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libraryofloveletters · 8 months

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Find Your Way Home

Daniel Ricciardo x Engineer!Fem!Reader

Warnings: the curse that is mclaren racing, < mclaren/zak slander, the highs and lows of Danny's career, monaco 2016, horner warning lmao, a few bitter words, angst, unspoken feelings, sadness, 2022 silly season and a few swear words.

Word Count: 4.6k

Author's Note: after plotting this, i realized that The Red String Of Me And You follows a similar timeline but this one is more detailed and sooo much sexier of me so enjoy it :)

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RedBull Racing - 2014; Montreal, Canada.

Under-qualified crossed your mind every time you got into your chair on the pit wall.

You had recently graduated and you were lucky enough to snag a job with Red Bull Racing. You were told it would be a job at the factory, that you would be handling the reviews from the races from an engineering point of view.

Now you were sitting on the pit wall in Montreal, your driver in your ear. "Are we set?" His voice came through.

Your eyes scanned over the screens, pressing the button. "We're all set, Daniel."

Daniel was gunning for his first race win and you've been hoping and praying every weekend that he'd win. It was your first time as a race engineer and you were starting to think you two hadn't fully clicked yet, hence why you've yet to get a win.

He starts in P6 and his teammate Sebastian, was in P3 this weekend. There's a lot of pressure when your teammate is a 4 time world champion and you're sure Daniel felt it, especially on weekends like this.

You sat patiently, buzzing into him once more before they started the countdown. "Be safe."

"Safe is my middle name, y/n."

"Whatever you say, Joseph." The use of his actual middle name earned you a laugh. The radio falls silent; three, two, one, lights out.

It's a gruesome 70 laps, there's overtaking left and right, Daniel fights his way up to P3 and you're praying he can do what he does best. You watch as the laps count down towards the final one.

67, 68, 69, and into the final corner. The navy car crossed the line and it takes you a second to catch yourself. Christian squeezes your arm from next to you, a massive grin on his face when you register what just happened.

"YOU DID IT!!" You shouted into the radio, Daniel's laughter and hollering filled your ears and your heart with love and happiness, "we did it!" he shouts, correcting you.

Everyone's running, you're following the mechanics to under the podium, all of you squished up against the fence like sardines as the navy team awaited their two drivers.

Daniel had won, followed by Nico in P2 for Mercedes and Sebastian in P3 for RedBull.

Seb runs over to his half of the garage, there's a sea of navy and everyone is mixed up together but when Daniel gets out of his car, he's looking for one person and one person only. He spots you, a big smile on your face and even though he knows you'd never admit it, there are tears in your eyes.

The driver jumps straight into your arms, putting all of his weight on you and the fence. A few of the mechanics squeeze into the hug, holding Daniel so he doesn't crush you.

Your hands cup his face, well what would be his face under the helmet. His visor is lifted, brown eyes meet yours; the crinkles by his eyes signalling to the massive smile under the helmet.

"We fucking did it!" His shout comes out muffled.

You smile, nodding. Daniel is standing again, still holding onto you. He leans into you, arms wrapped around you with his face buried in your shoulder. You kiss the side of his helmet, hand reaching down to rub the top of his back. You internally gag at the dampness that meets your hand but that was the least of your concerns.

Daniel just won his first race.

Proud was an understatement.

RedBull Racing - 2016; Monte Carlo, Monaco.

He could taste the victory.

The win was reaching out to him, the finish line on the tips of his fingers and he could feel it slipping away from him.

"Pit now," you called to him, Daniel was confused by your sudden decision. "Tyres are good, y/n."

"Team decision, please pull into the pit lane."

Daniel groans letting you know he'll be there in a few seconds.

You saw when he pulled into the pits, watching as the mechanics scrabbled to get the tyres ready in time. They had Daniel sitting there, his position falling with each wasted second.

"What the fuck!" His radio was still on, you weren't even sure what you could tell him in that moment to make him feel better. He pulls out with a sense of speed you'd never seen before. He finds himself racing to beat Lewis coming out of the pit lane but the Mercedes turns into the corner before he gets the chance too, overtaking him.

"Why did we pit?" He asks you, you pretend not to hear him as you look over at Christian. The older man gives you a look, urging you to answer the driver.

Daniel calls your name once again, his voice making you want to cry; all of the horrible emotions mixed in with the guilt of the horrible pit stop made you sick.

You finally answer; "team decision."

He scoffs, it's like you can feel the tension over the radio, see the way his hands tighten around the steering wheel as he goes into the tunnel. "Bullshit, y/n."

"I'm sorry Dan-" "Stop, nothing you could say will make this better."

And with that, the radio fell silent. The nauseous feeling builds with each passing second, your leg shaking and your eyes staying fixed to the screen until Daniel crosses the finish line in P2.

It was better than nothing but you knew he could have won the race, you knew he would blame the team, blame the crew, blame you for this loss.

Christian squeezes your shoulder as he gets up, a smile on his face - his quiet way of telling you good job. He knows how difficult drivers can be, especially when things like this happen. The race engineers are the first to take the blame, you called him into the pit so you'd take the brunt of the anger.

You nod, hearing Daniel's voice over the radio, "place?"

"P2. Well done, Daniel."

"Okay."

Daniel stood next to Lewis, Checo on the other side of the Mercedes driver. It was quiet as you watched Daniel shake the champagne bottle, spraying over his fellow drivers. He had a smile on his face but you knew he wasn't happy. You knew him like the back of your hand and once again, the nauseous feeling creeped up the back of your throat, the feeling strangling the life out of you with each passing second. You had to go, you couldn't stand there and watch him like that, knowing you were the one he was blaming.

And that he did; not in so many words but the bitterness in his voice and way he spoke was enough to tell you he did not want to be there.

The interview replayed in the debrief that afternoon, the press officers wanting to go over something he had said.

"It hurts, this one hurts a lot. More than any other."

His words hurt you.

You couldn't even bring yourself to look at him, let alone be in the same room as him. There was a sense of despair, you couldn't shake it.

It wasn't until you were about to leave that you found yourself turning back, walking in the direction of his driver's room. You stopped outside the door; D. Ricciardo, 3 - with an Australian flag beside it. As you were about to knock, Michael opens the door, a bit shocked to see you.

"Is he in there?" You asked quietly and he nodded, stepping aside to let you in. Michael shuts the door on his way out, leaving the two of you alone.

Daniel's yet to turn around or yet to realize you were there. "I'm sorry," you speak, your quiet voice startling him. "I'm not sure what went wrong."

"Everything did."

"It wasn't my decision."

"You're my engineer; when I'm out there, it's me and you. It was your decision, y/n. Only yours."

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I really am."

"Nothing you can say will fix it, and I know you're sorry but right now, I don't want your sorry."

You nod, taking a step back. "Then what can I say? Or do?"

"You can leave," his arms fold over his chest. "Because if you stay, I might say some things I can't take back. I know we aren't cool right now but I don't want to hurt you, y/n."

"You already have," you give him a tight lipped smile, the sadness clear across your face. "Goodnight Daniel."

RedBull Racing - 2018; Monte Carlo, Monaco.

It was off to a good start, Daniel had managed to give it his all and snag pole position on Saturday. He was in a good mood, there's a smile on his face and the sun was shining down on Monaco which was a nice change from the rain that was setting up in the morning.

The cars on the grid, the drivers counting down the seconds to lights out. You buzz into him, waiting to hear the little click. Daniel's breathing comes through from his side.

“50% done, remember?” You tell him.

“50% done.” He says, the radio goes quiet as he waits for lights out.

Daniel drove amazingly, despite the issues the car was giving him. He finds himself aggravated half way through the race, the car giving out on him and losing power; thus losing hope in himself. The win was slipping through his fingers all over again with each passing corner and turn.

The weight was lifted off his shoulders when you watched him cross the finish line as the winner.

"P1 baby!!!!" You shout into the radio, Daniel's hollering fills the line and a big smile on both of your faces. "We fucking did it!!" He laughed, driving his cool down lap.

You were by the fence, watching as he climbed onto the halo of his car. Daniel's hand in a fist, placed on his chest as the team cheered. You're sure you've got the goofiest grin on your face, squished between Christian and Adrian.

Much like he did after his first race win, he makes a beeline straight for you, his arms open as he jumps into yours. Once again, you find yourself struggling to hold the man up but you try your best, arms wrapped around him.

Daniel's squished against you, your hands on his helmet, holding where his jaw would be. "Got that other 50%."

"Redemption day baby!" He shouts, giving you one last squeeze.

The rest of the afternoon was like heaven on earth; the smell of champagne, RedBull and chlorine covered everyone, you all watched as Daniel dived into the pool of the energy station.

"Come on!" He shouts to you but you shake your head, "I'm not getting in there."

Daniel pulls himself out of the pool, running over to you. "Dan, no." Your finger stuck out to warn him, the man comes closer. "Stop it," you get up, about to run away. He grabs you before you get the chance to run away, his arms wrapped tightly around you before he jumps into the pool.

"Daniel!" You scream when you get back up to the surface, "oh my god!" You laughed, your hand passed over your face to wipe away the water. He laughs, swimming - more like blobbing his way over to you, his race suit was weighing him down.

He grabs your arm, pulling you to him. The team photographer takes a photo of the two of you; arms wrapped around each other, covered in disgusting pool water with the world's biggest million watt smiles on your face.

You smile at the man next to you, "I'm so proud of you."

"I'm proud of you," he smiles, hugging you once more. "I couldn't have done it without you."

RedBull Racing - 2018; Abu Dhabi.

The announcement over the summer break threw everyone for a loop.

Breaking News: Daniel Ricciardo set to join Renault Racing for the 2019 season.

You weren't sure how to handle it or what prompted it.

Well that's not entirely true; after Monaco, things went downhill fast. There was bad result after bad result and it was weighing heavily on him.

When he returned from the summer break, you didn't say anything to him about the departure from the team. You knew he must have thought about it, you don't just up and leave a team just like that. It was a hard decision for him to make.

The last thing you wanted to do was make him feel worse.

It was his last day, the race was over and Daniel had made his rounds to say goodbye to everyone. You had been busy when he made his way around the garage and hospitality but you felt like a general goodbye wasn't enough for the man who you have spent almost every day with for the last 4 years of your life.

You knocked on the door of his driver's room, Michael smiles when he opens the door. "Come in, y/n."

Daniel turns when he hears your name. "I uh, I forgot something in the garage, I'll be back." Micheal says, announcing that he's leaving so you'd get a moment of privacy.

The two of you were quiet, looking at each other for a moment before you spoke.

You break the silence. “So this is it?”

“Yeah.” He nods, shifting from one foot to the other. You hum, lips pressed together as you look around. You'd never seen the room so empty. “Do you really have to go ?”

Daniel smiles, “afraid so, bags are packed.”

“You could always unpack.”

He smiled, his heart aching at the sight of you. You reached out, your hand placed on his warm cheek. “But you’ll come back, right?”

A sad smile on his face, bringing his own hand up to rest on yours. “In another life, maybe.”

“You promise?” You stuck your pinky out towards him.

He nods, interlocking his pinky with yours like you were children. “I promise.”

Renault Racing - 2020; Imola, Italy.

The rain poured down, the night sky as dark as it could possibly get as you pulled your hood over your head; the race hadn't gone as well as you'd like but you were no longer needed for the night, on your way back to your hotel for some sleep and then home before you head off to Turkey.

You could barely see where you were going let alone hear anything over the rain. The sudden shelter over you caused you to look up; an umbrella, a black and yellow one to be precise.

The man next to you smiles when you turn to see who was next to you. "Hello stranger," he grinned, the big smile on his face.

"Hello Daniel," you smiled.

The two of you hadn't spoken much since he left RedBull, it was a hi and a hello here and there in passing but you've yet to have a proper conversation. Frankly, you aren't sure what to say without it being awkward.

"Need a ride?" He asks, his arm over your shoulder to pull you away from the rain. "If it's not too much trouble." You pull the hood off of your head, flattening a few fly aways.

Daniel leads you towards the parking lot, holding the umbrella over your head until you get into the car. The man backed out of the parking spot, the sound of the rain on the windshield filled the silence, you translated the road signs in your head as he passed them by.

"You looked good up there today," you say quietly, Daniel glanced at you when he came to a stop. "You were always suited for the podium."

"Top step though," he smiles and you nod in agreement. "I'm sorry.. about the race. Sucks for Max and Alex."

You shrugged; A DNF for Max and P15 for Alex, so all in all, a shit weekend. "That's racing, what can you do?"

"The good and the bad." He pulls off when the light turns green. "You know how it is," you smiled, picking at the chipped nail polish on your index finger.

"Daniel, can I ask you something?"

"Oh full name, you've got me shakin' in my boots, y/n; but yes you can."

You shift in the leather seat, smooth and expensive and suddenly you're aware of how wet your hoodie is. The question you wanted to ask slips away momentarily as you think of how much this must be damaging the seat.

"Y/n," he calls out to you, glancing over to make sure you were alright after you had gone quiet. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Why are you running, Daniel ?"

The question catches him off guard, the car comes to a stop as he pulls into the parking lot of your hotel. His jaw hung open a bit as if he was unsure how to answer you; which he was. You watched as he blinked, trying to gather the thoughts in his head into a cohesive sentence.

"I'm not."

You can't help but chuckle; those who are running never seem to realize that they are, in fact, running.

"You are. You have a habit of doing that, Daniel."

You reach over, your hand rests atop of his; Daniel's skin is warm in comparison to yours that's still ice cold from the rain. His free hand moves, his index finger tracing up and down your hands, from your knuckles down to your wrist; another habit of his. He would distract himself during boring debriefs, his fingers pinching at yours under the table.

He's quiet, still unsure how to answer the statement that he knows in his heart was true. His fingers wandering over your hand, the raised skin by your thumb felt out a pattern identical to his; a rose in the same spot only slightly smaller in size.

Daniel had talked you into it. Another habit of his, getting you to do things you'd never do otherwise.

You were scared, you thought it would hurt but somehow he managed to talk you into it. There you were in his hotel room, Daniel's hand in your free one as you two got matching tattoos.

It felt like a million years ago - so much has changed since then.

You speak again, breaking the silence. "I hope you find what you're looking for at McLaren. You deserve some peace, Dan. You and I both know it."

McLaren Racing - 2021; Monza, Italy.

Back where he belongs.

A hell of a drive, something only Daniel could have pulled off after the horrendous start that was McLaren. You knew it was the car, not him; if anyone asked you, the car was always at fault. Daniel was one of the most talented drivers you had ever come across and had the pleasure of working with. You'd tell anyone who asked, anyone who'd listen to you.

It was a lacklustre weekend for the team; Checo was in P5 and Max had a DNF after an accident with Lewis, which caused both drivers to lose out on points that were needed for the championship.

Despite RedBull not having a driver on the podium, you and a few of the mechanics that used to work on Daniel's side of the garage went to watch the podium to cheer him on.

You watched as he and Lando did a shoey, your face twisting into disgust much like the younger McLaren driver. Valtteri watched in a bit of confusion and disgust, shaking his head as he took a swing of champagne from the bottle like a normal person.

The champagne bottle in one hand and the other on the railing as he climbed up. Daniel shouts, a big grin on his face as he lifts the bottle above his head. Everyone cheers for him, clapping and shouting for the winner. You were needed back in the garage for a meeting so you couldn't stick around long but you made sure to text Daniel.

To Daniel Ricciardo: Congrats winner! Back on the top step.

You got caught up in the meetings, back to back that felt never ending. Eventually you have a chance to check your phone but when you feel your pocket, it's not there.

You must have put it down somewhere. You find yourself retracing your steps, asking each person you saw as you passed by.

"Y/n!" GP calls for you, getting your attention. "Looking for this?" He holds up a phone with a navy blue case, your initials inscribed in gold on the bottom.

You let out a breath, "how'd you know?"

He hands the phone over to you, shrugging. "You know I always know." You roll your eyes at your co-worker's theatrics and thank him for your phone before walking off. You see you've missed a few messages so you scroll through. One in particular catches your eye.

From Daniel Ricciardo: Thanks boss lady! Congrats to you too, you helped make me the man I am today.

The message pulled on your heart strings; it was true. You and Daniel were so young when you got paired up together. You learnt a lot about life and yourselves, how to be a good person and what you wanted from life, and most importantly, how to get it.

You grew up together and Daniel would always hold a special place in your heart.

McLaren Racing - 2022; Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

You couldn't believe it.

After everything he's done for the team, he'd hurt him like that. What could you expect from a team when their CEO was a walking snake?

It was a chain reaction.

Sebastian had thrown everyone for a loop in Hungary, announcing that he would be retiring at the end of the 2022 season. That left Aston looking for a replacement that came from Fernando. There was an opening at Alpine now which they just assumed they'd fill with their reserve driver, Oscar.

Safe to say Oscar wasn't a fan of that plan, actually he wasn't even aware of that plan.

While all of this was going on, Daniel had publicly committed to McLaren for the next season and McLaren was giving away his seat to different drivers behind his back, including none other than Alpine's reserve driver, Oscar.

Eventually it did come out that Daniel would be leaving McLaren at the end of the 2022 season to no fault of his own.

Returning from the summer break, everyone is left to face the music; particularly Daniel.

His music shuts off when he pulls the key from the ignition. You had forgotten your pass in the car, walking all the way back to the parking lot to get it.

"Morning, y/n!" Daniel grins, stepping out of the car.

You smiled at him, knowing you can't show the anger you were feeling to that wretched team he has to work with for the rest of the season. "Morning, Danny. How are you?"

He laughs.

The question feels so stupid, he feels so stupid. Obviously there's the obvious, he's angry, upset, sad, mad; at who was the question. There's so many thoughts in his head, he isn't sure how to answer your question.

"Daniel, c'mon. Seriously. "

"I'll be okay, y/n. Life works in weird ways."

A huff slips past your lips, arms folded across your chest much like a disapproving mother. "Life working in weird ways is finding something you thought you lost years ago, not you getting sold out of your seat without your knowledge."

He gives you a sad smile, nodding in agreement. "I know."

You can't help but reach out, a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be okay."

"I always am, aren't I?"

Red Bull Racing - 2022; Abu Dhabi.

Headphones covered your ears, legs folded under you as you went over the last set of race footage.

You hadn't heard the door open, your eyes glued to the screen only looking away to scribbling something down on the page next to your laptop.

You barely get a second to look back before someone's hands over your eyes, startling you. Instinctively, you brought your own hands up, grabbing the person. The raised skin along the wrist and the arms was enough to signal who it was but the smell of his cologne filled the room. You let go of his arms, pulling the headphones off your ears.

Daniel smiles, his hands on your shoulders before you stand up and turn to face him. “Miss me, miss me, now you gotta-“

“Gotta what, Dan?”

“Kiss me,” he says, his signature cheeky grin on his face. You can’t help but smile, pressing a kiss to his cheek. You smooth the wrinkles on his navy blue shirt, admiring him in the colours that meant home to him, to you.

Your hands held his face, “you came back.”

“Pinky promises are sacred.”

“That they are.”

Scuderia AlphaTauri - 2023; Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

He's back on the grid, his focus was on racing.

Daniel's excited to be back, it felt good to be back. Racing wasn't a burden anymore. Yuki was happy to have him, his new teammate welcoming him with a smile and a hug as did the rest of the Alpha Tauri team before he made his way to his driver's room.

The door was unlocked, left ajar slightly. Daniel just assumed the team was doing a last check, making sure things were in order.

He wasn't expecting a person to be in there. He found a woman, her back turned to him as she scribbled down something on the board.

He knows that handwriting from anywhere. The words let's fucking go written in all caps in bright blue.

"Hello," he calls, you turn with the marker still in hand. "Hello," you smiled.

Daniel can't help but laugh, "what are you doing here? Come to welcome me back ?"

"Something like that."

At that moment, Daniel noticed you weren't wearing your usual navy blue uniform. Today was different; a different logo, a different cut.

"What are you wearing? Why are you wearing that?" He points to the Alpha Tauri logo on your shirt.

Your brows furrow, a bit confused by his reaction. You thought he'd be happy to see you. "Do you not need a race engineer or.. you're just gonna wing it? Maybe you could borrow Michael to do it?"

"Don't be a smart ass," he rolled his eyes, dropping his bags as he walked over to you. "Thank you," he whispers, pulling you into a bone crushing hug.

You pat his back, trying to wiggle away from him. "No need to thank me, we have a lot of work to do."

"I've barely been here for 5 minutes and you're already hassling me."

"Someone's gotta do it," you smiled, leaving him there to settle in.

It wasn't until it was time for practice that you saw the man again, you're across from him on the pit wall, looking over the stats before you hear the radio buzz.

“We all set?” He asks.

You look over the screens. “All set. Be safe.”

“Safe is my middle name, Y/n.” The words remind you of the path you walked along many many years ago.

You smiled, waving to him as he pulled out of the garage. “Whatever you say, Joseph.”

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1K notes · View notes

lecsainz · 1 year

Text

Secret Crush

pairings: 2022 grid x driver!reader / fabio quartararo x driver!reader

warnings: grid of 2022, drivers being gossipers and acting like older siblings, seb as the father figure of the group and pierre being intrusive.

authors note: i started watching motogp not long ago, but I think it turned out great, and i can really picture this scene of them bothering Y/N and wanting to know who the boy was. just imagine them helping her get ready for the date and interrogating fabio about his intentions with Y/N. and I tried to include all the drivers but it's almost impossible 😭

word count: 2.6K

Y/N had always been a fan of Fabio Quartararo, the young frenchman who was making waves in the MotoGP world. So when she got a message from him on Instagram, she was over the moon.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, he just messaged me!!" Y/N exclaimed to herself, pacing back and forth in her motorhome at the paddock.

She quickly composed a reply to Fabio's message, trying to sound cool and casual, but her hands were shaking so much she could barely type.

Y/N: "Hey, what's up?"

She hit send, then collapsed onto her bed, heart pounding with excitement. A few moments later, her phone buzzed with a reply.

Fabio: "Not much, just hanging out at home. Saw your race last weekend, you were amazing! How's the f1 life treating you?"

Y/N couldn't believe it, Fabio had actually watched her race! She started pacing again, muttering to herself.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, he thinks I'm amazing! What do I even say? I have to be cool, I can't sound too eager."

She took a deep breath and composed another reply.

S/N: "Thanks! f1 life is treating me well, but it's tough out here on the road. How about you? How do you deal with all the travel and pressure?"

Again, she hit send, then waited anxiously for a response. It came quickly.

Fabio: "I know what you mean, the travel can be exhausting. But I just try to stay focused on the racing and not let the other stuff distract me. You seem to be doing a great job of that too!"

Y/N couldn't stop grinning he was being so nice to her! She paced around her motorhome again, feeling giddy.

"Oh my god, he's so sweet! Maybe he's interested in me too? No, no, don't get ahead of yourself, Y/N. Just be cool, be cool."

She took a deep breath and composed another message.

S/N: "Thanks, that means a lot coming from you. Maybe we could grab a drink sometime and chat about racing?"

She hit send, then waited nervously for a reply. It came a few moments later.

Fabio: "Sure, that sounds great! I'll be in town for the next weekend race, how about we meet up then?"

Y/N couldn't believe it, she was actually going to meet him in person! She let out a squeal of excitement and did a little victory dance around her motorhome.

"I can't believe this is happening! This is going to be the best weekend ever!" she said to herself, grinning from ear to ear.

As Y/N read his message, she started to hyperventilate. She had just asked him out on a date, and now he was actually interested in meeting up with her. She looked up from her phone to see the other F1 drivers staring at her in confusion.

"What's going on, Y/N?" Charles asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, you look like you've seen a ghost." Lando chimed in.

Y/N blushed and put her phone down, trying to act nonchalant. "Oh, nothing, just messaging with someone." she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

But the other drivers weren't fooled. They crowded around her, trying to get a look at her phone.

"Who are you texting, Y/N? Is it a secret crush?" Carlos teased, poking her in the ribs.

"None of your business, Carlos," Y/N replied, trying to hide her smile.

"Ooh, it is a secret crush!" Lando chimed in, winking at Y/N. "Come on, you can tell us. We won't judge."

Y/N shook her head, still trying to keep the conversation vague. "It's nothing, guys. Just catching up with a friend." she said, hoping they wouldn't push the subject any further.

But the other drivers weren't going to let it go that easily. They bombarded her with questions and guesses, trying to figure out who the mystery person was.

"Is it a driver? A mechanic? A fan?" Yuki asked, grinning.

Y/N swatted his hand away and rolled her eyes. "No, it's just Fabio Quartararo." she said, trying to sound casual. “But please don't make a big deal out of it." she said, biting her lip.

The other drivers looked at each other in confusion.

"Wait, Fabio Quartararo? As in the MotoGP rider?" Pierre asked.

"Yeah! And I just asked him out on a date." Y/N said, blushing even harder.

The other drivers erupted into laughter. "Y/N, you little devil! I had no idea you had it in you." Daniel said, clapping her on the back.

Y/N frowned at them. "It's not like that! He just wants to talk about racing." she protested.

