#Secret Places in Maldives

[findingnemosworld]

𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 - 𝐫𝐮́𝐛𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐬

• 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲: 𝐦𝐞.

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝, 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐩*𝐫𝐧.

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐢 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐥!

she parks her car in front of their shared home more than ready to surrender to slumber after the day she had at school, the thesis had been weighing in on her so much that she felt like it had been ages since she saw her boyfriend of five years, rúben dias — if she wasn’t busy he would be playing, and if he wasn’t playing, she would be busy, she lets out a soft sigh then makes her way up to the front door with her bag slung over her shoulder, she unlocks the door then steps inside to be met with the scent of a home cooked meal which elicited confusion, rúben wasn't meant to be home in an hour, she thinks before the sound of utensils interrupted her thoughts. " rúben? " she asks.

" in the kitchen gatinha " his deep voice sends a wave of relief through her body eliciting a soft smile across her lips, she places her bag on the ground before walking into the kitchen to be met with the sight of her boyfriend, her shirtless boyfriend standing on the stove, he turns around with a broad smile. " hi baby "

she saunters towards him with a tired smile, standing next to him to get a look at what he's cooking, " pastel de nata? " she asks with knitted brows, " am i missing something here? "

rúben chuckles then shakes his head, " no "

" then why are you making dinner? " she wonders with a confused tone.

" because .... " he trails off, tilting his head to press a tantalizingly leisure kiss on the side of her neck, smirking when a breathy moan escaped her lips, " i want to spoil my very very intelligent and sexy girlfriend "

" what did you do? " she giggles, hooking her digits under his chin to get him to look at her.

rúben bites his lower lip which in turn caused her to narrow her eyes at him. " rúben " she said softly.

" remember when you said i shouldn't spend my money on you? " he said, his eyes glinting with faux innocence.

she lowers her head, blowing a soft breath before replying. " yes "

" i may have rented a yacht for two weeks then a nice stay at a beach house in amadora ... " he said with a soft smile, " and i sorted it so you don't miss a day from school "

" rúben " she sighs, " i can't just abandon my thesis "

" i know you don't, but gatinha you've been working so hard " he said with a soft tone, " it's been killing me seeing you so worked up, so please " he pecks her lips, then rests his forehead on hers. " please let me spoil you, you know why i love spoiling you " he adds with a soft smirk.

" because you're a horny teenager " she giggles.

a hearty laugh escapes his lips, it wasn't a secret that rúben's stamina due to his career was high at times that she barely could keep up, he pressed a featherlight kiss on her cheek, " can you blame me? "

" alright, when do we leave? " she smiled.

" in four days " rúben grins, pecking her lips again. " i promise, it'll be fun "

" it better " she giggles.

they packed their belongings; in a matter of four days, they were at sailing through the beautiful coasts of the maldives, it was bright, quite sunny but just the perfect weather for them - they would spend their mornings swimming, eating then top their nights off the best way possible, until one night as they lay under the moonlight, rúben had decided to divulge what he'd been hiding the entire time, " gatinha? " he whispers, his digits trailing up and down her bare arm sending shivers down her spine. " i need to tell you something! "

she lifts her head up, meeting his gaze with a confused look. " what's wrong rúben? " she asks with a soft voice.

he sits up, she follows suit and looks at him, " gatinha, i have been holding this for eight months and it hasn't been easy " he murmurs.

she tilts her head, confusion still evident across her features. " ok "

suddenly, his hand reaches inside of his short pocket to retrieve a small box, " i ... " he begins with a shaky voice, " my mother gave me my vovó's ... my grandmother's ring " he said with a nervous chuckle before adding, " and -um- ... when i spoke to your father three weeks back, i'd told him what my intentions were and he gave me his blessings "

her brows shot up in surprise, " oh? "

he opens the box revealing a simple yet elegant vintage diamond ring the shone under the moonlight, her eyes widened at the ring; then she looks up at him, " rúben? "

" gatinha, these five years have been a blessing " he said with a soft smile, " through the ups and downs, you stayed by my side and did not relent "

" because i love you " she smiles.

" and i love you, that's why i don't want to wait any longer " he said with a soft tone, " gatinha, you have been the light of my life throughout every moment, the good, the bad and everything in between and for that - i want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you so ... " he swallows the lump in his throat, " will you make me the happiest man in the world by marrying me? "

a broad smile adorns her lips, her eyes brimming with tears as she nodded just as he slipped the ring in her father; the pair exchanged a soft tender kiss that had instantly deepened when he pulled her into his embrace, " gatinha " he groans against her lips.

she knew from the tone of his voice, smiling against his lips she pushed him onto the soft mattress laid out on the yacht, then she climbed up on top of him, she leans down to trail soft kisses across the curvature of his neck, " what do you need meu príncipe? " she whispers in his ear.

he murmurs as a strangled moan escapes his lips, " need to feel your lips around my cock, por favor gatinha "

giggling at his request, she reaches over to untie the dress then loosen the material to hoist it over her head leaving her in just the bikini she was clad in - she leaned down to press feather light kisses across his bare chest eliciting soft breathy moans from his lips that shifted into a hiss the moment he felt the material of his short being pulled down allowing the cool air collide with the sensitive skin of his cock, " gatinha " he moans, " por favor "

her dainty hand wraps around the skin; then her lips followed, wrapping around the tip which in turn caused him to groan, " fuck " the shift in his tone sent shivers rolling down to her pussy, leisurely she takes more and more of his cock until the tip hits" the back of her throat, causing his hips to involuntary thrust forward, " yes ... gatinha, just like that " he sighs, his digits tugging her hair in response to the way her tongue traced every veins on his cock.

the combination of the cool air around them, the moonlight shining over them; the sounds he made, were enough to send her over the edge, her lazy strokes grew rapid in pace and in turn, so did the sounds escaping his lips, " gatinha, uma menina tão boa ... keep going, taking my cock so well in your mouth " he sighs, running his digits through her hair.

her movements shifted from gentle and leisure to rapid and sloppy, his breaths grew labored; before he could even make sense of things, his cock twitched inside her mouth, releasing warm ropes of arousal seeping down her throat, she continued to bop her head up and down, lapping up every drop until she pulled back to crawl up and kiss him passionately, " rúben " she whispers, deepening the kiss.

he understood what she meant, his hands reaching over to untie the bikini top, discarding it near the dress followed by the bottoms before she situated herself on top of him, his cock disappears into her slick walls, eliciting a unanimous sigh from the two of them, his hands grip her waist to allow her to adjust to his size, " gatinha " he murmurs, as his hands crawl up to knead and toy with her breasts, eliciting a whine from her. " come on menina querida, show me how much you love this cock " he cooed.

she nods with a lazy smile, placing both of her palms flat against his chest to lever herself as she started to thrust up and down his cock, both of them releasing labored breaths coupled with soft moans, her lips part softly allowing him to insert two digits inside eliciting a muffled moan from her, her gaze locks with his as her tongue rolls around his index and middle digit resulting in him thrusting forward to meet the rhythmic pace she set, " so good to me gatinha " he sighs, " keep going, i'm close "

the delicious friction of their thrusts coupled with the warmth enveloping them was all they needed to chase their highs together, an obscenely loud cry escapes her lips that was quickly swallowed by his lips, he wrapped one arm around her waist while his other hand landed directly over her one of her breasts, " you're such a good girl gatinha " he murmurs over her lips, deepening the kiss before his head tilts to trails soft lips over her her throat. " you don't know just how much you mean to me " he grinds his hips against hers lazily, matching the rhythm of his kisses. " i can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you "

their lips meet once again as a breathy moan escapes her lips, " me too amor, me too "

he pulls back and smirks, " do you know what that means? " his hips thrust once more.

she sighs, " what? " she whispers.

he thrusts again, moaning softly. " i'm going to spoil you as much as i want, so you don't get to say no if i buy you a dress, or if we go on a lingerie shopping trip so i can fuck you in that dressing room, if i come back with gifts, you'll proudly wear them while my cock is buried deep inside that -fuck- " he groans, " that amazing pussy, so ... you have no choice "

she giggles lazily, " i guess i don't have a choice when it comes to your love "

he grins, " my love is as big as the ocean " he pauses before playfully adding, " and as big as the cock you're taking "

[okuhle23]

ASTROLOGY OBSERVATIONS- 019

Hi guys, I'm back with more astrology observations!!

If you'd like a paid reading, 👉click here 👈

If you would like to check out my other astrology observations, check me out at @okuhle23 .

☆People with Venus in Capricorn/ Venus conjunct Saturn age so beautifully. This placement may mean that you start putting more effort in how you look at a older age. It may also mean that you may experience a later glowup. This is because Saturn represents aging and delays while Venus rules beauty.

☆Leo rules hot and humid air, so countries ruled by Leo may experience very hot summers. Examples include:  Afghanistan, India, Zanzibar, Chad, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, and Pakistan.

☆People with Moon/Virgo in the 6th may really love animals, and may be really attached to their own pets if they have any.

☆People with Neptune in the 1st may constantly experience people making assumptions about them based on how they look or dress. Neptune rules assumptions and the 1st house shows your appearance. This placement can also indicate being idealized by people who don't even know you well, these people are like a fantasy to others.

☆Neptune conjunct Mars/Pluto can make you appear rather sexual and promiscuous, you may also have many secret admirers. This is because Neptune represents illusions and Pluto/ Mars represents sex and things related to sex

☆Venus in the 3rd may date people in their neighbourhood, or their partners live very close to them. This is because Venus represents love/romantic relationships, while the 3rd house represents your local community.

☆Pluto or Scorpio in the 5th/7th house can mean that you prefer to keep your love life private. You probably don't like to show off your partner. You may also get extremely jealous if other people flirt with your partner. This is because Pluto/Scorpio represents secrets and jealousy while the 5th and 7th house shows ones relationships (5th house=casual relationships and 7th house=long-term relationships)

☆People with Neptune in the 1st/ 10th are be goofy as hell, some people may even view you as weird😂. This is because Neptune rules abnormal behavior, while the 1st and 10th house show how others see you.

☆People with Mars in the 6th/10th house may have dangerous jobs, or you may risk getting hurt on the job quite often(either burning yourself, or constantlyclimbing up high things). If you have an office job you may find that your colleagues see you as competition, and therefore treat you with hostility. This is because Mars rules danger, abrasions and hostility while the 6th and 10th houses represent your job.

☆Where Uranus is placed in you chart can show your aura, this is because Uranus rules auras:

▪︎ Uranus in the 1st: your aura colour is red❣️. You come off as strong, fierce and confident. Perhaps you've been told that you're intimidating at times, and you're also really competitive.

▪︎ Uranus in 2nd: your aura colour is green💚. You come off as beautiful, wealthy and at times, stubborn😭. You have a calming aura to you, you can reconnect with your true self by going into nature.

▪︎ Uranus in the 3rd: your aura colour is yellow💛. You are energetic, like to travel and explore different places and you are intellectual. Your aura is sometimes quite scattered, and may change often because of your changeable energy.

▪︎ Uranus in the 4th: your aura colour is white🤍. You are caring, kinda introverted and loyal. You aura can change often based on your emotions.

▪︎ Uranus in the 5th: your aura colour is gold🪙. You are loyal, proud and you have royal energy. People may view you as luxury loving, you like being spoiled.

▪︎ Uranus in the 6th: your aura colour is emerald green🌲. You are grounded, kind but sometimes a bit too self-critical (you pretty asf babe). People may view your energy as really stable and 'neat'. It may be hard to read your energy because you're good at putting up a front. 

▪︎ Uranus in the 7th: your aura colour is pink 💗. You are loving, romantic and beautiful. You may be a very cooperative, non-confrontational person and may be viewed as submissive by others.

▪︎ Uranus in the 8th: your aura colour is black  🖤. You are mysterious, intimidating and you are very loyal. You radiate sensual, seductive energy.

▪︎ Uranus in the 9th: your aura colour is orange🧡. You are outgoing, energetic and social. You may be viewed as a very busy person, always travelling or doing something.

▪︎ Uranus in the 10th: your aura colour is brown🤎. You are hardworking, confident(girlboss💸 ), and you really enjoy money. People may view you as bring really serious and you don't play about your money.

▪︎ Uranus in the 11th: your aura colour is blue💙. You are innovative, unique and intelligent. Your energy doesn't just fit into one category, one second you could be energetic and the other, you're lazy asf.

▪︎ Uranus in the 12th: your aura colour is purple💜. You are artistic, empathic and ethereal. You may be overly compassionate, so be careful of people who want to manipulate your energy.

☆Venus-Pluto hard aspects (square, opposition) can mean that other women hate on you out of jealousy or envy. This is because Pluto can show malice/ jealousy while Venus represents females.

☆Venus in the 3rd can indicate that you'll meet your future lover in your neighborhood. Or your partners may live close to you. This is because Venus rules love and romantic relationships while the 3rd house can represent the neighborhood you grew up in.

☆Ruler of the 1st house in the 2nd house can mean that you just look rich, or people assume that you're wealthy because of how you look or the clothes and accessories you wear. This is because the 1st house rules your appearance and first impressions and 2nd house can represent luxury and wealth. You may spend a lot of money on your looks (skincare, clothing, makeup etc).

Thank you for getting to the end 😊.

If you'd like a paid reading, 👉click here 👈

If you would like to check out my other astrology observations, check me out at @okuhle23

x Okuhle ❤️

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Dirty Thoughts

Summary: It was so wrong to have these thoughts. She was engaged to your boss, your best friend but it was impossible to not fall in love with her.

