Vettel Reincarnate * Fem!driver

Behind The Facades | Part II

An unrequited pining over a certain super solider.

Navigation: Part I || Part II || Part III (end)

Words: 3.3k++

Pairings: avenger!bucky x female!reader

Warnings: angst. pent up anger. unspoken jealousy. conflicted feelings.

P/S: i heard you. i got you. since lots of you enjoyed the supposedly oneshot, so i decided to do a continuation for this couple. Hope you enjoy~

Read my other works here: Masterlist

Weeks gone by, months flown through and the team was already accustomed Bucky's girlfriend wandering around the tower. Though they thought she would move-in eventually, knowing that Tony allowed them to do so, but she hadn't done it yet.

While Y/N, on the other hand, felt like she was constantly walking on thin ice. Being tug in between holding herself together and breaking down.

What's worst about this was, deep down, Y/N wanted to hate her.

Gail Richards.

Bucky's girl.

A gorgeous red-head, sultry champagne-colored eyes, a deep dimple on her right cheek, sculptured body of goddess and heart of gold.

Y/N got to admit that she hated how perfect Gail was for Bucky. She had such a kind soul; it's impossible not to fall for her. In hindsight, she was exactly what Bucky needed in his life.

What he deserve.

And in the end, Gail managed to steal not just Bucky's heart, but also the entire team's.

Including Y/N herself.

The friendship between Gail and Y/N was true and genuine; even if it hurts her everytime when she was forced to see Gail canoodling with the man she had fallen madly in love with.

"So where's the date? Did he tell you or is it a surprise kind of thing?" Gail's questions snapped Y/N from her deep internal thoughts.

Her gaze fell into her own reflection in the mirror; she was fitted with a simple black satin dress, with a quite scandalous slit on one side on her thigh. Standing behind her, was Gail, helping her out with the pearl necklace she was graciously lending it to Y/N.

"I don't remember the name but it's that new michelin star restaurant." Y/N replied as she straighten her dress, suddenly feeling conscious of how tight the dress was hugging her body.

"Oh! I know that fancy new restaurant. It opened last week, right? Bucky and I haven't had the chance to go yet. I heard it's pretty hard to get reservation. I must say, I'm impressed."

While Gail seemed to approve of Y/N's date, she didn't notice the way Y/N's body froze as she mentioned Bucky's name.

Her fingers were itching to dug it's nails somewhere, anywhere; as she try to keep her composure as neutral as possible, "Yeah, I'll definitely give you my review before you guys go on a date there. Who knows if its not up to the standards, right?"

Oh, how desperate she was on wanting to hide her pain away.

"That's great, y/n! But, I'd rather you actually enjoy the date rather than secretly being an undercover food critique. Forget about everything and have fun for once! Who knows this one is a keeper, huh?" Gail rubbed her hands to side of Y/N's arms; her eyes brighten as she encouraged her.

Ignorance is truly a bliss; though it's not that she knows that Y/N had been in love with Bucky this whole time.

On the other hand, Bucky was starting to feel the effects of what Gail had warned him before. He doesn't want to feel like she doesn't love him because she does.

At least she tries to.

Persuing Gail was not necessarily easy; not because he was lacking or she played hard to get. But because of how honest she was; how self aware she was.

"Being with me is a hell of a challenge, Bucky. My emotions are unpredictable. Today, I will love you ever so truly; I will drown you with all the kisses and cuddles you could ever imagine but the next day you might not being able to talk to me or even see me."

"I'll go M.I.A and isolate myself from the world at any time, with no warning. I shut down without any reason."

"I might not be there for you when you needed me the most. I might abandon you when all you wanted for me to stay."

"Worst part about it is I won't feel sorry for what I did because I can barely feel anything during those time."

But he insisted to try.

Maybe it was the sudden surge of passion when he met her but he was determined that they could make it work.

So, try they did.

As his relationship with Gail progresses, his and y/n's started to astray. He noticed y/n has been keeping her distance with him since he got together with Gail.

She had been cooped up in her room more often. There was a gradual changes in their schedule. Lesser trips to the corndog stall that y/n was obsessed with, canceled trips on visiting Alpine, the cute little kitten they have been eyeing at the adoption center, and almost none of the late night coffee trips.

He missed her.

From her annoying laugh to her odd habit of scratching things in her sleep.

Her smile, her voice, her presence.

He missed all of it.

He missed her.

Which was why Bucky thought it was better to talk it out with her. Maybe there was some sort of misunderstanding that needed to be clear out.

It took just single knock before Bucky intrude himself into Y/N's room, "Hey, y/n I don't want to disturb you but can we..." Bucky's sentence did not managed to end with a period, thus his words was instead left hanging just like his mouth.

"Oh, wow."

For a moment there, Bucky literally forgot how to breath. It was as if the reality around him was deteriorating, leaving just the perfect view of Y/N. For a split second, his gaze seemed to dilated into a trance, slowly getting bewitched by the beauty before him.

Bucky was so captivated by how, almost sinfully, beautiful Y/N looked in that dress, he didn't notice his own girlfriend was standing right next to her.

Gail carefully slide her way towards Bucky as she prompted, "So... what do you think, Buck? Gorgeous isn't she?" A dreamy sigh escaped from Gail's lips as she admire the woman in front of her.

"Yes. Yes, she is."

Those were the words Bucky wanted to say but his mouth wasn't listening to his heart, rather it followed his head, "I didn't know you were coming over, honey." Bucky arms reached towards Gail as he scooped her close to him, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

It was subtle but if they paid enough attention, they could see how Y/N's gaze quickly shifted downwards to her feet. Her teeth sunk between the insides of her left cheek as an effort to distract herself from the thunderstorm within her chest. A little bit more force on her teeth would've tore her up and left her bleeding from the inside.

How much longer she must be in this torment? How much suffering her heart needs to endure until it adapt to the pain? She's tired of the ache in her chest but at the same time she can't help it when her heart yearn for a love that's never going to be hers.

"Well? Is she not goddamn beautiful?" Gail playfully slapped Bucky's arm, demanding her question to be answered.

"I mean..." Bucky stuttered to find words. Especially when those round doe eyes of Y/N's spark with anticipation.

All those milliseconds of time Bucky had to think of an appropriate, truthful answer but somehow he only come up with, "...i guess, you could do better."

Idiot.

Straight up dumb.

Bucky immediately regret his words when the gleam in Y/N's eyes suddenly faded; turning into something cold and stoic.

Gail huffed in denial, before taking Y/N's side, "Then you sir, need to check your eyes because she's absolutely stunning". Y/N gave a small smile as Gail pulled her for a side hug.

"Why are you dressed up anyway?" Bucky wanted change the topic before he said something stupid again.

There was a noticeable pause on Y/N's side as he asked, as if she was unwilling to tell him. However, the reluctantcy only arouses his curiosity.

Y/N turned around and faced the mirror. As she fixed the necklace near her collarbone, she made an eye contact with Bucky through his reflection and answered, "I have a date."

Something shifted in the air; as if it was getting heavier, sturdier.

"Who's the guy?" Bucky was clearly not amused with the idea. It barely filtered through his stern tone.

"Daniel. One of the SHIELD agent I worked with before." Y/N noticed how his expression morphed into a frown.

"Why is he making that face? "

Bucky seethed, "That douchebag? Really y/n?" There's a hint of disappointment in his voice; like how a father would scold his daughter of doing something stupid.

And that ticked her off.

She's a grown-ass woman; she can do whatever she wants, date whoever she wants. None of it was Bucky's concern.

"What do you mean?" Annoyance flowed through her tone.

Bucky rolled his eyes as he recognized that name.

Daniel.

That scumbag whose always staring at her. And not in a cute, crush-like way. There's nothing innocent about the way he stare at Y/N's ass and boobs, or always finding excuses to touch her.

However, Y/N has been oblivious to it since Bucky had always been with her.

Since when did that douche got close to Y/N? How did he managed to get Y/N agree to go to a fucking date with him? More importantly, how did Bucky not know all of this?

There was this uncontrollable, unexplainable rage within Bucky that he was unable to contain; like a venomous poison it seeped through his head, "Are you that needy to even consider going out with such scum? Come on, y/n. You're being naive, it's ridiculous." Bucky scoffed as his tone laced with scorn and mockery.

Gail gasped in complete shock, "What is wrong with you, Bucky? That's not--"

"That's not fair. How can you have the luxury to fall in love and lived happily ever after while I have to continue to break and break, again and again?"

"Ridiculous? Am I a fucking joke to you, Bucky?!" Y/N could hold back her own anger as she turned towards him. His face remained the way that it is; red and furious and he was not willing to put his ego down either.

"You know what?" Y/N swerved towards the bed, "I am going to go this date with Daniel, whether you like or not..." She took her purse on the edge of the mattress, "...and I am going to enjoy every second of it!"

"Thanks, Gail. I really appreciate your help today." Y/N smiled as she briefly took Gail's hands into hers. Blinking in confusion, Gail replied, "Y-yeah.. sure--" though her speech was cut short when Y/N interrupted.

"And you!" Y/N shot a glare towards Bucky before marching towards him, "You can go fuck yourself." She clashed her shoulders into Bucky's before walking out her own room.

Bucky gritted his teeth; his jaw clenched in pure vexation as his frown grew deeper.

Looking at her very angry looking boyfriend, Gail let out a tired sigh, "Why would you say such thing to her, Bucky?

Why did he say those things?

He could explain it much better way, knowing that he had plausible reason to why he thinks she should not go to this date.

But, why did he not do that?

Why did he lash out and spat those hurtful things to her?

Even Bucky himself was not sure why.

After that Bucky spent the rest of the night at the gym, and this was the third punching bag that he had completely destroyed. He could see his girlfriend coming in from the corner of his eyes, with an emergency kit in her hand.

She sat at a nearby bench before, "Bucky sweetheart, come here." Gail softly asked him sit with her.

