#danny love headers

[king-starkrogers]

im sorry AA Clint, you’re now sharing my heart with USM Danny

[ln4bub]

hi love! your prompt list is great, i immediately thought of prompt 60. « look at me » with dr3, if you feel like it!

Word Count - 1.3k

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You and Daniel had been together for a long time, you’d been by his side during the highs and lows at his previous teams, and now here you were as he raced for AlphaTauri. It was the second race of the triple header, Mexico, and after all the fun of COTA he was desperate to score some points. You held your breath for the whole race, fingers crossed behind your back as he crosses the line in P7. You can't help but smile when he comes into the garage, congratulated by everyone for the points for the team.

He comes to you, smile wide and arms outstretched. He engulfs you in a hug, pulling you up into the air whilst laughing. "Never thought I'd be this happy for P7 but I did it!" He laughs as he places you back onto the ground. "You did, I'm so proud of you, you drove so well!" You tell him, watching his eyes crinkle as his smile gets almost impossibly bigger. You can almost see the hunger in his eyes, the urge to celebrate as the corner of his lip quirks.

It only takes a few hours for you guys to get back to Daniel's hotel room, and it only takes a few seconds before he's leading you into the bedroom, barely giving you time to drop your bags by the door. He doesn't even look back to make sure you're following, dragging you behind him. "Get naked." He commands, an excited tone to his voice. "Now." He says when you don't immediately remove your clothing. You pull your Enchante t-shirt off, allowing it to fall to the floor along with your bra. Your cargos are next, joining the growing pile of clothes, topped now with your underwear.

"You're so gorgeous." Daniel says, turning you to face the mirror. He towers over you, shirt discarded in the corner, his large hands smoothing over your stomach. He presses soft kisses to your neck and trails them down your shoulder. "Gonna let me celebrate my best race of the season sweetheart?" He asks, smiling as you nod.

"Look at me."

Your eyes lift to his in the mirror as his hand slides down from your stomach, running over your thighs before stopping in the centre. Your eyes flutter closed at the sensation of his fingers but his other hand comes to hold your jaw. "Take your eyes off me and I stop." He whispers, slipping his hand to wrap around your neck. He feels the vibration of your whimper as his middle finger swirls around your entrance, collecting your arousal before dragging it over your clit. He can't help but admire your body, the way your knees bend and back arches slightly as he continues his movements. Your heavy breathing and soft whimpers fill the room, replaced by a loud moan as he slips his finger inside you.

"So wet honey, is it all for me?" He asks, watching as you fight to keep your eyes on him.

"All yours Danny, fuck please, I need more." You moan out desperately.

He heeds your request, slipping a second finger in easily. Both his digits begin curling against your walls, hitting that one spot that makes your stomach twist. You cry out his name, your hand coming to tangle in his hair as he bends to suck a purple mark into your neck. "You're so beautiful honey, and so wet. Can feel you clenching around me already." He groans into your skin. "Want you to cum around my fingers, please baby, for me." His mouth continues its exploration of your neck as you cum, his fingers drawing the orgasm from the depths of your body. If it wasn't for his hands you probably would've hit the ground as your knees buckled with its force. "So good for me." He groans, sucking his fingers clean.

"That's one." He mutters, picking you up before finally kissing you. You wrap your legs around his body as you taste yourself on his tongue, moaning into his mouth. He lays you down on the bed, your hair fanning out underneath you. Daniel discards his trousers and underwear, before grabbing you by the hips and pulling you toward him. He slides his cock between your lips, bumping your clit with his tip.

"Please Dan, want to feel you." You beg, pushing your hips up into him. "Can't keep my girl waiting can I?" He questions, sliding his cock into you with a groan. He reaches deep inside, making you moan at the feeling of fullness. "Feel so good honey." He moans out, dragging his cock in and out at a slow pace.

He hooks your leg over his shoulder, pressing the other down by the thigh as he drives himself into you. Daniel can't help but groan at the way your stomach bulges with each push of his cock. "Look at you, taking my cock so well." He murmurs, turning his head to press kisses onto your raised leg. Your moans fill the room once more, making you feel sorry for Yuki next door to you both. "That's it baby, want you to cum again for me, what do you need?" He asks, his hand on your thigh beginning to slide toward your pubic bone.

"Touch me, please." You moan out, jaw dropping in pleasure as his thumb comes to rub your clit. Your walls clench around him, making him moan out. He consumes your thoughts, his name spilling out of your mouth. "There we go, cum around me baby that's it." He groans, feeling your walls tighten even further. He chases his own orgasm, continuing to push into your aching pussy. "Want me to fill you up?" He asks, "Want me to stuff you full honey?" You can only whine in response as he buries himself inside you, cock twitching as he finishes with a groan of your name. You faintly hear him whisper "Two," before he presses a kiss to your forehead as he pulls out.

"Can you take one more beautiful? For me?" He asks, placing feather light kisses across your cheeks. "I-I think so." You murmur, nodding your head. "Tell me if it's too much." Daniel requests, kissing his way across your body. His tongue swirls around your nipples, the slight burn of his moustache leaving behind red marks. Once he reaches your stomach his hands pry your shaking legs open, leaving enough space for him to slot in between.

He presses his lips to your sensitive clit, relishing in the whine you release at the feeling. Daniel's tongue licks a stripe through your folds, collecting the salty taste of the combination of your cum. He continues lapping up your juices, his nose bumping your clit with every movement. His fingers press against your entrance, pushing his cum back inside you. "Oh my god Daniel, so fucking good." You moan, placing a gentle hand on his head. His tongue continues its ministrations, his fingers curling in the process. Your back arches, legs shaking as you tell him you're close. His other hand comes to press on your stomach, the pressure causing your release to spray all over Daniel's face. He groans, pressing his face further into you as your thighs close around his head.

With one last kiss he removes his fingers, licking them clean once more.

"Let's get you in the bath honey." He whispers, running his hands through your hair as you cuddle into him.

[leclerc-s]

the blue - part eight

series masterlist // previous // next

zendaya amelia grace holland be honest. how many songs ave you written about oscar?

amelia holland

sam holland the better question is how many songs have you written about fake scenarios in your head?

amelia holland oh that one's easy at least five. this month. i've got a really good one called i should hate you, i wrote that one with aaron.

tuwaine barrett DID CHARLES HELP PRODUCE THIS AGAIN??

amelia holland i think he almost shit himself when he found out aaron was also producing this one. tuwaine barrett CHAMELIA MY BELOVED! GET THIS MAN ON STAGE WITH TAYLOR FOR A SURPRISE SONG! amelia holland he's been on my ass about that to. did you team up with him or something? tuwaine barrett why? did he say someting?

harry holland speaking of charles, how's texas? is it fun?

amelia holland it's hot as fuck.

amelia holland you're in texas now? any plans on coming home?

amelia holland kinda promised oscar and lando that i'd stick around for the triple header. there's a week off in between vegas and brazil but lando's birthday is a few days before vegas and abu dhabi is the next weekend. so i'm not sure. might be home for a couple days at most.

harrison osterfield it's almost like oscar's career is monopolizing all of your time

sam holland for the record none of us have problem with it. this is the first time in a long time we've seen you happy. if traveling with oscar makes you happy, do it. harrison's being a dick, ignore him. but like also please come home for the holidays?

amelia holland is that his default setting? - danny ric

amelia holland sorry about that, the fake american took my phone.

amelia holland real american here, is that his default setting? - logan sargeant

amelia holland charles here! is that his default?

amelia holland this group is tragic. ours is much more fun - max

amelia holland I CAN FINALLY STOPPED BE CALLED NORIZZ BECAUSE CLEARLY THE SECOND STRING LOSER HAS LESS THAN ME! - LANDO

amelia holland i would never piss a songwriter off because you'll be branded as the second string loser for the rest of your life. - pierre

amelia holland i swear they’re normally house-trained - oscar

amelia holland he's lying - alex

tom holland YOU HAVE A GROUPCHAT WITH THEM??

amelia holland it's quite fun. murder is threatened at least 3 times a day and lestappen is in full force. it is no just for the camera, i genuinely think they're in love with each other

amelia holland yuki’s quite violent, in case anyone was wondering. he may be pocket sized but he holds a lot of rage

harry holland and who exactly is in this group chat and why haven’t we been invited?

amelia holland the twitch quartet, max, daniel, yukierre, estie bestie and his two husbands, twinkclaren, and me

harrison osterfield you call your boyfriend a twink?

amelia holland it’s a term of endearment - lando

amelia holland she calls lando a fucking weenie and she called someone a weird second string loser, so i’m okay with twink - oscar

amelia holland WE'RE KIDNAPPING AMELIA! WE'RE IN TEXAS BABY! - DANNY RIC

amelia holland SAVE US! - CHARLES & MAX

ameliaholland posted new stories

someone's super excited to be back in texas COTA! pre-quali look with oscaroo. he's not happy at the moment, says it's too hot to be in texas. i agree. :) logan said he knew a place and took us to cane's. clearly one of them is happy to be here.

ameliaholland the plans made it out of the group chat, so when in texas...

tagged: oscarpiastri, lilymhe, francesca.cgomes, alexandrasaintmleux, danielricciardo, landonorris, maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc, alex_albon, logansargeant, yukitsunoda, pierregasly, georgerussell63, estebanocon, mickschumacher, lancestroll

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tuwaine I HAVE NEVER WANTED TO BE IN TEXAS SO BAD

↳ ameliaholland you're missing out so bad tuwaine

tomholland2013 AMELIA GRACE HOLLAND YOU BETTER NOT BE DRINKING!

↳ ameliaholland i'm not? there's a heineken in my hand? it's non alcoholic.

↳ landonorris she literally had shots with max. she's a liar.

↳ ameliaholland shut the fuck up norizz.

username oh god, i've never wanted to be apart of a friend group this bad

username thank goodness someone put boots on the correct way. if i saw another picture or video of the drivers with their jeans tucked into their boots i would riot.

↳ username i hope daniel scolded them for doing so.

samholland1999 PUT SOME PANTS ON AMELIA!

↳ ameliaholland I AM WEARING PANTS! IT'S CALLED SHORTS DINGBAT! IT'S HOT IN TEXAS

username now this is a group i never thought i would see hanging out. at least not all of them together.

username this is so iconic of them wtf?

georgerussell63 i have never met someone who can out drink max, please join us the next time we go out.

↳ harryholland64 did not know my little sister can out drink max verstappen but i'm somehow proud?

↳ username this just in, something max verstappen is not good at doing, out drinking amelia holland.

lilymhe we have to do this again!

↳ francesca.cgomes we do!

↳ alexandrasaintmleux oh, we should

↳ ameliaholland give me a time a place and i'll be there!

↳ carmenmundt count me in too! i would love to meet amelia.

↳ username icons meeting other icons, love to see it.

finish the lyrics with lando norris and oscar piastri

comments

user we were robbed of cowboy oscar!

user lando and the holland brothers being the captains of the oscar x amelia ship is so funny to me

user but who did lando call a dick and why?

↳ user probably harrison, if the context clues we've been provided are anything to go by.

↳ user lando has been their biggest defender since day 1 and i stand by that

user was i the only one who caught that brocedes reference?

↳ user lando knew what he was doing making that joke.

user lando casually wanted to remind everyone that oscar's brother-in-law is spider-man.

↳ user had to quickly flex on spidey's biggest fan, estie.

user and to think this whole joke started because of a taylor song.

user HE CALLED HIM A MUPPET!! THIS IS MONUMENTAL!

user lando is oscar and amelia's biggest defender, you can't change my mind.

↳ user it's oscmelia girl, get it right.

↳ user you're right my bad, terribly sorry.

harrison osterfield i don't exactly appreciate your friend and boyfriend calling me a dick online.

amelia holland and i didn't appreciate being strung along for almost 2 years...

sam holland HOW LONG?

tom holland but he was with his ex for almost a year?

tuwaine barrett oh damn

harry holland you have got to be fucking kidding me harrison.

zendaya never trust blonde men with blue eyes

amelia holland what about max and logan? zendaya never trust blonde men with blue eyes whose name starts with an h or a j. those two you can trust.

tom holland by the way how's oscar doing? we watched the race.

amelia holland a bit bummed about the dnf but that's the way things go in this sport. besides it's not like it can get any worse than this.

TWO HOURS LATER

amelia holland HOW COULD I BE SO FUCKING WRONG?!

ameliaholland posted new stories

💋 i'm totally going to lose tonight... you're looking at the winner of the bowling tournament. it was luck really, but operation cheer up charles and oscar was a success.

taglist: @six-call @1nt3rnetgf @fernandoswarcrimes @skynel09 @arieltwvdtohamflash @Mimolovescookies @brekkers-whore @natcha888 @camdensreg @mycenterfold @woozarts @dear-fifi @tygecjjd @cataf1 @nothaqks @caipng @nataliambc @formulaal @lichterfee @prongsvault @kaa212 @anxxiousaries @julesbabey1 @julesbabey @georgeparisole @hobiismyhopeu @melissayalene @nikfigueiredo @bella-1 @nichmeddar @namgification @anniemae299

strikethrough means i couldn't tag you

¡leclerc-s speaks! just when you think he can't get any worse, he does! i have very strong opinions about texas, in case that wasn't obvious. texas was my breaking point + brazil, in case you couldn't tell who my favorite drivers were, you do now.

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[callmewrinkles3]

Castles Crumbling - DR3 x Fem!OC

Summary: There's just four races to go until Em never has to be near McLaren again, but her anxiety isn't getting any better. With fractures growing in their friendships and people in the media talking, how could it? Not even a gift from her husband could help.

Words: 15.5k

Warnings: The 2022 F1 season, COTA 2022, mental health issues (anxiety, depression, social anxiety, issues with food, one instance of accidental self injury), Zak Brown opening his mouth, hospitals, mentions of assumed domestic abuse, medical staff, smut.

AN: Remember us? Yeah it's been a while, we know. But we're back! Tumblr is a mess right now and with this we decided to make it worse. Please, please heed the warnings here. This is probably the lowest point Em gets to, and it's not a good place. It’s a hard, complicated one. If it's not something you feel comfortable reading, that's alright. Stay safe out there. See you around. 🫰🏻

October 2022

Em had no idea why she was so nervous the day they got to Texas. There was absolutely no reason to be, they'd had some time off and it had been lovely. Her anxiety kept going up and making her stress which was the last thing she wanted. She was tucked in under Dan's arm, their friends were there, and they were in one of her favourite places in the world. Even if when Dan asked her what she wanted to do on their days off she'd said nothing. She didn't have the energy to do it.

The cancelled Russian GP felt like a miracle, giving them a full three weeks off instead of a week in London and one in Sochi. It was an oasis after the triple header of Spa, Zandvoort, and Monza. As soon as Dan finished media after the Monza curse kicked in they left the circuit. Like the year before they were holding hands, but this time it was anger and misery. He'd been on for points. Good points. And then the car just died under him. Fuck McLaren.

They'd gone straight to their favourite pizza place, getting a smile from the staff when Em ordered in Italian. Even the Tifosi in the restaurant chilled around them. There were nods and smiles, Em returning them when she could. It was there to the hotel for some sleep, and the next morning they had quick goodbyes to everyone before renting a car and driving up to Lake Como.

It was normal for them to have a getaway in Italy after races. It started with the beach trip after their first night together in Monaco, and 2019 was the nights in Milan after two impossible feeling races. But finally, after a quarantine year that cancelled their plans and then Em having to cancel them when Dan won. But finally they got to spend their time together. Dan had promised her that even if he won they were still going.

But the car gave up, so instead they said goodbye to Blake and Micahel for three days away. Em adored them, but she'd spent so much time with them that they weren't her usual safe places. Things with Michael still felt awkward, and time apart just felt right. The three days were spent alone, actually getting to wear their rings while they tanned, ate pizza and pasta, and spent hours making love on any surface they could.

The best part of the three weeks off wasn't sunny Italy, it was going to Perth. Dan had to be at the MTC for two days for sim duty before the double header so they went back to London, but as soon as they could they were on the direct flight from London to Perth to see family. It had only been two months since they'd seen Joe and Grace, but they hadn't seen the rest of the family since the super quick trip they'd made to Perth after they got back together.

