Hi, yes......um I love this so much and I need this in writing đĽ´đ
Ok uh monster hunter au? Cryptid au? Idk how to describe it. Sorry for how long this is I got more and more ideas as I wrote it down
Basically, Dream is the neighborhood cryptid of this little town in the forest. The town is basically the Dream SMP, except without some of the newer members because I donât know them that well. Dream is a mysterious shapeshifting entity/urban legend that lives in the woods.
Tommy and Tubbo have recently become obsessed with monsters/monster hunting, and when they hear legends about the demon âNightmareâ who lives in the woods and steals people away, they have to find out more about it.
Wilbur and Techno, a much more experienced pair of cryptid experts, try to keep Tommy and Tubbo from searching for Nightmare because theyâve lost many friends to the forest.
Other peopleâs roles in the au:
Nikki: Runs the town bakery, along with Fundy. Sheâs not too interested in monsters and would rather just live a simple cottagecore life in the small town. She runs a small but lively garden with Eret.
Fundy: While Wilbur is the official mayor of the town, Fundy, as his secretary, ends up doing most of the work. He has access to the town records, and when properly motivated, can pull up little-known facts about just about anything. However, heâs often grumpy, and itâs hard to find him on a good day. Doing him a favor might help as heâs always overworked.
George: Runs the town general store, along with his pals Sapnap and Badboyhalo. Is the only one in the town to have ever had an encounter with Nightmare, but has never spoken about it. However, all encounters with cryptids are logged in the town records, if you know where to look. George always seems to get into trouble, but through some combination of coincidence and luck always gets out of it. Itâs almost like someone is looking out for him...
Sapnap: Works at the general store with George and Badboyhalo. Heâs talkative and quick to argue, but always knows what the general store has in stock and when the next shipment will be. He knows something is up with George. Ever since George went into the woods, heâs been different somehow, but Sapnap knows better than to ask about it.
Badboyhalo: He knows everyone in town, and is generally on good terms with everyone. When the forest was a safer place, he used to lead tours around to show tourists the wildlife. He still knows the woods like the back of his hand, and unbeknownst to everyone else, he still ventures in on occasion. Heâs never met Nightmare, that he knows of anyway. Donât get on his bad side or youâll really have fucked up.
Eret: The town carpenter. He builds houses and buildings, and he loves to design. Nikki and Eret occasionally sell flowers at the general store when they have extras from their garden. (Au spoilers for if I ever write anything about this) secretly a cryptid (like the traitor thing?? Hm???) and never takes off her glasses so as not to show her white eyes and reveal that they arenât human. Eretâs powers are yet to be determined/discovered/used. Even Dream doesnât know what his powers are.
Techno: The townâs mercenary. No one knows why he decided to come to this specific town, or why he decided to settle in a small town at all. Heâs always ready to help with hard labor or menial tasks, but prefers to skip the talking, except with Wilbur. He gets nervous easily but youâd never know from his outward demeanor. He still is extremely good with a bow and a sword from his monster hunting days, and occasionally trains Tommy if heâs in the mood for it.
Wilbur: Heâs the mayor of the town, but is more of a figurehead than anything else. He cares a lot about his town but isnât always the most motivated to fix real issues. He used to be a cryptid hunter, but refuses to talk about those days. Tommy and Tubbo have managed to pry a couple stories from him, but he refuses to answer why he stopped his monster-hunting or how he got that scar across his face. Heâs skilled with a bow and a sword, but doesnât get much chance to use his skills.
Dream: His main power is shapeshifting, which is why no one has ever seen him except George. George caught him in human form, and as soon as he saw Dreamâs faintly glowing eyes and face that just... wasnât quite right... he turned and ran back to town as fast as he could. George didnât believe the legends before, but after that he most definitely did. Dream stretched out a hand after him as George ran and a whisper fell from his lips, âwait...â but George didnât hear him as he crashed through the brush. Dream has many different forms but his favorites are wolf, various birds, horse, and human. Dream also has some smaller powers like stronger than normal strength, slight resistance, and a quicker reaction time than a normal person.
Dream has had encounters with other members of the town, but none of them realize it. Fundy has met him in the form of a fox, Bad has met him in the form of a wolf, and George has met him in wolf, parrot, and most recently, horse, though he has yet to realize that those were Dream. Sapnap has met him as wandering traveler who came into the general store once. George and Bad were both off duty, and Dream wore a cloak and a hood that cast his face in shadow.
Tommy and Tubbo have each had their own encounter with Dream as well. Tubbo has met Dream while he was a bee, they were both in Eret and Nikkiâs garden. Tommy has seen Dream as a stray cat around the town, and has fed him some leftovers.
All the legends of Dream are greatly exaggerated. Somehow the story of lost travelers being led back by friendly animals has turned into travelers being pulled deeper into the woods by a demon until they couldnât get out again.
I might change some stuff around eventually if I feel like it, but this au is open so feel free to draw art/write something using this if you want! Iâm going to post this without reading through it so there might be some errors/discrepancies
Tagging @dtvibez because I think youâll enjoy it
of royalty, pointe shoes, and country boys (MC)°
WIP, kita shinsuke x fem!reader SMAU
CRUSH culture (OS)*
2-3k words, shirabu kenjirou x fem! reader
how to tell youâre in love (OS)°%
WIP, sakusa kiyoomi x fem! reader
#blues internal monologue â> thoughts n musings
#blues music rec otd â> daily music recs
#multifandom blue â> multifandom posts
#blues haikyuu musings â> over analyzing HQ
(OS) = oneshot
(MC) = multichapter
(HC) = headcannons
(CSF) = christmas series favorites (start dec 1st)
* = completed
° = WIP
% = unpublished
Synopsis: Y/n L/n joins Red Bull Racing in 2022, and after some warming up, becomes Max Verstappenâs best friend. These are seven moments over the years when the energetic young adult breaks down âMad Maxâ
young female driver reader x platonic max verstappen
so, I saw a rumor one time about how Max might want to leave f1 after his contract ends in 2028, so I thought itâd be fun to write a story about a teammate friendship and how it feels when one person retires. for this one, reader is 19 and max is 24 when she joins red bull in 2022
(yâall this fic took over a week to write and is almost 10k words đ idek if itâs good or not but i am not leaving this is my drafts)
You didnât know why you were this nervous. It was just a team. They were just your coworkers. He was just your teammate. Today was your first day at Red Bull Racing. In the middle of the 2021 season, Christian Horner approached you with an offer to leave Alpha Tauri and join the Red Bull Team alongside Max Verstappen for 2022. You didnât know what to expect from your new team, much less the infamous âMad Maxâ. You knew that he could be kind and funny, but you also knew he could be cold and brutally straight forward.
With as much confidence as you could gather, you walked out of your car and towards the Red Bull Headquarters. The only person you knew was the team principal and that was only because of contract meetings and phone calls. It was your only chance at a first impression, and you were determined to make a good one.
The first person you saw when you walked inside was Christian, though he was surrounded by a few other people. âY/n! Welcome! Itâs nice to finally see in here in headquartersâ Christian said, offering a smile and a handshake. You offered your own hand as he introduced you to the people around you.
âThis is May Dawson your âminderâ or personal assistant, of sorts.â A woman that looked around your age stepped forward and shook your hand.
âPierre Wache, our technical directorâ A middle-aged man stepped forward. âAnd our director of engineering, Paul Monaghanâ The last man present shook your hand.
âSo, first, weâre going to introduce you to everyone in the factory, just to give you a chance to meet everyone, then, thereâs a meeting with the five of us, itâs not going to take very long, itâs just to further introduce you to Red Bull, alright?â Christian puts a hand on your shoulder and leads you through the factory. You just nod and smile as you look around the factory.
Your team principle gives you a mini tour of the place while you walk to the main garage, where your co-workers wait for you. You smile as you enter the room and applauds fill the space.
You greet as many people as you can as the five of you walk down the stairs. âOkay, okay. Thank you everyone for being here to introduce our newest driver, Y/n L/n!â Everyone starts clapping again, and you notice your teammate across the room.
As Christian continues talking, you make your way towards him. âHi, itâs nice to meet you, Iâm-â He cuts you off. âY/n L/n, I know, he just said thatâ Max chuckles at you.
âItâs nice to meet you too, Iâm Maxâ He takes your outstretched hand. You take notice of Christianâs lasting speech.
âSo, how long do these âintroductionsâ usually last? I mean, you know, right? Iâm your third teammate in three yearsâ You both laugh.
âYeah, you are. Donât worry, itâll be over soon. But then you have your introduction meeting, that lasts at least an hour and a half, and then I think youâd have some media stuff afterwards. So, youâre not leaving for a couple hoursâ Both of you laugh again as your team principleâs speech finishes.
âIâll see you soon, good luckâ Max smirks at you. âThanks, see you soonâ You smile back at him as May approaches to take you to the meeting.
Your teammate turns out to be right, and you donât end up leaving the factory until after sundown. Your first day consists of a lot of handshakes, a photo shoot in your new attire, and a thorough tour of Red Bull headquarters.
You're due back tomorrow for some more introductory stuff and a meeting with your PR team. The first race of the 2022 season isnât until a month and a half, but there is a lot of prep work.
There were no knots in your stomachs as you thought of your upcoming weeks at Red Bull or with Max. You didnât really know what to expect, but you were excited, nonetheless.
Itâs been over two years since youâve been recruited to Red Bull, and you couldnât have asked for a better two seasons with the team. In both 2022 and 2023, the lowest result youâve got was P9. You and Max have completely dominated both race seasons, with a Red Bull driver always on the podium. Christian Horner was extremely pleased with his driverâs performances and the rest of the racing world came to love watching you race.
The fandom also loved seeing you and Max together. Your first days at the factory started the friendship and partnership that so successful today. The team behind Red Bullâs YouTube channel had you film a âTwo Truths and a Lieâ video as your first appearance together and the two of you have been attached at the hip since. Youâre the first person to congratulate each other after a race and are known for speaking very fondly of the other when given the opportunity.
Max sees a lot of himself in you and ever since the first time he saw you in the Red Bull car on the track, he knew you were going to be something special. You were right about him being kind; the Dutch man has acted like your mentor during your first year at Red Bull, offering advice and never faltering in his belief in your success. He made you laugh a lot too, especially when Daniel Ricciardo was by his side.
Daniel joined you two in most media duties for the team, and it usually takes forever to get anything done due to the constant talking and laughing that goes on between you three. You met the Australian later in your first week at Red Bull and in true Daniel Ricciardo fashion, he made you feel comfortable immediately and the two of you became fast friends.
Seeing as Formula 1 was nearing the end of the 2023 Season, Red Bull decides to bring back a popular class, On the Sofa with Max Verstappen, Y/n L/n, and Daniel Ricciardo. You teased it with a photo of the couch on your Instagram and the fans went crazy. It was a bit sad knowing it was the end of the season, but you were mostly excited, both to go home and to do an iconic video with Max and Daniel.