Despite the grunts and gruffs that slipped from his lips, he still obeyed her; though partially was because she had been sternly staring at him.

Gail gently remove his boxing glove of his right hand, then lo and behold his knuckles was crushed and bloodied.

"The wrappings is there for a reason, you know?" She knew he would this; especially when he is guided by rage. Bucky remained silent, knowing that if he did not control his anger first; then he would probably do the same thing he did to Y/N again.

There was a comfortable silence as Gail was tending his wounds. Bucky looked down at her, focusing on cleaning the wounds. She was always careful and tender while handling Bucky; as if she was taking care of a child.

"You love her, don't you?" Gail calmly asked as she started to wrap Bucky's hand.

The question caught him by surprise, "What do you mean?"

She chuckled softly, "y/n. You love her. Am I right?" she reclarify.

It didn't need a genius to figure out how Bucky truly feels about Y/N. Even if he himself if not aware of his own feelings.

But she can see right through him.

She noticed how attentive was Bucky towards y/n. How he looked at her; like she's his whole world. How every single thing he does somehow relates back to Y/N; and he cannot go by a day without mentioning her name in their any conversation. How peaceful looked when y/n is anywhere near him.

She noticed every single one of those detail.

"Of couse, I do. It's y/n we're talking about here." Bucky replied as-matter-of-factly. Though there was some truth in his answer but it was not all.

Gail shook her head lightly as she holds Bucky's wounded hand in hers, "No, Bucky. You love her." Her brows crunched into a pleading curve as her gaze turned gentle.

Bucky frowned in confusion; he looked down at his hand where her thumb caressing his knuckles and he thought back all the moments he spent with y/n.

From the very first day he met her, on those nights she stayed with him, through thick and thin, her eyes on his, her smile on his cheek, her laugh in his arms, her voice in his ears, her skin on left arm, everything flashed through him so fast until a single moment when he realizes.

"I love her."

Gail recognized the glint his eyes, "And she loves you too, Buck." She coaxed.

The frown on his face turned into a shock as she spoke. Even if Y/N does love him, what does that mean?

"What are you saying?"

"Go." Her voice were somehow calmer than she was supposed to speak in such a dire situation.

Bucky knew what she meant; he knew what those eyes were telling him, "Gail, you--"

She cut him before he could say anything, "We did agree to see where will this take us..." her smiled was somehow bitter-sweet, "And I guess this is our end of the line."

A hit of pain struck Bucky's heart, "You don't have to do this." His left hand raised to tenderly cupped her cheeks; it was warm. Unlike his winter cold hand, she was warm. Like the soft heat from the morning sun.

She placed her hand on top of his as she craved a reassuring smile, "I want to."

And that broke Bucky's heart. And it broke for her.

He loved Gail.

All the feelings he felt for her was real. As real as the feelings he felt for Y/N. The only difference was he didn't realized he was in love with Y/N, but he did with Gail.

"And to be honest, I'm not sure I can keep up with the emotional commitments, I'm always M.I.A and lost in my own head..."

As Gail starts to ramble, Bucky wasn't hearing any of it. His eyes stings and his vision blurred.

There was only so much any man can handle.

There was joy in realizing his was in love with Y/N but there was also agony in knowing he had to break Gail's heart. Unable to hold back his emotions anymore, his tears finally broke out.

She was prepared not to cry today but seeing Bucky like this; who wouldn't tear up, right?

"Hey hey hey, I'll be okay. We'll be okay." She placed her palm on Bucky's cheeks, wiping away the tears with her thumb as she lead his gaze to her own.

"Bucky, listen to me. I don't want you feeling like you're alone." she cooed, her eyes had gotten glassy as tears filled within them. "You deserve so much more than what I can offer you, do you understand?" Bucky can simply nod as he feels like his voice will betray him.

"Good." Gail closed her eyes and leaned into a kiss. A soft innocent kiss on his forehead, as their tears fall on each other's bare skin, "Now, go get your girl."

<< Part I || Part III >>

Read my other works here: Masterlist

A/N: Feel free to leave some feedback behind! And what do you think of Gail? I thought it'd be nice to have a different characteristics for her instead of the cliche 'bitchy and rude' girlfriend.

There's no actual taglist. So, I only include those who reblogged with comments and/or commented on the previous part. However, do tell if you want or do not want to be tagged.

Taglist: @ghostofwinter @angstysebfan @erinallene @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @paarthurnax59 @nomajdetective @kentokaze @dexter99 @nana1000night @prettyinpink350

silver spring | coriolanus snow

Description: Coriolanus Snow knows that he shouldn't have ended up this way. He knows that he was destined to be something better. The woman sleeping beside him is a testament of his reckoning, Lucy Gray is a ghost that he tries to forget. (Snow and Reader's marriage told through the cold beliefs of Coriolanus.)

Pairing: young-president!coriolanus snow/wife!reader

Warning: childbirth, major character death, angst, snow is haunted by lucy gray's memory.

"Time cast a spell on you But you won't forget me." - Fleetwood Mac.

[...] He was glad about the erasure. It was just another way to eliminate Lucy Gray from the world. The Capitol would forget her, the districts barely knew her, and District 12 had never accepted her as their own. In a few years, there would be a vague memory that a girl had once sung in the arena. And then that would be forgotten too. Goodbye Lucy Gray, we hardly knew you.

"Are you alright?" you cleared your throat seeing him in deep thought. There was always something mysterious inside the man that you married - he was always deep in thought. "You came to visit?" he seemed disinterested in what you had to say. "I-they told me that you didn't eat dinner yet," you managed to choke out.

He was very clear and precise. He told you that he couldn't stand you - that he hated you, and it was the very reason that you were wed.

An amused chuckle exits his mouth. "Aren't there more important things to have your attention?" he raised an eyebrow, staring at you up and down with that incredulous stare.

You seemed to amuse him - to some extent.

"- like running our household or gossiping with your friends." he mused, returning back to his paperwork. His statement made you feel awry, you were never the one to listen to gossip - the suggestion that you should do that only cemented the fact that he didn't know you - didn't bother enough to know you. "I was worried that you'd starve without dinner." you took another step forward.

He shakes his head.

"I will not die without dinner." he scoffed - dismissing you.

It was late at night when Coriolanus stumbled inside your room. By then, he could hardly make out the outline of your body on the bed.

He couldn't believe that the woman he hated - had finally become his wife. "Coriolanus," you mumbled - eyes trying to adjust with the dim light. "Did I wake you?" he removed his jacket, surprised at his tone. "N-No," you stuttered. A meek prey against him.

You moved slightly, leaving him enough space to lay beside you.

Coriolanus was surprised that you slept that quick - though, perhaps he was also thankful. He didn't want to create a reason for small talk. Your purpose in his life wasn't to be loved - it was to create children, and to strengthen his political prowess.

The moment he set his eyes on you - he vowed to never love or care for you. He couldn't afford to love again. He knows what love feels like - Lucy Gray manipulated him, both body and soul. Until now he doesn't know if she is truly dead. He wishes that she is.

He is snapped away from his thoughts again.

This time, you wrap your arms around him. His eyes widen in surprise, he opens his mouth to speak but he relents seeing your sleeping figure.

He may hate you, but it does not stop him from finding you beautiful.

It was a few months later when he sees you again - this time with good news. "They tell me that our child is the size of a small ball." you smiled, reaching for his hand and placing it on your stomach. This was one of the few moments where he showed his love. You were sat on his lap, almost inhaling his scent at the proximity.

It was all for show, you thought. He had guests in the courtyard, and they could see you from the window.

"I've thought of names, but I wanted you to choose too." you continued, licking your pink lips. Oh, Coriolanus wanted nothing than to kiss those lips right now - but alas, his ambition ruled him. "What are they?" he continued rubbing your belly.

"Brutus, if it is a boy and Lucy-"

"No, not Lucy. Something else." he demanded, interrupting you. "Josephine," you quickly replace and he nods.

"- but if there are other names that you prefer, you may choose." you stared deep into his eyes. "You bleed, you decide." he whispered, his hands trailing up to your neck. "Kiss me," he suddenly demanded.

"What?" your eyebrows merged into each other.

"There's people watching, kiss me."

And you obeyed him.

"As pure as the driven snow," you mumble while soothing the pain in your stomach. "What did you say?" Coriolanus raised an eyebrow. "Our child is as pure as the driven snow," you repeated - almost seeing his face in a dream. "Where did you come up with that?" he chuckled, slowly used to your company.

"You mumbled it in your sleep." you responded, continuing to write on your journal. "Well, I can't remember saying that anymore." he shrugged, feeling paranoia gnaw at his bones.

Lucy Gray, let me live.

"It sounds familiar, it's from that tribute - I watched her then, but its been so long I can't even remember." you chuckled, Lucy Gray Baird, the songbird from District 12.

You were enamored by her - intrigued by her voice. Your husband seems to be the same. "Is that why you wanted to name our child Lucy?" he questioned, her name tasted bitter on his tongue. "No, of course not - you'd never approve." you scoffed.

"Why wouldn't I? I don't know Lucy Gray personally." he lied once more, maintaining his narrative. "You told me that the Games were created to remind the Districts of what they are - animals." you remembered, not fully believing his speech. "You would hate me if I named our child after an ... well, someone that you hate."

"Good, and don't mention Lucy Gray ever again." his eyes narrowed.

WTF I'VE BEEN CRYING MY EYES OUT BECAUSE OF THIS AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR PART 2!!!

fragile line | daniel ricciardo

pairing: daniel ricciardo x driver!reader

You and I walk a fragile line I have known it all this time But I never thought I'd live to see it break

what happens when the driver daniel falls in love with, ends up being the one who brings his career to a screeching halt? word count: 7.7k (im so sorry) warnings/tags: fluff-ish, plot with implied/very little smut, angst, mclaren danny, zak brown (gross), some incorrect f2 stats but whatever, time jumps, really just a lot of angst, its a rollercoaster

“What do you know?”

