Here's my ultimate master list, broken down by category, because...well I've written a lot so far, and I'm planning on adding more.
Assorted Stories With No Home For All Other Characters
Chris Evans And Characters Master List
Comic Book And Graphic Novel Characters
Includes: The Batman franchise, The Boys, Marvel characters, and the Umbrella Academy
Formula 1 Master List
Harry Potter AU
Sebastian Stan And Characters Master List
TV Shows
Includes: Bridgerton, The Boys, Community, Game of Thrones/House Of The Dragon, Mayans MC, Sons Of Anarchy, Supernatural, S.W.A.T, Tacoma FD, and The Umbrella Academy
Letterkenny, Chapter 1, Ain't No Reason To Get Excited
Word Count: 2.3k
Warnings: mentions of fighting, mentions of nudity, consumption of alcohol.
Vanessa's POV
“Alright, thanks for dropping me off. See you guys later,” You said quickly as you hopped out of your brother’s jeep and up the steps to the back porch, “Bye Jonesy...bye Chad.”
“Bye Nessy!” Jonesy smiled sweetly at you. You couldn’t help but smile back at him as the butterflies went rushing around in your stomach. You tried not to get too caught up in the thought, knowing that your last relationship with a hockey player hadn’t gone too well when he got drafted by the European league. As you were caught up in your own thoughts though, you hadn’t even noticed your best friend waiting for you.
Katy smiled, hugging you as you hit the porch, “hey Katy. Hey Wayne. Where’s Beth at?”
“Jeez look at those nut sacks,” Wayne groaned as he looked over your shoulder and ignored your question, “did you really have to drag them down here? They’re end of the laneway types, Vanessa! You, I like. Them, not so much.”
You shrugged and gave him a small smile, “Jonesy isn’t all that bad...and anyways my brother isn’t either...They’re just idiots...I mean they are kind enough to drop me off at the end, because he said he wanted to make sure I got here safe, so at least he cares.”
“Why do you hate them so much anyways?” Katy asked.
“Because hockey players would grab a monkey by the tit if they could!” he grumbled, looking at a phone.
“You didn’t answer the question,” you pointed out, “where’s Beth? She’s usually with you guys.”
“With Dary likely,” Wayne replied shortly, barely paying attention, “they are cousins after all, and they run the farm together since Dary’s parents passed.”
“Smokes are for jokes, bud!” Reilly said as he leaned out the driver’s side. You rolled your eyes at your brother.
“Go home, Chad!” you growled at your brother. Katy handed you a dart and you lit up. Your brother gave you a look.
“Put it out, before I put you out, bud!”
You hung your head in near shame as your brother and his best friend were a mass of giggles while they clung to their spitters.
“God, Chad, you and Kyle are so embarrassing!” you groaned, pointing the comment to your big brother, “just go! I got here safe...you can see that. Just go away you pylon.”
“Trash the ash, pal!”
Katy began to giggle as she took her dart and flung it into the jeep. You, nor Wayne could hold your own giggles back as the two hockey players started hurrying to get the dart out of the car.
“Come on, kiddo, let’s get inside.” She smiled, turning towards you. She took you by the hand and led you inside, “want a beer?”
“I’ll have a beer!”
“Good, because I’mma have a beer and a Gus while we make some trail mix.”
“I could have a Gus too.”
She smiled as she gave you another look and grabbed a second shot glass, “I knew I liked you, baby Reilly. Wayne, tell Beth we’re in the kitchen when she and Dary come over.”
“That’s a Texas sized ten four, little sis.”
“Are you sure this is okay?”
“It’s fine. You aren’t drinking, remember?” Katy giggled as she nudged you. You smiled and bit your lip. She took your hand, leading you through the side door of Modeans with Wayne, Dary, Beth, and squirrely Dan, “we already pre-gamed. You’re just here for hanging out! And anyways, Gailers knows you! She won’t mind even if you did want something. You know that!”
“Sit next to me, kiddo!” Wayne said firmly as he pulled out the chair next to him, “you can sit between me and Beth so no one messes with you.”
“Wayne no one would mess with me...not when you guys are around.”
“Yeah, well I ain’t taking any chances...no one is gonna mess with any of yas while I’m around,” he murmured, “Katy you sit between Dary and squirrely Dan.”
“How are yous?” Gail asked from behind the bar as you all got seated.
“Oh, not to bad.” Dary answered
“Doing good, and you?” Wayne asked in response.
“Not too bad,” Gail shrugged as she sniffed the air, “looks like someone’s in their barn clothes.”
“It’s Dary!” Katy frowned.
“I told you, you need to stop wearing your barn clothes out, Dare...”
“Mind your business, cuz,” Dary frowned as he stuck his tongue out to the blonde beside you, “you took up all the hot water in the shower after we got done chorin’. That ain’t my fault.”
She smiled and shrugged, which led Wayne to chuckling at the sandy-haired woman who was roughly the same age as her cousin.
“Five shots of Gus N Bru, and a Shirley temple for Ness, please and thank you,” Wayne said quickly, “and one of thems for you too, Gailer.”
“Thanks Wayne, but I’m off the sauce,” she said as she began to prepare the drinks, “I’m taking eight vitamins a day.”
“What’cha taking?”
You tried to pay attention as she listed off what she was taking and how she was down to a pack and a half of darts, but the entire time Katy was making faces at you. It wasn’t until Wayne excused himself and Katy pulled herself into his seat that you were pulled from your thoughts.
“What was that?”
“You didn’t see it?”
“See what?” you asked, looking around the bar.
She nodded her head towards the door, “Angie and her new man are here. Well, they were!”
“What?” you asked, looking around once again.
“They’re gone now...but I just saw McMurray following Wayne in...he’s gonna make it so much worse.”
“Well, what do we do?”
“She’s lucky I didn’t see her,” Beth muttered, “would have right hoofed her for how she did Wayne the way she did.”
“You three shouldn’t be getting into his personal affairs,” Dary said quickly, “Wayne is-“
“Oh, shut up Dary,” Katy growled, cutting him off, “Wayne’s my big brother, and practically Nessa’s and Beths’ as well. He looks out for us, just like yous...I’m surprised yous ain’t starting a scrap with that guy.”
“That fella looked like a dandy!” Squirrely Dan scoffed, “I’m not into no starting a scrap with a dandy...that’s a bad look Miss Katy. Miss Vanessas. Miss Beth. That’s a bad look that is. And it’s not my scrap to be starting. It’s Wayneses.”
She got up out of her brother’s seat as she saw him coming out of the bathroom.
“I think I’m gonna try and get him to come to the youth group,” Dary smiled, “you know what...you should come too, Nessa. Might be real nice...and even you, Katy. You could-“
“Hard pass!” you and Katy chorused as you shared a look between you.
“You and that weird church group, cuz!” Beth frowned as she shook her head.
Dary frowned at his cousin, “just because it isn’t for you, don’t mean it ain’t for Wayne...come on, bud. Give it a shot, will you?”
“I’m sorry your brother is being a jackass.”
“He’s always a jackass, Katy...I don’t get how you even like Kyle and Chad.”
She smiled softly at you, “I mean...they’re alright, but we both know that I’m not into Jonesy. And don’t pretend you don’t like Kyle...I’ve seen how you look at him. You’re just afraid to make the jump to another slut ever since James left.”
“She’s right...seen you eyein’ up that hockey player!” Beth smirked, “just cuz James did you dirty, don’t mean Jonesy would. Why not give him a shot?”
“Oh you mean like how you’ve been eyein’ Wayne since you two were little and you came to live in Letterkenny?”
Beth gasped, “Vanessa!”
“She’s got a point,” Katy shrugged as she took the Gus from her, “you’ve been eyeing up big brother since you were little...always had a way right under his arm. Angie was what ruined that...I mean, Wayne and you were each other’s first kiss.”
“Th-that was just because we wanted to get it over with!” she sputtered, “and he’s my best friend. And we trusted each other.”
You smirked, but Katy turned her attention to you, “don’t be smiling just cuz I pointed out her crush on my big brother. We weren’t done talking about you and Jonesy.”
You gasped, your eyes nearly bulging out of your skull as you looked at her, “what? Katy-no-I”
“It’s okay,” she laughed as she took a drag from the dart she held between her fingers. You shifted uncomfortably in the bucket seat next to her, “I like your brother...but him and Jonesy are just sort of...attached at the hip...he usually just hangs out when me and Chad make out or he goes into the other room...every once in a while your brother asks me to bang him too, so-“
“Oh my god, Katy, I so don’t want to hear this!” you laughed, a blush coating your cheeks. You looked at Beth for help, but she just shrugged and reached across to take the bottle again. She was far too used to Katy’s blunt demeanor.
“He’s not bad...if you’re ever interested in pursuing that.”
You couldn’t help but laugh as you shook your head at your best friend, “you’re too much, Katy.”
She smiled, giving you a shrug as she tossed the butt of the dart out of the window, “look...Wayne’s come out.”
“Bout time...I’m about to die from embarrassment.” You giggled.
“He looks upset!” Beth noted with a frown. She went to reach for the handle, but you stopped her. Katy beeped the horn, and he started towards the three of you.
“Hand me another dart!”
You passed her the one you had started to light up and you lit one for yourself. Wayne nodded to you, “shouldn’t be smoking, Nessa...”
“Shouldn’t be doing a lot of things, Wayne,” you laughed. You held out your hand with the pack in it and he shook his head, “suit yourself.”
Katy’s phone went off and she lifted it, “you must be having a fun night. Your bro is gay. LMFAO in all caps. From Reilly.”
“You tell him that he’s gay for asking you to-“ but you stopped yourself when Katy smiled and raised her brow at you.
“On second thought, I think I will have one!” Wayne chirped up as you handed the pack to Beth and she lit up. He held out his hand to her and she passed him the dart she’d lit. He took a deep drag from it.
“Wayne,” Katy sighed, “you remember when you were 19 and those worm pickers kept coming through the night and trampling our beans. What’d you do?”
“Dug six-foot holes, put a skunk in each of em, and waited for em to fall in.”
“Remember when the skids egged Daryl on his bike, what did you do?” she asked, taking the bottle of Gus N Bru from you only to take a swig of it.
“Put stink bombs in a nerf gun and fired it at em on prom night.”
Katy nodded, trying to bite back her smile, “remember when you came in from Shorin’ and found those messages on my computer about a guy calling me a slut.”
“I wanted a piece of that guy for a long time.”
“You drove over to his house and broke his nose on his front lawn.”
“Katy, I-“
“Remember when some degens were harassing Vanessa when she went to the store for her mom that one time?”
Wayne sighed, “I rounded up the boys and we had a scrap. But no one should be harassing a young lady.”
“What she’s saying is that we miss that version of you, Wayne!” you pointed out as you took the bottle from Katy and took a swig.
“I think a lot of people do!” Katy added.
“It’s for the better.”
“Is it though?” Beth asked quietly. The two shared a look and he sighed.
The three of you sat, reflecting for a few seconds while Wayne seemed to be in his own little world. Katy and Wayne took drags from their darts, and you took another swig of Gus N Bru while Beth lit up a new dart.
Then the backdoor of Modeans opened up, and Alexander, drunk off his ass, stumbled to the trash and dropped his pants. He started taking a piss when the door opened again, and Angie’s new sweetie smiled like a cheshire cat. You noticed Wayne looking his way and you nudged Katy.
The guy took out his phone and began filming, while he walked around Alexander. He finished it off with a kick and yelled “this is sparta.”
“What an asshole!” Beth muttered, “someone needs to stop him.”