"Sure, sure, we believe you." Checo said, winking at her.

Daniel suddenly spoke up. "You know, Y/N, our little sister is growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday you was learning how to drive, and now you’re all grown up." he said, grinning.

Y/N groaned, "Oh god, please don't start with that 'little sister' crap again. It's bad enough that everyone else sees me that way."

But it was too late. The other drivers had already caught on to Daniel's joke, and they started to join in. "Yeah, I remember when we used to have to keep an eye on her in the paddock. Now she's all independent and texting boys." Pierre laughed.

As the group continued to tease her about her crush on Fabio, Y/N suddenly felt a wave of panic wash over her.

"Guys, stop, please. It's not like anything is going to happen anyway," she said, feeling uncertain.

"What do you mean?" Charles asked, looking at her curiously. "You've got a date with him, right?"

Y/N nodded, feeling her stomach churning with nerves. "Yeah, but I don't know what to do. I've never been on a real date before."

The other drivers looked at her sympathetically, their teasing forgotten. "Hey, don't worry about it." Alex said reassuringly. "Just be yourself and have fun. It's just a date, not a marriage proposal."

Esteban added, "And whatever you do, don't order spaghetti. That's just asking for trouble."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Esteban shrugged, "It's messy and hard to eat. Not exactly the most attractive thing to do on a date."

The other drivers nodded in agreement, giving her thumbs up and high fives and Y/N couldn't help but laugh at their silly advice.

Sebastian noticed Y/N looking a bit nervous and approached her with a gentle smile. "Hey, Y/N, can I give you some advice?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

Y/N nodded eagerly, grateful for his guidance. "Please, Seb, I could use all the help I can get." she said.

Sebastian chuckled. "Well, first of all, just be yourself. Don't try to impress him by being someone you're not." he advised.

Y/N nodded, taking his words to heart. "Okay, I can do that." she said.

Sebastian continued, "And remember, if he's not interested, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty of other guys out there who would be lucky to go on a date with you."

Y/N smiled, feeling a bit more confident. "Thanks, Seb, that means a lot to me." she said.

Sebastian patted her on the back. "No problem, Y/N. You're like a daughter to me, and I want to see you happy." he said, with a warm smile.

Y/N felt a surge of affection for the veteran driver. "Thanks Seb, that means a lot to me." she said, giving him a quick hug.

The other drivers, who had been listening in on the conversation, teased Sebastian. "Aw Seb, you're such a softie." Daniel teased, winking at Y/N.

Sebastian rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a small smile. "Just trying to help out." he said, with a shrug.

Y/N grinned at the group of drivers. "Thanks, guys, you're the best. I'll let you know how it goes." she said, feeling more confident than ever.

But as Y/N was walked away, Daniel and Pierre couldn't resist teasing her a bit more. "So you finally going to make a move on Fabio?" Daniel asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Y/N blushed and rolled her eyes. "You guys are ridiculous." she said, trying to hide her smile.

Pierre joined in, "Yeah, and don't forget that we see you as our little sister, so we need to approve of any guy you date."

Y/N groaned, "Oh great, like I needed more pressure."

Max laughed, "Hey, we just want to make sure he's good enough for you. And if he's not, we'll beat him up for you."

Y/N couldn't help but laugh at their antics. "Thanks, guys, but I think I can handle it." she said, shaking her head.

Carlos gave her a playful nudge, "Well, just remember that we're here for you if you need us."

Y/N smiled gratefully, feeling lucky to have such supportive friends.

Y/N couldn't help but mutter to herself as she walked back to her motorhome, "Ugh, I bet the entire paddock already knows I'm interested in Fabio. Gossip travels so fast around here."

As if on cue, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see George and Lewis walking towards her. "Hey, Y/N, heard you're causing quite a stir around here." George teased, grinning.

Y/N felt her face turning red. "Oh god, please don't tell me everyone knows." she said, feeling embarrassed.

Lewis laughed, "Sorry to break it to you, but word spreads pretty quickly in the paddock."

Y/N groaned, "Great, now I'm going to be the laughing stock of the entire grid."

George put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Nah, don't worry about it. We've all been there before. In fact, I could tell you some stories about Lewis and his love life." he joked, giving Lewis a playful nudge.

Lewis rolled his eyes, "Ha ha, very funny. But seriously, Y/N, don't let it get to you. Just be confident and be yourself. And if it doesn't work out with him, there are plenty of other fish in the sea."

Y/N smiled, feeling grateful for their support. "Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I'll try not to let it get to me." she said, feeling more confident already.

She was relaxing in her motorhome when her phone suddenly beeped with a notification. She quickly picked it up and saw that it was a message from Fabio.

Her heart started racing as she read the message, feeling both excited and nervous. But before she could even finish reading it, she heard Daniel's voice behind her.

"Ooh, who's that? Let me see." he said, trying to peek over her shoulder.

Y/N quickly swiped her phone away, "None of your business, Danny." she said, trying to hide her smile.

But before she could even respond to Fabio's message, another message popped up from him. "Uh oh." she thought to herself, knowing that it couldn't be good news.

Fabio: Hey again! Y/N, I heard something interesting today…

Y/N: Oh really? What's that?

Fabio: Well, Pierre mentioned that he thinks you might have a little crush on me.

Y/N: Oh no, he didn't!

Y/N: 🤦‍♀️ I can't believe he said that. I'm so sorry.

As she read the message, she felt a surge of anger and frustration. Pierre had told Fabio about her crush on him, and she was not happy about it.

"Where is that little weasel?" she muttered under her breath, storming out of her motorhome in search of Pierre.

Daniel and the other drivers watched in amusement as Y/N charged through the paddock, looking like she was ready to murder someone.

"Uh, should we be worried?" Lando asked, raising an eyebrow.

Daniel shook his head, "Nah, she's just on a mission to kill Pierre. Nothing new there." he joked, grinning.

Just as they were all laughing, Pierre suddenly appeared, running in the opposite direction with Y/N hot on his heels.

"Run, Pierre, run!" Charles shouted, laughing.

As the group continued to joke and tease each other, Seb suddenly walked up, looking slightly confused.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" he asked, looking around at the group.

George grinned, "Just Y/N chasing Pierre around the paddock. You know, normal stuff." he said, chuckling.

Seb raised an eyebrow, looking slightly concerned. "Should we do something? Is everything okay?"

Mick shook his head, "Nah, they're just goofing around. Y/N's not actually going to hurt Pierre." he said, smirking.

Seb watched in amusement as they ran past, shaking his head in disbelief. "You guys are all crazy." he said, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.

Seb chuckled, watching as Y/N finally caught up to Pierre and tackled him to the ground. "You know what, I'm actually rooting for Y/N to get Pierre," he said, grinning.

The other drivers laughed, but there was a hint of agreement in their voices. Despite their teasing, they all knew that Y/N was a great catch, and Pierre would be lucky to have her.

"Alright, enough of this." Lewis said, clapping his hands. "We have a race to prepare for, remember?"

The drivers all nodded, reluctantly tearing their attention away from Y/N and Pierre's antics.

As the drivers walked towards their motorhomes, Y/N's phone started ringing. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Fábio. Her heart started racing as she debated whether or not to answer.

The other drivers noticed her hesitation and couldn't resist teasing her. "Go on, answer it!" Charles said, grinning.

Y/N shook her head, feeling flustered. "I can't, I don't know what to say!" she exclaimed.

The other drivers laughed, finding her panic amusing. "Just answer it and see what he wants." Lando said, patting her on the back.

Y/N's hands were shaking as she tried to answer the call, but just as she was about to hit the accept button, the call suddenly dropped.

"NO!" she shouted, frantically trying to call Fabio back.

The other drivers watched in amusement as Y/N paced back and forth, muttering to herself in frustration. "Why does this always happen to me?" she said, shaking her head.

Daniel grinned, "Maybe he's just not that into you." he joked.

Y/N rolled her eyes, "Shut up, Daniel." she said, playfully punching his arm.

Y/N chuckled as she read his message, feeling her phone vibrate in her hand. She quickly typed out a response, trying not to seem too eager.

Fabio: Don't be sorry! I actually thought it was kind of cute. Is it true?

Y/N: Well, maybe a little bit...I mean, I do think you're pretty amazing.

Fabio: Well, I think you're pretty amazing too. In fact, I was planning on asking you out, but you beat me to it! I was so happy when you messaged me first.

Y/N: Really? I had no idea.

Fabio: Yeah, I was trying to work up the courage to ask you out, but then you beat me to the punch. I guess great minds think alike, right? 😉

Y/N: I guess so! I was actually really nervous when I asked you out too. It's funny how even race car drivers can get butterflies in their stomachs.

Fabio: Yeah, I know what you mean. But I'm really glad you did, because I've been wanting to spend more time with you. You're always so focused on your driving that I didn't think you had time for anything else.

Y/N: Well, I do have time for you. I think you're worth making time for.

Fabio: That means a lot to me, Y/N. I feel the same way about you.

Just as she hit send, she noticed the other drivers watching her with grins on their faces. She rolled her eyes and held up her middle finger, playfully flipping them off.

"Hey, that's not very nice." Lewis teased, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

Y/N just laughed and shook her head. "You guys are lucky that I love you." she said.

1K notes · View notes

vettelsvee · 23 days

Text

MEETING | Sebastian Vettel

f1 masterlist | history series masterlist

summary: diana, after being accepted as a candidate for the toro rosso internship program, begins her not-so-wonderful journey in the world of formula 1 and meets her future husband, sebastian vettel, as well as her biggest nightmare, nico rosberg

word count: 5568

warnings: mentions of suicide, sexism.

taglist: [@theseerbetweenus @annewithaneofthegreengable] if you wanna be tagged in each part just tell me in the comments <3

¡! you can read the fanfic as diana or y/n, but the faceclaim will always be my girl emma stone :)

feedback is truly appreciated!

2023

"Diana, are you ready?"

The woman's attention was immediately captured when Mark Webber, who had offered, along with Jenson Button, directing the documentary, spoke to her. Quickly, she put her mobile phone in her blazer pocket and nodded at the former driver, indicating that she was ready to start filming.

"Alright," Mark announced. "Remember, Diana, just as we rehearsed with your husband during the script reading: you introduce yourself, talk a bit about what you're currently doing, and then we start talking about your childhood, just from when you were born until you were accepted into the Toro Rosso internship program," the Australian said.

The readhead swallowed, sat better and looked directly into the camera, that was already recording without the woman being conscious.

Immediately, as if she knew what was happening, she began to speak to it:

"My name's Diana Vettel, I'm 34 years old and, as you might already now, I'm wife to four-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel. However," she clarified, "I prefer to be known as his race engineer for ten years, from 2012 to 2022 and, currently, I'm the co-director, alongside Susie Wolff, of the F1 Academy," she smiled proudly.

Sebastian entered the studio where the shootings were taking place, and when he saw his wife so self-assured, he couldn't feel anything but proud of her. There was no doubt that those sleepless nights, consoling her tears for not feeling enough in a male-dominated world, and the years of visits to her psychologist, which she still attended, had had an incredible effect on her.

"Well, wait!" Diana suddenly exclaimed. "We can't forget that I'm the reason behind Seb's first victory in Formula 1. Monza 2008, to be more precise," she confirmed, causing laughter from the ones around her.

"We already know quite a lot about Vettel's childhood, but now: what can you tell us a little bit about yours?" Button inquired, sitting next to Mark behind the cameramen.

Diana tensed up. It wasn't that she was afraid to recall her childhood, but she didn't consider it significant enough to be in the documentary. Moreover, talking about her private life... let's just say she didn't like it a lot.

The German knew his wife so well that he could vence how she was feeling at the moment. She had the urge to get up and give her a comforting hug, but he also knew that the recording couldn't be interrupted. For that reason, he simply smiled at her from his seat while giving her a thumbs up.

Diana, after seeing Sebastian doing that, laughed.

Since 2008, halfway through her second year as a Mechanical Engineering student and after joining the Toro Rosso internship program, she didn't know how the guy who initially seemed to be a jerk, ended up becoming her whole world.

"It's quite simple, Jenson: I was born in Linz, Austria, on April 27, 1988," began the woman. "My mum decided to end her life when I was 14, back in 2002, and that was the main reason why my dad took both my sister and I to Spain so we could start all over again."

Diana stared into the camera, beginning to ponder the impression people might have of her after that brief introduction.

Mark adjusted himself in his seat, ready to shift the conversation away from the glances Sebastian seemed to be directing at him. He had been fortunate to get to know the couple during his time at RedBull, and he had no doubt that both of them had changed a lot since then, especially the German.

“But every bad thing has something positive, right, Diana?” questioned Webber. “You always say that, and the fact that you’re here now is proof of it.”

“Exactly,” continued Jenson. “This might sound a bit bad, but if that didn’t happen, you wouldn’t have met Seb.”

Mrs. Vettel nodded.

“It was all because of my father actually, who couldn’t bear the stares from neighbors, his coworkers, and the harassment my sister and I faced at school too,” explained the woman, her tears slightly evident. “We did it without thinking: we packed our most important belongings, my father quit his job and, a few hours laters, I was on a plane all the way to Barcelona, with no knowledge of Spanish and no expectations about what could happen in my new life.”

That made Sebastian remember one of the first conversations he had with Diana, where the young woman told him she felt more Spanish than Austrian.

“This is the first time I speak publicly about my childhood,” said Diana, wiping away smeared makeup with a tissue given to her by production. “I’m sorry, really: I always try to think that I’ve overcome it, but the fact is that you never really overcome it.”

“Do you feel more comfortable now that you’ve shared this with the audience?” Webber inquired in an attempt to console the young woman.

The redhead looked at Sebastian, who was visibly concerned at that moment.

“No,” she replied, “quite the opposite, actually. I think I’m even more vulnerable now, and social media criticism is going to pour in, but I’m glad I did it because I’ve taken a weight off my shoulders,” she listed, “and I also know that many viewers will realize the importance of mental health, especially in those moments when everything seems fine when it’s actually the opposite.”

“Is that a hint, sweetheart?”

Vettel, who already knew the answer, sarcastically commented. Still, he needed his wife to confirm it on camera.

“Everyone knows that when I gained confidence in myself, I never beat around the bush; this wasn’t going to be an exception.”

“What do you think is the highlight of your sudden move to Spain?” Button asked Diana.

“Being accepted into the Toro Rosso internship program,” she replied. “That’s when my dream of years started to come true, although hell also made its presence felt.”

Sebastian smiled, remembering it all too well.

The best was about to begin.

“Those who know me well know that I’ve been a Formula 1 fan since I was a child. 1994 is the year I remember the most, especially when Michael became world champion,” explained the Austrian, reminiscing early memories as an enthusiast of the sport. “I was only six years old, but that image is engraved in my memory.”

“For that reason, I decided to study Mechanical Engineering at Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña,” the woman continued in perfect Spanish, surprising everyone in the room except Seb.

“And that was before she even met me,” Sebastian chimed in, causing laughter among those present. “That was a great bonus.”

Taking the documentary seriously was going to be difficult, but as the woman used to say, within all those hard times, a laugh made it all forgettable.

“I studied for years, trying to give my best to get the highest grades,” Diana continued, “and I did it after achieving an average score of 9.28 out of 10 in selectividad, the Spanish entrance exam you need to take in order to study a degree.”

“Tell them if you really needed such a high score, Di.”

The girl laughed at her husband’s comment. She already knew where he was going with that.

“In fact, no: the cutoff score was, I believe, around a five out of ten. I just pushed myself to the limit because I was ambitious and wanted to be the best, too,” she smiled, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. “Well, and I still like to be the best.”

“See why we got along so well from the beginning?”

“That’s debatable, Sebastian,” remarked Webber, “bet let’s let the viewers hear your story little by little.”

“Indeed, Mark,” agreed Jenson Button with him, “let’s take it step by step. Diana, what made you join Toro Rosso?”

2007 December 3rd

Barcelona, Spain

The first semester of the second year of Diana being a university student seemed endless.

Final exams were approaching, bringing with them the submission of multiple papers, projects, and even some practical written tests. Adding to this, her father had recently lost his job just a few weeks ago. It was easy to understand why the Austrian, who had considered herself Spanish for years, was dozing off in one of the chairs in Room 7, even though it was time for one of her favorite classes: Fluid Mechanics.

As soon as Dr. Martínez stepped into the classroom, all the students stopped talking. Even Diana, who had closed her eyes for a few seconds to see if she could quell her sleep, opened them quickly. The woman, in her fifties, was one of the most beloved professors by students; at the same time, she was considered one of the strictest, and that's what made her one of the most wanted by universities not only in Spain but worldwide.

For this reason, and especially because she always fought for visibility of women in the scientific field, she was Wagner's favorite.

"Good morning, class," she greeted, positioning herself in the center of the platform where she usually lectured. A smile on her face appeared. "Before I start explaining the new topic, which I remind you is the last one for our January exam, I would like to share some news that I know will be interesting for most of you."

At these last words, those present began to pay even more attention, readjusting in their seats curious about what the woman had to announce. Diana was no exception.

"Some companies in the field of engineering have started offering scholarships for students like you to work with them while continuing their studies. For the most talented, I must say," she added with certain authority in her voice.

Excitement and anticipation for the announcement filled the room, where some surprised noises and, in other cases, disappointment, were heard.

"These scholarships offer the opportunity to have a unique experience, allowing you to enter the workforce earlier than expected. At the same time, it will help you start applying everything you have learned during this brief year and a half, and see if you are suited to do the job."

Murmurs began to fill the class. It was a truly incredible opportunity, and it would be rare for someone not to want to be part of it.

Diana, whose mind was always one step ahead, was already wondering which companies would be part of it. For that reason, she decided to raise her hand to ask.

"Miss, I would like to know if you could share more information about the companies that are offering these scholarships."

The woman nodded, thankful for the question from her favorite student and pleased to see her interest once again.

"Of course, Diana. There are leading companies in the field of automotive engineering, aerospace engineering, and something related to renewable energies, which are becoming popular. Each one has a different focus, with a wide variety of projects and areas, so I'm sure there will be interests for each of you."

The young woman's mind began to process all the information, looking through the possibilities the woman had mentioned. While her dream was to work in the automotive world that she was so passionate about, and the path was proving extremely challenging, the possibility of being awarded a scholarship was what made her cling to a distressing hope.

"To apply in this sort of internship program, you will need to send your CV and a letter explaining to the company why you would like to join them," the teacher explained. "Then, some responsible figure of the respective companies will choose the most outstanding students, I guess."

During the remaining class time, Diana could barely pay attention to the explanation. She was excited, and she would dare say scared, about this kind of talk that was taking place. Her innate curiosity made her want to know more. Therefore, when the teacher announced that the class had ended, and her classmates began to leave the room, the twenty-year-old started to pack her things slowly, making sure no one else was there before speaking with her teacher.

"Dr. Martínez, do you mind if I ask you some questions about the internship program?"

"Of course," she replied as she gathered her documents. "Tell me what's on your mind, Diana."

The girl tried to disguise her nervousness, clearing her throat before speaking.

"I have doubts about whether to apply to any of the companies. Honestly, I don't think they'll choose me because I'm a woman. I sometimes struggle to talk to my classmates, so I can't imagine what it would be like for me to apply for a position like that."

Martínez raised her gaze to the redhead, now dyed blonde, full of understanding.

"Diana, I understand that you're worried," she began, placing her hands on her shoulders, "but I want you to know that you are one of the brightest students I have had in these months, and I would even venture to say in my entire teaching career," she explained sincerely, earning an excited smile from the girl. "Keep in mind that, whatever you do, your gender doesn't have to be an obstacle for you to fight for what you want."

Those last words resonated strongly in Diana's mind, who was quite moved at that point. That was exactly what the young woman needed to hear.

"Also, I’d like to tell you something I haven't mentioned in class because I only want you to know, given your interest in a certain topic," the woman continued, further catching the student's attention. "The Toro Rosso Formula 1 team is offering a single position as an assistant for a race engineer, but I don't know which driver in particular."

Diana's eyes widened, not believing what she had just heard from her teacher. The idea of working in Formula 1 was the reason why she was there, striving every day even when she felt like giving up everything.

"Do you think I should send them my application, then?" Wagner asked, intending to make sure before making a hasty decision.

"Absolutely," Dr. Martínez affirmed firmly. "You are an exceptional student, and you have demonstrated great skills in just a year and a half of your studies, which impresses me quite a bit, to be honest. You have the potential to do great things within Formula 1, and I know you will go far if you make it to the sport."

As Diana continued to listen to the woman speak, she couldn't believe there was a chance, even if it was minimal, that her dream would come true. What she didn't like so much was the fact that the woman spoke as if she were already inside the world, but she could do nothing but get excited.

If her application was denied…

“By the way, Diana, are you free during the next hour?”

“Yes. In fact, I was about to head home,” answered Diana, questioning the woman in front of her. “Do you need something?”

The woman affirmed, nodding slightly.

“Let's create your cover letter and resume so we can send it as soon as possible,” she said, taking the lead. “I'm sure many of my colleagues in the department know this information just like me.”

The young woman agreed, and immediately they headed towards Martínez's office, trying not to attract too much attention among the students and, above all, hurrying as much as possible. In those moments, time was of the essence.

Once there, the professor took a seat in front of the computer and offered Diana the seat opposite her. Before the redhead had even let go of her belongings, the teacher was already pulling a stack of papers and a couple of pens from one of the desk drawers.

"Your resume comes directly from our database, but the cover letter doesn't," she explained briskly. "I want you to write down whatever you feel is the reason why you need that position at Toro Rosso."

Having said that, Martínez put on her glasses and focused her gaze on the screen, ignoring Wagner. The girl didn't know what to do or say. Who was she supposed to write to, Franz Tost? No, she was sure team bosses weren't the ones in charge of reading those letters, if anyone read them at all.

"Try to make it as natural as possible," the woman commented to her student without looking at her. "Make them see that you have a passion for engineering, for the sport, and especially, make them miss you when they haven’t met you yet."

Make them miss you when they haven’t met you yet.

Diana took a deep breath and began to let her ideas transfer to paper, flowing without much thought.

Dear members of the Toro Rosso team, it is an honor to have the opportunity to apply for this internship position in your prestigious racing team. Since I was a child, I have always dreamed of being part of the wonderful world of Formula 1...

No, too fanciful and flattering. The young woman crossed everything out, and seeing that she was starting to feel confused, she crumpled up the paper and set it aside on the corner of the table.

Dear Mr. Tost and the rest of the Toro Rosso team: I would like to express my sincere interest in the position of race engineer intern. As a Mechanical Engineering student, I have acquired skills that I would like to develop professionally and, above all, apply them to the field I have been passionate about since I can remember.

Why was it so difficult to write something just to try to make your dream come true?

Pilar Martínez glanced at Diana and shocked her head. That girl who was showing so much insecurity at that moment, as happened in many classes, had the potential to become one of the greatest prodigies in motorsport.

"Don't overthink it, lady," she said affectionately. "Show your true personality and, if you need to, just take a little break before continuing."

The girl shook her head. She simply closed her eyes and imagined what she wanted most at that moment: her, sitting in front of a wall of screens, with headphones on, communicating with Michael Schumacher about what he should do in every turn and straight, when he should pit for a tire change, and even celebrating the occasional victory.

Who said Schumacher, said Alonso. She would even settle for one of the rookies, like that guy who joined Toro Rosso halfway through the previous season and she liked a little bit, Sebastian Vettel.

After several more attempts, she finally brought out everything she wanted to say. She had never felt so proud of any of her writings; not even with her graduation speech in high school, which made the entire teaching staff cry.

Dear members of the Toro Rosso team, With my heart filled with excitement and, especially, gratitude for the opportunity given to university students like me to be part of your team, I submit my application for the internship position as a race engineer. My name is Diana Wagner, I was born in Austria nineteen years ago, and my heart not only belongs to Spain, the country that welcomed me when I needed it the most, but also to the sport of which you are a part: Formula 1. My journey as a Mechanical Engineering student has been short, but I assure you, intense; at the same time, I have grown and learned a lot not only as a future professional but as a person. Throughout this year and a half, I have acquired a wealth of skills and knowledge thanks to the professionals from whom I am fortunate to receive instruction, and if it weren't for them, I wouldn't have the necessary preparation to face certain challenges—although, not deceiving you, I have a long way to go and much to learn. Every subject studied, project completed, and tear shed has been an opportunity to test and prove to myself that even the impossible is difficult. Beyond my knowledge as a student, I would also like to tell you about my passion for the world of motorsports, as I briefly mentioned before. Since I can remember, I have followed every free practice, qualifying, and race, as well as every press conference of each Grand Prix. The deafening sound of the engines, the suffocating speed of the single-seaters, and the passion that teams and drivers have shown have not only been my inspiration to pursue my studies and shape my future but also to grow as a person. In the darkest times of my life, Formula 1 became my light, and it still is. Like drivers work tirelessly to give their best, I also strive to overcome the limits imposed not only because I am a woman, but also because I am too hard-working. Therefore, I know that the opportunity to work alongside the professionals that make up your team would be an unparalleled honor, and I assure you that every day I would show you that I am capable of more. I deeply appreciate the time you have taken to read my cover letter. Although it may be hard to believe the words of a girl who, after all, is still a teenager trying to make her way in the adult world, I assure you that I have to prove much more than what you think.

