Viking era Rollo x Princess Ofc | Arranged marriage/ mate AU
Adult 18+ account! Minors go away. DNI.
Summary: The pressure to marry continues to weigh on Lourdes. When her family’s kingdom aligns with an unlikely ally, she finds herself promised to a great Viking warrior with a secret.
Warnings: Viking era warnings like raids, murders, deaths, violence, sexual content and situations.
Chapters
One: Beasts of Men
Two: Decadence and Desire
Three: A crown and a throne
Moodboards
Fic notes
- I made up this universe though it’s in Viking era times, so lots of images are used to create the vibe/setting of this imaginary place. That said, I’m not worried about being too ‘correct’ about what was and wasn’t around then.
- Ofc’s homeland visually is a mix of an old European village with rolling hills, her family estate/villa north of town, and some undertones of Spanish arcitecture and design.
- After raiding Europe, the Vikings travel further and come upon a new distant land (new to them).
- The Ofc is a full figured /plus size model. I used some of her older pics from 2019 (when she used to be plus sized) now she’s quite small. Her name is Ashlea Alece.
- The model herself is mixed race, and this fits perfectly into the visual i image. A place of beautiful various shades of tan, caramel and brown skin tones. This includes ofcs family.
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A/N: sweet @ritual-unions-gotme asked me for something soft and non-smutty with those two from my prompt fic The Night Sky, so I did my best xD really hope you'll like it, if that's not what you had in mind, I'll try again 😘💕 (none of the pics used for the banner are mine)
Words: 1,710
Excerpt:
Eydis had never been the kind of person who would cry over a bruised heart. She wanted those feelings to burn up in her rage and have them dissipate in smoke. Which was why she'd gone out in the woods to shoot arrows all on her own. So far, she wasn't as successful as she'd like to be.
Read it all on AO3:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Summary: Sam is trying to adjust to a life post-Steve Rogers.
Sam Wilson x Quinn (Asian ofc)
Warnings: Some spoilers for Civil War, Inifinity War, Endgame and TFATWS
Wordcount: 2.2k
A/N: Did I just abandon my other wips to work on this one? Maybe. This story follows around 50% of TFATWS storyline, but it’s not identical. I honestly don’t know whether or not people are gonna like it, but if you do, please let me know 🥺Our boy Sam deserves all the fics 🥰
Masterlist // eunoia masterlist //
Not a day goes by that Sam doesn’t think about Quinn. It was at the Joint Terrorist Centre’s headquarters in Berlin when he first saw her on security camera’s. While Bucky was being interviewed, a different set of cameras showed another interrogation room. It was nearly identical to Bucky’s room, though the difference was that there a woman was strapped in a similar containment cell. They had found her earlier that day and according to some intel she was part of another Hydra program, though there was not much known about her yet.
With the reactivated Winter Soldier Program, Sam tried to capture Zemo, before the fugitive disappeared into the crowd. Together with Steve, they took Bucky into an abandoned building. While Bucky slowly regained consciousness and both Steve and Sam being distracted, no one noticed someone sneaking up behind them.
In a twinkling of an eye, both Steve and Sam were tied up with one rope, despite the two of them being on opposite sides of the room. With a certain focus, the petite woman marched up to Bucky, ready to do whatever was her task. As her fingers wrapped around his neck, tips digging in his neck, Bucky seemed to recognize her. A soft ‘hey’ from the Winter Soldier was enough to snap her out of it.
The rope stopped cutting into Sam’s skin, as the woman looked around her. She dropped the rope and she ran her hands through her long black locks. There was something about her that intrigued him. Her eyes darted from one side to the other, before they landed on him.
Sam didn’t know her that long, but he could see that there were a lot of undisclosed feelings. She was confused, maybe even a bit scared.
She introduced herself as Quinn, though adding the fact that she had no idea what her real name was and Quinn seemed fitting.
Just like Bucky, Quinn was also a target of Zero’s spree. She remembers Zemo breaking her out of the secret and deserted Hydra facility back in Munich, where she was put into cryogenic stasis. Zemo released her into the world, only for her to be caught within a few hours. She had no idea if that was Zemo’s intention, her getting caught that soon.
‘Just a few hours ago,’ Quinn explained, ‘there was this guy with black hair, questionable facial hair, who told me to catch a guy. It was a picture of you.’ She gestured towards Bucky, who tilted his head as his gaze softened.
‘You remember me?’ Bucky asked her.
She shrugs. ‘I don’t know,’ she whimpers. ‘I didn’t when he showed me the picture, but… There is something I sort of remember of you. You walked into the room, dressed in all black, looking visibly exhausted. You were in this other cell and looked at me and told me that it was all gonna be okay.’ Quinn let out a soft—yet meaningless—chuckle. ‘That’s not quite working out.’
Without any more painful questions, Steve suggested she came along and Sam and her actually fought alongside the rest on the airport, making sure Bucky and Steve were on that flight and just like the rest who stayed behind, they were imprisoned in the Raft.
Sam watched her, day in, day out. She was yet again strapped inside a containment cell within her cell, another counter measurement to make sure she was unable to escape. Sam saw how she kicked an entire van to the side on the airport, without breaking a sweat. It made him question whether or not she was just cooperating or if the restraints were really working.
Her petite frame was perfect for her to blend in the crowd, in contrast to Bucky, however strength wise, they were around the same level.
Speed wise, it was Quinn who had the upper hand there.
She simply sat in the cell, staring ahead of her. Sam wondered what happened inside her head, but when they made eye contact, all he could see was sadness and hopelessness.
At night, when the lights were dim and everyone was asleep, he told her that it was all gonna be okay.
‘How do you know?’
‘I just do,’ he said.
For the first time, she smiled at him. ‘And I just have to trust you on that one?’
‘It’s the wisest thing to do. Besides, what have you got to lose?’
After Steve freed them from the Raft, he did not know what to expect from her. Deep down, Sam kinda hoped she would join him. On the airport, it was obvious how well they worked together, but just like Clint, Scott and Wanda, she decided to live her own life.
