pairings: fraser minten, macklin celebrini, will smith, connor bedard x reader
summary: their reactions to the "seeing if he melts into my kiss" tiktok trend
warnings: fluff, kissing
wc: 1.2k
FRASER MINTEN
for the past few days your feed has been filled with people asking their partners to put their hands up, kissing them to see how they react, and if they melt into the kiss after being overcome with the feelings of pure adoration and tenderness.
quickly becoming curious to see how fraser would react, you've been anticipating his return from the rink more than usual. stepping through the door and saying your hellos to each other, you let him change out of his clothes into something comfier, giving you the time to set up your phone to record his reaction without him noticing.
"hey fraser can you come here for a sec?"
"yeah baby hold on a sec...what'd you need?"
"can you put your arms up just like this while i do something real quick?" guiding his arms into position above his head.
trusting you completely, fraser doesn't question you and simply complies with whatever you're making him do. with one last quick and unnoticeable glance at the camera, you press your lips together in a lingering kiss.
with fraser always listening to your instructions, he leaves his arms up whilst he meets you halfway in the kiss, cherishing the moment and committing it to memory.
all the videos you saw of other couples doing this trend had their partners engulfing them into their arms. however, you felt an unexpected absence, the feeling of fraser's arms not being around you therefore, breaking the kiss to see what was happening.
"fraser baby why are your arms still up?" a slight chuckle leaving your lips.
"because...you said i needed to put my arms up" with a soft flush starting to colour his cheeks in embarrassment, thinking he had done something wrong.
you explain the trend to him, realising that your fraser will always listen to what you say.
MACKLIN CELEBRINI
for what feels like years but in reality has been a few hours, you've been trying to find the right moment with mack to do the couples trend that you've been seeing all over your for you page. you've either forgotten about it in the moment, being caught up with something else, or mack hasn't been around as soon as you remember to do it.
it's just you an him laying on the couch together, watching your comfort show when you finally find the time to do the trend on mack. the end credits roll on the episode you're watching and you ask mack to pause the show before it jumps to the following episode.
"what's up? do you want a snack or a quick break before the next episode?"
"that sounds good, but can you actually stand up for a second?"
with confusion written over his face as to why you asked him to stand up, wondering if you wanted him to get the snacks for you two.
"can you put your arms up like this for me?" demonstrating to him what position you wanted him to get into.
complying with your request with his arms tensed over his head, he's still confused "what? why?"
"just ugh you'll see in a sec" not wanting to ruin what you were about to do.
getting excited that you finally have your moment, you lean in for the kiss, wrapping your hands around his face.
mack hadn't seen this coming, but was enjoying every moment of it. immediately, his arms fell from above his head, wrapping them around you to embrace you better. all tension was released, and all that was left in his mind was sharing this moment with you.
finally breaking away from the kiss, mack asked why he had to put his arms up. you explained the trend to him through a series of all the videos you had liked leading up to the kiss you two shared.
"you melted like butter."
WILL SMITH
this whole evening, you've been seeing a new couples trend pop up on your fyp. video after video, you were watching all these people melt into their partner's kiss.
you've been waiting for will to come home from his game, you unfortunately not being able to make it tonight due to other responsibilities. constantly looking back and forth from the time to see if it was any closer to the eta will gave you, and the door waiting impatiently for the doorknob to turn and see him walk through.
with what feels like eternity, will finally arrives home and you rush over to greet him.
"babe! you're finally back! congrats on the game, i saw that goal you scored!!"
appreciating you and your support, will puts down his things and starts heading to your shared bedroom. quickly following him, you stop him in his tracks before he lays in bed.
"wait wait will can you quickly help film something for me?"
he hesitantly agrees, wanting to get ready and go to bed, but still puts you and whatever you want him to do as his number one priority.
you set your phone on a nearby table, propping it up against something to capture the memory.
"put your hands up like this for me."
following suit, he does so without further questions.
immediately, your lips meet his, engaging in a passionate kiss. will didn't see this coming, but he wasn't complaining one bit. he assumed this was just another form of praise and applause from the success of his game tonight, relaying his gratitude by closely holding you against him, completely forgetting about you asking him to put his arms up.
when you two finally let go of each other and are tucked into bed will clarifies what the kiss was for, still not understanding why his arms were up at first.
explaining the trend to him, you show him all the videos you've seen, and replay the video you took as well. will was beyond glad he agreed to help you.
CONNOR BEDARD
you're not too sure if connor has seen the new couples trend floating around tiktok recently, but you were still curious to see how he would react to your kiss.
you prop your phone up somewhere nearby the couch connor was currently sat on.
"hey connor can you get up real quick?"
complying to what you asked of him, he stood up and found your phone suspiciously stood up like it was recording him.
"can you put your arms up like this?" as you raise your arms to the side.
red flags are raised in connors mind -- the camera pointing at you two, you asking him to put his arms up, and a stick nearby that was completely unrelated to what you were about to do. he's seen this before on his own for you page.
"wait...i know what you're doing!"
"oh" feeling a bit defeated as you wanted to see his reaction.
"you're going to posture check me and then tickle me! absolutely not!"
it clicked to you that he assumed you were going to do the prank that was trending a few months ago.
"what? i wasn't going to do that! i promise you no tickles will happen. you have my word"
"you promise?"
"i never break my promises."
connor reluctantly puts his arms out, trusting that you would keep to your promise and not tickle him. keeping to your word, your lips meet his, and all his initial guards fell. his arms fall to wrap around you, realising that he could trust you entirely.
when your kiss finally breaks, his arms don't leave their position, still wrapped around you.
"i really thought i you were going to hit me with a tickle attack for a sec."
"i told you there would be no tickles."
"i know. i can always trust what you say."
a/n: ahh first little fic done!! this was super cute and fun to write, and i rlly hope this wasn't too bad!
hi! hope your doing well! I would like to request a little fic where Lando brought reader out to a date to celebrate his championship, then brought reader to a special place where you can see all the stars because he knows she loves stars, and heâs all giddy and nervous the whole night and reader finally talks to him about but he decides to finally do it, and when he gets on one knee and readers eyes are burning, randomly in the middle of his speech he drops the ring and he loses it in the grass?? then after that, he finally finds the ring and puts it on her finger? ( after like 20 minutes tho lol ) thank you!! sorry if this was longđ„Čđ„Č
The Night He Lost The Ring
Lando Norris x Girlfriend!reader
Synopsis: Lando takes you stargazing to celebrate his championship, gets nervous, drops to one knee⊠and drops the ring straight into the grass. After a chaotic scramble and breathless laughter, he finds it and finally asks you to marry him under the stars.
Moonlight Radio: hi! Iâm doing good thank u, I hope u like this.
The night starts soft - the kind of soft that feels intentional, like the world is dimming its lights just for the two of you.
Landoâs hand is warm in yours as he leads you out of the restaurant, thumb brushing your knuckles in a rhythm that gives him away. Heâs been like this all evening: jittery, brightâeyed, smiling too much, laughing too easily. Championship glow, sure⊠but thereâs something else simmering under his skin.
You donât call him out on it yet. You let him have his little secrets.
He opens the car door for you - unnecessarily dramatic, because he bows - and you roll your eyes, but he beams like youâve just handed him the trophy again.
The drive is quiet, but not awkward. His playlist is low, his fingers tapping the steering wheel, his knee bouncing. Every few seconds he glances at you, then away, then back again like heâs checking youâre still real.
âLando,â you murmur, amused. âYouâre acting weird.â
âIâm not,â he lies immediately, voice cracking like a teenager.
You laugh. He groans.
He turns off the main road, then another, then another, until the world is nothing but open fields and the faint hum of the engine. When he finally parks, he looks at you with that boyish, hopeful expression that always melts you.
âCome on,â he says, tugging you out of the car.
The moment you step into the clearing, your breath catches.
Stars. Everywhere. A sky so full it looks like it might spill over. Like someone dusted the universe in glitter and forgot to stop.
Your chest tightens. âLan⊠this is beautiful.â
He watches you instead of the sky. âYeah. It is.â
You elbow him, but your smile is soft. He knows you love stars - knows you always look for them, even in cities where they barely exist. And heâs brought you here, somewhere quiet and perfect, just so you can have them.
You lie down on the blanket he spreads out, your head on his chest, his heartbeat thudding far too fast for someone supposedly relaxed.
After a few minutes, you tilt your head up. âOkay. Talk.â
He freezes. âTalk about what?â
âYouâre vibrating.â
âIâm not vibrating.â
âYouâre vibrating.â
He covers his face with both hands. âI hate you.â
âNo you donât.â
He sighs, long and shaky. âIâm just⊠Iâm just thinking. And overthinking. And then thinking about the overthinking.â
You sit up, turning to face him. âLando. Whatever it is, you can tell me.â
He swallows. Hard. Then he stands.
Your heart stutters.
He reaches into his pocket.
Oh.
Oh.
He drops to one knee.
Your breath leaves your body in a single, burning rush.
âOkay,â he says, voice trembling. âOkay. I had a whole speech. Like⊠a whole thing. I practiced it. In the mirror. Twice. Three times. Maybe more. But now youâre looking at me like that and I canât remember a single-â
And then, midâsentence, the ring slips out of his fingers.
Both of you watch it fall.
Bounce once.
Disappear into the grass.
There is a full three seconds of absolute silence.
Then:
âNO NO NO NO NO-â Lando drops to his hands and knees, scrambling like a man possessed. âI HAD ONE JOB. ONE. JOB.â
Youâre laughing so hard you canât breathe. Tears blur your vision. âLando-â
âDONâT LOOK AT ME,â he yells, face inches from the ground. âIâM A FAILURE.â
You join him, still laughing, brushing through the grass. âItâs fine-â
âIt is NOT fine, I lost the ring, I lost the PROPOSAL, I lost the MOMENT-â
âLando.â
â-Iâm going to have to propose with a dandelion-â
âLando.â
He stops.
You reach forward and pluck something shiny from the grass.
His jaw drops. âYou found it.â
âI found it.â
He takes it from your hand like itâs made of glass. Then he sits back on his knees, breathless, hair a mess, eyes wide and terrified and in love.
âOkay,â he whispers. âRound two.â
You wipe your cheeks, nodding.
He exhales, steadying himself. âI love you. I love you more than racing, more than winning, more than anything Iâve ever cared about. Youâre my favourite part of every day. And I want⊠I want all my days to have you in them.â
Your eyes burn again.
He holds up the ring - carefully this time. âWill you marry me?â
You donât even let him finish the sentence before youâre nodding, laughing, crying, all at once. âYes. Yes, of course I will.â
His relief is so intense he nearly falls over. He grabs your hand, slides the ring onto your finger - perfectly, this time - and then heâs pulling you into him, arms tight around your waist, face buried in your neck.
âYouâre stuck with me now,â he murmurs, voice thick.
summary: you overheard your boyfriend talking with his teammate about.. a prettier one?
warnings: angst? fluff. kissing
a/n: thank you soo much for your requests!! I dont really know joao or have watched a lot of videos exposing his character so I hope this wasnt too much out of character!! lmk what are you thoughts, my first angst and I feel like it isnt really but yeah.. its so short too.. sorry!!! send more requests! I take everything!
english is not my first language so excuse any spelling mistakes
â
you and joao have been together for almost a year now. Joao often invited his teammates home, they would stay in the living room etc.
you woke up to loud sounds coming from downstairs, voices and walking sounds.
"yeah no shes way more prettier."
your eyes widened, you recognized joaoâs voice. your boyfriendâs voice. was he talking about another girl? your breath hitched. you walked out of your bedroom and sat on the stairs, listening. maybe you misheard.
"right, way more than the third one."
your stomach twisted. your eyes widened again, you were joaoâs third girlfriend and everyone knew it. your eyes teared up slowly, you hand went to your mouth to prevent any sounds.
"you should change."
a teammate added. it was enough. you stood up from the stairs and walked down, not even caring about how you looked. when you made your way to the living room, everyone was staring, guilty smile on their lips, you could swear joao hide his phone when you arrived.
"hey amor"
he said carefully, walking around the couch to hug and kiss your forehead softly.
"what were you talking about? am I interrupting something?"
you asked, pushing him away with your hand, palm flatening against his chest, he let you do so.
"strategy, football you know."
you looked toward his teammates who nodded instantly.
"okay.."
you said turning around to walk to the kitchen to make a coffee, joao followed you there.
"meu amor.."
he said as he hugged you from behind, chin going to your shoulder
"something wrong? did we wake you?"
you shrugged
"nothing. get off.. its already hot enough."
you said pushing him away with your back, he let go, pouting.
"okay.. I love you."
he said looking at you. leaning against the counter, next to you trying to catch your eyes.
"yeah.. me too"
you nodded and he walked back to the living room.
â
a week passed of you pushing him away, telling him you were not in the mood.
It was after dinner, you were on the couch, reading a book. He just finished washing the dishes as he flopped into the couch, next to you, his knee touched yours and you directly moved yours away.
"Y/N, amor."
you ignored him, turning the page to next page.
"Y/N. listen to me."
he said grabbing your book, tossing it aside, his hand found your knee, his thumb rubbed slow half moons there.
"whats wrong? its been a week since you ignore me and.. push me away everytime I want to touch you.."
"its nothing."
you said avoiding his eyes, eyes already tearing up.
"Y/N tell me, even if its dumb even if it was a dream, amor tell me. please I cant bare even thinking about another minute with you being mad at me.."
his free hand, slid under your chin so you looked at him. you met his eyes, they searched yours instantly, pleading.
"its just.."
he nodded along, not talking, letting you as much time as you needed. your eyes started to tear up.
"last time when your teammates came home.. you talked about. about me. I know it joao, you want to switch girlfriend."
his eyes widened, a smile tugging at his lips, he tried to hold back a laugh but failed. he brushed a strand of hair behind your eat, his hand staying on your jaw.
"amor.. we werent talking about youâ I mean yeah kind off. but not like that. amor I love you more than anything."
"then what were you talking about huh? tell me joao. say it."
"a ring. they helped me choose a ring. a promisd ring."
his eyes softened, his thumb caressing your cheek. your eyes widened and your lips turned up at the corner, you hesitated.
"what? a promise ring?"
he nodded, chuckling and pulling you closer.
"sim, amor. for our one year anniversary. that was supposed to be a surprise but you-"
you cute him off by kissing him, pouring all that week of starving in it.
"Im so relieved.. I thought you were gonna leave me.. dont ever do that okay?"
he chuckled and nodded, leaning in to kiss your lips softly again
[ TAGS / WARNINGS ] â f!reader , established relationship , proposal , lots of fluff , happy ending
the sun had already begun to dip beneath the horizon, painting the ocean in shades of pink and gold. gentle waves rolled onto the shore while the warm evening breeze carried the scent of saltwater through the air. you couldn't help smiling as joĂŁo reached over to intertwine his fingers with yours, lazily swinging your joined hands between the two of you.
"this is nice," you sighed, leaning your head against his shoulder.
"it is," he murmured, looking at you instead of the sunset. "but you know what's even better?"
"hm?"
"you."
you laughed immediately, nudging his side with your elbow.
"that was so cheesy."
"it worked though."
"it absolutely did not."
"it made you smile."
"...okay, maybe a little."
his grin widened triumphantly.
moments like these had always been your favorite. no cameras. no interviews. no crowds chanting his name from the stands. just the two of you walking barefoot along the beach after one of the few vacations he managed to take during the season.
you had been together for years now, growing alongside each other through transfers, victories, injuries, and the overwhelming attention that came with dating one of football's brightest stars.
through everything, joĂŁo had remained the same.
still the boy who stole fries off your plate.
still the man who insisted on holding your hand whenever you crossed the street.
still the person who looked at you like you hung every star in the sky.
he suddenly stopped walking.
you turned toward him with a confused smile.
"what?"
"i..." he scratched the back of his neck, looking oddly nervous.
I just read one of your kimi antonelli fics and I was AMAZING!?! like your so so so good at writing.
so I was wondering if you could write a kimi fic were reader is a streamer and like kimi walks in or does something and the chat goes crazy.
if you can't that totally fine you probably get tons of theseđ
please,and thank you if you do do this!! xoxo
pic is from pinterest and isnt mine!
exposed!
ki. antonelli x reader
during a stream , kimi walks in and misses you. you give a quick excuse to ur fans and thought your camera and mic was turned off. you start to show affection until kimi realises itd still turned on. youâve been exposed!
taglist (tw) : kimi antonelli x reader, affection viewed by public (stream), pet names
a.n : AHHH STOP ILYY. and please request as much as youâd like! your helping me more than you think!
you leaned back in your chair with an exaggerated sigh, rubbing your eyes as chat immediately started spamming messages telling you to queue again. ypu had just finished a ranked match.
âabsolutely not,â you laughed, taking a sip of your drink. âyouâve all watched me suffer for three hours. iâm taking a five-minute break.â
the chat protested immediately when the word âbreakâ was mentioned :
hairytwinkle29 : one more game pls!!!
ilovekiwiyn : donât leave us so early đą
ynsbiggestfan : noob type behaviour itâs only been 3 hours
notlaoiwvq : itâs just 5 mins we can wait.. đŁ
a soft knock echoed through your room and before you could answer, the door cracked open. kimi peeked his head around it, his hair messy from the wind outside and a hoodie hanging loosely over his shoulders. the second your eyes met his, the tiredness on both of your faces disappeared.
âhi,â he smiled.
you couldnât stop yourself from smiling back and waved, mouthing a soft âhi.â
he stayed standing in the doorway for a second.
âam i allowed in?â
you raised an eyebrow. âyouâre asking?â
âtrying something new, thought youâd appreciate it.â
your laugh escaped from your mouth before you could stop it.
and your loving chat obviously noticed it.
ilikef1 : whats got you so jolly
kiwiynismyfav : whoâs at the door đ
joebartglazer : hold onnnnn is she talking to someone???
âgive me one sec, guys,â you said, trying not to grin too much. âiâll be right back.â
you reached over to keyboard, and clicked what you were convinced were the buttons to mute your microphone and turn your camera off in a rush to hug kimi then you turned your chair away from your desk.
âokay,â you said, opening your arms dramatically. âcome here.â
kimi didnât need to be told twice. he crossed the room in a few quick steps before wrapping his arms around you, letting out a content little sigh as soon as he hugged you. âmissed you.â
you smiled into his hoodie and nuzzled your head deeper. âyou literally saw me this morning.â
âthat was agesss ago.â
âit was six hours.â
âexactly! 6 is a lot!â
you laughed quietly, your arms finding their way around his neck.
âyouâre clingy.â
âonly with you.â
he stayed there for another moment before pulling back just enough to look at you. âhave you eaten?â
ââŠno.â
he gave you a look.
âdonât.â
âwhat?â
âdonât give me that look.â
âwhat look?â
âthe disappointed one.â
âiâm not disappointed!â
ââŠâ
ââŠiâm a little upset you prioritised streaming over a full belly.â
you groaned dramatically. âi was busy.â
âmm.â
âdonât âmmâ me.â
he smiled.âcome on.â he gently took your hands, tugging you towards him. âsit.â
you looked at him for a second before giving in, straddling yourself comfortably onto his lap while he dropped into your gaming chair.
your arms slipped around his neck once again while his rested comfortably around your waist, pulling you a little closer until your forehead rested against his.
a comfortable silence filled the room.
you absentmindedly played with the curls at the back of his neck while he traced slow circles against your back.
