multifandomjunkie3000 - Tumblr blog

multifandomjunkie3000 · 1 month ago

Text

💋 The Secrets One Keeps

summary: You're in love with jj but he's with kie, so in moments of pure desperation you often find yourself turning to the person he hates the most...rafe

warnings: some good old angsty pining, very very slight smut if you squint, fem!reader, one or two uses of y/n, plz let me know if I missed anything

a/n: SHE'S BACKKKK, so I've decided to completely reformat and re-post this fic with a few tweaks and editing considering i first wrote this like 3 years ago, and yes for those of you who have been asking, I fully intend to finallly continue this fic....more info on that later ;)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

JJ’s eyes change the moment Kiara steps into any room. Immediately his presence is ripped away from your immediate atmosphere, popping the little bubble you'd spent all afternoon crafting as he sprung up to greet the olive-skinned enigma that captured his affections.

“Kie!” The joy in his tone was incomparable to anything he’d directed at anybody else. Nothing could draw out such happiness from the blonde. You hated that about her.

In an attempt at self-defense, your brain shut itself off. Shielding you from processing the scene in front of you, your emotions ran cold like cement pouring down and across your neurons. It was the only way you could survive such a beating to your heart.

You figured that by distancing yourself mentally, you wouldn’t have to raise suspicion and distance yourself physically. In reality, you knew the real reasoning was your inability to stay away from JJ but the facade helped you cope.

“Hey J” she embraced him and his body relaxed around her as if she was the only source of his happiness. The only way he’d find alleviation from what he perceived as a shitty life being through her. “Sorry I’m late my parents had me running like crazy at the wreck today.”

Scattered greetings filled the air from the rest of the pogues, yet you could only focus on the way his eyes fixated on her like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“Here come sit baby” he offered her the seat he had just previously been place holding. What you thought had been quality time with your best friend, presented itself to you now as momentary attention to pass the time until his actual desire arrived.

Settling herself down and offering you a wide smile, her shoulder bumped against yours gently as a sign of acknowledgment.

“Hey dude” she directed at you, but you didn’t reply. You just couldn’t bring yourself to pretend. Not today anyway. Instead, you offered her a small smile, it was minimal but it was the best you could do under the circumstances.

“Yo" A crumpled tissue paper flew at your head, jj attempting to refocus your attention on him, "didn’t you say you were gonna get some water or something?” He spoke up, the scheme evident in his tone.

“um yeah I guess” You lifted yourself up and took a few steps before jj used the opportunity to slump himself down where you had been sat and sprawled his arms across his girlfriend’s shoulders.

“snooze ya loose sucker” he joked as he turned to Kiara to start up some mindless conversation. Leaving you behind in the dust.

Your teeth gritted as you focused on making your way to the kitchen hoping the distance from the scene unfolding would lift the iron grip on your heart.

You made the fatal mistake of glancing back and you were met with the image of jj nuzzling up to kiara in a picturesque display of love. The lump building at the base of your throat indicated that it was your time to get the hell out of there before you broke down in front of everyone.

“Shit guys, y’know what I just realized I gotta go” You spoke quickly, your tone matching your pace as you rushed to the exit of the chateau.

“You’re still coming to the party later though right?” John B asked, not tearing his eyes away from the screen in front of him.

“Mhm yeah sure” you opened the door ready to depart.

“Shit I forgot about that! Me and jj are gonna be late, we got dinner at the wreck tonight.” kiara added as you stepped out, unable to control the escape of a rogue tear.

“Date night babyyyy” You heard JJ cheer before you slammed the door behind you.

“Is Y/N okay? She seemed a bit off.” Kie nudged JJ as she questioned.

JJ furrowed his eyebrows momentarily. Glancing out the window, he saw you jog away from the house, and a brief flash of worry flashed through his mind. As quick as it came, it dissipated. He shook his head figuring that if there had been something wrong, he’d have been the first to know.

“Nah she’s okay don't worry.” he offered to kie.

Boy was he mistaken.

——————————————————————

“Fuuuck me” you moaned out, sinking into him one last time. You were hot, sweaty, and heaving as you pulled him out of you.

“I thought I just did” Rafe taunted leaning back to lie down, arms crossed behind his head causing his taut abdomen to flex.

You scrambled off the bed, picking up your garments and shoving them back on your body forcefully.

“What, no pillow talk?” He tried again.

“Rafe..” you trailed off. Whenever you’d finish fucking, you’d struggle to even look at him. The self-hatred flooded your body as soon as the orgasm poured out.

“Hey you called me” he eyed you intently but you knew he didn’t actually care. To rafe cameron everything was just a game. At this point it was pretty much common knowledge. “In fact” he moved closer to you so that he could speak directly into your ear “It’s always you that calls me.”

“Don’t be a dick” you stood up and eyed your heels contemplating whether you could face the walk back in them. “You know it makes me feel like shit.” It might have sounded brutal but that’s how things were with rafe.

“Yeah, it’s like you punctuate your orgasms with self-hate.”

“I'm a pogue, rafe.” You argued back as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“So? Kooks and pogues can fuck you know.” You couldn’t comprehend why you were even having this conversation. Why now, why tonight.

“Yeah maybe, not you though.” You didn’t want to tell him the reason explicitly.

“I fuck pogues.”

“You fuck anyone.” The words came out almost instantly and without thinking, yet rafe took no offense.

“Exactly so what’s the issue?”

“The issue is, rafe.” You paused trying to find the words without actually having to say the words. “The issue is that if my friends found out they’d hate me, probably more than I already hate myself.”

He just chuckled, the look in his eyes changing as he figured you out.

“What's funny?” You challenged.

“You don’t have to bullshit me princess.” He looked up at you with a devilish glint in his eye. “You just don’t want jj knowing about your little escapades huh?” Bingo.

“He’s with Kiara.” You shrugged him off.

“Uh huh, you like him but you can’t have him.” Every word he spoke striking a nerve deep within you. “So you’re fucking me to fuck him over.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” You grabbed your heels and shoved them on, wincing as you buckled them up.

“Don’t I?” He threw his joggers on lazily as he stood, the level dynamics changing significantly. The older boy towered over you. “Where are they tonight?”

“Back at John B’s, we had a little get-together.” You crossed your arms. More often than not you usually called rafe after a few drinks left you feeling lonely. “Sorry, your invite must have gotten lost in the mail.” You attempted to jab at him with sarcasm yet he clearly held the upper hand with his line of questioning.

“So all of them are there now?” He stepped towards you.

“Mhm,” You lied.

“Even jj?” Moving closer until your neck was craned upwards to meet his eyes.

Taking your silence as an answer, he reached up and ran his palms across your upper arms, prompting you to uncross them.

“He was uh- him and kie should be getting there soon” You mumbled.

“So would i be wrong in guessing, that might have prompted your call then?” You let yourself be guided by his movements leaning your neck further back as his hand trailed up to your jawbone.

“rafe…” you called out insignificantly.

He leaned in and pressed his lips against your neck, right over where he could feel your pulse, and pressed down.

You couldn’t help the gasp that left your mouth. Because as much as your heart belonged to jj, rafe was just so fucking good at raising your temperature.

“Round two?” He mumbled against your neck.

“Yeah..” you attempted yet it came out as a whisper. He grabbed you swiftly and lifted you, moving you across the room and throwing you down onto his bed, crawling on top of you in a predatory manner as he did so. As your back hit the bed, the ringing of your phone brought you back from the haze he had you under.

“Wait rafe stop stop” you pushed him off and grabbed the screeching mobile, pressing it up to your ear. “Hello?”

“Dude, where are you?” The sound of jj’s voice came through over the pumping sound of music and party chatter. “Me and Kie just got back and John B says no one’s seen you for like over an hour.”

“Oh I’m uh, I had to go do something for my mom” The lie pouring out of your mouth caused rafe to chuckle which was of course met by a slap from you signaling for him to be quiet.

“Oh well, when are you getting back? I have to tell you about this date. You’re gonna be so proud of me I actually think I’m ready to tell Kie I love her” you screwed your eyes shut as he spoke.

“Yeah I- you know what I can’t make it back my mom needs me to stay and help out but uh I’ll see you tomorrow or something.” You hung up before he could even reply, throwing your phone down uncaring of its state.

“What’s wrong? They getting hitched?” Rafe spoke up from behind you.

You turned to Rafe, the fire in your veins pushing your arms to grab him, roughly pulling him back onto you.

“Just shut up and fuck me rafe.”

And fuck you he did.

——————————————————————

The next morning you woke up to the sight of rafe’s bare back. Not much of a cuddler, you figured.

Quietly you pushed the covers off and began to dress yourself back up. As you got to your shoes you sighed and shook your head, as if there was any way in hell you were going to walk home in heels. You scooped up your shoes and your now-cracked phone shaking your head, slightly ashamed at your outburst.

Without even a second glance at the sleeping body you were leaving behind, you made your way over to the door. As you turned the knob and stepped out to leave, a husky voice spoke up.

“I’ll keep my ringer on for you babe.”

You rolled your eyes looking back at him, “Fuck you rafe.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m counting on.” He didn’t even open his eyes as he answered, instead just rustling around in the bed and turning to the other side, once again facing his back to you.

You scoffed as you exited. Your internal rant clouded your vision, body on autopilot with an excellent self-navigation of the Cameron house from the countless times you’d made this exit.

“Y/N?” The gentle voice wiped your thoughts clean as the shock stilled you dead in your tracks, slowly turning to come face to face with none other than Sarah.

“Sarah” you drawled out. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s my house?” Her head was cocked to the side, equally shocked to see you.

“No I just mean- I thought you were spending the night at John B’s.” You forced the small talk, avoiding the topic of why you were here, sneaking out at 8 in the morning.

