The Reluctant Hero and the Red Bombshell
Copyright© 2026 by RNR Lifestyle
First weekend
My head felt a little heavy this morning, but nothing too bad. It was the kind of hangover that feels more like a dull pressure behind my temples than actual pain. I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Livia’s naked back next to me in bed. Her red hair was spread out across the pillow, and one of her arms was hanging off the edge of the bed. The clock read 11:30. Damn. Panic suddenly hit me.
“Livia! Livia, wake up!” I shook her shoulder gently. “We missed the meeting at the magazine! It was at eight, and now it’s ... damn it, half past eleven!”
Livia groaned as if she’d just crawled out of a grave. Slowly, very slowly, she turned over, her eyes barely open, her face pale.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake...” she groaned hoarsely, rubbing her forehead with her palm. “What the hell are you yelling about...?”
“The meeting! Veronika said last night that there’s a meeting at eight! And here we are...”
Livia just stared at me for a moment, then let out a pained laugh that sounded more like a groan.
“It’s Saturday, you idiot...” she said, and sank back onto the pillow. “That idiot Veronika was just messing with us at the party. Calm down. There’s no meeting. It’s Saturday.”
For a moment, I just blinked. She was right. Yesterday was Friday. Party day. Today is Saturday.
“Damn...” I muttered, letting out a sigh. I sat up on the edge of the bed; my head spun a little. I got to my feet and headed toward the kitchen.
Behind me, Livia’s voice called out, weak and whiny:
“Hey ... my hero ... bring me a glass of water, please. I feel really awful. Everything hurts and ... and I don’t even know exactly where I am right now.”
I looked back at her. There she lay, naked, the blanket half-sliding off her, her hair completely disheveled, her face pale, her eyes half-closed. It was clear she had a serious hangover—much worse than mine.
“I’ll get it right away,” I said, and went out to the kitchen.
I brought her a large glass of cold water. When I returned to the bedroom, Livia was sitting half-upright in bed, the blanket pulled tight around her, and she looked at me through narrowed eyes. I handed her the glass. She held it with both hands and sipped it slowly, as if her life depended on it.
“Thank you...” she murmured softly. She just sat there drinking for a while, then looked at me, her gaze still hazy. “Listen ... what do I even remember? Because seriously ... everything’s so fuzzy.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed and grinned.
“Well, if you don’t even know what happened, then maybe I wasn’t that good in bed. That hurts, Livia. It really hurts.”
Livia just stared for a moment, then laughed softly, but immediately regretted it because she hit her head.
“Oh, come on ... Yeah, I knew we had sex. I remember that much.” She took another sip of water and smiled faintly. “It’s just ... after that, everything kind of blurs together. The party, the garden, your rocker friend yelling ... and that we took a taxi home. I think.”
“You’re on the right track,” I nodded, laughing. “There was a little Scorpions, a little Whitesnake, and a really drunk boss who almost kicked us out of the company party. But in the end ... it all turned out pretty well.”
Livia shook her head and lay back down on the pillow, pulling the blanket over herself.
“Damn, I feel so dizzy ... We’ll get up in a minute and clean up, okay? Just ... let me lie here for five more minutes.”
“Stay there,” I said. “There’s no rush.”
She fell asleep almost immediately. I went out to the kitchen, made myself a cup of coffee, and let her rest.
She woke up again around three in the afternoon. I heard her stirring in the room. I went in and saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, her hair completely tousled, but she already looked a little more refreshed.
“I’m hungry...” she groaned, rubbing her face. “And I need to go home, because my golden hamster is probably hungry and anxious by now. The poor little thing’s been all alone all day.”
I smiled.
“A golden hamster? Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously,” she said, and chuckled a little. “His name is Maxi. And if he doesn’t get fed on time, he’ll chew his cage to pieces. So ... I’ll call a cab and head out.”
“Do you want to eat something first? I’ve got eggs, bread, stuff like that at home.”
Livia thought for a moment, then nodded.
