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#what happened in england though 😅
laiasbian · 2 years
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oh you missed the fun. seems L3ila and M1sa broke up and M1sa is with C4rdona now. something seems to have happened in England cuz L3ila got back to Spain and unfollowed both of them. On M1sa's birthday. lol. yikes.
oooh that is some TEA 🍿👀 i had zero idea this was a thing but looking at instagram it's been a thing for a while now.....god i love spain
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oohtobeagooner · 4 months
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Nonsense
Alessia Russo x Female Reader
This is my first ever fic… go easy on me 😅
Fluff, mention of alcohol.
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Alessia’s busy thinking about tonight’s team outing. It’s her first one as a gunner and she is incredibly nervous. She’s snapped out of her thoughts as a thick Irish accent fills the locker room ‘’Less, you coming?’’ she smirks ‘’Race you out there’’ and she leaves Katie stunned chasing after her until she spots Alessia on the floor in a slightly compromising position with Y/N L/N – Arsenal’s new CB and Alessia’s crush. ‘’You two get a room’’ Katie says and smirks at Alessia. Her cheeks are red and she offers Y/N her hand to help her up. ‘’Sorry er- I was running away from erm Katie and I didn’t see you there’’ she fumbles over her words. Y/N smirks and takes Alessia’s hand pulling herself up. ‘’Less I know you’re clumsy but maybe next time don’t take me with you?’’ you laugh and leave her walking with Katie as you runs off to the pitches. Katie laughs as soon as Y/N runs away ‘’You’ve got it bad girl… tell her!’’ Alessia sighs ‘’I can’t McCabe she doesn’t like me like that’’. Katie pats her on the back and smiles.
Jonas splits the group into 4 teams for the last bit of training for matches. Y/N realises that she is marking Alessia and her nerves settle in. She’s fancied her since her first England senior appearance but Alessia signing for Arsenal has only made you catch more and more feelings. Y/N had recently signed from Brighton after an stand out season. Jonas had been delighted with the signing after losing Rafa Souza early in the window.
Y/N’s on Leah’s team. You’re winning 2-1 when Jonas calls for the last 30 seconds. Little picks up the ball and passes to Pelova who goes past Leah and puts Alessia through 2 v 1. Katie shouts at Y/N to foul her but Y/N knows that she can make the tackle. What she did not expect though was to end up on top of Alessia in the same compromising position as this morning with the ball running out of play. Jonas blows the whistle and Y/N get up holding out her hand to help the Italian up ‘’Better luck next time Less’’. Katie jumps on Alessia’s back ‘’Cat got your tongue Less?’’ she smirks and walks away.
Entering the changing rooms Leah has ‘Freed from Desire’ playing as if they had just won the world cup. Alessia shakes her head as the winning side celebrate their victory. ‘’Save it for tonight Williamson’’ Lotte laughs. Y/N looks over at Alessia who is putting her boots away and smiles to herself but not without Leah noticing ‘’See something you like Y/N/N’’ she whispers in your ear you look like a deer caught in headlights.. ‘’erm.. I was.. yeah..’’ Leah laughs and announces that she will see you all tonight at 7. You grab your kit bag and follow behind her.
Leah mocks you the entire car ride. She knows you have feelings for Alessia and has been encouraging you to come clean to her. ‘’What if she doesn’t feel the same Le? I potentially make it so awkward for all of us as a team!’’ Le smiles at you, pulling up to your flat ‘’Y/N that girl is a blushing mess every time you are in her presence. For some reason I doubt that will happen but a little risk won’t harm you’’. You smile as she opens the door to your shared flat.
Your head hurts from what Le had just told you. Could Less like you back? You try not to overthink it as you make a smoothie and head in the shower. ‘’LEAH!!!’’ you shout hoping your flat mate heard you. Almost instantly Le runs in ‘’What’s wrong?!!!’‘ ‘’Can you help me pick something hot to wear tonight please?’’ ‘’Seriously? I thought you were hurt’’ She scoffs at you but helps you anyway.
Alessia arrives at the venue 15 minutes before she is supposed to, she’s nervous. Lotte arrives shortly after and orders Lessi a drink to calm her nerves. ‘’It’ll be a great night Less don’t worry!’’ the blonde smiles ‘’I’m sure Y/N will love it too’’ she smirks at Alessia ‘’what? How do you know?’’ ‘’Less I’ve known you for long enough now, I’ve seen the way you look at her. Plus Katie isn’t very subtle… speaking of…’’ In walks Katie, someone Alessia has grown to love very much since arriving at Arsenal. One by one the Arsenal girls arrive but it gets to 7:15 and no sign of Leah and Y/N.
‘’Shall I call them Less?’’ she looks stressed and thanks Lia seconda later in walks Leah and Y/N arguing about always being late because of a certain England Captain.
Y/N walks up to Less clearly seeing her stressed and offers her apologies and hugs the tall blonde. Their hug lingers a bit and Leah coughs to break them apart. They both blush. ‘’Let’s get this party started’’ Leah shouts. It’s comical really, none of the girls could sing particularly well… somehow a girl band formed of Leah, Lia, Kim, Beth and Viv and you can’t help but laugh as they sing ‘Wannabe’ at the top of their lungs. Shot after shot the songs became funnier and every seemed to be having a great time.
Alessia relaxes. She smiles whilst sat on the sofa sipping her cocktail. ‘’Not singing tonight Russo?’’ she locks eyes with the brunette. ‘’Maybe I’m waiting for you to show me the ropes’ Y/N’’ she is taken aback by her boldness but rolls with it ‘’See I’ve been trying to save your eardrums but you asked for this…’’ and up Y/N gets, determination mixed with liquid courage coursing through her veins.
Nonsense by Sabrina Carpenter begins playing. Her eyes fixated on Alessia as she sings ‘’Looking at you got me thinking nonsense, cartwheels in my stomach when you walk in’’, fumbling words but making her point nether the less. The rest of your team are vibing with you whilst Leah and Katie smirk at each other knowingly.
Alessia feels a lot of things in this moment as Y/N approaches her on the sofa. ‘’Hope you enjoyed the show Russo?’’ smirk plastered on her lips. Alessia pulls Y/N outside ‘’Are you trying to play with my feelings here Y/L/N?’’. You grab Alessia’s hand as she tries to walk away and smile, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear and tilt her chin up to your face. ‘’Alessia Russo… you are beautiful’’ she looks at you confused but holds your gaze. She leans up and connects your lips in a gentle kiss as you both smile into it. As you pull away, Less pulls you into a hug ‘’I take it you have feelings too?’’ you smirk into the hug. Alessia pulls back from the hug and smacks your shoulder lightly ‘’Shut up, I thought it was so obvious!’’ you smile. ‘’To be honest I did not realise until Leah had me thinking earlier’’. Less pulls you into her side and kisses your head, ‘’Would you like to go on a date tomorrow?’’ you smile up at her ‘’I’d love nothing more, let’s just hope you remember this tomorrow!’’ Alessia smiles but knows she has waited for this moment for a while… there was no way she was forgetting.
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singsweetmelodies · 13 days
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a little while ago, i got this ask asking me if i could make some sort of introduction to the pierre/charles ship and all its lore. and since they are, without question, my f1 rpf OTP, my answer was oh my god yes of course. it's taken me a little while to compile all that lore - because boy, is there a lot - but it's been one of the happiest research projects of my life, without question. and i think it's finally ready to go!! so, with no further ado...
ABOUT PIARLES: a (not-so-brief) introduction to f1 rpf's french friends to lovers ship
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so the first thing you need to know about piarles is that they're childhood best friends. not that uncommon in a sport like f1, to be fair - most of the drivers grew up together, racing against each other in karting. but pierre and charles are a little different in that they aren't just karting acquaintances: the two of them (and their entire families) are genuinely good friends.
in fact, if you ask either pierre or charles about the other (and interviewers often do) one of the first things they'll probably say is "we've known each other for a long time," quickly followed by "we used to go on holiday together when we were kids." and they ALWAYS say this with the fondest expressions 🥰 even if you take shipping completely out of the equation, it's clear that these two have a very long-standing and very close friendship, with many fond memories which both of them seem to treasure very much.
in charles' own words:
"Pierre! We know each other since... a long, long time. We used to go on holidays together when we were children with our parents, and uh... we did quite a bit of mess together when we were children, but (laughs) very good memories. And the relationship never really changed throughout the years, even though we have taken different paths, because he was a bit older, so we weren't always in the same categories. But we would always call each other, text each other, go on holidays together... and yeah, I just have so many memories." (source - watch from timestamp 2:06)
pierre tells a very similar story:
"He's definitely one of my best friends. Charles is a very nice person and an incredible driver. We met when we were 9 years old and created a very strong bond. Our parents are very close, and we went on vacations from when we were 10, so we created lots of memories. We were teammates in karting when we were 12, and today we find ourselves in Formula 1. It's a pretty incredible story. But for me the most important part is to see the person he's become, and he hasn't changed since he was young." (source)
i think it's important to note that these aren't the only times pierre and charles have spoken about each other in glowing terms like this - no, it happens quite frequently. pretty much every time they're asked about each other, tbh. (i'm not going to add quotes from every single time here, though, because we would be here for the rest of the month if i tried. 😅) the point is, piarles are pretty damn close, and think very highly of each other.
but it's not just them that are close: like i mentioned in the first paragraphs of this post, their families are close, too. they really are childhood friends in that "your family is practically my second family" sense, which i think is something really special.
here, for example, is pierre's father jean-jacques talking about charles:
Charles is part of the family. We've known him since he was nine and when he started in karting with Pierre. (...) When the races were in England Charles was sleeping at our place, and when the races were in Italy, Pierre was sleeping at Charles's place. Then Pierre moved to F4. I don't think there have ever been a big rivalry between them even though their careers were similar. Charles is part of the family probably even more since Hervé passed away. Our door will always be open for him and he knows.” (source)
🥹
what's more, charles has also said numerous times that it's hard to maintain true friendships in f1 - but his bond with pierre is one of those rare exceptions:
It’s rare I think, it’s very rare to have a sincere friendship in F1, because there’s a lot of competition. So yes there’s friendship, but it’s not always entirely sincere - but with Pierre it really is, and it has always been. (source)
they're friends. they really are friends, not just friendly coworkers, like many of the other f1 drivers are. pierre and charles genuinely like and appreciate each other's company very much - which, even if you put shipping completely aside, is just such a wonderful thing, and always makes me smile so much.
one of my personal favourite moments was when pierre talked about charles on the beyond the grid podcast in 2023:
"That's why I really like these chats that I can have with Charles, because I know with Charles, discussing about both our lives, we won't judge each other... because we know what it's like and we just speak very openly about various things. And I know it's almost like a happy place or a comfortable place where you really feel you can open up. He'll understand, I'll understand him..." (source - listen from timestamp 32:01)
if that doesn't make your heart melt at least a little bit, then i don't know what to say to you.
... no, actually, i do. if this kind of sentimentality won't do it for you, how about a bit of silliness and humour?
that's right. like any good childhood friends, pierre and charles also have an embarrassing nickname for each other: "calamar," which is french for "squid." (we know that they call each other that courtesy of charles' insta).
what on earth is the origin of this nickname, you may be wondering? well, according to pierre...
"It goes back to a long time ago when we were kids, like... nine, ten years old. We would go on holidays together and spend more time. I don't know. It just came, like one day we decided to call each other calamar, which is not really such a beautiful nickname, but yeah it was just for fun. We were kids and we were laughing. And actually, we have many other nicknames because we were teammates also in karting and we spent a lot, a lot of time together. So, a lot of nicknames came alongside all this time. And this kind of stayed with us." (source)
as pierre said in this quote, "calamar" is not even the only nickname they have - pierre sometimes calls charles "charlito" and also "charlo," while charles calls pierre "mon petit."
and as if that's not enough, they're also that pair of boyfriends friends who always have to bring each other up in conversation. if there's ever an interview question along the lines of "which f1 driver would you...." then you can pretty much bet pierre will answer "charles," and charles will answer "pierre."
for example, here is pierre choosing charles as the one f1 driver he'd take for a drink. and here is charles naming pierre as his best friend in the paddock. oh, and here is pierre saying he'd choose charles as one driver to take with him to a desert island. there's more, but i think you get the idea 😆❤️
so yeah! that's a quick(ish) overview of the background/context of piarles - AKA the french (yes, i know charles is monégasque, but he SPEAKS french) friends/boyfriends on the grid.
(if you'd like to know more details about their friendship, especially about their pre-f1 years, then i recommend this post and its follow-up compiled by the incredible @vegasgrandprix. these posts really are a treasure trove for piarles history & lore!)
but now that i've painted a pretty clear picture of their friendship, let's move on to some more shippy moments, shall we? the "lovers" part of friends to lovers <3333
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believe it or not, eveything up till now was just the background information about piarles. it's more than enough to build an OTP on already, i'd say - but wait, there's more!
the thing with pierre and charles is that along with being friends, they are also french (or....french-adjacent. close enough) which means that they have absolutely zero problem with being very openly affectionate with each other.
this has given us some very delicious shipping moments, which i will now try and give an overview of. (my fellow piarlies: if i've left out one of your favourite moments, please forgive me - they have so many moments with each other, and tumblr has a post character limit, so there was just no way for me to include everything, much as i wanted to. but i do think this is a good introduction!)
let's start with perhaps the most iconic piarles moment of them all: monza 2020, aka pierre gasly's first win in f1.
that was a crazy, wonderful day in so many ways - first of all, the race itself was insane. pierre started 10th on the grid, and with a lot of luck + a safety car that really worked out for him, ended up leading the race and defended from carlos sainz with DRS to get his maiden win. this was almost exactly a year after he'd been dropped from red bull, so the win was pretty much the biggest fuck-you to everyone @ RBR and comeback moment for pierre that was possible. it was also a dream come true (every f1 driver dreams about winning a race!) and you only need to look at any interview pierre did afterwards to see how much it meant to him.
what makes it even more insane, though, is that charles was right there to congratulate him and watch his podium. keep in mind that, in the same race, charles crashed out - both ferraris did, in monza of all places. i don't think anyone would've been surprised, or held it against him at all, if charles just kept his head down for the rest of that day.
but no. even though he wasn't medically cleared after the crash yet (!!) charles went to parc fermé anyway to congratulate pierre. remember that thing i said about them being french and very open with affection? well:
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here are some pictures of the monza piarles congratulations hug. (am i the only one who thinks it looks like charles wants to kiss pierre in that second pic?! god....) here and here are some more angles of the hug to go insane over, if you like.
you can also watch it in video format here - and yes, charles really did pull pierre out of his hug with romain so that he could congratulate him himself. i know. (also, yes, pierre does pat charles' ass just before they go their separate ways. what can i say? french.)
as if that's not already insane enough, charles also stayed to watch pierre's podium despite not being medically cleared yet after his crash. (we have to thank netflix FOREVER for providing us with that specific behind-the-scenes shot 🙏 drive to survive - you did well that time, you really did.)
and afterwards, charles said:
It was just a dream for one of us to get into F1 one day. In the end we’re both in F1, we’ve both won a GP, both of us in Monza. (...) I was really happy that day, even if my race went wrong, his win made it a good day. (source)
your honour. who says that about another driver's win, especially on a day where you yourself had an awful race? if that's not love in a sport like f1, i don't know what is!
i really could talk about monza 2020 and how much it means for a very long time, but i will rein myself in to just one final comment: isn't it rather beautiful to think that pierre & charles' names will always be next to each other in the monza winners list? charles won there in 2019, and then pierre won there in 2020. talk about soulmatism ❤️💙
now, moving on to another absolutely iconic (and delightfully gay) piarles moment: baku 2021, aka that time pierre and charles had an awesome last-lap battle for the P3 podium spot.
it was very close racing, with them swapping positions several times down the straight - but they kept it clean. in fact, they kept it so clean that someone remarked it's like they know each other by heart. yup. totally a normal thing to say about two men racing.
equally normal was charles' comments after the race:
"The last lap was my favourite part of the race. It was crazy and had a lot of actions. With Pierre it was hot. I'm happy for him for his podium." (source)
and as if that's not enough, he also GRABBED pierre into a hug in parc fermé, and then held him incredibly close while congratulating him.