“He had to work today, did you spend the night here?” She glanced up at the door of rafe’s bedroom.

“Umm-“ There had only been two other instances where you had been at a complete loss for words. The day jj told you he and Kiara were dating, the morning after your first sexual encounter with rafe, and now this.

“Are you sleeping with my brother?!” She whisper-shouted, eyes wide as the realization hit her. Busted.

“No?”

“Oh my god!” She grabbed you by the wrist and dragged you to her room, slamming the door as soon as you were both inside. “How long has this been going on?!” Her tone was loud and her hands wild as she interrogated you.

“Just a little under a year.” You sat on her bed and looked at your lap as you spoke. Reminiscent of a child being scolded.

“A year?! Oh my god!” She repeated. “Who knows about this?!”

With that, you looked up at her desperately. “No one. No one knows so please don’t tell them.” You didn’t have to name names for her to know who you were referring to.

“Are you two like” she paused “together?” She scrunched her nose up, disgusted at the thought of her bully of an older brother dating anyone.

“No god no. It’s just sex” you were just as uncomfortable as Sarah was, having to tell her about boning her older brother.

“Disgusting.” She turned away from you with her arms crossed, looking out the window.

“Look I’m not proud of it okay? Just-“ You sighed “Just please don’t tell anyone” pleading again.

Sarah let out a long sigh and uncrossed her arms. She walked over to you and joined you on the bed, her eyes showing concern mixed with something you couldn’t quite place your finger on.

“I thought you were into jj” she spoke softly, there it was. Pity.

“Yeah well, jj is with kie and instead of sitting around wallowing in self-pity, I decided to do something about it.” As the words left your mouth, you realized how weak the explanation was.

“So you just use rafe to bang the jj out of you.”

“It’s not like Rafe cares, if anything he’s also using me.” You tried to reason.

“I don’t doubt that. But I mean, that’s- It’s not healthy, you’ll never move on if you don’t actually process your emotio-“

“Look Sarah, I don’t need to do any of that shit okay? What I have here works, when I fu- when I’m with rafe, I don’t think about jj.” Tears began to swell in your eyes “Sleeping with rafe helps me forget about everything, even if it’s only for a little while he uh- he makes me feel good.” To an extent, there was truth behind your words, while you and rafe fucked the rest of the world went away. It was only after, that the crippling self-hatred hit you along with the return of your immense feelings for jj.

Sarah shuffled over and threw her arm around you. “That’s not good for you, it’s just momentary. It’s easy and it's a cycle, you’re never going to get better going down this path. Especially not with rafe.”

“Rafe he’s- he’s not that bad.”

“Yes he is. But i bet it gives you satisfaction fucking him knowing jj hates him. Feels like revenge right?” She’d always been so perceptive your Sarah, you hated how she could see right through you.

Tears ran down your cheek silently. “You’re not gonna tell anyone right?” You sniffled.

She gave you one of those classic salt-of-the-earth Sarah Cameron smiles, the kinda smile that would light up any room she walked into. “Takin' it to the grave babe.”

A loud beeping caused both your heads to whip towards the window. “Shit, I completely forgot I was supposed to go on the HMS with pope and jj, we were gonna chill there until John B and Kie finished work.” She rose to her feet and extended an arm towards you. “Wanna come? Or we could drop you home if you’re not up for it.”

With a sigh you took her hand and pulled yourself up, walking beside her as you mentally prepped yourself to face the blonde you desperately pined for.

“Well rise and shine campers.” jj yelled out of the window of the drivers seat.

“Y/N! Where you been dude? you totally bailed last night.” Pope was next to speak as you and Sarah filed into the Twinkie. As JJ began to drive you avoided any form of eye contact in his general direction.

“I had to go help my mom out, blackout at mine again.” You didn’t even look at pope either, instead focusing your attention on the blur of trees and houses pacing by the window as JJ sped down the winding roads.

“Isn’t that what you were wearing last night?” pope, observant as always, pointed out.

“Uh yeah, I didn’t really get any time to change cause…”

“I called her last night when I got home, I was so drunk I don’t think I was ready to stop the party.” Sarah covered for you.

“Yeah I wrapped up helping my mom out and then this one calls me talkin bout a sleepover or something so I didn’t exactly have much time to change.”

Thankfully pope had lost interest as soon as he had asked the question, otherwise, your overcompensating ass would have been caught out straight away. You always had to add to the lie until you felt like you had sold it completely.

Keeping your eyes trained on the outside meant that jj’s frown directed at you through the windscreen mirror went completely undetected. He always knew whenever there was something up with you and right there and then he knew something definitely was.

“Hey, you okay?” He didn’t need to address you explicitly for you to know he was talking to you.

“Yeah just tired.” You shrugged him off in an attempt to distance yourself from him yet again.

He knew you were lying but he didn’t understand why, you never lied to each other. Apart from John B, the pair of you were closer to each other than with anybody else in the group. You’d been best friends since kindergarten, and since then you’d sworn 3 things to each other.

1- You’d always share your snacks.

2-You’d always be best friends even if you argued.

3- You would never ever lie or keep secrets from each other.

Of course, as the both of you grew older the rules became more and more lax. The snack sharing was limited only to when you felt nice enough and sometimes you’d go for days without making up if you had argued particularly badly. Having kept two friendship-breaking secrets from him, the childhood rules seemed pretty insignificant by now.

“Mhm,” he responded, flickering his eyes between you and the road. “Are we taking you home to change first?”

“Yeah, I don’t know if I’ll join you guys afterward though.” You chewed down on your nail anxiously as the tension from being in the same space as jj paired with the guilt from having fucked rafe prior, suffocated you.

JJ made a face as he focused on the road, something was wrong with you and he’d be dammed if he wasn’t going to put his everything into finding out what that was.

5K notes · View notes

multifandomjunkie3000 · 1 month ago

Text

And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like I love you.

Masterlist

Synopsis: Y/N has loved JJ for as long as she can remember, but as she watches him drift toward someone else, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to the last person she ever imagined—Rafe Cameron.

pairing: unrequited JJ x Reader, Eventual Rafe x Reader

🪷 🌊 ♠️ 🐬

part 1 - Y/N has loved JJ for as long as she can remember. Now, as JJ falls for someone new, Y/N’s heart is pulled in a million different directions.

part 2 - the pogues spend a day on the boat, when the kooks drop by in an unexpected visit

part 3 - rafe apologizes, wheezie is the best cameron, rainy confessions

part 4 - New feelings emerge the annual obx bonfire, and maybe rafe makes sense sometimes?

part 5 - Morning confrontations bring afternoon coffee showers? Dealing with the aftermath of the bonfire

part 6 - Surfing lessons and more confessions (shocker)

part 7 - Kissing butt and moving forward

---

part 8 - coming soon

part 9 - coming soon

part 10 - coming soon

part 11 - coming soon

part 12 - coming soon

taglist!!! (it's really hard to keep up with the taglist comments so pm me to be added <3)

@hockeybabe87 , @idiotussupremus , @certifiedhaters , @oatmealisweird, @sluggmuffin , @maybankslover , @ren-ni, @wh0reforbucknasty , @enjoymyloves , @bilssturns

571 notes · View notes

multifandomjunkie3000 · 2 months ago

Text

Harvey Specter x Reader - Fight

Please be kind, reblogs are always welcome and greatly appreciated!

Thank you all for the continued support!

It's been a while since I've written for Harvey!

I hope you all enjoy this! 💛

Requests are open so if you have any ideas/requests, you're more than welcome to send them over.

I do not give permission for any of my works to be copied or translated onto this site or other platforms

For my ongoing A-Z Challenge and for @shamelesstrekkie13 who requested this story a few months ago (part 2 coming soon!)

Masterlist / Harvey Specter Masterlist / Join My Taglist

Warnings: Angst, Harvey being mean

“Hey handsome,” Y/n said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she looked at the man she loved, who’d recently been working himself to the bone for his new client.

“Hey baby,” Harvey greeted back, looking up momentarily to smile at her before his eyes went straight back to the paperwork in front of him.

Her smile fell slightly.

This case had been a nightmare, and the client had been nothing but an arrogant, pain in the ass.

For the last month, Harvey had been working diligently on this case, but the last few weeks were when things got really stressful.

She didn’t know why. She couldn’t know why. Client Confidentiality and all, but she’d seen a change in Harvey.

And this last week had been the tipping point, all he’d done for the past week was work; he’d barely even slept, and it showed, he was snappy with pretty much everyone, Louis, Mike even Donna…of course Donna and Mike understood why, this case was huge for not just Harvey but for the firm too, but he needed a break.

Y/n tried to never intervene with Harveys work, she knew better than anyone how a case could take over ones life, she had fallen victim to it more than a few times, allowing the case and the clients to take precedence over everything else, including herself and Harvey was always there by her side, to pull her out of the work she’d buried herself in so deeply.

Now it was her turn to do the same for him.

To help him the way he’d always helped her.

“It’s late,” she continued as she made her way into his office, stopping just a few inches away from his desk, “We should go home.”

Harvey leaned back in his chair, a small sigh falling from his lips as he once again pulled his eyes away from his paperwork to look at Y/n, the dark circles under his eyes evident now that she was closer to him.

“You go, I’m gonna stay here,”

“Harv-”

“I’m okay,” he assured her; with a smile she knew was fake.

Harvey was not someone who got stressed easily, in all the years she’d known him, she’d rarely known it to happen, and of course he would never admit that he ‘the great Harvey Specter’ was in fact stressed and exhausted.

“No you’re not,” she stated softly, moving around the desk so that she was standing next to Harvey.

Two lawyers dating was never easy, the long hours, the schedules, it was hard to spend quality time together but they’d always managed it, no matter what was happening at work.

