#i love when drivers go their mind palace and start doing their little make believe laps

[raceweek]

moving on to his tiptoes for an imaginary upshift i need him carnally

[dotster001]

When You Escape Him; Savannaclaw

Summary: Yandere Savannaclaw boys x gn!reader. He adopts a child that looks like the two of you. You run to give you both a chance at life. You never expected him to find you.

CW: yandere, dark content, you don't make it far in two out of three of these, murder (if you think about it for two seconds), no wait there's also actual murder, abuse of power, laugh with me, Ruggie 's cracked, emotional manipulation,

Heartslaybul Octavinelle Scarabia Pomefiore Ignihyde Diasomnia Non NRC Staff

Three years into your relationship, he had come home and placed a baby in your arms.

"They were left in a box, all alone. And, well, he looks like if the two of us had a child," he sheepishly stared at the ground. "I just, I just figured it must be a gift from the seven."

You knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to tie himself to you through this boy. He looked just like him, and you were disgusted and scared.

Until he opened his eyes for the first time, and you found yourself staring into your own.

And you knew. You had to give this child the opportunity for a better life. A life without him.

In the end, your son did the opposite of what he had intended. And the first moment you could, the two of you had escaped.

Every day that took you farther away from the Sunset Savannah was a blessing.  Getting out of the palace had been a miracle. Not alerting a single guard to your exit was a marvel.

Your time in Twisted Wonderland had taught you one thing. You were running out of miracles.

But you only needed one more. Tomorrow, you would leave the hotel with your son before the sun rose. You would slip into the trunk of a car that you'd traded the last of your jewels chains for. The driver would take you over the border, and then you could slip away where the second prince couldn't touch for fear of war.

You were too nervous to sleep. You held your son in your arms, and paced, whispering about the life you could have once you were free from Leona. The child had only been your son for three weeks, but you were going to free you both. Give you both a loving home.

You should sleep. You couldn't guarantee the next time you'd have a bed. And your eyes were so heavy, your mind foggy, but the anxiety pulsing through your veins made you nauseous whenever you tried to lay down.

Your vision was starting to get as foggy as your mind. The walls seemed to be wavering. Perhaps you should sit down.

The first grain of sand that hit you, you snapped completely awake. The walls weren't wavering; they were shimmering and collapsing.

You were lucky you were on the first floor. As fast as you could, you grabbed one of the tshirts you had stolen from Leona, and covered your son's head, pressed him close to your chest, then ran straight into the shimmering sand….

….and straight into a solid mass.

"Gotcha."

You felt a hand grab you by the hair as you heard the now completely sand hotel collapse behind you. You were yanked to the side of the hard mass, as he shouted.

"Tell my brother that I have them. Prepare for cleanup."

"Yes, your highness!" The nervous soldier standing beside Leona stuttered. Now that you weren't pressed straight into Leona, you saw he was surrounded by an entire troupe of soldiers. You watched the one he'd addressed rush off to the crowd on the other side of the pile of sand. You didn't recognize that one. He must have been promoted once the old one was fired.

If Leona didn't kill them, that is.

As you stared at the other crowd of soldiers, you recognized Farena's regal silhouette, feeling nauseous as he nodded at Leona across the way, issuing orders to soldiers who moved to get rid of all evidence of the former hotel.

Leona brought your attention back to him, taking the baby from your arms, and pulling his shirt off the little one's head. He babbled happily, and Leona infinitesimally softened. A face that was usually reserved for you.

"I can't believe you made me do all this work," he muttered, his tone becoming hard again. "You're gonna have to try real hard to make it up to me."

"Why is Farena here?" You whispered. You didn't think poorly of Farena. In fact, a part of you believed that, if you had had the chance, he would have helped you. But here he was, cleaning up Leona's dirty work.

Leona growled, and you snapped your mouth shut.

"The kingdom likes me better when you're with me. Of course he'd make sure I wouldn't lose you."

It was patronizing, like he was explaining something simple to a small child. A child he hated. 

But Leona didn't hate you. Maybe it would be better if he did.

He snatched your wrist, and began walking the three of you towards a car you hadn't noticed before. He opened the car door, and shoved you inside, getting in behind you. Then he handed you your son.

You hesitated to take him, and he grinned.

"I'd hold him now. It's going to be an awfully long time before you can even look at him again."

You knew Ruggie couldn't afford to come find you. Especially when you were hiding in the Queendom of Roses.

So you'd quietly raised your son there. You'd reunited with Ace, and rekindled the friendship you'd lost when Ruggie started to hoard you. You'd fallen in love. Gotten married. He'd adopted your son as his own.

You came home from work one day, and found him lying motionless at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ace!" You screamed, rolling him over and feeling for a pulse. Nothing. You looked for any marks, any sign of an intruder, but nothing. 

Your son. Where was he? He should be at home, he had a project that was due tomorrow. Where was he? 

You stood up and began to run up the stairs, but your body froze, before slowly turning around. And there he was.

"Leona already took our son home, shi hi hi."

Leona. You were so stupid. Of course he'd go to Leona. If anything, the fact it took so long to find you was a shock.

He shoved Ace's body with his foot, your foot moving in time to his, still being trapped in his spell. You used all your muscles to stay upright, nearly falling down the stairs with your lack of balance.

"I always hated him. Loud. Stupid. Couldn't mind his own business," he hummed, looking back up at you. "Did you leave me for him, or did he come later? Doesn't matter. Either way, you've really hurt my feelings."

He paused, his brow furrowing, actually looking angry for the first time. "We're going home, Y/N."

He turned and walked out the door, you following him, until he reached a black car. He turned, placed cuffs on you, then released you from the spell, pulling you into the car.

"I know you missed me, babe," he hummed, moving so he was sitting right next to you, resting his head on your shoulder. "And I would have come sooner, but Leona's an ass. Made me promise to calm down first so that I didn't accidentally hurt you or the boy."

He groaned. "He was probably right. I never thought I'd find a lover, or be a dad, and then both things were gone in a day. He didn't have to wait so long though. I calmed down in the first year."

You thought back to Ace's body at the bottom of the stairs. If that was calm….

"Where's my son?"

He laughed.

"He doesn't get to be your son. Not until you can be my partner again."

"That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, baby! My entire life has been an unfair shit show. So now it's time to do something for me! It's my turn to get something I want."

His smile came back to his face, and he giggled. The years must not have been kind to his mind.

"Now, if you can prove that you can be a good little spouse, then I'll let you prove you can be a good parent. You also owe Leona. It's thanks to him I could come get you. How are you at secretary work?"

He continued to chat about all the things you had to do to make it up to him and Leona. You don't know when, but at some point silent tears started rolling down your face. 

And Ruggie laughed.

It wasn't until the day he'd brought home your son that you'd even realized what kind of a life you lived now. He never hurt you, physically. But the terror of the outside world he'd instilled in you…

And his family hadn't helped. They'd gifted jack the second floor of their home so that you could start your family, but still remain close to “the pack”. 

His parents stayed with you everyday, while he went out to work with his brothers and sisters. They'd tell you all the stories of how happy they were, how wolf beast men mated for life, how you would also be so so so happy. 

You would always just smile and nod. Even if you thought you were happy, you couldn't hold back the uneasy feeling every time they spoke of "forever".

And as you held your son, and realized you hadn't left the house in three years, you had lost all your connections, and you had a crippling fear fill your stomach whenever Jack wasn't home. And with that realization, came the secondary realization that you'd only begun to live this way, when you moved in with Jack after graduation.

It was the one day you knew everyone, including his parents, would be gone.

So why was it that you were now hiding in an alley, praying that your son wouldn't wake up, and alert a pack of hunting wolves to your presence? You were grateful they weren't real wolves, or they would have smelled you by now. As it was, Jack always mentioned you had such a unique scent that he could find you anywhere. You hoped that was just something he liked to say.

You hadn't seen any of them pass your alley in a while, so you took a shuddering breath, and peaked out into the street. 

It was quiet. But they were nearby. You weighed your options. If you ran, you might get to a safe house, or find a cab, before they could catch you. But they'd definitely hear your steps, and Jack was an incredible runner.

Or you could walk quietly, and hide in alleys here and there. But that would take time. Time where they could find you. Time where a friend of the family could spot you, and call someone.

If you could get somewhere with a pay phone, you could call Vil and explain the situation. You were told he grew up in the area. But if he sided with Jack, he'd lead you on the wrong path, or worse, set his fans to detain you while you waited for Jack to get there.

If you knew Ace's phone number, you knew he'd get you out of there. Yes, you'd get an I told you so speech, but he wouldn't think twice about saving you.

Too bad Jack took your phone and contact book for “your health”.

You heard a soft sigh from the boy in your arms, and looked down in momentary fear. Just sighing. Not awake. Good.

You looked back up, mentally trying to figure out where a phone was, and were met with a pair of glowing gold eyes, staring from across the street.

You ran.

You never really stood a chance, even if you could anywhere compare to Jack's unparalleled abilities, holding a child in your arms made it impossible to win.

You felt his arms wrap around your body and hold you tight.

“It's okay, I've got you. You're safe now.”

You must have really scared him. He didn't usually say so many words at a time.

You let out a sob, and he gently rocked you side to side for a moment, whispering how it was okay, you were safe, he's sorry he wasn't there to protect you.

At some point, he must have gotten his dad's attention, because Mr. Howl was gently prying your son from your arms, so that Jack could scoop you up and carry you home.

[ohmyeyesmyeyes]

hi, i just wanted to say i loved your charles oneshot :) i was wondering if you could do an enemies to lovers w/ daniel ricciardo? thanks!

DANIEL RICCIARDO ONESHOT

TEMPORARY STRANGERS

( WARNING: swearing, alcohol, blood/injury, little bit of fluff/angst? )

word count: 5.4k

< this is my attempted version lol >

You’d debated whether or not to go to Theo’s party. For one, it was on a Thursday night, which, in itself, was rather tragic for a party thrown for an adult because surely he had to have thought that most people would be working on a Thursday night? Secondly, you had an early shift at the hospital in the morning, so you weren't sure if staying at a party fit for Blair Waldorf for a couple of hours was entirely worth your presence.

But, after a persuasive conversation on the phone — in which Theo spent the majority of it begging you to make an appearance — you’d caved and now you found yourself standing in the middle of a kitchen sipping on a lemonade, expertly avoiding everyone’s eyes and wondering why you agreed to come in the first place.

The apartment was a large, luxurious one, decked from head to toe in pricey decorations and with an open-plan layout. You even had half the mind to compare it to what you imagined a Royal Palace looked like.

In other words, it was big and incredibly tasteful and fancy, in the most annoying way possible.

Then again, Theo did own a successful Estate Agency, which specialized heavily in selling buildings in the centre of London. The money pooled from that spoke for itself, and it also meant that since university he’d met people in all aspects of his work, all of which looked like they’d been invited to his party, which unfortunately meant you didn’t know anyone, and the couple that you did, you had absolutely zero intentions of actually talking to them.

The guests themselves were glamorous, dressed to the nines and decked with expensive watches and jewellery, and you felt out of place wearing your best dress with your favourite high-tops and a blazer.

On another note, the lemonade and food were delicious. It was almost as if he’d hired a private caterer and then shoved them out of the back door before people started arriving.

“You know, I didn’t think you meant it when you said you’d come.” A smooth voice knocked you out of your reverie, and you whirled around, hastily swallowing the lemonade when you noticed the familiar blonde that you’d befriended in uni.

“I didn’t think I did either if that makes a difference.” You replied, biting the inside of your cheek as Theo rolled his eyes, making his way around the kitchen island to place a couple of collected empty glasses near the sink.

“Well, are you having fun?” He asked, leaning back against the counter next to you, his shoulder judging yours teasingly.

You hummed, narrowing your eyes, “Not as much fun as when you crashed my Grandparents party and scared away the boy they tried to set me up with, let’s just leave it at that.” You breathed a laugh, swirling the lemonade in your cup as if it had suddenly become the most interesting thing.

“Oh, I haven’t had that much fun in ages.” He said, his attention turning to the other partygoers in the near vicinity, his eyebrow raising as he spotted someone trying to sneak one of his clocks into their bags without being caught. It didn’t work; they saw his gaze and turned a suspicious shade of red and pretended as if they’d simply been admiring the thing before walking away.

Theo cleared his throat, adjusting his tie.

“I think I’m just gonna…” he trailed off, his finger pointing in the direction of the culprit, an apologetic look in his eyes. You nodded, breathing a short laugh in understanding.

“I think I’m going to head out anyway—”

“Oh, please stay.” He held out a hand, silently begging for you to stay.

You hadn’t seen each other in at least a couple of months because of clashes with schedules, and it was getting to the point where the odd texts and phone calls and video calls were starting to feel more like a chore than a privilege. You had been close friends for the best part of ten years now, and you were still close, but adult life was more difficult than you expected trying to balance relationships and work.

You breathed in deeply, eyes flashing around the guests, accidentally catching the eye of Daniel and flicking your attention back to Theo hastily.

“I’ll stay for now but I’m going home in an hour, I have an early shift in the morning.” You promised, offering a small smile as Theo nodded, returning the gesture before disappearing into the throwing of people.

It wasn’t long before you were approached by an unfamiliar face. She was — like all the other people in the room — dressed nicely, and she stumbled slightly in her heels, almost running into you.

“Oh, shit, sorry about that.” She muttered, and you could smell the faint, bitter scent of alcohol on her breath, indicating that she wasn’t completely sober.

“Oh, it’s no problem.” You reassured, asking if she wanted something else to drink, seeing as though you were standing next to the drinks table and the fridge.

She shook her head, instead resuming Theo’s place against the counter next to you.

“Do you see that man over there?” She whispered, pointing her finger in the direction of the crowd out in the living area.

You furrowed your eyes, trying to lean slightly to make sure you could see who she was pointing at.

“I think you’re gonna have to be more specific because there’s about thirty people in that general direction.” You said, resisting the urge to laugh as the woman sighed, shuffling closer to the group and standing in her heeled tiptoes to see over the sea of heads.

“Okay, so he’s about 6 foot, brunette, curly hair…” she snuck a glance at you out of the corner of her eye to make sure you were trying to look out for the person she was talking about, “really fit and has an Italian nose.” She concluded.

You pursed your lips, suddenly feeling quite awkward in the presence of a stranger. You averted your eyes back to the pile of drinks on the kitchen island and halted your actions in searching for who could only be Daniel Ricciardo.

She noticed your reaction and gasped loudly, her hand flying to her mouth as if you just spilled the hottest gossip of the season.

“You know him.” She stated, stepping back slightly with an accusatory shine in her eyes.

“I don’t know him, I just know of him.” You lied, trying to brush the topic off as subtly as possible.

“Nuh-uh,” she said, taking your arm and ignoring the cry of protest from your lips as she dragged you away from the kitchen area and into the heart of the party, where the chatter was significantly louder, “I don’t believe that. You can introduce us.” She insisted.

You dug your heels into the floor as best as you could, trying to push away the wave of panic that surged through your veins.

“Lady,” you started, ripping your arm out of her iron grip, “I don’t know him.” You reiterated.

“If you don’t know him, how can you know of him?” She enquired snarkily, arching a perfectly plucked eyebrow in your direction.

“How can you not know of him?” You returned, shrugging. Her face remained blank, and it occurred to you she really didn’t know who Daniel was. “That’s Daniel Ricciardo. Formula 1 driver for McLaren this year.” You told her, straightening out your blazer uncomfortably, unaware of the eyes on you from the other side of the room.

“Formula 1? So he’s, like…a millionaire?” She licked her lips,sultry eyes slipping over the crowd and fixating on who you assumed to be Daniel.

You cringed, resisting the urge to turn your nose up at her. You suddenly regretted telling her about his career because even a blind man could see that his money was the main thing on her mind at that moment in time.

You neglected from answering her question, instead trying to slink back to the kitchen, but you were interrupted by the scuffle of feet and the sound of something shattering before an obvious cry of pain was heard throughout the room, nearly drowned out in the volume of the music pumping from the speakers.

You swivelled back around, and several people had stepped away from the scene leaving an open gap in the crowd as more people gathered around to see what the kerfuffle was.

The girl had disappeared seemingly into thin air and you were about to take the moment of peace as an opportunity to leave, but Theo’s voice called your name over the crowd, laced with urgency.

You furrowed your brows in confusion, heart pounding with anxiety at the panic in his voice. You made your way to the crowd, apologising to people as you pushed your way through to get to the centre of all the attention.

As soon as you edged into Theo’s vision, he dragged you by the elbow into the centre, pointing to the person who’s cry of pain was heard over the music.

Blood was dripping from a deep gash in the palm of their hand, and the person in question looked a little pale, holding their hand up above their head, a permanent wince etched onto their face. Despite that, they looked rather uncomfortable with all the attention, and it was this that caused Theo to turn to the crowd and usher them away.

“I have a first aid kit in the bathroom.” Theo informed you, and you wasted no time in helping the injured person raise their arm higher above their head, guiding them through the crowd with a secure arm around their waist.

“A cut on my hand doesn’t hinder my ability to walk, okay?” They tried, shifting out of your grip.

“No, but if you pass out, it hinders my ability to patch you up.” You retorted, hurriedly passing your glass of lemonade back to Theo.

The person let a weak, sarcastic huff pass their lips, but they let you guide them to the bathroom, keeping an eye on the blood dripping down their arm and creeping into the sleeve of their blazer.

“Toilet or tub?” You asked, kicking the door shut behind you and casting a weary glance back at their hand.

“Depends on the context.” They answered.

You rolled your eyes, settling them on the toilet and quickly rifling through the sink cupboards, locating the first aid kit with ease.

“I’m gonna need you to take off your blazer.” You said, never imagining that you’d say those words to Daniel Ricciardo of all people.

Your relationship with Daniel was weird to say the least. You first met at — surprise, surprise — Theo’s party a few years ago. You’d gotten along swimmingly, perhaps a little bit too well, and it was safe to say he was incredibly charming and cursed with good looks. You were quite good friends, actually.

Until one day he pulled a face at you when you approached him at an award’s evening of some sort. You’d got no idea what happened to elicit such a negative reaction, or any idea on what you could have done, but he’d sneered at you and turned around, making conversation with the person next to you. He’d never explained why, but ever since that day he’d ignored you as much as possible, and it wasn’t exactly hard not to enjoy his company when he was so obviously disgusted with your presence.

Maybe it was the fact that you only managed to snag one piece of cake that night.

“You want a striptease? At least take me out for a date, first.” He muttered, pressing his lips together in obvious discomfort as he peeled his blazer off, being cautious of the blood. “I don’t even know why you’re bothering with this anyway, I’m fine.” He insisted.

You perched yourself on the edge of the bath, placing your bag on the tiled flooring and zipping open the first aid kit.

“Dan, you’re dripping blood…you’re clearly not fine.” You muttered, carefully rolling his shirt sleeve up past his elbow, ignoring the fact that this was the first time in a long time you’d been this close to him. Ignoring the fact that he looked positively fine in a suit, minus the blood.

He let out a shuddering breath, closing his eyes and shifting uncomfortably under your touch.

You turned his hand over, assessed the gash and winced, trying to ignore the tingling, uncomfortable sensation mirrored on your own palm as your eyes ran over the gash. It ran the width of his palm, and it didn’t take a genius to notice that it was quite deep in some places.

“Can we please be quick?” He sighed, his other hand smoothing out non-existent creases in his dress trousers.

You hated to admit it, but his words stung.

“Can you at least pretend like you don’t hate me, for fifteen minutes at least?” You said, an unintentional fierceness to your tone, one that you’d tried your best to dial down in his presence, but it seemed to no avail.

“Only if you do the same.” He muttered, and you took the liberty of ignoring his comment, reaching to fish an antiseptic wipe from the first aid kit, gently dabbing at the edges to clean off some blood so you could see the extent of the damage. You flexed his hand, ignoring his hiss of pain as the cut stretched slightly.

“What was that for?” He asked, his free hand slapping your hand as he fought to take his cut up hand out of your grip.

You opened your mouth in surprise, the skin on your own hand stinging slightly with the sudden contact.

“Don’t slap me! I’m trying to make sure you don’t have glass in it, you twat.” You said, shaking your head, “Which it doesn’t, by the way, so you’re welcome for checking.”

“How did you even know to check for glass?”

“Because there was broken glass on the floor?” You answered, applying pressure to the wound and lifting his hand a little higher again.

He huffed, turning his face away from you, so he was facing the wall, his lip curling into a sneer.

You rolled your eyes, “What did you mean when you said ‘only if you do the same’, anyway?” You murmured, keeping one hand on the wound and reaching to the floor to pick up your bag and unclip the front.

He narrowed his eyes, watching you root around in your bag for something, and he was about to say something, before he was interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door.

“Everything ok in there? Everyone still alive?” Theo’s muffled voice echoed into the room.

“We’re fine.”

“Yeah.”

Daniel grimaced, brown eyes burning through the door as if he was trying to send a telepathic message to Theo through the door.

“Good.” Was all Theo said before the full sound of his shoes against the wooden veneers could be heard on the other side of the door.

You hummed in delight, producing the very thing you were originally looking for in your bag.

“Haribo?” Daniel asked, raising his brows expectantly.

“To get your blood sugar levels up, you’re still pale.” You answered, ripping open the packet, and just as you were about to pour the sweets into Daniel’s outstretched hand, you paused, recoiling.