âHello everyone, Iâm Daniel Riccardoâ
âIâm Max Verstappenâ
âIâm Y/n L/nâ
âAnd this is, for the first time in a while actually, On the Sofa, with Max, Daniel, and Y/nâ The older man introduced you three. âIf you donât remember, itâs fine because neither do Iâ The three of you smiled. âWe are going to be reflecting on some on-track and off-track moments from this racing season. Iâve got the questions, they might have the answers, letâs get startedâ
Daniel turned to you. âY/n, you decided to copy me and win in Monaco, your first win in 2023, also. What was going through your head throughout the race, when you crossed the finish line, and during your dive into the pool?â
You smiled at the memory of your first win. âWell, a lot of the race was me trying not to get too excited and mess up. I qualified P2, right behind Max, and because there isnât a lot of opportunities to overtake in Monaco, I was pretty comfortable finishing there, but then I overtook him towards the end of the race and spent the rest of it trying not to freak out. I was really relieved when I crossed the finish line, and the dive into the pool didnât even feel like an option. Jumping into the pool is something iconic for all drivers who win there, how I am not going to do it?â You spoke honestly.
âIâm surprised you didnât copy my belly flop tooâ Daniel said, making you laugh. He turned to your teammate. âMax, she beat you. How did that feel?â
âOh, it felt great, you know. I love being overtaken by my teammate. Itâs a great feeling reallyâ Max replied sarcastically. âNo, but actually, I mean, obviously I wasnât happy about not winning but it was nice to see you win, I was proud, if Iâm not gonna win, Iâd want it to be youâ He turned to you and a smile came on your face. Daniel let out a small smile before interrupting. âAlright enough of the sappy, âI love youâ bullshitâ He picked up another card.
âMax, what was your favorite win this season?â
âI think the Austrian Grand Prix. With it being at the Red Bull Ring and having a lot of Dutch fans there, it made the race pretty specialâ That was a good day for Red Bull, a 1-2 from you and Max and a lot of support from the fans. You remembered the cheers from the arena and the celebrations that seemed endless.
âYeah, you liked flexing on everyone else, didnât youâ Daniel joked and the three of you laughed. âSomeone ask me a question nowâ Neither you or Max were given cards, but you were happy to improvise.
âDaniel, what was the best part of filming your show, âGrandstand' with Will Arnett?â You asked. âI think just getting chance to commentate and watch the race with someone. I mean, Iâm usually watching the race from the garage or the pit wall, but it was fun to just talk and kinda goof around while the race went on instead of just watchingâ The Australian replies.
âY/n, what was your favorite off-track moment from 2023?â
You immediately grin. âDefinitely the paint video. By far, that was so much fun.â At the Belgian Grand Prix, the Red Bull media team had you, Daniel, and Max, do a painting challenge. Daniel and Max had to give you instructions to create a portrait of the three of you, while you were blindfolded. You were laughing the entire time, and it escalated to a paint fight once they insulted your finished portrait. The team was mad at you and Max for ruining your clothes and causing a delay for you three of clean up, but it was worth it.
âOh, the paint video was so much funâ
âI still have some of that purple paint on my hat, I thinkâ You splattered paint on one of Maxâs beloved hats, claiming that he should add a purple one to his collection. The three of you laughed and Daniel picked up another card. âThis one is for both of you. What is the best part of having the other as a teammate?â You looked at each other before you responded.
âWell, first off, Max is more than my teammate, I think thatâs the best part of itâ You chuckled before continuing. âI mean, youâre my mentor, youâre my friend, youâre my supporter. Youâve made my first year of Red Bull easier and a lot less scary than I thought it would be, and not a lot of drivers have all those things in a teammateâ
You finished, not wanting to ramble on about how grateful you were for your friend and looked at Max, who was smiling at you. âWow, Max, how are you gonna top that?â
Max chuckled at that before answering. âY/n is all those things for me as much as I am for her. When Iâm unhappy with my performance, she is there for me. Without even realizing it, you teach me things that I probably would not have learned with anyone else as my teammateâ He speaks to you now.
âAw, what a love fest. You guys should hug it outâ Daniel comments. âYou have to join the hug, too, Danielâ you say before moving closer to the two of them. The Australian wraps his arms around the younger drivers in a hug, swaying slightly, before completely pushing you and Max off the couch.
âNo love here. Only violence and painâ You and Max laugh from your places on the ground. âThatâs it for today, hope you had a fun 2023 season, donât do drugs, and weâll see you next yearâ Daniel said before walking out of frame. You and Max both waved to the camera. âBye everyone, weâll see you next season!â
It was Round 7 of the 2024 Race Season and for once, Monaco couldnât have been uglier. It was pouring rain and the wind could be heard over the twenty car engines. Youâve driven in a lot of wet races since you joined Formula 1 in the beginning of 2021 but never in one as bad as this one.
You and Max were talking about the conditions in your driver's room and how even though you both thrived in the rain, this was too intense for comfort.
âI mean, I know the FIA is brain dead in most situations, but, jeez, youâd have to be blind to make us raceâ You complained to your teammate seated beside you on your couch.
âI know, and in Monaco tooâ Max trailed off, hoping there wouldnât be any crashes today. Soon enough you two had to separate to prepare for the race, but not before promising to see each other off before you got into your respective cars.
An hour passes and the rain doesnât let up. Your race engineer informs you that if anything, itâs somehow supposed to get worse. Frowning, you make your way to Maxâs side of the garage to wish him luck. âHey, be careful today, okay? Good luckâ You tapped him on the shoulder and put your hand on his shoulder.
âAnd you the same, yeah? Good luckâ He pulled you into a hug before putting on his balaclava and helmet.
Both Red Bulls start their formation laps, trying to see through the rain and avoid the other cars on track. Your heart beats faster as you approach your place of P3 on the grid and the five red lights come on.
âAnd itâs lights out and away we go in Monaco!â The voice of Martin Brundle becomes audible. You manage to pull away, but the tight corners of Monte Carlo donât allow you to gain a lead. You struggle through the mist of the two cars in front of you for the first 11 laps of the race but manage as best you can, until you get to the straight after Turn 8.
You didnât see Charles Leclercâs Ferrari in front of you. The spray from the rain kept you from knowing that he slowed down, until your front wing hit the back of his car. The collision caused your car to turn almost 180 degrees around, making the car behind you, Fernando Alonso, ram into the side of your car. The impact made you spin off track and into the barriers for a harsh stop.
âBig collision on the straight before Turn 9! I think thatâs Y/n L/nâs Red Bull! She was hit by Fernando Alonso, I think, after Charles Leclerc braked.â Martin commentates as he looks onto the track. âThat looked very bad, might be- yep, red flag until we know if L/nâs okay. Her car has stopped but she hasnât moved yetâ
You were completely disoriented in your car, your dizzy head making it hard to comprehend what had happened. Once you realized you had crashed into the barrier, you noticed the intense pain coming from your left leg and left side of your rib cage, the side that Fernando hit.
You tried to get out of your car, but your leg made it nearly impossible, you would have to wait until the safety marshals arrived.
Max was in P1 so he didnât see your crash in person, but he saw glimpses of it through his rearview mirror. âThat was Y/n? Is she okay?â The Dutch asks his race engineer, GP. âYeah, that was Y/n. No information on her yet. Just slow down and get back to the pitlaneâ The man responds. âIs she out of her car?â Max radios again. GP didnât want to worry Max, knowing how close you two are, but he knows he has to tell Max.
âShe hasnât, Max, Y/n is still in her car, thatâs all we know. Just focus on getting back to the pits safelyâ Max ignores GP again.
âWhat has she said?â Gianpiero hesitates for a moment before responding.
âNothing, Max. There hasnât been any communication from Y/n yet.â At that, Max mutters âFuck itâ before pulling his car over after Turn 11 and shutting off the engine.
âMax, no, come back to the-â
The driver cuts his race engineer off. âNo, Iâm going to see if she is okay. Donât try to stop meâ
Max was thinking back to your conversation before the race and became filled with worry. He knew he shouldâve pushed Christian to get the FIA to cancel the race; he knew it was too dangerous. Now youâve crashed and are unresponsive in your car.
Max runs through the rain to get to your car to see you struggling to get out. âY/n! Are you okay?â He shouts loudly as he gets closer.
âNot really. My left leg got hit, and I think I hurt my ribsâ You wince as you shout from your cockpit.
âIâm going to help you get out, let me know if it hurts too muchâ Max stands over you and grabs your hands to pull you up. You crouch on your one good leg and let him help you stand you up in your seat, one arm across your ribs. âGood?â
âYeah, I just donât know how Iâm going to get out from hereâ
âLet me carry you, keep your bad leg outâ Max comes to the side of your car, and you make out his outstretched arms through the wind and rain. He puts one of your arms around his neck and grabs your good leg, carrying you bridal style.
He puts you down a few feet away from your car but makes sure your arm is still around his neck so he can help you walk. âLook, the marshals are coming. Iâm going to leave you with them and come see you after the race, okay?â Your teammate says as the safety car pulls over next to you and Max.
âOkay, thank you Max, you know you didnât have toâ
âI know, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.â He says honestly.
âGood luckâ You called out as two medics came out of the car and wrapped your arms around their shoulders. They took you to the medical center where you were diagnosed with a fractured knee and a few fractured ribs. You spent the rest of the race in the hospital so doctors could put a cast around your leg, while May sat beside you and updated you about the ongoing event. She got there a little after you did so she could gather all your stuff from the garage, and you could go back to your hotel once you get discharged.
A knock on the door interrupts your conversation with her. âHeyâ Maxâs head becomes visible as the door opens. âHey Max, congrats on P1. Iâll check you out, Y/n, Iâll come back in a few minutesâ May nods and leaves you and Max alone.
âHey Max, you did great out thereâ You smile at your teammate from your place on the hospital bed.
âThanks, I was happy Charles and Carlos got to the podium with me, but I wish you couldâve been thereâ
âMe too, but..â You trail off, gesturing to your leg and torso.
âSo, I talked to Charles and Fernando, they plan on visiting you at your hotel tomorrow, they were worried about you, especially Charlesâ The Dutch man tells you.
âYeah, I figured, Iâll talk to them tomorrowâ It is silent for a minute, until Max suddenly blurts out. âAre you okay? I mean, I know you arenât okay, but, how long until you are?â
It wasnât until now you noticed that Maxâs blue eyes are filled with worry. âThe doctor said it would be at least a month until I can race again, and Iâm going to be in the cast for a couple weeksâ Your teammate frowned.
âIâm sorry, Y/nâ You shrugged. âItâs not your faultâ
âI know, but I wish I could helpâ
âDonât worry about it, Max. Iâll be back soon, itâs only a monthâ
âI knowâ
Who you can only guess to be May knocks on the door. âIâll see you, later, Y/n, get better soonâ He grabs your hand before leaving the room. As you ride back to your hotel, you look at social media to make a statement about your current state.
Max has surprised you about a lot of things today, and by the looks of the comments under the videos about your crash, the fans are too. Youâve never been in a serious crash to the point where you need to go to the hospital before, but you expected Max to just text you after his race and ask about it the next time you see him.
