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#I DIDN'T NEED TO WIG OUT LIKE THIS
fisheito · 8 months
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this is what i was cookin up while on nu:vacation [avoiding event spoilers] my dream.....my hopes....... EVERYONE PUT ON THE PRINCESS GOWN🗡
#those poofy skirts are very effective at hiding their lack of hips#don't need leg game when you're in a floofy ballroom gown#i mean. it would be nice if yall had leg game. get some quads up in there. maybe even some thick calves . perchance#i need thick muscled olivine revealing his glass slippers from under his skirt#his legs are LORGE and he's wearing his pretty lil stockings and walking in his heels perfectly#he practiced a lot! and now he's an expert 😊 i'm proud of him#meanwhile i want dante to try heels before wobbling and ... well#depending on whether someone witnesses him wobbling his reaction may differ#if there are witnesses he will stubbornly swear to master the high heels. if no one sees....#maybe he'll just swap out for a functional pair of boots. like quincy. i'm torn about quincy#one half of me wants quincy wearing the ugliest dirtiest most worndown boots under his new spotless dress#the other half is like YOU'RE GOING TO COMMIT. YOU'RE GOING TO PUSH THOSE CALF MUSCLES TO THE LIMIT. STILETTOS ON ! MOUNTAIN MAN#at first i tried making everyone's hair match the original princesses they're cosplaying as (so everyone had much longer hair)#but when i got to blade . it just. didn't seem right#then i started sideeyeing everyone like :/ this aint no genderbending hours...#i want yall as YOURSELVES. unmodified (mostly). just. wearing the dress is all#so i went back and changed yakuoli's hair to be closer to their OG lengths#BUT thEN i sat there staring at quincy kuya and garu#bc. come on. quincy with aurora's flowing golden curly locks. he was made for it.#topper put the wig on him and he can't be bothered to take it off (long hair can act as a nice cushiony pillow 😁)#and kuya without the sassy ponytail?? well... i guess i can let him keep that since he CAN change his appearance at will#and if garu is dressed up as rapunzel... he HAS to have long hair... that's just the Point#OK so yall in the middle can have some long manes specially formulated for this special occasion.#there was already something brewing within me when tjhey announced the silhouettes#seeing yakumo in his 🧍‍♂️ pose and regular pants...#i was feelin preemptively robbed of pretty princess yakumo and the injustice was just casually simmering in my veins day by day#then idololivine's words spurred me into action with a clear vision#and here we are now.#at about the midway point i was yelling at eiden#EIDEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY WIVES. I'M ABOUT TO DOWNSIZE YOUR HAREM. THIS IS RIDUCLOUS I'M TIRED
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dkettchen · 1 month
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THEY GOT MILCHSCHNITTE AT SAINSBURY'S NOW
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gregoftom · 1 year
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“do you have all the support that you need [for sweden]?”
#tomgreg#''i'm not okay'' wig tom :))))#man what can i even say about this part like literally what can i say#it feels less like he leans to greg when something is wrong with shiv and more like he leans to greg when he's fucking terrified#why would someone like greg EVER make you feel safe in a business world. unless you were enamoured with him.#unless you felt like you were on top of the world with him. invincible. unstoppable. unless you TRUSTED him with your life.#unless it wasn't about business at all. or at least not completely.#idk idk. you could say he couldn't exactly call shiv bc of the state she was in and yeah you could say he needed to cover his ass.#true. that's all true. but i think that regardless of that. it's important to remember greg asked if tom wanted him there earlier#and tom denied it but in actuality he really fucking did need him.#he could never predict he'd lose his big connection; that logan would die. of course not. he could never predict he'd suddenly#become unsafe and the rug pulled out from under him. but if he could you KNOW who the fuck he'd take with him.#it's also important to remember that it's only to shiv and greg that he ever admits that he's not okay/hurt. that he ever lets down the wall#greg is not amazing with his words but i think to hear his voice was enough to comfort tom a bit. and when he made the joke#greg calmed him down. he didn't even chide tom for making a joke about greg looking like a suspect. he was too focused on#listening to tom and making sure he got it all.#they're sOOooo. ughh#sigh. sigh. sigh. sigh. SIgh#sorry for the long ass cap posts but like. sometimes you Gotta cap it and not do a video like this Deserves caps
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cosmojjong · 2 years
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cut my hair like this today
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robotpussy · 2 years
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watching some show called "10 years younger".... I'm sorry but this lady married a nerdy looking guy and they were a cute nerdy couple now she's hot and he's still a little nerd 😭 plus any show that makes it a deal that someone is aging and they look older than they actually are... who cares man aging is cool!
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r3ynah · 8 months
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I Can be everything and anything, at once
A 27 years old Phantom was challenged to a bet, by his co-workers at the watchtower. Green lantern stated along with the the other heroes that If he could help every single one of them at least once in a month while not using any his powers and he also had to be physically and mentally there as he helps them. the cherry on top was that he needed to use his real identity instead of his ghost form in this mission.
If Phantom successfully conceals his civilian identity, while helping them, he gets to know everyone's deepest darkest secrets.
But if he loses, he must do everyone a favor and must keep it no matter how outrageous it is.
Ofcourse Phantom agreed, because he was no bitch, okay so maybe he is, he only accepts bets like this if he knows that'll he'll win. so yeah.
Besides, having no powers for this, is really a piece of cake, if you're a raging gender fluid that knows his way around makeup and can easily change the sound of his voice, to be honest the shapeshifting parts that he got from his powers are basically just add-ons.
Well what was he waiting for? afterall he needed all the blackmail he could get, not as Phantom but as Daniel James Fucking Fenton, this was an opportunity to go batshit crazy and he was absolutely stealing it.
The very first hero Danny approached to help was Wonder Woman, who thanked Danny who was now disguised as a woman wearing a long ass Red wig, and some clothes he "borrowed" from Jazz who just joked about Danny being her twin, and wished him luck.
"Thank you, young lady for your brave actions to help me." Wonder woman sincerely thanked the boy in disguise as she held both of Danny's hands as gratitude "may I ask the name of my savior? "
"My name's El, It's a pleasure to know you." Danny smiled a little wider.
The second was Flash, which Danny found completely amusing because of the way he helped the speedy hero, who tripped while patrolling around the city.
Danny who was now in a more gothic attire( thanks to Sam's help) caught the hero's wrist before he embarrassingly fell face first on the ground.
"You okay there sir?" Danny asked, as he kept a firm grip on the man's wrist to make sure he doesn't fall.
Meanwhile Flash who thought he was in those korea tv romance dramas only blue screened for a few seconds before finally get his shit together. "yeah- um- name's Flash, and you are?"
The hero tripped on his own words, making Danny amused as fuck. "James, it was nice to finally meet you"
Okay, about like three weeks in, and Danny managed to help almost everyone in the watchtower, and only a few more to go,( he didn't get why most of the heroes he helped either started to stutter or blue screen in their spot once they talk to him. like damn is this how all of you treat every civilian who interacts with you? that's just sad) but at this time, Dan and Elle found out, and were now demanding to join, with the excuse of basically being Danny but in alternate or clone form, which Danny had no choice but to give in, I mean he wasn't breaking any rules so technically this was alright.
Danny wanted to take a break so Dan took over this time.
currently Nightwing was observing the outside of the gala, Bruce was invited to, something about a bunch of drugs being hidden within the crowd, and was now being passed around.
He intently remained focused on his observation, while also keeping a conversation with Oracle and the others on the comms, he didn't realize that he was too far off the edge of the railing he was standing on, until he missed a step.
Nightwing would never admit that he let a quiet squeal to his siblings ever as he fell, he closed his eyes and braced for impact, he would never expect to fall into the arms of a man 3x bigger than him, he stared at the man, and the man stared at him. 'holy shit' Nightwing thought.
The man, chuckled making Nightwing internally scream. "When I wished for Desiree, to make someone from above to save me from this trash party, I didn't think it would be one of the birds of gotham, to come and fall for me let alone the handsome one."
Okay Nightwing was now full on red from blushing, he was put down gently by the man on the ground, before offering a handshake, once Nightwing accepted the handshake, Dan pulled the hand closer to his mouth then gave a quick peck on the back of the hand vigilante's hand. "My name's Dan Masters, it's a pleasure to meet you."
his siblings can eat dirt on how they were teasing Nightwing Right now, but this was fucking worth it.
And the last to have gotten help from Danny was John Constantine, Danny actually had a reason on why he saved John for last, and that's because John actually knows Danny's identity, so for this mission he asked the help of his daughter Elle.
Elle had helped John by fixing a ruined summoning circle, who also helped him negotiate with a demon, and somehow all day, Elle just stuck to Constatine's side, her explanation? 'He'll die without me' fair point John thought as he took the kid, to order ice cream and to hangout in the park.
"You know kid, you remind me of someone." Constantine stated while keeping his eyes on what's infront of him, which was just a bunch of trees.
Elle who sat next to him, still eating her Ice cream looked up at him and said. "Really?"
"Yeah like you two literally have the same aura and all just a little different, but I don't know who yet." He replied and ruffled the kid's hair. making the girl laugh.
"Hey John!" Danny greeted behind them, and then all the gears inside of Constantine's head began to work. he let out a groan as he realized the girl beside him was the clone of the man behind him, well he needed to kiss that secret of his goodbye. here on this spot right now or he'll die of embarrassment if he waited any longer.
"Danny, let's go on a date." Constantine stated, not facing the Man.
this comment made the Father and Daughter choke on literal air.
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illogicalvulcans · 2 years
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y'know i think i prefer when showrunners have an ending in mind to work towards and/or at least a general plan for the show they're making actually. idk maybe I'M the weird one for liking story cohesion between seasons in the shows i watch
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astonmartinii · 1 year
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we don’t play about halloween | max verstappen social media au
pairing: max verstappen x fem reader
max doesn’t play about three things: formula one, his cats and his girlfriend’s love for halloween
MASTERLIST | TIPS
yourusername
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liked by oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1 and 607,344 others
tagged: maxverstappen1
yourusername: yes we dress up to carve pumpkins, it’s rude if you don’t.
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user1: gosh they are so cute
user2: did max just dress as himself whenever he’s within 5ft of y/n?
maxverstappen1: i get why the americans don’t play about the statue of liberty
yourusername: i think they should build one of you in zandvoort
maxverstappen1: and they still wouldn’t worship it as much as i worship you
yourusername: i literally light candles in your name and pray for you with you mum, i think i worship you more sorry
maxverstappen1: the ONLY loss i’ll take
user3: i feel lonely year round because of them but it’s SO much worse during halloween
user4: they are the definition of the couple costume they invented it and they PERFECTED it
landonorris: i thought your apartment was a safe space, why did i get harassed over my costume?
yourusername: it was more of the lack of costume? “streamer” does not count
landonorris: who actually dresses up to carve pumpkins?
maxverstappen1: COOL PEOPLE
yourusername: imagine not dressing up and having an awful pumpkin … could never be me
landonorris: STOP BULLYING ME
maxverstappen1: do better then.
user5: obsessed with how peace and love y/n is for the whole year but as soon as someone doesn’t care about halloween it’s fight time
charles_leclerc: remind me to never accept an invite to a halloween event at the verstappen-l/n household - far TOO much stress
yourusername: but you’re like the only one who deserves an invite to next year because the air max costume slayed
maxverstappen1: i might even let you back on it
charles_leclerc: might???
maxverstappen1: follow me on instagram
yourusername: 2019 was so long ago we really need to move on
danielricciardo: you seriously underestimate just how petty these men are
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maxverstappen1
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liked by danielricciardo, yourusername and 894,560 others
tagged: yourusername
maxverstappen1: halloween is a full family affair
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user8: JIMMY AND SASSY I CAN'T
user9: yall looking at the croissant and the lobster i'm focusing on AMY AND NICK?
user10: has max even seen this film?
maxverstappen1: nope i just like doing the costumes y/n wants to do
user11: i wish i had enough friends to have like ten billion halloween parties
oscarpiastri: i didn't know what to expect but i did not think i was going to see alex trying to drown george at the apple bobbing station
yourusername: i let them work out their own mess as long as they don't accidentally flood our living room again
oscarpiastri: AGAIN?
maxverstappen1: f1 drivers are just competitive about apple bobbing as they are about driving
alexalbon: in my defence there is a sick trophy for the champ i simply cannot let anyone else win it
user12: they got a trophy made? and girlies are serious about this?
yourusername: custom trophies for apple bobbing, pumpkin carving and best costume
alexalbon: three time apple bobbing champ right here
charles_leclerc: i'm coming for best costume this year
danielricciardo: pumpkin carving was an easy dub last year
maxverstappen1: but no one has out done us for costumes thus far
yourusername: and that's not bias, there is a democratic voting process x
user13: i need to be in this friendship group right now
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yourusername
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liked by georgerussell63, maxverstappen1 and 723,409 others
tagged: maxverstappen1
yourusername: it's the most wonderful time of the year ! thanks to everyone who came out and making the spooky season special. p.s. shout out to max who found this wig while going through our costume box and insisted on not taking it off the whole set up.
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user16: NOOOOO WHY IS HALLOWEEN OVER ALREADY
user17: rip to all of us who were hoping for a sexy y/n x max costume
user18: they heard we wanted sexy and gave us ratatouille i hate their asses
oscarpiastri: okay so lando wasn't lying when he said you guys go insane for halloween
yourusername: i fear not. i hope you enjoyed your dip in the pool, we found you in a guest room in my bath robe at 3am
oscarpiastri: oops.
maxverstappen1: you fared better than others on their rookie halloween appearance, just ask lando and charles
landonorris: you told me there was no alcohol in the jelly so it's not my fault i ate the whole bowl and threw up in your shower
yourusername: wow way to blame the victims there lando, you literally blocked the drain
landonorris: MAX SAID THERE WAS NO ALCOHOL
yourusername: it was labelled with the ingredients. you just can't read
landonorris: no comment
yourusername: and charles got so drunk that he decided he would sleep on the couch but got 'lonely' and insisted on cuddling with us
charles_leclerc: Y/N!!!! YOU SAID YOU'D KEEP THAT A SECRET
maxverstappen1: don't worry we thought it was cute
carlossainz55: wait is that why you came as a "cuddle bug" this year?
charles_leclerc: NO
alexalbon: and that must be why he got best costume RIGGORY
yourusername: no riggory here, you and lily as mavis and jonathon were a close second
user19: i won't rest until i have an invite next year.
maxverstappen1
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liked by charles_leclerc, yourusername and 821,309 others
tagged: yourusername
maxverstappen1: sorting the recycling with your head barely attached is always the worst part of halloween
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user20: drunk max looks like so much fun
yourusername: i think i might drink my weight in coffee today but i need to see the kitchen floor soon before i lose my mind
user21: ma'am i know you're clinging to life rn but can we know who won what?
alexalbon: ALEX ALBON APPLE BOBBING CHAMP FOUR YEARS IN A ROW
charles_leclerc: i won best costume and it's purely because i'm cute cause NO one there knew about my cuddling escapades last year
landonorris: ugh pretty privilege back at it again
charles_leclerc: jealousy is a disease get well soon
oscarpiastri: my pumpkin ended up winning !! turns out people love a kangaroo in the ghostface mask
maxverstappen1: first rookie to win that title (i am so impressed by the kangaroo)
yourusername: you were actually so good you have to help me with all the decorative ones next year
oscarpiastri: i'm in
user21: but who won the real award - most embarrassing moment?
maxverstappen1: daniel got stuck in the door in his inflatable horse/cowboy costume
danielricciardo: NO esteban dressing as the cheese string man was worse
estebanocon: that's real creativity at least i didn't fall asleep in the bath like carlos
yourusername: not to gang up on carlos but the blanket you took in their is damaged beyond repair and i request a replacement
carlossainz55: fair, but it was me, lando and george in the tub
georgerussell63: fake news @carmenmundt
carmenmundt: i was also at the party babe, it was impressive how you all fit in there
user22: the fact they do all of this and race like two weeks later and the teams just deal with it
maxverstappen1: we've done much worse on race weekends
yourusername: someone didn't have to try and get home after abu dhabi 2021, halloween is nothing compared to that
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note: a lil halloween one for you all. i also DO NOT PLAY ABOUT HALLOWEEN. and am currently planning my costume lol. just wanted to get a small one out before all my work comes in tomorrow, much love xx
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uranometrias · 5 months
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✮ꜜ : ❛ long time coming : aaron hotchner x fem! reader
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pairing: aaron hotchner x bau! reader
summary: after getting hurt out in the field, you're on leave for a month. coming back felt long overdue, that is until your plans with the team lead you to a situation that feels a bit too close for comfort after such a traumatic time. what's worse, your feelings you've harbored for your boss have no choice but to come to light when he makes the odd choice to address you as 'agent' rather than your name after one month of being apart, and years and years of back and forth will-they-wont-they.
content warnings: making out. allusions to sexual assault + r4pe (but only in the context of the case). reader has slight signs of PTSD. anxiety/panic attacks. reader runs into a few pushy men while out at the club. drinking / drunk confessions. reader has a crush on her boss, it is also implied that reader finds derek attractive, and he reciprocates these feelings. hotch is very good at calming reader down. no usage of y/n. reader is described as having shoulder length hair (can be read as a wig/weave) angry/disappointed hotch! reader has been hiding her anxiety / nightmares / memory issues from the team. mentions of vomiting. kissing. mentions of elle & the events of the fisher king. no distinct timeline, but can be read as s7 with the iconic team (hotch, emily, derek, jj, penelope, rossi, & spencer)
"Okay, I didn't know we were going all out. I would've prepared better." you smile shyly as Jennifer pulls you into a tight hug. When Penelope had called you early that morning with an excited decree that you'd been cleared to return to work you hadn't been sure how to feel. You hadn't bothered to ask how Garcia of all people was privy to information you hadn't received from your bosses yet, there was no getting a straight answer when it came to the Technical Analyst.