Relationships: Natasha x Maria, Maria x reader

Warnings: non Avenger AU, Gang AU, cheating, lots of cheating, mention of violence, implied torture, implied sexual content, gun shot wound, blood, angst

Word Count: 3.3k

Note: I do not want to talk about how this one shot made me spiral into possibility writing a multiple part story. If you are interested let me know lol. Also, thank you to @sycamorelibrary754 for helping me with the engagement ring

God, you were so fucked. Absolutely 100% fucked. You stood at the party, hand wrapped around the beer you were drinking. At a party, your job was to be alert and look for possible threats. Tonight was different. Tonight was a party for celebration as the head of the Black Widow gang was engaged to her long-time girlfriend, Maria Hill. You were in charge of Natasha's security, so the redhead placed you in charge of Maria's protection. You grew close to her, learning her every secret, dislike, and like. You knew her coffee order, what ice cream to get when she was on her period, and her favorite movie to put on to make her smile. You loved your job. Natasha took a chance on you and saved your life, which makes your current predicament so much worse.

No one knew you were head over heels in love with Maria Hill. No one could ever know. "I'm pretty sure Nat gave everyone the night off." You were so lost in your thoughts that you were surprised by Maria standing before you. "I think I saw Pietro doing a keg stand." You chuckled and sipped your beer.

"I'm always on the clock, sweetheart. Got to keep the crown jewel of the Black Widows safe." Maria rolled her eyes, but you didn't miss the slight blush on her cheeks. "Congratulations, by the way. That's an impressive rock." The ring was gold with a square-cut diamond. Along the band and the main diamond were smaller jewels. It looked expensive, but that was Natasha. She liked expensive things, from clothes to cars to liquor. Before Maria, the redhead was always at the clubs throwing money at women left and right. She looked at her hand.

"A little too flashy for my taste," you knew that too. She wanted something modest. "But Nat likes to claim what's hers." You hated how your stomach burned with jealousy.

"Oh, I know that. Besides, Romanoff has enough money lying around. She should spend it on something," you smiled. "Hey, maybe you can convince her to take us on vacation. I heard the Maldives are beautiful this time of year." A quick smack to the back of your head caused you to jump. Maria laughed as Natasha rounded from behind and wrapped her arms around Maria's waist.

"Are you saying I don't treat you well?" She smirked.

"You treat us like shit, boss," you deadpanned. "I hate it here." You winked at Maria. Her smile caused your heart to skip a beat. Natasha scuffed, placing her chin on Maria's shoulder.

"You know I saved your life. I could have left you on the streets of New York, but out of the kindness of my heart, I gave you a job." You rolled your eyes.

"And here I thought you liked me for my charming personality and good looks," you smirked. She narrowed her eyes at you, pointing at you over Maria.

"I'm going to kick your ass, Sentinel,"

"Darling," Maria placed her on Natasha's chest. "You know she could kick your ass." You had to hide your smirk behind your drink.

"Unbelievable," Natasha mumbled.

"Go go have a good night, you lovebirds," you said. "You know where to find me if you need me." You held out your hand for Natasha. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you." And you were. No matter how much it hurt for Natasha to be marrying Maria, you would always be happy for her. At least Maria would still be in your life. Instead of shaking your hand, your boss pulled you into a hug.

"Enjoy yourself tonight. I heard a certain captain wanted your attention," you chuckled, but you looked at Maria, who was frowning. Thinking she was angry at you for hugging Natasha, you patted her back and ended the hug.

"Use protection," you told them as Natasha grabbed Maria's hand and returned to the party. Natasha still managed to flip you off. All members of the Black Widow crew were given code names. Carol was Captain Marvel. Peggy was Agent 13. Monica was Photon. You were Sentinel, the vigilant guardian who watched over the gang's safety. It was Maria who gave it to you.

It was late one night, and you were new to protecting Maria. Before she started Natasha, Maria was studying to get into the academy. She spent a lot of her time at the library, so in turn, you spent a lot of time there as well. When you were walking back to the car, two street thugs tried and failed to jump her. You were quick to take them down before they could even touch her. Sentinel was a name everyone called you, and it became a name that was feared on the streets.

The same night you saved her, you realized that your thoughts and feelings towards Maria were not platonic. Everything Maria and Natasha had you wanted. Now the ring on her finger solidified she could never be yours.

*

"Can you pick Maria up from her father's?" Natasha asked you. "I have a meeting with the Maximoff Twins, and I can't get out of it." You frowned. A part of your job was to know the schedules of Natasha and Maria. There was no meeting with the Maximoffs today; you knew that. Instead, Natasha and Maria had a date planned. Nothing was set in stone in this business. The redhead rolled her sleeves and picked up a knife from the table.

"Yeah, I can do that," you put on a pair of latex gloves. "Do you want me to take her back to the house?" She handed you a knife.

"It's up to her. Take the card and get whatever she wants." She rolled her shoulders and faced the man tied to the chair in the center of the room. "Ready, Sentinel?"

"Always boss."

*

Once you were changed and out of the blood-stained shirt, you made your way to Maria. You relieved the lower-level member and walked up the house's front steps. Before you knocked, the door swung open. "Fury," you smiled at the man. "How's my favorite beat cop?" He frowned.

"You smell of bleach." He deadpanned.

"Just a new perfume I'm trying out," you squeezed past him, and you heard the door close. Nick Fury, the commissioner of the NYPD, was surprised when Natasha started dating his daughter, but she did everything for a reason. At first, it was a tactical relationship, a way to bend the relationship between the NYPD and the Black Widows. Over time, Natasha fell in love with Maria.

You found Maria in the kitchen, her back to you as she washed the dishes. "Who would have thought an engagement would turn you into a housewife?" She jumped and dropped the plate into the water. A frown was on her face when she turned around to face you. "Awe, are you not excited to see your favorite bodyguard?"

"No, I am," she sighed and focused on her task.

"I know," Natasha was canceling more and more dates and getting stuck at the office. It was the summer, so there were more things to do. The days were longer, and arrival gangs were out to steal the Black Widow's turf. "But," you leaned against the counter with Natasha's credit card between your fingers. "The boss gave me her card. We could do anything on her dime." Maria stayed quiet. "Or we can return to the house, order takeout, and watch the Breakfast Club." A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Come on, Ria," you whined. "You know I hate seeing you sad." It was true. It tugged at your heartstrings, and you would do anything to make her smile.

"Help me with the dishes, and then we'll go to the bookstore and get Tai food." You smiled.

"Aye, aye, captain," you gave her a salute, and her laughter danced off the kitchen's walls. Her laughter was music to your ears. It was beautiful, so full of light. You would do anything to hear it again and again.

*

In hindsight, you should have knocked, but you were so focused on the phone call that you walked into Natasha's office. It was late, and Monica's frantic phone call woke you up, and you raced to see Natasha. Red room guys were seen gathering weapons at the dock. They were planning an attack. "I just got here," you told Monica. "Don't engage without us," you opened the office door. "I- Jesus Christ," if it weren't for the phone call, you would have said a lot more. "Nothing, I'll call you back." You hung up.

Maybe you should have knocked. Perhaps you would have heard the moans behind the closed door if you weren't on the phone. The moans were not coming from Maria but from Wanda Maximoff. She was topless, lying on top of Natasha's desk with the redhead between her legs. Your jaw clenched as Natasha rushed to pull away from her and throw her a sweatshirt.

"It's not-"

"Save it," you snapped. Oh, you were seething. All you saw was red. She was engaged. Maria was planning a wedding. You wanted to push her up against the wall and tell her off. "We have an actual problem, but please, if you think this little affair is more important, please continue." Natasha ran her fingers through her hair. You ignored Wanda as she stood up from the desk.

"What is it? Is it Maria?" She had to be fucking with you. Even across the room, you could see the hickys covering Natasha's neck. You laughed. You were so close to snapping.

"Oh, so you remember her name? Your fiance," you shook your head. No, she's safe. The Red Room was spotted on the docks gathering weapons. Monica said she tried to call you but couldn't reach you." Now you looked at Wanda. "I guess you had your hands full." You were furious not only with your friend but also with yourself. How did you not notice this? All of the signs were there. Are you coming or not?"

"Sentinel-"

"I don't want to hear it, Romanoff. People's lives are at stake. People you promised to protect. Are you coming?" Natasha nodded, but you refused to look away. She kissed Wanda goodbye and told her that she would call her later. Unbelievable, you thought. Oh, you were going to kill your best friend.

*

The rest of the crew knew there was a problem between you and Natasha. You were still a professional and did your job, but that was it. Gone was the friendly banter, the inside jokes. All of it changed overnight.

Loyalty was important to you. It was important for the crew to maintain respect, but Natasha broke that with you. Before joining the Black Widows, you were fucked over by the last crew you worked with. They ignored your warnings about an upcoming job. They promised that whatever would happen, they would have your back. But the job fell through, and they left you. Natasha found you before the cops showed up. You were forever grateful for the redhead and knew you would stay loyal to her because of what she did for you.

Now she was using that loyalty over your head to keep her secret, to help cover for her. She kept saying that you were loyal to her, not Maria. She saved your life, not Maria. She was your boss, not Maria. It was killing you.

Every date Natasha missed. Every time she stayed late at the office, you saw Maria lose herself more each time. Adding to the pressure of the Red Room, you were at your wits end. So you quit. You told Natasha you were done.

You were in your room packing up your stuff while nursing a gunshot wound to your stomach. A simple meeting turned into a shoot-out as Red Room goons surprised you. Lately, it seemed Natasha kept making bad calls after bad calls. Last week, Carol got hurt. Two days ago, Peggy got jumped. Now, you were on the receiving end of it. These girls were your family, but you weren't sure what to do. The Red Room was gaining momentum. You heard whispers of HYDRA gaining territory. An all-out war was growing.

"I can't believe you are leaving," Maria's voice followed the sound of your front door slamming shut. "And I had to find out through Natasha." She was here quicker than you thought. You wanted to be done packing, but the wound slowed you down.

"Carol will do just fine," you refused to look at her. "She knows all your likes, dislikes, and what you are allergic to.

"I don't want Carol. I want you," you closed your eyes. You knew it was as a bodyguard and nothing more, but a part of you wished it was more. "Why are you leaving me?"

"I'm not leaving you. I-" Would you say to her? That her fiance was cheating on her with someone Maria considered a friend. That a gang war was coming and so many people were going to die in the crossfire.

"I know about Natasha and Wanda," you spun around to face her finally. She was wearing your sweatshirt that you thought you had lost and a pair of jeans. Her hair was damp. She must have rushed over here as soon as her shower was over, but you thought she never looked more beautiful. "You've been shot," she said.

"You knew?" You questioned.

"Don't change the subject," you rolled your eyes because she changed the conversation. She grabbed the first aid kit you had left out and forced you to sit in your recliner. "Of course, I know. I'm not an idiot." You hissed as she pulled the gauze off. "I think it hurts more that you knew and didn't tell me. I thought we were close." She cleaned around the wound. "No exit wound. I have to get the bullet out." You nodded.

"If you knew," you squeezed the chair's armrests as she dug for the bullet. She cooed softly.

"I know, baby," she whispered. "This is the worst part." It had to be the pain. Maybe you were delirious, but you swear you heard her call you baby. You called her pet names because you liked to see her blush.

"If you knew," you continued. She placed the bullet on the side table. "Why stay? Why not call off the engagement?"

"Because I wanted to stay close to the gang," she threaded the suture through the needle. "I wanted to stay close to you." You let her confession rest in the silence as she focused on stitching the gunshot. You felt no pain when the needle pierced your skin. When she was done, she placed a new bandage on it. You grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at you.

"Tell me what you meant by that."

"Nothing," she said. Don't worry about it." Maria tried to pull away from you, but you held her in place—not enough to hurt her, but enough to keep her from running away.

"Tell me, please." You moved your hand to hers and pulled her to her feet. She protested when you told her to sit on your lap, but you held her in place. "Tell me you have the same thoughts I do," you ran your hands up and down her sides and enjoyed the shiver that you felt. "Because I get dirty thoughts about you. They get worse when I'm without you. Are you thinking of them as well?" Instead of answering, she trailed her finger over your lips and down your chest. You weren't sure where this newfound confidence came from. You were leaving, and she was Natasha's; the ring on her finger still confirmed that. "I shouldn't think the things I'm thinking," you admitted. Finally, she locked eyes with yours.

"How long?" She asked. It was a simple question, but still, you hesitated.

"Far too long," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"The more that I push them away. The more that you're stuck in my brain." It was all you needed to hear. You twisted your hand in her brunette hair and kissed her. The kiss was messy and frantic, and Maria's soft sigh only spurred you on more. She matched the intensity of the kiss, but the quiet voice in the back of your head told you this was wrong. She was engaged. Even though her fiance was cheating, her loyalty was to her. You ended the kiss. "Why did you stop?" Maria asked. Her chest was heaving, and a slight blush dusted across her cheeks.

"I don't want to stop," you whispered. Your eyes flickered to the ring on her finger. "You aren't mine." She looked at her ring. Immediately, she took it off and placed it on the table next to the bullet.

"I'm not hers," she said. "Our relationship was always to forge a better relationship between the NYPD and the Black Widows. I've known that from the beginning. If Natasha wants Wanda, then I want you. I always have." There were 101 questions that danced around in your head but died on your tongue due to how she looked at you. Her pupils were blown out, and the color of her eyes was gone. She wanted you. All of your hesitations vanished.

