Oscar the Matchmaker: Chapter Eight
Oscar Piastri x Reader x Max Verstappen
Summary: Reader travels back home to see her family with Max and Oscar. Things escalate a bit more then intended.
Warnings: religious things/trauma, sucky parents, talks of sexual activity
Notes: As someone who comes from a toxic church… this was much needed
Masterlist
Normally, Oscar is not a smug person. He doesn't rub things in people's faces (unless it's Lando). But in this moment, he allows himself to be a little smug.
The trio had made their way back to the females home for a weekend of their summer break. The last interaction he had with her parents was in formula two when they’d come to watch a race and got a glimpse of her terrible partners and her kissing around the corner.
He had to hold back his anger when he saw how uncomfortable she looked. Then he expected maybe her parents to do something about it. Instead they ridiculed her. Berated her. Essentially told her the devil had invaded her life.
She just stood there and took it. To the point where he stepped in and pulled her away because she looked distant. Numb to the world.
He hadn’t seen them since, and neither had she. Though he knows they talk occasionally.
Max, on the other hand, has never met them. Oscar had tried to give him a few pointers, but he'd already seen the fire behind his eyes. This was going to be a long weekend if Max had already settled for being an agent of chaos.
The trio makes their way to where their car is waiting to take them. The car where her parent are standing and waiting for them. Oscar wants nothing more then to see them pass out over their daughter and how well off she is. How successful she’s become without them.
She hugs them both when they get to the car. They look uncomfortable with the other two being around. “Welcome home. I thought it was just going to be you?” Questions her father. Oscar and Max both smile and go to shake his hand to introduce themselves, but he doesn’t reciprocate. Instead he frowns. And turns his attention back to his daughter.
“I said I wasn’t coming without them. If that makes you uncomfortable then we can always get back on the jet.”
“It’s fine- just be… decent, please.”
Oscar can hear Max inhale sharply. A look of annoyance crosses his features.
The Aussie is shocked that Max even agreed to such a thing. The entire point in coming here is to go to church with her parents, prove they aren’t possessed (or something like that) then leave. and frankly, max doesn’t seem like the kind of person to try to hold his tongue about his opinion for an entire weekend.
Their things go into the back and they climb into the (smaller then imagined) car. It’s certainly not something they normally travel in, but it feels like cuddling since its the three of them. So- Oscar can hardly complain much.
The majority of the ride is awkward small talk. Max eventually starts animatedly explaining something and in the heat of the moment his filter slips.
“Sorry- we don’t normally talk like that.”
“Good thing I can swear enough for the both of us then.” Max chuckles and the other two in the back start wheezing.
Yeah… it’s going to be a long weekend.
~
The house is relatively standard. Definitely not what they are used to seeing. Or at least, that’s what the female thinks as they they enter the house.
Her room has been emptied. It’s a little heartbreaking since they didn’t tell her. It’s like any trace of her existence has been erased. The bed is bigger then her old one and the room is void of any kind of decoration.
“Home sweet home.”
Max closes the door behind him. “I’m shocked they are letting us sleep together. They aren’t going to attempt an exorcism are them?”
all three of them toss their bodies onto the bed. “You have no idea how glad I am your here. It would suck to do this alone.”
“So- anyone up for purposely being as loud as possible and making the prudes out there think we’re having sex?” Max looks entirely to innocent. But Oscar looks even more so.
“Why fake it when we can do the real thing?”
“You two are terrible.”
The next morning is what she is absolutely dreading. Waking up when it’s still dark outside is not something any of them are good at. Add in that it’s for a religious event- They are rushing around getting ready.
It’s also sucks when they step out of the room, ready to go, the strength to face the inevitable.
“You’re not leaving in that.” Her father looks her up and down and her jaw tightens. The nerve of the man. She’s a fucking adult!
“I mean- she could be naked.” Oscar shrugs. It’s Max’s turn to keel over at a comment made. In reality, he’s not wrong. She wonders if it’s the lack of leggings for a dress that brushes the backs of her thighs. Or maybe it’s that he can see her shoulders.
Her parents start on some tangent that she tuned out about two sentences in. She makes eye contact with both boys. One looks exasperated like her and on the verge of just leaving early. The other is seething. Entirely red in the face.
Max’s hand hits the wall with an unrelenting force. “Sorry, I was compelled by the spirit… of anger! What the fuck are either of you talking about? either we leave here to whatever cult event this is, or we go home. But let her wear what she’s going to wear.”
The car ride is silent. Though she’s glad, because her nerves pick up immensely when they arrive. Max and Oscar pick up easily on her shaky hands. The product ends with her in-between them, the two males swinging her back and forth. She feels mildly like a child, but it’s calming, so she could care less.
The church is dead inside. Only a singular office light on. One that she dreads as she spent many hours inside of it. “Please tell me we’re not here to meet with the pastor.”
Her worst fear are come to life. Sitting on the sofa between Oscar and Max. Her parents on the other side and the pastor in a chair staring directly at her.
“I didn’t think you’d be back, y/n.” The voice she hates makes her shiver when it says her name.
“That makes two of us.”
“Are these your… friends?”
Max clicks his tongue. “Boyfriends.”
“It’s impossible to have two partners.” He sighs. Dissatisfied with Max’s correction. “You can’t possibly have a good sexual relationship between three people.”
Oscar coughs. “I beg to differ.” He shrugs and the pastor eyes him suspiciously.
“And why’s that?”
“I mean if you really want the details- just remember that you asked for it.” Oscar sits up in his seat and leans over his elbows. His hands now clasped in front of him. “Me and Max have a game we play that usually ends up in some kind of unpredictable scenario. I wouldn’t say we fight for control, we just race for it. She’s a bottom through and through and will do anything either of us says so that part is pretty easy. Plus, not to brag, but my rope work is getting better.” There is a few breaths of stunned silence as Oscar sits back into the couch.
The pastor looks at her parents. “Can we step outside for a moment?” Then the three get up and leave.
“That was the most brilliant display I have ever seen.l Max finally lets out the laughter he’s been biting back. “Did you see their faces? Priceless!”
“I don’t think my parents will ever talk to me again after this.”
“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing? All they do is make you feel horrible about yourself. It might not be a bad idea to cut contact for a while.” Oscar draws circles on to her thing. The pattern being one of comfort that he uses often.
