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roosterforme · 5 months

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Always Ever Only You Part 20 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: After your adventure at the bar, you only have the remainder of the weekend with Bradley before he's taking off once again. You both make the most of that time, but an unpleasant surprise lingers as he leaves with his duffle bag and a new notebook. You just hope he can return with a successful mission under his belt.

Warnings: Swearing, angst, pregnancy discussion, fluff, smut, spanking

Length: 4000 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order. Always Ever Only You masterlist. Gorgeous banner by @mak-32

It was late Friday night. Bradley was leaving on Monday for the top secret special mission, and he might end up missing his birthday with you. Your parents were planning to come visit in July. You'd just had your husband pick you up at the bar during a sexy role playing experiment. And now you were on all fours on your bed with him balls deep inside you.

Honestly, the evening just kept getting better; he was giving you everything you wanted tonight. You got to witness first hand the way he picked you up at the bar by combining his old school tactics with the new things that he knew would really appeal to you specifically.

And now he had seamlessly switched from being your sweet, loving Daddy to being the Daddy who called you his bratty little slut. When you turned to look at him over your shoulder, his eyes looked deep and possessive. His cheeks were flushed, and his expression looked a little mean. God, you were already starting to clench for him as he said, "I love my slutty little wife."

"Oh god," you moaned as he placed one rough hand on the back of your head and pushed your face down to the pillows.

He leaned over your body, caging you in with his mouth next to your ear while he absolutely nailed you. "Knew you'd come home with me. Knew you'd be begging for my cock. You didn't even wear underwear tonight, that's how fucking bad you wanted it."

"Bradley," you gasped, ready to come as he smacked your ass and grabbed your hips with both hands and unloaded inside you for the second time tonight.

"Jesus," he growled, his movements becoming jerky as you rocked back against him through your own orgasm. You slowly let your legs slide out from underneath your body, and he eased himself down so he was laying on top of you, panting for breath. "Am I hurting you?" he whispered, kissing your cheek as you turned your head to the side.

"No," you mumbled in a daze underneath his warm body with his cock still shoved up inside you. "Kind of comfy, actually."

"Okay," he replied as his cheek came to rest on yours. "And don't even think about asking for round three tonight. I'm fucking beat."

You knew better than to joke about his age. It was less than three weeks until his thirty-seventh birthday, and his confidence was still a little shaky after his last deployment. "I'm tired, too," you whispered.

"Can't believe you wanted me to pick you up from the bar like that, Sweetheart," he murmured. "How long were you there before Ethan tried to make you his little snack?"

You laughed, but Bradley's weight on top of you stifled the movement. "About two minutes."

He shook his head. "An investment banker with a Ferrari? It's incredible you ever went for me at all."

You wiggled underneath him until he lifted himself into a push up position, sliding out of your pussy and holding himself still so you could roll over onto your back. "I'm always going to go for my Daddy," you whispered as he eased his body back down on top of yours. "He promised to take exceptional care of me."

You ran your fingernails through his hair and along his scalp, and his eyes closed in pleasure immediately. "I always will." His lips were parted, his cheeks were flushed, and he looked so handsome as you kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry there were times I didn't. I'll keep doing better and better."

He would. And you were so thankful that you made it back to this point with him. You felt like you could tell him what was on your mind again, and you knew he was really listening. He wasn't hiding his feelings and concerns from you. The trust you felt was almost palpable, which was making every other part of your marriage right now exceptionally good.

"I love you, Bradley." You whispered the words softly, like they were so precious they might break. Then you whispered them again, a little louder, like they were too important to hide.

Both of his hands were on your face, thumbs rubbing your cheeks as his fingers pushed back along your hair. He brought his lips down to meet yours, and a few minutes later you whispered, "I thought you were too tired for round three."

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Bradley was in love with you and in love with everything about this weekend. He'd been more nervous than he anticipated when he got to One Trick Pony last night, but you'd been delighted by the role playing. It was easy to slip into a fantasy with you when he knew that his normal life and yours were waiting on the other side. And you knew he wouldn't let anything happen to you.

Now you were perched on his lap at the dining room table in just his rather threadbare UVA tee shirt, dousing the plate of breakfast in maple syrup. You fed him a bite of the stuffed French toast you made for him while you kissed his cheek. Bradley was physically exhausted today, and you and he hadn't even made it out of the bedroom until noon. Even then, he only came to the kitchen to feed Tramp who was whining non stop, and you offered to make him anything he wanted for breakfast.

"Is it good?" you whispered before you tried a bite.

"Fucking delicious," replied before nibbling gently at the side of your neck.

Your laughter rang out, and the sound was so pure and beautiful, he hated to bring up the conversation that needed to happen today. But after the French toast was eaten and the plate was left in the sink for him to take care of later, he led you and your second mug of coffee over to the couch. Bradley pulled you legs up onto his lap and kissed your knee.

"Can we talk about my deployment?"

You eyed him up and down and said, "You mean your top secret special mission? When you say deployment, it sounds like it will go on for months, and I really hope you'll be back in time to celebrate your birthday with me."

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "Then can we talk about my top secret special mission, Sweetheart?"

"Yep," you replied with a smirk, and he really did have to appreciate how calm you seemed right now. It was making him feel calm, too.

"I'm leaving my wedding ring here with you. Just like last time. I'm taking the silicone one, even though I don't like it as much, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for telling me." Your lips were hidden behind your mug, but Bradley could tell you were smiling. He'd fumbled things so badly last time in part by not reminding you he bought the placeholder ring. He was unwilling to go away in a similar fashion this time; his goal was to leave no doubt in your mind about him or anything else while he was gone.

"And I really might not be back before my birthday. That's barely two weeks from now, and I don't have any firm dates. I just hope they fly me back commercial again so I'm not sitting around waiting for a comanche to bring me home."

You set the mug on the coffee table and climbed onto his lap. "I know you might be gone longer, but I'm holding out hope anyway." The way you fit perfectly in his arms when your cheek was resting on his shoulder would never not amaze him. You snuggled in a little closer and said, "But just come back home to me, Roo."

He swallowed hard. The two of you had had so many conversations just like this one over the many months you'd been together and the many times he'd left for his work. He was just happy he'd be leaving on better terms this time.

"You know I'll always fight for that, Baby Girl." He kissed your forehead. "Let's take Tramp for a walk down to the beach. It's kind of overcast today, so maybe it won't be as crowded." You nodded and started to stand up as Bradley said, "Oh, one more thing. When your parents let you know when they're coming out to visit, book them a hotel room. I don't care how much it costs, put it on the credit card."

You stood in front of him with your hands on your hips. "They can just stay here-"

"No."

"Oh come on, Bradley. We can have quiet sex!"

He shook his head. "Book the hotel room for them. And when I get home, we can talk about renovating the upstairs space into a usable bedroom or two. Because they will need to be a whole floor away with how loud you get. Or I'll never be able to look them in the eye again."

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On Sunday, you were starting to feel a little melancholy. You had less than a day before you had to drop Bradley off in Miramar at five in the morning, and your anxious energy was creeping in. At least he seemed to want to be around you as much as you wanted to be around him.

"Will you help me finish packing?" he asked, rubbing a big hand along your tattoo through your shirt while you stood at the open refrigerator. You pulled out the pack of chicken that you needed to have thawed so you could make dinner soon, and then spun around to face him.

"What do you need help with?"

He shrugged. "Nothing really. Just thought it would be nice to have you in the bedroom with me while I organize everything."

"How are you this sweet?" you asked as you took him by the hand and led him down the hallway. Tramp was having a puppy dream in his little bed, so you quietly joined Bradley at his open duffle bag. You saw his neatly packed underwear, socks, shirts and uniform components. His travel sized toothbrush and razor were there, too, along with some photos of you and him together.

"Am I missing anything I need?" he asked seriously, as he counted how many undershirts were in a stack. You carefully climbed onto the bed and pretended to pack yourself in the bag, and Bradley laughed quietly. "I fucking wish."

"It would be like the first time, when we were both sent out to the carrier together."

Bradley groaned as you sprawled out across the middle of the bed. "I only get Cyclone and Warlock this time. No sweet Baby Girl diligently waiting for my return."

You rolled your eyes, but you were smiling as he climbed on the bed with you. "Don't you dare get shot down this time. And don't jump off the carrier deck either. And definitely don't get flustered by the young dipshits from Lemoore. Cyclone said you're one of the best, and you are."

Bradley let you collect him in your arms and he just inhaled your scent and absorbed your warmth. Then with a sigh, he removed his wedding band and handed it to you. "You can keep it safe for me," he whispered.

"I'll have it with me when I pick you up. Wherever and whenever I pick you up."

Bradley eventually finished packing before he went to take a long shower and shave around his mustache while you made dinner. You kept telling him he needed a good night's sleep tonight. You weren't wrong, but he wanted to stay up and spend as much time with you as he could. He was about to tell you that he could sleep on the comanche, no problem, and that you should let him stay up all night with you. But when he walked into the kitchen in his clean boxer briefs, he was greeted by the most wonderful sight.

Your back was to him, as you strained pasta at the sink, and the smell of Marry Me Rooster cooking was making him weak. You were wearing just your white Mrs. Bradshaw panties from the wedding night along with your I Love Meat apron. He couldn't see the embroidery on the front of your underwear, but he knew the way the pretty satin fabric bunched around your thighs by heart. And that dumb apron he bought was the only other thing on you, tied around your neck and across your lower back.

He was already throbbing for you, and he knew it would just get worse. "Hey, Roo," you said casually when you saw him. "Dinner is almost ready. Wanna grab some beers and I'll bring a plate in."

"Yeah," he rasped, pecking you on the cheek and running his fingers along your bare back when he walked past. He couldn't even tell if it was intentional or not. Maybe you didn't realize you were turning him on right now. He got two beers from the refrigerator and went to sit at the table, and you joined him a minute later with one plate piled high with dinner.

You set it down softly in front of him, but his eyes were on you as you untied the apron and let it fall to the floor. And yeah, it was intentional. Yes, you knew you were turning him on right now as you stood there topless with Mrs. Bradshaw written across your pussy.

"You need a good dinner and a good night's sleep," you told him, but he made no move to eat the Marry Me Rooster yet. He patted his thigh for you to take a seat, but you just shook your head once and squeezed down between his body and the edge of the table until you were on your knees. You looked up at him with questioning eyes as you pulled his cock and balls free of his underwear and licked his tip.

"Do I need that, too?" he asked, voice deep and rough. You just nodded as you wrapped your lips around him. "I think you're right."

You bobbed slowly up and down his length before you popped him free and whispered, "You can eat your dinner," before licking his balls.

"One thing at a time," he grunted, fixated on how pretty you looked as you smiled and parted your lips again. You weren't in any hurry, and neither was he as you ran your tongue all over his length in broad stripes before sucking. Bradley ran his fingers and knuckles over the curve of your cheek while he kept one hand at the back of your head. He wasn't forceful as he guided himself deep, but when you gagged on him, his head tipped back as he panted. You felt so good, and the soft sounds you made as you tried to take him impossibly deeper just made him harder for you.

"Fuck," he growled, looking at your eyes watering as your lips skimmed his balls and his trimmed hairs. Your nipples were hard and you were moaning. "Come up here. Ride me."

You whimpered as he helped you up onto his lap. His length was dripping with your saliva as he pulled your wedding underwear to the side and let you sink down around him. Bradley was a little afraid he didn't have much left in the tank for you, so he stroked your rooster tattoo before tucking his thumb inside the front of the satin fabric. He let you set the tempo, rubbing yourself against his hand how you wanted him. Your forearms were resting on his shoulders as you played with his hair and kissed him lazily, languidly. Your tits brushed his chest with every movement.

"You feel good," you murmured with a soft smile before returning your lips to his. Bradley just grunted, already feeling himself getting close from the sure and steady roll of your hips and your tight pussy. Then your fingers wound a little deeper in his hair as you moaned, "Oh. You feel good."

He moved his lips to your neck and found that sweet spot to suck on while you begged him to rub your clit harder. Your begging turned to near screaming as you came, and he allowed himself to as well. There was a wet, sticky mess where you and he remained connected, and after you licked his lips and kissed his mustache, Bradley leaned down and kissed your breasts.

"Thanks for making my favorite dinner," he whispered, kissing his way back up to your lips before reaching behind you for the plate. Then without moving, he held the Marry Me Rooster between your soft body and his, and you fed it to him as you ate some yourself.

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Bradley plugged in his phone and yours and took your glasses off before kissing your forehead. It was barely eight o'clock, but after dinner and a quick phone call to your parents, you insisted he start getting ready for bed. You looked tired, and he felt tired, so he did as he was told. And now as you curled up on his chest in bed, Bradley took your hand in his.

"Did you want me to read from my notebook?" he asked. You already knew he packed a fresh one to write in at night while he was away. It would be a nice break if he had an annoying bunkmate to deal with.

"Not tonight," you whispered. "But I'm sure I'll read it while you're away."

He turned off his light and kissed the top of your head. "I'll be thinking about you the whole time. I have no idea if I'll be allowed to call you, but if I have the chance, I will, okay?"

"Okay, Roo."

"I love you," were the last words on his lips as he dozed off. Then the alarm was blaring on his phone way too soon, and he was handing your glasses back to you again.

"Do you want anything to eat?" you asked blearily. "Or just coffee?"

"Just coffee," he replied as you slipped out of bed in the pitch black bedroom. "I'll take some protein bars, too."

Bradley watched you pull on some yoga pants and a tee shirt so you could take him up to Miramar before you got yourself ready for work. He heard you messing with the French press in the kitchen while he zipped up his uniform pants, and then you were shuffling past him and into the bathroom.

You were still using the toilet while he brushed his teeth, and he barely heard you whisper his name. "Yeah?" he asked as he spit and went to rinse.

"My period started. A day or two early. I knew I was feeling a little crampy."

Bradley turned to see the sadness in your eyes, but you took a deep breath and squared your shoulders. He hadn't been thinking about it. You and he hadn't been talking about it. He wasn't overly concerned at the moment with your cycle. And even though he knew you hadn't been as absorbed with trying to get pregnant for the past month and a half, the idea must have still been in the back of your mind. Because he found that it was that way for him.

"Okay," he replied softly. "That's okay. I just wish I could stay and get your heating pad ready for you and rub your feet after work."

You nodded and he bent down to kiss the top of your head. "Me too," you whispered. "But Tramp will take care of me."

Bradley went to the bathroom cabinet and held up the different packages of pads and tampons and brought you the ones you wanted. Then he kissed you again. "You'll be okay. Right?"

"Yeah," you replied as you flushed the toilet. "I can talk to Dr. Genevieve if I need to, but I think I'll be okay."

He wanted to tell you a million times that it didn't matter if you never got pregnant, but he settled for, "It's me and you right now, and I love that."

You nodded against his chest as he held you for a few minutes. "Let's get you to Miramar."

Bradley picked up his duffle bag but kept his fingers linked with yours as he spied you wearing his wedding band on the chain with your charms. He kissed your lips and then kissed his ring, and you were smiling again as you and he headed out to the driveway. When you tried to pull him toward your car, he said, "Absolutely not," and your laughter in the darkness had him smiling, too. "Let's take the Bronco."

He dropped his bag to the driveway to open the door and buckle you in. Then he was tossing the duffle into the back and starting the engine, and he backed out of the driveway as the beams from his headlights illuminated the front porch. He paused for a beat before shifting into drive and heading off for another assignment, another aircraft carrier, another block of time away from home.

As he drove down the street he turned on the radio and said, "Damn, you really made everything so much better and so much harder for me at the same time."

"What are you talking about?" you asked, turning to look at him.

"I just never thought I'd hate leaving home this much."

You leaned on his bicep and played with his hand for the rest of the drive up to the airstrip where a whole fleet of aircrafts were waiting. The sky was lightening, and there were officers and personnel everywhere along with some family members who came to say goodbye. When Bradley parked and helped you out of the Bronco. He saw Cyclone immediately, and he knew he should head over and meet his team and board the comanche, but he just held you instead.

Other people started their cars and left. Officers were boarding aircrafts, but Bradley just wanted another couple minutes here. "I love you. Be good."

You kissed his chest through his uniform and looked up at him with tears in your eyes. "I love you, too. I'll pick you up anytime. Just come back home to me."

He nodded before kissing your lips. "I will." He took your face in both hands and kissed both of your cheeks and your nose before settling his lips back on yours. "I will."

"I love you, Bradley!" you called after him as he carried his bag toward the barbed wire fence with his ID in his hand. He turned and looked back at you so many times, it felt like he wasn't even making any progress toward the airstrip. But he had to go, and part of him wanted to go.

He showed his badge at the gate opening, and once he was through to the other side, he cupped his free hand around his mouth and shouted, "I love you, Baby Girl!" You waved and wiped your tears as he headed toward Cyclone, Warlock and the aircraft that would take the whole group of them out over the Pacific Ocean.

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And he's off once again. Going to peek in at Jake and Cat and sweet little Jeremiah. And I hope Bradley doesn't miss his birthday at home. So many things coming soon! Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 21

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sweatervest-obsessed · 3 months

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Second Chances Are For Winners - Part 2

Pairing: Fem!Reader x Spencer Reid

WC: 2k

TW: Swearing, mentions of blood, mentions of kidnapping, imprisonment, Criminal Minds General list of triggers apply here.

A/N: Howdy babes! I'm back in action (and in therapy!) so the will to write is stronger than ever. I am so excited that this is becoming a mini series since I loved the whole premise I had come up with last year. Pls enjoy part 2!

Part One

Last Week

“We have a White Male in his late thirties, breaking and entering into single women’s homes.” Hotch started, he put his hands in his pockets and continued talking. “ We know he used to be homeless, or transient, because of the manner in which he is gaining access to home.”

Derek took over. “Pickpocketing. He snags the women’s keys, makes a copy for himself, and then breaks into their houses, condos, apartments.”

Emily gestured to the board in the front of the room. There were several images, along with a map in front of the officers. “We know this because he leaves the set of keys on the kitchen table, along with the polaroid of the woman he’s kidnapped.”

Derek spoke up. “He’s targeting women in their late twenties, with high paying jobs. We assume this is due to some kind of grievance where he believes he was wronged, and left him feeling powerless.”

Hotch nodded at Derek. “Think promotions of jobs, priorities, breakups, divorces—something that would make this man feel as if he is no longer fulfilling the role of the head of the household.”

Derek leaned against the desk. “He takes his time with them. We know this because there’s been a body a week for the past three. We are assuming that he has a new victim considering the newest body was found yesterday. And we know that he picks up a body on Monday nights, and dumps them early Friday Mornings.”

“Look through reports from tonight and this morning about anyone missing. Even if it’s just a concerned call about someone not showing up to work, we need to know about it.” Emily held her hands in front of her as she spoke to the group. She gave a brief smile to the officers looking up at her. “Thank you.”

As the room started to clear out, Derek looked over at Spencer, who was just staring at the board, deep in thought. “Earth to Reid. Hey.”

Reid snapped out of whatever depths of his mind he was in, and looked up at Morgan. “Sorry, sorry. What.”

“What? That’s it? Reid you just blanked out of that entire session. What is goin’ on with you man?”

Spencer shook his head. “Sorry I-I, I’m not really…Sorry. It’s just..”

“Just what.”

Emily nudged Derek with her elbow. “Be nice.”

Derek rolled his eyes, and trudged away.