“What?” He asked, noticeably frustrated that he wasn’t scoffing the sweets.

“Why don’t you like me?” You questioned, biting on the inside of your cheek anxiously as he stared straight at you, his face expressionless.

He was quiet for a while, and you almost told him to forget you even said anything because the simple question looked like it hit home, but he opened his mouth, quickly closing it again. He looked at you from behind furrowed brows, apparently confused by your question.

“Why don’t I like you?” He repeated the question. “Why don’t you like me?”

You gaped at him, your cheeks flushing with irritation at his words.

“I don’t—I never—” you sighed in frustration, the hand clutching the packet of Haribo clenching unconsciously as Daniel looked at you with mild concern, “Why the hell would you think I don’t like you?”

He blinked, casting his sights back to the wall, ignoring your eye contact.

“Theo told me you, and I quote, ‘hate me’,” he answered, swallowing roughly as you continued to stare at him.

His discomfort under your gaze brought a sick sense of satisfaction, but at the same time you were having difficulty wrapping your head around what he’d just admitted.

“Theo? My Theo?” You clarified, arching an eyebrow.

He nodded.

“When did he tell you that?” Your heart was starting to hammer in your rib cage, the power of which was almost painful to endure.

“When we went clubbing a while back,” he shrugged.

“Why would he—?” You muttered, before turning back to Daniel. “Are you sure he said that?”

“Positive.”

“So you’ve been so hostile towards me for months now, all because of something someone else said to you in a dark, loud club when you were — let’s face it — probably drunk?”

Daniel sucked in his cheeks, now realising how there would have been so many chances for misunderstanding in such an environment.

“Yes…” he replied, dragging the word out slowly, trying his best to take his mind off the way your grip on his wound was slowly increasing.

“I never said I hate—”

“So…you don’t not like me?” He interrupted, his eyes wide.

“No…Yes…I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer that, but I never hated you.” You said, ducking your head down at his intense glare, instead turning your attention back to his bleeding hand, carefully peeling off the gauze to take a peak. You suddenly remembered the scrunched up packet of Haribo still clutched in your grasp, and you shoved it in Daniel’s direction, not bothering to even look at him when he took it, humming quietly in thanks.

He didn’t know how to respond to that, the revelation sending his mind spinning about a hundred different directions.

He was mad at Theo, even if what happened wasn’t entirely his fault, but he was mostly mad at himself for not even bothering to try to talk to you and hash it out. The months he spent trying to ignore you were completely miserable, and the worst part is, he put you through hell without even giving you any reason, and all of that ignorance was not even worth it…that is, if what you said was true.

“Oh.” Was all he said, taking to watching you strap up his hand after telling him he (thankfully) didn’t need stitches, but he did need to rest it for a while, which was probably for the best because the F1 Summer Break was currently in full swing.

Once you’d put the soaked gauze in the bin and tidied everything away to how you’d arrived before the bloodbath ensued, you stood up, brushing nonexistent dirt off your dress, and offered Daniel a rather confused smile.

He bit his lip in thought, your eyes unconsciously zipping to his mouth, before steering your gaze back up to his eyes when he caught you, raising his eyebrow slightly, a pale shade of pink tinting his cheeks as he fought back a smirk.

You turned away, looking at the door, which was very much tempting you at that moment in time.

He cleared his throat once he’d noticed your attention flicker away from him, and it was only then he registered he practically craved you to be looking at him. Whenever he was at functions with Theo, he would always unknowingly search for you, even when he thought you hated his guts, he’d still scan the crowd of unfamiliar faces in the hopes that he’d see you again.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously, feeling your eyes on him. It was as if he’d suddenly melted into a teenager again right beneath your eyes. He cleared his throat again, sinking back against the toilet in an attempt to make himself smaller at the revelation he’d just arrived at.

It was weird, seeing him so shy when he was naturally such an outgoing character.

You found a part of your brain secretly admiring his flustering, but you quickly shut that down, reminding yourself that you shouldn’t be having those thoughts, especially since you’d just had to mop up a slice on his hand.

“I think I’m gonna go grab a drink and join the fray.” You said, hating the way your voice sounded so small against the echoing walls of the bathroom tiles.

Daniel snapped his eyes to yours, holding them intently, slightly alarmed at your words.

The last thing he wanted was for you to leave him; call it soppy, but he wanted to make up for lost time as soon as he possibly could, and he knew there would be very few opportunities considering both your careers were so demanding.

“Um…” he cleared his throat, “Yeah, I just want to say, thanks for all of this.” He gestured down to his hand, and you smiled.

“No problem. Just…stay away from broken glass for a bit and you should be fine.” You mumbled, words not registering in your brain as Daniel breathed a small laugh, looking utterly starstruck and sad at the same time.

“I’ll try my best.”

You offered one last smile, checking you still had your bag, and without another word you slipped out of the bathroom door, hearing the handle click behind you.

You could still hear the thumping remnants of the party in the next room, and without really caring who you bumped into along the way, you made a beeline for the kitchen, filling up a plastic wine glass with the nearest spirit and downing it as quickly as possible. You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, immediately feeling guilty because of the early shift, and hurried to fill the glass back up with water, trying your best to dispel the effects of alcohol before they even had an impact.

It seemed to work.

Your head was spinning, unrelated to the liquids you’d just absorbed, but because of the bathroom fiasco that had just occurred only moments prior.

You were that caught up in your own thoughts, trying to separate fact from fiction and thought from feeling, that you completely missed the very brunette on your mind stride past the kitchen and into the living area, looking like a man on a mission as he tried to seek out Theo.

It didn’t take him long, he just had significantly more trouble trying to shake off a blonde that refused to let go of his arm, and he found Theo leant against a table, looking worn out, his mind absent from reality.

In the time it took for you to patch Daniel up, it looked as if Theo had faced a war and somehow escaped.

“You okay?” Daniel asked, hand clapping into Theo’s shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to reality.

He jumped, immediately relaxing when he registered just who was standing in front of him.

“I’m fine, but if that…person over there takes another step towards my Grandma, he’s not going to know what hit him.” He answered, finger pointing at a rather suspicious looking man.

“I don’t see a Grandma anywhere.” Daniel pointed out, slightly concerned.

Theo rolled his eyes, as if he’d had to answer the question a million times already, “She’s the purple one on the mantelpiece.” He muttered, taking a swig of whatever was in his glass.

Daniel nodded, feeling guilty for even bringing up the topic, but the completely detached behaviour from Theo was giving him a hard time in focusing on what he actually came over to do.

“Sorry about that, mate.” He apologised, breathing in deeply.

Theo shrugged.

“Anyway, does Y/N still have the same phone number or did she change it?” Daniel questioned, attempting to pretend like the question wasn’t that big of a deal by shrugging and avoiding making eye contact with Theo, but the raise of the eyebrow and curious, piercing blue stare proved that his attempt was futile.

“I knew you still liked her.” Theo chuckled.

“Am I that transparent?” Daniel quipped, pressing his lips together in a tight line.

“Only for me.” Theo grinned, patting Daniel’s cheek.

Daniel pulled a face, swiping Theo’s hand away.

“But no, she’s still got the same number. Why’d you ask?”

Daniel shrugged, already backing away, attention flickering around the room, once again searching for something — the action of which didn’t go unnoticed by Theo, who positively cackled inside, “Just curious.”

“If curious means ‘I-fucked-up-with-a-really-good-person-big-time-and-I-need-to-make-it-up-somehow-before-I-ask-her-out-for-real-this-time-instead-of-practicing-it-in-the-mirror’, then, whatever you say.”

“That was ages ago!”

“People don’t forget!” Theo yelled, smirking in triumph as Dan disappeared around the corner, no doubt searching for you.

You were sitting on the cold, stone steps outside the apartment building, your phone in your hand and debating whether or not to call a taxi or walk home before it gets too dark.

Your thumb was hovering over the call button to your local taxi when the building doors slammed open, the sound of shoes slapping against the concrete as a tall figure leapt down the last three steps, running a hand through their curls in frustration as they looked left, then right, and sighed, reaching into their jacket pocket to produce their phone.

You couldn’t see their face, only the back of their head, but you’d recognise that figure anywhere.

You looked down, your heart stuttering at the sudden buzzing of the phone in your hand.

You narrowed your eyes, resisting the urge to laugh at the hilarity of the situation, and answered the call, lifting the phone up to your ear, your eyes fixated on the pacing figure on the pavement, watching him from your spot at the top corner of the stairs.

“Hello?” The person asked, sounding a bit breathless through the phone.

“Hi.”

“It’s Daniel...Ricciardo.” He winced at his own awkwardness.

“I know. You’re still saved in my contacts.”

“I am?” He replied, tone laced with shock.

You were almost embarrassed to admit that you’d held onto a little shred of hope in thinking he’d eventually get over himself, “You had a paddy with me, remember?”

“About that, I’m really sorry. Like, really, really, really,really, really—”

“I get the idea.” You sighed.

“No, I don’t think you understand how sorry I am for it. It was so insanely stupid of me to stop talking to you because of something I thought I heard in a club — a fucking club of all places — without even thinking of talking to you—”

“Why didn't you talk to me?”

He was silent for a while, and you noticed he’d halted his pacing on the pavement. “I know it sounds like I’m making up excuses, but I really thought you hated my guts, and that...it hurt because I kind of had a bit of a crush on you and I pushed you away because I think a subconscious part of my mind thought that if I did that then it would be better in the long run because I wouldn’t be so attached to you if something went weird later on.” He explained, his voice lowering and quieting towards the end, as if he’d just understood what he didn’t understand.

“That’s...a lot to unpack.” You murmured, noticing the way his shoulders had slumped.

“Yeah...we don’t have to do it right now, though.”

“No, I agree, I think we’d need a nicer place to sort though our emotional struggles than outside Theo’s apartment building.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit weird — what?” He caught himself, spinning around on his heels.

You offered a shy wave once he’d tilted his head in your direction, realising you’d been watching him talk to you the entire time.

“I was looking for you.” He said once he’d hung up the phone, meeting you halfway on the steps.

“Why?”

“Can I walk you home?” He resorted to asking.

_____

The journey home took about twice as long as it usually would, and by the time you’d both made it onto your street, night was beginning to creep through, the sky changing to a darker blue, street lamps beginning to turn on.

The conversation flowed remarkably easily, albeit there was a noticeable hesitance in dancing around that subject, but you pretended not to notice it, and you had a feeling Daniel was trying to do the same.

He kept glancing at you out of the corner of his eye, almost disbelieving of that fact that you were in front of him, even after what he’d put you through, and he had to keep catching himself to ensure you didn’t notice him looking.

You did.

“So, how are you feeling about going back after the Summer Break?”

He stifled a smile, “I don’t know why, but I have a really good feeling about going back. You know what? It has to be those Haribo’s.” He breathed a laugh.

“What? I hand out magic Haribo?” You smirked, shaking your head in disbelief.

“Yep.”

“No.”

“You say that now, but you’ll take it back when I get a podium.”

“When you do win, just don’t go around telling everyone about my magic Haribo.”

“Oh, the Haribo are reserved for me and for me only. It won’t have the same effect if you give some to Lando.”

“I’ll just take your word for it, I guess.”

You breathed a laugh, coming to a halt on the pavement, the familiar house standing to your left.

Daniel looked up.

“I thought you had a Fiesta?” He asked, pointing to the blue Hyaundi parked on the driveway.

“I’m sorry, is my car not up to the standard you’re used to?” You questioned, raising an eyebrow teasingly in his direction.

“Oi, I’ll have you know that I learnt to drive in a — I can’t even remember what model it was, but I do remember having to really press down on the brake…and the air con was broken.” He defended, throwing his hands up as if to say he was surrendering.

You bit your lip, “I learnt to drive in a Mercedes.”

His reaction was priceless.

“A Mercedes? You learnt to drive in a—wow.”

“It was just the company car, I didn’t really have a choice.”

“Still…wow.” He paused, feet tapping the pavement agitatedly, “I have a proposal.”

You met his eyes, unable to help feeling slightly anxious by the prospect.

“Go on.” You encouraged, crossing your arms tightly.

“If I win a GP…wait—can we make a deal?” He asked, throwing his hand out.

You nodded.

“If I win a GP, I get to take you on a date.” He offered, raising one eyebrow but somehow maintaining eye contact.

“But…what’s in it for me?” You smirked.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes, “That’s so rude…but, okay…I take you to Monza, and if—when I win a GP, I get to take you out. For my own sake, I’m gonna pretend like I will win one because I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t.”

“You’ll win one.” You stated simply, shrugging.

“What makes you so sure of that?”

“Because you’re Daniel Ricciardo, when have you ever not been successful in a car?” You asked, pulling a face as if it was obvious from the get-go.

Daniel didn’t say anything after that. He just sort of looked at you, twisting his mouth up in thought. You couldn’t tell what was going through his mind at that moment in time, but you had a sneaking suspicion he was trying to believe your words.

“You really believe that?” He finally said, a hint of what sounded like insecurity laced in his tone.

“You don’t?” You shot back, your heart breaking slightly at his demeanour.

“I never left.” He mumbled under his breath, turning away from you slightly with furrowed brows, seemingly having a conversation with himself.

You knew those words would stick around in your mind for a long time.

But there was something so addictive about ‘Daniel Ricciardo wins the 2021 Italian Grand Prix’.

[high-functioning-lokipath]

SH - Sherlock x Watson!reader - Strangers Like Me - 1,468

A/N: THIS IS THE FIRST SHERLOCK ONESHOT I WROTE! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT! (WHY AM I YELLING? 🤣) ~ AMETHYST

You had come to visit your brother in London about a week ago. Unfortunately, you had unknowingly brought with you a stomach bug and gave it to your brother. This particular morning he was still in bed sleeping, no longer sick but still too weak to go out. You'd spent most of your time helping him recover or sightseeing around the city. You, of course, had met Sherlock but you didn't spend too much time around him because you didn't want him to deduce your secret. 

"John!" Sherlock yelled from downstairs. Your brother "Jawwwwwn!!!!" He yelled again. You ran downstairs to quiet him down. 

"Sherlock!" You whisper-yelled. "Please don't yell! He's still sleeping for goodness sake!"

"Why?"

"Why is he still sleeping?"

"Yes."

"Because he's still recovering from being sick you twit!" 

"But I need him for a case! Gavin just called me and said there was a murder!"

"Gavin?"

"Yes, Geoff."

"Geoff?"

"Gucci."

"Oh! Greg!"

"That's not it."

"Yes it is."

"No, Lestrade's first name is-"

"Greg," John said coming down the stairs completely wrapped up in his blanket. 

"John!" You both exclaimed. 

"You look absolutely dreadful!" Sherlock stated. "How are you supposed to help me in that condition?"

"I'm not!" He said, "I'm going back to bed. She'll go with you."

"John, please no," you pleaded. Your brother gave you a pointed look.

"Look, you can't avoid him forever. I think he might actually find you quite interesting." He whispered.

"I don't think this is a goo-" you paused a moment looking again at your brother. "Are you wearing any pants?" You asked loud enough for Sherlock to hear too.

"Nope." John and Sherlock both started laughing hysterically. You tried to look disgusted but couldn't help yourself and joined in on the laughter. John started coughing suddenly, ruining the happy mood. 

"You'd better get back to bed, John," You said. "I'll put on a fresh pot for you and I guess I'll go with Sherlock if that'll make you happy."

"Thanks, sis," He replied heading back upstairs. You went to the kitchen and started some more tea. Sherlock hadn't said a word but you felt his intense gaze on your back. You whipped around suddenly, staring back at him. His gaze faltered for a moment before he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"I suppose you'll do. Just make sure not to mess anything up."

"I wouldn't dare," You replied. Purposely bumping into him as you walked out of the kitchen, you smiled to yourself. Perhaps you wouldn't let him figure out your secret. Perhaps you'd show it to him willingly. 

"We found her in the car completely unresponsive. The medics pronounced her dead at the scene. We figure she couldn't have been here for more than a couple hours," D.I. Lestrade explained.

"To the average person it would look like a standard car accident. Why were you guys called?" You asked. Sherlock was completely ignoring Greg, preferring to examine the body. 

"She was an old classmate of mine actually. We kept in contact occasionally. She always told me she would never get behind the wheel of a car. We were called because the car wasn't registered to her and the owner has gone missing." You nodded and thought about the situation. Walking up to the body and the car, you examined it for yourself.

"The driver of the car, where did he work?" You asked. 

"At the bank about 6 blocks north of here."

"Call the bank and ask if they ever punched in this morning. I think they'll also find they're missing some money. Here's what happened. Your friend and the owner of the car had both gotten jobs at the bank about 2 months ago. They decided to carpool since they lived near each other. They headed into work this morning, the first ones in. When they entered the bank 2 robbers were already inside. They went to hit the alarm but the robbers took them hostage, they'd already gotten the money. They assumed your friend was the driver of the car and forced her to get behind the wheel. As they were driving she started to have an asthma attack and lost control of the car. They probably had another buddy nearby in another car so they could get away with at least one hostage." Taking a closer look at some papers in the car, you said: "Try the Hotel on 27th. That's where they're staying."

"How did you figure this all out?" Greg exclaimed.

"It's quite easy, all the evidence is right there," You stated.

"C'mon, Miss Watson," Sherlock said sharply. "Wouldn't want to keep your dear brother waiting home alone. Good day, Lestrade." He grabbed your arm, pulling you away from the scene. He was silent, never sparing a glance in your direction for the whole walk back to 221b. 

"Wait just a minute, Mr. Holmes. We're both adults and we are going to discuss this matter as such," You said just before going inside. You now grabbed his arm and pulled him into Speedy's. Pushing him into a booth, you sat across him and analyzed him carefully. He'd placed his elbows on the table, hands together in a prayer position, fingertips resting on his chin. He stared straight ahead, which so happened to be directly at you. "Oh no you don't! Don't go off into your mind palace now, Sherly."

"Don't call me that!" He snapped, a barely noticeable pink rising to his cheek. 

"Are you sure, Shirl?" You cooed, noting his reaction. He blushed even harder this time. His face remained stoic but his eyes shone. "You like the fact that someone has finally called you by a nickname without using it derogatorily. You claim not to be emotional but all the name calling affects you very much. Well they're wrong you know. You're not a freak, you're a genius. You're not ugly or weird, you're quite handsome and absolutely amazing. You're not crazy, well, maybe a little." He smiled slightly at that, finding himself unable to meet your eyes. "You do this work because you want to help and you find it enjoyable because you can understand it rather easily unlike emotional matters. Well lemme tell you something, honey, emotions aren't easy for anyone. But most people believe they're a necessary evil. And some people can read emotions a little better than others. You'll find most of those people are women though. I think that right now, you feel absolutely naked at having someone deduce you back." You looked down at your own hands. "Don't feel so bad. I don't mean any harm, I just-" You sighed deeply. "I've been doing this my whole life." He looked up at you, an amazed look on his face. "This deducing and all. Why do you think John gets along with you so well? He's used to me. I drove him and Harry crazy for years." You finally made eye contact with Sherlock again. "I'm sorry I stole your spotlight today. I just, I just wanted to let you know you're not alone."

"What emotions do you see in me now?" He stared deeply into your eyes. 

"Admiration, surprise, and," you paused for a moment. 'No, he wouldn't feel that way,' You thought. "Uh, I don't know." You trailed off. 

"C'mere," he said standing up and taking your hand. You stood up facing him. He took both of your hands in his. "You missed one," he whispered, leaning into you. "Love." He closed the gap, kissing you quickly on the lips. 

"SherlocK! I-"

"Come with me," He exclaimed, grabbing your hand. 

"What are you doing?" You yelled as he pulled you out of Speedy's and upstairs to the flat.

"Jawwwwwn!" He yelled bursting through the door.

"I'm right here," Your brother groaned from his chair not 6 feet away. "What is it?"

"I'm going to marry your sister."

"Sherlock!!!" You yelled. "You haven't even asked me yet!"

"So? I know your answer," He replied with his classic, cocky smile.

"I still want you to ask." He raised his eyebrow at you, still remaining silent.

"Just ask her the bloody question, Sherlock!" John yelled. You laughed as Sherlock reluctantly got down on one knee. Taking your hand he finally said those four special words.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" You replied emphatically. He picked you up as he stood and twirled you around. After he finally put you down he kissed you with such emotion you almost didn't believe it was him. 

"Ok, ok. I get it. My sister's in love with my best friend and my best friend finally admitted he's human. Now can you please not do that in front of me? I think I'm going to throw up and I promise you it's not this stomach bug I have."

[fific7]

There May Be Trouble Ahead - Part 2

John Whittaker x Reader

A/N: This does not follow canon, it’s all lemon zest 🍋 because the world deserves more of the over-eager puppy that is the handsome Johnny Whittaker. And puppies need discipline.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content including oral and unprotected sex between consenting adults*. Some drinking.

*Irl, please don’t go wild in the country without protection.

(Not my GIF, credit to owner)

The following weekend, John parked his car with a flourish, jumping out of it and bouncing up the front steps of her mansion flat in town, noticing that it had a nice view of a small park across the road. Ringing the doorbell, he fervently hoped that she hadn’t changed her mind since he’d telephoned her during the week to reconfirm the details for today. He was excited about this second date. He’d been pleased when she’d given him both her address and home number without hesitation on the night of their first date, and she hadn’t said anything adverse during the midweek call. That had to be promising.