âlong stream?â he asked softly.
âthree hours.â
âhowâd it go?â
âmy teammates carried.â
âiâm sure they didnât.â
âthey definitely did.â
he smiled. âis the chat still bullying you?â
âevery five minutes.. oh yn this oh yn that.â you sigh
âwant me to tell them to stop?â
you looked at him with a grin. âand what exactly would you say?â
he thought for a second.ââŠplease?â
you burst into laughter.âwow that will surely workâ
âiâm very persuasive.â
âobviously.â
he smiled to himself, watching you laugh. heâd missed these moments where he would just be sitting with you.
no cameras or interviews or race weekends. just you.
he brushed a loose strand of hair behind your ear before pressing the gentlest kiss against your neck.
âyou look tired.â
âi am.â
âafter your stream letâs order food.â
âdeal.â you smiled, leaning into him a little more.
âyouâre the best.â
âi know.â
ââŠdonât get too cocky now.â
he laughed quietly, nibbling on your neck while his eyes wandered past your shoulder and towards your monitor.
his smile faded. ââŠlove?â
you hummed
ââŠdid you actually turn your stream off?â
âyeah.â
ââŠare you sure?
ââŠyes?â
ââŠlook.â
confused, you twisted around in his lap.
your stomach dropped. your camera was still on. your microphone was still live. and your chat was absolutely flying.
you blinked a few times, your brain processing and let out a small ââŠoh.â
kimi looked between you and the monitor. ââŠthatâs⊠not ideal.â
you slowly scrolled back through the messages.
iambatman : WHO IS THAT???
notlaoiwvq: WAIT WHATT
ilikef1: IS THAT KIMI ANTONELLI??
ynispeak: NO WAY WHAT AM I WATCHING
kiwiynisawesome: HOLD ON
subscribetokiwiyn: THATâS ACTUALLY KIMI
THE F1 DRIVER????
ynispeak: YOUâRE DATING KIMI????
ilikecats12345: EXCUSE ME?????
woofwoof: SINCE WHEN????
snoopyislife: HOW WAS THIS KEPT SECRET
spiderman: I THOUGHT SHE WAS SINGLE
snoopyislife: AINâT NO WAY OUR STREAMER IS DATING AN F1 DRIVER
meowmeow: IâM ACTUALLY LOSING MY MIND
you covered your face with both hands. ââŠiâm going to disappear.â
kimi couldnât help laughing. âitâll be okay.â
âno it wonât.â
âthey seem⊠excited.â
âexcited?â you pointed helplessly at the monitor. âtheyâre collectively having heart attacks.â
he looked over your shoulder.
ââŠfair.â
another message caught both of your eyes.
ilikef1: KIMI IF YOU CAN READ THIS BLINK TWICE
he stared into the camera before blinking twice.
then the chat exploded.
cherries4summa: HE DID IT
ilikef1: HEâS ACTUALLY READING CHAT
ynsbiggestfan: THIS IS THE CRAZIEST STREAM EVER
notlaoiwvq: I CANâT BREATHE
ilikef1: SOMEONE CLIP THIS
you let out the most dramatic groan imaginable before hiding your face in his shoulder. âdonât encourage them.â
he was smiling too much to answer. you think he was enjoying this way too much for his own good.
âyouâre enjoying this.â
ââŠmaybe a little.â
you lightly nudged his chest. âwell you shouldnât be. we are gonna be everywhere.â
he wrapped his arms around you again, holding you close. âsorry.â
ââŠyouâre not sorry.â
ânot even slightly.â
despite yourself, you started laughing and he smiled when he heard it. âthere she is.â
you looked up at him. âthis is your fault.â
âhow?â
âyou came in.â
âyou told me to come here.â
ââŠâ
ââŠyou also sat on my lap.â
ââŠstop reminding me!!â
he laughed softly before pressing another quick kiss to your forehead. âso itâs your fault hahaâ
your cheeks warmed instantly. ââŠyouâre so annoying.â
âand?â
ââŠâ
ââŠand i love you anyway.â
his smile softened. âi know.â
he reached over with one hand and finally clicked end stream. you both stared at the now-black monitor and then your phone began to buzz. once. and then twice. and now it was 99+
you slowly looked at the screen before turning it towards him. your name and kimis was already trending.
kimi winced. ââŠmaybe we should order food firstâŠâ
you laughed so hard you nearly fell off his lap.
âyeah,â you managed between giggles. âi think weâre going to need it.â
Groggy with sleep crusted around your eyes, you pull yourself out from the comfort of the blankets in search of your missing half. His apartment isn't huge and there are only a few places for him to be if not the bedroom, so you find Liam hunched over his phone at the kitchen table without having to activate too much of your tired brain.
Having heard movement, he's already looking up when you come out of the hallway. "Hey, what're you doing up?"
"What're you doing up?" you lob right back at him.
You stifle a yawn, drape yourself over his shoulders.
His phone is open to some sort of statistics document you don't have the energy to try and decipher right now. You don't have to be at peak mental awareness to know what he's doing: worrying over things he can't hope to change in the middle of the night in your kitchen.
You kiss the side of his face. "Come back to bed."
"I should do this. Should know this all by heart."
He's still beating himself up. "No one expects that of you."
"Some do. The engineers talk like I should know everything. Daniel knows it all."
"A decade of experience will do that to you. Anyone who expects you to know everything is stupid or something. Mentally deficient."
Liam laughs at your sleepy rambling. "You should go back to bed."
"Not without you."
"Babeâ"
"Worrying over data sheets at 3AM isn't going to fix anything. Sleep well, then memorize numbers when you're mentally prepared for it."
Liam seems convinced. Your neck kisses may have something to do with that.
"Always so sensible, you."
"What would you do without me?"
"Self destruct, apparently."
Liam presses you into the mattress once you're back in the bedroom, climbs over you and claims your lips. You exchange lazy kisses, ridiculously wet as your tongues tangle, fingers fumbling to push your panties to the side.
"This isn't what I meant by come to bed."
Liam answers by kissing your neck.
You protest no more because you do end up getting back to sleep, half an hour and two or three orgasms later.
â° Synopsis You and Macklin were bestfriends at BU, hating on Will with a passion. But him following you and texting you, quickly changed your mind.
tags/contains Will Smith x fem!reader. Fluff, angst, enemies to lovers (kind of), Macklin Celebrini x platonic!reader, takes place at BU/BC, secret relationship, mutual pining, jealousy, kissing, mentions of underage drinking, 2.7k words, requested.
âș from Sera, to youđš. This felt a bit rushed, so sorry. But plss need some feedback!!
masterlist ᄫᥠplease reblog this fic if you enjoyed it!
Being friends with Macklin at Boston University meant that you absolutely hated Boston College. Not the school itself, necessarily, the campus was fine, and the parties were decent but more specifically, you hated their hockey team. And more than anyone on that team, you hated Will Smith.
You couldnât even remember the exact reason the hatred had started. Whatever it was, Macklin remembered and told you, and that was enough for you. He was one of your closest friends so obviously you were on his side.
Anytime there was an upcoming game where BU was playing against BC, you two sat in your dorm room and complained about him. âHeâs just a pretty boy..â Macklin grumbled, scrolling through his phone with a scowl. âHe literally thinks he can just flash that stupid smile and the refs will hand him the game.â
âRight? God forbid he actually works for it instead of relying on those baby blues and flowy hair.â You agreed. You didnât even notice you knew that information about Will, but Macklin didnât think much of it so neither did you.
Macklin laughed. âExactly. I donât know, he just thinks heâs Godâs gift to the sport..â
So when the notification lit up your phone _willsmith2 started following you. you nearly dropped it.
You were in the dining hall between classes, when the little heart icon appeared. Why the hell was he following you?
You didnât follow him back right away. You even considered showing Macklin the notification just to laugh about it, but something stopped you. Instead, you closed instagram and went about your day like it hadnât happened.
That resolve lasted until you were back in your dorm room, lights dimmed, your roommate already asleep. It was a little after 11pm when boredom and curiosity finally won. Your thumb hovered over the button for a long second before you clicked Follow Back. The blue button turned gray instantly.
Not even a full minute later, your phone buzzed with a new message.
Will Heyđ
You stared at the message, this was a terrible idea. If Macklin ever found out you two were even following each other after all the shit talking.. you didnât want to think about it.
Before you could overthink it more, your fingers moved on their own.
You Hi?
Will Are you this petty without Macklin around too?
Your eyebrows shot up. The audacity.
You How do you know Iâm not with Macklin right now?
Will Itâs 11pm
You And?
A small laugh escaped you before you could stop it. You quickly pressed your lips together, glancing at your sleeping roommate.
Will And Macklin doesnât strike me as the type to let his attack dog stay up late texting me
You Iâm not his attack dog but ok
Will Isnât that why you donât like me?
You bit your lip, equal parts annoyed and.. entertained? You knew you were wrong, but why did you like this..?
You I never said I didnât like you
Will Is that right?
By the time you finally put your phone down, it was almost 1am. A heavy wave of guilt settled in your chest. You should tell Macklin. You knew you should. But what would you even say? âHey, so Will followed me and now weâre texting, but donât worry, I still hate him.. mostlyâ?
The next time Macklin tried bringing up Will, you forced a smirk and said something that wouldnât give anything away, but now the words just tasted a little sour. You didnât know if you could just go on talking about Will, when you have been in his dms for the past couple of days. So you changed the subject quickly.
Will knew one thing you didnât like: when he brought up Macklin.
After two weeks of texting that had somehow become the highlight of your days, he finally worked up the courage. The message came through while you were halfway through a lecture: Want to get dinner this weekend?
Youâd stared at your phone before typing back a simple Yes.
He was more surprised than he let on. Part of him had been convinced youâd say no because of Macklin. You didnât tell many people. Just one of your close girlfriends, who immediately raised an eyebrow and said, âMacklin isnât going to like that.â You rolled your eyes and shrugged it off. One day heâd have to accept it, whether it was Will or anyone else.
Will picked a nice restaurant well outside the usual BU-BC radius for obvious reasons. He insisted on paying for everything despite your protests. He was funny, quick witted, and genuinely curious about your life outside of university. Youâd be lying if you said you didnât have fun.
His baby blues really were distracting up close, and his smile was charming too. You wouldnât be surprised if hockey didnât work out and he became a model instead.
After dinner, he drove you to the beach to watch the sunset. You two sat on his jacket spread across the sand, the waves gently rolling in. You told him about your major, the classes you were taking, and how much youâd learned so far. âMe and Macklin are studying the same thing.â You said, hugging your knees. âIâm scared if he gets drafted heâll leave and Iâll be stuck here alone.â
Will was quiet for a moment, staring out at the pink sky. He couldnât lie, he was starting to really like you so hearing you say this wasnât nice. He realised how close you two were and what if you liked Macklin? âYou can always visit him if he gets drafted.â he offered.
âYeah, I hope so.â You glanced over at him. âI honestly donât even understand why you two donât like each other. Youâre so much alike. Youâd probably be great friends.â
Willâs jaw tightened slightly. Is that why youâre hanging out with me? he thought. Because I remind you of him?
He shrugged. âAre you two dating?â
You burst out laughing, the sound bright and unrestrained. You held your stomach, trying to calm down as tears pricked the corners of your eyes. Will raised an eyebrow. âAlright, itâs not that funny..â he muttered, but his lips were twitching.
You finally caught your breath, still giggling. âMacklin and I? Heâs like a brother to me. You think Iâd be here right now if we were dating?â
âYouâre right.â he conceded, a small smile breaking through. âDoes he know youâre with me right now?â
Your smile faded. âWhy do you keep asking about Macklin? Iâm not going to hang out with you if you keep bringing him up.â
Will smirked, leaning back on his hands in the sand. âIs there a next time?â
You looked at him, the sunset casting a warm glow across his face. You nodded. âThought youâd want there to be a next time?â
The next hangout escalated faster than you expected. You found yourself in Willâs dorm room at his campus, straddling his lap as the two of you made out like you couldnât get enough of each other.
His hands gripped your waist, pulling you closer against his body. The kiss was heated and a little desperate.
When he finally dropped you off near your BU dorm later that night, the car idled at the curb. You leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the lips, smiling softly.
Back in your room, you quickly texted Macklin: Hey, Iâm finally back. You can come over now
A few minutes later he strolled in, flopping down on your bed like he owned the place. âWhere were you?â he asked, scrolling through his own phone.
âI was hanging out with a friend,â you said casually, turning to your desk and pulling out your notebook.
âCan you pleaseeee get me some snacks? Iâm starving.â Macklin changed the subject.
You groaned dramatically. âMack, youâre so annoying-â
âOkay fine, Iâll get it..â he cut in, starting to stand.
âItâs fine, Iâll get it.â you said quickly, waving him off. You left the room, leaving your phone on the bed where youâd been sitting.
At first, Macklin didnât think anything of it. But when your phone buzzed once, then again shortly after, curiosity got the better of him. He glanced at the door, then picked it up. The screen lit up with two new messages from âWillâ
Will: the hangout was so nice this time
Will: maybe next time you should come over again
Macklinâs eyebrows furrowed. Will? No. There was no way. This couldnât be the Will he was thinking of, right? Were you seriously hanging out with THE Will? As in Will Smith? The same guy you both had spent months complaining about? And right after being with him, you came back and acted like nothing happened?
He stared at the messages, mind racing with questions. How long had this been going on? Did you actually like him? After all you said, you were in his dorm?
The sound of your footsteps coming back down the hall snapped him out of it. Macklin quickly locked your phone and set it back exactly where it was, trying to keep his face neutral even as betrayal and confusion churned in his chest.
You and Macklin did your project together, you were halfway through outlining the next section when Macklin suddenly spoke. âSomeone also texted you while you were getting snacks.â He said, pointing at your phone.
âOh, thanks.â You picked it up and unlocked it. Willâs messages glowed on the screen, a smile tugged at your lips. You closed the app and set the phone face down, figuring youâd just answer later.
âYou arenât going to answer?â Macklin asked, his tone deceptively casual. âI think it was important.â
âNah, Iâll just answer later.â You replied lightly. âIt can wait.â
Macklin let out a short, humorless chuckle. âIs that why you were hanging out with Will?â
Your stomach dropped. You cursed yourself internally, he knew. You forced your expression to stay neutral. âYeah, but Iâll just answer later.â
âItâs not the Will Iâm thinking of, right?â
You shrugged, pretending to focus on the project. âNah.â
âBut itâs the only Will we both know.â He pressed.
âWell, I can know other Wills without you knowing..â you shot back, tapping randomly on your keyboard. âThere are plenty of people named Will in the world.â
âYeah, right.â Macklinâs annoyance was clear now. He closed his laptop with more force than necessary.
âMacklin, what is your problem?â you asked, frustration creeping into your tone.
âYou know what my problem is.â He snapped, standing up from your bed.
You crossed your arms. âI really donât.â
He ran a hand through his hair, the betrayal in his eyes hurt more than you expected. âMaybe we should finish this another day..â he muttered, already grabbing his stuff.
You wanted to stop him to explain everything, because he deserved to know the truth. You wanted to tell him it wasnât that simple, that Will wasnât the villain you both had painted him as. But the words stuck in your throat. Macklin gave you one last disappointed look before heading toward the door, leaving you alone.
Two days went by without you and Macklin talking. You understood where he was coming from but you also wanted him to understand that it wasnât that simple. You wanted him to see the side of Will youâd gotten to know.
Youâd talked to Will about it the night before. âHow would you feel if I just told Macklin about us?â you asked. You didnât want to lose your best friend, but you also didnât want to lose whatever this was with Will.
âIâm not gonna lie, Iâm not thrilled. But if itâs that important to you, then do it. Just, make sure he doesnât kill me, yeah?â
On saturday afternoon, Macklin finally texted you: Iâm sorry I overreacted. And Iâm sorry I thought you were lying.
You replied quickly: Itâs fine but I think we need to talk.
You met up at the small park near campus, sitting on a bench under the trees. The air felt thick with awkwardness as you started. âFirst off, Iâm sorry I didnât explain everything that night when I shouldâve.â
Macklin nodded. âItâs okay. I shouldnât have just assumed it was Will Smith you were talking to. And youâre right, there are plenty of Wills in the world.â
You cut him off gently. âNo.. you were right. It is the Will youâre thinking of. But I need you to-â
âWhat?â Macklinâs eyes widened.
âMacklin, itâs not a big deal. You two are-â
âItâs a big deal to me.â he interrupted. âDoes that matter to you? No!â
âIt does matter.â you said quickly. âBut heâs literally not the person you think he is. And you two might even get drafted to the same team one day, so you should warm up to each other. I just want you to get to know him first and then make your own judgment.â
Macklin stared at you. âHow do you even know where we both might get drafted?â
âIâm not stupid..â you replied. âAnd he told me that.â
âWhatever.â Macklin rubbed his face, clearly frustrated. âAre you two dating?â
âNo, weâre not dating.â you said honestly. âAt least not yet.â
He didnât want to accept that his best friend was talking to Will of all people. But looking at you now, he could tell you actually liked him. And as much as it annoyed him, he knew he couldnât talk you out of it. Once your mind was made up, it was made up.
He let out a long sigh. âThis is weird as hell.â
âI know.â You said softly. âBut can you at least try? For me?â
About two weeks later, someone from BC was throwing a party and a few people from BU were invited too. Will had asked if you wanted to go, and you saw it as the perfect opportunity to finally introduce him to Macklin properly. Youâd texted Macklin the address and told him youâd meet him there.
When you arrived, you met up with Will near the entrance. You felt a little shy as he introduced you to a couple of his teammates. They were friendly, handing you a drink before you and Will found a spot on the couch to talk.
Macklin texted that heâd be there in a few minutes. You quickly sent him a picture of where you were sitting. Will smiled at you, reaching over to gently push a strand of hair off your shoulder, his fingers lingering for a second.
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the noise. You looked up to see Macklin standing right in front of you. You stood up quickly, and Will followed.âMacklin, this is Will,â you said, gesturing between them. âWill, this is Macklin.â
They shook hands. It was stiff and awkward at first, both of them clearly sizing each other up. But after a few minutes of small talk, the conversation started to flow more naturally. To your relief, they actually seemed to be getting along.
When Will excused himself to go to the bathroom, leaving you and Macklin alone, you turned to him excitedly. âSo? What do you think?â
Macklin shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. âI mean.. heâs fine, I guess.â
âSee? I told you!â You grinned, unable to hide your excitement. âYouâll spend more days together and youâll be like best friends!â
âOkay, hold on,â Macklin said, raising an eyebrow. âWho said Iâll be hanging out with him?â
You laughed, lightly shoving his shoulder. âCome on, you know what I mean. It wasnât that bad, right?â
Like Will had mentioned, he and Macklin ended up getting drafted to the same team. It was bittersweet. They both moved away for the new chapter in their careers while you stayed behind at BU, finishing your degree. You and Will officially became girlfriend and boyfriend, and Macklin was actually happy for the two of you. And you also visited them whenever you could.
It had only been a couple of months when they bit started sending you pictures together, whether it was after practice, in their shared apartment or just an silly picture of them hanging out. And you were really grateful they got along like youâd hoped they would.
You quickly typed out a group text to both of them answering to the picture: Iâm jealous rn of you both.