The fans are going crazy, mostly the ones that ship you two together, but generally theyâre just happy you seemed okay. You would comfortably say that Max is your best friend, but still, heâs not the type to stop his own race to check on you. It may have taken you two years, but you finally realize that âMad Maxâ isnât mad at all.
It was the beginning of the 2025 racing season, you were in your fourth year at Red Bull with Max and by this point, you knew each other better than you knew yourselves. There is no point in having separate driverâs rooms because you are always in his, your press officers have given up on trying to get the two of you to behave and just let you follow each other around the media pen, and your Red Bull co-workers are smart enough to not let you two alone in a room together, especially not after you two had found the old Crazy Carts and pulled a âDanielâ by putting a hole in the wall. Christian feels like he has two more kids, and letâs Geri take care of you however she wants. Your families are close too, always sitting together nervously in the viewing room. Kelly is basically your older sister and Penelope loves you like an aunt, so your excitement about their engagement is understandable.
Max proposed at the end of Abu Dhabi in 2024 and if Charlesâ arm wasnât around you, keeping you grounded, you wouldâve been jumping up and down and screaming. You almost tackled her in the hug, the smile on both of your faces blinding. Penelope grabbed your hands and made you start dancing to the music blasting from the speakers with her, while the arene was booming with cheers. You geeked out the same way once the invitation was sent to you and let Kelly gush about the wedding all she wanted once you got your nails done together.
You and Kellyâs friendship started when complimented her jacket when you met her in the 2022 Monaco Race. She gave you the name of the place, but when you joked about not knowing French and having no idea how to get around the city, she offered to take you there herself if you were still around Monday afternoon. You went and had a really good time with the model, talking mostly about how different you two are and making fun of Max. At the next race she attended that year, you two went out for coffee Friday afternoon, and it quickly became a tradition after you went out together a couple more times.
You met Penelope soon after that and fell absolutely in love with her. You thought she was adorable and was so glad she seemed fond of you too, probably because of the candy you give her every time you meet. Your friendship continued to get stronger, leading to now, talking about your role in her wedding.
The event was not going to be small in any way, and Kelly really wanted someone she could trust to keep an eye on her daughter and keep her out of trouble when she couldnât. Her best friends and family already had their own parts to play, and knowing how much you adored the young girl, she chose you.
The wedding was held at a beautiful venue in Monaco, and it couldnât have gone better. You werenât the only driver there, Daniel, Lando, and Charles were present and accompanying you. When you werenât keeping Penelope occupied, you were with them, talking about Max and Kelly and dancing.
You smiled fondly as the couple when they stood at the altar and would be lying if your eyes were completely dry as you watched them take their first dance. The four of you took photos with the married couple, and you even have some of just you and Max and you and Kelly. Everyone had a great time; love was an amazing part of life, and you were happy to watch your best friend experience it.
Unfortunately, loss was also a part of life. And it nearly killed Max to watch you go through it.
Days before Round 10 of 2025, you got a call saying one of your closest friends, Luis, had been killed in a car crash.
Luis was a part of the friend group you had back home, and you had known him for years at that point. He was hilarious and caring, always making sure you knew he supported you no matter what. A member of the same friend group called you in tears, and it took everything in you not to break down as well.
It was Thursday, meaning you had media duties for hours. You almost left your driver's room to get May and ask her to cancel your responsibilities, but then you remembered that were supposed to meet your PR officer outside the garage in less than five minutes so she could escort you to the media pen. You talked to your friend as long as you could, promising to call back as soon as you finished, and hung up the phone to leave. You blinked back your tears as you met your officer and didnât even bother putting on a smile as you passed your co-workers.
You met up with Max as you walked. âHi- whatâs wrong?â He immediately notices the frown on your face. âIâll tell you afterâ Youâd start crying if you talked about it now. You answer questions for what feels like an eternity, probably sounding like a robot, giving generic answers.
You were grateful when you were excused from a press conference and made a bee line for your driverâs room. You locked the door behind you as you grabbed your phone and called your friend back. She broke into tears as she told you the details of what happened, and you couldnât help but join her. You sat on the floor, back against the couch as both of you cried over your friend. Sobs escaped your body faster than you could stop them and you prayed no one heard you.
You were proven wrong when you heard a knock against the door, and the voice of your teammate called out. âY/n? Are you okay?â Max pauses, waiting for a response. âLet me in, Y/n, pleaseâ
You turned back to your phone. âIâm sorry, Max is at my door, Iâll call you back and weâll talkâ You told her this exact this thing hours ago and was frustrated you canât spend more than a few minutes alone.
Wiping the tears off your cheeks, you unlocked the door. âY/n, I heard you crying, whatâs wrong?â Max put his hands on your shoulders. âI- I just found out my friend from home, Luis, died-â Thatâs all you manage before you have to cover your mouth to stop a cry from leaving.
âOh, Y/nâ Your best friend pulls you into a hug, holding your head against his shoulder. âIâm sorryâ He repeats, rubbing your back. He brings you to sit down on the couch, an arm around your shoulder and a hand to wipe the tears falling from your cheeks. You sit with Max until you calm down a bit and are ready to talk.
âLuis, he was one you told me comes to the grand prixâs in your country, right?â You nod.
âMy friend told me he was in a car crash this morning, on his way to work. I donât know, Max, just, the fact that he died doing what I do for a living is just...â You trailed off, trying not to cry again.
âIâm sorry, Y/n, itâs not fair. Here, letâs go back to the hotel, you can just relax for the rest of the dayâ
âYeah, yeah, we should go. Also, about tonight, can you tell everyone Iâm feeling sick or something?â
You and Max were supposed to meet a few other drivers for dinner later, but that was the last thing you wanted to do. âYeah of course. Iâm going to get my stuff from my room and then weâll leave, yeah?â He leaves and you pack up all your stuff before Max meets you in the hallway.
The trip back to your hotel was silent and Max leaves you with a hug before going to his own room. You were finally able to connect with your friends back home and talk about when youâd be able to see them next after you traveled home Sunday afternoon. You spent the rest of the day in your room, thinking and listening to music when you didnât want to think anymore.
You didnât feel any better the next morning, and just hoped to get through Free Practice 1 and 2 quickly. You didnât smile as you walked through the paddock, keeping your sunglasses on and taking the quickest way to the Red Bull garage. You have headphones in as well, so everyone gets the message that youâre not up for conversation.
FP1 and FP2 go by quickly and as always, the Red Bull does well, and you come right behind Max in P2 both practices. You leave the same way you came in, walking quickly to avoid the press. Your fellow drivers are still around the paddock, and they still donât know why youâve been holed up in your hotel room for two days. You havenât talked to Max much since yesterday, but when you have, youâre glad he doesnât just look at you with pity and actually checks on you.
You talk with your friends about the funeral arrangements for Luis next week before you talk with his parents, two people that have been as supportive of you as their son has, making you cry again. You skip out on your dinner plans with May and your PR officer with apologies and promises to make it up to them and order room service.
You make yourself a little more approachable on Saturday morning but keep the sunglasses. You wave at your friends but donât stop to talk. At this point, most of the drivers know something is seriously upsetting you. They watched your media day interviews and barely recognized the person in front of the microphone.
A few of them asked Max about you when they run into him, but your teammate doesnât want to tell everybody something you might not be ready to share.
He is by far the most worried driver of them all. Heâs your best friend and heâs never seen you like this before. Max knows how close you were to Luis; heâs used to hearing stories about the adventures you had when you went home for a few days and can only imagine how youâre feeling inside.
Nobody goes out Saturday night in preparation for tomorrowâs race and youâre glad to have more time by yourself. You take the sunglasses off and stop to talk to your friends on Sunday, the first time all race weekend.
Max walks with you through the paddock, letting you talk when you want to or be silent if you choose. You donât visit his driver's room, but you make sure to give him a hug before you get into your respective cars, an unspoken âthank youâ for his support over the past few days.
The race cheers you up a bit, you go P1 and point at the sky as you stand on top of your car in front of the garages. When the cameras pan over to you, you make sure the top of your helmet is visible, where an R.I.P. Luis sticker is. You wish he couldâve been here to see you win, but you know he wouldâve been proud of you.
Max brings you into a hug after he parks behind you in P3, and youâre reminded how grateful you are that he is your best friend.
You and Max have accomplished a lot together throughout the past four years. Max is now a four-time world champion, winning 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025. You beat him in 2024, and youâve just beaten him to the 2026 title. You and Max have been almost tied with points every year since youâve joined, so it usually comes down to the last few races to decide the winner. Beating Max wasnât at all easy, and it didnât get any less difficult to beat the rest of the grid.
Red Bull can no longer completely dominate as they did in the early 2020âs, but they still manage to top the other nine teams. Ferrari and Mercedes are the biggest rivalries, but a few other teams cause your cars a fair bit of trouble. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at Mclaren bring stress for the three big teams, as do Lance Stroll and Mick Schumacher at Aston Martin.
The partnering of Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo has brought Alpha Tauri up to the midfield and has allowed both drivers to stand on the podium multiple times. Itâs made the last few years very exciting, and even though you love winning, you love seeing your friends succeed as well.
This year had been no different; You and Max had each won a fair number of races and had each stepped onto the podium multiple times. Ferrari and Mercedes had not made it any easier than previous years but still, by the time Abu Dhabi came around, Red Bull had a lead of 30 points over the second-place team, Mercedes. You were currently first for the Driverâs Championship, but Max was close behind with only a 19-point difference. If he won tonightâs race, he would become a five-time champion, and youâd have to wait until next year.
You tried to shove that thought out of your head with headphones. Your trainer just finished helping you warm up for the race start in an hour and youâre in your driverâs room. Usually, youâd be walking to Maxâs room to chill out before drivers have to get into their cars for their formation laps, but you two had long come up with the agreement not to see each other before races that would determine the championship.
When it is time to start the formation lap, you go to the garage and instead of hugging your teammate like you usually do, you settle for a handshake and a nod. Heâs your best friend, but also your closest rival. You start P2, Max beating you by half a second yesterday, and anxiously wait for the five red lights to come on.
âAnd itâs lights out and away we go in Abu Dhabi! Verstappen has a poor start, L/n takes advantage of it and tries to move in front of him and Y/n L/n is now leading this race but Max Verstappen is not far behind, the gap is less than a second, and Verstappen takes P1 back from L/n. It has been an exciting year in Formula 1, what better way to go out than a classic Red Bull battle?â David Croft commentates for the crowd.
Itâs a great racing day for Formula 1; the weather is nice, and it looks like all twenty cars are going to last the 58 laps. As you continue the race in P2, trying to defend against Charles Leclerc behind you, you try to think of strategic ways to win the race. You donât get very far, because you remember that Max is driving the same car as you, and by now, youâre as good as the Dutch man.
Your teammate takes a somewhat early pit stop and youâre able to gain a lead, but then you have to pit and get stuck in P6 behind Lance Stroll.