Surely that would have been the perfect opportunity to belatedly decline his invitation?

When she opened her front door, he wished her an exuberant ’good afternoon’ while being much taken with the vision of loveliness which presented itself to him. She was resplendent in a pretty floral dress, matching high heels and a floppy sun hat in a contrasting colour, and he thought she looked absolutely adorable. And told her as much, which made her blush. He loved it when she blushed. He was, in the meantime, admiring her curves and he could see a little more of her shapely legs today, her dress being very slightly shorter than the skirt she wore previously.

He was still gazing at her when he felt a stirring in his loins. It really had been quite a while since a woman had elicited that response from his now usually dormant manhood. With all the recent emotional upheaval, his libido had been truly and utterly extinguished.

Oh! he thought, looking down quickly at the growing bulge in his trousers, I’m very pleased to be in this state but… umm. He quickly clasped his hands in front of his fly.

Looking back up at her, he could tell by her expression that she was feeling very anxious and indeed, instead of greeting him, she burst out, “Do you really think this is a good idea, John? We have only just made our acquaintance but you’re taking me to meet your family? They may hate me!”

He smiled at her, “Believe me, it’s entirely possible that it will be the other way round!” She smiled back at him, “I’m sure it won’t be.” Grinning, he said, “You haven’t met them yet!” “John! You’re not exactly reassuring me!” He reached out a hand, “Come along, it will be fine, honestly. Don’t worry about anything!” She turned slightly and picked up a clutch bag from the hall table. “I’ll try not to,” she replied.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Your first thought on opening the door was, ‘how handsome he looks!” He was wearing cream trousers, a stone-coloured shirt and a cream waistcoat, very dashing. You noticed his dark eyes staring at you, and hoped that what you’d chosen to wear was suitable for a tea party with his family.

However he’d immediately complimented you so hopefully that meant you’d passed muster. Then you couldn’t help mentioning how anxious you were feeling and while he didn’t exactly make you feel less so, by the time you took his hand and let him lead you down to his car, your nerves were beginning to subside a tiny little bit.

His car was a really rather smart sports number and he opened the passenger door for you, not letting go of your hand until you’d seated yourself in it, gracefully you hoped. Then he leapt into the driver’s seat and started up the engine, a loud purring sound in the quiet street. You saw a curtain twitch at the next-door window and smirked. Good! This’ll give that awful Euphemia girl something to think about. She was always making snide passive-aggressive remarks about the lack of gentlemen in your life - as if she had any herself! It twitched again and you cheerily waved at her, the lace curtain instantly dropping back into place.

“Neighbour of yours? A friend?” John nodded towards the window. You gave a rather unladylike snort, “God no. She’s ghastly. I avoid her like the plague.” He laughed, and as the car pulled away from the kerb you glanced at him, “So. Who is going to be at tea today?” He was concentrating on navigating the car through the streets but replied, “Oh, let’s see… just Mother and my two sisters Hilda and Marion. Although I do think mater might’ve said something about Sarah possibly dropping in too.” “Sarah?” you questioned. He shifted in his seat, “My ex. We were almost engaged at one point, but…” he shrugged, “…Larita happened.”

You got a sinking feeling in your stomach. His ex? Why on earth was she joining you? And who was Larita? You asked him as much and he cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable, “Larita is my ex-wife. And Sarah - although we’re no longer involved - has a kind of big sis thing going on with me, I think. To be honest, our whole relationship was always very much like brother and sister. No hanky-panky, you know?” He gave a nervous laugh. “She’ll be over to have a gander at you, no doubt - make sure you’re not going to steal the family silver.” You couldn’t stop yourself laughing out loud, “Have no fear! I’ve concealed my burglar’s Swag Bag very well.” He joined in your laughter, “Hate to disappoint you, darling, but we’ve got no silver left to steal!”

Darling? you thought… he’s forward! “That’s not a problem,” you replied, “filthy lucre’s not really my scene.” His head turned towards you, “What’s your scene? Tell me,” he said. “Oh… you know. Someone with a brain so I can have a decent conversation. Someone who can make me laugh. And treat me like a princess.” He pulled up momentarily at a crossroads and his eyes met yours, “I can do all of those,” he said earnestly, “I promise you that I can.” You laughed, suddenly slightly shy due to how sincere he sounded. “Can you? That’s encouraging, John.”

“Yes, I can. I’ll prove it to you, if you’ll let me.”

You smiled at him. “Well, it’s very early days but we’ll see, shall we?”

He nodded, eyes gazing into yours, “We shall indeed.”

A car horn tooted behind you. He changed gears and turned the car towards the fields and meadows.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

(Flintham Hall, the Whittakers’ residence)

The car tyres crunched over the gravel of the wide driveway and he drew the car to a halt in front of “The Family Pile”, as he called it. When he’d turned the car off the road and driven between two huge gate posts and then past a gatehouse, you knew that his house was going to be rather large. And it was. It wasn’t quite Blenheim Palace, but it wasn’t too far off.

“John,” you said, slightly in awe, “…what a beautiful house.” He grinned, “The original part of the house was built in 1798, not by us though. It was extended first of all in… um, 1820 I think. The Whittakers eventually inherited it through marriage in the mid-1840’s, and they extended and remodelled again a few years later. Been in the family ever since. Bit shabby round the edges nowadays,” he gave a self-deprecating laugh, “…somewhat like myself.”

He jumped out of the car in typically energetic fashion, coming round and opening your car door, “I’ll give you the full guided tour after we’ve had tea.” He took your hand again and led you towards the main entrance. “They’ll all be on the terrace, no doubt. Or… maybe in the conservatory. Come and meet them.”

You smiled, “You’re not, you know.” He stopped in his tracks, looking back at you, a confused look on his face, “I’m not what?” “Shabby,” you answered, and began walking again.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

John’s heart gave a little leap. She sounds…. interested, he thought. Could she possibly like me? Oh, I do hope so.

He led her inside the house, spotting their butler gliding towards them and waving him off, “It’s fine, Furber, it’s just me and my guest,” and giving her a quick smile, guided her through the large hall and into the large, high-ceilinged conservatory. “Oh, no sign of them in here after all. The plants are probably too overgrown to take tea amongst. We’ve only got one doddery old gardener left now, and it takes him all his time to look after the grounds never mind in here. Poor old Bob.”

He tugged her hand and gently pulled her back out into the hall then cut through a grand sitting room, where French windows were already lying open. He propelled her swiftly towards them; he could tell by the tenseness of her hand in his that she was getting nervous again, and he really didn’t want her to take flight in the opposite direction. “Terrace it is then!” he sang.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Your heart was in your mouth as John all but shoved you through the French windows and out onto the terrace.

A large round table was set out there, complete with crockery, cutlery, napkins, plates of sandwiches, two cake stands each filled with a selection of tea cakes, a large teapot, along with several tea cups and saucers. What a spread! you thought.

Four female heads turned towards you and John, but their eyes were drilling into you and you only.

Taking a deep breath, you dropped your hand out of John’s and stepped forward, a smile - but a reserved one - on your face.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

John took in the four staring women, and had a fleeting moment of deja vu. They didn’t look very welcoming, any of them. But he squared his shoulders and hurried to stand next to her, his hand on her arm.

He cleared his throat and firstly introduced her, before indicating each of the still-silent women and introducing them in turn to her. He gave her a tentative smile and a comforting squeeze of her arm. She turned back to the women, smiling and said, “Very pleased to meet you.”

There was a further moment of silence, and he saw their eyes travelling down to look at his hand resting on her arm. But he didn’t remove it.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You noticed them all staring at John’s hand, which had remained on your arm, then finally Veronica nodded at you and returned your greeting with the smallest of small smiles. This seemed to open the floodgates and the others echoed her, with accompanying smiles. Hilda jumped up (it seemed to be a family trait) and came over to you, claiming your arm from John and leading you over to an empty seat between her and Sarah, who looked up smiling as you approached. At the same time you didn’t miss the intensely scrutinising look she gave you. Well - this isn’t going to be uncomfortable at all is it?! you thought, smiling back through slightly gritted teeth.

A housemaid appeared from nowhere and began pouring tea for everyone. Marion, with her tightly permed hair and her mustard-coloured pleated skirt and mustard-coloured twinset and pearls, was busy passing the now-full cups round, spearing you with her sharp stare as she did so. Had these people never seen anyone from outside the estate or something? The way they were examining you! - as if you were a specimen on a laboratory slide or something. You decided to put on a brave front, smiling and thanking her as you took your cup from her. You would not be cowed by these women.

Sarah lifted her cup to her lips and sipped, before placing it carefully back in the saucer. You took a moment to study her. Well, you were just returning the favour, after all - she’d had the opportunity to scrutinise you for rather longer than that when you’d been paraded in front of them all. She was pretty, with soft brown eyes and wavy dark hair in a short bobbed style, however you felt that she was perhaps the kind of woman who just tended to fade into the background. Not that you were saying she was insipid, but… well, maybe you were.

But perhaps you’d better reserve judgement until you knew her better, you cautioned yourself. You yourself used to be a timid little mouse until you went out into the wide world. You either had to toughen up or else the world would eat you up, you’d learned that lesson pretty quickly. Perhaps Sarah had lived all her life in the rarified air of a country estate such as this. That would certainly explain why she had an air about her of one of those flower arrangements the Victorians liked to keep under glass domes in their parlours.

Hilda was a bubbly little thing, a few years younger than you. She was babbling happily away to you, asking where you got your dress, your hat, your shoes and who did your hair. Sensing that you had a new fan, you caught John’s eye over the tea cups and he smiled conspiratorially at you. Your lips lifted slightly in response. You could tell that he’d been trying to distract his mother’s attention from you, but that was only going to work for so long.

She turned towards you like a galleon in full sail and bared her teeth at you in a forceful smile. It reminded you of a visit you’d made to the Aquarium a few months ago. You were almost positive you’d seen the spitting image of Veronica there during your visit - flashing past you in one of the shark tanks with that same chilling grin in place, as you stood there gazing into that underwater world.

Under her regard, you very much felt like an item on that particular shark’s food chain. “My dear,” she intoned, “…my boy has told us literally nothing about you!” she glared at John, before switching her eyes back to you. “Pray do tell us something of your life to date, I’m sure it must be very interesting!”

You smiled at her, “Not really, Mrs Whittaker, but here goes! I got my degree - a First - in History of Art at Oxford, then I came down and now work at the Art Gallery in town. I’m a conservator. Well, I’m still a trainee but it’s not too bad. Eventually it will be fairly interesting once I’ve learned as much as I can about it from my mentor.” Veronica’s eyebrows rose, “Oh… an academic.” She smiled slightly more kindly at you then turned to John, “Well, that’s an improvement at least,” she said directly to him. His face pinked up and he cast an apologetic look at you.

However Veronica was not finished. She turned back to you and asked, “And your family, dear? What about them - what do they do?” You hid a smile. Pedigree was everything to the Veronicas of this world. “My father was in the army…” you noticed the frosty shutters coming down on her face again and wondered what that was all about, “…and then after the war, he started an antiques and artwork shipping company. It’s global now, doing rather well.” You saw interest spark in her eyes and her expression warmed again. “Oh, how interesting. And where do they live?” “In Sussex, on the Downs. We have a house there. And as Father’s offices are in London, a flat in Mayfair. And I have my flat here. Well… in town.”

Her expression was positively glowing by now. “How lovely!” she exclaimed, leaning forwards and motioning at one of the cake stands. “Do have a tea cake.”

You noticed John’s eyes rolling heavenwards.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

After half an hour of continued small talk, you were wondering why Veronica looked so pleased, Marion and Hilda looked anxious, and Sarah didn’t look particularly pleased at all. John suddenly stood up, smiling round at his relatives and their family friend. “I’m going to give this lovely lady the Grand Tour!” he announced, holding out his hand to you.

Taking it, you nodded to the other ladies and thanked Veronica for the delicious afternoon tea. Once again, she bestowed a smile on you and then John was tugging impatiently at your hand.

He towed you along behind him, whizzing you in and out of rooms and along corridors all the while delivering a staccato list of what their functions were. Eventually he pulled you upstairs and began the same whistlestop tour you’d had on the ground floor. He arrived at one particular door and stopped. He grinned at you, “This is my bedroom. D’you want to see it?” You nodded, grinning back at him. So he opened the door and you stepped inside, taking in the ornate damask curtains, the large carved bed and heavy dark-coloured oak furniture.

“It’s very…” you ground to a halt, not sure what to say. “Last century?” he laughed, “Don’t worry, I know it is. Most of the furniture in this house is ancient.” He shrugged, “Can’t afford to replace it.” You saw a momentary flash of anxiety across his face and moved to stand closer to him.

“John? Why did your mother suddenly warm up to me?”

He sank down on the edge of the bed, a defeated look about him. “I did mention this place was sinking like the Titanic, didn’t I?” You nodded, watching him closely. “My mother desperately wanted me to marry Sarah because the Hursts have actual money. Real, folding money. Not pie-in-the-sky money, tied up in land and bricks and mortar which swallow up any available funds just by existing. Then I met Larita. She was an American racing driver at the time but had no money whatsoever, she scraped through from race to race. Like a damn fool I married her in France, and brought her back here. Can you imagine how that went down?”

You thought back to Veronica’s original icy demeanour when you first arrived. “Um.. taking a wild guess here… not very well?” He nodded, sighing. Lying back against the pillows all of a sudden, he linked his fingers behind his head. “Like a hundred-pound bomb went off. American? No money? And as far as Mother and my siblings were concerned, no class. So of course in their book, that meant no chance!” He gave a harsh laugh. “What the hell was I thinking?”

“Well, I suppose you were in love?” He shook his head, dark eyes seeking out yours, “No. I was infatuated. But definitely not in love, although I thought I was to begin with. And the infatuation quickly wore off. She was bored here, but this is my home. I wasn’t going to leave it and go off gallivanting across the world with her! Spending all the money I don’t have.” He leant up on one elbow, propping his head up on one palm, “The weirdest thing was, I come swanning back here - supposed to be almost engaged to Sarah - with another woman on my arm as my wife, and Sarah was really calm and gracious about it all. She actually became quite friendly with Larita, that’s the weird bit I’m talking about!”

He gazed up at you, “She should’ve hated her, no?”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

His logic regarding that was spot on, you thought.

Of course Sarah should’ve hated Larita, that was just a normal human reaction. By rights - and without doubt if it had been you in Sarah’s position - a huge tantrum would definitely have been thrown. So huge and enduring, it would’ve registered on the Reichter Scale.

You suspected that the supposedly shy and retiring Sarah had known exactly what she’d been doing. John’s next comments merely reinforced your viewpoint, but you kept silent.

“I mean, I was moaning to Sarah one evening about how Larita’s behaviour was beginning to grate on me, and she actually told me to be quiet and go and look after my wife!”

That was the icing on the cake as far as you were concerned. Sarah was playing some kind of long game, you decided. One of the most ancient games around in fact, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’.

John had admitted to you that he and Sarah’s relationship had always been sibling-like, and she was probably only too well aware of that fact. When he came back from the Riviera with a wife, there wasn’t very much she could do about it at that point but had decided to bide her time. She thought exactly the same as John’s family thought about the marriage (poorly) - but she never admitted it.

In fact she played it exactly the opposite way and ‘befriended’ the wife, who was probably only too happy to see a supposedly friendly face in amongst all the hostile Whittaker ones.

Well, well, you thought, clever little Sarah.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

John had continued, “So you see, my darling mama - and I do apologise most profusely for this - is now of the opinion that you are a very good prospect indeed. She and my sisters will be worried that I’ll say or do something to frighten you away! But I assure you that in getting to know you, those are the absolute furthest thoughts in my mind.”

Her eyebrows were steadily climbing as he spoke. Seeing this reaction - John, as he was fond of doing - had moved swiftly along to another topic of conversation.

He was grinning up at her, as she stood there deep in thought. “But on another and more interesting note… the bed itself might be old, but I just had a new mattress delivered a few months ago. It’s very good.” He patted the quilt next to him, “Like to give it a try?”

He didn’t truly expect her to agree so he wasn’t too disappointed when she laughed and shook her head. “I think we’d better get back downstairs, John!” Turning and walking out of the room, she sent him a smile over her shoulder which made his heart leap again.

Sighing, he got up off the bed and followed her.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Additional A/N: In the film, I never found Sarah’s smiling acceptance of John getting married to the brash Larita believable. She either never really loved him or else she was a seething mass of jealousy under that calm exterior. And I think the latter! Also, for anyone who’s a stickler for accuracy, Easy Virtue was set in the Roaring Twenties and the Reichter Scale wasn’t introduced until 1935, so that’s fiction writer’s licence right there 😉 😁

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

@paracosmenthusiast

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

[acourtofsnakes]

Of Crowns and Armour, part 2| Bodyguard! Mando x Royal! Reader

Summary: Will Mando be true to his word about sneaking you out? Or will everything go wrong at the last moment

Warnings: Swearing, drinking, brief mentions of death, subtle references to sex (not explicit), not completely canon

Pairings: Bodyguard! Mando x Royal! Reader

Word Count: 4.3k+ 

Square filed: Bodyguard AU/ Taken Captive (hinting and leading into it ahead of next chapter) AN: @mandalorianbingo 

This is the outfit for the bar and here is Din’s car! And yes, that IS Billy Russo’s car from Punisher

Bingo Masterlist

Of Crowns and Armour: Part 1| Part 2

Permanent taglist: @greeneyedblondie44 @mamacitapascal​

The following day, you both had a meeting with your Grandma about public appearances and such, and then the Mandalorian escorted you back to your room, and promptly disappeared. 

You didn’t see him for the rest of the day.  

He wasn’t present at dinner and you couldn’t find him anywhere. 

By the time 8 o’clock rolled around, you had decided to believe he’d changed his mind about getting you to the bar. 

Still, maybe you should just sneak out. Everyone was expecting you and like Hell were you going to let them down. 

Besides, you weren’t afraid of the Mandalorian, or his threats. Your grandparents had already said the worst things they could have done, so what else did you have to lose? Short of locking you in a tower, they couldn’t do much else. 

And so, that’s why you were sat at your dressing table, finishing off the last of your makeup when there was a knock on the door. “Darling?”

Your grandmother. Shit. 

Hurriedly, you rose from your dressing table, looking for your robe, anything to cover your outfit. If she saw you, you’d be thrown in that metaphorical tower quicker than expected. 

“The Mandalorian said you weren’t very well, that you’d taken ill after dinner. I just wanted to see if you needed anything.” 

That froze you. 

The Mandalorian had lied to your grandmother? The Queen… on his first day?

He had lied. To cover you so you could go out with your friends. 

Just what kind of game was he playing? Was this an attempt to get you to like him? Did he just... not care? Or was this all some big elaborate trick designed to see if you would finally listen to your grandparents. 

Before the conspiracies could suck you too deep, you realised you should probably answer her. 

You worked to make your voice sound muted, tired, “Yes, he’s right… I was out for a walk in the garden and took a turn. I almost fainted.” You shrugged helplessly at the print of a forest hung on the wall, not knowing what else to think of. 

“Fainted? Oh, darling, do you need me to call for the nurse? I can have her here straight away to check you-“

“No! No, that’s okay… I think… I think I just need some rest.” You bit your lip, praying that would be enough and then you threw in a very believable yawn. 

You heard your grandma hesitate, “Okay… But if you aren’t any better by the morning, I’ll call for the nurse. Sleep well, darling.”

“Thank you… I will.” You knew she remained unconvinced, but her footsteps retreated from the door, leaving you bewildered still. 

Why on Earth would he lie on his first day? 

Shaking your head, you finished off getting ready, wondering if you should put on your heels or trainers – would you be going there like a normal person… or sneaking out of the palace gardens? 

Just when you were about to reach for the trainers, there was another knock, freezing you in place. 

“Princess?” Your bodyguard’s deep baritone rumbled through the wooden door. 

You sighed in relief, instead grabbing the heels and padding barefoot to the door, which you pulled open, “Hey.” 

Mando stood there, dressed in a similar dark suit to yesterday, same boots and same gloves. 

And the same helmet. 

You really needed to ask him about that.  

It was still facing you, and the Mandalorian was… silent. 

You raised an eyebrow, cocking your head, “Uh, can I help you?” You waved a hand in front his visor, and a tingle passed over your skin, almost as if… as if someone had raked an eye down you. 

The Mandalorian’s gloved hands flexed, “Your outfit…” His voice… was it a little huskier than usual? 

You looked down at your outfit, a pair of slim black jeans and a sheer mesh top embroidered with flowers. “Is there something wrong with it?” It wasn’t over the top, or even inappropriate. Sure, it bared off your belly and the very top of your waist, but it was tasteful. 

Mando’s helmet glinted with the light as he shook his head, “No, no, it’s…” He trailed off, clearing his throat and then he shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers, “Ready to go?” 

Strange. 

You nodded, raising your heels, “One second.” As you stooped down to put them on, you couldn’t help but ask, “Can I ask why you lied to the Queen on the first day of your job?” 

You heard, rather than saw him shrug, “You asked me to find a way to get you to see your friends. So I did.”

Not a good enough explanation. 

You cast a glance up through your eyelashes as you secured the stap of one heel round your ankle, “But you’re my personal protection officer. The whole point is keeping me in and doing what my grandma asks you to do.” 

