#.....sure would be nice if i could do the exam already though. :/

[orcelito]

Went to take my exam bc the syllabus says it'd be available at 9 am today. No sign of the exam tho. Under the quizzes tab it's listed as being available on July 31st at 9 am... in 2023 though.

😐

So I went and emailed the professor. I still wanna take the exam today bc it's the best day for it, but it's a little late so he might not see it in time for that. Wweh.

[atlabeth]

take my breath away

pairing: spencer reid x reader

summary: you help spencer train for his fitness exam. he kind of just wants to kiss you.

a/n: some fluff (and something short) after i broke my own heart (and my brain) in my last hotch fic! i’m truly in my criminal minds era. enjoy

wc: 1.3k

warning(s): reader is a runner so im sorry to my unathletic friends. but this is all fluff

“Spence,” you said, unable to bite back your smile, “how are you this bad at running?” 

“I’m—” he held up a finger as he caught his breath and shook his head. “I’m not bad at running. My form… is perfect.” 

“We barely made it a mile in,” you said, and you chuckled as he keeled over, his hands on his knees. “It can’t be that perfect.” 

“It is,” he insisted, on the edge of wheezing. “I’m just unathletic.” 

“You never did sports as a kid?” 

“I graduated high school at twelve,” Spencer breathed. “I was too busy studying. Reading. Doing anything other than sports.” He looked at you and shook his head. “And I’m not crazy like you.” 

Your smile only grew. “You should put your hands over your head. It helps get more air in.” 

“That’s actually a rumor.” He shook his head again. “When you raise your arms, muscles that contribute… to the bucket handle movement of your ribs—” He heaved a sigh, his brows furrowing, and again, you held back a smile. You were sure this was one of his only weaknesses. “—they’re not able to function properly.” 

“Alright, genius,” you said, mockingly but with love. “Recover however you like. You clearly need it.” 

Spencer pouted as he straightened up, his whole face contorted in discomfort. When your boyfriend asked you to help him train for his upcoming fitness test, you didn’t think much of it—you got a full ride through college because of track, and you keep healthy with morning runs, so you were happy to help. 

You’d thought about straight up offering a myriad of times—mostly after bearing witness to his attempts at running in the field. One time, the two of you were paired up to do some interviews, and it ended in a chase. By the time Spencer caught up, nearly dying on the sidewalk, you already had the unsub subdued and cuffed. 

(It took him a while to live that down with Morgan.)

Spencer was gifted at other things, sure—not just everyone is a classified genius with an eidetic memory, and he’s the youngest recruit in history—and you loved him more than anything. But you couldn’t not make fun of him, just a little bit. 

His face was still red, his glasses fogging up a bit from the humidity, and his hair was a mess, so you moved closer in order to brush the stray strands out of his face. 

“Running isn’t my thing,” he said. “Well— fitness isn’t my thing. I’ve got everything else covered.” 

“Oh yeah?” You started smoothing back the strands of his hair, and you offered a crooked smile. “Then why are we out here trying to improve your mile time?” 

“Because it would be nice if Gideon doesn’t have to get all my fitness stuff waived again, and if I want that, I need the help.” His eyes didn’t leave yours, and once you finished, your hands lingered on his cheeks. You nudged his glasses back up to their spot. “And I think I’d run a marathon and die trying if it meant I got to spend more time with you.” 

Your eyebrows rose. “If you want to run a marathon, I could probably get you there. It would take a lot of time together, though.” 

“Please, no,” Spencer breathed. “Just the time together part.” 

You grinned, and you patted him on the cheek before you pulled away. “Running is good for the soul. Why do you think I’m so happy all the time?” 

“Well, this morning you said you were happy because of me,” he said. “Yesterday, it was because we had our first case-free weekend in two months. The other day—” 

“That coffee I had?” you interrupted. 

He nodded. “How’d you know?” 

“Because you made it for me,” you said, “and I love it when you do that.” 

Spencer shrugged. “You do it all the time for me. It’s only fair.” 

“But that’s proof,” you said. “Running does make you happy.” 

“Running does release endorphins, but anyone who likes it is crazy,” he repeated. 

“That doesn’t sound scientifically backed.” 

“The way I feel right now beats science,” Spencer huffed. “And you’re not happy all the time. You frowned 23 times while writing up your last report.” 

You raised your eyebrows. “You were watching me? And counting?” 

He shrugged. “You’re nice to watch.” 

“Very smooth, Dr. Reid,” you said cloyingly. “But flattery won’t get you out of this.” 

“I’m not trying to get out of anything!” he defended. You stared at him, and he held up his hands. “Okay— only halfway. But you are nice to watch. That’s why I’m still here.”

“If you’re watching me while we run, that might be why you’re doing so badly,” you said, amused. 

“No—I think it’s the only thing keeping me going.”

“You don’t really look like you’re still going,” you said wryly. “You should be good at this. You’ve got long legs.” 

Spencer shook his head as he screwed his eyes shut. He let out one last breathy sigh, and you hoped he’d finally recovered. “Also largely a rumor. It’s more about leg strength compared to bodyweight—long legs help with lengthy strides, but you need to generate enough torque to move faster than with shorter legs.” 

You smiled. “You’ve still got facts? Even while you’re dying?” 

“Mostly because Elle’s said it before too. She says I look like a baby giraffe learning how to walk when I run.” Spencer shook his head again. “I think the only thing my height is good for is getting things off of shelves.” 

For once, you tried to reign in your joking. “Is there anything I can do to help? I don’t want this whole thing to be miserable for you. Running should be fun.” 

“We can stop doing this?” he suggested. “I can let go of what’s left of my pride, get all my fitness stuff waived again, and go back to figuring out cases in an air conditioned conference room?” 

You smiled, and you moved closer. “How about this?” 

Spencer opened his mouth to say something, but you pulled him in for a kiss by the front of his shirt, effectively cutting him off. He hesitated for less than a split second, but his hands fell to your waist as he brought you in closer. 

When you let go and moved away, he still had them there, and he was smiling like an idiot. 

“Does that help?” you asked innocently, tilting your head. 

“Yeah,” Spencer said, nodding rapidly. “Uh— yeah. I actually think I could go for another mile now.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh as you ruffled his hair, messing up your earlier work. “I’d love to test that, pretty boy, but I don’t think you can make it another mile.” 

Spencer shook his head. “If you keep kissing me like that, I think I can make it through that marathon you mentioned.”  

“Sure I don’t take your breath away too badly?” you teased. 

“I have some facts for that, but I don’t think they apply.” His lips curved up, and the redness from exertion mixed with his steadily rising blush. “Because you, uh— you did take my breath away the first time I saw you.” 

“I should start calling you loverboy with material like that,” you mused. “Morgan’s annoyed that I took pretty boy from him.” 

Spencer grimaced. “Just thinking of Morgan seeing me like this makes me want to get back at it. I can’t deal with any more of his teasing.” 

“But my teasing’s okay?” 

He frowned. “Of course. It— it’s kind of why I fell for you.” 

“Ah,” you nodded. “That’s why you’re still at this. You don’t like things being handed to you.” 

His cheeks darkened again, and you laughed as you leaned in to peck him on the lips one more time. 

“Alright, loverboy,” you said. “Ready to get back at it?” 

“No,” he said affirmatively. “But I don’t really have a choice, do I?” 

“Not if you want to pass,” you said wryly, and you gestured back at the trail with your head. “But you know what they say—one step at a time.” 

Spencer grumbled, and he shook his arms out again. “Fine. As long as those steps are with you.” 

You smiled. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” 

[pomefioredove]

hey so can I possibly have a scenario where Azul reveals his octopus form to his s/o and s/o is surprised, but doesn’t mind it. When he keeps being unsure and hides under water, s/o just dives into the water right next to him and kisses him under water? They can’t breathe under water unlike Azul being human.

this is so sweet!! I hope you don't mind, I did a fic instead of headcanons cause it felt right to me

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ "I'd owe you"

summary: in the context of a first kiss type of post: short fic characters: azul additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu, established relationship

It's not that Azul is nervous.

Of course not. He's long gotten over the "crush" phase of your relationship. No more butterflies or blushes when he sees you, and for the better.

You're... a part of his life now.

He's not a fool, though.

He knows that each phase of the relationship comes with a different test to pass. And he has passed; the butterflies, the blushing and stammering, the confession, the first date, all with flying colors and his usual bravado.

Now, a month in, he knows the next is imminent.

He is NOT nervous!

He wants to... to be prepared, that's all. But he can't put it off forever.

"Is this strange for you?" he asks, neck-deep in the water.

You, beautiful, effervescent in the moonlight, are sitting on the dock, kicking your legs back and forth. It's high tide, and dark. "No,"

Somehow, in his mind, he thought this would be fine.

"Are you certain? We could go back to school, if you'd like," he says, hopeful you'll change your mind.

"I'm sure," Damn it.

"You haven't let me see you yet, anyway."

Damn it, damn it. Was being in the water in his natural form not enough?

Azul curses himself again. He did agree to this, foolish as it was.

Hesitantly, he lifts one, just one tentacle out of the water. He's trying very hard to keep calm, but he feels like he's being crushed.

You don't react. At all. No teasing, sure, but no reassurance, no smiling, not even that look of awe you so often have. He suddenly feels much colder than the water, and, without thinking, goes to hide.

Again.

The last thing he sees are your eyes, widened in surprise, and then he's underwater.

Azul knows he'll have to come out eventually. He can't just leave you alone on the dock. And he has an exam first thing in the morning, anyway.

But for now, he'd like to wallow. And so he will.

Of course, he should have known better than to think he'd get away with that. In seconds, the surface tension of the water breaks, his calm interrupted by you, you, of course you, suddenly with him.

Azul wants to say something, he wants to hide, but before he can even move, your hands are on his cold cheeks. And then, as if it were the easiest thing in the world, you're kissing him.

The world stops.

For the first time in a long time, he doesn't know what to do.

So, he lets you lead. It's... sort of nice. In a way. Then it sort of feels like you're holding your breath, which is a little- oh, right.

He comes back to his senses, grabs your shoulders, and swims you to the surface.

"Look at you," he sighs. "You're shivering. We need to get you back to school before you catch something."

You say nothing. You're smiling.

Azul sighs again. It's like you hadn't heard a word he said. "Too late for that, then. What are you staring at?"

"You're beautiful,"

His hearts stop. He doesn't respond; if he tries, he knows he'll just make a fool of himself.

Of course. After he was so confident he'd left this awkward phase behind, you manage to give him butterflies all over again.

Finally, he clears his throat. "...Thank you,"

"...But don't think that'll excuse you from drying off and getting warm. I won't have you sick on my behalf. I'd owe you."

Your smile warms with something he recognizes, but can't think of now.

"I think you already do,"

[moonstruckme]

May I request a dr Remus scolding reader for ignoring a broken toe?

I know it’s nothing major (which is nice sometimes). I often break my toe and just ignore it until it hurts a lot.

I think Remus would give a good little speech about taking care of things he love (reader)

Thank you!

I'm sorry, often??? Uhh hope you're doing okay lovely, thanks for requesting <3

cw: broken toe, no description

doctor!Remus x fem!reader ♡ 730 words

“Don’t touch it,” you hiss.

Remus looks over from where he’s holding your foot in his lap with a sardonic expression. “I thought it didn’t hurt.”

“It doesn’t when you’re not touching it!” 

“Dove.” He wraps a hand around your ankle when you try to pull away, his touch one part soothing and two parts stern. “I’m going to have to touch it some, okay? Just breathe and let me know where it hurts.” 

You sit back against the couch cushions and try not to sulk. This is entrapment. Your know-it-all boyfriend hid the pain relievers just so you’d have to fess up to needing them when he caught you ransacking the bathroom, and now he’s making you submit to his know-it-all exam so you can have them. Entrapment and bribery. You should look into whether you can sue him for malpractice. 

“Ah!” You suck in a gasp. “There, it hurts there.” 

Remus stops touching your injured toe. “Sorry,” he says, rubbing the bottom of your foot consolingly. “I hate to tell you, but this isn’t a sprain. Sprains don’t hurt to the touch like this.” 

Oh, you’ll bet he hates to tell you. Told-you-so are Remus’ favorite words. 

“But it’s so much easier if it’s a sprain,” you whine. “It could still just be bruised. I read online that those feel almost indistinguishable from breaks.” 

“Oh, you read it online, did you?” Remus manages to get enough eye-roll into his voice that he doesn’t even need to follow through on the action. You must look even poutier than you intend, because he cracks, grinning at you indulgently. He beckons with a hand. “Give me your other foot.” 

You blink. Raise your eyebrows at him. “What do you want with it? I think you have enough of my feet there already.” 

“It’s for comparison, dove.” 

“Sure it is.” You lift your other foot onto his lap. “Pervert.” 

Remus’ tongue pokes into his cheek, suppressing a different sort of grin. He grasps your good foot and digs his thumb into the ticklish part cruelly, making you squeal and kick at him. “You’re the pervert,” he says placidly, pinning your foot until you settle down. “Look here, see?” 

You lean forward tentatively, the end of a giggle still fizzing in your chest. 

“The toe on this foot is a little curved, but that one’s definitely worse.” He tugs on your good toe as if to demonstrate. “They were probably the same before you broke it.” 

You sigh, resigned. “I don’t want it to be broken, though. Then it’s, like, a whole thing.” 

Remus makes a sorry face at you. He lifts your injured foot, kissing the side. “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” 

“Well,” you say, eyeing him, “at least you can stop touching my feet now.” 

“This one, yes.” He unhands your good foot. “But this one, I think I need to keep an eye on.” 

You cross your arms, suspicious. Never mind that his lap is a very comfortable footrest. “And why’s that?” 

“Because I take care of the things that are important to me.” He cuts a look your way. “Some of us don’t seem to do the same.” 

“Ugh,” you laugh, ignoring the heat rushing to your cheeks, “you’re the worst, you know that?” 

“Yeah, dovey, I know.” He smiles down at his phone, keeping one hand wrapped securely around your ankle while the other thumbs something into the search bar. 

“What’re you doing?” 

“Making you an appointment for tomorrow morning. We have a podiatrist at my work, I’ll go with you.” 

You frown. “Do I really have to go to your office so someone else can tell me what you just did?” 

