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hotmencoreplus · 1 month

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DOMESTIC 141 + KÖNIG HEADCANONS

Pairings: Captian John Price, Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley, Johnny ‘Soap’ MacTavish, Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick, König x fem!reader (she/her)

Summary: Random headcanons of what TF141 + König are like domestically/ as fathers.

Warnings: Deployment, pure domestic fluff

Word count: 1000+

A/N: Choosing baby genders based on what I can picture more. I appreciate feedback! Let me know what you think :)

Likes and reblogs are much appreciated! Copying and reposts are not! My fics are only posted on tumblr, under this sideblog @hotmencoreplus for the account, @hotmencore

CAPTAIN JOHN PRICE

‣ Definitely 1 girl, 1 boy.

‣ Is very big on respect. If either of them disrespect you, shout, or start being bratty, he is right on it.

‣ Got his boy into football at a young age, and is the loudest dad out of them all. He will be shouting to him on the field just like when he barks out orders to rookies.

‣ Always wants to go on fishing trips. Always. I feel like it would be something him and his daughter do more than anyone.

‣ He isn’t big on technology at all. Pretty much just because he just can’t wrap his head around it.

‣ I imagine him keeping up with the new iPhone models, but would not change a thing about them. This man has default everything on his phone (apart from his lock screen of you and the kids).

‣ He is 100% one of them dads that never know what to call airpods.

‣ “What was it he wanted for Christmas? Airbuds? Earpods? iBuds?”

‣ “Airpods, John.”

SIMON ‘GHOST’ RILEY

‣ 3 girls. You cannot convince me otherwise. And he definitely secretly hoped for all girls.

‣ When Simon is home from deployment, they go to him for everything.

‣ Nightmares? You will wake up in the morning to find him missing from your bed, only to find him asleep, half hanging off of one of their beds with his arms round them on his chest, snoring loud.

‣ Simon is so usually on edge, though has learnt to zone his girls out when they are arguing.

‣ “Dad, tell her I’m right.”

‣ “Hm?”

‣ He especially zones out when his oldest girl is talking about school drama. He isn’t listening to a word of it, sat on the living room sofa with his head leant back, eyes shut, humming every so often to make it seem like he is following.

‣ I don’t think he ever shouts. Raising his voice for assertiveness? Yes, but he never shouts at his girls. It reminds him of how his dad use to be with him, and the thought of being even a smidge like his dad really scares him.

JOHNNY ‘SOAP’ MACTAVISH

‣ 2 girls.

‣ He aspires for them both to be bestfriends.

‣ He aspires to be their bestfriends. Like he admires them both.

‣ He will never turn down a tea party invitation. Never.

‣ You’ll be cooking dinner, and have no idea where Johnny is. But you hear distant giggles, and follow them up to your daughters’ room. There, you find your military husband sat at a little plastic table, wearing a tiara, clinking tiny cups together with your daughters and their little bears.

‣ “Well it’s nice to see you again Mr. Snuggles. And who is this new gue- oh, hey lass. Wanna join?”

‣ When they start to grow up, he lets them experiment with make up on him.

‣ And seeing your military husband with sparkly pink eyeshadow on and red rosy cheeks really is a sight for sore eyes.

‣ When on deployment, he will tell any and every story of his little girls to anyone that will listen. He loves to show them off.

‣ This ‘anyone’ is usually Ghost.

KYLE ‘GAZ’ GARRICK

‣ 1 boy.

‣ Definitely has a modern style for his kids. He 100% bought him a pair of adorable tiny airforces.

‣ Is his son’s biggest supporter, in everything.

‣ He is big on praise. The biggest softie ever.

‣ Will put up every single painting his son has made. Your fridge is literally covered in paintings, drawings, pretty much anything made by your little boy, will be put up somewhere in the house.

‣ He vlogs literally everything. More than you.

‣ He watches them all when on deployment, missing you both, usually forgetting about sleep so that he can rewatch his little boy’s first steps for the 100th time.

‣ He also big on getting his boy into his own hobbies. Even though he has no awareness to suitable ages.

‣ You’re on the phone with him one night whilst he is away, as he talks to you about what he wants to get your son into.

‣ “When I’m back I’m gonna take us clay shooting. I reckon he’d like it”

‣ “He’s 2 Kyle”

KÖNIG

‣ 1 girl, you cannot argue.

‣ He worships the ground his babygirl walks on.

‣ He will literally do anything for her. And you, of course. But his little girl is the light of his life.

‣ He loves when he is home because he takes every opportunity to dress his little girl. Every single time he does he is internally screaming at the size of the clothes.

‣ Every. Single. Time. He will come home from deployment with a bouquet of flowers for his wife, and pull out a singular flower before he reaches the door to give to his babygirl.

‣ You are definitely the one wearing the trousers in the household, always having to put your foot down. Because there is no way this man could ever say no to his little girl.

‣ Is always taking photos of the both of you. Always. He isn’t often in photos himself, but will never miss an opportunity to take one of either of you.

‣ When he is home and takes care of your daughter whilst you go to work, he will be sending you videos and photos 24/7 as little updates.

‣ I can imagine him being the driest texter on the planet. Like he is a proper dad, will just send a ‘👍’ or one word answers. So these photos and videos will rarely ever have context. He will just send them randomly.

‣ Is completely unaware of suitable bedtimes for kids. You will spend a night out with your friends, and come back in at like 10pm to find him up with your toddler making pancakes.

‣ “König! She should have been in bed at 7pm!”

‣ “Oh”

#task force 141 x reader #task force 141 platonic #könig #simon ghost riley #captain john price #kyle gaz garrick #john soap mactavish #call of duty #dad!reader #husband!reader #könig fluff #fluff #domestic fluff #simon ghost riley x reader #simon riley

235 notes · View notes

vettelsdarling · 6 months

Note

Hey Lissie! Another Hamilton 5+1 for you because I love the format, hehe. Straight to the point, here it is:

5 times Y/N woke up without Lewis and one time they woke up together.

I can definitely see a potential for angst and a bit of misunderstanding or yearning?! Lewis can either be a f1 driver or have it as an AU with another job! The prompt needs a good reason of “why” for the absence and I am more than certain your mind will come up with a brilliant answer. I am thrilled and again, have fun!

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮

Lissie note… I love this prompt so much ugh!!! I changed it a slight bit to falling asleep rather than waking up (just for dramatic effect). Thank you for the prompt, love<3

Things to note

Reader is a paralegal

Lewis is frequently gone for races

They’ve been dating for 4~5 years and live together

There is a tiny age gap but it isn’t that bad

Pairing: Lewis Hamilton x gf!reader

Warnings: Slight angst???

Word Count: 5.3k+

Playlist recommendations: 𝐋𝐇𝟒𝟒, 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭💔, 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟💗

Taglist: @allwaysalleyway, @drugged-kitkat, @darleneslane, @littlesatanicassholebitch

His arms were warm. They were comforting to lie in and snuggle into. He trailed his fingers gently through your hair, as you slowly dozed off.

That was a dream.

The cruel reality of the real world, in the form of an obnoxious iPhone alarm, woke you up. It was already 6 AM, and your routine consisted of a hefty amount of self-care. This meant that you had about 10 minutes for a shower, 50 for hair care, and 30 for skin and makeup. Breakfast was out of the question. So much for self-care.

