#decipher academy | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

alg3a · 6 months ago

Text

muffins

viktor x f! reader

3.8k, MDNI, no use of (y/n)

description: Viktor had been so kind as to agree to help you out with your midterm prep, so you thought baking him muffins would be a great way to repay him. However, an accidental secret ingredient gets in the way of studying.

warnings: Age gap, roomie smut, more story than smut, p in v, sex pollen/serum (with pretty explicit consent), overall jolly good fun, no harm no foul, yippee!

a/n: inspired by @the-hidden-pages story, Human Testing because it’s one of the first viktor x reader fics i ever read and i STRONGLY recommend!

Any student should feel lucky to have the smartest men at the academy as their roommates. Being an undergraduate biochem student who had to work to pay her own tuition, going to lecture wasn’t always an option. That’s when you’d bake a tray of brownies or do some extra dishes and call in a favor from one of your roomies.

It happened all the time, which made you incredibly thankful to have one people-pleaser in the apartment. Jayce was always willing to put aside whatever he was doing and help you out on your Arcane Studies homework or your Bioengineering project. Last semester, finals week consisted of the two of you sitting criss-cross applesauce on the rug of the living room, paper scattered all over the floor as you tried to decipher the grading scale of your Organic Chemistry class to see what the lowest grade on the test you could get was and still wind up with a passing grade (something Jayce had done plenty of times in his undergrad years).

Viktor, on the other hand, had gotten somewhat tired of your constant requests for him to backtrack and dive into knowledge he hadn’t tapped for years now. He was never particularly rude about it, but you were very perceptive. When you asked him to repeat an explanation once or twice, you noticed the growing exhaustion on his face that bordered frustration and you stopped asking for his help going forward. It wasn’t to his own fault, you could be pretty needy sometimes, so more often than not, you just asked Jayce.

Only, Jayce was out of town for a Hextech press conference this weekend, the weekend before you had your Arcane Studies midterm. In a heartbreaking display, he had apologized profusely for not being able to help, inches away from getting on his knees and begging for forgiveness. You assured him none of that was necessary, and that you’d just stay up studying in the library or even reach out to your TA (who you’d never even spoken to before in class or outside of it, and who you were certain would be less helpful than Jayce).

To remedy your situation–even though you pinkie promised him you didn’t need him to–he took it upon himself to ask Viktor to help you cram study on Sunday night, the night before your midterm. While Jayce asked, you did your best to listen from your bedroom, the next room over. You heard some grumbling from Viktor and a muffled, yet compelling “She’s our roommate and she bakes us nice things” from Jayce.

Apparently that last bit must have been very rousing, because shortly after, Jayce was at your door telling you that Viktor agreed to a maximum of three hours of cramming that would begin no earlier than eight at night.

You worked for all of Saturday’s daylight hours, and then finalized your experimental serum for your Advanced Biochemistry project. For the biochem class, you’d been studying methods of enhancing senses for the first half of the quarter and your midterm project involved making a serum that could temporarily improve the performance of one human sense. Around three weeks ago, you and your classmates drew topics from a hat and your fingers emerged with “arousal” on a piece of paper. Needless to say, you were concerned. You thought the serum project would be fairly straightforward, and had already brainstormed ideas for vision enhancing serums or hearing aid serums, but arousal? You had to think out of the box for that one.

When you finished up your last touches to the serum, you were left with enough time at night to get ingredients to bake Viktor some muffins as a sign of your gratitude. You got enough stuff for twice as much as you would’ve made for Jayce and actually stuck to the recipe this time. Keeping Viktor happy was a very delicate ecosystem and there could be no tampering.

It wasn’t that he was a grump or even that he hated you, he was just too busy to want to help and too intelligent to want to backtrack. Once he had even looked at what you were studying and said, “I’d have to go too far back to help you.” That was inspiring.

You poured the contents of your tote bag on the counter.

On your better days, you and Viktor actually got along quite well. Those were the rare days when Viktor got more than three hours of sleep and ate a full meal before two pm. In his best conditions, the two of you were good friends.

The best days were when he and Jayce both come home early enough for you to make them a home cooked meal. Then you’d all curl up on the couch and watch a movie. The last time that happened, Jayce picked some superhero movie you’d never heard of and you and Viktor both fell asleep. You woke up the next morning asleep on Viktor’s chest with four blankets piled on top of you both. Jayce said he knew both of you ran cold, so he took the blankets from your beds. You and Viktor never talked about that night.

The exhaustion of your stressful Saturday had leaked into your studying Sunday, and in a tired stupor, you whisked together all the ingredients for the muffins and poured them haphazardly into the mold. They might not look pretty, but at least they’d taste good.

You pulled the freshly baked muffins from the oven and rested them on the stovetop. The sweet aroma of warm blueberry filled the apartment. It must have roused Viktor from whatever he was working on in his room, because he emerged a full quarter of an hour earlier than your agreed upon study time.

“Hey,” you said. “I made you some muffins as a thank you. They’re still hot, though, I wasn’t expecting you for another fifteen minutes.”

“That’s fine,” he said, setting himself at the kitchen table and sipping from a cup of coffee that had been there since Jayce was still in town. “Would you like to begin now?”

You grab all your study guides and homework assignments and your assortment of chicken scratch notes and slide them over to him on the table.

“Are your midterms cumulative?” He asked, finishing the remnants of his cold coffee.

“No,” you answered. Thank God. If you had to remember everything that was in the last midterm you’d be losing your mind right about now. “Everything past Arcane History will be on the test.”

“Mm. I see.”

He scans your notes for another five minutes.

“I’ll quiz you,” he decided, standing up to check on the temperature of the cooling muffins on the stovetop.

“Uh, okay.” You didn’t typically study by being quizzed, especially when you hardly went to lecture and didn’t even know most of the material. But you didn’t want to risk arguing with Viktor and have him decide to take his muffin to-go.

“Tell me why the Arcane can manifest in such unpredictable manners?”

“Because…” you started to think that maybe going to your TA wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Your TA was just a random graduate student. The roommate that was helping you study now was one of the inventors of Hextech, the researcher responsible for some of the greatest advancements in Piltover’s modern understanding of the Arcane. “...it reflects the intentions of the user.”

“Correct,” he says, affording you a rare Viktor smile. “Would you like a muffin?”

You had intended for the muffins to be entirely Viktor’s, but you hadn’t eaten all day and gods, they smelled good. Plus, it was like a reward for getting an answer right.

“Sure, thanks.”

You watch as Viktor plucks two muffins from the tin and comes back to seat himself at the table. He hands one to you and sorts through the papers you’ve scattered on the desk as he brings a small chunk to his mouth. You do the same.

Something tastes slightly off, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. It’s possible the ratio is off, and in your tired state you added too little vanilla extract or too much vegetable oil. Regardless, they’re not bad at all.

“Your notes are a little bit difficult to–” Viktor stops before finishing his sentence. He pulls out a sheet of paper from the pile and reads it, his eyes widening a bit as he does.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“These notes are from your biochem class,” he says, his eyes flickering up to meet yours for just a few seconds over the piece of paper. “This is an interesting assignment…”

“Oh,” you feel your cheeks growing hot. “Sorry, that’s not supposed to be in there.”

You reach out to take the paper from him, but he pulls it back as you do. He’s still reading it. You’d really like him to stop reading about your own aphrodisiac serum, but your embarrassment is a bit unwarranted. After all, you didn’t make the serum because you wanted it, you made it because it was a graded assignment. Nothing more. So what if you did eventually garner interest in the topic. So much interest, in fact, that you did extensive research into the properties your serum could afford and spent long hours in your lab experimenting with it. Shamefully, yes, you had tried some of it. Mainly to test its efficiency but also out of plain curiosity. You had determined that it was safe, most importantly, but you’d also learned that it tasted horrible. To counter that, you’d added some–

“Oh fuck!” You shout as you scoot your chair so far back so quickly that it topples over. You stumble over your bag on the floor as you sprint to the kitchen.

“Is something wrong?” Viktor asks from his seated position.

“Don’t eat the muffin!” You exclaim as you run to the counter space next to the stove, your heart pounding.

You confirm your worst fear. The bottle of vanilla extract you picked up from the supermarket sits on the counter, the protective seal still intact. Your arousal serum, however, is halfway empty a few inches beside the extract.

You turn around slowly to face Viktor.

“It’s a bit late for that,” Viktor says, holding up the half of his muffin that remains. “Did something happen?”

You eye your own muffin on the table, half eaten as well.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” you scrambled back toward the table where Viktor sat, the serum held tight by your hand. “You’re not allergic to anything, are you?”

“No,” Viktor says, eyeing you like you’re crazy.

Come on, just get it out already. You have to tell him, it would be morally bankrupt not to.

“I accidentally drugged you.”

Okay, maybe not like that.

Viktor just stared at you, his expression unchanged. You sort of just wished he would yell at you so that you could get the encounter over with, but no such luck. He just sat, unphased, until he picked up the notes he was looking at earlier.

“With this?” He asks. Even his voice is still even. You knew that if the roles had been reversed you would be fracking out, absolutely bouncing off the walls.

“Yes, but don’t worry I’ve done lots of research on this serum,” you say, taking the notes from Viktor and looking them over. You read the list two or three times, scanning for any sort of antidote for ingestion. You saw none. “How could I have not included an antidote?” You mutter, mentally beating yourself up.

“It’s okay,” Viktor said and you couldn’t even bring yourself to look up at him from your notes. “It is safe, yes? It won’t kill us?”

“No, it won’t, but it’s a powerful aphrodisiac and I added half the serum to those muffins. If my math is right, you’re taking three times the recommended dosage.”

“But I only ate half the muffin,” Viktor counters. Again, you’re shocked by how unphased he is.

“Okay, then one and a half times the dosage,” you shrug off his comment as you look for anything in your notes that might reveal a way to undo this mess.

“I assume this means you no longer wish to study?” Viktor says.

“How are you so calm about this?” You finally burst out, slamming the paper down on the table to look at him.

Big mistake.

Once you see him, you become lightheaded and your knees buckle beneath you. You have to sit down to stop yourself from falling over.

“Are you alright?” Viktor asks.

“I-I’m fine,” you shake your head in an attempt to get some blood flowing to your brain. No luck.

“Since you’re obviously worked up about this, why don’t you tell me how it works and then we can go from there.”

“It’s a fast acting stimulant,” you say, burying your face in your hands. “The chemistry is irrelevant since I have no goddamn cure for it, but it works the same as any other aphrodisiac. It makes you susceptible to arousal and heightens it by three times at a normal dosage, and in our case… nearly five times.”

“Intriguing,” he says, eyeing the muffin that lays neglected on the table. “Such a strange class project. Aren’t there moral quandaries to be had for such a substance?”

“Yes of course there are, which is why I made it so that it only takes effect if there’s already a degree of attraction in place–”

You shouldn’t have said anything. Especially not when you’re so clearly affected by it in the presence of Viktor. Way to sell yourself out.

“So you’re saying…”

You groan out in frustration, but once you look at Viktor you’re reminded of why you had your face buried in your hands. Somehow every feature of his seems five times more beautiful than you normally regarded them. His perfectly angular nose, his narrowed amber eyes, his messy hair which fell in ways you could never recreate on paper…

“I have a feeling you know exactly what I’m saying.” You squeezed your eyes shut. If you couldn’t see him, he couldn’t torture you.

Or so you thought.

A tantalizing graze of his hand on yours shot shivers down your spine. You pulled away so fast that a few of the papers on the desk shifted from the shear force of the wind.

“Don’t do that,” you seethed, sucked your teeth as you pressed your eyes shut so hard that you saw stars.

“Because…it affects you?” His voice was raspy and slow, or maybe that’s just what the serum was making you hear. Every bit of what he was doing seemed five times as attractive as it would normally be.

You’d done such a good job at hiding your feelings for Viktor for almost a year now. Being roommates with someone you found incredibly attractive was no easy task. And now all of your efforts were thrown out the window because of a stupid baking mishap.

“You’re being cruel,” you furrow your eyebrows as you speak, your voice coming out whinier than you would’ve liked.

“I’m sorry,” he stifles a laugh. “Would you open your eyes?”

“I can’t,” you groan, shoving your hands against your face again. “It’s best if I just go to my room and wait it out. Thank you for trying to study with me but I’m just gonna have to accept a shitty grade tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, his fingers wrapping around your wrists and pulling them down from your face so that you had to look at him. “It’s been a long time since I’ve taken biochemistry, and I certainly haven’t studied aphrodisiacs, but the effects should go away after the serum is put to use, correct?”

You thought back to your experimentation phase. All the nights you spent alone in your lab trying out the efficacy of the serum resulted in the effects dissipating once climax was reached. It had certainly been the least orthodox experimentation phase you’d ever undergone.

“Yes, that’s correct,” you say reluctantly. It takes every ounce of strength you have not to let your eyes explore Viktor’s face, then his long, narrow neck protruding his sweater, his Adam’s apple bobbing with a deep breath, then the sharp clavicle poking from–

Get yourself together.

“If you’re willing to retake the class–a class you should easily pass, given your access to the two most prevalent scientists in the field–then by all means, go to your room.” Viktor pulls his hands away from you, then picks up the muffin, peeling off the paper from the bottom. He picks off a piece and drops it onto his tongue.

“What are you doing? You’re just going to make it worse!”

He smirks at you, then sets the muffin back down. “It’s a very good muffin. You’re an excellent baker.”

Fuck.

“You’re playing with me,” you shake your head in disbelief.

“No, dearest, I am not playing with you,” he says, standing up from his chair, then moving toward you tantalizingly slow. He takes a seat on the table in front of you, then crosses his hands on his lap. “You’re smart enough to recognize the alternative I am offering to you.”