This time, Remus does roll his eyes. You poke him with your good foot to let him know you saw. “Yes, you do. They could help it heal faster, and I know you’ll listen better if they tell you to rest it than if I tell you.” 

“I listen to you.” 

“Oh, yeah?” He looks over at you interestedly. “I told you to rest it when you hurt it two days ago. How’s it feeling now?” 

You look away from his gaze. “Coddled,” you mutter. 

Remus chuckles. He leans sideways, bumping your nose with his until you oblige him with a kiss. “If that’s what it takes, sweetheart,” he says, “I’m happy to coddle you.”

[ch-4-eri]

First Time? — Lara Croft.

Lara X fem!reader

warnings: virginity taking, smut, fingering, pet names, lara being such a heartthrob. (proofread but sorry for any mistakes.)

anon request.

i finally finished writing this oooo, sorry i rushed the ending.

you were getting ready on the floor of your bedroom, your phone lighting up with a new text message from your girlfriend, Lara.

she promised she’d take you for a walk around town now that you have a break from college exams, random quizzes and all that.

you were very grateful she’s understanding, she did go to university herself, even if she was over five years older than you.

you dabbed some blusher on the apples of your cheeks with the mirror in front of you, then took a hold of your phone to remind her you’ll be there soon, you wouldn’t be late.

it was hours later as you begged Lara to sit down, your legs gave out from the walking you’d already done, sweat breaking out from your forehead.

“jeez, honey.. you’ve got the stamina of a baby.” she said, taking a seat next to you, opening her bottle of water to give you a sip, wiping your sweaty forehead with her palm, then wiped it over her shirt, you liked how Lara didn’t care much for such stuff, like getting your sweat on her clothes.

“drink up.” lara broke you out of your thoughts as you opened your mouth and took a sip from her bottle, lara fixed you up a little, patting down the flying out hairs off your scalp and the side of your face, grabbing a tissue to wipe your cheeks, she’s often motherly with you, at some point you did find it weird but now? you didn’t mind it one bit.

you liked how she took care of you without asking for anything in return.

as she allowed you another sip from her bottle you smiled and chugged it down your dry throat. “are you okay? damn, i’m afraid you’ll pass out on me.” Lara scoffed, smoothing down your shirt.

“i’m fine, sorry.” you finally chuckled, you had no idea why you were so lost in thought that day, you couldn’t help but think.

maybe what had you this hazed up is the thought of lara intimately the other night, and you forced yourself to sleep so you don’t have to think much of it.

Lara knew she had to take it slow as you were much younger than her, and she didn’t want to jump into anything that would make you uncomfortable, she’s so sensitive about the fact that she could do anything that would hurt you, or make you uncomfortable around her, so she hoped you’d initiate it first… until then she’s gonna wait, she’d wait forever for you.

but you? you couldn’t initiate shit, you were a nerve wreck, so damn awkward, maybe you were even slightly self conscious, Lara had no idea you were a virgin, she thought you had a wild past, considering you were in your early twenties, it’s valid for people this age to do so much and you didn’t wanna confirm nor deny things, so you kept quiet.

every time you tried to initiate something, you were worried you didn’t shave, or didn’t shower, you probably smelt bad, you’d just stand there like a fool and forget all about it, idea tossed to the side.

you brain was your worst enemy, and it didn’t help that Lara was one of the prettiest women you could ever be with, you can’t imagine being inexperienced with her, or doing something stupid or looking ugly in such a special moment.

Lara walked you home that day, then you insisted she spends the night, only because it would be fun… right?

Lara on the other hand didn’t think of it that way, she was so sure you’d finally initiate something, she felt so excited she couldn’t breathe at all.

as you opened the door to your bedroom, Lara walked in. just trying to act normal, for now.

she looked at your room, your bed, it was a single bed.. damn.

Lara cleared her throat and went through your books on the shelf, impressed by the variety of collections you had, small figurines she found adorable as you flushed in embarrassment, she was never in your bedroom, it felt nice to have her here though.

she finally took a seat on your bed then, stretching out on your single bed she’d definitely tease you for later.

“pretty room, never imagined your room to be this… singular though.” she giggled, leaning on her knees with a smirk, her brown eyes searching through yours, making your cheek flush a pink shade Lara adored.

“i… yeah..” you blushed.

“don’t be shy, singular beds can be nice too.” Lara said, kicking her boots off as she flopped down the bed, not having space much for you if she were to ever stay the night in your bed like this, she looked amazing on your bed, you couldn’t help but stare as a feeling pooled through you, your cheeks getting redder than before.

you were playing with the hem of your shirt as thoughts rolled around your head, listening to her breathe, her figure resting on your bed like that.

it was so tempting.

you wanted her.

every fibre of your being was aching for her, for her touch, but you couldn’t, you were so scared.

as your thoughts ate away at you, Lara caught on, she always knew, she just hated to pressure you.

she called your name, causing you to look into her warm brown eyes that looked yellow from certain angles and lightings.

“what’s wrong? you’ve been lost in that pretty head of yours all day.” Lara sat up on your bed, her hand taking yours as she placed a soft kiss to your knuckles.

you gulped, you’re gonna say it.

you’re gonna admit it, both the fact that you were a virgin, and the fact that you’ve been craving her for months.

you bit down your slightly chapped lip, turning on your bed to face her, there goes nothing.

it’s better than drowning in these thoughts and feelings, you have to be honest with her, it’s a commitment to do so and you were so committed to Lara.

there’s nothing wrong with being honest about your lack of experience; you knew Lara isn’t shallow and close minded.

you rubbed the side of your head as your breathing caught in your throat, your words choked, you needed to pull yourself together.

Lara took a hold of your chin with her free hand as she leaned her head closer to yours, seeking out your expressions, wanting to understand you and understand your feelings. Lara knew you were too hard on yourself sometimes and barely let it out.

she waited, squeezing your chin softly in her rough fingers.

“i’m..” you finally started, one step at a time.

“Lara i’m… um..” you paused, your tongue tied and your palms so sweaty.

“you’re what, honey?” Lara softly muttered, her fingers still placed underneath your chin, her other hand rubbing your thigh in comfort.

“a… virgin.” you whispered, your gaze averted, refusing to keep eye contact, your embarrassment was bad enough as it is, you can’t imagine how she’d look at you as your thoughts ate away every ounce of common sense you could have had over this.

Lara forced your chin upwards, your gaze falling back into hers.

“and that’s a problem, how?” Lara mumbled, leaning closer to you, the tip of her nose brushing against yours. “tell me.. how’s that a problem?” she asked, her fingers tightening against your chin.

“it’s.. n—not..” you breathed, unable to say anything, she made your brain a mush of mess, unable to think straight.

as if anything about her would make you straight.

Lara's lips made contact with your jaw, her hand on your thigh reached all the way up to hold your hip, pulling you closer.

“that’s right.. i’d get to be the first one to touch you, the only one who touches you…” she mumbled into your soft skin, she’d die doing this and she’d be the happiest woman ever.

“i wanna taste you so bad.” Lara moaned into your neck, bringing you by the waist on top of her, lying down on your small bed.

“Lara.. wait please.” you supported yourself on the bed, your hands on either side of her head as you stared down at your older girlfriend, her hands holding your waist.

“shh… it’s okay.” she cooed, placing soft kisses on your cheek. “i know… we don’t have to do anything, i just wanted you to be certain that i’d never judge you, never belittle you… so what if you've never had sex before?” Lara reassured you, her hand stroking your cheek softly, the pad of her thumb resting on your cheekbone.

“doesn’t make me like you any less, you’re still my girl.”

she smiled, nudging your nose with hers, her other hand gripping your waist in a comforting expression.

“is it… bad to say that i wanna do it with you?” you mumbled, staring at her brown eyes as she was beneath you, giving you the opportunity to be this close to her, her freckles like constellations, her scent so enticing and her warmth inviting, your lips found themselves on the corner of her mouth, feeling her hands on your lower back.

“not bad… i want the same thing, love.” her thick accent rang in your ears, her calloused fingers touching the inside of your shirt, the pad of her thumbs stroking every inch she can come across. your head dipped to the crook of her neck, her perfume even stronger as your nerves burned with desire.

this is the first time you’ve ever been this close to a girl, your lips attached to the soft skin of her neck, her moans echoing through the walls of the bedroom making your untouched pussy throb at the way she writhed and squirmed in your damned small bed.

Lara gripped your hips as she guided your hips closer to hers, “let me take this off.” she whispered, undoing your jeans, her fingers soft and tender.

you helped her take off the garment, Lara knew she can’t fuck up your first time in any way, so she got up from the bed and picked you up around her waist to place you down so she’s on top, your hands buried themselves into her soft hair, bringing your lips to her neck as Lara tugged at your waist, holding back her moans.

your legs were on either side of her, Lara felt so damn dizzy at the sight of your legs spreading for her, she knew you were ready, that you wanted it.

she couldn’t wait to stretch your virgin pussy.

“easy there baby..” Lara moaned, pushing you down the bed by the hips, her fingers moving to slide your panties down your legs, her breath caught over the sight of your pussy, you were so wet… such a virgin, Lara thought.

“oh my..” Lara breathed, bringing her pointer and middle finger to spread your folds, rubbing them into you as you closed your eyes and let her touch you just like how badly you wanted her to. “so pretty…” Lara smiled, rubbing her index finger against your clit, watching you drip.

“such a good girl..” Lara praised you as her wrist flicked and she pumped her index and ring finger into you gently, she made sure you didn’t get hurt, knowing no one’s ever touched you like that before, but oh how proud she felt, it was honour to take your virginity like that, and she was glad you picked her.

“does that hurt?” Lara asked, sticking her fingers into your hole briefly, seeking out your reaction, your body tensed and breath caught in your throat. “no..” was all you said as Lara pushed her fingers slowly just a bit further inside. waiting to see if you’re in any pain before she fucked her fingers into you.

you were so wet, and your muscles relaxed, you enjoyed this beyond words and Lara was so thankful you felt comfortable with her, her lips found your cheek as she slowly fingered you, listening to your soft moans and soft breaths, you were breathtaking.

“so beautiful..” Lara mumbled, smiling at the sight of you like this, it wasn’t long before you gently rocked your hips to match her pace. “don’t hurt yourself baby… let me do the work.” she cooed, holding your hip to keep you from doing anything that will cause you pain.

“need you deeper..” you whispered, Lara complied and moved her fingers deeper, only slowly and with so much caution, you were so tight. only wet enough to let her fingers get sucked inside of you with her movement calculated. “more…” you whined, making Lara smack her lips.

she couldn’t add another finger, that’s pushing it.. especially for a first time. the only moved her other hand to rub at your clit, her fingers buried inside of you just going faster. “that good..?” lara breathed.

“yeah… yeah, fuck fuck..” you moaned, your hips rocking along with lara’s movements, she couldn’t stop you now, she wanted you to cum on her fingers. “fuck!” you mewled out, squirming.

“cum for me baby..” lara rasped, both hands working on your tight sweet pussy, rubbing and thrusting. she leaned in and pressed a kiss to your neck, making you arch your back and rock your hips further into her thick fingers.

Lara slowed her pace just a bit as she saw you coming undone all over her, and all over your bed, mewling and crying into the pillow, she figured your first orgasm would be intense, so she let you ride it out then she pulled out her fingers gently.

she looked at how much you’ve gushed down her fingers and she couldn’t help but shove them in her mouth, licking it clean while rubbing a hand over your stomach to comfort you. “it’s okay baby.” she says, leaning down to press a sticky kiss to your cheek, laying down beside you to hold and comfort you. her arms wrapped around you securely, pulling a blanket over you both as you’re squished on your small bed.

[zepskies]

A Line and a Half

Pairing: Russell Shaw x F. Reader

Summary: When Dory’s eldest brother comes to visit her at Wyoming University, you don’t know quite what to make of Russell Shaw. But he knows exactly what he wants to make of you.

AN: Okay, here’s my first toe-dip into the world of Tracker with Russell Shaw! 1x12 gave me too many ideas not to explore this intriguing character. This is set before episode 12, but I have a little series I want to sketch out that will continue after this one-shot, so think of this as a “Part 1,” if you will. 😉

Word Count: 3.2K

Tags/Warnings: A kind of “meet cute,” attempts at flirting, and hints of setup for more to come…

You watched, silently simmering, as Dr. Goldstein added yet another packet of internship applications from his graduate students onto your desk.

Applicants that he, as the History Department Chairman, was supposed to review himself. Instead, he’d been adding these hours quite literally onto your desk. 

“If you could review these for me as well, sweetheart. Thank you,” he said. “Get ‘em back to me by Thursday, okay?”

As a Professor of History with two doctorates in your name, you once again grated internally at sweetheart, but you tried to keep that cringe off your face as well.

Goldstein barely even met your eyes when he dropped off his burden, and then aimed to leave your office.

“Uh, Paul,” you called out, raising a finger. You stood from your desk as quickly as you could in your pencil skirt, but the man was already out the door. You followed him out, your heels clacking on the tile floor. 

Damn it. Knew I should’ve gone with pants, you said, continuing to hasten after your boss.

“Paul! Just a second,” you said. That finally managed to turn the man’s head off of his phone. He glanced at you while checking his watch.

“About the internship applications…and your midterm exam essays for that matter. Don’t you think—” you started to say, but the man spoke over you.

“I’m sorry, I’ve got to run. Meeting my massage therapist at noon,” he said, and rolled a seemingly stiff shoulder under his tailored blazer. “Something’s just not right here after my trip to Cali last weekend. I don’t know what I did, pulled muscle or something. But hey, they do say parasailing is a sport.”

You quirked a brow. “Do they?”

You weren’t sure that being strapped into a parachute for a nice air glide over the Pacific counted as a sport.

Goldstein shrugged at your question and he kept walking down the hall. Though he turned back to toss you a pointed finger.

“Need those by Thursday. Thanks, you’re the best,” he said.

You watched him go, as proverbial steam began to escape through your ears. Slowly you pivoted on your heels, and you went back to your office. You grimaced at the large stack of applications. You were pretty sure he padded them with an extra section of midterm exams.

Tapping your nails on your desk, you grabbed your phone next to your desktop and checked the time. 11:30 a.m.