And just like that, she disappeared.
Sam never thought he’d see her again, but when they all met in the New Avengers Facility, when they learned about Thanos’ plan to capture all the Infinity Stones, she walked in as if she never left. She stayed close to either him or Steve, not once speaking up about what she did in the meantime and Sam never felt like he could ask.
When they landed in Wakanda, Quinn took him aside and asked: ‘You got my back?’
He smiled at her, realizing that his efforts in gaining her trust back at the Raft and the Facility had helped. ‘Always,’ he promised.
But he didn’t keep his promise. He didn’t have her back like he promised.
Quinn was the last person Sam saw, before he disintegrated into ashes, together with half of the world population. Her hand on his cheek, as her eyes darted from side to side, slightly confused of what was happening, but also realizing that he couldn’t have her back anymore.
While Sam was aware that she was right there on the battlefield after they were all brought back, the first time he saw her was on Tony’s funeral. After Steve told him, Banner, Bucky and Quinn he was going to return the Infinity Stones and Mjølnir—looking back on it—it was obvious she knew what Steve decided to do. Sam can still hear the words that left her lips then: ‘Are you sure you want that to be your future?’
Sam did not know what it meant then, but he sure does now. After he received the shield minutes later of a much older Steve, Quinn did what she always does: disappear.
He never knew where she went, what she was doing and while he respects her decision, he still thinks about her. Every single day. His hope of seeing her again, hasn’t faded away and sometimes it frustrates him. He barely knew her, why is he so hung up on her then?
Sam lets out a sigh, as he drives his truck over the roads to his destination. It has been a rough couple of weeks. He is working closely together with the United States Air Force and after a few missions, he made his decision whether or not to give up the shield.
Without Steve, the shield is nothing.
He desperately needs a break from all of this and there is no place like Delacroix Louisiana to wind down from the hectic of an after Blip world. He had been there two times, but both times ended abruptly as the Air Force needed him.
Now, he has the time. All the time in the world to relax and forget about an Avenger like life.
Sam parks his car on the dock and his nephews AJ and Cass are the first to notice him. ‘Uncle Sam, uncle Sam,’ they exclaim.
‘Ah, there you two are,’ he says, hugging the two boys tightly.
‘How long are you gonna stay this time?’ Cass asks.
‘Awhile,’ is the answer he is giving his nephews, but that is mostly because he wants to keep them in suspense a little.
AJ scoffs. ‘That’s not an answer.’
‘Okay, okay, gotta give you that,’ he chuckles. ‘How about: at least two weeks?’
The two boys high five each other. His sister Sarah loudly places a crate on the ground. ‘Finally,’ she says, ‘took you long enough.’
‘Nice to see you too,’ he retorts with a smile, before giving her a hug. ‘Missed you.’
‘Of course you did,’ she says. ‘We missed you too, just like almost everyone here. Almost got me thinking that you’re the favorite Wilson sibling.’
‘That’s because I am.’ He carries the crate to where Sarah wants it and he smiles when his eyes land on the family boat. ‘She sure is a beauty.’
‘A broken beauty,’ Sarah says, ‘that is costing me a fortune.’ She places her hands on her hips as she says: ‘With both the house and the boat needing some fixing up, every penny I got to spare is going to the house.’
‘Is this about you wanting to sell it again?’
‘Yes, since I’m not willing to sell a working organ on the black market in order to afford its repairs.’
‘I told you I would fix it,’ Sam says.
Sarah rolls her eyes. ‘Yeah, you told me that months ago, but the boat still isn’t working. You know the situation, Sam, the thing’s gotta go.’
‘Sarah, you’re kidding. We grew up on this thing.’
She scoffs. ‘Yeah, I know, I was there. It’s just that I cannot afford it anymore.’
Sam sure loves his sister, but there are moments where he—just like back in the days—he’d want to put her behind the wallpaper, making her shut up. It’s always this doom thinking. Everything or nothing at all, there is no in between. ‘You know I can help with this.’
‘Yeah, big help you’ve been.’
Sam clenches his jaw. ‘Well, I’m sorry I was taken away by the blip.’
‘It’s not about you being gone for the blip,’ Sarah says. ‘It’s about the fact that there is too much for me to do here. I need to keep the house, so it’s either keeping the boat or the business and since the business is my income, it’s only logical that the boat has got to go.’
Great, he has been back for a few minutes and he is already having this conversation with his sister. ‘I’ve got this, Sarah, I promise.’
She doesn’t believe him, he can see it in her eyes, but decides to drop the matter. Maybe she realizes too that this is no conversation for them to have after he got back for only a few minutes.
The two of them step back on the dock, where his nephews are stretching out their necks, almost like they are searching for something. ‘Whatcha looking at?’ Sam asks. ‘See a pretty lady?’
‘Is that,’ Cass starts, only for AJ to exclaim: ‘Auntie Quinn!’
The two boys drop their stuff and rush over the dock to the woman Sam never thought he’d see again, let alone right here. Quinn holds out her arms and despite the boys being nearly the same height as her, she still manages to catch them both as they jump in her arms. They must’ve known about her enhanced strength, Sam thinks to himself, otherwise they wouldn’t have jumped right in her arms.
But that raises another question: how could they’ve known?
‘Auntie Quinn?’ he asks Sarah.
Sarah nods. ‘Auntie Quinn,’ she confirms.
She’s gonna leave it at that? ‘Care to explain?’
‘I think it was two weeks after you were blipped away. It was chaos here, like literal chaos. People were missing, I hadn’t heard anything from you. She walked up the dock and offered her help. I thought for at least a month she was an angel send from the heavens. She told me she saw you right before you were blipped away and that she went to your place back in DC. She found out about us and decided to see how it all went down here. Thankfully she did, because I desperately needed her help. She assisted with the business, helped raising the boys.’
To say he is confused, would be an understatement. ‘She stayed here?’ he asks. ‘During the entire blip?’