Before you left, you made sure to feed Roscoe and give him his well-deserved cuddles. Things had been hard ever since Coco passed, but Roscoe was still a happy spirit.

You went to the garage, noticing your boyfriend’s all too famous purple Mercedes. Your heart stung for a second, but you brushed it off. It was important to support his endeavours, instead of sulking about him.

You decided to go with your vintage beetle. Driving around in it was what kept you grounded. You’d gotten it for your 18th birthday from your parents. Not from your lover.

The fact that you didn’t quit your 9-5 paralegal job was also rationalizing, you didn’t stay home and leech off of your rich man. He was more than just a wallet. He was your partner. Besides, the media had already started to suspect that he wasn’t single anymore. Though he hadn’t been for years. The two of you had met coincidentally over a cup of tea with your boss. Lewis was his client and you were the first to oversee the situation before handing him off. That was about 6 years ago. For four, the two of you had been together. You had only given him your number regarding his case, but he’d taken the opportunity to ask you out.

Now, the two of you lived together in a mansion overseeing a large forest. It was quite far from your workplace, but you didn’t really mind. Having to wake up early was a small price to pay for the tranquillity of the surroundings. Although it would’ve been more tranquil, had you had more time with your lover.

Alas, there was nothing you could do about it.

1 | Shades Of Cool

You sat there on your dreary chair in your dreary office. The white walls hypnotized you into thinking time was going much slower than it actually was. You stared away at it for a while, before someone knocked on your door.

“Hey, can you please do these briefs? I need to clock out for a dentist’s appointment in a few minutes. I promise I’ll owe you.” You accepted the pile and started going at it. Work usually made you forget the empty feeling of not seeing him often. Sometimes you even thought of staying all night. However, for Roscoe’s sake, you never stayed past dinner time. He couldn’t be alone for too long. It wasn’t fair to the poor boy.

It took hours and hours to get through the pile. You clocked out well past midnight and stopped by a pub to pick up some food before driving home. You knew a huge “sorry” was in order for your dog. He hadn’t seen you for several hours, definitely missing you.

You had 12 missed calls from him. Even though he was on an entirely different continent, he somehow found the time to call you. 12 times no less. You decided to call him back after finishing your dinner and making yourself comfortable next to Roscoe on your sofa.

“Hello, love.” You heard from the other end of the line, as he turned his camera on. There he was. His exhausted, but beautiful face. His hair wasn’t tied up. It was relaxed and so was he.

“Hey, Lewis,” you said and turned on your camera, showing yourself next to his beloved dog,

“Roscoe’s here too.” He let out a huff, which stirred a chuckle out of your boyfriend.

“How’s work? How are you doing?” He asked, knowing that you dreaded most of your coworkers if not all. Additionally, he knew that every day was the same at the office. You handled briefs and got files in piles by your superiors. It sucked.

“It’s okay… same old same old. How’s Spain?” You were so used to staying in the UK, you’d forgotten what it was like to travel. As a paralegal, you didn’t have the luxury to do so that often.

“It’s great. Did you see the videos I sent you? This car is incredible, darling.” You hadn’t seen them for one very specific reason; your heart would clench. It would simply give out at the sight of your boyfriend. Missing him was always a big problem, but with races being back-to-back… it hurt that much more.

“I haven’t had the chance to yet, no, but I’ll check them out later.” The hesitation in your voice must’ve been apparent, as he decided to ask into it,

“Something wrong?” You didn’t want to worry him, so you told a little white lie. You were simply just tired. That was it. That was all. Knowing him, he’d worry too much to focus on driving, which was the exact opposite of what you wanted for him. Besides, it’d be selfish of you to make his work all about yourself. Gosh, you really couldn’t stand your obsessive thoughts.

“Well, I promised Valterri I’d meet him at the gym. Sleep well, darling.” You blew him a kiss goodbye before shutting off the feed and turning over. Roscoe huffed and curled up beside you. It was dead silent except for the few wind rustles you heard from the open window next to the TV. It didn’t feel tranquil. No, you were lamenting the thought of being alone for so long. You hated it. It wasn’t an issue during the day. You had chores and you had work to do, but in the evenings when everything always gets quieter— your mind gets louder.

Roscoe was sleeping soundly next to you. Your hand stroked him gently whilst you scrolled through your Instagram feed. Naturally, you ended up on Lewis’ page. He was highly selective of who he was following. You, however, were amongst the few that he did. A smile spread across your face like room-temperature butter would be spread on a piece of bread. You didn’t appear much on his feed, as you liked being private. Though the posts you did appear in, all had captions with romantic undertones. You really were in love with that man.

I can’t break through your world, ‘cause you live in shades of cool…

2 | Sad Girl

The sun had already come to greet you. It was an early Saturday morning, which would’ve been peaceful— had you not forgotten about the LSATs. You woke up on the sofa that you’d passed out on the night before. Dried drool decorated the corner of your lip. What time was it? You checked your phone, only to realize that your battery was low and the test was in an hour. The sudden sound of your phone ringing sent you scrambling to answer it.

“Hey, are you on your way? I studied all night… Hopefully, we can do this.” Your friend, who usually sat in the cubicle opposite you, whined. She wasn’t a strong test taker, based on the fact that it was her 5th time taking the LSATs. 7 and she’d be all done. No more chances. In comparison to her, you were going in for the first time. You’d studied, but you had no idea how the whole thing would turn out. The tests only got harder and harder every year.

“I am, I am. The traffic is just insane at the moment. I’ll see you there.” You hung up and swiftly ran around the house to get ready. Roscoe was reasonably confused at the rush you were in. You kissed his wrinkly forehead before shutting the door behind you.

For nostalgic reasons, you decided to take Lewis’ purple Mercedes. It was the only one of its kind, so it’d make sense if some people recognized it. You didn’t care. It felt like Lewis was still with you, even if he was in an entirely different country. Speak of the devil, your phone buzzed. One message from him… “Good luck with the LSATs, darling”. Your heart clenched. You missed him so.

Traffic turned out to be light and breezy. Luckily, you made it in time for the test. Being a paralegal had its benefits, but it was and would always be a step below the real deal. You weren’t a real lawyer until you took the LSATs. Then, there was the deal with the bar exam as well. That was another story.

“Did you do good? I croaked. I’m toast. I’ll have to take it again…” said your defeated friend and munched down on her lunch that she brought.

“I don’t know. Maybe? I don’t really care at this point…” Of course, you did, but your mind was too occupied by the absence of your lover to hold an actual conversation. He expected you to tune in on his races whenever you had time to do so, but the fact of the matter was— you never could. It made your heart ache with longing. A painful longing for him to come back home. Especially on weeks when the race weekends were happening back-to-back.

“I guess you don’t need to worry. You’ve got your boyfriend’s money to take care of you.” Although you barely listen to all of her blabbering about the test, that particular thing got through to you.

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah. You’re literally dating a celebrity. You’re set,” she chuckled.

“Do you actually think you’re being funny right now?” She likely didn’t mean any harm, but with your pent-up agony and rage, it was hard not to let loose on her.

“Calm down, I was only kidding…” You’d made a scene. You were uncomfortable, things were awkward, and the only place your mind wandered to was Lewis.

