Thanks as always for reading peoples. I hope this one made you smile.
Money doesn’t stretch far these days. You’ve learned how to make it behave. Bills first. Food next. Everything else is whatever’s left over, if anything is left over.
That “extra” usually becomes something small. A LEGO set. Nothing big. Nothing you have to justify too much. You tell yourself it’s enough. It usually is. It distracts you from the world, helps your mind calm for those 20 minutes or so.
Liam notices things you don’t say out loud. Not in a loud way. Not in a showy way. Just… quietly. Like the way you turn the box over in your hands before opening it when you can afford some Lego. Or how you don’t rush the build. How you slow down when you’re focused, like the rest of the world doesn’t matter for a while.
You’ve caught him watching before.
“You staring?” you asked once.
“Thinking,” he said.
“About what?” He just smiled & walked away. That’s as close as you get to an answer. Liam was you man. Mysterious & dangerous but also would take a bullet for you.
Tonight is late when he comes home. Too late for how tired you are.
You’re on the sofa already, half-finished Lego flowers spread out on the table, small pieces carefully lined up like they matter more than they probably should.
The door clicks open. You look up immediately.
Liam steps in like he always does, calm, controlled, like the night belongs to him.
He shuts the door behind him with his foot.
“Hey,” you say softly.
“Hey, baby.”
His voice is easy. Like he hasn’t just come from whatever world he lives in when he disappears. You sit up slightly.
“You’re late.”
“Job ran long.” Of course it did. But he doesn’t sound in pain or stressed so clearly it went well.
You nod, trying not to read too much into it, but your eyes flick to him anyway.
That’s when you see it. The bag. Big. Heavy. Yellow. Definitely not something he left with.
You frown slightly.
“What’s that?”
He follows your gaze, then looks back at you like he’s already decided how this goes.
“Well paid job,” he says.
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It answers enough.”
You stare at him. He doesn’t move. Just holds your gaze like he’s waiting for you to catch up.
“…Liam.”
“Open it.”
That tone.Simple. Certain.
You hesitate for half a second longer than you mean to, then get up.
The bag is heavier than expected when you pull it closer. You glance at him once more. He just nods. Permission.
You open it & freeze.Because you know that box.
You’ve seen it a hundred times in shops. Online. In passing conversations you never really thought meant anything.
The Millennium Falcon. The big one.
Your breath catches before you can stop it.
“…Liam.”
He doesn’t say anything. Just watches you. Carefully.
You pull it out properly, staring at it like it might disappear if you blink too hard.
“This is…”you laugh under your breath, disbelieving. “This is insane.”
“Yeah,” he says simply.
“You didn’t have to…”
“I did.”
That makes you look up at him. Properly.
“You can’t just bring home something like this.”
“I can.”
“I was fine with the small sets.”
“I know.”
That stops you. You blink.
“…you know?”He shrugs.
“I’ve seen you.” Something shifts in your chest at that. Small but sharp.
“You’ve been watching me build LEGO?”
“I watch you a lot of things,” he says, like it’s nothing at all.
You look back down at the box again, hands still on it, like it anchors you.
“That’s ridiculous,” you say quietly.
“Probably.”
You shake your head, trying to process it.
“This is… so expensive.”
“I know.”
“& you just… what…decided to get it?”
His gaze doesn’t move from you.
“Yeah.”
There’s no explanation after that. No defence. Just certainty. Like that’s all there is to it.
You laugh once, breathless, still holding the box.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Yeah,” he says, stepping closer now. “I’ve heard that.”
You should probably say something else. Something normal. Ask about why not spend the money from this clearly well paid job on something more important. You don’t.
Instead, you set the box down carefully & close the distance between you in one quick step.
Your arms wrap around him before you even think about it. He catches you instantly. Of course he does.
Hands settling at your waist like it’s automatic, like he already knew this was coming.
“You’re insane,” you murmur into his shoulder.
“Mm,” he replies. “You said that already.”
“You bought me the Falcon.”
“I did.”
“The Big Falcon.”
“I’m aware.”
You pull back just enough to look at him. There’s something in your face you don’t bother hiding.
“Why?”
That’s the first time he hesitates. Just slightly.
“I saw you looking at it,” he says. “For months, every time we walk past that shop.”
Simple.
Honest.
“That’s it?” He nods once. That’s it.
Your breath catches again, softer this time.
Then you laugh, small, real & shake your head.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Yeah.”
You don’t overthink it. You just kiss him. Quick at first. Then deeper when he doesn’t pull away.
His hand tightens slightly at your waist, pulling you closer like he’s not interested in letting go anytime soon.
When you break apart, you’re both still too close.
“You’re helping me build it,” you say. He huffs a quiet laugh.
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“You don’t get to bring home a Millennium Falcon & walk away from consequences.”
That earns you a proper smile this time.
“Guess I’m staying then.” You soften.
“Yeah,” you say.
His hand stays at your waist a second longer than necessary.
“Yeah,” he repeats quietly. “But I’m no good with any Lego stickers.” The room falls into soft laughter again before your lips meet once more.
Hi. I've started another wip. Welcome to the Liam fic, where Buck adopts a 4 year old boy who he rescued from a house fire. This is set just before the beginning of season 4, pre covid, and will span season 4. Pls enjoy a bit of the beginning!
“LAFD! Are you hurt?”
He doesn’t give time for response before ripping back the shower curtain. Inside the bathtub cowers a young boy, a few years younger than Christopher at first glance. His face is smudged with soot, with identical lines carved through the grime as tears streak down his face. He’s dressed in a pair of dinosaur pyjamas that are slightly too big for him, making him look so tiny and vulnerable.
“Hey,” Buck says gently as he crouches beside the bathtub, trying to steady his voice. “My name’s Buck, what’s yours?”
The boy stares up at him with big, terrified eyes, trembling as he takes in Buck’s appearance. He doesn’t answer, cowering into the side of the tub as he tries to make himself as small as possible. Throwing all common sense to the wind, Buck rips off his mask and helmet, running a gloved hand through his hair. The air isn’t as thick with smoke in here, but Buck still taste the acrid smoke as it enters his lungs. He wants to get the kid out of here, sooner rather than later.
“How old are you?” he tries again.
The kid holds up 4 shaking fingers and he wipes his nose with the back of his hand, smearing soot and snot over his face.
“Wow, four years old! You’re such a brave little guy!” Buck holds out his hand to the boy. “Shall we get you out of here? I’m a firefighter, and my partner, Eddie, is just outside here.”
Slowly, the kid takes Buck’s hand and gets to his feet. His legs shake, reminding Buck a little of a newborn deer, and he clutches his arms around himself as he looks with fear at the inferno beyond the bathroom door.
“I want my daddy,” the boy says tremulously, his lower lip wobbling as more tears spill over his cheeks. “Where’s my daddy?”
Buck doesn’t know what to say, and his heart aches so much for the boy that he feels a genuine twinge behind his ribcage. Instead, he gently lifts the boy into his arms, settling the fragile body against his hip. The kid clings to his neck and allows Buck to fix the oxygen mask over his head, taking in the first breaths of clean oxygen in well over an hour.
“Lets get you outside and then we can try find your parents,” Buck says gruffly, before reaching for his radio.
“Cap, we’ve got a live one, 4-year-old male. Parents are both black tagged. Eddie and I are coming out now.”
The radio crackles to life, startling the boy who jolts in Buck’s arms.
“Copy that, Buck. Be careful.”
@lonelychicago @vanmarkus @wildlife4life @wikiangela (sorry if I've forgotten anyone, it's been a hot second since I tagged for buddie. pls lmk if you want to be added or removed)
Summary: This a series of little drabbles for a couples of love interests from The Royal Romance and Open Heart talking to MC’s pregnant belly.
Parings: (TRR) Liam x MC, Drake x MC, Maxwell x MC. (Open heart) Ethan x MC & Bryce x MC.
Word count: 753
I hope you like it!
~THE ROYAL ROMANCE~
Liam:
Liam and Riley lay comfortably in their lavish bedroom inside the Royal Palace. “We don’t have a name for you just yet, Little Love,” Liam murmured quietly, not to wake Riley after she’d finally managed to drift off to sleep after a war with her pregnancy-induced insomnia. Liam gently laid his large hand over Riley’s protruding stomach. “...But we can’t wait to meet you, Princess, and neither can any of our friends. You are going to be so loved, you already are-”
“Li?”
Liam started to panic, he’d woken her but he hadn’t meant to. When he looked up Riley was grinning widely but sleepily. “Yes, Love?”
“You are so adorable,” Riley laughed as Liam leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips.