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you can watch this hug in video format here and gif format here, if you want - and i really recommend doing so, because it's insane to see how charles quite literally crashes into pierre's personal space and yanks him into a hug. (here is a close-up of their helmets during said hug - and you can just say it with me. GAY.)
that's still not all, though: charles congratulated pierre twice after the race. once on the outlap (with a thumbs-up and a middle finger as pierre's car drove past his, LMAO) and then on social media as well (with a nickname and a kiss emoji).
he ALSO commented on pierre's instagram post about the race with another kiss emoji:
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so, apparently, charles was thinking about kissing pierre quite a lot in baku 2021. 🤭 an iconic day all around!
and as it happens, 2021 brought us another iconic piarles moment - though this one is a whole less happy. i'm talking about styria 2021, aka that time pierre and charles had contact in a race, and pierre had to retire from that grand prix.
here is the official f1 news article about the incident - the long and the short of it is that charles misjudged on lap 1 and crashed into the side of pierre's car, ending pierre's race. naturally, pierre was furious and upset, especially because the alphatauri was actually a good car in 2021, and he'd stood to score really good points that sunday.
now, for most f1 girlies, an incident like this between childhood friends immediately brings up vivid brocedes flashbacks. and, to be honest, it wouldn't have been that much of a surprise if this had indeed soured pierre and charles' friendship - we saw exactly this happen with pierre and esteban, after all.
but no. charles went to see pierre post-race to clear the air between them, and although pierre was furious with him, he didn't let it ruin their friendship. in fact, when he was asked how the incident affected their friendship, pierre had the following to say:
"Yeah... I was really sad to end 15 years of friendship. He is no more my friend (laughs). No, no, it's... honestly, it was really painful, you know, you work so hard the whole weekend for Sunday to score points, and then after literally like 20 seconds, the whole race was over. So, quite a difficult one to swallow, but, you know, we know each other, with Charles, we have a lot of respect for each other. He came to see me after the race - I was still pretty pissed off with him, but, uh, we knew before last Sunday, nothing ever happened between us on the race-track, and we knew one day it would happen. Unfortunately I paid the price more than him, but yeah, it's racing, unfortunately. (...) It's painful, it's racing, it happens sometimes - I just told him to make sure it doesn't happen another time, and... we're fine." (source - watch from 17:01)
i think that styria 2021 is vital piarles lore not because it's a fun shippy moment, but rather because it shows the strength of their connection. an incident like this could easily have destroyed their friendship, but they didn't let it. they mean enough to each other that they let what happens on-track stay on-track and not affect their closeness off-track. and that, i think, is something truly special - they were tested in a way which has destroyed f1 friendships before, and yet they still came out stronger.
iconic indeed.
on a happier note again, now, there is also montreal 2022, which many piarles fans consider one of THE seminal piarles moments. the race itself was not so memorable for our boys this time, but what they did off-track is.
that is to say: pierre and charles went on a dinner date. then, they were spotted driving around the streets of montreal in a white ferrari. and THEN, as if that's not mind-blowing enough already... charles posted, to his public instagram story, a video of pierre wearing his charles-leclerc-16 branded ferrari hat.
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these screenshots are peanut quality, i'm sorry, lmao... but all of montreal 2022 feels a bit like a fever dream in the best way, so i think the blurriness just captures the vibes, tbh.
we're not quite done with montreal 2022 yet, though - earlier on the same day, charles also had a very sweet hello with pierre's parents. you can just SEE how much pierre's parents love charles, and isn't that just the most heartwarming thing 😭❤️
now, one final thing about montreal 2022: pierre never posted his infamous photo dump after that race. that might not seem particularly important, but... this is the only race of 2022 for which pierre DIDN'T post a photo dump.
there are a thousand and one theories about why he didn't - maybe he just forgot, maybe he had a busy weekend, maybe he didn't have any photos he wanted to share. or, in a more shippy interpretation... maybe he does have photos, especially photos of charles, but he doesn't want to share them/wants to keep them all to himself. we don't know!
one lucky piarlie got to meet pierre in london in 2022 at an alphatauri event, and actually asked him about the montreal photo dump thing. here is what he said (courtesy of the lovely @they-call-it-traffic 💞)
the descriptions there... you can just picture pierre's expressions & smirks SO perfectly, right? he is insane. they are insane. #investigatemontreal !!
anyways. moving on one year again: 2023 brought us pierre and charles' basketball date:
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as well as two tennis dates:
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(i call them "dates" because pierre and charles spent a significant time together during them, hanging out & enjoying each other's company and looking at each other with major heart-eyes. obviously, irl, they aren't officially dates - in fact, both pierre and charles had their irl girlfriends along with them when they attended wimbledon. but who cares too much about irl -- this is a rpf post 😉)
i'm not going to spend too long explaining the lore behind these, because i'm already flirting with the tumblr post character limit 🙈 but basically, what happened is that on all 3 these occasions, pierre and charles chose to hang out together at events completely unrelated to f1, simply because they are friends and like each other's company. (that, to me, is always a measure of how much f1 drivers actually like each other - whether or not they choose to spend time with each other when they're not forced into proximity by f1. pierre and charles pass this test with flying colours.)
the basketball date is particularly insane, because that day was actually an event which charles, pierre and esteban attended. but you wouldn't know THAT from charles' post about it. charles fully cropped esteban out of his post - he really said "esteban who? i only spent time with my friend pierre 😌" and he said it with his whole chest.
ALSO, while we're on the subject of the basketball date and social media - pierre and charles co-posted a reel about it on instagram. yes. CO-POSTED. you know, like a couple co-posting about their date.
piarles basketball date, you will always be famous!!
(P.S. - a lot of piarles fans refer to this 2023 basketball date as "basketball date 2.0" - and this is because pierre and charles have actually done this before, in 2021. i really can't talk too much about that date - character limit, my beloathed - but let me just say that pierre draping his arm round the back of charles' chair is something that lives rent free in my mind. rent free.)
another thing that lives in my mind rent-free is charles being interviewed at their first tennis date, and calling pierre his best friend <3333 love is friendship set on fire, etc etc!
... so, okay, when i said i wasn't going to talk too much about the lore behind the tennis & basketball dates, i lied a little bit. but in my defence - they were insane for these, they really were!
anyways. now, let's skip back in time a little - because i would be very remiss if i didn't include pierre and charles' 2016 joint championship celebrations.
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in the year 2016, pierre was the GP2 champion and charles the GP3 champion (GP2 and GP3 are the old names for F2 and F3). in a very pretty twist of fate, they both clinched their respective titles at the same circuit, in the final race of their respective series - and then, of course, they celebrated together.
here is an adorable gifset of them celebrating together after the final GP2 race. and here are some more pictures from the official Prema photoshoot for the GP2 & GP3 champions (yes, they did a joint photoshoot together. even Prema ships it, apparently!)
actually, while we're on the subject of celebrating together: pierre and charles almost always congratulate each other for their significant achievements in f1. see: charles making a point to congratulate pierre on his podium in baku, as i discussed earlier in this post, and again in zandvoort 2023. (both times with a kiss emoji, mind you). similarly, check out pierre seeking charles out in parc fermé to congratulate him for his bahrain 2022 season-opener pole, and then congratulating him for his win twice over on social media. (and these are just a few examples out of many!)
this is one of those things that sets them apart from many other f1 rpf pairings: they both seem genuinely happy when the other does well. and like. they are COMPETITORS - but they're good enough friends that they can still celebrate each other's achievements genuinely and happily. that is insane!!
yes, sure, it's good sportsmanship to congratulate other drivers for wins/podiums - but that is usually done with a handshake in person or a copy-paste "congrats to XYZ" in the post-race interview, or something like that. one rarely gets the sense that it comes from a place of genuine, deep happiness for the other driver being congratulated.
pierre and charles are just on a whole different level. they specifically seek each other out in parc fermé, hug each other with so much enthusiasm that it looks suspiciously gay, and also post about each other's achievements very fondly on social media.
again, this is something you might see a driver do for their teammate - for example, charles congratulating "carlos and the team" for a win in singapore - but almost never with a freaking KISS EMOJI. and a pet name. and so much genuine joy.
just... yeah. they care about each other so much, and are each other's biggest supporters ❤️
it's not just in good times that they're there for each other, either: 2019 was a truly difficult year for both pierre and charles (pierre especially) but they were still there for each other when it mattered.
the prime example of this is monza 2019, which was one race after pierre's demotion from red bull, and also one race after anthoine hubert's death. because the fia has no sense of basic kindness or decency, naturally they put pierre into a press conference that very weekend.
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the video of that press conference is very hard to watch - every time pierre is asked a question, you can hear how much he is struggling to hold it together. honestly, the sole good thing from this presscon is that at least pierre had charles beside him.
here is a post i made where i discuss this in a bit more detail, but essentially: charles sat as close as possible to pierre for the entirety of that conference - close enough that their shoulders were practically touching - as a non-verbal gesture of support. you can see the difference in space between charles & pierre vs all the other drivers, and there's no way that was accidental. charles might not have been able to voice his support for pierre out loud right then, but it's there in every part of his body language.
another very meaningful moment is also from 2019, when pierre went up to charles pre-race in spa:
"I told Charles before the race, please win this race for Anthoine." (source)
and charles did. 💙
then later in 2019, when pierre got his first podium in brazil, guess who was right there to hug and congratulate him? that's right.
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this was another case where charles' own race fell apart - he had a crash with his teammate, in fact - but he still made a point of going to hug pierre after his P2, and going on social media to tell pierre and also the whole world that pierre deserved that podium. that's what i call supporting your best friend.
now, at this point, you might be thinking... well, pierre and charles have it all. whether you're looking for happy moments or deep emotional moments or suspiciously gay moments to fuel your shipping fire, it's all there.
and you'd be right! they do have it all. though i will say this - one of the complaints i've heard whispered around this fandom is that piarles is a fun ship, but they don't have any content videos together like teammates do. so it's harder to ship them, because you don't get to see them actually interact with each other aside from like 5-second video clips...
to that i say: well. they might not have any teammate videos together, but oh boy. as of 2023, they do have something else: the squeezie video.
i could talk about the squeezie video for MONTHS, i really could - but let me try and keep it brief. so, squeezie is this french youtuber who has this "who's the impostor?" video series in which he gets a couple of celebrities to join him on the show, plus some people from a certain profession, and then they have to guess who actually does that profession and who's the impostor.
the day that pierre and charles were guests on the show, the professions were "firefighter," "midwife," "flight attendant" and "school counselor." this resulted in absolute chaos of the best kind - ah, man, i cannot even begin to describe to you what a glorious mess it was. that video had everything from charles & pierre cradling fake babies, to charles & pierre extremely dramatically accusing each other of lying, to pierre making dirty hand gestures while charles blushes profusely, to charles & pierre play-acting being naughty schoolkids (feat. charles saying he fell asleep in class and woke up from a nightmare screaming "box box" 😭)
here are some screenshots of some of my favourite moments:
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the way they LOOK at each other... GOD.
anyways! you can watch the video here. my recommendation is to watch it with the original french sound track - there is an english dub available, but it sounds incredibly strange to hear american accents coming out of pierre & charles' mouths, off-sync with what they're actually saying. it's a MUCH better experience to watch in french, so you can hear what they actually said, and enjoy how they interact with each other. (english subtitles are available!) alternatively, you can find some translated highlights here, courtesy of the incredible @sedicii <3333
aside from all the still-can't-believe-they-actually-did-this-on-camera content, one of the things that makes me feel the most insane is that pierre and charles both chose to appear on this video. there was no contractual PR requirement saying they both had to participate in it, like with teammate challenges - no, they did it in their free time, because they wanted to.
i mean, sure, that video was definitely good for PR for both of them, but the point stands that they didn't have to do it, and they certainly didn't have to do it together. they CHOSE to - and what's more, they said at the end of the video that they'd do it again.
that's so central to pierre and charles, i think: they choose each other, time and time again. they freely choose to spend time with each other, because they genuinely like each other and enjoy each other's company. so much so that you will find them together at least once on almost every race weekend.
no, seriously. it's a very unusual race weekend if pierre and charles aren't spotted together at least one time. whether it's being glued to each other's sides on driver's parades, or chatting in the background of some or other interview, or just walking through the paddock together... they will find each other.
there are SO many instances where this happens that i would be here for over a month if i tried to list them all - and i'd still probably miss some. but here are some of my personal highlights!
pierre and charles finding each other pre-race in jeddah
pierre and charles chatting in the media pen in the background of one of alex's interviews
pierre and charles walking together in vegas (feat. fond smiles)
pierre and charles being baby gossip girls in 2018
more baby piarles in 2018
even more baby pierre and charles chatting in 2017
and just to round things off: most recently, pierre and charles walking together in jeddah 2024
and many, many more... including a whole bunch of moments we'll probably never know about.
that's another thing that makes me more than a little insane about these two: pierre has actually said, in so many words, that they'll never share everything about their friendship.
In the end we have the same life, we grew up together. We've done many things together, but you won't hear about all of it. (source)
all these moments that we see, that we go insane over... that's probably not even the half of what they've actually done together. and that makes me feel some type of way. if this is just the small pieces of their lives & interactions that they choose to share with the public, then just imagine what else there could be...
....buuuuut that'll start becoming a fanfic if i let myself carry on with that line of thinking too long. (can i just say one thing about that, though? the piarles fanfic community is absolutely INCREDIBLE. such talented writers, such wonderful people... just, chef's kiss all around!!) but, yeah! i think this post has gone on for more than long enough now, haha.
so, to conclude: pierre and charles really are the epitome of a friends to lovers ship: they get along famously, they genuinely seem to love each other's company and are always laughing together - and they can very often be found giving each other the heart-eyes/looking at each other like they're in love. if it's warmth, joy and friends to lovers feels that you're after, then look no further <3333
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thank you so much for reading! and i do hope that after all this, you're at least a little bit in love with piarles, too ❤️
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its-time-to-write · 9 months
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Hello! I absolutely love your work. You’re a fantastic writer. Is it possible for you to do something based a bit off of the song London Boy by Taylor Swift? If not I understand. I just feel there’s some cool way to tie it with Jamie Tartt. Sorry if it’s a bit of a generic request
ALRIGHTY gotta preface this, I actually hate this song 😂 Lyrics aren’t bad, but the like accent thing she does makes me die a little bit. BUT. I saw what you were going for (I think)! So here it is, I suffered through listening to this song bc you asked for a fic and I am nothing if not eager to please.