“A cup of coffee and a piece of toast would be great ... but then I really have to go.”
Livia finally got out of bed, put on one of my T-shirts—which came down almost to the middle of her thighs—and sat down in the kitchen. I quickly made her some scrambled eggs with toast, and she just sat there with her hair all messy, eating slowly, as if every bite took a great deal of effort.
“This feels really good right now...” she mumbled between bites. “Thank you. I’ve never woken up in a stranger’s bed feeling this hungover before.”
“I’m not a stranger,” I grinned. “At least not since last night.”
Livia laughed, but immediately regretted it because she got a tap on the head. An hour later, I was feeling well enough to drive. Livia, however, was still feeling pretty weak, so I offered:
“Want a ride? I’m not letting you take a taxi in this condition.”
“That would be great...” she said gratefully. “I don’t own a car anyway—I’m afraid to drive in the city. I prefer Uber or a taxi.”
We got into my car and set off. Livia gave me the address and, as we drove, started telling me about herself, casually, as if we were just having a conversation.
“You know, besides the magazine, I also do a lot of freelance work. Instagram Stories, TikTok, brand campaigns, stuff like that ... it’s going pretty well. I also have my own little business where I help influencers and brands create content. That’s why I have that house with a garden ... I didn’t want to live in a prefab apartment building.”
When we arrived, we pulled up in front of a beautiful, modern house with a garden—complete with a green fence and a large yard—in the city’s upscale, suburban neighborhood. As soon as we got out of the car, a medium-sized dog ran happily out of the house and started jumping around Livia.
“Hi, Bonnie! The neighbor fed you, didn’t she? You’re such a good girl...” Livia petted the dog, then looked at me. “This is Bonnie. The neighbor always helps out when I come home late.”
We went inside the house. Inside, it was a bright, tastefully decorated space—large windows, lots of plants, modern furniture, yet still cozy. In one corner, a golden hamster was napping in a large cage. Livia kicked off her shoes and looked at me, a little tired but smiling.
“Well ... would you like to come in for some coffee? Or ... would you like to stay a little while?” she asked, and there was that subtle, playful uncertainty in her voice. She didn’t say it outright, but her gaze and the “well...” were clear enough.
Livia first went over to the hamster’s cage, took out a small handful of food, and scattered it into the bowl.
“Here you go, Maxi, sorry I’m late ... Mom was a very naughty girl yesterday,” she said with a laugh, while the hamster immediately started gobbling it up.
Then she opened the patio door, and Bonnie, the dog, happily ran in, straight to Livia’s feet, and immediately spotted me too. She sniffed for a moment, then came over to me and started licking my hand, before lying down at my feet, wagging her tail.
“Well, look at that ... Bonnie already likes you. That’s a good sign, because she’s pretty picky,” Livia grinned.
“At least someone’s acting normal this morning,” I replied, bending down to pet the dog.
Livia motioned for me to come inside.
“Come on, let’s sit in the living room.”
The living room was spacious and very cozy: a large, light-gray sofa with plenty of pillows, huge windows letting in the afternoon light, lots of green plants, and a wall-mounted TV. In the corner was a tasteful little desk with a laptop, and next to it, a huge, soft rug. Everything was modern, yet warm and inviting. We sat down on the sofa. Livia tucked her legs under her and looked at me.
“All right ... so now tell me what happened yesterday, because the whole thing is still pretty vague.”
I grinned.
“Well ... first of all, we danced really well to some slow slobber-metal. Then we went out into the courtyard, and you told me how much you hate that everyone only wants to be with you because of your looks. After that, we went back inside, had a few more drinks, and ... well, my rocker buddy pretty much gave us the green light to not be cowards. Then we took a taxi here, and ... well, we really went at it. You were on top, very assertive, and pretty loud, too. I think the neighbors heard us.”
At first, Livia just blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing.
“Good thing you mentioned it! The pill! I almost forgot!”
She jumped up from the couch and practically ran toward the bathroom.