Your heart stops. You look at his half eaten muffin, although more than half is gone now with the addition of that last bite.

“You…” The idea is almost impossible for you to grasp, let alone put into words. “You want to expedite the process?”

“That’s certainly one way of putting it,” Viktor laughs. He reaches for a strand of your distressed hair and pushes it behind your ear.

“But you’re not even attracted to me!”

“What makes you think that?” Viktor says, retracting his hand, only to place it over yours on the desk.

“Because if you were, you’d be much more affected right now. I mean, look at me!” You gesture to yourself with your free hand. “I’m a mess! I’m on the brink of breaking out in a sweat and my hands are clammy and you’re just sitting there!”

Viktor laughs to himself as if he’s in on some kind of inside joke that you know nothing about.

“I’ve had lots of practice in concealing my excitement around you,” he finally says, slowly, seductively, the words dripping from his chin as his cold eyes bore into you.

“What?”

You know what he said. In fact, you understand it perfectly, but you can’t be sure it actually came from his mouth because it seems so perfectly unreal. So dream-like, so idealistic, so fantastical.

“You’ve done a good enough job at hiding your attraction, too,” Viktor says. “I wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for tonight’s incident. Which is exactly why I’ve felt the need to hide my own.”

“You’ve liked me?”

You still can’t wrap your head around the idea.

“I’ve admired you,” he smiles, rubbing circles on the back of your hand, reminding you just how potent your little sex serum really is.

In fact, it’s so powerful that you hardly have to put any thought into leaping up from your chair and pushing your lips against his. Before you can third guess his affection, his hands are interlaced with your hair, pushing you deeper into his lips as his tongue begs to be let into your needy mouth.

Now it was clear to see how much the serum had actually affected him. In mere seconds, his hands grabbed at your thighs and pulled you up onto the table to straddle him with strength you didn’t even know he possessed. His breathy little moans sent you further into madness and you yanked his sweater off of his head, forcing your mouth off of his for just a few seconds, but once that sweater was off, your lips clung together like magnets.

Deft fingers unbuttoned your long sleeve shirt and he pulled it off your arms so quickly that you worried for a second that he might have ripped it. But you didn't care. You couldn’t possibly be concerned with a silly shirt when Viktor was beneath you on the kitchen table like a meal.

The serum didn’t exactly allow either of your minds to comprehend much foreplay. You fiddled with Viktor’s belt and he pushed your skirt up to your waist. Once both of you were exposed, he didn’t waste any time positioning you above his cock.

“So wet for me,” Viktor whined against your bare chest. “Is that the serum’s doing or is it mine?”

“Yours,” you whimper as Viktor slides his tip beneath your folds. “If it were anyone else in the room with me when I took the serum, I’d be unaffected.”

“I’m flattered,” he smiles cruelly as he thrusts up into you.

“Oh fuck,” you whine as your rest your heavy head on Viktor’s shoulder.

He brings his hands to your waist and guides you up and down as his hips meet your core in long, languid thrusts. The serum sets every single nerve on fire, making it seem as if each of his thrusts has the impact of twenty.

You moan muffled strangulations of his name into his neck, which only urges him to persist with his cruel thrusts. The sound of your cunt being abused fills the kitchen and you’re wildly thankful that Jayce is out of town.

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Viktor pants. “You have no idea.”

You really did have no idea. He hid it so well. You silently thanked whatever force had caused you to accidentally throw the serum into the muffin mix.

“So have I,” you whined against his skin. “Fuck…don’t stop…”

Each thrust is punctuated by the creaks of the sturdy kitchen table below you. His motions become quicker, shakier, and more intense and you can tell he’s reaching the end along with you. Your legs begin to shake and you feel that familiar tickling sensation in your core that the serum does a beautiful job at emulating.

“Viktor, I’m close, I’m so fucking close,” you moan as you lift your head from the crook of his neck. You bring your lips to his and he delivers his final thrusts. As he fills you, your moans echo on each other’s lips, a feeling you never thought you’d experience with your own brilliant roommate.

Your breathing steadies and Viktor wraps his arms around you, bringing you close to him as he tries to collect himself as well.

“You…” Viktor pants, “are forbidden from using that kitchen ever again.”

You laugh as you bring yourself off of him, pressing a kiss to his lips as you collect yourself. “That sounds fair to me.”

#viktor arcane #viktor x reader #arcane smut #viktor league of legends #viktor nation #fem reader

2K notes · View notes

ozzgin · 11 months ago

Note

WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! I have an ask for Yandere School! What if, Y/N finally did become a yandere for someone, BUT Y/N is the 'never lets on' type of yandere?

There's no change in Y/N's grades, no change in demeanor, they still act- or maybe in this case- pretends to be innocent and oblivious to everyone, especially their crush (Y/N might abuse the fact that they're known as the worst Yandere student who acts more like a Darling, to gain their trust before they realize it's too late). The extreme obsession is there, but it's just not noticeable enough.

How will they react if Y/N shows subtle signs of being a yandere? Will they actually believe Y/N finally became a yandere, or will they have doubts? This is just optional, but imagine Y/N became obsessed with a yandere, but both of them didn't knew they're yandere to each other, so they always unintentionally end up sabotaging each other's plans (ex. both Y/N and the yandere are asleep on the table, because they spiked each other's drinks. The Yandere is genuinely confused and had been trying to stalk find Y/N for hours, unbeknownst to them Y/N is secretly following behind them all along)

Soo this is yet another Clumsy!Yandere crossover, but it just makes a lot of sense to me. Hear me out.

You’re consistently failing classes and struggling to keep up with your peers. Everyone finds it cute, however, and it's a fantastic excuse to get closer to you.

Then the Yandere School x Darling Academy event happens. You immediately take the initiative and pair up with your best friend, Clumsy!Yandere. And that’s when things take an unexpected turn.

It turns out that when it comes to Clumsy!Yandere, you can be extremely protective. You don’t even realize it. In your eyes, you’re just looking after your sweetheart. To everyone else, you’re flawlessly executing the role of a yandere.

The other fellow students can only stare in disbelief, watching you as you figure out things you were previously clueless about.

“I c-could do the yandere part”, your clumsy partner suggests with feigned confidence.

Oh, no. You know how competitive your classmates are. No way you’d ever allow him to potentially get hurt. Not on your watch.

Were you always this good of a yandere?

When the teachers ask you to replicate that same performance, you have no idea what they’re talking about. You’re back to your pathetic, helpless self. A paradox yet to be deciphered by your peers.

“That damn pest”, one classmate curses out, pocket knife sneakily hidden as they wait around the corner ahead of Darling Academy.

They can’t take it anymore. The way you look at him, the way your voice softens whenever you speak to him…it should be them instead! What has he done to deserve your grace? He needs to be dealt with.

“Enjoying your walk?”

The student jolts in surprise and turns around. It’s you. Yet you look different this time. Your smile is cold, and your eyes have an eerie glisten to them.

“H-how did you know where I-”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be this close to Darling Academy. I suggest you leave.”

“Are you going to tell the teachers?”

“Teachers? Nonsense. I can take care of you myself", you say mechanically, blocking their path.

An abrupt shiver crosses their spine, and they scramble. Revenge will have to be postponed for now.

Moments later, Clumsy!Yandere greets you with a cheerful smile.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long. Shall I walk you home?" he proposes with a blush. Your answer doesn't really matter, truth be told. He will follow you either way. How else is he meant to guarantee your safety?

You'd be lost without him.

[Yandere School] | [Clumsy!Yandere]

#yandere school #clumsy yandere #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere reader

2K notes · View notes

downbadace · 30 days ago

Text

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐄𝐘𝐒 (𝐒𝐇𝐔𝐓 𝐔𝐏 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄) ᯓ★

Pairing: Racer!Daniela Avanzini/Fem!Reader

Daniela Avanzini, the F1 Academy World Champion at just 20 years old, is coming into her 2nd season with a positive attitude, ready to take on anything and anyone in her way... that is until you showed up.

Content: Formula 1 AU, Racing, Rivalry, Jealousy, Strong Language, Car accident, Major Character Injuries

A/N: This is probably my most ambitious fic ever... hope yall like it :] btw the ending may be very confusing but i have somethings planned in the near future so stay tuned!!!

Word Count: 6.8k

Masterlist

"We are on our final lap, ladies and gentlemen, and it seems like our prodigy rookies from McLaren and Mercedes are neck and neck!"

Daniela's mind races almost as fast as her car's going. She can't hear much, but a ringing in her ear can be heard under the metronome of her heartbeat. She keeps glancing to her right side, keeping track of where her rival, Sophia Laforteza, is. The finish line was just within her grasp, she could practically taste it. The radio in her ear spews out familiar words she can't decipher, they’re all blocked out by one thought in her mind: win.

Daniela’s adrenaline spikes as she makes a sharp turn on the course, nearly hitting the pit wall. Her hands shake as she changes gears. If she’s being honest, she has no clue what she’s doing, but as she glances over the crowd, she remembers that she’s there to entertain, so she's going to give them what they want.

She moves in closer to Sophia, the Filipina glancing over in confusion. They both accelerate at the same pace when they see the finish line creep into their point of view. Daniela smirks and looks over to Sophia to get her attention. They make eye contact, and Daniela gives her a little wave, distracting the girl before quickly overtaking Sophia and blocking her from going any further. Sophia attempts to pass her, but every time she tries, Daniela thinks one step ahead of her and moves in the same direction. The Latina smirked, happy to get on the girls' nerves as she shifted gears one final time, accelerating to her fullest and crossing the finish line, Sophia directly behind her. Her ears finally clear as she hears Manon, her race engineer, asking her what the hell just happened. Daniela doesn't respond, though, as she sees the crowd of roaring fans cheer her as she passes by.

After finishing her cooldown lap, she makes her way to the pit lane, seeing her team there ready to congratulate her on her first win of the season. She jumped out of her car and stood on the vehicle, raising her hands in victory as people around her cheered. A camera crew follows her as she goes to her pit crew, giving them thanks and congratulating them on this shared victory. She spots Sophia, also with her team celebrating her second place, people patting her shoulder and helmet, just as some did to Daniela. She sees the girl go up to someone the Latina hadn't recognized. Her face was glowing with glee as she congratulated Sophia, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. Just as she was about to get hypnotized by the girl’s beauty, she felt a nudge on her shoulder. She turns to see her teammate, Megan Skiendiel, face lit up as she takes off her helmet.

“What the hell, dude! That was insane, congratulations!” Daniela smiles and takes her helmet off too, wrapping her arms around the girl in a hug. She hears paparazzi snap pictures, and when they release, she sees the multiple cameramen trying to capture the moment.

“Yeah, I have no clue what the hell just happened there. I think Manon’s pissed at me though, I was just a little bit reckless,” she says scratching the back of her head.

“Yeah, I don't even know what you were trying to do but that was just… damn. McLaren's overjoyed to have you, Ms. Champion,” Daniela laughs at Megan’s nickname for her,” C’mon, that was last season, I’m starting fresh, y’know. I have high hope, but I’m humbling myself,”

“Right, right,” They’re about to make their separate ways until a familiar voice pulls them away. They turn to see Oscar, calling them over from the side. The two jog up to him, and Daniela gives him a high five into a hug.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be on your way to Australia?” She pulled away so that Megan could hug the F1 racer, too.

“You kidding me? Couldn't miss your first race of the season,” the two girls giggled as he recounted his rush to get to them. They made some small talk before someone behind them cleared their throat. Daniela turns to see Sophia, standing there with a smug look on her face. She makes eye contact with you, standing behind Sophia, but she doesn't say anything as the other girl speaks,” Hello? Where's my hug, Oscar?”

He rolls his eyes as he goes over to hug her, too. They stay for a bit till Oscar makes eye contact with you, and you awkwardly give a small wave.

“And is this who I think it is?” He says before moving to you.

“Oh, yeah, that’s my sister, Y/N. She’s a fan of McLaren, to say the least.” You nod sheepishly, trying not to make eye contact with the group. Daniela studies you, the way you shift your legs, and the way that your face glows with the natural lighting. Oscar scoffs and moves to greet you.

“Well, I’m always down to meet fa-”

“Not you, Piatri, she’s here to see Avanzini.” Both of your eyes widen, and you both turn to face each other. Daniela’s blank expression quickly turns to a warm smile, and she starts to walk up to you,” Nice to meet you, Y/N, I hope you enjoyed me kicking your sister’s ass.”

Sophia hits the top of Daniela’s head, and you can’t help but let out a giggle, making Daniela’s heart suddenly start pounding.

“No, yeah, I enjoyed it. She needed to be humbled recently with all the big talk she was doing at home.” Before Sophia was about to tell you off, you guys heard someone calling for Daniela, Sophia, and Megan to the podium.

“Well, that is my cue to leave. Congratulations, you three, I can’t wait for the rest of the season. Dani, Megan, call me if you need anything, I would be there in a heartbeat.” And with that, the F1 racer had waved goodbye and headed in the opposite direction, away from crowds, so no one would spot him as he made his exit. Megan went ahead first, slowly followed by Sophia, and just as Daniela was about to follow them, you took her shoulder into your hand, having her glance back at you. You quickly moved your hand away and stuttered, ”Sorry, I just–uhm… You did well out there.”

Daniela gave a warm smile and held her hand out, You hesitantly took it before she met you halfway and shook it,” Thanks, babe.” She says, winking and making her way to the rest of the drivers, leaving you stunned, confused, and flustered.

Daniela’s alarm blares through the girl’s room, much to the girl’s dismay. She checked the time, and it unfortunately showed 5 a.m., so she got up, stretched, and got ready to start her day. She went through her usual routine of working out, eating breakfast, and going for a walk, the usual things she does during the day. She got home and lazed on the couch, not having anything else on her agenda. She scrolled through her phone before getting a text from Sophia.

