jude being absolutely obsessed with the girl he fucks 24/7 (aka you) , loving every inch of her even if she probably enjoys arguing with him more than having sex.
warnings : sex, toxic jude, cussing, pussy eating, over stimulation
not proofread!
jude puts his phone down with a thud, rubbing his tense eyebrows. obviously, he's not taking the loss well, why the fuck would you point that out?
always running your mouth. whatever, he's used to it. he kinda likes it, but he'll never admit that.
twenty minutes later, he hears his phone buzzing and he immediately picks up without even checking if its you, mumbling the room he's in.
after impatiently waiting on the king sized bed, the door finally opens and you walk in wearing shorts and one of his oversized shirts that you stole from him a couple of months ago.
jude gets up, walking over to you and kissing you. his lips smack against yours with some sense of urgency that only you can mimic.
"mm- slow down. i just got here." you try to speak, barely able to pull away before he stuffs his tongue into your mouth, making you moan in surprise.
"please, let me fuck you. im so hard, y/n. i need your pussy." he whines, pressing soft kisses to your cheeks and nose.
you roll your eyes but nod in consent.
jude doesn't waste one millisecond, lifting you up and throwing you down on the plush bed, taking his shirt off right above you which makes you bite your lip.
theres nothing more you love than admiring judes body. he's toned, has abs and a big dick, and muscles. what more can a girl want?
you spread your legs teasingly, taking your time unbuttoning your shorts.
jude clearly doesn't find it nearly as funny aa you do, since he roughly grabs them and pulls them down your legs, throwing them somewhere on the floor.
"you're actually pissing me off." he grumbles, pulling your panties off to and leaning down, licking a strip up your already wet cunt.
"so? that's what im best at- ah!" you moan as his plump lips wrap around your pulsing clit, sucking as if his life depended on it.
you squirmed on the bed, unable to move due to his strong hands holding your thighs down. incoherent words and moans come out of your mouth due to how good and overwhelming his tongue is.
he eats your pussy out like a starved man, groaning at the taste and gripping you tighter when he feels your hips trying to move away from his face.
"don't run from me pretty, you taste so good." he practically moaned into your pussy, tongue licking against the gummy walls.
jude was clearly enjoying himself. not only was he moaning just like you, but he was basically humping the mattress.
"im gonna cummm! please please please don't stop-" you babble on and on continuously, pussy leaking straight into his mouth.
jude doesn't stop or slow down, instead he sucks on your clit again because he knows that makes you cum every time.
you immediately orgasm, gasping and closing your eyes shut in nothing but pure pleasure. "jude, fuck."
he continues eating you out to prolong the orgasm until you smack his head.
"im obsessed with your pussy." he smacks it softly, snickering at your legs closing on instinct.
"can i fuck you now?" he mumbles, sliding his shorts and boxers down.
you roll your eyes, clearly exhausted from the mind blowing orgasm he gave you 30 seconds ago.
"give me a minute, geez.. i don't have footballer stamina."
jude sighs but lays down next to you , watching as you try to slow your breathing and relax.
"okay.. im good. but im not doing any work, yeah?"
"fine with me. cmon, on your belly." he taps your waist, motioning for you to turn around.
you comply silently, lazily rolling around so your face is stuffed in the pillows, extremely close to falling asleep.
jude rolls on a condom before positioning himself behind you, spreading your ass cheeks and pressing his thick mushroom tip against your pussy.
"fuuck. you're so tight." he pushes in, making both of you moan at the delicious feeling.
once his cocks fully inside you, he starts thrusting. not slowly, not softly, but fast and rough. just the way he knows you love. his hips slam against your with a loud plap-plap-plap! , girthy dick hitting spots you didn't know existed.
"shiiittttt, jude!" you moan mindlessly into the pillow, mouth wide open in pleasure.
he groans in response, lifting your hips up so he can fuck his cock into you in a different angle.
"i love your pussy so fucking much, oh my god." he practically whines, eyebrows furred in pleasure as a thin layer of sweat forms on his beautiful skin.
after a couple minutes of nonstop fucking, jude feels your gummy walls clenching around him just enough to make his hips stutter, losing his rhythm.
"you gonna cum, pretty? can feel you- fuck, clenching around me. 's so tight."
you nod into the pillow desperately, turning your head to the side so you can speak clearly.
"im- im gonna cum. please. please let me cum?" you whimper, tears streaming down your face from how good everything feels , even if you were about to fall asleep 6 minutes ago.
judes thrusts turn even rougher (if possible), his breaths coming out hard and quick. "cum with me, pretty."
at his demand, you immediately start cumming all around his cock. moans turning into whines and pussy clenching impossibly tight as the knot unravels in your lower tummy.
he finishes right after you, moaning your name as his hips still, cumming into the condom.
jude collapses ontop of you, kissing your sweaty shoulder as you both try to catch your breath.
"that was.. really fucking good." he mumbles, kissing your neck, then ear.
you only nod in response, too tired to reply verbally. jude knows you're pleased though, noticing the small smile on your face even though your eyes are closed.
jude knows you two aren't exclusive , but sometimes it's nice to pretend otherwise.
summary: you and jude have been in each otherâs circles since you were young, but whenever one of you is ready, the other never seems to be.
warnings: jealous jude acting ANNOYING!!!!!
sequel to im not attracted to you like i was (back at the start) !
authorâs note: iâm referring to this yn as pink!yn so if u want to see any other headcanons etc. look thru my pink universe tag! also iâll do one more official part to this so if youâd like to be tagged, fill out my taglist!
what are we thinking is the reason ham1ltonâs? dinner date drama or something else?
view all comments
user1: men will unfollow their teammate before admitting theyâre jealous đ
user2: wait who is the friend and why are we acting like sheâs public property
user3: this is literally probably nothing. footballers accidentally unfollow people all the time.
â user4: no they donât đ not their starting teammate after one alleged dinner date.
user5: she is single. kylian is single. jude is not. next case.
user6: i just watched the wc. idk who everyone is. but trust!!! i am seated for this!!!!
user7: oh to be in a judekylian love triangleâŠ.
user8: messy asf to keep following kylianâs brother đ
user9: judeâs girlfriend needs to stand up because why is her man unfollowing people over another woman ???
user10: âhis friendâ oh brother that man has been in love with her since secondary school
â user11: source: voices in your head
â user10: source: literally every interaction theyâve ever had online and in public.
user12: can somebody explain this from the beginning i have a job
â user13: yn is a family friend of the bellinghams, she and jude have known each other forever, kylian took her to dinner and then jude randomly posted his girlfriend and unfollowed kylian
â user12: oh so everybody involved is annoying. understood.
user14: this is why footballers should not date within the workplace
-> user15: she doesnât work there đ
user16: kylian has been at madrid five minutes and already took judeâs girl. generational impact.
-> user17: not his girl btw
-> user16: does jude know that?
user18: THE SONG CHOICE ?!?!
user19: jobe liking the girlâs post but not judeâs girlfriend post is the real tea for me
user20: maybe judeâs girlfriend asked him to unfollow kylian??
-> user21: why would she ask him to unfollow kylian and not yn ?? that makes no sense đ
user22: does kylian still follow jude?
â user23: ofc. idk why ppl r weirded out theyâll be hugging after the next match and everyone here will pretend this never happened.
user24: need someone from madrid to leak the group chat immediately
user25: iâm not saying heâs in love with her but i am saying emotionally neutral men do not behave like this.
-> user26: he wanted her available, not necessarily with him. men love a reserved seat they never plan to sit in.
user27: jude and yn are giving right person, wrong time, wrong decisions, wrong everything.
user28: judeâs PR team currently drafting a statement about a âtechnical glitch.â
-> user29: technical glitch that specifically searched kylianâs profile and pressed unfollow đ
user30: perhaps kylian borrowed his charger and never returned it. we donât know these people.
user31: why is everyone blaming jude when kylian knew that was his close friend?
â user32: because she is a grown woman and not judeâs property ??? hope this helps
â user31: nobody said she was his property?? itâs still weird to date your teammateâs best friend
â user32: only if your teammate secretly wants her. otherwise literally who cares đ
user33: two coworkers unfollowing each other has never deserved 238k likes but here i am
user34: yn hasnât even posted kylianâs face and jude is already at DEFCON 1
user35: real madrid HR / PR opening instagram this morning: đ§ââïž
taglist: @abbotbunny @midnightmadss @yatta-exe (see yourself tagged when you donât wanna be? or you want to be and donât see yourself? send me an ask!)
authorâs note: look at my shitty editing skills everyone!! also sorry this got long. part three will be posted later and itâll be less angsty xoxo
masterlist áŻâ
lo's commentary: hi angels!! quick fic in response to a request i got for the tiktok trend where girls are climbing on their boyfriends in videos to see how they react. had so much fun writing this one!! hope u enjoy <3
pairing: bf!jude bellingham x influencer!reader
summary: a relaxed unboxing video turns into complete chaos when you randomly climb onto Judeâs shoulders mid-recording, pranking him with the viral TikTok trend he's oblivious to. he's baffled, but just laughs and rolls with it, holding you up with one arm and chatting to the camera like nothing is happening at all.
warnings: suggestive ending referencing f!receiving oral, nothing else. cute + fluffy, whipped boyfriend!jude
wc: 2.5k!
Youâd been living with Jude long enough now that heâd become blissfully ignorant to the PR packages that would pile up in your bedroom. Piles upon piles of them â wrapped boxes, fancy bags of products or clothes â would turn up at the door and sit there for weeks, untouched. You travelled with him most of the time, had other things on your plate, and honestly, sometimes you just forgot they existed until the pile got so big it became a slight tripping hazard.Â
But every month or so, youâd sit down and do a massive unboxing of everything youâd been sent. It had become a bit of a thing on your TikTok. Jude once described it as your âChristmas morningâ once a month, where youâd rip open packages like an excited kid and show him and all your followers what youâd been gifted.
Secretly, he loved it. He loved watching the way your face lit up, how genuinely excited you got over the free things even though heâd buy you the moon if you asked for it. Heâd sit there quietly most of the time, chin in his hand, smiling softly as you gasped over a new skincare product or a pair of trainers.
You often kept him out of your TikToks, unless it was a brief cameo. Not because he wasnât the most gorgeous man youâd ever laid eyes on, and not because you guys were particularly private either â he loved posting you everywhere. It was half because Jude wanted your career to be your own, but also because he had a habit of completely (accidentally, of course) ruining your videos.
âSo i normally use the glazing milkââ
Jude snorts from where heâs sat next to you on your vanity stool, chin propped on his hand as he watches you get ready. He knew you were filming...and that he was slightly in shot. Heâd already stuck his head into frame and poked his tongue out like a child.
âGlazing milk? What kinda name is that? Like a donut?âÂ
You put down the product and stare at him, completely unamused. âJudeââ
Jude winced a little, giving you a sweet, apologetic little smile. âSorry sorry. Iâll be quiet, baby. You look so pretty.â
You huffed at him, charmed but still a little annoyed. âI havenât done anything yet because you keep YAPPINGââ
Another time youâd tried to get him to do one of the couple challenges going viral. He couldnât grasp it no matter how many times you explained the rules. You tried fifteen different ways and the man was still baffled, looking at you with that adorable confused frown that made your heart do silly things in your chest.
But the unboxing videos were always the exception. Heâd ask the sweetest questions, help you wrestle with the tape on stubborn boxes, and genuinely seemed to enjoy watching you light up over the silliest things. The little interactions between you two had quietly become a fan favourite, comments flooded in with âget married alreadyâ and âthis is the kind of love I want.â
Today was no different. But you had another trick up your sleeve.
The sun was setting beautifully through the long windows of the kitchen in his Madrid villa, casting a warm golden glow over everything. Jude was sat next to you at the big wooden table, various boxes and bags spread out in front of him. Youâd received some pieces from an Adidas line heâd been involved in, so it made perfect sense for him to be on camera with you today.
He was excited, you could tell. His eyes were bright and focused, a boyish grin playing on his lips. It was rare you asked him to join one of these, and he always took it as a big deal.
You set your phone up on the tripod and hit record, giving the camera your usual warm smile.
âHi guys! Today weâre opening some PR packages, with my boyfriendââ
âHi TikTok,â Jude grinned, giving the camera a little wave and then glancing at you like was that good??
You had to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing. âBecause thereâs so many boxes and bags and stuff, Jude is gonna help me open some so this video isnât seven hours long.â
âPfft, I know yeah,â he added, leaning in closer to the camera with his usual cheeky energy. âShe goes away for a couple months with me for the World Cup and we come back to mountains of boxes she didnât have time to open. Iâm basically the official unboxer now.â
You laughed softly, nudging his shoulder. âWeâre opening them now,â you told the camera, smiling as Jude already started reaching for the nearest box like an excited kid.
The first few were easy wins, some new training gear from Alo that he immediately held up to his chest, pretending to model it for you. Then you pulled out a big Sol de Janeiro bundle, and his face lit up even more.
âOh, I know this one,â he said proudly, grabbing the body mist before you could. He sprayed a little on his wrist and sniffed it dramatically. âMmm. This one smells so good on you. Like⊠coconut and vanilla and sunshine. I always know when youâve used it because the whole room smells like you.â
You melted a little, watching him.. âYou really pay attention, huh?â
âCourse I do,â he said, glancing at you with a soft, adoring look that made your heart burst. âMy favourite smell in the world. Well⊠second favourite. After you in general.â
He helped you open the rest of the set, holding up the Bum Bum cream and pretending to read the ingredients like a serious influencer. âThis one makes your skin all glowy. Iâm telling you, she puts this on and I canât keep my hands off her. Dangerous stuff.â
You burst out laughing, shoving his arm. âJude!â
âWhat? Itâs true!â He grinned, completely unashamed, leaning over to press a quick kiss to your temple. âMy beautiful girl deserves all the good smells.â
The comments were going to lose their minds. You could already picture the edits and the âtheyâre so cute Iâm sickâ replies.Â
Judeâs next box was the Adidas one. He pulled it closer with an excited little grin, already knowing what was inside. There were various t-shirts and shorts, some Real Madrid merch, and a couple of pieces from his own personal line with his logo on them. He held them up proudly for the camera, unfolding a black tee with his signature celebration silhouette printed on the front.
âAdidas were nice enough to send my girlfriend more things that have me or my name written all over it, soâŠâ he said, voice full of playful pride as he showed off the stack.
You giggled, reaching over to take one of the T-shirts from him, holding it up against yourself. âExplain your logo to them, babe.â
Jude grinned and shrugged, a slightly bashful smile appearing as he looked at the camera. âItâs just my signature and then a silhouette of my celebration, innit? I dunno, I thought it looked cool. Simple but⊠me, you know?â
You leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder for a second. âWell I like it. Canât wait to wear it everywhere.â
âWe can match,â he chuckled, folding one of the shirts up neatly before passing it to you like it was the most important task in the world. âYou in my logo, me in my logo. Power couple shit.â
âOh yeah? Are you gonna walk around with your own logo on yourself like a walking billboard?â you teased, bumping his knee with yours.
âYeah, course,â he said without missing a beat, turning to look at you with a bright, mischievous sparkle in his eyes. âBest marketing, am I right? Especially if I get you to do it with me. My favourite model.â
You laughed, the sound light and happy, and he immediately leaned in to press a quick kiss to your cheek. The camera caught every little moment. The way his hand found yours under the table, the soft way he looked at you when he thought you werenât watching, the easy banter that made being in front of the camera come so naturally to the both of you.
A few boxes later, Jude pulled out some Glory Blue Superstars that had his name written on them and his logo embossed into the leather. He held them up proudly for the camera, turning them slowly so the viewers could see every detail.
âOkay, so these are sick, if I do say so myself,â he smiled, clearly proud. âTheyâre clean.â
You were already moving. In one smooth, completely ridiculous motion you started climbing onto him, one leg swinging over his shoulder like it was the most normal thing in the world.
âYeah well theyâre uh⊠theyâre uhâŠâ Jude froze mid-sentence, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline as he stared at the phone screen recording you both. What the fuck is happening? His brain was trying to catch up with what you were doing, whilst also trying to stay somewhat professional for your TikTok. One second he was showing off trainers, the next second his girlfriend was attempting to mount him like a climbing frame.
âTheyâre dark blue becauseâ Jesus Christ â theyâre dark blue. Yeah. And uh, my signature is on the leather so thatâs niceâŠâ
You nodded along like nothing was happening, one leg already hooked over his shoulder, your ass comfortably resting on his bicep. He didnât even wobble. He could hold your weight with one arm easily, but that wasnât the point in Judeâs mind. The point was why was this happening right now?
âDid you have much say in the design or?â you asked nonchalantly, thumb gently stroking his cheek like you were just having a normal conversation.
He hesitated, tilting his head awkwardly to try and look up at you without dropping you. Is she serious? Am I being pranked? Is this a new TikTok trend I wasnât told about?
âI⊠I donât understand what weâre doing?â he said slowly, voice laced with gentle confusion.
You didnât address the fact that you were now fully climbing on him. Instead you cuddled his head closer, still stroking his cheek affectionately. âYouâre helping me do an unboxing?â
âAre youâ are you okay?â he asked, one hand instinctively holding onto your thigh to keep you steady while the other moved some of your hair out of his face. He was trying so hard to keep a straight face for the camera, but his eyes were wide with bewilderment. Sheâs actually doing this. On camera. In the middle of my fucking shoe segment.
âYeah? Why wouldnât I be?â you replied innocently, swinging your other leg over his other shoulder until you were properly perched on him like he was a throne.
Jude was very conscious that he didnât want to ruin your video, but he was also very aware that his girlfriend was now sitting on his shoulders like a child at a music festival. He tried to carry on talking about the shoes, voice slightly strained as he adjusted his posture to keep you balanced.
âYou⊠what are youâ right. Okay, yeah well I think Superstars are good everyday shoes. I wear them all the time. They go with everythingâŠâ
Whilst he was talking, youâd managed to fully settle on his shoulders, both legs draped over him, hands resting on top of his head like he was your personal lookout tower. He let out a quiet, baffled laugh, shaking his head slightly.
âYouâre actually mental,â he muttered under his breath, but the smile on his face was huge and fond. He adjusted and reached up with one hand to hold your thigh securely, the other still trying to hold the trainers up for the camera. âThis is what I get for agreeing to be in the video, innit?â
You giggled, leaning forward a little so your chin rested on top of his head. âBest assistant ever.â
Jude huffed a laugh that made his shoulders shake gently beneath you. âYeah, yeah. Happy to be of service. Just donât fall off and break my neck before the season starts.
The video caught all of the adorable chaos, his confused but completely whipped expression, the way he kept one hand protectively on your leg the whole time, and the massive smile he couldnât hide even while pretending to be normal.
You finished the unboxing and carefully climbed off him, legs a little wobbly from laughing so much. The second you stopped recording, Jude wrapped both arms around your waist and pulled you straight back into his lap, holding you close like heâd missed you even though youâd only been on his shoulders for a few minutes.
âWhat the fuck just happened?â he laughed, lips brushing your cheek as he buried his face in your neck. âOne minute Iâm showing off trainers, the next my girlfriend is using me as a climbing frame on camera.â
âThereâs a new TikTok trend where girls climb on their boyfriends to see if they say anything,â you giggled, threading your fingers through his curls. âYour little face! You looked so confused but you just went with it. I was dying trying not to laugh.â
âI was so confused,â he admitted, rolling his eyes but still smiling his beautiful, bright smile that made your stomach flip. âI didnât wanna fuck up your video so I was just⊠carrying on like it was normal. Meanwhile Iâm thinking âis she okay? Did she hit her head? Is this some new yoga thing?ââ
You burst out laughing again, leaning into him as he held you tighter, his hands rubbing slow circles on your back.
âYou did so well though,â you teased, kissing his cheek. âBest shoulder ride Iâve ever had. Very steady. Five stars. We'll have to use that move at Coachella when I can't see.â
He huffed another laugh, the sound warm against your skin. âYeah, yeah. Next time give a man some warning. I nearly dropped you and the trainers trying to figure out what you were doing. My brain was buffering so bad.â
You stayed like that for a while, cuddled up on his lap, his arms wrapped around you while he quietly replayed the moment in his head, occasionally shaking his head and laughing to himself.
âYou know what though?â he smirked after a moment, pulling back enough to look at you properly.
âWhat?â
âWe should try that, but I hold you up the other way.â
You furrowed your eyebrows, a little confused at the position he meant. âWhat do you mean?â
âYou knowâŠâ He grinned, a cheeky, dangerous glint in his eyes as he leaned in closer, voice dipping so low you could feel it on your spine. âYou put your legs over my shouldersâŠbut i hold you in front of me. Not on my back. Easy access for me to fuck you with my tongueââ
âJUDE!â you squealed, shoving his chest as your face heated up.
He laughed loudly, bright and happy as he pulled you back against him, refusing to let you escape. âWhat? Itâs a good idea! Very efficient. Arm workout as well.â
âFucking hell Jude! You're shameless,â you groaned, hiding your face in his neck even as you smiled.
âYeah, but you love me,â he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. âAnd you know Iâd hold you up for hours if you asked nicely.â
tags : @chabelitalace @thesizzler @hvnsinureyes @harryskissies @hamilton-here @prettysadtoday @thatxxdarling @wobblewobble822 @03den @rikchic @readerhahahaidk (lmk if u want to be added/removed from the taglist)
summary: Running into Dean Di Laurentis again wasn't part of the plan. Neither was finding out he remembered you.
author's note: english is not my firts language so please excuse any mistake! now enjoy your reading <3
part 1!
For the rest of the party you were completely out of it. You looked like a zombie, you were so absent-minded. But you couldn't escape your own thoughts when so many things were swirling around in your head.
You were grateful he hadn't recognized you; you didn't want to face everything so suddenly. On the other hand, it broke your heart to know that the future father of your baby didn't remember you.
Damn, it would be difficult with him being part of the same group of friends.
"I know I made you come here, but there's no need for that grumpy face," Allie whispered, pacing back and forth to avoid standing still.
You just smiled and took a sip of water.
"Okay, tell me what's wrong"
"Besides the fact that I'm pregnant? Oh, nothing, I'm great."
Two girls who were walking past you gave you a strange look before continuing on their way.
"Oh my god, do you think they listen to me?." You said and drank more water.
Allie rolled her eyes at your nervousness.
"First, we don't even know those girls, second, don't go crazy"
Allie placed your glass on a table near you before taking your hand and pulling you into a small, empty, secluded room.
It was already routine for that girl to take you everywhere.
The room was small, not big enough to store things, and barely enough for the two of you and a few clothes hanging on the wall to fit.
"Look, maybe I've realized now that bringing you to a party wasn't my best idea, but I know there's something else on your mind because until a few minutes ago you didn't seem so worried."
You'd never heard your friend so serious, but it gave you a sense of security to see her so focused on you.
"Allie, if I tell you this, you'd better not scream."
"No yelling," she said, making a gesture of closing her mouth like a zipper. "I promise."
You inspected her face looking for something you clearly didn't find.
You took a breath and placed a hand on your forehead as if it were a support before dropping the bomb.
"The father of my baby is Dean"
Allie's eyes opened wide, and her jaw almost hit the floor.
"Are you referring to Dean di Laurentis? The same hockey player from Briar? The one who's out there like thirty paces away from us?"
"Do you know another Dean di Laurentis, Allie?"
"Okay, no, sorry, I'm not helping, but what? How is this possible?"
"Well, Allie, when two people feel mutual attraction for each other... "
"You know what I mean, it's just... wow, I just... I don't even know what to say"
"You should probably tell me something like, 'You're a loser who ended up pregnant by a stranger who doesn't even remember her.'"
"You're not a failure, honey, what you're going through could have happened to anyone." Allie took your hand from your forehead and squeezed it between hers. "Don't be so hard on yourself, okay?"
You closed your eyes for a second and let her words calm you down a little.
"Thank you, Allie"
"Now...are you going to tell him?"
"I was going to, but he didn't even recognize me when he saw me. And I'm... so scared, Allie. I don't know if I can do this, really. I want to tell him, but I don't know how he'll react.
"Listen... I know Dean. He might seem like a wrecking ball, and he's terrifying when he's on the ice, but he's a good person. And from everything you told me about the summer, you seem to know that well." allie step closer to you. "I know you're scared, and that's okay and normal because this isn't just any old thing you're dealing with. But you'll have to tell him sooner or later."
"I know, I will. It's just that I'll do it when I've fully processed it too."
"That's my girl," she said, and with a smile opened the door. "Now, let's enjoy what's left of this evening. Soon we'll be changing diapers and making feeding bottles instead of drinks."
âWow, you really know how to cheer people up.â
âCheering is my middle name.â
 You and Allie carried on as if nothing was wrong.Â
On one hand, you tried to avoid Dean like your life depended on it, on the other, you seemed to be looking for him every second that passed.Â
But you hid it well. If he was nearby, you looked away, until your body reacted when he walked by. If he spoke while you were both in the circle with the group, you ignored him, until he said a word similar to your name and you couldn't help but make a small jump. If he mentioned something he had done over the summer, you played dumb, until you realized you kept drinking to keep your mouth busy and not say anything.Â
Well, maybe you weren't handling it as well as you thought.Â
Hannah gave you a strange look when she noticed you kept touching your hair and tucking it behind your ear. Your friend knew you well enough to know that it was a normal thing you do when you were nervous.Â
Allie, Hannah, and you looked at each other.
Allie raised an eyebrow as if to ask, âCan I?â and you nodded, not having the willpower to drop the bombshell on your own again. Allie, who was standing next to Hannah, leaned in and whispered something in her ear. It took two seconds for Hannahâs face to transform into a mixture of complete horror and confusion. She glanced at Dean, who was on the other side of the kitchen, then at you, then back at Dean again, before finally settling on your face and freezing.Â
âOkay, I really wasnât expecting this,â the redhead said when she found the words.Â
âMe neither,â Allie chimed in.Â
âWell, trust me, I didnât plan this at all. Iâm just as stunned as you are.âÂ
âAnd why are you stunned, ladies?â Garrett asked, appearing out of nowhere.Â
He had one arm around Hannahâs shoulders and the other in his pants pocket.Â
âUm, itâs just thatâŠâ his girlfriend tried to explain.Â
âIâm stunned because I drank like 30 glasses of water and I still havenât gone to the bathroom,â you said, almost slapping yourself. âAnd you know what? I think I have to go now, so⊠excuse me.âÂ
You squeezed past the three of them and headed upstairs, looking for an easy way out of the situation. You got in line for the bathroom; the 30 glasses werenât a lie. Upstairs, the music was quieter, cooler, and you could breathe without the smell of alcohol clogging your nostrils. You leaned against the railing overlooking the stairs and waited with two other girls in front of you. You let your head fall back, closing your eyes and inhaling deeply.Â
âRough night?â they asked from behind you.
It had to be a joke.Â
You squeezed your eyes shut before turning to the blond guy who seemed to be your new curse.Â
âJust a little tired, letâs just say I was dragged here,â you managed to say without stuttering.
"Well, for me it was the opposite, I was the one who dragged the guys here", said Dean, and you almost melt at his perfect-toothed smile.
You were sure it had shone.
But you wanted the earth to swallow you up, just like you did with the news he had a right to know.
You didn't know whether to laugh at his comment, add something else, or leave the conversation there.
Dean titled his head slightly.
"So... " he said eventually, the corner of his mouth lifting into a crooked smile. "Have you survived your first week at Briar?"
he looked completely at ease, as if talking to strangers came as naturally as breathing.
You hated that.
Or maybe you hated how easy it made it for you to answer him.
You let out a breath through your nose.
"It's been... a week."
You tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, mostly to keep your hands busy.
If you looked nervous enough, maybe he'd assume it was because you were new.
He laughed quielty.
"That bad?"
You wouldn't imagine Dean
"I've gotten lost at least six times."
You said instead
"Only six?" he raised an eyebrown. "You're doing it better than i did."
He laugh was quieter this time
Warm.
Familiar.
And you wished it wasn't.
You looked at him, unconvinced.
"You?"
"Oh, absolutely." He nodded with fake confidence. "Second day on campus I walked into the women's locker room."
You narrowed your eyes, trying to decide wether he was joking or simply impossible to read.
Considering everything you new about him, which wasn't much, you chose both.
You blinked.
"No, you didn't."
"I did."
"You're lying."
He placed a hand over his chest in mock offense.
"I can't believe you'd accuse me of something like that."
"You have the face if someone who lies for fun."
Dean stared at you for a second before a grin slowly spread across his face.
"...Okay, maybe a little."
A laugh escaped you befoire you could stop it.
For first time this night, your shoulders relaxed.
Just for a second.
His expression softened almost instantly.
"There it is."
Your smile faltered.
"What?"
"That laugh."
Your smile lingered for barely a second before reality settled back over your shoulders.
Dean tilted his head slightly, studying you with an amused expression.
"I've been trying to get that out since we started talking."
Why?
Why would he care whether you laughed?
To him, you were supposed to be a stranger.
But now he was looking at you as if every smile, every little expression, mattered.
dean leaned one shoulder against the wall, his fingers absentmindedly spinning the cap of his beer bottle.
"You know..." he said, his eyes drifting over your face for a brief moment. "I wasn't sure it was you."
Your smile disappeared.
"...Me?"
He nodded once.
"From the summer."
Your pulse came to a screeching halt.
For a split second, all you cold hear was the music doenstairs and the blood rushing in your ears.
He remembered.
He actually remembered.
You had spent weeks convincing yourself that you had been nothing more than another girl. Another party. Another summer night he'd probably forgotten before the sun came up.
Apparently, you had been wrong.
Dean scratched the back of his neck, almost sheepish.
"I kept thinking, 'There's no way that's her... then you laughed." His gaze met yours once more.
Something inside your chest tightened painfully. It wasn't just that he remembered your face. He recognized your laugh, just as you remembered his jokes, the softness of his touch, and the calluses that roughened his fingertips.
The realization made your throat go dry.
"I..." you sallowed, forcing yourself to look away. "I didn't think you'd recognized me."
He frowned, like the idea of that surprised him.
"Why would't I?"
Because that's what people like you do.
Because it was just one night.
Because you left without asking for my last name.
The words piled up behind your teeth, but none of them came out.
Instead, you gave him a small shrug.
"I don't know."
Dean studied you another second. There was something in his face that you couldn't quite place.
Something between curiosity, confusion or even relief.
"I looked for you, actuallt."
"You did?"
"I went back the next day."
His smile turned almost apologetic.
"But, well, you were already gone."
The floor suddenly felt unsteady beneath your feet.
You had thought about going back too, more than once. But life had gotten in the way bfore you'd even had the chance.
Neither of you said anything. The silence wasn't umcomfortable but heavy, maybe too heavy.
Your phone vibrated inside your pocket.
The sudden sound made you jump.
Relief wshed over you so quickly you almost laughed.
Saved.
You pulled your phone out with slightly trembling hands.
Allie: Where the hell are youuu?'? Hannah and I lost you.
Perfect.
You slipped the phone back and looked at Dean.
"I should probably go."
His smile returned, softer this time.
"Your friends?"
You nodded and gifted his a smile like his.
"They're probably wondering if I got kidnapped."
He chuckled.
"Well... I'm glad I found you before they did."
Your heart almost squeezed.
Almost.
This time your smile didn't quite reach your eyes.
"It was nice seeing you again."
"The same goes for you... um, I'll see you around." he said.
You turned, ready to head back to the party. But then he called your name before you'd taken a step. You looked over your shoulder.
Dean shited his weight, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck.
"This might sound a little random.."
He let out a small breath, almost laughing at himself.
"Would it be weird if I asked for your number?"
"My number"
Shut up you butterflies, you thought when you felt that familair snese in your stomach.
"Yeah." He shrugged, trying to sound casual. "I mean... you live with Allie and Hannah now, right?"
You nodded slowly.
"We're all probably poing to end up hanging out sooner or later." His eyes never left yours. "It'd be easier than making them play messenger every time."
He made it sound practical burt the slight pink tint creeping up his neck betrayed him.
He was nervous
You couldn't remember the last time that someone had asked your number with that much genuine hestitation.
"Sure" Youy heard yourself saying.
His face brightened instantly.
"Really?"
"Really."
You took his phone when he held it to you. Your finger brushed for the briefest second. It was barely a touch. Yet it was enough to bring back flashes of warm summer nights, salt in the air, and hands that had once held yours for reassons entirely different.
You quickly typed your number before handing the phone back. Dean looked down at the screen, the corner of his lips curled upward.
"Guess I won't have to rely on Aliie after all."
"Guess not."
"I'll text you." He said, looking at you again after he put his phone away.
Your heart skipped.
"Okay."
On this occasion, when you turned to leave, neither of you stopped the other.
You didn't dare tell him, not yet. You knew that eventually you'd have to drop the bomb, but you weren't ready yet.
me partĂ la espalda escribiendo esto y ni siquiera me gustĂł, pero era eso o actualizar la historia en 2035 perdĂłn x tardar tanto <3
synopsis â after reader overhears jude calling her constant presence âannoying,â she quietly distances herself from him and his family. but as the silence she leaves behind grows impossible to ignore, jude realizes the girl heâd taken for granted was the one heâd been falling in love with all along.
# warnings: very faint angst, fluff, hurt/comfort
# wc: 5.9k
# miaâs note: while i finish up the last chapters of amongst it all i wanted to leave one of the things i had written a long time ago but never actually took the time to post. itâs long but i love it so much. reqs are open now for anons to because apparently i had them off?? with sooo much love, mia
masterlist
the first time jude noticed her, she was ten years old and sitting cross legged on the kitchen floor because she insisted the tiles were colder than chairs.
jobe had dragged her inside after school with grass stains on both of their knees and a football tucked under one arm.