‘Oh yeah,’ Sarah says, holding up her hand to Quinn. ‘I think all in all, she stayed here for four years. Sometimes she went away for a few weeks, but she always returned. Near the end, she called me and told me that Steve needed her. It’s actually the first time I’ve seen her in a while.’
Sam can’t stop looking at the big smiles and chuckles being exchanged between AJ, Cass and Quinn. She hugs his nephews tightly and even from a distance he can tell she is scolding them for growing taller.
‘I think that without her,’ Sarah continues, ‘I barely would’ve made it. She was slightly clueless though. Had issues with the simplest tasks, like cooking and day to day stuff, but she’s a fast learner.’
It shouldn’t warm his heart like it does, but Sam can’t help but smile as he realizes that Quinn went on the look out to care for his family.
‘She told me she had no memories of growing up. Poor thing,’ Sarah says, shaking her head as she as well looks at the trio. ‘She tried so hard to remember, but in all those years she spend here, no luck. I wonder if she does now.’
She doesn’t. Sam doesn’t need to ask her, because he simply knows.
Summary: Lilah finally gets to meet the tall, dark and handsome man she had been lowkey crushing on for the last four months when his dog gets loose and comes to play with her. Based on the prompt 58: “You smell like a wet dog”
Author’s notes: 1) Canon divergent AU, because I’m adding a bigger time gap between John finding his car in the beginnings of JW: Chapter 2 and Santino coming around with a marker to give John a chance to go back to retirement and properly grieve over Helen. This piece would be set in that time period. 2) Also I’m a big sucker for soft!John, ok? It’s one of my favorite things. I have this headcanon that he doesn’t really know how to flirt or show someone he’s interested in them. I highkey think Helen might have been the one to make the first move between them.
Warnings: none, I think. Unless dogs playfully jumping on people freaking you out.
As often as Lilah could, she went to the park on her lunch breaks. It was a bit of a walk from the office at the Psychology department, but it was definitely worth it for the opportunity of not feeling the pressure of hurrying up with her meal to go back to work; to actually feel the sun and breathe air that hadn’t been artificially renewed and carried the faint traces of sanitizer.
There was this old oak she liked to sit beneath. It provided enough shade to avoid overheating and gave her a great view of the rest of the park, allowing her to people-watch and imagine stories for their lives, one of her favorite hobbies.
Lilah took a bite of her tuna sandwich and checked her watch. It was 12:30 already and her favorite subject of observation was apparently late. He was always there on Tuesdays, along with his blueish grey pitbull. He would sit by the fountain and watch the park with an almost wistful look. He kept one hand resting on the dog’s while he ate a sandwich, sneaking a few pieces of meat to his pet,. Once he was done, he would stand up again and leave, always walking past where she was sitting.
She didn’t know what it was about him that caught her eye. It was more than just his handsome features, that she was sure. Maybe it was the fact that when Lilah first noticed him four months ago he had this air of sorrow and grief. But as the weeks passed that seemed to ease some. She even caught him laughing once when the pitbull got a little greedy and stole the last bite of his sandwich while he was distracted.
And at some point along those weeks, he started looking over and giving Lilah a quick nod of greeting as he walked past her. He apparently also noticed that she was a frequent presence in the park. Lilah would reply with a smile and a quick rub on the dog’s head when it started approaching her for curious sniffles. Probably catching the scent of her cat on her clothes.
This had been Lilah’s Tuesday’s ritual for a while, and she was a little disappointed that they weren’t there today. Their presence always helped to brighten up her day and make her forget that her research wasn’t yielding the data she needed or that Lilah’s advisor had asked her to review their paper for the hundredth time just because the woman didn’t like one of the authors Lilah used as reference.
Resigned that she probably weren’t going to see them today, Lilah finished her sandwich and put on her headphones. She still had another ten minutes before she had to go back, and she was adamant on enjoying every second of it.
Lilah laid back on her elbows humming along the music in her ears, once again counting the days until she would finally defend her dissertation and all of this underlying stress and constant worry would finally be over and replaced with stress and constant worry from an actual teaching position.
Lilah was startled back to reality when something grey, furry and very wet collided with her chest. Her squeak of surprise turned into laughter as the familiar pitbull yapped happily, trying to lick her face.
“Hey buddy!” she greeted, scratching it head and neck, noticing a piece of his leash still attached to the collar by the clasp, the tip torn.
“Where did you came from, huh? Where’s your tutor?” Lilah asked managing to sit up as the dog settled heavily on her lap and she couldn’t help but grin.
“Dog, Off!” A gruffy voice called seconds later and the pitbull moved off and laid down next to her.
“I’m so sorry, he knows better than to jump on people,” the man said, narrowing his eyes at the pitbull.
The dog seemed aware that he did something wrong, because he covered its face with its paws. It was the cutest thing in the world.
“It’s fine, really,” she replied, scratching the dog’s head. “He knew I was a friend.”
“He still shouldn’t have,” he said with a sigh, crouching down and examining the torn leash on his hand. “Most people are scared of him.”
And she didn’t know why, but something told her there was some kind of underlying meaning to those words.
“I’m not,” Lilah declared, watching him as she petted the dog.
“I’ve noticed,” he replied, meeting her gaze. He had the most beautiful eyes.
“What’s his name?” Lilah asked, looking back at the dog, a little unnerved by the intensity of those brown eyes.
“Dog,” he informed, looking down and rubbing his nape, seemingly embarrassed and Lilah giggled. “I’m really not good with names.”
“If it works it works,” she assured with a shrug, sneaking a glance at him. He was watching her again.
Lilah was at loss of what to do or say. It was one thing to watch him from afar and wonder about him, who he was, what he did. It was totally different to have him here, this close, watching her back. She decided it might be safer to keep her focus on Dog.
“Hi Dog!” she called.
The pitbull recognized his name and turned his head towards her. He almost looked like he was smiling, and Lilah chuckled. He was wiggling his tail but didn’t move towards her. She realized that despite running off, Dog was very well trained.
“How about you? Do you have a name?” Lilah mustered the courage to ask, looking back at the man.