“You know what, I’m sorry. I’m just really tired after the test. How about we catch up soon? I need to head home.” Your heart was pounding rapidly in your chest as you put the keys in the ignition. It almost felt as if you were an irrational teenager again. His absence did a number on you. It wasn’t always like that though. Throughout the previous season, he would always do whatever he could to see you in person. Whether it was bringing you with him, or flying back home. As the following season started, the two of you realized how unethical and harmful the solutions were to the environment. Coupled with the fact that you were trying to become a lawyer, there was no way to see him. No way to be held by him. No way to fall asleep in his arms.

That night, you stared into the ceiling for what felt like hours. The spot next to you was empty. Completely untouched. The sound of the gentle wind rustling the trees outside helped your brain work its wild imagination. Vivid pictures of Lewis played over and over and you couldn’t help but feel as though the two of you weren’t meant to be. You had conflicting schedules and you couldn’t just take a weekend off every week to go with him to his races. He couldn’t stay for your sake either. He had a job to do. A job that millions of people depended on for their entertainment. Were you an obstacle? All these thoughts drove into your heart like a stake. You wept. It was inevitable. You’d tried to not do so because you knew he wouldn’t want that… but it was hard. Too hard. Your vision was blurry and the sounds of the nature surrounding you were dimming slowly. You were falling asleep.

You haven’t seen my man…

3 | Off To The Races

Sunday morning was brutal. You woke up with a pounding headache due to having cried yourself to sleep. The sun made your situation much worse, blinding you as you tried to get out of bed. Upon checking your phone, you saw a slew of unread messages from your beau. All of them were minutes apart, making it clear that he’d been trying to reach you throughout the evening.

21:30- Hey, you’re not answering your phone, so I just wanted to text you instead. How are you?

21:55- Are you there? You’re usually not asleep at this hour…

22:45- I suppose you may be busy or asleep. In that case, sleep well baby❤️

22:46- Call me whenever you wake up

“Fuck,” you sighed and went to the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror seemed unfamiliar. You didn’t look like yourself at all. No, that wasn’t you. The face looking back at you had swollen eyes and redness coating the corners. Its mascara had been running and dried, giving the face a crustier look. It felt as if you were some little kid who couldn’t stand to be alone for the day, whilst their mother went out to buy groceries. It was embarrassing.

After feeding yourself and Roscoe, cleaning yourself up, and doing chores around the house— you decided that you’d turn on the TV to watch your boyfriend. You were too late for lights out, as they were on their 10th already. It didn’t matter though, for Lewis was in the lead. He had mentioned how good his car was, but you didn’t imagine a 20-second gap. It was pure insanity.

Finishing on top, he ran to embrace the team with a smile. The cameraman followed his every move, and as he did so; Lewis came up to him and stared directly into the lens.

“I love you,” he said. Your heart keeled over and you felt your tear ducts get to work again. It was impossible to watch the rest of the celebration. You shut it off and went to calm yourself down. Breathing heavily in front of the bathroom mirror made you feel like a fool. Love made you weak, but it was a good kind of weak whenever your darling was around.

After a hearty nap, you woke up to your phone buzzing itself off your nightstand.

“Hello?” Your voice was jagged and rough from just having woken up.

“Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?” His voice was breathy and exhausted. Physically, he was obviously worse off than you.

“Hey, no-yeah, I’m okay. I saw you out there today. You did so great, Lew.” His nickname was one that he adored. The way it rolled off your tongue made his heart flutter with joy.

“I’m glad you saw it. Did you… see the celebration?” He was obviously referring to the message he left for the camera. Your heart pumped faster and faster with adrenaline.

“I-uh… I did…”

“So?”

“I love you too. You know I do.” So much so that it hurt that he wasn’t next to you with his arm around your neck. You wanted to lean against his shoulder as he read you stories that his mother used to read to him. Fuck, it hurt.

“When are you coming back?”

“We still have a few things to do here. Thursday? I’ll be home for two weekends after that.” It was better than nothing, though hearing him say it felt like a long time.

“I understand… I just hope you maybe miss me as much as I miss you?” Yeah, you stooped to that level. Your desperation was starting to reveal itself. Layer by layer.

“Are you insane? Not a second goes by without my thoughts being consumed by you. All I’ve ever thought of this weekend has been you. Staying safe for you, training hard for you, winning… for you.” For a moment, he almost sounded frustrated. But it was just a mask for how deeply he felt for you. The two of you sat in the same boat, rocking through the crashing tides of longing together. Each move was careful to not let the other drown.

“Are you crying?” He asked, careful not to step on any thorns.

“No…” you replied with a slight sniffle, signalling that you obviously were.

“It’s okay, I’m right here. I’ll be back home before you know it.” You wanted to hug him. You needed it so badly.

I’m your little scarlet, starlet, singin’ in the garden. Kiss me on my open mouth…

4 | Video Games

It was Monday, which meant that you could be distracted by your otherwise unforgiving job. Being a paralegal, your duties often consisted of briefs upon briefs which took up most of your 8 hours. You were crammed into a small cubicle with little to no space for any of your personal possessions. You’d hung a few pictures of Lewis and yourself and that was about it.

You stared into the dull computer screen, feeling the existential dread looming over you for every number you typed in. Your eyes were basically goo and the bags dragging them down were more apparent than ever. It would’ve been a pitiful sight for your coworkers if you weren’t surrounded by walls.

“Hey you, wanna grab lunch together? Same place as always. It’s on me this time… since I owe you.” Even an invite to free food wasn’t enough to fully pull you out of your trance. You slowly forced your sluggish head to turn and meet your friend’s. The look of horror etched onto her face was enough to let you know you needed to get outside.

“Sure… I guess.” You dragged your feet along the floor as you followed her to the elevator and outside.

“Is it Lewis again or shitty briefs?” She put in her sunglasses and led the way, locking her arm with yours to not look like she was dragging you against your will.

“Honestly? Both. I don’t get why I keep missing him this much, and I don’t get why some briefs suck that bad.” Lewis was one thing and briefs were more of a frustration. Nothing to cry over, really. You generally enjoyed what you did, so there was rarely anything to complain about. The job was cushy and allowed a lot of free time after hours. Team building exercises were scarce, but not to the point where conflicts arose every day. It was fine.

“We’ll have our usuals,” she said to the waitress.

“Look, you can’t control every aspect of your life. It’s meant to be unpredictable. Briefs suck sometimes, you’re going to feel bad about your boyfriend being gone— c’est la vie.” You knew she pulled that straight out of a podcast. At least the general gist of it.

“Whatever. I guess you’re right, that’s life.” You were just about to jump into a different topic when you heard Lewis’ ringtone from your purse.

“Sorry, I have to take this. I’ll be right back.” You scurried off to the restroom to take the call.

“Lewis? Why are you calling?” A bit harsh with his lack of context.

“Am I not allowed to call my girlfriend who, by the way, is very missed?” Just hearing his voice brought back the life that all those briefs drained you of.

“Of course you are… I’m just out for lunch right now.” You felt like a schoolgirl sneaking off to the bathroom to call your beau.

“Sorry, I forgot you usually do that. I was just checking in to say hi before I go in for a meeting.” His voice was so happy-go-lucky, it made you wonder if he missed you as much as you did him.