Will replied almost immediately with a laughing emoji, while Macklin typed back an get used to it.
summary: a day off? well, that just means a relaxing day at home. cuddles, homemade breakfast - how can things possibly get out of hand?
picture credits from pinterest :)
honestly, life was actually going pretty good. you could tell by the way the sunlight streamed in through the glass window, filling the room with a soft glow. the birds outside that usually were obnoxious as hell now sounded quite magical the way they tweeted a cheery little tune. not only that, it felt like just the right temperature underneath the blankets and the room had that nice fresh-morning-smell to it. to top it all off, your boyfriend was slotted up next to you peacefully with an arm wrapped around your waist- just the way you liked it.Â
so, for once in a long time, you took in what it felt like to wake up next to your boyfriend.Â
youâre halfway through memorizing the way his body is pressed up behind you and the way his legs are entwined with yours when you feel his hand slightly twitch from its spot around your waist. you know heâs trying really hard to be silent, but you hear his breathy little giggles underneath his breath.
rolling your eyes, you turn over to face franco.
his eyes are closed, but a stupid little grin is plastered on his face.
âi can hear your giggles, baby. i can tell youâre awake,â you remark.
from this close, you can see beauty marks littered across his face, his mussed wavy brown locks, and incredibly long eyelashes that any girl would be jealous of.Â
still, he refuses to open his eyes.
you take this chance to launch an attack of kisses on his face, until he finally breaks into giggles and pushes you off of him.Â
âthat was not so nice, what you did, little lady,â he states with a fake pout. âi was sleeping so nicely, dreaming of winning all my races and getting a million dollars until you woke me up so rudely!â
letting out a melodramatic gasp, you clutch your metaphorical pearls the best you can, being tucked close to franco.
âhow dare i!â you exclaim. âoh, handsome sir, how could i ever show you how sorry i am?â
you see a flicker of mischievousness in francoâs eyes and the way his eyebrow quirks up for a millisecond after you finish your sentence.
âwell,â he states plainly. âyou can give me hea-â
almost immediately, you slap your hand around his mouth, muffling the rest of his sentence.Â
âfranco, you freak,â you say, laughing in disbelief. âitâs, like, 8am! i am not doing that!â
he huffs dramatically.Â
âfine, i guess iâll settle for a cuddle session.â
you almost fall asleep again in your franco-mandated cuddle session. he has his muscled arm around your waist, pulling you close to him, lightly squashing you against his side. you can smell the familiar citrusy scent that he always seems to smell like, along with the light soapy smell of detergent on his sleep shirt. one of his hands is tucked half-way into your own sleep shirt, mindlessly drawing circles and stars lightly on your soft skin. every so often, he presses a light kiss to the top of your head. a comfortable silence stretches between you both.Â
your eyes are on the edge of fluttering shut when franco tilts his head to whisper into your ear.Â
you squirm out of your blanket and pad your way on the cold marble counter close, but not too close, to the stove that franco was standing at. it looked like he had dumped an entire bottle of cooking oil in the pan, and you were pretty sure you saw at least 3 pieces of eggshell in there.Â
hmm. he definitely wasnât a gordon ramsay.Â
franco doesnât seem to notice though, and instead turns away from the rapidly bubbling pieces of ingredients in his pan, and gestures over to the tall spices cabinet to you.
âwould you mind getting the aji molido, baby?â
you nod, and bound over to the towering brown cabinet. using your paw to bat it open, you search for the chili spice. itâs on the third tier, which is no problem, because you easily bound upwards, using your claws to propel you up. once you grasp the little bottle of aji molido in your jaws, you get ready to leap down from inside the cabinet. however, franco speaks up before you are able to jump down.
âlook at this!â he exclaims, and you just know he is about to do something idiotic.Â
he swishes the entire pan and tries to flip the frankly, burnt eggs in midair like one of those five star chefs. of course, he wasnât a five star chef, so the eggs just go flying in the air, and land straight on the ground.
from your birds-eye view in the cabinet, you can see the eggs splat everywhere on the ground.
you donât even bother to hide your soft sigh as you leap back down to the kitchen counter and drop the now useless aji molido from your jaws. if you were in your human form, you likely would have shook your head and told franco off.Â
your boyfriend blinks once- twice- before letting out a frown.Â
âwell, um, that wasnât supposed to happen.â
after your boyfriend cleans up the rather large amount of oil and burnt, exploded egg on the ground, you herd him over to the fridge.Â
it was funny- he couldnât fry an egg but he could drive a formula one car?
you opt for him to cut up some fruit instead- thereâs no way you can mess that up.Â
franco seems to misunderstand your intent as he opens up the fridge, reaching for the eggs again for the top shelf. you have to hop up into the fridge and snap at his hand in order to redirect it to the strawberries on a lower shelf.Â
âjeez- okay,â he complains, rolling his eyes. âdramatic much?â
unfortunately, you were wrong again.Â
you had supervised his every move closely, from washing the strawberries (he dropped three into the drain) to plucking the leaves off of the top (he managed to squish five strawberries while doing so ?? ), making sure to hiss at him whenever he was doing something wrong (it was a lot of times).
it didnât compare to when he started chopping the strawberries, though.
you had padded to the knife drawer and carefully fetched the knife for him in your canines, setting it gently next to the chopping board. he thanked you, pressing a kiss to your soft head, and picked up the knife. you clearly expected him to chop the strawberries in halves like a normal person, but instead, he started aggressively slicing them vertically, like a weirdo.
âwatch this, baby!â he proclaims, waving his knife around. he then proceeds to cut a blob-looking object in the strawberry and hold it out towards you.Â
you tilt your head, trying to figure out what the hell he just cut out of the poor strawberry, when he gestures at it again.
âitâs you,â he supplies helpfully.Â
when you give him a blank stare, he huffs and puts it gently on top of the pile of âcutâ strawberries.
you continue watching, tail twitching, as he chops energetically, making a red-stained mess on the board that not even the williams engineering team could fix.Â
franco is about to make a âsquigglyâ slice when you hear a sharp âcrackâ that fills the air. you exchange looks with him.
no fucking way.
underneath his knife, the board was split in half.
at this point, you were not going to sit around in your orange cat form as he broke another appliance in the apartment. you jump off the counter and shift back into your human form, immediately snatching the knife away from your boyfriend.Â
âiâve seen enough, franco- you are not touching another appliance in the kitchen! i swear, the next time you touch something, youâre going to blow the apartment up- and i donât think james will appreciate having one of his drivers blow up during fall break.â
with a few âpleaseee,â you reluctantly let him toast a few slices of bread in your new toaster. It was literally two steps- put the bread in, and slide down the lever- so it was theoretically impossible to screw up.Â
you watch him super-carefully as he gently slides each piece of white bread into the slot. once both are correctly in, he looks over to you, for approval. seeing you nod once, he then slowly presses down the lever until it clicks.Â
perfect! now, all there was to do was wait.Â
you glance over to franco, who was now poking at his mountain of wildly cut strawberries (you had transferred it to a bowl). it was oddly endearing in a way, seeing him experimentally taste the girlfriend-shaped-piece-of-strawberry that he had cut out, even if he had broke your cutting board and gotten egg all over your kitchen before doing so. honestly, you know you must look like a creep, just leaning on the counter and looking at him with big doe eyes, but you couldnât help it. he was just soâŠi donât know, biteable or something. the cuteness aggression really got to you in the mornings.Â
âwhat?â he says, a smile spreading on his face when he sees you watching him. he sets down the girlfriend shaped-piece-of-strawberry back in the bowl with a bite taken out of what looked to be your legs. âwhy are you looking at me like that? are you checking me out?â
âno, no, no, i wasnât looking,â you deny vehemently, turning your head, like you didnât just become mesmerized at the way he ate a piece of fruit that was supposed to look like you. his grin spreads wider, and he jokingly strikes a bodybuilder pose in front of you, making sure to emphasize the way his arm muscles ripple- visible even under his soft faded sleeping shirt.
like a cat drawn to a fluttering bird, your eyes move from the bowl of strawberries with the girlfriend-shaped-piece-of-strawberry at the top, and instead trail down his body as he stretches.
âi wasnât looking, i wasnât looking,â he parrots in a teasing tone when he feels your gaze on him.
you roll your eyes, âhmphâ-ing.Â
whatever.
youâre about to shoot back a remark, when your eyes grow very wide.Â
behind franco, your toaster was on fire.Â
one fire extinguisher, two very burnt pieces of toast, and a completely wrecked toaster later, you collapse on the couch. you weren't even sure how franco had managed to do that.
he eyes you wearily from his place on the soft cushions where you sent him to sit at in order to prevent anything else from spontaneously combusting.Â
âyouâre indefinitely prohibited from the kitchen,â you rasp, rubbing your face exhaustedly. your entire front is covered in fire extinguisher foam. youÂ
SUMMARY: Y/N grew up believing one mistake could outweigh a hundred good intentions. She has spent so many years apologizing for taking up space that she no longer knows how to exist without feeling like a burden.
Kimi Antonelli has never heard the story everyone keeps telling about her. He only knows the girl standing in front of himâand somehow, that's enough.
WORD COUNT: 11K
masterlist
They say every family has a black sheep. The one who can never seem to do anything right. The one who always disappoints. The one who, no matter how hard they try, somehow ends up becoming the subject of conversation the moment everyone thinks they arenât listening.
The worst part about a label like that isnât that it stops being an opinion and becomes the only version of you that others are willing to believe. The worst part is that it survives long after the person who first received it no longer exists.
I was no longer the thirteen-year-old girl who spent hours crying, desperately trying to convince her family that she was telling the truth.
I had grown up.
I had learned three languages, moved to Switzerland to study, and discovered that the world was far kinder than Iâd ever been led to believe.
And yet, all it took was walking through the doors of a villa in Italy to become that girl again.
The last thing I wanted to do with only two weeks left before classes started again was attend my cousinâs wedding.
But since I was seventeenâand in my family that meant I had absolutely no say in anythingâI swallowed my complaints, rolled my eyes, and endured the long drive to the middle of nowhere.
Because nothing screams happy marriage quite like getting married in the middle of fucking nowhere.
By the time we arrived at the villa where everyone would be staying, I was ready to throw myself onto the bed and not get up until thirty minutes before the bride said I do. Unfortunately, my mother had other plans, so we headed off to meet the rest of the family instead.
âI thought weâd never get here,â my mother complained the moment she spotted my grandmother.
âDonât even get me started. I thought Iâd need another hip replacement after sitting in that car for so long,â my grandmother joked, her dry laugh echoing through the room.
A wave of disgust settled in my stomach. Anyone listening would think she was just a funny old woman enjoying the last years of her life. None of them would ever guess sheâd spent years making mine miserable.
âY/N, arenât you going to say hello to your grandmother?â she asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
I swallowed the sigh of irritation threatening to escape.
âHi, Grandma.â I gave her a quick, half-hearted hug.
Apparently, it wasnât enough to satisfy her. She was just about to lecture me when my cousinâs dramatic voice interrupted her.
It was only Wednesday. The wedding wasnât until Saturday, yet according to my cousin, there were still a thousand things left to do before the groomâs family arrived the next day.
I spent the entire day running around, fulfilling every one of her demands. Every time I considered refusing, my mother shot me a look that promised my funeral would be sooner rather than later.
As far as she was concerned, I shouldâve been grateful theyâd even invited me. Apparently, after everything that had happened, being included in my cousinâs wedding was the greatest honor I could receive from that side of the family.
By nightfall, everyone gathered outside on the patio after dinner.
Several conversations were happening at once, but one in particular caught my attention. It was between my cousin Roseâthe brideâand my cousin Angelina, who was about two years older than me.
âSo⊠heâs really coming?â Angelina asked, lowering her voice.
Rose smiled immediately.
âOf course he is. Heâs Carloâs cousin. Why wouldnât he come? Heâs even one of the groomsmen.â
âAnd you said heâs single?â Angelina bit her lip, tryingâand failingâto hide her smile.
âAs far as I know.â
âWell⊠I hope heâs as handsome as you say.â
Rose laughed.
âTrust me, he is. And heâs loaded too. Heâs a driver in a major racing series.â
âSeriously?â
âMhm. His nameâs Kimi.â
Angelinaâs eyebrows shot up.
âGuess Iâll have to make a little extra effort this weekend.â
Rose nudged her arm.
âI donât think youâll have to. My mother-in-law has been saying for weeks that youâd make the perfect couple.â
They both laughed.
I shook my head to myself.
Another conversation about men. Another conversation about setting someone up with someone else.
I lost interest almost instantly and focused on the glass in my hands instead.
Nothing that happened in this family mattered enough for me to join their conversations. And years ago, Iâd learned they didnât particularly care whether I did or not.
The next morning began as soon as the sun came up.
The villa fell into complete chaos with the arrival of the groomâs family. The most affected by it all seemed to be Angelina, who looked like she was waiting for Prince Charming himself to walk through the door.
As everyone introduced themselves, I limited myself to a polite smile and a handshake. Angelina, meanwhile, kept glancing toward the entrance. Apparently, the guy still hadnât arrived.
Rose leaned over and whispered something in her ear and Angelina answered by making the saddest puppy face imaginable.
Pathetic.
I slipped away to another part of the villa to get some fresh air. About an hour later, I went back inside to find something to drink.
I poured myself a glass of lemonade. As I took a sip, I noticed a tin of cookies sitting on top of one of the kitchen cabinets. It was far too high to reach, so I dragged over a chair and climbed onto it. I had the cookies in my hand.
Victory was only seconds away.
Then the chair apparently decided it had fulfilled its purpose in life and It snapped beneath me. I braced for the impact, but instead, a pair of hands wrapped around my waist, stopping me just before I hit the floor.
For a moment, I couldnât breathe. My heart threatened to burst out of my chest, and I was certain every trace of color had drained from my face.
My eyes met a pair of warm brown ones staring back at me with the same startled expression.
âAre you okay?â he asked, carefully studying my face for any sign that I wasnât.
I let out a shaky breath.
âYeah.â The word barely came out.
God, this had to be the most embarrassing moment of my life. I was standing in front of one of the most attractive guys Iâd ever seen, and heâd just saved me from falling off a chair because Iâd risked my life for cookies.
âYou should be more careful,â he said as he let go of my waist and stepped back. âThat couldâve ended a lot worse.â
âStupid fucking chair,â I muttered, glaring at the broken pieces scattered across the floor.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
I looked down at the cookies still clutched tightly in my hand. I hadnât even realized I was still holding them.
I lifted the tin slightly.
âAt least I accomplished my mission.â
He smiled.
âAll this⊠for cookies?â
âThey werenât just cookies.â
He frowned.
âThey were the cookies.â
âI see.â He nodded with exaggerated seriousness âA completely justified near-death experience.â
âExactly.â For the first time since arriving in Italy, I smiled without feeling like I had to fake it.
He held out his hand.
âIâm Andrea.â
âY/N.â I shook it.
âNice to meet you, Y/N.â There was something oddly calming about him. He didnât seem like the type to force a conversation just to fill the silence.
His eyes drifted toward the broken chair before returning to me.
âCan I give you a piece of advice?â
âDepends.â
âNext time, try not to declare war on the furniture.â
A laugh slipped out before I could stop it.
âIâll keep that in mind.â
There was a brief silence. Not an awkward one, the kind that happens when two strangers realize they genuinely donât mind each otherâs company.
âAre you part of the groomâs family?â I asked.
He nodded.
âIâm his cousin.â
âThat explains the accent.â
He smiled.
âAnd you?â
âIâm the brideâs cousin.â
âThen I guess weâll have to survive this wedding together.â
âAre Italian weddings really that bad?â
âNo.â He shook his head âBig families are.â
âI couldnât agree more.â I laughed again.
For a brief moment, I found myself thinking that, under different circumstances, Iâd probably like to get to know him better.
Then voices echoed down the hallway.
âKimi! Where the hell have you been? Weâve been looking everywhere for you!â
He closed his eyes for a second, like heâd known this was coming.
âComing!â he called back before turning to me.
Kimi.
My stomach flipped.
Not Andrea.
Kimi.
The Kimi Rose and Angelina had spent half the previous night talking about.
He looked at me one last time, offering a small, almost shy smile.
âI guess Iâll see you around, Y/N.â
âI guess you will.â
I watched him disappear down the hallway. The moment he turned the corner, I heard an excited voice.
âKimi!â
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Of fucking course, it had to be him.
(âŠ)
The rest of the day, my family put on the most painful humiliation ritual Iâd ever witnessed. I barely said a word, yet I could still feel my face burning with secondhand embarrassment.
By then, everyone had found out that Kimiâwhose full name was Andrea Kimi, hence the confusionâwas none other than a Formula 1 driver. Apparently, that earned him a red carpet and the right to have everyone kiss the ground he walked on.
I was genuinely worried my eyes would get stuck from rolling them so much.
Angelina and her parents were by far the worst. They never outright said anything, but the way they hovered around him made it painfully obvious how desperate they were to throw Angelina at Kimi every chance they got.
I simply watched in silence.
Every now and then, Iâd feel someone looking at me. Whenever I glanced up, Iâd find Kimi already watching me. Heâd offer me the smallest of smiles.
I never smiled back.
By sunset, the bridesmaids and groomsmen were called away for the rehearsal. That was my cue to disappear unnoticed. I wandered around the property, lost in my thoughts.
Spending time with my family always left me feeling like this.
Exhausted.
Reflective.
From the outside, we probably looked like a loving family, maybe even a healthy one. But underneath it all, we were rotten.
I ended up beneath a large tree, watching the sun disappear beyond the hills while the first stars slowly emerged overhead.
Small lanterns lined the pathways around the villa, casting enough light that the gardens remained bright despite the growing darkness.
I was staring at the horizon when a familiar voice, carrying that unmistakably Italian accent, pulled me from my thoughts.
âMind if I sit down?â
I looked up to find Kimi smiling at me. He didnât wait for an answer before lowering himself onto the grass beside me. He held out a can of soda.
âFor you.â
âThanks.â I accepted it, and we both took a sip.
âSoâŠâ He glanced sideways at me. âWhat are you doing out here by yourself? I thought youâd be at the rehearsal with us.â
âIâm getting some fresh air. My family can be⊠a bit much.â I smiled faintly. âAnd to answer your other question⊠Iâm not part of the bridal party.â
âYouâre not? I thought everyone seemed really close.â His eyebrows lifted.
âThey are.â I looked down at the soda in my hands. âI just donât get along with Roseâs side of the family. My mom and my sister do, though, thatâs why theyâre involved.â I shrugged again, deliberately leaving out the rest.
Confusion flickered across his face, he clearly had questions. To his credit, he didnât ask them. Instead, he tilted his head.
âHow old are you?â
I laughed.
It was such an obvious attempt to steer the conversation somewhere lighter that I couldnât help it.
The conversation drifted naturally after that. We talked about his family, childhood stories, my classes, and what life was like at boarding school in Switzerland.
âYou go to boarding school?â His eyes widened. He looked genuinely astonished.
Like children raised in boarding schools were some sort of endangered species.
I laughed. It wasnât the first time Iâd gotten that reaction.
âYeah, it was my dadâs decision before he passed away.â The smile slowly faded from my face.
Kimi noticed immediately. Without saying a word, he gently squeezed my hand.
Then, just as quietly, he changed the subject. I silently thanked him for it.
We talked until there wasnât a drop of soda left in either can. Until my throat felt dry from talking. Until my stomach hurt from laughing. Until the night had completely settled around us.
When we finally stood up, we exchanged a warm hug and a pair of quiet smiles before heading our separate ways.