“What do you know?” Daniel repeated the question back to you, the emphasis making it clear as day that you both carried the same career-altering information. 

His signature grin and comforting optimism were nowhere to be seen. Instead, Daniel’s expression could be described in a variety of ways. Solemn, disappointed, hurt. 

“What was I supposed to do?” You asked, going straight to the defensive. You couldn’t be helpful in this scenario, you just needed to explain yourself. He wouldn’t understand it from your perspective, but you had to try. 

“Not take the seat,” he offered a solution, as if it was that simple. “My god, I mean, they’re cutting my contract early, Y/N. For you.”

“For the sake of the team,” you corrected. You had no say in this. McLaren had plenty of driver options for the 2023 season. There were rumours of Daniel’s contract coming to an end a year early anyway, everyone heard them, everyone ignored them. The only thing that remained uncertain for a while was who would replace him should the rumours be true.

You. 

“You don’t even like McLaren.” You told him, voice raising a little as if that helped get the point across. “You’ve struggled with this team since day one.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to stop racing.”

“McLaren is not the team for you and you know this.”

Daniel scoffed, eyebrows twitching, “Did Zak tell you to say that?”

It was a rhetorical question, but Daniel noticed the way your bottom lip quivered. He caught the way your eyes dropped from his, even just for a split second. There was something unspoken between you, something that weighed on your mind and Daniel stepped forward, wanting to know what exactly it was. 

“Zak-” you started, reluctant to even say this. “-he doesn’t know I’m here. I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not supposed to talk to you or anyone about it, not until your announcement comes out.”

Here meaning Daniel’s flat in Monaco. The place you spent more nights at than your own. You played it off by saying his view was better but that was such a bullshit answer. Daniel’s flat always felt more like home than yours ever did. 

You had formally met the Australian driver a few years ago, but god did time fly. It was at a race in Monza. You could pretend you didn’t know the date but of course you did, you had it memorised. September 3rd, 2020. There was no way you could forget the day your life changed for the better. 

Or possibly, for the worse. It was up in the air at this point. 

You were new to the Formula 2 series. The only female driver on the grid as you raced with Prema alongside Mick Schumacher. F3 proved to be quite a successful stint for you and you had your eyes set on the coveted Formula 1 series. You wanted to be in the big leagues. 

Daniel saw that. He saw how determined you were to not only make waves in Motorsport, but to make something of yourself. You trained just as hard, if not harder than the other drivers in the junior series and Daniel had seen that for a while. He was often surprised to see you at the hotel gym, already working up a sweat when he walked in at a little after 6am. He would be even more surprised when he saw you there in the evening when other drivers went and called it a night or even went and celebrated. 

Your race weekends were the same as F1 weekends, but you just had limited ones. It was a shorter season, less intense, but whenever you were there. Daniel saw you. He saw you and he paid attention. He even rooted for you, very publicly as well whenever he could, despite the two of you never having exchanged a word. 

The first time you heard about Daniel cheering you on was after the Monaco race, quite early on into your first season. You qualified 7th, not ideal for a track like Monaco where the opportunities to overtake were far and few between, but somehow you did it. And then you did it again. And you could say it was luck but it was really smart strategy and an insane amount of driver skill that had you finishing fifth. In Monaco. 

Those were Daniel’s words. He was asked pre-race if he watched the F2 run and he said of course. He said he “wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” wanting to see what you could do this weekend. 

“It’s not luck, she’s incredibly talented,” Daniel had told the Sky Sports reporter. “She’s doing big things in the series, and I’m rooting for her. Truly. It’s rare a driver comes around with such raw natural talent, where you look at them and you know racing’s just in their blood, but it’s in hers. I would love to see her in Formula 1 one day.”

You watched that interview clip about twenty times. Daniel Ricciardo, the Daniel Ricciardo who had won Monaco a few years back, was complimenting you. He was rooting for you. 

It wasn’t until Monza, nearing the end of your season that he finally approached you. 

“I want to work with you,” Daniel said, straight to the point. You were in the middle of stretching in the hotel's fitness centre. It was only Thursday, the race weekend itself had barely started but Daniel knew he’d find you in there. 

You pulled your airpods out and looked up at him in the mirror, “You what?”

“I want to work with you,” Daniel repeated, this time sitting down on the floor next to you. He kept your stare in the reflection. “I’m not a trainer by any means, but I want to work with you. I want to see you in Formula 1.”

You were flattered, honoured really, but you didn’t know what that entailed. “Work with me how?”

“Well, regular fitness training for starters,” he said. “But managing, really. I want to help you with everything that it takes to move up. Media training, mental preparedness, finding sponsors, getting you in touch with the right people. Let me help you, Y/N.”

You weren’t sure what brought this on. Part of you was convinced it was because he knew this would look good on his behalf. If you did make it to Formula 1 and Daniel’s name was attached to yours, he’d look like a genius. A hero. He would be known as the first person from F1 to publicly support you. 

But that wasn’t what it was at all. When you agreed and accepted his help, you soon came to learn that Daniel didn’t want to be in your spotlight at all. He found the opportunities that you needed and then stepped back. He didn’t mention to the media at all that he was helping you, he didn’t see a need to. He saw your potential and he truly wanted to help you make something off.

So there he was during the off season, meeting you in London where you resided. He trained with you, set you up with the right people, did weekly check-ins, he really was like a sort of manager. 

He was there during pre-season testing the following year, literally. He stood in the Prema garage like he was just another member of the team. No one really questioned it, not when you said he was acting as a mentor to you. Everyone loved Daniel’s presence there and he was told he was welcome whenever. 

He was there during race weekends whenever he could find time in his own busy schedule. He was never there during the actual race, needing that time to prepare for his own, but he always watched from his drivers room or had someone in his ear updating where you were and what was happening.

He was there in Silverstone, when you crashed during Saturday's Sprint Race.

It was one of the last sessions of the day, Daniel had already finished qualifying and he was standing in the back of your garage, arms crossed over his chest, eyes glued to the screen. 

He was the first voice you heard when you spun, losing the breaks in mere seconds and all you could do was brace yourself for the impact of the barriers. 

“Tell me you’re okay.” Daniel’s voice came through your radio. Not your engineer, not your team principal. Daniel. “Say something, sweets, tell me you're okay.”

Sweets, he called you. But only ever in private, or in front of close friends. What started as a joke when you complained about him not having any sweets in his flat the first time you visited in Monaco, stuck. 

But everyone had access to the team radios. It could be heard by other engineers, other teams, fans even and those watching at home should F1TV choose to broadcast it.

Of course they did. They aired the exchange for everyone to hear and it spread like wildfire. It was all anyone on social media could talk about. 

“Say something, sweets. Tell me you’re okay.” 

“I’m okay,” you sputtered out, hands shaking as you unclenched them. It was an instinct to pull them off the steering wheel and tuck your arms to your chest, physically bracing where you could. 

“Good,” Daniel breathed out a very obvious sigh of relief. “Good.” He paused, and then with a quiet chuckle added, “What the fuck was that then?” 

You laughed in response, needing the humour at such a traumatic time. You had crashed before, but this was a bad one. You didn’t even need to step out of the vehicle to know you were lucky to not feel any immediate injuries, but there was a ringing in your ear and the adrenaline was preventing you from really understanding the damage your body had sustained. 

It wouldn’t have helped, though, to have gotten an earful, not like it was your fault anyway. It also wouldn’t have helped if you were asked again and again if you were okay. The more people asked, the more stressed you would grow. Daniel knew you needed a bit of lightheartedness at this time. 

“No brakes, Danny,” you answered through a soft laugh.

“That just sounds like an excuse to me,” he muttered, the sarcasm evident even through the crackling radio.

“Are you going to continue to question my driving abilities or are you going to send medical out here to help me?”

That whole interaction went viral. From the radio message, to the clips of Daniel accompanying you to the medical centre, to the photos of the two of you smiling in the paddock despite the bruising on your body, the concussion you were diagnosed with and the instruction from the doctor that you were not stable enough to race on Sunday.  

Which sucked, to put it plainly. But you were with Daniel. He made the situation bearable. With his arm around your shoulder, he walked you to the car at the end of the day, having waited with you the whole time. 

People speculated, of course. Questions were asked. 

Why was Daniel Ricciardo paying such close attention to you? Why did he get over the radio when he crashed? Why did it sound so flirty? Had he been in your garages the whole time and no one noticed? Was he a mentor? A friend? More?

You had put out a statement when you got to the hotel, thanking everyone for the kind words and well wishes. You shared that you would not be driving on Sunday and you also shared that you were thankful for the support of Daniel Ricciardo, your mentor, who reminded you that even the best of the best crash out sometimes. 

Mentor, you publicly called him That’s what he was, right? Or trainer. Or Manager. Or friend, really. There were a lot of words to describe his relationship to you. 

People online didn’t believe it. They thought there was more because, who looks at each other like that if they’re not fucking? 

But you weren’t. Honest to god, that line with Daniel was never crossed. You never even considered it. Always content with his companionship and his advice, you didn’t want anything physical or romantic. 

At least, you thought you didn’t. 

Daniel dragged you into his room instead of letting you go up to yours because you were under strict instructions to not be left alone for the next twelve hours should the concussion worsen. 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said, handing you a glass of water. “I know I joked over the radio, but I was worried. It wasn’t a pretty crash.”

“Are any crashes pretty?”

He sat down next to you, closer than normal considering when he rested his arm over the back of the couch, his fingers were within the distance needed to play with the strands of your hair. 

He sucked in a breath through his teeth, “I guess it depends on the driver. I make the crashes pretty.” 

The comedic gasp you let out as you clenched your chest had him laughing. 

“Daniel Ricciardo, are you calling me ugly?”

“Don’t twist my words!” He exclaimed, eyes squinting as his smile widened. “I said I was pretty.” 