This is also a response to two other requests. So if that was you, ✌️😗 y’all were on the same page, congratulations. This is also my first song-based fic, although all of my works are (very, very loosely) based on songs. That’s why they have such insane titles😅 ANYWAY that’s enough talking from me. Enjoy!
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i fancy you
i love my hometown as much as Motown, i love So-Cal
Richmond in London is very different from your hometown in Southern California. It’s colder, for one. And older. Things in California don’t have the same extended history as they do in England. You’re here visiting family for a couple months, although your cousins are trying to convince you to stay longer. 
“What do you really have waiting for you in California?” Holland asks.
“Uh, the beach. Sun. Great Mexican food.” you respond.
Holland isn’t buying it. “When else are you going to be able to live here? We can help you get a job and all that, not a huge problem.”
Holland is very convincing. You decide to stay for a year, single year, and see what happens.
Holland is four years older than you, and has always been the cousin you’re closest to. You’ve had a long-standing bond since being the two eldest sisters in your family. Holland takes you to clubs and introduces you to her friends, including a Miss Keeley Jones who thinks you are “abso-fuckin-lutely adorable.” 
“You have to bring her to a Richmond match, babes,” Keeley says. “Lots of fit footballers.” She winks.
You ask Keeley of she’s dating a footballer.
“Oh god no,” she shudders. “A coach.”
You don’t really see the difference.
saw the dimples first and then i heard the accent
It was a good match, even you can tell. The Richmond team played seamlessly, passing the ball back and forth without letting the other team even touch it. Their conductor of sorts, the one mediating the passes, was crazy. He never seemed to get tired, anticipating his teammates’ moves and those of the opposing team. It seemed like he was always five steps ahead of everyone. Holland notices you watching him and pokes Keeley.
“You like Jamie?” Keeley laughs. “Makes sense. Anyone with eyes likes him. He’s right fit, too. Good in bed, shit with feelings. Well, used to be. Still fucking cocky.”
That’s interesting. “You’ve been with him?” you ask.
Keeley gives you a 50/50 hand motion. “Sort of. Don’t really count it, do I? Was with him at his fucking worst. That’s why Roy fucking hates him.”
“He’s much better now,” Holland chimes in. “Something happened last season and he stopped being such a dick.”
“Holland!” you reproach, laughing. “That’s not nice!”
She and Keeley shrug. “It’s true though, innit?”
You don’t know if it is, because when you first see Jamie up close in the club later that night, he seems perfectly fine. You see a flash of a smile, a dimple, then he says something (you don’t know what) but his accent is… something else. It’s not like Holland’s, or any of your family, but you know enough to pinpoint it to Manchester. 
“The accent got you, didn’t it?” says a voice near your ear and you yelp as Holland slides her arm around your shoulder.
“Gets the best of us,” says Keeley, grabbing your hand. “C’mon, I’ll introduce you.”
She drags you over despite your protests.
he likes my American smile, like a child when our eyes meet, ‘darling i fancy you’
Regular dinner dates are scary, but dinner dates with a Premier League footballer are downright terrifying. 
You made Holland help you figure out what to wear, and when she showed up at your aunt’s house she had Keeley in tow.
“Heard you’re in need of a bit of a makeover,” she grins. “Lucky for you, that’s my specialty.”
Keeley and Holland have brought some of Holland’s dresses and you’re in a dark green one that “does fucking wonders for your hair, babe.”
Keeley did your makeup while Holland curled your hair and just like that, you’re ready to go.
You groan, “God, I fucking hate first dates,” while shaking out your arms. 
“It’ll be fine,” Holland promises, and she’s right.
It’s more than fine. It’s fucking fantastic.
“I like your smile,” Jamie says. “Fuckin’ American, it is.”
You laugh. “What does that even mean?”
Jamie shrugs. “It’s bigger. Brits are more reserved. Like Roy. You met Roy yet? Biggest fucking twat I ever saw,” but he says it with such affection that you’re sure he means something else.
His eyes are electric, blue and dazzling. They betray his every thought and feeling and right now you feel like if you hold his gaze any longer you’re going to say something completely stupid. 
Turns out your not the one to say something stupid; he is.
You’re walking back to his car, holding hands and swinging them in between you when he stops and says, “Darling, I fancy you.”
You grin and he returns it. He asks, “Was that British enough for you? Feel like you got the whole experience?”
“Definitely,” you say. “Was I American enough for you?”
“Dunno,” he replies, “Got to test one more thing.”
His lips are very soft on yours.
met all of his best mates, so i guess all the rumors are true
“This is Isaac, Colin, Dani, and Sam.”
Jamie is introducing you to some of his team. You’ve been dating for a month now, and your first picture together just popped up in the papers the night before.
The boys of AFC Richmond were pretty sure Jamie was seeing someone, but they didn’t know who it was. Jamie had set up this dinner thing a while ago, it just so happened that the tabloids got to you first. 
It’s not even that great a picture honestly, but you’d been around Nelson Road enough that the boys were able to recognize you. 
It’s a little unnerving to meet them, what with Isaac’s intense stare and Dani’s wide, wide smile. You’re grateful Colin and Sam are acting normal.
“We have an American coach,” Colin says in an attempt to break the ice. It does, because you’re all laughing at the absurdity of his attempt. 
“We have heard very much about you,” Dani says and you wonder if he ever stops smiling. It feels so weird and so normal to be at Jamie’s house with a pile of food and FIFA queued up on the TV, ready to go. You figure that if you’re meeting his friends, Jamie must be at least a little serious. He finds your hand and squeezes it under the table as Isaac cracks his first smile of the night. It’s weird dating a footballer, but you think you can get used to it.
babes, don’t threaten me with a good time
Jamie’s house is the largest you’ve ever been in, and it used to be strange that it was only just the two of you, clattering around that big home. 
It’s a cool night after a warm day so you both decided to lay in his backyard under the stars. 
It feels so much like something you’d do as a teenager, and you tell Jamie as much.
“Used to sneak on me mum’s roof,” he tells you. “Didn’t even do dumb shit, I’d just go to look.”
You lay there in silence for a few moments until you feel something tickle your side.
“Jamie!” you shriek.
“I didn’t do nothing!” he protests. “Must’ve been a bug.”
You don’t believe him, but you don’t push it until you feel another tickle.
“Babe!”
“Babe, it weren’t me, I swear,” he says and you really don’t believe him, especially when he tickles you again less than a minute later.
You laugh. “Fuck you, Jamie Tartt.”
He smirks. “Babe, don’t threaten me with a good time.”
“Hm, maybe I want a good time.”
Jamie’s grin widens and he sits up. “You know where the bedroom is, love.”
you know i love a London boy
“I don’t fucking get it,” Jamie says. You shrug. 
“I literally don’t either,” you say. Your dad leans over to Jamie. “So basically…” he begins.
He’s halfway through his explanation when Jamie pokes you. “Babe,” he says, “can we switch seats so I can hear your dad better?” You chuckle then wiggle your way into Jamie’s seat while he gets into yours.
“Why the fuck is it called ‘football’ if it’s with their hands?” Jamie asks.
Your dad shrugs. “Not a clue, son, not a clue.”
The game progresses and one of the teams scores a touchdown.
“Hold the fuck up,” Jamie says. “Why did their score change that much?”
“I know this one!” you exclaim. “Different types of goals get different points. And there’s something called a lateral which has to do with moving backward I think?”
You dad just shakes his head with a grin and doesn’t attempt to clarify. 
Your dad spends the second half explaining everything to a very focused Jamie, and he asks questions the entire car ride home. It’s funny have Jamie here in America, staying at your parents house and seeing where you grew up. 
When you’re finally back home and in bed, you pull him as close as you can and whisper, “I love you very, very much. You know that, right?”
You can feel Jamie smile against your hair. “I love you too, very fucking much.”
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Text
Delusional (Son Heung-Min x actress!reader)
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Summary: you're an actress in England and one day you get called to work in a commercial with your long time celebrity crush Son Heung-Min. Will you make it through?
Warnings: none
Author's note: well, the inspiration bug bit me again and i had to do this 😅 this cute scenario showed up in my mind and i tried to write it. I hope you like it ❤️ sorry for any mistakes, english is not my first language 🙏🏻
It was early in the morning, you had just had breakfast when your phone chimed with a new text.
"Amanda: morning, sunshine. New job in sight. U in?"
Amanda was your agent, a great friend and one of the most hardworking people you had ever met. She discovered you when you were still beginning your acting career and, in just a couple of years, she made you one of the most promising rising stars of England. Now everyone at the english showbiz had their eyes on you and she always made sure you had the hottest jobs in front of you.
You quickly replied: "sure. Facetime in 5?"
Amanda called you and filled you in with all the details. It was a perfume commercial and you were the main actress.
"It's super fancy, super fresh, so they wanted England's rising star to do it. What do you think?" - Amanda asked.
She was usually super excited when talking to you about new jobs but today she seemed a bit off, like she was hiding something... you just shook that feeling off and replied:
"It's perfect, i'm in!"
"Oh there's a tiny detail" - she said, with a smirk - "you'll be costarring with a male actor."
"Uhh okay, no problem" - you said, a bit suspicious - "Who is it?"
"It's the brand ambassador: football player Son Heung-Min" - well, damn.
It was like the world had stopped for a second. Son. Heung. Min???
No way.
Being an actress meant you had to keep private life as private as possible, but all your close friends (including Amanda) knew how much of a fan you were of the captain of the Korea national team. You didn't miss any Spurs or Korea national team matches, even though it meant watching them on your smartphone between takes. All for your beloved number 7. And now you were going to work with him?? On a commercial??
It made sense though. They wanted a super football celebrity and a rising star together: a recipe for sucess.
That's why Amanda was acting so weird. She knew exactly what she was getting you into.
"Are you freaking serious?!" - you asked, kind of terrified - "Amanda, i can't do it!"
She just laughed and said:
"Of course you can! Think about it: it's the perfect opportunity to book an incredible job AND get to know one of your idols! And if anything happens, just act out and pretend you're not the biggest fangirl I know. Are you my best actress or not?"
You laughed at her point. But it was true, you couldn't let that opportunity pass by.
"Okay, i'll do it. But you have to back me up there!" - you said, laughing.
"Great! I'll send you location and time soon"
She then said goodbye and left you there wondering how were you going to work with your celebrity crush.
**************
The day of the filming had arrived and you were a mix of nervous and excited. Amanda told you to get there soon because you were going to start early and finish everything in one day, so you got there by morning.
"Morning, Amanda!" - you said greeting her.
"Morning, sunshine! Or should i say 'sonshine' hahaha are you excited?" - she asked, with a smirk.
"Oh my gosh, please keep it low" - you said trying to hide your blush with your hands.
"Oh please, stop it, you're gonna kill it. Come on, let's get inside"
You got in and Amanda introduced you to Patricia, the director of the commercial. She was super nice and made sure you were completely comfortable with everything.
"Okay, so let's go meet the crew? Have you met your costar for today?" - she asked and you felt a bit embarassed.
"Oh no, first time meeting a football star" - you replied laughing and she could feel you were a bit nervous.
"Don't worry, i'm sure it's his first time meeting England's favorite rising star too" - she said winking and it made you feel better.
She showed you around and immediatly took you to hair and makeup because "we can't lose more time!".
When you got to the place, he was already there. Him. The man. Spurs player. Korean national team captain. Super celebrity. And most importantly: your long time crush. In all his glory, sitting down and scrolling on his phone. Even that simple sight had your heart beating faster. But you were determined not to let anything slip and just be professional. After all, nothing could happen, right?
Patricia said: "Mr. Son, this is (Y/N) (L/N), your fantastic costar for today. I'll leave you both here for hair and makeup and come back soon to get you, okay?"
He got up and walked towards you to talk to you. The man was so perfect you could swear he was literally glowing.
"Hi, nice to meet you, (Y/N)" - he said with that beautiful smile as he shook your hand - "It's a pleasure, i loved you in 'Sweet Paradise'".
You literally had one of those 'you.exe has stopped working' moments. Had the Son Heung-Min actually watched one of your movies?? Now you really wanted to bury your head in the sand. But you kept it professional, of course.
"Wow what an honor! Thank you so much. It's a pleasure for me too, I'm a huge Spurs fan." - yeah, we know you were totally toning your fangirling down - "Nice to meet you too, mr. Son" - you said smiling back and trying to play it cool.
"No, please, just Heungmin is fine" - he said smiling too.
You were mentally telling yourself not to blush, but it was kinda impossible. Not only he was so much more handsome in person, but he was also even nicer than you imagined?? Oh boy, that was going to be a long day.
You sat down and, while you were doing hair and makeup, you kept talking and getting to know each other (Patricia said it was going to "help the performance in front of the cameras" lol). He was soooo sweet and polite and soon you felt like you were talking to an old friend, sharing stories about your careers and personal lives as well. You loved hearing him talk about his football experiences and his favorite korean foods. He seemed like a really down to earth guy (not that you didn't know that already 😅🤣) and you two got along so well.
"So, what do you expect for today's job?" - he asks, casually.
"Oh, Amanda, my agent, said it's 'super fancy and fresh' so i'm very excited" - you said laughing.
"Well, you do look super fancy, so i think you're really going to nail it" - he said, with an innocent smile.
Oh. my. gosh. Was he flirting with you? No, it couldn't be. Would your long time celebrity crush be really flirting with you on the day he met you? It sounded like a fangirl's dream.
Well, flirting or not, you decided to take the risk and play his game.
"Oh i'm just trying to match my extra fancy costar" - you replied with a smug face.
He threw his head back and laughed. It was such an adorable sight and the cute wrinkles that formed around his eyes gave you butterflies.
Luckily, Patricia showed up there to get you both for filming and brought you back to reality.
"Hi babes, are you both done? Let's go!" - she said and you both followed her to the set.
When you got there, Patricia said:
"First, we need to get some individual shots, then we'll get you both working together. Mr. Son, can we start with you?"
You sat down and watched as Heungmin did his shots and boy, did he kill it. When he filmed, it was like he completely transformed his shy self to this handsome superstar. Is that a model or a football player? You had seen some behind the scenes for photoshoots he did, but seeing it live was something else.
When he finished, Patricia called for your turn. You walked to your position and you could see that Heungmin sat down on the exact spot you were and kept watching you. Saying it didn't make you nervous was a lie, but you always gave your best at any job, and it wasn't that gorgeous man watching you that was going to change it, so you just focused and did as Patricia told you. After you finished your individual shots, she said:
"Okay, now we're gonna film you two together. Mr. Son, could you come over please?"
Yep, that was it. Now you were getting to the good part ajdlajskaj
Luckily, she decided to start filming with some easier shots, like standing next to each other, being back to back and stuff like that. Just 'two powerful people being fierce together, so that everyone wants to buy this perfume and be as fierce as you both' like Patricia said hahaha
Needless to say, everytime time any part of your body touched his was like electricity. But hey you were going to be professional, right?