It had been her idea for the entire team to get together. You'd been out of the office for a full month, and in that time you'd tried your hand at maintaining your bonds with the rest of the group. It of course wasn't the same, but you knew that you'd needed the time. The last time you'd joined them on a case things had gone horribly wrong. You shudder at the thought, you had been doing so good at forgetting about it all, but seeing them again made it all come back.
The unsub had been your run-of-the-mill anger excitation rapist, a creep that had been using an elaborate ruse to entice and entrap women. It had been Emily's idea for the two of you to go undercover, the unsub had been killing two women every week, women who in many ways were polar opposites of one another, a trait that you and Emily shared. Long story short, in the midst of your plan to lure and trap the Unsub, you'd been separated from Emily and cornered.
You’d been carted off by the creep who kept you stuck for three hours before the team used his mistake to find you. By then though, the damage had been done. You remember the look on Rossi's face when he and Hotch came busting in, and found you looking bruised up with a bloody face, and a gun barrel to the side of your head. You'd never seen Hotch quite as scared, at least not since everything with Foyet nearly three years ago when he lost Haley and almost Jack.
You'd been too out-of-sorts to hear the way they'd tried to reason with the Unsub. And you hadn't realized your abdomen was losing blood until a gunshot rang out, bullets whizzing past your head as the unsub curled into himself before falling to the ground. You didn't know much, you thought maybe your eardrums had exploded with the way they were ringing, and you'd half expected to smack your head against the ground and end up with an annoying concussion.
Instead, you'd been met with the sight of your boss. He'd yelled something you weren't privy to, mouth moving as he seemingly forced the rest of the team out of their stupor long enough to get a medic inside to look you over. It was like you said, the details were fuzzy, but nothing had managed to wipe Hotch's worried expression as he fussed over your safety, out of your mind. However, if you were honest with yourself for one measly second, that was nothing new.
Nothing seemed to fill up your mind the way your boss did, and it was stupid, and deplorable all things considered. But it's not like it had even been something you'd asked for. It just happened one day. You shake these thoughts of your near paralyzing emotions away, pulling yourself back to the present as you took in JJ, who despite her perceived candor looked great. "Oh come on Jaige." you huff, and you appraise her more openly. "You look amazing, as usual."
She grins, albeit shyly, and she's waiting, maybe for your approval maybe for something else. She's trying to be discreet as she sweeps your for obvious reminders of what happened, and you feel nervous. Most of your injuries had healed up well enough, and the scratches that littered your face had been covered in a smattering of makeup. You felt comfortable in your pretty girl cocoon, all done up with a bright smile on your face that was surprisingly believable.
"Can I hug you?" she asks, and you can tell she's been holding it in, waiting to ask. You nod your head, a quiet chuckle escaping you as the blonde seems to scoop you into her arms. She's careful not to squeeze too tight, but the love is felt all the same. "God, it's been so weird without you around." she hums, and while the rest of the team is already huddled inside, probably in a booth Penelope picked, you're so happy she's the one here telling you this now.
"Now you know how we all felt when they sent you to the Pentagon." you whisper back, and you hear her bemused giggle as she steps back, and she takes you in again. Your red minidress was a stark contrast to the usual business-casual attire you wore everyday to work. Your hair was curled, pinned back with a gold claw clip, hair just barely ghosting over the divots of your collarbones. You'd opted for a shorter do' following everything with the unsub.
"Never leave us again." she pleads, and you feel this warmth blossoming in your chest at the way she's staring at you, almost like she really means it. You'd joined the team back when Elle and Gideon had still been around. At one point you'd been the rookie, the new girl nobody knew what to expect from. JJ had been right there beside you, even back then. She had been sweet, assertive, your first real friend on the team. She'd welcomed you before anyone else.
In time of course, things had changed, JJ had a husband, kids, a hoard of other units that were plotting on her skills at all times, but she was still JJ. Still that same first friend that helped you to see the Behavioral Analysis Unit was the only place for you. "I'll do my best." you promise, and she grins. She links arms with you before you both head inside the bar. There was music playing, some alternative indie song that wasn't half bad.
"Here's the girl of the hour now." Emily exclaims, and it's clear they've already started tossing back shots. JJ's head is instantly shaking in mortification. So it was going to be one of those nights. Penelope meets you both, pulling JJ from your arms and leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek sweetly, before she's turning to you. She's got tears already brimming in her eyes, and you can't help but giggle at the dramatics of it all.
"I'm so happy to see you." she squeals, and you find yourself hugging back despite the sting of your abdomen. "You look so beautiful." she adds a second afterwards. "What are you looking to get lucky?" she asks, as she uses her hands to push you away slightly, hands resting gently on both of your shoulders. You feel your face growing hot at the implication, and you see the way she's looking at your facial expressions for a signal of your lies. Curse her proximity to profilers.
"I just wanted to look nice." you reply and Penelope lets you off the hook. She leads you to the table, and you're just in time to hear the group finish up their hellos to JJ. She's sitting next to Morgan, who's bright-eyed as he looks up at you. You find yourself fussing with your hair, playing it cool as you press your lips together, re-smearing your lipstick as you waved your hand.
You weren't sure why you felt like the new kid all over again.
"It's good to see you, pretty girl." he croons, and you grin. Morgan was flirty, had been since you met him, and if you weren't so disastrously into Hotch, you think he'd be all on your mind. Well, you know... more than he was. There had been times where you'd been partnered together, and it almost felt like the tension was going to cut you in half. Sexual tension aside though, Derek was your friend.
They all were, and despite what your mind tried to tell you as you sobbed yourself through nightmares during your break from work, they were genuinely happy to see you. "I'm glad you're okay." your eyes flit over to the youngest member of the team. Spence is looking relieved as he too looks up at you with eyes full of relief. He's next to Emily, and she's already downing another drink. She'd be complaining about a migraine the next day, you could hear her now.
"Thanks, Spence." you coo, and you offer him a wink as your eyes fall on the only present member of the team that hadn't addressed you. Rossi had made a point to send his hellos, but due to a previous standing appointment, he wouldn't be joining tonight. You couldn't hold it against him, Rossi was scoping the prairie for wife number four. He offers you a faint smile, the group instantly falling into chatter.
"H-Hey Hotch." you mumble, and he's closest to you, sitting on the outside of the booth as the rest of the team tried their hardest to pretend they weren't expecting this. He doesn't say anything for a moment, instead he takes you in. He wasn't blind, he'd seen you before, you'd always been beautiful, but there was something about you done up like this. Red dress, red lip, bold makeup, and heels that showed off your legs, and accented your model-esque posture.
It was obvious that you were still a bit nervous about being out and about, and you were out of practice with being around the team. He imagined after a bit though you'd be back to yourself. You, and the rest of the girls would be falling into a rhythm in no time. He stands to his feet, much taller than you, as you take a small step back to give him space. "It's good to see you up and about, Agent." and his voice is low, clearly as a courtesy to the bustling of conversation behind you.
"Agent?" you repeat, and the word is so foreign. It makes you take another step back, the bottoms of your Louboutin's clacking against the ground. You looked a bit hurt, but you played it off quickly. "Come on, Hotch. I think we're a little past those formalities." you chuckle awkwardly, and you find yourself looking towards the bar. Yeah, you were definitely going to need a drink. He seems to curse under his breath, but you're not sure if that's due to you, or some internal conflict you weren't privy to. You don't wait to figure it out either.
He doesn't have the opportunity to reply to your correction, because you're looking to Emily, JJ, and Garcia. "Wanna get some shots?" you ask, and you sidestep Aaron, making sure you don't look his way again, as the girls immediately exclaim their agreements. Penelope's sliding out of the booth first, Emily and JJ following her example as they head straight towards the bar. JJ's shooting you a knowing glance as she looks between Hotch and yourself.
"You coming boys?" you extend the invite to Derek and Spencer, who are quick to nod along, both men trailing after the others as they head to the counter to order more drinks. You prepare to follow after them, ready for the welcome respite from your mind swimming in circles.
"I didn't mean to offend you." you stop short, spinning on your heel to meet the gaze of your Unit Chief.
"Well you did." you reply, and your voice is small. "I've known you for almost seven years, and here you are treating me like a stranger." you mumble, and you find yourself tugging at your dress. "I mean, I know it's been a while, but geez Hotch, it's still me." you say and he winces. You're not sure what the last month has been like for the others, but you know what they've been like for you. Torturous. It's been Hell.
"I know." he says, and your eyebrow raises, unmoved by his words. "And again, I didn't mean to offend you." he promises, and he clenches and unclenches his fists by his side. "After everything that happened, I guess I just assumed you'd prefer a more professional approach." he mutters, and you scoff quietly. Classic Aaron Hotchner, running away from interpersonal conflict with his tail tucked between his legs. "You don't even seem comfortable with us tonight."
You blink. Okay well he had a point there, but you were trying.
"It's not that I'm not comfortable." you mutter, and you look over your shoulder at the rest of the team. "I guess I just didn't expect to feel so out of place being out and about." you shrug your shoulders bashfully. "Everyone's normal, everything seems the same." you continue, and you notice the way that Hotch's lips have pressed into a hard line. "And it's like no time has passed at all for anyone else, but for me it's like I never moved." you blink, shivering at the thought.
Hotch's eyebrows furrow inwardly as he takes in your words. "I still feel like I'm-" you trail off, feeling a wide lump growing in your throat. "It's like I never left." you course correct, eyes shutting briefly, lashes brushing against your cheekbones. "Like no matter how much time passes, it still feels like I'm there with him and I'm-"
"I understand." he cuts you off, you think maybe to salvage your pride or to keep you from having a panic attack at the thought. "And you're certain you're ready to come back to work? You know you can take all the time you need." he reminds you, and you are immediately nodding your head as you wave a tired hand his way.
"I can't stay cooped up in my house anymore." you mumble. "It's becoming counterproductive." you huff. "I'm ready." you add a second later. "Apart from this awkwardness, I'm also perfectly fine." and it's a lie, you'd been having nightmares every night. Restless, sleepless evenings full of dread, and jump scares of your own creation. "I mean, I'm here aren't I?" you offer a tight smile as you reach out and tap Hotch's shoulders twice, a tense little conversation ender.
You don't want to stay huddled up with him anymore, not while he was looking at you like he was trying to see into your soul. You turn on your heel, dress swishing side to side as you head for the group. You find yourself in between Emily and Penelope, the blonde to your left immediately sliding a drink in front of you. You down it in a second, the intense burn as the alcohol rested in your chest was a welcome reprieve from the anguish and anxiety you'd been feeling.
You forget about Hotch, and all your heavy feelings by the time you're on your third drink. Your heels feel much too heavy under your feet as you stumble into Emily, the brunette chuckling vibrantly as you hang off each other, the music playing overhead lulling you into a false sense of security. It was nice being like this again after so long, laughing at the dramatic banter between Derek and Penelope. You wondered if they'd remain purely platonic forever.
Trading gossip back and forth with Emily and JJ was always a treat, especially as Spencer tried to keep up with eyes wide as saucers while Emily finally cracked the secrets of her coveted Sin-To-Win weekends. You weren't sure what was funnier, the peeks into Emily's life outside the unit, or the horrified looks that crossed Spence's face with every new tidbit of knowledge he learned about his coworkers. You found your eyes flickering over to Hotch again.
He was stoic as ever, but looser than he would be in the office. He seemed to enjoy being a quiet observer much more than he preferred to be in the mix. He leisurely swirled his glass of scotch, and you felt that familiar buzz of warmth in your chest when you managed to catch him smiling as he quietly passed conversation back and forth with a newly drunk Penelope, and Derek, who looked exasperated.
"Are you just gonna stare at him all night?" you jump a bit, turning to face Emily with surprise swirling in your irises. "If you keep it up, he's gonna catch you." she adds a second afterwards and you tense, head nodding as you scold yourself. You peel away from the bar, drink clutched in your hand. You had to get away from the bar for a second, maybe the cluttered dance floor would be the best distraction.
"Sorry." you mutter, and Emily offers a airy laugh. "He's just usually so serious." you lean into Emily, who nods along. She'd met Hotch after you, but still she'd managed to become so close to him it was almost surreal. She seemed to always know what he was thinking, they were in sync. Unlike you, who seemed to always be on the other end of a hard stare from the man. For a while you just began to assume he hated your guts. Or better put, he was indifferent to your existence.
That was why his look, that look he'd given you as he cradled your head while he waited for backup had been burned into your skull. All that went out of the window the second he'd labeled you 'Agent' though. God, how stupid were you? Emily's amusement makes your eyes roll. "Can I be honest?" she asks, and you nod. Penelope and JJ have migrated to the dance floor, JJ grabbing the good doctor and bringing him along with them. He looks incredibly uncomfortable.
"Sure, Em. If you think it will help." you reply audibly.
"I haven't seen him this relaxed since everything went down." she admits, and you're surprised. As if somehow your presence had been enough to set the stone-serious man at ease. "The first few days after your accident he was a mess." she adds, and she's got a surprising about of stability to her tone to be as inebriated as she was. She lowers her voice some as she leans into you, "He showed up late." she mutters this like it's some sworn secret just meant for the both of you.
"I'm sure Strauss was just riding him about another mishap in the unit." you try, and Emily looks unconvinced and unimpressed with you. "He's our boss, it's kind of his job to worry about us." you finish.
"Yeah, I guess so." Emily concedes, and she looks like she's done talking about it, so you find yourself relaxing. "Still. I've never seen him go that hard against an unsub, maybe you're not the only person that's feeling something." she leaves you with that, trying to keep from tipping as she marched towards the group. You chuckle quietly to yourself, ignoring Emily's words as you focus on finishing your drink. It seemed you'd inadvertently been trying to be alone all along.
You felt some of the tension melt from your shoulders now that you were standing at the bar, away from those prying eyes you couldn't lie to. There's this sound of heavy footsteps, and then the clearing of a throat, as you turn to be met with the sight of a man. He looked to be about your age, cheeks and nose covered in a little smattering of freckles. He's got a head full of shaggy hair that hangs in his face. He takes a quick step, sliding up against the bar beside you.
Way too close.
"Hey." he mumbles, and you appraise him boredly. It's not like he was ugly or anything, but despite Penelope's words you were not looking to get lucky tonight.
"Hi." you offer a dry greeting, shuffling your weight from one foot to the other as the bar seemingly became a beacon for thirsty men. Just as you were politely stepping away from the freckled man, you found yourself bumping into another man who'd slithered up to the bar, your ass pressing against his crotch as his hands wound around your waist. A sleazy chuckle escapes the man's mouth as you gasp. "I'm so sorry." you exclaim, and you're quick to peel away.
You feel trapped though, there were at least four guys, they all seemed to be friends, they all seemed to be in kahoots.
There's a third and fourth man joining the fray, they all looked to be about the same age, height, and weight class. This was probably their routine: approach and overwhelm whatever drunk girl they might have happened upon. It looked like you were tonight's target. "Hey, what's the rush?" the guy closest to you drawls, and you wonder where all your years of training have gone. His arm raises, and it feels like he might hit you so you flinch way too violently.
