#*title: tiny broken thing

[lecliss]

I finished grinding the first titles for everyone's abilities and got the third level ones for Milla, Elize, and Rowen, but jesus fucking christ I do NOT wanna do that shit 400 more times EACH for Jude and Leia. Timing the backsteps is so difficult and annoying and tedious I'd rather fucking die than do that 800 times again. But Im going to have to eventually one day for those 4 extra titles 😔

[henrycangelbaby]

In which: For the first time in his life, he felt that everything was right, everything was perfect—his wife, his beautiful Y/N, who had brought happiness and love into his life, had given him his baby, his family. And his baby, god his baby, the most precious thing he had ever seen in the world, and she was sleeping peacefully on his chest.

or

Logan has his first moment alone with his baby.

Quiet has fallen over the room for what feels like the first time in forever. Everything and everyone is still and peaceful. He peers over at Y/N; she sleeps peacefully in the hospital bed. God, she deserves it more than anyone else has. Logan doesn't think that he could ever give her any amount of peaceful nights of rest that could repay her for what she had done. She had given him a baby, the gift of starting their family together.

Their baby sleeps next to the bed, so small and precious in her clear cot. Isabella Howlett was born four days out from her due date; she was born with a healthy ten fingers and toes as well as a head full of dark brown hair. She had given everyone a bit of a fright and had certainly caused her momma aches and pains, but none of it even seemed to matter now. As he stared across the room at her, he felt his chest ache; it was a good ache this time, like he had so much love for this tiny little thing that his heart simply didn't know what to do with it.

He is broken from his haze by the sound of the door opening slowly. A kind-looking nurse peeps her head in, quickly seeing the sleeping members of his family. She closes the door behind her as she tiptoes towards Logan.

"How are we feeling, Dad?" she asks.

If it were for the fact that he was the only conscious member of his family in the room at the moment, he might have missed that she was talking to him. It felt forbidden to be referred to as "Dad" by the nurses who came bustling in and out of the room; he heard a squeeze in his chest when they referred to Y/N as "Mum." It sounded so right; it didn't sound quite as right when people referred to him as Dad. Apart from Y/N jokingly calling him "Daddy" towards the end of her pregnancy, he hadn't been given the title, and he hadn't discussed it with anyone (except, of course, with his beautiful baby mama). It was all so strange.

He snapped his head up the second time the nurse used his newest (and proudest) title; he nodded and chuckled halfheartedly when the nurse made a joke, something along the lines of him being the only one awake. She remained quiet as she hovered over his baby, checking on her.

Logan suddenly felt a wave of anger; he didn't want anyone touching his baby, not even the kind nurse. He took a breath, trying to calm himself; this was all routine and procedure; everything was fine.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the nurse, "Have you done any skin-to-skin contact yet?"

His eyebrows pulled together. No, he hadn't; in fact, he wasn't quite sure what she was referring to.

"Uh, no?" It came out a little ruder than he had intended, but it didn't matter. She smiled at him; obviously, she understood his trepidation; she had probably done this thousands of times before.

"Skin-to-skin is when you allow the child to rest on your bare chest; it is most common in mothers, but Dad is always recommended to do it as well."

He stared at her blankly, thinking over what this meant. She continued before he could ask another question.

"You don't need my assistance; it can be a completely private affair if you want, provided Mom stays sleeping."

He nodded before he could think about it. He once again considered if he was coming off rude or dismissive but came to the same conclusion: it didn't matter if he was.

"Well, everything is okay with Mom and Bub; I will leave you guys to it," she smiled before swiftly turning and leaving the room, perhaps sensing his need to be alone with his family.

Something is holding him back—well, actually, Logan is holding himself back. He knows it too; he should have kept the nurse around; then he would have been forced to hold Isabella. The nurse wasn't there, his love was knocked out well, and his baby made no noise to indicate she wanted holding. The only things working in the room right now were his thoughts: why was he finding this so hard? He should find it the easiest thing in the world—pick up his baby and hold her close to him, keeping her warm with his touch—but something stops him.

It's his fears that stop him—fears that Y/N spent months quelling; he wasn't dangerous; he deserved to be a father as much as anyone else. But now all alone in this room, they came back up; it was just him, no nurse to monitor them and make sure he didn't do anything stupid; his lover knocked out to the world, sleeping better than she had for months. If something happened now, it would all be his fault; no one would be around to see it or stop him from doing something horrible without even meaning to.

He was knocked out of his thoughts by the first sound he had heard in the room since the nurse had left. He could hear Isabella begin to fuss, squirming around in her bassinet. As he got up and walked towards her, he saw her small face pinched up in discomfort, looking rather like she might cry at any second.

Fuck. What was he supposed to do? The panic sunk in quickly that this was the first time he had been left alone to care for Issy. He didn't want to be a stupid, incompetent father who couldn't work his way around a nappy, but his panic-ridden brain went blank for a second. He watched rather helplessly as she began to whimper. He didn't want her to cry, waking Y/N up; that truly would be a mark of an incompetent father.

He quietly unwrapped her from her hospital blanket, leaving her only in the big yellow jumpsuit and matching beanie. He held his baby close to his chest, two big hands cradling her back and head where they supported her. He began to gently rock Issy, trying to calm her against his body. It worked. He smiled as she quieted down.

He felt a sense of calm over him; he did know what he was doing, at least a little bit. He felt as she rested her head into the crook of his neck, seemingly wanting to be closer to him. Maybe she could feel the way that his heart beat so fast, unable to contain the overwhelm of emotions that came over him.

"My baby," he whispered, even though he was the only one to hear; she was his baby.

He felt ready, perhaps a little stupid for having to talk himself up into being ready to hang out with his daughter, but he felt the ache in him wanting to be as close to her as possible. He sat down carefully, putting her on his thighs. He took his shirt off first, not wanting Issy to be cold. He then undid her onesie, careful not to scratch or poke her. He placed his hand behind her head as he lifted her up, supporting her fully with his one hand. She was just so tiny it made his heart hurt.

He placed her gently down on his bare chest; she quickly readjusted to the change, curling into him. For the first time in forever, everything went quiet; there was no noise in his head, no ache in his shoulders or back. The only thing that he felt was a tear slide down his cheek. God, he was so happy; he couldn't contain the overwhelm of his emotions. His baby was so sweet and tiny, and she smelled so good, and god, she felt so warm next to him.

He knew technically he was helping her, helping regulate her heart rate and her body heat, but it felt like she was healing him. He felt his heart rate slowing; he didn't feel cold despite his naked top half. He felt so happy he couldn't describe it. For the first time in his life, he felt that everything was right, everything was perfect—his wife, his beautiful Y/N, who had brought happiness and love into his life, had given him his baby, his family. And his baby, god his baby, the most precious thing he had ever seen in the world, and she was sleeping peacefully on his chest.

For a moment, everything was quiet until Logan picked up his head. Looking down at Issy, he spoke just above a whisper, "Nothing will ever hurt you; I will always protect you, for as long as I live, sweetie. I love you."

[wrightingdungeon]

SDV Bachelor domestic headcanons

MDNI

Just some headcanons, not anything nsfw but they are adults, and I hit the zaaaaa so these will be dumb, like dumb dumb

Alex:

He has full-on elbowed you when he woke up a few times. Forgive him he's not used to sleeping with someone and he likes to stretch when he wakes up. 

If you have a dog he’s definitely buying one of those running leashes, the one that goes around the hips. Who will tire who out first?

Usually the dog gives out first, and he carries them back home cooing at them like they are a baby… they are

Modifies your home with Robin's help so George and Evelyn can visit

Evelyn, how did you feed this boi? He’s burning through calories 

Especially after helping pick up the farm work…. Sweaty Alex… Cowboy lookin fine ass… Horny jail….

Elliott:

Journals EVERYWHERE, all of them have different ideas, title workings, and little ideas that just popped into his head.

Sits on the front porch head in hand watching you pick fruit, mumbling something like

From tiny seeds to branches high. With gentle hands, they pluck the prize.

Loves to shower with you, he just holds you helps wash your hair, and scrubs your back. Tell you how pretty/handsome you are.

Bought you both matching bathrobes

Tell me he doesn't sleep with a bonnet, look at that silky hair. 

Matching silk pillowcase as well

I imagine this man is a mover in his sleep, and wakes up lookin like the Peter Griffin dead pose meme

Harvey:

The first night yall are married he cant sleep, he's just watching you. Playing with your hair giggling like he was high, he was high of how happy he was.

Has just as many self-care products if not more then Elliott, his mustache looks sculpted, you don't get that look without gel and a little mustache comb

He has a little pocket mustache comb you bought him as a joke but he loves it

Wears an apron when he cooks. Wait where did his go? Why is there a maid one in its place.... Horny Jail....

Charges you for passing out or almost dying to fund his therapy visits, you caused this farmer, look at the gray hairs.

Silver fox Harvey that's all I'm saying

Sebastian:

Good luck getting out of bed, hes like a fuckin backpack

Wakes up eyes not even open just pawing around for whatever hes trying to find.

Eyes are all bloodshot cus he was up all night working, sitting on the porch with his coffee, smoking, petting your pet

Doesn't fully wake up till about high noon

Helps out on the farm, but still does his own thing.

Stays out late with Sam and Abigail practicing for their upcoming gig, you both usually see each other returning home around one am

Momma Boi still goes to Robins for dinner every now and again

Sam:

Puppy at your heels, you go one way hes there. Forgot something? Turn around and trip over his feet

Loves living on the farm with you because now he can crank the tunes all the way up, and you can hear his speakers while you're in the field

Falls asleep anywhere, the porch, the couch, lying down in the grass with the dog/cat

If you cooked it hes eating it, he does the same for his mom

When Kent is back he babysits Vincent some nights

Speaking of, when he Vincent and Jas all get together good luck on the unsuspecting person about to get pranked.

Shane

Its law you adopt Jas, i said it, it cant be broken

Taking Jas to school, returning and helping you with the farm

He and Jas chant “Pizza,Pizza,Pizza” over and over when you ask what is for dinner

Warm, squishy, cuddly, bear hugs in the morning. Hes another backpack boi

When he's awake though, unless you are at home, light PDA

Works with Haley to learn his video camera more, its another hobby to keep him busy

First time seeing you wearing one of his shirts, the shirt is no longer on you… Horny Jail…

[kisakis-boyfriend]

Oh, To Be A Harbinger

Pairings: Various Fatui grunts x reader

Warnings: Male!reader, dom/top!reader, harbinger!reader, sub/bottom characters, power play, free use, groping, blowjob (Mirror Maiden), choking (Agent), fingering, rough sex, eating out, use of the terms 'whore, slut, good boy/girl, sir'

Genre/Format: Smut; Scenarios

Author's Note: Please tell me that I'm not the only person who's insanely horny for the Fatui enemies...? They're all so incredibly gorgeous and submissive and breedable 😳

Please check my blog title to verify whether requests are closed or not! Thank you!

Most harbingers were known for something; some niche or expertise that they so proudly flaunt as if it were a trophy. You were a bit different, however. On the surface, you appeared to be 'the sweet one.' All of the others saw their subordinates as just that; subordinates. Pawns to do their menial work, at their beck and call 24/7

But not you. No, no, no, you were the harbinger that cared. You were the one to learn all of your subordinates' names and memorize them, casually chatting with all of them and helping them at times. People were always begging to be transferred to work under you, pleading with the Tsaritsa on their hands and knees. She never understood what got into them. Was being treated with kindness really all it took to gain complete submission from a person?

On the outside, everything was innocent. Your subordinates were called into your office and left ten minutes to several hours later with a smile. But those that were under your command knew the truth. Their hushed whispers reached the ears of harbingers and their subordinates alike

The truth is...

The truth is, your subordinates signed contracts to become your free use sluts. Not every single one, necessarily, but once the word spread about how good the sex was (and the aftercare), more contracts were eventually signed as you amassed a harem

-

The tiny electro cicin mage yelped when you harshly yanked her panties to the side, pushing your fingers into her wet hole immediately. She didn't expect to run into her boss on this particular patrol...and she was super embarrassed when you caught her stroking a finger over the panties of her uniform, gasping her boss's name as a dark spot grew on the clothing

Mewls of shame and pleasure slipped from her mouth while you sunk in deeper, knuckle deep in her pussy and scissoring your digits. The contrast of your slow fingering and the way you furiously rubbed her clit caused her to cum so fast. Her knees buckled as the slick ran down her plush thighs, apologizing for cumming without permission. “I-I'm so sorry, s-sir...I didn't mean to...just felt so good...”

Without a word, you grabbed the eager lady's ass and pulled her forward, causing her to stumble a bit. An even deeper blush spread across her cheeks when she noticed that your lips were brushing against her little pussy, as it was hovering just above your face. She opened her mouth to question you but immediately moaned instead, rolling her hips and scrambling to grab your shoulders or hair, anything to support herself while your mouth latched onto her heat

A shrill cry pierced your ears as you ripped a second orgasm from the poor girl. Her cry transitioned into panting and broken begging when you didn't stop after she came, licking her cunt just as vigorously as before while her juices flowed out

You reached an arm up to grab one of her cute tits and squeezed while your tongue worked even deeper inside of her pussy. The overstimulation caused the little thing to actually cry, staining the inside of her mask with salty tears

-

Dragonspine was known to be a harsh environment to traverse, though not quite as harsh as you were going to be with the beautiful Fatui agent that was on patrol just to the right of the snowy peak

A knife pressed against the fragile flesh of your throat as you accidentally startled your grunt, who was extremely quick to stammer out a profuse apology. “Please forgive me, sir! I-I thought– I thought you were one of those annoying adventurers f-from the Guild...” The man explained, “They've been all over me as of late...”

A single scoff was the only sound that came from you as you pushed the agent up against a rather large tree trunk. He was caged in by your larger form, a realization that caused him to tremble. The next thing that the agent knew, your firm grip wrapped around his windpipe, squeezing all of the air out of his lungs while you used his own knife to cut the man's trousers open

The sounds of the grunt's wheezing and the sloppy wet sounds of your dick fucking into his ass were loudly echoing around the area. You had lifted the agent off of the ground a bit by his neck, pinning him to the tree while you took out your frustrations (mild annoyance) on him

Multiple loads were emptied within the man's walls and promptly fucked deeper inside of him until you were satisfied with your work. Releasing your grip and letting the fucked out slut fall onto the grass, coughing and sucking in sharp breaths

Crouching down to his level, you tilted your subordinate's head up until he met your eyes. Two simple words elicited a pitiful whimper from him: “Good boy~”

-

Pacing along the soft sands of Nazuchi beach, a mirror maiden was enjoying the serene sounds of the salt water and gentle breeze when her acute sense of hearing caught something else—

“I heard you”

You let out a soft chuckle before putting your hands in the air jokingly, “Ya got me. I hope I didn't startle you too much, darling.” Immediately, the maiden's posture straightened up at the sound of your voice. She apologized for acting hostile as she had no clue who had approached her, erring on the side of caution since there had been quite a few attacks around the beach as of late

“No, no– It's my bad. I should have remembered your crazy good ears. I just–” You began, pausing for a second. Then suddenly your voice went from being several feet in front of the maiden to being directly in her sensitive ear

“–Wanted to see you for a bit, baby. I knew you'd be alone today and I um...I need a little something from you~ ” You purred, pulling the slender woman against your chest while trailing wet kisses all along her neck

The unprepared maiden spent the next hour or two bracing herself against a nearby rock while you pulled her white dress up and penetrated her fat ass. Her pussy dripped with desire while you used her ass as a personal fleshlight, groping her big tits and grunting in her delicate ears because you knew how much she loved it when you took advantage of her impressive sense of hearing

Every thrust inside of her tight hole caused the fat of her cheeks and breasts to bounce and jiggle. The maiden futilely begged for you to use her pussy too, but you had already decided that you were going to deny her that privilege today. Opting for violating her other holes and fucking her breasts if you so desired

Once you had pumped a load into her ass, you spun the woman around and pushed her onto her knees, smacking your wet cock against her cheek. The whore's mouth was the next thing to get pounded as you forced your entire length down her warm throat until it pushed you over the edge again. Your second load poured directly into her stomach since your dick was so far down her throat; poor thing didn't even get a taste of your seed this time...

-

One time, a fellow harbinger caught you railing one of your subordinates inside of your office

A cute cryo cicin mage was bent over your desk, clutching scattered papers in her nimble hands as your fat cock drilled into her sopping cunt. Wet plap plap sounds were the only thing that the other harbinger could hear — besides the mage's shrill moaning and you groaning — as your fingers curled in her hair and pulled the little thing's head up to meet their shocked face

“Soooo...”

