#help me I could talk about the london team for hours

[ratherembarrassing]

2024: weeks 36 through 38

here are some things i had thrown into a note

beetlejuice beetlejuice (2024). cute! enjoyable but not mindblowing, but representative of a the middle class of films that no longer exists and which i miss dearly.

corridors of power (bbc, 2024). i'm still making my way through it, but if you're excited by seeing formerly powerful people say absolutely batshit crazy things about the exercise of that power, this might be for you too.

maria abramovich's this or that for GQ germany.

and now: LONDON (a chronological series of happenings)

airplanes: still miserable. i do think that we need to rethink international airtravel, because 23 hours in a plane is just ridiculous. nonetheless, in keeping with tradition, i had a pretty good 8-9 hours sleep, which i measured by having hotd on and every few hours waking up to wonder what all the screaming was about.

immediately spent money on clothes: it could not be helped. i've been staying walking distance from brick lane and these things happen. now i own a levis jacket that's as old as i am that fits me perfectly, as god intended.

food: part 1. took my cousin, who is also in london on holiday rn, to dishoom, per literally everyone's recommendation. you were all entirely correct.

food: part 2. abuelo in marylebone, served me some vanilla fig jam on a plate of random other foods that was, without exaggeration, the most delicious thing i have ever eaten. i literally asked if i could buy a jar. i could not, and i will feel sad about this for the rest of my life.

punished for the crime of being interested in a crime: the british museum. the parthenon room was closed, so what even was the point. anyway, i was generally unimpressed, with some exceptions (who amongst us is not moved by the existence of the rosetta stone, also a very good prints and drawings exhibition). but also my god, would it kill them to install some aircon (a sentiment i have felt applies to almost everywhere i have been in london thus far)?

very far away: kingsmeadow. opening week for my beloved chelsea, i could have wept from happiness. sat next to a local woman and her husband who come every week and talk about the team like they are each girl's parents and biggest stans, and it was entirely perfect.

did i mention: CHAPPELL FUCKING ROAN. yes, i queued for like five hours. i was 68th in the priority queue, which is behind the vips but in front of everyone else. all i did to get in that queue was buy an o2 sim card for £20, which i needed anyway. it was fun, everyone made friends, you could come and go as you pleased and we all made sure everyone got their spot back even as we were repeatedly shuffled up the side street behind the brixton o2. it was nice and wholesome and exactly what you would expect from the 99% of people who aren't assholes and also into this lovely woman. the rest is just a blur of askldhjalsk. objectively, she's not the best performer going right now, the show's not overly produced beyond a set list of songs and a bit of banter, and absolutely none of that matters in the face of how quietly charismatic she is and the absolutely insane set of pipes she's got. it was fucking intense, man. zero regrets about the time and money (oh my god, the money) it took to make this happen, delighted to have corrected my grievous mistake of choosing not to go to her show in melbourne last year.

i don't think my insurance covers this: ebiking across north and east london. first attempt was, uh. ill conceived, and i will never recover from seeing my phone go flying in one direction into the street as i went skidding along in the wet, still in the bike lane. phone's fine, i'm fine, not sure why i decided today was the day to ride a bike for the first time in 15 years. second attempt went much better.

sportsball 2: this time bigger! like the absolute turncoat that i am, i also went to arsenal's opener at emirates with 40k other people. sat next to a woman with her 13 year old daughter who come every few months and who noted early on, pointedly, that it was unfortunate we weren't sitting on the other corner, where we would have been closer to the WAGs. love this mum for this kid.

food: part 3. i just ate the most delicious burger i've ever eaten, wtf???

coming up: i fought a battle with booking.com, and i won, and tomorrow i'm off down the south coast for a few days. LA's roads didn't kill me, but london's might.

[wileys-russo]

Alexia Putellas, “just let me in and accept I’m not going anywhere”, reader’s kitchen

a.putellas II cross the line

you grunted as you worked the dough, sleeves rolled up to your elbows and sweatshirt dotted with flour as you punched, rolled and kneaded it across the board.

with a sigh you grabbed your rolling pin, flattening it before repeating the actions all over again, oven chiming to alert you that it had finally pre heated.

repeating the routine twice over you picked it up and dropped it into a shallow pan, sprinkling the foccacia with oil and massaging it in, gently prodding in holes and finishing it off with some rosemary and seasalt.

you sighed with relief as you carefully closed the oven door, rolling your shoulders and neck which were heavy with tension, making a mental note to con your girlfriend into giving you a massage later not that it often took much to convince her to get her hands on you.

a hot shower helped to melt away a little of the tension, and a thorough washing of your hair helped you to feel like a human being again and not a bag of flour.

you left your skin care for before bed and got changed into a pair of your girlfriends national team shorts and a shirt so large the two of you could have fit into it.

you were happy with how the bread was progressing, your first timer going off as you set multiple other alarms, knowing this next block of time was the most crucial.

baking had always been an escape for you, something taught to you by your grandma and passed down, your sundays spent at her house learning all her tips and tricks while your mum worked her second job to keep a roof over your head.

you'd first met alexia when she was in london for a nike shoot, the photographer a close friend you were temping for while on break from university.

there was a miscommunication from her team which lead to a somewhat heated conversation you could see she felt uncomfortable about, hanging awkwardly to the side while her agent lead the charge.

you'd stepped in and asked if she'd liked a coffee, assuring you were doing a run anyway and that it was no bother to grab her one on the way. she'd accepted but bargained she had to come with you, a little reserved at first but eventually the two of you got to talking.

and as everyone says, the rest was history.

you heard alexia's keys jimmy with the lock, front door popping open as her footsteps sounded in the hall, a small grunt as she wrestled off her trainers and a gentle thump of her gym bag hitting the floor.

"hola mi amor." you greeted with a warm smile, meeting her halfway in a tight hug, laughing as she exhaled tiredly into your neck making you squirm and poke at her sides.

"are you baking?" she mumbled into your shoulder, hunched over as you hummed and slipped a hand down the collar of her top, scratching gently at the base of her neck.

"stop that!" you laughed as once more she exhaled, pushing her away and ignoring her whine of annoyance as you did so. "i have not seen you all day." your girlfriend complained with a slight pout, hands tugging at the back of your shirt.

"you've been gone for three hours!" you rolled your eyes playfully, spinning away from her grabby hands and back into the kitchen. "exactly! tal tortura." alexia huffed, lips still turned downward into an annoyed pout.

"pobre bebé." you mocked as her eyes narrowed but once again you dodged her reaching for you. "i'm baking." you warned with a coy smile, your girlfriend throwing her head back with a dramatic groan as if she'd just been shot.

"the bread does not need your attention princesa, i do." alexia tried to follow after you but grunted as your hand shot out stopping her in her tracks. "nice try putellas, you know the rules." you warned, booping her nose making her scowl.

"this line-" you trailed your finger from the counter to the stove. "-is not to be crossed." you wagged your finger at her. "esta es una regla estúpida!" the footballer argued, still hovering right on the line.

"it isn't a stupid rule when you cook and i am not allowed past it, is it?" you challenged, hands on hips and raised eyebrows. early on in your relationship you and alexia established you both adored the use of the kitchen, only there was just one small problem.

you both hated sharing that space with someone else, even one another.

so the line rule was implemented to save future arguments, and most of the time it worked a charm. however your girlfriend was a passionate woman and fiercely stubborn, and when she wanted something there wasn't much that could stand successfully in her way.

"ale please i spent so long working on this bread i really need it to be perfect!" you sighed as her hand shot out and grabbed your top pulling you over the line, nose tucking into your neck as gentle kisses were fanned across the skin.

"such a perfectionist." your girlfriend teased quietly, silencing your quip back as she pressed her lips properly against yours, the timer going off in the background.

"no no not yet, little more cariño por favor." alexia purred, strong toned arms wrapping around your hips as she held your body captive, back pressed to her front and lips peppering kisses across your neck.

"ale!" you sighed, eyes fluttering closed for a moment as she kissed a little less sweetly, teeth grazing your shoulder. "mm?" she hummed, large hands squeezing your hips as your eyes opened and you spotted the oven, brought back down to earth.

"no!" you groaned, pushing against her and catching her off guard as she stumbled and you darted back into the kitchen. you ignored her complaining about a lack of attention as you sprayed the top of your bread with a spray bottle of oil.

"vale you fussed over your bread, my turn." alexia stomped her foot not unlike a child throwing a tantrum making you smile in amusement. "later, the bread is almost done amor be patient." you winked, bending down to peer through the glass of your oven.

"so i cannot cross the line, sí?" alexia clarified as you hummed, not thinking much of it. though as you turned around, that all changed. "alexia!" you laughed in disbelief seeing her pulling herself up onto the counter.

you watched on as she spun her body and shuffled forward slightly, dropping to the ground with a wolfish grin. "did not cross the line." she took a deep bow as you rolled your eyes. "you are so-" you started to lecture as her grin grew.

"no no." her finger pushed against your lips silencing you as you raised an eyebrow. "just let me in and accept i'm not going anywhere princesa." your girlfriend smiled cockily, drawing your body closer into hers.

"that is because you are so stubb-" you started, words swallowed by the rosy pink lips which pressed against yours, breath hitching as her hands slid around your hips and cheekily squeezed at your ass, alexia using this to slip her tongue into your mouth.

you resisted the urge to moan as her hands pinched and squeezed, paying all of your body just as much attention as your mouth and sending your head into a spin.

but then, you smelled it and pushed away, spinning around and dropping to the oven.

"putellas if this bread is burnt you're sleeping outside for a week!"

[russo-woso]

Russo with a breeding kink where she begs you to cum inside her

Please || Alessia Russo

Warning smut 18+, breeding kink, strap on, cunnilingus

Walking out of the tunnel, you had felt just how cold the London air was.

Goosebumps started to rise on your arms from a mix of the coldness, and the cheering coming from a sold out emirates.

You looked across at your teammates and opponents.

They all had jackets on, your teammates wearing identical ones to yours.

Looking down at your mascot, you realised that he had no jacket on. Just an Arsenal kit on.

He was only about four years old and at that age, the cold was like glass. Dangerous.

“Are you cold, little man? Would you like my jacket?” You asked crouching down and smiling at him.

With a small nod of his head, you unzipped it and wrapped it round his shoulders.

Alessia, your girlfriend, watched the event from further down the line, her heart swelling at your caring and thoughtful manner.

Her heart wasn’t the only thing that was affected.

As you carried on making conversation with him, making him laugh and smile, before carrying him back over to his dad who was in the tunnel, Alessia continued watching, her ovaries feeling like they were exploding.

Her mind couldn’t stop wondering to the thought of you with yours and her’s future children.

Alessia pushed the feeling to the side, focused on the match.

But you didn’t make that easy for her.

As you gathered round for a team talk, you rested your hand on her waist, pulling her closer to you, and squeezing it.

Images of your hands gripped to her waist flashed in Alessia’s mind. Her head was against the pillow, her eyes rolled back.

The worst thing about all of this, was the fact that you two had never sat down and discussed the topic of kids.

You’d been dating just over a year but one of you chickened out just before asking the other.

When the whistle blew, Alessia tried her hardest to push the thoughts out of her head.

She knew this was a big match and desperately wanted to try and get on the score sheet.

And that’s what she did, with a 4-1 win over Chelsea, Alessia bagged two goals, but as soon as she met eyes with you, her mind was clouded again.

You had celebrated with your teammates before going over to a little girl who seemed to be upset.

Alessia watched from afar. The way you hugged her so gently to the way how you spoke to her, it all made Alessia desperate.

Desperate for her and you to talk about kids, but also desperate for you to get back home so she could reveal some new information that only she had developed within the last few hours.

After a team gathering, Alessia couldn’t take her eyes off you.

During the talk, you could feel eyes on you and you looked around the circle and met eyes with Alessia.

You could tell she was deep in thought with the way her eyebrows had furrowed slightly.

As the team separated, you made your way over to Alessia putting your hand in hers as you walked back to the changing rooms.

“Baby, where are we going? Are we even allowed to be back here?” Alessia questioned as you took her to one of the storage rooms near the changing rooms.

“What’s wrong, Less? I’m worried. You’re constantly thinking. I feel like you’ve been zoned out since we walked onto the pitch.” You told her, holding her hands and rubbing your thumbs over them.

Alessia thought for a moment. She thought about whether to wait until you got home but decided against that, wanting to know your opinion now.

“Do you want kids?” She asked and you widened your eyes.

It had come out so straight forward that it had taken you by surprise.

“It’s just that I saw you with the little boy and girl and I couldn’t help but think about what it would be like if we had kids, but then I realised we’ve never discussed it. Then I thought that you might want kids, but not with me.” Alessia continued as your face dropped at the idea of her thinking that.

