welcome to another episode of "Jess projects her experiences onto fictional characters" đ it's been a little while! (i strongly suspect that this experience of mine is the 'tism somehow, hence me subjecting my autistic king Declan to it)
anyway, the title is a truncation of the phrase "six of one, half dozen of another" which means that two options are equal in value and, thus, it doesn't actually matter which you choose. one is as good as the other.
| Jordeclan | Gen | 2.3k | Established Relationship | Verbal Shutdown | Accommodations | Fluff |
(also on AO3)
The new studio space was spacious, well-lit, and blissfully free of vegetable-esque breasts. This one also had an elevator instead of three flights of stairs, thank God. Declan stepped out of it and into the familiar scent of turpentine and canvas, strong even though all the doors along the hallway were currently closed. A small, private smile tugged at his lips, despite his mood.
Perhaps it wasnât right to call it a mood. By all accounts, Declan felt fine. His day had gone well so far, with a number of business transactions handled smoothly and efficiently, a phone number attained for a frustratingly difficult to track down associate-of-an-associate-of-an-associate, and several texts exchanged with Ronan with hardly any insults involved. It was breezy outside with just a hint of chill in the air signaling the incoming cold snap. The barista at the cafĂŠ had called him Derek again, but sheâd finally gotten his coffee order just right. Matthew had only been five minutes late to soccer practice instead of his usual ten.
Declan had had far more stressful days than this oneâhe could practically see the look Ronan would give him for the sheer magnitude of that understatementâand yet he couldnât help the tightness in his shoulders as he let himself into the studio.
Jordan was at her easel, engrossed in whatever she was working on today. Music spilled from her laptop, as it often did when she painted, and her voluminous cloud of curls jounced with every enthusiastic bop of her head. The baggy jean overalls sheâd taken to wearing had been released from her shoulders, straps instead tied haphazardly around her waist to leave her in a mildly paint-splattered sports bra instead. She was barefoot.
Some of Declanâs tension eased.
The Artist Unbound, oil on canvas, he thought. Or perhaps pastels, to capture the soft haziness of the feeling that grew in his chest to see her like this. Not for the first time, he considered taking Jordan up on her offer to teach him how to actually make art himself, instead of only appreciating othersâ. It was always said with a teasing lilt, but she meant it. Every time, she meant it.
It wasnât until one track flipped over to another less to Jordanâs liking that she noticed his presence. She immediately rerouted from the laptop to dance her way across the room, smiling, until she was close enough to kiss him.
âAbout time, Pozzi,â she said, arms sliding around Declanâs waist. âI was beginning to think youâd fallen down a manhole or slipped through a sewer grate or something equally cartoonish and ridiculous. Not because I thought it likelyâI mean, letâs be honest, if anyone is going to fall prey to cartoon physics in this, the real world, it would definitely be Ronanâbut Iâll admit, I did get a certain amount of schadenfreude from the mental image. Hope you donât mind, love you lots, anyway, what took you so long? Did Matthew lose a fight with his cleats again?â
Declan opened his mouth to tell her about the Masshole who cut him off right when he needed to change lanes to catch his exit. He was going to tell her about the ladyâs flowery âChoose Kindnessâ bumper sticker and make a quip about irony. âIf only I could be that lacking in self-awareness,â he planned to say, âitâs probably so much easier to live that way.â
He didnât say any of it. He thought it. He thought it clearly and fluently, all the words lined up and ready to go. Then he opened his mouth and nothing came out.
His shoulders inched back up toward his ears. Jordanâs fingers dug into his back, no doubt feeling the tension creep in there as well, and she pulled back a bit to look at him.
âAlright, bruv?â
Declan closed his mouth. He nodded. It both was and was not the truth.
Jordan tilted her head to the side, lips pursing. She didnât look concerned, which Declan appreciated, but the scrutiny brought more color to his cheeks than he wouldâve liked.
Tone light and easy, she said, âHand-Cat got your tongue with its weird little hands?â
That mental image, every bit as cartoonish as Ronan falling down a manhole and twice as disturbing, yanked a laugh out of him. Jordanâs smile was smug, like it always was when she managed to make Declan laugh in a way that would embarrass him if heâd done it in public, but she was still watching him carefully. Looking for clues, maybe, or for an explanation.
Declan wanted to tell her, Itâs fine.
He wanted to tell her, You donât need to worry, itâs only that my mouth has spontaneously developed a dysfunction where it refuses to produce sound.
He wanted to tell her, This happens sometimes. No, I donât know why.
He wanted to tell her, All the words are still in here, I just canât seem to get them out.
Instead, he fished his phone out of his pocket. He opened up their text thread and typed out a message, turning it around for her to read instead of sending it.
