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targaryenrealnessdarling · 1 year

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No Pain, No Gain | Part 1 | PersonalTrainer!Aemond x fem!reader

Summary: The personal trainer your roommate Baela recommended to you is rude, condescending but also hot as hell. Series Masterlist.

A/N: shoutout to my personal trainer Alex for rotting my brain. This is my first modern!Aemond fic, so any feedback is genuinely appreciated, I hope you enjoy this, it was an absolute ball to write (and there will be more!)

Also I could not post this without tagging some absolute modern!Aemond QUEENS who inspired me to write this. @valeskafics @oneeyedvisenya @sapphire-writes you’re the real ones! Also massive hug to @ewanmitchellcrumbs for hyping me up and being a parent to this child she didn't choose to create.

warnings: EVENTUAL SMUT, 18+, sexual tension, binge eating, mentions of breakup, cursing, dickhead Aemond, reader is horny af, English slang (soz), warnings will be added when needed

To say you were broken-hearted would be a bit of an understatement.

You were angry, annoyed, frustrated, wound up tight and pissed off to the highest degree.

And it showed in how you acted these days as you polished off the salty family-size bag of crisps on your own in 10 minutes flat.

You look over at your phone and sigh when you see it’s already 6 o’clock in the afternoon. Another day sat on the sofa, wallowing in self-pity, eating yourself into oblivion and fairly soon pouring a glass of Baela’s finest white wine (now that it was officially almost evening anyway and it was justified).

Scrolling through instagram was like twisting the dagger that was already in your chest. All that stupid fucking app could show you was ‘ex in the bar with his new girlfriend’, ‘ex in the drive-thru with his new girlfriend’, ‘ex on the beach with his new girlfriend’.

It made you want to throw your phone directly at the wall. But you settled for squeezing the life out of it, imagining it was your ex’s stupid face instead.

The absolute waste of space had broken up with you over text on the night you were supposed to go out on a date. And as if that was not bad enough, not even two weeks had gone by before he’d managed to stick his dick into someone else with a pulse. At the time, you were so angry that you didn’t accuse him of anything, he’d already broken up with you. But you did suspect that this ‘sudden’ relationship he’d gotten into wasn’t as recent as first thought.

It’s been a month since you found out about the other woman.

And clearly you were coping really well.

Indulging wasn’t something you usually did, but now you feel you deserved it.

“Hello~” the soft, ringing voice of your roommate Baela was at the door. You half-considered hiding all the packets of various foods you’d managed to stuff down your gob, but Baela had seen worse of you. She’d seen you while you were throwing your guts up after freshers week at university. Nothing was worse than that and you shuddered at the memory.

She walks in, looking more put together than you by a long way, having been hanging out with her sister all day. That’s what you like about Baela, she’s not judgemental, and so when she sees you’ve barely moved an inch she just flashes her usual smile.

“Good day then?” she says with a smirk. You raise your eyebrows in return.

“Apart from seeing him plastered all over instagram I’m great”

“Got any left?” she asks, extending a greedy hand for a crisp. You offer her the bag with a sigh as she slumps on the sofa next to you. She watches boredly whatever you have on the TV,

"Why don't you just block him?" She asks. And to be fair, she has a point.

But you huff and shove another crisp in your mouth, whining, "Cos I'm a nosy bitch with no boundaries"

Baela sighs, pulling out her own phone and scrolling through her notifications, "As much as I love you y/n, this is pathetic, even for you"

You'd be offended if she wasn't completely right. And you know she's only half joking so you just shrug.

"How was Rhaena?" You ask.

"Yeah fine, usual shit with Dad. Oh I didn't tell you-" she starts.

She has that glint in her eye which spells trouble. She's got gossip and you raise your eyebrows in anticipation.

"Hold that thought, wine first?"

"Obviously"

After giggling and waltzing over to the counter to pour two glasses of the finest box wine you could get for under seven English pounds, you hand her one and wait almost too excitedly for her to spill whatever sweet gossip she has.

She sips it, almost like she needs the liquid courage to begin, and she hisses at the sweet, acidic taste.

"God that's foul"

"It was 2 for 1!" You retort with a laugh, but she is right, it does taste foul, "Stop stalling, tell me tell me tell me"

She looks at you as if to say bitch, you are not fucking ready.

“Dad’s married Rhaenyra”

The force of which your jaw drops open is almost comical. You’d guessed for a while that they were at least fucking, but to just elope?!

“I need money, cos I betted on this shit happening!”

“Oh my gosh, Rhaena was fucking hysterical. Jace and Luke aren’t surprised at all, but Alicent is beside herself in the family group chat, it should honestly be a reality TV show” Baela says scrolling through said group chat. From what you can see without being too nosy, is that there’s a lot of long paragraphs and angry emojis.

“What about Viserys, surely he’s…” you ask, trailing off to sip the pissy wine in your hands.

“Oh no, he’s thrilled. Which pisses Alicent off even more if that’s possible”

“Baela I think your Uncle’s gone insane” you bite your lip to stifle a laugh.

“No fucking kidding”

You slump back onto the sofa, “Holy shit, I am a genius. I knew the whole time” you say, smirking in victory.

“And so humble too” Baela gives a sarcastic grin which you return.

“How do you feel about it?”

Baela shucks her phone onto the coffee table, sighing, “Not bothered, we’re all adults now, so it hardly makes a difference to me. Suppose it’ll get Dad to stop bringing back random women now” she says exasperated, “but Rhaenyra gets the impression we’re all really bothered so she’s invited us all to a retreat for a week. Think she just wants to butter us up for marrying our Dad”

“Oh? Anywhere nice?”

Baela looks over, giving you a wearied look.

“What?”

“Well that brings me to you”

“Oh god, what” you ask, dropping the tone to emphasise the seriousness of the talk all of a sudden.

Baela fiddles with the remote, in an attempt to appear cute, “Well~ There’s a spare ticket going and you’re my bestest friend. And I would hate to endure a week of watching my Dad eat Rhaenyra’s face off, so come with me please?” she begs.

You sigh, “Baela usually I would love to sponge off you like that but-”

“Pleasepleaseplease~” she begs, “Rhaena’s bringing her boyfriend and we’re basically together!”

You fake a gagging sound.

“Oh come on, a week on a beach in bikinis,sweltering weather with as many cocktails as you can hold isn’t exactly torture”

You give her an incredulous look, opening your arms to emphasise all the bags of junk food around you, “Do I look beach body ready to you?!”

“Oh fuck off, you’re hot and have an ass that can keep the world fed”

“I know I am hot, I just don’t feel hot” you stare blankly at the TV, trying to ignore her and stuff another crisp into your mouth.

Baela sighs, “I was just thinking it would be a nice distraction, that’s all”

“I want to it’s just…” you start, trying to think of the right words, “...I don’t feel my best”

Baela gives you a playful slap on your arm, “Look, forget your ex, he’s dumb as fuck and it’s not solving anything by staying inside with the curtains drawn all day. If you want to feel better, might be worth taking care of yourself a bit, hm?”

Fuck her, you think, rolling your eyes, she’s right.

You hate how often she’s right. Because she gets that look on her face when she is. Always has done.

“How about that gym membership you’ve not used since February?” she asks,

“Okay firstly, ouch. Secondly, I realised I don’t know the first thing about how to work out in a gym, besides the guys there were…weird”

You shudder at the thought. It was January and so all the new year’s resolution guys were at it in full swing, using the gym as a means to try and pick up girls. And since graduating you find that more often than not the guys who hit on you were students. Maybe it was different now?

Baela pokes her cheek with her tongue, racking her brain.

“One of my cousins is a personal trainer? I could text him to see if he’s happy to take you on. Mates rates” she smiles.

You side-eye her hard. You’ve heard briefly about her cousins. Some of the stories are a bit more…eccentric than others. And even though you’ve never met them, you’ve heard enough stories to satisfy your curiosity.

“This isn’t the manwhore cousin, right? Because if it is then no”

She scoffs, “No. Aegon hasn’t set food in a gym since graduating and he only went cos it was free. The personal trainer one is Aemond. He’s a bit…anti-social?” she pulls a face when she says it.

“He’s anti-social and he’s a personal trainer?” you ask, eyebrow raised, “makes so much sense”

Baela scrolls through her contacts, “Yeahhh. Don’t worry though, he’s just grumpy” she explains, “want me to text him?”

Your head falls to the edge of the sofa in a huff. You want to go and on top of that, it might be nice to finally have a break. That and you’d love to shove it in your exes face when he sees you’re on holiday looking your hottest.

“How long ‘til the holiday?”

Baela grins victoriously, “A month and a bit. He does a month course for stuff like this, I can ask him about it”

What the fuck am I getting myself into, you think briefly.

Fuck it.

“Fine”

The force at which Baela’s nails tap against the screen is almost desperate.

Baela snorts a laugh at the message and turns her phone to show you the messages.

“He seems lovely” you roll your eyes sarcastically.

“Like I said, he’s just grumpy. He’ll be professional though” she says.

You sigh, crushing the empty bag of crisps in your hands.

“Can’t wait”

After following him on instagram, you did a bit of shameless stalking. You’d heard a little bit about Aemond from Baela talking about her family, but he seemed the most mysterious out of all of them (save for the youngest whose name she struggled to even remember).

He had very little photos of himself, mainly progress pictures of other clients he’s helped. And he seems to be pretty successful so far. A girl with a similar body to you managed to get toned on his one-month program and looked hot afterwards, so you had some high hopes that it was possible for you as well. But you did wonder what he looked like. There were only two photos where he was in frame, and he’d been tagged by another person, looking away from the camera.

From what you could see, he was very tall, lithe and slim but built, with silver hair that had been pulled up into a bun. Ah, so he’s a man-bun type of guy. Yikes.

Unfortunately, the photo showed very little of his face, so you couldn’t be too nosy.

You sent a very brief message, introducing yourself, trying not to cringe at the idea that he might be doing the exact same stalking to your instagram right at this moment. A shiver went up your spine at the thought.

It’s only when you’re in TKMaxx with Baela, shopping for gym gear the next day, that you finally get a reply from him.

“What do you think of just wearing a sports bra?” Baela says, eyeing up a black shirt.

You’re too busy staring at the message, “Hm? Oh, I’d just go in gym leggings and a bra yeah. Just got a reply from your mysterious cousin”

Baela hops over, “What’s he said? Nothing bad I hope” she grins.

You show her the screen.

Baela raises her eyebrows, “Very formal. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised” she says, seeming surprised that he’s at least cordial.

“It’s very ‘serial-killer-esque’ of him not to have a profile picture” you joke, locking your phone again.

Baela picks out a black gym set. Black leggings with a mesh pocket on the side for your phone and a black sports bra. You nod, “Yeah looks good to me”

“Oh please you’re gonna look hot in this” she smirks, leading you over to the counter to pay.

She rewards you for your efforts by driving you to McDonald's drive-thru. A send off to junk-food so to speak.

And when Monday rolls around, you nod in the mirror. She was right, it does look hot on you. At least in the safety of your flat where there’s nobody to look at you. In a gym, surrounded by other fit people and a personal trainer you’ve never met? It might feel slightly different.

There’s a faint swirl of anxiety in your gut but you pull your trainers on, grab a hair tie from your nightstand and drive to the gym you’ve agreed to meet at. Luckily it’s your local gym, large and packed to the brim with some good equipment at least. And you briefly wonder what kind of workouts you’ll be doing before pulling into the car park.

You see him as soon as you enter the gym. He’s very tall, slender but muscular and fucking gorgeous. What the fuck, is all you can think when you shamelessly scan him from head to toe. Like the pictures, he has his long silver hair in a bun, with a few pieces having come free and falling around his face. His legs are miles long in the black sweats he’s wearing, as well as the black top that sticks a bit too snugly to his front and shoulders, making your mouth water a bit.

And you can’t help but admire his side profile, how his jaw just so naturally and sharply juts into his chin. How his cheekbones sit so prominently and high on his face, framing his features. His sharp, defined nose. And you can’t see from here because he’s looking down at his phone, but his eyelashes are unnaturally long for a man. It’s just unfair, frankly.

Shaking yourself briefly from the trance you were in, you right yourself and approach him.

He looks up to see you before you even have a chance to open your mouth. Now that he's looking at you face on, you can see the shocking blue of his right eye and the paler, soft hue of the other. Not only that but the angry scar that ran down the side of his face, extending from his forehead to the mid part of his cheek, straight through the eye.

You look at it for a split second, surmising that perhaps he's partially sighted or blind in that eye. But you choose not to say anything and instead smile with an awkward wave.

"Hey, you must be Aemond"

He openly drags his eyes over you, from head to toe, just like you did a moment ago without his knowledge. But now that you're standing right in front of him, in the gym gear that you totally don't feel a bit self conscious in, it feels a bit weird.

He doesn't reply for a moment.

"I'm y/n" you say, forcing a smile to your nervous face.

"Hm" he responds lowly, "Baela's friend"

You pull an awkward face and nod.

You feel so stupidly small against this absolute giraffe of a man and you daren't step forward any more, for fear of looking even smaller under his judgemental and indifferent gaze.

He sighs and gestures for you to follow him, seeming disinterested as he looks down at his phone. For a brief second you wonder how this guy keeps his clients if he's this rude, but you shake the thought away, not wanting to judge too quickly.

He leads you into one of the consultation rooms, separate from the rest of the gym. He sits on one of the seats, sighing as if he's had the hardest day in the world and taking a swig of water from his bottle.

Sat across from him, you feel a bit small under his gaze. He's quite intimidating, you now find.

"Have you ever worked out before" he asks flatly.

You shrug, "I've tried I guess, but never super seriously" you laugh awkwardly, but he doesn't return it.

He runs his eyes over you again, as if to say yeah I can see that.

"Stand up. Shoes off. We're going to take your weight and measurements" he orders, going to his bag to grab some things.

It's beyond awkward and quiet in the room with him as he idly takes down your weight, height and current eating habits, which you've had to be more honest about than you'd cared to admit.

Standing in the middle of the room, he twirls his measuring tape on his fingers. He measures your upper body first, which isn't too bad until he gets to your bust. You try and look anywhere else in the room while he measures across it, his fingers landing softly at either arm, taking a note of the measurement. You internally scold yourself, he is so much taller and surely must be able to see right down the sports bra. It only serves to make your face heat up with embarrassment.

If that wasn't enough, he gets to your lower body, measuring your hips and then thighs. He gets to his knees to do it and you resist the urge to pull your hands into fists at the proximity of him to your intimate area, separated only by a thin pair of gym leggings and underwear.

He doesn't seem to bother himself with the awkwardness. And every time you look at his face, he seems indifferent, bored even. Even then, his face is unnaturally beautiful, even with the scar.

He must really not like people.

Aemond sighs having taken all his notes.

"We'll do one training session and see how much weight we can do" he instructs. You nod.

"I expect you to be in the gym four times a week, three in the week and once at the weekend. We'll do one session together a week so I can check your progress"

His tone is so flat, all you can do is nod. He looks at you,

"Got it?"

Your cheeks heat up, "Um, yeah"

"Good"

He leads you outside to the actual gym floor which luckily isn't too busy, side-eyeing you massively when you pull your hair up into a ponytail to get it off your neck.

His large form leads you over to where the mats are kept, haphazardly throwing two to the floor.

He doesn't say anything past one or two word commands and it's incredibly difficult to not look in the mirror in front of you to watch him as he stretches. The way he stretches his arms over his head and it lifts the hem of his shirt a little, showing his happy trail, biceps rippling.

And when he does leg stretches, instructing you to do the same, you can't help but stare at how his thighs are basically bulging out from his sweats. It takes all of your strength and will to not look any higher than that towards his hips.

He watches your form as you try and copy him stretching. And your heart almost leaps into your chest when he uses his hand to move your ankle slightly, so that you put pressure on a certain muscle. But he focuses completely, professional.

Fuck, be professional.

All caution is thrown completely to the wind when he gets you on machines. He demonstrates some of them first, starting with the so-called 'easier' ones, like the inner and outer thigh machines that look way too…suggestive.

Of course, he's got it on a ridiculous weight to demonstrate which makes you scoff a bit. And when you get on the inner thigh machine, it locks into place with your legs spread. You thank every god there is that there's no mirror in front of you on this machine.

"You have to start with your legs spread as much as possible" he states simply, pushing the pads against your legs even further. It makes your eyes widen, sinful thoughts pop up in your head. But before they take root you shake them away.

It's ridiculously hard the first few times and he raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" He mocks a bit, the tiniest of smirks on his face "you're only on 14kg"

"Fuck off" you mutter under your breath. He tuts and changes it to 9kg, bruising your ego a bit. But you finish the set nonetheless.