The next morning started just as early as the previous one. The only difference was that the few hours of sleep Iâd managed to get had left me in an even worse mood. It wasnât even nine in the morning, and Iâd already argued with both my mother and my sister.
I escaped outside with my breakfast, hoping to eat in peace.
A moment later, Kimi appeared and sat beside me with an amused smile.
âSo⊠Howâd you sleep?â He leaned a little closer. âDid you dream about me?â
He was obviously teasing. Probably because the expression on my face made it clear I wanted the entire world to leave me alone.
Unfortunately for my bad mood, It worked. A laugh slipped out before I could stop it.
âThankfully, I didnât have any nightmares.â I took a sip of my orange juice.
He clutched his chest dramatically. That made me laugh even harder.
âThere you are.â Angelinaâs voice made me look up.
She was wearing a white linen dress and her trademark flawless smile. The kind anyone else wouldâve mistaken for kindness.
I knew better.
It was the smile she wore right before saying something that only hurt if you knew the context.
âGood morning, Kimi,â she greeted warmly before turning to me. âYour momâs been looking for you for at least ten minutes.â
âIâll be there in a minute,â I muttered.
She made no move to leave. Instead, she sat down across from us.
âI didnât realize you two had become such good friends.â
âWe met yesterday,â Kimi answered simply.
âYes.â Angelina smiled. âY/N has always had an easy time making friends.â
Anyone else wouldâve taken it as a compliment.
I didnât.
I knew that tone, I knew Angelina and I knew exactly what came next.
âAlthoughâŠâ she continued with a light laugh, ââŠshe does have a tendency to get herself into trouble because of it.â
I felt my stomach tighten.
There it was, the first stone.
âTrouble?â Kimi frowned slightly.
âOh, nothing serious.â Angelina waved a dismissive hand. âMy cousin has just always been⊠intense.â
Intense.
What a convenient word.
Vague enough to spark curiosity, harmless enough that no one could accuse her of saying anything wrong.
I lowered my gaze to the table, I knew this conversation. First came the joke, then the implication, then someone would ask what she meant, and before I knew it Iâd be thirteen years old all over again.
I reached for my glass of juice, ready to leave before it got any worse. Then Kimi spoke.
âThat hasnât been my impression.â
Angelina blinked.
âIâm sorry?â
âWeâve only talked a couple of times,â he said calmly, âbut sheâs seemed like a genuinely nice person to me, maybe I just got lucky.â He shrugged.
Angelina laughed, this time, it sounded forced.
âWell⊠Youâll get to know her better.â
âI hope so.â He answered so naturally that, for a second, it almost sounded like he had no idea heâd just contradicted her.
But I knew.
And so did Angelina.
I saw it in the way her jaw tightened for the briefest moment before she smiled again. It happened so quickly anyone else wouldâve missed it.
I didnât.
Iâd known her my entire life and sheâd just realized that, for the first time, someone hadnât accepted the version of me our family had spent years telling.
A little while later, I ran into my mother. Judging by the look on her face, she didnât seem particularly happy to see me.
âAngelina told me youâve been getting awfully close to that young man she likes.â Her brow was deeply furrowed.
âMomââ I didnât get to say another word before she cut me off.
âDonât say a thing, Y/N. Iâm only going to warn you once. I donât ever want to go through something like this again. God help me and give me the strength to restrain myself from what Iâll do to you if it happens.â Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.
My eyes burned with unshed tears.
My breathing became uneven as I hurried toward the side of the house where no one would see me. I didnât want anyone thinking I was making a scene and giving them yet another reason to make my life miserable.
I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, trying to keep that familiar pressure from spreading across my chest.
âAre you alright?â A manâs voice made my eyes snap open.
A tanned man with graying hair was looking at me with unmistakable concern.
âYes.â The smile I offered came out shaky.
âYou donât look alright. Come, sit over here.â He gestured for me to follow him.
With my legs still trembling, I followed him to a small wooden bench nearby. We sat down, and without losing the concerned expression on his face, he gently guided me through my breathing.
After a couple of minutes, my breathing finally steadied, and I could feel myself calming down again.
âThank you,â I whispered.
âItâs nothing.â He gave me a kind smile. âIt breaks my heart to see someone as young as you suffering like that.â
My cheeks flushed. I lowered my head, staring at my restless hands.
âWhat happened to you?â he asked softly. âWhat couldâve caused you so much pain?â
A quiet laugh escaped me, completely devoid of humor.
âItâs nothing I havenât been through before.â I forced my best smile. âDonât worry. Iâll be okay.â
He studied me for a long moment before letting out a sigh of quiet surrender.
âI suppose Iâll choose to believe you.â He offered me a warm smile. âWhatâs your name?â
âY/N.â I held out my hand.
âMarco.â He shook it gently. âIâm Kimiâs father. I think you already know who he is.â
My eyes widened. Apparently, getting away from him wasnât as easy as Iâd thought.
âI know you donât want to talk about it,â Marco continued, âbut I do want to tell you something.â
I looked up at him.
âWhatever it is youâre going through, you can overcome it.â His voice was calm and reassuring. âNo hardship lasts forever. Keep going, and one day youâll look back and realize you made it through everything you thought would break you.â
He gave my shoulder a couple of gentle pats before walking away without another word.
Marcoâs words stayed with me for the rest of the day and the rest of the night. I didnât exchange a single word with anyone during dinner, and unlike the previous evening, when everyone left for the rehearsal, I went straight to my room.
I didnât want to see anyone. I didnât want to feel socially obligated to interact with anyone else.
Finally, Saturday arrived. The day everyone had been waiting for, the wedding day.
My morning started later than everyone elseâs. The bride and her bridesmaids had begun getting their hair and makeup done almost as soon as they opened their eyes.
I took my time instead. I sat down with a mug of hot chocolate while I waited for my phone to catch a signal, then slowly started getting ready.
I wasnât excited about the wedding. If anything, I just wanted this whole circus to be over so I could finally go back to Switzerland.
Even so, I paid special attention to my appearance that morning. When I finished getting ready, even I had to stop and catch my breath.
My dark curls fell freely to the middle of my back, my sun-kissed skin glowed, contrasting beautifully with my deep green eyes, while my lips looked almost the color of a pink pomegranate.
A blue dress hugged my curves delicately, and although my sandals werenât exactly comfortable, they were beautiful.
The ceremony took place in a small church not far from the villa where we were staying.
While my mother and sister sat near the front as part of the bridal party, I found myself several rows behind them, surrounded by relatives I barely knew.
In a way, that was exactly what my life felt like. My family together. Me, pushed to the edges of it.
I tried my best to look happy, but there were moments during the priestâs homily when something inside me shifted. It wasnât exactly sadness, it felt more like grief.
Once the ceremony ended, everyone made their way back to the reception tent. The moment we stepped inside, the celebration truly began.
Food and drinks started flowing as the dance floor quickly filled with members of both families. At one point, I spotted Kimi laughing with some of his relatives as they danced together.
He must have felt me watching because he immediately looked back at me, flashing me a wide smile.
I simply looked away without returning it.
The music changed to a much livelier Italian song, and the entire reception seemed to come alive even more. The tables gradually emptied as couples, children, and even grandparents filled the dance floor.
I stayed where I was, absentmindedly stirring the melting ice in my drink.
âAnd why are you sitting here all by yourself?â I recognized the voice before I even turned around.
Marco stood beside me, a glass of wine in one hand and the same warm smile on his face.
âBecause I donât have anyone to dance with.â I shrugged.
âWell, thatâs an easy problem to fix.â He extended his hand toward me. âDance with me.â
âNo.â I shook my head immediately.
âWhy not?â
âBecause Iâll make a fool of myself.â
âAnd who said I wouldnât?â
I couldnât help smiling. Marco offered me his hand again.
I looked at the dance floor, then at his hand, finally, back at him. He wore the same calm expression heâd had when heâd found me struggling to breathe through my tears.
It was impossible to say no to him.
âJust one song.â I sighed.
âThatâs what I wanted to hear.â He helped me to my feet, and together we walked onto the dance floor.
At first, my entire body was stiff and Marco noticed immediately.
âRelax your shoulders.â
I did.
âNow stop staring at the floor.â
I obeyed again.
âAnd smile a little.â He grinned. âYou look like Iâm forcing you to do this.â
âBecause you are.â I rolled my eyes.
âDetails.â
Another laugh escaped me. Little by little, the tension melted away.
Marco talked about anything and everything. How terrible his coordination was, how he always forgot the steps. About the time he had nearly dropped his wife in the middle of a dance.
Before I realized it, I wasnât thinking about what everyone else might be saying anymore. I was simply having fun.
âThatâs much better,â Marco said, sounding pleased.
âWhat is?â
âYou donât look like a girl waiting for the world to end anymore.â
I felt warmth creep into my cheeks.
Just then, the music changed again. It was one of those traditional songs where everyone switched partners as the dance went on.
Marco raised an eyebrow, an unreadable expression crossing his face. When it came time to change partners, he could have handed me off to anyone.
There were at least six people around us.
Instead, he turned directly toward Kimi. The two of them exchanged a brief glance that lasted barely a second.
Marco smiled.
âSheâs all yours.â It wasnât a question, nor an order. Just a simple sentence spoken with complete ease.
âMy pleasure.â Kimi nodded.
Before I could process what was happening, Marco let go of my hand, and Kimi stepped into his place.
My stomach flipped.
âI think my dad just set us up,â Kimi said with a quiet laugh.
I couldnât help laughing too.
âHow embarrassing.â
âA little.â
The music continued playing. Kimi rested one hand gently against my waist, and we began moving to the rhythm of the song. It wasnât a difficult dance, nor particularly impressive. But somehow, it felt incredibly easy when he was the one standing in front of me.
Our steps fell naturally into sync without either of us truly leading. It simply worked. Like weâd been dancing together for years.
âYou look beautiful,â Kimi whispered.
âThank you.â I smiled. âYou look pretty handsome yourself.â
We danced through a couple more songs before I finally gave in to my thirst.
âIâm going to grab something to drink,â I said.
He nodded with an easy smile as I made my way toward the bar. I was drinking a glass of water when my sister appeared beside me. The expression on her face was anything but happy.
âGrandma wants to see you in the kitchen,â she said. âShe needs to talk to you.â She shot me one last lookâa grimace more than anything elseâbefore walking away.
My heart tightened in my chest, I already knew what was coming. I swallowed hard before forcing my feet to follow her instructions.
When I reached the kitchen, my grandmother was waiting for me. Angelinaâs mother stood beside her.
âSo,â my aunt said, her raspy voice breaking the silence, âthey finally managed to pry you away from that young man.â
âWe were just dancing, like everyone else at the wedding,â I replied immediately.
âSuch an impertinent little girl,â my grandmother snapped. âIf you were half as quick and clever at doing something worthwhile with your life as you are at talking back, you might actually amount to something.â
âButââ She didnât let me finish.
âNo âbuts.â Your cousin Angelina is having a panic attack because, thanks to you, sheâs making a fool of herself in front of everyone.â
âSheâs making a fool of herself because youâre trying to parade her around like sheâs a piece of meat. It has nothing to do with the fact that one guy isnât interested in her.â The moment the last word left my mouth, I knew Iâd just signed my own death warrant.
The looks on both my grandmotherâs and my auntâs faces confirmed it. For a moment, my grandmother said nothing. She simply walked toward me, slow but unwavering.
I held my breath.
âYouâre an insolent little girl.â Her hand struck my cheek with enough force to snap my head to the side.
Tears immediately stung my eyes. I tried to hold them back but there were simply too many, a few escaped and rolled down my face.
âYou have no right to cry,â she hissed. âFor years, youâve been the source of this familyâs misery. A little whore like you belongs in hell. We tried to give you a chance, but a pig will always find its way back to the mud.â
She looked me up and down one last time. Then she turned around, took my aunt by the arm, and walked out of the kitchen.
The moment they disappeared from sight everything inside me broke. I sank onto the cold kitchen floor and cried.
I cried like this would be my last day on earth.
I cried like there was no escape from any of it.
And I cried like the thirteen-year-old girl who was still wounded somewhere deep inside me.
(âŠ)
I had no idea how much time had passed. The only thing I knew was that wine tasted a whole lot better after youâd finished half the bottle.
At some point, Iâd gotten up from the kitchen floor, stolen a bottle of wine, slipped out of the reception, kicked off my uncomfortable heels, and decided to walk the mile back to the villa barefoot.
The plan wouldâve been perfectly fine If I hadnât gotten a little too enthusiastic with the wine.
Now I was sitting on the curb somewhere between the reception and the villa, too dizzy to take another step without collapsing onto the pavement.
The only things keeping me company were the moonlight, the sound of crickets, and a swarm of moths circling the streetlamp above my head.
I knew that if anyone in my family found me like this, the lecture would be absolute hell. But the truth was that I couldnât find a single atom in my body that gave a fuck.
Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos swirling inside me, I decided it would be a great idea to start singing.
I was so painfully off-key I couldnât even compete with the crickets.
The thought made me laugh like an idiot.
I was so caught up trying not to die from my own laughter that I didnât hear the footsteps approaching until they were less than a yard away.
âThere you are.â Kimiâs voice instantly sobered me. âIâve been looking everywhere for you.â
I studied his face. There was worry in his eyes but there was also something about his expression that struck me as so funny I burst into laughter all over again.
He looked at me somewhere between amused and concerned. Clearly unsure of what was going on, he sat down beside me.
That was when he noticed the wine bottle.
âWhat are you doing drinking this?â He picked it up, inspecting the label. âYouâre seventeen. Youâre not supposed to be drinking.â
The concern in his voice hit me so deeply that every emotion Iâd been holding back came crashing down at once. One second I was laughing. The next, I was crying.
Kimi immediately set the bottle back on the ground. Without asking questions, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tried to comfort me.
It was obvious he had no idea what had happened. All he cared about was making sure I was okay.
âWhy are you so nice to me?â I asked once my sobbing had finally settled.
âWhy wouldnât I be?â His eyebrows pulled together.
âBecause everyone in my family thinks Iâm the Antichrist.â A ridiculous laugh escaped me.
Kimi let out a quiet chuckle.
âI think youâre more like the Second Coming of Jesus. The problem is your relatives are fake believers, so they canât recognize the miracle when itâs standing right in front of them.â He simply shrugged.
I couldnât stop looking at him.
It made no sense. This boy had walked into my life only two days ago, yet heâd already shown me more kindness and understanding than my own family had in years.
Without saying another word, I grabbed the wine bottle and took another long drink beneath Kimiâs disapproving gaze.
As soon as I lowered it, he gently took it from my hands. Then, to my surprise, he lifted it to his own lips and took a long sip. It felt almost symbolic, as if he was trying to tell me I wasnât alone in this.
He set the bottle back on the ground before turning to look directly into my eyes.
âYou know something?â His voice was barely above a whisper. âYouâre the most beautiful woman Iâve ever seen.â
Heat rushed to my cheeks. My heart pounded wildly as I watched him slowly lean closer.
Neither of us looked away. I barely blinked, terrified of what might happen next.
I knew that one small movement could lead to something Iâd regret later. But the longer I looked into his eyes the blurrier that thought became.
Finally, I gave in.
My gaze dropped to his lips for the briefest second and that was all the invitation he needed. He closed the distance between us and kissed me.
At first, the kiss was gentle and careful. But little by little, it grew more intense. My hands found his face and his arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer like he couldnât bear the space between us. We stayed lost in that kiss for what felt like forever.
Then, without warning, my grandmotherâs cold, unforgiving eyes flashed through my mind.
I pulled away abruptly.
âIâm sorry,â I whispered, breathless. âI canât do this.â
I grabbed my sandals from the ground. Adrenaline flooded my body. I jumped to my feet and ran toward the villa as fast as I could.
âY/N!â Kimiâs voice echoed through the empty road behind me.
But I never stopped running.
(âŠ)
I couldnât sleep that night. The image of Kimi telling me I was the most beautiful woman heâd ever seen, followed by the kiss we had shared, replayed in my mind every time I closed my eyes.
Around four in the morning, I heard everyone returning to the villa. About half an hour later, silence settled over the place once again.
Eventually, I gave up on the idea of sleeping. I got out of bed, took a shower, and decided to go for a walk.
My body was still paying the price for my impulsive decision to drink a bottle of wine the night before, and I figured a little fresh air might help.
Hiking had never really been my thing, but I knew there were a few overlooks nearby with breathtaking views and since it was my last day there, I wanted to watch the sunrise.
At least Iâd leave with one beautiful memory.
Iâd been walking for a while when I started hearing footsteps behind me. I hadnât noticed them before because the trail had only just become rocky enough for each step to echo.
When I turned around, I found a familiar face.
Kimi was about fifteen feet behind me, he looked exhausted. The moment he realized Iâd noticed him, he stopped walking.
He didnât greet me with one of his usual smiles. Instead, he wore an expression so serious that I decided not to say anything and simply continued on my way.
For nearly twenty minutes, we walked like that. He kept the same distance between us. Whenever I stopped for a moment, he stopped too.
Eventually, I reached a cliff overlooking the valley. The landscape stretched endlessly before me as the first light of dawn painted the sky in shades of gold and pink. I sat down to take it all in.
A moment later, Kimi finally closed the distance and sat beside me.
âWhy did you follow me all the way out here?â I took a sip from my water bottle before handing it to him.
He accepted it gratefully.
âI couldnât sleep.â He took a long drink before continuing. âThen I saw you leave by yourself so I followed you. I wanted to make sure you didnât decide to throw yourself off one of these mountains.â He glanced toward the cliffs.
There wasnât a trace of humor in his voice. I let out an offended scoff.
âTrust me, if I ever wanted to do that, it wouldnât be here.â I shook my head with a quiet laugh. âMy family would hate me even more. Theyâd probably say I couldnât even stop bothering them with my dying breath. âOf course sheâd choose to die dramatically the day after Roseâs wedding.ââ
Kimi smiled for a brief second, then the seriousness returned.
âI wish I understood you.â The words came after several minutes of silence. âI know you like me and I like you too. Iâve felt this⊠whatever it is⊠ever since I caught you before you fell off that chair.â
He smiled faintly to himself.
My heart stumbled inside my chest. I held my breath.
âBut for some reason, you wonât let yourself accept it. I know weâve only known each other for three days,â he continued quietly, âbut for me⊠thatâs been enough to realize Iâve found the woman of my dreams.â
The morning sun slowly climbed over the horizon, bathing everything around us in soft golden light.
âAnd I know you feel at least part of it too. Thatâs why I couldnât understand what happened last night.â He finally turned to look at me. âIt hurt. But I know it wasnât really about me, it was about something inside you and I really⊠I really want to know what it is.â
For the first time since weâd met, the emotion in his eyes didnât match the calmness of his words.
I looked at him for a long moment, taking in every detail of his face. He was sincere and deep down I knew he was right about everything heâd just said. So, against every instinct telling me to stay silent, I decided to tell him the truth, my truth.
I turned my gaze back to the sunrise because I didnât think Iâd be able to look Kimi in the face while telling him everything I was about to confess.
âWhen I was thirteen, my cousin LinaâRose's sisterâand I were very close. She was sixteen, but we had a lot in common, so we spent most of our time together.â I cleared my throat before continuing. âShe had a boyfriend named Alex. I got along with him too, although I always kept a respectful distance because, well⊠he was my cousinâs boyfriend.â
I took another long sip of water, my eyes never leaving the horizon. Kimi remained silent, listening.