SL31

Get ready, I’m picking you up in an hour 😸

DA71

huh? for wat 😫

SL31

Don’t ask, just get ready.

DA71

ominous but okay, i’ll take a nap and get ready 😴

SL31

No, get ready now cause your ass won’t wake up on time.

DA71

fine whateverrrrrrr

SL31 disliked a message

Daniela giggled before putting her phone down and heading upstairs to get herself ready. She put on some casual jeans and one of her jerseys with her number on it (Megan says it’s a little narcissistic, but Daniela says that it’s an indicator for people when they recognize her). The girl makes her way downstairs and to her kitchen to get a bottle of water. She leans against her kitchen counter, waiting for Sophia to text her about her arrival. She’s scrolling through Instagram when she sees Sophia’s post about her win that Sunday. She scrolls on the post till she stops at a picture of you and Sophia. You're smiling while holding the trophy in your hands, your face having the same glow to it as yesterday, like it’s constantly shining. She decides, fuck it, and goes to your profile, linked to Sophia's post, and starts following you.

Your account is charming, to say the least. You post about your life, your family, and your struggles of being single, something that Daniela can relate to. She goes through your highlights, going as far as to the ones you've posted during high school. She sees a story of yours celebrating your first day at college, it’s a picture of you and Sophia, the girl in the background, waving as she carries boxes into a van. Daniela snickers and likes it before immediately unliking it, her heart beating out of her chest, hoping that you didn't get a notification of her stalking behavior.

Daniela gets a notification from Sophia telling her she’s outside. Daniela breathes in and out before pocketing her phone and heading out the door. Immediately, when she spots the Filipina's vehicle, she sees you in the backseat, staring off into space. Daniela opens the passenger door and climbs in.

“So, what’s this all about?” She asks, putting on her seatbelt, when she moves her body to click her safety belt into place, she turns her head enough to wink at you, and you give her a shy smile back—you swear the car suddenly became ten times hotter.

“Megan’s throwing a little get-together to celebrate the start of the season. She told me to pick you up.” Sophia puts the car in drive and makes her way out of Daniela’s neighborhood.

“Wait, why didn't Meg just tell me herself?”

“Cause she knew that your lazy ass would've bail out on her.” Daniela puts her hand to her chest overdramatically and scoffs,” Wow, I am hurt that she’s so correct.”

Sophia smiles and nods her head at Daniela’s stupidity. She put in the address of the Airbnb that Megan was staying at and slowly eased onto the freeway. The car ride was quiet, broken by occasional small talk between Daniela and your sister. You tried to keep thoughts of the girl in the driver's seat out of your mind, scrolling through your phone as a distraction. But you couldn’t help pay attention to her laugh when she’d get on Sophia’s nerves or her soft singing voice, going along to the radio's songs. You can see her eyes through the rear-view mirror, and they’re sparkling yet gentle. Daniela blinks and looks up at you through the mirror, catching your eye. You immediately avert your eyes back to your phone, and Dani smirks at the way you sheepishly hide behind your screen. A big part of her is still scared that you saw that she liked an old story on your phone, so she thinks in her mind that if she doesn’t care about it, then it’ll never be brought up.

“So… why’d you like an old post of my sister?” If Daniela could jump out of the car, she would.

“What? I have no clue what the hell you’re talking about.” Daniela says in the most composed way possible. Sophia nods, her face showing that she’s not buying it at all. She looks at you through the rear-view mirror, and you’re pretending not to notice the conversation.

“The thing is, she said she got a notification from a ‘Daniela_Avanzini.71’ about an old post, maybe she was imagining it, right, baby sister?” You look up, pretending you were just distracted by something,” Uhm… wait, what?”

Sophia rolls her eyes,” Never mind.” A very awkward silence fills the atmosphere as Sophia makes a turn to their destination. She parks across the street from the beach house that Megan was staying in. Telling by the cars parked outside the rented area, they were late.

“I hope Megan’s not on our asses about this,” Sophia says, turning off the cars engine and making her way outside. You and Daniela follow her lead.

“Her fault for getting an Airbnb out here. She could’ve stayed in my place back in Atlanta, but she said she ‘didn’t wanna be a burden.’” Daniela complains, putting air quotes on her recollection of what Megan had told her. The three of you walk up to the front door, and Sophia rings the doorbell. You guys stand there for the better part of 3 minutes before Megan opens the door, clearly intoxicated.

“Aye!! You guys made it! Come in, everyone else is in the living room.” She says, slurring some of her words. You guys enter, and immediately you’re met with the beautiful sight of the Airbnb. It’s very spacious despite what the outside looks like, and there’s a back door from the living room that leads to the beach. You look around and notice a few drivers that you follow online, but you’re too awkward to go up to them, so you stick to Sophia’s side. Daniela also sticks to Sophia’s side as they walk further into the house and into the kitchen, where they’re met with Manon, Daniela’s race engineer.

“Woah, what’re you doing here?” Daniela asks, taken aback by the girl’s presence.

“What? I’m your guys’ friends too. You’re acting like I didn’t go to school with you,” Daniela shrugs in acceptance and picks up a beer can from the cooler down by her feet. You watch as she opens it with one hand and downs it. You hate to admit how attractive she is.

“ Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Sophia murmurs in a harsh voice.

“Huh, w-what?” Sophia shrugs and says, “ Nothing.” Like she’s clueless. You shake your head before reaching down to get a bottle of water from the same cooler. You then stand back next to Sophia as you watch the girls around you discuss in conversation. You try to keep your eyes focused on the ground, but you can’t help but look up at Daniela when someone cracks a joke, waiting for her eyes to squint as she gives off a bright smile. And her laugh, it’s contagious and sweet like honey, that one can’t help but laugh along with her. You didn’t want to admit it out loud to anyone, but you’re totally in love with the girl. How could someone not be? She’s sweet, charming, and very attractive; it's no wonder she was your favorite F1 driver.

She caught your eye when you started researching F1 drivers, trying to see who your sister was up against. Your research, however, turned into something of a stalker mission, trying to find any details about the McLaren driver. After a couple of Google searches, you found out that she had graduated from High School early and went into training after being scouted at an esports event. She played on an F1 esports team and accelerated (pun intended) among all her peers, so someone had approached her about doing racing professionally. The rest was history; now Daniela stood as the youngest F1 Academy driver to ever win the title of champion. But all of that slips your mind, and when you look at her in that moment, you don’t see that. You just see a girl that you like, your sister’s friend, a crush, and nothing more. Maybe you sound crazy, but it wasn’t like you couldn't control your feelings. What you can control is how you present them, so you stay quiet the whole day, sticking to Sophia’s side and avidly trying to avoid the Latina.

It’s a quarter to 8, the party had died down a little, and people were starting to leave. You sat on the armrest of one of the couches in the living room, Sophia sitting next to you on the couch. She was talking with Megan about things fans were talking about, dating rumors, and all the boring stuff you didn’t care for. You excused yourself to go to the bathroom, and Sophia nods, asking you to bring her a water bottle when you come back. You agree and quickly escape the living room. The thing was, you forgot to ask directions from Megan, so you wandered around the first story of the house before making your way upstairs, sure that you’d find the bathroom there. You walk through the hallway and make a turn, spotting a door leading outside to the balcony that has a view of the whole beach. You’re about to turn back when you hear a sudden voice.

“Hey stranger, where are you going?” You turned back to where your eyes lingered and saw Daniela there, opening the door like she was inviting you outside. All of a sudden, your worries about going to the bathroom disappeared.

“I’m just… trying to get some fresh air. I’ll leave you be–”

“No, no, uhm… You should come out.”

“Oh, I’ve been out. Loud and proud about it.” Daniela looks at you confused before she cracks a smile,” No, I mean, like, outside… with me.”

Your heart attempts to jump out of your chest, but you reluctantly agreed, slowly walking over to the open door. You look at her before taking a step outside, the cool night air hitting you instantly. You walk to the railing and lean against it, watching the beach waves gently crash against the beach. You breathe in and then out, almost forgetting about the girl of your dreams standing right next to you.

“Y’know, I hated Sophia at first,” Daniela says, breaking the silence. She comes up next to you and leans her back against the railing.

“Really? Why’s that?” You ask. Daniela takes a second before chuckling lowly,” 'Cause, she’s my ‘rival.’ She was smart and pretty and had money. I didn’t.”

You nodded along with her words, waiting for her to continue. She looks at you before breathing in,” I still hate her, but not in the way I did before. I hate her in a way that makes me love her, y’know?”

Your heart drops at the sudden confession, and you can't stop your mouth from asking,” As friends, right?”

Daniela chuckles lowly,” Relax, babe, yes, as friends. Don’t get jealous of me now.”

You smile at her words, a shiver going down your spine. Daniela looks out at the beach, the wind blowing through your guys’ hair. It starts to pick up slightly, and you hold yourself together so you don't show your coldness. The girl next to you notices and she scoots in close, wrapping her arm around you. You slowly turn to her, locking eyes. Your faces are close enough that you can feel her slow breaths against your face; they smell of beer and strawberries. Her eyes flutter slightly, looking down at your lips. Your heart starts beating at a faster pace than anything Daniela’s car has reached, and as you open your mouth to say something, the door behind the two of you opens, and you both turn to look at who opened it.

“Y/N? What the fuck are you guys doing?” You immediately push Dani, and she steps back from you slightly, her face showing no emotions, but her mind is filled with smugness.

“Relax, Soph, we're just talking-”

Sophia holds her hand up to stop her talking, and she goes over to you, taking her jacket off and giving it to you.

“We’re gonna go soon, so… hurry up.” She takes you by the wrists and leads you downstairs. You say your quick goodbyes to the remaining people there, and the two of you make a swift exit. The second the door shuts behind you, you tug your hand away from hers,” What the fuck was that, Soph?”

The girl breathes in and out before she answers,” I don’t want you talking to Daniela anymore.” She says before turning around. Your face drops, and you stand there in confusion before catching up to her.

“What do you mean by that? You’re not my mom, you can’t just tell me who I can and can’t talk to–”

“Yes, I can, and I want you to stop talking to Daniela. End of story, now get in the car,” She leans against the driver's side and waits for you to get in. You groan but give in, walking over to the vehicle, opening the door to the backseat, and then slamming it shut.

Sophia’s face relaxes from its tense state. She closes her eyes and wipes her hand down her face in annoyance. Just as she’s about to turn around and open the door for herself, Daniela exits the house and jogs up to Sophia.

“Sophia, I assure you–”

“Just don’t, please. Not now.” And with that, she unlocks her side and climbs in. Daniela sighs before going to the other side, thinking about the awkward ride ahead.

The thing about you is that you’re stubborn, so you did not stop talking to Daniela. If anything, you guys got closer from that event. There had been multiple moments of sneaking out at night, disguising yourselves so paparazzi wouldn't catch you guys, it was perfect. But it was just as friends, nothing more. That’s what you guys kept telling yourselves. Unfortunately, it was undeniable your feelings for Daniela, so you made sure to keep it hidden from the masses, which included Sophia. So you kept quiet, a little too quiet. Your sister knew something was up with you, but couldn't put her finger on it. So, she confronted you two nights before the Miami Grand Prix.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been… not yourself recently.” She asks, setting down the food she had ordered for the two of you.

“Nope, nothing’s wrong, just,” You pause to think of an excuse,” I’m gonna miss you when you go to Miami.” It wasn't a total lie, you weren't just going to miss her, you were also going to miss the girl you had been meeting with.

“Hey, don’t give me that sappy shit. We’ve been apart longer, you’ll be fine. Besides? We can call every day like how we did when I first left for training.” You nod at her reassurance, attempting to clear your mind by eating the food in front of you. You guys sat in silence, broken by the occasional cup hitting the table or asking for something to be passed to you. Then, a notification pings on your phone, and your shoulders relax.

Dani 🫶

u free?

biggest fan 🫶

yeah, wru? i can head over asap

Dani 🫶

uhm… outside ur airbnb 😭😭

Your eyes widen, and you look at Sophia, currently occupied with her own phone. You puff your chest out before speaking,” Hey, I’m gonna… uhm… go out for a bit, I’ll be back, thank you, sis, bye!” You run over to throw away your paper plate. You then grab the nearest jacket you can find and run outside. Sophia doesn't bother getting up and rubs her temples, her headache getting to her. After a few minutes, she opens her phone to check your location. It was on the move and fast. So, in a quick decision, she grabs her keys and makes it to her car, eager to follow you.

Daniela hadn’t told you your guys’ destination, only that you should close your eyes when you get close.

“I don't see why you have to be all secretive, like I see the picnic baskets, I know we’re having a picnic.”

“Well, it’s not about what we're doin', it’s about where we’re doing it,” you roll your eyes as you turn to the window, the city passing by in gleaming blue and purple lights. You were going to miss Atlanta, but you're going to miss the person who made being there a dream.

After a few minutes of the radio humming to fill in the silence, Daniela tells you to close your eyes. You follow her instructions and put your hoodie on, pulling the strings so that it scrunches on your head and obstructs your view. Daniela giggles at you as she parks her car. She turns off the engine and gets out to pick up the baskets from the back. She balances the basket and blanket with one hand as she makes her way over to the passenger side, opening the door for you.

“Need help getting out?” she asks. You scoff and unbuckle yourself.” I’m good; I’ll just follow your voice.”

Your actions quickly contradict her words as you almost slip and fall as you exit the vehicle. Daniela stood there and watched you fix yourself straight before taking her hand in yours,” Let’s just make this easier for both of us.”