“I know he didn’t mean anything by it, but I can’t stop thinking about the security cameras. How has he not been seen, anywhere. L-Like, for example, when he goes and makes the copies of the keys, all of the locksmiths in town have cameras everywhere because of safety reasons, right? And-and-and, even if he didn’t go there, and went to a Walmart outside of the city, or something, they all absolutely have cameras that work. So how has this guy not been seen by anyone?”

Emily nodded while Spencer continued to rant. “And I can’t quite figure out how—” Spencer pushed out of his chair by the window and went up to the board.

Across the center of one of the whiteboards was a timeline..

“It’s such a specific timeline—A-As if he can only operate on those certain days, like he’s limited to Mondays and Fridays, because part of his week is blocked off.”

“Or.” Emily chimed in, following his train of thought. “Something triggers him every weekend, like he sees her…whoever she is, every weekend. Maybe he works in a restaurant, or something.”

“But why would she go into a restaurant where she knows he is?”

“To taunt him?” Derek pipes up. “Bring a new man in, once a week, on a first date. Show him how much better she’s doing?”

“And risk her safety? I don’t think so.” Emily scoffed and turned back to the board.

Headaches have always been your least favorite part of waking up from being knocked out by chloroform. You had never been knocked out via towel and drug before, but whenever you would watch your favorite crime-related shows, you would think about how god awful that headache must be when you wake up.

And you were right. It was a fucking bitch.

Your vision had spots dancing across it as you let out a groan from being conscious for the first time in god knows how long. You were still in your pajamas and weren’t shivering, which meant that wherever you were, was warm enough to keep you alive.

You tried to move your hands but found that that was over your head, chained to the wall. The chain connecting both of your wrists was pegged into the wall like you were in some old castle during the Medieval Ages. If you weren’t dying of thirst and hunger, you would have found the situation almost comical.

Once you got used to the complete lack of sunlight, you were able to make out the rest of the room, which was decorated with splatter across the walls and floor. It was obviously not a choice in decor, and more of a mess someone wasn’t willing to clean up. There was an outline of what seemed like bars at the far end of the room, directly across from a small wooden staircase that had been built up against the wall.

It was a cell.

You had been stuck in a cell like one of those prisoners in Pirates of the Caribbean, and it was not as silly and fun as Disney World had made it out to be.

You went to speak, with only a sharp intake of air, and only a cough could come out. Luckily for you, the cough had alerted whoever was upstairs that you were awake, meaning that the silhouette of a man appeared at the top of the stairs when the door opened.

You were just hop[ping this was one of those stupid melatonin induced dreams where something bad would happen but then you would wake up and suddenly you were safe in bed. As the man’s footsteps echoed louder and louder as they trudged down the stairs, you realized you couldn’t wake up.

“You’re up. Good.”

Your back pressed against the wall as you recognized the voice from the man standing at the bars of the cell.

“What. Y/n hasn’t texted you today?” JJ elbowed Reid lightly as the two of them were sitting next to each other in the bullpen.

Reid blinked and looked up at her. “How did you…”

“You’ve been reading the same page for fifteen minutes. Either you’re really trying to analyze…something, or you haven’t actually read the page and something was bugging you.”

Spencer scoffed but put the file down.

JJ gave his shoulder a little squeeze. She was about to say something when Garcia walked into the room, eyes wide, carrying a file. “New—we have to…”

That was all the two agents could pick out of her sentences before Garcia was in Hotch’s office.

“No rest for the wicked.” Emily called out to the two of them as all three made their way towards the meeting room.

Eventually the team had all gathered in the conference room and Garcia was setting up the screen.

“There’s been another body.”

The team sighed and nodded. This killer in DC has been evading them for a whole month now, that they knew of. It was becoming increasingly frustrating since the killer wasn’t rushing, wasn’t speeding up. They were still as meticulous as before. And right on schedule, a new body was discovered. Same markings as before, handcuffs on the wrists, and a quite gruesome death.

“Still no fingerprints?”

Garcia sighed and nodded. “Nothing.”

“I just don’t get how someone can be so meticulous, and stick to a schedule, and then….do something like that to a person.”

Spencer sighed and looked at the map Garcia had updated for him. “At least we have a slight geological profile. He’s picking houses all over DC, but then dumping the bodies in West End and Kalorama.”

Spencer pointed to the map. “He’s literally forming a route. Look. The bodies are placed almost like a trail. This newest body just connects the rest.”

“He’s gearing up to someone. And whoever it is probably lives and works….” Spencer looked over at Garcia.

Garcia’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh no. No no no no.”

“What?” Emily looked between the two before looking over at Derek.

“Spit it out baby girl, what’s going on.”

“Uh…Y/n’s firm is in the West End, and she lives like a ten minute walk away in Kalorama…” She whispered.

The whole team shifted their gaze to Spencer, who was frantically looking at all of the information over and over on the board, trying to find anything.

“Just because she hasn’t texted you doesn;’t mean that she is the next victim of our killer guys, I mean come on. What are the odds of that.” Derek tried to talk Spencer out of whatever he had just induced for himself.

Spencer shook his head and turned towards the team. “Who always has a strict schedule that they have to follow, even if it’s against their wishes. Court-mandated.”

Derek was stunned into silence at the fact that Reid didn’t even bother giving him a pity statistic.

Hotch spoke up. “She’s a lawyer right?”

Spencer nodded. The team was not following where they were going with this.

“Have any of her clients, or opposing councils given her grief recently? That you know of?”

Spencer was about to shake his head but then remembered what you had told him last night. “S-She has this, uh, client, that doesn’t like the schedule he was ordered to by the court. And hasn’t left her alone now...for weeks…blowing up her phone…she told me about him last night, complaining that he hasn’t stopped calling her work phone and somehow even got her personal number…”

“So you talked to her last night.” Derek crossed his arms.

“She texted me saying she made it home b-because she fell asleep at her office and walked home…at two in the morning...”

Hotch nodded and stood up. “We’re going to head down to the main station, and bring all new information with us. Clear?”

“I already sent it over to them electronically sir.” Garcia piped up.

Hotch nodded. Everyone exited the room, but Hotch and Reid stayed back. When the last person had left, Hotch closed the door and looked at Reid.

“I’m not going to tell you to sit this out. I know you, and I’d rather have you focused on the task at hand with us than trying to do your own investigating.You have emotional stakes in this Reid. And you know how that clouds judgment. Every single decision you make, you run by me. Clear?”

Reid set his jaw and exhaled, but agreed to Hotch’s request. There would be more room for arguing when you were found safe and sound.

Reid’s silence continued throughout the next twenty minutes and then in the car on the way to the station as well. Every single one of the agents could tell this case was going to be a lot more painful than initially believed.

And Spencer was freaking the fuck out. All he could do was sit and stare out the window as the building passed, a sinking feeling in his gut that wherever you were, it wasn’t pretty. He just didn’t understand how he failed to miss the literal trail of bodies the killer had been leaving for you. Literal warning signs in front of you. And he let you walk home alone last night.

It was his fault. He should have known better.

Spencer had just found you again—he couldn’t stand to lose you a second time.

_____________________________________________________________

Next Part

Also! Tags! It's so crazy to me that y'all actually want to be tagged in my work so I am seriously so grateful. <3

@sadroses98 @teddy-275 @teddy-275 @donttrustlove @donttrustlove

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twicepapitas · 6 months

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warnings: angst, president!minji, troublemaker!femreader, cheating?¿, jealous!minji

words count: 1.1k

• ———––— . ♡ . ———––— •

Kim Minji was the president of the student council, and she well deserved that position because Minji was simply the perfect student; beautiful, charismatic, yet serious and hardworking. She had a brilliant mind and perfect grades. She was kind and always had the courage to help others and whatever was needed at school.

Meanwhile, her girlfriend Lee YN was by her side. It's not that YN fell short of being a terrible student, or maybe she did, but her mediocre grades, aggressive behavior at school, and her bad reputation of being a troublemaker who loved being with different girls every week and playing with their feelings made her look like a complete mess compared to Minji.

Both girls had been dating for a few months. Their relationship was secret and private because they thought that if everyone knew about it, the gossip, attention, and negativity from people would try to end the relationship.

Minji's significant role as the student council president didn't allow her to get involved in major rumors or problems. Moreover, the position took too much stress and time to worry about the rumors and gossip of people with no life.

School is probably the least rumor-free and gossip-free place, so when a single student started gossiping about YN, the troublemaker of the school, and Hanni, the cheerleader of the football team, being in a relationship, the whole school went crazy. The rumors grew stronger and bigger.

The rumors spread like wildfire, quickly and hotly.

On Monday morning, the first thing that happened was a hallway full of whispers about this controversy. People were talking about the relationship of both girls. Everyone was amazed; it was as if Dispatch had released a statement about the relationship of two idols.

Minji was disciplined, so she never opened her ears to listen to rumors or paid attention to gossip. But today, she couldn't ignore it when she found out that the rumor of the week was something big; her girlfriend and Hanni in a supposed relationship.

Minji entered the school hallways and went straight to her locker without even greeting some of the students who wished her good morning. But she couldn't help but overhear the conversation that two students were having next to her.

"According to Karina, she saw YN and Hanni holding hands and kissing on campus," one girl commented to her friend, both standing by Minji's locker.

Immediately, Minji's heart shattered. She knew she shouldn't pay attention to rumors and should clarify things with her girlfriend first, but it was still painful to know that everyone was gossiping about her, that everyone believed her girlfriend was in a relationship with someone else.

"Karina never lies in rumors; she always gets them right," the other girl replied, and both agreed that, yes, Karina somehow always got the rumors right. "I believe Karina," she continued, but then her tone changed abruptly as she realized that both YN and Hanni were entering the main hallway.

As soon as Minji heard that, she turned to look down the hallway, like the rest of the gossiping students.

The girl wasn't wrong; there were YN and Hanni starting to walk down the hall. Hanni's arm was linked with YN's as they walked and talked as if nothing was wrong. Hanni had a radiant smile on her face, her eyes sparkling, while YN just smiled.

Immediately, everyone began to murmur. The whispers grew louder and stronger. Everyone seemed frantic about this new relationship coming to light.

"They make a good couple, don't they?" Soobin asked, arriving at Minji's side and leaning on one of the lockers while looking at her. Minji just watched the scene, filled with sadness and, deep down, jealousy.

Minji couldn't take it anymore and quickly left the place, walking hurriedly to her office. She sat in her chair, trying to relax and forget about what was happening, thinking that maybe it was all a misunderstanding. But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that it was just a misunderstanding, her blood boiled again when she remembered that Hanni had been showing a romantic interest in YN for a while, and this didn't look good at all. Therefore, her heart ached, her chest tightened, and her hands sweated at the mere thought that YN might be cheating on her or, worse, that she never really loved her and it was just another game for her. Her breathing became heavier and more agitated.

She quickly sent a text message to the vice president and her best friend Danielle, telling her that she urgently needed YN in her office.

• ———––— . ♡ . ———––— •

Minji ♡

Dani, I need you to go to her classroom. Inform the teacher that the president needs her for something important. Please.

• ———––— . ♡ . ———––— •

Danielle ♡

Okay, president.

I'll go.

• ———––— . ♡ . ———––— •

As soon as Danielle saw the text message, she immediately went to YN's classroom. She should be in chemistry class at the moment.

She entered the classroom slowly, first looking for YN's silhouette, and there she saw her in one of the seats at the back, along with Hanni, both laughing. One thing she noticed was the flirtatious way Hanni touched YN's arm and cheek, and she didn't like that at all.

"Miss Marsh, how nice to see you here!" the teacher greeted the girl with a big smile as she approached the teacher's desk. "How can I help you, vice president?"

"Um..." Danielle muttered a little nervously without taking her eyes off YN and Hanni, who hadn't noticed her presence, while the rest of the students were eager about the unexpected arrival of the vice president. "I need to take Lee YN; the president wants to see her in her office for something important."

"Lee YN, the president of the student council wants you in her office," the teacher announced loudly for everyone in the classroom.

Immediately, all the students exclaimed in unison, the typical tone of surprise and gossip when something happens in a classroom. YN froze for a few seconds, imagining what would come next, and she was scared. Hanni didn't understand what was going on, but it was too late to ask, the other girl had already stood up from her seat and left the classroom.

"You know you're in big trouble, right? I wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now," Danielle commented as she walked alongside YN to Minji's office.

"Why do you act like this? Can't you calm down a bit and let me explain?" Danielle was the only person who knew about the girls' relationship.

"Luck, you'll need it," she said when they were standing in front of the door.

Danielle then went to the other office and stood there alone. YN let out a big sigh to calm her nerves and relax, but even that didn't help. Her hands were already sweating.

She had no other option but to open the door and close it behind her once she entered the room.

Minji was sitting in her chair with her back to YN. As soon as she heard the door open and close, she turned her chair to look directly into YN's eyes. Minji's eyes were filled with darkness and a cold expression.

YN swallowed nervously and approached the chair in front of Minji, taking a seat.

"Can you explain why the whole damn school is talking about you and Hanni?" Minji said in an noticeably angry tone. YN felt the nerves running through her

whole body, but she knew she had to talk and do it right, or she could lose her girlfriend.

"I don't know why, Minji. It was probably Karina who started that rumor," YN said, avoiding eye contact and fiddling with her fingers. She couldn't look Minji in the eyes; it hurt to see the disappointment in those eyes.

Minji slammed her hands on the table, causing YN to jump in her seat. "Don't lie to me!" Minji shouted, her voice getting louder. "I saw it with my own eyes this morning, YN. I saw you and Hanni walking hand in hand and laughing as if you were having the time of your life."

"Minji, it's not what you think!" YN finally looked at her girlfriend with tears in her eyes.

"Then what is it, YN? What the hell is going on?!" Minji was on the verge of tears herself, her voice breaking.

YN took a deep breath to calm herself and decided to explain. "I admit I've been spending some time with Hanni lately, but it's not what everyone thinks. She's been going through a tough time, and I've been trying to be there for her as a friend. We're not in a relationship, Minji. I promise you."

Minji seemed to calm down a little, but she was still hurt and angry. "You should've told me, YN. You should've been honest with me from the beginning."

"I know, and I'm sorry," YN whispered, her voice full of guilt. "I should've told you, and I messed up, but please, believe me. I love you, Minji."

Minji took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. She loved YN, and she wanted to believe her. "I need some time to think, YN. I can't deal with this right now."

Tears streamed down YN's cheeks. "I understand. Just please remember that I love you."

The room fell silent, and the two girls sat there, unsure of what would happen next. Minji had a lot to think about, and YN was left hoping that their love could overcome this difficult situation.

#minji x reader #newjeans x reader #newjeans reactions #newjeans minji #newjeans #minji x femreader

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theofficialastronomy101 · 4 months

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BREAKING NEWS: A Repeating Radio Signal Is Coming From Another Earth-Like Planet, Scientists Say.

The 1st Live Alien Signal Received From Another Galaxy?Scientists have spotted a repeating radio signal from a nearby star system that hints at the presence of a magnetic field around one of its Earth-sized planets, reports a new study.

Earth’s magnetic field has played a critical role in the survival of life by shielding the surface from the Sun’s harmful radiation and helping to maintain a stable atmosphere that nourishes our biosphere. For this reason, scientists think that extraterrestrial life, if it exists, might also depend on the presence of robust magnetic fields around exoplanets, which are worlds that orbit other stars.

Scientists have previously observed the magnetic fields of giant Jupiter-scale exoplanets interacting with their host stars, as part of a process called magnetic star-planet interactions (SPIs). However, Earth-sized exoplanets give off much weaker magnetic signals compared to gas giants, making it difficult to detect magnetism around rocky worlds. Sebastian Pineda, a research scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Jacqueline Villadsen, an assistant professor at Bucknell University, have spent years searching for these elusive signs of magnetic fields around small planets. Now, the pair of astronomers present unprecedented evidence of repeated radio bursts that may be linked to a magnetic field around the Earth-sized exoplanet YZ Ceti b, which is located just 12 light years from our solar system.

YZ Ceti b completes an orbit in just two days, which means it is way too close to its star to host life, but this ultrashort year also “makes it a uniquely promising case study for magnetic SPIs,” according to a study published on Monday in Nature Astronomy. It was super exciting to see the radio data sets show this kind of signature,” Pineda said in an email to Motherboard. “We saw the initial burst detection, and immediately went about coordinating observations for additional monitoring, based on the published planet period, since we were looking for something that happens at the same time in the planet’s orbit. Once we had the additional data, Jackie was looking at it, and was telling me: ‘hey, there are similar radio signals here, right when we were looking and hoping to see them,’” he continued. “It was a bit of feverish excitement: ‘wow, we may really have it here!!’ I’m pretty sure I started pacing around, imagining our next steps: alright, we’ve got work to do to really demonstrate this result, with all the implications etc.”

In their hunt for these signals, Pineda and Villadsen focused their attention on short-period small planets, because they might have a more visible magnetic signature as a result of their proximity to their stars. As these worlds hurtle through their orbits, any magnetic field they might possess could interact with the star’s own magnetic field, creating a pattern of radio bursts from the star that can be potentially seen here on Earth.

The researchers think they might have seen these repeat bursts from the YZ Ceti system, but they caution that it’s not a slam-dunk case. It’s possible that the signals are a normal part of the radio stellar activity of stars like YZ Ceti, which is a slowly rotating red dwarf, which would mean that its emission may have nothing to do with any planets in the system. “There are still too many unknowns about the system, but I’d say we are demonstrating the potential of radio data and magnetic star-planet interactions to lead toward measurements of Earth-sized exoplanet magnetic field strengths—I don’t think we’re really there yet,” Pineda said. “So, we want to continue to monitor the star with the radio observatories, and look for additional recurrence of the radio signals that occur periodically with the same position of the planet in its orbit,” he added. “It can be time consuming and a bit challenging to set up, but that’ll confirm that the radio detections are indeed dependent on the planet, and not something that the star is doing on its own.” If this does turn out to be the first detection of magnetic SPI around an Earth-sized exoplanet, it could help scientists hunt for habitable worlds in other stars. The caveat is that looking for magnetic signatures around rocky worlds in the habitable zones of their stars, where liquid water and life are considered more likely to exist, would be tricky because these planets have much larger orbits. This distance from stars may be an advantage for any hidden aliens out there, but it also makes the magnetic interactions between stars and planets far weaker, to the point that some may not be detectable at all.

However, the new study offers a potential example of the types of signals you might expect to see from a system that contains a magnetically shielded planet that is similar in size to Earth. With time and practice, scientists might be able to zero-in on interesting targets, Pineda said, as part of a wider approach to assessing the odds that life might exist on other worlds. First off, fully confirming magnetic field strengths on exoplanets is a requisite for any broader understanding of habitability,” he explained. “It’s not just a temperature question, but the whole star-planet system needs to be thought about holistically, with magnetism as an important ingredient. “So, if we know these exoplanets have magnetic fields from the SPI work, we can start to think about questions like what are the properties of those planets, and thus how do the habitable zone planets compare, and what are the chances that they too have similar magnetic fields, even if we can’t measure them yet for the [habitable zone] planets specifically,” Pineda concluded. “If you can infer then that a planet likely has its own field, that’s when you can start thinking about whether individual planets are truly hospitable.”

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partyanimal167 · 6 months

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The New Guy- Shanks x F!Reader

Okay! So I finally finished my Crocodile fic that took me forever to write. SO~ my drafts are empty, and I'm writing this as a result of my dilf poll. I haven't written for Shanks so I'm interested to see how this is going to go... (EDIT: now posting months later lol)

CW: modern au, black fem reader in mind, mdni

That's a grown-ass man, me. Leave him alone. You're making up shit in your head.

