#nicos posture

[endofbeginings]

JUNE 08: Williams drivers Mark Webber of Australia and Nico Rosberg of Germany pose in their national football colours during preparations for the Formula One British Grand Prix on June 8, 2006 at Silverstone, England.

[deadeery]

26 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG 💪 🏴‍☠️

redraw of one of my fav official arts ^_^

[andr0nap]

cowboy au but i commit to the lack of horses on no mans land

[echo-stimmingrose]

Love the idea of Nico having chronic back pain and him blaming it on the fact that he's technically 80 years old. When in reality he just has horrible fucking posture.

[multifandomgirl08]

The Moment You Smiled At Me [Mini Verstappen Series]

Dad!Max Verstappen x Fem!Reader (Pre-Established Relationship)

Summary: The evening that started it all for Max and Reader.

Warning(s): N/A

A/N: Title taken from the song Rain by Sleep Token.

Words: 2.3k

Previous Part → Next Part Mini Verstappen Masterlist

Max had always hated going to these FIA parties. It had nothing to do with racing, and although he had no issue with supporting the sport and the people that were coming up in it. He saw no real reason as to why they had to get dressed up. Wouldn’t it have just been easier to give out these awards at the end of the season during the last race and calling it done?

He was caught in a small group of people who were waiting to get their picture taken on the blue carpet. Some of them he knew and the others he didn’t. He could see people walking around before making their way inside to the tables not stopping by for more than a glance at him.

Max glanced down at his watch to check the time and instead caught the sight of light blue fabric out of the corner of his eyes. He looked up wondering if he could see who was wearing the color, but all he saw was the back of a dress belonging to a woman who had her arms locked with a man. They disappeared into the room.

Eventually, Max had managed to make his way out of the group that he was stuck with and inside towards the tables, people weren’t sitting yet. His eyes traveled over the room wondering about the light blue dress he saw. He tried to tell himself that it was nothing, but his eyes' normal laser-sharp focus seemed to be playing a trick on him.

But then he saw it again. It was going towards the front of the stage, just a little far from where he stood. He looked a little higher and saw a wide feminine smile greet him. He felt the need to fix his posture or at the very least making it seem like he wasn’t miserable being here, but was quick to realize that she may be looking past him and not at him.

He looked behind him to see no one standing there and then back towards her to see her cover her mouth; she was probably laughing at him. He pushed his shoulders back and couldn’t help that his feet led him to her.

As he got closer he realized that he didn’t know her. Never seen her before in his life, and maybe heading straight to her was… strange.

He didn’t want to just outright ask her why she smiled at him or why she laughed at him as he looked behind himself earlier. Maybe she just did that, smiling at strangers that she didn’t know.

“Smiling at random people again, Y/N?” He heard as someone walked up to her, Y/N.

“Maybe.” She said as if it was nothing.

“I don’t know how you can just kill people with your kindness.”

“Fatal flaw.”

“Right,” He heard as a retort. “I’ll see you at the table.”

Max saw her give him a half nod before he finally came up to her.

“You’re date?” He couldn’t help but ask before he reached up to pat his hair down. He knew that it wasn’t sticking up since he had put on hair gel before he left his hotel.

Her eyes met his quickly, “No, my co-worker. I’m just his plus one.”

“Oh, what do you do?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Private banking, I’m always traveling for work though. I can’t wait for the day when I’ll be able to work from home full time.”

Max lifted his eyebrows at her words. “Don’t like traveling?”

“I do, sometimes. I’m just a homebody.”

“I’m like that. I’m gone from home more than I would like.” He liked being at home with the cats, not having his phone to worry about, and spending time with his son. Nico was such a wonder to him. He was just over a year old and was walking and touching things that he shouldn’t. Jimmy was not happy when Nico had decided to pull his tail one time.

He wanted to tell her that story but knew that he shouldn’t. She didn’t know that he had a son, and he didn’t want it to get out.

“What about you? What do you do?” She asked. Before he could answer Christian came up to him.

“Max, I hate to interrupt but you’ve got to go up. They’re starting the ceremony soon.” Max silently glared at Christian for a moment.

“That’s okay.” She said reaching towards the table for her handbag. “It was nice talking to you, Max.”

She quickly bowed her head a little before going off towards the tables that faced the stage. It seemed like she didn’t know who he was, or what he did for a job given that she bothered asking him what it was he did.

His eyes followed her until she sat down next to who she claimed to be her co-worker. Christian put his hand on his shoulder, ready to lead him up the stage. Waiting while they lowered the lights and made all of the introductions felt like it took forever. It was like waiting behind the safety car after there was a yellow flag.

Finally, he managed to get up on stage to present the award for Rookie of the Year. He awkwardly ran through the speech that he was given and tried to keep his eyes towards the crowd but couldn’t help it when they kept drifting back to you in the light blue dress that you were wearing.

You weren’t talking to anyone while he was up on the stage. Eventually after painstakingly finishing the speech and handing the award over to Oscar Piastri, he made his way off the stage and back into the crowd of people sitting at the tables.

The rest of the speeches came to an end after a while. People started to make their way out of the room and out towards the hallway. Max hadn’t been pulled into any conversations luckily.

There was a familiar feeling of his phone buzzing in the inside pocket of his tux jacket. He pulled it out to see that it was his mom. He stepped out of the room, hoping to move away from everyone as much as he could.

He ended up outside by the valet watching as a few people were already leaving. If this wasn’t a work obligation he would have done the same and tried to leave as soon as he could.

He pulled his phone out to call his mom back. It rang in his ear.

“Mum?” He questioned after the line picked up.

“Max,” She started. “I just wanted to let you know that Nico’s asleep. It took him a while to fall asleep.”

Max had flown Sophie to Monaco to spend some time with Nico while he would he was in Paris for the FIA Prize Giving Gala. He would fly home tomorrow and be in back with Nico in a few short hours.

Nico had apparently fallen asleep in Max’s bed with Jimmy and Sassy at Nico’s feet. Sophie had told him that Nico missed him, “I miss him too, Mum.”

It was a few moments later that he said goodbye and promised to be home and back with Nico before dinner tomorrow. He pushed his phone back into the pocket of his jacket.

He could hear the clack, clack of footsteps against the cobblestones that made up the driveway to the hotel. Someone was wearing a pair of heels. Max looked in the direction of the sound to see her again.

She stood a few meters away from him, with her black bag in hand and her arms wrapped around herself. She looked like she was cold, the slit on her dress did go up quite high on her leg.

He gave himself a moment just in case someone came after her, but she just stood there looking as people kept getting into different cars.

He slowly walked up to her, “You need help, a jacket maybe?” He asked.

She looked over at him. “I’m fine.”

He could feel her eyes on his jacket. He moved to undo the button, she looked cold. He pulled it off his shoulders.

“I insist.” He said, opening it for her so she could put it on.

She moved closer to him laying the fabric over her shoulders. It only took a few moments before he saw that she looked more comfortable with it on.

“You didn’t have to.”

“It’s Paris, and it’s November. I’m surprised it’s not snowing.”

“That’s true. I figured that the Gala would be over before it got too cold.” Well at least she didn’t mean to catch hypothermia.

“They normally have it in warmer places.”

“You’ve been to the Gala before?” She asked. “I saw you present an award, so I assume that you know more than I would.”

“Yes, my first was in… 2015.” It was back when he was in Formula 3, he doesn’t remember what it was for now.

“They always this boring?”

“Yes,” He answered honestly. “They don’t change much.”

Max couldn’t help but feel a little awkward. He didn’t know what to talk to her about, he could bring up what she had said earlier, and he was just about to when,

“You didn’t tell me what you do,” She started to say. “Before we were interrupted inside.”

“I drive in Formula 1.”

She gave him a silent nod.

“You like it?” She asked. He didn’t know if he should answer honestly but there was that feeling again that told him he should.

“Sometimes,” He said with sincerity. “I like being with my team, and driving the car. Other things, like this, I don’t really like.”

“I’m sure it’s not all bad.” She was right. It wasn’t all bad, driving in Formula 1 gave him a lot, even with the parts that he didn’t like.

“No,” He said with a slight shrug. “But it doesn’t really give me a whole lot of time for other things.”

Between his F1 schedule and Nico he didn’t really have any time for much else. He had tried dating over the last year and it never seemed to end well. They always ended up wanting to move faster then he was ready for.

“I’m sure if it matters you’ll make time.” She said. He didn’t know why her saying that seemed like it had a softer tone to it after the words moved past her lips.

He couldn’t help but let out a smile. If only she knew the things that he had made time for over the last year.

“Of course, I’m sure your boyfriend feels the same.” He said, as a way to see if she would correct him again.

“Co-worker,” She corrected him just like he wanted. She smiled back at him.

“He wishes, right?” He asked, with a slight laugh to his tone.

“More than you can know.” He could hear her chuckle. So she obviously knew that her “co-worker” invited her here with other intentions.

“You can always go on a date with someone else. So he knows you're not interested.” He offered as if that would actually help her situation.

“You make a good point.” She had just said when the guy from earlier had come out to stand next to her.

“Ready to go, Y/N?” He asked.

“In a moment.” She said with a smile. Y/N didn’t leave him right after.

“Do you have your phone on you?” She asked him.

Max widened his eyes. Was she doing what he thinks she is?

“Uhm, jacket pocket on the right.” He watched her pull his phone out of the inside pocket of his jacket, she turned his phone to him silently asking for him to unlock it for her. He didn’t even take it out of her hand. Just moved a little closer to put his face in view of the front camera so that it would unlock. 

She moved to type something in before handing him his phone back and then quickly pulled her own phone out of her bag. He looked down at the screen for a few seconds before a text showed up with the words, Think he’ll take the hint this time?

He heard the closing of her bag before he saw her pull the jacket from her shoulders, slowly handing it back to him, almost as if she didn’t want to lose the warmth the jacket had provided her in those short moments. 

“Call me, if you’re ever in London.” She said with their hands brushing and gave him a wide smile before following the guy to a black towncar. His eyes followed her and he couldn’t help but slightly flex his hand from feeling their skin touch. Before she got inside the car she gave him a second look. He couldn’t help but feel a little like he couldn’t breathe, like he had just gotten out of the car after Singapore, watching her leave him standing there. His head was spinning a bit.

He wasn’t sure if he really should. Max would never say that he was the best at flirting and he was sure that this only proved it. But somehow, she still gave him her number and told him to call her.

He took a moment and then pushed the thought away, it was probably just to get the guy to back off.

It was the last week of November, Max had finished up early with all of his sponsorship things at the Factory. He would be leaving to go back to Monaco in a day or two and he couldn’t help but look through the text messages on his phone until he came across the text from Y/N again.

He had thought of her a bit since the Gala. He thought of her, and their conversations. It had taken him a bit before he had realized that she wouldn’t have given him her real number if she didn’t want to talk to him again.

He opened her contact information before pressing on her number to give her a call. Maybe he was ready to make time in his life for someone that could understand him, and eventually his son.

Mini Verstappen taglist: @karmabyfernando, @barcagirly, @sachaa-ff, @iamahallucinationnn, @musingsbyshreya, @glow-ish, @nonsensical-nonsence, @fanboyluvr, @champomiel, @gothicwidowsworld, @lighttsoutlewis, @itsalwaysgay, @minkyungseokie, @mynameisangeloflife, @ursforever129, @aundercover, @bborra, @mindless-rock, @cixrosie, @barcelonaloverf1life, @taylorslovesswifties13, @konsti081, @mellowarcadefun, @smnthnclj, @brekkers-whore, @lpab

[mikkomacko]

Him and I: Meet the Hischiers

Previous

Pairing: Mob Boss! Nico x Reader

Warnings: Alcohol, Nico's crappy parents, and mean girls

A/n: Ok I'm so sorry for how long this is, oh my god. I couldn't not add sweet moments between Nico and reader though, but I promise there's only one more chapter of them in Switzerland before they return to Jersey. Anyway, enjoy and please leave comments and thoughts and requests because I love writing mob boss Nico!