You think he's a bit of a psycho, because after that little remark he has you on every leg machine available. Making fun every time you have to be on the lowest weight.

After the session, you're aching in places you didn't even know existed and you haven't even rested yet. Knowing full well you'll be achy as fuck tomorrow and even wlrse than right now. The faintest sheen of sweet is visible on your pinkened chest.

"You're weaker than I thought"

He runs his long fingers through his hair and you want to slap that stupid fucking self-indulgent look off his smug face seeing you all out of puff like this.

"Thanks, means a lot" you say sarcastically, drinking from a water bottle. He raises an eyebrow at the attitude.

"I'll send you your workout plan. If you have any issues do me a favour and don't bother me with them" he retorts.

"Charming" you mutter under your breath once he's gone past you. You watch as he walks away, briefly appreciating his broad shoulders, until the sour taste of his poor behaviour settles in. And you huff, texting Baela immediately.

You curse every god there is that you drive a manual car, because right now the thought of having your aching leg pressing on the clutch pedal might actually drive you to mass-murder.

This is going to be a long month.

Taglist: @mrsgrwy @lovelykhaleesiii

779 notes · View notes

gatorbites-imagines · 10 months

Note

Hey I saw you were really stressed and I know requests aren't the best thing but this has been stuck on my mind, you can delete this or do it when you can. I can wait as long as you need 😊

Can we get Peter B and Miguel (separate or kinda like "we're co-parent friends") with a platonic male reader, reader is a spiderman for his own universe but his universe ended because of him. Now he's ungodly protective of both Peter and Miguel. Like he's put his life on the line multiple different times for those two knuckleheads

I just want fluff 😭

Peter B Parker and Miguel O’Hara

Platonic Headcanons

Peter B Parker

Now, Peter would appreciate how protective you could be, but it got a little overbearing at times, especially after you got impaled by an abnormal doc ock. Hed make you have a sit down with him about how dangerous it is, and how he feels protective of you too, so he doesn’t wanna lose you.

He can only imagine the insane amount of trauma youd have after losing your universe, especially if it was cause on accident by yourself. He would always make sure you have someone to talk too, and somewhere to go if you need it.

He would open his home to you, even after he got back with MJ and had Mayday, and you end up being a common sight in their home, to the point where MJ starts calling you their spiderson, and Pete ruffles your hair and calls you his kid.

Mayday absolutely loves you, even though Peter fears how protective you’ll be of her. If you were protective of Peter, with Mayday it’s a million times worse. He’s pretty sure he’s caught you hissing at other spiderpeople who get too close sometimes.

He still loves you very much, as he’s come to see you as his kid one way or another, you two just have a lot of things you need to work through, and Peter and the rest of his family is with you the entire way.

Miguel O’Hara

Miguel would be annoyed by how protective you were, because deep down he would feel he doesn’t deserve it. Especially after you get hurt protecting him, taking the stinger of an abnormal Scorpion for him.

He wouldn’t know how to feel about you till this point, or why you got attached to him of all people. But as you lay there feverish and hallucinating thanks to the poison from the Scorpion, he sits and holds you in his arms until you fall unconscious.

Miguel understands what it feels like to lose everything, so he’s actually great to come too if you need to talk. He doesn’t say much, but Miguel makes a great listener, especially after he starts caring for you in return.

Would end up calling you his kid on accident, specifically after you got hurt once again on a mission, and he yells at you that he cant lose another one of his kids. After that you two have to sit down and come to an understanding about your shared self-sacrificial nature.

You both have gone through a lot, and lost even more, but together you are able to build a tiny family with just two members, and that is more than enough, as long as you have each other.

462 notes · View notes

charliehoennam · 7 months

Note

Aww I love your writing so much!!!! 🩷🩷 The detective Loki A-Z felt so accurate 🥹 he’s so precious. Can you write something that kind of goes off the jealousy area? Like it’s a coworker who reader gets close with and is honestly clueless to the flirting?

F o r g i v e n

a/n: here you go, nonny! i couldn't agree more. David is my baby and he deserves some happiness and a warm hug

pairing: Detective David Loki x reader

summary: a new co-worker makes a misguided move on the reader and david gets pissed

warnings: language, angst, arguing (if i missed one, lemme know. minors, do not interact!)

SHARING IS CARING, SO PLEASE REBLOG

Sliding your legs over the edge of your side of the bed, you sit up and rub the sleep from your eyes. David’s on the phone with O’Malley. You already know he’s gotta go into work today.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in 30 tops” he says lowly in his gravely morning voice before hanging up his cell phone.

“I’ll make breakfast” you smile sleepily at him.

You reach out to reassuringly squeeze his arm to let him know it’s alright. He’s already mentally beating himself up for waking you up and not being able to be enjoy his morning off with you as he had promised.

You make your way through the one-story house and head to the kitchen to get his coffee going. You decide on making a hearty breakfast because you know very well David will skip lunch today.

So, you settle for a nice egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich on toasted bagels with cream cheese. You make two for him so he can take one to work and hopefully eat while he’s on the road. You even cut up some bananas, apples, strawberries and oranges to make a little fruit salad.

David isn’t the healthiest guy around, but he deeply appreciates that you care for him and his health. He never really had anyone to care about him – much less his health – so he’ll sure make to eat every bite.

You hear his electric razor shut off after his shower. A while later, he comes into the kitchen with his hair slicked back. His light blue button-up shirt is open, exposing his white sleeveless undershirt. His gold chain dangles and dances around his neck as he buttons the cuffs of his shirt.

You can’t help but smile to yourself. You wish you could stop him and slide his button-up off. You love it when he wears his undershirt and chain around the house.

“Honey, think you can get a ride to work today?” he asks kissing the back of your head as you slice up the fruit.

“Yeah, babe. It’s no problem. I already texted Jared and asked him to pick me up.”

His hands working the buttons closed on his front stop as his eyes narrow in on the back of your head.

“Jared? You already texted him?”

“Yeah. I figured you’d leave before me.”

“Oh…”

You know that there’s something he’s holding back from you. You turn your head to glance at him, hoping to get a read of him as you slide the chopped-up fruit in a container.

“Is there a problem with that?”

You already know the answer to that.

“No. Nothing. Just didn’t know you and Jared were so close already. I mean, didn’t he just start there like two weeks ago?”

His eyebrows rise and his lip press flat as he looks down at his hands, letting them finish their work on his shirt.

“Two months ago, but he was pretty much on his own, so I figured I’d be the first to befriend him. The first weeks are the worst when you start working at a new place.”

“Yeah, I get that. Just didn’t think you were already texting each other.”

“Dave, there’s nothing going on between us if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. Your face says it all.”

You’re slightly hurt that he would think there could be something brewinh between you and Jared. It may come from a place of worry, but isn't that trust is for?

“Look, I gotta get going. I’ll see you tonight.”

You nod as you hand him the containers of sandwiches and his travel mug. He leaves you with a kiss on your forehead and you watch him leave, letting the tension hang in the air. You try to put it on the mental backburner as you head up to get ready for your day.

Hearing a honk coming from outside, you look out the window and confirm Jared’s arrival. You grab your bag, keys and phone before heading out the door and walking to Jared’s car.

“Hey, Jare. Thanks for the late-notice lift. David got called in and my car’s still at the shop.”

“You know I don’t mind it at all. It’s been almost a couple days though. Have they given you any updates on it?”

“Something about the starting motor failing. Solenoid damage, I think? They have to replace some coils or some shit.”

“That shouldn’t take more than a few hours to replace though.”

“David says the same thing. He’s getting pretty impatient. Said he’s gonna stop by there today to check up. You know how some mechanics can be when they see a girl with car trouble.” You complete with a roll of your eyes.

“Yeah, some pricks take advantages. I know a thing or two about cars. I’d be happy to look into it for you if you want?”

“Really? Yeah, yeah. That’d be great. I’m gonna wait for David though. He said he’d stop by there today. I’ll give you a heads up though.”

After arriving to work, you head straight for your sector to settle in. You can’t help but notice how kind Jared seems to be towards you in this new light that David casted earlier in the morning.

Jared always offers to refill your water bottle whenever he gets up, always offers snacks, brings you back your favorite coffee or tea after his breaks, compliments your hair or nails or even your perfume. During the whole day, you can’t help but notice he doesn’t treat his other co-workers the same. You begin to wonder if you’ve led him on to believe you’re more than just co-workers or if it’s because he’s new and not very close to the others.

You decide to shake the thought from your head and go on about your work. However, with this new concept in the back of your mind, you start to politely deny Jared’s kind offers. He doesn’t seem hurt by it. A small wave of relief washes over you. Maybe you were just in over your head and overthinking what David had told you.

Around closing time, Jared stops by your station to check if you need a ride home. You check your phone, hoping David texted you with a reply about picking you up, but there’s no new messages.

Your heart sinks a bit. You’d hoped he could’ve at least replied. Is he really that upset with you?

“Yeah, I could use a ride.”

The house isn’t very far. You could walk home, but the rain is already pouring down heavy. And this time of year, the cold winter air is starting to arrive, slickening the streets and sidewalks with ice.

You smile to hide that you wished you didn’t need a ride from Jared. You know it’s not gonna make things easier to deal with at home.

Part of you thinks David is acting ridiculously like a child that's too selfish to share a toy. Only you’re not a toy. You’re a human being and you’re his fiancée. You’re supposed to be getting married.

The other part of you wonders how you would feel if it were the other way around. If he had a new partner on the job and spent hours with her. With everything Jared does for you, would you be ok with someone else treating David the same way?

Trying to settle the internal dispute, you remember that it’s your intentions that really counts. You’re not breaking his trust because you have no intention of getting with Jared. You’re friends and that’s all there is. And you would want David to have a good friend too in your situation.

You walk out together, gabbling on about the day as you climb into his car.

As Jared turns onto your street, you’re laughing over an amusing situation you’d survived in your first week at the company with an unsatisfied client. Jared had had his first unpleasant interaction with a frustrated client. Although he handled it pretty well, he was still a bit disappointed about it.

Grateful the rain has let up, you notice Dave’s car parked in the driveway. Why didn’t he at least text you back if he was home? You feel a slight pang in your chest, but you shove it down as you continue your conversation. Jared knows your line of though has been thrown off and he can only guess it has to do with the black Crown Victoria perched in front of the garage.

“It can happen to anyone,” you say looking up at the tall brown-haired co-worker as he turns the car off, parking in front of your house. You hear a door close from outside and keys jingling, but you don’t think much of it. Most of your neighbors get home at this time as well.

“You can’t please everybody and you have to accept that,” you resume looking down at the dashboard. “You’re not here to please, you’re here to do your job.”

“You’re an amazing person, you know that?”

Something is different about the way Jared is looking at you. It’s intense and you don’t like it.

He leans over the arm rest/storage compartment separating the front seats and places a surprising kiss on your cheek.

You quick react by pulling yourself back and gently push him away with a hand on his shoulder.

“Whoa, Jared. That’s sweet, but i-it’s not like that. We’re just friends. You realize that, right?” you ask frowning at him. “I’m happily engaged.”

“Y-yeah... I figured. I thought I-I’d shoot my shot. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He looks down embarrassed as his cheeks blush a bright regretful shade of red. “I misread things. I’m sorry. That’s on me. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just… Don’t do that again, alright?”

“Yeah. Definitely will not” he chuckles nervously. “It won’t happen again. I promise. Just like you said, we’re only friends.”

You’re not really sure how to react. You can tell he feels really awkward about the whole thing, but you just want to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Flashing a shy, nervous smile at him, you thank him for the ride and climb out of the car. You slowly walk up the concrete path, digging through you bag for your keys.

Upon finding them, you look up and freeze.

David is standing in the path, glaring at the young man in the car. As he keeps his furious gaze locked on Jared, his hands move to rest on his hip. Pushing back his black winter jacket, his gold badge and his standard issue gun are exposed to remind Jared of who he is.

You don’t realize it’s a non-verbal threat. You just think he’s pissed judging by the constant hard blinking of his eyes.

“David, it’s not what you th-“ you start only to be cut off.

“In the house. Right now.”

He has a point. This isn’t a topic to discuss outside for all your neighbors to hear.

You walk quietly past him and march up the porch. You leave the door open for him, but he’s not far behind you. Only a couple moments since he’d been staring Jared down until he finally drove away.

The door slams as he enters the house.

“Are you fucking serious? There’s nothing going on, right?” He asks loudly and angrily.

“Yes, there’s nothing going on, Dave.” You say trying to stay calm, unwilling to match his tone. You’d be angry too in his place.

“You expect me to believe that after what I just saw?!”

“Yes, because that’s the truth. I know how that looked like. He thought I was sending him signs of interest. I won’t lie about that. But I didn’t want him to do that. There is absolutely no interest on my behalf!”

“The fucking chicken hawk just kissed you!”

“I didn’t want him to! I told him that! Maybe if you had picked me up from work or at least fucking texted me back, I wouldn’t have gotten in that fucking car in the first place!” you seethe at him.

“Oh, so this is my fault??” he snaps back at you bewildered.

He opens his mouth to speak, but just in that same moment, his cell phone rings. A hushed ‘fuck’ escapes from his lips as he answers the call. You just roll your eyes and fold your arm across your chest because you already know what that means.

The conversation is quick. You can’t tell much; all you know is that Captain O’Malley is calling him into the station.

“We’re not done on this”, he says with a raised finger in your direction and opens the door behind him.

The door slams shut. You close your eyes and lean against the wall, wishing you had never gotten in that car.

Dragging your tired body up the stairs, you make your way to your room. You notice the comforter is rumpled on David’s side along with his pillows. It’s not as you had it in the morning; it was neat and made to look inviting. You sigh and run a hand through your hair. Now you know why he didn’t answer you at first; he had fallen asleep.

You set your bag atop of the dresser that you share. You dig out your phone to set it to charge. There’re a couple unread messages and 2 missed calls; all from David and right around the time you’d left work.

Sorry, babe. Fell asleep and just woke up.

On my way right now!

You feel guilty thinking about how you could’ve avoided the whole ordeal. Now, David is mad at you and you’re mad at him for thinking that you wanted Jared to kiss you.

You head into the ensuite bathroom to shower and let the water wash away the stress of your day. As the warm water pours over you, you just hope this isn’t what ends your relationship.

Once you’re cleaned and a bit more relaxed, you go about the house to start on some of the chores. Deciding on a simple, quick and easy dinner, you sit on the couch to eat by yourself.

It’s been hours since David’s left and you miss him. You just want him to come home, so you can tell him how much you miss and love him.

You look down at your phone. He read your “I’m sorry” text, but he hasn’t replied. You wonder if it’s because he’s busy or he just doesn’t want to talk to you.

Wanting to stay up and wait for him, you start on the dirty dishes and pots in the kitchen. Then the laundry. You can’t stay still. It bothers you too much and you have to stay awake. There’s nothing left to do around the house, so you plot back down on the couch and surf through the channels to try to find something to watch.

It’s around midnight when you hear his car pull into the driveway. You race to the window to look out and make sure it’s him. He looks tired as he approaches the house with his keys in hand. His shoulders are hunched from the weight of the day’s stress.

You stand by the window and watch as he drags himself inside. He closes the door and hangs up his jacket before kicking his boots off. His back is turned to you and he hasn’t seen you yet.

When he does, he gazes at you for a moment. He’s too tired to argue, but he loves the fact that you’re wearing his sweater.

“You hungry? I made dinner. I can make you a plate,” you say softly breaking the silence.

“Yeah, I could eat.”

It’s quiet between you both. It’s a moment of cease fire. The elephant is still in the room, but you know how his weighs heavily on him. Especially with the case he’s working on. You don’t know much about it. David likes to keep that away from you. All you know is what you heard on the news and that there are kids involved. Those types of cases hit too close to home for him.

You leave him to eat in peace and tell him that you’re heading up to bed.

Assuming he’ll sleep on the couch since he must be upset still, you head to the bathroom to have a final tinkle before bed and brush your teeth. You crawl into bed and hug your pillow as you stare at the wall, luminated only by the fluorescent orange light of the street lamps.

Tears prick your eyes. You hate this distance between you and him. It’s ridiculous, but you know it’s not the time for it.

You hear David’s footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hall. The door creaks as he walks into the bedroom.

He goes about his usual routine; set his ring and chain on top of the dresser along with his badge. Then he walks over to the nightstand to open the drawer there. He pulls his gun from it's holster and makes sure its' safety is on. He had set it before already, but it never hurt to double check.

Soon after setting the gun in the lockbox within the drawer, he quietly makes his way to the bathroom. He opens the squeaky faucet and water pours from the shower.

He doesn’t take long. It’s a quick shower to wash his hair and body. He’s too tired to do more than he has to.

You hear him come into the room to grab a pair of boxers from his drawers. He seems quiet and still. Though your back is turned to him, you feel his eyes on you.