“… when are you coming back?” You heard a sigh on the other end,

“They’re keeping me here until Wednesday. I’m really sorry, babe.” Of course. It was as if they didn’t want him to go home. Whilst you supported his job and did whatever you could do to show it— you wanted nothing more than for him to stop everything and be with you.

“It’s okay, we can wait. You should focus on your stuff, okay? Good luck with the meeting, Lew.” Luckily, he wasn’t able to see your face. It didn’t match your uppity voice.

“Thanks. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

You left the bathroom and went back to the table where your friend had begun eating. You followed suit and got back to the office after you finished.

After hours, you stopped by a deli to grab a sandwich to eat for dinner. Roscoe greeted you at the door with a huff and followed you to the dining room. The entire house felt empty without your other part to fill it with joy.

That night was another filled with tears and running mascara.

Pull up in your fast car. Whistling my name…

5 | Go Go Dancer

Your depressive slump had faded after the realization that you only had to survive one more night without him. You decided to call in sick and cash in on a few hours for yourself. It was going to be a personal day. You needed to pamper yourself.

Your eyes were still bloodshot from all the crying, but your soul was cleansed of any negativity. Your favorite playlist was on and you began your day of treating yourself like royalty. All of your skincare was out on your vanity and Roscoe sat in the bed behind you. A warm bath was the first thing you did. Whilst flicking on a rom-com, you sat and soaked in the lavender-infused water. Thereafter, you retreated back to your bedroom. Your hair was up in rollers and your bathrobe clung tightly to your damp body.

Today was a day with no briefs, no worries, no salty bosses or annoying clients. You had all the time in the world for yourself. You ordered brunch and whilst you were waiting for it to arrive, you finished your skincare and makeup. After finding something to wear, you picked up the food from the awestruck delivery guy. He complimented your garden and your house. If there was one thing you enjoyed, it was gardening with Lewis. The two of you had worked tirelessly to make the front yard look perfect.

You ate quickly, drying your hair and styling it afterwards. Roscoe was fed and you were already through most of the day.

You pulled out your nail kit from your stash of beauty products and laid out a protective layer on your bed. The playlist kept shuffling through some of your favourites. A gorgeous purple colour appeared before you under the tons of polishes you had. It was perfect and you knew Lewis would love it too. Not that you did it for him. You brushed layer after layer until you were satisfied with the result. It was glossy and simple. Just purple. Sophisticated, but not boring. The process was repeated on your toes as well.

After that, you decided it was time for some movies and popcorn. Lewis never really enjoyed things like popcorn, only ever allowing himself some dark chocolate with his espresso out on the veranda. So, you had to go out to get some. Since you lived quite remotely, you had to drive for a bit before the nearest store appeared. It was worth it though because you spent most of that night with comfortable blankets, popcorn, and bad rom-coms.

Roscoe was beside you all throughout the night, keeping you company with his huffs here and there. Pure tranquillity was what it was, and you couldn’t wait to do the same with Lewis the next evening.

The current movie had to be paused though, as you heard your phone ringing. It was your coworker.

“Hey? What’s up?” You asked, trying to sound hoarse.

“I just wanted to know if you were okay. Heard you were sick.” It sounded like she wasn’t fully sober and on public transport as well.

“Are you drunk?”

“No- yes- you tell me. We just went out for a drink after work today.” She was very clearly slurring her words beyond sensibility.

“We have work tomorrow, why would you ever do that?” Nobody had the guts to do something like that when your job consisted of aiding clients in stressful financial or legal situations.

“We don’t, actually. All of us were just fired on the spot today. He fired us all,” she chuckled and let out a hiccup.

“What?! What’s that supposed to mean?” Your heart sank. Your job… it was just gone.

“Yeah… I don’t know. I think he was in debt or something. Couldn’t keep it going so he decided to sink us all down with him.” You always pictured the CEO as someone with gravitas and money, but apparently, it was all a front.

“What do we do? Can’t we report it to HR somehow? Sue him for wrongful termination?” Admittedly, as calm and collected you usually kept yourself with work-related issues— you were panicking.

“There’s nothing we can do at this point. The entire company has gone to shit. Wouldn’t want to go back there if I was given a raise.” It sounded like she got off the bus, as you heard the doors open.

“You’re lucky you have Lewis. He can take care of you, right?” There was that dreaded guilt of leeching off of your boyfriend. It was a fear that kept gnawing at your ankles, eventually making it to your throat, knowing you had just lost your job.

“I… I don’t know what to say right now. I’ll call you later when I’ve thought about all of this. See you.” There was nothing more to say. It stung that you were in a position where Lewis had to take you under his wing. It felt wrong. It felt criminal.

You really couldn’t catch a break no matter how hard you tried. Something always prevented you from enjoying life as it came.

… and that night you didn’t sleep at all. You stayed up all night contemplating what to do, whether to sue, whether to leave Lewis and tell him to live a good life?! You were going insane. Embarrassment consumed every fibre of your being. The thought that you would depend on him for your survival…

I'm the girl next door, let me come in. I know I go-go dance but I do it for kicks. I never have to work ‘cause my daddy is rich…

+1 | Once Upon a Dream

You’d fallen asleep in the late afternoon after working on a lawsuit against your former boss. It didn’t matter if you’d get it thrown out of court. You just wanted to fight as much as you could. Your great lawyer friend agreed to help you out, representing both himself and you in the case.

Lewis tried to call you several times with no answer. He wasn’t one to worry about you, since he trusted you and knew you wouldn’t do anything stupid. He disregarded it and tried to enjoy his flight home. He was exhausted and just wanted to come home to his little family.

You usually called him before he’d take off, assuring him that you’d be waiting for him at the airport. However, this time was different. You didn’t call and you didn’t answer. His options were limited, forcing him to take public transport. He didn’t want to call a taxi, as they’d be able to note his address and could potentially put you in danger.

People took pictures and some asked him for signs. He didn’t mind it, though he was falling in and out of sleep. When he got off his stop, he decided to walk the rest of the way. The weather was fair and didn’t look like it would change for a while.

On his way, he stopped by a florist to buy you a bouquet of your favourite flowers. He knew you loved having them on the dining table to show any guests.

He wasn’t far away and could see the garden of your house from afar. Meanwhile, you were still buried under your blankets with the lawsuit on your laptop on the coffee table in front of you.

The sound of the front door clicking and closing could be heard, but you were too far gone in your sleep to notice. He called out your name with no response. You weren’t in the bedroom. You weren’t in the kitchen. No, there you were. Your face was buried in the arm on the sofa and the TV was still playing a movie he remembered watching with you some time ago. He saw your laptop, reading some of the contents that were visible on the screen. It didn’t quite make too much sense, but he didn’t want to pry in case it was private.

“Hey… I’m home.” He shook you gently and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Being something of a light sleeper, it woke you up almost instantly.

“Lewis?” Your eyes fluttered open, as you had to adjust to the light. You saw the face of your lover and embraced him in an instant,

“Oh, I missed you!”

“I missed you too, darling.” He stroked the back of your head as it rested on his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t come get you, I was caught up with work and I fell asleep.” It wasn’t a lie per se. It worked… sort of.

“It’s fine. It’s completely fine. You seem distressed, are you alright?” There was nothing you could hide from him. One way or another he’d find out anyway.