“Is that what’s been on your pretty mind? Of course I want kids, lessi. And I definitely want kids with you. I’d want nothing else than to have a baby with you. Now, is that the only thing that’s been on your mind?” You questioned her, noticing how her face changed as if she was embarrassed. “Remember, you can tell me anything, pretty girl.”

“It’s just, I thought about our future kids but I also thought about how you would you know.” Alessia responded, her answer vague and leaving you with no answer.

“How I would what?” You asked, your hands on her waist now.

“How you would fuck me if you could get me pregnant.” She announced, by the looks of it, shocking herself at her boldness.

A smirk appeared on your face as the thought flashed around in your head.

“Get your things, we’re going home. I’m gonna fuck you so good when we get home.” You whispered the last bit in her ear, pressing a light kiss to her temple before walking out like nothing had been discussed.

————————

The ride home was silent.

Both, you and Alessia, deep in thought about what events would unfold when you got home.

As you walked through the door, you dropped your stuff on the floor, immediately picking up Alessia bridal style before carrying her up the stairs.

You placed her in the centre of the bed before climbing on top of her.

Hungrily, you placed your lips on hers, Biting down her bottom lip to allow your tongue to slip in her mouth.

In the meantime, your fingers played with the hem of her shirt.

You pulled it above her head, catching your breath before latching your mouth on her neck.

Small whines escaped Alessia’s mouth as you sucked on her pulse point.

You lifted her back, reaching to unclip her bra.

“I’m gonna fuck you so good, Less. Gonna fill you with all my babies.” You whispered as you kissed the valley of her breasts.

In response, Alessia just let out a moan, telling you that she wanted this badly, and she had wanted it for a long time.

You continued kissing down her body, Alessia squirming at every one of your kisses.

As you reached her pussy, your tongue instinctively swiped through it.

You moaned into her pussy, the taste of her and Alessia’s hands in your hair making it pleasurable for you.

You continued to lap your tongue over Alessia sweet spots.

Alessia and you had always explored sex since you started dating and so it was safe to say that you knew Alessia’s body as if it was yours.

You knew exactly what pressure to use when at certain points of her body, more specifically her pussy.

Flicking at her clit, you could tell she was getting closer by the second.

The way how her core started clenching every time you added pressure, the way how her fingertips pressed harder at your skull.

Just before Alessia tipped off the edge, you stopped what you were doing and took your face away from her core.

You looked up just in time to see Alessia groan and throw her head back against the pillow in annoyance.

“It’ll be worth it, pretty girl. I promise.” You said, pressing a kiss to her cheek as you leaned towards the bed side table, grabbing the new strap you’d bought days prior.

This strap also happened to be the biggest strap that you’d ever used on Alessia.

You attached it to the harness before setting it up on you.

Alessia stared at you as you put it on, her eyes widened at the thought of you inside her.

“You’re gonna be a good girl and take it, okay? I’m gonna make you a mama, gonna get you pregnant and you’re gonna have my baby.” You told Alessia whilst lining up the strap with her pussy. “You’re gonna be such a pretty mama.”

You pushed the strap more and more into her before eventually, your hips met her skin.

“Feel good, pretty girl?” You asked her, gripping onto her hips.

“So good. So fucking good.” Alessia mumbled, pleasure clearly running through her body.

“I’m gonna cum right there. ‘m gonna make sure you get pregnant. I want you to have my baby so desperate, lessi.” You said, thrusting harder and deeper into her.

Alessia’s moans increased in volume as you kept making comments about her being pregnant.

This is what she had dreamed of for weeks, ever since the thought popped into her mind.

“Oh god. I’m gonna cum, Y/N. Please cum inside me. Please.” Alessia begged, her mind solely focused on the pleasure coursing through her veins and the thought of you coming in her.

“I will, pretty girl. Don’t worry, I will.” You promised her, continuing to thrust into her so you could tip yourself over the edge.

Low groans escaped past your lips as your high took over.

Your ground into Alessia, getting you and her through your highs.

“Fuck. I think I enjoyed that more than you.” You told Alessia, gently slipping out of her before laying down next to her.

“I can’t tell you how much I wanted that.” Alessia whispered tiredly as she rested her head on your bare chest.

“I meant what I said, Less. I do want a baby with you. Not now, obviously. But when the times right, I want us to have a baby.” You admitted, playing with her hair.

“I want us to have a baby too.”

“I promise we will.” You said, pressing your lips to her forehead. “We’ll have a baby. But for the time being, I think it’s best if we stick to the baby making process.”

Requests are open :)

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Ooh! A wonderful interview with Rich Keeble who played Mr. Arnold (the one with the Doctor Who Annual :)) in S2! :)❤

Q: In Good Omens 2 you play Mr. Arnold, who runs the music shop on Whickber Street. Were you a fan of Good Omens before joining the cast, and is it challenging to take on such an iconic story which is already loved by a huge fanbase?

A: “There’s always pressure if you’re working on something with an existing fanbase and people might have an idea already as to how you should be approaching something. To be honest I was aware of the show but I hadn’t actually seen it before I was asked to get involved. I knew it was something special though! I remember talking to Tim Downie [Mr. Brown] about how when you tape for certain things you know if something’s a “good one”. Of course by the time I was on set I’d watched Season 1 and read the book. 

I had an interesting route into the show actually: I was asked at the last minute to read the stage directions at the tableread on Zoom, and Douglas [Mackinnon] the director called me up to discuss pronunciations of the character names etc. To prepare further I quickly watched the first episode on Prime Video, and I was very quickly drawn into it. A couple of hours later I was on a Zoom call with David [Tennant], Michael [Sheen] (with his bleached hair), Neil [Gaiman], Douglas and the whole team, including Suzanne [Smith] and Glenda [Mariani] in casting. After that readthrough I asked my agent to try and see if she could shoehorn me in and she came back with a tape for Mr. Arnold saying “you play the piano don’t you…?” They wanted me to demonstrate my musical playing ability, so I rented a rehearsal studio room in Brixton for an hour and filmed myself playing piano (and drums just in case), then I did my scenes a couple of different ways and I guess it wasn’t too terrible!”

Q: During episode five you mimed to music written by series composer David Arnold alongside a real string quartet – this must have been very immersive! How did it feel to work with David, and bring the ball to life?

A: “I actually didn’t meet David Arnold sadly, but I did work with Catherine Grimes, the music supervisor who is lovely. David was at the London screening but I missed an opportunity to go and say hello to him which I kicked myself about. 

I remember before I was in Scotland there was a bit of uncertainty as to whether I would need to play anything for real or not, so I practised every day playing loads of Bach and other music I thought was era-appropriate just in case they asked me to do anything on the fly. So yes, it was very immersive as you say! They sent me three pieces of music to learn which I practised in my Edinburgh apartment on a portable folding keyboard thing I bought. They introduced me to the string quartet (John, Sarah, Alison and Stephanie) and I tried to hang out with them when I could. On the day we all had earpieces to mime to. I had to mime while listening out for a cue from Nina [Sosanya] from across the room, then deliver my dialogue and carry on playing, which was tricky! The quartet and I helped each other out actually: Douglas would say something like “let’s go from a minute into the second piece of music”, I’d look at the sheet music and whisper “where the hell is that?” and one of the quartet would say “we think that’s bar 90” or something. Here’s a little bit of trivia: the shooting overran and the string quartet couldn’t make the last day, so they found some incredible lookalikes to replace them for the scene when we get lead out of the bookshop through all the demons, although I think they also kept them deliberately off camera.” 

Q: What did you think of your music shop when you first saw the set? Did you have a favourite poster or prop?

A: “I thought it was incredible! It could’ve been an actual music shop with all the instruments hanging up with the “Arnold’s” price tags on. The attention to detail was incredible, well IS incredible as I understand it’s all still there. It’s hard to pick a favourite to be honest. I did a little video walkaround on my phone at the time so maybe I’ll post that if I won’t get in trouble. Interestingly the shop interior itself was elsewhere on the set to the shop entrance you see from the street. You walk out of Aziraphale’s shop, over the road, through the door of the music shop and… there’s nothing.” 

Q: Mr. Arnold is tempted into the ball by a Doctor Who Annual and is playing the theme in the music shop scene – are you a fan of Doctor Who in real life? And what was it like making those jokes and references in front of the Tenth Doctor David Tennant?

A: “I’ve always dipped in and out of Doctor Who over the years since Sylvestor McCoy, who was doing it when I first became aware of it when I was growing up. Even if you’re not a fan it’s one of those shows you can’t really get away from, so doing that particular scene in front of David was really fun, and of course Douglas had directed Doctor Who as well. Apart from the amusing situation of two supposed Doctor Who fans talking about Doctor Who without realising they’re in the company of a Doctor Who, I also seem to remember Michael being the one to suggest that he would deliver his “due to problems at the BBC” line directly to David.

Oh, and I think it was actually my idea to grab the annual off the harpsichord before joining the queue behind Crowley at the end of the ballroom scene (which we’d shot weeks earlier at this point). When we were blocking it out and rehearsing I knew I had to leave my position and get to the front for my “surrender the angle” line, and then later it just felt like I wouldn’t leave without the annual so I ran back through everyone to grab it. Nobody seemed to have a problem with me doing that so I just carried on doing it when we shot it! I do remember it being a fun set with Douglas and the team being very open to suggestions.”

Q: How did you balance filming both Good Omens and BBC Ghosts at the same time?

A: “Luckily both shows were a joy to work on, and everyone seems to know about both of them. We were shooting them in early 2022 and I also had a little part in an ITV drama called ‘Stonehouse’, starring Matthew Macfadyen. I usually never know when I’m working next so to have three great TV jobs at once was very unusual. There was all this date juggling and I actually almost had to turn down Ghosts due to clashes. Luckily both shows had to move some dates so it worked out. But yes, I spent two weeks up in Scotland shooting all that Good Omens ballroom stuff, then I came back down to London to do Ghosts, knowing I’d be back up to shoot my scenes in the music shop in a couple of weeks. Now, when I found out who was playing my wife in Ghosts I couldn’t believe it: Caroline Sheen – Michael Sheen’s cousin! She was amazing and that was another great set in general. I say “set”, but it’s all filmed in that house which surprised me. I’d worked with Kiell [Smith-Bynoe] and Jim [Howick] before, and Charlotte [Ritchie] was in the Good Omens radio play a few years ago and a big fan of the book. Charlotte’s very musical of course and we got talking about my folding keyboard I had for practising my Good Omens stuff, and she ended up setting it up in the house for us to have a play on!

Now, when we’d shot all our internal scenes there was this big storm forecast, and our external scenes were scheduled for the day of the storm, so that had to be moved into the next week. It meant I ended up shooting those scenes outside the house, then going straight back up to Scotland to shoot the Good Omens music shop scene the next day! When I mentioned to Michael I’d just worked with Caroline he said “ooh she’s in Ghosts is she!” and revealed that she’d texted him about me which was rather surreal. Then later after the Ghosts wrap party Kiell gave me a part in his Channel 4 Blap, so at the time I felt like I was killing it career wise, but the industry quietened a bit after that and my workload eased off over the year so I was in my overdraft by November.”

Q: What are your plans for the future – can we expect to see you in something else soon?

A: “This year, after a bit of a quiet start, I was very fortunate to work on a Disney+ show called Rivals which stars… David Tennant! I think I’m allowed to say my character is called Brian, and I shot five episodes so that was another really amazing job, and great to work with David again (I told him he must be my good luck charm, although I hope he’s not sick of me). That should be out at some point in late 2024. Other than that I’ve filmed a few other bits I presume will be out next year, one of which is called Truelove on Channel 4 which actually looks really good. That starts early January. Of course now Season 3 of Good Omens has been greenlit, I would love Neil and the gang to have me back on that… but I can only keep my fingers crossed!”

[archonofdivinity]

Oliver Fog - The Representation of Trade Unions Post-War

When most people talk about Oliver Fog, it’s never through an analytical lens. He is mostly used for the sake of shipping and sibling headcanons. And if his backstory is ever addressed, it’s normally taken wrong. Oliver isn’t a character who just hates work. In fact it could be argued that he is a microcosm of trade union representatives in his time period.

First I must discuss the importance of trade unions on Oliver’s character especially of 1953. I say 1953 because Oliver mentions that he has not worked overtime for 211 days in his anecdote. Trade unions at the time were much more powerful than they were today, and had much heavy tight links to the UK Labour Party, which was undoubtably much more left wing than it is today. The leader of Labour at the time was Clement Attlee who, while no longer Prime Minister, was one of the most influential socialists in UK history and helped to set up the NHS. I bring this up due to Attlee’s influence on the country and left wing politics as a whole, and as a civil servant, Oliver would have been aware of him.