He stands still, hands on the wooden dresser as he mentally contemplates what to do. He knows it wasn’t your fault. He knows it wasn’t you who kissed Jared. He saw you pull away and push him back. He knows you didn’t like it or expect it just as much as him.

His head drops and his eyes close. In truth, the time at work had kept him too busy to think about it much, but he did think about you. Part of him felt you were like a victim, caught up in the crime with no fault. The other part of him wondered what could have happened to influence Jared to kiss you.

With a heavy sigh, you sense his footsteps approaching the bed. You expect to feel the wool blanket at the foot of the bed slide off along with his pillow.

To your surprise, you feel the comforter lifts behind you allowing a cool breeze to creep onto your back. Your heart beats faster. The mattress dips with his heavy frame. And you feel an arm drape over your waist.

“You awake?” His voice is a whisper in the dark.

You reply with a nod. You don’t want him to see you’re crying, though you know it’s inevitable.

“Can we talk?”

You quickly wipe your eyes in an attempt to omit the evidence of your pain. Turning onto your other side, you’re face to face. His hand doesn’t leave your waist. You let him slide underneath your shirt to feel your warmth.

“I don’t wanna fight. I don’t wanna argue,” he starts.

“Neither do I, Dave.” Your voice is soft as you reach to tenderly hold his bicep. You want to pull him close and hold him forever, but that might be too much.

“Are you really happy being with me?”

Your heart breaks to think that he feels like you might not be happy with him. You open your mouth to answer him, desperate to chase away his fear, but he continues.

“I know I’m not the best partner. I know for sure I haven’t been in the past. In some relationships, I didn’t even try to be. But I’m trying, sweetheart. I’m trying real hard because I love you and I want to be with you. I don’t know if it’s enou-“

You can’t listen to him anymore.

“Listen to me, Dave. I love you. You are more than enough for me and you make me the happiest in the world. And that’s enough for me. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You sure about that?” he asks with pleading eyes.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Jared is just a dude I felt bad for at work. I was just trying to be a friend, that’s all. But he misread my intentions. That’s it, that’s all that happened. And I’m gonna distance myself from him because I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”

David feels relieved to hear your solution. He didn’t want risk sounding like a possessive jerk and ask you to not talk to Jared anymore, but he likes that you’re willing to make that change willingly for the sake of your relationship.

After all, he can’t be surprised someone else would want to have you. The minute he met you, he wanted you for himself as well. He’s just lucky he got to have his chance before anyone did.

He smiles tiredly at you and closes his eyes as he rests his forehead against yours.

“Think you can forgive me for being a dick earlier? I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

“I don’t know. You might just have to make it up to me” you tease with a playful smirk, getting a low chuckle out of him.

“Whatever you want. Just name it.”

#david loki #david loki imagine #david loki prisoners #detective david loki #david loki x reader #david loki x y/n #david loki x you #prisoners #jake gyllenhaal

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firstkanaphans · 7 months

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I heartily concur with your interpretation of the Ray/Mew no-sex scene - it absolutely wasn't about sex, it was about Ray pleading with Mew to just give him a sign that he's actually genuine about this 'relationship' - at this point I think Ray wants to be with Sand, but as long as there's a chance Mew is being sincere about this, Ray feels bound to stay with him, not because he's in love with him, but because a) he begged for this (even though I still maintain he wouldn't have had Mew not brought it up again) and b) I don't think he has it in him to actively reject Mew (which in itself is part of the reason they don't work), so imo in this scene he's thinking 'show me something, anything, that allows me to convince myself I did the right thing playing it safe/not going after Sand' and THAT'S why he's so angry - it's not about sex, it's not about Top, it's not even about Mew not being able to love him. And it's not about him just being mad at not getting what he wants. It's about Ray realising that he's thrown away the possibility of real love for the lie that is this 'romance'. And like you said, Mew as good as confirms as much in the final convo. I appreciated Mew's maturity and honesty so much in that scene - it made me do a complete u-turn on his character. Mew realises that Ray wants out of this non-relationship just as much as he does, but he also knows that Ray will never be able to be the one to say it because of the power imbalance between them, so he does it for the both of them, which is a true act of love and friendship. I think for some ppl Ray 'choosing' Sand had to be an A or B scenario, aka Ray could have Mew but chooses Sand instead. But because Ray is a messed up raw wound seeping trauma and addiction and self-loathing and confusion it was never going to be that simple. What we get is more complicated but just as valid - Sand isn't his second option, Sand is who he WANTS to be with, Sand is who he loves, and who he WOULD be with if a) he was better equipped to recognise and understand his own feelings ('when I'm with you I'm so damn happy') and b) he didn't have such a longstanding and complicated (and unhealthily co-dependent) history with Mew. He doesn't drive off hoping to hook up with Sand because Mew turned him down. He seeks Sand out because, if we agree the Ray/Mew fight is the moment they both accept on some level their relationship is fake, then that's the moment Ray allows himself the chance to go after what his heart really wants, which is Sand. Ray doesn't have the emotional toolkit necessary to be able to articulate all this to himself, let alone to anyone else, which is why Mew very gently does it for him. But Mew being the one to break this to Ray doesn't mean Ray's feelings are any less his own. I think of it more this way: Sand is Ray's first choice, but Ray's own happiness is Ray's last choice, because on some level he doesn't believe he deserves it, and so without intervention - from Mew, from Sand - Ray would always continue to self-sabotage (as talked about in the tweet Jojo reposted a few days ago). And slightly but not entirely off topic: I also think nuance is often lost in translation - I might be wrong but I wonder if his words ('why won't you let me have it') are less...yeesh in Thai. Just part of a general thought I've been thunking about deep analysis of foreign language shows when you're reading so much into everything and yet relying on what are often serviceable at best subtitles (for which I'm still eternally grateful!) - SO MUCH can be misinterpreted by just a single word choice, and I sometimes find myself having to choose between taking subs at face value vs retranslating them in my head to what I think better suits the acting/story/characterisation. Apologies for the indecent length of this - I got carried away! Long story short: I agree with you!

Honestly, I agree with all of this and couldn't have said it better myself. I don't have much to add, but I will pull out some of my favorite lines for a TL;DR:

"At this point I think Ray wants to be with Sand, but as long as there's a chance Mew is being sincere about [their relationship], Ray feels bound to stay with him, not because he's in love with him, but because a) he begged for this...and b) I don't think he has it in him to actively reject Mew."

"So imo in this scene he's thinking 'show me something, anything, that allows me to convince myself I did the right thing playing it safe/not going after Sand' and THAT'S why he's so angry - it's not about sex, it's not about Top, it's not even about Mew not being able to love him....It's about Ray realising that he's thrown away the possibility of real love for the lie that is this 'romance.'"

"I think of it more this way: Sand is Ray's first choice, but Ray's own happiness is Ray's last choice, because on some level he doesn't believe he deserves it, and so without intervention - from Mew, from Sand - Ray would always continue to self-sabotage."

As for the question of translation accuracy, I actually did a little digging into this. The line that was translated as "Why won't you let me have it?" was literally บอกกูมาได้ป่ะว่าทำไมมึงถึงไม่ยอมให้กูเอาสักทีอ่ะ (bòk goo maa dâai bpà wâa tam-mai meung tĕung mâi yom hâi goo ao sàk tee à), which can more accurately be translated as "Can you tell me why you won't let me have it?" I know that's not a huge difference, but it turns an accusatory statement into a legitimate question. Ray's not just stomping his foot because Mew won't give him sex. He's asking for an explanation. [Insert disclaimer about me not being a native Thai speaker here.]

#only friends the series #asks #my anons are so smart 🥹#the "sand is ray’s first choice but ray’s happiness is ray’s last choice’ line goes particularly hard

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sportswriters · 25 days

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sportswriters' nhl recommendations list

first of all, we love lists. second of all, we appreciate everyone who takes their time to put these works together, so we decided to do our own recommendation post. at last, these authors deserve all the love, we keep coming back to the space you created in this mess of a world. thank you, truly.

be aware of the individual warnings before reading. if the links are wrong or stopped working, please let us know.

love, namu and ella.

LAST UPDATE: 10/04/2024

guidelines | a: angst, f: fluff, s: smut, c: comedy, 💗: personal favorite

604 miles with luke hughes by @zegrasdrysdale | a, f | established relationship

canes red with jesperi kotkaniemi by @hoesforthecanes | s | established relationship

late night teasing with jack hughes by @alwayshughes | suggestive | established relationship

out with jack hughes by @babydollmarauders | f | secret established relationship

a guided hand with quinn hughes by @sweetestdesire | f, suggestive, aftercare | established relationship

gonna give it to you in capital letters with william nylander by @misshoneyimhome | a, f | secret established relationship

captain doesn't have to know with jeremy swayman by @skjeinon | s | friends to lovers

show you with mat barzal by @islesnucks | f | yearning, friends to lovers

the worst wing-woman with mat barzal by @youunravelme | a, f | co-workers to friends to lovers

yours with frederik andersen by @secretlittlerandezvous | a, f | established relationship

football recs list | list of players we write with | masterlist (soon!)

#nhl imagines #jeremy swayman imagines #carolina hurricanes imagines #andrei svechnikov imagines #jack drury imagines #brady skjei imagines #jesperi kotkaniemi imagines #nhl scenarios #nhl imagine #fic recs #fic recommendation #mat barzal imagines #william nylander imagines #jack hughes imagines #quinn hughe imagines #luke hughes imagines #nhl recs #nhl masterlist

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kazumist · 1 year

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SMALL SPOON OR BIG SPOON .ᐟ

✩ — are they a small spoon or a big spoon in your relationship?

✩ — includes: various x gn!reader. fluff. no cws. wc: 994. lmk if you want a version that includes more inazuma and sumeru characters! reblogs and feedback are very much appreciated :]

small spoons — !

xiao, scaramouche, and venti

xiao has been through a lot, he never really considered indulging himself in these types of things. he thought he didn’t deserve it, but he covered that up by stating that there should be a fine line between the mortal and the immortal. but when he felt you hug him, xiao was comforted. he slowly became desperate for the familiar feeling of warmth that he felt from you. the second you pulled away from the sudden hug you gave him, he was hesitant. he wanted to feel it again but is he allowed too? does it make you uncomfortable if he leans in for another hug? his thoughts were a mess. and you noticed it, you noticed his hesitancy and gave him another hug—a longer one at that. he didn’t know why but xiao felt safe after years of despair.

venti is cheeky, mischievous even. you never know where he gets the endless amount of energy he has on a daily basis—a smile here, a smile there, he smiles all the time. which made you wonder: has or does the ever so popular bard of mondstadt have times where he breaks? well, you didn’t know if you actually have an answer to that so we might as well never know. even though you never expected to find out the reason for that soon. everyone gets tired in the end—including venti. give him a comforting hug during those times and the pace of the wind will surely be better.

scaramouche seemed like a big spoon at first but in truth he's the one who loves to be cuddled. not many individuals favor scaramouche, most dislike him due to his attitude —but for some reason, you didn't. you never cared about others opinions. despite working in the fatui, scaramouche had always thought that you were too… bright for the job. under the ruling of the beloved tsaritsa, the fatui is dark and cold. yet you're bright and warm, the differences are too big to ignore. but it doesn't matter—even though scaramouche is disliked by his co-workers in the fatui, he knows that you're someone who'll believe that there's honestly more to him as an individual.

big spoons — !

zhongli, kaeya, and dainsleif

zhongli likes to hug you especially when you're tired (and it comes with a free back massage so who’s gonna back down on that?). he tries his best to make you happy—to enjoy yourself with him. he adapted to many eras of humanity so there’s still some parts he’s kinda rusty in. who knows how long has it been ever since he had a lover, did he even had a lover back then though? it doesn’t really matter. zhongli likes being the big spoon in your relationship and that’s that.

for some random reason, kaeya really likes to drown you in hugs. no matter where you are, you get all sorts of hugs. sidehugs if you’re walking in public, back hugs if you’re in your own quarters and many more. you never really thought of why kaeya likes hugs so much. maybe it’s because it feels nice? not that you minded though, kaeya’s hugs are fun to drown in.

dainsleif isn’t that used to hugs (or cuddling in any sense) so he was rather stiff about it at first. but once dainsleif got used to it, he prefers to be the one who’s hugging you from behind with his arms wrapped around your waist. he feels consoled by it, who knows what runs on his mind at all times every day? everything and everyone has their boundaries that they cannot seem to reach—some try to reach past it with some being successful while some would fail. it’s just how life is, an endless cycle. but in that cycle, dainsleif doesn’t mind for your precious moment to repeat.

in-between — !

diluc, childe, albedo and kazuha

similar to dainsleif, diluc was also a bit stiff at first. but whenever diluc is exhausted, he tends to be the small spoon for you but there’s times when he’s also the big spoon. it’s either to be held or to hold for him, and you couldn’t really guess if he wants to be the one who’s cuddled up. that’s okay though—as long as diluc is comfortable, you don’t necessarily mind.

childe is too in-between because he cuddles his siblings if they ask him and he likes to get cuddled by you. it reminds him of the nostalgic feeling of warmth of being held by someone. he wants to feel the exact same warmth once again to the point he’s drunk from it but that doesn’t mean he’s completely a small spoon—he likes being the big spoon at times too. it’s a mix, really. once you see that small pout on his lips, it’s best to assume he wants to be the small spoon. but when he greets you arms wide open, prepare to be the small spoon instead.

albedo is sometimes complicated to understand. you never know if he wants to be cuddled or what—but in the end you cuddle him anyways. he deserves it, after spending hours of working on lab results, experiments and other studies? who wouldn’t get exhausted by all of it. however, albedo isn’t always the small spoon. even though he’s so tired from all the work he’s done, there are times he prefers to hold you instead of being held.

kazuha is usually the big spoon whenever the two of you are together. but if he just recently returned after months of sailing? small spoon all the way! he wants to regain his energy by being with you so cuddling is his best option. because he’ll be able to rest and spend time with you—nothing too complex to understand, no? whenever kazuha is the big spoon though, he won’t let go of you easily if you try to get up. you’re practically stuck but that’s okay.

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moremaybank · 9 months

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THIS LOVE — j.m

pairing actor!jj maybank x actress!reader

chapter summary jj faces the possibility of his scandal going public. then, he ends up reconnecting with you after five years. what happens when the two of you end up as costars for your upcoming romantic comedy?

warnings mentions of a sex tape, mentions of domestic abuse (jj and luke), language, violence, sexual content/eventual smut, anxiety. ex best friends to lovers, fake dating. this will be updated as the story develops. [2.2k]

author's note just a little post of the first chapter to build the hype! hope you enjoy and decide to continue reading ♡︎ also special s/o to @mvybanks and @jjsbank444 for beta reading and quelling my nerves <3

recommended listening second chances by kiana ledé ft. 6lack

this love — the complete playlist ;; the masterlist ;; the tag list

❝ CHAPTER ONE ❞

Threesomes are fun. Foursomes, however, are a blast.

At least, JJ Maybank seems to think so.

“You have three different women threatening to release your sex tape. It’s not a good look for you, JJ.”

Well, he does when they don’t include a secretly-filmed sex tape and three fame-thirsty girls trying to ruin his career for a quick cash grab.

“It’s not like they’re three separate tapes. We were all together when it was made,” JJ smirks.

Josh, his manager, lets out an exasperated sigh. “That doesn’t make things any better, and it does nothing to help our circumstances. You need to clean up your act and you need to start doing it now, Maybank, or you’re going to lose everything.”

JJ rolls his eyes for what feels like the millionth time in the fifteen minutes that this meeting has been going on. It’s bullshit, really. He’s one of the hottest actors in Hollywood right now. He’s youthful, dashingly handsome, and loaded. The world is his freakin’ oyster, and he deserves to have some fun.

“You’re supposed to keep up your whole approachable, goofy, boy-next-door image intact, and having a ménage à…quatre, is not the way to do it.” my publicist, Andrea, chimes in. “If you aren’t careful, you’re going to lose your entire fanbase. You’re one of the most universally-liked celebrities in the business, right now. If this gets out, you’re going to have to kiss your crystal clear reputation goodbye.”

“So, let’s just pay ‘em the hush money. What do I care?” JJ says, taking his cap off and running a hand through his unruly strands.

“And you’re fine with forking over ten million dollars? Just like that?” Andrea scowls. “What if they take the money and still decide to release the tape? Or demand more?”

“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, Andrea. Now, are we done here? I’m supposed to meet my co-star for my new movie in an hour and I’d really like to get in another — how did you put it? Ah, yes. Ménage á quatre — before I go.”

Josh runs a hand over his face, “Do you care about anything anymore?”