âBack then, I used to spend a lot of time playing an online game where you could also meet and talk to other people. One day, a boy sent me a message, and we became friends. I spent hours on that game during school breaks, and eventually we grew close.â
âOr at least what passes for closeness when you've only ever known someone through a screen.â I let out a quiet laugh. âThe point is⊠he started making comments that made me uncomfortable. From the very beginning, I knew they were wrong, so I asked him to stop. When he didnât, I blocked him. It scared me, but I tried not to think too much about it.â
I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, as if trying to shield myself from the cold that came with telling a story that, despite having happened years ago, still felt painfully close.
âA few days later, I was walking home from school when I ran into Alex. I greeted him like I always did, but he didnât look happy to see me. Instead, he immediately started demanding that I unblock him in the game. He said I couldnât play with his feelings like that.â
I glanced at Kimi and saw the shock written all over his face.
âYou can imagine what that felt like. Iâd spent months talking to my cousinâs seventeen-year-old boyfriend without knowing it. I didnât know what to say or how to react and, even now, I still catch myself wondering what was going through his mind when he grabbed my face and kissed me.â I swallowed hard as a familiar knot formed in my throat. âI pushed him away and ran home. I told my mom and my dad what had happened. My mom couldnât believe it, and my dad called his parents, then my cousinâs family.â
âAfter the initial shock wore off, my cousin started telling everyone I was lying. She said Iâd gotten close to him through the game on purpose, that Iâd been the one making advances, and that when he rejected me, Iâd gone crazy and accused him of trying to force himself on me.â
I took a shaky breath before continuing.
âThe rest of my family believed her. Every single one of them turned their backs on me. They all started saying I was a little girl my parents had failed to control⊠that I wanted to act like a grown woman.â I shook my head as I remembered their faces. âThat had been my first kiss and that bastard stole it from me in the cruelest way possible.â
I wiped my nose with the back of my hand.
âAfter that, he tried to contact me again. Every now and then Iâd see him hanging around my school. Heâd approach my friends and ask them to pass messages on to me. It was terrifying and I couldnât tell anyone because no one believed me.â My voice dropped to almost a whisper as I said the last sentence.
âLina and Alex stayed together for a few more months until, according to her, he confessed that he couldn't be with her anymore because he was in love with me. He told her that every day he stayed with her felt like he was being unfaithful to me. That I'd somehow cast some kind of spell on himâthat he couldn't stop thinking about me, didn't care what anyone else thought anymore, and was willing to fight for us to be together.â
I lowered my legs and turned to look directly at Kimi.
âIâd like to believe any reasonable person wouldâve turned against him⊠but my family did the exact opposite. Instead, for them that only confirmed everything they already believed about me.â
âMy grandmother came to my house and slapped me across the face. Right there, in front of everyone, she said God had revealed to her that I was the instrument the Devil would use to destroy our family. That Satan had clothed me in the beauty of the serpent so I could lead others into temptation⊠so I could become a stumbling block, luring men away from the righteous path.â
âThat sounds like psychosis,â Kimi muttered, letting out a disbelieving scoff.
âIt probably was,â I admitted with a nod. âBut you can imagine what hearing something like that does to the mind of a thirteen-year-old girl. After that, my mother and my sister took everyone elseâs side too. My dad was the only sane one, but even for him it became impossible to deal with the rejection his daughter was facing. So he sent me to a boarding school in Switzerland. That was the only way he found to protect me from Alexâs harassment and from the rejection and abuse of his own family.â
I looked back at the landscape, mentally preparing myself for the next part.
âA few months after all of that, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. It was aggressive. He died six months later.â My eyes slowly filled with tears. âTo this day, itâs the hardest thing Iâve ever had to endure. Nothing else has ever come close.â
I paused for a moment.
âThe day of his funeral, my grandmother stood in front of everyone and said my father had died from the shame of having a daughter like me.â
The tears slipped down my cheeks, but I quickly wiped them away. I looked at him with a tired smile.
âAfter hearing all of that⊠I think you can understand why you and I canât be together.â
âYour family is horrible.â Kimiâs expression was unlike anything Iâd seen before. It wasnât pity, it was compassion. âThey made you carry the weight of something you were the victim of. I can't tell you what I would've done if I'd been in your shoes, because you survived the only way you knew how. And I'm not going to sit here and tell you that being with me will magically heal everything, because it won't. I know what happened to you left scars that run deep. I know your family changed the way you see yourself. But what I don't understand is why that means you can't be with me.â
âWhat donât you understand? You know Angelina likes you, donât you? If my family finds out thereâs something between usâŠâ I shook my head at the mere thought. âI donât even know what theyâd be capable of.â
âThe fact that Angelina likes me shouldnât mean anything. This isnât about her seeing me first and suddenly me belonging to her. Thatâs not how people work, Y/N.â
âIn my family, it is. And going against them would be terrible for me.â I tried to make him understand, but he remained stubbornly firm.
âI donât give a fuck about your family.â Kimi reached for my hands and held them gently. âIf things ever reach the point of no return⊠you can come with me.â
For a second, I couldnât find my voice. I couldnât believe Iâd actually heard those words.
âKimi⊠itâs not as simple as youâre making it sound. We just met.â I slipped my hands from his and looked anywhere but at his face.
âY/N, look at me.â He gently turned my face back toward him. âI canât tell you this will be worth it, because thatâs something only you can decide. Iâm just asking you to give me a chance.â
âKimiâŠâ His name escaped my lips as little more than a whisper.
âGive me that chance. We donât have to tell the world right away. We can wait until youâre eighteen and youâre no longer dependent on your family. When that day comes, if you still think what we have is worth fighting for, weâll figure it out together. One step at a time.â
I looked at him for several long seconds. His warm eyes searched mine almost pleadingly. They were so beautiful and made me so weak.
Finally, I let out a long breath.
âOkay.â I nodded. âLetâs try.â
Kimi let out a deep sigh of relief, and a smile spread across his face.
He kissed my cheek.
âThank you. Thank you. Thank you.â He kissed my cheek again. âI swear Iâll do everything I can to make you happy.â
Despite all the wounds I carried, not for a single second did I doubt that he meant every word.
(âŠ)
The next day, I returned to Switzerland and my life at boarding school, while Kimi headed to Brackley to take care of a few commitments before the season began.
From the very beginning, we stayed in touch.
Over the following weeks, we texted constantly and spent hours on FaceTime. Whenever I came across a video that reminded me of him, Iâd send it to him, and heâd do the same.
A few days before leaving for the Australian Grand Prix, which marked the start of the season, he came to visit me in Switzerland.
I had to perform all sorts of acrobatics and come up with every excuse imaginable to sneak out during the week without anyone at the boarding school suspecting a thing.
Later, he drove us to a vineyard stretching across the mountainside. From there, we could see the snow-covered Alps reflected in the water below. We stood there in silence for several minutes, taking in the view, discovering that sometimes the right company made words unnecessary.
At one point, Kimi started taking candid pictures of me. The moment I realized what he was doing, I scolded him for it, but all he did was laugh.
âTheyâre for the memories,â heâd say, refusing to delete them.
Later, we got lost wandering through the streets of another nearby village. We stepped into a secondhand bookstore where he pretended to be interested in books written in French just so he could make me laugh by attempting to pronounce the titles with an absolutely terrible accent.
Before heading back, we sat on a bench overlooking the lake, arguing with complete conviction that neither of us was ever going to change the otherâs mind about whether pineapple belonged on pizza.
Time always seemed to move too fast whenever I was with him. So I found myself constantly finding excuses to delay saying goodbye for just a few more minutes.
Like neither of us wanted to admit that, sooner or later, Iâd have to go back to boarding school, and heâd have to start preparing for Australia.
When he finally dropped me off at the entrance, neither of us made any move to say goodbye right away.
We simply stood there, looking at each other.
âIâll see you soon,â he said with a confidence that made it sound more like a promise than a farewell.
I smiled.
âI hope so.â
I watched him drive away down the tree-lined road until his car disappeared from sight.
Only then did I walk back inside the boarding school.
The months went by, and without even realizing it, I had started to associate the word home with Kimi.
When two races were canceled in a row, Kimi invited me to spend a few days with him and his family. At first, I wasnât sure. But if I truly wanted a future with him, I had to start getting used to being around the people who mattered most to him.
I was incredibly nervous at first, but I quickly discovered a family dynamic that was calm, loving, and nothing like my own.
Marco welcomed me with open arms, genuinely happy to see me with Kimi. His mother and little sister were just as kind. They kept dragging me along on little girlsâ outings, and after a while I found myself looking forward to them.
That year passed so quickly that before I knew it, the first days of August had arrived.
Along with my graduation.
Only my mother came. I had asked her to be there more out of obligation than genuine desire.
After the ceremony, we went out for dinner, and she gave me a beautiful watch as a graduation present.
The following day, Kimi took me to Portugal as his graduation gift to me.
I had to convince my mother it was a girlsâ trip so sheâd sign the travel authorization.
Just like every other time I spent with Kimi, it was wonderful. We walked for hours, ate far too much, and enjoyed every second of it.
We also took countless pictures to remember the trip by.
When it was over, I returned to Switzerland to start organizing what my life would look like after graduation.
Iâd told my mother that before enrolling in university, I wanted to take a preparatory course so Iâd have a better idea of what my future degree would actually be like before diving into it.
That was part of the reason.
But it wasnât the only one.
The first was that I had no intention of moving back in with the rest of my family.
They were just as unbearable as ever, and I refused to let them make my life miserable only months before I finally gained my freedom.
The second reason, was Kimi.
According to the plans weâd made together, once I turned eighteen, Iâd move to San Marino and live with him.
Iâd thought about it carefully. For a long time and in the end, Iâd made my decision.
By then, we were officially a couple.
No one knew. For the time being, it was better that way. Kimi was having an incredible season, and we wanted to keep the focus exactly where it belonged.
My first few weeks back in Switzerland were fairly uneventful. Not much had changed about my routine. The only difference was that I was temporarily living with a friend.
It was Saturday.
Kimi was in Zandvoort, getting ready for the following dayâs race.
We had just hung up after spending nearly an hour on the phone. Thatâs why I was surprised when I saw a message from him only a few minutes later.
When I opened it, I expected a funny video or a random picture. Instead, I found a text that immediately made my stomach drop.
KIMI â€ïž: Please donât look at social media right now.
Kimi shouldâve said anything but that. He shouldâve known that telling me not to do something was the fastest way to make me do exactly that.
I opened Twitter. It was the quickest way to find out what was happening in the world.
Sure enough It was the very first post on my feed.
@boxboxdaily Kimi and his alleged girlfriend đ
Below the caption were four photos. Two of them showed the two of us together and the other two were candid pictures of me, completely unaware they were being taken.
My heart stopped for a moment. My hand flew to my mouth as a sound that could only be described as pure shock escaped me.
These werenât pictures taken by a stranger on the street. They were photos Kimi had taken himself.
Private photos.
Which somehow made everything even worse.
How on earth had anyone gotten hold of them?
ME: Why are there pictures of us all over the internet? Arenât those the ones you took?
KIMI â€ïž: Yeah. Theyâre photos I posted on my private Instagram account. I have no idea how they got out. Iâm guessing someone who follows me leaked them.
I sat down on the couch, trying to process what was happening.
Then I made the mistake of reading the comments. Every single one was worse than the last.
That familiar pressure began tightening in my chest again. I closed Twitter and started pacing around my room instead.
The moment my family found out I was completely screwed.
KIMI â€ïž: Iâm so sorry. Iâm going to do everything I can to fix this. My dad and the team are already working on it. Please donât read anything else online. I donât want other peopleâs ignorance getting to you.
To be honest the comments didnât scare me nearly as much as my familyâs reaction did.
That night, I fell asleep with anxiety settling into every cell of my body.
And I had every reason to feel that way. Because the first thing I saw when I woke up the next morning was a message from my mother and a missed call from my grandmother.
MOM: Call me as soon as you wake up. I canât believe youâre doing this again.
With trembling hands, I decided to call her and get it over with once and for all.
She answered before the second ring.
âSo it was true.â She didnât even bother to say hello.
I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the window.
âHello to you too.â
âDonât change the subject. Whatâs all this thatâs going around on the internet?â
âMom, itâs not what it looks like.â I let out a sigh.
âOh, really? Because the pictures seem pretty clear to me.â
âThey werenât published by the press. They were private photos.â
âThat doesnât answer my question.â
I stayed silent for a few seconds.
âKimi posted them on a private Instagram account. Someone leaked them.â
âSo you are dating him?â
I lowered my head.
âWeâve been seeing each other.â
âAnd it never crossed your mindânot even for a secondâto think about everything this was going to cause?â
âIâm sorryâŠâ The words slipped out almost automatically.
Like apologizing had become my first instinct, even when I wasnât sure Iâd done anything wrong.
ââIâm sorryâ doesnât fix anything, Y/N. Do you have any idea what kind of phone call I just got from your grandmother? Sheâs furious. The whole family is talking about this.â
âI figured.â
âI warned you that I didnât want to go through something like this again.â
I tightened my grip on the phone.
âI know.â
âThen explain to me why you always end up doing the exact opposite.â
âAlways?â I frowned.
âYes. Always. You always find a way to get yourself into trouble.â
I felt something inside me crack. Something Iâd been holding together for years.
âGet myself into trouble?â
âDonât start.â
âNo, Mom. Answer me. When exactly have I gotten myself into trouble?â
There was a brief silence on the other end.
âYou know exactly what Iâm talking about.â
âNo. I want you to say it.â
Her breathing grew heavier.
âYour cousinâŠâ
A dry laugh escaped me. Of course, we always ended up there.
âThat happened four years ago.â
âThat doesnât changeââ
âWhat doesnât it change?â I cut in. âThat I was thirteen?â My voice trembled.
Not with fear.
With anger.
âThat a boy kissed me against my will, stalked me afterward, and somehow I was the one who ended up paying the price?â
âY/NâŠâ
âNo.â This time, I was the one who interrupted her. âIâve spent years listening to this family talk about me as if Iâd done something unforgivable.â
I felt a knot tighten in my throat.
âAnd do you know what the worst part was?â
She didnât answer.
âYou never defended me.â
Silence. Absolute silence.
âNot once.â I took a shaky breath, trying to hold back my tears. âNot once did you say, âMy daughter is telling the truth.â Not once did you ask them to stop treating me like Iâd done something wrong.â
My voice broke.
âYou chose to stay quiet because it was easier than standing up to the family.â
I could hear her breathing.
Slower now.
Heavier.
âIt wasnât that simpleâŠâ
I shook my head, even though she couldnât see me.
âIt wasnât that simple for me either.â
Another long pause. When she finally spoke again, her voice had lost its sharp edge.
âI⊠I was just trying to keep things from getting worse.â
âWell, they got so much worse.â The tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. âBecause while you were trying to keep the peace with them⊠I was learning that no one was ever going to be on my side.â
I could almost picture her sitting on the other end of the line, not knowing what to say.
âY/NâŠâ Her voice sounded different. Quieter and tired.
But for me It was already too late. I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand.
âI have to go.â
âWe can keep talkingâŠâ
âNo, mom.â I slowly shook my head. âWeâve gone four years without having this conversation. A few more minutes arenât going to change anything.â
I waited.
For some reason, a part of me still hoped sheâd tell me I was wrong.
That she had defended me.
That she regretted not doing it.
But she never did, she just stayed silent. So I hung up and didnât feel even the slightest bit guilty for doing it.
(âŠ)
Later that same day, I found myself anxiously waiting for Kimiâs call after his race.
It came while I was sitting on the couch, staring off into space.
âIâve got news, love,â he said the moment I answered. âGood news and bad news. Which one do you want first?â
âThe bad news.â I answered without hesitation.
Kimi chuckled softly.
âI think Iâll tell you the good news first.â
I rolled my eyes, fighting back a smile.
âJust tell me already. I hate suspense.â
âAlright.â I could hear the smile in his voice. âWe know who leaked the pictures.â
My mouth fell open. I immediately sat up straighter on the couch. Before I even had the chance to ask who, he answered.
âIt was one of my cousins.â
âWhat?â
âYeah. It wasnât intentional, at least not according to him. After the wedding, he kept talking to your cousin Angelina. During one of their conversations, he asked about our relationship. She told him she had no idea we were together and asked if he had any proof. Like the idiot he is, he sent her the pictures.â He let out a sigh. âIâm pretty sure that after that, she contacted one of those gossip pages and gave them the photos.â
âThat bitchââ Kimi cut me off before I could finish.
âWatch your language, Y/N.â
I let out an annoyed groan.
âThe point is,â he continued, âit doesnât really matter anymore. Everyone knows now, so all we can do is deal with it.â
He paused.
âThe other thing is⊠your mom spoke to my dad.â
I shot to my feet.
âWhat?â
âYeah. We were just as surprised when she called. They talked for a long time, and in the end, your mom decided to give my dad permission for you to stay with us in Italy until you turn eighteen in a couple of months.â
That shocked me more than anything else heâd said.
My mother⊠Doing something selfless for me?
It was almost impossible to believe. Apparently, our conversation that morning had affected her far more than Iâd realized.
âSo,â Kimi continued, âwhenever youâre ready, my dad will come pick you up in Switzerland. You can take the course you were planning to do in Italy⊠if thatâs still what you want.â
âIt is.â I nodded instinctively, even though he couldnât see me. âI mean, it moves our plans up a little⊠but thatâs what weâd always planned anyway.â
âExactly.â
âAlright.â I took a deep breath. âNow tell me the bad news.â
I was already biting my nails.
âWellâŠâ He hesitated. âI guess itâs only bad depending on how you look at it. I had a meeting with Mercedesâ PR team, and everyone agreed that the best thing to do is not address the situation publicly.â
âOkay⊠and the bad part?â
âThe bad part is that they also want us to keep an extremely low profile until the championship is over. No pictures of us together when weâre out, nothing like that. Weâll have to limit ourselves to seeing each other at home. And I canât say anything to the media, no matter how awful the things theyâre saying about you get.â
âWow.â I leaned back against the couch. âThatâs a little extreme⊠but I think I can live with it. Itâs only a few more months.â
âYeahâŠâ His voice grew quieter. âBut it doesnât make me happy. I know there are sacrifices you have to make if you want to be with someone⊠but they shouldnât feel like a punishment.â
My heart softened. Kimi was the most wonderful person Iâd ever met and somehow I was lucky enough that he loved me.
So selflessly.
So sincerely.
So deeply.
A few days later, Marco got the paperwork signed by my mother and came to Switzerland to pick me up.
We flew straight to Bologna.
Maggie was by far the most excited to have me staying with them until I moved in with Kimi.
A couple of months later, my eighteenth birthday finally arrived. It was one of the most special days of my life.
Kimi and his family spoiled me with gifts and thoughtful surprises.
My mother called to wish me a happy birthday. There was still a certain awkwardness between us. Our relationship was nowhere near healed but we were taking it one step at a time.
Someone else tried to contact me too.
My grandmother. Unlike my mother, I had no interest in making peace with her. So I blocked her number and went back to celebrating.
A few days later, the season came to an end and with it the restrictions surrounding our relationship.
Our first public outing was a trip to the beach.
We spent almost the entire afternoon walking along the shoreline, competing to see who could find the prettiest seashells and laughing because Kimi insisted he could tell which ones had drifted over from Croatia.