She missed him. She missed how his fingers would brush against her waist when he held her close, missed the forehead kisses he would give her just as she was falling to sleep, missed hearing his laugh when they’d watch a shitty comedy show; she missed being close to him.

She knew it was selfish, but she couldn’t help how she felt.

Being this close to him, she saw how big and dark the circles under his eyes were; if she had the strength she’d just pick him up and remove him from the office, take him home and let him rest. But she was not that strong, so she was going to have to work on trying to persuade him.

She reached her arm out to him, placing her hand on his cheek, caressing it softly,“How long has it been since you’ve slept?”

A few moments of silence passed, before Harvey pressed a soft kiss on the palm of her hand, Y/n thought that meant that he was listening to her and that he was going to come home with her and get some much needed rest.

That was until Harveys hand lightly grabbed her wrist and placed it back into her lap.

“I’ve got work to do,” he replied simply, turning his attention back to his paperwork.

Y/n took a deep breath, trying to work out what she could say to him that wouldn’t aggravate him and would get him to listen to her.

“Harvey, you need to sleep,” she pointed out, the worry in her eyes growing with every moment that passed between them.

“I do sleep,” he answered bluntly; his tone catching Y/n off guard completely.

“Not for more than a few hours you don’t,” she challenged back, it was going to take more then his blunt tone to make her leave.

Why wouldn’t he just listen to her? Why couldn’t he see that all she was trying to do was help? Why did he have to be so difficult?

“I’m fin-”

“No you’re not,”

“Sorry, when did you become a therapist?” He snapped, the fury in his eyes evident as he looked at her once more, “I said I’m fine and I meant it”

“Look, I know you’re tired but you can’t keep snapping at people like this,” she reasoned, or at least attempted to. Y/n knew if he kept going on like this, he would end up making an enemy of everyone in his firm.

“I will snap at anyone who interrupts me from doing my goddamn work, and that includes you,”

“You’re not going to get any work done unless you rest properly,” she was trying so hard to keep her cool, to keep calm, he was exhausted and stressed, he was just snapping at her because she was there.

But she could feel her anger slowly beginning to build; she knew how he felt, she understood why he was acting and talking the way he was, but it didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt.

“Well you’re always pretty well rested and I’m still a better lawyer than you,”

That. That comment felt like a slap in the face to Y/n.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and stop herself from lashing out and adding fuel to an already growing fire.

“Harvey-”

She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence, before he was already talking again, his pupils dilated and his tone harsh, “What? You want me to apologize for telling the truth? There’s a reason you work at Rand, Kaldor and Zayne and not here,”

And that was the tipping point. To get snappy at her was one thing, but to mock where she worked, her profession that she worked so hard for was another thing entirely.

She wanted to shout back at him and she was going to, until she realised there was no point; all her shouting would do would cause an argument, one where they just took cheap shots at each other until one of them said something they couldn’t come back from.

She wasn’t going to do that.

She didn’t have the energy.

So she walked towards the door of Harvey’s office; only turning around to look at him and say one simple sentence. Her voice was a calm as she could get it, but it still had a hint of anger laced in it, “You know why I don’t work here,”

And then she left Harvey.

Alone in his office.

And Y/n tried not to let her anger turn into tears as she headed towards the elevator, leaving the firm.

Tagging:

@little-diable @rebelwrites @xacatalepsyx @wild-rose-35 @withmyteeth @yn-ymn-yln @cyberhexed @maximoff-xmen @vintagecarsandrecordplayers @wretchedmo @mayans-mc @fangirlsfandomsss @happilysparklyunknown @samanthaofanarchy @mrsamerica @navs-bhat @tinystudentmiracle @that-one-enthusiast @malfoys-demigod @siriusblack15 @nd264 @taintedstranger @theestorm

376 notes · View notes

multifandomjunkie3000 · 4 months ago

Text

𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 | 𝟎𝟔 |

[ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 ] | [ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 ] | [ 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ]

“Tell me again why I need to come down?” You ask, exaggerating a loud sigh of annoyance.

You can practically hear the way Cole rolls his eyes over the phone. “Zane asked me to call you down since he’s busy. Wouldn’t want to leave him hanging, would you?”

The call had come before class started, just as you entered and placed your bag down in the empty seat beside you. To your surprise, Cole’s name appears on the phone screen. It’d been a couple days since you had dinner together after losing a bet, so receiving a call from him is lowkey a(n) (unwelcome) surprise.

Upon picking up, a husky voice greets you with the barest of formalities before practically ordering you to come to the monastery after your lectures. As much as you hate to admit it, you blushed a little at his voice before clearing your throat and firing back a mean remark because c’mon, who said he could use animosity against the sun as an excuse to be rude to you?

“Unfortunately for you guys, I’m not so free as to travel all the way to the other side of Ninjago City on a whim.” Someone moves in the corner of your eyes, turning to see the girl who returned your wallet to you the other day wave sheepishly.

You move away the bag, allowing her to sit down in the now-empty space. “Hey,” You greet her quietly, pulling the phone away from your ear and covering the mic while ignoring whatever Cole’s saying.

“Hi,” She whispers back shyly, “It’s me, Holly.” She adds, noticing the quiet struggle you’re having trying to remember her name. Exhaling in relief, you smile sheepishly at her. “Don’t worry about it,” she says softly, turning to take out her materials and prepare for class.

“You there? Hello?”

Whoops. He’s annoyed now.

“Yeah, I’m still here. So at a cafe then? I’ll text you the location. Okay class is starting soon see you bye!”

“WHAT THE FU-”

You end the call in a hurry, pressing the red button just as Cole’s loud cry of protest starts.

Placing it on the table, you pull out a notebook from your bag and some stationary before finally turning back to Holly who’d been minding her own business. “Sorry about that.” She tilts her head with a chuckle.

“It’s fine,” She dismisses it easily. “I’ve heard rumours about this professor though, he always gives loads of group projects. My cousin told me writing a blog is a compulsory assignment.”

Dismay sets in at the thought of having to come up with writing an entire blog by yourself, slumping back in your seat with a loud groan. “Maybe it’s not too late to drop out of the course.” Your muttered words draw an unexpected laugh, taking unbridled joy at seeing Holly dissolve into a fit of giggles.

“Mood. But hopefully, it won’t be that bad. Maybe we’ll even get partnered up!” The thought of doing the project with someone you at least know cheers you up somewhat, sitting up in your seat with mildly renewed energy.

“I’ll get this straight. I have an attendance requirement of 75% - blame the university, not me. As long as you let me finish my lesson, I don’t really care what you do in class as long as it isn’t disruptive. Lastly, there’re extra credit assignments you can take in the course material.”

The professor enters with prominent dark circles around her eyes, scanning the people in her class before plopping down at her desk with a steaming cup of black coffee in hand and a laptop in the other.

Just as she finishes speaking, you notice a couple of students open their laptops and put on muted videos of Subway Surfers with their eyes still on the professor. She doesn’t seem to care at all like she’s mentioned earlier, taking a big swig of her coffee before she continues.

“I’m not contactable outside working hours because I have a life, but I’ll get back to you when I can. Additionally,” She pauses, looking around the room with a scrutinising eye. You stare at her blankly, waiting for her to continue. The tip of your pen barely brushes against the thin paper of your notebook, mildly taken aback by how aloof she is.

“Some of your relatives who’ve attended my lessons might’ve told you about my assignments. I’d like to make it clear that I’m changing it up this year. The first project you’ll be doing is starting a business. As long as you demonstrate that you understand the basis and foundation of all the stuff I’m teaching, the business can be about anything.”

The projector flashes for a moment, showing the bright screen of her laptop where she’d already pre-assigned partners beforehand. Your name appears next to Holly’s. Both of you turn to each other with excited grins.

“Now, who’ll volunteer to be the TA?”

The utter silence that falls over everyone should’ve been the first warning sign. It’s only after Holly pokes your arm with a pencil that you realise everyone’s looking at you. The professor follows their gazes, patiently waiting for you to respond.

Just perfect.

Holly’s guilty smile suggests that she wouldn’t have volunteered on your behalf even if you are beginning to be friends. So, you lift your hand begrudgingly with a resigned sigh. “I volunteer as tribute.”

The professor nods in approval, blinking almost owlishly as a realisation of sorts dawns on her. “Have I told you guys my name yet?”

Maybe it’s not too late to drop out after all.

— — — — —

Musketeer [ 02:07 PM ]: has sent a location

Musketeer [ 02:07 PM ]: see u at 3

Cake Enthusiast [ 02:07 PM ]: are you srsly expecting us to rush down rn

Musketeer [ 02:08 PM ]: not rn but also dont u have dragons???

Cake Enthusiast [ 02:08 PM ]: yes and

Musketeer [ 02:10 PM ]: wowur so funny hahahhahahahah

Musketeer [ 02:10 PM ]: /sarcastic

Cake Enthusiast [ 02:11 PM ]: remind me why we have to be soulmates again

Musketeer [ 02:11 PM ]: we cld always not be

Cake Enthusiast [ 02:11 PM ]: thats fair

Musketeer [ 02:11 PM ]: anyw see u at 3

It’s been at least a month or so since you both found out you were soulmates, but neither of you had properly acknowledged what to do. After all, it’s awkward any time one of you brings it up even slightly as if it’s a tacit agreement to swerve around the topic.

Through the banter and snarky remarks, there’s always an underlying question of ‘What are we?’ that haunts your conversations. Even now, you’re running away from it through text. Through text, of all things. Sure, you’re a coward, but you didn’t remember it being this bad.

Are you friends? Acquaintances? Enemies?

It’s difficult to put a label on it, especially since he hasn’t revealed anything about his feelings towards the whole soulmate thing either. You’ve already made it pretty clear how you feel about it, but it’s almost unnerving how he hasn’t tried to address it either.