You hope she couldn’t tell, but your hands went clammy instantly at the contact, and your pulse quickened with every step you took. You felt the ground elevate with every step, and the breeze got colder, making you shiver. You smell the fresh air, and it relaxes you from your overflow of thoughts in your mind. Daniela slows her steps, and in turn, you do too. You hear her set something down, you assume it’s the picnic basket. Her hand suddenly leaves yours, and you feel a pair of arms wrap around your waist. Your heartbeat reaches its max tempo as she rests her head on your shoulder.

“You can open your eyes now,” She whispers into your ear. You undo the drawstrings of your hoodie and take it off. Immediately, you’re met with a gorgeous view of the entire city. You look behind at Daniela and turn around to hug her.

“Dani, what the fuck? This is incredible!” Daniela hugs you back and smiles,” I just wanted to show you something before leaving, cause, well, who knows when you’ll be back.”

You pull away to look at her,” What do you mean? I’ll visit every now and then.”

Daniela sighs, crouching down to the picnic basket. She starts taking things out and then starts speaking again,” Yeah, but… The distance is hard, and who knows when ‘every now and then’ will happen. Besides, I wanna make every moment with you count, so just let me do what I want to.” You watched her movements as she talked, gently taking out a blanket, your favorite snacks and drinks, and overall just being a perfect individual. No one had ever done a gesture like she had, and you couldn't help yourself as you practically pounced onto her and tackled her to the ground in a hug. She yelped, and you guys rolled over in each other's arms. She caught you and had you under her hands at the side of your head, and you looking directly up at hers.

“Hey…” you whispered lightly. Daniela smirked,” Hi.”

You guys stayed in that position for god knows how long before something had taken over Daniela. She sat up on your lap and held a hand out for you to grab. You take her hand in yours and sit up, now face to face with her on the ground. You see her chest slowly lift up and down as she evens out her breathing, she notices you doing the same.

“Dani, I gotta tell you something,” Daniela looks you in the eyes before nodding,” I… Have to tell you something too.”

Sensing it’s something similar, you tell her to say it at the same time.

"Okay, then, 1, 2, 3, I have a huge crush on you!”

“I really fucking like you!” She confesses at the same time as you. The two of you stare at each other before bursting out in giggles. Daniela instinctively puts her hands to your face and suddenly the world stops, your breathing getting shallow as your smile slowly drops, staring into her eyes once more.

“Dani, I–”

“Y/N, What the hell?!” Both of you turned to the direction of the voice and there stood your sister, completely shocked at what she saw. Daniela got off of you quickly and stood up straight. You just looked at her as you slowly got up,” Soph, It’s not what it looks like–”

“Of–fucking–course it’s what it looks like! You’ve been sneaking out to hang out with Daniela the whole time?!” You look at her for a moment,” Okay, yeah, maybe it is what it looks like, but I promise you nothing’s going on between us.”

You regretted the words as they came out of your mouth, glancing over at Daniela whose blank expression had been replaced by a sad one,” There isn’t…”

Before you can reach out your hand to hers, Sophia does so first and drags you out of the scene,” We’re going back, and I don’t want to hear anything from you the whole car ride.”

You sat in silence, nothing but the sounds the car’s making going through your mind. You look at Sophia, and her expression has calmed from what it was earlier. So, you decide to grow a pair and ask her,” Why? Why don’t you want me to be around Daniela?”

Sophia grips a little tighter to the steering wheel,” It doesn’t matter why, I just don’t want you talking to her.”

Unsatisfied with her answer, you continue to push her,” But why? This whole thing is stupid. I told you we’re just friends.” The girl driving scoffs,” Yeah, righ,t ‘just friends.’ You think I’m dumb? You think I don’t know she’s more than a friend to you? God, Y/N, I knew you had a crush on her since you laid your damn eyes on her, she’s not just a friend.”

“Then what, Sophia? What is she? If you know, then tell me!” You don’t even notice your sister speeding up, dodging random cars on the street with precision.

“She’s not yours, that’s for sure.” Her grip on the steering wheel gets deathly and it doesn’t go unnoticed by you.

“Jesus Christ, Soph, what’s gotten into you? And what do you mean she’s not mine? She’s no one's, she doesn’t belong to anyone–"

“Well, she’s supposed to belong to me!” Suddenly, Sophia swerves to the side of the road, pulling over and out of the way for other cars to pass by. You seatbelt locks, and you brace yourself for the sudden stop, almost knocking the air out of you. Both of you are breathing heavily at the adrenaline-filled experience. You slowly turn to Sophia ,whos eyes are bloodshot and wide, not even sure of her own actions and words. Her hands loosen on the steering wheel and she attempts to calm herself.

“S-Soph…” You reach out to put your hand on her shoulder, but retract when Sophia drops her head to rest it on the wheel.

“She’s supposed to be mine. I’m supposed to be hers…” You slowly put two and two together, and suddenly everything makes sense.

“You wanna know why I’m pissed? Cause I like her too, idiot. I always have, but for obvious reasons, it’ll never work. That’s why I got mad at you and your love-sick ass.” She turns to face you, and you just stare back, waiting for her to continue.

“You think it’s so easy. Your entire life, you’ve talked about how you’ll find the perfect soulmate and that when you find them, you’ll never let them go. Now that you’ve found her, I’m scared that you just stole mine away from me.” Sophia gives you a sad smile, waiting for a response from you. You don’t give one, instead, you unbuckle your seat belt and reach over to her, giving her a huge hug. She hesitates before hugging you back. You guys stay in this cozy position for who knows how long before a sudden phone call comes through to Sophia’s phone. You pull away so that she can check it, and it’s a call from Megan. Sophia looked at the phone and then you in confusion before picking up.

“ Hello? Hey, Meg, what’s up?” You watched as Sophia talked to the girl on the other line, and you watched as her face suddenly dropped, her eyes petrified.

“It’s okay, Megan, just breathe, we’re on our way.” Sophia hung up the phone and immediately started the car back up. You put on your seatbelt widely confused on what exchange you just witnessed,” Soph, what happened?”

She doesn’t answer you as she focuses on driving. You ask again,” Soph, tell me please, what the hell did Megan tell you?”

Sophia looked at you quickly before looking back on the road.

“Dani got into an accident…”

You guys checked into the hospital's front office, and after they granted permission to visit Daniela, both of you sprinted down the hallway, unaware of what you were searching for. It wasn’t until you reached the elevator to the next floor that you saw Megan, leaning against the safety bars. She saw you guys and jumped into both of your arms, her shoulders tense.

“Megan, what happened? Where is she?” Megan pulled apart and swallowed, unable to form a proper sentence. Instead, she turned her head to follow her and she started walking, the two of you following closely behind. You follow her down the hallway, your palms starting to get clammy with every step you take. Finally, the three of you reach the end of the hallway and she breathed in and out.

“The other guy’s fine, a minor injury for him. But she crashed into him badly. She won’t tell me what happened.” Sophia nods as she follows along with Megan’s words. You look into the hospital room, uneasy with the atmosphere you feel when walking in. You hear the monitor beep behind a curtain, presumably covering up where Daniela is laying. You brace yourself as you take hold of the curtain, slowly pushing it back to reveal her, lying hopelessly on the hospital cot. You cover your mouth as your eyes run through her entire body. Her face was covered in bandages to match her arm. Her left eye showcased a pigmented purple, barely even opening as she looked over to you.

“Y/N… I’m sorry, you were never supposed to see me like this.” She confesses weakly. She lifts her unbandaged arm to scratch her head, that’s when you see a huge stitch marks on her arm and you lose it, tears threatening to stream down your face as you come up to her.

“What the hell’s wrong with you? You’re supposed to be good at this-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I got the whole talk from Megan and Oscar on the phone. I was just… I wasn’t thinking straight, okay?” Your mind rushes to make a” You aren’t straight” joke, but you stop yourself, realizing it wasn’t the time. Daniela continues,” Did you really mean it? When you said there’s nothing between us?”

You look at her for a second as you put two and two together and scoff,” Daniela, of course I didn’t. There is some undeniable tension between us, I’d be crazy if I said there ISN’T something going on between us.” Daniela just looks at you and gives a weak smile. You pull up a chair next to her and just breathe in and out, holding her hand in yours as you feel it relax.

It’s been 5 weeks since the accident. Daniela recovered quicker than the doctors had said she would. Now here she is, her first race after her short recovery and she’s about to finish her final lap.

“Sophia coming up behind you again, watch out for the pit wall as you rear your way around, don’t want another accident, please,” Daniela rolls her eyes listening to Manon in her ear.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. Since when did you care so much?”

“I’m just delivering what your girlfriend wanted you to hear,” Manon says in a tired voice. Daniela’s eyes widen a little,” Wait is she here right now?”

She waits for Manon to talk back to her but is instead met with your voice,” Yes, and eyes on the road, baby. Stay safe, I’ll see you when you kick my sister’s ass!”

Daniela smiles before telling you she will. She switches gears as she senses Sophia right by her. They briefly look at each other before focusing back on the race. They make a swift turn together, tires can be heard screeching above the noise of a roaring audience. The finish line is just up ahead and with sweat running down Daniela’s head, she pushes hard and manages to cut Sophia off, coming in front of her just in time for her to pass the finish line. Her ego boosts high as she looks out at all the people in the crowd. She looks over to the screen to see the re-run of her passing Sophia up. It then cuts to the pit crew cheering her on and she can make out your face within the crowd, your eyes having the same glint it always had.

She finishes up her victory lap and makes her way to the pit lane. Slowing down in front of her crew and getting out of the car. Daniela’s leg is barely out of the vehicle before you pounce on her, giving her a tigh hug. She takes her helmet off, putting it on the car’s seat and hugs you back. You pull away from her, cupping her face in your hands and shower her with kisses before kissing her passionately on the lips, knocking her back.

The cheers around both of you fade as you stay in your moment of being in each other's presence. When you pull back you see her face, giving a goofy grin like she has a joke to say.

“I’m so proud of you, my love,” You say before kissing her cheek.

“Thank you, mi amor. You give me strength everyday,” You both smile as you press your foreheads together. Then, a car pulls up right behind Daniela’s. Sophi gets out and waves at everyone in another 2nd place victory as she walks over to you and Dani.

“Good job, I guess,” She says, taking her helmet off and patting Dani on the back. Before Sophia walks away, Daniela hooks her arm around Sophia, pulling her into a side hug,” Hey, don’t act like that. You know you love me!”

Sophia scoffs and rolls her eyes, shifting her head so she can hide her smirk,” Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”

Daniela softly squeezed her before being called over by Manon, ready to congratulate her. You look at Sophia and nudge her with your elbow.

“Did you tell her?” Sophia looks at you and sadly smiles, shaking her head no,” I don’t wanna ruin the thing you guys have going on. Besides, I don’t really like her anymore. There’s someone else that came to play.”

You raise your eyebrows,” Really? Tell me who-”

“Soph!” You both turn around to the familiar voice of Megan. She jumps to Sophia’s arms and hugs her tightly,” You did so well out there! Congrats on second again.”

Megan pulls away, making direct eye contact with your sister. You see her face flush with a hint of pink before she stutters out,” Th-Thanks! You too! I mean, not on second cause you got 4th but congrats on… yeah.”

Megan just giggles before turning to the crowd of people, walking towards them and waving her hands in the air. Once Megan is out of earshot, you go up to Sophia with wide eyes,” Oh my god, you like Meg-”

She puts her hand on your mouth as to not continue with your sentence. Before you can lick it in revenge, The winners are called over to the podiums and Sophia takes her hand away from you.

“You better not speak about this,” She says before walking away. You smile as you follow her. She makes her way up to the mini stage and you push past the people to get to the front. They call the 3rd and 2nd place drivers up one by one, handing them their awards. Then it was time to announce Daniela’s 1st place win.

“And finally, back from her short term injury, winning her first race since then, it’s the fast and the furious Daniela Avanzini!” You cheer as loud as you can so that you’re able to be heard above everyone else. She stands at her respective spot on the podium and lifts her trophy in the air after it gets handed to her. The first thing she spots is you and she blows you a kiss, mouthing an I love you. You smile at her mouthing an “I love you more” back. You watch as the announcer tells them to pop the champagne and the three on the podium do as told, letting it get everywhere. You smile as you watch Daniela, in her true goofy element and you think to yourself “What have I just gotten myself into?”

#katseye #katseye imagines #katseye thoughts #katseye fanfiction #f1 #formula 1 #f1 fic #katseye x reader #katseye x formula 1 #wlw #daniela avanzini #daniela avanzini x reader #fluff #angst #fanfiction #long shot #ace speaks

195 notes · View notes

treatmelikeasmut · 2 months ago

Text

The Artist and the Engineer Part 1// Chapter Two//Good Facial Structure

<< PREV Master List NEXT >>

Pairing: Viktor x Fem!Artist!Reader

Series Synopsis: Heimerdinger wants a commemorative painting done of Viktor, who is not fond of the idea.

Chapter Synopsis: Viktor tries one more time to convince Heimerdinger out of the portrait.

Word Count: 2.3K

Author’s Note: I'm going to try and update with one chapter a week!

Don’t forget to like, comment, and reblog your favorite fics ❤️

~*~*~*~

The morning came with blaring sun through the lab windows. Viktor blinked against it as he stirred from his slumber. The room was chilled with the night. Leeching from the floor up through his skin into his bones. His spined ached with it. His leg ached with it. His hip protested as he stretched. He’d slept slumped on his workstation. Though it was nothing unusual, he still cast a glance over his shoulder. The emergency couch sat vacant. Why hadn’t he slept there? It would’ve been worlds more comfortable.

All at the once, the previous day returned to him. Heimerdinger’s request. The portrait. You. And all at once annoyance slammed back into him, simmering in his chest. The bell overhead tolled seven. Would the professor be in yet? Viktor needed to find a way out of this. For the sake of his research was what he kept telling himself. Although you seemed perfectly nice, he was making great headway and didn’t want to risk the momentum.