Ignoring the pain from your injury, you picked her up and carried her to your bed. You gently placed her down and quickly covered her body with yours. "Tell me," you whispered, kissing her neck. Her hands grabbed onto your shoulders. "Tell me your mine." You bite down and soothe the spot with your tongue.

"I'm yours," she moaned. Her hand went to the back of your head and forced your lips together. "Tell me your mine."

"I'm yours," you said. "Always have been and always will be."

*

"Take me with you," she lay in your bed, wrapped in your blankets as you were in the bathroom. You wondered when this conversation was going to happen. With a sigh, you joined her back in bed and dragged the sheet over you. You laid on your side to face her.

"I don't even know where I'm going."

"I don't care," she said, taking your hand. "I'm safer with you than with anyone else."

"What about Fury?" You questioned. "You wouldn't leave him, and I wouldn't let you." Her silence was enough of an answer for you. You kissed her hand.

"You are going to leave before an all-out turf war breaks out." God, she was more perceptive than you gave her credit for.

"I can't stop it from happening."

"No, you can't," she smiled. "But you can end it quicker and save lives. People listen to you," you played with her now bare ring finger. You dreamed of putting a ring on it one day. "I always believed Natasha wasted your potential. You are a leader, not a guard dog." All of your life, you've been a follower. You followed your father when he left your mom. You followed your old crew into a death trap. You blindly followed every order Natasha gave you.

"Help me then," you told her. She seemed surprised by your request. "You are more than a pretty little to hold on my arm." Maria was barely allowed in meetings when she was; she was ordered to stay quiet and sit by Natasha's side.

"Do you not think I'm pretty?" She teased. Your eyes widened. Laughing, Maria pushed you onto your back and rested her chin on your chest. "I'm teasing. Of course, I'll help. I think we make a good team." If she believed in you, then that's all you needed.

"Let's plan to save the city tomorrow," you rubbed your eyes with the back of your hand. "I'm tired." She smiled and kissed your lips softly. "Are you staying?"

"I am," she got comfortable with your arms around her. "Sleep, baby. The city can wait one more day."

[shitsndgiggs]

A/N: I can’t seem to find the request that you send in @mxryxmfooty but here it is, hope you like it

THE MALDIVES - PAU CUBARSÍ

Pau taking you to your dream destination

Pau Cubarsí x fem! reader

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

The warm breeze of the Indian Ocean brushed against my skin as I stepped out onto the deck of our overwater villa. The Maldives—a place I’d dreamed of visiting for as long as I could remember—spread out before me in all its turquoise glory.

I still couldn’t believe Pau had brought me here as a surprise.

He had kept the destination a secret until we were on the plane, his eyes twinkling with excitement as I guessed where we were headed.

Now, as I stood in this paradise, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love.

As I admired the view, Pau came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. “You enjoying yourself, amor?”

I looked up at him, unable to keep the smile off my face. “This place is incredible, Pau. How did you know this was my dream destination?”

He chuckled, sitting down beside me and taking my hand in his. “I have my ways,” he said, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

I raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to the story. “Oh, really? You didn’t just guess?”

He shook his head, his grin widening. “Nope, I did a little detective work.”

“Detective work?” I echoed, intrigued. “What did you do?”

“Well,” he began, leaning in a bit closer, “I might have asked your best friend about it. She told me that you’ve been obsessed with the Maldives for years.”

I laughed, thinking about how many times I’d talked about this place with my best friend. “That makes sense. I’ve always dreamed of coming here.”

Pau’s smile turned teasing, and I could tell he was holding something back. “But there’s more to the story, isn’t there?”

I tilted my head, curious. “What do you mean?”

He chuckled again, clearly enjoying this. “Your friend also told me about a little... mistake you made when you were younger.”

I felt my cheeks flush slightly, a memory surfacing. “Oh no, she didn’t.”

I felt a blush creeping up my neck as I realized what he was about to say. “Oh no, she didn’t.”

“Oh yes, she did,” Pau said, laughing softly.

“Apparently, when you were younger, you were so obsessed with this place, but you didn’t call it the Maldives.”

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Please don’t say it.”

He gently pulled my hands away, his eyes dancing with amusement. “You called it ‘Cubarsi.’”

I let out a laugh, half-embarrassed, half-amused. “I was a huge Barça fan, okay? And I had the biggest crush on you before I even met you. I was so obsessed that I mixed up my dream vacation with Barcelona and ended up telling my friend I wanted to go to ‘Cubarsi.’”

Pau’s laughter was warm and genuine as he pulled me closer. “I think it’s adorable. You were dreaming about coming here and meeting me, all in one.”

I playfully pushed his chest, trying to hide my embarrassment. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Not a chance,” he said, grinning. “But it just makes this trip even more special. I mean, I had to bring you to your dream destination, even if you called it something else.”

I shook my head, still laughing. “So, that’s why you brought me here? To tease me about my childhood crush?”

Pau’s expression softened, and he cupped my face in his hands. “I brought you here because I knew it was your dream. And because I wanted to be the one to make that dream come true.”

My heart swelled with affection as I looked into his eyes. “Well, you succeeded. This place is everything I ever imagined.”

“And more?” he teased, leaning in closer.

“And more,” I whispered, closing the distance between us.

Over the next few days, we explored the island, went snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters, and even had a candlelit dinner on the beach.

Pau made sure every moment was magical, filled with laughter, love, and a few more teasing comments about my childhood mistake.

As we watched the sunset on our last evening, Pau wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. “So, was it everything you dreamed of?”

I looked out at the stunning view, then up at him, my heart full. “It was even better, Pau. Thank you for making my dream come true.”

He smiled, leaning down to kiss my forehead. “Anything for you, amor.”

[w2soneshots]

Private -W2S

words: 0.8k+

warnings: eluding to sex happening.

summary: you and Harry have a private but not secret relationship, then on his birthday you do something that makes the fans go crazy.

Liked by wrotoshaw and 1,108,295 others

y/username: my week🩵 ps. thank you for an incredible night @taliamar🎤⭐️

-comments-

taliamar: thanks for coming babe❤️

faithloisak: STUNNING

y/nfanpage21: harry in the 2nd and 4th pic!🥹🥹

user31479682: you know she's w2s's gf when she plays mario cart

user71542520: who’s jumper is that in the last pic?😉

Three years ago Harry followed me on instagram. He liked a few of my posts, I followed him back, he messaged me, we exchanged numbers, continued to text, then he eventually asked me on a date. 2 months later I was officially his girlfriend. We keep our relationship pretty private but everyone knows we're together. Sometimes I post something and his hands in the shot or I'm wearing one of his jumpers, the fans go crazy. If he's on a side cast and they're talking about their weeks he always refers to me as his girlfriend: "my girlfriend got me this." "my girlfriend said that,"

Today it's Harry's birthday. I organised a meal out with all of our friends for later and last night, after he went to sleep I decorated the apartment with balloons, laid his presents out on the table (which I also decorated) and placed his cake at the back of the fridge. Once I was finished I crawled back into bed.

"Morning." I heard Harry croak from beside me. I turned excitedly towards him. "Morning, birthday boy!" He groaned "how long have you been awake?" I huffed out a laugh "like an hour, or something." Harry chuckled. "I love you so much." He said with his eyes locked on mine. "I love you too. Now come on, I wanna show you what I got you!" I said jumping out of the bed and attempting to pull Harry out with me.

We don't usually go crazy with presents since most things we would just buy anyway. So I decided to book us a 10 day holiday to the Maldives, making sure to organise it with the boys so he had time off. Along with some new golf stuff, a childish hoodie, new balance and a custom dartboard for his office. He seemed very pleased with his presents and was so excited to spend over a week on a hot island with me.

We had some breakfast/lunch and FaceTimed Harry's family before we needed to get ready for dinner. We had a shower then I dried and straightened my hair, put on some makeup and got dressed into a pair of blue jeans, a cute white top and some matching white heels, along with my Dior bag. Harry was dressed and ready hours before I was so sat on the couch until I was finished. I quickly sprayed myself with my favourite perfume, applied some lipgloss then left the bedroom. "I'm ready!" I said with a twirl. Harry laughed "you look amazing." I smiled "and you look handsome." I said with a smile. He blushed. On our way out I quickly grabbed the white box (containing the cake) out of the fridge.

y/username

Liked by taliamar and 902,187 others

y/username: making him take pics of me on his birthday🫣

-comments-

faithlouisak: Omg get in my bed

-> y/username: will do😉

mollymae: 😍❤️

y/nfanpage21: THE CAPTION AHHHH

user29473168: loveee this fit!!!

After I made Harry take pictures of me outside our apartment, we got an uber to the restaurant. We were obviously the first ones there and were quickly taken to a long table that had silver balloons on strings floating in the middle (as per my request). Everyone soon began arriving. First was JJ, then Ethan and Faith, followed by Freezy, Callux, Vik, Simon and Talia, Tobi, Josh and Freya and lastly Theo. Once everyone was seated we ordered our food and began chatting.

y/username just posted a new story!

Since we've been together nether me nor Harry have ever posted each other's face. But I'd took a cute picture of him at dinner so just decided to post it to my story, not before asking Harry if it was alright of course. The fans immediately started going crazy, twitter, insta, TikTok, they were all full of people talking about it. Me and Harry lay comfortably in our bed, laughing while scrolling through twitter and reading the comments of a repost of my story.

"Thank you for today." Harry whispered. I turned my head towards him "you're so welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it." I replied. "You know what would make this birthday even better?" He said with a raised brow. I chuckled "alright then. If that's what it takes." I shrugged my shoulders at the end. Harry smirked, then grabbed my thigh and brought it over him so I was sat on his lap. "This seriously is the best birthday ever."

[miercoooles]

No but why can I see Checo and Leclerc! sister sending the overprotective brothers updates while they're on holidays or everyone sending pictures of Leclerc! Sister when she falls asleep in most random places.

Why do I feel so called out about the part where Leclerc!reader falls asleep at the most random places???

Since you’re the only female daughter of Pascale, your brothers tend to be overly protective of you, even when you got married to the point that they threatened Checo to send updates of you whenever you’re both on vacation or just together outside. So Sergio had no choice but to make a group chat of him together with your three brothers.

Your significant other and brothers kept this a secret from you as to not worry you or think that they don’t trust you. They do trust you, with their whole life, but they’re scared to lose you. After all, in their eyes you’re the princess, the lady Leclerc of the family aside from your mother, so they held great pride when it came to you.

It was summer break for both you and Checo so the two of you decided to getaway from the same place and go to Maldives. Your brothers didn’t know about this, but you had told your mother about it which she was okay with. When Charles was looking for you the next day, Pascale only shrugged saying she had no idea where you are. And that only left Charles to message the groupchat with Checo about your whereabouts.

When the notification popped up on Sergio’s phone, you were both having lunch in a bungalow. Checo looking at his phone, immediately saw Charles’ message, and when you weren’t looking, he snapped a photo of you sending it to the groupchat. When Charles received the photo, he nodded to himself before sending a “have fun” to Checo.

When three hours has passed, you decided to drag Checo and go scuba diving. While your significant other protested and thrashed, you were having none of it explaining to him that what was the purpose of having a vacation in Maldives if you weren’t going to scuba dive. Checo knowing that he won’t be able to argue anymore, let himself get dragged by you.

As he enjoyed himself getting pulled by you to the ocean, he took another candid photo of you, smiling to himself. He then sent it to the groupchat with the caption, “scuba diving” before leaving his phone at the given cupboard.

When Sergio saw you standing at the edge of the dock waiting for him, he smiled softly to himself as he admired you. He watched you as you basked in the warm, ethereal glow of the setting sun. The sun's gentle caress highlighting every contour of your face, casting long, romantic shadows. Your eyes sparkle, reflecting the hues of the sky, and your smile radiates pure happiness. In that fleeting moment, time seems to stand still, and Sergio was once again reminded of the beauty of love and nature coming together in perfect harmony.

When he was only an inch left away from you, he leaned down and captured your lips, pulling you into a soft and affectionate kiss. You were astounded by what he did, but you didn’t protest instead you pulled him closer wrapping your arms around his neck before pulling him with you to the ocean.

You both fell in the cold waters, and when you both got up to the surface, your husband was looking at you with furrowed eyebrows. You let out a gentle laugh as you swam closer to him, fixing his soaked hair and putting it to the side before pulling home into a kiss again, this time no more joking.

When he pulled away, he gave a cheeky grin then splashed your face with water. And let’s just stay instead of actually doing the itinerary, you and Checo instead just swam around the ocean, enjoying each other’s presence.

When the sun has set and the moon shone brightly on the dark sky, Checo decided that it was time for both of you to get out and have dinner. Hearing your stomach grumble, you followed him out the water, grabbing yourself and drying yourself up.

Checo noticing your shivers, covered you with his own towel before wrapping his arms around your shoulder, warming you up. You leaned yourself on him as he guided you to the bungalow.

When he saw you comfortably on the chair, he went up and grabbed dinner for the both of you. But when he sat down and arrived on your table, he was starstrucked at how you managed to fall asleep with your posture still fixed.

Holding back his chuckle, he took another photo and sent it to the group chat, this time the one with Pascale. Almost all of them immediately sent a reply, laughing and talking about how you’re always sleeping anywhere any time possible.