Let’s now take a look at Arsenal. Oliver says he was a fan of them as a child since they were a popular team, but for that we must look at Arsenal’s history to find out how old Oliver would have been. Seeing how Oliver turns 15 in 1952, he would have been born in 1937, just before the outbreak of WW2. Highbury Stadium was build in 1939 and the Football League was suspended for the duration of the wartime period, meaning that it was impossible for Oliver to have seen them at a young age. The earliest he could have seen the team by walking out on his own was at the age of 10. At this point in his life, Oliver would have lived through the death, devastation and brutality of a wartime period and how it left Britain bankrupt. 

Arsenal’s red colour palette is also telling due to it being his favourite team - red is a colour that politically means left wing ideologies, and in the UK is a reference to the Labour Party, as well as its anthem The Red Flag, a socialist song about the labour movement. It’s possible that the fact Oliver’s favourite team being Arsenal was picked especially for this comparison, but at the same time it might just be me leaning in too far.

Oliver has a persistent want of an eight hour work day in reference to the social movement prevalent after the Industrial Revolution, where working hours were long and children were exploited for labour. While the UK to this day doesn’t have an eight hour limit to the work day, there have been major strides, and it was first accomplished in 1889 by the founders of the modern day GMB union. The fact Oliver specifically becomes part of this social movement is telling of his feelings about rights. There’s also his hatred of overtime, which adds onto this.

Oliver’s rant to A Knight could also be alternatively read as a rant on a predatory structure or system.

I’m not even supposed to be here! I’m just a boy, but because of your dreamed-up notions of purpose and responsibility, I was forced to become a Fogwalker. I never wanted to walk amongst the fog. I’m terrified of it… I just want to… I just want to stay alive.

Oliver is without hope at the beginning of his anecdote, lost in not knowing why he so readily took up the position of the Fogwalker. By the end of it he’s become aware of his true beliefs.

The Fogwalker is one who steps into the fog and brings light to others. Fundamentally, it’s a joke like any other, mundane as tightening screws or scooping manure. But that’s not all it is. My father once walked through the fog to bring me hope. On that day, he did the same. “This is my responsibility, and it is our responsibility.” […] On that day in 1952, he also brought hope to the people of London. The hope of survival.

Personally there are a few hints that Oliver falls along left wing ideology such as socialism. This could be especially true of his beliefs in social activism of his attitudes towards labour rights. Let’s take a look at his new garment. 

Version 1.8’s location is Russia, presumably in the 1910s before the Russian Revolution that would later set up the groundworks for the Soviet Union, so already the fact the garment comes out in this version specifically is telling. This garment set as a whole is called ‘Constructivism in Concept’. Constructivism is a theory where people acquire knowledge through experience and conversations, not through just seeing things, which could be reflective of Oliver’s anecdote. The garment itself is ‘See You At The Workers Club’. Workers’ clubs were something set up in the USSR and was a place for workers and their families to relax and also a place for propaganda. It was also sponsored by trade unions. I had to use Google Translate for the writing on the sheet metal, and the text reads, roughly, “let’s protect the eight hour working day”.

It’s easy to interpret Oliver as a microcosm through what he does and what he says. As a whole, he is a complex individual, a traumatised overworked teenager.

[me-loving-woso]

Drunken Confessions

Prompt: Alexia Putellas x reader: - “No matter how much time we’ve spent apart, I never stopped loving you.” - “Why are you staring at me?” “Because I think you’re beautiful.”

Today was the day. Not only Alexia made her comeback, but also we also won La Liga undefeated. 

You didn’t know which thing to be happier for, you winning your first championship since returning to Barça or your best friend returning to do what she loves the most, but most probably the latter option. You were so proud of her; seeing her again on the pitch and holding the trophy up while everyone cheered for her made your heart swell with joy. 

You had known each other since the La Masia days; you were inseparable. Alexia in midfield, you as a striker; you linked up so well that you didn’t need to talk on the pitch, as the other girl already knew what the other was thinking. As soon as Alexia signed for Barcelona, you decided to change air and went to London, specifically at Arsenal; you were a gunner besides being a Barça fan, as Thierry Henry was your idol.

In the beginning, you would talk to her almost every day, as you missed being in each other’s company, you maybe a little more than Alexia. You were in love with her, has always been, so much so that you never moved on from her; you tried and nearly did it, but you couldn’t. She was just it for you. And the fact that you would talk to each other almost every day didn’t help either. Late-night talks kept you awake till midnight, which wasn’t healthy for an athlete, but you didn’t care; you wouldn’t care about anything else if it meant just listening to her voice. 

But as months went by, everyday conversations became weekly, which turned into monthly. You initially didn’t think much about it, but then you realized that you needed to move on, so you tried. 

“I really don’t think it’s necessary,” You said to Leah as she pointed to a dress.

“Oh, come on, for how long you haven’t been on a date?”

“A, this is not a date, it’s a setup, and B, not that long ago,” you say defensively. 

Leah looked at you, tilting her head, “Okay, maybe I haven’t gone on a date in a while, but I am okay with it. I just need to get back to it.” 

You tried convincing yourself while taking the dress off Leah’s hands and going to the bathroom to change. Maybe you were ready. You hadn’t seen Alexia in a year; it was time for you to move on.

All changed in Euros 2022 when she got injured; as soon as you heard that she ruptured her ACL, you had to see her, even though you were in a different team; you played for England, and she for Spain. You asked Ona to help you find a way to meet her so nobody could see you. So the breakfast the day before England and Spain would face each other would be the day.

As soon as you saw her, all the intensity of your feelings for her came crashing; she looked older and even more beautiful than before. As your eyes met, she finally stood up with her crutches, and without saying anything, you went to her and hugged her. After a few seconds, which felt like hours, you put your foreheads together, just like you did when you were younger. 

“I really missed you,” Alexia whispered as a single tear threatened to fall down from her eye. You couldn’t talk, so you just held her a little tighter, hoping she would understand.

From then on, you decided to win the Euros for her, and you did. You won, scoring the winning goal against Germany, celebrating by putting up on both hands one finger to show 11, something that you would do back in your La Masia days when the midfielder assister you in your goals. That goal was for her. 

When Barça called, announcing that Asisat Oshoala would change clubs and wanted you to be their new striker, you didn’t hesitate; your dream was playing with Barça and winning the Champions League. You would miss Arsenal, but you knew this was a step for her to take to become an even better player. 

Being back with Alexia was something that you didn’t expect. All your progress trying to forget her went to zero when you saw the midfielder’s smile as she welcomed you back to the training center. 

All your teammates would tease how you looked together, especially Keira and Lucy; you guys were inseparable, especially when Alexia came back to train with the team. You would link up so well that anyone was scared to do drills against the two of you. You would score goals and dribble past your opponents just by quickly passing the ball to each other. You knew Alexia wasn’t still 100% fit, but you couldn’t wait for that day. 

When that day came, you were ecstatic; she was trying to downplay it, shrugging off your excitement. You were already winning the game, so the only thing that would top it, besides winning La Liga, was if she scored. You tried so hard to make her score, but nothing seemed to work. The game ended 5-2, with you scoring a brace. 

As soon as the game finished, you ran to her and hugged her. She held you up until your legs started to dangle. She put you down and gave your one of the biggest smiles you had ever seen, she was back, and that was the only thing that mattered. You put your foreheads together and whispered, “I’m so proud of you.”

She hugged you again, and nuzzling into your neck, she mumbled, “Stop it, you’re going to make me cry.” You chuckled, letting her go when all your team swarmed you to throw Alexia in the air.

After the trophy celebration, the team went into the dressing room, and then they all went home to prepare dinner with the whole club in the evening. The next day you didn’t have practice, so you decided to celebrate even further with a couple of teammates by going to a local club. You, Lucy, and Keira, were getting ready at your house, and you decided to go for something simple, not too revealing, as you only wanted to celebrate the win. 

“Do you think Alexia is going to come?” Lucy asks as you are putting on some mascara.

“I don’t know. I told her where it was and when, but I don’t know if she will come.”

“Mapi and Ana Maria are coming too, so maybe she’ll stop by.” Keira remarks.

After a few moments, Lucy added, “You know, I never understood the relationship between you two.” You looked at her through the mirror, with your stomach knotting. 

“She’s my best friend.” I shrugged.

“Only that?” Lucy replies suggestively.

“Yes, what are you trying to say?” I answer a little defensively.

“All I’m saying is that the hug you shared today wasn’t that friendly, if you know what I mean.” She jokes. 

“You got the hots for her, and she probably does too for you.” Keira remarks. 

You roll your eyes, “I’m too sober for this conversation.” Sitting on the side of the bathtub while scrolling through your phone.

“So you are not denying it” Lucy smiles. You gave her a disapproving look while slightly blushing. “You guys would be perfect for each other.” She added. 

“I think you should shut up.” You say jokingly. 

“Oh my god, now I finally understand why our little striker is always single.” Keira grinned. 

“I’m not little, and I don’t like Alexia. She’s way out of my league.” You sigh, standing up.

“So you do like her.” You don’t reply, Lucy laughed. “I fucking knew it.” She added.

“I’m done with this conversation; come downstairs when you guys are finished; I’ll call a taxi.” You go downstairs exasperated. 

As they go downstairs, you stand up from the couch and turn to them, slightly hesitating, “So you guys know how I get when I’m drunk.” You tentatively start. 

“Oh yeah, you have no filters when you talk.” Keira laughed.

“I remember when we went to the club after we won the Euros, you said to Leah that—“ You interrupted Lucy and rubbed my forehead, “You don’t have to remind me of that.” 

“Just please, don’t make me say something stupid; I like it here,” I asked.

When you arrive at the club, you are soon greeted by your other teammates, Mapi and Ingrid, Jana and Bruna, Ana Maria, Patri, and Aitana. There was no Alexia, you knew she probably wouldn’t come, as she didn’t like partying very much, but you still hoped. You soon got dragged by Mapi and Aitana to have some shots while Keira and Lucy still talked to the others.

You were drunk. The problem was that when you are drunk, you don’t have any filters; you say whatever comes to mind; sometimes, it's funny, whereas other times it’s not. Other than that, when sober you are not very touchy. Still, when drunk, you like hugging people and sometimes can get over affectionate. So initially, you were scared that Alexia would come and probably say something you shouldn’t. Still, she wasn’t there, so you indulged in some fun. It was already an hour since you came to the club; you were dancing and singing your heart out to songs you probably didn’t even know the lyrics. As you turn to your friends, you see a new figure approaching them, then you recognize her. Alexia was here. She laughed at something that Mapi said, but you didn’t care. You were just too happy to see her. 

You made your way through the crowd to your table, and you jumped in her arms, “Oh my god, you are here!” You say excitedly, slurring a little your words. 

“And you are drunk.” She chuckled. She looked at me properly.

“Pfff, me? I definitely am not. See?” You tried walking in a straight line, failing miserably.

“Yeah, I’m taking you home.” She gently grabs your wrist. 

“Come on, you just came here; at least dance with me for one song.” She sighed. “Okay, Only one, then I’m taking you home.”

“Alright.” You grabbed her hand and dragged her to the dance floor. She never was a good dancer, but you didn’t care. You were dancing with the most beautiful girl in the club, and you were happy. You looked at her, trying desperately to not make a fool of herself; you just smiled and kept looking at her. 

“Why are you staring at me?” She asked shyly. Without thinking, you reply, “Because I think you’re beautiful.” You see her blush at the compliment and give you a shy smile while you just quickly cover your mouth like a little child that said something she shouldn’t. 

“You are drunk.” She chuckles again. 

“Let me take you home.” She offers.

“You can do whatever you want with me, woman; I’m yours.” You say, retaking her hand as she leads you out of the club. 

You get into her car, and she drives. You were sitting in the passenger seat, and you began talking about the most random stuff you could ever imagine. 

“Since when are you so chatty?” She grinned, quickly looking at you.

“I don’t want to fall asleep. And talking helps.” 

“Just sleep. I’ll wake you when we get to your house.”

“No.” You pouted. “I’m a big girl, I will not sleep.” 

“Then go ahead.” You lasted five seconds being silent. Then you continued, “Can I tell you something?”

“Is this some drunken confession you want to make?” She chuckled nervously.

“Well, I probably won’t remember it in the morning, so I guess I’ll say it now, even though I shouldn’t.” You didn’t let her reply when you added. “I just think you are very beautiful, and I have been in love with you for the past eight years, and I can’t stop thinking about you.” She opened her mouth, trying to reply, but you continued again. “And I know that if I were yours, I would try my best to be the best girlfriend ever because you deserve only the best.” 