âLap 35, Y/n L/n is leading in P1, Verstappen P2, Sainz P3, and Russell P4. Interesting lineup here, but the real fight is within Red Bull. Weâre over halfway through this race and L/n and Verstappen have been trading places all day. There are not many options as to who will win this race, folks, but that doesnât make it any easier to predictâ
Itâs Lap 50 and the excitement has winded down. It looks like everyone behind you and Max are going to stay the way they are currently, meaning youâll be sharing a podium with Charles. Whether youâll be standing on P1 or P2 you still donât know. Max has made his way in front of you but youâre restless, gaining on him every possible moment, being only a few feet away from his rear wing on the straights.
Youâre starting to get nervous now. This would not be your first World Championship, you had that moment in 2024, but that doesnât mean it wouldnât mean the world to you if you became a two-time world champion.
You think itâs your nerves that help you pick up on the fact that Maxâs car locked up for just a second before going into the final turn. You think itâs your nerves that make your foot push through the gas pedal and help you get in front of your teammate. Itâs Lap 51 and youâre in front of your teammate. You could win this. You could win this.
These words were like a mantra in your head, all the way until Lap 58, when you actually start to believe in yourself. The Dutch man behind you is relentless, getting so terrifyingly close to overtaking you, but never quite getting fully past. âKeep him at bay, Y/nâ Your race engineer comes on over the radio. âKeep him at bay and itâs yours, Y/nâ
And thirty seconds later, it is yours.
âAnd itâs Y/n L/n! Y/n L/n is the winner of Abu Dhabi 2026! Y/n L/n is the World Champion! Ladies and gentlemen, L/n is the Champion of 2026!â Crofty shouts and suddenly the only thing you can hear in your race engineer through your ears. "You've done it! You are the World Champion! The World Champion!â
âHoly shit, oh my god, holy-â Suddenly one of your arms is waving up and down because itâs the only way to express energy in your tiny car. Youâre screaming, definitely making everyone down at the pit wallâs earâs bleed. You feel tears in your eyes and donât care because you were close to sobbing in 2024.
âY/n, congratulations, you are officially a 2-time World Champion. We are so proud of you down here, congratulationsâ Christianâs voice comes over the radio next and you feel like you're floating through your cool-down lap.
You put one of your hands on your helmet as if you were covering your face and remember to wave to the crowd. You drive your car in front of the paddock where the 1st place sign is and get out of your seat as quickly as possible. You put your arms in the air and allow yourself to hear the roars of the crowd. You get down to run to your team, but you see Max first.
You know he just lost to you, and he probably is upset but heâs your best friend. Without hesitation, you run to him, and he meets you halfway to pull you into a hug. âAre you fucking kidding me? Iâm so proud of you. Oh my god, Y/n, I am so proud of youâ Your teammate has to shout, even though your heads are right next to each other.
He unwraps his hands from around your waist as you both run to your team. His side of the garage has been so successful these past few years and itâs a win for Red Bull overall, so they cheer just as loud as everyone else, just glad to see you happy. You both jump up so you can be caught by the engineers and itâs just a mess of high fives and cheers.
You both finally pull off your helmets and balaclavas and turn to see each otherâs grinning, flushed, faces. You hug each other again. âWe should be so proud of ourselves, Y/n. Iâm so happy for youâ Max doesnât lie to you, so youâre glad you donât have to worry he feels otherwise. You both pick up your towels and water bottles before you have to give interviews for Sebastian Vettel.
He became like Nico Rosberg, coming back to the paddock, not as a driver, just as someone who likes to be involved in Formula 1 and has the right to. You were on the grid with him for two years before he retired, and even though you two have never been best friends, you like him, and he roots for you especially. âBefore I ask any questions, congratulationsâ The German man pulls you into a hug. âThanks Sebâ You grin.
âY/n, youâve just accomplished something unbelievable in F1, and have ensured Red Bull go down in Formula 1 history. Whatâs going through your head?â
âItâs unbelievable. I mean, it was more unbelievable the first time, but doing it a second time, just feels incredible. Iâm really happy to be a part of Red Bull, and Iâm really happy Iâm able to help them achieve bigger thingsâ You smile as you give your answer.
âWell, weâre all happy for you, Y/n. Again, congratulations, you drove very well todayâ Sebastian shakes your hand and sends you off.
While Max steps forward, Charles comes to you. âCongratulations! I am so happy for you. You deserve thisâ The Monegasque brings you into a tight embrace. âI am so proud of youâ He kisses you on the cheek before letting you go. âThank you, Charles, congratulations to you tooâ Charles has finished third in the driverâs championship every year since 2024 and youâre happy heâs finally getting the car he deserves.
You go into the driverâs room where a camera and TV wait for you. âA four-time world champion and two-time world champion. We are the dream team, arenât we?â Max grins at you as he takes a seat. âDefinitelyâ you say as you look at the screen, watching your championship win as long as they let you.
It has been almost ten years since Drive to Survive premiered and by now, all the drivers on the grid are sick of Netflixâs bullshit. They made it seem like you either hated or were in love with half the grid, and somehow managed to make fake conversations about teammates and contracts. Almost all the drivers never went in for interviews anymore, but a certain email caught their attention.
One thing everyone had known for years; You and Max were best friends. Another thing that nobody had known until about a month ago; Max was not extending his contract with Red Bull to go past the 2028 season. The director of Drive to Survive saw this and thought about making it into a second-to-last season finale of the show. Maxâs patience about his contract news had worn out quickly, and nobody has been updated about it in a week.
Everyone in the entire world has heard you and Max say that you two were just friends a million times, but that didnât mean they werenât curious to know if there was more going on. It was time for the rest of the gridâs opinion on it.
âSo, Charlesâ
âLandoâ
âCarlosâ
âDanielâ The director asked the Red Bull driversâ closest friends.
âWhatâs really going on between Max and Y/n?â
Charles lets out a small smile. Lando groans. âSeriously?â Carlos rolls his eyes. Daniel laughs.
âThere is nothing going on. They are just friendsâ Charles is confident.
âNothing! For godâs sakeâs...â Landoâs annoyed
âI mean, I donât think anything romantic is going on. I think they are just very good friends.â Carlos is honest.
âTheyâre married and they have three secret kids in Monacoâ Daniel continues to laugh.
âSo you donât even think theyâve kissed before?â The director continues.
âNoâ Charles shrugs.
âMaybe. Iâm close with both of them but I donât think itâs any of our businessâ
âNo one except them can know for real. I havenât seen them kiss before, but I donât knowâ
Daniel stops laughing âNo but actually, they're not together. Trust me, Iâve spent a lot of time with the two of them. Theyâre not a couple.â
âYou donât think anything is behind those glances?â
âNoâ
âLike true love? Noâ Lando laughs.
âWell, itâs obvious that they love each other. You just said it, the meaning behind their looks, you cannot ignore. But I still donât think they are in loveâ
Daniel smiles now. âThere is definitely some love between them, in their looks. Iâve seen a bunch of little clips of them just looking at each other through the years, and itâs obviousâ
âDo you think, letâs say, in another life, they wouldâve been together?â
Charles cannot deny this question. âYes, I do. Not in this one, but in another life, they are definitely soulmates.â
âYes, I do actually. In another life they are 100% in love and have been together since 2023, probably.â
âI think so, yes. In another life though, not in this lifetimeâ Carlos smiles.
âOh yeah. In another life they probably are married and have three secret kids in Monacoâ
âWhy do you think? That theyâre together in another life but not in this one?
âBecause they are meant to be with different peopleâ
âI donât know. Some people might say Kelly, but, if they really wanted to be together, they wouldn't have let somebody else come between them. They just donât love each other like thatâ Lando says.
âThey are just not meant to be together, I guessâ Carlos says.
âThey donât love each other like that. Obviously, they love each other in some way, but not the kind you have in a relationshipâ
What is one time you thought they were definitely a couple?â
âTo me, it was always obvious that they were not. I know to a lot of people it is the opposite but for some reason I could just tell, they loved each other but only as friends.â
âI remember one summer break in 2024, when Daniel invited me, Max, and Y/n to spend some time in Australia at his farm with him. This was a few months after Y/n crashed in Monaco, by the way. I remember we were all on a beach together, and Y/n just kept pulling Max behind her, telling him to look at seashells and crabs and stuff like that. And he didnât protest at all, no matter how much random beach crap Y/n handed himâ Lando smiled. âI thought; âMax would never have the patience to let someone pull him around like thatâ But he did, and I think it was because he was glad she wasnât seriously hurt in that crashâ
âI said it earlier. I donât think I ever thought they were. Me and Y/n are very good friends and when I first asked, she told me they were not together, and I have not thought otherwiseâ
âThere have been a few moments over the years at this point, where for some ridiculous reason, Max gets a huge wave of hate at a time and- well, Max has never been one to care what other people think of him, but some stuff really got to him, and I remember Y/n making a few posts on social media telling everyone to stop, and that the stuff they were saying to him was really disgusting and undeserved. She knew everyone would think she had some sort of feelings for Max after that- I did and theyâre my best friends. But she did it anyway, multiple times. And Y/n thinks itâs really annoying when people say theyâre a couple, so for her to do that... I thought they were 100% in loveâ
âLast question. What do you think makes Y/n and Max, Y/n and Max? What about them makes them so different than other driver friendships?â
âI think their similarities, I think thatâs what started their friendship in the first place. Max has said he sees a lot of himself in Y/n and she joined Formula 1 and Red Bull when she was young, they both did. So, I think itâs that, their similar achievements and such, that helped them become such good friendsâ Charles answers.
âTheir personalities, Iâd say. They have similar senses of humor and- they're very different actually. They say opposites attract and I think thatâs true for them. Max is a bit introverted, and Y/n is not at all. People think Max is too serious and if I had to add to that, I think Y/n makes him loosen up a bitâ Lando states.
âIâd say their loyalty to each other. You know how when you were in school, and the teacher would say, âeveryone chose a partnerâ and you and your friend immediately look at each other? Thatâs Y/n and Max. They each have a lot of friends but at the end of the day, theyâre only looking at each otherâ Carlos says
âEverything about them together just clicks. If you watch them interact, you can understand how comfortable they are around each other. If Y/n is buying food, she gets extra for Max. If you canât find Y/n around the paddock, you start looking for Max because he knows better than you do. Thereâs no hesitation when they touch, whether itâs a hug or just a hand on the shoulder. Itâs a combination of how long theyâve known each other and how well they know each other.â Daniel explains.
âOkay, cut!â
Youâve known for longer than anyone else has. Not because he told you. Because you know him. You donât know how to explain it, only that youâve known for almost a year at this point that Maxâs contract was ending and he was not going to renew it or look for another team. You think itâs something youâve always known, since you first saw that Maxâs contract was set to end at the end of 2028.
What you donât know is how you feel about it. Youâre happy for Max because he is leaving on his own terms, and as world champion. But you feel like crying once you realize you wonât see him as often anymore. Youâll be best friends always, you know that, but it wonât be the same. Not the same as when youâre driving right next to him, or as when youâre training together, or as when youâre eating breakfast together at hotels.