The closest label you can slap on the weird relationship between you is probably frenemies? You’re not entirely sure why you’re trying to define what you are even now, but the uncertainty of everything is slowly getting to you.

It’s ironic how you’d always criticise webtoons and romantic movies for never communicating, yet it’s the exact same thing you’re doing right now. Wow. You truly are pathetic.

You lift your head at the sound of your name being called. A sudden coldness presses against your cheek, shocking you out of your thoughts as you flinch away from it. Holly greets you with a warm smile, handing you the bubble tea she’s just held against your face.

“You looked kinda out of it. You didn’t even hear me call you.” Aiming the sharp tip of the straw at the cover, you swiftly poke a hole through it and take a long, slow sip.

“Sorry,” you say through chews, the rubbery texture of the brown sugar pearls giving you something to focus on. “I was thinking about our project.” You can’t have anyone find out about your situation, especially not the students in this school.

She brightens up at the mention, taking out her phone. “Right! I was thinking about it too! Would you like to meet up another day to brainstorm and sort it out?” She turns the screen around to face you, your name prominently displayed in a new contact.

You enter your number quickly on the screen, pressing call. The phone in your hand vibrates, her own number appearing at the top. “Sorry we can’t do it today, I’ve got an appointment.”

“That’s okay.” She seems to not mind, shrugging it off easily. “I’ve got something else on too. My mom needs me to stop by the grocery store to buy some stuff for tonight.” She stands up from the seat. “I’ll text you the details and ideas.”

“Sounds good.” You wave her off, watching her leave with a smile. Holly doesn’t seem so bad. She’s nice, and pretty friendly too. The best part is that she’s never once asked you about the ninja either, even after overhearing your phone call this morning.

You pull out your phone and save her number, adding a little smiley face next to her name. It’s been a hectic day, but knowing you’ve got a potential friend in Holly makes it a bit brighter. With a final glance at the door where she exited, you gather your things and head towards the café, feeling a bit more optimistic about your project.

The walk there is about ten minutes according to Google Maps, though navigating through the roads is tricky. Kids on bikes delivering newspapers scare you at almost every turn, barely managing to avoid getting run over if not for their bells acting as a warning signal.

At least the weather isn’t so bad today, you muse with a smile, enjoying the breeze. If not for the sudden appointment to meet, you would’ve probably gone to the park to find any stray cats or dogs to play with.

Does he like cats?

Maybe not. He seems like a dog person. But then again, he does have a vibe that would draw cats to him. You could put it to the test perhaps. Damn it. You should’ve set the park as the venue to meet.

The visual image of you picking him up and shaking him vigorously to use him as a magnet to attract cats and dogs makes you snort in pure amusement, only for your laugh to die down when you turn the corner.

A jeep is parked right outside a jewellery store, where glass shards litter the sidewalk. The sound of rambunctious laughter fills the air as masked figures shove bags filled with necklaces and bracelets lined with glittering gems into the jeep’s open back.

Your heart skips a beat, eyes widening at the sight of the chaos. One of the robbers, a hulking figure with a crowbar, leans casually against the shattered glass door, smirking as his companions continue their work.

But it’s not the robbers or the wreckage that makes your blood run cold. Among the masked figures is one that stands out—a familiar lean figure cloaked in dark clothing, a distinctive mask hiding their features. You recognize the thief instantly, the same one who’d caused a fiasco at the museum not too long ago, making off with a priceless artefact right under the noses of everyone. The memory of that night flashes through your mind—the smug glint in their eyes, the familiar gadget on their hand that caused a sinkhole….

You pause. Now that you think about it, if it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t have figured out Cole is your soulmate. So in retrospect, every moment of turmoil you’re facing with the acknowledgement of your fear and cowardice is their fault.

Now, here they are again, caught red-handed in yet another heist. The thief moves with an effortless grace, tossing a heavy bag into the jeep before turning back to the store. Even from this distance, you can sense the arrogance, the thrill they take in outsmarting everyone around them. Your hands clench into fists at your sides, a mix of anger and determination bubbling up.

What are the odds of running into them again? And why here, of all places? Your mind races, torn between the urge to call for help and the reckless impulse to intervene right then and there.

As you edge closer, careful to avoid stepping on any glass shards and pressing your back to the wall, the thief’s head turns slightly, as if sensing your presence. You freeze, holding your breath, hoping to remain unnoticed.

The thief pauses, glancing around with narrowed eyes, but the robbers' loud banter covers any noise you might have made. Well, that is, until you get so caught up in the moment that you forget your phone isn’t on silent.

“JUMP UP KICK BACK WHIP AROUND AND SPIN-”

“Motherfucker-” You mutter, scrambling in a panic to silence Cole’s call. Your chest practically collapses from the shaky exhale after, before holding your breath in a sudden wave of panic.

A quiet crunch echoes through the street, the sound unnaturally loud in the stillness. Slowly, you look up, eyes widening at the sight of the thief standing right outside the store, the other robbers gathered around.

For a moment, you lock eyes—or at least, you think you do, through the mask. An awkward silence hangs in the air, thick and heavy. Your tongue darts out, licking your suddenly dry lips as you desperately try to find a way to escape from the situation.

“So…A great day for robbery, am I right?” The stuttered laughter that tumbles past your lips twists your insides into a nervous knot. Lifting your hand, you gesture to the group. “Carry on then, as you were.”

Silence continues to plague the next few seconds, already severely regretting even opening your mouth at all as the robbers behind the thief glance at each other with uncertainty. The thief studies you closely, their piercing gaze stopping when they widen their eyes. A spark of recognition flickers in the air, and you swear you see the thief's lips twitch into a smirk beneath the mask.

The audacity of this bitch-

Just as you decide to drop your stuff and book it, a familiar voice cuts through the air. "Hey! What’s going on here?" You whip around to see Cole rounding the corner, eyes narrowing as he takes in the scene.

Relief washes over you, knowing you’re not alone, but it’s quickly replaced by a renewed sense of urgency. The robbers have spotted him too, and you can see the tension in their stance from recognising the ninja, readying to fight or flee.

Cole, they’re armed!” you shout, moving to his side. “I think,” you add quickly, correcting yourself. The masked thief’s gaze lingers on you for a second longer, before they turn to the jeep, making a split-second decision.

He shoots you a quick glance, his voice low and steady. “Stay back,” he warns, already moving in front of you. His stance shifts, ready for a fight, his eyes locked on the thieves. “This isn't your lucky day,” he calls out to them, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips as he sizes up the situation.

“Let’s go!” the thief orders, their voice sharp and commanding through the distortion filter. The robbers scramble, abandoning the last of the loot in their haste to jump into the jeep. Engines roar to life, tyres screeching as the vehicle speeds off into the night, leaving behind the shattered jewellery store and a trail of broken glass.

“Wait, that’s not how it’s supposed to go-”

“Shut up and go after them!” He yelps, caught off guard by your forceful grab of his wrist, practically dragging him to chase after the car. “Summon your dragon or something! I don’t know,” you say desperately through rapid pants, the jeep getting further away with each passing second.

“I know what to do!” He retorts with a scoff, making the swift decision to tug you toward him, scooping you up in his arms before doing a front flip. His dragon materialises in an instant, roaring loudly as it flies after the jeep. You blink, the nausea catching up in an instant as you press yourself against his chest, his shirt gripped tightly in your hands.

Slow, deep breaths, you chant to yourself. The moment of weightlessness when he’d suddenly grabbed you was terrifying. It wasn’t the heights or motion that had your stomach churning, but more of the loss of control of your senses in that split moment.

Either way, the musky bergamot scent on his collar mixed with the weird presence of vanilla icing helps calm your racing heart down. “Are you done sniffing me yet?” Your eyes snap open, shifting into an upright position in an instant as you shove him away.

Clearing your throat, you focus your gaze on the jeep that’s a few feet ahead. “Can you go any faster?”

It takes a second for him to respond. “Yeah.” Your clear refusal to turn around and reveal the mortifying shade of red that colours your entire face. You don’t even turn that red when you drink alcohol or exercise.

“Really though?”

His sudden question makes you turn, the offended tone in his voice making you momentarily forget about the heavy flush in your cheeks. “You just had to use that song?”

The moment when your phone rang loudly pops back into your mind, grinning widely with all embarrassment long gone at the reminder. “Can you blame me though? It was perfect. I don’t even have to tell who it is when I pick it up.”

“The band made an appreciation song once,” he sighs, shaking his head. “Whatever. What’s got you so worked up about them anyway? I can just let Kai know to take over.” He pauses at your furrowed brows and tightly drawn lips, taking the hint to fall silent and wait for your explanation.

“The one with the mask… They’re the thief I ran into at the museum. The one who stole the scroll and made a hole in the ground.” His eyes widen at your explanation, inhaling sharply through his teeth with a wince. “That’s why we have to catch them. Isn’t that your job, anyway?”

He shoots you a glance, rolling his eyes. “Yes, that is my job. One that I don’t get paid too well for, by the way.” You blink, the corner of your lips turned down into a sceptical frown.

“Don’t you get sponsorships and stuff? Zane told me about how you guys were models for this protein bar.”

“Don’t even start,” he groans, tilting his head back with an exasperated huff. “I couldn’t go anywhere without seeing the posters.” The dragon swerves to make a hard right, and you almost fall off the saddle if not for his quick reflexes.

“If you wanted to get off, you could’ve just asked,” he states in a sassy manner. You’d love to smack the smug smirk off his face, but at what feels like twenty feet in the air, you're not about to take that risk. Instead, you settle for a grumpy scowl, letting his arm act as your seat belt.

Cole’s dragon swoops lower, bringing you both closer to the ground as the jeep speeds away with the stolen goods. You grip the dragon’s saddle tighter, frustration and determination swirling within you.