All they wanted to do was hug the kids and be home. They just wanted to be uncle Danny and auntie Emmy. Even thought it was winter it was warmer than Em was used to. It was healing being back at the farm. Silence at night, family arriving in the late morning or early afternoons, it was perfect. Either they went to see people or people came back to see them at the farm for a full two weeks.

It helped Em's anxiety lessen, as did the regular therapy sessions. They had one on a Monday evening while Em was in Perth, set for a time where no matter where in the world she was she'd be able to make it. On race weeks she had one on Thursdays too. Plus seeing the constant smile on Dan's face while he was home. That put a smile on hers. If anyone deserved to be happy it was her Danny, and Em would do anything in her power to make sure he was.

The fun days ended all too soon, hugging everyone goodbye and promising to see them in Abu Dhabi for Isaac's birthday before they went back into the swing of things. Singapore and the race wasn't bad, Dan finishing with 10 points. But Japan was awful. Lando barely in front but the team acting like he was on the podium, and the weather and recovery vehicles. Dan had talked to her about Jules once before, about losing one of his best friends as a result of those conditions on that track. Her heart was in her throat as she watched Dan go around and round. It was another weekend watching the man she loved be disappointed at a track he adored, but at least they got to spend a week in London before Texas.

Once they got on the plane to head to the US, Em could feel the nerves building in her. It was different from the - high grade if she was honest - anxiety that she usually had most days. This time there was a reason. Dan was showing her the house he bought them that she still hadn't seen in person.

It had started from 2019 when she was tipsy and half asleep and whispered it while dozing in his arms that Austin would be a nice place to live. Since then he'd been searching, revealing it to her when they were in Montreal. The original plan was an apartment with a balcony and natural light, but getting that in the delivery radius of their favourite barbecue place was nearly impossible. And then between the pandemic and everything it turned into wanting so much more than a one bedroom apartment. Plus hiding it from the woman who he spent almost every waking moment with felt impossible.

He'd signed the papers when she was in Liverpool, a desperate dream that maybe Em would come back to him.

Telling himself it was an investment and worth it even when he wasn’t fully sure it was. He knew in his heart he’d never rent it out but he had to try something. It was a total lie. But then he flew down to Texas before landing in Miami to sign for the house. The original plan had been to show her when she arrived in Miami. Dan’s sick hope that she’d turn up. But then she didn’t and he just kept hoping until she was finally there.

They’d said they’d stop off on the way to Montana, fly an extra few hours so Em could see it. But she was too fragile and exhausted and trying to put her pieces together. Then it was the summer break but the news about losing his job put the kibosh on that. So finally they were in Austin and couldn’t be disturbed and Em was about to see their home.

October had felt like it would be a lifetime away then. It would be autumn and starting to get cooler. But then she was there and they’d landed in Texas, gone through immigration and were in the rental car on the way to their brand new home.

It was scarier than moving into their apartment in London had been. London had been quick, necessity thanks to living in an Airbnb and needing to find somewhere to pick together. There’d been two weeks thanks to Dan between viewing it and getting the keys. But they’d viewed it holding hands, decided what room would be what.

This was different. Dan had picked it out entirely on his own, she’d had no idea. And she’d known about it for five months, desperately wanting to see more than the photos. If Em was honest she’d half thought the photos weren’t right, the oh so normal suburban home with a little garage attached. But as Dan put the car into park in their driveway it hit her. This was their home.

A lot of the time they had similar tastes. Food, music, and clothes were the big ones, they’d match in a lot of ways. When it came to TV and movies and podcasts they had differences, but unless it was one of his UFC podcasts she was usually happy to watch what he wanted, the same way he’d watch what she put on. One of the things they almost always agreed with - except for LA but Em wasn’t going to have a discussion about how ridiculous a full mansion for himself was - was where they lived and how they decorated. They always liked the same places and were interested in the same things when it came to a home. If there was something weird or one of them didn’t like it, the other generally didn’t either. It was how it worked when they’d found the apartment in London, they’d walked in holding hands and just knew.

It’s how Em knew Dan had to have done a good job when he chose somewhere in Austin. If he liked it, she’d like it, and when the car stopped she knew she was right. Her expectations were that it’d be an apartment in a high rise building, but it was in front of a house. A little country style 1960s house, like the stereotypical one you’d see. It was nothing like the ridiculousness in LA or the farm in Perth. It wasn’t even like the place in Italy Dan was looking at for them to have as a wedding present. It was so normal.

A one family home on a suburban Texan street. A couple of houses had lawn signs out, there were kids bikes on the street. It felt idyllic as Em looked at the pale brickwork and dark door. It felt like somewhere they could relax and just be.

“I know we said an apartment, but when I saw here it was perfect. It feels like us.” Dan held up a key on a cowboy hat keychain, the Longhorns orange logo visible.

“I’m not complaining at all, it looks cute. Time to go inside?”

They walked up to the front door holding hands as a smile spread across Em’s face. She wanted to stop and take it all in, but her excitement was too much. She could stand out in the front yard later, right now was for going inside. All she could do was look up at Dan and how peaceful he finally looked. It had been literal years for him and she couldn’t be more grateful that he’d kept holding out hope for them.

Opening the front door of somewhere new was always exciting and this was no different. She slipped the key in the slot and twisted to feel the lock disengage. Em went to push the door open but before she could Dan lifted her into his arms, nudging the door with his knee.

“Dan, what?!”

“Gotta carry the bride over the threshold, right? It’s my job.” She laughed at the grin on his face as he brought them inside, carefully depositing Em back on her feet in the living room so she could fully take it in.

The room was a blank canvas. Wooden floors with lots of windows and light, white walls just waiting for paint and decoration. Somehow he’d gotten a Welcome Home sign put up in front of the fireplace. It was cosy but had enough space for them and friends to be there. The work and effort Dan had put in was making her tear up before she’d even seen anything else. Then when she did turn around and saw the lavender door she actually did shed a tear.

The one thing she’d wanted in life was to paint her front door lavender. She’d seen photos of colourful seaside towns with different brightly painted doors and decided she wanted hers to be lavender. It wasn’t from Friends, as much as people might think. She’d never been a fan of that show really. But there was no possibility she could do it as a kid, and then in her rented apartments it was never going to happen. But Dan had promised her that he’d do it, and he had just for her. She turned to hug him and held onto him until she could get herself together for a moment.

“I told you we’d have it, it was just a matter of time. I know we can’t have the outside in London, but I thought the inside in Austin would work?”

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect. I love it. I love you, Danny.” His arms tightened as she said it, a kiss pushed against Em’s head.

“Love you too. Wait until you see everything else, I think you’ll love it.”

Dan held her hand as they moved through the rest of the house. The kitchen was gorgeous and sitting out on the counter was a set of orange Le Creuset pans that matched the purple set they had in London. It was like her perfect kitchen was right in front of her. The doors to the back garden were there, a deck leading down to grass and it was carefully enclosed. It was safe and beautiful. She wandered outside and looked at the wildflowers growing at the end of it.

She had no idea how she’d gotten so lucky. How did he love her even after everything? After everything she’d done, everything she’d nearly ruined? But Dan loved her with everything and he did all of this for her. It was a home, not just a house, and part of her hated that they wouldn’t really spend enough time of the year here. He’d given her everything, and she didn’t know what she’d do if she didn’t have him.

A quiet sob made her turn around in panic to see a smile on Dan’s face as tears streamed down his cheeks. Her arms wrapped around him, holding onto her husband as he cried. They were both too familiar with tears by this point, and her job was to hold onto him and love him and wait until he was able to speak. These were the overwhelming tears.

“I thought I might never see this place. Especially not with you. I was waiting until you were here to see it in person and I think I’d come to terms that it wasn’t going to happen.” The rawness of his words cut her deeply, Em kissing his jaw as a reminder she was here before she could speak.

“I’m right here, Baby. I’m here. And you’re here with me. We’re together.”

“I know. I know.” Dan kissed her so gently Em thought it could have been a dream until she opened her eyes and looked at him.

“Good…what do you mean you didn’t think you’d see it? You flew out to sign?” He squeezed her and Em knew no matter what he was about to say she was going to worry.

“I did. But I didn’t come here. I signed the contract and hired someone to keep an eye on it and do what I needed. But I couldn’t come here without you. It was for us.”

“You bought an entire house without seeing it?” The disbelief was clear in her voice. Her insane, brilliant, generous husband.

“It was a bad time, don’t judge me.” She never could. Not in a million years. “I wanted to do more things, y’know? I thought about changing the windows out for ones with bigger panels of glass so you have even more light to read, put some screens up so you can open them without bugs. Have some of the flowers out the front under the living room window. Maybe change the roof? The one there is fine but it’s gonna need replacing in a few years. Plus I wanna change the fireplace cause that’s original from the 70s when this was built and I don’t like the tiles. But not without you. Even looking at furniture to buy felt wrong. That’s what you do. You turn the places we live into homes without even thinking about it. Plus, I thought it could be like an anniversary present. Five years ago this week is when I met you for the first time.”

Em settled into Dan’s arms with her head pushed against his neck for an extra moment as she took in what he said. She’d so nearly blown their lives up in April - walked away without so much as a word. But even though she did that he loved her and still believed she’d come back somehow. How could she not be utterly in love with him? She didn’t deserve him but he loved her anyway.

“We turned them into homes. Us. Together. That’s what made them into homes, and it’s what’ll make this into one too. So thanks for waiting for me to do it.” It was a sweet kiss and wiping away the tear tracks from his cheeks as she smiled up at him. They’d turn it into one. She wouldn’t ruin yet another home for them. She couldn’t do that like she had with their first flat. “Show me everywhere else? Please? I wanna see our room.”

The rest of the house was just as perfect. A bathroom with a gloriously big bath for her and Dan to fit, two spare rooms, and finally the master bedroom. It wasn’t stupidly huge, but it was perfect. She could see all the flowers that Dan had gotten planted outside through the window. Em had no idea how he managed to get it done but he did and she’d be forever grateful for it. The other thing he did was get a proper mattress for each bedroom. It wasn’t a full bed yet, there weren’t even sheets, but she could actually lay down. As comfortable as the business class seats were, she just wanted to lie down and stretch. Her sneakers came off in a heartbeat and that was about as quickly as Dan was lying on top of her.

"You like it?" Dan whispered as if to not break a spell. His head was on her shoulder while his arms wrapped around her body to pull her as close as possible.

"The mattress? It's amazing, I wonder how I'm gonna get up again. The house is very nice too." She kissed his forehead while her smile grew even wider. "I love it. I really, really love it. It's absolutely perfect, Love. I still think you're insane, but thank you."

"I'm happy you like it. You know you never need to thank me."

"Really? Cause I think I know a way to thank you and bless this place together."

All Em needed was one kiss on her neck and feeling his grin against her skin to get going. Clothes were thrown off and left on the floor, and the luxury of not sharing a wall with anyone else was perfection. The loud moan as Dan finally entered her with one slow push echoed around the near empty room.

Usually on race weekends she was careful to not mark Dan's neck or scratch his back or shoulders. Usually she'd do her best to leave no marks at all unless it was a break but that day she couldn't care less. Her hands were all over his back and holding him as hard as possible. Part of her brain screamed at her that she was fucking everything up and she needed to stop, but Dan's frown as she went to let go and the way he squeezed her made her continue. If he was prepared for any comments and wanted her to keep going then she was going to.

At least now people knew that she was the one responsible for anything. She sucked a small dark mark against his collarbone, watching as the skin reddened and bloomed. She didn't care about it in the moment. The next day she probably would when his shirt moved the wrong way and everyone saw it but right then she couldn't care less. For once her head was quiet, focusing about how warm her Danny was against her, the way his hands made her feel so good. How he was hitting the perfect spots in her, the whispers of how good she was and how she was his best girl, his only girl. The marks he was leaving against her that screamed she was his. His, his, his.

When they finished it was like magic. Like every time he held her tight and kissed as they came down from their highs, the two of them keeping the other there. It was one of her favourite moments with him since that very first time they'd slept together. The world stopped for a few moments, silent and the only people who mattered were them. When she opened her eyes Dan was there, that smile that made her fall head over heels all those years ago on his face as he stole a kiss and made her smile against his lips.

Years ago the next thing in their routine had been one of them - usually Dan - asking to stay the night even when they shouldn't. That part of their routine was long gone. But the comfort and cosiness of the moment was ruined by Em's "oh shit!" and running to the bathroom, too afraid to mess up the brand new mattress that didn't even have sheets on it. The only thing there to clean up was Dan's shirt and she wasn't doing that to him.

When she came back feeling better Dan still kissed down her legs to make her giggle, Em looking at him smiling up at her. She ran her fingers through his curls as she looked down at the love of her life. How did she get so lucky? She didn't deserve him.

It took everything to get up from that mattress. She was jetlagged and tired and wanted to stay there and fall asleep beside him. She was comfortable and didn't want to leave. But they had things to do, shopping first on the list. If they were staying there for a night before moving to the team hotel they needed basic stuff. Dan insisted they didn't need sheets for the mattress, they had toilet paper and paper cups for their celebration and could get takeout. Even while Dan was trying to say nonsense Em was rolling her eyes and pulling clothes out of one of their cases to put on. She made Dan do the same, even as he insisted she looked better without clothes on.

"Do you really want me to go to Target naked, Love?" The wide eyes and rapidly shaking head was all that Em needed for him to get up and shimmy his jeans on.

For most couples a trip to the supermarket was a normal thing. But they weren't a normal couple, or at least not that normal. Usually groceries were delivered, and the occasional times they did something like this was during the winter break in Perth. They'd go some weekday morning when it was quiet and people didn't notice them. She loved it though. It was like going out with an excitable kid who looked at everything and kept stopping. She got to hold his hand and be normal for rare occasions.

So that afternoon it was a rare opportunity for Em to drag him around. It took a pout to convince him it was a good idea, but an oak milk latte from the Starbucks before they started shopping was all the extra incentive he needed to keep going. But as they started wandering Dan was the one who kept stopping and looking. He wanted the perfect glasses, Em got distracted looking at lipsticks for a new perfect pink. Then they spent time deciding on towels and bedding for not just their room but the spares too. After all that a coffee maker and mugs had to be bought, along with the matching plates and bowls. All of that, plus a lamp, cushions, a fake plant, fairy lights, candles, and groceries for that night and the morning that could be frozen when they were leaving ended up in the trunk of the rental car. Em couldn't stop grinning the entire drive back to their house.

London was a mix of things they'd had in both of their apartments, choosing what they preferred and putting them together with new things when they really needed them. Perth, Monaco, and LA were kind of like that, Em turning professionally interior decorated places into actual homes instead of places where they just spent time. But Austin was different. It was a blank canvass where she could start from scratch and turn it into colour and home and happiness. Even if this trip was just a few things to make it better she could take time and decide what they were going to do.

She barely got to put the sheets on the mattress before Dan was dragging her back down, covering her in kisses. It had been since the summer break when they felt like this, able to hold and love each other and Em able to shut her brain up enough to enjoy it. Thye spent the afternoon and evening moving from bed to couch and back again, ordering takeout from the restaurant Dan made sure they were near, before returning to loving each other. Dan held onto her as they fell asleep, Em content and cuddled in.

The next day was when they were supposed to move to the hotel but neither of them really wanted to. The boys landed and they met with them, checking in, but deciding to spend that night in their home before having to go back to the F1 circus. Instead they spent it with Michael and Blake, Em watching the three of them laughing and joking. It was easier to stay a little on the outside of it all and watch, Dan's hand around her waist as they sat in their favourite bar in Austin yet again eating barbecue and Em drinking a coke and stealing sips from Dan's one beer before the race weekend.

Getting out of their uber and being completely alone once the front door closed was a luxury for Em. They were always surrounded by people, she knew that. Dan loved having family and friends around, loved being with everyone. She'd known that since the beginning. It was one of the reasons - besides the obvious - why she was around the boys so much. Dan loved to bring his people around and Em loved watching him be happy and glowing no matter how loud it was. Usually she could put her earplugs in and smile and it was fine. But at the track and in offices and media centres it was more of the same. There were always people, Dan was always busy.