[Do you mind if I talk like this?]
Jordan had to pull back further to squint at the small screen, tightening her grip on his waist to keep from tipping over backwards. A crease appeared between her eyebrows, lips pursing again. Her eyes darted to his face for a mere second, assessing, and then her face cleared. She shrugged expansively.
âDoesnât make any difference to me, Pozzi. Words in air, words on a screenâsix of one, if you know what I mean. Call it a bakerâs dozen if you throw in emojis. Did Matthew teach you about those yet? The silly little pictures the kids are using these days?â
Declan rolled his eyes. He typed out another message.
[Iâm acquainted with the concept of emojis, yes. I didnât even need Matthewâs tutelage in them.]
He included a little old man emoji to punctuate the statement. It might have been the first time he had ever actually utilized an emoji in a text message, but Jordan didnât need to know that. It made her laugh, anyway, which was the important thing.
She stepped back out of their embrace, her hands taking a brief detour to squeeze his ass before letting him go completely, and dug her own phone out of one of her overall pockets. She held it up with a jaunty little shake.
âMind if I respond out loud?â she asked, walking backwards in the direction of her half-finished painting. âOnly, this shitâs messy, and touchscreens and fingerpainting donât get along very well. Though I suppose I could make something avant garde out of it. Statement about the sanitization of the internet and corporate whatever-you-like killing the creative spirit and whatnot. Youâd have to buy me a new phone after, if I sacrificed this one to the art gods, but I know youâre good for it.â
[You can talk normally.]
Declan sent this text, since Jordan had retreated too far to read it from his screen. She checked the message and nodded. Then she spent a minute fiddling with her phone, humming along to the laptopâs next selection. She propped it up on the edge of her easel, far enough away from the canvas to not be in danger of getting splattered, with an air of triumph.
âFutzed with the settings,â she explained. âSo it wonât time out and turn off as fast and I wonât have to keep trying to unlock it with messy fingers. If you say something and I donât notice for too long, whistle or some shit.â
Declan watched as she picked up her abandoned brush, loaded it with paint, and set about her work without further ado. It took him a moment to recalibrate. He wasnât certain exactly what reaction heâd expected, but an absence of questions, comments, or concerns apparently had not been it. Eventually, he shucked off his jacket and took up his usual position on the couch, angled just so to have the best view of Jordan herself and also a glimpse of her piece as it came together under her deft hand.
Normally, this was the part of the evening when Declan would talk. Well, he spent a lot of every day talking, but this was when he would actually say things. Things that mattered to him, stories he wanted to tell, jokes too inappropriate to make in a business setting, anecdotes no one else in his life wouldâve cared to hear but Jordan always did. Now, he turned his phone over in his hand a few times before typing out, [Missed my exit. Some Masshole with a âchoose kindnessâ bumper sticker cut me off in traffic, if you can believe that.]
Jordanâs phone buzzed with the incoming text. He watched as she finished a careful stroke of the brush before glancing down at the screen, still lit up. She snorted.
âChoose kindness? The ironyâs killing me, mate. Dâyou think she takes selfies sipping $18 frappuccinos and captions them with Love Is Love and #positivity?â
[Almost certainly.] He added a peace sign emoji. It made Jordan laugh. [But Matthew was very nearly on time today, Iâll have you know.]
Jordanâs gasp was theatrical. âReally? He does learn!â
[Miracle of miracles. He didnât even bitch when I said we didnât have time to stop for McDonaldâs. Truly, a day of firsts.]
Part of Declan thought that maybe Matthew had chosen to let it go on purposeâone of those rare moments of perceptiveness that were growing less rare with time, now that Matthew was making an effort toward, as he put it, âlearning how to think betterâ. On the way to soccer practice had been when Declanâs mouth had started to betray him. Heâd had to think âMatthew, put your seatbelt onâ six times before heâd managed to actually communicate it audibly. The McDonaldâs question had been met with a curt âno time for thatâ, forced out with far more effort than made any kind of sense for four very simple words that Declan said on a regular basis. By the time theyâd reached the school, it had been a true struggle to muster up a goodbye, and once he had, heâd known there would be no more verbalizing tonight.
Matthew hadnât seemed upset or like he thought Declan was mad at him, which was a relief because he wasnât. There had been nothing wrong. Declan wasnât even anxious about anything, beyond his general baseline. Heâd thought plenty of perfectly amiable thoughts in Matthewâs direction on that trip. Heâd told himself to say them instead, over and over. The rest of him just hadnât cooperated.