Well, that's what you told yourself until Patricia told you to get closer and look into each other's eyes for a dramatic shot.
Bro.
At that moment, you mentally thanked the universe for your acting skills, or else you'd be blushing MADLY. His gaze on you was soooo intense and you think his acting skills were just as good, because you really could believe all the feelings he had in that one look.
You were lost in his eyes when (thankfully) Patricia said "wow, that's perfect, you're both doing amazing. Now would you bring the chair, please" - she asked the staff.
A chair? Oh gosh. That doesn't sound good.
They brought the damn chair and Patricia asked Heungmin to sit down.
"Now, ms. (L/N), please hug him from behind" - you obeyed, never leaving the 'fierce' character, but feeling the butterflies in your stomach again - "now lay your chin on his shoulder. Yes, perfect"
Every little move had you going crazier but you couldn't say you weren't enjoying it. Like, perfume or not, that man smelled amazing and getting to be so close to him was like a fairytale.
Patricia was amazed at how good you were: "oh my gosh, this is getting so good, you're the best actors i could ask for!" - you and Heungmin just looked at each other and laughed at what she had said. Her face strangely lit up at that - "yes, perfect! You just gave me the best idea. Now just goof around, let's get some shots of you laughing"
The staff took the chair away and you and Heungmin didn't really know what to do, so you just bumped him with your hip, which surprised him and caused him to laugh.
He then walked over and tried to hide you in a hug. You both laughed again. Being there in his arms, just laughing and seeming to have a good time together, you really thought "is this what heaven feels like" AJSKAJSKAJ
So you both just spent the next minutes being silly and laughing to the camera and Patricia was SO pleased.
"Wow, this commercial is going to turn out amazing. Are you sure you hadn't known each other before? You have incredible chemistry"
"Oh it's easy to work with such an incredible artist like (Y/N)" - Heungmin said with that cute smile of his.
"Ah, please, like working with the Son Heung-Min isn't everything an actress could ask for" - you said, in a joking, but gentle tone (but of course meaning every word ajskajskaj).
Did he... did he blush? You could SWEAR you saw his cheeks becoming a little pink. Aw man, that guy was seriously making you go delulu.
Patricia was feeling very satisfied with all the shots so she just went 'that's a wrap' and you all celebrated.
"Congratulations, seems like we did an amazing work!" - he kinda whispered to you as Patricia was saying the last 'thank you's to the crew.
You smiled at his kindness.
"Looks like it" - you replied, laughing. All that working and laughing together made you feel more comfortable being around him - "seems like we make a pretty good team" - you said and went for a fist bump, which he replied and laughed right after.
Everything about that job was amazing and the day really couldn't get more perfect. Well, at least that's what you thought until a bit later.
When you finished everything, you were gathering your stuff and getting ready to go back home, then Heungmin approached you.
"Hey, (Y/N), umm will you be going somewhere tonight?" - he asked, nonchalantly.
"Oh no, i'm just going home" - you said, smiling softly.
"Ah well, i was wondering, maybe we could go have dinner? I mean, to wrap up the good day of work and also I can tell you more, o-or maybe even show, about that korean food we were talking earlier" - he said, with a bit of hope in his tone.
He was so adorable you couldn't hold back a smile.
"Of course, Heungmin, i would love to" - you said smiling as you followed him out of the set.
As you left, you could hear Patricia whispering to Amanda: "see? I told you" as they watched you both with a grin. Did you really already have two shippers?
Yeah, maybe you weren't that delusional...
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effervescentdragon · 11 months
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@petitprince16 i guess this is for you since i didnt even wait till i seized this opportunity 😅 mwah ❤️
"I guess I'm playing you again," Sebastian says with that infuriating half-smirk he has always had which used to drive Charles crazy even before he finally saw it directed at him. He's leaning against the door of Charles' locker room, and his playing shorts are really short. Charles gets distracted by Seb's legs for a moment too long, before his eyes return to his face and that damned infuriating smirk.
Namely, the way that smirk drove him crazy changed many ways over the course of his career and with the times, but Charles isn't really ready to get into that. He's blushing already, and he has embarrased himself in front of Seb a million times. He'd give anything to be able to embarrass himself against him a million more, if he were being honest, but honesty is overrated, and Seb is retiring at the end of the season.
There's a whole thing happening, him and Lewis playing each other in one final match. Charles knows all about it, from Pierre and George and Mick and everyone, and he doesn't know what he thinks. Doesn't know how he feels about it, really. Doesn't want to figure it out.
That's a lie, actually. It's jealousy, and annoyance, and sadness, because Seb has always been there, always, someone Charles looked up to before he climbed the ATP ladder, someone Charles met on the courts all over the world, grass and gravel and all in between, someone Charles even beat regularly for a while. He's still not sure if that was the best or the worst thing to have happened to him. But aside from that, Seb was a voice on the phone in the middle of the night and the face across from him in the bar, a warm hand on his neck and even warmer lips on his in the dark of the nights in England and Spain and Australia and everywhere in between.
And now he's retiring, and playing Lewis for his final match, and Charles is just supposed to, what? Go on? Play like nothing is changed? Live on like Seb isn't leaving?
He can't. He has to, though. He hates it with his whole being, but he has to. Fuck.
"Yeah," Charles replies, and tries to smile. "I'll try not to grind you into dust." He shrugs. "At least you can win against Lewis, later."
He isn't sure why he said it. He wishes he hadn't, but he knows Sebastian, and the damage is done already. Seb knows him, too, always has, always had a way of cutting through Charles' bullshit and opening up the most vulnerable parts of Charles, prying him open and making him admit things he didn't even know he thought, or felt.
This time is no different. Sebastian looks at him, really looks at him. His mouth opens a bit on a quiet exhale, and there is recognition and understanding in his expression. Charles flushes fully, bites his lip and puts his hands in his pockets. He scuffs his shoes and tries to think of their upcoming match, but it's no use. His mind is stuck on the fact that Seb is leaving, and that this will probably be the last time they play each other.
A warm hand splays on his shoulder, and soft fingers graze his throat. He looks up into Seb's eyes, then glances around, to see if anyone is in the locker room with them. There's nobody there, and Seb presses his hand into Charles' collarbone. The touch burns, but Charles is used to it. Seb's touches always burned.
"Charles," Seb starts, then cuts himself off. Charles' name always sounds unfinished on Seb's lips. Maybe it's because Seb rarely finishes what he wants to say to Charles. "I - you -" he tries again. Charles is sweating too much already, and he can feel his shorts cut into his stomach. He tries not to move, but Seb is too close already.
"It's okay," he makes himself say. "I - understand."
Seb scoffs. Charles blushes again, but that's fair. He doesn't understand, not really. He's young, and hungry for victory, and he doesn't understand why Seb would walk away. How he even could.
Seb says nothing, and silence is pervasive for a moment. Sounds of the crowd are muffled, and Charles feels his heart in his throat. This tournament isn't really that important, but Charles still wants to win. He wants it more than anything, except, maybe - no. That's foolish. Seb has made his decision. There's nothing that can make him stay anymore. There is nothing worth staying for anymore.
"Charles," Seb says again, and this time, there is something soft in his voice, somthing that hurts Charles. It's the same tone he uses when they're done with fucking and they're wrapped around each other, right before one of them has to get up and leave. That's when they talk, about silly things, and important things. That's when time stops for a while, and everything gets relegated to second place, tennis and playing and winning and injuries and all of the world that's outside their bed. That's the times Charles yearns for and fears the most. "Do you have plans for the summer break?"
Charles blinks. Seb's final match is in July, during the first week of the break. Charles has already confirmed he'd be there, with Seb's PR team and his own, and Lewis' people too. He was planning on coming to Germany, watching the match and then fucking off to Ibiza or somewhere else where he could drink his - whatever away. He doesn't know what Seb is asking. He doesn't know what this all means.
"After July," Seb says, and there is something in his eyes that makes Charles' breath hitch and stop in his throat. "I have some things to do, to wrap up, but August, I - I will be free." Charles doesn't think he's only talking about tennis. "I'll be - I will have time. And if you, if you want - I have a tennis court at my place in Switzerland."
It's not a question. It's not even an offer. It's - it's not like Seb, not to say what he wants, at least not to Charles. He's never had issues with telling Charles exactky what he wants, and what Charles is doing wrong, and what he's doing right. It's not like Seb, to mince words. It's not like him at all. It's more like - Charles.
He looks at Seb, and sees it all then. The tightness of his lips. The crow's feet around his eyes. The way his chest rises and falls. The way he clutches onto Charles' red shirt harder than it's necessary.
Charles feels himself start to smile. Seb is close to him, but Charles takes a step which brings him right into Seb's space.
"I have no plans," Charles says quietly. Seb's eyes widen almost imperceptibly. "I would appreciate using your tennis court. To exercise, for next season."
Seb licks his lips.
"That means this isn't our last match."
Charles can feel Seb's breath against his own lips. It smells like watermelon, like the gum Seb likes to chew. It's familiar. It makes him giddy.
"I'm still going to win," Charles says cheekily, and it startles a laugh out of Seb.
"You think?" Seb asks, and his eyes sparkle. His fingers trail a burning path slowly over Charles' skin.
Charles looks at Seb's lips, then back up into his eyes.
"I know," he says with a certainty he has rarely felt in his life. I won today already, he doesn't say.
He's pretty sure Seb knows it already, if the grin on his face is any indication.
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will-solace-aaaaa · 1 month
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Second chapter of my book!
1st chapter here:
@nico-di-angelo-aaaaa @averagehopelessguy @andrew-and-flower @camstargone @dontbothermeimtired
Hope yall like it
1064 words
My dog can fly
Once Ariel and I had left, she showed me where she found me. This place had some sort of different vibes, like some crazy vibes. There were so many weird little creatures, I don't think I was in England anymore...
There were little animals that looked like flowers and mushrooms. They were so tiny that they could probably fit in your hand. 'Aw, that's adorable!' I said because they were. I wanted to step on one. 'Where are they going?' I asked as we continued walking into the forest. 'And what are they?' 'They're plants.' Ariel informed. 'Oh.' 'Not a very creative name.' I said (very smartly). 'No, they're plants that have been enchanted by magic users.' Which is stupid because magic doesn't exist. 'Magic doesn't exist.' 'Yes, it does,' 'especially here. This is a magic forest.' Oh. 'I knew that.' I said, because I did. I one-hundred percent knew that.
The forest did feel like it had some ominous magical stuff everywhere. Ariel informed me that the unnaturally tall trees that I fell into were so tall because of the magic in the ground and nature, and sometimes it can make the smaller plants sentient (hence the weird flower creatures). Ariel said they were called Asi.
The further and further we got into the forest, the taller and taller the trees got; every step felt like it was being watched. We stopped. 'This is where I found you.' She said, pointing to a pile of blood. Woah, was that all my blood? 'What were you doing this far into the forest? It feels... creepy.' 'The deeper into the forest, the more magic there is. I usually don't go this far, but I heard screaming and a large thud,which i presume was you.' She said, and if I fell around here, then Ruby shouldn't be that far!
'Why is the forest magic, And how did it happen?' I asked, the thought had been chewing at my mind for a while. 'Well, 16 years ago, a queen named Lilith had come to Emaia. She said that she wanted to make a deal with the king that her son, Killian, and his daughter, Eliza, would both get married when they were old enough. But the king said no because he knew Lilith was a magic user and that anyone who was to make a promise to her would have no choice but to follow it through.'
'You see, magic users are people that have been born with powers, and no two magic users have the same ability.' I didn't sign up for a history lesson. She continued anyway, though.
'Some say what made the king really decline, though, was that Lilith was dangerous. Her kingdom, Fenadi, were known for their magic users; Lilith's father had caused chaos throughout the entirety of Emaia because his magic was destruction. He could destroy anything with just a thought. There was a war between Emaia and Fenadi, and many lives were lost, the Queen of Emaia had died by the hands of Lilith's father, so the proposal of his daughter someday marrying the grandchild of the man who killed his wife had outraged him.' Wow, this was the most interesting history lesson ever.
'When he declined Lilith's offer, though, she was angered. She had gone out of her way to try and mend both the kingdom's reputation within each other. Lilith had decided that she had been disrespected, and so she had waged another war on Emaia. A war of which is still going on. The king banned all magic users from ever entering his kingdom after that-' There was a noise in the distance. Some kind of animal. 'Ruby?' I said before dashing towards the sound. 'Eric, wait!' Ariel said as she ran after me. The animal had sounded hurt. Was it Ruby? Was Ruby hurt?
I ran. I ran as fast as I could, tripping over logs and bumps in the ground. The noise was definitely Ruby. It sounded just like when she wanted my food, even though she had just eaten. God, Ruby must be hungry. I'll be sure to get her some amazing food. 'Agh!' I tripped, allowing Ariel to catch up to me.
'Eric! You can not just run off like... that.' She trailed off. 'What is it?' I said, looking as her face twisted into one of alarm and confusion. 'Is...' she started. 'Is that Ruby?' She said, pointing towards a dog-like creature.
That was Ruby, alright.
It was her, just, it wasn't. Ruby looked the same except for the red scales covering some patches of her fur, the stubby horns coming out of her head, and a pair of scaly, golden-red wings.
'Ruby?' I said cautiously. She looked over at me for a second before recognising me and running up to me, licking my face and making it wet with dog spit. I would've been really grossed out if I wasn't so happy.
'Ruby!' I said, giggling and wiping my face with my clothes. Sorry, Sebastian. I still hadn't gotten my own clothes yet so I've been wearing the biggest clothes ever. Like, I get that he's buff, but I'm pretty bulky too, if I do say so myself.
'I thought you said she was a dog. Why does she have wings?' Ariel said, doing something that looked like a silent prayer. 'She is! Well- erm, was.'
'Okay. Okay. That's fine. That's cool. It's totally not a dragon dog thing that could probably kill us all. Nope. Cool.' 'Hey! She's a she, not an it.' I said as Ruby licked me again. How could Ruby kill us? Just because she has wings and scales now doesn't mean she's gonna hurt anyone! Ariel was just being dramatic.
Ruby seemed to be limping. 'Come here, girl.' I said as she came over to me. I grabbed her paws and saw that she had some scrapes and cuts on them. Well, it's better than what happened to me.
'Wanna go back now? I'm getting cold.' Ariel said, gesturing at the sky. Damn. It was almost pitch black. Thanks a lot, history lesson. 'Yeah, let's go. Come on, Rubes.' I said, picking her up, careful not to hurt her.
Even when we got out of the magic woods and back to the house, I couldn't seem to shake the feeling of being watched.
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pensat-i-fet · 1 year
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Lucky 19 (Raphael Varane x Reader)
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**I was very excited when I got the request to write for my second favourite Frenchie. So much so, that I wanted to add some French too 😅 I used to be better at it so if I got anything wrong, don’t hate me 🤗 Anyways, enjoy! I had a blast writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it too ❤️**
Word count: 2688
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"Hello, bonjour! You're going to have another Frenchie with you on the team soon", says Alessia when she sits next to me at breakfast.
"What do you mean? Who are we signing?"
"Well, not us as in our team. But like, United".
"Can you speak simple English? It's too early for riddles".
"The men's team is signing Varane".