“Can we call a cab or something? I am very ready to go.” She sighs.
“Great plan! But first I think we should really piss them off.” Max’s suggestive smirk can’t mean anything good.
~
It doesn’t take the three long to locate her parents outside of the office. They gasp when they see what she looks like. A few lovely hickies down her neck and shoulder. Her hair misplaced in all kinds of directions. They say nothing about it.
“It’s been nice seeing you, but we’re going to head back to Monaco now. Also, please don’t try to contact me again.”
They jump into some kind of lecture, but it’s to late. The trio heads for their ride that’s waiting for them outside the doors
Max, however, takes the opportunity to flip them off as they walk away.
He Comes Home From Tour
A Valuable Patient Of Yours Dies
He’s Your First Boyfriend
He Drops The Lunch You Made For Him
Friends With Benefits
You’re Fearful Of Being Touched
Your Daughter’s First Day Of High School
He Calls You Clingy
Celebrating His Birthday
Baking Christmas Cookies Together
Watching A Pantomime Together
Crisis Talks
He Makes You Feel Bad About Your Weight
Cooking A Meal Together
Celebrating Your Anniversary
He Forgets Date Night
You Break Up, But His Son Tries To Bring You Back Together (Part 2)
Helping Him When He Gets Embarrassed
You Feel Insecure About Your Weight
He Meets Your Parents
Seeing Him After Your Breakup
Headcanons:
Dating Jin Headcanon A-Z
He Asks You Out In College
You Write A Song Together
The Boys Visit Your Newborn For The First Time
Celebrating Their Daesang Award Win
Talking About The Future
You Suffer With Chronic Pain
Coffee Shop!AU
Helping Him To Tie His Tie
You Have Essential Tremors
Winter Mornings
You Think He Likes You But He Gets With A Different Girl
He Breaks Down From A Lack Of Sleep
Remembering When You First Met
Your Daughter Asks Him To Be Her Dad
You’re Admitted To Hospital, But You Don’t Tell Him
Giving Birth To Your First Child
Comforting You When You’re Feeling Low
He’s Scared You’ll Break Up With Him
Fans Are Rude To You At An Awards Ceremony
You Feel Insecure About Money
Surprising Him After Your Surgery
Taking Care Of His Diet
He Proposes
You Walk Out From An Argument
Cuddling You After An Argument
He Meets Your Daughter
Celebrating Your Anniversary
He Helps When You’re Feeling Homesick
He Calls You On Tour
He Calls You By His Ex’s Name
Celebrating Your Daughter’s First Birthday
Looking After Him When He’s Ill
He Comes Home But You Aren’t Around
He Wakes Up But You’re Not There
Exposing His Vulnerable Side To You
Telling Him You’re Pregnant After You Break Up
Attending A Christmas Lights Switch On Together
He Calls You Clingy
You Get Rejected From A Job Offer
Writing Letters For Him Whilst He’s On Tour
Love Letters
Looking After Him After A Long Day
Getting Lost In A Foreign City Together
Coming Home To You After A Long Day At College
You Pick Up On Each Other’s Habits
Helping Your Learn A BTS Routine
You Have A Breakdown From Stress
You’re Scared To Date Because Of The Fans
He Comes Home From Tour
He’s Your First Kiss
You Injure Yourself
You Give Birth To Twins
Looking After You When You’re Ill
Rainy Days
You’re A Tour Guide In A Museum
He Feels Insecure About His Talents
My Puerto Rican Princess
Writing A Song About Him
You Can’t Sleep At Night
Telling Him You’re Gay
Deciding Where You’ll Spend Christmas
You Fall Asleep Backstage Together
Decorating The Christmas Tree
Meeting At The United Nations
You Overhear Fans Being Rude About Him
Taking Care Of You On Your Period
He Comes Home Early From Tour
Taking Care Of Him When He’s Drunk
Looking After Him After A Long Shift ~ Doctor!Namjoon
Helping His Daughter With Her Homework
Simply Just Friends
He Surprises You On Your Birthday
Please Notice
He Takes Care Of You When You’re Ill ~ Doctor!AU
He Accuses You Of Being A Gold Digger
He’s Insecure About His Height
The Boys Find You Crying At A Movie
Telling Him You’re Pregnant After You Break Up
He’s Insecure About The Bond You Have With Your Child
He Gives You His Varsity Jacket ~ College!AU
Going On Your First Holiday Together
Cooking Italian For Him
Helping You With Your Chronic Pain
Your Parents Divorce
You Have A Fear Of Needles
Helping You Through A Hard Time
You Think He’s Cheating On You
He Takes Care Of You During Your Pregnancy
Helping You Cope Through A Stressful Time
Finding That His Hands Are Bigger Than Yours
You Can’t Fall Asleep Without Him
The Morning After The Night Before
Helping You Through A Panic Attack
Going Christmas Shopping Together
He Does Your Makeup
He Faints At The Studio
He Calls You In The Middle Of The Night After An Argument
Watching Christmas Movies Together
You Cheat On Him
He Invites You To Live With Him In Korea
Saying Goodbye At The Airport
Telling Him You’re Bisexual
Taking Your Daughter To Visit The Boys At The Studio
Helping Him With His Chronic Pain
Meeting The Boys For The First Time
Helping You Cope With Your Homesickness
Getting Your Daughter Ready For Kindergarten
Lover
He Feels Insecure About His Height
He Cheats On You
You Get Jealous
He Has A Panic Attack
Falling In Love With Taehyung’s Best Friend
He Meets Your Family
He Takes Care Of You When Your Cramps Are Bad
He Proposes To You
He Feels Insecure About Going Back On Tour
Seeing Him After Your Break Up
He Comforts You After A Breakup ~ Best Friend!Jimin
Filter
You Adopt A Cat
He Finds You Practicing Your Hula
You Cheer Him Up When He’s Down
Doing A Gucci Photoshoot Together
Taking A Trip To Paris Together
Treating Him On Date Night
Kissing On A Rollercoaster
Red Lipstick
Spending Time With Your Family At Christmas
Cosy Nights By The Fire
Taking His Son To Visit Him On Tour
Telling Your Son That You’re Pregnant
Celebrating His Birthday
He Proposes To You
Saying Goodbye At The Airport
Seeing Him After Your Break Up
Taking Your Bubbly Baby To The Studio
Your Child Has Down Syndrome
You Move Out Of His Home
Finding Out You Can’t Have Children
He Likes You, But You Are Already In A Relationship
You Join Him On A V Live
You Get Jealous
You Interrupt His V Live
You Accuse Him Of Cheating
He Introduces You To The Wooga Squad
He Forgets Date Night
You Overhear Fans Being Rude About Your Relationship
Showering Him With Affection When He Comes Home From Tour
Telling Him You’re Pregnant
You Bump Into Your Ex
Having A Fear Of The Airport Because Of Fans
He Says Something Hurtful In The Middle Of An Argument
He Draws Tattoos On You
Meeting On The Set Of A MV Shoot