âmum!â jobe shouted. âweâre starving.â
his mother looked up from the stove before smiling. âand who have you kidnapped today?â
y/n answered before jobe could. broad smile on her face. âi came willingly.â
jude, thirteen then, barely spared her a glance as he walked through the kitchen toward the fridge.
she, however, watched him like heâd personally invented gravity. and thatâs when it started.
it became something everyone noticed eventually. not in the exaggerated way children teased each other, but it was just there. you could notice it without much effort.
whenever jobe invited her over, sheâd end up lingering wherever jude happened to be. if jude was practicing free kicks in the garden, sheâd find an excuse to sit on the patio with homework she never actually touched. if jude was watching football in the living room, sheâd suddenly be interested in whichever teams were playing. if he walked into the kitchen, sheâd somehow already be there asking jobe if he wanted a snack.
she wasnât subtle. never had been. never really tried to be either.
she would ask jude questions no one else did.
âdid training go well?â
âwhat boots are those?â
âdid your ankle ever stop hurting?â
she remembered things. too many things. things that the best friend of your younger brother shouldnât really remember.
one afternoon she looked up from helping jobe with homework and casually said; âyou have trials tomorrow, right?â
jude blinked. âyeah.â
âiâll be rooting for you.â
it was simple and quick. she said it without even expecting a reply. as if just stating something that he shouldnât need to overthink.
she smiled before looking back down at the maths sheet as though sheâd simply commented on the weather.
he remembered thinking that she was weird. not in a mean way, just weird. odd.
because why did she know that?
years passed. jobe and y/n stayed inseparable. jude became a professional footballer. they were basically the same, only older.
the visits never stopped. if anything, they became more frequent.
whenever jude came home during breaks, y/n always happened to be there. helping his mum bake, watching a movie with jobe, sitting outside with headphones around her neck laughing so hard she nearly fell off the garden chair.
it didnât necessarily mean she was there for him. she really wasnât. she was there because it was her home now too. thatâs how she felt about it.
sheâd wave when he walked in anyways. always.
a soft greeting with that sweet smile that seemed to never fade. âhi, jude,â like sheâd been waiting for him.
heâd nod, small smile that didnât always reach his eyes, respond nonchalantly. âalright,â and keep walking.
she never seemed offended. never pushed. never expected conversations longer than a few minutes. but she existed around him close enough to notice, and far enough not to get in the way.
his teammates figured it out before he ever did.
one summer, several of them were staying over while training nearby. jobe had invited y/n around because they were planning to watch a match together.
she walked into the garden carrying chips and lemonade and greet everyone with that same enthusiasm she always carried herself with.
âhi!â
and then sheâd look at jude.
âhi,â with a completely different voice. smaller and softer. almost shy.
she had never been particularly shy. kept to herself maybe a little, never nervous in normal settings though.
so it wasnât a surprise when one of his teammates noticed instantly.
after she disappeared back inside, someone elbowed him. âdude.â
âwhat?â
âthat girl.â
âwhat about her?â
âsheâs in love with you.â
jude nearly choked on his drink, laughing uncontrollably. âno, she isnât.â
âoh, come off it. you didnât see the way she looked at you?â
another teammate laughed. âiâve seen insurance sellers less committed than her.â
jude rolled his eyes, a bit more serious now. âsheâs jobeâs friend.â
âexactly.â
âso?â
âso sheâs been staring at you for ten minutes.â
âi wasnât even talking.â
âthat definitely didnât stop her, mate.â
the conversation dissolved into laughter. jude tried laughing too, but it was a different mindset now.
he couldnât stop noticing.
the way sheâd unconsciously turn toward him whenever he spoke. how sheâd laugh louder when he made jokes. how sheâd immediately ask if he wanted another drink before anyone else. how she always chose the chair closest to him without seeming to realise sheâd done it. how she remembered tiny details heâd forgotten heâd ever mentioned.
it was a lot. it wasnât normal.
then came the teasing.
âoh look.â
âthere she is.â
âyour little shadow.â
âjudeâs biggest fan.â
he denied it every single time. rolling his eyes and drifting the topic to anything else.
âsheâs just friends with my brother.â
âmhm.â
ânothing else.â
yet the jokes kept coming. and eventually, they started irritating him.
not because of y/n. she hadnât done anything wrong. but everyone kept making it into something.
every time she walked over; âthere she comes.â
every time she smiled; âoh, sheâs looking.â
every time she asked him something; âdamn, sheâs obsessed.â
he started becoming hyperaware of it. of her, of where she stood, of whether people were watching, whether they were going to make another joke.
instead of simply seeing y/n, he started seeing everyone elseâs reactions to y/n.
and resentment quietly settled somewhere it never should have.
it happened during another barbecue.
the house was loud as it usually was. children running through sprinklers and music floating from the speakers with adults talking over one another.
y/n and jobe had gone inside to find ice cream while jude leaned against the fence with three friends.
one of them nodded toward the patio doors. âso, when are you going to tell your girlfriend?â
jude groaned. âfor godâs sake.â
âwhat?â
âsheâs not my girlfriend.â
âyou sure?â
another snorted. âmate, she follows you everywhere.â
jude rubbed a hand over his face, irritation overflowing. âi know.â
âso?â
he laughed, but there wasnât any humor behind it. nothing was funny, he just needed the conversation to end.
âitâs honestlyâŠâ he searched for a word. one that wasnât mean but one that could explain the situation. ââŠannoying.â
possibly the worst choice of wording ever.
his friends were no longer laughing. smiles had dimmed a bit as well. he was being serious.
âi canât go anywhere in this house without her appearing.â
one of his friends chuckled. âthatâs harsh.â
âiâm serious. i walk into a room and sheâs there. i go outside and sheâs outside. itâs like having a second little sibling.â
another laugh, but jude only shook his head. âi just want one visit where sheâs not attached to my side.â
one of them muttered. âdamn,â not even being funny. but there was genuinely nothing else that they couldâve said. jude wasnât being nice.
he shrugged. âi donât mean to sound horrible, but it gets old,â he looked down at the grass. âi donât even know why she likes me. iâve never done anything.â
none of them noticed the kitchen door had opened. or that y/n had frozen halfway through stepping outside. a tub of vanilla ice cream in one hand, spoons in the other.
her smile disappeared so quietly no one saw it happen. not even jude, seemingly too busy speaking his mind.
she stood there for perhaps two minutes. long enough to hear every word and long enough to understand exactly what he meant.
then she turned around and walked back inside without making a sound.
jobe found her standing in the laundry room. she was staring at the washing machine doing absolutely nothing.
âyou alright?â
she blinked, being pulled out of her thoughts. âoh. yeah.â
âyou found the ice cream?â
âmhm.â
âthen whyâre you in here?â
she looked toward the hallway.
for a second, jobe thought sheâd cry. her eyes did that little thing where they watered, but this time it wasnât out of happiness like it usually was.
instead, she smiled. âiâm suddenly not very hungry.â
âyou sick?â
âno,â she handed him the tub. âyou take it.â
âwhat about you?â
âi think my mum wanted me home anyway.â
jobe frowned. âno she didnât.â
y/n sighed. âi know,â her smile trembled. âbut iâll pretend she did.â
before he could ask another question, she was gone.
the first few days, jude didnât notice. not really.
life had a way of swallowing small absences before anyone realized they were gone, and he was fairly busy. like any other footballer was.
training started before sunrise, recovery sessions blurred into media obligations, flights, matches, interviews. by the time he came home, he barely registered that the house was quieter or that there was an absence that was impossible to miss.
it wasnât until the following saturday. he walked into the kitchen, already expecting to hear two voices arguing over something ridiculous. it was mostly the same thing: jobe insisting pineapple belonged on pizza, y/n insisting it absolutely didnât. or y/n stealing chips from the cupboard only for jobe to yell; âmum! she took the last packet again!â
but instead there was only silence. just his mother humming while she stirred a pot on the stove.
jude opened the fridge. âwhereâs jobe?â
âtraining.â
âandâŠâ he hesitated. ââŠy/n?â
denise looked up. âoh. sheâs not coming over much lately.â
he nodded absentmindedly. âright.â
he grabbed a bottle of water and left. it didnât really bother him. it didnât feel strange.
not yet.
then another week passed. then another and another.
and he noticed sheâd vanished.
there was no extra backpack by the front door, no shoes kicked off in the hallway, no voice calling âhello?â before sheâd even stepped inside, letting herself in like it was her house. no asking his mother if she needed help cooking, and no laughter spilling upstairs because she and jobe had found another stupid video to laugh at.
nothing.
âis y/n busy?â the question slipped out before jude realized heâd spoken.
jobe didnât even look up from his phone. âdunno.â
âyou havenât seen her?â
he nodded. âi have.â
âso why isnât she here?â
jobe shrugged. âshe doesnât come over anymore.â
âwhy?â
another shrug. âsays sheâs busy.â
that shouldâve been enough. people got busy. they grew up and had lives to live. only issue was that y/n had never been too busy. not for jobe, not for his family, and not for him.
his eyes drifted unconsciously toward the empty chair in the garden.
the one she always chose. every single time.
and wondered why he didnât like that she wasnât there.
a month. one whole month and he hadnât even seen her once. not even by accident.
until family dinner. his mother had invited y/nâs parents over, something sheâd done for years.
jude almost smiled to himself while walking downstairs. absentmindedly and without questioning why. he just expected things to feel normal again.
expected y/n to already be sitting beside jobe and expected her to grin awkwardly when he walked in.
jobe looked up. âoh, judeâs here.â
she turned and barely glanced at him. âhi.â
just one word. polite, no smile, no dirty look either. but it felt dull.
then she turned straight back to jobe. âdid you finish that game?â
âyeah, but you wouldâve hated the ending.â
âno spoilers.â
âi wasnât gonnaââ
she laughed. it didnât look staged or fake. but how dare she? like jude wasnât standing three feet away.
for the rest of dinner she never addressed him once. if she needed salt she asked jobe, if she wanted another drink she asked his mother, if someone asked the whole table a question she answered everyone except him.
she wasnât being rude. y/n was never rude. that almost made it worse.
but she was being indifferent. like heâd become another chair in the room.
and he didnât like that.
his mother noticed first. after dinner she quietly nudged him while washing dishes. âyou two alright?â
he frowned. âwho?â
âyou and y/n.â
âwhat?â
âshe hardly spoke to you.â
âoh,â he shrugged, looking back at the dishes. âdidnât notice.â
his mother gave him a look that clearly said she knew he was lying. but she didnât push.
the dinners kept happening every few weeks. every single one looked exactly the same.
y/n arrived, hugged his mother, teased his dad, spent an hour laughing with jobe, helped clear plates, thanked everyone, and went home.
jude existed somewhere in the background.
she never sought him out anymore. never accidentally wandered into the same room or asked about training. never remembered his matches.
never looked at him. not really.
and that hurt him more than heâd ever imagined it could.
it became embarrassing how often he caught himself searching for her.
walking downstairs expecting to hear her. coming home wondering if her shoes were by the door.
listening for her laugh before remembering she didnât come anymore.
then little things started surfacing. tiny things heâd never appreciated.
his mother sighed one afternoon while baking. âi miss her.â
jude looked up. ây/n?â
âmhm.â
âwhy?â
his mother smiled softly. âshe always helped without asking,â denise looked at him. âmade tea, set the table.â
âkept me company.â
the house suddenly felt empty. and it was weird because there was definitely people there.
jobe noticed too. though heâd never admit it directly.
one evening jude found him sitting alone in the garden. football balanced between his feet.
âno y/n?â
jobe kicked the ball lazily. âno.â
âyou two argue?â
ânope.â
âso?â
âi donât know,â jobe frowned. âshe just stopped coming around, i guess.â
one afternoon jude was cleaning out an old cupboard looking for a charger.
instead he found a tiny notebook. blue cover with dog eared corners.
he flipped it open absentmindedly. he didnât know who it belonged to, but he laughed at the thought of it being jobeâs.
then he froze.
every page was covered in football fixtures. england matches, champions league nights, training schedules.
written in tiny handwriting with stickers and words highlighted in so many colors.
he recognized it instantly. this was something that belonged to y/n.
there were notes beside certain dates. those were surrounded by extra stickers.
âwish jude luck.â
âask how recovery went.â
âdonât forget his birthday.â
a folded receipt slipped from between the pages.
he unfolded it and found a photograph. years old with folded corners and faded color.
jobe was making a stupid face, y/n laughing so hard her eyes were closed, and jude. standing beside them looking mildly annoyed because someone had insisted he join.
he couldnât even remember the picture being taken, but y/n had kept it. all these years.
his chest tightened and his hands trembled slightly.
he carefully slid everything back exactly as heâd found it and didnât mention it.
that night, he couldnât sleep.
his friendsâ voices echoed through his head.
âsheâs obsessed.â
âsheâs always around.â
âyour shadow.â
then his own.
âitâs honestly annoying.â
he squeezed his eyes shut. he hadnât just rejected a confession or simply said he wasnât interested.
heâd mocked y/nâs presence. someone whoâd spent years making his family feel warmer. someone whoâd celebrated every goal he ever scored. someone whoâd never once asked him for anything.
and sheâd heard him. he was sure of it.
sheâd heard every word.
the realization settled slowly and painfully. it wasnât just that y/n had stopped following him around or that sheâd grown out of him. sheâd stopped feeling safe around him.
and he was realizing just now.
a few days later, jobe wandered into judeâs room without knocking.
âyou did something.â
jude looked up from his phone, frowning. âwhat?â
âto y/n.â
his stomach dropped as he put his phone away. âwhy do you think that?â
âbecause she wonât come over.â
âso?â
âso she loved this house,â jobeâs voice was unusually serious. âshe practically lived here. i ask her every week and she always says no.â
jude swallowed.
âwhat reason? âbusy.â and sheâs obviously lying,â jobe looked directly at him. âiâve known her since we were ten. i know when sheâs lying. you did something.â
jude stared at the floor. âi donât know.â
âliar.â
the words lingered long after jobe left.
jude admitted it to himself. he knew exactly what heâd done.
he just hadnât realized how much damage one conversation could do. because it wasnât only her discomfort towards him, but heâd taken his mothers and his brotherâs person and pushed them as far from them as he could without meaning to.
it got worse when he started noticing her everywhere.
heâd hear someone laugh in public, turn his head, and feel disappointed when it wasnât her.
heâd score during a match and look toward the family section without thinking. as if expecting to find one familiar face beaming brighter than the rest.
she wasnât there. of course she wasnât.
and every time something inside him sank a little further. so deep it became impossible to deny.
he hadnât been annoyed by y/n, heâd been annoyed that everyone else noticed her feelings before he did. embarrassed by the teasing. too immature to separate her quiet affection from his friendsâ jokes.
so heâd taken his frustration out on the easiest target. the person who deserved it least. the one with the sweetest smile.
and now the silence sheâd left behind echoed louder than sheâd ever spoken.
by the end of the second month, jude realized something that made him sit awake until nearly dawn.
the house hadnât become quieter because y/n talked a lot; it had become quieter because sheâd filled every room without trying. he just hadnât understood it until she stopped.
and perhaps the cruelest part of all was that the only reason he finally understood how much she mattered was because he was living in the emptiness sheâd left behind.
by the third month, guilt had stopped feeling sharp, but it was heavier. the kind that followed jude everywhere.
it waited beside him in the gym, sat beside him on team buses, appeared in hotel rooms when the television was on but he wasnât watching.
it even found him during matches. after goals. after victories. during celebrations where everyone else was smiling.
heâd catch himself looking toward the stands.
it was ridiculous. sheâd hardly ever come to his matches. she preferred watching from home because she claimed, very seriously, that she got less nervous through a screen.
still he looked. every time. and every time he was met by the same disappointment.
and he had no one other than himself to blame.
âyouâve been weird,â trent dropped onto the bench beside him after training.
jude didnât bother looking up. âiâve always been weird.â
âno. youâve beenâŠâ he searched for the word. ââŠquiet.â
âiâm tired.â
âno, youâre something else.â
jude laughed once, but it lacked its usual warmth. âyou sound like my therapist.â
âiâm serious,â trent nudged his shoulder. âdid something happen?â
jude almost answered. almost said it aloud.
i broke someoneâs heart without even realizing sheâd handed it to me.
but he chose to shrug his shoulders. ânah.â
one rainy tuesday, he came home unexpectedly because training had been cancelled.
the house was empty except for his mother, who was sitting at the dining table with a cardboard box.
he walked to where she was and saw what the box had inside. old photographs, birthday cards, school drawings.
jude sat beside her. âwhatâre you doing?â
âsorting,â she smiled. âiâve been meaning to for years.â
he reached into the box absentmindedly and pulled out a picture of jobe missing two front teeth. y/n beside him with scraped knees.
himself in the background looking deeply offended because someone had forced him into the frame like always.
his mother laughed. âyou remember that?â
âno.â
âyou complained for ten minutes. âwhy do i have to be in every picture?â,â she imitated his younger voice perfectly.
jude smiled despite himself.
then another picture. y/n sitting on the kitchen counter, decorating cupcakes. flour all over her nose and denise beside her laughing.
another.
christmas. y/n wearing the paper crown from a cracker while his dad pointed the camera at everyone.
another.
jobeâs birthday. y/n holding the cake looking grumpy because she insisted sheâd drop it if she didnât concentrate.
another.
summer barbecue. y/n asleep on the garden swing with a book resting on her chest.
his mother noticed where his eyes lingered. âshe really grew up here.â
jude swallowed. âyeah.â
denise looked back into the box. âi miss having her around.â
he stared at the photograph. âso do i.â
the words came quietly because he hadnât meant to say them aloud.
his mother looked at him and asked gently. âdid something happen?â
the house was quiet for a minute. long enough for rain to become the loudest thing in the room.
âi thinkâŠâ his voice cracked unexpectedly. ââŠi think i hurt her.â
his mother didnât interrupt. she waited the way mothers somehow always knew when silence was more important than questions.
jude rubbed both hands over his face. âmy friends kept⊠making jokes.â
âwhat jokes?â
he laughed bitterly. âthat she followed me everywhere. that she had a crush on me.â
his mother raised one eyebrow. âshe did.â
âi know. i know that now,â he shook his head before correcting himself. âi knew then. i justâŠâ he sighed. âi got embarrassed. and one day they brought it up again,â his stomach twisted. âi called her annoying.â
his mother went completely still.
âi said i couldnât go anywhere without her and that she was attached to my side. that i wanted one visit where she wasnât around.â
his voice became quieter with every sentence. âi didnât know she was behind me.â
the rain outside filled the silence as his mother looked down at the photographs scattered across the table.
âoh, jude.â
heartbroken. for both of them. because she knew who her son was, but she also knew who y/n was. sweet and patient y/n.
âshe heard all of it?â
he nodded. âevery word.â
his mother closed the photo album. âi wondered.â
âyou wondered?â
âi couldnât understand why she suddenly looked uncomfortable here,â she looked toward the window. âi thought maybe sheâd simply outgrown us.â
jude felt sick. âno.â
his mother reached over and squeezed his hand. âyou owe that girl an apology.â
âi know.â
âno,â she looked him directly in the eye. âyou owe her one without expecting forgiveness.â
thatâs what was jude was the most scared about. that maybe she wouldnât forgive him because she really didnât have to.
he wanted her to anyway.
he spent the next week trying.
twice he drove toward her house. twice he turned around.
every version of the conversation sounded selfish.
iâm sorry because i miss you.
iâm sorry because i realized i like you.
the apology couldnât be about him. it had to be about what heâd done.
fate, however, had different plans.
it happened at jobeâs match, a local charity event. jude had agreed to come support his brother and he had arrived late.
he stopped abruptly when he saw y/n.
she was standing beside the refreshments table helping hand out drinks to children while laughing at something a little girl had said.
she looked exactly the same and completely different.
she hadnât noticed him yet. she was smiling with that same charisma she had always had. the one he loved so much but realized too late.
his feet moved before heâd fully decided to.
ây/n.â
she turned and smile slipped gradually. like sheâd folded it away.
âoh, hi.â
there it was again. that polite voice. the one sheâd started using after that afternoon. the one that wasnât rude but lacked sweetness.
he hated it.
âcan we talk?â
she hesitated and looked toward the children waiting for juice. âiâm helping.â
âiâll wait.â
she blinked as if sheâd expected him to give up. but twenty minutes later she walked over to him.
âwhat did you need?â
jude suddenly forgot every sentence heâd rehearsed.
âiâm sorry.â
she looked at him. though there was no trace of surprise on her face, she did look as if that was the last thing sheâd expected him to say.
âiâve been trying to figure out how to say this for weeksâmonths. and every version sounded wrong,â he took a shaky breath.
âyou heard what i said, and there isnât a version of it that isnât awful.â
y/n stared at the grass between them, unable to look at him just yet.
âi was embarrassed. i let people teasing me become more important thanâŠâ he looked at her. ââŠthan your feelings. i spoke about you like you were something i had to put up with when reallyâŠâ his laugh broke halfway through. âyou were just⊠being kind to me.â
y/n stayed quiet.
âi made you feel unwelcome in a place that felt like home. i took something safe away from you.â
he closed his eyes for a second as he felt his chest tighten. âiâm so, so sorry.â
y/n finally looked up and her eyes were glassy.
âi kept wondering what iâd done.â
his heart stopped. she sounded small. so small. and it was him who had done that.
âi thought maybe iâd been too loud,â she laughed softly through her tears. âor talked too much,â she paused to regain her breath. âso i tried talking less. i thought maybe i bothered your parents. so i started leaving earlier,â her voice trembled. âand then i heard you.â
âi realizedâŠâ she shrugged. ââŠit was just me.â
jude closed his eyes. every word landed like another weight on his chest.
âit was never just you. it was me. i was immature and i was cruel and i hurt someone who had never done anything except care about me.â
she wiped quickly beneath one eye. âi stopped coming because i didnât want to make you uncomfortable anymore.â
âi know,â his voice sounded barely above a whisper. âand i hate that thatâs what you walked away believing.â
she studied him for a long moment. âso what changed?â
the question was fair. of course it was.
âwhat made you apologize now?â
he smiled sadly. âyou disappeared.â
she frowned slightly.
âi donât mean physically, i mean you disappeared fromâŠâ he gestured helplessly. ââŠeverything. the house, my family⊠my life.â
âmy mum misses you, jobe misses you.â he swallowed. âandâŠâ he laughed once. âso do i.â
she didnât answer. she had no idea what to say. she was hearing things sheâd convinced herself would never hear because it wasnât jude who she had blamed.
âi never found you annoying. i found it embarrassing that everyone noticed you because they noticed before i did.â
y/n frowned. ânoticed what?â
he held her gaze. âi stopped looking for reasons youâd always be around and started hoping you would be. so when you leftâŠâ he smiled through wet eyes. âit felt like someone had taken all the light out of my childhood home.â
y/n stared at him. searching his face and making sure this wasnât guilt speaking. making sure this wasnât pity and he just didnât want to make her feel more pathetic than she already was.
âyou really hurt me.â
âi know.â
âi cried all the way home that day.â
his eyes closed.
âi thought iâd embarrassed myself.â
âyou didnât.â
âi thoughtâŠâ her voice cracked. ââŠif the boy iâd liked for years couldnât stand being around me then maybe i was justâŠâ
she couldnât finish what she had tried to say. it was too much and there were too many mosquitoes and she didnât like crying in public.
jude stepped forward instinctively but then stopped himself.
âiâm not going to ask you to forgive me, okay? you donât owe me that. iâm not even going to ask if you still feel the same. because after what i did, i havenât earned the right to know.â
y/n looked at him for what felt like forever.
and then very quietly said. âi donât think those feelings ever went away. i just buried them.â
she smiled softly. but jude felt satisfied when noticed this time it was real.
âfor what itâs worth, you were never actually annoying either.â
he laughed. his shoulders finally dropping for what felt like the first time in months. âi can work with that.â
she shook her head, smiling despite herself.
âi didnât say you were forgiven,â she hesitated. âbut i think iâd like to come by your house again.â
âandâŠâ she glanced at him. shrugging her shoulders. ââŠi missed you too.â
he stared at her, almost afraid to believe heâd heard correctly.
âsoâŠâ he asked carefully. âcan i walk you back to the pitch?â
she pretended to think about it. âhm. i suppose. but only because jobeâs probably wondering where iâve gone.â
he smiled. âand because you donât want him thinking iâm annoying?â
she groaned, laughing as she lightly nudged his arm. âoh, donât ruin the moment.â
he caught himself smiling wider than he had in months.
three months later, the bellingham house sounded like itself again.
it happened so gradually that no one could pinpoint exactly when y/n had started letting herself stay until midnight again. or when she stopped asking, âis it alright if i come over?â and simply walked through the front door with the familiar âhello?â like sheâd done since she was ten.
denise had cried one evening while y/n was helping wash dishes.
she wrapped her arms around her and whispered. âiâve missed having you here.â
y/n had hugged her back just as tightly. âiâve missed being here.â
neither of them mentioned why sheâd ever stopped coming. some wounds didnât need reopening once theyâd finally begun to heal.
jobe, howeverâŠ
jobe noticed everything.
he noticed that jude somehow always knew when y/n was arriving, that y/n unconsciously saved the seat beside her, that whenever jude came home from training, the first person he looked for wasnât his parents anymore.
it was her.
one evening they were all watching a film, or at least attempting to.
jobe was invested. his father had fallen asleep twenty minutes earlier and his mother was pretending not to.
y/n sat tucked into one corner of the sofa, jude on the other.
that was how it started.
then halfway through the film, jobe reached for the popcorn and paused.
âhang on,â his eyes narrowed. âwhen did this happen?â
y/n blinked with a small frown. âwhat the hell are you talking about?â
âyou two.â
both of them looked down simultaneously.
without either of them consciously remembering it, theyâd ended up shoulder to shoulder. y/nâs legs tucked beneath her and judeâs arm resting lazily behind her on the sofa. their hands intertwined.
y/n immediately let go, but jude didnât.
he simply looked at his brother. âwhat?â
jobe stared shaking his head unbelievably. âno. what? when?â
jude shrugged. âa while ago.â
âa while?â
âthree months?â
âthree months?!â
his voice cracked and his parents woke up.
denise yawned. âwhat happened?â
jobe pointed dramatically. âtheyâve been dating for three months.â
âyes, jobe, i know.â
jobe whipped around. âyou knew?!â
âiâve known since the second week.â
his father stretched casually. âi thought everyone knew.â
dating jude turned out to be nothing like sheâd imagined when she was younger. at ten sheâd thought itâd be grand gestures like flowers, fireworks and movie-like moments.
instead it was ordinary. wonderfully ordinary.
it was jude waiting outside her university lecture with two coffees because heâd remembered sheâd had an early class. it was y/n bringing dinner to his apartment after late training because sheâd noticed heâd forgotten to eat properly.
it was grocery shopping together and somehow spending forty minutes arguing over pasta sauce. it was falling asleep halfway through documentaries neither of them had actually wanted to watch.
it was peace.
no guessing. no pretending she didnât instinctively drift toward him or that he didnât instinctively reach for her.
one rainy afternoon she wandered into the bellingham kitchen where denise was.
eventually she spoke. âyou knowâŠâ
y/n looked over.
âi used to think youâd marry one of my boys.â
she nearly dropped the knife. âexcuse me?â
she laughed. ânot because you had a crush. i didnât even know about that until much later.â
y/n hid her face. âoh my god.â
âi just couldnât imagine you belonging anywhere else.â
that evening jude found y/n sitting on the back garden swing.
the same one sheâd fallen asleep on years earlier.
rain had finally stopped and everything smelled like wet grass.
he walked over quietly. âyou disappeared.â
she looked up. âi wanted five minutes.â
âwithout me?â
she smiled teasingly. âi know. terrible.â
he sat beside her and y/n rested her head against his shoulder.
âyou knowâŠâ
âwhat?â
âi still catch myself wondering if iâm bothering you.â
his entire body softened. âyou really believe that?â
âsometimes,â she paused. âit doesnât last long butâŠâ she shrugged. âthat day stuck with me.â
jude nodded once. âi know, baby.â he reached for her hand. âi donât expect it to disappear.â
âit shouldnât,â she looked at him. âyou hurt me.â
âi did.â
âand some days i remember it.â
he brushed his thumb across her knuckles. âwhen you do, you tell me. i donât care if itâs ten years from now.â he kissed the back of her hand. âif i have to apologize for that day for the rest of my life iâll do it.â
she laughed through watery eyes. âyouâd get sick of saying sorry.â
âi donât think so.â he leaned closer.
a breeze stirred the trees around them.
somewhere inside the house jobe shouted,
âmum, whereâs the garlic bread?â
his mother shouted back, âask y/n.â
y/n laughed instinctively. she looked toward the kitchen windows glowing warm against the evening sky and then she answered just as loudly.
âtop oven!â
jobe yelled back. âthank you!â
jude smiled.
âwhat?â she looked at him.
âit feels like home again.â he kissed her forehead and then he intertwined their fingers. âyouâve always been home.â
this time, when she smiled there was no hesitation behind it. no fear that sheâd overstayed her welcome. no instinct to make herself smaller.
because the girl who had once quietly slipped out the back door, convinced her presence was a burden, was gone.
and in her place was someone who knew, with complete certainty, that she was loved. not because she stayed out of the way but because she had always, without realizing it, become part of the family long before she ever became judeâs girlfriend.
the porch light flickered on as the sun disappeared.
his father blamed the oven. his mother blamed jobe.
y/n squeezed judeâs hand. âcâmon. theyâre probably setting the kitchen on fire.â
he stood with a grin. âprobably.â
she started toward the house and he caught her hand before she could get very far.
y/n turned. âwhat?â
jude smiled in that quiet, unmistakably fond way that was reserved only for her now. âiâm really glad you came back.â
y/nâs expression softened. âi know.â
she stepped back toward him, rose onto her toes, and kissed him gently. âwhen you apologized,â she murmured against his lips, âi wasnât sure if we could ever get back to what we had.â
he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. âwe didnât.â
she frowned slightly.
âwe got something better.â
she believed him completely.
together, they walked back into the warm, noisy house. where someone was already shouting their names, where dinner was almost certainly burning, and where neither of them would ever again have to wonder whether they belonged.
summary: dating jude bellingham means learning to ignore the cameras, the compliments, and the girls who swear they could treat him better. it's harder than it sounds. good thing jude never gets tired of reminding you who he belongs with.
content: fluff. hurt/comfort. jealousy. insecurity. established relationship. kissing.
authors note: this is my first time uploading a fanfic i am so scared soo let me know if theres any misspelling of some sort thank youuuuu
-------------------
you hated football parties.
not because you didn't like footballâyou'd learned enough from jude to know the difference between a false nine and a number tenâbut because every party ended the same way.
girls. beautiful, famous girls. girls who somehow knew exactly how to laugh at the perfect volume whenever jude walked by.
you'd never been the jealous type. at least, that's what you'd told yourself.
then you started dating jude bellingham.
now every notification that mentioned his name made your stomach twist.
you stood near the kitchen island, absentmindedly stirring the ice in your drink while jude spoke to a group of teammates across the room. every few seconds someone stopped him for a picture. another handshake. another conversation. he looked over and pointed at you with that tiny nod that meant, i'm okay. are you? you smiled back.
you weren't.
"you're dating him, right?"
you turned to find a girl beside you, glamorous enough to belong on the cover of a magazine.
"yeah," you replied.
"you're lucky." she laughed softly. "i've had the biggest crush on him for ages."
your smile stiffened.
she didn't mean anything by it. she was just talking.
...right?
"oh my god, he's actually so much prettier in person," another girl said.
you looked back toward jude. someone had already wrapped an arm around him for a selfie. then another.
your chest tightened. it was stupid. he wasn't doing anything wrong. he was just existing.
you hated how quickly your brain filled in the blanks anyway.
she's prettier than you.
she's more interesting.
he's probably tired of reassuring you.
before those thoughts could get any louder, you quietly slipped out onto the balcony.
the night air was cool. you counted cars, trees, starsâanything to keep your mind occupied.
the balcony door slid open behind you.
"there you are."
a familiar voice.
jude.
you didn't turn around.
"i thought you'd be inside."
"i was."
"and?"
"...needed air."
he leaned against the railing beside you, and neither of you said anything for a while.
"you do this thing," he finally said.
"what thing?"
"you go quiet."
"i don't."
"you literally disappear emotionally."
you let out a quiet, sarcastic laugh.
"that's dramatic."
"so is walking outside instead of telling me what's wrong."
silence settled between you again.
thenâ
"talk to me, baby," he whispered.
"i don't like these events."
"i know, my love."
"i don't like how everyone looks at you."
"i know."
"i don't like that they flirt with you even when i'm standing right there."
another pause.
"and i hate that i hate it."
you finally looked at him.
"i sound insane."
"you sound human."
"i trust you."
"i know."
"but i don't trust..." you gestured toward the party inside. "...everyone else."
jude nodded like he'd been expecting exactly that answer.
"you know what i see?"
"what?"
"i see someone who's been pretending she's fine for the last twenty minutes. i also see the girl who stays up until two in the morning helping me recover after matches. the girl who watches game film with me even though she'd rather be watching terrible rom-coms."
he smiled.
"the girl who steals my hoodies."
"i borrow them."
"you've permanently borrowed six, my love."
"they look better on me."
"they actually do."
that earned the smallest smile from you.
"there it is."
"what?"
"your smile."
he reached for your hand.
"i can't stop people from looking."
"i know."
"i can't stop people from having crushes."
"i know."
"but i can decide who i go home with."
his thumb brushed over your knuckles.
"i can decide whose texts i answer first. and i can decide who gets every version of me that nobody else sees."
his forehead rested gently against yours.
"and that's always you."
your eyes stung.
"i wish my brain believed that all the time."
"it doesn't have to."
"what?"
"i'll remind it."
he smiled softly.