“Either get in here and lock the door or get the fuck out.” You spat, not once slowing down or interrupting your rhythm. The harbinger stepped in somewhat reluctantly. This isn't exactly something that they expected to see...and yet, they found themselves growing hard/wet by the second. Instinctually cupping their groin as a choked moan tried to slip through

“Take that fucking cock, babygirl. Yeah, riiiiight there~ ” You drawled, angling your thrusts so that you were pounding against her sweet spot, pulling all sorts of adorable noises from the sweet mage

Your fellow harbinger couldn't stop their hips from rocking into their touch while they stroked their dick/rubbed their pussy. Not wanting to admit that the sight of their coworker fucking some grunt was actually turning them on. Though it was extremely obvious to you

Speeding up your hips, your thrusts became a bit sloppy as your climax drew closer– Railing the mage harder and causing her ass to turn pink from how hard you were slamming against her until–

“Gooood girl~ ” You growled while spilling inside of your little subordinate. Staring directly into the other harbinger's eyes while your cum painted the mage's walls white

Your coworker couldn't prevent the breathless noise that escaped from their parted lips, flitting their gaze down to your creamy cock when you pulled out of the small lady

Reblogs are extremely appreciated <3

[fqirysim]

untitled--

genre(s): angst, some fluff at the end, exes to best friends to lovers, highschool au, lowercase intended, lots of pov changes

requested: nope !

pairing(s): yang jungwon x reader, ft. yuna (itzy), and intak (p1h)

word count: 7.2k (my longest fic yet ! ) 

warning(s): cursing, underage drinking, a tiny bit of infidelity 

synopsis: you had been in love with yang jungwon since the day you met him. 

note: lowercase is intended, lots of pov changes! (read carefully so you don’t get confused lol). this took me a year to make PLEASE don't judge too harshly i put my heart and soul into this 😭. took me a year to make but could not come up with a title for the life of me, hence why it is called untitled, silly silly me. this was really fun to make though and although it took me a while to make, i'm very proud of it. lmk if you want to be added to my taglist and i will gladly do so !! special thanks to my bestie abby and my bf dean for proofreading love you both <3333

—------

you were certain this was the end of your friendship with jungwon. again. but this time you knew it would be permanent.

he was the boy who lived next door. growing up, you had always admired him from afar. the class president who everyone, including the upperclassmen, seemed to get along with.  

you had liked him until freshman year, when you got tired of pining over someone who didn’t seem to hold any interest in you. as comical as it seems, that was around the time that he had started to take an interest in you. 

and so he courted you, bringing you your favorite drink, walking you home, even coming over for dinner and hanging out at your house. this helped blossom a friendship that no one saw coming, and it wasn’t long until people started to wonder if you two were an item. 

it took two months for jungwon to muster up the courage to ask you to be his girlfriend. 

you were sure you were over your crush on him, that it was just a silly childhood crush. but as you hung out with him more and more, you couldn’t help but fall for him all over again. of course you said yes, because who wouldn’t say yes to the pretty starry-eyed boy standing before you?

jungwon was a nice boyfriend; going on dates quite often, never fought, and he would buy you flowers without being asked.. maybe the latter was why the whirlwind relationship only lasted five months. 

you remember the day so vividly, sitting on the bench at your favorite park; the same park where jungwon had asked you to be his, and here he was, asking you to break up.

 it seemed poetic in a kind of way, starting as his, and leaving as no one’s.

“i’m sorry. i’ve just lost romantic feelings,” jungwon stated, staring down at the grass as a breeze of wind came, the blades of grass swaying slightly. “it’s just that we’ve both been so busy with other things, and i guess we kinda just like, drifted apart because of it.”

“yeah, i think so too,” you replied nonchalantly, ignoring the slight sting in your heart. 

his head snapped up, your eyes finally meeting his, “wait, actually? you’re not lying?” the sound of relief in his voice made your heart feel like it was being squeezed.

“do you want to get rid of me that bad?” you instead teased with a grin. 

“no!” he exclaimed with wide eyes. “i still wanna be friends with you. i might not like you romantically anymore, but i don’t wanna like, lose the friendship we have, you know?”

“yeah,” you replied, “we can still be friends.”

and you two meant it. there were no tears, and no broken hearts (that you would like to admit). it was just a simple case of the right person and the wrong time, and as the years continued, you tried to convince yourself that it was just nothing. that jungwon was not your “right” anything- he was just your best friend, nothing more, nothing less. 

you were almost successful. until your last year of high school approached. 

you and jungwon kept your word, you stayed friends. always being seen together; walking to class, walking home, studying in the library, eating lunch in the cafeteria. 

people still believed you were together, and you always had to correct them, because no you and jungwon were no longer together and no you were not a thing.

they never believed you, though. 

there was always a small part of you that wanted to say yes when someone would ask. that you and jungwon were a thing and that he was yours and you were his. but you never did, callingyourself crazy for even thinking of doing so. 

you found yourself doing it again as yuna had asked you earlier in the week. 

yuna was the new girl this year, having transferred from jyp high. from what you heard, she was nice, smart, and she was gorgeous. you were never one to put yourself down, but you couldn’t say that you didn’t feel insecure standing next to her. 

“no, jungwon and i are not dating,” you smiled politely. it was almost like a script at this point. “we’re just good friends.”

“that’s good to hear,” yuna smiled, her eyes sparkling. “i just wanted to ask him out, but i wasn’t going to if you had a thing!”

“oh, you’re thinking of confessing to him?” you questioned. there was that little part of you again. the part that always said no! tell them you’re a thing! tell them to not do it!

“yeah, he’s in a bunch of my classes. he’s super smart and polite and he always knows how to make me laugh. and he has such pretty eyes,” she sighed dreamily as her mouth formed into a lovesick smile. 

“well, he has that effect on people,” you grinned. 

i would know, you thought.

 “i say go for it! he’s not particularly interested in anyone, you have a good chance.”

“you really think so?” she asked, eyes wide. 

god, i hope not, you thought. as shitty as it was, you didn’t want jungwon to move on. you felt sick at the thought of him being with someone else. 

“why not?” you said instead. “he’ll be at the library after school today studying, i’m supposed to meet him, but i can just tell him something came up.” 

“oh my god, you’re the best!” she squealed, engulfing you in a hug. “thank you thank you thank you.”

“you’re welcome,” you smiled, wrapping your arms around her, ignoring the green monster growing within you.

—----

it had been four days since your conversation with yuna. every time you saw him, you waited for him to bring up the date with baited breath- but he hadn’t said anything. not yet at least.

or maybe yuna simply didn’t ask him on a date. that’s what you were secretly hoping, at least.

it seemed hoping wasn’t enough. on the fifth day jungwon approached you from down the hall with those twinkling eyes and a bright smile you love so much, he seemed more energetic than usual with a little hop in his step. 

“you’re not gonna believe what happened today!” he exclaimed as he reached you at your locker. 

you could believe it. you were the one who hooked yuna up after all. yet you feigned curiosity as you looked at him quizzically, “what is it?”

“yuna asked me on a date! me! of all people! she’s so cool and smart and nice and pretty,” he said with a dreamy look on his face. 

you knew that look. the far away gaze as he thought of her. it was one you would never forget. it’s how he used to look at you. that lovesick grin and those twinkling eyes.

 it had never bothered you before when jungwon had crushes on other girls, because well, that’s all they were. they never escalated into anything more. looking at his lovestruck expression, realization hit that jungwon wasn’t yours anymore. 

you shouldn’t have thought of it that way. you should be happy for him! you should’ve been celebrating with him and cheering him on!  

you couldn’t help the bittersweet smile on your face as you replied, “oh, well that’s nice.”

his smile faltered slightly at your expression, concern slowly forming on his face.  

“are you okay?” he asked. 

“i’m fine, don’t worry,” you said, regaining your composure. “i’m happy for you! and don’t worry about spending less time with me, you’re gonna be a busy guy now! with a girlfriend…”

“okay, she is not my girlfriend. and even if she was, I would never ditch you!” 

“yeah whatever you say, loverboy,” you joked, giving him a playful nudge with your shoulder. 

“no seriously, y/n,” he replied, softly. “are you okay with yuna and i being a thing? i just don’t want it to be weird because you and i used to be a thing, and i know we’re both over that but i just wanted to make sure-,”

“what, me?” you scoffed, cutting the boy off. “what you and i had wasn’t serious, it was just some dumb high school fling.”

even as you spoke those words, you knew they weren’t true. it was more than just a fling. you loved him and maybe you still did. 

silence hung between you, the hallway getting quieter as the remaining students scrambled to their classes, the late bell ringing, leaving you and jungwon in the hallway alone. 

he looked hurt at what you said. you immediately wanted to take it back, to say you didn’t mean it and that he was your first love and you didn’t want him going on that date with yuna. 

“sorry, i shouldn’t have said that,” you muttered, not being able to meet his eyes and instead turning to close your locker. 

“no, you don’t have anything to apologize for,” he replied, as he started to back away, making his way to his class down the hall. “you’re right, it was just a fling, and honestly, it’s so weird to think of us as a couple.” 

it was like your world was falling apart around you as he spoke. did you interpret his hurt expression wrong? maybe this all was one-sided. did he not feel his heart breaking like you did? did he not wonder occasionally (or everyday) how his life would be if you were still together? did he not miss what you had?

maybe there really was nothing between you and jungwon but friendship. 

“yeah, so weird,” you awkwardly smiled, walking to catch up with him. “but you and i, we’re good, right?”

“yep, no worries,” he grinned back. 

“good,” you smiled. “so when’s your date?” 

his eyes brightened ever so slightly as you asked. he started to describe his date– how he was going to take her to the beach and have a picnic and play in the sand. 

you nodded along, your mind wandering off to when jungwon would take you on beach dates, burying him in the sand, splashing him with water and swimming away before he could splash you back. 

you looked over at the boy in question, his starry eyes wide as he talked about his date plans, his smile wide and giddy, his tone as sweet as honey as he talked about her. 

you knew you shouldn’t villainize yuna– she was a nice girl, a very nice one. it wasn’t her fault you were still in love with jungwon, and it surely wasn’t her fault that she liked him. it’s not like you could choose who you could fall in love with. 

you of all people would know. 

so you smiled and nodded along as you walked him to class, listening to him go on and on about his plans. you finally settled with the fact then and there, that jungwon would never be yours again. you had to let go. 

—--------

it has been six months since that day. the day that you had decided to give up. yuna and jungwon have been inseparable since then. 

he kept to his word though; still studying with you after school, showing up when you needed him, hanging out together. sometimes yuna would tag along, which you didn’t mind. she was fun to be around. 

you also didn’t mind being the third wheel when she was around, instead teasing the couple and even offering to take pictures for them. they were a lovely couple and they were seemingly happy– jungwon especially, and that was all that mattered. 

the school year was coming to an end, and seeing as it was your senior year, people were throwing parties almost every weekend. 

you went every once in a while, had some fun, did some underage drinking, even flirted with a couple of people. 

tonight was the party though. 

intak was throwing his first party of the year, and everyone knew his parties were legendary. 

you sat in the uber with jungwon and yuna, anticipating the night before you. you were excited, to say the least. the last time you went to a party was a  month ago, and you were ready to have fun. you even put on your best party outfit for tonight!

you arrived at intak’s house (or more like a mansion), and started to make your way inside until jungwon stopped you. 

“wait! before we go in, i think we should go over some basic safety rules!” jungwon exclaimed. 

you rolled your eyes with a small laugh as you replied, “only you would go over safety rules at a party.” 

“i’m serious, y/n, really bad things could happen,” he shot back with a pointed expression. 

“okay wonie, go ahead, we’re all ears,” yuna smiled supportively.

you ignored the slight heart ache at yuna using your old nickname for jungwon- the one you used when you were together. 

get it together, y/n you thought. letting go, remember?  

you instead smiled and nodded reassuringly at jungwon, who looked over at you to make sure you were paying attention. 

he sighed before continuing, “okay, i won’t be doing any drinking so i can babysit you guys all night. if you need to use the bathroom give your drinks to me so i can watch them. and y/n, if you leave the party at any point, for any reason, please let me know first.”

“sir, yes sir,” you muttered. 

“now let’s go have some fun!” yuna exclaimed, dragging the both of you by the wrists. 

you finally entered the house, where there seemed to be everyone from your school. even kids who graduated last year were in attendance, and as you searched the party for a familiar face that wasn’t jungwon or yuna, intak strolled over, a wide smile on his face. 

“you guys made it!” he shouted over the loud thumping of the music. he was wearing a letterman jacket with a white shirt underneath, and a pair of baggy straight legged jeans. the outfit looked so good on him that you had almost forgotten that you were talking to intak of all people. 

“you look nice, y/n,” he grinned.

you would’ve had a crush on him if he didn’t flirt with every girl he laid eyes on, and it seemed like his victim of the night was you. but damn did he look good right now. 

intak wasn’t a bad guy, he seemed harmless, not like the guys who wouldn’t take no for an answer. he just always flirted, with no intentions of making anything serious. most of the girls he talked to never knew the latter though. 

but you thought it couldn’t hurt, you were here to have fun, and if flirting with intak was the way to do it, then so be it. 

you saw jungwon step forward, about to tell intak to back off and go flirt with someone else, causing you to put your hand on his arm to stop him. 

you also noticed how yuna examined the scene in front of her; jungwon trying to be your knight in shining armor, and you with your hand on his arm to stop him. her eyes narrowed slightly in thought as you dropped your hand and turned to intak. 

“why don’t you get me a drink and then we can talk?” you smiled dazzlingly. you usually reserved smiles like that for when you wanted to flirt and get wasted, and just as usual, it worked like a charm.

“i’ll be right back then,” intak smiled, before making his way through the crowd of bodies in search of a drink for you. 

“really, y/n, intak out of all people?” jungwon questioned, arms crossed. 

“yeah, and what about it?” you replied, feeling slightly annoyed at his tone of voice. he had never acted this way towards you before, but you didn’t like it. it wasn’t his business who you flirted with. he talked to you like you were an idiot and you hated the thought of him looking down on you.  

yuna awkwardly stood between the two of you, not wanting to be in the middle of your fight, but not wanting to go off by herself at a party filled with people she barely knew. 

“‘what about it?’” jungwon mocked your voice in a high pitched tone. “you know how he is, don’t be dumb.”

“dumb? i’m here to have fun, jungwon, not to play third wheel again,” you snapped back. “and why does it matter, you’re not my boyfriend, and you’re not my brother, so it’s really none of your fucking business.”

yuna had been looking back and forth between you and jungwon, watching as you glared at each other, waiting for someone to say something. it was like watching a tennis match. 

at that moment, intak arrived, back with a red solo cup in hand. 

“a drink for the prettiest girl here,” he announced, handing the cup over to you. 

“why thank you love,” you replied with an innocent smile as you looked over at jungwon, still glaring at you, his arms crossed against his chest.

ignoring him, you took a sip of the drink you were given, your face scrunching up at the bitter taste. 

“hey intak, why don’t we go dance?” you asked, reaching for his hand. 

“that sounds like fun,” he replied with a smile of his own before you led him to the dance floor, leaving an enraged jungwon, and a slightly annoyed yuna behind you.

—-----

yuna had seen the way jungwon looked at you. she might have been a bit oblivious at first, but as time went on and she spent more time with the two of you, it became more and more apparent– jungwon had never gotten over you. 

at first yuna thought she could sway him, to get him to fall for her the way he fell for you. but it never worked. he looked at you like you were his own personal angel. no matter where you were, who you were with, how you looked, he was absolutely enraptured by you, and oh, how yuna wished he looked at her like that. 

it had been fifty minutes since your small tussle, and yuna and jungwon sat outside, occupying two pool chairs as he angrily took sips of his water. 

“it’s like she doesn’t even care, she just ran off with him knowing he’ll never want anything serious, knowing he’s gonna lead her on, and i swear when she comes crying to me, i’m gonna tell her ‘i told you’ right to her stupid dumb face,” he rambled, placing his bottle of water harder on the table than he intended to, spilling droplets in the process. 

“well, she’s young and single, and she just wants to have fun baby, there’s nothing wrong with that,” yuna replied. “and she has a point, you’re not her brother or anything, so why do you care so much?”

jungwon  looked up at yuna, not being able to ignore the bitter tone in her voice, “wait, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

“i’m not on anyone’s side, i’m just asking as your girlfriend why you care so much. because honestly, if i didn’t know any better, i would think that you were still in love with her,” yuna sighed, exasperated. 

“i am not in love with her, i like you!” he exclaimed, way faster than he should have. 

yuna wanted to believe him. she wanted to ignore every bit of doubt in her body and believe every lie he fed to her, but she couldn’t. not when she knew you loved him too. it was heartbreaking, really. to watch the person you love pine over someone else. but it was even worse knowing the feelings were reciprocated. 