xo

~~~~

Nico’s childhood home is humongous. The SUV rolls up the cobblestone driveway to what you’d consider a mansion, honestly. At least three stories, with fields of snow covered grass and hedges, a looping driveway like at a hotel, and a bright red door.

Everything about it screams elegance.

And yet you can picture a tiny Nico toddling after his older siblings in the grass out front, chasing a soccer ball that was half the size of him.

The mental image eases your nerves enough that you’re able to teasingly scoff and smack at Nico’s arm.

“You didn’t tell me your house is the size of New Jersey!”

Nico rolls his eyes at your drama, taking your hand in his and shrugging. “Yes it’s beautiful,” he agrees “but there’s a reason we’re not staying here. Just remember that, ok?”

Dutifully you nod, but that doesn’t stop you from leaning forward to gape at Timo. Your friend just laughs, directing the car into the spot directly in front of the door.

“The Hischier’s are the closest thing to a royal family here,” he tells you. “And Nico is the delinquent prince that ran away from the crown.”

“Stop lying to her Timo.” Nico interjects, his tone hard and commanding. You immediately sink back into your seat, recognizing that for some reason that was a touchy subject.

You’ll ask him about it later when it’s just the two of you.

This time when the car stops, it’s different men in wool coats that pull open Nico’s car door. They greet him in Swiss German, nodding as he slides out and you follow, taking his outstretched hand and stepping onto the stone path.

They look taken aback by your presence, both sharing a look you can’t quite read before greeting you with a simple “miss.”

You smile, wrapping your hand around Nico’s bicep and pressing into his side. Timo falls into step with you, walking alongside as you head for the front door.

Walking into Nico’s childhood home is more like walking into a recently sterilizes hospital room than a house that three children grew up in. Everything is pristine, polished, and pearl white (or beige).

Not a single item in the main room indicates that a family lives here at all. Even the portrait of a man with a thick mustache and sharp nose hanging over the staircase isn’t friendly.

“Wow,” you breathe out, looking over at Timo. He must read the look in your eyes because he nods just once, clearing his throat when Nico shoots him a look over the top of your head.

“Come on baby,” Nico tells you, guiding you further into the house. “They’re probably in the sitting room.”

The sitting room is like a living room, only colder and not exactly lived in. His family is scattered around the large room, perched on white overstuffed furniture. The first to greet you is a light haired woman, and as soon as she smiles you know this is his mother.

“Nico darling!” She exclaims in an accented voice, one that resembles his but with a tone of superiority. Rising from the sofa, she waves the man next to her up. Even if you were seeing him through fogged glass you’d be able to tell he’s Nico’s father.

They have the same nose, same dark eyes that crinkle by the edges. He’s shorter and less broad than Nico, but their posture and gait are the same. Even the way his dark grey hair falls is similar to Nico’s.

They’re carbon copies of each other.

“Son,” the man greets, buttoning up his suit jacket. “The rumors were true then?”

“Rumors?” Nico asks, and his lack of greeting to his parents makes your stomach drop. Throughout the entirety of your relationship you never imagined Nico’s relationship with his family to be like this.

“Word from the airport was that you brought a guest.” His mother supplies, a polite smile being thrown at you. You return it, hanging to Nico’s bicep like a lifeline. Suddenly you feel pathetic, a random American girl pressed at the hip to the heir of a mob family that stretches three countries and two continents. Hiding in the shadow casted by not only Nico but Timo as well.

Maybe it’s a good thing Sieges and the others didn’t come along.

“Timo insisted on tagging along,” your boyfriend jokes and if you weren’t so stunned and stupid you would have laughed. “This,” he continues, prying his arm from your hold to wrap around the small of you back “isn’t a guest, she’s family.”

Steeling your nerves, you take a steady step forward. “Y/n,” you introduce, holding your hand out to his father. “It’s a pleasure to meet you sir.”

He takes your hand, squeezing gently as you meet his gaze. For looking so much like his son, he doesn’t actually resemble him. His eyes are threatening and dark rather than comforting and warm like Nico’s. Even the twitch of his lips feels like it was a muscle spasm.

“Rino,” he tells you. “But sir works better.”

You nod in agreement, now reaching out towards his mother. She’s just as calculated when it comes to introducing herself, her tone haughty and amused as she says “Katja.”

“Wonderful to meet you,” you say, smiling warmly despite the thudding of your heart against your ribcage.

“You as well,” she responds, then shoots her son a look. “I’m afraid we haven’t heard much about you y/n, or anything at all for that matter.”

Ignoring the blow, you settle back into Nico’s side. Timo cuts in, greeting them you think but you can’t really hear him over the voice in your head desperately reminding you that Nico loves you, Nico wants you here.

It’s not until Nico’s nose is pressed to your temple that you snap back into reality. “Breathe y/n,” he whispers, his voice just a tickle in your ear but strong and encouraging. “You’re doing perfect.”

Coming back to yourself, you take his hand in thanks as Katja directs her attention to the few men milling about the room. She speaks to them in Swiss German, an order obviously if them scurrying out of the room is anything to go by.

With her and Rino no longer focused on you for the moment, you helplessly look up at Nico. He’s already watching you, not even a hint of a smile on that handsome face of his. Even so, his gaze is solid and proud, and the subtle tilt of his head tells you enough.

It’s ok.

Your breath shudders, feeling weak under those eyes that know and read you so well. You look away, biting at the inside of your cheek to stop the welling feeling of tears. You have to stop before you let your thoughts run too wild, plagued by images of the sweet man before you living under the scrutinizing gazes of this family.

It’s difficult to even picture how he turned into the Nico you know and love.

The return of the workers distracts you, this time a man and woman following behind them. Another copy of Nico, his brother looks like he could be the elder twin of your boyfriend. The hair, the nose, the jawline, the walk. Must be a Hischier man thing.

And the woman, so obviously his sister, physically resembles Katja but her eyes hold that same twinkle that lights up Nico’s eyes.

“Luca, Nina-“ Katja says warmly. “Your brother is here. With guests.”

Nico sighs, anything he might say remaining unspoken when Nina steps between the two sides.

“Family, Mama.” She corrects, sending you a friendly wink. Like a million bricks have been lifted off your shoulders, you visibly relax at her welcoming.

“Nina,” she tells you “you have no idea how excited I am to meet you.”

She doesn’t hold out a hand, instead stretching out both arms to you. Laughing nervously, you accept her embrace, briefly squeezing her in appreciation and introducing yourself.

“Never thought I’d see Nico with such a beautiful woman,” she teases, an underlying sincerity in her words that warms your cheeks. “He must’ve finally learned how to shower properly.”

Nico mockingly laughs behind you, grumbling in his native tongue to his sister but he’s quick to hug her smaller frame. You almost laugh when he tucks into her shoulder, curling in like he’s supposed to be smaller than her. Like a younger sibling that’s forgotten he’s grown to be the tallest.

Luca greets you, not as warmly as Nina but with more friendliness than their parents. He plants two polite kisses to your cheeks, squeezing your biceps awkwardly before jumping into reuniting with Nico. Nina stands by her mother’s side, nodding at you just once as Katja and Rino tell Nico and Luca something you don’t understand.

Resilience renewed, you turn your head to Timo and he leans down so you can whisper in his ear. “You have to teach me something in German, I’m drowning here.”

He chuckles quietly, leaning into your ear. “I’ll try again but I’m not a miracle worker honey.” You blink at him, jabbing your elbow into him in annoyance. He does it back, jolting you and your gearing up to hit him back when a firm hand is reaching around your back and taking a hold of your elbow.

Easily and swiftly, Nico pulls you into his side. By the way Timo straightens up, you’d imagine he’s been silently scolded by his boss. Smirking, you bat your eyelashes at him and innocently press into Nico’s hold.

“We’ve prepared lunch, if you’re hungry.” Katja offers but she’s already directing everyone to another room. The three of you follow obediently, not having any other option really.

~~~~

Lunch is better than the family reunion that took place in the sitting room. With the distraction of food and a cook and his siblings, Katja and Rino don’t even spare you a second glance or get a chance to grill Nico about anything.

Anytime the Devs or New Jersey comes up, Luca or Nina will steer the conversation away. You’re sure it has something to do with everyone avoiding the topic of Nico’s leave of absence and lack of contact for the past few years, but you can’t be certain because it’s never said.

Nico has a hand on you throughout the whole meal, either lacing his fingers with yours or resting comfortably on your thigh. He makes sure that you eat enough, that your water is ok, that you don’t want more helpings. It’s sweet, the way he always communicates through his actions. Maybe he didn’t prepare you enough for this encounter like he should’ve, but physically he’s been here and done everything to let you know that he has your back.

Besides, after listening to his family carefully navigate around unsavory topics over lunch, you can see why he struggles with words.

Especially when his mother is hell bent on making it uncomfortable. The plates have barely been cleared away when she’s zeroing in on her youngest.

“I suppose it’s time you tell us why you’ve come back,” she says airily. “Or rather why you left?”

Nico’s fingers tighten around yours, eyelids fluttering in annoyance as he suppresses an eye roll. “Mother-“

“Everything was set up Nico,” she cuts in. “The house, the branch, Len-“

“That’s enough!” He cuts off gruffly, silencing Katja. You stroke your thumb over his knuckle, unsure of how to navigate him like this in front of his family. It’s different at home where you have a place, where it’s your job to step in and protect the boys from his angry bouts. But this is different, uncharted. You don’t have a spot in the lives of his family let alone a place to interject. Hell, you don’t even know the context of why Nico left either.

“Watch the tone Nico,” Rino says casually, “that’s your mother.”

Sighing, Nico shakes his head. “I’m here for the week, take it or leave it. And I didn’t come to answer questions you already have the answer for.”

You watch him look around the large table, meeting everyone gaze with a firmness he only gets on jobs and deals. When he receives a simple hum from his mother, he turns to you.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he says quietly, rising from his seat. You follow his lead, pushing your chair back in and sharing a nervous look with Timo.

Nico addresses his parents. “I’m gonna show y/n around the grounds.” Then he’s nudging you towards the hall, large hand on your back as you go.

“Put on a coat Nico!” His mother calls after you and he waves over his head in acknowledgment. You’re silent all the way back to the front door, putty in Nico’s hands as he zips you into your winter coat and slips his beanie over your head.

Returning the favor, the zip his own coat for him, adjusting the collar and hood so his ears and neck stay warm.

Nico doesn’t return to being your Nico until the side door of the house is closing behind you. Immediately he’s attaching himself to you, hunching down to wrap his arms around your waist and tuck his face into your neck. Rising to your toes, you bundle your arms around him as best you can with all the thick winter layers between you.

Closing your eyes, you breathe in the cold air and just hold him for a moment. You don’t let go until he’s pressing a kiss to your jaw, straightening out his posture and looking at you with those moony eyes of his.

“Show me the grounds,” you mock in a posh voice giggling when he rolls his eyes and offers his elbow to you. Taking ahold of him, you tuck your hands into your pockets and let him guide you down the shoveled paths.

The grounds stretch on forever, through untouched wooded land and open plains of snow. Nico shows you a tennis court, a basketball court, the indoor hockey setup him and Luca used religiously as children. You trudge through the snow with him, winter air nipping at your nose and dry lips aching as your awe of the place kept growing and growing. Every ten steps was something new, some fond memory Nico’s dug up of his childhood.

“I almost broke my ankle trying to do cartwheels,” Nico laughs, gaze sweeping over the open area in which Nina apparently tried to teach Nico gymnastics. “She hadn’t even done gymnastics herself, but I wanted her to think I was cool so I did it.”

Giggling, you shake your head at him. “You can’t do a cartwheel?” You ask incredulously. Nico scoffs, shaking his head like it should be obvious. Releasing his arm, you strut to the open space in front of him and throw your arms up.

“Watch and learn Nico baby.” You tease, winking before executing a perfect cartwheel. The snow is cold on your hands, bites at your fingers but you do a couple more anyway just to show off.

Nico exclaims in surprise, staring at you with his jaw dropped and dimples in his cheeks. “Alright, just rub it in my face!” He complains and you laugh, giving him a bow. Leaning down he scoops up some snow, quickly packing it together. You have just enough time to curl into yourself before he’s throwing it at your torso.

Squealing, you dig your numb hands into the snow to throw one back. Dodging and ducking through laughter, you and Nico pelt each other with snow until your hands are so frozen you think they might fall off.

In surrender, you leap at him and throw your arms around his neck. The shock of your bitter cold fingers on his bare skin makes him jump and he goes crashing to the ground, taking you with him.

Luckily he breaks your fall, and the snow breaks his so it’s still giggles when you cup his jaw, sitting up to check him for injuries. He’s got snow in his hair and eyelashes, his cheeks and nose glowing red as he bites at his bottom lip to try and contain his smile.

“You’re so handsome,” you whisper, the words mostly spoken to yourself but in the large, silent estate they carry. Nico’s cheeks redden even more, eyes glimmering with love. Then, thinking of the cold man from whom Nico got his looks, you quickly add “inside and out.”

His face falls with realization, a look of sympathy flashing through his eyes. Not that he should be sympathetic about anything, these people didn’t raise you. “I should’ve warned you,” he says “I just didn’t want to scare you. And I didn’t want you to think I don’t love them because I do, they’re just different.”

The snow has begun soaking into your pants, stinging your skin and you imagine Nico’s butt must be just as cold. Yet he makes no move to get up, just stares up at you from the ground with those all-telling eyes of his.

“You warned me,” you say “maybe not intentionally but you did.” From wasting away the morning with you to the way he always had a protective hand on you today, Nico warned you the best way he knows how. With protective actions.

Brushing his hair off his forehead, you ask “wanna talk about it?” Nico sighs, cheeks puffing up as he does so and the cloud of his breath dances in between you. He agrees though, nodding for you to get up so you climb off his lap and take his hand to help him up.

Nico takes both of your hands in his, squeezing them before drawing the up to his lips. Eyebrows pinched together in concentration, he breathes hot hair in an attempt to warm them up for you. After a moment he squeezes them again, frowning when they’re still too cold for his liking.

Giggling, you pull your hands back and hug his arm. “I’m ok, let’s just go back and we can talk somewhere warm.”

Pressing a kiss to the top of your head, Nico agrees. Oblivious to the figure looming on the balcony that overlooks the grounds, he leads you back towards the house, feet crunching in the snow.

~~~~

Clothes sopping wet and cold, you shuffle into Nico’s old bedroom and immediately begin shedding your winter layers. Unsure of everyone else’s whereabouts in the house, Nico closes the door and locks it before he too strips out of his clothes.

In just his boxers he disappears into the closet and you take the opportunity to look around his room. A large bed sits in the middle of the room, a fluffy blue quilt that matches the accent wall covering it. An old ratty teddy bear sits on the bed, looking out the large window across the room. The view is beautiful, snow covered mountains and white topped trees. There’s a desk in the corner, the top of it empty but the shelves have a few books and childhood awards scattered on them.

You tiptoe over, notice most of the awards have a soccer or hockey player on them. There’s one of a boy snowboarding and one engraved with a book, and though you can’t read them inscription, the year on them tells you that Nico was under 16 when he won all these.

A photo you’ve seen on his phone is hung up next to the desk, Luca and Nina holding a baby Nico on a beach somewhere, all chubby cheeks and blonde hair.

A poster of a Swiss tennis player hangs next to the bed, a few more photos scattered around the room. You don’t get the chance to examine them because Nico strolls back into the room with a ball of clothes in his hands.

“Not sure when these were last washed but it should be fine,” he shrugs, dropping the mess of items to the bed. He digs out a pair of boxers, some dark sweats, and a long sleeve for you. You happily accept the dry clothes, stripping out of your damp underwear and bra.

Nico’s Calvin’s are a little tight when you shimmy them up you hips but not uncomfortable. You pull the sweats on, rolling the waistband so they don’t hang over your feet. It’s not until you’re tugging the shirt over your head that you notice Nico is standing butt naked across from you, boxers in hand as he shamelessly watches you change.

Knowing where this going, you quickly pull the shirt on, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “Put that thing away and start talking Hischier.”

He chuckles, beginning to get dressed. You sit on the bed, reaching over for the teddy and pulling it into your lap. “What do you want to know?”

“I know how you ended up in Jersey,” you say, fingers rubbing at the soft fabric of the bears ear. “Inheritance from your grandfather and wanting to get away from here. But I always thought it was because you’re the youngest, ya know? You like to be in charge and you can’t do that with Luca and Nina being in line for everything,”

Nico lets you talk, pulling on his teeshirt and settling into the bed next to you.

“But your parents said everything was lined up. What did they mean?”

Nico sighs, eyes dropping to his lap and he fiddles with the tie on his sweats. You turn to look at him, walking the teddy bear across the mattress and plopping it in his lap. He doesn’t look at you but a dimple sinks into his cheek and he takes the bear from you.

“My parents were trying to branch out, stretch the business like they did sending Nina to France. They had this whole mock up of me using my inheritance to move to Germany and head everything there.

“But they wanted to send someone with me. This girl whose father does business with mine. We had a thing kind of when we’re younger, not dating but like when I wanted to be with someone she was there. So they added a wedding to the plan and invited her to join the family.”

There’s no reason to be jealous of this girl, whoever she is. You know that, but that doesn’t stop you from feeling a little nauseous thinking of his family picking out a wife for him.

“What did you say?” You murmur, slipping your fingers under his shirt and stroking the warm skin of his stomach. Nico picks at a thread on the bear, taking a deep breath.

“Nothing, to them. I took the money and some buddies and left. Told Nina I was starting my own family in Jersey, that I didn’t want to be married or in Germany.

“That’s how I got Timo, Sieges, and Bratter to join me. We’d all been friends for a while and they hated the girl. My parents didn’t know, but she’d been after Luca the whole time she was with me. He was too focused on taking over here in Switzerland though. That’s why she wanted him, she wanted to be the queen or whatever of Switzerland. “

“Why’d she agree to marry you then?”

Nico looks up now, shrugging. You inch closer to him, stomach feeling sick and he must know you don’t particularly like to hear this story because he nudges you into his lap. Straddling his thighs, you relax forward into his chest and let him wrap his arm around you.

“Because one of us was better than neither I guess. I had a feeling she assumed she could marry me and then convince me to push Luca out or something. I don’t know but I didn’t say a word to her either, I just left.”

You nod, the joke Timo made in the car earlier finally adding up. Nico was the prince lined up to be married and grow the business, to make his family stronger. Instead he took his power and his means elsewhere. He built his own kingdom.

“I think you’re so smart Nico,” you mumble, “not many 18 year old boys would be able to do what you did.”

Nico tucks the bear into your chest and you hug it. “I had help,” he says “but it was the best decision I ever made. I got you from it.”

His phone buzzes on the nightstand, interrupting you two. You feel him reach over for it, holding you tighter as he leans over.

“Nina invited us to go out tonight for drinks,” he says. “She wants to have fun without my parents around.”

“Is Timo invited?”

“Yes, Timo is invited.” Nico laughs, stroking your hair.

“Ok. I have to go home for new clothes though.”

Nico hums his agreement, still stroking your hair. You cuddle into him, hugging the teddy bear tighter as you sort through everything he told you. It’s impossible for you to see how some girl had Nico right in front of her, was lined up to spend the rest of her life with him and instead made him feel unwanted.

How could anyone not pick him? How was she not begging on her knees to run away to Jersey with him?

“Nico?”

“Yes baby?”

“I want you,” you whisper. “I always have and I always will. I’d do anything for you.”

You think of everything you’ve given up for Nico, the life you’d left behind for him and it doesn’t even phase you. Because he’s worth it, always worth it.

“Trust me, I know my love,” he assures but you can hear the relief in his tone. Then he’s giggling boyishly, digging his nose into the top of your head. “I knew as soon as met you that there was no getting rid of you.”

Blushing, you close your eyes and enjoy his embrace, enjoying a moment with just him.