“John,” he replied looking almost startled that she had asked.
“But not Doe, right?” Lilah joked.
It was a lame one, but John still chuckled, so she counted as a win.
“No, not Doe,” he answered, eyes darting to somewhere behind Lilah, before he patted his leg once.
Dog got up from where he was lying next to Lilah and moved to his side. John wrapped his fingers around the collar, holding onto it with a firm grip. From what she have seen so far, it didn’t seem like Dog needed to be held down, so she glanced behind herself, noticing a guy glaring at John and the unleashed pitbull. Lilah realized John did it more as a reassurance for other people than actual necessity.
Lilah glared back at the guy watching John and Dog, almost as if to challenge him to say or do something. She knew how to put on a mean scowl if she needed to. She was a Latina woman raised in Hell’s Kitchen after all.
Finally, the guy hurried away and she looked back at the pair in front of her, finding John smiling. It was a small, barely there quirk of lips; almost as if he wasn’t sure how to do it, but it was there. Lilah smiled back and ducked her head a little embarrassed.
That was when she finally noticed the mess of muddy paw prints and grass stains in her clothes and laughed. She had felt her shirt uncomfortable wet as soon as it happened but got distracted by John’s arrival and completely forgot it until now.
Her laughter must have attracted John’s attention to it as well, because he winced as he stood up and offered her a hand to help her up as well. Lilah did a quick double take because, Damn! He was big guy. It wasn’t just height either. He had broad shoulders and chest that filled up his white shirt quite nicely. It was very attractive, and Lilah flushed.
“Please let me take care of dry-cleaning? He ruined your clothes,” John asked, taking a card from his pockets and offering her.
“You don’t have to,” she assured, pushing the card back. “Trust me, making friends with Dog’s probably gonna be the highlight of my day.”
And maybe it was her wishful thinking, but Lilah thought John looked almost disappointed as he pushed the card back into his pocket.
“If you’re sure…” he trailed off and Lilah nodded, gathering the rest of her stuff. It was time to go back to work. “It was nice to meet you, John. You too Dog.”
“I didn’t catch your name,” John asked before she could step away.
“Lilah,” she answered grinning, glad he had asked. “Bye John.”
She petted the pitbull one last time, before she waved at them and started to walk away. Before she stepped on the sidewalk to cross the street, she looked over her shoulder. Her entire life she hated the feeling of being watched and today the feeling of eyes on her was overwhelming.
But it was just John still standing there, holding onto Dog and watching her go. That made her pulse speed up and she smiled. John smiled back and waved.
The stop light opened before she could wave back so she hurried to cross the street with the other pedestrians. When Lilah looked again, John and Dog were gone.
As Lilah made her way back to the lab, she barely noticed or cared that people were giving weird looks and a wide berth. John was still in her head and she knew he would be for the rest of the day.
“You smell like a wet dog,” Was the first thing Sid, Lilah’s friend and fellow PhD candidate, said when she walked back into the office they shared at the Psychology department. “What the hell happened?”
He had finally turned around to look at her, eyes widening in shock at her state. Lilah just laughed, still too giddy to really share what happened. Instead, she dropped her bag at her desk and picked up the backpack she kept under it and headed for the bathroom.
It wasn’t until she finished changing clothes that it hit Lilah: John might had looked disappointed when she refused his card because that might have been his way to try and give her his number, but she completely blew that.
Next Tuesday, as Lilah took her place under the oak to have lunch, Dog appeared by her side tail wiggling, but he remained still, sitting on his hind legs. She noticed the leash still attached to his collar and when she looked up John was also there.
“Hi,” Lilah greeted, breathing and heart speeding up at the sight of him
So, she looked back at Dog offering him a hand for him to sniff. He took it as an invitation and plopped next to her, resting his head in her lap. He looked up with begging eyes, waiting to be petted. Lilah chuckled and scratched behind his ears.
“No wonder he dragged me here,” John commented with that small smile and Lilah noticed he was carrying a brown paper bag with him. Probably his own lunch.
“Wanna join me?” She invited after a second of deliberation. Her heart felt like it was trying to bust out of her chest.
“He didn’t leave me much of a choice,” John replied with a snort, nodding at Dog.
Lilah’s stomach dropped in disappointment as she looked away and pulled her hand away from Dog. Maybe she was wrong last week. Maybe he was just trying to be polite when he offered his card and to pay for her dry-cleaning.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, trying to ignore how Dog kept shoving his head under her hand again with a small whine.
“Shit! That came out wrong,” John sputtered, combing his hair away from his eyes and sigh in frustration. “Sorry. I’m not very good at this.”
“Me either,” Lilah confessed finally relaxing. It was reassuring to see that John seemed as nervous as she was.
For a moment, the two of them just stayed there, watching one another with matching hesitant smiles.
“It’s lunch. I think we can make it work,” she said at last and John’s smile widened.
He sat down, back resting against the oak as well, Dog sandwiched between them.
“Yes. I think we can,” he declared, glancing sideways at her and it almost felt like a promise to Lilah’s ears.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Here ya go @magellan-88! Also just catching some folk up before I get this new story posted.
Chapters: 4/4
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark & Pepper Potts
Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Joanna (ofc) - Character, Carla (ofc), James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Clint Barton
Additional Tags: NSFW, Sex, Reunion, Office Sex, Morning Sex, Humor, Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Captain America - Freeform, Nipple Play, Cuddling, Oral Sex, Fellatio, handjob, blowjob, Alternate Universe, Interracial Relationship, PoC, Steve Rogers and poc, Female Character of Color, poc ofc, Captain america and poc, Bwwm, Biracial Character
Series: Part 4 of Steve and Joanna: The Avengers/ ofc fan fiction
Summary: Sofia feels stuck in life and has for the better part of two decades. Now she’s nearing her 30th birthday and her luck begins to change when a handsome actor accidentally destroys her niece’s sandcastle.
Chapter Summary: Sofia tells Sebastian the truth
Warnings: Anxiety, panic disorder
I woke up again to the smell of coffee. I turned over and opened my eyes with a smile.