He wondered now if, had he not been driving, Matthew would have minded him texting instead. Matthew wasnât text-phobic like Ronan. He probably wouldâve been over the moon about the opportunity to introduce emoji usage into their conversations, regardless of whatever malfunction of Declanâs speech capabilities had provided it.
Jordan certainly didnât seem to mind. She chatted away the same way she always did, with only a slight delay when her eyes were too busy to spare. Text wasnât a particularly expressive medium for conveying tone, but she knew him well enough to infer when he was being wry. She did send him an amused look for how long it took him to type out several paragraphsâ worth of commentary on the Henry Wallis wannabe from down the hall, but she put down her brush to read it all eagerly enough that he didnât feel judged for it.
Despite the alteration to their routine, it felt just the same as it always did.
Declan wanted to tell her, I love you.
Instead, he texted, [Youâre really not going to ask, are you?]
Heâd been quietâso to speakâfor long enough that Jordan had to double-tap at her screen with the back of her cleanest knuckle to access the notification. She didnât need clarification or context. She just wiped some carmine paint onto the thigh of her overalls and said, âIs it something that needs asking about?â
Declan turned that question over in his head. He would have asked, if heâd been in her position. Heâd been asking himself for hours. Hell, heâd been asking himself for years, what this was and why it happened and why he couldnât just spit it out when he got like this. Heâd yet to find an answer or a solution.
But Jordan hadnât needed one. All sheâd needed was a way to keep hearing him.
I love you, I love you, I love you.
He couldnât say it right now, but he could wrap his arms around Jordanâs waist and press a kiss to her shoulder. She set down her brush in favor of reaching up to bury her fingers in his curls, cupping the back of his head to keep him close. She was undoubtedly getting in his hair. He decided that he didnât care very much. They stayed like that for most of a song, swaying gently, Jordan humming along contentedly despite this particular track not being of a genre that easily lent itself to humming.
On the easel, Jordanâs phone screen dimmed, sleep mode impending. Declan picked it up before it could go fully dark. He typed in a text and held it up for Jordan to see.
[Thank you.]
Jordan wiggled around to face him properly, settling her arms around his neck and somehow managing to trap the phone between their chests. She kissed him, sweet and slow.
âAnytime, Pozzi,â she murmured against his lips. âSix of one, know what I mean?â
honestly I love Mason and Declan as well, everytime I see Mason interact with a man I hear wedding bells, that man is so babygirl slay.
totally agree on judy!! can't believe I forgot him, him and halaand definitely did it
As of Rashford and Sancho I'm concflicted because the give me straight vibes separately and gay vibes together, maybe they're each other exceptions đđ
btw I've seen a lot people ship Kane and Son but to me Kane is as straight and boring as they come, I can see Richarlison and Son tho
Yes yes YES thank you!! Also, Iâm so sorry for the late response anon! The grad school application process has been kicking my ass đ BUT NEVER FEARâŚI HAVE RETURNED FROM MY SLUMBER
I love that you love them!! Maybe itâs just me, but I feel like there arenât many Decson shippers around these days, and I genuinely donât know why. Theyâre an underrated footy ship imo. I mean, theyâve literally got it all, from the casual touching:
To the soft, loving looks:
And of course, I canât forget the heartfelt words of affirmation:
(Please note, the pics and gifs are not mine. This is just a compilation of some of my favorite moments of these two đ I donât remember the blog names off the top of my head, but go find them, probs under the Decson tag, and show them some love, ok?)
I totally agree about Haaland and Jude. While thereâs no way of truly knowing whether or not anything happened between them, theyâve got such a natural chemistry and a really fun dynamic! Also, have you seen the video of them reciting cheesy pick-up lines for one another, because if you havenât, consider it required viewing (mostly because itâs absolutely adorable and I have a feeling youâll love it) đ
As for Rashy and JLingz, Iâm in the exact same boat. I could definitely see them being each otherâs exceptions, but only they know whether their relationship is more than friendship or not đ¤ˇââď¸
Ah yes, I definitely know about Kaneson! Iâm not on board with them as a pairing either (at least not just yetâŚIâm easily converted to any ship tho hehehe), but they make an incredible duo on the pitch, I will say that! OoohâŚI didnât even think about Son and Richarlison as a pairing! If you have any content of them (pics or anything), Iâd definitely be interested. I love learning about new ships <3
I finished greywaren and I feel like a hole has opened in my chest. Does it get better? How are you coping? what's your favorite moment in the book? Did you love it? Was it satisfying for you?