“I lost my job. We were all fired.” He was almost as shocked as you were the night before,

“Are you serious? Why?”

“My best guess? The company was sinking.” You sighed and picked up your laptop. The document already contained 3 sections and 15 pages. You were, however, far from done.

“My friend and I are trying to sue. I’m not sure if it’ll hold up in court though.” Your face looked droopy and sad, something Lewis hated.

“You know what? It’s going to be okay. I know it seems rough, and it is. But look on the bright side. We can find you a better job. Better pay, better equity. Plus, for the time being— you could come along to my races. We wouldn’t need to be separated all the time.” He was right. Your job was cushy, but it had its faults regarding exactly the issues he pointed out. The feeling of missing him constantly didn’t bode well with you either. It was a win-win, really. You weren’t actually depending on him, because it didn’t hurt to ask for help every now and then. Especially when the two of you were so in love.

“Yeah… that’d be nice, actually. I do need to file this lawsuit though. I need it.” Lewis nodded in agreement and smiled,

“Of course, love. You do what you need to do. I’ll be here to help.” You closed the laptop and smiled back at him,

“I think we should cook some dinner. What do you have in mind?”

“Anything. It tastes amazing as long as you make it anyway.” The flattery never stopped. As cheesy as it was— you loved the sentiment.

“Right. I’ll see if we have some rotten eggs and spoiled milk in the fridge,” you joked and he chuckled,

“I love you, darling.”

“I love you too, Lew.”

That night, you fell asleep with his arms wrapped around you and your head on his chest. You could hear how his heartbeat synced with yours. This was complete tranquillity, and you couldn’t believe that this would be your reality for a long time now.

I know what you’ll do. You’ll love me at once. The way you did once upon a dream…

𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻…

𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚!

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩! (𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙣, 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙙𝙢𝙨, 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙨: 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧(𝙨) 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 ��𝙮𝙥𝙚(𝙨) 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣.) (Please note that just liking the taglist will not put you on it!)

#fanfiction #fanfic #f1 #formula 1 #formula one #x reader #f1 fanfic #f1 fanfiction #reader insert #fluff #light angst #angst #sir lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton x you #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton #5 + 1 fic #f1 x you

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fixkart-in · 1 year

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ragingbookdragon · 1 year

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You're Feeling Ten For Ten

Task Force 141 x Reader (Actually Reader x Ghost if you look close enough) One-Shot

Word Count: 1.6K Warnings: Explicit Language

Author's Note: Hey I made a part two. Happy now? Enjoy! -Thorne

**********************************************************************

The little breakroom is cozy, she decides as she plants her ass on the couch and props her legs on the other side. Cozy enough that she can already imagine some of her things here and there. A bag of Black Ivory coffee beans beside a La Marzocco Strada Electronic Paddle, a seventeenth century Persian rug, a Parsifal Round Fendi couch complete with a Metropolis coffee table, the ideas are endless, and she can’t help but begin to call in orders from her high end clients. It’s the center of her focus until a ringtone echoes from the coffee table and, her being who she is, reaches over and takes the iPhone, carefully looking over the contact.

Nannie Moira? Must be the Scots granny, she thinks and answers the phone.

“Hello!” she chirps politely and the response she gets is not one she expects.

John?

“I’ve been called quite a few things in my life, but ‘John’ has never been one of them.” She’s already pulling up the 141’s files, sliding to “John MacTavish” before she enters “Moira MacTavish” into a search bar. Of course, she comes up within the first ten searches and she smiles.

Oh, Christ, I thought I’d rung my ogha.

“Oh, you did, Missus Moira,” she answers. “I’m afraid John is out right now, but he left his phone and you seemed quite important, so why not answer?” she smiles. “John talks quite a bit about you Missus Moira.” Her eyes scan the newspaper articles from Stirling, Family of Five Killed In Massive Car Pile-Up, Leaves Boy, Two, Orphaned. “Best woman he knows, yes?”

Aye, my ogha, John. Raised the lad myself.

“Missus Moira—”

Call me Nannie Moira, darling. Any friend of John’s is a child o’ mine.

“Of course, Nannie Moira,” she smiles. “So, tell me more of John. He’s so tight-lipped about himself.”

Oh, I can talk for hours of my ogha. Did you know—

***

It’s a good half hour before the door to the break room opens and in piles four men who stop like deer in headlights as they take in the woman—they do not know—sitting on their couch, laughing as she answers, “Nannie Moira! You did not say that to Johnny’s girlfriend!” Whatever response she gets, they can tell it makes her laugh because she presses the back of her hand to her mouth.

Soap’s already headed her way at the mention of his grandmother; she bats at his hand when he tries to take the phone from her. “Oh, Nannie, I think John just got back, would you like to talk to him?” she holds out the phone expectingly and chastises, “Nannie’s very upset you didn’t call her last night.”

He takes the phone, “Nannie, are you alright?...well, yes, I know I didn’t call, I was—yes, Nannie…yes ma’am…I promise I will call you tomorrow night…I love you, Nannie.” He hangs up and glares down at her. “Congratulations, you’re invited to midnight mass on Christmas Eve.”

“Can’t wait,” she replies with a smirk and turns her gaze to Ghost. “Hi, Simon.”

“How,” he starts darkly and stalks towards her in slow, warning steps. “Did you get in here?”

She blinks owlishly at him. “Let’s see, I forged a key card, showed it to the enlisted at the gate, and you might want to actually enlighten them on who they should and should not let it, and walked right in.” she sniffs and tips her head to the air vent that they now notice is missing a covering. “Air vent was a little snug too.”

“I’ve half a mind to arrest you.”

“Oh, I can agree you do have half a mind. It’s why you’ve never managed to beat me in any fight we have.” She raises her hands like she’s waiting cuffs. “Go ahead. But if you arrest me, you won’t have a way to blow up that Syrian power plant you all are planning without leaving someone behind to make sure it does.”

That stops all of them and they stare at her, Price especially when he walks over. “You’re the woman Soap mentioned.” They all ignore how Ghost absolutely glowers at Soap who has now found the ceiling much more interesting. “How much do you know?”

“About the power plant or the mission?”

“All of it.”

She taps a pointer to her chin. “Well, that’s no fun to tell and not get rewarded. I’m not a good girl unless I get a reward, Captain Price,” she purrs and gazes at him. “In return for this information, I’m going to give you my file and you will strongly consider my…introduction, into the 141.”

“No, absolutely not,” Ghost gripes. “I am not working with you.”

“Oh, don’t hurt my feelings, Simon. We both know you and I work so well.”

“You are a killer.”

“I’m a murderer of very bad people, the same as you. So, I’d be careful waving that hypocrisy stick around—might end up with it too far up your ass.”

Ghost turns to Price. “Her name is Spades, she’s an international assassin responsible for taking out targets with the biggest bounties.”

“So, by technicality, I’m a bounty hunter,” she adds. “He’s right though, I do take out quite a few bounties. But believe it or not, the most scandalous thing about me is that I am a morally good assassin. I don’t kill good people. Only very, very, very bad people. Like the Guestroom Butcher.” She ignores the shocked stares. “God, I had to spend months in London before I got that guy. I hate London.”

