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Prompt 1 — “I may not have meant to fall in love with you, but that doesn’t mean that I regret it one bit”
Book: TRR/OPH
Pairings: Drake Walker x Ava Matheson, Bryce Lahela x Charlie Hawkins
Word count: 2500
Rating: M
TW: Mentions of gun violence, language
A/N: This is a collaboration between myself and @walkerismychoice using the weekly prompts provided by @choicesflashfics As always if you want on or off the tag list, just let me know.
I'll be tagging in the comments, because Tumblr is being Tumblr. 🙄
“Room 436 is right down there on the left,” Charlie directed Ava and turned to head towards her next patient.
“Wait!” Ava grabbed Charlie by the wrist. “Sorry, I’m just really nervous to see how Drake came out of surgery. I know my friend Maxwell is there, but Maxwell is…well you’d just have to meet him to understand. He’s been amazing so far, but he's not always the most calming influence. Do you think …” Ava chewed her bottom lip nervously, “Um…I mean if it isn’t too much to ask, do you think maybe…you could come in with me? I don’t really know what to expect in there.”
Ava’s pleading eyes made it hard to say no, but Charlie was almost running late already. “I wish I could…” Charlie started before being interrupted by her pager. MRI was delayed. Moving your consult to 4pm. “Okay, as luck would have it, I’ve got some free time. I’d be happy to come with you.”
As they reached the door, Ava hesitated. Charlie could see Drake sleeping soundly in the bed. In the vinyl cushioned chair in the back corner of the room sat a similar aged brunette man, more boyishly handsome when compared to Drake’s rugged good looks. She assumed this must be Maxwell. The familiar beep of the vitals monitor was like background noise to Charlie, but between that and the IV lines running into Drake’s arm, she could see how Ava might not be prepared to see him this way.
“You ready?” Charlie asked encouragingly.
Ava hesitated before turning to her new friend with tears threatening to spill from her big blue eyes, “What if he doesn’t wake up, Charlie? Or…or what if he doesn’t remember me when he does?”
Charlie placed a comforting hand on Ava’s arm. “They won’t bring patients back to the post surgical wing until after they’ve woken up from anesthesia. I’m sure he’s just tired, and since the injury was to his shoulder, and he was coherent before the surgery, there shouldn’t be any long term memory loss.” Although these types of things were obvious to Charlie, she understood most people’s medical “experience” came primarily from inaccurate TV dramas.
Ava breathed in deeply and let out an audible breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”
The opening of the door startled Maxwell, who jumped frantically out of the chair. He raced towards Ava and threw his arms around her. “Ohmigod, Ava!” He pulled her tightly to his chest, nearly suffocating her, “He made it through the surgery! He’s ALIVE! DRAKE IS ALIVE! I really, really thought he was gonna die!”
Ava glanced sideways at Charlie. “See what I mean?”
“Hah.” Charlie chuckled. “I do.”
Maxwell frowned disapprovingly. “I’m not sure what you mean by that. But anyhoo, I sure am glad you're back, ‘cause if my face is the first thing Drake sees when he wakes up, he might choose to go back into a coma.” He grinned, “So on that note, I think I’ll go grab something from the cafeteria. Stress makes me hungry. Try not to miss me!” He blew Ava a kiss before leaving the room.
“Does he always have this much energy?” Charlie asked.
“This is nothing, you should see him after a couple cups of coffee.” Ava laughed with Charlie before gathering herself again. She glanced over at Drake, and the smile faded from her face as she took in the sight of her strong, virile man, lying in the hospital bed, hooked up to monitors, his swarthy skin looking pale against the stark white hospital linens.
She turned to Charlie, her trepidation evident in her expression, “Do you think it would be okay if I try to wake him?”
“That should be fine. I’m sure he’ll want to see you.”
Ava took a deep, fortifying breath before moving cautiously to the bed. She perched on the edge and leaned over, stroking his hair softly as she whispered his name. “Drake….”
When he didn’t respond she leaned in closer, her mouth mere inches from his ear. “Drake, please wake up.” Her voice caught in her throat, “Please Drake. I need to know you’re okay. Please open your eyes for me.” She reached for his hand, bringing it to her lips and pressing a soft kiss against his calloused palm. “Please.”
Drake’s fingers closed around hers and squeezed gently.
“Drake!” She cried.
He stirred in the bed and emitted a low groan. Moments later his eyes fluttered open. He quietly observed his surroundings before finding Ava.
“Matheson…you’re okay. Thank God.”
Ava sobbed tears of relief. “Yes, I’m fine …thanks to you. You saved my life.”
Drake reached toward the bandage on his shoulder. “The last thing I remember is seeing a man dressed all in black... he was pointing a gun at you. I ran toward you…but I was afraid… “ He looked up at Ava, his expression haunted, “I was so afraid I wouldn’t make it in time. I was afraid I was going to lose you.”
Ava shook her head, smiling through the tears that were freely falling down her cheeks. ”You dove in front of that bullet for me. You could’ve been killed.” She gave him a stern look. “You’re such an idiot. Don’t ever do something so stupid ever again!”
“I’d do it a million times over for you, Matheson.” Drake gave her a crooked grin, “Besides, you didn’t fall in love with me for my common sense.”
“True. It was definitely the abs.”
Drake’s amused expression suddenly turned to one of panic. “Wait…the others…Liam…Savannah…”
“All safe.” She assured him, “Liam is in a safe house until the palace is cleared by security. Savannah is with Bertrand and Barty in Ramsford. Kiara and Bastien were injured, but they’re going to be fine.” Ava’s voice wavered, “But Constantine…”
Drake didn’t need her to finish, he could tell from her expression that the King had been killed. He closed his eyes for a moment.
“I'm so sorry, Drake.” Ava whispered as she squeezed his hand, “I know he was like a father to you.”
“Do we know who did this?” Drake asked angrily as he struggled to sit up. He winced as a searing pain shot through his arm.
“Hey. Shh.” Ava placed a calming hand on his chest, pressing him gently back onto the bed. “Bastien has his men investigating, so you don’t need to worry about any of that now. The important thing is that we’re all okay. Right now all you need to focus on is getting better.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door and Dr. Lahela entered. “So how’s my favorite patient doing?”
He paused, startled to see Charlie standing beside Drake’s bed.
"Dr. Hawkins, what are you doing here? I didn't see you listed on this case?"
Charlie waved him off. "No need to act so professional. We're all on a first name basis here."
Drake scoffed. "Not all of us. Other than the white coats that lead me to believe you’re both doctors, I don't know who either of you are."
Bryce turned his attention to Drake, giving him a megawatt smile. “Dr. Bryce Lahela. We met earlier when I was digging a bullet out of your shoulder.” He winked, “But if your anesthesiologist did her job correctly, you probably don’t remember any of that.”
Drake gave him a long appraising stare before turning to Ava. “Jesus Christ. You let Malibu Ken operate on me?!"
Bryce shrugged. "I usually get Magic Mike, but Malibu Ken is a good one."
“Magic Mike?” Drake sighed, “Do I even wanna know?”
“Long story.” Ava and Charlie said in unison and then broke into conspiratorial giggles.
"I met doctor Hawkins…er Charlie, in the cafeteria.“ Ava explained, “She noticed how upset I was and sat with me for a while while I waited for news about your surgery. Charlie assured me you were in the very best hands because she knew the surgeon personally.”