Checo knowing how tired you must be, tapped you softly on the shoulder and asked if you wanted to go rest instead of having dinner. You groggily shook your head, grabbing your utensils as you let out a gentle yawn making Sergio smile.

As you both finished eating, your husband took both your plates and placed it in their respective places before returning to you and helping you up. He guided you so that you were standing behind him before he crouched down and helped you get on his back while you half-sleepily wrapped your arms around him.

Carrying you in a piggyback ride, he slowly walked to your shared hut, humming quietly as he smiled to himself while thinking of those wholesome moment with you. It never ceases to amaze him how you have the ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime as long as you’re exhausted. It doesn’t matter how uncomfortable it would feel after or what body part of you will ache, you will still fall asleep anyway.

When he arrived at your room, he gently placed you in the middle of the bed before disappearing into the bathroom and appearing again with a wet face towel. He went to your side and cleaned you up, removing your swimwear and replacing it with his own clean shirt. Finishing up with you, he covered your lower extremities with the thin blanket provided before taking one last photo of you then sending it to the groupchat and saying good night to your brothers as well as he cleaned himself too.

*fast forward after break*

As mentioned, it has been a weird habit of yours to fall asleep anytime and anywhere. And it’s no secret to your significant other, family members, and even co-drivers on how you are able to do that. In fact, even your fans know about that peculiar habit of yours and they adored you more ever since.

Since you were driving for Ferrari, you are team mates with your brother and let’s say the both of you are quite unstoppable when working together. But today, it seemed like none was going to your plans as two red flags have already occured and it’s just the second free practice.

The first red flag occured when Hulkenburg crashed into the barriers because of a break issue and that caused around 20 minutes of the first free practice to be wasted. What you did, however, was you asked your engineer to play soft classical music before dozing off in your car as you waited for the session to continue. When the cameras showed a display of you, everyone watching chuckled and shook their heads, clearly aware of your silly antics.

Now for the second time around, the red flag happened because even thought it was just the second free practice, everyone decided to play bumpy cars and crashed into one another, and by everyone you meant George, Max, and Lando.

But now instead of staying in your car, you went out of your car, and you sat beside your race engineer, deciding to talk about the upgrades brought into the car before you left and went to the Red Bull garage, specifically your husband’s garage.

On the way you greeted, Hugh Bird, Checo’s engineer and asking him where your significant other was. Hugh only shrugged, mentioning the last time he saw your husband was on his way to relieve himself. And upon deciding that you’ll wait for him, you sat at the little corner of his garage’s side.

Holding your knees to your chest, you leaned your forehead on top of your knees before even realising that you were falling into slumber. You only woke up from your power nap when you felt someone sit beside you. Looking up, you saw your husband, a wide cheeky grin plastered on his face before he kissed your cheeks.

“Nice nap, amor? No stiff necks?” He asked teasingly.

Scoffing, you nudged him softly and you rolled your eyes which made him laugh. And when he was done with his laughing fit, you leaned your head on his shoulder. Checo realising what you were doing, he guided your head on his shoulder before kissing the crown of your head.

“You can nap more, comfortably this time. I’ll wake you up when the session is green flagged.”

Yawning to his statement, you gently nodded your head to at least let him know you understood. He once more planted a kiss on your head before he took your hands in his and caressed it gently.

The next time you woke up, Checo was poking your legs and opening your eyes, you were greeted by the cameras of F1 medias and your brother, Charles.

Squinting as the flash hits your eyes, you looked at Checo who only gave you a sheepish grin as he stood up and helped you up too.

“Recharged again, mi cielo?” He asked softly and you nodded, stretching your body as you fixed your race suit.

Charles impatiently waiting for you, said good bye to your husband and grabbed your hands, dragging you outside your team’s rival garage and bringing you to your home turf.

Laughing to his childish behaviour, your laugh only disappeared when you saw the screen replay the video of you and Checo in the corner. Now it was Charles’ turn to laugh at your reaction, not until you punched him on the arm gently.

When your race engineers said that the session was resumed, you got ready and went into race mode.

MY GOD THIS TOOK FOREVER 😭

[outsideratheart]

21 Secret Santa with athenea del Castillo

A/N: Day twenty six of the Christmas advent calendar.

Love is something you always feared. There is saying that stuck with you ‘loving someone is giving them the power to break your heart but trusting them not to’. It is because of this that you were single for so long, you never met the person that showed you this much trust, that was until you met Athena.

You are one of the most well known footballers players in the world so when you left Chelsea, your home club, for Real Madrid the world took notice and it brought a spot light on the Spanish team that they couldn’t fully get used to. It was especially hard on Athenea because she would go from one of spain’s rising stars to Y/N Y/L/N’s girlfriend. You know she was struggling and you begged her to ignore the fans and focus on you but she couldn’t do it.

“I can’t do this Y/N” Athenea stood in her living room, stiff as a board.

There is no need for her to be specific, you know exactly what she is talking about and whilst it breaks your heart to lose her you would rather be hurt then her be unhappy.

“I love you Athenea. More than anyone else in this world but I understand that isn’t enough” You slowly walk towards her all while keeping eye contact. When you are face to face with her you give a soft smile.

“You deserve the world and i’m sorry that I couldn’t give you that. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you from them” Your voice is quiet.

For the last time, you pull her in your arms and she breaks down. Her tears soak your shirt but you remain strong, getting emotional won’t make you feel better. When Athenea pulls away her eyes are blood shot red. You wipe the tears off her cheeks then place a kiss to her temple.

No more words are spoken as you walk away and you don’t turn back.

You know that a breakup of any kind is hard but a break up 2 weeks before Christmas, well that made it hurt twice as much. You had already bought her present and had plans for the two of you, new year in the Maldives. Athenea would now no nothing about any of them.

The last game of the season came against Chelsea in the champions league at Stamford bridge, your old stomping grounds. The team arrived back in Madrid with only one training session left on the calendar and it also happened to be the the day when Secret Santa would be exchanged.

“Has everyone got their presents?” Ivana says “yeah? Right let’s begin”

The team is scattered around the locker room. Some sat in their lockers, others on the floor and on the physio benches. One player does seem to be missing.

“You can’t start yet. Y/N hasn’t finished her media yet” Athenea stands up gaining the attention of her friends who all give her the same look.

“Media?” Misa asks clearly not knowing what her friend is talking about.

“She wasn’t at training. Did you even notice?” Your ex girlfriend says. Her tone making it obvious that the obliviousness of the goalkeeper has angered her.

The rest of the team share looks, neither of them knowing what to say.

“Athenea” Olga rests her hand of the forwards shoulder “Y/N isn’t doing media. She isn’t even in Madrid”

The young player is confused, that much is obvious.

“Y/N asked if she could stay in London after we played Chelsea and given that she scored twice and assisted Caroline’s goal, coach allowed it”

Athenea couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She knows that she has been avoiding you but failing to notice you hadn’t travelled back to Spain with the team, that was something else.

Instead of questioning it further, Athenea sinks into her locker as the presents are handed out.

“What about Y/N’s present?” Sofia asks the group.

“She told me about her plans before we left and I’m her secret Santa so I gave Y/N her present early” Olga hesistantly told the group.

Athenea looks at her friend wondering why she never told her but then again she no longer had a right to know what you did and where you went.

“Would you have cared?” Olga whispers knowing the reaction that her words might get.

“I” Athena could not giver an answer.

The gifts gets handed out and Athenea is last.

“Here” Claudia hands her a present.

“I thought you had Esther for secret Santa. You can’t have two” Misa says earning her a slap around the back of the head. As she rubs her head the goalkeeper realises why Claudia did what she did.

“Oh”

Athenea eyes her gift. It was perfectly wrapped giving her a indication of who it was from but it is when she opens it does she know for sure.

In her hand sits a velvet box and inside is a pendent on a keychain but is wasn’t just any pendant, it was a gold sun. Tucked in the side was a small note.

My sunshine, you showed me brightness on my darkest days. I hope you find someone who shares their light with you.

“She loves you Athenea. I know that things were hard for you but can you honestly say you are happier without her?” Olga asks hoping that Athenea would finally see the error of her ways.

“I think I made a mistake. I need to go” Athena rushes out of the changing rooms.

[punchdrunkdoc]

Part 3, Chapter 2

Summary: After the events of S3, Matt Murdock is trying to once again balance life as a lawyer and a vigilante. But he’s been scarred by loss and betrayal - will a mysterious new neighbour help him heal? Or will her secrets drag him back into the darkness?

Notes: This is a slow burn romance with an original female character, told in 3 (maybe 4??) parts. There is mystery, intrigue, action/violence and angst - all the good stuff!

Also available on AO3 and Wattpad

Masterlist

Reference pics

————–

PART 3

Chapter 2

Catching Ranieri’s eye was easy. So easy that Calina's low opinion of him sank even further.

A flash of her back in her very low cut dress was all it took to hook him on the end of her line. She wound him in further with a sultry smile and a lick of her lips, and landed her catch by crossing one long leg over the other as she perched on a stool at the makeshift bar.

Mere seconds later, he was shoving his mostly-empty champagne glass on the table next to him and heading straight for her.

As he crossed the packed ballroom, Calina could see why the tabloids favoured him, with his chiseled jaw and his artfully dishevelled hair (that he probably spent an hour moulding into place).

He was objectively handsome...but to her, he resembled nothing more than a wet, flopping, floundering fish.

Easily baited and caught.

Pathetic.

God, men like him were such comically superficial creatures. It wouldn’t matter to him if she was a noble-prize winning genius, or a simpleton with barely two brain cells to rub together, he would have crossed that room regardless.

All because of the way she looked. 

No, not even that. He probably wouldn’t care much about the real Calina - the woman who barely wore make-up and did little more than pull a brush through her hair in the morning.

No, he wanted the living Barbie doll that she’d styled herself as tonight, with the extensions in her hair, and the fake eyelashes, and the contoured face. He wanted a trophy. A beautiful, sexy prize that he could parade around the room to prove he was the most virile alpha at this party.

“Buonasera bellissima,” he drawled, as he finally reached her. He rested one arm on the bar behind and crowded close, his powerful cologne saturating the air between them.

Calina's smile felt more like a grimace as she returned the greeting. But he didn’t seem to notice. His own smile just got wider when she answered him in Italian, and he launched off a series of questions about where she was from.

His smile dipped slightly as ‘Eliise’ revealed her Croatian heritage, but it wasn’t enough for him to lose interest completely - especially when Calina followed up her admission by running one manicured hand down his lapel.

The touch overrode his innate xenophobia, and Calina congratulated herself on her choice of cover-story. It was clear that Ranieri was interested in her tonight, but he wouldn’t be calling her tomorrow.

She was too beneath him - hot enough to want to fuck, but not the kind of girl he could bring home to his Grandfather. 

Calina’s disgust with him grew, and it took all her skills and training to hide her contempt, especially as the conversation droned on. Although calling it a conversation was overselling it. A conversation implied a back-and-forth exchange of information.

This was more like a TED Talk.

It turned out Ranieri’s enquiry about where she was from was the extent of his curiosity about her. He asked her nothing more about herself, and just launched into a spiel about himself - his background, his business ventures, his recent vacation to the Maldives, the case of wine he’d just bought from Tuscany.

It was all him, him, him.

The quintessential narcissist.

Calina played along, fluttering her fake eyelashes, laughing where expected and generally hanging on to every word as if it was the most interesting thing she’d ever heard.

All the while, internally, she was rolling her eyes with distain, and thanking the God she didn’t believe in that she’d found Matt.

Over the years, she’d encountered a lot of men like Ranieri. So many that she’d started to believe those men were typical of the male species.

But then she’d met Matt.

Matt who cared what she thought. Matt, who was genuinely interested in her life and her passions and her goals. Who asked her questions and sought her opinion and saw her as a person, and not just a beautiful face and a good figure.

She still didn’t know if there were more Matts than Ranieris in the world. It didn’t matter. She was just thankful that she’d found her Matt.

And the stark contrast with the man in front of her just made her miss him all the more. But she pushed those feelings - and all thoughts of Matt - aside to concentrate on the task at hand.

Although it didn’t really require much concentration. If catching Ranieri’s attention had been easy, keeping him engaged in ‘conversation’ was simple…and persuading him to give her a private tour of his home was child’s play.

After one drink at the bar and barely a half an hour of talking, Ranieri was leading her by the hand through the milling crowd of guests and up the stairs to the ‘off limits’ area of the party.

But that’s when the difficult part of the mission began: avoiding Ranieri’s touch.

As they crossed the threshold of his bedroom, Calina felt his hand trail down her bare back and over her ass. She forced herself not to shy away from him as he squeezed her flesh, the 'caress' bordering on painful. But nor did she lean into it.  She just deflected any further touches by crossing the room to admire the art work on the wall. “Is that a real Boticelli?” she asked in Italian.

“Of course its real,” he replied, sounding affronted by her question. “My family have been patrons to the arts for centuries.”

And now you’re a patron to a mind-controlling sociopath, Calina inwardly sneered.

Ranieri came up beside her as she studied the priceless painting. He ran a hand down her arm, his fingers grazing the outer slope of her breast as he did so. “You may not be built like a Boticelli woman, but you’re just as stunning.”

Calina couldn’t decide if that was a thinly-veiled complaint about her lack of curves, or just a terrible compliment. Either way, she pasted on a smile. “Thank you,” she simpered.

