#michael italiano oneshot
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Quite miss home - Michael Italiano x fem!reader
Masterlist
Summary: A lifetime of friendship also meant a lifetime not being something else. It also means a lifetime missing each other, until they decided to just stop and give it a try.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!reader
Warnings: Oh the sadness and the angst. Also swearing and tears.
Word count: 5.2k
A/N: I’m obsessed with writing childhood friends to lovers oneshots? Yes. I’m planning to stop? Nah. Just bare with me, kiddos. Hope you like it.
Quite miss home.
To say she ran to him as she saw him waiting at the airport was an understatement. To say she spent her good five minutes hugging him was another one understatement. And to say she could have stayed there in the middle of the airport, with her arms around his neck and her feet in the air was nothing but pure truth. She even left her bags forgotten on the floor besides them, but she couldn't care less about it. Her tote bags, her carry-on and the small bag right over it were on the floor in a second, but it wasn't as important as Michael. Nothing was as important as him at that moment. Not in the airport, not in UK and not even in the world.
She thought at some point she'd get used to Michael being far away and seeing him counted days in the whole year, but it wasn't the case. Not even after not seeing him for two years straight made her get used to the distance. So after four months since the last time they saw each other, she couldn't help but throw herself into his arms, whispering in his ear that she missed him more than anything in the world.
It wasn't a lie. It really wasn't a lie, but she didn't get the courage to say why she missed his best friend so much. She had been trying to find the courage since she was a teenager, but it never happened so she just kissed his cheek and murmured a little 'Ciao, cara mia’ while she found once again the strength to not kiss his lips that were just inches from hers. And she really had to keep it together as Michael kissed her nose and murmured another ‘Ciao Bella’ before he finally put her down on the floor.
But they never let go of each other, not even when she was finally standing on her own two feet and carrying her bags. While her tote bag was on her right shoulder, her left arm was around his waist, and while Michael took care of her carry-on, his right arm was over her shoulders, keeping her as close as possible. That's how things were. That's how things always have been since they were kids. Since she met Michael at school when they were just nine years old, they have somehow turned inseparable and it never really changed. Not in High school, not in university, and not even later.
The only thing that really put them apart was Michael moving to Europe, which was nothing but unfortunate for her immense crush on him. It was unfortunate and it also broke her heart, but he never knew and she never blamed him. But she blamed herself for it. For twenty two long years she had more than one chance to tell him. Damn, she could have told him every single day since they met, but then she thought about losing him, and throwing the idea out of the windows sounded more logical.
She wasn't going to let a silly crush ruin her friendship with her best friend, so every single time she decided to bit her tongue and act like there wasn't butterflies in her stomach when his skin touched her, when he smiled at her or when his face was centimeters away from hers like it was that day at the airport.
But the butterflies never went away, especially not when he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers on the back of the taxi and during the whole ride from the airport to his place, or when he kissed her knuckles from time to time as they talked while she looked at the city through the windows. It all just got worse with time. Michael made it worse by existing. He made the butterflies make an absolutely disaster inside her. He made her brain get all dizzy. He made her heart race so fast that it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest, like in some cartoon that they used to watch when they were kids. He made her feel so much love that sometimes she had no idea how she would ever get over it. She really had no idea how she was ever going to get over him.
It was worse when they finally reached his apartment. As soon as they left her things by the door, his arms were around her again. But this time he didn't pick her up like in the airport; this time she just rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of just being there with her favorite person. She just enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms after months of missing every single thing about him, from the way he smelled to the way he felt and the way he would kiss her head and stroked her hair in their hug.
It was in those little moments when she would wonder if maybe she could have a chance. In those little moments when she would feel Michael smile against her head and squeeze her a bit tighter, just because, that was when she couldn't help but wonder if one day they could be something else. But then she wanted to slap herself in the back of her head, breaking her own heart again, remembering that if nothing happened in twenty-two years, then nothing was going to happen. No when they had chance after chance after chance to cross that barrier.
'You're lucky he's still your best friend' was what she whispered to herself time after time, and every single one of those times, she held onto him a bit tighter, until two handfuls of his shirt didn't seem to be enough. A kiss on his chest didn't seem enough, but that's all they got to do before Michael broke their little silent encounter, saying that he was sure she wanted to take a shower. 'That's the first thing you always do after a flight, so go on,' he insisted, but she didn't answer. She wanted, God, she needed to after all those hours of traveling, but she didn't want to let him go. And almost as if he could read her mind, Michael took her hand, made her follow him to his bedroom as he dropped an 'I'm making us lunch while you get in there, so don't be in there forever'. Of course he knew about the showers after trips. Of course he knew about her taking forever in the shower. He always knew. After two decades and too many travels together, he knew how she hated to smell like airports and planes. After two decades of being in each other's homes until it felt like their own home, he knew about her bad habit. Michael knew everything except the only thing he should know.
With a kiss on the forehead, Michael left her in his room for a second as he went to grab her stuff and brought them to her. She knew better than to say no to coach Michael, so she nodded, letting him give her everything she might need for the shower even when she knew perfectly fine where things were around his apartment. She said yes to everything Michael told her, even if it was the same words he would say every single time she was there. Normally she would tell him that she knew, but it has been so long since the last time she was there that maybe Michael was right on repeating them. It was so long that maybe he changed the towels to another place, or his shirts were in another drawer. Thanks to the pandemic and lockdowns and restrictions, she hasn't been there since 2019, so it was somehow nice to know it was all in the same place.
Normally she would hate to admit when Michael was right, but this time she had to admit she needed that shower. It wasn't about feeling dirty after such a trip, but more about the fact that she needed a second to put herself back together. She needed a second to breath something that wasn't his perfume, even if it was impossible considering she decided to use his things in the shower instead of hers. Her excuse was being too lazy to look for them, but in reality, she just loved smelling like him. She loved it, and she always saw how Michael smiled as he smelled it, too. She always thought Michael found it funny, but she always wished there was another reason behind that smile.
What she also wished for was to stop thinking about him for a damn second. She knew it was impossible because it was his place, but she couldn't take him out of her head. Even under the water all she could think about was how amazing it would be if somehow Michael walked through the door and joined her, but clearly, he didn't. There was no way on earth he would do such a thing, just like there was no way she would like her.
With a mix between disappointment and sadness, she walked out of the shower, put on the shirt that she stole from his closet, and went straight to the bedroom. The idea was to lay down for a minute and then go back to the kitchen with Michael, but as her body touched the bed, her brain started again. This time she couldn't help but wonder the same thing as in the shower, asking herself how it would be if suddenly Michael joined her there even if just for a minute.
Maybe the planets aligned. Maybe every single one of her wishes was finally heard. Maybe that was her lucky day because unlike in the shower, this time Michael did walk into the bedroom and sat down right beside her, looking down at her with a tiny smile on his face. He looked so happy and so handsome that he took her breath away and left her tongue-tied. She had no idea what to do or say, so the only thing she did was raise her right hand to touch his cheek as she smile back at him.
They were always close. They never really knew what personal space was. Maybe it was the fact that kids normally don't know what that is and they grew up playing and hugging and just laying over each other. Maybe it was the fact that they held each other in all the bad and good moments of their lives. Maybe it was the fact that their love language was somehow touching each other, even if just for a second. But whatever the reason was, that day, it felt different.
Michael kissing her hand and stroking her cheek felt different, but what felt especially different was the way he laid down and placed his face on the crock of her neck. He didn't say a thing to her; he just did it, and she couldn't help but hold him as close as possible. She hugged him, running her fingers through his short hair and tracing lines all over his back like she'd done hundreds of times before.
The other thing that was different was his hands around her body. Hugging wasn't weird for them, but when his left hand went under her shirt to stay in her lower back, and especially when his right hand went to her hips, she left the goosebumps appearing because it was different. It felt like Michael didn't care about the fact that his hand was resting over the material of her panties as his thumb stroked her skin. It seemed like he didn't really care she was wearing just her panties and one of his shirts. And if Michael didn't care, she didn't either. In fact, she couldn't be happier about it. She couldn't be hornier about it. The fact that she could feel him breathing against her neck was killing her. The sensation of his hands over her body and how amazing it felt against her was a beautiful torture. How incredibly good he smelled wasn't helping either, so it turned her into a big, horny disaster.
Like in the bathroom, she asked her lucky stars to make Michael do something more than that. Maybe it was to ask too much from the universe, but having him on top of her, their bodies pressed together and his arms firmly around her wasn't enough. She needed more. She needed something that would give her the courage she needed to open her mouth to say she wanted him like that every single night.
She was supposed to tell him during that trip. She promised herself she was finally going to have the courage to tell him because she needed to. But not even in that moment did she have the heart and the courage needed to ruin that friendship. No after twenty-two years. No after having Michael as one of the only constants in her life. No when she spent most of her life with him by her side. And especially no when she didn't even remember what life was like without him.
She had to learn by force to live without him by her side and to see him through a screen, but he was always there. He was always a text or a phone away. He was always going to be there for Christmas. That's why the idea of spending a lifetime without him at all was way scarier than spending a life not being able to love him from close. She could learn to deal with the fact that he was never going to be hers, but not with him not being her anything. That's why she settled for being his friend when she wanted them to be all that and more. That's why she settled with giving him a kiss on his forehead when all she wanted to do was kiss his whole face and end up in his lips.
That's why she did nothing when she wanted to do everything to him. That's why she did nothing when she wanted to do everything for him.
That's why she had to let him go when Michael murmured against her neck that lunch was ready and getting cold.
Things didn't get any easier after their little cuddle session in bed. It didn't get easier to be around him during or even after lunch. They talked about their families, jobs, friends and plans as if they didn't text every single day. They chatted about how she was still visiting his grandma and how she was still learning Italian with her. They talked about the new guys at her work and how they were two idiots who thought Formula 1 wasn't a sport for women. They talked about what they were going to do in those two weeks, she was going to be there and they started making plans for the Holidays and January. They talked about everything except why they ended up cuddling in bed, so she decided that not asking was going to be better for them and their relationship. All she did was stroke his cheek as she thanked him for making lunch, insisting that it was awesome, but that it especially tasted like home.
After a little discussion about who was gonna clean the dishes -and Michael dragging her away from the sink, which ended with his hands right under her shirt again- that ended with both of them splashing water to each other as they laughed till their bellies hurt, then came nap time. It wasn't his nap time; it was her nap time. The shower, plus having her stomach full and finally be relaxed made her start to yawn before Michael even finished cleaning the kitchen. She was too exhausted after the trip and not being able to sleep for more than a couple of hours, so she decided to take a little nap. The thing was that she decided to take it on the couch right besides Michael. She could have taken the big empty bed in the bedroom, but she didn't want to, saying she didn't want to sleep on her own. She wanted to stay with him, so she decided to lay right beside him as Michael worked on his computer.
It took her no time to fall asleep. It took her no time when she was hugging Michael and he was kissing her forehead from time to time as he read whatever he was reading on the screen. It wasn't hard when she was the comfiest she had been in months. But the particular thing wasn't how easy she felt asleep, but the way she woke up. She had no idea how much she slept since her phone was forgotten somewhere in the kitchen, but she couldn't care less. No when Michael somehow fell asleep too.
When she woke up Michael was asleep, his right hand wrapped around her shoulders, but his left hand resting right over her ass. She could have moved. She knew she needed to move, but instead she played asleep again, waiting for Michael to wake up again. Instead of moving away, she snuggled closer to him, hiding her face on his neck in the exact same way he did earlier with her. In that moment she started to wonder how the hell she was going to be able to sleep under the same roof, knowing that he was going to be so close yet so far.
The deal was as simple as her crushing on his couch for the two weeks she was going to spend there. She wasn't going to rent an Airbnb as long as he was sleeping in his bed and she was staying on the couch, without any insistence on switching places or anything at all. It was as easy as insisting that she fit perfectly on the couch, but that not even his legs would fit there. Even during their facetime call she could see the frown on his face as he accepted the deal, not happy at all knowing she was probably going to be more than uncomfortable. That was the thing with Michael since they were kids, he'd rather sleep on a wet floor if it meant seeing she was comfortable. He would do anything at all if that would put a smile on her face and that was one of the reasons why she loved him so damn much. That and the fact that she was absolutely in love with him since she was 16 and she started to really understand what really being in love was. That's why, at the beginning their deal sounded cool, but now just to think about two weeks of spending every single hour with him made her want to explode.
That was their deal, but now she was absolutely regretting not making a joke about them sharing the bed, just to see his reaction and his answer. But none of that really mattered at that moment. Everything could be fixed later, but what couldn't be fixed -or at least not there- was how terrible horny she was again. Their legs were tangled, making them a mess of limbs that made Michael end with one of his legs between hers, and she couldn't stop thinking about easy it could be to ride it right there. Their chests were together and she was sure Michael was going to be able to see through her shirt how hard her nipples were. Damn, she was sure that if he paid attention, he was going to be able to heard her heart racing inside her chest.
It was when she heard the first thunder that she decided that she didn't care anymore. It was when she heard the first drops of rain outside that she decided that if something was gonna happen then she was gonna let it happen. She wasn't going to push it, or that she promised to herself. But promises could be broken, and she did break hers.
She tried to resist the temptation. She tried to be good. She tried to act like a normal friend, but her face was resting against his neck. Her lips were almost touching his skin. He was so damn close and he felt amazing and he smelled so good that it was intoxicating. Maybe she really did get intoxicated; that's why she decided to press one almost imperceptible kiss against his neck.
If everything went to hell after that, at least she would die with the memory of being able to kiss his neck once, which was more than she thought she would ever do. She could live and die with the beautiful memory of how good and right it felt to kiss his skin, and even if it was wrong, it felt absolutely right. She had no idea why she thought it was a smart choice. She thought that maybe he wasn't going to wake up. She even thought that she could go away with it, but she didn't.
Her heart stopped and skipped a beat when she felt Michael moving after she did it. For a moment she thought that she absolutely fucked it up and that he was going to run away, but he didn't. She thought that Michael was going to ask what the hell was she doing, but he didn't. Instead, he hugged her tighter, letting a little and almost silent whimper leave his lips.
"We'll have to reschedule dinner out. Its looks like Noe's arc is about to pass around the corner at any time" she whispered, in desperate need to act like nothing really happened. Maybe he was asleep. Maybe he didn't feel the kiss. Maybe she didn't ruin their friendship for a stupid idea.
"You'll be here two weeks, Buttercup. We can go to have dinner any other night" he whispered in his sleepy voice, which didn't really help to how she was already feeling. Neither did the kiss he gave her on her forehead. "I'll make dinner, don't worry"
"Tell me you've ice cream for dessert or I'll be sad"
"Why would I have ice cream?" he asked in the most serious tone, making her doubt for a second. He always had ice cream when she was around. He always made sure to have the stuff she liked when she came to visit, but maybe this time was an exception. "I'm joking. I got all your favorite stuff"
It was her turn to go move to slap his chest. She has been doing it since they were fourteen. The first time it happened was when he told her a terribly bad joke and she laughed because it was funny. but she also slapped him, making Michael give her his best puppy eyes as he said he was sorry. After that moment, the really bad jokes were responded with that playful slap, but this time this was different too. As soon as her hand rested against his chest, Michael grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing one by one her knuckles. And just when he was done, he rested their joined hands against his chest, not letting her hand go off hiss.
"Thanks Mikey"
"There's nothing to thanks" he insisted, kissing her temple before he kept talking. "Hey, remember our lunches when we were kids?"
And how she could ever forget. "I do. Your mom used to put Reese's buttercups for dessert every Friday. That's when you started to call me Buttercup" she smiled, thinking about those memories, feeling like somehow it happened yesterday and not over two decades ago. She remembered perfectly little Michael sitting right beside her, talking about how he was going to play some sport over the weekend, all while she talked about her plans to go to some museum. The funny thing was how, over two decades later, things were still the same. She loved museums, he loved sports, and they still loved to have lunch together.
"And for your obsession with Powepuff girls" he pointed out, covering her forehead with tender kisses. But her favorite thing was probably how his hands were still in the same place as they were when she woke up. He was still stroking her lower back and her ass. He was moving his fingers over her back and her leg like it was absolutely nothing. He was holding up like they were supposed to be there and maybe they were. "Then somehow it turned into Bella thanks to Nana and your obsession with learning Italian"
"E ho imparato l'italiano, sole mio" she stated, finally moving from her safe place to kiss his cheek while a cheeky grin was drawn on her face.
"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that. Also I gotta admit something" he whispered, making her finally move to look at him. "I had the buttercups for you. One of the first days of classes they asked our favorite candy, you said buttercups. After that I told mom to put 'em on my lunch so I would've something to share with you. They were never really for me"
"You did that for me?" she asked, feeling her cheeks turning warm and red. There was no way he would have done that. They were nine. They were kids. They were kids and she couldn't really believe such a thing, but then she looked at Michael and there was the answer written all over his face. It was fucking true.
"You were the prettiest girl in the whole damn universe and somehow heaven sent you to sit right next to me. I couldn't lose my chance. Especially not after you called me Mikey and your cheeks turned red. Just like now"
She hated the fact that Michael took his hand away from her leg, but she loved that he did it to touch her face. He touched her cheek so carefully that it looked as if he felt like she was going to break at any second. He stroked her red cheek with fingers, and she had no other chance but to take a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Nobody called you Mikey and I don't know why I did it. Nobody calls you like that" she whispered, playing with the material of his black T-shirt to focus on something that wasn't his face so close to hers.
"Nobody but you, Buttercup" Michael murmured, looking straight into her eyes, with a beautiful little smirk on his face as his nickname for her slipped through his lips.
Twenty years and that silly little word still made her feel like a nine-year-old girl.
But what also made her feel like that little girl was the way he was looking at her, which was making her feel too nervous for her own good. "Don't look at me like that" she practically begged, closing her eyes to avoid his, even if just for a second.
"Like what?". She didn't know what to say. She had no idea how to respond. 'Don't look at me like you like me'. 'Don't look at me like I'm pretty'. 'Don't look at me like you'd like to kiss me'. There were too many options, but nothing seemed good enough to explain it. There were no words to explain the way he was looking at her as if she was everything to him. There was no way to say it the right way. There were no words she could use that would be enough. And even if she found those words, they got lost somewhere else when Michael spoke again. "I miss you"
She wanted to giggle at the comment, but all she did was smile. A little smirk appeared on her face as she heard those words, because that was the closest they had been in months, but there was Michael saying that when she less needed it. "I'm right here"
"I don't mean now. I mean when you're not around. I really miss you". It was a whisper against her forehead. It was just a couple of words, but it gave her goosebumps. It made the knot in her stomach just grow bigger, especially when she remembered how it was going to be over before they even realized it.
"Don't tell me that. I've to go back home at some point and how I'm supposed to have the heart to do it?"
"Then don't" he affirmed, and she knew him well enough to know there was not a single sign of doubt in his words. But she got too distracted by his lips on her forehead, moving from there to there to her temple and oh-so-slowly going down to her cheek. "There's enough room for both of us here. I know there's only one room but that never stopped us. We could make it work. Besides I'm not here much"
And that was the problem. That was what hurt. That was one of the things that haunted her and stopped her from doing anything was that he wasn't around and the eternal doubt of how they could make it work. But even with that against them, there's nothing she wanted more than to stay. "I don't wanna go. I really don't want to"
"Then stay. Baby look at me" he begged, and she couldn't do anything but do as he asked and look at him again. But maybe it was a mistake, because there he was, even closer than before, with his lips almost touching hers. "I really mean it. We can really give this a try. I want us to give it a try. Tell me you don't think about this. Tell me you never thought about us"
Just like she had no idea how she handled his lips against her neck, or his hands all over her body, she had no idea how she was resisting that. She had no idea how she was resisting his lips ghosting over hers as they were breathing the same air. But maybe she was resting in the same way that she did it for over two long decades.
"I do, but we shouldn't. We've been friends for 22 years and if someone goes wrong I just- I don't wanna lose you. I can't lose you, Mike" she explained, taking a deep breath as she tried to get rid of the knot that now was also attacking her throat. The simple thought of losing him just hurt too much. It has always hurt, but now that it was possible, it was just worse. It was just so bad that her heart ached.
"We can make a promise that we won't push each other away no matter what. We can sign a contract if you want. I'll do anything but just please kiss me, baby" Michael begged once, looking straight at her eyes as he did it.
She wasn't thinking when her left hand went straight to the side of his neck. She wasn't thinking either, when her right hand went to his waist, sneaking under his shirt without permission. She didn't need permission for any of it and they were going to have to talk after it, but she couldn't care less.
And after two decades waiting and wanting to kiss Michael, she finally got to do it.
And damn, it was worth the wait.
#michael italiano#michael italiano imagine#f1#f1 imagine#f1 oneshot#michael italiano oneshot#formula one#formula one imagine#formula 1#formula 1 imagine#formula one oneshot#formula 1 oneshot
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So it goes: Chapter 33 - MI x OC
Masterlist
Summary: A new apartment and shit ton of Christmas decorations might be a lot but it's nothing they can't handle, especially when they had handled way worse things.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Fluff all over the place.
Word count: 8.2k
A/N: HELLO KIDS. Its been forever and I’m SO sorry but life has been insane. Hope you’re all doing great and the new year is treating you alright. I know someone told me at some point they wanted to see M&M living in a new apartment and all that, so here you are. There’s so other news in the chapter, so I hope u like it. ANYWAY I’ll really try post more often lol Love you and see u soon!
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Chapter 33 - Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
The first time Michael mentioned the idea of looking for a new apartment they were in Austin. It was just one of those regular nights where Maggie would snuggle extra close to him just because the bed felt somehow too big and sleeping practically over him felt way better. She was happy, heaven knew she was nothing but happy. They were in Austin, Michael had a constant smile on his face thanks to being in one of his favorite places in the world, Olivia was nothing but an excited thing because she absolutely loved horses and her whole family was just at peace there. Between live music, brisket and laughs, everything seemed to be alright at least for a while.
Plus, Maggie and Michael were still in their little cloud of love, excitement, and happiness about being engaged. Even when they still had zero ideas or plans for their wedding, Maggie was happy and still tearing up every single time she looked at the beautiful engagement ring in her hand. She was still trying to process the fact that she was marrying the love of her life at some point in the next year and that was everything she needed to have a smile on her face.
Michael mentioning it wouldn’t be bad to start looking for a bigger place made that smile even bigger. After finishing her cup of tea, Maggie was holding her Kindle with one hand while playing with Michael’s hair with the other one. Meanwhile, Michael was doing more of the same, just reading one of his books while resting his head against Maggie’s chest, using her as a pillow. When Michael left his Kindle on the side and turned around to hug her, Maggie thought he was already too sleepy and ready to call it a day and sleep, but she was nothing but wrong. Breaking the silence of the room, he just threw a soft ‘We could move to a bigger apartment next year’ while he looked up at her as if he said the most casual thing in the world. He said the most casual thing in the world, but Maggie felt like her heart grew a hundred times bigger while hearing those words.
They didn’t mention it again until they were back in London after the race in Austin. Maggie was just sitting on the couch, her favorite blanket wrapped around her shoulders like a cape as she was focused on her tablet, drawing what was supposed to be one of Michael’s Christmas presents. She was still playing around with ideas and colors, trying to decide on the final concept and design for it. She knew it was October and she still had time, but she was starting to get irritated with herself. She had other stuff to do. She had too many things to do. She needed to finish some things for Michael’s website and Instagram, not even mention she still had to finish a bunch of things for his new app, so Maggie was stressed.
Normally Jas was the one in charge of that, working with him for as long as they have met each other, but one day they decided to pass it to Maggie. Jas insisted for centuries, saying it was going to be way more logical if Maggie did it, but every single time the youngest sister refused. Jas repeated time after time that Maggie could do exactly as she did or even better, and Michael insisted it was gonna be just fine, but Maggie just dodged the bullet time after time. It was too much pressure, and she was terrified of fucking it up, so she said no, but once Olivia was born things changed. Jas had too much between a husband driving a shitty car every weekend, a newborn baby, a sister with love problems, Daniel’s collections, and life in general so as soon as Maggie and Michael were on normal terms again, she passed the crown to her sister.
Maggie couldn't say working with Michael wasn’t fun. Damn, it was more than fun, but the problem was the pressure she put on herself. She needed it to be perfect, and even when her boyfriend promised it was all perfect, she would still look for things to correct. She was always a perfectionist, but it was worse when it was for Michael. That’s why that gloomy afternoon in London, she ended up yelling that she needed a desk. She knew it was the stress talking. She didn’t need one to work, especially considering she would normally rather be on the couch than on a chair, but that day she was just stressed. Her back was hurting after hours working, her wrist was bothering her, her feet and hands were cold, and the goddamn neighbors were renovating their apartment upstairs and it felt like they were demolishing the whole building, so she was a mess. It took Michael a warm cup of tea, a back massage, a pair of her warmest socks, some music, and taking her tablet away ‘for at least one hour’ to calm her down. But all that came also with a hug that turned into some much-needed snuggles and a promise of starting to look for a new place with enough place for a desk as soon as they came back from Perth, which was thanked with kisses and even more hugs.
After that, jokes came and went with Maggie saying she wanted a piano in their new place simply because she always wanted to learn how to play, Michael blaming Maggie for things not fitting in the closet because of how many shoes and clothes she had, Maggie saying there was not enough space for her mugs thanks to the weird stuff and spices Michael had in the kitchen, Maggie saying again she didn’t want to make Michael choose between his static bike or her and how at some point they would need to find space for a crib for Olivia since she was growing too fast.
The third thing that made them decide to move was Maggie fucking up her wrist. It was something as ridiculously silly as picking up Olivia’s toys from the floor, but Maggie found one behind some of Michael’s weights in the living room, so instead of calling him she decided he could pick it up on her own. The problem wasn’t the weight but the weird position she was in. Trying to stay balanced on just one foot to not step into another of Olivia’s toys, Maggie lost her equilibrium and, to prevent falling to the ground, she tried to hold herself from one of the walls of the living room. She could feel something was wrong with her wrist as soon as she did it, but like always she ignored it thinking it was nothing. She ignored it for a whole day, but the second she had to pick up Olivia, Maggie knew something was not right.
She tried to brush it off, insisting and promising it didn’t hurt that much, but on the second day, Michael just dragged her to see a doctor who, after checkups, an x-ray, and even an MRI, told them her right wrist was a mess. After overworking herself until she was exhausted and after spending most of her waking hours drawing and especially after a lifetime doing it, Maggie’s right wrist was a disaster. To a greater or lesser extent, it was always bothering her, but at some point it just became normal. Except for that time when the pain wasn’t normal and they found out her wrist was fissured. It was just like her left wrist months earlier, but this was worse considering the years of damage. It was way worse considering there was a chance she might need surgery in the future. Michael felt more than guilty when he heard that probably picking up his weights was the reason her wrist finally gave up. He felt terrible knowing he should have taken her to see a doctor months ago, even when Maggie assured him she was fine. He felt awful knowing he should have known better ‘cause it's my job to know and to look after you, Mags’. He felt so damn guilty that the first thing he said after leaving the doctor's office was ‘We really need to move’ as he kissed her forehead while they walked.
But the last thing that made them move was not Maggie’s wrist or any of that, but her present for Michael’s birthday. After the weird kind of terrible year they had, and especially after the terrible couple of months Maggie knew she made Michael go through, she wanted to do something special for his birthday. Damn, after she wasn’t with him his last two birthdays thanks to lockdown, restrictions, work, their time off, and her stupidity, Maggie felt like she should do something huge.
Being a good girlfriend and staying by his side while Michael watched the World cup matches was something she was already planning to do, mind-blowing sex was clearly on the list too, his regular gifts were on the way or wrapped to put inside her suitcase and she swore to finish every single thing that she had to do for his business but she wanted something else. But right after she was about to give up on her plan to find something amazing for Michael, Lily showed up out of nowhere saving her.
After finding the gift, Maggie needed to find the perfect time to give it to Michael. She didn’t want to do it at midnight with a probably half-asleep Michael, she didn’t want to give it to him in the morning when she was probably gonna be half asleep. For some stupid reason, she didn’t want to give it to him with the rest of his gifts after he came from the gym and before they went to have lunch so she waited till after his birthday dinner celebration. She could see in Michael’s eyes how he thought of something completely different when she whispered in his ear that she had another surprise. His hand sneaking and squeezing her ass on the elevator was enough to let her know he was thinking about something different and it made it even funnier. Her main plan was to tell her boyfriend to do whatever he wanted with her until they were an absolute mess who would probably have to crawl all the way to the airport the next day, but as soon as they got to their hotel room, Maggie gave him the other little surprise.
She could see the confusion on his face as she saw Maggie grabbing a green envelope from her carry-on suitcase. Damn, she could even see the panic go through his eyes but then it all went to total confusion as he opened and saw the pictures inside. There was something hilarious about Michael looking at the five Polaroids that he took from inside the envelope. But when he finally asked ‘What’s this, babe? And I know it's a puppy, but what’s going on?’ was when finally Maggie explained it.
It was a normal FaceTime with Lily and her parents that started the idea. It was Lily’s parents’ dogs the ones to blame for having puppies and then it was Lily’s mom the one who started with the joke, asking if Maggie didn’t want one of the puppies. Her first answer was no. There was no way they would have a puppy for hundred reasons, but the most important one was they didn’t have time. They barely had time to go on dates from time to time. Damn, Michael barely had time to take care of Maggie, Daniel, and the rest of the family, so adding another living thing to the equation was a no. But then the camera pointed to a little brown Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with ears longer than its head and something just clicked. That little black button nose and those black eyes shot straight to her heart and Maggie knew she had to do it. Maggie knew how much Michael loved dogs, and she knew how badly he wanted to have one in the future. Damn, even she wanted to have one since she was a kid, but for too many reasons it never happened. But if she was gonna be more time at home the next year, she could take care of the puppy and she felt like she owned Michael after he agreed on bringing Elizabeth to London with them, so it all made sense. Plus, their pets would keep her company when Michael was away, and Lily agreed to look after the puppy and Elizabeth if Michael and Maggie weren’t home, so it made sense.
She could see Michael's eyes opening wider and wider with every part of the explanation and how his smile got bigger every second that passed, but nothing compared to the look on his face when Maggie finally said that if he wanted, that little lady was all theirs. With the huge clear difference between their body sizes, Michael was always extra careful with Maggie. He could lift barbells that weighed the same as Maggie so he could manhandle his girlfriend like nothing, and that night that was the case. Grabbing her as easily as he would carry Olivia with one arm, Michael threw her over the bed, got over her, and covered her face in kisses, repeating again and again and again that he loved her more than anything in the world. Meanwhile, Maggie was a mess of giggles, trying to ask if that mean yes to the puppy thing. Of course it was a yes. It was probably the biggest yes after the day they got engaged, so it was a lot to say. After that, it was just all laughs, kisses, and then clothes flying to the floor. The good thing is Michael loved his birthday present so damn much and he was so happy that he ended up begging Maggie to do whatever he wanted to him, which ended up with Maggie riding him until her legs felt like jelly.
The funny thing was that, even if Lily’s parents promised to look after their new tiny furry baby until they were back and ready to pick her up, Michael couldn’t wait a goddamn week to go pick her up. He couldn’t even wait three days to go, and Maggie couldn’t be happier they didn’t. Their puppy was gorgeous without a doubt, but there was nothing as seeing her huge fiancé laying on the floor with that little thing waving her tail as she was licking Michael’s nose. There was nothing as seeing Michael’s smile and hearing his happy laugh while he played with their new baby. There was nothing as funny and adorable as seeing Michael looking at their puppy sleeping on his chest while he thought about names, insisting that not only should it be perfect but it also should be one that went well with Elizabeth. That’s how they decided to go for Penelope, because like Maggie insisted ‘It's cute and she can also kick us, like Penny in Criminal Minds’.
The one that wasn’t so sure about Penelope was Elizabeth and Maggie felt nothing but terrible about it. From purring and going from her lap to Michael’s, Elizabeth was nothing but a golden ball of fur and love who loved cuddles. She loved to be petted and be around people, but suddenly they walked in with Penelope in Michael’s arms and Elizabeth disappeared under the bed in Aoife and David’s apartment. When she decided to finally come out again, she wouldn’t even pay attention to anyone. She would mind her own business, go eat and play with her toys without paying attention to anyone, especially not Penelope.
When they got home it was way worst and, it broke Maggie’s heart. Since the night Elizabeth meet Michael, every single time he was home she would try to sleep over his chest all while Maggie joked saying she couldn’t blame her because she loved it too, but that it was her place to sleep. Every single night it was the three of them it was the same silly discussion, with Maggie talking to the cat as if she would understand, Elizabeth ignoring Maggie as she purred all happy, and Michael trying to not laugh and convince there was enough space for both of them.
But none of that happened for the three days they spent in Dublin and it was probably worse when they went back to London. For another three days straight, Maggie was nothing but convinced everything they did was a bad idea. Elizabeth was a couch potato and, like any puppy, Penelope was an overexcited ball of fur who just wanted to play with her strange and new roommate. On top of it, they were in a new place for both of them, but while Penelope didn’t seem to care, Elizabeth looked pissed. To say terrible was an understatement. She felt like the worst human being in the world. She felt nothing but guilty about everything. She felt like the worst human being in the world. She felt like the worst mother in the universe, even if her kids were a cat and a dog. It was even worse when Elizabeth would walk past by Penelope and completely ignore her, pretending she wasn’t even in the room. And like every single time, Maggie had no idea what she would have done without Michael. He was the one who insisted she wasn’t bad and that Elizabeth just needed time. He was the one who would pet Elizabeth at the same time as Penelope so they would understand there was enough love for both of them. He was the one who would wake up extra early in the mornings to walk Penelope and who would teach her stuff while Maggie tried to play with Elizabeth and win her love back. He was also the one saying they needed to find an apartment as soon as they went back, not only to have more space for them but also so they could stay apart if she didn’t end up getting along.
But what Maggie wasn’t expecting was to find an apartment that fast. They weren’t planning to move for the next couple of months, but anyway she would look around during her free time. She would also do it because she was convinced it would take them forever to find the perfect one. They knew it was going to be more than hard to find something with a terrace, a decent kitchen for Michael to do his meals to feed a football team, enough space for their things, and on top of that, a place that would allow pets. Their list had too many things and Maggie was convinced they would have to give something up, but they were somehow wrong.
Maggie was convinced it was gonna take them forever to find the perfect one, but one morning she found it. It was a beautiful apartment with a living room full of light, two bedrooms, a big kitchen -big enough for Michael-, a gorgeous bathroom, and a big terrace. The best part was that it was closer to Dan and Jas' apartment, so Maggie fell in love automatically. When she saw it, she sent Michael the link in a text saying ‘If u get it I might share the second room with you but just if u ask nicely’, to which Michael answered with a short ‘Mean’ followed by a heart emoji. They didn’t talk about it for days and Maggie almost forgot it until a Wednesday morning when Michael said he needed Maggie with him to do something later that day. The last thing she was expecting was to go see the same apartment in the afternoon. The last thing she expected was to fall in love with the apartment, which sucked because it wasn’t in their plans to move then. The last thing she also expected was to find out the next day that somehow, Michael talked to the owner and convinced him to rent them the place. She knew a lot of people went to see it before them, she knew they were probably the last ones on the long list of people wanting to rent it, but her bloody smart charming man got it and she was nothing but over the moon.
But even when she was happy and over the moon, she was also stressed as hell. The end of November came with the end of the championship, Daniel signing with Redbull, Jas being stressed as fuck about it, Isaac’s birthday and Michael’s birthday right after, and also Christmas shopping and preparation. On top of that, and right in the middle of all their plans and things to do before they left to finally go to Perth, they had to move. In the middle of all the mess, they had to pack their whole apartment, move and then try to reorganize their new apartment before they left which seemed nothing but impossible.
Michael told her one day that if someone knew how to make something impossible happen it was them. Against all odds they made their relationship work, so somehow after that November and December couldn’t be that bad or hard to deal with. Really it wasn’t that bad and somehow they did it. With help of their friends -which also served as a distraction for Jas- they managed to pack everything in almost no time. But once there were just a couple of boxes left to take, Maggie couldn’t help but tear up as they said goodbye to their old home.
She couldn’t help but cry because even if they needed more space, she was gonna miss that apartment. That was their first little shelter when nobody knew they were together. Those were the walls she missed every single day she was away. That was the place that kept them safe during part of the lockdown. That was the place she dreamed about when they were apart. That was their first home together and there were so many memories there that it hurt to leave even if they love where they were going. But like every single time, Michael was there to clean her tears, kiss the sadness away and hug her so tightly that all the fears would just disappear. Like every single time, Michael was there to whisper the exact words to make her feel better and even put a smile on her face. And between kisses, promises, and reassuring words, he convinced Maggie to take one last picture of them together there. ‘One last pic for the books’ he said because even if they had hundreds and hundreds of pictures, one last of them there wouldn’t hurt, so they did it before closing the door behind their backs.
Once the tears were dried and the boxes were in their place, the new apartment was nothing but a mess. Between furniture that they needed to decide where was gonna go, and things that now needed to find a new place, everything was a little disaster, but it ended up being one of the best nights of her life. They ended up ordering ramen and eating on the couch because the table, the coffee table, and the kitchen island were full of stuff. They listened to music with Maggie’s computer because they were too lazy to look for their collection of vinyls or even plug their record player. The only thing they managed to do was make the bed because Michael insisted they were going to regret it if they didn’t do it, and they were going to regret it especially when they were there without clothes blessing their new bedroom. And like every time, he was right
They were living together and were absolutely happy and so in love that Maggie felt like a fairytale. That life with the man of her dreams was everything she ever wanted and everything she thought she was never gonna have until she met Michael. Then it was everything she thought she wasn’t going to be able to have because life was throwing nothing but bricks at them, but they finally made it, so she was happy. She knew Michael was happy too, the pride in his shiny eyes and the smile on his face was enough to let her know. Both of them were so happy Maggie normally would say it was nothing but irrational, but somehow she could imagine he was probably regretting every single one of his life choices the second he saw Maggie ignoring the boxes around the apartment to open the one that read ‘Christmas decorations’ on the side. Maggie knew perfectly fine Michael was probably wondering if the was alright when right in front of her there was an untouched box that said ‘Kitchen’, but those were her priorities that day.
When Michael came back home from the gym, Maggie was sitting on the floor, surrounded by Christmas decorations and it was all nothing but a mess. There was everything everywhere, and there was the Christmas tree in a corner of the living room, waiting to be decorated just like the rest of the apartment. And there was Maggie, with a happy smile on her face, making grabby hands as soon as she saw her boyfriend crossing the door.
“Grá! Thank God you’re here! I missed you and I need your big, wonderful hands” she exclaimed, forgetting about the fairy lights she was taking off the box.
“Hey, baby. I missed you too. You need me to turn this into Winter Wonderland or what?” Michael asked, leaving his stuff by the door, his jacket hanging behind it, and going straight to sit on the floor by her side.
“You’re not funny” Maggie affirmed, slapping his leg and throwing a garland at him. “And no, it's not gonna be Winter Wonderland, just a regular apartment decorated for the occasion” she shrugged, going back to her task of opening and untangling the lights
“Gimme a kiss first and then we talk about helping” Michael smiled looking down at her. And then Maggie forgot about the lights once again, letting them on her lap as she grabbed his cheeks, meeting right in the middle to kiss his lips a couple of times. And peak after peak they just kept smiling, not being able to erase the happy grins from their faces. “Now it’s better. The kids?”
“Napping like two champs”
“Don’t tell me, they’re on our bed” Michael guessed, kissing her forehead as he placed his arm around her shoulders. All Maggie did was hum and nod twice, leaning against his body. “At least they ain’t fighting”
None of them had much idea at which point it happened, but one day the cat and dog fight stopped. One night they came home from having their monthly date out in a cute little restaurant Maggie wanted to try, all to find Penelope and Elizabeth sleeping on their bed. They were each on different corners, Penelope curled right by the cushions and Elizabeth at the end of the bed, but it was a lot. It was such a huge achievement for their little family that they decided to take their funny business to the couch, where Maggie whispered against her fiancé’s mouth that she didn’t care where they were as long as he was inside her. But the second time they found them was probably the best, because they found them again sleeping in their bed, but this time side by side, snuggling right by the cushions making a huge ball of fur and love. From time to time the silly little fights were back, but it was more to play than to fight, so Maggie and Michael decided to call it an absolute victory.
“They don’t fight anymore which makes me very happy. I’m not such a bad mom after all” Maggie smiled sweetly, moving enough to reach his jaw and place a couple of kisses there. “Please don’t you ever shave” she purred and practically begged, lifting her hand to run her fingers through his cheek.
“And not having you complaining about my face leaving marks on you? Wouldn’t miss that for the world so no shaving my face, ma’am” Michael whispered against her forehead, playing with her hair as they snuggled together in the cold winter afternoon. “And I told you, you’re the best”
“Nah, that's you” she remarked, moving her lips from his jaw to his neck, leaving there a little kiss that was nothing but the promise of something more once they were done. “Did you have a good workout?”
“It was alright” Michael shrugged, moving her hair out of her shoulders and then stroking her cheek and jaw with her fingers.
“It was alright” Maggie shrugged too, imitating his Aussie accent and mannerisms almost to perfection, making Michael laugh just for looking at her.
“Did you have breakfast?” Michael asked, looking straight into her eyes, knowing how messy Maggie could be when he wasn’t around. Especially knowing how lazy she could be when it came to food. But to not disappoint her boyfriend she nodded, even if breakfast consisted of coffee and some cookies. “That’s my girl. Now, what do you want me to do?”
“I didn’t want to grab a chair to hang this so I was waiting for you” Maggie explain, pointing to the garlands and the fairy lights. “Also I kind of needed your help with my hair” she smiled, pointing to her head. With the wristband her doctor gave her, Maggie could barely move her wrist and she was ordered to make no sudden movements, so even putting her ponytail was something complicated. Besides, it was kind of funny to see Michael trying to be as delicate as possible with her hair and being amazing at it.
“I swear you’re the most breakable person I’ve ever met in my entire life, sweetheart. Now turn” he indicated, and Maggie obeyed, turning her back to him.
“Technically it's not broken. Technically I never broke any bones, so I’m just the most crackable person you’ve ever met. Besides you gotta practice, uncle Mike. We have a niece so one day you’ll have to make pigtails and ponytails. And don’t get me started with how you’ll need to learn at least three different kinds of braids. We’re already late with the lesson, mate” Maggie joked, closing her eyes as she enjoyed maybe too much the feeling of Michael running his fingers around her head.
She even had to make a really big effort to not moan a bit when Michael kissed her neck and shoulders once he put her hair and what she knew was probably a perfect ponytail. She had to make a big effort to keep it together when she felt his lips right under her ear, speaking so softly that it sent shivers down her back. “Ponytails I can make. Pigtails are the same thing, baby girl”
“Thank you, babe” she smiled as she leaned back and turned to kiss the tip of his nose. “And you’re right, sometimes I forget young Michael used to have a man-bun. When are you gonna let your hair grow again?”
Maggie knew what the question would bring and that was Michael’s frown as she said the word ‘Long hair’. It happened every single time she brought back the subject and at this point, Maggie did it once in a while just to see his confused face, never really understanding why the fuck she wanted him to grow his hair.
“Oh c’mon, not again!”
“C’mon, do it for me! For your Mags! Sweet little Margaret dies to play with that gorgeous long straight hair you used to have. Do it as my wedding gift!”. And as she over-exaggeratedly begged, she moved to sit on his lap, hugging his neck as she gave Michael her best puppy eyes, even when they both knew it was nothing but a joke.
“Sweet little Maggie can play with the rest of me because the hair ain’t coming back. And I’ve something else in mind as a wedding gift for you, wife”
“Ugh, you’re impossible” Maggie complained, using all her theatre classes to act as overdramatic as possible while rolling her eyes.
“Oh yeah? And when is pink hair Maggie coming back?” Michael asked, kissing her frown as he stroked her back and legs while he held her.
If Maggie was a pain in the ass always bringing up the long hair card, Michael was as annoying as she was, but with Maggie’s old pink hair. It started one terrible night after dinner with Jas, Daniel, Blake, and Olivia and it was all thanks to Jas that they found out about Maggie’s old look. Their family and friendship were some kind of weird thing when they all knew everything about each other, or at least almost everything. But probably one of the secrets best kept about Maggie was her colorful hair. Not that she was ashamed of it, but years later she just didn’t like how she looked in it. Even when her friends had pictures, she had counted ones of those days. That's the reason why she never mentioned it and why her friends and family who saw her back then never mentioned it, not even to Michael. But one day Jas didn’t think about it and before she realized it she was talking to Olivia about ‘Aunt Mags’ pink hair’, followed by a loud ‘Shit!’. She could never forget the boys’ faces when she said it, but especially Michael’s face. He was surprised but he looked delighted by the idea of Maggie’s hair looking like candy. While Blake and Daniel were asking like two curious boys if there was any proof of it, Michael was begging with his best puppy eyes to see ‘Just one pic’. And like every single time, Maggie couldn’t say no. She had no idea how the fuck to say no to those shiny brown eyes of his, so she asked Jas to look for the pics on her phone to unlock probably the last secret she had been keeping from the three stupid men at the table.
From that day on, Michael’s comeback from the long hair jokes was the pink hair jokes. Just like Maggie loved how her fiancé looked with long hair, Michael swore that he loved how she looked with pink hair. Maggie had to admit that it made her happy to know Michael thought she looked beyond ‘beautiful, adorable, and sexy as fuck’ when she didn’t like herself at all in those pics. Damn, he was the reason why she was starting to think that maybe she didn’t look that bad back then, to the point that some days even she joked about going back to her old look saying she might go back to it.
She might joke about it some days, but that wasn’t one of those days.
“Never!” she exclaimed, slapping his chest playfully, trying to hide the obvious smile on her face. “I hate you; did you know that?”
She tried, goddamn she tried, but the second he smiled at her and bumped the tips of their noses together Maggie lost it, smiling like a happy girl as Michael looked straight into her eyes. “No, you don’t. In fact, you love me very much which is pretty cool cause I love you very much too”
“Did I tell you how smart you’re? All that engineering and all those books ended up being good at some point”.
And like every time Maggie brought up his Engineer degree, Michael ended up tickling her sides until there was nothing but happy tears in her eyes and she was a mess of illogical words asking him to please stop because she was too weak to handle all that. And like every time, he would end the sweet little torture with kisses all over her face and neck while his arms squeezed her body against his, hugging her as tightly as possible without breaking her.
“That’s payback for the jokes” he explained with one last kiss on her lips and a smile that not only lighten up his face but the whole goddamn room and even her heart. “What about you and your sudden overexcitement about Christmas? I know you like it but not this much” he wondered, pointing to the floor covered in decorations.
Michael was right, Maggie liked Christmas, but this year her excitement was definitely something else. This year it was a lot. This year was too many decorations, especially considering they weren’t even gonna spend Christmas there, just the first days of December until they left to go to Perth.
“It's just- it’s the first decent Christmas we have together. 2018 we weren’t together. 2019 we were kind of together but we didn’t spend it together. 2020 was shit cause you couldn’t see your family and then 2021 was shit cause we weren’t together and I was… Y’know” she tried to explain. But even if she tried, she couldn’t find a way to explain the disaster that was the previous year for her. She didn’t even want to explain it, but seeing Michael’s confused face let her know she wasn’t going to have another option. “C’mon, babe. Don’t tell me Danny and Jas didn’t tell you that I spent the night crying”
The smile disappeared from Maggie’s face when could see in his eyes that Michael didn’t know a thing. It broke her heart to see that he had no idea what she was talking about. “Nobody told me anything” Michael stated, looking straight at her as the grip of his hands around her body got tighter.
“I was just heartbroken. When I got your present it just ended up being kind of worse. I read your letter and started to cry like a baby, but I managed to be calm enough to call you. I didn’t want you to see me broken even when I thought you’d figure it out. You were always good at reading me, but I guess I managed to trick you” Maggie whispered, stroking his cheek with her hand as she smiled sadly at the memory. “When we hang up the phone I cried even more. I literally cried myself to sleep that night. Wasn’t pretty. It was really, really hard but it's alright”
“Mags, babe, I had no bloody idea about that night. I’m so so sorry” he apologized. He didn’t need to do it. Damn, the last thing he needed was to be sorry for something that wasn’t even his fault. He didn’t need to say anything because it was in the past and everything was fine now, but even then Maggie could see the guilt in his eyes and how he was thinking that he should have known. She knew he was especially thinking he should have done something.
“It’s alright, sunshine” she insisted, giving him a soft, loving kiss on his lips, hoping that would be enough to make the guilt disappear from his eyes. “I guess nobody told you to not make it worse. I didn’t tell you cause of that reason. We were far away, and I didn’t want to ruin your Christmas. You didn’t deserve a ruined Christmas when you were finally able to be with your family”
“Hey, you’re my family. You’re my whole fucking world. I’m not gonna say a word about you not saying anything but what I can do is promise that will never happen again. We’re not spending another Christmas apart” Michael affirmed, and she knew that was a promise that he wasn’t going to break. It was a promise that neither of them was going to break ever again.
“I know. None of that sad shit this year” she smiled, stroking his cheek as she smiled sweetly at him. And she was so happy when Michael smiled back at her. She had no idea how a smirk could make her so damn happy, but there she was feeling her heart practically jumping out of happiness and her stomach turning into a mess of butterflies. “Besides hey, it's Oli’s first Christmas and we’re gonna be together in sunny warm Perth, so all good”
“You’re somehow omitting the fact that our families are spending Christmas together for the first time” Michael remember but Maggie didn’t forget about it at all.
She had no idea how it happened. Suddenly they were talking about Christmas plans with Dan and Jas and it was stupid, but the idea of not being able to be with Michael but also not being with her family and especially with Olivia started to be too much. Knowing that she couldn’t divide herself to be with the people she loved was haunting her and clearly, the three mirrors in front of her noticed. It took just one look between Michael, Jas, and Daniel for her fiancé to throw the idea of him spending it with them so he could be with Maggie and Olivia. But then it took another look and a denial from Maggie for Daniel to say ‘Just bring the whole family, mate’. That was the only option to make everyone -especially Maggie- happy, so they all agreed on spending Christmas eve at the farm. It was all fun and games until they realized what it meant to spend Christmas together. It was all fun until they realize their family was going to meet. They knew it was gonna be fine, there was no reason for them to think otherwise but every time they remembered they couldn’t help but think they were just a bit fucked up.
“No, I’m just saying all this to forget about that little detail. It's your parents and my parents finally meeting. I’m fucking terrified” Maggie breathed, resting her head against his shoulder as she looked for his hand to lock their fingers.
“It’s gonna be alright. It's not like you don’t know my sister or the rest of my family. Or like I don’t know your family” he explained, giving him the same argument every single time to make her stay calm. But even with that, she could see how even Michael was scared as hell.
“Yes, but this is not having brunch with your sister or a normal day with my mom and dad. It's our parents and grandparents all together in the same room” Maggie insisted, putting the tips of her ten fingers together in a silly way to show how it was gonna be to have them all together.
But even when they were scared as hell, she could see the little happy grin on Michael’s face as he grabbed her hands with his, kissing the knuckles of her right one. “My Nana and your Mamó together is gonna be fun”
“And our moms together? A mess. All that plus the Ricciardo's, so it's gonna be your mum, my mum, and Grace. Our sisters together. Can we cancel? Runaway somewhere else just you and me” she joked, giving him again her best puppy face.
“No, babe, we can't” Michael laughed, giving her pouty lips a little kiss. And then there was one of her favorite things about Michael: that perfect smile that somehow was saved just for her. It was the smile that he insisted was saved just for her because it would only show up when she was around. The one that would make her melt away and wonder again and again how she was so lucky to be with him. It was the smile that would remind her every single day that she was also lucky as hell because he was in love with her. It was the smile that would their friends joke about the ‘idiot look on his face’ when she was in the same room as him. It was the smile that Maggie always joked saying it was the reason she felt for him all those years ago the night they finally met and that still made her fall in love with him every single day. “Y’know, if twenty years ago someone had told me ‘Hey, that kid with black curls who runs with a helmet on in front of the gym is gonna make you meet the love of your life and end up being your brother-in-law and father of your goddaughter’ I would have laughed my ass off. I wouldn’t have believed it. That kind of shit just happened in movies”
“And here you are” Maggie whispered with a smile on her face as she brought their joined hands to her lips, returning the gesture and kissing his knuckles.
“And here I am. I wouldn’t have it any other way, to be honest. Christmas mess, fucked up wrists, cat, dog, and all. I’m a very lucky guy” Michael shrugged as if all of that wasn’t big deal.
“I’m a really lucky girl too, so I wouldn't have it any other way either” Maggie whispered, feeling the knot and the tears coming to her eyes which weren’t nice considering crying wasn’t in her plans that day. But there was no time for tears when they needed to put some order in their home, so she went straight to his lips to give him a couple of kisses, which always helped to put herself back together. “Now help me? Please? It's also our first Christmas tree so just indulge me, please. We do this, we put some order in this mess and then we can snuggle and watch a movie”
“I like how that sounds” he stated against her lips, giving her just another kiss. “Want pizza tonight?”
“Regular pizza or your low-carb fake one?” Maggie asked between closed lids, ready to fight her man if he wanted to make her eat something that wasn’t real pizza.
“Regular extra cheese for the beautiful lady” Michael affirmed, and Maggie wasn’t even surprised because he knew by heart all her orders.
“He knows me so well. What a shitty thing we don’t have a fireplace to cuddle up here”
“We can put one on the tv if you want”
“So we put a blanket on the floor, and have some fun there? Ain’t that too romantic?”
Maggie couldn’t help but laugh, but the look on Michael’s face was enough to let her know part of him wasn’t joking at all. It wouldn’t be the first time they had sex on the floor for some random reason. It wouldn’t be the first time they did it over a blanket either, so the smirk and the raised brow were kind of accurate. “I’m gonna be a cheesy bastard and say everything’s romantic when you’re around, sweetheart”
And it wasn’t enough for the day, there he had to go and melt her heart saying something like that. “Ugh, there he goes and wins the best boyfriend in the world award. Typical Italiano”
“Fiancé, sweetheart. Best fiancé” he corrected her with a smile so big that could light up the whole apartment. Even when they didn’t have a date, even when they had no idea where they were going to get married, and even when Maggie still haven’t started to see dresses, Michael would use every single chance he had to say Maggie was his fiancée. If the man spent three years being proud of saying she was his girlfriend, now he wasn’t going to waste a second or an opportunity saying he was going to marry his girl. "Yes, I love saying it so don’t gimme that look, tiny”
“I know you do” Maggie smiled, giving him one last kiss on his cheek before she got up from his lap even if she wanted to stay there all day. “Alrighty. Wait, how’s that thing you always say? We ain’t here to fuck spiders?”
“You’ve been hanging too much time with my sister, don’t you?” he asked while getting up from the floor and going to the other side of the living room
And of course, he was running away from her, knowing perfectly fine that the best thing to do was stay away from Maggie after such a stupid joke. “I’ve been running behind your ass for three fucking years, and you blame Nadia for me using Aussie expressions? That’s so mean of you!” she exclaimed, grabbing one of the plastic ornaments for the tree and throwing it straight at Michael. She knew it was gonna be useless cause the sportsman grabbed it like nothing, but she needed to try. “You’re lucky I don’t kick your ass”
“What were you gonna say, sweetheart?” Michael wondered changing the subject and blowing a kiss to her.
“We ain’t here to fuck spiders so let's do this so we can fuck on the floor, but especially so we can eat pizza” she scolded, acting falsely offended as she grabbed a couple of ornaments with her good hand.
But like every time, the fake frown and pout disappeared the second she felt Michael’s arms around her waist.
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@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @monte-carlando @dr3lover @brightlightsinlife @a-distantdreamer @pleasantducktimetravel @honeybadgercomeback
#michael italiano#michael italiano imagine#michael italiano oneshot#michael italiano imagines#michael italiano blurbs#f1#f1 oneshot#f1 imagine#f1 imagines#f1 fanfic#formula 1 fic#formula 1 fanfic#formula 1 oneshot#formula 1#formula 1 imagine#formula one fanfic#formula one imagine#formula one oneshot#formula one fic#so it goes fic
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So it goes: Chapter 32 - MI x OC
Masterlist
Summary: A little trip to memory lane never hurt anybody, especially if the trip takes them to the place where everything started.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Some mentions of angst, some mentions of tears, some swearing and all the fluff you can get.