You were just minding your business at work. You had been there for a little over a year and getting comfortable in your assistant manager position. You were a bit young for the role, but you were confident in most of your abilities.

It was a Monday morning , and everyone seemed to be on their toes. For weeks, there was talk of a corporate level director that was going to be helping out for a while. It wasn't for your department, but one that you worked with often. You didn't stress it really.

But that Monday tiredness hit you hard because you really shouldn't have slipped on that small puddle in the lobby. Your life flashed before you, and you tensed in anticipation for the hot coffee cup in your hand to soak your blouse and burn your skin.

However, that never occurred.

The man gave you a warm smile and wink before setting you back on your feet. You thanked him and walked away quickly to run from the embarrassment.

You fell back into gentle strong arms and a face that reminded you of the men who bought your friends drinks and never asked for anything in return. The ones who you would giggle and whisper about.

You were typing away at your desk when you heard the commotion approaching and saw a small group of people walking around and chatting. You joined your manager by their desk and asked about it.

"The corporate guy is here." The group arrived, and you saw the handsome man from earlier.

The group stopped by and introduced him. You exchanged introductions and figured that would be all.

That was not all.

In your mind, corporate meant uptight and strictly professional.

Shanks was silly, a flirt, and somehow found a way to be in your department every day, multiple times a day.

Soon enough, you loosened up enough to the point where you dished out sly remarks about Shank's age and shitty game when he was making another comment about the boyfriend you kept telling him you didn't have.

You didn't think that much of him until one day he rushed out of the office, and no one knew why. Until you heard that he bought a last-minute ticket to check in on his daughter who was sick in the hospital. You realized that Shanks had his own priorities and responsibilities so of course he wasn't just an old flirt. It was...attractive--you guessed.

You brought him a coffee when he came back and asked how he and his daughter was doing. It was a simple gesture. You left it at that.

He didn't.

Soon, you were starting to get some more recognition for your efforts at work and were invited to an appreciation dinner with some other people--including Shanks.

He praised you for your work, and maybe it was the alcohol but the words made you melt and softened.

So the two of you got drinks afterwards.

And maybe your hands weren't to yourself, but Shanks didn't say anything.

Work went on like normal...kind of. You couldn't stop yourself from getting flustered when that old man stopped by and flirted with you. You couldn't stop the impure thoughts of how Shanks was so unserious but could handle business--professional and personal.

And it was oh so hard to keep quiet when you were getting showered in praises and kissed everywhere in the supplies closet because it was hard for Shanks too. He needed to show how good he could make you feel and how he couldn't resist you.

But don't worry. Even if you struggle at work with him, Shanks will bring you over and let you make as much noise as possible.

The new guy was really trouble.

#one piece #one piece x reader #shanks #akagami no shanks #shanks x reader #fem reader #black fem reader #modern au #mine #partyanimal167

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kitashousewife · 1 year

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Here Comes Trouble

an: chapter one to my lover of mine series! i'll add the tag list in the comments.

A few weeks after the year anniversary of your coronation as the princess of Sendon, things are finally starting to feel real. Unfortunately for you, an afternoon of eavesdropping proves to be much messier than you thought

warnings: angst, food and drink mentions, reader wears dresses and makeup, royal AU and attitudes, misogynic behavior, swearing, tension

wc: 3.1k

Late spring meant for a lot of changes. New fabrics and decorations around the palace, new floral arrangements brought in at the start of each week, as well as many festivals and fundraisers to be planned. Aside from the smaller details, there were a lot of changes to your schedule as well.

Since becoming princess of Sendon, you've gained more responsibilities. Instead of sitting in on meetings, you've been asked to lead them. Appearances were no longer few and far between; your schedule is packed with them, constantly being arranged to fit just a few more. The newfound trust has been exciting, but tiring nonetheless. Thankfully your Grandmother, the Queen, has been extremely kind and involved in this strange transition.

You're grateful of course, as this has never been in your plans.

One year and a few short weeks ago, you stood front and center in the palace cathedral as the country cheered your name and you accepted your new role. Having a very mundane upbringing in the suburbs, graduating from public school and then college, you had never in million years thought you would receive this sort of news. Sure, you had read in books and heard bizarre stories about people across the world suddenly becoming famous, but they always seemed as if they would be just that; stories.

But now, as you sip your tea from the kitchen counter of the palace kitchen, those stories are very much your reality.

"Remember, you have a meeting with the queen right before lunch today," your secretary Utahime reminds you as she quickly walks into the kitchen, dropping off what you assume is a menu to the chef with a smile.

"I remember," you nod, slipping off of the marble to place your dishes near the sink. "Her office?"

Utahime nods, eyes skimming the calendar in her arms. "Maki and Mai have some outfit options in your room."

You hum. One of the best parts of your new role.

"Alright," you sigh. The clock over your very diligent secretary's shoulder reads about 10:00 AM. "I'll be there." She only nods in response once more, quickly shuffling out the door with a small wave.

You thank the kitchen staff with a smile before making your way upstairs. It's Monday morning, meaning your Grandmother is in and out of meetings with different departments, so you feel a little special that she has made time for you in your busy schedule.

The marble staircase in the middle of the palace is empty, save for a couple men who work to dust it. Come to think of it, you've seen more people than usual around this morning.

"Princess,"

"Maki, Mai, how are you two today?"

Maki comes around the corner from your bathroom and into your room. "Annoyed, and you?"

You snort. "Intrigued. What happened?"

Mai grabs three garment bags from their resting spot on your bed and hangs them from rolling wardrobe in the middle of your room. You lean against the mattress as the two girls work to unzip the bags.

"The Queen's assistants sent these up this morning," Mai grunts as she struggles with the zipper of one of the outfits. "and they have got to be the worst ones yet."

Each outfit is the exact same, just different colors. An A-line dress, just below the knee, with a matching coat, as well as a pair of plain white heels. At least you have the option between pale pink, blue, or yellow.

"They're not that bad," you stand up, feeling the fabric between your fingers. Most of the outfits you are provided are simple and clean: Princess Attire as your Grandmother calls it. "Blue is fine for today."

Maki and Mai share a glance, knowing you would pick that one. Mai trots off to your closet with the dress and shoes, while Maki zips up the remaining outfits.

"What are you meeting with the Queen about today?"

You follow Mai into the closet, grabbing a simple linen dress from the small section of clothes that actually belong to you. Slipping off your pajamas, you shrug.

"I actually have no clue. Normally, she fills me in but it's anyone's guess this time," the linen hits just above your knees, perfect for the sudden heat wave the kingdom is experiencing. Maki appears behind you suddenly, placing a pair of socks and shoes next to you. One thing the Queen has not been able to change, much to her dismay, is the way you dress in your free time.

"Thanks," Maki nods before grabbing the laundry. "Have you two heard anything?"

Your very loyal chambermaids share a look, before going back to what they were doing.

"So you have,"

"No!" They say in unison. Mai coughs.

"Well-"

"Mai."

Your eyebrows scrunch together while you do your hair quickly. The two rarely keep secrets from you, which means this must be something big.

"Please!" You exit the closet to find the two girls whispering to each other before jumping back to look at you. "C'mon, just tell me."

They stare at you with empathetic looks on their faces. You let out a defeated sigh before heading out the door.

"Fine, fine. I'll find out soon enough I suppose. I'll see you two in a bit," you wave and walk out the door, wracking your brain as to what today could be about. Your Grandmother is very close to you, sharing almost everything that goes on in the meetings you aren't invited to. She hasn't said a word though, which makes you anxious.

You decide to spend your free morning in the garden, checking on the different flowers the gardeners so kindly planted at your request. Right before you make it to the entrance of the garden, you hear the muffled voices of men from an open window. Shuffling over as quiet as you can, you crouch beneath the window and listen.

"It is possible, and it will have to be possible. She will not be without a spouse. She will be more respected that way." A few hums of agreement follow.

"That rule is old, and with all due respect Sir, that's why we haven't practiced it in what, 50 years? At least?" The voice of your Grandma comes through the window. She seems irritated, to say the least. The other voice wasn't as familiar.

"Your Highness, it's still in the law. And you of all people must know that we can't change it." That voice is much more familiar. Someone in parliament maybe?

"But, I don't think it's necessary. Shouldn't I of all people have the option to change that?"

A silence falls over the room, before someone clears their throat.

"I'm afraid you can't. Section three of the law states-"

"Okay, fine," the Queen walks over to the window. The way it creaks above your head, she must be leaning against the windowsill. You hold your breath, realizing your position for a moment. "Then she must wed."

Who's "she"?

"I say we give her a week."

"A week?" Your Grandmother shrieks, pushing off of the windowsill. Her heels click against the floor. "Absolutely not. Six months at lea-"

"Two months!"

"Ninety days!"

Arguments fill the air until a gavel strikes three times.

"Your Majesty," an elderly man speaks. "The law states that she will have thirty days. If she doesn't find someone in one month," his voice trails off. "She cannot be a princess anymore."

Your stomach sinks and your heart launches up into your throat. Your head spins and you feel sick. There's no way that-

"Then it will be done. I will bring this up to her today. We're meeting in an hour."

Your hands slam against the brick behind you and you start running. You rush through the gardens as fast as your legs will carry you, chest heaving. You could scream. You round the gates and slip through one of the side entrances and into the castle, dress in your fists as you hustle up the stairs.

"What the fuck," you slam your door, entering your chambers with labored breaths. You could scream. The sharp sound of your name fills the room.

"We don't have a lot of time, shower off quickly please," Utahime gives you a pointed look before rushing into your closet. You kick your shoes off at the entrance, throw your dress off and walk into the shower. It takes everything inside of you to not sink to the floor.

"You knew you had-"

"Not now Utahime, I really can't handle any lecturing," you flick the shower off and grab the towel that Mai holds for you outside of the shower walls. She gives you a sad, but understanding look.

"What happened?"

Your secretary can come off as quite severe, but she really is a sister to you. Only a couple years apart from each other meant you had a lot in common.

You huff as you dress quickly, forgoing the matching coat at the moment. As soon as the dress is zipped up, you plop into the vanity chair.

"While I was in the garden, I heard some talking going on from one of the meeting room windows. I stopped to listen and-"

Utahime cuts you off with a sigh. She sits down on the loveseat in the middle of your closet and glances over at you.

"You heard?"

You nod. Nobara comes in quickly, giving you a polite smile before beginning to brush your hair. She gives a glance to Maki and Mai who sit next to Utahime in a couple of chairs.

"God, you knew too? Why does everyone know me getting married before I do?"

Nobara shakes her head, grabbing a few things from the vanity before continuing with your hair. You groan. The entire time you've been a princess, your wishes have been respected. You've never been forced to an event you don't want to go to, you've always had the choice on your schedule for the day. This is new, and unwelcome.

You look at yourself in the mirror and frown. Being a wife was not something that was on your to-do list, and you are not looking forward to finding a husband.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could have told you. I didn't think you would find out this way." Utahime brings you your phone, and you shrug.

"Not your fault. I feel sick," you put your head in your hands. "I bet they have someone lined up for me. Some old royal from who knows where," you close your eyes as Nobara moves on to your makeup, working quickly as you don't have a lot of time. Maki hums in agreement.

The minutes pass in silence, only the sounds of Nobara's quick hands and your chambermaids picking things up fill the room. By the time you're ready to go, you are at a loss. Emotionally and verbally. You look in the mirror one last time. Nobara did a light makeup look and a simple low bun. You thank her before slipping on your heels and heading out the door.

"Good luck," Mai sighs as she leans against one of your bedposts. Maki stands by her side with an apologetic smile.

"Thanks you two. Hopefully, I'll see the two of you at lunch?"

They nod as you and Utahime begin your walk to the Queen's office. You don't say anything at first, and either does she, until her phone chimes.

"The Queen is running late," she mumbles, typing a response while the two of you go down the stairs. "She said she will be there in about thirty minutes and sends her apologies." You roll your eyes.

"I'm going to the garden," Utahime raises her eyebrows. "I'll be on time, I promise. I just need some air." She nods and you walk down the hallway and out the side door. As soon as you walk into the garden, you feel like you can breathe again. Your mind is racing, thoughts of what on earth your Grandma is thinking, mixed with anger at every stupid male in parliament stir in your brain. As you turn to follow the path to the fountain, you run into something.

Or, someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry,"

"Princess! My apologies, I am so sorry. I should have been looking where I was going."

Before you is a man, much taller than you, with hair white as snow. He's wearing navy slacks, a white button-up, and expensive-looking tan leather shoes. His eyes are wide, and you are sure you've never seen eyes so blue. He's fit, looks about your age, and he's gorgeous. Not only that, but you've never seen him before.

"I'm fine, are you okay? No need to apologize!" You wave him off and smile. He lets out a sigh of relief and gives you a smile of his own. You almost swoon, and you would have if a royal gardener in the corner of your eye wasn't there to remind you of your situation.

"How rude of me. My name's Satoru. I am so honored to meet you, Princess," he bows, grabbing your hand in his before mumbling your name in a sweet voice. He places a kiss to the back of your hand and you nod. You're buzzing, but the months of practice your Grandmother put you through a year ago have you trained to not show it.

Almost.

"S-Satoru! It's nice to meet you. I don't think I've seen you before," your head tilts, and he smirks.

"No, I don't think we've ever met. I'm not from here, actually."

You stand in silence for a second, trying to figure out what to say. He truly was taking your breath away. Your mouth opens to speak, but your sentence dies on your tongue.

"Princess, she's ready for you!"

Your head whips around to where Utahime stands at the entrance of the garden, waving you down. Satoru nods at her, before bowing slightly at you.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. It was lovely to meet you Satoru. I hope you enjoy the garden!" You wince and walk away, looking at him over your shoulder.

"You as well, Princess. I hope we can see each other again."

You follow behind Utahime, and the two of you speed walking into your Grandma's office. She sits at her desk, looking over a few forms with her own secretary and someone else from the palace, you're not sure who.

"There she is!" she beams up at you once she looks away from the forms, nodding at her secretary before they shuffle out the doors. As soon as the heavy wood shuts behind you, you give her a blank stare.

"Nice to see you too," she states sarcastically, throwing the papers on her desk. You continue to stand. "Are you going to have a seat, or continue to throw a fit standing there?"

You huff and sit down. "Do you have something to say to me?"

She looks at you, confused, and shakes her head.

"You don't? Not even something about a wedding?" Utahime says your name under her breath, but you ignore her. She may be afraid of the Queen, rightfully so, but you aren't. Your grandma closes her eyes and sighs.

"Who told you?"

"I heard it myself. This morning, in fact." You're fuming. If you could see yourself, you'd be positive you would have steam coming out of your ears.

"I tried, sweetheart. I really did. I can't fight the law, you heard me! If I could I would, and you know that." She stands up and walks towards you, standing in front of you to lean against her desk. "I don't know what else to say, other than I'm sorry. I only want what's best for you."

You look up at her with tears in your eyes, unsure if they're from anger or sadness. She clicks her tongue and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"Bastards, all of them. I don't understand why I, the Queen, can't change the rules. But you know, you don't have to go through with this."

You look up at her and furrow your brows.

"This kingdom means the world to me. I can't just abandon everyone like that. I may be young, but I'm not a coward." Your Grandma smiles at you. You stand up and walk towards the window, looking out at the area of the kingdom in view. "I don't want to stop being Princess, just because of some stupid rule that a bunch of old men won't change." You turn to her and take a deep breath.

"If finding someone to marry is what it takes, then I'll do it. As long as I get to pick who."

Your Grandma laughs and walks over to you, pulling you into a hug.

"I admire your strength and commitment, it's inspiring," when she pulls away she holds your arms. "But that doesn't mean I don't want what's best for you. If at any point you don't want to do this, tell me. I know I can get something figured out." You nod, tears threatening to spill from your eyes once more. After a few moments of collecting yourself, you follow your Grandma back to her desk.

"So, what did you want to meet about today?"

She laughs. "Besides the obvious, I wanted to fill you in on something going on at the palace."

You nod and reclaim your seat. "Sure, what's going on?"

"We are having our Summer's Eve ball in a month, so preparations for that have already begun. Utahime will be coordinating with Ms. Kugisaki and yourself about a dress this week. I think that would be a perfect opportunity for you and your," she pauses, giving you a sympathetic look. "new husband to make your debut to the kingdom. I won't advertise it as such, but I want you to be aware of that." You nod distastefully, and she continues.

"Besides the excitement, we have a guest staying at the palace this summer, starting today."

Your ears perk up. The only time guests have ever stayed at the palace since you've been here was your own family and friends for the holidays.

"Who is it?" You lean forward, grinning with excitement. Your Grandma shares your attitude, clapping her hands together.

"He's the son of one of the members of parliament, actually. He's spending the summer with us to see how the castle is run, the day-to-day operations, and everything like that," she opens her mouth to continue, but she's interrupted.

"Madam, he's ready if you are." Her bodyguard, Masamichi calls from the doors of her office. She nods at him, motioning for you to stand up.

"Grandma, I don't understand, who-"

"Your majesty, it's so good to see you again."

Your eyes shoot up, and your jaw drops to the floor. From the other side of the doorway, Utahime looks at you, palms to the ceiling and a shocked look on her face.

"Sweetheart, I would like you to meet Sir Gojo Satoru, our guest for the summer."

#gojo x reader #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader imagine #gojo x reader fic #satoru gojo x reader #gojo fluff #satoru gojo fluff #jjk fluff #royal jjk #jjk imagine #jjk x reader #jjk x you #gojo x you #satoru gojo x you

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insanityclause · 16 days

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Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino joined Deadline’s Contenders TV event Saturday to discuss set design, character motivations and the potential future of the Disney+ series beyond Season 2.

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to churn out box office hits, it’s hard to believe that Hiddleston’s star-making turn as the celestial trickster brother to the hammer-wielding god Thor started well over a decade ago.

“I’ve absolutely loved playing Loki; it’s been 15 years, and it is the most magnificent and emotional roller coaster for the twists and turns,” Hiddleston said. “He has so much range and so much complexity, it never feels like [I’m playing] the same thing. But I know the reason I’m standing here in front of you today is that the audience has such curiosity and passion for and a connection to him.”

In Season 2 of the Marvel Studios series, Loki finds himself in a battle for the ownership of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius (Wilson), Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) and a team of new and returning characters, Loki has to navigate an increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie (Di Martino), Judge Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) and He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). Loki makes the ultimate self-sacrifice as he learns that the true crux of his glorious purpose is to watch over the sacred timeline while looking over his newfound family and friends at a solitary distance.

“Playing Loki has changed the course of my whole life, no question.” Hiddleston reflected. “And I feel so proud of where we’ve ended up in Season 2. It was very creatively fulfilling to bring something full circle. I always saw him from the very first film as a broken soul with a shattered heart who felt like he didn’t belong … all that grief hardens into grievance. That’s what binds him to Sylvie. And the grievance is what drives him to become a villain in the Avengers and the Thor movies, and this second chance that he’s given by Mobius to rediscover that glorious purpose that he feels he’s always been burdened with … it comes in a shape he would have never recognized and would never have anticipated. And it gave him a kind of catharsis that he wasn’t ready for.”

Considering the popularity and longevity of the character, it seems only natural to ask if audiences will be seeing him again somewhere amongst the ever-expanding MCU. “I wish I could tell you, but I have no idea.” Hiddleston quipped.

Check back Monday for the panel video.

#tom hiddleston #loki #owen wilson #sophia di martino

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katewritesthings · 3 months

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Love Me Like I Can // 2.5

Chapter 2.5 // Media Catch Up

@DianaMusic: @WhatYouKnead Bakery is the perfect way to start a Lazy Monday. Not an ad, just the best baked goods I've ever had.