Youâre driving to Red Bull Headquarters for the last time for the 2028 season when youâre thinking about this. You have to turn the radio on to stop yourself from tearing up. Red Bullâs media team is having you two do a âOn the Sofa: Goodbye Maxâ video before he leaves F1 forever and youâve been dreading it. Youâve enjoyed every second of driving alongside Max Verstappen and youâd do it for another six years if you could.
You take a deep breath as you walk in with May and towards the showroom, where the sofa and your teammate await. The cameras are already rolling and youâre not even in frame yet. You know the people behind the camera want every moment of your goodbye.
You let out a small smile once your eyes meet. âHiâ You move to hug him. âHiâ He whispers back. âYou ready?â âNoâ Another sad smile.
âHello everyone. Iâm Max Verstappen...â
âIâm Y/n L/nâ
âAnd this is On the Sofa with Max and Y/n, for the last timeâ A laugh escapes your mouth and you put your head in your hands.
âI thought you were sad?â
âI am. I just laugh when I probably shouldnâtâ
âY/nâ He gets right to it, knowing neither of you are in the mood to joke around before starting. Reading off the card in his hands, âWhat are three things you will miss most about me as a teammate?â You donât even bother trying to be funny or careless.
âUm, filming videos for the channel, testing days were always fun because they let us talk to each other while weâre in our cars, and traveling together, I thinkâ Max laughs. âOh, testing days were never productive, I mean, at least not for usâ You laugh along with him, thinking of the fond memories that have accumulated over the years.
âWhat has been your favorite video weâve filmed over the years?â
âWeâve done so many I canât pick just one, so Iâll sayâŚI think the videos where weâre competing against each other. Like that one baseball game we did in Texas one year, and all those races we did on track, like the roller skates and the scooter one, those were fun because we always just ended up laughingâ
âThe ones where weâre against each other are definitely very funâ Youâre both grinning now.
âWhat are two things that have changed, and two things that have stayed the same over the past six years- wow, six years. Itâs been six years?â
âOh my god weâre so old- youâre 31 and Iâm 25. Jeezâ
âOld? Six more years and youâll be 31 tooâ
âYeah and youâll be 37â You snicker.
âAnswer the questionâ Max rolls his eyes fondly.
âFine. Two things that havenât changed are the fact that youâre still wearing that fucking hat, and the fact that Red Bull has billions of dollars and refuses to by a more comfortable couch!â
âYeah this couch sucksâ
âTwo things that have changed... Well, weâre both old-â
âStop calling me oldâ
âand weâre both World Championsâ You smile at the camera.
âOkay, Y/n, if you could choose your teammate for next year, who would you choose and why?â
You stop laughing. âI would choose you because I donât want you to goâ Another sad smile. The mood in the room changes. Max pulls you closer and into a hug. âI knowâ He says to you.
When you pull away, you try to hide the tears shining in your eyes and youâre surprised to see Max turning his head away too. âY/nâ He grabs another card to distract you two. âIf you could relive one moment from the past six years, what moment would you choose?â
âIâd relive all of it if I could. I donât regret a single second and Iâd do it all again like thatâ You snap your fingers, and you donât hide your face when the tears spring up again. The video is almost over and you both feel it.
âY/n, if you had one wish right now, what would it be?â Everyone in the room knows the answer to this question and you donât know why the marketing team chose today to come up with these questions. âIâd wish for you to stayâ At that, a tear drips down your cheek and Max brings you into his arms. You freely let water drip down your face and are surprised when you feel a drop or two of water fall on to your shirt. Youâve never seen Max cry , you donât think anyone has, but for this moment he lets his emotions overpower his pride and shed a few tears.
âOh god I havenât cried in a whileâ You let out a weak laugh when you pull away. âMe eitherâ And then you're both looking somberly at each other, feeling too much to say.
âThe last thing weâre going to do is helmet swapâ He breaks the silence as you both pull your written-on helmets out from behind the couch. You decided to give Max the helmet you were wearing when you won your second World Championship. Max hands you the helmet he was wearing a few weeks ago, the one he was wearing when he won his fifth and final World Championship. You smile before reading the paragraph written on the side.
âY/n, when I met you at the factory all those years ago, I did not expect you to become the person you are to me today. You are my best friend, my supporter, and my confidant, and I donât know where Iâd be without you. Weâve made so much history together, and I hope you go on to make some more. Never stop driving, I wish you the best. Your teammate, Max Verstappenâ
You hug Max before he can see your shining eyes. âThank you for everythingâ He whispers. You both stand up once you pull away but wrap your arms around each otherâs shoulders once you do. âIâm saying all my proper goodbyes to everyone later, but Iâll give the gist of it nowâ The Dutch man looks at the camera. âRed Bull, thank you for everything youâve done for me. Itâs been an incredible past few years. And I donât say it much but thank you to all my fans. Iâm so grateful Iâve been able to race in F1 for so long, I wouldnât trade it for the world. The End. Goodbye!â Max waves to the camera and you join. Everyone behind the camera cheers. You and Max hug for the last time as teammates and you wish time would stop right there. âThe endâ He says. âThe Endâ
THEODORE NOTT AS A SON OF NEMESIS
Powers / Traits
Pairing: Writer!Jin x Botanist! Namjoon
Genre: Fluff| Very light angst | Smut
Word Count: 6.3k
Prompt: Cherry Blossoms
Rating: 18+ (bc of the smut, thats about it)
Summary:Â Jin, a young writer in Seoul has always had problems writing in the Spring. He canât seem to find any inspiration, even in the season where many others write of love and flowers in bloom. Everything changes when he meets a young, handsome aspiring botanist named Namjoon.
A/N: @kimlinebiased Hey honey! This is your gift uwu. Also I know the prompt was Cherry Blossoms but I suppose I got a little carried away with the plum blossoms too, huh? Please enjoy and let me know what you think câ:
AO3 Link
Kim Seokjin never considered Spring to be one of his favorite seasons. It rained too much for his liking and despite the fact that it gave him ample opportunities to flourish and write, the artist found that the very concept of Spring was overrated and overused. Jin believed there werenât many things that could inspire him to actually finish his work in Spring, and that the season would just be a dead zone of sorts as far as his writing went.
Until that day.
Keep reading
Gossamer || jjk
âGenre: romance; angst; fluff; singledad!jungkook x babysitter!reader; slow burn.
âWarnings: themes of embarassment; fear.
âSynopsis: You're a baby sitter in desperate need of a job and Jungkook is a perpetually busy single dad of two children, could there be more to you both than the call of your jobs?
Checking the note Taehyung had hurriedly scrawled the designated address, you looked over the house once again to assure yourself you were correct.
203 Amber st.
It perfectly matched the paper that was to direct you to where you would hopefully snag a new job.
Even as a young girl, your dreams of caring for children were your only heart's desire, so once you bid farewell to the last family you cared for, you returned to Taehyung with the loss of your responsibilities.
His answer to your now empty heart was the struggle of his closest friend, a single father with his ex wife far from the picture and six year old attached to his hand and a nine month old nestled in his arms and a job that demanded far too much of his life, leaving him in a desperate search of assistance.
And in Taehyung's words, money was nothing as an issue and your help would be readily welcomed.
Your finger pushed into the door bell to beckon your future employer, but the male the crack of the door revealed was not what you were expecting.
His hair was devoid of silver tendrils and his exhausted features were replaced by a youthful glow, though the dark circles of his eyes told of his sleepless nights, most likely due to the cooing young boy within his grasp. He was breath taking.
You simply gaped at him from where you hugged your belongings close, your heart pounding against your chest.
"Ah, you must be the friend Taehyung told me of." He smiled lightly as the child cooed in happiness at your presence though he hadn't known you longer than the handful of seconds you stood before him.
His father's eyes that were nearly identical to his own dropped to where he made grabby hands towards you, giggling as you greeted him with a smile and small wave.
It was plain to see where his adorableness was derived from, from his cute grin to the crinkle of his dark eyes.
Your breath caught within your throat, you couldn't be thinking of the father of the children you were to babysitting in such a way.
It was far too unprofessional, and the rings coiled around his fingers may signify he belonged to another already, your heart dropped lightly at the sobering thought.
"Let's try not to chase this one away, right buddy." He playfully teased the child before welcoming you inside his extravagant house.
Every dignified brick and exalted iron gate did nothing to compare to the sleek steps that climbed to the floors above and the dripping shine of the chandeliers.
The mere plants that cascaded from their pots snagged your eye to claim their roots costed more than a year's worth of your paychecks linked together.
He led you into what appeared to be his office, the messy papers that lay sprawled upon his desk telling you this was where most of his time was spent.
"Forgive the mess, the life of a father and a business man doesn't mix well."
He offered a wry laugh as you seated yourself upon the luxurious chair where he directed you to place yourself.
His hand that was free of the gurgling baby reached for a form and a pen that was yours to fill out.
"My most trusted friend, Taehyung couldn't stop singing your praises." He admitted as your eyes skimmed over the words of the paper.
"I do hope you'll meet his claims."
Your eyes flicked into his that held sincerity and the want to place you in the safety of his children, but you couldn't help but to peer deeper, something you couldn't name luring you deeper into his ebony abysses.
But the unknown flame flickered as he snuffed it out entirely to continue on from his quiet pause he took, to allow his eyes to linger just this once.
"Most of my time and my work will be done in this room, and Eli is never any trouble so we shouldn't be a problem for you." He smiled as your heart leapt silently.
"However, your appeal may come to be a problem for my oldest daughter, Ava."
His warning did nothing to deter you from his pull as well as the adorable grasp of his youngest son.
"I aim to please sir."
You found his warning of Ava was not simple play.
Though she was a mere six years, her tantrums were nothing to be reckoned with.
Her distaste for you being in place of her father was apparent in all she did, after you had picked her up from school, it was her mission to avoid you at all costs, unless it was to make your job harder.
Though you attempted to breathe through her troubles, the moment she hid your keys plucked at your nerves.
But with every soft word and playful game you conjured, just to persuade her to eat her vegetables.
You sluggishly tamed the roaring beast into a gentle kitten who's purrs came about as laughter.
Her every smile filled you with relief, now knowing just how tough her dislike for others could be.
You had just placed Eli within his crib, remembering how stern Jungkook had been with bed time.
But his eldest refused sleep, not one wink would be caught without a goodnight kiss from her father.
Just from how she rambled so excitedly about him, informed you of just how well his relationship with his babies were.
But your every plea of sleep was denied as you chased her about with her stuffed bear. You hugged the bear close as you nibbled upon your bottom lip, you were no more than a week into your job and you feared you had failed already.
Jungkook had left you with the two to attend a meeting of some sort and there was no telling when he may return, it was important you thought of something quickly.
"Ava, what if I told you a bed time story?" You offered the ebony haired girl who's fiery eyes held not even a hint of sleepiness.
The clock struck nine, telling you it was a whole hour after her bed time. Her arms crossed and her bottom lip stuck into a pout.
"It won't be as good as daddy's." She huffed, none the less falling into your arms to be carried into her bedroom.
You placed her amongst the frills of her blankets that simply matched her personality with their bold sparkles; your fingers ran along the spines of her books, asking her of which she would prefer.
You ended in reading along the words of a royal adventure until her eyes grew heavy as she drifted by your side.