"Stick around, we'll order the next round." the next demands, and his breath smells like booze. It stinks, and it's hot as it puffs across your face. You almost break your heels backing away from them, suddenly feeling self conscious a`nd way too vulnerable in your short dress.
"No, it's alright, really." you try, and you stumble again. "My friends are right over there." and you point in their general vicinity. "Have a great night though." you offer politely, and you're trying to make your grand escape. One guy, a shaggy blonde haired man is quick to grab you by your forearm, and it's like you're back to that day. Your bureau appointed therapist had been talking to you about your anxiety, how a range of things could become triggers and transport you mentally.
"That wasn't a question. Stay a while." You're stuck, absolutely frozen in place as your entire body tenses up. Some Special Agent you were, the bureau would be so disappointed in you. Your team would be so disappointed in you. All it took to turn you into a pile of nothing was a bit of confrontation. You could remember a stronger version of you, that girl would've had these men on their knees for even thinking of laying hands on you. God, you missed that girl.
His grip on your arm tightens, fingers digging into you harshly as you find yourself surrounded on every side.
"L-Let me go." you huff under your breath, and you crane your neck. You spot JJ, the blonde's eyes locked on yours as the reality of what's going on forces her to sober up. "I just-" and you jerk away, stumbling back completely. You're surprised you don't scream as your glass drops to the ground shattering as glass sprays in every which direction. You feel like your ankle's twisted as you fall back on your ass. You expect to feel the embarrassing thud that came with smacking your ass on the hard floor of a bar, but it never comes.
Instead you feel cocooned by a familiar scent. Strong arms are looped around you, but you suppose your lack of disgust at the action is just a testament of your comfortability. "Are you alright?" it's mumbled against your ear, and the low tone of his voice makes you shiver. All you can really offer is a tight nod as Aaron's guiding you behind him. You don't get to see Hotch in action, not when JJ, Penelope, and Emily are flocking you like Charlie's Angels.
You feel the first signs of the need to barf pricking at you, and you know that you need to get some air. You needed to breathe.
"God, are you okay?" Penelope asks, and you're not sure if you are being dramatic. I mean, it wasn't like they'd done anything really. Now you were gonna look like the freak that ruined a fun night.
"I'm sorry." you chirp, and you miss the way Jennifer and Emily share a hard glance. It's not until you're feeling brisk air whipping around your face that you realize they've taken you outside, and you haven't stopped apologizing. I'm so sorry. Penelope's got wide eyes, quickly brimming with tears as you find yourself crumbling to the ground. Your hand's quick to clutch around your chest as you try to inhale. The dramatics of it all made you even more nauseous.
You should've stayed at home.
"Hey, hey, hey..." Emily's cooing, and it seems being out like this has sliced through her tipsy stupor. She's focused just like she would be on any regular sort of day. "I need you to breathe." she instructs, and JJ's crouching down in front of you, brown eyebrows draw inwardly as she takes in your clearly frantic state. Every puff of air that escapes you is tight and sounds like it hurts. You can just barely hear the sound of a commotion taking place inside.
You do hear JJ's quiet exclamation of "I'll stay with her, go check on Hotch and Derek!" before Penelope and Emily are heading back into the packed building. She calls your name, and it takes a while for you to regain your voice. She's devoid of pity, which you appreciate. JJ knew more than anyone how much you hated being seen as a burden, or someone to be sorry for. Pride was a killer. "Can you try and take a deep breath for me?" and it's then you realize your choppy little intakes of air weren't doing you any favors.
It takes a great deal of effort for your vision to be less blurry. Your ears were full of cotton, and your head was swimming. You feel bile again in the back of your throat, and you jerk away from JJ's reach. You feel like you're suffocating, transported away from the random bar in the middle of Virginia, and back to a place you'd fought so hard to escape. You were certain you'd remember that unsub forever. His evil eyes, the way he tried to use your entrails like paint.
You remember how Elle had changed after she'd been attacked by Garner. How she had changed so much that she had no choice but to step away from the Unit. Would that be your life? You didn't want that life, but it was clear you needed something, you needed help. You couldn't focus on anything else, but what had happened. You'd ruined a night out because the act of being cornered was enough to transport you back.
JJ's still peering at you as if she's waiting for you to start panicking, and maybe you were. "I'm sorry." you huff again, and JJ's shaking her head at you.
There's a deep frown etched into her face as she sighs herself. "Stop apologizing." she insists, and your lashes are wet with unshed tears. "You didn't do anything wrong. Those assholes should've never put their hands on you." she proceeds. "You know that don't you?" she continues, and you don't know how to respond, so you don't. JJ reads you like an open book, and she smacks her teeth. "Well now you do." she says this firmly. "And I'm sure Hotch and Morgan are teaching them that lesson right now." you tense up again.
"I didn't mean to ruin the-" JJ's offering you a hard glare that shuts you up. Another bad habit you'd picked up since the incident. You were working on it, trying not to blame yourself for things you didn't cause. "I'm sorry." and this time it's not because of tonight. "I was so nervous about tonight.-" you take in a hiccupped breath. "I just wanted to prove that I could bounce back." you explain, and it's the first insight you've allowed anyone. "I figured if I pretend everything's normal, soon enough it would be, but it's too much." you huff.
"And that's okay." she promises. "What you went through isn't something anyone's expecting you to forget about in a month, alright? It's gonna take time, and there will be days where it'll hurt a lot more, and there will be days where you're feeling like your old self again." she promises. "What you need to understand is that we-" she pauses as you take it in. "are your family." she finishes, and your lips start to twitch, you're not sure if you'll smile or cry.
"I know-" you proceed, and she holds a hand up in front of you.
"Let me finish." she pleads, and you inhale before nodding. "I don't- none of us want a repeat of what happened with Elle." she says quietly. "None of us want to show up to the unit one day and see your badge and gun sitting on your desk." JJ sighs. "So if you ever start feeling anxious, or terrible, or just like you're back... there." and you wince at the mention. "I want you to call me, call one of us. Don't deal with this alone, alright? Not when you don't have to."
JJ hugs you before you have time to respond, but her words sink deep and make you feel warm inside. "Thanks, Jaige." you mumble against her hair. She squeezes you tighter, and you believe it's to make up for her shyer hug earlier.
"You're welcome." she mumbles back, and then she's pulling back. You don't have much respite, Penelope practically tackling you in a hug of her own. You hadn't even realized the rest of the team has left the bar, you were sure the mood of the night was much lower.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Penelope exhales, and you do too, breathing fine again, save for a few hiccups that escaped you every so often. She lets you go after a beat, and you're quick to take a small step back, suddenly feeling anxious once more.
"Yeah, I'm fine now." your eyes meet Derek and Emily's. "Thank you." and you're chuckling quietly as Derek pulls you into his side. He plants a kiss on the top of your head, and you warm inwardly. Spencer does hug you, and it's a shock. One of those hugs that you never take for granted, because it could be a while before you get another. Once he's pulled away you find yourself still hovering, listening quietly as they all decide the night's not over.
You respectfully bow out, you'd had enough for one day. It's then you notice that Hotch is all by himself. You quietly excuse yourself, but you find that they're not really listening now that you were safer. "Are you alright?" you ask, and your voice is very quiet. Hotch looks up from his phone as if he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. You take in his face, and it's clear he's been in some sort of scuffle. Most notable due to the fact he's got blood smeared under his nose.
"I should be asking you that." he retorts, and your eyebrows furrow in.
"Y-You already did." you remind him, eyes darting away. "Why are you over here by yourself?" you shoot off a round of questions, the wind whipping around, and making you crave the comfort of your bed. You maintain a respectful balance, you weren't in any rush to be all up in someone's space.
"I think I've had enough of crowds for the night." he retorts. You don't realize until it's happened though, your hand reaching up to swipe at the blood that's slowly drying on his upper lip.
"Get into a bar fight?" you ask, and you hold your breath for the answer. Hotch looks down at you, and there's this unreadable expression on his face. You realize that this is nothing new. Hotch had never been easy to read, he was one of the greatest profilers you'd ever met, one of the greatest people. But he'd always been an enigma. His emotions were an Alcatraz all on their own.
"You should see the other guy." the classic rebuttal to a question like yours. It doesn't make you smile, mostly because he's not smiling either. "Are you okay?" and he's got you by your wrist, eyes zoned in on the harsh mark the guy from the bar had left behind. "He never should've touched you." his voice lowers, and there's an annoyance attached to his tone. "I'm so sorry." you find yourself huffing.
"You shouldn't have fought him." you say matter-of-factly. Your fists fold up at your sides, your lips pulling down into a frown. "It'll give everyone the wrong idea." you say, and you wrench your hand away from his grasp.
"Everyone?" he repeats, and he looks confused, classic Hotch.
"Me." you correct, "I'll get the wrong idea." you whisper. "I might actually think you like me." you admit quietly.
"We wouldn't want that." he replies, and his tone is far from mocking. You hate that it makes you crack a smile. You hate that he's always the one that manages to get that reaction out of you.
"Hey, are you two coming? We're all heading to Mo's." Emily calls, and you snort at the fact that their alcohol riddled mind had caused them to forget you'd already declined. You take a step away from Hotch, and you hate that you stumble. You were hating a lot of things tonight. Maybe you weren't as sober as you'd thought.
Aaron looks to you as if he's waiting to see your answer before giving his own, and maybe he was. The second you're politely explaining that you're ready to head home, Aaron is offering to drive you. Derek is whistling, Emily and JJ offering you smug little smirks. Penelope is trying to keep herself secured to Earth. "He's gonna take her home." he whispers to no one in particular, and it's a horrid attempt.
"We all heard, babygirl." Derek replies to her, and you find yourself a bit stuck. The thought of spending the eighteen minute car ride with your boss make you want to scream, but you'd taken a cab. Your own car was parked in the driveway of your place. And he doesn't look like he' taking any goodbyes either way. Rounds of goodbye and see you laters are soon offered. "Take care of our girl, Hotch." Derek calls, and you hear Spencer as he starts to rant about Derek's turn-of-phrase.
Our girl. Hotch finds that the words repeat in his head like an obnoxious echo. "Why are you doing this?" you question quietly. "If you're just trying to make up for the whole Agent thing, there's no need." you proceed, and you take a small step back.
"I'm not trying to make up for that." he replies quickly. "But, you're drunk, and you've been through a lot tonight." he reminds you as if you're ditsy or something. "It wouldn't be smart to leave you by yourself." he continues, and he inhales deeply. He watches the way you watch him, like you're unsure, like you're suspicious. "That isn't a testament of whether or not I think you can handle yourself... and neither was fighting that man at the bar." he promises, and you blink.
"No?" you ask, and your tongue feels extra dry. Like you've licked a stripe of sandpaper.
"No." he reaffirms. "You mean a lot to the team. We wouldn't be the same without you." he says this bit like he means it, and you can't find any trace of a lie residing in his face. He does mean it.
"Thank you, Sir." you reply under your breath, exhaling the word. The chill of the night finally gets to you, and you shiver.
"Can I take you home?" he asks, and you know you're reading into it more than you should. You know what he means, what he's really asking, but delusion was healthy every now and again, right?
"Y-Yeah." your head nods, voice wavering slightly as you take hold of the bottom of your dress. "Yes." you say more firmly.
"Okay." you stand there for a few moments more, passing charged glances back and forth. "You never answered my question earlier." is what he says to break the moment. "About how you were doing..." he proceeds. "I've asked you twice, and both times you-"
"Deflected?" you offer, and his head nods. "I guess I'm just scared you'll see right through whatever my answer is." you admit, and you cross your arms, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. "Emily and JJ will at least humor me." you explain. "Penelope won't ask... mostly because she's scared of the answer." you chuckle awkwardly. "Derek and Spence, well I guess they're like you too... but you're here, and they're not... so here we are."
Hotch appraises you for a second, but he doesn't say much else. You're grateful for that, but equal parts annoyed that he wasn't leaping to tell you that you were harder to read than you thought. No such luck. Still, you're surprised when Hotch grabs you by your arm, much gentler than earlier, and he's slowing his stride to be in step with yours. You don't realize you've leaned fully into his side until you feel him tense up. He doesn't say anything though.
A win is a win.
You didn't know much about the inner workings of Aaron Hotchner's mind, but you did know that if he was uncomfortable with your proximity, he would have said so. The walk back to Hotch's car is silent. At least outwardly, inside you were panicking. He opens the passenger side for you, and you imagine a world where this was normal. Where it didn't take you being hit on by sleazy men at a bar to be having these moments with Hotch. But it was impossible.
"Did it hurt?" you ask, once the car is moving. He's adjusted the temperature, a soothing warm pooling from the vents. You're surprised at how quickly he drives, you'd half expected him to be one of those slow as molasses drivers. Hotch looks over at you incredulously, his eyebrows raise, but he doesn't look agitated nor annoyed with you breaking the silence again.
"You'll have to be more specific." he replies, and you hum. You pause for a second, trying to find the right words. At the last second you decide saying it straight would be just as good as anything else.
"Punching that guy?" you ask, and Hotch's lips quirk upwards, he was amused with you. In truth, he had no idea what he was thinking. As soon as the girls had ushered you away, he'd found himself swinging before he could think of the repercussions. All he knew was that you'd sounded scared, you'd sounded unlike yourself in a way that made him angry. Everyone saw how you had changed, the elephant in the room was hard to ignore. But you were trying, he could give you that.
"No." he mumbles, and that likely has a lot to do with the fact that he hasn't come down. He's still on edge, still watching you like you might at any moment start spiraling. "Besides, it was worth it." and he says this a bit under his breath, you hear it all the same. "I doubt he'll try it again." he admits, and you feel liberated. It was nice to have someone fighting for you, fighting the fights you weren't capable of.
"Thanks, Hotch." you hum, and it triggers a yawn.
"Back to Hotch?" he asks, and you look over at him confused. You kick your feet back and forth, careful not to dig your heels into the plush of the car's floor.
"Would you prefer I call you sir?" you ask, and he is tapping on the brake, the car slowly peeling to a stop as you come up on a red light.
"No." he answers sternly. "It's not like you." he admits, and the light is turning green again. He steps lightly on the gas, the car surging forward "Especially if you're only calling me Sir, as payback for me calling you Agent." he says, and even though you had tried your hand at pretending the greeting hadn't bothered you, it was obvious he had read right through you.
"Why'd you do that?" you question and your tone is a lot more clipped than you had intended.
"So it did offend you?" he retorts, and you feel anger flaring up. You swallow this feeling, hands balling up by your side.
"Hotch." you snap, and he smirks fully, eyes back on the road. "Can you be serious, please?" you ask, and you probably sound pitiful.
"The last month I've just been..." he trails off momentarily, and you wonder if he's emotional, or just being dramatic. "I should have known better." he expresses. "I should've been there to make sure that what happened didn't." he says, and you tense up. "He never should have gotten the chance to get close enough to cart you off." he completes his thought, and you're shocked. You never would have guessed Hotch blames himself for what happened to you.
"That wasn't your fault." you promise, and you mean it. You'd never once thought of blaming Hotch for what went down. "You were confident in the plan, you were putting your faith in the team."
"There is a very thin line between confidence and arrogance." He rebuttals instantly. "We got cocky, and you suffered because of it." he looks so destroyed as he says this. "And then you showed up tonight, and tried to pretend everything was fine." he notes as you remain silent. "It just reminded me that we're too close." he tightens his grip on the steering wheel. "The longer you stay in the unit, the more you become numb to the things we see. You start to ignore the signs that you're not alright." he says, and you'd never thought of it that way.
"Hotch..." you exhale.
"I called you Agent to set up a boundary, or at least I tried." he says this like he's beating himself up. "But then I saw the way it hurt you." and he looks ashamed. "And I never want to be someone who does that to you." you're warring with your heart then. "So I wont do it again." he promises, and he looks to you briefly. "I'll call you by your name, I won't deflect." he adds as your mouth drops open just briefly.
"But, it's not right for someone your age to be so closed off. It's not right for you to pretend to be okay just to keep up with the people around you. If you weren't up to being out, you should've stayed home, our opinions don't outweigh your safety." he lectures you. "They never will." he adds a second after, and he's so sure as he says this. He's slowing down, coming up on your place.
Your leg is shaking slightly, that pesky feeling of anxiety creeping back up on you. "We're here." he says under his breath as if you weren't aware. You don't budge, you can't. You have so much to say, but where do you start. Hotch has shut his car off, almost like he too has a lot sitting on the tip of his tongue.