Liked by @WhatYouKnead, joeyb_9, and others

..view more comments…. WhatYouKnead:: omg! No idea these were for you! Thank you so much for the tag!

bizzyhayes: The best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever tasted! DianaFiana: Feet pics??? FOR FREE???? DIANA JANE! DiUpdates: 👀👀👀 IslaNg: I’ll have to check it out!

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February 15, 2024

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS NOMINEE CAUSE ONLINE STIR

Another year of the public voting for their favorite Pop Culture moments has come to an end meaning that the one and only People’s Choice Awards is this weekend. The awards show is the only one of its kind where the public votes to honor their favorite entertainment moments from the past year.

Since nominations were announced, the internet has been set ablaze with discourse around the nominees. The awards received positive feedback for being one of the few award shows this season to not only nominate Ryan Gosling for his role as Ken but Margot Robbie for her role as Barbie.

Nominations for the show Band Together have also stirred up controversy on the internet as of late. The show, which chronicles the day-to-day life of the band Bedford Scrolls, was nominated for “Best Reality TV Show of the Year” while one if its recurring cast members, Diana Hayes, was nominated for “Favorite Reality TV Star”.

These nominations caused discussion amongst fans for numerous reasons. Some fans of Bedford Scrolls claim that it is unfair that Diana is being nominated for Favorite Reality TV Star because she was never actually a main cast member.

@ConMeLew: idk why Diana got nominated for any TV awards? She was only in half the season and she’s not even in the band! @Scroll2Bedford: I’ve never met someone who got cheated on and suddenly just gets nominated for awards. Diana is milking it.

Fans of Diana disagree, with many fans saying that the only reason that Band Together was even nominated in the first place was because of Diana’s storyline.

@DianaFiana: y’all can play all you want, but lets be real. Would half of us even have watched this season of band together if it werent for Diana? @RnBGirly: i only ever watched the episodes she was in until the scandal was announced. Then i went back and Sherlock Holmes’d that shit

There is something that both sides can agree on, though: how awkward the ceremony is going to be with the entire band Bedford Scrolls and Diana confirmed to be in attendance.

Tune in Sunday Night to watch the events unfold!

-------------- New Stops Added to Diana Hayes' Upcoming Tour!

====================

Sorry this one is so short! Thank you so much for reading!

=======

Taglist: If you'd like to be added, let me know!

@therapycat21 @rd14 @wickedfun9 @toterry

#joe burrow #joe burrow fan fic #joe burrow fic #joey b #joe burrow x oc #lovemelikeican #diana hayes #joe burrow x diana hayes

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holdmytesseract · 1 year

Text

Against the odds

Chapter Five - In Vino Veritas

a/n: Oop... 👀 @ladycamillewrites

Word Count: 4,2k

Warnings for this Chapter: alcohol, a few swear words, mentions of past trauma, breakup, toxic relationship, nudity

Masterlist

"Aaand cut!" The director yelled, causing everybody to switch out of their roles, including you and Tom. The participants of the last scene for today came all to stand in a circle around the camera team. "Great work today, guys! We'll see you all on Monday! Have a good night's rest and weekend!" Anne announced, smiling brightly in the round, before she started to clap. Everybody just joined in, applauding and motivating one another.

After everyone bid their goodbyes to the others around, you and Tom parted ways to get out of costume and make-up. "Hey Tom! Finally wrapped up filming for today?" Lydia - one of the lovely costume designers - welcomed the actor with a smile in the costume trailer. "Good evening, Lydia." He gave her a kind, friendly smile as well. "Five minutes ago, yes. I think this was the longest day of filming so far." Tom stated with a small laugh, before he vanished in his small changing booth to get out of costume. "Yep, I think so too!" Lydia responded, popping the p. Tom changed within ten minutes, while small-talking with the friendly woman. After that was done, he was finally ready to go home and enjoy the rest of the evening. He handed his costume over with a smile. "Thanks, Lydia. See you on Monday." "Sure thing, Tom. See you. Good night!" "Night!" Now, clad in a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt, he made his way over to your trailer. Tom, being the British gentleman he was, waited of course for his co-star - and the lovely woman which was slowly but surely taking over his heart. Okay... Who was he kidding? The little sister of his brother-from-another-mother had already stolen his heart. That was at least how it felt like - and Tom knew that feeling. He knew how it felt like to be in love. And how could he not fall for this wonderful, kind, smart and talented woman? It was literally impossible. Inevitable. Actually, Tom had decided to wait, take some time for himself, before he was going to strike up a new relationship after all the shit that happened with Taylor. But well... His heart seemed to ignore what his head was saying and just decided to act on its own, throwing Tom over the edge and into a new abyss of love. What was it his mum always said? You can't choose with whom or when or how you fall in love, son. It just happens. Tom had to smile at the thought of his mum.

"What got you smiling like that?" A voice suddenly interrupted his train of thoughts. Your voice. The Brit breathed out a small laugh, baby blues meeting Y/E/C ones, as his cheeks turned red; embarrassed about the fact that the woman, which was on his mind almost constantly 'caught' him literally in the act. "I was just thinking about my mum." It wasn't a lie. He did think of his mother - in connection to her, but Tom wasn't ready and way too shy to admit it. "You were thinking about your mum?" He nodded, still smiling. "Yeah." You started to smile as well. "How cute. My brothers also always make me smile when I think of them... Especially Chris, that goofball." Tom had to giggle at her words. "Ehehe, well yes. I can relate. He's always up for a little fun." "Oh definitively!" You and Tom shared a laugh, before you got quiet for a moment. "Are you finished?" Tom asked his co-star. You looked down yourself, were now dressed in jeans and a hoodie as well. "Yep. Ready to go. You too?" "Yeah." "Perfect. So... I'll see you tomorrow then." You wanted to lean in to give your 'friend' a hug and say goodbye, but he held out his hand, politely refusing her hug - which left the woman in slight confusion. "No, absolutely not." You furrowed your brows. "What...?" "Y/N... It's quite late. London can be dangerous at night and I refuse to let you walk to your hotel alone. I live five minutes away from the set. Why don't you just stay at my house for the night?" Your eyes widened at the Brit's suggestion. "T-Tom... That's super sweet and kind of you, but... I-I don't know... I really don't want to be a burden." Tom immediately shook his head. "You are everything Y/N, but not a burden." You bit your lip, weighing your options. "I've got a really great Chardonnay, waiting at home..." Tom smiled, trying to persuade you. "And I am going to cook for you the best Spaghetti you ever had in your life." "Wine? Spaghetti? Tom... Don't tempt me..." You said with a giggle, causing the Brit to chuckle as well. "But what if I do want to temp you, darling?" He noticed how your cheeks turned into a soft shade of red. "Okay, okay, fine!" "Yes!" Tom cheered like he had just won a bet. "But if that Spaghetti is not even close to my mum's Spaghetti, I am leaving!" You joked and teased Tom, making him chuckle again. "I promise, darling, you won't be disappointed."

About an hour later, you sat in Tom's fancy dining room, at the wooden dining table, waiting for him to serve the 'world's best' Spaghetti. No five minutes later he appeared with two dishes of steaming hot Spaghetti - and oh lord did it smell delicious. "Dinner is ready, milady." The Brit announced with that sexy accent, causing your knees to turn into jelly. "May I serve you this delicious meal?" You giggled at his words, nodding. "Please, Sir. I'm starving." With a smile placed Tom the dish in front of you, before he sat opposite you. "I hope you like it." "We'll see." You teased and twirled the Spaghetti around your fork, before popping the sauce covered noodles into your mouth to get a taste. Only now did you realise, that Tom had slightly changed his look. The sleeves of his pristine white shirt were rolled up, exposing his strong, muscular arms. The top three buttons of his shirt were undone, giving her a glimpse of the exposed skin on his chest and the fine, dark hair lurking out from beneath the fabric. The woman swallowed hard. It wasn't something she hadn't seen before. After all, she had been filming a sex scene with that man not so long ago, and yet the sight left her speechless. Breathless. Right here, right now, in this situation, it felt much more... personal and private. Almost intimately. It was a whole different situation. And then there were the pair of glasses, which sat upon Tom's nose. That was new - and lord have mercy was it hot. You never saw Tom in glasses before, but now that you did, you never wanted him to take them off. "Do you not like it?" Tom's voice - laced with a bit of sadness suddenly cut through the air, causing you to snap out of your haze. You blinked, needed to process his words first. Once your brain had caught up, you quickly chewed on the Spaghetti and shook your head, trying to tell him that this was absolutely not the case. "No, no! Gods, no! I love it! It's amazing! World's best Spaghetti, indeed!" Tom luckily didn't seem to notice the way your mind went blank for a short amount of time. He smiled a boyish smile. "Even better than your mum's Spaghetti?" The man asked sheepishly, adjusting his glasses. You smirked, took another bite of the Spaghetti, before you started to nod. "Yep, yeah, definitely." The Brit chuckled and placed a large hand on his chest. "I feel deeply honoured. Thank you, darling."

After dinner, you helped Tom to clean up - even if he didn't want it, but you insisted. While Tom put away the last dish, you leaned against the kitchen counter, steadying yourself with your hands. "You were talking about a Chardonnay earlier, weren't you?" You asked with a cheeky smile. Your words caused Tom to snort out a laugh. "I mentioned it, yes. Would you like some?" His gaze met yours. You bit your lip. "Only if you drink with me." "If you wish, milady." That boyish smirk reappeared on his lips, as he nodded towards his living room. "Make yourself comfortable, darling." You didn't let yourself tell that twice, of course and sat down on the comfortable sofa, while Tom fetched two wine glasses and his expensive Chardonnay. Plopping beside you on the sofa, he poured the French wine into the two glasses. "There we go..." Tom announced, lifting his glass, in order to clink it against yours. "Here's to you and your first movie!" The Brit said with a charming smile on his face, causing your knees to weaken even once again. "Thanks, Tom." You clinked your glass against his and took a sip. After sip, after sip, after sip.

They say alcohol lowers the inhibitions. It makes people more talkative and bolder. Perhaps, this was also something which happened to Tom and you... Especially, after the bottle of wine was almost half empty... "Now tell me, darling..." Tom started, feeling the alcohol slowly overtaking his system. He still knew what he was doing, but he definitely was tipsy - and that tipsiness caused him to be way bolder than he usually was. "Why is the beautiful little sister of my brother-from-another-mother still single?" The now cocky, but yet incredibly charming Brit asked, taking another sip of the wine. You snorted out a laugh, being just as tipsy as Tom. "Welllll..." You said, drawing out the l. "Because I seem to have the talent to only fall in love with assholes." Tom frowned. "Why's that?" You shrugged your shoulders almost over dramatically. "My high school boyfriend - if you can even call him that - was a prick. My first real boyfriend was a cheater - so was the second; and my ex-boyfriend Nate is all of the above..." The happy, wanton mood suddenly turned, became serious and rather sad. "The relationship was... toxic. Unhealthy. Guess I am still kinda suffering from this..." Tipsy talk was now deep talk, after those words had left your lips. "I saw through Nate's toxic behaviour way too late... It would've spared me a lot, but well... In the end, I did see through his behaviour, and that's what matters, I think." Tom's expression turned sad as well. Eyes filled with compassion and sorrow. "What... What did he do?" The Brit asked carefully. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, for sure." You shook your head. "I do want to talk about it. It's kind of therapeutic to me, so..." Tom nodded, gently taking your hand in his, giving it a soft, encouraging squeeze. "At the beginning of our relationship, everything was fine. Dreamlike, really. I loved him, he loved me. It was almost picture perfect. Almost. After a few months, he started to become more... clingy. It was nothing bad at first, but at some point, Nate's attachment turned into obsession. He was always complaining that I spent too less time with him - even if I did. He hated it, when I visited my family or friends." You sighed, taking another sip. "Nate loved to manipulate me. He fucked with my mind; made me believe that I always was the one to blame... He may have not physically abused me, but... Maybe psychologically." You swallowed hard; vivid memories running through your mind and reminding you of your past. "T-There was a lot about sex as well, but... I-I don't want to dig deeper into this topic." And another sip, while Tom just listened patiently and attentively. "Hey, that's okay. You don't have to tell me everything. If you're not comfortable with this, it's okay." You just nodded, trying to hold back the tears. How could this man be so... perfect? He was understanding, kind, compassionate and above all supportive and a real gentleman. Tom gave your hand another soft squeeze. "Man... This guy really sounds like the biggest asshole around." "Precisely, yes... I never met a bigger asshole." Tom sighed. "I'm so sorry you had to go through this. No woman ever deserves such a man - and certainly not you. You deserve a good guy. A man who knows how to treat a lady. Someone who loves you just the way you are and respects you and your choices..." A man like you, you mean? You thought, as Tom's words urged to your ears. Exactly a man like you. "A gentleman." You. Your cheeks reddened at his words - and it wasn't just caused by the alcohol. "Thank you so much for listening to me, Tom - and for your kind words. Really. Thank you." The man gave you a small smile. "Of course, darling."

There were a few moments of silence, in which both of you took a big sip of the Chardonnay. The alcohol caused you to be braver and bolder as well. Not just Tom. "And what about you, Mr. Hiddleston? Why is such a charming man like you single?" Said man lowered his head with a chuckle. "Well... I guess I just didn't find my soulmate yet." He quickly lifted his head once again to look you directly in the eyes. "I'm still waiting for the right woman..." You took another sip. "So... Taylor wasn't the right woman?" The Brit shook his head, "No, she definitely wasn't." and nursed his wine glass as well. "Taylor was... She was..." Tom paused. "I don't even know what she was, to be honest." "Did you love her?" He thought for a moment, then started to nod. "Yes, I did, but... I guess it was too rushed. We both kind of jumped into that relationship. One minute, we were on cloud nine and the next, we hit the harsh ground of reality. We were looking for something - but not the same thing. Taylor needed a getaway and I... Well, I guess I just wanted to find true love." Your expression saddened, as you listened to Tom's not quite picture-perfect love story. "I'm sorry, Tom." You sighed. "Seems like we are both falling in love with the wrong people..." "Seems so, yes..." A long beat of silence passed, in which you and Tom just looked at each other, lost in each other's eyes - until Tom cleared his throat. "It taught me something important, though." "Yeah?" "Yes... If I ever find myself in a romantic relationship again, I am going to keep it as private as possible. I think that was another reason why our relationship failed. The publicity, press, social media... It was too much." You nodded sadly. "Yeah... I know exactly what you mean..." You felt how Tom took your hand in his once more, causing you to meet his gaze again. "Let's not talk any further about our shitty and fucked up love life." Tom smiled and went to refill the wine glasses. "We got each other, don't we? And a huge movie project, which is going to be - without a doubt, astonishing." He lifted to clink his glass against yours for the second time that night. You smiled broadly. "Absolutely."

Needless to say, the rest of the evening was very cheerful. In between funny jokes, embarrassing college stories and casual small talk was every topic present. You and Tom really had a blast - and a whole bottle of Chardonnay; causing you both to get wine drunk and facing the consequences the next morning...

Tom awoke quite early on that Saturday morning. Blinking his eyes open, he adjusted to the early morning sun. He shifted and searched for his phone to check the time. That was the moment, when he realised that he ended up on the sofa the previous night; still clad in his jeans and shirt. The good thing was, that he remembered what happened last night. It was a bit hazy, but he still remembered... Eating Spaghetti with you. Talking the whole evening to you - and well, getting drunk with you. Slowly, he swung his legs over and sat up. His head throbbed immediately at this movement, causing him to hiss at the sharp pain. Fuck. Tom thought and looked around in search for you, but the only thing he found was his phone, laying on the floor beneath the sofa. He picked it up to check the time. Eight o'clock. The actor had probably never been more relieved before, that he didn't need to work today. Yawning, he stood up and wanted to find you first. So, he looked around his house. Luckily, Tom did find you. Deep asleep, literally knocked out in- He swallowed hard at the sight in front of him. In his bed. Tom had absolutely no idea how you got there but... It sent his heart almost skyrocketing. The Brit had to admit, that this was a sight he could definitely get used to. With a smile, he left his bedroom again; decided not to wake you and take a shower now. That was exactly what he did. The hot water managed to somehow wake him up, but he was still quite woozy and definitely out of it; the alcohol still coursing through his veins, fogging his brain. With not a single care in the world, he exited the shower. Lazily, Tom brushed his teeth, when his stomach growled, reminding him that it was probably time to eat something.

After he was finished, he closed the bathroom door shut behind himself and made his way towards the kitchen - when his body suddenly collided with another body, causing him to stumble back a bit. His eyes landed on the person he had just almost ran over. You. She must've gotten up while I was showering, the Brit thought. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Y/N, I... Good morning." He smiled, scratching the back of his neck. "No, I'm sorry. It's my fault, I should've been more care... ful..." You trailed off, when you noticed Tom's appearance. It was obvious that he had just taken a shower. The scent of his shampoo and bodywash wafting through the air and hitting your olfactory nerves. It was intoxicating. You looked up at him, blinking; overwhelmed by the sudden situation you were thrown into. You desperately tried to not get distracted, but of course you couldn't help yourself. It was too tempting. You just had to ogle the handsome man standing in front of you...

Your eyes started their journey at his gorgeous face. Wet, short blonde-brown hair was curling itself on top of his head, causing a few droplets to run down the side of his face. Past those baby blue eyes, which were shining in the early morning sunlight. Over those razor-sharp cheekbones, shaved cheeks and defined jawline. The droplets dripped onto his bare chest, hungry eyes following them, as they grazed those strong pecs, pushing their way through the fine, curly hairs on his chest and down those delicious abs. You shortly feared that his cute belly button would stop the droplet you were particularly fallowing, but no, it didn't. Your eyes and the water droplet were able continue your journey. After passing his belly button, the droplet got a bit slowed down by the defined and trimmed line of dark hair - Tom's happy trail, before it disappeared beneath the fabric of the tow- Hold on for a second. That didn't look like a towel- Oh shit... Your eyes widened, before you quickly averted them; cheeks turning beet red. Tom didn't wear a towel. He wore nothing, was completely naked. Your brain was a mess; moments away from just short-circuiting. Your co-star, friend, crush - hence, probably the man of your dreams, was standing in front of you, without a single piece of clothing. Tom noticed the change of your facial expression - and suddenly had a very bad assumption... The actor blinked, trying to get his thoughts together. "I-I sincerely hope and pray to god that t-there's a towel covering m-my..." Tom trailed off, still in some kind of haze, entirely starstruck. You swallowed hard, trying desperately not to look. You shook your head, completely tensed up. "N-No... There, uh... There i-isn't a t-towel..." Tom squeezed his eyes shut, cheeks turning deep red in sheer endless embarrassment. "Fuck..." His brain, which had suddenly been kickstarted, due to the shocking realisation, that he stood in front of the woman he had more than likely fallen in love with - butt naked, told him to react and to just do something. Preferably cover it. Eyes widening in shock, he quickly moved his hands in front of his crotch, covering his most private parts. Fuck, fuck, fuck, the Brit thought. He felt not just utterly embarrassed of his stupid, headless behaviour, no, he also felt idiotic for probably messing up the miniature chance he had to somehow conquer that beautiful woman's heart. Well... He more than likely just forfeited that chance. "I-I'm so sorry, I... I-I'm g-going to..." Tom stuttered, gesturing with his head towards his bedroom. You understood, of course. "Y-Yeah..." Still with cheeks as red as a tomato, he walked towards his bedroom, closing the door quickly behind himself. He leaned against the cool wooden surface, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Fuck.