I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around it all being over for good so I can't tell yet for sure. I think I loved it (though I do wish some things were expanded) but I'm mostly just in a place where I can't get past the fact that it's over and I'm stuck trying to figure a way out so I can get to processing how I felt about the book. Anyway hope you're living your best post-Greywaren life and having none of the sadness sending good vibes â¨â¨
Hi Anon,
It does get better, I promise! There are already plenty of fics that will fill the hole in your chest with post-canon Pynch content. I'm coping surprisingly well for it being the end of new stuff from Maggie in this universe! I think the news about the graphic novels has certainly helped, but oof, 2025 is a long way away.
It's hard for me to pick a favorite moment in the book! The Matthew and Bryde moments were a riot, and of course the Pynch moments were lovely (Adam bringing Chainsaw to Ronan đĽşđĽşđĽş), but I think, if pressed, my favorite moment would be Declan unleashing absolute hell at the Fairy Market. That was just *chef's kiss*. I loved that journey for him. Matthew punching Declan was also superb. These favorite scenes are subject to change upon re-read. đ
Did I love the book...
I liked it. I think it was a satisfying end to the story. I think we got the happy ending we all expected, however, I didn't get the emotional satisfaction I thought I would. For being a story about the Lynch brothers, they were hardly on page together and there was no on-page resolution to all the conflicts between them. I thought there were scenes that were written in kind of a "cop out" way, like Adam and Ronan reconciling in the ether (I liked the scene, but it just kind of glazed everything over. There was "resolution" and "reconciliation", but not resolution and reconciliation, if you know what I mean. They just kind of wordlessly made up and that was that, and I was hoping for more than ethereal beings talking by not talking). The whole Bryde storyline just kind of fizzled out, too? After two books of Ronan dreamt this cult leader that led him to commit ecoterrorism and cause billions and billions of dollars worth of damage, it was just like đ¤ˇââď¸. I was left with way more questions than I had after finishing The Raven King, that's for sure.
So I don't know.
Don't get me wrong. I devoured Greywaren. I love this universe. But with Greywaren, I could feel that Maggie was done with it, and I'm just a little disappointed we didn't get more meat in the book. It could have used another 75-100 pages. I also didn't feel a lot of heart in it. I know she had a steep hill to climb, and that she was never going to please everyone, but I just expected a little bit more.
There's still a lot I'm trying to wrap my head around, too! So many things I'm trying to connect and understand! I constantly listen to the audiobooks and I'm back on The Raven King, so I'll hit the Dreamer Trilogy shortly. It'll be interesting to listen again knowing all that we know from Greywaren.
Sending you good vibes, too, anon! Go live your best post-Greywaren life. There will always be fics to fill in the gaps. đ
Can i be predicable and ask about pynch caroling wip??
something i started on an absolute WHIM on christmas night and then immediately ran out of steam on akldfjg, like i literally left off in the middle of a SENTENCE
but the concept is that the Lynches used to always go caroling with a group from St Agnes, and Matthew insists they do it again this year, so Ronan drags Adam along as a buffer. soft Pynch, and brothers re-bonding against their will, and digging up Cathartic Feelings from childhood, and me getting to project my musical woes upon my blorbos cuz obviously they would have all the same complaints against their fellow carolers as i would XD
the excerpt:
On December 20th, Mrs. Ramirez had asked Adam in a cheerfully wheedling tone if he could be convinced to join the St Agnes carolers when they made their rounds that weekend. Adam had responded with a polite butâhe hopedâfirm âI believe it would be in everybodyâs best interest if I didnât.â
He had hoped that would be the last of it. It probably would have been, if Adam hadnât made the grave mistake of getting home from his factory shift on the 23rd just as the carolers were gathering on the front steps of the church.
There, on the bottom step, was Ronan Lynch, a black hole of leather and combat boots in the midst of tacky Christmas sweaters and brightly colored scarves. Matthew Lynchâs sweater was the tackiest of them allâa garishly yellow number covered in little green and red angels with trumpetsâand Declan Lynchâs scarf, while muted compared to the rest in attendance, was certainly more color than Adam had ever seen on his person.
......and by "excerpt" i mean "the whole thing" cuz that's literally as much as i got written đ plus a bonus!! from my phone notes app:
Ronan: "ok, WHO took over the choir when Myrtle left and how much trouble would i get in if i hunted them for sport?"
This morning's adventure (in case you missed it, I woke up and an hour later I was attending a wedding) got me thinking about how much PB robbed us in that Vegas chapter. And I don't necessarily mean it in terms that Ethan wasn't there (he should have been there, though), but because after we caught the bad guys, all the writers could think about as a closure for those Vegas trip scenes was dancing and s*x?