Screw it. I’m going to lunch, you thought.

Dory had to be out of her Intro Physics class by now, which meant she’d be in her office, ready for you to drop in on her a little early. You took up your purse and almost made it out the door…but at the last moment, your anal brain made you turn back to grab a shoulder bag and the pile of applications. Maybe you could knock out a few during lunch.

Friggin’ doormat, as your brother would say. Laughing at you, probably.

You rolled your eyes and headed back out the door with your haul of papers, purse, work bag, and keys, locking your office behind you.

Why, oh why did the Sciences building have to be on the other side of campus?

It was damn near a mile walk from your Humanities building over to Dory’s office on the second floor. Your hands were laden with packets that couldn’t be contained by your heavy work bag, your purse was slipping off your shoulder, and these heels were killing your feet.

It was a miracle you and Dory had ever met on this campus. On your first day of teaching, you’d of course been hopelessly lost. Somehow you ended up at the tail-end of one of her classes in one of the science auditoriums.

She’d been gracious enough to help you, and even walked you all the way to the Humanities building so you could find your World History class before the students decided to just get up and leave. (And after fifteen minutes, they very well would.)

That day, she became your first real friend at Wyoming University. In the three years since, she’d become your best friend.

And now, her door was mercifully open halfway. You pushed it open and stumbled just a little from the transition of tile to carpet inside her office. Your papers nearly flew from your hands, so you struggled to right yourself and contain them all back into the semblance of neatness.

“Hey, girl. You better be ready for lunch because Jesus fucking Christ. Goldstein’s up my ass again and all I’ve had today is a crusty donut from the teacher’s lounge, which I’m pretty sure was stale,” you said, with your brows furrowed in frustration.

When you finally looked up from your struggles, you realized that Dory wasn’t alone. She smiled at you in amusement, sitting at her desk beside a man who made you pause. Your eyes widened.

He was leaning casually with an elbow propped up on her desk, dressed in jeans and a worn, pale green jacket—a good match for his eyes. He looked a little rugged for Dory’s tastes, but you couldn’t fault her, with the cut of that bearded jaw, and the smile raising the corners of his lips.

“Hey,” Dory laughed. “I see you’re having a good day.”

You bit your lip in embarrassment, probably smudging your lipstick.

“I’m so sorry. I should’ve knocked first,” you said, though you could see she seemed to be having an actual good day. Office picnic? Or maybe the handsome stranger was getting ready to take her out.

Dory just waved you in. She stood and set a hand on her companion’s shoulder, and he got up along with her.

“It’s okay. This is my brother, Russell,” she said, and she introduced you in kind.

“Well, hi there,” he said. He subtly took you in with his eyes as he held out his hand. Already you felt your face heating up with more than just embarrassment.

You were a bit shocked as well, to say the least. Dory had told you some…interesting things about her family, including the fact that she had two older brothers. You wondered which one this was, the middle child, or the eldest.

“Hi! Sorry. Again. Nice to meet you,” you said. You tried to hold your hand out to reach his, but a few papers began to spill out. You clutched at them on reflex, but Russell drew in quickly to help you.

“Got yourself a load there,” he said. You agreed with an awkward laugh and a shrug of your shoulders.

“My boss’s idea of extra credit,” you said wryly.

“You can set it down on that chair over there,” Dory said, pointing to one against the back wall, next to a tall filing cabinet.

You and Russell meandered over and managed to set down the stack without casualty. You were able to pull up the straps of your bag and your purse from falling off your shoulder and give him a grateful look.

“Thanks,” you said.

“No problem,” he said, giving you an easy smile back. “I actually crashed in unannounced, so if you two wanna to head to lunch, you go right ahead.”

“Uh, no. I haven’t seen you in months! You should come with us,” Dory said. She grabbed her purse to join you and Russell by the door.

You raised your hands in placation. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve seen each other. You guys should catch up.”

Dory shook her head and grabbed your hand.

“Uh, uh. I want to hear the latest on Paul’s bullshit, and why you’re carrying half your office across campus. Let’s go,” she said, and gestured at your work bag. “Leave that here. You’re gonna eat and talk to me. No working involved.”

You laughed, but you agreed to her cajoling. With another glance at her brother, and those green eyes that seemed to be dancing, you joined them for lunch.

The three of you ended up at a diner that you and Dory frequented at least once a week. The food was good, the service was quick, and it was close to campus. Wins all around. Russell seemed to be enjoying himself, as he hummed in delight after the very first bite of his Philly cheesesteak.

“Sriracha on fries, huh?” you remarked, gesturing at the man’s plate. Your brow was quirked, but he shot you a smile.

“I said avert your eyes,” he teased. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, sweetheart.”

Ugh. Another sweethearting man. You narrowed your own eyes at him a bit. He caught the look and raised a hand in defense (the one that wasn’t holding his cheesesteak).

“Uh oh. What’d I do?” he asked.

“You gave her some PTSD,” Dory said with a laugh. “Dr. Goldstein likes to sugar coat his demands with sexism.”

Russell noted your souring look with apology. You’d just finished recounting your morning for your friend, and recapping years of “sugar-coated demands” for Russell.

“Why don’t you just tell him to cram it up his…uh…” he paused. Seeing his little sister’s look of amusement, he amended. “Or you know, stuff it.”

A smile twitched at your lips. “Oh, believe me, I’d love to tell him to stuff it. But he’s technically my boss, and the department chair. Even though I’ve basically been doing his job for two years now.”

“Well, that sucks,” Russell said. “And I feel for ya. I’ve had my share of shitty bosses in my time.”

You sighed and accepted his commiseration with a nod.

It wasn’t fair, but Goldstein planned to retire early in a few years. Must be nice.

When he did, it would make you the most likely candidate to replace him as department chair. The way you saw it, this was giving you plenty of practice before you (hopefully) inherited the position.

Anyway, you shook your head. You didn’t want to talk about it anymore. You were more curious about one Russell Shaw. You now knew he was an army vet, and he carried himself like one. Calm, controlled, even though his smiles came easy. His tousled hair and beard, while well-trimmed and neat, still gave him a roguish quality.

“So let me guess. You’re…the eldest?” you asked. You blotted at your mouth with a napkin, having finished your chicken panini.

Russell treated you to another one of those smiles, though this one held a hint of more.

“Guilty. Though I’m the handsome one,” he said with a wink.

You found yourself smiling behind your napkin.

“I’m sure,” you replied.

Dory rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind him. Apparently my brother’s an incorrigible flirt.”

He chuckled and sipped at his beer, but then he grimaced.

“Ech. Friggin’ weak,” he said. “I brew better than this outta the trunk of my car.”

 You raised a brow at that. “You make your own beer?”

“Damn straight,” he said. His gaze turned a hint more playful. “Next time I’ll bring you some. You can tell me what you think.”

You shared a telling look with Dory.

“Next time, huh?” you asked.

“Sure,” he inclined his head. “I pop into town from time to time. Gotta check in and pester my little sister, the physics professor.” 

He laid a hand on Dory’s shoulder, squeezing warmly. You could see the pride in his eyes, and it warmed you as well.

She turned to him with a smile, reaching up to cover his hand with hers.

“You don’t pester me. I’d love it if I got to see you more often,” she said.

“Ah, I know, I’m sorry,” he said, releasing her. “My job’s got me all over the place. But I’ll be here for a week or so on this gig.”

That intrigued you. “What do you do for work?”

“Ah, well, you could say I'm a contractor. Private security mainly,” said Russell. His shoulders shifted as he became a little more guarded, you noticed. “My company connects me with the client for as long as the job lasts. Could be a few months, sometimes a few days, depending.”

“Oh, wow. Do you live here in Wyoming?” you asked. He paused, but tilted his head a little, back and forth as he considered your question.

“I kinda bounce around,” he said. “Just go from one job to the next. Sounds a bit unorthodox, I know, but it’s a living.”

“Interesting,” you nodded, but inside, you thought that sounded like a hard way to live.

Unstable…and lonely. 

“You know, it’s amazing how much you and Colter have in common,” Dory said. She folded her hands on the table and met her brother with a pointed look.

He huffed in response, though he glanced at you, then back at his sister. As if he was saying, You really want to do this now?

Dory had told you before that Colter was a “rewardist,” or some kind of bounty hunter. The nature of his work kept him busy, and seemingly too busy for his sister. But you also sensed there was an edgier history here.

For the first time, you felt like you were intruding in a moment between brother and sister that went beyond words.

After a moment, Russell shook his head.

“Look, I tried with him, all right? He won’t talk to me,” he said. He went back to eating, polishing off his fries. He offered you one that was half-smothered in sriracha.

“Come on. Live on the edge with me,” he teased.

You eyed the sauce-covered fry in distaste, but after glancing up at his more playful smile, you accepted his offer. You chewed in contemplation, and found that the tangy hint of kick wasn’t so bad. 

“Eh? Eeeh? Delicious, am I right?” he said, his hands going wide.

You rolled your eyes, but you nodded in agreement.

“It’s all right,” you replied.

“Yes!” Russell’s hands swept up higher, like he was celebrating a touchdown. "See, I told ya."

You couldn’t help but laugh. Dory shook her head fondly and gave him a clean napkin for the bit of schmutz she spotted at the corner of his mouth.

“Here, wipe your sriracha face.”

“You really don’t have to,” you said, as Russell helped you gather your stack of papers and slung your work bag over his shoulder.

“No, no. I’m a bonafide gentleman. Ain’t that right, D?” he asked his sister. She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes again, but she did give you a knowing smile.

“Oh, his intentions are pure,” she said.

 And by that, you both understood her meaning. His intentions couldn’t be any clearer than a mallet over the head, but you kind of found it endearing.

This man really carried your stuff from the Sciences building across the entire campus to your office. All the while, he asked you about how you and Dory met, the kinds of things you two did together, and if you thought she was happy working here.

You had a feeling he was trying to learn more about his sister’s life. On one hand, it was rather sweet. On the other, it made you realize that there was distance in this family, both literal and figurative. You were glad to hear that Russell, at least, was trying to bridge that gap with his sister. Dory deserved to have more of that in her life.

As you explained to Russell while you led him down the hall to your office, your friendship with her had just…clicked. From the very beginning.

“Dory, you know. She’s more than kind,” you said. “She’s a real one. I can rely on her, even when I can’t rely on my own family.”

Russell hummed at that. “That sounds like a story.”

“Yeah,” you said, glancing away for a moment. You smiled and met his gaze once more. “Maybe one for another time.”

“So you’re on board with a ‘next time.’ Good to know,” Russell remarked. Your smile deepened.

It was good timing when you two finally reached your office. You unlocked it and let him inside, so he could set down your bag, and the god-forsaken stack of internship applications back onto your desk. You’d probably be stuck here working late on those.

“Well, thank you so much. You really didn’t have to schlep for me,” you said.

When you turned, Russell was a bit close. Not uncomfortably so, but enough to make a trill of something zip up your spine. You smelled more intensely his cologne, woodsy and warm. Looking up at him, you once again found his smile.

“It’s no problem,” he said, but his eyes met yours for a moment, as if he lost his train of thought.

“What?” you asked, a bit nervous.

“Anybody ever tell you, you got soulful eyes?” he asked.

It took your brain a second or two to compute, but when his words registered, you had to laugh. You held it behind your hand, while the other went to steady yourself on your desk.

 “Well, that’s a line if I’ve ever heard one,” you said, shading your “soulful” eyes with a hand.

You didn’t know it, but Russell’s face warmed in slight embarrassment. He recovered though, taking in your pretty laugh, and the shade of your hair, let loose around your shoulders, and yes, your eyes, when you let him see them again.

If he hadn’t known before, now he was convinced.

He wanted to see more of you before he left town.

“Hey, now that was 100% genuine,” Russell said, but his grin spoke volumes. When your mirth died down, he scratched the back of his head.

“Okay, cards on the table. Would you be interested in grabbing a drink with me sometime?” he asked.

You took in a breath at that. You actually did consider his offer, because homebrew and sriracha fries be damned, there was something more to him. It was lying in wait, behind those eyes that were drawing you in.

However, this was also a man whose job basically made him a nomad. It didn’t exactly scream relationship material.

Which only left the alternative: something…casual.

You just didn’t know if that alternative was such a good idea. Not with your best friend’s brother.

“Just a drink. No frills, no more grilling you about my sister,” Russell said, breaking you from your deliberation. He gestured a hand between the two of you. “Just this. You and me.”

Eventually, you sighed. Your lips raised into a more genuine smile.

“Sometime, huh?” you asked.

He smiled back. “Tonight?”

You hesitated, but despite your better judgment, you nodded before you could change your mind. You still weren’t sure what to make of this guy, but you were willing to find out.

“Sure,” you said. “Howley’s at eight?”

“Well, all right,” Russell said.

He surprised you by sweeping up your hand into his. You looked up at him, curious, but not wary. Anticipation tingled down your spine.

He pressed his lips to the back of your hand. Soft shock made your eyes widen as you blushed, feeling the subtle graze of his beard against your skin.

Who is this guy, Cary Grant? you thought.

But when he pulled away, you had to remind yourself to breathe. Again, you caught sight of his cheeky grin.   

“See you tonight,” he said.

AN: He is beauty he is grace, he is Mr. Sriracha Face. 😆

Let me know if you guys liked this! 💜 It's my first time writing a character based solely on one episode, but next up is a series that will continue this one-shot. It's called Every Second Counts.

Next Time in Part 1:

“Are you absolutely sure?” you asked, with your hands on your hips. 

You wanted no miscommunication here, no read-between-the-lines mishaps, no subtext or nuance to bite you in the ass later. So here you stood in the middle of your best friend’s office, still on the Wyoming University campus after your last class.

Dory had to laugh at you. She pushed away from her desk and threw her hands up.

“Yes, for the love of God, you can grab a drink with my brother,” she said.

