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[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

This is a story of Rana's Akeela family just read the story and don't skip it.

In the heart of Gaza, amidst the chaos of conflict on Tilal al-Hawa Street, our family's journey of displacement began. Our humble home, where generations of memories were woven into its walls—laughter, tears, and dreams—is now a place overshadowed by fear and uncertainty.

As aggression escalated, the once familiar sound of bombs became relentless, shaking the ground beneath our feet and shattering the peace we cherished. Day by day, we clung together, finding strength in our unity amid the turmoil.

With each passing moment, the danger grew, and we faced an impossible decision: to stay and risk our lives, or to flee in search of safety. With heavy hearts, we chose to leave behind everything we held dear, carrying only the essentials as we embarked on a perilous journey through streets strewn with rubble and constant danger.

Now, stripped of our home and the security it provided, we find ourselves in the darkest days of our lives, lacking shelter, stability, and the basic necessities to survive. The reality of our situation is harsh, and we appeal to your kindness and generosity to help us escape the conflict zone, where hope for a decent living feels beyond reach.

Your support would mean the world to us, providing a chance to rebuild our lives away from the conflict's grip and to find a safe haven where we can begin anew. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to a future where we can once again know peace and stability.

Hence, I humbly appeal to you to help us leave the Gaza Strip. So that we can have a decent living.

@sar-soor @xinakwans @communistchilchuck @nabulsi @90-ghost @soon-palestine @ibtisams @marnota @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @i-am-aprl @northgazaupdates2

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

I am Mahmoud's wife. Unfortunately, I wanted to inform you that my husband Mahmoud was injured in the head, which caused a skull fracture that descended onto the nerves of the brain and affected the nerves of speech, hearing, and sight.

Mahmoud's condition is very critical and he must go abroad for treatment. He was injured 3 days ago and underwent surgery to clean his head. The doctors are telling us that he needs to undergo a major operation to remove the shrapnel or fix it to the skull bone so that no nerves in the brain are cut off.

Please donate and share this post widely so that we can get my husband out and receive treatment abroad.

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

Do you know anything i can donate to for palestine that's not the gofundmes because the idea of having to choose who needs my money more is just. scary to me they all need it 3: maybe there's a thing that splits/distributes money evenly???? idk but help would be appreciated

Gazafunds actually deals with this anxiety and makes a decision for you if you want. Their home page has a spotlighted fundraiser and the code consider things like how close the gfm is to finishing, when the most recent donation is, etc. So it's randomized to help as many people as possible.

There's also @helpgazachildren which if you donate, you can help multiple people at once since it's a whole mutual aid fund, or at least close to it. Hussam distributes money to people who need it when he's asked.

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

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Please give credit if used (^-^)

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[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

in the absence of heartbeats | k.th

pairing: Taehyun x gender neutral!reader genre: angst, fluff, vampire!taehyun, medium!reader warnings: violence word count: 4.8k notes: — been thinking of this idea for a while but the idea of writing a whole fic for it is very tiring so I decided to just write out this scene lol — for some clarification, my definition of a "medium" is just someone who can see and speak to ghosts! nothing more than that :) After a harrowing night, you find comfort in the cold arms of one with no heartbeat, but much warmth in his heart. 

TXT Masterlist

It's close to two in the morning when you finally decide to leave the library. Your eyes are burning from the light of your computer and there's an ache in your neck from hunching over a desk for way too long, so even though you're not quite done with your essay you end up calling it quits. You haven't written anything substantial in the last half hour anyway. 

All the while you're packing up, a prickle of unease won't stop rippling up and down your spine. It doesn't stop when you leave the room, footsteps echoing loudly in the halls, nor does it stop when you actually exit the library and step into the cool night air. A light wind breezes past your face, but it doesn't soothe you like it normally does after hours spent cramped in one of the quiet study rooms. You find yourself tensing up instead.

Experience tells you not to ignore the feeling. If the hair on your neck is standing up, it means something. What it could mean right now, you aren't sure—you've left the library late and made the short trek back to your apartment many times without issue—but something is wrong. 

You look out at your dark campus, its sidewalks lit only by lamps and the moon. You look back at the library and its windows full of warm light. Almost unconsciously, you find yourself drawing the silver knife you always keep tucked away. You feel a little safer with the blade in your hand, but the prickle of unease doesn't fade away.

It's just so...empty. So quiet. Which shouldn't be that weird—it's nearly two in the morning, of course campus is going to be empty and quiet—but something about tonight's silence still feels unsettling. You glance around the expanse of campus again, and then it hits you. 

There are no ghosts. 

Instantly all of your exhaustion disappears, replaced by a heightened wariness at the situation. There aren't many ghosts who linger at your university—not compared to other places, at least—but there are usually a few hanging around. In fact, you've never been in an open place where there no ghosts, period. As you scan the campus perimeter again, your heart begins to race when you confirm that there are indeed no ghosts around, not even one trailing morosely over the quad.

Ghosts go where they wish. They usually tend to linger around their place of death or somewhere important to them when they were alive, but that's by their own choice. They're not bound to any one place like so many people believe. For them all to be avoiding your campus...

What—or who—could have chased them all away?

You swallow. Whoever they are, whatever they are, you don't want to meet them. Which means you need to get out of here as soon as possible.

So you hurry down the library steps, then start speed walking back to your apartment as fast as you can. It's just fifteen minutes away. You'll be fine. 

Except, five minutes in, you realize that you haven't left the strange absence of ghosts behind. 

In fact, it might just be following you. 

You fight the urge to look back. Someone or something must be following you, but who the fuck would follow you from the library back to your apartment? Why the fuck would anyone want to? As far as anyone except a select group of people knows, you're just a regular college student struggling through finals week like the rest of them. The people who know you can see ghosts, or who at least know that something about you is linked to the supernatural, have no reason to follow you home. 

Except...

Except one.

Your heart drops. Sanya. The guy who's been pestering you for weeks—the guy who asked you once if you could see ghosts, and who kept trying to catch you unawares to ask over and over and over again. Each time you said no. Each time you asked if he was feeling alright in the head. You're a good actor and you know it, but he just wasn't buying it for whatever reason until a couple weeks ago when you finally blew up on him and told him to stop invading your damn space. He hasn't bothered you since then, so you thought he finally believed you, or at least got the message to leave you alone.