~~~~

Luca owns the bar that Nina had invited you too. Technically the business owns it, but it was Luca’s investment plan that acquired it and it’s his staff that runs it.

You find that out as Nico leads you by the hip to the sectioned off tables in the back. Luca and a few other guys mill about the table, some you recognize from seeing around the house today. Nina is there too, her long hair pulled back into a slick pony and she’s sipping from a fruity cocktail with a blonde girl.

“You made it!” Luca greets upon seeing his brother, his demeanor much more welcoming and laidback than earlier. You let go of Nico’s hand so he can hug Luca again, his eyes crinkling as he laughs.

Timo bro-hugs Luca before disappearing back into the common area, most likely heading to the bar. You’re reaching for Nico’s hand again when Luca crouches down to meet your gaze, glossy eyes and smile shining at you.

He looks so much like Nico.

“There she is!” He shouts, charging you with open arms. You laugh in shock when he scoops you up in a hug, drink sloshing against your back as he sways back and forth.

“Hi Luca,” you giggle, awkwardly rubbing your hand up and down his back. “Nice to see you again.”

He drops you to your feet, gripping your elbow when you stumble. Not that it’s needed; Nico’s hand found your lower back as soon as your toes touched the polished floors.

“You know, I never understood why Nico loved Jersey so much,” he shouts over the music and chatter “but I get it now. I like you a lot even if my parents don’t.”

You’re not shocked to hear that but you dramatically gasp anyway. “Your parents don’t like me?!” You cry, holding a hand over your heart. “What’ll we ever do?”

Luca laughs at you, taking a swig of his beer before shaking his head fondly. “Fuck ‘em,” he says casually “Nico’s better off with you anyway.”

Your cheeks heat up at his words, flattered by the praise. You were hesitant about Luca earlier, not knowing if he liked you or not. He was harder to read than Nico and Nina but you assume that’s the oldest sibling in him.

Without another word he’s walking away, stumbling towards the pool tables with some friends. Nico leans in over your shoulder, nose brushing your temple.

“He’s a friendly drunk,” he explains “but he really does like you.”

You turn towards him. “He’s funny,” you say “I like him too.”

Pressing the lightest kiss to your cheekbone, Nico nods towards the bar. “Something with vodka?” He asks and you peek around him at Nina.

“I want what Nina is drinking.”

Amused, he nods and takes you by the hand. He approaches the booth, leaning over towards his sister to mumble something in her ear. You don’t hear what she says back but Nico straightens out, stepping out of the way and nudging you to sit down. Happily, you slide into the seat next to Nina and accept her giddy hug.

Nico sweeps your hair over your shoulder, squeezing your neck briefly before going to get your drink.

“Oh this is Maja,” Nina introduces you to her friend. You reach over the table to shake her hand and introduce yourself.

“I’m with Luca,” Maja tells you, her pretty blue eyes sparkling. “Sorry I missed lunch today, I tend to skip those gatherings as often as I can.”

“I totally understand!” You laugh,” I’ll have to keep that in mind for next time.”

Nina gasps, gripping your arms as she beams at you. “You’re gonna come back?!”

Giggling, you nod. “Well yeah, I know Nico misses you and Luca and it hasn’t been bad. Besides, it’s beautiful here!”

“You have to visit in the summer!” Maja tells you, “we can make fondue and float the river.”

Nina agrees telling you all about how that was Nico’s favorite thing to do when he was younger. Then she’s inviting you to France, telling you all about the beautiful French men and how much you’d love them.

You let her chatter on, laughing at her antics. French men aren’t exactly your forte, especially not when you’re dating a Swiss man but you can remind her about that later.

“Nina,” Nico interrupts, placing your drink in front of you. “are you trying to set my prinzessin up with a Frenchie?”

Sliding in next to you, he wraps his arm around your stomach and draws you back into his chest. His sister gapes at him, so shocked by his words she’s gone speechless and you shyly sip your drink.

“Prinzessin, Nico!” She gasps, holding her heart. Nina tells him something in Swiss German, reaching around you to excitedly shove her brother.

His response is also lost on you but you can tell by Nina’s moony eyes and how he hunches into you that it was something loving and sweet. “Soon, soon.” Nico finally says, taking a drink of his beer and setting it next to yours.

“Hey don’t talk about me when I can’t understand what you’re saying.”

Laughing, Nico presses a kiss to your temple. “Sorry baby,” he says, squeezing your shoulders. You turn to face him, sliding your leg over his lap.

“You didn’t tell me about Maja,” you murmur, fiddling with the straw in your drink. Nico’s eyebrows pinch together, lips pursing in confusion as he looks around the bar.

“Who?”

“Nico oh my god,” you gasp “Luca’s girlfriend-wife-whatever?”

Some clarity washes over his face and he giggles, glancing across the booth to Maja. Lowering his lips to your ear, “I thought her name was Maria,” he whispers and you laugh.

“I don’t know, Luca got with her after I left and he’s not chatty on the phone. For all I know he’s already married her.”

You look over your shoulder at her hand. “No ring,” you tell him “and I don’t think he’d get married without telling you.”

Nico shrugs, taking a swig of his beer before holding it out to you. You slide him your drink, trying the tangy beer he’s been nursing. It’s not bad but beer isn’t your favorite so you quickly hand it back.

“That’s sweet,” Nico says, smacking his lips and returning it to you. “Too sweet, Jesus Christ.” You laugh, snacking an arm around his shoulders and digging your fingers into the strands of hair at the nape of his neck.

“It’s not that bad,” you argue, guiding him closer to you. Smirking, those dark eyes of his dance across your face before settling on your lips. He does the rest of the work for you, capturing your mouth in a sloppy kiss.

“Mmm,” he hums, pulling back and swiping his tongue across his lips. “Better.”

His voice has that gruffness to it, heavy and thick, and not just because his accent is stronger now that he’s home. It makes your neck and ears feel hot, stomach flipping.

“No PDA in my bar Nico!” Luca’s shouting makes you jump, almost knocking Nico’s beer across the table and him and Timo snicker as they sit across from you.

“Bar PDA is his favorite,” Timo laughs, winking at you. “How do you think they ended up together?”

You can’t even argue with him. Nico is notorious for being handsy, especially when he’s out and drinking.

“Really?” Luca hums, slinging an arm around Maja. “It used be like pulling teeth just to get him to look at girl around here.”

And well, that’s news to you. Although you suppose if he planned on leaving Switzerland anyway and he had that girl to fool around with whenever he wanted, what’s the point? You’re well aware that he was never looking for love.

Nico quickly changes the topic, asking Timo about his day with his family tomorrow and you join Nina and Maja as they sift through songs on the online jukebox to play.

The queue stacks up, your drink starts to run out, and Nico leaves with Timo and his brother to go play pool. Nina leaves the phone with Maja, taking you by the hand to the bar where she orders more drinks and drops them on Nico’s tab. Not that it matters, you doubt he pays for drinks here anyway.

“I’m gonna head to the restroom,” you tell her, and she takes your drink back to the closed off section. The bathrooms are in the opposite back corner, a group of girls huddled in front of the door so you line up behind them.

Your phone buzzes in hand, Nico’s contact lighting up the screen and you almost laugh. Of course he noticed you were missing.

I’ve lost my pretty girl

Biting your lip, you text back bathroom break ♥️

The typing dots pop up and you’re anxiously awaiting his response when the conversation around you catches your attention. Specifically the mention of Nico’s name.

“He’s still as hot as ever,” a dark haired girl in front of you comments, and you keep your eyes on your phone so they don’t think you’re eavesdropping.

“Do you think she’s actually with him or is that just another fuck you to his parents?”

Nico’s text comes through, but you can’t focus enough to read it. “I mean, she doesn’t look his type so who knows. Didn’t he say he wasn’t into commitment Lena?”

Out of the corner of your eye, a tall and leggy brunette twirls her hair around her finger and shrugs. “If he were into commitment don’t you think he’d be with me right now? It’s definitely just to piss off his parents, I mean did you see the size of her? Typical American girl.”

Suddenly you feel sick, like everything you’ve ever eaten is choking up in your throat and about to spew all over the mean girls in front of you.

“I heard he put her in the family,” a quieter voice says. “Timo was talking about it at the bar with Luca. He’s calling her his princess.”

The leader-Lena, scoffs. “Princess? She hasn’t even got a pendent let alone a ring.”

Maybe this why Nico doesn’t talk about his exes. They’re mean and petty little girls, girls that haven’t moved on in over 5 years. That doesn’t make it any easier to hear though.

“Probably another one of his deals. He fucks her, she pretends to be serious with him for a family trip.”

“Why would he decide to come back now with a fake girlfriend?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lena laughs, loud and proud. “He must have heard that I’m back at the estate.”

You decide that’s enough, pocketing your phone and clearing your throat. All the girls jump at the noise, turning to face you and you smile.

“Are you in line for the bathroom or just gossiping?” You ask politely, smirking as the color drains from all their faces. All except Lena, who looks you up and down before sheepishly nodding for you to go ahead.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” You say, stopping in the doorway to look at her. “You’d think Luca would have bathrooms strictly for family but I guess not.”