"Look at you making fast friends, Charlie." Bryce remarked. "Looks like I'm not the only charming one in the relationship."
"Oh shove it, Lahela." Charlie responded and Drake raised his eyebrows. "I can talk to him like that because he's also my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend and number one surgical resident at Edenbrook." Bryce added with a grin, “And thanks to you, Mr. Walker, I’m also front page news. Move over Magic Mike, the surgeon responsible for saving a member of the royal family has entered the arena.”
“Sorry to break it to ya,” Drake grumbled, “But I ain’t royal.”
“That’s not what the Cordonian Times says.” Bryce grinned, “Or the Herald. In the annals of time you will be remembered as a beloved member of the royal family, and I…Dr. Bryce Lahela, will be immortalized as the, and I’m just paraphrasing here, ‘The exceptionally skilled, wunderkind surgeon who brought Drake Walker back from the brink of death.’ They forgot to add devastatingly handsome, but I’ll let that slide.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“No.” Bryce quipped, “But I appreciate the comparison.”
Charlie rolled her eyes at him. “Did you just stop by to practice your stand up routine, or were you actually going to check on your patient?”
"I'm here to check on my patient…because, in addition to my actor-slash-model good looks, I'm also an incredibly talented and dedicated surgeon." Bryce peeked under the shoulder of the hospital gown to check on Drake's bandage. "You'll thank me in a few weeks when you see how well your scar is healing, but everything looks good for now. I'll come back and check on you tomorrow morning. Care to walk me out Dr…Charlie?"
"Are you good now?" Charlie asked Ava. When she nodded in confirmation, Charlie smiled and followed Bryce out of the room.
Once in the corridor, Charlie shook her head at Bryce. "You know you could have dialed back the ego a tad in there. A good bedside manner is still important for surgeons, even though your patients are asleep most of the time."
"He called me Malibu Ken. I can tell he's a bit of a sarcastic asshole himself. It was just some friendly banter."
Charlie rolled her eyes. "Let's hope he did take it that way, because Ava and I are planning on us all hanging out together soon."
"Hmm, I suppose I could be up for that. As long as I'm still the 'hot friend' in this situation." Bryce flashed his bright white, toothy grin.
"Oh, shut up!" Charlie pushed Bryce playfully.
"You know you love it." Bryce looked both ways down the empty hall before pulling Charlie in for a too-brief kiss. Upon his release, he patted her on the ass, nudging her in the direction she needed to go. "Now get back to work, so I can see you tonight."
—
Once they were alone in the room, Ava turned to Drake. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, Drake Walker.” She chided softly, “You promised me a life together and I take promises very seriously.”
“Hey. I jumped in front of that bullet so you could keep up your end of that promise. Without you, there’s no happily ever after.”
Ava leaned down to press her lips to his, letting all of her gratitude and love pour into the kiss. “Ava…” Drake began before pausing to clear his throat. He wore a serious look that put Ava instantly on edge.
“Are you okay?” She asked anxiously, “Are you in pain? Do you want me to call the nurse?”
Drake chuckled. “Relax. I’m fine.”
Ava looked unconvinced.
“Hey.” He said gently, “I promise. I had “the wunderkind surgeon” work on me, remember?"
He let his voice drop to a deep baritone. "Drake Walker, A man barely alive. Malibu Ken can rebuild him. We have the technology. We’ll make him better than he was before. Better -- stronger -- faster."
Ava giggled, “More sarcastic.”
“Impossible.” Drake smirked. “But I really am fine, so you can stop worrying about me, okay?”
Ava nodded. “Okay, I’ll try.”
“Good.” Drake smiled, “Because the only thing I want you worrying about right now is what time of year you want to get married. I was thinking Fall…but Spring could be nice too.”
Ava’s eyes grew wide. “Wait…what? Drake, what are you…”
Drake cut her off. “We also have to consider what kind of wedding we want. Liam will naturally want us to do the whole big, formal fucking spectacle bullshit deal, but if we decide to go a little more low-key, we could have the ceremony at the Ranch in Texas…Hell, we could just elope if tha…” Drake’s monologue was cut short when Ava threw herself into his arms, raining kisses all over his face.
“Oh my God, Drake! Yes!! Yes yes yes!!!!”
“Yes what? I haven’t asked you anything. I’m just thinking out loud…”
“I’ll hit your bad arm next if you don’t say the words … right now!”
“You’re so bossy.” He smirked, “Not gonna lie, it’s kinda hot.”
“Oh my God, really?” Ava rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her amusement. “You’ve been conscious all of fifteen minutes.”
“I got shot in the shoulder not my…”
“Drake!”
“I was going to say heart!” He gave her a mock offended look, “Get your mind out of the gutter, woman.”
“Ugh! Can we please get back to this wedding conversation?”
“Were we talking about weddings? I don’t remember. Must be these damn pain meds…”
“Drake!” she cried.
He chuckled as he reached for her hand. Suddenly nervous, Drake gazed down at their clasped hands for a moment before taking a deep breath and raising his gaze to meet hers.
“Ava Matheson. I fell in love with you the second I met you. “ He paused, “Which really kinda pissed me off, because I really wanted to hate you. Plus my best friend was also in love with you, so, y’know… that was a whole thing.”
“I’m just too damn lovable.” She shrugged coyly, “It’s my superpower.”
“It’s very annoying.”
“I know. Now you were saying…”
“I was saying … that I may not have meant to fall in love with you, but that doesn’t mean that I regret it one bit.” He smiled gently as her eyes began to well with tears, “I love every single thing about you, even your goddamn sunny disposition.”
She giggled.
“I love how your smile brightens my whole day, no matter how crappy it might‘ve been. I love how I can gauge your mood just by what shade of blue your eyes are. I love your laugh and how adorably infectious it is. But most of all, I love your heart and I still can’t believe you let me into it. I want to spend the rest of my life proving to you that I’m worthy of your love. Ava Matheson…will you marry me?”
“OH MY GOD!!!” Maxwell shrieked from the doorway. “OMIGOD! OMIGOD! OMIGOD! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! DRAKE PROPOSED!!! ! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVERRRR!” He waved one hand in the air, “I mean, except for the terrorist attack and y’know, Drake getting shot and all, because that royally sucked…but other than that… BEST DAY EVER!!! WHOOT WHOOT! DRAKE AND AVA SITTIN IN A TREE K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love…then comes marriage …then comes Ava with a baby carriage!” Maxwell did an MC Hammer dance around the room until he reached Ava. He swooped her up in his arms and swung her around and around until she started to feel slightly queasy.
“Max put me down!”
When her feet were once again on solid ground, Ava reached out to grab the guardrail on Drake's bed as she waited for the room to stop spinning.
“You had coffee, didn’t you Max?”
“Only 3 cups.” He grinned. “AAAAHHHH!!! I just can’t believe you two are getting married!“ Although to be honest, it’s about freaking time you two came clean about your feelings. I knew you guys had a thing all the way back in Lythikos for goodness sake. You were NOT as subtle as you thought you were.” He gave an exaggerated eye roll before another burst of excitement overtook him and he shimmied in place.. Omigod! I’m just so freakin’ exciteeeeeed!!!!”
“Technically…” Drake raised a brow at Ava, “She hasn’t said “yes” yet.”