That was enough for Wayne to step away from the truck and make a bee-line for him. The guy started laughing until Wayne smacked the fedora right off his head. You grabbed Katy’s hand, and she gave you a comforting look, “he’ll be okay, Ness...he’s just finding a reason.”
The three of you watched as the two men interacted and you gave her a look, “we should stop it, right? Wayne didn’t want to fight anymore.”
“He’ll be fine.”
“He’s grabbing the guy’s junk.”
Katy gasped as Wayne headbutted the man, and she took the liquor from your hand, “Shit. Let’s go.”
The three of you hopped out of the truck and made a run for it. Angie’s new man was on his knees and Katy nodded to the drunk, “pull your pants up, Alexander.”
She took another drink and handed it to you. You took a final swig before passing the bottle back to Katy, who passed it to Beth, who was at Wayne’s side. He looked at her and she took a swig, before handing it to him.
“You’ve come this far!” she pointed out.
He took the bottle, and downed the rest of the liquor, before throwing the empty bottle off to the side and starting towards the dandy.
I've decided... TheFanficBlog is going to be my new blog as of 2026. I'm going to re-write some stories and delete my old blog (this) after everything that I like is transferred over. Stay tuned...or don't. It's up to you.
Warnings: slight angst, mentions of sexual activity.
“I tell you, Edwina, all will be fine!” you smiled at your young niece, “my mother has personally seen to it that we stay at her estate for the season, and I will show you the way of being presented properly!”
“You do not need to worry, Daniella, you have been married before...you and my mother left England and married my father and uncle in Bombay...”
“But I am well aware of the rules of the ton,” you smiled softly. You fanned her delicately and she gave you a nervous look, “worry not. All will be well. Have I not taken care of you, your mother, and your sister all these years?”
Your sister-in-law gave you a gracious look, “and I thank you for all that you have done for me in our years of knowing one another, sister.”
“And I thank your open arms!” you offered, “you, Kate, and Edwina have been just as familial as my own mother and siblings...I was lucky to marry into such a loving one.”
Edwina sighed and gave you a nod, “I just-I understand not why mother-“
“You know of the trouble she caused when she left,” you sighed as you gave your sister-in-law a sad look, “your father never wanted to part of the ton...your uncle, god rest his soul, approached my mother for her blessing...he allowed my eldest sibling, Dominic, to sponsor him so that when I came out, I was already spoken for.”
“I’m sorry about uncle!” she frowned.
“Do not be sorrowful, my child.” You sighed, “while our love was not a true one, we did our duty and remained faithful and kind to another in our time that he was alive.”
“How can you call me child when you are just a few years older than I?” she teased.
“Edwina, you are barely a woman, and eighteen. I am a woman of five and twenty, married and widowed. I’ve seen much more than you have, my child.”
“Kate is older than you.”
“And I’ve already helped Kate acquire a husband, have I not?” you asked her, “she is already with child and a governess.”
She smiled once more, “but Kate didn’t have to come here.”
“Kate is repulsed by the idea of England.”
“She is...”
“Lady Sharmas...we are here.” The driver proclaimed as the carriage came to a stop. You smiled off at your niece, and tapped her thigh, “very well, Edwina. Mary. We are here. Let us get settled in. Yes?”
Already, it had only been a few hours since you’d gotten in, and you felt smothered by the country you’d grown up in. While you may not have gotten to see your mother just yet, you were flooded with memories sitting in your old room.
You needed to get out and clear your head.
And the one way to do that, was by having a nice ride in the early morn. You found yourself in the pasture, trotting, when you noticed someone following you. You smiled. It felt like a competition; one where you could let go of your inhibitions. And so you did, as you grinned when you saw the hedge.
“WOAH NOW!” the man yelled at you, “CAREFUL THERE!”
Clicking your heels against your trusty steed, he jumped, clearing the hedge. You felt a wave of triumph as you came to the top of the hill and turned, your hood on your cape dropping. You shuddered as you saw the man.
He smiled softly at you, his hand caressing your side, while the two of you laid in the field, more naked than the day itself. Your eyes flickered from his thin lips, up to his eyes as his hand rested on the flat of your stomach.
“Anthony...”
“Daniella...” he sighed softly. His hand trailed down to your core, and you moaned into the open field. A gasp took hold of you as his fingers dipped expertly between your folds. Your eyes closed, and your back arched ever so slightly.
“Don’t stop!” you begged.
“I don’t want to...”
His lips pressed to yours and he rolled you towards himself, until you were on top of him, and his hands were pulling your legs to either side of him so that you were straddling him. Another gasp took hold of you and your eyes widened when you felt his hard cock bump against your backside.
“I want to make love to you, Daniella.”
“Take me, Anthony.”
“Enjoying your victory lap?”
Your eyes widened as you spotted the eldest Bridgerton came towards you. You mumbled a curse in Hindi and looked for another way to escape him but found none.
“Anthony...”
“You’ll not be afforded such ample head start this time!” he said firmly in his own way of joking. When you didn’t laugh he frowned, “it has been years since I’ve seen you...and you run from me?”
“Apologies sir...I did not mean to cause anyone concern.”
“Does your maid know that you’re riding astride, Daniella?”
“I have no maid,” you reminded him, “I am but a married woman...I need not a babysitter.”
“Well, you didn’t need a babysitter when we were younger either.”
A blush caught your cheeks, and you looked away from the man you’d once allowed yourself to love, “I wish you would not speak of those times, Lord Bridgerton!”
“Forgive me...are you lost?” he asked teasingly, “you are a long way from Bombay!”
“I am on my way back to Mayfair,” you said tersely, “to my mothers’ estate.”
“Well then-“
“I appreciate your attention sir,” you said in a whisp of anger, “but I am perfectly safe. I know the country just as well as the day I left it, my lord.”
“Apologies!” you said quickly as you launched yourself into your mother’s sitting room. Your mother gave you a rather unimpressed look, knowing your habit of wandering off.
“Daniella!”
“Sister!”
“I do apologize mother...Edwina...sister. I did not wish to keep you waiting, but I could not waste such a fine morning...” you smiled as you looked towards the windows, “I went for a ride in the park...it has been so long since I’ve been home.”
“Well do not just stand there as though we are strangers!” your mother said firmly. You smiled and came up to her, hugging her.
“I have missed you so, mother.”
“Could hardly tell,” she said in jest, “you never write to me...even your siblings and father has heard nary a peep aside from you telling us of your husbands’ departure and your wish to present Edwina to the ton.”
You frowned, “I do apologize for that mother.”
“It is I who is sorry, my child. You are my youngest...while your father was happy to allow the proposal to Mr. Sharma as he felt it proper, I allowed you to be shipped off to Bombay without a thought.”
“I had married into a good family!” you offered, reaching out to take Mary’s hand in your own, “while my husband was unable to give me children, I was lucky enough to be in Kate and Edwina’s lives, and she allowed me to help raise them as well...and after...well, you know...I needed stability in my life.”
Your mother offered a kind look to Mary and took her other free hand, “it is good that we are all here together.”
“Well almost...where is Newton? Is he still upstairs?”
“Newton?”
“Oh yes, mama,” you smiled at her, “Newton. Our dog.”
“Dog,” she sneered, “such ugly little creatures.”
“Oh, would you look at that...it is the viscount.” Your mother smiled, looking to you, before turning your attention to your niece, “Edwina, I do not believe that I have made the introduction. The viscount is wealthy, well-connected, and comes from an illustrious family. And from what I’ve heard, he’s looking to marry this season.”
“Anthony?” you asked, turning your attention back to your mother, “he-he has not married all these years?”
“He’s very attractive.”
“That, he is!” you agreed solemnly. You found yourself fading out of the conversation as your sister disappeared with a baron to have a dance. Your mind drifted to the viscount in question as he took to the floor with a young lady.
Following around the edge of the dancefloor, you saw the pain in his eyes.
The very eyes that you’d spent so many a night gazing into despite being promised to another man.
“May I have this dance, Miss. Danbury?”
“Viscount Bridgerton?” you asked softly, glancing up into his eyes, “you wish to dance with me?”
“I believe she is spoken for,” Sanjay grinned, as he held a tight grip on your waist, “aren’t you, Miss Danbury?”
Your eyes went to Anthonys’, “One dance couldn’t hurt, could it?”
His jaw clenched and he held out your wrist to Anthony so that you were presenting your dance card. Anthony frowned, “it looks as though you are late in the evening, viscount. I was the last man on Miss. Danbury’s dance card. See?”
“I suppose I should have composed myself at an earlier rate to acquire a dance with the accommodating diamond of the season, should I not?”
“I am sorry, my lord!” you frowned, giving him a sad look.
“Maybe at the next ball, you shall save a spot on your card for me?”
“You know...married or not, you shouldn’t be traversing the gardens unaccompanied, Daniella!”
Your head snapped up at the comment, “Anthony.”
“Catching some air in the gardens outside the ballroom?” he asked, “or eavesdropping on the conversation of men?”
“More like, needing to find a way out of the dreary conversations from those who wish to hear about my travels in India.” You sighed, “I feel for my sister-in-law and how they glare at her about her marrying my husband’s brother, but they treat me like I’ve been on some grand adventure.”
“Was your marriage not everything you’d wished it would be?”
“Are you asking of my marriage, Anthony?” you asked, “after all this time where we have been apart from another, that is what you wish to ask of me?”
“No...no. I-“
“I would think you would be more focused on your own marital troubles.”
“I have no troubles in my marital affairs.”
You scoffed at him, “of course you don’t, Anthony. You are a rake.”
He gaped at you, “a rake? Is that all you think of me, Lady Daniella?”
You couldn’t help but smile at his faux surprise, “Anthony Bridgerton, you are the biggest rake in all of England.”
“How could I be anything else when the only woman I’ve truly loved was already promised to another man?”
You felt your smile fading away at the words, “Anthony...”
He sighed, “I-I’m sorry. I should not hav-“
“No, you should not!” you said quickly as you cut him off, “excuse me.”
“How I got it, isn’t important,” the voice on the other end of the line replied, “what is important is that your brother is in danger.”
“My brother is always in danger!” you scoffed, shaking your head at the insane notion that your brother wasn’t always doing something that had the potential for him to end up dead, “he’s always doing something that will-“
“This is different,” the voice answered, “your brother...he really is in trouble. The-“
“If Carlos was in trouble he would have said something to me!”
“Would he?”
“Ma vida, this is no place for you!”
You glared at your older brother, “you can’t tell me where my place is, Carlos!”
“I’m telling you now!” he growled, shooting you another glare, “this is not the place for you to be. If dad was to find-“
“I don’t care what dad thinks!” you spat, “I’m here. And there’s no getting rid of me. Your rank means nothing when it comes to my placement.”
His jaw clenched, “I could make your life difficult, Alli.”
“Then do it!” you spat at him as you felt your own jaw clenching. You stepped up to him so that the two of you were toe to toe, “I belong here, Carlos. And you know that. Despite what you and dad think, I can make a difference, just like you are. I can do this!”
“Women aren’t supposed to be in the military let alone special forces!” he hissed, “you’re not supposed to be here.”
“Why not, huh?” you asked, “because all I’ve ever wanted was to be like you. And when I was little, you let me follow you around...you taught me everything that you knew of. If you didn’t expect me to act on it, why would you do that? Why would you encourage it?”
“Because I thought you would grow up!” he hissed, “I thought that you would realize that what you were doing was just focusing on me. That you would realize that you were a little girl who should have been playing with dolls and wearing the dresses that mom and dad bought you instead of chasing after me and learning how to handle a rifle.”