▶️ Keep Reading: Part 1

Ko-Fi Me ☕

Russell Shaw Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Russell S. Tag List:

@kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007

@wincastifer @ades106 @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb @roseblue373

@brianochka @branj19 @hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog @globetrotter28 @charmed-asylum

@waywardxwords @deanwinchestersgirl87 @this-is-me19 @rachiem4-blog @sweettimelady

@leigh70 @clinicallydepresso @xiphoidbones @skoveu @nyotamalfoy

@kmc1989 @jackles010378 @emily-winchester @waynes-multiverse @jessjad

@my-stories-vault @deans-spinster-witch @syrma-sensei @stellasfictionalworld @ultimatecin73

@jesllianaquilesrolonsworld @pieandmonsters @lhymer1995 @taehyungxjungkookistaekook @lovelystoriesaj

@nicksalchemy1 @spnwoman @onlyangel-444 @sexyvixen7 @illicithallways

@wolkenprinzessin007 @alwaystiredandconfused @carpenterswife @cheynovak @grilledcheeseandtomato

[loveanton]

off my face | lee anton

⟶ 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦: your best friend has been in love with you for years but you’ve been too blind to notice.

❥ 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: best friend!anton x f!reader

❥ 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: angst, fluff, suggestive

❥ 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡: 4.5k

⟶ 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠: underage drinking, partying, drunk kisses, makeouts, pls let me know if i missed anything

⏤ 𝑎/n: finally finished my finals so this is a lil self indulgent piece hehe

“I’m officially done with my exams!”

Anton smiles at you through his phone as he watches you vigorously shake your device out of excitement. You’re practically glowing, a mixture of relief and joy lighting up your features. Anton’s heart swells with pride. He’s always known how dedicated and hardworking you are, but seeing you like this makes him realize just how far you’ve come. You’d conquered another milestone, and he can't help but feel immensely proud of you.

He remembers all the late-night study sessions, the moments of doubt you’d shared, and the unwavering determination in your eyes. You’re amazing. He admires your strength, your perseverance, and the way you made everything seem possible. Anton has always been your biggest cheerleader, silently supporting you from the sidelines, even though he wishes he could do more. But right now, he’s just happy to see you so happy.

"Congratulations," Anton finally says, his voice warm and full of genuine pride.

"Thank you!" you beam, your eyes sparkling with gratitude. “Not gonna lie, I wrote complete bs for half the exam, after answering what I knew and adding up the points I gave up when I realized I had enough to pass the class.”

Anton snorts at your confession, “let’s pray your math wasn’t off then.”

You hum, “lets pray I actually got those questions right otherwise I’m screwed.”

The two of you laugh at your words before a beat of silence falls over the two of you. Anton hesitates for a moment, then decides to go for it. "So, what would you like me to buy you as a gift for finishing off your junior year?" he asks, his tone playful but sincere. He wants to celebrate this achievement with you, to make this moment even more special.

Your eyes widen in surprise, a smile spreading across your face. "Really? You don't have to—"

"I want to," Anton interrupts, a mischievous grin forming. "Come on, name your reward."

You laugh, thinking for a moment before answering. "Well, if you're sure... How about that new book series I've been eyeing?"

"Consider it done," Anton says, already mentally noting to order it as soon as possible. He wants to see that smile on your face in person, wants to be the reason for your happiness, even if just a little bit.

Just then, the door to Anton’s room opens, and Eunseok pokes his head in. He notices Anton on the phone and grins, stepping fully into the room. "Hey, who's that?" he asks, leaning closer to the screen.

You giggle and wave. "Hi, Eunseok! Guess what? I’m officially done with my exams!"

"Hey! That’s awesome! Congrats!" Eunseok says, his enthusiasm infectious. "So, Anton’s getting you something nice, right?"

"Yeah, he’s getting me a book series I wanted," you say, your excitement evident.

Eunseok smiles, "Want me to buy you something too?"

Your eyes sparkle with mischief. "Wait, really?”

He nods his head once and hums, “Yeah. Anything else you have your heart set on?”

“Want to take me out for some kbbq?"

Eunseok laughs, nodding. "Sure, Korean BBQ it is. I’ll text you to pick a date."

Anton forces a smile, trying to hide his disappointment. "Great, that sounds like a lot of fun."

You beam, clearly thrilled. "Awesome! Thanks, Eunseok. And thanks again, Anton, for the book series."

"Of course," Anton says, his voice softer now. "I’m really proud of you."

After a few more exchanges, Eunseok and Anton say their goodbyes, and you hang up. The moment the call ends, Anton feels a heavy weight settle in his chest. He can't shake off the sadness that you so eagerly accepted Eunseok's offer and that you would be going out to eat with him. It felt a bit too intimate, and jealousy gnaws at him.

Anton sulks around the dorm, trying to distract himself but failing miserably. Later on, once everyone has eaten and gotten ready for bed, Anton sits in the common area still pouting and eating an apple after skipping out on dinner because Eunseok was in charge of cooking tonight. Wonbin notices his friend's gloomy demeanor and approaches him with concern.

"Hey, what's got you all pouty?" Wonbin asks, nudging Anton gently.

Anton sighs, running a hand through his hair. "It's nothing. Just... feeling a bit off, I guess."

Wonbin raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Come on, what is it? I know something's bothering you."

Anton hesitates, then finally gives in. "It's just... ____’s done with her exams and I offered to buy her a gift, she was really happy about it. But then Eunseok came in and offered to buy her something too and she accepted without a second thought. It just... I don’t know, it feels different."

Wonbin nods, understanding dawning on his face. "Ah, I see. You're feeling jealous."

"Yeah," Anton admits quietly. "I know it's stupid, but I can't help it. I’ve been in love with her for years, and she doesn’t even see me that way. And now she’s going out with Eunseok... it just hurts."

Wonbin claps a reassuring hand on Anton's shoulder. "Hey, it’s not stupid. Feelings are complicated. But maybe it's time to tell her how you really feel. Who knows, she might feel the same way."

Anton looks at Wonbin, a mixture of hope and fear in his eyes. "Maybe. I just don’t want to ruin what we have."

"Sometimes you have to take a risk to get what you really want," Wonbin says softly. "And you deserve to be happy too, Anton."

Anton nods, taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Wonbin. I’ll think about it."

As he walks back to his shared room, Anton's mind races with thoughts of you, the possibilities, and the courage he would need to finally confess his feelings. But for now, he just hopes you’re happy, even if it isn’t with him.

The next day, you head over to Anton’s dorm, excited to pick up the gift and hang out with your best friend. The sun is shining brightly, and there’s a lightness in your step as you approach the familiar building. When you knock on his door, it opens almost immediately, and Anton greets you with a warm smile.

"Hey! Come in," he says, stepping aside to let you enter.

"Thanks," you reply, stepping into the cozy space. The dorm has always felt like a second home to you, a place filled with fond memories and shared moments.

Anton walks the two of you to his room before going over to his desk and picks up a carefully wrapped package. "Here it is," he says, handing it to you with a shy grin.

You take the package, your eyes widening in surprise. "Wow, you wrapped it and everything! How did you get it so fast?"

Anton chuckles. "The perks of Amazon Prime," he replies, looking pleased with your reaction.

You laugh and start to unwrap the gift, revealing the book series you’ve been wanting. Your heart swells with gratitude, and you look up at Anton with a beaming smile. "Thank you so much, Anton! This is perfect."

"I’m glad you like it," he says softly, watching as you flip through the pages of the first book.

Just then, your phone buzzes with a text from your roommate. You glance at the screen and read the message. “Ouu, Mina just texted me about a party."

You look up at Anton, excitement and a hint of mischief in your eyes. "Do you wanna come with me? It’ll be a great way to celebrate."

Anton hesitates, his brow furrowing slightly. "A party? I don’t know... that’s not really my scene."

"Please, Anton," you say, giving him your best puppy-dog eyes. "It would mean a lot to me if you came. We can have fun together, and it’s a good chance to let loose before I leave for the summer."

He sighs, but the look in your eyes makes it impossible for him to say no. "Alright, I’ll go," he agrees, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Yay! Thank you!" you exclaim, wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug. "You’re the best, Anton."

He hugs you back, savoring the moment before you pull away. "I’ll see you later then. I need to get ready," you say, heading for the door.

"See you later," Anton replies, watching you leave with a fond look in his eyes.

After you’ve gone, Anton turns to find his roommates. He finds all six of them in the common area, discussing their plans for the evening. "Hey, guys. We’re going to a party tonight," Anton announces.

"A party? Are you sure you want to go?" Sungchan asks.

Sohee nods, “yeah, I never pegged you as the party going type.

Anton sends a sharp glare their way. “____ invited me, I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

"I’m sure it will," Wonbin adds, glancing at Anton. He remembers the conversation they had last night and grins. "So, is this the night you finally tell her how you feel?"

Anton’s cheeks flush slightly. "Ahhh, hyung!"

Eunseok raises an eyebrow. "Wait, tell who what?"

Wonbin nudges the younger male. "Anton’s in love with ____. Has been for years."

All the boy's eyes widen in surprise, as they stare at their youngest in shock. Shotaro is the first to react, he breaks into a wide grin. "Really? That’s awesome! We need to make sure you confess tonight."

Anton groans. "No. Guys, please. I don’t want to make it a big deal."

His words go right over everyone's heads as they start coming up with a masterplan to help out their brother.

"Don’t worry, Anton," Wonbin says with a mischievous glint in his eye. "We’ve got your back. Tonight’s the night."

Anton sighs, knowing there’s no stopping them. As the evening approaches, the dorm buzzes with excitement. The guys are all determined to help Anton confess his feelings to you by the end of the party, and Anton can only hope that everything goes well.

___

Back in your dorm, you and Mina are getting ready for the party. The room is filled with the upbeat music Mina insists on playing whenever you two are preparing for a night out. You’re both rifling through your closets, trying on different outfits, and swapping opinions on what looks best.

“This party is going to be amazing,” Mina says, holding up a sparkly top against herself and checking the mirror. “Are you sure Anton’s coming?”

“Of course,” you reply, slipping into the black dress you finally settled on. “I convinced him. He’s not really into parties, but he agreed to come.”

Mina grins and raises an eyebrow. “You know, that’s probably because he has a thing for you. So, when are you going to confess your feelings?”

You roll your eyes, waving off her comment. “We’re just friends, Mina. He doesn’t see me like that.”

Mina gives you a skeptical look. “Are you sure about that? You two are pretty close, and I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“Seriously, it’s not like that,” you insist, feeling a twinge of discomfort. You don’t want to get your hopes up or think about the possibility of Anton seeing you as more than a friend. “Let’s drop it, okay?”

Mina shrugs, sensing the finality in your tone. “Alright, alright. But if you change your mind, tonight could be the perfect time.”

You finish getting ready in silence, both focused on your makeup and hair. Once you’re satisfied with your looks, you grab your bags and head out the door, excitement bubbling within you for the night ahead.

The party is already in full swing by the time you and Mina arrive. The house is packed with people, music blaring, and laughter echoing through the rooms. You’re greeted by a wave of familiar faces, everyone eager to chat and offer you drinks.

Anton stands off to the side, trying to blend into the background while watching you interact with ease. He sees guys coming up to you, talking and laughing, some even offering you drinks. A pang of jealousy hits him, but he tries to push it aside.

Sungchan, noticing Anton’s brooding expression, decides to take action. He grabs two drinks and walks over to Anton, shoving them into his hands. “Here, take these. Go talk to her. Stop sulking.”

Anton hesitates but knows Sungchan is right. He takes a deep breath and walks over to you, hoping to get a moment alone.

You notice Anton approaching and smile brightly. “Hey! I’m so glad you made it.”

“Hey,” he replies, handing you one of the drinks. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

The two of you find a quieter corner and start chatting about your summer plans. You excitedly tell him about your upcoming girls’ trip to Tulum, and he shares his plans to go on tour with the boys before heading back to New Jersey to spend time with his family.

“I’m so excited for you,” you say, genuinely happy for him. “Touring sounds incredible.”

“Thanks,” Anton says, his eyes softening as he looks at you. “And Tulum sounds amazing. You’re going to have so much fun.”

Just as you’re about to dive into another topic, Sohee appears out of nowhere, grabbing both of your arms. “Hey, you two! Come on, we’re starting a drinking game in the basement. You have to join us!”

You laugh, allowing Sohee to drag you towards the basement. “Alright, alright, we’re coming!”

Anton follows, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

The basement is filled with a mix of excitement and apprehension as everyone gathers around in a circle for the game. The room is dimly lit, creating an intimate atmosphere perfect for a game of Dare or Drink. Sohee stands in the center, holding an empty bottle, and addresses the group with a mischievous grin.

"Alright, losers," Sohee announces loudly, "we're playing Dare or Drink. It's pretty self-explanatory, but here are the rules: we spin the bottle, and if it lands on you, you either do the dare or take a drink. Got it?"

Everyone nods, a mix of nervous laughter and anticipation rippling through the group. Seunghan is the first to spin the bottle, and it lands on Chaemin. The room holds its breath as he smirks.

"Alright, Chaemin," Seunghan says, leaning forward, "I dare you to kiss the person next to you."

Chaemin's eyes widen, her cheeks turning pink as she looks to her side and sees Shotaro. She bites her lip, hesitating. Shotaro's face is already turning red, a nervous smile on his lips. Chaemin quickly decides and grabs her drink, taking a big gulp instead of completing the dare.

You giggle, noticing Shotaro's embarrassment, and pat his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, Shotaro. Maybe next time," you say with a playful wink.

Chaemin, still blushing, spins the bottle next. It twirls around before pointing at Wonbin. She grins mischievously. "Wonbin, I dare you to strip and go skinny dipping with me."

The room erupts in cheers and laughter, the boys howling at the suggestion. Wonbin, however, chuckles and shakes his head, opting to take a drink instead.

Sohee rolls her eyes dramatically. "Come on, guys! This game is boring if no one does the dares. Step it up!"

With a determined look, Wonbin spins the bottle, and it lands on Anton. Anton's eyes widen as everyone hoots and hollers, anticipating the dare.

"Alright, Anton," Wonbin says, his voice dripping with mischief, "I dare you to make out with the hottest girl in the room."

The group falls silent, all eyes on Anton as he blushes furiously. You can feel your own cheeks heating up, heart pounding as you wait to see what he'll do. Anton looks around nervously, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer than the others.

Anton hesitates, his mind racing. He can feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him, especially yours. The truth is, he already knows who the hottest girl in the room is to him, but saying it out loud and acting on it in front of everyone feels daunting.