In the night, his papers had made their way across the desk and onto the floor. He scrambled to cobble them together. Which ones went together, again? What was this drawing for? How distracted had he been when he’d done these? Half of his notes were incoherent. A couple of papers had to be spun to decipher which way was up. There were ink smudges from his fingers, which he found to be stained. Viktor rifled through the mess on his desk, searching for a rag to wipe his hands.

That was when a word caught his eye - ochre.

It was written plain as day in the middle of a page. There was a decided divide between the word and the rest of the notes on the page. Had he written that? He must’ve, that was his scrawl. But when had he done that - and why? He was quick to blot it out before Jayce made an appearance. Then he found himself wondering just why he’d done it.

Jayce came with food and hot drinks not long after. Viktor had not found anymore out-of-place words. The refreshments were accompanied by a smug grin. As if Jayce was glad to see Viktor covered in ink and bleary eyed from the uncomfortable resting place. He didn’t say anything as he set down a pastry and a covered cup on Viktor’s station. But the look on his face spoke louder than anything.

Viktor stood, his joints protesting after sitting still so long. “I’m going to see Heimerdinger.”

He scooped up the pastry, ignoring Jayce’s watchful gaze as he left. He straightened out his sleep rumpled clothes the best he could between bites. This time of morning, the academy was quiet. Everyone settled into their morning classes. He found the professor in his office, already sitting with someone.

Heimerdinger didn’t look at him, but held up a finger. So Viktor tucked himself patiently into the corner and finished off his meager meal. Stuffing the wrapper in his pocket. He wasn’t really paying attention to what was being said. Mostly due to the hushed tones of the conversation. But also because he was distracted by the yordle’s likeness where it stared out from behind the desk. The portrait you had done.

It truly was expertly crafted - at least from the little Viktor knew of art. The light was hitting the painting just so. Illuminating all the brushstrokes immortalized in the lacquer. The way the Heimerdinger in the painting looked almost as alive as the Heimerdinger it hung above. Eyes sharp, discerning. The fact the professor’s fur looked as though it would be soft if you touched the canvas.

“Very good!” the professor announced, back to speaking normally. Viktor flinched. “Then we’ll meet again next month.”

The person stood, nodding to the professor and then Viktor as they made their exit. He thought he saw the word Treasury on the front of their folio. Heimerdinger turned to Viktor and greeted him warmly, gesturing to the now unoccupied chair in front of the desk.

“Good morning, sir,” Viktor said, suppressing a yawn. He lowered himself into the seat. A bit disgusted to find it warm.

“What can I do for you this fine morning?” The professor shuffled mindlessly through the papers on his desk. Briefly picking one up and seeming to skim it before moving onto another. “I see you’ve slept in the lab again. - Did anyone tell you there’s ink on your face?”

Viktor rubbed at his cheek with his shirt sleeve, but quickly gave up the effort. Frowning instead at his stained hands. “Yes, sir.”

Heimerdinger tsked. “That really isn’t a healthy practice. You don’t live far, why don’t you ever stay the night at home?”

“I do, often.” Viktor wasn’t even convinced by his own words.

“You should be sleeping in a proper bed. Honestly, you should really be making sure to take time for yourself. Even as important as your research is - you can’t do anything if your body isn’t taken care of.”

“I - yes - I will, sir -” Viktor shook his head, realizing the diversion. “That is not why I’m here -”

“You’ve come to talk about the portrait.” The professor sighed, tapping the edge of a stack of papers on his desk, then setting them aside. His gaze was sharp as he met Viktor’s. “I figured as much.”

Heat built under Viktor’s collar. He was not a fan of the look Heimerdinger was giving him. “Well, I -”

To his relief, the professor’s gaze quickly shifted back to the papers on his desk. “I was glad to hear you sat well for the artist yesterday, I expect that to continue. I’ve seen the sketches so far, there is no doubt this project will be a huge success.”

Viktor muttered, “I wish I shared the enthusiasm.”

“She had nothing but good things to say about you, you know?”

This caught Viktor off guard, he was not expecting a good review. He shifted in his seat. “What things?”

Heimerdinger cleared his throat, making a show of thinking on the conversation. “That you were a very nice subject. Something about having a good facial structure and admirable cheek bones.”

Stunning eyes, whispered your voice. Viktor catapulted it from his mind immediately. The annoyance at Heimerdinger turned inward. Why did that one comment stick to him? Then his brain replayed what the professor said, and heat crept up from his collar and burned in his ears.

“There’s no need to be embarrased,” Heimerdinger chuckled.

“I -” It came out as more of a choking sound. “I am not embarrassed.”

“Now, I’m no great judge of art myself, I must admit. But I do believe she’s correct.” The professor’s eyes gleamed now. “The portrait is going to look very noble when it’s finished.”

Viktor scrabbled to come back around to the point. He held up his stained fingers. “Surely, sir, I could just have a new pen? - Or a new chair for the lab? Even a nice meal would be sufficent commemoration. I assure you, I do not need a painting. I’m just your assistant.”

Heimerdinger shook his head. “Those things will fade, Viktor.”

“And the painting will not?” Viktor asked, brows furrowed.

“The portrait can be restored when its colors dull. - Trust me when I say you aren’t going to find a used pen in any museum. Even if it had the greatest scientist to ever live's teeth marks in it. People remember art, Viktor, not chairs or fine meals.”

Viktor leaned forward in his seat. “But I would remember those things.”

The professor waved him off. “You’re doing far greater work than just being my assistant. That research you’re doing will revolutionize the world as we know it.”

“Jayce is The Man of Progress, why not have his portrait done? He is the one who represents us to the council.”

“Being a noble and proclaimed Man of Progress, I’m sure Jayce has had more than enough portraits painted of himself.” Heimerdinger looked at Viktor evenly. “What you’re contributing to Hextech is just as important as any speech Jayce gives.”

“Which is why I should be doing that instead of wasting an hour each day -” Viktor began to argue.

“Think of it as a mandated break in your day. Just an hour -”

“But sir -”

'“I could make it two, or even three,” the professor warned. “Do not make me push my authority on you, boy.”

Viktor cringed at the thought. He opened his mouth to rebuttal, but no further argument formed. So he closed it again, reclining back against the cushion with a heavy sigh.

“Try to get to know her,” Professor Heimerdinger pushed. “You don’t have to be friends. But, if you’re going to be spending the next few months together, it would be best to meet in the middle. I know she won’t be here today, so perhaps take the time to consider what you might like to know about her.”

Viktor frowned, hanging onto the word months. “How long will this take?”

“How ever long she needs. I expect you will treat her kindly and respectfully.”

“Of course, sir.” Viktor sighed. He thought for a moment. “Tell me, what do you know of her?”

“As you know,” the professor started, he seemed pleased Viktor was playing along. “She graduated last year. Since then, she’s been doing commission paintings for some of the highest ranking families here in Piltover. - I’m surprised Jayce isn’t familiar with her, in fact I believe his mother sat for her quite recently. Beyond that, I know pity little, I’m afraid. Our sessions were done in short sittings over the course of her time at the academy.”

Viktor hummed, filing away that information for later. “Do you know where she is today? Will this be a…reoccuring absence?”

Heimerdinger’s eyes were sharp for just a moment before they swept down to his desk. “A pressing family matter. She’ll be back tomorrow, worry not. – She's very dedicated to her craft. You may not appreciate it yet. But art records things we may forget. I’ve seen many things, and sometimes the works of art from that era hold more truths than documents.”

Viktor hummed, acknowledging but not accepting. Then he stood. “I shall take today to get things in order for my time away from the lab.”

Heimerdinger nodded, glancing up at him as he made for the door. “Make sure to think about what I said, m’boy. There’s no harm in getting to know her better.”

“I will, good day, sir.”

Viktor made sure the door had shut all the way before he groaned in frustration. He was not at all pleased with this outcome. He thumped his way across campus and back to the lab. Jayce was already tinkering away with something and didn’t acknowledge his entrance. Which he found he was thankful for. Repressing another sigh, he fell into his chair. A migraine was starting to worm in behind his eyes. He tried his best to ignore it while he sorted out his notes.

“Your visit with Heimerdinger didn’t go well?” Jayce asked after a few minutes of silence.

“What makes you say that?” Viktor muttered, staring at where his hand had been hovering for far too long without writing.

“Just a hunch.” Then Jayce added, “Did you bargain for a new pen?”

“I tried.” Viktor rolled his eyes, swiveling his chair towards him. Jayce was already half turned to him with an arm slung over the back of his seat. “I was unable to convince Heimerdinger to abandon the portrait. He instead wants me to befriend the artist -”

“Really?” This seemed to pique Jayce’s interest. He smirked at Viktor. “I think you should.”

Viktor frowned at him in turn. “And where would be the value? We’re in completely separate fields.”

“Always value in a new connection.” Jayce sighed, pushing himself out of his chair. He went over and clapped his hand on Viktor’s shoulder. “You kept me from literally jumping off a building. So let me help keep from socially jumping off a building.”

Viktor grimaced. “I -”

“Just make some small talk,” suggested Jayce, shrugging. “Ask if she prefers tea or coffee, flirt a little - she’s not going to bite. It’ll be good for you.”

“Flirt,” Viktor scoffed. He brushed Jayce’s hand off his shoulder. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m just saying you should give it a try.” Jayce gave him a meaningful look.

“I believe that is more your area of expertise.” Viktor recalled his conversation with Heimerdinger, and gladly reached for a separate conversation thread. “Heimerdinger tells me your mother has sat for this artist of late. Do you know anything about that?”

“Not much.” Jayce thought for a moment. “I bet she’s that woman I saw.”

“I have to imagine it should be obvious if there was an easel or something.”

“I remember she was attractive. - I’ll see what I can find out.”

Humming, Viktor nodded and turned back to his work station. Of course that would be something Jayce noticed. He, on the other hand, hadn’t paid enough attention to notice one way or the other. He flung the thought from his mind that he’d have to make the judgment tomorrow when he saw you.

He spent the day collecting as many notes as he could and laying out a plan for Jayce. Experiments to do, blue prints and schematics to review - it was only an hour a day. A handful per week. But that could be the difference between success and failure. Jayce didn’t bring you up again, and Viktor tried very very hard not to replay the conversation with Heimerdinger.

Get to know you.

Make small talk.

Viktor could do that.

Flirt?

Well – that would be a whole other playing field.

______________________________________________________________

TAG LIST

@starmansolar @motheroffae @vintagehellfire @seaweedbumblebee @21-princess @starriekaede @local-mr-frog @tspmovro @hexhoess

210 notes · View notes

blueiscoool · 5 months ago

Text

1,900-Year-Old Papyrus Records Roman Tax Fraud Trial

The Greek document details a court case in ancient Palestine involving tax fraud and provides insight into trial preparations in the Roman Empire

Back in 2014, a researcher from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem rediscovered an ancient papyrus while organizing a storeroom in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Dead Sea Scrolls Unit. Once found in the Judean Desert, the document’s script had previously been classified as Nabataean—an ancient Aramaic language—but papyrus expert Hannah Cotton knew better.

“When I saw it marked ‘Nabataean,’ I exclaimed, ‘It’s Greek to me!’” the researcher says in a statement by the university.

Cotton and a team of experts spent the next decade deciphering the 133-line text, and their findings were recently published in the journal Tyche. Turns out, the document is the longest Greek papyrus ever found in the Judean Desert, and its newly translated content is particularly unique: a Roman lawyer’s detailed notes about the trial of two men accused of tax fraud.

“This is the best-documented Roman court case from Judaea, apart from the trial of Jesus,” says study coauthor Avner Ecker, a historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in the statement.

Per the study, the papyrus was likely written on the “eve of the Bar Kokhba Revolt,” a second-century Jewish uprising against Roman rule. The Roman Empire had colonized Judea—the southern part of ancient Palestine—some 200 years earlier. By 132 C.E., various Roman incursions upon Jewish life, including bans on religious practices, had taken their toll: The dwindling population of Jews in Palestine revolted. The rebellion, led by a man named Bar Kokhba, was crushed by the Romans in 135 C.E., and Jews were subsequently banned from Jerusalem.

The newly translated papyrus was written after Roman Emperor Hadrian’s visit to Judea around 130 C.E. and before the Bar Kokhba Revolt, per the study. It details Rome’s case against two individuals—Gadalias and Saulos—accused of forging documentation about selling and freeing slaves to bypass paying Roman taxes.

“Forgery and tax fraud carried severe penalties under Roman law, including hard labor or even capital punishment,” says study coauthor Anna Dolganov, a papyrus expert at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in the statement.

The papyrus was written in “vibrant and direct” language by a strategizing prosecutor, advising another lawyer about pieces of evidence and anticipating objections, per the statement. The document also contains a “rapidly drafted transcript of the judicial hearing itself.”

As Dolganov says in the statement, “This papyrus is extraordinary because it provides direct insight into trial preparations in this part of the Roman Empire.”

Significant portions of the document are missing, making conclusions about the trial’s participants difficult to draw. Still, the researchers write that the prosecutors were likely “functionaries of the Roman fiscal administration” and suggest the defendants were Jews. The papyrus also makes mention of “an informer who denounced the defendants to Roman authorities.”

As Live Science’s Kristina Killgrove writes, the papyrus sheds light on the long-debated question of whether or not ancient Jewish people owned slaves. The document mentions that Saulos’ family owns multiple slaves, but whether those enslaved people were Jewish is unclear.

The trial’s location and the case’s outcome also remain mysterious. Per the study, proceedings may have been interrupted by the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Somehow, this papyrus ended up among a collection of documents stored in caves in the Judean Desert—the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were rediscovered in the mid-20th century.