JJ ignores his statement, putting his hat back on and sitting up in his chair. “Can I leave?”

He can tell that Josh wants to scold him or make some witty remark in return, but he bites his tongue.

“Go. And, please, for the love of all things holy, do not screw this up.”

If JJ had a penny for every time he’s heard that, he’d be richer than Jeff fucking Bezos.

Y/N

“And last but not least, this is your dressing room. You’ll have your own trailer, but this is more for when we’re actually on set and in between takes.”

You grin as you look around the luxurious room. There’s a huge vanity in front of you, as well as some plush couches, and you don’t fail to notice the large mini-fridge in the corner of the room or the flat-screen TV plastered onto the wall. There’s a window as well, letting in the California sunshine you’ve come to love and appreciate beyond your beliefs.

“Wow, this is…amazing. I can’t thank you guys enough for this opportunity. I’m so grateful, I hope you know that.”

“Don’t be silly, Y/N. You’re the very reason we wanted to do this project in the first place. If anything, we’re the lucky ones,” Derek, the director states with a grin. “So, you ready to meet your co-star, or what?”

“Yeah! I mean, I’m nervous, but, beyond excited.”

Derek leads you back into the hallway, and you make your way to one of the offices.

“I think you’ll love him. Word is, he comes from the Outer Banks just like you. Who knows, you’ve probably met him in passing.”

Wait…what? He’s from OBX? No. No way. He couldn’t possibly mean—

“Y/N Y/L/N, meet the esteemed JJ Maybank,” Derek states, his proud smile growing sizeably larger than you thought possible.

It doesn’t matter how excited he is, though. All you can focus on is your heart beating out of your chest and the ringing in your ears. You see Derek’s lips moving but you can’t hear a thing. Your eyes are caught on the blonde in front of you, and all you can think about is how painful it is to look into those oceanic eyes after five years.

It’s equally as painful as it was the last time you saw him. If not, more.

“Uh— Y/N, I…it’s— it’s been a while,” JJ stutters out.

It’s all too much. Seeing him here, in front of you. His eyes locked on yours, his hand reaching out to touch you but retracting once he notices the fear in your gaze. Your eyes flit over to Derek, whose face has a more than confused look painted over his features.

“Excuse me, Derek, I— I need to get out of here.”

You speed into the restroom, locking the door behind you and setting your hands on the counter. Your chest tightens, and your breathing speeds up. She shudders, trying to shake it out as the room starts to feel like it’s closing in on you.

“You’re okay. You’re okay. You can do this. Don’t let him get to you,” you say, staring at yourself in the mirror. “It’s just…it’s just JJ.”

You feel the tears start to well in your eyes and you watch as they overtake their boundaries and roll down your flushed cheeks. You’re quick to wipe them away, though, refusing to admit defeat.

“Stop,” you tell yourself. “It’s been five years. You’re better than this.”

You aren’t sure if the words are true to your heart, because all you can think about is how the boy you loved from the ages seven to eighteen — the one who betrayed you and shattered you into a million pieces — is now your co-star for the romantic comedy you’ve just been cast in.

What could possibly go wrong?

A lot, you think. A lot could go wrong.

JJ watches as you make your way back into Derek’s office, shooting him a convincing smile.

“My apologies, Derek. Girl troubles,” you say.

JJ still knows you well enough to see that you’re hoping Derek will believe your bullshit excuse.

“Oh, uh, no worries at all, Y/N. I completely understand. I’ve got three daughters at home,” he speaks, trying to assure you that everything is fine. He places this hand on JJ’s shoulder, squeezing slightly. “JJ, here, was just telling me how the two of you have known each other since you were in elementary school. It must be quite the hell of a reunion, huh?”

You plaster a fake grin onto your lips, “One hell of a reunion, indeed.”

JJ refuses to look at you, his ex-best friend, and vice-versa. Truthfully, he’s terrified to catch your eye again. He’s not sure if he’ll be able to form a coherent sentence if he does.

“Well, I’ve got some stuff to take care of, so I’ll leave you two to catch up.”

Derek exits his office, and you and JJ are left in complete and utter silence.

God, JJ missed you so much. He’d seen you making headlines just as you always said you would, but he was always quick to click away, deciding not to dwell on everything he’d lost. But this, now, seeing you right in front of him as gorgeous as ever…it made the walls he’d worked so hard to put up begin to crack.

Then again, you’d always had that effect on him.

Even after all these years, he was still a complete wreck over you. You held his heart in the palm of your hand and he wasn’t even sure if you knew it.

Your scent was still etched into his mind, still buzzing deep within his senses and his memory. You smelled of the saltwater beaches of the Outer Banks. The notes of coconut from the shampoo he’d recognized still lingering in the tresses of your hair. The sweet hints of vanilla that clutched to your skin are prominent as ever. The combination sounds like a lot, and it was, but not in the overpowering way one would assume. They blended into one heavenly and unique fragrance.

She smelled like her, he thought. She smelled like home.

To be honest, JJ wasn’t sure whether or not this was a reminder he wanted to welcome with open arms, but either way, here it was. Here you were. After the way he’d hurt you and destroyed your relationship forever.

After he lost himself.

Funnily enough, you’d always had a way of popping up whenever he needed and longed for you. He never even had to speak a single word. You just always knew. And you might not have guessed it now, but he needed you more than he ever had before.

JJ scratches his brow with his index finger. “So, um…how have you been?”

“Don’t. Just…don’t.”

“Y/N, please,” he pleads. He almost wants to get down on his knees and beg. You can’t even look at him, and that hurts more than he could ever put into words.

“No. I don’t wanna hear it. I’m fine with being professional while we film this movie, but I’m not getting into this with you. I’m not getting into any of it.”

JJ remains silent, choosing to nod because he’s not totally sure he can find his voice.

As much as he hated to let the thought in, you were a walking reminder of every bad decision he’d made since he left the island and never looked back. He looked at you, and he saw two things. The first being the crinkling of your bright eyes when you smiled. The melodic laugh he could pull from your lips at a moment’s notice. Your hair blowing in the wind as you stuck your head out the window of John B’s Twinkie. And the second being the look of despise and pain on your face as you confronted him. The mascara-stained tears flowing down your heated cheeks. The way you walked away from him and deliberately chose not to look back and steal a second glance at him.

How was he expected to act all suave and cool when you were right there in front of him, actively choosing not to even look in his direction?

Truth is, he doesn’t think he can.

JJ glances at his phone once he leaves the production office still shaken by the day’s events.

2 Missed FaceTime Calls from John B

JJ swipes to the right and watches as his phone rings, awaiting his best friend’s answer while he plops down on the steps in front of the building. The line rings for a few moments before he hears shuffling through the speaker, followed by John B’s face appearing on his screen.

“Hey, man. how was your meeting? Your new costar as hot as we imagined?”

JJ tears his eyes away from the camera, his lip sinking between his teeth. His complexion pales, and John B picks up on it.

“Jeez. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Because I have,” JJ deadpans. He’s still reeling from your presence, and it shows.

“Huh?”

“It’s Y/N…my costar is Y/N.”

“Ooh, yikes,” John B responds. “Did she nut-punch you?”

“It’s not funny.”

JJ tugs his cap off as he always does when he’s stressed, and his fingers card through his hair. He tugs lightly at the strands as he tries to alleviate the tension building up in his head.

“She couldn’t even look at me, John B. Her eyes were on me for all of five seconds before she made an excuse to go to the bathroom. Then, when she came back, she looked at everything but me. She barely even let me speak to her.”

“Well, to be fair, you guys didn’t exactly leave things on the best of terms.”

“Yeah, JB. I know. Thanks for the reminder, as if I didn’t fucking know that already.”

“All right, look. Did you fuck up majorly? Yeah. But the love the two of you had…it ran deep. It doesn’t just disappear without a trace, especially if things are this heated after five years. I think you can get her to forgive you.”

JJ scoffs, “Yeah? And how do you suppose I do that?”

John B gives him a knowing look through the screen.

“You have to tell her the truth, JJ.”

“Funny.”

“J,” John B mildly scolds. “The reason she hates you right now is because you weren’t honest with her. The JJ she knew before that night never would’ve treated her the way you did. Buck up. Tell her.”

The call disconnects, and JJ is left staring at his screen with a tense jaw. He knew John B was right. He was always right. But how on earth was he expected to muster up the courage and tell you the truth about that night? He doubted — no. He knew it’d be impossible to convince you to hear him out.

Then again, he also knew he had to try. Because he couldn’t stand to be around you nearly every single day for the next few months, knowing that you wouldn’t spit on him if he was on fire.

jj tag list: @pankowperfection @oncasette @taintedxkisses @maybankslover @goldenroutledge @penny4yourthoughts @bmo-bri @hemogloban @princessbetsy123-blog @slytherhoes @maybank-archives @whoisdrewstarkey @aliyahsomerhalder @dreamingwithrafe @vigilanteshitposting @poppet05 @adoreyouusugar @f4ll-for-you @slytheringirlthatkillpeople @tell-me-when-ur-ready @bbycowboi @jjmaybankisbae @enhypens-hoe @pankhoeforlife @cecesrings @wildflwrdarlin @loverofdrewstarkey @earth2starkey @angelofcigs @topper-thornton @em0-b0ysworld @koalalafications @aerangi @cantstoptherecs @bloody-mf-bsc @maybanksbabe @sarah5462 @slut4drudy @lvvrgrl @dancinglikeaballerina @somerandos-world @shahanaazsoumah @peachpitlover @pinkpantheris @julesmendoza890 @emmalandry @blueicequeen19 @madelynie

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winterrrnight · 10 months

Note

could i request something with a fem reader that’s of another cast from a different show of your choice, & she meets drew through madelyn. maybe they hit it off on their first meet and start texting one another almost every night. basically a mutual pine and by the end they admit their feelings. make it real fluffy!!

love your writing btw 🖤

thank you for the request anon!! The idea sparked a huge inspiration in me and I loved writing this! I definitely got carried away while writing so this is longer than most of my stuff. I added a small twist of my own and made the reader gender neutral :)

love affair

PAIRING: drew starkey x actor!gn!reader

SUMMARY: the reader and madelyn cline are co stars on glass onion. on being invited to madelyn's birthday party, the reader meets a certain someone.

WARNINGS: small mentions of anxiety, alcohol consumption, getting sick

EDITH SPEAKS: my first request! this is LONG, and this is GOOD and I LOVE how it came out!! I hope you like it too! I wasn't able to come up with a title so I decided to go with a song based title, love affair is such a good song i definitely recommend listening to it :)

Please like and/or reblog if you enjoy it 💌 feedback is always appreciated!

navigation || join my taglist || requests

It's your co star Madelyn's birthday today, and she is throwing a massive party. She's invited her friends from all the shows or movies she's been casted in before, and it's safe to say you're excited yet nervous at the same time.

You haven't been in the film industry for as long as Madelyn, you did a few minor roles here and there before you landed your major role in Glass Onion alongside Madelyn. That's where you met her for the first time, and you both hit it off really well. Glass Onion is your first project which got you a lot of exposure, so before Glass Onion you hadn't been to many parties thrown by big celebrities. This is the first one you're going to, and you're determined to make it one of the best nights of your life.

You quickly get ready, wearing an outfit which looks absolutely gorgeous on you and gives you loads of self confidence. You prepare yourself to socialise with many new people and to try to make new friends. There are going to be so many other people in the film industry; who knows, you may land a deal in another blockbuster project.

Your cab pulls outside of your house and you get inside it. You direct the driver to Madelyn's house and he takes you there in under 20 minutes. Before you can even reach the party, you can hear the music a distance away from her house, which tends to overpower your nervousness over your excitement.

The cab driver drops you outside her house. You walk up to the closed door and take in a deep breathe before ringing the bell. You can hear the chattering of the people inside. The door opens and you see Madelyn on the other side. You grin widely upon her presence.

"Happy birthday beautiful!" You say ecstatically, hugging her and kissing both her cheeks.

"Thank you darling!" She says laughing. She beckons you to come inside. You walk in to see the biggest crowd of people you've seen together in a house.

You turn to Madelyn and hand her her gift. "Oh my god you didn't have to bring me one!" She says, taking it from you and hugging you again.

"Nonsense! It's your birthday, you definitely deserve to get one."

"Thank you so much. Come on, let's get you some drinks and I'll introduce you to some people." You follow her lead to the kitchen, where she gives you a drink. You thank her and take the cup from her.

"Hey Madison!" She yells out. Madison turns around and sees the both of you. She comes up to you rushing.

"Oh my god hi!" She says, smiling widely as you hug her. "It's so nice to finally meet you!"

"You too!" You say, smiling just as widely as her.

"You were so good in Glass Onion, like, come on. That's some Emmy level acting right there." You feel your cheeks slightly warm up at her compliments.

"Thank you girl, but let's talk about Kiara! She's amazing and you're so talented!"

"Oh stop it," Madison says, laughing. You take a sip of your drink as you make some more small talk with her.

"Look there's everyone else," Madelyn says suddenly, looking across the room. You see she's looking at the group of the cast of Outer Banks. You recognise all of them. Madelyn takes you by your hand and you three make your way to the bigger group.

"Hey guys!" says Madelyn, and everyone replies with a varied version of 'hello'. Madelyn introduces you to everyone, and you hug all of them one by one and make small talk with them.

You and Madelyn now walk to the only person in the group who you haven't met yet: Drew Starkey. You may or may not have found him attractive in the show.

"Hi Drew, it's so nice to meet you!" You smile, and give him a hug.

"You too! I finally got around watching Glass Onion some time ago and you were out of this world," Drew compliments. You feel flattered from all the compliments you've been receiving today.

"Oh my god, thank you! But you as Rafe is just something else. I really cannot imagine anyone else playing him. You embodied his character so well."

"Thank you so much," he smiles. You feel your heart flutter at the small motion. You both join the group, and watch everyone talk and laugh among themselves. You look on your side at Drew, and take in how pretty he looks in the suit he's wearing. You notice the earring dangling from his ear and the rings he's wearing. You feel yourself almost swooning.

Drew whips his head in your direction but before you both can make an eye contact you turn your head away. You feel your cheeks heat up when you hear him chuckle. He totally caught you staring. You down the entire drink in your cup.

"Do you need some more?" Drew asks you. "I've run out of mine too."

"Oh... yeah sure." You both excuse yourself from the group and walk to the kitchen. Drew fills both your cups and you thank him for it. You start to feel your head slightly throbbing from the loud music playing from the speakers which are right next to you and Drew.

"Hey uh Drew?" You call him out. He hums in response. "Would you like to go out in the garden?"

"Are you okay?" He asks, slightly worried.

"Yes, yes I'm fine, it's just, the music is too loud and I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed by the number of people here," you say honestly.

"Yes of course," he says. "You'll feel better if you get some fresh air." You both leave the house and go to the garden. There is a small fountain set up in the centre of the massive garden, so you and Drew sit next to each other on the edge of the fountain.

"Thank you for coming out with me," You say, feeling grateful there's someone with you to help you feel more relaxed.

"You don't have to thank me sweets, it's all fine. I'm guessing big crowds aren't your thing?"

"No, they really aren't. I haven't been around in the industry to be used to such a huge amount of people in one room. It does make me anxious."

"Don't worry about it," Drew says softly. "It takes time to get used to it all, the big crowds of people, the paparazzi on the streets, the overwhelming number of events to attend. Your mind will slowly start to feel relaxed as you spend more time in this industry. Becoming famous comes at a price." He laughs.

"Oh it definitely does," you giggle with him. You both sit in silence, the sound of the music muffled. You have already starting to feel more relaxed, and you think it's because of Drew's presence next to you.

You like this feeling.

↶ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊˎ-

"Okay now I have to try this casserole, you've mentioned it atleast five times already." You laugh. Your and Drew's position has changed from the edge of the fountain to the grass on the ground. You both sit in the grass, your legs crossed as you play 20 questions.

"What can I do, it's just that good," He says proudly. To every food related question you asked him, Drew managed to give "my famous chicken casserole" as the answer.

What you both have not realised is that it's been over two hours since you both have been sitting out here and chatting. The party had started to die down in the last half hour. So many people had left, and the music was now playing at a low volume. You feel your phone vibrate, so you pull it out to see Madelyn calling you.

"Hello?" You say.

"Where are you? Did you leave?" You hear Madelyn on the other end. She sounds frantic.

"Oh no I'm outside with Drew, we're in the garden," You reply. There is a silence on the other end of the phone. In a few seconds you are met with the constant beeping, signalling Madelyn ended the call.

You hear the door open and watch Madelyn walk out to you both. "Way to go guys, you could've atleast told me you're here! I was worried when I couldn't find you inside. You aren't the kind of people who leave without saying goodbye so I knew you hadn't left for your homes, which made me a lot more nervous when I couldn't find you inside." She rambles, and then starts to breathe heavily after she finishes.