Possibly, those last words were what made it possible for Diana Wagner to be the selected candidate as an intern at Toro Rosso among approximately two thousand of the best students from all over Europe.

2008 March 13th

Australian GP

“Sweetheart, are you sure you have everything with you?”

The bleached blonde was certain that she did, that she had everything she needed for her new job except for one detail and, surprisingly, the most important one: knowing where she had to go. In front of her was the entrance to Albert Park, and all she felt was a great overwhelm from the size of that circuit. She saw people coming in and out of the venue constantly, both walking and in vehicles that probably cost as much, or even more, than the flat she lived with her sister and father in Barcelona.

“Yes, of course,” she replied, trying to sound as calm as possible. “I'm waiting outside for someone to come and meet me."

“But didn't you say you had to go inside, and that someone would be waiting for you in the box?”

She hated how blunt Amelie was.

“I'm more lost than during my exams period when we first moved to Spain,” she joked. “Now I'll try to figure out what to do. There’s no need to worry about me.”

Bernhard started shouting something in German to his younger daughter, and immediately continued talking to Diana. It seemed surreal to the girl that her family was making a phone call with her at two in the morning in Spain.

“You better get in there, even if you have to jump over a fence!,” he shouted in German, a little annoyed. “And I don't care if you get caught or anything: you haven't traveled to the other damn end of the world and left me with your sister, all alone, just for you to stand there with your arms crossed.”

When Bernhard Wagner got angry, he did, and a lot.

“Yeah, Dad, I know,” she replied, a bit angry because her father seemed not to trust her. “In fact, I'm getting closer now, I have the pass they sent me by mail in my hand, and I'm going through the accreditation with this weird machine. I'll hang up, okay?”

It was a rhetorical question because Diana, before being able to hear an answer from her father, hung up the call. As she let out a long sigh, held in throughout the phone call, she passed her accreditation through the identification sensor, but the photo they asked her for months ago didn't appear.

Again, she tried, and nothing appeared on the screen. She kept trying over and over, which managed to attract the attention of more than one of those present, who did nothing to help the intern.

“Damn it…”

After that, Diana began to unleash a string of curses in German, some of which she had made up on the spot and made no sense at all. She couldn't believe that it would be more difficult than she had planned just to enter the venue and talk to whoever she had to talk to. She was a firm believer in destiny, and she knew that it meant she had to go back to Spain, to her natural hair color and to her university courses.

Frustration was taking over the Austrian, and she was sure that, if she hadn't heard a male voice in German beside her, she would have burst into tears like she never did before.

“Do you speak German too? Do you want me to help you with that?”

Diana nodded her head and looked up at the person who was talking to her. A blond guy, of medium height, who seemed to be a couple of years older than her, was the one who was talking to her. His face was somewhat familiar, although she still couldn't put a name to it.

Another mistake for the rookie Diana Wagner. Of course, if there were other interns besides her, she was sure she wouldn't win the Intern of the Year award, if such a thing existed.

“I tried to get my accreditation to work, but, as you can see” she began to explain, pointing at the card, “it doesn't want to let me into the paddock.”

“Do you mind giving it to me?”

The girl offered it to him without hesitation, feeling much more relaxed in the company of that driver, in case he was. He proceeded to clean it a bit with his shirt a couple of times and immediately passed it again through the scanner.

Her name, along with a photo of her with her newly dyed blonde hair, appeared on the screen.

“So... Diana Wagner, huh?,” the guy inquired, wanting to know more about her. “What brings you here?”

“As they told me a few months ago, I am Toro Rosso's new intern. Supposedly, I'll be subordinate to a track engineer or something like that, I'm not really sure what I'll end up doing.”

The girl answered him honestly, and to her surprise, the stranger seemed to understand something that had been on her mind for a long time, as if he already knew who she was.

“Vettel is going to be damn lucky to have you,” he said shamelessly, “and I would be delighted to have a girl like you by my side too.”

Diana felt her cheeks flush, and although deep down that comment had bothered her, she couldn't help but feel flattered in part.

“And are you supposed to be...?”

“Nico Rosberg,” he took the girl's hand and gave it a short kiss, “F1 driver for Williams. It's an honor to meet you, and let me tell you that, if you get bored with the other blond German, you have privileged access to my box whenever you want.”

Putting on his backpack and giving the girl a slight bow, he left without giving any explanation.

Diana was left bewildered by what she had just experienced. However, even more impressed was Sebastian, who began to feel sorry because he knew that, no matter how much that blonde-haired girl tried to give her best, they would only minimize her achievements.

[...]

After a couple of laps around the circuit, and some explanation of how Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends worked, Diana Wagner was already sitting at a long table with Franz Tost, Toro Rosso's team principal.

The man, despite showing a quite serious demeanor, maintaining composure at all times, had inspired enough confidence in the intern for her to open up a bit to him, especially talking about how her career was going; they also discussed how the blonde would balance her studies with her new job. All this while her supposed boss and the driver she would be subordinate to appeared.

A few knocks on the door startled her. Tost, as if he already knew about the imminent arrival, got up from his seat and headed to the door. As soon as he opened it, it revealed a man in his thirties accompanied by a boy who was already wearing the team's uniform.

Although he looked like Rosberg, at the same time, she could tell he was completely different: his face was longer, and his height seemed to be a few centimeters shorter. He had a big smile on his face, and as soon as he entered the room, he started making jokes that even made the girl laugh.

She barely knew that boy, and he already inspired trust in her.

“Alright, Diana,” announced Franz, causing her to stand up quickly: “this is Alex, who will be, let's say, your master in terms of track engineering,” he introduced the man, shaking his hand, “and this is Sebastian Vettel, one of the young promises we are lucky to have in our team.”

The blonde cheerfully extended his hand to the girl, who accepted it gladly.

“Please, Franz, don't say that,” joked Vettel, “I'm just a kid with incredible potential waiting to get a world title or something similar.”

The intern laughed, immediately regretting it. Her shyness was showing, and Sebastian noticed it, so that's why he decided to gently stroke her hand, slowly enough so that no one else, besides them, would know about that small gesture.

“See?,” said the German, now addressing his engineer, “I told you she was going to like me.”

2023

“That season was a mess,” said Sebastian, looking at the camera while fixing his hair. “The first four races ended in a DNF, and my motivation went down completely” explained the former driver. “The car was crap, but not finishing four damn races? Shit, I didn't want to say bad words…”

“What Seb means,” his wife stated, interrupting him, “is that he had much higher expectations in March 2008, and little by little, he started being conscious of reality. I went through the same thing: even though I thought I was going to do little, I ended up doing even less.”

The documentary directors recalled that information.

“The camera is yours, Mrs. Vettel,” one of the cameramen spoke over, receiving a thumbs up from the redhead.

“There's not much to say, really, except that I remember thinking about leaving because all I did was sit in front of the screens and watch the race just like I did from the TV in my house,” she expressed a bit angry, remembering everything all too well. “And of course, the comments and looks couldn't be missing. I felt like a Playboy model sometimes, I swear. They even mistook me for a grid girl one day entering the pit lane!”

“God, yes,” Seb agreed, joining his wife's monologue. “I don't know if you guys remember,” he pointed at Jenson and Mark, “but there were times when, I swear, it felt like it was more of a Jersey Shore-type show or something like that than a race weekend.”

Diana agreed with the German.

“I think, if I remember correctly, I received a total of forty-eight requests to go out for a drink from Friday to Sunday,” she tried to remember. “Well, a drink and a sex session after that, let's be honest.”

“And I'm glad to say that I wasn't part of that group of assholes,” he covered his mouth directly, receiving a reprimanding look from Webber. “But I had a reason not to.”

“Yes,” the redhead agreed, “although it's not the time to talk about that. Remember sunshine: let's go step by step.”

“It's not to stay on Sebastian’s side,” interrupted Button the couple's dialogue, “but since the moment he first met you, he had incredible respect for you, and I would even dare say admiration.” Vettel snorted, remembering some of the many rumors the girl he fought so much for had to face. He remembered more than once hearing her going to vent in Toro Rosso's bathroom, and even on more than one occasion, he heard her secretly talking to her father, asking him to please fake some illness or something to get out of that.

Ironically, it came true.

“I've been Diana Vettel's number 1 fan since the day I met her,” confessed Seb. “Since March 13, 2008, to be more precise.”

Everyone was impressed by Sebastian's memory, including Diana.

“In addition to the announcement made during the German Grand Prix week, where it was finally revealed that you would join Red Bull the following year thanks to Coulthard's retirement, becoming my teammate,” Mark continued, laughing, “there was another event that marked you in 2008, shortly after.”

“It seemed like everything was going downhill for this lady here,” Sebastian pointed at Diana, “and for me, and that our effort was in vain.”

“But Monza changed everything because Sebastian and I discovered that, together, we could do great things,” continued the woman, trying not to kiss her husband, who had a huge smile on his face, in front of everyone.

126 notes · View notes

f1letters · 1 year

Text

lavender haze | mv1

"I been under scrutiny, you handle it beautifully"

summary: after winning his second championship in another controversial way, max needed her by his side more than ever as the media tried to tear him apart

warning: a little bit of angst for Max, but overall fluff for the couple, swearing, suggestive language, mentions of the championship-deciding races of Abu Dhabi GP 2021 and Japan GP 2022 from Max's point of view, mentions of scrutiny from the media, Jos Verstappen lol

pairing: max verstappen x reader

word count: 2.8k

note: everything in bold are song references and in italic are thoughts, which includes memories from the past. also, I would like to point out that I didn't write this as a personal opinion/critique of Ted or anyone involved in the whole Sky Sports scandal (which is why I didn't use his name or his exact words in the story and why I only used the controversy as a reference/inspiration very loosely), but rather wrote about what I imagine were the thoughts/feelings of people on Max's side (himself, the Red Bull team, Jos, etc), regarding this matter.

dutch words used: schatje = baby; liefje = honey

and we are back! once again, thank you all for being so understanding about me skipping last weekend 💜 I hope you enjoy this little story, as always!

masterlist

Meet me at midnight

Ever since he was just a little boy, all Max dreamed of was being a Formula 1 champion.

To have his name written in the history books. To have his legacy immortalized in the records for eternity.

From then, Max spent all of his hours, days, weeks, months and years preparing for it. He gave all of his blood, sweat and tears for it.

For that exact moment: when he stood right there in Japan, tall and proud, with his trophy in hand, after being announced World Champion for the 2nd time.

Lying in bed that night, staring at the ceiling next to his girlfriend, the driver could still feel the euphoria coursing through his veins.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was to be in that position.

He had everything he could ever want: his biggest dream came true twice, he had a successful career that so many envied, and most of all, he had the best person in the world by his side.

At the end of the day, it didn't matter all the money, the victories, the parties, the luxury if he couldn't have her there in his arms.

Y/N was everything to him, and he knew that the championship victory was as much hers as his.

Max let his hand run through the shiny strands of his partner's hair, the warm skin of their bodies pressed together, while Y/N drew random figures with her soft fingers across the man's toned chest.

The couple remained in each other's arms, not saying too much, both still over the moon and completely in awe from the unforgettable day they just had.

"I'm so proud of you, my love." Y/N broke the silence installed in the hotel room, whispering her words. "You can't imagine how happy I am for you."

Staring at the ceiling with you

Oh, you don't ever say too much

And you don't really read into

My melancholia

Max half smirked with his eyes half closed as sleep began to creep in.

With his eyes locked on the girl before him, the boy tucked the hair that covered her face behind her ear and stayed like that for a few minutes. Just living in the moment, letting her words sink in, appreciating what life had given him.

"Thanks, schatje. For everything." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "I'm completely crazy about you, you know that?"

Y/N laughed shyly, moving her body even closer to her boyfriend's, laying down on his chest. "Stop, Max! You know I get all embarrassed when you start saying stuff like that."

"You stop! I'm just telling the truth!" Their laughter filled the room in pure harmony. Max stopped, returning to his moment of gratitude. "I just love you. So much, Y/N. This is all thanks to you."

"This is all thanks to your talent, baby." The young woman rested her cheek against the driver's bare shoulder. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Y/N knew that Max would immediately understand what she was trying to say.

The girl couldn't help but fear that the Dutchman would let all the scrutiny behind yet another championship win bring him down.

Max had a whole facade around him. Max appeared to be confident, poised, collected, unfazed by all adversity, and sometimes even self-centred and arrogant because of his posture on the track.

But deep down, Max was nothing but a fragile little boy, still trying to seek his father's approval.

Max was obsessed with perfection. Everything he had to do had to be absolutely spot on: every corner had to be perfectly executed, his car had to be at its best at all times, any position other than the first one was simply not good enough.

Knowing him better than anyone, Y/N knew how to handle him beautifully and knew that in the back of Max's mind, the fact that this was yet another victory tainted by controversy was tormenting him, even if he tried to hide it.

I've been under scrutiny

You handle it beautifully

All this shit is new to me

Both of them could only imagine all the headlines, the comments, the criticism. All because of a loophole that was never under the driver's control.

"Don't worry about me." Max answered the unspoken question the girl posed. "I don't give a damn what people say."

The harsh words that came out of his mouth seemed to be an attempt to convince himself more than her. They both knew that.

It had been almost a year since the boy had been named champion for the first time and yet to that day he still suffered attacks due to something that (once again) was not in his power to change.

Y/N didn't push, knowing the argument was going nowhere, and instead chose to joke with her boyfriend to lighten the mood. "Well, I don't know if you know this... but you look so much hotter as a two-time world champion."

Happiness filled Max's chest as he chuckled, turning their position so that his body was on top of hers. His lips roamed over her neck, leaving soft kisses and nibbles along the way, until he strayed away to deposit an intense and passionate kiss on her mouth.

His head lifted slightly, creating enough distance between them for him to speak, though their lips were still touching. "What if I showed again how it feels like to fuck a two-time world champion, hmm?"

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me

So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say

No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

Two weeks passed until the next race, the couple trapped in their lavender haze.

The Texas sun cut through the clouds in the sky and reflected warmly on the girl's skin as she entered the circuit, side by side with Carola.

Both friends over the last few years since they met in the Red Bull garage through their partners, the young women understood each other perfectly: both were reserved, with no great desire for attention on them, just there to support their lovers.

As always, a peaceful and relaxed conversation was taking place between the two, as they strolled around the paddock with smiles on their faces.

Carola told Y/N all about the latest incident at the Perez house, with the small sibling clashes between Checo Jr. and Carlota, and the other girl just laughed. She knew how happy those children made her friend and she couldn't wish anything else for Carola.

Suddenly the mood around them seemed to change.

The environment that before was serene, relaxed, and enthusiastic now gave off a heavy, tense, nervous energy.

Y/N started looking into the faces of the people they passed for answers, aware that they were looking at her. What the fuck is going on, she thought to herself.

Carola sensed the discomfort on her friend, placing a concerned hand on the girl's shoulder. "Y/N, are you okay?"

"Well, I'd like to know the answer to that question too," Y/N confessed without too much thought. "I don't know, honestly. I have a feeling something is wrong."

"Maybe it's nothing," The Mexican tried to calm her down, running her hand up and down along her friend's forearm, although she was aware of the gazes in their direction too. "We're almost at the garage and we'll clear everything up."

Walking through the navy blue walls, the tension only intensified in the air.

The faces of the team members showed worry and nervousness, and the PR team rushing back and forth relentlessly was a sign that something had gone wrong during the drivers' media duties following their practice session.

Knowing Max like the back of her hand... Y/N knew it was him.

All they keep asking me

Is if I'm gonna be your bride

The only kind of girl they see

Is a one-night or a wife

"Hey, where's Max?" Y/N asked her father-in-law, Jos, who wore an angry look on his face. Although their relationship was distant, she knew that if anyone was aware of everything that was going on in her boyfriend's career, it was his father.

"Would also like to know." The man replied dryly, running a hand impatiently through his hair. "He just walked out of here like a fucking coward, and left the others here to sort out his shit."

Y/N swallowed hard, knowing it wasn't worth wasting time trying to defend Max as all the words she would say would go in one ear and out the other. "What happened?"

"That shitty reporter, that's what happened." The older Verstappen replied, raising his tone. "That bastard had the nerve to say on live TV that Max didn't deserve any of his titles, and he panicked like a pussy. I didn't raise him like that - I raised him to be a man, not a little boy."

Without a second thought, Y/N turned her back on the man and grabbed her phone, trying to call her partner, only for her call to go to voicemail.

Unconsciously, the girl opened her Instagram and immediately came across the reporter's now-viral video.

"He doesn't seem to be capable of winning a championship without some sort of scandal. First, Hamilton was obviously ripped off in Abu Dhabi; now, they award full points in a race that wasn't even half finished because of some apparent 'loophole'?! Favouritism at its best."

All of a sudden, the air seemed to have difficulty getting into the girl's lungs, the temperature seemed to have risen dramatically, and Y/N started to feel dizzy as the media started to bring up Max's history.

Max, where are you, she asked herself, begging for a sign of his presence.

I find it dizzying

They're bringing up my history

But you aren't even listening

Y/N looked everywhere: in the garage, in his driver's room, in all the different rooms in the motorhome, in the back of the building, in the cafeteria, everywhere.

She was starting to run out of options, but she knew he had to be around somewhere since his exit from the circuit would not be discreet at all, quite the contrary.

If I were Max where would I hide from the world, she reflected, desperate to be reunited with her boyfriend. Of course! In the place where everyone least expected to find him.

With a hurried step and depositing complete confidence in this last and risky idea, Y/N set off on her way until she came face to face with the red walls, embellished with the Prancing Horse symbol.

Deviating towards the back of the Ferrari building, Y/N felt her heart return to its normal rhythm when she set her eyes on the image of his lover.

There he was, sitting on the grass, with his vision pointed to the sky, so small and so fragile that no one else would be able to see him hiding there.

The girl slowly approached the driver, almost afraid to startle him, until he eventually noticed her presence when she was only a few inches away from him. His shoulders visibly relaxed at the sight of his girlfriend, and a small, forced smile appeared on his face.

"Of course you found me," Max whispered, placing his hand on the girl's thigh, who was now sitting on the grass next to him. "I guess you already know what happened."

Y/N laid her head on his shoulder, hugging his strong arm. "Yeah, I saw it... I'm sorry Max, you don't deserve this."

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me

So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say

No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

That lavender haze

"I don't really care," Max spoke, shaking his head. "Let them say what they want. It doesn't matter to me."

"Baby…" The young woman knew that he was doing what he always did: bottling it up inside, hiding his feelings, just like he was taught to do his whole life.

"Liefje, don't worry. I'm fine, I promise."

"Max, stop doing this." Y/N touched his face, forcing him to look at her with his noticeably teary eyes.

"Y/N-"

"Max, please." The girl begged. "You don't have to pretend to be strong with me. You can be honest; you can scream, cry, freak out, you name it, and I'll always be here to listen."

The Dutchman took a deep breath in acceptance, leaning his head back against the red wall. "I'm just tired, you know? I try and try to do my best at all times and it's never enough. Not for the media, not for my dad, or-"

"For me, it's more than enough." The girlfriend interrupted. "And it should be enough for you too. You shouldn't care what others say… Especially your father." She teased, forcing a laugh out of Max's mouth.

The boy contemplated her words for a few seconds, placing a kiss on her temple. "I love you, you're the best."

"I know," She replied, bumping his shoulder playfully. "But I'm serious, Max. No one should have enough power over you that they can make you feel inferior, or less than you are. You are Max fucking Verstappen, two-time Formula 1 world champion. And so much more to come, I don't doubt it for a second."

Talk your talk and go viral

I just need this love spiral

Get it off your chest

Get it off my desk

Talk your talk and go viral

I just need this love spiral

Get it off your chest

Get it off my desk

The girl jumped to her feet, waking the driver from his own thoughts, and reached out to him with both her hands to help him get up on his feet too. "Come on, champ! Enough sulking here and let's face the world with our heads held high, shall we?"

Much calmer after getting it off his chest, Max looked at her with eyes shining with pride and, accepting her help, he got up. Instantly, his arms found their place around her waist, as did his lips on hers.

The couple shared a calm kiss, enjoying their moment of peace in the midst of such a chaotic situation.

"Thanks, schatje." Max said, returning his mouth to hers seconds later. "I can never thank you enough for everything you've done and do for me every day."

"I would do anything for you, baby." Y/N smiled wide, the dimples in her cheeks becoming noticeable. "Anything."

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me

So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say

No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

On their way to the Red Bull garage, the two reappeared in the paddock, hand in hand, eyes only on each other.

With them, dozens of photographers and journalists emerged from the shadows, hunting the Dutchman for his comments and trying to get controversial headlines for their next articles.

But from Max, they only managed to take away the magical smile he had stamped on his face while talking to his girlfriend.

It was almost as if nothing had happened to him, such was the confident and determined posture the driver now assumed.

There was nothing like a good dose of love to make someone feel on top of the world, and Max was living proof of that in front of all those prying eyes.

Get it off your chest

Get it off my desk

That lavender haze

I just wanna stay

The world could crumble around them and they would still manage to stay on their feet.

They were a team. They had the perfect balance between them, the strength to face any obstacle together. Like two separate souls born to be reunited, in this life and all lives to come. Born to be on their lavender haze forever.

"Just you and me, liefje." Max whispered so only she could hear over the screams and camera flashes.

Y/N pulled him by the arm closer to her body in search of the comfort he conveyed to her every time, and smiled discreetly at him.

"You and me against the world, my love."

I just wanna stay

In that lavender haze

taglist: @dan3avocado @starxqt @roseinnej @spiidergirlsworld @ccloaned @hotpigeon22 @dr3lover @lovelytsunoda @primadonnasdream @luxebeautystyle @wallfloweriism @ilivefortheleague @gwynethhberdara @satellitelh @adavenus @audreyscodes @wifeoflucyboynton @th6ccnsp6cyy @classifiedsblog @flyingmushroomss @motylekrozi @claramllera @gabrielamaex @handsupforamiracle @pierre-gasssllyy @lorenaloveslewis

@idkiwantchocolatee @simpforsunwoo @kissatelier @xweirdxsceletton @micksmidnights @miniminescapist @inchidentwithmax @hopelesslyromantics-world @alwaysclassyeagle @indieclarke @capela-miranda @okokoksblog-blog @pulpfixion @sins-only33 @sainzclerc @allisonxf1 @honethatty12

@amsofftrack @flannel-cures @junkiespromise @loudoperahumanoidpanda @honeyric3 @holy-macncheese-balls @ricciardosheart @pierreverstapkin @ravenqueen27 @majkaftorek @home-of-disaster @buendiabebeta @itgirlofnowhere @roses-of-eden @thewintersunset @rubychocolatechips

(taglist continues in the comments)

thank you to everyone that asked to be tagged! please let me know if you want to be added to the next stories! 💌

1K notes · View notes

lo1k-diamonds · 2 months

Text

Call You Mine💜 Chapter 1

PAIRING: idol!Yoongi x OC

SUMMARY: Freya despises everything soulmate-related, but one day her soulmate shows out of nowhere and turns everything upside down.

"Why didn’t you reach out to me?" Her eyes watered in response to his words and he was certain. "You knew who I was, how I was suffering." It pained him to say so, but he knew it was true. It had to be a conscious decision. And he had to know why.

A slowburn rejection soulmate story to make you fall in love with Min Yoongi (again).

WORD COUNT: 7.4k (Total: 297k)

GENRE: Rejection, Soulmate AU, s2l

RATING: Explicit

WARNINGS: angst, huge ass story that is an emotional rollercoaster, rejection (tho it has a happy ending), OC has a strong personality and flaws (all my characters do really), desperation, explicit sexual content, semipublic I guess?, riding, consensual but there's conflict, soulmate bond is inescapable and shit happens

(You can also read it on AO3, originally posted in December 2022)

A.N. I have this poll I've been meaning to do about my soulmate series and to do so, I thought I should probably introduce those stories first 😅😋Yoongi's story is the third of the Soul Palette Series (but the one that started it all). Again, it is a realistic rejection soulmate story because I wanted a story where the female character doesn't lose her backbone as soon as [insert soulmate] shows in the picture/has sex. Lots of angst and fighting until the stars align ;)

"Poetry, music, a painting, they don’t save the world. But they save the minute. And that is enough.” Matilde Campilho

What were the odds?

“Freya, are you listening to me?”

“Yeah, I am,” she answered nonchalantly, looking out through the car window.

Her mood soured with the conversation and the woman steering the wheel sighed. “Whenever the subject of soulmates gets brought up you just become…” Freya gave her an ice-cold look from the shotgun seat. That made the woman mad, “Insufferable.”

Freya smirked through her pain and looked away again.

The woman sighed again, “We’ve been friends for almost nine years. Don’t you think I know you by now?”