Little did Tom know, that this little incident didn't forfeit his chance. Not at all... It rather increased it. Sure, it was an awkward situation, but you would lie if you were saying that you didn't enjoy this little... show. Tom was more than just handsome; hotter than a volcano. Ten minutes later, after getting his shit somehow together and dressed, he reappeared, immediately apologising for his behaviour. From that point on, everything seemed to be... not quite the same. The incident definitely changed the relationship. Although, neither you, nor Tom could point a finger on what it was exactly.

Breakfast was... awkward, to say the last. You and Tom ate in quiet; both of you trying to play off what had happened twenty minutes ago. In the end, you both decided to just pretend it never happened, although it affected you and Tom.

Later on, Tom decided to accompany you back to the hotel in which you stayed. "You really don't have to do that, Tom, really." He shook his head, giving you a soft smile. "I insist. It's the least I can do, after getting you wine drunk yesterday." You stifled a giggle. "It was my decision too, you know." "Yes, but nevertheless. Please." "Okay."

Said and done. You and Tom got ready to go out and headed for the hotel you were staying in. It wasn't a long walk, probably twenty minutes, stopping a few meters away from the big, fancy entrance. "Thanks, Tom." You stated with a smile. "For everything. For dinner. For listening to me. For breakfast. For walking me 'home'..." A boyish smile tugged at the Brit's lips. "Even for getting you wine drunk?" You laughed, "Even for that, yes." causing Tom to chuckle as well. "You're welcome, darling - and uh..." He nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry again for... You know..." You waved him off, felt the blood rush into your cheeks. "It's okay, really. Such things happen after getting drunk, so..." The man nodded, although still felt like a total idiot. Before the awkward silence was able to get even more awkward, Tom cleared his throat. "Alright, um... I'll head back now. Enjoy the weekend. I'll see you on Monday." "Yes, sure. You too. See you on Monday." Both of you leaned in to embrace each other in a friendly hug, before Tom turned on his heels and walked back to his home.

Unbeknownst to them, didn't stay their little walk and hug unnoticed... A man with curly red hair had witnessed the scenes in front of his eyes, from where he stood across the street of Tom's house. He was of course quick to draw his camera to snap pictures. Y/N Hemsworth leaving her co-star Tom Hiddleston's house? That piqued the journalist's interest, of course. He followed them secretly, witnessed the hug and snapped another few pictures. For him, the situation was obvious. Smirking at the seemingly new discovered secret, he fished his mobile out of the pocket of his jeans to call his boss. "Hello?" "Well, good morning to you, too, Kate." "Why are you calling me this early on a Saturday morning, Pete? I hope you've got a good reason for that." Pete's smirk widened. "Oh indeed, I have. I just snapped a few interesting pictures of our British sunny boy with his so-called co-star." "Hiddleston and Hemsworth?" Pete nodded, although Kate wasn't able to see it. "Exactly. Take a look at the pictures I sent you." "Alright, give me a minute." A beat of silence passed, before Kate's voice echoed through the line once again. "Ohh, Pete, Pete, Pete... Those pictures are a game changer!" She exclaimed, "Well, well, look at that... Is Y/N now into London boys? Barely four months separated from her football sweetheart and now that... Angling herself Britain's hottest actor, my my..." and chuckled maliciously. "Pete, you're my golden boy! This headline is going to be terrific!"

Tagging: @crimson25 @kikster606 @huntress-artemiss @123forgottherest @lovingchoices14 @ozymdias @vbecker10 @coldnique @lokixryss @simplyholl @peaches1958 @lokibadguy @jennyggggrrr @stephenstrangeaddictions @holymultiplefandomsbatman @gigglingtigger @mischief2sarawr @mypsychoticlove @mochie85 @muddyorbs @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @simping-for-marvel @lady-rose-moon @goblingirlsarah @kats72 @vickie5446 @buffyfan2833 @12-pm-510 @ladymischief11 @somewiseguy @woooonau @cabingrlandrandomcrap

#against the odds #tom hiddleston x y/n #tom hiddleston x you #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston x fem!reader #tom hiddleston fic #tom hiddleston one shot #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston fandom

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lilyginnyblackv2 · 1 year

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Birthday Days, Dates, and Personalities - Buddy Daddies

I decided to look into these for some fun, and the results were quite interesting. I’ll provide the links (both English and Japanese) that I used for the information mentioned here. Let’s start with Kazuki.

KAZUKI - Born: 16th, Day of the Week: Monday

Text: Monday-born individuals are highly intuitive and sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others. They are also said to be nurturing and caring, which can make them great parents and caregivers.

In English there is a poem as well, called Monday’s Child. It’s a poem talking about aspects of people based on the day of the week they were born. In the poem, it states that, “Monday’s child is fair of face,” aka good looking, pretty, attractive, etc. Of course, this applies to Kazuki, as does the information above about Monday-born individuals. Kazuki is the one of the two that is more in-tune with his emotions and feelings.

Other sites note that Monday Born Personalities are maternal (due to the connection to the moon), romantic and affectionate in love relationships, “perfect love” makes them happy, and they are imaginative, flexible, and good at improvising new techniques and ideas.

In Japanese, I looked up what the number date of their births tell about their personality. So, for Kazuki, it would the 16th. What was said about people born on the 16th was that they were independent, stable, bring a sense of security, responsible for achieving goals, have craftsman’s spirits, which lead to them being a bit too proud. They also won’t bend their opinions, have a strong will, and are not afraid of pressure. They can communicate their thoughts well, but often make decisions and take actions alone, instead of consulting others.

All of these personality traits are pretty spot on for Kazuki! He takes on a more maternal role in the family, he bonds with mothers at the daycare, his desire for family is very central to his growth and development. We also see that he is very independent and capable, but can also make decisions without Rei’s input (buying all of the expensive clothes for example).

So now let’s take a look at Rei and Miri. I’ll put these two under a Read More due to length.

MIRI - Born: 8th, Day of the Week: Thursday

Text: If you are born on Thursday, then it represents expansion, happiness, optimism, perspective, and good humor. And, this means you are very optimistic and are bound to experience the expansion of wealth in your life. You want everything to be larger than life.

According to the Monday’s Child poem, it states that Thursday’s Child has “far to go,” or that they will have a lot of obstacles in their way. Miri does, in a way, though she doesn’t quite realize that. Also, while discrimination in Japan isn’t like in the States or elsewhere, being more micro-aggressive than outright hostile/hate speech type stuff, she will likely still face some obstacles having two fathers. Her upbringing with Misaki may have turned very bad and sour had she remained with her, and there will be some obstacles that she won’t really understand until she is older with whatever is going to go down with Shigeki, Ryo, and etc.

Some other sites mention that Thursday Born Personalities have wisdom and patience, lucky, detail oriented, very loyal, and don’t tolerate betrayal of any kind in love and friendship (better watch out Kyutaro! ...I’m sorry... m(_ _)m)

Miri was born on the 8th. According to a Japanese website, people born on the 8th: like to challenge themselves, are cheerful, powerful, and festive, have a large aura, stand out in a crowd no matter what they may be doing, and have both good execution skills and take practical action.

We see Miri exhibiting a lot of these personality aspects in Episode 9 (challenging herself, cheerful, powerful festive, large aura) and in Episode 6 we really saw her exhibiting food execution skills and taking practical actions when her and her friends got lost. She was very patient then too, and seems to be pretty wise for her (but not overly so, she still has a lot to learn).

Lastly, we have Rei. And Rei’s is incredibly interesting!

REI - Born: 10th, Day of the Week: Sunday

Text: Sunday Born Personality: People born on Sunday are often associated with being creative, confident, and optimistic. They have a natural charisma that attracts others to them, and they are often seen as the life of the party. They enjoy being in the spotlight and enjoy socializing with others.

As for the Monday’s Child poem, it states this about Sunday’s Child:

And the child born on the Sabbath day Is bonny and blithe, good and gay.

What does this mean? “Bonny and blithe” mean “beautiful and joyful” while “good and gay” mean “good and happy.” In the above texts and what we see here...We don’t see too much of Rei. Right? Rei’s personality isn’t “life of the party” like. But, he is creative and confident in his skills. He also seems to be pretty optimistic when it comes to their hitmen plans, and people are naturally attracted to Rei.

Kazuki and Miri were instantly taken with him, there are the moms that find his mysterious personality attractive and are taken with him in that way as well. What do some other sites say about Sunday Born Personalities?

They are lucky, bright, creative, bold, loud, enterprising, and they enjoy games and are good at them. Environment is important for Sunday Born Personalities, they can be demanding in friendships, but faithful in love. In love relationships they value originality and will behave in the right way. They are content when their passion is shared.

We certainly see some aspects of Rei here. He’s great at games, he can be creative, both with things like his rice ball fillings or how he chose to save their seats.

As for the date of his birth, the 10th, a Japanese site states that people born on this date are: natural leaders, attentive to details, and charismatic leaders that people want to follow. As for love it states:

When they are in love, they feel as if their energy is expanding and they feel alive, when they are not in love, they feel as if their energy is waning.

And, boy, that really does fit what we see with Rei when it comes to the love he is experiencing through his family (Miri and Kazuki) vs. how he looked when Kazuki first met him:

Like night vs day.

When I was reading about Sunday Born Personalities, it was basically a “this is the personality Rei may have had if was brought up in a less traumatic household.” And it’s the personality we’re starting to see come out of Rei when he is placed in a loving and caring environment.

The leadership aspect is really interesting too. When it comes to the end of this series, I do think that Rei is going to end up killing his father. But what happens after that...there are a few different options. One of them is Rei taking over the organization and changing it up, another is him and Kazuki just stopping their professions all together. Then again, Rei could become the head of the organization and just decide to use the wealth and power past generations of Suwa have built up to change up the organization completely, focus on something else. Who knows. But the idea of Rei taking on a leadership position is definitely something I’m going to keep in mind.

#Buddy Daddies #BD #Kazuki Kurusu #Rei Suwa #Miri Unasaka #BD spoilers #Buddy Daddies spoilers #meta post #analysis #long post #image heavy post

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invisibleicewands · 3 months

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Spooky monks and Michael Sheen murals: behind the scenes of new BBC drama The Way

Michael Sheen says he wants viewers of his new drama The Way “to feel like what it has felt like for the last 10 years of living” in the UK.

That is, “in a society where you don't know if you're in a horror film or a sitcom,” he told viewers at a Q&A for the show on Monday night. “Something that feels life and death stakes suddenly goes incredibly surreal and absurd, and then goes back to being incredibly scary again.”

The Way, which is due to air in February, follows the Driscoll family in the old industrial town of Port Talbot on the Welsh coast. Estranged from each other, they nevertheless have to set out on a cross-country odyssey to safety when they become tied up with civil unrest in the area.

In addition to making a cameo appearance in the show, The Way also marks Sheen’s first directorial role.

“I was never going to direct it. And then they said it's going to be in Port Talbot and then I have to direct it,” he joked.

“And the original seed of the idea was, I had this idea about watching a British family being uprooted and you didn't know why. And having to kind of flee their homes and go on the journey across Britain and then get across the channel. So it was a sort of refugee journey in reverse to the way we normally see it.”

It is also a passion project for the Welsh actor, who grew up in and now lives in Port Talbot himself – while the cast, who are majority Welsh, mostly grew up in the same area.

“There was so much of him in it,” said Steffan Rhodri about Sheen, who plays dad Geoff Driscoll (and who went to drama school with him). “I mean, you see a bit of Port Talbot. The one bit you didn't see is a massive wall with a mural of him on it.”

Was it hard to film the show without including it? “It was very hard,” Sheen joked. “We came very, very close – I mean, we were literally around the corner from it, and Callum made me go and have a photograph with it between takes. So that was difficult.”

‘Callum’ is Callum Scott Howells, best known for his performance in Russell T Davies drama It’s A Sin. He plays the disaffected Driscoll son, Owen – whom we first meet as a lonely figure looking for connection, and who gets caught up in the riots that sweep the town.

“It says in the script, James put something like, ‘we don't know why at this point, but he's feeling something. He’s there now, and he’s present’. And that for me kind of said everything. Like he doesn't he doesn't even know why he's rioting, but he's doing it,” Howells said.

“That was something that I really kind of threw myself into, and Michael was great in allowing me to do that. Yeah, those riot scenes were so fun, we just got to go nuts, you know. I headbutted a riot shield… because I’m nuts.”

The show itself also features the writing talents of James Graham, best known for political film Brexit: The Uncivil War and BBC crime drama Sherwood.

“We talked collectively about not wanting a traditional dystopian future, which was, which was really grim and bleak,” he said. "I think we all got excited by imagining the reverse of that... what if it was the myths and the legends and the folklores that embed themselves in our national psyche. Do they trap us? Do they inhibit us?"

The end result, he said, was a "contamination of genres." Not just social realism: the second episode becomes "a road movie, or an adventure movie on foot.

"So you start to see these elements of the myths and legends that the family carry with them become those stories we grew up with like Watership Down and Wizard of Oz, and it becomes very fantastical and weird."

#Michael Sheen #Movie #The Way #Interview

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formulauno98 · 2 years

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Once Upon a Time in Miami | Chapter One

You're the new Director of Communications at Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team and it's your first weekend on the job, in Miami.

Word Count: 9.7k

Warnings: None

Author’s Notes: Sorry it's long but I hope you like it! Disclaimer, purely fiction, no-one is married in this alt-universe.

Thursday PM

“C’mon Y/N, you can do this…” you repeat to yourself, taking a deep breath and mentally preparing yourself as you take a step off of the plane.

The warm, cloying air hit you immediately, Miami was exactly as hot as you had remembered, even at 7 o’clock in the evening. When you’d been offered the role of Director of Communications of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team you had expected to travel but spending your first day on the job in Miami had come somewhat as a surprise. HR had given you the choice, fly out to Miami a few days before the inaugural Miami Grand Prix or hold off and start on the following Monday. You always liked a challenge so thought that the former route would be a good baptism by fire. They had promptly sent you a work laptop and phone so you had been able to get up to speed with every project that was currently underway.

You moved through the airport quickly, arriving at baggage claim in record time. You couldn’t help but smile at the huge Formula 1 billboards scattered around the airport. You were joining one hell of a money-making operation and a large part of your new role would be securing the funds to keep the team at the leading edge. Brokering deals between sponsors and the team was a key part of the business and it would be your job to ensure everyone was happy.

Exiting baggage claim you spotted a smartly dressed man holding a board up with “Y/N” written across it.

“Hi, I’m Y/N,” you say as you approach him.

“Good evening ma'am, nice to meet you. My name is Carlos and I will be your driver throughout your stay here in Miami. Please allow me to take those.” He gestures towards your two rather large Rimowa suitcases.

“Lovely to meet you, Carlos. That’s so kind of you, thank you very much.” you blush as it does seem like a lot of luggage for a four-day trip. HR had warned you of the possibility that you may need to travel straight to Barcelona after Miami and to pack enough to last a few weeks so you’d taken your trusty suitcases and packed them to the brim.

You followed Carlos as he cut through the throng of people, leading you to the parking garage to a rather glossy Mercedes S-Class. He opened the door for you and made quick work of putting the suitcases in the trunk as you ducked into the back seat.

“I know this shouldn’t come as a surprise but what an incredible car!” you exclaim, sinking back into the luxurious cream leather seats.

“Only the best for the best team.” Carlos winked as he backed out of the parking space.

You chatted away to Carlos as he sped along the twisting overpasses that exited the airport. He was a Miami native and full of travel tips and places to visit during your short stay. As you gazed out the window you took it all in. Miami was a strange place, a clash of cultures with glossy high-rise condos on one side and down-to-earth bodegas set behind. You’d visited a few times before and knew which side you preferred. You hoped to be able to escape the built-up areas for a little post-race fun.

As you pulled up to your hotel it sunk in. You had one night to compose yourself and then would meet the team tomorrow morning, ahead of qualifying. Having worked for Porsche for quite some years, working your way up from a Marketing Assistant to Comms Director you were more than familiar with motorsport but Formula 1 was a different kettle of fish. Fortunately, you had a fair amount of knowledge to draw upon as your father was an avid follower of the sport and you’d grown up watching stars such as Alonso and Raikonnen battle it out on track. It was surreal to think that Alonso was still racing to this day.

Check-in was breezy and you found your room easily with the help of a very friendly bellhop. Your hotel room was simple but luxurious with a large cloud-like bed, marble tub, and floor-to-ceiling windows with a breathtaking view out across the harbour. There was no point in unpacking your suitcases but you took out a few of the outfits you had planned for the next few days.

In a bid to beat jet lag you decided to make it an early night, running yourself a bubble bath and cosying up in bed in a fluffy white towelling robe.

Friday AM

You woke up bright and early at 5:00 having slipped off to sleep quickly and forgetting to close the curtains. It was still semi-dark outside but car headlights were flashing from the boulevard below. You didn’t need to be at the track until 9:00 for a welcome breakfast so had plenty of time to get ready.

You were never the kind of person to feel nervous about getting dressed for work but today felt different. All team members were expected to wear a branded uniform on track and you were no exception, however, you were yet to receive it so would have to improvise for today. Luckily you’d brought options and tried on three different looks before settling on a simple pair of navy trousers and a navy shirt. Accessorising with a tan leather belt and sling-backs, you felt confidently chic, if a little old before your time. You’d blow-dried your hair and done full glam, hoping to make a good first impression.

You grabbed your handbag and made one final fit check in the mirror before making your way down to the hotel lobby.

As promised, Carlos was waiting outside to take you to the track. It was an easy fifteen-minute drive from here and you got there in no time at all. You’d seen hundreds of GPs in your time, however, you weren’t quite prepared for the hustle and bustle that met you at the paddock entrance. Everywhere you looked things were being wheeled in, from tyres to huge crates, journalists waiting lined up with cameras, snapping away to capture a glimpse into paddock life.

You made your way to the security gates as you needed to have your photo taken for your pass.

“So you’re joining Mercedes huh?” said the security guard, his tone seeming unimpressed as he snapped your photo.

“Yes, I’m super excited to be joining at such an interesting time.” You said tactfully.

The man laughed, “You could put it that way, those guys haven’t won all season.”

“Well I’m sure things will turn around in no time, I’ve heard they have some star engineers back in the factory. We’ll figure it out.” You winked.

He shrugged, not convinced by your optimism “Let’s see. Here’s your shiny new pass ma'am. Director of Communications, fancy.”

As he handed you the glossy purple pass you inspected your photo.

“That’s actually not so bad, I’ll have to come back to you when I need to renew my passport,” you laughed, putting the pass around your neck.

“Well, it’s not hard to take a great picture of someone so beautiful. Good luck on your first day.” he chuckled as you made your way through the gates.

“I try my best” you blushed, silly as it felt, your confidence was buoyed by the compliment.

Walking through the entrance you started scouring the horizon for the Mercedes logo. HR had asked to meet you in the hospitality building for a welcome coffee. Finally, you spotted it, right at the far end.

As you made your way through the paddock you recognised a few familiar faces, the drivers surrounded by a sea of cameras and eager fans angling for a selfie. It was only 8:45 but music was already pumping, Bad Bunny making sure you remembered where you were in the world.

You finally reached the hospitality area, a glossy room that you couldn’t believe was temporary. Although you were early, you spotted a small delegation at one of the tables with stacks of paperwork. Hedging your bets that this was HR, you approached them. “Hi, I’m Y/N, the new Director of Communications. I'm supposed to meet with HR at 9:00 and wondered if you might be them.”