Maybe not, though. You didn't think he was unhinged enough to have chased away all ghosts by virtue of his presence, but right now you have to consider all possibilities. Desperation can make people do crazy things. Talking to ghosts...you should know that.

You should've stayed back at the library with its warm glow and well-lit rooms. At least there was a security guard there. But you didn't know, and it's too late to go back. All you can do is keep going and hope you make it back to your apartment before Sanya—or whatever it is that's following you—gets you first.

...The streets are really quiet right now.

The sick taste of fear rises in your throat. You're already walking as fast as you can but you try to go a little faster, all the while clenching your knife so tightly your knuckles feel like they might split. With shaking hands, you also pull out your phone and dial a number as fast as you can with numb fingers. Answer, you pray. Please answer, please, please please—

The call goes through. 

"Hey, Kai," you say as normally as you can. Thank god, thank god, thank god—Kai won't ask questions, and he'll catch on easily. "Where are you? I'm just ten minutes away—"

"Y/N?"

That's not Kai. 

That's Taehyun. Taehyun who always felt a little strange to you, a bit like a ghost but physical and solid and real. Taehyun who has no heartbeat. Taehyun who laughed when you confronted him about it, and challenged you to figure out what kind of supernatural creature he is without him telling you. Taehyun who found you talking to a ghost and asked what kind of supernatural ties you have, which birthed the stupid little bet between you two about who would figure out the other's identity first. Taehyun who is infuriating. Taehyun who is kind.

Taehyun, who is a friend and can still help.

"Oh, hey Taehyun," you say, praying your voice stays steady. "Kai's not there?"

"He went to the convenience store and left his phone," Taehyun replies. "Did you need him? He'll be back in a few."

"No, I—just letting you all know that I'll be at his place in ten minutes," you say. "I'm at 117th, was just heading back from the library. Sorry—" And here your voice catches, like an idiot—"Sorry I'm so late, I just got caught up with an essay."

Taehyun remains silent for a second. Then—

"Y/N, are you okay?"

A sob almost bursts out of your mouth, catching you by surprise. You're so scared—your heart is racing faster with every street you pass that is still devoid of ghosts—you hadn't realized it until he asked that simple question, are you okay, but you're scared. So scared. 

"No," you say lowly. "I think someone, or something, is following me." You swallow hard around the fear rising in your throat. "There—there aren't any ghosts."

"Ghosts?"

"I'll explain later," you say, panic creeping into your voice. "I don't know who or what is fucked up enough to have them all avoiding the area, but I think it's following me and I'm still like ten minutes away from the apartment and I'm freaking out—"

All the hairs on your neck stand up. 

MOVE.

You don't even think before flinging yourself to the side just as something—someone—barrels into the space you just occupied. 

You're back on your feet in a second but so is the figure that jumped out at you. Adrenaline rushes through your veins and you start sprinting, clutching your knife like a lifeline—and all the while Taehyun's yelling into the phone, asking what's going on, but between the running and the adrenaline you don't have enough breath to answer except with sharp gasps—

Something lands heavily on your back. You go tumbling down and your knee explodes in pain. Your phone skitters onto the street but you still have your knife, which you swing wildly until it connects with flesh and the mass pinning you down lets go, if only slightly, with a sharp yell. Kicking out your good leg, you manage to pull yourself free, ignoring the sick squelch of flesh as you drag the knife out with you. 

You force yourself to stand. A streetlamp illuminates an unpleasantly familiar face contorted in pain as he also rises, blood flowing freely down one arm. 

"Y/N," Sanya says, and you take a step backward even as your knee screams. "Y/N, I just wanted to talk to you—"

"What the fuck?" you snarl. Your hands are shaking so much you wonder how the knife hasn't fallen to the ground yet. "You want to talk, so you follow me home from the library and try to attack me—"

"You wouldn't talk to me otherwise!"

"Because you keep asking me about ghosts, ghost, fucking ghosts—where the fuck did you get the idea that I can talk to them? Where did you even get the idea that they were real?" You point your knife at him, praying that he doesn't see how badly you're shaking. "I've told you so many times to just leave me the fuck alone—"

"I saw you talking to one," he interrupts, lips curling in a snarl. "I saw you—don't deny it! You were talking to one after class, I heard you call it by name. Lilia." Sanya takes a deep breath. "Lilia Taylor. Committed suicide almost thirty years ago. She's dead, and you were talking to her. Don't fucking deny it!"

You can't say anything. Your voice isn't working. You can only stand there in horror, because there is a ghost named Lilia and you've definitely spoken to her before, even if you can't quite remember the specific occasion he's talking about. 

You're fucked. So fucked. In the past ten years, you've only made the mistake of being caught talking to a ghost twice. You learned that lesson from childhood. Taehyun thankfully ended up being harmless. But Sanya—

He must take your silence for affirmation, because his voice turns desperate, more pleading than anything, and it breaks your heart. "Please, Y/N," he begs. "I just—I just want to talk to my mother. One more time. I didn't—didn't get to say goodbye before she died, it was too fast, I just want to talk to her one more time—"

You shake your head. "I can't do that," you say roughly. "That's—that's not how it works. I only see ghosts. I can speak to them but I can't command them to talk to me. I can't even speak to a specific one if I don't know where to find them first, and that's assuming they're here. That they haven't passed on." You swallow. "I'm sorry. I couldn't speak to your mother for you even if I tried."

For a long moment, Sanya remains silent, his head bowed. You hold your breath. He'll understand. He has to. He can't—can't force you to do something you can't do in the first place. Right?

Slowly, he lifts his head. You take a deep breath, ready to continue soothing, until you see the glimmer of menace in his eyes. 

"You're lying," he snarls. "You're lying."

"I am not lying," you snap, anger and adrenaline powering your voice. "I can't do it. If there even is a way, which I doubt, I don't know it—"

"YOU'RE LYING!"

This time you don't manage to dodge. Your fucked up knee buckles and the full force of his weight knocks you straight to the ground. Your knife clatters on concrete. Your head smacks the sidewalk and pain explodes in your skull but Sanya doesn't even seem to register the blood running down your face as he jerks your head back up. "You're lying," he hisses, staring straight into your eyes. "You fucking liar. You know you can, you have to—"

"I can't," you snarl back through the pain. "I can't! And no matter how much you fuck me up, you can't make me do something I do not know how to do!"