“I’ll be right back! Don’t go anywhere!”
Livia came back with the pill and flopped back down on the couch, this time closer to me, her hair hanging messily in her face.
“So you do remember after all,” I grinned at her. “That was the trap—to find out!”
Livia laughed and playfully nudged my shoulder.
“Don’t go thinking anyone cares about that while we’re having sex. You were the first one who did. I was actually surprised ... It felt good. Really good. I think that’s why I came so quickly.”
“Oh, so it was my fault?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you were the one who almost ripped my shirt off in the taxi, too.”
Livia burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Well ... maybe so. I remember thinking, ‘Damn, this guy smells good.’ Then all I remember is being on the bed with you on top of me. Or was I on top of you? I don’t know—it’s all a blur.”
“You were on top,” I helped her out, laughing. “And you were pretty firmly in control. You even said, ‘Don’t you dare pull out.’”
Livia blushed, but then laughed right away.
“Oh, come on! Did I really say that? Damn, I never talk like that normally ... I think the wine and last night totally knocked me out.”
“Relax, I liked it,” I grinned. “Especially the part where my rocker buddy gave us permission not to be cowards. I think he was our wingman.”
Livia clutched her stomach, laughing.
“Oh my God, that guy is a legend. I can still hear him yelling, ‘Fuck her, buddy!’ When I go to work on Monday, I bet everyone will be gossiping about it.”
“At least we’ll have something to talk about at the meeting,” I said, shrugging. “Veronika will definitely be happy.”
Livia just waved her hand dismissively and leaned sideways against me.
“Veronika can go to hell right now. She gave me enough grief last night. Now, tell me ... was I really as wild as you say? Because all I remember is that it was really good. And that ... I must have been pretty loud.”
“Let’s just say,” I grinned, “that the neighbors are probably gathering right now to start a petition against the early-morning noise disturbance.”
Livia laughed again and playfully punched me in the arm.
“Don’t brag so much! As if you were any quieter...”
We were still laughing about what had happened yesterday when Livia suddenly fell silent. She slid closer to me on the couch, wrapped her arms around my waist, and rested her head on my shoulder. In her soft, comfortable shorts and loose T-shirt, she looked completely relaxed. We stayed like that for a while. Then she lifted her head and looked me straight in the eyes. Her gaze grew warmer and more serious.
“Why does it feel like I’ve known you for a hundred years?” she asked softly, a little surprised. “You’re not even my type ... yet here you are with me, and I feel fucking great with you.”
I smiled and gently ran my hand down her back.
“Well, I never would’ve thought I’d be spending a hangover morning with a red-haired influencer bombshell like you,” I joked. “You’re not even a real rocker, so in theory, we’re totally incompatible. It’s scientifically proven.”
Livia laughed and playfully poked me in the side.
“Oh, come on! You’re a metal antihero who’s afraid of blood and picks up women with hamster cheeks. The two of us are a downright tragic couple.”
We both laughed, but the laughter slowly died down, and we looked into each other’s eyes again.
“Still ... it feels good,” Livia said more softly, her fingers gently tracing my arm. “I can’t explain it. Last night it started out as just a fling, and now here I am, sitting on my own couch, and I don’t want you to leave.”
“I don’t really want to leave either,” I replied honestly. “But logically speaking, this whole thing is pure madness. You’re famous, you work all over the place, you have a garden, a hamster, a dog ... and I’m just a simple photographer who, as recently as yesterday, thought I’d be spending a quiet Saturday all by myself.”
Livia smiled faintly and snuggled closer.
“Maybe that’s exactly why it works. Because you’re not trying to impress me. You’re not playing the hero, you’re not bragging. You’re just ... you. And that feels really good right now.”
We hugged each other in silence on the couch for a while. Bonnie came over and lay down next to us on the rug, as if she, too, could sense that something had changed in the air.
For a while, Livia just snuggled up to me, resting her head on my shoulder. Then she lifted her head slightly and continued casually, almost in passing, as if we were just talking about the weather.