"We're so sorry Madelyn," you say, getting up from the ground. "Me and Drew got so lost in conversation that we didn't even realise where the time passed."

"Yeah, it's also getting late now, so I think we both will just leave now," adds Drew, as he stands from the ground too. You nod along his words.

"Unless you need any help inside?" You ask.

"Oh no, don't worry about that." Madelyn is quick to connect two and two together. She sees the spark between you two, and starts to feel all giddy upon the possibility of you both getting closer. "I hope you had a fun time." She smiles at you both.

You turn to look at Drew who looks at you back, both of you just softly staring into each other's eyes.

Oh you definitely had fun.

And so did he.

"We did," you say, turning back to look at Madelyn. "We'll just leave now. I'll book a cab."

"Oh no, I'll drop you," Drew pipes in.

"No it's okay, it'll be such a hassle for you. It'll only take me a few seconds to book one."

"No no, I insist. It can be unsafe to be alone with an unknown cab driver this late at night."

"He's right, he can drop you. It's best you don't go home alone." Madelyn adds.

You look at the both of them, and give in. "Okay, thank you Drew."

You both exchange your last goodbyes with Madelyn and wish her a happy birthday again before you leave her house together. Drew's car isn't parked that far from her house. You reach the passenger door but before you can open it for yourself, Drew opens it for you.

"Oh, why thank you kind sir," you say in a posh accent as you sit down. He just giggles at your reply and walks around the car to sit in the driver's seat. He starts the car and begins to drive.

You connect your phone to his Bluetooth speakers to put on some music. After searching around your playlist for a few seconds, you find your favorite song.

"Oh my god I love this one!" Drew says, bobbing his head to the beat.

"You do?" You say happily.

"Yes! Their recent album is just simply a work of art."

"Right! It's my all time favorite album! It's everything." On the drive to your house, you and Drew vibe to music and surprisingly, you both have a lot of common music taste.

Drew drives up to your house, but he just doesn't want you to leave. Not yet. This is too soon. He wants to spend more time with you, get to know you better.

But it's getting late at night. And as much as you don't want to leave either, you know you have to go.

"Drew, could we exchange numbers?" You ask, shyly. He just nods his head with a smile and gives you his phone. You put in your number and ask him to text you so you can get his.

"Thank you for the drive Drew," you say softly. You stare into his eyes yet again. There is so much you have to explore, so much more you need to know about him. He's lived a different life before you came in it, and you want to know about it all. You want to know every single thread that's been woven together to create this beautiful man in front of you.

"You're welcome," his voice just as soft as yours. You want him to stop you. You want him to tell you that he doesn't want you to leave. You want to stay with him and talk some more.

But he doesn't say anything.

You give him another smile and step out of the car and walk to your house.

Drew is controlling himself from calling your name out. Why are you getting distant from him by each passing second? Why aren't you staying? He doesn't want you to leave.

↶ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊˎ-

You freshen up in your washroom and change in some comfortable clothes before lying in your bed. You hear your phone vibrate so you pick it up to see it's a text from an unknown number.

unknown number: hey it's Drew :)

You smile at the text. You quickly save his number and shoot him a text back.

you: hey :)

drew: oh you haven't slept yet?

you: nope, not sure if I'll be able to fall asleep tho, my insomnia keeps on kicking in

drew: ugh same, insomnia gets the best of me

And you both kick it off again. It's almost 3 am at night, but you're up texting Drew. You feel like you are 13 years old, and you are getting to text your first ever crush. The nerves, the skipping of your heartbeat each time Drew uses a heart in his texts all make you feel like a little teenager again.

And you love it.

↶ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊˎ-

It's been almost three weeks since you met Drew, and all you have to say about this is that your life has changed for the better. He's there for you every single moment you need him; when you need someone to celebrate your small successes with, when you need a shoulder to rest your head on when you're sad, when you need someone to just listen about what's been bothering you.

In return, you love to be by Drew's side as much as you can. You try your best to reciprocate every little thing he does for you.

But one of the biggest things Drew has done for you is get in contact with one of the directors he has worked in the past, who now has casted you in his upcoming movie. The script impressed you a lot, and you're super excited to start working on it. And you just don't know how you can thank Drew for it.

"Sweets it's the fifth time today you've thanked me for it and it's only 9 am! I swear, I've done nothing, all I did was just call him up." He smiles at you, as he hands you a plate of the pancakes he made.

"But now I'm getting to act in this big movie Drew! You really don't know how grateful I am for that," you say, digging into the pancakes.

You were over at Drew's home last night to watch some Netflix together. You ended up falling asleep in between the show, so Drew carried you to his room carefully. When you woke up this morning, it took you a few seconds to realise where you are.

"I have to do something for you in return, otherwise I'll just feel guilty." You tell him.

"What? There is nothing to feel guilty about. No more talks about this okay? You and me, we're close friends, we do things for each other without expecting a thank you in return."

Friends. He didn't intend to say that, but what else can he do? He doesn't want to risk what you both have created so lovingly by admitting his feelings for you. What if you don't like him back?

Friends. Why do you feel a pang in your chest upon hearing this word? But, that's what you are right? You haven't told him how you feel about him, so that makes you friends, right?

An awkward silence falls over you two which only involves the sound of the forks and knives scratching against the plate and of you both chewing. Once you're done eating, Drew takes your plates and puts them in the dishwasher. Meanwhile you gather all your stuff and get ready to leave. You say nothing except a simple goodbye and leave his home.

↶ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊˎ-

You're sitting in your room with your script in your hand as you read it and try to memorise your lines along with it. The sound of your phone ringing makes you lift your head up from your script. You see it's Drew calling you. You get slightly worried because he doesn't call you very often, you both usually prefer texting but when he does call you, it's something urgent.

"Hello?" You say after accepting the call.

"Uh... are you free?" You hear Drew's voice on the other end. Except, he doesn't sound the same. He sounds sick.

"Oh my god Drew are you okay?" You ask worriedly, getting up from your bed and finding your shoes and other things you'll need if you have to leave the house.

"Just a little sick," he then coughs, which definitely doesn't indicate to a 'little sickness'.

"I'm coming okay? Just give me a few minutes." You cut the call and quickly pop on your shoes, pick up all your stuff and leave your house.

You reach his place really quickly and rush inside. You realise you didn't ring the bell but then you remembered he's alone and sick so it's best to not disturb him from his bed.

You enter his room to see the lights switched off, the curtains drawn, and Drew's body lying under the covers. You walk up to him and carefully lift the duvet from his head. You softly gasp at how pale he looks. There are loads of scrunched up tissues lying around on his bed.

"Hey," he says, his voice hoarse as he tries to smile at you.

"Drew, bub," you say nothing else. You feel so bad for him, he must be feeling so sick. He notices your frown and lifts one of his hands up to your hand.

"Hey I'll be fine, now that you're here to take care of me," you softly chuckle at his words, as you caress the back of his palm. You lean in to press your forehead against his to see if he has a temperature. At that moment, Drew feels his cheeks heat up, and not only because of the high temperature he has.

When you feel his forehead scorching hot against yours, you quickly rush to his medicine cabinet and find the pills you need. You then get a glass of water for him. You carefully wrap your arms around his body and help him sit up in his bed. You hand him the water and a pill.

He takes the pill and you tell him you're going to make some vegetable soup for him. You go to his kitchen, find all the ingredients you need in his fridge and start to whip up the soup. You work quicker than usual, because you know you need to get this to him as quick as you can. When the soup is simmering away on the stove, you go back to his room. He's still sitting in the same position, his head leaned back against the headboard and his eyes closed.

You drag one of the chairs in Drew's room closer to him and sit down. He opens his eyes and looks at you.

"I'm so sorry for bothering you, I really didn't know who to call." He says.

"You don't have to apologise, I'm here for you always," you say softly, taking his hand in yours again and rubbing his skin just as you did before. He seems a lot more relaxed upon this gesture from you.

"You are sweets, you are always there for me. You're there for me when I need someone to talk to, you're there for me when I need someone to tell my dad jokes to."

"And you are always there for me Drew," you add. "You're there for me when I need someone to listen to my crazy theories about the movies I watch."

Drew gives you a soft smile, and you both look into each other's eyes just the way you always do, and you find yourself getting lost in them again. It's like you've found a home in those striking blue eyes.

"Sweets?" He calls you out. Your heart flutters each time he calls you that. "Can I tell you something?" Maybe it's the high temperature that he has that's making him do this, or maybe he's just tired of being just friends with you. Whatever it is, he is ready to tell it to you.

"Yes?" Your heart starting to beat faster. You have a small hunch of what he might say, but you don't want to get your hopes up just to get hurt.

"I think... I think I've fallen for you." He whispers. You look at him with your eyes wide, his hand still in yours.

You can't believe your ears. He said what you had the slightest hunch he'd say. But you didn't think you would have guessed right.

The person you fell for because he told you he will always be there for you no matter what has also fallen for you.

On the other end, Drew looks at you and tries his best to read your expression. Are you going to tell him the same, or are you about to reject him? He can't tell what's going on in your mind. He breathes deeply as he watches you look at him with wide eyes.

"I'd never thought I'd hear this but Drew, I fell for you too, so fast, so hard." You whisper back. He lets out a sigh of relief.

The person he fell for because they told him taking care of him is one of their topmost priorities has fallen for him.

You lean in and press a soft kiss on his forehead and another one on his cheek. "I'll give you a real one when you get well." You say, smiling so widely.

That night, you stay over at his place. You sleep next to Drew, his head resting on your chest as you rake your fingers softly through his hair and occasionally press a kiss to his forehead, his cheek, his temple, his chin, his nose.

He's yours, and you're his.

The world has finally fallen in place.

↶ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊˎ-

TAGLIST: @runningfrom2am @ragingsammie

#drew starkey #drew starkey fic #drew starkey fanfiction #drew starkey fluff #drew starkey imagine #drew starkey oneshot #drew starkey x reader #drew starkey one shot #fluff #outer banks #madelyn cline #glass onion #madison bailey #rafe cameron #sarah cameron #kiara carrera #written by edith! 🪄#edith answers! 🪄

310 notes · View notes

sarahreesbrennan · 3 months

Note

sorry if you have already answered this, but are we getting any queer rep in Long Live Evil? 💕 i am super excited to see what you've cooked up for us either way!

I came back after I'd gone off on one, seeing the post had struck a chord and being thankful but fearful of my inbox. Let me say with delighted surprise that all the asks are very kind.

Thank you for this one, sweet anon. I am so excited and so nervous about my best beloved, Long Live Evil, and about coming back with a new book of my own after so long, when I believed for a long time it was hopeless.

I'm really grateful to find readers waiting for me. But I know readers are naturally more invested in characters they know: I extremely appreciate you taking an interest in the future.

So, short answer: YEAH you are!

Long answer: Long Live Evil wouldn't exist without its queer narratives.

C.S. Pacat and I were talking in our virtual Brookline Booksmith event recently about our favourite Disney villains. C.S. Pacat picked Maleficent, a fine choice. I picked Snow White's Evil Queen. We agreed we loved most of them.

Here's the relevant excerpt I was quoting in my last post from Carmen Maria Machado's In The Dream House, saying 'I think a lot about queer villains, the problem and pleasure and audacity of them.' Well... me too.

I think many of us have experienced feeling made wrong in some way - for not wanting what society said we should or being what we were expected to be - and that one step along that journey of discovery is going 'Okay, if it's wicked, I'll just BE wicked.' And that's part of why those characters appeal - because they seem free, and free of pain.

But modern storytelling isn't confined to coding, and audiences can now feel free to expect, not the certainty, but the possibility characters who aren't introduced as such still might actually turn out to be LGBT+. The essays I've read about Supernatural, Teen Wolf, Sherlock, Ted Lasso, Fox 9-1-1... I think the latest argued Jaime Lannister was bisexual. (Pretty persuasive.)

I remember reading the Raven Cycle going 'oh? OH.' I remember being at a writing retreat in 2013 and running through the halls screaming about Nico diAngelo. Ten years later we got a Nico diAngelo book co-written by Rick Riordan and the amazing Mark Oshiro. I watched Red, White and Royal Blue with a friend and she said 'honestly I hope the guys get together, but...' and I (having read the book) silenced myself with a herculean effort and watched her hopes come true. I didn't know about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and almost dropped the book in a swimming pool. But I've also read and watched many things thinking, just maybe... oh, no. Still that hope existing is meaningful, the thought that if the story had gone differently, if this revelation had happened, if this realisation had happened, if, if, if...

Long Live Evil is a story about the story going differently and asking yourself questions about your own nature, and the escape to fiction of those who really need escape. The book is based on that 'if,' and the 'if' itself is joyous, and brings me back to the idea of gleefully transgressing the narrative that much villain love is based on.

It's also an ensemble story with a rogue's gallery of characters and multiple PoVs. (I was much inspired by the Six of Crows ensemble.) So it isn't about any one character's romance, and by the book's nature there exist many possibilities. A critique partner read and said 'I didn't know you were going THERE' and I responded 'Should I?'

I've never been one to confirm where stories are going, and I won't do so now. I'm not talking about any one character or telling you a direction.

I'm just saying yes to rep. It's baked in.

#long live evil #supernatural #teen wolf #fox 911 #lgbt reads #six of crows #evil queen #maleficent #red white and royal blue #the raven cycle #in the dream house #cs pacat #percy jackson

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miguellover07 · 9 months

Text

Poor Baby (Miguel fluff)

While you visit your husband at work, a co-worker of his burst in with his baby. Miguel introduced you to him and you found out that he is the famous Peter Parker who often annoys your husband at work.

Right now he is shoving his baby in Miguel's arms while showing him all kinds of pictures of mayday, your husband is visibly annoyed so you decide to step in for him.

"Peter? Could you maybe leave me and my husband alone? I actually need to discuss something very serious with him." You try to be as friendly as possible. But honestly you're also pissed at this man who calls himself a friend of miguel while being this insensitive.

And he immediately obliges and takes mayday back in his arms, leaving the office.

You urge your husband to sit down on his chair, asking "do you need to drink something?" Miguel is visibly confused at your concern so he doesn't answer right away.

But that doesnt matter, because you're already filling a glass with water for him, "here you go, baby" handing it to him, standing between his legs and start pulling his head against your chest.

He looks up at you with even more confused eyes "wha-", but you're quick to cut him off.

"it's alright if you're not ready to talk about it. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to be around kids and not think about gabriella. I just want you to know that you deserve to heal, baby" you say with such soft eyes and keep stroking his hair, massaging his scalp.

He can't help the tears in his eyes with how close your words hit to home. So he burries his face against your chest and you feel your shirt wetting, his hands slightly shaking.

How? How would you know this? He always makes sure to keep a stoic or at least an angry expression. He even assured you that he doesn´t suffer from any kind of ptsd or trauma, when he told you about Gabriella.

But it seems like his wife is very attentive when it comes to him.

You notice the way he tries not to look at the pictures of babys, the way he avoids the subject of babys or children in general, the way his hands start to shake and the way his jaw tightens.

"Poor Miguel, I wish I could help you... I really wish I could..." as if you feel the pain in his heart, your eyes start tearing up as well, little tears, that you don´t bother wiping away, roll down your cheeks, while you hug your husband tighter to your chest.

And as Miguel sees your reaction, he can´t help the waterfall of tears on his face. You lift his face and kiss his eyelids as careful as possible, tasting his salty tears on your lips.

"Poor poor baby, how long have you kept these in? It´s alright now, I´ve got you, my poor baby" you coo at him, feeling your own tears becoming thicker at the sight of your husband.

You both spend the next hours like this, in each others arms, letting the ugly and hurting emotions go and appreciating that non of you have to go through this alone.

"Mi vida... thank you for being this good to me, I don´t deserve you" Miguel whispers against your lips before kissing them tenderly.

"No... I don´t want you to always portray yourself as the bad guy Miguel... you deserve everything good and more because you´re my poor baby" you answer him after pinching his cheeks, as a way to punish his way of thinking.

Chuckling he pulls you on his lap and presses you tightly against himself, inhaling your sweet scent while his head rests on your shoulder.

🕸🕷

Even though I think that he has a big breeding kink, I honestly believe that this man is severely traumatized but is too proud to get help or at least talk about it 🥺 he really is just a poor baby

P.s. no hate against Peter but he really is so insensitive like-💀

Masterlist

#miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara imagine #miguel o’hara x y/n #miguellover07 #spider man 2099 #miguel x fem!reader #spiderman 2099 x reader #miguel o’hara one shot #minnie07 #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o'hara fluff #miguel o'hara x you #miguel o'hara drabble

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riddle-me-ri · 9 months

Note

I apologize if I sent this already but I honestly can’t remember, if it’s alright could we please have the scarecrows when they get jealous??? 🙏🏼🥺

A/N: no worries, you're all good you haven't sent it in yet! And I have no doubt these wee boys can be quite envious lol.