“You—you killed the Guestroom Butcher?” the fourth man asks, and she peers at him.

“You must be Gaz. And yes, I did. His name was Albert Franklin. A physics teacher at a local secondary school who was a janitor part time. Spent years traveling to different guestrooms all over London to murder tourists. Such an odd man. He talked a lot before I killed him. Kept muttering something about his late wife being killed by tourists decades prior. Sad, but understandable as to why he targeted tourists.”

“And how do we know you killed him?” Gaz inquires.

“Well, my name isn’t Spades for a reason, dear,” she explains and looks at Simon. “Have my card still?” He wordlessly pulls it out and hands it to Gaz, who looks over it. “That’s my calling card. I leave it on bodies so that police know I was there. Look up the case on the internet. There’s a photo of my card.”

“How do you know someone didn’t forge this?”

“All my cards are made by hand, with gold inlay. Signed too. No one can forge my card. And no one in the business is foolish enough to get on my radar for pretending to be me. I’m one of the best there is for a reason.”

Price looks at her. “How do you know about the mission?”

“Simon forgets that he shouldn’t carry around information on a phone.”

“It was locked,” is all he replies when Price glares at him.

“Oh, it was, I unlocked it with a hacker’s bypass.” She clears her throat. “As for the mission…I know the logistics of what you’re planning. I know someone is going to have to stay behind to make sure the pressure in the facility gets high enough that it blows. I also have a bypass for that in which we don’t have to hold a funeral for someone here.”

They stare at her, watching, waiting.

She lifts a small plug, no bigger than a thumb. “This, is a kill-switch made by one of the scientists who helped build the power plant. When the Syrian government found out he was gay, they had him executed. Before that, he made this as insurance and sold it to the black market the United States frequents. I paid quite a pretty penny for it.”

“What’s it do?” Soap asks.

“This little plug will directly overload the system in fifteen minutes. There is no way to stop the overload once it’s been activated by this. That’s why it’s the kill-switch.” She rolls it in her fingers. “You insert this into the mainframe and in exactly fifteen minutes, you blow everything in a ten mile radius to kingdom come.” She smiles. “Only takes five to get out of the facility and to the rescue chopper. Ten minutes to get outside the blast radius.”

They’re silent and she knows she’s found her entrance point as she rises from the couch; their eyes follow her.

“I’ll be in my quarters. Simon, I chose the room between you and Gaz since it was vacant. Oh, and Captain Price, there’s going to be quite a few boxes being delivered to the base in the next two hours. If you would, have someone bring them to my room so I can set them up.” she gathers her things. “Also, if one of you, I’m hoping it’ll be Soap, can help me move out all that ugly military furniture from my quarters, I would appreciate it.”

She walks past them without a care in the world.

“Can’t believe you plebians live like this. What ever happened to having good furniture and a supported spinal column when you sleep?”

The door closes behind her and Simon’s the first to break the silence. “You’re just going to let her stay?”

Price glares at him. “The fuck am I supposed to do? She looks more prepared for our mission than we are right now.”

Ghost growls, legitimately growls, and says, “I cannot believe I have to fucking work with her.”

This, doesn’t stop Soap from raising his hand and asking, “Wait, so fraternization only works on folks in the military right?”

“SOAP, SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

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fixkartappleservicecenter · 1 year

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The comprehensive guide to iPhone X screen replacement and repair in Bangalore. Get expert tips, reliable services, and restore your device.

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phonecompanion · 2 years

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faithisasuperstar · 6 months

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hey! i was wondering if u would ever consider write a platonic fic for mizzen? totally fine if not 🫶

pinky promise → mizzen

platonic!mizzen x reader

notes → in which mizzen changes your outlook on the district kids. mentor!reader & gender neutral reader (no pronouns mentioned). 500+ words

warnings → it’s short, sorry about that! not edited & uploaded via iphone.

“mizzen?” you called out, hands brushing the rough metal bars as you circled the monkey house in search of the tribute you had been assigned. your lips were pressed together in a thin line, quite concerned for the little boy. he was district, you knew that, but something about his eyes made you feel for him. the eyes that should’ve held childlike wonder and curiosity had been overcome with bitterness and fear, things that a boy his age should know nothing of. if you had been assigned to one of the older tributes, you probably wouldn’t have thought twice about whether they lived or died, more concerned with winning the plinth prize. upon reevaluation, the whole ordeal made you realize that none of those kids were old enough to be rebels, and they were obligated to pay the price for lives they never took. it was unfair the panem’s youth to have to learn of war and pain. “mizzen!” you called again, louder and more sure of yourself this time. he stood near his district partner, coral. the boy swung his head towards you, then turned to coral for confirmation. coral looked warily at you, but shrugged, gesturing for him to go see what you wanted. slowly but surely, mizzen ambled over to you with a cautious glare.

“hi there, mizzen, my name is y/n. i’ll be your mentor for the games.” you introduced yourself with a smile, trying to appear as friendly and welcoming as possible.

“why weren’t you at the train station like the rainbow girl’s mentor?” mizzen questioned innocently, catching you off guard. oh, coriolanus. you sly, cheating son of a gun. you tried to remain calm while you thought of an answer that didn’t make you seem like a total ass.

“well, my classmate, coriolanus, sort of bent the rules to be there. i’m real sorry i couldn’t make it, but look,” you slung your backpack over your shoulder, unzipping it to show mizzen the contents, “i brought you some food and water. you must be hungry, huh? the trip here was a long one, i bet.” mizzen nodded hesitantly as he scanned the arrangement of food and drink stuffed into your backpack. “take whatever you want. and bring some to coral as well!” you suggested, peering over mizzen’s shoulder at the girl. mizzen reached his hands into the bag with force, accepting your invitation eagerly as he grabbed many handfuls of what you had brought. if this were any other tribute, the sight would have likely unsettled you, but all you felt for the boy was sympathy. mizzen’s face adorned an ecstatic, genuine smile. quickly, he thanked you, running back with his new goods and excitedly showing them off to coral. the girl whispered something to mizzen that you couldn’t make out, and he turned towards you again, making his way over to you once more.

“will you come back tomorrow?” he asked, his hope hidden under the mask of interrogation. you beamed, glad that he had come back to you after previously running off.

“of course, mizzen. i promise to visit you anytime i can.” you carefully stuck your hand through the bars, holding out your pinky to him. mizzen’s face sported a toothy grin as he hooked his smaller pinky around yours, shaking it slightly to solidify the promise.