Sebastian was setting down a coffee and bag with something that smelled warm and dashed with cinnamon. He returned my smile when he saw I was awake. “How was sleeping in?” He asked.
“Good…heavenly.” I sighed and sat up. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to take a shower.” He said and returned to the bathroom.
I took off the lid of the coffee to let it cool down a little and opened the bag to find a mouthwatering cinnamon bun. I began eating it, taking small sips of the coffee when it cooled. It was calming to hear the shower running as I was enveloped in warmth from his sheets and the breakfast.
After a bit, Sebastian emerged and got changed. “I could get used to this.” He murmured as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants.
I was thankful he neglected to throw on a t-shirt as I admired his body for the millionth time it seemed. “I could too.”
He crawled onto the bed and hovered over me. He kissed me softly and I could taste the lingering mint from his toothpaste. He pulled away and looked into my eyes. “If you were mine I’d get you breakfast in bed every weekend.” He purred.
I smiled shyly and looped my arms around him, my nails scraping against the nape of his neck. “I mean I know we haven’t made it official…but I’d be yours.”
“Good.” He sighed and buried his face in the crook of my neck. He rolled us over so I was resting on him instead. “Don kicked my ass this morning, I’m already sore.”
“Your trainer?”
He nodded, his damp hair brushing against my cheeks.
“Well, I’ll have to thank him later. He gave you good stamina.” I replied cheekily.
He laughed. “I’m glad you think so.”
We lay there for a moment. I rested my cheek on his chest and stared at the pillow I’d slept on. It was a situation I didn’t think I’d be in. I was playing with the idea of a long-term relationship. There were conflicting feelings in my heart. Part of me was thrilled at the possibility of settling down and keeping Sebastian all to myself. But there was the other half of me that was realistic. He was an actor. I knew from Erica that Hollywood wasn’t an easy life. Even if you had a toe in the spotlight you were scrutinized. I could barely deal with the prying questions from my family let alone complete strangers. It was hard trying to brush off the opinions of other people. My anxiety constantly convinced me that people were talking shit about me and I wasn’t worth anything.
Erica tried her best to coach me through it.
“You don’t have to worry about what other people think. They’re opinions don’t matter in the long run. You need to be happy with yourself. You can’t allow people to make you feel anything. You feel the way you want to feel.”
She was successful for a reason. She didn’t listen to the criticism of her peers that a young, woman of color could become an Oscar-worthy director. If she had and doubted herself, she never would’ve made it. I was always so proud of her, I just wish I had the strength to follow her lead and be proud of myself.
But I liked the way Sebastian felt about me, even if it was semi-deluded. He seemed to think I was the one for him, the person he’d been searching for. I was sure that I was never going to be ‘the one’ for any person. If anything, I expected myself to find someone who tolerated me and settle into a somewhat distant marriage. If I could close myself off from my family, I was sure I could do it to a spouse.
That didn’t seem right when it came to Sebastian. It seemed unfair to close him out when he was such a genuine and honest person.
I told him I liked honesty. It was hypocritical.
“I have panic attacks,” I whispered out of nowhere.
“What?” Sebastian rested his head back to look at me.
I hesitated as I was locked into his gaze. I swallowed and repeated myself. “I have panic attacks. That’s what…I’ve been kind of talking about. The reason you might not really know the real me.”
He didn’t seem disturbed. “Okay. But that’s not who you truly are, it’s a disorder, right?” His voice wasn’t concerned if anything he was open and curious.
“Yeah.” My words still came out weak.
“So, someone with a disorder is affected by it but it’s not who they really are.” He said simply. “My friend Chris has anxiety but it doesn’t define who he is. He’s a great guy. I wouldn’t hold that against him.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “But I…” I thought he would call me a freak, say I was crazy or I should ‘just get over it’.
“Sofia, this doesn’t change my view of you.” He insisted and ran his fingers through my hair.
“You might think that now but what if you see it happen and you just…” I swallowed and shook my head. “It’ll drive you away.”
“I know that it won’t.”
I groaned and pushed away from him. I stood up and tried to figure out what to do. It might’ve been easier if he just pushed me away. That would end that and I wouldn’t have to worry. But I would miss him and what could’ve been. I put my head in my hands, getting a headache from the anxiety I was feeling. I was hurtling headfirst into an attack if I couldn’t calm down.
“Sofia, what can I do to help?” His gentle voice brought me out from my own thoughts.
I turned and looked at him. He was sitting up on the edge of the bed. “What?”
“I mean, if there’s something I need to learn that can help you through a panic attack, I’ll do it.” He said with a concerned look. “Breathing…or another exercise. Just be honest with me. I can’t help if you don’t tell me.”
“I don’t want to burden you.”
“You’re not.”
I couldn’t fathom why he was doing this to himself. I knew I wasn’t an easy candidate for a relationship. Why wasn’t he making it easier for himself by finding someone with lower maintenance?
Maybe because he cares about you.
The calming, comforting thought came out of nowhere. It was the complete opposite of my usual self-degrading cycle of thinking.
Maybe because he cares about you.
“You really care about me?” I whispered.
“Of course. I thought I made that clear.” He smiled. “This isn’t a chore to me, Sofia. When I see you, it’s so uplifting. And if I need to educate myself to help you I’d do that in a heartbeat. I’d take a damn class or get a college degree just to help you.”
I laughed softly and shook my head. “It’s not that complicated,” I mumbled.
“See? You kept saying it was but it’s not.” He smiled playfully. “C’mon, let’s spend the day in bed. You can tell me what I need to do.” He lay back down and held an arm out to me.
I thought it would be a disaster, but I walked back over and curled up into his arms.
A/N: Hi Guys im back! Ugh and it’s so good to be writing again. This is a pre-quel to a story I’m starting. I hope you guys love it and let me know what ya think! I don’t know how long this will be yet maybe 5 parts? Until next time xoxo
Synopsis: Pre-quel Shar a 39 year old assistant becomes the editor in chief’s assistant for the day. And he notices her in a different light then before.