She'd known from the beginning that Dan wasn't always hers. She had to share the man she loved with the rest of the world. And she knew this, she married him knowing it, but it was hard sometimes. She'd gone in with eyes open that especially during race weeks it was a good week to have a couple of hours alone together. The only thing she asked was that they went to bed together. She'd stay up as long as she had to to do it with him. She always fell asleep with her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. Dan always woke her up with a kiss on her forehead if he had to get up before her as a quiet goodbye and a heads up she'd fully wake alone. It was what they did. So one extra night where they got to wake up completely alone felt nearly perfect.

But some nights, even when they were alone, she could tell Dan's head was somewhere else. This was one of those nights. They were curled up to sleep, arms around each other, but Em could see that his eyes were open and his jaw was tense. Even with the way the last few days were nice it wasn't an easy time. Everything seemed to be slowly crumbling around them. Apart from their relationship it seemed like so much was falling apart and it was impossible. She was doing everything she could to keep the man she loved going but Em didn't have much left to give. There were some things she couldn't fix. She couldn't magic up a seat in a team for him no matter how badly she wished she could do it. She couldn't even negotiate with him, because that wasn't her job. Doing it for the McLaren severance was different, that was for their pride and to prove that team hadn't ruined them. It was personal. But talking to other team principals? She couldn't.

The one thing she could do was reach up and push a kiss to his jaw, watching as he looked down at her with sad eyes. She could ask the questions and support him and love him and give him advice.

"Penny for them?" It was quiet until Dan took a deep breath.

"Should I talk to Haas? Guenther sent over a proposal. It's a seat for n-"

"Absolutely not." The vehemence that she came out with worried even her but she kept talking. "That team ruins people and makes them miserable, and as much as Guenther has been decent to me in the paddock they're run ridiculously. Look at what's happening to Mick, he told Mick last week that he might keep the seat but now you're being offered it? They won't listen to you, they won't care about the setup. They'll mess it up and blame you. They did it to Kevin and then begged him to go back. You deserve better than it."

"It might be the only way for me to have a seat next year."

"I'd rather we call it a day and just go home." Em was blinking back tears as Dan held her closer, watching as she got herself together. "I can't spend another year watching you suffer for a team and their stupid car while you're trying to smile. This year has been so hard, Danny. You deserve better than that. You're so much better than that."

"Do you really want that? Do you want to go home?" The words echoed around her head. Home. She still didn't know what it was. Dan was her home, but she couldn't say anywhere really was anymore. But her tears began to fall and she couldn't stop them.

"We lost too much this year, Danny. We lost a baby. We nearly lost us too. We did lose us for a while and we nearly didn't make it back. I don't have anything else to give it. This sport and this team has taken almost everything. It even took my dignity in Spa. We've given it everything. Baby I love you with my whole heart and you know I will do anything for you. You know that." She took a deep breath as she tried to get the courage to ask.

"I know, Baby girl. I know. And I love you just as much. We're us, that's not changing ever." His words and the warm arms around her made her able to say it.

"You can't ask me to watch you go through another year like this one. You can't do that to me. We can't go through another year like this and you know we can't. If we try it's going to break us. Please. If you love me just...please don't. Be a reserve driver or try something else or any other driving, I'd rather watch you do ovals. Please don't make me have to go through watching you suffer like this again."

She broke down after speaking, feeling Dan hold her even tighter than he had before. She'd never said it. She never wanted to tell him not to drive, she adored him and trusted him to do the right thing. But this was terrifying to watch. She didn't know what she could do except ask him not to drive for once.

"Hey Baby, I've got you. It's alright, Emmy. It's alright. It's going to be fine, Baby girl. I promise. You just take deep breaths. Breathe in with me Baby." She followed his exaggerated breathing until she'd calmed down from the panic attack she'd nearly worked herself into yet again. Her fucking brain. She needed to be calm for this.

"I'm so tired, Dan. I'm exhausted and I don't know if I can deal with another year at a team that won't respect you. This year was too much. I can't lose you again. Please don't make me lose you again."

"It won't happen, Emmy. I swear it's not going to. I'm gonna be right here."

"It happened twice."

And that was her fear. They'd basically lost each other last Christmas, and what should have been the final nail in the coffin was Melbourne. They shouldn't be together. They'd fought for so long, they'd promised each other. But she didn't know if she could fight for another year to try not lose him.

"That was different and you didn't lose me. I fucked up but we're right here. Remember that forever promise we made?" He kissed her ring finger, Em smiling through her tears.

"I almost did and it felt like I couldn't breathe. I can't go through it again. Call me selfish but I just can't."

"You're not selfish. You're the exact opposite of selfish, Babe." The pain in Dan's voice made Em feel even worse than she did saying it.

"I feel like I am. I know how much you love racing."

"But I love you more." He punctuated his words with a kiss before continuing. "I'm chasing loving racing again, and I've stopped loving it now. Maybe it's time to let it come back to me. If it works I can try get a seat in 2024. If not I've got you, and we can work it out from there. I can be a househusband. I was thinking about it, y'know? Maybe it's time for me to be a househusband, you get your year. I'll stay home, make breakfast, do laundry, all that. You deserve a year of not doing anything after taking care of everything I've thrown at you."

"You and I both know you'd go insane if you did that. It'd be fun for a week." A watery giggle escaped, Dan smiling at her ability to laugh.

"Maybe two? But it can be your year. I want you to be happy, not just following me around the world while I'm doing it."

"All I wanna do is be with you. I just...I want you to be my Danny for a while. I don't want to have to share you with the world for once. What I really need right now is to wake up on a weekend and not go anywhere. I want us to stay in our bed, not in a hotel unless we're on holiday. I hate myself for being this selfish and asking you, but I need this."

"A weekend in bed not going anywhere sounds really good right now." Dan kissed her nose, brushing the hair out of her face to make sure Em was looking at him. "I'm telling you, you're not selfish."

"I feel like I am. I feel like I'm making a decision for everyone. Michael's gonna need a new job, it's a mess."

"I was thinking about telling him I think it's better for our friendship to not work together so that'll be fine. Jack's looking for someone for F2 next year, that might work. But you're not making a decision for everyone, you're telling me how you feel. I told you before. If you asked I'd walk away. We deserve to be happy. You deserve that."

"I love you." She held onto him tightly, desperate to make it clear how much she loved him. She didn't deserve Daniel. Not at all. Somehow he loved her even though she'd made a mess of so much. "It's just one year. Then we can go back. You can keep racing till your forties if you want like Fernando. I don't care if you do."

"You really think I want to race that long? Two or three babies and racing around the world for twenty something weeks a year?"

"Seb is. For now." She wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye to someone who'd always been kind to her.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'll be able to do that after our kids start school. There's a difference between Switzerland and Perth."

"If you want to do it the option will be there. As long as you want to keep racing and you're happy you know I'll support you. We can work around anything else." Em snuggled into him at his words, at the knowledge. He wasn't lying. They'd be happy. She'd make herself be happy.

"We can talk about it then. But Toto and Christian have already been in contact about a reserve role. Christian rang before I even did the video. But I'm focusing on you and me first."

"Thank you," Em breathed out.

"For what?"

"For being you. I just wanna be your girl. I wanna be your girlfriend in public and nothing else. I...I need to be your girl for more than a week, not your assistant. I love my job and I love working but I need this. I need to not think about the fact that I share you with the world for a weekend. I know it's a lot to ask but I need that. Just one year. Can you give me a year?" She felt awful asking, but they were there together. She knew he wouldn't feel bad about her asking.

"With one condition."

"Anything you want."

"Marry me. I'll take a year off as long as you marry me."

"Did you hit your head or something? Want to do it again?"

"We said we were going to do it properly, right? I'd propose and we'd have a wedding with our family and that's what I want for us. A year off and we can plan our wedding. Go wherever we want for our honeymoon. No schedule, no fitting it into a two week gap and a honeymoon over the summer break. Just us and the people we care about. So marry me, Emmy?"

"Yeah. This sounds perfect." She kissed her husband, grinning against him as he held her left hand and kissed the perfect engagement ring he'd given her in August when she'd proposed in LA. Getting to do this their way was more important to them than revealing anything else. It felt right.

The next morning when Blake came over for breakfast before the three of them went to the hotel they spoke to him about their decision. It was easier than Em expected it to be, Blake agreeing with both of them entirely. Dan was burnt out, Em was a mess of a human, they were shadows of who they were just a year before. It made sense.

He didn't admit it, but Em knew Blake was exhausted too. He'd been carrying her and Dan for the last six months on his own, a year away from all of their travelling and chaos would be good for him too. They could recharge and focus and next year Blake could start putting feelers out about potential seats.

The other thing they agreed was Em was taking a leave of absence from work. She hated it. She hated feeling like she couldn't do her job. But she needed to look after herself and both of her boys agreed. As soon as Dan said it she knew he was right, nodding and hugging him. At least they got to tell Blake about planning the wedding, and the hug her big brother gave her was worth everything.

Once they got to the hotel it became the normal race weekend whirlwind. Dan was in media and strategy meetings while Em stayed in her hotel room, Criminal Minds on tv while she smiled at her ring and took down little notes about the wedding they wanted. Blake was there showing her the progress he'd made on hiring the horse for Dan's grand entrance to COTA the following day. Her idiot was actually attending press day on a horse. It was entirely Blake's fault for encouraging it months ago.

When Dan got back they facetimed his parents to give them the news, Em crying as Joe said he was happy to finally get to properly call her their daughter now. It was a good day. She was taking the good day.

The only downside to arriving to the circuit was firstly that she couldn't hold Dan's hand because of the horse, and secondly having to hide her engagement ring. She didn't want to take it off, but it was an unspoken agreement that they weren't telling anyone outside their people until after the season was over. They didn't want McLaren using it for media. She didn't want an instagram post from anyone who was firing her husband congratulating the happy couple. She didn't want that orange team involved in her personal life, so the announcement could wait. The nice part was getting to pet the horse Dan was riding. Before Bluey was saddled up she got to brush him down under his groom's careful eye, and afterwards she brushed him and gave him an apple as a treat. It felt like back in Montana, brushing the horses there and her anxiety disappearing for a gorgeous few moments.

Once that was done she didn't have much to do for the afternoon. Blake was officially taking over what she'd been doing, following Dan from meeting to meeting instead of Em. To avoid even more rumours and speculation she wandered the paddock every hour or so with her iPad in hand, chatting to people she knew and acting like it was normal.

It was a weird relief that not working was a help. She still had her therapy sessions with Mildred every Monday - plus a Thursday one before most race weeks - still had her every two weeks psychiatrist appointments to talk about her medication levels, but it felt like it wasn't working. She felt like she was jumping out of her skin, anxiety a constant in her head. A decent part of her wished she could stay in their hotel rooms on any given weekend, but she had to be there for Dan.

Her weekends were most comfortable when she went from the entrance to Dan's room and back again. Nobody bothered her in there, she hid away while her friends and husband were busy, and she felt awkward sitting in hospitality with people looking at her like she was a dead woman walking. So instead she lay along the massage table pinning things to a pinterest board to start wedding planning. Her plan was to show Dan what she liked and they could decide after.

Between taking notes about not wanting designated seats so it could be a mix of people and looking at flower options she dozed off where she lay. Sleep was at a premium for Em on race weekends, but having something nice to think about helped her doze.

She woke up to Dan's kisses against her forehead, not even opening her eyes but reaching out for Dan to squeeze her hand. It was a quick murmur that he'd be back soon, he just had one more meeting and then they could go. Before she knew it Dan was back, helping her stand and fixing her hair so she didn't look like she'd spent the last hour sleeping. They walked out of the paddock hand in hand, ready for the hotel and to curl up in bed together.

"I wish we could just stay in our house instead of here," Em whispered as she looked out the window to the city view in front of them. It was gorgeous, the room was luxurious. But she wanted their house with the mattress that they didn't even have a bed frame for yet. Dan stood behind her, Em resting her back against his front. She could relax and let her anxiety float away for the next few hours until they had to get up and do it the next day and the next and the next, before the brief reprieve before Mexico.

"Saturday night after Blake's birthday dinner? And next time we're here we can stay there full time."

"That sounds perfect."

Waking up on Friday morning was nearly impossible. The universe knew Em wasn't an early bird, but she felt absolutely drained. She didn't want to think about it, but something was wrong with her. She knew when it took Dan shaking her shoulder to wake her up. Usually kisses against her forehead would wake her but the last week or so it had been harder and harder to wake herself up and move more. The kisses were still there but not enough.

"Morning Baby, hey. Sleep well? I've been trying to wake you for a few minutes." Dan was smiling at her as she blinked blearily at him.

"Jetlag? Mornin'. Do we have five more minutes?"

"We're down to ten, but we've got time." He always woke her a little bit early before they actually had to get up. Usually it was fifteen minutes but she'd burned through that time already.

"Mmm, thank you."

It was quiet for a moment before Dan spoke again. "When's your next blood test for?"

She'd been getting them semi regularly since the first doctor's appointment when she came back, the realisation that her iron and calcium levels were low not helping her mental health. The supplements were helping, but the exhaustion remained.

"Before Christmas? I think?"

"Want me to make a doctor's appointment for after Mexico? I can call when they're open on Monday for you. You're sleeping a lot, I just wanna make sure your iron didn't drop or anything. You haven't really been eating much."

She'd been exhausted and barely eating. Part of it was just not being hungry, part of it was nothing was appetising. Even her usual foods that would always make her want to eat weren't it. Even the snack plates that she'd usually pick at weren't worth it.

"Yeah, ok. Just...don't tell Michael? I don't wanna hear about it from him. I don't want more supplement ideas and stuff."

"I won't even think about it."

She went to move to get up but didn't, too comfy there. "'m sorry 'm so tired. It's just been exhausting the last few weeks."

"We'll go home after Mexico and find out. Maybe you just need a med tweak. Or we can go see a doctor here. Go to a clinic, get an iron test to see if it's something to do with that?"

"Nah, we can wait till we're back. Extra naps will work?"

"You'll be all good, Love. I've got you."

Em didn't want to get out of the bed when she was warm, comfortable, and safe in bed with her husband. She didn't want to go to the paddock, and she definitely didn't want to sit in the orange decorated building while the rest of the team just waited for Dan to fail. Again.

But she didn't have a choice, so she got up and got dressed to go stand beside him. Her makeup hid the circles under her eyes, her hair was pulled back, and her outfit was perfect. She could do this. She could absolutely do this. Before they left the hotel room Dan gave her a hug and the sweetest kiss to make her smile.

They held hands for every second they could going through the paddock. All the way down to the car, on the drive in, and walking through the paddock. Dan held her hand proudly as they went in, getting her to go through the barrier first before following her in and taking her hand again.

Em didn't want to be at the track so early, especially when Dan wasn't even driving for FP1. Palou was in Dan's car for it as a rookie driver test, and while she had nothing against Alex she didn't want to watch him. She didn't care about motorsport. It had taken her years of trying to be interested but she didn't care. She cared about Dan driving and that was it. So instead she stayed in Dan's tiny room in hospitality, reading her kindle. The second the interviews and press conferences were done she switched the tv off and kept reading. Her friends were working and getting Dan ready for the rest of the day but she stayed there.

The nice part was that between chapters and looking at pinterest on her iPad for wedding ideas Dan would come upstairs for the briefest hug. He always came with tea and a smile, a quick kiss and a "miss you". He could go back knowing she was fine there.

"You need to go back to work, you're in the car in twenty minutes," Em told him as he dawdled going back downstairs once he was in his orange race suit.

"What if I don't wanna? I wanna stay here with you." She put her kindle away and stood up to take his hand, ready to go stand in the garage to watch him for the hour.

"I could kidnap you and we can go home? Nobody knows where our house is, we can hide there maybe?"

"Is it kidnapping if I'm your husband?"

"I mean not if you go willingly." Dan laughed and his loud honk made her smile. He was there with her and it was worth it.

"You gonna stay here or wanna come down to the garage with Blake?"

"Garage. You know I'm not gonna miss you in the car, no matter what."