With a deep breath, he glances at you again, the unspoken feelings swirling in his eyes. "I—"

But before he can finish, the group erupts in cheers and laughter again, breaking the tension. Anton, still flustered, grabs his drink and takes a large gulp, avoiding the dare.

You can't help but feel a mix of relief and disappointment. You give him a supportive smile, hoping to ease his nerves. Anton looks at you, his eyes filled with gratitude and something else you can't quite place. The game continues, but you and Anton share a few more glances, the unspoken tension between you growing stronger with each passing moment.

As the game progresses and the drinks flow, the atmosphere in the basement becomes increasingly lively. Laughter fills the air, and the group becomes more daring with each spin of the bottle. You’ve mostly opted for drinks over dares, feeling the effects of the alcohol start to kick in. Your inhibitions are lowered, and a warm buzz settles over you as you join in the fun.

It's your turn again, and you watch as Sohee gives the bottle a playful spin. It twirls around before slowing down and pointing directly at you. The room erupts into cheers and laughter, and you can't help but giggle nervously as all eyes turn to you.

Sohee grins mischievously. "Alright, ____, I dare you to kiss the most attractive male in the room."

You scoff, feeling emboldened by the alcohol coursing through your veins. "Pfft, easy," you say with a playful smirk.

Without hesitation, you turn to Anton, your heart pounding in your chest. His eyes widen in surprise, his cheeks flushing as he meets your gaze. The room falls silent, anticipation hanging thick in the air.

With a boldness you didn’t know you possessed, you lean in and press your lips against his, the kiss soft but filled with an undeniable electricity. Cheers erupt from the group as they watch in amazement, some even whistling and hollering in approval.

For a moment, everything fades away except for the sensation of Anton’s lips against yours, the warmth of his embrace, and the pounding of your heart. It feels like time slows down, and you lose yourself in the moment, forgetting about everything else but the connection between you and Anton.

When you finally pull away, breathless and flushed, the room erupts into cheers and applause. Anton stares at you, his eyes wide with surprise and something else you can't quite place.

Sohee claps you on the back, grinning from ear to ear. "Now that's what I call a dare!" he exclaims, earning laughter and agreement from the others.

As the cheers and applause die down, you begin to realize the weight of what just happened. Your heart races with a mix of nerves and excitement, unsure of what this means for your relationship with Anton.

Anton's eyes meet yours, his expression unreadable as he stands and reaches out to take your hand, his touch sending a shiver down your spine. "Come on," he says softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Let's get out of here."

You feel a pang of disappointment as Anton leads you away from the group, away from the pulsating energy of the party. A part of you wants to stay, to revel in the adrenaline rush of the moment, but another part knows that you need to talk, to figure out what this kiss means for your friendship.

But as Anton guides you up the stairs, you can't help but whine, dragging your feet like a child being dragged away from their favorite toy. "But I don't want to leave," you protest, your voice slurred from the alcohol. "I'm having fun."

Anton shoots you a warning look, his grip on your hand tightening slightly. "____, we need to talk," he says firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, you follow him into an empty bedroom, the noise of the party fading into the background. Anton closes the door behind you, and for a moment, there's nothing but silence between you.

"I..." Anton starts, his voice trailing off as he struggles to find the right words. "I don't know what this means for us, but... that kiss, it felt..."

Before he can finish, you cut him off with a giggle, swaying unsteadily on your feet. "Anton, you're overthinking it," you say with a drunken smile. "Let's just go back to the party."

But Anton shakes his head, a determined look in his eyes. "No, we need to talk about this."

You pout, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the seriousness of the situation. "Fine," you mumble, crossing your arms over your chest.

Anton sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He realizes that you're too drunk to have a proper conversation, too caught up in the moment to fully understand the implications of what just happened. With a heavy heart, he decides to abandon the conversation for now, knowing that it's pointless to try to reason with you in your current state.

Instead, he takes a deep breath and gently guides you out of the room, back towards his dorm. You stumble slightly, leaning on him for support as you navigate the streets together.

When you finally reach his room, Anton helps you onto his bed, tucking you in with gentle hands. You mumble a sleepy thank you, already drifting off into a drunken slumber.

Anton watches you for a moment, his heart heavy with uncertainty. He knows that things will never be the same between you, that this kiss has changed everything. But as he looks down at your sleeping form, a small smile tugs at his lips. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the beginning of something new.

With a sigh, he turns away, grabbing a makeup wipe to gently wipe off your makeup. He changes you into one of his oversized shirts and a pair of his boxers, making sure to avert his eyes as he does so.

Once you're settled, he takes a pillow and a blanket, making himself comfortable on the floor beside the bed. He knows that he needs to be there for you, to take care of you, even if it means sacrificing his own comfort.

As he drifts off to sleep, thoughts of you swirl through his mind. He feels nervous about what the future holds for your friendship, but also excited at the possibility of something more. And as he falls asleep beside you, he knows that whatever happens, he'll always be there for you, ready to support you through whatever comes your way.

The morning light filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow into Anton's room. You slowly blink your eyes open, groaning at the pounding headache that greets you. As you try to piece together the events of last night, memories flood back to you in bits and pieces. The party, the drinking, the kiss...

Your heart sinks as you realize where you are. You sit up slowly, the room spinning slightly as you take in your surroundings. You're in Anton's room, and the memories of the drunken kiss flood back to you with embarrassing clarity. You feel stupid for letting things get out of hand, for letting your feelings show in such a reckless way.

As you start to get dressed, pulling on your pants with shaky hands, the door creaks open and Anton enters, carrying a glass of water and some pills. You freeze, your heart racing as you meet his gaze. There's a moment of awkward silence as you both stand there, unsure of what to say.

Anton breaks the silence first, holding out the water and pills to you. "Here," he says softly, his voice gentle. "You'll feel better after you take these."

You take the medicine gratefully, mumbling a small thank you as you swallow the pills with a sip of water. Anton watches you carefully, his expression unreadable as he waits for you to speak.

Finally, he clears his throat, his voice hesitant. "About last night...," he starts, trailing off as he searches for the right words. "I wanted to talk to you about the kiss."

Your heart sinks even further, and you feel a blush creeping up your cheeks. "Oh, uh... yeah," you mumble, trying to play it off casually. "It was just a stupid drunken kiss. We were both drunk, and I... I didn't mean anything by it."

Anton's gaze softens, and you can see the doubt flickering in his eyes. He takes a step towards you, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you mean that?" he asks, his tone gentle but insistent. "Or... do you have feelings for me?"

You feel a lump forming in your throat, and you struggle to find the right words. "I... I don't know," you admit, feeling flustered and exposed under his gaze. "It was just a... a stupid mistake."

But Anton knows you're lying, knows you're trying to brush off something that meant more to both of you than you're willing to admit. With a newfound confidence, he takes another step towards you, closing the distance between you.

"____," he says softly, reaching up to caress your cheek with trembling fingers. "I've loved you for years. That kiss... it meant everything to me."

You stare up at him in shock, your heart pounding in your chest. You're not sure how to respond, not sure if you're ready to face the truth of your feelings for him. But before you can say anything, Anton leans in, his lips capturing yours in a gentle, hesitant kiss.

For a moment, everything fades away except for the warmth of Anton's embrace, the softness of his lips against yours. As the kiss deepens, you wrap your arms around him, pulling him closer, Anton hums, his right hand slides under your hair to rest on your neck.

You quietly moan when he spreads your mouth with his and slips his tongue into your wet mouth. Anton’s fingers are tangled in your hair, his thumb resting on the side of your face. He tilts his head and deepens the kiss. He moans when he wraps his tongue around yours. He rests his other hand on the small of your back as he reclines you slowly, carefully, until you are laying down and he is hovering over you. He retracts his left hand from your back and starts to slowly rub circles on the inside of your thighs.

You slightly push him away feeling overwhelmed with all the new sensations but you know you need to tell him this before anything else happens, “I love you too.”

Anton smiles down at you and pecks your lips once more, “I love you more.”

In that moment you feel a sense of completeness wash over you, a feeling of rightness that you've never experienced before. As you lose yourself in his eyes, in the warmth and safety of Anton's embrace, you know that this is just the beginning of your journey together, the start of something beautiful and true.

[cloudybarnes]

Pretty Boy

Pairing: Harry Potter x reader

Summary: everyone knew you had a thing for the boy who lived, everyone, that is, except for Harry himself.

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: Harry is so soft in this it's insane so take this as your warning

Masterlist

✰  ✰  ✰

It wasn't like you were hiding anything.

You prided yourself in being very direct, and very much a go-getter. After transferring from Beauxbatons, you made quick friends at Hogwarts, even with Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

With Harry, you very quickly became fond of the quirky things he would say, and how flustered he would get when you were around.

Some people called you a flirt, but you liked to think you were just really clear about what you wanted.

Him.

You just weren't sure if he felt the same way about you.

"So, (Y/N)." Hermione said as you, her, Harry and Ron walked out of potions class. "Did you want to study for the exam with us? I figure I could use as much help to make sure these two know what they're doing."

"Hey!" Ron complained, "I happen to be smart sometimes too, Hermione. You're not the only one with a brain."

"You're right, Ron." Hermione said. "(Y/N) has a brain as well, that's why I've asked her to come study with us."

Ron rolled his eyes with a grumble.

"I think that'd be nice," Harry softly said.

You grinned. "Well if Harry wants me there, of course I'm down."

His cheeks turned pink as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Ron snickered and playfully elbowed Harry a couple of times. Harry swatted him away; the pink on his cheeks growing a darker shade.

Harry sheepishly smiled at you. "O-of course I want you there!" He stuttered.

You smirked at him. "Don't worry, pretty boy, I promise I'll be there."

Harry's mouth fell open slightly, as Ron started laughing. "Harry, close your mouth for Merlin's sake!" Ron teased Harry by pointing at his parted lips.

Harry swatted Ron's hands away from his face with a scowl. "Shut up, Ron," he muttered.

You laughed. "I'm just gonna catch up to you guys later. Bye, Harry." You sent a wink in his direction as you walked away. Ron's cackling laugh boomed through the hallway as you left.

✰  ✰  ✰

"Hey, (Y/N)!"

You had started walking down the hallways to get to the Gryffindor study hall where you were supposed to meet up with the golden trio when Luna stopped you.

"Hey, Luna!" You smiled as she walked towards you. "Where were you today? I didn't see you in herbology today."

Luna had been one of your closest friends outside of Hermione, Ron, and Harry. She was fun to talk to, and pretty much knew everything about you already and vice versa.

"Yeah," she smiled, "I was off in the woods taking a walk. It's very nice out there this time of year, you know that?"

You nodded, "oh yeah, it really is."

"So where are you heading off to?"

"Hermione invited me to help them study for the potions exam we've got coming up."

"Oh!" She grinned, "will Harry be there?"

You giggled, "he will be there. Did I tell you he specifically said he wanted me to come with them! I just about died, Luna, like my heart was fluttering like crazy."

Luna chuckled, "You guys need to get together already! Unless you're keeping it a secret from me," Luna squinted her eyes at you playfully.

You laughed. "No, we're not dating. Not yet at least." You winked at her.

"Ahem," a throat cleared behind you.

Turning around, you saw Harry standing there, a bewildered look on his face, and a red burning in his cheeks.

"Um," he stuttered, "I didn't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to make sure you were still coming to the study hall."

Slowly, you turned back to Luna who gave you a sorry smile.

"Well," she said, "I'm going to leave you two alone. I'll see you later, (Y/N/N)." With that, she walked away, leaving you alone with the boy who basically just heard you telling Luna you wanted to date him.

You looked back to Harry with a soft smile. Even though you laid your flirting on so thick with Harry, that wasn't as scary as this. Flirting was innocent. If he didn't reciprocate your feelings, you could always act like you were just messing around.

Now, though, it was the real deal. Even if you looked composed on the outside, you were freaking out quite a bit on the inside.

"Yeah, I'll be there." You smiled, "I'd never ditch my favorite boy."

Harry choked on a gasp.

"You okay?" You asked, stepping a little closer to him.

Harry gazed up at you with confusion, but also intrigue.

"What are you doing?" He asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like-like with me? Why do you say things like that to me?"

Instinctively, you took a step back. "I'm sorry? I didn't know you felt some type of way about how I acted." You felt horrible. Maybe you had done a little too much. Maybe you had flirted too hard and too blatantly that it scared him off.

"No!" He practically shouted. "No, I mean, ahem, I mean I don't feel any type of way about it. I mean, yeah I feel some type of way, but not like- not like a bad way, if that makes sense. I mean more like in a good way, you know? But also, like in a confused way. I'm not sure, I mean, I like when you say things like that to me, but it's also confusing because why would you say things like that to me?" Harry rambled on.

You couldn't help but chuckle a little.

He looked up at you when you laughed, and gave you a sheepish smile. "Too much?" He asked.

You shook your head with a smile. "No, just enough. So you don't think I come off too strong when I flirt with you?"

Harry grinned. "So you are flirting with me!"

You chuckled, "I would hope you consider that flirting. I'm not sure if you know this, but I don't go around calling too many people 'pretty boy' or 'my favorite boy'."

He blushed. "Yeah, that's what Ron said, but I didn't believe him. I just can't believe out of all the guys that like you, you like me instead."

You smiled, "So Ron told you I liked you?"

"Well, he may have mentioned it a time or two or twenty," he chuckled, "I just didn't believe him."

"How could I not like you? You're Harry, you're incredibly sweet, and selfless, and so much more. Anyone with eyes would like you, Harry."

His face turned ten shades of red. "That's how I feel about you, too, (Y/N). But with you, it's just obvious everyone loves you. You walk in a room and every single head turns. You laugh, and the birds start singing. You smile, and the sun quivers from how bright you light the place up."

With every word coming from Harry's lips, you found yourself more and more drawn to him. Your heart beat erratically.

"I didn't realize you thought so highly of me." It was your turn to blush now. You could feel your face getting incredibly hot by the sweet words he spoke. You never thought Harry would like you back, especially not as intensely as he's describing. Frankly, you didn't know he had such a way with words.

"I think you're incredible, (Y/N), and if you would let me, I'd like to take on a-a date sometime?" He suggested.

You grinned at him and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'd love to, Harry."

He grinned, and held on tight to your hand.