You Suffer With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
You Dye Your Hair
Making You Walk Home In The Rain
The Fans Find Out About Your Relationship
Red Lipstick
Taking Care Of You After Surgery
Showing You Around Korea
Helping Him To Shave In The Morning
You Have A Secret Podcast Together
He Takes Your Virginity On Your Wedding Night
Helping You Through Pregnancy
Promise
Opening The First Door Of Your Advent Calendar
Arguing At Christmas
Going To A Christmas Market Together
Arguing With You Whilst Pregnant
Looking After Him After A Long Day
Writing Christmas Cards Together
He Gets Protective ~ Brother!Jungkook
Finding Out Your Young Daughter Is Pregnant
Exposure (Part 2)
Your Pet Dies
You Forget Date Night
Meeting The Boys For The First Time
Games Night
He Loses His Wedding Ring
Helping You Sleep Whilst Pregnant
Cuddling Him Back To Sleep
Meeting At A Karaoke Bar
Calling Him On Tour
Telling The Fans You’re Pregnant
He Calls You Annoying
He Gets Jealous
Taking Your Daughter To The Studio
He Finds You Skipping Meals
My Time
He Finds Out You’re Fluent In Korean
Telling Him Your Deaf
You Cook Together
Your Son Ignores His Korean Culture
He Gets Competitive During Games Night
You’re A Writer
Finding Out You Were A Bet
He Takes Your Child To The Studio, Not School
You’re Hesitant With Affection
He Has A Breakdown From Stress
You Discuss Having Children
He Finds Your Tattoos
You Suffer From Depersonalisation Disorder
Spending Time With His Young Family
He Cooks For Your Birthday
Vlogging Your Pregnancy During Lockdown
You Think He’s Cheating On You
Dating A British Girl
Tease
You’re In A Relationship, But He Confesses To You
He Convinces You To Take A Break From Your Studies
He Confesses To You
You Meet During Bon Voyage
He Encourages You To Eat On Your Birthday
He Sings A Song You Wrote On The Album
Headcanons:
Seasons with Jungkook Headcanon
—
masterlist
This is why I don’t tell 99% people im bisexual
↠ spice night masterlist (NSFW) (not up to date)
↠ the HQ!! boys on twitter: #1 | #2
↳ MASTERLIST
↳ MASTERLIST
↳ MASTERLIST
↳ MASTERLIST
↳ MASTERLIST
↳ MASTERLIST
Chapter 1
Map My Heart: A KiriBaku x Male Reader fic Words: 1.8k
a/n: haha there’s angst at the beginning of this be prepared
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(8,036 words) - large
summary -
“You hate me.”
“If you want to believe that, fine. I’m tired of trying to convince you otherwise.”
Trainees Minho and Y/N, rivals for as long as they can remember, try and retrace their steps to where it all started.
requested - 👍
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heyyyy ryyyyy <333
since ur requests are open i thought id go ahead and ask if you're mayhaps open to anything for batmom? i don't have a completely solid idea but maybe smn like batmom has been getting threats or maybe hate or smn from somebody and everyone's reactions and how they get hella protective?
obv no pressure and you definitely do not have to write this
hope you have a great day bb
Heyyyyy, so this grew hands and wrote itself, I hope you enjoy it. It did end up with a lot of backstory.
5.3k words
You knew this would happen. Once your relationship with Bruce got out there would be an influx of love and hate. You also knew that everyone else knew that as well. It was common knowledge than anyone around a celebrity of sorts would experience that.
Of course you did the normal things, turned off most notifications and only looked through areas online you knew would mostly be safe. You blocked tags and and only followed people you knew or ones who didn’t post about drama.
When you did stumble onto hate, you moved on. If someone kept sending you nasty messages you blocked them, when they made other accounts to keep sending the same things, you changed your settings so only those you followed could message you.
It wasn’t something you wanted to deal with but it was something you could handle. Something you started mentally preparing yourself for when Bruce’s attention on you lasted more than 4 dates, even more so when you caught yourself daydreaming about him.
You were not going to let random bitter people on the internet destroy your happiness like they did their own. Your family however, wanted to destroy what was left of your haters' happiness. Something you were trying to curb, but trying to tell a family of vigilantes who considered you the best mom in existence not to destroy your haters was like talking to a brick wall. Over the years, you had gotten used to it. It barely even registered anymore. But there had been a recent influx of the hate and while it didn’t bother you, it bothered the rest of your family. None of them could stand people talking bad about their mom.
While you hadn’t been there while the older ones were young, the second you had introduced yourself to them, you had taken a very important role in their lives. None of them realizing it at first. All of them had gotten used to the random women Bruce brought home that it took a little while for them to realize how important you were.
Dick wasn’t sure at first. Thinking you were just another girlfriend that wouldn’t last long. So he didn’t really interact with you much. Ignoring your existence when it wasn’t too rude, or at least obviously rude. Until one night when he was staying at the manor and had a nightmare about his parents death.
Bruce had an open bed policy. As long as there was still room for him, his bed was open. A policy he had started when Dick had gotten old enough he was worried he wouldn’t be allowed to go when he had a nightmare. Bruce had always reminded all his kids, that nightmares don’t go away just because you’re older and that needing comfort wasn’t something they would outgrow.
The thing was, you were there. Girlfriends didn’t mind when children did it but they never liked it when his adult kids did it. The shaking in his hands and the way he saw them fall in the darkness of every blink told him the only way he was getting any sleep was with someone.
Hopefully he could just slip into Bruce’s side and leave before you woke up. That was the plan until he found Damian on Bruce’s side and you had been pulled closer to Bruce taking up what was left. You moved a little and Dick took that as his sign to deal with it himself until he heard you whisper his name. He hummed so you knew it was him and not some random stranger standing over Bruce’s side of the bed.