"every time you doubt yourself. every interview. every event. every party. as many times as it takes."
you laughed through your tears.
"that sounds exhausting."
"for you?"
he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.
"never."
when the two of you walked back inside together, jude never let go of your hand. not because he needed everyone else to know you were his.
because he wanted you to remember that he was already yours.
warnings. . suggestive, use of alcohol/ being tipsy
ââââ ââââ part 1 part 2ââââ
a/n: I hope you like it I tried out a little different stuff this time; I also just tagged anyone requesting a pt. 2 hope thats fine with yall
â
The load roars of the vikings rung through the stadium as soon as the referee blew the whistle and the ball got kicked over the place for the first time this evening.
And that by none other than Jude Bellingham.
The man that had caused quite the fuss about the two of you online without much of your knowledge.
But now you where here. Not just invited by a huge sport brand in general but same exact one that featured Jude in their World Cup commercial.
Even if you were used to the fame by now, you were glad you could bring two friends of yours along and before you knew it the first half was already over.
After youâve taken the obligatory Insta pics you sat down again, taking a sip of your drink.
âSo⊠howâs things with Jude?â your friend started the topic that youâve meant to avoid the whole evening while shooting your other friend a mischievous grin.
âWhat do you mean âhowâs thingsâ itâs not like we are talking or anything.â you replied sounding a little more annoyed about the situation than you actually were.
âYou know exactly what we mean. Youâre acting like your shipname isnât a trending hashtag right now.â your other friend chirped in.
âCmon guys. You know how the internet works. That was probably a PR thing all along.â
âMaybe⊠maybe not. But stop acting like you donât like this.â
You rolled your eyes at her comment but the corners of your mouth turning upwards betrayed you. âAlright, alright you caught me.â
The second half started off and every time Jude had the ball at his feet or attempted to score one of your girls gave you a look.
So when he did actually score his second goal and the decider for England, the stadium including your friends went absolutely nuts. The goal that got them into the semifinals scored by Englands most expensive player and matchmaker - and apparently your admirer.
When the final whistle blew just minutes after the deciding goal the England players all cheered into the crowd and Oasis was blasting through the speakers.
The atmosphere was phenomenal; you felt your heartbeat through your chest and without even supporting them until you just recently developed that little celebrity crush, you could feel your chest beaming with pride. The English team was standing in front of the grand stands in the Miami stadium soaking in the feeling of their win.
After their celebrations with the public came to an end and the stadium started to clear out a bit, some of the players came to the friends&family section right below the Adidas lounge.
And thatâs when you saw him. Skin glistening from the sweat, breath still a little uneven but a huge grin spread across his face while he talked to his family. And given your history the next thing was probably inevitable- for a brief seconds your eyes met.
You could see a shimmer of embarrassment- or excitement, you couldnât pinpoint it exactly and he probably couldnât either. After shooting him a quiet smile that he returned, your eyes lost each other again.
âAhh what was that!?â your friend giggled while elbowing you, ripping you out of your thoughts.
âLiv, I swear if you say one more thing!â you shot her a glare.
And she didnât. At least for now. The afternoon came around and you went back to the enormous hotel room Adidas gave. Being famous definitely had its perks.
â
âOuch- whatâŠ?â A flying shoe hit your leg while dozing off in your bed.
âCmon get up! The clubâs callinâus. Miami nightlife is elite alright!?â Liv said while picking up her heel that landed on you just seconds before. You originally just wanted to edit and post some stories of the game after a well deserved coffee break in the hotel but it turned into an almost-nap if it hadnât have been for Livâs shoe.
So after debating your going out options, you had time and place set and got ready together. You and your friends got dressed and got ready while pregaming and before you knew it your Uber arrived.
694
â
You honestly didnât remember how many drinks you had or how you ended up here- talking to the person responsible for Englands win today- Jude Bellingham.
Sometime during the night you went to get another round of shots suddenly you felt a tap on your shoulder. And even before turning around you heard that Brummie accent mix with the loud music blasting through the speakers.
âFelt like I should maybe introduce myself if I already got the opportunity. You donât get to meet a supermodel everyday, right?â he tried to open the conversation but the nerves were shimmering through his composed facade.
After a little internal shock you managed to reply and stick out your hand for him to shake.
He took your hand in his and just from the warmth of his hand and the eye contact he held you could feel a hint of butterflies in your stomach.
âNice meeting you. And congrats on the win as well as the goals.â
After getting to talk to him and doing a bit of small talk you told him you were just about to order another round of shots which he joined into.
âSo do you like football?â Jude spoke to you again after downing the shots with your friends.
âTo be honest, not really no. I got invited by Adidas thats why I went.â You stayed truthful after locking eyes with him again.
âSo you donât usually watch football?â he started to look a little dissatisfied with your answer.
The loud music and the thumping bass made it quite hard to understand him so you leaned a little closer to him. Due to the heels you were wearing you had the same height but he still shifted like he was about to lean down.
âNo I prefer Formula one or Tennis if I got the free time to watch. To be fair I got a pretty packed schedule recently.â
âYeah I see. So you didnât know who I was before today?â
âLetâs say Iâve heard of you in particular before. But it wasnât really football related.â a smile crept onto your face.
Judes relaxed facial expression dropped and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. âItâs the Vogue interview, isnât it?â
Just as you were about to reply, a guy behind you bumped into you. It wasnât with much force, however added to your tipsy state as well as your heels it sent you straight into Judes chest; his arm curling around your waist to steady you.
âHey mate, be a little more careful, alright?â Jude only got a mumble as a response from the guy who was apparently not sober either.
âAre you alright?â his tone changed to a much softer one compared to just seconds before.
âYeah yeah, sorry, itâs just a bit crowded in here.â
He hesitated a little before he leaned in towards your ear again âDo you maybe wanna go outside to talk a little more?â
âI would love that actually.â you gave him a reassuring smile âLead the way then!â
His face lit up with relief. The hand around your waist prior used to steady you, slid around you and grabbed your hand to lead you out of the club, past all the turmoil.
A cold wall hit you as soon as you walked out. Quite unusual for Miami but you freezing could also be because your boots were the biggest piece of clothing you had on.
âDo you want my jacket?â Jude asked holding up his other arm were a black, sleek Louis Vuitton jacket was resting. You quickly shook your head. âNo thatâs yours.â
âNah, donât worry, Iâve been carrying it around with me all evening already.â
Slowly he unfolded the jacket and laid it over your shoulders. You were standing a little away from the entrance. Just around the corner where it was a lot less crowded then inside. Even though, the music still could be heard dull in the background.
A comfortable silence settled between the both of you except from the sound of the music and the people talking in the background.
Then suddenly you heard two very familiar voices.
âThere she is!â âNo wait, donât go over!â Your friends came around the corner backing away again and giggling as soon as they saw your company.
âI think your friends might need something from you.â Jude said amused but still a little disappointment audible.
Your friends waved you over, a little away from Jude.
And after a brief explanation about your other friend who apparently got wasted and needed to go back to your hotel you decided to go as a whole not wanting to leave anyone alone.
Although you wouldâve loved to see where the talk with Jude went you said your goodbyes and were just about to walk to your Uber until you realized you still had his jacket on. Jude interrupted you just as you were about to take it off-
âOh no keep it on, donât worry. Wouldnât want you freezing on your way back to the hotel.â After a few seconds of internal debating he added âYou can just give it back to me the next time.â
âI would actually love that.â you said with a gentle smile before getting in the Uber, driving back.
â
Back in your hotel room your phone got a notification; you could hear the ping sound while taking off your makeup. When you were done and got back to your bed where you left your phone charging you could see what it said on the screen:
đČâ TELLING THE OFF CAMPUS BOYS TO GET ON THEIR KNEES WHEN THEY ASK FOR SOMETHING
( cw: suggestive/explicit dialogue & topics, no smut )
DEAN DI LAURENTIS
âBabe,â he whined, âBaaaabe.â
You turned around from the stove, facing your annoying boyfriend.
He knew it got on your nerves when he stood behind you while you were cooking. Especially when he whined the whole time.
So when he asked, âCan I taste test it?â you didnât immediately shut him down like you normally did.
No, instead you said, âIf you get down on your knees and ask, maybe Iâll consider it.â
Why you didnât expect him to actually do it? Who knows.
He was down on his knees within seconds, his hands pawing at your hips. âPlease, baby. Can I please taste test it?â
You had to hold in your laugh, but you felt like he earned it.
Putting your hand on his head and petting him like a dog, you said, âYes you can, for being such a good boy,â in a very mocking tone.
It didnât phase Dean one bit though, if anything, he seemed to enjoy it. He pushed his head into your hand like a cat and then stood up with an expectant look on his face.
You rolled your eyes and pulled out a piece of pasta, dropping it directly in his open mouth. He moaned when he tasted it, then gave you a quick kiss on the lips.
âThank you, sweetheart,â he murmured against your shoulder, already standing right behind you again.
GARRETT GRAHAM
Garrett had been annoying you all day.
You convinced him to go shopping with you, leaving out the details of where you were going and how long it would be.
He knew it could take a while, but 3 hours? After the first hour he was complaining at every store. You offered to leave early, but when he saw the small pout on your face he changed his mind.
But that didnât mean he was going to stop groaning and moping.
When you stopped to look at two different tops, he took it as an opportunity to rest his head on your shoulder, pressing a soft kiss to your neck.
âGarrett...â you trailed off, a subtle warning to do too much in terms of PDA. He hummed, his free handâthe one not holding all of your shopping bagsâcoming up to rest on your hips.
âI have an idea,â he mumbled, pressing another soft kiss to your shoulder. âLetâs get you some new stuff from Victoriaâs Secret. Iâll buy.â
You rolled your eyes, deciding on the black top instead of the white one.
âIf you want me to go try on lingerie for you, youâd better get on your knees and beg,â you joked, walking further into the store.
When you stopped to look at a pair of pants, you saw Garrett drop to his knees in the corner of your eye.
âPlease, gorgeous. Let me buy you some new lingerie. Iâll be so good from here on out,â he pleaded, his hands pressed together in a praying motion.
Your eyes darted around, seeing the mostly empty store. âStand up, oh my god.â
He shook his head, ânot until you say yes.â
âGarrett.â
âPrincess.â
You sighed, âFine. Now stand up.â
JOHN TUCKER
âLet me eat you out, sweetheart,â Tucker mumbled against your neck, reaching behind you to lock his bedroom door.
âUh-uh.â
His lips formed a pout, âPlease?â
âIf you really want to...â you trailed off, seeing the glint of hope in his eyes, âGet on your knees and ask again, then maybe Iâll let you get a taste.â
For a moment he looked surprised, but he did as you said.
He dropped to his knees, pressing feather-light kissed to your bare stomach and thighs. âCan I get a taste of you, gorgeous?â His hands ran up the backs of your legs. âPlease.â
You sighed, your fingers playing with his dark curls. âOkay, fine, but hurry up. I wanna feel you inside me as soon as possible.â
âYes maâam.â
JOHN LOGAN
âCome with me,â Logan asked as he pulled on his sweatpants, âThe gym is so boring when Iâm alone.â
You were already standing, putting on lotion as you listened to your boyfriend try to reason with you to go to the gym with him.
âI showered just last night. You want to make me shower again in less than 12 hours?â
He looked up at you and shrugged, a suggestive smirk on his face. âIâll help you out?â
âOf course you would.â
Throwing his head back, he groaned. âWhy does my girlfriend hate me?â
You rolled your eyes and sighed, âTell you what. You get on your knees and beg me to come with, and maybe Iâll go and let you âhelp me outâ in the shower later.â
He was on his knees in front of you within seconds.
âPlease come with me, gorgeous. The gym is so much more enjoyable with you there,â he pleaded, begging with the way his big brown eyes were looking up at you.
You clicked your tongue, âFine. Only because I didnât actually think you would do that.â
He smirked, standing up and pressing a âthank youâ kiss to your cheek. âYou underestimate me, baby.â
âË⥠BSF!DEAN OFFERING TO HELP YOU OUT AFTER HE FOUND OUT YOU WERE A VIRGIN êŁà§ ( nsfw )
âWait, are you..?â Dean trailed off, sitting up from where he was laid out on the couch. He invited you over for a movie night, claiming he hadnât seen you in soooo long and you needed to hang out with him again.
Totally unrelated, all of his roommates were at their girlfriendsâ places for the night.
You felt your cheeks warm, the thought of verbally admitting youâd never actually had sex far too embarrassing. It wasnât like you didnât want to, it had just never happened naturally.
Guys had tried, but it always felt like a bad idea. Like you would regret it after, wishing youâd just taken care of yourself at home.
It wasnât a religious thing, you werenât saving yourself for marriage. You just didnât want to regret it. You only wanted to do it if you were 100% sure and that hadnât happened yet.
âWell, I mean I havenât likeââ you trailed off, feeling a pit in your stomach. âIâve done stuff.â
One of his eyebrows popped up, his ridiculously large smile terribly hidden. âLook, Iâm not judging. Iâm just... Surprised?â his eyes flickered over your body and back up to your eyes. âYouâre like, objectively hot.â
You rolled your eyes, feeling the knot in your stomach turn to heat. âItâs not like there havenât been opportunities, jackass. I just donât want some disgusting douchebag to be my first.â
Dean noticed the way you were fidgeting with your sleeves, avoiding eye contact with him. He felt bad for making you feel uncomfortable but he was genuinely in disbelief.
âIs it like... You want it to be special?â his voice came out softer than before, the humor in it almost entirely gone.
Shaking your head, you told him the truth youâd kept to yourself for years, âNo, itâs justâevery time I tried, it was like either the guy was gross, or he literally saw me as a fucking fleshlight, or he was trying to do crazy shit, and Iâm just scared,â you laughed in self-pity, âI know itâll probably hurt, and I just want to trust whoever Iâm fucking to not hurt me. But thatâs not a hook-up thing, and Iâm not in a relationship, so...â
There was a long silence between you, the only sound in the house coming from the tv playing whatever comedy movie Dean put on when you first got there.
Dean chuckled to himself a little, âWhat if... I helped you out?â
You knew Dean was a horny guy, but you wouldnât in a million years expect him to try to fuck you.
The offer literally had you speechless.
âLook, I donât mean it in a weird way, okay? But I mean, you know I know my way around a woman. And you can trust me. Itâs an exchange between friends, nothing crazy.â
You were starting to consider it, his stupid explanations actually sounding somewhat reasonable.
âWhat exactly is the exchange? What are you getting out of it?â You werenât planning on selling your body when you agreed to coming over.
His typical smirk flashed across his face as he replied, âI get to have sex with a girl and not feel like Iâm being used as a dildo.â
You snickered, âactually, I think itâs the opposite. Iâm literally just using you for your dick.â
âPotato, puhtahto,â he shrugged.
âI thought it was âtomato, tomahtoâ?â
He rolled his eyes, leaning so close to your face that you could feel his minty breath on your lips. âDo you want me to fuck you or not?â
Squinting your eyes at him, you nodded, âYeah. You promise it wonât make things weird between us?â
âPinky,â he stuck his pinky up to you, waiting for you to finish it.
The second your pinky laced with his, his mouth was on yours. He let you start kissing back before he progressed, his hand finding itâs place on your neck. âCâmon, my room,â he mumbled against your lips, pulling away.
You followed him up the stairs, biting your tongue to not make a joke about how youâre special because you get his bed.
But the closer you got to his room, the more nervous you got. Your mind was racing with a thousand issues that could come from this, yet you didnât want to stop.
The click of the door shutting made it feel impossibly real, the realization that you would never look at his room the same after today invading your brain.
âStop overthinking it,â Dean spoke, his body so close to yours you were sure you could feel the warmth radiating off of him.
âIâm trying,â you whispered, leaning forward just an inch, closing the gap between you. âKiss me.â
You didnât have to tell Dean twice.
His lips met yours in a heated kiss, the intensity of it compared to the one downstairs throwing you for a loop. His tongue was in your mouth, yours in his, and his fingers were brushing the skin underneath your waistband.
âAre you sure? Hundred percent?â he asked, pulling back enough to look you in the eyes.
âIâm sure.â
The second the words came out of your mouth, he pulled you closer by your waist, walking you backward until his legs hit the bed and you fell on top of him.
His hands slid up your shirt, the warmth of his fingers against your cool skin giving you goosebumps. âCan I take this off?â he asked, bunching up your shirt in his hands.
âMhm,â you nodded, putting your arms up to help him pull it off.
You thanked whatever made you choose to wear cute underwear today, because you werenât originally planning on anyone seeing it, yet here you were.
He leaned forward, leaving open-mouthed kisses all over your bare skin. His hands were steady on your hips, pulling you down to grind against him while he worked his mouth on you.
Your hands rested on his shoulders, suddenly thankful for his aversion to wearing a shirt around the house.
You felt his right hand find your bra clasp, a moment of hesitation in him before he unclipped it. âOkay?â
âIâll tell you if itâs not.â
He rolled his eyes as he pressed another kiss to your neck, this one getting a little bit of extra attention.
The loose bra straps fell forward, exposing your entire chest. Your nipples perked up at the sudden cold air, hardening within seconds. âJesus, dude, youâre fucking gorgeous.â
âIs calling me âdudeâ your way of keeping this friendly?â
He scoffed, throwing your bra on the floor. âNoâŠâ
âYouâre so weird,â you laughed, âJust, act like you normally would.â
Nodding, he spoke in his low voice, âI can do that.â Then he flipped you over on your back, hovering over you while his lips dragged kisses down your body. âEver been eaten out before?â
You squeaked when your back hit the mattress, pulling a giggle from your chest as he moved his way down. âNope, only ever been asked to give head, never to get it.â
âWell, weâre changing that today. Ainât that right?â he whispered as he pulled your pants off, his warm breath fanning over your barely clothed pussy. âYâwant that?â
You whimpered a pathetic, âmhm,â and nodded, your hole clenching around nothing as he kissed right beside where you needed him.
His fingers dipped in your waistband, pulling it down your legs tantalizingly slow. The anticipation was killing you, your heart beating out of your chest.
He ran his hands up and down your thighs soothingly as he spread you open, his eyes focusing solely on your pussy. You started feeling self-conscious by how long he was staring, trying to close your legs and quit this while you could, but he held you open.
âSo wet for me,â he muttered as two of his fingers slid between your folds, gently pressing against your entrance without slipping in. âSo fucking pretty.â
âDean,â you groaned, âAre you gonna do something, or not?â
He clicked his tongue, âSorry, sweetheart. Iâm just admiring the view.â
âMhm,â you sassed.
âHave you ever been fingered?â
Fighting the urge to roll your eyes, you tell him, âYes. Plus my own. A lot.â
His grin widened but he didnât press on it further, he could always do that later. His tongue darted out, licking a stripe up your folds to get a first taste.
Moaning against you, his constant lapping at your cunt was a feeling youâd never expected to be so good. He wasnât slowing down, either. Licking, sucking, at one point you even felt his teeth gently scrape against your clitâthe feeling oddly good.
You were writhing under him, your back arching off the bed until one of his hands came to press you flat. The other started teasing your hole with just one finger, easily slipping in and out.
Just as he hit a specific spot inside you, his mouth came up to suck harshly on your clit. Your legs shook, almost missing when he added his other finger.
âFuck, Dean. How are you soââ you cut yourself off with a loud moan, slapping your hand over your mouth.
He pulled awayâwithout stopping his fingersâjust enough to look you in the eye and say, âDonât quiet yourself. Nobodyâs home, and I want to hear how good Iâm making you feel.â
âOkay. Okay. Jesus fuck,â you whined as a third finger slipped in your soaking cunt, stretching you out.
His fingers were longer and thicker than yours, more skilled than anyone else thatâd fingered you before. They were sloppy and lazy and you had to practically teach them basic anatomy.
Dean was already amazing at it.
A tight knot was forming in your core, the familiar feeling of an orgasm building up as Dean relentlessly finger fucked you. âDean,â you breathed, your fingers finding and gripping his messy blonde hair. âIâm gonnaââ
âUh-huh,â Dean hummed as he licked you through your orgasm, his other hand gripping your shaky thighs.
You gasped a deep breath when he finally let up, trying to direct oxygen back into your brain. âHoly shit, what is wrong with you?â you laughed, throwing your arm over your eyes as Dean sat up, towering over you.
âWhat?â his lips twitching up like he wasnât sure if he was supposed to laugh or not, âI just gave you the best orgasm of your life andââ
âSays who?â
âAre you saying it wasnât?â
Your eyes darted to the other side of the room before you replied, âCan you justââ
âYou havenât said a full sentence since I put my mouth on you,â he scoffed, the playful fire in his eyes telling you he wasnât going to drop this. âAdmit it. Admit that was the best orgasm of your life and Iâll fuck you without another word.â
âWant me to scream it out the window too?â you asked, deflecting as long as you could.
He shrugged, a cocky look on his face as he mumbled, âEh, it wouldnât hurt.â
Ignoring him, you leaned up, your face lining right up with his very obvious bulge. Your fingers gripped on his waistband, slowly sliding it off to reveal his lack of boxers.
A quiet giggle bubbled out of your chest before you could stop it. âReally? No shirt and no underwear?â
âDude,â he groaned, ignoring you to finish taking his pants off. âItâs convenient.â
âWere you planning on sticking your dick in me?â
âNo! Oh my god. For peeing. Itâs convenient for peeing. Get your mind out of the gutter.â
You rolled your eyes, laying on your back. âOkay, Iâm ready.â
You could hear him sighing and shuffling around before his huge body was hovering over yours, one of his arms down and rolling a condom onto his already fully-erect dick. âAre you stillââ
âOh my god, Dean. Yes. Please.â
He nodded, lining up his tip with your aching hole. âYâgotta relax for me. Itâll feel better if you do, okay?â
Nodding, you tried to let your muscles slacken. His lips were back on yours, a deep and controlled kiss that almost distracted you from the stretch of his cock sliding into you.
âOh, fucking shit,â you strangled out, feeling a mix of pain and pleasure as Dean stilled. You took a deep breath and grabbed onto his biceps, âOkay. Keep going.â
He smirked, biting his lip as he slowly pushed himself further in.
His head fell to your shoulder, pressing his lips to your neck. But this time wasnât a distraction for you. He needed something to focus on so he didnât slam himself to the hilt.
Your moans were urging him on, your nails digging into various parts of his upper body. He stopped once he was fully in, feeling the need to check in again. âDoes it hurt?â
Shaking your head, you whispered, âJust a little. But a good kind of hurt. Iâm okay, really.â
The words seemed to comfort him, his back muscles loosening just a little. âTell me when youâre ready for me to move.â
He was still pressing small kisses along your neck, eventually moving to your lips for a deeper, messier kiss. Your hand found the nape of his neck, pulling him closer against you.
You whispered against his lips, âIâm ready.â
You could feel him smile against your mouth, his hips starting to back up and come back down. His pace started slow, the pain turning into pleasure as his thick cock rammed into you.
âFuck. Faster,â you panted, Deanâs actions quickly reflecting your words. He was still holding back, still being gentle, but giving you what you wanted.
His hips snapped back and forth, bringing that very familiar feeling back to your stomach. Dean was back to sucking on your neck, feeling his own orgasm start to build up.
Without warning, his hand slid between your sweaty bodies to rub circles on your clit. That tight knot in your core was already coming undone, your entire body squirming from the pleasure of your release.
âFuck, Iâm gonna...â Dean trailed off as you felt his warm cum fill the condom inside you, riding you through your orgasm.
He pulled out slowly once youâd finished, pressing a small kiss to your lips to distract you from the sensitivity of him sliding out.
Your chest was rising and falling quickly, still trying to catch up to the current moment. âWow,â you breathed, feeling Deanâs heavy body drop beside yours after he took care of the condom.
âStill donât wanna admit itâs the best orgasm youâve ever had?â
You scoffed, throwing your arm over his bare chest. âYou already know it is, you donât need that extra ego boost.â
His laugh carried throughout the room, âYeah, thatâs probably true.â You shut your eyes, letting yourself breath for a minute before you went and washed up.
âSo... Just to be clear... You donât regret it, right?â
You shook your head. âNo. That was actually really good. Iâm glad I waited.â
Hearing his tongue click again, you turned your head to face him. âYâwanna try shower sex next?â
masterlist
note á„«áĄ.ÖŽÖ¶Öžđ i feel like iâm so bad at ending smut cuz itâs so awkward but like wtv đŁ i kinda just realized the request never straight up said that they do it so iâm hoping thatâs what they wanted LMAO also ts is not proofread my head hurts so fricking bad rn i cannot be bothered đȘ
summary: the seventh day approaches, and you test ormund's restraint.
pairing: ormund hightower x targtower!reader
content/warnings: 18+ (mdni), SMUT, pussy inspection, fingering, edging, orgasm denial, spanking with belt, male masturbation, forced bathing, nudity, voyeurism, slut-shaming, jealousy, aftercare (...i think?), physical intimidation/rough handling, DADDY ISSUES!!, emotional manipulation, religious abuse and religious guilt, canon-typical incest (cousins), age gap (~20 years), icky guardian/ward relationship, canon-typical misogyny, canon-divergent, no use of y/n
word count: 12k (i blacked out around 5k tbh)
A/N: surprise!! got this chapter out a bit early! guys...what has this man done to my psyche. i'm writing shit i am not even into but since it's him i'm WET!!! this is a long one and i tried my best to proofread, but i'm sure i've missed some things so apologies if it's a lil wonky! sooo thankful for all the love on part I and i hope part II meets your expectations! mr. roxxmo and i are moving houses (yay!) this weekend so that's why the final part of the series will be a bit later. will try to do headcannons or short oneshots if i have the time, and as usual, if i can get part III out before schedule i absolutely will! <3
â previous chapter
MASTERLIST
finale â (COMING 7/31)
The feast unfolded as such evenings always did.
Like the rest of the ancient tower, the Great Hall of the Hightower was composed of whitewashed limestone, its vaulted ceiling rising so high that you sometimes wondered where it ended. As children, you and the Hightower boys would race beneath it, shouting up to hear your voices echo through the chamber. Great tapestries of Hightower green adorned the walls, each depicting the houseâs victories in battle alongside scenes devoted to the Faith of the Seven. No matter where you went in the Hightower, the Seven followed.Â
Tonight, the hall was filled with noble houses from across the Reach. Lords and ladies moved between the long oak tables, drinking, laughing, and otherwise partaking in every sort of merriment before the coming days of tiresome discussions of taxes, grains, and preparations for the seasonâs harvest.Â
You sat where you always did: at the head table, on Ormundâs right. In the very place once occupied by the late Lady Hightower. You had done everything he asked after the solar. Your women had pressed damp cloths to your tear-swollen eyes and pinched color back into your cheeks. They had laced you into the embroidered sky-blue gown Ormund preferred, its neckline high enough to preserve modesty, yet low enough that anyone seated too near might glimpse the suggestion of your bosom. You had been washed, gathered, and arranged once more into the woman he had made of you, with every trace of your momentary lapse carefully hidden away.Â
Ormund had been pleased. He spoke none of Lord Godric Ashford or the excitement in the solar. He simply conducted himself as he usually did at such feasts, discussing philosophy and politics with the visiting lords, occasionally asking for your thoughts and praising you to anyone who would listenâ commending how wise his ward was, how faithfully you attended the sept. All the while, his hand remained on your thigh beneath the table, squeezing gently as his thumb moved back and forth over the silk. Just as he usually did.Â
This should have pleased you. His touch always did. Tonight, though, your mind was muddled with flashes of memories.Â
The conversation with Lord Ashford you were not meant to hear. Ormundâs rings cutting into your face as he gripped your chin. The cool sheets of his bed twisted in your fists. His hand at your waist, his voice low as he hushed you and told you to be still.Â
The seventh day.Â
Following Lady Hightower in the Citadel, your small hand tucked in hers. Playing in the gardens with the Hightower boys. The letter from your queen mother coldly explaining why you could not visit the Red Keep on your sixteenth nameday. The burning pressure. Entering. Stretching. Confessing.Â
The seventh day.
Ser Joldwin Mormont and the ashes of his fur-trimmed cloak. Lying across Ormundâs bare chest afterward, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart. His lips against yours, tasting faintly of wine. Watching one of your siblingsâ dragons fly overhead, its giant shadow blackening the earth.Â
The seventh day.Â
Being held. The knowledge you were never truly wanted.Â
The seventh day.
âYou are fidgeting.â
Ormundâs voice broke whatever spell your thoughts had cast over you.
You lowered your head. âI am sorry, my lord.â
Ormund hummed. Beneath the table, his hand shifted higher on your thigh, pressing into the soft flesh through the silk of your gown. The feast carried on around you, laughter mingling with the chords of lyres and flutes as they echoed through the Great Hall. No one could see the way their host groped you in plain sight. âAre you thinking of tonight?âÂ
Yes, you were. And of so much more. âNo, my lord.âÂ
âYou appear sad.â He leaned closer, his mouth brushing the shell of your ear, and you shivered. âHave you a reason to be?â
You shook your head quickly. âNone, my lord.â
âGood,â he murmured. âThen stop pouting so unbecomingly before our guests and smile.â
You obeyed, because you always did. You arranged your lips into something soft and pleasant, as he liked. Ormund grinned in return and squeezed your thigh once more, hard. âMuch better, my dear.â
âLord Hightower! I do hope we are not intruding, but I simply had to introduce myself properly to your esteemed ward.â
Ormundâs hand stilled upon you, though he had not yet removed it.Â
A broad, heavyset man stood before the head table, clad in a fine orange doublet. The wine cup in his hand was filled to the brim, sloshing around as he gestured. Drink had reddened his round, bearded face, and a crooked grin seemed fixed upon it. Behind him stood a tall young man with dark curly hair, fine features, and bright brown eyes. Those eyes were fixed entirely upon you. Something in his look sent warmth rushing into your cheeks.
âLord Ashford,â Ormund greeted tensely. As the man drew nearer, Ormund briefly brushed one finger beneath his nose, the faintest crease appearing between his brows. âI was under the impression that only your son would attend the harvest feast this season. It is a⊠surprise to see you here as well.âÂ
âAnd miss the finest wine in the Reach?â Lord Ashford chortled, lifting his cup so enthusiastically that a little spilled over the rim and onto the marble floor. Ormundâs eye twitched as he looked at the puddle. âOf course I had to come.â
Lord Robert Ashford. You knew of him, if not the man himself. He was said to be kind, if somewhat silly, with a particular weakness for feasts and fine drink, but there was not one wicked thing about him. Which meant the young man standing behind him must beâŠ
âAnd this is my son, Godric,â Lord Ashford continued, stepping to the side with a proud flourish to the young man behind him. âThough I understand the two of you require little introduction. He spoke with you earlier about a certainâŠsomeone, did he not, Lord Hightower?â
Godric coughed. âFatherââ
âOh, the boy has heard such wonderful things about the princess,â Lord Ashford went on, tipsy enough he was either failing to notice his sonâs embarrassment or actively choosing to ignore it. âHer grace, her devotion to the Seven, and of course I would be remiss not to mention her beauty. I fear he has scarcely spoken of anything else since the prospect of betrothal wasââ
âFather, please,â Godric interrupted him, a flush creeping above the collar of his doublet. âI am certain the princess has no wish to hear you recite every private conversation we have shared.â
Lord Ashford chuckled and clapped a broad hand against his sonâs shoulder. âThere is no shame in admiring a fine young lady. Nor, surely, in allowing two young people the opportunity to become better acquainted.â
Ormundâs fingers pressed so deeply into your thigh that you were certain they would leave marks. You did not dare look at him, though you imagined his face had gone terrifyingly blank.
Oblivious to the storm gathering beside you, Godric bowed. âIt is an honor to meet you properly, Princess.â
Remembering Ormundâs warning in the solarâ and with his hand still gripping you beneath the tableâ you offered Godric only the smallest inclination of your head before lowering your eyes once more.
âThe honor is mine, my lord,â you murmured.
Godric smiled. Ormund, however, did not.Â
âLord Ashford, I am not sure if your son made you aware of the extent of our earlier discussion,â Ormund moved the hand that was on your thigh to the back of your chair. âHe made his intentions sufficiently clear. As did I with him.â
Lord Ashfordâs crooked smile lowered. âWell, yesâŠGodric did tell me some of the conversation. But I had hoped that perhaps, upon further reflectionââ
âThere is nothing upon which to reflect.â
Silence quickly consumed the small gathering at the head table. Ormund smiled urbanely, one hand still gripping the back of your chair. You felt caged.Â
âYour admiration for my ward is noted, Lord Ashford,â Ormund said coolly. âYou are certainly not the first to admire her, and I doubt you will be the last. But this match will not be considered.â
Humiliation ravaged you like a wildfire. You fixed your gaze on the grain of the table, afraid that if you looked up, the Ashfords would see the tears stinging your eyes. You wishedâ prayedâ that they would go away.Â
Ormund sighed and leaned back in his chair. At last, he released your chair and reached for his cup, lifting it with an air of studied levity. âNow then, I would hate to keep you from the wine you traveled so far to enjoy, Lord Ashford.â
âIâ well, of course, Lord Hightower,â Robert stammered, plainly attempting to smooth over the moment. He summoned an easy smile, though it came out strained, and bowed low. âThank you again for your gracious hospitality.âÂ
Godricâs eyes shifted between you and Ormund before he followed suit. âLord Hightower. Princess.â
And then, finally, they were gone.