Maxwell rounded on Ava, his eyes wide. “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!” He asked indignantly, “The man just poured his heart out to you! HE STEPPED IN FRONT OF A BULLET FOR YOU! What in the world are you waiting for??”
“I did say yes!” Ava laughed…”Before he even asked. You missed it!”
“WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!” Maxwell cheered. “MY BEST FRIENDS ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!!!”
“Hey Beaumont?”
Maxwell turned to Drake, who crooked a finger, beckoning him closer. Maxwell approached Drake's bedside and leaned in close.
“What is it, buddy?”
Drake grabbed the front of Maxwell's shirt and pulled him down until his mouth was next to Maxwell’s ear.
Ava shook her head, smiling through the tears that were freely falling down her cheeks. ”You dove in front of that bullet for me. You could’ve been killed.” She gave him a stern look. “You’re such an idiot. Don’t ever do something so stupid ever again!”
Seriously annoyed me in canon that MC's tone was on this only gratitude. Yes, it means a lot that he would do that, but if she loves him, the fear of losing him is going to be the dominant emotion, at least until she knows he's going to be okay. We should have been able to express that, and I always love seeing it in fics.
So Connie was killed in the first attack, and he was like a father to Drake?! I see we're departing further from canon than just getting Drake proper medical care. I’m intrigued. Those headlines are interesting too.
Charlie rolled her eyes at him. “Did you just stop by to practice your stand up routine, or were you actually going to check on your patient?”
Hahaha, I love her. She's just what Bryce's cocky ass needs. 😏
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Because we've both been out of the game so long, and have really missed writing, my good friend (she was actually my very FIRST friend on this hellsite 😋❤️) @walkerismychoice and I have decided to motivate each other by writing together using our LI's and MC's from different choices books. I'll be using Drake Walker and my MC, Ava Matheson from TRR, and Maggie will be using Bryce Lahela and her MC, Charlie Hawkins from Open Heart.
This story will hopefully be the first of a weekly series of one-shots using @choicesflashfics prompts.
We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it! ❤️
Prompt 3 — “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?”
Book: TRR/OPH
Pairings: Drake x Ava, Bryce x Charlie
Rating: M
TW: Gun Violence
“Little Blossom?”
Ava’s eyes flew open.
She was momentarily disoriented, caught somewhere between a memory and a nightmare. But as her eyes focused and she took in the institutional green walls and naugahyde seating of a hospital waiting room, the crushing reality of the evening’s events came flooding back.
***
Ava! Get down!”
Drake’s warning was the last thing she heard before his body slammed into hers, knocking her to the ground. She screamed as a bomb exploded nearby, raining chunks of rubble down all around them as the acrid smell of gunfire burned her nostrils.
“Drake?” She cried, “Drake, we have to get out of here!
He didn’t move.
“Drake!“ Ava began to panic as she felt the warm, sticky dampness of his blood seep into her ballgown. She reached out to press her hand to his cheek and his eyelids fluttered open for just a moment. He gave her a small smile.
“I love you, Matheson.” He mumbled faintly as his eyes closed once again.
“NO! Drake, wake up! Please, baby. I need you to wake up!” She tried to wiggle out from underneath him, but the weight of his body was too much for her.
HELP!” She screamed, praying that her cries were loud enough to be heard over the chaos around them, “PLEASE! … SOMEBODY HELP US!”
After what felt like an eternity, she felt Drake’s weight lifted from her body. She immediately scrambled to her knees crawling on all fours to where he lay prone on the ballroom floor, his suit soaked with blood.
“Oh my God!” She gasped, “Drake!”
Bastien was kneeling over him, both hands pressed over a wound in Drake's shoulder as he barked out orders. “I NEED A MEDIC AND AN UNMARKED CAR…NOW!”
“Bastien! What’s going on?” Tears streamed down Ava’s face as she grabbed Drake’s hand, alarmed by how cold it felt.
“Terrorist attack. Drake took a bullet.”
Ava looked to Bastien for reassurance, “But…he’s going to be okay, right?”
He wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“Bastien! Tell me he’s going to be okay.” She begged, “Please!”
He finally looked up, and the expression on his face made Ava’s blood run cold.
“The wound is close to his heart and he’s lost a lot of blood.” Bastien’s voice was somber, “If we can get him to the hospital quickly, he might have a chance.”
“Might?” Ava pressed a hand over her mouth and felt her stomach lurch.
No! This can’t be happening. We were finally going to start our lives together. I can’t lose him now.
***
Maxwell knelt down beside the chair Ava had finally collapsed into after pacing the hospital corridors for hours. He placed his hand over hers and squeezed gently. “There’s a nurse here who wants to talk to you.”
Heart hammering in her chest, Ava jumped to her feet, ignoring the pain of her own injuries as she anxiously faced the young nurse standing in the doorway.
“Is he okay?” She asked, “Is he out of surgery? Can I see him?”
The nurse smiled kindly, the rapid-fire questions not phasing her in the least.
“Mr. Walker is still in surgery…”
When Ava’s face crumpled, the nurse crossed the room to place a comforting hand on her arm, “But he has one of our top surgeons working on him, so rest assured, he’s in the best possible hands.” She smiled warmly, “In fact, Dr. Lehela wanted me to let you know that Mr. Walker is out of the woods. The bullet has been removed and they’re just cleaning out the remaining debris. There was some concern about bone fragments splintering off and causing damage to the surrounding heart tissue, but that doesn't appear to have been the case.”
Ava felt her legs go weak with relief.
“Oh, Thank God.”
She felt Maxwell’s arms encircle her and sank wearily into his comforting embrace.
“See, Blossom.” He said, encouragingly, “I told you he was going to be okay. It’ll take more than a tiny little bullet to take him out.”
Ava nodded and squeezed Max’s hand without breaking eye contact with the nurse.
“How much longer do you think it’ll be before I can see him?”
“Once he’s out of surgery, he’ll go to recovery." She replied with a comforting smile. "It’s hard to say how long he’ll be there, as everyone comes out of anesthesia differently, but a conservative estimate would be another hour or two. Then he’ll be settled into a room and can receive visitors.”
Ava nodded and swiped at the tears which were once again sliding down her cheeks. But this time, they were tears of relief.
“Thank you.”
The nurse smiled. “Of course. I’ll come get you when I have his room assignment.”
Ava thanked her again.
Drake was going to be okay. Liam had been unharmed in the attack and Bastien and Kiara came away with only minor injuries. Somehow they’d all survived.
Suddenly Ava’s stomach growled…LOUDLY.
Maxwell laughed. “Okay, now that we know Drake is okay…it’s time to take care of YOU.”
Ava began to protest but Maxwell was already propelling her toward the door. “No more excuses! You need food, or at the very least some coffee, or you’ll find yourself in a hospital bed of your own. Now MOVE!”
Maxwell was wearing his stubborn expression, so Ava knew resistance was futile.
She let him lead her down to the Cafeteria. “I’ll go back up to the waiting room and let you know immediately if I hear anything from the doctors.”
“Thank you.” Ava replied weekly before walking through the cafeteria doors and meandering aimlessly towards the various food offerings.
—--
Charlie checked the time on her Apple watch. Wow, a whole 30 minutes for lunch today, she thought. Typically she was lucky to get half of that. Nobody ever told her the life of a hospital internist would be glamorous, but she still hadn’t been prepared for how tired and hungry she’d be so much of the time. Although they bill residency as a training program for your selected specialty, Charlie swore it was also meant to be a boot camp that only the strong survived. Only one more year and she’d have some semblance of a normal schedule as an attending physician.