You hummed, “You pretty much said I made the crush ugly.” 

“I didn’t say you were ugly,” Daniel playfully tugged on a strand of your hair. “You’re not- I mean, you-”

And then the humour faded. He met your eyes, his hand fell to your shoulder. He was still smiling but it was the sort of gentle smile one wears when they figure out the answer to a question that had been eating at them for a while. 

Something clicked for Daniel. At this very moment. 

He wasn’t going to let it escape him. 

“Pretty doesn’t do you justice,” Daniel told you, voice lowering. “You’re breaktaking, Y/N. On the racetrack, at home, at events, you put everyone around you to shame. And it’s not- it isn’t just your appearance, it’s you. Everything about you. Your heart, your charisma, the way your eyes light up when you smile but only if you’re talking to people you like,” he chuckled, having experienced it first hand and having seen the way you don’t look nearly as pleased when someone you dislike approaches you. 

You were speechless, though. Frozen where you sat as this admission came out of seemingly nowhere. 

And Daniel was attractive, that was an undeniable fact, he was everything anyone could ever want in a man. But you never allowed yourself to look at him the way other people would. He was your trainer, manager, mentor, friend. 

You had no words to explain the way he was staring at you now. Nor could you explain why it made you feel more alive than driving a racecar at inhumane speeds ever could. 

Daniel took another breath, eyes never leaving yours. “You are unlike anyone I have ever come across and I know, in my lifetime, I will never find someone who could ever compare to even a fraction of who you are.”

There was no way you could continue to be just friends after those words passed his lips. 

You kissed him. You had to. It wasn’t like there was anything you could say that would match what he had already said, nor could you even find the words. 

You kissed him and Daniel pulled you onto his laps, your legs moving to straddle either side of his hips. His hands roamed your body, sliding up the Prema shirt you still had on as your tongue roamed every possible inch of his mouth. 

His hand gripped your waist, rolling you over top of him so you could feel in a matter of seconds how this conversation had now taken a turn. His cock started to harden, constricted by his pants, but you still felt it underneath you each time he shifted, each time you grinded against him. 

When you reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it off, Daniel leaned back, both of you taking that second to catch your breath and question if you were really going to do this.

“Is this a mistake?” You whispered, your thumb gently tracing over his lips. Your working relationship was perfect. This could ruin everything. You had fears, doubts, worries. One night could lead to dozens of complications. 

But Daniel shook his head and all of those thoughts vanished.

“No,” he said, sounding so sure of himself with that one syllable. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life but you are not one of them.”

That was the only validation you needed. You kissed him again, more lust, more passion, than before as Daniel stood up, carrying you towards the bed at the back of the room. He dropped you down on the edge of it, smiling at the squeal that escaped your lips.

Daniel wanted to worship you every way he could. He was gentle with you, with your body, as he dipped his head between your thighs, making you feel a wave of euphoria that no one had ever brought you too before. 

It wasn’t until you were begging for more did Daniel realise he didn’t need to be gentle the entire night. He slid two fingers past your folds, lifting his head and hovering his body over yours, wanting to feel your desperate breaths hit his face as he rapidly thrusted his digits in and out of you, your walls clenching around him.

When he attached his lips to that spot on your neck, his teeth pressing against your skin, you saw stars. Daniel’s motions didn’t let up as you came around his fingers, loving the way your legs shook and how you dragged your hand through the hair on the back of his head.

He was cautious about doing anything else, knowing you were injured, he didn’t want to overstimulate you or cause any more pain. 

But you needed him. You reached for the zipper of his pants and tugged it down, telling Daniel you wanted this, as if the way you looked up at him didn’t already make that perfectly clear. 

He was careful when he entered you, patient. The tip of his cock slid past your folds slowly and he kissed your collarbone so gently you almost didn’t feel it as you adjusted to his size, quiet moans emitting from the back of your throat. 

He had praised you before, but only ever at the race track, so there was something so familiar yet so foreign about the way he whispered against your skin. It lit a fire within you.

“You take me so well, sweets,” he fought back a groan as your walls tightened around him when you clenched your legs. “So good for me.”

It was safe to say the dynamic between you two changed after that night. 

Daniel adored you already, admired you greatly for your achievements and growth in the sport. But now he fought with himself every weekend, knowing that he couldn’t touch you how he wanted. He couldn’t show you the attention he so desperately wanted. He couldn’t kiss you when you got that podium in Belgium, despite finding a way to sneak out of the pre-race duties for a second to run to the barrier to be there for you with the rest of the Prema team. 

Whatever was going on between you, it was unlabelled and it was private. The rest of the world didn’t need to know you were sleeping with the man you looked up to, the one who helped you become a great athlete in such a short period of time. 

People continued to speculate. You were private, sure, but you weren’t overly careful. 

You were seen landing in Monaco over the summer. You were spotted hanging out with Daniel on plenty of occasions. Even though you kept your hands off of each other and refused to act like anything more than friends out in public, you were different when you returned after the break. You both were. Everyone noticed. 

Daniel was, if it was even possible, happier. And you were less stressed it seemed. While you were still fighting a constant battle of being the only female in F2, it no longer seemed as heavy because the weight of it wasn’t just on your shoulders anymore. Daniel was there too. 

It wasn’t just physical, what you had. The emotional connection you shared was undeniable. Daniel was always there for you, and you, him. During the bad days, the good ones, and everyday in between. 

When you finished the season 5th in the drivers championship, the only person you wanted to celebrate with was Daniel. He was so proud of you. He watched you go from finishing 13th last year to 5th. He played a huge part in that, but when you tried to tell him that, he only brushed it off, saying that it was all you, he was just happy to be there for the ride. 

It was his idea for you to test drive for McLaren at the end of the year, too. ‘We’ll get you in a real F1 car’ he said. And you didn’t question it when the offer was brought forward to participate in a few practice sessions. It was exhilarating and terrifying and you cried tears of joy when you stepped out of his car because this was what you dreamed of. Driving a Formula 1 car. 

Now you just needed a permanent seat and Daniel wanted that for you too. He was your biggest supporter, and you only grew closer as the days went on.

You met his family over the holidays. He spent New Years Eve in London with you. 

When the season started again, he spent more time with you and Prema. When there were no scheduled F2 races during F1 weekends, you accompanied him in the McLaren garage. 

At this point, quite a few people knew you were together, or at least they assumed it.

You didn’t post about it, you didn’t want to, you didn’t need to. Daniel didn’t need to show you off, nor did you feel obligated to let everyone know you were with him. What you had was private, it was sacred, it was only for the two of you. 

But of course whenever you had a good performance, whether it be from a practice session, qualifying or a race, he’d share your celebration picture to his Instagram story. 

“Would you ever do a shoey?” Daniel asked you one Tuesday night, zooming in on a photo of you, more specifically on the smile on your face as you clenched your second place trophy from Imola on Sunday. 

You rolled your eyes but the smile was impossible to hide as he came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, tugging you into his chest. 

“Next time you win,” Daniel suggested with a laugh. “I expect a shoey.”

“I’m not Australian.”

“You’re dating one, sweets.”

You never actually discussed what you were. The term boyfriend-girlfriend seemed so childish. Dating was, in a sense, accurate, but again, there were no labels. He had your heart, you had his. That was the only thing that mattered. 

“The world doesn’t know that,” you pointed out. 

“They kind of do,” Daniel kissed your cheek, giving your side a squeeze as he stepped aside to help you prepare dinner. 

You weren’t even sure when you fell into such a domestic lifestyle but there you were, practically moved into Daniel’s place in Monaco at this point  and he was at your side, chopping carrots for the salad while you prepared the chicken breasts. 

“A shoey would confirm it,” you glanced up at him, but the smile on his face told you he wasn’t completely against the idea. 

Daniel stepped behind you, fingers playfully pinching your waist, “Just think about it. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I just reckon it would be entertaining for everyone.”

He didn’t bring it up again, not even when you got third in Spain and didn’t do it. It was your first time getting a back to back podium since you started racing and of course it was something to celebrate, but the idea of a shoey made your stomach churn. You weren’t sure if you were ready for the world to know about your commitment to Daniel. 

You walked a thin line, being with him. And while you enjoyed every possible minute spent with him, you knew the world was cruel. The second you officially went public, you’d lose respect in the motorsport industry. 

The only female F2 driver dating an F1 driver? How scandalous.

Despite the rumours, the correct rumours, you were still in a bubble with him. You could pretend you were just friends, close friends. The tabloids had nothing to go off except your polite interactions and maybe a little too friendly smiles and so what if you were there in the McLaren garage cheering him on? 

You were his biggest supporter and he was yours.

But it didn’t help that while your performance was improving, his was rapidly declining. While you had less races than his, already your stats were better. You qualified in the top 5 for the first three races. You finished second in Imola, third in Spain, already better than how you started the season last year.

Monaco was next. Daniel loved Monaco, you both did. Everyone did, it was the pinnacle of Formula 1. 

It was unfortunate that your weekends ended up so drastically different. 

Daniel qualified 14th and then finished 13th. He wasn’t proud of it, but he did his best to hide his disappointment for you, especially since you were starting on the front row, P2, for the feature race. 

And somehow, you won. 

After trailing behind Drugovich for the majority of the race, you were starting to believe you would finish behind him too. And you probably would have, had there not been a safety car almost six laps after he boxed for fresh tyres, giving you the advantage of newer tyres and less wasted time. It was a strategy your team was banking on, waiting for a safety car. It was risky, but it paid off. Overtaking was nearly impossible with Formula 1 cars, but you had a better chance in your series and somehow, by the grace of god, you did it. You pulled ahead and swiped the lead from Felipe. 

You made history that weekend. The first female F2 driver to not only podium, but to win at Monaco. You gripped that first place trophy so tight your hand turned red. 

Usually, F2 didn’t draw nearly as big of a crowd, but this weekend was different. Everyone was a fan of the series after that performance, a fan of you. You saw people in the crowd wearing Red Bull gear, Ferrari merch, McLaren hats, and they were all applauding you. 