“So are you.”
Drake:
He couldn’t stop smiling which was a very welcomed change. The permanent smile only grew when the couple discovered they’re having a little girl.
“It tickles!” Riley squealed as Drake continued peppering kisses on her bare stomach.
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Drake said truthfully, the grin growing if that was even possible. Riley took his hands as he look up at her, both of them smiling wildly.
“Neither can I.”
Maxwell:
“Dancing Shoes, Max?” Riley questioned as she took the teeny tiny shoes out of their box. She side-eyed her husband, “She’s hasn’t even been born yet…What if she doesn’t like dancing?”
Maxwell looked rather offended at his wife’s question. “Of course, she will. I’m her dad.” Maxwell came to stand behind Riley, wrapping her arms around her waist and putting on his hands on her protruding bump. He felt a powerful kick against his hands. “That is unborn baby for ‘I love dancing, dad.’ Isn’t that right Tiny Blossom?” She kicked against him again. “See, she’s agrees with me.”
~OPEN HEART~
Ethan:
Ethan couldn’t sleep. Today had been simply one of the best days of his life. He turned over onto his side to face Casey who was sleeping sounding. Her eyes drifted down to her belly.
“It’s been a really long day,” Ethan whispered, “But one of the best by far. We heard your heartbeat today…” He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “I never thought I’d have children. It just wasn’t in the cards for me but then your mom came along and everything changed.” Ethan gently laid a hand on her tummy, careful not to wake her. “I can’t wait to meet you.”
“Ethan?” He immediately stopped talking, embarrassed he’d been caught. “What time is it?” She asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
He glanced at the clock, “Nearly midnight.”
“What are you doing?” Casey questioned, noticing his hand on her belly.
Ethan cleared his throat, his cheeks flushing crimson, “I’m having alone time with the baby. Now, go to sleep, Rookie.”
Bryce:
“You’re gonna be the coolest kid,” Bryce insisted as he leaned over on the couch so he was closer to Casey’s belly. “I mean you already are and I bet you’re going to be gorgeous. Just like your mom.”
“Are you seriously talking to my belly again?” Casey asked, looking down at Bryce with a raised brow.
“Case, she needs to recognise my voice without hesitation when she pops out,” Bryce explained, “She should hear me and immediately know who I am.”
“Babe, you’ve been talking to her none stop- even before she had ears. She’ll know who you are.”
Bryce grinned and placed his hand on her belly. Both their eyes immediately went wide when their daughter kicked harshly against Bryce’s hand. They both shared excited glances. “Did she just-”
“Yeah,” Casey confirmed, letting out a small giggle “That felt so weird.”
“The first kick was for me,” Bryce insisted, with a big, smug, excited grin plastered across his face.
“Technically, she kicked both of us.” Casey shifted in her seat, her hand going to her belly when it happened again. “That’s so weird,” She laughed, “Gosh, she’s a rowdy little monkey,” She giggled as it continued.
Bryce leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips. “I’m her favourite though,” he decided as he pulled away.
“You can keep telling yourself that buddy but It won’t make it true.”
____________________________________________-
This isn’t a new fic. I have shared this fic on my previous blog from 2 years ago so it it sounds familiar that’s why.
Preference de um parto humanizado em casa, eles ajudando as esposas, fazendo massagem, dando apoio e forças, cm os 5 meninos por favor
Ficou um pouco grande e me perdoe por isso mas espero que goste, pois fiz com muito carinho e quis ser mais realista possível.
Eu amei muito a ideia é coloquei um pouco da minha experiência de parto✨
Preference # Parto Humanizado.
S/n p.o.v
Hoje o dia não estava dos melhores, desde que acordei tudo me incomodava, desde minha barriga que já pesava muito, a movimentação dos afazeres diários e a pequena pontada em minha lombar desde que pisei os pés no chão pela manhã. No dia de hoje eu completava 40 semanas e 4 dias, minha ansiedade estava a mil, já se passará do dia que estimavam o nascimento do nosso bebê. Um lindo menininho que em minha última eco com 39 semanas, já pesava 3.045kgs e 48 cm era um bebê bem grande.
Desde que tomei a decisão do parto humanizado em casa meu marido tem sido compreensivo, apesar da sua preocupação de eu não escolher o hospital, ele aceitou bem e praticamente traria o hospital até mim no dia do parto, de tantos médicos, enfermeiros e parteiras que contratou para tudo sair perfeito e mais confortável para este momento único.
No começo do anoitecer começou a piorar as pontadas eu senti que seria hoje, o meu coração parecia que iria pular para fora de emoção, o medo tomou um pouco conta de mim, eu já havia ouvido tantas coisas sobre como o parto pode ser aterrorizante e agora que estava prestes a acontecer não sei se me encontrava tão preparada quando eu achava.
Harry:
— Hey amor o que foi? — Ele estava deitando ao meu lado da cama vendo algo que já nem sabia mais.
— Acho que é hoje.
— Tem certeza? — Ele virou-se me olhando apreensivo.
— Bom, se essa dor que estou sentindo não for do trabalho de parto, eu não nem quero saber como é as dores reais — eu choraminguei.
— Calma meu amor eu estou aqui, vai da tudo certo. — ele pegou minha mão acariciando. — Vá, tome um banho para relaxar um pouco, eu vou pegar nosso plano de parto no quarto do bebê e preparar tudo conforme você deixou orientado lá tudo bem ? — Seus lábios quentes em minha testa eram reconfortante. — Tudo sairá como planejamos, nosso menino chegará logo. — Harry cantarolou até me levar ao banheiro.
Após o banho a equipe que contratamos haviam chegado, passaram a checar os batimentos do bebê, inflavam e enchiam a banheira no nosso quarto, eles revezavam pra ficava comigo, tudo estava bem. A partir daí eu tinha que levantar e ficar apoiada em Harry durante as contrações. A respiração e as massagens nas costas ajudavam muito e estava tudo incrivelmente suportável, ficamos assim por algumas horas, eu notei que as contrações estavam vindo mais intensas e doloridas se intensificando muito, eu tentava me manter focada.
— Calma, você consegue, eu estou aqui com você, respira meu amor. — Harry repetia para mim, enquanto eu apertava seus pulsos.
Num determinado momento me ofereceram para entrar na banheira. Não sei se eu já estava nesse ponto de precisar da água para acalmar, mas aceitei, a sensação foi incrível, mas bateu um medo de desandar tudo.De repente , a dor estava insuportável e eu não conseguia achar posição confortável e comecei a ficar meio desesperada, Harry ajoelhou-se ao meu lado me ofereceu suas mãos para eu segurar nas contrações novamente. “Eu amo você, você é uma mulher forte e incrível” Sussurrava em meu ouvido, mas ainda doía demais, muito e eu precisava gritar.
Em pensamento, pedi desculpas às pessoas ali e gritei. MUITO FORTE. Usava minha voz para botar pra fora toda aquela dor. Comecei a dizer que não ia dar, não tinha mais forças,ouvi Harry dizer palavras de apoio que faltava pouco, que nosso bebê estava chegando. Agarrei ao meu marido quase o puxando por inteiro para água comigo e comecei a fazer toda força que eu podia em cada contração.
Até que, enfim, senti meu gorduchinho nascendo, o Harry e a Doutora estavam de plantão para pegá-lo, já que minha posição não me permitia. Logo em seguida, com ajuda virei e sentei de volta na banheira, nosso pequeno foi colocado no meu peito, eu nunca vou esquecer a delícia de sentir seu corpinho quente e escorregadio junto ao meu. Nem bem saiu e já começou a chorar alto e forte, aquele som preencheu toda a casa. Choramos junto.
— Eu te amo — saiu dos lábios de Harry, ainda sem acreditar no que tinha acontecido.
Liam:
Ele havia preparo um jantar romântico para me distrair um pouco desta anciedade que é esperar pelo nascimento.
— A comida está ruim? – Seu olhar confuso me fez rir um pouco.
— Não amor, apenas estou com dor.
— Contração ? — se levantou rapidamente e ficou ao meu lado.
— Sim, eu acho.
— Vamos monitorar meu amor, se ficarem próximas é que nosso bebê está chegando.– Suas mãos esfregavam as minhas costas, Liam já havia passado por isso então sua calma até me irritava.
As contrações começaram a ficar de 5 em 5 minutos, chamamos a equipe, lembro de Liam me vendo sentada com as dores, de imediato ele já disse, vamos se mexer pra melhorar o desconforto e a dor meu amor.