“don’t lie to me, jungwon,” she deadpanned, feeling her eyes start to water with tears of frustration. “i see the way you look at her, and i know for sure you haven’t gotten over her. you have never once looked at me the way you look at her, and if you like her, just say that. just say that and we can end things here, without having to make this any more heartbreaking than it already is.”

yuna didn’t want to cry. the last thing she wanted to do was cry, but the feelings of anger and embarrassment had overwhelmed her, causing a few traitorous tears to spill. she was angry at herself for letting it get this far, for falling in love with a boy that she knew would never love her back. 

but she was also embarrassed. embarrassed that she had even tried to make an effort, that she had thought she could win him over. 

she wiped her face with the back of her hand, only for more to spill out, a sob fighting for an escape from her quivering lips. 

jungwon raised his hand to wipe the tears away for her, to cup her face and tell her everything would be okay and that he was sorry. but what was he sorry for? sorry for trying to keep you away from intak? or sorry that maybe yuna was right and he did still love you?

just as he opened his mouth to speak, you stumbled out, words slurring and barely able to walk as you stumbled your way over to them. 

“hey guys!” you exclaimed, as a worried intak came rushing out the house behind you. 

“oh god, y/n, are you okay?” jungwon asked, immediately walking over to your side to support your stumbling figure. yuna would have felt bitter over jungwon rushing to your side faster than he had ever run to hers. yet, despite the devil on her shoulder that told her to be petty, she instead felt worried for you. you could barely even stand up straight.

“what the fuck did you do to her?” jungwon asked, throwing an accusatory look at intak.

“nothing dude, i promise! she was the one who wanted to drink, she had like 5 drinks within the span of like, 10 minutes,” intak replied, panicked. “is she going to be okay? does she have a way to get home safely?”

jungwon looked from yuna to you, who was falling asleep just standing there.

“just take her home,” yuna sighed. “i’m not gonna make you choose because we all know who you’d choose every single time.”

“yuna it’s not like that,” jungwon groaned. “listen, i’ll bring her home, and then i’ll come over tomorrow and we can talk this out, okay? i promise.”

“okay, just get her home safe first,” yuna replied. 

you might have been the biggest obstacle in her relationship, but you were still a nice girl, and you had technically done nothing wrong, so yuna had no reason to want to keep you and jungwon apart. you were also wasted as fuck and there was no way you would be able to get home by yourself without something horrible potentially happen to you. 

jungwon grabbed his almost full water bottle from the table he was sitting at, muttering that he would “need it to sober you up”.

he gave yuna one last reassuring smile before he walked away, you on his back as he tried his best to carry you home. 

yuna sighed as she watched you go. she felt like something bad would happen today, something worse than her argument with jungwon, and she wanted nothing else but to go home and cry. 

all she could do was trust jungwon, even if she knew she already lost him, even if she knew she was never a contestant in the first place.

—------

jungwon almost did it. 

he almost carried you all the way home, but his legs felt like they were gonna give out once he reached the park near your house, and he decided then and there that he needed a break. 

he sat you on the playground set, sitting beside you with a huff. 

you were awake by this point, taking long sips of the water bottle jungwon had given you. you wanted to sober up by the time you got home, but it wasn’t really working, with your words still slurring slightly and your mind all dizzy.

the two of you sat in silence as you gazed at the stars and jungwon thought of his argument with yuna. 

maybe she was right. 

even now, as he glanced over at you, studying the stars, his heart skipped a beat and he felt his face warm up. 

“do you remember when you asked me to be your girlfriend in this park?” you chuckled. “we were so young then, it feels like forever ago.”

jungwon was thrown off by the sudden conversation starter, but still smiled, “yeah, i remember it very well. i felt like i was gonna throw up because i was so nervous.”

you turned your head to look at him and giggled as his smile grew wider. 

“what, what are you laughing at?” 

“nothing, i was just so in love with you then. i used to think that we would be together forever and ride off into the sunset in a carriage.” 

jungwon inspected you as you talked, trying to decipher if there was any meaning behind your words or if it was just the liquor talking. 

“i just thought we were some high school fling?” he half-joked as he nudged you with his shoulder. he didn’t want it to seem like he was serious if you were sobering up. 

he felt his heart start to race as he stared at your slightly flushed face from the drinks you had, your hair fluttering as a soft breeze blew by. you were everything that jungwon had ever wanted, and here you were, telling him how much you used to love him. 

wait, no, what the hell am i doing? jungwon thought to himself. it wasn’t fair to yuna. it was already unfair to her that he only started to date her to get over you. he thought that if he dated her long enough, he would stop loving you and love her instead. 

and he genuinely thought it worked. fuck, he thought. i’m such a shitty person. 

until he saw you with intak, flirting, dancing with him, laughing at his jokes, he had never felt so jealous in his life, and yuna had noticed. and she was upset, which was fair. what wasn’t fair was jungwon using her to get over you. 

use. he hated the icky feeling that word gave him. 

“i lied,” you muttered, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“what did you say?” jungwon asked, making sure that he had heard you right. 

“i lied,” you repeated, eyes on everything but him. “i loved you, and i think i still do.” 

your eyes finally met his as you continued, “you are everything to me, jungwon. i’ve been in love with you since forever, and i only agreed to break up because you said you wanted to.”

jungwon could feel his heart starting to beat faster as he searched your eyes for any hesitation, any sign that this was a lie, or some sort of joke. his heart beat so fast he felt like he was gonna explode as he looked into your eyes, so earnest and so genuine and so filled with love that he knew you had sobered up. 

you reached for his hands in his lap, interlacing your fingers with his. 

“i can’t keep this from you,” you breathed. “i love you, yang jungwon, and i know you’re dating yuna, but i just have to tell you that i love you, that i always have and it’s okay if you don’t feel the same. i don’t expect you to leave her for me or anything, but i can’t help it anymore. i love you, i love you, i love you.”

silence hung over the two of you as he tried to form a coherent sentence after your confession. it felt like suddenly his brain didn’t know how to make him talk, to make him say i love you too, or to make him do anything, really. 

a minute passed, and then two as jungwon searched your eyes with the same desperation yours had– desperate to love and to be loved by the person sitting in front of you. 

jungwon didn’t know who leaned closer first. he thought it was you but maybe it was him. he didn’t even feel like he was in control of his body as he leaned closer and closer, his hand moving to hold your face, searching your face for any hesitation, for any kind of doubt.

 you were so close that he could smell the perfume you sprayed before you left your house and the drinks that you had earlier that night. 

impatient, jungwon finally closed the gap between the two of you, your soft lips colliding with his. he could have kissed you forever, wanting to stay forever in time there. until realization hit him.

yuna.

he pulled away abruptly, your eyes still closed as you chased his lips with yours. he would have found it cute if he weren’t trying his best not to panic right now. he just kissed you. while he was still dating yuna. 

he thought of the look on yuna’s face if she found out– the angry, hurt expression that she had at the party, and even worse, the tears. he would break the poor girl’s heart. 

“i should go,” jungwon breathed, quickly standing up from his seat beside you. “it’s almost past my curfew.”

“wait, jungwon,” you said, grabbing onto the sleeve of his shirt before he could walk away. “i think we should talk about this before you go.”

“yeah, we can talk later,” he replied dismissively. “i just need some time to think.”

you opened your mouth to say something else– anything else to make him stay, but closed it as you saw he was already speed-walking in the direction of his house. 

you thought that you would lose him forever after your breakup.  you had almost lost jungwon once, and you were nearly positive that you won’t be so lucky to keep him this time. 

you felt sick to your stomach, and you didn’t know if it was from the drinks or from the events that had just occurred, but nonetheless you felt nauseous. 

you hunched over as you started to gag, your vomit flowing out of your mouth, tears streaming down your face. 

you wiped your mouth with your sleeve, rinsing your mouth out with water as you started to tear up. 

before you knew it, you felt sobs rising, your nose stuffed from crying,  your throat getting dry from the sobbing. the embarrassment and sorrow was finally catching up to you– all of the years of repressed love you felt for jungwon, all of the embarrassment from him leaving after you confessed, embarrassment from being a homewrecker– it all came crashing down on you. 

you couldn’t go home like this. you were sober enough to know that, with your tear streaked face, ruined makeup, and vomit smelling breath your parents would put two and two together. 

your hands shakily reached for your phone in your back pocket, dialing your brother’s number and waiting for him to pick up with baited breath. your brother was your only hope. 

“hello?” 

“chan?” you breathed into the phone. “i need to sleepover at your place.”

—----

yuna hated this. 

the waiting, the feeling of dread as she sat on her bed, awaiting jungwon’s arrival. 

the fight that had ensued was horrible, but she believed she made a valid point. if he likes y/n so much he should just go be with her, she thought bitterly. 

jungwon had texted her last night at around 1 in the morning, just to make sure she got home safe. yuna didn’t respond. she instead left him on read, still pissed off from the fight.

she used to get butterflies when he would send her texts to make sure she got home safe. but now she didn’t know if he did it because he liked her or if it was just out of common courtesy. 

yuna was about to just walk to his house herself before she heard a knock on her door. 

“hey it’s uh, me,” she heard jungwon’s muffled voice through the door. “is it okay if i come in?” 

“yeah, let’s get this over with.”

she couldn’t meet his eyes as he walked in, striding over to the corner of her bed. yuna hated waiting, but she now felt dread as the pair sat in silence for a bit, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. she had sat nowhere near him.

 usually she’d be cuddled into his side, but she instead opted to sit at the head of her bed, seemingly as far away from him as possible. she was worried that if she was too close to him, she’d crack; she’d look at his doe eyes and forgive him and that would ruin the entire point of her argument. 

“so,” she cleared her throat, interrupting the silence. “did y/n get home safe?” 

“yeah, she’s at her brother’s apartment. he texted me when she got there.”

 “‘when she got there?’ did you not walk her there?” 

“no, he picked her up from the park near our houses. but anyways, i have something important to tell you.” 

yuna felt even more dread seeping into her as he finished his sentence. she should’ve seen this coming from the start. here it comes: the breakup. 

“i kissed y/n last night.” 

yuna’s eyes widened in surprise. she had expected the breakup, yes. she knew jungwon was emotionally cheating, but now he was physically cheating? 

“wait, are you being serious right now?” she laughed in astonishment. she couldn’t believe the audacity of the man sitting in front of her. 

“i know it’s bad. i feel horrible, because an amazing woman like you should never be treated as horrible as i’ve treated you, and i am so so sorry,” jungwon started, tearing up from how bad he felt. “all of the apologies in the world could never make up for how i’ve treated you. i’ve made you feel terrible and i’m just making it worse by breaking up with you to be with her.” 

“i love y/n, yuna. and i’m sorry that i didn’t tell you, or that you had to find out for yourself before i even knew. you are so so perfect yuna-,”

“but i’m just not perfect for you?” she replied, tears starting to form as she breathed those words. 

the silence that followed was more than enough to answer her question. 

she hated this. she hated this so so much. but she didn’t hate you, or jungwon. she just hated how love worked, how she had to fall in love with the one boy who couldn’t love her back. she hated that she gave her heart away to a boy that was never going to belong to her– not fully. 

she wanted to scream, to throw something, hell, maybe even hit him. she instead took a deep breath, composing herself before she said, “okay. go be with her then.” 

jungwon looked over at her, wanting nothing but to comfort yuna. he may not be in love with her, but he did love her, and he still cared for her. 

“i’m sorry, yuna,” jungwon said instead. “you’re an amazing girl, but you should never be anyone’s second choice, and i’m sorry for making you feel like mine.” 

yuna couldn’t even look at him, fidgeting with the strings of the hoodie she wore. 

“just leave, please,” she muttered. 

she didn’t want him to see her cry, he had already broken her once, she didn’t want him to see her fall apart again. 

with a guilty expression, jungwon hurried away, also not wanting to see her cry again. he felt gross. he felt disgusted with himself for treating her that way. he didn’t like the person he was with yuna, and he felt sick thinking about how heartbroken she was; how she was so hurt that she couldn’t even look at him. 

—------

it has been two weeks since your kiss with jungwon, and you hadn’t heard a word from him since. not a single call or text, hell, he didn’t even acknowledge your existence when you walked by him in the halls. 

you had seen yuna around, but seeing as jungwon wasn’t joined at her hip like he used to be, you assumed that things didn’t end quite so well between the two. knowing that you were the cause made you want to never show your face ever again, especially because of the dirty looks yuna’s friends have been giving you. 

you were relieved it was the last day of the school year; you’d never have to see yuna again and feel the guilt at seeing the sadness in her eyes. 

you walked into the bathroom, wanting to wash your hands after eating your lunch, when you saw yuna, touching up on her makeup in the mirror. she looked at you through the mirror above the sink, before going back to her makeup. 

the tension was so thick you didn’t know if you should just leave or hide in a bathroom stall until she left. 

“i’m not gonna bite, you know,” yuna chuckled. 

you smiled back nervously as you started to make your way to the sink. 

“yuna i’m really sorry,” you sighed, mustering whatever courage and dignity you had left. 

“it’s okay,” yuna replied, finally meeting your gaze. “although it was wrong for you guys to have kissed, i saw the breakup coming from miles away. he was never mine to begin with.” 

you were taken aback just by how calm she was, with the way she spoke those words with such elegance and grace. she had every right to be angry with you, to yell at you and call you a homewrecker. 

“even if you did think you were going to break up, that still doesn’t excuse what i did, and i really am sorry,” you said, trying to project every feeling of sympathy and sincerity you could in that one sentence. “i’m not asking you to forgive me, or jungwon, but i just wanted to tell you that you really are a cool person, and you’ve always been so kind to me, even now. all of this for a boy, and he hasn’t even talked to me in the past two weeks.”

“wait, he hasn’t reached out to you at all?” yuna asked, confused. “i thought he would say something to you at least.” 

“did he say he would?” you replied, confusion reaching you as well. 

“no,” yuna replied, fixing her hair in the mirror. “i just assumed so because he’s in love with you.”

once again, you were stunned by her nonchalance. “he’s not in love with me.” 

“don’t be silly,” yuna smiled softly. “i can’t tell if dating jungwon was the best or worst six months of my life, to be honest.” 

“don’t get me wrong, he was a good boyfriend,” yuna backtracked quickly after seeing the guilt on your face. “he did the usual boyfriend stuff, and he really did try, but i could just always tell that his heart was always yours.” 

you couldn’t meet yuna’s gaze as she said this, your face hot with shame. you felt so bad for her, and you didn’t quite know what to say in response. 

“i’m sorry that things ended this way,” you finally said. 

“it’s okay, it was gonna happen sooner or later,” yuna replied. “but if i’m right, then you should probably go talk to him, he’s probably going insane with guilt right now over me, and over you. bro’s got a lot on his plate.” 

you gave a small chuckle at the last sentence, making yuna smile a bit. 

“well thank you for the talk yuna, but i’ve gotta go. i think i need to go find jungwon.” 

yuna felt her heart break a bit at the words, but she smiled anyways and said bye as she watched you leave the bathroom. yuna didn’t know if she was supposed to cry or feel happy for you and jungwon, but she did know that she was right. again. she knew his heart had always belonged to you. anyone could see that. 

—--------

trying to find jungwon was easier than you expected. he was sitting on a swing, at the park that you became his, then wasn’t his anymore, and then confessed your love to him. there was so much that had happened at this park that it made your head hurt a bit just thinking about it. 

“is it okay if i sit here?” you asked, motioning to the swing beside him. 

“of course you can,” jungwon replied. 

the two of you sat in silence.

“i don’t think we should be friends anymore,” you finally spoke up. 

he jerked his head to look at you, shock coursing through him. “wait, why not?”

you took a deep breath before saying, “i can’t be friends with you anymore because i’m in love with you. there hasn’t been a moment since i’ve met you that i haven’t been.” 

his heart skipped a beat at your words. 

this was it, this is what you’d been waiting for since the day you laid eyes on jungwon. but you didn’t think it would go quite like this. you sat there for a moment as jungwon studied you, and you wished he would say something, anything. 

“but did you ever consider how i felt?” he finally asked, his voice cracking ever so slightly. “have you ever considered that maybe i’ve felt the same way?” 

you felt your breath catch in your throat as he continued, “i’ve seen you everyday since we were five when your family moved in next door. but i didn’t really see you until freshman year, sitting in class by the window, your hair flowing from the breeze that came through, doodling in your notebook instead of paying attention to the lesson. and when you caught me staring, you smiled and waved, and i swear i fell in love with you that day. that day, i knew my heart would always be yours.” 