Embarrassed, they all laugh awkwardly and you close the door behind you. What the fuck?

~~~~

By the time you’ve returned to the booth, you’ve shaken off the word of those girls. You trust Nico, you know Nico loves you, and high school bullies that pick on girls weight and nationality aren’t going to change that.

Nico is still playing pool, but he catches your eye and winks as you settle in next to Nina. Smirking, you blow him a kiss before Nina is handing you music rights. Sipping on your drink, you pull up your playlist on your phone and find the Swiss songs Nico likes. Adding his favorite to the queue you hand the phone back.

“How do you know that song?” Maja asks you, chewing on the end of her straw. You take another sip of yours.

“Nico plays it every time we’re in the car.” You say, catching the eye of Lena over Maja’s shoulder. She simply raises an eyebrow you, throwing back whatever shot is in hand and purses her lips.

“Hey, do you guys know her?” You suddenly ask, nodding towards the bar where Lena is now perched over the top to steal cherries from behind the counter.

“Oh,” Nina mumbles, laughing awkwardly. “Rino does business with her father and uh…”

“She was into Nico?” You supply, glancing over at your boyfriend. Maja bites her lip, hesitantly nodding.

“She was supposed to marry him.” Nina tells you, lowering her gaze to the table. Suddenly it all clicks; the comments about sleeping with him, about him not committing, about using me.

The song changes, the beat immediately catching the attention of Nico who stands up taller and looks over at you. You smile, wiggling your fingers at him as Nina laughs.

“I never thought Nico could be so romantic.” Maja teases you, not that you get it. The rap song is lost on you, any translation you’ve tried to look up being even more confusing. So you just enjoy the beat of it usually.

“What?”

Nina laughs, finally realizing that you can’t understand Swiss German. “It’s a love song,” she tells you, and then she’s pulling up the lyrics and translating them for you.

It’s a lot of nonsense, cute tidbits about how the artist loves the habits and traits of his lover. But the chorus is sweet, a declaration of him finding love after being told he would always be on his own.

Unable to help yourself, you swallow down the rest of your drink and scramble out of the booth. Nico is watching you, bottom lip caught between his teeth as you approach him. He’s leaning on the pool stick but as soon as you get close he’s moving it aside.

You crash into him, bury your nose in his hoodie and holding his waist tightly. “What’s her deal?” Luca slurs, but he goes ignored. Nico squeezes you just once, swaying side to side in time with the song.

Closing your eyes, you think of him singing along in the car, humming it in the shower while he washes your hair for you, blasting it through the house when you two clean together.

“Who translated it for you?” He finally murmurs, his smile present in his tone.

“Your sister,” you say, resting your chin on his chest and looking up at him. He’s all white teeth and dimples when you meet his gaze, eyes glimmering with pride. “Her and Maja think you’re very romantic.”

Nico shrugs but doesn’t argue. The pool balls clink behind you and then Timo is hollering. “Game over Luca, pay up.”

Luca mutters something in Swiss, heading to the bar with his head low. You let go of Nico, giving Timo a chance to high five you both.

“Let me teach you to play,” Nico tells you, handing you the pool stick. You follow him to the end of the table, letting him show you how to rack up the balls. Timo chalks up your stick for you, tells you about the cue ball.

And you go about your night, teaming up with Nico to play Timo. He stands behind you for every shot, large hands over yours on the pool stick and his warm chest tight against your back.

It feels so good to have him wrapped around you that you don’t even notice the staring eyes of Lena and her friends.

And you don’t bring her up to Nico, though you probably should’ve.

Next

[lee-laurent]

Say Something Stupid like 'I love you' - Nico Hischier

Summary: nico has a past with the new devils intern. and she's bringing a surprise along with her

Content: one-night stands, angst, mentions of sex but no smut, pregnancy, drinking, mentions of gaslighting and manipulation

wc: 6.3k

notes: i'm reallyyyyyy trying to get over my writer's block. here's a nico fic! for all the nico girlies out there. i feel like it ended kind of abruptly but i was struggling at the end. so... enjoy

The bar was louder than Jean preferred, but it was her friend's birthday, so she didn't complain. She let the bass-heavy music shake her bones as she leaned on the counter, waiting for their drinks. Around her, groups of friends and clusters of strangers laughed and shouted over the noise, celebrating as though they had no care in the world. Jean might've felt the same, except that wasn't really her scene. She took a deep breath, checking her phone for any texts from her friend.

"Not a fan of crowded bars?"

Jean glanced up to see a guy standing beside her, a faint smirk on his lips. He had dark, tousled hair and warm brown eyes that made her think of autumn leaves. His accent, subtle but noticeable, made her pause.

"No, not really," she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "But it's my friend's birthday, so... here I am."

He nodded, his smile widening slightly. "I get that. I'm Nico, by the way."

"Jean," she offered, surprised at how easily her name rolled off her tongue. Usually, she wasn't so quick to engage with strangers, but there was something disarming about Nico's presence.

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, the chaos of the bar swirling around them. Jean glanced over at him, taking in his relaxed posture and the way he casually leaned against the counter, as though he was completely at ease in the noise and crowd.

"You don't seem like you're really into this whole scene either," she commented, tilting her head toward him.

Nico laughed softly, his shoulders shaking just slightly. "Not tonight, no. I'm here with some friends, though. We won a big game today, so we're celebrating."

"Oh, hockey?" Jean asked, eyebrows raised.

Nico nodded. "Yeah, hockey."

"I don't really follow it," she admitted, offering a small shrug. Assuming he was just talking about a beer league or something. Surely NHL players didn't hang around in bars like this one. "But congrats on the win."

"Thanks," he said, his eyes lighting up just a little at her words. "It was a good one."

The drinks finally arrived, and Jean handed the bartender a twenty before grabbing the glasses. She turned to Nico, feeling like she should say something else, but not sure what.

"Thanks for chatting. Good luck with your next game."

Nico's smirk returned, and he tilited his head slightly. "Don't you think we should make a toast first?"

Jean blinked. "A toast?"

"Yeah, to your friend's birthday," his eyes twinkled. "And, I guess, to us both surviving this bar tonight."

Jean couldn't help but laugh. "Alright. Sure, let's make a toast."

They clinked their glasses together, and Jean could feel her cheeks warming, though she wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or the way Nico looked at her. It was strange-- she had just met him, but something about him felt easy, like they had known each other longer.

"So," Nico said, setting his glass down after the toast, "what do you do when you're not getting dragged to crowded bars."

Jean grinned, leaning against the the bar and taking a sip of her drink. "I'm an intern. Physio stuff. Nothing too exciting, but it should keep me busy."

"Intern?" Nico asked, curious. "For what?"

She hesitated, not wanting to dive too deep into the job she had just started at the bar. "Let's just say it's a temporary gig, but one that's giving me some good experience."

He nodded, respecting her vagueness. "That's cool. Sounds like you're working hard."

They continued talking, conversation coming easily. Nico asked her about everything from her favourite music to what she liked to do in her free time, and Jean found herself laughing more than she expected. For someone who seemed so quiet at first, Nico had a way of drawing her out, making her feel comfortable despite the chaotic environment around them.

After a while, she realized she hadn't even glanced back at her friends. Jean's gaze flickered to the dance floor, where her group was still partying. Her friend wouldn't notice if she took a little longer at the bar, would she?

Nico must've noticed her distraction because he leaned in a little closer, his voice low. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jean replied, meeting his eyes. "Just thinking about how I'm probably gonna get dragged into dancing soon."

"Not a fan of dancing either?"

She grinned. "Not when it's this kind of music."

"I get that," Nico said, his voice soft, almost conspiratorial. "How about we skip the dancing?"

"What do you mean?"

Jean raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Let's get out of here," his tone more serious now. "Go somewhere quieter just the two of us."

For a moment, she hesitated, the noise of the bar fading into the background as she considered his offer. There something undeniably tempting about it--about him. She wasn't usually the type to leave a bar with someone she had just met, but tonight felt different. Nico wasn't pushing or pressuring her, just offering her a way out of the chaos.

"Alright. Let's go."

~~

Sunlight filled the room, the blinds not shut all the way. Jean blinked against the light, her mind fuzzy as she slowly came to her senses. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was--until the unfamiliar surroundings and the warmth of the body next to her brought everything rushing back.

Oh no.

She shifted slightly, careful not to wake him. Nico was still asleep, his chest rising and falling steadily. The sheets were tangled around him, and his hair was messy from sleep. He looked peaceful, oblivious to the fact that Jean was internally freaking out.

Last night. The bar. The conversation. The drinks. And then this.

Jean chewed her lip, mentally chastising herself. It wasn't like her to let things go this far with someone she barely knew, but there was something about Nico that had felt so... effortless. And now, here she was, in his bed, trying to figure out how to quietly slip out without making things more awkward than they already were.

She slowly slid out of bed, gathering her clothes from the floor. Her shirt was under his desk chair, and her jeans were halfway across the room. It felt like a scavenger hunt, and she couldn't help but mentally laugh at the situation. She dressed as quietly as possible, pulling on her shoes and grabbing her phone off the nightstand.

As she reached for her jacket, she heard Nico stir behind her. "Jean?"

She froze, cursing internally. Of course he's awake now.

Turning slowly, she forced a small smile. "Hey. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

Nico rubbed his eyes and propped himself up on his elbow, blinking groggily. "It's alright. You're leaving?"

"Yeah, I've got a... thing I need to get to." Jean slipped her jacket on, her fingers fumbling with the zipper. "Last night was fun, but I really should head out."

There was a pause, and Jean could see Nico trying to process the situation through his sleep-fogged brain. He didn't look hurt or upset, just... tired. "Right. Well, it was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, you too," she nodded.

She wasn't sure what else to say. There was an awkward tension in the air between them, and Jean's only instinct was to leave before it got worse. She opened the door and glanced back at Nico one last time. He gave her a faint smile before lying back down, eyes already closing.

Once she was out of the apartment and into the crisp morning air, Jean took a deep breath. She hadn't intended for things to end like this. Nico had been charming, sure, but she hadn't expected the night to go beyond casual drinks and conversation. And now? Well, she didn't even know if she'd ever see him again--or if she wanted to.

Jean flagged down a taxi, sliding into the backseat as she directed the driver towards her place. As she sat back, she tried to push the whole night out of her mind. She had work to focus on.

By the time she reached her apartment, Jean had almost convinced herself that the night with Nico had been a one-time thing. They'd had fun, shared a few laughs, but now it was over. She didn't expect to see him again, and that was fine. They both got what they wanted out of the night.

~~

As the door clicked shut behind Jean, Nico lay still, staring up at the ceiling. His body felt heavy, not just from alcohol or lack of sleep, but from the quiet, empty feeling that he felt since Jean departed.

He didn't know how to place what had happened. Sure, he'd had hookups in the past but the connection was never as instant as this. It wasn't just the physical attraction--though that was undeniable--but the way she had looked at him, as if she didn't care about who he was or the life he led. It was refreshing.

But now she was gone, and Nico was left with the unsettling sense that he'd let something slip through his fingers without even fully understanding what it was.

He pushed himself out of bed and headed for the shower, hoping the hot water would help clear his head. As the steam rose around him, Nico replayed the events of the night in his mind-- the drinks, the conversation... the way her body felt against his. Jean had been different, not like the people he met in his usual social circle.

But maybe it was better that she'd left. His life was complicated enough as it was, with the team, the pressure of being captain, and the constant judgement from the media and fans. He didn't have time to worry about someone he barely knew.

Yet, as he got dressed and prepared for the day, Nico couldn't shake the feeling that he hadn't seen the last of Jean. Something told him their paths would cross again--whether he was ready for it or not.

~~

Jean checked her reflection in the mirrored wall of the gym, adjusting her jacket and pulling her curly hair into a mostly-tamed ponytail. Today was her first official day as a physiotherapy intern with the New Jersey Devils, and nerves were starting to bubble in her chest. She had landed the position after months of hard work and interviews, and now it was time to prove herself.

Taking a deep breath, Jean grabbed her clipboard and headed toward the rink. She had been excited about this internship since day one. Despite knowing nothing about hockey before landing the role, she had done her research on how the game was played (but not the players...) and she was ready to work alongside some of the best athletes in the league. Her goal was clear--make a good impression, learn as much as she could, make connections, and avoid all unnecessary drama.

She stepped into the rink, the cool air making her shiver in comparison to the warm gym. The team was already out on the ice, practicing drills and shooting pucks. Jean watched them skate for a moment, her eyes following the blur of players weaving in and out of drills with expert precision. Even though she wasn't a hockey fan, she couldn't help but be impressed by their skill and athleticism.

"Hey, you must be Jean, the new intern?" A friendly voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Jean turned to see a woman in a Devils polo approaching, smiling warmly. "I'm Sarah. I'll be showing you around today."

"Yeah, that's me," Jean replied, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm excited to get started."

Sarah led Jean to the bench, explaining some of the basic protocols and introducing her to the trainers she'd be working with. Jean did her best to absorb everything, nodding along and taking mental notes. She was ready to dive into her duties, determined to make a good first impression.

"So, you'll be working with some of the players on rehab and maintenance," Sarah said. "It can get busy, especially after games, but the guys are great. Just be prepared for anything--they're a competitive bunch."

"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up."

As they continued talking, the sound of skates scraping the ice grew louder. The practice was winding down, and players were making their way off the rink, their skates clattering against the floor as they moved toward the locker room. Jean watched as they passed by, mentally trying to match faces to the names she'd heard around.

And then, her stomach dropped.

Because walking toward her, wiping sweat from his brow and looking just as surprised as she felt, was Nico.

Oh my god. Of all people.

Jean wanted to die as they locked eyes. She hadn't recognized him the night they met at the bar, and she doubted he had mentioned being the captain of a professional hockey team during the brief conversation. Now, standing just a few feet away, it all clicked into place. Nico wasn't just some guy from the bar--he was Nico Hischier, captain of New Jersey Devils, and her new client.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The shock on Nico's face mirrored her own. Jean quickly tore her eyes away, focusing intently on the clipboard in her hands, pretending to check something, anything, to avoid his gaze.

Sarah, oblivious to the silent standoff, continued her tour, explaining the rest of the setup. Jean nodded along, silently replaying the events of that night with a new clarity. She hadn't known Nico was part of the team, and judging by his expression, he hadn't known she'd end up here either.

"Jean," Sarah said, pulling her back to the present. "This is Nico, the team captain. Nico, this is Jean, our new physiotherapy intern. You'll probably be working together quite a bit."

Oh no.

Jean smiled stiffly, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. "Nice to meet you," she managed, forcing the words out as she looked up at him.

Nico gave a slow nod, "Yeah. Nice to meet you too."

The way he said it--cool, calm, but with a twinge of something else--sent a shiver down Jean's spine. There was a tension there, one she wasn't sure how to navigate. They had shared a night together, but now, under these circumstances, it felt like that connection was suddenly loaded with a meaning neither of them had signed up for.