Alguns exercícios de respiração e massagem na lombar aliviou as contrações, o apoio psicológico que a Liam estava me dando foi mais que essencial. “Menos uma amor para o Noah estar em nossos braços, aguente firme eu estou aqui com você.”Fui para o chuveiro pra ver se aliviava as dores, porém quando sai desabei no choro, achei que tivesse chegado meu limite, foi nessa hora que Liam fez mais diferença ainda, ele entrou com roupa e tudo me abraçou e ficou ali comigo por um longo tempo, dizendo o quanto eu era forte, corajosa e que me amava.
Depois de me recuperar e tomar forças fui para a piscina, a água quentinha e ainda tinha bastante dores, estava muito cansada parecia uma eternidade, comecei a ter vontade de fazer força, meu corpo já estava preparado para expulsar nosso bebê para fora.
— Amor acho que não consigo, estou tão cansada. — implorei para Liam.
Liam entrou comigo segurando minha mão.
— Você é forte, vai conseguir, eu sei disso, todos estamos aqui para você meu amor.
Aquelas palavras me deram quase que um último suspiro de vida para meu corpo fraquejado.Fiz a maior força que pude junto com o mais alto dos gritos e saiu a cabecinha da nosso pequeno, na próxima força saiu o corpinho e assim a dor sumiu.
Tivemos contato pele a pele de imediato, seu corpinho colado ao meu, o papai chorão ao lado cortou o cordão, foi um alívio, um momento que nunca iria esquecer.
Niall:
Fazia um tempinho que estava sentada na bola enquanto Niall monitorava minhas contrações só por checkup, desde o momento em que comecei planejar ele sempre foi muito preocupado e agora não estava sendo diferente.
As contrações vinham a cada 5 minutos, mas duravam menos de 1 minuto cada. Estavam um pouco mais intensas, mas eu ainda conversava durante elas, então sabia que ainda não era uma fase de parto ativa, mas Niall todo preocupado já tinha deixados todos avisados para correrem quando fosse a hora. Quando as dores começaram a se intensificar decidir tomar um banho e estava tão desconfortável e piorando que gritei para Niall me tirar dali.
“Pode vir. Chegou a hora. Preciso muito de vocês aqui” Ele já estava no telefone com a chefe da equipe que cuidaria do parto.
Quando a equipe chegou, ela começou a trabalhar no ambiente para que o parto ocorresse. Forraram a minha cama, encheram a banheira de água para o parto, acenderam as velas, desligaram as luzes. Eu estava ali com a meu marido ao cheiro de óleo de lavanda e escutando ele dizer palavras confortáveis “ Eu amo você, vamos conseguir, saiba que você está linda, eu estou aqui, logo veremos nosso bebê” Saiam da boca dele.
Naquele momento estava tudo muito intenso. Eu não tinha pausa entre uma contração e a próxima, mal conseguia recuperar o ar, virei pra Niall segurando forte em sua mão.
— Amor eu não estou mais aguentando, se continuar assim eu quero ir para o Hospital tomar anestesia. – Eu não queria parto hospitalar, eu não queria anestesia, mas naquele momento eu estava me perdendo.
— Calma meu amor você vai conseguir, nosso bebê está vindo, aguenta mais um pouquinho. – Ele massageava minhas costas tentando me dar algum conforto.
Escutei a parteira falar com a assistente que o bebê nasceria nos próximos 30 minutos e resolveram me colocar na piscina. Aquilo me encheu de força e motivação e ali eu fui forte. As contrações eram fortes mas bem mais suaves do que as que eu sentia antes de estar na água. Eu me encontrara completamente imersa na situação, consciente e ao mesmo tempo inconsciente do que estava acontecendo ao meu redor, eu fiz força e meu bebê coroou. Niall estava atrás de mim na banheira fazendo massagens em minha lombar dando todo um apoio.
A cabeça do nosso bebê saiu, estava ali na água, na próxima contração fiz força de novo e o corpo saiu completamente sozinho, sem ninguém puxar. Meu bebê soube nascer. Meu corpo soube parir, eu tive forças para conseguir ir até o fim. A parteira segurou ele na água e levou ele imediatamente para os meus braços, ele deu um resmungo, mas não chorou, eu segurei o meu menino nos meus braços. Às 23h36 nasceu o Joshua. Eu nasci de novo também.
— Olha o que eu fiz! Tirei um ser humano de dentro de mim e de forma 100% natural!— disse ao Niall me sentindo a pessoa mais incrível do mundo inteiro.
— Eu te amo meu amor você é a mulher mais incrível desse mundo, muito obrigada por passar por tudo isso por nós. — Nós estávamos ali. Era mágico, era sublime!
Louis:
Às 22 horas, a bolsa rompeu e as contrações aumentaram de intensidade e ficaram regulares. Liguei para Louis que estava gravando uma nova demo, ele ainda achou que era brincadeira, depois de uma contração e intensa durante a ligação ele entendeu que era sério e veio correndo para casa.
Começamos a arrumar o cenário, arrastamos a cama, trouxemos o colchonete, acendemos as velas, escolhemos os CDs, depois da meia noite, a super equipe chegou. “Não é que o negócio era sério mesmo? Lou comentou aliviado “Tá todo mundo aqui!”. Me fez rir um pouco, distraindo do foco principal.
Eu achava que a evolução do meu trabalho de parto seria rápida, mas quando me examinaram levei um susto; colo do útero grosso, 1 cm de dilatação a noite ia ser longa. Lou fez uma massagem, eu ainda tentei dormir um pouco, mas não consegui, acabei indo para a cozinha conversar um pouco. As contrações estavam aumentando e a Doutora sugeriu que eu fosse para a banheira para relaxar um pouco. Fiquei horas na banheira, ouvindo música, à luz de velas, Louis cantarolando para nosso bebê.
Apesar das dores, eu me sentia feliz, sintonizada com o meu corpo, durante a madrugada, as contrações foram ficando bem fortes, mas a dilatação progredia lentamente. De manhãzinha, estava com 4 cm, bastante cansada e com muita dor. Resolvi deitar um pouco, cheguei a cochilar entre uma contração e outra, logo depois da soneca dui caminhar no quintal, tomar sol, e Lou e eu ficamos dançando na grama.
— Amor vai dar tudo certo, sei que está demorando bem mais do que pensavamos, mas tudo bem, ele virá no seu tempo, eu amo você.
— Eu também te amo.
As horas foram passando, a dor beirava do insuportável. Tudo doía: os ossos da bacia, a perna, a barriga. Se eu estivesse no hospital, nessa hora teria pedido anestesia com certeza - aliás, teria pedido bem antes, ainda bem que não estava, a equipe e o Louis se revezavam fazendo massagem nas minhas costas nas contrações me ajudando a continuar focada. Perdi a noção do tempo e nem sei que horas eram quando a me examinaram de novo e disse que o neném estava vindo.
Chamamos todo mundo, e eu resolvi ficar no banheira eu me sentei nela, apoiada atrás do meu marido, a vontade de fazer força era incontrolável, ao mesmo tempo uma impressão horrível de que vai arrebentar tudo, eu senti perfeitamente o bebê entrar na bacia, girar, continuava doendo muito, mas agora era diferente, estava nascendo, eu me sentia cheia de energia. A Doutora colocou minha mão e a do Lou na cabecinha do bebê, já estava uma boa parte para fora, de repente, uma força grande, a Doutora ainda tentou segurar para a cabeça sair devagar, mas não deu, meu bebê saiu com tudo.
O tempo parou, peguei meu filho no colo, olhei para as pessoas ali todas estavam emocionadas, chorando, o Louis me abraçando, senti vontade de chorar também , me senti vitoriosa, poderosa, redimida.
— Conseguimos– digo e beijo os lábios do homem o qual escolhi para viver este momento mágico comigo.
Zayn:
Me perguntei: será que é exatamente como as pessoas contam, de tempo em tempo certinho? Fui procurar um relógio para verificar. Não era que estavam espaçadas de 30 em 30? Mas não estava acreditando que o dia havia chegado. Me contive e esperei Zayn chegar do trabalho, às 22 horas. Contei para ele que estava com contrações e não sabia se eram as de verdade.
—Liga pra parteira.—Zayn sempre gostou de resolver as coisas rápido mas como eu sabia que todo o trabalho de parto duraria horas, e já estava tarde, não queria incomodar.
— Já está tarde amor, não sei se realmente são contrações do parto.— disse calmamente.
A pedido do meu marido, que ficou insistindo muito,liguei apenas para informá-la do que estava sentindo. Ela fez algumas perguntas, disse não parecer com contrações de teste e avisou que iria dar um pulinho na minha casa, para me observar.