Freya placed her elbow on the car door, supporting her chin on her hand. Her fingers covered her mouth strategically. She knew the lecture that was about to happen, Lidia never missed a chance to try and change her mind about this topic. She didn’t have the heart or energy to fight it anymore.

“Soulmates are each other's halves,” she started and Freya just clenched her jaw. “You were born with one, two parts of a whole.” Freya couldn’t have heard it or learned it better if she was in primary school. Sarcastic thoughts like that would flood her every time Lidia pulled that sermon on her. “Just because barely half the population finds theirs, does not mean yours isn’t out there.”

“Sure, he might be out there, but I wish to be like the other half of the population. You know, the one that was able to live happily by being with the people they chose to be with,” Freya said with a hint of victory.

“Fair, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that their soulmates are still out there. They might have never met, but that doesn’t mean one should just ignore it or—”

“I’m not ignoring it,” Freya cut, annoyed. “I told you, I never met that person. Why would I lie!”

“I don’t know, maybe because you hate the idea of soulmates so much!” Lidia yelled back, fortunately without taking her eyes out of the traffic. Motorcycles were insane, trying to get in between the moving cars to get ahead. Freya was happy it was Lidia driving them to the venue. Lidia took a deep breath, “If something happened to him, you know you can tell me…”

Freya sighed, feeling stuck in the same loop, “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never met him.”

She hoped that would be the end of it, for now at least. Lidia seemed fixated on the idea that she was lying about her soulmate, that something tragic had happened, or that she was avoiding the person. Which didn’t make any sense according to her own rules, for fuck’s sake! Wouldn’t she be sick and whatnot if that was the case?

“Fine,” Lidia relented, as she always did when confronted with Freya's bitterness. “I would just like you to be open-minded when you do.”

Freya bit her tongue to hold back her remark and let the car fall into silence. She hated that topic and now it was stuck in her mind. She had never met that person and she never wanted to. She had no open-mindedness to offer because she would never be okay with it. And she wished she could just yell it out until it got through Lidia’s thick sand castles and baby cupids and stupid pink heartshaped butterflies: meeting your soulmate was terrible.

Sure they were supposed to be your other half, but they could literally be on the other side of the world. With different cultures and upbringings, you could be paired with a terrorist, misogynist, psychopath, the list went on. Who was it to say that person would actually fit your personality and values? Absolutely nothing, as history showed. Quite frankly, the fifty percent of the populace that never met them were the lucky ones. Never meeting them meant never experiencing withdrawals of absence. Never bending or nullifying your beliefs and values for the sake of someone else that, though unique, was probably not even the best match for you.

Because let’s face it: though science had proven its existence, who was to say the bond meant the same to everyone, or that it should be the same? For scientists, it was perceived more as an absolute physical attraction that would lead to the best procreation. That had nothing to do with love, with fated partners, or whatever else was mediatized. It all looked more like a romanticized publicity trope used to sell way more chocolates, flowers, and cards than Valentine’s Day. Or to make people feel misfitted and incomplete until they did find that person, instigating them to consume goods, programs, matchmaking events, anything that could speed that along. Why should anyone live with the unrelenting weight of not having met someone they never needed? That could ruin them, their lives? It was all terrible!

She would have known if she had met that person. Though she in general avoided physical contact, the mere presence of the other person was supposed to be enough for the both of them to know. She of course had no idea what it would feel like, soulbonds were also reported with different intensities for different people, but she was sure she’d know if that fateful moment ever occurred. Moreover, she would feel the withdrawal. Though tolerable to some, especially with medication, it would be impossible not to feel anything. She knew that’s how it would always play out: even if she avoided them and ran through the nearest exit as soon as she felt the bond, the need would hunt her, both of them, for as long as they lived. That was something she was willing to endure, though she honestly hoped she never had to. If she never met him, she’d never have to. So, she wished she never would. Simple.

Freya glanced at Lidia, who was now pulling over the security of the event and showing them her badge. Lidia couldn’t possibly understand her standpoint, and as much as they would fight about it, Freya wasn’t interested in shattering her dreams. If Lidia could one day live happily ever after with her fated mate and actually be happy, Freya would gladly support her. She just couldn’t be deluded by the idea like Lidia.

Their nine years of friendship were very precious to Freya. Though the focus on her career had led her astray from many of her friendships, Lidia always stuck by her. She was one of her dearest friends. She would always call and catch up on her, whether Freya was at a fashion runway, strike, or in a warzone. Maybe that was why Lidia was the only person she ever gave two cents to in regard to soulbonding. Everyone else was free to be their own idiot, but Lidia was her idiot. Freya didn’t want to see her get hurt. Lidia felt the exact same way, she knew that. It was the only reason they fought about it in the first place.

Lidia parked the car in the underground parking lot and Freya was forced to move. They were still by the entrance of the arena, the lights from the streets made their way to where they were. Lidia opened the trunk and Freya got her material ready. There was noise in the air and she kept trying to figure out what it was.

Lidia closed the trunk when Freya gave the nod and Freya’s blue eyes widened in shock. Beyond the entrance, behind the security barrier, there was a sea of people. People chanting, jumping, and screaming.

Lidia was smirking at the sight, “Not your typical warzone, is it?”

Freya pulled her camera that was hanging on her chest to her face, regulating the lens to focus on them. They were mostly girls shouting, around their twenties, some if that. They had colorful banners with letters stamped on them and sticks with a ball that seemed to shine.

Click.

She looked briefly at the photo on the view screen, then up again at them. She was surprised.

“No, but similar. What could it be that makes them act like that?”

Lidia was passing her her media badge to access the event.

“Boys.”

He woke up from his nap, dazed. He kept having the same dream. He had had it for a while and in the beginning, he couldn’t remember it properly. Now, he could. No faces or characteristics, but he knew it was always the same person he dreamt of. When he told it to the others, they thought it had to be his soulmate and he had found the idea hilarious at first, that was impossible. But then, with the years, he started wondering. Was it that far-fetched that there was a connection between them if they were two pieces of the same soul? Maybe their pieces had an incredible bond and that was why he could dream of her.

Her. He couldn’t remember much, but he did remember that, which brought more weight to the possibility of her being his soulmate since soulmates were always of the opposite sex. For him, love or a partner was always about the connection, the person, not about their appearance or gender. He never felt like he had a gender preference because he would always look at personality first, but his soulmate would be female and he was okay with it. Though honestly, despite dreaming of her occasionally, he couldn’t conceive a relationship — he hadn’t had a serious one in almost ten years.

Life made it that way, and he accepted it. His career had taken off in a way he had dreamed and actually achieved. He was surrounded by amazing people, professionals, friends, and family alike. He had his fans, who supported him and allowed him to live every single one of his dreams, from making music, to not worrying about money, to being able to support his family comfortably. Did he ever wonder if loneliness was a price to pay for it all? Yes. Did he think it was? No. He wasn’t looking for a relationship, or his soulmate. They would show in due time. He was living, bit by bit, in tranquility.

He of course thought about what would happen if he met her. Seokjin and Hoseok had found theirs and they were exceedingly happy. They gave all others the hope of a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment, though none were particularly searching for it. ARMYs didn't know about their discovery, they had decided it that way. Not even necessarily because of the fans, but because of the sasaengs and paparazzi. The lack of privacy would be overwhelming and the men didn't wish to ruin their soulmates' lives.

If anyone had to choose who appeared the least interested in the whole soulmate trope it would probably be him. Yoongi was known for many things, he was aware, and the top included being snarky, lazy, and perfectionist. Some probably saw him as the most cold, obsessed with his music, a workaholic. It was somewhat true, he shrugged. Ideas were constantly in his mind and he was the happiest if he was putting them to life. That meant spending a lot of time by himself in the comfort and safety of his studio, space, and mind. It also meant he slept a lot. None of those characteristics meant he actually was cold or uninterested in finding his soulmate. Quite on the contrary, sometimes it felt it was the exact piece that was missing. He lived with it, but he wouldn't deny it or reject it if it happened. He would welcome her wholeheartedly, he had been waiting for some time now.

There was pressure to perform in front of thousands of people that night, as it was BTS’s last tour date in Europe, in Berlin. He was very tired, exhausted really, as were the others, but they were persevering. They had to, the quiet that would come after would be both a soothing balm and a curse. They had to make the best of it while they could, no matter what.

He was reflecting on that, at the backstage lounge after having slept a nap. The others were getting ready for the concert in other ways, though they were all quiet as the stress was building up. He walked out to reach the stylist's room and get his makeup done, knowing he would be the last one to do so when he felt it. He stumbled against the door awkwardly, completely taken by surprise. He looked around in shock, meeting the makeup artists’, hairdressers’, and stylists' surprised looks.

She was there. She was there somewhere.

He was there somewhere. Freya was certain of it. She knew she would know when it happened and she knew. She was terrified, petrified in place, but she knew.

“Freya, what’s wrong?”

Lidia sounded worried and Freya blinked blankly for a second. She had fallen against the wall and was now leaning against it. People were passing in between them in that corridor in both directions, oblivious to them, most speaking a language she didn’t understand.

Freya immediately forced a smile, dismissing her question. “I’m fine, I just tripped.”

Lidia accepted it because, in the turmoil of people running around backstage, that wasn’t surprising. Little did she know what happened. Freya was nearly sweating from nervousness, her body too hot to handle the May warmth.

How could that be, she thought, while following Lidia. She had lived in Berlin her whole life, why would it have to happen at a boy band concert? It made no sense, at all. On one hand, she had been super lucky to never stumble on him her whole life. On the other, really, a boy band concert? What if it was one of the fanboys outside?

That was her worst nightmare coming to reality. She wasn’t one to wallow in self-pity, but for fuck’s sake she almost had it. She almost lived a life in ignorance, free of fated bullcrap and withdrawal symptoms. Now she was facing her options: to run away immediately, to finish the job and hopefully never stumble on him, or to search for him. The latter wasn’t an option, and to leave without finishing the job was unprofessional. Lidia had asked her to be there to photograph that piece, the last concert date of the boy band in Europe, and she felt obligated to carry it through. They had an exclusive interview for their culture magazine and those photographs would make the fans go insane. Her professional code was above all else, she had fought tooth and nail to achieve everything she had. She vowed to never let her soulmate change her and it would certainly not start now.

Avoiding the person would probably be impossible, she considered, still following Lidia. The stadium was packed with fans and crew, there was no avoiding whoever it was. Since people kept passing through her constantly, she thought their bond must be pretty strong. Otherwise, how could it be that the sensation wasn’t fading as the person walked past her? They probably weren’t even walking past her. They were just somewhere in the vicinity.

There was no photoshoot scheduled, just the interview. When they walked into the artists' backstage lounge it was relatively quiet. There were seven, distinctively sitting in the corner of the room that had been lit and specially prepared for the occasion. Freya was surprised the artist’s crew had prepared that small arrangement for the interview, as it would usually be up to the magazine to arrange it.

She stayed by the door and grabbed her camera, pulling it to her face.

Lidia walked ahead with a gorgeous smile, “Hello everyone! Are we late? I hope you didn't wait long.”

The question was rhetorical, they were well ahead of time. Freya was immediately immersed in seeing life through her lens. She would do what she did best, soulmate pull bothering her or not.

She did not pay attention to the conversation between Lidia and the publicists, managers, and whoever else. She was certain Lidia pointed at her because she saw it through her camera.

"Just ignore her," Lidia said with a smile, glancing back at the camera. Lidia knew she liked to work in peace.

She wasn't a photographer who would take a thousand pictures to be able to choose one. She would take ten to choose five. That meant being very conscious of every angle, light, positioning, and framing. Everything had to be perfect. She had won awards for pictures she barely had to edit precisely because of her attention to detail. In warzones, she was severely limited in time and supplies, she had to make due. It wasn't the same circumstance, but her work ethic applied.

She liked seeing the crew work around them tirelessly and she wasn't shy about snapping photos of them. She was certain then that the concert was only about 20% the actual musicians. Not to diminish their work, but the show itself was not of their making. They were just starring in it.

The interview was well underway when she turned to the artists themselves. That wasn't problematic, their smile wouldn't change between the first and last question. She actually believed they'd relax more as the questions progressed, making their photos portray their true nature better.

Those thirty minutes flew truly by. She quickly scanned the photos she took through the view screen to make sure she had all seven in perfect soul-capturing moments, but she frowned. There was one that was different. He was speaking in the photo she took, he had an honest expression, and a beautiful complexion, but she didn't feel like the photo was as good as the others. He wasn't captured as well.

She raised her eyes to look at him and her heart jumped a beat. He was looking down, hands over his crossed legs. His hair was beautifully styled over his forehead, he looked almost like a doll. He sure was frozen, but she knew he was listening. His bandmate was answering a question in English and Lidia laughed, not too loud but not fakely either. That man smiled, not out of politeness, but out of understanding. Out of deeper thoughts. Something more meaningful.

Click.

She hadn't even thought of it, she had to capture it. Her stomach was twisting, she wasn't feeling too well. Damned soulbond shenanigans. She usually did very well in crowds, but she suddenly felt claustrophobic. She slipped through the entrance door and left. She was fighting hard for what was happening so as not to ruin her day.

He was barely containing himself. He had an urge, an energy pulse that wanted to pull at him and take him somewhere. He was sitting as still as he could, respectfully listening to the interview and answering when appropriate. He felt his smile might give it away, so he kept looking down. Some of the others noticed and touched him soothingly in worry, patting his back or shoulder softly. He stayed quiet, he couldn’t tell them yet.

When the journalist left and the room emptied a bit in the last ten minutes before the final preparations, he was finally free.

"What's wrong, Yoongi?" Hoseok was worried.

"Yeah, why didn't you answer the next album question?" Namjoon’s tone wasn't of irritation, just curiosity. "It's your question."

"You were really stiff too," Jimim commented with a concerned pout. They were next to each other and Jimin had at one point patted his lower back.

"Guys, let him talk," Seokjin interfered, waving his hand in front of his face. Was he getting hot? Cause Yoongi was burning up, and sweating without the show even starting.

"Look at him, he's flustered," Taehyung commented, looking at him from real close. Yoongi scoffed and brushed him away.

"Here's water, hyung," Jungkook offered him a water bottle which he gladly took.

"Guys," his voice sounded weird even to him. Since when was it this emotional? "I feel it."

"What?"

"Are you sick?"

"Don't push yourself too hard."

"Guys!" He grabbed Taehyung by the shoulders, who was still close and personal. He would have been annoyed if the occasion was different, he really didn’t care now. "I feel it. Her. She's here somewhere tonight. I feel it right now."

Chaos ensued, with some congratulations and some worries echoing throughout the room. They barely had a minute to discuss it with their manager Sejin, the first to be informed.

They were rushed to the level underneath the stage and the manager just smacked Yoongi’s shoulder, "Focus on the show. We'll find her after."

He was nervous now, and not about the show. His mind was processing the facts now. The person wasn't in the crew, he would have felt it before. It had to be someone who entered the venue when he felt it. That could be anyone, from fans to workers, and little could be done to slim the number down from tens of thousands to one. That thought made him despair. How would he ever find her in so many people?

"Hey," Namjoon had his hand over his shoulder. His eyes had a glint of concern, but his expression exuded confidence. "She feels you too." Yoongi nodded, taking a deep breath. "She'll probably come forward after the concert."

"She's probably an ARMY," Hoseok winked. Yoongi just shrugged, he didn't care if she was. That was the least of his concerns right now.

"Just think this is for her, for all of them," Jimin added with a light smile.

Yoongi nodded and rushed to the stage, the same as them. He gave it his all. He was exhausted, but he wasn't giving up. He knew he shocked his brothers because he had probably never shown such a performance before. He couldn't explain it. He had newfound energy, and hope. Things would be different from now on, for the best. The thought that she was listening, and seeing him perform gave him an extra incentive. He teased the public way more than usual. He rarely displayed his English skills as openly, but the circumstances told him she couldn't be Korean. Whoever she was in that crowd, he wanted to make sure she knew they could communicate. Could she even tell it was him? She was probably as lost as he was.

The pull was hard. Freya was facing the whole crowd from that spot, near the stage. She could easily take pictures of the stage, as well as the fans. She was trying to focus on her job, but something kept interrupting her. Sometimes she would feel goosebumps all over her body, though she did not know why. Maybe if that guy stopped talking on the microphone all the time, she could actually hear herself think.

She rubbed her eyes with a sigh; the show was almost ending, it would be over soon. She was particularly snappy because of the bond-induced tension, she knew that. She would be able to leave as soon as it ended, just a little while longer.

Or so she thought. The venue started emptying and Lidia insisted for them to stay. She didn't complain at first, taking pictures of the heartbroken fans when the show ended. Most of them were emotional, tears staining their faces, but they were smiling. For them, it must have been a life experience to see BTS on stage. If only Freya could have appreciated it as much. She also wanted to cry. She wanted to run away so badly.

The venue was nearly empty when a publicist showed up to call for Lidia. Apparently, there were some matters left to discuss. Lidia nudged Freya, saying how nice it was of them to let them experience the concert for free before getting back to business. Freya knew it was nice, but she just shrugged. She wanted to leave.

But she couldn't, Lidia was her ride. She could always run away either way, but it wasn't professional.

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked, willing.

"No, it's just a meeting. Footage of the fans leaving, the empty poststage and backstage, or even the tired artists are more important. Make it count," Lidia winked before leaving. She probably didn't notice Freya’s expression, as excited as if she was sucking on a sour lemon.

She needed to calm down, she thought. She had to be professional above all else. She could not, and would not, have that stupid occurrence ruin her photojournalist reputation. Over her dead body.

She exited the designated area, aimlessly taking shots whenever she felt it was worth it. She had her bag with other lenses that she would switch occasionally. She got lost.

Yoongi was despairing. He couldn't help it. He wasn't even listening to the argument anymore. He was focused on the feeling, on the internal drum. He was panicked that it was going to disappear in a heartbeat.

"There's nothing we can do! We can't prevent the fans from leaving the venue, we can't force them to leave one by one. Not to mention that just touching the subject would immediately destroy any option of privacy for Yoongi or his soulmate." Sejin was being reasonable, everyone knew that. But one glance at Yoongi's face said it all. It was not enough.

Namjoon kept arguing, but Yoongi turned around to face the mirror, closing his eyes. He felt someone behind him.

"Do you still feel it?" Jungkook’s kind voice asked.

He nodded with his heart tight in his chest. He did feel it, he felt it better now, if that made sense. It was called a pull for a reason. He felt pulled, compelled to move, to go somewhere. He didn't know where, he didn't know if it worked and it was probably not safe for him to leave that room. But he felt it as though he was a compass with an arrow juggling around. No one was going to find her but him. And he absolutely couldn't lose her.

He opened his eyes and confidently walked out, not paying attention to anyone. He didn't notice his brothers calling or manager Sejin telling them to let him go. The venue was nearly empty, maybe one-fourth of the fans were still around. He still felt her, so maybe they had a chance.

He walked to the higher levels completely on a gut feeling. He hadn't even changed outfits or showered yet, he was straight out of the stage with a gray hoodie and black tight pants. He had a black headband over his hairline that kept his short dark brown hair from falling down his eyes and the sweat from dripping. None of it mattered though, he didn’t have time to look presentable, he needed to find her.

When he reached the higher level, he wasn't even afraid to meet fans, the thought didn’t occur to him. He just stumbled, numb. He could barely feel it anymore, it was like a pulled elastic at the end. It was still there, and so was she. Yet, for a second his chest filled with anguish and it physically hurt. He had no sense of direction anymore. Nothing made sense anymore. He was failing and it was useless, he had no idea of what to do.

People were starting to mumble around him and he was brought back to reality. He needed an escape, to hide the repressed feelings that were starting to make his chest hurt. There was a door in front of him. He entered the room, slamming the door behind him.

Freya was walking aimlessly, completely lost. There weren't that many people around and she wasn't really interested in taking pictures anymore. The moment had passed. She hoped to catch the band leaving, knowing that was the kind of shot her magazine could appreciate for the online version of the article.

The more she kept going, the more sure she became that she was going the wrong way. She was effectively ignoring her surroundings and just going. The crew was going in the opposite direction, the fangirls and security too. She tried convincing herself that was totally normal. It was totally her own will taking her somewhere in order to snap more pictures. It was not that gut-wrenching pull telling her she had to be somewhere.

She was walking down a corridor when she suddenly froze. Her body was burning up, her heart racing out of control, but her gut clearly knew that was it. No need to go further. She was deaf at that point, the bond so strong it was a deafening physical energy current around her pushing her in only one direction: the door in front of her.

Everything else was muffled and unimportant. Yet from the outside of the door, she could already feel she shouldn’t open it. The force was so strong it was numbing. Her hand hovered over the door knob and she wondered how it wasn't vibrating with the resonance of such a powerful pull. She wanted to fight it with all of her strength, and her hand trembled. It would change her life forever if she opened that door. She didn't want that to happen.

But she wasn't strong enough, it was just so much stronger than her. She succumbed to it, fatefully so. She grabbed the doorknob and tried to rationalize it. It couldn’t hurt to see him at least once, or at least to tell him she wasn't and wasn't ever going to be interested. Yeah, that's it. That was why she had to get in there. It wasn't that person's fault and she should at least tell him that.

She entered the room quickly, a small meeting room, and closed the door without turning. Inside, the pull became like a magnetic field, all around them like walls, instead of a single string. She turned slowly around and saw a man standing behind the center table, having risen from his chair, staring at her in shock. He was different than she expected, though she expected nothing. He looked tired, that was her first thought. Why was he so tired? His dark brown hair was wet with sweat and falling over his headband. His eyes were smaller than she would expect, and darker. His skin was so pale she wondered if it was porcelain; was that makeup? He was her height it would seem, though bulkier than her. That hoodie did not give much away, but he looked comfortable. She was somewhat happy he was comfortable, despite his tiredness.

Her eyes were glued to him like nothing else existed because nothing else did. She was walking slowly in his direction, completely unaware. She had heard of the trance but she never thought it would be that strong. Her body moved on its own, her mind clouded as if she was high on drugs. She was such a strong-willed person, and yet it seemed all her convictions evaporated. Her legs were jello and would only move in his direction. She argued that it was only physical, her mind was still alert. Yet they were a step away from each other when she recognized her own lie. Her mind was as interested as her body, especially because she recognized him. But from where?

They shouldn't have touched, she thought. As soon as their hands did there was no denying it. There was no reasoning that could explain what was happening, except soulmating. Her chest filled with cheer bliss while her whole body warmed up like crazy as if she was a firework ready to pop in a million colors. And it was strange to recognize the same sort of emotion in such foreign eyes, in a stranger's face. She felt endeared by that face, propelled to care for that person with the clear consciousness that she did not know him. And her heart, or should she say soul, was at peace with it.

She struggled with that thought. First, because she thought they would instantly love each other blindly or something, and she didn’t want that to happen. Second, because it confirmed her own theories that soulbonding would erase her sense of self, her autonomy, and her individuality. She would be damned if she’d ever let any of that happen.

She knew nothing would ever feel the same or compare to him. However, knowing it in theory or feeling it in practice were very different things. Every particle of her body and soul agreed that was it, her other half, and no other person, relationship or bond would ever replace it. She looked at her hands in his and she had to close her eyes for a second to control her emotions. The urge to hug him was making her toes curl.

“What’s your name?”

Her eyes jumped to him and widened. She knew him, she heard his voice a lot tonight. She pictured him without the headband in a pretty black suit and she gasped. He was one of the guys from the band! She was completely shaken to her core; how was that possible?! Weren’t they from the other side of the world?

Then she shook her head, but of course he was. He didn’t live in Berlin, or else they’d have met before. He only happened to come to Berlin, and she only happened to be invited to work that piece last minute. Lidia would call it fate.

“What’s your name?”

His voice gave her goosebumps. He was saying it in English, not German, but she was totally fine with it. Despite the slight demand from his voice, he was using a loving tone. A soft caress to her ears meant to not trouble her. But she was troubled, deeply. She fought to keep her mouth shut, clenching her teeth and looking away. She saw his chest heave to take in a breath before insisting on knowing her name and she panicked. She couldn’t deny him if he kept asking, her soul wouldn’t allow it. So she kissed him.

She censored herself for a millisecond before their lips touched. Kissing him went against everything she stood for. First and foremost, because she was invading his privacy, his personal space. She was attacking him, sexually assaulting him for fuck’s sake. Soulmate or not, that couldn’t be taken lightly. Second, because it was disrespectful as a whole to kiss someone without knowing if they consented. What if he had a girlfriend or was married? Third, because she wanted to keep her distance from her soulmate. They were never supposed to have met, let alone touch or kiss. She wanted to leave, run away, and never look back. No matter the pain it would cause them both. That was too selfish of her and the more they dove in, the more she would hurt him, wound him. His soul, the other part of her. He was an unlucky bastard to be fated to be her other half.

Despite the flawless logic in all of those thoughts, she couldn’t stop her lips and he didn’t seem to mind. He was surprised for a second, before supporting her waist with his hands carefully while she grabbed his head in place. For someone who wanted to run away as soon as possible, she sure was keeping him firmly in her grip.