Jealousy Scenarios w/ The Scarecrows

Arkhamverse Scarecrow:

Jonathan thinks that, much like fear, he’s above jealousy.

Which is exactly why he’s not…jealous of you spending time with the Arkham Knight.

He’s mostly confused, you should be by his side…he’s the orchestrator of this whole night.

Jonathan will likely think he’s hiding his displeasures, but he actually makes it painfully obvious.

Jonathan insists…almost demands you stay with him. He finds tasks for you to do…he even begins being more physical with you.

You know you shouldn’t push it, but you enjoy the idea that he cares enough to be jealous in the first place.

And you don’t miss the soft lool on his face when he notices you staying with him more often.

Nolanverse/Murphy Scarecrow:

Jonathan didn’t want too think much of the new psychologist at Arkham Asylum.

He didn’t…at first until they began openly flirting with you.

Jonathan could barely swallow his resentment when he saw you smiling and laughing with them.

He’d grit his teeth and clench his fists.

You were far too kind and welcoming for your own good.

Jonathan makes an extra effort to be more present at Arkham.

You’re surprised to see him more often, but you’re enjoying having him with you more.

He sneaks kisses on your cheek and whispers compliments in your ear…

However, you can’t help but wonder where that new doctor went…who has been missing for almost a week now.

Batman The Animated Series Scarecrow:

Jonathan aways knew it would be a bad idea to allow you to meet his more…eccentric colleagues.

But he didn’t think it would be because they were trying to charm you off your feet.

Jonathan is silently seething in the corner, steam about to burst out of his ears.

Jervis made you giggle. Edward made you blush…

It took everything for Jonathan not to drag you away and keep you to himself again.

But he didn’t want to take any chance to upset you, so he silently seethed.

Until you come over and hug him…showing appreciation in him trusting you to meet his friends.

Jonathan instantly melts when you kiss his cheek, instantly comforting him without you knowing.

The New Batman Adventures Scarecrow:

This Scarecrow…was always weary of someone better coming your way.

You are so bright and joyous, you deserved better than him.

It was only a matter of time, until the proper partner for you came along.

He’s unsure what to do when he sees you hanging out with a co-worker.

Jonathan wants to snatch you away, make your co-worker undergo a terror they’ve never imagined…and just keep you to himself from now on.

Just before he could dig himself deeper into his envy, you show up with your bright smile and a welcoming kiss.

You love him openly, unconditionally every time…and this dissipates the gnawing jealousy in his heart.

Fear State Scarecrow:

Like other Scarecrows, this Jonathan is incredibly observant.

He’s aware of you being extra cheerful or distracted lately.

It doesn’t take long for thoughts and assumptions to come up in his mind.

Some childhood friend of yours has come back to town. Possibly some feelings being re-kindled as well.

Ironically enough, he feeds himself into his own fear of losing you to someone else.

He will come up with a plethora of excuses to get you to stay, or have you run errands to keep you busy.

Anything to keep you near him, but not hinder his plans.

It’s obvious to you what’s happening, and you can’t help but find it a tad bit amusing.

Year One Scarecrow:

Jonathan is extremely protective and defensive of you.

You’re the first bit of peace and happiness he’s found in anyone.

He sure as hell isn’t going to lose you to anyone.

Jonathan gets jealous easily, moreso than either of you like to admit.

Actively drags you away from someone else and tries to take up your time.

He’s just really used to being abandoned or abused and…he’s not sure he can go through that again with you.

But every time you reassure him, you continue to stay by his side.

Jonny grows more secure in the relationship and less jealous…eventually.

Masters of Fear Scarecrow:

Like earlier Scarecrows, he tries to ignore it.

He knows you’re faithful, he knows you love him and wouldn’t leave him…

But just so everyone knows you’re his…

Jonathan will always keep a hand on your person.

Whether it’s your hand, your shoulder, or the small of your back.

He will conveniently come up with plans so you couldn’t go out with someone he feels threatened by.

It doesn’t take long for you to notice his jealousy.

You’re quick to reassure him that he has nothing to worry about

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series Scarecrow:

Definitely tries to hide his jealousy.

But masks it….terribly.

He can’t help it…he adores you, but he knows other people like you too!

How could they not want to spend time with you?

Jonathan tries not to show his discomfort, but you can tell from how fidgety he is.

His fiddling with his hands, he’s shrugging, and is less sure of himself…more than usual.

You try to includ ehim, if you can’t, you assure him that you two will spend some quality time together.

Jonathan instantly perks right up and doesn’t learn why he got jealous in the first place…

Until he gets jealous again.

Happy Halloween Scooby-Doo Scarecrow:

Likely believes he’s too old or mature to ever get jealous.

Unlike other Scarecrows, you’re likely to try and make him jealous than do it by accident.

Just to see what he’s like…and maybe prove a point out of spite.

Not much works, since he can tell you’re trying to get a rise out of him.

When he does get jealous, it's when you least expect it.

Jonathan becomes clingy and more physical; holding you, pulling you closer to him.

His attention is now on you tenfold, but he also steals glances at whoever it was that set him off…

This is the closest you will get to seeing him jealous, and you’re absolutely enjoying it before you rub it in his face.

#ri writes #the scarecrow x reader #jonathan crane x reader #arkhamverse scarecrow x reader #nolanverse scarecrow x reader #murphy scarecrow x reader #btas scarecrow x reader #tnba scarecrow x reader #fear state scarecrow x reader #year one scarecrow x reader #masters of fear x reader #happy halloween scooby doo scarecrow x reader #hhsd scarecrow x reader #harley quinn the animated series scarecrow x reader #hqtas scarecrow x reader

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wardenparker · 8 months

Text

The King's Queen - chapter 5

Javi Gutierrez x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

Prince Javier of the Balearic Islands has always known that one day he would have to follow in his father's footsteps to be the caring and steadfast king that his people deserve. What he did not know is that he would be stepping into the next phase of his life alongside a woman he has never met before - and amidst a rocky sea of unusual circumstances of every kind.

Rating: Mature, but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 10.1k Warnings: *Blanket warnings for this series: arranged marriage, age gap, classicism, cursing, food and alcohol, mentions of American politics, deceased parents* Fluff. It's just fluff. Absolute, pure fluff with fluff on top. Summary: Dinner is a much needed retreat for you and Javi after such a busy and harrying today. Notes: After the emotional weight of the last chapter, we had to do something a little lighter.

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4

Wearily, Javier rubs his forehead and looks up at Julius. The afternoon had been spent with the council and he had ended up deciding that two of them needed to be replaced due to their obvious loyalty to Lucas. “Julius, will you see if the Princess is free to join me for a later dinner?”

His assistant nods, stepping away to pick up a discreet palace phone that will allow him to dial your suite - or any other room - directly. The line rings twice before it connects and he hears your voice on the other end. The fluid Spanish makes him nod approvingly and he relays the king's request accordingly. After a moment he murmurs a polite goodbye and hangs up, returning to the king's side with a smile. "The Princess has been waiting for your call," he reports with obvious enjoyment of that fact. "She is working in her suite and can meet you at any time, your Majesty."

He hums, a tired smile on his face. “Have the chef prepare the dinner that I had requested this morning, along with a red wine from the cellar. Champagne is perhaps too festive.”

Julius nods again, his go-to reaction for almost anything, but he hesitates slightly. "If I may, your Majesty?"

“Of course.” He has learned over the course of the afternoon that Julius has his finger on the pulse of the country and the palace. Invaluable in his contribution to his father’s reign.

"A case of pink gin found its way into the palace this morning, and I understand it is a favourite of the Princess's?" He tilts his head in amusement, as if the choice is endearingly whimsical. "If you intend to have the very same dinner for the very same purpose as you set down this morning, perhaps a cocktail could be arranged to accompany your dessert? As a treat for her Highness, but not one that would seem inappropriately...boisterous. Given the events of the day."

“That would be much appreciated.” Javier nods and sighs. “It’s been a long day and I think we could all use a drink. Whatever cocktail is created, give one to the staff as well, a toast to King Miguel.”

"Very gracious, your Majesty." The staff will appreciate the gesture, he knows that. The small things do not go unnoticed in a place like this. "And if I may be so bold..." When he receives a nod, Julius returns it with his own. "You did very well today, sire. Allowing yourself to enjoy some personal time is not inappropriate."

“Thank you.” He’s bone tired and sad, but looking forward to seeing you. Something about his father’s death is bothering him and he hasn’t figured out what it is. “Start putting together suitable replacements to Rodriguez and Estrada.” He shakes his head. “Tomorrow. You have also earned some personal time. Once dinner is served, instruct the staff to go home. Dishes can be washed tomorrow. It will not make the palace crumple.”

"Yes, your Majesty." He'll relay the message but has his doubts that it will be followed. The palace staff has a lot of work to do with an engagement, a funeral, a crowning, and plenty of other official events in the near future. "I will have suggestions for replacement cabinet members by morning."

"Thank you." He nods and motions for Julius to leave as he stands, groaning slightly at the ache in his back. "Have a good night." He will have dinner with you and then see if he can sleep. The last moments of his father are haunting him and he hates it.

******

It isn’t difficult to make sure that you’re ready for dinner at the right time and place, considering Javi’s rooms are still directly next door to yours for now. You had even located the door that connects your suites but decided that it might not be appropriate for you to appear in his rooms for dinner that way. Instead you had unlocked it, remembering what he said about the lock being on your side of the door, and gone over to the proper front door of Javi’s suite in the hallway to be announced.

By the time the knock on the door comes, Javi’s changed into something more casual, more him. Trousers and a short-sleeved button up, he feels the weight of the day drain away as he walks to the door to open it himself.

He’s really quite unfairly handsome, to the point that you can feel your cheeks burn when he so much as smiles at you, and tonight you can see the relief in his face when he opens the door to see you standing there. “How was the rest of your day, querido?”

“Margarita, it is good to see you.” He reaches for your hand to draw you into the room and leans in to kiss your cheek. “It was filled with headache inducing meetings. How was yours?”

“Far less stressful than yours, I think. But I will be happy to not be stuck with pins again for a long while.” Being in his arms has such a deep sense of security to it and you sigh without realizing. Whatever cologne he wears smells like the sea and you wonder if he made the choice consciously or not.

“Was it successful though?” He asks with a small chuckle as he leans back. “I heard that designer is good.”

“She was lovely. And very clever. I’ll have a few things quickly and more things over time.” When he laughs he smiles again and it makes you melt more than a little. “The things for the funeral and the state dinner will be done first, of course.”

“You will also have to choose a designer to make your wedding dress.” He reminds you. “As well as coronation gowns.”

With the door shut behind you, you don’t mind taking the moment of intimacy and leaning into his side. “How soon do you want to have the wedding?”

“I was going to ask if you wanted to be crowned as queen when I am crowned king, or if you wanted to wait.” Javi guides you over to the table that has been set for two in his dining area.

"It would be less of a to-do and less of an expense to have us both crowned together." With the responsibility of decision making falling to the two of you now rather than simply following orders, there is more to consider than just how soon you want to be married. "We could be married before the summer is over and have our coronation in fall or winter, if you want them close together?" The English king had waited almost a year for his coronation but you know from reading that Balearic tradition has coronations much more quickly.

“We could do a joint coronation and wedding?” Javi suggests, knowing the expense of either event will be large. “Have the wedding and the next day the coronation? Or would that be too much at once?”

“It would certainly be a big event.” The possibility is one that you had never considered, and you sit down at the table with him with an intense look of concentration. “The honeymoon tradition of touring the islands would be doubly useful, if we did that. It would be an extended celebration. Of course it would be a lot of work to put on the palace staff, but it would save a lot of trouble with planning. Overlapping guest lists and visitors, that sort of thing.”

“And in the end, instead of two separate, costly events, we essentially have one. It would end up saving the people money. We could also declare it a holiday week for them.” Javi suggests.

“We should give ourselves time to plan.” His enthusiasm for the idea is enough to convince you that it is worth pursuing, and you know you’ll be on board for whatever he ends up deciding. “How would you feel about waiting until autumn to have both events together?” While you may not have reservations about marrying him, you’re realistic about the fact that it will take quite a lot of work to get both things done. A few months is practically no time at all.

“That would work.” Javi nods. “There will be several coordinators that would work with you on it.” He promises. “Julius would have that information.”

“I’ll have my own assistant in a few days,” you tell him, sitting back at the table as a footman appears with a silver service cart bearing your dinner. “Julius is wonderful but I don’t want him to be overwhelmed or overworked.”

“Did you have someone in mind?” He smiles and nods at the footman as he bows. “Thank you, Juan.” He picks up the wine bottle and pulls the cork out. “We will not need anything else.”

The footman goes again without a word, and the comfortable quiet of a meal shared just between the two of you sounds perfect for tonight. “My brother,” you tell him honestly, watching as Javi pours you each a glass of wine. “He has been our father’s personal assistant for a few years now and knows me better than anyone. He’s also fluent in Spanish. And has a good eye for fashion, so I trust him with my clothing.” Looking up at Javi, you see the surprise on his face clear as day. “Is that alright?”

“That is perfectly okay, margarita.” He assures you quickly, smiling. “You will have your brother here with you, so I approve.” He is an only child, but from what you had told him, you and your brother get along very well.

“I think you’ll like him.” Sebastian was always the one who watched Nic Cage movies with you and encouraged you to pursue the things that made you happy, so you can’t see someone as kind as Javi not being endeared to him. “So,” you hum softly when he gets up to move to the cart. “What have you requested for our dinner tonight?”

“I requested your favorite meal.” He admits as he lifts the cloches and picks up the plates to bring over to the table. “Based off your social media.”

“Javi.” The china dishes are overflowing with penne coated in luxurious vodka sauce, heaped with piles of stunning shrimp, spinach, basil, and zucchini. Toasted bread lathered in garlic confit is even tucked into the side of the dish like a halo of culinary perfection. It looks even better than when you would get it from the Italian restaurant at the end of your block - and far better than when you tried to make it yourself. “This is absolutely sweet of you. And it smells incredible.”

“Good.” He’s relieved that he got it right and you seem delighted by the prospect of the meal. “Our chefs created this, so hopefully it is exactly what you would experience back home.”

“The company is better,” you venture, knowing that he’s probably far too tired and emotionally wrung out for anything close to flirting, but you are better honest.

You are kind, and lying, because he knows he is not good company for now. He smiles and motions towards the food. “Then let us see how it tastes.”

It’s heavenly. You would never say it to the faces of the family that own your favourite Italian restaurant, but the palace chef has outstripped their own recipe by a mile. The shrimp and zucchini are perfectly grilled and the sauce is like silk over everything. The hum that escapes your lips is as enthusiastic as your smile, and you’re glad to be indulging with him in private. This bowl of comfort food is not going to be eaten in a ladylike manner.

“This is delicious.” Javi moans as he swallows his first bite. Happy he had decided on a red wine to balance it out, it pairs perfectly and he takes a sip, relaxing even more. “We need to make private meals a regular thing.” He decides, looking at you to see what you think.

“Date night.” Is the first thing that comes out of your mouth, and you fluster slightly at how juvenile that sounds. “I—I mean…I agree. Time to ourselves is valued.”

“Date night.” Javi nods, perking up at your approval. “Perhaps I can show you some of my favorite places?” He asks. “It is important to me to show our people that we are interested in their businesses. My father would have me travel and eat local restaurants often.”

“I would love that.” It’s the furthest thing from what you expected from him, and that is sort of a delightful surprise. He wants to go out and be around his people instead of simply staying safe in the palace, which is utterly wonderful. As beautiful as these walls are, you can see already how they might feel like a gilded cage after a while.

“It is always nice to see how people are thriving.” Javi hums. “Or struggling. It is our duty to make sure that they do not struggle because of our decisions, although it is impossible to care for every individual.” They are his father’s words, carefully counseled time and time again. Once Javi had thought him simply not trying hard enough, but he now understands how much pressure he had been under. And this is just his first day as king.

“We will do everything we can.” From the position you’re in, that could be a whole lot. It could be enormous, the difference you could make. “A large or a small difference happens in many different ways.”

“Yes it does.” He’s glad you understand that, knowing that it would be difficult to explain if someone didn’t already know.

"We cannot expect the very beginning of things to be without a few bumps in the road." Whether you're talking about your relationship or his reign is up for debate, but you smile anyway. "But we will do everything we can."

“You are extraordinary.” He stops eating, just staring at you as if you are the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen in his life. “Truly.”

"What?" The comment takes you completely off guard and you look up from your plate to see him giving you every ounce of his concentration and focus. "I—how? Exactly?"