But her wakefulness remained just long enough to murmur through sleepy pouts.
"Are you gonna stay here forever? And be our mommy?"
The words stilled your form and rounded your eyes until you choked out an answer.
"I'm here to help your daddy care for you and Eli, Ava." You whispered, wanting anything other than pledging an empty promise to the young girl.
"I think Daddy likes you already, he smiled so bright today when talking about you." With a soft smile of your own, you willed your heart to ease it's leaps.
"I'm sure it was because of you, his little princess." Your fingers offered her hand a reassuring squeeze of a silent gesture of love for the little one you had known for a mere week.
"Good night love." You whispered with a chaste kiss to her temple.
You remained until her eyes fell closed before you slipped away from her bedroom, closing the door behind you, oblivious to the taller male before you.
"You're the only person she lets tuck her in at night aside from me." His low voice entered the serenity of the night, causing your heart to still.
Your breath hitched with your words in the little space between you, the closeness of your forms that neared each other in the darkness almost seemed natural.
As if you belonged at his side as well as Eli's and Ava's, caring for them as well as eliciting their smiles.
With a breath, you released those thoughts to hush such wishful thinking that wasn't yours to be had.
You were no more than a hired babysitter, to care for his children in his absence, even if by some miracle he did care for you, his work refused to allow time for his own children, you were nothing.
But every linger of his eyes and genuine word of thanks for all you did held no lies, none had ever dared to look at you the way he did.
"If it's any consolation, she did put up a little bit of a fight at first." You tried with a breathy laugh that brought a grin to his features.
Even in the darkness, the joy his children brought to his lips was breath taking, just as the warmth of his eyes and almost siren- like voice of his had ensnared your heart.
"It seems it wasn't only Eli's and my own heart you've stolen."
If he had lacked the soft huff of amusement that followed his words, your knees would have buckled at what seemed to be a hint at flirting.
"Good night (Y/n)." He finished with a smile before he halted his steps within his foyer, his duty of walking you to the door finished along with his conversation.
"Good night, mister Jeon." You bowed lightly, your hand hovering over the handle before he spoke once more.
"You can call me Jungkook."
You flashed him a smile that was rendered weak by him as you hurried yourself to your car with a racing heart.
Your choice of your job taken under closer consideration with how your employer made you feel, always taunting you with something so much more than he concealed so well until he desired to reveal it.
| Masterlist | Next Chapter |
Tag list: Open
Synopsis: Viktor has two rules: 1) no decorations. 2) no gifts. They're fairly easy rules to follow until you and Viktor get closer and he opens up to you about why he has them. The next thing you know, you're standing outside his door holding a little wrapped present.
Warnings: slight friends to lovers, nervous and shy viktor, general softness, some awkwardness/secondhand embarrassment, viktor trying his best
Word Count: 4.5k
A/N: Just a soft little story idea I had for Viktor :) Merry, Merry Christmas!
The gift felt too small. The five-by-five box felt dainty in your hands. It was velvet underneath the gold and silver wrapping paper. A soft, dark blue velvet with artificial diamonds embedded in the lid. It had a weight to it that made it feel heavier than it was. A little bit of glass, some perfectly polished metal; it felt like a solid rock in your hands.
Gifts were off the table. An easy ruling to come to when one of your two employers actively avoided holidays. His birthday, the winter celebrations, Halloween. Even the romance festival in the spring. No gifts and no celebrating.Â
Well, in the lab, that is.Â
âIt is a hazard,â he said whenever the subject was broached. He wouldnât even look up from whatever he was working on, those glittering eyes glued to his desk. âNo decorations.â
It wasnât a rule you could exactly argue with. It was a laboratory with dangerous machineryâgarland, lights, and felt decorations didnât mix where sparks flew and flames were open.Â
But the no gifts rule, howeverâŚyou hadn't bent it last year, but it felt applicable to do so this year. At least with Viktor, it did. You'd already broken it with Jayce for every holiday. Some baked goods, a fancy pen, a new notebook, or protective gear. He accepted it with the sole follow-up of donât tell Viktor.Â
Even if Viktor already knew.Â
The new items had to come from somewhere, right?Â
But Viktor just kept his head down as he worked. Some sly comments here and there about how he wondered how Jayce had come into the ownership of the new protective mask. Said specifically when you were holding sensitive material and balancing it on a tray to bring to Viktor.Â
You almost dropped a hex crystal on him on more than one occasion when he had the worstâor, perhaps, the bestâtiming of his comments. But there was ill intent behind them. In fact, half of the time, upon you recovering from nearly breaking a hex crystal or a stack of beakers, Viktor would smile up at you.Â
âHave you always been a rule breaker?âÂ
That was a popular question he threw at you with different variations. Always cheeky about it, too. At first, you hadn't caught the sly smile, and you'd started stuttering out an apology that you'd gotten him something too, but since there was the no-gift rule, you hadnât followed through, but you had picked something out for him.Â
âIt is alright, (Y/N),â heâd say softly. A hand would go to your shoulder to help steady you before he took whatever you were holding. âI have the rule for a reason. If Jayce chooses to break it, that is his prerogative.â
âOkay,â you breathed out, the fear of losing your assistant position fading more and more as Viktor smiled up at you. âIf you ever change your mindââ
âI will not.â The soft smile got tighter. âBut I appreciate the sentiment.â
You dropped it after that, never pushing the topic, even when Viktor teased you about the gifts given to Jayce. It wasn't like you were buying them to suck up to Jayce eitherânor had you asked Viktor in order to do so with him. But the previous year working alongside them, you'd broken a different rule.Â
No gifts, sure. But when you spent a third of your day in the lab with the two scientists, it was hard not to blur the line between employee and friend. Of course, it'd been a hard line at first. But as the months passed and you spent more late nights in the labâones that earned you curious, envious, and judgmental looks from the other assistantsâit was kind of hard not to go from assistant to friend. Especially when you had sleepy brain and, rather quickly, things would turn into fits of laughter.
Mostly between you and Jayce as you fell against each other. Viktor was a bit more closed off, but his laughter was even more rewarding than anything. The little smiles, the branch away from his cold, workaholic behavior; you were determined to get the ice to completely melt.Â
When you all shared common interests, it was fairly easy.Â
The second year of what was supposed to be an internship rolled around, you weren't brought back as an intern. They asked you to be their full-time assistantâpay and obligatory help with any questions you might have about your classes at the academy included.Â
How the hell could you say no to that?Â
Thatâs when you started bending the rules. Sure, you had a bit more security and there was a stronger friendship underlying the relationship, but you still didnât break it with Viktor.Â
âThere was not much celebrating to do in the Undercity,â he said one evening during year two. He was staring out the window at the crashing waves on the coast. There was a chill permeating the walls. Colder than typical for fall when the bushes and trees were still a bright summer green. âGiven my situation, I was not attending many reciprocatory celebrations.â
You nearly dropped the freshly washed beakers. The glass felt thinner and more fragile in your hands than ever, and you stopped in your tracks. Viktor kept his eyes glued to the window and took some long, steadying breaths. His hands were resting on the desk before he pulled them to his lap and ran the right over his leg.Â
That was the first time heâd ever said anything about his time pre-Piltover. Sure, Jayce had made mention of a few different anecdotesâViktor being from the Undercity, the feat he faced getting into the academy, and absolutely zero mention of Viktorâs family. There were dots there to connect that created a Viktor-shaped image filled with a few walls around specific rulings that made a bit more sense.Â
That didnât stop the sudden surprise of Viktor being the one to share the information.Â
âJayce had mentioned I had never explained my desireâor lack thereofâfor certain decisions made for the lab.â He pressed his fingers into the sensitive tissue around his knee. âOr, perhaps this friendship is a better label.â
He finally looked at you, the slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. A little vulnerability hung in the simple expression, and he looked back down at his desk when your eyes met.Â
"I appreciate you sticking to it." He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "I do not bite, (Y/N). You can continue your work."
He tapped the empty space where you were supposed to put the beakers, and it was like you were kicked back into gear. Soft steps echoed in the now-empty room as you sauntered up beside him. A few potential responses rattled in your head as you sat them down on the metal top and pushed them toward him.Â
A year ago, you probably wouldâve just nervously nodded, excused yourself, and then beat yourself up for being such an awkward idiot. But after waking Viktor up in his room when he was late for presentations, staying late and helping him alone in the lab, having dinners and lunches with himâit was different.Â
âYou donât have to explain anything, you know that?â You nudged his arm softly with your elbow. âYouâre allowed whatever rules you want without feeling like you gotta explain them. But thanks for telling me. I know you donât like talking about that stuff.â
Not the UndercityâViktor was extremely open about the mistreatment of the citizens. But his personal time there? That stayed under lock and key.Â
He knew what you meant. A clear representation in his softened gaze when he peered up at you.Â
âYes.â He nodded and pushed a few stray strands of hair from his forehead. âGiven your new position, you haveâŚI felt you should know, that is all.âÂ
âFair enough.â You held your breath as you squeezed his shoulder. A lingering touch you hadnât intended as one, but when there was a pale pink on his cheeks, you stayed to watch it sneak down his neck. âIf you need anything else, Iâll be in the adjacent room working on a research paper.â
"Of course." Viktor nodded, and you took that as your cue to leave. "Should you require any assistanceâŚ"
âI know. Thanks, Vik.âÂ
He gave one sharp nod before the tinkering began, and you were slipping into the other room, breath held and heart reacting. It was like a racehorse aiming for first, and you plopped into your desk chair, holding your imaginary pearls.Â
Viktor had confided in you. After a year of only academic and research talkâsome funny stories, too, but those were mostly from Jayceâit was like jumping from an airship without any safety precautions.Â
You were a grinning mess as you rocked back and forth, left to right, the tips of your toes on the ground and guiding you. Giddy. You were giddy.Â
Finally, your friendship with Viktor was taking a step forward.Â
He wasnât exactly an open book after that, but he was starting to turn the key in the diary lock whenever it was just the two of you. Little tidbits slipped out whenever you were sitting side-by-side and working in comfortable silence. It was never at your expense eitherâyou never had to share some deep, dark secret in order for him to feel like he should reciprocate.Â
Sometimes he justâŚdecided to share.Â
How he liked to tinker as a child. He'd built boats, robots, new canes, even items that could be classified as weapons, but he never used them as such. How he'd snuck up into Piltover and basically slid unnoticed into campus until he proved his keep. How the hell could the professor say no when such a brilliant mind was present?Â
"It is a unique conundrum," he murmured when the topic of your distaste toward a few elitist classmates. "Such a collection of brilliant minds, yet the classism separates those who could interact and prove to make a difference."
