#// so YEA okay so the idea was to make a fake poster (I had an alt version w/ the story title) so that's why there's so many different

[keeps-ache]

dearest persecutor

[sketches below]

[kasey-writes-stuff]

The boy with the reindeer clothes and captain america mask part two

The next day you both awake tangled in each other’s arms, you smile and blush softly “morning calla” he nodded softly groggily saying “good morning y/n” You sigh softly and begin to untangle yourself from Calla but his grip is firm as he whined softly and you giggle saying “calla we need to get up and make some breakfast and we need to decide where we’re going today” He groans “But y/nnnnn wouldn’t it be better to just stay here on the couch forever” You roll your eyes fondly “Well maybe for you but I’m hungry so I suggest you let me go before I start eating you!” You giggle playfully nibbling his neck making him squeak and giggle as he scrunches his neck “Eek! Ahhallrihihgghhtt ahhalllrrihihggjhttt ihihill lehehett yoouu uhuhupp!” You smirk softly “Good! Lets go” He lets you up reluctantly and you both head to the kitchen and begin making a simple breakfast of French toast and sausage. Once breakfast is finished cooking you sit and begin trying to think of where to go for the day. “Well we could go shopping I’d love to buy you some things while you’re here” you shake your head at him “no no way you’re not buying me anything I can buy stuff for myself but I don’t really feel like shopping today maybe we could go to an amusement park or something” he rolls his eyes “You’re not leaving without me having at least bought you one thing! Hmm I think the fairs in town does that sound good?” Your eyes sparkle as you nod excitedly “That sounds great! I’m so down for that!” He smiles at your excitement “The fair it is then!”

So your trip to the fair started off with getting some snacks! You each got a corn dog, a lemon shake up and then ended it with sharing a funnel cake! After the snacks you went and played a balloon game where you won each of you some posters and then played another one where Callahan won your plushie! He wanted to try and win you one of the big ones but you said no and he saw how truly happy you were with the little Fuli from lion guard plushie and stopped trying to convince you to let him win you one of the biggest plushies… Next you went walking about trying to find a ride that sparked your guys interest and you finally settled on the cheesy but classic Ferris wheel… The line luckily wasn’t too long and the sun was just beginning to set so in theory normally you would be looking at the sunset right? Yes but in your case no you and Calla were just so entranced with the other, you were desperately staring at his face in fear you’d forget it and he was stuck staring at yours not worried he would forget it because you show your face often but he was just taking in every detail he could that the cameras never seemed to catch… The little mole on your nose he was sure you probably hated but he was sure he loved, the way your cheeks could change from pink to red so fast and how it was shades of pink and red that he had never seen before… The way your eyes sparkle in a way he’s never seen anyone’s eyes sparkle and how just when he thinks they can’t get any sparklier they do when you laugh and he doesn’t know but when he laughs they’re at their sparkliest….

After the Ferris wheel we get ready to head home but as we pass by the fish game y/n stops me tugging on my sleeve softly and looking at me with puppy eyes as they ask “Calla can we please win two fish? Just two! Just so they’re not lonely… I’ll come visit all the time to help take care of them and I’ll send you money to help with their food and cleaning supplies and I’ll buy their tank and all the little decorations and everything they need!” I sigh softly rolling my eyes fondly at them as I nod and sign “Okay we can try and win some fish” They clap excitedly as they lean up and leave a kiss on my cheek, my cheeks heat up and I smile softly as I give the person the money.. We each begin throwing the ping pong balls as if our life depends on it we miss so many times but finally half way through I make one in and at the very end when we only have but two balls left y/n makes one in as well! They cheer excitedly hugging me tightly and it’s like a warmth I’ve never felt before washes over me, and when they pull away? It’s like there’s a big dark hole of cold emptiness left there that I’ve never noticed until now… We collect our fish and head to the car once in the car y/n is immediately brainstorming names “What about phineas and ferb or Drake and Josh or if they’re girls Carly and Sam?!” I snicker softly at their suggestions shrugging “Phineas and ferb sound cool but what if ones a boy and ones a girl?” Their eyes light up as they say “Phineas and Isabella” I nod as we finally begin to actually leave “I like that it’s cute like you” They blush turning their face away from me mumbling “shut up I’m not cute” I scoff softly rolling my eyes as I quickly poke their side, they squeak and jump lightly glaring at me but with no real malice “Eek! Cahalla don’t!” I snicker again and sign “Well then admit you’re cute” They sigh softly “ Fine I’m cute… to you” I shrug softly “Good enough for me”

Soon enough we made it to Walmart figuring we could get some decent stuff for now and upgrade it later on down the line. As we got out of the car y/n glanced at my face and then at my hand and I could tell what they were thinking so I wordlessly grabbed their hand pulling it to my lips for a few seconds and then let it down gently but didn’t let go instead keeping them clasped together my thumb gently rubbing their palm making them giggle softly for a few moments before sighing contently… Once inside we quickly found the fish supplies settling on a decent sized rectangle shaped aquarium, we grab the most colorful pebbles we can find, we decided to also pick out some decorations settling on a few different sized plants along with a little fake log and finally a little bubble chest!

I make sure to grab a few snacks before me and Calla leave and soon enough we’ve made it home! I carry in the snacks and the prizes while Calla carries in the aquarium supplies… We quickly rinse the aquarium and the rocks and then begin trying to find the best place to set it, we finally settle on putting it in the living room setting it on a small table off to the side. “So how much water should we add?” He shrugs softly “I don’t know maybe a little over half way? I mean we do have a lid for it so it’s not like we have to worry about them jumping out” You nod “Yea that sounds good let’s do it!” You decided even though it would take much longer to fill up this way that it was better to leave the aquarium on the table and use cups of water to fill it up… Of course you can’t take it fully serious and decide when almost done filling it up to splash a bit of water on calla as you’re filling up your cup, he gasps in surprise as you giggle before gasping as he splashes a bit on you! He snickers hiding behind his hand and you dump a little under half a cup on him and he squeaks softly before narrowing his eyes and pouring a full cup on you. Both of you are now soaked but smiling brightly at each other and before you know it you’re leaning up and he’s leaning down and your lips have connected again for the second time… You kiss only a few seconds longer before you say “As much as I enjoy this I’m getting cold and we need to finish filling the aquarium” He whines softly but nods knowing you’re right.. You each fill up your cups that being the final cups needed, you add in the special water treatment as calla grabs Phineas and Isabella… He carefully opens their bags and placed them in, you each stand back and smile looking at them, he softly wraps an arm around your waist and side holding you close against his side as you rest your head on his chest…

You stand there together a few more minutes before breaking apart, you quickly to grab some pajamas and begin to take a quick shower… Soon after Calla takes a quick shower his own self and then you each agree and decide to see if your friends are free to finally talk on discord, luckily they are you decide to play a slight prank maybe it could be called on them… Calla let’s you take his main chair as he grabs a second smaller chair for himself, you hold back a giggle as you quickly click call… Soon enough all your friends begin joining they were all quick to say their hellos to calla though they were confused asking why Calla was calling when it was y/n who asked if they were busy or not… Dream and Niki are the only two who already realize what’s going on so they simply stay silent… But for the rest of the group,the group being, Sapnap,George,Alex and Bad, they were very shocked when they suddenly heard a voice and then finally Alex being the one with a little sense realized it was you!

“Y/N THE PERSON YOU MET UP WITH WAS CALLAHAN?! NO WAY!” You giggle and Callahan smiles happily holding your hand “yep! I finally did it!” George is quick to make jokes “So have you seen his face yet or are you still like the rest of us and have no idea what he looks like” Calla covers his mouth hiding his laugh and you quickly mute to allow him to let his laugh if he wishes and he does and his laugh makes you laugh and you can hear George begging for answers but you don’t care and neither does Calla! A few more moments though and you’ve each stopped laughing and are looking at each other and suddenly Calla closes the distance leaving a quick peck on your lips… Finally you unmute “Sorry uh I’m- I mean we’re back, and for your information George…” You pause looking to Calla for confirmation that it’s okay and he nods softly “I have and it’s truly very cute and both everything I expected and nothing I ever expected” Everyone either awwed softly or made exaggerated gagging sounds which made you and Calla blush and then giggle softly, Dream was next to speak “So how are you guys communicating?” You look to Calla and he shrugs softly nodding for you to go ahead..

“Well I of course just verbally talk but Calla does a mix of sign and verbal talking but mainly just sign” Everyone thinks and decides to not make any jokes as they don’t wanna risk upsetting Calla and instead Dream takes lead saying “That’s great, so what have you guys been up to?” You and Calla look at each other knowingly smiling a bit and he presses the quietest kiss he can to you cheek as you say “We went to the fair the other day and Calla won me and plushie and we each won a fish! Calla is gonna keep them though and just video call me so I can see them when I want” Karl gasps excitedly “What did you name them?!” Calla types in chat “Well I didn’t tell y/n but I was thinking of naming them dumb and dumber” You scoff and hit him softly before going to hit the mute button but he stops you and just covers his mouth as he laughs a bit… Theres a collective sound of gasps before sapnap says “NO WAY DID CALLAHAN JUST LAUGH?!” Calla rolls his eyes at their shock and excitement light heartedly and you shrug softly as you say “maybe it was maybe it wasn’t that’s for me and Callahan to know and you guys not to know” Alex whines softly “but y/nnnn we wanna know!” Bad is quick to agree “Yea! We wanna know!” Even Niki joins in on the joke “Yes! Stop gatekeeping Callahan from us!” You and Callahan both laugh and you say “Hey I could really gatekeep him by just ending the call right now to go-“ suddenly you cut yourself off blushing realizing while yea they know your main love language is physical touch they also know you’re crushing hardcore on Calla so they might catch on… And neither of you are ready for that! You’re quick to catch yourself though saying “To go take care of Phineas and Isabella” Luckily most everyone sounds distracted well enough by the names to not realize your near mistake and they just take it as a normal small stutter, George says “But how do you know ones a boy and ones a girl?” Alex says “Yea and how do you know which is which?!” You really don’t have an answer “Well we don’t and we can at least tell them apart because one has a white spot on its head, but yea we don’t know but they need names we can’t just call them fish one and fish two!” Dream snickers “Then just call them white head and not white head” He bursts into giggles and soon everyone else is giggling as well including you and Calla soon after though you yawn softly and despite your protests Calla types in chat saying “Guys I’m gonna go ahead and make y/n get some sleep we’ll try and call you all again soon okay?” Everyone starts saying a chorus of sad goodbyes and a mixture of well wishes and jokes…

Soon enough the call is finally over and you whine softly looking at Calla before giggling softly “Now they’re really gonna think I’m gatekeeping you” he laughs as he stands and holds his arms out to you as he says “so let them think what they want maybe I like you gatekeeping me…” he pauses as you walk towards him and then he swiftly picks you up bridal style “maybe I want you to gatekeep me all night…” Your eyes widen a bit before another yawn escapes and you blush “Let me get some pajamas first okay? Then I would love to gatekeep you all night” he smiles blushing brightly as he carries you to your room and gently sets you down before turning around and shutting your door waiting outside it for you.. You find some comfy shorts and t-shirt tossing it on and open the door lightly tapping Calla’s shoulder, and despite your insistence that you can walk he turns around and smiles picking you up once more and he carries you to the bathroom allowing you to do your business and you allow him to do his and then you each brush your teeth and despite you insisting again that you can walk he says “no I wanna carry you it’s nice I uh like having you in my arms…” You blush leaving a kiss on his cheek, soon after you’re back to his room and he sets you down and you each pull back the covers and climb in… Calla and you both get comfortable and then he nervously puts his arms around your back hands resting on your stomach and you smile snuggling closer to him and within minutes you’re each asleep..

[starshine-effendy]

Fanboy Shoto x Singer Reader

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of MHA these characters belong to Kohei Horikoshi.

Okay in this AU, You're a Singer and a model and you're really popular and Shoto, is a secret fanboy of you.

Disclaimer: sexual Harrassment by a random guy and kissing

Italics are your thoughts :3

Ahem... Let's begin

Endeavor was trying his best to make up for his wrong doings to his family, so being the man he is, he snuck to Shoto's room to find anything that could get him closer to his son, he ended up finding a poster of you under his table. For a moment Endeavor was surprised that Shoto was interested in you and he was also offended that Shoto has a poster of you and not of him, but that's kinda understandable for him. Endeavor stares at the poster of you for a moment before an idea came to his head.

The next day, Endeavour burst into Shoto's room and told him to get ready for a photoshoot. It took a while to convince Shoto but at the end he finally agreed. Endeavour waited downstairs for Shoto to finally come, but when Shoto came he was dressed in casual clothing, it was so casual but he somehow looked like a model with it. There was a painful argument between Endeavour and Shoto before Shoto agreed to get in the car.

You were getting ready with a red and white dress. You didn't need any make up cause you have ✨NATURAL BEAUTY✨ which is why your photoshoots usually take a short time. Shoto had arrived right after you were ready for the photoshoot, the photographer informed the team that another model would be coming, but he never mentioned that it would be Shoto Todoroki, the son of the current number One Hero!

When Shoto stepped into the studio, you were the first thing he saw, his eyes widen. You caught a glance of him and started to walk towards him... Wait... YOU WERE WALKING TOWARDS HIM! Shoto's breathing started getting faster, but he kept a straight face, he was secretly freaking out.

"Hi! I'm Y/N" You said cheerfully. You were prettier up close, your smile is so bright, your hair's so smooth and sleek, your eyes are luminous, your scent is just truly exquisite, and that dress you're wearing looked gorgeous on you, it made Shoto faintly blush. "S-Shoto...! Shoto Todoroki.." He looked away from your eyes.

"Ohh! The Shoto Todoroki? You won 2nd place in the UA festival right? It's really nice to meet you" Your smile got wider.

"Y-yeah... It's nice to meet you too.."

The photographer came to greet Shoto and lead him towards the dressing room, leaving you alone, so you go on your phone. 5 minutes passed, another member of the photoshoot team reminded you that this photoshoot was going on for a week. You nodded.

Hmmm... A week with Shoto huh... Well I might as well get to know him..

15 minutes passed and Shoto was approaching you. He was wearing a red suit with a white tie and black pants and black shoes, not gonna lie he looks good. Once Shoto had approached you he reached out his hand for you, you held it and walked with him to set.

"Hey, you look good with a suit. It really suits you" (😏) You said.

"Thanks," He said, slightly happy.

"Hey, we're gonna be in this photoshoot for a week, I was thinking we could go for gelato after this, I wanna get to know you better Shoto," You said with a smile.

"Y-yea... That would be nice" Shoto said with a slight blush. The Person He admired just asked him out... OH MY GOD YOU'RE GOING TO EAT GELATO TOGETHER!

You both reached the set, the photographer looked so excited to see the both of you. He was directing the both of you how to pose. "Hey, you're okay if you get close with Y/N right?" The photographer asked. "As long as Y/N is okay with it, then I should also be fine," Shoto answered. The photographer didn't even bother to ask you, but he saw you nod and he got the signal.

You were asked to sit back to back with Shoto. Click... Click.. "PERFECTION! NEXT!" The photographer yelled. Your hair is braided in this one, it was a sitting pose pretending that Shoto was braiding your hair. "AMAZING! NEXT" you were asked to hold Shoto's chest and Shoto asked to hold your waist, both of you were blushing through this one. "BEAUTIFUL!!! GET THE NEXT OUTFITS!" You and Shoto are wearing white pajamas now. You were asked to lay in bed together with your face really close together smiling, the entire thing made you blush... like a lot. 

What if my breath is bad... What if he's uncomfortable with my breathing... Oh gosh What if he's not okay with it... I'd have to handle the awkwardness for another 6 days... 

"Are you okay with that?" Shoto asked with a faint blush on his face. "A-as long as you are," you squeaked. Both of you got into position, your hands were behind his shoulder... Oh my gosh... He smells amazing... This is too close...  Oh God... You felt something rise up between Shoto's legs, which made you blush more. "THAT'S A WRAP AND NOW I'M ON FIVE!" The photographer said as he tossed his camera to the air, his assistant caught it. Shoto got off you, the team could see both your cheeks were red and the tent on Shoto's pants. Shoto didn't look at you.

"You still up for gelato...?" You said with a nervous voice, trying to break the awkwardness between you both.

OH GOD! DOES HE ALREADY HATE ME!? PLEASE I'M SORRY FOR TODAY!! WHAT IF HE CAN'T BEAR WITH ME FOR 6 MORE DAYS!! WHAT IF HE'S GONNA SAY I'M A PERVERT?! THAT'S GONNA RUIN MY DREAM OF BEING A SINGER IF HE'S GONNA CALL ME NAMES PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!!!

Shoto looked at you, "Yea.." He answered. You breathed a sigh of relieve.

"Well then I'll get ready" You said leaving with a smile.

Shoto was waiting for you outside the studio wearing his casual clothing... If he had known he was going out with you he would've worn something nicer... He sighed. You came out wearing a nice light blue themed dress...."You're beautiful with everything you wore..." Shoto thought. Shoto held his hand out, you looked at it or a second and held it.

~~At the Gelato store~~

You and Shoto are eating your gelato while talking about a lot of things. Shoto's really nice and polite, a complete gentleman. Your fans were constantly bombarding you with requests for pictures, and being the nice person you are you'd say yes. They also flooded you with questions if you were on a date with Shoto Todoroki, which you would always say with a smile "No no... This is just a hangout" Shoto was wondering how you kept a smile on your face for so long.

Shoto had went to the toilet and not even 30 seconds passed when a man started harassing you. "Hey!!! Y/N!! It's been my Dream to sleep with you since I started seeing you!! Can you please make that dream come true?!? Please!!!!" He said pleading you. You were refusing and saying "Sorry, no" for a minute now. The employees were also telling him to leave when they heard what he was saying to you, he finally gave up, but not before stealing your unfinished gelato and licking it all over. You and the employee of the store just looked at him in disgust... What the heck... That's mine. You didn't want to start anything since he was finally silent and not harassing you.

When Shoto came out of the toilet the man was walking out of the store, he walked up to you and saw that your gelato was gone. "Oh.. Are you done with it already?" He asked politely. You shook your head and pointed at the man who just left "He stole it," you said, you didn't sound cheerful about it. You took a deep breath trying to remind yourself that it's just a gelato and you could get another one, you looked up at Shoto who was looking furious. "I'll just buy another one," The employee who witnessed you being harassed nervously said "It's okay ma'am! I'll just get you another one!" You looked at her, "Thank you," Your smile returned. You sat down at the table again facing worried Shoto.