“You have withstood every obstacle that you have faced in such a short time here with grace and wisdom.” He reaches out and takes your hand. “I am lucky that you will be by my side.”

"I feel like I've hardly done anything," you admit, but when you look away from him bashfully you end up watching the way his thumb strokes methodically over the ring that he put on your finger just hours ago. "But I'm here to support you, querido. And if that ends up meaning this...these moments of quiet and encouragement? Then I have the easiest job in the world. Because I truly never want you to doubt yourself for even a moment."

“It has been a difficult day.” He admits quietly, “but being here with you is helping. You are a very calming presence. I appreciate you being there with me today, during the speech.”

"I would never have missed it." You squeeze his hand gently between your fingers and offer him a smile. "You really are much more charming and sweet than you could ever know. It is..." Cheeks burning all over again, your eyes hold on his and you can feel yourself soften even more. "It is impossible not to be drawn to you. I'm sure you won't have any problem winning the people over quickly."

“I am worried about that.” He sighs, looking down at your joined hands. “For a long time, I have been viewed as a wild child or a ‘playboy’.” He huffs. “It is my fault, I tried to ignore my obligations to my future. But I am afraid I have - how you say - ‘shot myself in the foot’?”

"Then I guess it's a good thing that you're about to be married, isn't it?" It will help in calming his image. There is no doubt about that. "A few months of being photographed with a princess who's crazy about you should pretty much do the trick."

“Where do I find such a creature?” His grin is small but he’s smiling. “Can you point me to her?”

This is exactly the charm that you're talking about, and you giggle slightly despite knowing how silly it is. "I have it on good authority that you've already found her."

“I have?” He looks surprised and then very pleased with himself. “Then I must confess that I have a slight crush on the Princess of Mallorca and the future queen.”

"Only slight?" Your lips twist up into a pleased grin and you can't resist the urge to tease him. Although is it teasing if it's the truth? "How disappointing. I have it on good authority that she would have called it love at first sight."

“A king must keep some secrets.” He teases. “Though I do confess that she stole my heart already.”

"I hope someday you feel comfortable letting me be your secret keeper, and that you might want to be mine as well." When privacy is so guarded, having a person to trust above everyone else means more than can be expressed. And you know that for all their problems, your parents were each other's vaults. You had always hoped for love as solid as that.

“I have already decided that you would be that person for me.” Javi admits, biting his lip and looking at you softly. “If that’s okay?”

"Of course it is." The two of you slowly start to eat again, keeping hold of your joined hands on one side of the table. "I, um...I unlocked the door, by the way. That goes between our rooms."

“You did?” His eyes dart towards the door and then back to you. “Do you— I mean— is it okay if—” he shakes his head. “Would you be comfortable if I came into your room tonight?” He asks, his voice low. “I don’t wish to be alone.”

"I didn't think you would," you admit gently. Grief is a remarkably lonesome bedfellow. "You can certainly come join me later if you like. Or...I could simply stay here? Whichever you prefer."

“You would be more comfortable in your room, sí?” He asks, frowning slightly. “Unless you would prefer to be here?”

"We're both so worried about the other person's comfort." It's sweet, actually. And it makes your heart beat just a little faster that his first thought is your comfort and not his own sadness. "I've only slept in my bed once, querido. I would not mind getting used to sharing it, however innocently."

“I fear I am not in the correct headspace to do much more than hold you.” Javi sighs. He would have loved to touch you under any other circumstance, but he can’t tonight.

"And that is in no way a disappointment," you assure him immediately. "I would be a remarkably insensitive kind of partner to expect anything of you today, Javi."

He exhales slowly, relieved that you don’t expect him to perform. “Thank you, margarita.”

"You have had a day from hell, querido." A fact with is surely an understatement, but you feel slightly reassured when he forks up another bite of his dinner. "There is no reason for you to be alone, but there is also no reason for anything to happen between us until we are ready."

“If my father had not collapsed, I would have been eager to touch you.” He admits. “I had hoped you had not wished to wait for marriage.”

"I really don't see the need." It's not as though either of you is going to be seeing anyone else - that idea sort of flew out the window with both the betrothal and the actual engagement. "Under other circumstances I might have come to see you for dinner wearing much more...creative things under my dress. But I have no doubt that time will come."

Javi swallows harshly, imagining you in something creative. He nods. “It does not have to be a race.” He sighs and decides it’s best to bring it up. “You will have to have a doctor’s examination before we can be together now.” He explains. “Since I am king. Just to make sure you are not pregnant.”

"Lovely." You don't roll your eyes despite feeling like you want to. It may be an antiquated tradition, but it does technically make sense. "They can ascertain that information with a blood test or an ultrasound if they want to be truly thorough. There is no reason for a doctor to examine anything else. It's not as if science believes the hymen is prove of virginity anymore."

“That’s what I meant.” He shakes his head quickly. “Just a test to prove you are not carrying another man’s child.”

"In that case, I don't have any objections." If you were marrying anyone beside a king, you probably would object loudly, but this is a fairly unique circumstance. "I'll arrange to see the royal physician soon. To get that obstacle out of our path."

“I am sorry.” He sighs quietly and shakes his head. “I know it is too much to deal with.”

"You're worth a little bit of trouble," you tell him matter-of-factly, putting down your fork so you can pick up your wine glass without letting go of his hand.

“I would not blame you if you ran for the hills.” He pokes at his dinner now, suddenly unhappy with the idea of doing this by himself. If you wished to go, he would not stop you. After all, his father is dead so he could break the betrothal if he wishes.

"But I won't." Putting a tiny bit more pressure on his fingers to get him to look up at you, your head tilts to the side as you take in his pout. "If you had looked at me today and said we needed to go make our vows immediately, I would have done it. I wouldn't have hesitated. This isn't just about the promise our parents made anymore." Your expression softens a little and you end up shrugging, like you have nothing to defend yourself with. "I might have been teasing you before, but...I meant it. It took a matter of hours for me to start falling in love with you. It's...it's as simple as that."

He closes his eyes and his own fingers squeeze yours. “I imagined putting you to bed in my bed.” He confesses with a soft smile. “Waking up with you in my arms and seeing how you like being kissed awake.”

"Next time I fall asleep stargazing, there won't be any reason to hesitate." It had been mildly embarrassing, realizing that you'd fallen asleep on that blanket with him on the cliff, but the way he took such tender care of you last night had wiped away any concern. "Kisses are one of my absolute favourite ways to wake up."

“I will keep that in mind.” He smiles and chuckles before he takes another bite of his meal. You really do seem to calm him and he’s grateful for it.

Conversation becomes idle while you finish your meals. It turns to stories from when you were both younger, small anecdotes to serve as a way to get to know each other better. You're about to migrate out to the balcony to watch the waves and gaze at the stars when he remembers that there is also dessert to be shared.

“There is tiramisu and cheesecake.” Javi murmurs. “It seems you love both of them.”

"I have a sweet tooth," you admit unapologetically. Apparently, it also extends to sweet men.

“Then we will always have a dessert to end the evening.” He smiles and brings the desserts over to the table on the balcony to share in the open air.

"And what is this?" The bottle of something pink in an ice bucket catches your attention on your way past the service cart and you pick it up. "Something special to drink, as well?"

“Your pink gin.” Javi admits, picking up the card that is by the bucket and reads. “It is called the clover club cocktail.” He tells you as he looks up. “It is supposed to be tart and sweet, with raspberries.”

"That sounds both delicious and terribly fancy," you decide, scooping up the two empty glasses on the cart along with the bottle. "Perfect for dessert."

“I wanted tonight to be perfect for you.” He admits, slightly sheepish. “I wanted you to be sure about your answer and I wanted to see how romance would play out between us.”

"This was your original dinner plan, wasn't it?" Remembering that he had said something about it earlier in the day, you set the bottle and the glasses down on the little table on his balcony and take up both of his hands in yours. "It's all been perfect. Just so you know."

“It was.” He flushes slightly and looks proud. “I had hoped that tonight would be far different than it has been, but I am glad I am still here with you.”

"You're a king, Javi, not a god. There are some things even you can't control." Opening your arms a little, you offer him a moment of comfort if he wants it.

Moving into your embrace with a chuckle, he can’t help but tease you. “If this was two hundred years ago, I would have been worshiped as a god.”

"Mm." You hum slightly and half-laugh along with him. "Tell me it's a kink and I'll make sure it still happens for you."

He stares at you for a moment in disbelief before he barks out a laugh. “You are not serious.” He pulls you closer to him and shakes his head.

"Nothing wrong with a worship or a praise kink." Still, you hug him back and don't press. It's enough to hear him laugh after such a long and stressful day.

“I have both.” He presses closer to you, feeling like himself completely now. “I just need to find out your own buttons.”

"They're not so difficult to figure out." Just standing with your arms around each other is infinitely relaxing, and you sigh quietly against his chest. "I've never really tried anything too adventurous."

"We have to make sure that those activities are not leaked." He snorts, halfway amused and slightly mortified at the idea of his sexual proclivities being talked about in great detail even more than they already are. "But we can try to experiment with almost anything you want."

“I’m not asking you to fuck me in public or to collar me or anything.” You promise him with a grin. “We should have no problem whatsoever keeping our private life private.”

"Or sharing." He shakes his head seriously. "I do not like to share. I was an only child."

A small, amused smile plays on your lips and you press a kiss to his cheek before leading him over to the little table to sit down together again. “I don’t like to share, either. And I have two siblings.”

He chuckles quietly and nods. "It must have been exciting, having siblings to share with. I had cousins, but it was not the same."

“I don’t know that I’d call it exciting.” At the table, you pour out two cocktails and set one down beside him. “Seb is the only boy, so he got unconscious favoritism from my dad. And my younger half-sister got the extremely conscious favoritism from my stepmother, since that’s her biological child.” You shrug slightly and take a sip of your drink, humming at the fruity, floral notes. “At least my brother and I have always gotten along.”

"And you have felt like the outcast." Javi guesses, aware of that feeling intimately. He has always felt like he was out of place himself. Born to the wrong parents, the wrong place. He had felt like he wasn't supposed to be a prince or a king one day. He had felt alone, even surrounded by his family.

“They didn’t mean to do it, but…yes.” Your family spent your entire life preparing to send you away. And aside from your brother, it seems like they mostly forgot that you were their family in the first place.

He sighs and picks up his glass to hold it up in a toast. "To feeling like an outcast and finding each other – perhaps because of it."

“Here, here.” Your glass clinks against his with a soft ringing sound and you half-laugh under your breath. “I suppose we’re proof that you can be surrounded by people and feel utterly alone. But…I haven’t felt that way since I met you.”

"I have felt nothing but peace since I have met you." Javi reveals. "Peace and finally a sense that I belong somewhere...with you."

“I’m sorry we couldn’t have known each other before this.” His words wash over you like summer sunrise, making you brighten and hum in his warmth all at once. To know that he feels exactly the same way you do is an unlooked for - though desperately wished for - gift. “I used to imagine I could be brave enough to write you letters. To become…pen pals or something. To know you before the day I was sent for. But clearly I was never brave enough.”

"My father had decided it was best that I not know until now." He understands why he had chosen that path, Javi had been a very defiant prince for a long time. However, once he had met you, he now knows he would have looked forward to the future with you if he had met you earlier. "Perhaps it was for the best, but I am grateful that I know he approves of our match."

“I meant what I said,” you tell him quietly, coaxing him to share the sweet ending of your meal by setting a fork in front of him. “I might not have known him well, but I know he would have been proud of you today.”

"For a long time, I tried to convince myself that his approval did not matter, but it does. I wish to make sure that he will be satisfied with the way I care for his people." Javi confesses.

“Then we will make sure that whatever steps we take, you are satisfied with them for yourself, and your father’s memory.” Being adult enough to admit to wishing for your parents’ approval is not something you’re going to downplay in the slightest, considering you go through nearly every day feeling a semblance of the same thing. “When I have trouble with a decision, I usually ask myself what my mother would have done. Or what I think she would have encouraged. I think it helps. To have that kind of moral compass.”

"I will have to remember that." He smiles at you softly and takes another drink of the cocktail. "This is very good. I see why you like your pink gin."

“It’s a little out of the ordinary. Unexpected.” You smile, taking in the sight of him beside you in the moonlight. “I’m finding that I like things that are a bit unexpected.”

"Is that so?" Javi smiles slightly and shakes his head. "There is a lot that will be unexpected in our lives, margarita."

“Then it will be an adventure.” Reaching across the small table, you squeeze his arm gently and find your smile broadening. “And I’m glad we’ll be doing it together.”

The desserts are shared, each one of you moaning over the taste and the rest of the bottle is split, leaving both of you stuff and slightly buzzed and feeling good. "This is what I needed tonight." Javi admits as he sets down his last glass, empty.

“I’m glad.” The idea that part of what has helping him feel better is bearing near you? It’s a comforting and grounding feeling that rolls through you to make you sigh. “Will you come to bed with me?” It’s an innocent question without sounding like it, and you feels your cheeks heat. “Just to find out what it is to sleep and wake up together?”

Javi smiles and nods. "Would it be alright if I sleep in my boxers?" He asks seriously. "I normally do not like to sleep in much."

“I don’t mind.” In fact, you welcome it. But saying so might seem like pressuring him and you won’t do that. “I don’t think Flores will be too scandalized.”

He nods and then he motions towards the tables. "You go get ready and I will clean this up to put on the cart." He tilts his head. "I dismissed the servants for the night, so it can stay until morning. It has been a trying day for everyone and I thought they could use some more personal time to deal with the loss of my father."

“You’re very sweet.” Standing stretching, you lend him a smile and point toward your shared door. “I’ll go change into my pajamas. Come in whenever you’re ready.”

"I will." He nods and watches you slip out through the door connecting your rooms and hums. He knows that he will be better off with you tonight. It will be better spending the night in your arms than chasing away demons and regrets by himself.

When it comes time to actually get ready for bed, Javi finds himself nervous. He's already changed into sleep attire that is appropriate, but he saves brushing his teeth. Carrying his toothbrush with him like a lost little boy as he knocks on your door to make sure that he does not walk in on you changing.

Instead of anything suggestive or overly decorative, you decided to change into a matching set of navy sleep shorts and short sleeved shirt. You had picked it out ages ago because you liked the little bronze-colored stars printed all over the set and it seemed like a very normal choice to make for tonight. Something ordinary that you might wear on any ordinary night. And not the very first thing you'll wear the very first night you share a bed with your future husband.

You go to the door to let him in, instead of just calling your permission, and you cannot help but smile when you see him standing on the other side with his toothbrush in hand. "Come in, querido." You step back to give him room and shut the hidden door behind him.

“I—” he looks down at his toothbrush and blushes slightly. “Have you brushed your teeth yet?” He asks, feeling slightly foolish. “I was hoping we could have a normal moment of domesticity together and I have watched so many movies where being in the bathroom together is comforting.”

CalamityConnie — 09/01/2023 11:12 PM

"I just finished washing my face, so brushing my teeth in next." Even as you nod toward your bathroom you feel like you could just squeeze him to bits in your arms. He is so unassumingly sweet sometimes.

“Thank you.” He murmurs quietly, following behind you and focusing on the pajamas you are wearing with a small smile. “For this, for being there.”

"Do you have a side of the bed you like to sleep on?" Not wanting to let him sink into worry or sadness, you keep the conversation light and reach for his hand to tuck it into yours.

“Not really.” He admits with a shrug and a small grin.

"Then I guess we'll have to see how comfortable we get. Because I don't have one, either." Your bathroom has been modernized beautifully - and probably many times over the lifetime of this palace - and right now that includes an immense clawfoot bathtub dominating the wall opposite your marble sink and an ornate mirror to complete the feeling of luxury. Your bottle of lotion is sitting on the counter next to your toothbrush and toothpaste - the last three pieces of your nighttime routine.

“Then it will be interesting to find out.” He chuckles quietly. “I think I’m used to having the bed to myself.”

"So am I." You offer him the toothpaste first, feeling surprisingly normal about the small moment of domesticity that he wanted so badly, it feels right. "My bed is almost always just me and a bunch of pillows."

"Do you sometimes line them up beside you so you do not feel alone?" He asks, squirting a pea sized amount on his toothbrush and then picking up your own to coat it for you. In the softer light of the bathroom, the make-up mirror is off, you look so beautiful. Nothing but clear skin and he likes the little silk thing you have on your hair. It must protect it while you sleep. "I do sometimes."