"Alright, let's head to the training room," Sarah continued, still unaware of the awkwardness. "We'll get you set up for your first session."

Jean followed Sarah, she could feel Nico's eyes on her as they walked away, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. She hadn't expected to see him again, much less like this.

~~

Nico couldn't believe it. Jean? Here? He hadn't even thought about her since the morning she left his apartment, figuring it was a one-time thing. But now she was here, working with the team? As a physiotherapy intern, no less?

Part of him wanted to confront her right then and there, to demand to know why she hadn't mentioned anything about working for the Devils. But another part--the part that was still processing everything--told him to stay quiet.

He shook his head in frustration. He couldn't shake the feeling that she had kept something from him, that she'd known all along who he was. Maybe that's why she hadn't mentioned much about work during their conversation. It made sense now--why else would she have ended up here, of all places?

Nico grabbed his gear and headed to the locker room, his thoughts still spinning. He didn't know what Jean's game was, but whatever it was, he wasn't about to play along. He had enough on his plate already, and the last thing he needed in his life was more drama.

~~

As soon as Jean entered the training room, she leaned against the counter, trying to steady her breathing. This couldn't be happening. Not only had she slept with one of the team's most important players, but that player also happened to be her new boss, in a way. She could barely wrap her head around it.

How was she supposed to work with Nico now? There was no way he wasn't upset about this, judging by the way he'd looked at her. He probably thought she'd planned this, that she'd known who he was all along.

The last thing she wanted was for Nico to think she had some ulterior motive. That night had been spontaneous--she hadn't even known what position he played, let alone that he was the captain of the Devils. Now she'd have to navigate the situation without letting it affect her job. Easier said than done.

~~

The next few days passed in a blur. Jean had tried her best to keep things professional, focusing on her duties as an intern, but every time Nico was in the room, the air felt heavier, like there was someone sitting on both of their chests.

She had avoided making eye contact with him as much as possible, always redirecting her focus to other players or her clipboard when he walked into the room. The last thing she needed was to stir up any drama in her first week there.

But ignoring Nico wasn't easy.

Every time he came into the training room for his post-practice treatments, she felt his presence like a magnet. The tension between them wasn't just awkward--it was unbearable. Her body would go stiff, her words would fumble, and she'd feel her heart race like it had that night at the bar. Except now, it wasn't excitement that caused her pulse to speed up; it was anxiety.

Jean was doing a decent job of keeping her distance, but eventually that plan went out the window.

It had been a long practice. The players filed into the training room, exhausted, sweaty, and in need of ice baths, massages, and whatever treatments the physio team could offer. As Jean worked on helping a player stretch, she noticed Nico walking in, catching her off guard.

She refocused, pretending she didn't see him, but her concentration shattered when she heard a voice nearby.

"Jean."

The tone was clipped, almost cold.

Her heart dropped to her stomach. She turned slowly, meeting Nico's eyes, which were hard and unreadable. He was standing just a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest, looking like he was barely holding back his frustration.

"Can we talk?"

She knew exactly what he wanted to talk about.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Jean replied, her throat dry as she nodded toward the back of the room. "Let's step over here."

She could feel the eyes of a few players on her as she walked past, but she kept her head down, not wanting to make the situation more public than it already felt. They stepped into the small office space at the back of the training room, and Jean could feel how heavy the air was as she clicked the door shut.

Nico crossed his arms again, leaning against the desk as his gaze bore into her. "Why didn't you tell me you worked here?"

Jean blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of the question. "I--I didn't know. I mean, I didn't know you were on the team when we..."

She trailed off, realizing how difficult it was to even say it out loud.

Nico's eyes narrowed. "So, you're telling me you just happened to hook up with the captain of the Devils a few days before starting an internship here? You expect me to believe that was just a coincidence?"

Jean felt her frustration bubble up. "It was a coincidence. I didn't even know who you were, Nico. My friend dragged me to the bar that night. I didn't know a thing about hockey, let alone that you were a professional player."

Nico shook his head, his jaw clenching. "It just seems pretty convenient, don't you think?"

"Convenient?" Jean's voice rose slightly, her pulse quickening. "Nico, I'm here to do my job. I got this internship on my own merit. I didn't come here for you."

He stood there, silent, and she could see the gears turning in his head. His arms uncrossed, his expression softening slightly. "I just... it feels like you kept something from me."

"I didn't keep anything from you. I didn't know. If I had, I probably wouldn't have even..." She stopped herself, realizing she was about to say too much. "Look, I'm here for work, okay? Whatever happened between us that night was just that--one night. Can we not make this a bigger deal than it is?"

He wanted to believe her--she could see that--but something was holding him back.

Jean waited for him to say something, but when he didn't, she sighed and moved back towards the door. "I'm going to get back into work. We don't have to do this every time we're in the same room."

She opened the door, but just before stepping out, she heard Nico speak again, his voice softer this time. "Jean."

She paused but didn't turn around.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

Jean closed her eyes for a moment, letting his words sink in. Then, without another word, she left the room.

Nico sat down on the bench after she left, his head in his hands. Damn it. He hadn't meant to sound so accusatory, but the whole situation was messing with his head. He'd assumed he'd never see her again, as fun as their night was.

But now here she was, working with the team, and it felt like everything had turned upside down.

He wanted to believe her. Wanted to believe that she didn't know who he was, that their meeting was just some random chance. But his gut was telling him otherwise. Years in the spotlight had made him suspicious of people's motives, and it was hard to shake that feeling.

But what now? Could they really just go back to pretending that night hadn't happened? And even if they did, could he ignore the way he felt every time she was in the same room as him?

He groaned, rubbing his temples. This wasn't what he needed right now. With the season in full swing and the pressure mounting, the last thing he wanted was a distraction--especially one in the form of a 5'4" physio intern.

Jean leaned against the wall outside the training room. She didn't know what Nico expected from her. She had been honest--she hadn't known who he was, and she certainly hadn't planned for their lives to tangle like this. But it seemed like no matter what she said, Nico would still have that doubt hanging over him.

This internship was her chance to prove herself, to build a career for herself in sports therapy, and she was not going to let a one-night stand ruin that. But how could she work in this environment with Nico constantly questioning her motives?

She pushed herself off the wall, straightening her jacket. She would handle this like a professional--keep her head down, do her job, and avoid any more drama with Nico.

~~

It had been a few weeks since her confrontation with Nico, and things had settled into an uneasy rhythm. Jean still managing to avoid him as much as possible, focused on her work and trying to put everything else behind her. They kept their distance.

But lately, Jean hadn't been feeling like herself. She was exhausted all the time, her appetite was off, and every morning, a wave of nausea seemed to hit her the second she got out of bed. At first, she chalked it up to stress--between dealing with Nico and trying to prove herself at work, it made sense that her body was a bit upset with her.

Then she realized her period was late. Very late.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Jean stared at the calendar app on her phone, counting the days. The realization hit her like a truck.

No. There was no way.

Her hands shook as she tossed her phone aside and quickly got dressed. There was no sense in waiting. Either she was pregnant or she wasn't. There was no inbetween here.

The drugstore was a blur, her heart in her throat as she made her way down the aisle, grabbing a pregnancy test off the shelf and heading straight to a cash register. The cashier rang her up without a word, and before she knew it, she was back in her apartment, staring at the small box like it was a ticking time bomb.

She took a long, deep breath, ripping the box open and reading the instructions, though she didn't really need to. She already knew how it worked. She just didn't want to face the possibility of what those two little lines might mean.

A few minutes later, she sat on the floor of her bathroom, the test clutched in her hands. The seconds felt like hours as she waited for the result, her heart pounding in her ears.

Finally, she looked down.

Two lines. Positive.

She forgot how to breathe, the room seeming to tilt around her. She blinked, staring at the test in disbelief. Pregnant. She was pregnant.

This couldn't be happening. She wasn't ready for this--she had just started her career, barely knew what she was doing, and now... this? And then, as if on cue, another thought pushed its way through: Nico.

Oh my god. Nico.

She hadn't seen much of him lately, but there was no escaping this. He had to know. It wasn't just her life that was about to change--it was his, too.

Jean sat there for a long minute, staring blankly at the test, trying to process the new information. She knew what she would have to do. She had to tell Nico. There was no way around it.

Or she could just flee the country and--

No, she had to tell Nico.

~~

Jean found herself standing outside the locker room after practice, her heart racing as she clutched the little plastic stick in her bag. She had rehearsed the conversation in her head a thousand times, but now that she was there, the words seemed to vanish.

The door swung open, and she saw Nico walking out, towel slung around his neck, still dripping from the shower. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her standing there, his expression unreadable.

"Jean." His voice was cautious, and she could clearly make out the hestitation in his eyes. Neither of them had spoken much since their argument, but now, the tension felt even thicker than before.

"I need to talk to you."

He nodded slowly, stepping aside to let her in. He led her down the hall to a more private corner, where the noise of the players faded away. Jean took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag as she tried to find the right words.

"Nico," she started, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to stay calm. "I didn't want to have this conversation like this, but... there's something you need to know."

Nico's postured stiffened, his brow furrowed. "What is it?"

Jean swallowed hard and reached into her bag, pulling out the test. She held it up, her heart rattling her bones. "I'm pregnant."

For a second, Nico just stared at her, his eyes widening as he registered what she'd just said. He looked at the test in her hand, then back at her face, as if waiting for her to tell him it was a joke.

But it wasn't.

"You're... what?" His voice was low, disbelieving, as if he couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

"I'm pregnant," she repeated, her throat tightening as she said the words out loud. "And it's yours."

Nico took a step back, running a hand through his damp hair, his expression changing every second. "How? I mean... we were careful. Right?"

Jean shook her head, feeling a lump form in her throat. "I thought so too, but... things happen. Condoms break. And now..." She trailed off, not sure what else to say. The truth was staring them both in the face, and there was no avoiding it.

Nico let out a sharp breath, "So, what now? You expect me to just... what, drop everything and deal with this?"

"No, Nico. I'm not asking for anything. I just thought you had a right to know."

His voice rose, "Right to know? You drop this on me and think it's just about telling me? Jean, this changes everything. I--"

He stopped himself, running his hands over his face as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check. When he looked over at her again, his eyes were filled with something darker, something that made Jean's stomach twist with dread.

"Did you do this on purpose?" he asked, his voice quieter, but no less harsh.

"What? No! How could you even think that?"

"I don't know," Nico snapped. "But this whole thing... it just feels off. You show up here, you get this job, and now, suddenly, you're pregnant? It's too much of a coincidence."

"You think I planned this? That I wanted to trap you or something?"

"I don't know, Jean," he shook his head. "But you have to admit, this timing is--"

"Don't," Jean cut him off, her voice trembling with emotion. "Don't accuse me of something like that. I didn't plan this, and I certainly didn't expect this to happen. Do you think I want to be in this position? Do you think I'm thrilled about this? Because I'm not."

Nico stared at her, his jaw clenched tight, but he didn't say anything. The silence between them was thick and heavy, filled with everything they weren't saying, and everything they were too afraid to admit.

"I came to you because I thought you deserved to know," she continued. "But if you can't even trust me enough to believe this wasn't some scheme, then maybe this was a mistake."

Nico opened his mouth to say something, but Jean didn't give him a chance. She shook her head, turning on her heel and walking out of the locker room before the tears she had been holding back could fall.

He stood there, frozen, as she walked out. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind still processing the news.

Pregnant. She was pregnant.

And it was his.

He sank onto the bench, running a hand through his hair, his breath coming in short bursts. This wasn't how he expected his life to go. He wasn't ready for this--hell, he didn't even know how to process it. But Jean... her words echoed in his head, over and over again.

I didn't plan this. I certainly didn't expect this to happen.

He wanted to believe her. He really did. But his trust had been shaken too many times before, and now, with this bombshell, he didn't know how to handle it. He wasn't ready to be a father. He wasn't ready for the responsibility that came with that. But ready or not, this was happening. And no matter how confused or scared he was, he had to figure out how to deal with it. Because whatever he was feeling, Jean was feeling 100 times worse.

~~

The days after her confrontation with Nico were a blur for Jean. She threw herself into her work, doing her best to push the pregnancy--and Nico's harsh words--out of her mind. But it wasn't easy. Every morning brought a fresh wave of vomitting and a reminder of the reality she was living.

She was pregnant. And Nico's reaction had shattered whatever fragile understanding they had left.

Her body was feeling the effects, and every small change was another punch to the face. She was on her own now, and it terrified her. She had spent sleepless nights wondering if Nico would come around or if she would have to face this all on her own.

But how could he accuse her of something so cruel? After everything, he thought she'd tried to trap him, as if she was that kind of person. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt.

And yet, despite everything, part of her still wanted to reach out. To hear him say he didn't mean it. But the silence between them stretched on, and Jean knew better than to hope for an apology that might never come.

Nico hadn't been himself since Jean dropped the news. He tried to focus on hockey, tried to throw himself into practice and games, but it wasn't working. His mind was always somewhere else, replaying Jean showing him the test.

He had fucked up. He knew it.

After Jean had walked out, he had sat there for what felt like hours, going over everything in his head. The way she looked at him when she told him she was pregnant--the hurt in her voice when he accused her of trapping him. And the worst part? He knew she was telling the truth. Deep down, he knew she hadn’t planned any of this.

But his fear had gotten the better of him. The weight of his responsibilities as team captain, his career, his life in the public eye--it had all come crashing down the moment Jean told him she was pregnant, and instead of handling it with maturity, he had lashed out.

He had always been guarded, always cautious about letting people in. Too many times, he'd been burned by people that only cared about his status. But Jean wasn't like that. She hadn't even known who he was when they met. She hadn't wanted anything from him--at least, not until now.

Now, she was carrying his child, and instead of being there for her, he had accused her of manipulating him.

"You're an idiot, Hischier," he mumbled to himself as he sat alone in the locker room after practice. He didn't know how to fix this, but he knew he had to do something. He couldn't leave things like this--not with Jean, and not with the baby.

He wasn't ready to be a father. Hell, he didn't even know where to begin. But ready or not, this was happening, and he couldn't just shut it out and walk away from it.

