is clear that Titanic was about to set sail, with Henry Wilde as chief officer.

—

Notes:

[a]: “She is very far behind to sail on Wednesday.” - Letter to his nieces on 7th April, 1912

[b]: Both Murdoch and Lightoller have noted about this in their own accounts. Particularly in Murdoch’s letter to his sister Peg, he said that “when Wilde goes I am to go up again.” (Source)

[c]: It has to be noted that Lightoller was wrong about this: it was the Cymric, which was the ship that Wilde was to command, that was laid up due to coal strikes.

[d]: In the early hours of 15th April, Lightoller stepped over Wilde to ask the captain for the permission to start loading the lifeboats. Wilde was set to be in charge of all the lifeboats at the port (left) side (while Murdoch at the starboard (right) side), yet in the night, his position was seemingly taken over by Lightoller. This, together with the confusion of the ranks as the officers’ uniforms were not altered, contributed to the widespread myth of Wilde being sort of an enigma during the sinking, though it is clear that he has been very active in the night like all the other officers as well.

Sources used:

Sincerely Harry by Mike Beatty

On a Sea of Glass by Tad Fitch, J. Kent Leyton & Bill Wormstedt

[harrisonarchive]

George and Pattie at the premiere of How I Won The War in London, October 18, 1967; photo by and © Harry Myers/Shutterstock.

“We were so different, from completely different backgrounds. He came from the north of England, Liverpool, and I suppose I felt more sophisticated than him. But we grew up together spirituality. It’s something you never lose.” - Pattie Boyd, Hello!, August 31, 2004

Q: “Was it heartbreaking to fall out of love with George Harrison? I mean, to fall in love with him is an amazing story.” Pattie Boyd: “Oh, it was heartbreaking, of course it was. You know, it was like… I was losing someone who was my best friend and who I adored, and we learnt an awful lot of very important things, issues, during our time together. We learnt them together. So this is something one will never forget.” Q: “What did he teach you, and what did you teach him?” PB: “No, we both learnt together. We learnt, you know, about art, about film making, about meditation, about all sorts of things.” - BBC Radio, September 2019

“I think probably the memory that will always remain with me is when he came to see me not long before he passed away. And he came over to my cottage and wanted to see the garden and wanted to see my darkroom because I’d been doing some printing, and, um, he wanted to see the flowers. And he said — he saw some flowers, tiny little flowers that were growing in a crack in the pavement, and the wind was blowing them. He referred to them as ‘shivering flowers,’ and I thought, ‘Oh God, that’s so sweet.’ He just had a wonderful view, and he used such a different language to describe what he was feeling or thinking. And, you know, he brought me a little gift, a little something for my studio, a little Krishna. And, you know, he was just always generous and kind and sweet and always had a good sense of humor.” - Pattie Boyd (on how she best remembers George), Every Little Thing With Ken Michaels, February 2019 (x)

You can read more recollections of the last time friends spent with George in last year’s series, lasts.

[the-offside-rule]

Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) - Fall Into Me

Requested: on wattpad

Prompt: Fall Into Me - Forest Blakk

Warnings: noneee

"You dont think Harvey planned anything for your anniversary?" Y/n has been chatting with Perrie on her lunch break. She was a fellow Liverpool wag and one of, if not the only person she went to about her problem today. "No, he hasn't even mentioned anything. Hasn't dropped any hints. I think he was just too busy to remember." Y/n said. "It's Harvey. He never forgets. He remembers the day of your first kiss, the first date, everything!" Perrie said on the other side of the phone. "I don't know. I'm gonna pop to the shops to get flowers and stuff for him. I bought him a game pass but I don't think its enough. "Oh you'll be fine darling. He hasn't forgotten, I doubt he has." Perrie reassured her. "I'll let you know anyway." Y/n said. They bid their goodbyes and Y/n hung up. She sighed as she looked around. Absolutely no one around, no one. "I may just close up shop." She muttered to herself and so, she did. Swiftly. She wanted to get out of there.