“so please,” jungwon pleaded. “please, do whatever you want with it. you could break it a million times over and it would still be yours.”

now this, this was exactly you had always dreamed of. 

you couldn’t stop yourself from kissing him, trying to convey all the repressed love you’ve had for him for years through the kiss. you loved him. you loved every single part of jungwon, every flaw, every imperfection, everything that made him him. 

“so does this mean we’re official?” jungwon grinned as he pulled away, a playful look in his eyes. you smiled back, feeling the heart eyes in your gaze and the way your heart melted just by looking at him. 

“took you long enough.” 

[polarisjisung]

BEST THING I NEVER HAD

synopsis: the line between giving up and seeing how much more you can take had always been blurry, tonight it seems nonexistent

wc: 3.1k

pairings: jaemin × fem!reader

genre: angst, hearbreak

warnings: mentions of violence, jaemin's injured, use of petnames, jaemin's oblivious and annoying, jaemin sucks, basically a situationship, slight gaslighting

notes: HAPPY JAEMIN DAY, i have a love hate relationship with this work (I suppose you could say its bittersweet 🤭) anyways here's part one! pls notice the beyoncé inspired title

Despite its softness, you can't help but jump at the sound of knocking against your front door.

just loud enough that you'd hear, but quiet enough that your parents wouldn't. It was a specific pattern of 5 knocks, delivered through the knuckles of an index and middle finger, in true jaemin fashion.

You wonder if its healthy, to be able to recognise the hooded silhouette that stands outside your door, to know someone from nothing but the tapping of their knuckles against a slab of wood, to know exactly the state you'll find him in if you swing the door open like you usually would.

It isn't, you suppose. but healthy had never been the word to describe you and jaemin. not the ungodly dessert bowls you made as midnight snacks together, not the lounging around all day doing nothing and certainly not the cycle of longing you found yourself in.

Time and time again you found yourself tearing yourself apart for him, for his love, and each time it would end with you slowly putting those broken pieces, shreds, of yourself back together, alone and all by yourself.

Though you're not sure you did ever recover fully, like a piece of your heart was lost every time jaemin turned his back to leave and never come back.

Like the tiny fragments of a broken glass, the ones you could never quite see as you sweeped up a mess of shattered glass and would find yourself stepping all over days later.

But he did come back. You suppose that was the problem, he came back every time.

Jaemin had this perfect ability of keeping you on edge, never pushing you far enough to leave, never pushing himself far enough to stay. It was the way he did most things, showing up at your door at a time you weren't sure was morning or night, coming back just before you'd manage to convince yourself he wouldn't, leaving just before your hope that he'd stay would come true. jaemin took this middle path in life that lead to the worst of both worlds, best of none. and it left you unsatisfied every time

Regardless, you'd been craving, almost desperate for his presence, anticipation bubbling in your chest every night since the last you'd seen him, in hopes you'd find a wounded jaemin helplessly stood at your doorstep with sparkly eyes and a smile that told you it would all be alright. it seemed that was the only way you saw him anyways, the way you hated most, injured that is.

So you'd prayed day and night, clasped your hands together and had gotten down on your knees and begged that he'd stay true to his word, that he wouldn't leave and that this wouldn't happen— yet here you were.

You haven't seen jaemin in weeks, but you still remember it all the same, the spark of glee that would ignite within you whenever you heard him at your door.

Tonight his presence makes your chest tighten and your mouth dry up— you feel the way your breaths force themselves through the confines of your throat, almost choking you.

The feeling is foreign and a sharp contrast to the way your cheeks would flush over and your heart would once race at the thought of jaemin.

Tonight you stray far from that love struck awe, eyes clenched so hard you were beginning to see colour. there's a growing lump in your throat that doesn't seem as negligible as before, with each shortened intake of breath it doubles maybe even triples in size— your vision, in spite of your shut eyes, blurrs into an abyss of absolute nothingness

And despite the thick wooden door that separates you, tonight na jaemin's presence feels suffocating.

You're not sure you'd describe it as love, certainly it wasn't that warm feeling of butterflies in your stomach and giddiness you knew before, like you were star struck, instead it was this feverish conjugation that made your hands clammy and your ears ring. Like the butterflies now had broken wings. You felt ill.

It had always been that way, only your heart would wrench after jaemin left and never while he stood expectant on your front porch. You suppose when he leaves for so long and stays for so little, your heart doesn't bother to acknowledge his visits anymore, like some form of a self-defense mechanism that protects you against yourself. because you never really could protect yourself against him

Suddenly, the difference being lovestruck and lovesick had never been clearer.

It had been three months.

A whole three months since you'd last seen him and tonight, tonight was the night he came back— unannounced, unexpected, and finally, finally, after days and weeks of convincing yourself, unwanted.

You know better than to let him in, not just into your home, but into your heart. And if you had learnt anything in your lifetime of knowing na jaemin, it was that those two were absolutely synonymous

Your heart that had only just now begun to learn that it could survive without him, thrive without him in fact.

You know that this is it, tonight would make it or break it— either way you know it would break you.

In the long run, it's not hard to figure out what you should do but you're a creature of habit, compelled by nothing more than muscle memory and indecision.

Your shaking hands reach for the door and begin turning the lock faster than you can convince yourself against the idea.

sure enough there he is, not an inch of skin that isn't painted in the cold shades of purple and blue yet hes staring up at you with so much warmth.

"How do you always get yourself like this, how do you get worse everytime" your words came as whisper.

You're not sure if your words hold the alternate meaning you hope they do, but as you take in the image of jaemin in front of you, you swear he's almost unrecognisable, so far beyond bruised that you wonder if you should be so cruel as to slam the door in his face.

He shrugs in response to your question, the cold breeze that brushes past the two of you biting at your skin, the thin material of your pyjama shorts doing little to nothing to keep your warm.

You're not supposed to let him in, but surely, you could always find a way to push him out, right?

There's some sort of a cheeky grin on his lips as you step aside to let him in, perhaps if he knew this was the last time he'd be stepping through the double doors of your home he would've worn an expression a lot different— you hoped he would at least.

But you know better than to occupy yourself in thoughts of what ifs.

Jaemin makes a beeline for the couch, as you do for the first aid kit that rests atop the kitchen cupboards, wordlessly.

Though the silence is nothing new, jaemin doesn't feel the welcoming atmosphere around him as he steps further into your home, in fact he feels nothing at all.

He looks over at you.

It's not tiredness that sits atop your features, the details of your pretty face all committed to his memory, yet the slight furrow of your brows and the way your lips pinch into a tight line aren't familiar to jaemin at all. There's something he can't quite put his finger on that sends him into a frenzy of panic and worry

"Hey doll?" you hum in response "are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" you chuckle wryly, "shouldn't I be asking you that jaemin?"

"Touche" you assume he lets it go, but jaemin doesnt know how, pushing a little further

"You just seem a little, off?"

After all, limits weren't something jaemin recognised well

You hate that he can't recognise the plain, simple and painfully obvious look of disappointment that's written all over your face either

Regardless you don't worry enough about his words to credit him with a response, rubbing the antiseptic roughly into his skin before reaching for the tube and letting it fall into the empty trash can, the thud as it hit the bottom filling you with ease.

You hate waste just as much as the next person, but wasting a little medicine was fine, just as long as you didn't waste anymore time on him.

Jaemin's brows knit together in a tight knot, watching you make your way back towards him with full consciousness, though there's something about the way you walk, trudge even, maybe its the way your feet drag across the carpet or the way your steps seem smaller, less eager, that has his heart sinking a little

"Doll, I'm not sure you meant to put that there" he says, attempting to brush a stray hair from your face, though you turn your head before he gets the chance

"Hmm?" your eyes trail over to the bin "oh, I just thought if I'm never going to use it again, there's no point keeping it around" you shrug

But you always kept it around, you kept it for him— remember he was allergic to the regular stuff.

What did you mean you'd never use it again?

Jaemin licks his lips, letting a soft sigh escape them as he watches you hurriedly place band aids over his cuts

"What's got you like this?" he says, you play innocent, shooting a look of confusion his way— jaemin doesn't expand, you don't answer

The room is cold, or at least it feels that way, despite the fire that's burning just a few feet away from him. The chill of silence is overwhelming, and the warmth you'd once emit in your words, in your actions, in your gaze, they're all missing.

"Did I do something wrong?" he whispers, innocent beady eyes forced into your face as he holds you close, not letting you slip through his hands— ironically you're already too far out of reach

All it takes is for you to bite at the left corner of your bottom lip for jaemin to know you're deep in thought

You wonder if he's just playing oblivious or if jaemin really and truly thinks that his little back and forth games don't have any consequences.

Either way, you shake your head at him— it wasn't all his fault.

Really you had no one to blame except yourself, you should've known better than to be so vulnerable to the likes of him.

You know better than to tell him what's wroong. You know that you can't risk receiving an apology from him, because if he made even the slightest inclination to sorriness, you'd accept it.

That's how you loved him. How much you loved him.

At one point you swore you'd let him drag you down to hell if it meant you could hold his hand on the way down— you're not sure the life you're living is much different though

You're not entirely sure you wouldn't let him drag you down now either, but the lack of certainty is the only push you need to know that this time, it's your turn to be selfish.

"All done," you whisper, his wounds quickly tended to with little precision and perhaps even less care, absentmindedly wrapped in a loose gauze.

This time, jaemin catches onto the ulterior meaning of your words, watching the way you head towards the staircase.

"Doll, talk to me what's wrong?" it's that tone laced with all forms of concern and worry that has the tears welling in your eyes

If jaemin hadn't reached out for your wrist and stopped you, you'd have made your way back up to your room without another word

But he does, he does stop you and it stops you from walking away

"I don't think I can" you say and all jaemin can do is tug at your wrist to finally get you to face him, a dull expression on your face. Every feature he knows and loves and remembers contorted into a look of nothingness.

"Y/n, please"

"Just go jaemin, you know the way out" you sigh, your speech is tired and lacks energy, a deep reflection of your soul and how you felt about the routine the two of you had established. If only Jaemin could see that.

"I can't just go when you're so clearly upset" he says— oh, but he can

You knew that better than anyone else.

"You let yourself believe that"

The words come as a whisper, like you almost hope he doesn't hear them, fast off the tongue but meant with true intent

And to jaemin they tasted bitter, superficial, like you didn't speak with your heart, but your mind, the sweetness he knew of your speech so severely lacking.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're so oblivious to how—" for a moment you're ready to tell jaemin all there is to know about the two of you, but you know its no use, jaemin would feed you the sweetest lies and you'd mistake them as the truest of promises.

"Actually you know what never mind what I mean, just go jaemin" you sigh, raking your fingers through your hair

You take his silence as reason to continue, maybe because talking is the only thing you know will keep the tears in your eyes from falling or maybe it's the look in his eyes that urges you to continue

"We're stuck in this never-ending loop, can't you see that?" the control you had over the volume of your voice diminishes with each word, but you're not sure you care, "just stop jaemin"

"Stop what?"

"Coming back" you suck in a harsh breath "just leave like you always do but this time, don't come back, please please please don't come back" you hate the way your voice cracks and your speech almost falters, burning your throat.

"I'll do whatever you say doll, just tell me what this is about and I prom—"

You cut him off before he can let the word fall from his lips, eyes widened before being clenched shut in the span of a few seconds

"Don't promise jaemin, you never stick to them" you sigh again "just go"

"You know I can't"

"you do it every time, what makes this time so different?" your tone is sour and jaemin knows better than to dispute your words, harsh but so painfully true

"You're upset" he tries, but it doesn't seem enough when you scoff right in his face and the feeling that follows only makes you hope you'd done this all so much earlier.

"Yeah? well that's nothing new, just walk out the door and break my heart like you always do— I'm begging" you shut your eyes, a harsh deep breath taken in before you continue "I need time to heal, you never give me time to heal, so I'm begging you this time, just don't come back"

"Break your heart?" the words echo from his tongue in fragments, like he's still piecing together your sentences to make sense of them. Jaemins eyes are soft and glossy as he looks up at you a couple steps away

"yeah"

"But I love you doll, I only come back because I love you" that's something you wish jaemin could've said sooner, maybe it would've meant something then.

It's a lie, you know it is, you're sure it is and despite all the lies he tells you, you'd never wished more than this for his words to be true.

"Then stop" you say, trying to shoot off up the stairs but jaemin's fingers remain wrapped aorund your wrist, grip firm and unwavering

"So what? you're just going to throw it all away? all this time we've known each other, all the memories, you're just going to pretend it doesn't exist?" he finally argued back, mouth slightly ajar as his breaths grew deeper "like we don't exist?"

"We don't jaemin, reality is that you're not mine and I'm not yours as much as I let myself be— you and I we just don't work" you wonder if he's even listening when he turns his head, scoffing to the floor with a tongue running across his inner cheek "we're not good for each oth--"

"How can you know that when we've never even tried" his voice is loud, the loudest you've ever heard, a deep booming from the pit of his stomach that has you reeling back, gulping as he cuts you off

"I don't know about you jaemin but I tried jaemin, I did but now I'm tired"

"How can you be tired of us?" his voice shakes, he seems feeble despite what he was just a few moments ago— you realise it's one of jaemin's best tactics, making you pity him when it's the last thing you should be doing.

Somehow despite how aware you are of it now, your heart still wrenches at the thought of upsetting him.

"it's not us" you defend, knowing full well that that's exactly what it was " I just, I don't deserve this jaemin, I don't deserve someone who keeps coming back" the glossiness of his eyes grows further " I deserve someone who never leaves"

"Then why are you telling me to go?" his eyes are telling, red and his heart, even if just for a moment rests on his sleeve.

"Because I know you, you're not capable of staying. You can't" his grip loosens, he takes a step back and though he argues again, you know this is it.

"I can. I will. I'd do anything for you" he says, and you swear your gulp is audible, you almost hear it echo through the room. Your stomach churns. You feel the way your insides tip upside down and back over again at the site of jaemin's furrowed brows and narrowed eyes, those pouty lips that you once loved bruised and trembling. His gaze though fixated on you is aloof, like he's not present at all. Suddenly it all feels too real. The way he pulls back, the spark in his eyes dimming and the confidence in his stance diminishing. Jaemin was giving up. But he wasn't giving up without a fight.

"You would?" you don't know why you ask, but jaemin nods anyway, and perhaps it soothes your broken heart ever so slightly to live in the blissful ignorance of thinking that his words were true. That he meant what he said.

To think that he ever loved you, even if for just a fraction of a moment, gives you reason to believe that this had all been worth it.

But you know better than to let a moments love turn into a lifetime's regret.

"Yeah" jaemin's words escape him in a sharp breath.

He finds himself holding onto the last thread of hope in your eyes that tells him that you feel the same. He holds your stare in his own for a while and though it was not warm, and it certainly was not kind— it was loving. And love was all jaemin had ever known from you.

"Then go" You say, and despite the various other words resting at the tip of your tongue, it's all you say.

Jaemin is left to do nothing but watch. You had taught him love, and now you had let him go.

The front door slams shut before you reach the top of the stairs, and it finally hits you that this is it.

Jaemin was gone, and just like you asked, he never came back.

permanent taglist : @sinisxtea @dearlyminhyung @nanawrlds

[fuctacles]

Just like Cinderella

happy bday to my Prince Charming @blasvemous M | 3.3k | crack treated seriously, meet cuteugly something, idiot4idiot, humiliation kink mentioned | Ao3

"Shit, fuck!" Steve lets himself have one last glance at his wristwatch, and of course, it instantly proves to be a mistake. 

He runs straight into someone's back, and it punches all the air out of his lungs. He's stunned for a second, and can barely hear a rushed apology. He thinks he mutters back 'No, it was my fault', and by the time he blinks back into reality and crouches to pick up his bag, the guy is gone. 

But not all of him. 

On the pavement, right under his bag, he finds a... something.

It's made of metal and intricate, and not his. He picks it up and straightens up quickly, in hopes of seeing the guy he ran into. There are a lot of people rushing about, though.

"Hey!" He picks up his pace again, hoping to spot the person he ran into. He remembers long hair and a mix of citrusy shampoo and cigarette smell. Not much else. Nobody turns their head as he runs through the morning crowd, so he stuffs the item deep into his bag and focuses on the initial goal of rushing to work. He can worry about this all later. 

On his break, he takes the thing out of his bag to take a better look. It looks well-made and could be expensive, but he has no idea what it could be. It reminds him of old egg beaters, but he doubts that's what it is. Maybe a toy? One of these educational puzzles for nerds, like a Rubik's cube? Or! It could be a replica of some sci-fi movie gadget. Like the sonic screwdriver that Dustin made.