“Y/-“ You interrupt her once again. “And I know that you deserve better than me; that’s why I never said anything; you are amazing, while I’m just me, and you deserve to be with someone who is just as amazing and beautiful as you are because you only deserve the best. And I’m completely fine with it, okay, maybe not that much, but I’ll get it if you don’t want to talk to me anymore after this. I’ll be very sad, but eventually, I’ll move on. I’ll be okay.” You ramble. You let a quick exhale, and then you finally realize that the car has already stopped.

You look at Alexia for the first time after your big speech; you can only see her smile through the street lights outside the car. You react at her loss of words by asking, “I fucked up our friendship didn’t I?” Tears started flowing down your face, and you felt utterly sober for the first time during the night. 

She put her hands on your cheeks and rubbed off the tears from your skin, and gave you a sincere smile, “You didn’t fuck up anything. Let’s get you inside; we’ll talk in the morning when you remember what I say.”

You just nod, and as soon as you get inside, she follows you to your room; she helps you clean your teeth by putting her hand on the small of your back in support for your dizzy body. 

She helped you to bed, and you held her by the arm as she was about to leave. 

“You don’t feel the same way, do you?” You mumbled sadly, nearly asleep. She let out a shaky exhale as her lips curled upwards.

“ I’ve been in love with you since I saw you the first day at training, and no matter how much time we have spent apart, I never stopped loving you. And don’t say you don’t deserve me because you are the most wonderful person I have ever met, and you, too, are also very beautiful.”

“Yes!” You replied very rapidly, showing all of your enthusiasm to her.

“Now go get some sleep, I’ll come by tomorrow, and we can talk then.” She was about to get up, but you stopped her again, “Can I get a hug?” You whispered shyly.

She laughed and sat down on the bed, waiting for you to change position so you could be seated too, and then she held you in a tight embrace, making you feel all fuzzy on the inside. As you removed yourself from the embrace, you put your foreheads together and closed your eyes. After a couple of seconds, she gave you a kiss on your forehead and whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow, mi amor. Sleep well.”

She closed the lights in your room and shut the door. After a few moments of smiling dumbly at yourself, you finally fall asleep, thinking about the woman who was just here merely a few minutes ago. 

[bo0mcat]

Hi Joker Out Tumblr!

I’m not very active here but after seeing all the comments regarding the recent JokerOutSubs interview in London I had to respond.

I was the one who went to go and interview them in London and the response over the last couple of days has been incredibly emotional, and incredibly overwhelming, so firstly, thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for making me so indescribably happy. Seeing people say that they felt safe watching this interview, and that it’s going to be a comfort video for them, actually brought me to tears on a number of occasions.

I wanted to respond to a few comments that I’ve seen. The questions were mostly devised by me and @alephai . When we were perfecting the questions and going over ways we could make them as respectful as possible, she suggested that we ask permission from Bojan before jumping into personal questions about his anxiety. I immediately agreed and I’m so glad we insisted on keeping it in, even as the questions went through several redrafts. We are both strong advocates of mental health acceptance, and I certainly understand on a personal level how challenging it can be to talk about. We wanted to make sure he had the opportunity to not talk about it, if he didn’t want to, and we were prepared for multiple scenarios.

We also decided right from the beginning that we didn’t want to put our own interpretations on the band. We wanted to frame the questions so they could answer anything they wanted to them, and make it clear that we’re not trying to sensationalise or find some kind of clickbaity quote. A looooot of thought, time and effort went into the questions and we think that the band could sense that there was a lot of love, respect, and genuine admiration for what they do in them. We’re really glad everyone else noticed it too!

We were also really mindful that the questions flowed neatly into one another - for instance, the questions about Bojan’s anxiety got steadily less personal and lighter so it would move smoothly into the questions about music. Again I’ve seen loads of comments about this and it’s so validating to see that the hard work put in was noticed.

We were extremely mindful of appropriate boundaries, and kept the knowledge that we’re ultimately strangers to them front and centre. The main goal on the day was to be as professional as possible. I’m genuinely so happy that they felt relaxed and comfortable enough to open up. I’m glad to say there was never a moment in the room where there was any tension, it truly felt like having a chat with friends! Afterwards, Bojan asked me if I were a professional journalist (which I am not) and it really made me incredibly happy. They are all absolutely sweethearts and some of the warmest, kindest people I’ve had the pleasure to spend an hour with.

The aftermath of the interview was one of the most intense weeks of my life and I have to shout out to every member of @jokeroutsubs who worked on this one. The dedication I saw from the subtitles, translators and video editors was insane. Lots of conversations at mad hours of the morning trying to get this out to the highest possible quality, and I am, as ever, bowled over by the JOS team. To say that joining up with them has been life changing is an absolute understatement, and I’m glad to say that through JOS I’ve met a series of women without whom I can no longer imagine my life. Strong, intelligent women from all over Europe who I now consider to be my sisters, and whom I love incredibly dearly.

I have to mention the message at the end of the interview. This was the product of many months of conversation about the impact of Joker Out on Slovene society between me and several members of the slo team, something that it’s been amazing to learn about from the perspective of an English girl, and we’re so glad we had an opportunity to tell them. Massive thank you again for all the voice notes I was sent to help me practice my pronunciation. I wanted to make sure it was as good as I could possibly manage to show my respect for the Slovenian people, language and culture.

Lastly I wanted to say thank you for all the messages I’ve received complimenting me on this interview. Credit in this case has to be shared between so many people. It was truly a team effort and I’m just so happy I could contribute in giving something back to a band I love and admire, and a community that embraced me with open arms during a difficult time in my life.

I love you all, and thank you all for your wonderful words. X

[the-guilty-writer]

A Prentiss Genius

Request from anon: Prentiss sibling being smarter than Reid. They work in England but is visiting their sister. And in the end it’s just Reid and reader playing poker and chess. (And freaking out the rest of the BAU)

Bonus points if it is an autistic reader

Emily Prentiss x sibling!reader, Spencer Reid x platonic!reader

Summary: When another Prentiss comes from across the pond for a visit, they give the BAU’s genius a run for his money.

A/N: this was fun to write. I hope it’s fun to read! Thanks for the request. Feedback is always appreciated.

CW: typical criminal minds things, mentions of a case, reader gets slightly overstimulated.

---

You put on your best headphones- the strongest noise canceling ones money could buy- and tried your best not to panic as you ducked through the busy airport. On the plane you were able to distract yourself by thinking about the mechanics of the aircraft and how everything was built and engineered. It had gotten you through the flight, but the airport was a different battle.

Emily had been precise about where she was meeting you- something you were grateful for. When it came to busy places like this you didn’t like guessing games. Someone brushed up against you lightly and you felt your body begin to tense. Physical contact was bound to happen in a place this crowded, but that didn’t stop the build of pressure inside you. If you didn’t relieve that pressure soon, you might explode.

Thankfully, your sister was exactly where she told you she would be- sitting on the silver bench closest to the baggage claim trolley for your flight. Just the sight of her helped you relax, and when you saw that she had already taken it upon herself to grab your luggage so you wouldn’t have to be in the crowded building any longer than necessary it helped you relax even more.

She smiled when she spotted you. After a whole year of not seeing one another she had changed her hair style, her signature lip gloss color, and had obviously bought a nicer pair of boots, but her smile never changed. She also knew better than to talk to you or touch you before you got someplace quiet- your sister knew you like nobody else and for that, you were grateful.

Once you were finally in the passenger seat of her SUV, you took off your headphones and took a deep breath. Emily swung herself up into the drivers side and looked over to you. She offered her hand to you and you gladly reached to lock your pinky finger around hers for just a second- a Prentiss pinky hug, something the two of you had invented when you were children and Emily discovered that sometimes a real hug was too much for you to handle.

“I missed you, Em,” you said.

Emily smiled. “I missed you too, (Y/N).” She knew better than to ask you how your flight was. “But now you’re stuck in the States with me for a whole week.”

“You should have seen Easter’s face when I told him I was actually taking a vacation,” you laughed.

“Yeah, well, you haven’t met my boss yet,” Emily said. She turned on the car and began to pull out of the parking space.

“Yet?” you asked.

Emily sighed. “Yeah. I’ve gotta go back to the office for a few hours to finish some stuff up. I can drop you off at the apartment if you need some quiet time. It’ll just be you and Sergio.”

You thought about it for a moment- weighing the pros and cons. Emily’s team had become a family to her. She knew all the people you worked with at the London Interpol office, so it only seemed right that you knew the people she spent most of her time with. Plus, if you were being honest, you didn’t want to be alone in a strange apartment right now.

“I’ll come with you,” you told her.

Emily smiled again. “It’ll be quick.”

But you knew Emily’s job. You worked a similar one back in England. Time at the office was never quick.

---

The BAU bullpen wasn’t all the different from the office back in London. Normally you would have felt overwhelmed in a new environment with phones ringing and people walking about, but the familiarity of it all was comforting.

You followed Emily to her desk and the two of you were quickly approached by a tall, buff, black man. Emily had already told you all about her team, so it came to no surprise when the first thing that he said was, “Well, Emily, aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?” in a playful manner.

“Oh, (Y/N), this is Derek Morgan, and Morgan, this is my sibling, (Y/N),” Emily introduced you.

Derek smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” you said to him.

The glass doors of the bullpen opened and a woman in a bright yellow dress hurried in. Derek turned to her. “Baby girl, where are you in such a hurry?”

The woman didn’t respond. She simply shuffled quickly up the stairs and into someone’s office. You watched as she talked to a dark-haired man who was sitting behind a large wooden desk. His expression was stoic, but when he got up from his seat he walked with purpose.

“Team in the conference room, now. Even you, Prentiss,” the man said as he walked towards what you assumed was the conference room. Derek said something about gathering Reid and JJ- two names you recognized- and walked off.

Emily sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, (Y/N).”

“It’s fine.” You shrugged. “I get it. I had to flee the country so they didn’t pull me into a case.”

Emily laughed as she walked toward the conference room. “That’s why I usually come to you. Hopefully it’s just an emergency consult. Make yourself at home. There’s tea in the kitchen!” She disappeared behind the conference room door.

You made yourself comfortable at your sister’s desk. The star puzzle you had given her years ago sat at one corner. You pulled it from its place and took it apart before piecing it back together. Most people said it was impossible, but puzzles had always been easy for you and they should be considering you had an IQ of 188.

Out of curiosity, you looked up at the conference room. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, but you could see the images on the screen. A slim blonde lady with a remote was gesturing to the images. She pressed a button and the picture changed. It was a picture you had seen before- no. It was a picture of something you had seen before.

Your inherent curiosity carried you forward and before you knew it you were standing in the doorway of the conference room, the star puzzle still in your hand, your gaze unwavering from the screen.

“I’ve seen that before.” The words came out of your mouth before you could stop them. You were so entranced by the image you didn’t even notice all the people looking at you.

“Who are you?” The words of the stoic man broke your trance.

Emily stood up from her spot at the table and came to your side. “This is my sibling, (Y/N). (Y/N) this is Agents Hotchner, Rossi, Jereau, Penelope Garcia, and Dr. Reid.” She gestured around at the people at the table.

“How have you seen this before?” Rossi asked.

“I work for Interpol,” you explained. “The symbol carved into the wrist on the victim- it’s the same symbol that a European hacking group used to sign their viruses. We shut them down about a year ago but I had a suspicion that there might be more members outside of the continent we hadn’t found yet.”

“Well that narrows it down a lot,” Derek said.

“Tell the NYPD that we’re on our way, JJ. Wheels up in twenty. You too, Prentiss,” Hotch said to your sister.

“No, no wait,” you said. Everybody sat down and looked at one another. “The body was found in New York?”

“Yes,” JJ said. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“They’ve murdered two times before this; once in Brussels and again in Israel. They left the bodies in Antwerp and Tel Aviv, the largest cities, but the group’s headquarters were in the capital cities of Brussels and Jerusalem. It’s a forensic countermeasure. Chances are the group is here in DC. My guess is that you don’t have the right software to track them, but your counter intelligence division should.”

The team looked around at one another. “Garcia, go down to counter intelligence and see if they will allow you access into their system,” Hotch instructed. Garcia scurried from the room. “(Y/N), is there anything else we should know?”

You let out a heavy sigh. “This might take a while.”

Rossi smiled. “Then pull up a chair.”

---

It didn’t take long for Garcia to locate the headquarters. Soon enough, the team was gearing up to go out on a take-down.

“Prentiss,” Hotch said. You looked up at the call of your name, but he was talking to Emily. “We’re going to need you to come with us.”

Emily looked towards you. “Will you be okay here by yourself?”