#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #the hunger games x reader #thg x reader #tbosas #tbosas x reader #tbosas fanfiction #thg fanfiction #mizzen #mizzen tbosas #mizzen x reader platonic #mizzen thg

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rock-the-baby · 2 months

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【小説：2024年GWの貧困JAPAN】

2024年のGW、衰退国家日本は通貨危機に陥り、円は数年で40%も下落していた。

かつてあれだけハワイ旅行が流行った繁栄国家は急速に衰退し、貧しく海外に行けない国民ばかりになっていた。

貧乏な白痴大衆を主な視聴者層にするテレビ局はこぞって、「日本人はハワイに行って自炊生活をしています!ハワイへの旅行客は貧乏旅行をみんなしています!」と報道していた。

「ハワイに行っても楽しくないんだ! 俺は家で遊んでるけど幸せなんだ!俺は勝利している!」と国民は精神的勝利をし、「すっぱいぶどう」を見せるテレビ局と、それをみて満足に浸る視聴者の相互補完関係は今日も保たれていた。

東京で36歳になったたかしはまだ結婚をしておらず、GWの暇を持て余していた。

海外旅行に誘う相手もいないわけではないが、友人は次々結婚していき遊ぶ人間も減り、今年は円安であまりにも高いので、趣味の一人海外旅行も行かずに、特にすることがない。

銀座や新宿、渋谷にふらっと出かけていくと、外国人観光客で店がごった返し、次から次へと商品を買っていくのをみる。

かつて白人のみ、そして次に金持ちの中国人ばかりだった観光客。

いよいよ貧しくなり果てたJAPANでは様変わりし、一体どこの国から来たのかわからない国の人々ばかりになっていて、彼らの国籍は全くわからない。

渋谷の道端で缶ビールを飲む連中に、横一列で歩いてくる人々。時折悪態をついて見下してくるような態度を取る外国人。

いよいよ富裕層だけではなく中産階級でも来られるようになった国、JAPAN。

かつて日本人が東南アジアなどにいって現地の人々を下に見て、それが態度に出ていたように、彼らにマナーも期待することはできない。

好きだった海鮮の店も外国人向け商品ばかりになり疎外感を感じる。

今や海鮮丼が3000円4000円で、もう自分では食べられない。

店の中では外国人らが「What a price! Delicious!(マジで安すぎ!うまい!)」とガツガツ食べている。

店員も外国人ばかりになり、オーナーも経営者もおそらく外国人になったのだろう。

一体自分がどこの国にいるのかわからなくなり、日本に金が落ちるのかもわからない。

疲れ切って自宅に帰り、仕方なく冷凍食品を温めて食べる。

誰かを誘って温泉旅行にでも行こうと予約サイトを開く。

一泊一人3万も出せばそこそこの宿は泊まれるだろうと思ったが、一泊5万10万は当たり前で、20万30万の宿も出てくる。

あらゆるサイトを確認したが同じで失望する。

そういえば先日大阪に出張に行ったときも会社の規定の宿予算で泊まることができなかった。

大阪の街で買い物に興じる大量の外国人たちをみて、一体なにが起きているのかを理解した。

両親にLINEをして、帰省すると伝える。

東京駅に行くと、大きなスーツケースを抱えた外国人でごった返している。

駅の広告には「Uber Eatsで美味しい食事を頼みましょう」とか、「Netflixでシティーハンターを独占配信」という広告がどこの壁にも画面にも出てきて、我が国資本の広告は藤原竜也のよくわからないSKyなんちゃらというIT製品の広告しか目立たない。

そんな自分も、Google Mapで乗り換え案内を検索し、手元にはiPhone、仕事の携帯はAndroid、東京駅まで来る途中はSpotifyで音楽を聞き、旅の写真はGoogle PhotoかiCloudに、旅行にブッキング・ドットコムやエクスペディアを使っており、新幹線に乗る前にスタバでコーヒーを買っている。

これらを使うたびに円が売られドルが買われ、円安を加速させる。

かつて世界中に自国の家電や半導体、車を輸出しまくって外貨を稼ぎ、世界トップの金持ち国家に君臨していたのは日本だと聞いても、にわかに信じがたい。

新幹線の改札に向かうが、特急券と乗車券が分かれるという極めて奇妙なシステムを理解できない外国人らが改札で混乱し、スマートEXの使い方すらわからないアナログ日本人もまた通れず混乱している。

自動改札なのに駅員が大量に配置されている風景は、毎年繁忙期の風物詩である。

東京駅で、新幹線のぞみ号に乗る。

弁当を買っていたら時間がなく、申し訳ないと思いながらもグリーン車に飛び乗って、自分の普通車車両を目指した。

東京駅を出る時に弁当を食べ始め、新横浜に到着する前に食べ終わりゴミを捨て、そこから静かに寝るのが常である。

運良くグリーン車の隣の車両だったのですぐ座席についたが、隣に座った大きな荷物を持った外国人らがどこに荷物を置けばよいのかわからず、立ち往生していた。

大型荷物置き場の予約もしていなさそうだが、荷物置き場が諸外国の鉄道と比べ極めて少ない我が国の新幹線に苦労するのは当たり前である。

無理やり荷棚に置いたりしようとしてはうまくいかず、今度は最後尾の座席の後ろのスペースを勝手に使ったりと右往左往し、あれこれと出入りが多くて自分も弁当を食べることが出来ない。

車両をよく見みると、他にも外国人が多く乗っている。

JAPAN RAIL PASSというJRが提供する格安乗り放題チケットがあるが、ひかりやこだましか乗ることが出来ない。あまりにも安すぎて日本人差別かと言われるほどだったので、こないだ値上げをした。

JAPAN RAIL PASSのおかげで多くの外国人は「ひかり・こだま」押し込まれて「のぞみ」には乗っていなかったのに、今日はやけに多い。

JAPAN RAIL PASSの値上げのせいか、それとも「円安でのぞみ安いからこれでいこうか」となったのか、それはわからない。

さっき通ったグリーン車も外国人だらけで、しかもインドかタイなのか、かつては想定もしていなかった国々の人がたくさん座っていた。

結局は「日本が安いから」たくさん乗っていることは間違いない。

デッキには、指定席を買わず自由席券でケチって乗ろうとしたのか、GWは全席指定なのを知らなかったのか、ずっと座り込んでたり立っている日本人がちらほらいる。

弁当を食べて飲み物を飲みたくとも、車内販売は先日終了した。

日本を代表する高速鉄道である東海道新幹線の車内販売すら、少子高齢化による人手不足には勝てない。

今やここで水一杯を調達することも出来ない。

東京からうっかり飲み物を持たず博多までのチケットを買ってしまったら悲惨だ。

三島を超えると車窓から、雪が多く残る5月の富士山が見える。

かつて日本国民に愛された「シンカンセンスゴイカタイアイス」こと、スジャータのアイスの販売もグリーン車に限られ、たかがアイスですら上級国民と下級国民で差をつけられる現実をひしひしと感じて辛い想いがこみ上げてくる。

そういえば、先日北陸新幹線でスノボに行った時も、グランクラスに乗っていくのは外国人、というかインド人ばかりだったのを思い出す。

格安SIMのギガ数が少ないのでケチケチと新幹線のWifiにつなごうとしたが、全く速度が出ないどころかろくにつながらず途中で諦める。

N700Sという新しい車両が導入され、一部車両ではWifiは2倍高速と言っているのに繋がらない。

隣の外国人もWifiと悪戦苦闘し繋がらず、話しかけられたが何か助けることもできず、お互い言葉は通じないが諦めた顔をしている。

本当に通信回線が用意されているのか疑問に思いながら眠りについた。

実家の最寄り駅(といっても車で時間もかかるが)につくと、老いた父親がプリウスで迎えに来ていた。

車窓風景は何年たっても変わらないが、よくみるとなじみの店が閉店し、空き家が増え、建物は残っていても人が少なく街がひっそりしているように感じる。

家に到着すると、田舎者らしく居間には大きなテレビがありニュースを流していて、母がそこでお茶を飲んでいる。

ニュースは「本日はこちらの地域に振り込め詐欺の電話がかかってきています」などと呼びかけ、その他にも「85歳の老人がコンビニに突入しまいました」とかいうニュースが流れ、その車がプリウスであると心の中で予想すると、やはり映像にプリウスが流れる。