Word count: 6.7k
A/N: HI! Oh my god its been so fucking long. Really long and I feel terrible about it. Life has been nothing but a complete mess and to be the cherry on top my laptop decided to die BUT here we are back in business! Probably nobody missed this but I missed my problematic kiddos so much lol For the ones who asked for some happiness for dear little Maggie, here you have it. Now I’m just trying to not ruin Jas’ life for more than obvious reasons -RBR- and that’s why I’m holding myself. 😬 OKAY. Let me know what you think? Meanwhile I’ll be writing a Christmas thingy 👀. See ya bye! 🫡♥️
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Part 32 - Death of a bachelor.
Since the day they came back together everything was so smooth that it was almost scary. Part of her brain was always waiting for something to go wrong, but every day she reminded herself that things didn’t have to go wrong. There was no reason for something to go wrong and in case something happened they could fix it. Maggie knew if they could fix the mess she made between them during the wedding weekend then they could fix everything, and that’s exactly how things were.
They didn’t have many problems, in fact, she could count them with one hand and she was pretty proud of them about it. Besides, when it happened, every single crisis was solved so simply that it looked like magic. But Maggie knew it wasn’t magic; it was simply her wonderful Michael and his incredible patience, which she thanked him and her lucky stars every single day for it.
The biggest problems they had were just two.
The first one was their relationship being public, which Michael solved by making it clear with an Instagram story. In one of his Q&As, someone asked him who was his favorite person in the whole world, to which Michael answered with a picture of Maggie with Olivia sitting on her lap while they were watching tv. The picture was accompanied by a little ‘Them’ on top of it, and right beside there was a tiny green heart. If that wasn’t enough, it was clear in the picture that they were home and Maggie was wearing a hoodie that was clearly his for the size. And if that wasn’t enough, the same weekend everything about them came to light, Michael decided to walk into the paddock with his arm around her shoulders, making sure nobody would bother her. After that weekend they didn’t even try to hide their love and their relationship. In fact, Maggie found herself sitting on Michael’s lap outside the Mclaren building after the Singapore race. He was the one who told her to sit there with him because there weren’t enough chairs, and that’s how they ended up cuddling together in front of the whole paddock for the first time under the Singapore sky. For some reason at the beginning, she was all worried about it, still not used to being with Michael in his work environment, but she got to relax after some kisses and whispers saying everything was going to be alright. Besides, her family was there, and they were all chatting and laughing while Olivia tried her first ice cream, and Jas complained about having to deal with a baby with a sugar rush and how Maggie and Michael were going to have to look after her.
The second crisis was a bit more complicated than the first one, and that one took even more cuddles and patience because it has nothing to do with people talking, but more with Maggie’s head and their relationship. She was with Jas and Olivia in their hotel room when she saw the story on his Instagram and felt the panic creeping inside her chest and taking over. That was one of the bad days when her mind was so loud that she couldn’t make it stop and something such as a simple question just triggered her. Michael answering that he wanted to keep working on motorsports or another professional sport if Daniel was taking a year off was what made her feel like the walls started to fall around her. They haven’t talked about it yet. They were too busy with life and everything that was happening that the conversation didn’t happen. Maggie didn’t ask either, thinking the answer was kind of easy, but she was wrong. Jas insisted it was nothing. As soon as Jas saw Maggie’s face changing while looking at her phone, her sister insisted there was nothing to worry about, especially knowing Michael and how he wasn’t going to risk them and what they had. ‘Y’know how he is. He wouldn’t buy a keychain without asking what you think about it, ciagot’ were Jas’ words as she held Olivia in her arms, checking if her fever was still there. That was the reason why the girls didn’t go to the track on Thursday as they normally would do. It was just another day of questions, interviews, and press for Daniel, so that included none of them having anything to do at the paddock. But the problem for Maggie was not seeing Michael until late that afternoon, which gave her too much time on her mind, which wasn’t nice.
She couldn’t read or draw because of the same reason, which made everything even worse. That was one of those days all she wanted to do was forget the world existed and hide under the sheets of the bed, and that’s exactly what she did. Since Olivia’s temperature was almost back to normal and considering Daniel texted saying he was almost done with work, Jas insisted it was fine if Maggie wanted to go back to her room and wait for Michael. Everyone who knew Maggie also knew that Michael was the only one able to make everything go away and calm her when everything was too much. Maggie also knew that Jas was right when she said Michael wouldn't decide anything without her, but even then, she couldn’t stop overthinking. Once in their room, Maggie tried to nap, but even that was impossible. Even when the pillow smelled like his perfume and lavender, the bed was cold, and she hated it. Not even the hoodie that she took from his suitcase was enough. She needed his arms around her. She needed Michael promising everything was going to be alright. She needed him and his kisses and his love.
Repeating it herself wasn’t enough, but she did it anyway until Michael finally walked into the dark room. She had no idea how much time passed, but she could see the sunlight slowly disappearing in the middle of the curtains. All she did while she lay down was focus on that as she took deep breaths to calm herself. But then she felt his arms. She felt his arms moving around her waist and that was enough to make Maggie melt against him. His chest against her back, their legs tangling and his chin resting against her shoulder were what finally made her let go of a breath she has been holding since she read those words. It was in the safety of his arms that she finally got to admit how terrified she was. Saying it loud didn’t take away the terrible feeling or the pressure on her chest, but it helped. Maggie still felt like someone was squeezing her heart but somehow a weight was taken off her shoulders as soon as she admitted it. She knew it was Michael sharing the weight with her that made her feel lighter.
When they went back together, when they sat and talked about them, and when they fix everything, they made a deal, and part of it included Maggie admitting when she had a bad day. It was part of Michael’s pleas for Maggie to talk to him because he couldn’t read her mind. He knew her. He knew her body like the back of his head, he knew her soul and heart, and he knew her better than anyone in the world, but he needed Maggie to let him in. He just needed one word to know, but beyond anything, he wanted Maggie to not bottle things up inside her. He just wanted one word to know, no explanation necessary if she wasn’t feeling like it. He just wanted her to let him know, just like he would do if it was the other way around. ‘Just say it and we’ll get in our bubble til you felt better’ was his promise, and he kept it. He always did and that day wasn’t the exception.
That day Maggie murmured that she was having a bad day and Michael said that he knew and that it was fine, but also asked her to turn around. Maggie couldn’t deny him that, so she did, hiding her face on his neck as Michael kissed her forehead and stroked her back. There was only one reason why Maggie wouldn’t be by Olivia’s side on a Thursday, so clearly Michael knew something was wrong.
It took her some deep breaths and some kisses on her forehead to say she saw his answer on Instagram. It took her even more to admit she fucked up by giving for granted and thinking it was obvious that he was going to take a year off too. Maggie felt stupid admitting how she imagined that since Dan was taking a year off, Michael was doing the same. She felt dumb as she apologized for not talking to him before even thinking it was an option, but then she explained she thought it was an available option considering he still had his client and his program and all his things. She knew she shouldn’t, but Maggie apologized for being so silly.
As soon as she was over with the apology, Michael asked for her to look at him. Holding as close as possible and looking straight into her eyes, Michael insisted there was nothing to apologize for and that he knew perfectly fine that her fear came from not knowing what was going to happen in the future. And there was again his superpower of knowing what she was thinking and expressing it in a couple of words when all she could do was ramble.
But he was right in that, Daniel taking a year off and Michael probably not taking one meant them going on separate ways, and it was the scariest thing in the universe. With tears that she couldn’t hold for too long, Maggie explained that the idea of not seeing them for too long was almost paralyzing. But there was something way worse than that and it was the fear of losing Michael again, and all that together was like a nightmare. None of them knew what was going to happen, but if Jas, Olivia, Dan, and even Blake were in Australia and if Michael went to work with someone else, that meant Maggie was going to be alone in London. She knew Lily was around, but her best friend had her life and she would travel for work from time to time. Michael’s sister was also in London, they adored each other, and Maggie knew she could count on her for anything she needed, but Nadia also had her life. And her family was in Dublin and even when it was a short flight away, it wasn’t the same.
On top of that, if Michael went to work with someone else and he traveled, Maggie wasn’t going to be able to go with him. She knew the privilege of going around the world with him was because of Jas and Daniel. They were family so going with them was normal. Being there to help them with everything and especially with Olivia was normal and logical and the reason why she left everything, that’s why it felt like the walls were falling apart around her. That was the only life she knew in the last three years, especially since Olivia was born. For the last couple of years it has been the five of them -and then the six of them- against the world. That was how things were supposed to be and Maggie felt like if she didn’t have that then she had nothing. She had no idea who she was without them.
After every single thought and fear left her mouth and mind, Michael made sure to replace them with nothing but love and understanding. He insisted what he said didn’t mean anything, because as Jas said, he wouldn’t decide something so big and important without talking to her first. Then he insisted that, even if Maggie forgot, he knew who she was. Between gentle strokes and sweet kisses, Michael whispered she was nothing but the most wonderful woman in the whole world, who also had the biggest heart that he had ever seen. He was finally able to make her smile shyly when he joked saying he had no idea how such a big heart could fit inside her chest and her tiny, perfect, beautiful body and that he was the luckiest man in the world to have her by his side.
The last thing Michael did was apologize. He insisted he should have known better, he should have imagined that was gonna make her freak out. He apologized again because, if she was the most wonderful woman in the world, he was the biggest idiot in the world. He shouldn’t have assumed anything. He shouldn’t have made her doubt, no when Maggie was his priority. No when Maggie was the first thing on his list. No when he had no idea what would he do without Maggie sleeping by his side, resting her head on his shoulder or holding his hand as the planes took off.
That afternoon Michael decided to leave work for later simply because his girlfriend needed him. Even if he had too many things to do, he decided to forget he was coach Michael to be just her Mike as he promised again and again that he would never decide without talking to her first. But mostly Michael promised that whatever happens, he would always go back home to her. ‘You’ll never be alone, sweetheart’ were his exact words as he dried her tears and kissed her pink cheeks. They sealed the problem and their deal with a soft ‘She’ll be apples’ that ended up giving Maggie the next tattoo on her wrist, wanting to carry it on her skin as yet another reminder of their love but also their promises. She wanted to be able to read it and see it with the rest of their tattoos on her arm, just to be able to read it in the bad moments like those.
All their problems seemed small after those two terrible days in their life. Nothing seemed as complicated as it could be, no when Michael was holding her hand. But even when it wasn’t that complicated, he was the one who thought it would be nice to take a weekend off, just the two of them away from everyone, even their family. Plus, there was nothing as good as taking those two days off while being in the USA.
Going to the States had always a special meaning for them. The flight was always filled with silly smiles and insisted jokes they would whisper in each other’s ears. It was dozens of memories of the first time they sat together in that plane and then even more memories of everything that happened in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. That was one of the reasons why Maggie liked to go to LA, and she was happy to be there with her family, especially considering this time they dragged David and Aoife with them. While Esmè and Andrè stayed back in Dublin with aunt Mimi, not wanting to slow down the kids on their free week, they all insisted David and Aoife needed some time off too, and none of them could say no to spend time with their kids considering how they could see them counted days a year. But the fact their parents were there was also the perfect excuse for them to have a weekend off, no worrying or taking turns to take care of Olivia. That's why Michael didn’t have to insist too much when he proposed to go to Vegas for the weekend and go back to LA on Monday. It took Maggie one second to say yes and then another to book a plane ticket and a hotel room, being nothing but excited about going back to the place where everything started for them.
She was nothing but an overexcited kid all week knowing it was happening, but then it turned into nothing but overwhelming nostalgia as they got into the plane. Three years earlier she was also on a plane, fresh out of a breakup and convinced there was no way Michael was ever gonna look at her. Three years earlier she was absolutely convinced that snuggling by his side and holding his hand was everything she was going to be able to do, but then he let her use him as a pillow so she would be more comfortable. Then they almost kissed, then they kissed and they slept together and fucked up more so many times it was impossible to count. But there they were, three years later and making it work.
If twenty-five years old Maggie with an unbelievable crush on Michael knew what twenty-eight years old Maggie was living, she wouldn’t believe it. She would never believe she dared to grab him to go dance at that club, that they did everything they shouldn’t have done, but mostly she would have never believed that they went through hell and survived to be back together. She would have never believed they were so in love and living together in London. Not even the twenty-eight years old Maggie could believe she was so lucky, but there she was, holding his hand once again as the plane took off and landed.
It took a lot of effort from her to not cry as she looked out the window of the taxi that was taking them to their hotel. It took even more for her not to cry when she looked at Michael, who was looking back at her with nothing but love in his eyes as a lazy smile adorned his perfect face. She knew that was his little happy grin knowing everything was alright in the world. It was the smile that always said he didn’t need more than that. It was the hand squeeze and the kiss on his knuckles that let him know she didn’t need much either, but it was the little tear rolling on her cheek that told Michael that she was so happy that she was crying because of it.
The afternoon was as happy as their morning arrival, but their night plans were Maggie’s favorite part of the whole trip. Michael had the wonderful idea to make reservations to go to the same restaurant they went to that first night they ended up together. He insisted there was no other place in Vegas that he rather go with her, and Maggie couldn’t agree more. They had the next day and the rest of their lives to go and try other places, but not that night.
His plan was also what got her the wonderful idea of wearing a blue dress that night. The one she wore three years ago was carefully kept in their closet back in London, so she dragged Jas around LA with the excuse of having a girls’ day to find a new one. It took her ten stores, three hours, two coffees, and a stop at a tea shop, but they finally found it. They found it and it was gorgeous.
Maggie couldn’t erase the smile on her face as she looked at herself in the mirror of the shop the first time she tried the dress and the same happened when she tried it again in the bathroom of their hotel room. She was never one to compliment herself, but she looked good. She looked maybe even better than good. She knew the dress was gonna leave Michael’s jaw hanging and that’s exactly what she wanted. Maggie wanted to leave him dying to fuck her against the first wall or surface he could find while she was still wearing it. She wanted to leave him speechless and even more in love with her. She also knew he didn’t need any of that to love her, but she wanted to make that night special.
But even when Maggie knew she looked good, she was nervous about it. She was nervous about going out of the bathroom. She was feeling the same little butterflies she felt all those years ago, knowing she was dressing to impress him, hoping back then that she could finally make a move. But this time Maggie couldn’t help but smile even more, simply because the man on the other side of the door was all hers and she was all his. She smiled because the silly nerves had no reason at all but they were there anyway.
“Grà? Can you close your eyes?” Maggie called out, opening the door enough to pop her head out and look at him. And for a second she forgot what her plan was because there was Michael, looking like a dream wearing a black shirt as he did all those years ago, making her feel even more nervous. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one who had the idea of going back to their old outfits, which was nothing but hilarious. “And no, you can’t ask why. Just do it and don’t ruin the surprise”
“Oh, the desert air made her bossier. Are you gonna act like that later tonight too?” he asked with a silly smile on his face, buttoning up his shirt as he looked back at her.
“No if you don’t behave. Now close those pretty eyes of yours for me”
Holding his hands up as if he was surrounded, Michael finally obligated and closed his eyes for her. As soon as he did, Maggie stepped out of the bathroom, trying to be as sneaky as possible while walking on her tiptoes. Once she was finally in front of him, Maggie felt kind of silly. She had no idea why she asked him to close his eyes, but there she was, barefoot, wearing a blue dress, looking up at the man she loved. She couldn’t believe such beauty was all hers. She couldn’t believe he was her boyfriend and she couldn’t believe they were going on a date in Vegas after three years of everything starting there. She couldn’t believe that was her life, so for a second she forgot about the whole surprise thing and went straight to hug him, placing her hands on his back and a kiss on his chest as she rested her head right there.
She felt his arms around her body and then a kiss on the top of her head and that was enough to make her forget about the dinner reservation and the plans they had. Suddenly there was nothing to do except be there in his arms focusing on his heartbeats. Suddenly all she wanted to do was order room service and wait for it in bed. She even wanted to leave the blue dress and his black shirt forgotten on the floor as they got lost in each other, but she knew none of that was happening when Michael moved his lips away from her hair. “Baby what- Holy shit, you’re wearing a blue dress?”
“Mmhm. I still gotta do my makeup and do something with my goddamn hair but I wanted to show you first. Problem is now I don’t wanna let you go” Maggie shrugged, hugging him a bit tighter as she placed yet another kiss on his chest.
“Can I take a look at you?” Michael practically begged, moving his hands to rest them on her hips, stroking the blue material with his thumbs. And Maggie couldn’t say no even if she tried, so she finally took a step back, showing off her dress. The dark blue satin was hugging her body perfectly, just hanging from her shoulders gracefully thanks to the thin straps it has. It wasn’t short as the one she was wearing the night they started to see each other; this was just a midi length, but she knew what was going to kill him was the cowl neckline showing exactly what it needed to show. That and the ties on her back were going to be the death of him. Maggie knew it the second she saw the dress, that’s why she got it. That’s also why she decided to turn around, letting Michael see the whole thing.
“You like it?” Maggie asked all shyly.
“Like it? I love it. You look perfect. I mean, I prefer you naked, but you look breathtaking” he smiled, getting closer to kiss her before he kept talking. “You’re a fucking dream, sweetheart. You’re just- Fuck, I still can’t believe I’m so damn lucky to spend my life with you”
Maggie couldn’t help but smile and blush like a schoolgirl at her boyfriend’s words. The way he was just smiling happy because of her was something that still surprised her. Not that she could blame him considering she was most of the time thunderstruck and tongue-tied thanks to everything he was and did, but she was still surprised in the best way. She knew perfectly fine how models and pretty girls in general were always around in the paddock and at the parties and tried to call their attention, but Michael would always say none of them could ever compete with her. Even after three years, Maggie was still surprised and happy because Michael chose her to spend their lives together. “I know, I know, you can hardly wait to put a ring on my finger. Don’t worry, babe, one day it’ll happen” she joked, patting his chest with both hands before she tried to go back to the bathroom to do her makeup.
Or at least she intended to go to the bathroom and finally get ready, but Maggie couldn’t keep walking because Michael’s hand suddenly was holding hers, not letting her go far from him. “Why not now?” he asked looking down at her.
“That sounds a lot like a marriage proposal, sir” Maggie joked, smiling at him while she brought their joined hands to her lips, kissing his knuckles as she would do on every normal day.
The smile on Michael’s face was what told her that he wasn’t joking. The way he was looking at her was enough to let her know the question that left his lips was not a joke. He meant it. He meant every single word and he wanted to marry her. “Maybe it is. I had one last wish, remember? I used two so this is my last one. Marry me, Mags”
She almost forgot about their joke. She almost forgot about that first wish and the kiss they shared hiding back at the farm. She almost forgot about his shiny eyes full of unshed tears as he begged her to go back to him as they decided to temporarily part ways that gloomy day in London. She almost forgot he still had one last wish in his pocket but never in her life had Maggie imagined that Michael’s last wish was gonna be that one.
“Mike are you serious?” she asked in the softest voice, feeling the tears forming in her eyes before she could even realize what was happening. It was as if her brain couldn’t process what Michael was saying. She just couldn’t comprehend how after everything they went through; there he was proposing. There was no way she could be that lucky, so somehow her brain was saying it was nothing but impossible.
But just when Maggie was about to ask again, Michael kissed her knuckles and smiled at her. “Dead serious, sunshine. Give me one second”. With a kiss on her forehead, Michael let her hand go, going straight to their suitcases on a side of the room. It was her basic instinct wanting to run to him, but instead she just sat on the bed, looking at every single one of his moves. It felt like a weird movie in slow motion, but from a bag from his suitcase he took a black box that Maggie was convinced was from some of his fitness equipment. Then she realized how damn smart he was because there was no way she would ever open any of that. There was no way she would ever touch his work equipment, and Michael knew it. Every time he got something new she would just ask for what it was and then would never touch it, too scared to somehow break it and ruin it. Not that she was interested or anything at all, but fear was the main reason why she wouldn’t fuck it up with some of those very fancy and very expensive things her boyfriend had. So every single time she saw that damn box between his things, Maggie never asked, she just ignored it, never imagining that from inside it there would emerge a small emerald green box. Her hands went automatically to her mouth the second she saw Michael walking to her with it in his hand and she couldn’t help but cry when he kneeled right in front of her, grabbing her hand with his to uncover her face. “I had this for a long time. I got it way before our break. I convinced myself maybe it was too soon back then. But then I told myself I was an idiot 'cause you’re the love of my life and it was the right thing to do. I tried to wait for the right moment, but I fucked up letting you go instead. I should’ve asked you this instead of asking you if you wanted time off from us. I know I fucked up that day, but I love you so much, sweetheart-”
“Hey, no, you didn’t fuck anything up” she interrupted him, holding his face between her hands so she could look straight into his eyes. “There’s no way you could ever ruin anything. You just make everything better. You make me better, and you know it, babe”
“I love you more than anything in the world, do you know that?”
“I know. I’d say I love you more but I’m not fighting you right now. I know you love me as much as I love you, so it’s perfect”
“Good, 'cause I mean it. I meant every single word every single time I said it. I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you in that video Dan sent me all those years ago. I love you and I’ll always love you cause there’s no way I could ever stop it. So, I’m gonna ask you again and in the right way cause that’s what you deserve. Margaret Byrne, my little sunshine, would you please marry me?”
On any other normal day, Maggie would have stayed looking straight into his eyes, simply because she loved that shiny brown color with her whole heart. She loved it so much that she always joked saying she would get the code tattooed if she ever found the same color in the Pantone palette. But that night something distracted her from one of her favorite views, and that was Michael’s hands moving between them.
Maggie looked down and suddenly there was the perfect ring inside the already pretty green box. Along a delicate silver band there were twelve small white diamonds and right in the center was the biggest and focal stone, which was a round cut diamond, exactly like she wanted it. It was perfect, it was everything she ever dreamed her engagement ring would be and what made it better was that Michael picked it up for her.
But the best part wasn’t the ring, the best –and her favorite- part was her favorite hands holding it. Her favorite part was her favorite eyes shining full of love, happiness, hope, and illusion as they were fixed on her waiting for an answer. Her favorite part was the man of her dreams and the love of her life declaring his love for her and proposing to spend their life together. There was nothing she wanted more than that. There was nothing she wanted as badly as growing old with her big boy beside her. Damn, there was no other way she would want to do it, so that was going to be the easiest answer of her life.
“I love you forever and more than anything in the world so yes, I’m marrying you” Maggie nodded as the smile on her face grew bigger while the tears kept streaming down her face.
In three years they shared an uncountable amount of kisses. From some with nothing but lust and passion to some wet with tears and tinted with sadness, they kissed in every single possible way that existed. But that night they kissed and it was as if the universe proved to her once again she was nothing but wrong because nothing compared to that kiss. Nothing compared to the perfection of their lips sealing their new deal. Nothing compared to the sensation of kissing Michael that day. Nothing ever compared to the happiness of hugging and being held by her future husband while they tried to keep kissing between tears, giggles, and smiles. Nothing was as good as them together in every single possible way.
It felt like a dream to see Michael taking the silver ring out of the box. It felt surreal to feel the cold metal as he put it on her ring, fitting perfectly because clearly, that man wasn’t going to fuck it up with the size. It felt like a damn fairytale to see the man she loved kissing her hand and the diamond ring over it, right before kissing her lips once again, making it impossible for Maggie to stop giggling.
“Thank you for saying yes, sweetheart” he whispered against her lips, stroking her cheek with his free hand because Maggie wasn’t letting him go.
“I should thank you for asking me, to be honest” she joked, kissing his lips once more before she looked down at their joined hands. “God, it's so fucking gorgeous. How can you be so handsome and good and sweet and smart and on top of that have good taste for engagement rings?”
“I know what my wife likes” Michael shrugged, finally getting up from his place on the floor to sit on the bed right by her side, but instead, Maggie sat right on his lap. “I got it after you flew to Dublin during lockdown. It was the first night without you home. I was just sitting on the couch, fucking heartbroken, scrolling down Instagram while I waited for you to tell text me you were home and suddenly it was there looking at me. It was perfect so I had to get it cause I knew it was the right one for the right one. I’m just really sorry it took me so long to ask you”
She could hear the little hint of sadness and melancholy when he mentioned that terrible day. Even her heart felt heavy when she remembered the tears, the sadness, the hugs, the goodbyes, the terrible flight, and then the first terrible night without Michael. She remembered perfectly the pressure on her chest and the desperation as she got inside her cold bed knowing perfectly fine Michael wasn’t going to join her. She remembered everything perfectly well, but she just decided to take a deep breath and just try to leave it all behind, especially in a happy moment like that. All she wanted to think about at that moment was them, their love, their happiness, and that gorgeous diamond that from that day lived in her left hand.
“You did it and that’s it. Time doesn’t matter” she smiled, lacing their fingers together as she stroked his cheek and jaw with her free hand. “Damn, I’m gonna be your Mrs. Italiano” she giggled, still not believing what was happening.
“You can pick the last name you want as long as you’re my wife” he smiled, moving his hand to her neck, stroking her skin with his thumb as he held her in place, keeping her near with his fingers tangled in her hair.
His lips ghosting over hers got her whimpering in no time, leaving Maggie nothing but bewitched as she waited for his next move. Then his fingers running through her scalp got her moaning in such a way it was pathetic. Michael had her in the palm of his hand, and Maggie was nothing but ready to do whatever he asked. She was ready to comply and obey every single one of his words no matter how crazy or insane it was because that’s how in love she was with him. But then in a second of sanity, she remembered that they were supposed to go out. They had plans and reservations and now a reason to go out and celebrate, and she was still just wearing her dress and not even half ready. “I need to get ready, babe” she whispered against his lips.
“Marry me” Michel repeated.
“I already told you yes, babe”
“I mean marry me tonight. Vegas is where everything started so why not?”
Michael wasn’t joking. Maggie knew those eyes like the back of her hand, so she knew he was completely serious. He wanted them to marry that same night and God, how badly she wanted to say yes. There was nothing she wanted more, but for more than one reason it was a bad idea. “Cause I want a normal wedding. Beautiful, sunny Perth, our family, and friends, a cute white dress that would make you tear up cause you can’t believe how beautiful I look. Then I want you getting under that dress and even fucking me right there in some bathroom in the middle of the reception. Besides, we don’t have witnesses and we need two and-“
She could have gone on and on with the reason, but she was cut by Michael and yet another kiss. But this time it wasn’t just softness, this was nothing but love and need and passion, and Maggie couldn’t help but moan as their tongues moved together. She needed to go get ready but she couldn’t help but move on his lap and place both her knees on side of his, getting their bodies as close as possible. They needed to go, but there was nothing she wanted more than to take his shirt off his body and beg him to fuck her right there and then. Instead, Maggie kept her hands on his neck and back, trying to hold onto something. She needed to hold onto something to not think about how Michael wanted to elope, how he was touching her legs and ass under her dress, how hard he was, and especially how wet she was.
“Marry me” Michael insisted, smirking at her, knowing that evil grin and his fingers running around her skin would convince her in no time. And to make it even worse, he moved from her lips to her neck, leaving a trail of kisses all over her jaw until he reached the spot he wanted. “Just say yes. We go get dinner and then we get married. Just you and me. We said fuck the rest, so fuck ‘em”
“I know you’re stubborn but please don’t be stubborn now. Remember our first night together? I told you Jas was gonna kill us for sleeping together and you told me it wasn’t as bad as eloping so let’s not fuck it up doing it. I love you and I really wanna marry you yesterday, but I don’t want everyone getting mad at us again, grá” Maggie explained, using the last sign of logic she had in her brain, even when Michael was doing a beautiful job turning her insane between kisses, licks, and bites on her neck.
And to make it even worse, she could feel him smiling against her skin as he moved one strap slowly off her shoulder. “I said that? What an idiot. I should’ve asked you to marry me that night instead of saying something so stupid”
“Too late for that. Besides I’m already your fiancé so there’s no point in regretting what we didn’t do, or that’s what a smart man told me more than once” Maggie smirked, too proud to be using his own words against him.
“Did your fiancé tell you that he can make a call and move the dinner reservations to a bit later?” Michael asked, moving the other strap off her shoulder, letting her dress fall from her chest.
And while it happened, Maggie didn’t even try to cover herself, she just let it happen as she moved her hands between them, first unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt and then letting her fingers wander down to his pants. “I mean, I saw him doing magic before, so I wouldn’t be surprised” she shrugged, moving just enough to deal with the zipper and the single button that was getting in the way of what she really wanted.
“Good, 'cause I wanna see what my future wife’s wearing under this pretty dress” Michael affirmed, finally getting rid of her dress to leave it forgotten somewhere on the floor.
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So it goes: Chapter 30 - MI x OC
Masterlist
Summary: Babysitting a rebel baby and some snuggles leads two silly godparents to realize they're ready to give a little step forward in their relationship.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Mentions of smut, Maggie being an anxious mess and snuggles all over the place.
Word count: 5.8k
A/N: HI! I’m still sick and I still feel like I’m dying but if I could handle 8 hours of work I can handle being in front of my computer for ten minutes. Gonna keep it short cause I still feel like dying. Hope you’re happy after you read this one. Let me know what u think? Also please keep sending me anons talking about Michael and Blake bc u make my day! Okay, thanks for the love and likes and all. See you soon🫰🏻
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Chapter 30 - Lego house.
Michael asked her to not think about the whole McLaren subject for the weekend, and she did it. She tried to keep all those problems away from her head on her sister’s big day, but as soon as the slight hangover was overcome it all came again.
Daniel always said that the best solution for a hangover was some slow sweet lovemaking in the morning and Maggie normally hated to say Daniel was right about something, but he was. Waking up with the feeling of Michael slowly spreading her legs was something Maggie never took for granted. His lips peppered the skin of her thighs with kisses and then the feeling of his mouth doing magic as he got lost between her legs was all she needed to forget how terrible idea it was to mix so much wine, champagne, and then some tequila.
The all-time nerd Michael always joked and said -secretly and just to her- his favorite way to help with her migraines was to increment her dopamine level and there was no better way to do it than orgasms. Even if she didn’t have a terrible migraine, that morning wasn’t different and Michael took care of removing all traces of pain from her head, first with his mouth, second fucking her nice and slow, and one last time with his fingers as he was still buried deep inside her.
He also took care of keeping both of them as quiet as possible, shushing her with his hands and fingers, but also with kisses and words. He repeated how beautiful she was, how incredible she felt, and especially how good she was for taking him after all the mess they made the previous night. And he was nothing but right because if it wasn’t enough with their little hiding game in the middle of the party, they went back to their room to a second round with Maggie riding him as they were still wearing their clothes. He was absolutely obsessed with how breathtaking she looked in her dress and shoes and Maggie was still not over how incredibly hot he looked in his suit, so they didn’t even take the time to get rid of their clothes. The only thing Maggie did was move his pants and boxers down and out of the way and unbutton his shirt completely as Michael moved the straps of her dress out of her shoulders, making the upper part of it fall enough for him to play with her breasts as much as he wanted. That’s how they spent the early morning and then the morning, wrapped around each other as they started and celebrated their third anniversary in the best possible way.
Between ‘Happy anniversary, mo grá’, ‘Best three years of my life, sweetheart’, ‘Why do we have to get out of bed?’, ‘Your moans will wake everyone up and I’m oddly fine with that’, ‘At least let's try to keep it quiet’, and uncountable ‘I love yous’, millions of compliments more and so many giggles that could wake everyone in the residence, Maggie tried to ignore everything.
For moments it worked. When they were having breakfast with all her family, when she heard Olivia giggling uncontrollably, when she saw her happily married favorite couple, and especially when she saw her boyfriend with their niece, all the problems went away.
But as they drove back to the city and into reality, she couldn’t stop thinking. She was still mad about Andreas breaking the news about Daniel’s replacement right there in Hungary when Mclaren ruined his race. She was still furious, she was still wanting to burn the MTC to the ground and she still wanted to destroy Andreas and Zak with her bare hands, but adobe all, she was still sad. They were taking the Sunday off to go back home and recompose after the party, but the next day it was back to negotiations and phone calls. And even if Maggie couldn’t do anything to help, -and not even Michael could do much-, she was worried.
The whole drive back to her apartment Maggie was lost somewhere inside her head, holding Michael’s hand while she looked nowhere outside the windows, not even paying attention to the music that was playing and not even making jokes about how Michael didn’t like to drive. The only thing that brought her back to reality was Michael’s lifting their joined hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles from time to time or his soft voice singing quietly along with one or another song that was playing.
Even when they were back home she felt off, so Michael took it as his task to bring her back to reality, make her switch off for the rest of the afternoon and night, and especially make her forget about her worries. He started with making her favorite tea, putting on one of her favorite playlists with old music, and filling the tube with hot water and her favorite things to put into the water to help her relax.
When everything was set and done, Michael took Maggie to the bathroom, help her undress, took off his clothes, and then they both got into the water. Like some kind of magic, it felt like all her worries disappeared into the water. It was that and the smell of her favorite bath salts that helped her relax, but more than anything, it was her boyfriend.
While their right hands were laced over her stomach, her left hand just moved over his arm, but Michael’s left hand just stroked her head, knowing that always made her relax. Added to his kisses over her temple and her back against his chest, Maggie was in her little piece of heaven. Between soft and loving kisses, and even more compliments than that morning, they spent their time in the water talking about nothing and everything, but one particular thing stuck with Maggie that day.
They were talking about how they needed to be back in London in a couple of days and between jokes Maggie said something as silly as ‘I could simply just stay there forever’ to which Michael answered with a very chill and simple ‘What would be so bad about it?’. But like a bad movie with very bad timing, his phone interrupted them. Even when Michael decided to not pick up because his phone was somewhere in the living room and he wasn’t going to disrupt their peace, the conversation changed it, leaving Maggie with more questions than when she got into the water.
They didn’t talk about it when the phone stopped ringing. They didn’t talk about it either when they got out of the water, or when they dried out and made her lay down in bed to give her a massage so she would relax. Michael didn’t mention it when they were talking about what should they order for dinner or even during dinner. And Maggie didn’t say a thing when they went to bed. She knew having a little pillow talk about it would fix more than one question inside her head, but she was too tired. They were so tired that they just fall asleep before they could say much about anything.
By lunchtime, there was a double preoccupation inside her head, but Maggie didn’t have much time. On Monday everyone was going back to their lives, which included her parents going back to work, Joe and Grace flying back to Perth, and Daniel and Michael back to training. But Michael and Maggie insisted to Jas and Daniel take a day off as parents to enjoy being a newly married couple even if just for a day, so after their session, Michael came back with Olivia in his arms. To say she melted every time she saw them together was an understatement, but to see them together coming home in Dublin somehow made it more special. She couldn’t explain it, but as soon as she got her niece and her boyfriend in her arms, she forgot what she was even thinking about.
Once in a while during the morning one of those goddamn questions would jump into her mind, but they would automatically be erased with something silly or funny Olivia would do. But suddenly it all was interrupted by something as terrible as Olivia not wanting to eat. Maggie tried everything and all the techniques always worked, but somehow this time it was impossible. Olivia would turn around her face with a pout on her lips, saying something in her own baby language and ignoring Maggie in such a way that would make her feel nothing but awful. It made her feel like she has a fifteen years old niece instead of seven months old one.
“I know you miss mom and dad, póirín, but if you eat the whole thing I promise you I’ll tell you a story for nap time. I’ll tell you about the Irish queen and the Aussie king defeating the evil American CEO. How about that?” Maggie asked, faking the excitement to see if she would get any reaction from Olivia. But all Maggie got was even more illogical mumbling from the baby in front of her. “Yeah, you don’t understand shit about what I’m saying. Mike, I need backup, babe!”
The last thing Maggie wanted was to bother Michael while he was making lunch, especially when she was supposed to do something as simple as feeding Olivia the fruit purée Michael made for her. But desperate time needed desperate measures and nobody could beat Michael at convincing Olivia to eat.
“Coming!” he yelled from the kitchen and in no time, he was with his hands on Maggie’s shoulders, kissing the top of her head. “What’s up?”
“Práta doesn’t want to eat and clearly I’m the worst aunt in the universe” Maggie breathed, leaving the tiny lavender spoon right on the plate that was over the table.
“That's not true” Michael insisted, kissing Maggie’s head once again. In no time he grabbed another chair, sitting right beside Maggie and in front of Olivia’s high chair. “C’mon, teeny, we don’t want a frown on auntie’s forehead. Can you eat this for uncle and auntie?”
And just like magic, Olivia opened her mouth as soon as Michael put the tiny spoon in front of her mouth, eating the whole thing with a smile on her face. There was no need to make any car sound, any airplane movement, or any game, she just eat it like it was nothing. “I can’t blame her, y'know? I can’t say no to your face either”
“You know how she is. It's the Irish gen inside her. And you’re exactly the same” he affirmed, kissing her shoulder before he grabbed another spoon to feed her. “You two look the same but she has curls”
“That’s cause we both look like Jas. Then people ask us if she’s our baby”
Maggie wasn’t joking when she said people always thought Olivia was hers and Michael’s daughter. Every time they went out the three of them, someone would make a comment and they would automatically assume she was theirs. Ninety percent of the time they would explain that she was their niece, but more than once Michael would just play along. Just like that day in Surrey where he lied to the old lady in the restaurant saying that Maggie was his wife while they weren’t even officially dating, Michael would just joke around not correcting them as they would say some compliment about how adorable and beautiful their daughter was. Most of the time Maggie would play along too, joking with him and whoever was talking with them, but some other times she just elbowed him, trying to not laugh as she insisted that one day he would get them in trouble.
As Michael kept himself busy with his task, Maggie just left her head resting against his shoulder with her eyes closed. But no time passed before she felt his lips over her head again, peppering her skin with kisses. “It's gonna be alright, Mags. Dan will find out a solution. You know it’ll be fine, your cards said so. And he has the crystal you gave him, so you shouldn’t worry” he whispered against her head, making her smile slightly.
It wasn’t just the fact that Michael knew she was worried about their friend, but the fact that he mentioned the cards. Being the niece of a tarot reader, Maggie grew fascinated with everything related to that. But that fascination not only showed in her tattoos and the books in her library but also in the tarot decks in her home and her suitcase. Aunt Mimi taught her a thing or two about reading tarot cards and she spent her teen years practicing, but then between work and college, she left it aside. But once Maggie found herself having too much time to spare with all the traveling and coming and going, she decided to start reading books and practicing again.
That’s how one morning Michael came back from training in the gym of one of the hotels where they were staying, all to find Maggie sitting in the middle of the bed, with a couple of cards sprayed on the bed in front of her. She explained that she was asking to the cards in Daniel’s name, but that she used it more as a reflection tool. She explained that it wasn’t about looking at the future or the past but more about an interpretation. It was about a feeling and she could feel that somehow things were going to be okay. There was a change, there was somehow something he needed to let go and there was some kind of rebirth, but adobe all she could see was some calmness that came with all of it. She had no idea if all that came from a new team or a sabbatical, but she could feel things were going to be fine. But even with that, Maggie was worried. She could see how stressed Daniel was. She could see how it was affecting him. She knew it was something Daniel would normally discuss just with Jas or the boys and how he would try to hide it under a smile. She knew he wanted to be his normal self again not only for himself but especially for his wife and his daughter. But adobe all, Maggie knew he was hurting. She have know Daniel for four years and she knew behind that big shiny smile he was hurting, that’s why she did something as silly as giving him a crystal. It was just a tiny amethyst in a black bracelet made with black glass beads, and it was far from fancy or expensive, but Maggie begged him to wear it. ‘I know you don’t believe in all this shit, but it won’t harm you to keep it with you’ she insisted, and a puppy eyes look was all she needed to convince Daniel to wear it on his wrist.
On the other side was Michael who knew Maggie believed in those things, so instead of brushing it away he sat there by her side and listened to ever she had to say. Time after time he just paid attention to her, and she could even see how he was trying to memorize some of those words because it was important to her, so each time Maggie gave him a tight hug and whispered a little ‘Thank you’ in his ear.
That was exactly what was happening this time, but not even his eternal optimism could do much. “Mike, I love how much you love me and believe in me but it's not precisely science, babe. Damn, you’re a man of science so you should know better”
“All I know is I trust you. Period” he insisted, kissing her head once more before his full attention went back to Olivia and her dirty cheeks full of food. “You, little missy with those cute curls and that toothless smile, stop stressing your auntie. She doesn’t need more on her plate right now, but you need way less food on your plate” he smiled, giving her another small amount of food.
“She doesn’t understand what you say, grá” Maggie whispered, still with her eyes closed, trying not to think about the issue that had her head like a mess and how that issue could be fixed.
“She does. Right, Oli? Of course you do!”
Maggie opened her eyes at the exact perfect moment to see Michael with the biggest smile on his face as Oli looked at him, giggling at absolutely nothing. Maggie knew it was probably for the taste of the food and trying a new taste in her purée, but none of them say anything, acting like she was smiling because of what Michael said and because their niece understood their words. And as she looked at the two persons she loved more than anything in the world, Maggie couldn’t help but smile too, even if just a bit. “Twenty” she whispered out of nowhere, her voice so softly she doubted Michael even heard her.
“Twenty what?” Michael asked, but then she could see how it clicked inside his head. He was a natural with all the baby stuff. He was a natural with everything that has to do with Olivia. It all looked easy when he was doing it. Even if Olivia wasn’t a difficult baby, Michael make it all look even easier. She would magically fall asleep in no time when Michael put her in bed or when he had her in his arms. She would eat or drink her bottle in no time, even when she was in a grumpy mood. Damn, he would make her giggle uncontrollably even when she was all grumpy. He would always make tummy time funnier and would even master changing diapers way better than her. He was a natural, and to see him every day with their niece just made Maggie’s heart get warmer and melt. It made her want to have twenty babies with him, especially knowing they would probably be as amazing as him. Twenty babies with that big smile, those shiny eyes, and that huge heart didn’t sound bad at all. “Oh! I don’t know if twenty, but I remember we said three” he smiled as soon as he remembered that crazy night at Lily’s apartment where there was too much tequila and champagne to say anything logical at all.
“Mmm nop. Two. That’s it”
“We’ll see about that” he smiled, giving Olivia her last spoon and cleaning her face with a napkin, trying to fix the mess of purée in her cute chubby cheeks and teeny mouth. “See? It wasn’t that hard. There was no reason to make auntie Mags feel bad, you little thing”
“The evil gen also comes from my side of the family. Sorry about that” Maggie joked, placing her arms around his waist as she got closer to kiss his cheek. “You smell so fucking good, it's not fair” she murmured, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck and getting lost for a second in his smell and warmth.
“You’re not evil. You’re too good to be true, actually” he corrected her, moving away from her only enough to take Olivia out of her chair. Once he had her, Michael turned to the side of his chair so he would be able to look at Maggie while he held Olivia standing on his legs. “We made a deal, remember? Not bottling things up inside you, babe. I can’t read minds. And don’t you dare deny it or say you’re sleepy. I know you are but this is something else” he stated, looking from their niece to Maggie’s eyes.
Of course he knew something else was in her mind.
“In my defense, I’m not a morning person and you know it. You promised to love me no matter what” she smiled, stroking Olivia’s head as she looked at Michael. But clearly, the bad joke didn’t help, because Michael didn’t say a thing, he just waited for her to talk. “I was just thinking about that thing you said yesterday”
“You gotta be more specific, sweetheart. Yesterday was long and we said too many things”
Maggie knew he was right. They said too many things, but especially they made too many promises. From not breaking up ever again -even if t wasn’t technically a breakup- to talk about everything and not bottling up anything or not keeping things from each other, they promised to do everything in their power to make it work. But besides that, they just joked -especially when they were slightly tipsy at the party- about how many dogs and babies they would have one day because Olivia needed more cousins besides Isabella and Issac. Michael even joked saying he loved Maggie so damn much that he would go back to civil engineering just for once to design and build the green house that Maggie always wanted and always draw when she was a little kid. Michael insisted he was ready to make it just like she always wanted it, with the flowers outside, the tree right there in the left part of the entrance, the chocolate dog, the cute red car, and the white picket fence. Maggie laughed her ass off when she heard all that, insisting that he didn’t need to do any of that, especially since he didn’t need to go back to engineering or do anything for her to love him more than anything in the world. But all jokes aside, they said again and again and again how much they loved each other and how they were the love of each other’s lives. That was the only important thing after the terrible months they spent apart. That was everything they needed to hear to know it was going to be alright.
“You said ‘What would be so bad about it?’ when I was joking about staying at your place forever” she explained, playing with the hem of Olivia’s shirt as she looked down at her hand while her brain kept yelling how it was such a terrible idea to bring that up.
“So that was eating your brain. I knew something was bothering you” he smiled, holding Olivia with one arm as he extended his free hand for Maggie to grab. “C’mere with us, c’mon”
“You always know when something is bothering me. It's one of your superpowers” Maggie murmured, grabbing his hand and going straight to sit on his lap facing Olivia and holding her little hand as Michael hugged her waist. “I just- I wanted to know if you mean it. Nothing else. And yes, you can say I’m stupid”
“You’re not stupid, Mags. And yes, I mean it. It's been three years. I think it's about damn time for us to stop running in circles” he affirmed, kissing her cheek and then Olivia’s cheek, making the baby giggle and make the most adorable sound in the world. “You want your aunt Mags to live with me? Is that giggle a yes? You want that?” he asked Olivia, as he kept kissing her cheek, and also tickled her tummy, which only made her laugh even harder.
“So you… You want me to live with you? Like permanent? Because it's fine if you don’t… It's really fine” she whispered, placing her hands around his waist and tracing imaginary lines over his back.
The question was stupid. It was more than stupid. They spent time living together while they were in lockdown in Perth and then again in London and Dublin, but it was never an official thing. It was never an 'I live with my boyfriend' and more like 'I’m staying at my boyfriend’s'. Even if Michael insisted his apartment was hers too and if she had the keys, and even when he had the keys to her apartment, it was never their place. But the question felt even more stupid considering the amount of time they spent together and how they shared hotel rooms week after week. It was stupid because every single weekend they were away in some city, Michael would kiss her forehead and say ‘Let’s go home’ as he would grab their bags to leave and go back to whenever they were going. It was stupid because Maggie knew ‘home’ could be his place or hers or Perth or Dublin or London, but Michael was simply talking about being with her. Home was whenever their favorite cups were. Home was whenever they could lay down and snuggle for a while as a record played in the back. Home was them together, and the rest could be fixed, but somehow, Maggie was dying to live with him.
“Sweetheart, we kind of live together already. We spent the last three years sharing hotel rooms. When we’re not traveling we’re together one way or another. Your things are at my place. Half of the closest is yours already” he explained, trying to keep himself from smiling as he mentioned the last part.
“Bullshit! You’ve more clothes than I do!” she exclaimed as she slapped his chest, making Olivia giggle as she looked at her uncle and aunt laughing. “But you’re right, we kind of live together” Maggie affirmed, taking a deep breath as she looked at him. It took just one look at his favorite pair of brown eyes to know he was right. Between hotel rooms and his place, they lived together, so there was no difference. “We’re not gonna blow it up again, right? I mean, if we do it. Cause I can’t lose you” she finally confessed, smiling sadly as she stroked his cheek.
“Sit here one second, baby” he whispered to Olivia, making her sit right over Maggie’s lap, to which Maggie took care of holding her with one arm around her tiny body. And as soon as his hands were free, they were on her face, holding her carefully as he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs., making Maggie look right into his eyes again. “Move in with me. I promise nothing bad is gonna happen. I promise it’ll be alright, Mags. It's just gonna get better. I know you’re scared but we’re not gonna blow it up. I’m not allowing it. This is just another step and I really wanna make it with you. I know we can make it work”
It was the way Michael said it that made Maggie melt. It was the way his brown eyes looked at her that made her believe he was right. It was just another step and it was right to do it. It was the most normal thing in the world and there was nothing she wanted more, so she couldn’t let all her fears ruin it. Not when part of that fear kept them apart for months. Not when part of that fear was responsible for all the bad things that happened to them.
She took a long breath before she placed her forehead against his, being as careful as to not crush Olivia in the middle of them.
“I’m yours and you’re mine, so fuck the rest, right?” she whispered, stealing a soft, loving peck from his lips, which only made Michael smile like a happy man. “You know how to convince your girlfriend to move with you. You do know. Your uncle’s a smart man, Oli” Maggie smiled, moving away from Michael to place a kiss over Olivia’s head, who automatically yawned, rubbing her right eye with her tiny hand. “Come here, munchkin. It's time for a nap nap?” Maggie spoke to Olivia while she grabbed her, carried her small body in her arms, and made her rest against her chest.
Then the room became silent except for the music playing in the back, to which Maggie was singing softly for Olivia. It was almost a whisper in the baby’s ear, but it was enough to make her fall asleep in some minutes. Jas always said aunt Maggie singing some lullaby and uncle Mike’s cuddles were like magic to make Olivia fall asleep, and it was true. As Maggie sang, Michael stroked carefully Olivia’s small back and in no time she was sleeping peacefully in her godparents’ arms.
“Works every single time. I mean, I fall asleep in a second too when I use you as a pillow and you sing, so I get it” Michael whispered, stroking Olivia’s chubby pink cheeks with his thumb, being as careful as possible to not wake her up. What she also got from her mother’s side -and from her aunt in some sort of way- was the grumpiness if someone interrupted her naps, so nobody wanted to deal with it.
“It's my superpower. I’m like a Pokémon. Tiny and with powers. Basically like Jigglypuff, making people sleep when they sing” she joked and could see Michael trying to hide the smile that was trying to appear on his face. “What? I loved Pokemon. You know it”
“I do know” he nodded, eyes locked with hers. “Fuck, I’m so in love with you that I can’t even explain it”
Maggie couldn’t help but lean against his hand and kiss his palm when Michael went from stroking Olivia’s back to touching Maggie’s face. She couldn’t help but kiss his skin as many times as possible as she smiled because she understood perfectly the feeling. She couldn’t even put into words the way she felt about Michael. It was something beyond love. It was love but also adoration, devotion, need, passion, and a commitment so deep that she knew they would do anything for each other. She knew it was the kind of love people would die to have and the kind that people write stories and songs about. It was the kind that Maggie dreamt of her whole life. “It's like an ‘I’m so obsessed with you that I’d do anything for you and I can’t understand what the fuck are you doing with me but thank God you are with me other way I don’t know how I would survive’ kind of stuff? Cause I get it. Happens to me all the time. Especially when I see your face” she affirmed.
“That’s the exact word. I’m fucking obsessed with you. And I see you like this with her and I just- I really really love you so much, Mags. I really do” Michael insisted, getting closer to kiss her lips as softly and carefully as possible. But this time, he didn’t move away from her, he just nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, all without bothering Olivia who was all comfortable resting on the other side of Maggie’s chest.
“I know you do. Nobody else would ever handle my shit the way you do. That’s why I say I’m the luckiest. Besides you’re fucking handsome. The biggest heart and hot as hell. You don’t find all that in a guy that easily” she whispered, resting her head over his.
“Like a legendary Pokémon?”
“And he’s also smart”
And then again, that’s how they stayed for longer than they should have, almost forgetting about lunch and whatever Michael was preparing. Maggie didn’t care at all if she was hungry, not when right there by her side was her whole world. Sleeping against her right shoulder was her niece with one of her little hands resting on Maggie’s chest. And on the other side was Michael, who Maggie knew wasn’t asleep, but who was taking a minute off with his favorite girls, ignoring everything around them. But Maggie thought she could explode out of love when Michael grabbed Olivia’s hand resting both of them over her chest. That was all she ever needed. That was all she ever wanted.
“Are you still there?” she whispered, rubbing her face slowly over his.
“Five minutes more?”
“I give you ten”
“Let's just spend the day here” he proposed, and that was an offer that didn’t come from Michael often, so Maggie was more than tempted to say yes and forget about whatever plan he made for them. Nobody needed a walk in the park when Dublin was all cloudy and rainy.
“Don’t tempt me”
The way Michael suddenly tightened his grip around her waist was the easiest way to let Maggie know that maybe he mean it when he said he wanted to stay in. It happened counted times in the four years she have been knowing him and especially in the three years they had been together, so maybe taking the offer was the best thing to do. “Are you sick? Do you have a fever? My laziness is finally contagious? Cause that’s the only way to make you want to stay home” she joked, kissing his cheek as better as she could, but with it, she also took her chance to check if his face wasn’t warm. “No, but really, I’m not kidding. Are you okay?”
“I’m alright” he insisted, taking a deep breath as he moved his hand under her shirt to draw invisible lines in her skin. “Don’t move or you’ll wake her up” he whispered in her ear, stroking Olivia’s hand. But in the middle of it, still sleeping Olivia grabbed his thumb with her tiny hand, not letting Michael move his hand anymore.
“Mike, babe, look at me. What’s going on?” Maggie wondered again.
“Please tell me you’re moving with me. Please. I’m ready to get on my knees and beg for you to say yes” he murmured, covering her neck with kisses, making it impossible for her to say something else that wasn’t yes. “Please, say yes, love”
“I’ve conditions before I say yes, but we can talk about the first now and then leave the rest for later” Maggie started, trying to sound as serious as possible as Michael simply nodded in agreement. “Tell me you love me?”
It was the most stupid and ridiculous thing in the whole universe, and Maggie knew it. She knew how much Michael loved her and he didn’t need to say a thing for her to know, but she just wanted to see his face when he heard that stupid condition. And she wasn’t disappointed when he finally raised his head to look at her, because when he did, there was the biggest smile he could offer.
“I love you more than anything or anyone in the universe, Margaret” Michael affirmed. There was not a single doubt in his brown eyes. That was all Maggie needed. That was all she wanted, but even after that, she was planning to invent another silly condition, especially if that meant Michael smiling at her.
“Good. Then I’m moving” she shrugged and she was surprised Olivia didn’t wake up with the way Michael kissed Maggie at that moment. And even if Olivia woke up all grumpy and crying, it was absolutely fine because there was nothing they couldn’t fix if they were together.
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So it goes: Chapter 29 - MI x fem!OC
Masterlist
Summary: A wedding in the Irish countryside, a lavender dress and some really old habits that never die.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Smut, language, fluff all over the place and mention of one or two kinks.
Word count: 6.0k
A/N: KIDS! It’s been so damn long and I’m so sorry. Being an adult sucks and I’ve been so damn busy lately but fingers cross I will be back here posting more often. Anyway, I missed my two favorite idiots so much! I’m so happy to write them again. Let me know what you think?? Also if you have any question/suggestion/whatever feel free to write! I really really love it. Okay, see you soon! Bye!
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Chapter 29 - Out of the woods.
There were two things to celebrate that Saturday night in Dublin. First, Daniel and Jas finally getting married, but second, Michael and Maggie finally getting back together. Even when they haven't discussed the terms and conditions to fix the mess they made of themselves, they were back together and Maggie was absolutely happy. She could swear there wasn't anybody as happy as she was, not even her sister who was actually getting married to the love of her life and father of her baby girl. It was pretty much impossible for Maggie to erase the smile off her face since she woke up that morning. The fact that she got to wake up by her boyfriend's side, and then go get ready for her sister's wedding made her smile all damn day. She spent the day getting ready with her favorite women as they drank champagne and laughed their asses off, she helped Jas put on her wedding dress, and got to see Olivia wearing the most adorable lavender dress as she giggled when Lily played with brushes over her tiny, chubby pink cheeks, so everything was perfect. But everything somehow made sense when she finally got to see Michael.
After hours of not being able to see him because they were busy with their own stuff -especially considering they were the Best Man and Maid of Honor- she finally got to see him. He looked like a dream. He looked like a model out of a runaway or a magazine. He was the most handsome man in the entire world and was all hers and Maggie couldn't believe it. His stubble looked extra perfect and his hair was even more perfect than usual and he was wearing a black suit and it was the most normal thing at a wedding, but it made him look breathtaking. It made her stay standing right where she was, feet almost glued as her jaw was hanging, absolutely tongue tied, trying to comprehend how he was real.