"What happened?" Shoto said

"Nothing, that guy was just crazy" You said trying to avoid the topic.

"Here you go, Y/N!" The employee said, handing you another gelato. You gave her the money for it but the employee declined. "Please, I insist! You helped me out back there so just take it," You said cheerfully, the employee sighed and took the money. Once you and Shoto were done with your gelatos, Shoto told you to wait outside for him. You nodded and waited outside, Shoto went to the employee who offered you the free gelato and asked them what happened. "Well, a man came in when you headed to the bathroom and asked Y/N to do something inappropriate with her, when I asked him to leave, he kept refusing. Soon he did give up... But he took Y/N's gelato with him," The employee said. Shoto stood there dumbfounded for a minute trying to process what the employee has just said. When he finally did, he tipped the employee and thanked them and left the gelato store. Shoto made up his mind about something though. He will personally hunt the man down and send him to jail.

Shoto stepped out of the store and saw you with your smile, it felt so real... but is your smile actually fake? Shoto slowly held out his hand, you looked at it and held it, with a smile. "Where are we going now?" You said, 

"We could go hang out more if you want but if you're tired I could always escort you home," Shoto said. 

You thought for a moment and gasped, "Let's go to that Carnival near the beach!"

"A carnival?"

"Yea! There's a Ferris wheel, games, prizes, food, and bumper cars!" You said so excitedly.

"Sounds fun, let's go,"

~~At The Carnival~~

You and Shoto were holding hands the entire time. You decided to try playing ball toss, you wanted the red and white doll so badly because you wanted a memory for today, in the end, you won the game with a little help with your quirk. You hugged the doll tightly and it made Shoto look away blushing, then you and Shoto shared cotton candy, it was sweet! You and Shoto never had so much fun before. It was peaceful, and you feel protected around Shoto since he's such a gentleman, it's... pleasant. After a lot of games and rides, it was getting dark so you and Shoto agreed to go on the Ferris wheel and eat dinner before you go back home. ...I wish this day would last longer.. You and Shoto went inside the cabin.

"This was really fun Shoto," You said excitedly.

"I'm glad you're having fun," Shoto said, a smile was growing on his face.

You held Shoto's hand tight, Shoto looked at your hands and realize how close you were from each other. Shoto caressing your hand with his thumb, this made you blush and look at him. Both of you were staring into each other's eyes, admiring one another's eyes in a very loving way. Without thinking, you leaned forward softly meeting your lips with Shoto's. You were kissing Shoto. WAIT! YOU WERE KISSING SHOTO HOLY CRAP WAIT NO! OH MY GOD THIS IS REALLY HAPPE- Your thoughts were interrupted because Shoto was kissing you back.

HOLY CRAP THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING! I'M KISSING SHOTO! MY HEART'S GOING TO EXPLODE! SEND HELP! PLEASE NEVER LET THIS END! PLEASE LET ME BE STUCK IN THIS RIDE FOR 5 MORE HOURS!

For a second everything surrounding you and Shoto faded, it was just you and him holding each other's hands tightly, finger intertwined, pressing your lips against one another, softly and tenderly, his lips were so soft. After what seemed like a second and an eternity, both of you gently pulled apart. The two of you were blushing.

OH JEEZ, I'M BLUSHING AREN'T I!? WHY DID I KISS HIM!? I'M- OH MY GOD MY HEART'S GOING TO EXPLODE..

"I-...I-I'm sorry!" You stuttered, "I.. uh.. it's just that... I" You were trying to get the words out but they weren't cooperating with you. Shoto gave you a faint smile before kissing your forehead, "It's okay. I enjoyed it, your lips are very soft" You felt your cheeks burn, if you were pink before you were definitely red now. You took a deep breath trying to regain your composure, "This is.. nice Shoto, I'm happy you came today,"

"I'm glad too," Shoto soothed, "Does this mean you're my girlfriend now? Because if you are I'd be really honored to have you as something more than friends," blush was appearing on his cheeks.

You looked at him wide eyed, your heart was beating fast again.

He wasn't like other guys, he's not pushing you to do anything and he was a gentleman the entire day, he isn't so bad of a guy right? And the feeling you have with him was unique, you never felt anything like it before, safe, peaceful, happy, warm and comfortable. Shoto was making you feel this, and you loved it, you love him.

You smiled, "I'd be honored to be called your girlfriend, Shoto,"

Shoto looked away from your eyes, you were too beautiful to handle, "Then I guess that dinner is a date now,"

"I guess it is,"

[jksofficialwifey]

Kiss me, Heal me. 2

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Summary: When Jungkook gets injured just before an important game, he sets out to find his soulmate to heal him. In a world where soulmates can heal all kinds of illnesses by kissing, he’s desperate to find his, even if he doesn’t know you yet. What happens if he does find you? Will you kiss a stranger who claims to be your soulmate?

WC: 3k+

tags: idiots and enemies to lovers, a lil slowburn, a bit of angst, soulmate culture, smut in the future.

pls don’t repost my fic anywhere, if i ever find out you stole my fic idea you’ll regret it. thanks :)

A/N: this is unedited as always so sowee 👅💋 hope ya still like it tho! enjoy loves. :)

I also rec. listening to these songs while reading this: sigrid - mine right now, and Let Go by BTS.

chapter summary: You were about to kiss Jungkook to finally get the whole ordeal over with and never talk to him again. But then, someone familiar shows up to ruin it all.

You had a lovely dessert at your fave icecream shop, courtesy to Jungkook for giving you free banana sundaes. Charlie came along too of course, as if she’d pass up free icecream. You talked about when you were gonna do it, and you clarified if his girlfriend really approved the whole situation. He said she did, and you were relieved but at the same time still nervous about it. You were gonna kiss Jungkook, and it was gonna be your first.(the boy you bumped your lip with cos he snapped his head towards you so fast doesn’t count so) Just thinking about it is giving you all the nerves.

Your first kiss was really gonna be for pity huh. how unfortunate for you. At least you’re helping someone, someone that’s your soulmate that is. The good thing about having soulmates in this world is at least, they’re purposeful. Not like the ones you read in books who are just soulmates and then what? they kiss and fall in love- lmao what do they contribute to society? maybe you’re bitter cos no one’s ever liked you before, but you at least have a point, No matter how shitty it is.

Anyway, After you guys finished your dessert Charlie went home, as you both decided to do the thing now at his place. In his room. When you arrived at Jungkook’s dorm room, you noticed that it was clean and quite organized. Not really what you were expecting a guy’s room to be. He had posters of linkin park, and IU lmao. Albeit, you were really surprised that the jock’s room was neat. Your zoning out was interrupted by the hot jock speaking.

“Uh…You should make yourself comfortable Y/N. I mean, you can. Let’s get it done with so it’ll be over and I don’t have to bother you anymore.” He said not meaning to be cold, but just being honest. “Of course.” you replied indifferently. You sat on his bed as you didn’t really find somewhere else that was comfortable to do your smooching- lol smooching, now you’ve become cringy.

Jungkook sat soon after- he changed his shirt, which he asked you if you didn’t mind as men didn’t have such big tits anyway, and he was trying to make the mood lighter. You agreed of course, you didn’t mind seeing shirtless men. You had male neighbors before who didn’t even care to put on a shirt when they went out. Also, you didn’t understand why girls in kdramas would scream if they saw one, it wasn’t such a big deal. But then you thought, maybe it’s because koreans are conservative that’s why they’re shocked when they see shirtless guys.

Actually, you did mind that Jungkook changed in front of you. His abs were so delectable you wanted to lick them. You weren’t a pervert but you were kinda a pervert, let’s stop kidding here. And you were quite sure that his body was sculpted by the gods themselves. And his biceps were so big- ughh you wanted to be choked by them and let him end your misery. Was he really your soulmate? what did you do in your past life to deserve him? But then again, it doesn’t matter. He has a girlfriend and he’ll never like you. He’s way too out of your league and you’re aware of it. Nevertheless, it still didn’t stop the way your heart jumped when he told you, “You really wouldn’t mind right? I am your soulmate after all.” And then he smirked right after.

That beautifully annoying smirk of his,that you’ve now come to hate. And now you’re both sat on his bed, preparing for the inevitable. He breaks the awkwardness when he talks first,“Um…so can we do it now?” he asks. “Uh, yea.” you shyly replied. He leaned towards you, face inching closer, closer than ever and just when he was 1cm from your lips the door opened, astounding you both from the person who just got in.

“Chaeyoung? what are you doing here?” Jungkook asked the girl who just barged in. Chaeyoung? is she his girlfriend? “Baby, I wanted to see you. I realized just how much i missed you. But who’s she? are you cheating on me?” her tone suddenly raised when she realized how close the two of you were.

“No chae, you’ve got it wrong. This is Y/N. My soulmate. I’ve told you about her right?” Jungkook said. “Oh. yea. So are you done doing it yet?” she asked looking at you menacingly. “No we haven’t yet, because you barged in. Can you leave for a bit so we can have some privacy?” Jungkook replied.

“Me? leaving? no way kook. I just came here, and if she’s gonna kiss you then I might as well be here so there’s no funny business that’s gonna happen.”

“lmao, as if anything’s gonna happen.” you retorted mumbling a bit. “Excuse me, what did you say?” she asked you. “Oh, nothing.” you said with sarcasm hinting your voice. “Okay chae, why are you here again? we talked about this already. You agreed,” Jungkook said, confused.

“Yes, but… as I’ve said, I missed you Kook. And now I realized I can’t bear to see you kiss someone else. Can we just find another way?” she dramatically whined.

“Chae, it’s just gonna be a short kiss. It’s better and easier than doing a blood transfusion. You know I’m afraid of needles…” Jungkook reasoned. “But Kook! I really can’t handle letting you, my boyfriend- kiss someone else. Please…Just do the blood transfusion…” She then sobbed with her crocodile tears. Jungkook didn’t seem to notice it, or he at least pretended not to notice how fake her tears were. You did though.

“Fine. I’ll do it for you, because I want to save this-” Jungkook seemed to remember you were still in the room, and he looked towards you. Chaeyoung seemed to remember too, so she screamed in joy interrupting him from continuing what he was gonna say and chaeyoung hugged her boyfriend, thanking him a lot.

You went home after the drama that happened, though you didn’t know why you were a bit disappointed that you failed your mission? lmao, kissing jungkook was your mission? You should stop having stupid thoughts, it won’t do you any good. It won’t save your stone cold but still fragile heart. You thought about what Jungkook was almost gonna say, what did he mean by saving their… relationship? was it relationship that he was gonna say? could it be that they were having it rough? If they’re gonna break up then, that means you still have a chance. You smacked your head with your hand, now you were just being delusional. You shouldn’t wish for people to break up ughh, what was happening to you. You weren’t really like this.

This soulmate thing is just messing with your head. And he’s messing with your head. Your phone beeped and you opened it to see a message from Jungkook. He said if you were up to do the blood transfusion tomorrow, and you replied yes. Blood transfusion is another way to heal soulmates, though it’s draining. You and your soulmate’s blood is believed to have healing properties. made just for the both of you, if you gave it to another person it wouldn’t have any effect. It’d just be a normal blood transfusion.

You and Jungkook walked inside the soulmate hospital, you had made small talk on the way there. You encouraged and comforted him that it’ll be alright, that It’ll feel like just an ant biting you. He agreed with you but he still looked nervous. After a while, the doctor came and asked you both if you were ready to start the procedure and you both said yes, but jungkook said if he could talk to you for a bit, before you start with it. “Jungkook are you okay? What did you want to talk about?” You asked, concern etched in your face.

“Y/N…I’m still kinda nervous about this whole thing. It’s too embarrassing to say this but I got traumatized when I was a child. The nurse before accidentally injected me in the wrong place and the needle almost broke. What if it happens again?” He looked so scared, you felt really bad for him.“Jungkook I’m sorry that happened to you. If you don’t wanna do it right now, I understand and it’s okay with me. But i think the doctor that’s gonna assist us is great and I’m positive he won’t make a mistake like that. Let’s just have faith on the positive side.” You tried to assure him.

“And Jungkook, I’m here. I won’t let them make a mistake, even if they do, I’ll sue them for even just rubbing the wrong alcohol in your arm. So don’t worry to much, I’m here. Were in this together.” You said comforting him. He smiled a little at what you said, it seemed to have calmed down his nerves a little.“Fine, I’ll do it. But, you need to promise not to laugh at me if I scream okay?” you nodded and said yes.

After an hour the transfusion was done and you were now both heading home. or you were at least. “Jungkook I told you it wouldn’t be that bad.” you said. “Yeah…I guess I was just a big coward. But thanks anyway, for helping me and all. I can finally go back to practice and live my life like I used to.” Yeah, a life without me. Of course, just the way it is. “Thank you really Y/N. You don���t know how grateful I am for you. For finding you.” He stared at you for so long, you’re afraid you’d melt soon. “Eh, it’s no biggie. I am a good person after all. An angel if you must know,” You said with a teasing tone at the end.

“Of course you are. Thank you again my angel, for healing me. Though I would’ve preferred it more if you used the other method-” Jungkook stopped talking when his phone rang. It was his girlfriend chaeyoung you assumed. Since he looked quite disoriented. “Uh, Y/N it was chae. She said she’ll pick me up. Are you going home now? you could ride with us and I’ll drop you off to your place.” He offered.

“Nah, it’s okay. I’ll just take the bus or walk. It’s good exercise anyway.” You replied. You didn’t wanna third wheel with them. “Oh, are you sure? it’s the least I could do to repay you.” “Yeah, I’m sure. And you better not forget my lifetime supply of free banana sundaes and one favor that I could ask from you at any time.” You reminded him.

“Oh right. I almost forgot. And here I thought you were a real angel.” He joked. “Excuse me, of course I am. You’re just indebted to an angel that’s why you need to pay.” you retorted. The bus came and you decided to skip exercise for another day. “I’m just gonna ride the bus. Goodbye kook, hope I’ll never see you again except to give me my free sundaes.” You teased him. “Hey, I hope I never see you again too!” He taunted back.

And you rode the bus getting away from him, too scared that you might stare at him again, and never forget his face.

You didn’t know why your head wouldn’t stop pounding. Your nose wouldn’t stop sneezing, your throat felt like hell and you felt literally sick. Maybe you were sick. Ugh. What a bad timing to get the flu. You were feeling weak since the blood transfusion some days ago, and now you’re quite sure you’ve got the flu. Wth. The doctor did say though, there were side effects of resisting the natural way to heal soulmates. Urgh. You hated that you had to suffer like this. Stupid Jungkook and his stupid cute face. You were still scrolling thru his instagram, yas you gave each other your social media accs. You wanted to save money than buying load so it was easier. Fortunately had free wifi in your dorm, though it was unstable sometimes.

He posted something recently on his account, you noticed. It was Him in his soccer uniform, captioned with “I’m back y'all. I missed working hard during practice 👅 or noT-” He still looked good as ever. You think he dyed his hair blond? or was it just the tips? whatever. It was hidden in the cap he was wearing, lmao he looked like a baseball player more than a soccer one. Meanwhile he was looking like a God, you were here looking like you were dying. Just your casual look even worse. Also seeing his girlfriend’s comment just made your migraine worse. She said something about Jungkook being hot. Wew, wish everyone could have a boyfriend as hot as him. You said sarcastically in your thoughts.

You were too sick to go to class today, so you texted Charlie you wouldn’t be able to come because of your annoying flu. You also asked her to buy some paracetamol and decongestants. You were gonna sleep it off and hopefully, after a few days you’ll get better. You can’t afford to miss any class and you had a part time job as a tutor in your university that you should do.

When Charlie found out that you were still ill, and it’s been 5 days already, she made up a plan. You weren’t gonna like it, but maybe you’ll thank her someday. She had a knack that you would. So she texted the only person that knew how to help you. She texted Jungkook, your cute ass soulmate.

Jungkook was busy with practice and trying not to die from his girlfriend’s wrath. They were fighting again, that’s just what they do these days. And he was kinda sick of it, to be honest. If they weren’t fighting, she’s ignoring him. And if he ignores her back, she’ll just blame it on him for not communicating with her. He wasn’t even sure if he still liked her? He’s been contemplating his feelings for her for so long now. He was out of his reverie when he got a text from someone. It was Charlie? What would Charlie want with him? He read it and saw that it was bout Y/N. She was sick? Charlie told him that she got sick because of helping him, so he needs to help her too. Jungkook asked her how he could help, and charlie said, he just needed to be with her. To take care of her.

He was busy but finding out his soulmate was sick because of him, made him feel guilty and shitty too. So he agreed to Charlie’s plan. He’ll surprise her at her dorm. ‘Cause the girl may have hinted that y/n didn’t want to see him, so he’ll just have to surprise her.

When Jungkook arrived at your dorm, charlie accompanied him and told him where your room was. He was holding a fruit basket but there was also 2 boxes of ramen in it. lol. He even bought you a Peppa Pig stuffed toy, because Charlie said it’d cheer you up. Did you really like Peppa Pig? whatever. Charlie went home right away- after pushing Jungkook to knock on the door.

You were expecting Charlie when you opened the door, And you didn’t expect to see him instead. It didn’t help that he looked handsome and cute as ever too. He was in his casual polo shirt and skinny tight ripped jeans, and you couldn’t help but gawk at him for a few seconds. “What are you doing here Jungkook?” You asked. You were also reminded of your current physical state. You looked like trash.

“Uh… I came to see if you were okay. How are you doing?” He asked, “I’m fine Jungkook. You didn’t have to come here.” You didn’t mean to be rude, but you didn’t want him to see you like this. Ugly and sick. Or more like uglier, since you were already ugly to you. You were embarrassed to be seen by him like this you guessed. “You don’t look fine to me though? Are you sure?” He retorted.

“I’m sure kook, why ask if you knew already anyway?” you couldn’t hold back from being a bitch today. You still felt like shit and he just had to see it too. You just had to see him too. “I’m sorry then. Stop being a twat, I bought some ramen and fruits.” He said, holding them out to you. And you finally noticed the fruit basket he was holding. You also noticed something else. “Is that a Peppa pig plushie? Wtf.” You commented.