He probably should just ask around. 

His usual go-to, the self-titled oracle and part-time scholar Robin Buckley, had no better ideas than him. She turned the thing in her fingers, cradling it delicately like an eggshell, while humming and hemming. 

"Looks like a tiny brace. Maybe for a york's paw? The guy could be a vet," she offers. 

"Maybe," Steve nods, not convinced at all. He doesn't want to think about a little dog with a broken paw somewhere out there, its bones unprotected. "I was thinking it could be a kitchen utensil?"

Robin puts it on the desk between them and stares at it intently. 

"Like what?"

"I don't know," Steve shrugs, embarrassed to share his idea. "Like an egg beater?"

Robin continues her loud thinking but in the end, leaves him with nothing. 

The thing weighs him down on his daily commute, waiting in the bottom of his bag for the day he finds its owner. Steve isn't even sure if he would recognize him. Them? After a week he wasn't even sure it was a guy. 

The workload doesn't give him a break either, and once Friday finally arrives, he makes a detour on his route home to grab a drink or two. After his first drink, he checks for any loose change he could put in the tip jar and his hand finds the Thing. He pulls it out with a sigh and puts on the bartop with a small clunk. As he reaches out to put what he's found in the jar, he hears a very concerning and loud choking sound. 

To his right, a long-haired guy is wheezing his lungs out, fist-punching his own sternum. Steve immediately leans over the empty stool between them and starts smacking his back to help.

"Jesus, you alright? Went down the wrong pipe?" He looks around the man, but all he sees is a glass of beer, so hopefully he didn't get a peanut lodged in his windpipe. 

The man lets out a really gross phlegmy cough, clears his throat, and takes a shuddering breath.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he wheezes out. "Just, uh, you know. Didn't expect to just turn around and see, uh, that." He spares a tiny glance at the Thing in front of Steve. 

Steve immediately brightens up, hoping to finally get an answer to his predicament. He swiftly moves to the empty seat, drink and Thing sliding along the bar with him. He sees the man wince while he's still facing forward like he's afraid to take a proper look. He takes a drink of his beer, this time slow and cautious, and Steve can see the redness spreading from his cheeks down his throat.

"You know what it is?" Steve asks hopefully, leaning closer to him. 

The man freezes, and maybe it wasn't in his best manners to just sit down next to someone without asking, but it's already happened and Steve is kind of desperate. 

He gulps down the beer, no accidents this time, but his voice is still strained, when he asks incredulously:

"You don't?! No, you know, that actually explains it. Take them damn thing off the bar for the love of Merlin."

Steve, while taken aback by the sudden shift and being ordered around by a stranger, stuffs the Thing away from peering eyes. 

"Why? What is it? Something illegal?" Fuck, why didn't he think about that? 

But the man is shaking his head.

"No, but I'm pretty sure the bartender wouldn't appreciate it."

"What is it?" Steve presses on.

The guy finally turns to him and Steve can see him in all his glory. Black leather, long hair, and a pair of truly soft brown eyes that don't match his overall vibe at all. And they stare right at him like they are trying to look straight into his soul. He's searching for something for a long, drawn-out moment, before he deflates, eyes skirting away, but he keeps facing Steve. 

"Really?" he mutters, mostly to himself. "It's a fucking cock cage, man."

"A fucking cock what?" Steve asks once he gets his voice back.

"You heard me. I'm not repeating myself," he says with a scoff, eyes falling to Steve's bag. His knee starts jumping up and down restlessly. "Where did you find it?"

But Steve had questions of his own.

"Is it like, a medical thing?" he asks. 

The looks he gets back would make him believe an alien just popped out of his forehead and started dancing Macarena. He frowns defensively.

"What? I've never seen something like this!" 

"It's a sex thing," the man responds mercifully, watching him closely. 

Now it's Steve's turn to gauge his eyes at the man. He looks briefly down at his bag like the thing could just grow tentacles and have its way with him. 

"How? Why?" he asks, mouth twisting at the images flashing in his mind. "How do you know that?"

The knee never stops jumping. If anything, it becomes more erratic. 

"Uh, I know guys who are into it." The man looks away again. 

Steve rolls his eyes. Sure. He knows a guy.

"So since you know some guys," he plays along. "Maybe they know more guys and they could ask around if anyone has lost one of these?" he suggests. "Now I want it off my hands even more."

The man scoffs, almost amused. 

"Could imagine. I could take it from you and just hand it over to them, make things easier for you," he offers, glances at him, and then shrugs.

Steve recoils at the idea.

"That? No, It's my fault the guy lost it, I wasn't looking and ran into him. I need to make sure it goes back to the right hands."

The man hums, drumming his fingers against the bar. 

"I want to be there when you ask random people if they are missing their cock cage."

Steve presses his lips together. 

"Stop saying that."

"What?" He tilts his head, looking amused. "Cock cage? Like the cock cage you have in your bag?"

"Yes. That."

He raises his hands placatingly. 

"All I'm saying is I would be embarrassed as fuck if I was the idiot who lost it. Would be hard to come forward and admit it," he says, raising his shoulders. 

Steve huffs, slumping against the bar.

"Fuck, you're right."

"I know," the man murmurs back and they quietly sip their drinks. 

"There must be places where it isn't that weird to admit it," Steve thinks out loud. He looks to his bar companion for confirmation but he's frowning at the liquor display in front of him, lost in thoughts. Steve hopes they aren't about him. The guy had a good profile and a cute nose.

"Hey." He nudges him gently with an elbow. 

"Hm?" The man turns, his frown melting away so he can raise his eyebrows curiously.

"Do you know any fetish places where I could leave a poster or something?"

The man only stares at him blankly. 

"You're gonna make posters," he states more than he asks.

"If I have to." Steve shrugs. 

"You sure you don't want me to just take it off you?"

"Nope."

"We could exchange numbers and I'll let you know when I find the owner."

Steve thinks about that. 

"You could lie, though," he points out. 

He huffs, annoyed. 

"I totally absolutely could," he agrees with a resigned nod like using logic pains him. Then, he sighs. "I could buy it off you?" he finally offers. 

Steve's taken aback.

"Why do you want it so badly?" He frowns at him.

"I just want to do you a favor, man!" He rolls his eyes. He's almost angry and 100% done with this conversation, it seems, as he downs the rest of his drink and slides off the barstool. 

"Tomorrow at ten, in front of the bookstore on John Paul. Bring your silly posters and I'll show you some kink shops and bars."

Steve blinks at him.

"That okay?" the man asks, tongue darting out to lick his dry lips. 

Hesitantly, Steve nods. 

"I guess that's my best shot. Thanks, man."

The guy nods.

"Don't mention it."

Then he turns and leaves, hands buried deep into his pockets, and Steve realizes he hasn't even asked for his name. 

He regrets not taking the guy on his offer to take the thing off him when he had the chance. Because he wouldn't be stuttering his way through explanations while his temporary companion revels in his embarrassment like it's the gods' nectar. 

At least now he knows his name is Eddie. 

Eddie pretends to be interested in the little display of nipple rings while Steve tries to convince the shop owner to hang his little poster saying "fetish gear found". The man finally yields, as do two others, thus concluding the number of sex shops in the area. 

"The bars don't open until late but we can try the Hangover before we part."

"What's that?" Steve asks, following Eddie anyway.

"Also a bar, but they serve hangover food around noon. They have the best bacon and won't tell me where they buy it from." He frowns like it's some personal feud. 

"Perfect. I can buy you lunch for helping me." Steve grins at him.

Eddie seems surprised at first but then smiles widely. 

"I won't say no to free food. This way, my good man!"

The place is a hole in the wall but really cozy. It seems like the same guy who took their order is cooking it and there's only one other person, with a coffee refill in front of them and a plate of... something unrecognizable under every possible sweet topping. 

"I gotta show this place to Robin, she'll love it," Steve comments while looking around. The inside looks like It was never fully finished or whatever purpose it served previously didn't require it. The walls are rough bricks, the windows old and probably drafty, and the only part of the floor that isn't rough cement is the dancefloor. 

But the collection of LED signs, mismatched couches, and a sunflower mural softened the rough interior. Steve will definitely come here again.

They get their own jug of coffee and Eddie pours for both of them.

"Girlfriend?" he asks with a raised eyebrow. 

Steve rolls his eyes in a very tired way and Eddie almost chokes on his surprised laugh. 

"Geez okay, not a girlfriend then."

Steve chuckles dryly. 

"Nope, just my best friend. We play for different teams."

Eddie eyes him curiously but he doesn't elaborate on that. He clears his throat. 

"Well, in that case, I should tell you that all the places I've shown you today are queer-friendly."

"This included." The chef must have heard that last sentence. He places their food on the counter. "There you go, little gays, bone apéritif."

"I'm pretty sure that's not how it goes," Eddie murmurs, immediately snatching a piece of bacon off his hash browns. 

"It is how it goes if you want more free coffee," says the chef as he turns around. 

"Your French is immaculate, Benjamine!" 

Steve makes an ugly snort at Eddie's terrible French accent. The man seems to be very proud of his little theatrics.

For a moment it's just the sound of forks against plates and the distant radio playing in the kitchen. Eddie finishes first, almost inhaling his food like he's a human vacuum, and pours himself more coffee. 

"You wanna go to the bars too? Later?"

Steve chews on his bite thoughtfully. 

"I think if you give me the addresses I'll be good to go on my own. You've already done so much, man."

Eddie is stunned into silence. This is not the answer he wanted. He licks his rapidly drying lips, looking for a good excuse to keep tagging along. 

"Uh, are you sure?" 

"Yeah, don't worry about it. You've wasted so much time on me today. I don't want to completely ruin your weekend." Steve smiles at him. 

"It's not a problem, really—"

"No, man, I wouldn't feel okay dragging you around." Steve shakes his head. 

"First of all, I'm dragging you around," Eddie huffs. "Second of all, it's the first time a man this pretty spent so much time with me and hasn't run for the hills. Let me have this."

Steve frowns at that information.

"You must have shit luck with men." 

"Tell me about it," Eddie murmurs into his coffee. 

"So it would be a date?" 

Eddie turns to him, eyes wide. But Steve holds his gaze.

"I mean, it would be nice." Eddie tugs on his hair nervously. "We can do the posters thing and then just have fun for the rest of the night, no?" he offers. 

"Absolutely." Steve smiles reassuringly. 

"Awesome." Eddie grins.

Steve spends hours figuring out his outfit. It's his first official date with a man, he has to look good. He therefore makes the mistake of calling his best friend. He nods along as she tells him what exactly to put on (How she has memorized his wardrobe is a question he doesn't want answered.) and then clears his throat when she takes a breath. 

"What if I don't want to attract women?"

There's a pause and then—

"My my, Steven, finally going for it?"

"You could say that."

"Where are you going? A bar? What's the vibe?"

He sighs. 

'We're kind of bar hopping, he's showing me around the area."

"Back up, back up!" she yells in his ear. "We?! You're not just going out? You have a date?"

"Yeah," Steve more breathes than says. He has a date. It's slowly dawning on him.

"Who is he?" Robin asks impatiently and he can easily imagine her curling up in her armchair for gossip. 

"His name is Eddie—"

"Okay, sounds normal."

"—he has this long, wild hair, and tattoos—"

"Okay, less normal."

"—but he is normal. A bit awkward, kind of dorky, not at all how you'd expect a guy in a leather jacket to be."

"Huh. Okay, maybe I won't find you in a ditch somewhere. I want a call when you get back, no later than tomorrow morning. At noon, I'm calling the police."

Steve rolls his eyes fondly. 

"Of course, Robbie. But can we focus on the matter at hand?"

In the end, he goes the Freddie Mercury route, with a tank top that shows off his chest hair, and tight jeans. He throws a colorful shirt over it to fight off the night chill. Eddie looks pretty much the same as earlier, though his band t-shirt looks a bit tighter. 

"Steve," he sighs instead of a proper greeting and Steve's face falls. He looks down at himself. 

"What? Is it that bad?"

"Darling, you're gonna get eaten alive. How am I supposed to fight off all of the bargoers?"

Steve laughs in surprise, feeling himself blush.

"I guess you'll just have to hold on to me."

Eddie's eyes sparkle under the setting sun. 

"Don't have to tell me twice," he says, pulling Steve inside their first location. "I saved my favorite place for last. But we can stay wherever you feel like."

Eddie stays true to his word, parading Steve around like an arm candy, their elbows hooked together. Only on their second bar does he realize something is amiss. 

"You didn't bring your posters?" he asks curiously, cocking his head. 

Steve hums next to him, sipping on the colorful drink the bartender recommended.

"Do I need them?"

Eddie's visibly taken aback by the question. He frowns at Steve. 

"Didn't you want to find the owner?"

Steve nods, unfazed. 

"Yeah, and I did."

Eddie's face blanches. He opens his mouth before closing it abruptly, his frown deepening. 

"What? When?" he asks, barely containing his panic and immensely confused. 

"Earlier today." Steve shrugs. "Haven't given it back yet, though."

"Oh, thank gods." Eddie visibly deflates. Steve raises his eyebrows at that, so he rushes to add: "It's great that you found him so fast." He forces out a smile. "Who is it? Did he know what it was?" The poster was purposefully vague so the person calling in would have to say what they'd lost. 

Steve shakes his head, raising the drink to his lips to prolong the suspense just a bit more. 

"It's you."

Eddie's brain short circuits. He's stunned for too long for his forced laugh to work. 

"Hahah, what?" 

Steve smiles at him and since he's feeling extra merciless tonight, reaches out for the man's neck. Eddie looks close to fainting but Steve doesn't relent and rubs a thumb across his jugular, observing him shiver before he pulls him in by his nape. He leans in to press his nose to Eddie's skin, fingers digging into the roots of his hair, where lingers the smell of his shampoo. Artificial lemon and cigarettes. He must have taken a shower before going out. 

"You smell just like the guy I ran into that day," Steve explains close to his skin as he traces it with the tip of his nose. Slowly, he moves away. He's a bit worried he moved too fast, but Eddie's cheeks are red and his eyes are fixed on his mouth, so he relaxes back into his seat. "And if I had any doubts, your reaction just now dispelled them all," he finishes with a smirk. 

Eddie groans, hiding in his hands.

"This is the most embarrassing date in my life and once I wore my shirt inside out."

Steve laughs but reaches out to put his hand on Eddie's knee to weaken the blow. 

"Don't worry, it's working on me."

Eddie pushes his fingers apart to peek at him. 

"Really?"

"Surprisingly, yes." Steve nods. "I hope it works out, preferably long enough so I can tell about our first meeting at the engagement party." His smile turns wide and teasing. "We'll put Cinderella to shame."

Eddie groans, but it sounds more pained this time. 

"Careful," he says heatedly. "My humiliation kink is flaring up," he says, aiming for humor, but something new wakes up in Steve and he cocks his head with a fake pout.

"Poor baby. You wanna go hide your shame somewhere more private?"

Eddie presses his lips together, breathing deeply through his nose. 

"Can we?"

Steve finishes quickly his drink and slides off his bar stool. He feels the pleasant buzz of alcohol and Eddie Eddie Eddie. He leans in for a quick, impulsive peck against his pink lips.

"Of course." He grins. "Let's go."

[maxwellatoms]

Sorry to bother you again, Max, but have you noticed that [adult swim] has been airing some (though not all) Season 6 episodes in their original widescreen format? Just asking beause you previously noted Underfist as "the only HD thing we did" months before [as] started their Checkered Past block.

None of Billy & Mandy was widescreen. I know that because I was begging for widescreen, as were most of the other creators. Instead, CN decided to crop the top and bottom of the screen so that Boomers wouldn't think the black bars on the sides of the screen meant their TV was broken (I kid you not).

So I'd guess that's the version you're seeing?

It's a weird way to eat cornflakes, man.

That whole debacle landed us with storyboard panels that had two action safe lines, two title safe lines, and a vague shape that encompassed both places the CN "bug" might be. In the end, you were left with this tiny actionable screen space which made it really difficult to stage characters. Especially ones that some fool designed to be one and three-quarters heads tall.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Welcome to a topsy-turvy Wet Beast Wednesday where I'm discussing one of my favorite cnidarians, the upside-down jellyfish. These are 8 species of jellyfish in the genus Cassiopea, which is the only member of the family Cassiopeidae. What makes these jellies notable is the fact that they spend most of their time lying upside-down on the seafloor.