But the silly part was the fact that Michael was acting exactly as she was. She was with his mouth open and a happy grin, looking down at her like she was the moon and every single star in the sky. Maggie normally wasn't one for saying much compliments about herself, she always said it was Michael's job to do it. Besides, she never really believed she was that beautiful or breathtaking. She was convinced she was a regular average kind of cute girl, with an average body, an even more average height, and maybe a cute ass, but that was it. She knew she wasn't a model or any of that, but that afternoon she had to admit she looked good. Her dress was a gorgeous A-line, floor length, fitted bodice dress, made in the most beautiful lavender blush chiffon. It was beautiful and Maggie loved everything about it, but her favorite part wasn't the material or the color. But her absolute favorite part was the front and the back. It was a beautiful V-neck with tin spaghetti straps draped and crossed over the open low back. From the second Maggie saw the dress she knew it was maybe too much, but she knew Michael was going to love it. Plus, she loved it, Jas said it wasn't too much and the girls insisted it was the perfect one, so she decided to go for it.
Clearly it worked because Michael practically forgot how to talk when he saw her. And since they both forgot how to talk, they fixed the no-words issue in the only way they knew. It was Maggie the one who moved first and grabbed his tie carefully to let him know what she wanted. Knowing they were going to be interrupted in no time, they only shared some stolen kisses trying to not ruin Maggie's makeup as they held each other, whispering sweet nothings as soon as they regained the ability to speak.
Even if she couldn't really make out with her dreamy boyfriend for more than one reason, Maggie was absolutely happy. The day went by so fast that it felt like a movie, but Maggie wouldn't change a thing about it. From the second Maggie saw Daniel holding Olivia in his arms waiting for Jas, to the second Jas finally walked down the aisle with her white dress, Maggie cried her eyes out. She has never been more thankful about waterproof makeup than she was that day, other way she would have turned into a raccoon as soon as she walked to the garden where the ceremony was going to be held.
She thought the tears were going to be over as soon as two of her favorite people said 'I do' but it wasn't the case. At dinner her parents and his parents said some words and then it was Michael's time to give his Bestman speech, making everyone laugh and tear up. But no other person in the room cried as much as Maggie did when Michael took a second to thank Jas and Daniel for introducing him to Maggie. The fact that he did it in front of a room full of people -even if they were close friends and family- after years of hiding their relationship was just the most unexpected and beautiful act of love Maggie could have imagined. That was one of the reasons why Maggie spent the whole night glued to Michael's side. She was pathetically needy, but she didn't care at all. She couldn't care less about anything that wasn't them. That's also why they spent the night dancing together, once again whispering sweet nothings to each other, sharing kisses and promises of what they were going to do to each other once they were finally alone in their room.
After standing and dancing for too much time in some very beautiful but very high heels, Maggie was just finishing her glass of wine, looking at the dance floor while sitting on a side. In the middle of the mess was Dan holding Olivia while they danced with Jas and were the vivid image of absolute and pure happiness. Then was her grandpa dancing with Lily, André dancing with Grace while right by their side Joe was dancing with Aoife. But her favorite part was Michael dancing with Esmé. They were laughing their asses off while talking about who knew what, making Maggie smile absolutely happy of seeing them having fun together. She couldn't even believe how little more than 24 hours ago she thought everything was lost. She couldn't believe that the previous day she thought she was going to lose Michael forever. But that night, looking at the love of her life dancing with her grandma, Maggie couldn't help but wish that was her wedding. But since she couldn't have that -at least not yet-, she focused on what she could have, and that was her handsome, tall, Aussie man. That's when the terrible bad idea ran through her head, but knowing Michael, he wasn't going to say no to her.
She finished her glass of wine with a big gulp, and stood up, walking to the dance floor all while looking at Michael. It was the way he seemed to shine under the fairytale lights that were on the roof that made her go even weaker for him. It was the way he was smiling down at Esmé that made her want to explode and melt all together. But then it was the way his tie was loosened that made her go feral, dying to grab it and had her way with him until he became a mess of moans. But the big problem was how they couldn't make any noise. Their room was sharing a wall with her parents' room, so basically any movement of their bed would be directly heard by them. The other wall was shared with Grace and Joe and she would die before they heard her moans, so it had been nothing but difficult. Not that people didn't know what they did as an adult couple who had been together for four years, but nobody needed to hear the prove the signs of their love. Their only solution their first day there was to fuck each other in the shower or against a wall, covering their mouths with kisses to prevent any moans from escaping their lips.
But what got Maggie so absolutely messed up and needy was the fact that she didn't get to fuck her boyfriend for three days. It sounded pathetic considering they had been apart for months, but she couldn't help it. It was probably the fresh air of the country side and the stress of the wedding that made Maggie fall asleep so damn fast that it was ridiculous. Michael insisted it was absolutely fine, that they didn't need to have sex every single night but Maggie felt ridiculous for falling asleep so fast when by her side was laying down the most handsome man in the world. And the previous night was even worse. After their discussion and her tears, Maggie was absolutely drained. She barely made it to dessert at dinner, finally giving up and falling asleep in Michael's arms as he kept her warm. Next thing she knew, Michael was carrying her away and asking if she wanted him to take her makeup off, which Maggie responded with a nod and little 'Thank you, grá’. The next morning there was no such a thing like trying to get into his pants, there was too many things to do for the wedding and too little time, so they didn't even try. But since the complicated part had passed and the celebration was on its way, there was nothing Maggie wanted as much as her boyfriend. She needed Michael to remind her that she was his and she needed it right there and then.
"Mamó, you mind if I steal your handsome dance partner for a sec?" Maggie asked when she finally reached her favorite people on the side of the dance floor. They looked so happy that she hated interrupting them, but she was going to be selfish for a minute, then she could give him back. "I promise I'll give him back in five minutes"
For the look on Esmé's face, she knew it was going to be more than five minutes, but she just nodded acting all serious while trying to hide a little smirk. "Just because you ask nicely and because my feet started to hurt. But you better behave, darling"
"Never"
"That's my girl" Esmé finally smiled, winking at her granddaughter and then looking up at Michael. "You owe me one last dance"
"Yes ma'am" he affirmed, kissing Esmé's hand as they let go of each other. It wasn't until her grandma was a couple steps away from them that Michael grabbed Maggie's waist, sticking their bodies together to give her a very PG but long and careful kiss in her lips, clearly trying to not ruin her makeup. "You have to appear just when I was about to convince Nana to give me the recipe for her famous Irish stew, don't you? I was so close to know the secret ingredient"
"Give her one more glass of champagne and you'll get her whole recipe book. Especially cause she loves you" Maggie shrugged, trying to hide a smile as she moved her hands to rest them on his chest.
"And I love you" he responded, stealing yet another kiss, but this time shorter than the previous one. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look?"
"About five times per hour since you saw me in this dress. I think I'll have to dress up more often"
"I'm joking. I know you're thinking 'I love you no matter what you wear. You don't have to dress up for me to think you're beautiful'. I know it. But let's be honest, you like me more when I'm not wearing anything" she joked, slapping his chest playfully with both her hands.
The smile that appeared on his face could have been enough to knock her out and leave her on the floor probably looking for air because he also knocked it out of her lungs. She would have fallen if it wasn't for his arms around her middle but she was more than fine with it. It was probably the right thing to do considering her boyfriend was the most handsome man in the world, smiling because it was a silly joke, but it was also very true. "I like you no matter what. Dress and heels and makeup or just your pretty face and your pjs or my shirt. I would have you anyway" he explained, kissing her forehead as they slowly moved completely out of tune with the music blasting. They weren't even dancing, they just moved, too much into their own little work to care about the rest, all while they followed their own music.
"Wanna show me how much you like me?"
As soon as those words left her lips, Michael's face went from confusion to knowing perfectly fine what her idea was. After four years Michael absolutely knew with just one look, so he didn't doubt in giving Maggie his hand when she offered hers for him to grab.
"Where are we going, sweetheart?" Michael asked, following her away from the party and into the forest, which had some dim lighting so it was nothing but perfect for her idea.
Maggie turned around to look at him with a big, evil grin on her face as she kept walking backwards, carefully trying to not fall with her high heels in the grass. It wasn't until they reached a dark part of the forest that Maggie stopped, making sure they were away from everyone's eyes. She picked that spot carefully, knowing well enough that nobody could see them from afar and especially if someone walked past by. She picked it up the day they arrived, thinking how funny it would be to scape there, but never imagining it was going to be during the wedding. "I just want a second of privacy with my boyfriend. I wanna make out with you without my family being there. It's that bad? It's too much to ask?" she wondered, grabbing his tie with her free hand to wring him closer.
And Michael obeyed, following her like a puppy, letting go of her hand to grab her waist and place their bodies together. "No, it's not, but I know you. Making out its never just making out" he smiled, moving slowly his hands from her waist to her hip and then to her lower back.
Michael knew what was coming and he was hundred percent up for it.
"You never complain about it. Besides, what's a wedding without the Bestman and the Maid of honor having something, right?" Maggie joked, smiling even more as she looked up at his face. Even in the dark night he looked nothing but absolutely breathtaking and there was nothing Maggie wanted more than to drag him to their bedroom and rip his clothes off, but the little spot was enough for the moment. "But if you don't want, we can go-" she shrugged, taking a step back.
But like every single time, Michael moved them around in a swift move like she weighed nothing, placing her back carefully against the first tree he could find. After than, his left hand was automatically on her neck stroking her jaw with his thumb and his right hand went to her ass, keeping their bodies together as he touched her through the green material of her dress. But her favorite part wasn't the way his hands were touching her but the way he was undressing her with his eyes. It was the kind of way they loved to look at each other from across the room, ignoring everyone and everything else, knowing perfectly fine what was coming. If looks could undress someone, she would be naked pretty much all the time, and exactly the same would happen to Michael. That same thing happened that night, and all Maggie wanted was for Michael to get under the skirt of her dress before he took it off her, just like she was planning to do with his suit.
"No, we're not going anywhere" Michael informed, giving her ass a little squeeze before he kept talking. "You want us fucking against a tree like the good ol' days, sweetheart? Like when nobody knew about us?"
"I do" she affirmed in a whisper, almost out of air for the feeling of his hands against her body. But if it wasn't enough, he was leaning towards her with his lips ghosting over hers but never kissing them, which only turned her on even more. "Besides we can't make much noise in our room so I figured we could make it here"
"Couldn't you wait till tomorrow night, didn't you? Couldn't wait till we were back home?" Michael asked, and just when Maggie thought he was going to kiss her, he moved his face to a side, going straight for her neck. "We could have wait and keep reminding the neighbors about our names. I think they forgot by now. Too much time not being there" he murmured between kisses, making Maggie moan time after time with each touch.
"Too much time without you fucking me there. I think my bed missed you" she smiled, holding tighter into his shirt as she felt his lips getting closer to the thin strap holding from her shoulder. She knew Michael could break the material with his fingers like it was nothing and it was ridiculous how crazy that turned her on, but she left every little whimper come out of her mouth as his lips came closer to his shoulder.
"Too much, but we're making a good job reminding 'em this week, right?" Michael asked, and absolutely out of words, Maggie just nodded. But then she felt his fingers moving all the way up her arm and then all so slowly moving the strap down her shoulder, leaving her panting as he covered each part of her skin there with kisses. She knew Michael wasn't going to undress her there, there was no way he would do it knowing someone could find them, but the simple thought of him finally taking that lavender piece of cloth from her body had her pressing her tights together looking for some friction. But if Michael wasn't going to undress her, she was going to do her part, letting his shirt go and instead, focusing on undoing the belt and zipper of his pants. "Are you in a hurry, baby?"
"If you don't do something then I will" she affirmed, trying to get his belt loose so she could finally unbutton his pants. But just when she was about to get on his knees in front of him, Michael grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips, kissing her knuckles again and again.
"No, you ain't getting dirt in your dress or your knees" he stated, giving her fingers one last kiss before letting her hand go.
Maggie knew he had a good point, but that didn't stop her from leaving her wondering why the hell did he stopped her in such a moment. "Since when you don't want a blowjob, Italiano?"
"I just don't want you on your knees in the dirty when your dress is gonna get messy. Besides I know a different and best way to get you messy" he smiled, kissing her lips once as he took off his jacket. "Put it on, I don't want you hurting your back or ruin your dress with the tree"
Without asking any questions, Maggie took his suit jacket and put it on, giggling because it was so damn big on her that it looked like she was inside a tent. But before she could even ask or say something, Michael was crouched down in front of her, looking up to her face as he let his hands wonder under the skirt of her dress. Maggie couldn't help but stroke his cheek and his hair with her fingers, smiling as Michael kissed her wrist and the palm of her hand. He looked so damn perfect that she just couldn't help but smile of happiness, still not believing how that man was all hers. But once again, before Maggie could say something, Michael got her by surprise, getting under the long skirt as his hands went up from her legs to her hips, staying right over the waistband of her panties, making Maggie giggle even more.
"Matching with the dress? Look at you, sweetheart" he spoke, kissing her right thigh as he slowly moved down her lavender panties, which Maggie thought would be a smart idea to match her dress. And clearly, she wasn't wrong, because she could feel Michael smiling against her skin as his fingers ran through her skin, helping the lace material get to her feet. He didn't have to ask her anything, Maggie raised one leg and then the other, helping Michael take the small piece of cloth off her body, and she could swear she heard him whispering a 'Good girl' as he did.
Then all Maggie needed was a little tap on her knees for her to open up her legs for him, resting her back on the tree behind her as she did. She knew that she was going to support herself with something for whatever was coming, and she wasn't wrong. She was moaning the second she felt Michael's middle finger touching her clit. Her eyes automatically closed as the same finger moved inside her, stretching her out slowly. But that wasn't enough. Even when Michael moved his finger inside her perfectly, she needed more. "Más é do thoil é, grá" she begged, once again completely out of air.
She never thought Michael was going to listen to her words. Not when he normally had her begging for way longer, trying to get at least one orgasm and having her panting in his arms. Maybe it was the Irish thing, maybe it was the fact that they needed to get back to the party at some point, but Michael was out of her skirt and in front of her in one blink, holding her panties in one finger for her to see.
"You were hiding these from me?" he asked, evil grin on his face and he looked from her eyes to the tiny lavender garment.
"Not hiding. I just wanted it to be a surprise for tonight. Thought you might like em" Maggie shrugged, acting as casual and innocent as possible. She has been in fact hiding them since she got them, but just because she knew how much Michael would like how it looked on her. She wanted to turn him insane, and was happy that at least it was working. "Its been a while since I don't get something cute to wear just for you"
"You know what I like, don't you?"
"It's my job, baby" Maggie nodded, and while she did, she took care of losing the tie around his neck.
Somehow it was pretty sexy to see how Michael made her panties disappear in one of the pockets of his jacket in no time, but there was nothing as sexy as looking at him getting rid of his tie and putting it also in the same pocket. Maggie unbuttoned yet again another button of his shirt, and it was enough for her to see the little silver ring she gave him all that time ago, slightly shining against his pale skin. That was enough to make Maggie scratch his chest all so carefully right in the place where his shirt was open, and even if it wasn't that hard, she made Michael gasp under his breath.
"Can you hold your skirt up for me, baby?" Michael asked, gathering the material of her skirt for her to hold it. Maggie couldn't help but laugh because suddenly it looked like too much fabric and maybe it was all a terrible idea, but she knew if someone could make it work then that was Michael. And as she tried to make things work with her dress, she heard his belt making one little sound, meaning that he was finally unbuttoning his pants and getting rid of his boxers for her. "You good there, sweetheart?" he finally asked, grabbing her waist once again with his hands while Maggie nodded, biting her own lip out of pure excitement and anticipation. "Perfect. Just trust me, yeah? I got you"
Maggie couldn't help but smile even wider at his words. After four years doing crazy things together, Michael was still asking her to trust him and adorable and beautiful. There was nobody she trusted more than him, so she knew perfectly fine how safe she was in his arms. Maggie knew Michael wasn't going to let her fall or get hurt, so she just nodded once again as his hands grabbed her ass, lifting her from the ground.
She could have begged. She could have asked him to fuck her into oblivion to forget how they were at a party. She could have implored for him to hurry, but there was no need. Forgetting about the fabric that she was supposed to be holding, Maggie's hands went straight to his neck the second Michael got inside her. Then there was the beautiful sweet sensation of Michael slowly filling her, all while his shiny brown eyes were fixed on hers. Suddenly there was no party, no wedding and no one around in the whole world. All she could think about was how incredible Michael felt stretching her every time he moved as he hit all the right places. All she could think about was his smile and his eyes looking at her like she was the most beautiful girl in the universe.
"I love you so much. So, so much, babe" was all Maggie could whisper, because even when they could do as loud as they wanted and do all the mess they wanted without being heard, there was no words needed.
"I love you more, sweetheart. Shit, you're so good. You feel so good all wrapped around me" he murmured, pushing his hip to get even deeper inside her.
If for some reason Maggie needed another reminder of Michael being completely and absolutely hers, then there was him, obeying to every single one of her commands. She asked for him to go harder and he did. She asked for him to go deeper and he did. She knew that she could have asked for anything in the world and Michael would have found a way to do it, but in that second all Maggie wanted was to feel him. She wanted nothing else but him. She needed to forget about the terrible nights without his skin against hers and the constant bad dreams and fear about Michael finding some girl prettier and cooler than her.
And as Michael fucked her relentlessly, Maggie couldn't help but smile. His hands, fingers and nails were probably leaving marks on her skin, but she didn't care. Maggie couldn't care less, not when the one leaving those marks was her boyfriend. And then again, she smiled even more thinking about how he went from something to her friend-lover-boyfriend-ex lover-best friend to the love of her live. She couldn't help but think of all they went through together and how they were back even when it seemed impossible. She couldn't help but smile because they ended up making it work even when everything said they shouldn't. They made it and somehow, they went from fucking against a tree, hiding from the whole universe to running from a wedding together and she loved it.
There was nothing better than that. There was nothing as incredible as the way he was holding her body with a mix of tenderness and roughness, making her feel nothing but him. All she could feel was Michael with all his beautiful perfection and his brown eyes looking at her with nothing but love and happiness as he was fucking her to the point where Maggie practically forgot her name and any other name besides his. His name and a bunch of 'please' was everything she could moan over again and again as he brought her closer to her orgasm with every new push of his hips. With a mix of perfect thrusts and some stolen kisses here and there, Maggie finally came around him. She had no idea how she didn't break the back of his white shirt after grabbing it so hard, but it was all she could do as everything became like fire and electricity all together inside her. She had no idea how the white material was in one piece when she was holding onto it for dear life as he came inside her. Damn, she had no idea what really happened. All Maggie knew was that she was in her own personal heaven as her legs became jelly as she listened to his moans and looked to his perfect face relax while he slowly kept fucking her through their highs.
As Michael slowed down, Maggie really thought she had forgotten how to talk. She wasn't even sure if she remembered how to walk at all. All she knew in that moment was they should move and fix their clothes, but instead they stayed right there, resting their foreheads together as their breathings also calmed down. They were a mess. They were an absolute disaster, but Maggie was so happy that she couldn't help but start giggling as Michael gave her a sweet little peck on her lips.
"Call it what you want but some guys tent to worry when a woman starts laughing when a guy is inside her" he finally spoke, moving from her mouth to her neck, leaving kisses along the way, making Maggie giggle even more thanks to his stubble tickling her.
"I'm sorry! I'm not laughing about you. It was amazing. You're amazing. I was just thinking about the whole situation. Fucking like there's no tomorrow when our family is there. We're insane" Maggie explained, finally moving her hands from his neck to hold his face and stroke his cheeks.
"It's not like we haven't done it before. I'm gonna say it's your fault for being so fucking hot" Michael joked, setting himself free from her hands to hide his face in the crook of her neck, covering her skin in kisses.
As soon as her arms moved around his neck to hug him, then it was again the selfishness of not wanting to let Michael go. There was the selfishness of wanting him all for herself for some extra minutes, wanting to enjoy being just the two of them after such a long, busy day away from his arms. There was the selfishness of wanting to hug her boyfriend without someone looking, not even if it was their family. "I don't wanna go back. I wanna stay here with you" Maggie breathed, refusing to give up to their little bubble in the middle of the dark forest.
"We need to go back, Mags" he murmured in her neck, squeezing her a bit tighter in his arms. But then he moved out of his spot, looking back at her. "I'm not letting you go; you hear me? Not again. I made you a promise and I won't break it"
"I know. Besides I caught the bouquet, so you're kind of fucked up now" she shrugged, reminding the little detail about the party.
It was Lily who basically pushed her to go with the rest of her single ladies. It was also Lily the one who made Maggie go to the front, not really caring who was behind them. Considering Sara and Cam were already engaged and Lily didn't really care about getting married, she insisted Maggie deserved that bouquet. Lily insisted Maggie needed that bouquet. Maggie thought there was no way she would ever get it considering the rest of the girls were even if just slightly taller than her, but before she could realize, the beautiful white and lavender bouquet was in her hands. She could recognize Jas laughs from the distance and their friends' voices yelling joke after joke, but her first reaction was to turn and look at Michael. The smirk on his face was so damn beautiful that Maggie wanted to run to him, sit on his lap and cover his face with kisses, but instead she just shrugged, acting like it wasn't a big deal. But it was kind of a big deal considering their afternoon and night were filled with jokes about what they wanted and didn't want for their future wedding. It was also filled with questions about when it was going to be their turn, to which both of them answered with a very much chill 'There's no hurry'. And really there was no hurry, no when they just went back together and a lot of stuff needed to be fixed. There was no hurry except for the little detail that Maggie was dying to become his wife.
"Now I just have a really good excuse to not let you go. But I told you, if you want us to get married you just gotta ask me" Michael joked once again, making Maggie slap his arm just like every time he made that joke during the afternoon.
"Now for that put me down. No more cock warming for you, mister. And there's a pack of Kleenex in the left pocket of the jacket. I put it there earlier just in case. You're doing the dirty job tonight"
She had to bit her lower lip to not let a whimper leave her mouth when Michael finally put her down, leaving her feeling empty. She hated that moment. She hated the moment they separated. She hated when they had to let each other go and now it wasn't any different. The second she heard Michael groaning she wanted to beg him to fuck her again or to run into their room, but once again she just didn't. All she did was look for the pack of tissues as Michael fixed his pants, but before she could even consider grabbing one tissue, he was doing the job for her.
"Sneaky little thing. And you know I've no problem cleaning the messes I make" he stated, giving her a fast kiss before kneeling in front of her. Between careful strokes and little kisses on her legs to make her giggle, Michael cleaned her as good as possible, helped put her panties back on, and then fixed the skirt and the strap on her shoulder so she would look as decent as possible. But her favorite part was when Michael was back on her feet and he took a second to fix her hair, push it carefully out of her shoulders, placing it on the back of her ear as he looked at her eyes with the sweetest smile on her face, making the butterflies on her stomach get absolutely wild, not believing that he was all hers for real. "You're so beautiful, sweetheart"
"Okay, but from one to ten how much do I look like I was just fucked against a tree?" Maggie asked while she buttoned back his shirt, not even caring about the tie that was forgotten in the pocket.
"I would say a five. A bit fucked, completely beautiful and absolutely relaxed. Me?"
"You've a very sexy 'I just got laid' look on your face and I like it very much. Also, you got lipstick on your shirt" she noticed, using her fingers to try in vain to get rid of the stain on the collar of the shirt, which was nothing but impossible.
"That's what I was hoping for. Want a piggyback to not ruin your pretty shoes?" he offered, pointing to her lavender heels covered in embroidery flowers. And Maggie clearly nodded with a bit smile on her face, not so worried about the shoes that costed half of her former salary, but just because she wanted another excuse to hug Michael, even when she didn't really need one.
---
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@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover @monte-carlando @brightlightsinlife @a-distantdreamer @callsign-echo
#michael italiano#michael italiano fic#michael italiano oneshot#michael italiano imagine#michael italiano imagines#michael italiano fanfic#f1#f1 imagines#f1 imagine#f1 oneshot#f1 fic#f1 fanfic#formula 1 oneshot#formula 1#formula 1 imagine#formula 1 fic#formula 1 fanfic#formula one fanfic#formula one oneshot#formula one imagine#so it goes fic
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So it goes: Chapter 31 - MI x OC
Masterlist
Summary: Three years of privacy get ruined in a blink but there’s really nothing Michael can fix. Or at least, he makes Maggie forget about it for a while.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Some angst, some fluff, swearing and people not knowing how to mind their own business lol.
Word count: 5.8k
A/N: Hi u guys! Weekend without race got productive lol Anyway, I’m less than ten chapters from finishing this and I’m getting nothing but emotional. I started this mess so long ago that I don’t even remember what life before Maggie and her little disasters. Still don’t know how many chapters are left, but its gonna be a little crazy ride. Any guesses of what’s gonna happen?? Let me know? Kay, see you during the race weekend. Bye✌🏻
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Chapter 31 - This is why we can’t have nice things.
Maggie felt like the hallway of the hotel was even longer than it actually was. She felt the weird sensation tightening her chest and practically squeezing her heart as she played with the key card of the room between her fingers. To say she was praying Michael would be back in their room was an understatement. She was begging for every single thing out there for him to be back because she couldn't even think about looking for him in the hotel or even calling him. Damn, she had no idea how she was going to explain what was happening because she wasn't sure the words were going to leave her mouth at all.
As she walked in the corridor, Maggie was still rethinking the conversation she had over the phone with Lily. She was still thinking about how the hell it happened and why the hell it was happening. She was playing in her head again and again what Lily said, not really believing it was exactly what happened to Jas years ago. And while all that ran through her head, all Maggie wanted to do was hug Michael and forget about it all. She just wanted to stay in his arms while he promised everything was going to be okay. She just wanted him to whisper 'She'll be apples, sweetheart' like every time something went wrong.
The problem was that when Maggie opened the door, she found a dark, empty hotel room, which only made her feel worse. One of the worst things was how this was happening when everything was fine, at least between them. They were nothing but happy even when everything around them seemed uncertain, and it felt odd. It felt weird, and now it felt like the universe was coming against them to remind them that maybe they shouldn't be that happy.
For a month life was nothing but happy, at least in their tiny little bubble. Since the moment they came back together and especially since they decided to finally move together, everything felt way easier for some reason.
Every time they went back to London, the apartment normally turned into a little mess. Suitcases all over the place, dirty clothes that needed to be washed before they left again and new stuff that needed to find a new place was a normal sight. It was the regular thing, but that first day at home was kind of worse. It wasn't the normal 'Coming back from a race week' kind of mess, but a 'Coming back from summer break', 'Coming back from a weeding' and 'Maggie moving' all together at the same moment.
But even in the middle of the disaster Michael made it seem easy. Every single time she was about to throw something in the air for some ridiculous reason or every time she was thinking about leaving it for later, Michael would cover her in kisses, helping calm her nerves in no time.
What also made her smile was the silly little detail of Michael saying yes to her ridiculous conditions for her to move with him. She was clearly joking when she said it for the first time. It was a short list that included a monthly one morning with breakfast in bed, another morning staying in bed till late and a normal date just the two of them, and he agreed to all of them. She was joking, heaven knew she was joking because she couldn't ask anything from Michael after all he did for her, but he agreed anyway. They were still going to discuss and arrange the details of what they considered 'Staying in bed til late' but he agreed, repeating there was nothing he wouldn't do for her, even if it included changing his schedule once or twice a month. The other thing they still needed to discuss was Maggie's offer and insistence on paying half of the apartment's bills, which Michael automatically said no to. Their deal was that his apartment in London and her apartment in Dublin were their apartments, and Michael insisted it was enough with her paying for everything in Dublin, so he automatically said no to her offer. But even after they both insisted and insisted on trying to convince the other, they agreed to talk about it in another moment, knowing perfectly well it was good to take a long day to figure it out.
The whole moving thing was also what got Maggie with her head away from all the mess that was around their family. It got her distracted enough for the rest of their time in Dublin and during their short trip to London, but nothing was good enough to distract her when she knew the negotiations with Mclaren had started. While she was trying to fit her clothes in the closet and see what she was gonna pack for the triple header ahead of them, Maggie couldn't help but think about how in that exact same moment, Daniel, Jas and Blake were having a meeting with his bosses at the MTC. Jas wasn't supposed to be there, damn, Maggie knew it was gonna be a surprise for every single man at the table to see newly wedded Mrs. Ricciardo there by her husband's side, but she had one simple reason to be there. Mclaren wanted Daniel's seat, the boys wanted the respective economic compensation Daniel deserved, but Jas just wanted the Monza trophy. She was -rightly- convinced they didn't deserve it, so she was there to give it back to his rightful owner. She was there to fight for it, and knowing her sister, Maggie knew there was no way she would ever leave the room without what she wanted.
But none of it really mattered that afternoon in Monza. None of it mattered as she paced the room, waiting to hear the door opening and finally see Michael. She knew she could call him. She knew she could tell him to go back to the room because they needed to talk, but the last thing she wanted was to scare him. She didn't need to scare him when she needed him to calm her down. She didn't need to worry about him while he was training with Daniel. Damn, she didn't need to worry Daniel with something silly when he had more than one issue. But the thing was it wasn't silly for her, and she knew it wasn't gonna be silly for Michael either. No when they were talking about them and their lives and their relationship.
And once again, nothing really mattered when she finally heard the door opening, making Maggie run to his arms, burying her face in his face. "You're very lucky I showered at the gym, sweetheart" he joked, placing his arms around her body the second she was in front of him. "Weren't you supposed to be with Jas and Oli?"
But Maggie didn't answer and didn't move from her place. She didn't move from his arms, feeling once again that the world was gonna fall into pieces if she did. She just stayed there, arms holding handfuls of his shirt as she tried to focus on his breathing and his heartbeats. "I need to talk to you" she whispered with her face against his chest.
"What's going on, babe? You okay?"
"Lily called me" she announced, and the second she said those words, she realized how bad it sounded. Michael automatically moved away enough to look at her face, trying to figure out what was happening. She could see how he was reading her expressions and especially her eyes, trying to find out what was wrong. She could see how he was practically scared to ask what was wrong. She couldn't blame him, tho. The last couple times he asked, things ended up in tears, so she would be scared too if she was in his place. "Don't worry, Lil's okay. She just called me to give me a heads up"
Showing him the problem was going to be easier than explaining it, so Maggie took her phone out of her pocket and gave it to him. An automatic 'shit' left his lips the second she saw what Maggie was talking about. There was right in front of his face what she already saw, the terrible tweet that said 'F1 performance coach Michael Italiano dating Daniel Ricciardo's sister-in-law'. But if that wasn't enough, right under there was a thread of tweets that included pictures. Maggie knew perfectly fine which day it was. She knew perfectly fine it was two days earlier.
It was a normal thing for them to act as friends when they were out with Daniel. It wasn't Daniel's fault that people would go around taking pictures of him, but neither Michael or Maggie wanted someone talking about them. That's why they would act like friends, always teasing, winking at each other, sharing smiles and touching hands or stroking each other's legs under tables. Those rules were specially remembered during race weekends, but Maggie learned how to live with it. She was okay with not holding his hand or kissing or hugging around the paddock or when they were out for dinner, knowing perfectly fine that Michael was going to be all hers as soon as they walked inside their hotel room.
Back home they had a normal life like a normal couple, so that's all she cared about. That's why Maggie was slightly surprised when that Monday night Michael offered his hand for her to grab as soon as they left the car. If Michael was sure then she was sure, so she grabbed his hand and laced their fingers while they listened to Daniel and Jas discussing wedding plans for their second wedding in Perth. She didn't say anything as Michael kept holding her hand over his leg as they sat together, but as soon as he placed his arm around her shoulders, Maggie had to ask if he was sure. While everyone was thinking about what to order, Michael only whispered a softly 'I love you' in her ear, followed by a kiss on her temple. Once again, Maggie couldn't help but smile and kiss his cheek simply because that was all she needed to know. That was all she needed to hear. As they spent their night between family, friends, pizzas, laughs, wine and beers, Maggie absolutely forgot about the acting like friends thing. Michael was her boyfriend, the love of her life and the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, so she acted like it. They kissed, they held each other, snuggled together and acted like any couple would do and like they always did behind closed doors.
That's when someone saw them. Nobody approached to say hi to Daniel, but someone clearly recognized him and that's what Lily found online. The kind of low-quality picture were enough to see it was them. It was enough to recognize Maggie kissing his cheek, resting her head on his shoulder, and especially to see them kissing and holding hands as they walked out. That was way more than what she ever posted. Even when Maggie's Instagram account was private, she was more than careful with what she posted. In some kind of subtle way, she let know she had a boyfriend, but not even once she posted a picture showing Michael's face. If she ever included him in a picture, then it was about them with their families, with the boys or at least with Olivia. Besides that, she was absolutely careful to whom she accepted when a follow request appeared on her account. Being Daniel Ricciardo's sister-in-law included having more requests than she would like, but every day she denied one by one. Maggie was always trying to be careful with everything because it was their life and their privacy. Besides, she knew how Michael wanted to protect her, that was one of his priorities and what he has been doing for the last three years, but the second they let their guard down it all got ruined.
"No fucking way. Was this on Monday?" Michael asked, scrolling through her phone, seeing proof after proof of their love right in front of his face.
"Yes. And it's already on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Tumblr. Lily already checked" she explained, walking to the bed to sit there, too exhausted of absolutely everything. Three years of protecting what they had and suddenly it was all gone, so Maggie was nothing but exhausted.
But not after a second after she walked away from him, Michael went to her, kneeling right in front to be able to look at her, holding her hands between his. "Mags, baby, I'm so fucking sorry. I had no idea someone was doing this"
"It's not your fault, grá. People is just shit. They think they can do or say whatever they want"
The little shrug from his shoulder was enough to let Michael know that wasn't the only thing that happened. And the second Maggie opened her mouth, she absolutely regretted saying anything, knowing Michael was only going to get more worried and pissed with the situation. "'Say whatever they want?' Did you read the comments?" he asked very clearly, looking straight into her eyes, not giving her any chance to hide the truth.
"Yeah, but you don't wanna know about it" she shrugged again, trying to see if Michael would let it go while she internally cursed herself for the stupid comment. But once again, Michael was having none of that, and only one look told her to keep talking. "It's the same as when people found out about Jas and Dan. Maybe worse. But it's alright, I know I'm not a whore or a gold digger. I mean, a bit whore but just for you"
The joke was stupid, but at least it made them smile for a second. It was nothing but a sad smile drawing on both their faces, but it was better than anything. And before he said anything, Michael got up from his place and sat down right beside her, letting her hands go, but making Maggie sit in his lap, knowing perfectly fine how they just needed to be as close as possible. Knowing how she needed to be as close as possible. "You're none of that, sweetheart. You're the most amazing woman in the world and they know nothing about us, so fuck ‘em" he affirmed, looking down at her eyes while his hands stroked her back and legs.
"Fuck the rest, right?" Maggie whispered, once again not being able to hide a tiny shy smile saying those words once again. Those three silly words represented so much to them that it was impossible to not feel something every time she said them.
"Exactly"
And there was her favorite pair of brown eyes, shining right in front of her, making her forget about the world for a second. And how she wished that second would be enough. How she wished that second lasted forever or at least an hour. How they wished they could pretend none of that was really happening. But instead of that, Maggie had another detail that she hadn't shared before. "Someone knows we have been together for three years. Lil couldn't find it so I don't know who or how, but someone said it and it’s also everywhere"
Maggie could feel the grip around her body tightening as she explained the situation. She couldn't even blame him because she did exactly the same thing, squeezing his body around her arms and grabbing handfuls of his shirt, trying to hold herself into anything.
The thing about dating Michael for three years was that Maggie knew him. Not only did she know every single inch of his body, but she also knew his heart. She knew in which mood he was in the morning by just looking at him moving on his way to the bathroom. She knew how he was feeling by the vinyl he would play as he made coffee in the morning. The same thing would happen in the night, but she would find out by the way Michael would grab her and fuck her. But more than anything, Maggie knew it by his eyes. Sometimes words weren't needed simply because she could see his eyes and know what was happening inside his mind. That was how she knew he was worried but also absolutely pissed. If someone said something about them being together for three years then it means someone betrayed them, but they had no idea who, which was more dangerous.
"The only ones who really know are our families and friends" Michael affirmed, looking at her with a serious expression. She could practically see how his brain was working nonstop, making a list and trying to find out whoever did this to them. She has been doing the same thing since she found out, but she couldn't find one option. Not even one name came to her mind, no matter how much she thought about it.
"Maybe someone in McLaren? I mean, I know Jas and I are not the most welcomed women there" Maggie whispered, resting her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes to try to forget all that was happening. She knew it was impossible, but she could try. She was gonna try, getting lost in his touch, his smell, and especially in his warmth.
They were still not on good terms with the whole McLaren team. They weren't talking to Zak or Andreas; they weren't talking to Tom while they were in the garage, and they would barely say hi to the rest. The girls knew that way they would only get people to dislike them. Damn, they knew some people already disliked them, but she didn't care at all. They both were there to support Daniel, not to make friends, so they kept themselves in their little bubble, talking in Irish whenever someone was nearby. It was just even worse after negotiations started for Daniel to leave the team. The rumor of Jas wanting to take the Monza trophy home started to spread all over the MTC and the McLaren garage and hospitality until every employee knew. From then on, she went from being Daniel Ricciardo's wife to the crazy woman who wanted to do that. Now the sisters were going to be the crazy woman who wanted to take the Monza trophy away from its place and her little sister who was dating his brother-in-law's coach and friend. But Jas didn't give a shit to what anyone said, she never really did and finally Maggie was slowly starting to learn to do the same thing.
"Nobody knows, baby" Michael insisted, kissing her forehead as he stroked her head and waist.
"Jon knows. Maybe he told Lando by accident and Lando told someone without realizing"
"Or maybe someone just saw the way we look at each other" Michael pointed out, looking down at her as his hand went to her chin, making Maggie look at him again.
Those were exactly the words Jas said to Maggie. Jas was convinced it was the way they always looked at each other who gave them away, but she also said since they went back from the summer break something was different. Michael always looked at Maggie like she was his whole universe and Maggie did exactly the same, but Jas insisted now it was something else. It was something she couldn't even explain. It was pure devotion and hearts in their eyes. It was an invisible string between them but every single time it was becoming more and more visible. They tried to keep it cool and pretend nothing was happening but every day that passed people could see more and more how in love they were. Esmé always said they were rotating around each other. She always joked saying they were like a planet and a moon orbiting on its side, not moving away from each other even if they tried. It was nothing but true, that's why it was so hard to act like friends when they were in the paddock or outside with Daniel. But after three years and all the things they went through together it was simply impossible to hide it anymore, especially not now they were a happy little mess living together, rebuilding and reinforcing their relationship.
"I don't think it’s that. It goes beyond that. I don't understand what's going on, but Lily told me people started to realize that every time you're not with the boys I'm also not there with Jas. Michael's not in New York? Oh, what a coincidence, Jas' sister ain't there either! Who the fuck knows or noticed that?"
And then she could see again the surprise in his face because it was all insane and too much. It was a new level of craziness they were kind of used to seeing happening with Daniel, but never with them. "What? People are really doing that?"
"Yes. And its fucking scary not knowing who we can trust. It's weird knowing now they're gonna look at me like the whore who trapped one of Danny Ric's besties" Maggie breathed, repeating one of the comments that she read somewhere. Not that she read more than four or five, but that was the first one and it was gonna take some time for her to forget it. And she couldn't care less about what people thought about her, but it wasn't nice.
"Hey, no pouts, sweetheart. They can say whatever they want but they don't know anything about us and especially not about you. I know who you're and I insist, you're the best woman in the world. That's one of the reasons why I love you the way I do. That's why everyone who knows you loves you" Michael affirmed, running his thumb over her lower lip and then over her cheek. But before he could do anything else, Maggie moved her arms from his waist to his neck, hugging him as tightly as possible. She didn't want to cry. She didn't need to cry. None of those idiots giving opinions about them deserved her tears, so she just took a deep breath and focused on Michael's kisses on her head and especially on his hands on her back as he ran his fingers over it trying to calm her down. "I'm gonna talk to Dan, alright? I'll fix this. I promise I'll fix it"
"Can you talk to him tomorrow? I'm not in the mood now. I don't even wanna leave the room to go have dinner" Maggie murmured, closing her eyes as she hugged Michael even tighter. She didn't want to let him go, so she was gonna stay there as long as he let her.
"Wanna order room service?" Michael asked and Maggie didn't even speak, she just nodded. It was stupid trying to hide from everyone knowing they would have to go to the paddock on some days, but at least that night she wanted to be just them. "Alright, tiny"
For a second Maggie smiled as she heard Michael's nickname for her and Olivia. It started with Olivia and it was his favorite thing to call their niece considering how extra tiny she looked in Michael's arms, but the funny part was how Olivia seemed to like it. Every time Michael called her that, a tiny smile would appear on her face. Everyone knew it was probably a coincidence, and even Michael knew it after reading articles and books about babies and especially about their development, but he loved to say it was because Olivia loved him. It was his pride and joy to say it was because they had an especially niece-uncle bond, and Maggie knew part of it was probably true because they were simply obsessed with each other. From the day Olivia was born, uncle Michael took over and it was his first responsibility. Maggie was always his priority but Olivia joined in the first position. He turned into the kind of man that would talk about his niece to everyone who would listen and then would show a picture to see how precious she was. Meanwhile Maggie loved to pick on him saying he used to do the same about her when they made their things official and how he didn't do it anymore. She loved the way he would hug the hell out of her and kiss her neck and face while he said it was a complete lie because he would still talk about her to everyone who would listen. That's how he would insist she was his first tiny lady and nothing was gonna change that. That's how we also started to call her tiny, making her smile just like Olivia did.
"This is karma coming at me, right? Like, its coming at me for every bad thing I did" she wondered, and had no idea where that question came from, but in her head made a lot of sense. "I made you go through hell and suffer for a whole year and I'm finally paying it"
But those words were also enough for Michael to break their hug and look at her face again. Maggie knew he hated it when she blamed herself for what had happened to them. Michael hated when she tried to take the blame when it was both their fault and once again she could see it in his face. "No, sweetheart. It has nothing to do with you. Its just people sneaking in things that doesn't concern them. And I told you already, I'd do it all over again if it means we end up like this. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, so watch me shield you when we go to the paddock this weekend so nobody bothers you" he smiled sweetly, giving her a kiss after what felt like an eternity without doing it.
"That's what you do every time, especially when there's too much people and it gets too much" Maggie murmured against his lips, placing her hand on the back of his neck to run her hands through his short hair and so he wouldn't move away from her.
"That's my plan for the rest of my life so you better get used to it" Michael shrugged, biting her lips carefully. "You want me to tell you a secret?"
"This is you talking to me about random things so I don't get more anxious? Cause maybe sex would be better. I know you worked out already but maybe a little extra cardio won't hurt, coach" Maggie shrugged, throwing the question to help him in his task of forgetting about the problem.
"You know me, don't you? Cause you know you're my favorite workout" Michael joked too, kissing her neck to make her giggle. "But listen to me. You know when I started working with Dan I was really homesick and all that, but what I never told you was how I felt when I saw you the first time"
"I know you fell in love with me cause I was a vision in green and the best thing that happened in your life" she smiled, kissing his cheek a couple times before letting him keep talking.
"You're right about that. Jas told me a lot about you before that night, but when I saw you I really understood everything she said. The thing is I saw you, and at some point that douchbag that was with you left and then you looked at me and you smiled and suddenly I had this feeling inside me. I knew it was ridiculous, but I could felt how something made sense. Somehow there was something telling me I could handle the homesickness cause staying meant seeing your face from time to time. I know it was gonna be good if you were around"
"Are you serious?" Maggie asked, melting at the simple thought of Michael settling in with just looking at her from afar when he couldn't do anything. She knew he hated every single second of that year because he knew Sebastian was nothing but a dickhead who didn't deserve her. But it made her feel terrible to imagine how bad it would have been for Michael, especially when she couldn't really stop thinking about him either.
"I'm serious. You were twenty percent of the reason why I stayed. Besides, at some point I also started to suspect you were the one cause I couldn't forget your name and you know how terribly bad I am with names" he laughed, kissing her forehead as Maggie kept stroking his neck.
"You suck with names. You're good with everything except names" she giggled, kissing his chest as she remembered how many times she asked how he remembered her name when they barely saw each other the first year Jas and Daniel started to date. Michael used to say it was because Jas was always talking about her, but then Maggie secretly prayed it was for another reason.
"That's why I also asked Jas three hundred times about your family's names. I couldn't fuck it up in front of the girl I liked so much so I had to get it right, sweetheart" he explained, holding her hand to kiss her knuckles and the tiny ring he gave her all those months ago in Perth. "I still like you so damn much. I like you and I love you so much"
"Even if I hate making the bed in the morning? And even if I do ham and then cream instead of cream and then ham in the scones?" Maggie asked, looking at his shiny eyes as she moved their joined hands to her lips, kissing his knuckles the same way he did with her.
"I'm sure the scones thing is a crime but yeah, I love you anyway. Just like you love me even when order oysters for breakfast"
And at the simple mention of that, Maggie wanted to run. She was used to seeing him eating weird stuff for breakfast, but seeing him ordering oysters was a new level of disgusting, to the point of looking to the side whenever he would eat them and then tell him that he wasn't allowed to kiss her until he brushed his teeth at least twice. "Ugh, don't remind me that, or you can forget about the cardio before bed" Maggie joked, acting absolutely offended by getting up and out of his lap.
"Come here you small thing!" Michael exclaimed, and before she could even walk two steps, Michael grabbed her hand, making her come back to him, standing right between his legs and lacing his arms around her hips, making sure she wasn't going anywhere. "I loved you before knowing you did aberrations with the scones, so there's literally nothing that could make me love you less"
"That's why you were thinking about hitting on me anyway when we met?"
"Yes, and cause that dude didn't deserve you. Told you before, I was going to wait for six months and then make a move" he affirmed, resting his chin in her stomach as he looked up at her.
"And I told you before, I would have run away with you that same night if you asked me. All you had to do was smile at me and ask" she smiled sweetly, running her through his hair, making a little mess of it, just like she always did.
"Would you still run away with me?"
And that simple question knocked the air out of her lungs. The fact that after everything they went through together Michael was still asking her for such a thing made her melt. He was looking at her with nothing but love and adoration in those brown eyes that she loved so damn much and she just couldn't believe she was so lucky and that Michael was asking that. She loved him so much that running away with him seemed nothing compared to what she would do for him, but she was out of words to explain it. She would give him the world if he asked, and if she couldn't then she would try to find a way to do it.
"Yes. You work this weekend so it's impossible, but yes. Anywhere" she whispered, kissing his forehead as she stroked his cheeks with both hands. But suddenly that wasn't enough for her. She needed to hold him as close as possible so she moved, placed her legs on his sides and sat on his lap once again facing him and hugging his waist as tightly as possible. "Hugging you makes everything better. You seriously give the best hugs in the world" she murmured against his chest, breathing him in and letting herself go in the warmth of his body and the comfort of his arms.
"Just the best of the best for my girl. I'm gonna fix everything, sweetheart, I promise. Let's just enjoy this first and figure out the rest later" he promised, placing kisses on her hair and running his hands over her back and under her shirt as he spoke. "You sure you don't wanna go out to have dinner?"
"No. Lets be just you and me tonight, please" Maggie begged, hugging him tighter and burying her face even more against his chest if that was possible. She just needed some silence. She needed a quiet room and, even if she loved her family, the only way she could get that was by staying there. Plus she needed some love and cuddles, but the kind that only Michael could give her away from everyone.
But before any of them could say anything about her plea, Maggie abruptly moved her head away from his chest. "You alright, Mags?"
"Yes" she whispered, placing her hand over his chest, trying to hold onto something as the realization finally hit her. It was as if somehow all the pieces on the puzzle got together without her wanting it. It was the answer to the question they had in mind since she walked into that room. "Son of a bitch. Who's the only person outside friends and family who hated you since he met you and who knows we are dating since 2019?" she asked looking at Michael's eyes.
It took him a second, but then she saw the second the realization also hit him. She could see in his eyes the second he understood of who Maggie was talking about, but more than anything she could perfectly see the second his face went from the loveliest guy in the world to the most dangerous man that could exist. "I'm gonna kill him" Michael affirmed under his breath, hugging Maggie closer to his body.
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So it goes: Chapter 28 - MI x OC
Masterlist
Summary: A bomb in the middle of the mess wasn’t what they wanted, but maybe what they really needed.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Tears for dozens, sadness, swearing, angst all over the place but some fluff at the end.
Word count: 6.6k
A/N: You’re welcome.
PS: Thanks to the actual sunshine @a-distantdreamer for the new covers for the my masterlist. I’m just too happy and I love em so much I could melt!
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Chapter 28 - Rearrange us.
She couldn't breathe. Even when she was outside and in the middle of a small forest, Maggie felt like she couldn't breathe. It wasn't just because she was running, but because of what she saw on her phone not even two minutes earlier.
Things have been good. She survived an 'I don't wanna pack' crisis at Michael's apartment when they came back from France, haunted by the ghosts of 'The last time I packed, left this place and went alone to Dublin we almost broke up'. She spent twenty minutes looking at her empty suitcase, but those twenty minutes really felt like twenty hours. Twenty minutes straight of Maggie frozen, not being able to grab her stuff or move from her own place in the bed.
The task wasn't really hard. She had to pack the necessary stuff to go to Dublin, but especially she had to pack for the wedding. There was no need to bring the normal amount of things she would take for a week away in some country, especially not the amount of things she would take for a double or triple header. She just needed to bring the clothes and accessories she was going to wear at the wedding and some of her clothes and that was it. It was more than a simple task. Besides, she wasn't staying in a hotel; she was staying in her own apartment, where she still had all her stuff or at least seventy percent of them, considering the rest were divided between her bags, London and Monaco, so she didn't have to do much. It was simple. It was easy. It was so easy it felt impossible.
It wasn't a big deal to pack; she got used to it after months of traveling around the world and living out of a suitcase, but this time, the problem was the memories that came with it. The last time she packed her things in that bedroom, she left to go back to Dublin and she didn't come back for months. The last two times she was there she didn't come back for months, so now it was just a painful bunch of sad memories paralyzing her.
Maggie knew she was going to be back there with Michael in less than a month, but her brain wasn't really being able to process it. All she could think about was how the next morning Michael was going to drive her to the airport; how she was going to get on a plane and then on a flight to Dublin on her own. All that Maggie could think about was how it was almost exactly as the day were everything fell apart.
All Maggie could do was look at the Maid of Honor dress hiding inside its black garment bag, laying right beside her new pair of shoes, and she just didn't know what to do except panic for all the wrong reasons. But then Michael showed up and the crisis and panic were cured with hugs, kisses, reassuring words, and then with help to finally pack her things. It also helped the promises Michael made, insisting everything was going to be just fine, and that he was really gonna miss her every single second of every single day.
She also survived a whole week at home, which somehow went by really fast thanks to last minute wedding organizations, family time and homemade food. The fact that she facetimed Michael -and also Olivia- every night helped to not miss them that much. But even when the nights felt eternal and her apartment felt empty without Michael around, she made it through the whole week. She survived, and all that ended when she finally picked them up from the airport, jumping in his arms as if they hadn't seen each other in months instead of just days. In those moments was when Maggie asked herself how she was capable of spending months without seeing him when now it felt like she couldn't even breathe without him. She didn't even remember what her life was like before Michael, but she really didn't want to remember at all.
The only issue that week was the little teeny tiny detail about Mclaren informing Daniel about their decision to replace them and finish his contract for 2023. As soon as Michael texted her to let her know, Maggie was somehow furious and happy to not be in Hungry or in London. She was furious because she should have been there for her family. She was happy because she would have gone and burned the MTC to the ground and tried to kill Zak or Andreas with her bare hands. Not that Michael would have let her do it, but damn, she could have at least tried. In the middle of all that was Daniel, trying to put a smile on his face because nobody was going to ruin his and Jas' wedding. He insisted nobody was going to ruin their summer break and their wedding, so he smiled and said they could fix everything later. 'We'll figure out shit after we get married' he insisted, looking at Jas as he held Olivia in his arms after dinner at their place in Dublin.
Maggie always admired Daniel for the bravery to deal with all the insanity that came with his job, but there wasn't a time when she admired him more than that week. The fact that he put on a brave face and decided to change the mood was something that Maggie had no idea how he did every single time, but damn, she admired it. Everyone admired him for that, especially in those terrible times. That's why everyone in their family and all of their friends hugged him a bit tighter when they saw him. Daniel knew that they were all by his side, but a little reminder didn't hurt nobody.
Things with Michael were more than fine. Everything was so great it somehow felt like a fever dream. She couldn't help but smile every single time she saw him at her place, working from the couch as Elizabeth snuggled by his side, probably offended because a machine was taking her rightful place on his place. She even had to pinch herself when she saw him at her parents' and she had to do it again to believe the fact that he was there in Dublin again with her. Everything was fine, just like Michael promised, and she couldn't be happier about it.
But like every single time, everything was fine until it wasn't.
Maggie was just chilling in her room for five damn minutes, waiting for Michael to come back from some groom and groomsmen stuff when she saw it. She wasn't looking for anything related to him; it just showed up right in the middle of her Instagram feed. It was all thanks to Instagram and its algorithm that a picture with the caption 'Michael Italiano's new girlfriend?' appeared right in front of her face. Her hands were shaking when she got into the account that Instagram thought she'd like to follow. But the real problem was when Maggie realized the girl in the picture wasn't her. Even if it was blurry, she could see that whoever she was had her arm around Michael's waist. Maggie didn't need to read anything to know it wasn't her. Even if the picture was taken from afar, and even if it was blurry, she could see the other woman was taller than her. But she could also recognize the one in the picture was Michael. In the picture she could only see his back, but she knew. She didn't need to see his face to know. She could recognize his back anywhere, just like she could recognize the panic creeping inside her body and taking over. It was the same panic that made her run.
They were staying in the beautiful restored farm house in the same location where the wedding was going to be. It was just a beautiful farm turned into a venue surrounded by a lake, woods, and even a waterfall somewhere on the back of the property. When Daniel and Jas saw it, they thought it was wonderful because they could stay away from curious eyes, even if nobody really bothered them in Ireland. They thought it would be a good idea to be away in the country side so they could just celebrate and relax, but in that moment, Maggie thought it was nothing but amazing to run and hide.
Maggie knew she should have stayed. She knew she needed to stay and talk to him, but her feet were moving before she could even think about it. She needed air, and not even with the window open it was possible to do it in the room, so she ran. It was a miracle that she didn't run into anyone as she was leaving the house. She thanked every single one of her lucky stars because, even if it was early, everyone must have been getting ready for dinner that night. It wasn't a rehearsal dinner because Jas and Daniel insisted there was nothing to rehearse, so it was just a little dinner with their inner circle of family and friends on a Friday night before the rest of the guests joined for the wedding on Saturday. Maggie should have been taking a shower and getting ready too, but instead she was running on the path that led to the waterfall.
She knew she shouldn't make assumptions not knowing what had happened, but she couldn't help but feel like someone was ripping her heart out of her chest. It felt like her chest was also gonna jump out of her chest. Her lungs were still unable to breathe properly, her head started to hurt, and her eyes were barely letting her see because of the tears. To add to all that, she was shaking. Her whole body felt like a leaf in the middle of a storm that seemed like it didn't have an ending, and damn, there was nothing she wanted more than seeing it stop.
There was nothing she wanted more than to see the ground under her feet opening up so she could disappear for some time.
Once she finally reached the waterfall, Maggie was glad to have some noise covering her thoughts. There was nothing she wanted more than noise to cancel all the disaster that was inside her mind, and the waterfall did exactly that. The sound of the water falling was somehow soothing, even if nothing could really calm her down.
But as she was looking at the water, Maggie couldn't help but wonder how the hell all that was happening. That was supposed to be a happy weekend. Her sister and her brother-in-law were finally getting married. The parents of her niece were finally getting married. After all the shit they went by and all the shit they were still dealing with, they were finally doing it, but there was destiny trying to ruin everything.
But what hurt the most was the fact that after ten long, terrible months, that shit was happening to Michael and her in the moment they were supposed to talk about them and finally go back together. It couldn't happen a week earlier or a week later. It couldn't happen when Michael was around to calm her down and fix it on a second.