“Um, yea Charlie said you’d like it- I mean I thought you’d like it…” he said, caught in his lie but he still tried to save her. Though you knew better that he really planned this with your friend. traitors. You were gonna take your revenge after you’re healed.“Drop it Jungkook, I know charlie sent you here.” You said coldly, “Also, you shouldn’t have listened to her. I hate peppa pig. But thanks anyway.” You replied as you took the plushie and placed it somewhere.

“I also bought more of your meds, I’ll just put them here.” He said as he placed some paracetamol on your table. “I’ll cook some ramen now, You want some right?” He inquired. “Yeah, I guess.”

Jungkook and you ate your ramen in peace for the time being. After eating, he made sure you drank your meds, and you both cuddled in your bed to watch Shrek on your laptop. You didn’t wanna cuddle him but he insisted, even if you told him he might get sick too, and then you’ll both be sick. How will you take care of each other then? He just shrugged it off. It was like that for a few days, though you still felt nauseous. It was on the last day that you were sick that something happened. Something you didn’t expect, and should never have happened.

You were both watching twilight: breaking dawn part 1 where Bella looked like shit carrying Renesmee inside her, when he asked you something. “Y/N…” “What is it kook? you’re interrupting the movie.” “Are you feeling better?” he asked.

“Yea i guess. now shut up, let’s get back to watching the movie.” You told him. “But you still feel like shit right? maybe like bella except less worse. What if I suggest something?” He was looking at you, body turned to you but you were too dumb to notice. “I’m fine Kook, I’m giving you one last chance to shut the hell up.” You taunted him, He didn’t seem to be offended by it even just a little.

“What if I do the natural way to make you feel better?” He was asking you a weird question. What is he even suggesting? “What do you mean you idiot?” You said, still not paying too much attention on him. You were still trying to watch the damn movie, or at least pretending to do so. Even though his nice scenting cologne, and his attractiveness was really distracting.

“What if I did this-” He grabbed your face and sealed your lips with his. What the actual fuck. He’s kissing you. And you’re letting him. You’re letting him because you want to, of course. That’s the only thing not stopping him. You wanted him to kiss you too. Oh, you were feeling better already. Is this what a soulmate’s healing kiss feels like? it feels surreal. Like sparks flying and your soul ascending wtf.

You don’t even know how to kiss someone, but you kissed him back. His tongue asking permission to enter your mouth. And then, you were french kissing him. Wow, who knew your perverted ass could be a pro at this. He suddenly stopped kissing you, and you were afraid he regretted it. “I’ve been wanting to do that since we met you know? At least now, we’re even.” He’s so annoying. You really hate him a lot.

You couldn’t really speak, you were catching your breath too. You suddenly felt shy and hugged peppa pig kook instead, yeah. That’s what you named the plushie he gave you. Will he leave now? or will you make out forever? What does he mean by doing all of this? What about Chaeyoung? Ugh. Whatever, it doesn’t matter 'cause it feels like he’s yours right now. As he always should’ve been.

TBC. 💜 positive feedback and reblogs are highly appreciated! your comments are what inspires us writers to write more! so pls do comment what u liked about the story, for me to give you fast updates ty.

taglist: @mrcleanheichou @taehyungiev13 @hunnayesblog @busansgloss @binki-g @hoodmeup

Ch. 3 is done but im letting Early Access readers read it first, so if you wanna read the next chapter now just buy me a coffee on ko-fi and I'll email the chapter to u! Thankiezz 💜😘 ily all https://ko-fi.com/neinyajung 

next chapter taglist notifs will now be on the tumblr groupchat i made for KMHM readers. if u wanna be tagged, reblog and comment on this chapter to be invited on the gc! ty 💜

[corescorner]

Charmberry Cove Chapter Four.

Chapter Title: Settling In.

Wordcount: 4,818

AO3

Ch1, Ch2, Ch3.

Taglist: @unsocialchapeau @aularei @softest-emo

It's the day after the move and Virgil is already sick of all the boxes in his way and he misses his stuff, these walls are too bare and monotone; he wants his fairy lights and posters.

He needs to fix this, now.

Today is room arranging day he decides.

He stands in the middle of his room and looks around trying to figure out where to put what, he figures placing the large furniture is probably the first thing he should do before anything else.

He starts with the bed, moving it to the far left corner, diagonal from the door; moving the small side table next to it and putting his large, black fluffy carpet underneath that, the carpet takes up a lot of floor space but that's fine cause the floor is cold anyway.

Placing the bookshelf across from his bed in the far right corner and putting his desk next to that, close to the door. Yeah that looks good, so he now only has to place his dresser, T.V and bean bag chair.

The dresser fits perfectly on the wall that the door is on in the left corner but his T.V can't fit anywhere in here, his stereo goes on top of his dresser and takes up all the room. He moves it and the bean bag outside of his room for now.

He puts three CDs into the multi-stereo for them to shuffle between them while he works, cranking it up.

Now, for the fun part. Decorating.

He has three different fairy lights, the skull ones go directly above his beds headboard, the ghosts go on the other wall his bed is situated against and the bats go above his desk. Nice. He should get pumpkin ones next.

His posters are plentiful in number, he has enough to probably fill all the walls in this room if he spaced them out in an organized manner, but that's not his style. Instead of doing that he places them artfully around his room in collage like clusters and now there's still room to get more if he wanted to.

He starts to organize his books and collection of movies/shows on to his shelves, adding figures, knickknacks and toys.

Placing all the small stuff around and storing things in boxes under his bed that doesn't need to be out in the open, he's finally done his room.

He looks around at his hard work. He's proud of what he's done with it, it’s definitely cozy and very him. The rafters look like they can have stuff hanging from them; maybe he'll do that if he gets something that would go good there.

Walking out he almost trips on the bean bag chair. Well he does trip, but the chair is soft so it doesn't matter, no one needs to know.

His face scrunches up as he thinks of what to do with these.

Why not just... leave them out here? Make himself a makeshift living room.

Placing the television on a crate, with his game consoles on the floor in front of it and the chair in front of those. That's good for now.

Well, that was a lot of hard work. Rewarding though, he smiles to himself.

His stomach rumbling takes him out of his gazing.

Oh, yea it's probably around lunch time.

He checks his alarm clock on his nightstand.

Wait, what? It's four pm! How could he have not noticed how late it got, how come one of his dads didn't call down or lunch? Did his music drown them out? No they would have come down in that case...

He goes upstairs -Hex jumps off of the dryer to follow at his heels- he needs to check what's going on with his dads, they're probably just working as hard as he has been and they also lost track of time is all.

That's definitely it he tells himself.

Opening the door separating the basement from the rest of the house he stops in place looking around. They have been busy, there's not one box to be seen, all furniture and other items are in their rightful places and it's clean everywhere.

He peeks at the kitchen and it's the same there, same for the dining room that they're probably never going to actually use.

No dads to be seen. Hex chirrups up at him, he looks down at her mismatched eyes.

“I know, it's weird right?”

They must be working upstairs then. He hasn’t been up there at all yet, so that's where he heads. Hex ever his tiny shadow follows along.

When he reaches the top of the stairs, the first door he notices is to his left and it leads into a large bathroom, there's another door on the same wall a bit farther down that is only slightly open.

To his right there's a door that is fully open so he goes to that one, standing in the doorway he realizes it's a large master bedroom, his parent’s room.

It's the length of the whole floor and there's a bay window to his left from where he's standing in the doorway.

On the other side of that is their bed, which actually takes up quite a bit of space in the large room. He's not sure why they have such a big bed, every time he's seen them sleep they're always cuddled together or tangled around each other in the middle of it, seas of bed on either side of them.

It's a very plush bed though. Dad doesn't seem like he sleeps often but with everything sleep related he's very nit-picky about.

He leaves this room, cause there's no Dads here either.

So that leaves the slightly open door on the other side of the hall.

He creeps up to it, to see if there's any sound coming from beyond the door.

He only hears typing so he knocks.

Pops’ voice answers it “come on in!”

Virgil steps into the room that is clearly Pops' office, everything is set up and in order on this floor too. No wonder they haven't seen each other all day.

“Hey Virge, what's up?” Pops asks, stopping his typing to look at Virgil.

“Um, where's Dad?” Is his first question.

“Oh!” -Pops jostles himself upwards a bit- “He went to figure out the funeral plans and deal with will stuff, he wanted to go alone to make it a quick experience” he explains.

“Okay, what's for supper?” His second question.

Pops shakes his head a little and looks towards his computer monitor.

“Oh gosh! I didn't notice it was this late, I'm so sorry about that buddy you must be hungry.”

Virgil shrugs, he could have made himself something if it was just lunch after all. “It's alright, I didn't notice the time either until I finished setting up my room, I couldn't fit the T.V and bean bag though so I made myself a little living room area.”

Pops smiles wide “that's such a good idea Virge! We should get a couch, oh and more bean bag chairs in case you bring home friends.” His voice was cheery throughout the sentence but that didn't stop Virgil from frowning.

“I don't have any friends Pops” he says, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets and looking away. Hex slinks around his ankles and props herself on her hind legs, her two front ones resting on his shins.

He picks her up, cuddling her to his chest in the same way Patton did yesterday, she immediately starts to purr.

Pops’ face falls slightly before brightening up again.

“What about that Patton kid who helped you move in yesterday?” He asks like he knew what Virgil was thinking.

Virgil wrinkles his nose. “I don't think that counts as being friends?” he says with a questioning tone.

Emile laughs softly, “well don't tell him that.”

Virgil squints “you really think we're friends?”

“Absotutely I do!” his smile is genuine, Virgil softens a bit.

He gets up off his puffy office chair, slapping his hands to his thighs as he does so.

“How about some dinner huh?” He asks, fluffing Virgil's hair as he walks past him out of the office.

Virgil follows him down the stairs, he drops Hex as she wriggles in his grasp and then she darts to his chair in the living room to sleep. Fine, he sees how it is.

They walk into the kitchen and Emile claps his hands once and addresses Virgil.

“What would you like for dinner tonight? Your dad should be back soon-” he checks the time on the stove clock “-we should start making it so it's ready for when he's back, wanna be my Little Chef?”

“You're lucky Dad isn't here for that Ratatouille reference” Virgil smirks.

“It had nothing to do with him, he'd be fine” Pops says, sticking out his tongue, cause ya'know he's an adult.

“Well if you didn't go overboard with quoting it at him when it came out, he'd be even better.” Virgil now with a shit eating grin in place, sticks his own tongue out.

“You sassafrassin' me mister?”

“Of course not Father Dearest.” He slaps on a fake smile that reads 'I'm being good, honest'.

Emile nods his head once in a quick motion that says 'that's that then' and smiles at Virgil goofily, turning around to face the fridge he opens it with a flourish simply exclaiming: “food!” He drops his arms limply, staring into the fridge. “Huh, well okay then” he says lowly.

Turning to Virgil and closing the door he claps his hands, keeping them together and raised to his mouth.

“Here's the thing-” he starts, pointing his clasped hands towards Virgil “-there's no food,”

“What?” Virgil deadpans, Pops smiles sheepishly.

“Well we did everything and forgot to grocery shop, I forgot we we're supposed to do that today but we couldn't cause Remy got called in for will stuff from the lawyer guy” his hands gesture left and right while talking as if to state his points.

“You don't have to explain yourself to me Pops.”

“I know. Now what do ya wanna order?” Emile asks with a wide smile, cell phone already in hand.

“Do you need to ask?” Virgil replies, Pops looks at him over the rim of his glasses like Dad would.

“You could want Chinese.”

Oh, that actually does sound good. His face must have shown his thoughts cause Pops giggles and admits: “Actually, I want Chinese.”

Virgil looks at him unimpressed.

“Hey! There's this really amazing place here that I haven't had for ages and I still know the number, your Dad and I used to get take out from there basically every Friday when we lived here, we were just out of collage living with Clem at the time” he has a soft smile on his lips, “ah memories.”

He stops dialling the number like he just realised something.

“What if it's not there anymore” he whispers, eyes wide.

Virgil shifts where he stands “you won't know until you try?” He says slowly.

“Right you are Virge” and he presses the call button.

Virgil can hear the rings, once, twice, thrice? Whatever, three times. Then the other line picks up, he can't hear the other person but Pops' smile is wide enough to tell him that they're gonna be having Chinese tonight.

Pops talks on the phone longer than necessary for a food order so Virgil sits on his chair with Hex, petting her lazily.

After about twenty minutes he hangs up.

“Wow, I wasn't expecting it to be the same people and for them to remember me! That's pretty Wild Thornberries” he says cheerily, Virgil snickers and rolls his eyes at the unnecessary cartoon reference.

Pops’ phone blips and his head instantly snaps down at it like it startled him, a smile breaks across his face.

“Remy's on his way back, good timing too” he muses.

He always has good timing Virgil thinks.

Pops takes plates and cups out of the cupboards, silverware out of the drawers and places them on the breakfast bar. He looks at them in contemplation for a moment. Virgil has an amused look on his face watching his father balance everything on the plates and then trying to balance those in his hands, the glasses wobble and Virgil figures he should help, so he gets up to grab the cups from their precarious positions, Pops pouts.

“I could've done it, I worked at a diner in collage you know” he states.

“I do know, that's where you met Dad, I've heard that story a lot. I just wanted to help you not break anything” he says placing them on the coffee table, Emile does the same with his handful.

Virgil practically throws himself on his large cushy chair, disturbing Hex's perched slumber.

Pops sits on the couch, turning the television on and switching to their recorded shows.

“Wanna watch the newest episode of Gravity Falls while we eat?” he says waggling the clicker.

“That's another 'not question' Pops” he replies.

“Not necessarily, you changed you mind about pizza, how do I know if you'd wanna watch something else” he says with a kind smirk and head waggles.

The front door opens, Dad comes in with a few plastic bags.

“I ordered Chinese!” Emile says brightly, moving his head around the couch to keeps his eyes on his husband while Remy walks into the kitchen to deposit the bags.

He slips his shades on to the top of his head “Oh my god I love you” he says sauntering over to the couch and dropping himself next to Emile, laying on him in exhaustion he lets out a long sigh. Emile runs his hand through Remy's hair, snagging the sun glasses removing them from Remy's person, setting them aside and continues scratching Remy's scalp.

“Aw hon, you have a rough day?” He asks softly.

As much as he loves his parents, these little tender moments that they unabashedly share makes Virgil feel like he's intruding in on something private, he shifts playing with his hoodie zipper.

“Nah not too bad like, considering” Dad answers waving a hand in the air. “Dice is coming down tomorrow for the funeral on Wednesday” he informs, Virgil jerks his head towards his dads.

“How long is he staying?” Virgil asks.

“Like, a week or so, don't worry you'll def get uncle bonding time.” He can't see his Dads face from this angle but he can hear the smile in his tone, he continues talking in a softer voice, “he wants to help clean out Moms apartment, said he's gonna stay over there for the week, I was thinking of staying with him.”

Emile, never stopping from petting his husband, has a soft, sweet smile playing on his lips he answers in the same tone Remy spoke in. “That's alright honey, do what you need to do. Virge and I will still be here when you get back, we can handle being by ourselves can't we Pumpkin King?” Pops turns his soft expression to Virgil.

“Yea, we can handle a couple of days without you...”

“Hey, you guys can totes come and help us pack stuff up if you wanted, we can all check out the cafe together.”

The doorbell rings.

Emile nudges Remy “you're gonna have to move hon”

Remy whines “Ugh, but do I really?”

“If you want food you do, silly” he boops Remy's nose.

Remy playfully rolls his eyes and whines dramatically this time “fiiiiine, you win Picani.”

“Always do” Emile says, placing a kiss to his forehead as he gets up.

As Pops pays for the food Virgil goes to the episode titled 'The Time Traveller’s Pig' to start it when ready.

Dad hands Virgil a plate, cup and utensils then gets up to retrieve two two litre sodas from the bags he brought home.

They eat and watch Gravity Falls, commenting here and there about certain parts of the episode.

They stay there, in the living room watching more shows that they've recorded for a couple of hours, styrofoam containers and dishes littered around. The living room is warm and comfortable, Hex purring curled up in his arms as he's curled up on his chair. Virgil feels like he might fall asleep.

He hears Dad chuckle, then soft carpeted footsteps coming towards his chair, he lazily opens his eyes looking up at his Dad standing just at the base of his chair smiling softly down at him. He closes his eyes again as Dad just bends down and with zero effort he picks Virgil up like a baby, Virgil's head resting in the crook of his neck.

“He must be super tired, it's not even close to how late he usually stays up” Pops whispers, “he was working in the basement all day today,” a hand brushes his bangs to the side.

“Well, we should totes go marvel at his hard work shouldn't we?”

Virgil feels movement then hears the basement door creak; he feels the motion of going down the stairs and hearing them groan in protest as they descend.

He hears Pops gasp “oh look at how cute this little corner is that he set up, we should get more comfort items down here for him.”

He feels Dad nod while hearing his bedroom door swish open, he doesn't turn on the main light, but from the soft glow and small click Virgil assumes one of his fairy lights was turned on.

“Nice, he like really worked his ass off with this room huh?” Dad whispers.

He feels a kiss on his forehead, then he's being lowered in his bed, the blankets cover him Dads hand is on his head and a whispered “sweet dreams Pumpkin.”

Virgil is out before they leave his room.

 ~ 

 Virgil wakes up with Hex snuggled under the covers with him, his skull lights giving off a low glow around his bed, he looks to his side to read his alarm clock.

7:33 am. Okay, earlier than he usually wakes but it's fine. It's Monday and school starts in a week’s time so he should probably start getting used to the early hours again he reasons to himself.

So instead of doing what he wanted, which was to curl around his cat and go back to sleep, he wrenches the blankets off of himself, Hex opens her blue eye to look at him in a way that he thinks she'd be saying 'excuse you, I'm still sleeping', so he covers her up again.

Walking to his dresser he gets out his clothes for the day and decides to take a shower, which he supposes is going to be in his personal bathroom basically, considering he practically claimed the basement as his.

Neat, he's never had his own bathroom before. Maybe he'll decorate it too.

After his shower he goes upstairs to see if there's at least cereal to eat.