“Well I didn’t, Carlos!” you frowned, “I saw what you did, and how noble it was, and I wanted to do the same exact thing. So I did.”
“Dad doesn’t know...”
“No...he doesn’t.”
“Where does he think you are, huh?” You bit your lip and he frowned, “where does he think you are, Alexandra?”
“He thinks I ran off with some guy,” you admitted, “he thinks that I’m being silly and eloping with some jackass that wouldn’t stop coming by the house.”
“And what happens when that jackass comes by the house?”
“He won’t, Carlos...he followed me into the military!”
Your brother scoffed, “so you have a little military husband following you around? God, that’s even worse.”
“I never returned any of his affections, Carlos...Kevin was stationed overseas...his unit got blown to pieces two weeks after he arrived.”
His relaxed demeanor changed in a millisecond and he shook his head, “go home, Alex.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“I’m your older brother.”
“No...my older brother wouldn’t act like this,” you growled, “he wouldn’t treat me like some little kid. He wouldn’t act like I needed a man to support me. I can fend for myself.”
“Oh yeah?” he chuckled, “you think you can fend for yourself?”
“I know I can.”
“Then do it!” he spat, “because this is the special forces...and sibling or not, I’m not going to stick my neck out for you when you should be at home, Alex.”
“We’re in LA.”
“What?”
“We’re in Los Angeles...at the port.”
Your stomach turned as you thought about her words, “Look lady...I don’t know what game you’re playing at, but my brother and I have-“
“I know that you two haven’t talked since you were in basic for the special forces,” she said quickly, cutting you off, “I know that the two of you didn’t keep up with one another, and haven’t been involved in each other’s lives since he wrote to your father telling him what you really did. I know that your father and your brother all but disowned you when you graduated and moved into your own group.”
“Then why are you calling me?”
“You’re a private contractor...and I’m looking to hire you.”
“To work with my brother?”
“To work for me,” she said casually, “and yes...that might involve saving your brother and his groups ass.”
You scoffed, “my brother won’t want me working with him.”
“Your brother doesn’t know what’s going on,” she said quickly, “he and his team are walking into a trap, and those idiots are too stupid to see it.”
You sighed to yourself and looked at the hat that sat on your kitchen island. You and your brother had got matching ones right before he’d been sent off to basic when he’d enlisted.
It was a much simpler time then.
“And how do I even know that you’re going to come back?”
Your elder brother smiled at you and wrapped an arm around your shoulders, “I’ll always come back home to see you, vida. You’re my baby sister.”
“Dad won’t let you come back if you leave.”
“Well lucky for you that you’re only a few years younger than me,” he chuckled as he messed with your hair, “you’ll be out into the world soon enough. Breaking hearts and taking names.”
“You know that I’m not interested into that type of thing, Carlos.”
He rolled his eyes, “you’re just saying that, Alli. You’ve never had a real boyfriend because me and dad keep everyone off the property with a look and a threat of our rifles.”
“Oh believe you me, I’ve had offers of relationships big brother.” You laughed.
Your brother stopped laughing and his steps through the store stopped. You felt yourself being pulled back as he looked at you, “who came onto you?” he asked, “I’ll kill em before I leave.”
“Carlos...”
“No one comes onto my baby sister!” he frowned.
“Can we not argue on your last day home?” you asked sadly, “it’s already bad enough that dad went down to the bar and said that you’re not his son anymore.”
“Who would have thought that me doing my civil duty and signing up for the military would cause him to disown me?” he joked.
“You know how extremist dad is!” you frowned.
“Naw...he’s just your normal Texan,” he chuckled, “but he did want me to run the ranch. I know that...”
“We’re not always supposed to do what our parents want, big brother!” you sighed, giving him a sad smile, “Right? We’re meant to follow what we want to do...our dreams.”
“Right!” he nodded, “and I mean...only thing I ever was sure of was that I wanted to serve my country...”
“I know...I’m going to miss you, Car...”
“I’m going to miss you too, Alli.”
There was a somber moment between the siblings as the two of them thought about what their lives would be like without the other.
“You know...I can’t think of a time when you weren’t there, Carlos...”
He chuckled as he tried to make a joke about it, “really? Because the first three years of my life were pretty good.”
“Asshole!” you scoffed, shoving your brother as you started walking through the store once more.
“I’m joking, Alli. You’re my best friend...you know that!”
“And your life, remember!” she teased.
The elder sibling smiled as he thought about the nickname he’d given you when you were children. All your life, you had clung to your elder brother like he was the air that you breathed.
You were his shadow, following him wherever he went.
But he never seemed to mind.
But now as he stood in the shop that you’d managed to convince him to go to, he couldn’t help but watch you, wondering how your path would differ from his after he’d left.
You’d probably find some guy that wasn’t too afraid of your father and date him for a bit before getting married and having a kid or two.
If your father got his way, you’d probably marry one of his friend’s sons, and the two of you would take over the ranch so that he could retire to the desert and his off-the-grid bunker. And he’d probably return to town when he received a wedding invitation, or announcements of a child being born.
“OH CARLOS!”
The elder sibling snapped out of his own thoughts as you smiled widely at him from the stand of cowboy hats. His brow raised.
“What on ear-“
“We’re getting matching hats!” you said quickly, cutting your brother off.
“What?”
“Matching hats...” you said again, this time much slower as you lifted two identical hats from the racks, “we always said that when we were younger we’d get em...and your last hat is falling apart as it is because it was grandpas...get matching hats with me! We could have the maker steam em so that our initials are on the inside too!”
He smiled at his younger sister as he walked over and took one of the hats from you, “you want us to get matching hats?”
“Please Carlos...”
“So it’s Chyron...”
She nodded at you, “they’re going to a CIA stash house at the port, and they don’t know that they’re walking into a trap.”
“So why me?”
“Because...you’re the best at what you do, Alexandra Alvarez...and I need the best if we’re going to get the Losers out of this alive.”
“Did you see the latest report from Lady Whistledown? The queens’ youngest is engaged in a revolution in Prussia!”
“The country is all but falling apart under the princesses command!”
“She’s a queen now...” another scoffed, “and some good that did...two kings died while she was there.”
“I heard that her husband didn’t just die...I heard that he killed himself when he found out that Prince Friedrich fathered her children.”
“How would they know?” another asked, “they were twins!”
“She’s cursed!”
“The whole country is cursed.”
“She left her children here in England with the Queen and King, because she knows that they’re all going to die in Prussia!”
“Enough!” the queen frowned, shooting a look to her ladies in waiting and the crowd that had been speaking about Amelia.
The crowd became still under her watchful gaze.
For weeks she’d been listening to her people talk of her daughter. Of how she was a lousy queen and unfit to rule a lawless place, let alone Prussia. For weeks she had found herself cuddled up with her grandchildren, praying that her youngest give word that she was alive.
She didn’t need to hear others voice her biggest fear of her daughter dying aloud...not when she’d almost been forced to live it when her youngest was but a child out of leading strings.
“Queen Amelia is welcome back in England with open arms, just as her children are,” she reminded them, “not only has she done her service in providing Prussia with an heir, but her daughter, the very daughter she birthed this very year will be the future of England...and she did something that many mothers would be unable to. She let them go to another country to provide their safety.”
The ton remained quiet, nervously looking amongst each other.
None of them were going to object to what the queen had said.
But none of them had retracted their own sentiments.
The scene only remained more tense when a young woman stepped into the entrance of the courtyard.
Benedict felt his breath stole away in his chest.
You wore a crown on your head, and you looked very dignified; albeit slightly gaunt. The last time Benedict had seen you, you were grief-stricken when you had kissed your children goodbye as you loaded them into the carriage to England with him.
You took a few simple steps through the courtyard, until you came to your mother. Bowing ever so slightly, you looked at her, “Queen Charlotte...I thank you for the safety your country has provided my children. Your country’s generosity is something I can never repay.”
“You are a child of England Amelia,” she said graciously to her daughter as she lifted her chin, “I may be your mother, but you are a queen of your own country...one you are fighting to rule for.”
You nodded, and as your attention turned towards the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, your mother commanded for the music to start again.
Daphne gave you a warm smile as she saw you, but she waited like a statue; choosing to allow you to approach her.
“Daph...”
“Queen Amelia!” she said politely, offering a curtsy.
“Oh, stop that!” she giggled, reminding her friend of their relationship with such ease that made the young woman’s heart ache for the companionship of her best friend, “you know that you need not do that around me.”
“As you wish,” she laughed, “thank you for finding time to come to our ball.”
“I wouldn’t miss it, Daph...I-“
But you felt the words dying in your throat as you saw someone all to familiar walking to the entrance to greet his brothers and mother.
How did you miss spotting him?
“He’s missed you, you know?”
“Benedict...”
“He wasn’t the same after he left Prussia...” Daphne hinted. You looked at your friend and she smiled, “he’s been watching over them, just as you’d asked...the queen even gave him a room in the palace so that he can be there for them full time.”
He had stopped in the entryway when he saw you. Violet gave her son a sweet tap on the arm when she saw you standing on the opposite side of the room.
“You should speak to him, Amelia...”
“I-I think I will...”
You took full-hearted steps towards him, your heart in your throat. He gave you a bow when you came to a stop, “your majesty.”
“Do not bow to me, Benedict...we are far beyond that.”
“My queen...”
“Dance with me, Benny...”
He gave you a soft smile and held out a hand to you, so that you might lead him to the dance floor, “as you wish, my queen.”
“Benedict!”
“Yes Amelia?”
“Benedict!”
He looked around the courtyard, his brows furrowing as he realized that it hadn’t been your voice.
“BENEDICT!”
The second-eldest Bridgerton was pushed so heavily that when he went to find your hand again, he could not.
Another jostle, and his eyes opened to a very annoyed looking Eloise.
“What do you want, Eloise?”
“You have a letter!” she said firmly, holding the parchment out in front of him.
He shot off the couch and grabbed the paper, upon seeing the mark of the woman he loved.
“What does it say?” the younger sister asked, “it’s from Amelia, I know that...but-“
“Eloise, go away!”
“I am most curious of what it says myself!”
Benedict froze upon seeing his mother at the entrance to the drawing room.
“Mother...”
He felt an aching in his chest as he looked at the letter.
“You haven’t seen the children, Benedict...what if she asks of them in her letter?”
“The queen hasn’t let me see them since I came home,” he corrected, “she said that her guard will suffice.”
“Read the letter.”
Benedict looked at the heavy parchment in his hand and opened it with a nod.
My beloved,
I have received word from the castle that the children are safe. My mother has written to me, and said that she will make sure they are safe within the castle walls.
For your honor in what you’ve done, I am granting you a title in Prussia, and mother has agreed that you are to be knighted in England. Anything that you may want for, simply write it, and it shall be provided.
You will receive her correspondence shortly after mine arrives.
And as such, should I survive this war, I am to ask for your hand. The hand of my beloved. If I do not survive such war, I’ve already sent a letter to my mother, about our children. There is no doubt in my mind that she’s opened it despite my protest to only open it should I pass, and she knows of Edmunt and Charlotte’s true parentage, as she’s already said that they are Prussia and England’s future, and she knows my intent to come home to you, and to England.
I will write again if I am able.
Yours and only yours,
Amelia
“Well?”
Benedict took a sharp breath in, “the queen knows of Edmunt and Charlotte...”
“They are still in the castle though. They-“
“She has accepted my children despite it...A-Amelia said that I am to be knighted as well. I-maybe...maybe that is why...so then our children wouldn’t technically be bastards?”
Violet looked at her son, wide-eyed, “what?”