"You can see ghosts!" His voice is rising, hysteria coating every word. "You can talk to them! You have to be able to do this, you have to—"

"I can't!" you scream. "I can't fucking do it! What else do you want me to say, Sanya, what the fuck else?"

"I want you to STOP LYING!"

For a moment, there's just the night air, the silence, your heavy breaths snarling through the air. You blink blood out of your eyes, silver flashing in the corner of your vision. Your knife. If you stretch just a little, maybe you can get to it.

You try to focus on Sanya, even though two of him are starting to swim in your vision. "You're crazy," you say quietly, stretching out your fingers. "You're crazy—crazy enough that even ghosts avoid you. You can't force me to do something that I just can't do. You can't bring your mother back." Almost there—you can feel the handle at your fingertips. "You don't even know if she's still here! She's probably already passed on!"

"Shut up!" he screams, and your head hits the sidewalk again with a sickening crunch that echoes in your ears. There goes the knife, you think vaguely. "Shut up, shut up—you're lying, you're fucking lying—"

He raises your head again, and you brace yourself for another hit. But just as you feel yourself going down again, all of Sanya's weight leaves you at once. 

Body numb, vision blurring, you manage to lift yourself up just enough to see Sanya splayed out on the street, a familiar figure standing over him. Your hands aren't cooperating much so you can't wipe the blood out of your eyes, but from this angle it looks like...

Taehyun?

The figure turns just enough for lamplight to fall on its face and your breath catches in your throat. It's Taehyun, but it—it's not. Taehyun doesn't have gold eyes that glimmer in the moonlight. Taehyun doesn't have fangs that extend past his lips, shimmering white against the night. Taehyun doesn't move that fast, doesn't have nails that shred right through skin, doesn't have a voice that could produce that deep snarl from his chest as he stands over Sanya's prone body like a predator in the night.

Out of the muddled mess of your mind, one word emerges. Vampire. 

Of all the times to figure it out, why now?

Your weak lungs heave out something like a laugh. Taehyun's head jerks towards you and then all in a second, you're being gathered up in strong, familiar arms. The fangs have disappeared but his eyes remain a glittering gold, mesmerizing, and your aching head just wants you to sink into them forever but Taehyun's talking and he keeps on talking and it's really hard to just let your eyes close and relax when his voice is so distracting—

"Y/N. Y/N!" He's shaking you now, and fuck that hurts. You must make some sound of protest because he stops, thankfully, but then those gold eyes are suddenly so close to yours and he's talking again. "Y/N, stay awake. You can't go to sleep. Stay awake, don't close your eyes—"

Thinking is so hard right now. So is keeping your eyes open, especially when the world keeps blinking in and out of sight. Why can't you just sleep? You're trying to keep them open, you really are, but it's so easy to just not, and when your eyes flutter shut yet again you hear what sounds like a panicked curse before suddenly you're being lifted up and then you're moving. The night air is cold and so is Taehyun but with the last vestiges of your energy you burrow into his chest, chasing a comfort you never thought you'd find in the absence of a heartbeat.

No heartbeat. That stirs something in the depths of your mind, and then you remember something that, to your muddled brain, is very, very important.

"Taehyun."

Your name comes out in a panicked gasp. "Y/N?"  

You blink again with immense difficulty. Gold eyes, fangs, no heartbeat. "Vampire," you get out.

He snorts, though you don't miss the panicked edge to it. "That's what you're worried about?"

Worried? Why would you be worried? Taehyun would never hurt you. But that train of thought is too difficult to chase down, so instead you focus on what you were going to say in the first place. "...Did I win?" you mumble into his shirt.

"Stop talking," he hisses, something like a half-hysterical laugh rising in his throat. "Stop fucking talking, and don't close your eyes—"

Of course, that's when your eyelids decide to fall shut, and you hear no more.

. . . . .

Your dreams are filled with ghosts, pain, and mesmerizing gold eyes. You're woken up several times and each time is just as annoying as the last—lots of hushed voices telling you to keep your eyes open, things poking you in different places, and at some point someone is shoving something at your mouth and you think it might be someone's wrist? Which is stupid, because why would anyone be shoving their wrist at you, but then something tangy and metallic starts entering your mouth and even though the taste is terrible a voice that sounds a lot like Taehyun's is whispering for you to swallow, please, please, please so you do, even though it's fucking gross. 

When you finally wake up for good, it's to a dim room, lit only by a small lamp in the corner. Your head feels like it's been filled with cotton, your eyes are crusty, and your mouth tastes like something died in it. You try to speak but all that comes out of your parched throat is a dry croak. 

"Y/N?"

You turn your head to the sound of the voice and come to three conclusions.

One: Moving your head hurts a lot less than you thought it would. 

Two: Someone is sitting by your bed. 

Three: Taehyun is sitting by your bed, holding your hand. 

"...Taehyun?"

Relief cracks across his face. "Oh, thank god, you're awake." He turns to a nearby nightstand that holds a pitcher and an empty glass. "Are you thirsty?"

You do your best to nod. The glass of water that Taehyun pours you tastes like heaven. 

Several glasses later, you aren't so thirsty anymore, and your mind feels a little more focused. You look around the little room, then at Taehyun. 

"...Your eyes aren't gold anymore."

"What? Oh." He blinks. "Yeah. That only happens when I'm...in my other form."

"As a vampire."

He nods, a little smile curving his lips. "Yeah. And before you ask again, yes, you did win our bet."

Fuck yeah. You beam up at him. "Sick." Then you frown. "Wait, have you not figured out what I am? I thought the ghosts gave it away."

"There were still a few options, even with that hint," he says, taking your hand again almost absentmindedly. You glance down but decide not to say anything. It feels nice, anyway. "Necromancer. Medium. Witch, maybe."

It would be funny to keep him in the dark, but that's also a little cruel. "I'm a medium," you admit. "I talk to ghosts. Can't really do much else, though."

"So you weren't just talking to yourself the day I caught you," he says with a little snicker. You snort, but he's not done. "Did that guy find out? That's why he was after you, wasn't it?"

The room suddenly feels cold. You shiver underneath your blanket, hand squeezing Taehyun's almost involuntarily. His skin is also cold, but the pressure of his palm against yours comforts you more than the thin warmth of the blanket. 