She forced him to walk back until he was against the wall. She did so because now he had nowhere to go, she could press her body against him. She felt absolute ecstasy running through her blood. She could not stop kissing him. She could not be stopped. She vaguely thought the only way would be for him to ask it, and she doubted he ever would.

His hands stayed respectfully at her waist, frustratingly so. It was infuriating in a way how he seemed to be more in control than she was when she was the one who didn’t want this to happen. She should be outraged that they were kissing without her consent. She didn’t have the mind space to think about that though, she would reflect on being a hypocrite later.

For now, his lips tasted like heaven. She was going into all the corny tropes because they fit exactly how she felt. She was riding the wave of a rush and it was divine. She had never been high on LSD or cocaine, but she imagined it came close to that. Her tongue had no problems invading his mouth, provoking hot waves of pleasure to reverberate through her whole body. The way he just accepted it, as if giving her the full reins of it, stupidly turned her on, egged her on. He was the only one who could stop her, why didn’t he?

She fought hard to stop their makeout session and pulled away, panting uncontrollably. She was eating him alive. So much for saying ‘goodbye, let’s never see each other again’.

“You… What's your name?”

Their faces were still glued together, his arms around her. She pushed herself away and turned to the side, covering her mouth with her right hand. Somehow, pulling away from him exhausted her. She felt like even gravity was against her. She stayed like that, panting at a short but safe distance, looking at him.

After a moment of silence, he walked to a chair and sat down. The corners of his lips were raised in a small smile, he looked calm. He had all the time in the world, it seemed. Well, she didn't, she had other things to do. Like running away and never look back. Stupid soulbond was too heavy, her legs were stomped.

He pointed at the chair across from him, on the other side of the table. "Please, sit."

She wanted to scream. He was being so gentle, so condescending. Was she an idiot that couldn't keep herself away? Y- No. She wasn't a fangirl. She was a hard-working adult. An award-winning photojournalist. She was in control. Mostly. She couldn't even look away from him, that empty chair had nothing on him.

She tried calming herself down. She took her camera strip out of her neck, letting the camera sit on the table, and then she also dropped her lens bag on the floor next to it. Her breathing was stabilizing and she swallowed dryly. He was patiently waiting for her. He looked like a mythological God observing her, a mere mortal, to cope with his presence. And she had all the intentions of kneeling and begging for whatever mercy he could give.

She scoffed and pulled her copper hair back, out of her face. It was good. That soulmate thing… It was strong. She never thought it would get to that point. She knew when to admit defeat. And that was certainly, still, not the time to.

She took a step forward, convinced that she was in control. She was going to put her hand on his shoulder and say, ‘I’m sorry it had to be me. I’m not interested. Let’s forget this ever happened.'

Her hand actually hovered over his shoulder for a moment, when her blue eyes deviated to the exposed skin of his neck. Her hand trembled while she struggled between her wills, visceral thoughts opposing one another. He must have seen her inner battle because he extended his hand and guided hers to his shoulder calmingly. It tipped the scales.

Her hormones, body, whatever it was took control. What she wanted beyond him didn’t matter, no one beyond him mattered. She felt like everything in life was secondary, a faded background, dim against his brightness. There was only one thing she wanted.

Her leg heaved to the other side of him and she sat on top of his legs. He seemed to be expecting her lips when she leaned forward to greet him. His hands went to rest carefully by her waist while hers kept by his neck. He was taking her kisses fully, meeting her passion without ever imposing. But she was hungry. She started grinding herself against him and as soon as she could feel his hard-on clearly through his pants and her shorts, she just couldn’t stop anymore.

Her mind became foggy and nothing else but their pleasure meant anything. There was something at the end of the rainbow and she wanted it. Not want, want. Like the need to breathe. He grunted and parted their lips, trying to look around, at them, at her.

She got up with a weird sense of ease. She unbuttoned her shorts without ever dropping her eyes from him. His, however, accompanied the fabric’s descent down her naked legs. She pulled her panties down in the same motion and he seemed to understand. His expression was now serious, as she imagined hers. She wanted it, like oxygen. Like daylight. He could stop it though. One word and her world would crumble.

He extended his right hand for her to take. She took it and got closer. He meant to get up, but she stopped him. She unbuttoned his pants herself while her heart drummed in her chest. It wasn’t even about what he was going to look like or anything of the sort. She just had to feel him.

She got on his lap and immediately pulled his erection out. It was hard and shiny, extending proudly upwards. Their eyes met and no words were spoken. His hands were on her hips and she just did what she was supposed to. She sat down.

It had never felt that way before. She was never the most sexual person, but it was not supposed to feel like that. If she had a will, it vanished then. Her completeness could not be described. It was like an explosion of color, like a gust of wind, like the stars on the black pane of the universe. She was a boat looking to anchor, he was the nest she came to sleep in.

Once the cosmic waves were done resonating in her nerves, she opened her eyes, aware. It was like seeing everything blurry and then putting on glasses. She understood. She could barely think, but she knew she understood. And looking at his eyes, she knew he did too. His arms raised around her in a tight embrace to keep her close while her hips started rolling. She felt embraced, and accepted, like a promise was being made. Their bodies were giving something to each other because that was the only way their souls could be one again. That pleasure making her skin stretch was the extent their souls would ever touch each other. That was sad in a way, making her feel anguish. Yet he kissed her chest, right over her heart, making her come to an almost full stop. He was promising. She started moving again. That promise would only be real if they committed. If their souls actually touched and joined.

She had never felt pleasure like that. She thought she would reach her orgasm very soon, but somehow there was more. Like an endless staircase to heaven. He grew impatient with kissing her shirt and forced it out. She gladly helped. His lips on her skin were everything, and she moaned through clenched teeth at the shock. His tongue darted out to feel her breasts, contouring her bra edges and sneaking in as much as he could. She was still going, jumping as low as possible so he could do it. She grew impatient and her hands reached her back to release the bra when he stopped her.

He grabbed her hands, “No, don’t stop.”

It was a catalyst, if there could be one. His hands groped her firmly everywhere while she got lost in the feeling of riding him. She was now moaning with every motion, so ready to reach him whenever he was.

He grunted from the back of his throat, “Fuck.”

She nodded approvingly and felt the instant he was ready. She forced his hands on her breasts to squeeze hard while she sat down strongly a few times, making him go so deep it nearly hurt.

Only it was pure bliss. She closed her eyes and all she could see was golden. Golden waves with particles of light. Her body trembled in spasms, her voice muted without breath. Her body felt like it was hovering in a breeze, floating. She could feel his hands, his body, inside and out. She felt warm and safe. Home.

It lasted maybe fifteen seconds. Then, the golden waves receded, the lights disappeared like stars in the morning sky, her body floated softly to the ground, and it was done. Her head fell over his shoulder and his hand came to rest on her hair. They were both panting. They promised, it was done. She was hugging him as tightly as she could. She was scared to open her eyes.

You can go here to keep reading [ao3] (this story is finished) 💜

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bartxnhood · 2 years

Text

right here | r.k

gif not mine

| robby keene × reader

summary: after a night of celebration and a run in with the cobras, you were left frightened. you count on robby for help.

warnings: blood, swearing, broken bones, poorly written fight scenes.

a/n happy s5 of cobra kai !! loving robbys character this season. this will have spoilers so please read with caution !! also, you'd think that taking karate lessons years ago would help me when i write fighting scenes but it doesn't. so please don't judge me:(

spoilers below cut.

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the party had finally ended, hours of celebrating your victory of getting into the world's biggest karate tournament. you barely had any drinks, not one to participate in underage drinking. not really up your alley. plus, with the recent events of the rivalry, a small fight broken out.

robby had offered to take you home but you had got a text from a friend saying they wanted to hang out after the party. “are you sure? i really don’t care to take you home” he assured. you smiled, “i appreciate the offer but hannah texted, she wants to meet up” he raised his eyebrows but nodded, “alright, i’ll see you tomorrow. and text me when you get home” you laughed, giving him a quick kiss. “you got it”.

the location where your friend wanted to meet wasn’t far, so you decided to walk it. only to realize it was a complete setup.

“well, if it isn’t robby’s little pet, all alone, walking home?” you looked up from your phone, seeing them trickle in front of them and you looked over your shoulder, seeing more emerge from the darkness. slowly, you shoved your phone into your bag. “listen, i’d really like to go home. it’s late” your voice was soft, trying to be civil. it was close to midnight, you were tired and you promised robby you wouldn’t mess with them if he wasn’t there.

devon laughed, “after what you guys pulled today? no. you’ll pay for this, little miss” two pairs of arms grabbed yours, pinning you in place. “no, please!” you begged, then felt a kick to your gut.

each punch and kick after that only riled you up. finally using your strength and getting out of the hold, putting the two other cobras on the floor.

your instincts were haywire. you managed to block almost every kick and punch from devon and another from someone on your left. leaving your right side open for an attack.

instantly you felt the worst pain coming from your leg, one cobra twisted your ankle causing your leg to give out. at this point you already had a bloody nose, eyes watering and it was getting harder to focus.

you knew you were a good fighter, but against this many people? you were well aware you’d be defeated. with one last blow to your diaphragm, you were knocked back on the concrete gasping for air.

your arm reached out, trying to grab your phone. still attempting to catch your breath. in a split second, an unbearable weight came crashing on your hand, and a scream escaped your lungs. “i don’t think so, doll” tears began to fall as you shut your eyes. “next time your little group pulls something like this, you won’t leave so easily.” kennys foot was now against your throat, choking you. finally, the pressure was lifted and you coughed for air.

you didn’t stay down for long, quickly grabbing your phone and calling the one person who knew would help you.

you sat at the curb, holding your wrist staring at the deep blues and black forming on your hand. you knew it was broken, you couldn’t move it. tears fell down your nose and onto your shirt.

“y/n?!” you heard a panicked robby. looking up his eyes met with yours. his expression fell, and quickly rant by your side. “what the fuck happened?!” he examined your hand and then your face, his hands delicately held your chin. “the..cobras” you croaked. throat sore from being choked.

your eyes were red and puffy from the constant crying of feeling so scared and being in so much pain. he was gentle, taking you into his embrace. “i tried. i was so scared” you cried into his chest. “shh” he kissed the top of your head. “it’s okay, you’ll be alright. no one can hurt you now”

“can you walk?” you shook your head, using your non-injured hand to wipe your tears. “they got me pretty good.” he nodded. ever so gently he took your body into his arms, carrying you bridal style, back to sams car.

robby decided to let you stay at his place, well actually johnnys but he knew his dad wouldn’t say anything. especially now that he’s turning over a new leaf. “thank you sam” he hummed, keeping an eye on you. the bruises and welts were forming pretty fast, which only fueled his anger. “they’re not going to get away with this.” he started, “so help me if i see them-“

“robby” you cut him off, pleading eyes. he got the memo. “sorry” he cleared his throat. but it didn’t help the anger he felt inside, his chest was burning and his hands still balled in a fist.

soon enough the three of you pulled up to the apartment complex, robby carried you and sam helped with the doors. he carefully made his way through the hallway and into his room, gently placing you on the mattress. “can you get some ice? there’s some pack in the freezer” sam nodded and left the room.

“robby, i’m sorry, i didn’t know who else to call” you rested your head against the wall. he fell by your side, shaking his head.

“don’t you dare apologize for something you didn’t do. i’m your boyfriend, y/n. it’s my job to be here for you” he tried to smile, but the aight of seeing you so beat up killed him. he should’ve been there with you and known it was a setup. “i’m gonna get you some pain killers, yeah?” you nodded, letting him leave.

sam quickly came back in, a few ice packs in hand. “here” she hummed, you smiled and took the contents from her. hovering over your knuckles then slowly laying the ice down, you chewed on your bottom lip trying not to cry despite how badly it hurt. “thank you” you murmured.

“and thank you for picking me up. i know it’s late” she smiled, shaking her head.

“you know i’d do anything for you.” she looked down at her watch, “i’ve gotta head home now. but message me so i know you’re okay?” you nodded, she waved and saw herself out.

robby came back with a pill bottle, glass of water, and a wet wash rag. “this should help with the pain.” he handed you the cup and then opened the bottle and gave you some advil. you took the pills and a quick swig of water. “thank you, robby” you smiled tiredly.

he nodded, “it’s no problem. do you mind if i clean your leg?” he motioned down to your knee which has dried blood and small pieces of debris in the wound.“yeah..go ahead”.

to be honest, you were still in shock from what happened. you were thankful enough that robby is letting you stay, knowing your parents wouldn’t care if you came home or not.

robby tried his best being gentle, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt you. the girl he had loved the most in all his years, the one who was in his corner throughout everything. telling people he hadn’t changed or he’d come back around. you always supported him. even if it meant you got hurt as well.

it hurt, but your hand hurt worse. you could take robby to clean your knee.

“you should change” robbed said, wiping the blood on your scraped knee. “your clothes are all dirty and bloody” you were pulled from your fogged mind. “what..?” you looked at him. “you need to change. i’ll give you a pair of my shorts and shirt.” you shook your head, “robby it’s okay, really” he was quick to cut you off. “it wasn’t a request, but a demand.” you stared at him. “fine.” you shrugged, and proceeded to sit up, fighting off the pain your body felt.

“whoa, whoa. careful” he quickly put his hand on the small of your back. “i’ll grab you some clothes” he hurried over to his drawers, picking out a black shirt and shorts. “i can step out if you want me to” you nodded, “thanks” he smiled, “i’ll be right outside the door”

you managed to get the jean shorts off with your good hand and slipped the basketball shorts on. now the tricky part was getting your shirt off. wasn’t necessarily easy with a broken hand. you sighed, feeling frustrated. you called out, “robby?”

the door opened, confused as to why you were still in hood top. “everything okay?” you shook your head, “can you help me with my shirt?” he nodded, “sure”

he carefully helped you get your shirt off that had plenty of minor cuts in the fabric. this was the first time you had been this vulnerable around him. also being the first time he had seen you almost

robby pressed light kisses on your shoulder,” i’m sorry i wasn’t there for you.” his eyes roamed your back and your rib cage, seeing the bruises now forming. it pained him that this happened, and he knew that the next time he saw anyone from cobra kai, they’d pay for it. no one touches you.

you wanted to cry, but you tried your best to hold it together while slipping the black t-shirt over your head. “i should’ve stayed back. this wouldn’t have happened if i was just being cautious.” he helped you bag down on the bed. “it isn’t your fault, remember that. i promise no one will ever touch you again. okay?”

“i love you robby.” you sighed, and a smile formed on his face. “i love you too. i’ll give you some space, i’ll sleep on the sofa tonight. and i’ll wrap your hand in the morning, is that okay?”

you nodded, but suddenly the thought of being alone terrified you.

“robby?”

“hm?”

“please stay.”

he stopped in the doorway, eventually coming back and closing the door behind him. “okay” he hummed and crawled into the bed next to you. “i really don’t want to be alone.” you moved closer to him, resting your head on his chest.

“you’ll never be alone again. i’ll always be here.”

#robby keene x y/n #robby keene cobra kai #robby keene x reader #robby keene imagine #robby keene blurb #robby cobra kai #cobra kai blurb #cobra kai x reader #cobra kai imagine #robby keene

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riptideripley · 2 months

Text

Chapter One: Catering.

Word Count:630

April 18th 2022. The date replayed in her head like an ongoing record that could never be shut off. An annoying itch in her brain. It was the day she lost someone she thought loved her. Rhea Ripley.

Liv recalls that day very clearly in her mind,never letting it slip away. She was so close to a victory but let Rhea down..then lost her. Everything in her mind was spiraling, she tried talking to Rhea backstage but was just ignored and pushed to the side. She felt hopeless and alone.

She finally teamed with Raquel and moved on, but just when things were going well..Rhea came crawling back to ruin it. Injuring her tag partner. “You know Liv..if only you would’ve listened to me when i offered you a spot in my group.” she would constantly remind Liv every single day..until she did the unthinkable. She injured Liv.

———

Rhea sat backstage every Monday, watching every match since Liv had, even traveling to Smackdown. She felt bad for stalking a former lover like this when she has Dominik but..Dominik had other plans with Damian anyway so it didn’t matter to her what she did that much.

Rhea glanced at her phone, looking at the time only to see a text from Damian saying he’ll be with Dominik for the night. She chuckled silently to herself knowing exactly what he meant, tucking her phone into her pocket before rising out of her slightly uncomfortable chair. She decided to head to catering to grab a small snack since she barely ate all day, but there she was. The woman she was stalking. Liv Morgan. They made eye contact for a split second before Liv turned her attention back to the bottle of water she was grabbing. Rhea could only smile, she knew deep down Liv still loved her and only masked it with hate.

Liv tried to ignore her and just drink her water peacefully while relaxing after her match that got interrupted by Becky Lynch. Little did she know Rhea had followed her there and was watching her every single move. She felt the couch she was sitting on sink next to her and froze, not daring to see who it was..until she heard that familiar voice. “Liv..had a great match out there hm?” Rhea spoke, breaking the silence between them. It was just them two alone in the room, giving Rhea granted access to do whatever she pleased. Liv finally decided to give Rhea a quick look, or so she thought. It was like she was in a trance all over again. She just couldn’t look away which tortured her.

Rhea smiled as she noticed this, setting the plate of fruit she had down on the small coffee table and scooting closer to Liv. Before Liv could even process what was happening, she was straddling Rhea’s lap kissing her. God how much she missed these soft lips of hers..suddenly snapping into reality and pulling herself off of Rhea. “Awe what’s wrong honey? We were just getting started..” Rhea spoke softly as she stood up, towering over Liv who just stood there slowly processing everything. “I..I fucking hate you!” she yelled as she stormed out of the room leaving behind her water. ‘Sure you do’ Rhea thought to herself chuckling, grabbing her fruit and heading to her locker room. She noticed a note on her black vanity and began reading it as she munched on the pineapple from her plate.

“Meet me in room 222

- Liv. ”

Rhea has never grinned this wide in her life. Quickly finishing her fruit, she packed up her stuff and checked the time. 9:30. Enough time for her to go to her room before meeting Liv.

#wwe #rhea ripley #judgement day #dominik mysterio #women of wwe #rhea ripley smut #rhea ripley x liv morgan #liv 4 brutality #liv morgan

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elvisabutler · 2 years

Text

she’d like to cuddle up to me

fandom: austin butler | elvis ( 2022 )

rating: M, honestly y’all this is a lot of smut with a big plot. So minors, shoo shoo.

relationship: austin butler/reader, elvis/priscilla.

word count ( this part ): just shy of 6k. this is apparently war and peace. i don’t know. it’s eaten my brain.

warnings ( this part ): daddy kink, age difference ( austin is his normal age during the time frame of the fic, reader is almost a decade younger, no one is underage ), dom/sub, choking ( implied ), zipper riding ( not quite, but sort of ), oral ( f receiving ), public sex. multiple orgasms but maybe not quite overstimulation. close but not quite.

author notes: so. once again, you want a tag, message me, i’ll tag you. or leave a reply and tell me and i’ll add you. beyond that, thank you to my partner in crime with this fic @satninbeaulieu and anyone else who has put up with me talking about this. also, this will probably make it’s way to ao3 at some point, don’t know when. maybe this week. we’ll see, my schedule always looks at my plans and laughs. also i hate the ending line of this, but i removed a chunk of this to save for next chapter or something later on. this was already too long, y’all. and not betaread because i live on the wild side.

this is part of the you read your lines so cleverly and never missed a cue series. specifically it’s the second. the first part is here.

The first thing you do when you get home is stalk Austin or more accurately you looked at a few- no more than 10- gossip blogs to try and check the status of Austin's relationship to Vanessa. It should worry you that your reaction upon reading that they broke up a couple months ago is sheer relief. Yes, maybe once upon a time the idea of being with a guy in a relationship didn’t phase you but you learned your lesson like a good girl and knew that you were better than being the side chick. You also knew that most of the time when you were the side chick it was because the guy was an asshole, but truth be told that was honestly most men. Maybe including Austin, but your mind hadn’t quite decided on him beyond being mildly mortified at what happened.

You had expected to hear something from Baz sooner rather than later but it took a full week before you got the call with him telling you that you had gotten the part.You put the phone on mute before letting out a shout of victory before unmuting it again and telling him thank you as he told you he planned on the first table read being about a week from now. Thankfully you hadn’t made any plans, so it was no real problem. The call ended without too much fanfare beyond your initial excitement and within about 5 minutes your phone dinged with an email containing the script. If you happened to dance while printing it out in your apartment no one could judge you.

The week long lead up to the table read had you trying to make arrangements to stay in Australia for the foreseeable future instead of your New York apartment. In between calls to iron out all your tiny details of getting most of your life transferred clear across the world you’d read the script. Everyone knew how Elvis’ story went so it’s not like anything in it was too new to you but you still found yourself enraptured enough that you audibly gasped while on the phone with someone causing them to have to ask if you were alright. Not your proudest moment.

Soon enough though you found yourself on a plane to Australia and in a car heading to the studio. You weren’t nervous before but the closer you got to the studio the more you felt your brain buzzing and your foot becoming jittery, tapping to an unknown rhythm. You took deep breaths, trying to steady yourself as you toyed with your ring. There was no need to be nervous. You had impressed Baz, you were a phenomenal actress. So what if Austin was going to be there and he had known you were going to be there before you did. So what? It was fine, it was going to be fine.

“That’s Cilla. That’s my Priscilla.” You bit your lip remembering hearing that through the door before- you weren’t going to think about that, you were not going to think about being on your knees in front of him, being on your knees with his cock in your mouth. You most certainly were not going to think about how you might have thought about it more than once since then.

This was going to be a problem, you already knew it which is what has you groaning into your hands as your uber driver pulls up to the studio to drop you off. “You going to be okay, ma’am?”

You look at him for a second before answering, moving your hand from your mouth. “Yeah, I’m going to be fine. I’ll tip you in the app, I totally don’t have any cash on me. Sorry.”

The driver shrugs. “It’s alright, you’re not in the US, not required but thank you.”

You hum as you exit the car and grab your bag, pulling down your dress as you did. The walk into the studio felt longer than you’d have liked it to, but you figure that was just because of your outfit and nervousness all balled into one tiny bit of stress for you. You’re early to the read and you’re expecting to have no one in the room when you arrive only to hear the one voice you were mildly dreading hearing.

“Y/N.” Austin says softly and a little breathlessly when he looks up at the noise of the door opening. Your heart skips a beat when you look up to see what he looks like. It’s not a Boho Elvis look this time. No, instead he went with something more put together, a simple white shirt half unbuttoned and black jacket with black slacks. Of course, the headband on his head and the glasses made it seem a little more soft, a little warmer and more gentle than it had any right to be. Truth be told, it had the tension leaving your body the longer you looked at him.

“Austin.” You smile slightly before giving him a little wave and tilting your head. “You’re here early.”

He laughs. “Yeah, if you ever meet Denzel Washington- promise, not trying to name drop, Dove- but if you ever meet him he’ll tell you it's a thing I do because I did it during Iceman Cometh. Started when my mom would drive me to auditions and now that I can drive myself around or call an Uber, it’s just stuck. Allows me to meditate on things. Focus myself.”

For not the first time since you did the chemistry read, you’re struck by how your brain just finds Austin fascinating. You have had one view of him and here he was turning it on its head- turning you on your head. It’s strange but you feel as if you might have found a fellow actor who might understand how you are. It’s method acting, but it’s not, it’s just allowing yourself to fall into a role and allow yourself to be in the moment as this person. And while you were running late according to your own time table, Austin and you were the only people there for the read. Even if you hadn't been on your knees for him not even two weeks prior, you’d have found his dedication a little attractive.

“I get it, Austin.” You twirl your dove ring as you speak. “I do the same thing. Though I’m normally the first person in the room. Didn’t know I’d have competition. Especially since I wanted the seat you’re sitting in.”

“You could sit next to me.” He pats the seat next to him with a grin as his voice pitches down just a bit. “Gotta have my best girl by my side. My ‘Cilla.”

You don’t normally laugh very easily but the sincerity in his voice makes you chuckle as you walk to take the seat next to him. “Your ‘Cilla. Guess that makes you my Elvis.” You pause and sit down, making sure your dress doesn’t ride up as you do. “My King?”

Austin’s eyes are focused on your thighs and your ass when you sit down and you notice but you choose not to comment just yet. He might have been able to be a dom but that look- no self respecting dom looks at you like that when you can make fun of it. He bites his lip and shakes his head. “Elvis hated that name, you know. Felt there was only one king and it wasn’t him. I have to agree with hating the name but that’s mostly because that’s not what I want you calling me.”

You raise an eyebrow at Austin, as you hear the door open another person coming in whose name you feel like you need to know but you haven’t met everyone yet so you suppose it can be forgiven. Your response is softer, more murmured so that they couldn’t hear you. “What is that supposed to mean? Do you have something else in mind, Mr. Butler?”

You’re teasing and you know it. You’re being a brat and you know it. You are suddenly aware that you have no underwear because you forgot it in your rush to get out of your apartment early. You feel faintly like an idiot with this knowledge but your face does not betray any of these things, instead choosing to remain blank, looking at the door as another newcomer comes in. For his part Austin’s only reaction is a slow inhale and exhale before he speaks. “Well it’s not Mr. Butler if that’s what you think. Something that starts with a d.”