(image: an upside-down jellyfish swimming. It has a light brown and white striped bell and multiple tentacles that are tuck and white. The tentacles branch and are lined with feathery, light brown structures)

While the majority of jellyfish are predators who drift through the water at the mercy of the currents, upside-down jellyfish have essentially become farmers. Their eight branched oral arms that contain symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae. These algae are photosynthetic and live in a mutualistic relationship with the jellyfish. The jellyfish gets food from the zooxanthellae and they get protection from predators and a place to live. Upside-down jellyfish can survive entirely on the nutrients produced by the zooxanthellae, but they will still feed on zooplankton and other small prey. Upside-down jellies are not the only jellyfish to utilize zooxanthellae, many other species also survive primarily on their symbiotic algae, but they are the only ones to have adapted the benthic lifestyle. They can reach a bell diameter of up to 25 cm (10 inches), or as one source for this stated: about the size of a pie pan.

(image: multiple upside-down jellyfish lying on sand. They are ov various sizes and mostly light brown, but have thicker, green tentacles sticking op)

Upside-down jellyfish are found in warm coastal waters in Florida and the Caribbean and in Micronesia, Melanesia, and parts of Polynesia. They require shallow waters to allow enough light to reach their zooxanthellae and are usually found on shady or muddy bottoms. They are highly associated with mangroves and may play an important role in the mangrove habitats by mixing the water to recirculate oxygen and nutrients. They are rarely found alone, instead congregating in large groups that can cover portions of the seafloor. They attach by using their bells as suction cups and rhythmically pulse using the edges of the bell. This pulsing forces water over the gills and can force zooplankton into the stinging cells to become food. Stung prey will fall on the oral tentacles, where it is broken down into fragments that are then intaken through the numerous tiny oral openings on the tentacles. Interestingly, some species have cycles of reduced movement, which is believed to be the first known example of sleep in an animal without a central nervous system. While upside-down jellies can swim, they will usually only do so to escape predators or if their environment becomes unsuitable.

(image: an upside-down jellyfish swimming. The majority of its body is light brown, but it has many tentacles that are dark blue and outlined in white)

While a very neat thing to see underwater, many snorkelers avoid upside-down jellyfish due to a phenomenon called stinging water. This is when people will receive the symptoms of a sting by the jellyfish without actually touching it. While the cause of this was a mystery for a long time, it was solved when a 2020 paper was published in Communications Biology by Ames et al. The scientists discovered that upside-down jellies release clumps of mucus into the water. This mucus is filled with zooxanthellae and stinging cells and many of these clumps also have ciliated cells that allow for limited swimming. These clumps, named cassiosomes, are the source of the stinging water. The paper, titled "cassiosomes are stinging-cell structures in the mucus of the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana" speculated that the cassiosomes are used for defense and feeding. The cassiosomes could be released to sting a potential predator from a distance, discouraging it from approaching the jellyfish. Presumably snorkelers trigger this defense when they swim over the jellies, resulting in stinging water. They could also be used to catch prey as zooplankton killed by the stinging cells would have a high likelihood of falling onto the jelly that released them. Because the cassiosomes have zooanthellae in them, they could survive for likely up to several days after release.

(image: a microscope image of three cassiosomes. They are irregularly-shaped blobs somewhat similar to popcorn. They are a dark color with grey outlines. Spots of green algae and white stinging cells dot their surface)

Upside-down jellyfish are threatened by habitat loss as many mangrove forests are torn down for development. They are also threatened by pollution. They are not considered dangerous to humans. The sting of an upside-down jellyfish can result in mild to severe rashes and itching, but is not lethal.

(gif: a lone, light brown upside-down jellyfish on black sediment. The edge of its flat, circular bell regularly pulse upward to move air over its gills and tentacles. This one's pulsing has slowed, which is speculated to be the result of it going through its sleep cycle)

[batchilla]

Chapter One - Till Death Do Us Part

Till death do us part. The words swim in Jason’s mind as he lays in bed beside you, the wedding band heavy on his finger, a once comforting weight now seeming to burn, as though the metal of your shared promise made manifest was burning the very flesh of his hand, stoked by a fire of guilt and worry. 

Till death do us part. 

Sometimes, he had wondered how he got so lucky, how you could be so foolish as to pick him. 

He was scared, he was broken, he had done terrible things. He didn’t deserve anyone as good as you. As kind. As … forgiving. He might have deserved you once - he had met you a lifetime ago, a bright eyed boy wonder still growing into his mantle as Robin, a teenage Jason Todd so sure he could change the world, because he was Robin, and Robin made him magic, a force for the better. Maybe that version of him deserved you. But that boy is long dead. 

Till death do us part. 

Except you hadn’t. He had died. You were parted. Yet when he came back, there you were. Reaching out a hand of love and understanding as soon as you knew who he (as the Red Hood) was. Batman - No, it was a personal, emotional call - Bruce. Bruce had called you in, because if anyone could help pull him out of the spiral he’d been in, you could. You did. You didn’t save him - no one person did. His family did, and he did. 

Till death do us part.

You were family, he’d realised. His rock. His best friend. A title that felt utterly shallow compared to what you were to him. Roy became his best friend… and you his world. His family. You were more than just his girlfriend… and after a proposal on the snowy grounds of Wayne manor on christmas morning, his fiance, and then his wife… Until the day the doctor confirmed your pregnancy, you had made up the whole of his world, which only grew when little Mary was born. 

Till death do us part. 

You’d always known the risks. Even when you were kids, when he was still Robin, rescuing you every few weeks when your mothers position as a judge got you in hot water, you had been aware of how much worse falling for him could make things for you, and you had fallen regardless.  You knew when you first held his hand and kissed his cheek, first been spotted by the Gotham paparazzi with a Wayne, first helped stitch him back together after a patrol gone wrong, you knew the risks. To him, and to you. You might be used against him. He might not come home one day. 

Till death do us part.

Jason turns to his side, watching you sleep. You looked so happy. So peaceful. You looked like you knew you were safe - and you were. He’d die again before anyone touched you. Either of you. 

He stands, slowly and quietly, so as not to wake you as he creeps down the hall to the nursery, where Mary lays sleeping. The room is glowing faintly green from the glow in the dark decals on the wall, and the unicorn nightlight by the bed illuminates her sleeping face. He doesn’t lift her out of the tiny, child size bed - she was a light sleeper, and given she was rather energetic, getting her to sleep again would be difficult, as tempting as it was to hold her in his arms, never to let go. 

He’d cried when you told him, and when he held her for the first time - and quite a few subsequent times. She had grown so much, and yet she was still so small. So small. A sad smile comes to Jason’s face. His little cherub… his baby girl… he’d never, ever forgive himself for what happened today.  

Till death do us part. You both had wanted this. He had wanted a family with you. In his dreams, Mary would be the first of at least three. Maybe when they were older they’d take up their own mantles - maybe they’d live normal lives. He’d adore them regardless. He’d watch his kids thrive as he didn’t get to until Bruce. He’d be the father he never had, loving and attentive, and thanks to his … previous extra legal activity and Bruce’s habit of spending his billions irresponsibly when it came to his kids, they’d want for nothing.  You’d move to a city a little safer for raising kids.  He’d retire the Red Hood when you both got older and you insisted, protesting, but secretly glad to finally be able to spend his evenings curled up by the fire with you. Maybe he’d write a book. Maybe he’d get a dog. There were a dozen maybes that were each as lovely as the last, but the only certainty he’d known for this beautiful future he’d dreamt up is you’d be at his side. 

Till death do us part, afterall. He’d meant his vow, just as you had meant yours.

Today, that had changed. Roman Sionis had changed it. It had been a standard patrol, when a man in a dark suit approached. Best Jason could tell, which really meant the best Oracle could tell, was the man was a PI, a civilian. That plausible deniability on whether or not he truly understood who exactly had paid him was the only reason he was still breathing. It had been a close call. 

The man had handed Jason an envelope, inside it a blurry photograph. 

It was you, sitting near the window of the penthouse apartment Bruce had given Jason and you as a wedding gift, feeding Mary. A message scrawled in black ink on the back lists your name, your place of work, and a musing that it would be a terrible thing for an example to be made out of a pair of innocents if the Red Hood couldn’t stop sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. 

Jason still wanted that life. Roman Sionis had made it clear it could never be. 

He’d kill him. Code be damned, no one threatens his wife and child. 

But that would take time, time where you and Mary would be in danger. 

 You had known the risks, on one level. Both of you had. But when it became real, no longer theoretical…

Staring down at his sleeping daughter, Jason makes a choice.

The next morning when he drops Mary off with Alfred at the manor, so he knows she’s safe, and so that you too can properly talk, without needing to worry about her while you have what is surely to be the worst morning of either of your lives. “Thrilled as I am to see the young miss,” Alfred says, taking the bottle bag, Diaper bag, stroller, cuddly robin toy and the child that bears his mothers name, handling the sudden handoff with deft proficiency, “Might I suggest master todd that if you and Ms Todd wish for alone time you kindly call ahead?” On another day he might have laughed, but not today. 

His shoulders slump ever so slightly, and he shakes his head. “Not exactly that kind of alone time Pennyworth.”

Seeing the look on Jason's face, Alfred quickly hands little Mary off to a passing Cass, ushering Jason into the kitchen and pressing a cup of tea into his hands. “What’s happened lad?” It rushes out of him like word vomit, like bile forcing its way up his throat as he recounts it all. 

The photo. Roman. The threat. As long as you are with him, as long as he is in Mary’s life, as long as Roman Sionis is alive, you can never be safe. How he needs to divorce you, and how he needs Bruce’s help, Barbra's help, hell, Dick’s help, everyone's help, to make the story convincing enough for Roman, and how he has no idea how the fuck he’s going to tell you. 

He hopes desperately to be scolded that he’s being dramatic. For Alfred to say something pompous about how he’d be a fool to do this. The way Alfred instead rises from his seat at the table and pulls him into a hug, is the final nail in the coffin for that hope, as Jason cries into his grandfather’s shoulder. 

[leighsartworks216]

And All I See Is You

Harvey x gn!Farmer

Inspired by "Thank You" by Dido (Title is from the lyrics). I just,, domesticity really gets me ya know?

Warnings: cold, shivering, nudity mention

Word Count: 1,529

Masterlist

AO3

Another chill shook your body to the core, chattering your teeth and numbing the tips of your fingers and toes. The persistent drip drip drip of water onto the floorboards mingled with the downpour outside, just behind you. A gust of wind blew at your back, as though the weather were endeavoring to reach out and pull you back in. You swore as you forced the door shut. You breathed shakily as you leaned against it.

Familiar footfalls came from further within the house, unfaltering as they approached you, though the pace was a bit quicker than normal. In moments, something fluffy and warm was wrapped around your shoulders. Large hands pulled the edge of the towel over your head to dry your hair and cheeks.

"I was wondering when you were gonna come inside," Harvey said. He sighed disapprovingly, but it was quiet enough it didn't seem like you were truly burdening him. "Yoba, you're soaked to the bone!"

You hummed noncommittally. The only thing on your mind was all the warmth around you. Honestly, it began to burn, like coming inside after playing in the snow all day. Your body shivered violently at the temperature shock as he rubbed at your shoulders and arms. "Buncha fences were broken. I wanted to fix 'em up before the animals found them first."

"It could have waited until morning," he chastised lightly. Hell, he'd probably fix them himself tomorrow. He enjoyed helping around the farm where he could. A medical degree didn't exactly lend itself to farming, but model-building shared some things in common.

He paid no mind to the trail of water you left behind as he guided you past the fireplace and into the bathroom.

It was nothing special. It had a combination shower and tub, a toilet, a sink. Everything you'd need to take care of your basic hygiene. When Harvey moved in, you'd embarrassedly asked Robin if she could make it a bit bigger. She'd practically glowed with ideas as she promised to be right on it, scrambling for blank blueprint sheets and pencils. Still, it was only a small adjustment to make the standing room a bit wider.

He reached past you to turn on the water so it could start heating up, before planting a kiss on your damp forehead. "Get undressed and-" You opened your mouth with a smirk, but he pressed on before you could interrupt. "Get warmed up. I'll grab you some fresh clothes. Tea, coffee or cocoa?"

You reluctantly pulled the towel from around you and hung it lopsidedly on the towel rod. He helped peel cloth from skin as you struggled to pull your shirt off. Memories of hot summer days at the pool or beach, and trying to put your wet swimsuit back on after it had time to grow cold. It was a similar experience, with the same frustrations.

"Cocoa," you finally decided. It was autumn; you might as well have some seasonal whimsy to end the day. "With marshmallows. The tiny ones."

He grinned affectionately, nodding like he already knew exactly how you'd want it to prepare. (He did.) "Alright. Cocoa it is."

Once you were bare, wet and hugging yourself for warmth, clothes in a heap on the tile floor, he urged you into the tub and under the spray of the water. It was a bit warmer than you usually liked it, but it felt too damn good to turn it down. You sighed with relief as you turned your face up to the shower head, letting it all rain over you.

In the background of your mind, you were vaguely aware of Harvey leaving and the door shutting. It opened again briefly, and shut once more for good.

You lost track of time in there. Thoughts of all you had to do scrambled with the steps of washing your hair and body. It could have been ten minutes or an hour before a knock came on the door, with a muffled call that your cocoa was done. The agony of leaving the nice hot water into the cold, unforgiving world was easier knowing you were seconds away from tiny marshmallows.

When you did step out, a fresh towel was hung up next to the one from before. It was warm. On the toilet lid was a neatly folded pile of clothes, also warm. No doubt he'd run them through the dryer for a few minutes for you. That warmth seeped into your heart, emboldening your love for the man.

Steam poured out of the bathroom after you. You worried for a moment about your nice, fuzzy socks getting wet, only to find the puddles you left to be swept away. His thoughtfulness truly knew no bounds.

You followed the smell of chocolate through the air to the living room. Harvey was already sat on the couch before the fire with a steaming mug on the coffee table and a medical journal in his hands. He looked up when you rounded the well-loved furniture and plopped into his side. He didn't think twice before pulling the knitted afghan off the back of the couch to drape over you. And you didn't think twice about grabbing your mug - your mug because it was covered in junimos, won from the fair with more points than it was worth - and cradling it close.

"Warmed up?"

"Mmm. Just about."

You could feel the upturn of his mustache as he kissed your temple.

Nothing was said for a long while. Nothing needed to be said. The fire was crackling away in the brick fireplace the cabin had had since you'd moved in, the rain and wind sprinkled on the roof and pressed at the windows demanding entrance, the marshmallows melted in the drink and your mouth as you eagerly sipped away - it was perfect.

You rested your head on his shoulder, mindlessly scanning the pages he was on. Some of the words (a lot of them, actually) were foreign to you, even as you tried to make sense of them from context clues and diagrams. Others were familiar; you were sure he rolled his eyes when you saw "buttocks" and snorted. But you didn't need to understand it. Not like this, anyway. You knew how to slap together a splint in a jiffy and how to put a bandaid on a scratch, and that's all you needed to know. A farmer's lifestyle didn't exactly lend itself to medicine, but you could make your own life elixirs and puzzle what was wrong with an animal without a vet needing to drive all the way out here.

Mug drained, belly full, and eyes droopy, you snuggled closer to your husband. You abandoned the warmth of your blanket to drape an arm over his stomach, and turned your face into his chest with a sigh.

"Bedtime?"

You nodded slightly with an affirmative hum.

His book closed with a dull thud. Harvey nudged you as he reached forward and slid it onto the table by your mug. He pressed a hand against your hip, encouraging you to stand up.

With a heaving sigh, you forced your eyes open and supported your own weight once more as you leaned off of him and dragged yourself to your feet. It had to be past midnight by now; you only ever got this sleepy past midnight.

Harvey kept a hand on your lower back as you walked together through the house to the bedroom. Once there was room to walk together, you pressed yourself into his side, one of your own hands on his back and rubbing mindlessly up and down his spine.

He eased you onto the bed, so you wouldn't go flopping down face first into the comforter. As he rounded the foot of the bed to his side, you gratefully slipped under the blankets and sunk your head into your pillow. You watched with fading consciousness as he slipped his glasses off of his face and turned off his bedside lamp. He relied on muscle memory and touch as he pulled back the blanket and climbed into bed with a soft groan that made you smile.

Once he settled with a sigh, you scooched closer to him, until you were safely in his arms and your head rested on his shoulder. Closing your eyes now meant well and truly ending the day. There'd be no waking up until that damned rooster crowed in the dawn of a new day.

He rested his cheek on your head. The arm wrapped around your shoulders rubbed lightly over your tricep. The twinkling tags of your pet's collar hitting together announced its presence as it hopped onto your bed. The press of paws through the blanket as it circled around and finally plopped down over your feet.

You sighed contently as you sank further into your husband's warmth. You closed your eyes, letting go of the day for good as you submitted to your dreams.