"Yeah," you get out. "Yeah, he...he'd been bothering me for a while. Asking if I could see ghosts and whatever. I lied, obviously, and at some point I thought he got the message to leave me alone. But he saw me talking to one of them. I didn't know." You take a deep breath. "He thought I'd be able to help him talk to his mom. I told him I don't know how to summon specific ghosts. I don't even know if it's possible, at least for me. But, uh." You try to smile, but it fails. "He didn't really like that."

Something like a snarl sounds in the back of Taehyun's throat. "I could tell," he says, and there's no mirth in that statement. 

A blurry memory comes to the forefront of your mind. Sanya lying in the street, arms and legs splayed at strange angles, Taehyun standing over him. "He's...is he dead?" you ask, mouth dry. You're not sure if you want to hear the answer. 

"No." Taehyun spits out the word bitterly, like he almost wishes the opposite were true. "No, he's not. I didn't kill him." He looks at you almost hopefully. "But if you want me to, I can finish it."

You swallow. Relief and fear do a strange little dance in your chest. "No, I don't think I want him to be," you reply, and Taehyun nods, albeit a little disappointedly. "But I don't really want him coming after me again, either."

"Don't worry. Kai said he would take care of that, if you decided you wanted him alive." Taehyun gives you a half smile. "One of our friends is a witch. Memory alteration spells can go a long way."

Most of the fear dissipates, and you let out a sigh of relief. "That's...good." You stare at the blanket. "He just wanted to talk to his mother. Grief can drive even the sanest of people mad."

"...I know."

A little silence falls. "Where am I, by the way?" you finally ask. "Your apartment?"

"Yeah. It was closer." Taehyun shrugs. "Also, I hope you don't mind, but I called my witch friend over to take a look at you earlier. His name's Soobin."

Hm. You vaguely recognize that name from your intermittent wakings. Which brings back the memory of something else, a tangy and metallic liquid in your mouth. Instinctively you wrinkle your nose. 

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, I just remembered a dream I had." You shake your head. "I was drinking something really weird. It tasted bad."

Taehyun's face turns a little sheepish. 

"...Not a dream, I guess," you get out. Right, in dreams you can't taste anything. How did you forget? "What was it?"

Taehyun raises his wrist, revealing two fading marks against his skin. "Vampire blood has healing properties," he says guiltily. "It was the only thing we could think of without sending you to the hospital. You had a major concussion and your knee was pretty busted, too."

You stare at his wrist, at the marks that seem to be fading before your eyes. "I drank blood. From your wrist."

"...Sorry?"

"No, no, don't be sorry." You pinch the bridge of your nose for a second. "I...appreciate it? It kept me alive. I'm just trying to process things." Then you realize something. "God, I haven't even thanked you for saving me." All at once you remember the fear, the terror, the pain, and then it hits you, really hits you, just how close to death you came. "Thank you, Taehyun," you say in a much smaller voice. "I...I really owe you my life."

Taehyun clasps your hand between both of his and looks at you, his dark eyes deep and serious. "You don't owe me anything, Y/N," he says quietly. "I came because I was worried. Because I didn't know what was happening, and I was scared for you. It was my choice to come," he says, voice brooking no argument. "I don't believe in exchanging lives. I'm just glad that you were okay, in the end."

That does it. Just like his simple question when you were walking home—Y/N, are you okay? His words release the floodgates and all the tears start falling, the full terror of the moment hitting you like a truck—but he's holding you, cradling you close, and you're curling into him again as you soak his shirt with tears, finding comfort in his voice, in his arms, in the absence of a heartbeat in his broad chest. 

By the time you're cried out, you're exhausted again, but you don't really want to go to sleep just yet. So instead you stay curled up against Taehyun, his arms holding you close, and take in shaky breaths until you feel a little steadier. "Sorry for crying," you mumble, even though you make no effort to pull away. "Your shirt's going to be gross."

"I don't care about the shirt," Taehyun says sharply, though his voice softens when you look up, startled. "Sorry. I just meant that...I can replace the shirt, Y/N." He takes a breath, and you notice he looks a little nervous. "But I can't replace you."

His words strike a chord deep within your heart, bringing a sort of funny feeling to the front of your chest. "Damn right you can't," you try to joke, but it falls a little flat. 

"I'm serious." And then he's pushing you away a little, but only so that you have the space to look him in the eyes. "I'm serious," he repeats, large eyes dark and somber. "You almost died, Y/N. And if you...if you did die..." He swallows. "You know why I agreed to that stupid bet?"

You blink. "...For fun?"

"No. Well, yes." He huffs a little. "Y/N, I wanted an excuse to talk to you more."

A little warmth curls in your chest, spreading slowly outwards to the rest of your body. You don't say anything, though.

"You're a fun person to be around, Y/N," Taehyun says, and he's smiling a little in a way that's more mesmerizing than his golden eyes. "I liked you. I wanted to be around you more, and talk to you more. I'll admit, I was definitely curious about what exactly you were, but I didn't care about that as much as I pretended to." He leans in a little, and you don't flinch away. "I like you a lot, Y/N. And before you have—I don't know, some other near death experience—I wanted to tell you that." The smile slips away. "If you died, I never would have told you. And I would have regretted not telling you for a very long time."

He's looking at you in a way that warms you, even though his hands are cold, even though there's no heartbeat in his chest. So you let the quiet warmth of his gaze spread through your body, let yourself lean into him a little more before you press your lips softly to his. 

Taehyun kisses back firmly but gently, never pushing, never yielding, as steady as his arms holding you against him. You don't kiss for very long, but when you do break away, you're warm all over, and you can't stop smiling even with eyes still sticky from crying. 

"I'll tell you that I absolutely cared about this bet as much as you thought I did," you say, and his laugh only makes you smile more. "But I can't lie, Taehyun, I liked you a lot too. I tried to dislike you on principle. You were so fucking annoying about it," you emphasize, eliciting another lovely laugh from his lips. "But I couldn't, because you were sweet, and kind, and even though you teased me all the time, you were still always there. Even when I almost died."

His eyes on yours, dark and sweet. Like the lamp glowing softly in the corner, gentle and quiet. 

"You may not have a heartbeat, but mine can beat for both of us," you say quietly. "If you'll let it. If you'll let me."

Taehyun kisses your forehead, your nose, your lips. All feather soft, like butterflies lighting on your skin. "Is that answer enough?" he asks.