“Nightmare?”
“Yeah.”
“Come on.” You lifted the blanket next to you, “Bruce told me you guys come here when you have nightmares. There's plenty of room over here for you.” Dick hesitated for a second before giving in. He needed sleep anyway. You weren’t when you said there was plenty of room, Dick had most of your half of the bed. Once he had settled on his side, facing away from you, he felt you pull the blanket over his shoulders.
“Night Dick, sleep well.” For some reason, that was what did it. Once the tears started they didn’t stop. Silent sobs made him shudder and he felt one of your hands gently rubbing his back. “Oh Dick.” There was no pity in your tone and he found himself rolling over and curling into you. Your chin resting on his head while you rubbed his back.
The next day, he followed you around like a puppy. Your side of the bed became his favorite when he had nightmares and it wasn’t long before he turned to you for general comfort over anything.
Jason met you at his grave. Neither of you exchanged words, but he caught something in your gaze he didn’t quite understand. He also wasn’t sure why you were at his grave either, he didn’t know you when he was younger.
When he saw the Gotham News post about Bruce and Your 2nd anniversary, it brought more questions than answers. Why were you at his grave alone? Let alone longer than a few seconds. It was an odd way to gain more of Bruce’s affections.
Every Tuesday you would be there, leaving flowers and talking softly to the stone. Every time you left, you would smile and nod, the look in your eyes he couldn’t figure out was still there. Every time he would strain to heat what you were saying and only be able yo a few words here and there.
6 months into it, the routine changed. You brought a blanket and Basket with your usual flowers. You did what you normally did with the flowers but instead of talking to the stone you waved him over. When he didn’t move, you stopped what you were doing and looked at him.
“Jason Todd, I have been keeping your secret for 6 months. Helping me spread this blanket and having lunch won’t change it.” He stared at you while you waited expectantly. Eventually when he could get himself to move, he came over and helped. He sat down where you motioned for him too, all while trying to figure out how you knew.
“Bruce mentioned this used to be your favorite when you were younger so I asked Alfred to teach me how to make it. I hope it's up to your standards.” He looked at the plate of food you handed him. It was almost overflowing with food, all of which reminded him of the good times back at the manor before he died. “Alfred also sent your favorite cookies when he heard I would be eating at your grave.” The bag of cookies was placed next to the basket, within easy reach.
“Why?” Was all Jason managed to choke out around the lump in his throat.
“I decided early on in life, no matter who I was with, I would love their family as my own. My grandfather hated my grandmothers side and it caused a lot of pain in all the generations. I decided I would never do that to another family.” Jason found himself back in control enough to start eating.
“So when I started dating Bruce and he told me about you, I decided to treat you like you were my own. Even though I had never met you and you were dead. Most of what that meant was keeping your grave clean and always making sure there were fresh flowers. While I did that, I would tell you everything that was going on.”
“How did you know it was me?”
“Your eyes, they may be a different color but they looked too similar. So I did a little digging and found pictures of your biological pictures to place the face shape it matched. I think however you look more like Bruce then either of them.”
“Are you going to tell them?”
“As much as I would love to. It’s your choice. You’ve been keeping this to yourself for a reason. If I can help you get to a place to tell them, I would love to. But I won’t say a word until you're ready. However, I would like to keep having lunch with you.”
A year later, Jason reintroduced himself to the rest of the family a lot calmer than originally planned and was glued to your side anytime he felt overwhelmed that night. Every Tuesday after that, lunch was scheduled.
Tim was nervous when it came to you. He was still living in the manor so he saw you more than the older two. You always seemed nice and respected his privacy but Bruce was always with you so you obviously would.
It was when he wasn’t around that worried Tim. Bruce attracted golddiggers and they were always mean when Bruce wasn’t there. When you were given a copy of the key, Time braced himself.
Of course he knew that if he told Bruce anything that happened like that, Bruce would break it off. He had always told them that they came first. But he also knew that Bruce liked you a lot. All the other ones Bruce liked a lot that turned out to be horrible, he broked it off. Tim had seen how it had made him upset and he really hated doing that to him. Maybe he could deal with it for once.
So when Bruce left for a business trip, Tim was Expecting the worst. What he didn’t expect was for you to knock on his door and ask if you could join him. When he agreed and stepped back so you could come in. He expected you to go to his bed or his desk chair not, the oversized bean bag on the floor.
“I have a question for you but you can’t tell Bruce yet.” Here it comes. “What would a funny way to tell him I know he’s Batman?” Tim wasn’t expecting that one. “I was thinking a lot of batpuns but his paranoia is too bad for that.”
“How did you figure it out?” You walked him through your process and didn’t say anything as he wrote parts of it down. Once you finished explaining the process for Bruce, you explained any way it was modified in figuring out their identities.
“Who do you think I am?”
“Red Robin.” Tim found himself getting excited.
“You know those notes you leave him in his office?” You nodded. “You should leave those in the Batcave.” You considered it but your thinking was interrupted but Tim shouting.
“No! One night when we’re all in the cave, you could bring some snacks!”
“You just want snacks when he’s lecturing you don’t you?”
“Maybe..”
“Alright, but you have to tell the others so they can tell me what snack they want.”
So Tim slowly and carefully went through all his siblings, letting them know you figured it out, Bruce didn’t know, and what the plan is. Every time he relayed a snack to you he’d watch how carefully you’d write it out to make sure you had it correct or look up recipes if you couldn’t find it in stores.
Two weeks later, Tim was the one who sent the signal in the middle of a lecture everyone was receiving and he got a front row seat to see Bruce’s face when you walked in and handed out snacks before giving him a kiss and telling him to be nice and leaving.
Any other worries were left in the dust when you helped him win the nerf war for the best seat in the home theater. He thoroughly enjoyed his spot next to you while Bruce swore revenge from the other side of the room.
Damian treated you politely but that was it. His mother was still alive and he didn’t want another one, one was more than enough. Not only that, but you were weird.
One time when you were over, you found one of his report cards. Immediately you were praising him. He didn’t understand why, he had basically failed one of his classes with an A-. You should be disappointed like his mother would be, not hanging it up on the fridge and telling people not to touch it. Definitely not taking him out for ice cream and calling him so smart. He definitely shouldn’t be feeling any pride when he walked past it, but he still was.