âThat makes absolutely no sense.â
âOf course it does.â He grinned. âTrust my talent.â
âYour imaginary talent?â
He splashed a little water at me with his foot.
âVery funny.â
I immediately splashed him back.
Five minutes later, we were both completely soaked.
When we finally got tired, we collapsed onto our towels, staring out at the sea.
Almost instinctively, Kimi reached for my hand. He laced our fingers together.
Neither of us spoke for several minutes.
We didnât have to hide little gestures like that anymore. We didnât have to look around before holding hands.
âThereâs my two kids.â Marcoâs voice made both of us sit up at once.
He was walking toward us carrying three ice creams, wearing an amused smile.
âI figured all that running around the beach wouldâve worked up an appetite.â
âDadâŠâ Kimi laughed, clearly embarrassed.
âWhat?â Marco shrugged. âI brought one for myself too.â
He handed each of us an ice cream before sitting down a few yards away, giving us our space again.
I stared at mine for a few seconds.
âHow did he know this was my favorite flavor?â
Kimi smiled.
âBecause Maggie made a list.â
âA list?â
âYeah.â He started counting on his fingers âYour favorite desserts. Your favorite pizza. Your favorite coffeeâŠâ
I looked at him in complete disbelief.
âMy familyâs a little intense.â
A lump formed in my throat.
Not because of the list but because it was the first time in my life someone had gone to so much effort just to make me feel like part of a family.
Without thinking, I rested my head on his shoulder.
âThank you.â
He turned slightly to look at me.
âFor what?â
âFor giving me a home in you.â
A soft smile spread across his face.
âI think Iâm the lucky one.â
I smiled too, my eyes never leaving the sea.
A few yards away, a couple was walking along the shore. The woman discreetly lifted her phone.
I didnât think much of it. I assumed she was taking pictures of the scenery.
Two hours later I realized she wasnât.
The photos first appeared on an Italian gossip page. Then another account reposted them. Then another.
Less than an hour later they were everywhere.
None of the pictures were scandalous.
None of them were compromising.
In one, we were simply walking hand in hand along the beach. In another, I was laughing while Kimi tried to brush sand out of my hair and the last one showed Marco handing each of us an ice cream while we accepted them, laughing.
The internet did the rest.
@boxdarlingbox: The Antonellis literally said, âOne more for the familyâ đ
@leclrfamily: Iâm sorry, did you SEE the way he fixed her hair? IâM UNWELL
@antogrande: I canât get over Marco showing up with two ice creams like this is a romantic comedy
@grmylove: My love language is officially future in-laws bringing me ice cream
@merctonelli: The real hard launch was Marco showing up with the ice creams đđ
That last one made me laugh the hardest.
Apparently, the internet was far more interested in the ice cream than in the fact that Kimi and I were dating.
(...)
The first few months of living together felt strangely uneventful. Not because nothing happened, because everything did.
We argued over whose turn it was to buy groceries.
He left his racing suits hanging on chairs instead of putting them away. I complained, he apologized.
Then did it again the following week.
On Sundays when he wasn't racing, we drove to his parents' house for lunch.
Maggie always hugged me before she hugged her brother. Marco kept pretending not to notice whenever Kimi stole food from my plate. And every time we left, his mom reminded us not to wait so long before coming back.
Life became a collection of things that would have sounded painfully ordinary to anyone else.
But to me⊠they were extraordinary.
One afternoon I was looking for one of my notebooks. Instead, I found an old box I'd never bothered to unpack. Inside were things I'd carried from one place to another for years.
A school ID.
A dried flower pressed between two pages of a book.
And, at the very bottom, a photograph. It was a photo from my first days at boarding school.
I stared at it for a long time.
I barely recognized the girl smiling back at me. Not because she looked different, but because I'd spent years trying to leave her behind, only to realize she'd been doing the best she could all along.
I wondered what she'd think if she could see me now.
Not the apartment.
Not Kimi.
Not Italy.
Me.
Would she believe that one day sheâll stop apologizing for taking up space? Would she believe that silence could stop feeling like punishment? Would she believe that people could know every version of her and choose to stay anyway?
I heard keys turning in the front door.
"I'm home."
I placed the photograph back inside the box, not because I wanted to forget her, but because I no longer needed to carry her everywhere I went.
I closed the lid, stood up and walked toward the sound of home.
Some stories end when someone finally finds love.
Mine didn't.
Mine ended the day I realized I no longer needed anyone's permission to believe I was worthy of it.
a impulse decision mixed with loneliness results in ypu adopting a kitten, miso.
taglist (tw) : established relationship, kimi antonelli x reader, fem!reader, kittens, public space
the apartment had never felt so quiet. at first, you liked the silence.
it meant sleeping in your own bed instead of hotel rooms. it meant lazy mornings with coffee on the balcony and evenings where you could watch whatever you wanted without kimi stealing the remote.
but after a while, the silence became lonely.
his hoodies still hung over the back of the sofa, his racing simulator sat untouched in the corner, his mug was still on the drying rack from the last morning heâd been home. everywhere you looked, there was something that reminded you of him.
you tried filling the time by meeting up with friends, picking up extra shifts at work, binge-watching shows youâd been meaning to start and even learning how to make his favourite pasta.
none of it changed the fact that every night, the apartment felt too big for one person.
one afternoon, while walking home after grabbing groceries, you passed a small animal rescue.
a tiny orange kitten was asleep against the glass.
you stopped and pressed your cheek against the wall.
the kitten met ypur eyes, walked over and pressed one tiny paw against the window.
ââŠoh no.â
you knew that feeling.
twenty minutes later, you were sitting inside the rescue with the kitten asleep in your lap while a volunteer smiled knowingly.
âi think she likes you.â
you looked down at the little ball of orange fluff purring against your hoodie. she reminded you of andrea. ââŠi think she has.â
you should probably ask kimi.
but that wouldâve been the responsible thing to do.
instead, you convinced yourself youâd just visit the kitten again tomorrow.
you left forty-five minutes later carrying a cat carrier, a bag of food, a scratching post, toys and adoption papers..
the apartment didnât feel quite so empty anymore.
the kitten followed you everywhere:
when you cooked, she sat by your feet.
when you folded laundry, she curled up in the warm pile of clothes.
when you facetimed kimi, she somehow always managed to stay just out of frame.
âyouâve been smiling a lot more lately,â he said one evening.
âhave i?â you tilt your head.
âyeah.â
you smiled to yourself. âmaybe iâm just happy to see you.â
he grinned. âiâll take that.â
you almost told him, more than once but every time, you imagined the look on his face if you surprised him, so you kept the secret.
two weeks later, you were flying out to meet him for race weekend.
miso slept peacefully inside a small carrier at your feet. youâd already gotten permission to bring her into the paddock from the team and everyone who knew had promised not to tell kimi which apparently was the hardest secret theyâd ever had to keep.
you were waiting outside the mercedes hospitality unit when kimi finally appeared. the moment he spotted you, his entire face lit up âthere you are.â he wrapped you in a hug so tight your feet nearly left the ground. âi missed you.â
âi missed you too.â
he kissed your forehead before pulling back.âwhatâs in the carrier?â
you smiled. ânothing.â
he looked at you suspiciously. ââŠyouâre a terrible liar.â
before you could answer..
a tiny..
âmew.â
was heard.
kimi froze.ââŠâ
another little meow echoed from inside the carrier.
he blinked once. then twice and slowly, he looked down then right back up at you. ââŠdid that bag just meow?â
you couldnât hold it in anymore. you laughed, crouching down to unzip the carrier. miso, ypur cute kitten, immediately poked her head out before looking around curiously.
kimi stared. ââŠâ
ââŠâ
ââŠis thatâŠâ
you nodded with a big grin. âthis is miso.â
he looked at the kitten and then at you and then back at the kitten. ââŠyou got a cat?â
âi got lonely.â you pouted in response.
his expression softened immediately causing you to look down at your shoes. âthe apartment felt really empty without you.â
for a second, neither of you spoke. then he crouched beside you. âhey.â
you looked up.
he gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. âim sorry.â
you shook your head. âdonât be.â
âi hate that you felt lonely.â
âi know.â
he glanced at the kitten, who was now trying to climb out of the carrier. ââŠcan i?â
you laughed. âof course.â
he carefully lifted miso into his arms like she was made of glass. the kitten blinked up at him and then immediately started purring.
âoh, youâve got to be kidding me,â you said.
kimi looked far too pleased with himself. âshe likes me.â
âsheâs known you for six seconds. SHUT up.â
âiâm just naturally lovable.â
you rolled your eyes. âkeep talking.â
before he could answer, someone walked past.
âoh my god, is that a cat?â
within seconds, half the mercedes garage had wandered over. even a few photographers stopped to take pictures.
âwhose is she?â
kimi smiled proudly. âour cat. miso!â
you looked over at him. âours?â
he shrugged casually. âwell⊠iâm emotionally attached now.â
one mechanic scratched miso under the chin âawww sheâs tiny.â
âsheâs spoiled already,â you admitted.
kimi looked at you. âhow spoiled?â
ââŠâ you nervously looked around.
âhow spoiled?â
ââŠshe has three beds.â
he blinked. âthree?â
âshe likes options and besides sheâs practically a queen.â
he laughed so hard he nearly dropped the toy mouse one of the mechanics had handed him âshe has more beds than i do.â
âdonât be dramatic.â
âi sleep in hotels.â
âand she doesnât.â
he looked down at the kitten curled comfortably against his chest. ââŠfair enough.â
someone snapped a photo.
kimi didnât even notice.
he was too busy smiling at the tiny orange kitten who had somehow found her favourite place to sleep.
right against his heartbeat.
he looked over at you.
âyou knowâŠâ
âwhat?â
âi leave for three weeksâŠâ
ââŠâ
ââŠand somehow i come back to a family.â
you laughed, slipping your hand into his. âsurprise!â
he leaned over, kissing your forehead before looking back down at miso. âbest surprise iâve ever had.â
now the apartment waiting back home wouldnât feel quite so empty anymore, because now, no matter how many races took him away, there would always be two girls waiting for him to come home. (you and miso duh)
c/w á°.á viral trends: if you were athletic, what sport would you play? brat!reader, teasing, oral sex (m. receiving), fingering, unprotected p in v, multiple orgasms, spanking, praise, pet names (baby, pretty, princess, bunny, good girl + no y/n), rough-ish sex + â§Ëê°đšê± #bruised male ego âËâ
âPissinâ me off. You know that?â He looks over at you with a scowl. You give him a little face and he rolls his eyes, blowing out a frustrated breath.
He looks back at the tv screen, lifting the spoon to his lips, eating a little ice cream, trying to act like he's not rolling that stupid question you had over ten different ways.
His arm is wrapped around your shoulders still, lying lazily on the back of the couch, but his body angles away slightly like the suggestion of âpissed-off-boyfriendâ. Just enough for you to noticeâjust enough for you to snort to yourself.
He shakes his head to himself, still finding it irritating several minutes after the fact. You scoop another bite into your mouth, feeling his eyes follow the movement.
You keep your attention fixed on the television with the most innocent expression you can manage, determined not to acknowledge the giant sulking hockey captain sitting mere inches away from you.
The silence drags on for another few seconds before he finally shakes his head.
âWhat? You wanna try mine?â you ask, lifting your spoon to his lips but he pushes it away with two fingers.
âI still canât believe you.â
âSeriously?â you giggle.
âYes, seriously!â he insists as you take the bite yourself. âThe audacity.â
Your shoulders bounce as you fight off the laugh threatening to break past your lips.
âIâm being so serious right now, baby.â
âI know,â you whisper, the words barely breathing past your lips as you try not to crack.
âNo, you donât.â
âI do.â
âYou absolutely do not,â he counters.
He looks down at you, waiting for your undivided attention. You turn your head, looking up at him, watching the forgotten ice cream on his spoon drip off onto his bare chest.
You lean in, grinning, running your tongue up his warm, tight skin and he scoffs again, pushing your head away.
âKnock that shit off,â he scolds you through a half-laugh. âYou don't get to lick me.â
His arm slips away, shifting from you completely, putting space between the two of you. He fixes his hat, muscles flexing with it, the gold chain around his neck flickering in the low light, just a pair of grey sweats and cozy socks on his body.
Your cheeks puff as you trap another laugh behind them when he gives you a jaded look for checking him out after all that.
âWhat?â His eyes narrow at you, voice still dancing between irate and amused. âYouâre laughinâ.â
âMânot.â
âYou are.â
âIâm literally eating dessert, Cameron.â
âYou can do both,â he mutters through a mouthful of ice cream himself.
âI donât think I can.â
âYou absolutely can because youâre doing it right fucking nowââ
âCalm down,â you laugh when his voice cracks as it tumbles from his lips.
He thumps you on your head with his spoon and you push him away. Rafe leans a little closer, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. âI donât appreciate being mocked.â
âIâm not mocking you, baby.â
âYes, you are,â he snips. âYou're extremely easy to read.â
âCan't a girl ask questions?â you ask, looking back toward the movie.
He mutters under his breath, sliding a rough finger under the strap of your tank top, lifting it, letting it fall with a little snap, stinging comedically versus ever-so-slightly like he hoped it would.
âI have never been so disrespected in my own home,â he mumbles like a tired father.
The laugh slips free before you can stop it. âYou so dramatic.â
âSo dramatic?â he asks, turning his body toward you, sitting up straighter. âSo dramatic?â
You have to bite the inside of your cheek so hard it almost hurts just to keep yourself from laughing again. âI just asked what sport would you play if you were more athletic? I didn't mean to make you emotional.â
He pivots toward you slowly, eyebrow cocked, begging the silent question. Emotional⊠Are you fuckinâ kidding me?
You keep your eyes on the movie for another second before finally glancing over, and he's there for a question you'll hear loud and clear.
âWhat did you call me now?â
ââŠUnathletic?â
âNo. Emotional.â He chuckles, letting out a long breath through his nose, shaking his head like heâs trying very hard to stay calm as a smile threatens at the corner of his mouth. âAre you actually outta your mind?â
âRude,â you whisper.
âAnd I skated five miles last game.â
âWowzers,â you giggle.
âMy slapshots are over a hundred miles an hour, princess. You can't even drive that fast. And you're gonna sit there and act like that shit isn't athletic? You looked at me and came to that conclusion?â
Rafe lets out another long groan, dragging a hand over his face before pointing the spoon at you.
âYou know what?â He sits forward. âIâm not done.â
You angle toward him, still trying not to smile. âYouâre not?â
âI bench three-fifteen.â
âHot damn.â
âThree-thirty-five on a good day.â
âOh, thank godââ
âI squat four-fifty.â
âSensational,â you answer, watching his nostrils flare.
âIâm givinâ you my actual stats and you donât give a fuckâyouâve seen me shirtless.â
âA few timesââ
âA few? All the fucking time.â
âI mean⊠You are a whore. Iâll give you thatââ
âIâm making this embarrassingly easy for you. Use your eyes,â he huffs, flexing for you, trembling with the effort. He rolls his shoulder, showing off his triceps too.
âWowâŠâ you murmur, letting your eyes wander over his broad body. ââŠBig boi.â
ââŠDid you just call me big boi?â he asks, staring at you another second before his eyebrows lift.
âGood boy?â
Rafeâs lips fall open like that title might have very well crossed the line ââŠI hate that,â he admits.
âHuh?â
âI hate that I liked that. Stop sweet talkinâ me when Iâm pissed at you.â
You blink at him, all innocence again. ââŠWhy are you pissed?â
âShut up⊠Fuckinâ brat.â
Your head snaps toward him, acting offended yourself. âRafe Cameron.â
âRafe Cameron,â he mocks you, lifting his voice to a higher octave.
âDonât be a bitch about it. It was just a question.â
His eyebrows furrow. âThin ice.â
âWhat?â
âThat's what you're skatinâ on,â he mutters, his abs tightening with his laugh, the ice cream-slicked spoon gliding along his tongue, looking at you out of the corner of his eye.
Rafe drops his spoon back into the bowl with a dramatic sigh, settling his big body into the couch a little more before he looks over at you.
âCan't even enjoy my sweet treat right now.â He points at you again. âFuck you.â
âUghhh,â you scoff, âIâm just messinâ with you, baby.â You reach forward, plucking your phone out of the place you had it resting, thumb tapping with a beep before you toss it to the side.
"âŠYou're joking?"
ââBout what?â you ask, your lips curling into a smile.
ââBout what, my ass,â he scolds. âYou were recording that shit.â
âWellâŠâ You tilt your head, scraping the last bit out of your bowl. âI could lieââ You gasp as his hand closes around your wrist, eating your last bite of ice cream before you can react. âRUDE!â
âME?â he fires back with the same offense. âYouâre rude. And wrong. Iâm athletic as fuck. Take it back.â
âI know, baby. I know,â your voice turns impossibly sweet, more sympathetic than not, like youâre trying really hard to believe that just as much as he does, which only fires him up more.
He lets your wrist go and you lean across the little space between you, cupping both of his cheeks in your hands and squishing his face until his lips pucker into an unwilling pout before you kiss him.
He lets you do it too, chuckling through it as you rub your thumbs over the apples of his cheeks.
âI believe you,â you breathe. âSo fast.â Your lips pushing against his again. âSo talented.â
âShut up,â he mumbles.
âSix miles a game is so damn impressive, baby.â
âI said five.â
âYouâll get there,â you breathe as his hand comes up to cradle the back of your neck, pulling you into his lap, his other arm hooking tight around your waist.
âYouâre impossible,â he mutters.
He kisses you deep, sugar lingering on his soft lips before his tongue slips in. Rafeâs hand drifts lower, dipping between the waistband of your leggings, squeezing the supple flesh underneath in his big palm.
âShould make you suck my cock right here for teasinâ me, pretty,â he mumbles into your kiss. His hand reaches farther, your panties already soaked when his finger traces along the fabric. âYou get wet off tormenting me, or what?â
âMaybe,â you breathe.
âHmm⊠I got a question for you, baby,â he mutters, letting the tip of his thick finger dip in your wet hole. He pushes in and out slowly, letting that comment dangle in the air for a moment.
âWhat?â you ask impatiently.
âYou athletic, bunny?â
You chuckle against his lips, your chest pushing a little tighter to his. âMaybe,â you whisper, and a crooked smile slides across his lips.
âRun.â
ââŠWhat?â you laugh breathlessly, the man still teasing your pussy with his fingers even after the threat.
âYou heard me⊠You. Better. Run,â the words drip past his lips into yours.
âRafe.â
âIâll even give you a ten-second head start, baby.â
âYouâre kiddingââ
âOne.â
ââŠRafe.â
âTwo.â
You scramble over his lap so fast you stumble a little, feet finally finding the hardwood with a slap, fixing your tank top, tugging up the back of your pants as you scurry toward the steps, but heâs already to seven.
âEight⊠NineâŠâ
Behind you, Rafeâs voice follows at the exact same steady pace, his spoon scraping up the last bit of his ice cream, completely unconcerned by your growing panic as your foot hits the first step.
âTenâŠâ
You squeal, grabbing the banister to keep yourself from slipping as your socks slide against the polished wood.
By the time you hit the middle of the staircase, youâre laughing so hard you can barely breathe, glancing over your shoulder, your eyes matching his.
Rafeâs long legs eat up the distance, moving like the captain of a D1 hockey teamâfast, ridiculously athletic, and somehow already much closer than you could ever imagine.