Of course, you were blown away by the support. Hearing your national anthem play was an incredible sound. There were tears in your eyes and your entire body was trembling, yet somehow you managed to find Daniel. Right in front, with your team. 

He was so proud of you. 

Despite his shitty qualifying, despite knowing he had such a low shot at earning points at his race that was in just under an hour, he was there for you. You couldn’t tell if he was cheering the loudest, or if you were just so prone to finding him in a crowd that you couldn’t process anything or anyone else. 

You weren’t sure what came over you, but once you grabbed the champagne bottle, you found yourself taking your shoe off as well. As Felipe and Théo started spraying their bottles in celebration, you poured the bubbly liquid into the sole of your racing shoe and lifted it up to your lips, pointing directly at Daniel who couldn’t believe what he was watching. 

It was rancid, as you figured it would. It was champagne out of a sweaty shoe, you knew it wouldn’t taste good, but it was a shoey and it was for Daniel. Felipe patted your back, laughing at your reaction and muttering something about how Daniel would get a kick out of that. 

He was right, but Daniel wasn’t the only one who found it entertaining. 

Your name was once again trending following the Monaco Grand Prix. Not Checo’s, even though he won the F1 race. Your name. 

Not that you really cared that night. How could you care about what the internet was saying when the man you were with told you that he loved you for the first time? Nothing online mattered, not when Daniel took your face in his hands and told you he was madly in love with you. He was proud, he was happy, he was in love. 

And you knew you loved him too. You had known this for a while. Monaco was just the perfect time to say it. 

After going about as public as you could without physically coming out and saying you were dating the Australian driver, Monaco was the perfect place to tell him you loved him. You were on cloud 9, you were making history, you were in love. 

You continued to deny, or at least ignore, the rumours that followed, still. You both did. You were in love with each other, not the whole world. Things would get complicated if you announced you were dating. You were vying for a Formula 1 seat and you wanted it without Daniels’ influence. 

But at the following race in Baku you were asked similar questions. 

“Your shoey last week, did that have anything to do with Daniel Ricciardo being there to cheer you on? You two have gotten pretty close in the last few months, he’s one of your mentors, isn’t he?” 

You shifted your weight to one leg, wondering what the fuck kind of post-qualifying question that was. You had just completed three back to back podiums, you were on a hot streak now, starting third at this next race and the reporter only cared about what happened at the podium celebration last weekend.

“Sorry, did you have a question about this week's race?” You asked, and when he stammered over his words, you just nodded and walked away, a tight smile on your face. 

Daniel’s conversation went a bit differently. 

“Y/N’s shoey last week, we all saw it. Was that your influence?”

“Yeah I never thought she’d actually do it, it was sweet,” Daniel laughed. “It was great though, I happily pass the tradition onto her.”

“She’s really come along in Formula 2 since she started back in 2020, do you think she has what it takes to be Formula 1’s first full-time female driver?”

“Absolutely,” there wasn’t a shred of doubt or hesitation. He was happy to talk about you, to explain to the rest of the world why you were up and coming and should be taken seriously as a real contender for a Formula 1 seat. He probably would have continued on if his PR rep hadn’t pulled him away, reminding him of other duties.

The next few races were similar to your first ones. A couple more podiums, some outstanding qualifying sessions, more history being made. Your phone was blowing up weekly, everybody wanted to talk to you now and you knew Daniel had something to do with it. Him constantly sharing the faith he had in you did wonders for your reputation. 

You might have been on top of the world, but you were well aware you were alone up there.

Daniels’ performances were anything but newsworthy. He had gotten a few points in Austria and France, but nothing to be extremely proud of, especially when he compared his 9th place finish at the Red Bull Ring to your first place podium, making it your second one this season. 

He never let his disappointment for himself and McLaren stand in the way of your achievements. In fact, you didn’t often speak about the races when you were together. You were aware Daniel was having issues with the team, with Zak, with the car, but he didn’t want to weigh you down with his own problems, even though you assured him time and time again you could handle it. 

Really, if Daniel had come to you with his struggles, you would have thought twice when Zak Brown approached you prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix. You probably would have slammed the door to your drivers room in his face if you knew how Daniel was being treated at McLaren. 

But Daniel held his cards close to his chest while Zak laid his all out on the table.

“If a spot opened up for you,” he said, after spending the last ten minutes talking about the rich history of the team and praising your accolades. “Would you consider it?”

It wasn’t an official contract, just the start of a conversation that could lead to one.

Of course you thought of Daniel. And Lando, having grown close with him simply through Daniel. 

“For 2024?” You asked, knowing both of them were set to continue driving through to at least the end of 2023. 

“No,” Zak shook his head. You didn’t like how harsh his tone had turned, having no remorse for what he was about to say. “Daniel’s contract would be ending early.”

You leaned back in your chair, fingers tapping the table as you tried to recall Daniel ever telling you that he was leaving McLaren. “Is he- he wants out?”

“It’s mutual,” Zak assured you. “He knows we can’t give him the car he wants and unfortunately, he’s not delivering what we need. We had high hopes with Daniel, but the working relationship isn’t what any of us thought it would be.”

It’s mutual. Those two words was all it took to convince you that Zak Brown and Daniel had already had a conversation about this, about terminating the contract a year early. 

It didn’t help that Zak brought up your test sessions in the McLaren from last year, pointing out that you had better times than Lando, even. He went on to praise what you were doing this year at Prema and said, multiple times, that you would be an asset to McLaren should you choose to go that route.

And who were you to turn that down?

A team principal of a Formula 1 team wanted to sign you. Was it unfortunate that it was Daniel’s seat? Yes, obviously this situation was less than ideal, but he wanted out. You were convinced he wanted out, that he was done with McLaren. A 45 minute conversation with Zak Brown convinced you of that.

You should have been wary when at the end of the conversation he said, “Don’t tell anyone about this, yet. You know how the public can be, let’s just keep this to ourselves for the meantime.”

“But I can talk to Dan, right?” You asked. 

Zak knew you were dating Daniel, it was a little harder to hide that from his team than it was the rest of the world. Maybe that’s why hesitated before answering, knowing that keeping a secret, something as big as this, from a partner had the potential to cause chaos.

But he shook his head, “Between us, yeah?”

And you listened to him. You wanted that Formula 1 seat so of course you followed orders. 

You desperately wanted to talk to Daniel about it, but you knew you couldn’t. And either he sensed that something was off, or he was dealing with his own problems again and wouldn’t share, you really couldn’t tell when the summer break started and things just seemed…different. 

You didn’t go to Monaco for starters, even though Daniel invited you to. But there were so many meetings with Zak and the board at McLaren that it made more sense for you to stay in London for the start of the break. 

Daniel didn’t call as often and you wanted to give him space, knowing that this break was probably needed for him. You expected he was out with friends, letting loose, getting the weight of a horrible season off his back even if just temporarily. 

The plan was to go to Monaco for the last week and a half and then travel to Belgium together. You had to delay that plan, however, when Zak called you and said it was official.

The 2023 seat was yours. 

You wanted to celebrate, with Daniel, but how could you celebrate with the person you were replacing?

It was strange that Daniel had said nothing to you about leaving the team during the summer break, especially since Zak had said time and time again they were on the same page, that Daniel was ready to leave. The only thing that crossed your mind was he was given strict instructions to not say anything to anyone either, at least until McLaren went public with the news. 

But with it being official, with you having just signed on the dotted line, you were tired of keeping it to yourself. You may not have been able to share the news with anyone else, but you had a right to have a conversation with Daniel about it.

You didn’t know how he would react. Surely he’d be happy for you, right? You were getting a seat in Formula 1, something that both of you desperately wanted to happen. And again, you were under the impression the departure from McLaren was mutual. He would be happy that someone he loved was taking his seat, right?

Right?

You had to tell yourself that the entire ride over to his place. You unlocked the front door to his building and took the elevator up to the fourth level. You didn’t think to knock, knowing he never locked it when he was home so you pushed open the door and stepped in, your suitcase trailing behind you.

You were happy to see him. He was always a breath of fresh air, despite the odd distance between you, you still loved him. You always would. He muted whatever was playing on the screen and stood up from the couch when he heard you walk in.

Usually, Daniel would greet you with a kiss.

Usually, he’d be smiling so hard his jaw would be hurting.

Usually, he was happy to see you.

You left the suitcase by the door and met him halfway, only he stopped walking when there was about a foot of space between your bodies. To you, it felt like you were still miles apart.

“Do you have something you want to tell me?” He asked, arms crossed over his chest. 

Your heart sank. 

You had convinced yourself, Zak had convinced you, the whole back of house team had convinced you, that Daniel was aware of this upcoming change. That the termination was mutual. You taking his seat might have been a surprise, but it was never supposed to be a blindside.

“What do you know?” you asked. 

“What do you know?” Daniel repeated the question back to you.

You were both fully aware of the exact same information. Daniel was leaving. You were taking his seat. Only, you had been informed this much earlier than he had.

“What was I supposed to do?” 

“Not take the seat,” he scoffed. “My god, I mean, they’re cutting my contract early, Y/N. For you.”

“For the sake of the team,” you said and then added, “You don’t even like McLaren. You’ve struggled with this team since day one.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to stop racing.”

“McLaren is not the team for you and you know this.”

Daniel scoffed, eyebrows twitching, “Did Zak tell you to say that?”

“Zak-” you started, finding it difficult to hold his stare. This wasn’t the Daniel you knew. “-he doesn’t know I’m here. I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not supposed to talk to you or anyone about it, not until your announcement comes out.”

He rubbed his hands over his face, taking a few steps away from you. It hurt, watching as he tried to physically distance himself from you. Like being in too close of proximity would set him off.

“I struggled with the team, yes, but I’m not ready to give up racing. You have now left me without a seat.”