“I…had a body pillow.” You admit sheepishly, although the body pillow is less silly than the large llama stuffed animal you used to sleep with long ago. “I left it back in New York, so…there’s a chance I may end up cuddling you in my sleep instead.” Not that that would be a bad thing. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

"Would you?" Javi asks, looking at your beautiful reflection for a moment before having to look away bashfully. He's too old to ask for a cuddle but he desperately needs it, tonight of all nights. "I mean, I wouldn't mind it and sometimes these big, drafty rooms can get so cold." That’s a lie, the castle is just like the climate of the nation, temperate. It just sounds like a good reason to curl up together shamelessly.

“I’m a cuddly sleeper.” And if today hadn’t been full of so much tragedy and stress, you have no doubt that you would be pulling him into bed for more than cuddles. But as it is, you wouldn’t blame him if that was too much intimacy for tonight. The fact that it seems to be a comfort to him relaxes you a bit. “So I can all but guarantee it.”

“That is good.” If might be considered pathetic how comforting that is, but Javi manages a pleased smile as he brings the toothbrush up to his mouth. Happy that you have been such a comfort to him and have promised to continue to be.

You brush your teeth in silence and pick up your lotion bottle after rinsing, habitually dabbing the silky coconut oil scented cream on the drier parts of your skin. “That’s it…” you acknowledge awkwardly. “Unless you’re not ready to go to bed?” Not that you can think of anything else he would need to do, you’ve just found yourself suddenly nervous.

“I…am exhausted.” Javi confesses quietly. “But I can stay awake if you are not ready for sleep?” He understands your body might still be accustomed to New York time. For you, he would stay awake.

“It’s been an exhausting day.” Nodding back toward your bedroom, you take his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. “Let’s go to bed.”

Walking towards the bed, hand in hand, is oddly innocent and cathartic at the same time. The attraction is there, if it hadn’t been for the events of the day, he would be very interested in peeling off your pajamas, but the tone of the night is perfect. Comfort and a much deeper connection emotionally.

The bed is plenty big enough for two, and you crawl under the plush duvet together into the mountain of pillows with a soft sigh of relief. It has been a long, trying, and exhausting day, but that just makes you glad to offer him a place to burrow into your side. After all — his day was much harder and safer than yours. It is the least you can do to offer him comfort.

The comfort of your arms is quickly accepted, curling against you and his head ends up on your shoulder. “The bed is comfortable.” He offers after a small sigh.

“It is.” You had thought so last night, but you have to admit that your heart is beating a little faster now than it had then. “The company doesn’t hurt, either.”

“Yeah?” He smiles against your shoulder and can’t help but snuggle into you a bit more. “Emotionally vulnerable men are a turn on for you?”

"Maybe." You can't help but laugh at that, and tighten your arms around him a little. "Or maybe it's just men who show any emotion at all."

“I cry during Pretty Woman.” Javi admits softly, as if that might prove his emotions. Hoping to hear you laugh again at his obvious attempt to curry favor.

"Because you're happy they end up together, or because that damn necklace is so pretty?" Smothering a little laugh, you nuzzle your nose into his hair and shrug unapologetically. "I never knew I was the kind of person to cry about jewelry, but it is very pretty."

“We have necklaces that are prettier.” He offers with a smile. “I’ll make sure to snap the box closed on your fingers.”

"I'll wear whatever you want me to, and make sure you catch me in the bath with headphones on at least once." Just to be able to hear him laugh a little, to release some of the tension from the day, is more than you could possibly ask for. The reality of losing his father will hit him slowly, it seems, and that is okay. It just means that you'll be here for the ups and the downs as they come.

“My mother loved baths.” Javi tells you quietly. “The king’s suite - my suite now - has the most magnificent tub.” His fingers start to play with the edge of your shirt as he talks. “They had a picture of me in the tub when I was younger, playing. But father said mother would soak every night after they retired for the evening. No matter how tired she was, she would spend at least twenty minutes in the tub. It was her unwinding.”

"Your mother sounds like an incredibly smart woman." His fingers toying with the fabric of your pajamas is welcome and far too alluring than you want to admit, but you would never presume to suggest that anything should or could happen tonight. You had promised him comfort and you won't betray that just because your body likes the way he touches it. "When I lived with my brother, he would go out on dates every weekend and sometimes I would spend the whole time he was at drinks in the tub. Just me and my candles and bubbles and wine with a good book."

“You should have the same type of tradition.” Javi decides. “There is so much stress and pressure with this role. A bath with wine and a book every evening before you sleep would do wonders.” Even though he has been so frazzled and heartbroken today, he feels safe, warm. If it wasn’t inappropriate, he would ask to kiss you again.

“And what will you do to unwind from your days?” Without realizing it, your fingers have found his curls and are toying with a few strands absently. “I know your days will be more stressful than mine, querido.”

“Perhaps, at times, you would allow me to join you?” He asks, “or I could watch a movie.”

“You may join me whenever you like.” It was what you wanted to suggest, but thought that it might be a little too forward for day two - and especially under the circumstances. But because he asked, you smile. “It sounds like a very sweet way to unwind from our days.”

“I wondered if father joined her.” He admits, wishing he had talked more to his parents when he had them. Learned to look beyond the stern facade.

“Would you like to think that he did?” It isn’t exactly hard to figure out that Javi is a romantic, and if it soothes him to think of his parents in love then you will encourage that fully.

"I think he probably did." Javi admits quietly, "when he wasn't working later or holding a meeting. My mother...she was my father's confidant." He might have told you this already, he couldn't remember, but it was helping the ache in his heart to remember the good things about the sometimes austere people who had tried their best to prepare him for a life of service to the peoples of the Balearic Isles. "He told me to choose one person to confide in. To give them my doubts and fears, to be vulnerable with."

“Do you…really want it to be me?” He had told his father that he did, and so far you know Javi to be an honest man. But to give comfort to a dying man is never a cruel lie even if it isn’t the whole truth. “It’s okay if you don’t, querido. If you have a best friend that already keeps all your secrets or something like that. I would not feel that you think less of me.”

“My entire life, all I have ever wanted was for someone to accept me as I am. To just…love me.” His voice catches slightly as he confesses this to you, the low light of the small bedside lamp not bright enough to chase away the shadows around the room, just illuminating one side of the bed where you both are curled together. “While you don’t love me, you do accept me. If we are lucky, love will come, as it did for my parents.”

“I do love you.” And you will say it as many times as you need to. As many times as he needs to believe it. “I didn’t know it could happen so quickly, but I meant what I said at dinner, querido. It began right away.”

His eyes close slightly. “I hope you stay in love.”

“We have known each other two days, Javi.” Carefully your hand tilts his chin up to make him look at you. “And I already can’t imagine being anywhere else, or with anyone else.”

He smiles softly, nodding as he listens to you. “You are amazing, you know this?” He asks.

“If you say so.” You certainly aren’t going to discourage him from thinking that if he wants to, and there’s a slight burn of warmth in your cheeks from the way he’s looking at you. “I’m just being honest.”

"I will have to tell you that you are good for me." He murmurs softly. "My parents were right."

"Sometimes they do know what is best for us." Although you would never admit it to your own father - there is no way you want to know what what 'I told you so' speech would be like. "And maybe we're both just enough like our mothers. They were best friends, after all."

“I wish that they had allowed us to know each other.” The age difference is the reason, but he would have liked to know what you were like as a younger woman.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know." A small grin cracks your lips and you press a kiss to his hair. "Or you can wait until my older brother gets here and ask him. I'm sure Seb will be more than happy to tell you all of my embarrassing stories."

“Did you have a favorite stuffed animal, when you were a child?” He asks, wanting to keep away from heavy topics, keeping the mood light.

"I did, but it's...a little weird," you admit with a small grin. "I had a stuffed llama that was made out of llama wool." When he quirks his head curiously you laugh and shrug in return. "My parents took us to a petting zoo when Seb and I were little. I think we were maybe five or six? But I could not get over the llamas. They were so big and soft and friendly and they were my favourite thing ever. So my mother bought me a stuffed animal from the gift shop before we left that day."

“Llamas.” He smiles as he imagines it. “That is cute. I used to have a panda bear.” His panda had been with him for year, it was probably still somewhere.

"I can see that." He's snuggly like you always imagined panda bears would be. "Bears are a classic choice, no matter what kind of bear it is. Perfect to cuddle."

“Yes.” He’s making a mental note of your favorite stuffed animal, thinking of it for the future. “I always felt safe holding my panda. His name was Pedro.”

"That's adorable." Now all you can think of is whether or not he still has that panda - or what he would think of having a similar stuffed bear on hand for one of your kids someday. Nope. Far too early for thoughts like that. "My llama was Lily. All the 'l' sounds would make me giggle."

“Lily the Llama.” He hums happily. “That is adorable.”

"Lily the Llama is pretty on par with Pedro the Panda," you point out, relishing the small smile on his face. Anything that makes him smile is exceptionally worthwhile.

“Perhaps.” He chuckles and shakes his head against your shoulder. “I was thinking that perhaps when we have kids we should have a stuffed llama for them.”

"I thought of having a panda for them." The fact that you both thought it independently makes you smile, and you hug him close in your arms. "I suppose we'll have to do both, then."

“I could see that.” Javi smiles. “Our children would have both stuffed animals. Their own petting zoo.”

“If we made them a little zoo, I’m certain they would choose favorites.” The image is sweet, making you wonder how much he’s even thought about his future children beyond the fact that he would have to have some. “I can imagine visiting dignitaries arriving with stuffed versions of their country’s most popular animals.”

"It is customary to give gifts to the prince and princess," he admits. "Especially when younger. The last time I was in London, I brought them some of our blown glass whistles. Very popular."

“I have one,” you admit quietly, rubbing your hand up and down his back in soothing strokes. “It was part of one of the birthday gifts your mother sent when I was little. It’s exceptionally beautiful.”

"That is good." He smiles softly at the idea of his mother sending you gifts. "They are precious to me. The craftsman work that goes into one is amazing. I have toured one of the factories. Did you know that they still handcraft every whistle?"

“Maybe we could include one in the favours for our wedding?” Knowing that a small set of items will be given to every single guest as a favour at your wedding reception, the idea to make them all local and lovingly crafted items sounds beautiful. “We could choose items made by artists rather than larger companies? As a way to celebrate the people.”

“That would be wonderful idea.” Javi thinks that it’s wonderful that you would include something so centric to the economy for his country. “We can find lots of local crafts to include.”

“I think that would be nice. Paying tribute to the people.” The urge to lean down and kiss him is nearly overwhelming, but you resist. The last thing you want to do is make him uncomfortable or feel pressured.

“It will be a wedding for the people.” He muses softly. “We will have to have dignitaries there, but I would like to hire as many of our people as possible to staff the wedding.”

“It will be an expensive day, and all of that money should go right back into our economy.” You could not agree more, and the fact that he is so determined about it makes you smile. “Local foods, local suppliers, local goods. All of it.”

“Yes!” His eyes light up and he beams at the idea. “Show the world what the Balearic Islands can give through trade.” It’s not exactly romantic, but he is king now.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” The urge is there again, especially with how he beams at you, but you resist just long enough to get your heartbeat under control and kiss his forehead instead. It’s a small gesture of affection but it does the trick. For now.

He needs to be close to you, he is, but it’s not enough. Turning his head up, Javi shuffles up onto his elbow and looks down at you. “Can I kiss you?” He asks quietly.

“I—of course.” It doesn’t surprise you that he would ask, but it surprises you that he would want to tonight. You won’t question it, though, both from wanting to offer him comfort and desperately wanting to kiss him again. “You don’t have to ask.”

“I don’t— I just want to kiss you.” He promises, leaning in and wanting to find comfort in the way that his emotions are already starting to grow even more. Despite the loss of his father; he isn’t alone.

"We don't have to do anything you're not ready for." You can promise him that wholeheartedly, although you know for damn sure that you'll be falling asleep with an aching cunt tonight. It doesn't matter. This is about his comfort and his feeling secure more than it is necessarily about desire. "But I don't think I'll ever say no to a kiss."

“I just— I didn’t want you to think I was using my father’s death as an— an excuse.” He tells you. “Some men would do that.”

“There is nothing wrong with seeking comfort, or even in giving yourself permission to forget for a few minutes to cope.” Having watched plenty of family and friends lose people closest to them, you have seen how pleasure can numb pain. It isn’t the worst coping mechanism in the world, even if some people look down on it. “I don’t think you’re being sneaky, querido.”

“I just— I wanted you to know.” He doesn’t know why it’s important for him to tell you that, but it is. Making him relax even more as he reaches up and caresses your cheek. “I never want to lose your trust.”

"Then let's keep being honest with each other." Your fingers brush his curls out of his eyes and you soften instantly. He really has the most beautiful eyes...

The kiss is gentle, slow. Nothing to indicate passion, it’s just a melding of your mouths. His hands stay put, not drifting as his mind blanks of everything but kissing you.

Deciding that the most respectful thing you can do is follow his lead, you have to repeatedly remind your hands to stay where they are, and keep the level of passion you're showing in check because what you're feeling is just so much more. There will be more time. This is only your second night together. You have the rest of your lives..

He relaxes into the kiss and sighs softly. Eyes closed and slowly taking the kiss for every small moment and absorbing it. It's natural. Languid and exploratory without pushing at any boundaries. His hand doesn't move from your waist and yours stays on his arm, like as long as you keep to those rules then you can keep yourselves in line. He doesn’t know how long he kisses you. Minutes, hours. It could be days that have passed while he breathes you in and gives you his own breath. Slowly and softly kissing you like nothing else exists.

Everything else has faded. The stress of the day is muted well into the background and the only thought making its way to the front of your mind is how sweet he tastes. How gentle he is. How desperately right it feels to be pulled tight against him in bed together. By the time the two of you separate you feel dizzy, and fuzzy around the edges in the very best way.

“Thank you.” The gratitude is whispered, a smile accompanying it as the first sense of peace really settles into his tired body. “For being here. For standing beside me.” He shuffles to settle down against you again. “With you here, I feel as if we are going to be an unstoppable team.”

******

The king is still wrapped in your arms the next morning, sleeping with his head on your shoulder and his own arm snuggly around your waist when Flores comes into the room to open your curtains and wake you to dress for breakfast. The sight of the king in your bed with you is not one she had expected for some time, but you both look so contented that she cannot help smiling. Quickly and quietly, Flores hustles over to the next room to let the king’s valet know where he spent the night, and to make a gentle suggestion — that perhaps after the trials of yesterday and the comforts of last night, you should be allowed breakfast on trays in bed together.

The door opening softly again this time stirs Javi. He had been dreaming of his father, sitting in the study while looking hale and whole, praising his son for the decisions he was making. Feeling so real that his heart is overjoyed, he opens his eyes to find Flores coming into the room again, a soft smile on her face.

“Good morning, your Majesty.” She curtsies deeply as she directs a small silver service cart into the room and parks it beside your nightstand. “We took the liberty of bringing your meal to you instead of laying it in the breakfast room,” she murmurs, noting the details of the room as she goes. You are still wearing your pajamas and the room has no scent beyond flowers, so she tucks that thought away entirely. “I will return in half an hour to dress the princess and your valet will have your schedule for you in your rooms.”

“Thank you, Flores.” You are still sleeping and he bites his lip before looking at her again. “Make it forty five minutes.” He decides, wanting to wake you up slowly.

“Yes, your Majesty.” With another nod and deep curtsy, Flores backs out of the room to slip off and attend to other business. There is plenty of it, after all.

Once alone again, he turns back towards you, struck again by how sweet you look. Sleep giving you an innocence that could not be described beyond beautiful and yet it takes his breath away. The back of his fingers brush your cheek gently and he caresses your neck. “Princess?” He coos softly, smiling when your mouth twitches slightly in sleep.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” you mumble sleepily, the title being still so foreign to you. Sleep has glued your eyes shut but you force them to open just for the view of Javi you know you will get. And when you do, you sigh audibly. “Morning, handsome.”

“Wait until the title is ‘Queen’.” He hums as he leans in to nuzzle his nose against yours. “I have a question to ask you.”

“Anything.” Even still half asleep, you know you’ll grant him anything, and he’s so warm and soft beside you that it still feels like you’re dreaming.

“I have dreamed of a Princess my entire life.” He admits softly. “Imagined the perfect woman to stand by my side and even then, I could never have imagined how perfect you would be.” Your eyes are soft, slightly watery as he speaks. “It is not the romantic dinner I had imagined, but I do not want to wait.” Your full name comes out softly. “Will you marry me and become the next queen of the Balearican Isles?”

“Querido…” Tears are unexpected this morning, but it’s such a sweet and gentle moment that you can’t help the few that escape the corners of your eyes as you nod eagerly and surge forward to kiss him. “I will.” The words swell in your chest and practically have you giggling against his lips. “Yes—I—I love you, Javi.”

“I love you.” He promises, unsure of how this happened so quickly, but it seems right, as if it was meant to be. “We will have a long and happy life together.”

______

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