"If you need anything just head out, ok? I'll find you after. Just tell Blake."

"I'll be fine, don't worry." She leaned up to kiss his cheek and watched as Dan smiled at her.

"I always worry. Same way you worry about me. It's what we do."

They were about to walk out when Em pulled him back for a moment, watching as Dan looked at her. "I know weekends at your room here used to be more fun and sexy and great. I...I'm sorry it's not like that anymore. Now it's just a mess and yeah. I wish it was like we used to be. I'm just boring now."

"Baby girl, we're married and in our thirties. We're supposed to be boring."

"I'm being serious."

"I know you are." She looked away but Dan's fingers cupped her chin, pulling her up to look at him. "Look at me Emmy. You are the smartest, funniest, most interesting person in the universe. You're my favourite person. You're my wife and I love you. I don't care if we just sit in silence doing nothing for a week. As long as I'm with you I'm happy and having fun. Nobody does it like us. right?"

"Right. And I love you too. Forever and always."

"And to the moon and to Saturn. Let's go and it's one more driving session to the end of the year."

She walked down holding his hand, kissing his helmet and telling him to go fast and be safe before taking her spot beside Blake. Her headphones went on and she stood there holding Blake's hand as they watched the time tick down.

The worst part of the sessions was having to hide her anxiety, the cameras flashing to her and her name appearing on TV. Emma Smyth, Daniel Ricciardo's partner. It still felt surreal that the world knew it. It was pure anxiety as she stood waiting, taking slow deep breaths as Blake squeezed her hand. It was one more hour until she could hide away again.

She hated seeing him in that car. She'd always trusted the cars he drove, always trusted the teams he had. But not anymore. And it was hard because she knew he didn't trust it either. She hated living with the feeling that he didn't trust the car to perform the same way lap after lap. The feeling kept growing in her chest until he was finally wheeled back in when practice ended. He sent her a wink as he got out of the car, Em's smile returning seeing him there safe. If he could have Dan would have given her a hug but he was immediately surrounded by engineers to give feedback to.

By the time Dan was free to leave the circuit it was nearly dark outside. The debriefing took time, and then he had to do partnership stuff that took longer than expected. For this time she decided to be brave and go into hospitality, sitting beside Blake. He kept her distracted by asking questions about things that he really didn't need to ask. For years they'd worked beside each other and it felt totally normal, and even now she wasn't working it felt normal and looked normal. She didn't know what she'd do without him.

Saturday was a day when she had to put her bravest face on because it was Blake's birthday. Despite another day of not wanting to leave the hotel room she got dressed and smiled, following Dan to their best friend's hotel room to give him a giant hug and the presents they'd gotten for him. Her big brother gave her a hug in return, a whispered thank you more than enough for her. She had to hold on for Blake's day. Had to.

She spent practice and qualifying in the garage, holding Blake's hand as usual when they watched Dan get into the car. It had been a happy week in one of their favourite cities, her rings hanging around her neck as she looked on. But instead she watched as the man she loved got out of the car frustrated after Q1, qualifying seventeenth. This stupid team and this stupid car and she had to keep herself together because she didn't want cameras on her.

Dan coming over to say sorry to Blake because he wanted to make his friend proud but didn't broke her heart. It was all Dan ever wanted to do, to make his wife, his friends, his family happy and proud of him. She knew he was aware of the sacrifices people had made to help him, and he was determined to make it worth it. But for nearly all of this two year stint at McLaren it hadn't worked. She'd watched him try. But yet again he was putting a brave face on and a fake smile about how he was going to make up places on Sunday.

She watched him blame himself yet again in front of the media and the world and Em wanted to whisk him away. She wanted to make it all better. He deserved more. She'd seen it with her own eyes, she'd been there when he'd won races. He'd never won them easily. All she wanted was to take him away from the stress and the constant criticism. But she couldn't.

As soon as they were finally alone - after Dan had done media and cooled down with Michael, finally entering his room where Em was waiting. Her arms went straight around him, holding tightly so he could know she was there.

"I'm sorry, Baby. I thought I could get into Q2 for Blake and for you. Make this weekend good for us." She looked up at Dan, trying to keep herself from falling apart.

"It's already a good weekend. You did everything you could, Baby. I don't blame you." Dan just held her tighter, doing everything to keep it together for a few more moments. But then he had to go back to the debrief while Em packed their stuff up. The hotel restaurant was booked for that evening for Blake's birthday. Just the four of them, a chill evening before some of Blake's friends from other teams went to a booking they had in a barbecue place after the race on Sunday. Part of her wished it was just the three of them, pushing that thought away from her head. She loved Michael. She did. He was just difficult to be around lately.

In a shocking turn of events Dan's debriefing didn't take as long as expected. But even with his performance there were fans there to ask for autographs and photos. Em soaked in the love everyone else had for him as he got to glow. Even with that delay they were in the hotel slightly earlier than expected and going straight to their room to get ready.

"We don't have time for a bath, right?" Dan asked, Em kissing his cheek.

"No Baby. We have to be downstairs in half an hour. You have time for a quick shower if you want one."

"Will you come with me? Please?"

It took nothing for Em to agree to go with him, walking into the bathroom and helping Dan to undress as she got her own clothes off. Dan set the shower up while Em stepped in, feeling his arms around her as he got under the showerhead too.

"Can we have a bath tomorrow when we go home?"

"That's the best plan I've heard all week."

Em wanted to spend more time than they had there, trying to get Dan to relax. But instead she carefully washed and conditioned his hair, giving them the love Dan didn't in a normal shower. He did the same for her hair, the apple scent of her shampoo filling the steamy room. Ten minutes wasn't nearly enough but they were out, Dan pushing a kiss to the 3 tattoo on her wrist before he let her go.

Five minutes later Em was nearly ready, just running the hairdryer over her so the wet strands didn't dampen her clothes. Once it was mostly dry she was happy, taking Dan's hand to go back downstairs.

Blake and Michael had arrived before the two of them, Em catching the tail end of their whispered conversation with "-my night out, don't do that." all she could hear. As soon as they realised they were there the two men stepped apart as Blake greeted them.

She knew it was serious when Michael didn't make comments about what Dan should order thanks to his race weekend diet. It was even weirder when he didn't say anything about what Em should eat, or how much, or how she should avoid certain foods. She may have been exhausted but she knew it was Blake. The tail end of their conversation was the only evidence she needed to know he'd said something about keeping suggestions quiet.

Em hated to admit it, but it was glorious. She got to watch Dan eat an actual meal that he enjoyed and she was even hungry for the first time in a while. Finishing the whole plate was a challenge but she ate slowly, sipping her drink and putting her fork down when it was finished. The fond look on Dan's face was everything.

The three others at the table looked at her surprised when Em nodded and took a dessert menu. Michael wasn't having one and she didn't want Blake to have his birthday dessert alone. It was easy to pick a strawberry and apple crumble and ask for a second spoon. She ate it carefully in layers, smiling as Dan took a couple of spoonfuls of fruit and left the icecream for her. She ignored the looks Michael gave them as they shared, the plain green tea sat in front of him telling her everything she needed to know.

It was an early night by birthday celebration standards but with the race the next morning they didn't have a choice. It was a hug for Blake and a promise that tomorrow night would involve drinks and dancing and fun. She'd get through it for him, he deserved it.

As soon as the door to their hotel room closed and the latch went on their clothes disappeared to go to bed. The way Dan's arm had been around her waist was all Em needed to know that her husband needed her extra close that night. It was a quick trip to the bathroom to wash their faces and get themselves ready as Em pushed kisses across his face before dragging him to bed.

She really didn't think anything would happen between them, just holding each other and goodnight kisses. Dan had to get sleep before the race, but then his lips moved down her jaw and to her neck, one hand on her ass pulling her in as his knee slipped between her thighs. It was like a flame was lit in her, she needed her husband. She needed to feel him as close as possible. She needed to hear him whisper her name like a prayer, hands holding her tightly and leaving the fingertip bruises that sang she was his and nobody else's to the world. It was electric and everything she could have asked for, groaning Dan's name out as he begged her to tell him everything he made her feel.

Dan helped her up and helped her clean before she went back to bed with him, wrapped up in his arms to sleep. For once on a race night she was able to actually get asleep at a reasonable time, the lub-dub of Dan's heartbeat steady under her ear.

Getting up on race morning was the worst feeling. Em wished she could have stayed in bed. Staying there with a bottle of wine - even if she wasn't meant to be drinking because of her medication - hot water for her favourite tea, some snacks, the latest crappy romance series she was reading on her kindle, and maybe ice cream as she curled up beside Dan in bed would have been the best day. Instead she had to go to a paddock filled with people who wanted photos and autographs from Dan.

If she had her choice she'd stay back in the hotel with her favourite people but she couldn't. She had to make herself look presentable because cameras didn't lie, and she didn't need another "concerned" instagram commenter asking about if she was ok because of a photo where she didn't look perfect. Dan didn't care if her hair was a mess or if she wasn't wearing makeup or if she was in casual clothes, but the world did. So she forced herself up and prettied herself and was ready to leave. It took a deep breath as she held Dan's hand and walked out of the bubble of their hotel room. They were going to their house that night. She could make it work.

The entire drive to the circuit was cuddling under Dan's arm. Holding his hand on the backseat wasn't enough for her. She needed Dan to hold her until they got there and had to let go, and he never ever complained about it.

It was another morning of faking smiles in front of everyone, cameras recording and fans taking photos and calling Dan's name. She'd put her earplugs in before they even reached the circuit to block some of the noise but it didn't fully help. She focused on Dan's warm hand in hers and took deep breaths to keep herself calm. Em ignored the cameras and photographers watching them, instead looking at her husband and at Blake to remind herself she wasn't alone. She focused on Dan's fingers squeezing her hand. He'd promised not to let her go and he wouldn't.

Once she settled down in his driver's room he kissed her goodbye to go to the different race morning duties he had, making sure she was ok. Dan promised to see her as soon as he could and Em sat there and breathed deeply, earplugs replaced with her Beats to match Dan's and music playing. A couple more hours and they were out of there. Dan just had to go around the track and then they were free to go home. Back to their actual house to get changed and celebrate Blake, and go back to sleep on that mattress she'd already fallen in love with.

Dan came back up to get changed, Em standing up to go back to the garage with him. He'd taken the time to come up and give them enough time to see each other and make her feel better before facing the cameras. Usually he was surrounded by Blake and Michael before getting ready but this time it was just the two of them in a moment alone.

When he pulled his shirt off he took the necklace he was wearing off too, handing his rings over to Em to keep safe. She watched him get into the nomex and saw just how slim he was getting. Let the year end. Just let it end. As he stood and stretched he held out his right hand, Em taking it with her left. Just like they had in Baku and Montreal already this year they were going to the garage together. He was walking through the paddock holding her hand and not caring what the world thought. Reason one million why Em loved him.

"Ready to go?" She thought she'd hidden how she was feeling but it was clear from Dan's reaction that she hadn't really.

"You know, right?" Em whispered in response to avoid his question with the one she knew the answer to. They'd tattooed it to keep it front of mind.

"I know, Baby Girl. I love you too." Dan nodded and raised their joined hands to kiss her ring finger. Like always her wedding and engagement ring were on her necklace hiding below her shirt, Dan's joining them for safe keeping for the race. He'd be allowed wear it but that meant publicity and neither of them wanted that.

"Good. Go fast, be safe, and come back to me. Please." She nearly got it out without the final word but Em couldn't help herself, looking up at Dan and trying not to cry. Please be safe. Please come home. She was panicking more and more about what he did.

"I always will."

It was one final kiss and a long hug before they left the room. Blake was standing outside the door waiting for them, clearing a path through the crowd to get them into the garage and away from prying eyes and just where the tv cameras could catch her but nobody else. It was clear he didn't want to leave where she stood, but one nod from their best friend and Dan kissed her on the forehead and went to get into the car.

Em wished he never did.

Qualifying was bad, but finishing second to last was even worse. He'd been overtaken by nearly everyone he qualified ahead of, and he was forever behind a Haas. As much as she adored Mick Dan shouldn't have been down there with him. As soon as he was weighed he came straight to her, the two of them finding a corner to just be for a few moments before the real world had to intrude again. She knew Blake and Michael were making excuses but she didn't care, arms around Dan and holding him tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Emmy. I'm sorry I fucked up and disappointed you." The heartbreak in his voice was too easy to hear and she was so angry that he thought she could be disappointed in him.

"Hey, no. No, Danny. You can never disappoint me. Not ever. Not about a result in a race. I love you. I love my husband. I love my Danny. Fuck this entire circus, I care about you. Not cars on a track."

"I love you too. So fuckin' much. You don't know how much I do."

"I've a slight idea. You're gonna be ok. We're gonna be fine. Three to go."

"Three left. Yeah." He was quiet for a moment and she could feel him taking a deep breath in. "I don't wanna go to media."

"I'll pay the fine if you want. I offered to in Monaco. Whatever makes you happy." She nearly thought he'd take it, but instead she watched as he stood up and pressed his thumb against where he knew their rings hung on her necklace as if for good luck.

"I'll see you after? We can go and pick up our bags from the hotel before we go to dinner with everyone."

"Sounds like a plan, I'll pack up." She went to separate but took her necklace off, unthreading her thin gold wedding ring from the chain before putting it back on. Dan watched as she held it up before handing it over. "For your pinkie. I'm right there with you while you're doing it."

It took everything in her to let Dan leave and go in front of the media. She knew some of the reporters, knew the ones who'd be good to him and wouldn't ask awkward questions that left him with no hope for a good answer. They could leave soon and that was what mattered.

Her brain kept boiling over with revenge plots that she knew in her heart and soul she couldn't let happen. She couldn't destroy McLaren, as much as she wished she could. It would hurt more than help. So instead she focused on putting everything into backpacks. Usually it was done neatly, clothes folded and cables coiled up. This time she just put it all in as fast as she could. She wanted to be out of the room the moment Dan arrived up to say they were free. The TV in the corner was playing an interview with him, and the moment "I don't know how I'm continuing to continue on" came out of his mouth she was so angry. She needed to be out of the circuit.

Everything was nearly done when she heard it. The remote was in her right hand to switch the TV off when Zak Brown's face appeared on it talking about Dan's performance and how he wasn't performing. She knew but seeing him talk about personal problems made her want to scream.

Em remembered Dan's description of his anger that day in Baku when the photo of them was made public. The way everything took over because the woman he loved was hurt and he couldn't change it. He had to control himself because Em needed him. And that evening in Austin she felt the exact same way, but this time there was nobody else to stop her. Without a second thought her fist made contact with the metal door hiding her from the world, a sickening crunch heard as she made contact.

“Fuck. Fuck!” Em clutched her hand to her chest as she stared at the dent in the metal door of the drivers room. She hadn’t meant to do that. It was supposed to be a little hit just to get her frustration out. Instead she couldn’t bend her fingers and she wanted to cry.

The fucking race and Zak Brown opening his fucking mouth because he couldn’t stand that the attention wasn’t on McLaren for one damn weekend. But no he had to say the cost cap penalty wasn’t enough and talk shit about Dan and if it was his face or the door at least his face wouldn’t have hurt so much.

“Ems? You ok?” She looked up to see Blake walk into the room as concern spread across his face. “TimTam what happened?”

“Punched the door.” He moved her hand and she groaned while a tear fell. “Fuck that hurts.”

“I want Michael to look, I think you might have broken it.”

“I’ll be fine till we get to Mexico. I just need to get out of here. Please Blakey.”

She nearly got through to him and convinced him to stay quiet until the door opened and Dan and Michael arrived in.

“Emmy?”

“She punched the door, her hand’s swelling up and it’s already starting to bruise. I think she might—“

“Don’t say it. Just don’t.” She was hanging on by a thread. Someone actually saying it was broken would make her lose every moment of composure she had left.

“Let me take a look.” Dan held her waist as Michael got her to twist her wrist. Flexing her fingers was completely out of the question and even in the ten minutes since it happened it was clear that her hand was swelling quickly.

“Looks like a boxers fracture Wriggle, but you need an X-ray. It might be the finger beside it too. Hospital.”