For a minute there, the two of you just stared at each other, smiling. You started to giggle. "As much as I would love to stay here like this, we promised Hermione we would study with her and Ron."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Harry admitted, sheepishly.

You chuckled, "come on, let's not keep them waiting, pretty boy."

Harry grinned. "I like that nickname."

"I like you."

[thiccschief]

Taking a Few for the Team

I've always had a fantasy about a sports team breeding one of the players, transferring all their fat to the one player. It's a work in progress, but here's the first part! Contains male weight gain & sex, and some bloating/gas.

Part two is here.

Exhausted, Aaron made his way out of his last class of the semester. Walking outside onto the cold winter afternoon, he admired how nice the snow looked across his college campus. Unfortunately, there was no snow on the indoor soccer field. His coach had insisted that the team practice tonight one last time before winter break.

Even though he only considered himself to be an average player on his team, Aaron enjoyed soccer. It was nice to have something going on other than his classes, and Aaron got along well with his teammates. His best friend Jess would always poke fun at him asking when he was going to hook up with the other players since they always acted so gay around each other. He didn’t mind though, since they were all cool with him being out as gay. His teammates would joke about it sometimes but only ever in jest.

He made his way back to his apartment he shared with Jess to grab his soccer bag, then he was off to practice. It went like any other, but near the end his coach made a point to tell all the boys they had better make sure and watch what they ate over the holiday break. “I don’t need you all to have to go harder at practice than you already will when you get back.” He figured he was being self-conscious, but Aaron felt like that statement had been directed at him. He was sure the coach made the most eye contact with him when he said that to everyone.

At 5’11 and fairly muscular, he was still definitely athletic. But with exams and everything going on, Aaron found himself stress eating more than usual. He had gained about 10 pounds since the start of the semester. It didn’t bother him, if anything it was just a good bulk that he could cut and gain some muscle mass if he hit the gym hard enough over the break. But his already small uniform shorts were definitely struggling with his slightly larger butt. His tops were definitely tighter too, but if he sucked in his belly it wasn’t too noticeable.

“Shit, I was really looking forward to eating good the next couple of weeks,” said Jared in the locker room after practice. “But you guys heard him, if I can’t then you can’t either.”

Jared is the team captain, who Aaron had a crush on. He was tall and muscular, and somehow ever so slightly tan even in the winter. He was assertive but also kind and understanding. It’s no wonder the team looked up to him.

“My girlfriend’s mom makes the best desserts! What coach doesn’t know won’t hurt him” complained Trevor. With a great sense of humor, he and Aaron were pretty good friends. Aaron was also a pretty good wingman for Trevor, which he appreciated. 

“Yeah it’ll be hard. I’m not sure what I’ll do when my mom makes her famous pork roast. But think of how much better shape we’ll be in compared to the other teams once spring season starts” said Jared.

“Shit, you two are making me hungry” said Aaron as he took off his top.

“Look, just don’t overdo it, man” said Jared. Aaron could have sworn that Jared shot a quick glance at Aaron’s belly, but just like before he tried to write it off as being self-conscious.

He finished changing and headed back out into the cold night. On his drive home, he thought about his workout plans for the break. Like most of the other guys, he and his family both lived nearby to the school, so it’s not like he would have to give up the gym for a month. But also in the back of his mind, he knew that it wouldn’t matter, he probably wouldn’t go anyway.

—----------------------------

The last couple days of break came faster than he expected. Aaron was seriously not ready for classes and soccer practice to start back up again. In between hanging out with Jess and also his family, Aaron had spent a few nights drinking beers and playing video games with Trevor. It was nice to become closer as friends. But also, to hang out without feeling pressure from the team about somehow gaining more weight. He knew Trevor didn’t care, but Aaron was terrified about how he was going to explain to the coach why he could barely squeeze into his shorts and jersey.

Trying it on before their practice that night, Aaron could see in his mirror that there was now no hiding the fact that he did not spend a minute in the gym all month. Or that he had completely ignored his coach’s advice not to overindulge in his mom’s delicious cooking. His shorts were straining to cover his now very round ass, and his jersey was completely showing off his new belly and love handles. His pecs were now larger looking as well. “Dammit!” he muttered to himself. He was definitely a little chubby now. But even though he was nervous about his team’s judgment, somehow he felt a bit sexier? He’d always liked men with some meat on their bones, but had never really considered that look for himself. But damn, something about how he was filling out his uniform made his shorts even tighter…

But without much time to think about it, he rushed out the door to get to practice. Somehow he was already running late.

After getting to practice, Aaron was relieved. It looked like all the other guys had spent the holiday more or less exactly like he did. Especially Jared, who now had a bit of a pudgy belly along with slightly pronounced love handles under his jersey. He liked to wear a smaller size to show off his muscles Aaron suspected, but now it was just showing off his mom’s many desserts he had eaten.

Coach definitely noticed the guys’ different physiques as well, and seemed irritated that the team was doing their exercises slower than usual. At the end of practice, after a short conversation with Jared, the coach pulled all the guys into a quick meeting.

“Look, I know I told you boys not to overdo it with eating over the break…” said the coach, with an exasperated tone in his voice “but this is ridiculous. We are going to have to do something about it.”

“Yes coach…” the team said meekly, knowing full well what they had done.

“So here is the deal. Jared and I have come up with a plan to get you boys back in shape in time for spring season. Be ready to do whatever it takes! That’s it for today’s practice, but it won’t be as easy next time!”

While changing in the locker room, Aaron reflected on what coach had told them. ‘Do whatever it takes?’ Aaron was already dreading the next practice and he hadn’t even left this one. Being the chubbiest one on the team, he knew whatever coach had in store was not going to be easy.

“Way to go, fatass” Trent said angrily, poking Aaron in his soft belly. “Now we are going to have to work out twice as hard because of you.” Trent was a player that could get pretty heated in the game, but Aaron had never had Trent get confrontational with him off the field. So this was definitely a first that Aaron didn’t know how to handle. 

“I… I don’t…” stammered Aaron, blushing a little in embarrassment. He didn’t know what to do.

“Whoa calm down man” Trevor came and stood between the two. “Look, we’ve all put on a few over the holiday. I know I at least have a little beer belly now.” Trevor said, making a point to grab the little bit of belly fat he had gained and laughed. “It’s all good. We’ll get back in shape in no time.”

“He’s right, it’s not the end of the world” chimed in Jared. “Coach and I put a plan together, and it’ll definitely be faster than a normal training regimen. We should do great this season.”

“And how the hell are we going to pull that off?” demanded Trent “Other than working out twice as hard, what are we supposed to do?”

“We haven't worked out the formula just yet, but I’m sure we can do it. Just listen to me and coach. We have a plan.” said Jared, with more of his assertive-team-captain tone than before. He was still positive as usual, but Trent could tell this conversation was over.

Formula? That was an odd choice of words, thought Aaron later that night. What did he mean?

All Aaron knew was Trent poking his belly and calling him a fatass earlier was somehow… insanely hot. Fuck, why was it so hot!? If Trevor hadn’t stood in front of him, his boner in his boxer briefs would have been on full display for the whole team to see. Thankfully his normally eight incher was now slightly smaller from his new encroaching fat pad.

That night, he beat himself off grabbing his belly and playing that scene over and over in his head…

The next day, Aaron got a group text from Jared.

'Hey everyone, team meeting tonight at my place. Be there at 7.'

'Damn' Aaron thought to himself. 'What is so important we couldn't have gone over it yesterday?!' 

Regardless, team meetings at Jared's house usually ended up being more of a kickback than a meeting. The guys all usually brought a few beers, snacks, and some video games to enjoy after whatever team business was discussed. Jared's family had moved away but kept the house so he could live in it while he finished college. This made it the perfect place for them to all hang.

After pulling up to Jared's quiet suburban home, he headed down to the large basement living room, where the team usually hung out. It had multiple sofas and plenty of space for the whole team.

He was surprised to find that he was the last one on the team to arrive.

"Hey man! Didn't know you had it in you to be on time to anything" Aaron said jokingly to Trevor as he sat on the couch next to him.

"Dude what are you talking about? Jared said to be here at six th-"

Trevor was immediately cut off by Jared who jumped up and started the meeting.

"Glad to see you all could make it." Jared said, standing and facing everyone. "I wanted to go over the plan coach and I made to get us all in shape. We are very excited but it's going to take every guy on this team doing his part."

Jared held up a protein shaker bottle filled with an ivory liquid. It just looked like any other protein shake. "Coach and I consulted with some people in the chemistry department and formulated a unique protein shake mixture for each of you. It's highly concentrated and is specially formulated to last longer than a normal shake. Because of this, we probably only have to drink it once a week. So every week starting today, we will all drink it together, that way I know nobody is slacking."

"Seriously?!" Chimed Trent "you have to babysit us about it?"

"No you don't understand. It's just way easier this way." Said Jared. He seemed annoyed that Trent would say something like that, as if he should have known better.

"Anyway, we are still working on the flavors. So let me know what you guys think!" Jared handed everyone a bottle with their name on it.

Aaron gave it a couple shakes then put the bottle up to his mouth and took a big sip. The shake was… delicious. It was so sweet and rich and nothing at all like those nasty protein shakes he was used to.

"Fuck that's good." "Hey man, what's in this?" "Damn it's just like ice cream…" the other guys clearly enjoyed theirs too.

"Glad y'all like it. Anyway, that's the meeting. Once you finish your shakes, I've got plenty of beers in the fridge." Said Jared with a grin on his face. "One more thing. We noticed when we were testing it, sometimes the shakes can make you a little… bloated."

As if on cue, Trevor let out a long *buuUuuUURRP* followed by some hearty laughter from the rest of the guys.

"Look if this gets us in shape like you say it will, a couple burps won't kill me" joked Trevor.

"Oh don't worry, it'll work just fine." Said Jared.

The team came prepared with the usual snacks, beer and video games. They were broing out just like any other team meeting before long.

20 minutes later…

—---------------------------

The guys started getting really gassy. Being a soccer team that spent tons of time together, an occasional fart or burp was not new for the boys. It was always followed by laughter at the expense of the perpetrator, but this was different. The teammates were all feeling way more bloated than they had ever been. ‘Hopefully these shakes are worth it…’ their faces seemed to say.

At first they seemed to be a little embarrassed about it, but after a few minutes of laughing at each other they were letting it all out. All the boys at this point were occasionally farting and burping. Aaron noticed that the boys’ cheeks were becoming a little flush as well. They were also starting to get hard. Rock hard. Aaron noticed that everyone on the team had a boner visible through their shorts by now. Even himself.

All the guys were blushing as they started noticing the strange effects of this protein shake they had been given.

"Yeah sorry guys, it has some odd side effects" said Jared.

Aaron felt super flustered. The guys knew he was gay, but staring at all their protruding manhoods felt like a step too far. He got up to go to the bathroom, but as he did…

"Hey... Has anyone else noticed how fat Aaron's ass is?" Said Trent

"You're joking right?" Aaron said in disbelief.

"Like, seriously huge..." said Trent, as he stroked his cock through his shorts.

"...hey!" Aaron was completely shocked. This… didn’t feel like their normal banter.

"I'm serious!" Said Trent. "Has it always jiggled this much??" He got up and gave Aaron’s ass a huge smack. Even through his shorts, you could see it shake in recoil.

Come to think of it, Aaron thought, was it usually that jiggly? Was this another bizarre effect of these shakes?

The next thing he knew, Trent grabbed Aarons shorts and pulled them to the ground.

"Holy fuck!" exclaimed Trent "That ass is fucking insane!"

"What the fuck is going on here!?" yelled Jared "Get your *buuuURP* hands off my teammate!"

Trent grabbed Aaron's cheeks and squeezed. His fingers sank deep into the soft flesh, which he loved. He pushed Aaron firmly between the shoulder blades, the boy bracing himself on the couch. Trent mimed fucking Aarons ass in front of the team, causing an uproar of laughter.

“Hey man, chill out!” Exclaimed Jared. “I told you how this was going to work.”

Jared grabbed Trent by the collar of his shirt and pulled him away. But then quickly dropped his own shorts and stood behind Aaron.

It all happened so fast Aaron didn’t have a chance to move. From being shocked about what Trent had done to him, to being frozen by seeing Jared act so dominant. Aaron just watched in shock as he was still bent over the couch. But he didn’t really want to move, either. He was starting to feel unusually calm.

The next thing he knew, Jared reached for some lube that was on the side table, and rubbed it on his huge rock hard cock. Wait… Aaron thought to himself, was that lube always there? Why would Jared leave it out like that?

Aaron also noticed that Jared’s balls were looking massive, as if they were a pair of oranges. 

“Get ready, fatass” moaned Jared. He gave Aaron’s jiggly ass a good slap and then grabbed him by his love handles.

Aaron felt a tingle through his body. He had never had a dick in his ass before. But he had always fantasized about it. This was a very weird night so far, but he’d be lying if he said he had never fantasized about having handsome, tall, fit, dominant but gentle Jared pound his tight (and now fat) ass.

His ass relaxed as if on queue, and Jared easily slipped in. Aaron moaned quietly at the sensation of having his first dick inside him.

He could hear Jared burping as he slid back and forth. The guys were definitely getting gassy because of their shakes.

Aaron groaned as Jared began to go deeper and harder. He was so turned on by this. He didn’t care that his whole team was there. He didn't mind the gas or the loud farts that Jared was letting out. In fact, he liked it. There was something about being taken by his team captain, called names and fucked in the ass that made him feel so incredibly horny.

Jared was thrusting really hard now and Aaron could feel Jared’s huge balls colliding with his own. It was so hot feeling Jared’s fat cock sliding in and out of his ass.

"Fuck, yeah, fuck me, I love it!" whined Aaron, leaning forward on the couch.

Jared continued to pound away, slamming Aaron's asshole relentlessly. He was so focused on Jared that he forgot the rest of the team was in the room, watching and stroking their cocks to Aaron and Jared.

"Come on, you fat bitch, take my dick! *BUuuuuUP* You're gonna be our team slut now!" yelled Jared.

Aaron nodded his head in agreement as Jared pounded away.

“Fuuuck…” was all Aaron could let out between his moans. He had never been so aroused. All he wanted at this point was to feel Jared release his huge load inside him.