Maggie was so lost in her own head that she lost notion of the time. Even if she had her phone in her hand and even if she got calls and texts, she didn't have the heart to look at it. She knew that if she opened it, the first thing that was going to appear was going to be that picture, and she couldn't watch it again. God, it hurt to think about it, so she didn't want to watch it again. But even like that, she needed to answer. She could see Michael's picture on her screen as he kept calling, surely wondering where she was, and it just made her heart hurt more. In the photo he was smiling as he held his stroopwaffle, all triumphant and happy because he just found out they were sold on bakeries and Maggie was just happy to see him happy. She was happy to see him all happy for something as simple as a walk around Amsterdam with his girl and a fresh stroopwaffle in his hand. It was so damn simple, and Maggie missed those days too much, that she would do anything to go back. She would do anything to go back to those days when they were just a normal couple and not something to be discussed and fixed. She would do anything to go back to the days where she thought things weren't as bad as they seemed.
She would do anything to go back to that week in Amsterdam.
Getting lost in Michael's smile on the screen, Maggie just couldn't help but cry even more at the memories. Everything was painful. Everything felt like freaking torture and her mind was an absolute mess, divided between wanting to answer the phone and wanting to run again and disappear. But she didn't do any of that. She just stayed froze in her place for heaven knew how long until she finally heard what she imagined was going to happen: Michael calling out her name.
Everything happened so fast that it felt like some kind of movie. She was alone, and the next second Michael was right in front of her, placing his hands on her cheeks so she would look at her as he asked what was wrong. It took Maggie just one second and one look to see the panic on his face as he found her crying. It also took her just one second and one thought for Maggie to know that afternoon wasn't going to be a happy one, so before everything went to hell, she let Michael hug her, keeping her as close as possible.
"I need you to tell me if you're hurt, baby girl. Everything is gonna be alright, but you need to talk to me" Michael whispered, pressing kiss after kiss on her head. But Maggie couldn't find the words or even the strength to speak. All she could do was cry against his chest as she grabbed a handful of his shirt with her free hand. "Please tell me if you're hurt, sweetheart" Michael repeated, and all she could do was move her head to say no.
Maggie could imagine how his brain was working at that moment. The math was more than easy on that occasion. Her family and closest friends where all there in the same propriety, so nothing happened to any of them, and she wasn't hurt, so the third option was them. Something was wrong with them. Something happened in the half an hour they were apart. "Talk to me, Maggie. I need to know so we can fix it"
But Maggie couldn't talk, not even when Michael moved inches away from her to be able to look at her face, and she saw again nothing but worry on his expression. She was just tongue-tied, not being able to breathe properly as the tears kept streaming down her face. She couldn't even see him clear at all through the tears in her eyes, but it didn't matter.
There were pros and cons about Michael knowing Maggie as well as he did. After four years he knew her body to perfection, and that included knowing her body language. It looked like a magic trick, but Maggie didn't need to say anything for Michael to know there was a reason why she was grabbing her phone as if her life was depending on it. He just knew, that's why he grabbed her arms until they were in between them. That's when he was finally able to reach her phone and Maggie didn't even fight it. It was going to happen sooner or later, so she let it happen. "What have you read, Maggie?" Michael asked while he unlocked it, looking from her face to the screen. "Michael Italiano with…? What the fuck?" he exclaimed, looking from the phone to her face, not really believing what he was reading. Maggie could see how his face turned from worry to anger in just a second as he kept reading the words that post said. She could see how he was trying to find the words, but even for him it seemed like a complicated task. "I wasn't with any chick. That girl just asked me for a picture. Blake was there. Damn, your sister was three meters from there. Please tell me you don't believe this"
Maggie wanted to explain that she knew he would never hurt her. She wanted to explain that she knew, but that it was her brain the one sabotaging her. She wanted to explain she could barely breathe, let alone speak, but she just couldn't. She couldn't even look at him. All she could do was cry as she grabbed his shirt for dear life, too scared to even think what could happen if she let him go.
"Margaret are you serious? You really think I cheated on you?" he asked, grabbing her chin with his fingers as he did it. But being a messed up coward, Maggie closed her eyes. It was in part a desperate attempt to stop the tears from falling, but also it was a way to not see his face. "Look at me" he insisted, and like every single time, Maggie followed.
And oh, how she regretted it.
"Fuck, I can't believe it" he breathed, dropping his hand from her face. Maggie could say that nothing hurt as much as feeling his hand moving away from her, but his eyes hurt more. She finally broke him. She finally broke the perfect man who loved her with his whole heart and who would do everything for her. She broke him by not being able to speak when he needed to. She broke the man of her dreams by being an absolute selfish, coward, idiot who didn't deserve him at all. "You really think I would do that to you? Do you know me at all?? The last four years have mean nothing for you? Because if you think I would ever do such a thing then you don't know shit about me, Margaret"
"Mike, listen-" she finally murmured, but it wasn't enough. Nothing that she could ever say in that moment was going to be enough. This wasn't like all the previous talks and bad moments. This was just another chapter in their fucked up and complicated story and she was terrified that this time they wouldn't be able to fix it. This time her shit and her mess went too far.
"No, you gotta listen to me" he interrupted her, and the seriousness on his face just made her back up one step and cry even more. "You really need to stop, kid. Jas is right, and you really do need to stop running from this. I just- I don't get it. I tell you that I love every single day, I do every single thing that I can to make you happy but instead of asking me you ran and hide and assume I cheated on you?"
"Mike, please…" she begged, feeling her hands trembling even more than before, even if she had no idea how it was possible.
"No, you need to listen to me for real. I want this and I'm ready to work for it for the rest of my life but I can't do it on my own. If I'm fighting for this I need you on my side, Margaret. I don't care if I have to wait for you five years more but please tell me you're on my side, otherwise it's unless. Otherwise we're just wasting our time here"
'Otherwise we're wasting our time here'
"What? No, Mike…" she cried, trying to grab his arm and hold his hand so he wouldn't move away as she tried to explain, but she couldn't reach him.
In four years, not even once, had Michael moved away from Maggie when she tried reaching him. Not even in the worst of moments did he do it. Not even when they were hiding from their family or in a paddock or a garage full of people. He said he'd rather lie than move away from her, but that Friday he did it. As she tried to reach for him, Michael moved three steps back, getting away from Maggie, and leaving her hanging. That's when Maggie knew it was done. That's when she broke down in every sense of the way. Her legs gave up so easily that they felt like jello and she just felt on the ground, sitting in the dirty as she hid her head between her legs.
On any other normal day she would repeat a little 'She'll be apples' as a reminder of their promises, but not even that helped this time. All her brain could repeat again and again and again like some kind of sick mantra was 'You lost him'. It was all she could think about. It was the biggest truth of her life. It was the scariest thing in the universe and how she hated herself for that.
It wasn't until her heart started to hurt that she didn't get really worried about herself, but then she realized there was nothing she could do about it. If that was the end of their relationship, then she'd have to learn to deal with the constant heartbreak, pain and tears, but she never thought her heart would hurt like that. It hurt to the point that she had no idea which was worse, the physical pain or the emotional one. Maybe that was how really having a broken heart felt. Maybe that's what the terrifying stories about people dying from a broken heart try to explain.
Whatever it was, the thing Maggie knew for sure was that, before that day, she was a mess of shattered pieces staying together because of some kind of a miracle. Now she just finally broke. The only word to describe how she was feeling was broken. The problem was that this time there was no Michael to put her back in one piece.
Maggie didn't hear the soft 'Shit' coming from in front of her. Her heart was pounding so loudly on her ears and her breathing was so accelerated that she couldn't hear a thing. She couldn't focus either, trying to put all her attention on her breathing. She tried all of this in vain to remember all the breathing exercises Michael taught her over the years, but it didn't work. All she could think about was them and how she broke Michael's heart and how she was also going to ruin the wedding, making her head an absolute mess of noise that simple wouldn't stop. But even over the mess and the noise, which had her absolutely lost, she could feel Michael's hand reaching her.
It felt like her soul was coming back to her body.
"No no, sweetheart, c'mere" Michael murmured, kissing her head as he tried to hold her, placing his arms around her body. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that. I didn't mean one word, baby". It took Michael no effort to grab Maggie in his arms and make her sit down on his lap as carefully as possible. He knew her, so he clearly knew that holding her against him was the one way to bring her back from whatever place she was. But this time not even that was working. Not even his hug, his words and his kisses were making the crying stop or her breathing go back to normal, but he kept trying. "You gotta breathe with me, baby. Try to focus and follow me, can you do that?"
"I- I can't. It hurts. It… It just hurts too much" she cried, still holding her legs with her arms, making herself as small as possible as she placed her forehead against her legs.
"Look at me, sweetheart" Michael begged, stroking her head in a desperate attempt to make her react. And she has no idea how she did it, but she managed to raise her head after what felt like a lifetime. And a bit of the weight that was on her shoulders disappeared as she saw how the anger and disappointment wasn't on his face anymore. But most importantly, all that disappeared from his eyes. It was now replaced with worry for yet again not knowing how to fix or help the woman she loved. "There you go. Look at my eyes and follow my breathing" he insisted, grabbing her right hand with his and placing it over his chest, so she'd be able to feel how it raised and fell as he breathed. "I got you, okay? I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving. You're safe and sound, baby. Its gonna pass. We're gonna be okay. I promise its gonna be alright but follow me and breathe nice and easy. Do it as deep as you can. I know it feels hard but I know you can"
It hurt. Her chest really did hurt as she tried to follow his steady breathing. Her mind was still an absolute disaster and her body felt absolutely weakened, but she was somehow finding a way to breathe again. It took her time to be able to really follow him, but she did it, slowing down her breathing and actually taking deep breaths. Focusing on his eyes also helped, and at some point she realized at least the shaking was slowing down. The tears were still there, but at least the pain on her chest was more bearable. Plus, the warmth of his body always did wonders to help her calm down, and this time it wasn't the exception.
Time didn't seem to exist that day, and she felt like she spent a lifetime trying to breathe and calm down as she looked at his eyes. That and the way Michael was holding her and grabbing her hand against his chest were the only two things that were keeping her grounded. That was the only thing that was giving her some kind of sense of security and safety. That and the way Michael kept repeating again and again how everything was going to be fine, that he wasn't going anywhere and that they were going to fix it. But what made her try to find her voice and talk again was the look on his face. Even if it was their summer break, Michael looked tired. He looked defeated and exhausted, and Maggie knew it was her fault, so she needed to say something to make it up to him. She needed to say something, anything to mend the harm she caused.
"I'm so sorry…" she whispered, her voice breaking at the simple attempt to say more than just those three words. She could feel her eyes getting full of tears again, because now the fear was leaving, the shame and guilt were taking over because of how she could even think about the possibility of Michael cheating on her. How could he ever do something like that when he was the personification of a sunshine. How when he was there, apologizing to her when he did nothing wrong. "I'm really sorry. I know you didn't do anything" she murmured again. But this time Maggie also collected the necessary force to move her free hand to reach his face, stroking his cheek and jaw with her fingers.
Maggie couldn't believe he was there. She couldn't believe he stayed, no when any other human being would have run away from her months ago.
"No, sweetheart, I'm the one who's sorry. I know you're on my side. I know you're always on my side and that you wanna make this work as much as I do. I promise I know, baby" Michael insisted, kissing the palm of her hand as he leaned his head there. "Besides we made a deal. She'll be apples, remember?"
"I miss you. I miss you so much" she finally started, feeling the knot in her throat bothering her at every single word. But even with that she decided to keep going. Maggie needed Michael to know at least part of why she broke down and she needed to say it before she regretted it. "Every time I said I was sad cause I missed Dublin or my place it was a lie. I-I miss you. I miss coming home to you.. I just… I miss you being my boyfriend but you said we should wait. And I don't wanna wait anymore but I… I-I, damn, I keep ruining everything. I can't do one thing right. I just can't and all I do its hurt you. And I hate myself so much because you don't deserve this. You don't deserve this and I don't deserve you. You deserve so much better than me and I know you didn't do anything. I know it but God, I'm just so tired. I'm tired and I wanna go home and I can't-"
And there was again, the feeling of not being able to breathe properly, the tears taking over and the guilt consuming her head and heart as she finally assumed what she wanted to say for months. The constant feeling of not being enough for him. The constant feeling of knowing Michael deserved something way better. But especially, the fact that she was absolutely lost without him. It wasn't new. It wasn't like he or anyone around her knew, but she finally said it. It was painful and weird to admit, but there was something she needed to do. She owned him that after all they had been through because of her.
She could feel Michael squeezing her hand and tightening his grip around her waist as she rambled. She could see how his heart broke a bit more as she finally admitted all those things. She knew if it wasn't someone else instead of Michael, that person would have run yet again, but all he did was kiss her hand and help her calm down again.
"We're home, Maggie. This thing we have right here, us together, that's our home. You're my home. And there's no better than this and than you, so don't think I deserve better cause there's no such thing" Michael explained, kissing Maggie's hand one last time before she moved it to his chest again, trying to focus on his heartbeat and his breathing to calm herself again. "Hey, you remember LA? Remember the first time we went there? There was nothing you wanted more than to go to the Griffith observatory. There was nothing else you wanted to see"
Maggie knew that technique too well. It was the 'Talk to Maggie about literally anything to distract her from whatever is happening'. Michael normally used happy memories of them and it worked every single time, but Maggie couldn't help but wonder why he chose LA from all their stories together.
"And I didn't want to go to the beach because I was on my period but Dan and Jas had plans to go with his friends. You came with me so I wouldn't have to go alone, even if it was a perfect day to go to the beach. You told me it wasn't going to be funny if I wasn't there with my black bikini. You spent the whole day listening to my rambling in the observatory" she remembered, letting Michael's hand go from hers so he could clean her cheeks full of tears with his fingers, which she knew was just a silly excuse to stroke her face.
She remembered perfectly how all she did was talk about how badly she wanted to go there. Since the moment she decided to join them on the trip, the first thing she did was ask if they could go there. Maggie didn't want to ruin anyone's day, so she was ready to go on her own when her beach day was ruined, but Michael wouldn't allow it. He put one excuse after another to not go with Jas and Daniel; and then he said a hundred more to why he was going with her. But then she overheard Daniel joking about how it was fine if Michael wanted to spend some time alone with Maggie. Daniel whispered that he wasn't going to say a thing or blame him. Not even with Daniel's kind of approval, Michael admitted a thing about them. Michael just said that he didn't want Maggie to go around on her own in a city that she has never been in, knowing how dangerous some neighborhoods could be. He insisted it was all about looking after her like she was their little sister, and Maggie had to cover her mouth to not laugh out loud.
"I did because it was way more interest listening to you explaining it all to me. You looked so damn happy I just couldn't stop looking at you. But there's this little moment there that I could never forget" Michael pointed, moving her hair out of her shoulders and arranging it behind her ears with all the delicacy. "We were outside looking down at LA, you were talking about this Criminal Minds' episode and how the bad guy kidnapped a nanny and a baby right there and then you told me 'The world can be a really scary place some days, but damn I wanna see it all'. You knocked me up with that. I had no idea what to say after it"
"So you kissed me"
And how Maggie remembered that kiss. She remembered how everything around them felt and smelled, but she remembered how his lips tasted, how he smelled, and how his hands around her felt. It was perfect and he was perfect and everything about that moment was perfect; that's why that was one of their favorite memories together.
"Yeah, but that was also cause I knew right there and then that I was falling in love with you. What I also knew was that I was gonna do every single thing in my power to make you see the world and that I wanted to see it with you. I wanna see it all by your side, Mags. I wanted it back then and I still want it now after four years with you"
So that was his point with the story. But they agreed on something, and that was that she wanted the same as him, even after four years.
And just like Michael did it that afternoon at the Griffith observatory, Maggie didn't ask permission to kiss him. Not that she had to, not after four years together, but maybe she should have done it after what was really their first fight. She couldn't help but think that she should have asked, but she needed him. She needed to feel his lips so damn badly. Even if Maggie knew, she needed to somehow feel that he was still hers, so she kissed him. It was just their lips slightly pressed together, almost ghosting each other's mouths, but that was enough. It was all sweetness, love and adoration and that was all she needed.
That and Michael's smile as she kissed him.
"And now you kissed me"
"Its that okay?" she murmured, too scared to move closer or farther away until she got her answer.
And his answer was as simple as another kiss, as sweet and loving as the previous one. "You don't ever have to ask permission to kiss me. Ever"
"You must think I'm insane" she breathed, and damn, for how long she had been holding that one inside her chest. Long enough that once it was out, she felt absolutely lighter.
"I mean, you're dating me with everything that includes" he shrugged, and she couldn't help but melt a bit as he smile appeared again, but this time just bigger as he kissed her nose. "I'm joking. You're not insane"
"Maybe I am"
Michael just said no with his head as he kissed the tip of her nose again, but this time he got serious again before he kept talking. "I fucked up in your birthday when I told you there was no hurry to go back together. I fucked up proposing this whole time off thing in the first place. It was the worst idea of my life. I shouldn't have even think about it. You needed me to hold you and I did exactly the contrary. I'm the one who's insane for letting you go"
"You were trying to help me. I could have say no, so its not your fault" she shrugged, finally moving her hands from his chest and moving them up to his neck. "So, we just had our first fight in four years. Where does this let us?"
"Well, I think we still should have a really long talk on Sunday or Monday if we're too rotten after the wedding. But despite that, we're back together. You're my girlfriend in full capacity, Lady Margaret of the Lands of Ireland. I mean, as long as you agree and want this idiot back". That was the first time Maggie smiled in what felt like centuries. It was the first time she laughed in what felt like a lifetime. It was just a little giggle, but it made her feel like maybe she wasn't that broken. "Is that a smile? My Maggie is smiling again? Ain't you the prettiest thing in this world? And fuck, how much I love you, sweetheart" Michael smiled, moving them enough so he could be able to kiss her cheek, knowing perfectly fine that was gonna make her smile even more.
"I love you too, silly man" she smiled, placing her hands around his waist to keep him as close as possible, even if it was impossible to get him even closer considering she was on his lap.
"I know you do. But you gotta let me in, baby. Not just here, but here" Michael affirmed, pointing to her heart and then her head. "I can't read minds and if I don't know what's happening, then I can't help you. You gotta let me in and talk to me, sweetheart"
"I know, and you're right, but can we please talk about this after the wedding too?" Maggie practically begged. She didn't have the strength to do all that, at least not at the moment.
"Sounds alright" Michael agreed, kissing her forehead before he continued. "Lets go back so we can take a shower and get ready. Are you wanna wear your green heels tonight?"
"I will" she nodded, knowing how much Michael loved to see her wearing the heels he got her for her birthday. She was saving them to wear them with the little black silky dress she was going to wear that night at dinner, because even if it wasn't s big thing, she wanted to look good for him.
"That's my girl" Michael smiled all happy, making her melt with the words he used. She was still his girl and that was all that mattered after such a mess. "Do you want me to give you a piggyback back to our room?"
"Please" she nodded, squeezing his waist to make him stay just one extra second. "Hey Mike? About the shower, are you staying with me there? I don't wanna let you go"
"Yes, I'm staying, but just for the rest of my life"
And then again, Maggie couldn't help but smile because that sounded like a good plan.
---
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@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover @monte-carlando @brightlightsinlife
#michael italiano#michael italiano fic#michael italiano oneshot#michael italiano imagine#f1#f1 imagine#f1 oneshot#f1 fic#formula 1#formula 1 oneshot#formula 1 fanfic#formula 1 imagine#formula one#formula one oneshot#formula one fanfic#formula one imagine#so it goes fic
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So it goes: Part 27- MI x OC
Masterlist
Summary: If it was Daniel's birthday, then there was gonna be alcohol. If there was alcohol, then Maggie was going to drink. And if Maggie was going to drink, then she would open her mouth and say a few things that she always wanted to say to Michael.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Swearing, alcohol, Maggie being a drunk mess, mentions of Z*K Br*wn and the orange tractor.
Word count: 8.7k
A/N: If this thing is up it’s because miracles do exist and I wanna thank Grammarly for making it possible with their app 😭♥️ Okay, this can be a mess because I normally edit it WAY more than I did but I’m an anxious bitch so bare with me 🫶🏻 Also if the format its fucked up I apologize bc my phone shows me a different shit than my computer and I won’t be able to fix it till I have a new charger for my goddamn computer🥲 BUT HI! Okay we’re back to the usual schedule of me taking forever to post bc vacations are over but I’m trying my best istg 😭 So, hope you like it, enjoy, thanks for the likes and let me know what you think! See ya! 🫶🏻
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Part 27 - Let me down easy.
They couldn’t catch a goddamn break. None of them could get more than a week of peace. It was like life was laughing at their faces all over again because every single time they thought things were fine, something shitty had to happen. But the ultimate shitty thing on this occasion was the British Grand Prix and how it completely ruined Daniel’s birthday weekend.
It started okay. It started more than okay because they were in the UK so it mean their families and friends coming for the race and especially for Daniel’s birthday. It also meant Olivia spending time with her grandparents because Joe and Grace flew to the UK too, so they were all kisses, hugs, and smiles.
That’s actually how things have been for the last month. First, it was Maggie’s birthday and all the happiness it brought her. A week later Jas' birthday came, which was just a little happy celebration with just the six of them in Canada, where Jas insisted that she would have loved to have her family and friends over, but she was happy to have her little family with her and that they could all celebrate later when they get together for Daniel’s birthday. But then Montana came and that was Maggie’s little piece of heaven.
Montana wasn’t in Maggie’s plan. She wasn’t planning to go there after Canada. Instead, she was planning to fly back to Dublin, stay some days there, and then go to the UK in time for the Silverstone race, but none of that happened. The second Daniel hear the words ‘Dublin’ and ‘Flight’ coming from her, he insisted that she couldn’t miss their trip. Besides, Daniel insisted that they didn’t want to handle Michael and his lovesick puppy face because he missed her, so she needed to go. On the other side, there was Jas, Blake, and Michael telling Maggie to do whatever she wanted to do, but deep down she could see how Michael wanted her to go with them, so she didn’t have many options. It took half an hour, a soft ‘I’d love you to come with us’ from Michael and one very much insisting Daniel for her to say yes, but she didn’t regret it.
Montana was somehow a gift to all of them. It was like the breeze of fresh air they needed desperately. Maybe it was the fresh air or the fact that they didn’t have to think about planes and flights and all that for a week, but Maggie was happy. She had been drawing more than she had been doing in months, she had been learning how to play the ukulele that Daniel gave her for her birthday, and she had been laughing her ass off constantly thanks to their friends, so it was good.
What made everything better was how happy her family was. Daniel was all happy to be able to be a full-time dad the whole week without having to worry about interviews, publicity, racing, or going to the MTC. Jas was happy to spend time with her fiancée and her daughter and Olivia were just over the moon about everything. She was everybody’s toy and the little spoiled tiny queen of the group, and even if Olivia was just a five-month-old baby, she loved it. Just like her dad, Olivia loved people, she loved to play with people and they knew it would be a different story if she could walk because she would be everywhere. They also knew she wouldn’t stop talking if she already knew how to do it, but meanwhile, she was a happy, giggly, babbling thing who loved to play peekaboo with whoever was available and ready to be her play date.
And to add to all that, things with Michael were better than ever. Even if they had a still pendent talk for the summer break, they were almost back together. They were sharing a room without silly excuses and without sneaking into each other’s room, they were waking up and going to bed together, they would go hand in hand everywhere like they used to, and Michael would tell to everyone who would listen that Maggie was his girlfriend. He was a happy man saying she was his girl and Maggie was over the goddamn moon.
Everything about that damn trip has her over the moon, but especially those little stolen moments with Michael. From riding a horse like she always wanted to and finally doing it with him because she was too scared to do it alone the first time, laughing so uncontrollably that her tears were streaming down her face, snuggling on his lap by the fire at night and sharing beers while they watched a rodeo, it was all a dream. Even trying to warm him up with a towel and wrapping her arms around his body after he and the boys jumped into the goddamn cold river was a damn delight. It was just one memory behind another and all of them were with her family and friends, but especially with Michael, so it was one of the best trips of her life.
But just like it came, it went away. Their little week was over and they had to go back to reality, flight to London and they all went back to their regular schedules and normal lives, which sucked. But the thing that London brought back and that did not suck at all was Maggie’s return to her favorite place in the UK -and in the whole world- and that was Michael’s apartment. After months of coming and going from Lily’s to Jas and Daniel’s apartment, Maggie wasn’t thinking about where she was going to stay when they landed in London. Even if she had the keys and she could go whenever she wanted, Maggie was too tired to go all the way to Lily’s, so she figured the best thing was to stay with Daniel and Jas. She didn’t even ask simply because she didn’t have to, but the one who asked was Michel.
She wasn’t expecting the question, not when they were in a plane flighting over the middle of the ocean. She wasn’t expecting it while she was trying to get some sleep against his shoulder while Michael was reading a book on his Kindle. She wasn’t expecting it, but suddenly another kiss on her head and a whisper brought her back to reality, making her look up at him. Not even the grumpy mood she was in for yet again not being able to sleep on a plane stopped her from smiling at him. And out of nowhere, Michael asked where she was planning to stay when they get to London. She was too sleepy to answer, so she just whispered a little ‘Dunno’ as she shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. She wasn’t looking for anything with that answer, she was just being honest because she had a slight idea but she wanted to lay down on the first bed she could find. And since she wasn’t looking for anything, it took her by surprise when Michael asked if she wanted to stay with him those couple of days until they went to Silverstone. She could see the expectation in his eyes when he asked. She could see how he was worried about a negative because she hasn’t stayed there in too long. She could see how Michael wanted her to say yes.
Her answer was an absolute yes. There was no doubt she was going to say yes to such a proposal when she missed that place more than any other. But before Maggie said yes, she moved her hand up to cup his cheek as she gave him the softest and smallest kiss, whispering against his lips that she missed his bed. That was the shortest way she could find to say she missed every single thing about that apartment, but Michael didn’t need explanations.
But what finally made her say yes with both her words and her head was his answer. The second he whispered ‘Then come home’, Maggie could have sworn her heart jumped out of happiness. It took all from her to not cry right there in the middle of the plane, so to calm herself she nodded while she whispered ‘Okay’ against his lips, stealing one kiss and then another. That made the trick finally made her fall asleep. Knowing that in just a couple of hours she was gonna be in bed right there at his place was like a magical solution to her problems.
But the real solution to almost all of her problems was finally walking inside the apartment. It was coming home after a terrible trip that lasted months, all to find her things still there where she left them. Her books were still on one of the shelves in the living room, her favorite blanket perfectly folded and resting on the back of the cream couch, her favorite cup in the kitchen, her shampoo and all her things were still in the bathroom, and the drawers were her things used to be were still empty waiting for her things to be back.
But what made her heart melt was the picture on his nightstand. For years the last three years it has been the same picture of Maggie smiling at the camera. He took it in Abu Dhabi, the first time Maggie spend his birthday with him even if they were surrounded by people and even if they were nothing serious. She was smiling because the one behind the camera was Michael, but also because he was telling her how happy he was that she did everything in her power to fly in time and spend the day with him. She was smiling because Michael was telling her that she looked beautiful even when she knew she was a little disaster fucked, with her hair all messy after being against the pillow and lips all swollen and red after spending so much time making out. She was a mess but how happy she was to be sitting in the middle of that bed, wearing nothing but his shirt and her panties and not caring if someone could find them.
Maggie knew perfectly fine how Michael had every single picture of her and them together hiding on his phone. She wasn’t surprised because she did the same thing. Every single piece of evidence about what they had was hidden on their phone and that’s how things were until everybody found out about them. The same thing happened with that picture on his nightstand. Maggie knew that Michael used to hide it in the drawer of his nightstand every time someone went to his place. He hated to do it but nobody could know about it. It was their little secret so nobody could know, but that picture was a vivid memory of those days. Every single time she got into the bedroom and saw that picture, Maggie couldn’t help but look at that little happy twenty-five years old version of herself and think of how everything changed. All that twenty-five years old kid wanted was to be able to sneak and steal a couple of stolen hours with the boy who she liked, the one she was convinced she could never have for more than some stolen nights.
But the twenty-eight years old actual version of herself kept wanting the same thing. In the middle of all the mess and the rollercoasters and everything that happened in between, all she wanted was the same guy she liked so much, the one that she finally got, the one that she thought she lost and that finally now she was feeling that she was finally getting back. The one that was making dinner reservations so they could go with Jas, Daniel, and Olivia that night.
It was the same guy that found her looking at the new picture on his nightstand because he changed it for one with Maggie and Olivia. They were in Perth and everyone was happy because the youngest Ricciardo was finally in his father’s hometown. In the middle of the mess of things and suitcases, there was Maggie, holding Olivia in her arms as she showed her around the place. Maggie knew perfectly fine a two and a half months baby would never understand what she was saying, but she knew talking to babies was good for the development of the brain, so she did it. She went around showing her the house and where everything was and then she went outside and did the same thing. That’s exactly when Michael took the picture. Maggie joked about how much he loved to take pictures of her in her worse moments because she was a disaster again, just out of a plane after an insanely long plane, barefoot wearing one of his shirts, messy ponytail, and no makeup, but the smile on her face was huge. She looked happy because she was in one of her favorite places in the world with her whole family and it was all good.
And just like that afternoon in Perth but months later, everything was good in London too. She was with her back against Michael’s body as she looked at the picture on his nightstand, all while he held her close with both arms around her waist, and it was good. It was all good. And it felt good.
Everything was incredibly good all week, but then the race happened and it was a disaster. And since it was a disaster and grandparents were in town to look after Olivia, they decided to drink. It took them five minutes to decide where, but then they agreed the low-key place to go was Lily’s apartment because the neighbors in front of her were her friends and the neighbors downstairs were on vacation, so there was gonna be zero complaints. Once the location was all settled and done and Daniel was done with media and debriefing, they all drove back to London and before they all knew it, there were bottles and pizza boxes everywhere. From tequila to wine and bottles the champagne, there was everything because Lily was always a wonderful hostess and she said that her Aussie brother deserved nothing but the best for that celebration. Besides, it was a double celebration considering that none of their friends were around for Jas’ birthday, so double the celebration, double the bottles.
And like Cam used to say ‘Double the bottle, double the trouble’
“Okay, okay c’mere to me, y’all!” Lily yelled, standing in the chair where she was sitting before, hitting the glass of champagne in her hand with one of her rings so they would pay attention to her.
“Lil you’re already drunk, babe” Jas laughed, as they all turned to look at Lily.
“Shush! I wanna make a toast!” Lily exclaimed, finally making Jas stay in silence so she could start talking. “First, thank you for coming to my humble residency, make yourself at home, and please don’t puke in my plans or my vases” she joked, making everyone in the room laugh with her. “No, but for real this time, I wanna make a toast, first to the beautiful Jas, the woman who treated me like nothing but a sister since I can remember. I love you and I’m nothing but proud of you and to see the wonderful woman you became and especially to see the wonderful and cool mom you are. And to the birthday boy. My mate, you’re the coolest friend and dad out there, D. Also you’re the best and fastest racing driver in the whole goddamn world, no matter what results or your goddamn team says. This is my flat and I make the rules so fuck em all. I think I talk for all of us when I say you both are the glue that keeps this crazy family together. And I think I also talk for all of us when I say we all love you with all our hearts, so happy birthday to you both. Cheers!” Lily yelled all happy, but before she raised her glass, she was talking again. “Sorry, no! I mean Enchanté! But hey also a toast in honor for dear Mr. Zak Brown and his team with his shitty orange tractor!”
That last part had everyone laughing after a general Enchanté from the group as they raised their glasses and bottles. Of course, they all were laughing because after the disaster of a race there was nothing else they could do, especially Daniel. But between all the laughs and smiles, there was Michael. “Don’t be mean, Lil” he smiled as he shook his head.
Of course, he was the one who said that. Maggie wasn’t surprised he was the one who said that. There was nobody in the world as good as comprehensive as the man by her side resting his free hand on her waist. Every single day Maggie wished she could be half as comprehensive as her boyfriend was; she wanted to be half of the good person he also was, but that night it wasn’t gonna happen.
“Mean? I am mean? Shut up, mate! You’re too good” Lily asked, getting down from the chair as she laughed.
“Are you serious saying she’s mean? Really babe?” Maggie also wondered, looking up to her boyfriend with a tiny smile on her face. “Okay listen to me because I’m gonna say something too” she stated, walking to the chair where Lily was standing before so she could give another speech to her friends.
“You tell 'em kiddo!” Ben yelled from the couch as Cam on his side applauded, both with big smiles on their faces.
“Listen to me, you flutered bastards! I wanna make a toast for this mate right here” Maggie pointed to Daniel, who automatically raised his beer as everyone cheered for him. “My boyfriend here is the most wonderful person in the whole universe and he says we’re mean for calling the orange car a tractor, but hey! Maybe you’re right, love, I mean tractors are faster”. And there was again, everyone in the drunk laughing because of a stupid comment. But the good thing was that even Daniel was laughing. Even with all the shit he was going through he was laughing and Maggie couldn’t love her brother-in-law more. “But for real, I wanna make a toast for our Danny boy, because this man right here gets his ass in that bloody car almost every single weekend to drive at 300 hundred and something kilometers per hour. He goes and works his ass off all damn day every single day to be the best of the best and not only does he do that, but he’s also the coolest dad and friend and he’s always there for us. We don’t appreciate you enough, bro. You have a daughter and a wife and a mom and dad and a family and friends who love you so damn much and there you go risking your life every single fucking weekend to do your job and what does your team do? Give you a shitty strategy and an even shitty car, goddamn it! They fuck you up every single time and you go and put on a smile like the good guy you are! They don’t deserve you, mate. They don’t deserve you and you deserve way better” she finally breathed, blowing Daniel a kiss as all the room cheered again before she continued, all while looking back at Michael. “So, mon amour, my girl Lilian might be mean, and I might be mean. Damn, I might be a mythic bitch, but I can assure you, the CEO who promised Danny everything and more is meaner than us. So happy birthday, Enchanté, and cheers to you Dan, and that orange tractor. May life bring you nothing but happiness and a winning car because you deserve a championship more than any other human being out there”
Maggie didn’t need to get down from the chair because Daniel did the job. With the biggest hug that possibly existed, Daniel held her as tightly as possible and then stayed there for a bit more after Maggie finally put her feet on the ground. She knew perfectly final after that terrible day he needed all the love, hugs, and affection he could get, so she didn’t let him go. She didn’t let him go until he did, but before that happened, Daniel kissed her on the head. “Thanks for having my back, kiddo”
“I’ll always have your back, mate. That’s what family does. Besides I somehow still have to pay you back for introducing me to that handsome friend of yours” Maggie shrugged, slapping his chest as carefully as possible, knowing perfectly fine that even when they were partying, Daniel must be destroyed after the race.
“He’s a cunt but he’s alright I guess” Daniel shrugged too, looking back for a second to where Michael was standing and then back to Maggie. “I love you, y’know that?”
“I know, D. I love you too” she winked.
But before Maggie could do anything, she felt two hands on her shoulders and there was no need to turn around to know who those hands belonged. She knew those rings and those always black nails too well to not recognize her sister’s hands, so she leaned on the side so Jas would stroke her cheek.
“You’re right and they’re cunts” Jas pointed out, letting her sister go to be able to hug Daniel’s side. “We all know they’re cunts”
“See? Your wife says so! They’re an absolute geebag” Maggie insisted, pointing to her sister, trying to somehow show Daniel that she was right about what she said in her speech.
To say things between McLaren and the Irish sisters weren’t nice was nothing but an understatement. To say things between any of their friends and family members and McLaren weren’t nice was more likely. They were all pissed. David, the all-time McLaren fan was in the middle of a breakup situation with the team, not believing how they were treating his son-in-law. On the other side was André, the French grandfather with the biggest ‘I knew he shouldn’t have left Renault’ speech buried deep inside his heart but without telling anything to Daniel because he didn’t need more pressure than what he already had. Then there were their friends who refused to go to the race with Mclaren’s shirts even if they had a 3 on them and instead they all went with Daniel shirts because Jas designed them and because they felt represented Daniel way more than with the team shirt. Then was Esme and Aoife and both of them wanted to go and give Zak and Andreas a piece of their mind because they were overprotective mothers and grandmothers and they hated when someone messed with their family.
Then there was Maggie who was pissed. She was absolutely pissed when she heard Zak talking about Daniel, but she had Michael calming her down like always. He was there telling her that’s how the sport was and how he understood why she was mad, but that there was nothing they could really do except support Daniel.
But if Maggie was pissed then Jas was furious. When the declarations before Monaco surfaced, Jas wanted to take the first flight to wherever Zak Brown was and give him more than a piece of her mind. She wanted to have a long talk with him, but Daniel calmed her down which was probably worse.
Maggie and Jas were almost like twins but the difference was that, when Maggie bottled something up, it ended up running wild in her mind until she let it go. But with Jas, there was no letting it go. When Jas bottled something inside her and especially when someone messed with her family, all that grew inside her and that fire ended up turning into a bomb. She was like that when someone messed with any of her friends or family, but it was a hundred times worse when someone messed up with Daniel.
From day one Jas needed to protect him. She had the feeling inside her and it just grew bigger and bigger as the time with Daniel passed. She knew it was impossible all things considered, but she needed to try and, at least, protect him as much as possible. So when her husband’s boss said the things he said and when Jas couldn’t take it out, it turned into a bomb. Everyone was expecting it to be a mass destruction kind of bomb, but instead, it was like a silent one that would kill slowly.
Jas used to like Zak, he looked like a friendly guy and she decided to believe him when he promised to give Daniel a fast car to win races, but one day all of it changed. From chatting at the paddock and the garage and even at the MTC, Jas went from that to refuse to go with Daniel to having dinner with Zak simply because she didn’t want to fake a smile the whole dinner. She begged her future husband to forgive her for not going with him and invent some excuse as to why she wasn’t going, knowing perfectly fine that wherever Daniel was going, Jas was going too. That’s how things always were no matter the team he was in. It didn’t matter where or when, Jas was always his plus one, always by his side with a smile on her face, always trying to rise to the occasion. For four years Jas never refused an invitation and she was always ready to go, but she refused to be at the same table as her fiancée’s boss. So from a friendly talk, she went to a serious and deadly ‘Morning’ the first time she ran into him that first morning at Silverstone. Maggie did exactly the same thing and then both the sisters went to their business talking about whatever topic they were talking about.
Maggie knew Jas wasn’t planning to talk to him that weekend. It was Daniel’s birthday weekend so she wasn’t planning to ruin it, but it all went to hell on Saturday. Jas was joking with Dom and Maggie at the paddock, right in front of the Mclaren building when apparently someone heard their jokes. It was right after FP3 and before quali that Blake went to find Jas and she didn’t need him to say a thing to know something was happening. Maggie was right with her when it happened and she also knew there was something wrong, but her first thought was Daniel. What none of them were expecting was Blake saying that Zak was looking for Jas to talk to her. Blake offered to go to her but all Jas said was a simple and short ‘Thanks B, but I can deal with this shit on my own’ before she went straight to Zak’s office.
Ten minutes later Jas came out, just as serious as when she went in. To say everyone was expecting her to say what the hell happened inside that office was not enough. They were too curious and too worried, but Jas didn’t say a thing. She just whispered that it was all fine and settled. It wasn’t until she went with Maggie to Daniel’s driver's room before quali that she told Daniel, Blake, and Michael what she and Zak talked about. It wasn’t pretty at all. It was civilized but it wasn’t nice. Maggie was surprised they would let Jas get inside the Mclaren garage and hospitality again, but she was absolutely proud of her sister. And by far her favorite part of the talk was the last thing Jas said to Zak. ‘He’s Daniel Ricciardo, the Gran Prix winner, the man who people love and the man who gave you your first victory in a decade. He’s the only driver who gave you a win since you have been in charge of the team. But you? You’re just some CEO who failed during his time at Mclaren and the man who’s trying to ruin one of his driver’s career and reputation to justify the incompetence of his team. But let me tell you one little thing, Zak. You picked the wrong guy to fuck it with so good luck doing it’.
Everyone’s jaw dropped when they heard those words coming from Jas. Maggie knew perfectly fine her sister was capable of that and much more. Damn, the boys knew it too, but they were in a mix of surprise and disbelief. But then they were all trying to figure out what the hell to do. Daniel was all proud of his wife, Maggie proud of her sister all while Michael and Blake were trying to convince Jas to apologize before everything became worse. But Jas didn’t apologize. She stood tall in the garage the rest of the Saturday and then all Sunday. But the one who talked with his boss was Daniel. They talked that same Saturday after the quali, but for what Michael told Maggie, Daniel didn’t go to apologize about his future wife’s words, he just went to make clear he was gonna put his family first in any kind of a dispute.
But the detail that Jas forgot to tell them and that she remembered later was nothing but the fact that she disinvited Zak to the wedding, which made Maggie laugh her ass off as soon as she heard it. So after all, it wasn’t weird to hear Jas saying they were a bunch of cunts.
“And my wife is always right” Daniel affirmed, kissing Jas’ forehead.
And just like she didn’t need to know Jas was the one placing her hands on Maggie’s shoulders, this time Maggie didn’t need to know the one placing his arms around her waist and hugging her from behind was Michael. She could recognize his hands and arms anywhere, but most importantly, she could recognize his touch anywhere. “Talking about wives, here’s mine” he smiled, bending down enough to be able to kiss her left cheek and then her neck.
‘Here’s mine’. If he was trying to kill her that night he wasn’t that far from getting it.
“Hey you pretty boy, when are you gonna put a ring on my baby sis’ hand? And not that cute little one you gave her. I mean a real stone” Jas asked, making Maggie choke with her beer as Daniel laughed his ass off.
“Wow, no pressure” Maggie coughed, trying to breathe normally again so she could keep talking. “This is the part of our lives where everyone around us starts to get married and have babies and I’m kind of scared so chill, for fuck’s sake” she practically begged, leaning her back against Michael’s chest.
Maggie wasn’t joking when she said people around them were starting to get married and have babies. Jas and Daniel were getting married in a month, Dom proposed to Sara one week ago and they were getting married at the end of the year and she knew Ben was looking for a ring to finally propose to Cam after a lifetime together, so that left just Lily who was single and Maggie and Michael who were in their little word. That plus Olivia bringing the baby fever to the group was making Maggie feel nothing but pressure. But there was Michael, kissing her head, holding her closer with his arms around her waist and his hands resting on her stomach, making Maggie forget about all the problems and worries.
“Listen, I’m not planning to run away and I’m especially not planning to let her run away, so don’t worry. The rings and the kneeling will come eventually” he explained, kissing her cheek again, tickling her with his stubble.
But before Maggie could say anything, Lily was dragging Maggie to the kitchen without giving her time to kiss Michael. And maybe Maggie shouldn’t have followed her friend, because two hour later she was drunk. She tried to convince herself she wasn’t drunk drunk, but she was definitely not sober. And when Maggie wasn’t sober, she would always look for Michael because if he was around, she would automatically turn into an affectionate and clingy kind of drunk, needing nothing but love from the man of her dreams.
“Heyyy that’s my Mikey! I was looking for you!” Maggie exclaimed as soon as she saw Michael in the living room, opening her arms to hug him and resting her head on his chest.
It was an automatic response for him to hug her. It was automatic for him to place his arms around her waist and kiss her head, and she loved to feel his smile against her skin, almost as much as she loved the way he smelled. “I was just talking with Ben and Dom at the balcony, sweetheart”
“I missed you. I really, really missed you” she spoke against his shirt and she had no idea if he hear over the music, but her brain was yelling that she needed to tell him. He needed to know, so she just went with it.
“I missed you too, baby girl” Michael affirmed, kissing her once again as he moved his hands over her back, stroking her slowly.
“Listen to me. I had a bloody brilliant idea!” Maggie suddenly said, moving away enough to look up at his eyes, but never leaving the warmth and comfort of his arms and his body. But before she could say whatever she was gonna say, she decided to change the subject even if for a second. “Did I tell you that you look quiet tidy tonight? You look so cute with this shirt” she wondered, moving her fingers over his chest, touching the white material of his shirt.
“How much did you drink, babe? Because the British in you is showing up and for it to happen you need to be very drunk. First comes Irish drunk and then British drunk. Then if you reach the Aussie drunk is cause you’re smashed”
Maggie could see his efforts to not smile. She could see how he was really trying to stay serious because clearly someone had to be responsible and look after her drunk ass, but it only made Maggie melt even more. That tiny little smile on his face and those wrinkles on his eyes just made her go feral, losing the point for a second as she kissed his chest and hugged his waist tighter.
“Doesn’t matter, but listen to me! I wanna take you on a date!” she suddenly exclaimed, moving her hands up and placing them on his neck.
Maggie wanted to act like she wasn’t that drunk, but she realized that maybe she was very much drunk when she didn’t realize that Michael made them move to one of the chairs on the small balcony. At least she didn’t realize it until she was sitting there on his lap, which made her smile more because she loved to sit on his lap and snuggle there as long as she could.
“You wanna take me on a date? There’s no need to do that, sweetheart” Michael smiled, moving her hair out of her neck and shoulders and then stroking her cheeks with one hand, all as he held her waist with the other one, making sure she wasn’t gonna fall anywhere.
“But I want to! I wanna doll up and dress all nice for you and pick a cute place to go! We never do that. We never go out alone. We can count with both hands how many times we actually went alone on dates. I mean, I can’t count right now 'cause I’m kind of sloshed but you get it” she insisted, looking at him with the bigger pout trying to convince him.
And Maggie knew it worked as soon as Michael traced the pad of his thumb over her lower lip, so she made it more difficult for him as she kissed his thumb, all while a little smile appeared on her face. “Yeah, I get it. And you’re kind of right about it. We didn’t get that lucky with timing for dates”
“See? I’m right. Besides, I gotta win my baby boy back. I gotta show my favorite Aussie man how much I love him” she murmured, closing her eyes as she let Michael stroke her cheek with his thumb. “I gotta win my boy’s heart back”
Since her eyes were closed, Maggie had no idea what to expect, but it was more than a happy surprise when she suddenly felt Michael’s lips over hers. It wasn’t a deep, passionate kiss, it was the contrary. He was so soft, so sweet, so gentle and so loving that Maggie wanted to stay there forever. It was just slow and so full of love, just sharing peck after peck like there was nobody else around. There was no hurry and pressure, so it made it all better.
“Sweetie, you don’t have to do any of that to win me because I’m all yours, you hear me? I’m all yours” Michael whispered against her lips, almost like a secret between them. Everyone there knew it, but she loved that little secrecy. “But we’re gonna go on a date. I promise that we’re going somewhere nice this week before we go to Austria”
“We can go next week. We have a free week. Or we can wait for France and you take me on a date in Paris. That’s romantic shit” she giggled like a little girl, pecking his lips like it was the biggest secret in the world and then hiding her face against Michael’s neck after that short kiss.
“I thought you were taking me on a date”
“I take you to one here, you take me on one next week, and then we decide one together in Paris. J'aime Paris mais je t'aime plus” she giggled, all proud of herself for being able to talk in French when she was so drunk.
“I love that deal. But I love you the most” Michael affirmed, kissing her forehead as Maggie snuggled even closer to him because there was no proximity enough for her at that moment. She needed to feel him as closely as possible, so she hugged him tightly as possible, even in her drunken state.
“I love you the most” she repeated, opening her eyes to look at his face and kiss his cheek. But what caught her attention was another scene. There was Jas and Daniel, right in the middle of their mess of drunk friends, dancing like there was nobody else in the apartment. They were just holding each other, moving at their own rhythm and smiling while they kept talking about who knew what. Maggie couldn’t be happier for her sister. Jas waited for so long for someone to share her life with and she waited even more for someone like Daniel and now she finally got that. Jas got her fairytale with the man of her dreams and the most beautiful baby in the world, just like Maggie always knew her sister deserved. “You think we’ll be like that one day?? The kids, the dogs, the white picket fence with the pie at the windows?” she asked, pointing with her head to Daniel and Jas.
“You want all that? The minivan to take the kids to football practice too?”
But even in a drunk state, Maggie could notice that under that little joke there was part of truth. She knew those brown eyes too much, so she knew that little sparkle mean something and it made her stomach twist and her heart skip a beat.
“God no, I hate minivans. I could never be that kind of mom. But you? You’re totally that kind of dad. Taking the kids to football practice and being the team coach” she joked too, moving her hands to his neck, letting her fingers run through the short hair on the back of his head.
“You can bet your pretty ass, sweetheart. I mean it's my job after all” he stated, looking down at her with the biggest smile on his face. “Do you wanna have kids someday?”
To say that question took her by surprise was an understatement. It took the air out of her lungs completely. Maybe the shock was bigger because she was drunk, but whatever the reason was, it hit her differently. They have always joked about it, they did it more than once but Michael never asked if she really wanted kids. It was always teasing about assumptions of how things would be if they had kids one day, but nothing more than that. She never dared to ask either, too scared to ruin it with the question, too afraid to hear the answer, and even more terrified of what could happen if they were on different pages.
“What kind of question is that? Of course I want, but just with you. Wouldn’t have a baby with anyone else than with my baby” Maggie admitted, looking up into his eyes again. That was her chance to do it. That was her chance to find the answer to her very simple and yet so complicated question, so she took a deep breath and let it go before she finally threw it. “What about you?”
It was another whisper that she wasn’t sure Michael could hear over the music. It was just another murmur carried by the breeze, not really knowing if it was gonna be answered. But then Michael smiled at her. He smiled like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like it was easy to answer and even easier to make it happen. He smiled like that was the most logical thing in the world and like it was something that was gonna happen soon.
“I want everything with you” Michael wondered, kissing her forehead a couple of times, all while her heart jumped with happiness thanks to his answer. “How many do you want?”
“Two. I have two hands so that’s it. That’s all I can control considering I can barely take care of myself” she giggled, kissing his cheek and jaw.
“Hey, I’m here to help take care of yourself, beautiful” he affirmed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And meanwhile, Maggie thought it was going to be a way better idea to get up and sit again on his lap, but this time facing Michael and placing her legs on both sides of his. “Also two it's good. I like it. And I could always convince you to have another one”
It was ridiculous, but as soon as Michael said that she was giggling like a little kid, hiding her face on his neck as he placed his hands protectively around her waist once again, holding her close and making sure she wouldn’t fall at any second.
“I don’t think so, stallion. Three it's like too much, especially if they’ve your energy. But hey, c’mere to me, you going to S and Dom’s wedding? S told me you’re invited”
Sara and Dom’s engagement were pretty much the subject of the weekend. That, the Ricciardos’ wedding and Daniel’s birthday, and everyone’s hate against McLaren were the four subjects. Sara and Dom were trying to keep the news of their engagement and tell everyone after Daniel’s birthday because they didn’t want to steal the spotlight on his weekend, but they were two sillies. Between Sara forgetting to take off her engagement ring and Dom not being able to keep his mouth closed, they blew it and ended up admitting and telling everyone about it. So now all the talks were about weddings and invitations and preparations for it, which was nothing but fun.
“Do you want me to be your plus one?”
“You’re the only plus one I want” Maggie confessed, even if it wasn’t a secret. But instead of answering, Michael smiled. It seemed like the answer to every single question they had was gonna be a smile. But Maggie was more than okay with that. They knew each other like the back of their hands, so there was no need to say it to know what was on his mind. The happiness of hearing her say those words was all around him, showing up not only in his smile but also in the way his eyes were shining. “Besides it's gonna be during winter so I’ll need someone keeping me warm”. Not that there was any need of convincing him, but she could try.
“Just tell me when and I’ll be there” Michael agreed, kissing her temple, her cheek, and then her lips. “Besides, I’d never miss the chance to get under your skirt after the wedding”
“Or during the wedding. We do love toilets. You putting a baby inside me during a wedding would be a hell of a story”
Just like Maggie knew Michael enough to know the jokes were hiding part of truth in them, she also knew Michael was trying to calm himself as they talked. She could feel the shifting in the chair, the way he was trying to keep his breathing calm and steady, and especially the way his arms squeezed her body against his a bit tighter. She knew perfectly fine all that drunk talk was doing things to Michael, and how she loved it, even if she was probably going to die of embarrassment the next morning. “I think we should plan that a bit more. Timing is not really on our side right now, baby”
“But think of how fun it would be to make it, Mikey. All the practice so you can finally be my baby daddy” she whispered against his ear, kissing the spot on his neck that Maggie knew would make him tremble. “We can even start practicing today”
But again, Michael did nothing. He and his composure made him stay still, taking deep breaths as his head leaned against hers. “One day, sweetheart. I promise you one day it will happen, but not tonight. We’ve to go home and we’re gonna give you a warm bath, a warm tea, and then straight to bed. And no complaining. You gotta let me take care of you”
Maggie knew perfectly fine it wasn’t a question. She knew perfectly there was no way that she would convince him to do anything because she was drunk and he was a sunshine in form of a handsome Aussie man. There was no way anything was gonna happen that night and, even when she was dying to get inside his jeans, she couldn’t be more grateful to have to sweetest, most caring, and a wonderful boyfriend in the world who was ready to carry her drunk all the way home, make her a tea and then give her a bath to fight her deplorable state. Plus, Maggie knew he was also gonna look after her hangover ass the next morning, so she needed to make a mental note to thank him in some way.
“Just cause I fancy you” she stated, kissing his cheek and then moving just enough to look at his face once again. “You’re gonna miss me when I leave to go to Dublin?” she wondered out of nothing.
“You’ll be away one week” Michael pointed out, resting their foreheads together, sharing the same air as their noses brushed slightly, moving his hands under her shirt and resting them again on her lower back.
Michael wasn’t joking when he said Maggie was going to be away one week. Instead of going to Hungary with them, she was going to fly to Dublin to help her mom and the girls with the last-minute organization and preparation for Jas and Daniel’s wedding. Better said, with the first or their two weddings. The first was going to be in Dublin and it was gonna be way more intimate, just close family and friends, and then the big one was gonna be at winter break during the Australian summer. That meant Maggie and Michael being away from each other for a whole week, which haven’t happened in months, so it was starting to make Maggie feel a bit anxious even if it was illogical.
But the most illogical thing was the fact that she didn’t get the joke the first time she heard it, all thanks to the alcohol inside her body. “And? That means you won’t miss me?”
And there was again, the soft smile on his face, the shiny eyes looking at her and his left hand going from her back to her face, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb, being so careful about it that it looked like Maggie was going to break at any second. “I’m gonna miss you every second of every single day till I see you again, Margaret”
“That’s what I wanted to hear” she murmured as she kissed the palm of his hand and leaned her head against it, closing her eyes for a second that felt like a century. “Babe, I want fairy cakes. Or better, your banana muffins. But with chocolate chips and nuts. Can we have some of those?”
“I’m making you some tomorrow morning. Otherwise, you’ll get all grumpy” Michael joked, which made Maggie tickle his sides to make him laugh, making her feel all happy and warm inside thanks to that sound.
“Hey, I’m not grumpy. Not with you”
“You’re grumpy when you’re hangover and when you’re sleepy. And sometimes when you’re tired. But I also know you get grumpy with everyone else except with me” he clarified.
Michael was right when he said Maggie was never grumpy with him. In fact, he was the only solution for her grumpiness. That or a nap or sometimes ice cream was what would get her out of that state. But Michael was the most efficient solution for it, fixing everything with some hugs, some kisses, or even just being there by her side. Sometimes something as simple as holding her hand or placing one of his hands on any part of her body would make her feel at ease. It worked because the grumpiness would turn into clinginess as she wouldn’t let him go from her side, focusing on nothing but the way he would move his fingers over her skin as he promised that everything was going to be okay.
“Cause you’re my baby. You’re my sunshine and my love and all my dreams come true and you’re the prettiest” she explained, cupping his face between her hands as she spoke. “Like you have the prettiest face in the world. Did I tell you before how much I like your face? I love your freckles and your pretty brown eyes. I really hope all our babies look like you cause then they’ll be the prettiest babies in the world”
“I love your face too, sweetheart. But I insist, I love you more” he insisted, giving her a soft, little kiss on her lips, making her smile again. “Let's get you some water and then I’m calling us an Uber so we go home, yeah? You need to get some rest”
“You’re taking me home?” Maggie wondered, as her shiny eyes looked up at him with nothing but expectation for his answer. For a second Maggie forgot she was staying with Michael again. She was so used to going from one to another and not staying with him and she was so drunk that her messed-up brain was nothing but confused. She needed to know if they were going home. She needed to know if they were going together back to his place. She needed to know if she wasn’t imagining things and if she was finally going back home with the man she loved.