Ranieri’s hand continued its path back up her arm and over her shoulder. Then he stepped closer to whisper in her ear - spelling out in graphic detail all the ways he wanted to fuck her. Calina tuned him out, but was snapped back to the moment when he bent down to press his lips to the base of her neck. That kiss was a little too close to the spot behind her ear that Matt loved to lavish attention on. 

Calina flinched away on instinct.

“You want to play the shy virgin?” Ranieri murmured, holding her in place with an arm around her waist. “I can get on board with that.”

Calina turned in his arms and placed a hand on his abdomen. The touch was low, simulating a lover’s caress - but it was a precaution, in case she had to push him away suddenly.

‘Whatever it takes’ had been her constant mantra over the past month. But there was a big, fat caveat to that statement. ‘Whatever’ did not include having sex with this man. It didn’t even include kissing him. She could barely stand the touch of his hands on her skin.

Matt had kissed that skin. He had touched it and stroked it and claimed every inch of it for himself - whether he knew it or not.

She belonged to him.

And this man didn’t get to sully that.

She kept a smiled in place as she held him at arms length. “I’m not playing shy. I just thought we’d have time for another drink first. Why rush a night we’ll both never forget?”

There was a spark of irritation in his eyes, a fleeting glimpse of the real man - the one who wanted the world at his feet, and the women in it to know their place - before he pasted on his own smile. “Sure, bellissima. If you want a drink, I can get you a drink.”

He sauntered over to the tray of liquor bottles and glasses in the corner of the room and started pouring out two measures. Calina silently extracted the pre-filled syringe from her bag and approached him from behind.

“On the rocks, or-” Before he could finish his question, Calina popped the small needle into the vein in his neck and pressed down hard on the plunger.

“What the fuck!” he cried out.

Calina shoved her hand over his mouth and pushed him towards the bed in the centre of the room. The back of his knees connected with the mattress and he toppled onto the soft bedding…and was out like a light. 

Calina checked his pulse - which beat strong and steady - and exhaled sharply in relief. According to Melina there was a risk of arrhythmia in 1% of people injected with this drug. But otherwise it was a safe concoction, designed to incapacitate a victim for around six hours, but leave them with memories of the missing time. The latter element was the crucial factor to prevent any suspicions from arising.

With that in mind, Calina fished out the small ear piece from her purse and fitted it in Ranieri’s ear. Then she texted Anya who was waiting in a nearby van.

Ready for transmission.

Within moments, the faint, tinny sound of Anya’s voice emerged from the device. The other Widow would spend the next hour audibly filling in the gaps for Ranieri’s subconscious, like a hypnotist planting suggestions. He would awake in the morning feeling refreshed after a wild and steamy night with ‘Eliise’ - minus the very real memory of being injected in the neck and manhandled across his room.

To complete the illusion, Calina stripped the unconscious man naked and stepped out of her underwear, leaving the scrap of fabric dangling from the bedpost like a souvenir.

Then she got to work.

———

6 days later…

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing out here?”

Calina sighed at the sound of Anya’s voice behind her. She’d thought she’d have a bit more time up here alone.

It wasn’t easy finding somewhere quiet in a house full of women, especially since she was now sharing her bedroom with Katya. They’d freed another two Widows while they were in Europe, and bed space was becoming tight in the mansion. Every room was now doubled up, and Calina felt like she was constantly tripping over people in the common areas. The lack of privacy was starting to drive her crazy.

Adding that to her conflicted feelings about what happened in Italy, her insomnia, and the fact that she missed Matt with an intensity she didn’t think was possible...it all meant that she really wasn’t much fun to be around these days.

So she’d escaped to the roof. It wasn’t quite the same as her rooftop retreat in New York, but the night sky overhead was pretty spectacular. Without the light pollution of Hell’s Kitchen, the stars were so much clearer and brighter.

But she’d give it all up in a heartbeat to be back in that polluted, concrete jungle with Matt.

“Just taking in the scenery,” Calina lied, not in the mood to explain her current emotional state.

Anya took a seat next to her, and glanced around at the view, as if trying to see the appeal. The lights of the nearby harbour twinkled in the distance and the moonlight shone off the still water in front of the house. It was nature at its most tranquil and serene.

But Anya was never much of a nature lover. She shook her head and glanced down at her tablet. “I’ve got something for you.”

Calina sat up straight. “From Ranieri’s laptop?”

The rest of the mission in Italy had gone off without a hitch. She’d cloned Ranieri’s phone, copied the hard drive of his computer and planted a tracking virus that Anya created, then slipped out of the party unnoticed with the stolen data.

Data that she hoped would justify having Ranieri’s slimy hands on her. “Please tell me you found a lead on Volkov,” she asked.

“I’m close to something,” Anya said. “Just checking a few things first. But that wasn’t what I wanted to show you.”

“What is it?”

“Melina got in touch about that serum from Daredevil that you wanted analysed. She sent through the list of components.”

“Oh,” Calina replied, struggling to hide her disappointment.

Anya tapped the screen a few times then passed Calina the device. “Here you go,” she said, getting to her feet again.

“You don’t need this?” Calina asked, holding up the tablet.

“No, that’s yours. Happy Birthday.”

“It��s not my birthday.”

“You sure?”

Calina laughed at the familiar joke. As far as she knew ‘Calina Balashova’ was her real name, but she had no idea where in Russia - or the former Soviet Union - she’d been born, or even when exactly.

The other Widows like her - the ones who’s identities had been scrubbed by the Red Room when they were stolen as infants - had decided to make a joke of it, rather than dwell on the cruelty of their situation.

Which meant every day was a potential birthday.

Calina scrolled through the list of compounds on the screen. While it wasn’t the lead she was hoping for, she was still grateful for something to do to keep her mind distracted. And if she could help Matt with his fear pheromone mystery, maybe that would go some way towards alleviating her guilt.

She’d managed to avoid kissing Ranieri last week, but she’d still allowed him to touch her, and place his lips on her skin, and whisper in her ear all the lurid, obscene things he wanted to do to her body-

Ugh!

Calina shuddered at the memory and tried to concentrate on Melina’s email. And half way down the list, she saw a chemical that gave her pause: Arsonium bromide.

It sounded familiar.

Where had she come across that term before?

She typed the name into Google and did a quick search on its properties and applications. She soon found an article describing the process of using Arsonium bromide and potassium carbonate to synthesise Navenone A - which she knew from her previous research was a type of fear pheromone secreted by sea slugs.

Was that how she knew about Arsonium bromide?

It nagged at her the rest of the night. As she grabbed a late snack from the kitchen, as she cleaned her face and changed into her pyjamas, and as she lay awake listening to Katya’s deep, slow breaths from the other side of the bed, her brain grappled with the problem.

Then it came to her.

She bolted upright in shock.

Katya woke instantly, going from deep sleep to a heightened state of alertness like a flick had been switched. “What is it? Are we under attack?”

Calina ignored her. “Holy shit,” she muttered, working through the implications of what she’d just remembered.

“Are you okay?” Katya asked. “Did you have another nightmare?”

“What? No. I’m fine, I’m just…I can’t believe it.”

“Can’t believe what?”

Calina shook her head in disbelief. “It’s connected, Katya. It’s all connected.”

———

The tapping noise was getting louder.

Or, more accurately, he was getting closer to its source.

Matt had first noticed the sound while on the roof of the green and red-brick building on 10th avenue. It was a simple, 5-storey apartment complex above a laundromat…and it also happened to be the exact geographical centre of Hell’s Kitchen. For that reason, it had become a regular stopping point for him while he was out on patrol. It acted like a base, a place where he could centre himself after rushing all over the city. He could pause for a few moments, slow his racing heart and regroup, then listen to what the night was telling him.

Tonight, crouched on the parapet of that roof, he'd tuned out the white noise of the city - the roar of engines, and the buzz of electricity and the chattering hum of thousands of voices and television sets and radios - and he'd scanned the soundwave for people in need, and for criminals up to no good.

But what he'd found instead was a faint, rhythmic tapping sound coming from the riverside.

It wasn’t the frantic rattle of someone trapped and looking for help; and whilst the pattern sounded like possible morse code, it didn’t have the structure of an SOS call. But it piqued his interest anyway.

And given that the city was otherwise quiet, he'd indulged his curiosity and followed the sound. He'd traversed the concrete canopy of the city, leaping between buildings and racing across rooftops, as he'd chased down the mysterious beacon.

Until he found himself approaching the car lot on Pier 90.

As he did so, the tapping got clearer, more distinct. It was the unmistakeable hollow, ringing sound of a steel pipe being struck in sequence.

Taaaap…tap.tap. Taaaap…tap.tap.

Dash…dot.dot. Dash…dot.dot.

Definitely Morse code. He just had no idea what it meant…or who the message was intended for.

But he knew where it was coming from: high up overhead.

Matt glanced up as he honed in on the source of the sound - the large industrial crane floating just off the pier. Halfway along the jib, Matt could make out the shape of a person sitting between the steel railings, their legs dangling in the air 100 feet above the river.

Matt’s stomach lurched at the thought of them jumping into the icy cold, fast moving water below.

Dash…dot.dot. Dash…dot.dot.

Maybe the morse code was a cry for help, or a final message…either way, he needed to get up to them - fast. He started quickly scaling the steel structure, trying to keep noise to a minimum in case he spooked them.

Dash…dot.dot. Dash…dot.dot.

The sound was so loud to him now, it reverberated in his chest. He could feel the vibrations of the metal through his gloved hands, and it seemed to travel through his bones. He crept along the jib, on the opposite side from the seated morse coder. A third of the way along, he paused and took a deep breath of the air, trying to gauge more about them, but the wind was blowing the wrong way.

He inched closer, then froze as the mystery person called out to him, “Took you long enough.”

The voice was full of humour and affection - and so intimately familiar to him.

Calina.

Matt scrambled over and along the jib then squeezed into the metal cage beside her. He grasped the hand that was resting on the steel railing. After a brief moment of hesitation, she adjusted the grip and laced her fingers through his. He brought their clasped hands up to his mouth and pressed a kiss against the back of hers. “Wh-what are you doing here? What’s going on? And why are you here?”

He couldn’t hide the slight whine in his voice at the last question. But he wanted to know why was she was up in this crane, wedged into this small, uncomfortable space. Why couldn’t she be on the ground or an open rooftop, or the living room of his apartment, where he could crush her against him and hold her properly?

Where he could kiss her properly.

She laughed, the sound low and husky and tempting, and it just added to his frustration.

But at the same time…it made him happy.

The last time he’d heard from her - during that brief phone call over a week ago - she’d sounded so upset. He’d been tormented ever since, wondering what had happened to her and if she was still suffering.

It was such a relief to discover that she wasn’t.

“I’m waiting for my ride,” she answered cryptically.

Matt pretended to look around at the vast sky above and the churning water far below. “Who’s your ride? Iron Man?”

She laughed again, and he leaned into the sound. Part of him just wanted to sit here with her and bask in her presence. To hold her hand and listen to her breathe and swim in her scent. But he had far too many questions. He wanted to know everything - what she’d been up to, and where she’d been, and what had happened a week ago. 

And when this would all be over and she could come home.

But he started with the most pressing issue. “How long can you stay?”

She sighed. “Not long. I wasn’t kidding about waiting for a ride. They’ll be here soon - the Widows, not the Avengers.”

“Why didn’t you come find me?”

“There wasn’t time. I hitched a ride to New York with some of my sisters - they’re chasing a lead over in Jersey, and they’re picking me up when they’re done.” She bumped her shoulder against his. “But I knew you’d be out here somewhere. I just had to lead you to me.” She tapped her wrist against the metal beam in front of her in the now-familiar code.

Dash…dot.dot. Dash…dot.dot.

“D.D. For Daredevil,” she translated. “I would have gone for ‘M.M.’, but I didn’t want to blow your cover.”

He smiled. “I appreciate it.”

He moved his hand up to inspect her wrist, trying to figure out what she was banging against the metal frame. It felt like a bulky watch strap loaded with slim cartridges. “Your Widow’s bites?"

“Yeah.”

He ran his hand up her arm - as far as he could in the cramped space - and felt the thick neoprene of her suit. “So you’re a Widow tonight.”

“I’m a Widow every night, Matt. It’s who I am.”

The teasing tone in her voice disappeared, and was replaced with hints of bitterness and resignation. He rephrased his question. “I just meant, you’re out on mission tonight.”

She shrugged. “I’m backup, in case they run into trouble.”

“The lead they’re chasing - is it to do with Volkov?”

“Hopefully. We’re following up on some intel we got hold of last week.”

“Last week…when you called me?”

———

Matt’s voice was soft, gentle…and so full of concern that it made Calina’s heart ache. She bit her lip and nodded.

“I’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay? Can you tell me what happened?” he asked.

Her teeth pressed painfully into her lip as she warred with her conscience. She wanted to tell him about Italy, and the mission with Ranieri. She didn’t want to keep secrets from him…but she wasn’t sure how the truth would make him feel.

He already had to put up with so much by being with her. Not least this separation between them, and the uncertainty of never knowing how or when they could be together again. She didn’t want to add to it by admitting that she’d had another man’s hands on her.

And she didn’t want to keep reminding him of who she used to be. Who she still had to be, while she hunted for Volkov. She didn’t want that part of her life to infect what they had together.

She was so scared that he would wake up one day and decide she wasn’t worth it.

“Hey.” She felt his thumb brush her lip as he tried to free it from the vice of her teeth. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to. Just tell me you’re okay now.”