Mando tilted his head down to look at you, the movement oddly…. Attractive, “No, my job is to keep you safe. And your grandma asked me to also keep you cared for. And if finding a way to get you to see your friends safely where I can watch you every single second, is keeping you cared for… then I’m not breaking the rules. I would rather know where you are than encourage you to sneak off.” 

You contemplated that as you strapped up the other ankle, “Hmm.” Rising to your feet, you shut your bedroom door, “You’re an odd one, aren’t you?” 

It felt like Mando may have flashed you a grin under the helmet, but instead, he just offered you his arm, “Likewise, princess.” 

He led you out of the palace, avoiding the butlers and guards, and took you out the way you snuck out yourself. A long-forgotten door behind a willow tree in the garden. 

Of course he knew. 

But that didn’t matter because…

On the street outside, was parked an absolutely gorgeous sleek black car, sitting pretty and beautiful in the dusky light. 

The soft squeak of joy that escaped your lips was inevitable, “You drive a Wraith?!” You slipped your arm free of his, hurrying over to examine every inch of the car. 

“You like cars?” The Mandalorian couldn’t hide his surprise, watching you move around his vehicle and carefully touch the gloss paintwork. 

You peered over the bonnet at him, raising an eyebrow, “Surprised?” Turning your attention back to the car, you nodded, “Always. I used to go to car shows with my dad all the time…” You looked at the car again, thinking back to those times. 

Mando cocked his head slightly, a move that you were starting to recognise as a sort of trademark for him, but he didn’t push what you said “It’s not my everyday car. This is for work.” He walked to the passenger door, opening it for you and standing behind is as he watched you almost reluctantly make your way to his side. 

“It’s beautiful…” As you walked round, you paused as you noticed the number plate. You frowned at the letters and numbers for a second, before realising what they spelt, “Razor Crest? What’s that?” 

He merely shrugged, motioning for you to get in, not giving anything away.

Another thing to add to the list. 

Still, you settled into the car, watching him come around to the driver’s side. 

He moved with easy grace, a confident walk that was both balanced and silent. All of his movements were graceful, actually. Like he was moving to some inner tune only he could hear. Each sweep of his arm, shift of his body seemed perfectly choreographed, even with the helmet that you knew would block his peripheral. 

“You’re staring.” He closed his door, turning the engine on and it purred to life, earning a sigh of delight from yourself. 

“You move like you’re trained in dance. Or battle.” You mimicked his pondering head tilt as you watched him put on his belt. 

How could he even drive in that thing? Surely it was illegal.

The Mandalorian let out a soft huff that might have been a laugh and lifted his hand to the wheel, “That might be the first compliment you’ve given me since I started.” 

Your reply came late, because immediately, you had zeroed in what had just been revealed by his movement. 

The angle of his hands on the wheel had caused the sleeve of his suit jacket to rise up, exposing a strip of tanned, olive skin before it flowed into his leather glove. 

It sent a lick of heat through you, making you aware of the small space, the smell of is cologne, and the darkness around you. 

You just… couldn’t stop staring. 

Sure, you’d only known him a few hours, but… that strip of skin was almost like he was naked. It was smooth, the tendons of his inner wrist jutting out in a way that almost made your mouth water, before you realised exactly what you were doing. 

Quickly, you scrambled for a response, “Well, it hasn’t even been a day. Give it time.” It was an almost herculean effort to tear your eyes away from his skin. 

God’s above, get a grip. You’re not some repressed Victorian catching a glimpse of a lady’s ankle.

~~

~~~~

The night was shaping up to be really quite lovely. 

Before going to the bar, the Mandalorian had parked in the next street over and introduced you to the team he had handpicked for the night. 

No palace guards of course, since this was all strictly hush-hush. 

His team was small, consisting of two women – one who was broader built and wore a few braids in the side of her dark hair whom Mando introduced as Cara and the other slender and built almost like an assassin from the books you loved to read. She was called Fennec. They both seemed lovely, and respectful. 

There had been another man, wearing a similar helmet to Mando’s, who simply called himself ‘Fett’ in a gravelly voice. 

The final member of his team was a tall, older looking man, with rich skin and an even richer personality. He was open and bold, very friendly and didn’t stop complimenting you, and introduced himself as Greef. 

They had also informed you that your codename was Nova. Which you had to admit, did thrill you. Just a bit. 

You had a codename.

Mando and his team had watched you go in, staying a few steps behind in the line before nodding to the bouncer at the door and heading in themselves. He’d taken up a position in a shadowy alcove, and… you actually didn’t see much of him for the rest of the night. 

He stayed pretty well concealed, even when he was out in the open. Even with that helmet on. 

His team had too. The only time you noticed any of them, was when you really tried hard to look. 

Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be that bad if they had to stay. At least these guys knew how to keep the distance and not hover over you like some kind of helicopter. It allowed you to feel… normal. 

Finn’s performance had been amazing as usual, and you’d all gushed as much when he’d returned to the table with a round of shots. 

Casting a glance round for them out of curiosity, you met the gaze of the woman near the stage, her chin length red hair flashing green for a moment as a laser light passed over it. 

You’d noticed her quite a lot tonight, starting from almost as soon as you walked over to your usual table to meet the gang. 

She’d been standing near a potted fir tree and looked dead at you as you approached. 

You put it down to someone who recognised you as the princess – it wasn’t uncommon. People had a habit of staring at someone well-known. 

Turing your attention back to your friends, you re-joined the conversation.

“So, grandma really won’t let up with the PPO thing then?” Finn sipped his beer, crossing one leg over the other and he looked at you. 

Groaning, you shook your head, “Nope. Not at all.” You had just given them all a quick rundown of what had happened yesterday – Poe already knowing of course. “She says this is it now. The Mandalorian is here to stay.” You sighed, swirling your cocktail around its glass. 

Rey let out a thoughtful hum, “My step-dad told me about something a little while ago… He said back when he was an agent, there were a group of people who were like… major under-cover Special Ops. Sort of like bounty hunters, I guess. They were trained to take out any threat before it even happened, with no trace or evidence” 

Poe snorted, “So, you’re saying her PPO is an assassin?” He laughed, looking at you, “Careful you don’t piss him off, he might slit your throat in the dead of night.” 

Rey threw an olive from her drink at him, “No, you asshole. They’re not assassins. They were sent out on some of the most dangerous missions. Not a lot of people knew about them, they were like ghosts. Luke said he knew some, and the stories he would tell were… horrific. They got caught up in some really brutal things. Lots of people hated them, and there was this big scandal between the Mandalorian’s and this other group. They released hundreds of secure files, revealing the identities of the Mandalorian operatives. A whole bunch of them were killed and so were their families. That’s why they keep the helmets, even now. So no one knows who they are… so they can protect their families back home.” 

Your drink turned a little sour in your mouth as Rey finished speaking. You had called him a circus freak, laughed at his helmet… what if he was one of those operatives? What if he had been… tortured… watched his family killed? 

A cold sweat licked down your spine, bringing with it the memories of blood, of that awful, awful night you lost your parents. 

Quickly downing the rest of your cocktail, you stood up, “I’m just gonna run to the bathroom, don’t start the next round of shots without me.” You pointed at Finn, who had a tendency to be an eager beaver when it came to shots. 

“Want me to come with you?” Rey looked up from her drink, tilting her head curiously, her eyes showing concern. 

You laughed, brushing it off and scooping up your bag, “Rey, this isn’t Hutt’s.”

Hutt’s was one of the more… interesting bars you and your group often frequented. 

It was more on the side of what your grandmother would call, ‘unsavoury.’ But as long as you didn’t cause too much trouble for the guards, it was a fun night out. It also came with the guarantee of no-one looking too closely at your ID and realising who you were – of course, you had a fake ID. Not fake for the age… just the last name.

Poe laughed, shooting you a grin, “Oh, honey, you know how to have a good time at Hutt’s.” He dropped you a wink, referring to the night in question that had gotten you into that final point of trouble. 

The night of the body shots and table dancing. There had been more, but thankfully, your grandma didn’t know that. 

You raised your eyebrows, wearing a matching grin to Poe’s, “And so do you, if I recall correctly.” Amongst you all, Poe was known as… not exactly a player, but he did have a certain way with the ladies – and the occasional man. 

Finn laughed, clapping, “Ooooh, she’s right! Do you remember – “ 

Before you got sucked into a game of reliving your messiest nights, you slipped away to the bathroom. 

Just before you reached the door, you noticed the red-headed lady standing near a large potted plant, watching you again. 

Weird. Maybe you should go and see if she knows you. 

You shrugged, pushing open the door and heading inside. 

~~

~~~

God, Mando hated parties. 

Well, you couldn’t exactly call this a party. 

This was… actually kind of better than most of what he’d been stationed in previously. 

This place, Tano’s, was rather inviting, with rich décor and open spaces. There were lush plants everywhere, softening the sleek lines of the furniture.  The warm lighting was reminiscent of a sunset, providing a lovely ambience. It helped that he knew the lady who had once owned it, before passing it on to a friend. 

The bar was wide, a big sort of U shape with lots of seats. There were multiple raised seating areas, and a sunken area that faced the big stage where the princess’ friend has sung a little while ago. He was actually pretty good. 

But everything else… the clustered groups of people, the changing music, the flashing lights… 

He had never come to care for it. 

Give him open space and gentle quiet any day of the week. 

Too much noise and movement brought him back to that place. 

Reminded him of the things that had been done. 

Maybe he should go out for a breath of air. 

He almost laughed aloud at that thought. Like he would take off the helmet here. 

Too many people to see him, too many phones and cameras which might capture his face and release it to the world – to his enemies. 

God, he was on edge tonight. 

Of course, it had everything to do with the surroundings and nothing to do with the grins and flirting that the princess had exchanged with her dark headed friend. 

Or the way they had danced earlier. 

Or the way he casually slipped his arm round her shoulders as they watched Finn perform. 

He was aware that Dameron was a close friend of the princess’ but… something had flickered inside him as he’d watched. 

But that was to do with the surroundings. 

Suddenly, Fennec Shand was at his side, “Is Nova with you?” She leant against the bar casually, head tilted up like they were just having a normal, easy conversation. 

Mando straightened instantly, turning his head to her and he tried to keep his voice steady, “What? No. She was going to the bathroom. I can’t exactly go in there can I. You were going in with her.” 

“I watched her go in, but I thought you had someone in there? So… where is she?” Fennec was reaching for her comm’s earpiece, listening to the volley of updates from everyone stationed around the room  

Mando looked sideways at Fennec, his eyes almost burning holes through the visor of his helmet, “What do you mean ‘where is she?’ You were supposed to be tailing her into the bathroom.”

Fennec stared at him, shaking her head, “No, you told me to watch the door and wait for her, so it didn’t attract attention.” She scanned the room, searching the crowds of people for any sight of the Princess. 

Mando growled, his hand coming up to the top of his helmet, like he wanted to rake his gloved fingers through his hair, “I didn’t… Fuck! It doesn’t matter. We need to find her. Go.”

He practically flew across the room on a storm cloud, eyes focused on the group of friends. 

The clock began, your safety at the top and the hands od danger getting read to mark away seconds of your life.

The other girl, Rey, looked up when she saw Mando approach, “Oh! Hey, are you-“

Mando cut her off, not to be rude, but because that clock was already beginning to tick, “Have you seen her? Has she come back from the bathroom?” His voice was tight, slipping out through gritted teeth and the helmet made it sound rougher than he intended. 

Rey blinked a few times, a small frown appearing between her eyes and she looked around, realising, “I… No. She hasn’t. We thought she’d gone to find you.” Her eyes were confused, at the urgency. 

Mando stifled a hiss of annoyance, “No. I haven’t seen her come out.” 

Finn looked at him next, laughing a little, “Relax, man. It’s not unusual that she slips off at some point in the night. We’re always losing her.” He shared a laugh with Rey, who nodded affectionately. 

Did they not realise what was happening here? How were they being so… so blasé about this?

Finn was still talking, “She shows up eventually, usually with some wild story that puts us all to shame.” He grinned, a grin that said exactly what kind of story you came back with and Mando realised it wasn’t that they didn’t care, it was that they were used to her running off. 

But this feeling… the pricking in the back of his neck… 

This wasn’t just some romp in the night with a stranger. 

It was more than this. 

He knew it was. 

Some wild part of Mando snapped, and he grabbed Finn by the front of his leather jacket, hauling him up out of the chair in one fluid mood, “This is not a fucking joke.” His voice was a rough snarl, that beast poised and snapping its teeth, “Your friend is missing, and you’re sitting there laughing about it and thinking she’s run off for a quick fuck with a stranger? You really think so little of her?” Mando’s free hand twitched, a cloud of fury surging over him and almost choking him. 

“Hey!! Hey, let’s not start fighting with ourselves, here.” Poe had jumped up, and was facing Mando, tapping his arm, “Relax, okay? I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for this. Finn never once said she sleeps around, or even implied that. She just… really lets it all go some nights, which you can’t blame her for. She wouldn’t have run off for no reason, so just… relax.” He raised his eyebrows, his voice calm, trying to diffuse the situation. 

Mando blinked behind his helmet, the haze clearing from his vision as he saw Finn’s wide eyes, the faint tracery of concern and a little fear in his expression. 

Horror overtook the fear, wiping it out and Mando let Finn go quickly, soothing his jacket and he raised his hands, “I’m sorry. Just… Text her. Please.” He stumbled back one ungraceful step, and then turned, almost lurching with the uncharacteristic, unsteady gait as he walked away, feeling her friend’s eyes on the back of his polished head. 

The urge he had to throttle Finn almost terrified him and he realised with a shock that in merely fifteen hours, he had become that protective of the princess.

But that was his job. 

And this… this wouldn’t be the same as last time. 

He pressed a button on his helmet which activated the comms system, “I need eyes on Nova. Now. She was last seen heading to the bathroom. Fennec is checking there, making sure she didn’t get out. 

Fett, I want you on the terrace.” He moved through the crowd, trying his hardest not to shove people out of the way, “Cara, Greef, cover both doors. No one in and no one out until we find her.” 

~

The clock continued ticking down, each second signing away another portion of her life. 

The princess had just… vanished. 

I will tear down this whole building. 

Mando raked his eyes over every single face he came across, and that wild, untamed part of him wanted to scream at everyone, threaten them until they gave up where she’d gone. 

The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an hour. 

I will tear down the whole city. 

How could he have been so stupid? He had his best team, his most trusted people in the room tonight. Not the palace guards or security, his handpicked agents from his highest team. 

And they had still managed to lose her. 

~The sounds of screams filled the room, echoing over and over along with the unspoken truth that would haunt him until the day he died. 

He had failed.~

The Mandalorian began to make his way through the crowd to the bathroom. 

Maybe Fennec would tell him she was in there, or even that she had slipped out of the windows like an alley cat and snuck away into the night. 

Yeah, that’s probably what happened. Maybe she had… maybe she had gone to meet someone. Didn’t want babysitters trailing after her. 

The Queen had told him that she’d be a handful, that he would have to always have one eye on the surroundings and one eye on her. 

~He’d been too late. 

Too late to realise, too late to get moving. 

Too late to save them.~ 

She’d escaped, that’s all. 

The feeling in his gut told him otherwise. 

He met Fennec as she came out of the bathroom, “No one in there. None of the windows were busted either, they’re too small to let anyone out. She didn’t escape.” 

Fuck.

Trying not to think too hard about the cool sweat beginning to prickle his skin, he turned, giving the room one last sweep. 

Dameron and the others were clustered at their table, looking at their phones and shaking their heads, concern on their faces. 

They hadn’t heard from her. 

It was true then. The sinking feeling in his bones, in his heart… it was right. 

Mando reached to activate his comms, a coloured spotlight from the stage bouncing over the bar. 

If he hadn’t been so alert, he never would have seen it. 

A flash of light, like metal reflecting. 

Mando walked across the floor, slipping around a laughing couple and reaching the bar, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling in anticipation – and dread. 

There, lying on top of a discarded beer mat, was a small, metal object. 

Mando scooped it up, holding it up in his gloved palm so he could see it through the visor. A tiny little thing, smaller than a keychain…

But it felt like he was holding a live grenade. 

The object was shaped a little like the letter V, but the top sections were flared out, sort of like an arrow. 

To anyone, it would mean nothing. 

To a certain few, they would be able to notice that it looked similar to the Mandalorian’s own visor. 

But, to a select handful of people… They would know this symbol. Know which woman is belonged to.

Which was why Mando felt the world slip out from under his booted feet, the noise of the bar turning into the sound of screaming, a child’s screams, his child, begging and pleading. The lights reflecting off the wall turned into flames and the burst of a gun, flashing across his vision. He saw blood, saw the bodies littering the floor. Felt his own failure and sick terror turn his blood to ice. 

It was happening again.

She hadn’t slipped away. 

She’d been taken. 

By Bo-Katan. 

Previous| Next

[avengerscompound]

Until the End of the World - 15

Until the End of the World: A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers x F!Reader

Word Count:  1767

Rating:  E

Warnings: pregnancy, canon typical violence, mentions of torture and human experimentation

Synopsis: Four years after Steve and Bucky got to the bottom of the HYDRA conspiracy that had led to you and your son being hunted for the first three years of his life, you, Bucky, and Steve have carved out a nice life together.  Things are calm and you feel like a family unit.  When Geo starts calling Bucky and Steve ‘dad’, a decision is made to try and add to your family.

Things aren’t as calm as they seem.  When your pregnancy hits the papers, HYDRA rears its head once again, and Steve and Bucky need to track you down to protect the family they had created.

Chapter 15

The line between unconscious and conscious was hazy.  You couldn’t quite hold on to reality but you knew you needed to wake up.  There were flashes.  Being bumped around in the back of a van.  You remembered the smell of antiseptic and cool steel and lights burning bright in your eyes.  There had been needles and people talking, sometimes not in English.

As you slowly pulled yourself back to consciousness, the only clear memory you had was being dragged out of your car kicking and screaming by men in green uniforms.

The morning hadn’t been so strange.  Chaotic sure, but that was all as expected for a family of four expecting another child.  You’d ridden in the back of the town car with Geo, on the way to drop him at school.  It hadn’t even felt strange when the car had been diverted down that alley.  It was New York, shit happening that required traffic to be diverted was hardly unusual.  When the van had blocked the road and those men had piled out, it had been a shock.  You’d reacted quickly, locking your doors and getting you and Geo on the floor.  It didn’t help.  Even with the bulletproof glass and casing on the car, they’d quickly ripped the doors off.  They had zero preservation skills and were willing to take the bullets from the driver so that the people behind them could take him out.

You’d had Geo ripped from your arms and a needle shoved into your neck.  That had been it.

You forced your eyes open, though everything was blurry and seemed to move in slow motion.  You couldn’t quite absorb what you were seeing.  The room was completely white and chrome.  You were on a bed that was bare except for a thin mattress, but thankfully lying on your side.  You tried very hard to focus, but the more aware you were of how bare everything was around you, the more panic started to set in.

You tried to push yourself up, but the mixture of drugs in your system and the shackles around your wrists and ankles made that impossible.

“Geo…”  You had meant the sound to be a scream, but instead, it came out as a faint croak.  You struggled and blinked your eyes, trying to break out of the drugged-up fog that was holding you down, but you couldn’t seem to be able to do it.

There was a series of sharp beeps and the hiss of an automatic door.  You turned your head to see a tall woman with long black hair and deep green eyes stepped into the room.  She seemed familiar but the drugs were stopping the connections in your mind from being made and you couldn’t seem to place her.  You knew it was bad but for some reason, you couldn’t think of why.

“Ahh good,” she said, in a thick Hungarian accent.  “You’re awake.”

“Where’s Geo?”  You croaked.

“Don’t worry, darling,” she said, standing back as a couple of what you could only assume were doctors came and looked you over.  “Your boy is safe.  After your lover destroyed all our stocks of IGH we need him to start from scratch again.  That little boy is the key to that.”

“No,” you choked, as everything clicked into place.  This was Ophelia Sarkissian - Viper.  The woman who had been running HYDRA.  The one who had been ordering people to hunt you and Geo down.  You had sat at her trial and given evidence to make sure she’d get put away for life.  You had no idea how she could be out now.  “No, you can’t.”

“You evaded us for a long time,” Viper said as she looked you over.  “I applaud you.  I must say that when your precious Captain America tore apart our warehouses and stripped me of my crown, it was a little bit of a setback.  But he made three rather large mistakes.  The first was, he made it very clear that you specifically were off the table.  We weren’t allowed to hurt you.  That made me believe that you were special in ways that weren’t just about the test IGH had run on you.  You were special to Steve Rogers.  That was confirmed while I was locked up and the tabloids started showing pictures of you together.  Don’t you just love tabloids?  Always invading people’s privacy and spreading all over the place for everyone to see?  You’d think that would be illegal?  But no… it’s encouraged even.”

She took a few steps closer to you and had a look at the chart one of the doctors handed her.  “The next was, he seemed to think that HYDRA was just the palace in Madripoor and a few warehouses.  That was the basis for all our IGH manufacturing and distribution, I’ll give him that, but HYDRA is so much bigger than that.  He was successfully able to scrub all references to you from our files, but there was his last mistake.”  She moved in close, so her face was right up in yours.  “He didn’t erase me.”

“He’s going to kill you,” you rasped.