"I just wanted to prove I could handle it." you admit, and you're crying. "I didn't want to be another Gideon or Elle... or Spence." you cringe at the memories. "I didn't want you guys to handle with me with kid gloves. I didn't want you to see me as the girl who needs the kid gloves." you express honestly, and now your tears are falling in quick precession. "I'm sorry..." you swipe at your face. "I don't know why I'm crying, this is so stupid." you hiss at yourself.
"No, it isn't." the response earns him a surprised glance. "It's good... this is good." Hotch is quick to use a hand to swipe at your tears. He hates the sight of them, but loves what they mean. Your heart's still soft, pliable. You haven't fully succumb to the horrors of the job. "Consider this me atoning." he prompts. "You have my ear, say whatever you need to say." he looks over at you again, and seems to mentally backtrack. "If it'll help you." he adds.
You sniffle audibly, hands clenching and unclenching as the car suddenly feels much too hot. "It's not your fault, okay?" you repeat, and you say it with more certainty. "I just need you to know that." you sniffle again, but your tears keep falling, even as you try to blink them away. "Hotch, you're our leader for a reason, and you were there to save me that night, and you were here to save me tonight." you remind him. "I don't want you to pull back, not when I'm finally making some progress with cracking that hard exterior of yours."
Hotch's lips quirk at your words, and he looks down at his lap. "I've never meant to pull back from you." the inflection with the last words sticks. "I thought I was doing right by you... pulling the band aid off before you got in too deep." he says. "But that was wrong of me, I can admit to that. I'm sorry." and his apologies are like kisses. They wash over you, and force you to believe him.
"Don't apologize to me." you plead, "Just promise not to leave me behind, treat me like an outsider again." you continue as his head nods, and you can trust that he's listening.
"I can do that." he promises.
That seems to be the key to unlocking the dam of your emotions. You choke on the feelings, a quiet sob escaping you as you clasp a hand over your mouth. How dramatic, and pathetic, and God awful were all these feelings. But they'd been years in the making, right?
"Are you alright?." he asks under his breath, worry palpable.
"Do you know that the only thing that kept me from losing it that day was you?" you ask, and your boldness won't leave you, clearly it was now or never. "You told me to 'keep breathing'... you said it over and over and over, and I listened." you explain, and he remembers the day too well. "Even though everything hurt like hell, and there was so much blood." you reminisce. "And I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy, but there was this look." you exhale sadly. "This look you had on your face that made me think... 'maybe it's not just me'"
It isn't. He knows that instantly. You've plagued his mind so severely for so long that he can just barely remember a time where you weren't one of the only things he thought about, worried about, cared about. But he had his post to think about, he was the Unit Chief, your boss, your superior. What would the team think? What would Strauss think? Did it matter? In the grand scheme of things, did those worries outweigh his need, his innate desire to see you safe and protected from harm? Absolutely not. So what was the real problem?
"Hotch..." you inhale deeply, voice cracking distractingly as he gives you his full attention. Something you'd dreamed of, wanted more than anything since the first time you'd ever laid eyes on him. "Aaron." you correct, and you breathe again. "I've been thinking of how to say this... i've been rehearsing it over and over again, because I wanted to get it right, and I just knew tonight would be the night I'd have to have the balls to either say it or let it go forever." you admit.
"Say it..." and he's rushing you, but you suppose that's deserved. You were still stalling, dragging this out way more than you needed to.
"I'm in love with you." and it was out there, and you couldn't take it back. You stare him down, worried about his reaction, about how he would respond. "And it took me getting hurt, and being sent home, away from the team for me to realize." you inhale shakily. "I kept having these-these dreams about that night. All these different scenarios about how things could've turned out different, how I could've died had one thing been out of place." you process.
"You're the reason I'm still here, you're the reason why this team can function, and you're the reason why I- why I came tonight even though my anxiety told me it wasn't safe. Because, somehow I knew that as long as you were here... I'd be okay, and I am." you say, and it's a lot, too much maybe. His reaction is hard to read at first, face just as stoic as most times, but his eyes.... his eyes hold the truth. They melt, pools of warm honey dancing in the darkness residing there.
"And it's inappropriate... and wrong... and silly... but- I couldn't go another day without you knowing, without you hearing from me." you explain. "When you came up to the bar tonight I just... I've never felt this way before... lucky, protected, safe.... and-and I'm not asking for anything from you... I'm not expecting something in return, I just wanted to get it out there... I think we both know it's been a long time coming..." and your words are being swallowed as Aaron leans forward. The middle console is a bridge, a roadblock.
It doesn't deter him though, not from using a hand to gently cup your face, mouth slotting against yours as if it belonged there. You're dizzy, shocked, surprised, but you don't let this mess you up. You can't possibly allow anything to mess up this moment. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two... the seconds tick by with neither of you moving to break the kiss, hands and tongues and breaths fanning over one another as you get acquainted in the most perfect way.
Still, life dealt lots, and yours consisted of a need for oxygen. It's the only reason why you break apart with heady gasps, eyes dilated and fogged with emotions much too heavy to really explain. "Oh, you can't do that." you explain, and Hotch's bemused, eyebrows raising upwards, as his thumb brushes over your cheekbones.
"I can't?" he asks, and he sounds so much lighter now.
"No, you can't. I'll get the wrong idea, you know." you explain, and he smiles brazenly at your callback to earlier. "I'll actually believe you're in love with me or something." you say, and Hotch is slow as he leans back in, a peck being placed right on your lips as your eyelashes flutter, and your heart beats out of control.
"We can't have that, can we?" he's following your lead with the callback, and your cheek presses into his palm.
"I don't know." you answer, and your voice is faint. "I'm scared this'll be a dream." you proceed as Hotch's eyes scan over your frantic face. "I'll wake up and find out that this was all in my head, and the only memories I get to hold on to are from that night." Hotch's lips purse, head shaking in denial as you inhale shakily.
"No, not this time. an ambitious remark. "This time it's real." he promises. "This time I'm here with you to make sure that all those things you felt that night, and earlier by the bar, are how you keep feeling about me." he answers truly. "I'm here to love you back for as long as you'll have me. Is it alright for me to feel that way?" he asks, and your hand jumps up to keep his squished in place against your face.
"You can feel however you want." you reply, and he laughs, a full blown chuckle escaping him as his face seems to light up like a thousand suns. His eyes glisten, twinkling as he looks down at you, like everything was right in the world. And to him it was. Nothing and nobody could hurt you here.
"Good. Then I choose whatever this between you and I leads to, I choose the feelings that come with that." You smile grows to an almost blinding brightness as you reach across the console to hug him, and pull him into your arms. He's quick as he presses a peck to the top of your head, eyes still dancing over you as if he was seeing you for the first time. And maybe he was, that part wasn't your business, all you knew was that loving Aaron was easy, it could be.
A long time coming, but a wait well worth it. Lucky you.
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sea-owl · 1 year
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I think if they ever remake the Hunger Games one thing I would want them to add more in is how much of a pair Katniss and Peeta are.
From the beginning, they're basically a package deal. From when they're threatening Haymitch on the train with Peeta throwing the glass, which leads to Katniss and the knife to even how they play off one another when it comes to the star cross lovers act.
Neither of them could have won the games without the other. Peeta, while he had some strengths in the arena, shinned when he played the Capitol. Katniss was the better fighter in the arena, but she needed someone to play off of for social interactions. She would have been quickly forgotten of in that arena if she didn't have Peeta to help keep their story going and her interactions with Rue.
It will make the devastation of them being ripped apart in Mockingjay so much worse. Katniss' other half is gone, and they want her to now play a role that he excells at.
It will also make they're coming back to one another that much sweeter, too. They're a pair, and they're gonna stay that way. Always coming back to one another.
(Also can we agree that if Peeta was in 13 from the start with or without Katniss, he would've taken control out from Coin in like less than two weeks. Peeta Manipulator Mellark everybody, Coin would be shaken in her revolution needing wig)
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toothfa-1-ry · 1 year
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DOYOUWANTTOGOTOTHEBALLWITHME? draco malfoy
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In which,
Draco just can't seem to ask you to be his date for the Yule ball
GENRE: fluff
PAIRING: 4th yr Draco x 4th year reader
FEAT: lee do hyun as Terry Booth!!
WARNING: none :>
A/N: A continuation of my Draco Malfoy is a loser agenda!! Also did I mention that Draco is a very DRAMATIC loser??
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"uhm hi y/n" Draco said nervously as he turned to look at Pansy and Blaise who gave him a reassuring nod and a thumbs up
"ooh hi Draco"
"uhm so..y/n" Draco nervously chuckled as he played his his hand cuffs "uh..y/n haha.."
"Draco-" Pansy hissed "you already said her name, there's no need to repeat it again"
"right- sorry. Uhm so y/n!"
"oh god he's a lost cause" Blaise muttered to Pansy who just shook her head.
"I can hear you, just in case you didn't know" Draco angrily muttered towards them, shooting them both a dirty look
"uhm are you talking to y/n or are you talking to us?" Blaise questioned, his eyebrows raised
"oh bloody hell" Draco sweared "uhm anyway y/n uh so like I'm pretty sure you heard the announcement today- during breakfast because like you have ears uh I have ears too! So I heard the announcement too- ha" Draco awkwardly continued.
"ofcourse she has ears dunderhead and ofcourse she heard it! Everyone heard the announcement" piped Lorenzo from a corner "just try to charm her won't you?"
Theodore shook his head in amusement as he watched his best mate Draco act like a complete fool. Actually he always acted like a fool except most of the time he didn't make it this obvious.
"right- right my bad my bad" Draco shook his head "so! Y/n!"
"yes Draco? What is the matter?"
"I thought you could do the er honour of er taking me to the Yule ball y'know" Draco smirked as he attempted to charm you like Lorenzo said
"I mean cause like I could go with anyone but I thought that I'd give you the first chance of going with me!" Draco quickly rambled and then flicked his hair "so what do you say?"
Theodore and Lorenzo tried holding in their laughter as Pansy groaned and Blaise muttered curses under his breath.
"oh bloody hell" Matteo mumbled
"mate that was horrible and I'm not even y/n! I'm just pretending to be her!" Matteo exclaimed as he took of the wig he was wearing
"if your gonna be this bad with me pretending to be y/n, how are you actually gonna face her!?" Matteo shook his head and turned to Pansy "he's totally lost!"
"it wasnt that bad was it?" Draco cringed at himself.
Oh he knew how bad it was
"it was HORRIBLE" all his friends shouted at him, especially Matteo who was honestly tired of wearing the wig and pretending to be you for the 9th time now.
"c'mon mate! This is the 9th time I'm pretending to be y/n. Just ask her out NORMALLY PLEASE" Matteo shouted
"oh shut up okay! I'm trying" Draco hissed his face turning pink
"well try harder" Theodore said from a corner "if you don't ask her out soon, someone else will"
"what?" Draco whisper shouted "you mean- there's a chance that she'll go to the Yule ball with someone else whose not me?"
Theodore rolled his eyes at his blonde friend, "incase you haven't noticed, many guys in Hogwarts likes her. And now you have double the competition with Durmstang and Beuxbaton"
Draco went pink in the face again "oh fuck"
"yup!" Lorenzo patted his cousin in the shoulder "so you better hurry up cuz!" He cheerily said as if Draco wasn't going through a mini panick attack
"ugh whatever!" Pansy groaned "you! Get your act together" she pointed at Draco "we're gonna practice this one more time! Matteo wear the wig"
Matteo grumbled as he begrudgingly wore the wig " on merlins beard why do I have to pretend to be y/n"
"okay! In 3-2-1" Pansy hollered, completely ignoring Matteo "action!"
"y/n hi! Uh I have to talk to you! Uh about uh something" Draco awkwardly grinned
"ooh yes Draco! What is it?" Matteo said in a high pitched voice that sounded nothing like you.
"uhm so-" Draco stammered
"yes Draco? Hehe" Matteo let out a giggle and twirled a strand of the wig
"uhm!..I have a collection of chocolate frog cards!" Draco squeaked, the word Yule ball being unable to form in his mouth
He heard all his friends groan and he became redder then a Weasley
"oh god not again..that's it. I'm going" Matteo threw the wig on the ground shaking his head "all the best" he patted Draco and walked away
"oh c'mon- wait one last time let me try one last time!" Draco whined as he watched all of his friends walk out of the dorm "oh wait- guys wait!"
-
"you can do this. I believe in you" Lorenzo gave his cousin a thumbs up
"well I don't" Matteo snorted which caused Draco to give him a dirty look "what? I'm being honest"
"she's right over there. Just go to her, say hi, maybe compliment her and then ask her out" the caramel haired boy ignored Matteo and gave his poor shaking cousin some tips
"what? What kind of compliments to I give her?" Draco whispered back in a sort of panick
"geez. Just tell her that she looks pretty today, and that you'd be honoured if she would go to the ball with you" Theodore cut in and shrugs "works like a charm"
"okay.. alright I got this" Draco mumbled
"yea you got it..now go" Pansy ushered the boy "c'mon now go ahead" she pointed towards the courtyard where you were.
Draco walked up towards you and a bunch of third years who were talking to you. Suddenly he felt very intimidated by those small scrawny third years and immediately turned away and walked back to his friends
"I can't do this! You lot are right, maybe I am hopeless" Draco sulked as his friends let out another sigh
"did he just call himself hopeless?" Matteo peered at the sulking boy "oh dear, y/n really did a number on him huh?"
"not helping Matteo" Pansy said sternly, hitting Matteo in the arm.
"listen, your Draco Malfoy and your going to go and ask y/n the girl who've been crushing on since forever to go to the ball with you" Blaise said giving Draco a light shake
"and if she says yes all is good and if she doesn't, well- it's kind of embarassing but it's gonna be alright" Pansy adds
"yea so go and ask her out now before she goes to the ball with Terry Booth over there huh?" Theodore nudges Draco towards your direction as the smiling ravenclaw keeper approaches you
"oh bloody hell- no way in my watch is y/n going to go out with that crow" Draco fumed under his breath as he immediately rushed towards you
"yea go get'em tiger!" Draco could hear Matteo whooping and the constant shouting from his friends, all hyping him up but that could hardly matter right now
Dracos hands were going all clamy and he could feel his heart racing. He wanted to run away from you but he wasn't going to let Terry Booth ask you out right infront of him!
"y/n" Terry approached you with a smile
"Terry" you greeted the Korean boy with a grin "anything's the matter?"
"oh yea uh I wanted to ask you if-" the keeper then abruptly stopped mid sentence as another person had joined their conversation
"y/n! Y/n!" A frantic Draco appeared, his eyes widened and his hair a mess
"Draco? Are you alright?" You ask the Slytherin boy who seemed to be in a bit of a mix
"mhm m'fine- I have to talk to you" Draco grabbed your hand which took you by surprise
You look at a awkward Terry and a frantic Draco, unsure of what to make up with this situation
"oi Booth can you bigger off for a second?" Draco coldly dismissed Terry who simply raise a eyebrow before shaking his head
"er- alright, I'll talk to you later y/n" Terry mumbled before walking away
"Draco! What was that. You can't just tell people to bugger off" you begin scolding Draco, unaware that his hands were still holding yours
"y/n I have to tell you something" the boy gulped, he could feel the way your hands felt against his and the close proximity the both of you were in. His heart racing even faster
"what is it?" You ask him, your brows creased up in slight worry. The blonde Slytherin boy who was always so put together, confident and full of himself was now nervous and quite frankly not behaving like his usual self
"Draco are you sick?" You immediately raise your free hand to his head and Draco swears that his temperature rises by a hundred degrees probably.
"uhm y/n" the boy begins, he could feel his sweat dripping and his mouth going dry
"oh dear Merlin Draco your turning redder than a tomato! Let's go to madam Pomfrey" you usher him, pulling him into the hallway "c'mon let's go-"
"wait y/n listen- I have to tell you something first"
You look at Draco in confusion. What did he have to tell you so much that he was acting quite frankly out of his personality
"er- okay..can you tell me when we're in the infirmary?"
"no! I have to tell you now" Draco pressed on. He had to ask you right now when he was full of adrenaline or else he won't be able to ask you later
"oh okay, okay" you say a little taken back "what is it?"
Draco bites his lower lip and mumbles something
"what Draco? I didn't quite catch you"
"uhm...I think uh- I think you look very nice today!" Draco suddenly exclaimed
"o-oh!" That might have taken you back by surprise even more, a slight blush forms in your face "thanks..uhm"
"actually I think you look nice everyday" Draco continues his eyes looking down, his grip on your hand tightening.