She took the 'out' he offered, glad that she didn’t have to actively lie to him. Again. “I’m as good as can be,” she replied truthfully. “I just want this to be over. I- I miss you.” She stuttered over the words, still so new to this. Still so unsure of this wonderful, delicate thing between them. 

Matt showed no such hesitation. “I miss you too, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart.

God, she’d never get enough of hearing that - even as the affection in his voice tore at her.

She’d been spiralling with shame and guilt over the past week, and she thought seeing Matt in person would help alleviate some of those feelings. That a brief moment of being with him again would remind her of why she’d gone through with that mission in the first place - it was all so that she could find her way back to him.

But it wasn’t working.

Looking into his beautiful brown eyes, so open and full of love, the guilt just amplified within her.

She needed to get out of here. She couldn’t bear to be around him while feeling this way. She glanced at her phone. Luckily, there’d been another text from Katya in the few minutes since Matt had arrived:

On our way.

She suppressed her sigh of relief and updated Matt. “I have to go soon. But I have something for you.”

“Is it the co-ordinates to your new base with a key to the front door?”

She handed him the USB stick she’d stashed in her belt. “No, but it’s a pretty good consolation prize.”

He took the device. “What’s is it?”

“The component list of the fear pheromone. And a few other things related to the case.” She’d been so excited to share her breakthrough with him - it was the reason she’d begged to come along on this trip - but now she couldn’t seem to muster any enthusiasm to talk about chemicals and nefarious plots.

Matt didn’t seem to mind the lack of explanation. He just tightened his hold on her hand and leaned against her as much as the metal pole between them would allow while they waited for Katya and the other Widows.

Minutes later, the roar of an engine cut through the noise of the wind howling around them. Calina glanced down and spotted the speedboat racing in their direction.

“I take it that’s your ride,” Matt said.

She nodded, and let go of Matt’s hand. She used the beam above her head to pull herself to her feet and manoeuvre onto the outside of the jib. She clipped herself to the metal frame with the carabiner on her belt and checked the position of the boat below - it was now idling directly beneath her, just as planned.

The lights on the boat flashed as if to hurry her up, but Calina paused to look at Matt. He’d joined her on the outside of the railing, with nothing securing him in place but the grip of his gloved hand. He looked so strong and invincible up here, the lights of his beloved city framing him in silhouette as he balanced with ease on the swaying platform, 100 feet in the air.

A daredevil to the core.

God, she loved him so much.

“I guess this is it,” she said, her voice wavering. As much as she needed to get away from him, she hated the thought of yet another goodbye.

To make it as quick as possible, she leaned forward and kissed him on the chin, the highest point she could reach given the awkward angle. “See you soon,” she promised.

Then she jumped.

———

Matt watched Calina fall through the air, the cable connecting her to the crane whirring loudly as it unspooled from her belt. Seconds later she was barely more than a speck below him as she jerked to a stop. She disconnected from the lifeline and landed safely in the boat deck.

Matt exhaled sharply in relief. His friends had complained for years about having to watch him execute dangerous, gravity-defying stunts - and he finally knew what that felt like.

It was horrible.

But that new-found empathy didn’t stop him from following Calina down the 100-foot drop. Without a second thought, he grabbed hold of the cable still connecting to the crane, jumped off the metal ledge and started to slide down.

He used his boots and gloves to try to control his descent, but they only helped so much - the wind still whistled past him as he hurtled through the air at speed. Within moments he was on the deck, landing in a crouch on one knee to absorb some of the impact. He felt the jolt through his worn joints, and knew he would feel it tomorrow.

But it was a small price to pay. He stood up, spun a startled-looking Calina towards him and took her in his arms. “You call that a goodbye?”

Then he tipped her back and kissed her.

It was a deep kiss. A desperate kiss.

He’d felt a…distance…between them up on that crane and it had scared him. So he poured everything into the kiss. He fuelled it with weeks of loneliness and torment, and laced it with every drop of love and passion that he felt for her.

He held her firmly against him with one hand at the back of her head, and his other clamped her around the waist, as if to stop her from disappearing. But she didn’t seem to want to go anywhere. Relief flooded Matt’s system as Calina returned the embrace just as fiercely, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck and one leg coming up to hook around his thigh.

They kissed and kissed, oblivious to the icy wind on their cheeks and the rocking of the boat underfoot as it sped across the water...and the hooting and cheering from the other Widows onboard.

Although, eventually, that last noise seemed to penetrate Calina’s senses. She broke the kiss and ducked her head, and he could feel the heat radiate from her blushing cheeks. He stroked his hand over her braided hair and leaned down to press a kiss to the crown of her head.

She looked up at him and shook her head. “What were you thinking?” She didn’t sound angry at his reckless abseil through the air - just a bit exasperated.

He shrugged. “It was your fault for leaving me hanging like that. So to speak.”

She squeezed him around the waist. “You’re crazy.”

He shrugged again. “Must be.”

The lights of the city were a blur as the speedboat travelled further down the river. Whoever was captaining this little ship didn’t seem inclined to slow down and drop him off on the shore. And he couldn’t blame them - he’d gatecrashed their choreographed escape, after all.

So he reluctantly broke away from Calina and grabbed his billy club out of its holster. He stroked a finger down Calina’s cheek and with a final, “Bye, sweetheart,” he launched one end of the baton up into the air. It caught on the low bridge they were passing under and he swung up behind it, off the boat and onto the walkway above.

“Show off!” he heard Calina call, her teasing voice echoing off the underpass.

He laughed in response as he jogged to the other side of the bridge. He watched the boat travel further away from him, a sole figure on the deck waving as it disappeared into the night.

It reminded him of the beginning of all this. Of watching Calina from afar as she stood on their rooftop all those months ago.

Back then, she’d been an intriguing mystery. A beautiful distraction from the darkness in his life. And while part of him had known there was something life-altering about their connection, he could never have imagined how vital she’d become to him. How much he’d grow to love and need her. 

She was still intriguing. Even more beautiful and, in some ways, just as mysterious.

But now she was his.

And he was hers.

————–

What's all connected? What lead are the Widows following up in Jersey?

Find out in Chapter 3

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[dreamlandreader]

Mythology, Folklore and Behind the Scenes Fact File

Welcome to the fact file for Foolish Fire, a place where you can find more information on the background of the inspirations behind my Secret Santa gift for the amazing @popjunkie42-blog 💖

All of the inspiration I have taken from myths and folktales have been adapted to the story I am trying to tell, but where I have made creative adjustments, I will try to point out the changes below.

Erebus Forest In Greek mythology, Erebus is the personification of darkness. Some Ancient Greek authors also use Erebus to describe the particular form of gloom found in the Underworld. The concept of Erebus is most famously mentioned in Homer's Iliad, in which Erebus is the physical location that Hercules must venture into to collect the three-headed dog Cerberus. This mythology inspired the name of the forest in Foolish Fire due to the importance of how dark this particular forest gets and the impact this has within this story.

Will-o'-the-wisps These little creatures are tricky beings found in numerous forms in various European folktales. Traditionally known for mimicking the flickering light of a lantern, will-o'-the-wisps use their light to deceive weary travellers into getting lost.

Within this story, I decided to make it so that the will-o'-the-wisps are utilised by other creatures in the forest to capture prey and have a particular ability to cause a dreamlike trance in their victims. The title for this fic comes from the Latin translation for Will-o’-the-Wisp (ignis fatuus), which directly translates to foolish fire in English.

Belisama Lake The lake Feyre finds herself wading into during Foolish Fire is called Belisama Lake, a name inspired by the Celtic Goddess of lakes and fire, whose name, it has been reported, translates to ‘Most Mighty One’. During the Roman period, the river currently known as Ribble River, which runs through the North of England, was referred to as the Belisama in honour of the Goddess.

The Monster in the Lake The creature Feyre encounters in the waters of the Erebus forest was inspired by a mixture of one very famous creature from Scottish folklore, and an aquatic beast from approximately 240 million years ago.

The Loch Ness Monster The concept of creatures lurking beneath the surface in large bodies of water was not new in 1933 when the Loch Ness Monster was first brought to light on a global scale, however, Nessie is perhaps the most famous of all mythological lake monsters. Nestled in the Scottish Highlands, Loch Ness attracts vast numbers of tourists every year, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famed creature who is said to reside there.

The Nothosaurus Whilst the inspiration to add an underwater challenge to Foolish Fire came from the legend of Loch Ness, the real-life inspiration for the creature itself comes from a long extinct semi-oceanic reptile, who at 14 metres in length, dominated waters in the Triassic Period. The Nothosaurus was a carnivorous animal with needle-like teeth and a thick tail that acted as a paddle to steer it through the water.

The Empusa This shape-shifting female, with one copper leg (and sometimes a donkey’s leg, too), is commanded by Hecate in Greek mythology and uses her abilities to seduce and feed on young men. For this reason, she was compared to a vampire in the ‘Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology’ by William Smith (1849).

In Foolish Fire, the Empusa roams the woodlands of Pythian and is one of the most wanted creatures by all seven High Lords for the numerous violent deaths she causes yearly.

The Waterfall The waterfall Rhys and Feyre stumble upon in chapter three is inspired by Plitvice Lakes National Park and the stunning waterfalls that are found there.

The glowing element of the waterfall is inspired by the natural beauty of bioluminescent waters like those found in many locations such as New Zealand, Cambodia and the Maldives.

The Red Shoes The Red Shoes is a Danish fairytale, written by Hans Christian Anderson in the mid-1800's. It has been adapted numerous times, perhaps most famously in 1948 in a film adaptation by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The tale also inspired singer-songwriter Kate Bush's seventh studio album of the same name.

The Cyclops Over the years there were many interpretations of cyclops in Greek mythology, famously however, three talented cyclopes named Arges, Steropes, and Brontes, help to craft Zeus's thunderbolt. With their distinct single eye in the centre of their heads, cyclopes are incredibly recognisable characters, even in the modern age.

Cerberus Hades three-headed dog Cerberus is the famed creature who guards the gates to the Underworld. His three heads and serpents tails makes him an incredibly terrifying creature in Greek mythology, but in Foolish Fire a baby Cerberus is the sweetest of all little pups and makes the perfect addition to Feyre and Rhysand's perfect little family.

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[father-of-the-void]

There are ancient oral traditions, still repeated by the elders of some of the more remote islands, which provide an explanation for the Maldives' atmosphere of lost prehistoric grandeur and for its strange ruins. These traditions speak of a mysterious people called the Redin, said to have built the hawittas, who were described to me by Naseema Mohamed, a scholar at the Maldives National Institute for Linguistic and Historical Research, as:

"Very tall. They were fair-skinned, and they had brown hair, blue eyes sometimes. And they were very, very good at sailing. So this story has been around in Maldives for many, many years, and there are certain places where they say the Redin camped here, and certain places which they say here the Redin were buried. But we don't really know how old or how long ago it happened."

During his series of research visits to the Maldives, Thor Heyerdahl collected and compiled Redin legends from all parts of the archipelago. He concludes that in the memory of the islanders the Redin were 'a former people with more than ordinary human capacities':

"The Redin came long before any other Maldivians. Between them and the present population other people had also come, but none were as potent as the Redin, and there were many of them. They not only used sail but also oars, and therefore moved with great speed at sea ..."

Such notions of humans with supernatural or even god-like powers flying swiftly across the sea in their boats with sails and oars is strangely reminiscent of the imagery of the Rig Veda ... concerning the Asvins - who are several times praised for having conducted a daring rescue in the depths of the Indian Ocean:

"Yea Asvins, as a dead man leaves his riches, Tugra left Bhujyu in the cloud of waters ... Ye brought him back in animated vessels ... Bhujyu ye bore ... to the sea's farther shore, the strand of ocean ... Ye wrought that hero exploit in the ocean which giveth no support, or hold, or station, what time ye carried Bhujyu to his dwelling borne in a ship with hundred oars, O Asvins."

Thor Heyerdahl makes a case that there is real history behind the Redin myth, that it is older than the date now confirmed by radiocarbon for the construction of the hawittas - which tradition nevertheless attributes to the Redin - and that the people it refers to probably originated in north-west India, the primary setting of the Rig Veda ... [at] the great marine dockyard of the Indus-Sarasvati civilization at Lothal [north-west India] ... cowrie shells from the Maldives (Cyprea Moneta) have been excavated amongst the ruins and are to be seen in the site museum ...

— Graham Hancock, Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization, ch. 13, section The Secret of the Redin

[imaginedreamwrite]

Questions for Ari:

Where would you like to take reader on vacation

How old were u when you lost your virginity

What is your favorite thing about reader

Ari: The Maldives or Beliz. She has a list of places ketzleh wants to go that she thinks is secret (I found the list when she was 21). I lost my virginity when I was 16 in the back of my parents bakery after close (I never told them). I can’t choose just one favourite thing about my future wife but if I had to choose, I’d say her eyes

[famwhy]

In Grief and In Mourning IV

Yandere! Various X Reader

Part IV

Previous Part / Next Part

Character Appearances Sheet

Word Count: 3,432

"Okay, okay," you were panic-stricken but that's okay, you could work with this. "So long as I low-key avoid the guy, I should be fine, right?"

"Low-key? Is that another expression?"

"Yeah!" You sent a smile Theus' way. "You're getting a hang of this!"

He blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Prometheus?" 

A soft voice interrupted your conversation, causing both of you to jerk your heads to the side - eyeing the new face that joined the fray.