Ela chegou as 01:00 da manhã, escutou o bebê e observou as minhas contrações e as minhas caretas. Avisou que realmente nosso bebê estava a caminho e disse que não iria adiantar ficar lá porque iria demorar algumas horinhas mais. Foi pra casa na promessa de que iria retornar ás 10:00 da manhã.
Confesso que fiquei preocupada. Como assim, eu em trabalho de parto e sozinha? Mas sabia que iria demorar e de tantos relatos que li, só me lembrei de mulheres que nessa espera foram caminhar na praia, namorar, então resolvi dormir. Não consegui dormir profundamente porque acordava a cada contração,Zayn sempre acordava junto para ver como eu estava.
Quando foi 11 horas da manhã a parteira chegou de mala e com todos os seus aparatos, inclusive uma piscina inflável. Até esse momento, as contrações estavam suportáveis e foi feito o primeiro e único exame de toque. Estava com zero de dilatação.
—Como assim? Desde as 7 da noite anterior minha mulher sofrendo e nada? Ai meu Deus…— Zayn aparentava-se muito nervoso.
—Calma papai, você acha que eu cheguei agora por que?— disse para ele .—Agora que o show vai começar.— ela complementou. Dito e feito. As contrações começaram a doer com vontade a partir dali.
Colocamos as músicas que eu havia separado para este momento, tiramos milhares de fotos, e as dores iam aumentando. A cada contração, eu perguntava se iria doer mais do que isso, Zayn sempre ao meu lado tentando me acalmar, enchemos a piscina com água quente e foi quando eu percebi uma ligeira melhora nas contrações, ligeira mesmo. Fiquei na banheira, urrando de dor a cada contração, Zayn estava lá comigo segurando minhas mãos e massageando minhas costas,sentia que estava perto do momento final.Mas aí eu surtei, não queria mais ficar na banheira e tudo me irritava.
— Eu não quero mais, me leva pro hospital, tá doendo muito! Zayn, amor por favor?!— implorei a ele.
A parteira já havia lhe informado de que quando a dor estivesse insuportável e eu pedisse para ir ao hospital é porque estaria chegando a hora. Então ela apenas o relembrou de que precisava se manter calmo e me manter calma.
Olhava para o meu marido e pedia.
—Me leva!Por favor! Zayn.— eu quase gritava pra ele.
—Calma, tá quase! Aguenta mais um pouco. — Os olhos dele cheios de lágrimas tentando ser forte. — Era seu sonho meu amor ter um parto natural em casa.— ele beijava minha mão, repetidas vezes.
Eu não aguentava mais e só pensava nos vídeos que assisti onde mulheres estavam rindo, dançando, de como eu não me parecia nem um pouco com elas. Foi aí que pedi para sentar no banquinho próprio para parto, não demorou muito e já dava para ver o cabelinho dele, acho que foram alguns minutos nessa agonia até que senti uma contração muito forte e a cabeça do nosso filho saiu primeiro. A parteira me avisou que na próxima contração não era para fazer força que o corpinho dele ia ser expulso normalmente, não escutei nada do que ela disse, era tanta dor que continuei fazendo força mesmo sem ter contração que ele saiu igual um foguete!
Mas era lindo! Limpinho, todo perfeitinho e quase não chorou. Foi imediatamente para os meus braços e os braços do Zayn que estava atrás de mim na mesma hora que o meu filho nasceu, toda a dor e fraqueza passaram e nada mais importava, apenas nós três. Nossa pequena e perfeita família.
Originally posted on 'Softdaddypayno', I hope you enjoy x
°•°•°•°
Your heard the keys in the door lock, you knew it was Liam, he had texted you an hour ago to tell you he would be home soon. When he walked in you were curled up on the couch, wearing your favourite pair or pajama bottoms, the pink one with unicorns on it and a white tank top. A blanket was covering your feet and you had a steaming cup of tea in your hands. Something was playing on Netflix but you were not really paying attention. You were having one of those days where everything was pissing you off and making you cranky. It had started when you woke up and Liam told you there was an emergency at the studio and he needed to go even if he was supposed to be free all day. Then you had opened the blinds in your bedroom only to find out it was rainy and gloomy even if it was supposed to be sunny. And to top it all off you had seen something stupid on Twitter and it hadn't helped in making you feel better.
Liam removed his boots and put his jacket in the hall closet before joining you in the living room. He sat next to you and put his hand on your ankle, squeezing it gently. He didn't talk, he knew it was better to not talk to you when you were like this. You were grateful he knew you so well. Not much could put you in a better mood but his presence next to you was comforting and you appreciated him for being there. He was always there for you. You looked at him and gave him a small smile. Liam moved closer and took your untouched cup of tea from your hands and put it on the coffee table. He wrapped his arms around you and brought your body closer to his. You felt great in his arms and your body relaxed immediately. Suddenly your day didn't seem as bad as it felt just a few minutes ago. Liam had came home earlier than he was supposed to and it had stopped raining. For the dumbass online, well there wasn't much you could do but block them.
You closed your eyes and turned your head to nuzzle at his neck. You and took a deep breath, Liam smelled so good and it always made you feel safe to smell him. You knew nothing bad could happen when you were in his arms. You opened your eyes and pressed a soft kiss to the side of his neck before you took another deep breath and sighed loudly.
One of Liam's hand made its way under your tank top, he rested it on your stomach, his thumb slowly tracing circles on your skin but not moving otherwise. A shiver ran through your body and you let your eyes fall shut again and pressed another open mouth kiss on his neck. Liam sighed and his hand moved higher, it was now right under your left boob. Liam was teasing you, you knew it. You were not in the mood for teasing. You took his hand and moved it up so he was cupping your breast and Liam let out a soft chuckle. He palmed it gently, letting his thumb rubs your nipple until it hardened under it. It felt great.
Liam turned his head and captured your lips in a soft kiss. You immediately opened your mouth and sucked on his tongue. He moved his hand to your right boob and you moaned into the kiss when he rolled your nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
“Would it made you feel better if I ate you out?” he whispered against your lips. He knew you too well and knew exactly what would put you in a better mood. You nodded and you suddenly felt hot all over and you needed your pajama pants gone. Liam smiled and removed his hands from under your tank top and he took you by your hips. Gently he laid you down on the couch under him. He pecked your lips gently before he kissed your neck, sucking a mark, making you whimper. His hands pushed your tank top up and you lifted your arms to help Liam get rid of it. The cold air made you shiver and Liam leaned it and kissed your chest, he started at your collarbones, nipping gently at the skin. He kept kissing his way down until he reached your breast. He circled your left nipple with the tip of his tongue before sucking it harshly between his plush lips. His hand was on your other boob, palming it while he kept sucking on your nipple, making your back arch from the couch. He kissed his way between your breast and he replaced his hand by his mouth, giving the same treatment to your right nipple. His left hand was slowly trailing down your ribs making your skin tingle. You sighed when he let go of your nipple but he kept kissing his way lower, peppering kisses all over your stomach. Both of his hands were on your hips and you pushed them up, a subtle hint that you wanted your pants gone already.
“Be patient, love,” he laughed and you glared at him.
Liam hooked his fingers in the elastic band of your pajama pants and slowly started to lower them down revealing a pair of lacy black knickers. Liam looked up and smirked but he said nothing. You had been feeling like shit all day and you loved wearing thing that made you feel good about yourself in these moments, so you had decided to slip in one of your favourite pair of sexy underwear. It also happened to be Liam's favourite. Liam rapidly place a kiss under your belly button and kept lowering your pants down. Once they reached your ankles, you wiggled your feet and let the pants fall on the ground, leaving you in only your black knickers under Liam.
Liam sat on his knees between your legs, letting his hands caress your thighs and calves.
“Fuck, you're gorgeous babe,” he whispered before leaning in and kissing your hips. You sucked in a breath when Liam took your left leg and hooked it over his shoulder. He kissed the inside of your thighs, stopping to suck a mark on the sensitive skin and letting his beard scratching your skin just the way you liked. He let his right hand slide up your thigh until he reached the hem of your panties. He kept kissing your thighs without touching your pussy. You groaned low in your throat and you gripped his hair trying to bring his head where you wanted it. He lifted his head and smirked at you. The little shit.
“Liam,” you whined and he finally decided to put you out of your misery. He let his fingers trailed up to your pussy. He slowly caressed it through the thin material of your knickers and you could feel yourself getting wet. Your back arched when Liam applied a bit more pressure over your aching clit.