Taking a deep breath, Nico pulled out his phone and stared at Jean's name in his contacts. She'd given it to all the players in case they ever needed to schedule a last minute appointment. His thumb hovered over the screen for a moment before he finally worked up the courage to send a message.

Can we talk?

Jean was in the middle of finishing up a session with Dawson when her phone buzzed. She glanced down, considering ignoring it when she saw Nico's name. Wanting him to feel the way she did when she first found out. But her curiousity--and the small part of her that still thought he'd apologize--won out.

She opened the message, reading his simple yet heavy request. She sighed, weighing her options. Part of her wanted to tell him no, to make him feel the rejection she had been feeling. But she wasn't that kind of person, and this wasn't just about her anymore. She had to do what was best for her baby.

Ok. When?

His response was immediate. After practice tomorrow. I'll meet you at the training room.

She wasn't sure what to expect from this conversation, but she had to find out where they stood. She had to know if he was going to step up or leave this for her to manage on her own.

~~

Jean didn't really want to have this conversation, but she knew she had to. She had felt angry, hurt, and confused for days now. Whatever happened next, she knew she had to handle it.

Nico arrived after a few minutes, looking as tired and conflicted as she was. His eyes met hers, but neither of them spoke. Everything felt heavy and uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry," Nico blurted out. "For what I said. For how I reacted."

Jean just blinked, caught off guard by his apology. She hadn't expected one to come at all, let alone this quickly.

"I was scared. I freaked out. I'm not proud of it, but I did. This wasn't something I had ever imagined happening to me, and I... I didn't handle it well.

She nodded slowly, listening to everything he had to say. She could hear the sincerity in his voice, the guilt that had been eating at him. But it didn't erase the pain of what he'd said before.

"I didn't want to hurt you. And I didn't mean what I said. I don't think you trapped me. I don't think you planned this."

"You really hurt me, Nico. I didn't ask for this either. I wasn't trying to ruin your life or mess with your career. I was just as shocked as you were."

"I know. I know that now. And I'm sorry. I've been a fucking idiot."

"What happens now?"

Nico rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't know. But I do know that I'm not going to walk away from this. From you. I... I'm scared, Jean. I've never been this scared in my life. I don't know what I'm doing. But I want to figure it out. I want to be there."

Jean felt some relief wash over her, but she wasn't ready to let go of all her reservations quite yet. "You don't have to have all the answers right now, Nico. But I need to know you're going to be there. For me and for our baby."

"I will. I promise."

There was still so much they had to figure out, so many challenges ahead, but at least they were on the same page. At least now, they were facing everything together.

[theemporium]

im not sure if we’re allowed to combine prompts, so if we’re not, then feel free to choose!

can i request a violet fluff 💜 with nicojack??

"Come back to bed."

"Please, never apologise for wanting to be loved."

thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

49. “Come back to bed.”

.

It was late.

The game ended hours ago, a brutal loss to the Devils that stung for everyone—the players, the coaches, the fans. It was a game of stupid mistakes and missed opportunities and it laid heavy on everyone’s shoulders as the seats at the Prudential Center emptied after the final buzzer sounded through the arena. 

It was bad, but it wasn’t season-breaking. It was still in the early months of the season, they had time to recover from the loss and move up. And all things considered with how the last season went, things were looking bright for the Devils chances to clinch a playoff spot and have a solid foot through the door for the Stanley Cup.

But that didn’t stop Jack’s brain from spiralling the second he stepped off the ice after the heartbreaking loss. 

Everyone could see the way he closed off and it wasn’t unusual. They were competitive athletes, it was in their DNA to thrive and push and aim for the win. It was disappointing when they didn’t get it. It was normal for them to just have moments to themselves to come to terms with the game before leaving it in the past and moving on.

But Jack couldn’t seem to let go. 

It was borderline obsessive the way he was watching tapes from a game he played hours ago, watching the same clips over and over and over again like he could somehow rewrite the outcome. Even getting him to eat dinner was a struggle, the boy uninterested and untempted by the plate lying beside him. 

You thought maybe he needed to sleep it off, that maybe he would talk to you or Nico in the morning. 

Instead, you woke up at three in the morning to find his side of the bed empty and Nico just as confused as he tried to blink away the sleep from his eyes. 

“Where’s Jack?” Nico grumbled, biting back a yawn as he reached towards the empty spot in bed, the sheets now cold.

“I can take a guess,” you murmured, throwing your legs over the side of the bed and wincing slightly at the cool floorboards beneath your feet before you walked out towards the living room. 

It was unsurprising to find Jack sat on the couch, tablet in hand and eyes glued to the screen. His shoulders were tense, his posture was horrible and his lips looked red and raw from biting down on them so much. 

“Babe,” you called out in a soft voice, watching Jack jump out of his skin as he turned to find both of you standing in the doorway. 

“Oh, hey,” he cleared his throat, his cheeks flushing a little when he realised he had been caught. “Couldn’t sleep?” 

“Jack,” you scolded in a soft voice.

“Schat, this isn’t healthy,” Nico frowned as he took in the scene in front of him, brows furrowed and concern written across his face. “I know you’re upset about the game—”

“I lost us that game,” Jack whispered, his voice breaking. “Look at all these mistakes! You kept setting me up and I kept fumbling and—”

“Hey,” Nico shook his head, rounding the couch until he was kneeling in front of Jack. He took the younger boy’s face in his hands, his thumbs soothing over his cheeks. “Everyone makes mistakes. It’s not one person’s fault. We are a team. We win together, we fail together. You know that.”

Jack swallowed harshly. “I know but—”

“No,” he frowned. “Together, Jack. You can’t keep kicking yourself about this. Not like this, okay?” 

He nodded softly. “Okay.” 

“Come back to bed,” Nico murmured as he stood up, pulling the boy up with him as they shuffled towards where you were standing.

“I’m a part of that together too, by the way,” you commented as Jack approached you, sinking into your embrace as you wrapped your arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

“Of course, babe,” he rasped, letting out a sigh as he leaned his head on your shoulder. “M’taking middle spot, by the way.”

You snorted. “Fine. Just this once.”

.

[raphael-angele]

If Hades raised Nico and Bianca Part 31 (Gay)

Mini Headcanon: Since Nico and Bianca are also Persephone's kids, they technically count in the Demeter children so they can sit in the Demeter table

At the Demeter table:

Will: Hey, Nico

Nico: Oh, hey, Will. *wipes food from his mouth, trying to act cool*

Will: Uh...Lou Ellen and I were gonna head over to the Apollo cabin's table. You wanna join?

Nico: Oh, I- uh- *looks at Bianca*

Bianca: Go ahead

Nico: *secretly excited* Cool, cool. Sure, why not? *goes with them to the Apollo table*

Bianca, watching Nico from afar: I never understood crushes

Katie: What do you mean?

Bianca: Like...how can you just look at someone and just...feel that way?

Katie: Well, love is complicated. But that's the Aphrodite cabin's territory. So, can't really say much

Bianca: I just don't get how you just see them and your whole day is made.

Zoë: Hello, Bianca

Bianca: *turns to her and instantly fixes her posture and fixes her hair* Zoë! Hey, hi.

Katie:

Zoë: *softly chuckles* What are you doing here? We've been waiting for you at our table.

Bianca: *small blush* O-our table?

Zoë: Yes, the one designated for those who reside in the Artemis cabin?

Bianca: Right! Right, right. Uhm...sure. I'll be right there.

Zoë: ...alright, then. *walks away*

Bianca: *picks up her plate and follows her* Sorry, hope you don't mind.

Katie:

[bloodreinasbathwater]

The Art & The Muse

Pairing: Luke Hughes x Artist!Reader

a:n took me forever to post this because I thought it was so boring (overthinking) and my Nico fic has taken up so much time, but here she is the artist and Luke in the official part 1.

Masterlist Link

Summary: A struggling artist finds inspiration in the most unexpected place - a painting class which the famous Luke Hughes has joined. y/n is in awe at his beauty, finding herself fascinated by his masculine beauty.

Part 1

word count - 3500

Y/N's fingers gripped the charcoal pencil with practiced ease as she surveyed the blank canvas before her, a slight furrow in her brow. Around her, the chatter of the other students filled the air, but she found herself quickly tuning it all out, her focus narrowing to the task at hand.

In her mind's eye, she could already see the image she wanted to create: a solitary figure standing on the precipice of a towering cliff, their gaze lost in the vast expanse of the ocean below. It was a scene that had haunted her dreams for weeks, and she couldn't wait to bring it to life.

She shook her head, ridding herself of any new ideas for the time being. This painting class was meant to learn a new perspective, to master the art of realism that had eluded her for the past two years. Her company had been nagging her relentlessly to deliver a new collection, and she knew she needed to regain her focus.

The class had begun, and the instructor - a petite woman with a warm smile and thick accent - was busy demonstrating techniques for sketching the live model posing at the front of the room.

Y/N nodded along absently, her eyes flickering toward the model, but it wasn't long before her gaze was drawn elsewhere.

"Alright, class, let's start with the basics," the instructor said, her voice lilting with an exotic flair. "Pay close attention to the model's posture, the way the light hits their skin. These are the details that will bring your sketch to life."

Y/N hummed in acknowledgement, but her focus had already shifted. Three easels down, sat a man who had immediately captured her attention the moment he'd walked through the door.

His sandy brown curls peeked out from under a well-worn beanie, and his strong, angular features were enough to make Y/N's breath catch in her throat.

She knew she shouldn't stare, that it was rude to ignore the instructor's guidance, but she simply couldn't tear her eyes away. There was something magnetic about this man, from the way he held his charcoal pencil between calloused fingers to the intense focus etched into the lines of his face as he worked.

The instructor had moved on to demonstrating color mixing, but Y/N barely registered the words.

Before she could stop herself, Y/N's hand began to move across the canvas, charcoal leaving bold strokes in its wake. She sketched the curve of his jaw, the slope of his nose, the mesmerizing fullness of his lips. Each line was infused with a reverence, a fascination that had taken hold of her very being.

As the instructor continued to walk the room, offering guidance and critiques, Y/N found herself falling further and further under the spell of this enigmatic stranger.

She should have been following along, observing the live model and honing her own technique, but something about this man had utterly captivated her.

The sharp planes of his shoulders, the flex of muscle in his forearm as he worked - Y/N drank it all in, her fingers moving with a fervor that belied her usual cool, composed demeanor.

This was no longer just a simple sketching exercise; it had transformed into an exploration, a quest to unravel the mysteries hidden within every inch of this man's captivating form.

Y/N's brow furrowed in concentration, her tongue peeking out from between her lips as she navigated the delicate shadows and contours of his features.

She knew, deep down, that this was a risky endeavor - what if he caught her staring? What would the other students think? - but in that moment, none of it mattered.

"Wonderful work, class! Now, let's move on to adding depth and dimension with shading."

Y/N risked another glance in his direction, her breath catching in her throat as she noticed him glance up, his intense gaze sweeping the room.

For a moment, their eyes met, and Y/N felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her. His brow furrowed slightly, as if he'd sensed her scrutiny, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Oh Jesus Christ, get a grip," she muttered under her breath, determinedly keeping her eyes fixed on her own canvas.

As the class wore on, Y/N found herself growing increasingly distracted, her sketches growing sloppy and unfocused. The instructor's critiques sailed over her head, her mind too preoccupied with unravelling the mystery of the alluring stranger.

Finally, the lesson drew to a close, and Y/N let out a quiet sigh of relief. Quickly, she gathered her supplies, eager to make a hasty exit before the man had a chance to notice her. But just as she turned to leave, a flash of movement caught her eye.

There he was, standing just a few feet away, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, suspended in a charged silence.

Then, before Y/N could react, he took a step forward, a curious expression on his face.

"Hi," he said, his voice low and velvety smooth. "I'm Luke."

…

Y/N took a deep, steadying breath as she pushed open the glass doors of the towering office building, the sleek marble floors and modern decor greeting her with an air of cool professionalism. Squaring her shoulders, she strode purposefully towards the elevator bank, her heels clicking against the polished tiles.

As she waited for the elevator, Y/N could feel the familiar fluttering of nerves in the pit of her stomach. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation, she knew that much.

Her reps had been hounding her for months, pressuring her to deliver a new collection. It was the same old song and dance - her art was in high demand, and her company was eager to capitalize on her success.

The elevator dinged, and Y/N stepped inside, her fingers drumming anxiously against the railing as it carried her up to the 15th floor. When the doors finally slid open, she made her way down the plush carpeted hallway, the sound of her heels muffled.

Approaching the sleek wooden doors of her company's offices, she paused for a moment, taking another deep breath to steel her nerves.

"You can do this," she murmured to herself, before pushing open the doors and stepping into the reception area.

The secretary, a prim-looking woman with a severe bun, looked up from her computer screen, her eyebrows arching slightly at Y/N's arrival. "Ms. Y/N," she said, her tone clipped. "They're expecting you."

Y/N nodded, forcing a polite smile as she moved to take a seat on one of the plush leather couches that adorned the waiting area. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, betraying the anxiety that roiled within her. This wasn't the first time she'd been summoned to this office, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.

Time seemed to crawl by as she sat there, the tick of the clock on the wall the only sound that broke the stifling silence. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the secretary rose from her desk.

"They'll see you now," she announced, gesturing towards the ornate double doors that led to the executive offices.

Y/N rose on shaky legs, taking one last steadying breath before pushing open the doors and stepping inside. The plush, wood-paneled office was exactly as she remembered - imposing and intimidating, a physical manifestation of the power wielded by the company that controlled her artistic future.

Seated behind the massive mahogany desk were three stern-faced individuals, their piercing gazes fixed squarely on her. Y/N felt her heart hammering in her chest as she approached, each step feeling heavier than the last.

"Thank you for coming, Y/N," the man in the center spoke, his voice level but tinged with a subtle edge of impatience. "We have some...concerns we'd like to discuss with you."

Y/N nodded mutely, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides as she braced herself for the impending confrontation. The three figures seated before her - the company's CEO, CFO, and head of marketing - regarded her with a disconcerting blend of expectation and exasperation.

"As you know, Y/N," the CEO began, steepling his fingers atop the gleaming desktop, "your work has been in incredibly high demand these past few years. Your paintings have become the talk of the art world, and our company has greatly benefited from your success."

Y/N felt a prickle of unease creep up her spine. She knew where this was heading, and it made her stomach churn with dread.

"However," the man continued, his brow furrowing slightly, "we've noticed a...concerning trend as of late. It's been months since your last major release, and our clients are growing restless." He paused, his steely gaze boring into her. "To be blunt, they're demanding new work. And that's where our concern lies."

Y/N opened her mouth, scrambling for a response, but the CFO cut her off with a raise of his hand.

"We've been patient, Y/N, but our patience is wearing thin. You're our biggest asset, our crown jewel. And frankly, we can't afford to have you sitting idle." He leaned forward, his expression grim. "There's been...talk of other artists who may be able to provide the output we need. Artists who are hungrier, more prolific than you."

Y/N's heart sank like a stone. She knew exactly who they were referring to - Jacob, a rising star in the art world whose bold, innovative style had been the talk of the industry for months. He'd been aggressively courting her company, and by the sounds of it, they were seriously considering his overtures.