When he was practicing his violin and Messed up, you were supposed to tell him to stop failing, that he should be better. Not smiling at him and telling him he’s making good progress. You should be telling him that he should have memorized that piece in a day. He shouldn’t be feeling any pride when he finally does memorize it, it took him 4 days to learn it.
When he was struggling to learn a language, you were supposed to tell him to work harder. He could do better, after all, he already knew so many. Instead you just smiled and recommended a break to refresh his mind.
When he snapped at you in Arabic, he expected you to be upset since you didn’t know what he said and it was obviously not something nice. Instead you set the rule that if he was going to use Arabic to speak to you when upset, that he had to teach it to you and if what he said wasn’t something you had learned yet, he had to tell you in english. When he told you what it meant, you didn’t even get upset. He definitely shouldn’t be as excited as he was when you actually started learning.
So many more little things piled up, leaving Damian confused. The differences between how you and his mother treated him was so big he didn’t know how to process it, he liked you and all the little things made him happy in a way he hadn’t really felt. But he still loved his mom, When he had enough of it, he asked you to stop. He still wanted to love his mom. Once again, you did something you weren’t supposed to.
“Oh Damian, I’m not trying to replace your mom nor am I trying to make you feel like you can’t love her or she doesn’t love you. Your mom and I show our love in different ways and its ok for you to love or like both of us. You mother loves you and she will always be allowed in your life if thats what you want.” You weren’t supposed to do that, but Damian was really glad you did.
Barbara wasn’t sure how you would react to her. She wasn’t just Bruce’s kid. She had a loving family she went back to every night. Most people weren’t really a fan of that, one of Bruce’s past girlfriends had some strong and hurtful things to say about it.
When you took her for a day out, she found herself warming up to you but still waiting for the other shoe to drop. One of the new places you had planned to go, didn’t have wheelchair access. Like all the other girlfriends who had done this, she expected you to be annoyed that your plans had to change or you would just leave her outside while you shopped.
You didn’t seem to notice her hesitation, just looking at what was next on your list and starting the trip there. When Barbara stared a little longer at a new movie that was in theaters, tickets and snacks were bought and you listed to all the lore she told you about before it started.
While it had been a nice day, Barbara wasn’t convinced. One day was easy to fake. Sure she had lots of fun, but Barbara was used to fakes when it came to Bruce’s girlfriends. Of course she wasn’t complaining about you being nice, she just wasn’t sure how long it would last.
“Did you hear about that boutique?” She looked up from her food to look at her dad. “That new one that you tried to go to with Bruce’s girlfriend? Well there was a report that it didn’t meet the Americans with Disabilities act and the boutique is in trouble. People are speculating they’ll have to close down.”
Later that night, Barbara looked into it. They were in trouble, pretty big trouble from the looks of it. Towards the end of the article she found the name of the person who reported it, she wasn’t sure who she was expecting. Not you for sure but the Name Y/n L/n took her by surprise and filled her chest with feelings she couldn’t describe.
The boutique ended up closing but a new one opened. Once it was open, you were the first to ask her to go. That weird feeling came back when she wheeled herself up the ramp and through the door you held open for her. Later that night, in the privacy of her room. She decided she liked you.
Steph seemed like she liked you, she acted like she liked you, she didn’t really like you. Sure you were nice, Bruce loved you, the others were warming up to you, but she wasn’t sure how to feel about you. So she stuck with not actually liking you but pretending to.
So when she was around you, it was all smiles and jokes. She wasn’t a big fan of it all but she did it because she knew you were important to Bruce and that was enough of a reason for her. She knew Bruce and the others could see through the act but as long as you couldn’t, that was enough.
When Bruce announced he had to leave for a business trip right before she could hand him the parents visit for one of her AP classes, something the new teacher liked doing. She tucked the paper away. When Tim gave her a questioning look, she shook her head and later swore him to silence.
Every time she heard someone mention their parents were going, she felt a pang of jealousy in her chest. Every time Tim mentioned bringing it up to you, she swore him into silence again. It wouldn’t be the first time no one showed up for her. She was however thankful you wouldn’t be at the manor as much so she didn’t have to pretend to like you.
When the day arrived, Steph was not having a good day. School dragged on slowly. Slower than normal. When school finally ended, she had to sit in the classroom and watch everyone else that was in her class leave and the parents of her classmates show up while no one was there or coming for her.
Someone sat in the seat next to her, she expected another family member of one of her classmates. Definitely not you. She couldn’t return your smile, too unsure of how you found out, the fact you actually showed up, and how she felt about you being there. You leaned a little closer so that the others in the room wouldn’t easily overhear.
“I know I’m not your parent and someone you just pretend to like so if you want me to leave I will. But I figured someone was better then no one. Oh, and Tim wanted me to tell you he didn’t spill. Your teacher called the manor because no one had RSVPed for you and I answered it.”
That night, as Steph showed off all her hard work to you, the charade fell. She actually enjoyed her time with you and the boost of pride as you oohed and ahhed over all her projects and listened to her explain all the little details. That night, Steph realized, she didn’t need to keep pretending. She liked you, until she found out you didn’t like her favorite show but a nerf war solved that.
Cass could tell you were different then the other girlfriends, your body language as you interacted with all of them showed it. However that didn’t mean she knew how to interact with you.
She had learned that she was fairly hard for new people to interact with. She also knew she had trouble interacting with people she wasn’t fighting. So it wasn’t a surprise when it started rocky.
What was a surprise, was when you found out she was still having trouble reading and writing, you stepped in to help. Well, that wasn’t the surprising part, a lot of girlfriends did that. The surprising part was the amount of patience you had when it was only the two of you.
When one method didn’t help, you tried another. Never once did you snap at her or call her a name. Everytime you got frustrated you would stop and look at her, say something along the lines of “If I had as much trouble with this as you do, I wouldn’t want to keep trying. You're doing absolutely amazing! I’ll keep looking for other ideas, but for now, lets take a break and get a treat.”
Cass wasn’t sure why that always made her feel better, but it did. Every treat you brought was something you made just for the tutoring sessions and it always reminded her of what Alfred had told her once. “Something made with love for you will always taste better.”
And when a method that made it a little easier to learn was found, Cass found herself smiling along with your cheers. Bad days where she couldn’t seem to make any progress were always met with the same excitement, cheers, patience, and treats that all the others were.