“Mornin' Dad” he murmurs then double takes. That's not his dad.

Uncle Dice is sitting at their breakfast bar, laptop open in front of him, large travel mug full of black coffee in hand. He looks at Virgil, his large rounded sun glasses nestled in his hair which happens to be up in a messy bun.

What's with the Tempest brothers and sun glasses?

“How's my favourite nephew?” He asks.

“I'm your only nephew, not many choices to work with, you're stuck with it” Virgil mutters.

“Okay, none of that. It just means I don't have others to disappoint when I choose you, I know what I'm talkin' about. I'm a professional.” He says matter of factually. Waving his hand towards the other counter “I brought breakfast” he says as an afterthought.

Virgil smiles he goes straight to hug his uncle, Dice hugs back immediately. “Did you drive all night?” He asks muffled by Dice's shoulder.

“Mmn, something like that” he pats Virgil's head.

Virgil moves away, looking around the kitchen noticing the distinct lack of fathers.

“How'd you get in?” he asks quizzically, Dice puts a finger to his own lips in the universal sign for 'shh'.

“I have my ways” he says cryptically, Virgil can respect that.

 ~

Virgil is finishing his breakfast while Uncle Dice has been typing furiously at his keyboard, when Pops bounds down the steps still in his rumpled sleep clothes, he doesn't stop in confusion to ask when Uncle Dice got there or asks how he got in, so Virgil assumes that he's the one who let him in.

“Heya Die! Rem told me that you were here” he cheerily says.

Okay, so maybe not. Dad then.

“Oh yea? And he can't come down here to greet his older brother?” He begins.

Or not?

“His rating as a brother is lowering in ranks with every interaction, or well, lack thereof. That's why you're my favourite Emi” he finishes.

“Yea just keep talkin' out of your ass brother dearest. I like, actually have a life” Dad says coming down the stairs. “Also, don't like, flirt with my husband.”

“I'm not flirting, I'm stating a fact” his lips turn up in a lopsided playful smirk.

“Children, please” Emile says with his hands up in a placating way, “play nice or I'll have to separate you.”

Virgil snorts harshly, hand flying to his mouth.

“So, what ungodly hour did you drop in here?” Dad asks pouring his own large mug of coffee, also pouring some in Pops' cup as well before handing it to him.

“Four am, no biggie” he says with a shrug.

“Four am, gurl you've been sitting in my kitchen since four freakin' am?”

“I had work to keep me preoccupied, it wasn't that long of a wait don't feel too bad about it” Uncle Dice says in a playful mocking tone.

“Oh I don't, no worries there” he sips his coffee, “and you like, judge people for a living, I call that playing.”

The brothers stare at each other, neither of them willing to crack into the fit of laughter that Virgil knows they want to erupt in, but this is a game and one of them is going to win.

“You would think it's all play you demon. It's very serious work you know” Uncle Dice says his smile wide enough that it almost made him lose.

Dad is glaring a bit, Pops hops into the conversation once again.

“Alrighty! What shall we do today?”

“What shall we do?” Virgil mimics and Pops smiles wide.

Dice sighs “I was just waiting for Rem to get up so we can loot Moms apartment” he gets up and closes his laptop; he waits pointedly for Dad to hurry up. Which, he doesn't.

“Mmm” he 'thinks' on it “fine, I guess. We're taking your car though.”

He refills his mug before stepping up to Emile, planting a light kiss on him “you boys can come and check out the cafe in about an hour if you want to do that today” he says, pressing keys into Emile's hands.

Pops hums and steals another kiss before letting his husband go with his brother.

They leave and Virgil asks the question he had since this whole interaction started.

“How the heck did he get in?”

Pops laughs almost, nervously? “You know what, I have no clue.”

 ~

Virgil is playing on his (previously Dads) purple see-through Game Boy Colour, while Pops takes a shower and gets ready for the day.

He's sitting sideways in his chair his legs dangling off an arm, head resting on the other. Game Boy held up above his head, Hex is sleeping on his stomach; Pokémon music coming from the small speakers on the hand held.

“Hey Virge!” Pops yells from the top of the stairs “get ready bud we're leaving in ten okay?”

He doesn't bother answering, too focused on a battle at the moment. Pops won’t expect an answer anyway.

He finishes the battle before Pops comes down stairs so he sits there petting Hex in comfortable silence, minus her purring. Which honestly just made it more comfortable.

Barley two minutes later he comes downstairs, dressed in very casual clothing as opposed to his 'work clothes', a faded grey Voltron shirt under a loose pink cardigan that’s left open.

“Ready?” He asks, Virgil gets up and places Hex on the cushion, and off they go into town.

Town square is about a ten minute drive from home and they pass by the school on their way there. It’s awfully small and they put all the grades from Kindergarten to grade eleven in there, how?

They park right in front of the cafe, it’s one of several shops littered around this area, seems like this is the shopping part of town. There isn’t much though. He did take note of a cool looking antique shop that might be fun to look through.

Pops takes the keys Dad gave him earlier that morning out of his jeans pocket to unlock the cafe and they step in.

He doesn't know why he thought it would be old and dingy or even abandoned maybe. It was up and running just last week after all.

But it looks nice and clean, it has a homey vibe to it with nice worn couches and mismatched chairs with mismatched tables scattered around. The colour of the walls are a lilac with yellow accents, there are lanterns and fairy lights strung about the room and the crystals hanging in the large windows throw rainbows in all directions thanks to the sun.

It’s beautiful and Virgil could see himself spending a lot of time in here.

“Okay, I'm gonna go check out the kitchen to see if I still know my way around it” Pops informs, then adds: “the stairs at the far end wall go up in to the apartment, it's the second entrance so we're going to get rid of it before renting it out. My point is, it should be unlocked right now, go see if you can find your Dad and Uncle hm?”

He doesn't give a verbal response, he just walks to the stairway. Being on top of the staircase shows him a closed door with muffled voices coming from behind it.

He opens the door but pauses before he can get very far, his uncles voice stopping him cold in his tracks.

���You have to tell him soon Remy.” He sounds agitated.

“Mind your own business, I didn't hire your judgey ass to rate my decisions Die” Dad spits out.

“You know that's so not what I'm doing! I'm just trying to look out for you, for Virgil! Don't you want to warn him before anything happens?” Uncle Dice hisses. 

Virgil flinches. They're arguing about... him?

“Don't you dare use my son like that, you know very damn well I'd kill for that boy! He's just not ready yet and I don't think you have any say in this matter!” Dad says his words dripping venom.

Uncle Dice scoffs “okay, but what about The Cove? If you don't tell him soon, something will it's just a matter of time.”

“I have enough time I'll tell him when it's time to tell him” he sounds like he's talking through gritted teeth.

“He's already twelve Rem, you remember when you were twelve? How hard that was on you without any guidance?”

Virgil doesn't know what to do. He's rooted to the spot. He's not sure if he wants to listen anymore. But it feels like he should know. But if Dad says he's not ready to know whatever this is, then... should he trust that? Should he walk away like he heard nothing? 

“He's not like me Die, he's-” Virgil makes noise to signal to them that someone is coming and walks through the door.

Dads head is snapped to his direction, shades folded in his shirt collar -which he only does when extremely angry, too many times knocking them off his head while flailing his hands make that their temporary home-

He looks spooked, and angry. Virgil's never seen him like this.

“Oh” he falters “I didn't notice anyone coming in the building” he says nervously, Virgil lifts his shoulders a tiny fraction in a pathetic shrug.

Dad looks worried for him “you okay Pumpkin?”

He does a half nod, half shake of his head. He can't form words right now, too much going on, too many thoughts screaming at him.

Dads expression melts into something soft and understanding, a warm smile now in place of the scared scowl he walked in on. He opens his arms and Virgil rushes into the hug.

“Just one of those quiet days hm?”

Virgil nods/shrugs noncommittally.

Uncle Dice, hasn't said anything or even looked his way since he came in.  

[iamarosegarden]

At Watford

Day! One! Of! The! Carry! On! Count! Down! Get! Pumped!

(it’s not actually the first day, i’m postin early cus i won’t have time tommorow, sorry)

ah, yeah, this is my first time participating- my first time writing a fic for carry on, actually -i hope y’all like it!!!

ao3

Sumarry: “I mean, honestly, his boyfriend seems more like a ‘chosen one’, ya know,” Eric continued, looking over Ben’s shoulder at the guy who was always staring at Simon, then lets his eyes drift back to Ben, who was looking at him already. They’d only had half their classes today, and in all the ones Eric shared with Simon Snow, the hot guy with the black hair was staring at Simon. Which, Eric could get, Simon was attractive (like, damn), but you had to call it at some point, and Eric was calling it. They were banging.

“Yea- What? His- his what? His boyfriend? What?” Ben sat up straighter in his seat, a look of amused and confused shock on his face

.“The guy… with the black hair… who’s always staring at him? I assumed they were together…”

“What!? No, no no no. NO. Oh my god, no. They- they’re like enemies. Oh my god,” Ben, who was also very attractive, rocked back into his chair, his fist now pressed against his mouth to keep in laughter, a few locks of hair falling onto his forehead with the sudden movement.

-or, the one where we see what i imagine other students at watford think of simon and baz

Eric arrived at Watford late, he was a fifth year his first year going there. Almost immediately when he stepped onto the grounds he was pulled toward Ben via the crucible, barging into an astrology class with his duffel bag still slung over one shoulder.

It had been incredibly awkward.

Mages that were other species, and that came from outside the old families weren’t as rare as most people were led to believe, it was just that more often than not they were either turned away, or just left undiscovered (there were several people from his pod that had magic, but had no idea how to use it, and could never get trained). But more and more were coming to Watford, especially with The Mage’s more inclusive acceptance rules. Eric himself was a selkie (the first to ever attend Watford).

His roommate had asked several questions about his pelt, which, was incredibly rude. So they got off on the wrong foot. Half because of all the questions, and half because Ben was slightly bitter about suddenly having a roommate after four years with a room to himself.

A week after arriving, his schedule was finally sorted out. They’d done a few placement test so that he could possibly avoid taking classes with a bunch of twelve year olds. Luckily, Eric (apparently) had a natural affinity for Advanced Spell Work and Astrology. The only classes he ended up taking with first years was mythical zoology.

He was glad his dam had made him and his littermates enrol in normal school  so he wasn’t going in completely blind. It was kind of like he was going to a different, magical, high school.

He had lunch with Ben, which was good, because Ben was one of the only people he knew. And because it meant he could grill him about Watford politics.

“So… he’s the chosen one?” Eric twisted around in his seat to face the table where Simon Snow was sitting. His roommate grabbed his shoulder and jerked him back around to face forward. Presumably so Eric wasn’t caught staring.

“Yeah,” said Ben, and it came out like a sigh.

“Really? I mean he seems great, like, nice and all that, smells like magic, definitely a fighter. But not really- not really ‘chosen one’ material?”

“Yeah,” Ben was resting his face on a fist, staring at the space above Eric’s left shoulder- at Simon Snow. Hypocrite.

“I mean, honestly, his boyfriend seems more like a ‘chosen one’, ya know,” Eric continued, looking over Ben’s shoulder at the guy who was always staring at Simon, then lets his eyes drift back to Ben, who was looking at him already. They’d only had half their classes today, and in all the ones Eric shared with Simon Snow, the hot guy with the black hair was staring at Simon.  Which, Eric could get, Simon was attractive (like, damn), but you had to call it at some point, and Eric was calling it. They were banging.

“Yea- What? His- his what? His boyfriend? What?” Ben sat up straighter in his seat, a look of amused and confused shock on his face.

“The guy… with the black hair… who’s always staring at him? I assumed they were together…”

“What!? No, no no no. NO. Oh my god, no. They- they’re like enemies. Oh my god,” Ben, who was also very attractive, rocked back into his chair, his fist now pressed against his mouth to keep in laughter, a few locks of hair falling onto his forehead with the sudden movement.

Eric was starting to think all mages were attractive, or maybe that was just him being super pan, a term he had to explain to several people (which he was used to). He was not used to the completely unveiled disapproval and disgust. Apparently mages hadn’t moved as forward with that type of thing, what with the ‘old families’ and separation from the mainstream.

“No, they’re together. I mean, seriously, all the staring? The Longing LooksTM? You have to see it,” Eric said, leaning forward across the table toward Ben, who glanced around to make sure no one else was paying attention to them before he burst out laughing.

“No! No way, there's literally no way. Baz Pitch-” he thrust a thumb over his shoulder at hot-long-black-hair-guy, “is the first son of one of the old families. There’s no way he-” he leaned toward Eric and lowered his voice (oKay, that’s okay, Eric had to resist the urge to lean back (or forward)) “there’s no way he’s gay. Besides, Simon has a girlfriend.”

“That blonde chic? But… she looks, like, dead inside when she looks at Simon. And Baz? Well, maybe there’s no way he’s out, but he’s definitely gay,” Eric leaned back, “I can tell.”

��You can tell?” Ben leaned back as well, so that he wasn’t hunched over the table, but still leaning toward Eric, with his forearms on the table, his voice flavored with amusement, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips.

“Yes, I can tell,” He paused, settling back into his seat, reveling in the look of interest on Ben’s face. This was probably the longest- longest interesting- conversation he’d had with his new roommate since they’d been cast together by the crucible. “My theory is that the nemesis thing is so his family doesn’t figure out how gay he is for the chosen one, and Simon helps make sure it’s a secret by fake-dating Agatha.”

“Okay, okay sure, Eric. That’s totally what's happening right now, Simon and Agatha are definitely faking their dramatic on-off relationship, so that no one finds out Baz Pitch: Heir of the Grimm-Pitch family, and Simon Snow: Heir to the Mage, are dating,” Ben said, leaning into his arms and sliding them onto the table to rest his head on them, hiding a sly smile in his elbow as he finished his sentence.

“Hey, I’m not saying you have to believe that's what’s happening, I’m just saying that’s what’s happening.”

That was the first time they talked about Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch, and weather or not they were dating.

*

The twentieth time they talked about it they were in Advanced Spell Work class, which came after Spell Linguistics and Spell Postering in first and second year, and Spell Work in third year and Spell Work 2 in fourth year. (The class was basically for anyone who had already completed those courses and needed practice so it was a mix of fifth years and upward.)

The classroom looked more like a college classroom than Eric was used to, and it took him a while to perfect passing notes. Simon was sitting in the front row, and Baz sat one row behind him. Simon stood with his wand in front of him, flicking his wrist and muttering “Olly Olly Oxen Free,” with increasing amounts of  frustration as he failed to make the invisible ink on the paper in front of him visible.

Simon Snow was about to go off.

That’s what everyone else was whispering, and Eric could see where the analogy came from. Simon’s magic was pluming out of him like smoke, just not in the direction he wanted it to.

It made Eric especially uncomfortable. As a selkie, as a creature of the sea, he did not appreciate fire, and right now it smelt like he was about two inches away from a blazing campfire.

Simon’s magic acted like smoke too, it clogged up your lungs and made your mind slightly hazy. It contrasted sharply with Eric’s own magic, which he’d been told felt like currents shifting the sand at the bottom of the ocean.

So yeah, he was uncomfortable, and he was really, really hoping Simon didn’t go off, because he’d heard several stories about what happened when he went off. It was like a bomb, like a wildfire, it was explosive and super-heated and dangerous. The air was sizzling with Simon’s magic and Eric found himself scooching closer to Ben in order to get away from it. That didn’t work, of course, but it did ease his nerves slightly because Ben’s magic felt like the dirt you got underneath your fingernails when you gardened. Which wasn’t the ocean or even water but, it also wasn’t fire, so that was a step up from what Simon was putting off.

When Eric had first seen Simon, he’d thought that Simon looked like a beach, but now he was more inclined to say Simon looked like a forge, his eyes and hair were not the sea and the sand, they were the hottest fire and melted bronze.

“Use your words, Snow!” Baz barked from where he was sitting, his wand already neatly slipped back into his sleeve.

Simon turned around to glare at Baz, and Baz met his glare head on, forcing Simon to focus on the task at hand, which was not decimating everyone in the classroom. Simon’s glare softened as he turned back to the paper and spoke clearly “Olly Olly Oxen Free,”

Nothing. Eric took another half step toward Ben, his arm- and his arm band (his magical instrument)- coming up so that he could cast a Take Cover or a Raise the Practical Barrier or some other protective spell so that at the very least he and Ben weren’t burnt up.

“Simon, use your damn words,” Baz grit out, leaning over the seat divider/desk to say it closer to Simon’s ear.

Simon let out a deep breath, before rolling his wrist and saying “Olly Olly Oxen Free.”

The magic in the room rushed toward Simon’s wand and then out of it. The words appeared on the papers and all around the room, draws opened, their contents being placed neatly on Simon’s desk. People had to get a hand on their wallets when they started to come out of their pockets. Several people yelped as tampons flew out of bags, along with other trinkets that were intentionally hidden from view.

By the end of it Simon’s desk was cluttered with people’s belongings, and he hadn’t even used all the magic in the room. The rest of it slowly trickled back into Simon, who started fidgeting.

“Mr. Snow, please take a break outside. Mr. Pitch, go with your roommate,” the Professor said, and Simon quickly got up and went out the door. Baz followed after him in a leisurely manner, his steps slow and refined, just like the rest of his actions.

Immediately after the door closed behind them Penelope Bunce Raised her hand. “May I go the the washroom?”

The professor just gestured to the door, and by the time she put her hand back down Penelope was already out of the room.

“Please check your pockets, and if you are missing something make your way to Mr. Snow’s desk,” said Ms. Waigaud, her voice stiff with annoyance. Nearly everyone stood up and shuffled toward the pile of trinkets, notes, wallets, and tampons.

Eric sat back down in his seat and when Ben followed suit he leaned over to talk to him, “So, you’re gonna tell me, that’s not what’s happening right now?”

Ben turned to look at Eric and Eric grinned at him. Ben let out a long breath through his nose before looking back to the front of the room, where people were still collecting their belongings from Simon’s desk. “That’s not what’s happening right now. Simon just got back with Agatha. And in my math this girl and Baz were flirting. There’s still no way.”

“Oh Ben. Oh sweet, sweet Benny Boy. We both know you’re in denial, and that I’m right. Baz just talked Simon off from the edge, tell me that’s not some supportive boyfriend shit right there.”