An older blonde woman stood up to greet you, “Oh great, lovely to meet you Y/N, you are absolutely talking to the right people. I’m Pamela, I believe you spoke to my colleague Holly on the phone?” she gestured at a younger blonde woman sitting at the table.

“Oh yes, lovely to meet you both.” you shook their hands.

“Please take a seat and let’s get everything we need signed right away. I already have your contract but I’ll need you to sign this NDA and waiver.”

“Sure, thank you for organising everything,” you sat down and began to read through the paperwork in front of you. It was all pretty standard for this industry, the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) forbade you from sharing company information and the waiver asked that you agree to work hours outside of your contracted forty.

“If anything is unclear, please let us know.” Pamela said.

“Thank you, it should be all straightforward.” you continued reading.

Satisfied with the paperwork, you grabbed the pen and signed on the dotted line.

“Perfect, thank you Y/N. Welcome to the team,” said Pamela, filing the contracts away in a glossy branded folder. « Now the only thing left is to get you your team uniform. Holly will be able to help you with this if you follow her. »

Holly stood up, “Would you like to grab a coffee or a drink before we go? Once we go upstairs it might get rather full-on.”

“Sure, that sounds good.” You stood up and followed Holly to a rather snazzy barista setup.

“Hi, what can I get you?” the girl at the counter asked.

“Just an espresso for me please” You always liked your coffee strong, it was the only thing that bolstered your spirits on long working days.

“No problem, one coming up.” The girl turned to the machine and started busily making your drink.

You made the classic first-day small talk with Holly, discussing if she’d ever been to Miami before (she hadn’t) and how hot it was (extremely).

The barista handed you a small cup with your espresso. You smiled as you noticed that even this was branded. This industry never missed a trick with branding opportunities.

“Great, so if you’ll please follow me Y/N, let’s get you your uniform.” Holly gestured towards a staircase you hadn’t noticed on your way in.

Leading you up some rather neat wooden steps, you follow Holly through another communal meeting room to an office. Inside, there was a white table with clothes and shoe boxes laid out.

“Right, so our uniform consists of a white shirt, black trousers, trainers and a black parka.” Holly gestured at the table, “We received your sizes and have brought those, along with one size smaller and one size larger to ensure a perfect fit. I will leave you for a moment to try them in privacy and if you need a mirror there’s one on the back of this door.” She gestured towards a door on the adjoining wall. “When you’re done, please come and grab me from next door.”

As Holly left the room, closing the door you came through behind her, you looked through the clothes laid out. You figured it would be most sensible to start with the sizes you requested, feeling a bit awkward as you undressed in the middle of the office. As you slipped on the black pants, you were pleasantly surprised to find they were a perfect fit, hugging your butt in all the right places. The shirt was a little tight so you reached for the larger size.

Just as you turned around to face the mirror and button your shirt, the door burst open, revealing a very surprised, tall brunette man. You immediately recognised him as Toto Wolff, the Team Principal, aka your new boss.

“I’m so sorry, I was looking for my assistant.” he stammered, blatantly taking an eyeful of your rather see-through lace balconette bra, as you hurriedly pulled your shirt together, then awkwardly looking away towards the window behind you.

“No worries, you’d see more on the beach,” internally you were mortified but outwardly tried to downplay it. “Holly from HR said I could try these in here, I hope that’s okay? I’m new, it's my first day today.” You tried to salvage the awkward situation having successfully covered your almost naked breasts.

“I suppose that’s true, but you don’t often go to the beach with your colleagues in our line of work.” He laughed, breaking the tension and stepping into the room.

“Does that mean we’re not hitting South Beach at our team briefing later?” you smiled, a glint in your eye.

“If only.” His embarrassed expression dissipated into a warm smile, his eyes crinkling “It’s absolutely fine to be in here though, I’m so sorry again. So if today is your first day, you must be Y/N?”

Surprised he knew about new starters, you replied “Yes, I’m the new Director of Communications.”

“Lovely to meet you Y/N, we’re looking forward to having you join us. I’m Toto by the way, the Team Principal and CEO. I’m sure we will be working very closely together.” he reached out a hand to shake yours, again rather awkwardly, “ I think my assistant has put some time in for us later today before the team briefing, maybe we can do a real introduction then?”

Shaking his hand, you laughed “Nice to meet you too Mr Wolff, that sounds good to me.”

“Please, call me Toto and I’m sorry again for walking in,” he apologised again, a blush creeping across his face.

“Honestly, don’t worry Toto, these things happen and you weren’t to know I was in here.” you reassured him.

“Well, I will leave you to try on your uniform. See you later Y/N,” he said, ducking awkwardly back out of the door.

Smiling, you bid him farewell, “Nice to meet you and see you later!”

“Likewise, welcome to Mercedes Y/N.” he grinned, closing the door behind him.

You continued to try the rest of your uniform until settling on the perfect fit, thankfully this time uninterrupted. Of all people, you couldn’t believe it had been the team principal to walk in on you half-naked, the man you had been most nervous to meet. Although you were beyond mortified and regretting your choice of transparent underwear, it had at the least broken your nerves. Nothing could now be worse or more embarrassing and he had been very apologetic.

Ten minutes later you emerged from the room with your chosen pieces in your arms, making your way to the room next door where Holly was waiting. “Hi Holly, I’ve tried everything on and settled on these,” you said, gesturing at the clothes in your arms.

“Great, can I just grab those and note the sizes so that I can get five sets ordered?” She extended her hand towards you, taking the clothes and shoes and noting the sizes down.

“Five? Wow, that’s a lot more than I was expecting!” your eyebrows raised.

“Trust me, in places like Miami and Singapore you’ll thank me.” Holly laughed and handed you back the pieces you had chosen.

“That’s true I suppose, should I put these on for now?” you asked, trying your best to fold the shirt whilst holding onto the trousers and trainers.

“It’s totally up to you, however, you feel comfortable. You can leave your clothes in the office where you changed if you’d like. We don’t have any other new starters today so no one will go in there. Once you’re done, perhaps could you please make your way back downstairs?”

“Except for Toto.” you thought to yourself. Choosing to stay quiet on that particular encounter you replied “Great, thank you, I’ll just go and change and then meet you back downstairs.”

You made your way back to the room to change, this time choosing to face away from the doors just in case. Folding your carefully chosen first-day outfit you regretted the amount of time you had spent this morning choosing an outfit no one had seen. Stepping back and inspecting your new uniform in the mirror you were pleased, it was a good fit. Fitted without being too tight but fitted enough to showcase your gym-honed body, all in all, a good uniform that you wouldn’t hate wearing every day.

Satisfied with your new look, you made your way back downstairs to the hospitality area where Pamela and Holly were both waiting for you with a now full table.

“Doesn’t she look great!” Exclaimed Pamela.

“I know!” Said Holly, their colleagues nodding in agreement. “Welcome to the team!”

“Thank you, very excited to be here.” You blushed, not used to the compliments.

You spent the next hour in hospitality meeting an endless stream of new faces, trying to mentally keep track of everyone’s names and positions within the company. It seemed as if everyone and their mother was coming in for a cup of coffee to start the day. Engineers, mechanics, logistics, they were all there. Finally, it was time to meet your direct team, the Communications department, a group of eighteen people who you would be overseeing. You were met with a sea of friendly and enthusiastic faces, as well as some surprise at how young you were to be stepping into such a prestigious role. When you had been offered the role, you were aware that your predecessor was retiring and knew that the team wanted someone younger with a fresher perspective.

Introductions were short and sweet as Holly was adamant she needed to whisk you away for your meeting with Toto Wolff. Of course, she was not aware that you had already met him earlier this morning and you hoped that it wouldn’t be too awkward.

She led you back upstairs, into the room where you had gotten changed, knocking on one of the doors Toto had burst through earlier, “Toto, I have someone for you.”

“Yes, come in” called out a voice from inside the room.

“Hi Toto, this is Y/N, our new Director of Communications. Y/N, this is Toto, our Team Principal, and CEO. I will leave you two to get acquainted.”

“Hi Toto, nice to see you again.” You said with a smile, causing Holly’s eyebrows to raise in surprise as she exited.

“Hello Y/N, likewise. I still must apologise for this morning, I am very sorry if I caused you any distress. It’s not the way I normally like to meet my new members of staff. Please have a seat.” He gestured towards the seat facing him.

“Honestly, no worries at all. We’re all grown-ups and you didn't know that I was in there.” You sat down across from him, “I must admit I was a little nervous for my first day but it has definitely broken that. I’ve spent the morning meeting the team and they’ve all been lovely so far.”

“I’m glad to hear it, I pride myself on the fact that our team is one of the friendliest in the paddock. We work hard but ultimately we like to feel like one big family.” He smiled. “So, tell me about yourself Y/N? I know that you have come to us from Audi, so not so different. And before we get into it, can I offer you a drink?”

“Water would be great please,” you continued to tell him about your previous role as he poured you a large glass of iced water from a branded carafe. As you spoke you couldn’t help but be a little unnerved by him. He was an extremely tall, imposing man, even sat down behind a desk and you could sense that he was someone you would not want to get on the wrong side of.

“So what made you want to join our team?” He leant forward, not breaking eye contact and giving you the impression he was trying to psycho-analyse you.

“Well, I fancied a change of pace and I’ve always enjoyed the travel aspect of my career and this opened up that opportunity. My father was an avid Formula One fan and I have followed the sport since I was a child so it felt right.”

He leant back, folding his arms, still gazing into your eyes. “Interesting. Well, we certainly travel around a lot Y/N. You’ll have to bring your father to one of the races once you are settled in.”

You laughed “That was the first thing he asked when I landed this role, when can I come?”

Toto smiled, you couldn’t help noticing that he really was rather handsome. His white Mercedes shirt was cut to perfection to showcase his muscular arms and broad chest. “Everybody’s family says that, including my own. You would think they would be fed up with it by now but no.”

“I suppose it’s the nature of the job.” You smiled, echoing his body language and leaning back into your chair, “So Holly mentioned that we have a team briefing this afternoon. Obviously I do not have anything to add at this stage but I would like to introduce myself, would that be the appropriate time?”

“100%. I will introduce you and then we can take it from there. I am aware that you have, how do you say? Jumped out of the frying pan into the fire? It’s not an easy way to start but I hope you will start to get the measure of how we work and the expectations from our sponsors.”

“Great, that sounds good.” you replied, satisfied that at least there was some kind of plan. You continued discussing the ins and outs of your role for the next twenty minutes, Toto assuring you that although this weekend was going to be a sharp learning curve, he understood that you were new to the company so was willing to give you a grace period.

As you wrapped up you started to make a move from your chair, “ Thank you so much for your time Toto, I really appreciate the warm welcome. I will leave you alone now as I know you must be a very busy man.”

“Not at all, it’s been my pleasure. We will be working very closely together and I hope that you know my door is always open at any time.” He got up to show you out, his imposing stature even more evident.

“Thank you, Toto, I’m looking forward to it.” You made your way out, pleased that your meeting had not been too awkward following the morning’s encounter.

As you exited his office, Toto called out to you, “The uniform looks great by the way!”

And there it was, the awkwardness was back. You turned around, trying to hide your blush “You would say that, we’re twinning!” You inwardly cringed at your response but it seemed to win over Toto who was laughing as he closed his office door. Hot-footing it back downstairs you weren’t sure what to make of your new boss. He had an air of authority but equally seemed receptive to having a laugh. He was also incredibly handsome, more handsome than someone in motorsport had business being.

As you made your way down the stairs, you were met with a small camera crew. Not sure whether you should be in the shot, you tried to skirt around the edges when you were suddenly whisked to the side by a harassed-looking Pamela.

“Y/N, I am so sorry but I realised we forgot to ask you to sign one more document, the waiver for you to feature in the Netflix documentary, Drive to Survive. It is unlikely they will want to heavily feature you but it is standard practice for all of our employees as they can then have free reign to film all areas and not worry about having to avoid certain faces.”

“Sure,” you had forgotten about Drive to Survive, one aspect you were less keen on. You had no ambition to be in the public eye and the documentary had transformed certain team members into TV stars. Even Toto had not been so much of a household name prior to the show. Hoping to give a good impression, you signed without protest, praying that you would not be featured. You knew that as Director of Communications you would undoubtedly be involved as it was a huge part of the team image, but hopefully you could keep behind the scenes and manage things from afar.

You spent the rest of the morning being briefed by various teams on how they worked with the Communications team. Time flew by and it was lunchtime before you knew it. You had a lowkey lunch in the hospitality area with a few members of the Communications department who would be working under you. They were noticeably nervous about eating lunch with their new boss so you tried to put them at ease by asking them about Miami. It emerged that everybody was excited and hoping to get to the beach on Sunday evening if the race went well for the team. You crossed your fingers that Sunday was going to be a success.

Friday PM

As the afternoon rolled on, the team got into practice and everyone was very much focused on the task at hand. You shadowed your team, learning where you would be needed on qualifying and race day. It was almost an overwhelming amount of information to process but once you got used to the structure of the team, it felt familiar.

The atmosphere in the post-practice team briefing was lively and boisterous after Lewis and George had performed above expectations with everyone excitedly chatting about the positive results. You heard a door open and a hushed tone took over the room. You turned your head and saw exactly why. Toto has entered. You could see from the way the noise dampened as he entered that the team had a huge amount of respect for Toto.

He made his way to the front of the room and clapped his hands together, “Well, firstly I would like to say thank you and well done to everybody. These results are the best we have had all season and I know how much hard work, blood, sweat and tears have been put into making the car more drivable.” A small burst of applause broke out and he paused, “But I think we should all be aware that we should not be complacent, good performance in practice is one thing but qualifying and the race are different beasts. We need to continue to push tomorrow and on Sunday and get back on top, where we belong.” Approving nods went around the room as he continued to assess the day's performance, highlighting the good as well as areas of improvement.

The discussion continued for quite some time, with active participation from the team. You were impressed with how collaborative the team felt, Toto was right, it was like a big family. As he wrapped the practice analysis, he looked over towards you and gestured for you to come and join him. Gingerly making your way to the front of the room you turned to face the team.

“Last but not least, it is my pleasure to introduce you all to Y/N, our new Director of Communications,” he paused for another round of applause and murmurs of welcome, “She is joining us from Audi’s racing team and we are very much looking forward to welcoming her to the family. I am sure many of you may have already met today but I would like you all to make her feel welcome and introduce yourselves if you haven’t already. She will be key in preserving our brand image and communicating our values to the wider world, including sponsors.”

“Thank you Toto, I am thrilled to be joining the team and I look forward to tomorrow and Sunday.” You kept it short, unsure what else to add but Toto beamed away and seemed happy.

“So, that brings today to a close, I look forward to seeing you all bright and early tomorrow. I have a good feeling and I think we will soon get back on top.” Toto once again clapped his hands together, signalling the end of the briefing. The team immediately began to file out so you followed suit.

“Y/N,” called a voice from behind. You turned around to face none other than Lewis Hamilton.

“Oh hello, you must be Lewis?” You said politely, well aware of who he was.

“Yes, nice to meet you. I think we’ll be spending a lot of time together moving forward and I just wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to the team before the crazy of the weekend.” He held out his tattooed hand to shake yours.

“Lovely to meet you, I appreciate that. I expect I’ll be bugging you to film social media content, wear watches and drink Monster all the time from now on.”

He smiled, “It’s never a bother, I know how tricky it must be to manage those relationships. It’s good to have someone with a new outlook. Toto mentioned that you would be a little younger than Sarah, your predecessor, and I think it’s a good thing. She was amazing but times have to change.”

“That’s interesting to hear, I’ve heard a lot about Sarah. Feels like big shoes to fill.”

“Indeed,” Toto suddenly loomed out of nowhere, “She was an incredible team leader and I know that the team will miss her a lot. But as Lewis said, it is exciting to get a fresh perspective.”

“Well, I will use this weekend to gauge where we are at and let’s see.” You replied.

“I can’t wait. Lovely to meet you Y/N,” Lewis made a move towards the door, “I had better head off for some shut-eye.”

“Nice to meet you too Lewis, sweet dreams,” you turned to Toto, “Thank you for the glowing introduction, it was a little daunting getting up there in front of so many new people.”

“I know, I hope I didn’t put you on the spot there, as you may have guessed, they are very excited to have you on board.” He smiled down at you, “I suppose I should also get going, we always try to have an early night before qualifying.”

“That’s good to know, I am feeling a little jet lagged so will also make an early night of it.” You started walking towards the door, thinking that Toto would be staying behind but instead he followed you, asking, “Are you getting a car back to the hotel?”

You turned back towards him, “Yes, I think my driver, Carlos, should be waiting for me, I dropped him a message as we were wrapping the briefing.”

“Efficient, I like it. Well, I need to go and take care of a few things before I head off. Are you okay to walk back to the parking lot alone, or would you like me to walk with you? It’s getting dark outside,” His eyes showing genuine concern.

“That’s really kind but I should be fine, I did the same route in the morning so hopefully I can figure it out,” you made your way out, not sure what to make of his offer. As a new member of staff, you didn’t want to show any weakness but equally didn’t want to come off as rude so you added, “Thank you so much for offering though,”

“If you’re sure, get back safe okay?” He paused at the bottom of the stairs that would take him back to his office, “And thank you for not saying anything about this morning to Holly or Pamela, HR would not be kind about it.”

You laughed, “Don’t worry Toto, it was as awkward for me as it was for you and I figured it’s better off being our little secret. Let’s agree to never speak of it again.”

“Well, I appreciate that, it’s a deal.” he winked at you, “Goodnight Y/N.”

“Goodnight Toto.”You made your way back to the paddock, which was somewhat emptier than earlier but still bustling with people. Glad that you hadn’t taken up Toto on his offer, you made your way quickly back to the parking lot.

You set your sights on the familiar silver Mercedes saloon where Carlos was patiently waiting “Hi Carlos, thank you so much for waiting for me.”

Opening the door for you, Carlos replied “Good evening ma’am, my pleasure. How was your first day?”

You chatted away to Carlos as he drove you back to the hotel. It hit you as you entered the lobby just how tired you were and you decided to forgo dinner in place of an early night. Making your way back up to your room you reflected on how your first day had gone, aside from the flashing the boss, it had been smooth sailing and you couldn’t wait for Saturday when you could really get stuck into the role.

Saturday AM

Jet lag was definitely going to be an issue, you woke up at three o’clock, four o’clock and five o’clock before realising that there was no way you were dropping back to sleep so you made the executive decision to head down to the hotel gym. Slipping on your favourite workout fit, pink shorts and a matching sports bra, you made your way down the elevator and through the heavy glass doors. Unsurprisingly the place was empty so you made the most of it, running for half an hour and then moving onto the free weights.

Pumping your music through your headphones you hadn’t noticed that you were no longer alone in the gym and got quite the shock when you turned around to see Toto making his way towards the weights bench. He made eye contact so you slipped your headphones off.

“Good morning Y/N, I didn’t expect to see anyone down here. No one ever comes this early so I always make the most of it.” He said, clearly looking at your skimpy pink outfit up and down.

Glancing back at him, clocking his tight black tee and grey workout shorts, you responded, “Morning Toto, I’m sorry, I can leave if you prefer to work out alone. I just couldn’t sleep, still a little jetlagged.”

“No not at all, please don’t go on account of me, there is enough space for us to work out together and I could do with a spotter.” He said, gesturing towards the weights bench.

You smiled politely “Well if you’re sure. I’m not sure if I am the best spotter if you lift as much as I’m thinking you do but I'm happy to help.”

“How much do you think I lift?” He smirked, “For all you know I might be bench pressing ten kilos.”