Y/n unlocked the front door and walked in to see balloons leading upstairs. It looked like there were photos on each of the strings. She could hear the bath running upstairs too and she smelled her favourite dinner being cooked from the kitchen. "Harv?" Y/n called out. When she spoke, she heard a string of ushered curses from the scouser. "Babe? That you?" He called. "Yeah? What are you doing?" She called back. "Don't come in! Don't come-" She rounded the corner into the kitchen and looked to see Harvey with a tray of burnt....well she didn't quite know. "Harvey, oh my god! What's this?" She asked, dropping the flowers and running to his side to through the burnt tray into the sink. "Why in the sink?" He asked. "It'll melt the bin bag, Harvey." She explained. "You have to let it cool." She turned the water on. "I knew takeaway was a better idea. Ooh. What's that?" He asked, pointing to the gift bag Y/n had in her hand. "Oh, happy anniversary." She smiled and handed the bag over. Harvey smiled right back and took off his oven mits to take her gift. "Aw, sweets and a game pass." He beamed. "Oh, and flowers. I thought you might like flowers." Harvey pulled his darling girlfriend in for a hug and set the gifts on the kitchen counter. "I reckon we order takeaway." He said, taking his 9hone out and began typing and clicking away. "Harv? I just have a question." She said. "What's that, love?"

"What's this?" She asked, pointing to the balloons. "Well, you know the way you really like that one song?" She nodded. "I thought I'd incorporate a few photos with the lyrics, or at least, try to." One by one, she picked up each of the photos and looked at them, each one corresponded with the lyrics, just as Harvey said. "I listened to this song over and over again. I realised that in a way, that's how I sorta feel about you." She turned around to face him, the butterflies swarmed her stomach just as they did all those years ago when he first confessed his love. "I'm falling in love with you over and over again." He sang quietly. They shared a silence and a confused look. "Are you Regretting singing it?" She asked. "I- I might. Yeah. I'm just gonna finish the order." His face grew red as his girlfriend grinned.

She walked up each of the steps, reading each and every lyric and looking at the picture they were paired with. It started with a picture of them on the first week of knowing eachother. Y/n was merely a fan of his, visiting with her father, but now here she was waking up beside that very footballer most mornings. "There's a photo of us dancing outside Asda when there was a busker there." He pointed at the pixelled picture hanging by a ribbon, matched with the lyrics; "We'll dance in the street like nobody's watching."

"You're unbelievably thoughtful." Y/n smiled, curling her hands around her boyfriends neck. "I try my best, darling." He reaches down to peck her lips gently. "Happy anniversary, love." He murmured into the kiss. "Happy anniversary, babe."

[cssiop]

LA VIE EN ROSE… trent alexander-arnold

part one

trent buys white roses every week in maisie's flower shop, becoming her favourite customer.

trent alexander arnold x fem!oc word count: 2.1k

other parts

a soft piano tune floats through the belrose shop where maisie is busy finishing the last of the rose bouquets. flower by flower, the scissors are cutting their thorns to make sure that none of them could inadvertently hurt a customer. the shop is peaceful on this thursday morning and the young woman doesn't expect to see many more people during the day. it is like that, some afternoons are quieter than others.

"excuse me?"

maisie gasps as a rose slip from her hands and a thorn cut into her finger. she lets out a small cry and then begins to shake her bruised limb in all directions to get rid of the pain —unsuccessfully, a drop of blood starts to bead up from the slit that has been created on her skin. maisie, who doesn't want her customers to get hurt, often forgets about her own safety.

"shit, are you okay?" a male voice calls out in the empty store, and maisie looks up to meet disturbing hazel eyes, "you should put your hand under some cold water, to stop the bleeding."

without answering, the woman's gaze is quickly drawn to the bell above the door where the man has entered. that stupid bell is no longer ringing and maisie has been needing to fix it for days now. she immediately blames her luck; the most embarrassing part of the day has to be when she meets the most attractive customer she's ever seen in her entire career as a florist.

"i'm fine," maisie finally stammers, looking at his beautifully dreaded hair, his full lips, and his irises hinting at a slight concern for her, "believe me, it happens to me almost every day."

an attempt at a smile washes over her mouth, but she isn't exaggerating; the thorn cut on her fingers joins the dozens of others that dots the skin of her hands, in various stages of healing. working with slightly temperamental flowers while being somewhat clumsy causes this sort of unpleasantness regularly.