"Take it, take it all… Take my load!" cried Jared, as he came inside Aaron's soft stomach. Aaron felt him gushing inside him. It felt like he was cumming forever, to the point where Aaron began to feel a slight pressure inside him from all the sloshing cum.

When Jared was done, he slowly pulled out of Aaron's ass. “Don’t let that go to waste, fatboy”  he said as he slapped Aarons’ dribbling ass. He started laughing as he looked at Aaron's now rounder and softer belly. Aaron looked as if he had instantly put on 10 pounds. "Damn, did I do that? You look even fatter now"

"It feels... tight" said Aaron, out of breath. "But it's amazing." He put a hand on his belly and felt not only Jared's cum sloshing around but also a softer layer of fat beneath his sweaty skin.

"I definitely feel less bloated now," said Jared with a grin, "you guys should try it" he said to the rest of the guys.

Aaron looked up and noticed Jared’s balls were normal sized now. Jared also looked like he… had lost weight? How was that possible? He looked like he was back to his toned, muscular body that he had before break. But Aaron was still in too much of a daze to think much more about it. He wanted to cum himself but his belly was too tight to focus.

The other boys all looked hesitant but something told Aaron that they all wanted to fuck him and unload their cum in him just like their team captain did.

Part two

[gejo333]

Art credit: PIYO @Oz_174 on Twitter/X

An Unexpected Match XI

Pt. 1 Pt. 12

DBF/DILF Miguel O’Hara x female reader

Summary: Miguel’s worst nightmare comes true😰😰😰

I’m actually shocked for how quick I got this chapter out, lol. I had to add this photo above it’s so cute! I imagine these would be photos Y/n took on her phone of Miguel and Gabi. I think the top two would be her screen saver🥰 Also just want to say again thank you for the 800 follows! Your likes, comments and reblogs mean the world to me!💕💕💕

I apologize for any grammatical mistakes I missed.

Enjoy🥰

Wc: 4.2k

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The morning of Gabi's Birthday. Before the accident:

"Goodbye cariño. Have a nice day with classes. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye. Have a good day at work. I'll pick up Gabi from school."

After Miguel left for work and Gabi was finished with her breakfast you cleaned up the counter and washed the dishes.

"Ok baby bug. Let's get you ready for school." You help her down from the chair before going upstairs to get her dressed. Her outfit was already laid out as she specifically wanted to wear this one dress to school for her birthday. Once you helped her get into it she giggled and twirled around as she watched the skirt part spin with her.

After doing her hair, you check the time eyes widen as you realize you don't have enough to look presentable today. So you decided to wear a matching pair of sweats and sweatshirt, Uggs, and put your hair in a cute messy bun.

"Ok let's head out baby bug, we're running a bit late." You grab her lunch and water bottle and put it in her backpack, hanging that on your shoulder as you pick her up, carrying her on your side hip as you head to the garage to your car.

You strap her in to her car seat in the back before getting in to the driver's side. Once you get out of the garage and begin to drive you look in the rear view mirror to see a smiling Gabi starring out the window.

"Hey, baby bug?"

"Yeah mama?"

"Papa and I are going to send out the invites to your birthday party that's next week."

"Yay! Will everyone be dressed as a princess or superhero?"

"Yep! Or both if they want to."

"I didn't know you could be both! Can I be a princess superhero?" Gabi gasped when she heard your words, which made you chuckle slightly. So cute.

"Of course you can, sweetheart. I'll come up with an idea for what we should do for your costume and we can go find something after school today. How does that sound?"

"Yay! Can it be a surprise for Papa?"

"Sure baby bug. I will have to tell him though that we won't meet him right after school. But that's it's for a surprise." You chuckle from her silly request. You made a mental note to text Miguel the update when you got to your class.

After talking more about her upcoming birthday party you made it to her school. You quickly get out in drop off area to unbuckle her from the car. After helping her out of the car you help put her backpack on.

"Ok, have fun today Birthday Girl! I'll see you at pick up! Love you my baby bug." You kneel down to giver her a proper hug which she happily returns before running off to her drop-off line to see her friends.

Once you saw she was with her teacher you drove off towards your university to attend your classes for the day.

———————

You were done with your last class for the day and had an hour before you had to pick up Gabi. You sat back on a lawn chair that were spread through out campus.

"Ugh, I can't with this semester. It's killing me already." Stephanie groaned as she sat in the chair next to you. You both came out of the same exam, not knowing if you did well or not.

"Steph, why did you decide to take 18 credits for your last semester?"

"Girl, I had too or I would have to pay for another semester. Enough about school, how's it going with you and Miguel's relationship being public?"

She turned her head to look at you.

"As expected everyone's so nosy and either being a bitch or an asshole about it. I haven't talked to my parents since the holiday party. But it's not like they are eager to reach out to me."

"Yeah Jack told me that your parents are going nuts still over it. Ugh speaking of your brother, he's being so annoying lately. I love him. But if he leaves a plate in the sink one more time, I'm going to tackle him." Stephanie groaned in frustration.

"Well, Miguel lately has been very insistent on wanting to have kids. Did you now that he expected to get me pregnant this year so we could have a baby next year? And then when I told him when I wanted to have kids he wasn't happy about it. So we had to compromise and agree on three years from now. Steph! I don't know if I'll be ready to have a baby in three years. I don't think I would be able to handle a career fully by then."

"Damn, three years from now. That's crazy. But I guess I get why you agreed. He is older than you. That is probably the one downfall to being with someone older."

"I don't now if it's a downside. We just are at two different points in our lives, but we love each other. I don't know, maybe deep down I knew I would probably be starting a family soon when I began dating him. And it's not like I don't want a baby now. I have the baby fever. I just worry that sometimes i still feel like a kid myself, despite being an adult and I just don't know if I'll be a good mother." Stephanie places her hand over yours and smiles.

"Y/n you will be an amazing mom. You do such a great job with Gabi."

"Thanks Steph. And your going to be a amazing aunt."

"Hell yeah I am!" She said before you both laughed from her comment.

After talking and relaxing a bit longer with Stephanie it was time to part ways as you get back in your car and drive to Gabi's school to pick her up.

Due to traffic you arrive a few minutes from her finishing class. When you go to pick-up your brows furrow as you see the kindergarten class but a new teacher, and no Gabi. Confused you decide to park the car and walk to get her.

"Hi, where is the regular kindergarten teacher?"

The woman smiles at you. "I'm the new teacher assistant. I started today. She had to leave early today so I took over. Who are you picking up?"

"Gabriella O'Hara. Where is she actually? She's usually here when I pick her up."

"I'm sorry but Gabi was already picked up." The woman said as she checks her clipboard. Your brows furrowed from her response.

"Her father came to pick her up? He didn't tell me he was going to."

"It wasn't her father. It was her mother." The TA's words made your vision almost black out. Your heart felt like it stopped and your body felt numb.

"What do you mean her mother picked her up? I'm Gabriella's mother. You let my daughter go with a complete stranger?! Who did you let take my daughter?!" Your voice raised.

"Her name was Sofia." The TA hid behind her clipboard.

"When did she pick her up?"

"Like 5 minutes ago. They drove that way." The woman shaking pointed her finger in the direction that the car went.

"You and the school will be hearing from our lawyer. I'll be back once I get my daughter back. You better hope I fucking get her." You get into the TA's face glaring down at her before you sprint to your car and turn it on and start driving faster than you have ever been.

All you could hear was your heart beating deafeningly loud in your ears. You felt physically sick. You pick up your phone as you call 911.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"Hi m-my daughter. W-well my step daughter. She-she was abducted from her school. The teacher just let a stranger take her!" Tears fall down your cheeks as you feared that you might never see her again.

After giving the police all the information they finally dispatched a car and sent out an amber alert. You asked if you could call your boyfriend, her father, which they said you could.

You hear the earth shattering noise of the amber alert blare on your phone. You tried to wipe away the tears from your eyes as you drove, as they become unbearably blurry disrupting your vision.

You call Miguel. It rang from some time before...

"Hi this is Miguel O'Hara. I'm currently unavailable at the moment. Please leave a voicemail and I will get back to you."

You call again. Same thing . And again.

Same response. You then remember he would be in back to back meetings all day and probably has his phone turned off or on silent.

You call again. "Please answer Miguel. Please!"

Another automated message. You cry out in frustration. "Fuck! Where did that bitch take my daughter?"

You drive for what feels like forever, a piece of your heart tearing away every minute you did have her in your arms.

"Oh my god." Your gasp as your eyes widen. Two cars ahead was the same piece of shit car Sofia drove. Not caring about breaking the rules you drive over the spread limit as you get in the lane beside her car. And if the universe couldn't be anymore helpful the light turn red. You ripped yourself from your seat and out of the car as you ran in front of her car.

Sofia's eyes widen in surprise before returning back to her usual glare. She continuously honks the horn. The light turned green but you didn't move es ring other people to honk the car.

"Hey! What's going on here! You're holding up traffic lady!" Said a random man.

"Sir please. This woman kidnapped my daughter. I won't let this woman out of my sight without my daughter. Please, can you please help!" You begged as tears streamed down your face. You just wanted your baby girl back.

A few other people left there cars curious to see what was causing the traffic jam.

"Oh honey. What are you doing?" Said a random older woman as she walked up to you.

"Please can someone help me get my daughter. I can see she's scared. Please."

The man ripped the car door open, luckily that woman was dumb enough to keep her doors unlocked. Sirens can heard growing in the back. Sofia rolled down her window. "Omg this bitch is crazy. That's my daughter. She's lying!"

"Mama!" Gabi cried at the top of her lungs as she squirmed through the man and woman's arms and towards you. As the sirens grew closer your were too slow to see Sofia reverse before heads towards you at full speed. Gabi was right in front of the car with you. You pushed her out of the way, luckily she didn't fall.

The last thing you saw was the fearful look on Gabi's face before everything went black.

————————————

"W-what did you say?" Miguel voice was barely above a whisper.

"Y/n was hit by a car. We also want to say that your daughter is safe with us."

"Wait, what? What happened to my daughter and girlfriend?!" Miguel voice raised fear and anger taking over his mind.

"A woman by the name Sofia abducted your daughter at her school. Y/n had called the police and chased after them. When she found your daughter, to get away from the police Sofia ran over y/n to escape from them."

"I-I'm on my way." Miguel ended the call as he ran towards his car and drove to the hospital his heart ached. He couldn't lose you. He wouldn't be able to handle it.

He arrived to the hospital and ran into the emergency ward. In the crowd he immediately spotted his daughter. "Gabi!" When hearing her father's voice she ran from the social worker watching her and into his arms as she wailed.

"Mama's hurt!" She cried in his arms as he wrapped his arms around her and kiss the top of her head, relieved that his daughter was safe. However the ache in his heart was still fully there at the thought of you being critically injured. "I-I saw a car h-hit Mama! I want Mama!" She cried. Bearing his daughter's wails brought tears to his eyes as he try to call her down, which was difficult as he was no where near calm.

A while later a doctor in surgical attire walked towards him. "Mr. O'Hara?"

"Y-yes."

"We just finished surgery with Y/n. However she still is in critical care. We-"

"Is it p-possible if we can talk in private?" Miguel gestured towards his daughter's who cries were only getting worse from the doctor's news. The doctor nodded, "follow me this way."

Miguel handed Gabi to the social worker, however she wouldn't let go of him. "N-no!"

"Princesa, Papa needs to know what's happening with Mama. Please go with the social worker. I'll be right back. I promise." Gabi listened as she allowed him to give her to the social worker.

When they were in a private space, the doctor signed. " Would you like to see her? Just as a warning, it won't be a pretty sight."

Miguel could only nod as he was led to the ICU. When he entered the room, his heart shattered. He rushed over to your side as he got on his knees. His hand shook out of control as he intertwined his fingers in your limp hand.

"Dios...mi amor please por favor fight through this. I'm going to be right here. I won't leave your side. Please don't leave me. I won't be able to live without you. Gabi wouldn't be ok. I won't be ok. I love you so so so much."

Miguel didn't realize how long he was by your bedside, when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

"Hey." Said Gabriel.

"Thanks for coming to get Gabi. I-I just can't leave y/n side." Miguel looked up to his brother. Gabriel's heart broke as he saw the disheveled appearance of his brother.

"Please try to get some rest. You know she would want that."

"No. I'm not leaving. I'll sleep in the chair."

"Ok." Gabriel said before looking at Miguel one more time before leaving the room.

——————-

Your eyes slowly open, closing once from the bright light before opening them again. You gaze at your surroundings. Your were in a hospital? Right, you were hit by a car.

To your left, a head with disheveled brown curls laying on your bed. You slowly smile as you lift your hand as you gently brush some of the hair out of his face. Almost immediately, his reddish-brown eyes stare up at you wide. You remove you hand as he shoots up.

"Y/n?"

"Hey" you say voice really hoarse from the lack of talking. Miguel intertwined his fingers in yours as he kissed your hands and then pressed butterfly kisses all over your face. Over-the moon to see you awake.

"I'm so glad your awake. I knew your would wake up." Tears spilled down his cheeks, which brought worry to your face as you lifted your hand to caress his cheek as you wiped away his tears. He leaned into your touch.

"Your acting like I was a sleep for a while." You lightly chuckle, coughing slightly from your dry throat. "How long was I out?"

"Two weeks." Your eyebrows raised slightly, surprised by his answer. It seemed like you just were hit after rescuing Gabi.

"Is Gabi ok?" Concern was etched in your tone.

"She is. Perfectly fine because of you. Witness' said that you saved her from a car hitting both of you. I can't believe that damn woman hurt you. But she's getting the justice she deserves. She'll be in prison majority of her life for kidnapping Gabi and harming you." Miguel placed a kissed to your forehead before sitting back down.

Concern grew on your face again as you notice the large dark circles under is eyes. "When was the last time you got some proper rest?"

Before he could answer your question the doctor came in and walked towards your bedside as he checked your vitals.

"Glad you were able to wake up Ms. L/n. We weren't sure when you would. You've been healing very well the past two weeks. One thing though, the way you were hit by the car almost made you lose your uterus. It was touch and go for a bit during surgery, but we were able to save you from having another surgery . You'll be able to go home in a day or two. I'll let you rest." The doctor smiled before leaving the room.