“I am to be titled at Amelia’s request,” he said breathlessly, “knighted by the queen and-“
“And what?” Eloise asked.
“Amelia has found a way to marry me” he said in disbelief of what he’d just read. He looked over the letter once more, his heart fluttering in a way that he never thought he’d be allowed to freely express, “Amelia wants to marry me after the war. We-we won’t have to hide our love any longer. We...I-”
“Ma’am!”
The three Bridgertons looked to one of the house servants who had appeared at the top of the steps, “what is it?”
“There is someone here from her royal majesty’s guard,” she said nervously, “Th-they have brought a carriage for Mr. Bridgerton saying that he has business at the castle.”
Benedict looked to his mother, and then to his sister.
“What are you waiting for?” Eloise asked as she nudged her elder brother, “go.”
“Mother?” he asked.
“Well, what are you waiting for,” Violet said as she urged her son towards the stairs, “Poppy, let them know that Benedict will be coming sho-“
“They have also asked for you Miss. Bridgerton,” Poppy said quietly, “the queen has also asked for your presence personally.”
The words echoed through the castle, but it felt like it was louder as it repeated again and again in your own head.
Heinrich was dead.
It wasn’t an act.
The king was truly dead.
Your heart ached.
He may have not been a real husband, but he was truly a good man, and an even better friend to you in the years of knowing him. And while you weren’t happy at the idea of him faking his own death, he had seemed to be sure that it would be an act.
Not the real thing.
“Just trust me, Amelia!”
“Heinrich...what are you-“
“My footman had promised me that the drugs will wear off!” he smiled like an idiot, “the apothecary is taking care of it, and when I am to be placed in my tomb, really, I will have woken up and we will sneak out of the castle to a boat that is waiting for us. My family, they will seal it up empty. It will work!”
“You can’t seriously be buying into this fantasy, Heinrich,” you simpered, taking your friend and husband’s hands in your own, “if you wish to disappear with your footman, then do that. But do not try to plan a ruse because you are afraid of them finding out.”
“It will work, Amelia.”
“But it won’t,” you said in disagreement, “you will die, Heinrich. I can feel it in my bones.”
“I can’t believe it actually worked!”
You looked up at his twin, his eyes glittering with curiosity, while you yourself remained entirely unconvinced.
“It didn’t, cousin...can’t you see?” you asked, “your brother is gone...he is truly gone.”
“Heinrich, you are an idiot!” you all but screamed in a hushed tone when he finally admitted his plan to you, “you’re relying on Hans to find you in time. You’re relying on these drugs to keep you knocked out...to slow your pulse enough that the doctor believes you are deceased...what happens if it does kill you? What happens if your mother decides to prolong your burial? This will not end well.”
“If I die then I am free anyways,” he smiled, caressing your cheek, “as would you be. And as far as my mother is concerned, tell her that Prussia must appear strong. That my death is too near my fathers, and a strong presence needs to be felt through the kingdom. She won’t want to do it but will have to agree...mother understands the politics of it all and will agree! She has to!”
“Friedrich...I think he’s actually dead!”
He looked at you, and then to his brother, “no...he can’t be...he wouldn’t. He-“
“Friedrich...we-we have to let them take him so that they can process him for his burial...” you sighed, “GUARD?”
“My queen?”
“Find his footman, Hans, and send for those to prepare my husband’s body.”
“My queen?” he asked, his tone seeming a little unsure at the first part of your request, “his footman?”
“I shall need to speak with him.”
“I should tell your secret right now!” you all but cursed your husband, “you want so desperately to get out of this marriage, out of this life, that you’re threatening to kill yourself.”
“I’m not actually going to die-“
“YOU WILL, YOU IDIOT!”
“You’ll see. You and Friedrich will see!”
“My queen...”
“One more day!” his brother begged, giving you a look, his eyes nearly wild as he looked between you, his mother, and the guards who stood over the corpse as he lay in his bed, “one more day, Amelia. I-“
“He’s gone, Friedrich,” you sniffled, sparing him a look. You shook your head, “we have been mourning for a day and a half...he’s starting to smell...Heinrich is dead...and we have accept that.”
You looked towards his mother, and she bit her lip as she tried to stop it from warbling. You took her hand in your own and stifled another sniffle, “we have to be strong, for Prussia, my grace.”
She shook her head, a few tears slipping down her cheeks, “you have to be strong for Prussia, my queen...I just lost a son and a husband in less than half a year...the only plus is that he gave you two children before his death...”
“Friedrich...” you asked, looking towards the wrecked prince, “you are next in line.”
“I am not, my queen...you and Heinrich had Edmunt. You shall be queen regent until he is of age.”
“I-“
“I cannot lead out people...not now.”
“I-I’m not-“
“You are our queen, my grace!” he sobbed, kneeling in front of you. You looked at him, shell-shocked as he took your hands and cried against them. Looking to his mother for help, she did no such thing, and instead, she knelt to you as well.
“My que-“
“Long live queen regent, Amelia of Prussia.” She commanded, looking at the guards. Your eyes shifted to them, and they too, took a knee.
Your lips parted and you gasped, unable to speak as a broken family cried in front of you, and your husband’s corpse lay in his bed.
“What is your wish, my queen?” one of the guards asked.
“Prepare the king’s body,” you commanded softly, “w-we must show the kingdom that we are not a crumbling dynasty. Announce that I will be leading Prussia until Edmunt is old enough to take the crown at the request of the former queen, and the king’s brother.”
“Yes, queen Amelia.”
“Guard?” you asked softly.
“Yes, my queen?”
“Tell the godfather of my children that he is to meet with myself, Prince Friedrich, and the queen in my quarters while my husbands’ body is being prepared.”
“Yes queen Amelia.”
“And guard?”
“Send notice to my mother and father, post haste...she must be aware of my affairs as well. Let her know that her grandchildren will be coming back with Mr. Bridgerton before the end of the week while Prussia settles down. Have her bring on a wet nurse for Princess Charlotte and the usual nannies for Prince Edmunt. They need not see their father buried or endure the torture of it.”
“Yes, queen Amelia.”
Benedict looked at the four year old, who was edging closer to being five. His olive skin glittered in the early morning air. The same could easily be said for the newborn who was wrapped snugly in his arms.
The carriage bumped and the little boy shifted in his spot, one of his eyes popping open, “must we travel this early, father?”
“I’m sorry, young prince, but we must!” he frowned, trying to keep the formality up despite his son’s slip. His eyes fell to the little package in his arms. She yawned, but otherwise seemed undisturbed. His heart ached at the thought of you and how the little babe in his arms was your minature, “your mother has said that we must not stop unless it is for food for you and your sister. Your grandmother is eagerly waiting your arrivals.”
He sat up, pushing away Benedict’s overcoat from his shoulders. He shifted closer to the cushion for a moment, and looked at the jacket, “why do you act that way?”
“Pardon?”
“Mama says that you are my true papa...”
He nodded, “then she must have also told you that it was a secret.”
The little boy nodded, mirroring his fathers’ movements, “yes. But you treat me like everyone else does...”
“I am to do so,” he frowned, looking at the little boy, “you are raised as a prince, Edmunt...I have no family name and title as my eldest does...I-“
“But I’m a prince...”
“Yes.”
“And I will rule Prussia one day, when I am able.”
“You will.”
“And Charlotte will run England.”
“She will.”
“And you are my papa.” He sighed and held an arm out to the boy. He carried Benedict’s jacket with him and sat on the seat beside his father. Benedict’s arm wrapped around him, and Edmunt leaned in, “I just wish to have my papa....”
“You do have me, Edmunt...I will be there for you whenever you need me to be,” he promised, “I just cannot say some things in public.”
“Will Charlotte know.”
“God willing,” he nodded, “one day.”
“I will make sure Charlotte knows,” he promised, his little hand reaching up so that he could gently stroke his little sister’s cheek, “Charlotte will know that you are her papa, just as I know that you are my papa.”
“It must remain a secret, my boy!” he sighed with a heavy heart, “the world must believe that you belong to Prince Heinrich.”
“You hear that, Charlotte?” he asked his sister, who was still sleeping soundly in the man’s arms, “we have a secret that the rest of the world doesn’t ever get to know...our godfather is our papa.”
“Thank you for coming...” you gave Arthur a look as he held out his hand to you. You took it, and he instantly pulled you close to his chest, “you look ravishing by the way.”
His hand slid down to your lower back, and you gave him another look, “Arthur...please...I came because I wanted to be supportive of another driver...he gave all the drivers an invite, but this was the only way I could accept it...we both know that.”
He gave you a solemn smile, “so this has nothing to do with the night of the O2?” Your cheeks started to feel hot as you thought about the explosive night that the two of you had after the event. He smiled and kissed your cheek, “you’re redder than the lights in here, mon couer. Say what you want, but you and I keep finding our way back to each other for a reason.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I’m in lov-“
“Arthur Leclerc...do you mind if we take a photo with you?”
“Not at all,” he smiled politely to the very obvious fans of his brothers, “Darling...do you mind taking the photo for us?”
The girls looked hesitantly at you even though you had said that you would.
“Who are you?” one of them asked, noticing Arthur’s hand slipping away from you as you switched positions with the young women so they could get close to him.
“She is a friend,” Charles said, swooping in out of almost nowhere. He pressed a kiss to your cheek and put a hand on your lower back, “thank you for coming with Arthur tonight...I was starting to think he wasn’t going to show. But I’m glad that you could drag my brother out even through his busy schedule.”
The women gave you a sceptical look, before looking at him with stars in their eyes.
“Did you ladies want a picture with Charles too?”
They forgot their hesitations and nodded eagerly, and Charles gave them a smile before hopping into the photo as well. You took a few for them before the girls giggled and went on to ask for their next series of photos with celebrities who’d shown up.
“I thought this was a closed event that was invite only?” Arthur asked his brother as he raised a brow at him.
Charles shrugged, “brands always have some sort of giveaway. There are a few contest winners around here...”
“Do you mind if I make a post on my socials?” you asked softly, “I partner with Chivas too, so-“
“Of course,” he smiled, “let’s take a photo together though, yes? I’d love to be included in your post.”
Arthur was quick to come back to your side, and you were sandwiched between the two Leclerc boys as you took a selfie. Arthur’s hand slipped around your waist, before gently making it’s way to your ass and cupping it. You shot him a look and he gave you a playful smile, “take another, mon couer...this one is for us though.”
“Arthur!”
“Don’t make me beg!” he teased.
You sighed and took another picture, only this time he’d leaned in and kissed you on your cheek. You shook your head at him, unable to stop your smile, “mon conard, you are incorrigible.”
“I’m in love, mon couer,” he repeated softly, “you know that.”
Charles cleared his throat and you immediately felt your cheeks heating up as you looked at him, “I’m so sorry...thank you for inviting us, Charles.”
“Like I said before, I appreciate it!”
“Thank you for the plus one!” Arthur grinned.
He nodded politely and excused himself, saying that he needed to make rounds before everything started. You made the post to your social media accounts only to see a few of the drivers when you put your phone back in your clutch.
“Evie!” Lando smiled when he saw you.
His smile, however, fell, when he saw that you had Arthur beside you. Arthur’s grip tightened ever so slightly.
“Hello Lando!” you smiled politely before nodding to Arthur, “you know Arthur, yes?”
Lando gave him a terse smile and made some small talk with you for a few moments, before making a hasty exit when he saw Carlos Sainz come through the door.
“Well, that was awkward,” Arthur frowned, “I see what you mean though...he is a bit...pushy with you.”