“I can’t go to the hospital. If I get spotted? If someone realises I’m there? It’s more bad fucking publicity. I’ll be fine.” She rambled for another minute before Dan stopped her with a kiss.

“Give us a sec?” Blake and Michael left the room to let them be alone and Em looked up at Dan. “You need to go, Baby. You need to. I don’t want my wife getting any more injured. I’ll go with you and we’ll be in and out and it’ll be fine. But please. I need to make sure you’re ok.”

“Fine.”

She didn't know how they managed to get out of the circuit without attracting more attention but she would forever be happy about it. Blake found a hotel near their house and pulled up, Dan walking in with her wearing a Ric3 hat to try avoid attention. He had to fill in the paperwork because she couldn't balance the clipboard with her injured hand. Em grinned watching Dan put her married name on the sheet and marking himself as her husband. The hospital needed to know it.

The triage was miserable and she was called back with Dan, leaving Michael and Blake behind. They did the same tests before and then asked Dan to leave the room for a few moments to go out to the waiting area. Her anxiety was ratcheting up as he left after the confirmation that she'd broken a bone in her hand, the medical staff asking her exactly how it had happened and if she was protecting herself. She didn't understand why they were asking until it was too late and Em was left alone in a room with a doctor and nurse.

"You can tell us what's going on. We can protect you." Her exhausted and anxious brain didn't make the connection.

"Protect me from what? A door I won't see again because this was Dan's last race there for...possibly forever? I'm not going to punch it again. I just want to get fixed up and go home."

"Is home safe for you, Mrs Ricciardo?"

They didn't ask that. They didn't. They couldn't. Home was the only safe place she had left in the world. Whether it was the farm, the apartment in London or one of the ridiculous places they called home it was safe for her. Anywhere that wasn't another Hilton hotel room was safe. Lying down with her husband and feeling him hold her was the best thing she had going for her. That was what she needed, to curl up with Dan on their mattress and have him hold her and tell her it was going to be ok.

"Home is my safe place. I've got my home and my husband and my family. Why are you asking this? Where's my husband? Why did you make him leave?"

"We think it might be better for you to-" The soft voice of the nurse made her angry. They were trying to convince her that something was wrong and as little as Em believed in her brain right then she knew Dan was right. He was the glue holding her together.

"You don't know me. You don't know what's best for me. You have no idea. I want my husband. Please. I just want my Danny. why isn't he here?"

"Ma'am, we're just trying to protect you." Em shuffled back on the bed, away from the nurse who had medication in her hand.

"Are you not listening to me? There's nobody to protect me from! I told you already, I punched a door in COTA. My husband didn't do anything, I'm the one who made a stupid mistake. Go ask anyone out there or my therapist or my psychiatrist, my husband isn't a violent man. Danny wouldn't hurt a fly. Why aren't you listening to me? Isn't that supposed to be your job to listen?" The yelling in her head was getting even worse, she didn't want to be there. She wanted Danny and could feel the tears pricking against her eyelids as she shut her eyes. She just wanted Danny.

"Mrs Ricciardo, please. Let-"

"Don't touch me. Don't you dare touch me. I want my hand fixed, and if you think you're touching me you're only doing it in front of my husband or brother. I'm not doing it without them here."

She felt ridiculous. She was like a child throwing a tantrum but her head was screaming. She felt like her skin was on fire, the questions and insinuations about Dan making it even harder to think. Her broken hand was held against her chest as she brought her knees up, good arm wrapping around her legs.

The medical staff moved away from her and Em focused her breathing. She could do it. She'd be ok. If they didn't let her go she could run the second the door was open. She couldn't stay. The boys were outside and she knew they wouldn't leave her alone. They were just sitting outside and she could go out to them once the doctor was gone. All Em could do was try to hold herself together until she could go back outside.

-

When Dan came back out Blake could tell something was seriously wrong. His best mate was shaking his head, worry and fear spread across his features.

"DR?"

"They think I'm hurting her. They think I'm hurting Emmy. My Emmy? I...they think I broke her hand. The doctor all but wrestled me out of the room. She was crying and they made me leave. They might want to keep her in. I heard someone mention a psych consult for her room. B I can't. She can't." The guilt rushed through Blake's veins at the mention. They knew how fragile Em was. It was obvious that she'd barely made it through the weekend, they all knew that she was barely keeping herself together. But he thought Dan needed him more and left her alone and this had happened.

"It's gonna be ok. She's not staying here. It's not happening." He didn't know where the conviction came from but it did. "They came over and said they needed her insurance information. I have some stuff but you need all of it. Plus pay whatever they need before she comes out and you have to tell her whatever the treatment costs. I'll be here for when she comes back."

"Yeah. Yeah. Thanks. Both of you, I dunno what we'd do. She has to get out."

"She will. Go." He watched Dan be directed to a back office before sitting down and thinking who he could call. Who had the pull here? He wasn't sure.

"Maybe it's better she stays here. Em needs help. Travelling isn't helping. She can get better and Dan can focus on racing and after the season's over she can come back." Blake didn't believe what he'd heard.

"Take that back."

"We both know she's struggling. And you won't let me help her physically at least. Maybe this is a good thing." Michael sounded so sure and that felt like a kick in the teeth.

"We're in Texas. Austin's the good part of it but this state is dangerous for women. Add to that do you really think he'd focus? After how he was when she left. And the one person who calms her down is Dan. Why do you think I keep changing his schedule to give them five minutes?"

"But if she needs-"

"No. Just fucking no. You're fired." Dan had been considering it but after this? Once the season was up he was done. So done.

"Huh?"

"We'll talk about it later. But go back to the hotel. I don't know where we're staying tonight but just go. I don't want you anywhere near her. Not a fucking chance. Get out and stay away." Michael stood to leave as Dan came back, confused.

"What happened?"

"He's going back to the hotel. Remember we were talking about him leaving at the end of the year? I told him."

"But..." Blake didn't want to do it. Didn't want to shove another thing on his best mate's plate. He couldn't.

"He thinks Em might be better staying. He's worried about her too. I told him to go back to the hotel, it's stressful."

"If it was London or Perth I might say yes. She's been sleepy, she's been miserable. Getting out of bed is impossible. But not here, I can't leave her in the States. We just need to get to Abu Dhabi. We can get her there?" He was nearly begging and Blake nodded. Whatever it took he was getting them through the next four weeks. However he could.

"Mr Ricciardo?" An unfamiliar nurse came over and Blake stood at the same time Dan did. "Your wife needs painkillers and a cast. They want to get a psychiatrist down for her but there's nobody on call tonight. I'm assuming from what she said she has one?"

"Yeah. And a therapist. It's been helping but this year has been bad." Understatement of the fucking year as far as Blake was concerned.

"I'm a fan, I know what's happening. I've got an ortho to wrap her hand and get you both out but she won't let anyone in unless it's you or her brother? I don't want them seeing you there, is her brother here?"

"That's me." He watched her take in the clear differences between him and Em, the accents being the most prominent.

"Parent trapped or something? As long as she says you are that's what matters. Come back and we can get her out in ten."

"Deal." He followed her straight back, terrified to see how Em was when he got to the room.

-

Em was ready to fight anyone when she saw the door open, a new nurse walking in with an IV kit in her hand. But Blake was standing right behind her and Em thought she could breathe again.

"B?"

"Hey Timmy." He came straight over and took her right hand, squeezing once and it was like the crushing weight on her chest lifted slightly.

"Where's...I don't know where Dan is? A doctor took him out to ask him questions and they think he hurt me and they don't believe me? I told them. I told them what I did but they didn't believe me."

"It's ok Emmy, calm down. I'm right here, I told them it was you who hit the door. It's fine. Dan's fine, he's out there filling in forms and billing stuff so he asked me to come back to stay with you. You know what American hospitals are like." She started to calm until the bill hit her. This was going to be insane and he shouldn't have to pay it.

"No, no it's gonna be so exp-"

"You think that health insurance we have doesn't cover America? He just has to give details. As soon as you came on full time he added you to the health insurance. It's all good."

"Thanks Blakey."

"Any time, Timtam. But you need to let the nurse do it, ok? It's just a painkiller so they can set your cast. There's a new doctor who isn't a dick outside. But they can't do it unless you've got fluids and a painkiller cause it'll hurt."

"I dunno what I can take with my medication. I don't want to feel fuzzy." Tears of frustration were there about to fall. She didn't want to talk. She wanted to go back to when she didn't need to talk because Dan knew what she meant. It was too much.

"Do you trust me?"

"You know I do." It was the honest truth. She trusted him more than she trusted anyone, even herself.

"Then let her give you this so you can get fixed up and we can go home. It's all good."

The only reason she agreed was because Blake asked her. He was safe. He was always safe. He was the reason she came back in the end, the reason she agreed to go to Monaco and see Dan again. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her, and she knew that. So she took a deep breath and squeezed his good hand as the needle went into her elbow, the nurse showing her the bag of saline and the bottle of IV paracetamol before it was hooked up.

Blake held her while they went through everything, a thick white cast wrapped around her hand feeling heavy as she sat there. He kept telling her how brave she was and how good she was doing while Em just sat looked at the floor. Once she was ready to leave he helped her up and put his hoodie around her, the nurse smiling and wishing her well.

If Blake didn't have an arm around her shoulders she would have fallen when she saw Dan outside. His eyes were red, face in a frown and he just looked defeated. He hadn't looked like that since they'd gotten the call that his contract was being ended. Her husband sat in an empty corner of the hospital waiting room with a cap on trying to be unnoticed, totally lost in his thoughts. It wasn't until Blake called him that he realised they were there, standing up and arms immediately going around her. Em felt like she could finally, finally breathe again.

"Can we go home? Please?" She whispered against his chest. The terror that someone would hear and not let her leave was all encompassing.

"Let's get out of here. I finished all the paperwork, they said you were just finishing up. We're all good, let's go home."

"Can we stop for pizza? I want cheese pizza and they said I need to eat." Dan had his arm around her directing her out, agreeing that they'd stop. "Wait. Where's Michael?"

"He went back to the hotel to pack, it's all good. Let's head." Blake led the way to the car so they could finally leave. Em slid into the back seat, Dan across from her and holding her hand.

She didn't remember much of the drive back to the house. She knew they stopped for pizza, Blake getting back in the car with boxes. There was a conversation about what the official story would be, how they'd tell people she'd broken her hand. Honestly she didn't care. She didn't want to give a shit about telling people what she was doing or how she'd been hurt but she didn't have a choice in that anymore. The world got to know everything about her.

When they made it inside Dan brought her to their room, helping her get her jeans and bra off and instead putting on cosy pjs. Blake had seen her in worse, this didn't matter to her. Instead he brought her back to the kitchen where Blake had shared their food out.

She made herself eat two slices and it was enough, after that Em curled into Dan and held onto him so tightly she thought she'd burst. The painkillers had dulled her hand to a throb and she just wanted to sleep. There was talk of moving a flight and sorting stuff and she didn't care. She just wanted to sleep.

But there was a voice in the back of her head getting louder and louder. Dan wiped her face down with micellar water and helped her into bed, pulling her close once he'd stripped down. Her ring was still on his pinkie and it made her smile.

But she'd tied him down to a crazy wife who couldn't keep her shit together. She'd given him the option in Montreal. Chloe had told her about a walk up Mont Royale where you could see the city laid out beneath you. She'd said it to Dan then, that he could leave. She wouldn't blame him for leaving then. He could go and be happy and find someone who deserved him.

He didn't sign up for a girlfriend with mental health problems. Who was having a breakdown and ruining their lives. Who had days where speaking was too much for her, the words wouldn't come.

It had happened since she was a kid. Maybe not exactly like this but she'd always had to find coping mechanisms and now it didn't work. It wasn't her fault as a kid when her parents wouldn't help her and when she was in uni and couldn't afford anything apart from the six sessions from her uni gave her of therapy. But it definitely wasn't Dan's responsibility.

He deserved to be happy, he deserved to be with someone who loved him and wanted him to take a reserve role or the job with Haas. He deserved a happy wife and life and a family that she didn't know if she could give him. She didn't know if her anxiety would ruin them. It was so much.

So she was going to tell him he could leave. He deserved the world and maybe she wasn't the one to give it to him. She couldn't pull him out of drowning and she'd pull him down with her. She was going to ruin him and his reputation and his life, and she couldn't do that to him. She couldn't hurt him the way her mental health had hurt her. Anyone in their right mind would have walked away from her by then, but with the stress no wonder Dan didn't. Everyone else had left. Her parents, her extended family, her friends, her boyfriend. But Dan had been emotional and she'd proposed to him and it was so wrong. She'd basically forced him into it. It was a stupid, stupid decision and she'd ruined his life by doing it. So she was letting him go for his own good. He'd be happy to.

"Baby? Emmy you're crying. Do you need more painkillers? What's going on?" She hadn't realised she was crying. She didn't even mean to. Em took a deep breath before saying the words that were going to ruin her.

"I won't blame you. Y'know. If you want to leave. We've only been married for nine weeks, you can leave. No fault divorce, we leave with what we came in with. I don't want anything. You deserve better than a broken wife who can't keep herself together. I don't want to hold you back. I don't want anything. I can go."

The room was silent and Em could feel her heart break the longer the silence went on. It was over. Married for nine weeks to the love of her life and she had just ended it. In the same room he'd proposed to her so they could get married properly less than a week ago. How had she said yes then? She went to move out of the bed but Dan's iron grip kept hold of her.

"Don't ever say that. Never. Never ever. You are the only woman I want in my life. You're not broken, Emmy. You are here and whole and alive and beside me. I can't lose you. Please don't ask me that. Please don't ask me to leave you because I can't. I'd walk away from all of this before I lose you. You're my wife, Emmy. I promised I love you. I'm not leaving."

"You're not leaving?"

"No. I'm not going anywhere. Never. The day I got to put that ring on your finger was the best day of my life. I love you. The same way you love all of me for some reason. We're gonna fly to Mexico in a few days and we're gonna make you feel better. It's gonna take time, but we're going to be here. It's going to work. I promise. Come and sleep, Love. I'm not going anywhere."

Em curled into him, pushing a kiss against his chest. Sleep didn't come easily to her, but the noise of Dan's heartbeat and the warmth of him against her let her finally sleep.

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

[f1letters]

bejeweled | ln4

"and I miss you, but I miss sparkling"

summary: after a triple-header where they couldn't see each other, things got even stranger when her boyfriend seemed totally uninterested in spending time with her. so, she took matters into her own hands

warning: a little bit of angst, but fluff ending, mentions of a long-distance relationship, Lando being an uninterested boyfriend, reader feeling ignored and worthless, reader being petty, mentions of alcohol, swearing, reader trying to make Lando jealous, mentions of McLaren's bad 2022 season and Danny leaving the team (crying 😭), not proofread

pairing: lando norris x reader

word count: 2.7k

note: everything in bold are song references and in italic are thoughts, which includes memories from the past.

masterlist

Baby love, I think I've been a little too kind

Didn't notice you walkin' all over my peace of mind

In the shoes I gave you as a present

Puttin' someone first only works when you're in their top five

And by the way, I'm goin' out tonight

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.'

Y/N couldn't keep count of the number of times she had heard this phrase being said during the past two years. 

She prayed that people were right. That distance would make their relationship stronger, their time together more special, their appreciation for each other bigger.

She hoped her heart would mend every time he came back home but in all honesty, she just felt... lonely.

From: babe

only a few more days and the torture is over, can't wait to kiss you again gorgeous, miss you 🧡

Y/N read Lando's text over and over again, daydreaming about their reunion after so long apart, as the driver had three races in a row at Spa, Zandvoort and Monza.

It didn't matter how many times Lando called or texted. How many times he expressed how much he missed her. How many times he said how excited he was to see her again.

In the end, it was exhausting spending her days simply waiting for him to be there.

Best believe I'm still bejeweled

When I walk in the room

I can still make the whole place shimmer

And when I meet the band

They ask, "Do you have a man?"

I could still say, "I don't remember"

Suddenly, the jingling of keys on the other side of the door caught her attention. Y/N turned towards the entrance where she saw the image of her boyfriend appear through the darkness of the night that filled the apartment.