You exhaled shakily, blinking back tears. Ormund had already retrieved the pomander from his breeches and lifted it beneath his nose, breathing deeply.Â
âLord Ashford reeks of cheap wine and horse shit,â he grimaced, keeping the pomander close. âYou should thank the Seven that you will not be sent away to live among such people.â
You had smelled neither cheap wine nor horse shit when the Ashfords stood before you. You wanted to tell him so. You wanted to tell him it was cruel to speak of them with such contempt when they had done nothing more than ask for your hand. Instead, you lowered your head. âYes, my lord.â
Ormundâs eyes narrowed as he studied you over the silver pomander. His gaze moved from the wet shine of your eyes to the stiffness of your pouted lips to your quivering chin. He knew you more than anyone had or would ever know. He could see right through you. You knew it. For a second, it looked as if he was about to say something.Â
A steward suddenly appeared at his shoulder.Â
âMy lord, Lord Uffering requests a private word regarding the grain levies before tomorrowâs council.â
âLord Uffering can wait,â Ormund replied swiftly, eyes never leaving you.Â
The steward shifted uneasily, wringing his hands. âYes, my lord, but, ermâŠLord Orme has joined him in the western galleryâŠand now they are disputing with each other. Quite loudly, I may add.â
Ormund exhaled hard through his nose. âIf you could use your eyes, you would see that I am currently occupied.â
âYes, my lord. But the matter is drawing attention, andâŠâ
Ormundâs fingers tightened around the pomander before he finally lowered it. âFine.â
He turned back to you, regarding you with such intensity that the clamor of the feast seemed to ebb around you. âYou will remain seated here until I return.â
âYes, my lord.â
âI will not be long.â His hand settled briefly at the nape of your neck, thumb pressing into the divot beneath your ear. âWhen I come back, we will retire for the evening.â
Your stomach churned. The seventh day.
âY-yes, my lord,â you whispered.
Ormund held your gaze for another moment, as though searching for the truth only he could uncover. Then he withdrew his hand and rose from the table. You watched him follow the steward toward the western gallery and disappear beneath the archway.
The moment he was out of sight, the stiffness in your bones left you. You slumped in your chair and looked across the crowded Great Hall. The feast continued all around youâ lords and ladies mingling, eating, drinking, laughing without a care. Without any knowledge of what these walls truly held.
Why did Ormund restrain you so? Why did he keep you from everyone? Why did he refuse to do the one thing expected of him as your guardian? You were of age. You were a woman in every sense. Would it not serve his interests as your kin to arrange a marriage for you? His sons had gone, and he had been widowed for years. Would it not suit him to be rid of you at last, free to take another wife of his own?
The thought made bile turn in your throat the moment it formed.
Why?
Why did the idea of Ormund with a wife make something sick and vicious twist inside you? Why was any of this happening?
Why was he so cruel? Why did you want him to be?
You understood, at least, his refusal of Aemond. Ormund had told you often enough what such a match meant: brother wed to sister, blood folded endlessly back into itself. Targaryen wickedness in its truest form. He would not permit you to remember that such customs belonged to your heritage as well.
But what of the others? Ser Joldwin, all those years ago, broad and steady and strong. The Martell boy. Every lord and heir who had been dismissed for some fault Ormund alone had deemed unforgivable. Perhaps each of them had shortcomings, that might have been true. But Godric seemed precisely the sort of man Ormund should have wanted for youâ young, courteous, well-born, heir to a respectable house.
So what did Ormund want? To keep you as his ward forever? To hold you in his bed one night, kiss your mouth, and tell you how good you were, only to admonish you hours later for whatever sin he had decided lived inside you?
The ceaseless shifting in reality left you dizzy.
âPrincess?â
So lost were you in thought that you had not noticed Lord Godric Ashford return to the head table and lower himself into the empty seat beside you.
You startled, and he immediately raised both hands in apology. âForgive me, Princess. I did not mean to frighten you. I only hoped for a moment to speak with you, if I may?â
Your eyes flitted from Godric to the archway through which Ormund had disappeared. At any moment, he might return and find you speaking to the very man he had forbidden you to entertain. He would punish you, surely. The thought made something low in your belly begin to warm like embers. âLord Godric, IâŠI am not certain it is proper for us to be speaking without a chaperone.â
Godric hesitated, glanced out over the crowded Great Hall, then looked back at you with a small, playful smile. âSurely a chaperone of a hundred feast guests would suffice?âÂ
Ormund would not think so. You bit your lip. You knew precisely what he would have you do. Turn up your nose at Godric and tell him you obeyed your guardian in all things. Then scurry obediently to Ormund and confess what had happened, so he might find some reason to bring about the end of House Ashford.Â
But you always did what Ormund wanted. When had you last considered what you wanted?
The answer should have been simple. Godric was young, kind, and handsome. He wished to marry you. Surely this was what any young woman would want: to be admired by a good man and offered a life beyond the walls that had confined her.
Did you want to speak with him? Perhaps.
Or perhaps you only believed you ought to want it.
âI promise you, my lady, I shall do nothing to scandalize your reputationâ aside from perhaps subjecting you to a few poor jokes.â Godric placed a hand solemnly over his heart. âI swear it upon my life.â
You could not help but giggle. You could scarcely remember the last time someone had been so light with you. Years ago, perhaps. âI believe you, Lord Godric.â
âNow my father, on the other handâŠâ Godric glanced towards the table where Lord Robert was engaging in a loud and animated recounting of some story, wine cup spilling with every exaggerated hand movement. Godric sighed. âHe seems to be on the precipice of a scandal every time he steps foot out of Ashford. I am certain you could guess that from his earlierâŠrevelationsâŠwhich I should apologize again for.â
âThere is no need to apologize. Your father was very kind.â
âAh, you are being lenient with him. He can be a fool, but he is also my father, so I suppose that makes me one as well,â Godric chuckled, and his grin widened when you laughed with him.Â
For a few moments, the two of you sat together and watched as Lord Robert continued his tale. Then Godricâs expression softened.Â
âDidâŠLord Hightower tell you anything of our conversation earlier?â
Your smile faltered. You remembered every word, pressed against the boarded door in that forgotten corridor. But you could hardly admit you listened to a conversation never intended for your ears. Or that Ormund refused you any true explanation of what happened.Â
You chose your words carefully. âHe told me only that you had spoken with him.â
âI see.â
âI do hope he was not unkind to you.â
âNo more than might be expected of a man guarding something very precious to him.â
The words flooded you with warmth. Your gaze dropped to your hands, pressed into the sky-blue silk of your gown. The one Ormund chose for you.Â
Godric continued, voice genuine. âLord Hightower seems very protective of you, Princess.â
âHe has always been so. Ormund is like aâŠa father to me.â You felt bile briefly rise in your throat. You swallowed it. âHe took me in when I was just a girl. Oldtown is all I have ever known.â
âThere is much virtue in that, my lady. A guardian should be concerned for his wardâs safety and reputation. Truly, I would think poorly of him if he were not. ButâŠâ He hesitated, glancing toward the western gallery before leaning nearer, his face suddenly gone serious. âYou are no longer a child, Princess. And marriage, as you know, is not some minor matter to be settled without your input. A guardian may offer counsel, certainly, but I do not believe any woman should be forced into a marriage she does not desireâŠor denied one she might.â
You blinked at him, stunned. Ormund spoke of unsuitable bloodlines, weak heirs, vulgar fathers, and men whose intentions he did not trust. He spoke endlessly of what he would permit and what he would prevent. Never once had he asked what you desired. The concept was as foreign to you as Dothraki.Â
Godric cleared his throat after a few seconds of silence. âForgive me. I do not mean to speak against Lord Hightower.â
âN-no, no,â you stammered quickly. âYou have said nothing wrong.â
He nodded, though concern lingered in his eyes. âThen may I ask you something else?â
You should have refused. You should have told him it was time to retire. You should have found Ormund. Instead, you found yourself nodding.
âAre youâŠhappy here?â
The question struck you like a slap to the face.Â
Happy?Â
You had never considered it. Happiness was not a concept widely spoken of in the Hightower. Maybe there were moments. As a child, playing with the Hightower boys in the gardens. When Lady Hightower would sing you lullabies to sleep. Ormundâs bed, warm beneath you in the darkness. His lips against your brow when you memorized all your scripture.Â
Moments that were fleeting. But moments that stuck.Â
Then you thought of locked doors. Of punishments. Of Ormundâs voice, loud and raging, his mood shifting at the drop of a pin. Of the seventh day. Of sin.Â
âIâŠâ Your fingers tightened together in your lap. Would you confess? âI amâŠcontent.â
Godric did not appear shocked. Nor did he demand an explanation. He merely regarded you with a quiet sadness that made you feel more exposed than Ormundâs scrutiny ever had.
âI hope you will not think me forward, Princess, but I meant what I told Lord Hightower,â he said. There was a sincerity to him more pure than anything you knew possible. âI have heard nothing but good things of you, and what little time I have spent in your company has only made me wish to know you better.â
Warmth rose into your cheeks.Â
âI cannot pretend to know whether you might ever desire such a match,â he continued. âBut if you were willing, I would still like the opportunity toâŠentertain the prospect. If that is what you wished, of course.âÂ
Surely you should wish that. Surely you ought not to be thinking of Ormundâs hand gripping your thigh beneath the table. Surely you ought not to wonder what it would feel like if Ormund were the one offering you such a choice.
If he were asking you to be his.
Before you could respond, the musicians reached the end of their song. A livelier tune began almost at once, the beat of the drums rising above the conversations as couples moved toward the center of the hall. Godric glanced toward them, then stood.Â
âNow, this may embarrass me so thoroughly that you decide to be rid of me altogether, but I must ask regardless.â He turned back to you and held out his hand. âWould you dance with me, Princess?â
You looked once more towards the archway. Ormund would return any second now. He would see you, dancing with Godric in front of the entire feast. He would see you being held by another man. If he did not kill you, he would surely kill Godric.Â
âYes,â you whispered, heart beating violently against your ribcage. You placed your hand in Godricâs. âI would.âÂ
Godric led you into the center of the hall crowded with dancing bodies, one hand holding yours while the other hovered near your waist, as though he feared even the smallest impropriety might send you fleeing back to the head table.Â
âYou should know,â he spoke loudly over the music as he guided you into the first turn, âthat I was once declared the finest dancer in Ashford.â
âOh, really?â
âWellâŠI was seven,â he admitted. âAnd the only competition was my sister, who could not yet walk. And the judge was my mother.â
Your laughter rang through the hall as he spun you beneath his arm and guided you back into step.
You should have been happy. You were dancing with a handsome young man who had made his interest in you plain. Godric was courteous. He kept his hands precisely where they belonged and made no attempt to grope or possess you. He complimented your dancing, whispered jokes near your ear, knew every step, and led you well.
Yet all you did was look over his shoulder, searching for Ormund.
Your gaze swept over every face, every couple, every archway. He was nowhere to be seen. Something inside you deflated and the realization came with a flush of shame: perhaps you were doing all of this for him. You wanted him to see you. You wanted him to want you.Â
When the final notes rang through the hall, Godric drew you gently to a stop. Around you, the other dancers bowed and separated, their laughter mingling with the applause.
âI must say, my lady,â Godric was still slightly breathless from the dance, his hand holding yours lightly, âI think we make quite a fine pair of dancers.â
You blushed and lifted your free hand to smooth a few stray hairs from your face. You were about to say something, what exactly you could not remember, when a familiar, low voice spoke directly behind you.
âLord Godric.â
You turned.Â
Ormund stood only a few paces away, the crowd having parted around him. Conversations nearby were already quieting. His eyes, blue and still as a frozen pond, were fixed upon your intertwined hands. His face was empty. Terrifyingly, completely empty.
With sudden, perfect clarity, you knew you had gotten what you wished for. And you knew you had made the worst mistake of your life.
âLord Hightower,â Godric said, his voice turning cautious. He followed Ormundâs gaze and untangled his fingers from yours. âI was only telling the princess that she is an excellent dancer. Whatever lessons you must have arranged for herââ
âDo you make a habit,â Ormund uttered, his voice carrying loudly enough to silence those nearest you, âof disrespecting your hosts?â
Godric blinked and glanced at the confused faces gathering around you. â...My lord?â
âDo you take me for a fool?â
âIâ of course not, Lord Hightower.â Godric gave a nervous, uncertain laugh. âWe were only dancing.â
âDancing? Only dancing?â With slow, imposing steps, Ormund advanced into the center of the hall, closer to you. âNo, Lord Godric, I think not. I think what you have done is force yourself upon my ward after being expressly forbidden to do so.â
Panic overtook Godricâs expression. âLord Hightower, I-I did no such thingââ
âBut you did, did you not?â Ormund continued, his composure making every word more horrible to endure. âI made my refusal perfectly clear. You pretended to accept my authority, and then, the moment my back was turned, you disregarded my wishes. You disrespected my house. You disrespected her.â
You wanted to interject and defend Godric. You wanted to cower behind Ormund. You did neither.
âYou took advantage of her,â Ormund declared, gesturing toward you as though you were evidence to be presented before the hall. âYou knew the princess to be quiet and kind. You knew she was too gently raised to humiliate you with a refusal before half the Reach. And so you waited until I was absent and imposed upon her courtesy.â
Godricâs face reddened with the pressure of the entire Great Hall watching this encounter unfold. âThe princess agreed to dance with me. She wanted to.â
Ormundâs eyes shifted to you and the hall seemed to contract. Something sharp flickered in his gaze as he tilted his head.Â
âDid she now?â he asked, so softly it was barely a whisper.Â
Godric turned to you, an obvious plea in his expression for you to absolve him of whatever crime Ormund had laid at his feet before the assembled houses of the Reach. You felt as though you had committed treason against the Crown itself. Noâ worse than that. As though you had sinned beneath the very eyes of the Seven.
Contrition flooded you so completely that you could scarcely bear Ormundâs gaze. Instead, you fixed your eyes down at the marble floor of the Great Hallâ the same floor you had once raced across as a child.Â
âIs it true?â He stepped closer until the polished leather of his shoes entered your lowered vision. âDid you wish to dance with him?â
Your voice trembled when you finally answered. â...yes.â
Tears blurred the marble beneath you. Still, you forced yourself to lift your head. Ormundâs face had gone flat once more.
He regarded you for what seemed like minutes, then gave a single, measured nod, as though you had confirmed something he had already known. âI see.â
Ormundâs gaze lingered upon you for another awful moment before he turned toward the watching hall, putting his hand on your arm. His grip was tight. âThe princess is plainly unwell,â he announced, his voice once again smooth and measured. âI fear the excitement of the evening has overtaken her.â
A few sympathetic murmurs moved through the crowd. You were unwell, but not for whatever reason Ormund was claiming. You simply kept your eyes fixed above the crowd and willed yourself not to start crying.Â
âPlease,â Ormund continued, offering the gathered guests his courteous, practiced smile that did not reach his eyes, âreturn to your dancing. There is no reason our feast should be interrupted.â
Then he looked to Godric. âYou may rejoin your father.â
Godricâs mouth parted as though he might object, but whatever he saw in Ormundâs face silenced him. He bowed stiffly instead. âOf course, Lord Hightower.â
Ormund moved his hand from your arm to the small of your back. âCome, my dear. I believe it is time to retire for the night.â
You allowed him to steer you through the parting crowd and out of the Great Hall. By the time the noise of the feast had faded behind you, you were sniveling like a pathetic child. Nothing remained but the sharp echo of Ormundâs footsteps and the hurried patter of your own as you struggled to match his long strides through the stone corridor.
Perhaps you should apologize. Perhaps you should explain yourself. If you could only make him understand, then perhaps he wouldâ
Your head snapped backward.
A cry tore from your throat as Ormund seized a fistful of your hair and wrenched you toward him. You stumbled helplessly beneath his grip, dragged backward until your spine struck the stone wall.
âYou fucking insolent slut,â he hissed. His fist tightened against your scalp, wrenching your head back until tears sprang anew to your eyes. âI cannot leave you out of my sight for a single minute before you whore yourself before a hall full of lords?â
He yanked again and the back of your head struck the stone with a dull crack. You clawed at his wrist, desperate to relieve the searing pull at your roots, but he twisted easily beyond your grasp.
âO-Ormund, I amâ I did notââ you sobbed, reaching for him again.
His grip only tightened. You felt strands of hair pull and snap beneath his fingers.
âPlease,â you cried. âIt hurtsâ!â
âI have given everything to raise you. Everything.â Ormund spat the words, flecks of spittle striking your cheeks. âMy house. My food. My protection. My own bed. All I have ever asked of you is obedience and respect.â He wrenched your head farther back. âAnd this is how I am repaid? You make a cuckold of me before half the Reach, shamelessly flaunting yourself for some boy?â
âIt was onlyâ we only dancedââ
âYou might as well have sucked his cock in the Great Hall.â His body crushed yours against the wall until you were flattened beneath his weight, the scabbard of his sword digging painfully into your hip. âIs that what you wanted to do? Hmm? You accomplished so much in the little while I was gone. Perhaps you did that as well.â
Your face flushed in shame as you gasped at his words. âNo, Ormund! Noââ
He leaned closer until his face hovered mere inches from yours, pure vitriol burning in his eyes. Ormundâs fist remained tangled in your hair, holding you helplessly in place. Then, suddenly, he froze. The fury in him shifted as he lowered his head, the bridge of his nose grazing your jaw.Â
He breathed in. Ormundâs face twisted at once with disgust, as though he were suppressing the urge to gag. âYou smell of him.â
A broken sob escaped you, your scalp still burning beneath his grip. There was no reasoning with him. Still, your heart twisted, and you tried. âI b-barely touched him, my lord. Please. You must believe me!â
The muscle in Ormundâs jaw flexed. Without warning, he wrenched you away from the wall and dragged you after him. His pace quickened as he marched you through the corridor, forcing you to stumble in order to keep from being pulled from your feet. Servants flattened themselves against the walls at the sight of himâ the master of the Hightower hauling a princess of the realm by her hair while she sniveled and sobbed behind him. None dared intervene. They only lowered their eyes and stepped aside.
âYou are an ungrateful, treacherous brat,â Ormund growled. âYou may lie to me. You may lie before every lord in that hall. You may even kneel in the sept and lie beneath the faces of the Seven.â He shoved open the door to his bedchamber and pulled you inside. âBut the Father sees what is hidden.â
The door slammed shut behind you. Ormund released your hair only to seize the back of your neck. Though the force of his grip kept your head fixed, your eyes shifted toward the bed, already knowing what would come next.
Instead, he steered you toward the adjoining bathing chamber and threw open the door. Heat and steam billowed from within. Servants still moved around the claw-footed tub, pouring steaming, scented water from brass ewers. At the sight of Ormund storming inside with you trapped beneath his hand, they startled and pressed themselves against the tiled walls.Â
âThe Father judges every falsehood,â Ormund continued, his mouth close to your ear. âEvery wicked thought. Every secret desire.â
âI did notââ
âDo not lie to me again.â His fingers dug harder into your neck. âYou may deny it until your tongue rots in your mouth, but your body has already betrayed you.â
Ormund lowered his face once more, breathing against your hair, your cheek, the bare skin above your collar. A shudder of revulsion passed through him. âHis stink is everywhere.â
He dragged you toward the filled tub. âYou will wash it off.â
One of the servants, an older woman with a weathered face, hesitantly stepped forward. âMy lord, we were not expecting the princess until later. The water is still too hotââ
Ormundâs head snapped toward her, his gaze blazing. âLeave. At once.â
The servants did not argue. They bowed hurriedly, abandoned the remaining ewers, and fled from the chamber. You did not blame them. For who would want to defend you, who had so obviously sinned before your lord?
Ormund pushed you towards the tub. âUndress.â
You did not move. You could not. Perhaps Ormund had seen glimpses of you before, the shape of your body beneath the sheer nightgowns he often gifted you, the outline of your breasts when candlelight illuminated the fabric. But those moments belonged to the night, in the darkness, when you could tell yourself his eyes were closed or turned elsewhere.Â
You had never stood naked before your guardian.Â
Your hair hung tangled around your face, scalp still throbbing where he had pulled. Tears and snot wetted the cupidâs bow of your lip, and you were shaking so violently that your teeth had begun to chatter. You had been diminished to nothing.Â
âM-my lord,â you whispered, turning towards Ormund. âI can call the women back, they will help meââ
âNo.â Ormund stared at you with open contempt. âYou will not. You were comfortable enough flaunting yourself for that boy. Now, you discover modesty?â
Your cheeks burned and you hung your head. âPlease, my lordâŠâ
Ormund stepped nearer, hands twitching at his side. âYou behaved like a harlot in my hall. You may undress like one here.â
Humiliation rippled through you like a wave. You began to believe he was right. You had disobeyed Ormund. You had accepted Godricâs hand. Why? Because you wanted a reaction from Ormund. And now, you had one.Â
Your fingers fumbled for the ribbons at the back of your gown. They would not obey you. Each time you caught one, it slipped from your trembling grasp.Â
âYou are moving too slowly.â
âI-I am tryingâŠâ you sputtered. âBut my handsâŠthey will not cease tremblingâŠâ
The faint rasp of metal leaving leather made you freeze. Ormund drew the small dagger he carried at his belt.
âMy lord, please donâtââ
Ormund caught the back of your gown in one fist, and with one swift movement, he cut through the ribbons. The bodice split open with a series of sharp snaps, the ruined ties falling loose around you. Ormund dragged the blade downward, severing embroidery and silk without care until the gown sagged from your shoulders and exposed your breasts. You gasped and tried to catch the fabric, but Ormund had already sheathed the dagger. He seized the torn gown and wrenched it down over your hips, leaving you naked in a pool of shredded blue silk.
Feebly, you crossed your arms over yourself. Ormund was quicker. He grabbed you by the upper arm and hauled you toward the steaming tub, his chest rising and falling with each furious breath.
âIn.â
You lifted one trembling foot over the rim. The instant your toes touched the water, scalding heat shot through you. You recoiled with a yelp. âOrmund, it is too hotââ
âGood.â His hands closed around your shoulders. âPerhaps it will burn his stink from you.â
He forced you down. You cried as the searing water engulfed your body. You tried to rise, but Ormund held you beneath the surface of the bath, his fingers biting into your shoulders. Before you could catch your breath, he had dropped to his knees beside the tub and seized a sponge from the tray.Â
He caught your wrist and began scrubbing your arm. The rough sponge dragged over your skin again and again, leaving it flushed pink and burning. Ormundâs eyes were wild, his movements frantic. Beneath the fury, there was a panic, a desperation you had witnessed only a handful of times before. It terrified you.Â
âMen bow to their lords,â he muttered, dragging the sponge from your wrist to your shoulder as though he meant to strip away the skin itself and uncover something clean beneath it.
You recognized the words at once. Scripture, recited in the sept while you knelt beside Lady Hightower. Now Ormund spoke them in the bathing chamber she had once shared with her husbandâ only she was dead and rotting somewhere in a crypt, and you were grown and naked beneath his hands.Â
âRepeat it,â he hissed. âAs I taught you.â
âM-men bow to their lords.â
âLords bow to their kings.â The sponge moved across your collarbone, then up the side of your neck.
âLords bow to their k-kingsâŠâ
âAnd kings and queens bow before the Seven Who Are One.â He scrubbed the tender skin beneath your jaw. The same place where, in the darkness of night, he so often buried his face.Â
Your voice shook. âKings and queens bow before the S-seven Who Are One...â
The sponge dragged down your other arm. âAll sins may be forgiven.â
âAll sins may be forgiven...â
Ormund seized your knee and yanked your leg toward him, scrubbing harshly over your calf. âBut crimes must still be punished.â
You swallowed a sob. âBut crimes must still beâŠpunished.â
At last, the sponge slipped from his hand and struck the tiled floor with a wet slap. Your entire body was rubbed pink and raw from his touch. Ormund remained kneeling by the tub, chest heaving as though he had just come from hours in the training yard. The water had finally cooled in the tub around you, though your tears had never once ceased.Â
Men bow to their lords. Kings and queens bow before the Seven Who Are One. Crimes must still be punished.
The words could not cease circling your mind.Â
Crimes must still be punished. Crimes must still be punished. Crimes must still be punished.
Steam from the bath had loosened Ormundâs brown curls, leaving them wild around his face. The sleeves and front of his doublet were soaked through. His collar sat crooked. Strands of hair had fallen across his brow.
You had never seen him so disordered. Ormund was particular about every detail of his appearance. Now he looked just about as ruined as you felt.
He rose and reached into the tub. You flinched, but his hands closed around your waist and lifted you to your feet. Water streamed from your body, droplets tracing the curves of your breasts and the softness of your stomach before falling back into the bath. The cooler air tightened your skin, your nipples pebbling as you shivered beneath his hands.
Ormund held you there, naked and trembling before him. Then he bent toward you. His nose brushed the wet skin beneath your ear. He inhaled once before moving lower to breathe against your neck and shoulder. You scarcely dared move.
At last, the terrible tension in his body eased.
âClean,â he murmured. His hands tightened possessively around your waist. âYou are clean again.â
Seemingly satisfied with his work, Ormund stepped back and surveyed you. His gaze traveled from your wet hair to your breasts, then lower still, lingering over the glistening curls at the apex of your thighs.Â
He drew a slow breath, steadying himself, before turning away to restore some measure of order to his appearance. He straightened his collar and smoothed a hand over his damp curls, though the soaked fabric of his doublet clung stubbornly to him. Then he reached into the tub and took your hand. âOut.â
Water streamed from your body and pooled across the tiles as you stepped over the rim. Ormund kept one hand around yours and the other at your waist. Then he retrieved the linen nightgown the servants had left folded over a nearby chair and tossed it toward you without looking. âDress yourself.â
You clutched it against your chest, relieved merely to have something with which to cover yourself. âY-yes, my lord.â
With shaking hands, you pulled it over your head. The fabric caught against your wet skin, clinging to your breasts and thighs despite your efforts to tug it loose.
When you had finished, Ormund turned back. For a moment, the two of you merely stared at one another. Then he lifted a hand and brushed a wet tendril of hair from your face, his touch impossibly gentle after the same hand had scrubbed your skin raw only moments before. âDo you understand why I do this for you?â
You nodded slowly.
âThen tell me.â
You swallowed. âToâŠpurge me?â
âYes.â He stepped nearer, cupping your cheek. âI have told you before, and I will continue to tell you. At your core, you are a wicked creature. However earnestly you may struggle against it, the sins of your forefathers live within you. That is why you disobey. Why you cannot always recognize the corruption in your own desires.â
Your breathing grew shallow at his words.
âIt is my duty to purge it from you, to discipline what is wicked and preserve what may yet be made good.â Ormundâs hand settled more firmly against your cheek, holding your face toward his. He studied you expectantly. âDo you understand me?â
âI understand you, Ormund.â
âGood girl.â His hand fell away. He turned and left the bathing chamber without another word. You remained where you were for a moment, waiting until you trusted your legs not to collapse beneath you, then wobbled after him.
The bedchamber had grown dim behind the closed shutters, illuminated only by the wavering glow of candlelight and slivers of moonlight. Ormund stood beside the wardrobe, peeling the soaked doublet from his body and revealing the muscled planes of his back. Though he so often slept without a shirt, you turned away bashfully.Â
When Ormund faced you again, you kept your gaze fixed upon the ornate rug beneath your bare feet.
âRight,â he said. He dragged a hand over his jaw and glanced from you to the bed. Then he inclined his head toward it. âOn the bed, then. Ready yourself.â
Your heart seemed to stop. Your gaze snapped up to him, your brows drawing together. âM-my lord?â
He scoffed as though you were a fool for questioning him. âIt is the seventh day. Surely you did not imagine yourself excusedâŠparticularly after tonight. I have all the more reason now to question your purity.â
Your mouth opened, then closed again. âB-but, my lordâŠthe bathââ
âThe bath did nothing but remove the taint of horse shit from you,â Ormund spat. He advanced upon you. âAs I told you before, you managed a great deal in the few minutes I was gone. How am I to know you did not give yourself to Lord Ashford?â
The accusation was absurd. Ormund had been absent for perhaps ten minutes. The hall had been filled with half the Reach. Surely he could not truly believe that you hadâŠ
âI said, on the bed,â Ormund repeated, each word sharpened by warning. âDo not make me say it again.â
You hurried toward the bed and crawled onto it. You had done this so many times that the motions should have come as second nature. Yet each time, every part of you trembled with the same terrible mixture of dread and anticipationâŠand something hotter beneath them both that you could never bring yourself to name.
You shuffled backward until your head met the pillows, then lowered yourself flat against the mattress. Ormund remained at the foot of the bed, the pale skin of his bare chest almost luminous in the candlelight. He looked at your position with a scowl, then closed his hands around your ankles. With one sharp pull, he dragged you toward him until your ass rested at the very edge of the mattress.
He tapped the outsides of your quivering thighs. You parted them, allowing him to step between your legs.
Ormund looked down at you. Your breasts rose and fell beneath the damp nightgown, each breath shallow and unsteady. âYou are nervous tonight.â
You began to shake your head, but he clicked his tongue. âRemember what I told you. Do not lie to me.â
Your throat tightened. âI-I am nervous, my lord.â
âWhy?â The question was edged with mockery. Ormund reached down and caught the hem of your nightgown between his fingers. âThis should hardly surprise you by now. OrâŠis there something you are trying to hide from me tonight?â
âNo, my lord. I swear, I have nothing to hideââ
âWe shall see.â He began to draw the nightgown upward. Higher and higher, until the cool air brushed over your calves and thighs, raising gooseflesh in its wake. Higher still, until the fabric gathered around your waist and your sex lay completely exposed beneath his gaze.
Ormund inhaled, and you could have sworn his breath trembled. His thumbs pressed against your puffy pussy lips, parting you beneath the candlelight. You were unbearably sensitive after the scalding bath, and the sudden touch of cool air on your exposed flesh drew a helpless whimper from your throat.
Ormund stilled. His hands remained firmly in place, holding you open as his narrowed eyes lifted to your face. âWhat was that?â
You swallowed. âN-nothing, my lord.â
âNothing?â he repeated softly. âHave you learned nothing tonight?â
âI did not meanââ
âYour mouth lies,â Ormund murmured. âBut your body confesses so readily.â
Humiliation burned through you. You turned your face toward the pillows, but his voice sharpened.
âLook at me.â
You obeyed. Ormund studied you with a feverish focus. Without speaking, he prodded your entrance with the tip of his middle finger. The sensation made you jolt. He steadied you with a hand pressed firmly upon your hip. âStay still.â
You tried, desperately. You fixed your eyes upon his face and willed every muscle to quiet, though your breath came shallow and uneven.Â
Ormund paused, the tip of his finger still pressing against your hole. âWhat shall I find tonight, hmm? That you have been faithful to the Seven above? Faithful to me? Or shall I find you have let Lord Ashford fuck this pretty little cunt?â
You squirmed beneath his gaze, feeling as though you had been scalded again by his brazen words. âN-no, my lord.â
Ormund hummed in response. Then, once again, he used his other thumb to spread your pussy lips open, his gaze transfixed on where his finger rested.
âLook at youâŠâ His voice was hushed, contemplative. âI have barely touched you, and your pussy is already fluttering.â
You whined, horrifically embarrassed, but he shushed you before you could protest.
âYou are thinking of that Ashford boy, arenât you?â
You shook your head immediately, adamant. You could hardly remember Godricâs face now.Â
Ormund tutted. âWords.â
âNo! No, I am not.â
âThen why,â he asked, his gaze never leaving you, âis your cunt weeping?â
You had no answer, other than your body had answered before your mind.
âIt is no matter,â Ormund sighed, thumb still holding you open. âYou are a deceitful bitch who will learn her lesson regardless.â
Slowly, Ormund began to push his fingertip into you. A broken moan tore through you at the burning intrusion, though you had felt this so many times before. The walls of your pussy clenched around him, and you tried to will yourself to relax your muscles. Breathe, you commanded yourself. Obey.Â
His hand stilled, the tip of his finger seated inside you. He did not look away.Â
âIf you are not wet for Lord Godric,â Ormund whispered, finally lifting his gaze to yours, âthen who is it for?âÂ
For a moment, you were no longer in Ormundâs chambers. You remembered attending the sept with Lady Hightower, kneeling beside her before the bejeweled statue of the Father. You remembered her lessons, her gentle voice, the certainty with which she had spoken.
âYou must always tell the truth,â she had taught you. âFor the Father sees all.â
The words echoed now, impossible to ignore. You were compelled. You had to confess.
âYou.â
Ormund groaned at the confession, his hand tightening at your waist.Â
âDo you hear yourself, you harlot?â His voice rattled maniacally, the rings on his fingers pressing into the soft flesh of you. âDo you not hear the lewdness of your own words? Lusting after me, your own guardian?â
Shame flooded through you. You should have lowered your eyes. You should have taken back the confession. But there was something in his voice that told you he was not reprimanding you. Ormund wanted you to say it. He wanted you to confess.
Before you could even think of a response, Ormundâs mouth twisted. Then he spat.
A hot, wet glob landed directly on the swollen pearl at the top of your cunt, obscene and shocking enough that your whole body shuddered. The sensation was like nothing you had ever felt before. Vulgar in a way that made humiliation burn through you even as a moan slipped from your throat.
Ormund saw it, because just as the Father did, he saw everything. A wicked, knowing grin spread across his face.
âTheeere it is,â he murmured, voice low and rough with satisfaction. âMoaning like a bitch in heat. Like it is my cock you desire.â
Your face burned and you turned back into the pillows, trying to stifle the whimpering sounds that were attempting to escape you.Â
Ormund leaned closer, caging your body in with his, the tip of his finger still inserted into you. âYou think I do not know you? I raised you. I made you.â
Your thighs twitched instinctively, as if you could push him away. For a moment, he withdrew slightly, as if it were finished. As if Ormund would simply wipe his hand on the handkerchief he always kept on him and declare the matter settled. It had always been that way before.
The ritualâ the inspection that occurred every seventh dayâ always ended the same. Ormund would stop at the first knuckle, claiming only to feel enough to confirm that your maidenhead was still intact. Then he would withdraw, disappear into the bathing chamber for a few moments while you caught your breath alone on the bed, and return composed once more.