Your scream echoes through the stairwell, bouncing off the high ceilings while Rafeâs laugh follows right behind it.
It isnât even a normal laugh anymore. Itâs loud and completely unhinged. Your heart pounds against your ribs, feet scrambling for any extra bit of traction while you practically throw yourself up the stairs two at a time.
You make it maybe three more steps before a pair of strong arms wraps around your waist, tossing you over his shoulder. Your entire world flips upside down, your eyes landing somewhere around the back of his gray sweats.
âRafe!â you squealâCrack! His hand lands against your ass with a playful smack.
âYouâve been runninâ that mouth for thirty minutes,â he pants. âWe threw gloves. I caught ya. Not my fault youâre slow as shit.â
He turns his head, chuckling against your skin before he bites teasingly. He isnât actually angryâyou know that muchâbut heâs absolutely decided youâre not getting away with tormenting him for the better part of half an hour without paying for it somehow.
âYouâre in trouble,â he informs you matter-of-factly as he clears the last few stairs. You groan dramatically, going limp over his shoulder.
Your heart races wildly, every laugh stealing what little air you have left as you throw yourself farther up the staircase.
Rafeâs breathing barely changes. His footsteps never slow, never stumble, his strong legs carrying him up the stairs with the same effortless burst that gets him to loose pucks before anybody else on the ice.
And somewhere in between the first step and the last, you realize you probably shouldâve picked a less athletic man to bully for the last thirty minutes.
âIâm sorry. Okay?â you giggle.
âNah,â he chuckles, shouldering his bedroom door open, kicking it shut behind him with the heel of his foot. âTold you to run,â he reminds you, sounding entirely too pleased with himself. âGave you a ten-second head start like a gentleman.â
You smack his ass in mock protest, still breathless from laughing all the way up the stairs but before you can say anything heâs flipping you back over.
Your body lands on the comforter, a surprised gasp tripping past your lips as you press yourself up on your elbows to get a better look, but heâs already climbing over you.
The mattress dips beneath his weight as he catches your face with a single hand, smiling so hard he can barely keep a straight face.
The two of you end up rolling sideways, tangled together in a mess of limbs and discarded clothes.
âFuck, baby,â he teases as his body presses down on top of yours, watching you struggle to catch your breath. âBreathinâ hard and I donât even have my fingers in you yet.â
ââYou should though,â you whisper, the sweetness in your voice almost breaking him. âFelt so good downstairs.â
âIs that so? Glad you were enjoying yourself, pretty,â he mumbles, and you can just hear the âbutâ waiting to leave his lips after all of that bullying. âYouâre not gettinâ off that easy.â
His mouth parts against yours, tongue sweeping slow and hungry, tasting you as his hand moves away. You moan into him as your hands slide up his chest, finger twisting into his hair, dragging him closer.
Rafeâs hips press forward, grinding slow and heavy between your legs, gold chain swinging at his collarbone, dragging cool against your skin.
His hand slides up your body as his lips toy with your breast, biceps swelling when he tilts down, mouthing at your chest and sucking at the gentle skin of your cleavage. He moans around you when you bring his fingers to your lips.
His eyes flick up to yoursâdark and heavy as you slide two into your mouth. The tips press against your tongue and your lips seal tight, cheeks hollowing.
He lets out the filthiest groan as you swirl your tongueâjust like you would if it were his cock in your mouthâand you know from the look on his face that heâs remembering that little threat he made downstairs.
âYou want it, huh?â he asks as you whimper a soft âyesâ. âSuck it. Maybe Iâll forgive you.â
âBaby,â you sigh, your lips trembling at the corners when you fight back a smile, forcing your lips into a pout.
âYou want me to feel bad for you?â he chuckles, rolling you effortlessly on top. You giggle with delight, your hand slapping against his muscular chest as you steady yourself.
His hand tangles in the back of your hair, pulling you down to his mouth. His lips brush against yours, humming out a pleased sound having you on top like this. âGot twenty more minutes of teasinâ you. Do a good enough job and Iâll make it tenââ
âFootball,â you grin.
âWhat?â
âI would have said football.â
âKeep talkinâ,â he warns, his palm reaching up, resting on the top of your head, guiding you down. You laugh breathily, dragging your tongue along the deep ridges of his stomach, pressing kisses as you work lower and lower.
He sinks a little deeper into the pillow, lashes lowering as your fingers wrap around his thick dick, pumping as a line of spit falls from your lips.
âFuck, baby,â he groans. âThatâs it.â The praise falls from his lips as his hand rests behind his head, propping himself up for a better look as you tap his swollen tip against your tongue.
The thick muscles in his thighs clench with each slap, jaw dropping as your lips wrap around him tight, one hand slipping into your hair.
You moan around his length, taking him deep, watching his eyes roll back. âChrist⊠JustâJust like that, baby,â he pants, guiding your head, using your mouth to stroke him.
You let him use youâlet him fuck your throatâspit slicking your chin as your eyes water and your hands grip his thighs for balance.
The wet sounds fill his roomâevery moan, every gag, every obscene sound making you more and more desperate.
His big hands rest on the back of your head, eyes pinching shut, fucking up into your mouth from the bottom. Your nails drive into his thighs, throat hot with the effort as his dick swells on your tongue.
You can tell heâs close, his breathing quickening with each passing secondâthat praise leaving his lips coming out a little more slurred as your soft lips glide up and down his dick.
âThinkinâ about cumminâ just like this, pretty. What do you think?â he grits through his teethâa smug smile painting his features.
You mumble around his dick and he grins, pulling you off him, leaving you reaching for air.
He rolls you again, spreading you open, a scream leaving your lips when he slaps your pussy. Your legs clamp together and all he does is shake his head with a grin, clicking his tongue, gripping your thigh to pin it down again.
He drives into you, burying himself to the hilt, your hands finding his hips, trembling at how deep he is.
Your gasp snaps into a moan, back arching off the mattress, when he draws his hips back, the muscles in his chest and stomach flexing tighter when he drags his body. His eyes fall, eyeing his wet cock, the head dropping between his shoulders as he blows out a deep breath.
âWanted you so bad I barely made you beg,â his words grumble past his lips as his chain swings in your face.
You pull him down by his necklace, crashing your lips to his again. Your teeth scrape his lip, his tongue licking into your mouth. Youâre so wet he slides in and out of you with ease, slick sounds echoing between your bodies.
He grinds down, hips circling, making your breath catch. âYes,â you cry, clenching around him, and he groansâloud and filthy.
âLook at you. Crying on my cockââ he grunts, slamming his hips forward so hard your body jolts, skin smacking against his. âFuck, pretty girl. You made a goddamn mess for me, huh?â
Sweat drips off his brow, biceps flexing as he squeezes your hip, keeping you flush to him, using the leverage to slam into you harder.
His hands hook behind your thighs, folding you in half, pinning you to the bed as he drives into you. Your nails claw at the sheets, then at his back, then into his hair, pulling at the roots.
âRafeâRafe, holy shitââ he dips down to kiss youâhis cock sinking impossibly deep.
âYouâre right there. Câmon, pretty girl. Stop beinâ a brat and fuckinâ give it to me.â
Your head falls back, mouth open in a silent cry as your body tightens, every muscle trembling as he keeps hitting that exact spot.
âCâmon, baby. Let him hear who makes you cum.â
Your orgasm rips through you hard, a choked sob escaping your lips as you clamp around him, shaking under his weight.
âThatâs it,â he whispers against your mouth, still thrusting through the aftershocks. âGood girl. Good fucking girl.â
Youâre soaking him, dripping down your thighs, pulsing around him as he keeps fucking you through it, working you toward another.
âFeel that mess you made?â he asks, smugness laced in every word. âProud of you, baby. So filthy for me. Need you on top.â
He pulls out fast, making you whine at the loss of him. Rafe wraps his hand around his dick, pumping as he watches you climb on, hovering over him, delicate fingers circling your clit as he licks his bottom lip.
You spread your thighs, sinking on his tip, taking the first few inches, moving up and down teasingly before you take the restâeyes locked on his, nails digging into his chest.
You ride him hard, your bodies colliding in messy, rhythmic slaps, the sounds of your pleasure filling the room.
Rafe grabs your waist, lifting you just enough to slam back up into you. âYouâre gonna cum for me again,â he rasps. âRight fucking now.â
And you doâyour belly tightens, the band snaps, and his name tumbles past your lips as your head falls back. Your throatâs ragged from sobbing his name, thighs drenched in sweat and slick, shining under the low light.
âGoddamn, baby⊠Iâm almost there,â he mutters, reaching up to hook a hand around the back of your neck and kiss you, his hips stalling out as a whimper slips from his lips when he sighs that heâs cumming, filling you with his heavy load.
You shut your eyes in exhaustion, his smile sliding against yours as his nose nuzzles yours. His cock throbs inside you still, his heartbeat thudding against yours.
He kisses you again anyway, both of you still breathing hard, forehead resting against yours. His smile lingers, lazy and completely satisfied at how exhausted and fucked-out you look.
âYou knowâŠâ he murmurs, brushing a thumb across your cheek. âYou still havenât apologized.â
âYes, I did,â you laugh.
âMm-mm,â he grunts, pressing a kiss against your forehead.
âLiterally said I was sorry,â you pant, drawing in a breath as he waits for you to finish your sentence, not even trying to hide the teasing look on his face.
âFor ruininâ my sweet treat?â he lifts an eyebrow. âNo, you fuckinâ didnât.â
A laugh slips out of you before you can stop it.
âThis?â he asks, tipping his chin toward your body. âThis reactionâs apology enough for callinâ me unathletic, baby.â
His eyes drift over your face, taking in your damp skin, the little wisps of hair stuck to your forehead, the way youâre still trying to catch your breath.
âStop,â you chuckle, turning your face away a little as he looks up at you like youâre the prettiest thing heâd ever seen.
âLook at you⊠So sweaty,â he teases softly, his voice losing most of its bite as his fingertips tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. âSo fuckinâ beautiful.â
Heat climbs into your cheeks, your lip bitten to hold back your smile. âStop teasing me, Rafe Cameron.â
âComing from you?â he smiles, grabbing your cheeks between his fingers before stealing another slow kiss. âMâserious that more than made up for you fuckinâ with me,â he whispers, the words deepâvibrating against your mouth. âNow delete that fuckinâ video.â
âAbsolutely not.â
Rafeâs smile spreads against your lips before he lets out a quiet, defeated chuckle, already knowing exactly what your answer would be. He gives your hip a playful squeeze and shakes his head once.
âWell, fuck,â he sighs. âRound two, princess.â
summary: lando's late night streaming causes you to be real tired the next day...
picture credits from pinterest :)
it was currently three freaking AM in your monaco apartment, but your boyfriend was not where he was supposed to be. instead of being curled up next to you in your ridiculously big bed buried under at least five layers of blankets with the ac blasting, he was in his streaming room yelling about âcream coming out of his chickâ to angryginge (you supposed he was playing fortnite, and not some other weird game). for the second time in the last five minutes, his voice echoes across the spacious apartment.Â
âYOU TWAT, GET OUT MY WAY!âÂ
it wouldnât be surprising if you woke up in the morning with noise complaints from the neighbors, a sleep deprived lando, and a telling-off by your boyfriendâs pr manager for showing up to media day halfway-asleep. you were super tired as well, but lando seemed to unknowingly choose the second that your eyes fluttered shut to yell at the top of his lungs. rubbing your eyes, you get up from the bed, slide on your slippers, and shove your phone into your pj shortsâ built in pocket.Â
as you shuffle closer to landoâs streaming room, his voice gets impossibly louder.Â
âHEâS OVER THERE!! THAT WAY!!â
you think you can hear angrygingeâs voice through the door from landoâs gaming headphones, which are probably turned up way too loud.Â
âWHERE??? WHERE IS THERE MATE??âÂ
you roll your eyes, and get ready to turn the doorknob to storm into the room, but decide at the last second that itâs probably not a good idea. the creased pjs from rolling around the bed while waiting for lando to end stream plus your worn-out slippers probably made you look like a mess. thinking, you come up with a quick solution. you could crawl into the room in your ferret form- it was probably easier to enter the room without being spotted by fans on the stream and you also get extra cuteness points that would help you convince lando to come to bed.Â
you crack open the landoâs streaming door for easier access and place your phone on the ground to avoid getting squished (you knew that from experiences after being squashed one too many times by your phone). after shifting into your ferret form, you slip through the crack in the door and scamper towards lando.Â
the screen in front of him acts like the only light source in the room, aside from the led sign on his wall. it casts a glowy halo of light on him in the darkness of the room that makes him look ethereal. you stop in your tracks for just a moment to admire him, except the moment is immediately ruined when a shrill scream erupts from his mouth- this time cursing an opponent for killing him. it was a wonder that your eardrums hadnât exploded yet.Â
you climb up his chair and plop yourself in his lap, glaring at him with your tiny round eyes.Â
noticing your presence on his lap, his eyes widen. he immediately whispers a hurried âone moment!â to ginge and his stream, and turns off his camera and microphone.Â
âbaby! are you okay? whatâs wrong?â he asks, using one hand to stroke your fur.
the calm voice that lando was talking to you now was vastly different from the wild, screaming side of him that he showed his twitch chat. you reach your paws outward, as if beckoning for a hug. he complies, softly squeezing you into his chest and smothering you in his quadrant hoodie that just smelled like him. after years of dating him, you still got giggly after he gave you the best hugs ever. it makes you feel so content that you almost forget your mission of dragging him back to bed. quickly, you jump off of his lap and land with your four feet on the ground. lando turns his gaming chair towards you, this time to find you standing there, still in your wrinkled pjs, with a frown on your face.Â
âlando,â you say slowly, âyou promised you would go to bed soon! i waited at least two hours in bed! not only that, you were yelling so loud, i bet even charles could hear you from two blocks down! besides, you do have media day tomorrow, and we all know your pr manager is going to be pissed if you show up with no energy like last time!â
glancing at the clock, he realized that you were right. it was pretty late.Â
he runs his hand through his rowdy curls, and flashes you an apologetic smile. âiâm sorry, i genuinely forgot about the time,â he explains. âlet me shut down everything really quick.â
under your watchful eye, he apologizes for the sudden end to stream, says bye to ginge, and shuts down his pc and and monitors. youâre still frowning when he finally turns back towards you.Â
âcome on baby, i said i was sorry!â he exclaims, pouting. then, a grin flashes across his face. âwhy donât i carry you back to bed?âÂ
to that, you finally crack a smile.Â
once he carries your squealing body back into the bedroom, you find yourself again alone on your bed waiting for lando. he was probably washing his face and brushing his teeth, judging from the sound of running water. you pull out your phone to find to find a text from lance strollâs girlfriend, a good friend that you made when you attended one of your first races back then as landoâs partner.Â
hey, what r u doing up? i saw your online bubble on tiktok like two seconds ago, lmao! u do know we have media day tomorrow right?
you quickly text back a response,Â
i was gonna go to bed early but lando was streaming and forgot about the time.. you know i canât sleep when he's yelling at the top of his lungs. anyways, what are you doing up at this godforsaken hour???
you adjust the blankets around you, and listen as lando hums a tune from inside the bathroom. when you check your phone, you see that she has already texted you back.Â
yeah girl, i get you. lance always starts raging at his monitor when he plays his video games đ no but i was up because my bf was literally online shopping till like five minutes ago! like, what are you buying that is so important it needs to be bought now?? its almost four am, istg we are going to be so sleepy in the paddock tomorrow!
the sound of lando shutting the door of the bathroom makes you hurry to type back a response.
omg, maybe heâs buying you that limited edition birkin you told me you were eyeing a couple of days ago! but yeah, we should get to bed. goodnight!
after hitting send, you shut off your phone and throw it onto the nightstand just as lando climbs into bed, now dressed in a worn-in tee that looks like its seen better days and comfy pj pants. He turns off the light using the switch next to him, and places a kiss on your forehead. âgoodnight!â he whispers quietly into your ear. you turn around and hold him close to you, burying your head into his chest yet again. âgoodnight,â you whisper back.Â
if you closed your eyes for more than two seconds, you felt like you were going to fall asleep. the sun shined brightly in the monaco paddock, but it just felt like it was hurting your eyeballs on purpose as it pierced through your shaded sunglasses perched on the bridge of your nose. honestly, you didnât know how lando did it. he looked energized and ready to go with his freshly moussed curls and bright smile, not a hint of tiredness on his face. it seemed you looked as tired as you felt, because as you walked through the paddock, not only did max offer you a redbull, but charles also tried giving you a celsius, much to the dismay of lando (he not-so-gently slapped the drinks out of their hands, as mclaren was sponsored by monster, and he did not want to cause a pr disaster).Â
you stumble into the mclaren hospitality five minutes later, clutching to landoâs arm for dear life. laughing, he starts dragging you to his driverâs room, which had a comfy sofa that you could probably nap for a bit on.Â
before he could get too far, oscar passes by, casting a few concerning glances at your exhausted figure shuffling behind lando.Â
âerr, is your girlfriend alright, mate?â he shoots at lando, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.
you answer for your boyfriend. âyeah, yeah, iâm fine, thanks for asking. itâs just that lando was streaming until like, three am last night, and so i didnât get a wink of sleep before having to wake up and get ready!âÂ
oscarâs face morphs into one of amusement. âlando! how could you do that to her?â he gasps dramatically in a joking manner. he then flashes you a smile. âiâm just making sure youâre all good. honestly, if you didnât tell me that lando was streaming though, i would have assumed it was because you guys were getting  đŻđ»đźđȘđŽđ last night or something.â
both you and landoâs mouths drop open. âoscar!â you exclaim, as lando throws a nearby empty cup at oscarâs head.Â
oscar expertly dodges the cup and cackles and he runs away.Â
lando quickly guides you to his drives room, and makes sure to get you a can of monster, which you crack open and take a sip of before promptly passing out cold on the couch.Â
you open your eyes an hour and a half later, to lando softly shaking you.Â
âyes?â you say, rubbing your sleepy eyes.Â
âso, my pr manager wants me to head out now for the pr videos and interviews. i just wanted to let you know,â he explains.
you grab you bag and stand up quickly, intending to follow lando out the door. you didnât come all the way to the paddock to sleep in landoâs drivers room- you were here to support your boyfriend, even if he was just recording boring videos for the team youtube channel or talking to a reporter about past race results.Â
âwhat are you doing?â lando says, brows scrunching. âi thought you were tired? you donât have to go with me to media day?âÂ
âno, i want to be out there to support you,â you counter, âbesides, i can sleep later.â you let out a big yawn that kind of destroys your argument.Â
lando laughs, seeing you yawn. âi can tell you are still sleepyâŠcontinue your nap, itâs okay! there will always be another media day you can come support me at!â
adamant, you shake your head. âno, iâd really like to come with you.â
your boyfriend thinks for a second, blinking his aquamarine eyes at you. âwhy dontâŠyou shift into your ferret form and sleep in my hoodie? that way you can still take your nap and be there supporting me- but more like emotional support.âÂ
you nod once. âdeal!â
thatâs how you find yourself buried inside landoâs quadrant hoodie pocket as he walks through the paddock. you feel each jostle of his body as he walks through the paddock. his fingers toy with your fur mindlessly. you smell the comforting scent of his cologne mixed with the slight scent of burnt rubber and oil of the circut. you surprising stay awake as he babbles on to a reporter about the updates on the car over the weekend or when he is quizzed on his top three favorite foods with oscar. itâs only when he sits down and is forced to sign a hundred fan merch when you finally fall into beauty sleep.