“Fuck babe, you're so wet for me already,” Liam moaned before he kissed your pussy through the lace. He hooked his thumb under the elastic band and pushed your underwear to the side, he looked up and locked his eyes with your, slowly licking his lips before he leaned in and licked a long stripe from your entrance to your clit. He wrapped his lips around it and sucked gently, never breaking eye contact. Your breath was ragged and small whimpers were escaping your throat. You groaned when Liam pulled back. He pulled down your knickers and dropped them on the floor with your pajama pants.
Liam put his hands on the inside of your thighs and pushed your legs open wider leaving you even more exposed than before. He looked you up and down before he dived back in, placing open mouth kisses all over your pussy. You felt his fingers slipping through your wet folds, slowly pushing into you as he sucked on your clit. Your back arched from the couch and your hands gripped his hair tightly. Liam moaned around your clit and you clenched around his fingers at the sensation.
Liam let go of your clit to lap messily around his fingers pumping in and out of you at a steady pace. His fingers were thick and they felt so good inside of you, your eyes were rolling in the back of your head. You pushed your hips up, grinding against his face making a mess of his beard. You couldn't see it but you knew his lips were red and puffy and his bears would be wet from your juice. You ground against Liam again and he increased the pace of his fingers. When he found that spot you let out a scream of pleasure and you could feel him smirk against you.
You wouldn't last very long, not with Liam's hands and mouth on you. Yours legs were shaking and your body kept convulsing. You tighten your grip on his hair and kept grinding against his face, meeting each thrust of his fingers inside of you.
“C'mon babe, fuck yourself on my fingers, I want you to come” growled Liam.
The muscles in your stomach tightened and you could feel your orgasm building inside of you. Your mouth was hanging open and no sounds were coming out. You were feeling dizzy from all the sensation all at once. Your hips were moving against your will and your legs were shaking.
“I'm go-onna come Li-am,” you stuttered and Liam wrapped his lips around your clit again, giving it one last harsh suck and you were coming on his fingers and face. Liam kept his fingers inside of you but he slowed down the pace. His tongue was gently lapping are your juices until you pushed his head away, feeling over sensitive.
Liam chuckled when you pushed him away and he sat back on the couch between your legs. He slipped his fingers out of you and you whimpered at the loss. He put his hands were on your thighs caressing them gently while you tried to catch your breath.
“Feeling better now?” Liam asked and you shot him a tired smile. You were actually feeling a lot better. You also felt very tired. Liam got up from the couch and put his arms under your limp body. You wrapped your arms around his neck and you let him carry you to your bedroom. Liam gently deposited you on the bed and he rapidly got undressed. He laid next to you and covered both of your body with the duvet. He put his arms around your waist and kept your body close to his.
“You're still hard,” you yawned when you felt his hard cock press against your arse.
“Don't worry about me,” Liam said as he moved his hips away from you.
“But-”
“No ‘but’, love,” interrupted Liam, “you're tired. Now be a good girl, sleep and maybe I'll fuck you when we wake up,” Liam whispered, lips directly against the shell of your ear, sending shivers down your spine.
Liam pressed a kiss against the back of your neck and you fell asleep almost immediately.
Series Summary: Liam and Ali thought that their relationship was perfect, but their whole world came crashing down when Constantine called him back to Cordonia. Four years later they meet again at Liam’s bachelor party, determined to make things between them work even if it isn’t always easy.
In this AU, Liam and MC (Ali Moonessar) dated for a year in New York while Leo was still crown prince. They broke up when Constantine asked Liam to come back to Cordonia, but they meet again at Liam’s bachelor party before the social season. The story will contain flashbacks, which will be italicized, of their relationship and follow them as they try to navigate the season with Ali as a suitor. I’ve messed around with the timeline a bit so that it fits the story better. I’ve also added in a few OCs of my own.
Pairing: Liam x MC (Ali Moonessar) Platonic! Drake x MC
DISCLAIMER: I’ve changed up the timeline of the social season a bit to fit my story better. I’ve based it off of some research I did on the British Social Season.
A/N: The flashback of this chapter picks up right after the flashback from the one in chapter 11 and was one of my favorites to write! I also really channeled my inner Gossip Girl for the article lol. This is my first time ever posting a fic. Please let me know if you enjoyed it and would like to read more. I thrive on validation, lol. Thanks for reading!
Catch Up: Masterlist
Liam approached the door to his and Drake’s apartment with Bastien trailing closely behind him. He had worked through the morning and was able to get back to the apartment in time for lunch. Bastien, who had been with Leo for the past few months, had managed to get himself switched over onto Liam’s guard for a few days so he could check in on Drake.
Liam, who had expected to have to drag Drake out of bed and hide all of the alcohol in the apartment for the rest of the day, was surprised to hear loud music playing from somewhere in the apartment. He furrowed his brows when he recognized the song to be Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! from the Mamma Mia soundtrack. It was something he only knew because Ali liked the movie so much.
Liam and Bastien both approached the kitchen cautiously, neither one of them sure what to expect, and were met with the sight of Ali and Drake, both bent over the stove. They each had their faces inches away from a frying pan, where they seemed to be studying a cooking pancake very closely.
“It’s time to flip it,” Drake said, his brow furrowed in concentration.
“Not yet,” Ali responded. “It’s too soon.”
“No, it’s bubbling. I’m going to flip it.”
“Hold on! Just a few more seconds,” she responded, grabbing his arm to keep it at his side. “Okay, now!”
Liam and Bastien watched as Drake slowly lifted a spatula and placed it under the pancake. Both he and Ali still had their faces as close to the pan as they could get without getting burned.
“Careful. Careful! CAREFUL!” Ali repeated the word more intensely each time as Drake slowly lifted the pancake and flipped it over to reveal that it was perfectly browned on the other side.
“YES!” they both screamed at the same time, jumping up from their spot and pulling each other into a hug.
Liam held back a smile and cleared his throat. The both pulled away and Ali smiled even wider when she saw him.
“Liam!” she said happily.
She was about to launch herself into his arms when she caught sight of Bastien beside him and straightened her posture.
“I, uh, mean, Prince Liam,” she said, trying to make her voice sound casual and nodding in his direction.
“It’s okay. That’s just Bastien,” Drake said.
“Hi, Bastien. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Ali!” she said, smiling happily again.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Bastien said, holding back a confused smile himself as he took in the scene before him.
“What are the two of you doing,” Liam asked.
“I wanted pancakes. This is the first one we haven’t burned yet,” Ali said, pointing at a stack of burnt pancakes on the counter, as Drake hummed along to the music.
“Are you drunk,” Liam asked, placing his hands on her waist and bringing his face close to hers so he could smell her breath.
“No,” Ali tried to say with her mouth closed, her eyes going wide to attempt a look of innocence.
Liam raised his brows, giving her a knowing look.
“Maybe a little,” she said, bringing her hand up and placing her thumb and forefinger together to symbolize “a little”. “But, it’s all Drake’s fault. He was all sad, and he got me sad, so we played that game to feel better.”
“Game?” Liam asked.
“Yeah. That game. Drake, what was the name of the game?” she said, her face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to remember the name of it.
Drake, who had been previously bopping his head to the song and mumbling “Is there a man out there? Someone to hear my prayer” under his breath, jumped out of his reverie.
“Never Have I Ever,” he said.
Liam was about to respond when the smell of burnt pancakes filled the air. He immediately turned to shut the burner off and remove the burnt pancake from the stove before looking back over to the two of them. He sighed, realizing that at least this was better than Drake being completely depressed.
“Why don’t you two go sit on the couch while I finish the pancakes,” Liam said to the two of them.
Ali looked over at Drake hesitantly.
“Do you want to remind him that he can’t cook or should I?” she dropped her voice into what she thought was a whisper but was actually just her regular voice in a higher octave.
“You do it. He likes you more than me,” Drake responded in the same tone.
Liam looked over to Bastien, who was now desperately trying to hold in his laughter, and rolled his eyes.
“I think I can manage. You go,” he said corralling them into the living room.
He returned to the kitchen to the sound of their giggles coming from the living room and smiled at the thought of the two most important people in his life getting along.
~~~~~~
Lady Alison Moonessar and Drake Walker’s Hidden Romance
Lady Alison Moonessar of House Beaumont is the newest lady on the social scene vying for Prince Liam’s hand in marriage. We first saw Lady Alison the night of (and the morning after!) Prince Liam’s bachelor party in New York. She claims that she and the Prince are “just two old friends who have managed to find their way back into each other’s lives”, and we’ve all been trying to figure out just how “friendly” they are with each other since. I mean, “old friends” don’t kiss each other like that! But, what we didn’t see coming was her relationship with the Prince’s best friend, the tall, dark, and handsome Drake Walker. You know, the guy in the denim shirt that’s always by his side?