It was easy for Daniel to blame you, you were standing right in front of him. You were quite literally the driver set to replace him.

But the real villain was Zak, for not having opened up this line of communication earlier. For making you believe everyone was on the same page. It was Zak’s fault for rushing to end the contract with Daniel instead of putting in the effort to work with him. He saw the shiny new toy that was you, that Daniel helped create, and he wasn’t going to let someone else take it first.

Daniel wanted to blame himself too, but he wouldn’t let himself think about that until much later. He was the one who did everything he could to help you grow in this sport. He was the one who introduced you to Zak and the rest of the McLaren team. He was the one who got you in the car for the practice sessions, his car. Foreshadowing at its finest.

“You are unbelievable,” Daniel spoke quietly, heated with anger but his words were like ice as they sunk deep into you. “After everything I’ve done to help you for you to betray me like this, I just- I don’t think-”

You knew where this was going and you wanted to put a pin in it before he could finish any of his thoughts.

“Don’t finish that sentence, Daniel,” you whispered. “Please. Please, we can figure something out.”

“There’s nothing to figure out,” his mind was made up. “You took my seat.”

“Wouldn’t you rather it me than someone you don’t know? Someone you don’t trust?” You tried to turn this around, have him look at the positives, if there were any. “Daniel, everyone on the grid loves you, you’ll find a new team. One that helps you grow and get to where you want. McLaren isn’t that, we both know it.”

“I think you should go,” was his only response. 

“If I hadn’t signed that contact, someone else would have,” you pointed out, grasping at straws here, painfully honest straws, but straws nonetheless. “Piastri, O’Ward…McLaren had options, Dan. Aren’t you at least happy for me that I out-qualified all of those guys?”

Daniel actually laughed, “You want me to be happy for you? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Dan-”

“Leave.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“You need to,” he was stern. He was angry. He was done. With you, with the team, with everything he used to love and cherish. He was done. 

You thought you knew Daniel. You thought you knew how this conversation would play out. You figured it would still be rocky, but god you now realised how naive you were to believe you could still make things work. 

“I love you,” you told him, because what else could you say except remind him that you were so hopelessly in love with him, that he was all you would ever want in life. 

Except, that wasn’t exactly true, was it?

You wanted a seat in Formula 1 too. You just never thought you’d have to sacrifice one dream for the other. 

Daniel’s stare was cold. He only looked away for a second to nod his head towards the door behind you, “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have done this.”

You stepped forward, desperate at this point because how could he do this? How could he throw away what you had, over a seat?

Or was it you, who had ultimately thrown away what you had when you sat down with Zak Brown all those weeks ago?

It pained you to think about the strong possibility of that being the case.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, because you were. You were sorry about how this turned out, how he was betrayed, how this was coming to an end. You grabbed hold of your suitcase and nodded, backing up towards the door, “I really am sorry, Dan.”

He didn’t believe you. Why would he? In his eyes, Formula 1 was more important to you than he was. A career decision that benefited you, but ruined him, mattered more than your relationship. It was a bold move, a cold move, one that you didn’t think would lead to this.

Neither of you could have predicted this. On September 3rd, 2020, when Daniel first said he wanted to work with you, neither of you thought it would end like this.

Just as you grabbed the handle of the door, Daniel opened his mouth, wanting to get the final word in. And you really wished he hadn’t because those final words destroyed you. 

“I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life, but I never thought you would turn out to be one of them.”

You said nothing. You walked out of that Monaco flat with your head low and your heart even lower. You couldn’t even be excited about the next season, or the remainder of this one where you had the potential to finish in the top three. 

You weren't happy, you were empty, you were defeated. And painfully so, you were also still in love.

Despite what was said, you knew it would take a while to get over Daniel. He was your rock for so long, he was always there for you and even though he could disappear without so much as a second thought, your feelings couldn’t, the memories couldn’t. It would take a long time until you felt whole again.

You didn’t know it yet, but the decision to take that McLaren seat would haunt you as you moved forward in your career. 

This was not going to be the last time you ever saw Daniel. 

stay tuned for part 2

Mini Norris. (Lando Norris)

Lando has a son, so that makes you a step mom. Fluff.

Note: Baby fever??? Yes. YN has a dog in this for plot reasons. REQUESTED.

Warnings: usual swearing. NOT EDITED.

When Lando told you about Toby.

Lando could be childish. He didn't worry much about it. He liked to have fun with his friends and do the things he liked. He was a young man and he was enjoying it. And I loved that from him, his carefree nature was one of the things that first caught my eye when Max introduced me to him. I loved how he took me to one of those places full of trampolines on our first date. So I wasn't expecting him to say those words on our fifth date.

"I have a son". He said after grabbing my hand tight.

I looked at him for long seconds, processing what he had just said. Lando Norris, the F1 driver, a young talent, the future of F1, had a son. I was kind of taken aback.

When his eyes fell down, I felt something snap in me. I pulled his hand a bit and he looked up again.

"I... I wasn't expecting it. Sorry."

I had always felt a little awkward around kids. It never felt natural. I didn't know how to speak to them or handle them. It was just too weird.

"Yeah..." He was looking sad, maybe he was expecting another reaction from me, wich I completely understood. I had just looked blanked at him.

I swallowed the knot in my throat.

"What's his name?"

Lando smiled a bit.

"Toby. He is four." I saw his cheeks getting pink and his eyes brilliant and my heart made a backflip. It was love what his eyes showed.

I did fast maths in my head. The kid was born in 2018 then. Just before he started his F1 career. He would have been 19 by then and...

"You can leave if you want." He muttered.

Once again I had made him doubt.

"No! Why would I?"

He left my hand on the table and leaned back on the chair. I felt my chest grow tighter.

"I... Other girls have left. That's why I waited for telling you".

I felt my heart sink. He looked utterly sad.

"Lando... It took me with the guard down. But I'm ok. I don't want to leave because you have a son. I like you a lot and I would be a bitch if I did."

He looked at me. Lando had a huge heart. He was the sweetest boy ever, he loved to take care of his people. And thinking that someone could be cruel enough no leave him just because of a kid broke my heart.

I was scared. A kid was a big deal. I was too young and sometimes I even forgot to put my food out of the freezer. I didn't know if I was ready for this. The idea of having kids of my own terrified me.

"I need time, Lando".

I saw his throat bobbing as he nodded. "As a break?"

"No! Shit. I need to choose my words better" I reached to grab his hands again. They were huge compared to mine. "Time as to let the idea sit, you know?"

He nodded again and started fidgeting with my fingers.

"I wanted you to know first. Then... I would obviously love you to meet him. He is like the most important thing in my life and I like you so much. But I can give you space. And time. All the time you want"

I smiled a bit. He liked me a lot. I felt like an idiot, like a teenager in front of her high-school crush.

"Thank you, Lando". I took his hand to my lips and left a kiss on there. My heart was beating so fast that I was sure he would be able to hear it.

"You may have a lot of questions, do you?". He said smiling at me.

"A bunch of them".

"I will try to answer all of them."

"Ok, but show me a photo first. I want to see how Toby looks" I said patting his arm excitedly.

He looked at me for a few seconds and smiled happily. I could see how much relaxed he was now. It wouldn't be easy. I would need to learn so many things, it would take time, but I wanted to do it.

"Here. This is on his birthday with a car my mum gifted him"

He showed me the photo and I covered my mouth. "Oh my god, Lando. He is so cute, look at him". With light brown hair and big green eyes, Toby was a copy of his father. "Lando he just looks like you! Oh god, he is so adorable".

Lando looked at me with a huge smile and leaned to kiss me sweetly.

That night I learned that Toby's mom left only a couple of weeks after he was born. Lando told me when wasn't ready for being a mother, she was scared and that she was doing good now in a new country. He told me about how difficult it was at first, how still was, with his whole career starting. Luckily, his parents had helped him. The kid would stay with them when he was away, they put so much effort into helping him and his son. He also told me why I haven't heard anything from Toby. There weren't many people knowing about him. Only his closest friends and other drivers knew Toby. The fans and the media were always all over him, they scrutinized everything he did. He didn't want to expose him like that.

When you met Toby.

Lando and I had agreed to meet in the park. Almost three months had passed since he told me about Toby and we were official now. Boyfriend and girlfriend. I could be happier, he was just the perfect boyfriend.

Today I was extremely nervous. I always felt awkward around kids and Lando had told me how shy Toby was. I was really scared that he didn't like me, so Lando proposed to meet in the park so I could take my dog Cinnamon with me. Toby loved dogs, so that would give me some points.

With the leash in my hand, Cinnamon happily sniffing the air and a bag with homemade cupcakes, I walked around the park looking for the spot where we met. I saw them on the grass playing with a ball and my heart started beating faster. I could feel the anxiety in the pit of my stomach and my knees getting weaker as I got near.

"Hi, guys!" I said trying to sound as good as possible.

Lando stopped in his tracks and looked at me. A huge smile appeared on his face. He looked good, his backwards cap and hoodie will forever be my favourite look on him.

"Hey, YN!" He stopped the ball with his feet and touched Toby's shoulder. Then he signalled me to wait for a second. Lando crunched down next to the kid and talked to him in a hushed voice. Toby nodded a couple of times and looked at me through the corner of his eye. Then he gave a hug to his dad and kissed his cheek. I could have melted then.

"Ok, come here Toby." Lando took his son's hand and I walked to them. Cinnamon, who had recognized Lando, was moving her tail and barking once in a while.

I looked nervously at Lando and he smiled.

"YN, he is my son Toby. Toby, she is YN. The girl I told you about."

I crunched down to say hi but Toby hid behind his dad's legs, nuzzling his face on Lando's trousers. I looked at Lando and Lando looked at me. This is what scared me, the boy not wanting to meet me.

"Toby, buddy. You just promised you would say hi" This was a different version of Lando. His voice and his posture were different, even the look in his eyes.