“Something tells me that’s not true.” You laughed, “Let me know when you’d like me to help, I have two more sets to do and then I can be all yours.”

“Perfect, and if you ever need a spotter, I am here too.” He smiled, getting onto the treadmill to warm up.

You felt a little awkward continuing your squat set but it would have been weirder to stop and start another exercise so you made a start.

“You have great form, you know.” You turned around to see Toto running on the treadmill, watching you intently.

“I try my best,” you replied, still unsure of what to make of this man. Was he just being friendly or was there a spark? Surely it would be extremely unprofessional for him to flirt with his new colleague, especially one who reported directly to him.

“I can see that.” He smirked yet again, “Sorry I will leave you alone to finish your sets.”

You powered through your sets, hyper-aware of the fact that you were now being watched, praying that your shorts weren’t too see-through every time you bent down. Eventually, you finished and glanced over to Toto who was sitting on a weights bench wrapping his hands.

“I’m done so all yours,” you wandered over to him.

“Great, thank you Y/N. Could you please stand behind my head?” He got onto the weights bench, lying back with his head at one end and feet firmly on the floor.

“Sure, I’ll be here if you need me.” You made your way over and got into position, standing directly over his head as he reached his arms out to the barbell. “How many reps?”

Toto glanced up at you, “Twelve, think you’re up to it?”

“Sure, let’s go.” You got into position, hands hovering ready, clocking the double plates on the barbell. This guy was strong. “Shall I count you down?”

“That would be very helpful.” Toto wrapped his hands around the barbell.

“3, 2, 1, Go.” Toto proceeded to lift the weight, his face strained in concentration. As he reached his twelve reps he began to slow, having reached his limit.

“Eleven, Twelve.” He counted his last two lifts and placed the barbell back on the rack, satisfied with his set, “I now rest for two minutes.” He stayed flat on his back, out of breath, looking up at you, making you suddenly aware of the fact that he was getting an eyeful of your underboob from this particular angle. Tactfully taking a step back, you glanced down at him.

“That was impressive Toto, but maybe next time you can try and bench more than ten kilos?” you grinned, hoping he would take the ribbing the right way.

“Very funny.” he cracked a smile, “Maybe you can try and squat five?”

“Touché” you replied, enjoying this light banter. “So how many sets do you do?”

“Just three, I don’t do too much but I try to do enough to stay in shape in my old age.” he said effusively.

SIlently thinking to yourself that he was doing more than enough, you smiled, “Three is plenty and you’re not old!”

“How old do you think I am Y/N?” he said, a cheeky glimmer in his eye.

Catching onto his playful banter, you replied “That’s a trick question. If I have to answer, you do too.”

“Okay, but you go first.” he smiled, clearly enjoying messing with you.

“I don’t know, forty five?” you shrugged your shoulders.

“Close, but not quite. One more guess.” he teased.

“Okay, forty seven?” you guessed again.

He smiled, “Closer, I’m fifty. So definitely old.”

“Wow, okay, well then I hope you’re flattered that I shaved five years off of that. The only reason I didn’t say younger is that I know you’ve been with the team for quite some years and unless you were a baby Team Principal I took a punt” you glanced down at him, hoping you’d said the right thing.

Still smiling, he looked as if he was sussing you out, “Very logical. I’ll take that, five years is okay.”

“So how old do you think I am?” you gazed down at him.

He deadpanned “Not a day under seventy three.”

“Oh my gosh, how did you know?” you laughed, feigning surprise.

“I’m the Team Principal, it’s my job to know everything.” he winked at you, “I’m kidding Y/N, I saw your CV, I know exactly your age.”

Surprised he had even seen your CV, you smiled at him, “With brilliance like that, I can see why you’re the boss.”

“Maybe I can teach you a few things.” his gaze hardened, “Two minutes is up, time for the next set.”

You repeated the process twice through, until he could lift no more, sweat pouring off him.

“Thank you very much Y/N. It was good to be able to do my full workout without my trainer. Perhaps I will see you more in the gym?” he eased himself up, mopping his brow with his t-shirt, flashing you a glance of some surprisingly solid abs.

Snatching your eyes away you replied hastily “Yes, perhaps. Let’s see how the jetlag situation goes.”

“You’ll get used to it, don’t worry Y/N. It takes some time but we all do.” his brown eyes filled with concern.

“I hope so, thank you Toto. That certainly woke me up. Now I had better go and get ready for the day.” You turned around, making your way towards the double doors to exit.

“Me too, I’ll see you at the track.” he waved goodbye.

Saturday PM

Having taken your time to get ready that morning and catch up on the deluge of emails that had already come your way, you made your way to the track for what would be your first quali. As Miami was a new track you were to pay particular attention to the worldwide press and corporate sponsors’ race day experiences, with some of your team assigned to the Yacht Club and Beach Club areas to keep an eye on.

Now feeling like a seasoned professional, you scanned your pass at the gates and made your way to the Mercedes Hospitality Area, where you were greeted by Holly.

“Good afternoon Y/N. How was your evening? Did you manage to get out and about?” she bounced up to you, clearly not as jet-lagged as you were.

“Hi Holly, it was nice thanks, I actually went straight to bed. How about you?” you replied.

“Ah, jet lag? You get used to it, I promise.” she said, “Can I get you a coffee or anything?”

“Yes, I hope so! That’s fine, thanks, I try not to after lunchtime.” you knew caffeine was a slippery slope and you hoped to get through the day without it.

“If you’re sure, perhaps then I can show you up to your office?” Holly gestured back towards the spiral staircase.

“My office?” your eyes widened, “I didn’t think I had one, I thought this was it.”

“Oh no, you have an office in a prime spot.” she laughed. “Come with me, I’ll show you the way.”

“Great, very handy!.” you followed her up the stairs where you had gone yesterday and made your way through the room where you had changed and towards Toto’s office. She stopped short of his door and turned to a door just to the left, entering into a compact but sleek workspace.

“Wow, this is neat,” you exclaimed, looking around. It still blew your mind that this entire building was essentially a glorified trailer. You had a glossy white desk, black leather chair and acrylic laptop stand. Opposite was a black leather sofa and a small drinks fridge, stocked full of iced water and soft drinks. You immediately felt right at home, confident you would be able to work easily from here.

“I hope you like it, apologies I didn’t bring you here yesterday, I didn’t want to overwhelm you. It’s up to you where you work but when things get going it’s useful to have a space to escape to and crack on.”

“It’s perfect, thank you, Holly. Perhaps I might stay up here for the next hour or so until I’m needed in the garage?”

“That’s no problem, please make yourself at home.” Holly left, closing the door behind her, “I’ll see you later.”

“See you later,” you called out, not sure if she heard you.

Just as you had gotten settled in and put your head down to work your phone buzzed with a text.

Hi Y/N. I’m sorry to bother you but there is a situation down at the Marina and I’m not sure how best to deal with it.

It was Tom, the Partnership Manager, who worked on your team. A little unnerved by the vague insinuation of a situation, you replied.

Okay, I’m on my way. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be there.

You gathered your laptop, a notebook and phone and rushed out of the door, smack bang into a very tall and solid man’s chest. Throwing your hands up in your face instinctively, he grabbed your arm mid-air stopping you from falling backwards from the force of the thud.

“Y/N. We have to stop bumping into each other like this.” you looked up to see Toto looking down, his large hand still wrapped around your wrist.

“I’m so sorry Toto, I’ll check both ways next time I open that door.” you stammered, freeing your wrist, a little unnerved being so close in his proximity.

“No worries, I’m a big boy, I can take it.” his eyes widened realising how his words sounded, “Sorry that was crass, you know what I mean. It didn’t hurt, don’t worry about it.”

You blushed at his comments, not sure what to say. “I know what you meant. Well, I had better get going, my team needs me down at the marina.”

“Okay Y/N, I’ll see you back in the garage then.” he now looked bemused.

“Sure, see you soon Toto.” you half ran away, fifty percent from embarrassment, fifty percent because you were late, hoping that the tall Austrian was not watching you.

Having successfully located your Partnerships Manager, Tom, it became apparent that the situation in question was none other than the famous fake marina. You’d seen it everywhere on social media but were surprised to see that it was somehow worse in real life. The vinyl water was pixelated and looked ridiculous alongside the fake boats. Tanned men in polo shirts and women in skimpy bikinis paraded around on the glossy decks, clearly making the most of their five-figure tickets as you sought to rectify the situation.

One of the key team sponsors was not happy with the bottle service on their yacht and was threatening to pull their involvement if it was not improved for race day. Fortunately, you were able to successfully smooth things over with the promise of two paddock passes and made it clear to the waitstaff that they needed to prioritise your guests. Tom was clearly grateful for your help and support and looked considerably calmer as you diffused the situation.

“Thank you Y/N, I was in above my head on that one,” he walked alongside you, back to your office, “Nothing I said appeased them”

“Ah, that’s where our paddock passes come in handy Tom,” you smiled, “They’re like gold dust round these parts.”

“Well that’s good to know for the future, hopefully, they will sort the marina next season!” he grimaced, “I can’t believe how expensive those tickets are.”

“It’s Miami, they were always going to be,” you paused and turned around, “Although even I must admit it’s bizarre to have fake water in a city full of waterways.”

“That’s what I said to everyone!” he exclaimed. “Well thank you again, I am going to head over to the Beach Club next and check in on what’s going on there.”

“Great, thank you, Tom, if you need me for anything I am going to be in with Marketing for the next hour.” you smiled at him.

“Thank you Y/N, hopefully not. I’ll see you soon,” he called out as he walked off into the throng of people making their way to the further corners of the track.

Thankfully the afternoon passed with no further drama and quali went just as well as the team had dared to hope, with Lewis scoring P2 and George P3. The team briefing that followed was equally as positive as the evening before and you were impressed with how everyone in the team discussed their highs and lows. Hanging around afterwards, you met several more new faces, including George Russell, the team’s other star driver, who seemed equally as friendly as his counterpart.

Eventually, the team started to dissipate and sensing it was time to go you started to make a move towards the door before a deep voice called out to you. “Y/N, did the guys invite you to our dinner?” It was Toto.

You turned back to face him, surprised to see he had changed out of his Mercedes uniform and into a pair of beige chinos and a light blue linen shirt. He looked rather dashing and a touch less intimidating. “Oh no, no one mentioned it to me, is it happening now?”

Toto caught up with you, “We’re heading out now, it’s a little tradition that we try to go for one team dinner with everybody per calendar month. Somewhere lowkey and casual where everyone can let loose and bond as a team.”

“That sounds lovely,” you paused, feeling foolish about what you were going to say next, “The only problem is I only have this.” you gestured down at your uniform. “Won’t it look a little conspicuous when you’ve all changed?”

Toto smiled kindly, “Yes, of course, well if you go now you can stop off via the hotel to change?”

“Great, I’ll ask one of my team to text me the details,” you said, returning his grin, “Thank you, Toto, it’s very kind.”

“Perfect, see you there.” Toto turned to another member of staff and you could hear him asking the same. It was nice that he took so much time to talk to his employees and foster the team spirit. You were starting to gauge the way this team was run and you could already tell it was much less toxic than the one you had left behind.

Sunday AM

You woke up late the next morning feeling warm and fuzzy. As the race was not until eight-thirty that evening you’d enjoyed a lie-in. Last night you’d all gone to a down-to-earth steakhouse, a little out of town. It had been a good opportunity to get to know everyone a little better and you were surprised to see that even Lewis and George were there, chatting away to anybody who would listen.

As you had gone back to your hotel to change, you'd arrived a little later than everyone else and they had no qualms about all squashing up to make space for you, taking your place with the rest of the Senior Management. You’d enjoyed a pleasant chat over dinner with the Strategy Director and Chief Engineer with Toto interjecting every so often. You admired the way that after plates had been cleared he worked the room, making sure to mingle amongst even the junior staff. You tried to follow suit and did some of your own networking, checking in on your team especially. All-in-all a good experience and one that you looked forward to again.

Mindful of the fact that you needed to bring your a-game today you made sure to keep the drinks minimal and switched to soda and lime pretty early on in the night. A few of your colleagues were edging towards tipsy but you were glad to see that people seemed to be sensible.

Getting ready for the day, you took a little extra time doing your hair and make-up as last night Toto had warned you that Netflix would be filming some scenes in the garage. It seemed silly but you wanted to look as good as possible if you were in shot. Satisfied with your appearance you made your way down to the lobby and into the garage where Carlos was waiting. Having your own driver was a perk you had not expected and one which you’d quickly grown accustomed to. Greeting Carlos and ducking into the backseat, you could not quite believe your luck.

Sunday PM

Carlos kindly dropped you right at the paddock gates meaning you were able to go straight in. Having eaten brunch in your room you decided to go directly to your office and catch up on your work, grabbing an espresso on the way. As you made your way there you noticed a certain buzz in the building that had definitely not been there on Friday or Saturday. It was certainly race day.

Comfortable in your new chair and now stuck into work, you were thankful that there were no more hiccups this afternoon and your main priority was ensuring some content Lewis had filmed with Tom Brady went out in good time with the correct information. Satisfied with your team’s efforts you closed the lid to your laptop and leaned back, staring into space, pensieve.

A knock on the door snapped you out of it and you looked up to see a red-headed woman peeking around the door. “Hello Y/N, we haven’t met yet but I’m Toto’s EA, Lara. He would like to see you before the race, are you free now?”

“Nice to meet you, Lara, sure I can do now.” you stood up, gathering your things, “Is he next door?”

A voice called out “Yes I am.”

“You can hear me?” you asked incredulously.

“Crystal clear.” you could hear a deep, throaty chuckle, “The walls are thin and you are extremely loud.”

You made your way around to Toto’s office, Lara disappearing back into the main communal area.

“So no private phone calls?” you asked, taking a seat opposite him.

“There are no secrets in this team,” he said, looking smug.

“Noted. What’s on the agenda this afternoon?” you asked, trying to stay professional.

“I’d like to get your take on Netflix. As it stands they have asked if I am available to spend a full day with them in a few weeks.” he paused, looking unsure of himself, “They want to film another gym scene as they say the last one was very popular on social media. What do you think? I think it’s a bit weird, no? I would rather concentrate on the racing.”

“Hm, on one hand, those scenes make you more of a character, more personable but on the other, we only have limited screen time as a team. Would you not rather use the day to focus on Lewis or George?” you said tactfully.

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking, why would anyone want to see me when they can learn more about our stars? His brow furrowed, “I know that some of the other team principals relish it but it’s not my thing.”

“I have heard on the grapevine that you have quite the legion of fans though? It could make sense, especially if they are spending the same amount of time with the other Team Principals. We don’t want you to look starchy in comparison. We have to play the game a little.” You weighed it up, “I think let’s pencil it in for now. I will try to find out if they are doing the same with the other teams.”

“Okay, I had better get practising then, I have to keep up appearances.” he said, “Maybe you can be my spotter again?”

“Absolutely not.” you flatly refused, “I’ll be there behind the crew, making sure they don’t catch you only lifting ten kilos.”

“Let’s see,” he said, in a tone that implied you were not wiggling your way out of this one.

“Is there anything else you would like to discuss while I’m here?” you asked.

“No I think that is all, Lara will put it in the diary.” he folded his long fingers together under his chin, “I’ll let you know if there is anything else.”

“Thanks, Toto,” you bid him goodbye and made your way out.

“See you later,” he called out.

Now at T-1 Hour, you made your way back to the group hospitality area where you had set up some of your team for the race. The social team would be down in the garage gathering content, the sponsorship team down in the Yacht Club, and the press team with the drivers doing the media circuit, leaving you with the marketing and merch team. The race would be shown on a big screen within this space, giving you the bizarre experience of watching the race on TV despite being trackside.

Keeping an eye on the press and social media feeds you were satisfied with the way content had been delivered so far this weekend. Ironically the top performing post across all platforms was one of Toto sipping a cocktail by a pool. You made sure to note this down to bring up in your next meeting.

Soon enough it was lights out and away we go, the race a tense and noisy affair. Thirty-two laps in, Lewis managed to take the lead, leading the rapturous applause around the room, however, one unlucky safety car later and he dropped back to second. As the chequered flag was waved, Lewis took a respectable P2 and George a P4, having been just pipped to the post of a podium finish by Carlos Sainz. They were arguably the best results of the season and you hoped this was the turning point for the team.

You quickly made your way down to the garage to cast your eyes on the post-race interviews. Sky Sports had already grabbed Toto who was looking thrilled with the results. Wrapping his interview up, he came over to you.

“So your first race day, what did you think?” he asked, looking at you expectantly.

“It was great, there was a real buzz in the air. I’m so glad we’re back on top, where we belong.” you gestured at the TV repeating the footage of the podium, Lewis spraying a huge bottle of champagne everywhere.

“I hope so.” he smiled warmly. “Let’s see what next week brings.”

You couldn’t help but agree with him on that one, it seemed a little pre-emptive to dare to dream for a win. “Indeed.” Smiling back at Toto you realised that you were running late for Lewis’ photocall, “I have to dash but let’s catch up properly on Monday.”

“Sounds good, I hope you get out to see some of Miami tonight.” he replied, “It’s a fun city.”

“Let’s see.” you laughed, wanting nothing more than to crawl into your bed.

“Another early night?” he winked at you.

“Maybe,” you said shyly, knowing full well that is exactly what you were going to do, any minute now.

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ijuststareatstuffhereok89 · 1 year

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The loki show ships just really suck and this is coming from someone who literally ships every enemies to lovers ship to ever exist but loki and sylvie have to be the cringest most boring ship in this trope that I actually can't believe Disney took a relationship between the god of mischief and goddess of mischief and managed to make it so horrendously BORING

Like why does loki have to act like this empty shell of his former self just so they can convince us "he is now soft and in love"?

With that being said i definitely don't mean this as an attack to the shippers they are more than welcome to have fun with this ship but please can they just stop pretending everybody who doesn't ship them is tasteless or doesn't know how to "have fun"

Same goes to lokius fans whose arguments seem to boil down to (Loki doesn't deserve to be in a toxic heterosexual relationship he deserves to be in a toxic homosexual relationship 🥰💕) just have fun with your ships but never write any sort of metas about them ever for god's sake cause they just sound so dumb and it's getting tiring to hold on to this fandom any longer

Ok if you got this far thanks for reading my long ass rant and also Hello, You're one of the few blogs that i came across that doesn't defend this complete assassination of loki's character!!!

The biggest sinners in the whole TV show debacle are the writers. THEY decided to slowly bring down Loki's character progress and dignity, and THEY chose to keep Tom out of the creative process, when he's the one who made a whole career out of the part. I bet he wasn't wholly on board with the direction they were taking Sylvie and Loki. There is no way a man who speaks about a role with such passion and admiration would ever approve of "she's a female YOU! Lol oh that narcissistic Loki could only EVER love himself!"

Thing is, I kind of get why they wanted Loki to get a girlfriend, fan service and all. Loki DID kind of become the underground sex symbol of the MCU. They would've felt pressure from focus group hacks to do SOMETHING with Loki's romantic life if they were going to keep wringing appearances out of him like a sponge. But there were already so many characters they could have worked with, including his WIFE, MISTRESSES, and, oh yeah, a ROLE THEY HAD CAST AND THEN DELETED (Amora the Enchantress), and instead they went with "Loki could only ever respond romantically to himself so let's create a whole new character who has no personality, heart, or anything Loki needs or would be attracted to, and shove her down everyone's throats as Phase Four's Breakout Tragic Romance, which is the single biggest insult that surrounds Sylvie's creation and execution.