“Honestly, it’s like these guys want to get caught,” you mutter under your breath, your eyes locked on the jeep. The thief with the mask is leaning out of the vehicle, seemingly unfazed by the height of the dragon above them.

“They're probably professionals,” Cole replies, his tone light but focused. “But that’s what makes catching them all the more fun.”

“Fun?” you scoff, shooting him a look. “You call this fun?”

He grins, the wind tousling his hair as he manoeuvres the dragon with practised ease. “C’mon, you’ve gotta admit, there’s a thrill to it. Besides, you’re not exactly sitting back and watching.”

You roll your eyes, but you can’t deny the adrenaline pumping through your veins. “Fine, maybe a little,” you admit begrudgingly, though your mind is still on the thief.

As the jeep turns sharply down an alley, Cole’s gaze hardens. “C’mon Rocky,” he urges, the dragon barely acknowledging him with a soft growl. His arm tightens around your waist, pulling you closer as it descends.

Unfortunately, he fails to mention one tiny detail—his plan to dematerialize the dragon upon landing. So, when you both hit the ground and the dragon vanishes, your hands flail, searching desperately for anything to grab onto. Fortunately, his arm is still securely around you.

Well, now it’s more like he’s carrying you by the waist, your legs and arms flailing helplessly in midair. You’re left with an expression of pure, unfiltered defeat as you dangle from his grasp like an oversized sack of potatoes.

“For your information, I’m not enjoying this ninja process.”

He barely acknowledges you with a hum, gently setting you back down onto solid ground. He takes a step back, the earlier warmth of his body heat gone in an instant. You dust yourself off, trying to play off the utter ridiculousness felt from earlier.

The jeep is heading down the alley toward you both. He readies his stance, eyes narrowed from under his gi (when did he even put on the hood, anyway?). You copy him unsurely, knees bent and arms held up in a defensive stance. “Won’t they run us over?”

He snorts. “They wouldn’t dare. I’m the Earth Ninja! They know better than to do that!”

The jeep doesn’t slow down.

“You might know that,” the loud purring of its engine doesn’t decrease. In fact, it does the exact opposite as it speeds up. “But do they??”

With each millisecond that passes, the confidence in his eyes begins to waver. You take a deep breath, blood rushing through your veins in a roaring symphony. At the very last second, you push him out of the way and crash to the ground, landing squarely on top of him.

As you land on top of him, the thief at the wheel locks eyes with you through the open window. Their smug gaze practically beamed through their mask, even honking a couple times as they stick a gloved hand out the window in a mocking farewell.

Frustration bubbles up inside you, and before you can stop yourself, your fist connects with whatever’s beneath you. Unfortunately, that happens to be Cole’s abdomen. His pained hiss snaps you out of it, and you turn to see his grimace. Deciding not to give him an apology after almost getting the both of you run over, you ignore his outstretched hand in a request for help.

“You said they wouldn’t run us over!!”

He takes a deep breath. “Well,” he starts, looking from you to the jeep, “I was wrong.”

You’ve gotta be kidding me.

He groans as he sits up, the sting of your punch still lingering. “But in my defence, who actually tries to run over a ninja?” He gives you a lopsided grin, though you can sense the irritation bubbling beneath its surface.

You don’t give him a moment to recover. “Them, apparently.” Jittery annoyance fuels your pacing. “Can’t we go after them again? Where’s Rocky?”

“I’d love to, but,” he finally manages to stand. “Someone decided to punch me and leave me winded.”

"Don’t blame me for saving your life," you snap. The adrenaline is still thrumming through your veins, making your hands shake as you shove them into your pockets. "Besides, you’re the one who said they wouldn’t dare."

Cole rolls his eyes, his expression softening when he spots the slightest tremble that you try to hide. "Okay, fair point. But we’ve gotta figure out our next move before they get too far."

You stop pacing, turning to face him. "Right, so where’s Rocky? Or are we gonna jog after them like idiots?"

He glances around the alley, his brow furrowing. "Rocky needs time to recharge after dematerializing, so we’re on foot for now." He catches the look on your face and quickly adds, "But I’ve got an idea. There’s a shortcut through the market district. If we hustle, we might catch up before they get too far."

You let out an exasperated sigh, but you nod, already mentally preparing for the sprint. "Fine, lead the way. But if we end up lost, I’m blaming you."

Cole chuckles, already starting down the alley at a fast jog. "Trust me, you’re gonna love my shortcuts."

As you follow him, the banter between you eases some of the tension. Despite the annoyance simmering beneath the surface, there’s a strange comfort in the rhythm of your bickering. You might not be thrilled about this whole soulmate business, but in moments like this, you can almost see why fate would pair you two together.

Almost.

The roar of the jeep’s engine is familiar to your ears, practically sensing it coming down the last of the twists and turns he’s led you through. “C’mon!” You urge him quickly, sprinting the last few metres to see the jeep turn the corner.

You glare through the windshield at the thief whose eyes widen in pure shock, not having expected you to get there so quickly. Satisfaction makes your heart calm, spotting Cole’s narrowed eyes filled with determination.

He skids to a stop beside you, lifting his arms and slamming them into the ground. The earth rumbles, responding to his will. A crater forms instantly in the jeep’s path. The driver has no time to react, plummeting into it. The jeep flips violently, crashing into the far side.

A plume of smoke is sent up from the impact, and you begin to approach it before flinching when it explodes right in front of your eyes. Instinctively shielding yourself from the debris, you turn to look at Cole in disbelief.

“That wasn’t me!” He denies vehemently, holding his hands up innocently and shaking his head as the jeep behind you is engulfed in flames. The smell of burnt rubber and gasoline fills the air, onlookers whispering to each other and taking out phones to record the scene.

You take a tentative step forward, sharing a glance with him as you approach the wreckage. You squint through the haze, expecting to see the robbers either unconscious or scrambling to escape.

The embers die down, someone having grabbed a fire extinguisher and extinguished the flames until all that’s left is smoke. But when it clears, you find the jeep completely empty, save for the stolen jewellery scattered in the backseat. The robbers have vanished, leaving behind only the glittering spoils of their heist.

“They’re gone,” you mutter, half in disbelief. Cole steps closer, examining the wreckage with a frown.

“Must’ve bailed right before the crash somehow,” he says, his tone laced with frustration. He turns to you, the remnants of the battle still lingering in his tense posture. “At least we got the jewellery back.”

You nod, though your eyes linger on the destroyed jeep, wondering just how close you were to catching them. The tension in the air slowly dissipates as the reality of the situation sinks in, but the mystery of the robbers’ disappearance only adds to the unease.

The aftermath of it all is pretty straightforward. The jewellery is returned to the store owner, though Cole gives you a stern glare when he catches you discreetly trying to negotiate for a reward. Frowning in defeat, you give up when he threatens to tell Master Wu.

“You’re still a snitch, y’know.” He takes a sip from the bubble tea in his hands. Your bubble tea, in fact. The ice had already melted a long time ago so the drink was already horribly diluted, but he still insisted on finishing it instead of throwing it away.

“Even if I am,” he exhales slowly, his slow strides matching your lazy walking pace. “At least we kind of got a look at them. Maybe Zane can draw a composite sketch. I’ll let Jay know to update the police stations, and for Kai to keep a lookout during his patrol.”

“Teamwork really does make the dream work.”

“Yeah, I guess we do make a good team.” Your playful grin falters at his response, looking away from him to the buildings opposite. The words held no ulterior hidden meaning, yet the thrumming of your heartbeat distracts you from properly focusing on the conversation.

A moment of hesitation is all he needs to grab your wrist, steps slowing to a halt. Your eyes flit from his hand to his concerned eyes, barely able to breathe. He watches you carefully, lips parting and closing as he tries to organise his thoughts. Finally, he formulates a proper sentence, uttering the exact one you’ve been dreading to hear.

“I think we need to talk. About us.”

Shit.

Taglist: @candyquokka @mossy-mika @em-100 @cursedreader @alicesmile1 @alexa24 @raegreenie4 @burdeningbitch @viennasthings @cadencannot @ml3zqo @nanasemo @certified-cole-simp @beescomet @theblindhag @mitbin24 @sweetlittlebumblebree @brooklyniswriting @cantbecreative @something-else3 @iinlovewithfictionalppl @itz-mooonlight @jebesovovise @ryeheep @letthelightin2112 @classically-bored

103 notes · View notes

multifandomjunkie3000 · 4 months ago

Text

𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 | 𝟎𝟏 |

a/n: about fucking time lol im so exhausted. hope yall enjoy <3

Warnings: Contains cursing

AU Inspo: Soulmates can hear each other listening to music. The further the distance, the softer the music. The closer, the louder until they find each other.

| [ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 ] | [ 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ] |

— — — — — — — — — —

“Soulmates are essential to survive. There is nothing like the sensation of meeting each other for the first time, and subsequently knowing that you’re fated to be with each other forever. Through thick and thin, they'll always have your back.”

You snort. Miss Grenadine lifts her brow into a delicate arch, her unamused expression remaining the same as you cover your mouth, trying to fake a cough. “Is there something you’d like to share with the class on your last day?”

People around you start to snigger, and you can feel the glances poking your skin like tiny mosquitoes buzzing all over. “Not really.”

“No, no. Please, enlighten me as to what exactly you find so amusing about soulmates.”

“Maybe it’s because she hasn’t found hers yet?” Another classmate suggests. You turn around to see Henry smirking, high-fiving the rest of his friends who’re evidently entertained by his jab.

You roll your eyes, letting a huff slip past your lips. “And you keep arguing with yours, no wonder I’m not jealous that I don’t have one yet.” His friends suck in a sharp breath between their teeth in a hiss, glancing warily between you both.

“Thank you for your input, Henry. But I asked your classmate, not you.” He’s silenced from uttering another word under Ms Grenaline’s sharp gaze, wilting into his seat with a muttered retort under his breath.