Remember how we were all wondering why she wasn’t watching The Derby with all of the other suitors? Well, it turns out that she was a little too busy getting up close and personal with Drake Walker to worry about making small talk with the rest of the ladies. (We can’t really blame her. Look at those abs!)
And it seems the two have a thing for horses. Our sources caught them taking a ride across the palace grounds this afternoon before stopping for an impromptu snuggle in the grass. Talk about romantic! Just look at the way she looks up at him, total heart eyes.
But, what does this mean for her relationship with the Prince?! We assumed she was his favorite suitor (for obvious reasons), and we thought that she was the forerunner in the competition for his hand in marriage. And when did her relationship with his broody best friend start? Did she start seeing them both at the same time? Looks like Ali’s been a bad girl! But, we totally love her for it! And don’t worry, Prince Liam. Even if things don’t work out her, you’ll always have us to keep you warm at night.
“What did you do?” Bertrand yelled angrily, as he paced back and forth in front of her.
Ali cringed as she looked at the pictures in the article again. There were photos of her on Drake’s back at the derby and him leaning against her with her arms wrapped around his bare shoulders after he finished his push-ups. The press had conveniently cropped Liam out of the pictures, so no one knew that he was literally standing about two feet away from them.
They had also somehow managed to get pictures of her and Drake today on the palace grounds. He had his arm around her as they sat in the grass, and she was smiling up at him as he spoke. He was kissing her forehead, and she was relaxing in his embrace. The pictures made the two of them look terrible. There was no way around that fact.
She wrapped her arms around herself nervously biting her lip as she sat on her bed next to a silent Maxwell. She had screwed up big time, and now she wasn’t sure what was going to happen.
“I… I didn’t mean to. Liam was with us when the pictures from The Derby were taken, and Drake and I were just taking a break from riding earlier. I didn’t know that anyone was watching us,” she stammered out, shrinking back into herself.
She didn’t handle arguments or yelling very well. It made her nervous.
“What is your relationship with Drake Walker?” Bertrand turned to her, his tone accusatory.
Ali immediately got defensive. She was here because she was in love with Liam, and Bertrand knew that. His accusation only seemed to make the situation worse.
“Drake is a friend! We met five years ago when he and Liam were living in New York,” she said, her jaw clenched.
“And there are no romantic feelings between the two of you? No indiscretions that could come to light?” Bertrand prompted.
“No! I love Liam. Drake is just a friend!”
“Well, it doesn’t look like that,” Bertrand returned to pacing in front of her. “We need to do damage control. Half of the country is calling you a whore.”
Ali scoffed at his words, a few stray tears falling down her face.
“Of course they are. Don’t reporters have anything more important to talk about?” she said sarcastically. “Why can’t they just stay out of my love life?”
“The site that published the article is the biggest gossip blog in Cordonia. It’s job is literally to report stuff like this about nobles,” Maxwell piped up.
“And, it’s not just your love life anymore. Prince Liam is the future king of this country. His business, and the business of anyone of the suitors, will always be public knowledge,” Bertrand said.
“Who are their sources?” she asked.
“The blog has a few reporters, but it relies mostly on tips from ‘anonymous sources’,” Maxwell responded.
“So, anyone can just send in information?”
Maxwell nodded.
“What do I do?” she asked, wiping away her tears.
“I need to make a few calls. We’ll make a statement, and then you need to focus on showing the press and the people that the article hasn’t negatively affected your relationship with the Prince,” Bertrand said, taking out his phone and exiting Ali’s room.
“I have to talk to Liam. Do you know where he is?” she asked Maxwell, taking out her phone and pulling up his contact information.
“I haven’t seen him all day,” Maxwell said, as she brought the phone up to her ear.
“Straight to voicemail. He can’t really believe this can he?” she asked frantically. “I mean he knows what Drake and I are like together. We’re just friends. Give me your phone.”
Maxwell handed it over, a confused look on his face. She dialed Liam’s number and was both relieved and anxious to hear him pick up.
“Liam! It’s me. Please, let me explain!” she practically shouted through the phone.
All she heard was silence on the other end for a moment, before Liam sighed.
“Meet me in my office,” he responded.
“I’ll be there,” Ali sighed in relief.
She handed the phone back to Maxwell before asking him to show her where Liam’s office was. She followed him through the palace halls, nervously tugging at her shirt sleeve. Maxwell gave her a quick thumbs up when they stopped in front of his door, and Ali fully prepared herself to have the argument she knew was coming.
Liam’s office was a massive. There was a large mahogany desk in the middle of the room, and the wall behind it was made up entirely of bookshelves. The large bay window on the wall to the left of the desk was wide open, allowing a light breeze to blow through the room, and Ali looked over to the small sofa on the opposite wall to see Liam and Drake both sitting comfortably, each clutching a glass of whiskey.
“Um, hi,” she said hesitantly, taking in the sight of the two of them.
They seemed to have been having a serious conversation, but they both smiled at her when she came in.
“Drake, can you give us a moment?” Liam asked, standing and walking over to his desk.
Drake patted her shoulder good-naturedly as he walked by, and she could feel Liam’s gaze on the two of them.
“If you’re here to tell me that I shouldn’t listen to the article then you don’t have to bother,” Liam said, leaning against his desk casually.
“I don’t?”
“No, Drake already has. He came running in here quite frantically if I’m honest,” he said, his voice laced with amusement.
“So, you’re not mad at me?” she asked, still surprised.
She knew Liam was a reasonable man, but she still expected some type of argument. His eyes softened as he took in her bloodshot eyes and obvious upset.
“No, I’m not mad. At least, not anymore,” he said with a sigh.
He pulled her into a hug, allowing her to relax her body, before guiding her over to the sofa.
“I wasn’t exactly happy when I first saw the article. The pictures of the two of you together coupled with the insinuations made in the article don’t look very good. I know the two of you were good friends back in New York, and if I’m being honest, I always wondered why it was so easy for Drake to open up to you,” Liam said, an edge of anger in his voice.
Ali reached over and grabbed his hand in hers, squeezing gently.
“My first instinct was to find Drake and… well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I didn’t act on it,” he said, his cheeks beginning to turn red from embarrassment. “But, then he spent about twenty minutes rambling about how the article wasn’t true and talking about how much you loved me. It was rather convincing, but…I just have to make sure. Are you sure you have no feelings for him, that there’s nothing between the two of you?”
There was an edge of hesitation in Liam’s voice as he asked the question.
“No! Liam, I love you and only you. Drake is a good friend. That’s all,” she said, cupping his cheek in her hand and looking pleadingly into his eyes.
“I love you too.”
Liam placed his hand on top of hers and turned his head to kiss her palm. Ali smiled at him and threw herself into his arms, relieved to hear that he wasn't upset. However, she noticed that he only halfheartedly returned her embrace.
“What is it?” she asked, pulling herself out of his arms.
“This isn’t good, Ali. Regardless of my feelings, the way the press views a person has a direct impact on the way people do, and right now they’re not very happy with you.”
“I know. Bertrand said that have of the country is calling me a whore,” she said with a humorless laugh. “I tried not to look at the things they were saying, but I couldn’t help myself.”
“Are you okay?” he asked, wiping away the single tear that fell down her cheek.
“Not really, but I have a feeling that things are only going to get worse.”
“Ali, I-,” Liam trailed off as her phone went off, signaling that she had a text message.
“It’s Bertrand. He has an interview set up in half an hour. He wants to know if you’d be okay with us telling people that you were with Drake and I at The Derby,” she said, scrolling through his messages. “He says it’s important for people to see that you’re okay with the two of us being friends, and that our relationship hasn’t been affected by the article.”
“Of course. Whatever you need.”
“Thank you, Liam,” she said, hastily wiping away the last of her tears and standing up. “I should get going.”
“We’ll figure this out,” he reassured her. “Everything will be okay.”
“I know. Now that my meltdown is over I feel like I can handle anything,” she attempted to joke.
It was true that she felt better now that she had been able to properly get all of her feelings out. She felt stronger than he had just minutes before, but she knew things wouldn’t just magically fix themselves. She would have to do that herself.
“You look like you’ve been crying,” Bertrand said with a scowl as she met him in one of the unused offices in the palace.
“I have been,” she said with a glare in his direction.
Bertrand sighed, and began to fiddle with her hair and straighten out her clothes.
“How did you manage to set this up so fast?”