You smile back in reply and curl back into his chest. Taehyun's arms close around you again, his head coming to rest on top of yours, and there you sit, and breathe. 

One heart beating for two, two breaths sounding as one.

Reblogs and comments are deeply appreciated! Hope you enjoyed this, and have a lovely day :)

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

On February 7, 2024, an indigenous nonbinary teenager named Nex Benedict was beaten to death in a US high school bathroom.

The news has been spreading across social media over the past few days, with several news outlets misgendering and deadnaming the victim. I have seen a small handful of posts about the entire thing, but only a couple with any sources about what happened.

I spent the morning combing through articles. This is a list of publications reporting on the story that don't deadname Nex:

Pgh Lesbian Correspondents: "Grieving Nex Benedict: the Brutal Killing of 16 Year Old Nonbinary Student in an Oklahoma High School"

The Pride: "Non-Binary Student Dies After Violent Bathroom Fight at Owasso High School in Oklahoma"

The Washington Blade: "Nonbinary Okla. High School Student Dies After Fight"

The Los Angeles Blade: "Oklahoma Non-Binary High Schooler Dies After Physical Alteraction"

LGBTQ Nation: "Teen Beaten to Death in a School Bathroom Bullying Attack. The School Didn't Call an Ambulance."

Freedom Oklahoma: "Rest in Power Nex Benedict"

Indy 100: "Thousands Raised for Non-Binary Teenager Beaten to Death at School"

The Independent: "Oklahoma Banned Trans Students From Bathrooms. Now a Bullied Student is Dead After a Fight."

Daily Dot: "Oklahoma's Top Education Official Called Out Over Libs of TikTok Ties After Non-Binary Student Beaten at School, Dies Later"

Daily Kos: "Libs of TikTok Targeted a District, Then a Non-Binary Student Was Killed on Campus"

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[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

stay in the middle — 23. botany

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

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A/N: oop a new plot point has started it seems 😳 where do u think the flower came from 🤔😨⁉️

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

stay in the middle — 22. pick me up

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

word count: 0.9k

Y/N didn’t have to pace the floor of the empty office for too long before hearing a knock, followed by the soft clicking of the door opening.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re all in one piece.” Kai exhaled in relief, hair slightly aloof as though he had ran all the way here. He didn’t have to worry this much for them, Y/N thought to themself, but it was admirably thoughtful of him.

“It’s not like I was stuck dealing with a kraken, Kai. I’m fine.”

“Oh, but just know I’d be ready if ever that was the case.”

For that, Y/N let out a chuckle, then turned off all the lights and exited the room alongside their knight in Adidas sweatpants armor.

He whipped out his phone’s flashlight and guided the way through the dark corridor. The only thing that could be distinctly sensed was the echo of the pair’s footsteps bouncing off invisible walls. Kai was tapping a silent beat on the side of his legs, as if his fingers always had to be kept busy.

“Sooo, how did practice with Jay go?”

“Dying to know, aren’t you?”

“I’m nosy!” Kai turned to look at Y/N’s reaction.

Amidst their warm face and giddy stomach, Y/N settled with a content sigh. “He’s a great actor, really. Like, I was honestly just awestruck the entire time.” Their eyes widened as they recalled every detail they captured of their acting partner. “He sees through the simplicity of the script’s text and catches nuances to add to his delivery. He coaches me if he gets any ideas for my lines too, it’s so—“

Y/N stopped on their heels to grab the sides of Kai’s arms. “He’s so talented, Kai, it hurts!”

Kai blinked in surprise before laughing a bit more softly than usual, hand reaching to pinch Y/N’s cheeks.

“Ow?!”

“Sorry, you’re just so ridiculous.”

That earned Kai a punch to his shoulder. “Whatever!”

Visibly stifling a smile, Kai continued the pace they were once walking. “Maybe I should ask Jay how practicing with you was for him too. That way, I’d know more about what actor Y/N is like.”

“I could try to sneak you into rehearsal again! Not too sure how much of Yunjin’s kindness I can abuse, though…” Y/N quickly waved their hand off reassuringly. “It’s okay, you’re cute, Yunjin can’t say no to you.”

Kai eyes crinkled into a smile. “I am pleased to hear.”

The pair had reached the exit of the corridor and were to cross the open field to get to the dormitory building. The view reappeared under the moonlight, the expanse of green materializing before them. Evening birds chirped restlessly over the clicking of crickets.

“Oh, I never realized how clear the night sky is.”

Kai nodded in affirmation. “It can get misty—or so I’m told. But we just so happen to be lucky tonight, I guess.”

“Do we both not go out that much?”

“To be fair, who would want to go out at the dead of night?”

“Fair, indeed.”

“Wait, what’s that—“ Something caught Kai’s attention, luring him to a big tree off the track. Y/N soon noticed it too: a glow coming from the trunk.

“That looks radioactive.” Y/N commented, and although they meant it lightheartedly, they were silently worried it was something serious.

Inching closer, Kai seemed compelled to reach out to it. Suspense rose like a violin trill until…

“Oh.“ Kai peeled it off the trunk to show Y/N. “It’s just a glow-in-the-dark poster for the upcoming bazaar.”

Y/N released a breath they didn’t realize they were holding. “Glow-in-the-dark poster? I’ve never heard of that before.”

“How anticlimactic.” Kai sniffled, sticking the poster back to where it came from.

“Hey, you could definitely make a scary story out of this.” Y/N lowered their voice in an attempt to mimic Kai. “Guys! I saw something glowing on one of the trees last night! Call me crazy but I swear those were alien eggs!”

Kai’s trademark booming laugh erupted. “That sounds unbelievable, but I just know if I told this to Yeonjun hyung, it’d keep him up for a few nights.”

“Your Yeonjun hyung’s a wimp.”

“He is.” His shoulders shrugged the last of his giggles, and Y/N begun to note how naturally expressive he was. It made interacting with him more lively.

The rest of the walk was quiet, especially now that Y/N’s nerves had calmed down completely. Usually, nighttime evoked the wilderness of Y/N’s imagination, making it near impossible for them to walk around at this hour without anxiety. Soobin and Beomgyu would’ve been a call away to come walk Y/N back to their dorm, so it made them feel guilty for asking Kai in particular, who had never done this for them before.