You look down and realise that the both of you were holding hands and you feel your face getting hot
"that's really sweet of you to say Dray" you said before you could stop yourself
Draco looks up at you, his eyes widened at the sudden nickname you called him
"Dray?"
You eyes widen and you the undying urge to slap yourself across the face as you see the way Draco's eyes twinkle with mischief.
"did you just give me a nickname? Dray?" Draco grins smugly, completely forgetting the real reason why he was with you
"oh shut up" you huff "I'm never gonna say that again"
"oh no please do say it again" Draco teased you, watching your face get red
"r-right, what did you have to tell me Draco? Do say it fast I don't have all day" you quickly try to change the subject causing Draco to remember the real reason why he was talking to you
"er-" Draco immediately felt all his confidence and smugness fading away
"oh dear Draco your getting red all again" you worriedly said, peering into his face "are you sure you don't need to-"
"not Draco" Draco mumbled
"what?"
"not Draco, don't call me Draco" Draco mumbled a bit louder
"well, what do you want me to call you then-"
"Dray, you should call me Dray" he says softly
Your eyes widen "Dray... I don't understand what-"
"doyouwanttogototheballwithme?" Draco squeaked
"what?"
Draco cleared his throat and looked around, he beckoned you to come closer to him and leaned towards you
"do you want to maybe perhaps go to the ball with..me?" He whispered into your ears filling your stomach with butterflies
"oh- Draco I-" you stammer, unable to form sentences "uhm I would really actually like that" you whisper back in surprise
"really?" Draco asked you back, his voice in equal surprise
You give a shy nodd
"really?!" Draco asked again looking at you eyes widened "I'm not going to stop saying really unless you give me a proper answer l/n"
Your roll your eyes "yes really...Dray I would love to go to the ball with you"
"oh my god I think I'm gonna pass out" Draco said feeling faint
"I think that's a little but of a exaggeration- oh my god Draco!" You shout out, trying to catch the boy before he fell on the ground
"oh dear- he actually passed out" you grimace slightly as you make him lie down in one of the stools in the courtyard after dragging him all the way from the hallway
You softly brush his blonde hair away from his pink face
"how quite adorable" you laugh to yourself
-
"Hey Berkshire!" Terry greeted Lorenzo who along with all his friends were trying to see what Draco and y/n were doing just as they got dragged to the hallway
"ugh we cant see them anymore!" Pansy whined as she stretched her neck, only to get a glimpse of blonde hair
"uhm s'everything alright?" Terry asked
"yea everythings fine" Lorenzo smiled at the tall boy "what's up?"
"oh uh- I did what you told me too" Terry grinned as all of Lorenzo's friends looked at him with a confused face
Lorenzo laughed "great chap you are my friend" giving him a pat in the back
"I'm guessing you told me to pretend like I'm asking y/n to the ball just so that Malfoy would make a move first?" Terry winced as he asked Lorenzo who just seemed to grin even brighter
"my god- you do catch on quick don't you?"
Terry let out a laugh and blushed at the sudden compliment. He was never really good with compliments
"you did what?" Matteo asked eyes widened
"sneaky snake" Pansy squinted her eyes at him and grinned 'your a genius!"
Lorenzo simply shrugged
"so whatdya think? He asked her out yet?" Terry peered out from where Pansy was standing
"maybe if Draco finally got the guts" Pansy snorted
"oh I think he did" Blaise said hesitantly
"what?" Pansy and Matteo asked eagerly
"it appears that our little prince has..." Theodore paused not sure whether he was supposed to laugh or be embarrassed
"he has what?" Pansy questioned
"oh hell!" Matteo shouted with laughter "the bloody wanker has fainted!" Matteo exclaimed with glee all across his face
Pansy covered her face with embarrassment as the boys roared with laughter. Only Terry wasn't the one laughing along.
"oh dear" Terry shook his head sadly "now how would the poor boy be when he dances with her?"
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simpingland · 6 months
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Hi hello how are ya I'd like to request something
Can you write something with Ewan Mitchell and his co star (fem pronounce) where they're at an interview and goofing off, reader joking about getting sleep while they're putting on wigs for hours and stuff like that, maybe a little more serious talk about their characters
(Readers character is jaces twin and aemonds love interest)
Thank you!
Flirting and sleeping// Ewan Michael x fem!actress.
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Summary: playing Aemond's love interest have the perks of giving you a flirty partner during promotion and a comfortable shoulder to sleep on set.
Gif not mine
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The last interview of the day, after a whole week of promotion. Always the same questions, always the same answers. Keeping your outfit spotless for a whole day, with your make-up intact and hours of sleep accumulated.
"How is it possible that you are always sleepy?" Your colleague Ewan asked you when he saw you yawning.
"I'm a very reflective person, the night inspires me" you joked, and watched as he shook his head, smiling.
"These things feel like an eternity," he complained.
You were about to agree with him when the new interviewer sat down opposite. She greeted you, and Ewan, as always, was a gentleman, serious and attentive.
You, however, found it hard to pay as much attention. You glanced sideways at Ewan's every gesture, and he seemed to make a great effort to listen. After all this time you had learned to read his expression of feigned listening as well as his real one.
"After so many serious scenes, I suppose you keep your spirits up between scenes...are you bored on set or are you too busy?" The girl looked at the two of you.
"I tend to stay focused. Getting into Aemond's mind is quite complicated..." Ewan's tone amused you. He turned to look at you. "What?"
You let out a laugh, the interviewer looking confused at the scene.
"Sorry honey," you turned to the girl, "but Ewan is lying to you. He was concentrating at the beginning, when he took his job very seriously."
You watched as Ewan leaned back in his chair, hiding a smile and waiting for you to tease him, which he quite enjoyed.
"This guy was scary on the first day."
"It's thanks to the costume and make-up team," he interrupted.
"Oh, no, Ewan, I mean the day of the script reading. That sweatshirt was terrifying." What you said made the interviewer laugh, and Ewan joined in the fake discussion you had formed.
"You speak out of envy," he replied, crossing his legs.
"For this kind of thing, he's very formal. They always put together nice outfits for him, but in real life, it's nothing like that. "
"And what's Ewan like in real life?" Ewan himself asked.
"He's weird... weird and kind of flirty."
He turned red, shaking his head as the interviewer let you speak. You were basically getting more information out for her than she intended to get.
"Yeah, yeah...there's nothing shy about this guy here. He makes all the girls on the set smile with his 'good morning, love'. And they all love to put him his wig in the morning, his patch..."
"Why don't you let the girl do the interview?" Your partner interrupted you with mock seriousness.
"Excuse me, but I'm answering the question. Ewan was very focused at first. No one dared speak to him once he put on that wonderful costume. But as soon as Susan in make-up told him he looked 'sexy'..." you snapped your fingers. "He became a sex symbol on set and enjoys it like nobody's business. He doesn't get bored on set because he spends the hours between scenes practising with his sword, chatting with the crew when he goes to get his coffee..."
"You should tell her how you spend your breaks..." he grinned mischievously. You looked at him, hiding a smile. You mostly spent them with him, but people didn't need to know that.
"You tell her."
"She spends her dead hours asleep or breaking things." The interviewer let out another laugh. "Oh, yes, she's snored through her make-up. I've had to put up with her nodding her head every morning. And the few times she was awake, she would steal my wig to take pictures. Remember what Susan said to you when she caught you?" she looked at you as if to scold you, and you looked ashamed.
"That I was going to mess it up..."
"Exactly! This girl is a mess on legs. The first day of shooting, she tore the fabric of her cape. The first day we shot together, she almost broke the carriage window... and the wine glass. Let's not forget the wine glass on the last day."
"I dented it," you confessed to the girl.
"The whole team was praying you'd fall asleep before you touched any more stuff." Continued your partner looking back at you.
"I've had the broken stuff deducted from my pay, you know."
"Yeah? And how much money have you earned then?"
"Let's just say...I've gone into debt to HBO..."
You laughed at your own joke as Ewan tried to refocus on the poor interviewer. You really had been the clumsiest person on set, and that was in stark contrast to the careful attitude Ewan had had in that same period. Many times, you had led him astray, getting him involved in a game where you both could let off steam while the sets were being set up. He loved to show you his swordsmanship, and of course, he was good at it. He had experience.
But on some other days, when it was anynof your turns to act, Ewan was much more focused, and although you were embarrassed to entertain him at first, he always made a point of sitting next to you. He helped you revise as much as you helped him. And while your gallery was filled with pictures of you making an idiot of yourself with his wig, and Ewan making an idiot of himself with his wig too, Ewan had his gallery filled with pictures of you asleep in the most unlikely places on the set, and pictures of you posing with whatever mess you had made. And Tom had been in charge of recording those occasions when you slept leaning on Ewan's shoulder while he reread his script. That would stay between you two, and you'd been going through the photos before bed for months, unaware that Ewan was doing exactly the same thing, grateful to have an excuse like promotion to be near you all the time.
"The relationship between your characters has been a much-discussed topic on the network and among fans. The girl changed the subject to a more serious one, to the one that really mattered, the series.
"You mean incest?" you asked.
"More like the feud between Blacks and Greens."
"Oh, right..."
"That's the thing with this series," Ewan interrupted. "The incest is the least of your worries."
"Right, silly me," you said wryly.
"It's common sense, of course."
You smiled at each other, admiring each other fondly, perhaps too fondly, as you always did, leaving the girl a bit of an outsider, and were surprised when she asked again.
"The good thing is that you don't look like each other. The relationship you have in the plot is a parallel to Romeo and Juliet. How do you approach this dynamic? Do you want it to be really romantic or something toxic like Rhaenyra and Daemon?"
"That I suppose can always be left to the audience's opinion," reasoned your partner. "For me there's certainly something romantic about it. Aemond is a character that transforms into something perverse but at the beginning he didn't seem to have such a strong quality. The writers wanted to make him that way, evolved. And I think her character is designed not to contrast but to show that there is something good in Aemond." You smiled downward as you listened to him, you had already talked about it during rehearsals. "When we did the casting, the director told me that they were looking for an actress with a sweet aura, well, so that ond couldn't naturally react violently towards her. They introduced me to this arse next to me and... you get a bit attached to her.
"I love working with Ewan, he's always so flattering..."
The girl smiled at you before asking.
"You're okay with the romance?"
"Well..." you thought for a second. Of course, the kiss you two had just rolled around was too passionate for it to be a toxic relationship. You shot the kiss as a very intimate scene, where Aemond approached your character with some fear, and it took you a moment to return the kiss. It was a slow kiss, tense and sweet. But when you return it, it was hard to separate again. Of course, what was left to shoot that day was done with flushed cheeks and dodging glances. Sparks had been flying between you and Ewan since the day you were brought together in that room for the test.
"Yes, I think it's different from Rhaenyra and Daemon. There's a lot more respect and a lot more equality between them. From the very beginning, we were going to treat our plot from the 'first love' trope, and we saw no better way to recite our lines than the longing and desire they have for each other. And how much Ewan and I love each other transcends the screen too much."
You saw how intensely he looked at you, maybe you had said too much. You were silent for too many seconds. You put on that mischievous grin again. "As much as Ewan is a great actor, I don't think anyone can pretend to hate me."
"Wow, that means the next season is going to be very promising for your fans. Thank you so much for this time, and for the tidbits from the set."
"It's been a pleasure, honey," you dismissed her.
"Our pleasure, I love your t-shirt, by the way," said Ewan, the girl was wearing a t-shirt with a poster of Daemon and Aemond on it.
You didn't know how to look at him after that. Had your answer been something of a confession? Maybe the kiss hadn't been that intense for him and you had just made a fool of yourself. Of course it was a bit weird the last ten minutes of your promo day.
You shared a taxi to the hotel, with silly small talk. When you arrived, you were walking up a flight of stairs when your heel broke.
"Oh my God, I can't believe it! My stylist is going to kill me!" You picked up your precious heels, Ewan didn't laugh at you, but he did smile at your desperation.
"Don't worry, we'll ask someone to get us some glue."
"A branded heel fixed with glue?"
"Well, it certainly wasn't made of steel, if it breaks easy it's easy to fix."
You walked all the way up the stairs barefoot. Ewan stopped.
"What are you doing?" You asked as you saw him stand back and pull out his mobile phone.
"Smile and show that heel," he asked. When you did he took the picture and smiled to himself. "For the collection. "
"Thanks to your tip-off they won't get me for period films, you know."
"You started it, I remind you. You've taken away my reputation as a serious, up-and-coming actor."
Ewan grabbed your heels from your hand as he saw you with your hands full with your mobile and wallet.
"The truth is, that poor girl was trying to be professional and we got into a play fight in front of her."
"I think she had fun. Of course, after always answering the same thing, this time I remembered why I like this job so much."
"I hope I didn't offend you, Ewan. You know it was all a joke."
You stopped at his door, yours was just opposite.
"All of it, all of it?"
"What do you mean?"
He licked his lips, thinking about how to phrase the question. You knew what he meant, now came the awkward part. Why the hell did you start talking about love?
"All the weeks since I've known you have been filled with something...special. And you were right when you said that I can't pretend to be repulsed by you, because... I definitely feel the opposite. I like every minute that you are beside me, not only for how talented you are but...how sweet and funny everything is with you. You're also quite gorgeous if I am allawed to say. And no, it's nothing of a method actor if I tell you that I have a crush on your bones just because Aemond would be... I want to make sure this feeling isn't just mine."
"You're telling me you like me?"
"Yeah, basically yes."
"And you're asking me if I like you?" You were clearly in shock.
"It's good to know you understand me...now I need an answer."
Yes, OF COURSE YOU DO. For some reason nothing came out of your mouth, and you could only look at him. Ewan read that silence as a definitive no and, after swallowing his breath, he nodded and gave up without losing his gallantry.
"I'm going to call room service and have them bring some glue."
He turned to open his door as you suddenly became aware of everything. You didn't know what he was babbling about when he opened it, but when he turned again to offer you passage, you jumped on him. You grabbed his face with impetus, and kissed his thin lips again as you had that day on the set. This time there was something even more authentic. Ewan held your waist as he regained his balance. This kiss surpassed the one in the scene, this one felt completely free, completely real and without consequence. Needless to say, you didn't go back to sleep in your room for the rest of the promo tour.
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dcxdpdabbles · 6 months
Note
Excuse me? I really love your work and I was just wondering if we can get another chapter of Passion for Fashion?? I really love that but no rush whether or not u wanna. (Also, I'd love to see the Batfam or croc or anyone be educated WHAT KC actually is lololol I just think it would be fun.)
Danny stares at the man across from him with barely concealed bemusement. Red Robin hides behind his menu, muttering about all the pizza toppings.
It seemed pineapple was a must, and he fought not to wrinkle his nose as various people shot their table side glances. He's noticed the staring since they changed, but Danny is tired of the lingering gawking.
He gets that his date looks suspicious in his get-up, but it's not the worst.
They had to stop at a second-hand store, where he went in to buy a trench coat, a pair of large sunglasses, and a fedora, per Red Robin's request. While inside the store, Red Robin somehow produced a blond wig and some makeup, changing his features just slightly so that he appeared to be a different person.
They both stop at a local gas station to change outfits and finish their prep work in the bathrooms.
Danny had gone in sweats, a stained shirt, and mismatched shoes—he had not been expecting a date—but when he left, he came out wearing an experimental style Dan had found.
It was called Corp Goth, and he secretly adored it. Maybe Sam was onto something when she said a pure black offit made anyone attractive.
It was a form-fitting black jeans, a top with a darker shade of black long-sleeve shirt, and a flowing black trench coat. Dan had included various jewelry pieces, with strict instructions on where to put them so that the style was "balanced," it gave him the slightest hints of old-style rock aesthetics.
Danny felt good about his clothes until Red Robin saw him. He didn't think he was that bad-looking, but if it caused the other to run into a streetlight, Danny would hate to think what other less kind people would say.
"Would Hawiian be alright?" Red Robin finally asks, his voice just a tad bit high. Is he that nervous to be seen by people?
Danny raises a brow. "If that's what you like. I'll do whatever you want me to."
The other teenager—is he? He looks older now with his make-up—a few years—and makes a strange choking sound. "Okay."
"Alright. So now that we know what to tell the waitress when she comes here, can we return to the fact you broke through my window?" Danny asks, leaning back in his seat and crossing his legs to get comfortable.