I almost choke on the apple I'm eating.
"They are what?"
"Why do you look so terrified? Do you not like him?"
That's not exactly the problem. "I just didn't see that coming. Huge singing, though".
Alessia nods and starts to eat. But I can only think about Rapha being here…in Manchester. In Carrington. Especially after what happened the last time we met. And also the previous one. And the one before that…
                                **
A couple of days later, we are at Old Trafford for the first match of the season. United vs Leeds. Should be fun.
But before the match starts, I notice a lot of commotion near the tunnel.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, you know. Varane is going to say hi to the fans. He'll come here after he's done", says Katie.
Why am I the last one to find out about everything? Oh right, because he hasn't answered any of my calls or texts.
When Rapha goes out to the pitch, he's holding his new shirt. Number 19, like me.
The whole event gives me an excuse to stare at him. God, he looks so good. That suit he's wearing looks perfect on him. And his smile…I need to stop. That's what got me in trouble before.
"He's so hot", I hear one of my teammates say.
"Who said that?", my tone is harsher than I meant.
"Me?", says Ella, scared by my question.
"No, I didn't mean you. I thought I heard someone insulting us. Don't mind me. English is still hard to understand for me".
English isn't hard to understand for me, and they know it. But they allow me to use it as an excuse.
"I'm going to the toilet before the match starts".
I need to splash some cold water on my face. I can't spend my days acting like this because he's here now.
"Salut, ma belle" (hello, my beautiful).
"You don't answer any of my messages for days and now you come here and call me pretty names? Not very nice, is it?"
"I didn't want to talk to you on the phone but in person".
"Why?", I say, noticing I'm moving closer to him. Damn it! It's like he has a magnet.
"Because I love seeing the way you blush whenever we are together. You're adorable".
"I'm going back with my friends".
"Mon ange, sit with me" (my angel).
"They don't know we know each other, Rapha".
"Who cares? We are both French. It makes sense that I want to be with someone who speaks my language".
I try to go back to my seat because I don't trust myself near him. But he's not a quitter. I soon notice my arm being grabbed by one of his big hands and he moves me to a corner where no one can see us.
"I've missed you, ma belle".
"I haven't".
He nods, laughing and leaning down to kiss me. And of course, I offer no resistance and kiss him back immediately.
"I like it when you don't miss me", he smiles, pressing his forehead against mine.
"It's that stupid suit you're wearing".
"Do you like it?"
I nod, hypnotized by his eyes staring into mine.
"I might let you take it off me later…if you're a good girl".
I roll my eyes and follow him, noticing he's going the wrong way. So I’m now the one that takes his arm and leads him to our seats.
When we get back to my teammates, I introduce them to Rapha.
"So you knew each other?", asks Leah, raising an eyebrow.
"We've seen each other a few times at the French Federation".
He nods, smiling at all of them.
The match is fun. Six goals and the fans are incredibly loud the whole time. It's one of the biggest rivalries in England and it shows.
But for me, the match is also a big challenge. Rapha can't stop leaning to whisper in my ear. I tell Katie we are just chatting about the match, but we aren't.
"Can you stop? This isn't the place".
So he stops…only to start pressing his leg against mine. To anyone, he's just a typical man thinking his legs being spread takes priority over everyone else's comfort, but I know him. He's doing it on purpose because I'm wearing very short shorts. So I can feel the fabric of his trousers on my skin, bringing back so many memories.
"Arrêt!" (stop!)
"Je veux pas" (I don’t want to).
Our little stare contest is interrupted by the referee signalling the end of the match and we both get up to clap the team.
"Come home with me tonight, please", he whispers in my ear. And I can't say no. He knows I can’t say no to him.
                               **
I wake up when I feel strong arms around my waist, pulling me closer to the body next to mine.
"Bonjour", he says while kissing my neck.
I just close my eyes and enjoy the moment, leaning back, closer to him.
"What do you say to breakfast in bed?"
It's not the first time he offers that but it's the first I accept.
"Sure. I can help you make it".
"No, you stay here. I'll be right back".
When he's gone, I get up to go to the bathroom and pick up one of his shirts to wear. I don't even know where mine is.
Soon, he opens the door again, tray in hand.
"Is that just for me?"
"Yes, I'll just have coffee now and I'll eat at Carrington. I have training in an hour and a half. You?"
"Same".
"I can drive you there", he offers.
"I need to get back home and pick up my things. And it'll get people talking if we arrive there together".
He only nods and takes his coffee again to have a couple of sips.
"Do you want more fruit?"
Ever since I was a kid, I've always had dessert before the main food.
"No, I'm good. Maybe when I'm done with the omelette".
So I start eating but when I'm about to put the third piece of food in my mouth, he speaks again.
"You didn't ask me why I signed for United".
"Why did you?"
"Well, I wanted a new challenge and to play in a new league. But I had no idea where to go and then United called me".
"Not surprised they jumped at the chance to sign you, really".
"And I said yes before they even said more about their offer".
I notice his eyes on me and turn to look at him.
"Why?"
"Because you are here".
I drop the fork, startling myself with the noise.
"Sorry".
But when I look at him again, he's just smiling.
"I never wanted us to just have a casual sex type of relationship but the distance didn't make anything else possible. Now…we are in the same city".
I nod, not knowing what else to say. It's true that it never really felt like just that. I mean, we do text a lot and care about each other's lives and careers. That's why it hurt so much to see he didn't even tell me about coming to United.
"What are you trying to say, Rapha?"
"That I want us to be a real couple, ma chérie. But if you just want something casual…I guess I can try but I can't lie and pretend I'm happy with that" (my darling).
I move the tray to the floor, so I don't knock it with my legs when I move. And then I sit on his lap.
"I want us to be a real couple too".
"You do?"
I nod and lean down to kiss him. I have dreamt of this moment more times than I'll admit.
"But let's keep it private for a while, ok? Our teammates can be really annoying".
"I can do that…even if it'll be hard to keep my hands to myself when I see you around Carrington".
“Well, you don’t have to keep them to yourself when it’s just the two of us”.
                                  **
I somehow manage to concentrate enough on training. My head is definitely somewhere else. But not too far because the men train on the pitch next to ours.
"Can you come with us for a second?"
"Me? Sure".
I would rather go to the shower but I follow the lady who came to pick me up. And when I get to the pitch she's leading me to, I see Rapha is there too. Did they already find out about us?
"Why are we here?", I ask him.
"Relax. They just want a photo of their two French number 19 together".
"Oh".
He laughs at my worried face. I mean, it's not as if it's forbidden for us to be together but I don't want to have to give explanations to my employers about my love life.
"Ok, hold your shirts and smile".
We do and the photographer takes a few photos.
"Perfect", he says. And we move to go back to the dressing room. We're both sweaty from our training.
Rapha lets me walk in front of him and when we get to the door, he places his hand on the small of my back. He removes it quickly realising how that might look.
"We're not even going to make it past day 1 without people knowing".
                               **
"We were always trying to get you to hang out with us more but you always found excuses. What changed?", asks me Paul while we are having food in the canteen. It's true that I'm spending more time with my fellow countrymen now but he's exaggerating.
"I ate here with you two plenty of times. And we've been to so many parties together. Don't make up stories".
"Not as many times as you do now…".
"I think she likes Rapha better than she likes us", adds Tony.
I just shake my head. Even if they are right.
"Can you blame her?", asks them Rapha, making us all laugh.
He also puts his hand under the table to stop my leg from bouncing like it does whenever I'm nervous.
"So, should we have the party this week or the next? I need to know when to invite people".
"I don't know, Tony. Both dates work for me", I say. I love his parties.
"Invite some cute boys, we need to find her a boyfriend", laughs Paul. And I can notice Rapha's hand stops caressing my thigh when he hears that.
"I already have one", I say, making them overreact.
"Since when? Who? We need to give him our approval".
"I'm pretty sure you'll love him. But he's not ready to meet you guys yet. He's a bit shy".
"I'm sure he's a great guy", says Rapha trying not to laugh.
"So many hearts will be broken in the national team after this news".
Paul is always talking about all the players from our country that, according to him, fancy me so I'm not surprised by his comment.
"Yeah, well. They'll have to deal with it", says Rapha, and the little hint of jealousy I can detect makes me smirk.
After lunch, we all go back to pick up our things to leave. Rapha and I are using the excuse of us living close to one another to drive together. Also, he's still not used to the city and driving on the left so I've offered to help him. Very selfless of me.
Without warning, he pulls me to the side when he finds a little corner where we can hide and he starts to kiss me.
"Someone could see us".
"They won't", he says, before kissing me again.
"Are you jealous of the attention I get from other players on the national team?", I tease.
"Don't…".
"I didn't know you could get so possessive and jealous. Who's the one that you hate the most right now, then?"
"If you don't stop that", he says, while still kissing my neck, "I'll go on the WhatsApp group right now to tell them about us".
But that only makes me laugh…and I'm not the only one laughing.
I push him away from me when I hear a familiar laugh and steps coming closer.
"What are you two doing here?", asks Alessia while Ella looks at us suspiciously.
"Finding good WiFi", I say, realising I still have my phone in my hand. "I need to send a message but it won't go through".
"And you need help for that?", asks Ella, pointing at Rapha.
He thankfully reacts quickly by grabbing my phone and moving it higher.
"We're trying different heights to see if it works".
"Is this a French thing or is it just you being weird?", asks Alessia.
"Definitely a them thing", says Ella, still staring at us.
My mum saves the day by sending me a random text that makes my phone ping.
"We got it. See you tomorrow, ladies".
                                **
“Why is everyone obsessed with pairing you two together all the time?”, asks Paul when we tell him we have to do an interview for the French TV after lunch.
“We play in the same position”, I say, while Rapha says “we’re really good-looking”.
“She has a boyfriend, Rapha. Back off”.
He lifts his hands, claiming innocence, and I can only laugh.
After lunch, I go to the dressing room quickly to make sure I look ok. And when I get out, he’s waiting for me.
“Ready?”
“I guess. I’m not really in the mood and my hair looks awful”.
“Come here”, he says, opening his arms.
“Rapha…”.
“Just a friendly pre-interview hug”.
Well, that sounds good. So I hug him and before we separate, he kisses my head.
“You look perfect”.
Everyone is waiting for us and only 5 minutes later, we start the interview.
“I’m guessing it’s pretty helpful to have some French players here who can help you adapt to the new country and team”, asks the reporter.
"Yeah, she definitely helped me a lot when I got here. Her, Paul, and Anthony, of course".
"That's nice. French union in Manchester".
I laugh.
"You both play in the same position. What do you admire the most from each other's style of play?”
We both start to answer at the same time.
"You go first", I say.
"No, you go, ma chérie".
When I hear him, I try not to react to it but can see the presenter staring at us. A bit weird for a colleague and friend to call me that.
"Well, your ball distribution for sure".
“I would say your tackles”, he says, still shocked by the way he messed up. “I would be sent off if I tried to tackle like that, but you do it in a smarter way”.
The reporter continues to ask football questions mostly and I’m worried he’ll use Rapha’s slip to ask something else but he’s a big professional and doesn’t do it.
“Thank you for the interview, guys. I’m sorry it was live or we could have cut that part, you know?”
“It’s fine”, I say. Because it is. We couldn’t keep it a secret forever so who cares? Now people know.
I go join Rapha who is looking at me with his best “I’m sorry" face.
“Don’t worry. It could have happened to me too. And people were going to find out eventually”.
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“I don't”, I say, smiling at him. But before I have time to kiss him, a voice startles us.
"I knew it!", yells Ella. "And it's been confirmed by the French people of Twitter because I obviously have no idea what you two were saying in that video".
“Ok, detective Tooney. Great job!”
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ofmd-ann · 1 month
Text
15 QUESTIONS FOR 15 FRIENDS
Tagged by @gentlebeard @kiwistede @soupbtch - Thank you loves!!💕
ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?: Nope! My parents just liked the sound of my name
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: A week ago maybe? due to being stressed. Sometimes a good cry is therapeutic though! I recommend it.
DO YOU HAVE KIDS?: No, maybe in the future but I'm undecided.
WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?: I loved playing tennis as a kid, but I'm not that sporty! 😅
DO YOU USE SARCASM?: Yep (really wanted to channel Ed from Fun and Games here hehe)
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?: I think I'm good at reading people and I can usually tell right away if we are going to vibe or not. If I can pick up on kindness and warmth, that's always a draw. Physically... I guess I notice eyes.
WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOUR?: My eyes are Blue!
SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?: I'm going to go with happy endings, I do prefer movies that make me feel something (whether the ending is happy or sad) and sometimes horror movies are not too deep/just a bit of fun, but I do love horror as well!
ANY TALENTS?: I guess I must do but I can't think of anything specific lol I guess my creativity is a talent. I love making things (whether it's digital stuff or crafts)
WHERE WERE YOU BORN?: England
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?: Video games, being in nature, spending time with friends, psychology (which I'm studying right now), and obsessing over pirates 🏴‍☠️🌈
DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?: Not right now, but I've had cats, guinea pigs, and bearded dragons! 🐈 🦎
HOW TALL ARE YOU?: I'm 5'8"
FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?: English 100%! second to that would be science. Maths & P.E. were the worst for me.
DREAM JOB?: I always wanted to be a veterinarian or work with animals in some capacity but it never happened. Right now I'm studying psychology and I work in mental health. Helping people and making a difference enriches me, so any job in which I can do that 🥺
no pressure tags: @gentlebeardsbarngrill @agaywithcoffee @spirker @scorpiostarseed @bizarrelittlemew @saltpepperbeard @sherlockig @blakbonnet @elby3000 @celluloidbroomcloset @wastingyourgum @xray-vex @merryfinches @lightninginapuddle @sleepystede @apex-nadir @blueberreads @thehappyfeminist-22 @xoxoemynn
I know I've forgotten people 😪 so if you want to do this, tag me either way. I'm always interested in reading these💜
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canirove · 2 years
Text
Red & Blue | Chapter 23
Author’s note: If you send me any ask about this chapter, please put “Red & Blue spoiler” at the top so people who haven’t read it yet can avoid seeing anything that may ruin it for them ☺️ Also, the names of those fan accounts are totally made up. If they somehow exist, it is a coincidence 😅
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“He’s gonna break up with me.”
“Please stop saying that.”
“He will, Leah. I haven’t heard from him since I left England, and I’m supposed to fly back tomorrow.”
“But that’s what you agreed on, isn’t it?”
“It is. But if we were still going on holidays just the two of us, he would have said something already. And he hasn’t.”
“He may need more time. I spoke with Declan the other day, and he said that it’s been really tough. Mason only leaves the house to go for a run or a walk on the beach, and usually alone. And he has also heard him cry a few times.”
“Great” I say, also starting to cry.
“You are gonna be ok” Leah says, hugging me. “I know it.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I do. My ship isn’t sinking, I can feel it on my belly.”
“That may be the three ice creams you ate earlier” I chuckle.
“It isn’t that. It’s the same feeling I had when you first met Mason. And I wasn’t wrong, was I?”
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Our alone trip to Italy isn’t the only thing that is cancelled. The week we were going to spend in Portugal with our families, isn’t happening either.
“What do you mean you are taking some time off? Did something happen?” my mum asks when I call her to share the news.