“Yeah, princess, I’m taking us home” Michael answered, and with that Maggie let go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
That’s when Maggie finally got to catch a break.
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@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover @monte-carlando @brightlightsinlife
#michael italiano#michael italiano oneshot#michael italiano imagine#michael italiano fic#f1#f1 imagines#f1 fanfic#f1 oneshot#formula 1 oneshot#formula 1#formula 1 imagine#formula 1 fic#formula one oneshot#formula one imagine#formula one fic#formula one#so it goes fic
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So it goes: Part 25 - MI x fem!OC
Masterlist
Summary: Maggie loved her sister. She loved Jas with every single part of her body and soul, but sometimes Maggie wished Jas would just keep her mouth closed, especially when she wanted to speak about Michael.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: some angst, some swearing, some Irish slang, some little little fluff, and both girls being stubborn pains in the ass 🫶🏻
Word count: 5.3k
A/N: What. Was. That. Quali? George taking the pole from C*rlos? Lando P4? Danny FINALLY in Q3? What a day to be alive, kids. Also 100 notes in Jas and Dan oneshot in one day? You’re insane but thank u! Vacations makes me get productive so there you so. Like always thanks for the likes and all the love and I swear we’re close to things getting fixes in here 👀 See ya bye 🫶🏻
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Part 25 - Normal peoples.
Maggie's relationship with Monaco was weird. She always felt like an outcast while being there. No matter if she wore fancy clothes, if she spoke perfect French, or if she went around with the cool kids, she always felt like somehow, she didn't belong. Even if she spent the last four years having dinner in fancy restaurants around the world and staying in some of the coolest hotels that existed, she was too used to being just little Maggie from Dublin who lived part time in London.
But even if she had a weird relationship with Monaco, she did like the place. It was the place where Jas and Daniel met; it was one of the places they could call home and where they could stay in a familiar bed; plus, she had too many memories there with Michael, so she liked it. Besides, the place was beautiful. Between the blue ocean and the mountains, it was nothing but a cute tiny paradise.
But nothing ever compared to the beauty that she was witnessing from the balcony of Daniel and Jas' apartment. Once the race, the partying and the weekend were over, their friends and family left Monaco, leaving just the six of them with their regular family schedules, spending some days there before they had to go to Baku. That's why Blake was sitting behind Olivia, holding her so she would practice sitting down all while Daniel sat right in front of them, holding her favorite stuffed kangaroo and speaking to her so she wouldn't get bored of being there. And if it wasn't enough, Michael was looking at them from the kitchen door, going back and forward from making dinner to looking at how Olivia was giggling. Meanwhile, Maggie and Jas were on the balcony, glasses of wine in their hands as they were just ignoring the Monaco lights and the view simply because the sight of their family was way better.
That was another of the reasons, even if Maggie had a weird relationship with Monaco, she liked being there. There was some kind of familiarity being there, knowing they could have a regular life even if for just some days. Jas always joked, saying in Monaco they were normal people, which was weird but kind, true. When they were there, her sister and future brother-in-law were just Daniel and Jas; they were Olivia's parents and nothing else. Besides, those were one of the really counted days where they could have a normal routine, which for Maggie felt like a blessing.
She was dealing with too much stuff altogether, but the worst was trying to get used to being on the road and living out of a suitcase all the time. She was still dealing with missing London, Dublin and Perth all together, but more importantly, she was still trying to deal with the 'talk to Michael' issue.
It was supposed to happen that Sunday night in the bar, but after their bathroom meeting, they didn't talk. They got out of the bathroom pretending nothing had happened; they said Maggie was feeling sick after too much tequila; they stayed all night hanging from each other like a normal couple and, they went back home to make a mess of the sheets and then get some sleep. She had no idea if someone believed in their excuses, but she couldn't care less about it as Michael held her close to his body, arm resting around her waist and hand on her hip, stroking the purple dress. He was making sure everyone in the room knew she was all his and Maggie had no a single problem with it. But after that, Maggie had no idea how to bring up the conversation. They were too into their own little bubble of hugs, kisses and touches to break the atmosphere with that. Instead, Maggie promised herself to talk to him as soon as they had some time alone, but that didn't happen in the last two days.
At that point, she wasn't even sure it was going to happen at all. Maybe she shouldn't try to push it. Maybe it wasn't the right timing. Maybe they should keep going that way. Maybe everything was going to fall into place on its own time. Maybe she should just wait until Michael brought up the conversation.
Maybe and maybe and maybe.
She was starting to hate that word.
Whatever was going to happen, Maggie decided to drop it for that week. She wasn't going to try to talk to Michael that week. She was going to spend her days enjoying family time and that was it. She was going to enjoy her days playing with her niece, going to the beach and maybe even letting Michael drag her to go for a run or some hiking in the mountains. She had no idea why, but that week she was extra clingy. She didn't want to be a pain in the ass, but she had an extra need to be by Michael's side. She felt like Olivia in the days when the only person that she wanted and who could calm her was Daniel, which in Maggie's case was nothing but pathetic. But that need to be by his side was the reason she smiled all happy when she saw Michael walking up to them. Not that she didn't smile every single time that he walked up to her, but that day Maggie was in a really good mood. That night everything felt different for some reason. Maybe it was the music playing in the back mixed with the adorable sound of Olivia's giggles, the summer breeze, the red wine, and the smell of homemade food. but she was feeling better than she had in a long, long time.
But Maggie didn't need much reason to smile that night, just like she didn't need reasons to snuggle by Michael's side as soon as he stood right besides her. She didn't need reason to hug him with her free arm as Michael held her as close as possible and kissed her head, all while their eyes where fixed on Olivia.
But not all of their eyes were fixed on Olivia. Maggie didn't need to turn and check to know if her sister was looking at them. Twenty-seven years were enough for Maggie to know Jas was looking. She could practically feel the burning sensation of her sister's eyes on them, but this time Maggie decided to ignore it.
"How's possible that she loves that kangaroo so damn much?" Michael asked, making Maggie look up to see him smiling, a smile that she knew would be enough to light up a whole room.
"She's half Aussie, mate" Jas answered, shrugging as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're Aussie but you're a dog person"
"I am, but we also have a cat. And what does that have to do with kangaroos?" he asked while stealing Maggie's glass from her hand to take a sip. But Maggie couldn't care less about any of it. Her brain disconnected from the conversation, thinking about the way he said 'We have a cat', which made her smile even more as she rested her head against his chest. In those weird crazy times there were counted things that kept her going, and that little 'We' could be counted as one of those.
"I mean, maybe Oli's a kangaroo person. Or maybe she just falls in love with Elizabeth and she becomes a cat person" Jas explained, which was the most ridiculous explanation Maggie heard in a long time.
"Can you not talk about my baby Liz? I fucking miss her" Maggie complained, closing her eyes as she hugged Michael with both arms, squeezing a bit his waist as she did it.
"We are going to Dublin at the end of the month so you'll see her" Jas laughed, just like she always did when her sister complained about missing her cat, simply because she found adorable how much Maggie loved that golden ball of fur.
"That's right, just some weeks and you'll hug the hell out of her" Michael nodded, kissing the top of her head again. "Also dinner is on the oven, so give it like 20 minutes and its done"
"Thanks for making dinner, old man" Jas stated, and she didn't have to look at her sister to know Jas was smiling at her own comment.
And again, another kiss on her hair before Michael spoke. "Reckon you're older than me, ma'am" he shot back, and this time Maggie laughed because seeing them fighting as kids never got old.
"Ah but those white hairs on your chin say another story, bro"
"They say you got 120% hotter since they decided to show up" Maggie suddenly jumped, joining the conversation and letting go of his waist with her right hand to be able to stroke his chin.
She wasn't joking when she said Michael just got hotter since the morning she realized suddenly he had white hairs on his chin. That terrible morning in Italy, Michael had no better idea to wake her up after his workout session. It wasn't anything sexy; he just went, sat on bed besides her and called her name a couple times while he kissed her forehead and stroked her hair out of her face and neck. That's when she opened her eyes and saw it. Maggie never got out of bed fast. She always took her good five minutes to be able to open her eyes and be a functional human being, but that time she flew out of bed. She knew Michael was still trying to keep his distance because he was on his last days of Covid; besides, he was all sweaty after working out, so there was no point in begging him to fuck her. That's exactly why Maggie went straight to the bathroom, getting in the shower as fast as possible so the cold water would hit her skin. But she should have known better. Maybe Michael was trying to keep his distance, but there was no way in hell he was going to miss his chance to get in the shower with Maggie. The little grown that left her lips as soon as she heard the door open was nothing compared with the moan that escaped her lips as she felt his hands on her waist.
She had always been a sucker for Michael. From the day she first met him, Maggie was absolutely a sucker and a goner for him, but that morning was just a new level. She was even ashamed to admit how turned on she was for something as silly as white hairs on his chin, but Michael covered her in kisses as he assured it wasn't silly. He promised it was more than nice to know she liked it, and to close their promise they left behind the not-so-distance distance that covid put between them as Michael fucked her as slowly as possible against the cold shower walls.
"See? She loves it" he smiled all proud, kissing Maggie's forehead as she kept looking at him. "I'm gonna go play with my niece who doesn't judge me like her mother and then finish dinner"
"No, don't go" Maggie purred, not ready to let him go, not even if he was going to be in the next room.
"Because she can't talk, that's why she doesn't judge you" Jas smiled, slapping Michael's arm as they both laughed.
But just when Maggie thought Michael didn't hear her request, he looked down at her again with the most adorable smile on his face. "Let me finish dinner and I'm back" he whispered, before he went back to the conversation with Jas. "She doesn't talk yet, but as soon as she starts, she's gonna have us running in circles and bossing us in no time, but I gotta tell you I've no problem with that. And before you say anything, yes, I like when this one bosses me around" he smiled, pointing at Maggie with his free hand.
"Sucker" Jas stated, shaking her head as she looked at them.
"I love you" Michael whispered, now with his full attention on Maggie, both of them ignoring everything around them for a minute.
"Love you too" Maggie murmured back, getting in her tiptoes when Michael bent down to give her a kiss. She couldn't help but smile against his lips, sharing peck after peck, trying to keep it as PG as possible, even when all the people in the room have seen them in way worse situations. But it wasn't about that; it was all about softness and love and having a little reminder of their love for each other, even if just for a second. "Finish that and come back to me" Maggie purred, letting him finally go off her arms.
"Yes ma'am" Michael affirmed, stealing one last kiss before he left the balcony, taking her heart and her glass of wine with him. All Maggie could do was look at her with a silly little grin on her face, once again not believing that such a wonderful man was in love with her. But all her happiness was gone as soon as Jas opened her mouth, ruining the moment.
"What's going on between you both?"
There we go again.
Maggie wanted to slap her face as soon as she heard those words. Damn, she regretted letting Michael take her glass when she heard those words. Just when she got rid of Lily and her question, there goes Jas with the same stuff in the moment Maggie needed it less. "You talked with Lily, didn't you? Because you coming out of nowhere with this has a name and its Lilian"
"Of course I did. I talked with her, with Cam and with S, Danny, Blake, mom, dad, grandma and grandpa. I even spoke with Ben and Dom. We're all worried, baby"
What the actual shit.
"Did you seriously spoke to Ben and Dom? What does they have to do with this?" Maggie wondered, not really believing what her sister was saying. The fact that she spoke with Daniel was obvious. Same with Blake because they were together all the damn time. Knowing she spoke with their parents and grandparents was a bit of a worry, but still understandable. Maggie could get that she spoke with Lily because she was Maggie's best friend and was worried too. She could almost justify the fact that Jas spoke to Sara and Cam because they were like Maggie's oldest sisters, but the fact that she spoke about it to Ben and Dominic was insane. Sure, they were their friends and Sara and Cam's boyfriends, but it was too damn much, even for Jas. "Look, Jas, I get it, you're worried, but it's fine. We're grand"
"We've known each other for donkey's years, Maggie. They're like our brothers, not just Sara and Cam's boyfriends. And stop saying you're grand, kid" Jas insisted, turning around to look at her sister instead than at her husband and daughter playing. Jas was right on that. Just like Sara, Cam and Lily, Ben and Dom were their chosen family. They have known each other for more than ten years; they have been together through thick and thin; they have met every single one of Maggie and Jas' boyfriends, and they were some of their favorite people, but it was her problem to fix. It was her relationship with Michael and in that case, it was her issue to talk with their friends. "You know what makes me mad about this thing going on between the both of you? You two together could run this goddamn world but goddamn you're two stubborn goons. You love each other but there you are just playing around like teenagers"
"We're not playing around" Maggie protested, not even daring to look at her sister. She didn't want to have that conversation. She was in a rather good mood for once in forever and she didn't want to see it all gone just because Jas wanted answers.
"Sure look. You definitely are"
"It's complicated, Jas. It's complicated but we're trying to work on it" Maggie murmured, trying all so in vain to see if her sister would be happy with her answer. "I still don't know how you and Danny do it. I know it's not easy, but it does look easy from the outside"
"It's everything but easy, ciaróg" Jas breathed, taking a sip of her glass before she continued. "We talked about this more than once. Their job its fucking insane so it takes a shit of love, patience, dedication and trust. It also took us a ton of pillow talks, organization and flexibility from my side if you wanna call it like that. I'm a lucky bastard that we make it work. We're jammy"
"And it has nothing to do with the fact that you dropped everything to be with Danny, right?" Maggie chuckled, looking at Jas for a second and then back to Olivia, trying to keep herself calm.
She knew perfectly fine the effort Jas put into that relationship from day one. She knew it took Jas no time to decide to follow Daniel around the world because they wanted to make it work more than anything. She knew how they both were doing everything in their power to make it work together, so she knew it took everything and more to make it work. It was everything she and Michael put into their relationship, but clearly, they failed at something. She failed at something.
"That was my choice, but it takes patience and love too, Maggie. It’s not easy but damn, it’s worth"
"Yeah, I know" Maggie whispered, looking for a second to the floor. She had no idea what to say. There was really nothing much to say. She knew all those things Jas told her. She had thought about it for months, probably years. She had that clear from the second she started to see Michael, and she has been repeating it all in her head every single second of every single day, so she knew. And what she also knew was that part of her good mood was all gone and she wanted to go back to Michael, but running from that talk was useless. But what made her feel a little bit better was when she looked up and found Daniel looking at Jas. He was pointing to something that Olivia was doing, and he looked nothing but happy and excited. "Did I ever told you I love the way Dan looks at you? The silly expression on his face it's just too good"
"Y'know it's the exact same way Mike looks at you, right?" Jas asked, and she didn't even let Maggie speak, knowing perfectly fine she was going to say something. "Hey, c'mere to me. Don't you ever dare doubt it. I'm tired to tell you this, but he really worships the floor you walk on"
"Can we just- How are you?" Maggie suddenly questioned, changing the subject so they wouldn't keep talking about her love life.
"Leefs. Just grand" Jas lied, but the way Maggie suddenly looked at her was enough to make Jas talk. "Stressed as fuck"
"That's more likely" Maggie laughed, knowing that her sister was also hiding everything under her constant 'I'm okay' face. Everyone knew that was one of Jas' superpowers, so it was more than hard to read her on counted occasions. "Are you gonna punch me in the face if I tell you it's gonna be okay? I mean, if someone can figure this shit out its him. He'll make it work"
"I'm not gonna punch you, but damn kid, you sound a lot like coach Michael when you say that" Jas joked, making Maggie smile, even if just for a minute. "And I don't doubt Dan, I doubt about everything else. He's working his ass off but he can't do a miracle with that orange tractor"
"I've seen Danny making a lot of miracles in a race car. And in case that doesn't happen, y'know he's not gonna fall from the top of the mountain because he has you. He knows you're right behind him to catch him. We all are" Maggie affirmed, even when it wasn't really necessary to remind Jas or Daniel about it.
"We all are, except his dear beloved boss" Jas murmured between the teeth, and suddenly her expression changed completely.
To say Jas was pissed after Zak's last declarations was an understatement. She was more than happy for the fact that he wasn't in Monaco that weekend; in other ways things wouldn't have been pretty. But knowing Jas, Maggie wasn't sure if it was for the better or for the worst, the fact that she couldn't face Zak. She wanted to give him a big piece of her mind for saying that Daniel wasn't 'meeting the team expectations'. She wanted to sit down with him and remind him how he had promised Daniel a fast car, among other things. She wanted to tell him to better keep his mouth close before he spoke about her husband, but none of that was happening, at least not for the next couple of days. But even if it took months, Jas wasn't going to forget it.
Even Maggie wanted to go and have some words with Mr. Brown, but there was no point, especially considering she was just Daniel's future sister-in-law. "God, don't make me think about that shit. What are you going to do about it? I mean, he's an eejit, but he's still Danny's boss"
"I don't know. But what I know it's that I shouldn't get close to the paddock because if I see Zak things ain't gonna be pretty. I really wanna eat the head off of him"
Not that Maggie didn't want to do that too, but it was more than useless. "That's not the solution"
"You think that I don't know? What would you do in my place? What would you do if we were talking about Mike instead of Dan? You would go around trying to kill people. I gotta protect my husband, baby. It’s my job to look after him. I promised Grace and Joe that I was gonna look after him and I'm not breaking that promise. I owe them that. God, I owe Dan and Oli that" Jas affirmed, finishing the glass inside her glass with one sip.
That's when Maggie felt another bucket of water hitting her. "I made the same promise to his Nana and I just keep fucking it up, but I get it" she whispered, turning around to look at the city lights in front of them.
"Hey, you're always looking after Mike"
"Did I fuck. I'm always making him suffer" Maggie insisted, playing with the ring that Michael gave her in Perth, making it turn around her finger like she always did when she was nervous. "What if he doesn't want to go back?"
That was the question that had been eating her. That was the one thing that had been keeping her awake, running in her mind night after night. That was the one question that had been inside her chest, making it a hole bigger and bigger every single second of every single day. That was the one thing that she was too scared to say out loud, and she had no idea why she just said it.
"What? 'What if he doesn't want you back?' Maggie, we're talking about Michael, your Michael. This is not some random guy. He told you he loves you not even ten minutes ago. Goddamn, he's the guy who laced your damn Convers the day you met his family because you wouldn't stop shaking for how nervous you were. He's the guy who was more scared than you were about you meeting his family because everyone always loves you, but y'know, shit can always go wrong and big boy was worried something would go wrong. He's the one who got his ass on a plane to see you on his birthday, Mags" Jas exclaimed, and it was a miracle if the boys didn't hear in the inside of the apartment.
Maggie could feel her heart melting just thinking about Michael telling Jas that. But the fact that Michael was as scared as her that day was what surprised her more. She remembered perfectly fine that day and how scared she was. She remembered perfectly fine how she tried at least ten outfits because none of them looked good enough. All the dresses looked bad, all the shorts were ugly, all her shirt were wrinkled even if they weren't, her hair was terrible, her makeup was a mess. She hated every single thing about her that day and her hands wouldn't stop shaking, but then Michael stepped in. He helped her pick an outfit that made her feel comfortable; told her again and again that she looked beautiful in it; he insisted that her make-up was perfectly fine, made her let her hair loose, tied her Converse, and then he grabbed her hands and promised her that everything was going to be fine. He promised that everything was going to be fine because his family liked her even before they knew her. That day he looked so put together, so serene and so calm, that not in a million years Maggie would have imagined he was terrified as her. "He told you that? I mean, about that day?"
"Yeah he did" Jas nodded, a little sad smile appearing on her face. "Maggie you need to understand that he loves you"
"I know he does, its just-"
"Just what?" Jas interrupted, and Maggie could see how the patience was leaving her sister. "Y'know what- Did he ever told you what happened after you two decided to take a break?"
"No. We never talked about it" she whispered, taking a deep, deep breath, imagining what was coming her way. There was no way Jas was asking that without telling the story.
"He came home after dropping you at the airport. You know, I've seen Michael practically every single day for the last 4 years. We've been thought hell and back again and again and again. We spent so many hours together and have talked about every single thing and I think I've seen him in every single possible state that there is. We've seen each other in our better and our worst, but let me tell you one thing, kid, I've never seen him as broken as that day. Heartbroken doesn't even describe how he was"
That wasn't a bucket of cold water; that was a complete punch in the stomach. That was the last thing she wanted to hear, especially in that moment. "Why the hell are you telling me all this?" she whispered, trying to fight the knot in her stomach and her throat.
"Because I need you to understand how much he loves you, Maggie. We know him, but you know him better than anyone and you know he's capable of doing anything for you. Michael loves you so damn much that he decided to give you all the time you needed even if it broke him down into pieces. He did that even when knowing he was going to live a nightmare because of it. Everything he does its thinking about you, and I know for a fact that it's true. He loves you more than anything or anyone in this world, and I know you love him too. You love him so damn much that your arm is a tattooed love letter to him, that's why you have to stop running away from happiness, babe"
"That's blarney, Jas. If I were mad I would, but I'm not running" Maggie whispered, taking a deep breath as she looked at the little opal in her hand.
"Oh, baby, you are. I know you are because I know how is it and I also know how it feels when you finally stop. Its fucking terrifying, but I swear it's worth the pain" Jas insisted, all while Maggie was biting her tongue to not yell at her to stop talking. Let me tell you one last thing. I know you. I've seen that face since I was five years old and know you. Under that smile and that 'I'm okay' lie you're heartbroken and you're dying to run back to him, so please do it. You both need it so do it"
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, stall the ball, Jas" Maggie insisted, turning to focus on anything that wasn't the lights outside because they were doing nothing to help her calm down. Normally it would help her, but this time it was like nothing. But then she turned around, and there was Olivia, playing with Daniel, who was making her stand on her little feet while holding her so she would bear her weight. Olivia, who was a little sunshine giggling at everything making the room brighter than any light and making all the bad things disappear every time. Or almost every time.
"You're lucky, Maggie. You still have each other. You'll always have each other no matter what happens" Jas stated, but it wasn't enough to make Maggie look away from her niece, too focused on that and on trying to not cry. "You could have that, y'know? I know you want it. He wants the same with you and you both could have it all and more. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, next month or next year, but some day. You could have every single thing you guy want, so please stop running because he wants you"
But this time the big question wasn't what she was supposed to do if Michael didn't want her back. This time the question was how the hell did Jas know, what she was thinking. But this time, Maggie wasn't planning to admit it. There was no way she was going to say anything. "Just drop it, okay? Cut the crap and stop getting in my life. If you care about me then do that for me. I'm gonna see Mike" she growled, keeping her voice down as much as possible because there was no need to let the rest of her family know about their conversation. The last thing she wanted was that.
Maggie didn't give Jas time to say anything. She didn't want to hear anything. She just wanted to build a bubble around her and Michael and forget about all that crap. She wanted to go to bed and sleep, but more than anything, she wanted to hug Michael. She needed him, so she walked straight to the kitchen and without any questions or permission, she hugged him. She placed her arms around her waist and rested her head on his back, trying to cure her wounds with his warmth and softness.
"Hey, that's my favorite girl. Everything alright?" Michael asked while he was finishing she didn't know what about dinner. All she cared about was the feeling of his body against her and how incredibly good he smelled and felt against her.
"Mmhm. Just wanted a hug" she simply lied, placing a couple of kisses on his back, and moving her hands under his shirt and right again his stomach. "Can we go to bed after dinner? Too jacked to watch a movie"
Maggie knew those lies and that weird questions were going to make Michael doubt. She knew it was going to make him feel something was wrong. He knew her too well to know there was a change in her mood. "Sure thing, sweetheart. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm okay" she whispered, closing her eye and letting another lie leave her lips, because maybe, if she kept saying it, it would become true. "I'm okay"
---
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So it goes: Chapter 23 - MI x fem!OC
Masterlist
Summary: Sometimes finding peace in the middle of the mess and the noise can be really challenging, but a surprise trip, a skyline and a Aussie made it possible in the middle of the night, at least for a while.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Smut, fluff, cuddles and kisses are happening, an Irish girl who doesn’t know how to talk without swearing.
Word count: 9.8k
A/N: HELLO AGAIN! Holy shit its taking forever to write a chapter when life happens and you’re an adult, but heyyyy here we go! This is once again long af so bare with me and don’t judge me. Vacations are happening soon so hopefully will write some chapters so it doesn’t take me forever to update. Okay, gonna stop rambling. Just wanted to say a public and big fuck u to Mr. Zak Brown and his orange tractors and thank you for the love and likes, it really means the world. So that’s that and see you soon! 🫶🏻
PD: Should the Irish sisters drag Mr. Brown in some future chapter? Let me know what you think? 👀
---
Chapter 23 - Ever since New York.
If Maggie thought Michael had lost her mind when he took her so watch the sunset during their days in Perth, then she had no idea how to describe what happened after Miami.
It all started the morning after the race when Michael called her at 7am to wake her up. If the one bothering her was any other human, she would have probably destroyed them, but not with Michael. Never with Michael. With him, Maggie just made a big amount of weird noises as answers, too tired and lazy to even think about proper words. She was so dozed off that she didn't stop to think why Michael asked if he could go to her room. It wasn't that he needed permission or anything like that. He had a free pass there any time he wanted, but he knew Maggie would have probably died of a heart attack if suddenly she heard someone was in her room, especially on a Monday morning. If Jas knew Michael wasn't in the room, she would sneak in some way to wake her sister, but that was never on Mondays. That was the only day Daniel could sleep in as much as he wanted, and if he loved to sleep in with Jas, it just turned way better since Olivia arrived. From that day, Mondays were the days when he not only could stay in bed with his future wife, but also when he could spend the morning with his wife and baby, so it was almost impossible to drag Daniel out of bed till it was lunch time. And if Daniel slept in, that meant Jas would also sleep in, which meant that Maggie also slept in. Michael never woke them up, knowing perfectly fine he didn't want the Irish fury of not one but two women, so he never even tried.
Almost never.
All sleepy little Maggie knew was that Michael was right over her, that he smelled wonderful, and that his hair was all wet. All her silly little brain could remember was how good it was to feel his face between her legs and how much she loved to stroke his hair, especially when it was wet. She had no idea why, but she loved the sensation of the wet short strands against her skin, and Michael never asked for the reason, but he also never complained. That was probably the reason he didn't complain when Maggie grabbed his right hand and moved it to the elastic of her panties, letting the message be more than clear.
And damn, how clear it was.
There wasn't much to say because Michael didn't need instructions to know what Maggie wanted. And like every single second since day one, her wishes were his commands. Her panties and shirt were gone in a second, just like the sheet that was covering her body. In no time Michael was covering her body in kisses, moving down to lay down between her legs as he threw them both over his shoulders, making sure she was gonna stay there as much as he wanted. She wasn't planning to go anywhere for the rest of the morning, but she let him, too, focus in the way Michael was holding and kissing her thighs. And then she felt his tongue moving over her clit and she knew someone at the hotel was going to complain. There was no way nobody was going to say anything when she was a mess of moans as Michael ate her out, making sure she was an absolute mess with every single thing he did. And he was doing it on purpose; he was licking and sucking on her as one and then two moved slowly but precisely inside her, making her legs want to close out of pure instinct. She could feel Michael smiling against her as he asked to be a good girl and keep her legs wide open for him, even if he was doing the job himself. He also asked her to keep it quiet or they would get in real trouble, but there was no way that was going to happen. No when his fingers fucked her perfectly, touching every single spot that made her see the stars. No when he made her walls clench around his fingers until all she could see was white, and all she could say was his name enough times to let the whole hotel know it.
But her favorite part wasn't the fact that Michael made her come with his mouth to wake her up; it was the fact that there was no way he would leave things like that. Michael always told her he didn't like to start something he couldn't finish, so it was never just eating her out and leaving. He would never leave without making his girl happy at least twice, so he helped Maggie take his own clothes off and went back to his favorite place to do one of their favorite things.
Maybe was because she still was a sleepy mess, but somehow everything felt more intense. Michael slowly thrusting inside her made her moan so loud that he had to kiss her to keep the whole hotel from hearing. The way he moved so slowly it was nothing but torturous and wonderful as he covered her skin with kisses and praises, making Maggie scratch and hold on into his back harder than normal. She couldn't care less if the marks on his shoulders were going to be visible if he wore a tank top at the gym that day. She couldn't care if every single person in Miami saw it. She wanted everyone to know those marks had her name, just like the necklace around his neck. Clearly Michael was thinking the same as he thrusted deeper and deeper inside her, all while sucked the perfect spot that always made Maggie get goosebumps when he touched it. She had no idea if Michael was doing it to keep himself quiet or to mark her again as his, but she couldn't care less as long as he kept fucking her.
That morning it took them more than the normal amount of time to get out of bed. Even for Michael it was hard to get out when they were a tired mess of tangled arms, legs and sheets. Maggie felt boneless to the point that not even Michael felt heavy over her. He felt like a big beautiful warm blanket as she hugged him as tightly as possible, not even bothered about the fact that Michael was still inside her. It was too good to be true, so Maggie decided to enjoy the calmness that Michael brought to her with his face hiding in her neck and his soft, sloppy kisses on her skin, but nothing good lasted forever.
While she was already with her eyes closed ready to call it a lazy day and spend the rest of her afternoon tracing patterns all over his back, Maggie felt Michael move and then she remembered who the man over her was. There was no such thing as a lazy day, especially when it was sunny and there was a beach nearby. Damn Australians.
When he finally got out and off her, it felt wrong. She wanted to keep hugging him, and finding excuses to cover his body in kisses, but Michael had to open his mouth to say a raspy 'C'mon baby, its late' that made Maggie almost get mad. Almost. It was almost 8; Daniel was even near to wake up and they were on his week off, so there was no hurry. That's why Maggie asked why they had to leave the bed when they were in their own happy little cloud of love and sex. Michael explained between kisses on her forehead that they had places to go so they couldn't stay in bed. Not losing her chance to change his mind, Maggie took the chance of positions as her chance to wrap her arms and legs around his body, knowing perfectly fine she didn't have much time before she made a mess all over the sheets. She purred in his neck how she wanted to stay there to thank him for the beautiful way he woke her up, then have him for breakfast, and then and just then have a real breakfast because she needed a coffee as big as Michael. But not even a pout while being completely naked helped, which started to become suspicious.
But not even her second offer of a second round was enough, being dismissed by a kiss and 'Take a shower if you want, I'm gonna pack your stuff meanwhile, because we're leaving' that left Maggie with her jaw hanging. She was waiting for the offer to join her. She was waiting for the joke of sharing the shower to save water, but none of it came. First she was kind of offended because he wasn't joining her in the shower, but then the 'packing your stuff' followed by the 'we're leaving' made Maggie forget about the shower offense. They were supposed to stay in Miami. Their plan was to stay in Miami and forget about races and all that while they were getting tanned on the beach. She even had plans to have a girls afternoon with Jas and Olivia the next day, so she didn't get what was happening.
Without complains, Maggie went to the bathroom and went on with her routine, but before she could hit the shower, she was back in the room, wrapped up in a robe asking what was wrong. She found Michael packing her stuff like he promised, and only when he heard the worry in her voice was when he looked up and left what he was doing to walk to her. Wrapping his arms around her body and covering her head in kisses, Michael promised that everything was perfectly fine. He promised he had a very cool surprise and that's where they were going as soon as she was ready. He promised he really wanted a long warm bath with her, so that was what they were doing as soon as they got to their destination.
With all those promises and without saying goodbye to anyone, not even an hour later, they were in a car on the way somewhere. But not even then Maggie knew where they were going. She tried to convince him to say something or to drop a small hint, but all Michael did time after time was smile and say she needed to wait. She tried to do it as they got in the car, while they were on the way and again at every single red light, but he was unbreakable. Michael kept smiling at her like it was the most normal thing in the world, while Maggie was thinking in options, but none of them were logical.
Then she recognized where they were going. The goddamn airport.
It took a threat of not having sex for six months to convince Michael to finally talk. Maybe it was the seriousness in her face that made the trick, but also maybe it was the 'If I spent six months of lockdown without your dick, I can do it again'. Whatever was the reason, Michael asked her to just go inside the airport to tell her and she couldn't help but agree and finally followed him. She had no idea why he was insisting so much on them being there to finally open his mouth, but then she understood that it was all so she wouldn't fall on her ass in the middle of the sidewalk.
All he did was to show her his phone to let Maggie know the destination, but when she did, she had to ask five times if he was kidding her. Insane, beautiful, wonderful and always perfect Michael was keeping his word, and after months of making that promise he was finally taking her to New York. He had everything planned; they were going to spend the week there and then fly on Sunday to be back in London on Monday, and it was going to be just them with no interruptions, work or babysitting duties. It was going to be just them because no matter how much they loved their family, Michael insisted they deserved some free time being just them. Maggie said it was insanity, not because she didn't love the idea but because the main reason she was traveling with them was to help Jas and Daniel with Olivia, but Michael insisted it was all fine. Everyone knew, and even Jas helped him make it happen, and as soon as Maggie found out she had no idea what to do except kiss the hell out of him, not really caring if they were in the middle of the airport.
Three hours. Three hours sharing kisses and strokes in a plane. Three hours were Maggie forgot how much she hated the take-out and the landing of the plane. Three hours smiling, joking, talking, and planning the next few days. Three hours of nothing but happiness and joy. If that wasn't enough, those three hours were followed by three days filled with concerts, Broadway shows, endless hours walking, nights and mornings all over each other in bed, visits to some of his favorite places mixed with the places Maggie always wanted to see, little coffee shops, cool pizza places, fancy restaurants secret bars and even one or two doubtful place to get something to eat.
It was three days of nothing but happiness going around the city hand in hand like they were just another couple visiting New York, but there was one little tiny detail who was keeping Maggie awake at night for the last couple of weeks.
To say it was keeping her awake was a very subtle way to say Maggie was starting to get worried. When they decided to take a break, they promised to take six months and then talk, but those six months had passed and gone and there was no sign of Michael wanting to talk about it. Her new therapist –one who told Maggie that it was perfectly fine to take some time off and then come back, and how they weren't the first couple to do it, and neither were they going to be the last– told her to not rush things. He told her that if they were in love then things were going to fall back into place. Maggie wanted to believe in that. She repeated that like a mantra every single day, but the worry was always there in the back of her head.
She knew Michael loved her. He kept telling her every single day. She knew for Jas how Michael kept telling her and Daniel how crazy in love he was with Maggie and how he was still head over heels for her. The boys kept making jokes how both the Australian were a bunch of suckers for both the Irish girls. She knew his answer was always a 'Have you seen her? How could I not love her?' when someone asked if he was still into her. Michael also showed her in every possible way that he loved her, and taking her on vacations and not moving away from each other was one of those demonstrations. Maggie didn't need any of that and Michael knew it, but he did it anyway. Besides, they were sleeping together for the whole week like any normal couple and Michael fucked her every night while repeating how much he loved her, so Maggie knew, but that terrible little part of her brain wouldn't shut up.
But even when she knew Michael loved her, Maggie didn't have the courage to face him and talk about it. She didn't have the courage to tell Michael she wanted to talk. She was too scared that her worst fears would become true and that Michael would tell her that he was fine with things the way they were, so she kept it quiet. Maggie was a bloody coward, so she decided to wait until she got the courage to do it or until Michael decided to do it first. 'Whichever happens first, but please let the second one happen first' was the constant thought in her head as she pretended it was all good.
Truth be told, Maggie was waiting for Michael to say something that week. She thought the week on their own was the excuse to finally be able to have some time alone and talk without interruptions, but it didn't happen. After throwing not-so-subtle hints that she missed him, she waited and waited and waited, but the subject was never over the table.
That was what kept Maggie awake that night. Normally she was too tired after a whole day of walking and a night of going out to have dinner, all to end up over –or under, or both, whichever happened first– Michael, but night, not even that could send her to sleep. She tried, and normally his skin against hers was the best sleeping pill in the world, but that night not even that worked.
Trying to not wake up Michael with all her tossing and turning, Maggie got out of bed, hoping that some fresh air would help her, but it didn't. She spent half an hour on one of the couches on the small terrace of the Airbnb they were staying on, just looking at the skyline in front of her. From that little place in Brooklyn, she could see the East River, the Williamsburg Bridge, and all of Manhattan shining brightly in the distance. She loved it. She loved every single thing about it. She loved it so much that she teared up the first night, not really believing how wonderful it was. She loved it, but she made sure to let Michael know it wasn't as cool as watching a beautiful sunset in Perth, because nothing was as amazing as that.
But it wasn't the same when Michael wasn't there to kiss her forehead and clean her tears. It wasn't the same if he wasn't there saying it was perfectly fine to cry to get it out of her body, and because of how breath-taking it was. And as if it was some sort of magic, she heard the door to the terrace moving, letting her know her plan of not waking him up failed miserably.
"What are you doing here? You should be sleeping, baby" Michael whispered, bringing Maggie back from whatever place she was at the moment and making her turn her head to look at him.
And damn, he was a dream come true. Even in the dim light she could see his tall, big frame wearing nothing but his boxers, and he was perfect. Every single part of him was perfect, from his broad shoulders to his big arms and his toned chest. He was an absolute dream, and there it was again, the urgency to jump in his arms and cover him in kisses for the rest of the night until they fell asleep. Or more like the rest of her life if that was possible, which sounded way better.
But she didn't move; instead, she just offered her hand for him to grab, even when he was a couple of steps away from him. "I know, but I woke up, I went to the bathroom and there's this view and I didn't want to waste it. Thought you wouldn't wake up for the next five minutes" she explained as she looked at Michael slowly walking towards her.
"Well, my girl wasn't in bed and I got scared for a minute. Maybe she ran away" he joked, finally grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together. It was the perfect chance for her to bring up their joined hands to her lips and kiss his knuckles, something that they got so used to doing that it was practically their love language. "Damn, you're cold"
"You know I'm always cold" Maggie shrugged, but this time placing one last kiss on his wrist, right over the little heart tattoo that was always covered.
"Come here you little reptile" Michael stated, making Maggie move forward on the couch so he could sit behind her, placing his legs on both sides so she could rest her back on his chest and cuddle up against his body. "We don't need you to get sick"
Maggie couldn't help but smile as soon as she saw Michael getting comfortable there. She also couldn't help but get all comfy as soon as he placed his arms around her waist. She also couldn’t help but take a deep breath when his warm body made contact with hers, smiling at how wonderful it felt and how relaxing it was. She was convinced Michael was going to carry her back to bed, but the fact that he stayed there with her made her heart melt. "I won't. My coach makes me take all these vitamins and stuff so I don't get sick, so I'll be good. But you? At least I have a shirt on, but you're naked, grá. I don't complain but you'll get sick" she smiled, because she would never complain about Michael's almost naked body against hers, but the last thing she needed was him getting cold and sick thanks to a summer breeze.
"Your coach's a wise man. And I'm fine. I got my own personal Irish heat bag with me" he smiled against her neck, placing a small and soft kiss there.
But even when she was absolutely comfortable and didn't want to move, Maggie escaped from his arms, went running to the bedroom and went back in less than a second with a blanket in her hands. It was probably smarter to go back to bed than stay there, but the bedroom didn't have that room, so she rather spent a couple more of stolen minutes there, especially since Michael joined her. "There. No more cold. Fuck the river breeze" she affirmed as she sat down again between his legs, placing the blanket over their bodies and carefully over Michael's shoulders so he would be covered.
And suddenly that was one of those moments were time seemed to slow down and even stop. Her back was against his chest; his hands were resting over her stomach, face resting against hers; her left hand stroking his leg; and his right hand was on his face to stroke his cheek and jaw as he placed kisses between the palm of her hand, her wrist and her head. It was her own little personal heaven and Maggie didn't want to move from there, even if they had to go back to bed and reality at some point.
"Sometimes I really wish I could read minds" Michael murmured, squeezing her waist a little tighter as he kissed her temple. "I know you just a teeny tiny bit and I know there's something running wild in this pretty head of yours. That's why you're out here on your own and not in bed"
Of course he knew. Damn, of course he realized.
In that moment Maggie had two options; it was either admitting that she wanted them back or inventing a lie good enough to convince him everything was fine. The smartest choice was to say the truth, but Maggie never considered herself a smart woman, so she decided to lie.
"I think I'm a bit homesick" she whispered, resting her head on Michael's shoulder. "I miss my bed. I miss Elizabeth. I miss Belle. I miss my apartment, and I feel stupid for saying it. I shouldn't complain because I'm seeing the world with part of my family and know that's a privilege. I shouldn't complain when I see the rest of my family every couple weeks. I shouldn't complain when you and the boys miss your family like crazy and you get to see them a couple times a year, but here I am, being a noisy bitch"
She did miss her place, her family, her friends, her bed, her cat, her Vespa, and all her things, but more than anything she missed his place. She missed his bed, his basic beige couch, their lazy nights, the sleepy mornings, their giggles, the smell of his food, but adobe all, Maggie missed their life there. What they had at that moment was almost similar, and what they were doing in New York was almost like what they used to have; but she missed London. She missed London but not the city; she just missed her own version of London by his side. The London that wasn't as cloudy and gray as long as Michael was smiling at her. The London that was always beautiful and sunny and shiny, at least in their own little world. She missed all that, but lying was somehow easier.
"You're not a noise bitch, did you hear me?" he stated loud and clear in a serious tone that let Maggie know there was no joke on his words. "You can't compare, Mags. We do it because it's our job, but you're doing it out of love for your family. You could have stayed home and keep going with your life but you dropped everything for your family. That shows the kind of person that you are and you've no idea how much I love you for that. And whatever was the reason why you're doing it, that doesn't change the fact that you've all the right to miss your life and your family. You have the right to do it., sweetheart. Damn, I would be worried if you didn't" he finally finished, kissing her shoulder as Maggie felt a knot growing in her stomach.
She was a fucking coward.
But even if she hated being a coward, she couldn't show it. She couldn't ruin their night and their trip, so she put on a brave face, smiled, threw her head back as much as possible, and kissed his jaw a couple times. "When you're not worried, Mike?"
"About you? I'm all the damn time" Michael affirmed, this time taking his chance to kiss her forehead.
"Because this world it's too fucked up and I'm a pretty little unicorn too good and too pure?"
"That's a way of saying it, but yeah, basically yes" Michael nodded, moving from her forehead to place a kiss on the tip of her nose, making her smile and giggle like a little kid, even if just for a second. "But talking seriously, its normal to be homesick, baby"
"I know. I'm just- I'm kind of scared of not being able to do this for a long time. Like what if I can't handle being traveling for so long? Because I know what that would mean. We both know it" Maggie murmured, running her fingers through his short hair on the back of his head and looking back at the skyline in front of them.
She couldn't face Michael when those words were leaving her mouth. She couldn't do it when she was basically saying she was worried they wouldn't make it. Because if she couldn't handle the pressure and the distance before, why would she be able to do it in the future?
"Remember what we used to say?" Michael whispered in her ear, which made Maggie shiver and nod. "What was it?"
"You're mine and I'm yours"
There was no way she could forget that, no matter how much time passed. It was burned in her heart and her soul for forever, and she didn't want it to go away. She didn't want him to go away.
"So fuck the rest. That's not gonna change no matter where we're, doesn't matter if we travel together or not" he insisted, kissing the small spot right under her ear, sending shivers down her spine, taking her breath away, and the words out of her mouth. "My sweet little Margaret" he breathed, squeezing her waist once more. She loved it when Michael called her like that, so she couldn't help but smile to hear it.
"Normally that phrase comes with a 'What are we gonna do with you?', so I'm here waiting" she shrugged, making a silly voice when she asked the question that she heard too many times in school during the classes she didn't really care about.
"Oh, but I know perfectly fine what I'm gonna do with you. Cover you in kisses because that's exactly what you deserve" he joked, and keeping his word, he started to kiss her neck and shoulder and neck as he ticked her sides, making her giggle and grab his hands between hers so he would stop. "I have an idea, wanna FaceTime Liz? Maybe it helps you feel better" he asked between kisses.
He was definitely insane.
"What? We're not FaceTiming our cat, babe!" she exclaimed as she laced their fingers together under the blanket and rested their joined hands against her stomach once again. "You're a muppet, but thanks for trying"
"Yeah, but I'm your muppet, mo grá"
Maggie would lie if she said the way Michael said 'mo grá' didn't do something to her. Michael knew a couple of words in Irish, just like Maggie knew some Aussie slang, but he rarely used it. He always said Irish was her thing, but there he was, the beautiful bastard using them to make her smile and feel better. But the thing was that it was making something more than that, which was not really romantic. The way his sleepy low voice was saying it made her go nothing but insane.
"Look at him speaking Irish" she purred, squeezing his hands against hers with a big grin on her face, turning her face to kiss his jaw. Instead, she got a kiss from Michael, which was even better.
"You love it" he smiled between soft, sloppy kisses. "How's the arm, you crazy thing?"
"Good. Hurts a bit, but the normal. Worth the pain because I'm in love with it" Maggie smiled, thinking about the new ink decorating her skin.
What happened the previous afternoon was what they liked to call 'The tattoo incident part two', but this time it didn't include alcohol like the one on her birthday. This time didn't involve Michael getting a tattoo matching hers. This time it was just Maggie getting one to remember one of the best trips of her life, but the design of it was the fun part.
It started when they went to Central Park so Maggie could take something off her bucket list. It was as simple as going there and sitting in the grass barefoot, to do nothing. She wanted to lay down there even for five minutes and enjoy the sun on her face, but her brain had another idea. Ten minutes into it she really had to go and take her sketchbook out of her bag to draw. She needed to draw The Plaza and the buildings around it, even if she did it fast as hell so Michael wouldn't get bored. But Michael was far from bored; he was laying down, resting his head on her legs, and he insisted that Maggie could take all the time she wanted because it made him happy to see her happy and inspired. He insisted he loved to see her drawing and creating stuff, so it was more than okay.
After some minutes, Maggie had no idea if Michael had finally got bored or also inspired, but he grabbed one of her pens, and he suddenly started to draw too. The thing was, he didn't do it on a paper, but instead in the ink-free space between her wrist and the tarot card that was tattooed there. Maggie didn't pay much attention to what Michael was drawing, too focused with everything happening around them. That and the fact that Michael had the capacity of making her nervous and feeling butterflies in her stomach as the first day by just touching her arm. But when Michael announced that he was done was when Maggie was finally able to see her arm and she melted.
In the most carefully made and with some beautiful lines -because damn his artistic part and his years and engineer- there was the most adorable draws covering the small free space of her forearm. But what made Maggie melt and cover his face with kisses in the middle of Centra Park was his explanation for each one of his little draws. There was a sun so it would always keep her days bright, and warm, even in the middle of the cold, rainy Irish winter. A smiley face to make her smile every time she saw it. There was a Pluto symbol so she would always remember how he loved her to Pluto and back. There were some hearts, some stars and a moon too. But between all of them, her absolutely favorite one was the world 'Sweetheart' wrote down in the most adorable handwriting Michael could have ever done.
There was no way she would ever let that go away. There was no way she would let that disappear from her skin, so in no time she googled were there was the nearest tattoo shop, put her sneakers back on and dragged Michael by the hand around the Manhattan streets. Absolutely in vain Michael tried to convinced it was a silly idea. He said 'silly' but Maggie knew he thought it was more like stupid, but she couldn't care less. Maggie always said she loved to have the things she loved the most right there in her skin. She loved to have it as close as possible, and there was nothing as close as her body and her skin. That's why she had a tattoo for her parents, another for her grandparents, one with Lily, one with Jas, one made by Daniel himself in a stupid bet she lost against him -and how proud he was of tattooing that little 3 on her future sister-in-law-, and Olivia's name.
And there was Michael.
Michael, who basically owned her heart and her left her arm between The Lovers, the little birthday heart and now those adorable drawings. Michael, who was all over her forearm and goddamn, how much she loved to have him there with her. She was probably out of her mind, but she couldn't care less about it.
"You're kind of insane but I've to admit it looks good. Or maybe it's because everything good look on you"
"It does look good because the best artist in the world designed it for me. Besides looks who's talking about crazy, little heart hiding in your wrist" Maggie smiled, stealing another couple of kisses from him. If they were going to go back to their normal behavior of not being together as soon as they left New York and went back to Europe, then she was going to enjoy every single second and every single kiss she could steal.
"I heard that couples who get matching tattoos together stay together. Other way it would be a pain in the ass getting it covered or removed" he joked, and even in the darkness of the night she could see the little wrinkles in his eyes as he smiled at her, which only made her melt even more.
It also made her die to kiss him for the rest of the night, but insisted, she let go of his left hand and moved it from under the blanket to touch his cheek. Those were one of those little moments where she couldn't even believe Michael was real. She couldn't believe he was there with her. She couldn't believe that a man so wonderful was in love with her. But adobe all, she couldn't understand how he was still waiting for her. They were coming and going and they had so many ups and downs that any writer could write a trilogy out of their love story, but Michael was still holding up. He still believed they could do it. After three years he was still looking at her with nothing but adoration in his brown eyes and Maggie just couldn't believe it.
She didn't kiss him, too scared to look away. She was terrified of blinking and seeing him gone, even if she knew it wasn't gonna happen. Instead, Maggie stroked his face, letting his fingers run through his cheek. "I'm not planning to do neither of those. I love the little heart on my wrist. It's my little heart drawn by mo chroí"
"A heart for the beautiful woman who took mine. Seems logical" Michael shrugged, moving his face to kiss the palm of her hand and her fingers.
Cheesy bastard always knowing what to say to make her legs go weak.
"That was smooth! So cheesy and sappy but so smooth" she giggled, pinching his cheek and finally stealing another kiss. The good thing was that Michael was still there when it was over. He was still there when she opened her eyes. He was still there, holding her against his body. "You know, the other day I was thinking about that thing you said about all the things we never did as a couple. I guess we never were a very normal couple in that case" Maggie finally admitted, letting go of other of the things that were keeping her awake and that were running in her mind.
For the way Michael looked at her, she knew he was confused about why she brought that up. But then that look changed and he just got it. In three years, they spent uncountable hours on planes, visited dozens of countries, and slept more in hotels and Airbnbs than in their own beds, but they never got to travel alone. They never got to spend vacations as a real couple. They were living together before they even knew what they were and before she got to meet his family and the list went on and on and on. Somehow, they did everything the other way around and had skipped so many steps that it was crazy
"It's not our fault the fact that we spent part of our relationship locked down because of a pandemic"
"Yeah, I know. It's just- Damn, you have no idea how many things I wanted us to do" she finally breathed, resting her forehead against his jaw, closing her eyes, totally forgetting about the view in front of them no matter how much she loved it.
But Michael was having none of that. In a delicate maneuver, he grabbed Maggie and accommodated her on his lap so he could properly look at her face, all while his arms rounded her waist protectively as he spoke. "We can still do them. We'll do them. We're starting, right? This is technically our first little vacation together. I know a week in New York might not be much but it's been fun"
"Don't say that cause I love it. I love it in here. Everything about this trip has been just wonderful and that was all thanks to you" she affirmed as she placed hand of her hands on the side of his neck and the other on his bare chest. "It's been fun even if you had to sit through a bunch of Broadway shows to make me happy"
Because not only was Michael a saint who brought her to New York to make her dreams come true; he also took her to as many Broadway shows as she wanted. He told her to pick, he somehow managed to get last minute tickets, and then he sat right there besides her through it all. He said it was the perfect excuse to comfort her after when she was nothing but a mess of tears thanks to how emotional and happy she was when it was done. He joked, saying he went because Maggie would need a shoulder to cry on and a hand to squeeze, but he was there because it was one of her favorite things in the world. He was there just like when Maggie dragged him to museums because she was a little nerd who loved art. He was there because if it made her happy then it was an excuse enough to go.
"See? Our first trip together and it's been wonderful so far" Michael smiled as he covered her forehead with kisses that were like a healing for her messy head and beaten heart. "And I was counting on the Broadway shows when I thought about bringing you here. But I never said I didn't like it. Besides if sitting almost three hours on a theater room every night it's what it takes to see you smiling so big, then I'll gladly do it every single night. If you sit with me for ninety minutes to watch a Liverpool game then I'm happy to do this with you"
"You owe me a Liverpool shirt. And you promised to take me to the stadium one day" she remembered him with a little smirk on her face as she looked up at him.
And there it was, another little hint of her 'things we should do together in a future as a couple' that Maggie dropped because she was too scared to say the words.
What a fucking, terrible coward she was.
"And I will. One day I will take you there. And I haven't gotten you a shirt just yet because I love when you steal mines. But what about you thinking about all the things we never did together? I mentioned it weeks ago"
Well shit.
"I know it was weeks ago, but the other day I was reading this post that showed up out of nowhere in Buzzfeed about the most important 'first' in a relationship and I remembered what you told me" she lied, hiding her face on his check and resting her head on his shoulder. It wasn't an absolute lie. She saw the post on the internet, but that wasn't what made her think about it. She just never stopped thinking about it.
"What did the post say about those first?"
"I mean, it was a big list, but mostly normal stuff. First time saying I love you, first time staying at each other's place, meeting the families, doing each other's laundry, cooking, sharing a hangover, introducing each other as boyfriends and girlfriend, wearing each other's socks, first trip, first time burping in front of the other, blablabla" she listed, naming a couple of the items on the list, at least the couple she remembered on the long fifty-five points list.
"We did all that. Except stealing your socks because they're too small" he joked as he stroked her waist and her back. "I remember perfectly fine all those first times. Especially when you told me you loved me, when I met your parents, when you stayed for the first time at my place, but I think my favorite one was when you burped for the first time in front of me. I never loved you more than in that exact moment"
She couldn't help but slap his chest as soon as he started to laugh. Maggie had to admit it was her fault, but even mentioning it. She let her guard down for a damn second, and there he was, bringing it up. "Shut up!"
"Actually, nothing was as good as the first time you farted in front of me. But that day I knew our thing was real. My favorite part was you trying to act like nothing happened" Michael laughed, and Maggie just knew he was going to mention it. It was their secret, and Michael swore secrecy, but she was still ashamed about it.
"I'm sorry if I was trying to keep going while I was on my fours and you were fucking me!" she exclaimed as she hid her face even deeper in the croak of his neck, feeling her cheeks suddenly burning and turning a bright shade of red.
"Everything about it was just pure and true love, Mags" Michael insisted as he covered her head and forehead in kisses, trying really in vain to calm himself after all the laughs.
Maggie loved to hear him laugh. There was nothing more she loved than to hear his contagious laugh resounding in any room he was in, but in that second all she wanted was to hide under the blanket and kick his wonderful ass. "Ugh I hate you, just shut up for a bloody second"
"I'm sorry, I couldn't let it pass. But no joking, you know the first time I realized I was so crazy about you that I knew I wasn't going to get you out of my mind any time soon?"
That was the question that made Maggie finally get out of her favorite hiding place to make at Michael. The curiosity was too much to not do it, but she made sure to make a point before she let him explain. "If you say anything about farting or burping, I swear to God I won't touch your dick for a month"
"It's none of that" Michael smiled, kissing Maggie's index finger as she was using it to threaten him. "It was when I realized I couldn't forget your name and you know how terribly bad I am with names. Also when I asked Dan and Jas three hundred times about your family's names when I was gonna met them the first time. I told them it was all about being a good friend with Jas, and it was true, but it was because of you"
"You suck with names. You're good with everything except names" Maggie smiled, finally reaching out to touch his cheek. But then she realized the timing of when that happened, and her heart just melted once again. "We weren't together when you met them. That was way before we started seeing each other"
To say that was way before they started to say each other was an understatement. That was almost a year before. Maggie wasn't even there when Michael met Aoife and David met Michael for the first time. She wasn't there, but Aoife made sure to let Maggie and everyone know how charmed she was by the three Australian men. Aoife already loved Daniel by that time; she loved him since the day they all met him, and the same happened with Blake and Michael, even if Daniel insisted, he was the favorite of the three friends. It was in those little moments when Maggie remembered and realized for how long Michael liked her and how he was literally waiting for her since the beginning.
"I know. I just couldn't fuck it up in front of the girl I liked so much so I had to get it right, baby girl. And I still like you so damn much, Mags. I like you and I love you so much" he confessed, shrugging like it was no big deal when for Maggie was everything. It meant everything to hear those words coming from him after everything that had happened and was still happening.
"I love you too, sunshine. And I still really like you too" Maggie whispered, getting lost in the way his eyes were shining, but mostly in the way he was looking at her with nothing but adoration and love. "You should go back to bed, grá. It's really late and its way pass your bedtime, big boy"
"I'm fine. I'm in New York with my girl and there's this incredible view in front of us, so I can stay here for a few minutes more" Michael affirmed, kissing her forehead before he kept talking. "Five minutes and we go to bed. Besides, how long its been since we have been just you and me for more than half an hour?"