“Coffee. Must have coffee first.” Charlie mumbled to herself, taking in the aroma of freshly brewed beans as she marched towards the machines only to be stopped in her tracks by someone hovering in front of them. Charlie went left, but then the woman went left. Then she tried to go right, but the woman shuffled to the right. Her patience running thin, Charlie spoke up. “Excuse me, could I sneak in here?”
“I’m sorry.” The woman spun to face her, and Charlie’s irritation melted away. The woman looked sad and tired for sure, but that was not an uncommon sight for visitors of the hospital cafeteria. There was something about her that drew Charlie in and made her want to comfort the woman. Maybe it was the fact that Charlie could see a little bit of herself in her - definitely not the flawless deep olive skin tone and dark hair, wildly contrasting with Charlie’s strawberry blonde locks and accompanying creamy white skin, but they appeared about the same age, and there was just something there that made them alike. Although Charlie was not prone to striking up friendships with hospital visitors, something told Charlie this was a connection she should make.
“Let me buy you a coffee.” Charlie offered.
The woman looked Charlie up and down, seemingly noting Charlie’s white coat and ID badge. “No, that’s okay. You can just go first. I have no idea what I want.”
“Please, I insist. Free coffee is one of the few perks I get for devoting my life to this place.” They both laughed and Charlie saw the first little spark of life return to the woman’s eyes.
Charlie grabbed two prepackaged sandwiches to go with the coffees and brought them over to the woman who had already seated herself at a cafeteria table.
"Thank you so much…" she glanced at the ID badge again, "....Dr. Hawkins. "I was too much of a wreck to even pick out something to eat. I'm sure you're busy, but would you care to join me?"
Again, it wasn't typical of Charlie to hang out with random hospital guests, but she knew this woman needed a friend right now, and maybe that feeling was mutual. "Sure, I still have about 20 more minutes." Charlie sat down. "But you can call me Charlie."
"Well thank you again, Charlie, I'm Ava."
"Nice to meet you, Ava." Charlie hesitated for a moment before asking, "If it's not too forward, do you want to talk about your loved one here that's got you so worried?... Only if you want to talk about it."
Ava's facial expression grew somber once again. She took a deep breath before letting everything spill out - getting invited to Cordonia on a whim to compete for the future King's heart, fate stepping in when she fell for his best friend Drake instead, and all the political drama and everything leading up to the events that brought her to this particular hospital cafeteria. Despite the tears streaming down Ava’s face, the air about her felt a little bit lighter.
"I'm sorry." Charlie squeezed Ava’s hand from across the table. "This must be so scary for you, but Edenbrook is a great hospital. I'm sure Drake is in great hands. Do you know who his surgeon is? I probably know them or at least know of them.”
Ava pursed her lips in concentration. “Dr, La-....hala? I think it’s something like that.”
Charlie smirked. “Young, kind of surfer boy-esque, and cocky as all hell because he knows how good-looking he is?”
Ava laughed nervously. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Please tell me he’s also a good surgeon.”
“Dr. Lahela can be kind of cocky bastard at times, but I love him. And yes, he’s a great surgeon, and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased.”
“Wait…” Ava seemed to be putting the pieces together. “You like love, love him? Are you two-”
“Yes, Bryce is my boyfriend. I might not have been so complimentary about his other characteristics otherwise.”
They both devolved into laughter until Ava spoke up again. “I like your sense of humor. Sounds like you need it to put up with him, just like me with my….Drake.” Ava quiets for a moment and then asks, “So I take it you two met here at Edenbrook?”
“Well, that’s a funny story.” Charlie wondered if she really wanted to get into this with a relative stranger, but Ava had already shared so much and could probably use the distraction anyway. “We actually met at a strip club, and believe it or not, Bryce was a stripper.”
Ava’s eyes opened wide. “Wait a second. Pause and rewind … what did you just say?”
Charlie inhaled deeply. “Okay, I don’t have a ton of time left on my break, so I’ll give you the condensed version. My med school friends dragged me out to a strip club to celebrate after we graduated. I was in a funk because I’d been recently dumped by the douchebag I thought I was going to marry and to top it off, I was set to be in my awful cousin’s weeklong wedding extravaganza and was in no mood to be questioned about the whereabouts of my plus one. Said friends paid for a private lap dance for me. In my drunken state, I got the bright idea to hire the stripper to be my fake boyfriend for the wedding. Somewhere along the way, fake boyfriend turned into real love interest. I learned he wasn’t just a stripper but had worked his way through med school and was about to hang up his banana hammocks to start his residency. As fate would have it, we’d both matched at Edenbrook and two years later, here we are.”
“Woah. And I thought mine and Drake’s relationship had an unconventional start.” Ava peeked down at her phone on the table. “I’m definitely going to need the feature-length presentation of this story another time, but my friend Maxwell just texted that Drake’s out of surgery!”
“That’s great news!” Charlie got up with Ava and walked out to the elevators with her. “I’ll walk you back up there since I’m headed that way.
Little did either of them know that this chance meeting would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
so a while ago I mentioned how I planned to write an interview with my MC.... And now I've finally gotten around to it, lol
For a Little background/context, this takes place in Italy. Ava Flores (my MC) has just rejoined the court after leaving the night of the coronation/scandal and not returning like in canon. She and Drake are already a couple here, but only those in her inner circle (Max, Hana, Kiara and Elliott <Liam>) know this, and she is still bound to secrecy.
Included in this is a portion of a poem called Dear White Girls in My Spanish Class by Ariana Brown. It's available on YouTube. I highly recommend checking it out.
But this reveals a lot of h/c's I have regarding my mc that haven't come out yet. Hopefully it'll help people get to know her better than before. I hope it doesn't disappoint
Warnings: None
Word count: 4539
Ava stopped outside the door to the hotel conference room with Ozzy at her side - at Drake's insistence. Inside, Donnie Brine would be waiting for her. She looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. On it was an overview for the interview that was about to take place. It was going to be in two parts, with the first one centred on her, past, present and future. The second part was to be questions sent in from the general public and she had no idea what to expect. However, she did know that all of it was gonna be filmed.
"Let people see the real you." They'd advised, and she'd agreed. Now, though, her stomach was knotted with nerves.
She blew out a short sharp breath and knocked on the door. A young woman with bobbed red hair and freckles answered the door and greeted her with a broad smile
"Come in." She invited. "We're all ready for y.. Oh!." she looked down at Ozzy.
"Thanks you, don't mind Ozzy. I have to keep him with me" Ava stepped into the room as the woman closed the door. "What is your name?"
The woman seemed slightly taken aback by her question. " Uh, Naomi, Naomi Korba. I'm Donnie's assistant."
Ava extended her hand invitingly, she enjoyed meeting people and right now it provided a welcome distraction from her nerves. "It's nice to meet you." She told her. "Have you been doing this for long?"
Naomi accepted the handshake coyly. "You too. Um, no. This is just my fourth day, actually."
"Dang! You must be as nervous as I am?"
Naomi giggled and nodded. "Yes, I just want to do a good job."
"Me too!"
The door then opened behind them and Donnie Brine entered. "Lady Ava, you're here. Welcome!"