“Oh Eric. Oh naive, naive Eric, who wants to see love in the most ludicrous of places. Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch is not ‘banging’-” he put quotations around ‘banging’ because he was quoting Eric. “-the chosen one.”

“You keep telling yourself that,” Eric said, patting Ben on the shoulder.

*

The one hundred and fourth time they had a conversation about whether or not Simon and Baz were dating, it was the beginning of their sixth year, which meant it was the beginning of Simon and Baz’s eighth year.

“Hmmmmmm,” said Ben.

“Hmmmmmm, what?” said Eric.

“Hmmmmmm, Simon doesn’t look so good,” said Ben, his eyes on something above Eric’s shoulder.

“Hmmmmmm, that’s because Baz still isn’t here,” said Eric, glancing above Ben’s shoulder.

Then they both looked away from their respective above shoulder spots and met eyes.

“You… might actually be right,” said Ben.

“So!” Eric slammed a hand down on the table, as his other hand came up to support his chin, “You finally admit that I was right all along.”

“No, I still don’t think Baz and Simon are dating. I’m just saying that he’s probably wondering what Baz is up to, with them being nemesis and all.”

“And I’m just saying that you should cut the crap and recognize the truth.”

“The truth,” Ben replied with a straight face, obviously not recognizing the truth.

“The truth,” Eric replied with conviction.

Ben rolled his eyes and started eating his breakfast. “I seriously don’t think you’re right, but it’s a nice thought, Eric,” he said around a mouthful of eggs.

“It’s not a thought, it’s the truth,” said Eric before taking a bite out of his roll.

“I’m pretty sure it’s just a thought,” said Ben.

They continued to eat in silence for a bit, before Eric said, “We could probably settle this by just hanging around them and seeing if they slip… well, if Baz slips. Simon just lets it be known he’s obsessed with Baz and hopes everyone thinks it’s because he hates Baz.“

“But why would we hang around them? We don’t know them at all. Snow doesn’t hang out with anyone but Penelope and Agatha and Baz, and Baz doesn’t hang out with anyone but those two old family kids in his year. No way we could worm our way into that circle of people, they’d see out ulterior motive: trying to figure out if they’re fucking,” countered Ben, before shoving a full strip of bacon into his mouth.

“Ugh, true,” said Eric, then under his breath, “damn it.” He them proceeded to shovel scrambled eggs into his mouth like there was no tomorrow.

“This is why you’re the muscle, and I’m the brains,” said Ben, pushing his empty plate away from himself.

It was right about then that Baz threw open the the dining hall doors.

Eric squeaked and choked on the eggs he was swallowing, having to grab his glass of water and down it to dislodge them. “Oh my god,” he whispered when he finally got the eggs down. “Oh. My. God,” he said, turning to Ben with a grin on his face before whipping around to look at Baz as he stepped through the doorway. “Oh my god,” he said, turning to look at Simon’s reaction. “Oh my god, Ben, look at Simon,” he said, with a giddy laugh that Ben was tempted to call a giggle.

Ben does look at Simon, who seems extremely relieved that Baz is alive. Which, honestly, did not bode well for Ben’s ‘they’re not dating’ stance.

Baz continued to walk through the hall, looking like a returning hero. He passes Ben and Eric on the way to his table, and then sits down. He just… sits down, like he hadn’t been missing for the first couple months of classes when he’d never missed so much as a day before. Ben is both impressed and slightly disappointed.

Everyone in the hall slowly started talking again, and Ben twisted to face forward. Looking at Eric, he finds it hard to be disappointed, because Eric looks absolutely stoked. “Oh my gooooooooood, Ben. That- that has to prove it to you. Simon’s been worrying about his boyfriend for weeks, and he’s super relieved to have him back. And- oh my god, Baz just sent Simon another Longing LookTM. Ben, they are so in love.”

“That’s so not what’s happening,”

*

The one hundred and eightieth time they talked about whether or not Simon and Baz were dating, a dragon was attacking Watford. It was a very painful reminder that Simon Snow was the Chosen One, the main character of their narrative and their only hope should the Humdrum decide to drain Watford of it’s magic, or burn the whole school down with a dragon.

They’re pulled out by a “your attention please” to the drawbridge along with all the other residents of Mummers house, to see Simon snow and Penny Bunce standing in front of a dragon, a terrifying thing, with scales redder than blood, huge fan-like wings, and eyes like a cat.

Eric was terrified, because if the dragon didn’t burn down Mummers House, then Simon going off would, and Eric’s pelt was in Mummers house and if either of those things happened then he would never be able to join back up with pod or ever go back into the ocean again and- and he just couldn’t do that. He couldn’t! He expressed this to Ben, who didn’t seem to understand the severity of the situation.

“I mean, that won’t happen! And even if your pelt does get… damaged, then that doesn’t mean you can’t ever go back in the ocean, I mean, humans can swim and- but yeah! It probably won’t even come to that, I’m sure,”

“You don’t-’ a frantic breath, “you don’t get it! Water feels wrong in this skin, too sticky, too- it’s just wrong and- and I can’t- I wouldn’t be a selkie anymore, I’d just be… I don’t even know what I’d be.” Eirc was pulling at his hair with one hand and gripping Ben’s forearm with the other, his features pinched in distress, “I might die, or go mad… I’d rather die,”

He was thinking more like a seal, then, than a human.

“Eric, calm down, Simon’s got this, everything will be fine,” Eric opened his mouth to object, or to freak out more, but Ben grabbed the hand Eric had on his forearm, and firmly said, “everything will be fine,”

Eric didn’t believe him, that much was obvious, but he did calm down a bit. And turned to watch Simon as he ran forward to the dragon. Simon had slain a dragon before, during his first year, surely he could slay another.

They watched as the thing blew fire at Simon, who looked a bit like a dancer as he threw himself to the ground and out of the way, the ribbon of flames curling back into the dragon’s mouth. The dragon tried to slice Simon with it’s teeth when it was done spewing fire, but Simon rolled away and back onto his feet, scrapes left in the earth by the dragon’s teeth stark against the lawn. The dragon snorted in anger, smoke leaking out of it’s nostrils like an old cartoon, before it lunged at Simon, snapping it’s jaws.

Simon swings his sword at it’s neck, the light glinting off it and making it look especially menacing as it catches beneath the scales of the dragon, who takes off again, Simon going with it, dangling from his sword like an acrobat and swinging up so that his knees are tucked beneath its jaws.

He’s struggling to get the sword out when Baz pushes past them on the ramp, flicking his wand out of his sleeve and casting a “Hear ye, hear ye,” before yelling at Simon, his voice carrying across the whole lawn.

“Simon! Don’t hurt it!” Don’t hurt it? Don’t hurt it!? The thing was about to burn down Watford, burn down everyone’s lives, and Baz was yelling not to hurt it?

Simon seemed to agree, turning away from Baz to focus on getting the sword out.

Baz yells again, “Simon! Wait!” he’s approaching the edge of the ramparts, “They’re not dark creatures!” He leaped up on top of the wall, then out over the building in front of the moat, and then… takes a running jump off the building. Ben flinched, but he still couldn’t look away, Eric squeezed his hand in comfort. Baz is floating over the moat and onto the lands on the other side. It’s incredibly graceful. Eric forgets his panic for a small moment, looking between Baz and Simon as they look at each other the sun shining off the dragon’s scales to cast Simon in an odd, fascinating light.

The Dragon turns to look at Baz, looking like it has forgotten it’s panic for a moment at well, it’s wings slowing from a frantic beat like a heart attack to a steady thump as it tilts its head at Baz, sparks jumping out of it’s mouth and sizzling small patches of grass beneath it.

Baz runs toward the thing, stopping in front of it in a spell casting stance.

Simon yell “Baz! No! You’re flammable!” Eric and Ben can barely hear it from their place on the drawbridge, the pumps of the dragon’s wings making large gust of wind that whistled in their ears, attempting to drown out Simon’s words.

Baz’s hear ye hear ye must of worn off because his reply is nearly drowned out as well. “So is everything!”

“Baz!” Simon yelps, still hanging off the dragon’s neck as Baz raises his wand.

Eric’s hand tightens around Ben’s as the first line of Baz’s spell begins. “Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, your house is on fire, and your children are gone,” it’s the first line in a common pest spell, and for a moment Ben’s panic swells up to Eric’s level, who’s basically petrified watching what’s going on, but then Baz continues. “Ladybird, ladybird fly away home, your house is on fire and your children shall burn. All except one, and her is Nan, and she hid under the porridge pan.”

He’s trying to cast the whole nursery rhyme. Nursery rhymes are very powerful spells, pumped into people’s brains as children and then stuck there for the rest of their lives. Ben is tempted to help Baz with his spell, but as soon as he goes to begin the words, begins to focus on something else other than Simon Snow and that stupid dragon, his head is forced to snap back to Simon, his your attention please still in effect.

He has to use his peripheral vision to look at Eric, and judging by the look of frustrated anguish on his face he’s in the same boat. Forced to be a specter of this doomed battle by Simon’s spell.

“Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, your house is on fire, and your children shall burn,” the dragon’s wings slow even farther, until it’s landed in front of Baz, one bloody puff of breath, and then their only hope at saving Watford will burn, and they’ll be forced to watch as Simon tries to kill the thing because he doesn’t have the time or the mind to undo his spell, probably couldn’t even if he tried.

“All but one, and that’s little John, and he lies under the grindle stone.”

Simon slides off the beast’s neck, taking his sword with him as he falls to the ground, he looks around and sees us all watching, stuck in place and watching like gobsmacked sheep. Even Penelope Bunce, whose magic is like a never ending well, is stuck staring.

“Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, your house is on fire, and your children shall burn. All except one, and her name is Aileen, and she hid under a soup tureen.” The dragon stamps it feet, looking behind it, like it actually wants to leave, like the spell is working, but then is hisses and spreads it’s wings wide in frustration. Baz lifts his voice louder. “Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, your house is on fire, and your children shall burn,” the dragon shakes it’s head and starts to turn, and yes, it definitely wants to leave, but it’s torn between Baz’s spell and whatever the Humdrum has done to it. Baz’s wand arm is shaking, visible even from where they stand, but he keeps going as Simon moves to stand behind him.

“Ladybird, ladybird, fly-” Simon places his hand on Baz’s shoulder, and Baz’s arm stops shaking, his voice hitching louder mid sentence, the faint smell of smoke in the air coming from something other than when burnt grass, “Away Home.”

The dragon shudders and lurches back. Yes! Maybe they’re not doomed after all. Thank god for Simon Snow and his huge reserves of magic, because he’s somehow shared it with Baz, who is actually a decent spell caster. “Ladybird, Ladybird, Fly Away Home!” The Dragon heaves itself up into the air and backward, and as it turns around, flying home, Simon’s spell finally breaks it’s hold. Everyone starts clapping and shouting, applauding the chosen one and his roommate as the dragon disappears, flying off into the distance.

Eric immediately tears his hand out of Ben’s and casts a “Raise the Particle Barrier,” swinging his arm in front of them as he says it. He’d been trying to cast it the entire time Simon and Baz had been fighting the dragon, so after it left he couldn’t stop himself from casting it, even if they no longer needed it. A light blue half circle made up of hexagons appears around them. He’d also been trying to cast a spell to bring his pelt to him, but his instincts kept him from shouting “bring back what once was mine,” and bringing his pelt out into the open where anyone could snatch it.

Eric and Ben turn to each other just as Baz turns around, Simon’s hand still on his shoulder, “As you were,” he shouts, pointing his wand at the school. Well, maybe they did need it. Eric’s shield is immediately shatters by the force of the magic, but neither of them feel compelled to leave like the rest of the scattering students, so he counts it as a win.

They both duck behind one of the drawbridges’ support beams to watch the aftermath. Eric’s hands shaking slightly with left over adrenaline and panic.

“Told you it’d be fine,” Ben says, trying to lighten the mood. Eric snatches at the light dialogue readily, immediately replying in a teasing voice.

“You always were better at divination than me,” he says, giving Ben a small smile.

“But, are you really okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Eric wipes at his eyes, brushing away a few tears that had gathered in the cornes. “I was just really scared for a little bit, I think I might have to find a new spot for my pelt… but I’m fine. I’ll be all right after I process everything.” A change in tone, “But right now I just wanna talk about the new evidence for my case: Simon and Baz are obviously boyfriends,”

Ben was used to the fast change of tone, and knew Eric would talk to him if he needed to, so, he replied, maybe a bit too quickly “that’s so not what’s happening right now,”

“Again: new evidence.” Eric said, poking his head around the support beam to look at Baz, Simon, and Penelope as they started walking toward the bridge.

“We should leave before they see us lurking in the shadows discussing their nonexistent love life,” Ben said, poking Eric in the shoulder to get him to turn around.

“Oh yeah, probably. Let’s go to the dining hall. I need some ice cream after that,” Eric said, straightening up and stepping out onto the bridge.

“I was gonna say we should go back to class but… I agree,” Ben said as he followed Eric across the lawn.

When they got to the dining hall Ben open sesameed the door open with his pen (that was his magical instrument, a pen, Ben hated it because he thought it was boring, but Eric thought it was cool) and then spelled it closed behind them.

The dining hall was empty after lunch until the end of seventh period when the cooks started preparing dinner. There was a lock spell on the door that most students couldn’t undo until sixth year, and by then most students had learned to pack snacks for go without food or they’d just accepted that the hall was off limits during the day.

Eric strolled toward the kitchen door like he’d done this a thousand times while Ben spelled the door shut. Ben followed to find him at the freezer, digging through the cups of ice cream (you know, the ones that came with a shitty wooden spoon).

“So, we got vanilla, chocolate, chocolate vanilla swirl, neapolitan, and sherbert,” He said, emerging from the freezer with a smile on his face, “pick your poison,”

“Ummm, I’ll take neapolitan,”

“Gross,” Eric said, even as he turned to retrieve it from the freezer.

“It’s not gross, it’s a delicious blend of all the classic flavors,”

Eric slammed the freezer door shut and tossed Ben two cups of neapolitan, “Ugh, that’s a really nice description, but it’s still gross,”

Eric started peeling off one of the paper lids while he walked toward the kitchen door, tossing it in the trash situated right by the end of their normal table before walking to their normal spots. Because even though they had the whole hall to themselves, they had to sit in same seats they always did.

“So, what was that evidence you were talking about?” Ben asked as they both fell into their respective seats.

“Oh! Yeah! Get ready for the not-dating-theory to get debunked!” He cleared his throat, and put on a more serious voice, “Exhibit A. He called him Simon which-”

Ben tries to cut in, “Everybody calls him Simon-”

Eric just keeps talking over him, on a roll now, “-is significant if you consider the fact that Baz usually calls him ‘Snow’. Now, we’ve already had a discussion about why it’s important that he calls Simon ‘Snow,’ but let’s review;

“Theory one is that he uses it because everyone else calls Simon ‘Simon,’ and wants to, as Simon’s boyfriend, separate him from the majority. Theory two is that he uses Simon’s last name rather than his first in order to put distance between them as ‘nemesis’. To be honest, it’s probably a mix of the two.

“What just happened is evidence for theory two, Baz, out of fear for his bf, slipped out of their usual act and called him Simon

“Exhibit Two,”

“You mean B,” Ben corrected, opening his ice cream as Eric looked at him in confusion, “you were using letters,” he explained, licking off the lid, pretending not to notice how Eric’s stare intensified, “Also, have you ever considered that, I don’t know, they’re just friends. Or, even that they are exactly what they appear to be, which is two kids who hate each other but are roommates,”

Eric gave him a blank look, “I’ve considered it, yes,” he replied.

Ben gave him a look that said, ‘I am only going to argue with you after you've finished your rant about how gay they are for eachother.’

“Exhibit B,” Eric began enthusiastically, pausing to stick out his slightly orange-tinted tongue at Ben, “Is that Simon listened, he stopped trying to kill a dragon while on said dragon’s neck and in mortal danger to listen to his boyfriend!” he scooped some sherbert onto the shitty wooden spoon and shoved it into his mouth before gesturing wildly with the spoon, ice cream still grasped in his other hand. “I mean, who does that Ben!? Who does that! And! And!”

Eric had lost all the faux-seriousness and was now trying to reign it back in, unsuccessfully, “Exibit C. Where was Agatha?” He exaggerated the confusion in his voice, raising an eyebrow up to his hairline, “Everyone is expecting her and Simon to get back together, and now would have been the perfect time, her ex-boyfriend-soon-to-be-boyfriend-boyfriend has once again heroically saved Watford. But where was she? Watching them from afar on the ramparts, because the whole relationship was fake from the beginning and they’re trying to ease people off the idea that Simon Snow is straight.

“And finally, Exhibit E. That weird thing where Baz’s voice suddenly got louder and more ‘magically saturated’-” Eric put quotations around ‘magically saturated’ because he was quoting their third year Spell Work textbook (“the magical saturation of one’s voice is how much magic the user is using while casting, there is no scale for this, but it is a term you will need to know to describe other’s spell casting” - page 235), “when Simon put his hand on his shoulder? One can argue that that was One) out of anger cuz its his nemesis Simon Snow touching his shoulder or Two) some freaky magic shit happened. OR THREE) he got stronger knowing that his boyfriend was supporting him. I suspect a mix of theory two and three because Simon is the chosen one but also, like, Exhibit A and B and c are already proof enough so the suspicions origins of Exhibit E are excused.”

He smugly sat back in his chair and ate more ice cream, leveling Ben with a challenging look as he waited for Ben’s rebuttal.

“You done?” Ben asked.

Eric nodded happily.

“Exhibit A is null because he obviously used Simon just because Simon responds to that name better. Exhibit B; ummm, he probably just wanted to know what the heck Baz was doing so close to the dragon. Exhibit C. Agatha just wasn’t ready to get back together, like, god, she doesn’t belong to Simon, not everything she does is relative to him,” he gets a bit heated, stabbing a accusing finger at Eric, “you sexist,” Ben pauses after that, and can’t help but laugh at Eric’s distraught face.

“I… I’m not sexist! It’s just that all Agatha dose is be his girlfriend,” Eric defended, slowly bringing a scoop of ice cream to his mouth.