"i'm sorry, i didn't mean to scare you," the man is still frowning, obviously very concerned. so, maisie offers him her most reassuring smile and immediately receives one in return. but his is so disarming that she almost has to lean on the counter to keep from fainting.

"it's all right, don't worry. it's my fault anyway," the young woman declares, "do you have a bouquet idea in mind or-?"

"a bouquet of white roses, please," he pulls out his credit card, and maisie nods her head in agreement —white roses are surely her favourite.

"sure, tell me what size of bouquet would suit you best?" pointing to her panel of white roses, she waits patiently for the man to decide.

"this one, please," designing the bouquet he wants, she proceeds to carry it to the counter with some difficulty —he has picked the largest.

a navy blue paper chosen and wrapped around the stems of the roses, this time harmless, she finally comes to her favourite part: the ribbon that seals it all together. she has thousands of them in all sorts of textures and colours, so, that the girl soon wouldn't know where to store them in the little stash.

while waiting for her to finish preparing his demand, the man takes the opportunity to have a quick look around the shop, whose front he has found charming in the middle of liverpool. it is the perfect opportunity for maisie to study the young man in profile, looking at some pretty tulips. he is really handsome in his expensive down jacket, with his blunt nose and irises almost as dark as his skin tone. when he smiles, the man shows all his teeth, and his eyelids crinkle so much that his eyes almost disappear.

as her customer's footsteps return to the counter, she makes her gaze more discreet by returning it to the bouquet she has just finished refining. it is only when she presses her marker against the surface of a cardboard label that maisie realises she has forgotten to ask him a few details —probably too troubled by him.

"i forgot, is it to offer?" a nod is enough of an answer and she is able to unwind the end of her question, "can i have his or her name, and yours as well? please," maisie secretly hopes it is his, although unlikely.

surprised, the man blinks for several seconds before he resumes when he catches a glimpse of the 'gift' tag between her fingers, understanding the origin of her questions. a tender smile then plays on his lips, "i'm trent. the flowers are for ava."

a disappointed sigh is suppressed between maisie's lips as she nods; it is her. the squeaky sound of her marker then sets about carefully inscribing the words: 'from trent to ava'. a small heart surrounded by a flower puts a dot on the note.

"ava is a pretty name," the woman still compliments as she attaches the label she has just filled into the bouquet.

"it is, indeed," trent smiles and adorable little crow's feet creep into the corners of his eyes. maisie, feeling her cheeks begin to heat up, looks away. their hands brush together as he retrieves his flowers.

"your shop is really beautiful," trent means it. the peaceful atmosphere of the melodious tunes in the speakers and the sweet scent of lilacs tickling his nose makes him smile. maisie graces him with a grin before he starts again, "i guess i'll see you around?"

"whenever you need a bouquet, i'll be there," she smiles awkwardly, "i hope she'll like the flowers."

"me too," trent replies with a smile, and maisie watches in fascination as his face softens into an expression so appreciative she could stand there for many minutes admiring it. "thank you. have a nice day."

"you're welcome. you too," the door closes behind trent, and maisie slumps against the counter, terribly dazed by his charm.

she then spots the wicker basket full of visiting cards by the cash register, and she takes one in her hands and pinches the bridge of her nose, mentally calling herself an idiot. if margaret, the shop owner and incidentally her grandmother, was here, she would surely slap maisie's fingers —even if they are already well bruised.

her grandmother's favourite reprimand is running through her head: 'a customer should never leave without a visiting card, otherwise, they will surely forget about us and never come back.'

fortunately, today margaret is at rest; she will never know about her granddaughter's clumsiness.

as she places the card she has been holding between her fingers alongside its own in the basket, maisie finally realises that the stabbing pain from her cut has not gone away.

the door opens again and the girl looks up hopefully, but it is obviously not trent who returned. instead, she meets with a woman in her fifties staring at the counter in a way that tells her she'd better get her bouquet ready, and fast.

with a sigh, maisie goes back to her task under the icy gaze of her new customer, contrasting far too much with the softness of trent's coffee irises.