Afterward was the part you cherished most. Perhaps it was the only reason you endured the ritual at all. Ormund would take you into his arms. He would press his lips to your brow, your cheek, sometimes even your mouth, and tell you how good you had been. How faithful. How untouched. He would allow you to rest against him, your head upon his chest, while he kissed the top of your head and held you as though you were something precious.
And for a little while, you no longer felt like a ward. No longer like an unwanted addition to his household. For a little while, you felt like a wife would.
You felt wanted.
But this time, Ormund did none of that. Instead, he pushed forward.Â
You gasped at the invasion, hands tightening around the sheets as his finger slid deeper than it ever had before. It was only one finger, and still you felt stretched open by it, your body struggling to make sense of the unfamiliar pressure. Pain mixed with pleasure, a strange concoction that was better than anything you had ever known.Â
Ormund watched the reaction move across your face.
âShe is so tight,â he whispered, almost in a trance as he looked down at where his finger disappeared inside you. âSo untouched. So desperate for more.â
Your stomach twisted at his words. Of course you were untouched. You could not imagine ever being touched by anyone other than Ormund.Â
âSo obedient for your guardian,â Ormund added, voice husky. âAnd still you asked me not to stop.âÂ
His thumb moved slowly, the pad of it pressing against your aching clit right above where his finger held you open. The sensation struck through you so sharply your thighs closed his hand, though he pried them back open with ease.Â
Ormundâs thumb began to circle your clit, slow and deliberate, while his finger remained seated inside you. The two sensations seemed to pull against one another: the deep stretch of him, the slick pressure of his thumb, the unbearable intimacy of being watched while your body answered him so honestly.
âDo not be so quiet now, my sweet girl,â Ormund commanded you. âNot when your body is finally telling the truth.â
His finger began to move. Slowly at first, dragging almost to the tip before pressing back in. The stretch came easier now, slicker with your growing arousal. His thumb kept circling with maddening precision, steady enough that something began to gather low in your belly.
A coil. A warning. A want. It was overwhelming. It was maddening. It was completely and utterly terrifying.Â
âOrmundâŠâ
His finger curled slightly inside you, pressing against a soft place that made you see stars, and you cried out, back arching.Â
âThere we are,â Ormund breathed. âThat is what you have been trying to tell me.â
âN-no,â you said, though the denial sounded weak even to your own ears.
Ormund leaned closer, mouth skimming your jaw. âYou want this. You have wanted this every time I stopped.â
Your lips parted, but no answer came.
The coil inside you wound tighter and tighter, every pass of his thumb dragging you closer to some precipice you did not understand. Your thighs began to tremble. Your breath broke into small, helpless whimpers. Panic and pleasure tangled together until you could no longer tell which one made you shake.
âOrmund, please,â you gasped. âS-somethingâŠsomething is happening!â
âIs it?â His voice was calm, almost cruelly so, his eyes fixed on your face. Then, just as the feeling rose so sharply it frightened you, Ormund withdrew completely. His finger slipped out of you, and his thumb left your clit all at once.
The loss was immediate. You whined, hips lifting after him before you could stop yourself, your cunt clenching around nothing.Â
Ormund stepped back from the bed, composed and distant, as though whatever had existed between you moments before had vanished entirely. He reached for the handkerchief he kept in his back pocket, and cleaned your glistening arousal off of his finger with a maddening calmness.Â
You propped yourself up on your elbows, chest heaving. Sweat had beaded on your forehead from the intense pleasure that was there just moments before. When you spoke, your voice was small and confused. â...My lord?â
Ormund did not look at you. âI have confirmed what I needed to know. You are untouched. That has not changed. But you still disobeyed me.â
You stared at him, searching his face for some sign that he did not mean it. Some indication that this was a test, that Ormund would relent as he always did. That he would gather you in his arms, kiss your face, and fall asleep.
He did not.Â
âYou are not forgiven,â Ormund said matter-of-factly. Then came the words you never expected to hear. âYou will return to your own chambers tonight.â
Your own chambers. You had not slept there in years. Not since before Lady Hightower had died.Â
The feast, the bath, the feeling of something coiling in you as Ormund used his fingers upon you like an instrumentâ it all came crashing down at once. You were unsteady, disoriented. Lost.Â
He was sending you away from the only place where you knew how to exist. The only place where you had ever felt wanted.
You scrambled from the bed, your feet landing unevenly against the rug. Before you could think better of it, you reached for his arm.
âMy lord, please.â Your voice shook. âI-I cannot sleep there.â
Ormund did not move.
âPlease,â you whispered. âI can only sleep here. I have only ever slept here.â
He refused to answer. He remained focused on the handkerchief, wiping the finger that had been inside you moments ago.Â
âPlease, Ormund. I-I love you.â
He always liked hearing that. You lifted yourself onto your toes and pressed a desperate, open-mouthed kiss to his cheek, waiting for the familiar response. Waiting for his hand to come to your face, for his voice to soften, for him to tell you that everything was all right.
Ormund did not.
Your heart seemed to collapse inside your chest. You could not understand how he could stand there so calmly when you felt as though you were breaking apart.
âI was so ungrateful,â you sobbed. âI was t-treasonous, my lord. I was wicked.â Your hands tightened around him. âI should have rebuked Lord Godric. I should have listened. I was an insolent fool.â
Not knowing what else to do, you sank to your knees before him, head bowed as though you were kneeling before the altar in the sept. The posture came instinctively from years beneath Ormundâs instruction, a familiar act of surrender and supplication.
âPlease forgive me,â you whispered. âI will do anything you ask of me. Please.â
You remained there before him, the room silent save for your trembling breaths and quiet sobs. Your forehead stayed bowed, your hands clutching the fabric of his breeches as though letting go would mean losing him entirely.Â
Finally, Ormund looked down upon you. âYou hear yourself, do you not?âÂ
You lifted your swollen eyes toward him.
âYou beg for forgiveness, but you do not yet understand what it is you are asking forgiveness for.â Ormund crouched until he was level with you, hands on your shoulders. âThis is not about Godric or a dance or a foolish mistake. It is about what lies beneath it, the thing I have warned you of for years.â
You shivered beneath his touch, the words chilling you.Â
âThe dragon within you.â
It felt as though the entire world had narrowed to this room, to this moment, to you kneeling before him. As though every lesson in the sept, every warning, every correction had led you here.Â
âI have spent years trying to protect you from the worst parts of yourself,â he continued. âAnd still, when temptation came, you reached for it. That is why an apology is not enough.â
Your breath caught in your throat.
âYou must learn that your impulses do not rule you. Your desires, your pride, they do not rule you. Not even the dragon that plagues your soul.â
âWhat rules you is none of those.â Ormund leaned closer, his nose brushing yours. âIt is me.â
With that, Ormund rose to his feet, though you remained kneeling. His hand went to the leather belt at his waist, the same belt from which his sword scabbard hung. Slowly, he unfastened it and set the scabbard aside on the chest near the bed. He turned to you and gestured for you to stand.Â
You obeyed instantly, rising on shaky legs.Â
âIf you want forgiveness, you will listen to me,â Ormund said, undoing the belt until it came loose in his hand. âYou will disrobe. You will set yourself upon the bed. And you will take the strokes of my belt in penance for your sins. Will you do that for your lord?â
You nodded. You would do anything he asked of you. Hands trembling, you reached for the hem of your nightgown and pulled it over your head. You were bare, naked as the day you were born. It felt different from the bath. This time, there was no steam to soften the room. This time, you could clearly see Ormund take all of you in: the line of your calves, the curve of your hips, the plane of your stomach, the weight of your breasts. His eyes moved over your body shamelessly, intense and hungry.
âOnto the bed,â he ordered. âFace away from me.â
You complied, turning from him and crawling onto the mattress. Before you could move too far, Ormund caught your calf in one hand, signaling for you to stop once you were on all fours near the edge of the bed. His touch lingered there for a moment, and then his hand slid upward, palm dragging from your calf to your thigh, then higher still, until it settled over the soft curve of your ass. His fingers squeezed once, firm and possessive, before dropping lower.
You heard the soft whisper of leather as Ormund folded the belt in his hand. You could not see his face from where you knelt, turned away from him, but you could feel his gaze moving over you. The back of your neck, your trembling spine. Your exposed cunt, surely glistening now with arousal though you could not understand why. And then your ass, presented bare and vulnerable to him, where he intended to mark you.Â
âYou will pray the Sevenâs lesson as you were taught,â he said, though his voice had gone strained.Â
A familiar molten heat, like what you felt just a few minutes earlier, had begun to unwind in your belly. You nodded, eyes on the bed below you. âYes, my lord.â
Leather cracked across your skin. The sound came before you could even register the pain, sharp and booming like thunder. You cried out as a bright line of heat bloomed over your ass, fingers clutching uselessly at the sheets.Â
âThe Father,â Ormund breathed, voice low. âTell me His vow.â
You remembered learning your lessons. It was Ormund who taught you when you were just a girl. Before you knew what you would become. What he would become.Â
âI-I submit to all judgement,â you recited shakily.Â
The belt came down again, landing just below the first one.
You jolted forward, a broken sound spilling from your mouth as the second stroke landed just below the first. Heat spread through you in terrible waves and your knees trembled, but Ormundâs free hand caught your hip to hold you up.Â
âThe Mother.â
âI seek mercy.â
The third stroke fell harder.
You sobbed again, and shame burned through you at the sound, but Ormund only stepped closer. You could feel him now, the heat of his body just behind yours, the roughness creeping into his breathing.Â
âThe Warrior.â
You pressed your forehead into the sheets, squeezing your eyes shut, willing yourself to submit. âI will have c-courage.â
The fourth stroke cracked across you, closer to your wet sex. The sound that came from you this time was not a sob, but a moan. You heard Ormund utter a low curse under his breath from behind you.Â
âThe Maiden, now, girl. You should know this one by heart.â
âI will guard my innocence.â
Next, the fifth stroke. You cried out, smothering your sounds in the sheet, but this time Ormund made no attempt to hide the rough, ruined exhale he made in response.Â
You realized there, completely naked on his bed, the bed you had shared with him for years, that Ormund was enjoying this.Â
âThe Smith,â he ordered you.Â
âI will be remade.â
The sixth stroke landed and pain sparked through you, body sagging slightly before Ormund caught you with his hand. His wide palm moved from your waist to the punished, red flesh of your ass.Â
âOrmund,â you whispered, though you didnât know what you wanted of him.
His breath shuddered. âThe Crone.â
âI will s-seek wisdom.â
You could hear how close he was. Hear it in the uneven pull of air through his teeth, in the way his hands trembled against your skin.
âNow, the last,â he said.
Like a final judgement, the seventh stroke came down. Hard.
Your cry broke open, high and helpless, your body finally collapsing forward into the sheets as the hurt bloomed through you in a final, burning wave. Ormund followed you down at once, his body bowing over yours from behind.
âThe Stranger,â he panted into your ear, bare chest pressed against your back. âTell me His vow.â
âI will leave behind what I was.â
The belt slipped from his hand and hit the floor. You heard the unmistakable frantic tug of laces being loosened, the rustle of breeches as Ormund shoved them down with no patience at all.Â
You did not understand what was happening at first. You only knew he was behind you, breathing hard, one hand gripping your hip so hard it bruised while the other was moving between your bodies with a frenzied desperation.Â
Then you felt him. The hard length of his cock, pressed against the swollen skin of your ass. You gasped at the silky, heavy, throbbing sensation. Perhaps you had felt it before, but between sheets, between linen, pressed against your back in the dead of night. You did not know, or did not want to know, or even fully understand what it was. But you knew now.Â
You heard movement, skin rubbing skin. Ormundâs fist worked himself in quick, uneven strokes, the leaking head of him pressed against the raw flesh.Â
Ormund groaned low in his throat, the sound muffled against your shoulder as he bent over you.
âDo you feel that, Princess?â he rasped. His hips jerked forward, the stiff length of him dragging on your ass. The contact made him shudder violently against you. âDo you feel me on you? This is what you do to me. You have bewitched me, heart and flesh alike.â
Your face burned so hot you thought you might cry from the humiliation of it. Bent beneath him in the bed he once shared with his wife. Marked by him. Listening to the rough, wet sound of his hand moving over himself while his body trembled against yours.Â
You turned your head instinctively, trying to look back. To see the reality of what was happening to your innocence. Ormundâs palm came down between your shoulders, forcing your face down into the sheets.Â
âNo,â he ordered, voice ragged. âDo not l-look at me. Stay down.â
You obeyed. A broken sound left him at that, like a laugh.Â
âMy good girl,â Ormund breathed. âMy sweet, good girl.â
His hand moved faster. From behind, you could feel every frantic pull of his fist in the rhythm of his body: the way his hips twitched, the way his thighs pressed against the backs of yours, the way his hot breath puffed against your neck. Ormund dragged the head of himself lower, close enough that you could feel the swollen head of his cock brush your cunt.Â
âDo you want it?â he asked. âDo you want your guardian to finally take you? Do you want me to give you my cock and fill you with my seed so everyone will know who you belong to?â
You did. You wanted it so badly. You wanted Ormund to fuck you, to finally take the virginity he treasured so much.Â
âDo you want it, my darling girl?â Ormund repeated shakily, dragging his cock up and down your slick folds, the leaking head of it bumping against your swollen clit. âIf I pushed in right now, would you open for me? Would you let me take what is rightfully mine?â
Your fingers twisted into the sheets. You did not even know what you were asking for. You only felt the compulsion of the Father move through you. âYes, my lord! M-make me yoursâŠâ
Ormund groaned. But, to your dismay, he did not push himself into you. Instead, he drew himself back, dragging his cock against your skin as his fist resumed its desperate rhythm.Â
His mouth found your shoulder, open and trembling. His teeth grazed you once, biting down lightly.Â
âYou are mine,â he said against your skin. âWhether I fuck you tonight or keep you untouched for the rest of your life, you are mine.âÂ
Ormundâs hips stuttered hard against you. âTell me whose you are, Princess.â
âY-yoursâŠâ
âSay it properly for your lord.â
âI am yours, Ormund!â
With a final, low groan, Ormund collapsed over you, body shaking. You felt something hot and wet spurt across the marks of your ass. His hand kept moving through the violent pulses, dragging every last wave out of himself while he panted your name into the back of your shoulder.Â
Finally, the spasming of his cock subsided, and his weight softened over you. Ormund remained bowed over your body, trembling as he pressed his forehead between your shoulder blades. His lips moved slowly along your spine. His palm, sticky with release, spread tenderly over your waist, drawing you more firmly beneath him.Â
âMy precious girl,â he whispered, pressing another damp kiss to your back. âMy beautiful, perfect princess. You did so well for me.âÂ
You could do nothing but lie there beneath him, overwhelmed and exhausted, your body aching everywhere he had touched you.Â
Ormund wrapped both arms around you, rolling onto his side and bringing you with him. He gathered your naked body so tightly against his own it felt like he had never intended to let you go. His release remained warm upon your skin, trapped between you as he fitted himself along your back. One arm circled your waist and the other slipped beneath your head, drawing you into the shelter of his bare chest. Ormund kissed the hairs at the nape of your neck, then your shoulder, his mouth lingering over every place it touched.
âCome here,â he murmured. âMy pretty little thing.â
Ormund turned you carefully within his arms until you faced him. His hand moved slowly through your hair, smoothing it back from your flushing, tear-streaked face as he pressed kisses across your cheeks. He did not seem to care that you were both disordered and sweaty, that his breeches remained tangled around his thighs, or that his seed still clung to your body.
Your eyes burned. âI-I thought you hated me⊠That you would send me away forever.â
âNo.â Ormund cupped the back of your head, keeping you against him. âNo, my love. Never that.â
A sob escaped, and you buried your face against him, clutching at him as though the Hightower itself were crumbling around you.
Ormund drew you fully atop him, arranging your body over his with practiced intimacy. Your cheek rested above his thumping heart. One of your legs slipped between his, your naked bodies fitting together beneath the rumpled sheets as naturally as though you had been made by the Seven for this.Â
âYou frightened yourself tonight,â he murmured, rocking you gently against him. âYou forgot what I taught you. But you remember now, do you not?â
You nodded silently. Ormund tipped your face upward. His gaze moved over your swollen eyes and trembling mouth with such devotion it hurt.Â
âI forgive you.â
Finally.
Finally, the words you had spent the entire night longing to hear. The words you had wanted since the moment you realized your Valyrian blood was something impure.Â
The weight of it all overwhelmed you, his forgiveness, his naked body beneath yours, the certainty that he was not sending you from his bed. It all crashed over you at once, and your body shook with the force of your tears. Ormund gathered you closer, shushing softly as he kissed your forehead, your temple, your quivering lips.
âI love you,â he murmured. âI love you. Do you understand me? I love you.â
You pushed yourself further into him and sobbed harder. You believed Ormund. You always did. For he always told the truth.
âI-I am sorry for the wickedness in me, Ormund,â you stuttered, tears wetting his chest. âI should have been better for you.â
âOh, my sweet girl.â His fingers combed gently through your hair, the same hair he so often praised for lacking the silver-gold of your blood. âYou are not the first woman to struggle against the wretchedness within her.â
Ormund shifted beneath the covers, drawing you higher upon his chest until your face rested within the curve of his neck. His lips brushed your brow again and again as though he could not bear to stop kissing you.
âThe Seven have blessed you, though,â he continued. âThey did not leave you among your diseased kin who would encourage that fire. They did not leave you in the Red Keep. They did not leave you to dragons.â
You lifted your face from his chest. The candles had long since sputtered out, leaving only moonlight to illuminate the handsome angles of his face. The face you loved, the face you worshipped so dearly. Ormund cupped your cheek and brought your mouth to his.
The kiss was slow and delicate, nothing like the frenzy whose presence still marked your bodies: the angry welts left by his belt, his seed drying against your thighs. Ormund kissed you with the solemnity of a husband sealing a vow before the gods. When he pulled away, he did not allow even an inch of space to form between you.
âYou were given to me,â he whispered against your mouth. âTo raise. To correct when you wandered. And to cherish when you returned.â
A smile spread across Ormundâs face, full of such love and adoration that your soul ached with it. âAnd you will always return to me.â
Ormund took your hand in his and pressed it flat over the steady beating of his heart. Then he brought your fingers to his lips and kissed each tip one by one. âThe Seven knew you needed something greater than blood or the Iron Throne. Greater even than dragons.â
Your eyes grew heavy as the last of your terror loosened beneath his attention. Ormund drew the covers more closely around your entwined bodies and tucked your head beneath his chin. âThey knew you needed a home. A father.â
You nestled deeper into his chest, lulled by the heart beating beneath your ear. Sleep had nearly claimed you when his arms tightened around you.
When Ormund spoke again, his voice was so hushed that you thought perhaps you had dreamed it.
summary: sent to oldtown as a ward beneath your cousin lord ormund hightower's protection, you learn there are some vows that are easier to preach than to keep.
pairing: ormund hightower x targtower!reader
content/warnings: 18+ (mdni), icky guardian/ward relationship, canon-typical incest (cousins), age gap (~20 years), grooming, religious abuse and religious guilt, emotional manipulation, coercive control, possessiveness, severe power imbalance, forced declarations of affection, physical intimidation/rough handling, parental abandonment, references to childhood neglect, implied sexualized ritual, canon-typical misogyny, canon divergent, no use of y/n
word count: 6.8k
A/N: i need psychological help for how badly i need this man fr. originally had this planned as a oneshot, but i kept writing more...and more...and more...and felt like i was going to rush through the material if i tried to fit it all in one, so now we have a three-part series that i am very excited for you all to read :) hope you guys enjoy this freak of a man AND to see how freaked out i make these two hehehe! and excited for you all to see what ormund means when he reminds reader it is the seventh day...hmm...wonder what he has in store... also, fun drinking game: take a shot every time reader says "yes, my lord"
MASTERLIST
next chapter â
The other side of the bed was empty when you awoke, though the sheets remained warm and rumpled. Eyes still heavy from the lingering seeds of sleep, your hand reached across the mattress, patting until it found the warm hollow of where his body had lain. Ormund was almost always up before dawn.Â
âIdleness is as plain a sin as vanity or greed,â he liked to say. âIt begets indulgence, indulgence begets excess, and excess begets unfaithfulness.â
Unfaithfulness, of course, was inexcusable.
The bedchamber was still dim, with only the first suggestion of morning creeping beneath the shutters. Beyond the walls of the Hightower, you could hear the bells of the Citadel begin their first tolls.Â
Ormund, as expected, was already kneeling before the small altar in the corner of the room. He wore only his linen sleeping shirt and breeches, and though his back was turned to you, you could see one hand slowly turning the pages of his weathered copy of The Seven-Pointed Star and hear the low murmur of passages he had committed to memory.Â
In all the years you had lived in Oldtown, never once had Ormund deviated from this morning ritual. You remember the first time you had seen it. You had been a small child then, prone to wandering from your own chambers in the middle of the night into this one, back when it had belonged to the late Lady Hightower as much as it did her husband. She had always been kind to you. Like a true mother, when your own was so far away.Â
Whenever sleep would not come, or the young Hightower boys had filled your head with tales of monsters lurking beneath the floor, you would creep from your bed and patter barefoot down the stone passage. You would ease open the heavy, creaking door and stand silently at the foot of the canopied bed until Lady Hightower stirred. She would always lift the blankets for you. From his side of the bed, Ormund would grumble some half-hearted objection about indulgence and the necessity of teaching you independence, but Lady Hightower paid him little mind. She would draw you into the warmth between them and promise that no monster in Oldtown would dare pass through their chamber door.
Even after she died, you did not cease coming.
It hurt, at first. To lie in the bed where she had once held you, the space now empty without her. Ormund never objected to your staying. Though he remained stoic and stony throughout his own grief, perhaps there was comfort for him, too, in not being left to sleep alone. When you wept silently into her old pillow, he would smooth your hair back from your face and say nothing.Â
The habit endured long after your tears had dried and the black mourning clothes had been packed away. Some nights, you would attempt an honest effort at remaining in your own chambers, only to find yourself once again padding down the candlelit passage towards his.Â
Ormund never turned you away. Now it was his hand that lifted the blankets for you to crawl beneath. Now it was his arm that pulled you in, wrapped around your waist in the night, his face that pressed into your hair, his body whose warmth you sought beneath the covers.Â
The servants of the Hightower knew that your own chambers were little more than a formality, so seldom occupied that dust gathered upon the bed. You slept in your cousin Ormundâs chambers, you bathed there, you dressed there. Nearly every trace of your daily life had migrated into his rooms, until there was little left in your own to suggest they had ever belonged to you.Â
It was only natural. After Lady Hightowerâs death, the keeping of the household had fallen into your hands. It was you who approved the servantsâ schedules, arranged the seating at feasts, and received the wives and daughters of visiting noble houses. Some might have found it strange that Ormundâs ward should occupy so much of his late wifeâs place while remaining neither wed nor formally mistress of his household. Stranger still, perhaps, that if anyone entered Lord Ormundâs chambers before the sunrise, they would find him curled around his wardâ Queen Alicentâs youngest daughterâ his body arranged in the shape a husbandâs would make.
If they did find it strange, no one within Oldtown had the courage to remark upon it.Â
âYouâre awake.â
You propped yourself up on your elbows to watch as Ormund closed the prayer book and rose from the altar.Â
âYes,â you answered as he crossed the chamber to the washstand. He dipped his hands into the porcelain basin and brought the water to his face. âI heard you praying.â
Ormund hummed as he dried himself with the folded linen cloth laid fresh each morning beside the ewer. âIt would serve you well to join me in morning prayer.â
You ducked your head. âYes, my lord.â
âI think only of your soul. One burdened by the sins of yourâŠTargaryenâŠforefathers should labor all the more harder to absolve herself of them.â
âYes, my lord.â
You waited for him to chide you further, or launch into one of his soliloquies on how faithfulness did not sleep merely because the sun had yet to rise. Ormund did none of that.Â
Instead, he made his way to the bed and lowered himself onto the edge beside you, his weight dipping the mattress. Ormund lifted one hand to cup your cheek and ran his thumb gently beneath your eye. You nuzzled into his touch without a thought.Â
âWe will have visitors from the Reach in the Hightower later today. In particular, Lord Godric Ashford will call upon me this morning in my solar,â he said, as casually as if he were discussing the dayâs weather.Â
Your brows rose. You knew that several noble houses from across the Reach were expected at the Hightower in the coming days for discussions of taxes, grain, and the seasonâs feasts. Hosting them was hardly unusual. Nor was it unusual for one of their unmarried sons to request a private audience with your guardian. âLord Robertâs son?â
âYes, unfortunately,â Ormund mused, seemingly more occupied with gently stroking his thumb back and forth over your cheekbone. âI assume he intends to ask for your hand in marriage.â
Your stomach twisted in a mixture of dread and excitement. Lowering your eyes, you worried at a stray thread in the coverlet. âDo youâŠdo you think he might be suitable?â
The thumb on your cheek stopped. Ormundâs face tightened slightly, as though some rancid smell had entered the room. âThat, my dear, remains to be seen.â
He stood from the bed, and you instantly missed the warmth of his touch. You watched him cross to the wardrobe and pull open the carved doors, retrieving his clothes for the day.Â
âBut you will still hear him, yes?âÂ
âThat is what I have agreed to,â Ormund answered with obvious reluctance, stepping into his breeches. âAnd I suppose I must keep my word. I will hear his presentation, just as I have heard the others before him.â
He slipped his arms into the doublet, turning to you as he began buttoning it. âYou will not concern yourself with the meeting. You were entrusted to me for good reason. Namely, my rectitude and discernment in such matters. You would not want to be betrothed to some ignorant oaf, would you?â
âNo, my lord.â
âAnd you know that I have only your best interests at heart, including the question of what sort of man you should be given to. Correct?â
âYes, my lord.â
Ormund smiled affectionately. âGood girl.â
Your heart squeezed at the praise. It had always been that way with Ormund, desperately seeking any type of reassurance that you were saved. That you were obedient. That you were wanted. That you were good.Â
The sound of light footsteps and swishing skirts echoed under the chamberâs door. Your servants, no doubt, waiting to be beckoned in by the Lord Hightower to serve upon his ward.Â
Ormund made his way back over to you, but this time stayed standing, looking down upon you. âYou will attend the sept this morning. When Lord Ashford has finished his proposition, you will come to me in the solar. This evening, we will receive our guests for supper in the Great Hall.â
You bowed your head obediently, just as he taught you. âYes, my lord.â
Ormund turned to the door as if he meant to call the servants in, and then paused. He slowly turned back to you, his blue eyes swimming with a feeling you had become quite familiar with. Determination, and something weightier under it. Something you had never been able to name, but knew intimately.Â
âIt is the seventh day,â he stated, his voice low. You knew that. You knew by now not to recognize the day by name, but by its count. âYou will come straight to this chamber after supper. Bathe first.âÂ
Silently, you nodded. His face twisted in disapproval. âYour words, please.â
âY-yes, my lord.â
He exhaled, a small measure of satisfaction returning to his face. âGood. Very good.âÂ
Ormund laid one hand over yours where it rested atop the coverlet, looking suddenly very serious. âAnd do tell your women never use to that horrid citrus oil on you again like they did last week. It taints you.â
âI will.âÂ
He squeezed your hand in appreciation, then straightened himself and turned towards the door. âYou may enter.â
The door opened at once, like your women had been waiting. They filed into the chamber with lowered eyes, none appearing surprised to find you sitting in Lord Ormundâs bed. He did not bother to look at them, his gaze fixed on you as he spoke.Â
âSee that she is properly dressed to receive visitors.â
The girls spoke in unison, eyes still fixed on the ground. âYes, Lord Hightower.â
Ormund nodded at you once. An unspoken acknowledgement passed between the two of you. The seventh day. What the night would hold. Then he departed, leaving the chamber door open behind him.Â
Your women moved quickly and efficiently, drawing back the blankets and settling a robe over your shoulders as they began the familiar work of preparing you for the day. There was no time to dally. Before long, your hair had been pinned, your gown laced tightly in Hightower green, and your throat and wrists adorned with jewels Ormund had gifted you on namedays and holy days.
One of the girls uncorked the vial of citrus oil and reached for your neck. You grabbed her hand, stopping her.Â
âLord Ormund,â was all you had to say.Â
She bowed her head in immediate understanding and exchanged it for another perfumed oil he had shipped from Lys for you.Â
Soon, you looked as a proper Hightower woman ought to look. And by the next tolling of the bells, you had entered the sept of the Citadel.
The seven-walled chamber appeared much as it had when you first arrived in Oldtownâ or, at least, as it had in your earliest memories once you had gone from a crawling babe to a waddling child. Damp clung to the stone floors. At the center stood an altar crowded with pools of hardened wax and burning candles, while bejeweled likenesses of the Seven watched from alcoves set into each wall. Your attendants lingered behind you like silent shadows as you moved through the sept, a veil drawn over your hair.
You walked as Ormund had always instructed you to walk: head bowed, hands clasped, each step quiet. The very picture of piety in a woman.
Stopping at the Maiden, you thought once more of the late Lady Hightower. You often served as her little companion to the sept on mornings like this, following closely behind as she knelt and prayed before each altar. You could feel the memory clearly: the whisper of her skirts against the stone, the warmth of her hand around your smaller one, the patient way she corrected your prayers when your childish tongue stumbled over the words.Â
The truth was that you had no memories before ones such as these, ones of Oldtown.Â
You were just a babe when your father, King Viserys, sent you south to be fostered among your Hightower kin. Ormund had always said that, for all the sins of your parents, they had at least possessed the wisdom to recognize Oldtown was where you belonged.Â
The explanation for your immediate exile from Kingâs Landing had always been a convoluted one.
On some days, you had been sent away because court was dangerous. On others, because Kingâs Landing was steeped in pride and your father wished for you to be raised in the piety of your motherâs kin. Lady Hightower had longed for a daughter. Your health was fragile as a babe, Oldtownâs air was better for a delicate infant. Alicent had a difficult birth and needed time to rest. The reasons always shifted depending upon who offered them.
The clearest explanation, though it was the one that had always gone unspoken, was that you had simply not been wanted.
At first glance, there was nothing about you that suggested descent from Old Valyria. You possessed neither silver hair nor amethyst eyes. Beautiful, certainly, but not plainly Targaryen. You bore none of the unmistakable marks of your fatherâs house.
More importantly, you had no dragon.
Ormund refused to speak of that last matter. You did not know whether an egg had been placed in your cradle according to custom, whether it had failed to hatch, whether the hatchling had died, or whether no egg had ever been given to you at all. Whatever the circumstances, it seemed the Seven had determined that you were not to be a Targaryen, but a Hightower.
âA blessing,â Ormund often called it, standing behind you, watching intently as you brushed your hair in the evenings. âThat your appearance was not marred by the stain of inbreeding. You should be grateful the gods favored you enough to preserve your beauty from such impurity.â
What he really meant was, âYou should be grateful the gods gave you to meâ.Â
And you were. Your childhood in Oldtown had been a happy one. Ormund and Lady Hightowerâs sons took to you as a true sister, including you in their games no matter how often you ran weeping to their mother after they shoved you into the mud. You received the finest education the Citadelâs maesters could provide and were thoroughly instructed in histories, languages, scripture, and the workings of court. Ormund instilled in you the virtues expected of a holy and pious woman. Lady Hightower taught you kindness. You wanted for nothing. You were cared for completely.
Being cared for, however, was not the same as being wanted.
One by one, the boys grew into men. They departed to serve in other courts, took wives, and established households of their own. You remained behind. After Lady Hightowerâs death, the question of where you belonged began to trouble you even more.Â
You searched everywhere for some reflection of yourself. In histories and poems. In portraits, tapestries, and family trees. You studied every face and name, hoping one might reveal why you had been born in the first place.Â
Though Ormund preferred that you remain ignorant to the fact, you knew you were a Targaryen.
He contradicted himself often in that regard. He insisted that you were a Hightower whenever you longed for Kingâs Landing, yet invoked the sins of your Valyrian predecessors whenever you displeased him. As a child, the inconsistency had deeply confused you. Now, though, you knew better to question it.Â
The histories did not speak of Targaryens as aliens deserving only shame. On the contrary, they praised them. Aegon the Conqueror had crossed the Narrow Sea and conquered Westeros, his lineage sitting upon the Iron Throne from then until the end of time. They had bound themselves to mighty beasts that would bow to no other riders. Why should you not wish to be one of them? Why should you be ashamed?
Perhaps that was why, during one of your rare visits to Kingâs Landing, you became determined to find some way of securing your place within your own bloodline. Ormund had permitted you, after much begging on your part and great reluctance on his, to attend the wedding of your brother Aegon to your sister Helaena. You had still been young enough to think yourself a girl, though womanhood waited only just around the corner, and through that haze of youth the wedding had seemed beautiful.
Now, of course, memory revealed what you had been too young to recognize then: the discomfort across Helaenaâs face, the uninterested ambivalence with which Aegon accepted the ceremony, the celebration disguising a union neither seemed to really desire. But that morning, surrounded by jewels and music and flowers, by feasts and speeches proclaiming the strength of their union, you had understood only one thing.
If your appearance could not prove you a Targaryen, perhaps marriage could.
When you returned to Oldtown, full of courtly notions and girlish fancy, you announced to Ormund that you would marry your brother Aemondâ who had scarcely looked your way throughout the entire visit. Ormund had been seated behind the desk in his solar, writing upon a sheet of parchment. At your declaration, the quill froze between his fingers.
With deliberate care, he set the quill aside and lifted his eyes to you with a dreadful stillness. âYou will do no such thing.â
Your smile slowly faded. âButâŠAegon married Helaena. That is what Targaryens do.â
Ormund rose suddenly from behind the desk, his chair scraping harshly across the stone floor. You remembered how the sound had frightened you.