The next morning you awoke to a few more repaired fences, your animals all fed, the pet bowl full of water, and Harvey dripping wet in the doorway with a bashful grin.

[redactedrem]

You know what? Fuck you. *Ponifies Batman*

Guys I'm so excited to share my newest project of ponifying the Batfam, it started out small with the hypothetical "I wonder what Batman would be like in a mlp universe." And then the project kept getting bigger and bigger.

If anyones interested in my world building/ headcanons surrounding this project, you can see it under the cut. (I didn't want to make the post too long.)

Incase anybody couldn't read my bad handwriting, I gotchuuu.

-(First pic) Bruce Wayne: Bruce had got his cutiemark the night of his parents death, after the grief had broken his spirit and he realized that he never wanted anypony else to feel the same pain as he does. (He has a fake cutiemark to cover up his obvious destiny)

- The first pic is pretty self explanatory, but I want to make it clear that Bruce's destiny isn't "My parents are dead so now I dress up as a bat and beat up mentally ill folk". Because I've seen people on here give hot takes on cutiemarks that directly link them to a ponies destiny.

This goes for specifically in the mlp fandom but (for the sake of being on topic) I'll use the the example of that one post where someone gave the hot take that Jason would get his cutiemark in the warehouse right before he dies (or after he dies? smthing like that) because "It would be really fucked up to know that you were always destined to die." And listen, I can appreciate some good Jason Todd whump as the next guy but knowing that this would be based in a mlp universe . . . just doesn't sit right with me.

It sounds less magical that way. Its like saying that Rainbow Dash was always meant to be the fastest flyer, so theres no point in trying to compete with her. So uhm, trying to stay on topic here. My personal hot take is that a pony's cutiemark is symbol of something that they do/ a skill or talent that they have that makes them happy. And whats a more magical and fulfilling destiny than doing something that makes you happy for the rest of your life?

Looping back to Bruce, he didn't get his cutiemark the moment his parents died, but I like to think that he got it sometime later on in the night. After hours of being checked on by the police, getting looked at by the paramedics, and after Alfred took him home. Its 1:40ish in the morning and tiny foal-Bruce is just staring at his bedroom wall feeling numb and dissociated to hell. And sometime after processing everything that night- he just decides that this is the worst thing that has ever happened to him and that he will do anything to make sure that nopony will ever feel the same pain that he has felt. And then-- Ta da!! Cutiemark!! Too bad neither he or Alfred got to experience the excitement when they both saw it the next day :')

(Edit: I didn't know where to put this detail, but Bruce's fake cutiemark is based off of the "Make It Wayne" TV logo from this fanfic here )

-(Second pic) The Bat: This is heavily inspired by Flutterbat, I know theres canonically already a race of bat ponies made from Lunas stunt as Nightmare Moon. But I chose to go through with the Flutterbat route because batponies are a race, and have bat-like features 24/7. In comparison Fluttershy maintains her pegasus appearance by day and transforms into Flutterbat at night (ALSO with there being implications that there are "Triggers" for her transformations in the day too!!) Which adds the "Vampire." right in front of her batpony title.

I might do a lil comparison chart between vampire batponies and regular batponies in the future or something. But for now I'm focusing on my batpony Bruce Wayne headcanons so yea. My point is that I felt like making Bruce a "vampire" batpony would give him a more solid secret identity with also the bonus of a really metal origin story.

Now we all know that the canonical origin story of batman is that a few months after the tragedy of his parents death, Bruce had fallen into a cave? a well? a pit? of bats and triggered a fear of bats since then. Later on he decides to become Batman so he can invoke the fear of bats he once had into the criminals of Gotham. Yadda yadda yadda.

Now canonically, we don't know the exact science on how Fluttershy turned into Flutterbat. What we do know is that at the time, pony magic is not researched enough for Twilight to be aware that Fluttershys "Stare" is her own form of pony magic and that it would interfere with Twilights spell.

Do you see where I'm getting at here? Uhmm don't ask me what exactly happened in the cave, I'm doing this for fun and thinking about it too hard makes me spiral. But uhmm something something- Bruce looked at a bat in the eye and decided to embrace his biggest fear to fuel his cause, and his already traumatized and fucked up pony magic had transformed his body- something something. (Edit: I didn't think about this until now but maybe Fluttershys "Stare" and Bruces "Bat Glare" could be a usage of the same form of magic? Just a thought)

I'll probably come up with a more suitable explanation in the future, but like I said. All of this is just for fun.

[pandorxxx]

A warm welcome

Lo’ak(22) x Metkayina fem reader(19)

Warnings: cursing, slight corruption, p in v, intense orgasms, creampies, DOM-LO’AK, slight age-gap, an angry Aonung at the end.

Synopsis: when Aonung chooses to bully the new family in town, lo’ak doesn’t take it too well. No need to worry though, lo’ak has something that’ll shut Aonung up for good.

🔞Mdni🔞

His walk was confident, long strides with a purpose behind them. Revenge beaming with each step. The 2 free flowing braids that hung down his face were dancing with every harsh step. A sadistic grin plastered across his face with a grip on his fathers cam so tight, he could’ve broken it.

It was about time to teach aonung a lesson for the way he treated him, and his family. Calling him a four fingered freak, and telling him he would never be one of them. He had enough. And finally, he had something that was gonna shut Aonung up for good.

“Lo’ak! You four fingered freak! Didn’t I tell you not to come to this side of the beach?” Aonung teased. With one final step towards Aonung, lo’ak outstretched his hand that held the camera. A devilish smile plastered on his face that made Aonung curious.

“You’re Right, bro! My bad. I just came over to say sorry for hitting you….sooo many times.” Lo’ak joked, making Aonung scoff.

“Here. A PEACE offering. I know I’m a four fingered FREAK, and all, but I made this…just for you.” Lo’ak went on, sounding sincere, nudging the camera into his hand.

Aonung titled his head in curiosity, grabbing the camera out of lo’aks hand. Aonung glanced back up at lo’ak in confusion. Lo’ak rolled his eyes, before reaching over to press the playback button…

Aonungs eyes went wide when he saw his sweet stepsister pop up on the small screen. Her innocent little body sitting on a rock in the middle of the night. She seemed happy, a smile plastered across her face as her legs swung back and forth.

“What the fuck is this?” Aonung asked, his voice becoming serious. “Ohhh, I don’t want to spoil it, just keep watching. I’ve gotta go, but I’ll catch you later , bro!” Lo’ak spoke sarcastically, hitting Aonungs shoulder before walking off. Leaving Aonung there to wonder what the hell he was watching.

-Video plays-

You met lo’ak where he asked you to. When you got to the location, you noticed his camera standing on a tripod. You were always very curious about his human things, and he never had a problem showing you.

You climbed up on the rock, feet dangling about 8 inches off the ground. You were really short, considering the fact that you weren’t the height you were going to be. You were younger than your siblings. You just turning 19, and being the baby of the clan.

“You’re just gonna follow my lead ok?” Lo’ak asked, stepping behind the camera to turn it on. You nodded with an innocent grin, watching the red dot flick on.

“So, tell everyone what your name is baby.” He commanded in a sweet tone. You nodded, obliging to his statement.

“Uh, m-my name is y/n.” You spoke, your sweet voice beaming through the night breeze. He stood up to his full height slowly, crossing his arms around his broad chest.

“That’s such a pretty name. Tell everyone who you are.” He proceeded, watching you through the tiny lense.

“Well, I’m Metkayina. My mother is ronal, my step father is tonowari. The chief of my clan. So I guess that makes me a Princess, right lo’ak? Like how you’re technically a prince.” You went on, with a beautiful smile that showed off your dimples. This was only supposed to be “get back” for Aonung, but he couldn’t help how you made him feel. You made him laugh, you were so sweet to him. And that was something very hard to find in a place like this.

He shook his head with a little chuckle. “Yeah, I guess that does make you a Princess, huh? You’re so pretty like one too, ya know?” He asked, stepping closer to you, his back towards the camera as he looked down at you.

“Am I? You think I’m pretty?” You asked, glancing up at him with those ocean eyes. He bit his lip before caressing your soft cheek. “I think you’re beautiful.” He spoke, swiping his thumb across your cheek a few times. You smiled at him, a glint of purple staining your cheeks.

“Let the people know. Do you have any siblings?” He asked, stepping out the way so that the camera could get you. “Mhm. Older brother, and older sister.” You nodded.

“Hmm. How about you give a big shoutout to your older brother for me. He’s been nothing but….welcoming. So as a thanks to him, I wanna give you a really…reaaalllly warm welcome as well. I think you deserve it.” He smiled, playing in your curly hair.

“Hey Aonung!” You waved at the camera with a bright smile. Lo’ak continued his massage on your head finally glancing at the camera with a dark and mischievous glare.

“Heyyy Aonung…your baby sister and I have some things to discuss. So I’ll just end the video here. Tell your big brother you love him, and that you’ll talk to him later.” Lo’ak commanded, grabbing the camera off the tripod to point it directly in your face.

“I love you, Aonung! I’ll talk to you later.” You spoke gleefully. Then you saw the red light disappear.

Video ends -

Aonung was fuming, yet equally as confused. What did lo’ak do to you? His precious little sister? Or was he just bluffing, trying to get under his skin. Because there was no way that lo’ak fucked his innocent little sister. He’d KILL him.

“This idiot!” Aonung scoffs, brushing it off. He went to turn the camera off, but seemingly pressed the wrong button. Accidently skipping through a segment of videos that were recorded after the one he just saw. He landed on one, and his heart shattered into a million tiny pieces.

Video starts-

“Yeahhh mama, just like that. You’re doing such a good job.” Lo’ak growled, in your ear. He had you pinned against the wall hands tied behind your back with a rope. Cloths still on THANK EYWA, but that didn’t change the fact that he was drilling you from behind.

“I-I can’t- fuuuuck, I can’t, please.” You whimpered, cheek resting on the wall infront of you. Voice rippling from each hard thrust.

“You will though. FOR ME, right?” Lo’ak asked, although it didn’t seem like you had much of a choice. “Yess, lo’ak!” You moaned, eyes visibly rolling to the back of your head. He sent a hard smack to your plush ass before gripping it in his large 4 FINGERED hand.

“Look at that, a man with three fingers couldn’t grip this shit like me, right baby?” He asked, making direct eye contact with the camera as he left a small peck on your cheek.

“Yesss! Oh- shit Yesss lo’ak!” You managed to nod slowly, tears prickling your eyes. He let out a chuckle, laced with lust. With one hand holding your tight restraints, his arm snaked around your neck from behind. A snug, and comfortable hold on your neck while he fucked you like no one else had.

His puffy tip continued to smash into your sweet spot, as he trailed your cheek with kisses. Praising you in your ear. It was all too much, toooo good.

“You’re not the baby anymore, are you? Taking this dick like a big girl. Tell the camera who’s making you a big girl right now.” He moaned in your ear. Still loud enough for the camera to pick up.

You glanced to the side of you, making eye contact with the camera. “L-Lo’ak’s making me a big girl! Mmmm- fuck!” You whimpered, faced screwed in pleasure as your eyes rolled back once again. Silent cries leaving your pretty lips.

He knew you were close. He could feel your tight pussy pulsating around his cock. He shifted his hands to the side of your head, covering your ears for his next statement.

“Seems like I’m not the only freak, hmm? Your baby sister here…whew! She’s gonna make me cum in this pussy. Give you a reason to see my face everyday!” Lo’ak grinned, before turning his attention to your backside . Watching your ass meet his pelvis with every thrust.

“I-Im gonna cum lo’ak.” You whined, mouth agape as you fluttered around him. “Yesss, baby. Let it go for me. Cum on this dick!” He growled, holding your hips to keep your rhythm going as you came undone. It was dramatic, almost pornographic. Your juices trickling down your trembling thighs. He fucked you through it, not letting up on you.

“Yesss, keep fucking m-mee! Don’t stopp, I-I'm still cumminggg!” You screamed with a whiny tone, a river of your slick dripping to the ground beneath you.

“Mhmm, I-I’m right behind you Princess.” He moaned, his eyes crossing in pleasure as ropes of cum entered your empty womb. He continued to thrust into you, making sure that not ONE drop leaked out.

He pulled out slowly, both of you moaning in satisfaction. You slid down the wall as your trembling legs just couldn’t keep you up without the help of lo’ak.

He walked over to the camera, picking it up from the tripod. “Think you might wanna be nice to me from now on because I might need you to babysit in the future, bitch!” Lo’ak joked, laughing Into the camera.

“Tell the camera bye, baby.” Lo’ak spoke, angling the camera to the ground, where your unconscious, tied up, body laid. Still twitching from your intense orgasm, you whimpered in response.

-video ends-

There was really no explanation for how completely mortified Aonung was, all he wanted to do was find lo’ak, and KILL HIM.

But that wouldn’t be so smart. Considering the fact that his future niece or nephew would grow up without a father….

Taglist: @number1gal @loak-bae @tiredmamaissy @terrorthewolf @lethargicluv @reyzzsostellar @m0nst3rfk3r @agelsully @jakescumdump @wekiamo @st-cass @cleardonutangelwagon @tsireqas @satanlovedays @afro-hispwriter @urfavgirlmakenna @fanboyluvr @iameatingmyhair @secretflowerobservation @violet-19999 @xreadersstuff @sweetllamaparadise @lia-nath @sullymenrhot @dotheyevenknowmars @xdbluesky @slay-nt @domino-x3-blog @ladylovegood-69 @itssomeonereading @sweetirilly @j-jinxee @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @cumikering @pxndorasdream @itsaleidasworld @yeletta @eywascall @valeriearriana37484 @avatarsslut @bee782916 @sweethoneycn

[writingbuckets]

Broken Plays: Chapter 7

paige bueckers x reader

wc: 2.9k

a/n: and we are done! thank you so much for taking the time to read this series, i posted a poll on what trope to tackle next so plz let me know! <3

**********

It was just past dusk when Paige finally approached your apartment, the sky tinted with streaks of pink and amber. Her heart pounded as she took a deep breath, hands tightening around the box she’d brought with her. She hadn’t slept, barely eaten, running only on the nerves and the finality of knowing she had one last chance.

The plan had been in her mind for weeks, and she knew it had to be something real—something that showed you every piece of her that she’d hidden, the parts she’d been too scared to admit even to herself. She wanted you to see the truth, to know the depth of her regret, the aching realization that she had let go of the best thing in her life out of fear.

Paige exhaled, walked up to the door, and hesitated for a moment before knocking. She waited, hearing footsteps approach, feeling a swell of nerves that made her question if she’d be able to get through what she’d rehearsed in her mind so many times. The door opened, and there you were, the person who’d held her heart from the beginning, the person she’d hurt and missed every day since.

Your face was unreadable as you looked at Paige, and for a moment, Paige thought you might just shut the door in her face. Instead, you stood back, allowing her to step inside, though the tension was unmistakable.

Paige clutched the small box she held as she walked in, her eyes scanning the familiar apartment, the memories flooding back like an open wound. She didn’t waste a moment—she couldn’t afford to.

“I know I have no right to be here,” she started, voice already trembling, “but I had to come. I needed you to know that I’ve tried—I’ve tried everything to get over you, to move on like you have. But I can’t. I can’t do it, and I’m done pretending like I can.”

You crossed your arms, watching Paige cautiously, and though you didn’t speak, the silence felt heavy with both hurt and curiosity.

Paige took a breath, forcing herself to hold your gaze, even as memories of everything you’d gone through threatened to overwhelm her. “I was stupid,” she admitted, her voice cracking slightly. “I know I broke your heart, and I can’t make that disappear. I pushed you away because I was terrified. I was afraid of letting someone get that close to me, and I was too weak to admit it.”

Paige held up a wooden box in her hand, a small weathered thing she’d kept with her since she was a kid. She handed the small, timeworn box to you, who hesitated for a second before lifting the lid. Inside first was the bracelet, each charm gleaming softly in the low light. But there was more—a small collection of mementos, each carefully tucked away, each one a piece of your shared past.

You looked up at Paige, the surprise evident in your eyes, but you said nothing. Paige took a shaky breath and began, her voice soft.

“This box… it’s everything I couldn’t tell you back then. I know it sounds dramatic,” Paige added with a self-deprecating chuckle, “but these things—they’re us.”

You reached for the bracelet first, running your fingers over the delicate charms, each one holding a tiny piece of the past. Paige pointed to the first one, a small basketball hoop and ball.

“Remember our first night out together? You dragged me to that arcade because you said you were tired of the library, and we ended up in that little basketball game rivalry? I think we broke some record,” Paige said, laughing softly. “You were so competitive; you kept saying you’d beat me if it took all night.”