"Italy"
"Yeah, you were stuck with me there. It was the less romantic thing in the world"
It wasn't romantic at all to be locked down with Michael while he got in lockdown for having covid, but she wouldn't have change a thing. In fact, Maggie wouldn't have changed the decision she made when she stayed with him that week.
As soon as they found out Michael had covid she decided she was going to stay with him. Jas Blake tried to talk her out of it and even Daniel tried, but Maggie was nothing but a stubborn idiot, and it was way worse regarding Michael. The thing was, she didn't ask Michael for his opinion. She knew perfectly fine he would say no to her offer to stay with him making her company, so that's why she decided to make it a secret, at least for him.
That morning Maggie found out how easy was to get the key for a hotel room with a little lie and some words in Italian. She thanked all her lucky stars for how easy it was for her to learn some new language, at least not until that day. It took her some of her best Italian skill and some batting of her eyelashes to get the card to Michael's room, but she got it. She got it at 5am when she knew he would be sleeping and couldn't hold the door close so she wouldn't get it. She got it, and, in as much silence as possible, she got her bags there and went straight to bed, hugging his waist and kissing his back and shoulders as soon as she lay there. As soon as Michael woke up thanks to her body next to hers, he asked if he was having a fever dream, but Maggie affirmed that it was none of that. Then he murmured that she shouldn't be there, but with a little 'I know but I don't care. Now let me sleep' Maggie went back to sleep too, because it was 5am and she was tired as hell.
But even when Maggie had antibodies and even when she was vaccinated, Michael was trying to keep his distance, which was impossible. Maggie made so many times the 'And then there was just one bed' that it was ridiculous, but it was true, so he couldn't keep much distance when it came to going to bed. He couldn't, especially when there was Maggie, snuggling close to his body, looking for some warmth even in the damn Italian spring. He couldn't say no when she was all sleepy, waiting for her good night's kiss and moving to rest her head on his chest. He couldn't say no, especially when they had nothing else to do more than be around each other for seven days. In the end they got out of it victorious, with Maggie not getting it, and Michael recovered without any complications and that was all that they really cared about. In the end, it was a really ridiculous but fun story to tell.
"You made it the less romantic thing in the world! You were the one escaping from me" Maggie smiled, playing with his necklace and the ring hanging from it.
"Excuse me if I didn't want to kiss you so you wouldn't get sick. But I can kiss you now if you want"
There was no way she would say no to him and that proposal, so with her free hand she brought Michael closer and gave him a kiss as slow and loving as possible. She loved how his lips tasted, the way their tongues played together, how his stubble scratched her skin, and the way his hands held her tighter, grabbing handfuls of her shirt and moving her body closer to his, even if they were impossibly close. But adobe all, she loved to feel his smile against her lips so much. She loved to know he was happy with her because that was all she wanted.
"You can't lock me up with you and pretend me to not kiss you. How can I not snuggle the hell out of you, especially if you're under the water" she smiled back, kissing him once again. But then something changed. Suddenly Michael gave her one last kiss, and then kissed her forehead and there was no need to say anything for Maggie to know she had ruined it. His whole expression changed so she knew the moment was ruined. "What? What did I say? Did I fucked it up? Of course I fucked it up. I always do, goddamn" she breathed, letting her head fall into his shoulder again. She couldn't say a damn thing without ruining it, and she hated herself for that.
"No, baby, you did nothing wrong. I just-" he breathed, moving away to look at her face as he explained what was happening in his head. "I don't even wanna count how many times I couldn't be there for you when you needed me. I still think about your pretty face over FaceTime when you got covid and it still hurts. You were feeling like hell and Jas was telling me how you kept repeating that you just wanted me and how much you missed me and I could do nothing about it. Same when your ankle got hurt and again when your wrist. That shit still haunts me"
Maggie was expecting many things, but by far, the last one she imagined was that. It was very bad timing, and there was always something happening when she got hurt or sick and Michael couldn't be there. It was very good timing that she was available when something happened with Michael. It was no one's fault, and she thought it was more than clear. That was how things were in their relationship and it was fine. It was like an unspoken rule, so Maggie never said anything or blamed Michael. She never even thought about mentioning it. Things were like that and it was fine, or at least she thought it was fine.
"Babe, it is how it is. Your job is your job. Besides your job is to take care of the man my sister loves and that guy's also the father of our niece, so it's fine" Maggie insisted, holding his face between her hands. But even when Maggie said those words, she could see it was still bothering him. Heaven knew for how long it had been bothering him without saying a thing, but she couldn't blame Michael, not when she was the queen of bottling things up in her chest. "Hey, I promise it's okay, sunshine. This is how we met. I got myself into this crazy beautiful mess that we have knowing perfectly fine there was a big chance of having a bumpy ride and even with that I've never regret doing it. I fall in love with you knowing perfectly fine how things were, so I'd never blame you for not being around when you're busy. Besides you were always there for me. I know you were calling and texting Jas all the time to know how I was. You always do that when we're not together. I call that being there for me even in the distance, so I promise it's all good. She'll be apples, right?"
She has no idea which part of her speech was that made Michael kiss her, but when he did it, he took her breath away. This time it wasn't one of their all-smiles kisses; this time it was all about making a statement. This was away letting her know how he felt. Whatever it was to show Maggie that he loved her or to remind her of the same thing, she knew. The way his hands moved under her shirt to stroke her skin sent shivers and goosebumps all around her body. The way his lips moved against hers made Maggie turn into a breathless mess right there on his lap, and if he wanted to stay there five hours more instead of five minutes, she would have said yes without even thinking twice.
"Did I told you lately how much I love you?" Michael whispered after they broke the kiss, but he didn't move more than the necessary distance from her.
"While you fucked me when we got home from dinner and then like not even five minutes ago" Maggie giggled, remembering perfectly fine how much fun they had as soon as they reached the bedroom and imagining how the neighbors were going to complain about their activities.
For the way Michael smiled, he was thinking about the same thing. That was one of those nights that they took so much time worshipping each other's bodies that it felt like the night was gonna last for forever. It felt like they were going to stay there for eternity and Maggie wouldn't have complained if that was the actual case. "Well, I love you even more than when we were in bed. And even more than five minutes ago"
"And I love you to the moon and to Saturn" she replied as she moved her right hands from his cheek and moved it down to his chest to play with his necklace once again.
"That's a Taylor Swift lyric, isn't it?"
"You couldn't be happy with my love confession, right? You had to push it" she joked, leaving the ring to be able to slap his chest with the best fake annoyed face she could put on.
"C'mon, Swiftie, let's go to bed. It's really late" Michael laughed, tapping her waist and then taking the blanket off their bodies so Maggie would get up from his lap.
"Wait, hold on" Maggie stated, stopping Michael with both her hands on his chest so he wouldn't get up because suddenly she had a terrible idea. She had a terrible bad idea. "Fucking in a terrace while looking at Manhattan at 2am was in your list of things to do as a couple?"
She didn't need any lights to see his face lighting up. She didn't need any light to see the malicious smirk appearing on his handsome face. She didn't need to read minds to know he loved the idea. She didn't need any word of affirmation to know he was on board with it. She didn't need anything at all, just to feel the way his hand tightened its grip around her waist and her leg as he kissed her temple and whispered three magical words.
"Turn around, sweetheart"
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Taglist
@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover @monte-carlando
#michael italiano#michael italiano fic#michael italiano imagine#michael italiano oneshot#f1#formula 1#formula one#formula 1 oneshot#formula one oneshot#formula 1 imagine#formula 1 fic#formula one imagine#formula one fic#f1 oneshot#f1 imagine#f1 fic#f1 fanfic#so it goes fic
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So it goes: Chapter 26 - MI x fem!OC
Masterlist
Summary: A birthday saved by Michael, followed by some love and snuggles and Maggie finally getting the courage she has been lacking, although maybe it was the glitter on her cheeks mixed with wine on her glass what finally made her talk.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Smut, swearing, smut and more smut and fluff all around.
Word count: 5.1k
A/N: Hi, yes I’m still trying to understand what the actual hell happened today. Last time I posted Fernando was a Alpine driver. Oscar was an Alpine driver. What a circus. They promised summer break but the only thing we got its summer. ANYWAY. HI! This happened fast. Enjoying the last days of vacation and my days to write all the damn day. So, things are happening here. Kind of. Sort of. Tell me what you think? 👀🤭 Thank u for the love and the likes and all that and see u soon✌🏻🫶🏻
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Chapter 26 - Asleep in the back.
If Maggie thought Michael lost his mind that afternoon in Perth and again when he took her to New York, then that Wednesday it was the ultimate 'Michael is insane' trilogy. But on that occasion, it was for her birthday and in Baku.
Maggie wasn't in a bad mood, but she was certainly under the water that week. She was still trying to get over all the things Jas said to her in Monaco, but it wasn't easy. The image of Michael going to see Daniel and Jas after she left to go back to Dublin was still haunting her. It was haunting her even when Michael was smiling by her side, and that's why Maggie couldn't help but feel awful.
The fact that her birthday was that week didn't really help. Her family and Lily were supposed to be there during the weekend for the race; but Cam, Sara and the boys couldn't make it. Maggie couldn't blame them; they all had jobs, obligations and lives, but spending their weekend away from them was awful. She also knew she shouldn't be ungrateful considering she was spending the day with the rest of her family, but it was the first time she was going to spend it away from her parents and her grandparents, so it felt weird.
That's why she asked Michael to stay in her room that Thursday night. He was supposed to share a room with Blake, but as they were landing in Azerbaijan in the afternoon, she whispered if he could stay with her because she didn't want to go to bed alone. She didn't want to start her birthday alone, and there was no way Michael would say no to her because he never did, but she asked anyway. Michael nodded, kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand like every single time a plane landed, and they didn't talk about it until later that night. She knew she was being clingy, but she needed to make sure, so she asked once again during dinner. Michael's answer was the same, kissing her forehead and whispering that of course he was staying because there was no place he'd rather be.
That's how they walked together to her room after dinner, his right arm protectively around her shoulders while he kissed her head again and again, whispering sweet nothings to make her feel better. There was no need to say anything about the reason she was like that because Michael knew it perfectly. That was also the reason he held her extra tightly against his body as soon as they went to bed, letting Maggie build her little bubble around them. It was her shelter and home and she couldn't be happier and more grateful for him that night. Truth be told, she had no idea what she would have done if Michael wasn't around that night.
Maggie was also more than thankful for the way Michael covered her face and neck in slow, tender kisses as soon as midnight hit, whispering a soft 'Happy birthday' against her skin. That was the only way she wanted to welcome her birthday. That was the only way she wanted to welcome any of her birthdays for the rest of her live. It was a very big exception to how her two previous birthdays started. On those occasions, it all started -at midnight and in the morning- with Michael worshiping every single inch of her body and reminding her how much he loved her as he was buried as deeply as possible inside her, making her moan from pleasure again and again. But that birthday was the exception because none of them pushed it. She noticed from the beginning that this time Michael was all about looking after her, whispering again how he loved her more than anything in the world as he kissed her one last time before they went to sleep tangled in each other. Maggie couldn't be more grateful because that was all she needed.
But in the morning she didn't wake up tangled with him; instead it was with a kiss on her forehead. Michael kissed her to let her know he was going to the gym and that he was going to pick her up later to go get breakfast, exactly like he did every single morning they were together. But Maggie didn't stay up like she would normally do. Instead, she hugged him as much as her sleepy body let her, then gave him a tiny, sloppy kiss and turned to the side, hugging his pillow as she went back to sleep.
She had no idea how time she slept, but she woke up again the same way as before, kisses on her forehead, and gentle strokes in her cheek to wake her up. And just like before, she murmured something incomprehensible, but this time she also snuggled against his body, hiding her face in the crock of his neck as she hugged him tightly while placing one of her legs over his so he wouldn't escape.
It took his good ten minutes to convince Maggie to get up from bed, carrying her into the bathroom and letting her there as she grumbled again and again why the hell did they have to leave the bed on such an ugly day. Michael's excuse and answer were his present, for her was in his suitcase and Blake was going to bring it downstairs so she could open it during breakfast. But the excuse of a gift wasn't what made Maggie go through her morning routine and then put on some decent clothes; it was Michael.
The only reason she moved was the way his eyes were shining as he mentioned how they couldn't let pass the chance to spend Maggie's first birthday with Olivia. He was trying to hide his little smile as he mentioned it, and Maggie realized she couldn't take that from him. She couldn't take that from them because Michael was damn right after all. But the only condition and the only thing that Maggie asked was for him to not let her go. And Michael didn't do it. He stayed right there by her side, holding her all the way in the hallway, then in the elevator, and then all the way to the breakfast area of the hotel.
What Maggie didn't understand was why Michael made her close her eyes before they reached that area. Better said, she had no idea why he covered her eyes making sure she didn't look. He said it was so she wouldn't ruin it looking at her present too early because he didn't know if it was ready. Maggie wanted to believe it, but she could smell there was something else. She didn't understand the secrecy, but after Michael made them walk a couple steps, he moved his hands from her face, and then she saw why the hell was he covering her eyes.
Maggie was expecting to see Jas, Daniel, Blake and Olivia there, but the last thing she was expecting to see was her whole family there waiting for her. She had to thank her lucky stars for Michael being there with his hands on her waist holding her, other way, she would have fallen to the floor right there. But what did fall were the tears from her eyes to her cheeks. They fell even when Dom threw the first joke, picking on her because she was making them all wait when they were starving and plus, she was already crying. Maggie did slap Dom, but right before she hugged the hell out of him, just like she hugged each one of the people there sitting waiting for her. First she went for her parents, then for her grandparents, then Lily, Sara, Cam, Dom, Ben, Dan, Blake, Jas, and she took a special long time kissing Olivia's cheeks.
But it wasn't until she was done with all of them she heard Lily saying 'You need to thank your boy cause it was all his idea' that she turned to look at Michael. It wasn't necessary to ask if it was true, because before he could say something, there was a bunch of people saying it was true. That and the cute, proud smirk on his face told her everything she needed to know. He looked so fucking proud of it. He looked like a happy man because he managed to pull that off without Maggie finding out, and she had no idea how he did it, but she was gonna ask him later.
But first, she needed to thank him, or at least a regular normal 'Thank you' people approved. Michael was clearly expecting a hug when he bowed down to hold her, but as Maggie got in her tiptoes, she took her chance, and kissed him. It was not a reckless makeout session because her parents, grandparents and the rest of the people having breakfast were there, but she took her good time stealing peck after peck, whispering he was nothing but insane for doing such a thing. But his answers were a mix of 'Did you really thought I was going to let you spend your birthday all miserable and sad, Margaret?', 'Happy birthday baby girl', and 'I love yous' that made her smile even more as some tears escaped her eyes again. The good thing was that there were no sad tears this time. She was just a happy mess, still not believing that Michael loved her the way he did.
The other good thing was that her cheeks hurt after smiling so much and her stomach hurt after laughing so damn much the whole day. They covered her in love, hugs, kisses, and gifts the whole day, but especially Michael. The man had everything planned, and from the most beautiful pair of green pump heels she ever saw in her life -which she wore for dinner, and Michael made sure he let them on for longer than they should, and thank God he did because she didn't want to know how much he spent on them- to dinner in one tiny beautiful hidden restaurant in a terrace far away from curious eyes and people, every single thing single thing was perfect.
But her favorite part of the gifts wasn't the shoes or the other things he got her, but what was inside the cardboard tube he gave her. Maggie had been complaining for centuries about not being able to find the perfect piece of art for one of the walls of her apartment, so Michael took care of it. She was expecting many things, but a printed map of the stars the first night they met, with a little footnote that read 'Love you to Saturn and all the way back' wasn't one of the things on her list. It was perfect and beautiful, and it was so them that it was unbelievable, and she loved it so much that it made her tear up again because it was perfect. But the other reason for her tears was how much she loved Michael, so much that Maggie couldn't even put it in words as she hugged and thanked him once more.
But after a very wonderful day at the hotel pool and dinner with the people she loved the most in the world, it came her own little celebration with Michael. It wasn't just the ending of their celebration and of the day; it was also Maggie's way to thank him for everything he did for her.
Continuing with her own little traditions, as soon as they closed the door of her bedroom, Maggie was in her knees, unzipping and getting rid of Michael pants and boxers, letting them well forgotten around his ankles as she stroked and licked his dick, making him moan automatically. She couldn't help but moan around him as soon as his hand grabbed a handful of her hair, all while she found the perfect pace moving her head and hollowing her cheeks.
Normally it wouldn't take long for Maggie to get anxious, get back on her feet, and beg Michael to fuck, but this time she wanted to take her time with him. She also wanted a little bit of revenge, so she sucked him until the point she knew he was about to cum, but then she let him go, moving to kiss his legs while she looked up at him with an evil grin on her face. It wasn't until she saw him relatively calmed that she went back to work, kitty licking him and then taking inch by inch into her mouth until the tip of his dick hit the back of her throat.
Everything about it was perfect. Everything about him was perfect, from the way he tasted and felt to the way he grabbed her hair and stroked her cheek and moaned her name again and again, falling like a soft prayer or a secret mantra. There was nothing Maggie wanted to hear more than that. There was nothing she wanted to feel more than him all around.
But then it was the view that she had that made her moan again and again, way louder than her fingers touching herself inside her panties. Michael looked like a dream; he always managed to do it, and he always blamed it on her love for him, which was also true. But now he looked like a vision, a pain, a statue, or anything that belonged to a museum. His mouth was slightly open and he would only close it to bit his own lower lip, trying to keep himself quiet. His eyes were all glossy and shiny and perfect, and eyelids heavy from pleasure, and tiny wrinkles appeared every single time he smiled at her. And then his voice. His goddamn voice whispering again and again how beautiful she was, how she knew how to take him better than any other girl ever did, and moaning and growling and just breathing fast. He was breathing all fast, chest raising and falling, and cheeks slightly red, and as he murmured that she was a good girl. That she was his good girl because she was all his. From head to toe, in every sense of the way she was his, and Maggie didn't want it any other way. No when there was nothing she wanted more than that beautiful man all over her, using his hands, fingers, tongue, teeth and lips marking her as his while he was buried deep inside her, fucking her into oblivion against another hotel bed.
And that was exactly what Michael did that night as soon as Maggie edged him out for the third time. Michael got rid of his own clothes because just like Maggie couldn't keep her legs closed when he was around, he couldn't keep his pants on and she didn't want him to. Michael also couldn't help but get under her skirt so he took his good time kissing her body and oh so slowly got rid of the little dress she chose for him. But what he didn't take out so far were the new shoes he got her. They were too good to get rid of them so fast, so he smiled like a happy kid when he felt those golden heels touch his back while he kneeled between her spread legs.
But this time it was his chance to take revenge. This time was Michael's opportunity to edge her three times in a row until she was nothing but a mess of shaking legs and whispers that sounded like his name. Maggie was the terrible mess Michael made of her while her hands grabbed the sheets, his short hair, or anything at all that could help her stay in one piece as his tongue and lips made wonders all over her.
And then he finally fucked her. Michael finally decided to finish the payback, get on top of her and get inside her, pushing in the slowest and most torturous way possible, stretching inch by inch until he finally bottomed out, letting both of them out of air. When that happened she couldn't look anywhere else but his eyes. They were the representation of softness, looking back at her with nothing but love and adoration as they moved in perfect synch, making each other moan time after time.
It was perfect. He was perfect and Maggie wanted to say it, but everything felt so good, and it was all too much to the point she couldn't form a rational phrase, so she whispered 'I love you'. She said it again and again and again, like another prayer that this time was leaving her lips, making Michael smile against her lips. But that perfect smile only took her breath away even more. And at that point Maggie would normally ask him to go harder or faster or to do anything, but this time she just didn't. She wanted to enjoy him and them and the way their hands were grabbing into each other, as if one of them would disappear any second, fingers and nails, leaving marks that none of them really mind carrying around.
But no matter how much they wanted to keep going, it couldn't last forever. But what was going to stay in her memory forever was the way Michael looked at her when he made her cum, asking in the softest voice to let it go because he was right behind her. He didn't lie when he said it, coming undone right after her, filling her in the most wonderful way, stroking her cheek with his fingers as they kissed again and again. They kept moving through their highs, slowing down until it was just them completely still, holding each other as they tried to get the strength to move away.
And that day was hard to do it. It was extra hard to let him go, even if just for a minute. It was hard when Michael was practically laying over her, forehead against hers, noses touching, and lips ghosting against each other. It was hard when everything felt perfect. But even when it was all perfect, her favorite part wasn't the wonderful birthday sex; it was everything after that.
"A penny for your thoughts" Michael whispered, finally breaking the silence of the night as he rested his hand right in the middle of her chest.
"Just a penny?" Maggie smiled, placing her hand over his, smiling even more at the size difference.
"My credit card for your thoughts"
"Oh, big expender" she joked, making him smile and laugh softly. "Did I told you already that you have the prettiest eyes in the whole world? Like I work with colors but I swear there's no color good enough in the whole Pantone chart to fight that brown you have there, grá. Not even 732C and that's my favorite brown. My second favorite brown. First it's whatever color your eyes are"
"That's what you were thinking?" he wondered, kissing her leg once again before he continued. "And of course you have a favorite brown, you little beautiful nerd"
"It's my job. It's literally my job. You have your favorite exercises to torture Dan; I have my favorite colors to make the world prettier" Maggie explained with a little shrug, moving her head enough to be able to kiss his hand as she brought it closer with her for a moment.
"Excuse me, Margaret, but you make the world prettier by just existing because you're a wonder" Michael affirmed, moving his hand to trace her collarbones.
"That's what my mama always says to me"
"Your mama is a wise woman" Michael stated, moving to rest his head on his free arm. "You seem happy"
"How can I not be happy after today, you crazy man? I'm all lured" Maggie smiled, remembering the magical day she had and how it was all possible thanks to him, his craziness and his love. And some little help of their friends. "I love it as much as I love you"
"I'm happy to see you smiling. I mean, not to sound cheesy but your smile really lights up the room. No need for those lamps" he affirmed, pointing with his head to the laps on the nightstands, which were the only ones illuminating the whole room.
"Well that was cheesy, sunshine. But its all thanks to you, sir" Maggie murmured, kissing his knuckles once again, all while the smile on her face didn't disappear for one single second. "God you're handsome, mate"
And her smile still didn't disappear; it just became bigger as Michael kissed her skin one more time. "And you're a beauty" he breathed, and Maggie could feel her cheeks getting warm and pink thanks to the compliment.
"And you've glitter on your face" she pointed out, seeing little shinny points all over his face.
It was Maggie's fault, but it was also Lily's fault. She was the one who said 'Everything is prettier with some glitter' as they were getting ready, so she put some on Maggie's eyelids and then on the rest of the girls' eyelids too. It wasn't weird that it ended up in Michael's face after she kissed his cheeks time after time during dinner, and it wasn't weird that it was still there even after he washed his face.
"That's what happens when you date a magical unicorn who likes glitter and also likes to wear it on her birthday" Michael chuckled, absolutely unbothered about having something in his face. He never really cared, just when Maggie left lipstick on his lips every single time they were together and she ended up cleaning his face.
"That was Lily's idea and lets be honest, I don't wear that much glitter considering how much I like it"
"That's right, you don't" he nodded, but Maggie could see how his attention got dragged by the tattoos under her breasts, and like every single time, he moved his fingers right over it, as if he was counting how many flowers were there, even if he knew it by heart. "Are you gonna get another one?"
That man knew her too damn well.
"Of course I am, but its a surprise" Maggie stated, opening her arms so Michael would come closers. And he did. He got up from his place, lay down between her legs, head resting against her chest as his chest was pressed against her stomach and his arms around her waist. "I mean, I can tell you or you can find out when you undress me"
"Atta girl. My baby knows me well" he murmured between kisses on her chest and neck, feeling him smiling against her skin.
But this time she was the one who smiled against his skin, too, kissing his forehead with kisses as she stroked his back and his head. "Of course I do. Three years behind your pretty ass made me know you a tiny bit"
"Best three years of my life" he purred against her neck, making her moan softly at the sensation of his stubble against her skin, scratching and tickling all together.
"I don't know about that. I mean, they'd been some decent years. Sex is great. Snuggles are good too. Its also very nice to have my own pillow during flights. And not having to worry about bringing a hoodie or something because you always have one"
"So that's why I am to you? A hoodie carrier? A pillow? A snuggle buddy? Like a sex toy or something like that?" Michael asked, pushing his body up enough to be able to take a look at her face.
But even with his fake offended face, Maggie couldn't help but nod and act like it was exactly what she meant. "All that together. There should be a word for that" she murmured with a pout in her face, trying to not smile as she acted all serious.
Michael couldn't say no to her pout. There was no way he could say no to her lips inches away from her, all his for kiss, and that's exactly what he did. Michael totally forgot about his offended expression, and gave her a soft, long, loving kiss, moving away enough just to talk. "Boyfriend. I think that's the word you're looking for, sweetheart"
"Ah, he wanted me to say he's my boyfriend. You're very smart, big boy"
And like every single time they were alone, the two could play the game, so she moved her lips right over his, but she didn't kiss him, no matter how much she was dying to. "What I am is very much in love with you, sweetheart" he whispered. But this time, instead of kissing her lips, he went back to her neck, breathing softly there.
"Aye, I know. I love you too, sunshine" Maggie muttered, and if it wasn't for Michael being by her side, he probably wouldn't have heard her.
"Talk to me in Irish, c'mon"
"Naw"
"You're killing me"
"Tá a fhios agam"
None of them couldn't help but giggle at their stupid talk. It was too ridiculous, and if someone outside could see it, they would think they were drunk, but they were just too in love with each other.
They loved each other, so what could go wrong?
"We should talk" Maggie stated, talking so softly that this time she was really wondering if Michael could hear her. "I mean, we have a talk pending. Its been pending for a while now"
She had no idea where that came from. Maggie had no idea how after weeks and weeks of looking for the right way to bring up the conversation, she finally did it. She had no idea how it happened but part of her wanted to hide under the sheets while the other part wanted to pat herself in the back. She had no idea where the courage came from, but it happened. It happened and her heart was going so fast that there was no way Michael wasn't hearing it resounding inside her chest. There was no way he wouldn't feel how her breathing sped up.
Of course Michael noticed. He knew her too well to not notice the slightest changes on her, but especially how she squeezed him and held him a bit tighter against her body. He noticed, and that's why he looked up, focusing his eyes on hers. "We do. I know, but not today, sweetheart. It's your birthday"
"Its not my birthday anymore" Maggie whispered with a little -and kind of sad- smile on her face.
"You really wanna have this conversation at half past midnight after your birthday?" Michael asked, moving his right hand from around her waist to stroke her cheek with his thumb. "C'mon, Mags, we can do this another day"
"This is not you dodging a bullet, right? I mean, this is not us… Y'know…Like…" Maggie stuttered, trying to find the words to say what she wanted to say. But she couldn't. She couldn't even look at Michael when she mentioned it, too scared to hear what he was going to say. Instead, she leaned into his hand, focusing on the feeling of his skin against hers as she closed her eyes.
"Eyes on me, sweetheart" Michael asked, all gently, to which Maggie couldn't not obey. "This is not us nothing. This is not us breaking up, did you hear me? You're the love of my life, Mags. You're my sweetheart, so nothing will change" he affirmed, looking straight into her eyes and hearing those words coming out of his mouth took a weight out of her shoulders. It made her feel somehow lighter than before, and it certainly made her racing heart calm down. "Listen, baby, your therapist told you to not rush into things, right? I don't really care about levels right now. I don't need to put a name to what we have or what we don't have. We spent a year and half not knowing what we were, so I think we can have this conversation after your birthday"
"Then its gonna be Jas' birthday. Then Danny's. Then the wedding" Maggie breathed, feeling like a little kid complaining about silly stuff when there were bigger problems.
"Lets make a deal" Michael started, grabbing her hand and lacing their pinkies together because he knew that was the only way Maggie would make deals with the people she loved. "Summer break. We sit and talk all we have to talk and fix everything at summer break right after the wedding, what do you say? But I'm telling you, I'm planning to keep sneaking in your room and snuggling with you at planes"
"Summer break then" Maggie whispered, kissing his knuckles to seal their deal, and feeling another weight leave her shoulder and back. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything"
"Don't let us turn into some Lalaland kind of shit" she whispered, absolutely ashamed to think about them having the minimum chance of them not ending together.
"I shouldn't have let you watch that on the plane yesterday" he smiled, kissing her hand in the same way she did before. But to make her feel better, he also kissed her lips. "We're not ending at all. Our relationship is not ending, not now, not ever. Besides we couldn't break up. We can barely spend a day away from each other. I can barely spend a day away from you and when I do it kind of sucks. I'm not planning to run away anywhere; did you hear me? You're stuck with me forever. She’ll be apples, are we clear?"
"Aye" Maggie nodded, stealing another kiss. “She’ll be apples”
"Good. Now we should go to sleep. Track walk tomorrow, baby girl" Michael affirmed, slowly getting up from his place.
But before he could go away, he grabbed his arm, making him stay sitting between her legs. "Wait wait, not yet. Make love to me again? Please? Then we go to sleep"
It wasn't hard to convince him. It wasn't hard to make him stay between his legs. It wasn't hard to make him turn around so he would find the perfect spot over her like he did night after night. It wasn't hard to do any of those things, just like it wasn't hard to get lost on him as their lips touched and tongues moved together one more time.
And just like none of those things were a problem, Maggie told herself it wasn't going to be a problem to wait for two months more as long as she could keep feeling Michael's body over hers.
Just two months more.
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Taglist
@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover @monte-carlando @brightlightsinlife
#michael italiano#michael italiano oneshot#michael italiano imagine#michael italiano fic#f1#formula 1#f1 imagines#f1 oneshot#formula 1 oneshot#formula 1 imagine#formula one oneshot#formula 1 fic#formula one imagine#so it goes fic
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So good - Michael Italiano x fem!reader
Masterlist
Summary: Some things are never meant to be, no matter how much we want them.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!reader
Warnings: Oh the sadness and the angst. Also swearing and tears.
Word count: 8.4k
A/N: Did I got obsessed with ‘So good’ by Halsey and spent the last whole week writing this when I should be writing about my dear Maggie? Yes. Do I hate this thing I wrote? Also yes. It probably sucks, but bare with me because I needed to get it out of my head. Especially cause I heard the song ten times a day give or take. New chapter of SIG is on the way I SWEAR. Meanwhile here some MI and some angst. Kay, bye, see ya soon 🫶🏻✌🏻
So good.
Timing was never on their side. It never was and has never been, so she had no idea why she thought that at some point it would be different. Maybe she wanted to convince herself of it. She really just wanted to believe at some point it could be different for them because they both wanted it, but sometimes just wanting something it's not enough. It wasn’t enough for them, and it was terribly bad because it broke her heart, and for what she heard; it broke his heart, too.
It broke both of them and kept happening even after years.
Their biggest problem and worst enemy was not the lack of time, but simply the timing. It felt like the clock -and life and destiny and fate, and the whole universe- was always laughing at their faces. It was always letting them get closer and closer, letting them believe that maybe they could make it work, just to take them apart all over again.
She should have imagined it was going to be like that after their first kiss, simply because it took them years for it to happen even when they knew they liked each other. It was years of friendship, closeness, jokes, and friends telling them and then them not believing it. It took a goddamn plan made by their friends for it to finally happen, but one night it happened.
She should have imagined that, if their first kiss was playing spin-the-bottle like tipsy teenagers even when they were in their twenties, things were never going to work. That was not the way to start something good, but after five beers that was unimportant and during that first kiss, she couldn’t really care about it. Damn, she wasn’t even thinking about it. All she cared about was how destiny was a little bastard, making the bottle choose them first and before anyone else. She cared about Michael holding up his hand for her to grab and get closer to him as he waited for her with a little smirk on his face, knowing perfectly fine how she wasn’t going to say no. She cared about them not really minding if their friends were there as she crawled to him, going straight for his lips without asking any permission. She cared about the way he smiled against her lips right before he kissed her back, tongues and lips playing together as his hands moved to her lower back and nape, grabbing onto her with such a strong hold that only could mean one thing, but also taking care that nobody would look at her ass if her dress was up. She cared about the way he told their little ecstatic public how they weren’t playing anymore, all while he helped her sit on his lap, placing her legs around his body. She didn’t say anything about keep playing simply because she didn’t want to, so she just nodded and agree because the only reason why she was really doing it was to see if destiny was good with her and for once she had an excuse to give him a kiss.
And destiny was more than good for her.
Feeling his lips finally over hers was like a dream come true. Michael seemed like he was as eager and happy as she was about the whole situation, not letting her go as they made out like the world was gonna end in a couple of hours and it was their last night on Earth. They made out desperate to make it up for the loss time, taking their good time to enjoy each other, and trying as hard as possible to keep their hands in safe places, knowing that their little show in front of their friends was more than enough. They kissed like it was the last time they were going to do it, because maybe it was and they had no idea about it. They kissed and finally moved apart, looking at each other in the eyes, out of words and air, but with the biggest smiles on their faces, and she knew that she had reached her own little personal heaven, and that dreams do come true after all.
No lips she ever tried felt like his that night. No hands felt like his as he ran his fingers around every single place they could find. Nobody ever made her giggle as Michael did that night while his fingertips touched her bare thighs and her ass, trying to hide as well as possible while he just turned her insane with a simple touch hidden by the poor lightning and a couch. No kiss moved the floor under her body like that one did, no even after years, and that was why she could never forget it. She couldn’t forget much things about that night, just like the way his hands stayed glued to her body for the rest of the night, the way their friends were telling them to get a room as they kept their own little fun in the couch, sharing kisses, smiles and little touched while the rest kept their shenanigans and the bottle kept going in circles. She couldn’t forget Michael’s happy face, the way his eyes shone thanks to the mix of alcohol and happiness; the way the little whimpers and imperceptible soft moans left his lips and went straight to every inch of her body, making her tremble because she was the reason why all that was happening. She and her hands running around his skin and his then long hair; her lips ghosting over his; her teeth and tongue playing against his lower lip, his jaw, neck and ears, and her ass sitting right over his legs moving maybe too much were the reasons why Michael was a completely mess and she loved it.
There were things she could never forget about that night, but her favorite one was probably how Michael smiled as soon as she purred a little ‘Later’ when someone mentioned how they should get a room. There was no way they wouldn’t get in a room as soon as they left that party and he totally confirmed it with the look he gave her as soon as that simple word left her lips.
But what happened later was the one thing that was really burned in her brain forever because it was just too good to let the memory disappear. She couldn’t count how many times they ended up tangled in his or her bed after that night, but from all of them, the first one was her favorite. The excitement she felt on the way to his place was like being on a crazy, horny trip, and that wasn’t because of the beers, that was all pure Michael.
It was him and his laugh, his smile, his shiny eyes, his kisses, his gentle touches, and that ridiculous long hair that she loved to play with. It was the way he looked, absolutely happy to be on his way home with her by his side. He looked happy because she chose him to leave the party with. He looked happy and only made her feel even happier.
And just like she could never forget about that first kiss, she couldn’t forget the way his body felt against her that first night in his bed. She couldn’t forget about the warmth and the weight of his body against hers. She couldn’t never forget the way he tasted, how good he smelled, the way he touched her, the way it felt when he laid between her legs, the way he stretched her with his fingers, and then when he finally got inside her, or the way the only thing they could say was their names followed by whimpers and moans. It was everything she ever imagined and more, and it was better because it was all real. She imagined for so long how it would be to have Michael over her, fucking her senseless into the mattress, and suddenly it was happening, and it was better than any dream. Suddenly his naked body was over hers, accommodated between her legs like he was meant to be there since the beginning of times. He was there stroking her body as they kissed and moved together in perfect sync, and she knew that after that night she could die like a happy woman because nothing was gonna make her feel as good, as happy and as alive as she felt there.
But then the morning came and they decided to keep things as friends. Michael was about to go on a trip on his own for some months and neither of them wanted the other to wait when they didn’t know what was going to happen with their lives. That was the first time her heart broke a bit, but little did she know it wouldn’t be the last.
The weeks passed and she tried to keep him away from her mind, even if normally she would get texts from him to let her know he was fine and some pictures to show where he was. Those were the only moments when she allowed herself to think about Michael but more than once her brain would fail and trick her, exposing that he was always rounding around in some part of her mind. Michael was inside her mind in such a way that more than once she ended up saying his name while she was looking for some temporary release with some random guy she had met. She said his name so many times that it was nothing but shameful and ridiculous.
And then he was back and they were friends again. And then another night out happened and they ended up between her sheets, but the next morning they were back to normal. And then they came and went so many times that their friends started to ask what the hell they were doing, but not even they knew. They didn’t know, but they didn’t even have time to figure it out, because she got an internship in Melbourne to which she applied before they slept together for the first time. Michael was the one who told her that she couldn’t miss the change to go because it was too good to miss it, and she said yes. She accepted, thinking things weren’t going to change for six months. It was just six months, it was the same country and it was just a couple hours away from home, but again, she couldn’t be more wrong about it.
She had no idea who met someone first. She didn’t want any details of how or when Michael met the girl he was seeing, but for some weird coincidence, one of her coworkers asked her out the same day, and she said too damn fast that she probably looked desperate. She was desperate and once again, heartbroken. She was hurt even when she shouldn’t be because she had no right to be. They never made a promise and they were nothing but friends, but it hurt. It hurt so damn much that she didn’t text him the two times she went back to Perth to see her family. She didn’t answer his phone calls or texts. She was fine as long as his ghost didn’t show up in some kind of notification on her phone.
But then she went back home for good and she had to see Michael again. They weren’t supposed to run into each other, but suddenly he walked into the party she was at, even when he said to their friends that he wasn’t going. He walked there and she was left tongue-tied, not knowing what the hell to say or do after six months away and barely talking to him. And after six months, she hated how he looked even more handsome than she remembered him, if that was even possible. But what also made her lose the ability to speak was his haircut. The ponytail was gone, his hair was shorter, and he looked so good it was absolutely unfair. After six months of feeling miserable, ignoring him and trying to move on, there he was, turning her world upside down like it was nothing. Six months of work for nothing. But the first stupid decision she made that night was to ignore him and walk exactly to the opposite side, running away as soon as possible and going as far as possible. If she stayed close, she knew she was going to fuck it up in some sort of way and they were in a relationship. At least she was in a long distance one and she didn’t need all the drama. She wanted to avoid it more than anything, but God the whole world made it impossible.
First she could see Michael starting at her from the other side of the room. She could feel him staring at her, and like the idiot she was, she would watch him from afar, too. Every single time Michael wasn’t looking at her, she would stay like a little girl looking at the toy she couldn’t have. But more than once she would spend way too much time looking, Michael would catch her, and she would move her head to a side, pretending she didn’t get caught.
To say she felt stupid wasn’t enough to describe it, but then it got worse.
She had no idea if their friends did it on purpose, but when she got distracted, suddenly they called Michael to ask him about some random thing that any of them could just check on their phones. They called him and he walked to them, finally standing right beside her. Of course he had to stand right beside her. And of course their friends stayed around for two minutes and then invented excuses to leave them alone.
The worst was when the uncomfortable silence appeared, an uncomfortable silence that never happened between them. Not when they just met, not when they started to talk years ago; not when they became friends, and especially no when they slept together. That was something that never happened, so she had no idea how to deal with it, just like she had no idea how to deal with nothing in her life at the moment. And to add more things to her problem, Michael smelled so damn good that she wanted to slap him right across his chest and then run away. But since the slapping part wasn’t really appropriate and was completely out of context, she decided to run away again. The problem was Michael grabbing her wrist as soon as she moved. It was like he was waiting for her to do that. It was like he knew she was going to do that.
She should have left. She should have gotten rid of the gentle grip on her arm and got out of the house as soon as possible so she could run, but she didn’t, and that was a big mistake. Just like it was a mistake letting Michael whisper in her ear that he missed her.
He missed her. What a fucking bastard.
But instead of telling the truth and saying she missed him too, she had to go with a knife between her teeth, answering she knew that was bullshit considering how busy he had been lately. She could have left it like that, but she just couldn’t. Once she opened her mouth, all the bullshit and suffering she had been holding for six long months finally jumped out of her chest, and she had to add a serious ‘Be careful or you’ll get lost in such long legs, Michael’ that was full of poison, exactly like her heart.
She had no idea if it was because of the way his fingers left her wrist and moved down to hold her fingers instead, if it was the look on his face or the way he whispered a ‘That was nothing and it’s over, baby. Y’know how things really are’, but the floor under her moved and her whole world turned upside down. That could only mean one thing, and she had no idea what to do or say, so she just looked down at their joined fingers. What she also wasn’t expecting was the following ‘I know you’re with someone, but I had to take my chance before it was too late’ that Michael whispered, letting her again, tongue-tied and with the biggest knot in her stomach.
Just a couple of words and he turned her whole world upside-down.
To say she ran out of the party after that was an understatement. Her answer to Michael was a simple ‘I’ve to go’ with a shaky voice that matched how much her whole body was shaking. To feel his fingers against her after so much time brought everything back, every single memory and every single feeling was running wild in her mind and she knew she could take a very stupid decision if she didn’t leave. So she left, but no before Michael kissed her knuckles before he let her hand go, which only made her regret every single decision she ever made in her entire life.
She had a boyfriend and her thing with Michael was impossible, so there was no point. All she did on the way back home was repeat there was no point, and maybe like that she would believe it.
She had to believe it, but she didn’t.
Seven months later after the day she left for Melbourne, she knew she was ruined and totally into Michael, actually worse than she imagined. There was nothing new in the ‘I like Michael’ thing. Everyone who knew her also knew about it; everyone except Joe. The poor man was absolutely oblivious to the way his girlfriend was feeling about her friend. He had no idea she said yes the first time he invited her out because of some kind of way of revenge from her side to Michael for being with someone else. He had no idea he was some kind of consolation prize for her. He had absolutely no idea, but he found out in the worst possible way.
It took her a whole week to get the courage to get on a plane and go back to Melbourne. For a second, she thought that maybe going there and seeing Joe was going to make her forget Michael, but not a hundred kisses with Joe could make her feel what Michael did just by touching her fingers. She tried, and heaven knew she really tried, but while they were having dinner something was off. She tried, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Michael, even when a good man like Joe was in front of her. She was having a good time and laughing at his jokes, but it wasn’t the same. There was something inside her yelling that she shouldn’t be there at all, or at least not with Joe.
She could hear a little voice in the back of her head screaming ‘He’s not Michael’ and it was making the knot in her stomach grow bigger and bigger. She hated comparing, but once she started, she couldn’t stop. Joe wasn’t as good-looking as Michael. Joe wasn’t as funny as Michael. Joe never made her laugh for a silly joke until her stomach hurt and there were happy tears in her eyes. Joe never brought her flowers. Joe never noticed if she was wearing a new lipstick or if she cut her hair. Joe never recalled the small silly details, and Michael would always ask how her parents’ anniversary dinner was, how her nephew and niece were doing, and how her siblings were doing in college and work. Joe didn’t have the most charming smile that made her melt even by seeing it in the distance. He didn’t have the most wonderful brown eyes. He wasn’t the sweetest and most charming man she'd ever met. Joe wasn’t the closest to a sunshine in form of a tall man who she couldn’t stop looking at when he talked or told her anecdotes or stories. She never felt butterflies in her stomach when she was around Joe as when she was around Michael.
Joe wasn’t Michael and she was ruined.
She felt like the biggest liar the whole night, but the worst part was when dinner was over. She could have invented another lie and ended the evening in peace, but then she was supposed to stay at his place, and she just couldn’t. She couldn’t do it when the only thing on her mind was Michael. She couldn’t do it when the only man she wanted was Michael.
They were in the car about to leave and go straight to his place when she whispered they needed to talk. What took her by surprise was Joe asking ‘Are you gonna break up with me, don’t you? It’s because of that guy Michael, uh?’. She had no idea Joe knew about Michael or how he knew about him, but she couldn’t deny anything. All she could do was nod; say she was sorry and that Michael had nothing to do with it. It was a big lie, but there was no need to put Michael in the middle of it when it was all her fault. It was nobody’s fault except hers, but she explained to Joe that he didn’t deserve to have a relationship with someone who was thinking of someone else. It wasn’t fair for him to be with someone who got butterflies in her stomach every time she saw her friend. Joe was a good guy and none of that was his fault. He deserved way better and way more than she could offer so when she left Joe felt terrible but at peace with her decision.
She didn’t stay at his place that night. She didn’t even stay in Melbourne that night. She grabbed her things, got in a taxi and went straight to the airport to get on the first plane to Perth, and even in the late hour, the first person she could think about texting was Michael. She texted him asking if he could pick her up at the airport, which was answered with a short ‘Tell me the time and the flight and I’ll be there’.
And he was there. Sleepy face on a Sunday morning before the sun was up, Michael was there, waiting for her with his arms open for her to stay there as long as she needed, not caring if they were in the middle of an airport. Michael was there but not as a lover or any of that, he was there as her friend, whispering everything was going to be okay as he held her as tightly as possible before the pieces started to fall apart. He was there ready to take her home, insisting he could sleep on the couch if she wanted him to stay because she didn’t want to be alone, even if they both knew the couch was too small for him to sleep. She wanted him to stay more than anything, but the idea of Michael waking up with a sore back because of her was terrible, so she insisted it was fine, that she was going to be fine.
But the problem was how they both ended up waking up with sore backs because Michael never really left. Their little goodbyes at her door were just too long, ending in more than one hug when tears appeared in her face because she was tired and felt terrible about hurting Joe. She cried again when she lied to Michael, telling him that she broke up with Joe because of the distance, but never really telling Michael the real reason was him. That talk ended up in them sitting on the couch sipping tea and talking, finally falling asleep on the couch.
But things changed one night when they were just hanging out at one of their friend’s house and exhaustion took over her. After a week of fixing their broken friendship with talks and dinners, the closeness was slowly coming back, which only made her smile more and more every day, even if she was completely exhausted. That night out wasn’t the exception; she was too stressed about work and family issues, and after a few beers she started to fall asleep right on his shoulder. It was the mix of alcohol, tiredness, the calmness that his hand on her knee brought her, and the warmth of his body beside her that made her start to close her eyes for longer than a regular blink, even if the music was loud. She promised it was just a minute to rest her eyes, but slumber started to take over and before she could realize it, Michael was stroking her cheek and asking if she wanted to go home. It took him more than one try to make her accept she was too tired to stay, but when she did, they were out the door in no time.
The next morning she woke up with a sleeping Michael still by her side in bed, and there was nothing she liked more than that view. That was the morning she decided she didn’t want to keep playing the friends-with-benefits game with him anymore. She was tired of acting like it was fine for her when she wanted him in every single sense of the way. She was exhausted from that silly ridiculous little game, so that morning she waited for him to wake up, and after some lazy, sloppy good morning kisses she simply said they needed to talk. She could see in his sleepy face how a glimpse of fear ran in his eyes, while the preoccupation was drawn right in the middle of his frown. But the first thing she did was run her thumb over there, making the little wrinkles on his forehead disappear, promising that what she had to tell him wasn’t bad, or at least she didn’t consider it bad. It took her some long breaths, some kisses over her knuckles, and a promise that things were going to be fine for her to finally drop a simple ‘I can’t keep being your friend because I like you too much for that’ that was barely a whisper. She couldn’t make the words come out louder because even with his promise she was terrified. She knew there was something there, everyone knew, and it wasn’t hard to see, but going from their current status to something else was something. It was something different and complicated and risky, and the last thing she wanted was to lose Michael and don’t have him in her life anymore, but she couldn’t keep the secret anymore. No when they were sleeping in the same bed at least twice a week. No when he was calling her ‘baby’ in front of every single human being. No when they were naked in her bed, and when Michael knew her body like the back of his hand, and probably better than she knew it. She couldn’t help but smile as a smile appeared on his face, followed by a ‘Thank God cause you were killing me, baby’ and so many kisses that were impossible to count.
It was impossible to count as the nights they spent together after that. For two beautiful, blissful months they spent every single night together, no really caring if it was in his place or hers. The only thing that was important was how they were making up for lost time, falling into a familiarity and domesticity that would scare anyone, but not them. They were just happy to go to each other every night, knowing there was nothing as good as the feeling of going to sleep together.
But she should have known it couldn’t be so good. She should have imagined something was going to happen to them because it was too good to be true.
They were exactly in the same bed where their relationship started when Michael got the infamous text from Daniel, asking if he wanted to go travel the world being his trainer. Even after years she could remember Michael’s confused, sleepy face saying it was nothing important, just Daniel being a jokester like always, and that he clearly forgot the time difference between Europe and Australia. Michael gave her a kiss on the neck as he whispered she could go back to sleep because there was nothing to worry about and they had things to do the next day and she was going to be all grumpy if she didn’t have her beauty sleep and it was enough to have to deal with her grumpy face for waking up early on a Sunday. She laughed because it was terrible how much Michael knew her because he was right about everything. She laughed as she snuggled closer to his body and went back to sleep in no time, thinking nothing could break that little bubble. She laughed because she was convinced nothing could take away her little piece of heaven. She laughed. She really laughed, not knowing that that simple text would take away her happiness and God, how she wished she would have asked what the text was about.
Michael got the call from Daniel one night after they came back from having dinner with her family. Michael picked up thinking it was Daniel wanting to say hi to them or ask if they had plans for some day because he was going back to Perth for winter break, but it was nothing of that. She couldn’t forget his kisses or his touch, but she also couldn’t forget Michael’s face when he came back to the bedroom. The confusion was written all over his face and she really thought something bad had happened, but the problem was another one. It wasn’t really hard to explain that Daniel offered Michael to join him, but somehow it was hard for him to do it, just like it was hard for her to understand. She didn’t want to understand. She wasn’t letting her brain process the information. She didn’t, but how it hurt when she finally did.
She spent what if felt like a lifetime in absolute shock. She knew it couldn’t be more than five minutes, but for her it felt like five years. Five minutes of Michael in absolute silence, holding her because it was a matter of time for her to break down in pieces that nobody was going to be able to put together, not even Michael. He didn’t have to say anything else for her to know he was going to accept the offer. There were no words needed, but all she whispered was a soft ‘I’m really gonna miss you, baby’ as she took a deep breath and got up out of bed, sneaking out of his arms to go as far as possible from him to hide in the bathroom. She disappeared behind the door as fast as all her dreams and hopes to have something good with Michael disappeared with a phone call. She didn’t want Michael to see her cry. She didn’t want him to feel guilty for taking that decision. She didn’t want him to see her broken beyond repair, because nothing could fix it; no this time.
It felt like a lifetime again, maybe it was seconds, maybe it was minutes, but she didn’t look up when the door opened. She was sitting on the floor, hiding her head between her knees as she tried to breathe when she felt his arms around her body, pulling her close to him. As he kissed her head again and again, Michael whispered he didn’t give Daniel an answer. He said he wanted to talk to her first because he didn’t want to end things just like that. He said they could make it work somehow, that they could find a way to stay together even with the distance. He made the crazy suggestion of her moving to Europe with him so they could be together there, and that if she didn’t want to, he was going to say no and stay.
Michael had more than one reason to stay and she was the biggest and strongest one.
She had every single reason to stay and the only reason to leave was him.
It was a terribly bad equation.
Never in her life has she cried as much as the last month Michael spent in Perth. She never cried as hard as that night in the bathroom when she explained why she couldn’t go with him and why he had to go. She never cried as bad as when she whispered ‘Maybe in another lifetime, baby’, because it was obvious they weren’t meant to be, at least not in that life. She never felt her heart break down in pieces as when she explained that he couldn’t say no to such an opportunity. She couldn’t ask him to stay or he was going to regret it, and she couldn’t handle Michael hating her for the rest of their lives.
She spent the whole month crying, trying to not get too much involved in the whole packing process because she couldn’t handle it, trying to take deep breaths every time someone mentioned Michael leaving, trying to enjoy him as much as possible, and trying to avoid going to his place, but nothing prepared her for the day he had to leave. Nothing prepared her to see Michael with his bags at the airport. He said it was fine if she couldn't or didn’t want to go and part of her didn’t want to, but she did it anyway. She did it, but she regretted it as soon as she saw herself in a reflection and saw how terribly bad she looked. Her eyes were all red and puffy, and she looked pale and tired after not sleeping well for weeks. She was an absolute disaster and Michael didn’t need to see her like that, but she needed to see him one last time.
She could see how all their friends and his family suddenly got quiet as she arrived. She tried to ignore the way they all looked at her like she was a widow at a funeral, smiling sadly at the inevitable fate that the couple was facing. She tried to ignore the pain in her chest and her shaky hands as she focused on Michael and the way he hugged her as tightly as possible, and for such a long time that it was almost unfair for the rest of the people who loved him. They held each other as he whispered and promised again everything was going to be fine, and she nodded even when she knew it was a lie. Once they let each other go was when she finally admitted she couldn’t stay much. He still had one hour, but she wasn’t planning to stay that long. She could see the disappointment written all over his face as she said she couldn’t stay much, but all that turned into pure sadness as she admitted the reason why she was leaving faster than he expected. ‘I can’t watch you leave, so I'd rather go while you’re still here’ was the poor explanation she gave between tears and sobs, which was answered with another hug.
He promised to be back as soon as possible to visit her. They promise to keep being friends. They kissed to seal all those deals and share those unspoken words, but destiny never really wanted them together.
After she left the airport in tears, she was convinced she was going to see Michael again soon, but that couldn’t be far from reality. She was out of Australia for work the weeks he was home for the Australian GP; same thing happened when the winter break came and before she could realize it, a year and a half passed. A year and a half where she became nothing but a broken, bitter and sad version of herself. A year and a half where she decided to disappear from Michael’s life to protect herself as soon as she realized it was impossible for them to make it.
Like that time at the party where she was heartbroken and she accepted to go to the party because their friends were convinced he wasn’t going; she did the exact same thing with the wedding she got invited. She got a short text with a ‘He ain’t going’ that was enough for her to confirm her attendance. It was enough knowing she didn’t need to go around sneaking away from him to not see him. It was enough knowing she was a day closer to forgetting him.
She really thought it was enough, just like she thought he really wasn’t going.
The wedding reception was being held in a country club and even if it had just started, it was already too loud for her own liking. As it should be at a wedding, everyone was absolutely happy and joyful, or at least everyone but her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy about one of her friends having his happy ending, but the fact that she was jealous that she couldn’t have hers. It was the fact that she barely got to dream with all that before it vanished from her hands. It was the fact that she and Michael joked too many times about getting married at a place like that because he loved golf and she loved the outdoors wedding. It was the fact that it felt like a knife in her still wounded heart. Everyone was happy, that’s why she took a second to go to a side on her own, trying to take some deep breaths and calm herself. When it didn’t work, she decided to go to her plan Z. She was looking at the green landscape in front of her when she heard the steps coming her way. She could imagine some of her friends were coming to ask if she was fine, or to keep her some company, but she couldn’t be more wrong about it.
“You’re gonna ruin your pretty shoes with that shit you’re smoking”
To say that she froze in her place when she heard his voice behind her wasn’t close to explain what happened to her. She wanted to run away from him. She wanted to disappear from that place. She wanted to hide under a table. She wanted to turn around and tell him to get away from her, but none of that happened. All she did was keep stepping into the consumed smoke on the grass, trying to keep the shell around her from falling in pieces. “Yeah, sorry about that, dad” she shrugged, not turning around to look at Michael. She needed to avoid looking at him as much as possible, so she just kept looking down at her should and then to the front.
“Since when you smoke, by the way?” Michael asked, and she didn’t need to look at him to know he didn’t like that at all. She didn’t need to look at him to know what he was thinking. That’s how well she knew him. “You know it's bad for you” he insisted, playing the coach Michael card that she used to love so much.