“You know ... once this damn headache goes away and I’m not spinning with every little movement ... it’d be nice to do it one more time. But properly. Sober.”
She smiled and playfully tapped my chest.
“Because last night I was ... pretty intense, I think. I’d like to try it normally, to see what you’re like when I’m not half-drunk and riding you like a wild animal.”
She laughed at herself and continued as if we were old friends who’d joked about this a thousand times before:
“I want to do it for at least five minutes, properly. Not that two-minute ‘get in the taxi, hop on, hop off’ thing. But nice and easy, so I have time to enjoy it. And you, too. Because last night, I think I was the main attraction, and you were just trying to survive.”
She giggled again and looked up at me.
“So ... if you’re not too tired, and I didn’t scare you off with my performance last night, I’d love to do it again. But properly. Maybe we’ll even talk while we’re at it. Or at least I’ll talk, and you’ll listen, just like you are now.”
She stroked my arm and added casually:
“Of course, only if you want to. You don’t have to answer right now. Just ... think about it while I lie here and try to survive this hangover. Because I think it would be nice. Really nice.”
Livia lay back down on the couch, rested her head in my lap, and settled in comfortably, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“So what do you think, antihero?” she asked playfully, but didn’t expect an answer. She just smiled and let the silence stretch comfortably between us.
Livia looked up at me expectantly, her head still resting in my lap. I just swallowed hard and felt my throat go completely dry. The words came out with difficulty.
“I ... um ... well ... damn, Livia ... I’ve never ... never seen a woman as wonderful as you,” I stammered, feeling myself blush. “Seriously. I can’t believe this is really happening. That I’m here with you, and you’re ... lying here in my lap, saying things like that.”
Livia laughed—softly, sweetly—and playfully patted my chest.
“Oh, come on, don’t be so cute, or I’ll start crying,” she said with a grin. “If you don’t say anything, I might have gotten pregnant last night, and then you’d have to marry me. Think about it, antihero. You’d become the head of a household overnight—with a hamster, a dog, a red-haired wife, and a ton of Instagram followers.”
I laughed, but I was still a little embarrassed.
“Well ... that doesn’t sound so bad,” I mumbled. “It’s just ... a little fast, isn’t it? Yesterday we barely knew each other, and today we’re already thinking about baby names?”
Livia giggled and settled more comfortably in my lap.
“Relax, I’m just messing with you. Although ... we went pretty hard last night, so if it does happen, at least we’ll have a good story. ‘How did you two meet?’—’Well, at the company party, where he filmed a corrupt guy killing someone, and then I topped it off. Cool, right?’”
We laughed together, relaxed and cheerful. We chatted a little more about all sorts of things—the party, our biker buddy’s jokes, how much Livia hates hangovers, and how I still can’t believe this whole thing is real. Then we slowly fell silent. Livia’s eyes closed, and I just stroked her hair. We were tired, hungover, but happy. A few minutes later, we both fell asleep on the couch—her in my lap, me leaning back, in the afternoon sunlight, comfortably curled up together.
We were fast asleep, all curled up on the couch, when my phone suddenly rang. The screen glowed brightly in the dark room. It was ten o’clock at night. My rocker buddy was calling. I answered, still half-asleep, in a hoarse voice:
“Hello...?”
“Finally, you missing antihero! Where the hell are you, for fuck’s sake?! After the whole party, you vanished without a trace with that red-haired bombshell! Come on, at least tell me it was worth it!”
Livia started squirming next to me. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, yawned widely, and looked at me curiously. My friend’s voice came through clearly on the phone.
“I hope you fucked her good, man! Don’t tell me you passed up this opportunity, because then I’ll seriously kick you out of the metal community!”
Livia raised her eyebrows, then suddenly leaned closer to the phone and spoke into it, her voice still sleepy but mischievous:
“Of course I did! What did you think?”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then the rocker buddy burst out laughing in surprise.