Cass still wasn’t sure of what to think of you exactly, but she knew she liked you and that you cared about her.
So when Tim saw the new rise in hate, a sibling meeting was called. They all went through each site, blood boiling as they saw what people were saying about their new parent. Plans were made, declarations of war were ready, and anger fueled all of them. Bruce could tell something was going on, but he wasn’t sure what it was and as long as it didn’t get out of had, he wasn’t sure if he had the energy to deal with it.
War was declared in an interview by Steph. The lady was asking questions when the topic switched to Bruce, then you. The reporter was clearly trying to subtly find some dirt on you and Steph was not going to stand for it.
“Oh yeah! Y/n! She’s the best!” She put on her best press face. Trying to hide her anger over the hidden intent. She didn’t have to lie or act when talking about you but the change in the lady’s face going to disappointment when she didn’t get anything she wanted was making her look very punchable.
“She’s always showing up for us and making sure we’re doing ok. If Y/n and Bruce were to break up, I think most of us would go with Y/n.” The way the lady kept trying to get anything really got on her nerves and Steph decided she needed to get out of there before she started using the lady’s face for target practice. You wouldn’t like that.
Cass was the first one to resort to violence. They had asked a thinly veiled question, basically asking if you were a golddigger. So she punched him in the nose and leaned down to flip the camera off. She hated interviews already but that made it so much worse. She hoped you wouldn’t be too upset with her punching the guy though.
Jason, surprisingly enough. Did not get violent… physically. He did however curse one out and threaten him when the reporter implied you were forcing them to say nice things. When the reporter kept pressing Jason broke his mic and told him if he ever heard him talking bad about you again, a broken mic would be the last of his worries. Jason knew you would be disappointed but he had held back, he didn’t shoot the guy like he wanted.
Tim threw his coffee at one reporter because he heard them say you were nothing but a regular person who didn’t deserve any attention. He then took over her segment, threatening the company to air it or he would make sure they went bankrupt. Once he finished his threats, anything he said was praising you name. Telling everyone how amazing you were and how much they all loved you.
Barbara made it a point to bring up everything you did for the community when they tried to throw some shade at you in an interview. She had documents to prove it and hacked their systems to add them into the interview so they couldn’t claim it was fake. She also made sure to run over his foot when she left.
Dick punched a reporter when they tried to ask him what you were really like behind closed doors. He told them the truth, that you were just as good, kind, patient, and loving behind closed doors as you were out in public. He didn’t throw a punch until the reporter disregarded that as asked again because she couldn’t be that good. Dick knew a lecture would be coming once you saw, but he would rather sit through a lecture then let anyone tarnish your name.
Damian spent 10 minutes cursing and threatening a reporter in Arabic when they asked him if you had ever hurt him. When he was done, he told them in english, that if he ever got asked that question again, he would impale them. He knew you were going to make him sit down and translate everything and the general response you would give but he didn’t care, no one speaks bad about either of his mothers.
Bruce figured out what was going on after Steph’s interview. He saw the ones where they assaulted or threatened the reporters and made sure his lawyers were on standby to keep the kids out of trouble. After all, he had seen more than they had.
He had watched as you tried to connect with Dick early on, how you worked hard to try and get somewhere. He had woken up before you when Dick had come in that night and heard how you handled it. He had woken up the next morning to find you holding Dick close, like you were trying to protect him from the nightmares. He had seen how you never turned Dick down when he wanted comfort, no matter how serious or silly the matter, and he had heard your excitement when you told him Dick liked you.
Bruce had seen the way you never missed a visit to Jason’s grave, on a visit of his own, he saw how much care you showed the stone marking it as his lost son. While he hadn’t been sure why it was alway the same time on Tuesday, he didn;t mention it. He felt the way you would sob in his arms after each visit, a year after the tradition started, you always said you had promised not to tell and he watched as you kept that promise even if it tore you to pieces. Once the shock and tears wore off for a little bit, he could see the trust that Jason had in you.
He heard the way you questioned if you should have a key to the manor, you didn’t want to make Tim uncomfortable in his own home, or how you questioned if you should visit while he was gone. Not wanting to stress Tim out when there was no reason too. He saw the way you and Tim grinned at each other when you brought snacks down for all the kids he was currently lecturing. He head the excitement in your voice as you told him about the tour Tim had given you of the Batcave and the shared laughter as you and Tim worked together to win the nerf war.
Bruce saw how you worked to give Damian the affection he didn’t think he needed. He felt you crying in his arms upset over the fact Damian thought you would be angry because he made a mistake or struggled in a class. He heard you practicing your Arabic as you got ready for bed and he watched as you stress paced over whether or not you said the right thing to him about his mother.
He saw how angry you had been when you came back from your day out with Barbara. He had heard your call with your lawyer as you tried to figure out what to do. He saw you going through the laws and making a list to make sure your lawyer didn’t miss any. He heard about the movie you didn’t particularly care about and the lore you remembered in case of another because you wanted Barbara to have someone she could tell all of her favorite things too.
Bruce saw the pictures you had taken from the school night. He heard all the details from you as you praised Steph’s work. He saw the way Steph stopped acting around you and the silly arguments the two of you would get into for fun. He heard the way you would listen to her as she verbally worked out her problems. He saw the way Steph looked for you in a crowd, the way she knew you were there but not where you stood exactly, the thought of you not being there never crossed her.
He saw the way you stayed up late, researching different ways to teach reading and writing. He heard the patience and kindness and you worked with Cass. He saw the way you always made a treat just for Cass to have after each lesson because you wanted to reward her hard work. He heard the way you cried for Cass when she had a bad day and got frustrated with herself because you knew she was smart and you wanted her to see it too. He heard your celebrations when Cass made any progress, no matter the size.
Bruce heard, saw, and felt the way you worked hard to have a relationship with his kids. How you had mourned for their losses, celebrated their wins, and felt their pain. He saw the way his kids blossomed under your care, growing to be better and more confident in themselves. The way you cared for them as if they were your own flesh and blood. So when he was asked about his kids behavior, he said as much.
“Y/n has worked hard to be accepted by them. She’s given so much of her time, effort, patience, and love and never wanted anything in return. She always shows up for them, no matter what the occasion is, big or small, it doesn’t matter. If they want her there, she’ll be there. Everytime they need or want her, she’s there. She never judges them and treats them as if they were her own blood. Of course their upset and lashing out, people are insulting the woman who has cared for them more then most of their biological mothers.”