A girl nearby chocks on her water, making Danny's head snap in her direction. Her friends quickly pat her back and urgently speak to the blushing girl. When he confirms she is all right, Danny returns his gaze to Red Robin.
He is taken aback by the sharp attention now being aimed at him. Yes, he can't exactly see the other eyes behind those dark sunglasses, but he feels the heavy stare all the same. "I want to discuss your connection to Killer Croc and the Infinite Realms."
Danny considers it. On the one hand, he can't talk about his secret mission, but on the other, he needs to find some information about this place. He's gotten bored wandering around, tinkering with things while the fashion contest dragged on.
They have been here for months and have made no headway in helping Batman. Heck, Danny has yet to even see him. If anything maybe this guy will know some information.
But he thinks he shouldn't lay all his cards just yet. So, he needs to bend the truth a little.
"There isn't much to tell about Killer. He was involved in our kidnapping a few days ago. I guess they hired him without explaining what the job was since he came to apologize for almost trafficking us." Danny shrugs, thinking over his answer as he takes a small sip of his soda, missing his mouth slightly. He quickly catches some of the spilled drink with his tongue, mentally debating himself for being so clumsy. There is a gasp from the same girl three tables away.
Danny fights the urge to sink into his seat as he ignores her. "He said he sells drugs, not people. How he tracked us down is anyone's guess, but since he came all the way in person, I figured I should invite him in and offer him a drink."
Red Robin tilts his head. "Why?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why would you invite him in and offer him a drink?"
"Ugh, 'cause it's good manners?" Honestly, did big-city folks really have no sense of being civil? Amity Park has a small population, but there are enough people to be called a city, and none of them have ever been confused by the idea of being invited in for a drink.
Red Robin considers this answer before he leans forward. "How about your connection to the Infinite Realms?"
Here, Danny carefully selects his replies, ensuring that all his answers are accurate, just not in the way the others will get. "You can say it was my parents, but mostly my mom. She was the one who made the final step and connected the family to the Realms."
"Your mom? Where is she?"
"Dead," Danny whispers, thinking of his own mom, whom he hasn't seen in weeks. He wonders if she or his dad has noticed him missing yet. If they have reported it.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
Red Robin looks down at his hands in silence in a show of respect. Danny can appreciate it. However, that doesn't last long before he lifts his head again, this time with a stubborn little tilt to his mouth.
"That wasn't a full explanation of how the Infinite Releams involve you or your brother."
Danny shrugs. "It's how we got our meta powers. The portal to the other side opened on Dan and me, triggering our ice and glowing eyes. We've been inside it a few times, but the portal sealed shut the last time. We haven't been able to go back."
"That's why you here," Red Robin says in great realization. "Gotham has enough death in it that it helps your powers."
Not really, but they can work with that. Danny smiles, putting one finger up against his lips, and Red Robin is true to his name by turning a lovely red hue. Danny hasn't seen anyone blush that hard since Jonny 13 when the other asked him out on a date.
It's cute.
"That and it's also the cheapest living city. Dan really has his heart set on being a fashion designer so we need to save money on fabrics and stuff."
"You're his model. Have you always wanted to go into modeling?"
"Not really. I like mechanical engineering more. Maybe when I finish helping Dan, I'll look for a school to apply to." Danny shrugs, leaning forward to give the other a smirk.
Star once told him that Danny's slow up and down was his best flirting technique after he had done her math homework for her. In return, she agreed to help him get better at dating.
He's not sure how well her lessons had gone, seeing as he still struggled to get a date back home (with the living anyone), but he thinks some of it was right since Red Robin goes even redder, if that's possible.
"Enough about me. How did you get involved in smashing widows and looking tasty in spandex?"
"I-um- well funny enough I-" Whatever he was going to say is lost as a figure jumps down from the darkness, landing on their table. Danny yelps, pushing himself away, but in doing so, he falls backward since his chair is not meant to be leaned like that.
He crashes to the ground with a swear, closing his eyes at the impact. The back of his head stings a little, as Danny slowly cracks open his eyes and stares upwards- at...a man in a bat suit?
"Moby Dick! Are you Batman!" He gasps, finally feeling like they are about to make a step forward in their mission.
The man glares down at him before grunting. "Red Robin. Retreat to cave."
"But-"
"Now"
Then he throws a smoke bomb on the ground. Danny leaps up, but both men are gone by the time the smoke clears. "Wait! Mr. Batman, sir, I need to talk to you!"
There is no reply, just the girls filming with their phones and the sound of speeding cars. Danny kicks the ground. "Oh come on!"
When he wanders home, he finds Dan lying face down on the ground with various ice cream tubs surrounding him. On some pieces of paper are various-sized hearts, the initials "DF + KC" inside them.
Dan is singing heartbreak sounds into the carpet, muffled by his tears.
"Dan, man, have some dignity. You knew the EverBurning for like ten minutes."
The muffled crying gets louder, and Danny rolls his eyes. He slumps onto the couch with a sigh. "Listen, I think I got a lead on Batman. It's a man dressed like a bat. How hard can it be to find him?"
His clone-turn-twin raises one hand, pointing to a smashed button Danny missed when entering the living room. Upon closer inspection, he is startled to find out that it's a miniature microphone and tracker. There is a very tiny symbol on the side.
"Did Red Robin bug our house after breaking our window!?" he asks in outrage as Dan nods. "To think I flirted with him!"
Dan sobs louder. "I tried flirting with the best tail I have ever seen in my life and you got a date with a stalker! We're going to die alone!"
Danny really hopes they finish this stupid mission soon. He's getting tempted to let Clockwork's bomb take him.
869 notes · View notes
leclercsluvs · 5 months
Text
CL16 | Already Over | smau
part 3 | masterlist
an: this will include sort of cheating (not really sure what to classify it as), and for that i am going to be using pics of charles and alex, however do i see any alex hate you are blocked or something, thank you very much) fc: sabrina carpenter pairing: charles leclerc x fem!reader ib: vicious by @azulpitlane and the album 'emails i can't send' by sabrina carpenter
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charles_leclerc
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liked by scuderiaferrari, carlossainz55 and 1.503.666 others charles_leclerc nice weekend! i'm happy with my results, and glad to finally introduce you to my girl <3 tagged: scuderiaferrari, carlossainz55
danielricciardo mate what?
carlossainz55 i literally saw her like once
lecworld oop the tea is being spilled
pierregasly great job this weekend! (very unimpressed i find out about your relationship through insta, i'm hurt)
landonorris what's her name again?
alex_albon wow you almost cut me out
charles_leclerc sorry mate i needed to fit in carlos carlossainz55 i do look amazing in that photo
y/nswrld damn the drivers did not hold back
ricsbestglam ikrrr??? like whats going onnnn?? i need the teaaa lecs.aep riiiight?? it's a neeeed
f1wagsupdates
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liked by lecslvr, sharl.aep and 693 others f1wagsupdates charles new girlfriend spotted at the race! she looks so pretty, yet we haven't been able to find out what her name is tagged: charles_leclerc
lecslvr oh my goddd she's gorgeous
leclercs.aep she looks a lot like someone i've seen around in paris. i think she goes to one of the art schools there, i think her name is alexandra or something like that
f1girl1644 we must DIG and find her! charles_lechair or maybe theres a reason charles hasn't told anyone her @ like maybe she likes that people can't stalk her account and point out every flaw
yourusername
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liked by danielricciardo, yourbff and 2.562.827 others yourusername give me a second to forget i ever really meant it 🫨 fast times out now! music video out in a few days. hope you enjoy it (the dark hair is just a wig, i didn't dye my hair for a mv)
y/nsworld NEW MUSICC???
y/n.aep omg totally in love with this song!
scfty/n oh so they're like over over??
lecslvr i guess 😭 charles was literally seen kissing a girl and posting her on his ig
norris.aep oh is this going to be an album? about CHARLES??
lqvey/n omg i HOPEEE
danielricciardo so proud of you!
yourusername thank uuuu
carlossainz55 very nice song!
yourusername 🥰
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yourusername
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liked by danielricciardo, milomanheim and 3.413.034 others yourusername feather is out now!! thank you to everyone who's supported me, and a big thanks to milo for agreeing to be the guy in the elevator 💔 anyway here's a few sneak peaks for the music video, personally my fav, out october 31st!! tagged: milomanheim
y/nsb1tch ohhh who did you blockkk?
yourfriend so you finally listened?
yourusername well i suppose someone knocked some sense into me yourbff happy to be of help 🫡 yoursister girl you should have listened from the beginning. he was BAD NEWS yourfriend we've been telling her!! yoursister did i tell how he responded when she was in that accident? yourbff uhm no??! do spill!!! yoursister TO THE GROUPCHAT yourusername oh lord....
milomanheim thanks for giving me this opportunity. never been in a music video and i did enjoy being the guy in the elevator. even if i didn't get that happy ending
yourusername we'll work together again sometime, and you'll get your happy ending 🙃
luvmilo UHMM WHAT?? okay but like he's gonna eat that role up no matter what it is
leclercssupportsystem okay but why does that guy lowkey look a bit like charles??? i fear 'guy in the elevator' and 'not happy ending' is not good LMAO did she kill him in the mv or something?
yourusername 👀
danielricciardo proud to have been an inspiration 😌
yourusername inspiration and inspiration 🤷‍♀️ sure we were texting when the idea came, but you didn't contribute much :) carlossainz55 she owned you mate danielricciardo now that's just rude :(( yourusername sorry. thanks for the amazing inspiration daniel 🫶 landonorris did you get a sneak peak of it too? maxverstappen1 only a sneak peak? i got the whole song like a week ago 🤷‍♂️ pierregasly you guys got to hear it? kevinmagnussen you guys knew about it?
lcvssjeed some of the drivers being in the comments is making my heart super happy
y/nsvfx no because same! maybe we’ll see her back in the paddock again? 👀 yourusername: wouldn’t wanna miss lando get his first win 😉 vspxcharles OMG OMG OMG SHE REPLIED
scuderiaferrari
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liked by charles_leclerc, carlossainz55 and 1.329.082 others scuderiaferrari a nice 1-2 this weekend! happy to see charles on top of that podium again! tagged: charles_leclerc, carlosssainz55
charles_leclerc felt good to be back on top!
carlossainz55 such a good weekend! can't wait for more
leclerswings hes such and angel! 😇
lecsgirl so we just decided to ignore that he supposedly cheated on y/n??
leclerc16 CHARLES P1!!! congratssss
char.aeps so once he drops y/n he starts performing great again? do we think she was the reason he couldn't perform?
angelic.y/n don't you dare try and put the blame on my baby angel! char.aeps she's not so innocent tho 💀 angelic.y/n what's that supposed to mean? was she the one running around being all flirty with two people at once? didn't think so
yourusername
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liked by landonorris, yourbff and 2.562.827 others yourusername vicious out now! happy i was able to perform it at coachella! such an experience!
danielricciardo wow you never fail to amaze!
maxverstappen1 is this about a certain person we all collectively don't like?
yourusername perhaps 🤭 maxverstappen1 good to know landonorris may i ask, why you have not done something about it? maxverstappen1 what do you want me to do? pierregasly push him off the track. take revenge for 2012 maxverstappen1 do not remind me of that or i'll push YOU off the track.
carlossainz55 amazing!
y/ncore the drivers being so supportive even tho it's about charles treating y/n like shit is my roman empire
lestappenlvr love how she tries and makes it seem like charles was the bad guy 🙄
y/n.vsp maybe because he was the bad guy? lestappenlvr and how would you know?? y/n.vsp i dont, but hearing these songs, idk i dont think we should jump to any conclusions since we don't have the full story, but we all saw charles running around with that "alexandra" girl while he was definitely still with y/n lestappenlvr well if you dont know why are you speaking about it?? y/n.vsp y'know i could ask you the same thing.
leclercs.aep maybe she should have kept her legs closed lmao
yourusername
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liked by yourfriend, yourbff and 2.562.827 others yourusername i wish we stayed just like we were up there </3
yourbff we should hang out soon!
yourusername uhm yes! yourfriend i better be invited! yourusername duh!! danielricciardo can i have an invite too? yourbff depends are you like *that guy*? danielricciardo uhh never 🫠 yourusername you can be there :))
y/nsangel aww how cute (who is she talking about?)
scfty/n probably charles? y/nsangel who? scfty/n charles_leclerc they used to date a little while ago, but it's suspected he cheated on her
scfty/n literally in love with her
y/nswrld who isnt?
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scuderiaferrari
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liked by charles_leclerc, leclercsbae and 729.362 others scuderiaferrari hoping for another 1-2 finish this weekend! tagged: charles_leclerc, carlossainz55
leclercsbae charles looks so gooooood!!
charles_leclerc definitely going to try!!
carlossainz55 better hope for a P2, i’m going for that top step 💪 charles_leclerc keep dreaming mate, i’m taking that P1 yourusername oh so you do know how to reply?? angelic.y/n oop the tea clfan girl what are you doing here? you're not with him anymore y/n.video they might not be, but her and carlos seems to be friends, so it makes sense shes still following ferrari chili55 i’ve never seen them interact? luvy/n he’s been really supportive of her music, commenting on her post and using her songs on his story
maxv3rs1appen_ i doubt it. with max and red bull being strong you should be lucky to get P3
norris.vfx nahhh lando is gonna get his win this weekend (let me be delulu i need it)
yourusername we're rooting for him 💪
yourusername
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liked by charles_leclerc, yourbff and 3.927.175 others yourusername thank you to everyone who's been with me through this journey. i'm happy to finally be back on tour, emails i can't send has been out for a few days, i hope you like this album i've been working on. i will not be naming any names, but if a song is about you, you probably know 😉
yourbff SO HAPPY YOU'RE BACKKK (i better get tickets>:(!!)
yourusername i guess you'll have to buy them then 🤷‍♀️
video.y/n okay so i went to one of the first concerts of the tour AND SOME OF THE DRIVERS WERE THERE 🥹
angelic.y/n waittt you have to tell which ones!! video.y/n well carlos, daniel, lando, pierre, max, george, lewis, kevin, alex and logan all stood together (so i assume they went together???) leclercsluv no way!! i went to! i actually saw a certain charles in the crowd and i was pretty shocked
danielricciardo one of the best concerts i've been to
maxverstappen1 usually i don't go to concerts, but i'd go to y/n's again in a heartbeat danielricciardo ofc you would ;) landonorris now what is that supposed to mean daniel??? 🤨 danielricciardo 🤐 yourusername thank you all for being there 🥰 it meant a lot to me 🫶 danielricciardo especially max 👀 alex_albon daniel behave 😑
lecslover charles lurking in the likes???
charles_leclerc i truly am sorry for what i did. do you think you'd ever be able to forgive me?
youbff no. yourfriend no. yoursister no. danielricciardo no. yourusername maybe with time. not right now tho. go take care of your new girl. you'll know when i'm ready.
-
part 4
tags: @exotic-iris13 @callsignwidow
390 notes · View notes
slushycoookie · 1 month
Text
Between Two Worlds ~ Loser!Miguel O'Hara x Stripper!Reader (Pt. 4)
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★ Word Count: 7.1k ★ Content: Miguel is his cute and awkward self once again, there's a lot of flirting going on too, wholesome overall ★ A/N: Sorry this took me so long but I hope you all enjoy! Dividers by @/rookthornesartistry
⁺˚⋆。°✩Prev | Next ✩°。⋆˚⁺ Masterlist | Commissions
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Everything was so different during the morning. The Weave, usually full of life with the strobing lights and thundering beat from the music, was quiet. A normal building fitting the same boring, modern aesthetics like the other establishments next to it.
Your appearance was a stark contrast to your club one. You were dressed in a simple tracksuit and sneakers. Comfortable, not boring. You wore your curly, black wig but with no makeup and Miguel’s breath was stolen at the sight of you.
“Why are you here?” Your stance was standoffish, clear that you didn’t want him here.
Miguel feels around in his pocket for his cards. “I wanted to see you.”
“And you decided to come see me early in the morning?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you have to go to work?”
“I do, but I couldn't wait until tonight to see you.”
You shift, baffled at the fact he was here in front of you. “Miguel-”
“Please.” He finally pulls out his flash cards, “I need to tell you something.”
Your eyes dart to the cards before rolling your eyes and sighing, “Okay.”
Miguel notices they were out in the open as people were walking behind you two. A little awkward for him since he didn't want to confess on the sidewalk.
“Are you hungry? I can buy breakfast.”