I mean, come on! It would have been so fun to find out that one of the girls in the bachelorette party in Book 1 was having a Vegas wedding (or to see our MC getting too drunk and ending up having their own pretend wedding). Or to see one of our friends earning a lot of money (Sienna or Aurora would have been hilarious! đ). Or to have the gang going from club to club and having drinks in the strip because they're just residents and can't afford luxury. Or even having a shopping spree the next morning! I don't know! Having their own "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" besides a 30 diamond scene would have been great! Now everything that happened after we saw Declan for the last time seems so lame! đ
I'm fascinated by the thought of Ronan and the new Fenian, and I'm the one voting for that option in all your polls (in case you wondered)đđ So if you could tell me just a little about that fic, I'd love it! Thank you!đ
omg ty!! i answered another ask on this with my rant about the end of greywaren and why we needed more conflict BUT i will give you a lil WIP snippet. context: Ronan and Adam visit Opal in Lindenmere to get away from the Barns for an afternoon. Sleepy Adam is snoozing against a tree.
..
âYouâre quieter,â Opal said, placing a dandelion in Adamâs lap as he continued to doze. She sat in front of Ronan and took his hand, tracing the lines of his palm.
âWhat does that mean?â
âQuiescis.â You rest.
âUh, no, Adam rests,â Ronan said dryly. Opal rolled her eyes.
âNo, you.â
Like most of his conversations with Opal, he didnât understand. But there was a solemness to her now, one that saw him as he was. âDid you always know what I was? Or what I am?â
Opal looked at him with her wide blue eyes, moss and leaves and other foliage woven through her messy blond hair. She nodded once, very seriously, then said, âyou always knew, too.â
âI didnât,â he disagreed.
âYou mustâve!â she protested, inching forward. She pressed her small hand over his heart. âHow could I know it if you didnât?â
Ronan caught sight of Adamâs old watch still fastened around her wrist. Chainsaw dipped down from the tree above, hopping through the dirt to perch beside them. She adopted the same look as Opal, head cocked to one side, studying him.
âI hate when you both do that,â he grumbled. âItâs creepy.â
Opal waved her arms at Chainsaw who squawked back in defiance. Ronan hushed them, glancing at Adam, who of course didnât even move. He could sleep anywhere.
âYou have questions,â Opal said confidently, standing up and piling up some long grass and moss beside Adam.
âNo I donât.â
âYou canât lie,â she said. Not donât or wonât, but canât like he was unable to. She sat on her knees beside Adam and began to weave bits of the foliage through his hair to match hers. He slept on. Ronan allowed it.
Did he have questions? He felt at peace knowing what he was, an explanation that was enough for him. He met other dreamers, knew there was a whole world of them out there. He now had the ability to travel the world, not tied to any ley line, now with his sweetmetal tattoo. He had his brothers back in his life and despite still wanting to argue with Declan and Ronanâs lying to Matthew, he recognized their love for one another and their relationship was at least stable. So did the rest of it matter?
..
Not any new fenian vs ronan content in there but theres some opal for ya.
hi! if you were to say which english football player are lgbt who would you say? this is coming from a bi girl so no hate just wondering!! my money's on mason mount, reece james (maybe WITH mason mount) and jack grealish
Hi anon! Thanks sm for asking me đ hmmâŚthis is a tough one, as I havenât really subjected the English footballers to my gaydar all that much (which is kinda surprising, given how much time I devote to finding the fruity in footy), but I like a challenge! I definitely agree with you about Mason Mount and Jack Grealish (Jack oozes bi energy imo, so I donât think he was ever in doubt đ¤ˇââď¸). Iâll be honest: Iâd never thought about Mason Mount and Reece James together (usually when I think of Mason Mount with anyone, my first thought is Declan Rice đ), but after consulting the evidence, they really kind of work? Iâm picking up a â¨vibeâ¨. I like the way you think! As for the other English players, Jude Bellingham might actually be the least straight Englishman of the bunch imo. At the very least, he came down with a serious case of gay panic at the 2022 World Cup. I present to you exhibit A, which you may or may not have already seen:
Iâve always kinda thought Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard had something going on as well, something beyond just friendship. They banter and bicker like an old married couple and I love it đ idk, thereâs a little spark. I see it in the way they look at each other (especially Jesse, who always looks at Marcus like he makes the world turn). I see it in the way that whenever theyâve played on the same team, Jesse would always be the first to step in and defend Marcus and Marcus would do the same for him.
Hereâs some of my favorite moments of them:
Oh, the sweet relief of being in Rashyâs arms
Just two bros resting against each other or whatever
Because thereâs no injury a little head pat/head rub combo from Beans wonât solve
The best way to tell if two people are in love? Itâs all in the eyes đ
âMaybe if I share my earbud with him, Iâll have a subtle excuse to touch him in front of millions of people.â
âNo babe, theyâre not worth it!â *grabs titty*
And obviously Iâd be remiss if I didnât include two crucial pieces of Jarcus heritageâŚIâm sure you guessed it: the classic âNey, sunny innit?â, and its equally chaotic sequel, âNey, freezinâ innit?â. I mean, what kind of person would forget about a saga like that?