There stood a woman with hair as white as snow and eyes as blue as the sea in the Maldives. She held a soft look about her, yet it also seemed mature. The horns on her head added to the pointy ears she owned had you conflicted as to whether or not she even was an elf.

"What are you doing here? Are you not supposed to be on duty within the castle grounds?" Her eyebrows creased up in both concern and another emotion you couldn't quite place your finger on. "Father would not be happy with you if he were to find you abandoned your duties."

"Reyna," Theus breathed out, blush fading away. "I-I had something come up."

"Is something the matter?" Now she only seemed to be concerned. "Who is this with you? Are they why you aren't fulfilling your duties?"

"No, they are a friend of mine."

You nodded, choosing to keep silent.

"I see," here eyes lingered on you for a bit before she looked back at Theus. "Still, it's not right to abandon your duties in the castle. I know that the princess is no longer here and all-"

Well, she was somewhat right.

"-but that is no reason to not take your job as seriously as the rest of the knights."

She crossed her arms sternly.

"I know, I promise that I have a good reason for being here."

"Very well." She nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I trust you. Whatever you are doing, I am sure it holds no malice. I must be off now, take care."

With that, she strode off, entering a nearby building to go about whatever business she set out to do.

"That was my step-sister, Reyna Laskaris. Although, she is soon-to-be wed, so she will be inheriting yet another new last name." Theus had a fond smile on his face as he spoke of his sister, they must have been close. "She is... a gentle soul, a family girl. Everything she does is for her mother, father, and myself. That's why... I'm so glad she has found someone she is happy with."

"What about you, kid?" You rose a brow, nudging his shoulder with your own. "You got any secret lovers I should know about?"

"Me?!" Immediately, his face erupted into a sea of red. "Nuh-no- I-."

"Pfft." You snickered. "I'm just teasin', relax."

His whole body jerked forward as you hit him directly on his back, much like your old man did the first time he caught you sneaking out. When you told Amrita the next day, she whined in her jealousy, telling you how her dad would have killed her if she ever got caught doing something like that.

The memories of your family distracted you momentarily, however, you snapped out of your little daydream when you remembered just exactly what position you were in.

"Let's go explore, Theus." Your eyes narrowed in determination. "I'll be damned if I let these dickheads ruin my day out."

"Ah... as you wish, princess." He stumbled after you, eyes darting around nervously.

You strided around the streets in confidence, visiting the multiple different stalls like you knew exactly where you were and exactly what you were doing, both of which were untrue statements.

 A certain sweet-smelling fragrance wafted through the air and straight into your nose, causing it to upturn as it took in the scent a few more times in order to locate where exactly it came from.

You let your senses guide you, allowing them to lead you straight to a stall with a kind-looking old lady bearing rather large horns on her head.

"Oh hello, dear. Would you like to have some of my newly-baked goods?"

"Would I?!" You grinned in excitement; only to then frown in the next few moments before you turned to Theus with a sheepish grin. "I don't suppose you have any money on you right now, huh Theus?"

He deadpanned.

"You are the princess of this kingdom and you ask a mere knight for money?"

"Hey!" You crossed your arms with a pout. "Can you blame me? This was a very last minute trip."

He sighed before taking out a pouch and addressing the older woman. "How much for a pastry, madam?"

"Well, aren't you just the sweetest young man." Her lips upturned in a smile. "Covering the costs for this lovely young lady, what a keeper. One pastry will be two silver coins, kind young man."

He gave her the two silver coins as she gave him the mouth-watering pastry which he wasted no time in handing over to you, coughing in his hand with a blush as he noticed the smirk on your face.

"You really are a keeper, huh Theus?"

Just as he was about to stutter a response to your question, his eyes widened and his hand immediately went to engulf yours, tugging on you as he led you over to an alleyway. Once there, he pinned you against the wall and made a hushing motion with one finger up to his lips.

The trotting of a horse slowly passed you by, a familiar figure seated at the very top of it.

"Oh shit, that's Ivan." You whispered.

"The General may not be able to recognise you with your cloak hood up but he would certainly be able to recognise me, he has all of the knights of this kingdom memorised, along with their schedules. If he sees that I am not on duty with a cloaked figure by my side, he will certainly suspect something."

Theus held you there for a little while longer, checking to see if the coast was really clear or not.

Once there was no sound of trotting nearby, he grabbed your hand once more and led you back out into the street. "Looks like he's gone for now."

"My my, Theus." Another sly smirk crossed your face. "Didn't know you were such a charmer."

The blush you had now become accustomed to seeing upon him, spread throughout his face again as he spluttered - causing you to chuckle at his expense.

He was just so fun to tease.

Speaking of fun things to do, observing this area was quite entertaining.

Your eyes met with multiple different mythical creatures you had only heard of in fables back in your home world. Fairies with pixie dust surrounding them, cyclopses with one eye on the centre of their head - hell, there were even people made of mist!

It was so wonderful to witness. Felix really was right about venturing being able to help put your mind off of things.

Your gaze explored the market square, looking for something to do, when they caught a figure kneeled by the fountain in the middle of the street, head buried in their arms, and shoulders jerking up and down continuously.

Once your eyes zeroed in on them, the sound of sobs coming from their direction was suddenly very audible to you.

You bit your lip, your moral compass fighting against your common sense, urging you to go ask that person what was wrong despite the danger of them being right in the middle of the street possibly leading to you being caught by Ivan should you intervene.

You stood frozen still for the next few seconds before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"My lady? What's the pro-? Ah! Prin- uh, I mean, my lady!"

Curse your strong sense of moral for making you do this.

As you walked over to the obviously-saddened figure, you noticed how no one else was willing to offer a helping hand, instead, choosing to ignore the person by the fountain without any concern whatsoever. Some even had the audacity to send them a look of disgust.

How scummy.

"Excuse me," you tapped the figure on their shoulder, causing their head to lift up and finally allowing you to make out their features.

Now that you were up close, you could tell that it was a human male, with silver hair forming curled bangs that partly covered his forehead and a set of silver eyes swirling with despair to match.

He was very handsome; as all people in this world seemed to be.

"Are you oh-? Gh!"

You cut yourself off mid-sentence as he threw his arms around your neck, clinging onto you with a grip made of iron, and buried his head into the crook of your neck; continuing his sobbing session.

"Hey." Your eyes softened as you cooed out. "It's okay, let it all out."

You sent sharp glares in the direction of the people giving dirty looks, not hesitating to throw the middle finger their way; your actions causing them to gasp dramatically.

Judgemental cunts.

Theus finally caught up to you, doing his usual nervous glance around before harshly whispering your way. "My lady! With all due respect, have you gone mental?! We could be seen in the middle of the street!"

You gave him a pointed stare before gesturing down to the sobbing male in your arms. When Theus noticed him, his stance suddenly became awkward and he coughed into his hand, looking away as though he was unsure of what to do.

"I wish-" a gentle voice caught your attention. "I wish I could see. If I had my vision back... she would have never left me."

His words caused you to gasp lightly, the cane by your feet suddenly visible to your eyes.

He sniffled and hiccupped, clinging onto the fabric of your cloak tighter, presumably finding temporary comfort in your embrace. The sight of him was enough to cause your brows to crease in sympathy.

"Maybe I should try harder. There has to be some spell to fix this... right? Some spell that will allow me to see again..." He clenched at you harder, more tears wetting your clothes. "She would love me if I just had my vision back..."

You dared not speak a word.

It wasn't your place to.

Despite all your thoughts cussing out whoever this 'she' was, you could not voice them aloud. You barely knew this male and to start suddenly cussing out this girl he seemed to care so much about would be rude. 

Sure, you could be rude but that's only when you deemed a person worthy of it or when you were in a bad mood. Luckily for this guy, neither of those options were ticked.

Soon, you felt a soft palm cup your cheek, slowly tracing your features, possibly to store them in his memory. The sight of this caused Theus to shift uncomfortably in his spot, presumable fighting his knightly urge to keep strangers from touching the princess seeing as you weren't protesting to this gesture.

"Thank you..." he whispered. "Thank you for finding me in this crowd and hearing my woes. I am Lee Se-hun, if you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"

"Y/N." You smiled underneath his palm. "My friend you might've heard earlier goes by the name Prometheus. I just call him Theus though."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both." He made no move to reach for Theus, probably content in just your arms alone - which you don't blame him for. "I am so very sorry for having you see me in such a state."

"Don't be, it happens to us all." He may not have been able to see the emotion on your face but you made sure he was able to hear it in your voice.

"You are so kind." Se-hun smiled gently. "That is rare for people like myself. You see, I recently lost my vision to a freak accident that happened to me, it has caused me great anguish... and the love of my life has left me because of it..." 

As he spoke, he clenched down harder onto your cloak, his tone growing more solemn and his eyes swirling with more loss than your heart could take.

"I'm sorry if I'm speaking a little out of tone, but was she really the love of your life if she left you just because you lost your vision?" 

No, she wasn't, she was a stupid piece of shi-

"What do you mean by that?" He tilted his head to the side, as if not being able to comprehend your words.

"Well, the true love of your life wouldn't be able to turn their back on you just because an event, that wasn't even in your control, made you lose your sight." 

"Hm... I suppose not..." He frowned. 

Oh shit, maybe you went too far?

"If you don't mind me asking, what is the time right now?"

"Theus," you called to the knight that awkwardly stood to the side, causing his head to rise up in attentiveness. "Do you know the time?"

"Judging by the positioning of the moon, it is around about twelve a.m, my lady."

"Twelve a.m?!" Gasped the silver-haired male. "Goodness! I lost track of time! I must head home, mother will be worried."

He crouched down, feeling for his cane and smiling once you handed it over to him. Just as he was about to stand up and rush off, he hesitated. "I will be able to hear from you again soon, yes?"

The hopeful look on his face was hard to say no to.

"Of course."

His hands found their way around you once more for one last quick embrace before he scurried off with his cane, bumping into a few people on his way and apologising as he did so.

You would have gone after him had it not been for the booming voice of authority that stopped you.

"Prometheus, what on Earth are you doing at the market square when you have duties at the castle?"

You near jumped right out of your skin you recognised the man who addressed your companion. Theus, himself, was also looking a bit worse for wear. The poor guy was frozen in his spot with a look of horror on his face.

Slowly, the both of you turned around, only to be met with the looming figure of Ivan Wyvmore and his precious steed glaring down at you menacingly.

"Guh-general!" Theus immediately saluted the man, shaking in his armour as he did so. "Wuh-well, you see, sir. I was doing something really urgent."

"More urgent than protecting the rulers of our kingdom?" Ivan rose a skeptical brow.

"Not at all, suh-sir!"

"Then why did you leave?" It was then that Ivan's eyes trailed to you. "And who is this beside you?"

You didn't say a word.

"This is... a friend of mine."

Ivan's posture screamed defensive, hands held tightly onto the reigns in front of him, the sheath of his blade in view at all times. He looked read to pounce on you the moment you slipped up.

It was a complete contrast to how gentle he was with you earlier that day.

In fact, he almost seemed a little stressed compared to before.

Maybe the king nagged at him to go find you and threatened his job or something. He seemed like the type to do that.

"And is there a reason as to why your-" his eyes did a quick once-over of your form, "-friend is so suspiciously dressed and has yet to say a word?"

You gulped.

"They're just... quite conscious about their appearance and nuh-not much of a talker." He stuttered in your defence.

"Please." The General rolled his eyes. "I think we are all far past appearances at this rate. They can spare me one glance so as to confirm that they are of no threat to anyone."

"Are you saying that I willingly chose to escort a vigilante through the streets of Prosperitas?" Theus gathered all of his will and courage to be able to speak that sentence without a single stutter or pause at all, you could tell. He, quite obviously, took offense to the General's accusations.

"Are you questioning me, boy?" Ivan fiercely glowered at the poor knight who was just trying to keep you safe.

Theus' head hung down as soon as those words left the mouth of his superior, all previous confidence having left him. "Nuh-no sir."

Then, Ivan turned to you.

"What are you waiting for then? Take off your hood so I can confirm whether or not you are a revolutionist." 

A revolutionist? Was a rebellion going on in this world?

Well, you couldn't really blame anyone who wanted out of the control your so-called 'father' placed on them.

Still, was he really that bad of a ruler? The people here in the market square didn't seem to despise him. Except for a few remarks from bitter, broke people (which you could 100% relate to), everyone else didn't seem to mind him. Quite a few ladies even found him attractive and seemed to hope they could marry him from the gossip you'd overheard in the little time you spent outside of the castle.

"Well?" Ivan's voice snapped you out of your little theorising state, reminding you, once again, of the difficult position you were in.

You glanced Theus' way, only to see that his head was still tilted to the ground in his submission, fists clenched and whole body shaking.

If you were to refuse Ivan's request right now... would Theus face the consequences?

Could you even bring yourself to do that to him?

He was such a sweet boy and it wasn't like he was the direct cause of your kidnapping anyway, so he didn't deserve to face any consequences just because you decided to rendezvous.

He would probably have his title stripped from him if you refused to put down your hood.

He would unable to provide for his mother, his step-father and that caring step-sister of his you unofficially met earlier on.

He would be refused any sort of job due to the General himself deeming the boy unworthy of work, leaving him unable to provide for his sweet family.

The thought made you wince.

Once again, curse you for having such a strong sense of moral.