He sat back and laughed quietly. He wiped his hand on a rag before it rubbed the back of his neck, working out a knot.Â
âIt can be rather isolating in the Undercity when you are in my particular shoes, but coming to the academy, I expected it to be a similar experience.â He peered over at you and the pink was back on his cheeks. âSure, there were times of isolation and, of course, distaste toward Piltoverâs lifestyle. But I am grateful to have proven my old fears incorrect.â
He shrugged and reached forward, handing you a wrench and nudging the small engine you'd been watching him play with toward you. He pointed at a bolt that needed to be tightened, and you carefully moved, rarely allowed to directly help with whatever Viktor was personally working on.Â
âEven if one is painfully egotistical and the other leans toward the desire of ignoring rules." He smiled when you pulled the wrench back, and he pointed to another bolt. "But Jayce and I would not be where we are were rules not broken."Â
Viktor's hand grazed atop yours when he took the wrench back, and the pale pink traveled up to his ears. He cleared his throat and gave you the next instruction before you could even fathom a response. It seemed he hadn't wanted to hear one either once he immediately moved on from the topic, going into detail about wires, safety, and passing you some pliers.Â
Youâd heard the speech before, but you still listened. Even if you were a bit thrown by the sudden shift in subject.Â
It was when you were walking back to your room that night that you decided youâd break the rule beyond Jayce that year. You just had to come up with the perfect present for Viktor.Â
It sat in the fake-diamond studded blue velvet box beneath the silver and gold wrapping paper. There was a little ribbon wrapped around it, and you played with the bow it made on top as you stood outside Viktor's room. It was a fifty-fifty chance he was actually in there, and you just needed to muster up the courage to check.Â
But it was also a fifty-fifty chance whether heâd like or dislike your rule-breaking decision.Â
Still, you couldn't stand outside in the blue and white garland-covered hallway all night. Either Viktor would return and find you, or he'd leave and find you. So, you just had to knock.Â
You knocked twice. Hard enough for him to hear if he was all the way back in his bedroom. Counted to thirty as you waited for him to open the door. Told yourself that if you got to sixty, youâd knock again. Then if he didnât answer after that, youâd leave and check the lab.Â
At forty-five, he answered the door looking a bit disheveled and unfurrowed his brows upon seeing you. His khaki slacks were wrinkled, his white shirt was unbuttoned and showing off the tank top underneath, and his red tie was left hanging untied around his neck. He had what looked like a new cane in his hand with vibrant reds and golds on it.Â
Then his eyes dropped to the present in your hands.Â
"It's not a gift." But you held up the obvious present, and Viktor cocked a thick brow. "I promise. It just fell into the wrapping paper and then spiraled into the ribbon."Â
You turned the bottom of it to face him and shrugged.Â
"Then it fell onto a little tag that said 'to: Viktor, ' so, really, I'm just playing messenger here." You turned it bow-side up and fixed the slightly turned ribbon. "No idea who it could possibly be from or what it could be. Just doing what I felt was the Good Samaritan thing to do and delivering it.â
Viktor sucked in his cheeks ever so slightly before nodding, smiling, and, with obvious amusement, stepped back. He held out his left hand and motioned for you to enter, and you trotted into his dorm.Â
"Sit, please." He followed you to the couch where you always sat whenever you had to bring him something there, and any conversing took place. Well, any beyond the typical thank you he gave for the personal delivery of something from Jayce or Heimerdinger. âSo, if you do not know who this ânot giftâ is from, how did it come into your ownership?â
âMagically appeared in the stack of presents I had already wrapped.â You held it up as Viktor sat beside you, his cane resting in front of you on the coffee table. âI was so confused, so I took a look, and bam, it was meant for you.â
"Ah." Viktor held it carefully as if he was worried he'd break it before even unwrapping it. "Well, you did not have to go out of your way to deliver such a package, but IâŚappreciate it."
You waved a hand and shrugged.Â
"It's the holiday season. I had to do it.â
âMhm.â Viktor gave you an expectant look before he gently tugged the bow undone. He let it fall to his lap before he reached down and gathered it up, moving it to the coffee table before carefully undoing the wrapping paper. The same way you used to as a child to try and take it off without ripping a single inch of it. âWell, I know it is not from Jayce. He could never wrap anything this well.â
You raised your brows and snickeredâJayce couldnât wrap to save his life. Last year, youâd helped him pick out a gift for his mom and wrapped it for him. When you happened to be in the room with her after sheâd received it, she gave your arm a squeeze and thanked you for clearly wrapping her present.Â
You gave Jayce shit over it for the next three weeks until he finally said itâd been the one thing heâd never been able to master.Â
"It looks like the sky one of my first nights at the academy," Viktor murmured when he got to the box, and your heart lurched in your chest. "I was given access to the telescope in one of the courses. One of the few ways to truly see the stars in their genuine beauty."
He ran his fingers over the top of the box and smiled.Â
âPerhaps I need to revisit the telescope. Have you had the chance to visit it?âÂ
Viktor peered over at you and it was such a genuine, unexpected question that you just stared at him for a few seconds. You were still recovering from his previous sentiment. His smile grew the longer you lingered in silence, simply blinking at him as you tried to find words to say.
âNo,â you finally muttered. You mentally slapped yourself in the face and laughed softly. âI havenât, unfortunately. My schedule never took me that direction.â
"Do you wish to visit?" His head cocked to the side, and you felt like you'd slipped into an alternate dimension where Viktor was interested in doing things outside of the lab.Â
âYeah.â You nodded. âIâve been wanting to, butâŚwell, you know.â
âI will take you.â Viktor smiled and glanced back down at the box. âIt is one of the few extra benefits of my position alongside the professor.â
Before you could respond, Viktor opened the box, and his brows rose. It was a dark blue velvet on the interior, too, just lacking the fake diamonds. Instead, however, it held a silver pocket watch. The chain was hidden through a small slit beneath it, wrapped perfectly underneath the cushion the watch sat on, and Viktor looked like he was going to melt as he picked it up.Â
He pressed a little button on the top and the front sprung open. He glanced at you with a curious expression before holding it up to his ear.Â
âItâs unfixable according to the seller,â you whispered as you watched the realization dawn on Viktor. âTold him I knew someone who would take that challenge with a smile.â
Viktor lowered the watch and turned it over, carefully gathering the chain and twisting it around his fingers. He truly melted when he saw the back. A few of the runes heâd discovered work with the hex crystals were engraved in diamond with one in the center.Â
âHe engraved it for free when I told him who I was bringing it to.â You found yourself turning the ring on your middle finger until the metal was warm from the friction. âAlthough, I did pick the design, so I hope itâs something youâoh.â
Viktorâs arms were around you. You laughed a little as you returned the hug, hugging his lean frame as tight as you could as he let out a somewhat shuddered breath.Â
"Thank you," he whispered next to your ear, but he didn't pull back. "Truly. This isâŚ"
âI figured the âhaving to fix itâ caveat was enough of a loophole to claim it wasnât a gift. So, technically, Iâm not breaking the rule.â You idly played with the ends of his hair to give your hands something to do so you didnât fidget. âThat counts, right?â
Viktor pulled back, and his eyes were a bit red as he chuckled and held up the watch.Â
âIt is a spectacular ânon-gift.â Thank you.â His voice broke as he looked down at it. âI am sorry, I do notâŚI do not have anything to reciprocate with.â
"No, Vik." You reached out as he sat the box down on the coffee table. "It's not about that. I don't expect anything in return at all. I was just out browsing stuff when I saw it, and the guy was talking to me about it, and I just kindaâŚI knew I had to get it for you."
You very tentatively moved your hand from his wrist to his hand. The intention was a bit blurred as you carefully settled your hand atop his, giving him a light squeeze, and smiled at him. The desperation for him to know that he didn't need to give you anything in return was a little heart-stopping, and you ran through whatever options you could think of to hammer that idea home.Â
âSeriously, Vik. Just having you in my life is gift enough.â You squeeze his hand again. âYou owe me nothing.â
Viktor stared down at your hand, and you felt his start to shake beneath it. You'd had physical contact before, but as you felt his hand shake, part of you was regretting the choice. The last thing you wanted was to make Viktor uncomfortable. Crossing a line when you were already doing so with the gift was not what you'd intended and you held your breath as you slowly started to move your hand back to your lap.
You gave him a soft smile as you flattened out your bottoms and started to stand. Overstaying your welcome was also on the list of no-gos you were trying to avoid. And with the continued silence, it felt like you were.Â
Except you only made it to the part where you put your hands on your knees before Viktor's hand was on your wrist. His mouth was pressed into a fine line, and you stopped the instant you looked at him. There was always a lot happening in his headâfrom work to pleasureâbut this time, it looked like he was untangling a heap of lights that'd been long tangled together.Â
And then he moved.Â
It was hesitant, and his hand visibly trembled, but you stayed totally still as he reached for your cheek. His jaw clenched before he let out a shaky breath, and you pushed your spiked adrenaline and surprise aside and helped him. Silently prayed that you hadn't completely misread Viktor's intentions as you scooted closer and smiled, leaning in as he did.
You caught the pale pink spreading over him before your eyes fluttered shut and his mouth pressed to yours.Â
His hand twitched on your cheek and you held back your excitement as you reached up and put yours over his. Held it there with a tender hold as you kissed him back. Soft and sweet, nervous and tentative as Viktorâs hair tickled your forehead. His nails dug slightly into your skin when he realized you werenât pulling away or shoving him back, and he gained a bit more confidence as you reached up and slid a hand over his chest, shoulder, and up to his neck.Â
He tasted like cinnamon and vanilla, but you hadn't noticed any cookies or baked goods when you came in. No coffee or tea, either. And he smelled like a goddamn bakery. Usually, that was left as an undertone to what you could only describe as metal, sparks, and literal magic itself.Â
But the tender touch of Viktorâs mouth on yours was more like magic than the hex crystals themselves.Â
You wouldâve damn well gone a lot farther, too, as Viktorâs tongue grazed your bottom lip, but it was like that triggered a response in him and he pulled back. He was panting as he kept his eyes fixed on your chest, the hand still holding the pocket watch coming up and the tips of his fingers touching his mouth.Â
He was bright red as he smiled and forced his eyes up to yours.Â
âIâŚâ
âThat was a hell of a gift,â you said with a wide grin. âShit, Vik. Way to one-up me.â
Viktorâs exhale came with a laugh and he seemed to visibly relax. You threw up your hands and sat back, shaking your head.Â
âYou know, I was so excited and worried about whether youâd like your giftâexcuse me, ânon-gift.â And then you just one-up me so easily.â You scoffed and tried to keep a straight face, but your grin came through without a fight. âThatâs mean.â
âMy apologies,â he murmured with such a small smile that it was your turn to melt.Â
âSo, is that the gift you give everyone orâŚâ You motioned to yourself.