“It didn’t. But there were some things going on, and before they became something serious, we decided to spend some time apart and work through them.”
“That sounds like something someone who is about to break up would say.”
“We are not breaking up, mum. Don’t say that.”
“Is it because you are leaving? He doesn’t agree with it?”
“It has nothing to do with that. It’s something else, and it’s personal.”
“If you say so…”
“Yes, I do say so. Anyway, you can still go to Portugal. And you should. Don’t let this ruin your holidays, dad was looking forward to it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, mum, I’m sure. Mason has told the same to his family. Enjoy these days and don’t worry about me. I’m staying with Aaron and Georgina.”
“As if it was that easy to not worry about you and Mason after what you just told me.”
“We’ll be ok. I promise.” Because that’s what I also tell myself. That we will be ok.
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“Real Madrid just confirmed the day of your presentation at the Bernabéu” Eliza says while we go through the last details of my trip to Spain.
“Finally! But why that face? Is there something wrong?”
“It’s the last week of August, when Chelsea is in the US.”
“Oh.” That’s all I can say. Oh.
Things between Mason and I haven’t changed. We text from time to time, mostly him asking me how are things going with the move, if I need anything. And the urge to tell him that what I need the most is him by my side, is real. But I don’t do it. He still needs time, and I promised I would respect his decision. Even if it is killing me.
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My first weeks in Spain are a blur, constantly going from one place to another. When I’m not training, it’s time to do interviews and photoshoots, and there is a point where I lose track of how many I’ve done. Though I’m kind of thankful for it all, because I don’t have time to think. I’m so tired, that the moment I get home I instantly fall asleep.
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We are playing our first proper game of the season at home, at the Alfredo Di Stefano. And it is packed with people.
“You’ll be fine” one of my teammates says, giving my shoulder a little squeeze. “Just take a deep breath.”
“Yes” I reply with a shy smile. All the girls have welcomed me with open arms, making this huge change a lot easier. And I can’t thank them enough.
The moment we go out for our warm-up, the noise is crazy. Everyone is cheering, clapping, and I can hear some people screaming my name. Every time I touch the ball, I hear more cheers and screams. But instead of getting nervous, they give me energy, making me more eager for the start of the game.
When we go back inside to get changed, someone from the staff pulls me away.
“There is someone waiting for you” he says.
“Now?” I ask.
“Yes, now. He’s over there” he says, pointing to a corridor nearby.
“Mason?” I say when I see the person standing there. It can’t be. It can’t be him.
“Hello, gorgeous” he says with a big smile.
I can’t help it and throw myself into his arms, making him take a step back to not lose balance. But he hugs me back, and we are doing it so tightly, that I can feel his heart beating against my chest. It is going as fast as mine.
“What are you doing here?” I say to his neck. “Don’t you have a game tomorrow?”
“I do. But Tuchel allowed me to come in exchange for not having a free day next week. And I must leave tonight.”
“You’ve come just for the game?” I ask, moving to look him in the face.
“I couldn’t miss seeing my girlfriend and fake wife on her first game with Real Madrid, could I?” he says with that smile I love so much.
“Your girlfriend and fake wife?”
“That’s what you are, isn’t it?”
“Am I?”
“Yes, you are.”
“Does this mean…?” I don’t want to say it aloud. I don’t want to jinx it.
“Yes. I don’t need more time to think. I can’t be 100% sure that I won’t feel insecure again, I’m human after all. But I know that if it happens, I’ll have you by my side, that you will help me get through it. Just like I will help you and be by your side whenever you need me.”
“You need to wrap it up, guys” the staff member from earlier says behind me.
“Already?” I say.
“I’m afraid so.”
“I’ll be on the stands cheering for you” Mason says. “Now you go and show those Spaniards what you are capable of.”
“Promise me that you won’t leave the stadium without saying goodbye.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“I love you, Mason” I say, hugging him again, not wanting to let him go.
“I love you too, gorgeous.”
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paradisepoisoned · 11 months
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always so ready to scream about meronia... 5 random headcanons for them, i beg of you
OMG YES ok it was hard what five to pick and this is gonna be long winded but fuck it I'm excited lol also I apologize in advance if this is senseless rambling I am not a very articulate person 😅
1-so I have this headcanon that Near and Mello both each have like their own little spice of PTSD or something, and they are the only ones who can kinda talk each other down in a way. I always Imagined Mello being born in Croatia during the Yugoslav wars and just living through horrendous trauma (this could be a post in itself so I'm gonna refrain because I have so many thoughts on Mello pre-wammys house but ANYWAY) and I don't really think he ever had time to process it, like he was living in a war torn country, everything he once knew, his family, everything blown apart and all of sudden he's at a prestigious secret orphanage for geniuses in England. So he kinda just buried it and didnt look back and dedicated everything to making L proud hoping that would be enough to make it go away but obviously it's not and so sometimes when he hears firecrackers or a siren or even one of Matt's videogames it fucking SENDS him and one day Near catches Mello hyperventilating in the hallway and Near shows him a breathing technique and breathes with him till he stops and Mello fucking hates him cause it works and it's something he uses the rest of his life and he thinks of Near.  Near only knows the breathing technique cause he also gets panic attacks but what gets Near the most is the nightmares. The nightmares send him into thrashing fits but the worst is the sleep paralysis. It would happen one of the first few nights when they slept together and Mello would stroke his cheek or hold his hand and talk him through it or recite a passage from a book, anything to distract him. Near never says what the nightmares are about or what he sees during sleep paralysis and Mello never pushes it.They don't know what the other went through but there is a mutual unspoken understanding and I feel like that is the closest they ever get to affection 
2-I feel like this is a really unpopular headcanon and not really accurate but idc I think Near secretly resents L. Idk why but I just like this headcanon. I picture Near to be a bit of a bitter person and I think he blames Mello's hatred for him on L though he'd never admit it  and tbh I don't think Near had any desire to become L at all I think he was apathetic towards everything at first it wasn't until Mello came along that he started feeling alive. Near never cared about being L. He cared about the game he and Mello played. I also think mellos admiration of L would just solidify Near's disdain and I would imagine they've gotten into a fight or two about the integrity of L's character. 
3-I think both would deny it but they can make each other laugh. Like genuinely laugh. I think they would fight it but every once in a while like on a full moon or some shit Near would make a snarky comment at someone or Mello would make a face behind rogers back and before they could stop themselves it would come out. They are mortified at how the others laughter makes there heart skip a beat and neither would admit to this under torture.
4-I think Mello is one of the only people who knows Near is secretly a disturbed basket case and hear me out lol. Mello is probably the closest Near has ever gotten to someone and this is already turning into a thesis so I'm not gonna get into my headcanons for Near pre wammys but ya boy has ISSUES. Like one day Mello would catch Near doing something wild like trashing A's old room (idk I have a headcanon that A and B's room stayed like mausoleums at the orphanage and it was like a ghost story) and Mello would get the blame for it cause who would fucking believe him if he said Near did it. So he gets grounded for a week and Near slips him chocolate under the door as a silent apology. 
5-Linda and Roger put together a funeral for Mello and Matt. Near did not attend. 
 I'm sorry this turned into a Ted Talk without almost any punctuation, but it feels good to scream about these two thank you loll
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quill-pen · 5 months
Text
So there's going to be a part in one of my wips where I plan on Millie reading a school report about Bess aloud. I decided to try writing it to figure out Millie's writing style. She'd be about 9 or so in the timeline so that was very interesting to go back to. I can't remember how I wrote as a 9-year-old-- that was a long time ago.😅
Anyway, enjoy. This might change some in the final product.
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My Big Sister; by Millicent Sullivan-Scrooge
We're supposed to write this report on a great person. I've heard a lot of my friends say they're going to write their reports on kings and queens, war generals, or people in Parliament. I'm sure those people are really all great people, but I don't know how to find that out for sure because I don't know them. I don't know how to write a good report on someone I don't know. So I've decided to write one on someone I do know and is a great person: My big sister, Bess. Actually her real name is Elizabeth, but my brothers and sister and I always call her 'Bess', so she's Bessie to me, not Elizabeth.
My big sister was almost grown when I was born, and she's always been there for me. I can't remember a time when Bessie wasn't there. The furthest back I can remember is her rocking me and singing to me when I got sick for the first time I can remember. I don't remember where my mama was, but I do remember Bessie snuggling me when I felt cold and feeding me soup when I was hungry and reading my favorite stories to me.
I can't remember it, but my sister Josie says that Bessie was the one who helped me learn to crawl. And when I first started school back in Ohio, Bessie was the one who taught me how to write my letters and numbers. She even taught me how to read a little and spell my name. All the other kids my age had to learn how to do that in class, but I already knew it because of my sister.
I wouldn't know what to do without my big sister. She does so much for me. She washes and mends my clothes. She makes me food and a lot of the time it's my favorite. She takes care of me when I'm sick and makes me feel better when I'm hurt or sad. Her hugs and kisses are the best and always make me feel so warm and happy. She knows how to make me laugh really hard. All of my friends like my sister too, because she does all the same things for them too. She's Auntie Bess to them.
Bessie is the most beautiful lady I know, and I'm not saying that just because we're sisters. She's got freckles all over and long black hair that's all curly and so thick and soft. It smells so pretty when I hug her and hide my face in it. But I think her eyes are the prettiest thing to look at because they're so blue. My mama had blue eyes too, but Bessie's are a lot darker and prettier I think. My uncle Ebby says you can see how much Bessie loves you by looking in her eyes and I don't know exactly what that means, but I think it's true. I feel so warm and fuzzy when my big sister looks at me. Unless I've been bad and she's angry with me, then Bessie can look really scary. She never hurts me though, just scares me kind of because I know she's going to do something to punish me. When that happens I don't like it but I know Bessie only does it because she loves me and wants me to learn right from wrong so I can be a good lady like her when I grow up. And I want to be just likeher, smart, strong, pretty, brave.
I think that's my favorite thing about my sister, how brave she is. You see, Bessie hasn't had a very nice life. Our mama was always really hard on Bessie. A lot of times she was just plain mean and made Bessie do everything at home while she took us swimming or on picnics. I remember her yelling at my sister and hitting her a lot, but I don't ever remember Bessie crying, and Mama was really scary when she yelled.
Bessie was also really brave after Daddy and Mama died. She got everything together and brought us all here to England without knowing anything that would happen to us. I know she had to be really scared because I think I caught her a few times crying in the middle of the night. When I tried to ask her if she was okay, she'd turn right around and smile at me and tell me everything was going to be okay. And I could believe her easy, because I knew we had her to take care of us. Bessie always makes sure everything is okay.
Our teacher asked us to think about something we'd want to say to the person we chose to write about, or something we wished were different The only thing I wish was different about Bessie is that she stopped being so mean to herself. She always apologizes when she does something different than how Mama did it, and I know she still feels bad about moving us away from our home in Ohio. I wish she wouldn't because it's okay. It's okay that she does things different than Mama used to, because she's Bess, not Mama. And it's okay that we had to come here. If we hadn't, I never would have met all my friends, and I wouldn't have Granny or Uncle Ebby if we hadn't come here. I like having all of them.
And I wish Bessie would stop thinking she's not pretty. She has lots of marks she always hides, but I wish she wouldn't because all my friends think she looks super tough with them, and I think she looks really brave. When she's brave, Bessie is really pretty. I wish more people could see her like I see her.
And the one thing I want to say to Bessie is simple. I love you. And I'm really happy and proud that you're my big sister and my mama now. I want to be just like you when I grow up.
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@rom-e-o @ray-painter @m0nsterwife @crimson-phantom-designs @purgratoriat @thedivinelights @the-house-of-auditore-frye @oldmanlusting @christmasgaybusinessmen
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artschoolglasses · 1 year
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Thoughts on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s final update under the cut.
(Because obviously I assume some people don’t want spoilers. but I also need to say something.)
So, spoilers for the update. As well as the game as a whole. You’ve been warned.
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This is just going to be a random point-form all over the place sort of rambling rant from me. So, here goes. But I need to get this off my chest.
- First off, way too short. For them to talk about this final update for months and  for it to just end up being... a few poorly written cut scenes, some with characters Eivor really wasn’t close with at all, and then for other characters she was incredibly close with to not even show up? Oof.
- Super sorry to any Randivor shippers by the way. That’s rough, buddy.😬
- Also, the cut scenes really contradicted not only the main storyline and Eivor’s character growth, but also each other? She tells Harald she doesn’t want to go to Iceland because she doesn’t want to walk down well-worn roads, but at the same time... ends up returning to the exact same spot in Vinland that she and others have already been to? Doesn’t make sense.
- And it also doesn’t make sense she’d leave at all. We knew she’d end up in Vinland somehow. Fine. That had to happen. But with the reason being she had to “find herself”? Again, doesn't make sense. The whole point of the end of the main game was her realising the glory and power Odin promised her meant nothing in comparison to her found family. A found family she spent the entire game helping, protecting, caring for. To just... leave? In the middle of the night? With only Valka to notice? And a vague mention of Randvi? (Again, sorry Randivor shippers. Ouch.) It just took none of her own growth as a character into account.
- Honestly, it would have made more sense for her to be forced to leave England for some reason. Because there’s no way she’d just leave everything willingly like that. Seems like the writers knew she had to leave but didn’t really know how they were going to make her do that. So just pushed an excuse for her to go that didn’t really work. At all.
- Then the whole Odin thing. So they’re just... buddy buddy and chatting again? Really? After that super dramatic ending? And apparently she wants to learn from him? To what end? She just fucks off to Vinland and talks to the guy in her head as her only company and learns from him... to pass none of that on to anyone? Feels like a pointless way for her to end her days.
- And, sorry to people who actually like Basim, but I am not one of them. (Him standing over Eivor’s grave at the end of the main game and taunting her really put the last nail in the coffin for me. Not a fan.) So having so much Basim in this last update? Almost as much if not more focus on him than Eivor? Infuriating. Really, it made the whole thing feel like an advertisement for Assassin’s Creed Mirage. 
- Which, even though I liked the Roshan surprise, again, feels like an advertisement for Mirage. Maybe would have felt less like that if the focus of the last chapter hadn’t been so much on Basim and the Roshan quest was just a nice surprise they added on. But that’s not the case. Basim was heavily present in the last chapter. So again, feels like an AC Mirage advertisement. Using Eivor’s last chapter, the end of her story, to advertise Basim’s game. Cheap, Ubisoft. Super cheap.
- And, yeah. The new armour is tacky.
Anyways. If you made it through all that, have a cookie. And feel free to rant in the replies. I’m sure I'm not the only one who needs to get things off their chest after witnessing that.😅
EDIT: Wait! Let me just add, Hytham is precious and I love him. That was the only part of this I applaud. Being a mentor to a bunch of the villagers in Ravensthorpe was perfect and I would not change that at all. That man deserves the world.🥹
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ssuckitlosers · 1 year
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Any Nyotalia headcanons? (If you want specifics, maybe Nyo Prussia, Nyo Germany and Nyo Hungary?)
I have a bad habit of writing 90% of a headcanon and then going to sleep and never finishing it.😅
Nyo headcanons are kind of weird because I do try to keep them similar to their canon counterparts but realistically their stories/histories would probably be pretty different.