She laughed and stood up straight.  “While I’ve been locked up I’ve been running things behind the scenes.  Getting a place prepared for you and your little technopath.  It is cut off from communications down this deep.  He won’t be able to send for help.  And they won’t be able to find you.  But don’t worry.  We have some of the friends from the experiment we ran on you.  You see, now we know that when two of you breed you get something special, we thought we’d run our own little breeding program with some of the others.  And won’t you believe our luck?  You’ve been running your own with a super-soldier no less.”  She tapped your baby belly and you started shaking your head.

“No, no, no, no no,” you groaned.  “You can’t have them.”

“We already have them.  You’re due any day now, correct?”  She taunted.  “You’ll be delivering here, and then we’ll see what happens if you mix IGH with Super-Serum.”

You shook your head, still feeling completely out of it and unable to process what was happening to you.  There was a loud and painful part of you that couldn’t see any way out of this.  If they had kidnapped other people and no one had noticed - if you were really cut off from any computers, then this was hopeless.  They’d never find you.  Yet a smaller part of you didn’t seem willing to give up hope that the men you had chosen to make a family with would ever stop looking for you.

“I want to see Geo,” you whispered.

“We’ll see.  If you’re very good for us and do exactly as we say we might let you see him,” she said.  “Thought we might reprogram him, much like we did with your friend the Winter Soldier.  Having Geo so young and with such a useful power, he could be quite the asset for us.”

“No,” you said and jerked feebly against your bonds.  “Don’t hurt him.”

“Now, now,” Viper taunted.  “That’s not behaving yourself.  You don’t want to get all worked up and hurt your baby, do you?  Where will that leave us?”

You started crying and Viper smirked and handed the files back to the doctors.  “You can unfasten her bonds and let her drugs wear off.  She was always the runner, never the fighter.  I think given we have her boy she’ll behave herself for us.”

She left the room and the doctors unfastened the bindings on your wrists and ankles.   They left you there alone in the bright white room.  As the drugs began to wear off more you sat up.  Your mouth was dry and tacky and you wanted a drink.  You slowly surveyed the room.  It was more of a cell than a room.  The wall that had the automatic door looked to be a thick one-way glass.  There was a shower head, toilet, and sink on the far side of the room.  You were worried about getting up yet, but you really needed a drink.

You carefully got up, leaning on the bed while you judged whether or not your legs could hold you.  When you felt confident that they would, you made your way over and drank as much as you could before using the toilet and washing up.  You took a moment to check how well-sealed the door was and when it wouldn’t budge at all, you made your way back to your bed.  It was hopeless.  After all these years they’d finally caught you and this was it.  All the things you’d done to protect your son had been for nothing.

Part of you wished you’d never met Steve or Bucky, but even thinking that made your heartbreak and you’d start crying again.  This wasn’t their fault and trying to pin it on them was putting the blame in the wrong place.  This was Viper’s doing and no one else's.  She’d hunted you and Geo.  And she used Steve’s fame to finally catch you when you were at your most vulnerable.

You lay down and curled up.  There were no blankets and no pillows, but you were able to doze lightly.  The lights dimmed, and just as you were on the brink of a really deep sleep, the doors hissed open again.

You sat up quickly expecting the worse.  Of all the people you had thought would walk through the door, your seven-year-old son was right at the bottom of the list.  “Mommy?  I’m scared,” he whispered.

You jumped down off the bed and rushed to him, crouching down as best you could in your heavily pregnant state and pulling him out of the doorway.  “Geo?  How did you get here?”

“Where are my dads?”  He whispered.  “I wanna go home, mommy.”

“G, I need you to listen, bud.  We’re in trouble.  I need to know how you got out?”  You asked.

“Mommy, the machines helped me,” he said.  “They always do.”

You nearly laughed at how stupid you’d been.  Of course, he’d be able to get out of the cell.  It was locked electronically.  They must have found out that Geo was a technopath and thought that meant computers only, when in fact, if there was any sort of processing system, even if it was just to open and close doors it would do what he’d say.

“G, listen to me very carefully,” you said.  “I need you to do something really important.”

// NEXT

[katehuntington]

Title: Wedding Bells Fandom: Supernatural Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Reader Pairing: Dean x reader (gender neutral) Words: 1150 words Description: After solving a case in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Winchesters and you are heading off. While you are fast asleep in the back seat, they pass a chapel, and Dean can’t help but let his mind wander. Warnings: Fluff. Seriously, that’s it (I know, shocking) Author’s note: A lot of rare sightings in this story! Soft fluff, a 1K story instead of the usual 5 or 6K, and a gender neutral Reader. This one is for all the people out there who feel excluded when it comes to reader insert fanfiction. I love you, and you matter. Thank you for inspiring me, Mert! Beta’d by the lovely @winchest09. Thank you, darling!

     Flashing lights, neon signs. Big casinos luring innocents inside, even though it’s clear the house always wins. But then again, not many people in Las Vegas can be considered innocent. 

     Dean takes in the scenery as he drives his 67’ Chevrolet down The Strip, the brightly lit billboards and advertisements reflecting on the Impala, gliding over the polished black paint job like colored raindrops. Flamboyant hotels tower high on both sides of the boulevard, exclusive cars that cost more than a single family home waiting for the red light. Scarcely dressed ladies parade the cross walk like models, headlights their spotlights. One with curly blonde hair, wearing nothing more than a tied up top and a mini skirt, looks over at the Winchesters, winking at the boys.      “This town is crazy,” Sam scoffs from the passenger’s seat, watching the girls pass in front of them.      Dean huffs. “Sure is.”

     There was a time that he would have loved this place and would have begged his brother to stay a couple of days. The stripclubs, the bars, the food. Twenty something Dean would have had tons of fun gambling, drinking and partying until the early hours, to wake up in a trashed hotel room with a stranger in his bed who he can’t remember the name of.       But after being on a case involving a cursed slot machine for two days, he has had enough of the city known for second chances and lost wages. It’s not wisdom that came with age that triggered his change of heart. Neither is life experience the cause of his desire for normal and simplicity. No, the true reason is fast asleep in the back of his car.

     Dean glances over his shoulder, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth when he sees you curled up against the leather seat, using a duffel bag as a pillow and his leather jacket as a blanket. The hunt tired you out, but the older Winchester is glad you got through it without a scratch this time. The expression on your pretty face is peaceful, eyes closed and mind calm, even breaths passing your lips.

     His hand slides off the wheel and turns the volume button of the radio to the left, toning down Elvis on the local station; he wouldn’t want you to wake up because of the music. The light turns green and he steps on the gas lightly, making sure the moving car doesn’t stir you. 

     The Impala rolls up the iconic Las Vegas boulevard, heading north. They leave Ceasar’s Palace, the Bellagio fountains and the Venetian casino in the rear view mirror, the road now flanked by bars and restaurants. When another red light forces them to stop, Dean’s eyes wander to a small white building on the corner of the intersection. It’s one of the many wedding chapels this city is known for.

     Sam glances aside at his older brother, perceiving the dreamy stare. When he follows Dean’s gaze, he too notices the church, brightly illuminated in true Vegas fashion. ‘Little White Chapel’ the road sign says, ‘24 hours drive up wedding window’. The younger Winchester scoffs at the absurdity, but his face falls slightly when he turns his head to observe Dean, who witnesses a newly wedded couple coming out, intoxicated, yet clearly head over heels.

     “You ever think about it?”      The driver is pulled from his own thoughts, tearing away his eyes and briefly looking over at his brother. He’s very well aware what Sam is aiming for; he’s asking if he ever considered marrying you. Before answering, Dean glances over his shoulder again to make sure you’re still asleep.      “Check the glove compartment,” he says.      Somewhat puzzled Sam frowns, but does as told. He opens the lid, but isn’t sure what he’s looking for.      “Behind Dad’s journal,” Dean adds.      His brother pushes the leather bound book to the side. His eyes grow wide when he notices what’s behind. Stunned, he pulls out a small jewelry box. As if he cannot believe there could actually be a ring inside, he opens the lid, revealing the golden band with a single diamond. 

     “Whoa…” he utters, completely astonished. “How long have you had this?”      “Couple of months,” Dean admits. “Been waiting for the right time, but with everything going on…”      He doesn’t finish his sentence; Sam knows what he means. He nods, the wordless gesture telling his older brother he understands where he’s coming from. 

     The light turns green and the silence returns as Dean turns left and heads to the highway, but he can see his sibling staring down at the tiny box in his hand from the corner of his eye. The beautifully cut stone catches the city lights, reflecting flakes unto the ceiling of the car.      “Better put that away,” Dean suggests, hinting at the back seat.

     Sam carefully closes the lid of the jewelry box and hides it in the glove compartment again, exactly where Dean left it. For a long minute it seems all has been said, but after pondering on it for a while, he decides to offer his older brother some advice.      “Don’t wait too long.”      Dean glances aside. “What d’you mean?”      He watches the man in the passenger seat collect himself, carefully thinking through his words before he speaks.      “I picked out a ring for Jess,” Sam starts. “I had it for about a month, when…”      His unspoken words fill the air between them. Even after all this time, Jessica still has a piece of Sam’s heart. Dean cannot imagine what it’s like, to lose the one person you love. The sheer thought has him anxious. But pretending that Death, who has been chasing them for many years, will not catch up at some point, is naive. Especially with the life they are living, case after case, apocalypse after apocalypse. Sammy is right; he has to pop the question sooner than later.       “I won’t,” he promised, offering an empathetic smile.

     Dean keeps his promise, because when they pull over for the night, Sam takes the hint and gives him a moment alone with you. Under a pale street light, in the parking lot of a cheap motel, he asks you to marry him. Without a shadow of a doubt, you accept, falling into his arms and hiding your tears in the crook of his neck. They don’t even check in. Instead, Sam is hauled into the car before heading to the interstate, taking the ramp to Las Vegas. After all, a shotgun wedding seems only fitting for two hunters. 

      In the little white chapel, with Sam as their witness, the two of you vow to love and to cherish each other, for better and for worse. Not even God can take this away, no matter what happens tomorrow.

     It’s you and him, ‘until death do us part’.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to reblog my work or buy me coffee (Link in bio at the top of the page).

[harry-hollands]

selcouth // harry holland // 1

chapter 1: sunshine after the storm

story summary: Harry was used to living in his brothers’ shadows. Tom was the actor and Sam was the cook and musician. He was used to being second best and genuinely gave up on finding someone who could love him for him. Someone who could believe that Harry wasn’t second best. His mindset changes however, when he meets you. The sunshine to cast away all of the shadows.

chapter summary: harry finds his life a whole light brighter

pairing: harry holland x reader

warnings: none? maybe a few swears, slightly fluffy, moody harry,

word count: 1.6k

It was a bitter winter day, the brooding clouds seemed to match Harry’s mood. Ready to explode at any given moment in time. Why was Harry annoyed might you ask? Maybe because there was a nauseating reminder in front of him about how painfully single he was.

The heat was on full blast at the Holland-Osterfield-Barret residence, and a fire was blazing in the fireplace, but it wasn’t quite enough to fight off the bitter chills. Almost everyone was coupled up. Even Harrison, Harry’s go-to when he got sick of third-wheeling the long-term couples had someone to hold. 

“Harry? You alright there mate?” Came the concerned voice of Tom, who unknowingly, and unintentionally, made the twenty-three-year-old more agitated than he already was.

Harry scoffed but nodded. “M’fine. I just don’t need to be reminded of how tragically single I am while you all are cuddled up.” The boy reminded sharply, slightly glaring at the pathetic looks Nadia and Elysia held upon their faces, something Harry instantly regretted when he noticed both of his brother’s shared a threatening scowl at him, a silent appeal to conclude his nasty behavior.

Sora Tanaka, Haz’s girlfriend of eight months, and the only one brave enough to test the waters of Harry’s testiness, gave a genuine smile to the aspiring photographer. “Harry, maybe I could introduce you to one of my best friends. She’s probably one of the most genuine people I know, and I truly do think this could be what you might need right now.” 

Harry gently considered Sora’s words. Out of all of his friend’s significant others, Sora was probably his favorite. Maybe it was because she grew up in Hawaii, where everyone was laid back, maybe it was because Sora didn’t give a rat’s ass about what people thought of her, or maybe because she was the youngest in the group besides Paddy. Either way, Sora’s offer was one that caught the boys’ attention.

“Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. You want to introduce Harry to one of your mates? Willingly?” Harrison stated astonished, knowing exactly how protective his girlfriend got when it came to any of her close friends and family.

“Is it honestly that surprising? Your best friend needs change in his life, and all of you aren’t exactly helping with what he needs.”

“And how do you know what he needs? Are you Harry?” Tom piped up, eyebrows raised at Sora’s subtle accusation.

“I don’t know what he needs, but I sure as hell know that you shouldn’t bring someone so painfully single on a double date!” Sora retaliated, her tone becoming sharper and more defensive.

As hilarious as the whole encounter was, watching Sora give Harry’s older brother a verbal beatdown, he knew that he should probably put an end to it before anything could escalate. It seemed Harrison and Nadia shared the same idea, as they all exchanged a look and came to a silent agreement that they had let Tom and Sora go at it for way too long.

The sound of feet pattering down the stairs was heard, and along with it an alluring melody. Sora sharply cut off the argument she was dominating Tom at, as she keened her senses to the voice coming from Paddy’s phone.

“Who are you talking to mate?” Sam questioned curiously, as faint hints of the song were heard through the now awkward silence. 

Paddy had been upstairs talking to Y/N, an American exchange student he had met while exploring LAMDA. Paddy had decided he wanted to follow in Tom and Harrison in the acting department, and after he had graduated from the BRIT School, he immediately applied to Haz’s alma mater. (Harrison still had to thank Paddy for introducing him to Sora at a function that Tom had been unable to attend.)

“Oh...uh...Hamilton’s Instagram page is live right now. I was talking to my friend, but she had to go due to Hamilton rehearsals, so now I’m just watching them. This whole week is ensemble training. The current cast members are going to step down soon so they have to make sure the ensemble is ready to take over.” Paddy explained before exiting the stream and looking over at Sora.

“Oh Y/N says hi, and that you don’t have to pick her up. Aiyana is more than willing to.” Paddy relayed, but immediately narrowed his eyes at Sora’s mischievous smirk on her face. The younger boy sighed exasperatedly before asking the question he didn’t want the answer to. 

“What are you planning?”

“It’s nothing! I’m just thinking that Harry should accompany me! Besides, I should introduce you to Y/N! She’s so fucking talented, that I’m still in shock that she hasn’t been discovered yet!” Sora exclaimed, shooting Harry a suggestive smirk.

At the immediate mention of Y/N, Elysia shot up from her position on Sam’s lap, which in turn, startled the man, and an immediate slur of sorry’s were exchanged. “Wait. Wait. Wait. Are we talking about the same Y/N? Y/N L/N right?”

Sora turned to Elysia and nodded enthusiastically. “The very one!” The American exclaimed before a look of confusion crossed her features. “Wait, how do you know Y/N?” 

Elysia shyly giggled before recalling her first encounter with the unreserved female. “I believe it was Y/N’s first week in London and I met her at a theatre cast party. One of my cousins attends LAMDA, and is friends with her. Anyway, she invited me to the party, and it was so chaotic! I loved it. Y/N was teaching us some American party games, and then we started doing improv. Let me tell you, that girl is hilarious and I love her, and her energy.”

Harry cleared his throat, and finally, the attention was on him. “I mean, I’m down to go with you. What time are you supposed to pick her up?” He asked curiously, glancing at his phone for the time, which read 6:19 pm. 

Sora also glanced at her phone before placing her attention on the youngest Holland. “Is she done now?”

Paddy unlocked his phone and glanced down at Hamilton’s Instagram page before nodding. 

“Yeah. Looks like they just ended the stream. Mind if I tag along? Y/N/N forgot her winter coat in my car today, and the forecast claimed that it should be thirty degrees out.” Paddy responded before shrugging on his winter coat and boots. 

Harry’s face melted into a concerned frown. “Who forgets their winter coat on one of the coldest nights of the year?” The boy stood up from his spot in one of the love seats, and shrugged on his winter coat, Sora following suit. 

Paddy shrugged. “Y/N was in a rush to go. Today was the first day of dress rehearsals, and her hair wasn’t cooperating. When it finally did, she was extremely late, and almost didn’t make it inside the building in time.”

Sora shook her head. “Or maybe because she’s still not used to England weather? I mean Y/N, our other friend Aiyana, and I all grew up in Hawaii. All we know is the sun, sand, and ocean.”

“Ok, I just texted her. Y/N said to hurry because she’s waiting outside, and she swears she’s going to die of hypothermia. Oh! And she’s cool with coming back here if that’s what you were planning Sor.” Paddy piped in after typing something on his phone.

Harry and Paddy clambered into the car, with Sora in the driver’s seat. The car filled with gentle chatter, mainly from Harry asking a little more about Y/N, Paddy denying Harry a picture of what she looked like, and Sora cackling at Harry’s shocked expression of his younger brother denying him the ability to see what Y/N even looked like.

Around twenty minutes later, the trio had arrived outside Victoria Palace Theatre, and a figure came running at the car. Sora laughed as she unlocked the car, and Y/N threw her stuff in the boot/trunk of the car, slammed it shut, before running to open one of the doors, clambering in beside Harry, and slamming the door shut.

As soon as Y/N was buckled in, and Sora took off, back to the Holland-Osterfield-Barret residence, Harry turned to introduce himself before he felt all the air being sucked out of his lungs and body. 

‘Holy shit,’ was all Harry could think when he saw the twenty-one-year-old. The young photographer was stunned into silence. Harry swore that Y/N was the prettiest woman he had ever seen. Nothing had taken his breath away quite like Y/N had. 

In an attempt to recover, Harry flashed a sincere smile before waving shyly. “Uh. Hey. I’m Harry. Sora’s mentioned you a couple times.”

Y/N smiled brightly at Harry and giggled shyly. “I’m Y/N. I’m an exchange student, but looking to stay here full time, instead of immediately leaving right after my senior year.”

Harry’s head was swimming. All he could think was that he had met the literal definition of sunshine. Her smile was as bright as the sun, her giggle was as soft as a warm summer breeze, and her voice was ethereal. Not even five minutes into meeting the girl and he was already whipped. Harry swore that Y/N couldn’t be remotely human. She had to be a goddess. Maybe she was Apollo. A female incarnation of Apollo.

Harry nodded, returning a smile in kind. He could stare into her eyes forever. They exerted such a warmth, and only sitting next to her, Harry felt secure. Like he could tell Y/N anything without being judged. It was decided. She was his sunshine. His sunshine in the dark. God, he was so whipped.

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[extremelyblackandwhite]

reader being best friends with carter while he's chasing serena but also being in love with him?