At first, I thought the show was going to be a metaphor for horrible systemic treatment of abuse victims via the failing bureaucracy of government. That would have rocked so hard. It STARTED to seem that way. It could have been about Loki standing up for himself and finding vindication through action and forgiveness for those he wronged. He could have even found vindication through a love story if IT HAD BEEN DONE RIGHT! Then they just made it all about Sylvie, Sylvie, Sylvie and how gosh darn wonderful she is.

Also, there was no fun, aside from arguably seeing the other Lokis in the void. Loki's character was always sinister with a lot of angst, but he was also FUN! He had creative costumes and ways of doing things. Tom Hiddleston has amazing facial expressions and scene presence when he's allowed to use it and not shrink back into it. The show should have been much more pleasant and visually engaging to match Loki, but instead, they threw him down a volcano and took what came out as his 'new look' and attitude. I think if he met Thor again, Thor would think Loki was lobotomized, and Thor 5 would be all about the search for proper mental health emergency resourcers (as long as they skipped the screeching goats).

Ah, I love a good rant on a Monday morning! :)

#mcu loki #loki tv series #sylvie #sylki sucks #sylvie sucks #justice for sigyn #loki #loki deserved better #tom hiddleston #kevin feige #MCU Loki

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someplayfromthepast · 1 year

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things no one talks about from the reunion concert

the event itself honestly was not that well organized and it took almost 2 hours to get everyone into the theatre. the good news is i was able to run around and meet some ppl there

also you could see everyone in the wings? jon and lolo were standing there for a good majority of the time before the show just looking out at the audience

GIDEON GLICKS OUTFIT WHY WAS BRO DRESSED LIKE HE WAS ON A JOG

and then once the show started it took so long for anyone onstage to even sit down. the time before lea sang the first note felt like an eternity

christine estabrook pronouncing wendla with a soft W at the beginning of the show💀

oh and then i sat and watched lea michele READ (Yes u read that right. I saw her read in real time) her first few lines. so

MAMA. WHO. BORE. ME. REPRISE. i have genuinely never heard a more electric version of this song. all the girls' voices have aged beautifully and yet it was still somehow the same as it had always been.

the absolute flood of spit that came out of jon groff's mouth every time he said "you waTCH me"

jbw smelling his hand after my junk?

THE UNDERSTUDIES ENTERING 💀 it was so funny for some reason. they weren't onstage until brian sang his verse in touch me. so weird

jbw and gideon all over each other during touch me

watching lilli and lauren sing the dark i know well was beyond unreal. i felt like i was in a different world watching them sing it. they were like 40 feet from me.

john gallagher jr did NOT remember any of the words to these songs My guy was holding his script for the entire show. How did u play this role for years and i know it better than u do by watching the bootleg like 30 times

vs jon groff performing the mbn choreo flawlessly (and me sobbing)

the jgroff lea michele making out action that was just there . Like guys this is just a semi staged concert why r u horizontal kissing at the imperial theatre on a monday evening

they showed a video during intermission that i've never seen anyone post anything from. i guess i should upload that somewhere

THE BABY CRYING DURING THE GUILTY ONES. WHO BROUGHT THEIR MF BABY TO THIS EVENT. i lowkey think it mightve been one of the casts babies but also Why did they bring the baby .

john. gallagher. jr. and the way he welcomed us back to moritz's world of neon lights and angst in a single beat. as soon as john started the chorus of dds that was it for me. i was back in 2006 and i was watching moritz, not john.

and also just in general how we (the generation who grew up on the bootleg rather than seeing the show for ourselves) never really saw what became of john's moritz. the last we saw of john in the role was almost a year before he left. it was very different from what i'd known of him. but never ever in a bad way i love you john.

john's chair sat empty for the entire rest of the show after dds which just kind of hit hard

how the theatre EXPLODED for the entirety of totally fucked. if you've seen the boots from any of the final performances you know. everyone in the theatre was cheering and screaming and weeping

jon groff singing to the girls in the front row during fucked oh my god i was so JEALOUS

the applause for totally fucked lasted a solid 5 minutes probably. totally fucked was never my favorite song until i experienced that

jonny b and gideon glick going at it during woybr . Rekindling an old romance i fear

gideon was trying not 2 laugh during reformatory scene. actually he wasnt really trying not 2 he was just laughing his ass off

i honest to god don't remember those you've known or song of purple summer. i was so in the moment that i just didn't take it with me, and honestly i am okay with that. it's the part of me i left at the imperial that night.

thank you forever spring awakening. i can't believe it's already been a year.

#spring awakening #spring awakening reunion #jonathan groff #john gallagher jr.#lea michele

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magnoliacharmed · 1 year

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Introducing.... Thunderstorm!

This is a series featuring Sting & fem!Reader. The prompt for this was an anonymous request I received. Thank you again, anon! This is gonna a lot of fun for me to write. It’ll be seven chapters and will hopefully be completed soon!

[Also available on Archive of our Own!]

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4

Summary:

After debuting as the newest member of nWo, you begin to develop a tumultuous relationship with Sting. Your newfound fame and problems in your personal life threaten to creep into your in-ring work. Kevin Nash tries to maintain the peace between you and Sting before everything falls completely apart at WCW.

Tags: 18+, enemies to lovers, angst, eventual smut, heavy alcohol use, implied/referenced drug use, additional tags to be added

September 1996

The cheers… the cheers were always deafening. You had gotten used to the lights beaming down on you, flash bulbs popping away, pyrotechnics shooting off behind you… but the cheers. It sent such a crazy rush of adrenaline through you every single time. No matter what kind of mood you were in, as soon as you hit the stage and heard the people scream for you, that thousand watt smile spread across your face in an instant. The cocky demeanor was present as usual from your expression to your stride. You turned your face into the nearest camera and winked. Knowing your voice was mostly inaudible over the crowd, curse word laden praises about yourself tumbled out of your mouth. The urge to make a kissy face at the gigantic lens was strong. You could feel like the star of the show as much as you wanted, but you knew you weren't.

It was another taping of WCW's Monday Nitro and you were once again walking out onto the mat with the members of the New World Order. You stood close behind the group almost as if you were their reinforcement. The positioning was always funny to you. If it came down to it, there was no way you could physically defend these giant men in a fight with your strength alone. Eric Bischoff enjoyed the optics though, comparing your role in the group to WWF's Chyna in D-Generation X. When he excitedly mentioned this in an effort to convince you, your stomach twisted up inside. Matching up to Chyna was a hard bar to cross. She looked like she actually could kick some ass. You on the other hand? You understood immediately that you were not an enforcer. You were essentially eye candy with a little fight in you. A very feisty valet. A tricky sexpot. Sure, you had a few moves that'd get you out of a tough situation but trained wrestler you were not.

There was no way you could ever get used to all this. Not when it had become such a massive part of your life in a short amount of time.

---

June 1996

When your friend Kevin Nash invited you to a taping of Monday Nitro you shrugged your shoulders. You had to admit that it wasn't something you were dying to see, but it gave you an excuse to dress up a little and party. He gave you and a friend the best seats in the house. The two of you pre-gamed pretty heavily before arriving. Cheap vodka settled in your lower stomach with the promise of providing a good time. Screaming fans in the arena helped you get amped up too, a frenzy quickly building around you as the show started. It didn't take long for you to notice how often the cameras kept focusing on you. One appeared so often you began to wonder if the smarmy cameraman had a crush on you. He constantly aimed the lens at your chest, pissing you off to the point that when he returned to zoom in on your breasts, you pointed a finger at him and grabbed his wrists up to put the camera on your face instead. A few harsh words drunkenly fell out of your mouth to him while you snarled. You then reached over the barrier to maneuver him to face back to the ring, accidentally giving him an even better view down your shirt in the seconds before he turned around.

Kevin watched the whole scene play out with a smile. Your reaction was the exact reason why he invited you. In the week after the show, Bischoff was shocked when a good chunk of the fanmail they received mentioned your name. Hardcore fans were wondering who the hell you were and casual watchers praised your outburst. Backstage, the other wrestlers kept asking Kevin to tell them more about you. He kept his mouth shut even though it was difficult. The plan slowly coming to fruition in his mind would make the silence all worth it.

"...Yeah, so they love you. Everyone keeps asking about you."

A few weeks after the show, Kevin's voice crackled over your house phone. Wherever he was it was loud. Thumping music and the voices of partygoers moved all around his voice.

"Are you in the club? Don't you have a show tomorrow night, man?"

"I can handle myself. You should come out with us sometime. You party harder than any of these fuckin' guys."

"I sincerely doubt that, Kev." You laughed. You were standing in your kitchen, leaning against the wall as a pot of water bubbled on the stove behind you. You'd known Kevin since middle school. Even with you moving away late in high school you stayed close friends. By the time you were able to reconnect in person he'd mentioned in passing that he was a wrestler for the WWF. He seemed very casual about the whole thing, probably because he'd always managed to fall into physical labor jobs due to his size and height. The WWF was just another gig as far as he was concerned. Eventually, he called you up again and said he was now with WCW. From the little you knew about wrestling it seemed to be a choice that made sense. WCW's programming was getting grittier with storylines that were aimed more at adults.

Kevin returned your laugh. "Okay, maybe not. You remember that time you killed--"

"The whole bottle of tequila? Of course, that was nothin'." You waved a hand in the air dismissively.

"Exactly. You can roll with the best of 'em. Which is exactly why…"

You sighed into the handset. Here he goes again.

"...you should join me in WCW. Give me one good reason why you won't."

"I can give you a few! One, I'm no wrestler. I can barely pick up a heavy box, what makes you think I can slam someone into a mat? Two, I don't want all that attention. Three, it sounds tiring. I can keep going."

"One, you don't have to be a wrestler. You can be like Ms. Elizabeth. Two, the attention isn't that bad, you get used to it. Sometimes it's even kinda fun. Three… yeah, you'll be tired. I can't lie about that one. It's worth it though, I'm telling you. The money's not bad. Aren't you tired of working at that beeper place?"

"Hold on," You set the phone down on your counter to check on the pot of water. As you turned the eye down on the stove and grabbed up your spaghetti, you stared into the rolling bubbles below you. What was that saying about the frog jumping into the water? It jumped in and right back out because the water was too hot. Although it wasn't quite the same, maybe you could jump into wrestling. Make some TV appearances and a little bit of money, then jump out before it got too, too hot. Your appetite vanished and the spaghetti no longer had any appeal to you.

Returning to the phone you were surprised Kevin was still there. You didn't understand why he was talking to you on a dirty club payphone when he could've been enjoying himself.

"Eh, Beeper City pays the bills. I like it fine. But you know, my little appearance on Nitro gave me a sales boost that week. I sold so many of those damn things the next day. My commission was crazy."

"If you come on the show every week, you won't have to worry about just 'paying the bills' on stupid pagers."

"What if I like my stupid pagers?"

Kevin scoffed into the phone at your stubbornness. Sometimes it made him laugh and other times it drove him up the wall.

Your lips pursed in thought. You'd been on the phone with him for a few minutes now and the same song was still playing in the background. The living room in front of you was so drab. You didn't see the point in decorating. Why decorate when you were barely "living" in it anyways? Nothing in the run-down apartment felt like it was truly yours. Your own life hadn't even felt like yours in recent months. You woke up, sold beepers, came home, drank 'til you fell asleep, then got up again the next day to do it all again. Sometimes you interspersed that riveting routine by going out to see a movie or a concert. It was no life to live.

You huffed nervously at the waiting silence on the other end. "Fuck it, Kev. Tell that Bischoff guy I'm in."

---

Mid October 1996

Your life changed faster than you could blink your eyes. Suddenly you were hitting different cities every week with your face on televisions across the nation. You got a little training before your debut. It was mostly just the basics, like how to fall properly and defending yourself. Your beeper job didn't do much for you in the way of exercise so even the little bit of work you put in at the gym wore you out and toned you up. Kevin was impressed at how fast you caught on. After Bischoff was satisfied with your minimal in-ring training, he explained the New World Order to you. You actually started to get excited about being in a group of rebels after spending so long being a boring stickler. Kevin introduced you to the rest of the crew with enthusiasm. Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall seemed happy to have you around. nWo was truly a boy's club though, and you weren't crazy enough to think your addition would change that. You drank and partied with them after shows but left when they started getting a little too wild. You were happy to have Kevin with you to stick by your side when you felt like an outcast.

The first time you walked out onto the mat with the group, ratings jumped the same way they did at your first audience appearance. You would've liked to think the ratings spike was because people were so excited to see new talent. After rewatching the taping a few days later you realized it was because of another slimy cameraman's angles. He zoomed right in on your ass while you climbed in the ring. The tight black shorts you wore had bunched up while you climbed in. It all made sense that there was an increase in cheers when you had gotten between the ropes. You shook your head in anger while watching it. The game is the game, you thought. The better you played it the more you could control it. You let the overly exploitative camera angles slide because you knew it would lead to good ratings and better checks. Kevin nodded in approval when you vented to him about it, sympathizing with you on the outside and smiling on the inside. Everything was working out.

Over the next few months your popularity shot up. In addition to your body doing you plenty of favors, fans loved the way you played off the rest of nWo. When they were in the ring you screamed from the sidelines in support of the group. You hit your rivals with steel chairs and innocently readjusted your shorts to distract them while they got pinned. The crowd screamed their heads off when Kevin would launch you like a rocket into the ring to knock someone down or latch onto their back to beat away at them.

After a few months of this routine you began to get fully comfortable with your persona. There was no need to fake it 'til you made it when you really had made it. People began to recognize you in public. They clamored around you for autographs and pictures together. To go from scraping by on quotas and commission, wondering if you'd have enough for a cheap six-pack of beer then to having more money than you knew what to do with made your head swim. Looking in the mirror at yourself was no longer an arduous task. Your eyes sparkled with new life and excitement. The hard work in and out of the ring sculpted your body in ways you never dreamed.

Your heart didn't feel like it was on the verge of jumping out of your chest. The deep simmering hatred for your life that manifested in your deepest reaches like snakes slithering around each other had finally subsided.

The world was yours.

"Can you move?"

Your eyes refocused themselves on your surroundings.

The girls smushed by you near the dirty bathroom sinks looked annoyed. You'd been standing there staring away at yourself after washing your hands. You gripped the cold porcelain of the sink to keep yourself steady.

"Oh shit. My bad," You stumbled out of the crowded bathroom. The girls immediately pushed forward to take advantage of the newly freed up mirror real estate. The brightly colored lights in the club dragged around you, little tails following them like shooting stars. The tight dress you were wearing suddenly felt a little oppressive. It was cute when you'd put it on earlier in the night but after a few hours of drinking it felt like a straitjacket around you. Your eyes were marbles clacking around your skull. You scanned the dance floor and bar looking for a familiar face. With little warning besides a shadow looming over you, Kevin appeared behind you.

"I was wondering where you went."

"Got a little lost in the bathroom."

"Don't tell me you've had too much to drink." Kevin glanced down at his watch while he laughed at you. The hands on it glowed a soft neon green around the purple illumination that hung in the air. "It's only 12:45. Kinda early for you."

"I just need to sit down."

Kevin placed his hands on your shoulders and pushed you forward to the nearest barstool. You plopped down on it and laid your head in your hands. Somehow you managed to miss Kevin ordering two beers and widened your eyes in shock when one appeared in front of you. The condensation on the bottle cooled your overheated skin down. The bubbles popped warmly in your stomach.

"So you know Sting right?"

"Huh?" You'd swung your body around to face the dance floor. You couldn't help but to clench the beer bottle between both hands, using it like an anchor. If you spun around again to face Kevin you were pretty sure you were gonna float away like a balloon. The marbles knocked to the side of your face to catch him in your peripheral vision.

"Sting. Steve."

The image of him appeared in the forefront of your mind. His spiky bleach blonde hair and colorful face paint made you giggle. Wrestling is so ridiculous, you thought. Your inner voice sounded pretty smashed. You hoped you didn't sound like that out loud.

"I don't know him. Why?"

Kevin finished off the last swigs of his beer. He raised up his hand to summon the bartender again. This time a glass of clear fizzy liquid was placed in front of both of you. You slammed it down with instant regret. The gin burned your throat and the bitter, medicinal taste of the tonic made you heave slightly.

"Alright, that's the last one for you--" Kevin grabbed the glass and beer bottle away from you. The music had gotten even louder in the last few minutes. It thumped in your head, bouncing around with vigor. "Scott came up with an idea for him. He's dropping the surfer thing and he's gonna do his facepaint like Brandon Lee in The Crow."

You covered your mouth at a little burp that escaped. "Kinda morbid, huh?"

Kevin shrugged. "Maybe a little. But it'll be cool. We're leaving all the corny shit in the past now."

"He makes anything he touches lame. If Bischoff wanted to leave the corny shit behind, he'd get rid of Sting."

Kevin was getting tired of sighing at you all the time. For all the years he'd known you he could count on one hand the people you disliked. Usually you had a good reason for not liking them and he was on your side when it came down to problems or arguments. The few times Sting had been brought up around you though, your face twisted up. The subject would get changed when you'd made a cold comment about him. Sting stayed to himself and was a good worker. There wasn't even any opportunity to have a problem with him! Whatever your issue was with him, Kevin needed to fix it ASAP.

"Seriously, what's your issue with him?" Kevin looked at you with annoyance in his eyes. It was easier to get the truth out of you when you were this drunk. With the way you were slurring and the slow movement of your irises he knew you were pretty fucked up, but not as fucked up as you'd gotten in the past.

You took the chance and swung your body around to face your friend. Luck was on your side since you didn't immediately vomit all over him.

"I think he's a jerk."

"Yeah, I can fuckin' see that. You don't even know him that well! How could you think he's a jerk?"

"I just have a feeling he thinks he's a big shot. Bischoff hasn't been able to stop talking about him and it's driving me up the wall. 'Sting, Sting, Sting!' What about us, man?"

Kevin couldn't help but to laugh at your misplaced anger. You never could see the bigger picture in life. "Sting doing this new gimmick is good for us. It's gonna be great. You thought we were on the moon now? Just wait until next week, we'll be in the damn stars. Don't be such a mark for yourself. He needs us just as much as we need him." Kevin grabbed your arms and shook you playfully.

"Shake me again and I'll throw up right in your hair."

A big laugh left Kevin's lips as he helped you down from the stool. Thank God you had a day to recover from the inevitable crazy hangover you'd have in the morning. The cool air of the night hit your face abruptly. After being stuck in the sweaty club for what felt like hours you were grateful for the rush of wind blowing your hair around you. You felt grounded to the Earth again. Maybe Kevin was right. Sting was probably a nice enough guy. It'd be better if you all got along for the sake of the show. The drunk part of yourself hated when you got rational. It was such a buzzkill!

A cab pulled up in front of both of you. Kevin opened the door up for you, then pushed you gently down into the seat. You looked up at him with bewilderment as he told the driver what hotel you were staying at.

"What the hell man, aren't the rest of yall coming back too?"

"You drank as much as me and you're a foot and a half shorter, almost 150 pounds lighter. You need to take your ass back to the hotel and sleep it off so you don't act like an asshole tomorrow. We've gotta go to the gym and I need you up and ready for it."

"Booo! Booo, Kev!" You gave him a limp thumbs down as he closed the cab door. He was right and that was annoying. The cab pulled away with a jerk leaving Kevin to watch it turn into nothing but a little yellow dot in the distance.

#sting #sting wcw #steve borden #sting fanfic #sting x reader #kevin nash #wcw #world championship wrestling #wcw fic #wcw fanfic #wrestling fic #wrestling fanfic #wrestling #magnoliafanfic

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