For example, nyo Hungary wouldn’t have decided to act more ‘ladylike’ or whatever and wouldn’t have quit fighting and battling. The housewife situation with Austria probably wouldn’t have happened either. However, I enjoy those two.
The main difference between Nyo Hungary and their canon counterpart, to me, is that there never would have been that inner conflict between who they are and what society expects of them.
Overall, I think Nyo Hungary is just able to unapologetically like all the things that their canon counterpart might feel less comfortable openly enjoying? Like Nyo Hungary never stopped hunting dinner himself whereas canon Hungary did stop (though I do headcanon that she got back into it after getting more comfortable with herself.)
I imagine that Nyo Hungary and Nyo Austria still lived together and Hungary still does 90% of the household chores while Austria plays the piano and occasionally mends their clothes whenever they have holes in them. (I also sort of touched on this before but canon Austria would be all for Hungary hunting their food because that man is nothing if not cheap.)
That ended up being long so I’ll just bullet point my other thoughts:
I imagine Nyo Prussia is largely the same but is overall more stubborn than her canon counterpart. (I think I went more in depth into their differences in another post but idk how well-articulated that was.)
She’s like the fun aunt but is also easier to set off than canon Prussia because she has no time for peoples bullshit.
I also love Nyo Prussia’s long hair. It’s 100% well taken care of, I imagine she does the whole ‘brushing each part one hundred times’ before bed thing. Could also see Nyo Germany cutting her hair breaking her heart a little bit lmao.
I think Nyo Germany is probably the same if not very similar. I love both those awkward muscle-y babies.
Also Nyo England’s hair is the opposite of Nyo Prussia’s. It’s constantly knotted and she’s definitely just cut it all off multiple times throughout her history. The only reason she ever has long hair is to keep up a certain appearance. (I’m not a big fan of the pigtails though, idk I feel like she’d have that really tight, slicked back bun look.)
And while I imagine that Nyo England has a better rein on her temper than her canon counterpart, the speed in which the earrings are off and they hair is tied back show that she’s no stranger to a fight.
Sidenote: I think Nyo England vs England could be pretty interesting to talk more in depth about but I won’t here because this would end up being a novel. I just think that England’s whole idea of being gentlemanly is probably the same for Nyo England except it’s being ladylike.
Lol okay I’ll shut up now. Anon if you ever see this, sorry this took so long to actually post, hopefully it answers the question somewhat.
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moontrimmer · 8 months
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My dearest women's football guru, are you watching the knockout round? Do you have a favorite for the championship based on what we've seen so far? (Love your long rants btw)
Ha, I wouldn't call myself a guru, just a big fan! 😅
And yes, ofc I'm watching the knockouts, it's been so much fun! I've loved Japan's beautiful beautiful football. I've loved seeing Colombia stand up and show the world what they can do. I've loved seeing both South Africa and Nigeria show that they could go toe-to-toe and even dominate European teams; both teams went out in the Round of 16, but Nigeria's game vs England went to pens, and in South Africa's game vs the Netherlands the Player of the Match was the Dutch goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar which tells you South Africa had a lot of attacking chances.
Speaking of Player of the Match performances by goalkeepers, Zećira Mušović! She's a very hilarious person on social media (just look at her bio), and has sometimes posted sarcastic shitposts, so it seems very fitting that she's the Player of the Match in a game that ended in the most insane penalty shooutout where the outcome is now the subject of so many memes 😂 Sorry USA, but Sweden gonna Sweden. (Play unconvincingly but still manage to knock out the USA in a major tournament through a penalty shootout.)
Speaking of USA being knocked out by Sweden through pens... Back in the 2016 Olympics when the same thing happened, Hope Solo went and said that Sweden didn't deserve to win because "they were cowards" for playing a defensive game and making it go to penalties. Magdalena Eriksson, who was a young player at the time, just frankly responded with, "Hope Solo is a sore loser." I remember laughing so much about Eriksson's comment because a) Solo's initial comment was just very unprofessional, and b) the audacity of a young and relative unknown player to say that about the Hope Solo! Now, Eriksson is one of Sweden's vice captains and when she was asked about the USA team, she said something about how they had great young players and how the USA would surely bounce back from the loss. And nobody from the USA team said that Sweden didn't deserve to win. The post-match comments in this 2023 World Cup match are so different from that 2016 Olympics match, in a much better way. You love to see it. People be growing up 😅
If it isn't obvious who I'm going for by my word-vomit/info-dump above, it's Sweden. I've always been a fan of the Nordic teams. It's only the Scandinavian teams that qualified for the World Cup and Norway gonna Norway (have so many world-class players but sh*t the bed in a major tournament) and Denmark has one world-class player and are in a building-up phase, so that leaves Sweden. Mind, Sweden's not that good either (they sucked vs the USA) and they are due for a rebuild but while they're in the tournament they're who I'm rooting for.
I don't see Sweden winning though (again, they sucked, and they're due for a rebuild), so I'm going for Japan and their beautiful beautiful football.
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Text
Between Waking Life and Our Dreams: Book 1 - Henry: Chapter 5 (5/?)
Summary: Henry let out a deep breath, turning up the volume a little bit and tried even harder to sleep.
That’s what must have happened because when he opened his eyes again, the car had come to a stop. They were off the highway, on a small road out in the middle of nowhere and Henry blinked, trying to see more in the darkness of night.
But the only thing he could see was his mom and Killian, standing outside in front of the headlights, surrounded by a forest in the background.
It looked like they were arguing.
Henry almost got out, but then something strange happened.
Emma, his mom, who always carried so much tension in her shoulders, never let down her guard, never let anyone see her cry, began crying.
That wasn’t the strange thing though.
It was when Killian pulled her into a hug. *** Season 3b canon divergence: Storybrooke is still missing when Emma, Killian, and Henry reach the town line.
Rating: T
Ch: 1, 2, 3, 4
Read on AO3
A/N: I keep telling myself this is the last chapter I'm writing in Henry's POV…but I just love it so much and the chapters just keep getting longer on me that I have to split them up 😅 So you can for sure expect at least one more chapter in Henry's POV after this one.
***
Things were supposed to have gone back to normal. They were back in New York, back on a schedule, back to their real lives.
Things were supposed to have gone back to normal.
But a week after their excursion out to the middle of the forests in Maine, things seemed to have shifted completely.
Killian was still staying with them, for starters. When Henry would start to ask when he was going back to his own place, Emma would immediately shut down the conversation before he could get any answers.
That wasn't even bringing up the fact that Killian was...weird.
There were several times that week when he overheard his mom trying to quickly explain something to him that should be common knowledge.
For the first couple of days, Henry tried giving him the benefit of doubt. He had an accent, maybe they didn't have dishwashers in England?
That was still no excuse for him not to know how Netflix worked.
On top of that, Killian didn't seem to actually do anything the entire day.
Henry would leave for school. His mom would chase down leads, after she bought a new computer that mysteriously died. And Killian...
For all Henry knew, he sat on the couch, twiddling his thumb around his prosthetic, waiting for one of them to come home.
Henry didn't necessarily complain too much about that aspect because he also noticed their apartment was much cleaner, and every meal was cooked instead of microwaved or takeout.
But it had been a week and it didn't seem like anything was changing.
He would've expected his mom to be anxious for Killian to get back to his own place after two days of him sleeping on their couch, sharing their bathroom, of having to set an extra plate on the table for every meal.
He knew that wasn't the case when on the third day of Killian staying with them, he saw the two of them come back from whatever errand they had to take care of.
Killian was smiling and his mom was laughing.
Sitting at the dining table, trying to finish his science homework, Henry saw it as what it really was.
Emma accepting Killian into their lives as their new normal.
On Saturday, when he and Emma went to the coin laundry a block away, Henry tried presenting Emma with all these questions. He hoped to either get explanations or, better yet, for Emma to realize that they couldn't trust Killian.
No matter how he might have helped his mom in the past.
For every question though, Emma had some kind of rebuttal.
"I tried looking him up on Facebook. He doesn't have one," Henry said, checking the pockets of his jeans before throwing them in the washer.
"Yeah, he tends to stay away from all technology."
"What does he do for work?"
Emma pulled a handful of quarters out and added them to the machine. "He's a freelancer."
"But who hasn't heard about Netflix?"
Emma shrugged as she flipped through a magazine while they waited for their washers to finish. "Like I said, he stays away from all technology."
On the way back from the laundromat, each pulling a covered cart with their clean clothes, Henry knew his last chance at getting some kind of answer was to bring up the big question.
"Why can't I remember?"
Emma came to a complete stop, spinning to face him with wide eyes. "Remember what?"
Henry frowned a little, thinking her reaction was a bit more dramatic than it needed to be. "You said he helped you find me. That means we were separated. Why can't I remember that?"
Something seemed to deflate in her. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before starting to walk back towards their apartment again. "It's a long story."
"I'm not going anywhere today."
"It's Saturday. Don't you have a standing game night with Jason on Saturday's?"
Another thing that hadn't gone back to normal.
Jason, his best friend since they moved to New York, was avoiding him, along with the few other friends Henry had at school.
"He had something come up."
It wasn't a lie.
It could very well be true.
But his mom still eyed him for a moment, as if wondering if this was something she should continue asking him about.
"So, what happened?" Henry pressed, hoping she would drop the subject of Jason.
"Honestly kid, it's something I don't really like to think about. I'd much rather forget and...I'm glad you don't remember."
The way she said that last part gave Henry the impression that she was talking about much more than whatever happened when Killian helped Emma find him.
One thing became clear to Henry though. He wasn't going to get any answers.
Which just meant Henry had to try something else.
Talking to Killian.
The man had been trying to make an effort to talk with Henry since they got back to New York. Well, it really started when Emma first brought him into their home and said she was going to help him with a case.
He acted as if he knew Henry.
Which, according to Emma, he did.
Henry just needed to figure out how to ask Killian these questions without his mom overhearing. He worked on a list of these questions, trying to figure out how he would even bring up the subject. He needed to make sure he wasn't being too obvious. That meant he needed to start talking to Killian, instead of blowing him off anytime the man tried to make conversation.
He started that evening after asking Emma his questions. Killian was helping him clean up the kitchen, as he always did now, despite Emma's protests.
"Where'd you learn how to cook?" Henry asked.
It was their third night in a row to have some kind of fish dinner that Killian had cooked.
When Killian first started cooking, every meal involved some kind of seafood until Emma put an end to it.
"Would you stop putting fish in my eggs!" Emma had exclaimed one morning. "I am fine with just having some poptarts or cereal for breakfast!"
That ended the seafood for every meal, but there wasn't too much change in the dinner menu.
Henry did see some chicken thawing out on the kitchen counter that afternoon, so he assumed this three-night run of seafood dinner ended tonight.
Killian looked to Henry at his question, surprise on his face at Henry being the one to ask him a question first.
The last time Henry had asked a question was back when they were in Maine, and he had asked about his family.
"The Navy," Killian answered, looking back to the cups he was setting into the dishwasher.
Killian hadn't brought up the dishwashing elves again, so Henry assumed that he had been joking when it was first mentioned.
"How long did you serve?" Henry asked.
Killian furrowed his brows. "I believe it was about four years."
Henry nodded. That sounded about right. That's how long most people in the military served in America. He assumed it was the same in England.
"What did you do after you got out?"
Killian turned to Henry, now with a glint in his eyes. "I became a pirate."
Henry stared at him, letting the water overfill the pot he was supposed to be washing.
Was this another joke?
Henry knew there were modern day pirates, but for some reason, that image didn't fit when he thought about Killian being one.
He remembered the clothes he first showed up in. The clothes he wore for a week, somehow without smelling bad.
His eyes wandered to his wooden prosthetic, and for some reason, he saw instead a metal hook and thought it fit the man better than the hand.
Henry gave his head a small shake. "So...as a performer? Like for kid's parties and stuff."
That was the only explanation Henry could come up with for Killian's clothes. Which also backed up Emma's statement about him being a freelancer.
Before Killian could answer, Emma came out grabbing the chicken she had left out on the counter and stuck it in the fridge.
It was just a quick thing she came to do.
She didn't even look or say anything to them.
But Henry watched Killian's eyes land on her the moment she stepped in.
He watched Killian's expression soften into something that Henry didn't like.
"Um, yes, I suppose something like that," Killian said once Emma was gone. His voice was much more distracted this time though.
Henry decided that was enough conversation for the day.
Throughout the week, Henry asked him different questions. He needed Killian to think Henry had let down his guard so when he finally asked the questions he really wanted to ask, he'd hopefully get answers his mom didn't want to say.
"Do you have a car?"
Killian scoffed. "Why would I ever want to be at the helm of one of those metal devices?"
"When did you leave England?"
"England...where's that?"
"Wait, so then where are you from?"
"A tiny village. You wouldn't have heard of it."
"But where's the village?"
"Ah...oh, look, I can see your mother outside with groceries. Better go down and help her."
"When's your next pirate gig?"
"'Gig'? No, pirating is a lifestyle. Not something you simply dress up as for an hour."
And for the entire week, Henry got answers that were just as bad as Emma's.
The only difference was that Killian actually seemed like he was telling the truth.
Or he at least believed every word he told Henry.
After a week of this, Henry figured this was as good as it was going to get. It was finally time to start with his questions.
And it just so happened that his mom got a call about her current case, and she had to go take care of it.
Giving Henry the perfect opportunity to ask his questions without fear of Emma overhearing or walking in and distracting Killian.
The only problem was Henry wasn't entirely sure how to bring it up.
Emma had ordered a pizza that night, saying as much as she enjoyed Killian's cooking, she just wanted something greasy.
Which meant there wasn't much to clean up in the kitchen aside from rinsing their plates and cups and sticking them in the dishwasher.
And yet, Killian stood next to Henry at the sink, loading up the three plates and three cups they had used.
Henry had all kinds of ways to phrase the question.
How did you help my mom find me?
Where did it happen?
How old was I?
Did she know you before that?
Why didn't you stay in contact afterwards?
But instead, his mouth took off before his brain could and he said the first thing that came to mind.
The one thing that he had been feeling for these two weeks. The one thing he felt was putting a wedge between him and his mom and he hated it.
"I don't trust you."
Henry mentally cursed himself.
It wasn't even a question! He hadn't meant to be that straightforward.
If Killian was surprised by his declaration, he didn't show it. He only pursed his lips, setting down the last plate into the dishwasher and closing it. "I've come to realize that."
Henry waited for him to argue. Saying that he hadn't given Henry a reason not to trust him. Claiming even that Emma trusted him, therefore that should be reason enough for Henry to trust him.
Killian said none of those things.
Instead, he dried his hand off on the towel hanging on the oven handle, then turned to face Henry. "What's the best way for me to earn your trust?"
That was a response Henry hadn't been expecting at all.
And to be honest, he hadn't even thought about what it would take.
"First off, stop making stupid heart eyes at my mom." It was the first thing that came to mind.
That seemed to finally catch Killian by surprise, as he spluttered a defense. He didn't get any actual words out though before hanging his head slightly and nodding. "Aye, well...if that's one of your conditions, then very well."
Henry frowned, squinting his eyes as if trying to see if Killian was actually telling the truth.