You turn your attention back to your teacher who’s waiting patiently, hands folded over her stomach in a motherly manner. But you know better. This is fake sympathy, flaky pity in her eyes as she thinks to herself how unlucky you are for not having yet met your soulmate.

You get it. You’re an anomaly. It’s ‘not normal’ for people to not yet meet their soulmates by the time they’re 18. One way or another, the universe always finds a way to pull two people together by the age of 16. Yet, you’re the exception.

“I just think the whole music thing is annoying. I mean, do you all not get annoyed? What if you hate metal, but they love it? Even then, it’s just insane how much our lives border on needing someone. Why not just travel alone? Enjoy life?” You lean back in your seat, crossing your arms defiantly as Ms Grenaline’s eyes widen with every word.

You watch her take a moment to compose herself, plastering a smile on her face as she comes up with the right words to say. Honestly, you couldn’t care less what she wanted to say to you; it’s your last day here anyway.

“Well,” She pauses, clearly struggling on how to phrase her words in a way that wouldn’t get you to retort once again, “It’s…a very difficult process to describe in words. I understand where you’re coming from with the music aspect, but over time just like how one day you can wake up and decide that you like the colour purple, you’ll experience something similar.”

“You’re right.” You nod. She’s momentarily taken aback by your agreeable response, only to frown when you continue speaking. “It is a difficult process to put in words. And you know what? Maybe not everyone needs a soulmate.” You flash her a toothy smile just as the bell rings, grabbing your bag and starting for the door. “Been good, Ms G.”

You don’t turn to see her reaction, focused on getting to the diner on Sixth Street where you’d promised to meet up for one last meal with your friends before you moved to Ninjago City. Putting the earbuds into your ears makes you wince, shaking your head slightly as the familiar yet nauseating sound of jazz plays faintly in the back of your mind.

Stupid jazz, stupid music, stupid soulmate.

Right. Your soulmate. You still haven’t told anyone this, but a few months ago, you began to hear the faint sounds of smooth jazz play now and then in your head. You thought you were just going crazy at first, but upon further observation, you concluded that there could only be one cause: Your soulmate was nearby.

But for some annoying reason, your soulmate loves jazz with a passion. it was always either that or soft rock. Plus, they’re always annoyingly far enough to not have it impounded into your head, but still close enough to have it constantly on repeat in your head.

The day it first started, you had just finished watching a horror movie and were about to go to bed. However, your soulmate had decided that 5 AM was the perfect time to start listening to soft rock. The sharp twangs of an electric guitar and the steady beats of the drums were enough to keep you up instead of getting your beauty sleep.

lil binder [ 02:00 PM ]: u otw yet?

You grin at the message on your screen, typing out a reply to your friend, Melody, as pop music blasts away through your earbuds and effectively drowning out the beginnings of a saxophone.

smartie pebble [ 02:00 PM ]: yea be there in 7

Melody was just one of many of your friends. She had found her soulmate at the tender age of 15, accidentally spilling ice cream on him because she had been too distracted talking to you. Having bore witness to the entire ‘love-at-first-sight’ moment between them, you scooched away as she proceeded to forget about your entire existence in the next hour.

However, now Luke and her were inseparable, and wherever she was, he was bound to be there too. Luckily though, you had bonded with him over your mutual love of cooking, with Melody constantly being on the receiving end of many of your competitive inventions.

“Yo, it’s the one and only rockstar of our generation!” Luke crows as you enter the diner, and you instinctively stick up your middle finger at him. He grins, slinging an arm over your shoulder as you set down your bag in the booth seats.

“About time you got here.” Brendan greets, subtly nudging Nico who glances up from his game for a moment to say a quick ‘hi’. The former is in his uniform as usual, while Nico decided to change out of his, relaxed vest and tapered pants his go-to outfit.

“You’ll never guess what happened today.” Nico arches an eyebrow, though his gaze is focused solely on the rhythm game on his screen.

“Let me guess, you got into another argument about soulmates again.” You look up to see Melody arrive at the table with a large tray of food, tucking away the strings of the apron around her waist. “When will you learn that it’s inevitable?” She sighs, pinching the skin between her eyes and shaking her head in disapproval.

“Maybe it’s because she’s around us too much,” Luke pouts, snaking his arm around her waist. She grins, ruffling the top of his head.

“Please, for the love of the First Spinjitzu Master, make it stop,” You groan, pretending to gag and narrowly dodging the packet of chilli she throws in your direction. Picking it up, you tear it open and squeeze out the sauce, dipping the fries into it and eating them with relish.

“So, what’d Ms Grenaline say this time?” Luke focuses his attention on you, letting go of Melody who slides into the seat next to him. Nico steals a fry, munching away even though his meal is right in front of him. He even put away his phone, eagerly waiting to hear what new fight you’d gotten into today.

“She just said some shit about soulmates being essential to survive. Y’know, the usual mumbo jumbo.” You shrug, unwrapping the double cheeseburger and taking a bite.

“Sounds about right to me.” Melody raises her hands in surrender once you glare at her. “But hey, who am I to judge? Definitely not because I have a soulmate, and definitely not because he’s right next to me.”

“You’re so right.” She rolls her eyes at your automatic reply, barely audible through the massive chunk of pickle in your mouth.

“I know your family’s kinda complicated, but it doesn’t have to affect your outlook on soulmates forever. Besides, aren’t you moving to the city for your stepmom? That’s kinda progress.” Brenden volunteers his opinion, sipping away at his diet coke. “Don’t you glare at me young lady, you know perfectly well why you’re going. You like her.”

“As if,” you scoff, forcing down the last bite of lettuce and crumpling the empty wrapper. Melody doesn’t blink an eye at how fast you’ve consumed the burger, already having seen it for at least 6 years.

“She got you the signed copy of Black Beauty, remember?” Nico says quietly, tilting his head. “And besides, you haven’t fought with her in a long while.”

You bite back a retort, hating how right he is. It’s been at least three months since you’d gotten in a fight with your stepmother - the longest duration so far. “Look, she can try to bribe me all she wants, but I’m going to quickly get through school and move out so I can travel away from her.”

“Mmhm. You’d have a good chance, considering that you got into Business Relations at Ninjago University, so…” Your friends go quiet at the mention, as if just realising that you’re leaving tomorrow morning.

“I’ll be back for summer vacation anyway,” you casually state, finishing off the fries with a satisfied grin. “With autographs from those ninjas you’re always raving about.”

“You promise? I’ll cut off your pinkie finger if it doesn’t come true. You know a pinky promise is legally binding.” Melody warns.

“I don’t know how you put up with her.” Luke shrugs as you turn to him, amusement in his eyes as he glances at Melody who’s still glaring at you.

“River time?” Brenden suggests, trying to lighten the mood. Melody nods, turning to face the kitchen staff behind the counter a short distance away.

“Hilda, I’m heading out!” She calls out, untying the apron and draping it on the seat as everyone leaves the booth.

“Fuck off!”

“Will do!” Melody grins slyly, gesturing to the exit. “Let’s bounce before she realises I didn’t clear the tables.”

“Love you too Hilda!” You shout back to the grumpy old lady with a fond smile, waving goodbye as you leave.

“River time! River time! River time!” You join in on their chanting, laughing without a care in the world - and ignoring the faint sounds of guitars and saxophones playing in the back of your mind.

— — — — —

The truth of the matter is, picnics by the river are among the top few activities you’d willingly leave the house for. After having a few drinks and getting up to a couple of shenanigans, your friends dropped you off at your place with tearful goodbyes.

Nico had refused to let go of your arm, citing ‘who would I hug when you’re gone?’ as the reason why. He had let go after you promised to hug him all he wanted when you came back. It was also then that you vowed to never let him drink again.

After showering and emerging from the steam with a clearer (and significantly less tipsy) mind, you make your way to the comfort of your futon, avoiding stubbing your toe on the luggage near the door. The moving company had already taken most of your stuff, and all that you have to your name now is a singular suitcase, a sling bag, and your futon.

You wriggle under the blanket, staring up at the ceiling and feeling the tiredness finally hit you with full force as your eyelids slowly close. The warmth draws you to sleep, dreams calling your name and reckoning for you to come into their embrace.

Unfortunately, your soulmate doesn’t like to sleep at 1 AM. Soft rock starts playing, and you press your face against the pillow to muffle your annoyed groan. You press the pillow on top of your face, wishing desperately for the music to stop, though you know it’d do nothing to help. Forcing your eyes shut and thinking of anything else to drown out the noise is the go-to method for you, and hopefully, it’ll work this time as well.

Stupid jazz, stupid music.

Stupid soulmate.

— — — — —

A quick Google search in the morning while you brush your teeth reveals a plethora of cafes in Ninjago City, all ready for you to explore. Accidentally clicking on a notification, however, brings you to a separate page where the headline of a news article practically screams at you.

‘Famous Author to make an appearance at Ninjago Museum Fundraiser! All proceeds from the auction are to be donated to preserve local history.

The bestselling author who goes by her pen name of Hanla will be making an appearance at the Ninjago Museum’s Fundraiser occurring next week. Locally curated pieces of artwork and a book of poems written by Hamla herself will be auctioned off. Hamla has also stated that 100% of all proceeds made in her name will be going toward the local conservation of Ninjago’s history. For all fans of her works - You, Me, and the Beat, Beauty and her Phone, and critically acclaimed bestseller Honey, Where Are My Pants?, be sure to stop by for an autographing session that Hamla will be attending! Our local heroes - the Ninja, will also be attending the session, so make sure to get your photos taken with them!’

“Are you ready yet? We gotta leave in an hour, Munchkin.” Your father calls out from downstairs. You pause to spit out the toothpaste in your mouth, gargling the residue and letting the menthol sting your lips after rinsing.