“Whoa! Livia? You’re still there?! Holy crap, this is serious! I hope it went in deep enough, little girl!”
Livia grinned, now fully awake.
“It sure did! All the way!” she replied casually, almost defiantly.
The friend laughed again, now completely in his element.
“I knew our rocker friend had a big one! I even told him so last night!”
Livia shot back immediately, laughing:
“I hope you’re not speaking from personal experience!”
“Hahaha! Don’t worry, I’ve only heard about it! But congratulations, guys! So did it work out? Because if it did, then I’m the best wingman in the world!”
I just sat there, still dazed, glancing back and forth between Livia and my phone. Finally, I managed to blurt out something:
“Um ... well ... yeah ... so ... it happened...”
Livia looked at me and playfully nudged me in the side. My friend continued on the line, clearly enjoying the situation:
“Finally! I was starting to worry you guys were going to talk about metal all night. But seriously, I’m happy for you! Just don’t act like nothing happened at work on Monday, because I won’t stand for that! Be nice to each other, damn it!”
Livia replied with a laugh:
“Relax, you don’t have to push us. We’d rather get some more sleep right now, because we both look like we’ve been partying for three days.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t bother you any more in your happiness! But call me if there are tickets for the next Dogma concert—maybe the three of us can go!”
“We will,” I finally said, still stammering a bit.
My friend said goodbye with one last shout of “Make the most of it!” and then hung up. Livia leaned back into my lap and giggled softly.
“That guy is a legend ... but at least he’s honest.”
After the phone call, we both yawned widely. Livia was still lying on my shoulder, her hair hanging down over my face. For a while, we just blinked lazily in the dark room; neither of us really wanted to get up.
“Damn ... I’m still a little dizzy,” Livia groaned, rubbing her eyes. “But at least I’m not spinning anymore.”
I yawned huge myself before I spoke.
“I’m not exactly in top form either ... but it’s better than this morning.”
Livia turned slightly to look up at me and smiled sleepily.
“You know, I used to think you worked in the newsroom. That you were a real photojournalist, or some kind of reporter who covers big stories. A hero type. Then it turns out you’re the guy who sometimes takes photos for the ‘Most Beautiful Reader’ column.”
I laughed and ran my fingers through her hair.
“Well ... almost. Actually, I’m the IT guy. I run the studio, the equipment, the lights—that sort of thing. I only take photos when the regular photographers are out covering a story or on vacation. So behind most of the ‘Most Beautiful Reader’ photos, I’m the one setting up the lights and pressing the button.”
Livia blinked a few times, then giggled softly.
“Seriously? So you’re not the big, brave investigative reporter who goes to dangerous places?”
“Not really,” I grinned. “The biggest danger I face is a 55-year-old female reader who wants to pose in a dress that’s too tight.”
Livia laughed; her laugh was still a little hoarse from sleep.
“Well, that’s funny. All evening I thought I was going to bed with a real adventurer. Turns out you’re the magazine’s sweetest IT assistant, who sometimes takes pictures of pretty grandmas.”
“Are you disappointed now?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Livia shook her head and snuggled closer.
“Not at all. In fact ... this is much better. Because at least now I know you don’t just love the big heroes, but normal people too.”
We both yawned again and settled in comfortably. The conversation slowly died down; all we could hear was the dog’s quiet snoring from the rug.
“Let’s sleep a little longer...” Livia mumbled.
“Good idea,” I replied, and wrapped my arms around her.
We fell asleep comfortably on the couch, with Bonnie at our feet, and didn’t wake up again until two hours later. It was already past midnight. We both felt much more refreshed; most of our hangovers had worn off.
“I’m as hungry as a wolf,” I groaned as I stretched.
“Me too,” Livia said, yawning, and got up. “Come on, I’ll whip something up quickly.”