I guess this kinda devolved into a Jarcus tangent, anonâŚoops 𤣠long story short, Iâm sure thereâs some English footballers Iâm missing, so if thereâs anyone you feel should have made this list, let me know (that goes for any of you reading this too đ)! And you donât have to agree with me either, these are just my thoughts on the matter :)
Trent not singing it is not a big deal. England should work on their shitty manager and team before attacking Trent every chance they get./// HA this made me laugh đ. Right Southgate out. Unless by some MIRACLE England win, his time is UP. I mean Southgate did not seriously think that the team he picked is the best possible team to win. Now if we win I'll take all of that back. I was watching a video and I think Declan said that he's making room in suitcase for the trophy đ¤Ł. He needs to slow down and relax, be able to run in that heat first before you say anything.
i definitely see him getting sacked if they donât win tbh. - arlene
Summary: "They say they want to make the monarchy more modern, to be closer to the people, but then your parents would prefer it if you married a guy whose Godfather is the freaking Prince of Monaco, instead of a guy from Kingston."
Or the love story between Princess Eleanor, heir to the British throne, and Declan Rice, English football player.Â
Authorâs note:Â This story has been sitting on my drafts for maybe two months because I never was completely happy with it, and tbh, I still feel the same. Though sometimes those are the ones people like the most đ I got inspired to write it during the World Cup when people here in Spain went crazy about the idea of Princess Leonor and Gavi dating and him becoming the future King because she, apparently, is her fan and has a crush on him đ That's why on this story, the British Royal family has the name of the Spanish one đ Â
Hope you like it, and thank you for reading! đ
Next chapter
Masterlist
"Ok, ask me one more."
"Dad..."
"Just one more, please."
"Fine" I say, rolling my eyes. "Who is that one?" I ask, pointing at the papers he has on his hands.
"That's easy. Aaron Ramsdale, goalkeeper, plays for Arsenal."
"See? You know them all. Relax."
"I just want to do this right. You are the one into sports, not me."
"You'll be fine, you already know them all from the Euros."
"Yeah" he says, letting out a big sigh. "What about you? Are you nervous?"
"Why would I be?"
"You may be meeting one of your crushers."
"I don't have a crush on anyone on the national team."
"Oh, c'mon Eleanor. You watch all their games, you must fancy at least one of them."
"I don't" I shrug.
"Not even Mason Mount? I've heard girls think he is fit."
"That he is what?" I laugh.
"Fit. That's what Sophie says about boys who are handsome and attractive."
"Yes, Sophie. But not you."
"Why? Because I'm old?"
"No, because you are the King of England."
"Whatever" he says. "You don't like anyone, then?"
"No one. So you better not try anything or do what you did when we met One Direction years ago."
"What did I do?"
"Tell Niall Horan that I had a crush on him? That I had photos of him in my room?"
"Oh, yes" he chuckles. "But don't worry, I won't do it again. I learnt my lesson."
"You better. Just imagine that someone hears something and runs to the press with it. I can already see the headlines: Princess Eleanor in love with a football player. And they'll probably pick the worst option."
"Like Grealish."
"You said it, I didn't" I laugh.
"We've arrived, sir" our driver says.
"Good, good. Are you ready?"
"Ready" I say, taking a deep breath before we step out of the car.
As part of all the media events the national football team is doing before they travel to Canada for the World Cup, we are meeting with them to say our farewells and also give them a little something to remember the occasion. And when I say we, I mean my dad, King Philip of England, and I, Princess Eleanor, heir to the throne.
"Welcome to St. George's Park, your Royal Highness" Gareth Southgate says when we walk in. "The boys are waiting over here."
"Wonderful" my dad says. "How are they feeling?"
"Ready. They can't wait to get on that plane."
After a few words from my dad and the gaffer, it's time to give the players that little something we had for them: a shirt with their number and the name of all the players who have previously worn it.
"We'll do one each, ok?" my dad tells me.
"Ok."
We start calling each player, congratulating them and posing for a photo, everything going smoothly... until it doesn't. Until I froze in place when I find myself looking at the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen.
"Your Royal Highness" he says with a smile as breathtaking as his eyes.
"Hi" I reply, my voice sounding all squeaky.
"I was looking forward to meeting you."
"Me? Really?"
"Yes, ma'am. My mum is a big fan of yours, she says you are the best royal."