W/C :821 It’s just a pre-quel
Warnings: None
Shar had been working in this same beautiful New York high rise building for years. Way before it was a publishing company for books. Yep, she remembered the days when it was one of the top magazines headquarters in the country. She would catch herself daydreaming about the fun she used to have. Going down and gossiping with Anthony in the fashion department. Trying on all the new designers’ clothes, and of course getting a new accessory to add to her collection. When the board decided to buy a publishing company they asked her to stay on as editor. And honestly if she was younger and hadn’t already had a very full life she would’ve taken it. So instead she decided to stay at her current pay formally the head of the social media dept. and became an assistant. I know that’s a big downgrade but she took it for the experience. She ended up being an assistant to one of the editors who loathed her, however Diana was a bad ass, and Shar had to give credit where it was due. Diana and Shar were about 3 years apart, Diana being the older one. However Shar looked like she was in her 20’s and that irked the shit out of Diana. Shar is a size 18 with beautiful Hickory skin, and she was a great assistant and did better than any of her previous assistants, so she tolerated her.
Shar was known as the “mom” of the office. The other assistants knew she was older but no one knew exactly her age. But when a boyfriend would break up, or someone had a hard night it was her desk that they gathered at. Which annoyed Diana, but it annoyed the most out of Amber the head assistant. She was Chris’s assistant; Chris is the editor in chief of the publishing company. Really nice guy, 51 years old doesn’t look it, and he greets everyone in the office. But if he wasn’t in a meeting in the conference room or talking to one of the other editors he for the most part stayed in his office with the door open. Amber was annoying AF but Shar knew when to pick her battles with her. So when it did get a little tense she would let Amber win, or check her in her professional phone voice when the situation deemed necessary. “It’s always fun to see a person turn completely red in the face” she thought. Shar absolutely loved her job, but she loved nothing more than going home and taking off her work clothes.
So after getting home later than usual on Thursday night to her Harlem Townhome that’s exactly what she did. Now I know what you’re thinking how can assistant afford a townhouse like that. Don’t worry we’ll get into that later.
However her peace was interrupted when her phone started to buzz uncontrollably. “Who is this?” She wondered besides it being work of course. Diana was at an event, and Anthony was out with his husband Raphael tonight. So you can imagine her surprise when she found out it was Amber texting her.
Ambersourus:
“I need you to actually do some work tomorrow, and act as Chris’s assistant. I have to fly out of town unexpectedly for personal reasons. No I don’t want to talk about it and don’t forget Chris’s Starbucks coffee at exactly 7am. Grande Americano 2 sugars 2 Splenda.”
Me:
Well okay then hope everything is okay. And don’t you have other assistants that you can scare into doing this?
Ambersourous:
Yes, but you’re the only one that’s there early enough. And I know Diana won’t be in tomorrow. So your day is wide open. Don’t forget GRANDE AMERICANO 2 SUGAR 2 SPLENDA!
Shar wasn’t even in the mood for an argument. So she just agreed and made sure to keep her evening short. So she headed for the shower and put on her too faced pink robe. She was lying on the couch on her rooftop terrace when again she was interrupted. But this time it was a phone call from her son Henry. He was 18 and having the time of his life studying at the University of Hilo in Hawaii. Henry and Shar were very close. Ever since Sharlina’s husband died when Henry was just a baby they were almost inseparable. They could talk for hours about anything and everything. Which is exactly what they were doing, until Shar cut their conversation short. It was midnight her time and she had to be up in 6 hours. She blew a kiss at her phone, and disconnected it. She walked down two flights of stairs to her bedroom, plugged her phone up to the charger, and went to sleep. She knew the next day would be busy with acting as Chris’s assistant, but she didn’t know it was going to change her life.
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A/N: So I figured i had been sitting on the first 3000 words long enough. So here you guys go. I’ll try not to make Part 2 such long of a wait.
Summary: Tia has to leave London, and face her feelings for Chris. Can she leave so easily? Will she come back? And if she does will Chris wait for her? Is she going to be in the middle of an epic battle? Guess you’ll have to read to find out.
Tags: Adult situations, more so fluff then anything, angst
“Tia do you have to go?” Sebastian peeped out. His face red, and streaming with tears.
Tia kneeled in front of him. “My little love, we go through this every time. You know I have to get back home. I have a lot of grown up stuff I must take care over there. I will be back soon, I promise. We can talk every week just like usual, and you can draw me pictures and write letters.”
“Bbbutt…BUT…I WANT YOU TO STAY HERE!!”
“SEBASTIAN….” Chris raised his voice to cut through the whining. “Do not yell at Tia. Am I understood?” Truth was Chris was not happy about Tia leaving either. And just like Sebastian his temper was on the rise as well.
“Tia please don’t go, we will miss you too much..” Henry said solemnly keeping his head down and eyes fixated on the red and gold carpet.
Tia motioned for Henry to come and stand in front of her. She whispered something in his ear, making sure to cover her mouth so no one else could hear it. Once she was finished he nodded at her and gave her a hug. “It will be our little secret okay?”
“Yes Tia.” He said with a little bit of hope in his voice.
Tia turned to give Sebastian her attention again, she hugged and kissed him. Telling him that she loved them both, and that they always have a place in her heart. Tia gave Henry a nod and henry took Sebastian’s hand and led him back inside. Only turning to wave goodbye once they reached the threshold of the palace.
“What was that about?”
“I told Henry that I was going to need his help, and he is helping me with Sebastian.” Chris nodded his head in agreement. He didn’t quite understand but he knew what was done is done.
“I love you my king...” Tia stepped forward and kissed his bearded cheek. Cupping the other side with her soft manicured hand. “…Please take care of yourself.” Chris leaned in and kissed the palm of her hand.
“I promise my queen. Please come back to me soon.”
“I will baby.”
Chris grabbed her waist and brought her closer to him. There was only a slight moment where their breaths hitched in anticipation. Then he crashed his lips on to hers and tightened his grip around her waist. Only when they broke for air did she realize that they had been kissing longer than expected.