Quickly getting back on her feet, the girl rushed to him, hugging the boy desperate to return to her arms. His body relaxed as soon as it made contact with hers and Lando let him pull her as close to him as possible.

"Fuck," Lando whispered against his girlfriend's forehead, whose tears of relief now streamed freely down her cheeks. "I can't believe I'm finally back home."

"God, I swear it was the worst weeks ever." The girl confessed, although it was common to be apart for a long time since her work did not allow her to follow him most of the time. "I've missed you so much, Lan. So much."

Grabbing her gently by the sides of her neck, the driver looked straight into her bright, tired eyes. "Me too, baby. But now we have two weeks to ourselves."

For a moment everything fell into place. But it was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down again.

Familiarity breeds contempt

Don't put me in the basement

When I want the penthouse of your heart

Diamonds in my eyes

I polish up real, I polish up real nice

After spending the night lying next to the boy she loved, Y/N couldn't control all the excitement she felt inside her chest.

Very early in the morning, the young woman got out of bed, leaving the sleeping man behind, and headed to the kitchen where she went all out to celebrate his first morning back in Monaco.

With the utmost care and love, she cooked just about everything: scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, you name it. And as soon as everything was ready, Y/N returned to the room and jumped on top of the British man, now awake on his phone.

"Good morning, sunshine!" The girl said, as she hugged his hips and laid her head on his stomach. "I made the best breakfast ever just for you, baby. So you better be hungry." 

Her laughter was quickly interrupted by the boy's surprising coolness towards her. "Good morning, but I think I'll pass. I still feel super tired from the flight, so I'm going to stay in bed a little longer." Lando set his phone back on the bedside table and, running a hand over the top of her head as an act of apology, continued. "I hope you don't mind, love. It's just for today."

It's just for today, he said.

The next day, still under the wave of happiness, Y/N tried her luck again and decided to approach her boyfriend again to make plans, now that he was already feeling more energetic and recharged.

Lando spent the morning jumping around the house, so when Y/N saw him walk back into the room, she dropped to her knees in her seat, turned around and leaned on the back of the couch.

"Lan, what if we went out to dinner at that Thai place we went to last month?" She asked, her head turning slightly as she remembered their meal. "I swear I'm still thinking about that Pad Thai."

Lando continued his way to the kitchen, opening the fridge to get some water. "Hmm, maybe another time. Don't feel like going out."

And with only a few words, he disappeared again into another room of the house.

On day 3, the girl was caught off guard when she saw her boyfriend with a backpack on his back and his hand on the doorknob.

"Hey, where are you going?" She questioned, curious.

"Just going to the gym with Carlos." He replied, eyes on the phone in his other hand.

"I thought you were tired." She blurted out. At that moment, the persistent girl decided to be direct and confront him. "Is there something wrong? You've been so distant lately."

She had barely seen him even though the two of them shared the same house. It was getting embarrassing how much she tried to engage in conversation with him, only to get rejected every single time.

The driver just spat out a string of words, including 'busy with business' and 'training', but nothing soothed the uneasiness she felt in the pit of her stomach.

Baby boy, I think I've been too good of a girl

Did all the extra credit, then got graded on a curve

I think it's time to teach some lessons

I made you my world, have you heard?

I can reclaim the land

And I miss you

But I miss sparklin'

It just didn't make any sense.

What happened to the 'week to ourselves? To all the 'I miss you' and 'I can't wait to see you' he said?

It got to the point where she was even starting to question every time he told her he loved her.

A week passed, and in a last attempt, Y/N walked up to her boyfriend and placed her hands on his shoulders, placing a small kiss on his cheek.

"How about we watch a movie, cuddled a bit on the couch…?" She suggested, whispering close to his ear.

Lando placed a hand over one of his girlfriend's hands, looking back to meet her gaze. "Sorry babe, but I'm going to stream with the guys now. Maybe later."

Maybe another time. Maybe later.

She had been a little too kind and she was done playing nice.

It was time to teach him some lessons.

Best believe I'm still bejeweled

When I walk in the room

I can still make the whole place shimmer

And when I meet the band

They ask, "Do you have a man?"

I could still say, "I don't remember"

Y/N entered her room and confidently walked to her closet. She knew exactly the garment she was looking for and as soon as she laid eyes on her shiny bejeweled dress, she picked it up.

Leaving the clothes she wore behind on the floor, she changed into the stunning dress and sat in front of her mirror, curling her hair and doing her makeup.

Her eyes ended up dark and smoky, perfectly adorning the determined and vengeful look on her face.

Grabbing her small Prada bag, Y/N walked to the room where Lando was already streaming, catching the driver's attention.

"Hey, I'm already live." He warned her, as he turned to see his girlfriend. Laying his eyes on his girlfriend all dressed up, a nervous shiver ran down his spine. "Where are you going looking all polished up?"

"Don't wait for me for dinner," She answered coldly, even though she knew the people in the comments were going to have a field day with this. "And by the way, I'm going out tonight."

Familiarity breeds contempt

Don't put me in the basement

When I want the penthouse of your heart

Diamonds in my eyes

I polish up real, I polish up real nice

As soon as she walked into the room, she made the whole place stop with the shimmer of her dress under the spotlight.

If Lando wasn't going to give her the love and attention she deserved, she sure as hell was going to give it to herself.

Y/N was finally done with letting her worth be determined by a man, even if he was supposed to be the love of her life.

Sapphire tears on my face

Sadness became my whole sky

But some guy said my aura's moonstone

Just 'cause he was high

Walking towards the bar, the young woman couldn't help noticing the eyes that fell on the fascinating and beautiful image that she was.

At that moment, although she missed him and the good times of their relationship, she was reminded of how much she missed sparkling.

Y/N ordered two tequila shots and drank them without missing a second. She now felt prepared to start the night, leaving her problems behind.

Dancing as she made her way to the middle of the floor, the girl began to sway her hips to the music, between the hot bodies glued together in the room.

Tonight was all about her.

And we're dancin' all night

And you can try to change my mind

But you might have to wait in line

What's a girl gonna do?

A diamond's gotta shine

Back home, Lando couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension and anxiety that gripped him.

As much as he tried to keep his good spirits and attention on his friends, his followers and the game, his mind was elsewhere: her.

His eyes roamed the chat as he interacted with some of his fans until one of them made his heart stop beating for a second.

teamlandofewtrell: have you guys seen Y/N photos clubbing? I smell trouble in paradise lol

The man cleared his throat, trying to maintain his posture. "Guys, I have to go now, but I'll see you very soon!"

Without further explanation, Lando grabbed his coat and the keys to his McLaren and headed towards her.

And as soon as he entered the club, he immediately found her.

The furious boy walked over to her, grabbed her arm and pulled her to a more sheltered corner, only to find her surprised and upset eyes.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" He shouted over the music, unconcerned by prying ears. "First you make me look like an idiot on stream, then I find out you're alone in a club doing who knows what. Are you all right in the head, Y/N?!"

"You're worried now, are you?" The girl laughed sarcastically. "That's fucking rich."

"You have to be fucking kidding me. It has to be." Lando ran his restless hands through his hair nervously. "All because I didn't want to see a movie with you today? That's it?"

"Today, of course. The problem is from today." She continued her ironic tone. "You know what, Lando? It's about time you realized that just because I made you my world doesn't mean I can't claim the land."

Best believe I'm still bejeweled

When I walk in the room

I can still make the whole place shimmer

And when I meet the band

They ask, "Do you have a man?"

I could still say, "I don't remember"

Lando was shocked by her confrontational words, as it was a side she rarely showed.

"Stop this nonsense, Y/N." Lando snapped, gripping her arm with some force. "Let's go home now, and tomorrow we'll talk when you come to your senses."

Out of nowhere, a man approached the couple. "Hey, is everything okay here? Do you need some help, babe?" He asked her.

Y/N recognized him as the vocalist of the band that was performing when she first arrived at the scene.

"It's okay, thanks." She replied, freeing her arm from her boyfriend's hold and letting her burning eyes lay on Lando's face. "This man was about to leave."

"If you need to come with me, feel free to join, gorgeous." The singer said, looking her up and down. "Do you have a man? 'Cause if you don't, I sure could be yours for tonight."

Even though she was uninterested in the man's suggestive proposition, she couldn't pass up an opportunity to entice the driver. "I don't remember."

"She has a fucking man, now get the fuck off." Lando spoke out aggressively, having no patience left for her foolishness.

Familiarity breeds contempt

Don't put me in the basement

When I want the penthouse of your heart

Diamonds in my eyes

I polish up real, I polish up real nice

"You have the nerve to show up here playing the role of the victim when all you did this whole week was ignore me," Y/N yelled, losing her mind. "Day after day, I made a fool of myself and tried to approach you, to make plans with you, to do the things I know you like to see if you would change your shitty attitude but nothing."

"From the second you arrived, the only thing I got from you was a cold shoulder and indifference. And honestly, I'm fed up, fed up with your behaviour when all I did was wait for you, all alone and miserable, while you fulfilled your dreams."

Lando remained glued to the ground, unable to move as he tried to assimilate all the angry words she spat in his direction.

"So if you have anything else to say to try and ruin my night, you might have to wait in line because I don't have the time to do so right now."

And we're dancin' all night

And you can try to change my mind

But you might have to wait in line

What's a girl gonna do? What's a girl gonna do?

I polish up nice

Eyes to the floor in embarrassment, the driver gently grabbed her hand. "You're right, I'm so sorry, love."

"What?" She blurted out, not believing the sudden change in him.

"You're right, I've been an absolute prick to you lately," The boy looked into her eyes, his gaze filled with regret and sorrow. "Those last three weeks weren't just bad because I was away from you. It was bad news after bad news and I just ended up taking it out on you unfairly."

"Lan, you know you can talk to me about anything." She softened and stroked his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Everything, honestly." He sighed, saddened. "The car is shit most of the time, I can't seem to get out of 7th place ever, Danny is leaving the team next season and, as if it couldn't get any worse, I spent all weekend getting asked about it like I had some power over the matter."

Y/N knew her partner was feeling especially down over losing yet again another teammate he really cared about, so Lando's anguish came as no surprise.

"I'm sorry, Y/N, really." Lando apologized again. "You didn't deserve all of this."

"Baby, I'm here for you. Always. Through thick and thin." Y/N brought her lips to his, letting her hands grip his curly hair as she leaned into his kiss. "Let's have some fun, dance a little, and make up for lost time, what do you think?"

"Lead the way, gorgeous." Lando kissed her again before she led him to the centre of the floor.

Gathered in their bubble of love again, Y/N, who once shone like a jewel, now shone like a true diamond with the light of her life reflecting on her side.

Best believe I'm still bejeweled

When I walk in the room

I can still make the whole place shimmer

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 @pulpfixion @sins-only33 @sainzclerc @allisonxf1 @honethatty12

@amsofftrack @scuderiamh @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! 💌

[twopoppies]

If someone told me that we will get Harry singing You're Still The One, I Will Survive, Man I Feel Like A Woman, and Hopelessly Devoted To You ALL IN THE SAME YEAR I would not belive them yet here we are. Like-

Never would I have thought SEVEN YEARS since we last saw them together, that 2022 would be one of the larriest years on record.

Hopelessly devoted to Lou

Harry dresses as Danny Zuko for Harryween, just a few days after Louis reminds us, once again, that he played Danny Zuko in a high school production.

Harry flies a rainbow flag with not one, but three Louis cross-eyed smiley faces.

Harry flies a rainbow flag with a huge Louis cross-eyed smiley face

The peace ring returns and Harry is smug about it.

Harry flies a rainbow flag with Only The Brave on it (after doing a double take and noticing it)

Harry sings Still The One at Coachella (more details on why this is a big deal here)

Harry sang I Will Survive at Coachella (369 weeks after he last sang it on stage)

Harry randomly uses an origami fortune teller as a symbol for his song Love Of My Life. It shows the colors red and black (strongly associated with Louis these days) and blue and green (Larry colors). Louis’ album, Faith in The Future, is set to release November 11th. National origami day.

Harry quotes a song from Leonard Cohen’s album, Anthem, which has the larriest cover art ever.

Louis’ music plays at Harry’s venues before the show

The fish on the Pleasing merch at Coachella have blue eyes/thin upper lip or green eyes/full lips

Harry referenced the poet Richard Lax in his You Are Home promo. Lax has collections of poems with titles like "Love Had a Compass", "The Green Island," "The Blue Boat”, and "Circus of the Sun."

Harry doodles H L on his sneakers while on “vacation” with his beard.

You Are Home coordinates match up to a lot of Louis and Larry locations

Harry seen at Louis’ LA show (more here and here)

Harry has a blue and green moment

The You Are Home website tweets a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote about people destined to meet, 12 years to the day after Harry and Louis’ xfactor auditions.

And just in case you think Harry is the only one obsessed with Larry (like rads do):

Louis mentions Harry being at his show

Louis acknowledges a rainbow flag with a huge picture of the Larry hug on it.

Louis wears a “blue bird” colored shirt

Louis adds I Will Survive to his post show playlist the day before H performs that song at Coachella.

Louis plays Lego House as his exit song twice. The first time the day Harry’s House was announced and Harry’s first Coachella performance (where H also performed Still The One). Then Lego House again on the day Harry’s House was released and Harry performed his ONO in NY.

Louis’ merch colors match Harry’s merch colors

Louis wears Harry’s House colors the day of Harry’s House release

Louis changes his Twitter header to a photo with the Larry hug in the background.

Louis makes a point of going out for sushi right after Harry’s House drops, despite rolling his eyes in the past about the trendiness of sushi.

Despite his theme being red/black/white, Louis changes the arena lights to blue and green and he does it again and again and again and again

Louis acknowledges a larrie in a rainbow TPWK t shirt

Louis acknowledges a fan holding a poster of Harry with a rainbow flag (more confirmation here and here)

Louis acknowledged a fan holding a Sing Walls if Larry is Real sign ( more info here and here).

Louis winks at a fan holding Larry dolls (while singing the “come so far from Princess Park line)

Louis give a thumbs up to a fan holding two photos of him and Harry and points to himself while singing Too Young

Louis’ venue plays Sunflower Vol 6, Kiwi, and Sweet Creature before the show.

Louis acknowledges a fan’s I Can’t Change Tattoo

Louis adds Don’t Stop Believing and Halo to his preshow playlist

Louis acknowledges that Prada released a collection with Larry-inspired tattoos by joining a Prada Twitter space the day of the launch.

Louis uses green lights during OTB for the first time, the night Harry launches the You Are Home campaign. Not just for a moment, but during the whole song

I’m sure this isn’t everything they did this year, but it’s a lot. And some of it may be coincidence or a reach, but all of it? I really doubt it.

[jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka]

Here is the epilogue I promised! Don’t let the new header fool you there is absolutely no plot to this… I hope everyone who read enjoyed this series and as a little treat for all we went through to get here this is one last look at where we ended up

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x Danny Wagner *slash

Tags and warnings: 18+ ONLY!!!, very NSFW, slight dom Danny, m/m sex, butt plug and facial… the babies being in love finally! very little editing

Word count: 2.6k

Jake had just finished lathering up his hair when he heard the door to the bathroom open. “I’m almost done” Jake spoke out into the openness of the shower, thinking Danny was probably wanting to get ready for bed soon.

It had been weeks since Danny returned from visiting Sam in LA and surprised Jake with a confession. What a relief it was to finally be able to tell Danny how he really felt now that he knew his feelings would be returned.

And returned they were, nearly tenfold. Danny being his boyfriend was more than he’d ever dreamed of. He was patient, caring, observant, though at the same time not too pushy or overbearing.

Honestly not much had changed between them other than their new bedtime ritual. They’d lay in bed together and both vent about their day, it was the way they decided to keep their work lives and personal lives separate, stay calm while at the restaurant and talk it out at home. No matter how riled up Jake would get about the supply truck messing up his order, or the cooks showing up late, by the end of his unload Danny would look Jake in the eyes and ask him “do you love me?”

Every night Danny would ask him the same thing and Jake would easily forget his worries. Instead he’d focus on coming up with a new way to tell Danny how much he loved him each time.