âOMG OSCAR???â screams lando, jolting you from deep sleep and almost deafening you. why is that lando always manages to disrupt your sleep because of his screaming problem?
you hear landoâs voice above you again. âoscar, i genuinely think i lost my girlfriend! i donât know where she is! i checked my driverâs room and literally the entire paddock, but i canât find her!â he says, worriedly.
is this guy serious? you think, bewildered. how can he possibly drive one of the fastest cars in the world but not remember that he put his own girlfriend in his pocket before media and pr? you think its probably because the lack of sleep was catching up to him.Â
you are jostled around more forcefully in his pocket as he starts what you think is sprinting around the paddock.Â
you hear oscar next to your boyfriend, running next to him. âwell, i have no idea where she is either?? the last time i remember seeing her was in the motorhome where you were dragging her to your driverâs room?âÂ
hearing this, lando skids to a stop. âOMG WAIT?!â he shouts. you feel his hand reach into his hoodie pocket next to you.Â
before his hand can touch you though, you stick your head out of the pocket and lando, who has relief written all over his face. you snap your teeth towards landoâs outstretched fingers that were starting to reach for you.Â
oscar shoots an exasperated look at lando. âmate, you had me sprinting around the whole paddock. no way you forgot your freaking girlfriend was literally in your pocket.â
Hi! I was wondering if you could do something with Ollie about young parents, or something really sappy, like the one about being obsessed with the reader. I love your blog<3
Dangerous Devotion - OB87
pairing: ollie bearman x fem!gf!reader
summary: everyone warned Ollie that becoming a father at twenty-one would be a career-ending distraction. They were half right. He isn't distracted by the sleepless nights, the crying, or the chaos of raising a daughter while chasing a championship. Heâs distracted by her. Navigating parenthood didn't make them drift apart; it turned Ollie into a man who is possessive, touch-starved, and completely, terrifyingly obsessed with his wife.
wc: 3.5k
đ this one will stay as a standalone :)
note: thank you for the request and idea! i decided to do 2 in 1 hope that's okay for you, hope you like it! đœđ
The front door clicked shut, the sound barely a whisper in the quiet house, but Ollie knew you heard it. You always heard him.
He dropped his bags by the entrance, toeing off his shoes with an urgency that had nothing to do with fatigue and everything to do with the ache in his chestâthe hollow feeling that had been expanding ever since he left for the track four days ago.
He found you in the nursery.
The only light came from the star-shaped nightlight plugged into the corner, casting a soft, golden glow over the rocking chair. You were there, curled up with your legs tucked beneath you, your head resting against the high back of the chair. In your arms, your daughter was fast asleep, a tiny fist clutching the fabric of your shirt.
Ollie stopped in the doorway. He felt the air leave his lungs.
It happened every time. Heâd come home thinking he was prepared for how much he loved you, thinking he knew the extent of it, only to be knocked sideways by the sheer, crushing weight of it. seeing you like thisâhair messy, face devoid of makeup, holding the life you two createdâit felt like a physical blow.
He crossed the room silently, dropping to his knees beside the chair.
You stirred, blinking open tired eyes. A soft smile broke across your face when you saw him. "You're home," you whispered, careful not to wake the baby.
"I'm home," Ollie breathed. He didn't lean in for a kiss immediately. Instead, he just looked at you. His eyes traced the curve of your jaw, the sweep of your eyelashes, the slight pulse in your neck. It was intense, bordering on feverish.
"Ollie?" You shifted slightly, your free hand coming up to cup his cheek. "You okay? You look... intense."
He leaned into your touch, closing his eyes and letting out a shaky breath. He turned his face, pressing a fervent kiss to your palm, then your wrist.
"I missed you," he said, his voice rough. "Not just 'I wish you were there' missed you. I mean, I felt like I couldn't breathe right until I walked through that door."
"You were only gone four days, you drama queen," you teased gently, though your thumb stroked his cheekbone lovingly.
Ollie opened his eyes. They were dark, dilated, and terrifyingly sincere. He shifted, resting his chin on your knee, looking up at you like a devotee at an altar.
"It doesn't matter," he whispered. "Do you know what I was doing during debriefs? Thinking about this. Thinking about you holding her. Thinking about the way you smell."
He reached up, his hand trembling slightly as he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. His fingers lingered on your skin, needing the contact to ground him.
"Itâs actually a problem, Y/N," he murmured, his gaze dropping to your lips and then back to your eyes. "I am so obsessed with you it scares me. I look at you and I feel... greedy. I want every second of your time. I want every thought in your head."
You felt a blush rise to your cheeks, despite the years youâd been together. "Ollie..."
"No, I'm serious," he interrupted softly, leaning forward to press his forehead against your thigh, his arm wrapping around your waist to anchor himself to you. "Youâre a masterpiece. Look at you. Youâre exhausted, you haven't slept properly in weeks because of the baby, and you are still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life."
He looked up again, his expression vulnerable.
"I would burn the world down just to keep you sitting in this chair, looking at me like that."
You softened, your heart squeezing in your chest. You leaned down as much as you could without disturbing the sleeping baby, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Well, luckily for the world, I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you."
Ollie let out a contented sigh, closing his eyes again as he buried his face against your stomach, right beside where the baby lay.
"Good," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep and devotion. "Because I'm never letting go."
When you finally woke up, the first thing you noticed was the silence.
Panic, the constant companion of a young mother, spiked in your chest. You sat up abruptly, hair falling over your face, expecting to hear a cry or the hum of the baby monitor. But there was nothing.
Then, the smell of coffee and burnt toast drifted down the hallway.
You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and padded barefoot out of the bedroom, following the scent. The morning sun was streaming through the kitchen windows, blindingly bright, illuminating the scene in front of you.
Ollie was standing by the stove, shirtless, wearing only his grey sweatpants that hung low on his hips. In one arm, he balanced your daughter, who was happily chewing on the drawstring of his pants. With his free hand, he was attempting to flip a pancake.
He looked chaotic. There was flour on the counter and a carton of milk dangerously close to the edge. But he was humming.
You leaned against the doorframe, crossing your arms over your chest, a smile tugging at your lips. "You're going to burn the house down, Ollie."
Ollie spun around so fast he almost dropped the spatula. The moment his eyes landed on you, that same intensity from the night before snapped back into place. The spatula was forgotten on the counter (dripping batter onto the marble) as he just stared.
"Hi," he said, his voice raspy with morning grogginess.
"Hi," you replied, walking over to rescue the milk carton. "How long have you been up?"
"Couple of hours," he shrugged, shifting the baby so she was resting more comfortably on his hip. She made a happy gurgling sound at the sight of you. "She woke up around six. I didn't want to wake you."
You reached out to take the baby, but Ollie stepped back slightly, shaking his head.
"No," he said firmly. "I've got her. You drink coffee. You sit."
"Ollie, I can hold my own childâ"
"Y/N," he cut in, stepping into your personal space. He used his free hand to grip your waist, pulling you flush against his side. "Iâm serious. Sit down. Let me do this."
He leaned down, burying his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply. He was warm, smelling of baby powder and strong espresso.
"I watched you sleep for a while before I brought her out here," he murmured against your skin, his lips moving against your pulse point. "You were drooling a little bit."
You laughed, trying to push him away, but his grip on your waist tightened. "Shut up. That ruins the romance."
"It really doesn't," Ollie pulled back to look at you, his eyes scanning your face with that terrifyingly soft adoration. "It was the cutest thing Iâve ever seen. I almost woke you up just to tell you how pretty you looked, but I figured youâd kill me."
He pressed a kiss to your forehead, then your nose, then finally a quick, hard peck on your lips.
"Go sit," he commanded gently, guiding you toward a barstool. "Iâm making you pancakes. They might be burnt, and they definitely won't be round, but I made them."
You sat down, watching him turn back to the stove. He was humming again, occasionally whispering nonsense to the baby on his hip, who was watching him with wide eyes.
"You're obsessed," you said, resting your chin on your hand, your heart feeling full to the point of bursting.
Ollie glanced over his shoulder, a lopsided, boyish grin on his face. "We established this last night, darling. I'm completely gone for you. Now, do you want syrup or fruit?"
"Both," you smiled.
"Both it is," he said, turning back to the pan, whispering to the baby, "See? Mommy gets whatever she wants. That's the rule."
The end-of-season party was in full swing. The music was loud, the drinks were flowing, and the atmosphere was light. But in the corner booth of the VIP area, a different kind of show was happening.
Kimi Antonelli leaned back in his chair, swirling his drink, and sighed loudly. He looked across the table at Arthur Leclerc, who was currently trying to ignore the situation.
"Is he blinking?" Kimi asked, nodding his head toward Ollie. "I genuinely don't think he's blinked in three minutes."
Ollie was sitting next to Y/N. He had one arm draped protectively over the back of the booth behind her, and his body was angled entirely in her direction, effectively turning his back on half the group.
Y/N was in the middle of telling a story about the babyâs first attempt at crawling. She was animated, using her hands to demonstrate, laughing at her own bad parenting moment.
Ollie wasn't listening to the story. He was listening to the sound of her voice. He was staring at her profile with a look of such profound, dopey adoration that it was almost painful to witness.
Every time Y/N laughed, a soft, matching smile would spread across Ollieâs face, like a reflex. He reached out, his fingers idly playing with the hem of her sleeve, then drifting up to brush a stray eyelash off her cheek.
"It's disgusting," Arthur whispered, though he was smiling into his glass. "He used to be cool. He used to want to talk about racing."
"Now he just wants to talk about how 'Y/N is a goddess for birthing his child,'" Kimi mimicked Ollieâs British accent poorly. "If I hear him say 'Did you see how she holds the bottle?' one more time, I'm throwing myself into the pool."
At that moment, Y/N shivered slightly, the air conditioning in the venue a bit too high.
Before she could even rub her arms, Ollie was moving. He was out of his jacket in a split second, draping it over her shoulders and tucking the lapels in to ensure she was covered. He leaned in close, whispering something in her ear that made her flush pink and swat his chest playfully.
Ollie caught her hand and kissed the knuckles, completely unbothered by the audience.
"Oi! Bearman!" Kimi finally snapped, tossing a peanut at him.
Ollie didn't even flinch. He just lazily turned his head toward his friends, keeping one hand firmly planted on Y/N's waist. "What?"
"You're drooling," Kimi deadpanned. "Dial it back, mate. We get it. She's the love of your life. You're obsessed. We are trying to have a conversation here."
Ollie looked at Kimi, then looked back at Y/N, who was now hiding her face in her hands, embarrassed but laughing.
Ollie smirked, completely shameless. "I haven't seen her in four days, Kimi. You're lucky I'm even acknowledging your existence right now."
"You're whipped," Arthur shook his head. "So whipped."
Ollie just shrugged, leaning back and pulling Y/N into his side, resting his chin on top of her head. He looked at his friends with a smug, satisfied expression.
"I have a beautiful girlfriend," Ollie stated matter-of-factly. "We have a beautiful baby. And Iâm the one going home with her. Call me whipped all you want. Iâm winning."
Y/N groaned into his chest. "Ollie, stop bragging."
"Never," he murmured into her hair, closing his eyes and inhaling her scent again. "They're just jealous."
Kimi rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful. "Okay, that's it. I'm going to get another drink. I can't be around this much sugar."
As Kimi walked away, he heard Ollie whisper loudly to Y/N: "Do you want anything? Water? Champagne? My kidney?"
The red digits on the clock read 3:14 AM. The nursery felt like a pressure cooker.
Your daughter had been screaming for two hours straightâa high-pitched, sawing wail that grated against your very soul. Teething. It was brutal. You were pacing the floor, bouncing her rhythmically, tears of sheer exhaustion streaming down your own face. Your back ached, your arms were shaking, and you felt like the worst mother on the planet because you couldn't fix it.
"Shh, baby, please," you whispered, your voice cracking. "Please just sleep."
The door creaked open. You expected a sleepy, grumpy Ollie. Instead, you found him fully awake, eyes clear and focused in the dim light.
He didn't ask what was wrong. He didn't ask if you were okay. He just walked straight to you.
"Give her to me," he said. His voice was low, calm, and brokered no argument.
"Ollie, you have training tomorrow, go back to sleepâ"
"Y/N." He stopped in front of you, his hands gently covering yours where they clutched the baby. His thumbs stroked over your knuckles. "Look at me."
You looked up, blinking through tears.
"You're done," he said softly. "Your shift is over. Give me my girl."
He took the screaming baby from your arms with a practiced ease that still surprised you sometimes. He shifted her high onto his shoulder, immediately starting a deep, rumbling hum in his chest that you knew she found soothing. He began a specific, swaying walk around the room.
"Go to bed," he instructed over his shoulder.
You hesitated, hovering by the crib. "But she'sâ"
Ollie stopped swaying and turned to look at you. His expression was fierce, but not angry. It was that intense, singular focus again.
"I cannot handle seeing you in pain," he said, his voice rough. "It hurts me more than her crying does. If you don't go get in that bed right now and let me take care of our family, I'm going to lose my mind. Go."
The sheer force of his care for you was overwhelming. You nodded mutely and slipped out of the room.
Twenty minutes later, you were drifting off when the bedroom door opened softly. Ollie padded in. It was silent outside.
He climbed into bed behind you, smelling of baby lotion and relief. He pulled you back against his chest, his arm clamping around your waist like a vise. You felt him bury his face in your neck, inhaling sharply.
"Is she asleep?" you whispered.
"Out cold," he mumbled against your skin. "Took some convincing." He kissed your shoulder, his grip tightening almost painfully. "God, I love you. You're such a good mom. I'm so obsessed with you it makes my teeth ache. Now sleep."
It was a black-tie gala for one of the sponsors. Ollie had stepped away for two minutes to grab you both refills on champagne.
You were standing near a high-top table, idly watching the crowd, looking stunning in an emerald green gown that Ollie had spent the better part of the evening staring at.
"Excuse me," a voice said to your left.
You turned to find a man in an expensive suitâsomeone you didn't recognize, perhaps an investorâsmiling smoothly at you.
"I don't mean to interrupt," he said, stepping a little too close into your personal space, his eyes raking over your dress. "But you look incredibly bored. And far too beautiful to be standing here alone."
You gave a polite, tight smile. "I'm not alone, actually. My partner is just getting drinks."
The man laughed, a dismissive sound. "Well, he's a fool for leaving you unguarded. I'm Marcus. Can I get youâ"
He started to reach out to touch your arm.
He never made contact.
Suddenly, the air pressure around you changed. A warm, solid weight slammed against your back. An arm, heavy and unyielding, wrapped around your waist, pulling you back so hard your spine collided with a rock-hard chest.
The smell of Ollieâs cologneâsomething woodsy and expensiveâflooded your senses.
"Is there a problem here?"
Ollie's voice was unrecognizable. It was several octaves lower than usual, stripped of all warmth, all humor. It was ice cold and razor-sharp.
The man, Marcus, blinked, looking up at Ollie, who was glaring down at him with an expression that could only be described as murderous. His jaw was locked tight, his eyes dark and flat.
"Oh, uh, no," Marcus stammered, taking a reflexive step back. "I was just... making conversation with the lady."
Ollie didn't blink. The arm around your waist tightened, his fingers digging into your hip through the silk of your dress. It wasn't painful, but it was a clear, primal marking of territory.
"She's not interested in conversation," Ollie said, his voice deadly quiet. "And she's not 'the lady.' She's my wife. Move along."
It wasn't a request.
Marcus turned pale, mumbled an apology, and practically ran into the crowd.
As soon as he was gone, the tension didn't leave Ollieâs body, but his focus shifted entirely to you. He turned you in his arms, his hands coming up to cup your face, tilting your head back.
The icy look vanished, replaced by frantic, searching concern. His thumbs traced your cheekbones.
"Are you okay?" he demanded, his voice shaking slightly now. "Did he touch you? Tell me if he touched you, Y/N."
"I'm fine, Ollie," you soothed, placing your hands over his on your face. "He was just annoying. You scared him off."
"Good," Ollie breathed, leaning down to press his forehead against yours. His heart was hammering against your chest. "I hated the way he was looking at you. I wanted to rip his eyes out."
He kissed you thenâhard, possessive, and desperate, right in the middle of the gala floor, not caring who was watching. When he pulled back, he kept you locked against his side.
"We're leaving," he muttered into your hair. "I need to get you home and remind myself that you're mine."
The noise at Monza was deafening, the Tifosi screaming as the cars tore down the main straight. But inside the hospitality suite, it was relatively muffled.
Ollie stood by the glass, arms crossed, watching the monitors with a critical eye. He had a few silver hairs mixed into the dark curls at his temples now, and fine lines fanned out from the corners of his eyesâevidence of a life spent squinting at the sun and smiling at you.
On the screen, a car emblazoned with the number 87 overtook down the inside of Parabolica.
"Did you see that move?" Kimi (now sporting reading glasses that he refused to admit he needed) pointed at the screen. "That was late on the brakes. She drives exactly like you, Ollie. Aggressive. Little bit stupid."
"She drives better than me," Ollie corrected without turning around. "She has her mother's patience."
"Sheâs leading the championship," Arthur added, shaking his head. "God help us all. Another Bearman."
You walked into the suite then, carrying two espressos. You were wearing a team jacket over a simple white dress, your hair windblown from the walk through the paddock.
The moment you stepped into the room, Ollieâs posture changed. The tension in his shoulders from watching your daughter race evaporated. He turned away from the trackâaway from the race his eighteen-year-old was currently leadingâand walked straight to you.
"Hi," he said, taking the coffee from your hand and setting it down on a table without looking at it.
"Hi," you smiled, smoothing the lapels of his shirt. "She's doing well. Five laps to go."
"I don't care," Ollie murmured. He stepped into your space, wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you in until there was no daylight between you.
"Ollie," you laughed, glancing over his shoulder at Kimi and Arthur, who were both groaning theatrically. "Your daughter is about to win Monza. Watch the screen."
"I've seen Monza," Ollie said dismissively, his eyes scanning your face with that same hungry, reverent intensity heâd had at twenty-one. "Iâd rather watch you."
"Please," Kimi called out from the couch. "We are forty years old. Are you still doing this? Itâs been twenty years, mate. Give it a rest."
Ollie didn't even look at them. He brought a hand up to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing over your skin.
"They don't get it," he whispered to you, his voice lower, rougher with age but just as devoted. "They don't understand that it never stops. It just gets worse."
You softened, leaning into his touch, the roar of the cars outside fading into the background. "It gets worse?"
"Yeah," he nodded, his eyes dark and sincere. "I used to be obsessed with the girl who held my baby. Now I'm obsessed with the woman who raised her. I look at you, Y/N, and I think... how did I get away with this? How did I get to keep you for two decades?"
He leaned down, pressing his forehead against yours.
"I am still so head over heels for you, itâs embarrassing."
"It is embarrassing," Arthur shouted. "We are all embarrassed for you!"
You giggled, and Ollie smiledâthat boyish, lopsided grin that hadn't aged a day. He kissed you, slow and deep, ignoring the race, ignoring his friends, ignoring the world.
"Let them talk," he murmured against your lips. "I won the championship a long time ago."On the screen behind him, the car with number 87 crossed the finish line in first place, the garage erupted in cheers, but Ollie Bearman was too busy looking at his wife to notice.