“The article was published today, and even though there are pictures, so far everything is still speculation. Every reporter wants the true story and a direct statement. It wasn’t very difficult.”
Ali nodded and grabbed onto Bertrand’s arm to keep him from moving away from her.
“Bertrand, will you stay with me during the interview,” she asked, hating how vulnerable she sounded.
She knew she could do this. Well, even if she didn’t feel like she could, she would have to anyway. But, it still felt better to have someone who was looking out for her there. Regardless of how pushy or annoying Bertrand could be, she knew that he still had her best interests at heart, and even if he refused to admit it, he did care for her in his own way.
Bertrand looked as if he were about to scold her for asking, but his eyes softened as he took in her broken appearance..
“Of course,” he responded. “Ana de Luca will be here any minute. Just remember that you want to emphasize that you and Drake Walker are just friends, and Prince Liam has no problem with that.”
Ali nodded, and sure enough, there was a knock on the door about a minute later. Ana de Luca entered the room and shook hands with both Ali and Bertrand before they all took a seat. She pulled her phone, a pen, and notebook out of her bag before turning back to the two of them.
“Do you mind if I record audio of this conversation?” she asked.
“Of course not,” Ali said, trying to place a convincing smile on her face.
“So, Lady Alison, what do you have to say in regards to the rumors going around about your relationship with Drake Walker?” she asked.
Ali took a breath before she began to speak, psyching herself up for what she was about to do.
“I can understand why those photos may be taken out of context, but Drake Walker and I have known each other for years, and the two of us are just good friends.”
“You say that you’ve known each other for years,” she began, clicking her pen, “How did the two of you meet?”
“We actually met through Prince Liam. As most people already know, he and Drake Walker have been friends for most of their lives, and Liam was actually the one to introduce the two of us. In fact, even though the pictures in the article only depict Drake and I, all three of us were together during The Derby,” she said calmly.
So far so good. She was innocent. All she had to do was tell the truth.
“Just out of curiosity, what was happening in the pictures from that day?”
“Prince Liam and Drake were placing friendly bets on the horses, and the loser was supposed to do push-ups with me on their back. Drake lost. It was as simple as that.”
“What about today?”
This was starting to feel more and more like an interrogation, and it was making Ali uneasy.
“I don’t have much experience riding horses, so Drake offered to spend the afternoon helping me get accustomed to them,” she answered honestly, hoping that she wasn’t making a fool of herself for admitting that she wasn’t good at riding. “After a while, we decided to take a break.”
“And you thought it was appropriate to so physically affectionate with him? To lean on him and let him kiss you?” she asked casually, a hint of something slightly sinister in her voice.
Ali tensed at the woman’s veiled accusation.
“I’m an affectionate person, and when I’m comfortable with someone, I don’t hesitate to show that. Drake is like a brother to me and him kissing me on the forehead was completely innocent.”
“What does Prince Liam have to say about all of this?” Ana de Luca asked.
“Prince Liam knows that my relationship with Drake is purely platonic, and he is completely okay with that,” she said, trying to refrain from sounding too defensive.
Bertrand could sense her growing agitation and nodded at Ana de Luca, signalling for her to turn off the recording.
“Thank you for your time, Ms. de Luca, but that is all we will be saying for now,” he said.
“Of course, thank you,” she said, standing up and gathering her things. “This interview should be out by tomorrow.”
Bertrand and Ali watched with bated breath as she exited the room.
“What do we do now?” Ali asked, finally feeling as if she could relax.
I can’t stop laughing at this request, @goirishsunshine. Send me an outfit from Choices and I’ll try to explain why on earth the character would wear it.
Book: The Royal Romance
“It’s perfect,” Hana murmured, watching her friend hold the delicate lace dress against her body as she turned in front of the mirror.
“I’m more nervous about what Liam thinks of what’s underneath it,” Riley admitted, biting her lip. She swept her hair on top of her head, wondering for the hundredth time if she should have worn it up.
Hana shook her head in disbelief. “Riley,” she let her eyes sweep over the flushed skin of her friend’s exposed neck and across her delicate shoulders. “You’ll take his breath away.”
A jolt of blue caught Hana’s eye, and the corners of her mouth tugged down. Riley was wearing her usual bra, an over-padded eyesore made of cheap sateen. “Have you picked out your lingerie for tonight?” she asked pointedly.
Riley looked confused. “I was planning to wear this?”
Hana nearly choked on her tea. “Riley, you’ll look beautiful in anything, but that dress is such…such delicate workmanship. And…that bra...it doesn’t…quite match...does it?” she managed.
“Oh!” Riley laughed suddenly. “Not this exact bra.” Relief washed over Hana as Riley hurried over to her suitcase and fumbled around. Finally, Riley turned, holding something towards her.
It was the exact same bra. In a different color.
“Do…do you have any other options,” Hana asked weakly.
“Of course, silly,” she giggled.
Hana watched in mounting horror as bra after bra came out of Riley’s luggage. Beige, teal, magenta, goldenrod, lavender. All with the same hideous faux-macramé design.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Riley turned, suddenly serious. “It was indulgent to get it in so many colors.” Hana could only blink at her. “But Hana,” she murmured rapturously, “they were on clearance!”
Hana’s eyes flicked to the filigree clock on the mantel. They were expected downstairs in ten minutes. Her stomach twisted and she was aware of a distant buzzing sound in her ears.
Her friend was about to seduce the Crown Prince of Cordonia in a $7.95 push up bra from Walmart.
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as promised, part one of something I’ve been working on for months: lilo feat. trans!Liam. I’m very, very nervous to post this, so please be kind if you have any sort of feedback or criticism. I know not every trans person’s story or experience is the same, and I know how I’ve written Liam here is nowhere near what some people go through. I wanted to write something different from all the other fics I’ve seen with trans characters who absolutely just hate everything about themselves. I wanted to write something where the trans character has learned to love himself and accept the parts of himself that he can’t change, both physical and mental. all that being said, this is part one of definitely two, possibly three. please let me know what you think about it, but please be kind.
Tonight’s the night. It’s Liam’s fourth date with Louis, and he thinks things are going well. He gets nervous around Louis when they’re out, but that’s because he really likes him, so much it worries him sometimes that he’s fallen too hard too fast. He justifies it with the fact that Louis seems to get nervous around him, too, so he’s hoping that Louis feels the same way about him as he does about Louis.
Liam being nervous before a date with Louis is normal, but tonight he’s exponentially more nervous because he’s going to come out to Louis and while he thinks Louis will be understanding about it, pretty sure he will be, he could be wrong. He has been before. That’s what’s worrying Liam, that he likes Louis so much and Louis might just leave, and Liam can’t handle that, not after…anyway. He’s tried six different outfits, went through three different hairstyles, and still isn’t satisfied with how he looks. That’s normal for him, not liking the way his clothes sit on his body no matter how much time he spends in the gym because he’s pretty sure he’s never going to be 100% happy with himself, so he takes shirt number six off and throws it on top of the pile of discarded date outfits that’s accumulated on his bed. He sits at the foot of his bed, seriously considering telling Louis that he’s got food poisoning and they have to reschedule, but he’s pulled back into reality by a knock at his door. He’s not sure if this is perfect or terrible timing for whoever it is, but he goes to answer the door anyway, clad only in a pair of skinny jeans (with the fly open) and Batman socks.
Who he sees on the other side is not who he’s expecting, and he’s really rethinking taking his shirt off, because it’s Louis, standing there looking half confused and half like a starving man would look at a piece of meat. Liam covers as much of his naked torso as he can with his hands, suddenly overwhelmingly self-conscious, and then his brain catches up to what’s going on.
“Aren’t you early?” Liam asks, and Louis shakes his head, mostly because he can’t believe Liam and partly to get the very inappropriate thoughts out of his head. Later, Louis, he tells himself. Later.
“Uhh…no? I’m actually about twenty minutes late.”
Liam is, in a word, mortified. He can’t believe he let time get so far away from him! And on such an important night, too; important for Liam, at least. This could be the night that makes or breaks their relationship, and instead of being ready on time, he spent the last God only knows how long sulking in his bedroom over shirts!
“I…” Liam starts, then closes his mouth, wanting to start over but the only thing that comes out is, “I’m sorry.”
Liam can tell Louis feels bad for starting their date off on the wrong foot, even though literally none of this is his fault, and he wants to fix it.
“Can we start over?” Liam asks, hopeful. He’s still got his arms covering himself, and he knows he probably looks like a child standing like that, but he doesn’t care. He just needs Louis to agree and this part of the night will all be forgotten later.