CARTER BAIZEN APPRECIATION SQUAD ASSEMBLE! (i promise i’ll get to non carter requests)

y/n and carter had known each other for a while

they had met during a summer at the hamptons when his parents invited her family over for dinner

she had helped him inside the house after returning from a particular night out which to his parents was a meeting with some of his friends to go over stuff for the new school year

from then onwards carter and y/n became friends

he would meet her in the back of her parents apartment and the two would drive around the nights of new york talking about their problems

it hadn’t taken long for y/n to fall in love with him

he was an attractive, smart man who seemed to have more goals other than the vapid boys she knew from st.judes

it wasn’t like she expected him to return her affections. she was his sister’s age, 3 years younger. she knew he wouldn’t be interested so she hid it deep inside her heart where no one would see it

after all she’d rather have a tiny bit of his heart than have to pretend he never existed

maybe she should’ve seen it coming that he would leave, but she didn’t and one afternoon as she knocked on his door to pick him up to go for their weekly lunch at his favourite spot was the moment she wished she could’ve avoided it

it was his mother who had opened the door, tight smile on her face, pity in her eyes as she stared at the girl in front of her “do you not know, sweetheart?” “am i supposed to know something?” “he left. says he doesn’t want anything to do with this family anymore”

her heart stopped for a while, the buzzing sound of her mind wondering why, why he wouldn’t tell her

it had been his sister caroline who had helped her through it, telling her he wasn’t even worth the hazzle, to instead focus on the much more attractive boys her age attending st.judes

y/n wasn’t interested but as time flew by she slowly learned to accept that he wasn’t returning

she had built a life for herself, becoming one of constance’s shining stars holding near perfect grades

she had also built a friendship with blair waldorf after serena had left her, both of them bonding over having someone leaving unexpectedly 

“my mum was supposed to host a tea party for CeCe and she went to paris. usual” “do you need any help?” “wanna come? might make it less boring besides you still need a date for cotillion“ “well not everyone can have nate archibald for a date” “i am pretty lucky aren’t i? but you need a date, you cannot not have an escort. even serena is taking ... dan” “alright, i’ll go to the tea party” “perfect”

she should’ve not gone. she should’ve just accepted caroline’s invitation to go shop for a cotillion dress but she didn’t. she couldn’t see the future.

as she walked off the lift into the van der woodsen’s apartment, a familiar face showed, sat in a couch surrounded by girls 

“y/n” blair rushed over to her side “i don’t want to frighten you but ... carter’s here” “i’ve seen.” “i want you to know that i didn’t invite him. cece invited him, she wants him to be serena’s escort.” “that’s fine” “are you sure? i could kick him out” “that’s fine”

it wasn’t fine. 

she spent the whole tea party as further from him as possible, not sure of what to say to him or how to even react

although she had to admit it broke her heart that he wasn’t interested in even talking to her, instead looking her way and immediately turning to receive the praise of several girls

“he’s not even that attractive” blair rolled her eyes at her minions which were fauning over him “urgh, imagine being attracted to a wannabe matthew mcconaughey” “you don’t have to make me feel better, blair” “look at that last season suit. disgusting” 

she stayed until the end of the party, chatting up with several people who came to ask about her family business and by the end of the party she had even started to help the maids bring dirty dishes into the kitchen

“you were always an odd one, i have to give you that” a voice made her drop the porcelain onto the soapy water and turn her face towards its direction. carter. “y/n, i’m really sorry” “yeah i could tell since you didn’t call or write after you left” “i didn’t have any way to contact you” “you didn’t even tell me you were leaving carter. do you know how it felt walking up to your house and having your mother tell me you left?” “i had to go y/n” “so have i, carter.”

she didn’t want to speak with him, she didn’t want to fall back into the state

at least she had decided not to speak with him until nate punched him at cotillion 

“you look like shit” “thanks, y/n.” “i gotta say, i wanted to do that myself. nate stole that away from me” “how long are you gonna be upset with me, y/n?” “as long as i want” “c’mon, let’s do something together” “i said i would act civilised with you not lobotomised” “c’mon, y/n. i’ll pay” “do you even have any money? didn’t your parents cut you off?” “i’ll find a way” “... fine. the bar of the lotte new york palace

blair and caroline had told her not to go but she thought that it would be better to get it over and done with. to call it water under the bridge and not have him haunt her what ifs anymore

she found him at the bar of the palace, black suit on. he never used to wear suits, she still remembers him in his messy st. judes uniform, undone tie all the time

“you came” “i said i would” “i know you have every single reason to hate me but i miss you, y/n. i really do. i have so much to tell you” “some people would use a journal” “i fucked up, i know but ... second chance? you can punch me too if you want” “that’s a really good offer, i think i’m gonna pounder it” “how about i pick you up tomorrow night? late driving around new york” “you got yourself a deal, baizen”

soon enough she found herself in the same situation, still in love with him

he was still the same man, still the same chuckle, talking passionately about his projects, making stupid jokes

but one thing still was the same, the same thing she didn’t want to accept, he still would never reciprocate her feelings

“y/n, i can’t pick you up tonight. i have a date with serena.” “serena van der woodsen?” “yeah, do you mind?” “uh ... no... sure, go on”

her blood boiled out of jealousy

she always thought the reason he would never reciprocate her feelings was because she was younger but serena, serena was the same age as her and it stung, it stung so badly

she ended up at the house of the same person who could understand being jealous of serena : blair waldorf’s

“oh, please, y/n. seriously? carter? he’s so ... boring. god” “well i’m sorry blair not everyone can have their first time in the backseat of a limo with chuck bass” “hey now that nate is single maybe you should go out with him” “i’m not gonna go out with nate” “why you two would make such a nice couple” “i’m not in love with nate” “i’m sorry, y/n.” 

she pretended it was okay

she would smile whenever he talked about serena

she would be next to him when she undoubtedly got him inside her petty little games with chuck

she would be there when he quit her and she would be there when he took her back

she was there for everything until one morning where she was woken up by someone banging on her door

“nate?” “something happened and you might want to sit down” “what happened? are you okay?” “serena left with carter last afternoon” “what do you mean?” “they left y/n, together.”

suddenly she found herself in the same spot she had been years ago abandoned

he returned later that summer during the races but this time she didn’t forgive him

she spent the day with dan and blair, mindlessly listening to serena talking about how carter followed her but she knew better

she knew they’d be back together and surely again they were

carter should feel happy, serena was back but he didn’t feel better

he felt ... empty, like something was lacking

whenever he laid down next to her and feel asleep he dreamed of y/n

he dreamed of her vintage oversized tees reaching her knees as she read her favourite books in his study 

he dreamed of her laughter whenever he took her to a driver in theatre, fingers holding popcorns to her lips

he dreamed of her red tinted lips during festivities, dancing under streetlights singing showtunes, bitting her lips whenever she had a test

he convinced himself it was just missing her but part of him knew it wasn’t that

he should be with serena, her family approved, his family approved

so he stuck it out, convincing himself this was a phase just a phase

as serena dumped him on the side of the street he looked at the streetlight, remembering y/n in an oversized cardigan jumping puddles over it, twirling around it playfully

“what am i doing?”

he rushed down the streets of the upper east side like a mad man

he’d never walked this long

but he kept on walking, he kept on walking until he saw her apartment

he knocked on the door for what felt like a hundred times 

“i’m coming” he could hear her sleepy voice from the other side and sure enough, soon enough the sound of her steps became too loud and she opened the door “carter, what are y...” “let me just say something okay? then you can shut the door” “it’s 1 AM” “please” “20 seconds” “i’m sorry, y/n. i’m so sorry, i should’ve told you when i left years ago, i shouldn’t have left with serena. i should’ve stayed with you. you always listened to me, you always believed in me and i always let you down. i miss you, i miss having fights with you about star wars plots, speaking with you on the phone at 5 AM, trying to make you laugh when you were upset. i miss seeing your sleepy smile every single morning, i miss you” “carter” “all this time being with her i just kept thinking about doing those things with you. taking you to cotillion, dance with you, be at your graduation and help you move into college, take you to fancy bars and restaurants, buy you flowers and everything else money can afford and i missed out on it, i missed out on it and i cannot give them to you. but here’s what i propose ... i wanna be there when you graduate from college, i wanna be there to help you move into your very first apartment, i want to be there when you start your first job, i wanna be there for you.” “you’re not one to stick around, carter” “let me try, please let me try” “isn’t this your third chance?” “i will ask you for a million chances as long as i get to see you for the rest of my life” 

[arcanegummi]

Self Betrayal (Part 1)

Asra takes Quinn to the palace for a two week trip through the spirit worlds to strengthen their bonds to the Arcana, leaving Julian behind in his clinic. Quinn starts to feel sick and goes back to their loving husband but doesn't expect to see what they do...

Julian x OC, angst with a happy ending, sickness (not too in detail or gross), slight PTSD, based on a dream I had last night lmao

"Are you sure you'll be okay handling the orders while I'm gone..?" Quinn stood next to the carriage, holding tightly to Julian's hand.

"I'm sure, darling. How hard can it really be? You do it flawlessly every day." He ran his fingers through their hair, calming them.

"Mmm... you're too sweet, Sunshine. I'll be back in two weeks, okay?" Quinn sighed and stood on their toes, kissing Julian's chin.

He takes their cheek into his hand and gently presses a kiss to their nose, forehead, both cheeks and finally lips. "I cant wait until then, love." And with that... Quinn was off to the palace.

Julian waved goodbye, before sighing to himself and glancing at the list of people and their orders. These were the few that couldn't be rescheduled, so Julian had to take care of them. He was determined to not let Quinn down.

~~~~~~~~~

The arcane worlds were as gorgeous as they were absolutely crazy and mysterious. Going through each of the Major Arcana's realms was really dragging down Asra and Quinns energy but.. something felt off. About 4 days into their journey, Asra noticed something upsetting. "Quinn.. we need to keep moving..." Asra turned back to face their partner in crime, and his face dropped. "What's wrong?"

Quinn's face was sweaty and red, and they looked... paler than normal. Their pupils dialated and when they stood still they seemed to shake in place. "I.. I dont know.. this feels wrong, not like the normal energy drain we get from traveling... I'm probably just out of practice." they sat to rest their bad knee, laying down. Their chest shook as they breathed.

"Quinn.. I hate to bring our venture short but I really do think you need to go home." Asra sat next to them, gently feeling their cheek. "You're practically burning up.. I'm worried this could really hurt you. What if you're worse in the physical world?"

They hadn't thought of that. "Julian will kill me if he found out I let myself get sick.." they laughed softly, trying to bring up the mood.

Asra, for once, was dead serious. "Quinn this is dangerous. You need to go home."

Quinn sighed and nodded slightly. "You're right... if my spiritual body is this bad... imagine how my physical body is feeling..." they slowly stood, holding onto Asra for support. "Dont have too much fun without me..." they smiled a little, before waking up absolutely drenched in sweat.

Head pounding, the small apprentice stood just as Portia stepped in to check on the pair.

"Quinn? What are you doing back already? Did something- oh no!" She rushed over, grabbing Quinn's cheeks. "Awe, you're burning up! You need to get home as soon as possible!"

Quinn laughed weakly. "Yeah yeah, Asra told me already.." they winced as a headache took over. "You guys worry about me so much... its sweet.." they shiver. "I'll go home now... I need Julian..."

Portia practically dragged Quinn from the palace, shoving them in a carriage. "I dont wanna see you until you're all better, got it? Take care of yourself!" She scolded, just like her brother... it's cute.

"Yeah yeah, calm down please. I'll see you soon, Pasha." Quinn gripped their bag and walking stick tight as they rode off back to the clinic where their husband was waiting.

~~~~~~~

The carriage had to stop just outside the block, as night had fallen and too much noise would be disturbing. Quinn didnt mind, extra walking for their knee was good anyway. They wished the carriage drivers good night and hobbled back to their shop. Their heart flipped as they saw the lights on. Julian must still have a customer in picking something up. Not a problem!

Quinn walked up to the giant window in their back room, and stood on their toes to peek inside. That's strange... Julian is sitting with this woman at the table.. she had a package of goods... so she must be a customer. Something about the whole scene felt skewed. Maybe it was the fever racking Quinns brain but.. Julian only ever looked at Quinn like that...

So why is he looking at this... beautiful... woman like that as well? He was very preoccupied talking to her, and their hands were locked tight.

What..?

What is this...

Quinn's stomach did flips, head pounding and eyes burning with tears and questions. What's going on? Is..

Is Julian cheating on them?

No, Julian wouldn't do that! He wouldnt.. would he? No of course not. That's ridiculous!! He would never! So why.. why is he looking at her like that? Why is he smiling and blushing, sitting at the intimate back table, talking so sweetly to this woman? What the fuck. What the FUCK.

Quinn felt too sick to do anything.. except run. They ran. They tended to tun from problems, but this was the only thing that came to mind after seeing that. They abandoned their cane, completely by accident, wobbling through the back streets of Vesuvia. They just kept going until they couldn't anymore. Their knee gave out, their body cracking against the cold streets. They didnt even have the energy to shout in pain, just curl up into a ball.

Ah... the aqueduct.. where Julian showed his mark off for the first, and one of the last times. The memory made Quinn choke up with tears once more. It seemed impossible and yet... Julian didnt really love him.. did he?

Quinn was dragged from their thoughts by a gentle hand on their shoulder. "Hey, hey you dont look too good, do you need-" the man paused. "You're Quinn! The mage!"

They nodded weakly. "My knee.. my head... my heart.. they all kinda hurt.." they laughed dryly, it slowly turning into a hacking cough.

"Hey mage, I think you need to lie down. Where's Julian?" He gently helped them sit up. Quinn's lip quivered a little and he got the hint. "Ah ok. You got anywhere I can take you? The Raven might be a bit too rambunctious for your head."

They nodded weakly. "Mazelinka, you know her? I need to see her..."

He picked Quinn up and hauled them over his shoulder. "Give me directions. I'll take you."

After 20 minutes of poor directions later... and Quinn was stood wobbly in front of her door. Before they could even knock, she opened the door.

"Quinn! You're sick, what are you doing standing there!"

Quinn nods. "Yeah.. sick.." their train of thought left the tracks ages ago.

She siged. "I swear, you're just as bad as Ilya. Come in. Lay down, I'll make you feel better."

They nodded, wobbling into the room and nearly collapsing mid stride.

"Where's Ilya? He would have an aneurysm if he knew you were wandering about all sick." Mazelinka turned to Quinn but didnt expect the massive sob. "Is.. Ilya ok?"

Quinn nodded, finally letting the tears out as they sat on the bed, the bed that they had shared with Julian those many many moons ago... "Yeah.. yeah hes fine." They rubbed their eyes but the tears came too fast. "He... I think he's cheating on me..."

Mazelinka dropped her spoon. "What! Impossible, Ilya loves you more than job as doctor. Are you sure?"

They nodded. "I saw him, in my shop. With a woman.. he.. he looked so... I dont know." They collapsed into bed, curling up. "I just... can't believe this..."

She sighed as she came over to Quinn with a bowl of soup and blanket. "Darling Quinn... my ward is a ridiculous idiot sometimes. Don't take it personally, child. He doesn't know what he's losing." She wrapped the other in the blanket. "You should go to Pasha, he would come look for you here first. Pasha will take better care of you until you're feeling okay. Then we kick Ilya's ass, okay?"

Kicking Julian's ass did sound nice... Quinn nodded. "Okay.. I'll go see Pasha..." they drank the soup slowly, as to not upset their stomach too much. After a slow and very small supper, Mazelinka slipped a package of sweets into Quinns bag and tucked them in. "Thank you, Mazelinka..."

"No need." She smiled sadly, gently patting Quinn's face. "Sleep, you need energy."

After she went to bed as well, Quinn stared at the wall. Everywhere reminded them of Julian. Everything felt so surreal... maybe... maybe Asra was right... they soon fell off into a dreamless sleep...

[cordonian-literature]

Reluctant Reunion

Summary: Olivia reflects on her relationship with Vivienne

Premise: majority of TRH thrown out the window, but some elements are present. overall i’d say this isn’t canon. the MC’s name is Vivienne (nicknamed Vivi). her and Liam have two children: Eleanor and Evangeline. the gang hasn’t seen each other much.

A/N: hi! so i wanted to practice some writing since i’ve been kinda out of it, so i decided to do a @wackydrabbles​​​ prompt! i’ve seen some people do it and just wanted to participate :) this week’s prompt is not everything is a joke, and will be in bold

A/N 2: the idea for this fic came from Prompt #1407​​ (i’ve changed it up a bit though). i don’t know if i’ll continue this or not, but i’ve been playing around with the idea and just might

Word Count: (+/-) 1540

Warnings: none (i think. feel free to call me out if im wrong)

*All characters belong to Pixelberry, except those unique to my story*

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

Olivia tried to do what she could to keep Vivienne at arm’s length. But her smile was so disarming, and she was so genuine — how could one help the overwhelming want to get close to her, to be embraced by the soft care she expressed to everyone in her vicinity? Olivia didn’t want the bubbly feelings, the pounding in her chest. She believed that if she kept ignoring it, the emotions would go away.

The isolation of Lythikos allowed Olivia to stay focused; there was always some issue that would occupy her mind long enough so Olivia would not think of Vivienne, and would instead attend to her people’s concerns like the old rulers of Lythikos.

But Valtoria’s issues were not unique to Vivi’s duchy. The smallest familiarity between Valtorian and Lythikosian concerns would prompt a lighthearted, heartbreakingly friendly phone call from Vivienne. The Queen would invite the Duchess over for a discussion, and would afterward ask Olivia to extend her visit, which Olivia never did.

But something she couldn’t ignore was a surprise invitation from Duke Bertrand — “financial proposals need to be overlooked to confirm suitability for all duchies of Cordonia” prompted Olivia to start towards Ramsford. Olivia did not expect that the King, Queen, and their friends were already there.

It had been Lady Hana’s idea for them all to meet and enjoy an evening over tea after having spent months apart. But for the afternoon, the Queen and Duchess Olivia would attend Duke Bertrand’s meeting.

They both sat in front of Duke Bertrand, their chairs some feet apart, a distance Olivia felt keenly towards her left. Olivia’s chair fully faced the Duke, while Vivienne’s was turned so that in one swift glance she secured both their attentions.

Vivi didn’t hesitate in commenting that Bertrand’s proposal would negatively affect more than half the country. She opened up the discussion, allowing Olivia to speak first, then adding in her own opinions.

The three of them formed a rough plan with enough moving elements that at least one was sure to work. Leaving the office, Olivia made a beeline for the front of the estate.

Her heels tap sharply on the wooden floor. Olivia slows her pace so the taps are the same rhythm as the melody of Vivi’s voice, drawing Olivia into tranquil peace.

Unfamiliar tranquil peace. The inclusivity of Vivi’s words were not well-known to the Duchess that had come to terms with isolation. She wasn’t ready to embrace the friendships that she had disconnected from years ago.

She stood in the front of the estate, watching the fog lift and dance around the marble columns. Some puffs of clouds were so large Olivia could put herself in a daze and imagine she had climbed the North-most mountain in Lythikos, her body kindly begging for oxygen, the ghost of Misha just on her heel. Other warm clouds were so small that Olivia could close them in her palm and diminish it from its lonely existence.

And then it was time for tea. When Olivia walked into the sitting room, the soft colors of the curtain compliment the gentle conversation of the friends who hadn't seen each other in a while. Olivia takes a seat on an empty couch, attempting to avoid bringing attention to herself.

Olivia takes a long breath. She smells the scent of the tea on the small table in front of her, the dry lemony tang of furniture polish, and the faint scent of Vivi's perfume, who had come to sit next to Olivia.

Eleanor takes a seat on the gray velvet settee with her father and asks where her sister, Evangeline, is.  

As if she'd been conjured by the mention of her name, the girl enters the room and grabs the pitcher off the table. Olivia notices that she is almost as tall as her father. Evangeline stares carefully at everyone's glass as she fills them, the tea pitcher looking like a child's toy in her hands.

She smooths the edge of her rose-colored dress as she sits near her mother, cupping the tea in her hands as if it were a valuable heat source. She looks over at her sister, who converses with Liam and Drake.

After she reached the age of twenty, Liam pulled Eleanor on the front lines of Cordonia’s issues, leaving the girl little time to spend with her family. Many called the Crown Princess rough, claiming her serious exterior was too extreme.

But now, next to her father and his friend, Eleanor is relaxed and leans back against the cushion. Evangeline eyes her sister, her own posture as stiff and straight as a wall. She analyzes the sleeveless, light green dress gently draped over Eleanor.

“Do you want me to put some ice in your tea?” Evangeline asks, motioning towards her sister’s casual attire. “You seem like you feel hot.”

Eleanor drifts apart from Liam and Drake’s conversation, a vacant smile on her face as she answers Evangeline. “No? Why do you ask?”

“Oh, nothing,” Evangeline smirks and takes a calm sip of her tea, a laugh hidden behind every word. “Just that I’ve never seen you wear something so… revealing.” She gives another critical look, her eyes glazing down to her sister’s shoes and back up to her face, giving an angry smile at the last second. “It doesn’t look too good on you. I’ll tell my dressmaker to make something that suits your style.”

“Thanks, but there’s no need.” Eleanor’s face falls as she turns back to her father.

“Oh, don’t be like that!” Evangeline leans over to put a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I was just joking with you. It’s sarcasm. Ever heard of it?”

“Not everything is a joke just because you say it is. Sarcasm or not.” The sisters turn away from each other. 

Vivi gives a gentle laugh in the direction of her daughters. “Drake was your babysitter once and all his sarcasm rubbed off on you.”

Conversations are paused as everyone absorbs Vivi’s words. Olivia remembers the diplomatic trip Liam and Vivi took to Italy less than two decades ago. Eleanor was able to come along, but Evangeline had been too small. Duke Bertrand and Lord Maxwell were also meant to make an appearance, Lady Hana was called to Shanghai to visit her parents, and Olivia had issues in Lythikos to attend to. The only person available had been Drake, and after that one week, he had become baby Evangeline’s favorite person.

When she was a child, she would constantly urge her parents to let her go on camping or fishing trips with Uncle Drake. Liam would always accompany them, but the younger sister had always been cold towards Eleanor, throwing a fit if her parents suggested she accompany them.

The group chuckles when they remember, even earning a smile from Olivia. But the grins dissolve into lost looks. They meet each other’s eyes, and though Olivia remains focused on the tea pitcher, she can sense the sad questions they kept to themselves: where had it all gone wrong? How did we let the distance become so large?

Olivia knows these questions depress those around her, but she has had a lifetime to adapt to them. From her lonely childhood — being her parents’ second priority, then being treated as the traitors’ daughter after they died. To growing distanced from the friends of her youth and her first love — Liam making it clear to her countless times that he would never reciprocate her feelings, and Olivia eventually coming to terms that such a love was never meant to be her’s. To a vast space having formed between her and the only woman that had ever believed in Olivia.

Maxwell gives an audible sigh. “If only my puns rubbed off on Eleanor.” 

The girl rolls her eyes, while her sister inspects her freshly painted nails. 

Maxwell playfully scolds her: “Were my play on words not good enough for you?” 

Eleanor laughs, a bright smile lifting the mood of the room. She speaks of her childhood, everything she remembers and misses, the adults adding in silly details of her childish antics. But Olivia has no memories of Eleanor’s childhood, nor of Evangeline’s. 

The friends’ conversations flowed gracefully, but Olivia could not contribute anything. 

And so she stood and left, quietly lifting herself out of her seat and spinning towards the door. She wondered if her driver were ready to bring her back to Lythikos. 

The fog embraces her, wrapping wet coils of air around her waist, drawing her away from Ramsford, away from memories she wasn’t a part of, away from Vivi.

But before she can lower her head and enter the limo, Vivi’s slender fingers wrap around Olivia’s wrist, drawing her away from the vehicle and slipping an envelope into her hands.

Her disarming smile doesn’t disappear until Olivia has opened the envelope: it’s an invitation to the palace.

Decline it, her head tells her. 

Accept it, her heart tells her. 