Ava turned quickly, her stomach starting to knot again. "Hey!" She reached out to shake his hand. "It's good to see you again."
"Likewise, and I appreciate you doing this." He looked down at Ozzy. “And who’s this, Rambo?
“No” Ava laughed. “This is Ozzy, my literal guard dog.”
Good choice, Ain’t no one messing with him.”
She laughed then turned serious. "I heard how you risked your career to speak up for me, I wanna thank you for that."
Donnie nodded. "It was the right thing to do." He paused and smiled. "And, well, look at us now. The universe seems to be on our side too"
Ava nodded. "Yes, congratulation. Official press reporter for the royal tour."
Donnie smiled. "And you, spokeswoman for the king's new conservation project. I look forward to hearing all about it!"
Ava returned his smile, realizing she was once again feeling more at ease.
Donnie looked down at the piece of paper still in her hands. "I take it you've read the interview outline."
"Yes, although I've never done anything like this before. Been feeling kinda nervous about it. Naomi and I were actually just talkin about that before you came in."
"You'll be fine." He assured. "Just remember that all we're aiming to accomplish here is to let people get to know you and what you’re about. Just be yourself."
Ava glanced at the camera. “So I know this is being filmed. Where will it be shown? On the internet or something?”
Donnie shook his head. “National tv, on the CBC.”
“You mean, like, the Cordonian Broadcasting Center? The same people who fired you?!”
“I mean the people who are now falling over themselves to get top bid on our exclusives.”
“No me diga!” Her jaw dropped and a smile spread across her face. “Now that’s what I’m talkin bout!” She lifted her hand to high five Donnie, who quickly reciprocated.
“But I want you to know that I’m on your side, I intend to help in any way I can get to the bottom of how and why this happened to you.”
Ava smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you. I know you’ve done a lot already”
“My daughter was a big part of my motive for that. She is a big fan and is excited that her daddy is meeting and interviewing you. She even submitted a question.”
“Aw, that is too cute! What’s her name? And how old is she?”
“She’s almost five and her name is Kajal.”
“That’s so pretty, I’ve never heard of it before.”
“It’s Ugandan, which is where my wife is from.”
“Oh, wow, that’s awesome! And what’s her question?”
“She wants to know what your favourite Disney movie is.”
“That’s adorable!” Ava gushed. “What’s hers?”
“Frozen” Donnie replied through gritted teeth. “I’m still hearing that damn song in my dreams!”
Ava roared with laughter. “I’ll have to make sure to give it a mention.”
“Please don’t.”
His dry tone made her laugh again.
“Okay.” She let her laugher die down. "And what about the rest of the questions given to you by the public, what are they like?"
"There we're many." He admitted with a smile. "But I went through them and sifted out the ones that sounded too personal or that delved too deeply into the matter at Applewood."
Ava nodded. "That's apparently off limits."
"It is, and I'll be recording an intro that will explain that. However, I will touch a little bit on the events of the coronation. Are you okay with that?"
"Touch on it how?"
"Your disappearance and whereabouts." He explained. "The king told me where you went. But it's not public knowledge yet, and it's best to set the record straight and put an end to speculation"
"Okay."
“And there’s also the matter of your ex-boyfriend smearing your name in the newspapers. We’ll have to tackle that too.”
Ava met his eye with determination. “Bring it!”
Donnie gave a satisfied nod. "Are you ready?"
Ava inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Let’s do this."
Donnie grinned. "Think of it as us having a chat. Forget about the video camera, just focus on our conversation. "
She nodded and followed his lead to the two comfortable looking armchairs that were positioned opposite each other. She settled down in one as Donnie observed Naomi starting up the camera, giving him a small smile when she was done. He then turned back to Ava, giving her an encouraging nod before starting to speak.
“First of all, Lady Ava.” He began. “I wanted to thank you for sitting down to talk to us today. I want to begin by asking, how does it feel to be back at court?”
“Exciting.” She responded with a smile. “And nerve wracking. But it’s been nice to reunite with the friends I’ve made during the season and to be given a job to do during this tour. It’s like a whole new chapter and I’m ready for it.”
“This new job, it’s far removed from your career choice of a chef. How did it come about?”
Ava laughed. “I know, right! I guess they were looking for someone who could keep the public informed of the project while the experts, you know, focused on their work.”
“When you say experts, you’re referring to, 1 Drake Walker, The king’s friend and certified conservationist who’s in Managing the project.”
“Uh huh.”
“And 2, Zuhair Khalid. A renowned wildlife veterinarian.”
“Yes.”
“What’s it like working with them?”
“It’s still early days, but I think it’s gonna be great! The both of them are incredibly knowledgable and passionate about their work. I feel like I’m already learning from them, I think I’m really gonna enjoy it!”
Donnie smiled at her enthused answer. “Do I detect a career change in the near future?”
Ava laughed. “Ay, I don’t know about that! I’ve known what I’ve wanted to do since I was eight years old. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.”
“A chef isn’t the loftiest of ambitions. Yet, Ruyan Santiago wants people to believe your ambition get in the way of your relationship and that you left him to pursue bigger and better things. What do you say to that?”
“It’s not how I remember it. He and I We dated in high school, and our split happened because we wanted to go to different colleges. I wanted to go to Texas, he wanted to stay in Miami.”
“And that’s all there was to it?”
“Yeah,” Ava confirmed. “I even tried to encourage him to join me in Texas, but he was dead set on staying in Miami.”
“You didn’t want to stay in Miami with him?”
“What I wanted was to experience new surroundings. I have family in Texas too, and they helped me a lot. It just felt like a natural choice. “But it seems he now wants to twist the narrative.” She paused and shrugged.
“Now, since the coronation, that has been a lot of speculation as to where you were. You seemed to fall off the face of the earth. Do you want to set the record straight on that?”
She nodded. “Sure! I was reconnecting with my family and enjoying downtime with them in the Dominican Republic. It was a large get-together with family from both Texas and Miami. It flt so good to be there with them after so long.”
“Sounds therapeutic.”
“Yeah! But also chaotic at the same time! She laughed. “You have ever seen how it is when Latino families get together? It is loud, it’s crazy! But it’s also fun, we all got so much love for each other, even when it’s been a long time.”
“On the subject of your family, I want to take things back now. You consider yourself a Latina?”
“A black Latina, yes.”
“Who happens to be, lemme make sure I get this right, of Cuban, Venezuelan and Dominican descent.”
“Uh huh.”
“Who also happens to be American.”
Ava smiled and nodded.
“That’s quite a mishmash of cultures there. Are there different expectations and pressures which come with that? Especially in the current climate in the US. How do you balance all of that?”
“Absolutely there is! I do feel very fortunate though, from the very beginning, my parents gave me a strong sense of self. They taught be to embrace my background, to be proud of its uniqueness. Unfortunately, I lost touch with the Venezuelan side of my as my grandfather died way before I was even born. But I am American, and I feel American, and I also feel very Dominican, I feel very Cuban. I grew up surrounded by all three of these cultures, and each of them make me who I am. But that’s what America is, everyone there is a mishmash of something, but very few acknowledge it.”
“That’s beautifully said, thank you. What was life like for you growing up in Miami? Do you have any particular happy memories?”