We went into the kitchen. Livia opened the fridge and started looking through its contents. Soon she pulled out a couple of eggs, some cheese, ham, and vegetables. She quickly whipped up a huge omelet with toast, and we chatted about all sorts of things—the party, the crazy antics of her rocker friend, and how much Bonnie liked me. When the food was ready, Livia pulled a very expensive-looking bottle of cognac out of the fridge, but then her hand froze in midair.
“Uh ... after yesterday, I can’t even look at alcohol,” she said with a laugh, and quickly put it back. “I’ll stick to water today.”
We sat down to eat. The omelet was delicious, and we both devoured it like we were starving. When we were done, Livia didn’t go back to her seat. Instead, she climbed right into my lap, wrapped her arms around my neck, and settled in comfortably. For a moment, she just looked at me, questioningly, a little mischievously.
“So now? What’s next?” she asked softly, but with a smile. “Should we turn yesterday’s one-minute quickie into at least five minutes? I took the pill; that’ll be enough until tomorrow. So you don’t have to worry about me getting pregnant if you come inside me.”
I grinned and put my arm around her waist.
“You sure don’t mess around,” I said, laughing.
Livia just shrugged and pulled even closer.
“Why would I mess around? I had a great time with you yesterday. And now that I’m not completely wiped out anymore ... I’d like to really try it out with you. Slowly. For longer. So we’ll remember it. And so you’ll never forget me, and won’t remember me as some drunk slut you banged once.”
We were sitting in the kitchen, in the warm glow of the lamp, with her in my lap and me holding her close. For a moment, we just looked at each other, then Livia leaned down and kissed me. At first gently, then more and more intensely, passionately. Her hand slid down to the nape of my neck, mine to her back and hips. The kiss deepened, became eager; we were practically devouring each other. I felt her body tense in my lap, and I could no longer hold back either. Leaning against the kitchen counter, in the middle of the night, we kissed wildly, as if everything were just beginning.
In the kitchen, the kiss grew more passionate, but Livia finally pulled away, breathing a little heavily. Her eyes sparkled, and her cheeks were flushed.
“Come...” she whispered, taking my hand.
She led me into the bedroom. The room was large and comfortable, with only a small nightlight glowing. Livia sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled me close to her. She didn’t undress me right away, but instead wrapped her arms around me and began kissing me slowly and sensually, while her hand slid under my T-shirt. I wrapped my arms around her too, and we began taking each other’s clothes off. We took our time. I pulled her T-shirt off, and she raised her arms to make it easier. Then she undressed me, slowly, her fingers gliding over my skin. When we were both naked, Livia leaned back on the bed and pulled me down with her. I lay on top of her, our bodies pressed together. Slowly, very slowly, I began to move inside her. Not wildly, not hurriedly—just deeply, sensually, savoring every moment. Livia sighed softly, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“Oh my God ... it feels so good ... to feel you...” she whispered hoarsely, her voice already faltering a little. “You’re ... so deep inside me ... and so slow ... this is exactly how I wanted it...”
I moved inside her calmly, with long, deep thrusts. Livia’s eyes were half-closed, her mouth left slightly open.
“I don’t want it to end ... not yet...” she said, panting, her fingernails digging gently into my back. “It’s been so long ... since I’ve felt this way ... since someone ... has paid so much attention to me...”
I paused for a moment, deep inside her, so I wouldn’t come too soon. She tensed up beneath me and let out a soft moan.
“Yes ... wait a little ... I can feel it pulsing ... inside me...” she whispered, gently pressing her hips against me. “You’re so good ... so attentive ... damn, I love this...”
Slowly, I started moving again, a little deeper this time. Livia’s head fell back, her neck arching.
“Don’t rush ... please ... let me feel it for a long time...” she said haltingly, barely able to continue from the pleasure. “You’re so ... warm ... and hard ... and I ... I’m completely melting beneath you...”
Her hand slid down to my buttocks and guided me gently, but not forcefully—just to bring us even closer together. We both tried to keep the pace slow so it would last as long as possible. Every now and then we stopped completely, deeply connected, just panting and looking at each other.