Louis smiles, that one that takes up his whole face that Liam loves (probably too early for that, but whatever), and looks at the floor and nods. If Liam didn’t know any better, he’d think Louis was being shy.
“Yeah,” Louis says softly, looking back up at Liam. “Let’s start over.”
Relief washes over Liam and he smiles, taking a couple steps back into his flat. “Give me five minutes,” he says, and Louis nods, smile still firmly in place.
Liam closes the door to his flat and takes a deep breath before running back to his bedroom and, after a small bout of indecision, putting on shirt number two, doing up his jeans and grabbing his phone off his nightstand before heading back to his front door. He hears what sounds like an alarm going off maybe 20 seconds after he gets there, and when Louis knocks right after, he realizes Louis must have set a timer. Liam opens the door to Louis standing with his back facing Liam’s flat.
“Uh…Louis?”
Louis turns around looking like he’s going to say something, but Liam sees the words vanish from his mind as he looks Liam up and down.
“I was gonna say something cheeky, but you look…so hot. I can’t think.”
Liam smirks, a look one of his friends used to tell him was almost unbearably sexy. Louis looks like he wants to stomp his foot like a child. “I could take the shirt back off,” he offers, reaching for the bottom hem and lifting it a bit.
“NO!” Louis nearly shouts, reaching out to place his hands over Liam’s, wincing when he realizes how loud he was and at the shocked look on Liam’s face. “Sorry,” he says, thinking about moving his hands from Liam’s but reconsidering quickly after. He’s in this for the long haul if Liam is, and damn it if he’s not gonna at least get some hand-holding tonight. “I know we’re supposed to be forgetting about it but if I have to see you shirtless again we’re not gonna make it to the restaurant.”
Louis is blushing again, because he’s wanted to get his hands on Liam since the first time they met, and he’s not usually this bashful but Liam makes him so nervous that he just doesn’t know what to do sometimes. Liam cocks an eyebrow at Louis’s confession, then lets go of the hem of his shirt, gently guiding Louis’s hands off of his own with a look that he hopes is reassuring. He turns to slide on his shoes and grab his wallet and keys. Liam steps out of his flat and locks the door, then turns to Louis and grabs his hand. Neither of them let go, except for when absolutely necessary, for the rest of the night.
*
“I can’t believe you didn’t see the ending coming!” Louis calls to Liam as Liam gets the two of them beers from his fridge. He opens them both and walks over to where Louis is sitting on his couch, one leg folded underneath himself. Liam can’t help but think that Louis looks so…natural in his flat. Like he belongs there. He hands Louis one of the beers.
“I can’t believe you did see it coming! How did you figure it out so fast?”
“It wasn’t that fast.”
“You said the brother was the killer not even twenty minutes in!”
Louis shrugs and takes a sip of his beer. “Okay, maybe it was that fast.” He looks at Liam, feeling the happiest he has in a long time, and he might be projecting but he’s pretty sure he sees that happiness reflected back at him on Liam’s face.
They sit in silence for a few minutes, Louis looking around Liam’s flat and Liam looking at Louis. Liam thinks that now is as good a time as any to tell Louis the truth about himself, and opens his mouth to do so, but Louis beats him to it.
“Hey, is that your family?” he asks, standing and walking over to the shelves where Liam has all of his framed pictures. Well, not all of them. There’s one of him and his parents and sisters he keeps on his nightstand, and another of him and some of his uni friends he still keeps in touch with on his dresser, but other than that, they’re all on that shelf.
“Uh…yeah,” Liam says, hoping Louis isn’t going to ask about his baby pictures. Louis said on their second date, when they got on the subject of family, that his mum’s house is full of pictures of him and his siblings as kids and babies. You’d think we never grew past the age of five, he’d said. If I get to take you there one day, you’ll see. Liam does have a couple up of himself as an infant, but any pictures where he looked even remotely female were nowhere to be found in his flat, so his pictures jump from infancy to the end of his first year of uni, after his testosterone shots started taking effect and he started to finally start looking masculine.
“Who’s this little lad?” Louis asks, holding up a picture of Liam when he was maybe eighteen, curly hair a mess and a plaid shirt buttoned all the way to his neck. “It can’t be the same handsome man sitting on the couch over there. And this hair! Wow.”
“Hey! Don’t hate on the hair, okay?” Liam playfully replies, getting up to stand next to Louis by the shelf. “My mum loved my hair like that. She cried when I shaved it all off not long after that picture was taken.”
Louis puts the picture back on the shelf and just looks at Liam, arms crossed with a soft but thoughtful expression on his face. “Can’t imagine you with a shaved head,” he says quietly, reaching up to run his fingers through Liam’s current hairdo. Liam tries not to notice the slight shake in Louis’s hand as it moves, or how close Louis is standing to him right now, or how Louis keeps looking from Liam’s eyes to his mouth like they do in the movies, or how Louis is leaning in closer like he’s about to kiss….oh. Oh!
“Louis!” Liam says, probably too loud for their close proximity, putting his hands on Louis’s shoulders to stop him from coming any closer. Louis looks hurt, and Liam tries to think of something to say to fix it, but Louis speaks first, as always.
“Sorry, mate,” he says, cheeks red with embarrassment and arms crossing over his chest again, but defensively this time, not casual like they were a minute ago. “Just thought that’s where the night was going, but I must’ve been wrong.”
“No! No, you’re not wrong,” Liam gets out before Louis has a chance to run out the door and out of Liam’s life for probably forever because there is nothing in the world Liam wants to happen less than that right now.
“I’m not?” Louis asks, softening a bit, but still cautious. Liam shakes his head. “Then why’d you stop me?”
Liam looks at Louis for a second, really looks at him, trying to see what kinds of emotions he could be feeling at the moment. All he finds is confusion and curiosity, which are better than anger, Liam guesses, so he sighs and gestures for Louis to sit back down on the couch.
“Sit. There’s something I need to tell you.” Louis does, and Liam starts.
Liam tells him everything. How he was always sporty, even as a kid, and ran track for years, even went to uni on a scholarship for it. How he started feeling different from his teammates around year seven, but didn’t have the vocabulary to describe it until he got to uni and met some new people. How he figured out this thing about himself that made him lose his scholarship, because it was made out for a member of the women’s track team, one with a different name, not a member of the men’s.
Louis stops him there, where everyone he’s told this version of the story to has stopped him so far. “Liam, I’m confused…what are you telling me?”
Here goes nothing, he thinks, and takes a deep breath before just saying it. “I’m transgender. I was born female and raised as the youngest of three girls until I was seventeen, when my doctor said it was okay to start taking testosterone and start my transition into being a male…person.”
This is always the hard part. Not knowing what the other person is going to say. Sitting in agony until they say something. Anything.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
What? “What?”
Louis sniffles and dear God if Liam’s made him cry he’s going to hate himself. “I just…why didn’t you tell me before? Did you not trust me? Or -”
“No, I did trust you! I do trust you. And I really, really like you, which is part of why I waited to tell you. I’ve only done this once before with someone I was dating, and it ended…badly, so every person I’ve dated since then, I’ve waited until a few dates in to make sure they’re not going to do the same thing he did, because I can’t take that again.”
“How many people have you told since him?”
“Just you.”
“'Cause four dates is the farthest you’ve gotten since then?”
“No. ‘Cause you’re the only one I knew wouldn’t run away.”
Louis smiles, something tiny and soft but there, and Liam leans in to kiss him softly, just once, as a thank-you for listening and staying.
It’s quiet for a few minutes, some sort of uncertain tension hanging in the air between them, before Louis stands and stretches a bit.
“Think I’m gonna go home, if that’s alright with you.”
Liam panics. He wants to say no, it’s not alright, please stay and let me know what you’re thinking and never ever leave me…but he doesn’t.
“Yeah, that’s…that’s fine.”
He’s not even trying to hide the fact that he’s sad and more than a little hurt, and Louis picks up on that. He reaches out for Liam’s hands and pulls him to stand, too, then wraps his arms around Liam in a hug. He feels Liam relax against him and he knows that was the right way to go.
“I’m gonna go home,” Louis repeats after he lets go of Liam, “but I will be back. I really like you, too, Liam, and I don’t want to lose what we have, but I’m not as educated as I’d like to be on things like this, and I want to make sure I don’t mess it all up by saying something wrong.” He gathers his coat and his keys before stepping close to Liam again. “I’ll call you tomorrow?” he asks, hopeful, and Liam can’t help but nod. Louis kisses his cheek before letting himself out of Liam’s flat, leaving Liam to stand there, alone, but looking forward to what lies ahead.