…

it's only a week after their first encounter that trent hurries through the flower shop door again. this time, the bell rings and maisie doesn't find herself unaware of his presence —she fixed it yesterday. the weather in liverpool is terrible at the moment; it has been raining for three days and the girl who loves the sun so much soon finds herself gloomy under the grey clouds.

the boy rubs his feet on the carpet with an annoyed sigh —he too seems to dislike the rainy weather— and finally graces the girl with a devastating smile that replaces her missing sun. it would be a lie to say that she is not happy to see him again.

"hi!" exclaims maisie, probably a little too enthusiastically, and she feels her face frown as he pushes the door open behind him. fortunately, he returns her greeting with just as much eagerness; the fear of having looked like an idiot fades.

"the weather's terrible," the man bellows as he finishes carefully wiping his feet on the carpet, approaching the counter where maisie is standing, only agreeing with him, "can i have a bouquet of white roses, please? the same one as last time if possible, i mean," he scratches the back of his neck, "only if you remember me."

of course, she remembers him. maisie acquiesce with great excitement. they continue to discuss the weather and the torrential rains that fell on liverpool the day before while she prepares the bouquet, then they grumble together when they see them start to fall through the windows again. his first name firmly in mind, maisie doesn't ask for it before writing it on the label and gets a breathtaking smile in return.

"still for the same person?" maisie ventures to ask; she is sometimes surprised to see men with multiple conquests come into the shop.

"yes," and that's not likely to change, trent thinks.

ava is once again inscribed on the gift card and maisie smiles mentally; at least he's faithful. trent, with both hands on the counter in front of her, the young woman has plenty of time to appreciate him once again. droplets are beading at the end of his dreaded hair and some of them are running dangerously down his neck, ending up on the collar of his rain-soaked jacket.

realising that she is probably analyzing him too intently, maisie looks away, feeling her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink. trent acts as if nothing had happened, even though he noticed, a smile hidden beneath his lips.

"here, before i forget," she puts a business card in trent's hands as she places his bouquet on the counter, "i forgot to give it to you last time. so, even if you came back, keep it."

without flinching, he grabs the card in his left hand and the bouquet in his right, still smiling —maisie has never seen him otherwise anyway. once he has paid for his flowers, he is about to say goodbye when a thunderclap erupts, followed by torrents of rain that rip through the air and hit the shop's windows so hard that the soft music is silenced.

a pout settles on trent's face and he turns back to maisie's counter, more reluctant to come out now that he knows he might end up either struck by lightning, or drenched. the woman jumps in and shyly offers, "maybe you can wait here for a few minutes? until it calms down."

as if waiting for that, the man nods vigorously before looking at his watch, there's still time, he thinks. gently, he lets the roses rest on the counter and to fill the gap between them, asks, "is the shop yours?"

glad that he seems interested in her, although it's probably to make the wait shorter, maisie happily replies, "yes, well not really. it's my grandmother's but she's getting older so it'll soon be mine."

"it's a family affair then," he jokes and she lets out a small laugh.

"you could say that," a beaming smile doesn't seem to want to leave the girl's mouth so trent's stretches even further.

fortunately for them, no customers seem to be coming in the immediate future so they chat for a while longer. maisie finally offers trent some biscuits that were lying around and he gladly accepts, continuing to laugh and joke. when the rain finally lets up and he realizes that he has spent more time than he should at the florist's, a grimace appears on his face.

"shit, i've got to go," trent rants as he glances at the time on his watch again.

maisie tries to hide her disappointment as he raises his head to her. for a brief moment, she's thrown off by the golden glitter in his ebony eyes. his grey t-shirt matches his complexion perfectly and intensifies the hue of his irises. something about him moves her strangely. she's then quickly brought back to reality when she hands him the bouquet, the one intended for ava.

"thank you so much for the biscuits, and for taking me in for a few minutes too," trent grabs his bouquet and the card with a smile before walking away, "have a nice day."

"you too, trent," maisie manages to pronounce without stuttering, still confused by the stranger.

too bad he's taken, she mutters to herself as he disappears into the grey haze of liverpool in the distance.

part 2