Ava grinned. “Sure do. And Little Havana can be pretty lively! You definitely need some Spanish to get by down there, too. I have great memories of the summer holiday, eating Granizados, or snow cones in English, in the front yard. There would be Celia Cruz blasting out of the window from one house and Tupac from another.” Ava’s eyes shined with joy and nostalgia as she spoke. “I love thinking back on those times, the feeling of contentment I had in those moments all come flooding back.”
“Sounds great. Your family is close-knit, right?”
“Yes, very. My grandmother and step-grandfather, who are both Cuban, live only a few blocks away. My brother, who is married and has a little boy now, still lives in the same neighbourhood we grew up in. We have pockets of other family members living in other parts of the US as well as DR, but we all keep in touch and remain supportive of each other.”
“You mentioned musical artists, Celia Cruz and Tupac Shakur. Is that what you grew up listening to?”
“For sure, they are legends to me, and Selena is another one.”
“Some people might find that surprising to know a down to earth good-girl role model like you would be a Tupac fan. He is quite a controversial figure.”
“That’s true. And I’m not into the whole ‘Gangsta’ thing. But there was a lot more to him than that. He was a poet, he was intelligent. He spoke from the heart, things he felt, experienced and saw. I respect that about him, he’s a big part of the reason I ended up doing slam poetry.”
“Oh?” How did that happen?”
Ava laughed. “I would try to hang out with my older brother and his friends when I was little. It was through them I got to know his music. I remember his song ‘Changes’ making a big impression on me. I wanted to try rapping myself.”
Donnie grinned. “Ava Flores wanted to be a rapper?”
She laughed. “Yeah! But I sucked at it.” She laughed harder. “But I still wanted to express myself in the way he did. So it when I discovered Slam Poetry in 6th grade, it changed my life.”
“For those of us who might not understand American school systems, what age were you?”
“I was twelve.”
“Wow, so you’ve been doing it for more than ten years?”
“Yeah, although I started out doing it just for friends and family, Didn’t do it at public events until I was fifteen or sixteen.”
“You got anything you’d be willing to share with us right now?
Ava laughed again. “Ay, now you’re gonna put me on the spot here?”
“Donnie grinned. “You don’t have to if you really don’t want to. I’m sure plenty of people would love to hear it, though.”
Blushing a little, Ava reached into her pocket for her cellphone. “Lemme see if I can find anything worth sharing.”
She scrolled for a moment, then stopped. “There’s this one, it’s not new. I wrote it three or four years ago.”
“What is it about?”
“It’s kinda aimed at people who have looked down at those of us who speak Spanish.”
“So it’s a serious piece of writing?”
“Yeah, I do write about serious things that I’ve either witnessed or experience personally.”
“So like Tupac then?”
“Ava smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Sounds good, Lets hear it.”
“Okay.” She glanced down at her phone, refamiliarising herself with the sentences on the screen before putting her phone back into her pocket, closing her eyes and beginning to recite.
I see you—
Stumbling so hard you laugh through entire sentences because my ancestors are a punchline & everything that comes out your mouth is funny.
I bet you thought speaking Spanish was easy, since it's what poor dark people speak, right? Not something you actually have to try to understand, not fancy or sophisticated, not like French.
Let me be clear. Spanish was given to my people at the end of a sword, forced in our throats gory, sharpened under the colonizer’s constant eye.
Each rolled r is a red wet fingerprint pointing me back to this. Spanish is not my native tongue. English is not my native tongue.
The languages I speak are bursting with blood, but they are all I have. I own only my hot mouth, speeding against assimilation’s clock & a colonial legacy you won’t even try to pronounce.
I ask you. Do you think my father’s accent a sickness, one so volatile you call yourself ‘gringo’ at every chance, so no one won’t make fun of you, when you make fun of the way my language sounds to you?
My father, a black, Dominican man. Is descended from slaves. I'm not sure if you understand what that means. I am descended from slaves. I wanna know where I come from, but I can only trace my history in one direction. So here I am speaking the only words I know how to use, in the languages I hope will choose me back someday.”
She opened her eyes and smiled. “That’s it.”
Donnie clapped and was quickly joined by Naomi who was stood behind the camera. “That’s powerful!”
“Thank you.”
“And you delivered with a lot of emotion, too. You were getting pretty intense there.”
“Yeah, I do that.” She acknowledged, smiling. “Everything I write, I feel. And I love getting lost in the words when I say them. I’m not sure I know how to describe it other than to compare it to a journey. A short but liberating journey. I love it.”
Donnie smiled approvingly, pausing for a moment. “Okay now we’re gonna go into the matter of the social season.
Ava nodded. “Okay.”
“How did it feel to enter into this, what would have been a completely different world for you. What was it like? How did you adapt?”
“Overall, it was a fun, challenging experience. Of course, there were difficulties. But I made friends and learned new things, which was what I’d hoped to get out of this. So, it was mission accomplished in that respect.”
“And what about being queen. Weren’t you hoping to accomplish that too?”
“Honestly, I realized during the season that I couldn’t be queen. And that’s no reflection on my worth as a person. I mean that there are a lot of expectations and limitations in the role that would strip me of who I am and what I’m about. I need the freedom to stay true to who I was raised to be, to be able to stay close to those who have loved and supported me for all or most of my life. I’m a daughter, a sister, an aunt and a friend, those titles mean more to me than queen ”
“That’s a lovely sentiment. But what about those who might want to accuse you of leading on the king, or Prince Elliott as he was at the time, throughout the season.”
“He was aware We had conversations about how I felt about the role, how I felt about him. I even offered to pull out.”
“Of the season?” Donnie looked at her in surprise.
“Yes.” She confirmed. “But we agreed to see it though to the end.”
“So, he wasn’t going to choose you the night of the coronation?”
“No. But we kept that between ourselves.”
“How were you feeling when you left Cordonia that night.”
“I was feeling a lot of things. But I was glad to be getting away.”
“And that’s when you rejoined your family.”
“Yes.”
“How did you feel about the prospect of coming back?”
“I wasn’t.”
“Not at all?”
“No”
“What changed your mind”
“Members of court did reach out to me.” She began. “And communication was opened up between us, misunderstandings were cleared up and I was assured that I had people on my side. It was then that I was convinced to return.”
Donnie leaned back in his seat. “Wow. And now, here you are,”
She nodded. “Here i am.”
“What do you hope to achieve during this tour?”
“Um, just to show people who I really am, do the best job I can with the task I’ve been given and to learn and grow from it all.
“That’s lovely, Ava, thank you. Now it’s time to let the people ask the questions.”
Ava nodded and smiled.
“Now, I posted to my twitter followers yesterday asking them what question they would pose to you if they had the chance. Now of course none of us knew for sure if and when we would get to sit down like this, but in a short 24 hours I received over 1000 questions.”
Ava’s jaw dropped. “No me digaaa! No way, are you serious?!”
“One hundred percent.”
“Oh my god, that is crazy!”
“Now of course I’ve narrowed them down, by a lot!”
She laughed
“Are you ready to crack on?”
She giggled, “Yup.”
“Okay. First one is. ‘"Did you come back for the King? Or ... other romantic prospects?"
Ava threw her head back and laughed. “They aren’t holding back with these questions, are they!”