The first response that comes to you is dick followed closely by dumbass and then Daddy. Your tongue darts out to lick your lips as you decide to throw him a bone. “Dumbass? Duke? Daddy?”

At the last word, his arm migrates to the back of your chair and he pulls you in a little closer. “Third time’s the charm little dove.Though, dumbass? I’m hurt.”

Despite your better judgment you shift a little closer to Austin, scooting your chair over just a hair. “That’s the least offensive name I could call you, Butler. It’s also true if you think I’m calling you Daddy. Remember, we had this conversation the last time. Was my blowjob that good that you forgot everything before it maybe a little after it?”

There’s supposed to be an undercurrent to your words, a teasing edge that you’re hoping he picks up on and doesn’t take the wrong way. It’s fun talking to him like this, teasing him as more people are walking in the door. You’re pretty sure they’re saving you from Austin or you doing something stupid. You glance at Austin through the corner of your eye only to see his pursed lips and a deeply unimpressed look at you. Your brain is wondering how you could have misread him when you recognize that look, that look means you're in a lot of trouble. You find that it's a little exciting.

"Did you forget that you called me daddy multiple times already, little dove? For someone who keeps saying they don't want to call me that, it rolls off your tongue beautifully." He leans in closer, his lips brushing against your ear. "Say it with me, 'Daddy, I'm sorry I came just from sucking you off and didn't listen when you said not to touch last time. I can be good, Daddy.':

You shiver as your shoulder moves up in an attempt to push Austin away from your ear. Your legs open up just a hair under your dress and you had hoped Austin wouldn’t notice before you heard what sounds like a slight pleased hum. This was unfair. You wanted the upper hand, you should have the upper hand because he’s still just begging you to call him Daddy and you won’t. You hear the door open again and hear Baz’s voice amongst what feels like twenty others and you realize that thank God it’s everyone else. You have an excuse to shoot down Austin. “Say it with me, Daddy. You’re not my dom and you’re not my Daddy, so if I wanted to come just from sucking you off I can. No permission needed. Besides, you weren’t about to give me what I wanted. Someone had to.”

Austin’s eyes narrow and he actually pulls away to allow himself to look at you straight on, his hand moving up like he’s going to grab your chin before stopping himself as he hears Baz say his name.

“There’s my leads! Our Elvis and Priscilla, everyone!” Austin and you tear your gazes from each other and offer almost identical shy waves to everyone.

Everyone introduces themselves around the table and you all settle in for the table read. Your foot’s started to jiggle again under the table, occasionally hitting your chair and occasionally hitting Austin’s chair. You don’t mean to, but you’re more nervous than you have been in quite a long time. In fact, you’re pretty sure the last time you were this nervous was your first big acting job. It’s embarrassing because you all haven’t even gotten to your first line and there was Austin next to you acting completely normal. Except you can see how the hand that’s closest to your leg, the one that’s on the side of the chair is shaking just a little bit. Maybe you weren’t the only one who was nervous. Hell, at least Austin had a better standing than you did, he was responsible for this movie doing well, he was going to be The Elvis Presley. Yes, you were Priscilla Presley but without him, without him nailing Elvis correctly the rest of you could be perfect and you lose the film.

The longer you stare at his shaking hand the worse your shaking foot gets to the point where you end up kicking Austin’s shin. It’s not during one of his lines but he still ends up hissing and gaining the attention of everyone else.

He waves them off with his steady hand. “It’s fine, hit my shin on the chair.” And that’s that until he looks at you again with a questioning look. His hand is still shaking and you finally give into a desire to just grab it- to hold it in your own. He doesn’t stop you, instead allowing you to squeeze his hand and you swear you can feel the tension leaving his body. Leaving his hand at the very least and he looks- well he looks relieved. You stare at your hand holding his for longer than you probably should before he takes the time to shift the position a little, interlocking your fingers and setting them down on the side of the chair. He doesn’t let go and neither do you until it’s time for Priscilla and Elvis to meet. You pull your hand, knowing fully well that you end up using your hands when you read these lines no matter what and you aren’t about to stop now to attempt to reassure and comfort Austin. He doesn’t look like he minds, though, partially because he’s not supposed to as he reads the lines, but you can see that his reaction isn’t entirely just Elvis talking to Priscilla, it’s him watching you perform the same you had for the chemistry read.

Baz starts to explain about this montage he has planned right after this scene in the script and while it’s important for Tom to pay attention, it’s not explicitly important for the two of you right in the moment. It’s for that reason, you figure that Austin’s arm snakes around you once again, pulling your chair closer and making it so your legs are touching. You curl a little into him as much as you can while still remaining in your own chair. You should be prepared to hear him speak but it still startles you hearing his voice murmuring in your ear once again.

“You didn’t ask me, Y/N. I don’t just take from people. I give back as much as they deserve. And I think you deserve a lot more than you let people give.” His hand moves to hold your knee. For the first time since you sat down and started this table read, your foot stops moving, stops shaking and you feel grounded. Oh no. This is a problem. This is a good thing but it is a problem you cannot entertain.

“What I deserve does not concern you, Austin. That was a one time thing. Consider it a sub helping a fellow sub. Switch. Whatever you are for whoever.” You pause, making sure to listen in on what Baz is saying. “Seriously, though, what are you? Because I've been reading you as a maybe a sub since you were-"

"Staring at you but not touching? Didn't realize appreciating the prettiest little dove I had seen that day made me a sub. What would have made me a dom? Flipping that short skirt you had up?" Austin asks, his hand still resting on your knee. "You've never had any of them pant after you, have you?"

You clench your thighs together, waiting to see what he's going to do with his hand. "Considering I like fucking men and not hound dogs, no, I can't say I have. Are you going to tell me you panted after Vanessa? Acted like her good little boy, pleasing Mami when she snapped her fingers?"

"Mmhmm. Open those legs for Daddy, Little Dove. Don't be this mouthy and that shy." He murmurs with a smirk as several people slowly come into the room. They’re not late, they just didn’t need to be here at the time. "Papi gave his little Nessa whatever she wanted. Even when she was mouthy just like you're being because at the end of the day she was a good girl." Your legs fall open just enough for him to sneak his hand up them. He pauses, his jaw tensing and eyes going just a bit wider as he moves his thumb in just a way that it brushes your clit and getting just enough of your juices on it to allow it to glisten when he pulls it out from under your skirt. He puts it up to his lip and licks. "You don't even realize what you do to Daddy, do you?"

You are aware of two things at this exact moment, one, you were wet which you hadn't quite realized before and two, you wanted Austin's hand between your legs right now. A fact that you swear you have just telepathically sent to him from how his hand just slinks back down to your thighs and then up to your core. He sticks just a single finger before you manage to speak.

"I don't. I'm thinking I make him so horny he can barely see straight but-" You take a deep breath and look down at his lap. "I may be wrong. I can’t really see anything in your pants. And you actually have a bit of a poker face right now.”

There is the faintest hint of a smirk on his lips before he curls his finger, looking over at everyone else. “All good doms should, Little Dove. But do you want to know? Does my good girl want to know what she’s doing to me?”

Your eyes flutter a little at the mention of being a good girl and at his curled finger, you hadn’t done anything to deserve that, you were being a brat and yet he was telling you that you were a good girl. Oh, you could get used to that. You manage a short breath. “Was I right, Austin? Was my guess right?”

"I mean, I can see straight but- I am turned on. I could still get up without too much of a problem. But yes, Little Dove, you guessed right. You did good on your guess." He has his thumb just rub circles around your clit, watching your face to see your reaction trying to see exactly what gets you going, adjusting his motions as he saw what did and didn't work. “Soaked and I’ve barely touched you, such a sensitive and needy Dove falling into my lap. It’s not even my birthdays.”

He doesn't move his hand or stop what he's doing when it comes time for him to continue reading the lines. You’re focusing on his voice and saying your lines when they pop up but you can feel your head getting fuzzy. It’s almost as if you’re floating and you intellectually know what that means, you know you’re sliding way too dangerously to your subspace but you’re not a hundred percent sure you can pull yourself back. Austin’s voice just keeps murmuring what you think are praises and you can feel his hand moving from under your dress and you almost make a noise before you feel his hand move to your back in an attempt to steady you. The feel of his hand pulls you back down a little, allowing you to blink slowly before looking at him. Baz is reading the description of the scene, you think it’s the beginning of the 68 special but you don’t know for sure. You can see Austin’s mouth moving, mouthing words and you open your mouth to say something before he shakes his head slightly.

“Little Dove, come back to Daddy. I know you want to come apart for me, I know and I want to see how gorgeous you look when you do, but Little Dove, we’re at the table read. We’re in public, you’re a professional, you don’t want to show them this. It’s not for them to see. It’s just for us. Be a good girl, be the good girl I know you are and wait, okay?” Austin whispers in your ear, the rings on his fingers pressing into your back, grounding you even further. You’re coming back down, you can focus on everyone else, you can focus on his voice. You’re a good girl, not a brat, Daddy is calling you a good girl. “Y/N?”

Austin is saying your name. You swallow, turning to focus on his eyes. “I can be a good girl, I can be your good Little Dove. Promise me we can later, Dad-” You stop suddenly, your mind crashing back to Earth in a heartbeat. Austin is not Daddy, you were about to call him Daddy. “Austin.” His name comes out in a puff of air as you freeze and just look around at everyone trying to make sure no one saw the two of you or at the very least saw how you were reacting.

“There you are, Y/N.” Austin smiles softly before he pulls his hand off of your back and grabs your hand with your dove ring, allowing himself to play with it a little. “You alright?”

You shake your head no, not trusting the word coming out of your mouth before you take a few shaky breaths. “Don’t do that again.”

His eyes narrow for a moment as he reads his lines, unable to respond beyond a quick squeeze of your hand. In fact it goes like that for a while until they reach where Austin is supposed to be singing Suspicious Minds while the Colonel essentially signs his life away. This isn’t rehearsal so it doesn’t matter if he sings or not which allows him to actually be able to squeeze your hand again, trying to get your attention.

“Your hands are huge, you know that?” You say offhandedly having a brief flash of an image of them against your throat before you hum. “What?”

“Did you mean to never do that again or just don’t do it right now?” He asks with a slight smile on his face at the comment about his hands. “I don’t want to- I don’t want to make you uncomfortable if you don’t like that. Or if you can't stand being in the space-"

You stop him with a very deliberate tap to the palm of his hand. Just one, but you know he knows what it means. You wait to see his shoulders relax before you answer fully with actual words. "Right now. I'm a professional. We are professionals."

It's definitely a bad idea to be entertaining this and you should tell him never again but honestly your curiosity had been piqued enough that you actually want to see where this is going to go to a point, it wouldn't be the first or the last time you've made an interesting decision that wasn't perhaps the wisest.

Austin looks pensive for a moment, as if he's having to repeat those words to himself or just remind himself like he hadn’t told you that exact line not even an hour ago. He opens his mouth to speak and stops, choosing to worry at his lower lip until he manages to, you suppose, collect his thoughts. “Professionals. About to embark on potentially career defining roles.”

You nod. “Yeah. So, not right now. This exact moment when I’ve got an actor and director we’ve grown up knowing and being deeply impressed with across the room from me. Well, maybe you weren’t impressed by Baz, but Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet were my comfort movies as a teenager.”

“Not anymore?” He questions, allowing his shoulders to relax and allowing himself to lean back in the chair. He lets go of your hand and allows his arm to just drape itself across the back of your chair.

“Not anymore.” You lean back in your own chair, almost seeking out the warmth of his hand and arm as if you could feel it through the chair. “I grew up. I think the last time I watched it I was 17, 18, maybe?”

Austin just hums at your answer before focusing on the table read again, after all you are professionals. You choose that moment to grab his hand and pull it forward enough that his arm isn’t just around your chair and is instead is around your shoulders. You shiver slightly despite how warm you feel.

The rest of the read goes fine, you think, though you can’t help the way you actually sob reading Priscilla leaving Elvis and when she asks him to go to rehab for Lisa. You think she wanted him to go for her too, despite the fact that she had moved on from him as far as a relationship went. You don’t stop caring for someone you love like that and from what you’ve seen despite their relationship being what it was- she still loves him. Austin grabs you a tissue or two and you see him make an aborted move to tell you to blow your nose before he pulls back and hands you the tissues. Overall, you feel good, you feel like this is going to be the thing that catapults everyone who isn’t already a name into some form of stardom and it makes you grin as you clap with everyone around the table. You’re so enraptured with looking at everyone else that you nearly miss Austin tapping your shoulder as he stands up.

"You vape?" He asks, looking down at you in the chair with his hand firmly on your shoulder.

You don’t, but that’s not the point because when you look up and see Austin’s eyes, you note that the pupils look a little blown and– well you had said, not right now. Apparently he wasted no time in thinking not right now meant wait until the table read. There’s a thought to say no, to tell him that you’re going to go talk to Darce or Luke or Kelvin but your body decides to answer for you, shivering not because of the cold but because of his grip on your shoulder. “Sure.”

Austin doesn’t waste a single second before he’s reaching out for your hand and pulling you up out of the chair and tucking you under his arm as he leads you out of the room. You faintly hear what you’re pretty sure is a collection of every person in the room with maybe Luke or Kelvin being the loudest saying something about ‘there goes Elvis and Priscilla’ as you leave the room. You feel embarrassed for a brief moment before Austin kisses the top of your head almost in reassurance. You’re shorter than Austin and he is walking so fast to get out of the building that you’re not a hundred percent sure how you keep up with him but in what feels like a flash you’re outside by what you’re assuming is his car.

You’re about to say something about how the car is a little dusty when Austin just practically pushes you against the car, his mouth against yours as if he’s going to devour you and like he’ll die if he doesn’t feel your lips against his. It startles you for a moment with its intensity but after that moment you respond in kind, your tongue meeting his and your arms wrapping around his neck to try and force him to give you some leverage. He catches the hint pretty quick and you make a noise as you feel his hands on your thighs, lifting you up and allowing you to wrap your legs around his waist. You don’t break the kiss, choosing to nip at his lips that you kept seeing him bite as he took a moment to suck at your tongue. It shouldn’t be hot, it’s messy and you can feel spit getting everywhere but you feel as if he’s setting you on fire with his lips. Soon you both need air though and you pull away first, whimpering a little as you do before resting your forehead against his, your chest heaving trying to catch your breath that you swear he’s stealing as he tries to catch his own. You hear a beep and somehow Austin is managing to open up the door to his car without dropping you.

“I gotta put you down Little Dove. I can’t get in the car holding you like this- just- Let me get in and-” He pauses, making sure you’re looking at him before he continues. “Sit on my face.”

Your brain almost immediately whites out at the idea before you drag yourself back to reality and nod. “Get in the car then, Austin.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice, his lanky frame easily sliding into the car and moving his seat back before you’re on him in a flash, lifting up your dress just enough that he can just see your cunt glistening in the daylight before he’s hidden by the fabric. His tongue licks a stripe up your slit before you feel his fingers opening you up just enough that his tongue can gain access to your cunt. You want to feel his lips around your clit but you’re finding the sensation of his tongue flicking in and out of your cunt enough that you find your hands reaching for the upholstery in his car, grasping it and trying not to scratch it. You still do the second you feel the electric shock of his teeth grazing your clit and- it’s then that you start to find yourself floating again. You should trust Austin to let you fall, you’re in public and you can see Baz Luhrmann’s goddamn car next to you, but your body won’t listen. Your brain is literally just shutting off at the feel of Austin’s fingers and of his tongue against your folds. You try and warn him that you’re coming embarrassingly quickly but all that comes out is a low moan of his name and daddy one right after the other.

He taps your thigh three times before you find that you have enough energy to move, your boots getting stuck on the center console before you settle into his lap, slowly moving just a little not quite grinding but still wanting a little bit of friction. Austin manages to pull his seat back up and stares at your lips before starting to kiss you again. It’s not nearly as rushed as it was outside the car but it’s still making that feeling of floating get worse and worse. You taste yourself on him and you realize this is the first time someone has eaten you out and then made out with you. It sends a thrill through your body and you find that you like it. You find that you like it enough that you start to grind on Austin’s lap and there’s a part of you that feels a weird bit of cold against your clit that you think is his zipper, but you don’t stop, instead choosing to just go with how it feels. A fact that you’re gonna ruminate on later, probably.

You hear Austin groaning lowly and what you swear is a growl before you feel his hands- his stupidly large hands- lifting you up off his lap and you whine. You’re out of it, fully spaced out and you can’t register anything beyond Daddy- Austin- this stupid dom who doesn’t look like one and doesn’t act like one and just slid under your radar, taking you off his lap. You try and squirm enough that you can go back to grinding but Austin’s hand slides up to the back of your neck and you hiss not unlike a kitten. “Baby. That’s enough. Come back here.” You blink, eyes unfocused and your mouth open as you try and take deep breaths. His hand moves from the back of your neck to your cheek and strokes it. “Hey, come on. Focus baby.”

It’s hard but your brain forces you to zone in on his face. “Daddy.”

He ends up smirking before shaking his head. “What’s my name, Little Dove. You’re gonna hate that you called me that.”

“Austin.” Your answer comes in a whisper as the shame overwhelms you for a moment, you’re in public, you’re spaced out on Austin’s lap. You had known you were a little desperate for touch like this but not- you didn’t realize you had gotten so bad. He smiles and your heart skips a beat. You don’t know if he smiled because you used his name or because you had done what you were supposed to. You’re not sure you care either way.

“Good girl. Listen, you’ve got to stop that. We’ve only got an hour for lunch, maybe an hour and ten since I vape. I can’t fuck you right now. Just calm down and let Daddy, let me kiss on you for a bit. We don’t want you rubbing yourself raw on my zipper.” He murmurs, moving to kiss at your neck.

Your head lulls a little to the side and your eyes are still a little glassy before you find the words to speak as you push his mouth away. He needs to hear what you want to say. Your eyes settle on his clothed cock as you nod before you notice that you’re pretty sure his pants have a wet spot that’s your own juices. “What if I want to? What if I want to rub-” You pause, you don’t, or at least you’re not sure if you want to rub yourself raw on his zipper. “You’ve already kissed on me, Austin. Probably too much. I should get out of the car.”

You have yet to see Austin be offended by anything, but that sentence, you saying probably too much has him looking so offended that your first instinct is to both apologize and ask what the hell was so wrong with what you said. He bites his lip once, twice, before saying anything. “Oh, Y/N, Little Dove, your daddy’s barely been kissing you. Who’s been taking such bad care of you that you don’t even see that? That you’re this needy. Let daddy make a deal with you?”

Your brain is processing more of the words he says faster and you find yourself pursing your lips as you nuzzle at his neck. “Depends.”

He chuckles and you can feel the vibrations against your lips. “There’s my Dove coming back down. Let Daddy kiss on you a bit more and you can ride his hand?”

“I- I don’t know if I can handle an hour of just your hand, but- sure- yeah.” You pause and focus on saying Austin’s name. “Austin.”

He smirks before he moves his hand down between your legs, his fingers curling earning a groan from you as your forehead hits the headrest behind him. “You can.”

As it turns out, you could, just barely.

Taglist: @satninbeaulieu @she-is-juniper @floralcyanide @butlerstyles i am probably missing someone but i don’t know. it’s late.

#austin butler x priscilla actress reader #austin butler smut #austin butler x reader #austin butler #austin butler x y/n #austin butler fanfic #ally writes #elvis 2022

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buckybarnesthehotshot · 2 years

Text

Chain, Keep Us Together (Max Verstappen x Reader)

|part 1| |masterlist|

summary: he won the championship, what does that mean for them?

word count: 4019

warnings: not proofread, breakups, alcohol, slight angst, happy ending

October 20, 2022, COTA

“That was a hell of a celebration for winning the championship,” the reporter started off, “It’s not all the time teammates share a kiss after winning a championship.”

“We did it last year, didn’t we?” Max chuckled awkwardly, looking over to y/n.

“Practically tradition at this point,” she chimed in jokingly with a tight-lipped smile. Media training in this situation was an absolute wonder considering neither of them had spoken to the other after that moment in Suzuka.

She couldn’t bring herself to do it then. She couldn’t find the words to express the jumbled thoughts in her head, deciding it would have been easier for her to vanish as soon as she finished her commitments to Suzuka.

Truth be told, throughout the season, she didn’t mind sharing press conferences with him. Well, before Suzuka, at least. This time, however, the tension hung heavy in the air between them. So many words left unsaid as they sat across from each other.

“Does this mean you guys are still together?”

Max was at a loss for words. How would he explain this. Were they together again? By no means was their breakup publicized, but after their very public relationship in 2021, it was safe to assume people figured things out on their own.

“Who said we split up?” she questioned with a laugh, somehow able to act like everything was okay with them both. It was easy when she’d managed to do it throughout the entire season.

“There was a lot of speculation in the media after both of you were spotted less with each other this past season,” the reporter explained, taking a gulp.

“Ah,” she winked, “We wouldn’t have kissed if we weren’t still together, eh?”

Except they weren’t. They hadn’t been for a long time. It wouldn’t be good media for the team though if she let people know about the breakup right after sucking face in Suzuka. It would’ve put both of them in an awkward situation.

“Right, of course,” the reporter nodded, “Are there going to be any more moments between you two after confirming you’re still together?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be asking questions about the race?” Max questioned bluntly in an attempt to bail her out from the awkwardness of the conversation the reporter tried to engage in, “But I can give you a kiss too if that’s what you want to keep talking about.”

“Where’s my kiss then?” Daniel chimed in, a wide smile on his face. He and Max were good friends, he knew damn well what transpired between the Red Bull drivers. He was just there to lend the pair a helping hand at the conference.

The crowd laughed at his blunt humor and he breathed a sigh of relief at the switch in the topic. No longer did she have to go on about this fictional season she wished she could have had with Max. If things had gone right, she would have smiled, raving on about how great things with Max were rather than making things up about how they were still together.

There was no point in living a fantasy when the crushing reality loomed above their heads; they kissed. Now what?

October 9, 2022, Suzuka Circuit

He kissed her. She couldn’t believe it. He took her in his arms and kissed her.

She pulled away, a look of confusion on her face as she processed the situation. She stared at him for a moment, breathing a sigh of relief before pulling him closer by his shirt and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He’d done it. He beat Lewis Hamilton to the checkered flag, and now he was the World Champion.

After those grueling laps, he emerged victorious. He was sure he owed it all to y/n for supporting him off the track, and fighting Lewis off on the track the way she did. He just wished she could have crossed the finish line with him.

“The world fucking champion!” her voice came over the radio. Despite her retirement, she managed to find her way over to the rest of the team long enough to ask for access to his radio.

“It’s all thanks to you for everything you did in that car earlier,” he let out a laugh, still in disbelief at how they managed it.

“You’re the one who crossed the finish line, remember?” she reminded him with a small laugh, “I’ll see you at the podium ceremony!”

“Would’ve been much better if you were there.”

“Enough flirting, we have a championship to celebrate!” Christian’s voice came over his radio as y/n let out a laugh before disconnecting from the line, allowing the rest of the pit wall time to celebrate over the radio before heading off to parc ferme.

He got off the car, smiling widely as he saw the team gathered there waiting for him. His eyes met hers and he rushed toward her first, wrapping his arms around her and carrying her over the barrier.

“Max!” she exclaimed as her feet left the ground, wrapping her arms around his neck as he kissed her deeply as the fireworks went off.

“I love you,” he told her as the fanfare began, holding her tight against his chest, the adrenaline rushing through him. She looked up at him, her e/c eyes filled with nothing but warmth as she pulled him in for another kiss.

“I love you too, Max Verstappen,” she smiled, burying her face in his neck as the team cheered and celebrated the Dutch driver.

“I love you,” he breathed out, nothing but the sounds of the rain and the fans outside to be heard. She gasped, her e/c eyes glimmering with conflict. Why did things have to be so complicated?

She pulled him closer, both hands cupping his cheeks as she kissed him, just as passionately as she used to. She broke away from him awkwardly, the attendants calling them to the podium area.

She didn’t tell him she loved him.

How could she when she didn’t know how to feel about it. He still loved her, but was that basis enough for her to let him back in?

October 23, 2022, Texas

“You know, you never told me about what happened with Max in Suzuka,” Carlos shook his head as he and y/n shared breakfast at the hotel.

“Please, you saw what happened,” she rolled her eyes at him. It was all over social media at that point, both the team’s social media admin and fans reposting the clip of them in the cooldown room.

“You never told me why it happened, though,” he reminded her as she groaned. After the regular posting about the team’s victory in Suzuka, she locked herself out of her phone to avoid having to talk about the incident with anybody. Hell, she even holed herself up in the apartment in fear of running into Max. Why did most of the grid have to live in Monaco?

“That’s because I don’t really know what happened, Carlos,” she spoke passive aggressively, rolling her eyes at the Spaniard, “One second I’m bringing him in for a hug, the next he’s kissing me.”