"Oh, she's too kind" I giggle. I giggled. Why did I do that? What am I, 12?
"Should we pose for the photo?"
"Uh?" I ask, still looking at him. How is he real? How is it possible that I had never noticed that Declan Rice was this handsome?
"The photo, Eleanor" my dad says behind me.
"Oh, yes, sorry. The photo" I repeat, trying to compose myself a bit.
"Big smiles... Perfect" the photographer says.
"Thank you" Declan smiles, taking the box where the shirt is, our fingers touching slightly but making me feel electricity through my whole body. And call me crazy, but judging by the way he looked at me when it happened, he felt the same.
Once we are done giving all the shirts, Southgate gives my dad and I a tour of St. George's Park, but I can't stop thinking about Declan. About his eyes, his smile, about the way that small touch made me feel. I still don't know how I managed to keep going, to be honest.
When we walk outside, some players are practicing free kicks on the training pitch, Declan among them.
"Eleanor, why don't you show these boys how it is done?" my dad says.
"What?"
"We all saw you training with the lionesses, ma'am. That right foot of yours can do things" Mount chuckles.
"But I'm not wearing the right shoes."
"C'mon, ma'am" Southgate insists.
"Ok, then. But if I end up breaking a window, or worse, my ankle... it is your fault" I say, making them all laugh.
"Ready, Rambo?" Rashford asks before shooting.
"Give me your best!" Ramsdale shouts.
"That was so good" my dad says when Rashford scores. "Your turn now, darling."
"Ma'am" Declan says, giving me a ball.
"Thank you" I reply, trying to avoid looking at him, my cheeks already getting hot. "Don't go soft on me, Ramsdale."
"I won't, ma'am" he says with that big smile of his.
"See?" I sigh after shooting and sending the ball far far away. "Wrong shoes."
"Try again" Declan says, putting another ball in front of me. "I know you can do it."
"Will you pay for the window I'm going to break?"
"And I'll carry you to the infirmary myself if you break your ankle" he smirks, making me feel funny things on my stomach, and my father clear his throat behind us.
"Ok" I whisper, trying to forget the thought of his arms around me and taking a deep breath, focusing only on the ball.
"I knew it!" Declan says next to me when the ball goes in, Ramsdale not being able to stop it.
"You believed in me more than I did."
"I've seen you play before, I know what you can do."
"You have?"
"Yep. When you were like... 15? You played a charity game in my area and my mum took the whole family to watch you. I remember that you scored and amazing free kick."
"Oh, wow. I don't know if I remember that day" I chuckle. "I'll have to check the photos back home. I may even see you."
"I didn't look this good, tho. You may not recognize me" Declan says with a cheeky smile.
"But you still had the same eyes, didn't you? Those are hard to miss."
"Thank you, ma'am" he replies, his cheeks turning a dark shade of pink. Did I just make him blush? Me? Oh, wow. "I also remember that I didn't expect a princess to play football like that."
"What did you expect, then?" I ask, raising a brow.
"I don't know" he shrugs. "Maybe that you enjoyed other type of sports, like cricket or that thing with the horses."
"Equestrianism."
"That one, yes."
"Posh sports."
"Yeah..." he chuckles, scratching the back of his head and making the muscles on his arm pop. Why did he have to do that when I was finally acting normal around him, maybe even flirting? Now I'm stuck again just looking at him.
"We must go, Eleanor."
"What?"
"It's time for us to go, the boys have to train" my dad says.
"Oh, yes, of course."
"It was really nice meeting you, ma'am" Declan says.
"You too."
"See you in Canada?"
"See you in Canada" I repeat
"Great" he says with a big smile that makes whatever I'm feeling on my stomach be more intense. "Until then."
"Bye" I say, definitely smiling like an idiot.
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"That was nice, wasn't it?" my dad says once we are back in the car.
"Really nice, yes."
"Fell in love with any of them?"
"What?" I say, feeling my cheeks getting hotter and hotter by the second.
"I was only joking, relax."
"Oh" I reply with a nervous laugh.
"You are a clever girl. You know that you can't fall in love with a football player."
"Why not? You married mum and she was a journalist."
"One with a degree and a PhD, a serious career. These boys have nothing beyond money and being good looking. At least some of them" he chuckles.
"These days more and more players are studying while playing, tho" I point out.
"Still, it isn't enough. You are meant to be the next Queen of England. You must marry accordingly."
"Dad, this isn't the 15th century."
"I know, I know. But there are certain things that must still be kept in mind. So when you travel to Canada to support the team, do not fall for any of them, ok?" he laughs.