“Not in the slightest.” Donnie smiled. “I know we touched on this earlier, but perhaps you’d like to elaborate a bit more on the matter pertaining to you and the king. There is speculation that you’re to be his mistress”
“He is an engaged man.” Ava began firmly. “And I’m not here to come between him and his chosen queen. I don’t even believe in getting involved with men who already have a partner. That’s not what I do, straight up. No, we’re in a good place now, our relationship is strictly platonic and that’s how it will stay. ”
“Any others that you might consider? The tour is seen as the best opportunity for members of the aristocracy to make matches.”
“I think I’m gonna be too focused on my work to be looking for a guy. And being that I’m not actually a member of the aristocracy, I doubt I’m anyone’s match anyway.”
“Okay, next question. What do you look for in a man, and do you hope to find it during the tour?”
“Man, these are personal, eh!” She giggled. “Okay, have a lot of expectations!. First, well, two things. A sense of humour and a sense of adventure, that’s important. I like down to earth types, someone who enjoys simple things.”
“No one from the aristocracy then.“ Donnie quipped
“I guess not, no.” She laughed. “Also, he would need to respect my culture and accept the fact that I’m a package deal. Being with me means having to win over my whole family. So… no pressure!”
“Moving on from the personal ones. What celebrities do you look up to the most, and why?”
“Oh I like that one! Umm, Lupita Nyong'o, she is an absolute queen! I cannot even get into why I love her, it’s too many reasons, and this interview would go on til 3am!"
She laughed and continued. “Rihanna. Her music and style are amazing, and she’s an Island girl, like me!”
Donnie grinned. “You’re an Island girl?”
“Yeah!” Ava laughed. “Have you seen Florida on the map? We're sticking out, desperately reaching for to the Caribbean. South Florida is closer to The Bahamas and Cuba to the rest of the US, They are our neighbours. I think Selena and Tupac would make my list too, but you already know about that.”
“Tupac yes, why Selena though?”
Ava smiled and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Ay! Where do I begin? Umm, she is an icon! More or less everyone in my family loves her, I think probably knew who she was before I was even born. My ab.. Grandmother and step grandfather met at one of her concerts when she was still here. So yeah, her impact is huge!”
“We have several more questions like this, so I better get through them. I have three here, so I’m just going to combine them. What are some of your favourite music, General movies, Disney movie and TV shows?”
“Oh boy!” She grinned. “Okay, music, aside from who I’ve already mentioned. I love, Marc Anthony, Luis Fonzi, Pitbull, Gente de Zona, Jennifer Peña, Romeo Santos, Los Kumbia Kings..”
“Do you listen to English artists also?” Donnie asked.
She nodded emphatically. “Yeah! Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Eminem, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys etc!”
“What about Movies and TV shows?”
“Uh, well, I’m totally addicted to The People’s Court with Marilyn Milian!” She laughed. “I also love Jane the Virgin, Orange is the new Black, the reboot of Roots and pretty much any Baseball game with a Dominican or Cuban team.”
“What about your home town, Miami?”
Ava wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a Marlins fan.”
Donnie chuckled. “And movies, Disney and non Disney?”
“Umm, Non Disney, Queen of Katwe, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mean girls, Akeelah and the Bee, The Golden compass, the Annie remake, The Narnia chronicles, Dream girls. As for Disney Brother Bear and Lion King are definitely up there! Enchanted, Pocahontas and Frozen is good too!” She grinned at Donnie, who smirked and discreetly rolled his eyes
"Okay, this is a good one. What do you hope your life will look like in 10 years time.”
Ava smiled wistfully. “Oh wow! Well, I’d definitely hope to have a family by then! Umm, I’d want to be running my own simple little restaurant too. I’d just want to be in a happy place, surrounded by friends and family.”
“What kind of restaurant would it be?”
“Oh, it would have a huge Caribbean influence for sure! Not only menu wise but it’s whole look. It would be a simple outdoor place with the seating area set up on a patio with colourful chairs and tables. The serving area would be undercover but open and people could come up and order, it’ll be informal and cosy.”
“Sounds nice, you’ve clearly thought a lot about it. Where would it be?”
"I’m not sure.” She admitted. “Maybe DR, although my family already run business’s over there, I wouldn’t want to encroach on that.”
“Now, this question follows on nicely from this. Do you see a future for yourself here In Cordonia? Perhaps you can open up your little restaurant here?”
She grinned. “That does sound nice, but I really don’t know yet. Cordonia has made a big impact on my life and I have made some great friends here, so there will always be that connection. But my family are in Miami, as are friends I’ve had for as long as I can remember, it’s not the kind of thing you can just leave behind.”
“Another similar one. Will you still be a part of the House of Beaumont after the tour is over?”
“That’s probably a bond I’ll never be able to break, even if I wanted to... Which I don’t by the way!”
“This one isn’t related to you, but it made me laugh, so I’m gonna read it out. Is Drake Walker single?”
Ava looked at Donnie in confusion. “What?”
He smirked. “I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with Cordonian news, but he made a big impression on the ladies during the ceremonial barn building. The papers were filled with shirtless pictures of him the next day just about every single female in the country swooned.”
She shook her head. “Oh. I’d not read about that, nor have I asked him if he’s single or not.” She shrugged, “Sorry, I don’t know.”
“Next, do you have a bucket list of places you want to visit?”
“Oh yes!” Ava’s eyes lit up. “Havana Cuba, Canada to see the Aurora Borealis, Brazil and the Amazon rainforest and numerous counties in Africa that I can’t choose from, I think I’ll have to bagpack across the entire continent before I’m satisfied.”
“Are you excited to be seeing Europe?”
“For sure! London and Paris are up there, I’m really loving Italy so far, and I’ve heard great things about Hungary.”
Donnie glanced at the time. “This is where we wrap up now. Thank you Lady Ava for talking the time to answer our questions today.”
“Thank you!
“We look forward to seeing what great things you do during the tour, Best of luck to you.”
“Aaaand, we’re done! Naomi informed them cheerful after stopping the recording
Well more than 6 actually, but you know how it goes. Here's a little random something I'm working on
"Come in." She invited. "We're all ready for you."
"Thanks!" Ava stepped into the room. "What is your name?"
The woman seemed slightly taken aback by her question. " Uh, Naomi, Naomi Korba. I'm Donnie's assistant."
Ava extended her hand invitingly, she enjoyed meeting people and right now it provided a welcome distraction from her nerves. "It's nice to meet you." She told her. "Have you been doing this for long?"
Naomi accepted the handshake coyly. "You too. Um, no. This is just my fourth day, actually."
"Dang! You must be as nervous as I am?"
Naomi giggled and nodded. "Yes, I just want to do a good job."
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A/N: A one-shot inspired by the hotel massage diamond scene in chapter 6 of TRF. I really liked the idea of MC taking a moment to appreciate her spouse, but I found the execution rather... lacking. This is my take on that moment, with Drake and my MC Aida. Canon compliant, except I've pointedly ignored all the bullshit parts of TRH/F. This is basically fluff.
Content Warning: Language, (a couple f-bombs) 18+
Word count: 1258
Drake Walker, and like, the last line of dialogue, belong to Pixelberry Studios.
Tagging those who expressed interest in seeing more after my first piece.