“Wow,” Ben said, trying to keep a smile off his face as he ignored Eric’s squawk of objection, “wOw, Eric. I can’t believe you, a feminist, would reduce this girl to her boyfriend,” he spooned some of his own ice cream into his mouth to punctuate the sentence.

“Pfft,” said Eric, “I’m not- I know she does stuff that doesn’t relate to Simon, but I’m just saying, that usually when they break up, they get back together after Simon does something, and IF THEY’RE FAKE DATING LIKE I SUSPECT, then they would follow that pattern closely. So I’m not really talking about Agatha when I say ‘where was Agatha,’ I’m talking about the strategic soap opera that is Simon and Agatha’s fake relationship, not Agatha Agatha. She’s super cool, she won that riding competition for the school last week,”

“I feel like you’re just trying to cover up your sexism,” said Ben.

“I feel like you’re trying to avoid disproving exhibit E because you don’t have a rebuttal,” said Eric.

Ben stood up and tossed his empty ice cream cups in the trash. “That’s so not what’s happening,”

“Suuuuure,” said Eric, following Ben and throwing his empty cups in the trash.

Ben nodded as he opened one of the Hall’s doors open for Eric. “Exhibit E is complete garbage because you yourself admitted it was probably because his Enemy was touching him,” Ben said after Eric walked past him, letting the door fall closed.

“Come On. Beeeeen, you have to admit that was some super freaky magic shit,” Eric whined, starting to walk toward the stairs that would lead to their sixth period.

“That’s so not what’s happening,” Ben replied, bumping his shoulder with Eric’s.

*

The two hundredth and tenth time they talked about weather or not Simon Snow and Baz Grimm-Pitch were dating was at the Leavers Ball.

Ben and Eric were sitting together at one of the table’s off to the side, Ben complaining about being unable to land a dance and Eric mentally whining about how he couldn’t ask Ben to dance without the other boy freaking out about people seeing.

Ben took another sip of his punch, trying hard to keep himself from slumping back against the chair or table, because while that posture was more comfortable it would make him look ridiculous while in a suit.

Meanwhile, next to him Eric had already leaned back in the chair and kicked his feet up on the table. Because Eric was like that, he wasn’t afraid of looking ridiculous, so he didn’t.

“This punch has not been spiked, american movies, you have let me down,” Ben said, hoping to spark some kind of conversation so that they weren’t just sitting in silence while girls and boys in their best dresses and suits danced (if you could really call the awkward sway-sway-step that most people were doing dancing) past their table.

Eric snorted. “The Leavers Ball is nothing like normal high school dances so I’m not really surprised it isn’t living up to movie expectations,”he replied, pushing his chair a little farther from the table so that the edge wasn’t digging into his caves.  

Ben rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his punch before setting it down on the navy tablecloth. “Do you know where Baz is?”

“Why would Baz be here? His boyfriend’s not coming, and his friends don’t really hang with him after everything” Eric said.

Ben looked at Eric in surprise, “he’s coming, he told the headmistress he would. I’m surprised you haven’t heard,”

“I can’t keep tabs on the lovebirds at all times,” replied Eric, his eyes scanning the room as a new song came on.

Ben cocked his head, as if doing that would help him hear the song better, “Is this Into My Arms?” he asked just as the lyrics started.

“Yes,” answered Eric, even though Ben no longer needed an answer.

Ben snorted and then they fell into a comfortable silence, watching the people on the dance floor. Ben’s eyes drifted up to the ceiling, where the decoration committee had strung up streamers and fairy lights. It was surprisingly nice.

He hears something thud onto the floor, and turned to look at Eric. His feet were no longer on the table, and he was sat up straight in the chair looking at the dance floor. Ben had just started to follow his gaze, bewildered, when Eric reached out a blind had and began to slap at Ben’s arm.

“Ben,”

“What?”

“Ben, look,” a slow grin began to spread across Eric’s face as he said that, and Ben braced himself as he turned to look.

Baz was on the dance floor, in a nice suit, with his a hand on Simon’s waist, who is also in a nice suit , and has one hand clasped in Baz’s and the other on Baz’s shoulders.

Eric was right.

“Oh my god,” whisper shouts Eric, “I was right,” he goes back to slapping at Ben’s arm. “I was right,” he repeats.

“Aleister Crowley, you were right,” says Ben, as Baz pulls Simon closer.

[4jimin]

change my mind

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook and Park Jimin; jikook/kookmin Genre: Fluff (a lot), college au, friends to lovers Length: 7k words; 3 chapters | crossposted on ao3 Summary: “I don’t do relationships,” Jimin spills in the fresh air of the fast food – a mixed smell of hamburgers, ketchup and french fries surrounding them. “I enjoy the conquest and the flirting part better. Relationships are always so boring and predictable. Not to mention most of the times fake.” Jungkook rolls his eyes and laughs, pretending he doesn’t feel his heart clench and slightly sink inside his chest. “You’re helpless.” Jimin smiles at him, and it’s almost unfair. “Call me realistic.” he corrects, taking a greasy thumb till his lips to clean it out of the oil of the food. He repeats the same action with the rest of his fingers. Jungkook has to divert his gaze, scared he might end up staring too hard. He snorts with a made up irritation. “I call you a pain in the ass.”

“Love means never having to say you're sorry”. It's written with white chalk on the blackboard hanging by the wall a few tables across him. It quotes “love story, 1970” in a smaller calligraphy right beneath the sentence. Jungkook dwells in the words for a while. He observes the vintage posters pending from the newly painted lilac walls around him with a forced interest, as he taps with long fingers on the plastic cup of cola he ordered. Bullshit, he decides. What is even supposed to mean? That you can't mess up because you love someone? Or that you can't say sorry, because if someone loves you they instantly forgive you, it doesn’t matter what you did? Either way, bullshit. People give too much credit for things just for being old. He sighs, the scent of fresh paint invading his lungs. It used to be baby yellow. The walls. Before the place was just a normal coffee shop and not a fast food with a coupled bookstore. “It's not going to work out,” Jungkook remembers Namjoon saying when they were passing in front of the place being renovated, “people will have greasy fingers from their hamburgers. How will they touch the books like this? The covers will be all disgusting after some time.” Jungkook just shrugged back then. He doesn’t really remember if he agreed or not. But, it turns out Namjoon was wrong. There is a glass wall separating the bookstore from the fast food, so the smell of french fries and cheddar won’t mix with the scent of newly printed copies and fresh ink – also, people has enough sense to clean their hands before moving to the books section, so, by far, the recent business seems to be going very well. Jungkook can’t decide if he prefers the prettier environment it became after the reform, or the calmness it used to have before the appealing design of modernity attracted an alarming number of people. Probably the calmness, since it wouldn’t take so long for Jimin to change a wrong order. The waiter had somehow mixed it with someone else's, getting the boy a double chicken with extra cheddar when he had asked for a steak with barbecue sauce and cream cheese. After opening his hamburger, Jimin had grimaced with the funniest – and maybe kind of cute? – nose scrunch ever. “I hate cheddar.” He stated, as if it wasn’t obvious by the utterly disgusted expression on his face. Another discovery for his on-making list of things about Park Jimin. “How dare you?!” Jungkook had brought a hand to his chest at the declaration, just for the sake of accentuating drama. “I trusted you.” He choked out in fake offense, hoping to hear the older boy's laugh. Unfortunately, he had been given only a faint chuckle followed by a roll of eyes and a “You're an idiot, Jeon. I'll be right back.”, before Jimin got up from his seat and disappeared on his walk till the counter, in search for the right order. They've known each other for five months now – not that Jungkook is counting, it just happened for them to meet on the exact same day the latest movie of Avengers was out, so it also just happened for him to have the day tracked in his mind. Coincidences of life. Anyway, it's little time – Jungkook knows –, and it was definitely not enough to deepen their relationship the way he wished – but, nevertheless, it's nice. They are past the awkward silences and the weird topic's conversations it has some time now, and it isn’t like they are the most intimate people in the world, but yeah, they have some intimacy. Enough that Jungkook has grown used to regularly tease Jimin about his height or – this one Jimin hates the most – his fingers. He bites the inner part of his cheek in order to repress a smile at the memory of Jimin cutely glaring at him with rosy cheeks when Jungkook told him he had baby hands for the first time. He tries not to think about it for too long though, scared he might blush just as hard as Jimin did that day.

There is a foreign song comfortably floating around the place. He is almost sure it belongs to Coldplay, or to a band with equivalent musical genre. It's nice, but he is growing impatient and his lunch is cooling down untouched in front of him – consequently losing half of the unhealthy flavor only a fast food could provide. He wonders if getting up to see how much longer it would take for Jimin to come back would be rude of him. Maybe it would. So instead, he chooses to open the (mostly useless) notifications on his phone. There's a message from Jin and another from his dad. The one asking if he has eaten belongs to Jin. Not that he is surprised. He smiles, typing 'yes mom' – because well, he is about to –, and decides to ignore the one from his father, which questions him when he is paying them a visit. His smile almost fades, but then he clicks on Jimin's icon, leading to their conversation thread.

Jiminie – 11:45 am why are you online u kid shouldn’t u be on class?

You – 11:46 am i am and stop calling me kid

Jiminie – 11:46 am ohhh seems like we have a rebel here lmao

You – 11:46 am shut up asdjk aren't you supposed to be on class too?

Jiminie – 11:47 am …

You – 11:47 am ;)

Jiminie – 11:47 am dont you ;) me !!

You – 11:47 am ;)

Jiminie – 11:47 am ugh

You – 11:49 am hey wanna grab some lunch after class? the fast food that reopened seems nice

Jiminie – 11:49 am the one across the street?

You – 11:50 am yea

Jiminie – 11:50 am do you like being with me that much? ;)

You – 11:50 am shit up look who's ;)-ing me now i just need company to eat

Jiminie – 11:50 am shit up

You – 11:51 am !! istg!!!