âThe Targaryensâ your fatherâs familyâ are incestuous barbarians,â he had declared. âTheir minds are so corrupted by generations of inbreeding that they no longer possess the sense to recognize depravity. Your mother whored herself to a Targaryen. I will not give you to your own brother. I will not allow you to repeat her sins and bring further shame upon the Hightower name.â
By then, he had crossed the solar and taken your chin firmly in his hand, his fingers dimpling the skin of your cheeks. You had begun to cry, though you could not tell whether it was from fear, shame, or the sudden loneliness of knowing you might never truly belong anywhere.
âBut then I could live with Father and Mother,â you whispered, tears slipping down your cheeks. âI could go home.â
Ormund bent until his face was close to yours, his breath hot against your skin. His grip tightened beneath your chin. âThis is your home.â
The memory faded as you reached for a candle from the basket beneath the Maidenâs altar. You held its wick to one of the burning flames and watched a bead of wax gather at the tip before slipping towards your fingers.
Aemond had been the first man Ormund refused you. He had not been the last.
Among Ormundâs duties as your guardian was the arrangement of your eventual betrothal. Ormund approached that responsibility as he approached all others: with severe discretion, particular judgment, and standards so high that no man alive seemed capable of meeting them.
There had never been a shortage of suitors. You were young, unmarried, and beautifulâ and whatever Ormund might say of your fatherâs house, the hand of a Targaryen princess remained a prize few sensible men would dismiss.Â
As you grew older, the procession became a lengthy one.
The first man to formally inquire after you had been Ser Joldwin Mormont. You remembered him quite clearly. He had been nearer Ormundâs age than your own, tall and broad as most Northmen seemed to be, with a rough face that was not altogether unpleasant. He was steady in temperament and remained remarkably calm beneath Ormundâs inquisitions. He had even brought you a gift: a beautiful velvet cloak trimmed in bear fur. You had thought he resembled the carved likenesses of the Warrior found in the sept. He would make a good husband, you had decided.
Ormund had not agreed.
He had no shortage of qualms. Men of the North were ignorant, uncivilized, and hardly better than an illiterate barbarian dragging around a club in Ormundâs opinion. Bear Island was remote, bitterly cold, and impoverished. Worst of all, the Mormonts possessed a peculiar habit of treating their women as though they were equals.Â
It was not a place, he decided, where you belonged.
Ormund had declared Joldwin entirely unsuitable, and forced you to toss the beautiful cloak into the fireplace of the Great Hall. He said it smelt of bear shit. Â
After that, the list of suitors started to blend together.Â
There was a Martell, handsome enough to make you blush with warm brown eyes, who winked at you across the hall. Ormund reacted as though the man had attempted to bed you in the middle of the Hightower. The Dornish were lecherous and tried to âfuck anything that walkedâ, he told you.Â
There was a young Rowan who stuttered frequently and spoke so softly that you had to lean closer to hear him. Ormund dismissed him as weak and unfit for a wife.Â
A ruddy-cheeked and quite cheerful Redwyne heir sent you summerwine and a song composed in praise of your beauty. Ormund called him frivolous.
One man lived too far from Oldtown. Another lived so near that Ormund questioned whether he sought your hand only to gain influence within the city. One possessed too many ambitions. Another had none. One was too young to govern you properly, while another was so old that Ormund expressed outrage at the very notion of subjecting you to him.
There was always some defect. Too proud. Too timid. Too wealthy. Too poor. Too worldly. Too sheltered. Too handsome. Too plain.Â
Ormundâs standards contradicted one another so thoroughly that, had all his preferences been gathered together, the perfect husband would have needed to be commanding without controlling you, gentle without indulging you, wealthy without greed, devout without presumption, and situated near enough that you might never truly leave the Hightower.
Such a man had yet to present himself.
Perhaps, you thought as you placed your candle down before the Maidenâs altar and bowed your head, Lord Godric Ashford would be different. Perhaps today would finally be the day Ormund found a suitable match for you. Perhaps today was the day you would understand what fate had intended for your life. Perhaps you would finally be chosen.
You set your candle upon the Maidenâs altar and prayed for love, for a fruitful marriage, and for a husband who chose you with a pure heart. You tried to imagine such a life with Godric, though you did not yet know his face.Â
You hoped he was strong, like Ormund. Tall, like Ormund. Handsome, like Ormund.Â
You hoped that he might be enough like Ormund to earn his approval. You hoped, without really understanding why, that he was like Ormund.Â
By the time you returned to the Hightower, Lord Ashford had already been shown into Ormundâs solar and begun his proposition.Â
Ormund had never permitted you to be present for such conversations, of course. Serious matters, he insisted, were to be muddled by girlish sentiment. Over the years, you had therefore found other ways to learn what decisions were being made about your future without you. Some time ago, you had discovered a narrow passage running behind the rear wall of Ormundâs solarâ an old servantsâ entrance, long forgotten, its doorway boarded over and concealed behind a heavy tapestry.
And so, upon returning to the Hightower, you dismissed your ladies with the excuse that you wished to pray alone in your chambers (surely the gods would forgive the lie, given the good reason for it). Once they had gone, you slipped behind the tapestry and crept down the cobwebbed corridor until you reached the boarded door. Pressing your ear to the weathered planks, you heard the low murmur of menâs voices.
â...and I would never seek to separate her from Oldtown, Lord Hightower,â an unfamiliar voice spoke. You leaned closer. It was firm but polite, young but not imprudent. Lord Godric Ashford. He sounded kind. âI understand the princess is quite close with you, and I would ensure she could visit the Hightower as often as she wished. Family is of the utmost importance to me.â
You heard Ormundâs chair squeak. You could imagine he had leaned back in it, hands clasped in front of him, assessing Lord Ashford as he did all things brought before his judgement. âThat seems to me an indulgence. She would be your wife, would she not? You would not want her with you in Ashford?â
âOf course, my lord. But I would not be so cruel as to forbid her from visiting the man that raised her. My own mother was a Caswell, and she visited my grandsire at Bitterbridge at every turning of the season.â
âAnd if she wished to visit more often than you considered appropriate?â
There was a brief pause. âI would speak with her, as husband and wife should.â
âHmm. And if speaking did not bring her around to your judgement?â
There was another lull, longer this time, before Lord Godric gave an uneasy chuckle. âWell, I would hope my wife did not need to be disciplined as a child would.â
âHopes are not the same as reality,â Ormund replied easily. âParticularly where Targaryen blood is concerned. They are a willful and proud people. Very resistant to correction.âÂ
âI-I have heard no such things of the princess, my lord.â
âNo? Then what have you heard of her?â
âEvery account has described her as the very image of what a noblewoman ought to be: beautiful, gracious, and demure. Iâve been told she is quite pious, as well.â
A thoughtful silence settled over the solar. You wished desperately you could see Ormundâs face. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet.Â
âShe is.â
Your heart swelled and instinctively, you pressed yourself closer to the boards. You were a good girl.Â
âBut do not mistake her nurture for nature, Lord Godric. She did not arrive in Oldtown so.â
âMy lord, I did not mean to suggestââ
âEvery virtue you have heard praised in her was cultivated beneath my hand. Her modesty, her devotion. The weeds of Targaryen pride had to be pulled, one by one. A garden does not become handsome just because a flower has good intentions. It becomes handsome because a gardener has the discipline to attend to it every single day and cut away what ought not grow.â
Lord Godric hesitated in his answer. âAndâŠyou believe a husband must continue that work? Pull the weeds from her?â
âI believe,â Ormund answered slowly, âthat any man who means to take her from me must be capable of preserving what I have made.â
What he had made.Â
You drew a shaky breath, your fingernails pressing into the weathered boards.
Perhaps it was true. Ormund had spent years teaching you the faults of your fatherâs house. They were blasphemous, unnatural. Incestuous and violent. An abomination before the Seven. His lessons were so ingrained within you that even the faintest reminder of your Valyrian blood could fill you with shame.
You had not chosen that blood. You had not asked to be born into it. You had only ever wanted to be good. And if Targaryens were innately wicked, perhaps you truly did owe everything virtuous within you to Ormund.
As a child, you had often wondered what sort of creature you might have become without his guidance. If he were true, which he often was, you would be a terrible creature malformed by sin. The thought frightened you still. But another more terrible one followed suit: without his guidance, you would not have had him.
No arms around your waist in the night. No hand smoothing your hair. No voice telling you what was right, what was wrong, what was safe. A life without Ormund. You tried to imagine it and found only emptiness. Would such a life truly be worth living?
And yetâŠyou wanted to be chosen.
Your own mother and father had decided they had no need of you in Kingâs Landing, though they kept their other children close. You had been sent to Oldtown, where you doubted Ormund and Lady Hightower had been given much choice in whether they would receive you. No one had ever truly chosen you.
That was what made the suitors difficult to dismiss. They came before Ormund willingly, they asked for your hand because they wanted you. You liked that more than you wished to admit.Â
And though the thought of leaving Ormund filled your stomach with dread, it had become increasingly difficult not to resent him for refusing every man who tried to choose you.
âI believe I have heard all I need,â Ormund said suddenly, his voice decisive. Your heart faltered. You knew what that meant.Â
â...My lord?â You could hear Godric shift closer to the desk. âI hope I have not caused offense of any sort. I only meant that, should the princess become my wife, I would do all within my power toââ
âI said I have heard enough.â Something heavy was placed on the desk with a thud. A wine cup, presumably.
You wanted desperately for Godric to protest. You wanted him to declare his love to you, though he had never once seen your face. You wanted him to insist that perhaps the choice of whom you married ought to belong, at least in part, to you. You wanted him to accuse Ormund of cruelty for denying you the right to a husband.
The last thought filled you with immediate shame. You whispered a hurried prayer under your breath to the Father, begging forgiveness for having judged the man who had only ever sought to protect you.
Godric did none of that. Instead, he simply uttered with cool restraint, âAs you will, Lord Hightower.â
A chair scraped across the floor and heavy footsteps crossed the solar, followed by the opening and closing of its main door. You withdrew from the boarded door slowly, blinking as tears began to brim at your eyes.
Usually, disappointment was all you felt when another suitor was refused. A dull ache in your heart followed by the acceptance that Ormund must have seen some defect you had overlooked. He knew the nature of men and the dangers of the world in ways you did not.
This time feltâŠdifferent.
Godric had spoken respectfully. He had promised not to sever you from Oldtown. He had regarded your devotion and gentleness, and when Ormund questioned whether he could govern you, Godric had not boasted of cruelty or correction. His only failure had been suggesting that you ought to be treated as a wife rather than a child.
By the time you emerged from behind the tapestry, Lord Ashford was gone. The corridor stood empty, save for the guard outside the solar, offering no glimpse of the man who had come to ask for your hand and been dismissed before you could even see his face.
Ormund had instructed you to come to him once the proposition concluded. Usually, you obeyed quickly. Now, though, you lingered outside the solar door with your hand raised to knock, struggling to understand the feelings swimming in your mind. Confusion, disappointment. And something dangerously close to anger.
You knocked anyways.
âYou may enter,â Ormund called.Â
You opened the door and stepped inside, carefully pulling it shut behind you. Ormund had moved from the desk to the window and stood peering down at the city below. The shutters had been opened. He turned at the sound of the door closing, looked you over once, andâ apparently finding no objections with your appearanceâ gestured towards the carved chairs near his desk.Â
âSit.â
You did.Â
Ormund remained beside the window and drew a long breath through his nose. His face tightened with mild disgust. âLord Ashford seems, from his smell, to possess a great fondness for horses.â
You sniffed discreetly. There was nothing in the air besides parchment and the dried florals Ormund preferred to keep throughout his rooms. âPerhaps he rode in this morning.â
âPerhaps. Or perhaps the men of Ashford prefer to sleep in stables.â Ormund reached into the pocket of his breeches and withdrew the ornate pomander he carried. He held it beneath his nose and inhaled deeply. Only once he appeared satisfied that every trace of Lord Ashford had been driven from his nostrils did he return it to his pocket. Then he turned to you, settling against the window ledge with his hands clasped before him. âYou attended the sept this morning?â
You stared down at your hands, folded in your lap. âYes, my lord.â
âAnd for whom did you light a candle for today?â
You chewed on your lower lip. âThe Maiden.â
Ormund nodded in consideration, crossing his arms over his chest. âAnd why did you choose the Maiden today?â
âIâŠI wanted to pray for your meeting with Lord Ashford to go well.â
âYou prayed for Lord Ashford?â
Your palms had begun to feel sweaty. âY-yes, my lord.â
âYou prayed to marry him?"
â...yes, my lord.â
The muscle under Ormundâs eye twitched. He pushed himself away from the window and approached you slowly. Rounding the corner of the desk, he stopped beside your chair. Then, tugging at the fabric of his breeches over his thighs, he lowered himself until he was kneeling at eye level with you. You kept your gaze fixed on your lap.Â
âYou wish to leave Oldtown so badly,â he said softly, so quietly it was barely a whisper, âthat you would pray to marry a man who you have never met?â
âM-my lord, I did notââ
âLook at me.â
Trembling, you raised your gaze to meet his. Ormundâs face had gone still, though the blue of his eyes had turned icy. Your stomach lurched.Â
âI have risked much to raise you,â Ormund began, leaning in closer to you. âI have shielded you from those at court who question why King Viserys cast his youngest daughter out of Kingâs Landing. I have protected you from men who would use your blood and name for their own advancement. I have purged you of the evils of Valyria and shaped you into a proper woman. And now, now you hate me enough that would you leave my bed for a stranger?â
Heat burned at your cheeks, hearing Ormund speak like that. Like your shared bed was somethingâŠyou could not finish the thought. âNo, Ormund, please, I donâtââ
âYou hate me enough that you would question my judgement?â he pressed, voice lowering to a gravelly hum. âYou believe you know better than I? That I am ignorant?â
Hot tears had begun to spill over, wetting your lashes and blurring your vision. âI donât, my lord, I donât know b-better than you, I only wantedââ
âTell me, then.â Ormund seized your face in one hand, his rings digging into your cheeks as he forced your chin upward. âTell me that you do not wish to leave me.â
âI-I do not wish to leave you, my lord,â you choked, sobbing fully now.Â
âTell me that no man could care for you as I have.â
âNo man could c-care for me as you have!â
His hand tightened enough around your chin that your cheeks squished together. His face, though, had shifted, a diseased softness bleeding into it. âNow, you must tell me what you have forgotten to say.â
Shame and something hotter burned low in your gut. He always made you say the words like this. When you had no option but to force the truth out of you.Â
âIâŠâ your breath shuddered. âI love you.â
Ormundâs grip refused to loosen. âAgain, please.â
The words caught in your throat, scraping like sand. âI love you, Ormund.â
Finally, his face eased, and so did his hold.Â
âThere,â he murmured, sickeningly tender as he wiped his thumb across your cheek, catching one of your stray tears. âWas that so difficult to say?â
You shook your head quickly. You did not trust your voice.Â
Seemingly satisfied, Ormund rose from where he was crouched, dusting off his breeches. The matter was finished. He returned to his desk, lowering himself in his chair, no trace of the man who had just seconds ago demanded the sick truth of your devotion. You remained frozen, unable to move, cheeks wet and burning. You suddenly were conscious of how horrible you must look, swollen eyes and shaking hands.Â
Ormund glanced up from his papers. âYou will go and ready yourself for the eveningâs feast now.â
Numb, you stared at him. He raised one brow in question. Ormund did not like to repeat himself.Â
âY-yes, my lord,â you stuttered.Â
âWear the blue silk. The one with the square neckline,â he dipped his quill into the ink, already moved on from the excitement and back to his usual self. He glanced up once more, eyes moving across your face. âAndâŠhave the women repair your face. It would be quite unbecoming to our guests to see you have upset yourself.â
You were thoroughly humiliated. âYes, my lord.â
Legs shaking slightly, you rose and smoothed your skirts.Â
âAnd, one more thing,â Ormund spoke, though he continued reading the parchment he held. âYou will not speak with Lord Ashford this evening.â
You paused. Was this a trap? âWould itâŠwould it not appear discourteous if I refused toââ
âThe matter has already been decided, my girl. You have no need to encourage him further.â
âIâŠI understand.â You bowed, trying not to trip over your still unsteady feet, and then turned towards the door. You had just put your hand on the latch when Ormund spoke again.
âHave you forgotten something?â
You paused, and then looked back in the solar. Ormund had finally lifted his eyes from the parchment and was leaning back in his seat. He tapped one finger against his cheek.Â
Your cheeks grew hotter, though you had done this hundreds of times before. Thousands, perhaps. You crossed the solar to where Ormund sat, his expression completely neutral. Heart beating in your throat, you bent carefully and pressed your lips briefly to his cheek. He caught your wrist before you could retreat.
âOnce more, properly this time,â he commanded.
You swallowed and kissed him again, lingering this time until you felt the faint scrape of where he had shaved that morning and breathed in the familiar fragrance of his pomander.
Ormund released his grip on you, mouth curled in a smile. âGood girl. You may go now.â
You bowed, lower this time, and left the solar with the warm and humiliating feeling you had become accustomed to now living in the very place Ormund had hollowed out inside you over years and years.Â
As you walked down the halls of Hightower, face lowered so any passerbys would not catch a glimpse of your reddened cheeks and puffy eyes, you wondered why you felt the way you did.Â
Lord Ashford would be at the feast that evening, and though Ormund had forbidden you from speaking to him, you knew that you would search for him among the gathered faces. For what, you could not say. To prove something, perhaps. But what, exactly?
That Ormund was right? Or that he was wrong?Â
And afterwardâŠno matter the excitement from the day, you had not forgotten Ormundâs reminder that morning.Â
âIt is the seventh day.â
You dreaded the fact, but not for the ritual that awaited you, but rather the shameful fact it made you excited.Â
It seemed this was to be a day of contradictions.
You wanted Lord Ashford to see you, and you hoped he never appeared so that you might obey Ormund without temptation. You wanted Ormund to loosen his hold upon you, and you wanted him to swear that he would never allow you to belong to anyone else.
How could both desires live in the same body? The same heart? You did not know.
You knew only that, by the end of the night, Ormund would decide which desire you were permitted to keep.
The atmosphere surrounding the England camp during the World Cup was electric, a whirlwind of media frenzy, high stakes, and suffocating expectations. For Y/n, it was mostly just annoying. Being the sister of one of the starting midfielders meant she had a backstage pass to the madness, and more importantly, a front-row seat to the phenomenon that was Jude Bellingham.
To the rest of the world, Jude was a golden boy, a generational talent who played with a maturity far beyond his years. To Y/n, he was an irritant. It wasn't just the hypeâthough the constant praise from every sports analyst on the planet was gratingâit was the ease of it all. Everything seemed to slide right into place for him. The goals, the fame, the effortless grace on the pitch, and the way he carried himself with a confidence that bordered on arrogance.
And then there was the face. That was the real problem. It was infuriating how genuinely handsome he was, with those sharp features and a gaze that always seemed to be reading her thoughts.
Y/n was leaning against the corridor wall of the team hotel, scrolling through her phone and waiting for her brother, when a familiar scent of expensive cologne and fresh laundry hit her. She didn't even have to look up to know who it was.
"Still looking grumpy, I see," a smooth, melodic voice teased. "How are you?" he asks.
Y/n looked up and met that award-winning smileâthe one that graced a thousand billboards and made millions of fans scream. She didn't smile back. Instead, she let out a long, dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt.
"Fine, Jude," she clipped, her voice flat.
Jude chuckled, a low sound that vibrated in the narrow hallway. He didn't move away; instead, he stepped closer, invading her personal space with a deliberate slowness. He loved this. He lived for the moments when he could break through her icy exterior, the challenge of pulling more than a one-word answer out of the only person in the vicinity who didn't treat him like a god.
"Just 'fine'?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. "I feel like we're lacking a bit of enthusiasm here. I just put in a Man of the Match performance, Y/n. A little praise wouldn't kill you."
"I saw the game. You kicked a ball into a net. Congratulations," she retorted, trying to step around him.
But Jude was faster. In one fluid motion, he shifted, blocking her path and planting a hand on the wall beside her head. He didn't touch her, but he crowded her, his large frame looming over her, effectively pinning her against the wallpaper. He leaned in, his face inches from hers, a sly, knowing smirk playing on his lips.
Y/n felt her breath hitch. She hated how her heart hammered against her ribs whenever he did this. She hated the way her skin prickled under the heat radiating off him. She shifted her weight, trying to find some room to breathe, but he only leaned closer, enjoying the way she squirmed under his gaze.
"You're so transparent," he whispered, his eyes scanning her face, lingering on her lips for a fraction of a second before locking back onto her eyes. "You pretend to be so bored by me, but I can see it. You're practically vibrating."
"I'm vibrating with the urge to push you into a locker and humble your ass," she snapped, though the effect was ruined by the slight tremor in her voice.
Judeâs smirk widened. He loved the friction, the sparks that flew every time they clashed. He liked that she fought him, that she resisted the charm that worked on everyone else. It made the tension between them thick, almost tangible, like a wire stretched to its breaking point.
"I'd like to see you try," he murmured, his voice a playful challenge.
He stayed there for a moment longer than necessary, letting the silence stretch, letting her feel the sheer size of him compared to her. He was well aware of the effect he had on herâthe way her pupils dilated, the way she held her breath. He was playing a game, and while Y/n insisted she wasn't participating, the heat flushing her cheeks told a completely different story.
Finally, he stepped back, giving her air and a mocking little wink.
"See you at dinner tonight, I hope we end of sitting near each other" he says.Â
He turned and strolled away, his gait confident and relaxed. Y/n stayed pressed against the wall for a few seconds, staring at his retreating back, her chest heaving. She hated him. She absolutely hated how much she didn't actually hate him.
----------
The dinner was a loud, chaotic affair, filled with the boisterous laughter of athletes and the chatter of their partners and families. The long table was crowded, but as if by some cruel twist of fateâor a very deliberate calculationâthe only open seat left was right next to Jude.
As Y/n slid into the chair, she let out a heavy, audible sigh, her shoulders slumping. Beside her, Jude didn't even have to look at her to know she was annoyed; he could practically feel the irritation radiating off her in waves. He leaned back, a slow, triumphant smile spreading across his face. He loved how easily he could get a reaction out of her, even if that reaction was pure exasperation.
When the waiter arrived, Y/n didn't hesitate. "I'll have the steak spaghetti, please."
The waiter paused, looking apologetic. "I'm very sorry, miss, but we just served the last portion of the steak spaghetti to the gentleman here." He gestured toward Jude, who was currently looking very pleased with himself, a fork already poised over the exact dish she had wanted.
Y/nâs left eye twitched. She glared at Jude, who gave her a mock-sympathetic pout that didn't reach his dancing eyes.
"Shrimp," she snapped at the waiter, her voice tight. "I'll have the shrimp please."
For the rest of the meal, Y/n focused entirely on her plate, eating with a frantic speed. She wanted to finish, get up, and escape the suffocating proximity of the man beside her.Â
However, the closer she tried to distance herself mentally, the more she felt him. Jude hadn't touched her, but he had draped his arm across the back of her chair. His forearm was inches from the nape of her neck, the heat from his skin seeping through the air, creating a magnetic pull that made the small hairs on her arms stand up.
"Slow down, Y/n," her brother remarked from across the table, glancing at her with a confused frown. "The food isn't going anywhere."
Y/n froze, realizing she was practically inhaling her shrimp. She let out a huff, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back into her chair. She began to chew slowly, her expression one of utter defeat, staring blankly at the table with her cheeks full.
Judeâs grin widened. He shifted, turning his entire body toward her, effectively shutting out the rest of the table. He leaned in close, his voice a low, intimate murmur that was meant for her ears only.
"So," he whispered, his breath warm against her ear, "when do you think we can actually hang out? Just us."
The boldness of the question sent a jolt through her. Y/n abruptly stood up, the legs of her chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I have to use the bathroom," she announced curtly, not looking at anyone as she hurried away from the table.
In the sanctuary of the restroom, Y/n leaned over the sink and splashed cold water onto her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her cheeks flushed. Get it together, she told herself. Heâs just a football player. An overhyped, arrogant, ridiculously hot football player. She gripped the edge of the porcelain, determined that she would not fall for the charm that seemed to work on every other woman in the hemisphere.
She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked back out into the hallway. She was so focused on her internal resolve that she didn't see him until she walked straight into a solid chest.
"Whoa there," Jude chuckled, his hands instinctively flying out to catch her by the waist to steady her.
Y/n reacted instantly, pulling back with a sharp gasp, but Jude didn't let her get far. With the same predatory grace he used on the pitch, he stepped forward, crowding her against the wall. He leaned in, his presence overwhelming, trapping her in the small space between his body and the corridor wall.
He looked down at her, his eyes searching hers with an intensity that made her stomach flip. A small, knowing smirk played on his lips.
"You know, Y/n," he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky tone, "if I didn't know any better... I think you'd have a little crush on me."
Y/n scoffed, her face heating up. She brought her hand up and shoved his chest, pushing against the firm muscle of his pectorals. He didn't budge an inch; it was like trying to move a brick wall.
"You're delusional," she spat, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
Jude didn't look offended. Instead, he gave her another one of those blinding, arrogant smilesâthe one that told her he knew exactly what she was feeling.
"And stop fucking smiling at me like that!" she hissed, dodging under his arm and marching back to her seat.
She sat down with a huff, ready to finish her meal in grumpy silence. But as she looked down at her plate, she paused. The shrimp were gone. In their place were perfectly sliced pieces of steak, glistening in a rich sauce.
She looked over at Jude. He was calmly eating the shrimp from her plate, looking entirely innocent, though the glint in his eyes betrayed him. He had switched their plates while she was gone.
Y/n stared at the steak for a long moment, her annoyance warring with the fact that heâd given her exactly what she wanted. She poked at a piece of meat with her fork, glancing at him sideways. He didn't say a word, just kept eating her shrimp with a smug expression.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, Y/n took a bite. It tasted delicious, and it only made her hate him more.
------------
The city below was a sprawling tapestry of neon lights and distant sirens, the urban hum acting as a lullaby that Y/n couldn't quite succumb to. The rooftop air of the hotel they were all staying at was crisp, biting through her thin pajamas, but she welcomed the chill. It cleared the fog in her mind, allowing her to lean against the cold metal railing and close her eyes, letting the wind whip a few stray hairs across her face.
The heavy thud of the rooftop door echoing behind her broke the silence. Y/n didn't need to turn around to know who it was; there was a certain energy that followed him, a gravitational pull she had become all too familiar with.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know anyone was up here," Judeâs voice sounded differentâstripped of the playful arrogance and the teasing lilt. He sounded exhausted. "I'll leave you alone."
He began to turn back toward the door, his silhouette slumped. He was dressed down, wearing loose basketball shorts and a heavy hoodie with the hood pulled up, shadowing his face and making him look smaller, less like the golden boy of English football and more like a tired twenty-year-old.
"Wait," Y/n blurted out before her brain could filter the impulse. She caught herself, blinking. "You stay. I was just leaving anyway."
She looked at him, really looked at him, and felt a pang of unexpected empathy. She knew the world saw the fame and the money, but she saw the dark circles under his eyes and the way his shoulders seemed to carry the weight of an entire nation's expectations. The pressure to bring the trophy home was an invisible mountain, and he was climbing it every single day.
As she stepped toward the exit, intending to give him the solitude he clearly needed, Judeâs hand shot out. He didn't grab her harshly; his fingers simply curled gently around her forearm, a soft but firm tether.
"I wouldn't mind the company," he murmured, his gaze softening.
Y/n paused, her heart giving a traitorous little thump. She nodded slowly. "...Alright."
She moved back to the railing, but she was mindful of the space between them, maintaining a strict two-meter distance. They stood in a comfortable, heavy silence for a while, both staring out at the horizon. For the first time since she'd known him, the air wasn't thick with sexual tension or the need to win an argument. It was just... quiet.
"Do you ever feel like the city is watching you?" Jude asked suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Like every window has a pair of eyes waiting for you to trip up?"
Y/n looked at him, seeing the vulnerability he usually kept locked behind a smirk. "I can't even imagine," she admitted softly. "I just see the highlights and the cheers. I forget that the silence after a mistake is probably louder than the applause."
Jude turned his head toward her, a genuine, tired smile touching his lips. It wasn't the predatory grin he used to fluster her; it was something raw and honest. "You're a lot more perceptive than you let on, Y/n. I think you actually like me a little bit."
The moment of genuine connection flickered, and just as Y/n was about to offer a sincere response, Jude shifted. He closed a fraction of the distance between them, his eyes darkening as they traveled slowly down her body, lingering on the way her pajamas clung to her curves in the moonlight.
"Actually," he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to that low, vibrating register that always made her toes curl, "I bet you look even better when you're not trying so hard to pretend you hate me. Especially in the dark."
Y/n inhaled sharply, the sudden spike of heat in her chest clashing violently with the midnight air. The vulnerability was gone, replaced instantly by that insufferable, magnetic confidence.
"It's... it's cold," she stammered, her face flushing a deep crimson.
Without another word, she spun on her heel and hurried toward the door, her heart racing. She left him standing there alone under the stars, knowing full well that he was probably leaning back against the railing with that smug, knowing smile plastered on his face.
-----------
The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, a vibrating wall of sound that seemed to shake the very concrete beneath Y/nâs feet. She sat perched on the edge of her seat, her fingers gripping the fabric of her jersey. She was radiating pride for her brother and the rest of the squad; just getting to this stage of the World Cup was a feat, but the hunger to go further was palpable in every roar of the crowd.
However, the mood shifted violently when Norway found the back of the net first. Y/n felt the energy around her dim, a collective gasp of shock rippling through the English supporters. The silence that followed was heavy, thick with a sudden, suffocating anxiety.
But Jude Bellingham didn't do "suffocating."
As the clock ticked toward the 45-minute mark, Y/n stopped breathing. She watched as Jude took control, his movements fluid and predatory, slicing through the Norwegian defense with a level of composure that felt otherworldly. When he finally connected with the ball, sending it screaming into the goal, the stadium exploded. The sound was deafening, a tidal wave of euphoria that sent thousands of people jumping up and down around her.
Y/n didn't jump. She couldn't. She was frozen, her eyes locked on him. On the giant screen, the commentators were practically screaming, their voices cracking as they praised him: "Once again, heâs delivering for England! The man is a machine! A generational talent!"
Y/n felt a heat crawl up her neck that had nothing to do with the weather. Seeing him like thisâdominant, focused, and utterly in controlâdid something to her that their bickering in the hotel hallways never could.
The second half was a blur of tension, but as the game neared the 90th minute, Jude struck again. The roar that erupted this time was primal. England was now firmly in the lead, and the victory felt inevitable.
This time, Jude didn't just celebrate with his teammates. He sprinted toward the stands, his chest heaving, and spread his arms wide in that iconic, commanding gesture. As he looked out over the crowd, a boyish, triumphant smile broke across his face.
Y/n felt a physical jolt in her gut. It was a dizzying, sickening sensationâthe kind of visceral reaction that left her feeling breathless and weak. Fine, she admitted to herself, her heart hammering against her ribs. Fine. I have a crush on him. Whatever.
The other players swarmed him, a chaotic pile of white jerseys and shouting men, but Y/nâs gaze remained fixed on the spot where he had just been.
When the final whistle blew, confirming a 2-1 victory with both goals credited to Jude, the stadium turned into a carnival of joy. England was heading to the semi-finals. Y/n sat back, unconsciously biting her nail, her legs crossed tightly as she watched the celebrations unfold on the pitch.
She watched the way he laughed, the way the sweat made his skin glisten under the floodlights, and the sheer, unadulterated confidence radiating off him. Every interaction sheâd ever had with himâthe teasing, the crowding, the suggestive whispersâhad left her wanting more, but seeing him in his element, tasting success on a global stage, amplified that longing into something aching.
He was arrogant, he was irritating, and he was currently the most desired man in the country. And as Y/n watched him, she realized with a sinking feeling that she was completely and utterly undone by him.
-----------
The after-party was a shimmering blur of gold, black, and crystal. The venue was opulent, the air thick with the scent of expensive cologne and the crisp, bubbling aroma of endless champagne. Y/n felt a rare sense of poise as she entered hand-in-hand with her brother, her gold dress clinging to her curves like a second skin. It was a daring pieceâthe fabric shimmering under the chandeliers, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her thigh with every step and a hint of cleavage that teased without giving too much away. She felt elegant, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy of the stadium.
A few minutes later, the energy in the room shifted. The double doors swung open and Jude walked in.
He looked devastating. The crisp lines of his black suit hugged his athletic frame perfectly, and that triumphant, boyish smile was already plastered on his face. He was immediately swarmed. The other players descended on him, ruffling his hair and shouting, âMan of the hour!â and âAbsolute legend!â over the noise of the music.
Y/n drifted away, blending in with the other girlfriends and family members. She sipped her champagne, the bubbles tickling her throat, laughing and chatting, but her eyes kept drifting back to him. She watched the way he commanded the room, the way he leaned into the praise with a confidence that was almost suffocating.
During dinner, the room fell silent as Harry Kane stood up. The captainâs voice was warm as he gave a short, heartfelt speech, praising the team's grit but focusing heavily on Judeâs brilliance. As Kane reached over to pat Judeâs cheek in a gesture of brotherly pride, Y/n felt a strange, tight knot form in her chest.
She focused on her food, feeling a strange mixture of relief and irritation that they weren't sitting next to each other. For the first time all day, there was a physical barrier between them. But the relief was short-lived, replaced by a nagging sense of neglect. He hadn't looked at her once. Not a single glance, not a single teasing smirk. It was as if she had become invisible in the wake of his glory.
As the night wound down, the crowd thinned. The loud celebrations transitioned into low hums of conversation. Feeling her makeup sliding and her scent fading, Y/n slipped away to the restroom. She took her time, carefully reapplying her lipstick and spritzing her perfumeâa sweet, musky scent that lingered in the air.