The first answer she thought about was a harsh ‘Since you left and it broke my heart and I was so sad and stressed I had no idea what to do with anything, especially with myself’ but she didn’t say it. “You don’t wanna know the answer” she stated again, trying to dodge the bullet. “But don’t worry, I don’t do it often, just when I’m really stressed. That was actually the first one in a long while. The first one was almost a year. A long fucking year” she chuckled sarcastically. “And like the song says, ‘There are worse things I could do’” she explained, still acting like it wasn’t a big deal. If there was something that their breakup also did with her was kill a big part of the softness and sweetness in her. She couldn’t count how many times she found herself answering with an irony when it wasn’t even necessary, but she couldn’t even help it. It was an automatic response of her mind trying to protect herself from some invisible ghost.
“And can I know what made you really stressed tonight?” he questioned again, and she could hear him getting closer, which only made her give one step away from him. She didn’t want him to be close. She didn’t want him near because he could make her knees so weak it was pathetic, so she was going to take a step away from him every time he went closer.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Michael” she breathed, trying to definitely walk away from him and forget he was even there, but he didn’t let her.
She felt his fingers holding her wrist carefully, but enough to not let her go away without giving her an answer. “Hey, it's me. You know you can talk to me”
It took everything from her to not look at him, but it got ruined as soon as she felt his skin over hers. A year and a half of trying to get over him was ruined with just one little touch and it all got out of the windows as soon as she turned around. To say Michael took her breath away wasn’t enough. He was a dream. The black suit he was wearing fitted him perfectly and she couldn’t believe or understand how he looked even more handsome than the last time she saw him, but he did. He did and it just made her want to scream. “And that’s exactly the issue. It's you. The issue its me looking at you and automatically remembering every single one of the things I can’t have. You’re just the first on the list and the one that hurts the most” she hissed, finally taking the courage to get her arm away from him. “The problem is I shouldn’t have come at all”
It was hard as hell to walk in heels over the grass, but it was harder trying to walk fast over there. She knew it was absolutely in vain to walk away from him, but she tried. Heaven knew she tried, but before she could even think about it, Michael was standing in front of her, cutting her way back to the party.
“Don’t walk away from me. Please, stay a minute”
“Why do you want me to stay? To do the whole little show again? We running in circles, ending in bed and then hurting again because you’ll be gone in some days? You really want that?” she asked again, trying as hard as possible to hold the tears that were already treating to come out and ruin her makeup and her night. Or more like the rest of the year.
“I want you. That’s what I want. Baby, it doesn’t have to hurt. Can we just talk for a second? Please?” Michael asked, trying to reach her hand once again, but failing as she moved another step back.
“It does hurt. It always does. It hurts like hell because it's just, this whole thing is terribly bad, but I know we could be terribly good. We were good. But I just… No matter how badly I want this, you’ll always go away and I can’t- I can’t keep dealing with that, Michael. I can’t” she rambled, still walking backward, hugging herself as she was trying to contain the tears that were forming in her eyes. She hugged herself not because it was cold or anything like that, it was just because it was the only way to put some kind of barrier between them, even if it was useless.
“Can you please stop for a second? Can you please stop running away and listen to me?” Michael begged, looking beyond defeated with the situation. “I miss you. I’ve missed you since you left the airport. I’ve missed you even before I was gone. I missed you every single day. And you think I don’t want this? That I don’t want you? That I’m not counting the days to come here and see you? That it doesn’t kill me when I come here and you’re gone? For fuck’s sake, you think I love you since the first time I saw you. You really think I didn’t try to forget about you? I tried, but I couldn’t because I love you and I regret every single day the fact that I didn’t tell you when we were together. But I’ve been trying to tell you this for the last year and a half. I’ve been trying to talk to you every single time I come back here, but you’re always running away”
Michael normally had a way to take her breath away. He didn’t need more than a simple gesture or a silly little thing to do it, but it was never like that. All the ‘I love you’ she had inside her were buried as deeply as possible as soon as she knew Michael was leaving. She wanted to tell him and let him know, but when she decided to finally do it all got ruined and interrupted. She got dragged for the ridiculous idea of waiting for the right moment to do it. She wanted to tell him every morning as she just watched him make breakfast in her kitchen. She wanted to tell him every single night as they lay in bed making plans. She wanted to tell him every single time she saw him smiling and every time she saw a frown on his handsome face. She wanted to tell him every single second of every single day they got to spend together, but he was packing his things before she could find that moment. Then she got dragged for the even more stupid idea that destiny was trying to tell her something. The sadness was what made her finally decide that if she didn’t say it, then it wasn’t real. If she hadn’t let those eight letters leave her mouth, then it wasn’t real. If it wasn’t real, then it wasn’t going to hurt that much. The only problem was the result of her stupid decision made everything worse. Those eight letters burned inside her chest. They burned inside her body like some kind of hot metal, and that feeling stayed with her for all that time, just like her love for him.
But what she wasn’t expecting was for Michael to feel the same way. She knew perfectly fine how much they cared about each other, but she never thought he was in love with her. She never thought he took the stupid decision to keep it quiet like she did. But now that she knew, there was just one question running wild inside her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I ask myself the same thing every single day” Michael murmured, cleaning the tears that were finally falling from her eyes and damping her cheeks. “I was going to tell you at the airport, but you left and I didn’t want to make things worse. I was just going to hurt you more and thought there was no point. I broke your heart too many times, and I just didn’t want to add another one to the list. But then I regret it and I came back for the race convinced that you were going to be there, like all the times we went to Melbourne to see Daniel racing, but you weren’t. You just didn’t answer my text or pick up the calls. I tried to find you during the winter and summer break, but you were nowhere to be found. I did the same this year for the race, but the same thing happened”
“I loved you so much. I still love you so much and I want it to stop. I just want it to stop because it hurts to much” she cried softly, closing her eyes as tightly as possible, not really caring if her makeup was already ruined. She couldn’t care less when the man she loved like crazy was there confessing her love for her even when it was all broken. If once she wished that she would have asked what the text said, with the time she wished that the goddamn text would have come earlier. She wished that Daniel would have text Michael before they decided to be something. She wished more than anything that she wouldn’t have open her mouth that morning. And now she wished more than anything that she could have keep her mouth closed. “Why did you have to go? Why couldn’t you just stay? Why did you have to make me fall in love with you like that if you were going to leave me?”
Those eight letters were haunting her for months, but those three questions were their companions. Those were the questions that kept her awake at night as her pillow got wet with tears that never seemed to stop. Those were the ones that never allowed her to let him go. And she had answers for half of them. She knew perfectly fine how things were and what happened, but it was the pain that made her rethink about what happened until every answer and affirmation turned into doubt and even more questions.
“Because I'm a complete idiot, but believe me when I tell you, leaving you here was the biggest mistake of my life, so please let me fix it. Give me a chance to fix it. Look at me, baby girl” he begged again, stroking her cheeks as carefully as possible; but this time it had nothing to do with her tears. This time it was just to comfort her. “Come with me. Come to London with me so we can try again, baby. Come with me so we can fix it together” he stated, looking straight at her eyes as soon as she opened them.
Just like a year and a half ago, there was no a single hint of doubt in his eyes. The only difference was that, unlike a year and a half ago, this time she didn’t know what to say.
#michael italiano#michael italiano fic#michael italiano imagine#f1#f1 oneshot#f1 imagine#formula one#formula one imagine#formula one oneshot#formula 1 imagine#formula 1 fic#formula 1 oneshot
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So it goes: Chapter 24 - MI x fem!OC
Masterlist
Summary: Maggie was normally a jealous one, but never in public, or at least not until a night out in Monaco someone decided to look at Michael way too much.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Smut without much context, swearing and Maggie being a jealous little thing 🫶🏻
Word count: 6.4k
A/N: Hi kiddos! Ok, gonna keep it short. My friends told me its good, so I’m gonna believe em and post it. 🤭 Kay, this week vacations starts for this cunt so I’m gonna spend my days writing and writing and writing, so I hope I’m gonna post more. Hope you like it and let me know what you think? See ya! ✌🏻
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Chapter 24 - Don’t blame me.
'I really don't get it' was the phrase that made Maggie roll her eyes so hard that she felt like she could take a good look at her own brain from the inside. Maggie loved Lily. Lily was like her sister; she was her best friend and also like her family, but sometimes Lily could be a big pain in the ass.
Since they landed in Monaco, the 'I really don't get it' was a constant line in Lily's vocabulary. She knew, of course Lily knew, but she still couldn't wrap her head around the whole 'Maggie and Michael together but not together' situation. Between all the traveling and work, Lily and Maggie saw each other for at least an hour every time Maggie was in London, but Lily never got to see them interact together in their new dynamic. Last time Lily saw Michael around Maggie, they were in their 'Let's not do anything stupid' deal that was broken as easily as it was promised. Lily knew they were around each other all the time, but Maggie always said things were 'fine'. Maggie said they were taking things friendly and slow but knowing they still loved each other and that they still wanted to be together.
It was a lie. Technically.
The problem was how Maggie avoided the teeny-tiny details about her and Michael kissing and hugging and still sleeping together. There was much more kissing and hugging than usual, especially after they came back from New York. Normally the kissing and hugging was for when they were alone or when Daniel and Jas were around, but when they came from their very romantic vacation things changed, and it wasn't just in front of the Ricciardos.
Lily had no idea. It was very stupid of Maggie to not tell her considering she was her best friend, but she wanted to save her ass from another long speech, probably longer than the weekly speech Lily used to throw at her. But after a week in Monaco, Lily saw it. She saw how they went from 0 to 100, probably faster than a F1 car. She saw them spinning around each other like planets in the same orbit. She saw Michael placing his arms around Maggie's body and Maggie just melting in his embrace, snuggling closer because it felt like it was never close enough. But then she saw them act like they were nothing but good friends in the paddock, leaving her wondering what the hell was all that.
Maggie didn't need to hear a word from Lily to know how she noticed everything. It was as easy as looking at Lily's face and see her eyebrows raced to know what she was thinking. But Lily didn't say a thing until that night. She didn't say a thing because Maggie was busy looking after Olivia and helping Jas with a hundred things at times. It was a matter of time for it to come. It was just a matter of time to hear Lily asking what the hell was happening, but Lily got to choose the worst moment to do it.
It was a very bad time for Lily to decide it was enough, but it happened after the door to the bathroom closed behind them. It was probably the way Michael went to whisper something in Maggie's ear, making her giggle like a little girl what made Lily finally open her mouth, dropping that exasperated 'I really don't get it' that made Maggie want to leave Lily in the bathroom alone and go for another drink because she needed another drink. That was the reason they all were there. That and the fact that the old dear Monaco Grand Prix absolutely sucked.
It was Daniel's idea to go out that night. Between the rain, the strategy, the setup, the crash and the lack of possibilities to overtake and the useless car Daniel had to drive, it was a weekend to forget. Plus, Jas was still a nervous mess after seeing Daniel crash. She was still furious about the infamous 'How's the car?' radio and about certain CEO talking too much in a very bad moment, all while trying to calm down about seeing Daniel crashing against the barrier. Even if it wasn't a serious crash, and even if he walked out of if safe and sounds, Jas was shake up about it. None of them were used to seeing Daniel in those kinds of accidents, so when it happened it was a punch in the stomach, not really being able to breathe until he spoke on the radio saying he was fine. And even after that, Jas was still all clingy, staying as close as possible and always holding his hand or touching him in any kind of way. Maggie could see how her sister hugged her future husband a little extra tight and how she stayed hanging from the clouds, looking at him with nothing but love and adoration since that Friday. Not that Jas hadn't looked at Daniel like that since the night they met, but that weekend there was like a plus of love and adoration. It was Jas' own little way of remembering he was there safe and sound, and nobody could really blame her.
And added to Daniel's terrible weekend at the office, and Jas still shocked, there was Maggie, who was her own little mess, that's why she said yes to going out anywhere as soon as Daniel proposed it. Besides, Daniel would normally be destroyed after a race, but this time he wasn't, and Jas and Maggie's parents and grandparents were there for the race so they could look after Olivia, which meant they had a free pass to drink and not get worried for a night. And there was no better place to forget about everything than Daniel's favorite place in Monaco: the bar where he met Jas.
Maggie's excuse was that if that place brought good luck to her sister, maybe it would bring good luck to her too. But then she also needed some tequila to help her find the courage to talk to Michael. She decided that was the night when she was finally going to talk to them about them. She was finally going to talk to him about how much she wanted them to be together again, but after three shots and a couple of beers, she was still a chicken. She told herself it was the perfect chance to do it. It was the perfect time to doll up and go for it. Not that she needed to dress up and put on some makeup to seduce a man who was already in love with her, but maybe going out of their routine could help her. Maybe the alcohol and the loud music could be their reconquest buddies, but after two hours there was no case because she was just a chicken.
A chicken who was being questioned by her best friend in the bathroom of the bar.
"What? I just don't get it. I don't get what the hell are you and Mike are doing" Lily yelled from inside a bathroom stall, and thank God there was nobody else in there or the whole world would have found out about her romantic issues.
And thank God Lily wasn't there to see the way Maggie was rolling her eyes and taking a deep breath to answer, other way, she would have gotten slapped in the back of her head. "Lil, I explained it to you hundred times"
The way Lily opened the door was enough to let Maggie know what her friend was thinking. But in case the dramatic door opening wasn't enough, Lily's face was telling her the whole story. The 'I'm so done with this bullshit' typical expression was written all over her face, but Maggie could see how Lily took a deep breath as she walked to the sink to wash her hands.
"I know, but I still don't get it. You love each other and you wanna be together but you're not together because you're on a break. But if someone gets near the other you get all crazy jealous and possessive and you ain't seeing or sleeping with other people. And on top of that you have sex every two months or so, and you keep kissing like it's nothing. And no, don't try to deny it. I saw it with my own eyes, just like that sneaky hand all over your ass" Lily concluded, drying her hands with a piece of paper as she looked at Maggie dead in the eyes through the mirror in front of them.
There was no way to deny it. There was no logic in denying it when Michael was stroking Maggie's lower back in front of everyone. There was no reason she would say none of that was real when he would steal a kiss from her lips whenever was possible. But what Maggie could do was play dumb, and how good she was at doing that. "You sound like an old lady complaining about kids kissing" she smirked, opening Lily's bag to steal her lip gloss because the one in her lips was all gone after the drinks they had.
"Go to hell"
"Na, too lazy. Besides you'll miss me" Maggie shrugged as she applied the pink gloss over her lips, trying as hard as possible to not smile. If kissing each other's knuckles was her love language with Michael, then sending each other to hell was her love language with Lily.
"I miss you even when we're in different parts of London" Lily finally admitted, hugging Maggie by her side and resting her head over her best friend's shoulder. "I don't give a shit if you guys kiss or have sex. I just want my best friend to be happy with the man she loves, okay? Nothing else"
Maggie couldn't help but leave the pink lipstick over the sink and turn to hug Lily. Maggie knew her friend didn't want anything but the best for her. She knew Lily was truly worried, so there was nothing else to do except hug the hell out of her best friend to thank her. "We're working on it so don't worry" Maggie whispered, squeezing Lily in her arms before letting her go.
"You ask me to not worry when I've been worrying about your pretty ass for the last two goddamn decades" Lily smiled, grabbing the gloss from the sink to fix her own makeup.
"And you'll have to do it for the next fifty decades so get ready"
"Okay, but you buy the next round" Lily joked, slapping Maggie's ass as she started walking to the door, with her best friend following her right behind.
The plan was to go for more drinks, but Lily stopped at the door so suddenly that Maggie crushed into her back. She didn't need to see anything to know something had to happen for Lily to act like that. She thought that maybe there was something funny happening or that maybe Lily almost crushed into someone, but that wasn't the case.
What Maggie wasn't expecting was to see some brunette girl with long hair, very long legs -way longer than Maggie's- and a dress too short for those legs standing right besides Michael. That's when she understood why Lily stopped and why Lily was trying to grab her arm to stop Maggie from killing someone.
Maggie didn't need to hear anything to know the brunette was trying to flirt with Michael. The way she was standing sticking out her chest and ass, head tilted to the side and hand too close to the wooden bar where his arms were resting, clearly trying to call his attention, but it wasn't happening. She knew Michael wasn't going to do anything. He was exaggerating when he once said he would rather cut his dick off than cheat on Maggie, but she knew it was true. He was ignoring the brunette like she wasn't there at all, but Maggie saw the way the girl was looking at Michael. It was all she needed to see. That was all Maggie needed to see, and then she could swear her vision turned red.
Without saying a word to Lily, Maggie walked away from her friend and straight to the bar with her head up and her back straight as possible. She was a woman on a mission and the mission was to kick that girl away from her man, and she couldn't care less if that girl was taller than her even when Maggie was wearing high heels. She couldn't care less about anything as she saw how the brunette's hand was getting closer and closer to Michael's arm. She had no idea what she was going to do or say; all she knew was that her feet and legs weren't moving fast enough. It felt like she was so slow that she could even invent three hundred excuses to get him out of there and then another five hundred of speeches to scare every single woman in the world away from her boyfriend.
But then she reached Michael's side, and her mind was blank. Her mouth was dry and her heart was racing, so instead of saying anything to the girl, Maggie acted.
Even when it was a bit hilarious, Maggie didn't really care about the brunette's face when she grabbed Michael's arm first; all she cared about was the way he smiled down at her. The way he smiled at her made Maggie feel in love with him all over again, and even more if that was possible. It was enough to let anyone in the room know he was absolutely and completely hers, but that wasn't enough for Maggie. She needed to probe Michael was hers. She needed to probe to that brunette and any other women around that the handsome man in the black party shirt was all hers and there was no better way to do it than by taking him away.
Using her best puppy eyes and getting in her tiptoes, Maggie looked at Michael and with her hand told him to get closer so she could talk in his ear and he did it. He obviously did it because there wasn't a thing he wouldn't do for her. There was no need to lie; it was stupid to lie because Michael would follow her without thinking about it twice, but Maggie somehow couldn't help it. As soon as Michael moved closer, she whispered in his ear 'Can you walk me to the bathroom? I feel weird and think it was something I drank' and in no time Michael was with his arm protectively around her shoulders, guiding her to the ladies bathroom.
It was stupid to say that. She could have put on a show, grabbing him by his shirt, and kissing him like there was no tomorrow. She could have just hugged him, and it would have been a statement, but she needed Michael all for herself, even if just for a minute.
She needed him.
Being an absolute gentleman, Michael tried to take her to the correct bathroom, even when he was clearly going to get there with her, but before Michael could react, Maggie was the one dragging him to the men's bathroom. And if it wasn't enough, she dragged him inside one of the stalls, closing the door behind them.
"You know you don't need to invent an excuse to bring me to the bathroom. You could just ask me nicely" he stated while Maggie locked the door behind them as fast as possible, thanking her lucky stars for the lack of witnesses inside the bathroom when they got in.
Maggie knew there was a chance that Michael would tell her how it was a terrible idea to do that, but he didn't. Instead, when Maggie turned around, she found him with a smirk on his handsome face, letting her know that she had taken the right call. "I know, but this is more fun" she shrugged, with a tiny smirk on his face that mirrored his smile.
"But I thought you were sick"
"I lied. I just didn't like that bitch besides you" Maggie explained, running her hands up and down his chest as she placed kisses over his shirt as slowly as possible, all while she felt his hands going to her lower back, pressing their bodies together. "I'm the only one who can touch you"
"Nobody touched me, sweetheart" Michael affirmed as his hands moved slowly down to her ass, stroking the purple silky material of her dress.
"But she wanted to. She was going to. I couldn't let that happen. I'm the only one who can do this" she pouted, letting her hands wonder under his shirt and right over his toned stomach, running her nails over his skin like every single time they were alone.
Maggie smiled when she felt Michael's hand go under her dress, moving up the piece of cloth that bothered him to touch with his fingertips her skin. But she smiled even more as he pushed her even closer to his body while grabbing a handful of her ass to do it. "Yeah, you're the only one"
"Can you keep it quiet for me, baby?"
"Depends. What are you gonna do?" he asked, playing along, but the look in his eyes and the smile on his lips were saying he already knew, and he didn't mind at all.
Maggie didn't answer his question. She just smiled; an evil grin painted on her angelic face as she slowly unbuttoned and unzipped his back jeans without asking permission. And that smirk just became bigger when she found out he was already painfully hard when she moved her hand inside his jean to stroke him through his boxers.
Maggie wasn't normally the possessive one, at least not in that type of possessiveness. She wasn't the one to ask Michael to say he was hers, except on counted occasions. She didn't need to hear it because she knew. She knew he loved her and that he wanted to be with her. If there was one moment when she doubted it for even just a second, there was Michael doing something that reminded her of how loved she was. There was something or someone who reminded her of how Michael worshiped the floor she stood on. Normally it was enough. It was always enough, but when some woman tried to take him from her, Maggie would snap. When that happened, all the jealousy would come from inside her like a volcano and things could go both ways: either Maggie would turn into a needy thing, asking Michael to do whatever he wanted with her, or she would turn into a possessive mess. Normally it was the first one, but that night the tequila clearly took over.
That night she needed to remind herself that Michael was hers but also remind him about the same. And the alcohol in her body was yelling that there was no better way to do it than to get on her knees for him. She needed to give him a reminder, so as soon as his jeans and boxers were on the floor and laying between his ankles, her hands and lips were over his body.
It was the sound that he made as soon as Maggie started to stroke him that made her smile against his leg. It was the way he stroked her head and delicately grabbed a handful of her hair that told her that she was doing a good job while moving at the perfect pace. But it was the soft 'Maggie' leaving his lips that let her know that he needed more, that he needed her and who was she to deny anything to Michael.
Paying attention to his request, Maggie changed the destination of her kisses from his leg to his dick, moving so painful slowly that he had no other chance than to pull her hair to let her know again what he wanted. That was the only way to do it without talking, because any sound too loud would let people know they were there and it was a secret. It was their open secret because there was no way their friends didn't realize about their sudden disappearance. But Maggie couldn't care less. The only thing she cared about was the way he felt and tasted as she ran her the tip of her tongue over his dick, going from the side to the tip as slowly as possible. She took her good time licking him the way she knew Michael liked it, and just when he whispered a chocked 'Please, baby' was when Maggie started to suck him. She started with the tip, hollowing out her cheeks and slowly building a rhythm as she swallowed him down. Maggie took him further and further down into her mouth as much as she could, and then she took care of the base of his dick with her right hand, making sure there was not an inch of him uncovered.
She knew she was moving in the perfect way and pace for the way he was breathing, way too used to hearing it for the last three years of her life. She knew the vibrations of her own moans were making Michael get closer and closer for the way he was accompanying with his hand the movement of her head. She knew he was close, but she didn't stop. Maggie was planning to keep going till the end, right hand moving along side with her mouth and left hand holding his shirt against his stomach and out of the way.
There was nothing she wanted more than to make him cum right then and there, but then he had to beg, making her look up, all to find his beautiful brown eyes looking down at her.
Then she had a better idea than to make him cum in her mouth.
With one last movement of her head and careful licks and kisses, Maggie left him go, leaving Michael turned into a paining mess. His cheeks were all red, chest raising and falling and breath accelerated, and Maggie couldn't help but smile because all that was because of her. She was the one making that huge man a complete mess, and she couldn't be more powerful and turned on.
And that power she felt inside was what kept her going with her plan, slowly getting back on her feet. "Hope you didn't think you were going to cum in my mouth" she whispered, covering his chest with kisses and she unbuttoned his shirt enough to be able to kiss his skin. "Hope you weren't planning to cum anywhere but inside me"
It took only that to make Michael put her against the wall. It took her just those words to make him go down slowly, kissing her body on his way until he was the one on his knees for her. But it wasn't for too much time, just enough to get under her skirt, kiss her thighs, take her panties off and put them inside one of the back pockets of his jeans.
Maggie should have known that there was no way Michael was going to make it easy for her. She should have known he was going to take his good, sweet time even when they were in a hurry. But what Maggie didn't imagine was that Michael was going to get up so fucking fast, especially considering how much he loved to be between her legs and eat her out.
She didn't think he was going to do it, but before she could ask or say anything, Michael was back on his feet, placing kisses all over her jaw as he moved up to her lips. "Did I tell you how beautiful with this dress? So fucking beautiful" he whispered against her lips, running his fingers over her thighs, but never reaching the place where she needed him the most. "Did you put on this one for me? So I would look at you all damn night? So I would imagine fucking you while you're wearing it?"
Maggie was already out of breath. She was so gone that it was almost pathetic, but she couldn't help but nod as she tried to keep her eyes open to look at Michael's face. "That's why I brought it, for you to fuck me and take it off".
"That's my good girl knowing what daddy likes" he smiled, stealing a little peck from her lips. "You knew I was going to lose my shit with this, uh?" he asked, kissing all the way from her lips to the V-neck that left not much to the imagination. She would be lying if she said she didn't in fact buy that dress to wear it while Michael was around. Damn, she doubted she would even wear it if Michael wasn't around. The silk material was purple color that looked black in the middle of the night. It reached the middle of her thigs, and it was hanging from her body with those tiny straps that Michael could break in one single move of his hands. It looked more like a sexy nightdress than an actual dress, and Maggie loved absolutely everything about it, but she especially loved the look on Michael's face when he saw her wearing it. He didn't say anything, but the loon on his face was enough to let her know he was going to fuck her wearing it that night. He was going to fuck her more than once wearing it that night, so it was worth every single cent she spent on it. Michael was clearly planning to fuck her for the first time there, so once he got to her chest, he spent his good time kissing her skin, using the lack of clothe to his advantage. "Open your legs for me, sweetheart. We need to get you all ready".
If there was something that Maggie learned years ago was that she had no idea how to keep her legs closed when Michael was around, and that night wasn't the exception, so she followed his instructions.
Maggie could never disobey Michael, especially no when he looked like he was hungry like a wolf, and when she was absolutely needed and dripping wet. She couldn't say no to him, so she opened up her legs, giving him as much room as possible. His thumb was the first one to run through her folds so slowly that she wanted to yell. He moved it again and again, making it nice and wet, ready to keep playing with her, but he hadn't properly touched her yet. Instead, he changed and decided to use his index finger instead of his thumb. He did all that as he looked at her, brown eyes glued to her owns, sparkling even in the dim light of the bathroom, making them even more shiny than usual.
"Más é do thoil é, grá" Maggie begged, letting a little pathetic moan leave her mouth. She wasn't able to keep her mouth closed just like she wasn't able to keep her eyes open, which seemed like an irony.
"Eyes on me, sweetheart" Michael ordered, and again, Maggie obeyed. Once he had her undivided attention, Michael kissed her as slowly as possible, brushing his tongue against her lower lip as a subtle way to ask for permission when he didn't need it at all. He didn't need any permission to do anything to her and the hand playing between her legs was proof of it. But even with that, Maggie opened her mouth for him, finding his tongue in the middle of the way. What she wasn't considering was that their kiss was a way to keep her quiet as Michael easily pushed two fingers inside her.
If his plan was to keep her in silence, it worked perfectly, because she moaned inside his mouth just when they heard the door of the bathroom opening. That didn't stop Michael. He couldn't care less; there was some guy in the stall in front of them. He just kept pushing his fingers inside her, fucking her perfectly and taking her closer and closer to her orgasm with every movement of his fingers inside of her walls. But just when Maggie thought it was finally her time to cum, Michael stopped everything he was doing. He gave her one last kiss as he took his fingers out of her, leaving Maggie panting and looking at him clueless.
"If I just can cum inside you then you'll get to cum when I fuck you, baby. I want you all around my dick, not around my fingers" he whispered, placing his fingers against her lips so Maggie would open her mouth again.
And again, she did as he asked. She opened her mouth, licked his fingers, and then took them inside her mouth to finish cleaning them up. She knew Michael loved to taste her, but he loved it even more when he could taste her in her mouth, so once her task was finished, she grabbed his neck, got in her tiptoes and kissed him again. This time it wasn't sloppy. It was all teeth, tongue, passion, desperation, jealousy, and love. It was moans and whimpers. It was hands holding into whatever they could, trying to get each other as close as possible, even if there was no more space between them.
"Need you so much, grá. Need you to fuck me so badly" she begged again, biting his lower lip, trying to convince him to finally do it.
And then it came her favorite part, which included a very Michael turning into an anxious mess, throwing all his patience and composure out of the window to grab her ass again and lift her so they could be face to face, breathing the same air. "I don't want to cum anywhere that's not inside you, did you hear me? I wanna cum inside you for the rest of my fucking life so I hope you're ready" he whispered, looking at her eyes so Maggie would know he meant every single one of his words. He wasn't talking about that night; he was talking about forever.
He was talking about their forever and God, how much she loved it.
"Then you should start now, baby" Maggie purred, kissing his lips as innocently as possible.
Maggie was so damn wet that it was nothing but easy for him to get inside her. What wasn't easy was to shush their moans as he did it. It wasn't easy to get them quiet when Michael first rolled his hips, and it wasn't when he pushed again and again, hitting the perfect spot inside her body.
The only way to keep them quiet was again when they kissed, but as soon as they moved apart to breathe, they turned into a mess of heavy breathings, moans and whispers. "You need to keep it quiet, sweetheart" Michael smiled against her neck, face buried there as he covered her skin with kisses and love bites, not really caring for the marks that were going to be left behind.
"I don't care. God, I don't give a shit" she moaned in his ear, too loud for their own good. "Please tell me you love me. Please tell me you're still mine, babe" she begged, holding onto his back and neck as hard as possible, not because she was scared of falling, but because she needed to hold onto him.
She knew where all that came from. She knew it was like New Year's night hiding in the middle of the party. She knew that, even if things were way different from that night years ago, they somehow needed that reaffirmation. Even if the 'I love yous' were always there, it was somehow different to hear such a thing. It was different to hear that they belonged together, especially when their forever was threatened, even if just for a split of a second and for some random stranger.
"I love you. I love you so much, Mags. I'm all yours. I'll always be yours. I'm yours and you're mine, babe. Don't you ever doubt it" he whispered in her neck, moving up to her jaw and then her lips, covering every single possible part of her skin with kisses. "Shit, you're so good. You're so good for me, sweetheart"
Maggie couldn't think of anything else to say as Michael keep fucking her. She couldn't function anymore as his hands were holding so tightly her legs that she knew he could leave marks there. He was so deep that it took her breath away. She was all tight around him but she loved the feeling of being stretched, even if her body didn't take much time to adjust to his size. She just loved every single thing about it, from the risk of being caught to the way the skirt of her dress was all the way up, caught between their bodies and held against her back and the wall. Just like when Maggie was on her knees, it didn't take much for Michael to find the perfect rhythm.
But what surprised her was how he was not fast as she was expecting; in fact, he was nothing but slow. Even when someone could find them there, Michael was taking his time, fucking her deep and hard, just like if they were in the intimacy and comfort of a bedroom. That only made Maggie turn even more insane. That only made her moan louder. Every push of his hips against her made Maggie moan a bit louder, breathe a bit harder, and scratch his skin a bit harder. Every deep groan coming from him made her forget even more about the fact that they were hiding in a bathroom in a bar in Monaco. Every single moan and every single kiss sent her closer and closer to what she needed, but Maggie didn't want to cum. No yet, not without him, but there was no way to stop it. There was no way to hold on as Michael kept pushing into her.
"Grá, please- I can't. I really…" Maggie cried out, not really knowing what else to do.
"Let it go, baby. Cum for me" he asked in the softest voice, talking right in her ear, so it was still their secret even if people kept coming and going to the bathroom. And since Maggie couldn't talk or she was going to moan so loud that the whole bar was going to find out, she shocked her head, letting Michael know that she didn't want to, at least not yet. "I'm right behind you, just let it go"
And just like every single time, Michael kept his word. Just like a lightning going through her whole body, her orgasm hit her so hard that her nails surely left marks on his neck. He came right behind her, but he kept fucking her through their highs, slowing down as they shared kiss after kiss, both of them trying to calm. They had sex in so many places that Maggie lost count. They tangled the sheets of so many beds that it was impossible to keep track of, but that was something else. Being in that bathroom knowing their friends were all there was definitely something for the books, and something she wasn't going to forget.
But then the way he looked at her was something to remember, too. They were an absolute fucked mess, destroyed after pulling from each other again and again, but somehow he looked perfect. The way his eyes were shining and the way he was smiling at her was just the most wonderful and beautiful thing in the world and Maggie wanted to stay there forever just looking at him even if they were in some bathroom tool. She wanted to see him with that happy peaceful expression for the rest of their lives. She wanted that for them because that was exactly what he deserved.
"Were you really jealous?" he wondered, eyes fixed on hers as he rested their foreheads together while Maggie scratched the back of his head with both hands, fingers running through his short hair.
"She was looking at you like a snack. I'm the only one allowed to do that" Maggie murmured, placing soft short kisses over his lips.
"You're the only one allowed to do that" he nodded, reaffirming her words in case she needed to hear it again. "Should we go back to the hotel? Keep the party there?"
"Yes, but first you're gonna tell me where the daddy thing came from. Three years and I had no fucking idea you were into that" she finally addressed to the little detail that she had ignored moments earlier. She was too focused on everything else to say something then, but the way he whispered that word was gonna stay tattooed in her mind.
"I'm not! And I don't even know where it came from!" Michael exclaimed, talking too damn loud, making Maggie shush him and give him a kiss to keep it quiet, even if for just a second. For the way his cheeks turned even redder, he was all shy about it, but he was telling the truth, but Maggie was planning to keep reminding him and maybe using it on some casual occasion.
In some occasion like that one.
"Sure thing, daddy"
"I really don't know where it came from, it just happened. But you know, maybe one day in the distant future we'll get to use it and not just in bed" he shrugged, acting like it was nothing.
It was something. It was more than something because Maggie knew perfectly fine what he meant. She knew and it just made her melt.
"I love you, you know that, right?" she insisted, and asked him again, looking straight at his eyes so Michael would know she meant every word. She knew he knew, but a little reminder never hurt anyone.
"Not as much as I love you, but I know" he nodded, smiling even bigger, and suddenly it felt like the room lighted up, all thanks to his smile.
"Good. Don't you dare forget it" Maggie insisted, and as Michael put her down and helped her clean up, she couldn't stop thinking about the words he said to her.
Maybe one day.
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@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover @monte-carlando
#michael italiano#michael italiano fic#michael italiano imagine#f1#f1 fanfic#f1 fic#f1 oneshot#f1 imagine#formula one#formula one fic#formula one imagine#formula 1 fic#formula 1 imagine#formula 1 oneshot#so it goes fic
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So it goes: Chapter 22 - MI x fem!OC
Masterlist
Summary: Perth sunsets were Maggie's favorite, but even those could be forgotten and set aside for a minute when Michael was by her side.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: Fluff, kisses, love and probably rainbows and glitter because this is all cuteness. Also some mentions of sex and swearing.
Word count: 8.7k
A/N: Hi there you kiddos, this took forever again, but here we go. For once in a lifetime it’s not sadness and tears so I think we can call it a miracle. Let me know what you think? Let me know your predictions for what’s gonna happen next? Let me know what you wanna see happening next? Thanks for the love and likes, it makes me all happy and giggly. Kay, bye!
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Chapter 22 - Let loose.
Michael was normally a guy with good ideas, but that day he just exceeded himself, and how much Maggie loved him for that. They were at the farm when he appeared in front of her and told Maggie to follow him. As always, she didn’t ask much questions when she walked behind him, following him to one of the buggies outside the house. Maggie automatically jumped into one, all excited thinking that maybe the odds were in her favor and that Michael got out of her mind taking her for a ride to race against no one around the place, but it was really none of it.
She could have expected many things, but she wasn’t expecting Michael taking her to one of their favorite spots on the farm, especially when they were in the middle of a family reunion.
They spent some days in Perth, then they flew to Melbourne for the race and then back again to Perth to spend the rest of the free days with family. Maggie had no idea how it happened, before she could realize there was a barbecue organized and there was nothing that made her feel happier inside than that. Since it was Daniel's home race, her family decided to fly to Australia too, so after what it felt like centuries, they could get together and enjoy some good food and some wonderful Australian sun without the pressure or craziness. It was nothing but love, happiness, smiles, full bellies, and kids' giggles, but Maggie was still dealing with some issues that they had been carrying from the beginning of the season.
It all started in Bahrein with Daniel having covid, Jas being absolutely worried and feeling nothing but guilty, knowing her job was to take care of Olivia but also not being able to look after her sick husband, because that was her responsibility too. That look, terrible week; Maggie had to be the one looking after Jas and Olivia while the three of them shared a hotel room, all while Michael and Blake did their best to look after a very much sick Daniel who felt terrible about missing the whole week of winter testing but feeling even worse about not being able to be with his girls. A week later it was a terrible bad race for him and Lando, but it was fine considering they weren't expecting a miracle or a win in the race. It was a disappointment they could handle because it was the first race and Daniel was still dealing with the repercussions of covid, being a week in bed and missing the testing. It was nothing crazy, just another anecdote for the books, but it was definitely a way to start the season.
Then Saudi Arabia happened.
Maggie remembered everything like in a movie, but more like a horror movie. She remembered being in the hospitality, watching the practice when the explosion happened. She remembered the smoke, the noise, and the confusion, but more than anything she remembered Jas. The oldest sister was holding Olivia against her chest while the baby was sleeping peacefully. Jas was lost in her own little world, probably begging for a good race, but especially for a safe one, because that’s all she really wanted on a circuit that she didn’t like. It was just another regular Friday, but when the explosion happened Jas automatically held her daughter a bit tighter against her while she carefully reached for her sister’s hand.
Maggie remembered the panic on Jas’ face, and she was sure it was the reflection of her own face. She remembered thinking how they needed to get out of there as soon as possible, but little did she know none of that was happening.
Michael had to beg her to leave the paddock without him. He had to beg her to go with Jas and Olivia so Blake could take them back to the hotel and the only way to convince her was to insist her sister was going to need help in case they had to leave in a hurry. He convinced her using the ‘Jas can’t with Oli and everything else together, and you can’t leave them alone, so please go with them’. Michael convinced her with a long kiss, promising everything was going to be fine and they were leaving as soon as possible. She agreed with a nod and another kiss as Michael cleaned the tears that fell to her cheeks. She agreed because she also knew Michael needed her help to deal with their family and because she wanted to believe they were going to get out of there as soon as possible.
But little did they know they weren’t going anywhere because there were no flights.
Their bags were never really unpacked considering they were rarely more than a week in one place, but Maggie never packed as fast as she did that night. Every single one of her things was ready to go five minutes after they got to the hotel and then Jas took care of all their things while Maggie looked out for Olivia. Everything was rushed and messy and she couldn’t stop checking her phone until Michael texted her, letting her know they were back in the hotel.
Once she was back in her room, Maggie thought that she was going to be able to get some sleep knowing Michael was just a wall away, but she couldn’t. She was terrified and all she wanted to do was go home and take her family out of there, but they couldn’t just because a bunch of crazy men decided to do whatever they wanted with the lives of hundreds of people working on that paddock. That was the only thing running in her head, and after half an hour of trying absolutely in vain to fall asleep, she decided to do the most stupid thing and text Michael.
She shouldn’t do it because she was sure he was already asleep considering it was way past his bedtime on a race weekend. She couldn’t because the last thing he needed was her and her nervous rambling, but she needed him. It was absolutely selfish, but she needed him. For her good luck, the very silly ‘Are you awake?’ that she sent was answered not even two minutes later with a knock on her door. She didn’t need to open it to know it was him, recognizing that knock anywhere after so many nights sneaking together.
To see him standing there in the hallway was like a breeze of fresh air as she was seconds away from drowning. He looked so tired and so absolutely adorable, wearing an old shirt and some shorts, that Maggie had to do the biggest effort to not jump in his arms and forget the world existed. She was really thinking about the right thing to say and maybe to ask him to stay, but Michael was the one who broke the silence first. With a very simple question like ‘Are you okay?’ Maggie broke down. As Michael placed her arms around her body, Maggie buried her face on his chest because she was far from okay. Michael knew her enough, so the was no need to answer anything. She was claustrophobic and terrified, so it was far from okay. It took a soft kiss on her forehead for her to understand that Michael just knew, so Maggie sneezed his waist a bit tighter as she tried to get even more close to his body if that was possible.
Maggie didn’t have to ask twice to stay there that night. With a soft, shaky voice, Maggie asked if he could stay with her, and for her good luck, his answer was another kiss on the forehead and a little nod. The next thing Maggie knew, Michael was lifting her, carrying her to bed, and then in no time she was snuggled by Michael’s side, hiding from the world between his arms and the sheets, trying to forget what was happening outside their little bubble, even if just for a short second. She wouldn’t have been able to sleep if it wasn’t for Michael there promising that everything was going to be okay, not moving his arms around here the whole night. But then there were counted things that made her feel as happy as waking up with his kisses. There was that small fraction of a second where she forgot what was happening, and all she could think about was the man on the bed with her, placing kisses all over her face and neck, even if it was just to let her know he had to leave. There was nothing as that little moment of happiness where she forgot about how dangerous it was to be there and how she really wasn’t with Michael, and she almost let it take over her, but Michael was quicker than the sadness. As if he knew what was going on in her head, he moved, and then nothing gave her the strength to keep going with the day as his tight hug while he laughed, saying that he was going to drop everything to stay there with her if she kept holding onto him for more time.
Before he left and with another promise that everything was going to be fine, Maggie was asleep as soon as the door closed, but then she woke up again with a very sleepy Jas sneaking into her room because the boys were out and she didn’t want to stay alone in the room with Olivia. Maggie didn’t want to be alone either, so she was more than thankful because even in the middle of such a nightmare she was there with her family. Heaven knew if it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t have survived such a thing. Between Blake –and Jon because bless his soul- affirmations that everything was under control, Daniel’s constant smile to not put the girls more nervous, Jas and Olivia all day by her side and her whole family and friends over the phone insisting to not worry because it was going to be over soon, and Michael staying with her at night, she made it through the weekend. They all made it through the weekend like the family they were, and she never loved them as much as she did that weekend. She never was as thankful for them as those crazy days, and she was never as happy to be on a plane as she was that Sunday night.
Saudi Arabia was a terrible nightmare, but then she got to go home and spend some time at home with her family in Dublin and for a while it all felt fine. Sleeping in her own bed for a couple of days was good. Eating Esme’s food again, going for lunch with her friends and hugging her favorite people was like a caress to her beaten heart and a breeze of fresh air all together.
But then they went to Australia and like every single time she went back to a familiar place, all the memories came back. She hasn’t been in there since they left the safety of the farm back during the lockdown, and some much happened that it was incredible. But then they drove into the farm and she had to hold the tears, and the same happened when they walked into the house. Maggie remembered the tears, the laughs, the smiles, the hugs, the kisses and all the love, and she wanted all that back so badly that it made her hurt arch even more than it normally did.
Even with all the weird feeling and the suffering, things were relatively fine in Perth, but then she started to feel weird as soon as they got to Melbourne. The problem was, Maggie wasn’t feeling the regular longing and sadness for not being with Michael; this time she was feeling all that, plus feeling like she was constantly out of air. It wasn’t the first time she was in a paddock; it wasn’t the first time she was in an Australian GP, but it felt different. There were too many people, too much noise, and the worst part, probably how too many people knew who Michael was.
It wasn’t new; she was also used to it, and she used to joke around being with an influencer and an old man who used TikTok, but that was it. The rest of the time for her Michael was just Michael. He was the man who she loved and the man who saw her in her worst version and loved her anyway. He was the guy who let her see him in his worst day, the guy who learned to change Olivia’s diapers and did it every single time she didn’t want and Daniel and Jas weren’t around, the one who always held her hand as planes took off and landed, the one who still made her coffee perfect, the one who always carried a hoodie in his backpack knowing she was get old at some point and the one who never complained when she wanted to watch the same tv shows or movies again and again, and who always checked on the rear-view mirror to check on her. He was her Michael, but in that paddock, he was coach Michael, which for some reason made her feel like he was miles away from her. As people called his name and asked if they could take pictures, Michael looked like some kind of rockstar and Maggie felt like she shouldn’t even be there at all. Even after years of Jas being with Daniel, Maggie wasn’t use to all the things that came from it. She wasn’t used to cameras pointing to their faces, even if the two girls stayed on a side with Blake, and certainly she wasn’t used to people calling Michael’s name. And even with her family there, she felt like she was absolutely out of place and the first one to see something was wrong was no one but Michael.
Her excuse that day was to stay in Daniel’s room with Olivia because she was being a little grumpy thing that day, and outside it was too warm for her little body. Besides, Maggie insisted she could stay with her niece as Jas went to the garage and the rest stayed in the hospitality. Nobody noticed a thing because it was normal for Maggie to stay with Olivia as Jas stayed in the garage to support Daniel, but as Michael went to check on them before the second practice that Friday, he knew there was something happening with her. Considering how busy he was that day and the fact that Olivia was finally napping, he didn’t insist when she dodged the ‘What’s wrong’ question, but there was no way he was leaving it there, and Maggie knew it.
He knew that the whole ‘Let's talk later cause Oli is sleeping’ was an excuse because they weren’t going to wake her up by talking because just like her mother and nothing like her father, their niece was a heavy sleeper. Already at two months old, the smallest of the Ricciardos could sleep anywhere without being bothered for anything, which was a true blessing for everyone around her. She was a blessing for everyone, but especially for Maggie so she could use her as an alibi.
She really didn’t need to look to know the one knocking on her hotel room door that night was Michael. She was expecting him to go there to talk to her after a very serious promise that they would talk later. This time there was no baby sleeping or a place he needed to go to use as an excuse, so she had to say the true when Michael asked again what was wrong. Without excuses or ways to escape, Maggie finally had to admit all the bad things that were in her head that weekend.
Maggie explained everything to him because there was no reason to keep it inside eating her when the most understanding man in the world was sitting in front of her waiting to help in any way he could. There was no reason to lie to him, so she started to talk, and once she started, she just couldn’t stop. She could see how his heart broke a little as soon as she said she felt out of place and out of air. She could see his worried expression as she said she rather stayed in the hospitality to not ruin anyone’s weekend and how she didn’t want to be anyone’s burden. She could also see how Michael was trying to find the right words to say as soon as she said ‘Everyone’s happy and I know I’m the problem here, so it's fine. I just rather stay away and on my own’. But nothing compared as the look on his face when Maggie said she felt like he was miles away from her all the time, not matter how damn close he was.
But what Maggie couldn’t believe was that in the middle of all the conversation Michael also apologized to her for not being able to see how badly she was feeling there, for not having more time to be with her, and for letting her down because she wasn’t supposed to feel like that. He said it was his job to not let Maggie feel like that even if they were in exactly different points in the world, and he was clearly doing everything wrong, and he couldn’t feel worse even if Maggie insisted it wasn’t his fault. She was the messed up one and he apologized for being busy doing his job. Maggie couldn’t say enough times that it wasn’t his fault at all, but all Michael did was kiss her forehead again and chain the subject.
It took them both a lot to fall asleep that night. That night was nothing but long, and even if Michael needed to go to sleep, they had probably the longest pillow talk they had since they met, but it was worth the pain. There was no tossing and turning like Maggie normally would do if she was alone; instead, they held each other as tightly as possible in absolute silence. After talking for hours and apologizing to each other again and again and again, they finally kissed to close yet another deal that nobody but them were going to know about. Maggie only realized Michael finally fell asleep because at some point he stopped kissing her head and then she whispered she loved him more than anyone as she snuggled even closer to his body and finally went to sleep.
It took him some kisses and some puppy eyes from Michael to convince Maggie to not stay in the hospitality during the practice and quali. It took him some extra hugs and kisses to keep her calmed during the whole day and it was the same thing during race day, but after all she made it. They made it because there was no way Maggie would have survived without him.
When they made it to Perth it was like another breeze of air. It was nothing but days in the pool, lunches by the beach, playdates with the kids and a couple unplanned naps –normally in Michael’s arms and always blaming the calm of the farm–, which was the best way to stop and recharge no just for her but for everyone.
Maggie really thought the rest of her day was going to be exactly like that. She was planning to sit somewhere –probably beside Michael or between his legs or in his lap– and enjoy as the rest of the day passed between conversations and drinks with her family, but it ended up being kind of different.
She ended up sitting by Michael’s side, but on the roof of the buggy, in the one that was their favorite spots to watch the sunset fall and the hours pass. It was one of those places they used to sneak to be together –and make out like horny kids– when their relationship was still a secret, so it wasn’t a surprise that Michael took her there. Why Michael took her there wasn’t a surprise either, considering their hours in Australia were counted and how they were never really alone. The only moments alone they had were in her room, and it was either Maggie crying or them sleeping or saying goodbye to each other in the morning. As soon as they left Australia it was going to be back to their normal life and routine, so sneaking in some minutes just for them sounded nothing but logical.
Maggie was more than happy Michael had such an idea, but then she couldn’t help but giggle as none of them really knew what to do or say once they were alone.
“What’s so funny?” Michael suddenly asked, looking at her with a smile on his face, obviously not being able to stay serious as she laughed.
“Nothing, I just remembered when we used to come here. I thought you were planning to get to third base in the back of the buggy like the old times, but I guess I was wrong” she shrugged, trying absolutely in vain to bite her cheek and not keep smiling. To say they just fucked there was an understatement because they did absolutely everything in, out and against the poor red thing, so it was more than one memory that came to her mind and made her all giggly
And for the smile getting bigger on his face, Michael was remembering exactly the same things. “You want me to try to get to third base? Because you know it would take me no time to do it. Two minutes and I can get us going”
“Two? Are you losing your touch, Italiano? It used to take you one minute or less”
“It's that a challenge?” he asked with a fake annoyed expression on his face, looking straight at her eyes. They both knew it was all silly talk and nothing but jokes, but Maggie could see how Michael was waiting the exact moment she let him see it wasn’t a joke to act and make it happen. “I can get you moaning my name in thirty seconds and you know it”
But the seriousness blew out of the windows again in a second as both started to laugh again. Maggie couldn’t remember the last time they both laughed like that while being just on their own, but it felt so right and so good that it almost made her forget how terribly it felt not being together, and how it was all because it her.
“Are you gonna tell me why you brought me here if it's not to get in my shorts?” Maggie wondered, resting her head on his shoulder once the laughter was over and they were able to catch their breath.
“You need to relax so I thought this would help” Michael explained very simply, kissing the top of her head before Maggie moved to look at him.
“What? I’m relaxed, grá. Look at me, glasses, no makeup, your shirt, ugly shorts, and messy hair. Just like you like me the most” Maggie pointed at herself and her more than casual and more than relaxed look. She was not joking when she said Michael liked her like that. Michael absolutely loved her when she was like that. He always said she looked beautiful no matter what she wore, but she knew something about the natural Maggie turned him insane, especially when she wore glasses and his clothes. But even when she knew she was damn right, Michael gave her a look that was only saying that he didn’t quite believe the words coming from her mouth. “I’m serious! I’m in Perth, there’s this gorgeous weather, I spent the last two weeks with the whole family, we just had a barbecue, everyone is happy and healthy, Dan has no issues after goddamn covid, last night I won at Monopoly and I won against you at Mario Kart, I spent the day playing with the kids, I had an imaginary tea party with actual princess Isabella, I played football with Issac, they both told me they love aunt Maggie because they’re the sweetest babies, and on top of that I had the most wonderful gorgeous niece. And the most important thing here: you’re smiling. You have been smiling since we got here and that makes my heart melt every single time, and you know it, so that’s that” she explained, and once she was done, she grabbed his hand and gave his knuckles a short little kiss.
“I know right now you’re fine, but last week wasn’t nice to you, sweetheart. It was a terrible weekend. We both know that” Michael pointed out, doing exactly as Maggie did and placing a kiss on his hand. But the difference was that Michael didn’t let her hand go like she did; he just laced their fingers together.
“Last week was shit and I don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow, but I promise that today I’m good. I know this very handsome and very smart man who always tells me I gotta take it day by day and enjoy the silver lightnings. I’m gonna take today as a silver lightning. It's been a good day. Plus, this” Maggie smiled, pointing with her free hand at the sky in front of them. It was slowly starting to turn into a beautiful shade of orange, pink and purple, with clouds looking exactly like cotton candy, just like the loved it. “Look at this, grá. It can’t get better than this”
“You like it?”
“Like it? I love it. You don’t get those colors anywhere else”
It took one kiss on her hand for her to realize Michael wasn’t looking at the sky but straight at her. She couldn’t blame him at all, because it was impossible to count how many times Maggie found herself looking at Michael instead of looking at whatever fascinating thing was in front of them. Most of the times it was a hundred times better to see his face lighting up, eyes shining and a smile appearing than to look at any landscape, but Perth and its sunsets was something different and she couldn’t help but stare at it.
But what made her look back at Michael wasn’t the fact that she knew he was starting at her; it was the way he smiled against her skin and she was too curious to not look at him to know what was so fun. “I still remember the first time you came to Australia. You were asking all the damn time what were you supposed to do if you ran into a snake or a spider” he explained, kissing her wrist and holding her down, clearly knowing Maggie was dying to slap him.
“You’re so mean” Maggie joked, shocking her head as she pushed him with her body, even if it did nothing to him considering their size difference. “I’m still trying to figure out what to do if that happens. They should give you a manual with instructions on the plane or something. But you know what I still remember? How happy I was to come here because I was going to be able to see you. It's crazy cause it feels like a lifetime ago”
“You don’t get happy to see me anymore or what?” Michael asked, again playing the offended, which only made Maggie want to kill him.
Or kiss him.
Or both.
“Oh, shut up, dummy. I’m serious this time!” she exclaimed, trying to push him. This time she did it harder, which worked perfectly.
In a typical Michael move, instead of covering himself like a normal human being about to get hit –even if it was a hit from a tiny body–, he went straight to place his arms around her body, holding her against his side, which let Maggie knew she wasn’t going anywhere for a long time. “I know, silly” Michael stated, kissing her temple before he kept talking. “But you’re right; it feels like it was centuries ago. Even the last time we spent here felt like it was a lifetime ago”
“It's so insane how things change so quickly. Two years ago we were here in lockdown for a damn pandemic. We didn’t even know what we were; nobody knew about us. Now we have a niece. I still can’t believe we have a niece. Can you believe we have a niece?”
“No, I still can’t believe it. Daniel has a kid; I think that’s the unbelievable part” Michael joked, holding Maggie tighter, knowing that he was gonna get hit again.
“Hey, don’t be mean with D. He’s an amazing dad. He’s crazy in love with his girls. It's not like us having a kid or something, that would be kind of unbelievable” she shrugged, but as soon as she said it, she realized how bad that sounded.
Maggie wanted to say something to fix it. She wanted to say she didn’t mean it like that, but before she could open her mouth Michael was moving her arms from around her, letting her know she fucked it. Or at least she though she fucked it, because Michael was with a surprised face, holding his heart with both hands, but there was a little smirk there letting her know that he knew what she meant. “You don’t wanna have kids with me? Margaret, you’re really killing me today”
“No, don’t be all sensible today. You know that’s what I mean, Italiano” Maggie practically begged, as a pout and her best puppy eyes appeared on display. When she didn’t get an answer from Michael and he kept looking like a kicked puppy, Maggie used her second weapon, grabbing his arms to place them around her waist. And in case that wasn’t enough, she grabbed his face with her right hand and brought him closer to cover his cheeks in kisses.
“Damn, she knows how to convince a man and fix a broken heart” Michael murmured, leaning against her touch, letting Maggie do whatever she wanted with him.
“I just know how to convince my favorite man” she corrected him, placing her left arm around his waist while she stroked his cheek and kept kissing his skin. But like every single time Maggie decided to cover his cheeks in kisses, Michael took his change to move his head and cover her lips with hers. And to say their pact to keep their distance was long forgotten was a huge understatement. “That’s not fair. You caught me off guard” she murmured against his lips, not being able to hide the smirk on her lips as Michael kissed her again.
Suddenly the beautiful sky didn’t seem so important as the most handsome man in the world kissed her. The beautiful Australian landscape was insignificant as she felt his teeth biting playfully her lower lip all to end up licking it to turn her insane. But she knew Michael enough –and she knew them together, too– to know nothing else was going to happen. It was just one of their make-out sessions and God, how she missed those. After their deal failed terribly during their first full babysitting day in London, there were just soft, little kisses shared between them. Ninety percent of the time the reason why they were kissing was because Maggie was feeling like crap or because something terribly was happening, so there was no really time. And then, the other ten percent were mostly sleepy goodbye kisses, good morning kisses, or stolen kisses when they shouldn’t be doing that. Always a gentleman, Michael was never one to go and push the limits, so it was always sweet and gentle.