Your hands reached up for your hood, albeit hesitantly, bottom lip becoming victims to your upper teeth as you bit it with eyes screwed shut, awaiting your inevitable imprisonment. This time, with even more chains than before.

"HELP!"

A screech that resounded from a nearby alleyway caused Ivan's horse to suddenly start to flail around.

The dark-haired man himself was also disturbed, expression narrowing further than before as his head turned towards the scream before turning back towards you. He repeated that action a couple of times before sighing in resignation.

"That can't be good." He clicked his tongue. "This is not over yet."

With a loud 'hyah!' and a whip of his reigns, he was off - leaving behind the sounds of loud galloping in his stead.

"Theus?" You turned to the shaking boy. "Are you-?"

For the second time that day, you were pulled into the tight embrace of yet another man. This time, however, it was due to fear rather than anguish.

"I'm so scared, Y/N." He whispered against your ear, shaky breath hitting your lobe at uneven intervals. "I'm so scared."

Hmmm, that interruption was a little too convenient, don't you think? Trust me, it certainly wasn't the cause of plot armour.

Lee Se-hun (이세훈) is said with the last-name first and then the first-name followed after. So in English, it would be Se-hun Lee. The hangeul symbol for 'Lee' can also be read as 'Yi' or 'I'.

Prosperitas is Latin for 'Prosperity'

What do you all think of Se-hun? I'll tell you what I think about the witch that left him just cuz he went blind-

(As always, excuse grammar errors, I'm tired)

Taglist:

@pinkrose1422

[shimano-futoshi]

~ Shimano Imagines ~ Number: idk <3

The light from the setting sun was fading as you and Shimano embraced on the balcony to your rented villa in the sunny maldives... "Hey. Shimano?" you asked him, eyes burning with desire and longing

"hrrog?" Shimano replied replyingly.

"Why do you have this scar on your back?" you asked him again, tracing a finger down his back (he was sitting on your lap romantically), along a red, deep, and slender scar reaching from his nape to the bottom of his ribs. Shimano took a deep breathed. You knew he was contemplating his answer. And contemplating whether to tell you at all. "That is a story for..." He sighed deeply, "For another day." He said as he gazed into the distance, to the setting sun over the vast blue sea (your villa was by the sea btw). "Ok" you said, but it wasn't ok because you wanted to know why he had the scar but you two had only been in a relationship for three hours so maybe it was a bit too much to ask him so soon. He'll open up eventually. You only just managed to get him to spill about his favourite colour. Who picks orange as their favourite colour anyway? Goofing. Anyway, you laid your head onto the scar, letting him know that you accept him. Everything about him. And love it too. No matter what, you love him; scars and all.

The sun set. The cold of night began to tear into your skin like talons.

"Shall we..." You blush, "warm up?" His head snapped around, eyes glaring deep and wild into yours,

"Hrg" he said. You knew what he meant as you stood up, Shimano held tight in your arms (you are HENCH), and carried him proper bridal style to the villa bedroom....

You two lay in bed.. hot and sweaty... breathing heavy and panting like crazy. You two had done it. You two had spent the last HOUR absolutely going at it. Properly engaging in such sordid acts of debauchery no one could even look at you the same afterwards... You two had... put the heating on

"'ey!!!" Shimano screamed at you, "They charge for 'lectric y'know!"

You, however, didn't care, "So?" You said to him, "we have 10 billion worth of cash the Tojo Clan's finest served up to our secret joint bank account to spend!"

Shimano hrongled suspiciously, "Hrhg. Hey be shquiet (Shimano Quiet), just in case we are bugged!" Your eyes darted around, "Bugged???" You cried and wailed and bawled and sobbed.

Shimmy wrapped his big bulbous arms around you lovingly, laying his head onto your shoulder (he was still sat upon your lap. You could hardly breathe). "Don't ya worry ya pretty little head abou' it!" His hand delicately placed itself upon your scalp and glided its way from your forehead to your nape.

"Ok" you said okingly as you rested you head onto Shimano's shoulder. It smelt like a fresh plate of scrambled eggs in the morning: Warming, delicate, homely, and eggy. Why did he smell eggy? Then, suddenly and without warning, Shimano stood up, throwing you to the end of the bed,

"HOOOORGGHH" he horghed, and he ran out of the room in a desperate hurry, leaving you alone with your thoughts:

What did I do? Does he not like me? What's wrong with me? Am I not worthy of love? We have been together for three hours now... Was it all for naught? Not only that... But we've known each other for longer... So much longer... Five. FIVE! Five hours since we first laid each others' eyes on each other... The electric chemistry... vibrant like that of old friends sparked and flew across our gazes since that very first moment. We knew each other for five hours... but those five hours felt like millennia... and now?

Nothing?

You stood up and chased after Shimano, screaming his name. "SHIMANO! SHIMANO WAIT!" You ran down the stairs to the kitchen, where you saw him... Stood there in the kitchen... waiting for you in the kitchen...l

"Hrh" he hrhed, presenting to you a plate full of... something?

"What the fuck is that," you asked him.

"Hrheggs" he hrhegged to you as your gaze focused on the black and charred blocks resting upon the plate. He had burned them. Like a twat.

"So that was that eggy smell," you revealed. to him. He looked down guiltily.

"Yeah." He yeahed.

"Smh" You said, as he turned around disappointedly. His eyes set on the bin. Your gaze rested upon his scar. You approached him and delicately laid your finger at his nape; the beginning of his scar and, just as delicately, began to trace down to the bottom of his ribs: following his beautiful mark, "I know what this is about." Shimano stopped dead in his tracks, letting burnt to fuck egg drip onto the floor,

"No," he said dismissively," you ain't meant to know." You brain flared up. What?!

"WHAT?!" You cried to him. He winced and retreated: shrinking in on himself like a todger in cold weather,

"NO! I'm not gonna tell ya!" That was it!"

"YOU'RE CHEATING ON ME AREN'T YOU?!" You blared at him, "Who is it then?!" You demanded. He strided towards to, wrapping one arm around your waist and placing a delicate finger upon your lips. Then, after a moment, he began to quietly sob,

"Nooorghhh" he protested, "I would never scheat (Shimano Cheat) on you...." he said as his big shand (Shimano Hand) placed shitself (Shimano Itself) upon your shead (Shimano Head) as it began to shoftly (Shimano Softly) drag itself down your hair, "I just shlaid (Shimano Laid) on a shgolf shclub (Shimano Golf) (Shimano Club) while I shlept (Shimano Slept) shlast (Shimano Last) shnight (Shimano Night) after my long day at the shgolf shcourse (Shimano Course).

"Oh alright" you said as you two began to shmake (Shimano Make) shout (Shimano Out) and it was very sexy and hot >:)

[distantlaughter]

A lot has been written in the press about Nico Rosberg since he debuted in Formula One last season and became one of the hottest properties in the sport. But what are Nico’s favourite things away from the race track? Find out where Nico prefers to spend his holidays, what prizes he won in school and what he’s really scared of right here!

What car do you drive? An Audi RS6 

Did you have a childhood hero? Mika Häkkinen 

Do you have a sporting hero now? Lance Armstrong 

Did you win any prizes at school? I won one for running once 

Who is your favourite band? 3 Doors Down 

What is your favourite film of all time? At the moment, Inside Man 

And who is your favourite actor? Mel Gibson 

Can you remember what the first album you ever bought was? The Lion King, when I was six year old 

What things do you enjoy most away from the track? Anything to do with sport, tennis and football especially 

If you could do any job in the world, apart from being a racing driver, what would it be? I’d definitely be a soccer player 

What’s been the most memorable race of your career? The final round of the GP2 series in 2005, and partying with my team after winning the Championship 

The most frustrating moment of your career? Pau 2003. My engine broke while I was in the lead 

Where do you keep your trophies? All over the place! 

Do you have any pets? I have a labrador called Teddy 

Did you have a favourite toy when you were a child? My racing car built from LEGO 

Have you ever bought or sold anything on eBay? I sold my mobile phone a while ago 

What’s the coolest hotel you’ve ever stayed in? Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, it was great 

Do you have a dream holiday destination? Ibiza

Is there anywhere in the world you haven’t been that you’d really like to visit? South Africa 

Your dream dinner party guests? The models that were running down the catwalk for the Victoria Secrets show last night on TV! 

Blondes or brunettes? Brunettes 

Who’s the coolest celebrity you’ve ever met? Jamiroquai 

What’s your worst habit? Losing things when I really need them 

What are you scared of? Heights 

What’s the best freebie you’ve ever been given? A cross country skiing kit 

How good is your eyesight? Like an eagle! 

What do you look for in the ladies? A pretty face, a rather healthy top circumference and honesty! 

Do you have any brothers and sisters? Nope, it’s just me 

What are your favourite shows on TV? Prison Break and 24 

What were your best subjects in school? Maths and physics 

What best describes your personality? I’m honest and competitive 

Do you speak any languages? A few! German, French, Italian, English and I’m pushing hard on the Spanish 

What’s your favourite food? Italian! Especially ravioli à la panna with some ketchup and lettuce on the top and then sprinkled with parmesan 

And your least favourite food? Frogs legs! 

What music do you listen to? U2, Bob Marley, Jack Johnson - quite a variety as you can see 

The best piece of advice anyone has ever given you? Separate in peace because you always meet twice in life

From the Williams F1 website, originally posted 04 May 2007

[hollywoodfamerp]

Discover the secrets of the Maldives night sky.

The Maldives is an incredible place for stargazing, with isolated islands far from the light pollution of big cities. Sitting almost on the equator it affords the best view of both the northern and southern skies.

Ascend for lounge cocktails or mocktails as a sunset tapestry unfolds. Expand your view of the galaxy at the Maldives’ first over water observatory. Stargaze through the Maldives’ most powerful telescope. Learn about the constellations and planets with a private astronomer. Be mesmerized with a big group of friends or go on a private stroll with someone special.

REMINDER: Paparazzi may be floating around. Any secrets or getting caught be sure to send it into the gossip blog!

[destinationfortouriststospen]

Unveiling the Hidden Charms: Nigerian Celebrities' Curious Wanderlust

Introduction:

Nigerian celebrities are not only known for their talent and stardom but also for their insatiable curiosity that drives them to explore enchanting travel destinations. As they set foot in far-flung corners of the world, they become ambassadors of wanderlust, unraveling the secrets, cultural riches, and captivating experiences that each destination holds. From the cosmopolitan allure of Dubai to the artistic streets of Paris and the mystical charm of Istanbul, these iconic travel destinations have not only captivated the hearts of Nigerian celebrities but also offer extraordinary experiences for any curious explorer. In this article, we embark on a journey to explore the favorite places of Nigerian celebrities, revealing the hidden gems that make these destinations truly irresistible.

Dubai: Beyond Extravagance and Luxury

Dubai, a city that embodies luxury and opulence, has bewitched Nigerian celebrities with its captivating allure. Beyond the extravagant shopping sprees and world-class entertainment, Dubai offers a transformative experience where Arabian heritage merges with cutting-edge innovation. Vibrant markets, thrilling desert adventures, and pristine beaches await those who dare to explore this desert paradise. Discover why Dubai's transformative magic appeals not only to celebrities but to every Nigerian seeking an extraordinary escape from the ordinary.

Monte Carlo, Monaco: Unveiling the Playground of Millionaires

Monaco, a playground for the world's elite, has lured Nigerian celebrities to its exclusive charm and sophistication. Nestled on the French Riviera, this Mediterranean gem invites celebrities and ordinary visitors alike to experience a world of luxury, glamour, and breathtaking beauty. Beyond the world-class casinos and high-end shopping, Monaco's idyllic landscapes, prestigious events, and refined lifestyle create an unforgettable escape. Uncover the hidden corners of Monaco that have captivated celebrities like DJ Cuppy and Toke Makinwa, and discover why this playground of millionaires continues to enchant visitors from around the world.

The Maldives: A Tropical Haven for Celebrities and Travelers Alike

The Maldives, a tropical paradise in the Indian Ocean, casts a spell on Nigerian celebrities and ordinary travellers alike. Its pristine white sandy beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and luxurious private resorts offer a haven of tranquillity. Dive into a world beneath the waves, indulge in blissful spa treatments, and embark on thrilling water sports adventures. Beyond the celebrity appeal, the Maldives invites Nigerians to immerse themselves in picture-perfect landscapes, unwind in luxurious accommodations, and create memories that transcend the ordinary. Escape to this slice of heaven on earth and awaken your senses in a destination that welcomes both celebrities and curious explorers.

Paris, France: Unlocking the Mysteries of the City of Light

Paris, a city that has captivated the world with its secrets and mysteries, has also beckoned Nigerian celebrities with its timeless beauty and art. Venture beyond iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum to discover hidden gems in the city's enchanting alleyways and vibrant markets. Delight your taste buds with exquisite gastronomy, mingle with locals in vibrant neighbourhoods, and find solace in the peaceful corners of hidden parks. Uncover the enigmatic treasures of Paris, where every corner whispers stories of romance, inspiration, and a captivating allure that has enchanted celebrities and curious wanderers alike.

Istanbul, Turkey: Where Ancient Tales and Modern Marvels Converge

Istanbul, a city where East meets West, has cast its spell on Nigerian celebrities who are drawn to its enigmatic charm and intriguing secrets. Traverse the labyrinthine alleys of the Grand Bazaar, where exotic spices and vibrant textiles await. Immerse yourself in Istanbul's rich past as you explore opulentlyTo plan the best vacation to these places, contact vdholiday now.