“I love you with all my soul”.

“I’ll always love you”.

“There isn’t a word to properly describe how much I’m in love with you”.

“My heart is yours forever”.

“My love for you knows no bounds”.

“All my love Danny”.

With every proclaiment of love Danny would smile and blush before giving Jake a kiss and they’d go to sleep together feeling absolutely content.

Jake looked forward to crawling into bed with Danny just like any other night, though when the shower curtain was drawn back and Danny stepped inside with him he realized he might be in for a little more.

“Don’t mind me, finish washing up” Danny smirked when Jake squinted through one eye as the shampoo washed from his hair.

“How am I supposed to do that when you’re standing naked right in front of me?”

“You prefer I join you in the shower clothed then?” Danny chuckled and reached forward to gently grab at Jake’s waist. “Here, turn around then”.

Danny used his grip on Jake to carefully turn him before grabbing his body wash and running his soapy hands across Jake’s shoulders and upper back, then lower until he slipped underneath his arms and started to wash his chest next. Jake closed his eyes and let his head fall slightly to the side, exposing a tiny piece of neck that Danny couldn’t resist leaning over to place his lips against.

Jake reveled in the the feeling of Danny’s hands and lips on him. Running a business proved to be exhausting, so neither of them had much time or energy to really fool around after hours. That didn’t mean Jake didn’t still think about it often though, and that showed in the way his body was already reacting to Danny’s touch.

“Jake” Danny spoke when his hands ran down his stomach and brushed against his hardened length.

“I know” Jake sighed in frustration and pent up needs, “just ignore it”.

“Jake” Danny spoke again, still rubbing his hands in slow circles across Jake’s lower abdomen, “I want to kiss you” he asked with his lips still connected to his neck. “Can I? Can I kiss you as much as I want?”

Jake turned back around and wrapped his arms around Danny’s shoulders, pulling him down closer to his level. “You can take my breath away if you wanted to” Jake replied before stretching upwards to connect their mouths in a passionate kiss.

Danny cradled the back of Jake’s head in one hand and let the other fall to the small of his back then took a step closer until their fronts were pressed together. Jake moaned slightly into his mouth at the contact, but Danny took it as an opportunity to slip his tongue inside and deepen the kiss. Jake’s knees went weak, but their hold on each other kept him upright as Danny continued to ardently kiss him.

Just when Jake thought things really would get heated Danny removed his hand from his back and reached behind them to turn the shower off. Without a word he disconnected from him and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel he then turned to beckon Jake over before placing the towel over his head and beginning to dry his hair off.

Jake stood there while Danny worked the towel over him, obviously still worked up, and he would have been embarrassed if he hadn’t looked down and saw that Danny had gotten just as excited about their wet make out session as he had.

“Ready to get into bed?” Danny asked after taking the time to dry himself as well.

“I’m ready for bed, but not for sleep” Jake replied with a pout because Danny had ignited this fire within him but hadn’t shown any intention of putting it out yet.

“Don’t worry, I’m gonna take care of you tonight” Danny attempted to ease him.

“Oh, is that so?” Jake’s pout turned into a smirk because now he got what Danny was doing. He was trying to pretend like he wasn’t dying for a good fuck like Jake was. “Then by all means, take me to bed handsome”.

Danny continued to keep his cool as Jake followed him down the hallway to their now shared bedroom. The thought that Jake had no idea what he was getting himself into with all that Danny had planned gave him the drive to stay as calm and put together as possible.

It’s been way too damn long, Jake thought as he crawled into the bed, excitement taking over and pushing all other thoughts of work or how tired he was out of his mind. Instead the only thing that was left was the throbbing between his legs and the way Danny looked as he joined him, hungry.

Danny immediately connected their lips again and grabbed Jake’s wrists to pin them above his head. “I want to show you just how much I love you tonight. Is that okay?”

Jake swallowed hard, tugging his arms slightly against Danny’s grip and seeing he wasn’t planning on letting go so easily. He remembered this domineering side of Danny from that night on the couch together and it excited him that he was coming out to play again, though he knew it could also mean some trouble. Either way the offer was really enticing and Jake being held underneath him like he was wasn’t in much of a position to make any requests of his own right now.

“Okay, show me” Jake gave in, letting himself settle on top of the pillows.

With Jake’s permission now, Danny’s eyes seemed to darken as he leaned back and took a good look at the body he had laid before him, ripe for the taking. There was so much he wanted to do, so many ways he knew he could reduce Jake to a crying whimpering mess, but he’d already made up his mind what he wanted to do before he’d even stepped into that shower with him.

“Keep your hands here” he demanded, loosening his grip on Jake’s wrists he still had pinned above his head and trailed his fingers down his arms, watching the reaction his fingertips brought to the skin along the way.

Danny sat up, wedging his knees between Jake’s thighs and parting his legs so that Jake was spread open in his lap. Now that he had him in the position he wanted, he slipped his hand underneath one of the pillows to retrieve the lube he’d gotten out earlier.

“So you prepared for this?” Jake taunted, watching in amusement as Danny popped open the cap and warmed up the slick liquid in his hands.

“Oh I'm very prepared” Danny replied, unconcerned with Jake’s snarky attempt at rattling his composure. He was in charge right now, and soon enough he’d have Jake fully aware of just how prepared he was.

One lubed up hand wrapped around Jake while the other slipped between his legs to start prodding at his entrance and within moments of beginning his steady strokes he was already slipping a finger inside. Jake relaxed quickly into the feeling of being partially filled, and Danny knew he could take another soon.

With a second finger already inside Jake was wiggling his hips, trying to get Danny to find that spot, but instead Danny only tightened his grip around his cock and started really stroking him.

“Danny…” Jake groaned, stilling his hips and furrowing his brows, “You can’t jerk me off like that or I’ll-”.

“It’s okay, go ahead and cum for me”.

“But Dan-” Jake was cut off by a choked sob as he tried desperately to keep himself contained while Danny vigorously worked him. He started to panic a little when he felt the coil in his stomach tightening knowing it was inevitable it would snap if Danny kept going, but he didn’t want it to end so quickly.

Danny knew where Jake’s thoughts were, knew he didn’t want this to be over, but what Jake didn’t know was that Danny was just getting started. “I know Jake, you’re going to be cumming more than once tonight. Go ahead and give me this one and I promise the next will be even better”.

Jake shot Danny a look, a slightly terrified and also excited all at the same time look, and then he reached his first breaking point. Unable to hold it any longer he came into Danny’s palm immediately feeling how badly he’d needed to get off. Maybe Danny was onto something. There was no way he would have been able to last long no matter what they’d done, so he went ahead and got that one out of the way.

“Are you good?” Danny asked when he felt Jake’s body loosen up again after his orgasm. Jake nodded, looking down at himself now soft and glistening with the remnants of his climax. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you hard again”.

With only a few moments to gather himself, Danny was pulling his fingers out and inching forward on the bed until he was pressing inside slowly, giving Jake the chance to adjust before he started a slow shallow thrust of his hips.

Jake groaned at the sensation. Being fucked was a different pleasure, but with it being so soon after he was still boardlining on overstimulation. Especially when Danny pushed in further and finally reached his spot.

“Fuuuuuck Danny right there!” He cried out, moving his hands only to rake his fingers through his hair as his back arched off the mattress.

“See what I said, look at you” Danny gleamed, proud of himself as Jake glanced back down and saw he was already starting to harden up again. Then Danny gripped Jake by the hips and pulled him further into his lap as he leaned backwards and started a harder faster pace, absolutely breaking Jake further apart with each pound into him and against that bundle of nerves.

The warmth in the pit of his stomach slowly returned as Jake moaned and writhed until Danny was suddenly slowing to a stop. Jake began to question why Danny was pulling out already, but he was silenced with another demand, “stay there”.

Moving from between Jake’s legs, Danny grabbed the bottle of lube again and Jake watched in confusion as he squeezed a few more drops into his hand then swung a leg over Jake’s waist.

“Danny wait are you... but you haven’t-” Jake became concerned when Danny reached behind him to lather Jake up again, though it only lasted a moment because then he felt Danny feeling around for something else. Danny let out a sigh, then leaned forward and revealed a small purple object, a plug.

While Jake was in the shower Danny had actually already taken the time to ready himself, then he’d put the plug in to stay stretched. With it removed now he sank down onto Jake in one fluid motion and they both moaned at the new connection.

Before Jake’s brain could even catch up to the stimulation he was feeling now Danny started bouncing up and down, tossing his head back and letting his jaw fall slack. Danny knew he wasn’t going to be able to last long either, not after all the work he’d already put in, so he started stroking himself until Jake decided to take over.

“Did I say you could move your hands?” Danny tried to maintain his dominance, though the way his thighs began to quiver and the tension in his lower stomach built he knew he wouldn’t have been able to keep it up for much longer anyways. So instead he gave in and let Jake touch him, planting his hands against Jake’s chest to get better control. “I’m so close” he cried, unable to stop his riding until his own orgasm began to wash over him.

“God Danny, don’t stop” Jake moaned, digging his heels into the bedding and taking over fucking Danny until he was shaking and collapsing over onto the bed next to him.

Jake used his cum coated hand to start working himself now that Danny had rolled off him. He’d been promised another orgasm and he was too far gone now to even care if Danny saw him finishing himself off.

“Jake come here” Danny begged, sitting up onto his elbows and pulling on Jake’s arm. Jake looked over at him through heavily lidded eyes, he was so close too he just needed a few more tugs… “Jake” Danny pleaded again, earning his full attention this time when he tugged on his arm again and opened his mouth.

Jake quickly got onto his knees and crawled over to where Danny laid waiting for him. “You want my cum?” He purred using his other hand to cup Danny’s cheek and slip his thumb inside his mouth.

Danny nodded and closed his lips around Jake’s thumb, giving it a suck and a swirl of his tongue before Jake grunted and pulled it out. He inched closer and Danny opened his mouth again, sticking his tongue out as well this time just before Jake painted his face.

Danny was right, he came harder this time than before, partially because it was the second time in one night, though mostly because he was so turned on by all of Danny's lewd acts.

“Since when did you get so kinky?” Jake panted as he fell back down onto the bed next to him, spent and chest heaving.

“Since I started dating the very sexy Jake Kiszka” Danny replied, turning onto his side and throwing an arm and a leg over his boyfriend. “Do you disapprove?”

“No no, absolutely not!” Jake hurriedly replied, taking Danny’s hand in his own and giving it a squeeze. “This was an unexpected treat, thank you”.

“Are you ready for sleep now then?” Danny settled next to him, knowing eventually they’d have to get up and clean off again before getting under the covers, but for now they were satisfied with just holding each other.

“Mhmm” Jake replied, his eyes already closed.

“Just one more thing” Danny continued, waiting until Jake peaked one eye open at him.

“Do you love me?”

[whitehartlane]

Tottenham Hotspur’s Double winning team pose for a photo together with their trophies, 1961.

Back row, left to right: Bill Brown, Peter Baker, Ron Henry, Danny Blanchflower, Maurice Norman, Dave Mackay.

Front row, left to right: Cliff Jones, John White, Bobby Smith, Les Allen, Terry Dyson.

Bill Brown: Signed in the summer of ‘59. Proper keeper, is talked about in the same breath as keepers like Clemence, Jennings, and Lloris. Steadfast in this side.

Peter Baker: Born in Hampstead, he played for Enfield before coming to Spurs in ‘52. Played one game short of 300 and scored 3 goals as a right back. Got the job done and never let himself get ruffled by any winger; he’d love watching modern fullbacks nowadays.

Ron Henry: Only ever played for Spurs on the senior level, signing in ‘52. Fast and a good tackler, sound left back. He had a plant nursery and homing pigeons, and he stayed on with Spurs as a coach for the U18s.

Danny Blanchflower: Irresistible, incredible, incomparable. There will never be another like Danny. Signing from Villa in ‘54 and going on to head Northern Ireland, he was the captain of Spurs’ Double winning side and made this great team extraordinary. He had very progressive ideas of how the game should be played, fast and attacking and being allowed to use a ball during training, and was set on the idea that the glory—doing things in style—is what is special about the game. No one like him.

Maurice Norman: Signing in the winter of ‘55, he was an absolute assured and commanding figure at the back. Scored 19 goals over his 400+ appearances for Spurs; should’ve been a mainstay at centre half for England but unfortunately his career was cut short due to a double fracture in his tibia and fibula. Integral to the success of this side.

Dave Mackay: If the word legend had a picture accompanying its definition in the dictionary, surely Mackay’s face would be smiling back up at you. Coming from Hearts in the spring of ‘59, he is still described to this day as possibly the most complete midfield player Scotland has ever produced. He never gave up playing even when the rest of the team believed they had already won. A player who inspired everyone around him, others spoke of him as the ‘hardest man I have ever played against—and certainly the bravest.’ He was known famously as the heartbeat of Bill Nic’s Double winning side. Ange Postecoglou and Son Heungmin would have loved him.

Cliff Jones: Formerly Spurs’ top fifth goalscorer before Sonny overtook him, the Welshman signed for the club in the early spring of ‘58 from Swansea. He was a crucial player in the side who played on both wings, was faster than you could believe, always put a lovely cross in, and scored goals from flying headers. Still has lovely words to say about the club and his grandson, Matt Wells, is currently a first team assistant coach.

John White: Nicknamed ‘The Ghost’ due to his runs to find space off the ball that saw him arrive unexpectedly in the opposition’s penalty box, he was one of the most skilful players to ever don the shirt. Signed in the autumn of ‘59. His name bleeds into Spurs folklore as he was being primed to be the next Blanchflower but tragically passed away prematurely when struck by lightning while playing golf in ‘64. His teammates say about him: ‘While other players were someone you would have to bring into a game, John would bring himself into the game.’

Bobby Smith: For the days of centre forwards like him! Currently Spurs’ third top goalscorer, he joined from Chelsea in the winter of ‘55, clearly having recognised which the superior London club was. Twelve hat tricks over his career with Spurs, he was big and bustling and scored goals like nobody’s business. He scored 33 goals in 43 games in the Double-winning season—not too shabby.

Les Allen: Joining the club in the winter of ‘59, he immediately struck up a brilliant and lethal striking partnership with Smith, scoring 27 goals that Double-winning season. While living in Smith’s shadow a little and struggling to retain his place in the starting XI with the arrival of Jimmy Greaves, he was still an essential part of this side’s success. His son Clive Allen and his nephew Paul Allen both went on to play for Spurs.

Terry Dyson: A player who would nowadays be dismissed by talent scouts due to his height and is often not remembered in this side, but was the catalyst to Spurs’ success that season. He signed for the club in ‘55. A snappy winger who could put in a good cross, he is the only Spurs player to score a hat trick in the North London Derby to date. You can still find him trawling around academy matches.

[whorekneecentral]

max verstappen masterlist

all blurbs are listed from oldest to newest - oldest being on the top and newest on the bottom. // it’ll be updated as I post!

header by @lecsainz

thigh riding

cocky post race sex

breeding kink

anniversary sex ft. infamous cartier love bracelet

jimmy and sassy interrupting 

distracting you while you’re reading

“the only way you’re getting off is on my thigh.”

welcome home/post monza

praise kink

breeding kink pt.2

comforting him/post singapore gp

teasing him - fwb!max

leaving him polaroids

wake up calls - fwb!max

“I thought you learned your lesson the last time you made me jealous.” 

forgotten dinners 

distractions

christening the house

sleepy sex/cockwarming

confessions - fwb!max

yachts in monaco - fwb!max

“I'm wet/hard” “sounds like a personal problem” & “I think we’ve found a new kink”

“I've been holding back all the things I want to do to you” + gazing into each others eyes during sex

the simulator ride

the story of the little lion - fwb!max

trying for a little one/getting cockblocked 

the club ft. danny ric - fwb!max

still yours - stripper!reader

we’re having a baby!

birthday kisses

hold me back

dinner dates

valentines party

"be a good girl" + "make me"

“spank me then” 

“wanna come over and fuck?” - fwb!max

“you love pissing me off, don’t you?” + “I’m wet/hard” “sounds like a personal problem” 

“a little flirting never hurt anybody” + “come on now let’s have some fun” - wolff!reader

[punchingmoths]

is that danny gonzalez in your header? (love your art btw)

yes from this thing i made (thank u as well)

[rhythm-of-space]

Bloom

notes - hi! I wrote this a while ago and it's just been sitting in my docs collecting dust. I also have a dad!jake and dad!josh written if anyone is interested (sam is currently in the works!)

a huge thank you to @sunfl0wer-power for the header and listening to my endless commentary about this and @allieisacrybaby for the encouragement 💛

warnings - none. Just dad danny and sweet sam!