“More like trying to eat your face off,” Carlos quipped, making y/n roll her eyes, “Then you kissed him too. Twice.”

“That was an accident.”

“Mate, how do you accidentally kiss your ex-boyfriend?” Carlos quirked a brow at her, crossing his arms over a chest.

“Well, I—” she paused, “It’s complicated.”

“No, I don’t understand how it’s so complicated. At Singapore, you were talking about how hard it was for you to act professional around him and now, I have to find out on a few screens that you kissed Max!”

“It’s not my fault you found out on the screens, they were being streamed live,” she groaned, burying her face in her palms, “But I don’t know. He kissed me and because I was caught up with the adrenaline and nostalgia of our team winning another championship, I kissed him too.”

“Doesn’t explain why you kissed him a second time.”

“He told me he loved me,” y/n mumbled, “I didn’t know what to say, so I just kissed him.”

Carlos broke out in a fit of laughter.

“You kissed him because you couldn’t tell him you loved him too?”

“What makes you think I still love him?” she crossed her arms over her chest, her resolve failing as she sighed.

“You still love him!” Carlos exclaimed, his eyes growing wide, “When you started talking about him, I just assumed you weren’t over him, but you still love him!”

“Can you repeat that? I don’t think the 13th floor heard you too well,” she rolled her eyes at him, “And I don’t even know if I still love him. Maybe it’s just. Maybe it’s just me getting excited at the idea of racing with him again, or being around him as my teammate.”

“And why would you get excited over that?”

“Because he’s arguably one of the best drivers on the grid at the moment?” she quirked a brow at him, shaking her head. Of course, she would defend his honor in a casual conversation with Carlos. She was whipped.

“You’re just inventing things now,” he shook his head.

“Okay, well, even if I still love Max, what the hell am I going to do about it?”

“Talk to him about it?” Carlos suggested the most obvious route possible, “He said in Suzuka that he loves you still. Why don’t you do something about it?”

“Because what if it was just the adrenaline?” she huffed, “What if when all the chemicals in his brain settled down, he realized that he only said that because he was excited about winning the championship? Then what? I leave the team in shambles trying to clean up this mess?”

“Ay, why do you have to make it so complicated?”

“He’s the one who broke up with me, then he’s going to tell me he still loves me? You’re telling me those aren’t mixed messages to you?”

“All I’m saying is that maybe you should talk to him. Clear up the air.”

The pair remained silent for a moment.

“Is this what you meant when you said you protect love?” she questioned, quoting an interview of his she saw while scrolling through social media.

“It could be,” he shrugged, “Don’t ruin your chances at happiness just because you’re not sure, y/n.”

“I’ll…keep that in mind,” she nodded, getting up from her seat, “I’m going to get ready for the track now. I’ll see you later.

The weekend was strong for Red Bull, though she didn’t manage to put herself on the podium for that race. Max won. Of course, he did, why wouldn’t he?

The team gathered below the podium, all piling into this odd car parked there, cheering for Max. He’d done it, he won the Constructor’s Championship.

Just as they promised each other, they did what was best for the team. He won both championships for the team and she helped him like the good teammate she agreed to be. She couldn’t help but smile up at him as she watched him celebrate on the podium with Marko.

For a split second, their eyes met as he stood on that podium. She gave a polite nod, offering him a smile instead, hoping the cameras didn’t catch on to the awkwardness shared between them. Still, she clapped and cheered—it was a big moment for the team, after all. It would be a shame if she let that moment in Suzuka get in the way of the fact that the team had just won both championships.

She stayed behind on the track until later that night; the team had celebration photo ops, of course. It was unavoidable for one of the PR officers to request that the two drivers have their photos taken together.

He made his way towards her, pausing to ask for permission. She nodded, allowing him to wrap his arm around her waist, both of them grinning at the camera as they held the trophy out. Goosebumps littered her skin at the feel of his hand around her waist, warmth radiating off his body.

She pulled away from him almost as soon as the camera went off, offering a quick congratulations to him as she made her way toward the rest of the team.

She wanted nothing more than for the night to be over with but, of course, Christian announced there would be an afterparty at a nearby bar later on into the night. As one of the team’s drivers, she had no excuses not to show up. The best she could do was turn up late in a navy blue dress, her makeup all done up as she spent a fair amount of time in the bathroom just to avoid having to show up early.

Nonetheless, she arrived at the party, a smile on her face as the team cheered for her. She decided she was too sober for the party as she saw Max’s gaze go over to her as he conversed with Pierre. She allowed herself to vanish into the crowd, making her way over to the bar and ordering a few drinks, downing them as quickly as she could.

She stayed there for most of the night, ordering drinks and snacks in the little bar corner she found, not really conversing with anybody else on the team. They were far more focused on Max anyway.

Speaking of Max, the man had terrible timing.

“Can we talk?” he questioned, a bashful tone to his voice as she stared up at him, blinking for a moment as though trying to let her vision clear up a bit more. Perhaps she shouldn’t have drank so much.

“You’re going to talk anyway,” she groaned, “Might as well get it over with. What did you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to uh, to talk about us. And the breakup?” he spoke shyly, unsure of how to approach the situation with the woman. He should have thought about that before he kissed her in front of a live audience.

“Just the breakup?” she slurred.

“Well, obviously, I want to talk about the kiss too, but I want to talk about everything from the start,” he explained briefly as she nodded.

“You know, when you broke it off with me, I thought I did something wrong,” she admitted, e/c eyes fixated on the clinking of the ice cubes against her glass with great interest, purposefully looking away from Max. It was then he realized just how drunk the woman was. He’d have to postpone the conversation for another time.

He couldn’t get much of a word in before she spoke again.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he shook his head, taking the stool next to hers, his fingers naturally gravitating towards her hand. Her hand twitched for a second before sighing and allowing Max to keep his hand above hers.

“It’s just, when you broke up with me, the excuse you used,” she laughed sadly, “God, it was so stupid. ‘Do it for the team’ as if you didn’t win the championship while we were dating.”

“I was plenty stupid,” he nodded in agreement, “I’m sorry.”

“But then you kissed me in Suzuka and it was like everything was normal again between us,” she bit her lip, a poor attempt at stopping the tears from crawling down her cheeks, “You kissed me in Suzuka the same way you kissed me in Abu Dhabi.”

“Did I?”

“You did,” she hiccupped, “You held onto me so tight while you kissed me.”

“I guess I did,” he nodded, brows furrowing with concern for her inebriated state.

“Yeah, there weren’t any fireworks outside though,” she laughed, pointing at her chest, “I felt fireworks here, though. Fuck, my heart was exploding when you kissed me.”

Max nodded, allowing her to talk.

“Did you mean it?” she questioned.

“Did I mean what?”

“Did you mean it when you told me you still loved me?”

He paused. He didn’t want to have this conversation with her in this state. He didn’t know how she would react to hearing all that. Clearly, she was emotional enough as it was.

“Why are you so quiet?” she poked at his face, her mood shifting like a pendulum as she pulled away from him, frowning, “You didn’t mean it, did you?”

“No, of course, I meant it!” he exclaimed, taking her hands in his, “I meant what I said in the cooldown room, and I stand by what I did.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but right now, I don’t know if you’re going to remember this conversation, okay?” he questioned.

“Okay,” she nodded, changing the topic, “Do you think you can walk me back to the hotel room?”

This was an odd olive branch for her to throw out to him. At this point, she didn’t care at all. As far as her drunken brain was concerned, he was sorry and she had a headache forming. She just needed to get out of there, it didn’t matter if she was leaving with her ex.

“Are you sure?” he questioned, hesitant to agree to her request.

“Yeah,” she nodded bluntly, “I’m sure. I can even make like, a letter for morning me so she doesn’t get all mad at you tomorrow.”

“Are you always mad at me when you’re sober?” he quirked a brow at her, teasing her in a way.

“Of course not,” she shook her head, squishing his cheeks together, “Sober me loves you too much for that.”

This caught Max off-guard. Sure, he hoped she still felt something for her, but he didn’t think he’d learn this during her drunken stupor. If anything, he was expecting her drunk self to admit she hated him and wished she could crash into the rear of his car.

“I love sober you too.”

“What about tipsy me?”

“I’d hardly call you tipsy.”

“Shut up and walk me to my hotel room,” she retaliated, rolling her eyes at him as she stumbled through the bar, waving at the rest of the team as she made her way back to the hotel room, Max right at her tail to keep her from tripping over.

The short was fairly walked. Drunk y/n was more than determined to get herself back in bed to sleep the headache away. Max, on the other hand, was filled with concern for her, holding onto her whenever she’d fall or keeping her from bumping into things.

She stopped in front of a door, pulling a key card out her purse and pushing the door open.

“You going to do okay on your own?” he questioned.

“No,” she admitted honestly, “Can you stay?”

“y/n—”

“I know it’s stupid and I’m probably going to forget this in the morning or whatever, but frankly, I don’t care,” she shook her head, “I’ll deal with this when I wake up, but for now, can you please just stay?”

Max looked at her for a moment, letting out a sigh as she pouted.

“I’ll stay.”

“Thanks,” she smiled over at him as she jumped into the bed, “Join me?”

“No,” Max shook his head, making his way over to the couch, “If you still feel that way tomorrow, I will. But right now, I think it’s better for us both if you sleep in your bed alone tonight.”

“Okay.”

She couldn’t argue with that, he was being a nice, decent man. It’s what she loved about him in the first place. He was always so nice to her, dating or not.

She didn’t have much time to think about it as she fell asleep almost immediately with how much she wanted to get the day over with.

She didn’t dream of anything that night. It was almost as though her body thought the same thing as her brain; she wanted to let the night pass as quickly as possible.

She woke up the next day with a pounding headache, looking around the room in search of the Dutchman. Perhaps it was all a dream?

If that had been the case, her doorknob would not have twisted open to reveal the Dutchman in her doorway.

“This is technically breaking and entering,” she quipped, laying back in her bed, “Where’d you go?”

“I got you breakfast,” he explained, holding up a paper bag from a nearby restaurant, “I can leave if you want me to.”

“No,” she shook her head, “We’re going to have to talk about this.”

“Do you want to wait until after breakfast?”

“If it was up to what I want to do, we would never have this talk,” she shook her head. “Too much of a coward for important conversations like this.”

“Well, I want to start by saying I’m sorry,” he frowned, “I was so stupid when I broke up with you, and it ended up making me miserable all season, and it led to all these confusing feelings, and I’m so sorry if I hurt you.”

“Yeah, it did sting a bit,” she admitted with a sigh, “I don’t know, this whole season I just kept trying to do my best in the races. It was the last thing I told you I’d do, I had to stick to it.”

“And you did amazing this season.”

“So did you, Mr. World Champion,” she scoffed at the compliment.

“Well, I would have did so much better if I was still with you this season,” he confessed, “Turns out I’m so much less motivated to win races when you’re not there to congratulate me on them.”

“Same thing, honestly,” she laughed, “I had to stop myself from hugging you back in Monaco. I didn’t want to slip up from the whole professional shtick we had.”

“It was stupid, really,” Max shook his head, “So, are we okay?”

“I mean, we were always okay,” she paused, looking for the words, “We were okay, we just weren’t us.”

“I missed you.”

“So, are we doing this?” she questioned, “You still love me?”

“Of course,” he nodded, pausing as he realized something, “But what about Carlos? You were happy with him and everything, I don’t want to get in the way of that if you guys are—”

“We’re friends, Max,” she insisted.

“But you guys switched caps and everything—”

“Was that supposed to mean anything?” y/n questioned, breaking out in a fit of laughter at Max’s nervous demeanor, “Also, that was one time. I realized I accidentally let him borrow your cap, and I practically chased him down in the paddock to get it back.”

“My cap?”

“The one I ‘borrowed’ from you.”

“You still have that?”

Heat rose to her cheek as she found herself unsure of whether or not she wanted to tell him the truth. Fuck it, they were being honest at that moment.

“I bring it with me on race weekends,” she admitted, “Sometimes, I even wear it. It’s what I was wearing when Carlos and I traded hats.”

“You kept it?”

“Is that bad?”

“No,” he shook his head, letting out a relieved laugh.

“If we do this, I want you to know I’m not a championship girl,” she paused, blinking at her usage of words, unsure of how to properly phrase it, “I don’t want you running back to me just because you won the championship. I don’t want us to be like this until the next season rolls around and you’re suddenly deciding you want to do what’s best for the team again.”

“Well, you know what I think would be best for the team next season?”

“What?”

“If their drivers got along the same way they did in the 2021 season,” he admitted as they both laughed, “I’m all in if you want to do this again.”

“Of course, I want to do this!” she exclaimed, a smile making its way to her face, “Don’t get me wrong, you were an idiot, but I still love you, Max Verstappen.”

F1 TAGS: @errrrrat / @ricsaigaslec / @veronicapaula / @buendiabebeta / (OPEN)

THE CHAIN TAGS: @welcometomyworldwithoutrules / @sarahbeary / @southerngirlnow / @idkiwantchocolatee / @multilovebot

MV1 TAGS: (OPEN)

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delicatenightfury · 2 years

Text

"I'm not that little girl you left there to die anymore."

2022 Month of Writing: Day 1

Pairing: Haymitch Abernathy x reader

Prompt:

Word Count: 982

Author's Note: please don't steal my work! you can choose to respond to the prompt as well, but don't steal my work

The scenery flew by, too fast to really process what was being seen. y/n however still chose to look out the train window. She didn’t really process anything she was seeing, too lost in her thoughts… in her nightmares… She couldn’t remember the last time she felt at peace. It certainly wasn’t now, not after what had happened and when she knew where she was headed.

The sound of a door opening barely registered. She faintly heard it, but she didn’t care enough to look up.

Suddenly, someone sat down heavily in front of her. Her eyes shifted toward them, finding that it was her district mentor Haymitch Abernathy who sat down. His hair was messy, almost oily, and he had a drink in his hand. y/n turned her gaze back out the window.

“So, I assume you know what’s coming next,” Haymitch said. “We’ve finished in the districts, so we wrap up the Victory Tour in the Capitol. Lots of parties, lots of people, lots of cameras. So that means-”

“I don’t want to hear about it, Haymitch,” y/n muttered.

“You don’t really have a choice, girlie.”

“As if I ever did.”

Haymitch rolled his eyes.

“Once we get to the Capitol, it’s best to go back to the happy girl personality you had during the interviews. The Capitol people ate it up, so they’ll most likely want to see that. You want to make a good impression. You’re grateful to have survived, grateful for everything the Capitol has done-”

“Grateful?” y/n snapped, finally turning her head to look at her mentor. Her eyes narrowed at him. “You think I’m grateful for what happened?”

“It’s all about appearances, kid. I’m trying to help you out here.”

She laughed, almost throwing her head back.

“Trying to help me? That’s a first. Where were you when I was fighting for my life?”

“Listen, girl, I-”

“No. I’m not that little girl you left there to die anymore, Haymitch. I nearly died! I killed kids, kids my age and younger, for some stupid entertainment show! Meanwhile, you got to sit back and watch, drinking your alcohol and rubbing elbows with the Capitol. You abandoned me, Haymitch!”

“Will you shut up?” The two glared at one another for a long moment. Haymitch set his drink on the window ledge, giving her his full attention. “I get what you’re going through, believe me I do. But you winning? Close to a miracle. You’re from District 12. We’re automatically bottom tier. The Capitol doesn’t pay attention to us, nor do they ever expect us to win. So trying to get you sponsors was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a long time.I saw the potential you had since the Reaping. I’m bad at showing it, I know I am, but I was impressed. But I’ve been disappointed before and have had too many kids die to keep my hopes up. Whether or not you believe it now, I am trying to help you, y/n.”

She stared at him. Deep down, she knew he was right. District 12 had only ever won the Hunger Games twice in its existence, three times now. The Capitol was far more likely to bet on the careers than on her.

She felt like she had only won based on luck.

She had only managed to grab a pack before running from the Bloodbath. She was forced to scavenge, with no weapon other than a small knife. She had made a small alliance with a boy from seven, but they were both wary of one another and separated relatively early on.

The arena had been beautiful overall, with forests, a valley with a river, a lake in the south, and a mountain in the north. Truthfully, it was a nightmare. “Natural” disasters, mutts, the other tributes… some many variables out to kill. y/n had had to fight several times for her life, against both mutts and tributes, barely making it but coming out victorious.

She was lucky her pack had medicine in it, and that she was learning how to become a doctor back home. She had patched her own wounds, roughly but enough that she wouldn’t bleed out and die. Upon her return from the games, the Capitol had gotten rid of her scars from her work.

Haymitch suddenly leaned forward and took her hand, effectively snapping her out of her nightmare. She glanced down and realized she was running her hand over where one of the worst injuries had been on her arm. She had almost lost the ability to use her arm. The Capitol was able to repair it, but the phantom pains were there.

“The Games aren’t over, y/n,” Haymitch said. His eyes were somber and filled with understanding. “They are never over. We play the games every year, every day. That’s just how our lives are now. I’m just trying to help make it easier for you.”

y/n took a deep breath and nodded. She offered him a small smile.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

“That’s all right. I get it. Just remember I’m here for you. My door is always open, though I can’t promise I’ll always be sober.”

She chuckled. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually laughed in a way that wasn’t deprecating. She then reached forward and grabbed his tumbler, smiling a little as she took a sip of his drink.

“Ah ah ah!” he said. “Get your own glass.”

“Your’s was closer.”

He shook his head, taking the glass back when she offered it to him. A silence fell over them then, more comfortable than before. His hand hadn’t moved from hers, keeping her from fidgeting with her old wounds. She squeezed his hand - a silent thank you.

They were in this together.

#month of writing #writing prompt #hunger games #thg #Haymitch abernathy #Haymitch x reader #the hunger games

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insertsparkleshere · 1 year

Text

Speak Now - Rosa Diaz x Reader

Summary: Rosa's wedding to Pimento doesn't go as planned. (Inspired by the Taylor Swift song of the same name, the bridge of which makes me absolutely feral).

Word Count: 902

Pronouns: None, but she/her reader intended

Published: 12/18/2022

Note: I totally didn't accidentally post this on my main what are you talking about

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

Gina is the only one who knows that you're in love with Rosa Diaz.

Frankly, you're surprised that she hasn't told anyone yet, but she kept your secret. Mostly because you didn't tell anyone when you found out that her and Charles had sex, but it counted.

Rosa's romance with Pimento had been...Interesting, to say the least. To you, it came out of nowhere, but you did your best not to pay attention to Rosa's love life. You wanted to stay sane and not-jealous, thank you very much.

But Pimento...They made sense together, you had to admit. You just hated him.

Jake and Charles still didn't get why, and neither did Hitchcock or Scully. You were pretty sure Amy had an idea, and Terry definitely had his suspicions. Holt had figured it out ages ago - you could tell - but he didn't say anything, which you were grateful for.

Until he did.

"(Y/L/N), see me in my office."

"Yes, Sir."

Rosa snickered. "Someone's in trouble."

"I'm sure it's nothing. Know Holt, I put a period when there should be a semicolon somewhere in my most recent bout of paperwork."

You step into Holt's office. "You wanted to see me?"

Holt stares at you, for a long moment. "Close the door."

"Okay..." You shut it.

"And the blinds. Santiago can read lips."

You frown, but do as he asks. "Is something wrong, Sir?"

"Are you okay?"

"What?"

"Diaz and Pimento's wedding is next week. Your feelings for Diaz are...obvious. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Sir. Whatever makes Rosa happy. And, right now, that's Pimento."

"Hm."

"What?"

"Have you considered telling her?"

"Once. But it's not meant to be. I've accepted that."

"You're a detective - act like it."

That was the moment that Rosa Diaz fell in love with you.

It was the third Halloween heist. And you were explaining your plan.

"I planted the idea of a Halloween Heist in your head three years ago. I wanted to have one, and I wanted to win. None of you have ever seen me get competitive, and I knew that Jake would obsess over this. Especially if he thought it was his idea.

"So, I gave you the idea for the Halloween Heist. And I waited, because I knew you'd take it into the many years to come. I didn't want to win the first one. And I considered winning the second, but the third seemed more poetic.

"All of you adore my baking, so, I decided that I would make a cake. For whoever won the third Halloween Heist. And then I said...What was it? 'It's not done yet, I wanted to make sure it was perfect.' And then I set myself up in the break room, already on Jake's team. He would want the cake, and he'd tell me to work on it while Charles guarded the briefcase, and Rosa went in to get it."

"What about Rosa?" Jake asked. "You could never betray her."

"You're right, Peralta, I couldn't. So, what do you think we did? You're a detective - act like it."

It was teasing, and off-handed, and you were riding on the high of victory, but it felt like Rosa's world had stopped.

"You were working together."

"Exactly. We made a great pair, don't you think, Rosa?"

"Yeah."

And you smiled, and Holt had looked over at Rosa, and she knew that he knew that she was completely screwed.

But Rosa knew that you didn't like her. So, she left it alone. And she met Pimento. And they got together. And it was stressful, and crazy, and every time he left, she found that she only ever wanted to talk to you.

But she ignored it, because emotions are for babies.

Or so Rosa told herself.

The day of the wedding came. You sat near the front, but behind someone, praying that no one would be able to see if you cried.

Your heart was shattering. But Rosa's happiness was more important than any pain you were feeling.

So, you tuned out for most of the ceremony. You didn't know if you could stand it.

"Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

There was a moment of silence.

There's my last chance. Your heart whispered.

You stood, hands shaking.

Hitchcock and Scully looked equally confused.

Realization was dawning on Charles's face.

Amy's eyes were wide.

Gina was smiling. She looked like she was about to laugh.

Terry looked worried.

Jake's eyes were bouncing from you to Pimento to Rosa and back again.

And Holt was neutral. You glanced over at him, and he nodded.

"This kind of wasn't what I thought was supposed to happen." You say quietly. "Right, um...I'm sorry. I just...I can't let you marry Pimento knowing that I could have said something and told you how I feel. And I didn't want to do this here, but I chickened out before, and...And now I'm here."

Rosa stepped off the pew, walking down the aisle towards you. You stepped into the aisle yourself, swallowing hard. The worst possible options raced through your mind.

Instead, she stopped inches away from you. "Hi."

"Hi." You whispered. "Sorry."

"Don't be." She leaned forward, kissing you softly. You froze, short-circuiting. Out of everything that could've happened, you hadn't expected this. "Let's go."

You nodded, and she took your hand, and you ran.

So glad you were around

When they said, "Speak Now."

#brooklun 99 #b99 #rosa diaz #rosa #jake peralta #halloween heist #hitchcock #scully #amy santiago #gina linetti #charles boyle #rosa diaz x reader #terry jeffords #raymond holt #rosa diaz x you #rosa diaz x yn

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vroomvroommbtch · 2 years

Text

Only us - DR x fem!OC

Masterlist

Summary: It only took Daniel four years to ask that question, but it was worth the wait.

Pairing: Daniel Ricciardo x fem!OC

Warnings: Fluff all over the place.

Word count: 4.4k

A/N: How are we feeling after yesterday, DR girlies?! One Monday not being sad is a tiny victory so I take it 😌 Here some fluffy stuff to enjoy on this Halloween day. Now I can go back to my regular schedule of watching The Addams Family movies again and again. ANYWAY, let me know what u think? Send me asks if u want? Thanks for the likes and love, kiddos. Means the world. Kay see ya bye 🫰🏻

---

Only us.

April 2022.

Having one second of silence when they were in Australia was something nearly impossible, but Jas loved it. She loved the mess that included being there. She loved the noise that included being surrounded by family and friends, so Jas was nothing but happy. Spending some days at the farm in Perth was like a breeze of fresh air that they all needed, but especially Daniel. Plus, the fact that the race in Melbourne had quite a decent result was a big plus, so things were good, at least for those weeks.

With yet again another season that started poorly and another car that wasn't as fast as Daniel was promised, things weren't looking good, but none of that really mattered when they were home. All they cared about was spending time with their families. Not a race, a CEO, a car or a team principal was gonna ruin the happiness that gave Jas seeing Daniel with his parents and sister. But especially, nothing was going to ruin the joy that brought them watching Olivia spend time with their family, and especially watching her play with her cousins. Listening to Isaac, Isabella and Olivia giggle together was something too pure, too magical and too perfect, and nobody in the world was going to ruin that.

But even in the middle of the beautiful mess and noise, her tiny little family of three always found a way to spend some time being just them. It didn't happen often all things considered, but Jas loved the little moments that included just her, Olivia and Daniel. They were pretty counted, so she cherished every single one of them, even if they included dirty diapers.

While everyone was chatting in the living room and Aoife, Grace and Esme were starting to make dinner, Jas was in their room, dealing with a change of diapers, which was probably her less favorite part of being a mom and having a baby. But as she was cleaning and drying Olivia, two arms suddenly hugged her back. She couldn't help but smile as she felt Daniel place kiss after kiss against her head, shoulders and neck, making her laugh like a little happy girl. That was the effect Daniel had on her since they met, but it all became somehow bigger since Olivia was born. If Jas loved Daniel before, she loved him a hundred times more since she saw him turning into a dad. She felt in love with him again and again and again every single time she saw him with their daughter, and that day wasn't different.