Later, a clip of you scolding Bruce and all the kids went viral. While you were scolding them over their behavior and making the kids who had reacted with violence or threats write apology letters because asking mean questions does not make it right to respond badly especially when its someone just trying to start drama. Everyone one noticed that there was no actual bite to your tone and no anger when they all refused to stop acting like that. In fact, there was a small soft smile on your face as you shook your head at your family.
COMING SOON!!!
🥊💥KiriBaku x Fem!Reader
🥊💥Synopsis - As second years in U.A, the hero course classes are assigned support students to aid in costume repairs, designs, etc. When a quirkless transfer student from America (you) shows her skill and immense talent in engineering and design, she gets assigned to class 2-A. You spend your days living in the 2-A dorms, working in your very own personal workshop and growing close to all of your new found classmates. But what happens when your unloving, insensitive parents want you back home in America?
•Chapter Index•
🥊💥~1;lost in japan {coming soon}
🥊💥~2;enter:second years at ua! {coming soon}
🥊💥~3;first day plans {coming soon}
🥊💥~4;out and about the town {coming soon}
Tag list is open!!!!
My Masterlist, I am always taking requests: Acotar, My Hero Academia, She-ra, Voltron, Haikyuu, Venom, Kamisama Kiss, Legacies, Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Percy Jackson, Greek and Egyptian Gods.
Will add on with more as time goes on!
———————————————————————————————————–
ACOTAR Lovers of Shadow (Azriel x Fem Reader): Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10
I Make Things (Lucien x Reader (One-Shot): Chapter 1
My Hero Academia Chained To Him (Bakugou x Fem Reader): Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Dabi x Hero In Training Reader: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Love Isn’t An Illusion (TodoBakuReader): Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Black Panther: A True Warrior (M’Baku x Fem Reader (Oneshot)): Chapter 1
She-ra Home Is Where The Heart Is (Catdora(One-Shot)): Chapter 1
word count: 656
genre: fluff, slice of life
pairings: diluc x gn! reader
warnings: none
additional notes: this is my first post so please be easy on me lmao
Want to be tagged in my works click here
The cool evening air felt good against your skin as you walked through Mondstat. The day was long, spent outside the walls running commissions and fighting different camps. All of the running around left no time for your usual stop in with your lover around noon.
Angel’s Share is quiet when you enter, only the noise of glasses clinking every once in a while. You take a quick glance around until your eyes land on the red of Diluc’s hair. He stands tall behind the counter, his usual jacket thrown on one of the bar stools and his sleeves are rolled to above his elbow.
“Angel’s Share isn-” He looks up “- [Name], hello dear.” He sends you a small smile as you step towards him, turning around to grab a glass for you. You observe him as he does so, noting how his ponytail has fallen since this morning, and how tense his shoulders seem even though it is just the two of you.
He places a glass filled with grape juice, his special blend, in front of you as you sit down. You grab the glass and take a sip, savoring the taste as he continues his routine cleaning. You watch him for a moment, appreciating how calm he stands when in only your presence. “How was your day love,” you ask, while leaning your head into one of your palms. Your head tilts towards him as he starts to speak, “it was alright dear. The tavern ran as usual today and, of course, both Kaeya and that pesky Bard were here until I had to kick them out.”
He made a face at the fact, “My patrol this morning was pretty normal, though there are a few Fatui camps closer to the walls that weren't there before.” He takes a quick glance at your face and sees you looking at him already. When you both made eye contact you shoot him a small smile, though the way you were looking at him was enough for his face to heat a little.
He placed down the glass he had just finished cleaning and walked closer to you from behind the bar. He grabbed your hand as he got closer and kissed the back, leaving a slight color to your face as well. “And how was your day dear,” he questions.
He throws the towel to rest over his shoulder and leans forward to rest his forearms on the bar across from you. He watches you as you talk about how busy your day was, apologizing about not being able to stop by earlier that day, to which he shakes his head at.
He watches the way the low lighting of the tavern makes your skin glow, and how your eyes light up as you speak of a Snapdragon you saw in Springvale that reminded you of him. Diluc continues to admire you, quite obviously, until you notice that he has said nothing to what you are saying.
You look at him only to notice that his eyes are set on you, and the most serene expression is on his face as he watches you, lost in thought. “Love-” you question, tilting your head slightly “-is there something on my face?” “No dear, I was just enjoying how you looked as you spoke of your day.”
You turn away blushing, trying to hide your face from his view. He chuckles slightly as he stands to his full height, grabbing your now empty glass to clean it off quickly. You take these few seconds to reign in the color on your face.
You feel a hand on your lower back, you recognise the feeling of Diluc’s gloves. You look at him to realize he has put his jacket and gloves back on. You stand, pushing in the bar stool you were sat on, and take the arm that he offers you. “Ready to go home my dear?”
taglist:
summary: to quote her mentor, it’s been a shit fucking day at the office. she doesn’t want to go home alone, and needs a few shoulders to cry on.
pairing: platonic!mercedes amg f1 team x female reader
warnings: *existential crisis intensifies*. talk of loneliness and romantic problems, anxiety. y/n is very emotional and sensitive. I do a lot of projecting because I just want to be comforted. we jokingly bully paul aron a little bit.
author's note: the only explanation i have for this is sad girl fall
"mr. bonnington?" she shouted, dashing across the factory floor to catch up to the race engineer, a stack of papers in her hands.
peter bonnington smiled at the young intern, taking the sheaf of papers patenting the new suspension system being used in the silver arrows for next season. "mr. bonnington was my father. please, y/n, call me bonno. everybody else does. you're one of us now."
"am i? i just work in legal. i don't even get to travel." she said it jokingly, but it was another reminder that she didn't truly fit in with the team, that nothing she did would make her good enough.