The little boy said no with his head and grabbed into Lando's clothes. I felt my heart sinking. Maybe it was too soon for this. I bit my lip.

"Toby?" I spoke softly, I didn't want to scare him or something.

And then I heard a little sniff. He was crying.

"No, Tob..." Lando was fast grabbing him into his arms and cuddling him to his chest. The boy circled his neck with his arms and sobbed on his neck.

I felt tears in my eyes too. I had made him cry.

"Toby. There's no need to cry. YN just want to be your friend." Lando looked at me and saw me also on the verge of tears. He gave me a pleading look as if asking me to not cry. "She is so nice. She even brought Cinnamon with her!"

He was slightly rocking the kid in his arms but he didn't move.

"Ok, just take your time, buddy." He sighed.

He sat on the grass still with Toby tightly cuddled on his chest like a little koala and patted the spot next to him to make me sit too. I did and then he leaned to give me a kiss, which I gladly accepted.

"He is just a bit shy". Lando said with a little smile and kissed the bo's hair. "But he will want to play with Cinnamon soon, right? Because Cinni is a really good girl and loves to play catch." He was looking at me with a smile and with eyes telling me to just follow him. "Right, YN? She loves to run around the backyard and play with kids". "She does. She even made me bring her favourite ball". I said with flushed cheeks. I had never been good at talking to kids.

Toby was not crying anymore. He wasn't moving either. He was sure listening to us talk.

"And her treats? Did you bring her treats to make her roll in the grass?" "Mhm, a bunch of them. We can try to see if she wants to give us a paw too." "I would love that, YN".

Slowly, Toby turned his head to me. His eyes were red and puffy and his cheeks were wet.

Lando looked at me and moved his eyebrows. I smiled. "Oh, were you hearing, Tob?"

He nodded and looked for Cinnamon with his eyes. The dog was laying at my feet glaring at other dogs.

Lando let the kid pull away from his chest until he was sitting on his lap. His green eyes were on the dog the whole time and he seemed to be thinking about what to do next.

Lando dried his tears with the sleeve of his hoodie. I couldn't stop looking at them. They looked so alike. Lando was super handsome and Toby was super cute, probably too tiny for his age. But so was Lando as a kid.

"Hey, do you want to play with Cinnamon?" He asked softly as he ruffled his son's curls a bit. Toby bit his finger and look at his dad, then at me for long seconds. I wasn't breathing. I felt that if I did, he would cry again. "Toby, if you want to play with Cinnamon you have to say hi to YN first, ok?"

Toby looked at Lando and nodded. Then he turned his head to me and I waited.

"Hello, YN"

He had the sweetest voice and the cutest accent.

"Hello, Toby. Nice to meet you" I said smiling.

"Can I play with Cinnamon, please?"

I gasped and looked at Lando. How a messy guy like him had raised such a polite boy like Toby?

Lando laughed a bit.

"Of course, you can, Toby." "Go and meet her, c'mon."

Lando said moving his legs a bit. Toby got up from there but grabbed his dad's hand. "Come with me" He muttered.

"It's okay, Toby. I'm right here."

"Cinni, come here. Toby wants to meet you" I pulled softly the leash and she got up.

Toby looked at her excitedly as she walked to sniff him. She was almost as tall as he was. Toby looked at me and then at Lando, you gave him a little pat on the back.

"Can I pet her?" He said with a little smile.

"Of course. Come here, Cinni. Sit" The dog sat between my legs and I reached tentatively. Toby let me grab his hand and pull it closer to the dog's head. "Like this, see?"

He nodded and imitated me, petting Cinnamon's head slowly. She was the happiest dog. "She loves belly rubs too". Lando said to his ear as if he was telling him a secret.

Toby looked at him and covered his mouth laughing. Okay, this was the cutest thing ever.

"Can I give her belly rubs?" "Yeah. Let's make her lay, ok?"

Toby smiled and watched patiently as I pulled the treats out of the bag.

"Here, say lay and then give her the treat" I left the treat on his hand and he did as I said.

"Cinnamon lay". He said with authority and a pointing finger.

Cinni obeyed and Toby let a tiny laugh out. But he didn't give her the treat, so she took it herself. Toby's tiny hand disappeared into the dog's mouth.

"Cinnamon!"

I had grabbed her and Lando had grabbed Toby, but as soon as we did, the kid started laughing and fell backwards. The dog was happily eating the treat and Toby couldn't even breathe because of how much he was laughing. And being Lando Norris' son, he laughed a lot. He even made us laugh.

"She...She... Cinni grabbed my whole hand! Dad!"

"Did she?" "Yes! She wanted the treat!"

Toby became best friends with Cinnamon then. As soon as I gave him the ball, he started throwing it at her, who gently played with the kid.

Lando and I were sitting together, shoulder against shoulder watching them.

"He is the cutest, Lando" I said after long minutes of silence.

"Sorry for that first impression. He gets overwhelmed quickly". "Don't worry, so do I. You have a couple of introverts in your hands".

He pulled my face to his and kissed me. A long deep kiss in which we showed each other love.

"Ew... Don't look, Cinni."

We broke apart laughing. Toby was covering his and Cinni's eyes.

"He is a bit of a clown too, you will see it". Lando said in a low voice.

"Like who?"

Lando rolled his eyes and I laughed.

"Tob! Come here, YN made cupcakes!!"

"Cupcakes?"

"You already have him, YN" Lando said smiling and I blushed.

He ran to us and sat in between our bodies.

"What do you say?" Lando said when I gave them the cupcakes.

Toby bit one enjoyed it and then looked at me. "Thank you, YN. It is desisious."

I laughed a bit and nudged him with my elbow.

"You are welcome, Toby."

"If you are nice, we will go to her house one day and make cupcakes. OK?"

Toby nodded.

I looked at Lando and he looked at me. We both smiled. It had gone good, great even.

When you were alone with Toby for the first time.

"Hi, sorry to call like this... I'm late and I was going to pick Toby up from school. But I won't be there on time. Are you busy?"

I felt something in the pit of my stomach. Toby and I were good friends now. We had been together a bunch of times. But thinking about what Lando was about to ask me made me nervous again. Like the first day.

"No, I was just reading." "Do you mind going to pick him up, please?"

I bit my lip. It was something that would happen sooner or later.

"No, don't worry. I will"

"Thank you". He said sighing. "Do you have the seat?" "Um, yes. In the garage" "I knew it was a good idea."

I laughed a bit. He had left an emergency car seat in my house just in case. And well, this was the case. I had also given him a key to my house, so yes. Things were getting serious now.

"I'll be there in a minute". "You saved me, YN. I love you. I'll call and tell them" "I love you too"

Soon I was at school. A good school outside the city. As I got in, I saw a woman waiting.

"You must be, YN" "Yes, that's me." "Welcome, Toby is waiting with me and Miss Smith."

I had to show them my ID before but as soon as Toby came out of the room he was waiting in, he smiled and say hi with his tiny hand. We were still a bit shy around the other.

"Hi, Toby" He turned around and looked at the teacher. I could hear him whisper.

"She is my dad's girlfriend and she is super nice"

The teacher and I smiled.

"Let's go home, okay?" I said. He came and grabbed my hand, making me smile.

We got in the car and I started driving. I put on some music and laughed when he started dancing.

"YN?" HE spoke for the first time when we had almost reached my neighbourhood.

"Yes?" "Is Cinni at your house?" "Of course, she got super excited when I told her you were coming"

The afternoon had gone so well. He had played in the backyard with Cinnamon, we had baked some cupcakes and now we were watching Cars. Lando should arrive soon, but Toby's eyes were heavy.

"Ey, Tob. You can't fall asleep now. Dad is almost here".

He looked at me and pouted.

"Can you wake me up when he arrives?"

"Oh, honey. You are really tired, aren't you?"

He nodded and crawled to me. I gasped as he laid his head on my lap. "Granny always touch my hair when I'm tired" I smiled. This was the closest he had ever gone. "Can you touch my hair please?"

"Of course, Toby"

He fell asleep quickly. And when Lando came, he was curled in my lap covered with a blanket.

"I can't believe what my eyes are watching".

I laughed a bit and lift my head so he could kiss me. "This is just so perfect" He said before giving a tiny kiss to me. "The poor boy was too tired. He couldn't keep his eyes open". "Thank you for taking care of him". "Hey, I love you, but I love Mini Norris too."

Lando let his head fall on my shoulder and hugged both of us. "Thank you"

Toby moved a bit and opened his eyes.

"Daddy?" "Yes baby, I'm here"

"I had so much fun with YN, today"

I felt my eyes picking with tears.

"Did you?"

"She is so nice"

"She is"

It was as if Toby had forgotten I was there.

"I love her so much. And Cinni too"

Lando looked up at me with a surprised look on his face.

"I love her a lot too"

I smiled and kissed him softly on the lips.

Toby nuzzled then his head on my neck and sighed. We heard a little yawn and the kid got comfortable again with his for limbs around me.

Lando caressed his hair and kissed the top of his head.

"Are you okay with all of this?" He said once Toby was asleep again.

I nodded with a tiny smile.

"So... You want to go from Dad's girlfriend to stepmum?"

"As if I was the villain in a Disney movie?"

"But nicer" He said leaning to kiss me again.

"I think I can get used to it".

I loved Lando with my whole heart and Toby too. He was such and special kid, he had his Dad's personality but also had something they made him shine on his own. Even though I had been so scared at the beginning, it was now something easy. I couldn't just not love him.

"Thank you for let me be a part of this"

I said hugging Lando from his back as he tucked Toby in my guest's room bed.

"I wanted you here from the first moment."

He whispered.

I smiled and kissed his shoulder.

"What's the next step?"

"First race or moving together. The three of us. The one you feel more comfortable with".

He twisted on my arms and hugged my shoulders.

"I'm in for any of them."