Well, he has already, without hesitation, gotten them coffee to survive their rehearsal. So Kai’s loyalty shouldn’t have been a question in the first place. He does things for his friends without complaint because he wants to help, and Y/N shouldn’t have to feel too guilty.

Despite that, Y/N felt an inner embarrassment because of the fact that they may have just wanted to see his face in particular. His presence was soothing, and it was just what they needed walking back.

“Okay, my dorm’s right here.” Y/N stood by their doormat, decorated with an embroidered white cat over it. “Thank you so much again, Hyuka. I still don’t know how you put up with my shit.”

“Nah, I needed some fresh air from studying anyway.” Kai’s eyes glimmered under the dim light. “And I have a cool scary story to tell my friends now. I’d say this evening was a win.”

“Good to hear, good to hear,” With one last wave at Kai, Y/N closed the dorm room behind them.

Their roommate was most definitely sound asleep at the moment, all the lights inside shut off. Thus, Y/N made sure to take their shoes off and settle their backpack as quietly as possible. Instead of heading straight to their room, they flopped onto the sofa in their living room. Grabbing their trustworthy sparkly notebook from their bag, they began scribbling some ideas that blossomed from tonight’s events.

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A/N: vine boom sound effect what’s going on 🤯🤯

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot @taekwondoes @tatanbin @uno7

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

stay in the middle — 21. wimps @ ur local volleyball court!

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

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A/N: a little late and a bit of a transition chap hi 😅 but to make up for it i have TWO updates today teehee i think you’ll like the next one 🤭

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @taekwondoes @txtbrainrot @tatanbin @uno7

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

stay in the middle — 20. sanrio cakes

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

a/n: for clarity’s sake, kai and y/n’s conversation below happened irl, i just depicted their dialogue through text since it’s convenient lol

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a/n: sorry besties we may be facing a few fillers rn 🫣 but swear this important for character building!! ALSO DID YOU GUYS HEAR, TUBATU’S HEADLINING LOLLAPALOOZA THIS YEAR WOW, I’M SO PROUD AND EXCITED FOR THEM UGH!!!!

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @taekwondoes @txtbrainrot @tatanbin

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

stay in the middle — 19. side eye

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

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A/N: hi i’m back! sorry i wasn’t able to update last friday, workload got really heavy and it might only get heavier from here 🥲 i have a few updates ready to post at least so that’s something to look forward to 🥳 also what do u guys think is taehyun’s new hair color because pink is my fav color on him but they’re saying this color is the best he’s had, like now i’m curious what could be better than pink taehyun 😟😟😟⁉️⁉️⁉️

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko @txtbrainrot

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

may i request an angsty heuning kai x female reader scenario where y/n tries breaking up with heuning kai bc she doesn’t feel like she’s good enough for him and doesn’t want to hold him back from his career but hyuka refuses to let her go?

[ ENOUGH FOR ME. ] h. kai

in which, anon’s request get fulfilled <3

content: angst, sadness, mild swearing, lowercase intended.

a/n: thank u for requesting! i lowkey keep forgetting to add a what i request and what i don’t post, thanks for reminding me love yaurrr!! also sorry if i’m not adding much pronouns in there it’s just mostly kai talking lowkey

(fem reader.)

IT WAS a long day for kai, he’d been performing live on stage all day long. he came home, surprising you with a gift. “y/n!” his voice echoed through the living room. usually, you would come out to meet him— give him kisses and hugs. but today, he was greeted with nothing? confused, he went to your shared bedroom, where you lied down in bed.

covers wrapped around you, covering your face. “hey! y/n!” he went on the bed, cuddling you through the sheets. “hey n/n..” he whispered. his voice was like candy, it was so sweet, it killed you every time, it made your heart hurt each time he talked. “i know you hear me.” you still tried to ignore him, resisting as much as you can.

“n/n.. please, talk to me. did i do anything?” he tried pulling down the covers, you refused to let him see you. “please..!” he begged, “what did i do!” he continue to whine and beg for answers. you couldn’t ignore him forever, you put the covers down.

you peeped out your eyes only showing. kai smiled softly, he pulled the covers down more, “good morning!” he laughed lightly, kai kissed you on your cheek. “i missed you babe.. he kissed you again, eventually peppering your face in kisses. “so much! i couldn’t stop thinking of you. some of my members were mad cause i kept messing up..” he rambled on, and you listened, to some of it.

it was hard to think when you were thinking of a lot yourself.. you were zoning out, looking behind him instead of at him.“hey? you listening?” you looked at him, you stopped zoning out of your trance of thoughts. “mhm.” you said plainly. kai frowned, “you’re not yourself babe. i can tell.”

“what do you mean kai? i’m fine.” you lied, it was so easy for kai to tell how you felt, giving a glance. “i see right through you when you lie dummy.” he caressed your cheek. “please tell me baby, i won’t judge you.” you sighed, holding his hand.

your head already felt so heavy, you were getting migraines. “can we talk?” he nodded reassuringly. “of course, talk to me, what’s on your mind?”

“am i good enough for you?” that question hit him so hard, he was baffled, a bit speechless. “baby..?” he held you close to him. “of course you are, if you weren’t then we wouldn’t be where we are right now.” he made it sound like it was obvious, but not to you.

“are you lying?” you asked, your throat felt dry every second you spoke. “no, babe— please listen to me when i say this okay?” kai moved you back a bit, making you look at him. you felt so ashamed with yourself.

“i love you, only you. you’ve been there for me, and i appreciate all the moments we spend together, because you’re so special, and because i love you.” you looked down, wiping tears as you felt them about to drop. your throat felt dry each time you talked.

“baby, don’t cry.. okay? i love you so much, i’ve dreamed of us dying together, just living together till end of time. i was even thinking of marriage, but i don’t know if that’s too fast for you.” he tried lightening up the mood but it didn’t work.

as tears stream down your cheeks, you started to confess your feelings more. “i’m holding you back aren’t i? your career is more important, please, stop putting me first. you told me how you were messing up today because of me. i’m not good enough for you” you choked out, your cries turn into sobs.

“stop talking like that, i will never stop putting you first. y/n you’re so fucking important to me, your more than good enough for me. sometimes i feel like i don’t deserve you, you’re the best girlfriend in the world.” he wiped your tears, but you couldn’t stop crying.

“we—we can’t be together..” you finally said, your sobs were too loud for kai to understand some words. “baby, it’s okay. calm down.” kai cooed, kissing your tears. you tried, you really did. “we won’t ever be apart, you know why?” you sniffed, looking at him with a worrying look.