“I think he means well!” you shrugged, “I also think that he’s used to getting what he has his eye on.”
“Well, if I have my way, he won’t get you.”
“Oh, mon conard,” you sighed, unable to keep yourself from feeling all of the old emotions from when you two had been together, “there’s not a man who could steal me from you.”
Arthur gave you a sad smile, before being pulled away by another set of fans.
You didn’t mind though.
You were sort of happy to have a moment to yourself so that you could grab a drink.
But it was when your hand brushed another as you reached for a glass you were left breathless.
A familiar set of green eyes was watching you with an amused expression on his face, “you know...once is a coincidence...twice and in two different countries...are you following me, Miss Jaycobs?”
You couldn’t help but laugh at the quirky joke, “I’m starting to think you’re following me...running into me...now stealing my drink?”
“Well please,” he insisted as he handed you the beverage, his amusement still brimming, “don’t let me take a drink from a beautiful woman.”
“Does that line always work for you?”
He smirked even more, “I’ll let you know if I have your number by the end of the event.”
“Cocky?”
“Self-assured.” He shrugged as he leaned against the bar, “anyways...I’d say that this is fate...”
“How so?”
“Well, after I saved you from hitting the pavement and you scampered off, I realized I hadn’t asked for your name...or even your number,” he admitted slowly, “but then I’d overheard Lando talking about you...”
“Of course he was.”
He chuckled, “and I heard him talking about how you don’t associate with drivers in a...romantic fashion.”
“I don’t associate with him in a romantic fashion!” you corrected, “I was trying to let him down gently, but he isn’t one for understanding subtlety.
“That he is not. Well, I’d just figured that you weren’t meant to be,” he agreed, “but seeing you here...it’s a long way from Bahrain, Miss. Jaycobs.”
“You do realize that I work for Red Bull as an ambassador...they have me doing events in the cities you guys hit where I have a following the week before and or the week of. I’m also partnered with Chivas, who is doing this with Charles.”
“Is this you saying that I’ll be able to see you for most of the season?”
“Maybe...maybe not!” you shrugged.
“Well, I hope that I do, Evie.”
You took a few steps towards him and giggled as you leaned up to his ear, “who knows...maybe I’ll give you my phone number one digit at a time.”
“Worth the wait!” he smiled, his hand falling to your hip so that he could keep you close. You took a sip from your beverage, and you weren’t sure if it was the effects of the alcohol or the butterflies welling up in your stomach at his sweet words.
The lights flickered, and you heard the MC for the evening introducing the event, but it all felt like white noise as you stared into his gorgeous green eyes.
You groaned, hearing the incessant knocking at your door.
It was too early for work.
With a growl, you opened your eyes and looked at your phone on the end table.
No new messages.
You didn’t have any changes to your schedule, and yet, someone was knocking actively on your door.
“One minute!”
The knocking didn’t stop, and you frowned as you raced to the door.
Opening it, you were shocked to see Charles Leclerc standing in front of you.
“Oh shit.”
What if he had expected to see Evan Jay?
“Can I come in?”
You moved aside from the door, half in shock that he didn’t seem to be bothered, half confused that he didn’t seem bothered, “can I...help you?”
You watched as the Monegasque driver paced back and forth in front of your bed before he came to a halt and looked at you.
“I know who you really are...”
Your stomach dropped, “wh-what?”
“I was talking to my brother last night after the event,” he admitted, “he probably had one too many, but we were talking...and he admitted to me who you are.”
“I-I don’t know-“
“Evalyn Jaycobs...Evan Jay...whatever you go by...I know...”
Your throat felt like it went dry.
You weren’t sure if you should feel betrayed because Charles had admitted to you that Arthur told him who you really were or because of the fact that Arthur had gone and told your secret in general.
“You can’t tell anyone.”
Charles’ brows furrowed, “what?”
“I-you can’t tell anyone,” you said quickly, hoping to mitigate any damage, “Helmut already kicked me off the main team and switched me and Lawson when he found out and-“
“Why would I tell anyone?” he asked, clearly confused by the conversation and its direction, “wait...you got put on the RB team because you’re a girl?”
“You’re not pissed?”
“Why would I be pissed?”
“Because I’m a girl.”
Charles put his hands on his hips, still clearly confused. He stared at you for a minute, and then crossed his arms over his chest, “why does that matter?”
You felt shell-shocked.
“Y-you really don’t care?”
“We come into Formula one wanting the best possible athletes...the best drivers...” he said firmly with a shake of his head, “why would I care if you are a girl or not?”
“You really are a rare breed, Leclerc...” you replied. The two of you stood in silence for a second before you crossed your arms over your chest, “wait...if you don’t care, why are you at my hotel room?”
“I just-I wanted to tell you that I get it...the secrecy...but I also see the camaraderie that you give to those around you. Yuki’s been in a better headspace than he’s been in years...and we haven’t even started the season...you came to support me even when you couldn’t do it as Evan Jay...you’re a good person, Evalyn...what you are doing isn’t for your own benefit. You are making the paddock a better place whether you realize it or not.”
“Th-thank you...”
“I came by, because I wanted to let you know that even though you’re doing all of this in secret...I see you as a friend...and if you ever need to talk, or want someone to open up to...I don't want you feeling like you have to hide...I-I will be there for you.”
“Thanks Charles...”
“And I wanted to personally wish you good luck with the start of the season...I hope that you do well out there...and that you prove everyone that doubted you wrong.”
You looked at Yuki as the two of you watched the highlights from the first day of testing together. It had been a crazy day with the lights going out, but overall, it wasn’t a bad one. Yuki had come in at tenth fastest overall, but you had made it in fifth place coming in just above Carlos Sainz with a time of 1:30:882.
Yuki laughed and nudged you, and you felt yourself paling as you watched the screen.
“This was funny!” he laughed, smiling all the way as he thought back to earlier in the day.
“Funny for you, maybe,” you frowned, thinking about how earlier you had been blindsided by the incumbents when the power had gone out in the garage, “they caught me without me having a rigged mic and I almost blew my cover.”
The two of you watched on the screen as you looked around the garage, pretending not to hear the poor soul who’d been tasked with trying to get a word from you.
“JAY! GET OVER HERE!” Laurent called when he’d seen you being cornered by the interviewer and questioned.
Yuki giggled even more when you all but bolted from the team trying to get a word.
“Well, it looks like we’ll have to wait until media day to get a word in edge wise from another of our rookie drivers...back to you!”
“Jay,” the media coordinator for the VCARB team, and Yuki’s girlfriend asked, “Yuki? We were cleared to do a few Tik Toks with you guys before the F1 media team takes you guys for individual things. While Jay hits the round table for the rookie interview, Netflix wants to borrow Yuki for a few questions for DTS.”
“Alright...so what do you want to do with us?”
“There are actually a few Kardashian sounds we want to use...”
You looked at Yuki, “oh you’ve got to be kidding me...”
“We watch the Kardashians,” Yuki said guiltily, while looking to his girlfriend, “it’s hot right now. And it’s a really addictive show!”
“This is all your fault!” you laughed, looking between the couple. She gave you a look and you sighed, “fine...play the sounds...let’s go.”
“Hello, I’m Laura Winter, and...”
She looked to Jack, who had her cards as he smiled and looked at her, “welcome to the rookie round table.”
“Good stuff,” she smiled, “I’m joined by Jack Doohan, Oliver Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Evan Jay, and Gabriel Bortoleto. And we are here to find out a little bit more about our rookies this year!”
“What about Bortoleto?” Kimi asked.
“Where is he?” Oliver asked.
“He has a little bit further to walk, so he’ll be here shortly,” she said quickly, trying to keep all of you on track, “now. You all are the largest bump crop of rookies. How is it feel to be joining Formula One? How are the emotions this season which is set to be so close?”
“It’s cool!”
“I’m still trying to figure out what a bump or crop is?” Jack asked.
“A good crop!” she clarified. You couldn’t help but laugh as the rest of the boys looked between each other and discussed it. You tried to hold ack your smile even more as you noticed just how much Jack was trying to flirt with Laura, while the others tried to argue who would go first in answering questions.
“Evan...take it away!”
“Well, I mean, obviously it’s a dream come true. I started a bit later than my fellow drivers when it comes to our careers, but we’re all here...all of us except Bortoleto and Alonso and Liam. You know what, we’re down a lot of rookies at this round table, aren’t we?”
Kimi started giggling from beside you, “that’s right! Where is Alonso and Liam?”
“This is a rookie round table boys. Fernando Alonso and Liam -“
“Liam and Alonso are rookies!” Kimi giggled, trying to be a troublemaker.
You smiled at him as the two of you started joking back and forth before Laura pulled the conversation back to herself and then guided it down the line of boys. You managed to take the whole thing in stride, despite Liam never showing up, while making as many jokes as you could, which only seemed to annoy Laura.
“I heard that Liam was so upset about spinning out yesterday that he refused to do the rookie roundtable with the rest of you.”
You looked at Yuki, “what?”
He nodded, “was pissed that you got above him in times too.”
“Wait...he was actually supposed to be there?”
Yuki nodded, “he was throwing a fit about how you outranked him, so he refused to go.”
“You were pretty close to his times too!”
“That didn’t help,” he smirked, “but it was you that sent him over the edge. I guess he was throwing a tantrum and refused to come out of his room in the Red Bull setup.”
“Asshole,” you grumbled, referring to the New Zealander. Yuki shrugged and you bumped fists, “who we race for?”
“Racing Bulls!” Yuki smiled, giving you the RB horns sign that the two of you had come up with, “who do you race for?”
“That’s right. Racing Bulls!” you repeated, “let’s kick some ass, Tsunoda.”
“Oh yeah!”
You pulled out your phone and lifted it, playing the viral clip of a little boy singing Yuki’s name. He smiled at you, and you did the Racing Bulls horn sign to him, “YUKI TSU-NO-DA! Who’s the first driver and the best driver? YUKI TSU-NO-DA!”
A few of the guys around the garage chuckled, but it only encouraged him.
He nodded and you watched him put on his helmet and hop into his car. He was given the morning session, and you were more than okay with that. But you had wanted to make sure that you were there so that you could show that you supported him too.
So, while you watched him pull out of the garage, you were surprised when you noticed the Red Bull that had pulled out wasn’t Max’s. Stepping out of the Racing Bulls garage you saw Max leaning against the walls in a simple Red Bull tee and a pair of jeans. Your brow lifted, and it was obvious that he noticed you, but he didn’t do anything more than nod in your direction.
You returned the favor, but went back into your separate garage, choosing to watch the action from your phone. Most of the men in the garage ignored you, thinking that you were nothing more than Yuki’s secret girlfriend because you hadn’t gone out in your binders and wigs and makeup.
So, you took the chance to head to the Red Bull garage when there was a little break in the action.
Christian gave you a polite smile, and Max was quick to join your side, “good to see you, Evie.”
“Verstappen.”
“Liam’s got the whole track today.”
Your brow quirked and you looked behind him. His car was jacked up, but you hadn’t thought much of it, because yours had been too, but you knew you were driving later.
“Why’s that?”
“Three guesses.”
He shot you a look and you couldn’t help but smile and shake your head.
Already, you’d been well aware of the politics at Red Bull, IE Helmut Marko. And you knew that both Liam and Helmut had to have been pissed when you had gotten a better time than Liam in a Racing Bull car.
You were about to say something when another driver popped up between the two of you though.
“Oh, hey guys...fancy seeing you here...”
“Yeah, fancy that, Lando,” Max said unenthusiastically as he rolled his eyes at his best friend, “me being in my garage. For my team.”