"I...I understand your concern," Y/N managed, hating the way her voice wavered. "But I can assure you, I'm working on a new collection as we speak. In fact, I have one more painting to finish, and then I'll have the entire series ready for you."

The three executives exchanged a loaded glance, their expressions unreadable. Finally, the CEO leaned back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, that's...excellent news, Y/N. We're pleased to hear it." He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "Of course, we'll need to see the completed works as soon as possible. You understand the urgency of the situation, I'm sure."

Y/N nodded mutely, her mouth suddenly dry. "Absolutely. I'll have everything ready by my deadline."

"Wonderful." The CEO rose from his seat, his two colleagues following suit. "We look forward to seeing what you've created. Don't disappoint us, Y/N."

As they filed out of the office, Y/N felt a heavy weight settle in the pit of her stomach. She'd lied through her teeth, and they all knew it. But what choice did she have? Her career, her very livelihood, hung in the balance. She had to deliver, no matter the cost.

…

Luke’s pov

Luke pushed open the front door of the apartment he shared with his older brother Jack, the familiar sounds of chatter and laughter immediately greeting him. However, as he stepped inside, the first thing that caught his eye was an unfamiliar figure curled up on their couch beside Jack.

She was a striking woman, with fiery red hair that spilled over her shoulders in lush waves. Her features were bold and angular, with a nose that seemed slightly disproportionate to the rest of her face. Luke couldn't help but stare for a moment, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Hey?" he said quietly, the lilt in his voice making it sound more like a question than a greeting.

Jack perked up at the sound, a mischievous smile spreading across his lips as he lightly pushed the woman off his shoulder. Turning around, he draped his chest over the back of the couch, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Lukey! There you are," he exclaimed. "How was the class?"

Luke glanced down at his hands, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "Uh, it was fine, I guess," he mumbled. "I, uh, actually met a girl there."

Jack's grin widened, his eyebrows waggling suggestively. "A girl, huh? Do tell!"

"It wasn't that serious," Luke hurried to clarify, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "I just...I caught her staring at me a couple times, that's all."

"Ooh, a secret admirer!" Jack crowed, practically bouncing in his seat. "Way to go, bro! So, what's she like? Is she cute?"

Luke shrugged, fighting the urge to fidget under his brother's intense scrutiny. "I don't know, I didn't really get a chance to talk to her much. She seemed nice, I guess."

Jack let out a dramatic sigh, shaking his head in exasperation. "Typical Luke, always so reserved. Come on, man, give me the juicy details! What did she look like? Was there any, you know, chemistry?" He waggled his eyebrows again, and the woman beside him giggled coyly.

Luke felt his cheeks burning, suddenly wishing he could just disappear. "I don't know, Jack," he grumbled. "She left before I had a chance to ask much, it was just a painting class, that's all. Nothing special."

"Aw, don't be like that." Jack reached out and gave Luke's arm a playful shove. "You gotta put yourself out there more, bro. How else are you gonna meet someone?"

Luke opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the woman beside Jack piped up, her voice sugary sweet. "Maybe I could help you with that, handsome."

Luke blinked, his gaze snapping to her as he realized she was addressing him. "Uh, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," he mumbled, mentally kicking himself for his lack of social grace.

The woman giggled again, batting her eyelashes coyly. "I'm Amber. It's so nice to meet you, Luke."

Both Luke and Jack shared an incredulous look, their brows furrowing in matching expressions of confusion.

Luke stood still, his shoulders tensing as he registered Amber's words. "What do you mean by that?" he cringed, his tone laced with suspicion.

Amber giggled again, seemingly oblivious to the brothers' discomfort. "Well, I just thought maybe I could help you find a special someone," she purred, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "After all, a handsome guy like you shouldn't be single, right?"

Luke's features soured into a sour expression as he awaited her answer. "I, uh, I'm not really looking for -"

"Whoa, whoa, hold up," Jack cut in, holding up a hand. "Are you trying to set my brother up or something?"

Amber turned her gaze to Jack, seemingly delighted by the interruption. "Well, I just thought it would be fun! You know, double dates and all that."

Luke felt his stomach twist with discomfort. This was the last thing he needed - some random woman trying to play matchmaker. He opened his mouth, fully prepared to shut down the idea, when Jack beat him to the punch.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but that's not really our thing," Jack said, his usual easygoing demeanor laced with a subtle edge. "Luke's not interested in that kind of setup. He likes to do his own thing, you know?"

Amber's face fell, a brief flash of disappointment crossing her features before she quickly schooled them into an overly bright smile. "Oh, I see. Well, that's a shame." She reached out, placing a hand on Jack's arm. "I'm sure we could still have fun, though, right?"

Luke watched the exchange with a mixture of relief and mild disgust. He'd never been one for the whole dating scene, and the thought of being set up by some random woman he'd just met made his skin crawl.

As Jack and Amber continued to flirt, Luke took the opportunity to slip away, muttering a hasty excuse about needing to unwind from the painting class.

Once he was safely ensconced in his room, Luke let out a long, weary sigh. Sometimes he envied Jack's ability to charm just about anyone - it would certainly make his own romantic life a lot easier. But for Luke, the whole dating game just felt like more trouble than it was worth.

With a shake of his head, he flopped down on his bed, fully intending to avoid the living room for the rest of the evening. The last thing he needed was to get roped into some bizarre double date scheme. No, he was perfectly content to just enjoy the rest of his day off in peace and quiet.

…

Y/N pushed open the door to her loft apartment, panting heavily as she battled to keep her armful of supplies from spilling. The large canvases she was carrying ruffled against the fabric of her coat, the bottles of paint and brushes clanking together with every step.

Frustration etched across her features, Y/N kicked the door open wider, accidentally dropping the heavy canvases to the floor with a dull thud. "Shit!" she cursed, quickly bending down to scoop them up and push them further into the apartment, letting the door slam shut behind her.

Her steps were heavy as she plodded over to the kitchen island, unceremoniously depositing the bags of art supplies. With a weary sigh, Y/N shrugged out of her coat, hanging it by the front door before flipping on the light switch, casting the spacious loft in a warm glow.

As she crossed the room, her gaze was immediately drawn to the massive painting that dominated one wall. With a flick of a switch, the mechanical blinds whirred to life, pulling back to reveal the stunning, yet hauntingly emotional work.

Shades of deep blue and mossy green swirled and blended together, creating an almost hypnotic backdrop for the central figure - a woman, her body draped in chains that seemed to constrict and bind her. The pain and anguish etched into her features was unmistakable, tugging at Y/N's heart.

Y/N stared at the painting, her brow furrowed in deep contemplation. She had been working on this piece for weeks, pouring her heart and soul into every brushstroke, every carefully rendered detail. And yet, something was still... missing.

Crossing the room, she reached out to trace the outline of the woman's face, her fingertips skimming the textured surface of the canvas. She knew this painting was important, a powerful statement on the weight of societal expectations and the struggle for personal freedom. But the emotions it evoked in her were complex, a tangled web of frustration, sorrow, and a deep, primal need to break free.

Y/N's gaze drifted to the discarded art supplies on the island, her mind racing as she considered her next move. As Y/N set to work, carefully selecting her paints and brushes, her thoughts inevitably drifted back to the enigmatic man she had encountered in her art class - Luke.

Try as she might to focus solely on the task at hand, the memory of his striking features and captivating gaze kept creeping into the forefront of her mind. She shook her head, chiding herself for the distraction.

"Get it together," she murmured under her breath, dipping her brush into the rich ultramarine paint. "You have a deadline to meet, remember?"

And yet, despite her best efforts, her mind kept circling back to that fateful moment when Luke had approached her, introducing himself with a warm smile. Y/N felt her palms grow clammy at the mere recollection, her legs beginning to bounce up and down in a nervous fidget.

She had been so caught up in her own work, so consumed by the need to finish her painting, that when he'd come over to speak to her, she had panicked. The words had stuck in her throat, her tongue feeling thick and clumsy, and she'd barely managed a coherent response before practically fleeing the scene.

Y/N let out a frustrated sigh, trying to push the memory aside as she focused on blending the paint on her palette. "It was just a stupid class," she chided herself. "You're a professional, for heaven's sake. You can't afford to get distracted by some...some pretty face."

And yet, even as she tried to convince herself of that, a part of her couldn't help but wonder about Luke. Who was he, really? What was it about him that had so thoroughly captivated her, even in the brief moments they'd interacted?

Shaking her head, Y/N turned her attention back to the canvas, her brush gliding across the surface with renewed determination. She didn't have time to dwell on these silly daydreams and flights of fancy. She had a job to do, a deadline to meet, and a company that was counting on her.

Still, as she worked, a small part of her couldn't help but wonder if she might cross paths with Luke again. And whether, this time, she'd have the courage to truly get to know him.

…

Tag List <3

@dasiysthings, @mileyraes

[onlyonetifosi]

Behind the camera -> chapter 9

<- previous series masterlist my main masterlist next->

author note1: angst and mean girls are back hahahah 😈😈

As the bell rang, signaling the end of another school day, Yn Leclerc gathered her belongings and made her way towards the school's exit. Her heart raced with anticipation, for today was a day like no other. The Princesse Grace Dance Academy awaited her, and the joy of dancing was the perfect escape from the troubles that awaited her outside the classroom. 

Yn's golden curls bounced as she walked, and her ballet bag swung gracefully at her side. She couldn't wait to join her friends at the academy, especially her best friend, Marta. They had been through thick and thin together, supporting each other's dreams, and now they were on a journey to becoming professional ballerinas

However, the path to pursuing her passion was not without its challenges. A group of girls, once her ballet companions in her school’s ballet extracurricular activity, resented Yn for achieving what they hadn't – acceptance into the prestigious academy. The trio had never quite recovered from being left behind at the school's ballet classes, while Yn and Marta moved on to the illustrious academy.

The trio of tormentors approached, their disdain painted across their faces like poorly masked jealousy. Yn's heart raced, but she straightened her posture, determined not to let their negativity affect her.

"Regardez qui voilà, la petite danseuse étoile," Emelie sneered as they approached, their perfectly coordinated steps emphasizing the mockery in their voices. (Look who's here, the little prima ballerina)

Yn tightened her grip on her pointe shoes, her eyes narrowing at the trio. She knew what was coming, but she wasn't going to let their words break her.

"Hey, Yn, maybe you should teach us some of those fancy moves you've been learning at your 'prestigious' academy," Camille added, her tone dripping with sarcasm. (Maybe you could show us some of those fancy moves you've been learning at your 'prestigious' academy.)

The leader of the trio, Isabelle, sneered, "You might be at the academy, but you'll never truly belong."

Yn took a deep breath, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. "Merci pour votre opinion, Isabelle. (Thank you for your opinion, Isabelle)," she replied, maintaining a calm exterior despite the storm within.

Yn took a deep breath, steeling herself against the words that stung like arrows. "I don't have time for this. Leave me alone."

"Oh, la petite princesse est trop fière maintenant." (Oh, the little princess is too proud now.)

Isabelle smirked, crossing her arms. "Oh, don't worry, Yn. We just wanted to check in on our little prodigy. It must be tough being the only one from our old group to make it into the academy."

Yn's jaw clenched, but before she could respond, a familiar voice cut through the tension. "Yn, there you are!" Joris approached with a bright smile, followed by Marta, Riccardo, Nico, Hugo, and of cours her brother Charles.

“Qu'est-ce qui se passe ici?" (What's going on here?) Joris asked, shooting a stern look at the other girls.

"Nothing, we were just catching up with our old friend Yn," Isabelle said, feigning innocence.

Emelie, Camille, and Isabelle exchanged glances, momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected support Yn had gathered.

Isabelle sneered, "Your sister thinks she's too good for us now that she's in this fancy academy. She's not as special as she thinks."

Marta, ever the fiery defender, retorted, "Elle est incroyable, Isabelle. And you're just jealous because you couldn't make the cut."

"She doesn't deserve it! It's not fair!" ("Elle ne le mérite pas ! Ce n'est pas juste !") Camille says looking agitated

"Tough luck, maybe you should've worked harder." Marta responds while crouching down to hug Yn. "Vous n'avez rien de mieux à faire?" (Don't you have anything better to do?) Marta, standing tall beside Yn, shot a defiant look at the bullies. "What's the matter, Isabelle? Afraid Yn will outshine you?"

Charles stepped forward, his protective older brother instincts kicking in. "C'est marrant, parce que ça ressemble plutôt à du harcèlement. (Funny, because it looks more like harassment)"

Yn felt a surge of gratitude as her friends gathered around her. "These girls are just bitter because they didn't make it into the academy. Don't let them get to you" Joris placed a reassuring hand on Yn's waist 

"Allons-y, YN. Ils ne valent pas notre temps" (Let's go, YN They're not worth our time) Hugo said while all the group surrounded yn to do a grupal hug and accompany her home.

The group walked away, leaving the mean girls fuming in their wake. Yn couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. With friends like these, she knew she could overcome anything that came her way.

Yn felt a wave of gratitude for her friends and her brother. Once the mean girls were out of sight, Charles put a reassuring arm around Yn. "Are you okay, petite sœur?" (little sister)

Yn nodded, touched by the unwavering support around her. "Thanks to all of you. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Come on, Yn. Let's go home," Charles said, wrapping an arm around her.

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

Later, the Leclerc twins arrived home. Pascale, sensing something amiss, looked at them with concern. "Comment était votre journée, mes amours?" (How was your day, my loves?)

Yn smiled, "Ma journée était doux-amer, maman. Mais mes amis et Charles m'ont protégée." (My day was bittersweet, Mom. But my friends and Charles protected me.)

Charles, protective as always, chimed in, "Those girls were just jealous, Yn. Don't let them get to you."

Pascale, placing plates on the table, listened attentively. "Tell me, mon cherie, what happened?"

Yn, grateful for the unwavering support of her family and friends, began to recount the events of the day, while Charles interjected with comforting words.

"Elles étaient jalouses de toi, ma petite sœur," Charles reassured her. ("They were jealous of you, my little sister.")

Charles added, "Nous sommes toujours là pour elle, maman." (We're always here for her, Mom.)

Their maman beamed with pride, "Je suis si fière de vous deux. Vous êtes une équipe formidable." (I am so proud of both of you. You are a fantastic team.) Just after praising them she hurried Yn to start eating faster, "Dépêche-toi, ma ballerine, tu dois aller à l'académie de danse. L'académie t'attend (Hurry, my ballerina, you need to go to the dance academy. The academy is waiting for you)" 

And in that moment, Yn knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, she had her family and friends by her side, ready to face them together.

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

The afternoon passed quickly for Yn at the academy. The teachers were impressed with her progress, and they made sure to relay the good news to Pascale when she picked Yn up. Pascale couldn't help but beam with pride, knowing that her daughter was destined for greatness in the world of dance and Yn returned from the academy, tired but content

Meanwhile, Charles also arrived home after a rigorous training session at the karting track, guided by his father. Fatigue and satisfaction blended on his face.

As evening descended, the tired but satisfied twins returned home, with also their little brother Arthur, who was practicing with Charles. Pascale had prepared a feast for dinner – a family favorite, barbagiuan. The aroma filled the kitchen, welcoming the hungry trio.

The family gathered around the table, sharing stories of their day. Charles recounted the highlights of his karting training, and Yn shared the encouraging words from her dance teachers. Pascale and their papa, Hervé, listened with admiration.