“I'm not really hungry.” Your stomach betrays you by growling and you cover it. “Okay maybe I am a little bit.”
Miguel points to a spot across the street, “I saw a diner there, if you want to go?”
“Ugh, not that one.” You stick your tongue out in disgust, “Their food is nasty.”
“Oh.”
He fiddles with his cards, his idea of wanting to talk to you there flying out the window. Miguel tries not to jump when your arm wraps around his, pointing to a breakfast spot further down the block.
“Let's go there. They have amazing waffles.”
Miguel holds back a wide smile before walking with you down the street. He offers to take your bag across your shoulders, but you object.
The café had a better appearance than the diner, sleek black colored walls, and a clean but relaxing atmosphere. He sat down in a booth in front of you, glazing over the menu. You two settled on iced coffee with chicken and waffles before sitting in silence. The low volume of a pop song playing in the background.
“So?” You observe while sipping your drink. “What did you want to talk about?”
Miguel held up his cards, starting with the first one labeled as ‘apology’. “I'm sorry for last week. I made you miss an entire night of making money. For your house…”
“That wasn't your fault. It was mine.”
“But I agreed to it. I said yes.”
You rolled your eyes, “Did you say ‘let’s have sex’ or was that me?”
“You said that…”
“And did I not almost pull your you know out so we could fuck?”
Miguel’s cheeks felt hot, “You did almost do that…”
“Then is it not my fault?”
“I'm not blaming you for what happened.”
“I am.”
The waitress put your food on the table, the conversation coming to a halt. He heard your stomach growl once more as you eyed your chicken and waffles with wonder. You drizzled your syrup across the crispy chicken tenders, cutting it up into smaller pieces before taking a bite. Miguel watches you savor the bite, completely satisfied with your meal.
He decided to eat his own, wanting the tension to go away before you two started talking again.
“I'm sorry.” Your tone was soft. “I got you banned. You were just following my lead.”
“I'm not mad at you.”
“I'm mad at me.” You stop eating, eyes on the table instead of him. “I don't know what's going on with me lately. I've been doing things that I don't normally do.”
“Like?” He doesn't push you, waiting for you speak.
You still don't look his way. “I kissed you for one. I wasn't supposed to do that.”
“Was…was that in the rules?” Miguel swore he didn't remember anything like that when Jessica told him.
You snicker, “No it wasn't. I have personal ones and I broke that.”
“Oh. I'm sorry.”
“It's okay. I didn’t mind it.” Miguel’s heart fluttered at the little confession as your eyes finally land on him. “Then you…touching me was not a part of the plan either.”
“Ah.” He ducks his head in shyness, “I see. Is there anything else?”
You take a big bite of your waffles, cheeks puffed up as you chew slowly. Miguel was patient, twirling his waffles with a fork while waiting for your answer.
“I don’t date my regulars.” Miguel coughed, quickly drinking his glass of water to push it down. That was it, his plan was ruined. It’s all over. So much for confessing to you. “But I already broke my other rules so I'm thinking…why not this one?”
Miguel quickly shuffled his flashcards to the part with big bolded letters labeled ‘confession’. “I like you.”
Your smile was radiant. A brightness that could provide any flower you walked by its nutrients. Just gazing at you gave him everything he needed to start his day off right.
“Why do you like me? Was the hand job that good?”
“No! I mean, yes I did enjoy it but, that wasn’t the reason.” You raise a brow, expecting a reasonable answer. One that shows he genuinely likes you and doesn’t view you the same way the rest of the clubgoers do. As someone of a source for their entertainment. Nothing more. “You don’t treat me like I’m a pathetic person. Like everyone else does. You see through me. And I like that. Like you.”
His fingertips graze yours and he tries to slide them away but you chase after him. Slowly intertwining your own fingers with his at the table. Your nails scratching along his fingers. Your soft, smaller hand against his large one.
“I strip, you do fancy lab work.”
“Your stripping is fancy too.”
You bite your lip, “I guess it is, but is that the only reason for thinking this can work?”
“Not the only reason, but it’s a start.”
Your hands pull away and Miguel already misses the contact. You put your head back, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh that causes a few patrons to look over at the booth. Miguel ducks his head at the increased attention, deciding to finish his meal.
“Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s go on a date.”
Miguel shoots his head up, “Really? You want to? Really?”
“Yeah. Do you want me to say it again?”
“Yes please.”
Your laughter is louder this time before you cover your mouth. “Let’s go on a date together, Miguel.”
He shoved his flash cards back in his jacket, ecstatic that you were willing to go on a date with him. And that you said his name again.
“Can you do it tomorrow?”
“Alright, slow your roll, cutie pie. As much as I want to go on a date, I can’t this weekend. Got a family thing.”
“Oh.” He twiddled his thumbs in thought. “How about next week? Friday?”
“Don’t you work that day? Are you going to feel like going out?”
“Yes, absolutely. Now that I know I’m going out with you.”
“Boy…” It was your turn to hide your face, your hair helping you with its curls dangled in front of your face. He chuckled at your bashful response, noticing how you cute you appear when the tables are turned. “Friday sounds great.”
“Good. We can do dinner and a movie.”
“What kind of movie?”
Miguel hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Uh…I’m not sure yet.”
You shook your head, finishing up your food and the rest of your coffee. He did the same, paying for the bill and walking you out. You were close to him, arm touching his when he pointed to his car down the street.
“I can take you home. It's no trouble.”
“No, I don’t want you to be late for work.” Miguel wants to push, uncomfortable with the idea of you going home alone. His lips stay shut, messing with his suit jacket. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” His worried face shows to you and you exasperate, hand on your hip. “You want something to make you feel better?” Miguel nods, not sure what you were going to do. You hold his face in your hands and kiss the corner of his lips. He freezes, taking in your touch. He could still feel the remnant of your lips on his cheek.
“That does make me feel better.”
“You big softie.” You playfully smack his arm. “I’ll see you later?”
Maybe it was just the time of how long he spent being away from you, but later on seemed like a while until he saw you again. Speak to you. Hear your voice. He wanted your number, but he was asking too much from you already.
“I-okay.”
You squint, “What now?”
“Nothing. Nothing, don’t worry about it.”
“Miguel.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
You pull out your phone, wiggling it in front of him. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to ask? Especially about using a certain device that helps us talk to each other at long distances?”
Miguel wonders if you can read his mind too. Or maybe he’s horrible at hiding how he feels from you. He can with everyone else, just not with you.
“May I get your number? So we could…talk?”
“Of course, babe.” You take his phone, putting in your name, your real name, not your stripper name. And a heart next to it to personalize yourself. He wants to say it but you silence him with a raise of a finger. “Don’t say my real name while we’re at the club. No one else needs to know my business. Besides you. And Pixie.”
“Okay.”
He watches you leave from your uber, saying that you’ll text him when you’re home. He holds you to it, not liking you had to part from him again. But he couldn’t be sad for long. You agreed to go on a date with him and he was going to make sure it was the most perfect date ever.
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Miguel would bounce off the walls if he could. He looked at your text saying you were home with a kissy face emoji and his heart beat faster. Pounding in his ears while recalling your meet up earlier.
You wanted to go on a date with him.
With him out of all people. You were letting him take charge and he mentioned dinner and a movie. What restaurant will you go to? He’s never gotten a chance to figure out what you like to eat. If you're a picky person or willing to eat anything. Then there's the type of restaurant. Were you expecting to go somewhere classy? Or a place that was more casual?
He didn't want to get into movies. What genres were you into? He should see what movies are currently out. Do you even like movies? Why was this so hard?
Gwen cleared her throat, “Are you okay, Mr. O’Hara?
“Yes!” Miguel sits back in his stool, realizing the gene specimen he had on the microscope. “I'm fine, just a bit tired. Woke up earlier than usual today.”
“You were practically skipping when you walked in here.”
Miguel pushed up his glasses, “Really? I didn't notice.”
Gwen pursed her lips before excusing herself to the restroom. When she left, Miguel pulled out his phone and started opening a bunch of tabs. Searching up nice restaurants for a first date. What not to do on a first date. What to wear on a first date.
He's going to bring flowers this time, but he doesn't know what kind you like. Actually, what if you're allergic? Was there such a thing as hypoallergenic flowers? Miguel felt a headache coming on.
“Told ya, he's acting weird.”
He jumped and put his phone back in his pocket. The two teens stare at him like he had something on his face.
“Mr. Miguel, are you good?” Margo's concerned face said it all.
“Yeah, yeah I'm ok.” He reassures, “Why?”
“Gwen told me about you walking weird and now you're hiding your phone like you have a secret.”
Miguel brushed it off, “Oh no. No secrets here.” He noticed the girls glancing at one another, totally not buying it at all. “I'm alright. Now, I have some important work to finish up.”
He turns around, pretending to look at the same specimen he's looked at for almost a hour. While trying not to let his overwhelmed thoughts take over.
Gabriel wasn’t any help either. Or Kasey. Or Xina. All of them told him to not overthink it. To focus on spending time with you. Let everything happen naturally.
Of course that stressed him out even more.
Miguel hadn't been on a date since the Dana situation. And when she was with him, a lot of the dates before they broke up were casual and simple. He didn't want to do casual and simple for you. This was his chance for a fresher start. Not mess up his chance with you like he did with ex-fiancé.
He needed more opinions.
Ben seemed like a guy who gets around. When Miguel hangs around at the bar, he noticed the charismatic blonde use his skills with the customers. Albeit to get them buy more drinks. Maybe he has some experience taking someone out on a decent date.
“Are you dating anyone?” Miguel asks, causing Ben to shoot him a flirtatious look.
“I didn't know you played for the other team, Science Guy.”
“What? N-No I'm just-”
He's shut down by Ben's laughter, earning a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I'm fucking with you, bro.”
“Oh.”
“I'm not dating anyone. Had a few flings but nothing serious.” Ben explains while pouring bourbon in a glass. “What's up?”
“I'm going on a date soon. I just want to make sure it's special. It's our first one.”
Once Ben serves his drink, he leans against the bar. “Ooh first date huh? They're always tough. You could end up making out with them in the back of the car or going your separate ways and wasting sixty dollars.”
“That’s…very specific.”
“Trust me, I've had both happen to me.” He winks, “Do you really like this person? Or are you just dipping your feet back in the dating pool?”
Miguel didn’t want to point out it was you he was going out with. He's surprised that no one bombarded him with questions about it when he came back. Like everything was normal. But he was okay with that. He's had enough of people knowing about his personal affairs.
“I really like them and I don't want to mess it up.”
“Then you've come to the right guy.” Ben quickly excuses himself to take a customer's order. While he does so, Miguel glances over at you giving a customer a lap dance from across the room. Straddling their lap and rolling your hips. Your eyes connect, a hint of lust inside them. He doesn’t want to stare too long so he turns away, taking a huge gulp of his water. He tries not to choke when Ben comes back, ready to pick back up the conversation.
“Okay, lay it on me. What do you have planned?” Miguel explains his dinner and movie idea as well as the dilemma he's facing in figuring out the restaurant and movie. “You're already stressing yourself out. I'll solve one problem, go to an Italian restaurant. It's versatile and romantic, win win.”
He blinks, “Huh. It's that simple?”
“Absolutely. The movie is a little difficult because you gotta find out what they like. But just ask, easy peasy.”
Miguel wanted to crawl in a hole. Here he was stressing about his date for a few days and here Ben goes easing most of his concerns. No wonder Dana broke up with him.
“I've been overthinking this entire date.” He rubbed his temples while Ben roared with laughter.
“It happens, man. Don't worry about it.”
Before Miguel left, he texted you asking what type of movies you like. He wanted to make sure you enjoy the date and not give you a reason to not go on another with him. Which you proceeded to give him a list of your favorite genres a while later. And that helped him narrow down the movie you two could watch.
He set up a reservation at a nice Italian restaurant in the city called Antonio’s and then ordered movie tickets to that disaster movie about twisters that recently came out. Everything was set. It was once he looked at the order number that the nervousness turned into excitement. He tripled check to make sure it was the right time and the right date. Miguel wanted you to have a good time. A good time with him.
Gabriel insisted on helping his older brother with his outfit. Saying Miguel’s fashion sense gave off sad and lonely. And he didn’t want you to see that side. This was him making a comeback and what he wore had to reflect that.
It included several hours of Gabriel and Kasey pulling out Miguel’s wardrobe. Clothes all over his bed and floor, with Xina on video call, propped up on his dresser to get a good angle. The duo didn’t want Miguel to interfere so they had him sitting in a chair at the corner of his bedroom.
“Guys, I can find clothes for myself.”
“Of course you can.” Gabriel agrees, “But you’re dating a stripper. Immediately someone with a higher taste than anyone else.”
Xina let out an unsure hum, “Does she though?”
“Obviously.” His brother goes to defend you before he could. “Miguel says she’s always wearing sparkles. Clear evidence of a refine taste.”
“And not the fact that she’s out on a date with him being clear enough?”
Gabriel rolls his eyes, pointing a hanger at the phone. “I’m very confused on your stance here, Xi.”
“I’m just stating the facts. Tell him, Kasey.”
“Yeah, she’s just stating the facts.” Kasey drones, not really paying attention as she holds up two dress shirts, one that was a dark red and another a lime green. She holds up both shirts one at a time towards a confused Miguel before deciding the green one was a better choice. “Should we give him a perm?”
“No.” Miguel and Xina said in unison.
“Why not?” Gabriel questions, “It makes your hair curlier.”
“It’s fine if you pick my outfit, but not my hair.”
The couple groans simultaneously before diving through Miguel’s pile of clothes some more.
“Does…you know who know?” Xina asks.
“Why does Dana need to know?” Kasey speaks for him, “Better question, why should she give a damn? Doesn’t she have someone else?
“I would like to know how she reacts when she sees him taking her own advice.”
Miguel speaks up, “She doesn’t know. I don’t want her to.” His words momentarily stop the chaos. “I’d rather not focus or talk about Dana at all anymore. Please.”
“Fine.” Gabriel breaks the silence, “We’ll say ‘She Who Must Not Be Named’.”
“A bit wordy.” Xina cosigns.
“Or we just not mention her at all.” Kasey states, taking Miguel’s side. “We should be excited Miguel’s going on a date. And with someone who’s better than…that woman.”
With a silent agreement, everyone went back to finishing helping him with his attire.
Miguel didn’t bring up that he was avoiding Dana anyway. He’d rather not get locked into a needless conversation with her. Making him feel guilty and affecting his mood for his upcoming date.
You were the reason he was smiling the rest of the days leading up to the date. He envisioned conversation topics, thinking about your response to them. He thinks you're funny so he lets out a laugh when he's alone at what you would say. He wonders if you're excited. You haven't said much about the date. Could this be your way of getting cold feet? He'd hoped not.
Yet, you smile extra bright in the private room. Taking his hand and leading him to his seat. Miguel hopes this all wasn't for show.
“Guess what?”
He perks up. “What?”
You placate yourself on his lap, showing off your nails. They were short this time, square acrylic pink nails and sparkle on the tips. “For our date tomorrow.”
Miguel’s lips curled upwards with glee, “They're beautiful. Are you excited?”
“I am.” A giggle escapes you, “Are you?”
“Yes.” He sits up, resting his hand on your lower back to make sure you don't fall. “After overthinking about where I wanted to take you.”
“Of course you were overthinking it.” He isn’t bothered at how you shake your head in distain. “You know I don't bite.” You lean forward to whisper, “Unless you want me to.”
Miguel shudders, “I'm okay with biting.” You laugh, not catching that he was serious when you get out of his lap and resume your dance.
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On the day of his date, his phone was blowing up.
Constant messages while he was getting ready from everyone he knew. Spouting words of encouragement to boost his confidence. Well, almost everyone.
Miguel noticed a text from a new number that said, “Hurt her and you die.” With a few knife emojis for flavor. He could count on one hand of people who sent him that message.
His mother also sent him a list of items to get so she can start her renovations of the house, completely unaware of the date he was going on. He made a note to get them tomorrow, going to use it as a distraction just in case the date with you didn’t go well.
Miguel was picking you up at your place. You gave him your address, which was about ten minutes away from his apartment. He didn’t expect you to be so close to him. While he drove, he went over his inventory. A bouquet of orchids, tiny flashcards filled with conversation topics, his phone, his jacket and an extra one in case you were cold.
Concern showed on his face when he saw you outside your house, waiting for him to arrive. He barely parked when he stepped out, skipping his steps over to you.
“Hey!”