Today had been a lot for you- between hours on a plane, then navigating the busy airport, and meeting and working with several new people. It was rather draining.

“I can stay with them,” Reid offered. “The medical doctor still hasn’t cleared my knee for running or climbing.”

You and Emily locked pinky fingers for a second before she followed the rest of her team out of the room, leaving you alone with the young doctor.

You were beginning to become bored with the star puzzle- you had already done it 23 times since you got there- so you looked up. Reid was playing chess against himself. You watched as he studied the board carefully, then moved a pawn forward.

“You should have moved the knight instead,” you said. “You’d have check in three instead of check in five.”

“You play?” Reid asked. You nodded. Without another word, he reset the board and moved it so you could reach the pieces better. He moved first with a conservative single pawn forward. You smiled- this was going to be too easy.

---

“It’s… freaky,” Morgan muttered.

“It’s uncanny,” Rossi agreed.

“It’s something.” Emily smiled. 

“It’s time to get back to work,” Hotch said. But nobody moved, not even him.

For the last hour the team had sat around watching you and Reid play chess- you had won 7 times and he had won 5- and now poker. Currently, he had won three games and you had won two, but with the hand you had it was surely going to allow you to tie up the score. Reid set his hand down and you smiled, setting down yours as well.

“But-” Reid looked at the cards. “The probability of that hand is-”

“0.0001%,” you finished for him.

“How in the world-” JJ started.

Emily laughed. “(Y/N) has an IQ of 188. Just one point above Reid.”

“Oh, our poor good doctor,” Garcia cooed.

“Pretty boy finally met his match,” Derek joked.

“You think we can steal them away from Interpol?” Rossi asked.

This time you answered for yourself. You turned to the team and said, “Not a chance,” just before Reid began dealing out cards again.

[cheriladycl01]

The Rookie Prodigy - Carlos Sainz x Driver! Reader Part 7

Plot: You are a rookie coming into the 2022 season of Formula One into Alfa Romeo with team member Zhou Guanyu, being in a mid tier team can you help them rise up the ranks. What pressures occur for the only rookies within the 2022 line up!

You were scared to be anywhere right now. You couldn't go home, and you no longer felt safe in London. The reason you weren't at Free Practice or anything else was because you'd not only missed your first plane but you were in the police station.

Someone had broken into your house and many notes had been left, the death threats had increased in your DM's after the picture of you and Lewis and your house had been trashed.

You were so shaken, you didn't know what to do when you first found your house like that. You didn't know who to call or where to go, you were completely alone. You called your dad not really knowing who to go to.

He was over in half an hour to find you sobbing on the floor of your apartment. He was the one who phoned the police and phoned ahead to your team explaining that you wouldn't be there with them. And to potentially prepare fo you to not race.

You'd been quick to shut that down, saying you'd make it for qually just not the free practices as the police needed you today and by the time you could get on the next flight to Miami FP2 would be well underway.

This is why you'd turned up to the track so tired.

You also didn't feel safe anywhere at the track when you were there. Everywhere you went it felt like someone was following you or that someone was going to do something.

That's why you'd also remained so close to your team and tried to go as undercover as possible.

You didn't feel like you could go home to your parents as it was an impact to them and even though Fred Vasseur had offered to accommodate you before Spain you also didn't want to impede on his personal life.

You thought the only option was hotel hopping until the Spanish GP but that didn't seem financially possible.

So you phoned the one person you thought might be able to help.

"Hello?" you sigh into the phone from your Miami hotel room.

"Hello?" the thick Spanish accent comes through and you sigh relieved you had the correct number.

"It's Y/N, L-Lando gave me your number!" you explain and you can hear the rustle of some sheets before he replies.

"Mmmmm, what did you need hermosa?" he asks with a yawn, and you bite your lip in anticipation not wanting to ask him the question.

"Can we talk, in your room please? I need to ask you something!" you say and Carlos instantly can tell this is serious.

"Of course hermosa, room 407!" he says and you hang up. He was a few floors above you, so you took the lift up to the fourth floor. It was a short ride but you were legging it out the door the minute you could, eager to see Carlos.

You stand outside the room, a second of hesitation before you lightly knock. You are about to knock again, worried he didn't here you when the door swings open and you are pulled into the room.

"What's going on with you ...!" he asks looking at you and for the first time since the incident your eyes start to fill up with tears. You pull him into a hug and the way his arms encase around you made you feel safe and secure.

It was this incredible kind of bear hug.

"I-" you start but your words physically don't come out.

"Take your time its okay!" he says guiding you to the sofa in his room and making you take a seat.

"I need somewhere to lie low before the Spanish GP, i was hoping if it's not too much to ask if I stay with you?" you choke out and he looks at you in shock.

"This isn't me saying no, so don't take this the wrong way. But why? What's going on. Everyone is worried about you!" Carlos pushes and you nod, knowing it was better to tell him what happened. That's what the phycologist in the police station told you anyway.

"My house was broken into... and there were notes in the house that were death threats and my DM death threats have increased since the whole me and Lewis picture ..." you sniffle looking up at him and he pulls you into a hug again.

"What do you mean broken into, what notes?" he asks and you hand him your phone that had all the pictures for evidence.

"Holy shit!" he breathes out.

"That's why i missed out all the free practices, i missed my flight and was in the police station submitting a report... I'm so scared and I don't feel safe anywhere anymore" you explain tears coming to your eyeline. Carlos looks you dead in the eye, holding both sides of your face before pulling you in for a gentle kiss.

In the moment, needing that comfort you lean closer fully taking him in.

He pulls back and you smile.

"Y/N, I will be there for you whenever you need me! You can stay with me as long as you need to. I promise no questions asked" he offers holding one of your hands in your lap, holding an intimate sort of eye-contact with those puppy dog eyes of his.

"Thank you Carlos, I can't thank you enough!" you smile pulling him into a hug.

"Could i - stay for the night. I'm scared to be alone in my room!" you say awkwardly feeling like you are asking for too much.

"Come on. Lets get you to bed!" he smiles pulling you into him and walking over to the bed. You were already in pajamas so you settled into the bed, facing where he would get in and lay down.

He lays down under the covers next to you, facing you as well. You both just look at each other in a calm understanding.

"You are so beautiful!" he smiles pushing some hair behind your ear. You cant help but blush and close your eyes to try and control your breathing at his warm touch.

"Are you so sure we can do this mi amore?" he whispers at you a teasing tone in his voice, and you can feel the blush on your cheeks rise even higher.

God, if you were going to be living with this man and his family how would you survive.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall l @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[suckerforcate]

okay, if you're ready for angst, i got a prompt for ya:

kate x reader, reader sacrifices the self for kate in some manner and BARELY makes it out alive, kate is angry and terrified and Feelings emerge.

make me huuuurrrrt 🫠

Sacrifice

Pairing: Kate Lethbridge-Stewart x fem!Reader

Word Count: 1668

Warning: near death, angst

Summary: You push Kate out of the way to save her and get hurt

A/n: This took long! So sorry! I had it nearly finished, but then I hated the end. So I changed it and I'm still not too happy. The end was a bit if a shuffle. Hope you still like it!!! Would love a repost, like or comment!!! Ly <3

■----------------------------------------■

It had been a hell of a day. And on top of that it was your birthday. Not the greatest birthday you'd had. It had started as a slow day, lots of paperwork for Kate. A few meetings you had to usher her to and remind her to eat in between them. She always managed to forget that somehow.

She had promised you a short day, to go home earlier and celebrate a bit. You didn't tell her that you didn't really have anyone to celebrate with and would rather stay by her side. Instead, you smile thankfully. But all that was forgotten the second Osgood came rushing out of her lab with unusual readings just out of London, a little into the countryside.

From that moment on it was pure chaos and stress. Different readings, all unusual and unfamiliar. All scientists trying to make something of it and failing, even Osgood. Kate was calm and collected, but you saw that it took a toll on her. She'd again failed to eat, and you were rushing after her with a sandwich in hand. It took you an hour to get it into her completely.

At some point Osgood had isolated the signal and had a location for you. Kate put together a team of scientists and soldiers to get out there and look at it. The drive was excruciatingly long, the rush hour on the streets not helping at all. For a second your mind drifted to the bottle of wine and take out you could have right now. At home, on your couch.

All in all, everything went well. No one had died in the field, only a few were injured. But every attempt of Kate's at diplomacy had been shut off and failed. So in the end you had used sheer force and a lot of bullets.

Osgood was disappointed that you hadn't found out what species the aliens had been. That you hadn't learned more about them, but Kate promised her to take one of the dead bodies back to HQ for studying. That at least made her beam.

Everyone was clearing up, injured soldiers being brought to the Doctors. The alien, whatever it was had some sort of venom in its system that paralysed humans. Apparently it was in its tongue, as some soldiers had been practically licked by the creatures. But nothing much happened besides being temporarily paralysed, so it didn't seem too bad. Until it suddenly seemed very bad.

You'd been talking with Kate, going over some logistics of taking a dead creature back unnoticed to HQ when you heard a sizzling somewhere very close. It was unmistakably the sound all the aliens had made when ready to attack. Mere second later you see it run right towards you. You had obviously missed it when clearing the area, and it had hid. Until now.

You couldn't even think as quickly as you acted. You stepped in front of Kate and pushed her away. In the corner of your eye you saw her tumbling to the ground and in the next second you cried out in pain. Sharp teeth sinking into the flesh of your shoulder and tearing your shirt apart. You were thrown to the floor and a second later you heard what felt like a thousand shots all directed at the creature.

Apparently the venom was stronger in its teeth. At least that's what you assumed cause unlike the others who'd just been licked you felt numb and paralysed all over. Not just in the arm. Your view got foggy and the shouts and words around you sounded like they were spoken from behind a thick door. You faintly registered someone kneeling over you. A pretty sight with blonde hair falling into her face. A bit like an angel.

"Kate..." you whispered, and then you were gone. You didn't register one bit of all the fuss around you. You didn't register Kate's nearly hysterical cry for a medic. You didn't register Sam and Josh guarding you in case more creatures came. You didn't register Osgood having half of an asthma attack and Kate being too out of it to remind her of her inhaler. You didn't register the medics coming and taking you with them. Nothing.

The first thing you did register was beeping and light. Really bright light. You groaned slightly, a sharp pain shooting through your shoulder as you tried to move. You settled back into the pillow and cleared your sight a bit, by blinking a few times.

Slowly the bright light turns into a white ceiling, a few lamps and a few monitors in the corner of your eye. You figured that's where the beeping came from. You looked around a bit, seeing a big window showing the blue sky on your left. Ahead of you was a TV and a door, supposedly leading to the bathroom. On your right was a door that led out of the room and a chair. In that chair was Kate. She looked awful, tired and worn out. But mostly she looked angry.

You tried to sit up a bit but groaned when your shoulder hurt again. Kate stood up from her seat, looking at you, arms crossed. "Lie back, don't move."

You frowned a bit at her sharp tone, but complied. Slowly sinking back into the pillow, you settled in a way that would make your shoulder hurt as little as possible.

"Are you insane?" She asked you in a way she usually scolded soldiers who didn't follow her orders. A tone that made you question your own decision immediately and showed you she was more disappointed in you than anything else. It was a good tone, very useful. Usually. Not now. You looked at her a bit perplexed.

"Saved your life. A thank you would be nice." You mumbled under your breath and immediately regretted it. Kate's eyebrows shot up, and she looked at you like she was ready to catapult you back into the hospital herself the second you could leave.

"You risked your life unnecessarily, that's what you did. It was irresponsible and frankly idiotic." She scoffed in disbelief. She threw her hands up into the air and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You can be happy I'm not putting you on desk duty for the next few field missions." At that you looked not just confused but offended. Again you tried to sit up, but a sharp look from Kate made you lie back down immediately.

"Desk Duty? What the hell for?" You asked in disbelief and stared at her dumbfounded.

"You acted irresponsible. What tells me you won't disobey orders the next time?" She spoke, arms crossed and a stern expression on her face. She wasn't joking and it confused you.

"You're being ridiculous, Kate. You know I always obey your orders." It was true. You always obeyed every order. You trusted her, completely. And you trusted her judgement, even in a seemingly dire situation. She just huffed and turned away from you. But not completely, just enough, so she wouldn't have to look at you anymore. You studied her, her side profile never seized to take your breath away. Just like every thing else about her.

You snapped out of your trance when you see Kate's hand reach up and wipe her cheek angrily. You focused on her a bit more, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Kate, are you crying?" You asked surprised, but softer. She turned away from you a bit further, trying to hide her face completely. You contemplated getting up, but that might be a stupid idea. Kate would probably kill you. "Kate?"

She huffed angrily and looked at you, now looking more in pain than anything else. "You nearly died!" She snapped at you. For a second, you weren't sure what to say.