She took a deep breath, smoothed down the gold fabric of her dress, and stepped out of the bathroom.
She didn't even have time to blink before she nearly collided with a solid chest.
Y/n gasped, her heart leaping into her throat as she stumbled back a step. Jude was standing right there, leaning against the wall as if he had been waiting for her. He looked different nowâthe polished "man of the hour" had frayed. His tie was loosened and hanging haphazardly around his neck, and the top few buttons of his dress shirt were undone, exposing the tanned skin of his collarbone and the dip of his chest.
âYou scared me!â she breathed, her hand flying to her chest, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Jude didn't move. He didn't apologize. Instead, he let his gaze travel slowly, deliberately, from the tips of her heels up the shimmering gold length of her legs, lingering on the curve of her hips before finally meeting her eyes. His expression was dark, hooded, and entirely devoid of the boyish charm he'd shown the crowd.
"You've been avoiding me all night," he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that seemed to echo in the small hallway. "Or maybe you were just waiting for me to notice you."
âYou know, most people have been congratulating me for the win, but I havenât heard anything from you. Kind of putting my mood down,â Jude says, a slight, playful smile dancing on his lips to let her know heâs joking.
Y/n rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. âYou only scored two goals. Am I supposed to be impressed or something?â she replies sarcastically, though her heart is hammering against her ribs.
Jude laughs, a low, rich sound that vibrates in the small space. âThere she is,â he murmurs. In one swift motion, he moves forward, caging her in by planting both arms on the wall on either side of her. He crowds her space, his large frame looming over her, trapping her against the cold surface. âYou know, I think I deserve a little reward for all the hard work I did today,â he says softly, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that makes her breath hitch.
âOh yeah? Like what?â Y/n asks, squirming slightly under his heavy gaze, her body reacting to his proximity before her mind can catch up.
âHow aboutâŠâ he begins, leaning closer. He reaches up, his fingers grazing her skin as he gently brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. The touch is light, but it feels far too intimate, sending a shiver of electricity down her spine. He leans in further, his lips now only a few centimeters from hers, his warm breath fanning over her skin. ââŠa kiss,â he whispers, the words a soft command.
Y/n inhales sharply, her lungs tightening. She doesnât move, frozen by the magnetic pull of him. Jude pauses, giving her every opportunity to pull away, to push him back, or to say no. But she doesnât.
âThatâs not gonna happen,â she breathes, though her voice lacks any real conviction.
âOh?â Jude teases, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. âNot even a little one?â
He doesn't push further, but he stays right there, his body heat radiating through his suit and his expensive cologne making her head spin. After a moment, sensing the tension has reached a breaking point, he begins to pull away, not wanting to actually make her uncomfortable.
But as he retreats, something in Y/n snaps. The longing sheâs been suppressing for weeks boils over. She reaches out and yanks hard on his tie, pulling him back down with a sudden, desperate force. Their lips meet roughly, the collision hot and hungry.
Judeâs eyes fly open in shock for a split second, surprised by her sudden aggression, before they flutter shut. He groans into her mouth, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, his tongue sliding past her lips to claim her mouth in a filthy, sweeping motion. His hands slide down to her hips, gripping her firmly and pulling her flush against him.
Y/n lets out a muffled moan, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Her hands slide down the hard, defined muscles of his bicepsâfeeling the strength she had only ever imagined in her fantasies. Driven by a sudden surge of need, she hooks one of her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. Jude responds instantly, driving his hips forward, grinding his crotch hard into her.
They both gasp into the kiss, the sound of their wet tongues together filling the quiet hallway. Y/n grinds her pelvis back against him, her pussy already soaking through her panties, aching with an anticipation she can no longer ignore. She can feel the thick, rigid length of Judeâs cock straining against his trousers, pressing firmly into her heat.
Jude cups her face, his fingers digging into her cheeks as the kiss turns desperate and raw. His hand slips down from her hip to her thigh, sliding upward with predatory intent. His fingers brush firmly against her clit through the thin fabric of her panties, and Y/n lets out a sharp, needy whimper, arching her back into his touch.
Just as the friction begins to push her toward the edge, the distant sound of her brother calling her name echoes through the hall.
The sound acts like a bucket of ice water. Y/n snaps out of the haze, shoving Jude away with a sudden burst of panic. As they separate, a thin string of saliva connects their lips for a fleeting second before breaking.
Breathless and flushed, Y/n quickly wipes her mouth and frantically adjusts her hair and the gold fabric of her dress. When she hears her name called a second time, louder this time, she shoots Jude a look of utter disbelief and longing before turning on her heel and running off in the opposite direction.
Jude remains where he is, letting out a long, guttural groan. He rests his forehead against the cold wall, his hand dropping to his crotch to grip the throbbing, painfully hard cock straining against his fly.
âFuck,â he hisses, his voice raw with frustration.
He stays there for a moment, shaking, before finally turning and walking into the bathroom to try and calm himself down.
So close.
--------------
The hotel energy was electric, thick with the kind of tension that only precedes a clash of titans. Itâs the semi-finalâEngland versus Argentinaâand the weight of a nation is resting on the shoulders of the players. For Y/n, the tension is twofold; there is the anxiety of the game, and then there is the suffocating memory of that hallway encounter a few days prior.
She hasn't seen Jude since. Not a word, not a glance. The silence between them has been a living thing, pulsing with the memory of his cock pressing into her and the taste of his tongue in her mouth.
As the players prepare to congregate in the lobby for the departure to the stadium, Y/nâs phone buzzes in her palm. A text from an unknown number.
West stairwell. Now.
She doesn't need a name to know who it is. Her heart leaps into her throat, and she slips away from the crowd, navigating the corridors until she reaches the secluded, concrete silence of the west stairwell.
Jude is waiting for her. He isn't in his kit yet; heâs dressed simply in dark pants and a plain white shirt that clings to the broad expanse of his shoulders. He looks stripped down, raw. As she approaches, he rubs the back of his neck, his gaze shifting away from hers for a split second.
Y/n stops a few feet from him, her eyebrows arched. âHow did you even get my number?â
Jude lets out a breathy, sheepish laugh. âOne of the teammates' girlfriends. I had to practically beg for it.â
Y/n studies him, and for the first time since sheâs known him, she sees it: the flicker of genuine nerves. The confidence, the swagger, the 'man of the hour' personaâitâs all gone, replaced by a vulnerability that makes her chest ache. He looks human. He looks like heâs carrying the world on his back, and the realization that she is the only person seeing him like this sends a surge of protectiveness through her.
âI just⊠wanted to see you before the match,â he says, his voice dropping an octave, sounding almost shy.
Y/n softens, a small, genuine smile playing on her lips. She crosses her arms, leaning back against the railing. âGood luck. You boys will give it your all. You've got this, Jude.â
He takes a step closer, the scent of his cologne mixing with the sterile smell of the stairwell. The air between them instantly thickens, the ghost of their last encounter returning to haunt them.
âSo⊠about that kissâŠâ he starts, his eyes darkening as he remembers the way she had yanked his tie and devoured him.
Y/n quickly cuts him off, her voice firm but playful. âLetâs not talk about that right now. Just focus on the game. You have a match to win.â
She turns to leave, the click of her heels echoing on the concrete. But after three steps, she stops. She can feel his gaze burning into her back, and the memory of his hard body against hers makes her bite her lip, her pussy giving a traitorous little throb.
She turns around and walks back to him, her pace slow and deliberate. When she reaches him, she leans up on her tiptoes, placing her palms flat against his chest. She can feel his heart hammering against his ribsâfast, erratic, and powerful.
Y/n presses her lips to his in a gentle, lingering kiss. It isnât the desperate, filthy collision from the party; itâs a promise. Itâs a soft, tender anchor to keep him grounded.
Jude is caught off guard, his breath hitching in his throat, but he recovers instantly. He groans softly, his hands coming up to grip hers, pinning her palms to his chest as he kisses her back with a sudden, hungry intensity. For a moment, the game doesn't matter; the stadium doesn't exist. There is only the heat of her mouth and the scent of her skin.
Y/n pulls away just before the kiss becomes too consuming, whispering against his lips, âGood luck.â
She gives him one last, sweet peck on the lips before turning and walking away, leaving him standing in the silence of the stairwell wanting more. As she descends the stairs, a dumb, giddy smile is plastered on her face, while behind her, Jude stands breathless, his heart racing not from the nerves of the match, but from the intoxicating taste of her.
--------------
The energy in the stadium is suffocating, a thick blanket of anxiety that settles over the crowd long before the first whistle. Y/n can feel it in the marrow of her bones. Argentina isn't just an opponent; they are a force of nature, a legacy of ruthless efficiency and passion. Every time an Argentinian player touches the ball, a collective shiver runs through the England supporters.
When England scores the first goal, the explosion of joy is visceral. Y/n screams until her throat is raw, her heart hammering against her ribs with a surge of hope. For a moment, it feels possible. It feels like the fairy tale is actually happening.
But then, the tide turns.
Argentina scores. Then, with a clinical precision that feels like a physical blow, they score again. The stadium, once a roar of anticipation, descends into a haunting, heavy silence. Y/n watches, her hands clenched in her lap, praying for a miracle that refuses to come. She looks at the clock, the minutes ticking away like a countdown to a disaster.
When the final whistle blows, the sound is deafening and yet completely silent. Itâs over. England is out.
The devastation is immediate. Y/n looks toward the pitch and sees the collapse. Players are dropping to their knees, some burying their faces in the turf, others staring blankly into the distance as if trying to comprehend the void. She sees her brother, his shoulders shaking, tears streaming down his face as he clings to a teammate.
The aftermath is a blur of grief. After the grueling press conferences, the stadium becomes a sanctuary of sorrow. Y/n finds her brother, and the moment she touches his arm, he collapses into her, sobbing into her shoulder. She holds him tight, swaying them back and forth in a slow, rhythmic motion, whispering into his ear, âYou did so well. You gave it everything. Iâm so proud of you.â
As she holds him, her eyes drift across the field. In the distance, she sees Jude.
He is surrounded by his family, but he looks utterly alone in his grief. He isn't hiding it; he is crying openly, his face twisted in a mask of raw agony. Seeing him like thatâthe golden boy, the powerhouse, the man who always seems to have an answerâcompletely broken, makes Y/nâs heart ache with a physical intensity. She wants to run to him, to scream that he isn't the reason they lost, that he was the heartbeat of the team, the reason they had even made it this far.
The ride back to the hotel is a funeral procession. The bus is a tomb of silence, the only sound the occasional sniffle or the heavy sigh of a player staring out the window. The mood is sour, the air thick with the bitterness of "what if."
-----------------
Back in her room, Y/n collapses onto her bed. She doesn't even take off her shoes. There is a pit in her stomach, a hollow feeling of shared loss and a lingering, pulsing worry for Jude. She stares at the ceiling, the silence of the room amplifying the ringing in her ears.
Then, her phone buzzes with a text.
I'm at the rooftop if you wanna join me.
Y/n gasps, sitting up so abruptly she nearly knocks her phone off the mattress. Her heart, which had been heavy and slow, suddenly kicks into high gear. She knows exactly who it is. Without thinking, she leaps from the bed.
She moves with a frantic energy, stripping off her clothes and pulling on something comfortable yet soft. She brushes her hair, the strands falling over her shoulders, and reaches for her lipgloss. She swipes it across her lips, the shimmering gloss catching the light, before she suddenly freezes.
She stares at her reflection in the mirror, the gloss making her lips look plump and inviting. What am I doing? she thinks, a flicker of guilt crossing her mind. Heâs grieving. This isn't the time for... this. And it's just Jude.Â
But the image of Jude crying in the stadium flashes in her mind, and the need to comfort him outweighs everything else. She puts the gloss down, takes a deep breath to steady her shaking hands, and slips out of the room.
As she makes her way to the rooftop, the air grows cooler, the city lights of the host city twinkling below. When she pushes open the heavy door and steps onto the roof, she sees him. Heâs leaning against the railing, a solitary figure against the vast, midnight sky, looking small for the first time in his life.
âIâm sorry,â are the first words out of her mouth, her voice barely a whisper against the cool night breeze.
Jude turns to look at her, and the sight makes her heart ache. He looks exhaustedânot just physically, but spiritually. The confidence that usually radiates from him like a physical heat has dimmed, replaced by a hollow, haunting weariness. His eyes are rimmed with red, his expression fragile.
âWhat are you sorry for?â he asks, a sad, ghost of a smile flickering on his lips.
âI donât know...â Y/n steps closer, the distance between them shrinking. âIâm sorry it didnât work out this time. I just feel grief for you and the boys.â
Jude looks away, his gaze drifting back to the horizon, his jaw tightening. âI shouldâve done more.â
âJude, let me stop you right there,â she says firmly, stepping into his space. âShouldâve, wouldâve, couldâveâit doesnât matter. What happened has happened; it is what it is. Donât pretend like you and the boys didnât play your best. Forty-eight countries in the World Cup and you made it to the semi-final. I know itâs not enough and not what you wanted, but I hope one day you can be proud of yourself for making it this far. Besides,â she adds, a small, encouraging smile touching her lips as she looks out into the glittering city, âwe all know youâll come back in four years even stronger.â
Silence falls between them, heavy and thick. For a long moment, Jude doesnât say a word. He just watches her, his chest rising and falling in a slow, ragged rhythm.
âAll day Iâve been hearing âitâs okay Jude, youâll get them next time,ââ he finally says, his voice raspy. âIt just makes my grief feel so dismissive. Like the pain isn't valid because there's a future version of me that might win.â He turns fully toward her, his eyes searching hers with an intensity that makes her breath hitch. âBut the way you put it... youâre exactly right. Itâs not enough. I want it all.â
The air between them shifts. The grief is still there, but itâs being overtaken by something sharper, something more primal. The desperation of the loss is morphing into a different kind of hunger.
âThen continue what youâre doing,â Y/n replies, her voice dropping an octave, her gaze locking onto his. âKeep going. You want it? Go get it.â
As the words leave her lips, the context blurs. They aren't just talking about the trophy anymore. They aren't just talking about the pitch or the glory of the game. They are talking about the tension that has been simmering between them for monthsâthe stolen kisses, the predatory glances, the raw, magnetic pull that neither of them can ignore. They are talking about the possession, the desire, and the need to feel something other than defeat.
Jude doesn't hesitate. He closes the remaining gap in one swift motion, his large hand coming up to cradle her face. His palm is warm, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone with a tenderness that contrasts with the sudden, fierce hunger in his eyes.
He leans down, his breath hot against her skin, and crashes his lips onto hers.
The kiss is desperate, tasting of salt and longing. It isn't the gentle, comforting kiss of a partner; it is the kiss of a man who has lost everything today and is clinging to the only thing that still feels real, the only thing he can actually claim as his own. Y/n moans into his mouth, her hands flying up to grip the fabric of his hoodie, pulling him closer until there is no air left between them.
He groans low in his throat, a sound of pure, unadulterated need, as he presses her back against the railing, his body pinning hers in a way that feels like a reclamation. In this moment, the world outside the rooftop ceases to existâthe loss, the fans, the pressureâall of it vanishes, leaving only the electric, consuming heat of their bodies colliding.
Jude breaks the kiss with a guttural groan, the sound vibrating through Y/nâs chest. He doesn't say a word, his grip on her hand firm and possessive as he practically drags her across the rooftop and downstairs down the hall to his hotel room. The moment the door clicks shut behind them, the restraint heâd been holding onto snaps.
He slams her back against the door, his mouth crashing onto hers in a kiss that is less of a greeting and more of a claim. He tastes of desperation and raw hunger, his tongue sweeping into her mouth to dominate her senses.
âBeen dreaming about this for so long,â he murmurs against her lips, his voice a low, gravelly rasp that sends a shiver straight down her spine.
His hands move with a frantic efficiency, gripping the hem of her top and pulling it over her head in one fluid motion, followed quickly by her pants. He tosses the clothes blindly to the floor, stepping back just an inch to take her in.
Y/n stands there, breathing heavily, clad only in a matching set of crimson red lace bra and panties. The bold color contrasts sharply against her skin, hugging every curve of her body.
âWhat?â she asks, her voice trembling slightly under his intense gaze.
Judeâs eyes darken, his pupils blown wide as he scans her from her chest down to the thin strip of lace covering her heat. A smug, knowing smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. âYou wanted this.â
Y/n blinks, confused. âWhat?â
He licks his lips, his gaze lingering on her nipples peaking through the red lace. âYouâre wearing a matching set, Y/n. You wanted this to happen. You wanted me to bring you to my hotel room, take your clothes off, so Iâd see this sexy little set you put on for me. You just happen to be wearing matching lingerie all the time? I don't think so.â He gives a sly smile.
The realization hits her and she feels a flush of heat that has nothing to do with the room's temperature. She shoves his chest, though there's no real force behind it. âWhat did I say about smiling at me like that?â
Jude lets out a rich, genuine laughâthe first real laugh sheâs heard from him since the match. He reaches out, his large hands clamping onto her hips and pulling her forward with a sudden, forceful jerk that slams her pelvis against his.
âItâs okay,â he whispers, his eyes locking onto hers with a predatory intensity. âI wanted this to happen just as bad. And I'm gonna give you everything you want baby.â
---------------
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just thinking about ormund buying targtower!reader the most beautiful, delicately embroidered, soft little nightgowns...that are also practically translucent.
you're mortified the first time he gives one to you and tells you to wear it to bed. it's completely immodest! you would probably be more covered wrapped in a bedsheet. but the second you hesitate, ormund loses it. he launches into a tirade about how ungrateful you are, after he went to such lengths to choose something beautiful for you. how perverted your mind must be to suggest that he-- your guardian-- would ever purposefully dress you like some common whore. by the time he's finished, you're in tears, broken down in the way he always seems to manage.
so you slip into the gossamer nightgown, turn slowly when he asks you to so he can inspect his gift, and crawl obediently into bed beside him.
you don't understand why he keeps moving behind you later that night, breathing heavily as he pulls you tighter against him.
oh well. you're just grateful he's still willing to hold you.
ăsynopsis âžâž.áâ RUGBY PLAYER!VI X COACH'S DAUGHTER HEADCANONS + SNIPPETS ââ .⊠COLLEGE SETTING // many students return home or go to their dorms after classes end, but not you. you're the coach's daughter, and that means having to wait for his practices to be over to finally get home and rest your feet. it's not so bad, honestly, not when you get to see and hear sweaty women crash against each other and fight for a win. your favorite isn't just a player on the field, though, and your father's made it pretty crystal clear not to so much as breathe in vi's direction.
but who's to say he has to know?
á°.á tags; headcanons + snippets, college / modern setting, forbidden relationships, fingering, locker room sex, teasing, sexting, oral sex (r!receiving), player!vi, tribbing, breast/nipple play
â list ; @pathosprit , @scardreams, @catsarebetterthanhumansworld
rugby player!vi who your father explicitly tells to stay away from you. he might not go to the parties the students attend, but heâs no idiot, and heâs had the unfortunate luck to stumble into the locker rooms to lock the place up and find vi with her hand up a cheerleaderâs skirt. sheâs a player in and out of the field, and everybody knows it.
rugby player!vi who totally ignores what her coach says. she listens to him regarding moves and plays, not her love life. she finds you cuteâ always seated at the bleachers, reading and finishing your little notes. when she catches you looking, she likes to make a show of wiping the sweat off her forehead with her jersey to expose those ridiculous abs of hers.
âyou know,â vi drawls as she leans her side against the fence. sheâs drenched in sweat, but cares not for wiping it off her face. âyouâre the first whoâs stayed and watched me for five consecutive days. i think youâve got a crush on me.â
âkeep dreaming, vi,â you scoff, pointing a thumb your fatherâs way. âiâve got no choice but to be here, and youâll be benched if you keep talking to me.â
âworth the shot,â she shrugs. vi reaches over, snatching your pen and notebook to scribble down on it. her handwritingâs surprisingly neat once she hands it back, but thereâs nothing but a series of numbers and a little heart. âtext me, yeah? donât wanna risk my neck every time i talk to you in public.â
such cockiness. yet, you save her number into your contacts.
rugby player!vi whom you later do send a message to. an innocent, little âheyâ. she doesnât ask who it isâ vi just knows. the conversation starts off innocent enough⊠up until vi suggests playing a game of truth or dare. youâd think truth would save you from any embarrassing dares, but her questions are far, far from innocent.
âwhat do you think about when you touch yourself?â
âweirdest kinks?â
âlets voicecall sometime ;)â
honestly, it makes you curious just what makes her so full of herself. youâve heard about her around campus, of course, but is she really as good as the other girls say?
you try to get vi back by daring her to snap a pic of herself. you expect a mirror pic. maybe one with her arms flexed and biceps bulging. you donât expect a selfie from the neck down, hand and forearm doing a shit job at covering her pierced nips.
rugby player!vi who eventually takes you on a date. a real one. she isnât able to pick you up at your house, of course, but heyâ she takes you out to see a horror movie, then drags you both to a fancy enough diner that doesnât just serve greasy shit. she pays for everything, though still teases her way into getting a kiss by the end of it.
âenjoyed yourself?â vi asks, leaning the driverâs seat back. she doesnât pat her thighs, but she does make a show of spreading her legs to make room for you.
youâd be angry at her if you didnât know what you were getting into. but you do. if you werenât interested at all, then you wouldnât have even saved her number, and you certainly wouldnât have reacted with a heart emoji to her titty pic.
âmovie was shit,â you shrug, kicking your shoes off to comfortably crawl over the armrest and settle yourself on viâs lap. she grunts with a grin, splaying her palms over your hips. âdinner was good enough. a shame you didnât let me get dessert.â
âdidnât i?â vi pouts, head tilting. âyouâre sitting right on it.â
sheâs so, so cornyâ youâd puke if she didnât have the looks to make up for it. but vi does, and the way her mouth works over yours once you two kiss is clearly good for more than just cheesy flirting. but unlike every story youâve heard about going out on a date with vi, you donât fuck. her hand hadnât even made it under your shirt, even.
rugby player!vi who begins inviting you to the parties she hosts. theyâre not messy, but they are huge. vi, however, keeps you tucked to her side all the time. many tease her about how her headâs not between a girlâs legs halfway into the evening, but she ignores them. she doesnât get drunk, but she does get tipsy.
sheâs got you backed up against the wall in some hallway. her hair tickles your chin as she peppers kisses over your throat, hands squeezing down your sides.
âvi!â a yelp of her name escapes you when she squeezes your backside, and you smack her arm with a laugh.
âwhat?â you can feel the grin on her lips as she hums against your neck, and she works her way back up to your face with more kisses. âyou look pretty tonight, sweetheart.â
âthatâs what you tell every girl.â
âno, i donât.â
rugby player!vi whom you begin to date in secret. the campus knows, of course. but your father doesnât. he doesnât find it weird how youâre suddenly there for every game. vi has to fight back from trotting where youâre at on the bleachers after she wins every game, but you two end up celebrating in secret later on.
rugby player!vi who fucks you in the locker rooms. after everyone leaves, she drags you inside and presses you up against the wall. sheâs sweatyâ the jersey you take off lands with a wet splat on the concrete floor. she does the same for your sweater and bra, and after her own sports bra follows, your breasts press together as she brings you two into a kiss.
âfuck, baby,â vi groans as she shoves a hand down your jeans after unbuttoning them, cupping your mound to palm your sex over the thin, damp fabric. âyou this wet over watching me play? scream at the other players?â
âuh-huhâŠâ
of course you are. watching her crash against other players with grunts, seeing every flex of her thighs as she rolled in the grass⊠thereâs nothing more attractive than seeing her in that state. when she loses, she needs release. thankfully for you, her teamâs lost tonightâs match.
your hands settle on viâs shoulders with a whine as she slides a finger into your dripping cunt, and she swallows the sound by slotting her lips against yours. she works you open with her fingersâ so very loose from how easily you relax under her minisitrations that every pump of her digits is audible in the room. you work your jeans down eventually for more comfort, and vi takes the opportunity to remove her hand and carry you to one of the benches. the wood creaks under your combined weights as she sets you down on your back.
vi doesnât speak much when sheâs frustrated. you know that much now.
as soon as her hands are on your hips and her face between your legs, her tongue flattens over your slit sheâs exposed with her fingers. your head thumps back against the bench, and your fingers tangle in her hair to keep her face flush against your sex. vi has no complaints about thatâ she fucks you with her tongue for a while before sealing her mouth over your neglected and puffy clit instead. she sucks, keeping your hips pinned to keep you from writhing as much as possible as she knocks an orgasm from your body.
rugby player!vi who sneaks into your bedroom through your window like some romcom movie. you try not to laugh as she damn near slips while climbing the wall, but she eventually does manage to slip inside. sheâs, unfortunately, not very silent about it, but your father down the hall is quite the heavy sleeper. thatâs not to say you two could make a soundâŠ
viâs on top of you, bare from the neck down. one of her breasts is cupped by your hands, and every time you tease a nipple with a flick or pinch, she jerks forward and bites her tongue.
youâre not doing any better. one of your legs is laid flat on the bed, though the other is kept raised in the air in an angle to allow viâs body to fit between themâ and more importantly, for her to fight just the right angle. a mutual groan is shared between you both once your clits press against each other. vi drops her head as she begins to roll her hips slightly, never too aggressively as to not miss the mark each time.
âquiet, sweetheart,â she hushes you, though makes it harder to follow the order when she drops one of her hands to pinch one of your nipples between her thumb and index finger. curse her and those long arms and thick hands. âdonât want your daddy to hear, do ya?â
jude catches you and jobe being close to intimate, when he tells mark and denise you expect suprise but they all expected it including your family!
taglist (tw) : a bit suggestive, caught, childhood bsfs, established relationship, private relationship
jobe had always been there for you.
when you were six, he was the boy who insisted worms deserved names before they were put back in the garden.
when you were ten, he was the one who pushed you on the swings higher than anyone else dared, promising he wouldnât let you fall.
when you were fifteen, he was somehow still the first person you called whenever something good or horribly embarrassing happened.
somewhere between those scraped knees, movie nights, and borrowing each otherâs hoodies without asking.. being best friends quietly turned into something else.
though neither of you knew exactly when. you just knew that one afternoon, while sitting shoulder-to-shoulder watching some awful rom-com, jobe had reached for popcorn at the same time you did causing your hands to bump into eachother.
he looked at you.
ââŠwhat?â you laughed.
ââŠnothing.â
ââŠyouâre staring.â
âam i?â
âyes.â
ââŠi think youâre pretty.â
ââŠâ
ââŠâ
âoh.â
that had been almost eight months ago and now, the two of you were somehow dating. secretly though, not because anyone would necessarily careâŠ
okay, maybe because they definitely would. your parents couldnât keep a secret to save their lives and his family teased him over literally everything. so you both agreed to keep it between yourselves for a while which had worked surprisingly well.
until today.
âtheyâre all out,â jobe said, dropping onto his bed. âmum said they wonât be back for hours.â
âhours?â you raised an eyebrow.
âhours.â
you smiled. âthatâs dangerous information.â
he grinned right back. âi know.â
you sat beside him, knees brushing together. âsoâŠâ
âso?â
âwhat do you want to do?â
he shrugged dramatically. âwell, i was thinking we could revise-â
you burst out laughing. âyouâre a terrible liar.â
âworth a try.â
you lightly shoved his shoulder but he caught your hand before you could pull it away, pining you down onto the couch in his room.
ââŠhi,â he said quietly, hovering above you.
âhi.â
âyouâre really pretty.â
âyou already used that line.â
âstill true.â
your cheeks warmed. âyouâre so cheesy.â
âand yet youâre smiling.â
ââŠshut up.â
instead of listening, he leaned closer âmake me.â
âjobe-â
he kissed you before you could finish. it was the kind that made both of you smile halfway through because neither of you could take yourselves seriously.
you pulled away just enough to poke his cheek. âyouâre insufferable.â
âyeah?â
âyeah.â
he stole another kiss and when he realised youd given in he starting peppering them all over your face. eventually you were both laughing more than kissing, foreheads resting together.
he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. âcan i tell you something?â
âdepends.â
âi think iâve liked you since we were twelve.â
âtwelve?â
âyou beat up that kid who stole my football.â
âi did not beat him up.â
âyou threatened him.â
ââŠâ
ââŠâ
âokay, maybe i did.â
âit was very attractive.â
you snorted. âthatâs concerning.â
he leaned in again, wrapping an arm around your waist before dipping once again to kiss you. you let out a content sigh before your fingers tugged at his shirt, urging for him to remove it.
he pulled back, discarding the annoying piece of clothing and you took this as your opportunity to straddle his lap.
he let out a soft groan in response, his hand resting gently against your cheek while yours found the back of his neck. the kiss between you two only deepened, the soft moans from you being swallowed by his mouth.
neither of you noticed the bedroom door slowly opening in the heat of the moment.
âwell.â
both of you froze. you immediately pulled away from jobe, who only whined in protest. you turned your head so fast your neck nearly cracked and standing in the doorway was his older brother. jude.
his arms were folded. it was obvious he was trying and failing not to laugh. âam i interruptingâŠ?â
you immediately buried your face in jobeâs shoulder.
âiâm moving countries,â you mumbled.
âfair.â
jobe sighed dramatically. âcan i help you?â
âactually,â his brother replied, âi came to ask if youâd seen my charger.â
he looked between the two of you. ââŠi see youâve both beenâŠbusy.â
âleave.â jobe groaned.
âi mean, i found something way more interesting.â
âplease.â
âyou know,â he continued, completely ignoring him, âmumâs going to find this hilarious.â
your head shot up. âdonât you dare.â
he gasped dramatically, his hands going up. âoh, sheâs speaking.â
you pointed accusingly. âif you tell anyone, iâll-â
âyouâll what?â
ââŠhide every charger in this house.â
he blinked. ââŠthatâs actually terrifying.â
jobe groaned. âcan you please just go?â
his brother grinned. âabsolutely. you can have as much smoochy you wantâ he reached for the doorknob. âafter i tell everyone.â
âNO.â
he was already halfway down the hallway.âmum!â
jobe launched himself off the bed, gently pushing you off. âget back here!â
you followed, trying not to laugh despite the embarrassment. âdonât you dare!â
within seconds the entire house was chaos.
âwhatâs going on?â mark called from downstairs.
ânothing!â you and jobe shouted in perfect unison.
âtheyâre kissing!â his brother yelled.
there was a brief silence and then:
ââŠfinally!â mark laughed.
deniseâs voice chimed in. âiâve been waiting YEARS.â
âi literally owe your dad twenty pounds,â mark admitted.
âwait you were BETTING? with my dad?!!â you exclaimed.
âof course we were.â
you slowly looked at jobe. âthey all knew?â
he rubbed the back of his neck. ââŠapparently.â
jude walked back into view, smug as ever. âfor the record,â he said, âi guessed you two would start dating before christmas.â
âhow much did you win?â jobe asked flatly.
âa decent amount.â
you sighed. âthis is the worst day of my life.â
jude shrugged. âi donât know.â he looked between the two of you with the biggest grin imaginable. âlooked like it was going pretty well before i walked in.â
you covered your face. âshut up!!!â
jobe groaned so loudly the whole house heard it. ââŠiâm never recovering from this.â
âwe never are..,â you admitted.
he reached over and quietly laced his fingers with yours anyway. ââŠworth it?â
you smiled despite everything. âyeah.â
âeven with him?â
âespecially because now he has embarrassing material for the next ten years.â
jude pointed. âcorrectâŠiâm making a wedding slideshow.â
summary đ àŁȘË ÖŽÖ¶ you convinced yourself that being a footnote in judeâs life was better than getting hurt again. you are finally distancing yourself away from jude. but this time, jude bellingham refused to let you go.
warnings đ àŁȘË ÖŽÖ¶ unprotected sex, fem reader, jude is begging, crying, plenty of praise, apologising, hair pulling, fingering, slight angst, miscommunication, light choking, soft dom!jude, overstimulation ig, oral, & fluff at the end (7.8k wc)
note đ àŁȘË ÖŽÖ¶ wrote this while listening ain't too proud to beg by the temptations, so, there was my inspo. and, boom, there you have it! 50s music always gets me in a jude mood. also, my 3 part series has concluded. i hope this lived up to the hype, i really enjoyed finishing this story and having jude reconcile. THIS IS THE FINAL PART to a 3-part series. you can read PART ONE HERE, and PART TWO HERE.
You couldnât believe him, which was ironic, really, because this was probably the most believable thing Jude Bellingham ever did.
The photos found you before he was able to explainâor ratherâexcuse himself.
You were mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, a terrible habit of yours. Suddenly, you came across a blurry picture of Jude outside an expensive restaurant, then another from inside. Jude sat across from a woman you recognised immediately, the same woman heâd mentioned the night of the gala: âI was supposed to bring someone tonight⊠but she cancelled.â
Evidently, sheâd made it up to him. Wow.
Your manicured thumb hovered over the screen, refusing to scroll any further. Instead, you found yourself reading the comments beneath the post. There was complete strangers picking apart every detail, convinced they knew exactly who she was to him. Some called her his girlfriend. Others insisted she was just a friend. Others called her all sorts of horrible names. A few were already congratulating him, saying how pretty she was.
You exited the app before you could read another word. Because the truth was, it didnât matter.
It didnât matter whether sheâd been a date, a friend, or someone Jude simply shared dinner with. It didnât matter if the internet had gotten it completely wrong.
What mattered was how easily your stomach sank. How quickly every conversation youâd had with Jude over the past few months came rushing back. Every lingering glance of his. Every touch that lasted a little too long. Every time heâd found you in a crowded room as though there was nowhere else heâd rather be, touching the small of your back so intimately as he did so. Every time you had made love to each other. Every time you had left his warm embrace in the morning when the consequences of your actions caught up to you. You knew this, yet kept running headfirst into a brick wall.