As study coauthor Fritz Mitthof, a historian at the University of Vienna, says in the statement, the papyrus showcases the Romans’ governmental reach: They regulated private transactions even in remote regions of their empire.

By Sonja Anderson.

#1900-Year-Old Papyrus Records Roman Tax Fraud Trial #Hebrew University of Jerusalem #greek papyrus #Roman Emperor Hadrian #Bar Kokhba #Dead Sea Scrolls #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #roman history #roman empire #Ancient Greek #ancient israel

276 notes · View notes

fourorchid · 2 months ago

Text

“Obedient Thing”

— Chapter 3 —

Description: The monotony of your day to day life as a lab assistant is suddenly interrupted upon meeting Viktor, a researcher at the academy, who has a gaze that pulls you apart and knows exactly how to piece you back together. His voice, his actions—they’re dizzying, frustrating—but madly addictive. Curiosity and happenstance seem to render you incapable of avoiding him as you come to terms with the newfound feelings he’s unintentionally (or maybe intentionally) stirred within you.

Chapter Index:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3 (here)

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

— Viktor x fem!Reader | ~3.6k —

Disclaimer: Chapter three is here! I’ll warn you now, there is a lot of tension and build up in these next few chapters so please be patient with me. Hopefully the wait will be worth it. As always, I appreciate any comments/feedback! Enjoy ~

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The following days of the week go by without much of note—which you are grateful for—until Thursday morning when you received a call from Jayce.

“Look, I know you don’t have any reason to trust me when I say this, but I’m not messing with you—he really could use an extra hand. He doesn’t like to admit it, but he’s drowning in work right now,”

You couldn’t deny that Jayce sounded believably sick as he spoke over the phone, genuine sniffles and everything. And you were relieved he decided not to come in to work to pass it along, but—

“And there’s not really anything for you to work on with where we are right now in the test trials if I’m not there to run it,” Jayce added, which you knew was true.

“Could I just take the day off instead?” You asked, trying to find a way out of it.

“I mean—“ Jayce paused as you heard a muffled cough on the other end of the line, “You can, but you’ll miss a day’s worth of pay.” He spoke truthfully, but with the intent of pushing you toward a certain answer.

You mulled over the two options in your head before reluctantly picking your poison.

“Fine.” You huff. Nerves tingle through your limbs and you felt a fluttering in your stomach at what you had just agreed to—an entire day of work as Viktor’s assistant. And as much as you didn’t want to admit it, the idea of spending time with the man was intriguing. Mostly nerve-wracking—but still intriguing.

“Thanks, y/n, I’ll let him know you’re coming.” Jayce spoke sincerely but you could practically hear his shit-eating grin through the receiver.

“Bye, Jayce—feel better.” You sounded entirely unimpressed but he knew you still wished him well. Your phone landed haphazardly on the bed where you tossed it as you moved towards the bathroom to get ready.

* * * *

Upon reaching the numbered lab room Jayce had provided, you give the door a hesitant knock. There’s a pause as you muster up the courage—with a turn of the handle, you begin your descent into the lion’s den.

Your eyes quickly make their way to Viktor’s frame where he stood over his desk. Setting his work down, he looks in your direction. A glint of something flickers through his eyes as he speaks but his composure makes it hard to decipher.

“Good morning, Miss y/n.” Viktor’s voice travels smoothly across the room.

“Good morning,” You reply politely, giving your best impression of someone whose heart rate hadn’t just jumped through the ceiling. You will yourself to calm down with a deep inhale as you walk into the room.

“Jayce said you would be working alongside me today?” Viktor clarifies.

“Yes, if you’ll have me.” You nod as you respond politely.

“Of course I’ll have you.” Viktor’s voice is measured but something in his words makes your face feel warm. He walks around his workspace to face you. He pats the top of the desk next to him, “Come, sit.”

You find yourself doing as he asks without question, grateful for the invitation as your feet had begun to feel as though they were sinking in quicksand. You move to the desk and half sit on top of it, your legs now hang off the edge, your feet grazing the floor slightly. You feel more steady now with something to brace yourself against. Viktor continues.

“What is it that you usually do?” He asks, trying to gauge your typical duties.

“Usually, I just do what Jayce asks of me.” You offer simply.

Amusement flits across Viktor’s features as he cocks his head to the side, raising an eyebrow before continuing. “I see. So you just…do as you’re told?”

Immediately, you realize your mistake, stumbling over your words slightly before responding. “Well, given that I’m an assistant, that’s sort of in the job description.”

Viktor wore a careful smile as he nodded, appreciating your attempt at deflection.

“Of course—I suppose it’s my job to make sure you’re up to the task then, hm?” His voice lilts playfully but his words have a certain weight to them. You swallow hard.

Today is going to be torturous.

“Don’t worry, my request of you is rather straightforward.” Viktor reassures you. “I would like you to categorize some articles I will need for reference—first by topic, and then by findings.” He explains simply. You give him a skeptical look.

“That’s it? I was under the impression you had more that needs to be done?” You question.

“Mm…and what is your point?” Viktor doesn’t disagree but clearly has no intentions of changing his mind. You look at him confounded. He notices you falter and offers a reminder in rebuttal.

“You said you do what you’re told—no?” Viktor recounts, his voice a bit deeper than before. Your head spins and you’re not sure how to reply. Knowing it was a rhetorical question, he adds, “This is all I want from you today. No other complicated tasks. No pesky Jayce. No distractions. Just you, sitting and doing as I asked.” He finishes, his words final.

Despite the objections fighting their way up your throat, you offer a silent nod indicating you understand. He seems pleased by your agreement. You move to stand up but Viktor—decidedly liking the sight of you perched atop his desk—stops you. “No, stay there.”

You aren’t sure what to do besides wait idly as Viktor leaves and returns shortly with a folder of articles in his free hand and a small pillow borrowed from the couch in the lounge under his arm. He props his cane against the side of the desk as he passes you the papers.

You’re suddenly caught off guard as Viktor takes his hand and gently pats your knee, gesturing for you to turn to your right and scoot forward. The contact is electrifying. You follow his silent command as he places the pillow flat behind you on the desk.

“Now, move back for me.” Viktor instructs, his voice low and coaxing. You feel dizzy as you follow his instruction, sliding backward to place yourself on top of the pillow. “Comfortable?” The single word from his mouth is sincere but also taunting in nature.

“Mhm.” You reply stiffly as you bring your gaze to the file of papers he had handed you. Viktor moves to sit at the desk, now facing you as he begins his work. Your legs hang directly to the side of where he sits in his desk chair. If you weren’t careful, you might accidentally bump into him. Viktor brings his attention to his unfinished calculations from yesterday, seemingly unfazed by the current set up.

“Relax, Miss y/n.” Viktor’s voice gently pulls you from your thoughts. His gaze remains fixed on the spreadsheet in his hand.

“I am relaxed.” You retort, suddenly all too aware of how you are holding yourself; every muscle in your body feeling unnaturally taut.

His eyes flicker up from his work to appraise you. “I can see your body language. You’re tense. Would you prefer to sit somewhere else?” Viktor offers almost mockingly, daring you to forfeit.

And you’d rather die than admit defeat to this man—so you take the challenge.

“No, this is fine.” You breathe out.

“Good.” He purrs back in approval.

And you immediately knew Viktor had you right where he wanted you.

* * * *

It took a moment, but focusing on the task at hand allowed you to forget the circumstance you had found yourself in. You felt more at ease now as you meticulously sorted through the folder in your lap. Flitting between the piles you had constructed, you realize some paperclips might be helpful. You turn to Viktor to ask but notice a container sitting on the other end of the desk. You get an idea. Without warning, you lean over Viktor and swiftly take the paper clips in your hand. You hold your position just a bit longer than necessary before returning.

“Careful.” His voice dropped to a soft and low warning as you moved back over him.

“Sorry, just needed some paperclips,” you say convincingly.

“Right—just paperclips, hm?” You feel your face heat up as you realize Viktor had caught on to your ploy—a subtle attempt at a power play. Unfortunately, now it had backfired. Your mouth runs dry as you quickly avert your gaze back to the papers in your lap. You berate yourself in frustration over what little willpower you seem to possess while in Viktor’s presence.

You continue sorting for some time until Viktor’s voice draws your attention. “You are doing a very good job so far.” His tone is level and complimentary as he speaks.

“Are you trying to make me feel patronized?” You quip back in suspicion at the simplicity of the task he was flattering you for. He chuckled softly at your skepticism, finding your defensiveness somewhat endearing.

"I’m not trying to patronize you. I am simply being honest." He paused, his eyes flickering up to look at you directly before he adds in a softer but more deliberate tone. “I believe you deserve praise for following instruction so well.”

To your surprise, Viktor seems entirely sincere in his response. The notion stirs something in you.

He carefully sets his pen down, glancing to the clock. “Hungry?” He asks. You notice it was almost time for lunch.

“Mm, not really—I’ll eat later.” You shrug as you offer your response. You knew you should eat now but the thought of acting in accordance to how Viktor expected brought out an uncharacteristically oppositional side of you. Maybe because disagreeing gave you control—something Viktor always seemed to have, and something you were always desperately trying to get back.

He nods to you as he stands, presumably to get his own lunch. Mid Viktor’s movement, your stomach lurches with a loud growl giving away your bluff. He raises en eyebrow providing a knowing look as his eyes trace from your face down your torso. Heat licks at the side of your neck, but Viktor doesn’t say anything as he walks toward the kitchen that was attached to the lounge. Once his frame disappears through the doorway, you let out a shaky exhale in relief that he hadn’t pushed further.

Viktor returns with a container and utensils in hand. And…a bag? Oh—you quickly identify your packed lunch now hanging from Viktor’s hand. He strides back to the desk, setting his food down. He hands you the meal you had packed for yourself, sporting a faint grin as he speaks.

“You are hungry—so I figured you might need this.” He says matter-a-factly. You roll your eyes, setting your packed lunch to the side in defiance as you continue your sorting. Viktor’s gaze remains trained on you. Your cheeks begin to burn as you do your best to ignore his stare—hoping to appear unaffected.

You are too shy to look up as you hear Viktor’s footsteps circling around the side of the desk to stand behind you.

Suddenly, he places his hand around the nape of your neck, gently gripping your skin. Leaning closer, he whispers.

“Eat.”

You freeze at the simple command. You feel dazed and pliant under his touch. At a loss for words, you find yourself reaching for the bag next to you.

Viktor keeps his hand there on your neck, his touch unexpectedly reassuring as you take your first bite. He observes as you begin to eat, a hint of satisfaction crossing his face. Slowly, he removes his hand—but not before giving a slight, almost imperceptible squeeze. You don’t even know how it happened—it was as if he had found some sort of miraculous pressure point that made you surrender.

He returns to his own meal as you both continue chewing silently. You feel your face burning as you swallow. Your knuckles turn white as you grip the napkin in your hand like it was the only thing tethering you down to earth at the moment. You don’t know which would be worse; trying to say something coherent right now or letting the silence speak on your behalf. You settle on the latter, decidedly not wanting to make a fool of yourself more than you already had.

After what feels like an agonizing amount of minutes, you finish your lunch. Viktor shortly follows suit. You move to get off the desk to throw the remnants of your lunch away but Viktor stops you.

“Sit.” He gestured with his hand, indicating for you to stay put. “I'll take care of it." His tone was more relaxed now but still firm.

You do as you’re told, too overwhelmed by how you were still feeling to care. He gives you a once over, clearly expecting you to talk back. Nothing. The corners of his mouth turn up in subtle appreciation of the state you were in.

Viktor walked back to the kitchen with the empty containers. As he returned, he once again leans over your shoulder and whispers in a low, hushed rumble.

“Good girl.”

A jolt of heat runs through you at Viktor’s praise. The two simple words jump start your brain back into motion and send your pulse into hyperdrive.

You let out a wavering breath as you attempt to steady yourself before finally speaking.

“So, am I allowed to get up at all?” You sound weaker than you had hoped but your frustration was still evident.

Viktor moves back to the desk and brings his arms up, crossing them over his chest as he studies you before responding.

“Of course—when you are given permission.” His tone is teasing but part of you has trouble telling if there is some truth to his answer.

You roll your eyes but still find yourself playing along. “May I get off the desk?” You ask formally.

Viktor chuckles as you go with it. “Since you asked so nicely—yes, you may get off the desk.”

You waste no time quickly standing up from the desk. You smooth out your skirt before promptly excusing yourself to the bathroom, desperately needing a break from Viktor’s all-consuming presence.

You take a few minutes to self assess in the bathroom mirror. Before leaving, you run some cold water over the pulse points of your wrists and neck, trying to soothe your rapid heart beat and flushed skin. It barely helps.

Upon your return, Viktor hands you a second folder of articles to sort through. His hand brushes against yours as you take it. You can’t help but assume it was intentional.

“This should be the last of it.” Viktor explains. You nod and resume your seated position on top of the desk to get back to categorizing. But before you can start, the sound of Viktor’s voice commands your attention.

“You know—you are very…responsive, Miss y/n.” Your eyes flick to Viktor’s amused expression as he speaks.

“Do you like this? How it makes you feel?” His voice becomes quieter and deeper, his tone hypnotic as he continues.

“How I make you feel?”

The world suddenly closes around you at his words. You feel as though a spotlight were pointing directly down on you and there was no way to hide from it.

“What are you getting at?” You speak through gritted teeth, your disposition suddenly on edge.

“It’s as though you enjoy being told what to do—in a way that most people don’t.” His voice is a low purr as he explains. His eyes narrow on you awaiting your response.

You let out an overwhelmed sigh as your composure slips.

“And…what if I’m not ‘most people?’” You speak meekly. Your cheeks flush pink with embarrassment as your admission hangs in the air for what feels like an eternity.

Viktor finally cuts through the silence as he speaks.