"Les professeurs disent que tu as un avenir prometteur dans la danse, Yn. The teachers say you have a promising future in dance" Pascale proudly announced, raising her glass in a toast.

Arthur, always the enthusiastic one, jumped up and hugged Yn. "C'est incroyable, Yn! You're amazing!"

Charles grinned. "On est tous fiers de toi, Yn" (We're all proud of you, Yn)

Yn returned her brother's smile "Vous êtes les meilleurs frères du monde" (You're the best brothers in the world)

The night ended with laughter, shared accomplishments, and the comforting presence of family. As Yn drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but feel grateful for the support of her loved ones. No matter what challenges lay ahead, she knew she could face them with the unwavering love and encouragement of her family by her side.

i hope you liked it and if you want to know more about yn and the leclercs and the adventures they are going to follow stay tuned (more drama coming soon and pierre is doing an apereance soon)

taglist: @love4lando @gcldtom @im-mi @topguncultleader @celesteblack08 @reblog-princess @sunf1ower16 @janeholt3 @athena-artemis-dorian-gray @minkyungseokie

[insinirate]

Alpha wolfwood with a big thick posture collar bc nai thinks “it’s inappropriate for an owned boy to have his scent glands just shown off like that if unmated”,,, just treating nico like he’s some formally owned omega and nico LOVING it,,,,

he likes being courted and spoiled and scented

[heavenlyhischier]

“i’m not jealous” w/ nico ofc!!!

You thought you were imagining it at first. The way Nico’s posture stiffened and his gaze twisted into a glare whenever your friend got closer to you. It was harmless, and you knew that, the way that he would lean down to yell something in your ear because the music was too loud. Or the way he would carefully place his hand on your upper back to move you out of someone’s path. It meant nothing to either of you, but that wasn’t so obvious to Nico.

He was doing his best to keep up his indifferent attitude whenever you would break away from your group to talk to him. He would kiss your temple, tell you that he was okay with his friends before he encouraged you to go back yo your own, but you could tell something was off. Even if he was pretending nothing was bothering him, you knew better.

When the night was over and the two of you were back at his apartment, he was acting as normal as he always did, until your phone began to buzz. You slipped it out of your pocket to see your friends name on the screen seven different times with various mangled texts of him letting you know he made it home. You let out a chuckle as you typed your response, missing the way Nico’s jaw hardened as you looked was from him.

“Hope everything’s okay with Isaac,” Nico called out, saying his name like it made him want to hurl.

You snapped your gaze to him, raising your eyebrows as you watched the way he kicked his shoes off and ran his hands through his hair. Suddenly the way he had been acting all night made sense, and you couldn’t help but smile at the thought that he was jealous of someone who didn’t even come close to himself in anyway. Discarding your phone with the unfinished text still on the screen, you walked over to Nico and wrapped your arms around the back of his neck and looked up at him.

“You okay,” You cocked your head to the side, letting him pull you closer against him.

“I’m fine,” He mumbles, his thumbs instinctively slipping under the material of your shirt to rub circles on your skin.

“Yeah? Sounds like you’re a little jealous, which you shouldn’t be, by the way,” Your lips twitched with an amused smile.

“What,” He scoffed, shaking his head as he averted his gaze, “I’m not jealous.”

“You sure about that,” You teased, slightly leaning forward to place a small, barely there kiss right under his jaw. His fingers pressed harder into your hips, his breath hitching in his throat as your lips ghosted over his neck.

“I wasn’t jealous. You’re my girl,” Nico states, his voice holding a sort of edge to it that made a pool form between your legs, “You’re mine.”

“I am,” You whispered against his neck, “But maybe a little reminder wouldn’t hurt.”

[punkeropercyjackson]

Percy having overt supernatural traits is stupid and overdone and dosen't make nearly as much sense as his profiling and other mortal world experiences coming from him just being black,autistic Percy is the best freaky weirdo Percy

Special interests in blue,anarchy,the sea,cats,kidcore,energy drinks,child care and the Superfam

No masking game and self-diagnosed because he dosen't fall under any stereotypes despite blatantly dysplaying every single audhd/autism symptom

Transfem nonbinary/bigender with he/she/they pronouns and Percycore neos because of the overlap between transfems and autistics and her canon nonstop defiement of traditional manhood

Solarpunk out of being the daughter of Poseidon and the son of enviormentalist queen Sally Jackson and their black autistic experiences making them turn to punk culture

Blue safe food,knows how to diy things that don't even exist,Riptide and a shark plush and her battle jacket comfort items,goes on petty crime sprees and to underground parties and shows and charity events and protests and thirft stores and cat cafes and goofy gimmick restaurants/arcades,plays exclusively free and secondhand games on anti-capitalist principal,needs layers for sensory reasons,had Sally do his piercings(eyebrow,tongue ring,spider bite and forward helix on both ears)out of nerves at seeing a stranger for them,has a vegetable garden at home,a meowing vocal stim and raptor hands as her posture 50% of the time

Dresses earthy/afropunk with mostly dark/mute colors but splashes of pastels and slap-ons of their special interests(example:Dead Kennedy's shirt,sea blue dyed shawl,battle jacket on top,long chunky skirt with a silver chain,black doc martens,spiked bracelets,a necklace with a Rainbow Dash pendant and mix and match rings that range between edgy to cutesy)

Carries around a blue backpack full of essentials,emergency things and fun stuff like motivational stickers which regenerates and was a gift from Hestia he nicknamed 'The Backhomepack'

If i may have a selfshipper moment,him and my Pjo s/i Lex are autistic4autistic dominican4dominican black4blasian punk4punk and transmasc4transfem and childhood best friends to lovers since Tlt to Boo and Tales of Dead Seas/Tods is the one year later Hoo sequel spanning four years and four books aka the autism book series.Also Percy has a sparkly pink sunflower charm Lex diy'd to give him to represent them that's his favorite and Lex has a whole collection of blue diy'd gifts he made for them!!They do everything together because they have the same tastes on most everything and are willing to try out literally anything for the other <3 Perlex is real y'all

Never goes to college because school is too hard on his brain now and works at a beach cafe i.e the family bussiness La Familia Jackson Beach Shack opened up by Sally

Sally is allistic but genuinely a good parent and very understanding of Percy's needs from the get-go,as in before they even knew he's autistic and her being trans herself and a comphet stud to boot probably explains it

Autism spectrum trio with Nico and Hazel and is their intergenerational best friend,found eldest sibling,pseudo-parent and punk mentor and she also harrasses Poseidon for money for Nico's chronic pain meds and mobility aids and supports Hazel's love for art(and girls,as it turns out)and talents(her rizz goes hard)in every way she can and convinced them to attend the Special ED school she was supposed to years ago

Sally was going to enroll her in it when she was 9 but Percy overheard the phone call and melted down so hard because her internalized ableism was already so bad that Sally never spoke of it again but they both still regret it to this day,mourning what could've been

Percy ends up powering through and going to visit it for Hazel's first of many art showcase's and to bring Nico's Mythomagic Club blue s'mores

[sionisjaune]

For powerful em's powerful birthday month, a few vignettes from fucked up brocedes hg au. Thank you for bringing your wonderful, kind, generous self to everything you do in fandom! @powerful-owl

The chariots race by, spewing fireworks and glitter. The procession is headed by the blonde Career that was supposed to volunteer for Nico’s Games. All of the bookies are already saying he’s going to win. The Games are going to be boring with those odds. 

Nico wrinkles his nose and squeezes Lewis’s hand tightly. He flicks his hair behind his ear and straightens his posture. The video screens cut to a technicolor image of him and Lewis sitting side by side in the front row with the rest of the victors. Lewis looks beautiful and deadly in artfully bloodied scraps of lace and leather, and Nico looks embarrassingly like a dessert, decked out in cherubic feathers. Everyone cheers. For Nico and Lewis and for the new tributes—twenty-four teenagers that are slated to die on film. 

“Are you booked after this?” Nico says, turning his mouth towards Lewis’s ear. 

“Yeah,” Lewis murmurs, looking ahead. “I’m some old fuck’s date to the afterparty.” 

Nico knew that. He feigns surprise anyway. “Weird. So am I.” Lewis rolls his eyes, but Nico can feel the tendons in his arm jumping underneath Nico’s palm. It’s funny, Nico thinks, how Lewis has been at this a handful of years longer than Nico, and he still reacts to every little injustice like a knife to the gut. 

Nico laughs a little to himself, and Lewis shoots him a weird, sidelong glance, rubbing his thumb along the inside of Nico’s forearm. Nico wouldn’t know what that’s like—feeling. 

-

Nico collapses on top of Lewis’s sweaty chest, inhaling a lungful of body glitter. He chokes on it, coughs and hacks a few flecks out of his throat, and drags a shuddering breath of oxygen into his chest. He and Lewis have been fucking for so long he doesn’t even remember what it feels like to not have someone else inside of him. Lewis groans and whines underneath him, panting.

It’s approximately one billion degrees under the floodlights. It's so bright that Nico can’t see anything of the party surrounding them, just blobs and smudges behind the retina-scalding curtain of light. He knows they’re in the center of everything though, and that everyone is looking at them, and that people are cheering, because he can hear it faintly behind the beating of his own blood in his ears. He’s on the good shit too. He can’t usually stay hard for this long, even if it’s Lewis. 

Lewis whines again, and Nico pushes himself back up and starts moving again. Lewis groans, his head thudding against the arm of the sofa he and Nico are perched on and his eyes rolling back.

It’s almost worth it, Nico thinks. Everything is almost worth it. 

-

Nico can’t fall asleep alone anymore. When he shuts his eyes all he can see are glittering, multifaceted crystals, pools of blood as thick as velvet carpets and the inky blackness of endlessly dark caverns. Sometimes he gasps awake, and it feels like there are still shards in his throat, rending sensitive flesh on each juddering exhale. 

When Lewis is in his bed, it’s a little bit easier. They don’t fuck when they’re alone—Nico would be so lucky—but Lewis holds him and Nico bites back his usual complaints. 

-

Lewis has his lines memorized now. Nico doesn’t have lines, because all he has to do is moan on the floor with a gash in his stomach large enough that he can feel the heat seeping out of his shredded entrails. They’re reenacting everyone’s favourite part from Lewis’s Games where he saved a rival victor that had been left for dead behind a waterfall. This is the X-rated version, though, so Lewis is going to bandage Nico’s wounds and then fuck him back to health. 

Nico can hear himself gurgling, notices the shadows creeping into his periphery. Then Lewis’s hands are on him, and the shadows are receding and the knife-like pain of consciousness is making itself known, like a bright light irritating dilated eyes. 

Lewis rubs his thumb across the inside of Nico’s forearm. Nico twitches, prone. His insides are knitting themselves back together. His wounds are sealing themselves up. This is the best part. The worst part is the tenderness after. 

-

The theme is sharks. And sex. Sex and sharks. Sharks and sex. The theme is Nico and Lewis have sex in a giant fishtank while shark mutts swim from end to end, gnashing their teeth and snarling. They’ve given Nico a drug that eliminates his metabolism’s need for oxygen, but it feels like he’s drowning all the same. The capitolites think this sort of thing is funny. 

Nico clutches at Lewis’s tattooed bicep. His stylist has inked him up with images of angel fish that dart across his abdomen and octopuses that twine around his shoulder blades. Nico is wearing pearls. Lewis has a look on his face like he hates that he’s been made to do this and hates himself even more for being unable to dissent. 

That’s the Lewis he knows, Nico thinks. That’s the Lewis he fell in love with, when he was sixteen watching Lewis’s Games with his father. He turns his head to gaze through the thick wall of glass that warps his view of the venue outside. Slim figures wisp by, toting flutes of champagne and tiny canapes. They’re not even looking. 

Bile rises in Nico’s waterlogged throat. They need to look.

-

Lewis is watching the Games. When he turned it on the television in Nico’s room, Nico almost vomited, but Lewis was adamant that the broadcast stay on. He watches the Games even when the Capitol doesn’t parade him around at viewing parties to provide expert analysis. He tells Nico that it’s important to bear witness to what the Capitol is doing to the children of Panem, but Nico doesn’t buy it. He knows that Lewis just likes to torture himself. He’s always been a martyr. 

Nico curls up underneath Lewis’s arm and tunes out the sounds of slaughter. Of exploding canons and warbling mockingjays. 

When Lewis utters a disgusted sound at the TV, Nico looks up. The flatscreen is displaying the gory remains of at least three tributes splattered on the face of a snowy mountain. The Career that Nico replaced is standing in the middle of it all, an impish grin on his face and blood up to his elbows. He sticks his tongue out and wags his index finger at the camera. 

“Typical District 1 overindulgence,” says Lewis, repulsed. “You can tell he’s never thought about anyone other than himself in his life.”

Nico smiles smugly where Lewis can’t see it. 

[reddamselette]

part one

Nervous was an understatement to what Piper was feeling. She felt like throwing up. There was a lump in her throat that wouldn’t go away no matter how hard she tried to swallow, a pit in her stomach, her chest tightening with emptiness as she chewed the skin on the inside of her cheek.

She was young, she had crushes before but none made her feel like this. Anxiety wasn’t a friend she happened to be close with and she didn’t want to be. Piper inhaled deeply, wringing her fingers together as she shut her eyes and tried to calm herself. She was making it a much bigger deal than it was, her mind constantly running with wild thoughts and preparing for the impending doom that would never come.

“By the gods, get yourself together, Piper,” she groaned as she dropped her head in her hands.

She didn’t realize when it happened. Perhaps it was because Piper saw her everywhere that her heart skipped a beat or how she would completely drop what she would be doing to intently listen in on a conversation where her name came up as the topic.

“Yeah, that’s called a crush, Mclean. Haven’t you had one?” Clarisse had told her once when the daughter of Aphrodite ran into the Ares cabin one day looking for the warrior.

“That’s the thing,” Piper had complained helplessly, throwing her hands up before collapsing onto the bed, face first. Her voice was muffled as she said, “I never really had one. Not to mention my first relationship was based on fake memories.”

It was only until she had felt the bed dip beside her that she lifted her face from the blankets to look at Clarisse with furrowed brows, worry etched onto her features and a frown curling her lips. Clarisse had sighed, feeling the familiarity of this moment grasp at her heart. “Alright. It’s obviously going to be scary at first, you know? But if you like her, you should tell her. The worst thing that could happen is that she doesn’t like you back and then you can move on.”

Piper lifted her head from her hands, her eyes spotting Reyna across the clearing with Nico and Jason. “Ares give me courage,” she mumbled to herself once she saw the Praetor make her way over.

Piper stood up, leaning against the table with one hand to ground herself as her heart began to pound against her rib cage, blood ringing in her ears and she took a deep breath. She felt a rush of calmness surge through her, the slowing of her heart and the ringing subsiding into nothing until the ambience of camp filled her ears. Reyna, a few feet away and face to face with her, was as mesmerizing as ever.

Is this what beauty is?

“Hi,” Piper said with a small smile.

“Hi, Piper,” Reyna returned with a smile of her own, a small tilt of her head as her eyes twinkled in the sunlight casting over her face.

Piper tapped the table once, then twice before she straightened her posture and took a step closer. She swallowed thickly and she asked, “You don’t happen to be, um, busy this weekend, do you?”

“Not at all. Why?”

Now or never. “I…” Piper exhaled slowly and met Reyna’s eyes. “Have you ever been to an amusement park? There’s one that’ll be opening tomorrow and I wanted to know if you would like to come with me.”

Reyna was silent for several moments, her ever stoic expression never unchanging until the strangest thing. She smiled, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she ducked her head almost in a manner like she was caught off guard. She has dimples, Piper thought.

The daughter of Bellona cleared her throat and looked at Piper, then she nodded. “This amusement park. Will there be funnel cakes and rollarcoasters?”

“There’s even claw machines that steal your money because it’s a scam.”

Reyna laughed softly and reached forward to take Piper’s hand into hers. “It’s a date then.”