"Kate, come here." You said softly and held up a hand for her. She looked down at your hand and back up at you. For a moment, she didn't move an inch. Then, slowly, she approached you and sat down at the side of your bed.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Kate. I know that can't have been easy. But please, don't be angry at me for trying to save you." You softly spoke, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. She still wasn't looking at you. You let go of her hand and reached up to turn her head in your direction. Her eyes were shining with tears that she stubbornly refused to let fall.

"I'd do it all again if it meant saving the woman I love." You spoke softly, merely more than a gentle whisper. Like a warm blanket wrapping itself around Kate's heart. Her eyes widened slightly, and finally she let a few of those tears fall down. Slowly rolling down her cheeks. You caught them with your thumb, lovingly wiping them away.

"I thought I'd lost you." She said, voice shaky and broken but still so strong. Still so stubbornly put together. So uniquely Kate. You looked at her fondly, fingers still brushing over her cheek.

"But you haven't. I'm here. Alive and breathing. And so very much in love with you." You softly reassure her and grabbed her hand again. Pulling it up to your mouth you gently kissed her knuckles. Her breath got caught for a moment as she looked at you. Eyes wide and nearly confused.

"Was I that good at hiding it?" You chuckle as you saw her confused expression. She was fishing for words, highly unusual for Kate. You chuckled again.

"Just kiss me." You whispered. Her eyes widening comically. When she didn't move a millimetre, you reached up and put your hand in her neck, simply pulling her down to you. Her lips are soft on yours, the kiss tender and cautious. And for a moment to forget what had happened. You forgot the pain in your shoulder. You forgot the world even existed outside of this kiss.

[futfemfantasies]

Not for long \\ giovana queiroz x reader

Prompt #30

Stirring the food in the pot, the aroma of the different herbs and spices hit your nostrils. Just as you put the wooden spoon down, you feel muscular arms envelope your waist and you lean back into Gio. You feel her pull you closer while her lips attach to your exposed neck. One hand goes under your shirt and while the other slightly underneath the waistband of your shorts. Your eyes flutter close but re-open sooner than you’d like, as you smell something burning. You quickly try to salvage the food but it was too late. You turn to Gio who has a mischievous look on her face and is laughing at your supposed ‘angry’ face.

“What are we going to eat now?” You ask, still made about the now burnt spaghetti sauce. Taking a step towards you, Gio scans her eyes up and down your frame and bites her lip slightly.

“I can think of something” Your eyes go wide at Gio’s suggestion and you lightly hit her on the arm.

“We can order in and have a lazy night okay?”

You agree with Gio’s proposal and suggest getting pizza from your favourite place around the corner. You announce you are having a shower and you’ve never heard Gio speak quicker on the phone than in that moment.

After some fun activities in the shower, you both retreat to the couch where you wait for the pizza. The doorbell rings through the apartment and you jump up with excitement, with Gio laughing and shaking her head. Oh how I’m going to miss her, Gio thinks to herself. She gets pulled out of her thoughts by a kiss on her cheek and a plate put in her lap. She quietly thanks you and busies herself by eating as many pieces of pizza her stomach allows her. You move the pizza box to the kitchen to come back to find Gio in that same position again, lost in her thoughts. You put yourself in her lap and cupped both cheeks.

“What’s going on baby?”

“I have some news and I don’t know how to tell you without crying”

“It’s okay baby, you’re allowed to cry”

One tear escapes Gio’s eyes then a waterfall appeared down her cheeks. You held her close and tight and she did the same to you. You moved to a more comfortable position where Gio was lying on top of you, her head on your stomach, saturating your tee shirt with tears but you didn’t care. You just wanted to know what has gotten your girl so upset, so you could think of some ways to help. You brush your fingers through her hair and her breathing evens out, she’s relaxed now. Gio looks up at you with her red, puffy eyes and sad smile decorating her face.

“Can you tell me what’s got you so upset now my love?” You question, tucking her loose hair behind her ear

“I’m leaving Barca at the end of the season. I’m going to Arsenal”

You take a few seconds to digest what Gio just said but then you break out in a big smile, hugging her tightly.

“This is so great for you baby”

“How do feel about it?” Gio asks you as she sits up slightly, pulling you into her lap.

“I think it’s going to be great for you babe. I just know Leah and Beth will look after you”

You talk about everything about London and Gio doesn’t appear to be upset about it now.

It’s been four long months without seeing your love and you’ve finally got time to surprise her. You picked up a little knock to your shoulder so the Barca medical team suggest 2 weeks to heal. After long discussions about recovery and the healing process with the head of medical, they let you have 2 weeks personal leave. You got back from training and dumped your kit bag at the door. You kick off your trainers and sprinted upstairs to immediately book a flight to London. You found a flight leaving in 5 hours, so you quickly text your teammates to tell them you won’t be in the country and race around to find your passport and pack your bag. In the middle of all the chaos, you almost forgot your daily call with Gio. You both talk about your day when you hear Gio sniffle, meaning she’s about to cry or has just cried.

“What’s wrong G?”

“I miss you” Gio pouted.

“It’s only temporary mi amor”

You two eventually hang up, with your lame lie of you having a team bonding lunch you need to get ready for. Gio reluctanty let’s you go and you promise to call her later. You check the time and you are set to leave in 30 minutes. You shove more random clothes, that consisted of both yours and Gio’s in a suitcase before having a quick shower and setting off.

You arrive in London and you feel like you can breath again. You whistle down a taxi and give them Gio’s address. The whole time you’re bouncing your leg and picking at the skin around your nails. You are nervous and you don’t know why. You’re about to spend 2 weeks with your girl and watch her play with her new team. A little while later, the taxi pulls up to the apartment complex and you thank the driver as he got you suitcase out of the trunk. You quickly scroll through yours and Gio’s texts to find the apartment number. As soon as you find it, you race to the elevator and put in the floor number. You practically run out of the elevator and run down the hall to apartment 347.

You take a moment to yourself before wiping the palms on your sweats and knocking on the door. You hear that accent you’ve missed so dearly yell out ‘I’ll be a minute!’. You cover the peep hole and the wooden door swings open to reveal your Brazilian beauty wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and panties. You both look at each other like it was the first time all over again until Gio hugs you tightly. You wince slightly due to your shoulder and Gio immediately apologises.

“What are you waiting for? Kiss me”

Gio rolled her eyes before kissing you passionately. Eventually, you both pulled away and Gio wheeled your suitcase inside. You both went straight into her bedroom and cuddled. A few hours later, you decided to tell Gio your news. You looked up at her and the golden light from the sunset shone perfectly on Gio’s features, making you fall in love with her all over again.

“I have some news” You say sitting up slightly.

“I’m all ears”

“I’m leaving Barca at the end of the season” This causes Gio to sit up too.

“Where are you going to play?”

“Arsenal”

“You’re kidding?” You shake your head and Gio leaps up from the bed and starts celebrating.

“I’m so happy for you beautiful” Gio jumps on the bed and kisses you, but both of you smiling so it’s short lived.

“I told you it was only temporary”

“I love you mi amor”

“I love you more baby"

[deeplightblue]

Getting off the ship & leaving the restaurant. It’s been a fun ride y’all 😔

I keep thinking about this blind item Deuxmoi published in their June 16 newsletter. Later on when someone asked if it was about N and L they said they didn’t even realize, which I find weird. Now, I think we all know blind items can be sent by anyone on any topic and don’t have to reflect the truth at all. And I definitely don’t believe gossip that I see on DM without a credible source confirming.

So this is probably some troll’s doing and I’m not even going to talk about the N being married part lol. Nothing worth mentioning, actually. But still it resurfaced some thoughts I had.

I truly think N and L loves each other deeply, I don’t believe even the greatest actors could keep playing their characters for months and appear that convincing. Nor do I think they are disingenuous people who will simply fake a friendship for the sake of promo. I’m very confused about the nature of their relationship and whether it’s romantic or platonic, I think even they themselves might be confused on this part, but there is love regardless.

However I cannot help but think L is trying to distance himself from N, at least publicly. I cannot think of any other explanation for the pap pics just a couple of hours after the London premiere. I do not know if it was really him/his team who arranged those pics but if it was them, I think it’s only natural to take it as a “enough with the shipping, I have a gf” slap on fans’ faces. Like, couldn’t you wait for a week maybe?

I saw this being mentioned on some blog here but when you check his insta profile you could hardly tell he was the lead of Bton and co-star of Nic, and mind you it’s only been 3 weeks since part 2 was released. Of course he doesn’t have to share anything but it feels weird him posting his solo endeavors and not the project he put so much effort and time into.

Combined with those pap pics it seems like he is really trying to distance himself from N. But it’s not like there is bad blood between them or anything, we kept seeing them being comfortable and cute around each other until June 12, hours before the premiere. He even mentioned her name in a very silly & sweet manner on Jimmy Fallon. So, what’s the deal?

I think it must be very frustrating to have people read so much into every step you take, so I could understand him in a way. Nobody knows anything about their lives and relationship, we all just speculate and seeing those speculations must be annoying for them. But wouldn’t a simple insta post on how N is his good friend and “buddy” and another post with his gf appear a lot more genuine if shipping is the problem here?

I don’t know. This is my first time doing this with actors and I’ve been in this space for only a month or so, so these are all new to me. I truly believed they were each other’s soulmates and it was enchanting to witness whatever it was going on between them. And if they are just good friends that’s perfect too, I mean how many of us have that kind of connection or chemistry with our “friends”? Good for them!

But sensing his efforts of disassociating his public image from Bton and Nic just breaks my heart. That said, I am officially getting off the ship. I’m leaving the restaurant. My tiny heart cannot take it anymore. Also, it feels disrespectful to L to keep shipping them when it’s clear he doesn’t want that for some reason.

I will love and support both of them separately but I’ll TRY not to post any content about their possible romance. While I cannot promise that I’ll remain faithful to my decision I’ll try my best.

Cheers mfs.

😔

[pelova4president]

That stupid smile of hers II

Esmee Brugts x nedwnt!R

I of that stupid smile of hers

summary~ after the World Cup y/n goes back to North London and Esmee to Barcelona. Will they at least try to make things work?

Vic was running after me, yelling my name. I stepped into our changing room and sat at my cubby, head in my hands, how Esmee was sat just moments ago.

Victoria stopped in her tracks, i could feel her eyes on me. “Kijk y/n, ik weet niet wat er gaande is tussen jou en Esmee dus alsjeblieft vertel het me zodat ik kan helpen” (Look y/n, i don’t know what is going on with you and Esmee so please tell me so i can help) she begged. I took my hands off my eyes and looked up at her. “Vic ze gaat naar barça..” (Vic, she’s joining barça..) she held her arms open and i sobbed onto her shoulder.

Vic knew that Esmee’s and my friendship wasn’t all platonic but she didn’t ask questions, she just held me. But i fell, i fell hard and fast and there was nothing she could do to protect me from that heartbreak now. “Ssshh.. het komt goed, we hebben de internationale breaks nog en je kunt dr opzoeken als we vrije tijd hebben… het komt goed y/n” (Ssshh.. it’s gonna be okay, we’ve got the international breaks and you can visit her in your free time… it’s gonna be okay y/n) she assured me.

We got onto our flights, Vic and I to London, Esmee to Barça. I haven’t really talked to her since she told me about Barça. Before she walked to her gate she gave me a hug and put a piece of paper in my hands.

I got onto the plane, exhausted from the last 24 hours. I fell asleep and when i woke up I remembered what Es gave me.

‘I’m sorry but i couldn’t waste this chance. It’s a once in a lifetime chance y/n, it’s my dream. I get that you’re upset with me but i hope you’ll give me another chance’

I couldn’t hold the tears in, my emotions were all over the place and i couldn’t control them all anymore. Vic looked at me and hugged me. I had to tell someone so i told Vic everything, about how i thought she was annoying, all the times we got lost, how she told me they wanted to offer her a contract in England and the kiss. I knew she knew i had a crush on Esmee but it felt good to actually tell someone about it all.

y/n_y/l/n

liked by esmeebrugts and 12.563 others

wore the badge with honour, i can’t thank you all enough for the support. I love this team. so thankful for the people i met ❤️

comments

svandesanden only love 🫶

victoriapelova ❤️❤️

esmeebrugts to many more adventures 😍

esmeefan22 is that esmee on photo 1 and 4??

↳ y/l/nisaballer it has to be, y/n is also wearing esmee’s sweater in photo 4!!