You smiled at the memory, a faint blush coloring your cheeks as you recalled the night Paige’s hand had lingered on yours a little longer than usual.

Paige’s fingers brushed the next charm, a tiny book with a title etched in tiny letters on the cover. “This one’s for all the times you helped me study when I thought I was falling behind. I was stubborn and didn’t want to admit it, but you always made things easier for me, like it was nothing. You were my support, even back then.”

Your thumb brushed over the charm, remembering long nights in the library, coffee cups and textbooks sprawled across the table, and quiet moments of closeness you’d shared.

Your eyes softened, clearly taken aback by the sentiment. You continued, running your fingers along the items until you came to another charm—a miniature guitar pick. Your eyes widened, and Paige smiled.

“That’s for the night you sang to me. You barely knew the chords, and we were both terrible, but it was one of the best nights of my life. I couldn’t believe someone would go out of their way just to make me laugh like that.”

Paige lifted out the next item—a folded paper, edges worn from months of handling. You unfolded it carefully and realized it was a movie ticket stub, faded but legible. Paige leaned in, pointing out the date.

“Our first ‘real’ date,” Paige murmured. “In my head it wasn’t a date, that it was just two friends hanging out, but… we still held hands in the theater. That night, I wanted nothing more than for it to be something real.”

She hesitated, her gaze lingering on your expression as you held the memory in your hands. “I kept that ticket because, to me, it was more than just a movie. It was the first time I let myself hope that you might feel the same way I did.”

Your fingers next settled on a slightly worn polaroid, tucked near the bottom as if it were something precious yet private, the edges worn and faded. You held it up, and your breath caught. In the photo, you were leaning against a sunlit window, totally unaware of the camera. You looked peaceful, lost in thought as you gazed out into the distance, a small, gentle smile on your lips.

Paige watched your reaction closely, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. “I took that without you knowing,” she admitted softly. “It was the day you helped me through that horrible week last year—the one where I thought I’d never get back on the court.”

Paige’s voice dropped to a murmur, almost as if she were speaking to herself. “I looked over and saw you there, just… being yourself, and I remember feeling this… ache. This sense that I wanted you to be in my life like that, always.” She paused, swallowing against the vulnerability. “That was the moment I knew. That’s why I kept it—because it was the first time I realized I didn’t just want you around. I needed you.”

You glanced down at the photo again, a new understanding dawning in your gaze, and as Paige looked at you, it was clear the sentiment behind that quiet, candid shot ran deep. It was more than a photo; it was a realization captured in a fleeting moment, one Paige hadn’t been able to let go of since.

You were quiet, lost in the memory. As you continued to sift through the box, your fingers brushed against something familiar and soft. You pulled out your favorite book, its cover worn and well-loved, the pages dog-eared and creased from countless readings. It was the one you had often discussed late into the night, the one that had sparked debates, laughter, and even some heated arguments.

But what made this book truly special was the array of handwritten notes that filled its margins. You opened it gingerly, your breath catching in your throat as you realized what it was. Paige had annotated the entire book.

“Every time you’d talk about this book, I could see how much it meant to you,” Paige’s voice broke through your reverie, and you glanced up to see her looking a little sheepish. “I thought if I made notes in it, I could keep a piece of you with me.”

You flipped through the pages, each one adorned with Paige’s messy handwriting. In one corner, you found a note next to a particularly poignant quote about love: “This reminds me of that time we talked about our fears under the stars. You made me feel so understood.”

On another page, a line about friendship had a note that read: “This is so us! I love how we can be completely brainless together. Remember that karaoke night?” A small doodle of a microphone accompanied the text, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“I used to flip through this book whenever I missed you,” Paige confessed, her voice laced with vulnerability. “It was the only way I could relive those moments we shared, even when we were apart.”

You felt a wave of emotion wash over you as you continued to read, finding more notes that made your heart swell. There was one where Paige had circled a passage about overcoming obstacles with determination: “You always fight for what you believe in. I admire that so much about you.”

“I can’t believe you did this,” you said, your voice shaky with emotion. “I never knew you felt this way.”

“I just wanted you to know that even when we were fighting or I messed things up, you were always on my mind. This book was a way to connect with you when I felt like I’d lost you,” Paige admitted, her eyes sincere and searching.

You hugged the book to your chest, tears pooling in your eyes. The annotations were more than just words—they were a testament to your shared history, a way for Paige to express her love and longing. This book wasn’t just a collection of stories; it was a chronicle of your relationship, filled with laughter, pain, and an undeniable bond that refused to be broken.

You reached for the last item in the box, a small key tied to a thin, worn ribbon. Your eyes darted up to Paige, a question clear in your expression.

“That’s…” Paige took a deep breath, almost reluctant to explain. “It’s the key to my old place. I had a spare made for you, even though I never worked up the nerve to give it to you. I wanted you to have a place to go, something that felt like yours, too. I know it’s silly, but I wanted you to feel… safe with me. Like you always had somewhere you’d belong.”

You closed your hand over the key, your fingers trembling slightly as you took it all in. Paige reached out, her hand brushing against yours. Her voice was almost a whisper.

“This key was supposed to be yours,” Paige said, her voice soft. “I got it because I wanted to share everything with you, every part of me, but I couldn’t even do that. I never gave it to you because I wasn’t brave enough to show you how much you meant to me.”

You looked down at the open box, the memories spread before you, each item carrying times of love, hurt, and unspoken words. You closed your eyes for a moment, your thumb brushing over the key once more, and then you looked up at Paige, the faintest hint of hope flickering in her gaze.

“These are all the pieces of us, all the things I should have told you when I had the chance. I know I messed up. I know I hurt you, and I can’t undo that. But I’m here, laying it all out, hoping it’s not too late.”

Paige swallowed, continuing. “I know I can’t fix the past, and I know I hurt you more than I can ever apologize for. But I need you to know that I am so, so sorry. And that… I love you. I love you, and I’ve loved you since the first day we met. I was just too scared to believe it.”

You stood there in silence, your face unreadable as you looked from the box to Paige. The weight of the words Paige had just confessed lingered in the air, thick and fragile. Paige could feel the tension in every muscle as she waited, holding her breath as she awaited any reaction—anger, relief, forgiveness—anything that would give her a glimpse into what you were feeling.

Finally, your expression shifted, softening just slightly as you took a deep breath. “You hurt me,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper, as if admitting it aloud was a wound reopening.

Paige nodded, her eyes misting. “I know. I know, and I can’t tell you how much I hate myself for that. I should have been brave enough to tell you the truth back then, but I was too caught up in my own fears. I know I don’t deserve forgiveness,” Paige murmured, her voice raw, “but I’m here, trying to make it right. I’m here because losing you was the biggest mistake of my life. I can’t change the past, but if you’d let me… I want to spend my future trying to make up for it.”

Your gaze softened, and Paige could see the hurt mingling with the smallest glint of something else—hope, maybe. She wanted to believe it, to believe that maybe, despite everything, there was still a chance.

You reached out, hesitantly, and took the bracelet from the box, your fingers brushing Paige’s hand. You looked down at it, running your thumb over the charms, each one representing a memory, a moment Paige had never been brave enough to share.

The silence hung between you, but this time, it wasn’t empty—it was charged with possibility, with the faintest glimmer of hope.

Your fingers traced over each item in the box, your eyes misty as you looked up at Paige. “I… I don’t know what to say. This is… everything, Paige. You kept all these memories, every little piece of us.” You let out a shaky breath, brushing your hand over the polaroid before glancing back up. “Thank you for holding on to this when I couldn’t.”

Paige’s eyes softened, and she took a small step closer. “I didn’t want to forget, even when it hurt. Every memory… it kept me hoping that maybe one day, I’d have the chance to show you how much it all meant to me.”

You smiled, your voice barely above a whisper. “It means more than you know. I just… I can’t believe you went through all this trouble. You kept every little part of us safe.”

Paige reached for your hand, squeezing it gently. “Because I never stopped believing we could find our way back.”

There was a long pause, the tension between them shifting as you searched Paige’s face, as if weighing every word. And then, finally, you let out a sigh, a tiny, hopeful smile gracing your lips.

You looked down at your intertwined hands, your fingers gently tracing over Paige's knuckles, gathering the courage to say what you’d been holding back for so long. Your voice was soft, almost trembling. “Paige, I tried to move on… tried so hard to forget. But I couldn’t. Because no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop… loving you.” 

Paige’s breath hitched, her eyes searching your face, raw and hopeful. 

“I love you, Paige,” you said, your voice soft but steady, tears clouding your vision. “I want nothing more than to be with you.”

Paige pulled you close, wrapping her arms around you like she was afraid to let go. “I love you too. I always have.”

You stayed like that, wrapped up in each other’s arms, each heartbeat a quiet promise that this time, things would be different. The world outside faded away, leaving only the warmth between you, the quiet understanding that you had both fought for this—weathered the pain and confusion, the heartbreak and anger.

After a long moment, Paige pulled back just enough to look into your eyes. “This time, I’m not letting go,” she whispered, a quiet vow.

You smiled, reaching up to touch Paige’s face gently. “Then don’t,” you replied, a spark of warmth and trust returning to your voice. “We’ll figure it out, one step at a time.”

Paige’s hand closed around yours, pulling you close as she leaned in, your faces just inches apart. She took a breath, then, without hesitation, closed the distance between you, her lips capturing yours in a gentle, lingering kiss. There was a softness to it, a tenderness that spoke of everything unspoken—the longing, the pain, the hope you’d both carried. And as you stayed there, wrapped in each other, that one kiss said it all: this was your new beginning, the promise of something you had both fought so hard to reach, something worth every difficult moment you’d overcome.

In that stillness, where love outweighed all your past hurts, you’d finally found your way back to each other.

[fantasybabygirlslutsworld]

The Realm's Light - 2

Part One Part three Part four

Part five Part six

As the saying goes,' When a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin. One side greatness, the other madness'.

However, it seems that the gods are having difficulty deciding the fate of the newest Targaryen as the labour of Princess Aemma continued for almost 15 hours.

Finally, at noon, the wails of a baby echoed throughout the palace. Queen Alysanne was the first person to be out of the birthing chamber while carrying something in her arms. The people standing outside gazed at the babe with astonished eyes.

" Mother, this is ?" Crown Prince Baelon was the first to snap out of the awestruck daze." this is my great granddaughter who her family will most cherish and this entire realm ." Queen Alysanne proudly stated.

" Give her to me, Alysanne. I too want to hold her in my arms." The old King demanded his sister-wife. "You can hold her later, Issa valzȳrys. Let the father first hold his babe ." The Queen handed the child to her still-dazed father.

" She is so tiny, father." Prince Viserys softly whispered with adoration. The Prince was carefully holding the baby as if she were a fragile thing who might break at a single touch.

"Congrats on becoming a father, cousin" Princess Rhaenys congratulated Prince Viserys after coming out from the birthing chamber. Even after becoming the wife of Corlys Velaryon,the wealthiest man in Westeros,the Princess still kept her title.

" Thank you, Rhaenys. I hoped Corylys and your children would be present upon this occasion." Prince Viserys said to his cousin. Princess Rhaenys had given birth to two healthy velaryon children three years ago. " The children can't travel on Melys due to their age, Viserys. But Corlys will soon arrive before the feast ." The Velaryon matriarch smoothly replied.

" Grandmother, I forgot to ask about Aemma. Is she okay?" Prince Viserys suddenly realised about not seeing the mother of his child who would want to see her babe. Realisation seemed to have dawned on her too ." She must have taken bathe and be resting in bed, go see her now with the babe, Viserys".

The peaceful Prince and his daughter went to see Princess Aemma. At the same time, the good Queen ordered everyone outside to go prepare for the grand feast only for their immediate family amidst the whining of her husband and son to hold the newborn Targaryen.

Inside the chamber, Princess Aemma could be seen lying on the bed. The aftermath of childbirth took a toll on her as she grew tired.

" Aemma, look who had come to see you." Viserys who was his daughter calmly said. Hearing his voice, Princess Aemma groggily woke from her nap.

Upon seeing her husband holding their baby, whatever fatigue she had seem to be completely disappeared.

" Oh my god! My darling Princess. I am your mother. Oh, Viserys ! She is perfect. Our daughter is perfect." Princess Aemma starts to softly cry while looking at her daughter. The babe seems to have sensed her mother because she suddenly opened her eyes for the first time. Her parents both gasped at seeing her eyes. One eye was emerald green while the other was Targaryen violet. Viserys' eyes glistened with tears as his own mother, Alyssa Targaryen, had two different eye colours. Looking at his daughter now - silver blonde hair with heterochromatic eyes is like looking at his mother's face once again.

If his father had seen her now, he would have broken into tears and said his mother had been reborn as his daughter.

"Do you have anything in mind regarding her name, darling?" Prince Viserys asked his wife." You had once told me that your mother was fond of the name

'Mariana' and wanted to name her daughter that, Viserys." Princess Aemma told.  " Yes. She indeed wanted that name for her daughter. However, her wish went unfulfilled. " Viserys mirthfully said.

"Hence, I want to fulfil your mother's wish by keeping the name for our daughter in your mother's honour, Viserys " Princess Aemma said with a gentle smile.

" Mariana Targaryen is indeed a name fit for a princess, Aemma. Everyone is going to love her name" Viserys said while softly gazing at his daughter now sleeping in his arms.

It is said that the coin has never flipped on one side as the gods can't decide Mariana Targaryen's fate which made her life full of uncertain future. But one thing is sure. Mariana Targaryen will be the only chance for the house of the dragon to be stopped from destruction.

----------------------------------------------------------

Author's note : hope you like another chapter done hurriedly by my inexperienced self.

@cwallace02sblog @bitchycollectorvoid

@universallyrascaldreamercookie @snowtargaryen @girl-of-multi-fandoms @kpopfanfictionfantacies @sadmonke @immyowndefender

@missbmc94

[technically-a-kiwi]

The cosmic cast in color ! ✨

Finaly ! They're all here !

First we have

Peppino Spaghetti THE CHEF

From his pizza oven, he cooks and gives shape to all the multiverse, a very unstable being, destoying things aroud him on a MASSIVE scale when angered. Even if his work is worthy of a god, he claims he's nothing more then a little pizza chef making simple pizzas.

The Noise THE HOST

(yes, I didn't do another art for cosmic Noise c'cause he doesn't need one FOR HE WAS PERFECT FROM DAY ONE ! and because I'm... tired 😵)

If you see a mysterious program playing on your TV, one that you've never seen before, it might be because of this gremlin ! TV host and little chaos bringer, this being of pure mischef will make you wish you were never born as soon as you interact with him. Better pray he get's disinterested from you 'cause once your his target, he will NEVER give you a break, unless he decides to cut his program for a smoke...

Noisette THE MESSENGER

What appears to be a shooting star up high in the sky has a very little chance to actually be this being, from her magic umbrella she travels around the multiverse to briefly open a little café and sell her cosmic pastries. The reason she’s referred as the messenger is because she’s the one who serves as a messenger when cosmic entities don’t want to talk to each other.

The constellations CHILDREN OF THE STARS

Libra, Orion, Cassiopea, Cancer and Gemini, those are the five constellations names, they sometimes visit universes but are not allowed to go alone. They enjoy learning about new places and conceps, even scary ones .

Pepperman THE ARTIST

In a far away dimension, this entity paints and sculps the many art pieces you can find in his galery. He's the master of his atelier, sometimes allowing his students to work on tiny parts of his work. After completing a collection, he sets off to some universes and opens his museum. Are you curious enough to witness those otherworldly works of art ?

The Vigilante VIGIL OF REALITY

When the laws of physics are broken, he'll be there and make those outlaws pay the price... he also is a little farmer who lives in the middle of nowhere, growing cropes and other veggies, he's quite a nice guy.

The Ticket stand ...

in the darkest of corners of an abandoned street, your might meet with this entity. You can buy a ticket, what happens after that solely depends on you.

Pizzahead THE WANDERER ( feat. Pizzaface [design made by @chaotichyperfixations])

A very jolly and silly entity, wandering across the multiverse sharing his performences to whoever wants to see, alongside him is a conscious universe, who wants to get to the rank of cosmic entity, he's not the friendliest of companions but seeing his attemps fall flate is very funny.

Mr Stick THE BANKER

A very nasty entity, he sees high value in money, specificaly money that isn't his. He goes to people in instable economical state, writting their names in his book and claims he has the ability as a cosmic entity to fix their problems, only this is a trick to slowly get every dollar out of their pocket. He sees himself as the boss of every cosmic entity, only nobody ever gave him that title or the respect that comes with it.

Here's how they look like withous the light:

I forgot the sparkles for almost all of them... Maybe I should have given a little more time into this...