Jiminie – 11:51 am lmao meet me at 12:30 at the central gate

You – 11:52 am just changed my mind im calling someone else, you suck

Jiminie – 11:53 am yeah right

He didn’t change his mind. Nor did he call someone else. How could he, honestly? “Hey there.” Jungkook hears the voice he's already so familiar with, and smiles. “I'm back.” “Oh, nice,” he pretends to check the time on his nonexistent watch. “Just took you a lifetime.” “Shut up.” Jimin chuckles, taking his seat in front of the younger. “I decided to change my previous order.” Jungkook leans back on his chair, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head to the side. “No…” he drags the words out, disbeliefed. He had literally taken ten whole minutes to decide his order when they got there. Jimin giggles, following the same tone in a playful manner. “Yes…” The younger boy adjusts his posture, eyeing the other with something akin to incredulity. “How are you the most indecisive person in the whole entire world?!” he jokes, catching some fries from his tray, and shaking his head with a smile. “I just… like most things on the menu, okay?” Jimin tries to defend himself, sipping his orange juice from the straw. Hates cheddar and loves orange juice. Jungkook gave up on understanding him from there. “Except–“ he starts, already laughing, but is cut off. “Except the double chicken with extra cheddar, yes.” The older rolls his eyes, an habit he is very much attached to – almost as much as his uncontrollable urge of running his fingers through his hair. Jungkook is surprised he still haven't done it in, what? Three minutes? “You know, how fucked up is this?” Jimin drops the question, placing his elbow on the table to look at Jungkook with his face leaning on his hand. “The menu has like, at least thirty different hamburgers and mine got to get mixed with the only one I absolutely hate. I'd eat any other one.” Jungkook laughs at his misery, because they are past the phase where this kind of reaction could be read as rude. “I guess coincidences are really out there to bite us in the ass in our worst moments.” Jimin sighs, defeated. Jungkook shakes his head, shoving another portion of fries into his mouth. “Or perharps, you're just the unluckiest person in the world for the day.” Smiling, the older frowns, and unwraps his hamburger to take a bite. “What's this, a theory?” he asks after swallowing the food – because he's polite, unlike Jungkook, who speaks with his mouth partially full all the time. Not that any of them really cares. “What do you mean?” Jungkook doesn’t get the line of thought. “Like…” Jimin shifts on his seat to find a more comfortable position, “Do you think that there is a day for every person in the world to be the unluckiest?” Jungkook laughs, amused by how a random choice of words he made, aroused this kind of questioning on the boy. “Um, I don’t know? I've never really stopped to think about it, but maybe? It might.” He is about to remove the paper enveloping his own hamburger when an idea surges in his mind and lights up his features. “Oh! How about we do an experience?” “Experience?” Jimin smiles, never really able to not to when he is around the younger – because there is a thing about Jeon Jungkook that just keeps on impelling his cheeks to rose up and flush without his consent. It'd be frustrating if it wasn’t endearing. “Yeah, experience! You're our subject. If bad things enough happen to you today, then it's a proven theory.” He nods confidently. Jimin licks his lips before speaking. “I'm pretty sure every scientist out there in the world would be flattered by our revolutionary method of research.” They laugh, and Jungkook takes the chance to fully stare at Jimin – he is so pretty. However, the older's smile fades way too quickly, replaced by a sudden curious expression when Jungkook unwraps his hamburger. “Oh! Didn’t you tell me you were vegetarian before?” he asks, pointing at the food with a good piece of meat between the breads. Jungkook archs his eyebrows, genuinely surprised. “Oh? Do you remember that? It was like, months ago.” Jimin looks away, humming a sort of agreement and Jungkook almost thinks he sees the lightest of the pinks coloring his cheeks. “Ah…” he tries not to focus on it too much – it might make him delusional –, and concentrates on his response instead. “I don’t… You got it wrong. I'm trying to turn vegetarian. But fast food is kind of the misfortune of my attempts. And the meat here… Well, let's be honest, it doesn’t really tastes like meat.” The older giggles, sucking more juice from the straw afterwards. “But why did you decide this?” he licks his lips to catch some drops of the juice that accumulated on it and Jungkook has to try unusually hard to not stare. “Mhm, I…” he clicks his tongue in order to regain his focus and elaborate an answer, “I just… Don’t think eating animals is right.” Clever. Very clever, great job, Jeon. He facepalms himself inwardly. The problem is: he is always put on a challenge whenever he has to explain his ideals – he feels like he's pressured to convince the other person what he believes is right, and this, he just hates. Usually, because people tend to get defensive pretty fast, but also because he understands he can be wrong and that is okay for other people to not follow the same way of living as him. He just believes in what he believes and that's it. Jimin bites the corner of his lips, looking up thoughtful. “Yeah, but I don’t think anyone thinks it's right? I mean, don’t we just need it? As a vital necessity for our daily pack of energy as humans or something?” Jungkook decides to finally take a bite of his hamburger. “Not really. I mean,” he swallows, “of course it's important and it helps, but there are many potential substitutes. At least, for me it works. It doesn’t for everyone though. Some people really need it to survive, but since I don’t… what bad it does, right?” Jimin smiles, genuinely interested and Jungkook stupidly flushes. Seriously. “What made you get into it?” “Ah.” he bites his lower lip. It's not a topic he was expecting to talk about while they were eating. “It's a cruel system.” He stops himself when he is about to add an 'I think' in the end of the sentence. It's not an opinion; at least not this. It's the truth. “I kinda got disgusted of eating meat after watching a documentary about the way animals are treated in slaughterhouses. It's… unpleasant to know.” “Oh.” Jimin puts his lunch down. “I feel bad now.” “No, don’t feel!” Jungkook hurries. “I mean. Yeah, okay, you can feel, cause it's bad, but it's not like only one person can change the way this industry treats animals by not buying any more meat, so…” He explains. “I understand that, I'm trying to stop just because I truly feel disgusted now. I don’t enjoy the taste. Well, except for this. Fast food is my only weakness. And chicken nuggets.” Jimin nods and tries to lighten the atmosphere, changing the subject of conversation. “Oh! Just like soda to me.” Jungkook archs an eyebrow, ready to tease. “But you drink beer?” The older doesn’t answer, caught in a trap. “Seems logical.” He laughs hard when Jimin leans over the table to slap his arm. “Shut up.” He repeats for probably the tenth time that day. “It's addicting.” “I know. Even though it tastes like shit.” Jimin rolls his eyes, running his fingers through his hair and pushing his bangs backwards. Oh, there it is. Some strands get back on its place, but his forehead remains mainly exposed. It's a great sight. “Kid.” Jungkook rushes to defend himself. “M' not! Sayeon-noona is the same age as you and she agrees with me!” “Another kid!” Jimin accuses and laughs. Jungkook's scowl almost instantly disappears, as he gets busier being overwhelmed by the sound. “How is she, by the way?” How are you two?, he knows it's what it means. There's a sigh asking for allowance to escape from Jungkook's throat, but he reprimands it. “I guess we're really just friends, after all. We don't work out as a couple.” Jimin hums. “I'm… sorry to hear that.” “No, it's okay, truly. It's nice like this.” Jungkook takes the chance to sip another gulp on his drink, before asking, “What about you?” Jimin purses his lips to contain a smile, while shaking his head to the sides. His bangs move cutely, falling over his forehead again – almost calling for Jungkook's fingers to move them aside, so his beautiful skin can be fully on display once more. He swallows the urge, taking his hand to scratch his nape instead. “I'm the unromantic romantic type.” Jimin muses, and Jungkook frowns. “What?” he laughs, confused. “What do you mean?” “I don’t do relationships,” he states and Jungkook can almost feel his heart sinking at the words, but he pretends it's the ghostly sensation of the soda's gas on his throat. “Cause I enjoy the conquest and flirting part better.” The boy is suddenly amused at the reason. “Why?” Jimin clicks his tongue. “I like the nervousness of the unknown. The fluttering heart and the stomach's butterflies at the beginning. But that's it. I don’t like what comes next. The boredom of relationship, always so predictable and…? I don’t know, I don’t like it.” Jungkook nods understandingly, but not really agreeing. “It isn’t always like that, though, you know?” “Oh, please.” Jimin smiles. “You know it is.” “It's not!” Jungkook is smiling too, but he feels defensive, ready to stand for his point of view. “If your relationships are being predictable and boring, then you're dating wrong.” Jimin chews on a lonesome fry, before letting out, “Uh, I never dated.” He takes a moment to absorb the information. Park Jimin never… What? Jeon Jungkook is beyond offended. He stares at Jimin for a long second – mouth gaping for effect –, before playfully slamming his fist on the table with a fake angry expression, dragging the most gorgeous and contagious laugh ever out of Jimin's throat. He almost forgets what he is doing when the older squeezes his eyes shut and throws his head back, having Jungkook's own lips unconsciously quirking upwards into a giggle as he watches him. When Jimin composes himself again, Jungkook continues dramatically. “How can you possibly say you hate, with capital h, relationships, when you have never even once experienced one?!” Jimin shrugs, nonchalantly – yet, still with remainings of a playful chuckle on his features. “I just know.” “That's aburd. And impossible.” He emphasizes. “It is not!” It's Jimin's turn to stand for what he believes, it seems. “You have to agree with me that the flirting part is the best one.” Jungkook ponders for a second, just to sigh defeated on the other, already flashing a victorious smirk on his hyung's lips. “Well, yes, but only because I've been through a lot of shitty relationships.” “Jungkook… My dearest dear Jungkook… Let's be honest here.” Jimin closes his eyes while holding Jungkook's wrists for drama's sake, and then sighs even more dramatically when he blinks his eyes open to look at him again. “Every relationship is shitty.” Jungkook snorts. “Hyung! You're being very unfair and unconsiderate with every healthy and happy relationship out there in the world!” Jimin laughs. “Which is none.” “I'm offended.” Jungkook says, looking away with a pout and crossed arms, getting Jimin extra aware on his seat. “Wait, for real?” The boy eyes him, reluctant on his play. “No, but…” he lets his arm fall, already giving up on the act. “I mean, come on, there must be a relationship you look at and say, 'that's it, relationship goals'.” Jimin fakes a gag and Jungkook can’t help but chuckle at the sight. Fucking idiot. “Thankfully never.” “You're helpless.” “Call me realistic.” Jimin corrects him, taking a thumb till his lips to clean it out of the oil of the food. He repeats the same thing with the rest of his fingers. Jungkook diverts his gaze, scared he might end up staring too hard. “I call you a pain in the ass. Outch!” he complains when Jimin punches his shoulder – even though it didn't really hurt. “Respect your hyung, brat.” It's Jungkook's turn to roll his eyes – although, he keeps silent, eating the remainings of his now withered fries, and drinking the rest of his cola, hamburger already being digested inside his stomach. Jimin, however, is still on half of his burger, almost all of his fries out of the red container and scattered over his tray. “How do you eat so slowly?!” Jungkook asks, nearly shocked. Jimin answers him mouthful for the first time and Jungkook has to bite back a smile at his puffed cheeks. “Well, I'm sorry if I don’t eat like a starving tinasor!” Jungkook furrows his brows. “A tinawhat?” He swallows before speaking again. “Dinosaur!” The younger takes a hand to his chest, faking offense. “I don’t eat like a starving dinosaur! You're the one who eats like a slug!” Jimin rolls his eyes at him and sticks out his tongue. Jungkook has to chuckle in order to pretend he's not on the verge of melting. “You're so cute.” He lets out before his mind processes it. Well, shit. “I mean,” he tries to correct it, but just ends up pointing at Jimin's entire face. “Cute.” The black haired boy flushes so hard even his ears turn pink. “Shut up.” He mutters a second before taking the white straw to his mouth, the plastic turning orange when he sucks the liquid from the cup. He has such nice lips it's distracting. Jungkook misses the chance to tease him for blushing thanks to it. “Uh.” He forces a cough. “So.” And scratches the back of his neck, because it's terribly itching all of a sudden. Jimin's phone vibrating on the table saves him from the embarrassment and also from an awkward silence it was for sure going to settle on the table. The older takes the gadget on his free hand and presses the side button so the lockscreen lights up. “Ah!” Jimin groans, throwing his head back. Curious, Jungkook leans his cheek on the palm of his hand and asks, “What is it?” Jimin snorts, seemingly annoyed. “This guy.” He doesn’t look back at Jungkook to answer, busy trying to type something on the phone with a single hand. “I told him I didn’t want nothing serious, but now that we fucked he keeps on texting me, asking me to go out with him and shit.” The younger nods, and bites the inner part of his bottom lip, pondering what to say. He almost smiles, dying to tease with an “are you that good?!” – but ends up choosing the most secure option. “Why don’t you?” “Dates sucks. And the whole idea of going out already fades the conquest.” Jungkook furrows his eyebrows for probably the tenth time on the day – his never ending battle of trying to understand Park Jimin – and reclines on the backrest. “Um, no?” Jimin turns his attention back at him. “Um, yes?” He places the phone on the table. “I mean, if you're going out with someone it means the flirting is done, because well, the purpose of flirting is getting a date. Or getting laid.” He adds thoughtfully. “Which I already did. So now it means feelings are about to be involved, and no, thanks.” He emphasizes the last two words and takes another bite of his hamburger, chewing on it while waiting for Jungkook's response, who can only roll his eyes. “Ah, hyung.” He snorts, letting his head fall in defeat. “Why are you like this? Have you even gone to a date, at least? Or you just hate it based on nothing?” Jimin straightens his back, and acts as if he's very offended. “Excuse me? It's not based on nothing. I've analyzed it with my own eyes, you just have to look around.” And so, Jungkook does. Jimin watches him with something akin to amusement on his face. “Not literally, idiot.” “No, let's do this.” Jungkook decides, looking for a table with couple vibes. “There!” He excitedly bounces on his seat once, turning back to Jimin to make sure he is looking the right people. “Those two.” Jimin shakes his head in confusion. “What?” And with no further explanation, Jungkook simply gets up and gestures for Jimin to follow him. “Wh-what, Jungkook!” He quickly gets up when he realizes the boy intends to walk over to the two girls at the other side of the restaurant. “What the hell, are you crazy?!” He hurries to grab the younger's arm with both hands, attempting to pull him back to his chair. There are firm muscles bulging against his palms, but he ignores it with a gulp. “What?” he asks indifferently. “I'mma just ask them some things.” He has a calm expression on his face, as if he's not about to approach two strangers about their supposed love life. Jimin laughs with incredulity. “Yeah, not happening.” He tugs at the arm more insistently. Jungkook doesn’t flinch a centimeter. “What, why not?” Shining, big doe eyes winks back at him innocently and Jimin can’t decide if the he is naive or just dumb. “Um, because that's very impolite? And extremely invasive.” Jimin eyes the couple discreetly for a second. The girl with blonde short hair is leaning with forearms on the table, attentively listening to what the other is saying, and adorning a tender smile across her pink lips. Jimin can’t see the face of the one speaking, but her long hair lays on her back in soft bluish curls. They both seem very pretty. “You also don’t even know if they’re like… a thing.” Jimin finds himself turning his attention back to Jungkook just in time to catch the boy rolling his eyes. It's annoyingly cute. “Oh, please. Just look at them, of course they're a thing.” He doesn’t find much argument against that. He might have never allowed himself to fall in love in his life, but he does recognize a fluttering heart shinning through enamored eyes when he sees one. “Besides, what the hell do you think I'm gonna ask them?! Their sexual lives? No, thanks, Namjoon-hyung's story of his first time eating a guy's ass is traumatic enough.” A grossed out expression makes its way across Jimin's features. “Dude. Thanks for the unnecessary information.” Jungkook tilts his head to the side, smiling sarcastically. Jimin wants to punch it out of his face. With his mouth. Maybe. “You're welcome. Now come.” He's about to complain and step back when Jungkook suddenly grabs his hand and interlocks their fingers. The world kind of spins in a soft blur for a moment and his eyes instantly fall down to it – intertwined fingers clasped together; Jungkook holding firm and he loosely –, which gets his stomach to clench very weirdly. Oh, shit. However, he doesn’t have much time to dwell on how smooth, warm and soft Jungkook's skin feels against his, cause one second he's wondering how it'd feel pressed on his nape – or waist, maybe? – while they make out, and the other he's put in front of two very confused, unknown girls. He forces out a smile to the strangers after a second of hesitation, doing his best at crushing Jungkook's fingers on his, hidden behind their backs. “Hah!” the younger loudly gasps, startling the girls and pulling his hand away from Jimin's grip, quickly forcing a smile on his lips as well. Jimin hopes he felt a lot of pain. Jungkook takes the embarrassing moment to bow in greeting, so Jimin follows suit. “Hello, nice to meet you two. I'm, uh, I'm Jungkook and this is my friend, Jimin.” Jimin lightly leans his head forward again, a low mutter of something that seems “nice to meet you” falling from his lips. The two girls bow back uncertainly and stare at the both of them in silence. God. Jimin never wanted to deck someone in the face so bad – Jungkook, deck Jungkook, not the girls, for god's sake. Yet, he chooses to poke him with his elbow instead. For the time being. “Ah!” the idiot jolts, clapping his hands once in front of his body, obviously trying to come out with something to say. Jimin is sure he could bury his whole self in pure embarrassment right now. He's already blushing hard enough for the two of them anyway. “I'm sorry to, um, interrupt your meal, it's just that me– Me and my friend,” he reiterates, pulling Jimin closer and Jimin really has to manage all of his self control to not kill the boy right there. “We were talking about dates and we got onto a disagreement, so we're doing… research.” Jimin turns to look at him, a smile that says “I'm so going to murder you” hanging on his lips. “We are?” “Ah. Yes.” Jungkook laughs the threat away. “So, anyway, since you two seemed to be on a really nice date, we thought–“ “Oh.” The short haired girl's voice surges for the first time. She takes a hand to her chest and laughs, seemingly relieved. “Thank god, I thought you were trying to hit on us.” If Jimin's cheeks were flushed before, now they are the red of the flames in hell itself. The other girl also laughs, and gestures with her hand to the both of them. “I'm Eunji and she's Hyerin. But, um, actually… We're not on a date.” Jungkook snaps his head back just the slightest, surprised. “Oh.” He voices out innocently, exactly like a kid who just discovered the ocean is only blue because it reflects the sky. Jimin would find it adorable if he wasn't, you know, dying. “Ah, sorry, we thought– Well, that's not a problem, really.” Jungkook smiles. “Can you still answer our questions, though?” Jimin facepalms himself. Literally speaking. “Please, just say yes, so we can leave and I can kill him after this.” His voice comes out muffled, but he can hear giggles, which means it was audible enough. “Yeah, sure.” One of them say. Jimin finds out it's the one with the blue highlights when he takes his hand out of his face. Eunji, right? “What is it?” He finds himself curious, considering he also has no idea what Jungkook is about to ask, so he redirects his attention to him. “Ah, it's truly just one question.” The boy admits, and Jimin could easily mistake the way he is scratching his neck with nervousness. He watches Jungkook open his mouth once and then be caught in a loss of words, as if he is reconsidering what he's about to ask. Jimin doesn’t have time to say anything though – the younger is quick to talk again. “Do you think dates erase the whole meaning of flirting?” Yes, it's his immediate thought. He halfheartedly shifts his gaze from Jungkook's profile to the girls, so he can see their reactions. Hyerin is the first to answer – she has her head tilted a bit to the side in thought, with a pair of furrowed brows. Jimin feels a faint smile forming on his lips, because she's cute. “I think it depends? It's the first date? Second?” Eunji intervenes. “Why would that matter?” Jimin kind of knows why, but he doesn’t want to interfere in their path of discussion. “Well, if it's the first date maybe not, but if it's the sixth then probably?” He nods, as it was exactly what he was thinking. However, Jungkook doesn’t seem to agree beside him, if the way he keeps on changing his weight from a feet to another is anything to tell. “I mean, if you got to the sixth date, there's a high chance that you're, well, dating.” Hyerin concludes, and Jimin takes the chance to subtly glance at Jungkook, but the boy is still resolute in his opinion, it seems. Eunji is the same apparently, as she places her palm on the table and gapes at Hyerin for a second, almost offended. “Excuse me, but what makes you think couples can't flirt at all? My parents are married for 20 years and they flirt all the time!” “Yes, my grandparents too!” Jungkook decides to buy Eunji's fight, so Jimin steps in. “It's not the same.” Although, he is surprised as Hyerin says the very same thing as him in complete sync. They look at each other with open mouths, right before chuckling and high-fiving. “When you flirt with someone you're already dating, it doesn’t really hold the whole meaning of flirting, since the purpose is making the person whom you flirt with fall in love with you.” she concludes and Jimin almost thinks Eunji doesn't have any other argument to beat this one – except she does. “Well, but you can fall in love with the same person everyday.” And this seems to be the actual K.O., given how Hyerin intensely blushes, ducking her head down and Eunji smiles victoriously. So they're actually on a date, Jimin realizes with a smile on his face that warms all the way to his chest. Smart as ever, Jungkook doesn’t seem to catch on that, smirking at Jimin and quirking his eyebrows twice with a hidden teasing that says “see?”, since he thinks they won the argument. Jimin rolls his eyes just because. Hopeless romantics. “Anyway, in which context did this surge?” Hyerin is quick to ask in order to not let an awkward silence stretches on the table, but just after the words leaves her mouth she seems to realize how they actually sounded. “Oh, sorry, I-I didn’t mean to be rude or intrude, I was just curious.” “It's okay.” Jimin reassures with a warm smile, and when he is about to tell her and reasonably explain his point, Jungkook decides to be a dick and paint him as the shallow asshole by cutting him off before he even started talking. “He hates relationships. And he thinks dates sucks.” Jimin punchs his arm, embarrassed. “Yah!” His cheeks feels warm and the grin Jungkook gifts him with does nothing to ease it. “What?” he asks, rubbing the sore spot. “It's your own words! Do they sound completely heartless when I say it to other people?” Jungkook teases and Jimin purses his lips, focusing really hard on stopping blushing so he doesn’t make a fool of himself. “Shut up, I have plenty of reasons.” Jimin emphasizes and Jungkook mocks him by pinching his cheek in front of two strangers. Oh boy, he's dead. “Mhm-mhm, I bet you do, you red baby.” He coos. Oh boy, he's dead. “Oh, we have similar opinions,” Hyerin's voice snaps them out of their personal bubble, “but I don’t think dates sucks.” Jimin sighs. He is alone in this battle, apparently. “But you used to!” Eunji points an accusing finger at the short haired girl. She rolls her eyes, but there's a hint of a smile on her lips. “Well, but I don’t anymore!” Hyerin protests in her own defense. “Stop exposing me.” she mutters. “But what made you change your mind?” Jungkook asks, genuinely curious. “About dates, I mean.” “Well,” Eunji starts in Hyerin's place. “I guess she had to go through a series of many awesome dates, right?” They share an accomplice gaze and Jimin knows it's time for them to leave the girls alone again. “Okay, so. Thank you so much for helping with this idiot's “research”, I'm sure he'll make good use of it being a pain in the ass later.” The girls smile sincerely, politely bowing their heads afterwards. Jimin places a hand on Jungkook's back motioning for him to move back to their table. When he starts walking, Jimin takes a second to lean down a little and whisper so only the girls can hear him, “Enjoy your date.” Hyerin cheeks turns pink instantly, but Eunji simply waves at him, a loving smile adorning her features. “You too.” she whispers back. Before Jimin can clarify he and Jungkook aren’t on a date, said boy holds his waist and waves the girls goodbye over their shoulders. “Thank you!” the younger makes sure to give them his brightest smile. Jimin isn’t able to catch it in full hd though, because Jungkook’s hand on his waist is currently making the skin beneath his jacket tingle in a funny way. ”What did you whisper to them?” the boy questions when they are almost at their table. Jimin has to pull up a small battle with his brain to detach himself from Jungkook's touch so he can reach his seat. He waits for Jungkook to do the same to speak. “I told them to have a good date.” The boy in front of him seems very shocked, much for Jimin's amusement. He chews on a now very cold fry, waiting for Jungkook’s answer. “What– how rude! Hyung, they told us they were not on a date!” Oh god, was he still clueless? For real? Jimin swallows. “Jungkookie. They are on a date.” “Bullshit, they're not–“ he insists confidently at first, but as soon as he turns his body back to take a glance at the girls and spots their shy hands curling in one another, he gulps his previous words. “Shit, they're on a date.” “No joke, Einstein.” Jimin teases. “Now stop staring, they just stopped thinking we're weird and I'd like to keep that way, thank you.” Jungkook does as he's asked, but Jimin can see a hint of offense on his eyes. “They lied to us. Why would they do that?” He shoots Jungkook a face, and the offense painted on the younger's face only grows ten thousands bigger. He places a hand over his chest and almost chokes out, “Do we look like homophobes?!” Jimin rolls his eyes at the boy's innocence. “Jungkook, seriously, when you go out with someone of the same sex as you in an homophobic country, everyone around you looks like homophobes. I thought you would know that.” “Oh.” His face softens. “Right.” And then he smiles. “That's good, then, they form such a cute couple.” Jimin hums agreeing, finally finishing his hamburger with a last bite. His fingers are greasy, so he takes a napkin to clean them and when he looks up, Jungkook smiles a smile with no teeth that makes his cheeks plump up like two little red apples. Jimin knows that smile. He's seen it before. “What?” he asks cautiously, sensing an idea forming in the younger's mind. He's planning something. Something stupid, probably. Once, they were trying to chill in an ice cream shop with Taehyung. Jimin remembers the day was unbearably scorching – and even inside the refrigerated place, there were droplets of sweat forming on the back of his neck, turning the tips of his hair humid. They were talking and trying to distract themselves from the heat as well from the upcoming finals. The topic of the conversation was human beings physical limitations. Don’t ask him how they got there, they just did. Apart from the hot weather, the atmosphere was nice and cozy; their fingers and lips smeared with sweet, Taehyung being the messiest of the three – but that was no news –, and their voices occasionally overlapping one another as they shot random guesses of how much ice cream a person could eat in one sitting. When a mutual agreement – between Jimin and Taehyung – settled that 15 scoops was the limit, the table fell in silence. Jungkook wasn’t pleased. He stared at the older boys with a cocky wriggle of eyebrow and then smiled the way he was smiling now. Before anyone could even say a word, he called for the waitress and well, proved Jimin and Taehyung were wrong by eating twenty scoops of ice cream. Twenty. Jimin almost felt impelled to go and eat twenty one just because, but he wasn’t that suicidal. “What do you have on your schedule today?” Jungkook asks, leaning his head on his hand and blinking his eyelashes in a way it's kind of hard to stare at without getting a heartbeat to skip. A seminar to finish, dance practice for the upcoming performance and a good lay at night, he remembers. “Nothing.” he answers, “Why?” At that, Jungkook's smile grows so wide Jimin's heart clenches and it's awkward, because what the hell. However, he has no time to freak out since Jungkook is suddenly grabbing their personal belongings and shoving it all down his backpack. “What are you doing?” his voice sounds genuinely confused, just how he feels. “Come.” The younger simply gets up and says – as if it's very self explainable –, looking around the table and tapping his pockets to check if everything's there. When Jimin keeps his butt glued to the chair, Jungkook diverts his focus to him. “You're not coming?” he seems puzzled and maybe a bit taken aback, but that’s probably just Jimin reading his actions too deeply. “Coming where?” And that’s when Jimin has to hold back all his oxygen inside his lungs in order to keep a straight expression, because all of a sudden Jungkook places one hand on the chair's backrest, another on the table and leans down so fast his face is found just inches away from Jimin's. He almost gasps, but he knows his self control better, so he quickly finds his composure again. “To the mall.” Jimin's mind suffer an abrupt short circuit, because is Jungkook really planning on doing what I think he's planning to do. “I'm gonna be your cupid.” Oh. Well, he's not, but wait– “What?!” The younger straightens his column with a smile, hands hiding in his pockets. “I'll be your cupid.” He repeats plainly, something hidden in the way his lips curve at just the right angle to form a timid dimple. “Let's find you a date. That's the only way we can know who's right.” Jimin laughs with incredulity. “Would you go that far just to prove a point?!” That's when he sees a chance to tease. And he takes it. “Are you sure you're not just using this as an excuse to take me out?” He gets up, and even though Jungkook is taller, this time, the proximity seems to disconcert the younger. It lasts such a short second, though, just like it did with Jimin. Apparently, they're playing games and well that's Jimin's language. He smirks, and so does Jungkook. “It's not like I have to find an excuse to take you out, is it?” he whispers closer to his face. Jimin is left back shocked at the boldness, since Jungkook pulls away just as fast, switching his tone and consequently the atmosphere. “And of course I'm serious!” he steps backwards at the cashier's direction. “Let's go, it's gonna be new. That's the synonymous of exciting to you, right?” he turns around in order to walk properly and misses Jimin rolling of eyes at him, but Jimin's pretty sure it was purposeful. He rolls his eyes one more time, following the younger nevertheless – and it's not like he doesn’t realize the bothersome tugging at his chest, but he decides to settle on it being simple anticipation. Maybe Jungkook's right and new is really another word for excitement to him. Not that he is letting him know he's right. When Jimin reachs the boy at the front counter, Jungkook's money is already being handed to the lady behind the computer. “Yah!” Jimin reprimands him. “What are you doing, idiot? Told you it's my treat!" “Of course not.” Jungkook looks back at him. “I invited you, so I pay.” Jimin shakes his head, insistent – not like it's useful, since the woman is already giving Jungkook the change and thanking him. But no dongsaeng has ever paid for him – not even Taehyung. It's somewhat intimate, and it unsettles him. “I'm the hyung.” He says. “So?” Jungkook puts the money back on his wallet and then snorts. “Aish, stop being difficult, you're the only person I know who complains for getting free food.” There's a couple of young teenagers already waiting behind them to pay, so Jungkook bows for the lady who attended to him and walks towards the exit. Jimin follows suit, maintaining his lowkey sulking mode. “We're probably proving that theory right by the end of the day and I'm really the unluckiest person in the world today.” Jungkook isn’t sure if's he's more of pouting or talking. Either way, it's adorable. He fights the urge to squish his hyung's cheeks, and decides on bending down instead, putting them on eye level. “Don’t be like that…” he trails, entertained by the way Jimin's eyes widen slightly and his bottom lip is sucked inside his mouth. “You're spending the entire day with me.” He reminds him. When Jimin releases the flesh, it comes back a flushing red. “It's not that bad, right?” Smiling amused, Jungkook does exactly what he did minutes ago, and gives Jimin his back – instead this time, he does catches the elder rolling his eyes. Within the cutest pair of rosy cheeks coming along on the package. Too bad he misses the loving smile sprawling on Jimin's lips when he turns arounds.