↳ esmeefan22 they’re sooo cute together i can’ttt

esmeebrugts

liked by y/n_y/l/n and 11.419 others

a dream come true playing at this world cup. So proud to be part of this amazing team. Our dream ended too soon for us… Thank you to all the Oranje fans, the staff and my teammates. Onto the next adventure

ps. I may not have won the World Cup but I did beat the ‘fifa champion of england’ 😉

comments

y/n_y/l/n i won the first game so it doesn’t count

↳ esmeebrugts the first one of twenty games yeah

y/nbrugtslovr soft launching??

↳ brugts4life they’re definitely dating

When i finally got home i texted Esmee.

y/n: hey es, ik heb je briefje gelezen. Je verdient deze kans, ik zou nooit boos op je kunnen zijn. Laat het weten als je bent aangekomen in Barcelona. (hey es, i’ve read your letter. You deserve this chance, i could never be mad at you. Let me know if you’ve arrived in Barcelona)

es: hi y/n/n ik ben veilig aangekomen. Ik mis je nu al, het spijt me dat we zo afscheid moesten nemen maar ik kom je snel opzoeken, ondertussen kunnen we facetimen. Het komt goed. (hi y/n/n i’ve arrived safely. I already miss you, i’m sorry we had to say goodbye like that but i’ll visit you soon and we can facetime in the meantime. Everything’s gonna be alright.)

I spent the next few weeks facetiming and texting Esmee whenever i could. Her signing hadn’t been announced yet but she has met the barcelona squad and told me all about it. Her first few days were hard. Only a few of the girls spoke enough english to have a conversation with and Esmee couldn’t really talk any Spanish let alone Catalan. It was Aitana Bonmatí who took her under her wing, with a little bit of translation from Ingrid.

The move from The Netherlands to Spain was still hard though, the culture was different, she didn’t really have someone to rely on and she was homesick. So she was looking forward to the first break they had.

When Barça announced her signing i was way too proud not to comment on it.

esmeebrugts, fcbfemeni

liked by oranjeleeuwinnen and 35.679 others

Excited to announce a new dutch talent to barça, welcome Esmee Brugts

comments

liekemartens vamosss 🔴🔵

y/n_y/l/n so so proud, you deserve it! ❤️

We had a few days off before the season started and i wanted nothing more than to see Esmee so i booked a flight, to Spain. I wanted to surprise her and spend some time with her after only seeing each other over the phone.

It was well into the evening when i arrived at Esmee’s apartment. I bought a bouquet flowers for her at the airport, what kind of gir- friend.. would i be if i came empty handed.

It took Es a few seconds to open the door after i knocked but there she was, a sleepy Esmee looking at me like she’d just seen a ghost. “Mag ik ook nog binnen komen of…” (Can i come in or…) i laughed. She opened the door for me and gave me a hug.

She went to get something to drink for me and i took in her apartment, it was so typically Esmee. It was modern but cozy and there were photos everywhere. A photo of the two of us after a game on the bus standing next to her television.

She came into the living room, holding two cups of tea. “Ik heb je echt gemist weet je” (I’ve really missed you, you know) she told me once we were both settled. “Ik jou ook” (I’ve missed you too) I told her. I put my cup on the table and layed my head on her chest, the sound of her heartbeat bringing me to sleep.

When i woke up we were both in bed, I was still laying on top of her but i had her hoodie on and a pair of her barca sweatpants. Esmee was still asleep so i walked into the kitchen and started making breakfast for the two of us.

I was almost done with the eggs when i felt two arms wrap around my stomach and a head rest on my shoulder. She hummed good morning and gave me a kiss on my cheek, something she hasn’t really done since we’ve been apart.

Eating breakfast i told her about my journey and about Viv and Vic. Esmee had the day off so she would be able to show me the city.

We went to Esmee’s favourite cafe, did some shopping and went out to dinner. Es had made a reservation for the two of us at some fancy restaurant. She had asked her teammates for advice and they came with a few of the best restaurants in Barcelona.

After dinner she took me to her favourite spot. She told me all about it, this was really the only place she felt like home when she first arrived in Barcelona. Her appartement was still empty and didn’t really feel like a home. This place reminded her of home, the green grass and the water, it was just so peaceful. Esmee wasn’t used to all the noise and choas in the big city.

She took a blanket out of her bag and placed it on the ground. We layed next to each other, my arms around her stomach and my head on her chest. She gave me a kiss on my forehead and took in the moment.

Esmee took my hand in hers and squeezed it. “y/n wil je mijn vriendin zijn?” (y/n will you be my girlfriend?) she asked me. I kissed her and told her just how much i wanted to be her girlfriend.

The days went by quicker than i would’ve liked. I was dreading the day that i would have to go back to London and we would have to communicate over the phone again. I liked it here. I liked to be with Esmee.

The next break i got i went straight to Barcelona to see Esmee play. The stadium was absolutely packed and i couldn’t contain my excitement watching her play.

y/n_y/l/n

Traveling between England, Spain and The Netherlands was getting exhausting so when Barça offered me a contract i couldn’t say no.

I was sad to leave London, to leave The Arsenal but i needed a new challenge, i needed my lover and that is where Barça is.

I haven’t told Esmee yet but i might have a little plan of telling her.

y/n_y/l/n

liked by fcbfemeni and 15.439 others

lieverd, i’m coming home

comments have been disabled

Not long after i got an incoming call from a certain Barça player. “wat bedoel je met ‘lieverd, i’m coming home’?!” (what do you mean by ‘lieverd, i’m coming home’?!) she almost yelled. I giggled “Es, je weet wat ik bedoel. Ik ga naar Barça” (Es, you know what i mean. I’m going to Barça) i told her.

This time around those four words were everything i could’ve hoped for. I was gonna be with my lover, i’m gonna go home.

esmeebrugts, y/n_y/l/n

liked by victoriapelova and 27.673 others

she’s coming home everybody. she’s a culer.

comments

victoriapelova credits to me for making this happen?

↳ daniellevddonk i think we deserve a medal or something

y/nsbrugts i knew it!!!

brugtsfan22 they’re so cute together 😭

wosofan11 if you look close enough you can see me jumping off that eiffel tower 🥰

When i arrived at Esmee’s apartment, or should i call it our appartement, our home. I was greeted with a big smile, that stupid smile of hers and a kiss. “Stop met zo naar me lachen, je ziet er dom uit” (Stop smiling at me like that, you look stupid) i shoved her.

“Niet liegen, je houdt van mijn domme lach” (Don’t lie, you love my stupid smile”

A/N thanks everyone for reading my fic. There aren’t really any Esmee fics so i thought i’d write my own. If you have any fic ideas let me know!! <3

[moody-alcoholic]

Visit to Manchester

Another scene I wrote for my fic that got removed.

Summary: Established relationship Simon x OC, 1.6k words. Mentions of feeling sick and vomiting, throwing up, unplanned pregnancy scare (kinda), mentions of medication including birth control, hurt/comfort... I don't watch football, I don't know which team is better :(

MASTERLIST

Enjoy <3

I promised I would spend the weekend in Manchester with Simon but after the 3 hour train ride I was feeling exhausted. I would have driven but I was not feeling well, I woke up with a headache I couldn’t shake for hours. Then my stomach had been doing flips all day. I had gone through a whole pack of alcohol wipes using them to quell the constant urge to vomit. I should have maybe cancelled, but I made the trip anyway, it’s only for 2 days. I’m sure it’s just something I’ve eaten I’ll probably feel better later. Or I could just be hungry? I tried to push the thought away as the train came into Manchester station. I stepped onto the platform and headed through the gates, I saw Simon distracted by his phone. I smiled and walked over to him picking up my pace so I could jump in his embrace. He looked up from his phone smiling as he hugging me. He smelt of aftershave I had to pull back from the hug, it made my stomach do flips again. He plants a kiss on my forehead and I grab his hand as we go outside.

“How was the train?” He asked leading me to the car park.

“Okay I guess, it was busy.” It was Friday peak evening rush, I should have come a day earlier.

“You should have driven you wouldn’t need to worry about parking.” I shrug. We get to his car and I throw my bag in the back seats then get in the front. I feel the rush of adrenaline as my mouth fills with saliva. I force myself to swallow, the embarrassing thought of throwing up in his car grounds me.

“Do you have any mints?” I ask as he pulls out the parking spot.

“Should be some gum somewhere.” I start looking through the glove box sure enough there’s an open packet. I pop one in my mouth offering him one. He shakes his head. The drive to his flat was quick only about 10 minutes I listened to him talk about what he was doing in London, it gave me something to focus on other then the pit re-forming in my stomach. When we got to his place I spat the gum in a trash bin and followed him to the lift. He was on the top floor so we would get a nice view of Manchester, or at least that’s what he promised. I had to squeeze his hand to keep myself grounded, by the time the lift made it to his flat I was trying to hide the hot flush that came over me.

“Sorry the place is a bit of a mess I only got back yesterday.” He says as he opens the door. He didn’t seem to notice my change in demeanour, inviting me inside. It was a nice flat, open plan bar the bedroom and bathroom, and the nice balcony overlooking the city. I smiled making my way over to the couch, dropping my bag by the coffee table. He turned on lights and opened the balcony door a bit letting fresh air in. The breeze was nice. I took my shoes off as he came to sit next to me. Extending his arm out so I could rest my head on his shoulder.

“You okay?” He asks. I panic I don’t want him to think there is anything wrong but It just makes the feeling worse, the lump comes back in my throat.

“Yeah, just feeling a bit… ill.” I said, he pulled back looking at me.

“Do you need anything?” He asked.

“Water?” I ask. He kisses my forehead then gets up. I sit up feeling my mouth fill with saliva again. I try to swallow but it doesn’t help. I freeze feeling shivers run up my body. I’m going to be sick. I stand up walking to the bathroom, but it soon turns into a run as I barely make it to the toilet before I’m vomiting into the bowl. I grip the seat heaving until I’m sweaty and exhausted. I reach up and flush the toilet hearing Simon knock on the bathroom door.

“Can I come in?” He asks.

“Yeah.” I croak. He walks in handing me a glass of water I swill my mouth out and spit it in the toilet. I sit back against the sink looking up at him. He bends down in front of me.

“I’m sorry.” I say. “I think it was something I ate.”

“It’s alright.” He says brushing my hair out my face. I drink some more water trying to get the taste of vomit out my mouth, when I’m feeling better and my stomach has settled Simon helps me to my feet. He goes into the bedroom and I follow him grabbing my bag from beside the coffee table. He’s rummaging through his wardrobe, as I strip changing my shirt to something more comfortable. I feel clammy as I throw my pants, shirt and bra onto the floor. My whole body feels fragile as he walks over to me with a blanket in his arms.

“You want to lie down? Or we could just chill on the sofa?” He says.

“Sofa sounds nice.” I reply. He takes my hand in his and I follow him out to the sofa. He sits down leaning back. Giving me plenty of room to lie up against him. I smile at him and sit on the sofa. I want to lie in his shoulder but the pain in my stomach forces me to plant my head on his thighs.

“Want a pillow?” He asks throwing the blanket over me.

“I’m okay.” I say, I was feeling exhausted now. Simon’s hand slips under the blanket and he rubs my back.

“What me to put the TV on?” He asks.

“Yeah.” Some background noise might actually help give my mind something to focus on. He reaches over to the remote turning it on and channel surfing until he lands on a Top Gear re-run. I feel him lean back more giving me more room for my head. He rubs his hand up and down my back. Eventually I close my eyes exhaustion taking over I feel Simon’s hand move under my shirt pressing on the small of my back making me relax into him more, before I knew it I had dosed off.

I was woken to the sound of the doorbell. I jumped awake looking out the window it was dark now.

“Sorry, I did tell them not to ring the bell.” I sit up feeling dizzy. He gets up heading to the door. I see him take a bag from someone and say thank you.

“I was going to order Chinese but it thought maybe you might want something a bit lighter.” He comes over to the sofa. “There is this great deli does the best panini’s I’ve ever had.” I smile as he starts taking food out the bag. I pick up a bottle of water and gulp it down. My stomach felt more settled now.

“It’s mozzarella, tomato and pesto.” I take it out his hand and rip the paper off. It did smell amazing. I took a bite hoping it would go down easy and I wouldn’t be heaving into the toilet again. He was right though it was amazing.

“So they put crack in the pesto or something?” I ask smiling at him.

“Yeah I think that’s it.” He laughs. I demolish the sandwich as we contemplate what to watch. I let him pick and I snuggle up to his chest with his arm round me. I’m not paying attention to the TV so he ends up on Sky sports watching the local game. I don’t mind, I’m just happy my brain isn’t in ‘do not vomit’ mode. He leans back once he is happy with his choice.

“I thought Man-U weren't playing this week?” Trying to sound invested in what was going on.

“This is Man city love,” He says running his and down my back.

“Which ones the good one?” I ask. He chuckles pulling my body further up his chest.