“Well, I more so meant your friend here,” Lando offered, pulling the attention to you and himself as he held a hand out to you, “I’m Lando Norris... and you’re Evie Jaycobs!”
“I am!” you smiled politely taking his hand in yours, “I’m sorry, have we met before?”
Lando frowned, and you noticed Max biting back some laughter while you pretended to have never met the driver.
“I mean, we’ve crossed paths...the O2 you were Arthur Leclerc’s date at the second Scuderia table, right?”
“I was...”
“And Max has been non-stop talking about you ever since you handed him your socials when he met you at Red Bull?”
Your brow rose, “oh, has he?”
“And I mean, I have to admit, I saw you on Raya-“
“That’s where I saw you from!” you lied, cutting him off, “I-I’m so sorry...gosh this is awkward...”
“Awkward?” he asked, “no...why would it be awkward? Plenty of people use Raya.”
“Well because I didn’t swipe on you!” you admitted, trying to softly reject him, “I-I’m sorry. You’re just-not my type...i-it’s nothing personal...I just...don’t date drivers.”
Lando tried to brush off the rejection, but you could see that it hit his ego. Max was having a very hard time not laughing beside him.
“Y-you were with Arthur Leclerc though.”
“He doesn’t actively drive for a formula one team and he is a good friend who needed a date for the event..”
This time Max couldn’t help but laugh, and you found yourself holding back your own bits of laughter.
“Oh...so what are you doing here?”
“I was curious about Red Bull,” you lied once again, shrugging your shoulders as you held up a Red Bull pass, “and well, since I’m an ambassador for Red Bull, they invited me out to their garage to see what F1 is all about before the season starts...”
“Well, I mean...I could show you F1 outside of Red Bull.”
“Oh, I-I already took up driver Tsunoda on that. He’s going to give me a tour of the campus later...you drivers are really sweet.”
“Well Yuki drives for Red Bull’s sister team,” he shrugged, “I mean, McLaren won the constructors last year-“
“Lando...she’s not interested. Leave the poor girl alone!” Max chuckled as he dryly cut his best friend off.
At this insistence you felt truly bad for having rejected him so much seeing how deflated he looked. You gave Max a look and he shrugged his shoulders, “I-I do have some time now...I mean-“
Lando instantly pepped up and puffed up his chest, “I could show you the garage right now if you wanted. It’ll have you being on team papaya-“
“Show me the garage, Lando.” you laughed, cutting the driver off. He was quick to hold out his arm, and you sighed, taking it, just for him to lead you down the way. You let him mansplain everything to you, telling you all about how complex the cars were, and using all the terminology he could think of.
Meanwhile, you pretended to have no idea what he was talking about, and you expertly asked clarifying questions, without throwing in the actual verbiage just so that he could puff himself up even more and correct you, then answer the question.
He’d managed to keep you in the McLaren garage nearly the whole session. And you were surprised when you saw Oscar pulling back into the garage.
You knew you only had a few hours until it was your turn behind the wheel, so you tried to make an excuse to leave, but he only made an excuse to counter your excuse about how you had to be hungry.
And it was at that inopportune time that your stomach grumbled.
“What kind of tour guide would I be if I returned you to Max hungry?” he asked with big doe eyes as he looped his arm through yours once more, “least I can do is be a good McLaren ambassador and treat you right.”
“Lando...I think you have treated me phenomenally,” you tried as you unlooped your arm from his and started out of the garage. He seemed to follow you as you tried to get away, and you were almost past the Mercedes garage when he had you turning around again, “Lando I appreciate it, I do. But I have to-“
Your words were crumbling almost as much as you were as you ran into a something.
Or rather a someone.
There was a clattering of limbs as you and another person fell to the ground. But the man was sweet enough to protect you from actually getting hurt as he wrapped his arms around you and hit the ground first.
Your scared eyes looked into the surefire green ones of a very British Mercedes driver who still happened to be in his suit.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was at,” he commented breathlessly as he looked at you, “are you alright, Miss?”
The end of the 2024 season had a lot of speculation on who would take the Red Bull seat beside Max Verstappen. Most thought it would be Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson, but no one expected Evan Jay, the fresh-faced twenty-one-year-old from the United States.
She burned through the competition, coming in late to the sport, whereas most of her competitors had been karting since they could toddle. She wholeheartedly refused to be in the women’s F1 academy, and there was one team principal who had seen her talent early on and encouraged her ruse.
Hell it was even his idea.
Because Christian Horner had a plan.
He always had a plan
She never corrected anyone when they had called her a ‘him’ or ‘he.’
It’s not like she was lying.
They'd just assumed because her name was Evan Jay.
The men and women she worked with in all divisions of the sport kept her secret, knowing that she was good enough to get into Formula One’s main sect. But then, when Redbull had her sign her contract as the second driver for their flagship team in Formula 1, things turned upside down.
And not everyone handled it the way that she thought they would.
Liam scoffed, “Her secret is already out, Christian...this was just the confirmation that we needed...I don’t need to sign that paper.”
“You sign it, or you lose your seat,” he urged the driver, before looking at both Yuki and Max, “that applies to everyone. People that need to be made aware of Evan and her situation are going to be...but under the right circumstances...and they will all sign NDA’s, just like you are.”
“So, you’re going to make us sign contracts to not tell people she’s a girl? Even though it’s a rumor that everyone is starting to find out?” Yuki asked, his brow furrowing. He looked at you, before turning his attention to Max, “are you okay with losing a seat over a girl?”
Max shrugged stood from the couch, and walked up to the contract, picking up the folder with his name on it. He flipped it open and scanned over the documents before signing and initialling where he needed to, “I’ve got bigger things to worry about than what my teammate has between their legs.”
You felt a kinship with the Dutch driver, but he didn’t spare you a glance as he slid the folder back to your team principal.
Tik Tok Trends, We Listen and We Don't Judge, Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri
Word Count: 1.2k
“Okay the title of this one is ‘we listen and we don’t jud-“
“Are you serious?” Lando cackled, “We listen and we don’t judge? What don’t we judge? I mean, that one challenge where we listed our red and green flags...come on!”
Oscar gave the camera in front of them a look that would rival the characteristic one of Jim from the Office before looking back to their social media coordinator, “you thought this was going to work? With him? You’ve seen how well some of our other videos have gone, right?”
Lando gave Oscar a sassy look, “what is that supposed to mean?”
“That’s what makes it funny,” the social media coordinator tried to explain, “You and Lando are dynamic, Oscar. What it means is that-“
“I know what it means,” he laughed, “people say crazy stuff and then repeat that they listen and don’t judge.”
This time it was Oscar that couldn’t help but giggle as he shrugged his shoulders at the media coordinator, “Fine. But you set yourself up for this. We’re not going to make it through the video.”
“Lando, please...don’t make this any harder than it has to be. We have this one thing to do for the socials and then you can head out with your girlfriends...this is literally the last thing. It should be painless. Just give it a try.”
Lando playfully rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, “I guess I could.”
“Great...we’re just going to do a few...after each ‘confession’ you say ‘we listen and don’t judge,’ got it?”
“I think I can manage,” Lando chuckled, shaking his head. He waited for the camera to roll and he started, “I’m Lando Norris!”
“And I’m Oscar Piastri.”
“We’re your 2025 drivers for McLaren!” Lando smirked.
Oscar smiled, adding in a wave, before tucking his arms under himself, “and today we’re doing the ‘we listen and we don’t judge challenge.’ I’m really happy to finally be doing this Lando, because there are some things I have to get off my chest. Lando. Sometimes I tell you the wrong time when you text asking about our schedules so that I can get fitted first because you take forever!”
Lando grinned, clapping his teammate on the shoulder, “that’s okay, Oscar. You know what they say. We listen, and we don’t judge!”
Oscar gave a smile, which he played up to the camera, “gosh that feels really good!”
“CUT!”
Both Lando and Oscar frowned, “What was wrong with that?”
“I know we didn’t give you guys a script, but you’re supposed to come up with funny things to say to each other.”
“I thought lying about the time thing was funny!” Oscar shrugged. Out Lando’s peripherals he could see both his and Oscar’s girlfriends talking to one of the other coordinators and he smiled, instantly thinking of something devious. He nudged his teammate, and he got a similar thought in his head. But he was quick to shake it, and look back at Lando, “we’re not including them.”
“Oh come on,” Lando chuckled, “their videos are hilarious.”
“Our girlfriends go overboard,” he disagreed with a shake of his head, “remember when they started a prank war, asking their viewers who had the funnier girlfriend.”
“You’re just mad that my girlfriend won!” Lando laughed, “Babe! Babe!”
His girlfriend turned and she gave him a small smile and wave. Lando was quick to wave both of the girls over. Then he turned to the coordinator, “what if our girlfriends made up things and we just reacted?”
The coordinator pursed her lips before smirking, “Okay...let me go talk to them really quick!”
When she walked away, Oscar looked at his teammate once again, “you know that this is a terrible idea. Lily and-hey honey!”
Oscar smiled, cutting himself off as his girlfriend walked over and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, “hey your coordinator said that you guys want us to be in a video with you.”
“Well yeah, you and my girlfriend have that channel together and you’re hilarious,” Lando offered, smiling at her, “I suggested it because the coordinator isn’t finding Oscar very funny.”
Oscar’s brow furrowed, “hey!”
“It’s okay,” Lily smiled, pressing a kiss to Oscar’s cheek, “I think you’re perfectly funny!”
“We listen and we don’t judge!” Lando’s girlfriend smiled as she walked past her best friend, only to wrap her arms around Lando’s neck, “hey babes.”
“Hello beautiful!” he smiled, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.
“Hey!” Lily exclaimed, hitting her friend’s arm, “I do think Oscar is funny!”
“Someone has to!” Lando snickered.
“Alright...let’s get this show on the road. Lily. Sara. Stand behind your boyfriends. When the camera’s start rolling, they’re going to introduce themselves, and then you two take over. Got it?”
Lily and Sara shared a look and smiled, before heading behind their boyfriends. The social media coordinator gave them the countdown, and Lando smiled, “Hi. I’m Lando Norris.”
“And I’m Oscar Piastri.”
“And we’re you’re 2025 McLaren drivers.”
“And we’re Lily and Sara...their girlfriends!”
“And today, we’re going to play a little game with our boyfriends.”
“We listen and don’t judge!” Oscar piped up proudly.
“Hey Lil?”
“Yeah Sar?”
“I’m really glad that you and Oscar are together. You make a cute couple!”
“Aww thanks Sar!” she smiled at her best friend, “you and Lando are pretty adorable too.”
“You know I love you guys right?”
“Yeah!”
“Sometimes when Oscar beat out Lando last season, he would get upset!” she started, “we’d spend the whole night printing out pictures of you guys and drawing mustaches on you two just so he’d feel better.”
Lily’s smile stopped and she looked at her friend. She gasped and her hand went to her upper lip, “on the both of us?”
“Yup!” she admitted, nodding quickly, “I’ll admit, it made me feel better too. Lando’s the first driver...he should always beat Oscar.”
Lily gasped once more and then dramatically went stoic, straightening herself out.
“You know what...that’s okay. We listen, and we don’t judge.”
“I knew you’d understand, Lils...”
“It’s okay, Sar...you know how you and Lando had to show up late to the awards this past year because mysteriously there were stains on your dress and Lando’s suit?”
“How did you-“
“We might have spilled some things on it because we wanted the spotlight for once.”
Sara faked a surprised gasp and looked at her friend, “you what?”
“It’s okay though...right?”