“What’s wrong? Why are you out here? How long have you been out here?”
“Not long, don’t worry.” Your hand on his chest soothes him, “I didn’t want you to meet you to meet my family yet.”
Miguel wonders what you meant as he notices the blinds crinkle at the large house behind you, peering eyes at the two of you. He counted ten pairs of eyes when the front door opened.
“Hey, what happened to us meeting your date?”
You shook your head, pushing him to the car, “No time, Ma, we have a movie to catch.”
“What, he can’t at least say hi?”
“Hello!” Miguel greeted and managed a small wave before you kept pushing him to the car.
“There you got your hi! Bye!” You shout when he opens the car door for you and helps you inside. Miguel does another wave to your mother before getting in and driving off.
Coming down from the excitement, he takes you in. A pink dress that hugged your body, highlighting your curves and white low heels with straps that wrapped around your calves. You smell like powder, light and airy. You weren't wearing a wig either, showing your true self and not your stripper persona.
“Wow, you look…” Miguel tries to find a good enough word to describe you, but not enough comes to mind.
“Thank you, baby.” You peer at his outfit, the lime green button down shirt he’s wearing pairs well with his white pants and brown loafers. “You dressed up like this for me?”
Miguel shyly laughed, “Yes.”
“You look good.”
“Thank you.”
He notices your hands placed perfectly in your lap. Miguel resists the urge to hold your hand while driving to the restaurant, knowing he didn’t want to push too far.
The restaurant was nice. Not too upscale to make you two think you were underdressed, but not too casual as a lot of customers were dressed nicely. The place had two floors, one with a terrace to get a nice view of the city. Miguel made a reservation for a seat up there and he didn’t miss your eyes lighting up when the waiter leads you two upstairs. He takes your hand gently when you go up the stairs to make sure you don’t fall.
Your light gasp makes his heart go crazy at the view of the city. You lean over the balcony to take in the reasonable height. Miguel pulls out your chair and you sit down with grace. He tries not to lose his nerve seeing you in front of him, looking down at the menu.
Then he remembered your flowers.
“Oh!” He startles you, pointing behind him. “There’s flowers for you. In the car.”
“Oh? What kind?”
“Some orchids. They’re purple…”
“Aww, thanks.” You don’t look upset at the fact he forgot the flowers when you continue to glaze over the menu. Miguel tries not to beat himself up when he does the same. He takes in a breath, knowing that the date just started and that he should relax.
You order sangria and he decides it’s best to not order any alcohol tonight since he was driving and goes for a lemonade.
“Anything looks good to you?”
Miguel hums, trying to look like he was paying attention to the rest of the menu. In reality, he was trying to figure out how to start talking to you. He picks the closes meal he sees. “The seafood marinara looks great.”
“It does.” You admire his choice, “I’m thinking about getting the triple cheese ravioli.”
“That looks great too.”
“I’ll share some if you share yours.” Your eyes land on him, index finger tracing the menu.
He swallows while nodding, “Okay, sounds like a plan.”
Once you order, here comes the waiting. You decide to munch on a breadstick, carefully, not wanting to mess up your lipstick. While you invest your time in the bread, he pulls out the little flashcards, angling it under the table so it was clear he wasn’t looking at preparational material.
“May I ask you some personal questions?”
You shrug, “Go for it.”
“What’s your favorite color?”
You pause chewing on your bread, “Uh, it depends. It changes a lot.”
“I see.” He darts down to the next card, “Favorite type of weather?”
“Hmm, I never really given it much thought. I like when it rains, I guess.” You sip on your water when he pulls out the next card.
“What do you do outside of work?”
You poke the inside of your cheek, “A bunch of stuff-Miguel? What is this?”
“Oh uh…” He quickly places his cards on his lap, “I’m just getting to know you.”
“I can see that, but you sound like you just picked a bunch of questions off the internet.” That’s exactly what he did. Searching up ‘What Questions to Ask on A First Date?’.
“I…” Miguel didn’t know what to say. From your tone, you were probably getting annoyed at the fact he came with a list of questions to ask you, instead of letting the conversation flow naturally. “I’m sorry.”
You shook your head and he was waiting for you to ask him to take you home. Then he sees your hand out, waiting for him to give you something. He pulls out the cards and places them in your palm. You shuffle through them like you’re about to deal them on the table. You give him half of the cards while you keep the other half.
“How about this? We ask each other questions. I want to know about you too.”
“O-Okay. I’d like that.”
You scan through the cards to find a good question to ask. “Here's an easy one, ‘Are you a morning person or night owl?’”
“As much as I have to get up in the morning for work, I am a night owl. It's peaceful at night.”
“I'm the same way!” You boast, “It's so much better at night. No one can bother you and you can be at peace.”
Miguel notices your face reflecting on the conversation, nodding at your words. It was his turn to ask now. “Do you prefer the outdoors or indoors?”
“Indoors, immediately. I hate being outside.”
“But…we're outside right now.”
You squint at him but realizes he made a joke. “Oh so you have brains and you're funny too? Who would've thought?”
“N-No, I'm not-”
“Don’t play that cute act with me right now.” You point a straw at him as your drinks arrive. You excitingly shift in your seat and he can't tear his eyes away when you place your straw in your glass, puckering your lips to not ruin your lipstick before taking a sip. He sees that the straw manages to get an imprint of your lips anyway.
Miguel clears his throat, “It's your turn.”
“Hmm, what's the one person you talk to? And don't say Gabriel, I know he blows up your phone everyday.”
“He does. I am close to Xina, have I mentioned her?”
“Nope.”
“She’s a close friend. I've known her since middle school and we've been together since.”
“Aww that's nice.” You swirl your drink with a straw, “Did you two fuck before or?”
“What? No!” Miguel straightens up, “I've had a brief crush on her but n-nothing like that! I swear, please.”
“Miguel.” You shush him, seeing a few heads turn his way after the outburst. “It was a joking question. Kinda. Well, okay it might be a little serious but relax.”
He takes your hand, an earnest look overtaking his face. “I'm serious. Xina and I weren't a thing and will never be a thing.” Miguel stares into your eyes, hoping you see him being genuine.
“Okay, okay. I got it.”
When he lets go, an awkward silence hovers in the air. Miguel wants to bang his head on the table as he wishes he can start this date all over. So he could give you the flowers, not reveal his flashcards and bring up the fact that another woman is his closest friend.
“Temp-uh Pixie is like that for me.” You start, “We haven't been friends as long as you and Xina have. It's funny, we went to the same high school together and had one class together. We connected in that class but it didn’t extend outside of that. We didn't go to the same college and it wasn't until I saw her at the club when everything shifted. Like the universe told me she was meant to be my friend. Now here we are. Two peas in a pod. I love her but she can be so over protective.”
“I can see what you mean.” Before you could ask for him to elaborate, he pulls out his phone. “I think she sent me this text message.” He shows you the message Pixie sent, with the knife emojis and all.
You shake your head, “God, I'm sorry. She does that to all my dates, I don't know how she gets their phone numbers.”
“It's ok, I don't mind. It's good to have a friend like that. Shows how much they care.”
Both of you share a smile and the heart to heart is interrupted by the waiters, placing their entrees down and telling them to enjoy. Miguel notices your small shimmy, the same one you made after receiving the chicken and waffles back at the café and wants to tell you how cute you are, but doesn’t.
His food came in a large bowl, fresh clams, mini scallops, and mussels swimming in marinara sauce and pasta. Miguel didn’t realize how hungry he was when his stomach growls. Not to mention your ravioli covered with a basil alfredo sauce didn’t make it better.
After taking a picture of your plate, you practically moaned once you took a bite. Savoring the taste of the ravioli on your tongue. Miguel was surprised at how delicious his was, making sure to search the recipe to make it during his own time.
“Okay, you gotta have some of this.” You hold up your fork, an equal amount of ravioli and sauce on it. Miguel leans over, tasting the dish and closes his eyes, sighing at the cheesy taste. “Good, right?” Miguel couldn’t even say anything so he nodded with vigor. “My turn!”
He makes sure to get a good amount of pasta on his before handing the fork out towards you. When you tasted his, your eyes connected. Somehow, you made pasta eating sexy as you chewed slowly, not even getting a single drop of sauce to stain your pretty, plump lips.
He cannot get hard right now.
“That’s delicious.” You compliment, going back to your own meal.
“Y-Yes it is.”
In the midst of eating, you two resume asking questions. There Miguel finds out your hobbies, how you're an avid tv watcher, catching up on the latest shows. You like cooking, not as much as he does when he mentions he likes to recreate recipes he sees. That sparked another potential date if this one goes well. And you prefer to stay in if there's nothing else in the day you need to do. Which Miguel also agreed to.
The questions did go back to personal when he asked about your childhood and you mentioned that you come from a big family, who are constantly busy. That you currently live with your mother, grandmother, and a handful of siblings and cousins. All in one house but you managed to make it work. He sees why you were saving up for that house.
“That’s why I don't want kids.” You say after ordering dessert to go. “I want serenity. I don't want any more noise. Dealt with that for a major part of my life.”
“…I see.”
“What? What's wrong?”
“Well, I wouldn't mind having kids.” He toys with his napkin. “But they're not a priority. I'm also okay if I don't have any.”
You raise a brow, “You sure? You know that's why a lot of people get divorced nowadays because their partner changed their mind about kids.”
“We’re…not married.” The word ‘yet’ was on the tip of his tongue but he didn't want to think that far ahead.
“Still. I wanna know if you're gonna change your mind.”
“I won't. Really. As long as you're happy.”
You raise a brow, “You absolutely sure?”
“Yes.” He gives another smile to seal the deal.
“Alright. If you change your mind, I'll make sure Pixie kills you.” Miguel was absolutely sure you would do that too. “Plus, I wouldn't mind animals. We could get a dog or a cat.”
He holds in getting giddy at you also planning your future with him. “I'm okay with animals too.”
Once you two left the restaurant, you had thirty minutes until the movie starts. Although you said forty-five counting previews. Still, it allowed you two to take your time.
You shivered once you made your way inside the theater, hugging yourself immediately. Miguel planned for this, his chest swelling with pride when he offered you his jacket. You called him your ‘Knight in Shining Armor’ as you put it on while his cheeks got dark.
There your hand brushed against his as you waited in line at the concession stand. He wanted to hold your hand. Would that be too forward?
“Can I…?” He started to ask but your hand slipped through his, fingers intertwined with his own.
“Yes, you can.”
Your hand didn’t leave his the entire time. Not when he ordered popcorn, a large tub even though you two just ate. Miguel was too busy about holding your hand to focus on how you suggested to share a drink. He didn't have any input on the flavor as he stood behind you, squeezing your hand as you picked out a flavor.
Miguel still didn't let go when you two found your seats, getting comfortable in the plush seating. The lights weren't dimmed yet, giving you plenty of time to take a few selfies with him. He felt awkward posing for the camera but your happy face and the way you still didn't let go from his hand was more than enough.
The disaster movie you two watched was a great way to end the date.
Miguel was worried if the movie was too much for you, thinking that a rom com would be better. Thank goodness that feeling didn't last for long as you were enraptured in the film. Unwilling to take your eyes off the screen for a moment. Of course you had to when eating popcorn, your hands brushing along his a few times. And some giggles escaped the two of you when it happened.
You were excited when walking out of the theater, practically pulling him along while you raved about the movie. Who knew a film about twisters would be so action packed?
As you were winding down, the dread of the date coming to a close lingered in his stomach. Miguel didn’t want you to go, not yet, but he couldn't keep you beside him forever. That would look like kidnapping.
“I had a great time tonight.” You say as he pulls up to your house.
“So did I.” More than a great time, he wants to share.
Your hand glides up his arm, over his shoulder and to the nape of his neck. There your nails part his curls, massaging them and causing him to lean into your touch. He really doesn't want you to leave. And he wants to kiss you but you've done so much already. Was that acceptable for a first date? Dana gave him a kiss on the cheek during their first one. Whatever, if he was going to be away from you, he might as well ask.
“May I kiss you?”
You stop your caresses, lips into a smirk. “Aww, you beat me to it.”
Miguel doesn't have time to respond when he sees you lean in. Your perfect lips parted and your eyes lowered. He crosses the distance, his lips on yours. Much different compared the kiss back at the club. This one was gentle, soft, and short. Both of you pulling a hair away.
“Can I get another?” You're asking this time, your words fanning across his face.
“Yes.”
This kiss was deeper. He could taste the remnants of the soda and popcorn when you allow his tongue to slip inside. Both of you exploring each other as if this was the first time you two embraced. Experts in your own ways, but inexperienced when it came to each other.
It left you breathless when he pulled away. Still holding his arm as you tried to get yourself together.
“Mm how am I supposed to leave after that?” Your breathy laugh makes him want to kiss you again.
“We can go to my apartment. The night is still young.”
“It's almost midnight.” You contest, “If we were at the club, I'd say something different.”
“As long as I don't get banned again…”
You chortled, “Plus, I promised my mom I'd be back in the house tonight. I got the whole ‘I don't know this man’ spiel and I don't wanna hear her mouth.”
“I understand.” Miguel pushes down his disappointment, knowing he'll see you again soon.
“Text me when you get home, okay?”
“Okay.”
You say goodnight then kiss his cheek. Miguel quickly gets out of the car and runs to open the door for you. You shake your head in amusement when he helps you out of the car, hand in yours. He also hands you the flowers before he completely forgets them and you reward him with another peck on the lips.
“Finally, you're back.” You two shot your heads over the house next door and you groan.
“You know it's late, Miles. Why are you up?”
“Your mama asked me to watch out for you and wait for you to get back.” He explains, getting off of his porch and walking up to you. “I'd do anything for my favorite auntie.”
“Oh, he's your nephew?” Miguel asks.
“Not even.” You explain, causing said teenager to pout. “He's just been bothering me ever since he came out of his mama.”
Miles waves you away, “You love me.”
“Debatable.”
“Hey, what's your name, sir?”
Miguel realizes Miles is speaking to him and responds, “Miguel.”
“Miguel. La tratas bien? (You treating her well?)”
“Sí, sí estoy. No te preocupes. (Yes, yes I am. Don't worry.)”
“Bueno.”
You squint at the two, “What did you two just say to each other?”
“Nothing, don't worry about it.” Miles then points to his front door, “Now go in the house so I can go back to mine.”
“How about you go in the house and leave me alone?”
“So you can kiss your boyfriend all night? Ew.”
“I'll ‘ew’ the upside of your head if you don't go.”
Miles sucks his teeth but follows through, making his way back to his house. “Have a nice night, Miguel!” He doesn't acknowledge you, instead sticking his tongue out at you.
“Have a good night, Miles.” He waves while you roll your eyes.
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize. It's okay.”
You give him another kiss for his kindness, which turned into a few more. Miguel smiled under your lips as he watched the turmoil stir inside you. “I should go inside now.”
“You should.”
Another kiss and you tore yourself away from him. Miguel makes sure you go inside your house, seeing you wave him goodbye and blowing a kiss.
Once you're inside, Miguel makes his way back to his apartment. It's like clockwork when he gets multiple messages, asking how the date went. He decided to answer them later. For the moment, Miguel let his heart be full and his stomach litter with butterflies.
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homunculus-argument · 10 months
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I first tried to perm my hair when I was 14. At-home box perm, no idea what I was doing, just boldly going into the unknown. It looked like shit. Pure freaking garbage. I had failed dying my hair earlier so it was orange to begin with, so now it was an orange puff of frizzy curls like a clown wig. My sister howled with laughter, saying that I look like a fucking poodle, which did not help. I was 14 and I had irreversibly ruined my hair. If you had handed me a gun at that moment I would have shot myself right there.
Our mother, who had had perms for like 20 years at that point, did not tell me that I could still wash it off and didn't actually have to be stuck living like that for months or to have to shave it off. She didn't tell my sister to knock it off and stop being cruel when I was already crying. Instead, she came to me and gently told me that there's no use crying over that. That it doesn't matter how I look, and that the world is going to be full of people who say whatever they want and if I'm going to let it upset me every single time, I'm going to spend my whole life crying over every snide remark. I just need to grow a thicker skin and endure it.
Well, I did grow up, eventually, and moved out. Turns out that most people in the world actually aren't mean at all, and that I don't have the obligation to put up with people treating me whatever way they feel like. That was a hard thing to learn. But to be fair, that's nothing compared to how hard my sister has it. She's in her 30s and still struggling to learn that other people don't have the obligation to put up with her treating them whatever way she feels like.
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