Vivi sighs, holding her arms against herself as if she were about to break. 

“You’re cold,” Olivia states.

Again that smile. Vivi agrees to go inside, Olivia agrees to consider the invitation, though she doesn’t want to. 

But her incompetent driver leads her to the palace anyway.

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

i don’t have anyone to tag - but if you would like to be tagged if i continue this, let me know :)

[twinkleallnight]

Marshmallow

(Part-4) Frozen thoughts

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x MC, Drake x ??

For previous chapters: catch up here

Thank you @bbrandy2002 for pre reading.

Tags: @ao719 @bbrandy2002 @choiceskatie @drakewalker04 @gkittylove99 @hopefulmoonobject @jovialyouthmusic @mrswalkers-blog @mom2000aggie @speedyoperarascalparty @texaskitten30 @no-one-u-know

Frozen thoughts---

There is no going back. I have lost Livy. I am listless as I lumber around the lawns when my phone buzzes. It is Liam. I take the call.

“Yes Liam?”

“Hey, can u distract the Big B?”, he says in a hushed tone over the phone. He is referring to Bastein, the head guard.

“Where are you?”

“In my room. And he is right outside my door. Can you please come over?” he whispers.

“ On my way.”

Bastein, chief of guards, holds a special place in our lives. He was my father’s close friend for most of his life though half his age. But after losing my father, he has been that fatherly figure in my life. Since king Constantine keeps busy in stately affairs, Bastein has been there for Liam and Leo too. As much as he loves us all he makes sure to keep all of his brats--us--in check. Bastein has taken care of the former prince Leo, who had a very risqué lifestyle and always found Liam as very easy one to deal with.

Liam has always been the golden boy. The most well-mannered, obedient and disciplined of us all. He still agrees with Bastein's suggestions. What surprises me is why Liam needs to get rid of him? I sprint towards his room and I am greeted by Bastein’s stiff figure standing in front of Liam’s door. He nods and allows me to enter.

As soon as I see Liam, all the memories from few hours back, come rushing in. He has a mischievous smile on his face, which fades when our eyes meet.

“What’s wrong?”, he voices his concern. I sit down on the couch with a heavy heart, placing my head down in my hands. “Is this the same thing that was bothering you earlier at the lawn party too.” I nod. He sits besides me, a hand on my shoulder. “ Can I help?”

“Yes, it’s Livy.” I gather myself and fill him with all the details.

He is remorseful about what happened. When I finish, he speaks,“ I am sorry. It’s my fault. I should have at least called her. But,” he claps on my shoulder, “ I will make this right. I will make it up to her. Please relax. I promise you.” I gradually calm down after his persistence.

“How are things coming along with the social season and the suitors?”, I ask after some time. I see the playful smile return on his face.

“ Yes, about that...We need to be somewhere right now if you can help me.” He grins.

A look at my wristwatch and it dawns on me, “Oh! I am sorry! I totally forgot. Riley’s Cronut sneak out!”

“Sshhh! Quiet! That man out there has keen ears” Liam says in a muted tone.

“ Okay! Okay!”, I say softly. “ So what’s the plan?”

“ If I move out from the main door, he will surely follow me.”

“So, where do you want to make a getaway from?” I ask him, puzzled.

“From the window?” He looks at me, quite unsure.

“Crown prince of Cordonia wants to sneak out through a window to be with his girlfriend,” I chuckle.

“Oh yes, go on and mock me. Yes, I want... no, I will sneak out to be with her. Now stop giggling like a lass and come over here and help me! Once I am out of here, you walk out of the main door, pretending you are leaving me back in the room so that Bastein doesn’t suspect anything.”

“Sounds good.”

I help him out the window. He lands on the bush down with a thud and an ah and a ooh! I control my laughter and turn back to get out. I make small talk with Bastein appearing normal and then head out to the lawns. Riley, Max and Hana are all busy plucking thorns from all over Liam’s clothes.

“You good there?” I ask, amused.

“Yes, except that I landed on a rose bush full of thorns!” He stares at me.

“ Well, you need to pay the price to sneak out.”

After the clean-up, we walk to Maxwell's SUV and hop in. I take the driver's seat while Liam sits with Riley in the back seat and Hana on Riley’s other side. We get down at a pastry shop near the beach.

Liam takes the ladies to a table while I follow Max to place our orders. As we carry our food to the table, Max makes his signature dance move with a shout-out, “Cronuts here we come!” The girls laugh and we all plunge into the delicacy. Hana, Max and Liam try them for the first time so all the comments start pouring in after the first bite.

“Do you know the recipe, Riley?” asks Hana in her smooth voice. I notice she has a soft and low tone even when we are out of court. I feel like asking her if she always speaks so softly.

“Ahaan!” nods Riley, her mouth full. She is just the opposite of Hana with her heavy commanding voice.

“Please do share with me.” Hana requests politely.

Liam perks up,“ Thank you, that means I don’t have to be punctured with thorns anymore for a sneak out.”

“Oh, Liam, I’m so sorry. I put you through this.” Riley apologizes since it was her mastermind plan to do all of this.

“Riley, I don’t mind the effort if the result is so scrumptious, not to forget the company of my friends.” Liam assures her.

Friends--with that word, I lose track of the conversation. Not all friends, I feel. Livy's forlorn face floats in front of my eyes. I start missing her again.

Absent-minded, I follow the group as they walk out of the shop.

“Bastein, We...I… How did you know?” Liam stutters. I come out of my trance and see Bastein standing tall, right at the exit point.

Riley and Hana giggle, looking at Liam fumble with his words.

“Sir, I have had the honour to train at the hands of your elder brother. I hope you can grant me that much. Liam snickers at the mention of Leo. “The king awaits in his study to talk to you about some urgent matter.”

Liam returns to his stoic self. “ Let’s go back,” he says and turns to the ladies, “ Thank you so much for this little outing. I apologise I will have to cut this short. I will see you tomorrow.”

“Max, I trust you will drive the ladies back to the palace safely. Drake, you may walk lady Hana to her quarters from there.” Liam assigns us the roles and I glare at him. He knows well I don't do well with strangers, especially a lady! I could have escorted Riley; I know her a little but Hana…! I have hardly spoken a sentence or two in these two meetings.

To worsen the situation further, Riley insists on taking the front seat and I have to share the back seat with Hana. We drive down to the palace. While I get out to walk Hana to her quarters, Riley accompanies Max to the parking lot. As he starts the SUV,Riley shrieks, “Full speed ahead!" Hana and I both giggle, then walk away.

“She is a live wire”, Hana says.

“Yeah, may be the right balance for Liam,”

I stop in my tracks realising my remark must have hurt Hana. She is a contender for the same position, after all. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Hana kept treading on, “ You don’t need to apologize for something that is obvious. I can sense the heat between them. And believe me, I am perfectly fine with it.”

She sets me back on heel by saying that. “But you are officially a suitor in this social season. How is it that it doesn’t matter to you at all?”

“Grabbing the crown to be a future queen is not the only purpose for some of us. In fact, even Riley is not a crown chaser. Some people live for love!”

“Oh, you mean you have already found someone in your life.” I make my presumption.

“No. There isn’t anyone yet. But when it happens, I wish it to be as strong as what Liam and Riley share. Until then, I aim to prove my worth at working with the state affairs.”

“I understand. The royal court is not a piece of cake and Liam surely needs to build a fresh set of representatives who serve the youth.”

She smiles and turns with a twinkle in her eyes. “Thank you for walking me down. It was fascinating talking to you.” I realise we have reached her room.

“Pleasure is mine, Lady Hana. Hope to see you again soon.” I curtsy and turn on my heels.

My steps get sluggish as I cross Livy's chambers. ‘Is she awake? Is she listening? She said she can make out my footsteps. Should I wait to see if she opens the door and comes back?’ The whirlwind of thoughts push me slowly to my room and I hit the sack without changing my clothes. I drift into a deep slumber without effort, tired of the day’s events.

---------

Morning comes with a new hope. We are travelling to Lythikos today. The snowy north duchy of Cordonia that belongs to Duchess Olivia Nevrakis.

There is much to do before I leave. I quickly pack my bags and then make a run to the stables, instruct my assisting vet for things to be done in my absence. I rush back to my room, load my truck and drive safely to catch up right behind Max's limo. Riley is with him in there.

Liam and Livy had planned an early morning drive as she is the host and I am hoping that they have got time to talk to each other and smooth out the creases.

I can feel the chill just by the sight of the snow after almost an hour-long drive. Max and Riley have already moved inside the cosy chateau. I pull on my jacket before getting out. As I drag my bags up the entrance, I hear her. 'The Guanaco call', I always teased Livy, saying her sharp laughter sounds just like the lama and she hits back saying 'what better comparison can I expect from an animal doc?’

I spin to find her ice skating with Liam at the frozen lake. She is beaming, radiant and glowing again. I feel a surge of fresh energy watching her.

But I am staggered, I stand there, I don’t know for how long, just with my frozen thoughts.

[newcolonies]

Going Under

Authors Note: I’m back and so ready to start writing again! I know this is kinda angsty but I got some fluffy fics I’m working on and so excited for you guys to read! Also I just wanted to say a big thanks to @openheart12 for allowing me to snatch Jonah’s name! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: mention of drowning

Word Count: 1,800

Tag list: @openheart12 @noboundariesplease @trappedinfandoms @caseyvalentineramsey @junehiratas @kaavyaethanramsey @choices-love-affair @queencarb @lilyvalentine @rookieoh @siaramsey @thanialis

*If you would like to be added or removed from the list just let me know. 

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Ethan buckled Jonah into the car seat. He had recently turned three and had become terribly curious, and energetic. Sitting in one place for an extended period had become a daunting job for him. Ethan had finished his task and made his way over to the driver's seat. Today's adventure consisted of visiting grandpa Naveen at his lake house. Ethan and Casey had kindly declined Naveen's offer only because Jonah could be a lot to handle at times. And taking into consideration the older doctor's health, Ethan hadn't wanted to bring more stress upon him. But of course, Naveen insisted that the pair bring the little one up to the house. They made their way through his driveway. A small wooden palace hidden behind large beefy trees, a petite dock laid next to the house extending only a short way into the water. Naveen sat peacefully on a wooden porch swing swaying slowly, he offered a small smile to the family that was now walking up to the deck.

"Grandpa!" Jonah shrieked as he ran up to Naveen. The man swiftly lifted the boy onto his lap. Jonah wrapped his slim arms around Naveen. Ethan and Casey made their way up to the porch hand in hand, a large smile present on both of their faces. 

"Hello, Naveen," Ethan said with a curt nod. 

"Hello, my boy," Naveen said before directing his attention towards Casey. "How are you, my dear." He said glancing down at the large bulge that was her stomach. 

"I'm doing great," Casey said moving a hand on the top of her abdomen. She had been pregnant with their second child for about thirty-seven weeks. They were having another little boy to which they agreed to name Flynn Timothy Ramsey. They decided to name him after Casey's grandfather, a brilliant man, and a father figure in Casey's life. "All though I am ready for this little stinker to be born."

"I bet," Naveen said with a snicker. Naveen moved his attention to Jonah who was flipping through the medical book that Naveen had been reading before the family arrived. "Jonah, would you like to go swimming?" Naveen said swooping the young child in his arms while he stood. A bright smile developed on Jonah's face as he eagerly shook his head up and down.

  Before Naveen could walk down towards the dock, Ethan took Jonah out of his arms. "Allow me to lighten the load. You should be taking it easy." Ethan said giving Naveen an all too knowing look.

"My boy, you worry too much," Naveen replied and with that he led the way over to the dock, limping ever so slightly. 

Once at the dock Ethan let Jonah out of his arms. The view was astonishing, almost too perfect to be seen by any human being. A large mountain range encapsulated by trees and rolling hills. 

"Beautiful isn't it? Now you can understand why I hadn't wanted to stay in that monotonous hospital." Naveen said with a smile.

"It is beautiful, but that is no excuse for you to ignore your health," Ethan said cocking an eyebrow at Naveen.

  Naveen gave a slight chuckle. "Maybe. But is a life worth living if you never allow yourself to see the beauty in life itself and I can assure you there is no beauty in a hospital room." Naveen said placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder, a peaceful silence engulfing them. There was no point in fighting Naveen no matter how wrong Ethan had thought his opinions on the matter had been. "Well, make yourselves at home," Naveen said breaking the silence between the two. "I'm going to prepare the food, I'll be back in a bit." 

"Do you need help?" Ethan called after him. "I don't want you to take in more than you can handle." 

"Enjoy yourself, Ethan. You never know the next time you may be able to relax, so take this opportunity while it's still available." Naveen said before walking in the direction of the house. 

Ethan moaned of frustration "Why won't he just let me help him? I don't understand." Ethan said taking a seat next to his wife.

"Honey, he's right, just relax," Casey said laying her hand on the top off his thigh "Besides if you stress over the small things too much you may get gray hair," Casey said searching his beard for lighter hair. "Never mind I guess it's too late for that" Casey said laughing as she ran her fingers through the side of his beard. 

"Haha laugh it up, but I'd like to have you know that these grays arrived when I met a specific intern. You may know her as a colossal pain in the ass." Ethan said slyly smiling at her. 

"Okay, I deserved that," Casey said a small pout on her face. 

"Mommy!" Jonah said impatiently pointing towards the water. 

"Jonah don’t go near the water until you have your arm floaties on," Casey said getting up from her seat and grabbing the plastic floaties out of the bag. 

"I had better go help Naveen, he may be getting himself into trouble," Ethan said as he started walking over to the house. 

Jonah stared at the water, watching the small ripples move out into the middle of the lake. He inched closer so he could get a better look at the small waves. Jonah reached his hand off the side of the dock. His hand was hanging just inches from touching the water. He pushed his body forward sending just enough momentum to send him tumbling into the body of water. A small splash erupted from the fall. 

"Jonah?" Casey said as she peered at the dock, the arm floats still in her hands. "Jonah?" she said again searching for any sight of the child. "Where’s Jonah?" Casey said to herself panic engulfing her. Her breathes became short and light.  "Ethan!" She screamed an attempt to get her husband to help. Her body froze in place, panic and anxiety-filled her. She felt light-headed, she felt empty.

  Ethan ran outside, shaken by the sound of his screaming wife. "Casey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Ethan breathlessly asked "Wait where is Jonah." Ethan said color leaving his face. 

The splashing occurred once more in the water. Ethan glanced over toward the sound, a burst of realization hitting him. He jumped into the water, no other thoughts, no other motives than saving his son from the depths of the lake that held him. Ethan grabbed under the water wrapping his arms around Jonah's limp body. He pulled Jonah out of the water and laid him gently on the dock before pulling himself onto the dock. Any emotions he should have felt were overtaken by the adrenaline that was raging throughout his body sending him straight into doctoring mode. He placed his fingers over Jonah's neck, a light pulse was present. Ethan started the process of CPR.

"Come on the little guy, wake up, stay with us," Ethan said with each compression.  After two rounds of chest compressions, Jonah coughed, water dribbling from his mouth.

  "Oh my God," Casey said breathlessly. She had silently been praying that their son would be okay, and thankfully her prayers had been answered. Jonah coughed water up once again.

  Ethan grabbed Jonah in his arms and hugged him tightly. The realization that he had almost lost his son suddenly dawned on him. His son almost just drowned. His Jonah had almost just drowned. The words turning over and over again in his mind. These exact thoughts made him sick to his stomach. A small tear fell from Ethan's eyes followed my another. He released his grip on Jonah.

  "Daddy?" Jonah said softly confusion etched over his face.  

Casey made her way over to her husband and wrapped her arms around Jonah. "Honey, are you alright?" Casey said tears were still falling from her eyes.

"Yes?” Jonah said still confused.

 Casey let out another sigh of relief. Naveen walked out of the house with a tray in his hands and a bright smile on his face. One glance at the distraught faces of Ethan and Casey turned his happiness to utter confusion and sadness.

"Did Jonah fall into the water?" Naveen asked. He knew by the looks on their faces that he was right.

Ethan noded his head. Naveen looked from Ethan and Casey to poor little Jonah. His heart dropped. He felt sorrow and guilt well up inside of him. He felt that it had partially been his fault because the accident had happened at his house. He immediately shook these thoughts away. All that really mattered to him was that Jonah was alive and breathing well. He would have to deal with these negative feelings later.

  "You know what, I'll take Jonah in the house and give him a little exam just to make sure his lungs aren't full of water and that his heart is beating normally. You two can are welcome to come inside and join me if you would like." Naveen said grasping Jonah's small hand in his, and leading him towards the house.

"We'll be there in a minute." Ethan said roughly, his throat was still tight as he was trying to hold back the tears that needed to be released. Naveen nodded, then closed the door behind him and Jonah. 

"Ethan, I'm so sorry." Casey finally said as the tears began to rapidly flow running smoothly down her face. "I should have been watching him, I should have been there, there’s so many things I should have done." Her words were almost inaudible, as she began to sob harder. "Maybe I'm not cut out for parenting after all." She said stumbling on her words as they got caught in her throat. 

"Casey, don't ever say that. Sure you should have been watching him, but you can't change what the outcome was. All you can do is learn from the situation." Ethan said. He could feel his own tears running down his face. "You are a wonderful mom and wife, and I will always believe that no matter what happens." He said wiping away a tear from her cheek. "Always." He said almost in a whisper. 

Casey leaned her head on his shoulder. He always had said the right words to comfort her. He had always been there for her even though she made grave errors. She was so thankful that somehow she had ended up with a man like Ethan.They sat like this in silence, because they didn’t need to talk to understand what the other thought or  what the other felt. But most importantly they comforted each other, even through the silence.

Suddenly Jonah came running out of the house towards the two. He sat himself down on Ethan's lap and laid his legs  acrossed Casey's. 

"He's in perfect condition, the only thing in his lungs is air, and his heart is beating normally. A miracle I would say." Naveen said as he walked up to the couple and sat down next to Ethan.

  "Thanks, Naveen," Ethan said as he firmly held Jonah close to him. They were going to make mistakes, that was a given. But as long as they stuck together through the thick and the thin they would make it through. Even in the foggiest of nights together they would be the light that gets them through.

[sea-side-scribbles]

Fanfiction: Sympathy For A Downer

Chapter 41

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22737214/chapters/68678841

When they arrived back in the hotel, they looked  for the other band members, so they could tell them their idea. "Where have you been all day?", Chris asked them when they found each other at the bar. "Are you up to something?" Norbert gave Morrie a look. "Uh, well, we..." "We actually have an idea", Morrie finished the sentence. "Oh. And do you plan to let us take part in it?" "That's why we're here. It's about our housing situation. We think we deserve something better than these hotels here." He was puzzled that the band broke out in laughter.

"That's great!", Chris blurted out, "We keep sitting around in these doss houses. It's time for a change!" "I agree," Brad tossed in, "it's time we see the Avalon from the inside." "For starters", Matt added and they laughed again. "Morrie, you always have the best ideas", Chris said, putting an arm around the pianist. "The question is wether or not Virgil likes it", Matt pondered. "Could as well give us a treat, that old slave driver", Chris sneered. Morrie held up his hands. "Guys, wait! You misunderstood me! I don't mean another, bigger hotel, I mean no hotels at all!" Now he recieved questioning looks.

"Do you remember we used to live in a house once?" "That dump?" Brad lifted an eyebrow. "I don't say we have to keep it that way. We could restore it, give it a good beautification. And most off all, install an alarm system." "Do you plan to hide gold in there?" "No, but I'm sick of all those people breaking in our privacy, watching our every step, reporters that dress as pages and follow us around in the corridors to fill their gossip rags with stories. This has to end!" "That doesn't happen every day", Matt tried to calm him down. "Most people leave us alone." "It's way too often and also it's getting worse. We can barely move outside without being noticed and it won't be long until they start to bother us in here. In our own house we'd only have guests if we want them." "Well", Chris said and looked at Norbert, who began to speak.

"It makes sense, doesn't it? If we want us to have one last bit of privacy in the future we have to come up with something new." He sat up. "Just imagine, we can do whatever we want with this house, we don't need to do without any conveniences. And with our next tour in sight, I'm sure we can afford all this."

Their fifth album was out and they had planned a tour through Great Britain. They were finally popular enough to be allowed such privileges and surely Virgil's negotiating skills had been quite helpful too. It was the first time that their fans from outside Wellington Wells would see them on stage and the band was excited about it. The tickets sold like hot cakes. There was no need to worry about their financial status.

Chris nodded. "If you put it like this, it doesn't sound too bad." "Our own palace", Matt joked. "But no cheap compromises", Brad said firmly. "I won't live in a building lot. We'll wait until it's finished and it's gonna be awesome." "Deal!", Morrie concluded, feeling like a heavy weight was lifted from his chest.

The same day they sat down with Virgil to discuss their idea. "What do you think it would cost us to build us a residence...", Norbert began and eyed the others. "With five bedrooms", Brad added. "And guest rooms", said Chris. "And a bar", Matt proposed. "And a sound studio", Morrie decided, winning a lot of praise for that. "Hold your horses for a second", Virgil interrupted their creative effusions. "What quarter do you want to break down for this?" "We don't have to", Morrie said. "we still have this empty house in Hamlyn Village we used to live in. And that quarter was full of ruins." "We haven't been there for years though", Brad added. "We have no idea what it looks like now." "That's not hard to find out", Virgil said and then shortly paused, furrowing his brows. "I know an architect who's probably crazy enough to do this. I can't tell you the costs just now because we don't even have a draft." "Crazy sounds just right", Norbert said happily. "Just turn on your charms and he'll give us a discount." Chris smirked.