“because im never leaving you. no matter how much you think you don’t deserve me, im still never leaving your side. we can work this out together, we’ve did everything for years, why throw it away?” his reassuring words made you calm down, “i could be the richest man on earth, and i’d choose you over money. money is temporary, but you can be by my side forever.” your head was aching.

you felt so bad and ashamed. “i love you, and i will always love you. even when i’m gone, i’ll be there, watching over you. making sure you’re safe.” kai hugged you, you tried to talk, but you couldn’t let out a word. “baby, i don’t want you thinking about anything else tonight. i just want to make sure you’re okay.”

you nodded, hugging him tightly as you still felt streams of tears coming down. “we can do whatever you want tonight, it’s all about you.” he kissed your forehead, kai then held your hands with yours, intertwining them.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ please do not plagiarize my work or ⠀ ⠀ repost/modifying/translatew/o my permission. thank u

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ — ⩇﹒⺌ gyua﹒﹗﹒🎧

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

stay in the middle — 18. live laugh love huening kai

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

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a/n: it’s been a tiring past few days hello life 😪 working on this au provides me with a little joy amidst all my stress, and seeing you all enjoy it in the likes, reblogs, and comments makes this even more worthwhile~ hoping it provides you all with a little joy as it does for me too ^^

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

stay in the middle — 17. i love play rehearsal

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

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a/n: it’s officially the end of the blonde soobin/pink taehyun era do not talk to me rn…

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

stay in the middle — 16. coolbeans

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

word count: 1.6k

“This place isn’t as suffocating as I remembered.” Y/N couldn’t help but hum, gazing around the small cafe. Now that they weren’t overwhelmed with worries about social interaction anymore, they could properly appreciate the array of wooden decor lined up at the top of the cream walls. Plates, large utensils, framed coffee beans, the items were appropriate but quaint in its display. Y/N was quite charmed.

Sitting opposite to them, Kai made the practical decision of scanning the menu for their dinner selection. “My best friend and I often meet here in the early morning to charge up before our classes.“

“The same best friend that helped you with your report outline for earlier?”

Kai gave a nod.

“With the amount of times you’ve mentioned him, I’m wondering why I haven’t met him yet.” Y/N laughed.

A penguin pout graced his lips. “Ah, he’s especially busy these days because he’s in the volleyball team, training and all. But I promise you I’ll introduce him to you eventually.” He crossed his arms over the table. “Likewise, I want to meet your friends too.”

Y/N scrunched their face. “I fear they’re not as cute and into Sanrio as I am.”

“Not even Soobin?”

“He’s only cute. That’s the only thing he’s got going on for him.”

Kai giggled—or rather cackled with incredibly more power than necessary, earning him a few stares from the neighboring customers. After realizing his volume, he immediately turned to bow in silent apology to each table, looking like a docking ostrich in the process.

“We should probably take our orders now.” Y/N said, trying to hold back a laugh.

“Good idea.”

Y/N requested for a plate of carbonara while Kai went for a traditional caesar salad, along with two glasses of blue lemonade.

Once the waiter had left, the two were met with comfortable silence. They had just finished observing the swim team for almost three hours, it had already been a long day for them.

Although they have definitely grown much closer since the last time they were here (the longest and most awkward 30 minutes of their life, as Y/N remembered it), they found that they didn’t need to be constantly speaking to enjoy each other’s presence. Both naturally leaned more toward being the quiet type anyway.

The same panicky boy that made a mess out of Y/N’s papers almost a month ago wore a much calmer countenance today, his ebony curls more neatly kept and eyes crinkling into creases. He was fiddling with the corners of the paper placemat beneath him, creating a pile of paper crumbs that had been softly ripped apart.

“You’re not gonna have a placemat by the time the food arrives if you keep at it.” Y/N teased, pointing at the pile.

The tips of Kai’s ears colored. “Oops, habit of mine. My hands get restless so I often fidget without thinking.”

“No need to justify yourself, I promise. How about you help me with something instead to keep you busy.” Y/N then turned to their backpack to fish out a pastel pink notebook. They slid it in front of Kai to reveal the numerous Hello Kitty stickers decorating the front cover.

“That’s a lot of glitter on those stickers.” Kai’s own eyes sparkled at the sight.

“I always say it’s never enough.” Y/N smirked before flipping to the last filled page. Scribbled all over it was a mind map of words like moon, aliens, and galaxy, drawn arrows pointing them toward each other. “See, before I got in The Hybe Times, I used to submit self-written stories to the local student magazine. I’ve been thinking of submitting another one for the first time in so long, but I can’t quite stick to one idea.”

Kai took in Y/N’s explanation while examining the seemingly nonsensical writings on the page. “I’m gathering that your story is space themed?”

“Yep. The upcoming issue will commemorate the anniversary of the moon landing, so outer space was given as the prompt.” Y/N leaned backward, heaving a sigh. “But space is such a broad topic—kind of literally, too. So much could be talked about, how do I condense it into one short story?”

Kai’s eyes remained focus on trying to follow the words on the page, eyebrows scrunched thoughtfully. “Hm, do you know what all these arrows remind me of? Constellations. Metaphorical lines that connect different bodies together to form a bigger picture.”

Y/N blinked at his interpretation, caught pleasantly surprised. “That’s… I like that.”

“You do?”

“Constellations as lines that connect and create a bigger picture…” Y/N flipped the notebook back to face them and started furiously inking down the sparks in their mind. From their peripheral, they saw Kai watch in awe, his mouth slightly agape. Y/N only let a select few people witness their “light bulb” moments like these so they were admittedly a bit flustered under his gaze.

They finally looked up, corners of their lips stretched wide. “I don’t know how you did it but you just helped me plot out a full beginning, middle, and end of a short story.”

“That fast?” Kai gawked. “I’m impressed.”

“The mind works in mysterious ways.” Y/N reached forward to tap Kai’s temple with their finger. “Yours so much more so than mine.”

At that moment, Y/N’s eyes caught something from behind Kai’s head. Two figures had entered the packed cafe—two familiar figures.

Y/N quickly docked their head and tucked their notebook beneath the table, startling Kai. “I-is something wrong?”