“Yeah, just gotta shower and I’m good to go.” You reply loudly, turning your attention back to the mirror. A round, puffy face stares back at you, eyebags apparent after only managing to fall asleep at two in the morning.

You really should stop drinking so late at night. Luckily, a shower helps to reduce the puffiness in your face, and you step out of your room looking somewhat presentable in a lavender hoodie and shorts.

The gentle sunlight shining through the bare windows breathed life into the room and the curtains that once decorated the small window seat. Where your bed once sat was empty with the polished mahogany wood underneath.

Endless nights of laying in your plush bed with your bedside lamp's dim yet warm glow seemed so distant in your memories. Your hand lingers on the doorknob, mumbling a soft goodbye before shutting the door and heading downstairs to where your father is waiting.

“Shall we?” He grins, placing the last of your luggage in the car boot. He closes it, offering a hand to you. You take it, allowing him to guide you to the front seat where the radio is already playing your favourite pop songs.

As he starts to drive, you’re momentarily distracted with taking the perfect picture for your Instagram story, singing along with your tone-deaf father who’s belting out ABBA as he drives past the massive signboard signalling goodbye. You watch it pass, fields and clouds dotting the sky moving by steadily.

It’d be a lie to say you wouldn’t miss home. But this is a chance at a new beginning - maybe one that could change your life for the better. As faint jazz starts up in the back of your mind, you smile softly. Not even that could dampen your mood.

— — — — —

You stir, eyes fluttering open at the annoying sound of drilling and construction. You blink a few times, sitting up from where you had slumped against the window while you slept. Your vision clears, and you move your hands away to see bright lights and skyscrapers galore around you.

You're here.

Ninjago City is filled to the brim with people and endless traffic. Your dad scowls at the long line of cars in front of him, glaring at the red light that seems to take forever to turn green. You fiddle with the games on your phone, focusing intently on beating the next level of Candy Crush.

You mumble a cuss when 'Game Over' appears on the colourful screen, and he immediately turns with a suspicious gaze. You smile nervously, trying to play it off as though you hadn't said anything.

Luckily, he turns back around, choosing to let it pass.

You stare out the window, watching the shops pass by in a blur until you spot one that catches your eye. “Dad, could you drop me off here?” He doesn't question your sudden request, making a turn and parking next to the sidewalk.

You open the car door and exit, looking up at the sign on the storefront.

'Ninjago Doomsday Comix'

“Emily’s already making dinner, so just meet us back at the new apartment.” He texts you the new address quickly, eyeing you suspiciously. “Be nice.” He warns, satisfied with the small nod you give in reply.

“Yeah, just gonna take a look around the place, y'know, before I get lost tomorrow.” You joke. You adjust the straps of your small bag before settling it in a comfortable position on your back.

“See you later then, munchkin. Call us if anything happens. Should be safe since those ninjas are around.”

Before you can question what he means, he drives off with all the rest of your luggage. You were lucky that your dad had visited the city multiple times on business trips and that he was primarily a hands-off parent.

“Right. Ninjas.” You mumble with a shake of your head, striding off toward the comic book store. The door swings open easily, a jingle catching you off guard. A man at the cashier counter greets you with a friendly grin that eases your nerves, and you walk up to him.

“Hi, do you know where to find Starfarer comics?”

“Well, right here, of course!” You cringe at his response, realising how poorly worded your question was. It elicits a chuckle from the man in front of you.

“Just kidding. I'm Rufus, Rufus McAllister, or you can call me Mother Doomsday. You're a new face around these parts. What's your name?”

“I just moved here, so maybe that's why." You reply, clutching the straps of your bag with a small smile at the friendly man and throwing in your name as well as an afterthought.

“Well, welcome to Ninjago City! I hope the city treats you well. We got the ninja protecting us, so that's added security too.”

“Right,” You smile emotionlessly at him. Is everyone here such big fans of the Ninja? Sure, Melody’s a fan, but not as much as bringing them up every chance she got. “Good to know.”

Rufus pauses with his lips parted, seemingly processing your words. A relaxed grin slowly forms on his lips. He glances towards a specific aisle, seemingly contemplating.

“It should be fine then….” He mumbles. You're just lost in where this conversation had ended up.

“Aisle Eight is where we keep the best-stocked Starfarer comics.” He gestures to the area he had been staring at earlier. You thank him with a brief nod, walking over.

The aisle is relatively empty, save for two other people. A blonde guy in a green hoodie is flipping through the latest issue of Starfarer with keen interest, engrossed in the colourful pages.

Next to him is another boy with slightly wavy and choppy black hair, the smooth and silky strands making you both envious and curious about his hair care routine. In contrast to his friend(you assumed), he regards you with a suspicious gaze.

Oh no. He’s hot.

You find it odd, feeling mildly unsettled by the intense stare he gives you. It wasn't a good one; more on the wary side than interested. You brush it off, ignoring the pair and scouring the shelves for issue number three.

You finally find the comic you're looking for, but it's directly opposite the pair.

After all, what would you be if not cursed with horrid coincidence?

You practically tiptoe over, clearing your throat slightly as you grab the comic book and start reading. Green Hoodie(Greenie, you decide to nickname) looks up in surprise, only now noticing your presence. Mr. Grumpy Pants(The nickname suits him perfectly), on the other hand, doesn't bother hiding the grimace on his lips at your presence, looking away.

You stiffen, eyes shifting into a glare.

Rude.

Greenie hits his friend's shoulder in a light punch, looking at you with an expression of apology. “She should be fine. Rufus wouldn't send anyone over here without vetting them first.” Greenie whispers to Mr. Grumpy Pants, referring to his earlier behaviour.

“Yeah, but what if they're…you know? I don't want another repeat of what happened with Jay.”

Oh. Oh. I see now.

You almost drop the comic book in your hands, caught off guard by how attractive Mr Grumpy Pants' voice is. You tense, now more aware of their presence. Even though you don't want to eavesdrop, you can't help how your ears practically perk up, hoping to hear more of the deep voice from earlier.

Plus, they weren't doing a very good job of keeping their conversation a secret.

“I trust Rufus. He's a good friend.”

“...Maybe.”

“Is that…? OMG! It's them!!”

You're interrupted from blankly staring at the same page for the past ten minutes, having focused on the conversation behind you, though the pair had stopped talking a while ago. You look up at the store's glass windows, startled by the sudden sight of a group of girls pressed against the glass, staring intently at the two boys behind you.

“Fuck.” You watch all the colour drain from Greenie's face while Mr Grumpy Pants smacks his palm against his face, sliding it down and sighing heavily with an utterly defeated expression.

"Not again…" You hear him mutter. “And watch your language,” He adds, elbowing Greenie who just sticks out his tongue. The girls grab their phones, snapping photos of them. You realise that you're probably in them, too, considering the lack of distance between you both.

"Girls, there's the door!!" The tallest and most commandeering of the group holds open the entrance to the comic book store, and they swarm towards it.

"Cole, run!!!" Greenie yells, taking off to the back door that Rufus quickly ushers them both through. You grab the issue of Starfarer that Greenie dropped on the floor in his hasty exit, watching the fabric of Cole's shirt almost get stuck in the doorway.

At least now you know his name.

You place both the comics back on the shelf, leaving with a quick wave to Rufus, who nods goodbye. You pull out your phone, look up directions to the apartment and slowly make your way there. You grab your earbuds, put them both in your ears and start your playlist from the beginning.

You're next to an alleyway, just steps away from a ramen store, when your arm is grabbed and pulled into an alleyway next to you. A yelp rips free from your chest, losing your balance and almost falling.

A strong and warm arm holds yours firmly, pressing you against the cold brick wall. Your eyes automatically squeeze shut when your back hits the wall with a grunt, opening your eyes to see Mr. Grumpy Pants from earlier.

What the everloving fuck-

His hand is pressed firmly against your mouth, and your hands curl into fists, summoning all the strength in your body to land a solid punch on his chest. He yelps, pressing his lips tightly together to silence himself. He glares at you, and you return it just as angrily. Your fingers close into fists, readying yourself for another punch, aiming for his jaw next.

He shushes you, and you only just notice his pinched brows and the shine of sweat on his forehead. He had tugged you behind a wall that separated into a small alcove, out of sight from the sidewalk you were on earlier.

"Turn that nauseating song off." Cole winces, muttering through clenched teeth. Your hands slow to a stop, confused by his words. He grabs your phone out of your hands, pressing pause on your beloved playlist before you can protest.

Your eyes widen in shock, staring up at his stupidly handsome face. His dark brown eyes are filled with the fear of being caught, and you catch yourself admiring the shaggy black hair that frames his face in the most annoyingly perfect manner.

Your mind races with incoherent thoughts, but one sticks out like a sore thumb.

Your soulmate's a celebrity?

For a celebrity, his music taste sucks ass.

"Am I getting kidnapped right now?" You voice out the most pressing concern on your mind, though it comes out muffled. He turns back to face you with an incredulous expression.

"You don't know who I am?" His voice is hushed, waiting for the horde of fangirls to run past your hiding spot. Your eyes narrow, pushing his hand off of where it's placed on your shoulders. You try to ignore the tingle his touch leaves behind that spreads to your hands and how his choppy bangs somehow manage to fall over his eyes in a somewhat attractive manner when he turns to face you.

"In the past twenty minutes, you've glared at me, been rude, and practically held me hostage," You snap at him, irritated by the lack of common human decency he seems to display. "And what do you mean nauseating? If anything, you're the one giving me headaches with that god-awful noise you call music that you play daily! I mean, who wakes up at 4 AM?? Only a psychopath, apparently."

You finish your mini rant, having reached the end of your already thinning patience with the boy in front of you. You pant slightly, trying your best to reign in your temper.