The next days were dedicated to their tour. It was another difficult time for Morrie. The media hype outside Wellington Wells was just as big. They were constantly dragged in front of a camera and asked for interviews. They also had another appearance in a TV show. If they wanted some calm and quiet they needed to stay in their rooms. And then they had to attend all these parties... For inexplicable reasons they were expected to go there. Virgil didn't grant them a lot of freetime and he and Morrie once broke into a fight because of that. Morrie felt sick seeing all those groupies swarming around. They also tried him and he had a hard time spelling out to them that he wasn't interested. On the other hand he had to pretend that he enjoyed himself at least a little bit. He couldn't watch Norbert all the time, who always stayed long at these parties and came back very clingy, as if he had to make up for something. Then again he was glad he could cuddle into Norbert when they were alone. Perhaps he just missed him. Then he was ashamed of being so leery. Norbert had his "dark past", but he did never betray him. Without him he wouldn't bear all that fuss, Morrie was sure.

Norbert didn't have an easy time, either. He too was hoping that everything would get better with their new home. Even though he didn't know how it could get better. He was still sitting on the fence. Their tour made them more popular, he couldn't hide from his fans anymore, especially not at the parties they kept being invited to. And he didn't want to hide. He loved to be in the center of attention. He wanted to savour that to the full and it was hard to hold back. It hurt Morrie and he understood that. But even if he wanted to hide, he couldn't, if he didn't want to add an angry Virgil to the scene. So he tried to bring all that in line, and it was very exhausting. Especially while watching his friends simply enjoying themselves without regrets. When he was back in their hotel room, he was mostly very tired and clung to Morrie, who thankfully didn't ask any questions.

At the end, he was proud of his success. Also Morrie was. It didn't leave him cold when his fans started screaming and crying at the mere sight of him.

Back in Wellington Wells, they started working on their new residence. The architect that Virgil had found created stunning drafts. Their own studio took shape and Norbert was happy he could spare himself the endlessly long and dry sessions in the Parade District. Everyone had his own bedroom and Norbert and Morrie designed theirs with ulterior motives. They installed the most modern safety system to avoid uninvited guests, so that was taken care of too. They had more freetime after their tour and it was a much more relaxed and happy phase.

When they finally moved in, a crowd of pressmen and fans gathered in front of their property, watching them walk in. Morrie had no trouble to be on his best behaviour, because he was sure to escape from the mass soon enough. Closing the door behind them brought peace and quiet. The band looked around in every room, made themselves comfortable and inaugurated their in-site bar when they had approved everything.

"I can't believe it's still the same house", Norbert said shaking his head. "Yeah, incredible what we got out of that old shack", Matt agreed. "It's about pulling the right strings", Chris added, thinking of Virgil. "And the right ideas." Norbert poked Morrie into the side, who waved them off. "Guys, I'm dead beat. Don't hold it against me if I won't last long tonight." "Are you kidding me? You're the one we owe all this, you can't skip out on us now." "Have at least one drink with us", Brad insisted and poured him a glass. "Sure, I don't mind one drink." "And then another one." "Don't push your luck."

Chris shook his head. "I wonder why you keep running away from all the fun. We're tired too, after all." "I'm not running, trust me, I'm way too exhausted for that." "I think you do." "So what? Try to stop me." "There, there, don't argure. Everybody can do what they want", Norbert interrupted them. "And if we want to fight, then what?" "Fair enough, but I don't bind up open wounds and don't give mouth-to-mouth respiration." "Not even to Morrie?" "He won't need it." "Oh, really?" Chris made a shocked face. The others laughed out loud. Morrie, who was taller than Chris, gave him a smugly smile. "Calm down. Have another one." Brad refilled his glass.

"Anyway, our nomadic life finally comes to an end", Morrie said happily. "Yeah, we won't run after these snooty TV stars anymore. Now, they will run after us", Matt agreed. Brad patted his shoulder. "Exactly. It's time we'll have our own parties. Can't wait to liven things up in here, make them beat a path to our door." "They already stand in line", Chris sneered. "I only need to open the door and we have a spontaneous party." "Please not today", Morrie said, "unless you want me to lose my self-control." "I see, baby Morrie needs to sleep."

Norbert stayed longer, celebrating with the others. Then he went into his bedroom and found Morrie lying in his bed. Norbert sat down next to him and grabbed his shoulder, carefully shaking him. "Hey, there. Did you get lost? This is my room", he whispered. Morrie opened his eyes. "I beg your pardon", he said affectedly and sat up. "In this case I better go." Norbert held him back. "No, you don't have to. Stay with me." Morrie stopped and looked at him. "You want me here?" Norbert ran a hand along Morrie's back. "That's right." "In your bed?" "Exactly." Their faces came very close.

"You don't have any...indecent plans, do you?" Morrie lifted an eyebrow. "What if I have?" Norbert kissed a trail along Morrie's neck. His lover closed his eyes with relish. His voice rasped when he said: "But it's not quite the thing, two boys in one bed." Norbert gently touched his chin and moved his head to look him deeply into his dark brown eyes. "I don't care what they say. I want you to shag me, right here, into this mattress, until I beg for mercy, because I love you." Morrie's eyes flickered. "It would be cruel to refuse...", he agreed. Norbert nodded when they leaned closer. Their lips met, and entangled in a kiss they fell into the sheets and loved each other as if it was their last night.

They lived in a paradise they had created for themselves, until things changed again.

One day, Norbert opened the door to his bedroom and was surprised to find a female fan lying in his bed, being very affectionate. After she had chased him through the room he hid behind his guitar and played a song for her, what made her stop and listen in awe. The problem was that he attracted more fans with this, who now filled the room. When the song was over, he ran out and locked himself in the living room, where his friends sat and stared at him.

"Why do you lock the door?", Matt asked. "Did any of you leave the entrance open?" Norbert sounded frantic. They eyed each other. "No, why? Did someone break in?" "You said a mouthful! A whole mob of groupies invaded my room!" His friends laughed. "Oh, there they are. We missed them already", Chris sneered. "Now seriously, you baited them yourself with your sweet singing voice", Brad said. "Snatched them away from us. And now you lock them out. That's not very hospitable." "So, they are your guests?" "What did you think?" "This isn't a cloister after all", Chris added. He got up and opened the door again. Outside, the confused fans were already waiting. "Don't mind him, he's a bit shy", he explained to them. "He doesn't look like that", one of them said leering. Matt poked Norbert . "Now be a good boy and give them a drink." Norbert, who saw no way out of this situation, played along.

They eventually had more visitors. The Make Believes didn't only let fans in, but started to throw parties. All kinds of celebrity from Wellington Wells gathered in their residence, TV stars, models, artists and other creative and influential people. Soon, it was a constant coming and going. Norbert found a lot of inspiration at these events. His feelings overwhelmed him on a regular basis, and he locked himself up in their studio from time to time, not to please Morrie, but to record his ideas. On the other side he felt trapped in a grotesque game. All that hype, only for five musicians. Sometimes he feared someone would notice what was actually going on, and their fame and glory would collapse like a house of cards. On other days he believed it would never end. And sometimes he wished it would pause for a while. It was tiring to play the game, to keep the balance, so he could always return to Morrie.

It hurt to could-shoulder his guests. He knew the word spread that he was dismissive. They began to avoid him, rallied around the other band members instead, whose popularity had already surpassed his. Nick Lightbearer was someone they swooned over at a concert, but they moved on when they got to know him in person. He had been mysterious for a while, but being dismissive didn't work as good for him as it worked for Morrie, who always had this cold and serious aura. The fans just stopped trying to get his affection because it was hopeless. He lost them, and he didn't know how to get them back. He was envious of his friends and sometimes started a fight with them for no other reason than to blow off steam. After that he felt even worse.

Sometimes he felt like standing in front of an abyss that was about to swallow him for good.

He wished Morrie would understand him, wouldn't leave him alone with this, watching him from a distance, showing his mistrust from time to time. It was obvious that Morrie was disappointed about how things turned out. And Norbert had the feeling that he put the blame on him.

Their relationship was already tense when Norbert saw Morrie sitting on a couch with another man, unusually happy and casual, until the man got up and left, not without giving Morrie a pat on his shoulder. "Who was that?", Norbert asked when they were alone. "Oh, you know, just the pianist of the Tunnel Rats, a very talented man. We had an inspiring conversation, nothing else." Morrie sounded defensive. "Okay...I was just thinking...He seems to like you very much." Norbert immediately wished he would've bit his tongue instead. "He's just one of the few pleasant guests that aren't blatant groupies or self-exposers who talk about nothing but themselves all day", Morrie snapped, mood seemingly ruined again. "I'm just glad you're having a good time for once", Norbert tried. "No you're not, you're jealous, and you have no right to be", Morrie blurted out. "I'm still not enjoying it as much as you." He made Norbert feel a pang in his chest.

"I'm not enjoying it." "It's plain to see." "You think so? I have a different impression", Norbert now snapped back. "They keep asking me: 'What's wrong, Nicky? Why are you so prude? Why are you so boring? Are you afraid of girls all of a sudden? Trouble getting it up?' It's a shame you don't notice that. I guess hiding in your room all thay isn't the best way to find out what's going on!" "I thought we didn't want to end up like this", Morrie said dryly, as if he hadn't heard Norbert, what steamed him up even more. "Is that my fault?", he shouted. "You could've helped me talking them out of it!" "I tried that, but give me one good reason why we shouldn't invite all stars of Wellington Wells!" "Not fundamentally, but the frequency", Morrie insisted. "It's okay for them! We still have our free days!" "We used to spend them differently!" "I can't do anything about that!" "Oh great, so there's no way out!" "None at all!" Morrie shook his head. "This is all a game for you, isn't it?" "You have no idea..." "No, you have no idea! You can always do what you want, enjoy yourself with anyone you like! And you like them all! It doesn't matter! Everybody can get a piece of the famous Lightbearer! Others have to choose, but not you! You don't know how it feels to be depending. Sometimes I wonder if you even know what love is!" Morrie left, slamming the door. Norbert stayed behind, feeling like Morrie had pushed him over the edge, and he was falling, falling...

He spent the night alone, because Morrie didn't visit him and he didn't dare to knock at his door. He had never considered to be not good enough for Morrie. But now the scales fell from his eyes. He wasn't as graceful as Morrie, he found himself rather clumsy around him, he wasn't as smart, he didn't understand music the way Morrie did, who must be tired of explaining it every time, and he couldn't hide how much he like vulgar parties. He had always admired Morrie for all this. He had never thought it could be the reason why they couldn't be together. The thought pulled him further into the depth. He started to fail at everything. He didn't spend time with Morrie and he was a miserable host. He locked himself up in their studio, not to work, but to drink. His inspiration was gone.

One day, he faced the inevitable. Their next performance was due, and he felt empty inside when he entered his dressing room. Now they were popular enough to have their own. The bright colors of his suit hurt his eyes. He wished it was grey. The face that looked at him through the mirror looked so wrong. That was him. Just a big fake. And today it would come out. Because he couldn't play along anymore. He couldn't even walk out of this room. Instead he locked the door and sat back down, waiting for something. The end of the game, maybe. At least something else than the loud knocking at his door, that made him panic. The band was outside, ready to drag him on stage as soon as they get ahold of him. He yelled at them to piss off, and that he wouldn't play a note no matter what they did. Brad promised he would break down the door and get him, so Norbert crouched under the table and waited for the threat to come true. Instead there was nothing to hear but his own quiet sobs. Then someone knocked again, carefully.

"Nick? It's me, Virgil. May I come in?" Norbert tensed up. "No...no...don't...don't bite, please, don't bite", he stuttered in between sobs. "I won't", the manager assured him. His voice was calm. "I just want to talk to you." "There's nothing to talk about!" "Then let me see if you're okay." Norbert hesitated. He liked the sound of his voice and he wanted to believe him. Finally he left his hideout to take the risk. After unlocking the door, he fled back under the table. The door was carefully opened and Virgil Dainty stepped in, tall, elegantly dressed and intimidating. But his eyes were mild when he crouched down to look at Norbert. "Are you hurt?" Norbert faintly shook his head. "Is it my fault? Did I stress you out?" "No...no...it's...", he sobbed, "just look at me! I'm such a fake!" He pressed his eyes shut and tears ran down his cheeks. "This is all wrong! I can't do this any longer!"

"You doubt yourself. Everyone has self doubts from time to time. I know you're afraid, but you can defeat it." "I can't", Norbert said fiercely. "This is the end! You have to cancel the show." "Who said you're a fake?" Norbert shook his head. "I just know it." "So, nobody", Virgil concluded. "If anything, they love you. They came all the way to see you, the Nick Lightbearer they know and love." "They don't know me. No one knows me." "Look, whatever you feel right now, you're not alone." Suddenly he had Virgil's hand on his back, that sqeezed him gently. "I'm always there to help you." "You can't help me with this. Not even you", Norbert cried and curled up into a ball. "Don't you want to try it out one last time? You didn't perform for a while. What if you only need to get back into the flow?" "No, I can't! I can't! Please, cancel it!" Virgil gave an impalpable sigh. "Well...you know, it's not beneficial to cancel a concert at this stage. The fans already payed their tickets, they won't simply go. It could get me into a difficult situation." Norbert silenced, quietly sobbing, waiting for Virgil to scold. But the manager remained calm. "I...I can't perform...I'd only embarrass us", he insisted. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dainty", he added more meek.

"Virgil. Just call me Virgil." Norbert's heart skipped a beat. "I'm sorry, Virgil." The manager reached into his pocket. "Would you like to try something?" His tone caused Norbert to look at him. The manager brought out a little jar. He slowly opened it and let a light yellow pill fall on his hand. Putting it between thumb and forefinger, he held it up. "It's called Joy. It's supposed to better your mood." "Candy, Virgil? Really?", Norbert asked, using their term for drugs. "Not that kind of candy, Nick. This is harmless. It's a medicine." "I don't know...me and pills don't go well together." "Do we have a choice?" Virgil looked firmly into his eyes. "And what if it's not working?" Norbert started to shiver. "Don't worry, Nicky. If that doesn't cheer you up, you won't have to perform." "You promise?" "I give you my word." Virgil handed the pill to Norbert, who hesitantly picked it up and eyed it warily. He sniffed at it, but it had no smell. Virgil waited. Norbert didn't believe that any miracle cure could help him out, but there was no return now. Lying the pill on his tongue, he noticed it had a pleasant taste of vanilla. Then he swallowed it.

[lovablegranny]

As it Should Be,

Its been a year since Leo abdicated and Liam was missing his brother. He tried reaching out to him a few times and got no response. He was beginning to worry that Leo had been hurt or something far worse something Liam didn’t really want to think about. The King called for his head guard to come to his office, he needed his help. Bastien knew that the King was worried about his brother and could almost guess why he was being summoned. 

 

Bastien knocked and heard Liam call for him to enter. He bowed and ask how could he be of assistance . The King then requested that he try to find Leo using any mean at his disposal. Bastien agreed before he bowed and walked out of the office and proceeded to his office to begin his search for Leo.

 

It wasn't long before Bastien returned with Leo's location and to the King's surprise his brother was closer then he thought. Liam's mind started to wonder. Why didn't Leo respond to any of his texts or emails. Did he do something to offend his only brother? Is he alright? Liam ordered Bastien to get the car ready to go to Fydelia. He was hoping Madeline wasn't up to her old tricks, his past run ins with her left him with a very low tolerance for her games and he was ready to put her behind bars. If that devil has done done something to his brother she would pay and pay dearly.

 

As the vehicle pulled up to the estate he could see Leo's sports car parked next to Madeline's car . Liam began to feel uneasy about the whole scene but he gathered himself and prepared for whatever he was walking into.

 Bastien secured the area, stepping ahead of the King and ringing the doorbell. Moments later a servant opens the door and quickly dropped into a low curtsy before the King. “Your Majesty please come in.”  Bastien stepped in first and after securing the room and motioning the King to follow.

 

Liam asked the servant if Prince Leo was there and watched her closely to be able to read her. The woman slowly looked up at the King and without saying a word she motioned with her eyes to the stairs. Liam began to feel uneasy and signaled Bastien to follow him up the stairs. Liam could vaguely hear voice as he walked further up the stairs and as he got to the third door he could hear his brother's voice coming from the other side of the door . He could hear Madeline 's voice as well and he wondered what could his brother be doing in her chambers.

 

Liam softly knocked on the door and when it opened up. There stood both Madeline and Leo , Madeline with a look of pure fear seeing the King standing at her door slowly began to back away from Leo. Liam looked at them both with fury .

 

Bastien placed a calming hand on his King's shoulder motioning him to be calm and it appeared to work, he could feel Liam’s body began to relax under his hand. Leo attempts to speak but is cut off by his brothers contempt for what he is witnessing. 

 

Leo stepped to the side offering them to come in but all Liam could think about was all of the mean and underhanded things Madeline had done to him and the love of his life and he began to get angry all over again. Liam was so angry he didn't pay attention to the huge belly Madeline was displaying.

 All he knew was she was the devil and he wanting his brother as far away from her as possible. It wasn't until he started to walk towards her that he saw it. His whole entire body began to radiate with even more anger. “So I suppose your going to give  me some sorry ass excuse as to how that happened to you .” Madeline starred at Liam knowing that she better choose her words carefully, after all she’s done to the King. But, Leo spoke first.

 “Brother she and I reconnected many months ago and we've not been out of each others site since then. And yes its mine and we're trying to make this work.” Liam looked at Leo and then at Madeline with distrust and curiosity but allowed Leo to speak. Leo asked him to sit and he began to tell him how after everything that Madeline had put him through she found herself alone and so was he. And after spending time together showing their true selves to each other they realized that maybe there was something there. Leo explained to Liam that their relationship was not forced nor was it planned but it happened. And he was happier then hes ever been. Leo motioned for Madeline to come to him and sit on his lap and she slowly began to walk to him making sure not to anger Liam anymore then he was already.

 

Liam was starting to relax but his guard wasn't completely down. He didn't trust her and he knew that he would never trust her but he listened while they both spoke. Never letting his smile while listening to Madeline reach his eyes and watching her closely trying to figure out if she drugged his brother or is blackmailing him to be with her .

 

Liam says with a almost commanding tone informed both Leo and Madeline that because the child she says that she is carrying is his brothers child, that for him to believe them and allow the child to be welcomed and acknowledged as a Rhys, there must be a DNA test to prove the child’s birth right.

 

Once proven the child will be introduced as a part of the Royal family and no sooner. They all agreed to have the procedure performed while Madeline was still pregnant and the test revealed that the child was indeed Leo's.

 

Liam had Bastien to over see the results to make sure there was no room for tampering. Liam was happy for his brother but he didn't trust Madeline and had Bastien to keep a close eye on her just in case she tried to pull any of her tricks. He knew deep down inside that if he was given any sign that she was up to her old tricks after all he’s lost because of her. He would kill her with his bare hands and he made sure that Leo knew it and would never forget it.

 

Leo and Liam began to grow closer over time but Leo knew that his brother was a ticking time bomb when it came to Madeline and baby or no baby he would surely kill her without a second thought .

 

Though strained as Liam and Madeline's relationship was and continued to be, Liam loved his niece and spoiled her rotten. It was little Mariah 's first birthday and Leo had used all of his resources to find Riley and she had agreed to attend his daughter's first birthday party with no promises to rekindle anything with Liam or to be nice and pretend to befriend Madeline while there.

 A couple days before the party Leo informed Madeline of him inviting Riley to the party. Leo sat waiting for the old Maddie to show up but to his surprise she never made an appearance. Madeline seemed to be very happy and also hinted to Leo to do whatever he could to leave Liam and Riley alone from time to time wishing maybe they could rekindle what she had so many months ago single handedly distroyed.

 Leo was so proud of her and kept saying to himself if she keeps this up I may just make a honest woman out of her soon. Madeline turned out to be a great mother to their daughter and made a total 360 when it came to how she spoke to everyone, even Liam saw the difference though he still didn't  trust her he couldn't deny the change in her was a pleasant one.

 

On the day of the party Leo had one of the guards to pick Riley up from the airport and take her to Maxwell's by request she couldn't see herself in the same building with Madeline or Liam but she liked Leo and would never disappoint him, besides she looked forward to seeing and spending time his baby girl.

 

Riley stepped off of the plane with a smirk knowing that very soon she will be face to face with her target and just the thought of finally being able to put an end to Madeline and all of her evil . “You may have been able to fool everyone else , but I know who you are and what your capable of and I'm not buying the new you bit . And anyone that stands in my way can get it too. I loved Liam with all of my heart and never on a million years did I ever think that he would lie to me and make me think that he would choose me and then choose her.” Riley was pulled out of her thoughts when called by the driver Leo had sent to pick her up from the airport. 

The guard reached for her bags and the duffle bag she was carrying,  Riley pulled the duffle away and instructed the guard to put the other bags away, she wanted to keep the duffle with her. There was no way that she was going to let her weapon out of her eyesight.  “Keep your eyes on the prize Riley. And don’t let Liam with his pretty words change or interfere with the job at hand . This Bitch dies tonight.” After awhile the car pulls up to the palace and standing there waiting is Bastien.