"You smell nice" Jas smiled, looking over her shoulder for a second as she stroked Olivia's tummy with her fingers. "Not like you, you stinky little butt. You need a shower after dinner, you hear me? Well get you a nice bubble bath" Jas said to her daughter, which she answered with some cooing and a big toothless smile.

"I just took a shower but that bubble bath thing sounds like something mom and dad should do tonight too" Daniel suggested, placing one last kiss right on Jas's temple before he moved to her side to look at Olivia, but still hugging Jas with his arm around her waist. "I'm sure Maggie and Michael won't mind looking after her for a night"

Jas couldn't help but giggle when she heard her sister and Michael's names coming from Daniel. She couldn't help but laugh not because they wouldn't want to take care of Olivia like they did countless times, but because she imagined they were going to be kind of busy that night. "You mean Michael and Maggie the ones that mysteriously left in a boogie like two hours ago? I don't think so, babe"

"Remind me again why the hell they say they're on a break if they're fucking around like mad rabbits anyway?"

That was a very nice question that Jas has been asking herself again and again, but she couldn't really find an answer. Plus, she didn't want to mention the subject in front of Maggie, knowing it was nothing but delicate to bring that up. She really couldn't bring it up in front of Michael either because his answer was always the same 'We're trying to make it work', but Jas doubted it. So not being able to talk to them, they all just looked away when Maggie and Michael were basically undressing each other with just one look. Or in this case when they disappeared on the farm, not really giving any explanation of where they were going. "Don't remind me what my little sister and my friend does. And I don't know. It's their thing"

"We can always ask your parents. Or mine" he proposed, looking down at Olivia as Jas made her laugh and move her adorable tiny legs in the process. "What's so funny, uh? Mum's tickling you, baby girl?"

And like any other day, Jas couldn't help but stay looking at the picture in front of her with a smile on her face. Daniel tickling Olivia's tummy with his fingers to make her giggle even more was just the most beautiful thing in the world. Hearing her cute little giggles was music to their ears. See the way her husband and daughter looked at each other was simply everything Jas ever wanted, so it made her heart be filled with nothing but happiness. And to see Daniel being a dad was something difficult to put into words. The way his whole face changed and lightened up when he was with Olivia was magical. The way his eyes seemed to spark and the way his smile just grew bigger was incredible and it all just made Jas melt of love and happiness.

"Wanna spend the night with grandma and grandpa? Wanna do that so mum and dad can have a little bit of fun sleeping tonight?" Jas asked Olivia while she secured a new diaper around her tummy. And once it was done, Jas took the chance to grab her chubby perfect legs to kiss first her right feet and then the left. "You've the most adorable tiny baby foot in the world! They're like paidrín. Look at those fingers!"

"We can sleep but maybe also we can give her a sibling" Daniel whispered, as if their three months old daughter was able to understand what they were saying.

Jas knew Daniel's suggesting was nothing but a joke, but she also knew that deep down it wasn't just a joke. They wanted more than one kid, they wanted at least one more sibling for Olivia and then maybe another one because three was the magic number in their home, but timing was far from right. Olivia came in whenever she wanted and it's magical how she ended up picking the perfect timing to show up in the lives. She appeared when they needed her the most, and for that everyone in their family was thankful and happy but for the next one they wanted to do things right. They talked about it when Jas was pregnant and again when Olivia was born, so no matter how badly they wanted to perpetuate the Ricciardo name, they were going to wait for the right timing for their next Baby Badger.

"Ah, no so fast cowboy. Not till she's at least two or three. We can barely survive with one" Jas reminded him, standing straight to give Daniel a loving kiss on his lips. "It'll come, you know that, right?"

"I know. We can practice some meanwhile" he affirmed, kissing Jas head once again. "Can I?" he wondered, pointing to the onesie that was waiting right besides Olivia.

With a smile and a fast kiss on his lips, Jas left Daniel took care of putting Olivia's clean onesie on her body. She didn't say a thing as she looked at them, too scared to ruin the moment. With the crazy, busy schedule he had, there were counted days Daniel could dedicate his full time to being a dad. There was always some event with sponsors, there was always a meeting, there was always some publicity thing to do, especially when they were in Australia. But on the days that he was free, he would put his heart and soul into it. From changing dirty diapers and clothes, making bath times a complete mess and tummy time as fun as possible to inventing the most ridiculous stories, warm perfectly her bottles or sing lullabies absolutely out of tune, Daniel wanted to do every single thing that would include Olivia. They knew it was the most normal thing for a dad to do, but Jas never complained when she was the one taking care of it weekend after weekend. She never complained when she was the one getting up in the middle of the night or when she had to take care both of an exhausted Daniel and a sleepy Olivia. It was her job as a mom and his partner, so she did it all with a happy smile on her face, thanking her lucky stars for having her wonderful family by her side.

But the days that she got lucky to see Daniel being a full-time dad were her favorite ones. The constant happy smile on his face, the constant shine on his eyes, but especially the constant relaxed state he was it was something amazing to see. Since they met, people used to say nothing and nobody made Daniel smile as Jas did, but Olivia replaced her. Since she was born nobody made Daniel smile as much as their baby girl, but Jas was more than happy to give that place to their daughter. She couldn't blame him because nothing made her smile more than Olivia.

As Daniel carefully dressed Olivia while tickling her, Jas just watched them with a smile on her face, just as big as the one on Daniel's face or as the toothless grin on Olivia's face. She just looked in silence, letting them do their thing and have another one of their moments.

"Remember what I said to Michael the night we met?" Daniel suddenly asked, buttoning the green material in the front part of the onesie.

"You told him you had no idea who I was but you were going to marry me. But he told you that first you needed to talk to me" she remembered, smiling even more at the memory. "I mean, first you stuttered and then your tried to charm me with the whole Enchanté thing, but then you got to talk"

Even after four years Jas could remember that night perfectly. It felt like it was yesterday when she was sitting on the side, talking with the girls as she saw Michael walking up to them. It felt like no time had passed since that handsome tall man with Australian accent apologized for interrupting them, saying that his stupid friend was tongue tied and dying to know if he could invite her a drink. It felt like it was just some hours ago since Jas smiled all happy as she was trying to act cool and chill when in reality she was dying because she couldn't stop looking at Daniel since they walked in. Sometimes, and even when they already had a daughter and a life together, it felt like they were the same kids. Even four years older and with shorter curls, somehow it felt like no time passed for the Daniel who got all blushed as soon as she started speaking French, making him think he fucked up with the Enchanté trick.

Everything that happened between them was like a weird fairytale and every single day since that night Jas thanked her lucky stars for meeting Daniel, for them falling in love but also for them getting stuck together side by side on good and bad days. From Monaco to Dublin to London to Perth and the rest of the world, Jas got to live her dream life all thanks to the man of her dreams, so she was nothing but thankful to whatever put them together, that also included Michael for getting up and going to talk to her back then.

"You really had to be completely perfect and talk fluid French. And Italian and Irish. Beauty and brains that's why I was so convinced there was no way you would ever want to leave with me. Thank God you did" he affirmed, placing one last kiss over Olivia's forehead, making her giggle. "Thank God your mom was drunk enough to ask me if I wanted to leave with her" he stated, grabbing Olivia in his arms and holding her against his chest.

But the second that Olivia saw Jas, a sad pout appeared in her face which meant he wanted to go with her. "What's us with you? You missed mum in the six seconds she was away?" Jas asked Olivia, who answered with some baby sounds, as she placed her tiny hands in her mom's face as soon as Jas grabbed Olivia in her arms. "Yeah? I missed you too. I always miss you when you ain't around. You're my práta, right? You're our paidrín"

"How many words you Irish people have to say potato? Cause I feel there's a new one every single time you speak" Daniel wondered moving his arms around Jas' waist, getting as close as possible to his girls.

"Ninety. Every single one means something different" she explained with a little shrug. In the four years they had been together Daniel really tried to learn some words in Irish, but it was just simply impossible. The only thing he could remember was how to say 'I love you' because Jas would say it to him and Olivia all the time but then that was it. But after four years Jas wasn't really surprised, especially when he barely knew how to talk a few worlds in French after a decade of living in Monaco. "Wanna go back to the living room?"

"In a minute. Can I talk to you about something first?"

"Alright. Now I'm scared. What did we do?" Jas asked, looking up at her boyfriend who was suddenly serious. That was more than rare considering it was Daniel and he was with them. Jas knew there was no way something was wrong between them and Dan promised not to talk about work for the rest of the week, but she could see how something in his eyes was eating him.

"You did nothing wrong. All's good" he promised, kissing her lips to then rest their foreheads together. "You know how much I love you, right?"

"I do know. I love you too. We both love you" she whispered, suddenly getting emotional. She knew. Clearly, Jas knew. For four years all Daniel did was to show her day by day how much he loved her. In every single way he could find, Daniel showed Jas his love for her and then for their family. She could have doubts about everything in her life, even herself, but never in her life she would have doubts about Daniel and their love. She would never do that, especially not when the proof of their love was right in their arms. "What's going on, babe?"

"I just- I love you. I love you so fucking much, baby. I'm the luckiest man in the world cause you're my girls. I see you every day with our baby and then I see you carrying our family with so much love while you also handle all the shit we have around us and I still don't know how you do it. You've so much on your plate while being pregnant but you keep holding all- holding me up in the worst days. I really have no idea what I would've done without you last year. I really don't know how I would've get through it if it wasn't for you there by my side. I really don't know what I did to deserve you, J. I've no fucking idea but I want you to know I don't take anything from granted. Especially not you and her" he explained, big brown eyes looking down at her, shining with love and adoration, all while he stroked her cheek with his right hand.

"I know you don't take anything from granted, especially not us. I know you, Dan, so you don't have to say anything" she whispered, holding Olivia with just one of her arms to place the other one against Daniel's heart. "I told you hundred times, I'd do it hundred times and I mean it"

"Actually I do have something else to say. You know I don't regret things in my life, but there's one thing I do regret not doing years ago. I like to think it didn't happen cause it was the wrong time. I should've done it earlier but then pandemic fucked us all over and you were right when you told me we should wait to be able to celebrate with our family. Besides last year was shit and then this one decided it was her time to shine" he smiled, looking at Olivia and kissing her tiny nose fast to keep talking. "I also know its pretty stupid to do it now cause the question's gonna sound stupid considering there's no better bound that our baby girl. Also I wanted to do it more special and remarkable but I can't fucking wait. I love you, Jas. I love you since the moment I saw you and I love how you always leave me speechless by just looking at me. You leave me so speechless that I had all this thing prepared in my head and now its all gone cause you're looking at me and I can't with those brown eyes. I love you so I'm just gonna-"

And right there in the middle of their bedroom, Daniel kneeled right in front of her, all while he took a little red box out of the pocket of his shorts. Jas knew it was gonna happen one day. She knew Daniel wanted to marry her just as badly as she wanted to marry him. They knew it wasn't really necessary, they knew it was just a silly paper and that none of that was gonna change their relationship, but they wanted it. Even when he had been saying for years that Jas was his wife, he was dying to make it official, so there he was, finally ready to make it.

"Danny, babe, you don't have to…" Jas whispered, grabbing Olivia with one arm as she reached down to stroke Daniel's cheek while tears started to stream down her face.

"Let me. Please, just let me" he begged, kissing her palm before he grabbed her hand in his. "I love you, Jas. I love so much it's insane. And I know the last four years weren't a walk in the park and they probably haven't been what your expected. I'm wide aware you deserve more, you both deserve more and better. You deserve a better husband and a better dad, but I promise I'll do better for you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I just- I've no idea what's gonna happen in future, but all I know its I wanna keep living with you by my side. None of it will ever make sense without you so, would you please, please finally marry me, babe?"

In the middle of the pandemic and during one of her lower days, Daniel called her like he normally did every day. He was away working in X and she knew he was tired, she could see all over his face how tired he really was after a day of practice and quali. But even with all that, Daniel called to cheer her up. With some cute compliments and words, Daniel made her smile like nobody could. Jas had no idea how that turned into wedding talk. She had no idea how they ended up talking about their plans, but suddenly Daniel was confessing more than he should have. He was planning to do it some day that year but all his plans got ruined before he could even get a ring. He didn't want to ask while they were locked and away from their families and friends. He didn't want to do it without being able to celebrate with them. He wanted to wait, but that day he was so tired and she was so sad he almost did it. He was about to drop the question right there over the phone, but Jas stopped him. Promising there was nothing she wanted most than to marry him, Jas begged Daniel to not ask. Not when she couldn't hug him, not when their families were away, not when the whole world was a disaster.

But the thing that she asked for was a specific detail about the ring. Since he didn't buy it just yet, Jas told him that whatever he decided to do with the ring was his thing, but she wanted it to have three stones. She didn't care about color, size or karats, she just wanted three. 'I want you in everything, but especially in my ring, you heard me?' were her exact words over the phone, which made Daniel laugh as he promised he was going to make it happen. But then the pandemic and the lockdown came and went, they couldn't go to Perth, then the pregnancy and Olivia and everything in between. But after two years, an insane amount of kilometers, places, laughs, tears, love and a baby girl, there was Daniel kneeling in front of her with the most beautiful ring she ever saw. On a silver band there was an oval cut red garnet that was nothing but breathtaking, and on the side as accent stones were two smallest diamonds. It was just like she wanted. It was exactly as she had dreamed.

"Get up, grá" she stated, kissing Olivia's head as she waited for Daniel. She didn't need any of that. She didn't need him kneeling in front of her, or a big proposal, she just wanted the love of her life in front of her as she gave him an answer. She just wanted him and that's exactly what she got when suddenly he was back on his feet, stroking her cheek carefully to clean her wet cheeks. "I knew I was gonna marry you when you said 'Enchanté' the night we met. And I knew it again when I woke up by your side. I've known it for the last four years. I've been dying to marry you four years and there's nothing I want more than being your Mrs. Ricciardo, so of course I'm marrying you"

They had to be more than careful because Olivia was right in the middle of them, but the way Daniel kissed her was just the most perfect and beautiful thing in the world. They were just two giggly messes, trying to not smile as they kissed, but it was impossible. They both were so damn happy to finally be doing this that they just couldn't help it. There was nothing more Jas could ask for than being with Daniel and Olivia for such a moment, so she was all smiles and giggles as Daniel hugged them. "You've been my Mrs. Ricciardo since day one, princess"

"And I'm the luckiest for that"

"You're really marrying me?" Daniel asked again, double checking as he kissed her head during their hug.

"Of course I'm marrying you, sunshine" Jas insisted, tiptoeing to give him a short kiss. But as soon as she did, she could hear such a soft, adorable little giggle coming from Olivia, who was looking at both of them. "And I think she's happy about mum and dad finally doing it"

"I think she would be happier seeing mommy wearing this" Daniel affirmed, taking the ring outside the box and then grabbing Jas' hand. She shouldn't be surprised about it at all, but it fitted perfectly. It somehow felt like a dream when he grabbed her hand and put the ring in the right finger of her left hand. It felt like a dream the fact that Daniel asked her to marry him, especially with their daughter there. It felt like a dream to have both of them by her side, so like every day, Jas couldn't help but mentally thank all her lucky stars for them.

"You designed it, didn't you? Cause that's her birthstone" Jas pointed out, looking at her hand and its new acquisition, still not believing how beautiful it is.

But her favorite thing was the red garnet. It wasn't just her favorite color but also Olivia's birthstone, so Jas was absolutely happy that Daniel decided to leave behind the common engagement ring and go for something different.

"I did design it. I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect one and it seemed like it didn't exist. Nothing was good enough, that's why it took me so long. Besides I can give you diamonds any other day, that's why I thought this was way cooler. This way you can have us always with you" he explained, holding her hand to kiss her finger and the new shiny stone decorating it. "Thank you. For saying yes, for her and for everything"

"Don't thank me. It's my thing to look out for you and specially to love you. Its what I do best and its my favorite thing to do. Wouldn't change it for the world. Wouldn't change you for the world. We said its us forever, so I'm here to make it happen" Jas smiled, remembering the promise they made again and again, especially in the worst of the days.

Whatever happened, it was gonna be them forever. Two or three or whatever the number of their little family was going to end up being, it was them and that was the important thing. As long as they had each other everything was gonna be alright. That's what Jas promised to Daniel again and again, especially on the worst days when he needed a reminder that they were gonna be together no matter what happened in his racing career.

"Its us forever" he repeated, kissing her once again. But before Daniel could kiss his future wife once again, a little incoherent cooing interrupted them, making them look at Olivia. "Did you hear that? Mum and dad are finally getting married!" Daniel exclaimed, kissing Olivia's cheek, making her laugh with the scratching of his stubble against her skin.

And Jas wanted to make a joke, saying it was about damn time for him to ask her, but she decided to keep it for later. After all, she had the rest of the night and the rest of her life to do it.

---

Taglist

@amsofftrack @d0ntjudgemy50shades @a-distantdreamer

#daniel ricciardo #daniel ricciardo imagine #daniel ricciardo fanfic #daniel ricciardo oneshot #f1 #f1 fanfic #f1 oneshot #f1 imagine #formula one #formula one fic #formula one imagine #formula one fanfic #formula one oneshot #formula 1 #formula 1 fic #formula 1 imagine #formula 1 oneshot #formula 1 fanfic #house of memories fic

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stephstars08 · 6 months

Text

Still Proud

Adley Rutschman x Reader

Warnings: Minor Cussing, Angst, Fluff, Cheesy Ending, Adley looking at negative comments on social media, and Possible grammar errors.

Summary: After the Baltimore Orioles season ends in heartbreak against the Texas Rangers, Y/N knows how upset Adley is, so she does all she can to let her boyfriend know that no matter what happens she will always be proud of him.

Word Count: 1,678

Author’s Note: Hello Everyone!! So happy I am releasing my first Adley imagine on here!! Thank you to the ones who have requested me to write him because I’m not going to lie I am completely head over heels for him! I hope you all enjoy my first imagine of Adley and I hope I get to write more for him in the near future!

Y/N is a photographer for the Baltimore Orioles. She takes the pictures and videos of the players and posts them on the official Orioles Instagram account. She’s also the girlfriend of the team’s star catcher Adley Rutschman. They first met in May of 2022 when Adley got called up from the minor leagues. When Y/N heard that Adley was moving up to majors she was beyond excited since she had developed a crush on the star catcher. The only time they came across each other was spring training, but they never stopped to talk to one another. When they met, they officially immediately hit it off and started to date. They just celebrated their one-year anniversary in June.

It was playoff season for the MLB, so the Orioles were so excited since it’s been years since the Orioles made the postseason, but sadly it didn’t go the way they thought it would’ve. Y/N and the team are in Texas playing the Texas Rangers. After losing the first the first two games in Baltimore they had to go to Arlington, Texas to play the third game of the five-game series. The Orioles had to win to keep their season alive, but they sadly came up short.

When the Rangers ran onto the field to celebrate their victory Y/N went down into the clubhouse since it broke her heart to see the Orioles histrionic season come to an end like this. Her heart ached for this team because she knows they worked their asses off all season to get where they are and to just get swept like this was so disappointing. Y/N felt more bad for Adley since she knows how excited he was and now she knew that all that excitement he had was now drained out of his body with disappointment. Y/N wanted to go into the dugout and comfort him, but she knew that he needed to be with his team, so she waited outside the locker room for him.

As minuets passed players and coaches started to make their way into the locker room, but no sign of Adley. Y/N hadn’t seen Gunnar yet either, so she knows Adley is probably with him, but when she saw Gunnar coming her way by himself that theory disappeared. “Gunnar!” Y/N said walking up to him. She met him halfway. “Where’s Adley?” She asked him. “He’s still sitting in the dugout.” Gunnar answered with a heavy sigh. “You should go talk to him.” He told her. “Okay.” Y/N said in a soft tone and walked past Gunnar to the dugout.

Y/N walked up the steps into the dugout to see Adley sitting by himself watching the Rangers celebrate. It crushed her to see the disappointment in Adley’s eyes, but she also saw frustration and sadness in his eyes as well. It was breaking her heart to see the guy she loves going through this. Y/N walked over to him and stood next to him. “This fucking sucks.” Adley hissed before Y/N could say anything. “I know.” Y/N said taking one of his hands and gave it a comfort squeeze. “Come on, you should be with your team.” Y/N told him. She was worried that he was going to fight with her, but he didn’t. Y/N led him to the locker room where his teammates were most likely waiting for him, so their manager can talk with them.

While Adley was with his team Y/N got all of her stuff and all of his equipment that was in the dugout. She made her way out of the stadium and to the rental car she rented from the airport. After unlocking the vehicle, she put her stuff in the backseat and then put all of Adley’s stuff into the trunk since there was more room in the trunk and his stuff takes up more room. Once she settled herself into the driver's seat, she took out her phone to send Adley a text message saying she’s sitting in the rental car with his equipment and wondered if he wanted to go back to the hotel with her instead of riding the bus back with the team. Not too long after she sent the text, he sent her back saying he’s okay riding the bus back with his team. She smiled at that since she’s happy he wants to be with the guys. She knew Gunnar is probably helping him out since they are the closest with each other. She sent him a quick text back letting him know that she’s going to grab the both of them something to eat and then she’ll be back at the hotel. She knows that they only have a couple hours till they have to get back on a plane to Baltimore, so she went quickly.

After getting the food she was worried that she wasn’t going to find a parking spot, but lucky for her there was a car backing out of a spot right in front of the hotels entrance. She parked the rental car and turned it off. She grabbed the bag of food from the passenger seat and got out of the car. She made sure the car was locked and made her way into the lobby where she ran in Gunnar.

“Hey, how was Adley on the bus?” Y/N asked him in a curious tone. “He didn’t even say a word to anyone.” Gunnar answered with a heavy sigh. “Damn, he’s really crushed.” Y/N said with sadness written all over her face. Everyone always knows when there's something going on with Adley. When he’s upset, he’s the quietest person in the room. Y/N has seen Adley get upset over a lost, but she’s never seen him this sad. But she does know that this lost is bigger than all the others.

“He really thought we were going to make it to the championship.” Gunnar told her. Y/N saw the same sadness and disappointment in Gunnar’s eyes that she saw in Adley’s. “You all did.” Y/N told him as she rubbed his shoulder in comfort. “Their’s always next year. This is just the start.” Y/N told him in a reassuring tone with a reassuring smile on her face. “Thanks Y/N. You always know how to cheer us up.” Gunnar told her with a small smile forming on his lips. Y/N isn’t just the photographer for the team, she’s also the pep talker as well. “It’s what I love to do.” Y/N told him taking her hand off his shoulder. “I’ll see you later, Y/N.” Gunnar told her with a small laugh. “See you later, Gunnar.” Y/N said with a giggle and walked over to the elevator.

She pressed the up-arrow button and patiently waited for the doors to open. She was happy that she was able to make Gunnar smile and laugh a little, but she knew it was going to be a mission to cheer Adley up. When the elevator doors opened, she waited for the people that were already inside the elevator to walk out. She walked into the elevator and pressed the button that had the number five on it. As she waited for the elevator to take her up to the fifth floor, she thought about what she’s going to say to Adley.

When the doors opened to the fifth floor she walked out and made her way down the hallway to the hotel room she’s staying in with him. She grabbed the room key out of her back pocket and unlocked the door. When she walked into the hotel room, she saw her boyfriend sitting on the end of the bed scrolling on his phone. Y/N knew whatever he was looking at on his phone wasn’t good because of the look he had in his eyes. “Hey.” Y/N said closing the door and walking over to the small table to put the bag of food down and the hotel key next to the bag. Adley just stayed silent as he continued to look down at his phone. Y/N let out a heavy sigh as she sat down next to him onto the bed.

“I’m still proud of you.” Y/N told him which earned a scoff from him. “For what?” Adley said in a harsh tone as he continued to look down at his phone. “Adley, you don’t need a World Series trophy for me to be proud of you!” Y/N told him in a stern tone. “Really?” Adley said finally looking over at her. Y/N took his phone out of his hand and put it down behind them. “I know you really thought you guys were going to make it, but you guys played one hell of a season.” Y/N told him taking one of his hands like she did when they were in the dugout. “This is the best Orioles team people have seen in a long time and this is just the beginning.” She told him as she used her other hand to move some of his hair away from his forehead. “Don’t worry about what those assholes on social media. They are just trying to put you guys down. In my eyes, you will always be the best. You will always be my number one.” Y/N told him which made his lips curve into a small smile. His smile always makes her heart flutter.

“You always know what to say to cheer me up.” Adley said to her. “Just part of my job as being the best girlfriend in the world.” Y/N told him which earned her a laugh from him as she had a smile on her face as well. “And that’s why I’m the luckiest guy.” Adley said and leaned in to connect his lips with hers. Y/N smiled into the kiss as she returned it. When they released from the kiss, they rested their foreheads against each others.”I love you.” Adley said which made her heart flutter again. “I love you more.” Y/N told him. “Not possible.” Adley said and reconnected their lips for another passionate kiss.

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