"Noise? Noise?? I could say the same for you! You're disturbing my sleep at night with those ear-splitting synths and breathy singing that sounds like they're on the verge of hyperventilation!" Cole retorts with thinly veiled disgust, taking a step back, dusting off his hands, and wiping them on his pants.

You eye the action, feeling insulted. Both of you stand in the alleyway, silently glaring at each other. Cole breaks the stare first, scanning the area behind him once he realises the fangirls are gone. You grin, elated at the quiet victory.

“You really gotta get more variety.” Your smile drops as soon as the words leave Cole's lips, and yours press into a thin line.

“Speak for yourself.” You can barely hold back another biting remark. If anyone were to see you now, they'd mistake you as enemies rather than the soulmates that you are.

He groans, rolling his eyes. You're tempted to ask what he does for a living but choose to stay silent. You shake your head, still in disbelief that you've found your soulmate. “Out of all people…” You mutter under your breath with a scowl.

“I could say the same. I don’t know how someone like you ended up as my soulmate.” He retorts, seemingly having overheard.

“I’m glad we share the same view then. At least that’s one thing we can agree on. Now, let’s make a deal. You go right, and I go left and we never run into each other again. Deal?” You propose, holding out your hand for a handshake. He eyes it for a solid moment, mulling over his decision. Instead of shaking your hand, however, he merely nods, crossing his hands over his chest. Your eyes narrow.

How insufferable.

“Looks like they’re gone.” He takes a moment to glance out of the alleyway, starting in the direction opposite and leaving you to your own devices. You continue to glare at his retreating figure, driving home your irritation by placing your earbuds back into your ears and hitting play.

Immediately, Cole's songs start playing in the back of your mind, much louder than before. You let out an irritated groan, turning to glare at his broad back. Curse his well-chiselled body and toned arms.

Stupid soulmate.

— — — — —

“So, how was your first day in town?” Your stepmother, Emily, sits down opposite you, taking out one of the hair clips she used to keep the bangs out of her face. Her hair is messy, tied into a ponytail and her skirt is stained with spaghetti sauce.

“Decent. Went to a comic book place.” You say through a mouthful. Your response is short, but it’s more than what used to be quiet dinners around a tension-filled dining table in the past.

“That’s good. Doomsday Comix, I assume?” She doesn’t flinch from your wide-eyed gaze, caught off guard by how eerily accurate her guess is. “I used to work there when I was younger. I hope you found the comics you were looking for. Starfarer, right?”

“Right,” You reply unsurely, spooning another bunch of pasta into your mouth. You forget that Emily had been born and raised in Ninjago, only having met your dad during one of her trips for ‘inspiration’. You and she had a rocky relationship, but one could say that you’re currently making progress - you think.

“Did you meet the ninja?” Your dad asks, taking some sliced-up steak on his plate and placing it on Emily’s. You eye the way she lights up at the action, a nauseating feeling beginning to stir in the bottom of your stomach. “I hope if you got in trouble, they got you out of it.”

“Oh yeah? What’re the ninja gonna do, spin me around till I get a headache?” You snort, chewing on an irritating broccoli stem that refuses to get chowed down on. “Mystify me to pieces? Bore me to death?”

The sarcastic jabs don’t phase your dad in the slightest. He shrugs, used to your disbelieving comments. “Just be careful out there still, okay? I know Ninjago City is safe but there are still pickpockets around and petty crimes.”

“Which is exactly why I called in a favour from an old friend.” Emily smiles softly at your father, but it fades slightly when she looks at you, uncertainty in her gaze. “He’s an instructor, and I’ve asked him to teach you self-defence so you can at least protect yourself.”

Your hand slows to a halt, the singular piece of spaghetti dangling off your fork as you blink owlishly at her. “I never asked for your help.” The words slip out before you can stop yourself, hurt flitting across Emily’s face before she composes herself, clearing her throat and picking up a piece of broccoli.

Aaand that’s a streak of 3 and a half months without being mean, gone.

“I just thought that maybe you should stay safe. Besides that,” You can sense the carefulness in her words, trying to choose the right ones to say. “I have an event coming up that I’d like you to attend. It’s a fundraiser, and I would like you to be there.” She pauses for a moment, looking from your father to you. “Both of you.”

“No thanks,” The clang of the metal fork against the porcelain plate makes her wince slightly at the harsh sound. You stand up with your half-empty plate, appetite vanishing just as quickly as a passing breeze. “I’m gonna head out. School stuff to catch up on and all.” You spot your father starting to stand up with a frown, only to stop when she places her hand on his arm and shakes her head sadly.

You ignore it.

Besides, you have a best friend to call.

— — — — —

“I think I met my soulmate today.” You instinctively pull the phone away from your ear just as she starts screaming.

“What? Where?? When?? How????? WHO???”

“Comic book store, today,” you reply, playing with a strand of your hair to distract yourself.

“Comic book store? Oh no, he’s a nerd.” The mock horror in her voice makes you suppress a defeated groan, picturing exactly how wide her smug grin is. Closing your eyes, you take a moment to inhale slowly. Damn. She remembers.

When you were younger, you had made a bet with Melody as to what kind of person your soulmate would be. Being the naive child you were, you had bet on him being a superstar.

Melody, on the other hand, had bet that you'd end up with someone the complete opposite of you. A secret nerd.

Even at the tender age of 15, she had already read countless romantic books filled with cliche tropes. Right now though, this knowledge is absolutely terrifying to you. You hear a sigh of satisfaction over the phone, lips curling into a frown. “I’m not going to do it.”

“You have to! We pinky promised. Plus, Todd’s back home and if you don’t want me to tell him about-”

“I’ll do it,” you groan, cutting her off from the effective threat. “The First Spinjitzu Master sent you down for just one reason and that was to make my life even worse.”

“Wait.” Melody says, “What happened to your whole spiel about ‘oh I hate soulmates and I never want to have one, bleh bleh bleh’ ?”

“First of all, that is not how I sound. Is that really how I sound to you??” You gasp. Maybe your whole stance against soulmates was getting a bit too much, even for Melody. “Besides, it’s nothing new. His stupid jazz started a couple of months back or something.” You grumble, deciding to collapse on your bed instead of pacing your room.

“And you didn’t tell me??” She says incredulously, her voice raised. You can hear a faint “What didn’t she tell you?” in the background, recognising the voice as her brother’s.

“Nothing!” She shouts back at him, “I expect details. Right fucking now.”

“It’s not much,” You sigh, looking up at your ceiling and letting your phone rest beside your head, her voice filling the quiet room through the speakerphone. “It came outta nowhere and honestly? If nothing happened, no way am I about to fly across the world just to see him. I have school. And homework.”

“You’ve never handed in a single piece of homework on time.” Her voice has a hint of accusation.

“What can I say? Moving gives you a whole new perspective on self-reflection.” You shrug nonchalantly, though you know she can’t see it.

“What’s his music taste?”

“Smooth jazz and soft rock.” You groan at her awws on the other end, “Yeah, let’s see if you still find that cute when you’re trying to sleep and he decides to blast music at 4 AM.”

“An early riser. Maybe he works out?” Melody’s wistful voice doesn’t go unnoticed.

“I sense dissatisfaction with your current soulmate.” Your snarky reply makes her chuckle.

“You wish. Luke’s gonna start going to the gym 'cause I said I liked his biceps last week.” She says with amusement, “Right, I have a date tomorrow. Should I wear the pink blouse or blue?”

“Blue.”

“Pink it is.”

“Why do you even bother asking me?” You say blankly, grinning when she barks out a laugh. “Have fun on your date.”

“Remember to get autographs!”

“I won’t if you don’t shut up and get to bed.” The call instantly concludes with a monotonous dial tone after you hang up, placing your phone on your table with a grin. You open your laptop with a new sense of purpose, searching for articles on the ninja. Your unfulfilled promise haunts you, knowing full well that although most of your friends thought it was a joke, Melody would be intent on at least fracturing your pinky finger if you didn’t get their autographs.

A sudden knock on the door startles you and your hands quickly close the laptop instinctively. The door slowly creaks open, and your dad steps inside. You turn away, pretending to busy yourself with tidying your desk with minimal clutter. “Is this about dinner?”

“Well,” you hear him hesitate. “Kind of. Look, it’d mean a lot to her if you went, y’know. Besides, the self-defence instructor we asked to teach you has already accepted.”

“Can’t you get a refund?” You finally turn to face him, lips parted to say more until you scan his face. Sunken cheeks and eyes filled with sadness stare back at you, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you’d be more open towards his wife. Towards her.

And just like that, your temper which had slowly begun to bubble up again at the mention of your stepmom dies down, left with nothing but wisps of resentment. You swallow down the lump in your throat, unable to meet his gaze.

“Fine. Tell Hamla that I’ll go to her charity fundraiser, whatever.”

He breathes a sigh of relief, while you focus on your fingers already picking away at the skin on your thumb. Tiny flecks of peeled skin land on the floor, invisible in the lack of light. The skin is red and raw underneath, but you can’t feel the pain, focusing instead on the repetitiveness of the action.

“Thank you, munchkin.”

The door closes without any further conversation, and the weight on your chest suddenly lifts. It’s still there, but significantly less than before. You close your eyes, hands curling into fists as you breathe out slowly but shakily. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.

You open the laptop back up, allowing the bright screen to distract you from any further thoughts. The picture of the ninja fills your screen, one in a black gi catching your eyes. What was he again? The Earth Ninja?

Glancing at the closet, you mentally flit through your outfit options for the fundraiser. A thought nags away at your brain, as if on the edge of remembering one very important fact. You pull up the article from this morning, rereading it once more as it hits you, looking from the article to the picture a few times before your lips pull up in a slow smile.

Looks like you’d get their autographs sooner than you thought.

353 notes · View notes