[resbang-bookclub]

AMA Transcript: Pell Grant Matrimony

This weekend, @marshofsleep, @sojustifiable (known as Amanda on Discord), @adorabbey and @tilliquoi braved yesterday's Discordacolypse in order to chat about their 2016 Resbang, Pell Grant Matrimony! Here's some of what went down:

Q: Please, give us a rundown of how this was conceived.

sleepmarshes:

sleepmarshes: It's almost been an entire year. We've lived with this sin for 11 months. Right, so, like, there was that tumblr post going around about how a bro realized he could help another bro out since gay marriage became legal, and they could get a green card. So my thought was, of course, this is Soul and (somebody).

Amanda: I believe this was the tweet marsh referenced when she first described the initial idea to me before we were collabing on it:

sleepmarshes: So, the setup would be Maka meets Soul and of course they hit it off because this is why we came here. But it turns out Soul is married.

sleepmarshes: Then we decided B* would be the best choice. He would be ultra gung ho about PDA. THEN, Amanda started signing up for financial aid, and she was like hey, what if we do it like this instead of green card? And then BAM, COLLEGE AU. Then it became a game of how many tropes, cliches, and memes we could pile in.

Amanda: And then when I was signing up for financial aid I also saw this post and was like hey alternate motivation: http://zhuy-doodles.tumblr.com/post/144803762284. How we ended up collabing and doing it for real was that I was talking to marsh about how I wasn't sure if I was going to do resbang or not, and that if i was, I wanted to do something silly. And she was like, hey you should do that thing I told you about. And I was like I can't do that, it's your thing. And she was like oh we can collab and then we made a blood pact.

sleepmarshes: Now we are borg.

Adorabear: Amanda, marsh, and I did a minecraft FRAND ritual. Very legit.

Q: How did the collab work?

sleepmarshes: At the time, I was busy with house building stuff and other things, so I knew I wasn't going to be able to help a whole lot.

Amanda: I imagine it works differently for different people but ours was a Process. When we discussed collabing we pretty much decided I would do the bulk of the writing while marsh would act as helicopter mom with plotting and everything.

sleepmarshes: HELICOPTER MOM omg. It me.

Amanda: So we plotted together and marsh would be like hey I know this is a joke but we need actual character motivation and shiz and then I started cranking out words. And then marsh trailed behind me, editing and making parts funnier and more coherent and filling in the scenes I was really struggling with.

sleepmarshes: She trucked right on man, just huge chunks. Well, I also kept throwing stupid ideas at you.

Q: Who came up with my daughter snappy, and also, how do you feed an alligator on student budget?

sleepmarshes: We don't talk about the budget.

Amanda: So once upon a time, I sent marsh this meme:

sleepmarshes: How DID that happen? This is clearly America.

Amanda: Just as a joke, I was like haha look at this meme and she was like fake gay fic??

sleepmarshes: I don't remember this but I believe it 100%.

Amanda: And I was like, not my intention, but okay, I can roll with it, they have an alligator now. Gained through some vague but nefarious means.

sleepmarshes: Snappy*Star. I think we decided [she was] smuggled from Disney World? I regret not making the epilogue about [Black*Star's] TV show.

Amanda: Yeah there were some interesting epilogue plans for when Snappy got too big to keep in an apartment. Black*Star was gonna have a TV show with Snappy I think on exotic pet care or maybe like, exercising with your pet. Just picture like, 3 years from the end of the fic, Soul and Maka are hanging out and turn on the TV to see the two of them.

Q for the artists: What inspired your arting decisions?

Adorabear: So I knew I'd do drinks, and wanted to do nail art (after getting a lot of encouragment from the resbang discord). I did some trial runs of the nail art shortly after the Resbang matchmaking.

Q: What inspired Queen Wes?

Amanda: Queen Wes appeared out of nowhere when I was writing the last 15k in three days and was in a delirious state of confusion.

Q: How did you two like collabing? Did it work well?

Amanda: I had a blast and think the collabing probably went better than either of us could've expected.

sleepmarshes: Oh yeah def. I've been terrfied to collab for years.

Amanda: Like, it ended up being even more collaborative with merging our writing styles so we just got this monster of laughs out of it. Tbh I was surprised that marsh even suggested collabing cuz I didn't think she did collabs.

sleepmarshes: I DON'T do collabs, but I get along with you so well I figured well, if anything'll work, it'll probably be this. Actually, Amanda did a lot of work on the timeline.

Amanda: More like I did a lot of work harrassing Marsh about the timeline because I need things to be linear.

sleepmarshes: Yeah I'm definitely not that.

Amanda: Let me pull up some parts of the outline for posterity. These are the kinds of notes Marsh makes in the outline:

These are the kinds of notes I make which are about 5% more coherent:

Q: Why Harvar with Wes? I think it was hilarious.

sleepmarshes: Uhhh well we knew we wanted Wes to hit on DTK. Why DID we hook him up with Harv? Just because Harv has put up with his shit for so long and won't leave him?

Amanda: We hooked him up with Harv because you love Harv and love shipping everyone with everyone else.

sleepmarshes: Ok this is probably true.

Amanda: Other random add in about shipping cuz I forgot we had another pm chatlog and found where we were discussing possible ships and I have this quote from marsh's shipping habits:

sleepmarshes: Can confirm, this is my hobby.

Q: Was there a line or joke or meme that made either of you legit laugh out loud when you realized it fit/it ended up in there?

sleepmarshes: Probably every meme we came into contact with?

Adorabear: Amanda and Marsh are basically the people on the date shoving all the breadsticks in their purse, but the breadsticks are memes. And their purse is overflowing, and they're going into the Olive Garden kitchen to get more breadstick memes.

Amanda: I think there was a lot of coming up with ridiculous lines and then having the other be like "wtf is wrong with you that's hilarious."

sleepmarshes: Yes, exactly that. As for drummer DTK....

Amanda: That was another last minute thing. We knew he was a math metal head but then I was like lol what if he shows up as a guest in the music festival?

sleepmarshes: ROFL when you said that I thought well man, if you wanna write it go for it. And then when I caught up to it for edits even I was surprised. I was like FUCK YEA.

Q: Did you guys have a playlist?

sleepmarshes: I didn't have a fic-specific one, personally. I think I was mostly listening to the Macabre Records mix and maybe a Sufjan Stevens album.

Amanda: I also didn't have any specific writing music, being a musician also I find music pretty distracting so the only music I can write to is if it blends together well and is really cohesive and doesn't have any distracting vocals. Hey, I was listening to Sufjan too. Carrie and Lowell.

sleepmarshes: SAME HAT oh I had uhhh. A Sun Came.

Amanda: And maybe some Seven Swans and some old Bon Iver and Iron and Wine sometimes. But basically I need a specific ambient music to write to as opposed to anything relevant.

sleepmarshes: There was a lot of dialogue in this fic, so I needed some chill stuff towards the end.

Q: Did you guys find any characters really challenging to write?

Amanda: I can't write DTK at all so I needed a lot of Marsh intervention in that camp.

sleepmarshes: DTK is uhhh very polite 'I care nothing about what you just said, let me do what i came here to do.' How happy do you expect goth burberry to be? Despite all that, he's got squishy innards [and] four smile muscles. I had Wes issues so his flamboyancy got a lot of help from Amanda.

Amanda: I turned Wes into a monster. Marsh did most of the bbq scene cuz I was quite stuck in the middle of it and wanted to keep steamrollering ahead.

sleepmarshes: We always knew Wes would be obnoxious but I was watching a lot of beauty gurus on YouTube at the time and like... stuff... happened.

Q: Does Tsubaki continue to be a badass pilates instructor after the story ends? Does B* continue to go to her classes? Q: DO THEY BECOME PARTNERS EVENTUALLY?

sleepmarshes: Maybe they can have a workout show together with Snappy the mascot.

Amanda: B* continues to be a big fan of her workout stuff and they're swolebuds.

Q: How goes Patti's Etsy?

sleepmarshes: She's always in business the more Snappy grows.

Amanda: I think we had another potential future ending in which Patti adopts Snappy and cares for her at a wildlife refuge when she gets too big. There were quite a few potential futures for the different people, especially as we were still playing shipping roulette.

Q: Is it really that easy to get divorced in America?

Amanda: Yes, at least as far as I'm aware. If it's not, then we're going with suspension of disbelief.

sleepmarshes: I mean, as long as both sides want it and no one raises a fuss, yeah no one cares.

Q: Why continue to call Kid 'Morty' instead of Kid?

sleepmarshes: Oh, man, idk, college AU with a guy named Death? I couldn't do it.

Amanda: Like, Kid isn't a name and if it's his stage name people wouldn't probably call him that all the time.

sleepmarshes: Bonus: Shinidaddy calling him Junior.

Amanda: Even with B* it's definitely a nickname, we just decided to go off the walls with his actual name. Like, what if instead of being Blake we call him something ridiculous?

Q: Does Blair ever give up the panty thieving?

sleepmarshes: Actually I had wanted that last sock Blair stole to actually belong to DTK, and he was going to find out at the festival, but I totally forgot. Disgruntled DTK with only one sock... chance missed.

Amanda: Just one of those things that slipped through the cracks in the last three days of screaming.

Q: How did Stein and Spirit move the car?

sleepmarshes: I don't know, I always figured Spirit just annoyed the heckie out of everyone in between parking spaces.

Amanda: I wanted to leave it ambiguous just to leave it like... how the fuck did they do that? Cuz they had to get the people to switch spots with them anyway, but then also had to get everyone to move to let them through too.

[a tilliquoi appears, there is much joy]

Same Q: What inspired your arting decisions?

tilliquoi: Hmmm well for Soul and Maka at the mailboxes, I liked it bc shark slippers and bc that was when they first met. And I drew Snappy and Wes just bc they're both fabulous and I couldnt resist.

Amanda: Both the showstealers of the fic.

Q: How did you make those pieces? What programs/materials did you use?

tilliquoi: They're all digital and done in photoshop. It's the only program i really use anymore.

Q: What made you go: Yes. That. This is the fic I want in the first place?

sleepmarshes: YEAH, I WANNA KNOW, TOO.

Adorabear: For me, I was looking for things that I knew I could make drinks for and uh, yeah, it looked fun af, and I like silly af shit.

tilliquoi: Well, last year I was an artist for another Marsh fic, coincidentally, and that one was a lot more serious. It was amazing but this year I wanted to go for something fun and ridiculous as a change of pace. When I read the summary for Pell Grant I was just thinking that I'd probably end up laughing the whole time, so I was like "that one. thats the fic I gotta art for."

sleepmarshes: When your claim came in I laughed SO HARD.

tilliquoi: Yeah it was pretty funny finding out you were one of the authors.

sleepmarshes: She had no idea I was involved.

Amanda: Marsh messaged me like "lol guess who claimed us" but wouldn't tell me until it was official.

Adorabear: Amanda and I were talking about my list, and she was in my Google doc watching me make my pics, watching me eliminate stuff.

Amanda: I was screaming inside because I couldn't let her know it was me.

sleepmarshes: We were both dying.

Adorabear: The joys of anon claiming, I guess.

Q: What are you guys' next projects?

Amanda: Uhhhh I should probably finish Strangers... but I've been focusing more on writing music lately and taking a break from fic, and then I have a couple back burner fics that I won't go into cuz I haven't decided if they'll be for a Resbang or not. Potential original fantasy story also, but I think working on more music is really gonna be the focus while I'm finishing school.

sleepmarshes: Strangers hype. I'm working on Quantum Entanglement, and intend on finishing Lodestar. Probably no Resbang ficcing for me this year, because I want to finish some fics and work on an original novel.

Adorabear: I'm not going to Reverb this year, but I think I'll Resbang art next year.

Q: Did you all ever have to reign each other in? Like were there moments you had to go whoa whoa whoa too much, too far, time to say when?

sleepmarshes: Uhm I think we were just a cycle of enabling, tbh.

Amanda: Confirmed: no reigning in nonsense, only enabling more and more batshit insanity.

Q: Anything not make the cut?

sleepmarshes: I think stuff that didn't make the cut were things we ran out of time for, since a large part of it was written in the last three days. Like I wanted Wes to have an obsession with cinnabon. I think there was more bean warfare.

Q: How did everyone, writers and artists, feel like they grew/changed/learned during the resbang season?

sleepmarshes: I think overall I learned there are more ways of collaborating in writing than I had thought. Like, I thought there was only some way with magical hand holding sentence by sentence and somehow no one committed murder. But like, we just delegated roles, she did the bulk of it, I did invasive betaing, and we talked in discord a lot about junk.

Amanda: I think my growth was just it being the first time I ever wrote that much in a short period of time. Like the last three days were crazy, but I didn't have any problems micromanaging cuz I was fine with just being like "yolo just make this better", for a murder free experience.

sleepmarshes: I was so worried at first about hurting your writing feelings. But then you were like JUST EDIT IT DON'T SUGGEST 200 THINGS.

Amanda: I don't have any writing feelings. JUST FIX IT MARSH MAKE IT BETTER. I'M WRITING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING I KNOW QUALITY IS SPOTTY.

sleepmarshes: After that it was just prancing through a field of yolo.

Amanda: I think both our collaboration and our friendship was helped severely by the fact that I don't have control issues or take anything personally, so invasive betaing was no sweat.

tilliquoi: I think if I learned anything or grew from this, it was in experimenting with coloring styles, particularly with that Wes drawing. That was pretty far out of my comfort zone in terms of how I usually color, but it made me a LOT less afraid to use excessive colors in places I wouldnt normally.

sleepmarshes: I had Wes open on all three monitors while I was editing. This is what it's like to have Wes on every channel:

Adorabear: I think for me, it was just a lot of confidence building in terms of my artwork, because I have been really nervous [about whether] my authors are going to like what I do, or [whether] they'll think I've done enough. I'm just a worrier.

sleepmarshes: Did you get ultra fast at cross stitch? Because that's certainly what it looked like.

Adorabear: I think I just motored through that one. I guess I have gotten faster. But I was like, in beast mode for that one. I am very pleased with it, though.

sleepmarshes: I love it.

Adorabear: Anyway, I think I feel more confident that the things I make are ~enough.~

sleepmarshes: THREE CHEERS FOR THE FAKE GAY FIC TEAM.

---

Thanks to all of our creators for stoppin' by!! Stay tuned for more transcripts!