Those stolen kisses were their way of showing each other that they still were in love with each other and that they were there no matter what. More than once it was the only thing that kept Maggie sane. Knowing Michael still loved her was what more than once kept her grounded when it felt like all was falling apart. She loved those sweet, loving, gentle and very PG kisses, but she missed their eternal make-out sessions. She missed their lips ending red and puffy after having their lips locked together for what it felt like an eternity, but not long enough. She missed the sensation of his beard scratching against her skin and not even realizing where her tongue started and his ended. She missed his hands roaming around her body, grabbing handfuls of her hair and his fingers leaving goosebumps whenever he touched her. She missed the smiles, the messiness, the giggles, the passion, the sweetest, the desperation, the longing, the belonging, the playfulness, the sweet words, the whimpers, the moans, the breaths, the grasp. But more than anything, she missed the love. She missed the love because damn, how much they loved each other. She just missed the love of her life kissing her like their life depended on it. And sometimes everything was so damn messy and complicated that she was sure it depended on it.
And to not change their old good habits, Michael tangled his fingers with her hair at the back of her head as his free hand stroked her cheek and jaw until they were a little mess out of air but full of smiles. “That was…” Maggie whispered, resting her forehead against his as she tried to find the words, but it felt like they all disappeared from her mind after that kiss.
“Not part of the deal, I know. But I’m not sorry because I don’t regret it” Michael murmured, moving his nose slowly against hers, which only made Maggie smile even more.
“I was going to say fucking perfect, but yeah, not part of the deal too” Maggie shrugged, not being able to take the smile out of her face, not even when she stole another kiss from him. “Do you ever think how crazy life is?” she suddenly asked, but not even the random question made Michael move away from her.
“Sometimes. Why?” Michael asked, moving away enough to be able to focus on her face, but not enough to not have her in his reach any second that he wanted to kiss her.
“If Jas didn’t wake up that morning, decided to quit her job, she wouldn’t have been in Monaco that day. And then if the girls had decided to go somewhere else instead of Monaco, or if they had decided to go somewhere else instead of that bar, she wouldn’t have met Dan” she listed, moving her right hand to cup his cheek with it as she kept talking. “If you didn’t go full wingman to talk to her because Dan was tongue-tied, who knows what would have happened. She wouldn’t have met Dan, but all that takes me to the terrible, terrible fact that I also wouldn’t have met you. I wasn’t planning on going to Australia and you weren’t planning on going to Ireland, so it wouldn’t have happened. I don’t know why, but lately that’s all I can think about”
In another very Michael move, he grabbed her in his arms and a swift move Maggie was sitting on his lap, surrounded by his arms protectively placed around her body. He knew better than anyone that if Maggie was overthinking there was no better solution than holding her close and letting her ramble about it till it was all out of her mind, so that’s exactly what he did before he gave his answers. “DR and J were meant to be, so they would have met anyway in some other place. Maybe it would have taken longer, but it would have happened eventually” he replied, making his own speculations about what could have happened, all while he stroked her back and waist as he spoke. “And I think the same about us. We would have met anyway. There’s nothing I wouldn't do to find those cheeks. Besides, it didn’t happen, so there’s no need to worry or overthink, baby”
“You had no idea I existed, you crazy Aussie”
“I knew deep in my heart those cheeks existed” Michael joked, kissing her cheeks as much as possible before Maggie started to laugh and then he finally moved away. “I knew you were somewhere waiting for your cue to make your big entrance and knock the air out of my lungs, but never imagined it in such a way. It was more than I expected”
“It wasn’t a grand entrance after all”
“The girl of my dreams is the sister of my best friend’s new girlfriend and she has a boyfriend. I call that a big entrance, baby. Besides, that green dress. You knocked me the hell out of me with that, sweetheart” he remembered, and Maggie couldn’t help but melt at the way he smiled at the memory.
She couldn’t believe four years had passed since that night. She had no idea how time flew so fast, but it felt like yesterday when her jaw dropped and her heart stopped for seeing Michael walking by Daniel’s side. She couldn’t believe three years had passed since their first kiss and another two since they made things official. But what was worse was thinking about how they wasted a big part of that time and how that kept happening.
“You really screwed it up when you decided to sleep with me for the first time, uh? You weren’t expecting all the drama” she smiled sadly, looking down at her legs, totally ashamed for thinking how ninety-nine percent of their issues were all because of her.
But Michael was having any of that, and before she could even react, he was holding her chin between his fingers as carefully as possible, probably expecting for her to break down at any moment. And damn, he wasn’t wrong. “No, I wasn’t, but I didn’t screw anything”
“Cause I’m the best of your mistakes?” Maggie asked as she smiled sadly and leaned against his hand, giving in completely at his touch.
“You’re not a mistake, Margaret. You’re everything but a mistake. You’re actually one of the best decisions I've ever made, if not the best of them all” Michael confessed, resting their foreheads together once again.
“But you should have kissed me on that plane or that couch” Maggie whispered, too afraid to speak too loudly and break their little bubble.
But what did break their bubble was Michael and his laugh, just like every time she brought up their almost first kiss. Once in a while Maggie loved to mention it just to remind him how slow he was that night because she was right there by his side, almost on his lap and practically begging him to kiss her but being a true –and very slow- gentleman, he didn’t want to make the first move. When they started to see each other, they laughed at it because none of them knew why they didn’t kiss that night, but even when it was hilarious it ended up being one of their biggest secrets. For some reason they wanted to keep that little story for themselves, and Maggie just kept using it every time she could to remind him about one of the worst decisions of his life.
“What can I say? You’re right about that. Not kissing you there was a mistake, but you know the good part? I can make it up for the rest of my life”
Even when Maggie couldn’t get closer to him because she was already on his lap, Michael tried. He really tried to bring her closer, tightening the hold he had around her body, as he kissed her again. Maggie had no idea if he was already trying to make it up for the lost time as he promised, but she didn’t complain at all, she just kissed him back. She kissed him to make it up for not kissing him that night back in Vegas, and for every single chance they lost now they weren’t together. She held his cheeks between her hands as their lips and tongues moved together, hopping that maybe time would somehow stop so they could stay there at least for some extra hours.
“Can we stay like this forever?” Maggie asked against his lips once they moved apart just enough to catch their breaths again.
“I hate to say no to you, baby girl, but I’m afraid we can't. We have to go back to the house at some point” Michael answered, kissing the tip of her nose and then her forehead as Maggie rested her head over his shoulder, trying to deal with the reality, even if she already knew they couldn’t stay there forever as she wished “Wanna go to the beach tomorrow? We can have lunch somewhere and keep kissing for the rest of the day”
“First, I’m mad at the beach because I lost my ring there” she pointed, remembering how the first days they got to spend in Perth they went to the beach, and as soon as they got out of the ocean, she realized one of her favorite rings was gone. She had no idea how it happened, but she was still furious about it. “And second, it's our penultimate day here. Go spend it with your family. Go hug 'em, go give your Nana some kisses, I don’t know, grá. You won’t spend a day with me when you could be with them or your friends. You don’t get to see them as much as you’ll like, and you see my silly face every single day, so go or you’ll get sick and tired of me” she insisted, because no matter how much she loved the idea of spending the day by his side, Michael had more important things to do.
“How could I ever get tired of the most beautiful face in the world? Look at that perfect nose and those sun kissed cheeks” he smiled, moving enough to be able to look at her face to run his index finger over the bridge of her nose, and finally stroke her cheek. “You’re a dream, sweetheart”
“What a guy is capable of saying to get laid” she joked, kissing the palm of his hand before he took it away. “Go have fun, okay? You’ll have a shit ton of hours on the plane to see me. I’m planning on using you as my pillow, so get ready”
“I’m always ready to be used as a pillow. Also, now that we were talking about the beach incident...” Michael stated, looking for something in one of the pockets of his shorts. And just like a little magic trick, he made appear a small green bag, not bigger than the palm of her hand, all ready for her to take. “Here. For you”
But before she even dared to move her hand to grab it, Maggie looked at Michael, looking for an answer to the big question of why he was giving her anything. The problem was that he looked so damn calmed that she couldn’t figure it out, which put Maggie on her nerves. “It’s not my birthday yet, y’know? We’re in April, no June. Maybe you’re losing track of time, old man”
“Oh c’mon! Since when do I need excuses to give you a present? I never needed them and I’m not gonna start now, Margaret” Michael exclaimed, as his hand was still open right in front of her. “It was for you, but for the old man commenting now I’m taking it away. Maybe Jas or Aoife want it. No, better give it to my dear Esmé” he shrugged, closing his hand and hiding the bag behind his bag as he put on his best offended face for her.
“And then I’m the drama queen!”
“You’re lucky you’re the most wonderful woman in the world” he complained again, shaking his head in the cutest fake annoying mood he could invent, all while he grabbed her right hand and placed the bag over her palm, closing her fingers around it. “Open it”
“It’s an Australian opal” Maggie breathed, looking at the beautiful little ring that fell in her hand after she opened the bag. It was a simple, thin golden band adorned with a white, rounded Australian opal stone in the middle. It was so simple yet so beautiful, and Maggie loved it, and she was so in her little world, thinking ways to thank Michael for the present that it took her maybe too much time to realize it was a ring. Michael gave her a ring. “Wait, this is not…” she whispered as the air started to disappear from her lungs, because that couldn’t mean what she was thinking it meant. It couldn’t mean that.
“What?” Michael asked, falling from his own little cloud to also realize what Maggie meant with that question and how it suddenly turned into a big confusion. “Shit, no!” he exclaimed as the panic appeared on his face and he covered his mouth with his free hand. “You think I’ll ask you to marry me with such a small ring, on top of a buggy and in such a bad moment?”
“I don’t know, man! Maybe you've totally lost your mind!”
“No, Margaret, this is not me asking you to marry me” Michael finally clarified, grabbing her cheeks to look right into her eyes. “One day it’ll happen, but today’s definitely not the day. Unless you want me to. In that case, I’m getting on my knees right here right now in this damn buggy”
Maggie knew it was half a joke and half true, but even then, she couldn’t help but feel her heart jump in her chest and her cheeks turning red as Michael offered to do it. She couldn’t help but feel happy, excited and on the verge of a nervous attack with the simple idea of Michael doing such a thing right there and in that exact moment. He was absolutely insane, but she couldn’t love him more.
“You’re ridiculous. And I’m an old classy lady for that kind of stuff, so I prefer diamonds in my engagement ring” Maggie kept joking as she looked at the ring that was still in the palm of her hand, ignoring the way her heart was racing inside her chest.
“I know that. I know you hate every single stone shape, that it’s not round. I also know you like colorless diamonds, and straight traditional bands. You don’t give a shit about the carat of the stone or the band. In fact, you couldn’t care less if it’s a real diamond, you just like shiny things, doesn't matter if they are expensive or not” Michael affirmed, leaving her with her jaw hanging. She had no idea how he knew all that. She had no idea how he collected all that information. Those kinds of comments were the ones she did while being bored with her friends or Jas, talking about girly stuff that nobody really cared about. Those were the kind of silly things she kept on her Pinterest because she was bored. But not even in a million years she would have imagined that Michael knew it all. She figured he could have an idea because he was always right with the gifts he gave her, but that was simply next level. “Don’t give me that look. I know what my girl wants. It’s my job to know”
“And you’re doing it incredibly well” Maggie giggled, kissing his cheek as she looked at Michael and then back at the ring. “So, what with this cute bad boy??
“I got it because I know it's one of your favorite stones, but also because it's an Australian opal. I figured that maybe this Australian bad boy will remind you that you belong here. I mean, in case you needed another reminder besides a crazy family that loves you till Saturn and all the way back. Also, an Australian beach took one of your rings, so I thought that an Australian man could replace it. I mean, your favorite Australian man”
“I thought you said you loved me till Pluto and all the way back” Maggie giggled, trying to hide with some silly comment the way her throat was notoriously closed by a knot after his beautiful little explanation.
“Oh, I do love you till Pluto and all the way back. I said they love you till Saturn, but I love you till Pluto. Way further away and it's your favorite planet”
“Stop acting like you know me so damn well, you eejit” Maggie laughed, slapping his chest with the back of her free hand as she was still fighting the tears. “If it fits my ring finger, I would definitely think this was on purpose”
“It's not for that finger” Michael stated, grabbing carefully the ring from her hand and finally putting it on the middle finger of her left hand, just where the old ring was. “See? Fits perfectly. I’m starting to get offended with you thinking I don’t know you. It's me, y’know? I’m your Michael. I know you and your fingers and its size”
“At this point I won't be surprised if you know how many freckles I have, sunshine” she smiled, looking down at her hand and its new acquisition that fitted perfectly. “I don’t even remember if I ever told you this, but I’m so very thankful that you’re my Michael. You have no fucking idea how happy it makes me, even on the worst days. Thank you for it and the ring. I really love it”
“No need to thank me because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, my sweet little Maggie” he shrugged, but Maggie did thank him with a long, sweet and loving kiss, making him smile again as she stroked his jaw and his cheek. “And about the freckles, let’s say I like to pretend that I lost the count so I have an excuse to start again”
And to not fail with his word, Michael went straight to her neck, kissing the small freckles she had around there, counting in the softest voice each one of them, making Maggie giggle and melt all together. It took him just one kiss to give her goosebumps all over her body as she felt his lips and his stubble over her skin, and by the second kiss she was just a little mess in his arms, breathing fast and trying to contain the little whimpers that wanted to leave her lips.
“I know I asked this already, but can we stay here forever?” she asked already out of breath as her eyes closed and moved her head to a side to give him more access to her neck.
“I don’t know about forever, but we can stay for a while because I’m not letting you go just yet” Michael murmured against her ear, moving the collar of her shirt down to her shoulder as much as possible, taking the strap of her bra with it on the way.
Maggie couldn’t help but smile as she felt his fingers move around her side and all the way down her shirt, stroking the skin on her waist and up to her ribs so slowly that it was like a sweet torture. Michael was clearly trying to be as careful as possible in case Maggie wanted him to stop for any reason, but he didn’t say anything. She missed everything about him, so there was nothing she wanted more than to get lost in his kisses and his touch, not really caring if they were on the roof of a buggy. She didn’t care as long as he was the one trying to not mark her skin. She didn’t care as long as he was the one making her moan thanks to his little playful bites, clearly holding himself to not leave a mess of hickeys as a proof of what they did during their little adventure.
She didn’t care and wasn't planning to stop him, but like every single time destiny was the one stopping them. This time it was his phone and she felt how it wouldn’t stop buzzing right under her ass, which was nothing but a bother, a distraction and an absolute turn off.
“Who the hell is texting you, Mike?” Maggie groaned, trying to not sound as annoyed as she really was, which was actually impossible.
But Maggie wasn’t the only one bothered there. She could feel Michael exhaling, clearly pissed at whoever interrupted them, not really moving away from her neck as he took his phone out of his pocket to check who was interrupting them. “It’s Dan” he informed, reading whatever their friend was saying. "You know how we have been joking and asking what he was going to propose to Jas? Well, he somehow decided to do it today. He needs our help”
“C’mon, he just ruined your proposal and my nana nap full of cuddles after a quicky and all for what? So he can ask my sister to marry him? Boring. Also rude of DR to ruin the moment” Maggie joked, not really believing that Daniel finally had the balls to get on his knee and ask Jas to marry him after four years and a baby. It was about damn time.
“A nap? Really? At this hour, Mags?”
“Hey, don’t judge me. Besides I was going to invite you to my room to be my pillow. Thought you wanted to count my freckles. Or maybe I can count yours, too” she practically purred, kissing one of the freckles on his cheek.
“I think we’re gonna ask your parents or uncle Blake to look after Oli tonight" he affirmed, stealing one last kiss from his lips, helping Maggie to get out of his lap so they could finally get out of the roof.
“Defo. Now get me out of here” Maggie smiled, extending her arms and making grabby hands so Michael would grab her in his arms.
The best part was that Michael wasn’t going to let her go, at least not that night.
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@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover @monte-carlando
#michael italiano#michael italiano fic#michael italiano imagine#f1#f1 fic#f1 fanfic#f1 oneshot#f1 imagine#formula one#formula one fic#formula one imagine#formula one oneshot#formula 1#formula 1 fic#formula 1 oneshot#formula 1 imagine#so it goes fic
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So it goes: Chapter 21 - MI x fem!OC
Masterlist
Summary: Babysitting can be easy when the baby is a little saint, but it can be hard when the problem is none other than the babysitters.
Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC
Warnings: fluff, swearing, mentions of sex, Micheal being the cutest and hottest uncle
Word count: 9.4k
A/N: Hello, we’re back in business!This took forever and I got a little carried away with all the DR stuff, but I’m back to the normal schedule of M&M full time. This is hella long, so let’s keep it short. Thank you for the love, the likes, etc because like I always say, it means the world. Also big thanks to my OG Irish queen @speedyboisworld for being not only my beta reader but also my forever Irish consultant and translator. Okay, let me know what you think?? Please?? I’m lowkey dying to know! That’s it bye see ya!
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Chapter 21 - When you’re ready.
It was Michael’s idea to kick Jas and Daniel out of the house so they could have a couple’s day before the start of the season. It was Jas and Daniel’s idea to ask Maggie to help Michael babysit Olivia while they were out that day, and she couldn’t say no to spending the day with her favorite people in the world.
The hard part was staying away from Michael. They somehow promised to not do anything stupid in front of Olivia. There was not sex if she was under the same roof as them, and they were going to at least try to not kiss until they fixed their situation. To say it was hard was an understatement. It was hard considering they had seen each other every single day since she was born, but it was way harder considering how goddamn good Michael looked with a baby in his arms.
It was even harder after the weekend they spent together celebrating the fact that she was born. When they had to let each other go after a whole long weekend together, Maggie was surprised she could walk.
They spent the days in the hospital with Olivia, Jas, and Daniel as the doctors waited until Monday to send them home because they were monitoring Jas’ pressure after dealing with it during the last trimester of the pregnancy, but by night it was just them. It was just them and God, the things they did. And damn, the things he did to her those nights. Michael was never disappointing. Not even once did he disappoint her. Not even when he was tired, not even when leg days at the gym were lethal, or when he came from a long fly and he was too tired but missed her too much. He always knew what to do and how to do it to have Maggie completely at his mercy after he turned her into a mess of moans, whimpers and pleas. Michael never disappointed, especially after not seeing her for a long time, but this time it was something else.
He was so slow that it was almost painful in the best way. He was so deep that she could barely breathe. He stretched her in such a way that Maggie forgot anything but his name. She couldn’t think of anything; it was just him and the way he was making them move. He said he wanted to take his time with her because they never knew when they were going to have another time, and he was damn right. But what Maggie didn’t expect was for him to take his time for four days. He fucked her every night and then every morning of that long weekend of four days they invented, and if his plan was to make her not forget about him, he got his wish.
But that weekend was a mix of feelings. First it was nothing but happiness as they went to have dinner to celebrate, but then they went to his place and she couldn’t help but tear up because she hadn’t been there since that terrible Sunday night when their break started. Almost five months without being there and suddenly everything came back like a wave that took her by surprise. At the beginning she was handling it well and not letting everything affect her, but then she saw the illustration she made for his birthday, hanging in the living room, right in the middle of the white wall she hated. Then she saw their pictures were still there, just like the books and all the things she left in the living room, and it felt like time didn’t pass. And there it was Michael to hug her and comfort her until her tears stopped and dried, and especially to replace those tears on her face with kisses it to make her smile and forget about the world. And it worked, it really worked as they went to his bedroom but once they were there and the lights turned on, she realized her nightstand was exactly as she left it, with a picture of them and her family and a little antique plate that she used every night to leave her rings and the rest of her things, which made Maggie kiss Michael even more.
But while Thursday was a mix of sadness, melancholy and love, Friday it was just desperation to be together. They didn’t even go out to dinner; they went straight home, and they barely made it to the apartment in one piece simply because they were making out in the hallway like angry, desperate, horny kids. The door wasn’t even open when their jeans were unbuttoned, and Michael didn’t have time to think before Maggie dropped to her knees in front of him. The door was still open when she had him in her mouth, but she couldn’t really care less. And while Saturday was them being all over each other, Sunday was the example of sadness. It was the sadness of knowing they had to let each other go, even if for a while. She had to hold the tears as she held Michael as close as possible because she was too sensible for everything, even if he swore over and over things were going to be fine.
On Monday morning she was an absolute mess who didn’t really want to leave bed because that meant going back to reality and she didn’t want to. Hell, she really didn’t want to.
From that day on, things were really normal. They got to see each other every day, even if just for a couple of minutes. If it was more than just a simple couple of minutes, they would spin around each other, but never getting too close. It was just kisses on cheeks or foreheads, strokes on shoulders or arms, and occasionally some arm around shoulders or waists, but nothing more than that. Sometimes not even that. Maggie understood it perfectly and it was their deal, but it was weird, especially because Michael looked at her with nothing but love and adoration in his eyes.
That day wasn’t the exception. She woke up to find Michael already in the apartment holding Olivia in his arms as Daniel and Jas were about to leave. To make things even harder for her, Michael was being a sunshine -even more than usual- and it went on the whole damn day. He prepared her coffee perfectly, he changed Olivia’s diapers, he cooked, he did the dishes, and he looked after Olivia while Maggie solved some issues at work on the phone. Michael was always the perfect boyfriend, but he exceeded every single expectation in half the day and for some reason Maggie just wanted to slap him.
But she also wanted to kiss him.
After the whole day filled with play time, tummy time, some conversations in Irish, a walk around London and a bath, it was Maggie’s time to put Olivia to bed, even if they knew she wasn’t going to sleep for more than a couple of hours. As her new ritual since the day Olivia was born, Maggie took her good time reading another chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to her niece, all while Michael was busy with some work stuff and then with dinner. Everyone said she was insane, Maggie always said ‘You’re never too young or too old to start with books and with the good stuff’ and Michael was the first one to support her, even when he insisted it was maybe an extremely long series for a four weeks old baby. Every time she heard Michael defending her, Maggie wanted to slap him again, but also cover him in kisses again.
But after half an hour of reading, Olivia was still lying in her crib, bouncing her little legs and arms with apparent zero intention of sleeping, which was terrible.
“You’re not planning to sleep, aren’t you?” Maggie asked, stroking Olivia’s chubby tummy with her fingertips. “I can’t really blame you. Lately I’ve been having troubles sleeping too. Too many things to do and to decide. Maybe you miss your mom and dad. I can’t blame you for that because you have the coolest parents in the world. Your dad is absolutely insane, but he’s so damn fun and so good at what he does. He can’t wait for you to see him in a car. Damn, he can’t wait to take you to races and even put you on a kart. But for real, he’s seriously an amazing guy. And your momma? Damn, don’t even know where to start” Maggie spoke as she took Olivia from the crib and cradled her in her arms, all while she continued talking as she sat down on the rocking chair in the corner of the room. “Your oul wan is everything I always wanted to be. Since I was a babby like you, I have always looked up to her. She’s a badass who can get everything done. That’s how she deals with your oul fella and all of us, but especially with your dad. But no joking, you’re very, very lucky to have such a cool family. Your grandparents, your great-grandparents, your cousins, your uncles and your aunts are absolutely incredible people and they all love you like crazy” Maggie murmured, looking down at Olivia, who was looking back at her aunt with her adorable brown eyes who were exactly as her father’s.
But after another ten minutes and some snuggles, Olivia was still awake. Even when Maggie tried every single trick under her sleeve and practiced every advice she ever read on the internet, she failed miserably. She tried with massages in her tummy, with bouncing in the rocking chair, with a pacifier, soft music and dimming the lights in the room. Maggie even tried with her magical secret tricks she used more than once to make Michael sleep when he couldn’t do it on very rare occasions, but it wasn’t working.
“Come on, Oli. Aunt Maggie has to go have dinner in a while and it won’t happen until you fall asleep like the good baby girl you are. Besides, uncle Mike’s making dinner and that’s always savage. When you’re a bit older you’ll try your uncle’s food and you will see its bloody awesome. He’s bloody awesome and a fine thing. You’re the luckiest baby girl in the world to have him as your uncle and your godfather. He gives the best piggyback rides. That’s also how I got into big, big trouble in the first place, but you can’t know that” Maggie smiled, but then she stopped talking for a moment as she checked the door. After seeing that they were still alone, she started to talk again, but in a softer voice, even when she knew Michael couldn’t listen from the kitchen. “I really miss him, y’know? I really, really miss him even if I see him almost every day. Not being with him it’s killing me. It’s seriously eating me alive. It breaks my heart, but I gotta figure out some stuff first because if I don’t, then I’m gonna hurt him even more. That’s why I’m focusing on getting better while taking care of you, and helping your parents with everything I can. And while they’re busy, we’re gonna have so much fun. We’re gonna see nice places, read cool books and comics, draw a lot of stuff, see your dad racing, have dance parties and listen to a lot of music. No matter what people say, I’m gonna teach you how the coolest books in the world are the Harry Potter series and how the best band in the world will always be My Chemical Romance. Your dad can fight me in that and I don’t care” Maggie finished as she smiled at Olivia, who after what felt like forever, was finally yawning.
“Did you just tell her that My Chemical Romance is the best band in the world? Daniel is not gonna be happy about it” Michael suddenly asked, leaning on the door as he looked at the girls in the room. Maggie had no idea for how long he had been there, but she wished it wasn’t long enough for him to hear what she said about him, even if he knew part of it already.
“Like I said, Danny can fight me” Maggie shrugged, looking up at him for a second and then back to Olivia, trying to act like nothing was really happening.
“You can bet he will fight you. It was taking you so long that I thought you fell asleep with her, but I guess she was just having a hard night” he murmured, pointing at Olivia, who was just closing her eyes and finally starting to fall asleep slowly.
“Yeah, she wasn’t cooperating no matter how much I tried. I sang to her and nothing. I even scratched her head like I used to do with you and nothing. Those two always worked wonders in no time with you, but this one is a rough cookie” Maggie explained. Everyone who had been around them for more than a couple hours knew about the head-scratching, but the singing was their absolute secret. It wasn’t about what she sang to him -even if normally it was the same Irish lullaby that her grandma and mom used to sing to her and Jas- it was about Michael relaxing with her voice. He always said that between all the noise, her voice made him calm down and keep the noise away, so she was happy to do it. For some reason nobody knew, but to say it in front of a baby was okay.
“You sang her a lullaby and she didn’t feel asleep? How’s that even possible? There’s nothing as lethal as you singing combined with your head scratches. She’s a rough cookie, after all” he affirmed in a softer voice. “By the way, dinner’s gonna be ready in ten”
“Already? What did you make?” Maggie asked, carefully moving Olivia so she would be resting against Maggie’s chest.
“Chicken basquaise without apples or peppers. I know it won’t be as good as your grandma’s but maybe it’s decent. I mean, it's her recipe after all” Michael informed her and Maggie could feel her heart skip a beat. He was making her favorite meal without apples and peppers, just like she liked it, and with her grandma’s recipe, which was the most amazing thing in the world, and she wanted to slap him again.
“Wait a sec, today you brought me my favorite iced fairy cakes from my favorite bakery in London, which is literally a ten extra minutes' drive from your place; you made Vegemite pasta for lunch; you put on my favorite movie while Oli napped in the couch with me, and now you made my favorite dish for dinner? I’m dying tomorrow and nobody told me a thing?” she wondered with a fake worried face, all to hide how deep down she was trying to not run to his arms, because if that was his plan, it was working wonderfully.
“No, you’re not dying any time soon. I’m not allowing it” he laughed, but he cut it the second Maggie gave him a weird look that he knew too well. It was enough for him to finally explain. “Don’t give me your ‘What’s going on’ face because nothing weird is happening. You took care of Oli practically the whole day because I was working, so I thought I could pay you back by making your favorite for dinner”
“We’re not going to shag tonight, you know that, right? We’re on babysitting duty” Maggie joked, but it was far from a joke. She was saying it more for herself than for Michael because she knew how things always ended when they were on their own for more than an hour. Sometimes even less than an hour. And now they haven’t been alone for a whole month, so it was nothing but dangerous, no matter how many promises they made.
“I’m offended” Michael gasped, hand flying to his chest like she had stabbed him right through his heart. “You think I’m doing it for that? Since when can’t I be nice with my girlf- to my… to- to you? Seriously, since when can’t I be nice to my favorite girls?”
Even when the lights dimmed Maggie could see how Michael turned into a weird mix of pale and red. Michael, the always composed man who normally had everything under control, was red as an apple. She saw him looking to the floor as he scratched his nape as the air in the room suddenly became too cold and too hot at the same time. Maggie had no idea what to do because it had been months since the last time she heard him say she was his girlfriend and damn, how she missed it.
“I’m joking, big boy. You’re always nice. You’re a protective guy who cares about his people and we all love you for that” Maggie whispered almost out of breath as she smiled sadly at him, acting like nothing really happened. She really loved him for that.
Another weird thing to see regularly was Michael doubting, but that’s exactly what she had right in front of her face. As she placed a soft kiss on Olivia’s head, she could see Michael doubting about what he should say, and Maggie couldn’t really believe it. “I should go check the food” Michael breathed, pointing outside the door as he smiled at her in the same way she did.
“I’ll be there in a minute” she smiled, carefully getting up from the room as Michael left her alone with Olivia.
That was weird.
She wasn’t surprised things were weird between her and Michael, considering they didn’t really have any idea how to act around each other. In the attempt to not ruin everything up and keep the minimal distance, things oscillated from normal to zero which normally left Maggie hanging and looking around the room to see where Michael was. It was pathetic. It was sad. It was irrational.
Taking a deep breath, Maggie tried to ignore the whole conversation as she held her niece for a couple seconds more. If she couldn’t hug Michael, at least she could hug Olivia, and that was good enough. But after those stollen seconds and some kisses later, Maggie finally let Olivia go, placing her carefully in her crib.
Maggie turned on the baby monitor, tiptoed her way out of the nursery, and. slowly as possible, walked around the hallway. She took another deep breath to calm herself and deal with the internal was an internal fight to not jump in his arms simply because there was nothing she wanted more than that. That was her constant fight, and some days it wasn’t that bad to deal with it, but some days it was especially worse. That was one of those days. To see Michael in the kitchen making dinner didn't make things easier and didn’t really help with the situation. It was the most normal thing for her to see Michael cooking, but somehow the familiarity and domesticity of it made her feel like her heart was being squeezed.
It made her feel like they were back in the winter break in Dublin, living together, even if just for a month, without a worry in the world. It made her feel like all those days and nights when Maggie would sit on the countertop, looking at Michael as he moved around the kitchen while he made jokes and comments about her terrible cooking skills and how he could keep teaching her the basics. Back then her answer was always the same ‘Why would I need to learn how to cook if I had you to do it’.
This time Maggie just wanted to slap herself, but instead she started the conversation with something else to not think about them. “It took her forever, but she fell asleep. Another success for aunt Maggie” she smiled, and like every time, she went to sit on the side of the countertop to not bother him while he was busy.
“You’re an amazing aunt, so I don’t know why you are surprised” Michael smiled, looking up from the food at her for a second. "You’re amazing, even if you tell her the best band in the world is My Chemical Romance” he added in the most serious tone in his voice, but then he started laughing as soon as Maggie looked at him, absolutely offended by his comment.
“Oh, shut the fuck up, mate! I’m tiny, but you know I can kick your ass because you taught me how to do it!” Maggie giggled, trying to find a kitchen cloth to throw at him, but for her bad luck, there was none around.
“Oh, I know you can! Tiny but mighty”
“You’re lucky I’m too lazy and jacked to get up,” she affirmed, shrugging as she looked at the perfect smile on Michael’s face. She needed to get out of there was soon as possible, but she couldn’t go anywhere, so she needed to get away from him, which was also impossible. Then the third and terrible option came to her mind. “I wonder what could happen if we stole one of Danny’s reds. I mean, it's us, he shouldn’t complain, right?” Maggie suddenly asked, changing the subject of the conversation and looking at the cabinet with Daniel’s bottles of wine right there in the kitchen. She wasn’t going to get drunk or anything similar, knowing their goddaughter was in the room at the end of the hallway, but Maggie at least needed one glass to face the next four or five hours with Michael. “And since I know shit about wine, I’m gonna pick the cutest label”
It took her less than a second to jump from the countertop and run to the bottles, but it also took Michael another second to leave everything behind and go after her. “No, no, no. You take the plates to the table and go sit, I pick the wine” Michael spoke as he took her away from the cabinet by her waist. For a second, Maggie frozen because of the grip of his hands on her body, but she said nothing, and moved to a side, ignoring the way her heart was jumping in her chest.
But even when she wanted to keep bothering about the wine levels and every single little thing she could find if that meant seeing him smile or feeling his hands over her, Maggie moved away. She did as Maggie said, and went to grab the plates and walk to the table, but not before dripping a soft ‘Bossy’ that made him smile and shock his head.
After an hour of one of the coolest meals she ever got to eat made by Michael, two glasses of wine, bothering him while insisting he was full of himself playing the humble saying he was hopping dinner tasted good, talking maybe too much about their goddaughter like proud godparents and another shenanigan, dinner was done and it was just them. It was them, two glasses, half bottle of wine, one of Maggie’s playlists with old music playing in the back, and so many things to say it was almost stupid. She wanted to tell him how much she missed him, but she decided it was better to keep it inside her mind. There was no logic to making things more complicated, and besides, Michael already knew. He knew her enough, and probably more than anyone, so there was not much to say. But what was eating Maggie was she couldn’t decipher what he was thinking. She could see that behind that perfect smile there was something, but she couldn’t put a finger on exactly what, and it was eating her alive.
“Okay, drop it” she exclaimed, placing her arms over the table to look at Michael straight to his face. “I know you’re overthinking. I can hear the engines on your head working, so just say it because you’re killing me, shiny eyes”
“We have a talk pending and I know you too, so you better start talking. Did you decide what to do or not?” Michael asked, and Maggie hated to admit it, but he let her jaw hang a bit because he was right.
“And he goes straight to the point. No mercy. Grand” Maggie breathed, thinking for a second before she kept talking. She knew that, at some point, the subject was going to appear. The season was about to start and Maggie was still without giving an answer to the offer of traveling with them, so she needed to decide. She had too many conversations with Michael about it. She had a few more with her dad, too. She even spoke to Daniel, but she was still hanging and overthinking. Jas wasn’t asking much because she knew there was no use putting more pressure on her sister, but Maggie could see it on Jas every time they looked at each other. And knowing Jas, if she hadn’t asked Maggie about it, she had been asking Michael. The whole world knew ninety percent of the time Michael was the first one to know about Maggie’s decisions, so if he didn’t know, nobody else did. If Michael didn’t know it was simply because Maggie hadn’t decided yet, which was terribly bad. “I think I’m gonna go. I mean, I’m gonna go. I could never live with myself knowing Jas was alone part of the time. No blaming anyone or anything, you guys are working and I know she’s used to being in the paddock on her own and all that, but now with Oli it’s different. And I could never sleep in peace knowing some stranger was taking care of my niece, so yeah, that’s it. The other day I dropped the bomb at work and now I’m waiting to see if they kick me out definitely or if I can take a temporary leave and I have already spoken to mom and dad and Elizabeth is staying with them so all set and done. I’m going to Dublin this Friday and coming back here in no time to flight to Bahrein with you. So, almost all set and done. I was just waiting for confirmation to tell you”
“And you were keeping that from me. Wow” he nodded, trying to act all offended, but it wasn’t really working. “I was gonna ask what you were going to do with that golden ball of fur, but I’m happy to know she’s staying with your folks. I miss our little beast” he smiled while pouring more wine into their glasses as the promise of not drinking the whole bottle of wine just disappeared right in front of them.
And Maggie was more than happy that he refilled her glass because that simple ‘Our little beast’ killed her and in the worst possible moment.
“Of course you do. And she misses you, too. She’s always sleeping in the pillow that’s on your side of the bed instead of the expensive, fluffy bed she has, so I take that as a sign that she misses you around. We both do so...” she stated, but the last part was almost a whisper covered by her glass as she took a sip.
“She’s a smart cat, just like her mum” he stated with a proud smile, looking absolutely honored to have his two ladies in his life. “I don’t think I've told you this enough, but I’m really proud of you, Mags. I know leaving Dublin for that long it's scary for you, but this shows how brave you are” he affirmed, offering his hand for her to take over the table. She couldn’t say no, so she grabbed, placing her palm against his.
“Family comes first, right? Besides, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for those chubby cheeks. Wait till she grows up; she’s gonna get everything she wants with just moving a finger. I feel like I was born to spoil the hell out of that kid” Maggie smiled, thinking about the sleeping baby at the end of the hallway and how to say she would kill and die for her wasn’t even close to explaining how much she loved Olivia.
“Jas will kill you, but you’re right. Besides, we’re her godparents, so it's our job” he joked, repeating the same justification they give every single time, becoming probably one of the most normal phrases since Olivia was born. It was their new excuse for every single thing, no matter if it had to do with their niece or not, so it was also becoming their new little joke. “How are you, by the way?” Michael asked out of nowhere, still looking straight at her.
But what had her heart jumping wasn’t just those perfect brown eyes fixed on her, but the way his fingers were moving slowly over her skin. Michael was running his fingertips over the palm of her hand like it was the most normal thing in the world, because it was. It used to be normal and not it has been so long since he did it the last time that it felt new. It felt like the first time he did it, hiding under a blanket and using the darkness of the living room as their ally during those crazy nights in Vegas. It felt like those nights back at home when they would just lay side by side in bed, Maggie’s hand resting on the pillow as Michael traced patterns in her palm and all the way down her arm while they faced each other and talked about everything and nothing. It was the most subtle touch -that sometimes wasn’t even a touch because his fingers would ghost over her hand instead of touching it- but it was more than enough to give her shivers and goosebumps.
“Damn, I was almost sure I dodged that bullet and there you go, throwing the question” she joked, scratching the back of her head with her free hand completely out of nerves. “I’m fine, Italiano” she lied.
What a big, terrible, awful lie.
“You know I know you, right?” Michael questioned again, moving his eyes from their hands to her eyes.
“I know you know me, shiny eyes. But I don’t know what’s your point with this” she shrugged, playing dumb as long as possible. Of course Maggie knew, she just didn’t want to have that conversation and say how terribly bad she was feeling in general. What she also knew was that Michael was probably aware of it all thanks to Jas and Daniel, but she was sure Michael wanted to hear it from her words.
“I just wanna know how are you because I care about you more than anyone else in the world” he explained, drinking a sip of wine but never looking away from her or letting her hand go. It was impossible for her to not melt. It was almost impossible for her to not want to jump on his arms, but she just stayed in her chair and took a deep breath, all while their fingertips moved, barely touching.
“I thought I was in second place after Oli was born” Maggie smiled, finally moving her fingers to run her thumb over his knuckles, which only made Michael smile more.
But her favorite part was probably to see how Michael doubted about his answer for a split of a second. Everyone’s priorities in the family have changed since Olivia was born. She was now everyone’s favorite. Everyone was ready to do anything for that baby girl and suddenly the words ‘I love you more than anyone’ that Jas and Daniel used to share and exchange weren’t that true because there was a little person that they loved beyond everyone. The same thing happened with her and Michael, and one day they woke up being displaced from every single first place. But in Maggie’s case, she loved Michael and Olivia more than anyone, and she was more than happy to share the first place in Michael’s heart with nothing but their niece.
“No, you share the first place on my list of priorities. But don’t play dumb with me, Margaret” he finally answered, finally stopping the games and lacing their fingers over the table. It felt as natural as breathing and damn, how she missed it.
“I’m not” Maggie affirmed, trying to dismiss it with a shrug and a little smile. “But it makes me happy to hear I’m still top of your list. I like to be P1 in your heart. Shared P1, but anyway, I take it”
What she also needed to do was flirt with Michael. She shouldn't even be flirting with him because that wasn’t part of their stupid temporary agreement. But then Maggie thought about how it wasn’t even flirting, considering it was their regular way to talk. They always talked like that with each other, but now it was in some kind of way against the rules. For a second Maggie really thought it was a bad idea, but then she saw the smirk on his face, and then she understood that no, it wasn’t a bad idea. Not at all.
“You’ll always be up there, sweetheart. Besides, you know I always worry about you, so don’t pretend”
“It's your job to look after the family, uh?” she asked with a smirk on her face as she tried to distract herself drinking wine to not think about his handsome face, how good he was looking, or how his hand felt over hers.
“Yes, it is. Scorpio, y’know? It's part of my instincts. I’m a natural protector, or that’s what some beautiful, smart lady told me once” he teased her, repeating the words that once Maggie said to him.
“Let's say I’m middling. I’m trying to be okay. I’m really trying” she finally admitted, looking down at the table and away from his eyes. He probably knew she was lying and that Maggie was far from okay. She was so far from okay that it was scary, but she was trying to put herself together. She had been trying harder since Olivia was born, but her life was still an absolute mess. The tears before bed were still there, even if less often, but the overworking even if she was leaving work, was still happening, so Maggie was nothing but an absolute disaster. It was so damn messy that she knew perfectly well Jas offered -and practically begged- her to go with them the whole year to get Maggie away from everything and closer to Michael again. Maggie knew they were going to need help with Olivia, but she so knew all was a desperate attempt to save her sister’s ass. And what Maggie also knew was that if Jas knew how badly she was doing, then Daniel also knew, which made it almost automatic for Michael to know it too. There was no way Michael didn’t know, but she was trying as hard as possible to hide it from him. “I’m really trying to be okay” she repeated, because maybe it would become true if she kept saying it.
All she got as an answer in that moment was a little smile from Michael, but she knew that one too well. It was his ‘I know you’re hiding something from me, but we’ll let it go for now’, and Maggie knew perfectly fine that conversation was going to be continued some other day, but not when they were looking after Olivia. It was a really long conversation to have knowing a baby could interrupt it any time soon. But as they didn’t keep that conversation going, none of them really said a thing for a while. The only sound in the room and the house was the music still playing in the back, and the only thing she could focus on was the way Michael was playing with the ring on her thumb as their fingers kept laced.
Maggie wanted to say something; she really wanted to say something to make him smile again, but like every single time, Michael won and broke the silence first. “You know, right?”
The thing that made Maggie’s heart break a little wasn’t the fact that Michael was saying in their own little way that he still loved, but the sad smile on his face when he did. It was also the fact that every time it was becoming harder and harder to say it because it broke both their hearts every time a bit more, and how Michael didn’t even look at her when he spoke. Michael didn’t have to say a thing for Maggie to know he was heartbroken. He didn’t have to say a thing for her to know it was all her fault.
“I know. I know you know, too” she whispered, taking a deep breath and then finishing what was left of her wine. Maybe it was the fact that he spoiled her all the damn day mixed with how badly she loved him, how much she missed him, and how terribly she wanted to hug him, but Maggie wanted to cry. She wanted to run to him, cup his cheeks between her hands, and kiss that sad face and his frown away, but she did none of it. She just took another deep breath, remembering that they had a deal. A stupid, useless, illogic deal.
“You love this song, don’t you?” Michael asked as he changed the subject because lately that was their thing; to change subjects when the conversation went to difficult places and they didn’t want to deal with it. “Come with me” he affirmed, getting up from his place but never letting her hand go as he rounded the table.
It took Maggie a second to pay attention to which song was playing in the back. It took her another second to realize his question was just rhetorical because Michael knew perfectly fine how ‘The way you look tonight’ was one of her absolutely favorite songs. But then it took her another second to understand what Michael meant when he said and Maggie couldn’t really believe it. “You wanna dance to a Frank Sinatra song? Are you off your nuts?” she wondered, still sitting in her chair, even when Michael was standing in front of her, waiting with her hand still in his.
“What? A guy can’t dance with the girl he likes? C’mon, sweetheart. I promise I won’t do anything stupid. How's that thing you always say? 'Let's give it a lash'?” Michael insisted, placing his free hand over his heart as a way to show he was gonna keep his promise. Maggie couldn’t say no to Frank Sinatra, but she especially couldn’t say no to those brown eyes looking down at her like she hung the moon for him and him only. She couldn’t say no to Michael asking for something so silly yet so simple as dancing, so she got up from her place. They didn’t say a thing to each other as they walked into the middle of the living room. Maggie didn’t ask any questions as Michael moved his free hand to her lower back and placed their joined ones right over his heart. Michael just smiled shyly as a happy kid when Maggie placed her free hand also over his chest as they started moving from one side to the other, dancing as slowly as possible. She also couldn’t help but smile at him because she didn’t know if they were even dancing since they were barely moving as they looked at each other’s eyes. This time Maggie didn’t want to slap him; she just wanted to stay in his arms forever. “There’s many things we haven’t done as a couple yet, and this is one of those”
“Oh, he got romantic and trying to use Irish against me. And dance? Really? How many dance parties have we had with Danny and Jas?” Maggie giggle after what it felt like centuries. He was kind of right, but that was also her chance to mock him as much as possible, and she was gonna take it.
“Hey, I’m the guy who got you flowers for Valentine’s Day, remember?” he asked with a fake offended gesture on his face, trying absolutely in vain to hide his smile. “And we had countless dance parties, but we never danced like this”
“I hate when you’re right, but you are right” she stated, slapping his chest playfully, which only made Michael kiss her forehead as a response. “You're still wearing the necklace” Maggie pointed out, letting her fingers run over the little ring that was resting in the middle of his chest.
“Of course I do. I told you I was going to keep forever, just like all the things you gave me. Besides this is one of my favorite things, so I don’t know why you’re surprised” he explained with a little shrug, like it was unimportant, but for Maggie meant the world. “You still have it too. And the watch”
“Of course I do. I keep everything you gave me, too. Besides it was too beautiful to throw it into the ocean and I don’t even wanna know how much you spend on them” she smiled, shrugging as he did. She never took them off, and if she did it was for a specific moment when she automatically felt weird without them, so she tried doing it as less as possible. And she also knew that Michael couldn’t care less about spending money on things for her; all he cared about was the girl he loved smiling for something he gave her. “Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead”
“You’re still waiting for me, right?” Maggie asked out of nothing, and it was so sudden that not even she knew where that question came from. Maybe it was the closeness, maybe it was their hands locked over his heart, maybe it was the way his fingers were stroking her waist, the way the silver chain was shining in his neck, or maybe it was the kiss he gave her in her forehead. Maybe it was the combination of all of that together and the fact that she needed some reaffirmation after weeks of not hearing it, but Maggie needed to know. She needed to hear it, to be able to sleep that night, but specially to know they were still on the same page, even when Michael kept showing it with actions that really didn’t need words.
His first answer was to kiss her forehead again, but this time Michael took a bit longer to move away from her. He just left his lips resting over her skin, which made Maggie grab a handful of his shirt. Then he placed another one right in the same spot, which only made her squeeze his hand. “Of course I am. Whenever you are ready to try again, I'll be here waiting for you because I’m not planning to let this be our last dance”
Then one last kiss was placed over her forehead, and then Michael rested his cheek against her head. Suddenly they weren’t moving anymore; they were just holding each other. They just moved their hands around each other and hugged like they hadn’t done since that morning in his place after Olivia was born. Suddenly it was just enjoying their time together, with Maggie resting her hands around his waist and her head against his chest as Michael stroked her head carefully, with his arms around her shoulders.
“A true romantic, even if you’re completely loopers” she joked, slapping his back because that was the only thing she could think of doing instead of kissing him.
“Don’t act like you don’t love it” he laughed, squeezing her shoulders, making Maggie laugh with him. But her giggles weren’t because of what Michael was doing, but because of his own laugh. For Maggie it was the most wonderful and beautiful sound in the universe, and hearing it again in the middle of such a weird situation made her giggle like a happy girl, even when she was far from happy.
And yes, he was right, and she loved it when he was romantic.
“Remember me again, why did I fall for a guy so bloody tall?” she joked again, which was answered with another squeeze.
“I have answers, but you might not like 'em”
And she wasn’t surprised he did. The jokes about their weight difference were always there, especially from Blake’s side, but Michael always had a smart way to answer it. He always had a witty come back against every single human being who made a remark, especially because Michael always said he was the only one able to make those stupid jokes simply because it was his thing to bother his girlfriend. Michael also always said she was the perfect size for him, and Maggie was nothing but absolutely in love with the fact that he was so big and tall. Lily would normally have said they had the biggest size kink, and they knew she was right, but they were never going to admit it, at least not in public.
“Don’t be an eejit”
“Oh, there goes the leprechaun being all Irish. Its adorable, especially when you spend too much time in Dublin and your accent gets thicker. I love it. And I also love when you mix Irish and Australian, you dooter” Michael smiled against her head, placing another kiss there, apparently too content with the fact that Maggie sounded more Irish than she normally did.
Not even moving an inch from her place, Maggie moved her head to be able to look up at him, and God, how she loved that view. She could have stayed there in his arms forever and not complained about it for a minute, no matter how tired she was. “You’re definitely an eejit”
“Maybe I am” Michael smiled, kissing her forehead once again, which only made Maggie smile and melt a bit more. “But why are you now complaining about the height difference? It never bothered you or us” he wondered, moving his arms from her shoulders to the middle of her back, and Maggie knew that all that situation could never end up well.
“I’m not complaining. I never did, but now I’m barefoot, which only makes me smaller and I can’t kiss your cheek and it makes me sad, you dag” she shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.
She had no idea where that came from. She had no idea why she said such a ridiculous thing, but she wasn’t lying. In any normal situation –when they were together and not in that ridiculous situation– Maggie would normally place her arms around his neck and that would be enough for Michael to know she wanted something. It was normally that or covering his arms or chest with kisses, just like Michael would normally cover her head in kisses. It was that or Maggie getting shoes that made her gain a couple of inches, which never did much considering the difference, but it was something. But now she was barefoot and Michael was wearing sneakers, so it was a few inches more between them, which was good to keep some extra distance between them, but in that moment, she was hating it.
“We can solve that” Michael affirmed, and like it was nothing, he grabbed Maggie, lifted her by her waist, and then sat her down on the corner of the table. “There” he affirmed with the proudest smile, and then turned his head to the side, offering his right cheek for her. “All for you”
“Don’t you dare move your head” Maggie threatened him, poking his cheek with her index finger, but then moving her hand to his left cheek, trying to assure in vain that he was going to stay put.
“But what if I do?”
And of course he moved.
In a second Maggie went from kissing his cheek to kissing the corner of his mouth and before none of them could realize, they were just kissing. Every single time the same thing happened it was normally a mess of lips, tongues and hands moving around, but this time it was nothing like it. Normally they would be already taking their clothes off and probably Michael would be already inside her, but this time they were far from it. This time there was no hurry, no clothes coming off and no desperation. This time they were just kissing as slowly and lovingly as possible, just enjoying their counted time together. Besides, there was no way they would do anything when Jas and Daniel could walk through the door at any second, but especially when Olivia could need them at any moment. This time it was such two idiots absolutely in love with each other, enjoying their love before they went back to reality.
“You didn’t tell me if you’re happy I'm going with you this year” Maggie whispered against his lips, eyes still closed as her hands moved up and down on his back, not really knowing what part of him she wanted to touch and enjoy first. She missed every single inch of him, so it was just impossible to stay put and decide.
But her favorite thing was how Michael was clearly dealing with the same issue. His hands went from her neck to her back, then to her waist, and all the way down to her legs, staying for a while in his thighs to start moving all over again, almost like he was trying to leave a path with his fingerprints. “You really need to hear me saying it? I thought you said you know me, sweetheart” he joked, leaving her lips to trace another trail, but this time with kisses and all the way to her jaw and then to her neck.
Maggie couldn’t even laugh or say anything, because she was too busy fighting the little moans and whimpers that were leaving her lips. It was almost pathetic how he could make her an absolute mess in just one second, but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t mind, either. All she could think about was how incredibly good it felt to have Michael’s body against her standing right in the middle of her legs; how his fingers stroking her waist under her shirt were making her shiver, and how Michael was just laughing softly and smiling because if the effect he had on her.
The worst part about it all was how her brain was starting to tell Maggie to be selfish for some minutes and do what she wanted to do because they missed each other and deserved ten minutes of happiness. It was like a bizarre version of a little angel and a little demon on her shoulders telling her to behave and rip off his clothes right there, and she knew that if Michael kept going it was gonna end up with the second option.
Less than ten minutes couldn’t hurt. It could take them less than that. They have done it faster than that and in absolute silence, so they could make it work. They didn’t even have to take their clothes off, just move them to a side and nobody would know. Nobody needed to know. Nobody had to. It wasn’t that bad and nobody was going to-
But as Maggie started to let her hands wonder under his shirt, and like a sign to stop whatever they were doing, the baby monitor started to sound with Olivia’s soft whimpers before she started to cry softly, leaving her godparents froze in their places. And thank God it happened, because Michael’s hands on her ribs and under her shirt only meant that he was thinking exactly the same thing Maggie was thinking.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph...” Maggie whispered absolutely out of air as she unconsciously scratched his back.
“Can you please stop being so Irish for a fucking second? I’m really trying to not fuck you against the table, but you’re making it really difficult” Michael begged, squeezing her legs, almost like Maggie was doing.
“Make me” she giggled as she stroked the same place she scratched just a second ago.
“I got her. And after that I really need a cold shower” Michael affirmed, placing one last kiss on her neck and then another longer one on her lips as they untangled from each other’s arms.
It took Michael a moment to disappear in the hallway and Maggie could listen on the baby monitor how he was trying to calm Olivia, but it also felt like it could work for Maggie, too. It took Maggie a minute to react, but when she did; she had to take a deep breath to calm herself. The mess Michael made of her in a couple seconds was gonna take hours to fix. When she finally was able to move and get out of the tablet, she picked up their forgotten glasses and the empty bottle and practically ran to the kitchen. She put everything in the dishwasher in less than a second, and cleaned the kitchen, but when she was done, Michael was still in the nursery, so she went to the bathroom. She washed her –absolutely flushed red- face with cold water and went back to the empty living room and it helped, but it wasn’t enough. Maggie still had no idea what to do to calm herself, so her first option was to turn off the music. She couldn’t keep listening to any of it because it only made her think more about Michael’s arms firmly around her body and that was the last thing she needed.
The only idea that came to her mind was to turn on the TV and distract herself with the first thing she could find. Anything was a good distraction to make her forget how damn horny she was and for some reason some sport channel felt like the smartest choice, and damn, it was.
When Michael sat on the couch by her side, Maggie was almost asleep thanks to the absolutely boring golf tournament she was trying to watch, and she just opened her eyes to realize Michael wasn’t on his own. He was holding Olivia on his left arm as he held a bottle of milk in his right hand, and it made him look perfectly beautiful while Olivia looked as tiny as ever. “She needed a change of diapers, dinner and some snuggles” he whispered, looking down at the beautiful baby who was looking at everything around her. “What are you doing watching that?”
“Trying to not think” Maggie murmured, rubbing her eyes to stay awake, which at that point was pretty much impossible. “And nobody can blame her for wanting snuggles”
“You can always join us” Michael offered, moving his head to let her know it was fine to come closer considering they were on different sides of the couch. “C’mon, you can keep napping here with us”
And Maggie accepted the offer without thinking twice, resting her head on his shoulder and falling asleep again automatically. She had no idea for how long she actually slept, but she woke up with the sound of the door opening, and Jas and Dan talking softly with Michael, but she didn’t even open her eyes. Family was home, so it was all good.
“Mate, if you wake them up, I swear I’m gonna kick your ass so hard that’s gonna hurt when you sit in the car next week. Same for you, pretty face” he whispered, and if Maggie wasn’t trying to fall asleep again, she would have laughed because it was the most Michael thing to say.
But before Maggie could even open her eyes, she was asleep and woke up again, thanks to Michael placing a kiss on her forehead while he said something about leaving and Daniel insisting that he should stay. She was too sleepy and too tired to protest, even when Michael carried her carefully all the way to the guest room where Maggie always used to stay. She was too groggy to have a full conversation with Michael, but she wasn’t that unconscious to grab his hand before he could leave, all while she whispered a soft ‘Fan. Más é do thoil é’ that Michael understood perfectly with his little knowledge of Irish. And thanks to her lucky stars, he couldn’t refuse, especially no when she spoke in Irish.
---
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@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover
#michael italiano#michael italiano fic#michael italiano imagine#f1#f1 fic#f1 imagine#f1 oneshot#formula one fic#formula one#formula one imagine#formula 1 fic#formula 1#formula 1 imagine#so it goes fic
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