He didn't have his mom's superpower, but he liked to think he was still pretty good at telling when people were lying.
Killian Jones didn't seem like he was lying at all.
"But I would like to place a condition on that," Killian said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Henry waited for him to state said condition.
"The moment I earn your trust, I'm allowed to make these...heart eyes at your mother again."
Henry wanted to argue. Say that that's not how it worked.
But he remembered all the looks his mom gave Killian when she thought no one was looking.
He thought of that vine his friends were always quoting.
"Heart eyes, mother-"
As much as he wanted to deny it, Emma was just as much a guilty party in this.
Maybe he could convince her to stop though. Not say anything directly but figure out how to subtly show her that Killian wasn't to be trusted.
"Fine," Henry conceded after giving it a few more moments of thought.
"How else can I earn your trust?" Killian continued.
If Henry wasn't so set on making sure Killian didn't stick around for a while, he would've added that statement as a reason why he could trust him.
But that wasn't the argument he was pursuing.
"My mom said you helped her find me," Henry started, watching Killian's reaction carefully.
Killian's face was a perfect mask though. Whatever reaction he had, he hid it perfectly.
"What did she mean?" Henry continued, knowing he wasn't going to get anything from just looking at Killian's face.
"Exactly what she said. I helped her find you."
"Yeah, but how? And when did this even happen? Was I a baby or something? Because I can't remember any of it."
And if Henry had blinked, he would've missed the momentary flash of pain.
But Henry had learned from his mom to never take his eyes off the perp during questioning.
Not even to blink.
"I'm sorry, lad," Killian said after considering Henry's question for a few more moments. "That is simply going to be something you ask your mother about."
"But I did. She won't tell me anything."
Again, if Henry had blinked, he would've missed the flash of emotion.
But instead of pain, this time it was close to both annoyance and frustration.
Could those feelings be directed towards his mom?
Henry made sure to file that away in his mind. He might be able to bring it up again and use it to his advantage.
Killian let out a heavy sigh. "I know things have changed significantly. And...I apologize for any part I may have taken in those changes. I also realize I don't have your trust, and anything I say right now could very possibly mean nothing to you. But believe me, lad, when I say that your mother is just trying to do what she believes is best for you. One day, hopefully soon, things will start making sense again."
"And you're not going to tell me anything, are you?"
Killian gave him a wry smile. "Your mother asked me not to."
Of course, she did.
"Now, why don't you show me how to operate the helm of your video game box device?" Killian asked, changing the subject.
If Killian had asked him that yesterday, Henry would've made up some kind of excuse and gone to his room.
"First rule, it's just called an XBOX."
When Emma came back later that night, she saw both Henry and Killian staring at the TV screen as they worked on battling an enemy.
He still didn't trust Killian though. Yeah, the guy was sincere, and he was truthful with what he did share, but...
Henry didn't want to trust him.
Even if he kept his word about the heart eyes.
And he knew he did because that next morning, something had shifted between Killian and Emma.
His mom seemed...angry at Killian.
Killian seemed to share these same feelings towards her too.
For a moment, Henry felt guilty. Emma had actually seemed happy these last two weeks with Killian there with them.
Happier than he had ever seen her.
And Henry loved his mom. He wanted to see her happy.
But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something very wrong with everything. The only explanation he could come up with was it was Killian's fault.
This man that was making his mom happy was also the reason why things felt wrong.
Henry hoped that she would understand that. That Killian would leave, and she would know it was for the best.
Then, it would go back to being the two of them and everything really would be normal again.
A few days after his conversation with Killian, Henry came out of his room, ready to go to school.
And he saw that Killian wasn't there.
For half a second, his heart dropped, thinking that the man had finally left.
But that was what he had been trying to do this whole time. Get rid of him.
This was a good thing.
Henry told Emma good morning as he sat down at the table and poured himself some cereal.
Captain Crunch. A brand Emma had only recently started buying.
Sitting down, Henry glanced further into the living room and could see Killian's few belongings, still neatly tucked away into a corner.
So, he hadn't left.
Henry didn't want to explain the sudden relief he felt at that.
"Where's Killian?" he asked around a mouthful of cereal.
"He's at work," Emma answered, biting into her poptart. "He got a new job at some fish market. Which reminds me, he'll be back when you get home from school, but he'll probably be asleep. So just try not to make too much noise when you come back, okay?"
"How's his apartment fumigation going?"
Emma shrugged, mumbling something about timelines and contractors.
Always an ambiguous answer whenever he asked about it.
Usually, after asking that question, Emma would make up some excuse to leave or quickly change the subject.
This time, she set down her poptart, rested her elbows on the table as she leaned forward and looked directly at Henry. "Are you okay?"
Henry frowned, the question feeling out of the blue. "Yeah, everything's fine," he said, not even bothering to hide his confusion at her question.
"You're sure? Everything's going good at school? I've noticed you haven't talked much about your friends."
Henry shifted a little in his seat. He had been so occupied with trying to get answers to his own questions, he hadn't considered that Emma might be coming up with questions of her own.
Questions that involved why he stopped mentioning his friends.
"Everything's fine," he repeated.
Too quickly. Because Emma's brow raised in disbelief.
"You know you can talk to me about anything. School, friends, girls-"
"Mom."
"Games, life, dreams, anything, Henry. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, of course I do."
But he had no plans of telling her that Jason and his other friends stopped talking to him after they came back from Maine, and Henry still couldn't figure out why.
It was middle school. People changed.
And Henry was reminded of the feeling he had been trying to ignore.
The feeling of not belonging.
Not just of being an outsider, but of knowing deep down, he was very different from everyone else.
The only people that seemed to know this and were actually okay with it was Emma and, as much as he hated to admit it, Killian.
He told himself that was all in his head. This was where he belonged. He wasn't an outsider. New York City was where he and his mom belonged. It was their home.
But that feeling only amplified over the next three weeks.
Henry convinced himself everything was fine. Told himself this new routine was good and normal.
Killian was still living with them, and Henry actually didn't see him too much after he started his job at the docks. He was gone in the morning and when Henry came back, he was asleep on the couch for a couple hours, waking up in time to make dinner, and the three of them still ate together.
Emma kept busy too. She had a few new cases and closed up a few others.
Things were normal.
During dinner and on the weekends though, Henry could feel the cold tension between Killian and Emma. They were cordial for the most part. But Henry picked up a few remarks that held a bite.
It was always Emma that would make the remarks. Killian would take it, jaw clenched as he struggled to hold back whatever was going through his mind.
But Killian never said anything in retaliation.
Henry had to continuously stuff down the guilt that this new tension was partly his fault.
After a few weeks of this, Henry decided he'd have another talk with Killian again. He still didn't trust him, but...
He made his mom happy.
Besides, Killian had kept his word about not making the heart eyes anymore.
The day Henry decided to talk to him, his plans were completely derailed at school.
Because he had forgotten something in the locker room after gym.
When he went back to get it, he forgot what he had gone in there for.
Instead, his mind focused on the sound of a group of boys in the back, laughing and talking.
It was Jason and a few other boys that Henry would hang out with.
He tried not to let the feeling of being left out consume him again.
It wasn't hard to ignore that feeling as a different one rose up in him.
Rage.
"Dude, Henry's mom is such a slut."
The next several minutes were a blur. Henry wasn't entirely sure what happened.
All he was sure about was that he threw the first and the last punch.
Jason managed to get in his fair share of hits though and by the time a teacher was pulling them apart, Henry felt his right eye throbbing.
They were both sent to the principal's office. Well, Henry went there first. Jason had to stop by the nurse's office to get his nose to stop bleeding.
The principal, Mrs. Charles, tried getting the story out of Jason, the other boys, and Henry.
Henry was the only one that said nothing.
Mrs. Charles gave out the punishments.
Detention for the boys in the locker room since they were supposed to be in class.
Three-day suspension for Jason and Henry.
"Henry, this is the first time you've ever sat in my office," Mrs. Charles said, her hands folded together. "You're a smart kid. I cannot for the life of me understand why you're in here because of fighting. Do you have any plans of sharing your side of the story?"
"Dude, Henry's mom is such a slut."
Henry shook his head.
He was sent to wait outside for his mom to pick him up, choosing the seat furthest away from Jason.
Jason's mom showed up first. Her eyes landed on Henry, and he felt himself shrinking into himself.
"You little piece of shit!" she yelled. "How dare you lay hands on my son!"
Henry clenched his jaw and stared at his shoes.
The secretary moved in that instant, directing the woman to Mrs. Charles' office.
Five minutes later, Emma showed up.
Henry made the mistake of looking up, allowing his mom to see the black eye that had formed.
"What happened?" she asked, voice tight as she looked at Henry to Jason, then back at Henry.
Again, the secretary got up and showed Emma to Mrs. Charles' office.
Henry and Jason continued waiting outside with three chairs in between them and the secretary's close eye on them.
Henry wanted to sink into the floor and stop existing for the day.
The door to the office opened again after what felt like forever.
Jason's mom came out first, not looking at either Emma or Henry. She stopped long enough for Jason to get up, gather his things and the two walked out.
Emma did the same but waited a bit for there to be more distance between them and Jason and his mom.
She was quiet as they walked out of the building.
Henry silently said goodbye to the freedom of his youth.
His mom had decided to drive to the school, even if it was only a few blocks away from their apartment. Henry knew what her reason was to bring the car though.
Trapping Henry inside until he answered her questions.
But as Henry slouched in the front seat, arms crossed over his chest, he made sure she knew he had no plans of answering any questions.
This was something he planned on taking to his grave.
"What's it going to take to get you talk?" Emma asked as soon as she pulled out of the school parking lot.
Henry pursed his lips and turned to look out the window. He could make out his reflection a little.
It was the first time he ever had a black eye.
He made himself focus on the scenery.
"Bribery? Punishment? Not letting you out of the car until you say something?"
Henry said nothing.
Emma exhaled loudly. "Is it true, then? Did you hit him first?"
He would not say anything.
"Three days suspension, Henry. And you've got the weekend to consider too, so just think of your punishment as five days."
At this point, he'd rather be stuck in his room all day than have to go back to school.
He hated it there.
"No phone. No TV. No video games. No computer. Absolutely nothing fun."
That was fine. It would give him a chance to start working on a college application.
Maybe he'd go to CalTech.
Anything that was as far away from here as possible.
He wanted to look until he found the place that he belonged.
Emma parked in the apartment parking garage. "Say something, Henry!"
He didn't.
He couldn't.
"Please, Henry," Emma said, her voice quieter and taking on a tone of pleading. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me."
That's where she was wrong.
She couldn't help him either way.
Emma released another heavy breath, turning off the car this time. "Fine. Have it your way."
She got out of the car and slammed the door behind her.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was mad.
Still, Henry had no plans of telling her anything.
He got out of the car as well, following her into the building and up to their apartment.
Killian, who smelled like fish and most likely just got back from the fish market, stood up from the couch. "What happened? Is everything all right?"
He was ignored as Emma went to the freezer, pulled out a bag of frozen peas, and handed it to Henry. "Go to your room. I can't even look at you right now."
"Dude, Henry's mom is such a slut."
His eye began to sting as he felt tears building.
"Henry, your eye...what happened?" Killian asked again, taking a step forward as if that would make one of them answer.
But Henry kept walking, bag of frozen peas to his eye as he went into his room. Maybe he accidentally on purpose closed the door with a bit too much force.
He was surprised that he didn't hear Emma yell about him slamming his door.
No, she was probably too preoccupied with telling Killian everything that happened.
"Dude, Henry's mom is such a slut."
Henry collapsed on his bed and felt hot tears of frustration fall down his cheeks.
He hated this place.
This wasn't where he belonged anymore.
Why that was, Henry couldn't say.
For some reason, he felt as if literally everything in his life changed the moment Killian Jones came into their lives.
He couldn't explain how it affected Henry's friendships, but it did somehow, and even if he didn't have an explanation, it made sense.
He laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling with his good eye. He didn't move to grab his phone or any comic books.
He'd been grounded from everything fun.
For a few moments, he was able to hear whatever conversation Killian and Emma were having. Only because Emma had raised her voice though.
"That wouldn't be fair to him! I know what it's like having two lives in your head, and I don't want that for him!"
That was the only thing Henry heard, and it was just another thing that didn't make sense.
He had gotten tired of keeping track of the things that didn't make sense, considering it was almost everything now.
After a while, Henry heard the front door open and shut. Another few moments and then there was a soft knocking on his door.
He knew it wasn't his mom.
"Come in," Henry still called out.
The door opened and Killian stood in the doorway with a plate of food in hand. "Are you hungry?"
Henry sat up. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it was after two now.
That didn't mean he had an appetite.
"Well, I'll leave it here for whenever you do feel hungry," Killian said, setting down the plate on the dresser right by the door.
Henry noticed how Killian didn't try coming in any further.
"Your mother left to meet with a new client about a case," Killian continued.
Was the guy really trying to have a conversation right now?
"She'll be back later."
Henry nodded, waiting for Killian to leave.
"Your mother explained a little of what happened. Well, at least what she knew."
Henry clenched his jaw. Did Emma put Killian up to this? To try and talk to him to figure out what happened?
"Dude, Henry's mom is such a slut."
Maybe Jason had seen Killian and Emma out one day. Henry had told Jason about Walsh. Had Jason seen them when they came back from Maine, and they went out on that shopping trip? Had they been acting like a couple?
That wasn't any excuse for Jason to say what he did, but was it really all Killian's fault?
Killian pressed his lips into a thin line. For a moment, Henry thought that maybe he could read the thoughts on his face.
Maybe he could tell that the anger Henry was feeling was starting to direct itself towards Killian.
"Let me know if you need anything," Killian said before stepping back into the hallway and closing Henry's door.
The hours dragged by. Henry got up and picked at the food. He read some comic books while he was sure Emma was still out. He thought about organizing his closet, but that felt like too much effort. He eventually ended up taking a nap instead, not knowing what else he was allowed to do.
He woke up after maybe an hour to knocking again.
"Dinner time, lad," Killian called out from the other side.
Henry got up, taking the bag of peas with him to stick back in the freezer. The moment he stepped into the dining room, he felt Emma's gaze on him.
It took everything in him to not look at her. He stuck the peas back in the freezer and sat down.
Killian had made some kind of chicken and rice dinner. Henry still didn't have an appetite and from the way Emma pushed food around her plate, it seemed like his mom didn't either.
Aside from the clinking of silverware and their glasses, it was dead silent.
It was better this way. Henry wouldn't have to try and avoid answering any of their questions.
They finished the meal in silence, and Henry got up to clean up the kitchen. He was surprised when Emma still let Killian help him. She said nothing though as she grabbed her computer and sat back down at the dining table.
And it was still quiet with a thick tension hanging in the apartment.
When the kitchen was clean again, Henry didn't bother hanging around, knowing he was just going to be sent to his room.
But as he made his way towards the hallway, Emma stopped him.
"Shower and go straight to bed. You're getting up early tomorrow and going with Killian."
"What?" Henry asked, hating how his voice squeaked.
Emma looked up, her gaze hard. "You're getting up early and going with Killian. Got it?"
This had to be the worst punishment ever.
Not only did he have to get up before sunrise, but he was also going to have to spend time with Killian.
Just great.
***
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