“It does not matter if most people do not feel that way. You clearly do.” His words are stern but reassuring. “There is nothing wrong with that, Miss y/n.” He adds softly. Your breathing becomes steadier as you let Viktor’s words sink in.

“And I, for one, enjoy it.”

His golden eyes read tenderly but his words strike you hot and heavy. Suddenly unsure of what to do with yourself, you move to cross your legs where you sit on the desk. The room feels stuffy as tension floods your senses.

There’s a pause before Viktor brings your attention back to the task at hand.

“That is all—you may return to your sorting.” he instructs. You nod, decidedly glad for the pivot in subject.

Upon returning your focus to the folder in your lap, you begin subconsciously shaking the leg you had crossed over your lap. It was a nervous gesture; one that gave away the unbearable tension you were feeling at present. Your subtle movement had the entire desk vibrating. Viktor looks up at you, recognizing the state he’s put you in. His hand moves toward you, closing over the bottom half of your leg.

You look over to Viktor at the contact but his eyes stay trained on the page of notes in his hand. You feel his thumb begin to rub small, slow circular motions against your skin, his touch almost absentminded but no doubt purposeful.

You feel yourself melt into his touch. Your fidgeting stops but your focus doesn’t return. All you can pay attention to is Viktor’s movement. His touch only has you feeling needy for more. You try to suppress the feeling—but it’s quickly spiraling out of control.

“Viktor,” You speak his name—pleading it, almost. You feel utterly intoxicated by his presence, his words, his touch; everything about him has you absolutely reeling.

He looks up at your plea. Noticing the glossed-over look in your eye, and the way your thighs hugged one another—he understood you were at your limit. He released his hand, returning it to the desk. “Please, Miss y/n. Continue.” He speaks the order gently, trying to help you find your bearings.

You take your bottom lip between your teeth, sucking in a deep breath before exhaling through your nose. After a long pause—you manage to pull yourself together enough to continue the task you had been assigned.

* * * *

The following hours go by in a haze. And before you realize it, your day of work has come to a close.

“Have you finished sorting?” Viktor asks. You nod, “Yes, I have.” You affirm, handing him the folders now full of categorized and paper-clipped piles of references.

“Excellent, you may get off the desk now.” Viktor speaks approvingly. You oblige. As you move to collect your things, Viktor’s tone turns curious. “How did you find today? Any objections to the tasks I gave you?” He inquires.

“No, it was all very…simple.” You try to find the right descriptor but a single word can’t even begin to encompass how you felt about the events of today.

He cocked an eyebrow slightly, a hint of intrigue in his expression as he observed you carefully before replying. “Simple…is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

“I don’t know.” You admit softly, overwhelmed at the idea of trying to explain all of the thoughts and emotions swirling inside you.

Viktor notices the hint of uncertainty in your voice. He leans in a bit closer, his voice a touch softer, but still authoritative. “Let me ask you a different question then, hm?"

You nod, indicating for Viktor to continue.

“Did you find your experience today…enlightening? Did it help you better understand some things about yourself?” Viktor’s hands move to clasp the top of his cane as he stands.

“Yes.” You reply sheepishly, your voice nearly a whisper. Viktor takes note of your response before pausing for a moment. You take the opportunity to add your own request.

“May I ask you a question?” Curiosity fans the flame inside you as you speak.

Viktor moves his cane in front of him as he leans his back against the desk. A flicker of intrigue shows in his expression as he accepts. "Of course. What is your question?"

You swallow before speaking more firmly.

“How many other lab assistants have you pulled this on?” You ask. Your tone is more accusatory than you expected but you have the right to know, nonetheless.

“A fair question.” Viktor hums the start of his response, not expecting such a bold inquiry.

“This is not the first time I’ve had this…experience with an assistant.” He explains candidly.

Viktor’s answer is equal parts intimidating and intriguing as you feel your pulse climb up your throat. But there is something about his honesty that you find reassuring.

He offers a subtle but warm smile. “It’s alright, I can tell you are curious. But I’d like to ask one final question in return.”

You nod for him to continue. His gaze steadies on you as the words leave his throat. “How open are you to being…challenged, Miss y/n?”

The concept makes your stomach flip and your head spin.

“I’m…not sure what you mean.” You respond hoping to get clarification. Viktor lets you both sit in silence for a moment before he waves his hand dismissing the thought.

“Don’t worry about it just yet.” He assures you, not needing an answer right now. The seed had been planted regardless.

“You are free to go. I have some things I need to attend to before I turn in for the day.” Viktor speaks, relieving you from your work.

You finish grabbing your things and head towards the door, glad for the day to be over. You feel the cool metal of door handle against the heat of your palm as you turn it to leave.

“I will see you around, Miss y/n.” Viktor speaks his farewell, almost like a promise.

“Good evening, Viktor.” His name falls from your lips in an almost seductive manner. You exit the lab, closing the door promptly behind you.

You run a hand through your hair in an exasperated gesture as your legs carry you out of the academy building and back to your apartment.

You spend the next few hours distracting yourself with mindless tasks—doing laundry, cooking dinner, washing the dishes from said dinner, scrolling through your phone.

Now it’s late and your eyelids feel heavy as you curl up in bed. You will sleep to take you but it holds out. As you lie in limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness, your thoughts wander to the events of today.

But you find that your capacity to make sense of any of it has been utterly exhausted. And what you were left with was something more primitive. An urge—primal and hungry. An appetite that was soon becoming insatiable. Like an animal that had just gotten a taste of something they were positively starved for.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

#arcane #arcane viktor fanfic #viktor arcane #viktor fanfic #arcane viktor smut #arcane fanfic #dom viktor #viktor x fem!reader #viktor x reader #viktor smut #i cant tell if i like this chapter #actually i think ive just been staring at it too long

128 notes · View notes

badboydevotee · 3 months ago

Text

His Heart, Once Frozen

Summary: Jin Kamurai, the once formidable ruler of Frostheim, finds himself tormented by feelings he can no longer ignore—you. As he isolates himself in his chambers, he struggles with his emotions, longing for the warmth you bring into his cold world. Unable to resist any longer, he ventures into the night, determined to see you. Finding you at the Academy, exhausted from work, he awkwardly offers his presence, unable to admit the true depth of his feelings. Despite his aloofness, one thing becomes clear—no matter how much he denies it, he will always return to you.

The frost-laced halls of Frostheim were as eerily quiet as ever, the chill in the air settling deep into the bones of those who dared linger.

Jin reclined on his bed, cigarette balanced between his fingers, the tendrils of smoke curling up towards the ceiling in lazy spirals. His icy blue eyes, usually so sharp and unreadable, held an unusual softness as he gazed at the ornate portrait hanging on the wall across from him.

A sigh left his lips as he flicked open his lighter, the flame momentarily illuminating the solemnity in his gaze. The soft flicker of light cast shadows over the contours of his face, highlighting the conflict that warred within him.

He had tried, so desperately, to shove down the emotions that had been clawing their way to the surface. To ignore the way his thoughts drifted to you more often than not. To dismiss the warmth that spread through his chest at the mere mention of your name. But it was futile. He had fallen, and there was no climbing back up from the abyss that was you.

He had always been confident, sure of himself, unwavering in his decisions. But this—this feeling—rendered him utterly helpless. You had become an enigma he couldn’t decipher, a mystery he was drawn to unravel. And yet, the mere thought of baring himself to you, of showing you the depths of his affections, left him feeling exposed in a way he had never known.

“Damn it…” Jin muttered, dragging a hand through his silver-blue hair, frustration evident in his tone. He was the heir to the Kamurai family, once the formidable ruler of Frostheim, and yet here he was, lying in bed like some lovesick fool, unable to focus on anything but you.

What were you doing now? Probably busying yourself at the Academy, drowning in endless paperwork after years staying in the Academy. The image of you, brows furrowed in concentration, lips slightly pursed as you worked, flashed through his mind, and Jin felt his chest tighten.

He wanted to see you. To hear your voice. To feel the warmth that only you could bring into the cold world he had shut himself in. But he knew better than to act on impulse. He wasn’t the kind of man to simply admit his feelings outright—not when he wasn’t even sure how to deal with them himself.

With a heavy exhale, he let his gaze drift back to the portrait he imagined. You were unlike anyone he had ever met. The way you carried yourself, the way you never let his sharp words push you away, the way you saw him—not as the heir to a powerful family, not as the ruler of Frostheim, but simply as Jin. It terrified him. And yet, he craved it. Craved you.

His fingers absentmindedly traced the cool surface of the lighter as phrases played in his mind, unspoken confessions hidden within them:

Mona Lisa, a sight to see her…

Immersed in endless flattery…

A bitter chuckle escaped him. You weren’t like the countless admirers who fawned over him for his status, his power, his name. No, you saw through the icy exterior, past the carefully constructed facade. You saw him, and somehow, that was both the most terrifying and most exhilarating thing in the world.

The room suddenly felt too suffocating. He couldn’t stay locked away in here any longer, not when his thoughts were consuming him whole.

With a resolute sigh, Jin pushed himself off the bed, crushing his cigarette in the ashtray before grabbing his coat. He didn’t know what he would say when he saw you. Hell, he didn’t even know if he was ready to say anything at all.

But one thing was certain—he needed to see you. To remind himself that you were real, that this wasn’t just some fever dream he had conjured in his loneliness.

And maybe, just maybe, he would find the courage to tell you the truth.

That you had become the warmth in his cold world.

That you had melted the ice around his heart.

That he was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with you.

Jin didn’t waste time. Before he could second-guess himself, he stepped out into his room. His breath came out in pale wisps, but the chill did nothing to cool the fire that burned inside him.

He reached the Academy faster than expected, his mind too preoccupied to register the journey. The halls were dimly lit, most students having retired for the night, but he knew exactly where to find you.

Papers were scattered across your desk, your brows furrowed in concentration as you worked beneath the warm glow of a lamp. You looked exhausted, but still, you persisted, biting your lip as you read over another report.

Jin hesitated at the doorway, suddenly feeling ridiculous. What was he even doing here? Barging in like some desperate fool in the middle of the night. But before he could turn back, you looked up—and your eyes met his.

Surprise flickered across your face, followed by curiosity. “Jin?”

His throat felt tight, but he forced himself forward, stepping into the room. “You should take a break,” he said, voice softer than usual, betraying the turmoil inside him.

You blinked, tilting your head. “Are you worried about me?”

He scoffed, looking away. “Don’t flatter yourself.” But there was no bite to his words, no sharpness in his tone.

A small smile tugged at your lips as you stood, stretching your arms. “Well, since you’re here, why don’t you keep me company for a while?”

Jin exhaled through his nose, pretending to consider it. “Tch. Fine. But don’t get used to it.”

But even as he said it, he knew the truth.

He would always come back to you.

Song Inspo:

Ao3 vers.

#yumejoshi #yume #tokyo debunkers #tokyo debunker x reader #fluff #tkdb #romance #romantic fluff #jin kamurai #jin kamurai x reader #tokyo debunker #Spotify

132 notes · View notes

phantomamour · 2 months ago

Text

𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨𝐰

coriolanus snow x test subject!reader (written in third person)

~•*⁀➷ part one

cw// heavier in themes with human experimentation and major character death - mention of drugs and injury - dedicated to my favorite @milliesfishes who was a major part of why this lil au even exists <3

Subject 004717 - Experimental use of antiarrhythmics - Undated

Ingested 3000mg of antiarrhythmic at 14:37. VG Brachycardic at 14:53. VG. Cardiac arrest at 15:12. VG.

Coriolanus read the time on the wall when he entered the lab. 16:58. He was late and painfully so. Nearly three hours had passed since he was supposed to arrive in the lab, and now he found it empty, Gaul having left for the day and not bothered to clean up entirely. She knew he’d show up eventually. For that reason, she hadn’t put her notes away yet; it was his job to catch up on what he’d missed.

Shrugging off his jacket, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Things seemed well enough in order, and few things lay out of place along Gaul’s desk. Yet every creak of the pipes in the walls sent chills down his spine that he couldn’t place the reason for. Even as he set everything back where it belonged, there was a whisper in the wind of the ventilation system that felt too high-pitched, like a warning siren trying to tell him to run.

17:12, the clock read as he sat down to finally catch up on what he had failed to be present for. There were days he wanted to long for the cruel torture of Highbottom’s revenge during the academy rather than be stuck in terribly long exams and annoyingly tedious papers. He would have much rather been present for the experiments Gaul had planned that day on some new use for the jabberjays he knew well. But as he reached the end of the report, he noticed two more pages attached to it. The first one was addressed to him.

Coriolanus felt a pain in his chest as his eyes scanned the words, searching for the meaning in her rhymes to decipher her reason for leaving him something personally addressed. The longer he couldn’t make out the meaning, the harder it became to breathe until he looked at the final attached page—experiment notes. There hadn’t been a second experiment scheduled for the afternoon, but his eyes scanned the subject number, his heart stopping at the immediate recognition.

His girl.

She wasn’t scheduled to come in that day. He would have gone to her that night with his plan to get her out safely. He had figured out a temporary way to stop her heart, as he remembered reading about in some old sick love story. He would be able to fake her death long enough to get her far away from Gaul and never be harmed again. But it seemed Gaul had beaten him to the experiment. Antiarrhythmics. The same drug he had used to formulate his escape plan. But this wasn’t a unique formula he had concocted. It was the largest dose he’d ever seen in any of Gaul’s notes he had read. She wasn’t in the lab. She couldn’t be. He hadn’t seen any evidence of her when he walked in.

15:12. Almost exactly two hours before his arrival, Gaul had written that her heart had stopped. It had to be some cruel joke, a lesson for him to take away and learn from. He’d never try to cross her again if he could just know his girl was safe and alive. He didn’t want to believe it. If her heart had stopped… if she were dead, there would be a body. But the lab was surprisingly clean. He tried calling the phone he had set up for her in her small, decrepit apartment on the edge of the Capital. No answer. He tried again.