"yeah, and you don't get the stress and jet lag that goes along with it." bonno looked at her knowingly. "you're going to do great things here. just you wait and see."
but y/n didn't fully believe him. she wasn't even a proper lawyer, just the clerk. the glorified errand-girl.
she carried that bad feeling in her stomach all day. while she was sitting at her desk typing reports, watching through the windows as the engineers laughed with each other. while she sorted contracts and blueprints and watched the drivers talking with each other on their way to the simulator room. the junior drivers, kimi antonelli and paul aron, one a year younger than she was, the other two full calendar years and three months. just kids, already more successful and well known than y/n would ever be.
and she realized that she never truly felt like she fit in, and then she was going to go home and sit alone with her feelings over a frozen dinner.
as soon as the clock hit five, she grabbed her backpack and her coat and she was out of the office in a flash, headphones in as she bit back tears.
she made it to the edge of the parking lot before she started crying, sitting down on the edge of one of the decorative rocks. the tears ran down her face and she knew she looked like a fool sitting in the parking lot and bawling her eyes out, but her mother always told her that emotions were better out than in.
she didn't know how long she had been there when something brought her back to the present moment. the press of a paw on her leg, a deep bark that cut through the music she was listening to. the gentle pressure of a hand on her shoulder.
she looked down, taking out one of her earbuds as she reached down to scratch roscoe hamilton behind the ears, turning her head to see the bulldog's owner, the one and only lewis hamilton, standing next to the rock where she was sitting.
"are you alright, y/n? you look upset."
she shook her head, wiping her eyes and trying to regain composure. "you know who i am?"
"of course. we met when your lawyer did that tour of the factory floor."
"i didn't think the higher ups would remember somebody like me."
lewis smiled, taking a seat next to her on the rock, lifting roscoe up so she could hold the bulldog in her arms. "do you want to talk about it?"
"it's been a day, lewis. it's been a day. i'm struggling to fit in here, even though this field placement is literally the dream to me. i've loved this team since before i could walk, and i feel like an outsider every time that i walk through the factory doors."
lewis comfortingly put his hand on her arm. "what can we do to help?"
"i don't know. i think that i'm the problem, lewis. i don't know how to talk to people, and i always think they're judging me behind my back. i'm not a people person, and i think it's just as simple as that."
roscoe whined in her lap, nudging his head into her stomach. she laughed scratching the bulldog behind the ears.
"roscoe seems to like you. and if roscoe likes you, you can't be that bad."
"i'm just lonely, lewis. it's my first year away from home, and i've never been alone for this long before."
lewis was about to say something when another voice cut through the air.
"oi, lewis, mate, what are you doing out here in the cold?"
they both turned around. lewis waved the other man over, and soon enough, george russell was sitting on her other side, a concerned look on his face.
"are you alright, love? you look like you've been crying."
"thanks for the reminder." she sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the cuff of her sweater. "i'm y/n, i work in legal."
"nice to meet you, y/n. i'm george, but you know that already, i bet."
lewis patted her gently on the shoulder. "y/n was just saying that she doesn't feel like she fits in here."
george's eyes widened. "that can't be true. come on now, we aren't that bad company, are we?"
y/n laughed, shaking her head. "i've just always struggled with the social aspect. and now i get to go home and be lonely over a good book and a frozen dinner from sainsburys."
lewis raised his eyebrows. "really? a pretty, bright young thing like you must have someone to come home to."
"you know how it is. you grow older and you lose touch with friends, they move away destined for better things and you're still stuck in the same place that you were before because your anxiety is so bad that you can't bear to move away from home and leave behind everything you thought you knew. this is my first time living on my own. i moved out of my parent's house and into a small little flat that i can barely afford."
she stopped and took a deep breath.
i will not cry in front of the most important members of this fucking team.
"with every day that goes by where i don't meet that person, that person who's going to love me unconditionally, that person who's going to tell me i'm gorgeous and kiss me softly and want to spend the rest of their life with me, i get scared that it's never going to happen for me. i'm scared of being alone."
"woah, is there a party out here that i wasn't invited to?" nyck de vries was bundled up from head to toe against the british fall, the wind ruffling his hair as he shrunk his already small body back into the down jacket that swamped his body. "room for one more?"
"if you can fit on the rock, you're welcome to join us." y/n smiled, grateful for the company as she shifted to create room for the reserve driver.
"nyck'll fit, he's tiny anyways." george laughed as the dutch driver joined the trio.
"fuck off, russell. we can't all be tall. being short is awesome anyways, i don't know what you're talking about. so, what are we talking about? boys? inter-office gossip?"
"how about the ever present fear of dying alone having never experienced being in love." y/n said shortly, pulling the sleeves of her sweater over her knuckles. "yeah, it's a heavy one."
"i'm sorry, how old are you?"
"almost twenty."
"that's way too young to be having an existential crisis like this, mate. you have your whole life ahead of you."
"it will happen when it's meant to. the world has a funny way of working in the ways you least expect it." lewis said gently, taking her small hand in his larger one. "and in the mean time, you have the three of us."
"i can set you up with some of the f2 guys." nyck suggested. "i mean, it's been a while since i was a part of that world, but there's got to be a few of them left around that could help out."
"absolutely not. i'm not sicking an f2 driver on the poor girl." lewis laughed. "you of all people should know how wild they are."
"would you rather i set her up with a formula e driver? i'd say that they're worse."
"what about clement?" george suggested. "i think you'd love novalak, he's a riot."
"he's friends with lando." lewis reminded his teammate.
"right, maybe he's not the best fit for someone so sweet and quiet. paul, maybe?"
"paul is eighteen years old, george." y/n reminded through a laugh. "i'm not dating a literal child."
"what's this about dating?"
at the sound of the team principal's voice, all conversation ceased as the drivers turned to look at their boss. "hey toto." they chorused in almost terrifying unison.
"your drivers are trying to find me a boyfriend."
toto raised his eyebrows. "and they suggested paul? i wouldn't wish that boy on anybody. his brother might be a good fit though. a nice boy with a respectable job on the pit wall."
"leave the poor girl alone, toto." susie laughed, smacking her husband on the arm. "me and angela are the only people allowed to send her on dates, you hear me?"
"yes, susie." the three drivers said in unison, laughing among themselves.
y/n already felt better.
"hey, y/n," george offered. "we were all about to go for a night out, lewis was taking us bowling, we were probably also going to get some pizza or something. did you want to come with us? i'd hate for you to go home sad."
y/n smiled. "actually, yeah. i'd like that a lot."
"come on, then!" susie smiled, helping y/n up from the rock and putting her arm around the younger girl. "you look like you need some girl time."
"oi, susie!" nyck shouted with a laugh. "don't go stealing her from us now!"
and suddenly, even if it was just for a night, she felt like things were going to be okay again.
maybe she wasn't as lonely as she thought she was.
maybe she wasn't on her own after all.