Y/N’s voice lowered. “Don’t turn around, but Jungwon and Jay just entered the cafe.” They buried their face in their hands. Of course they’d come here; Jungwon was their field partner, and the swimming compound was right beside this cafe. It’d make sense for him to seek dinner here after fieldwork too.

Kai’s mouth rounded into a silent “oh”, nodding slowly and trying his best to remain calm for Y/N’s sake.

Unfortunately for Y/N, they made the mistake of peaking up again, accidentally making eye contact with Jungwon. At the sight of his co-journalists, he gave a big enthusiastic wave before dragging his friend along to their table.

“Kai hyung, Y/N! Thank goodness you’re here.” Jungwon greeted, grin wide. “The waiter just told us there were no more seats available. Do you mind if we sat with you instead?”

Jay stood rigid beside Jungwon, arms linked with each other. He gave the two a polite smile in greeting. Other than that, his face was practically unreadable—Y/N was hoping they’d figure out how he feels about getting a minor role alongside them, but maybe some answers are not this easily attainable. Still, his unreadability didn’t dismiss the way his hair was parted to the side so neatly, nor the way his slick leather jacket hugged his figure handsomely. Wait, how does an article of clothing hug one’s figure handsomely?

Y/N felt Kai’s expectant eyes on them, waiting for their call. (They were hoping his stare was not because they were noticeably blushing furiously at the moment.)

“Uh… sure! Come take a seat.”

Jungwon clapped gratefully. Right before any movements occurred, Kai swiftly switched to take the space beside Y/N, allowing the newly arrived duo to sit opposite them. It was as if he had read their mind begging for him to block any chance of Jay sitting close to Y/N.

“What did you guys order?” Jay asked diplomatically.

“Kai ordered a salad for two. Perhaps you’d like to take his other half?” Y/N promptly replied, to which Kai raised an eyebrow. They weren’t wrong, but Kai had the appetite for two servings; he very well meant to finish the salad on his own.

“I promise I’ll get you a big bowl of ice cream after to compensate. I just don’t want to have to wait for their orders too.” Y/N rapidly said below a whisper, ensuring that the other two didn’t hear them. Kai gave a thumbs up of content.

“Oh, I do love salad. That’d be nice, thank you.”

“Jay can pay for the entire bill, too.” Jungwon smirked, earning him an eye roll from his hyung. “What about me, though?”

“You can share Y/N’s carbonara! Also made for two.” Kai offered quickly. He lowered back down to Y/N to whisper, “I’ll make up for that with another big bowl of ice cream for you too.”

Y/N could feel their heart thumping in their ears out of nervousness.

“I’m more of a spaghetti person myself but I won’t complain since I’m hungry.”

As if on cue, a waiter arrived with their orders. The group then dined without chatter, busy enjoying their meals (and trying to stay calm in front of their crush, in Y/N’s case).

“Did you receive Yunjin’s message in the group chat?” Jay finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

Y/N nearly choked on their bacon. “O-oh. I haven’t been on my phone for the past hour. What did she say?”

“She already wrote specifications about our characters on the script. We’ll be rehearsing alongside the main cast tomorrow.”

“That’s great! I’ll read through the script later.”

“You guys have the same roles?” Jungwon asked.

“Uh, you could say that.” Jay simply replied, taking a sip from the service water. How on earth did he manage to make that something to swoon over.

Y/N had to slap Kai’s lap to bring them out of their trance, much to his poor surprise. “How are you enjoying the salad, Jay?” Kai spoke out of panic.

“It’s all right. My dad knows how to prepare an even better one though.” It should have sounded like a brag, but it came out more lighthearted. “I can pack extra to rehearsals one day for you to try, Y/N.”

“Coolbeans! I’d be honored to try.”

Jay lips pressed into a smile. “Hang on, I need to use the restroom.” He excused himself from the table, and the moment he was completely out of sight, Kai stifled a laugh.

“Coolbeans?”

Y/N plopped their head on Kai’s shoulder, groaning in embarrassment. “Why does time always seem to slow down whenever I’m in this cafe.”

A cough broke, causing Kai to turn to the scrutinizing gaze of Jungwon. “There’s something going on that I don’t know about.”

Y/N continued to grumble incoherently, forehead still stuck to Kai’s shoulder.

“Do you not care to tell me?”

“None of your business, Yang!”

< prev | masterlist | next >

a/n: kai and y/n can’t just be depicted as chronically online moots-ies forever so i decided to make a written chapter for them 😔🤞 lmk what you think of their dynamic so far 😙

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia

[autumn-fairy-in-chaos]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ stay in the middle

(like you a little) | hueningkai x gn!reader

SYNOPSIS: Huening Kai would do anything for his best friend Taehyun, and this one small favor is no exception. It appears that Kai’s fellow campus journalist Y/N has caught his attention, and Taehyun needs help connecting to them. Befriending someone outside of his small social circle wasn’t something Kai did often, but he comes to find that it’s easy to get close to Y/N—maybe even getting a little too close.

TAGS: social media au (+ written), college au, strangers to friends to lovers, slow burn, fluff, crack if i want to be funny, angst but only later on

FEATURING: rest of TXT, Le Sserafim Chaewon & Yunjin, Enhypen Jay, Jungwon, & Riki

STATUS: in progress

UPDATES: MWF

⋆｡°✩ MASTERLIST ✩°｡⋆

PROFILES:

drama kids | yeonjun’s beagles | misc.

CHAPTERS:

01. food hall scenery

02. favor

03. the hybe times

04. don’t cry over spilt coffee [written, 0.3k]

05. redemption

06. mochapology

07. twitter moots-hood

08. journalist buddies

09. start of something

10. what’s cracking?! (my sanity)

11. sound proof

12. legs left unbroken

13. get’cha head in the game

14. time’s up! give me your cast list

15. winner winner chicken dinner

16. coolbeans [written, 1.6k]

17. i love play rehearsal

18. live laugh love huening kai

19. SOON…

TAGLIST: open!! leave a comment below or send me an ask to be included in this taglist ^^ (if your name is in bold, i can’t tag you)

@kaisdefender @fairysh4mpoo @0rangemilk @beomsbeanie @hanjisungsgirl @luvsoobs @goldennika @spagettae @solarsolarity @hy2ka-i @aestheticsluut @sophie-writingtime @quitbeingawhore @destinylightlove42 @softpia @strawberry-kirby @matcharetsuko