“Pick up. C’mon, sweetheart. Pick up. Tell me you’re home.” His eyes darted over to the clock on the wall. 17:34. He kept mumbling to himself, nearly tossing the transmitter across the hall when he got no answer again. He resorted to searching the lab for any sign of her. It wasn’t until he had passed one of the rooms reserved for Gaul’s mutations that he caught a glimpse he’d never be able to forget from the corner of his eye.

He opened the door slowly, hesitant that he might wake her, as though it wasn’t the only thing he desperately wanted to do. Her body lay on the floor in a heap, like she had been simply tossed in and forgotten about. Her hair lay spread out on the cold tile, not too dissimilar to the way it had lain on his pillow the few nights he had convinced her to come back home with him instead. Fingers trembling, he made his way across the room to her. She looked so peaceful, admittedly too peaceful. Even in his arms, he had never been able to fully soothe the furrow of her brows after everything she had been through.

Coriolanus moved to kneel next to her, noting how her chest didn’t rise at all, and her deathly pale skin sent shivers down his spine. If he had just been on time… She was limp as he lifted her into his arms, not making a single sound. What he wouldn’t give for one more of her secret laughs. The ones he managed to slip out of her after the long days under Gaul’s microscope; the ones he knew only he got to hear. He had let himself do the one thing he swore never to do again with her, and Gaul had used it against him.

Her head lulled against his chest as he moved to sit them down against the wall, a sensation he could almost convince himself was a conscious choice of her own. But she hadn’t moved; it had been a cruel trick of gravity. His hands were still shaking as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, unsure if his voice would stay steady if he dared speak.

She had died alone. He knew Gaul was no comfort in her last moments, that she likely taunted her until her dying breath, and every ‘what if’ his brain could conjure ran through his thoughts. What if he had spoken out against Gaul sooner? What if he had come up with his plan faster? What if he had just been on time to the lab? He would have been an hour early. He would have had an hour to figure out how to stop Gaul–how to save her.

Time passed slowly as he held her, counting every eyelash, every freckle, until he was certain the numbers would remain in his mind forever. She still had the scars of Gaul’s old experiments and the bruises and cuts of one from mere days ago. Cuts that he had cleaned and bandaged for her himself… when she was still alive. He had already memorized the placement of each scar before, but he went over her again like clockwork. The cut on her collarbone, the bite on her side, the long scar down the center of her chest. The antiarrhythmics hadn’t been injected; there was no sign of what had killed her, and maybe that had killed him a bit inside as well. She died as quietly as she had tried to live. Trying to sneak through the capital as quietly as a mouse, make enough of a living to support herself, and live peacefully. He hadn’t been able to give her that.

He pressed his lips to her hairline, feeling the soft edge of a scar even there. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to make it better this time. There were many nights that the right words had come to him, comforting her when she thought she was better off dead. But now that she was the latter, every word in every language escaped him. He had hurt her with his own hands and his silence. Worst of all, he had abandoned her when she needed him most. There was no argument there. He had killed his songbird, and now he had killed his very own mouse.

Perhaps the poison had been within him, a slow release infecting those he kept close, taking all the good from his life and leaving him in the desolate aftermath. He’d burn her apartment down. He’d bury her amongst the ashes. She would be nothing more than a memory to him, a reminder of what he could never allow himself: a weakness… a vulnerability. His story wasn’t built to support love; it was meant to destroy it.

#coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow imagine #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus fic #coriolanus fanfiction #coriolanus snow #coryo x reader #coryo x you #coryo snow #tom blyth x reader #tom blyth fanfiction #tom blyth imagine #thyme!reader

110 notes · View notes

janluxe · 3 months ago

Text

DECODE — CALEB / XIA YIZHOU

–summary; one of his daily attempts to teach you Morse code.

–contents; smut with no plot.

–wc; 536

–a/n; just an idea I wanted to entertain (:

Caleb knows Morse code.

It's no secret, considering his position in the military. But he was fascinated by this way of communication even before he got in the academy, and he even tried getting you into it as well.

Needless to say, his attempts weren't exactly fruitful.

You only bothered to learn one sentence that he had taught you, 'Caleb, is a stupid, big dummy' tapping the tip of his finger against your hand and watching you expectantly. His face brightened the moment you returned the gesture, a hint of a pink hue creeping on his face and ears.

.. / .-.. .. -.- . / -.-. .- .-.. . -... / - .... . / -- --- ... -

Which literally translated to; 'I like Caleb the most.' But you didn't need to know that.

Perhaps this time around, you'd actually appreciate the lesson. He slowly halted, still buried to the hilt inside your seeping cunt and giving you the chance to focus on his fingers. "Come on, baby, I taught you better than this." Caleb cooed, lips slowly grazing the back of your neck while his heart fluttered against the exposed surface of your back.

Your dear gege had always been unpredictable, even in the most inconvenient situations.

He was softly tapping away on the sensitive skin of your lower abdomen, the gesture seemed innocent – trying to remind you how to decipher Morse code as if his tip wasn't kissing the same cervix he bruised a few moments ago.

Your brain worked overtime, barely holding onto your sanity by a thread threatening to snap. hold, tap, hold, and he went on until you had something to work with.

-.-- --- ..- .----. .-. . / -- .. -. .

"You're not even trying, pipsqueak." His whisper was the only thing breaking the silence. Your mouth opened and then closed again, only a few shaky breaths and incoherent gibberish left your throat.

His fingers tracing small circles on the surface of your skin distracted you even more, yet you knew he was expecting an answer.

Your body fitted perfectly against his. Two halves of the same whole. His muscular yet lean figure complimented yours as he trapped you under him.

Sweat dripped down your frame while you struggled, "I don't like this game." You shifted closer to him, seeking the friction he denied you.

"Hey, hey." You could tell he was caught off guard when he twitched ever-so-slightly inside you, "How about this, if you can decode the first three letters then I'll give you what you want."

"Sounds like a deal, pips?" He hummed, feeling the subtle vibration send a shiver down your spine. He was holding back as much as you were, he was just better at hiding it.

A weary sigh escaped your parted lips before you could even process it – mind and body too fogged up with need to act properly, "Y-O-U" you spelt out, not hesitating one bit. Maybe what you had picked up from him didn't go to waste entirely.

A rush of pride washed over him, and you were there to witness his expression shifting. "Atta girl," He coaxed playfully, his usual smug glint returning on his face as he set a comfortable pace. "You're getting there, Honey. You just need more practice."

A promise and a threat. At least now you knew what he had in store for you.

#caleb love and deepspace #caleb x you #caleb x reader #caleb smut #caleb lads #lads #love and deepspace #love and deespace smut #im just a girl #character x reader #x you #xia yizhou x you #xia yizhou x reader #xia yizhou #short drabble #mdni

115 notes · View notes

wallflowerwritesstuff · 2 days ago

Text

Promise?

Your calendar has everything.

Except your birthday.

Caleb's Version is up first :)

dividers by firefly graphics.

“What’s this, pipsqueak?”

You look over your shoulder as he digs around the items on your desk rather than help you clean like he said he would. Placing the nth box you’d dug out of retirement on your dresser, you smile a tiny but at the stack of calendars he pulls out of another slightly more beaten box.

“Such a pack rat,” you murmur to yourself, walking over and taking one from the top. You flip through it and sigh at how empty it is. You really need to get better about filling it out.

“These are—”

“Calendars.”

His expression shifts as he flips through another one, his eyes scanning each month with growing interest. He places last year's down and goes to the very bottom of the pile to spot the familiar apple-themed one. Your messy handwriting and random letters you swore spelled something way back when littered the back, but the front remained untouched.

“You kept it,” he whispers quietly, thumb brushing over the faded but otherwise intact cover.

You watch him closely, noting the way his eyes softened. When he met your eyes, you could see it…the debate of whether this was a conversation to have or allow to end.

You chose for him, reaching out as your fingers brushed along the cover as well.

“I did. I know it started as a joke about my bad memory,” you say with a smile, this time missing the twitch of his lips and brows at your words, “But it became a habit. One I carried with me even into adulthood. All thanks to little Caleb.”

He pushes the air from his nose, amused as he flips through it with a lot more care than the first. You let him bask in the moment, holding the most recent to your chest silently.

“You were such a kid,” he says with a grin. “Always keeping score.”

You moved closer to peek at what he was referencing. It took you a moment to decipher what you’d written, misspellings and all.

“Allowance day- Meanie Caleb owes me and Zayne an old popsicle each,” you read, scrunching your nose and feeling your face warm. It was short-lived, a realization hitting you soon after. “Hey…I don’t think you ever paid up!”

Caleb rolled his eyes. “In my defense, I couldn’t find ‘old popsicles’ anywhere! Zayne said the place he got them was closed and every popsicle I brought to you, you denied.”

You squint at him, not accepting the explanation.

“You promised.”

“So should we get the band back together and go hunting for old popsicles?” Caleb questions with a raised brow, flipping through the rest of the months before grabbing the next year’s and doing the same. You two went back and forth, topic changing every time you found something that spurred your memories to rise to the surface.

Your high school years are where things got really interesting much to your chagrin, Caleb laughing as he held it out of your reach and drank every written word in different colored pens.

Pens he’d gotten you as a gift after ruining your fancy dress shirt in the wash after forgetting a pen in a sweater pocket of his.

“Every basketball game and PT appointment, huh?” he hums as you hiss his name in warning, debating a sneak attack until he hands it to you without much fight at all. When he grabs the next, you feel a bit of relief that it was from after graduating. Those were much more sparse than the previous. University had taken a lot of your time and energy, only for you to then jump into the Academy once you realized you wanted to become a hunter.

Part of you wonders whether Caleb’s encouragement or the dreams of that bright light that saved you way back when was the final nail in that coffin.

“Man, you had a pretty packed schedule before graduating,” Caleb points out. “No wonder you would always be out cold when I came home to visit.”

You ignore the comment, watching him go through them faster with how little detail there was compared to the older ones. He eyes the one in your arms, which you give without much thought if it meant he would leave you alone. The sooner he was done nosing around your past, the sooner you could….

You freeze, turning back to face him as your lips part.

“Caleb—”

“You wrote our death anniversary,” he whispers, like it was harder to breathe at the realization. He flips through the months once. Twice. “But not your own birthday?”

You pick at the skin of your lower lip. You genuinely hadn’t thought much about your birthday. It wasn’t like it was your official birthday anyway.

It was just a day. A reminder you’d wished to avoid.

“Why so surprised?” you asked, gently nudging him and trying to make the air in the room lighter. “Between being a Hunter, random wanderers appearing on a whim, it’s probably a cursed date,” you joke, but Caleb didn’t laugh or tease you as usual.

Instead, he sighed, placing the desk calendar back on the stack and keeping his hand there for a moment.

“It isn’t a big deal,” you try again, picking at the fabric of your pajama pants.

And it wasn’t. Not to you. The only reason you’d celebrated was because other people seemed to want you to. Important people.

People who hadn’t been around last year for reasons outside of their control.

“Did you at least spend the day with someone?” Caleb asks quietly. “Anyone?”

You hadn’t.

Zayne had been away on some research project.

Tara had been at an office in another city at the time.

Xavier had disappeared to who knows where, returning the next week as if he’d never left with an injury you’d forced him to let you treat.

Each had sent birthday wishes or belated birthday wishes which you accepted with a bit of hesitation, but the day of?

You’d gone on a mission much to Jenna’s confusion.

You’d come home after getting drenched by the rain that invited distant thunder and lightning to Linkon City. You’d curled up in bed, listening to the worsening storm and imagining those ‘silly’ birthday celebrations that involved party poppers the moment you walked through the door.

At least those loud noises provided nostalgia rather than fear.

You clung to the memories, pulling your blanket over your head and closing your eyes while clinging to a plushie.

Picking the confetti from your hair as Gran and Caleb crowded while singing around you.

The hugs from Gran that became weaker every year without her realizing, making you hold on a bit tighter.

(not tight enough.)

The hugs from Caleb that became stronger every year until he no longer needed his evol to lift you up to spin around.

(you needed to catch up.)

“Pipsqueak?”

You snap out of your thoughts. “I can’t give you an answer you want,” you admit. “But I wasn’t forgotten if that’s what you’re worried about. I got birthday wishes and little presents from the people around me.”

It wasn’t enough if the look he wore while eyeing your carpet was any indication of how he felt.

You nudge him again, this time linking your pinky with his own as his focus shifted to you in an instant.

“Stop wallowing. If you feel that strongly about it, then spend my next birthday with me,” you state. “And the one after that…and after that—”

You suck in a breath when arms wrap around you, all too familiar.

You hadn’t realized how much you’d needed it until you wrapped your arms around him, too.

“Deal,” Caleb promises, lips pressing a kiss to your temple.

It shouldn’t have made your heart skip a beat.

“I get it,” you say while trying to cool your cheeks and ears. “Now help me like you said you would, decluttering this room won’t happen if we’re standing here all day.”

Caleb doesn’t let go right away, easing up slowly and allowing you to pull away first.

He places the calendars back into the box, not daring to touch them as you make piles of things to donate, throw away, or keep.

And months later, you come home to a new desk calendar and flip to the current month.

You look through it with a knowing smile, fingers brushing against the familiar handwriting and tracing the apple-like shape drawn around the date.

Pipsqueak’s Birthday.

#love and deep space #lnds x reader #lnds caleb #l&ds caleb #lads caleb #love and deepspace caleb #caleb love and deepspace #xia yizhou #xia yizhou x reader #xia yizhou love and deepspace

56 notes · View notes