“Depends on who you ask.” He says. I watch the players run around trying to focus on what the casters where saying, hoping I could understand something so I didn’t come across as the typical woman who knows nothing about football. Every now and then something would happen and Simon would explain what was happening. I listened to his enthusiastic remarks then it went to half time. Simon got up clearing the trash and taking a beer out the fridge. He didn’t offer me one but he asked if he could have one. I was almost taken aback by the question, nodding my head telling him ‘of course it’s your place.’ He came back to the sofa pulling me back on his chest and making sure I was covered by the blanket. I felt him relax back down as he took a sip from the can.

“I’m not pregnant by the way.” He seemed shocked by the statement, coughing mid drink, I guess it was pretty out of the blue. He placed his can on the coffee table wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I never thought… I wasn’t worried about that.” He says as I feel his body stiffen.

"I’m on the pill.” I say gripping his body tighter. He seemed flustered as he squeezes my hip. “Periods are a bitch on deployment.” I explain, trying to lighten the mood. He smiles down at me kissing my forehead.

“It’s okay.” He says. Those two words reassured me every thing was okay. It made me relax back into his chest while he adjusts the volume on the TV as the game starts up again. I smile rubbing my hand on his stomach.

“So do we like this team or not?” I ask as his hand finds its familiar spot on my back.

“Yeah we like this team.” He replies kissing the top of my head.

[oblivious-idiot]

London Calling

George Karim x gn Reader

Summary: You and George met while working for Fittes, you now end up secretly helping Lockwood and Co on cases. George has big fat crush and gets flustered.

Warnings: Fluff, spoilers to the season finale, swearing

Pairings: George Karim x gn Reader

Word count: 1.4k AN: I'm pretty sure I wrote this gn, but there might be a few slip ups here and there!

Back before George Karim worked for Lockwood and Co. he was working for Fittes, which is where he met you. The both of you worked on cases together and it was obvious that you two had become close - the sarcastic comments being thrown about by the two of you was enough of a sign.

Over a year had past since George left you with Kipps working at Fittes, not that you could really blame him. But every so often he’d use his little Karim charm to get some information on a latest case, because he knew that you wouldn’t say no to him, but he also used it as an excuse to see you again. He wouldn’t admit it, but George had a crush on you, and it had become so obvious that even Lockwood and Lucy had noticed.

Even with Lockwood and Kipps’ stupid bet on who could find the Bone Mirror first, you’d already started to help George and his team on cases and you wouldn't stop now, plus it would break you to see him lose his job you knew he loved. You didn’t plan on telling Kipps that you were helping George, obviously, he’d kick you from the team if you did, but it was a risk worth taking, and god knows Lockwood and Co. needed all the help they could get.

You were there when Lockwood and Kipps made their bet, if you rolled your eyes any harder they'd fall into the back of your head, but that case had been and gone now, even if you're still angry at George for what he said about himself, how he felt as if he wasn't needed. You needed that boy more than he would ever know.

A few weeks had passed since the Bone Mirror case and George is researching in the archives when you see him. You're off duty so you didn't have to wear your retched Fittes uniform, the thought of George wearing it still makes you laugh. You catch his eye from across the room and he motions to you to sit with him.

"What are we working on today Georgie?" you say as you slide down next to him

"You know, if you're so adamant on working cases with us, you should just join the agency" he says as he scrambles the papers into order for you.

You smile at his attempt to organise, you both knew the boy worked best amongst the chaos. "And miss out on pissing off Kipps and Barnes to sneak out with you? You would rid me of my happiness?" you laugh and elbows him playfully, he starts to go red in the cheeks.

You meet his eyes "You know I would George. It's not been the same working here since you felt. They really makes you feel disposable" you mutter out the last part, hoping he doesn't hear you.

George quickly adjusts himself and begins explaining the case to you. It seemed simple enough, a family had just bought a house which a Type One still resided in, so they agreed to the case - he made sure to mention to you how it took Lockwood some persuading, you both knew the boy was stubborn at accepting "easy jobs".

You arrived at the house before George, Lockwood, and Lucy showered up. It was still light so you pulled out the book in your bag you’d been reading about the Problem and just read until they arrived. One of the things George loved about you was the fact you were also interested in the Problem, he felt like he could talk to you for hours about the whole situation.

Once they arrived, you stood up to greet them - Lockwood and Lucy looked at each other when they saw your outfit, which if they didn't know any better, had George Karim written all over it. Under the scruffy leather jacket you wore, a pale green plaid shirt was visible along with an oversized band shirt tucked into your jeans. George looked a little flustered when he realised you still had the shirt you'd stolen when he worked for Fittes.

You all came together and set out the plan of what to do. You and George would set out on finding the source for the Visitor, while Lockwood and Lucy would keep it at bay.

You can’t say it exactly went to plan the way you wanted it to. Lockwood hadn’t gotten around to buying more supplies, so the team were all short on flares and salt bombs more than you would care for.

On top of all that, the Type One was more on the side of being a Type Two, making it a lot more unpredictable. George managed to find the Source, which was an old jewellery box, but when he moved the box it called the Visitor to his location. When you saw the ghost out the back of your eye, you called to George, but by the time he heard you the ghost tossed him across the room and away from the box, knocking all the air from his lungs.

Just as the ghost was closing in on George, you rushed to his side, rapier in hand, and managed to keep it at bay until Lucy threw a net over the Source. Your rapier dropped to your side as you helped George sit up and gather himself, he could see the look of worry in your eyes and grabbed ahold of your hand to let you know he was okay.

"George Karim, you are the most oblivious ghost hunter I know" you say, finally letting go of the breathe you were holding

He lets out a soft chuckle, his features soft as he looked at you. "What would I do without you y/n?" God he'd fallen hard.

"You'd be dead or had the Ghost Touch by now if it wasn't for me" you say as you pull him to his feet "and we all know Lockwood would go insane without his best researcher" you smile at him.

Once you and the team had cleared up the scene it had become light outside, you were all clearly exhausted and ready for some much needed rest.

"You should come back with us, to the house" George says to you "to rest up and eat I mean. You know my cooking is better than what you get at Fittes"

Lucy nods to you, you and Carlyle were becoming quite good friends over time. Lockwood just smiles at the two of you "You're welcome at Portland Row anytime y/n"

You spent the night, well early hours of the morning, asleep on a small fold out bed that Lockwood kept in the Lucy's room. George had lent you one of his oversized shirts to sleep in and a blanket. "Just promise you'll give it back this time".

You woke up early and got changed into your dirty clothes from the night before. You found the rest of the team were already in the kitchen, have a discussion that abruptly ended when you entered the room.

George set out four plates of food on the table and you forgot about the unheard discussion when you realised how hungry you were. Once you'd finished, you stood up and grabbed your jacket from the back of your chair.

"I'd best be off, before Kipps realises I'm gone and tells Barnes." you chuckle lightly "God knows he'll fire me if he finds out I've been working with you lot again."

You head up into the hall and grab your kit bag and rapier when you hear Lockwood call for you to wait up.

"George he-, he told us about your situation at Fittes, how unhappy you are there." he paused "I've seen how you fight, your researching skills are on par with George's. You'd make a great member of the team. Permanently."

You look at Lockwood, slightly taken aback from the proposal. "Lockwood I-"

He cuts you off and places a hand on your arm. "Think about it, but the job is yours if you want it. We all know George would be happier for it." He smiles and lets you go.

You nod and head out the door. You smiled at the thought of seeing Kipps' face when you tell him you're leaving.

[thatsdemko]

lie detector part two - c.pulisic

part one

full masterlist

warnings: anxious thoughts (nothing else I know of?)

italics=past

a/n: there will be no part three! the ending is open to your own interpretation of what you think will happen next for the two ☺️🫶

your mind was hung up on last nights conversation. you stayed on the phone for hours talking about your lives, what’s new, and what’s different. you couldn’t believe how much had changed with him. just four years ago he was an innocent twenty year old and now he was twenty four taking the world on by storm, he was the biggest name in United sates men’s soccers history.

“it’s getting late isn’t it? what time is it back home?” he asked last night you looked over at the clock on your nightstand, and somehow all the memories that you suppressed came rushing back to you.

“it’s only 8pm Christian do you have to hang up?” the words hurried out your mouth before he could press end. he barely called anymore and you missed his voice. whenever he did, it was only for a couple of minutes before he claimed to have to leave.

“y/n, it’s early here and I’ve got practice. love you.” the line dropped before you could say the words back. he didn’t say the ‘I’ anymore making the words feel less significant. you dropped the phone in your lap sobbing into your pillow hoping none of your roommates heard you.

you truly did miss him, but the more you thought about last night, the more you remembered all the little details of why your relationship went up in flames in the first place.

for example, his phone calls in the beginning of his move to Germany were hours long, but the longer your relationship went on the less he ever did call, and the less he ever texted. it wasn’t his fault most of the time, you got busy finally getting your chance to play for the women’s team that you never had the chance to call. you both were at fault for the lack of communication.

but Christian was more at fault for his dedication to the relationship. he loved you, and he never cheated, but he just never showed you that he cared. when you finally made your first start for the women’s team, he didn’t send a single text or post on social media for you. but when he got his contract with Borussia Dortmund you were the first to congratulate him.

“did he finally call you?” Alex Morgan asked, she sat down next to you in the locker room. it was dead silent, not a single soul remained left just the two of you.

“yeah, he did.” you whispered still sitting there in your practice gear. you typically would’ve been gone by now, but the whole day had been such a blur you felt like you needed a moment by yourself to just sit and think about what you truly wanted.

“what’s on your mind then?” her tone matched yours, she watched your eyes pick up from the ground over to her and your shoulders shrugged, “he asked to see me, because he wants to get back together.”

Alex’s face lit up in excitement for you, but you weren’t sure if that’s how you deeply felt as well. you told him you needed time to think about it because you may regretted the break up, but you weren’t sure you were ready to date him again, “so what are you going to do?!”

“I don’t know. I’ve sat here and thought out every scenario I could imagine, I just need help.” you sighed running your hands down your face, the decision wasn’t getting any easier the more you thought about it. last night you went to bed sure you wanted to get back together, but this morning you woke up feeling different.

“y/n, if you really do love him and don’t want to see him go to someone else, you need to make your move.”

—

he didn’t expect to hear from you. he was asking a lot from you to come out to London and get back together, but he just wished for a text or a phone call confirming you wanted to work on things or that it just couldn’t work. he would respect either decision because he still loved you, and he wanted what was best for you.

“still nothing?” Mason asked peeping over his shoulder to see his message was still on delivered since yesterday. he thought about deleting the message a million times last night while he tossed and turned.

“I mean I broke her heart, Mason. I don’t expect her to come back to me.” he dropped his phone out of his hands and into his bag. he had training on his mind now knowing that his messages were still the same. not a single one from you.

“you never know.” Mason shrugged making his way out onto the pitch. Christian just sighed turning the corner, his body bumping right into another. he expected it to be the social media intern, but when he looked up from the ground it was you.

“you’re here.” he breathed out grabbing a hold of your body, he couldn’t believe you were standing right in front of him. after last night, he was sure you wouldn’t come.

“I don’t know why, but I am.” you nervously chuckled playing with the ends of your hair. seeing him for the first time made you realize how much you did miss his presence. he radiated a calm energy that soothed any of your anxieties. being with him reminded you of how safe you always felt next to him.

“that’s okay, just one day at a time.” his words were gentle, a soft smile on his lips and his eyes were reassuring you that he meant it. he didn’t want to rush things again, there was so much time between then and now. things had truly changed.

“okay, I’m willing to do that.” you heard someone clear their throat, turning around you saw Potter waiting for Christian to join the team, “go run your extra laps, pulisic.” you chuckled watching him run off to the pitch where his coach shook his head patting him off.

“thanks for helping clear his head. he’s been a mess all week because of you.” potters words echoed in the tunnel.

there was no amount of apology you could give him. you knew what Christian was going through because of you, he had done the same to you years ago. the clouded head and horrible judgement, you were familiar with that pain.

“you sticking around? I’m sure Christian would love that.” his head slightly nodded in the direction of Christian working on drills with his teammates, the smile on his face looked irreplaceable.

“I am yeah, I’ll be here for a whole month.” you exhaled a long sigh, a whole month was dedicated to working on your relationship. Christian promised to do whatever it took to work on things, he wanted it to last this time. he regretted losing you just as much as you regretted losing him.

Christian’s eyes met yours from across the pitch and he flashed you a wink, you could really do this again, you thought to yourself. the one thing you learned was the lie detector didn’t lie, all of your feelings were still at the surface for him just like the truth. you missed him, and you’d do what it took to work it out.