“I have to go.” She whispered, eyes still closed while their heads leaned on each other’s for support.
“Please stay, we had so much fun the last two days. Especially yesterday morning.”
Tia had a flash back of yesterday morning.
“Sire Please!” Moans and gasps of air was all that was heard throughout his chambers. Tia’s pleas went unanswered. How she ended up on the shoulders of the king, with his head barried between her legs was a mystery to her. Especially because this was just supposed to be a ‘snuggle/cuddle’ sleep over. Between Chris ravaging her sweetness, and then pounding her into the next millenia love making lasted all morning.
Being pulled from her thoughts she knew she had to leave. “I can’t, not just yet my love. I promise I will be back, sooner than you think.” She grazed his nose with hers and kissed him again this time she slowly released his bottom lip.
“Eh hem. I’m sorry Tia, but if we don’t go you will miss check in.” Banks interrupted.
“See you later hun.”
“Bye my queen. Call me when you get home?”
Tia nodded and swiftly turned and climbed into the car. With a nod from Tia, Banks pulled off quickly. She knew to just go so no one changed their minds.
“Thanks lady, I could’ve stayed in his arms forever.”
“You have some explaining to do. The last time I saw you, you wanted nothing to do with him. Now I’m pulling you guys apart. What In The Actual Fuck??”
“It has been a crazy week girl.”
~~~~~~
It had been a month since Tia had left London. She had received at least 20 pictures from the boys a piece. Drawings of their days, what they had for lunch, and dinner, who they played with that day the usual. They talked on the phone every week. Sebastian on Mondays, Henry on Wednesdays, and Chris every other night light clock work. Damn did she miss her men. But it wasn’t going to be too much longer. She had a trick up her sleeve, which would get her back to England sooner than expected. Until then she went on about her normal life. As much as she can anyway. She was ready to go back, London was her home now.
Only a few short more weeks had passed before she had gotten the phone call she was waiting for.
“Hey Max! What’s going on?” Max was the PR manager for Tia’s latest project.
“You ready to go back to London?”
“FINALLY!”
“Ha ha ha I will take that as a yes. The premiere is on the 21st that gives you a week, before you hit the carpet.”
“Totally manageable! I got this.”
“Oh, Tia? Try not to disappear until after the premier. Yeah?”
“I make no promises. See you next week.”
This was it. She was finally going back to her home. I hope they are ready. Lord now what am I going to wear. She thought to herself, as she moved through the look books for her red-carpet look.
Meanwhile back in London a week days later….
“Daddy, daddy, daddy guess what I saw today!!! Daaaaad! Where’d you go??”
“I’m in the office little prince!” Sebastian ran down to the end of the corridor where he found his father sitting at his big mahogany desk. Dressed in 3-piece suit, with onyx loafers.
“Guess who I saw on tv today!”
Chris chortled as the little one ran across the room and passed Chris's entourage. He hopped on his lap wide eyed in excitement.
“What’s that buddy?”
“The Rock and Tia! They are coming here for a pre..pre…Remayor.”
“A premiere?” Chris asked.
“Yeah that’s what I said a pre..pre..Remayor! She will be here tomorrow night. Can we please, please, please stay up to see her walk the red-carpet daddy?”
“I will think about it buddy.” Not willing to take no for an answer Sebastian pulled out the big guns. His famous puppy dog stare and pouty lip. “You suck that lip back in mister. I said I will think about it.”
“But I miss her, she’s like mommy I need her here with us.” Chris’s heart melted. How could he say no to this? His son was truly hurt, and all he wanted was to see his mom. Which in this case Tia held that spot for him.
“Bud do you remember mommy?” Chris asked
“My real mommy?” Chris nodded in agreement. Sebastian turned to a photo on the credenza behind him and pointed. “That’s her, she went to heaven a little while ago. I miss her, but I know she wants me to be happy. She.. she… wants all of us to be happy. I'll always love her.”
Tears welling up in Chris’s eyes. “You know buddy you’re right, and a very smart young man. You are going to be a great human being which is all I want for you and your brother.” Chris kissed the top of Sebastian’s forehead and the little one hugged his neck and jumped off his lap.
“Besides she thinks Tia is pretty cool too.”
“Alright buddy you can stay up tomorrow and watch.”
“Woohoo!” Sebastian sprang out of his father’s lap and ran out of the office to go tell Henry. Chris was left sitting in his office chair pondering the conversation that just transpired. Maybe it was time to make Tia apart of the family officially. Wait did he just say she thinks Tia is pretty cool?
~ ~
It was great to be back in London. To feel the energy, the smell, the sound, it just felt like home. Premiere night was tonight! Tia had sung and composed a couple of songs for the movie, and had a couple of scenes with the rock as his stand in girlfriend. No biggie, everyone has a scene with the rock, right? First thing first info meetings.
Everyone managed to arrive at the Marriott within an hour of each other. Max was standing at the head of the conference table debriefing everyone.
"Good morning everyone I know it's early so I’ll make this quick. Alright so we have a little over 12 hours before premiere time. Everyone needs to be there on time. Even though this the last one doesn’t mean we can start slacking. Secondly, I want everyone to go out for an hour be seen. Create some excitement like how cool is it if the rock is at the local coffee shop?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Tia Dwayne if you guys could go out together that would be great. Actually, whomever is your 'partner in crime' in the movie try to go together."
"So, your majesty where you wanna go? This is your city."
Tia chuckled "Oh my city huh? Just because I’m here all the time doesn’t make it my city. Well I guess it does. But I’m not royalty. Let’s see we can go easy and go to the eye? It's quick, fun, you get a great view of the city, always a good crowd, and the best part quick. We could be back here and asleep in no time."
"My sistah let's do it to it."
After they unloaded their suitcases, Dwayne and Tia left straight for the eye. Making sure to grab her vlogging camera so she can make a video about it later.