Lando and Oscar looked between each other, unsure if what the girls were saying about their teammates were true or not. But Sara stared at the camera, “we listen and we don’t judge.”
“I knew you’d under-“
“That dress was really expensive!” she muttered, loud enough for the camera to pick up, and on purpose.
“So was the wine we spilled on it!”
“That’s okay...the contest we had on our channel, where I won funnier girlfriend?”
“Yeah?”
“I had Lando’s mates go on and vote for us again and again!” she said quickly.
“I KNEW I-“
But the two girls were quickly bickering behind their boyfriends, spewing random confessions while their boyfriends just stared at each other for a solid few seconds.
“Should we break it up?” Oscar asked.
“I-I think we should just listen...” Lando trailed off.
“And not judge?” Oscar asked.
“CUT!”
The two girls broke into a fit of giggles, walking away from the camera, while the two drivers sat, still unsure of what just happened.
“Do you really draw on pictures of me and Lily when I beat you?”
“Did you and Lily really ruin our outfits for the awards?”
His voice made you want to snuggle further into his chest. The warmth from his own body only added to the comfort between the sheets. His lips grazed over your hairline as he breathed your very essence in; one of his large hands smoothing down the hair at the crown of your head while he held you close. You sighed ever so slightly as the facial hair that was coming in on his jawline felt rough against you.
“Pierre...”
Your eyes flickered open and you felt breathless as you looked into his. He smiled down at you, his lip on the verge of quivering as he whispered, “I love how you look in the morning...”
“Hmmm!” You hummed softly. Your free hand slid up his chest and brushed over his lips, “I was thinking something similar...”
“And what were you thinking?” he asked gently as he kissed the pad of your thumb while it dragged down his lower lip.
“How in the mornings your eyes seem glassy...and your cheeks are a little rosier...and your lips...”
His smile turned slightly devilish as he urged you, “what about my lips, mon couer?”
Your eyes wavered momentarily as you eyed his plump, slightly puffy bottom lip, before returning to his gaze. He was waiting, but it felt like he was going to jump at your response. You swallowed.
“They make me weak.”
“You make me weak...everything from the way you look at me...to the words you spend on me...to the time you give me...and I love every second of it...”
“I love you, Pierre.”
The Frenchman softened visibly, his large hand coming down from your head, to cup your cheek, “you are my heart...my love...and all of my love, you have.”
You leaned up, pressing your lips softly to his.
He moaned at your touch as your hand slid back down the column of his throat, and his lithe, toned stomach. Taking the moment to wrap his arm around you, he rolled so that he was hovering over your body.
You gasped when he broke the kiss, “Pierre.”
“I’ll give you a reason to be weak when you think of my lips later today, mon couer.” He leaned forward once more and stole a kiss before diving under the sheets, “I’ll worship you with these lips.”
“What do you mean it’s not funny, of course it is!”
“Putting mistletoe wherever me and any of the other Avengers are, is not a funny prank!”
You bit your lip.
You couldn’t stop smiling, “come on, Nat...everyone else thinks it’s funny.”
She looked to her younger sister and huffed, crossing her arms, “tell your little friend to leave, Yel...now!”
“Oh, come on. She’s not that bad,” Yelena said calmly, throwing her arm around you, “she’s my best friend, Natasha!”
“I don’t care,” she huffed, “earlier she switched the vodka with water when I was bartending, and then she did the mistletoe thing...but that’s just the start of it. She sat on Steve’s lap! She’s embarrassing.”
“First of all, Steve offered to play Santa,” she said, rolling her eyes, “and we both know that people sit in Santa’s lap and ask for toys!”
“Are you really defending her, Yelena?”
“Everyone thinks it’s funny,” she laughed, “even Bucky was laughing. I don’t know why you are so angry about it.”
“Because it’s stupid and immature.”
“Is that really what you’re angry about, Natasha?” Yelena frowned, giving her older sister a glare. She crossed her arms and sucked in her cheeks, giving her a pointed look. Natasha frowned before throwing the glare back to her little sister.
Her shirt crinkled under her arms as she mimicked her sister’s actions, crossing her own arms over her chest.
“Yelena!”
“I’ll tell you what...I’m going to leave the two of you alone, so that you could talk. And then-“
“Yelena, please don’t. I’ll leave, I ju-“
“What?” Natasha scoffed, “you don’t feel comfortable being around me anymore?”
Your jaw twitched, “it’s not that, Nat. I-“
“I’m going to leave the two of you alone!”
“Yel-“
But before Nat or you could finish your thoughts, she had evacuated the room, leaving the two of you alone. You looked at her nervously.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” you asked, “I didn’t-“
“You’re looking at me like you’re nervous,” she frowned, “I never hurt you. I-“
“I never said that you did!”
“You never called me back after that date!” she pointed back, “I get it...I’d be hesitant too, especially with how I almost got you killed. But I-“
“Natasha, stop!”
“What?”
“I didn’t ‘not call you back,’ because of the date...I-I showed up with flowers a few days after, but you and Sharon-“
“You saw me kiss Sharon!”
You bit your lip, and you nodded, “yeah...”
“She meant nothing...you...you have to know that. I-“
“I don’t need a reason, Nat...you don’t owe me one. I’m not your girlfriend.”
“But I-“
“Nat...it’s okay...like I said, I’m not your girlfriend...”
The door opened, breaking the awkward tension in the room. Steve pulled his fake beard down as he closed the door behind him, “alright...some people are getting pretty toasty out there.”
Natasha watched as you shifted awkwardly between the two Avengers. But before she could say anything else, Steve moved to your side, his hand falling on the small of your back, “you okay, bunny?”
You bit your lip and nodded, not daring to look at Natasha, “Yeah...me and Nat were just talking. We uh-had some things to sort.”
Steve gave Natasha a sad smile, “You two okay?”
“Yeah...yeah...we-“
“Good!” Steve smiled, turning his attention back to you. He pressed a small, chaste kiss to your lips and gave you a cheeky grin, “you know...I don’t think I told you what I wanted for Christmas...”
“Not sure that’s how it works, Santa!” you said awkwardly to your boyfriend, while a girl you’d gone on a date with just a few months prior stared at the two of you.
He stroked your cheek and sent you a wink, “told Tony I’d do this for a few minutes...he’s going to wake Morgan up so she can ‘see me.’ Then we’ll head back to your place where I can tell you...just the two of us?”
“Yeah...yeah...”
He gave you another soft smile before turning away from the door and pulling his beard back over his face. Natasha felt like her stomach was filling with concrete as she looked between you and the Avenger who just went back to the party.
“What was that?”
“Steve...” you said slowly, glancing back to her, “he uh-he saw you and Sharon kissing too...ironically enough he was going to ask her out on another date...we uh, kind of bonded over it...”
Warnings: major angst, smut, unprotected sex, overcompensating/substituting a drug problem.
“You really shouldn’t be this upset over it,” Mandy shrugged as the two of you sat in the back of the ice cream van while Lip drove, “it’s not like it was your fault that it happened. I mean, I’ve seen plenty of pervs stroking it when I rode the bus. And it’s not like Fiona could have done anything to stop the guy!”
“But Debbie shouldn’t have had to see that,” you frowned, “Fiona should have been paying more attention to what was going on around them instead of being stuck in whatever fantasy she was playing out in her head. You already said that she’s been uncontrollable with the money. What she’s doing is going to put the family out on their asses if she’s not careful. And my apartment isn’t big enough to-”
“Look Fi Fi, she couldn’t have controlled what happened,” Lip added in, cutting you off, “the guy was behind them, and-“
“Fi Fi is right!” Ian jumped in, cutting his older brother off, “I don’t ever remember anything like that happening when Sofia used to take us shopping with her.”
“The point of it is that you shouldn’t blame yourself, Sofia,” Mandy pointed out, as she brought the conversation back to herself, “you try to take on too much of the responsibility in the family and you don’t even live there anymore. And for what?”
“Oh, you mean like how we’re driving up to pick up a little sister you barely knew about?”
She gave you a guilty smile, “maybe I learned it from the girl who was practically my big sister growing up.”
“It’s a curse,” you laughed, wrapping your arm around her shoulders, “us Gallagher and Milkovich girls are cursed to give too many fucks and not enough at the same time.”
“Maybe you should tell Fiona that!” Ian scoffed.
You noticed your younger brother giving your other younger brother a glare, but you chose to ignore it, turning your attention back to Mandy.
“Hard facts.” She smirked. There was a comfortable silence building between the two of you for a few minutes as Lip and Ian talked in the front, “So...Debbie told me the last time she was over, you had a friend...a guy friend showing up...should I tell my brother that he missed out on his chance with you, yet again, because his dumbass is in prison?”
“Ch-Charlie, right there! Right there! YES. YES! YES!” you moaned as his hips pressed into yours, his cock continuing to stretch you to your fullest. Your nails dragged down his back and he roared as he came inside of you. You felt like you were on the best high you’ve ever had as the warm feeling spread throughout your body.
You were overstimulated in every sense of the word.
Your mind was racing as you fixated on the smallest of details.
How his skin felt beneath your fingertips; the aged skin surprisingly soft as your nails created crescent moons into his shoulders.
The warmth of his own body in between your thighs, his cock spasming inside of you and making you wish you could feel that same high for forever.
The salt and pepper beard which made him seem rugged and worn, but the thick dark hair that clung to his perspiration dotted hairline that made him feel young; just through the ringer.
And those eyes.
The way that they seemed to be searching yours; attempting to read you because he was unsure about what he wanted to say.
You couldn’t stand the thought of him reading you, so you leaned up and pressed your lips to his.
The kiss wasn’t confident.
You felt your own anxiety pushing to the surface as you wondered what you’d just done.
You had sex with your sponsor.
“We-we shouldn’t have done that...” he admitted slowly as he pulled away from you.
Your stomach turned.
The rejection washed over you in a tsunami wave, pulling the air from lungs that now felt like they were struggling to function.
All you could do was stare at him. You felt him beginning to soften inside of you, and you felt yourself deflating just as quickly. Your lips parted and you shuddered.
“I like you Sofia...”
Your throat went dry, and as you continued to stare at him, you felt him deflating now.
How many seconds had passed?
“I-I like you too, Charlie.”
“No...you don’t-you don’t get it. I like you more than I should,” he frowned, brushing the back of his hand along your cheek. Your heart ached as your eyes met his while he rested his body between your legs, “sweetheart, I’m your sponsor...I-this-you’re not even sixty days...I let go of my own emotions because I wanted it. You-I-“
“I was going to use...” you admitted, cutting him off, “I-something serious happened with my little sister, and even though I know it’s not my fault, the guilt’s been eating at me...when you showed up at my door, I had grabbed some cash and was going to text my dealer...”
“Shit...”
He pulled out of you and rolled onto his back. You were afraid to look at him after that admission.
But you could see out of the corner of your eye how his hand dragged across his face, and he sighed heavily.
“You weren’t even going to call me, were you?”
You sniffled as you shook your head, “I didn’t even think about it...I’m so used to being on my own...it...I-“
You weren’t sure when the tears started but they were rolling down your cheeks faster than you could process it as you continued on.
“I didn’t even give Anthony a second thought...and he went down for a nap a few minutes before you showed up...” you admitted, “I-I’m a fucking mess, Charlie.”
“Baby-“
“Charlie...you deserve someone so much better than me!” you proclaimed, cutting him off as you shook your head, “you deserve someone who-“
“I’m in love with you.”
The two of you were silent as you’d both turned to look at one another.
I’m.
In.
Love.
With.
You.
The simple five words bounced around in your head, ricocheting like a bullet in your brain.