@saivilo @axwalker @petiteboheme @burnsoslow
Aida’s eyes roam appreciatively over her husband's body as her fingertips press into his firm muscles, trying to ease out any of the day's tension that might still linger there. When the movement of her hands leads her across his shoulders, her gaze is drawn to the small rough scar marking the otherwise smooth curve of his left shoulder, a permanent reminder of how lucky she is to have him, of his bravery and devotion, and how close she had come to losing him. She traces its familiar shape gently with her fingertips as she bends to press a soft kiss onto the old wound, her eyes sliding shut at the memory of that night. Years have passed, but sometimes, like tonight, she still finds a small lump forming in her throat when she thinks of it. She feels Drake’s right hand close softly over her left where she had begun absently tracing small circles on his skin with her thumb. When she opens her eyes as she pulls away, he is watching her intently, his dark eyes soft and knowing as he gives her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it and tucking his own back under his head.
She has never been able to look at that scar without wanting to sooth it with a kiss, and he always indulges her impulse. They came too close to losing each other that night, and the gratitude that they hadn't, that they were both here, together, always returns with the memory.
Dropping her eyes back to her exploring hand, she gently traces a line away from his shoulder, following the curve of his bicep, and down the length of his sculpted forearm. A soft smile drifts across her face. His arms have been the safest place in her world for five years now, filling her with comforting warmth every time he wraps them around her. But when her fingertips reach his hand they still, just for a beat, and her breath catches in her throat. She exhales slowly as her fingers resume their journey, tracing over his broad, strong palm, the slightly worn surface of his wedding band, and the callus that has formed just below it.
His hands are beautiful. She's always thought so, but the longer she's known him the more she's seen in them, and looking at them now, a thousand images of their time together flood her mind. His hands calming a rearing horse with their gentle confidence, sailing a racing yacht with steadiness and skill, playfully pushing her into a Lythikos snowbank, raising a glass of whiskey to toast the moments in between, clasping tightly into fists, or around the hilt of a sword, Damn, their life has been crazy, to protect the people he loves. His hands tangling in her hair as he passionately kisses her, or gently stroking it as she falls asleep in his arms, his hands pulling her close in his loving embrace, and the innumerable small touches of comfort and affection that pass between them throughout their days together. She sees the tenderness and care with which he cradled their newborn daughter in his hands for the first time, taking her breath away and making her heart swell with more love and happiness than she ever thought possible. Yet, somehow it still continues to grow every time she watches him gently guide their little one through one of life's little challenges or joys.
He's never been a man of many words, never been full of easy compliments, or quick to speak about how he feels. It took him months to admit that he cared for her at all. But he told her more than he knew with his actions, long before he spoke the words. Everything she loves about him, everything that makes him who he is, he's always demonstrated it with those beautiful, strong, yet gentle, hands.
"What is it?" his low voice breaks gently through her reverie. Her eyes dart to his face, and she smiles at his furrowed brow and questioning gaze as he twines their fingers together and brings her hand slowly to his lips.
"Your hands," she replies, keeping her voice light with some effort.
"What about them?" he asks, his expression still confused.
"They’re…" Aida blushes self-consciously and bites her lip as she searches for the right words to explain why she's been staring at his hand, and Drake’s puzzled frown slowly shifts to a smug smirk.
"Or should I be asking where you want them?" he asks, sitting up suddenly and sliding his free hand over her hip to tug her closer. Their faces are inches apart now, and his eyes are lit with mischief, but there is a familiar undercurrent of heat in them as well.
"That's not what I was thinking!" she laughs, giving him a playful shove to the chest that barely budges him.
"First time for everything, I guess," Drake grumbles, but his eyes are still teasing. "what is it then?"
"I just…" Aida sighs and sits on the edge of the massage table turning towards him, and pulling their joined hands into her lap. "I just love your hands." She traces her free hand over the veins on the back of his before lifting it to her lips and pressing a lingering kiss there. "They're so fucking beautiful," she murmurs.
"Really?" he asks. Releasing her hand and spreading both of his out between them, he turns them over and looks at them skeptically. "I mean, I'm glad you think so, I guess, but what's so special about my hands?"
"You can tell a lot about a person by their hands, actually," she asserts.
"Is that so?"
"Mmm hmm," Aida nods solemnly.
"Okay, then. What is it that my hands say about me that's so interesting?"
"Well, they're big and strong and sexy, just like the rest of you," she starts with a playful grin, claiming both his hands in hers once again.
"Obviously," Drake responds dryly, but she can see he's trying not to smile.
"And they work hard, and fight for what's important to you," Aida continued, running her fingertips over a small scar on the knuckle of his right hand, her face growing serious.
"Okay."
"But they also know how and when to be gentle, to comfort, support, and take care of your family, to rock our baby girl to sleep, or bandage a scraped knee. Your hands tell me every day how much you love me, Drake, how much you love Abbie."
Drake sits gazing at their joined hands pensively as Aida gently squeezes his left and continues, her eyes never leaving his face, "and the wedding band on this hand tells me I'm the luckiest woman in the world."
Drake raises his warm brown eyes to Aida’s blue ones, and studies her for a moment before clearing his throat and replying, "that was pretty fucking sappy Mrs. Walker."
"I think you'll find it's nothing but the facts, Mr. Walker," she counters archly.
"It’s not all the facts," he leans in, his voice now low and husky, "I can think of a few other things my hands can do that you seem to have forgotten."
"Really? That doesn’t seem like something I would forget."
"And yet here we are."
"I'm open to being proved wrong," Aida purrs with a smile, "I wouldn't want to sell you short."
Drake stands, pulling Aida up with him, "This has been great, but I think it's time my wife and I… retire for the night."
@drake-walker-appreciation I've been pretty absent from tumblr the last several months so I didn't realize this was going on until the week was over, but since it's been extended, I'd like to belatedly submit this little one-shot for day 2, throwback. It's all about appreciating Drake.
I am participating in @choicesprompts first prompt August 15th - August 31, the prompt will be displayed in bold.
I am also participating in @choices-september-challenge-blog day 1 for Shh… I know which will also be displayed in bold.
This one shot currently does not fit into any of my story lines as my go-to OTP is Liam x Riley.
The Book: TRF
Pairings: Drake x Riley / with past pairing of Liam x Riley/ with past pairing of Drake x Kiara
Word Count: 2128
Ratings and warnings: Teen: Profanity.
Song Inspiration: Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
Summary: Drake gets some alarming news that he was unaware of that affects his family.
@drake-walker-appreciation another pairing I have done here has Drake with MC, with a past history of Drake x Kiara for a night. I really think things would have been different had Drake been clued into vital information.
Drake fucked up, but this Riley is a stone cold bitch who doesn't care about anyone's feelings but her own and made an already bad situation so much worse.
Thanks to being ill I didn't get to participate in DWAW as much as I would have wanted. I did just about manage to make this though. I'm pretty bad at photoshop (don't judge me!) but it's my otp and I love them.
Drake and Ava
Tagging friends etc (although I'm not even sure who's still around)
Please don't. At least not with multiple fish. Those fish are all dead by now, unless she removed them after making the video. Too many fish, in too small a water volume, with too little surface area for oxygen exchange and only plants for filtration = certain death. You could do this with dwarf shrimp, or possibly a single smallish beta, (if the room is kept quite warm,) but that's about all the livestock that a setup like that can support. Even then it's going to be difficult or impossible to maintain. Not a good beginner fish keeping project.
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Okay, she's making progress. And it's honestly more realistic that she'd struggle with falling back into old patterns than that she'd suddenly be good at opening up about her fears immediately.
I'm still a little nervous about her making secret plans though... 😅
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