The ride was amazing. It truly is the best way to see the city. Word had spread fast about their outing. Of course, it was almost peak tourist season so the little outing was not a letdown. It was almost 10am and they had made the daily news website. Pretty crazy considering they had only been out for about an hour.
Only problem is that the quick media coverage blew the whole surprise. Tia wasn’t too much worried about the boys since they were still in school. It was Chris she really wanted to surprise. Maybe he hasn’t seen it yet? She thought to herself. Only 4 minutes passed before she got her answer in the form of a text message.
But before she could check her messages Rock called to her. “Tia. The car is here. Let’s go back.” Once situated she immediately checked her messages. Sure enough it was Chris and he didn’t sound too happy about the surprise.
Chris: So, you were just going to sneak in and sneak out or what?
Tia: Of course not!! I was going to come see you tonight, after the premiere.
Chris: You know that I try to have the boys in bed by 10.
Tia: I know, I'm counting on that...I wasn’t coming for the boys tonight... I figured I would surprise them at breakfast.
Chris: Oh yeah? Well who exactly where you coming to see tonight then?
Tia could tell that he was softening up. So, she decided to mess with him just a little.
Tia: Are you actually going to make me say it?
Chris: Text it. But, Yep!
Tia: 'huffs' finnnee smart ass. Maurice dammit, I'm coming for his flautas! You happy?
Chris: You are an awful tease woman!
Tia: Who said anything about being a tease?
Chris: What if I don’t want to wait until tonight? What if I want you before then?
Tia: Well I’m on the way to the hotel to start pre-getting ready. I’m sure I could squeeze you in for a quickie ;-).
Chris: What if I don’t want a quickie?
Tia: Then I’ll see you tonight after the premiere.
Chris: Well fine then. I'll see you tonight my queen.
“Who you texting over there? Must be a man you are blushing hardcore over there.” Dwayne said.
Tia immediately blushed. “I guess you could say he’s my boyfriend.”
“Is he here?”
Tia nodded.
“No disappearing young lady.” He said while wagging his finger at her. Tia couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t worry I won’t disappear until after the premier.”
“Oh, okay cool then. Wow that was a short ride. How come we didn’t walk?”
“Seven miles on foot? I’m not that adventurous.” She stated plainly.
“Alright well, I’ll see you tonight then. Say hi to the boyfriend.”
“Will do.”
-----
Getting ready for the premiere was like clockwork for Tia. Facial, mani-pedi, deep tissue massage, and a v-steam. Hair and make-up was right on time at 4 o’clock. It took a total of 2 hours to get ready. She was on the red carpet just in time. Camera flashes everywhere as she walked down the red carpet in her emerald green dress. She realized she had missed the attention, then quickly remembered once a photographer made a very inappropriate cat call at her why she left it. Tia had managed to make it into the theatre, and in her seat without any hiccups. As she looked around the packed auditorium all she could think about was getting to Chris. She had really missed her man, and the teasing text messages earlier didn’t help. All they did was add oxygen to the fire that was already flaming pretty high within her.
“Eh hem!!!...” Showtime Tia thought to herself Only 2 hours and 21 minutes until this is over then a quick peak into the after party then I’m out. “… Ladies and gentlemen tonight is a special night indeed. Not only is this the last stop on the premiere tour…” Applause “…But tonight we are joined by a very special and most honorable guest. His Royal Highness King Christopher Robert Evans the first!!” Tia’s heart skipped a beat. Everyone stood up and clapped and cheered for Chris as if he had won an Oscar for his performance. Granted he was the king and he looked especially dashing in his 4-piece Alexander McQueen suit. Chris smiled and greeted the room. “Thank you for letting me attend on short notice. I know these premieres are planned out months in advance.”
“Well of course your highness. You are always welcome! Unfortunately, we don’t have the royal box cleaned and outfitted for you. It will only take but a few moments.”
“Non-sense I will sit in the audience, just because I’m king doesn’t me I’m better. I will be honored to sit among the fine actors and actresses that made this film.”
Applause
Damn he’s good! Tia thought to herself.
“Well of course your highness please take a seat anywhere.” Chris gave a swift nod in appreciation and left the stage. As he walked down the aisle he found his seat. Wouldn’t you know that there was one right next to Tia. She was Six seats in and he would be seated to the right of her.
“Do you mind Miss. Tia?”
Tia stood up quickly and gave a short courtesy. “Of course not your majesty. I would be honored! Please sit.” Chris moved to sit next to her, and Tia appeared unfazed. She had to be there was essentially a whole auditorium watching them. Once everyone was settled and the movie began that’s when the fun began. Chris leaned over and whispered in her ear. His breath warm and smelled of cigars and peppermint. Tia hated that he smoked, but she was the first to emit she loved the way his kisses tasted after he had did though.
“You look gorgeous my Queen.”
“Thank you baby. I thought we were going to meet a little later. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here for my quickie.” Tia's eyes went wide. Only thing she could do was to try and keep her cool. So without taking her eyes off the screen she leaned over and answered him in a hushed voice. “Oh really? Well unfortunately your royal highness, that window of opportunity has closed. However after the after party, I might be able to help you pry open that pesky window open.”
Chris was a little taken aback by her response. If she wanted to tease, he could definitely show her a good tease. “Or… I can loosen up the hinges on that window. And take my appetizer now.” With one fluid motion he took off his jacket and put it in his lap. One of his security gestured to take it and Chris shook his head in disagreement. He placed his arm around Tia’s shoulders and the women 2 rows behind them gasped. All Chris could do was chuckle. He placed his jacket across Tia’s lap. “You are a very good girl for wearing a dress that has a slit so high." As Chris moved his hand up the slit up her thigh Tia widened her legs for him. Chris slid his hand further up her leg, the further he went he could feel the heat coming off her warm sex. Tia let out a small hiss, then all of a sudden Chris stopped. His attention focusing on to one of his security guards. He was speaking into his cuff link, that Chris could hear through an ear piece. He gave a swift nod, and turned his attention back to Tia. “I have to go. But I’ll see you tonight my love.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I love you my queen.”