“Wh-what?”
“I-I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the night I introduced myself to you, Sofia,” he admitted solemnly, “I-I knew it was wrong when I offered to be your sponsor...and I knew it was wrong when I kept insisting that we have our little coffee and pie dates, but I didn’t care. I may have been clean for over five years, but I-I swear, it’s like you’re my new addiction...and I-I don’t want to give that up.”
“I-I think you should go, Charlie.”
This time he looked confused, “what?”
“I-this-it-it’s all too much, right now...you’re my sponsor. I was about to go use, and instead I turned that energy towards you...we had sex. I just-“
He held up a hand and gave you another sad look before nodding, “I get it...and you’re right. We shouldn’t-I-I’m putting too much pressure on you right now. You don’t need that.”
“I-no...”
He leaned forward once more, and it was like every morsel of your being knew how right it felt, because you leaned in, your lips barely touching his. You melted into him.
“I don’t want to lose you, Sofia.”
“I don’t want to lose you either, Charlie,” you admitted, “but we-how is this-“
“We’ll figure it out...” he said soothingly. You swooned as you felt his nose brushing yours, “I promise that we’ll figure it out...we just-we should take it slow...and definitely not have sex again until we’re both on equal ground. We can’t substitute our addictions for one another...”
“Ca-can you still come around?”
He nodded and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, “I’ll always be here for you, baby.”
“MAYBE,” your sister growled as she stepped up to you, “YOU just need to worry about your own god damn family, Sofia!”
“The kids are my family, Fiona!”
“Bullshit!” she spat, “all you have ever done is abandon and walk out on us. Hell, you’re no better than Monica.”
You felt like she drove a spike straight through your chest, “take that back!”
“Oh, I’m Sofia,” Fiona fake whined, mocking you, “my mommy and daddy fucked me up. I’m bipolar like the crazy bitch, and as avoidant as the drunk fuck! I leave everything to my twin sister to mop up because I can’t handle life.”
“That’s not true, Fiona, and you know it!”
“Go back to your pills and your apartment on the other side of town, Sofia. I don’t fucking need you.”
“Wh-what?”
You froze.
She shook her head and began to laugh at you, “what? You didn’t think I knew? Didn’t think Tony would have let it slip all the times that he was looking for you because he was worried about baby Tony? You fucking disappeared with your son and got hooked on pills like mommy fucking dearest. I’ll give you that though, at least you were courteous enough to take your kid with you. Monica just left us with Frank. I thought you would have done that when you lost your last kid. Though, baby Anthony probably would have been better off with Tony, with you fucking your way through dealers and doing god knows what. I bet-“
She stopped speaking when you slapped her.
The crack from your hand connecting with her face resounded throughout the entire house.
Lip, Mandy, and Debbie looked at you in shock.
“I have done everything-everything that I could, Fiona,” you seethed, “now I may not be as perfect as Frank’s god damn golden child, but I did the best with what I was given. I fucking left because Frank caused my miscarriage. He pushed me and I lost my child. Tony couldn’t even fucking look at me when he realized I’d lost it. I lost everything, Fiona. My marriage. My family. No one was in my fucking corner. So yeah, I turned to pills. But I clawed my way back from that. I’ve been clean for months. And I always, ALWAYS, made sure to make time for any of you that asked for my help, despite how I couldn’t help myself sometimes. So, you can just go straight to hell, Fiona.”
“Guys-“
“Shut up, Lip!” Fiona growled, turning her anger towards him.
“Don’t tell him to shut up!”
“Get the fuck out of my house, Sofia.” She spat, “or so help me God I’ll call Tony up right now and I’ll make sure I do everything in my power to make sure that you get locked up for taking Mandy’s little brother and breaking and entering. You’ll lose your kid and I’ll make sure that you never see baby Anthony again.”
“Sofia...” Debbie cried, pulling at your arm. You looked down at her and she was shaking her head, “don’t let Fi do that...”
“I’m not Debs, I-“
“You have to go!” she sobbed, pulling you to herself, “please, just go!”
You looked up at your twin sister who was standing smugly in front of you, arms over her chest, “the kids don’t need you, Fi Fi. Just go!”
George couldn’t help but smile as he laced his fingers with yours and he thought about how lucky he was.
Lewis had been the one to convince him to download that dating app, Raya.
But never in a million years could he have ever thought that he would find someone like you.
Honestly, he’d been ready to give up on the idea of dating and dating apps all together as he’d been on so many dates in the past two weeks that he’d been off it nearly made his head spin.
And then he found you.
You weren’t like other girls.
Despite being a makeup influencer and a prominent Twitch streamer, you didn’t brag about it. You hadn’t even brought it up on your date with him and tried to push your content like so many of the others had.
But when he’d brought up the date in the group chat, there were two men that were very familiar with you, and jealous, which made George feel all that more special that you set your attention on him.
“No way, you know her?”
“She’s actually really good!” Max commented quickly before turning his attention from his camera and to his step-daughter, “P, you have to take a bath...go get your towel and see mommy!”
“I don’t want to, Maxie!”
“So how did you find her?” Lando asked, butting back in, “because if I knew that she was single, I-“
“Don’t go butting in on his date!” Lewis interrupted, cutting the younger driver off, “if you’re so familiar with her you would have known she’s single! She and George have been hitting it off, right mate?”
“I’m not trying to butt in. She’s very private!” Lando admitted with a laugh, “trust me. I’ve tuned into her streams and seen people ask questions, but she’s a mystery. Even redditors haven’t been able to dig up much on her and those guys can find anything!”
“She was on Raya!”
“Wait, how come I haven’t come across her?” Lando asked quickly.
George shrugged before realizing that his friends couldn’t see him as he was only tuned in on the audio and not the video of the call, “I don’t know.”
“Can we talk about something other than Russells’ dating life?” Oscar asked quickly.
“Okay, how’s your dating life, Oscar?”
The Aussie became quiet for a moment, before starting to talk about his own girlfriend, and how he was unsure on what to get her for the holidays. George was quick to make an excuse up, but not before Lando had sent him a load of messages asking how he’d managed to find you when Lando hadn’t come across you.
“George?”
The young driver looked at you, snapped from his own thoughts, “Oh I’m sorry. I-“
“This is me” you pointed out, giggling at how confused he looked, “my flat...”
“Right...right...”
“I’d like to see you again,” you offered softly. George’s heart wrenched when he didn’t answer quickly and he could see the soft rejection in your eyes, “If-if you wanted to, anyways. I-“
“I’d love that!” he said quickly, cutting you off, “I’m sorry...I just-my mind was somewhere else?”
“Dare I ask where?”
A blush crossed his cheeks, and his eyes went back to your lips. You read what he was silently saying and moved closer to him, just as his arms snaked around your waist, “I want to kiss you, if I’m honest.”
This time the blush spread across your cheeks, and you bit your lip, “I’ve been wanting to kiss you all night, George.”
“You have?”
You smiled a little bit more and nodded, the smallest of giggles passing your lips and sending a school of butterflies fluttering around in his stomach, “god yes.”
His pearly whites gleamed at you, and you wrapped your arms around his neck as he leaned down to kiss you. And as your eyes closed, and your lips met his, a sense of calm washed over you.
All of the anxiety from your date faded away and your hands slipped up into his perfectly soft hair. His tongue poked out just enough to probe into your mouth, and while you had started to melt into him, all of it snapped away from you as a man down the street yelled, “GET A ROOM!”
You jumped, but George kept you snugly in his arms as he yelled back a swift, “PISS OFF, MATE!”
You couldn’t help but to giggle, your head instinctively falling against his shoulder. You playfully hit his other shoulder, “Geroge!”
He smiled, lifting your chin so that your eyes could meet once more. You felt yourself nearly melting into him all over again, and it all began to feel like a dream.
A snowflake kissed your cheek, pulling your eyes from his, and you looked up to the sky. You couldn’t help but smile, seeing the snow softly coming down to the ground. You turned in his arms and admired the snow.
“Winter is my favorite,” he said softly into your ear, “I hate the cold, but I always found the snow just so perfect...there’s something so nice about a fresh start.”
You nodded, his words matching your own feelings, “yeah...there’s just something so pure in a first snow. How it blankets the city...it’s romantic.”
“It’s beautiful, yes. I didn’t think I could see anything more beautiful than the first snow in the city,” he said softly into your ear, “and then I met you...”
“This is crazy, babe,” he grumbled, looking between his phone and the board where flights were quickly going from a yellow ‘pushed back,’ to a red ‘cancellation’, “all I wanted to do was head home for holidays and spend it with you and now this...”
“Baby, it’s okay...”
“Babes, it’s not okay,” your boyfriend argued sadly as he glanced at his phone despite it only being an audio call and not a video call, “I told you I’d be home for the holidays, didn’t I? I only had this one errand to run to check in on the team and...now this...”
“Yeah...”
“And I’m stuck here because of a freak storm!” he frowned. You bit your inner cheek and he sighed, his head leaning back. With his free hand he reached up to his face and tried to massage his brow, “if I’d known that there was a storm coming I wouldn’t have offered to stay so long...you know that, right? I would have told them that I could see them after the new year started and before we went into testing.”
“I know...”
“Babes...are you moving?”
Your brow raised and you hoped you weren’t giving away your location as you unmuted your mic with every time you spoke, “I’m just taking a walk outside...I told you that...”
“Yeah...but it’s snowing there too?”
“We do live in Colorado, Lew...” you reminded your boyfriend, “remember? You pushed up the date on the closing...I was getting stuff unpacked before we had your family over for New Years.”
“Yeah...I’m still not used to how much snow we get there!” he sighed.
“Maybe since your flight got cancelled you should hail a cab.” You offered, hoping that he would take you up on the offer, “get a cab babe...I don’t like the thought of you sitting in front of a board at an airport, waiting for a flight.”
“In this weather?” he scoffed, looking outside to where the snow was not only covering the tarmac, but the wind was blowing it around so that it looked like the first steps of the end of the world, “babes...I don’t think you get how bad it is out there? I doubt any cabs are driving anywhere.”
“Then get a hotel,” you offered, trying to find a way to get him to come outside, “I mean, you can’t stay at the airport until the flights come back up...not when yours is cancelled. Just talk to one of the people at Ferrari. Have them rebook your flight for a few days from now when the weather calms down and get a hotel room before they all get taken up.”
“I guess I could...”
“Right...now, come on...get on with it. You’re going to have to brave the snow sometime!”
“How do you make me smile in the worst of times?” He asked, unable to stop himself from smiling. “It’s practically the end of the world here with this storm, and you’ve got me smiling so much people will think I’m mad.”
You felt your heart warm at the thought of it. The two of you continued to talk as he made his way through the airport and back out, “So, which exit are you heading towards?”
“The drop-offs...maybe I can find a shuttle to a hotel and they-“
He stopped speaking when he heard his own voice on your phone. Shock wasn’t even an accurate enough word to describe how he looked when he saw you in front of him.
“Surprise.”
“Babes how-“
“They told me a storm was coming in and that if we wanted to spend the holiday together, I should come out...I got my hotel yesterday.”
He smiled softly at you, taking a few more steps to close the gap. The once harsh wind that bit into the both of your jackets felt like nothing as heat radiated between the two of you. He wrapped his arms around your waist, “you’re always on top of it, you know...always-“
“I’m here for you...” you promised him gently as you wrapped your arms around his neck, “I get that you have work...I wouldn’t ask you to take a break from that even now...but this, our relationship, is important to me too.”
“Me too..”
“And I would travel through some freak snow storm if it meant showing it to you.”