"Ok" I say, rolling my eyes and looking out the window, thinking that it may be a bit late for that.
hii i saw your tags about declan's middle name under one of my posts and i thought i'd let u know maggie confirmed it as tadhg a while back on twitter :)
ooohhhh, that's good to know!!
pronounced like "tie-g", means poet, was a popular name for princes and kings once upon a time and then got so common that it became a slang stand-in for, like, Default Generic That Guy name
all of which feels pretty fitting for Declan đ
(also for his birthday, I know very very little about astrology but I've decided he's a late may gemini, specifically so that he's 18 immediately before Niall's death and also because the stereotype for geminis is that they're two faced bitches (affectionate) lmao)
Itâs not that deep, he isnât the first to do this and certainly wonât be the last. Judging his character for his purchase is wild //
Itâs not just mason I thought same about rashford and declan.
Just isnât my cup of tea and the personalisation screams ego to me in my opinion and thatâs valid and so is youâre own opinion. People donât have to have the same views as you but it doesnât mean theyâre views are wrong
exactly that, i didnât even know dec and rashy had it until yesterday when everyone was saying đ
I didnât think I could like anyone more than Sloane, but boy was I proven wrong. Riley and Malek are my new favorites. Leave it to the Keller sisters to fall in love with their kidnappers lol.
For book three, the way these two fall in love⌠ugh, it was just so good. Iâm not one for angst, but the back and forth Malek was going through had me craving more. And then when he took the plunge, I was all in. I also love how little Riley, who thought she was an ugly duckling, came into her own and charmed the king of the Bratva all on her own.
And donât even get me started on that love triangle. Iâm just glad it was solved in the end.
This book had me actually disliking some characters I fell in love with in the previous books, so Iâm hoping book four will make me love one of them again.
Now here are my rambling thoughtsâŚ
* So Riley is Sloaneâs sister and theyâre not exactly friendly⌠this is going to be interesting.
* Come on, Kage. I liked you in book one. Donât be a dick now đ
* Okay, Spider. I see you đ And Riley, donât even sweat it. You check out his package all you want đ
* Omg. Spider is a shy guy! Can I keep him?
* Lmao. First Mal thinks Riley is homeless, now he thinks sheâs a whore. Also, how the fuck did he find Declan so fast?
* Awww. So Rileyâs the âugly ducklingâ and resents her sister. But now things are looking up. I love that she so blatantly ogles Spider đ
* Mal thinks Riley is being abused. Omg.
* Goddamn. Mal really just gave her all that cash?
* And now they know Diegoâs alive?! Why do they seem scared tho?
* Wow, Sloane. Way to listen to your sister. Now I canât wait for Mal to kidnap her.
* Oh damn. He knows Riley is Declanâs family. Heâs gonna take her. Yeesssssss!
* Mal really is a fucking ghost. How does he keep finding her and not set off any alarms?
* Also, woo! He kissed her to shut her up. I love it.
* Holy shit. Holy shit! Mal shot Kieran, Riley took a bullet meant for Mal, and Spider has a whole lot of explaining to do when he wakes up after being bludgeoned for shooting Riley.
* Aww. Spider loves Riley⌠but Riley totally wants to bone Malek.
* And wtf is up with all these supposed dead mean actually being alive. For fuckâs same. Do we even know a Killian Black? So many names are being tossed around. Iâm confused.
* They way Mal is taking care of Riley is making me swoon. Omg. Get better already so you can bone!
* Shit. Spider has already been spotted in Moscow and Mal paid him a visit. Itâs adorable Spider wants to take her home, but that crush is definitely one sided.
* Goddammit. I know Mal was teasing Riley, but Iâm the one feeling like he was teasing. Asshole. Lmao.
* So a bear attack was all it took for Mal to fuck Riley? đ
* Man⌠this relationship of theirs is a fucking rollercoaster. Holy hell.
* I donât like that Malâs boss knows about Riley. And invited them to dinner at one in the morning.
* So the meeting actually went⌠good? Oh thank god.
* Man, Rileyâs got some balls sassing the king of the Bratva đ As least he was endeared by her đ¤ˇđťââď¸
* A story where the girl doesnât know sheâs dead..? A love story with ghosts..? Aww man, Iâm thinking of Pen Pal now.
* Nooooo. Everything was going so good. Donât break up with her. Donât let Spider take her. I fucking hate this.
* Sheâs fucking pregnant!!! And Mal doesnât know. And omg. Just go back to Russia already!!
* Riley declaring the Mob and Bratva have blood ties, and someone cheering in the background that she thinks is Nat⌠I can picture that. A drunken Nat cheering because fuck these touch macho dudes. Itâs the women with all the power.
* The fucking band playing âwe are familyâ đ