âNo.â His eyes fell to the watch as he turned it over in his hands. âI do not give gifts to anyone else.â
âDamn, Vik.â You nudged his shoulder playfully. âGiving out such a special gift and you said you didnât have anything to give me.â
âSo thatâŚwas okay?â He peered up at you with wide eyes, his mouth pressed into a worried line, and you contemplated reaching across and shaking his shoulders and yelling yes. âIâŚdid notâŚI do not wish to compromise our current relationshipââ
âVik,â you murmured and reached over, taking his hand. âIt was more than okay. I promise.â
You leaned over and dropped your head against his shoulder. His arm moved as you pulled it to your chest and hugged it.Â
"Seriously. Really, really okay." You pursed your lips. "Although I think Jayce might be a little jealous that I got such a spectacular gift, and he didn't get anything.â
It took a moment, but when Viktor gradually moved and leaned his head against yours, you nearly cheered. Of all potential outcomes for the evening, this had been so far down on the list that it was categorized under the 'impossible fantasies' heading. Awkward rejection of the gift or simply disliking itâthose were what you expected. Maybe a simple thank you and a reminder to not break the rule again, but not this.Â
Not an âimpossible fantasyâ level reaction.Â
âI, uhâŚâ Viktor reached down and intertwined his fingers with yours. âI am making tea and going over some of my old research. Do you want to stay? I would love the company.â
You technically had more to do that night since you hadnât expected any outcome where Viktor asked you to stay. But you damn well werenât going to say no. Not after thatânot when you picked your head up and you caught Viktorâs focus dropping back down to your mouth.Â
âIâd love to stay,â you murmured with a smirk.Â
âWonderful.â Viktor bit his lip before giving your hand a squeeze.Â
You watched with masked glee as he swapped the pocket watch for his cane and stood. He slid his tie off and dropped it to the table before going into the small kitchen all dorms had and put on the kettle, moving with the same ease he had in the lab whenever you worked together.Â
You grabbed his little throw blanket and pulled it over your lap, getting comfortable as you watched him work. Your lips still tingled from his, and you were already missing the warmth from his hand on your cheek. Something you hoped would be repeated upon your stayingâsomething you hadn't even thought conceivable with Viktor outside of a few unpoliced thoughts and fantasies when working alongside him.Â
Yeahâyou nodded to yourself and grinned as Viktor grabbed two mugs and peered back at you with that tiny smile.Â
Youâd definitely made the right call in deciding to break the rule this year. Â
part II
âone, two, three, four!â Minho was clapping his hands to mark the rhythm as the cheerleaders practice their moves
âagain! and pay attention to the twist this time, Chaewon!â you rolled your eyes just hearing her name
Chaewon was a light brown Mini Lop bunny hybrid and a pain in the neck ever since she was transferred to your school last semester
she got extremely attached to Minho because heâs also a Mini Lop hybrid, but a black one
and she was always around, always trying to get his attention, always doing him favors, always looking for an excuse to be touchy with him, always annoying the life out of you
and you hated her
she was pretty, she had gorgeous hair, big bunny eyes and a cute smile, she was so nice and so docile, the perfect bunny hybrid
and you really hated her because you, a lynx hybrid, were none of those things
your facial features were more intimidating, your feline eyes always keen on everything surrounding you, your ears twitching to sounds far away, your reflexes faster than average, your tongue ready to snap at anyone who crosses you the wrong wayâŚ
you would never reach Chaewonâs level of perfect
and it wrecks you inside because you know that eventually Minho will choose her and leave you behind
itâs only the natural option since youâre a predator and theyâre both preys
predators never end up with preys, everyone knows it
why would a Mini Lop bunny be with a freaking lynx? Lynx eat rabbits for breakfast, lunch and dinner
it was bad enough that Minho was your best friend, it shocked the entire school when you both started hanging out
it took them almost a year to get over the fact that you both were indeed friends with each other
but thereâs still some people who think itâs weird
Chaewon is one of them
she never said anything in front of you because you know sheâs scared to death of you, maybe because youâre always angry around her and your angry face is not really friendly
but you donât care because youâre constantly hearing her say hurtful things about you to her friends
saying that youâre probably coercing Minho to be your friend, that you have eerie eyes and a chilling presence, that the only time she saw you laughing was horrifying and she had nightmares because of it, that she doesnât understand why you donât let Minho alone, that sheâs a better choice for him since they have so much in common, etc etc etc
sheâs not completely wrong, though, but it still hurts hearing her say that Minho will probably âwake up and run away from your predator trapâ
you shouldnât have a crush on him, itâs wrong
but your heart is stupid and does stupid things, like falling in love with Minho
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you were incredibly pissed about what happened at the USJ, and how eraserhead was horribly injured. you spend a whole week off of your usual patrols because you couldnât focus. sitting here, on the usual roof youâd met eraserhead, you wait, seeing if any crime would happen, and get your mind of him.
âhey, long time, no see,â you hear from behind you, and you straighten up, âsurprised youâre even here. tsukauchi said he didnât see you for a week.â
you visibly shake, âhow could i? you were hurt and i couldnât do anything to stop it!â you take a breath before you start breathing again, âyouâre the only person so far who hasnât hurt me nor betrayed my trust since meeting you over a year ago, and seeing you hurt like that, made me realize that i canât lose you too. iâm sorry eraserhead.â
before he could speak, you jumped from the roof, and ran, hoping to find a place to calm down before you have a panic attack, only to find a villain trying to hurt a civilian.
âwell, damn, just my luck, isnât it?â you speak, the microphone in your mask making your voice sound deeper, âdo you really wanna hurt her?â
the villain laughs, âman! i canât believe itâs really you, glitch! iâve been wanting to fight you for a long time.â
with the villainâs attention on you, you see the woman trying to get away, so you keep the villainâs attention on you.
âhereâs your chance then, come at me with all you got!â you yell, and the villain immediately charges at you. without knowing the villains quirk, you decide to try and stay as far away as you can, at least until you know it and how it works.
âyou know, youâre hard to find, been out here for weeks hoping to catch your attention,â he speaks before throwing the knife he had in his hand at you, âand i finally got it!â
dodging so the knife doesnât hit you, you chuckle, âsorry, why did you want my attention? wouldnât it be more rewarding to have endeavorâs or all mightâs?â you speak, trying to get him in engage in conversation more, âwhy is my direct attention so important to you?â
he laughs, âah, but why wouldnât it be?â he asks, jumping trying to get in close to throw a punch, âyou fight quirkless, but yet, you are undefeated, so if iâm able to defeat you, imagine the credibility iâll have defeating you!â
you chuckle, a dark glint in your eyes, âiâd like to see you try.â
after a few moments of dodging his punches, he finally lands one on your arm, causing it to break in half.
âoh you fucking bitch,â you swear in english, before going back to japanese, âso your quirk is super strength, or something related to it.â
the villain grins sickeningly, âoh, youâre right. my quirk lets me fight with the same power as endeavor but nowhere near his size, not many expect it.â
âat least iâll know to expect it,â you hear eraserheadâs voice from behind the villain and the villain turns around, and you feel a sense a dread wash over you.
âeraserhead too? oh, this is a party,â he says, âgood thing, this is a mutation quirk, you canât erase it.â
realizing what was happening, you run, jumping on the walls, the way you were trained to, jumping in front of eraserhead just as the villain delivers a devastating blow to your chest, and you feel the air leave your lungs and your vision blurring.
âeven better! i got glitch! now time to make them pay,â the villain says, and you can hear the sirens.
âyou really think iâd follow her without backup? you got another thing coming,â you hear eraserhead say, and you try to lift your head up but it takes too much energy and your chest is in too much pain. you donât remember much after that.
ââ
waking up smelling antiseptic confuses you for a minute and then you jump into panic. your eyes shoot open and you sit up quickly, and see 4 other people in the room. you feel your chest heave in panic as you realize you donât have your mask on. the old lady seems to notice this immediately and walks over to you.
âitâs okay dearie, youâre safe and your injures are healed,â she speaks to you, softly, an attempt to calm you down, and it does, a little.
âtaking a hit for eraser, huh, glitch?â a man, who you recognize as present mic, says. you freeze when he says that, the panic setting back in as you realize a bunch of pro heroes know who you are.
âitâs okay. yes, we do know your identity, or at least what your face looks like, but we have no intention on arresting you,â the bear, dog, hybrid says, âiâm nezu, the principal!â
âwait, you said i wasnât going to be arrested?â you ask, panic still in your chest.
âyou will not be arrested as you did not break any laws. vigilantism is only illegal when you use your quirk, and as far as aizawa has said, you donât use it,â nezu spoke, watching your face carefully.
âwho the fuck is aizawa?â you speak after a moment of silence, and present mic immediately starts laughing, eraserhead looks annoyed, the doctor looks confused and the principal looks the same except his smile is slightly bigger, showing heâs amused.
âme, iâm aizawa,â eraserhead, no, aizawa speaks.
âoh,â you speak, voice quiet, âsorry, usually iâm better at figuring things like this out but iâm slightly panicky.â
âwhy dearie? is there a reason or do you have anxiety?â the doctor asks, âand iâm recovery girl, considering you didnât know eraserhead was aizawa, itâs easier to tell you.â
you nod, âi have anxiety and ptsd. i donât go to hospitals or doctors often. only when iâm on the verge of dying, which hasnât been in years.â
âwhy would you be on the verge of dying?â nezu asks, his voice softer, as if he knows to tread lightly.
âuh, no offense, but you guys havenât gotten to the level of trust where you get to unlock my tragic backstory,â you say, shrugging, âjust know, it wasnât pretty.â
nezu nods, and looking away from him, you see present mic looking sad and aizawa looks unbothered, until you look at him in the eyes, and see heâs bothered by something.
âdo you have anywhere to stay dearie?â recovery girl asks, and you shake your head.
âno, for the most part i stay at homeless shelters when itâs cold and the rest of the year i stay wherever i can.â
silence falls over the room, and you can cut the tension with a knife.
âhow old are you, little listener?â present mic asks, and you raise your head to look him in the eyes.
âi just turned 16,â you speak, shrugging.
you hear a gasp from recovery girl, and you turn to look at her, âwhat?â
âwhere are your parents?â nezu asks, his voice slightly colder now, as if heâs angry.
you shrug, âdonât know. donât care. i left america when i was 10, caught a plane here, havenât been back since.â
you hear aizawa sigh lowly, and you look at him, tilting you head, in a questioning manner.
âdid you even know your parents?â he asks, after a moment, and you shake your head.
âno, i donât think so,â you finally reply, voice meek.
a silence falls once again, until nezu breaks it, âaizawa, yamada, would you let her sleep at your apartment tonight? i would like to speak with her more tomorrow,â he asks, and you immediately hold your hands up.
âno, no, nope. iâm not doing that. i donât want to be a bother,â you speak, âis there anyway i can just stay here?â
present mic looks distraught, âit wouldnât be a bother, right, shota?â
aizawa sighs, âi rather you stay where the two of us can watch you, than you escape.â
you gasp mockingly, âhow dare you accuse me of trying to escape?â
he looks at you, and deadpans, âbecause you totally didnât escape tonight during our talk.â
you shrug, âwas gonna cry if i didnât, so i yeeted out of there. also, donât ask why i was gonna cry, donât wanna talk about it.â
nezu nodded, âdo stay with aizawa and yamada. weâll talk about your arrangement tomorrow with the school.â
you nodded, and sat up to stand but as soon as you did, you got lightheaded and stay back down, âi forget iâm anemic.â
recovery girl sighs, âbetween you and midoryia, i have my work cut out for me this year.â
im trying this again, i hope the gofundme helps with visibility. please reblog, i dont have a large social circle to help signal boost. thank you so much everyone!
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