「外国人の爆買いは凄かったなあ」と疲れ切ってソファに座ると、テーブルの上には新聞の折込チラシが置かれていて、そのチラシをパラパラとめくって父が「ワークマンが最近いいらしいぞ」とワークマンのチラシを渡してくる。

誰かのXの投稿で「日本人がワークマンが凄いだのなんだの言ってる間に、東南アジア人はパタゴニアを着てスキーをするようになりました」と見たのは、1��半前くらいだろうか。

あの時は「そんなことはない」と思っていたのに、迫りくる現実をひしひしと感じ、なんとも言えない悲壮感が漂ってくる。

テレビをぼーっと見ていると、夢グループの通販が始まり、誰が使うかわからないポータブルDVDプレーヤーが1万円で売られており、「やすぅ〜い!」とおばさんの歓声があがる。

「ねえ母さん、こんなの誰が買うの?」と母の方を見ると、居間のすみっこに夢グループと書かれた段ボールが置かれているのがちらりと見える。なにが入ってるのか怖くて開けられなかった。

ニュースを見ても老人向けの意見ばかり言うコメンテーターばかり、バラエティを見てもよく知らない低俗な安い芸人が飯を食ったり、ガハハとつまらない話でひな壇で笑い合うだけのものばかりしかない。

CMにはコンドロイチンとか腰痛、尿もれパッドだのといった広告ばかりが流れ、同じ国なので東京と田舎でここまで違うかと驚愕する。

ワークマンの折込チラシの横においてある新聞を開いてみる。

母がむかし「高級紙」と呼んでいた朝日新聞。

「天声人語というのがあったな」と昔を思い出していると、母がおもむろに「こんなのが最近は本屋さんにあるのよ」と「天声人語書き写しノート」という公式の謎ノートを差し出してくる。これが累計500万冊以上売れてるらしい。

発行部数が減り実質不動産屋となって食いつないでいる会社の政治思想機関紙が、今でもこうして高齢有権者に幅広く読まれている現実を知って、複雑な気持ちになる。

数年前、YouTubeの見すぎで陰謀論にハマり、ディープステートだロスチャイルドだと毎日言い続けていた父。

地元の友人も離れていった者も少なくはない。

そこでNetflixやAmazon Primeを契約しインストールしたiPadをプレゼントし、YouTubeとの接点を消したのが一昨年の年末であった。

陰謀論を唱えることは多少減ったものの、右翼韓国嫌いの父はNetflixは韓ドラばかりで嫌だと言うので、U-NEXTを契約して日本や中国のドラマも見れるようにしたのが去年の年末。

あれから4ヶ月経ったが、U-NEXTでは実は隠し機能でアダルト作品が見放題になったのを私は知らなかった。

案の定、自慢げにiPadを町内会に持っていった時にうっかり視聴中の熟女系アダルト作品が大音量で再生されてしまったそうで、なかなか停止の操作もできず、大きな恥をかいたという。

アダルトの世界も女優の高齢化が進んでいるというが、視聴者が高齢者が増えているのが理由なのだろうか。

元気にこんな騒動をしている親も将来介護が必要になると思うとつらい思いがある。

いつか家を処分するのを見越して、私がかつて着ていた服とか、使っていた本とかを処分していく。

私が寝泊まりしていたかつての子供部屋には、ショップチャンネルやQVCの箱が山積みされ、食べ物や健康グッズなどを買った形跡があり、母が浪費をしていないか心配になる。

戸棚からカセットテープやCD、MDが大量に出てくるが、カセットテープからMDへの進化には当時誰もが感動したのに、もう今や誰も使っていない。

ソニーのウォークマンに電池を入れて久々に再生してみるとまだ動くことに感動し、浜崎あゆみのSeasonsが流れ、当時の情景が思い浮かんでくる。

ケツメイシの「さくら」が流れてくると、自然に手に取ってしまった高校の卒業アルバムを開いた。

一緒に勉強や部活を頑張っていた彼らはいまどこでなにをやっているのだろうか。

音楽は記憶を蘇らせる道具だなと感心する。

優秀だった何人かの名前を検索して見ると、大企業で管理職についていたり、外科医となり手術をこなして人を救っていたり、田舎に残って地元のイベントを盛り上げていたり、名前が出てくると嬉しくなる。

「あいつらも頑張ってるんだな」と思うと、自分も腐らず頑張ろうと思えるのは、いつの時代も同じなのだろうか。

頑張って活躍してる彼らに連絡を取れたらと思っても、携帯メールが衰退しLINEなどが勃興した今、連絡先は断絶している。

高校時代や大学時代のメアドに連絡してもきっと届かないだろうと思うと、技術の進化と人間関係の継続性については本当に進化をしているのだろうか、と考える。

そうこうしているうちに夕食の時間になった。

久々の帰省で張り切って高い肉を買ってきたのだろう、久々のステーキだった。

彼らはもう年金暮らしだが、お金はあるのだろうか。

「こんな良い食材わざわざ買ってこなくてもいいのに」

そう言っても、

「いやいや、たいしたもんじゃないよ」

と返す父と母。

陰謀論にはまろうが、怪しい通販にハマろうが、子を想う親の心は消えていないことに少し安心する。

「同級生の春奈ちゃん、二人目の子供産んだって」

「成績良かった大介くんは、トヨタで働いてるんですって」

「栄町の美奈子ちゃん、不妊治療でやっと1人目生まれたらしいわよ、よかったわね」

どれも本人たちに直接聞いた話でもなんでもない。

田舎人たちは、ITもクラウドもキャッシュレスも遅れているはずなのに、都会人よりも他人の個人情報を細かく早く把握しているのはなぜだろう。

自分は、同級生たちにどんな情報が伝わっているのだろうか。

「なあ、たかしはいい人はおらんのか?」

ビールで酔った父からそう言われても、

「いや、特に」

としか返すことも出来ず、美味しいステーキのはずが味が落ちていく。

なんとも言えない雰囲気になるが、

「つらいことあったら、いつでも帰ってこいよ」

と父が言う。

それから両親とはたいして多くを語り合うことはなく、休みも最終日を迎えた。

翌日、東京へ帰るバス停に両親が送ってくれた。

同じように、都会へ帰っていく若者たちが何人かバスを待っている。

バス停のプレートもずいぶん劣化し錆びてきている。

地面のアスファルトも割れが目立つ。

「つらいことがあったら、いつでも帰ってこいよ」

父がまた同じことを言う。

バスに乗り、車窓から両親を見る。少しさびしそうな顔をして、前より小さくなったような気がした。

バス停のアスファルトの割れ目からは、たんぽぽが咲いているのが見えた。

そのたんぽぽが、妙に力強く、たくましく見えた。

バスが発車すると、どんどん小さくなる両親。

両親も私も、お互いが見えなくなるまで、ずっとずっとお互いを見つめていた。

—終---

https://x.com/japantank/status/1786595831841509692?s=12&t=2udZ4HodM8nXVRmb1FbVUA

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