-

“We’re leaving, babe!” you hear Danny yell from the garage. You get up from your place in your garden where you were tending to your new sprouts and waltz over the car where Danny is securing five-year old, Francine, in her booster seat.

“You sure you don’t want to come with us?” Danny urges as he envelopes you in a warm bear hug you know so well.

“No, I’m okay, I need to get some work done here. I love you, drive safe,” you kiss him and then move over to the little girl waiting patiently in her seat.

“And I love you! Be brave.” You whisper the last part into her ear before planting a gentle kiss to her forehead. You move away from the car to watch Danny reverse and wave them goodbye as they drive off on their little excursion.

-

Danny pulls into the parking lot next to the only other car there and hops out to unbuckle his daughter from her constraints. Her big amber eyes squint at the brightness of the summer sun as her feet meet the gravel on the ground. Danny gives her an encouraging smile before locking the car and leading the way to the trailhead.

They walk a few minutes before making it to the clearing they frequent often when he’s home. The field of flowers in full bloom, the stream with water clear as day to the side, and an area under an old oak tree where they usually lay out a blanket and enjoy their time until the sun starts to set. It’s their little oasis away from the hustle and bustle of their life.

Yet this time there’s a visitor knelt over a bundle of wildflowers, taking a picture of their beauty with his phone. Earlier that morning, Danny got a call from Sam to talk about an upcoming festival they were scheduled to play at and they got on the topic of plans for the day. Danny invited him to tag along, saying it would be a good opportunity to bond with her, and after some persuading on Danny’s end, Sam complied.

Once Francine makes out his face, her steps falter, falling behind Danny’s pace. He realizes she’s not next to him once he’s a few feet from Sam and turns to see his little girl's face full of worry. She finally catches up to Danny, but stays behind him, his body acting as a barrier between her and Sam. She clutches her arms around Danny’s leg, squeezing tight to find the comfort she always receives from his presence.

“Hey Frankie!” Sam greets with a bright smile. But she just huddles closer to her dad and whispers a polite yet mousy ‘hi’.

Sam has come to learn to not take offense to this behavior as she does this with everyone with the exception of her parents and Uncle Jake due to his laid back demeanor. Though, he is so headstrong that he is determined to connect with her, one way or another - he is her namesake after all.

-

Since she first opened her eyes to the world, Francine has been a timid little thing. Despite her dad being the drummer of a rock band, she likes the gentler, softer side of life - coming up with stories, creating the most beautiful art that a five year old could make, and her most favorite of all, the little critters that inhabit the Earth. When entering the Wagner household at any given moment, you’d find plastic bugs littered around the house, Planet Earth playing on the television, and Francine with one of her parents (or both when she pulls out the puppy dog eyes and they can’t say no) looking for creatures to observe in their backyard. There has been a push lately in efforts to get her out of her shell and trust those who care for her deeply and it has not been an easy process. She cries when her grandparents babysit, she often stays in the greenroom, away from the loudness and crowd of strangers while her dad is on stage, she even stayed by the front door while Danny met Josh’s newborn baby for the first time.

Something that always comforts her in these moments is Danny. Nobody could have expected how strong their relationship would be. She thinks the world of him, and obviously Danny does with her. The warmth he provides has become a safe haven for the little girl who finds the world too big. She had caught onto Danny’s soft nature; how he can make anyone feel a sense of home with his tender words, a sweet smile, and a love that is all-enveloping. It’s a sense of calm that grounds Francine in the most worrisome moments. He is her protector.

-

Sam expresses a reassuring smile and turns back to the flowers that have taken his focus.

“They love this time of year, you know,” still in a knelt position, he points to the flying pollinators buzzing around the petals, “This is when they get all their food to store for the winter.” A bee lands on the bundle of flowers right in front of him and starts to hunt for pollen.

Francine’s attention is grabbed in an instant as Sam continues on with his basic bee facts he learned in the seventh grade. Her head pokes out from behind her dad’s leg to see from her vantage point.

Danny feels a small tug on his pant leg and looks down to see her curious eyes looking up at him.

He kneels down to her level, tucks a loose wave of hair behind her ear, and whispers, “What do you think? Should we get a better view?” He sees the hesitation written on her face as she chews on the inside of her cheek, “can you be a brave girl for me?”

A few seconds pass before she nods in confirmation. He straightens back up and unfurls his hand, welcoming her little one and clasping it to his own in a comforting hold. He leads her over to his best friend who is still enthralled in the liveliness of the bees.

“You see that, Frankie? They're just going on with their little lives, finding food, pollinating the Earth one by one. Each and every one of them are valuable and needed - just like us, huh? Just like you, your dad, me, we all matter in this little thing called life..”

The bee buzzes off to find another flower, “...oh look! There he goes! He must have business to attend to.”

“No, Sammy,” Sam and Danny whip their heads towards her in both shock upon hearing her speak up, and in wonder at what she’ll say next, “The worker bees…they’re all girls.”

“Oh, of course! I’m sorry ladies, keep up the good work!” He yells after them, as if they’ll understand and turns to her, “They’re hard workers, huh?”

She nods in agreement, “Very. Um, Daddy got me a book all about them and how much they help us. I c-can show you it next time you come over…if you want to see.”

Squeezing Danny’s hand, she waits with bated breath for his response. “I would absolutely love that, hun. I can’t wait.” Both of their faces light up to show off their beautiful smiles.

“Hey, I noticed a big patch of flowers down the trail, should we go see what else we can find?” Francine peers up at her dad as a silent ask and he looks down at her with wide eyes in excitement to encourage her.

He expects to have to pull her along with him hand-in-hand, but to everyone's surprise, she brings his hand to her lips to place a soft kiss on his knuckles like she's seen her parents do many times before, lets it fall to his side, and walks along with Sam. It’s as if she was the one comforting him - telling him that she’ll be okay.

After collecting himself he pulls his phone out to capture a video. It shows them walking off a few steps ahead and her talking with her hands, getting animated like she does when she's really interested in the conversation. He goes into his contacts and finds your name, needing you to see how big your little girl has grown in just a couple hours. ‘I’m so proud of her!’ and ‘she’s so brave!’ are passed back and forth before he says he’ll be home soon and can't wait to tell you all about the progress she’s made.

He rushes to catch up to the newly-made friends to find Sam kneeling again, picking white daisies from the root. “Don’t worry, we’ll leave some for the bees.” he mentions towards Frankie who is examining an ant hill not too far off.

They stay there for a while longer, Francine has convinced both of them to look for bugs with her; Danny teases Sam the entire time as he is new to the activity and not very fond of the tiny creatures that crawl on four or more legs - but he’s a good sport for her. As the sun starts to set on the horizon, Danny sees the tell-tale signs of his little one losing energy - the constant rubbing of her eyes, long yawns, and the way she starts to cling to Danny’s form.

He picks her up and they head off back to the car park they pulled into that afternoon. After securing her in her seat Sam pops in to wish her farewell, “Here Frankie, these are for you. I had such a fun time with you today.” He’s holding out the flowers he picked back at the clearing as a gift, a memory of today.

She beams up at him with heavy, tired eyes and cradles the bundle before Danny closes her door, ready to get her to bed. After hugging Danny, Sam leans against his own vehicle, giving them space to back out. Before they drive too far, the car window rolls down and he hears a little voice, “Goodnight Sammy, I love you.” All Danny can do is smile wide and keep his eyes on the road to get them home safely. It was a successful day and he wishes you could have been there to see it.

-

[fox-guardian]

hey hi hello your header says ask about stoker swap au and so i am, yes i've looked at all your other posts about it and already adore it, yes i want to hear more about it always and forever

okay since i can't think of anything more Specific to talk about im just talk about the stoker-specific headcanons many of which i Will bring up in the fic Constantly and some people Will probably be annoyed with that akjhsdakljhda it's My self indulgent au and I get to be annoying about my headcanons

tim's house is full of purple. he is a purple person. he has a lot of purple items.

he keeps yellow dishware and cutlery and things for when danny visits because danny loves the color yellow

and bees. i will not shut up about danny liking bees. i completely made that up but it's Important okay it becomes plot relevant

glasses tim. this is true.

danny is NOT stupid, despite. some things that happen in the fic. he's not a himbo, he's just poorly trained for his position as a researcher let him live

i think that it'd be really funny if danny met peter lukas during his sailing phase and i cannot WAIT to make that relevant in the fic

danny watches ghost hunt uk sometimes. this also becomes relevant

danny is a jack of all trades master of none. to me. i think he's pretty alright at a fair amount of things he's into, or he at least knows a fair amount about it. this means he's at least semi prepared for Many things.

[holllandtrash]

you guys im not taking requests lol im so sorry unless its like a danny ric idea which i just recently asked for or like your thoughts/continuation blurbs for the fics that will never end (6 to 1 and the better series-because lets face it, i'll probably always be writing more parts for them and i love the ideas you all get during race weekends)

but i just cannot accept requests at this time and i thought that was the header or title or whatever on my inbox page but if its not or if its not visible please let me know

[kakejiszkas]

my first impression of you was “oh that is val's friend and they go together because they're both pink and she is probably way too cool for me to talk to” and my impression of you now is that you're still val's pink friend but now you're MY pink friend too that i take turns yelling with about danny wagner 🩷

MADDDDDDIIIEEE, BABY <3333 i love you!!!

i am i AM your pink friend now too and i’m so glad 💕 (i also always thought of you as my pink friend bc of your profile picture/header! how perfect is that?) and i LOVE yelling about daniel with you, even when it causes me PAIN ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹

i am absolutely NOT too cool for you to talk to? YOU are too cool for ME to talk to. just to clarify.

(i’m lowkey dying at my first impression being my friendship with val @jakeykiszkas / both of us being pink fjfjdkd how very on brand for my ENTIRE TIME in this fandom since val dragged me here!!!!!)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, September 23rd, part one

FRED It's nothing big, really, just a little breakthrough in quantum particles. Emphasis on little. Probably be disproven in no time. It's just I used to dream I'd discover some revolutionary concept and— (smiles bashfully) Oh, it's silly.

~~Supersymmetry~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Power to Protect by arcanedreamer (Xander, Persona 3 crossover, G)

Surviving Halloween by arcanedreamer (Xander, T)

Angel Season Four: An Alternate Roadmap by Fan_FictionFan2023 (Angel 4.7 Apocalypse Nowish rewrite, M)

School Hard by Bobbie23 (Giles/Jenny, not rated)

Easing Her In by SirenOfTitan (Buffy/Drusilla, M)

the beating of our hearts is the only sound by evesock (Buffy/Faith, E)

By your side by prose-for-hire (Angel/reader, Lindsey/reader, not rated)

Starlight by acekoomboom (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Voices in the Woods by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Segue, Chapter 5 by Francis_Eugene (Xander/Cordelia, T)

The Love We Foster, Chapter 5 (complete!) by Empire_of_the_Words (Connor, Buffy/Angel)

California Sun, Chapter 9 by ToBeHers (Buffy/Spike, G)

En l'an 2023, Chapter 2 by FridayQueen (Buffy/Faith, T, in French)

Chocolate and Emeralds, Chapter 12 by acs (Dawn, multiple crossovers, T)

The Buffy-verse: Open Ended, Chapters 1-4 by BlueZeroZeroOne (Scoobies, multipe crossover story beginnings, T)

Corruption, Chapters 1-9 by Anonymous (Buffy/Spike, E)

Our Souls, They Blend, Chapter 1-5 (complete!) by Skyson (Buffy/Giles, M)

Destiny or Choices Made? Chapter 1 by charmed4lifekaren (Buffy/Spike, T)

Forgetting Your Love, Chapter 1 by Jess_Ann_Perreault (Jenny, T)

Surprise, Surprise, The Unexpected Hits You Between the Eyes, Chapter 1 by the_widow_twankey (Angel/Spike, M)

streetlights in the dark blue, Chapter 1 by stargirltv (Buffy/Spike, not rated)

Her Old Fashioned Boy, Chapter 1 by Bobbie23 (Giles/Jenny, T)

Wallflower, Chapter 21 by Girlytek (Buffy/Spike, R)

The Worst Sacrifice, Chapter 9 by TwilightChild (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Keepsakes, Chapter 59-62 by violettathepiratequeen (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

California Sun, Chapter 9 by To Be Hers (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

New Normal, Chapter 11 by holetoledo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

He Called Me Frigid, Chapter 1 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Destiny or Choices Made? Chapter 1 by charmed4lifekaren (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Death Is Buffy's Next Great Adventure, Chaper 113 by Sharie (Buffy/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter crossover, FR15)

Keepsakes, Chapters 59-62 by violettathepiratequeen (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

He Called Me Frigid, Chapter 1 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Wallflower, Chapter 21 by Girlytek (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Bratz doll by hauntedfae (worksafe)

Artwork: Spike by isevery0nehereverystoned (possibly not entirely worksafe)

Artwork: Buffy by Monica Rosehill (worksafe)

Artwork: Spike and Drusilla by kakashisith (worksafe)

Artwork: Spike by kingtoyourwarlock (worksafe)

Artwork: Whistler, Buffy, Spike by l0veisntbrains (worksafe)

Artwork: older Buffy and Spike by Sofya Créations (worksafe)

Artwork: digital painting of spike by Tara Draws (worksafe)

Header: Buffy and Spike (and Dean and Castiel) by leavingubehind (worksafe)

Headers: AtS Season 5 headers by onegirlinallthewrld (Dana, worsafe)

Gifset: “Before I Go" by beatriceeverytuesday (Buffy, worksafe)

Artwork: Angel Season 1 Episode 17 "Eternity" movie poster by Bloody William (worksafe)

Fanvid: You were good to me// Buffy and Dean crossover by Danny O'brien (Supernatural crossover)

Fanvid: Vampyr by April (Angel)

Fanvid: Баффи и Фейт | Расстрел | Buffy & Faith by Via (0)

Fanvid: Buffy Summers - Harder Better Faster Stronger by juliarxs241 (vidder also uploaded numerous other Buffy vids)

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer scene by Jasmine Forbes (Darla in Welcome to the Hellmouth opening scene)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vol. 1: High School is Hell by Comic Book Saturday

The Buffy Re-watch: S2E18, Killed By Death (part 2) by jvstheworld

The Buffy Re-watch: S2E19, I Only Have Eyes For You (part 1) by jvstheworld

The Buffy Re-watch: S2E19, I Only Have Eyes For You (part 2) by jvstheworld

Reasons I love AMENDS--Season 3 Episode 10 by kipcarson37

Video: Into the Buffyverse S1E1 Hellmouth by Biffs Wereworld World

Video: Top Ten FAVORITE Buffy Moments! by Weirdly Beloved

Video: The BTVS Twisted Guide - Episode 9: The Puppet Show by Twisted View

Video: Crush-Slayer Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

Video: Buffy Season One Is Better Than You Remember by Rachel MacDonald

Podcast: Hell's Bells S6 E16 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast) by Lisa M. Lilly

Podcast: Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Debate This!

[concordewillfly]

hiiii ro new blur album very what the fuck <33 i thought they just wanted to clear old merch stock tbh... i hope the new album is good; single was alright but i'm quite tipsy so my metric for good music is fucked. hope you're well!! love you!! <3 OH also. i love your header

danny darling hiiiiii literally just got home from hanging out with my best friend and im soooooo. thats so crazy i didnt think this day would ever come but also very fun that they did it like go off old men reform an iconic band and put out music and go on tour hell yeah. i only listened to the single a couple of times but i like it i think!! happy that youre tipsy i hope youre having a nice time <33 love uuu