"I love you so much, YN"

Mini Norris Pt 2 here

My school works are stressing me out 😭😭😭😭

My 2nd week as a senior high school student and all I can say is that I'm stressed af..

AS IF! ― SERIES MASTERLIST

“Were I to fall in love, indeed, it would be a different thing; but I have never been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.”

― Jane Austen, Emma

Pairing: Modern!Aemond Targaryen x Fem!Tyrell!Reader

Rating: Explicit. Trigger warnings will be placed in 18+ chapters.

“Clueless” inspired. Dedicated to all virgins who can't drive.

Summary: (Y/N) Tyrell lives her life just like an ordinary girl - big mansion, wealthy lawyer as a father, getting absolutely everything she wants. Without any worries of her own, as she keeps boys at a respectful distance, she is the perfect candidate to serve as matchmaker for everybody in town. Especially clueless new girls.

No worries of her own. If only the ridiculously handsome and intelligent Aemond Targaryen hadn't found himself right in the middle of her matchmaking games. And in her house as well, how lovely.

But surely it won't be a problem? She doesn't even care.

Ugh, as if...

COMING SOON

I'm not an Addison Rae fan but Diet Pepsi lives rent free in my head😫🤌🏻✨✨✨✨✨

I badly wanna see a gwayne hightower x velaryon/strong reader fanfic HAHAHAHAHAHAHA it's giving enemies to lovers and forbidden love troupe😫😫😫😫

Tame the Dragon

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 |

Pairing: Daemon Targaryen x Targaryen!reader

Summary: Daemon has asked you to marry him, but you have to wait to talk with King Viserys until Rhaeneyra and Laenor's wedding takes place. As you and Daemon try to hide the affection you feel for one another, everything gets more complicated with you being betrothed to Jason Lannister.

Warnings: I’m not a native English speaker, strong language, incest, mention of sexual abuse, no smut but Daemon is such a tease

Taglist: @disneydaddyevans @mirandastuckinthe80s@xicesam@mariamyousef702@eddiemadmunson @dont-try-pesticide @sweetybuzz25 @hc-geralt-23 @schniiipsel @ttae-yong @syrma-sensei @asiludida164 @kaitieskidmore1 @irmavanity-blog @pax-2735 @trickrtreatart @shanzeyxsyed @random-human02 @scarwicht @xcallmetaniax @instabull

A/N: This part only has Daemon and the reader, I hope you enjoy it!

|Part 6|

Another sob echoed inside the Dragonpit.

Wrapping your arms around your torso, you rested your head against Caraxes’ neck as he laid on the ground with its eyes closed. You, too, was sitting on the ground, your knees pulled against your chest.

The way Jason Lannister had tried to assault you was enough to leave you crying and shaking for the rest of the night, but the way your mother had reacted affected you even more. You caressed Caraxes’ cold, hard scales as you tried to control your crying -you hated how vulnerable you were feeling. But, at the same time, you were burning with rage.

You wanted to take out your anger on someone -on Jason Lannister, to be more precise -but you knew you had to wait for the morning so that the King could decide on whichever punishment he seemed fit. Hence, the only thing you could do was to imagine how it would satisfy you if you could let Virion burn him slowly, hearing the screams of agony.

“Everything could have been easier,” you muttered, you were talking to Caraxes, “if I could just marry Daemon and get the fuck away from all this shit.”

Thinking about Daemon seemed to calm you down a little bit as your crying slowly faded away, leaving its place to deep breaths and, most likely, bloodshot eyes. At that moment, you craved to feel the heat of his body more than ever, for you knew that only he could wash away the stains left by Jason Lannister.

“You make this little game of hide-and-seek rather too easy, Princes.” Daemon’s voice came from behind you, causing you to swiftly turn your head back to look at him. “I suggest you get more creative.”

You watched him as he walked towards you. He was wearing a black vest with a crimson shirt underneath and the shadows caused by the torches on the walls -which didn’t cast enough light to illuminate the space at all -created eerie figures on his handsome face as he kneeled next to you.

Wiping away the tears rolling down your cheeks, you rested your forehead against Caraxes, your eyes closed. “He brings me to ease,” you spoke with a low voice. “I cannot think of a better place but his side when I wish to hide from the nightmares haunting me.”

You could imagine Daemon raising an eyebrow at your words. “The said nightmare being your mother, I assume?”

“Well, she is the biggest of them, that’s for sure,” you muttered as you opened your eyes and looked at Daemon. Some strands of his short, silver hair were curled in way that made them fall in front of his eyes. “Daemon, there is something you should know,” you began to speak after taking a deep breath. “Tonight, Ja…”

Before you could even speak, Daemon placed his right index finger in front of your lips. “I know what happened, Y/N, you needn’t speak those words.” Even though he gave his best to seem perfectly calm, you could easily notice the way his jaw clenched. “Ser Harwin told me.”

Your eyes widened with surprise, you didn’t expect him to hear about the incident so soon. “I… What… Did you do something?” You asked with a low voice.

Daemon moved his right hand to cup your face, his touch was warm against your cold skin. “To that fucking cunt of a lord? I intended to cut off his cock and shove it in his mouth; however, I was reminded that you, Y/N, wished my brother to punish him as he sees fit.” Daemon responded to your question, and it made you realise that his violent side somehow turned you on even during such a time. “Thus, I simply made sure that the pretty blue of his eyes would be wider visible all around his face.”

With a confused expression on your face, you held his left hand and raised it in the air, only to see the bruises on his knuckles. Daemon was watching you carefully as he waited for a reaction. Slowly, you let his hand down and took a deep breath. “I just wanted to drag him down there and let Virion burn him as he screamed in agony.” You confessed, “but I know I should avoid any further political complications -I assume the King wouldn’t really appreciate it if it came to be known that the man, whom he personally betrothed to his niece, has tried to…”

Not letting you finish, Daemon pressed his lips against yours. “I never want to hear those words leaving your lips, Y/N, do you understand?” He whispered in between kisses before pulling himself a little back. Feeling his lips against yours made you realise that you wanted him at that very moment. You wanted to drown the disgusting memories from the night in your desire for him. “What did your mother tell you?”

You followed Daemon as he slowly stood up. “She thinks that I am responsible for what he tried to do to me.” You spat out the words, rage building up within you once again. “She makes me sick!”

“Hey,” Daemon cupped your face with both hands as he leaned into you, his breath caressing your face every time he exhaled. “Y/N, darling, look at me.” You raised your head to meet his violet eyes. “I promise you, I will help you get rid of her and that cunt of a lord, soon, but I need you to at least try to keep your calm until then.”

You gulped before speaking. “I want you, Daemon,” you whispered as you pulled him down into a kiss. “I just want to be yours.”

“You are already mine, Y/N,” Daemon whispered against your lips as he slid his hands down to rest them on your hips. “Only mine.”

Wrapping your arms around his neck, you parted your lips to deepen the kiss. Daemon let his tongue slide into your mouth, causing you to sigh into the kiss as it met yours. Every time he kissed you, the horrors were beginning to fade away ever so slowly as new memories with Daemon took their places.

You could feel the heat between your legs growing while Daemon’s hands wandered around your body.

“Did he hurt you?” Daemon asked, slowly parting your lips. You nodded reluctantly. “Show me.”

Taking a small step back, you gathered your silver hair on your left shoulder, only to expose an ugly bite mark which made the little love-marks from Daemon seem like simple dots. Even though the Dragonpit was dimly lit, the dark purple spot could be easily recognised on your pale skin.

It wasn’t hard to realise how much effort Daemon gave to keep himself calm.

With slow steps, Daemon walked behind you and rested his hands on your waist. Then, he laid his lips on the exposed side of your neck, leaving gentle kisses until reaching your collar bone. You closed your eyes and let your head lean against his chest as you left yourself completely to his kisses. Your breath got heavier each time his lips met the sensitive skin of your neck once more and you could hardly resist the urge to rub your thighs against each other.

“Daemon,” you breathed out his name as he let his tongue touch your skin. “Take me.”

He chuckled against your neck before raising his head to have his lips on a level with your ear. “You need to be more precise with your wishes, Princess.” He whispered, it was obvious that he was, once again, up for teasing you.

Quickly, you turned around inside his arms, your bodies still pressed against each other, his hold firm on your waist. He was looking down at you. “I want you to take me,” you spoke as you rested your hands on his chest. “Here. Right now.”

A smirk found its way to Daemon’s lips. “In front of Caraxes?” he asked while he pointed at his dragon with his head. However, you didn’t really pay attention to him as you raised to your fingertips and pressed your lips against his. He kissed you back, just as passionately as you were, only to part your lips short after. “We’ll miss the dessert.”

“I don’t give a fuck about the dessert,” you whispered as you tried to capture his lips once again, but he clicked his tongue, pulling his head back.

“And you wish to kiss me with that mouth, Y/N?” You rolled your eyes, which made Daemon let out a soft laugh for he loved how impatient you were becoming. With a sudden movement, he pulled you towards him so that your bodies were pressed against each other. “I will take you, Princess, but not now and not here.”

You whined, which brought a cocky smirk to his lips.

“Even though I quite enjoy seeing how hard you crave me, I have rather different plans for tonight which do not involve fucking you in the Dragonpit.” With slow movements, he pushed a strand of silver hair behind your ear, which had fallen in front of your face. “Further, your mother should better be reminded that her fucked-up plan was never enough to tame a dragon.”

You let your look linger on his lips for a while before moving it to his purple eyes. “You think we should go back to the feast?” You asked, only to earn a nod from Daemon. With slow movements, he took out a black, silk scarf from his pocket and wrapped it gently around your neck. Then, he pressed his lips against yours.

The kiss was short but it was full of longing and desire, which left you aching for more after Daemon took a step back. You were already missing the heat of his body. “Come now, we have one more role to play tonight,” he told you, walking towards the exit. “After that, I shall have you in my chambers.” With that, Daemon sent you one last lustful look, “and let the whole fucking castle know whom you really belong to.”