After the party, youâd walked away convinced that would be the last time. The last time youâd let yourself mistake his attention for affection because you knew better now. The last time youâd convince yourself that maybe heâd changed his mind. That, maybe, the boy who swore he didnât want anything serious had finally realised he wanted something more. Then, the gala happened; you were thrown back back to square one.
Looking back, it made you cringe. You found yourself doing that a lot more recently.
Youâd spent months clutching pieces of Jude because they felt better than having none of him at all. A hand on your thigh beneath a dinner table, arm wrapped around your shoulders in crowded rooms. Pillow conversations that blurred into early mornings, with you making eggs for yourself while Jude fixed his premade nutritional bowl. The little moments that felt far too intimate to mean nothing, yet never enough to mean something of fruitfulness.
Jude gave you just enough to keep hoping, then reminded you, without ever having to say it again, that hope was all it would ever be. And the worst part was that you let yourself become content with it.
You convinced yourself that being a footnote in Judeâs life was enough, even when he had somehow become the centrefold of yours. You were willing to exist in the margins of his world, to take whatever pieces of him he was willing to offer, while he occupied every corner of your thoughts without even noticing it.
Heâd told you from the beginning; he didnât want a relationship. Jude didnât want commitment, didn't want to make promises he couldnât keep. So why had he spent months making it impossible for you to leave?
Your phone buzzed against the comforter, the sound breaking through your thoughts. It's almost like he knew you had found out, that you had been thinking about him. You eyed your phone with disdain as his name lit up your screen before it disappeared again. Another message came through less than a minute later, then another.
Normally, you wouldâve answered by now. Even if it was hours later. Even if you wanted to be angry with him. Somehow, you always replied to Jude because you cared about him.
However, not this time.
You turned your phone over, burying his name against the mattress before it had the chance to taunt you again.
You were sick and fucking tired of his bullshit. Tired of trying to decipher someone who had already given you his answer months ago. Tired of letting his actions convince you of one thing while his words insisted on another. Tired of being pulled back into his orbit every time you finally found the strength to walk away.
Maybe this was exactly what you needed. To be disappointed enough to finally believe Jude; he truly didn't want anything, and it didn't mean anything to him.
Jude knew he screwed up big fucking time. The worst part was that he couldnât even pretend he didnât understand why.
At first, Jude brushed it off. Maybe you were busy; you had a tendency to sleep for long periods of time. Or maybe you were finally giving him a taste of his own medicine. But after the fifth unanswered text and the third missed call, something in his chest began to tighten. You never ignored him before. You mightâve been frustrated, you mightâve needed space, but you always came back to him. You were always so understanding.
It wasnât difficult to piece together what had happened. The photos had been everywhere before heâd even made it home. One dinner with a woman heâd known for years, someone heâd promised heâd make it up to after she cancelled on the gala, and suddenly the internet had decided he had a new girlfriend.
The thought wouldâve been laughable to Jude under any other circumstances. She was nearly ten years older than him, someone heâd always viewed as a close friend and nothing more. There had never been anything romantic between them, nor would there ever be.
Jude could only imagine what you thought when youâd seen them. The explanation sat on the tip of his tongue, ready to spill the second you answered his phone calls. But the longer you ignored him, the more he realised the explanation wasnât really the problem; the problem was him.
After the gala, Jude convinced himself everything had finally settled into place. The two of you had started talking more than ever before. Good morning texts became routine, calls that were supposed to last ten minutes somehow stretched past midnight. He found himself reaching for his phone after training without thinking, itching to tell you about another ridiculous argument that had happened in the dressing room or to tell you another funny story about Mastantuono or something Kylian had raved on about during âteam meetingsâ.
Jude genuinely enjoyed your presence. The constant pressure that followed himâthe cameras, the expectations, the endless rollercoaster that is footballâdisappeared whenever it was just the two of you. You never asked anything of him besides his company, and somehow that became the thing he looked forward to most. In fact, you really didn't even care about Real Madrid or football, nor did you bring it up unless he did first.
Heâd convinced himself he finally had his feelings sorted. Or, at the very least, under control. Jude told himself there was no rush to put a name to whatever the two of you were. Things were good as they were! That eventually, when the timing was right, heâd figure the rest out.
Looking back, it was beyond selfish of him. Jude was asking you to wait for an answer he wasnât willing to find because every time things edged toward something real, heâd retreat behind the same sentence heâd repeated from the very beginning: I donât want anything serious.
But, at the time, Jude believed he was doing the right thing.
Football had to always come first. The scrutiny that followed him everywhere was relentless, and he knew better than anyone what happened when the public got hold of someoneâs private life. Every relationship became a headline, every minuscule move was analysed for entertainment on social media.
Jude told himself that keeping you in the grey area was protecting you from all of it. If there was no label, there was nothing for the media to destroy; there was no way they could take you away from him as they had done to so many others.
It sounded noble in his head, but, really, it was just a shitty excuse. Because while heâd been trying to shield you from the outside world, Jude had been hurting you himself.
Youâd become the person he wanted to tell everything to. The first face he searched for after a good match. The opinion that mattered more than thousands of strangers praising him online. Being around you never felt like another obligation. It felt like home, and heâd grown so used to having you there that heâd stopped appreciating how much of yourself you were giving him.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! He was selfish.
Jude accepted all the parts of a relationship that came naturally, your company, your comfort, your unwavering support, while refusing to give you the one thing you deserved in return: certainty.
He thought back to the gala more than heâd care to admit. The way you had fit beneath his arm as though youâd always belonged there. The way heâd found himself looking for you in every room, wanting you beside him even when he was surrounded by people. Asking you to be his date hadnât been planned.
And that, he realised, shouldâve been enough for him to face the music: Jude Bellingham wanted to be yours, and he wanted you to be his.
Maybe some part of you had always known Jude would eventually reach out. He never stayed away for long, even if you were the one that sought him out moreso. There was always a text after a few days of silence, some excuse to start a conversation again, some small reminder that he was still there. You had gotten used to him finding his way back into your life before you had the chance to fully convince yourself he was gone.
But you hadnât expected to open your door and find him standing there.
The knock had been quiet, his knuckles barely making enough noise against the wood to announce his presence. It was almost like Jude wasnât sure he wanted to be heard, as if some part of him was still giving you the chance to ignore him. Had you not been home, had you not been standing close enough to hear the faint sound, Jude probably wouldâve convinced himself that it was a sign and gone back to his car. He wouldâve told himself he tried, that showing up unannounced was too much, or that you deserved space from him and his selfishness.
Yet, you were home.
It wasnât that Jude was someone who avoided difficult conversations. He was passionate by nature, someone who felt everything deeply and never did anything halfway. Jude knew from an early age that he couldn't get what he dreamed of in life without that. But standing outside your door, knowing there was a chance you might not let him in, was different. This wasnât a conversation he could charm his way through. There was no crowd to distract him, no confidence to hide behind, no easy smile that could make everything feel alright.
For once, the mature Jude Bellingham had no idea what to say.
When you finally pulled the door open, he looked nothing like the man you were used to seeing. He wasnât carrying that effortless, nonchalant confidence he wore around everyone else. There was no teasing remark waiting on his tongue, no playful grin to soften the tension between you.
Jude just stood there, framed in your doorway, looking more nervous than you had ever seen him. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his sweatpants, shoulders tense as his dark eyes immediately found yours. They were red around the edges, a little swollen. You could tell Jude had spent the entire drive over fighting back tears or had already lost that battle before he reached your door. It was unsettling seeing him like that, to say the least.
âCan⊠we talk?â
You stared at him.
For a second, you hated that your first instinct was still to let him in. You hated that even after everything, after seeing those photos and convincing yourself you were finally done, some part of you still softened at the sight of him looking this lost. Stop, you wonât give in.
You didnât move, instead, your face hardened. âYou came all the way here just to fucking talk?â
His expression tightened slightly, and his lip trembled. âI knowâI know how this looks.â
A quiet laugh escaped you. Not that anything was funny, but because you couldnât believe his audacity.
âNo, Jude. You donât.â
The words left your mouth before you could soften them. Judeâs eyebrows pulled together immediately, a small crease forming between them as if he genuinely couldnât understand why you were pushing back. His lips parted, ready to argue, but there was no confidence behind it.
âI do.â
You shook your head slowly. âNo, you really donât.â
Your fingers curled tighter around the edge of the door, the only thing keeping you from crossing your arms or stepping back completely. You needed the barrier. And needed the reminder that he was standing on the other side of it for a reason.
âBecause if you did,â you continued, your voice growing steadier despite the ache building in your chest, âyou wouldnât be standing here acting like this is just a misunderstanding.â Judeâs expression shifted. You watched the realisation settle in his face. âYou wouldnât show up whenever you decide youâre ready to have a conversation and expect me to just forget everything that happened. Or that itâs okay to treat me like shit.â
As you spoke, you realised you knew Jude too well. You knew every small change in his expression, every hesitation, every moment where he looked like he wanted to say something but didnât know how.
âThatâsâthatâs not what Iâm doing.â His voice was quieter now. You let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh, but there was no amusement behind it.
âThen what are you doing?â
For a moment, Jude just stared at you. His mouth opened slightly; he had an answer ready, but nothing came out. His eyes flickered away from yours for half a second before returning, and somehow that frustrated you even more.
Because Jude always had something to say. He was quick with his words. Always knew how to lighten the mood, how to make you roll your eyes when you were trying not to smile. He could talk his way through almost anything.
But now, when he was standing in front of you, seeing the hurt he had caused and realising there wasnât a simple explanation that would make it disappear.
For once, Jude didnât have the right words. And maybe that was because, for once, there wasnât an excuse good enough.
âI was worried.â
You blinked slowly, raising an eyebrow in confusion. You hadnât expect him to disregard you. âWhat?â
âI was worried when you stopped answering me.â
The words almost made you laugh again. âYou were worried?â
âYes.â
âYou were worried!?â You repeated it, shaking your head. âJude, do you know how many times I was worried about you?â That shut him up. âListen, you donât get to just come to my fucking house and act like youâre the one who got hurt because I finally stopped putting up with your bullshit. You just can't.â
âI know what you saw.â
The words came out suddenly, almost like he couldnât keep them trapped inside anymore. You looked at him, and Jude immediately shook his head, taking a small step forward before catching himself. His hands slipped from his pockets, fingers dragging through his hair in frustration as he tried to find the right way to explain himself.
âThe photos,â he said, voice strained. âThatâs what this is about, isnât it?â Jude watched as you didnât answer. You didnât have to. âShe wasnât what you think.â
A bitter laugh left you before you could stop it. âJudeââ
âNo, please. Please. Just let me explain.â There was something different about the way Jude said it. No confidence. No attempt to brush it off, but rather pure desperation. He was begging you to hear him out. âSheâs my mate. Thatâs it.â The words spilled out of him quickly, like he was afraid youâd interrupt before he could finish. âSheâs been my mate for years. Sheâs, like, literally ten years older than me, and I have never looked at her like that. Not once. There has never been anything romantic between us.â
His eyes searched your face, looking for any sign that you believed him.
âThe dinner was exactly what it looked like. Dinner.â He swallowed, settling on that. âI told her Iâd make it up to her after she couldnât come to the gala. That was all it was. I swear, I swear.â
You stayed quiet, and the longer you did, the more unsettled he became. He was worried youâd leave him alone one and for all, that this was the nail in the coffin. That youâd never talk to him again, never forgive him, never let him back in over a miscommunication. That youâd would never accept one more idiotic action of his. And Jude couldnât blame you one bit.
âI know how it looks,â he rushed out. âI know, God, Iâm fucking daff. I know you saw those pictures and the first thing you probably thought was that Iâd been leading you on.â His voice faltered, his expression twisting sour; he was fighting back tears. âAnd IâI understand why you would think that.â For a second, he looked away, jaw tightening as he tried to compose himself. âBut please donât think that.â
His eyes found yours again, all red and glassy. âDonât think that I was sitting there with someone else while you were justâŠâ He stopped, shaking his head. âWhile you were nothing to me.â The last sentence seemed to hurt him more than anything else heâd blurted out. âBecause you were never that.â
His voice cracked, trembled and shook. âGod, you were never that.â
Jude dragged a hand down his face, frustration and regret mixing together until he looked like he didnât know what to do with either.
âI know Iâve given you reasons to doubt me. I know Iâve made you feel like you werenât important enough, like you were just someone I could come back to whenever I wanted.â His voice shook as he spoke. âBut it was never because of someone else. It was me being a fucking right dickhead.â
You watched him for a moment, taking in the way his breathing had become uneven, the way his fingers kept flexing at his sides like he didnât know what to do with all the guilt he was carrying. Jude had always been someone who held himself together. The person who found a way to keep going, even when things got difficult. He was stubborn like that, always convinced he could handle everything himself. Right now he looked completely worn down. And honestly, it had worried you. Deep down, you always would love and care about him, which is why you took everything so hard. And also why you kept coming back.
âJude,â you sounded quietly, his eyes frantically lifted to yours. âHey. Look at me, it's alright.â
For a second, Jude didnât move. Then he shook his head, dragging a hand over his face as he let out a rough breath. His shoulders were tense, his jaw clenched, like he was trying desperately to pull himself together.
âNo, no,â Jude pursed his lips. âIt's not alright.â You frowned slightly at the correction. His eyes flickered back to yours, red around the edges, his expression twisting with frustration. âItâs not fucking alright because I know what Iâve done.â
His voice cracked slightly, and you could hear how much he hated admitting it.
âI know I can explain the dinner. I know I can tell you sheâs just a mate,â He shook his head quickly, almost like he needed to make sure you understood. âBut thatâs not even the point, is it? I was a proper idiot.â The words were so simple, so unlike him, that they almost hurt more. âI shouldâve realised sooner. I shouldâve seen what was right in front of me instead of convincing myself I was doing the right thing.â
Your expression softened slightly. âJudeâŠâ
âStop!â He shook his head immediately. Not angry, rather desperate. âDonât do that.â
âWhâDo what?â
âMake it easier for me.â Judeâs voice dropped. âI know I hurt you. I know I messed this up. I fucked up.â
You reached for him slowly, your hand resting against his arm. âJude, please, itâs okay.â
He looked down for a second, breathing out shakily before looking back at you.
âItâs not.â His fingers curled around your hand carefully. He felt like he wasnât sure he was allowed to hold onto you anymore. âI donât want you to forgive me because you feel sorry for me. I donât want you to just forget because Iâm standing here apologising.â
His eyes searched yours. âI want to actually fix it. Let me make it up to you.â His voice was quieter now, almost a plea. âPlease.â
You faintly smile and itâs so, so sad. He feels his heart crack and his eyes burn. He wants to make the warmth of happiness touch your features once more. He has let you down so much lately. Jude wanted to make it right, wanted to show you how much he did really care about you. And something in him shifted, you could tell. His gaze held yours, darker now, not with anger, but with a kind of certainty you hadnât seen from him before. Slowly, carefully, his hand lifted, sliding up and down your shoulder.
Jude feels like heâs sinned and you are the only one who can absolve him of it.
âIâI need to make it up to you," he chokes out, and he is painfully aware itâs not that late and that the two of you are standing in your apartment doorway. Therefore, anyone could walk out of their door and see Jude Bellingham was begging for forgiveness. But he couldnât give a shit. You need something to soothe the hurt. He can give that. He would give anything. His pride is minimal when it comes to you, especially now.
"Just tell me what to do," he breathes as he steps closer, toe to toe now, large hands cradling the sides of your face.
âBe only mine,â you whisper, and there isn't even a warble in your voice. Thatâs all you could say, thatâs all you wanted him to do. And he could grant that wish. He can see it from the heat and challenge in your eyes. So, he kisses you.
He kisses you with that need that burns him from the inside out every time he sees you, with long and possessive sweeps of his tongue that make your knees weak. He steals your breath greedily and you moan in response. Then when your fingers curl into his shirt, he knows immediately where he needs to take you next.
The two of you barely stumble in through the door of your apartment before he grumbles, âHold on tight.â
He hooks your thighs around his waist, the deep timber of his voice has you doing as he commands without hesitation. Your teeth latch onto the tendon in his neck as he jumps you against the bulge of his cock. The two of you make it down your narrow hallway to the bedroom. He hisses his approval as your mouth worries that sensitive area, bruising him for the future.
"Mine," you growl against him, and Jude quietly chuckles. He loved this sudden possessiveness you had over himâperhaps it was jealousy, perhaps it was relief that you knew he had let you into his heart.
You don't want him to think about anything right now; you felt rather selfish. You want his thoughts to be only of you. That's the least Jude could do after all of this shit he put you through.
Suddenly, he groans before he drops you on the bed; you know that sound by heart. Itâs the sound he makes when everything is too overwhelming and you have him wrapped around your finger. Itâs the sound he makes when he is trying to control himself, when his cock is kicking and threatening to spill. You knew it all too well.
You sigh, your fingers eagerly making work of his T-shirt. Meanwhile, his hands snap the elastic of his sweats, making you shiver as he slowly peels them off himself.
You bite your lip as you fall back against the mattress, watching him slip out of his boxers easily and prowl towards you. Seeing Jude naked and his cock hard, flushed at the tip and sticky with precum, is such a fucking beautiful sight to behold. You could never get tired of this.
No matter how many times you promised yourself you would walk away, you always ended up back here, because, really, you couldnât get enough of Jude.
Not the version everyone else saw, but this one. The one who let his guard down with you. The one who showed up on your doorstep, begging for your forgiveness. The raw, authentic Jude Bellingham.
And maybe that was your fatal flaw. Because slowly, you began to forgive him as you realised this wasnât Jude trying to keep you as something convenient. He was just a man who had been too stubborn, too afraid, and too blind to recognise what had been right in front of him the entire time.
Jude undresses you slower. Each sliver of skin he exposes is blessed with his mouth, kisses, licks, bites, and scrapes of his teeth. He worships you just like you wanted, just like you deserve. He spells his apology out in silent words against your sternum. He whispers his love against the softness of your stomach, he says how beautiful you are with deliciously slow kisses on the inside of your thighs.
"You are so perfect. More than I ever fucking deserve, I swear," Jude huffs, dragging his cheek along your pelvic bone. âThank you, thank you.â
Light and teasing touches were only tolerable for so long, you could deal with Judeâs fingers dancing around your clothed folds while his lips stayed on yoursâbut when he pulled away your breaths became irregular, clinging to every ounce of patience you had.
You were about to whine when his hand pushed your panties to the side, slipping a digit inside of you without warning was enough to have you choking out a moan. Your hand flew to grip his bicep to ensure your legs wouldnât give out on you.
Jude was watching you as if you were Godâs gift to the earth, thumb settling on your clit naturally that within seconds of him getting to work your eyes were fluttering shut, head falling back against the wall.
âYouâre soaked already, baby,â his words were barely audible; too in awe of you, but you still managed to catch them as you nodded ever so slightly.
âFor you,â you breathed outânot that it needed clarifying, but the reassurance had the footballer smirking proudly, even rewarding you as suddenly a second finger slipped inside of you.
Suddenly, it was becoming hard to keep quiet, with strings of moans and whimpers escaping you in succession. Which made Judeâs hard-on strain against the bed. But that was the last thing on his mind, preferring to hold you against the mattress with the only goal of having you come undone in his grasp.
His name sounded heavenly as you moaned it, so much so Jude thought no one else should ever speak it againânothing could compare to you. He got it now, God, he was stupid.
âLook at me, please,â Judeâs demand was so gentle you almost missed it, eyes still fluttering shut as your thighs squeezed around his hand. Despite hearing him you couldnât act, control of your body slipping away ever so quickly with the way his thumb was circling your sensitive bud.
Judeâs breathy laugh wasnât enough to capture your attention either, his touch was all your mind could focus on. So it was when his free, large hand trailed up your body to wrap around your neck thatâs when your eyes shot wide open.
His eyes were inquisitive, clearly attempting to gauge a reaction to the action. Your lips parted despite having no pressure applied. Though it was the way you clenched around his fingers that told him enough.
The slight squeeze of your neck was enough to draw a moan out of you, and Jude could only hum in content. Jude could die right here, and he'd die a happy man, he thought. You were so fucking perfect.
It was quickly becoming overwhelming, pleasure suddenly building so quickly. Your eyes poured into him as you struggled to form words. âSâclose,â was all you managed out; Judeâs nod was in sync with his curled fingers, your nails digging into his skin as he brushed the spot that had your legs almost giving out.
You were holding onto him for dear life, moans growing louder and whinier as your vision started to become starry despite having your eyes open.
âLet go baby,â his words were enough to push you over the edge, releasing onto his fingers as you practically panted his name like it was a prayer.
Jude had concluded a long time ago that he couldnât fall for you more than he already had; but as he watched you come undone, he realised heâd been wrong. Your beauty truly knew no endsâand he was now more eager than ever to watch your face contort in pleasure again and again.
Admiration filled your own eyes as they opened once more to peer down at him, flushed cheeks and a sheepish smile spreading on your face as you attempted to catch your breath.
âYouâre incredible,â Jude couldnât stop the praise from escaping him, and watching the way your smile grew had him feeling no regret either; no shame like he usually would when a compliment perhaps too sentimental slipped passed his guard. âYou are so perfectâso patient with a right idiot⊠IâI canât believe how lucky I am.â
The sight above you rendered you speechless, no shame in your eyes raking over his toned frame as he stood again at the foot of the bed. You quickly felt overdressed, seeing Judeâs naked body. Your own hands found the hem of your shirt, peeling it off your body, no bra meaning your upper body was exposed to the Brit.
You could visibly see him gulp, his eyes dancing over your naked body as he took a few deep breaths; tongue flicking over his bottom lip. The man even shook his head in disbelief, unable to help himself when you invitingly leant back on your elbows. No matter how many times he saw you, you never ceased to render him utterly speechless.
Jude was on top of you within moments, situating between your spread legs as his head found the exposed skin of your chest, open mouth kisses pressed to your neck, slowly making their way to your breasts.
âYouâre fucking beautiful,â heâd practically whined, your fingers finding the back of his head once more. You could only whimper as his teeth tugged on your skin momentarily.
âWant to make you feel good,â you whispered, unable to ignore his hard on pressing into your hipâthe feeling had you squirming, keen to feel more of him. Even when he swore this was about you, you felt the need to make him feel oh-so good.
Jude simply shushed you, however, not being derailed as his kisses moved to your stomach now, your head smacking against the pillow as you tried to control your breathingâleft to stare with wide eyes at the ceiling momentarily.
âI feel amazing already,â Jude spoke matter of factly, his hands spreading over your thighs as he parted them to his liking. Your eyes flickered down, not expecting to meet his brown ones. He looked like he was ready to devour you, it made your core ache. He offered no relief as your legs could only squeeze against his hold.
âJude,â you whined, using all your strength to ensure you could keep your eyes on him, a pretty sight that was rendering you impatient. âPlease,â the plea left you in desperation.
âOh, baby,â Jude just clicked his tongue in reply, leaning up to give you a delicate, sensual kiss to silence your pleas. He pulled away, eyebrows twisted exasperatedly. âI should be the one begging you.â
Then, his tongue follows, tracing a flat path down your lower stomach to your throbbing clit. He nips sharply at your hip and relishes your breathless squeal. This time when he licks you, the tip of his tongue presses inside your fluttering walls. Then the width of it slips all the way up to your mons. He laps over every pearl of your slick; he savors every moan and sigh he pulls from you.
âOh, fuck, Jude! Sâso good,â you groan while you twist beneath him. Judeâs strong grip latches onto your arms, pinning you down.
âAh, donât run away from me, babe, please,â Jude whines against you. He sounded so inebriated, so desperate, so needy. All for you. It made your mind spinâyou could feel your sanity slipping away. Everything. The photos, Jude showing up and sobbing at your door, his admission, his devotion to you, the way his tongue felt against youâit was all too much for you to handle right now.
Judeâs lips wrap around your aching nerves and pull blood to the surface with a strong suction. It makes you squeak and gasp, trembling. Your skin dances with heat that spreads across your body. With each roll of his tongue and suckle of his mouth you feel your mind whirl away just a bit more. You are fracturing under his guidance. He coaxes you with touches and murmurs, all languid.
"C'mon, baby. Y'know what I want. Tip over that edge for me," he smirks in a dragging purr, looking up at you through your legs.
It pulls your breath from your strangled lungs; it makes your hips buck futilely against his hold. Youâre shaking with the sensations he is bringing to the surface now. Your hands move from grasping at the sheets to gripping his coiled hair. You think about pulling Jude away, but rather you instinctually hold him still while you grind softly against his mouth, shoving his face further down. Jude groans with approval and takes it. He flattens his tongue against you and instead of pinning you, he holds your waist so he can provide leverage for you.
You shudder and tremble at his allowance. At the way he bends and molds for you to take your pleasure from him. Normally, when you both had run-ins together, he would be in control, rough and leading. Though, that's not what tonight is about. Tonight is about you, and giving you everything you want and how you want it on a silver platter.
Jude realised what worshiping you means, he knows he is begging for forgiveness for dragging his feet when it came to you. And he will do everything in his power to lift you higher, even as you come for the first time that night on his tongue. Because you gave him everythingâand, wellâignored his naivety. But at last, Jude finally understood what that meant to you, and what you meant to him.
It was a blur, the next few moments, you were not really present while Jude shifted your legs off of his shoulders and back onto the bed. Though once you realised the sight in front of you, it didnât take long for you to push yourself up the bed so you were sitting up.
âYou good?â Judeâs voice was soft now, ensuring you were okay; not oblivious to your tired body. You nodded however, a lazy smile spreading on your lips in reassurance, hooded eyes taking him all in. You just wanted to feel all of him.
âPerfect,â you breathed, leaning forward to connect your lips without another word. It was greedy, a few moments of no contact and you were drawn to him again, tasting yourself on his mouth. You just wanted more and more, and the way Judeâs hands flew to your waist showed it was truly reciprocated.
You pushed him slightly to sit down, switching positions so he was resting against the headboard nowâit didnât take much force; Jude was letting you guide him, hands delicately roaming your fatigued frame.
Jude moaned into your mouth the moment your hand wrapped around his length, pumping a few times was the relief heâd been ignoring since you both entered your room.
Jude struggled to kiss back for a mere moment, causing your eyes to flutter open, lips curving upwards at the sight of his face contorted in pleasure. Fuck, you could get used to that image.
âCâmon baby,â Jude rasped out as his hands found a home on your hips, guiding them upwards ever so slightly. âFuck yourself on my cock, yeah? Would you do that? For me?â Despite his usual dominance, his gentle, submissive voice laced with his northern accent made you shiver with thrill. Your arms moved to hold onto his shoulders, enough to help steady you as you guided your hips on top of his, lowering yourself down onto his cock.
The pair of you gasped in sync, your forehead resting against his as you took him all in at once, jaw going slack from the stretch.
You stilled, needing time to adjust to his size, even after being with him for so longâand Jude had no complaints, the feeling of you wrapped around him making him content.
âYou feel sâfucking incredible,â the man rasped, lips brushing against yours as he spoke; and you could only whimper at first, a few deep breaths escaping you.
âSoâahâfucking big,â you moaned; having to swallow intently before mustering the energy to begin moving. You gazed at him hard, slowly riding him.
The closeness and intimacy would usually scare you. Hell, it would normally terrify him.
The vulnerability of it. The weight behind every lingering touch, every confession, every moment where there was no room left to pretend this was something casual. Jude had spent so long convincing himself that keeping things undefined was safer, that putting distance between what he felt and what he admitted was the only way to protect both of you.
But now, Jude accepted it. In fact, he wanted it.
He wasnât pulling away when things started to feel real. He wasnât searching for a reason why it couldnât work or finding some excuse to keep you at armâs length. For once, he wasnât fighting the feeling that had been there all along.
He was letting himself have it. Letting himself choose you.
Your nails dug into his skin once more as you shifted up and down, Judeâs hands only on your skin to ensure he had a hold on youâletting you set the pace as he watched, jaw tense and eyes adoring.
âFuck, Jude,â you whined when heâd bottom out once more, hitting a spot so deep inside of you that your toes were curling. The sound of his own grunts and moans only added to the pleasure.
âDoing so good for me, baby,â his praise only encouraged you, words so delicate. You sped up as much as you could, not too fast but with more urgency than before; as much as your sore body would allow. âSo fucking good.â
It wasnât long before you started to tire, your moans grew whinier but you didnât need to say anything, a choked moan escaping your throat when his hips suddenly thrusted up to meet your movements.
You hadnât thought you could feel more full but you were wrong, and Jude didnât relent as he started fucking up into you.
You were like a doll in his hands, as he started to practically move you up and down his cock; his own hips continuing to thrust up you couldnât keep up, eyes screwing shut as your mouth fell agape.
âOhâOh my God, Jude, fuck,â you were practically chanting; a string of curses and his name; it all felt too good. So perfect, you couldnât comprehend any of it.
âTake it baby, yâdoing so well.â Jude grunted, and you nodded so quickly, like you could ever disappoint him. Fingers reaching to his back and nails dragging across the skinâhis thrusts harsh, not slow, but not too quick that you wouldnât have time to feel every inch of him.
Your head was thrown back, exposing your bare chest further to him, which Jude made the most of for the time being, lips ducking down and attaching to one of your nipples for a few moments. But as your sounds got louder he needed to be able to see your face clearly, hand moving up your back and tangling in your hair to force you to look at him.
âOpen your eyes, please,â he practically insisted, and at this point youâd do anything he said without question; eyes blinking open to look at him.
His stamina was still so impressive, unsurprising, especially anymore, as he bounced you on his cock like you weighed nothing. Though the way Judeâs breaths got shaky and his hooded eyes revealed he was feeling the pleasure like you were.
âWhoâs making you feel this good?â Judeâs question escaped him without much thought; he just needed to hear you say it. Wanted to revel in the fact he had you in such a state, that you still wanted him. Your praise and reassurance held such a high value to him.
âYou, Jude, you,â you whined out in response. You felt his hand move back to your hip, needing to use your own strength now to keep your head upright. âFeels so good,â you told him, squeezing him as you did so.
Jude groaned at the feeling, almost having cummed on the spot; thankfully he didnât, because he needed to see you fall apart one more time.
âYâwant to cum again, yeah? That you want?â his mouth seemed to know no ends, the taunting only making your stomach grow tighter as you nodded to the best of your ability.
His breaths were heavy now, hands travelling to your bottom. He used the plush of your ass as his grip on your body instead.
âWanna hear you say it,â Jude begged, head ducking into the exposed skin of your neck, more kisses pressed onto your skin and the thought of marks being there from the amount of attention heâd paid to it was the last thing on either of your minds.
You were struggling now, too fucked out to process his words as quickly as heâd like, so much so a harsher thrust upwards had you aware you needed to answer him, yet you already forgot what he said. Instead, you just screamed out a moan.
âToo fucked out to form words baby?â Jude teased now that he knew he had your attention; and he chuckled once more when you shook your head quickly. You had your Jude back. âWant to hear you say it.â he repeated, eyes piercing yours.
âWannaâoh, fuckâcum, agh, again,â your words were laced with desperation, needing to take a breath between sentences as his cock spread you open. âPleaseâplease let me cum.â
The manâs hum of satisfaction turned into a moan of pleasure at your plea, sounding and looking so pretty for him, it was clear youâd done enough as you felt his hand snake down between your bodies to your clit.
Your vision went white practically immediately, almost yelping from how sensitive you were; thrown over the edge with little warmth as you came on his cock, practically screaming his name as you did so.
Jude came inside you merely a few seconds later, jaw slack from the sight of you and the way your walls squeezed him once more, only now was his thrusts sloppy as you both rode out your highs.
You were practically limp in his lap, forehead pressed against his bare shoulder as his own head rested against the headboard; loud, heavy and irregular breaths filling the silence.
Judeâs hand gently moved to your head, fingers running through the strands of your hair comfortingly, the action causing you to hum in appreciation. Both of you were content with the silence, purely because neither of you knew exactly what to say, what to do. This was unexpected, to say the least.
After everything that had been said, after all the apologies and truths that had finally been dragged into the open, neither of you really knew what came next. It was strange, sitting here with the person you had spent so long trying to let go of, only to realise that neither of you had ever truly wanted the distance.
Judeâs fingers slowed slightly, his eyes dropping to where his hand rested before looking back at you.
âIâm sorry.â The words were softer this time, though his voice was hoarse after everything. Not rushed, not desperate. Just honest. âIâm so sorry.â
You could hear the weight behind it. Like no matter how many times Jude said it, he still felt like it wouldnât be enough. His thumb brushed lightly against your hair as he looked at you.
âI know Iâve said it alreadyâand Iâm probably ruining the moodâbut I mean it.â There was a small pause as Jude chuckled. âI shouldâve done this sooner.â His gaze softened, âI shouldâve stopped being scared and just told you what I wanted.â
His thumb brushed against your hand, clearing his throat. âSo⊠would you be mine?â
And finally, you heard the words you wanted to hear all along from his lips. You didnât have to think about it. Not because everything that happened suddenly disappeared. Not because the hurt wasnât real or because forgiving him had been easy.
But rather somewhere along the way, you had realised Jude wasnât asking you to forget what heâd done but he was asking you to believe he could do better. And that was the difference.
You squeezed his the nape of his neck gently, watching the tension slowly leave his shoulders as he looked at you.
âYeah,â you whispered.
A small, boyish smile beamed across his face, almost disbelieving. âYeah?â
You laughed softly, shaking your head. âYes. Yes, Jude.â
And for the first time in a long time, there was no uncertainty between you. No wondering where you stood. No trying to decipher what his actions meant.
Just him. Just you. And finally the quiet understanding that this time, you were finally choosing each other.