His words made your heart beat slightly faster. You might have lost your uterus? Wow, Universe, really trying to tell me something, huh?

"You should get some re-" Miguel was interrupted by familiar voices entering the room. It was your parents and brothers. After having a near death experience you would think you would be happy to see your parents again. But honestly they feel like just as much of a pain as Sofia was.

"Miguel." Said Sam as he walked in behind his wife and gave a frown towards Miguel.

"Sam." Miguel returned his same expression.

"Sweetheart you're awake! I'm so glad you're ok." Said your mother as she walks to the other side of the bedside. She tried to hold your hand but your remove your from hers, causing her to frown.

"Sweetie?"

You look to Miguel, tired eyes asking for him for help you. Knowing exactly what want, he said, "hey, she's pretty tired. Maybe come back after she's rested."

Your mother shot him a glare, "how about you come back after she's rested."

"Mom, y-you and Dad should leave." You spoke up.

"But I'm your mom, sweetie. Everyone needs their mom when they are hurt."she tried to hold your hand again, but once again you removed your hand from hers.

"Well you haven't been acting like a mom ever since the summer. I only want people who aren't going to hold immature grudges based off who I love. So unless you can accept that and apologize, then leave." It did hurt a little to see your mother's hurt expression. But you had to be brave, how she and your father have been acting is not right, and you're not going to have anything to do with it.

"Fine. Have it your way." Your mother frowned as she turned around and left. Before your father left he gently squeezed your hand, "glad you're alive and well."  Before leaving the room.

Your brothers started a bit longer catching up with you before leaving as well.

Time seem to go by fast as you were already being discharged from the hospital.

As Miguel helped you get into the passenger side of the car, you stopped him. "Wait, they never came by our room to take my insurance and fill out stuff for the bills."

Miguel smiled as he brushed some of the hair from your face, " no need to worry about that, cariño. I already paid for it."

Your eyes widen as you looked at him slightly annoyed but that automatically leave as you give him a smile. "You really didn't have to do that. I would have tortured some out myself. But thank you. That was really sweet of you." You caress his cheek.

"No need to thank me, mi amor. You're the love of my life and my family. I'm going to take care of my family." He kiss you on the lips before closing your car door and hoping you in the drivers side.

When you arrived home, Miguel decided to carry you inside the house and up to your shared bedroom despite your slight protests, as you knew he hadn't had proper rest in two weeks.

"No need to worry about me. I'm alright, hermosa."

"Well, I'm going to worry about you and fuss over you because your the love of my life. And I want to make sure you're ok and well. Now laid down next to me and get some rest. You said Gabriel is going to drop off Gabi tomorrow." Miguel smiled down at you as he listened to your words and laid down next to you. He gently wrapped his arm around you and brought you close to him careful not to bother any of your stitches. Feeling his warmth the fatigue washed over you as you fell asleep.

The next day you woke up to the sounds of people talking down stairs. When you began to wake up a bit more you realized Miguel wasn't in bed. As the other voice grew closer a smile came to your face as you realized who it was.

"Mama!" Gabi ran into the room as she jumped on the bed, followed by Miguel running in and catching her before she barreled into you. "Be careful hija. Remember what I told you, Mama is still healing. So we have to be gentle around her."

He let go of her and put her on the bed when he knew she had understood. Your smile widens as you stretch your arm out wanting a hug from her, which she did extra carefully, as she took her father's words into account.

"I missed you a lot Mama."

"I miss you too my baby bug. I'm so relieved that you're safe and ok."

After some time you and Miguel noticed she fell asleep, as he lifted her up and took her to her bedroom to rest. When he came back he sat on the bed next to you.

"Did you get any rest?"

From not getting an answer you lightly glare at him with a pout. You move closer to him which he gladly appreciates. "Miggy, please get some rest. I won't be able to rest if you don't get proper sleep."

"I just have to finish one thing." He said as he took out his phone and started typing away on it, resting your head in his lap, you could see slightly what it said on his screen. Your eyes widen when you saw that it was your finacial portal to your university.

"Miguel, why are you in my financial portal?"

Miguel looked down at you with a pleading gaze. "Mi, amor don't get upset but while you were in a coma I paid for the rest of your university...and your student loans."

You sit up slowly from laying on his lap as you give him light glare and a frown. "Miguel...I told you I would handle them. First off how did you even gain access to them? You know how I felt about you paying for that."

"I know you're upset. But did you expect to get hurt in a car accident? No. You can't work, so I knew your wouldn't be able to pay your monthly payments. I have more than enough money to cover it. And I know you feel bad about it. But I'm going to take care of you. And plus it's down. Nothing can be reversed."

"Well, thank you. You really are an amazing boyfriend. But if you think you're not going to go unpunished for doing it without my knowledge. Though I can't have sex right now, oh once I'm cleared. We're still not having sex." You pout as you turn the away from him in bed. You heard him chuckle as he moved closer to you his chest pressed against your back as he kiss the side of your head, "alright hermosa. That's fair enough. It's was all worth it."

"You say that now."

——————————-

Two weeks later

“Happy birthday to you…happy birthday to you… happy birthday dear Gabi…happy birthday to you!” Sang the crowd of kids and parents as Miguel carries the princess superhero themed cake with six candles in front of her. You smiled and cheered as she blew out all her candles.

You had found out that Gabi wanted to postpone her birthday party until you had woken up and felt better. Of course you felt extremely guilty that she had to wait so long to celebrate, but she would always reassure you with a big hug and saying, “it wouldn’t be fun, if you wouldn’t be there to celebrate with me Mama.”

Tears brimmed the corner of your eyes as you watched her and her friends jump in excitement in their mixture of princess and superhero costumes as they wait to get a slice of cake. You smiled as you saw Miguel hand her a slice, kissing the top of her head before she walked over to the dinning room table with her friends. You looked at Miguel as he gazed happily at your daughter. Miguel then turned to meet you gaze as you could feel the love in his gaze and smile from across the room as he mouthed the words, I love you. Which you did the same.

You thanked the universe that you weren’t taken away from them and can still live your life to the fullest by their side.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter🥰

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[97linelover]

false number alert - Kim Mingyu

18+ / mdi

summary: it´s normal to chat over your phone nowadays, but what happens if you receive a text from a stranger?

And what if this stranger is not who he claims to be?

content: Idol Mingyu x non Idol reader, fight,angst, happy end,fluff, smut

wc: 4.6 k

a/n: I got a weird text the last week and I came up with this idea, I´m not quite sure if I like it though.

unknown: You got time? I could call you!

Y/N: I'm sorry this has to be the wrong number.. I don't speak your language. And I don't know you.

Unknown: Sorry for my fault. I drank, and a random girl gave me a number.

Y/N: Oh, I'm sorry, but looks like she ditched you and you got the wrong girl. Here is just Y/N, and I am in my bed.

Unknown: Well, Jake here; nice to meet you, Y/N. Sorry, my English is not good.

Y/N: That is no problem at all. Write as you want. I can use a translator.

Jake: You sure?

Y/N: Yes. :D

Y/N and Jake didn't notice that they were texting for hours now. It just fitted; they had a lot of topics, but suddenly Jake had to leave.

Lily did not mind; she had to sleep; in Korea it was already morning, while in America it was night.

Texting a stranger was something she never wanted to do, but Jake made it so easy tonight, and since he is from Seoul, there was no way that they would meet ever. But little did Y/N know that Jake would be more than just a texting pal.

Jake: Y/N, are you awake?

Y/N: Yes, I'm still learning for my exam. 😟

Jake: I just came home from work. I'm tired. 🥲

Y/N: Isn't it like 3 in the morning in Seoul? Go to bed, Jakey.

Jake: I wanted to talk to you. But I don't want to disturb your studies. Good luck tomorrow. FIGHTING!

Y/N: Good night, Jake🥺.😴

From now on, the two of you became best friends; you texted him more than your best friend.

But since finals were just around the corner, you could not talk to him for a while.

Jake: You still alive Y/N??

Y/N; Yup, lol, sorry to share those news, jakeyyy."

Jake: I'm happy, u answer. I thought you forgot me... 😥

Y/N: No!! Would never, how was your day?

Jake; Call? I wanna hear you.

Your eyes went wide; you never talked to each other; you never had a phone call. But you were so curious what he sounds like. You took a deep breath to stay calm, and it was not that easy.

Not even a second later, your phone was ringing.

"Hey Y/N" His voice was deep, sultry, and fucking perfect. "Hey," Y/N's voice was soft and beautiful. Exactly how he imagined it to be.

"Now English is harder," Jake chuckled. "Don't worry, Jake, I'll understand you somehow," you giggled, and Jake sweared your laugh was doing something to him.

"Tell me about your day," you said while sitting down at the window. "We practiced a lot for sport," Jake told you he was an athlete. "My mates and me are tired," he yawned.

"Jake, you should sleep; we can text each other tomorrow." Your smile could be heard through the phone. "No, tell me about your day," he wanted to know; he suddenly felt so awake.

"Liz came over; we had dinner; she quickly went home because her brother needed help," you giggled, "and now I'm learning again." A sigh left her lips. "It'll be worth it at the end; I'm proud." You could hear your heart flutter.

They talked a little more until you heard soft snores from the other side of the call. Goddamn, why was he so cute?

"Good night, Jake," she whispered and ended the call.

-

"Come on, Darling, your grandparents are already waiting." Your mother took your hand, guiding you towards your grandparents.

It was the day of your graduation, and you could not be happier right now; you finally made it.

The ceremony was beyond beautiful; laughs were shared, tears were wiped away, and people were just so proud of you.

But you could not wait to enter your home, calling Jake.

When you rushed inside, you found a beautiful flower bouquet on the table with all your favorite flowers and a card tucked between them.

"I knew you would rock this. I'm so proud of you.

- J"

You smiled so brightly that your mother could only join it; you told her a little bit about him, and she happily listened to her daughter's love story.

You snapped a picture and wrote down a little message.

Y/N: thank you. It means so much to e.

Jake: You deserve it.

Your father walked towards you. "Honey, I know you're currently on cloud 9, but did you ever see him?" You looked up, shaking your head slightly. "You need a picture, just to make sure he's not a 57-year-old male named Carl," he k'pecked your head. "You're right."

Y/N; Hey Jake, I wondered if you would send me a picture of yourself. We know each other for a while now, and I'm really curious. 😇

Jake: Yes, wait. I'm in the car. I’ll snap one when I’m inside the building

When he send her a selfie of him she felt like squealing, he was beautiful. So it was just absolutely perfect. 

-

When you were getting off the plane, the first thing you'd noticed was the dry air. Vegas wasn't the best city, but your mother got you this trip as a graduation trip gift.

Liz traveled with you everywhere.

You directly told Jake about your trip, but he did not read the message yet.

When they arrived at the hotel, you took a deep, clean shower and got ready. You changed into something comfy and did a light make-up.

The main thing you did in Vegas was shopping. When you tried on a beautiful red dress, you snapped a picture and sent it to Jake.

and this time the answer came within seconds.

Jake: You're stunning, wow.

A deep red blush was on your face.

Jake did things to you which were not normal. But what can you do about it? The heart wants what it wants, and there's nothing you can do about it.

You took the dress and looked at the price..nevermind.

Y/N: Nevermind. Too expensive:

Jake: But it was so beautiful.. but dont worry, you'll look good in everything.

Ever since you both got in contact, you learned Korean; you sucked, but at least you were trying. You wanted to talk to him even more; you wanted this to work out.

You both went to the next stores and bought a few things. When you got back to your hotel, you called Jake, but he didn't pick up.

He was probably busy...

You went out to eat something; you were sitting in a small Italian restaurant when you suddenly saw Jake. You nearly choked on a noodle; he was walking outside of the restaurant with some friends, it seems.

"LIZ," you shrieked, "what?" "Jake, he is here." You quickly got up, but when you walked outside, he was nowhere to be seen.

Were you dreaming? You could swear it was him.

"He is not here, love; maybe you drank too much," Liz giggled. Maybe it was a dream.

Later that night you called Jake, but he did not pick up. Again.

Y/N: Hey, I think im going crazy..

Jake: Why

Y/N: I went out with Liz and I thought you were there. I saw you walking around with some friends, but when I looked for you again, you were away.

Jake: You know I was working the entire day :S?

You were absolutely going crazy; he was in Korea, and you're in Vegas.

To say you did not sleep well that night was definitely true; the night was horrific. That you thought Jake was here, and you really thought that he was.

Today would be different. She promised herself to not think about it, but how when Liz walks inside the room, giving her a bag with the beautiful red dress in it. "From Mr. Jakeyyy," she laughed, and you directly typed a message.

Y/N: You are insane. I can't accept this. '

Jake: Oh, and how you can; just snap a picture in it, and I'm satisfied.

And she did; both of the girls got ready for a night out, and she sent him a picture, and in return, he sent one back.

"Fuck me, he is hot," you gasped, showing it to Liz. "Absolutely," she agreed.

But when they were on their way to the club, Liz sighed, "You know, I still don't trust Jake." She looked at you, "What? Why?" you furrowed your eyebrows.

"You guys never facetimed; you only send each other normal photos. I don't know, he just seems fishy," you sighed. You don't know why you trust him so much.

When you finally reached the club, you bought some drinks; it did not take you long to get drunk.

You didn't know how much you had, but you felt quite tipsy.

You giggled when you saw Liz making out with a handsome Asian man, but you felt your heart stop beating when you saw Jake. And this time it was him; he was wearing the same thing he wore in the picture.

You didn't hesitate and walked towards him. "Jake? Jake, oh my god," the guy looked at her like you were crazy.

"It's me, Y/N." "Sorry, but I don't know a Y/N." You understood what he said. And it broke your heart.

You took your phone out of your pocket and showed the selfie. "But this is you?" You were basically pleading by now.

"Sorry, but I'm Wonwoo," he said and looked apologetic. So Jake played her. He was not who he claimed to be.

They all were right.

You felt the tears in your eyes; your heart felt so heavy, and you didn't know how to act. Liz noticed her best friends state and got her quickly outside of the club.

"You were right." You hiccuped and cried, "I wish I didn't know it, Y/N." She stroked your head. "Everything will be okay, my baby," you whispered.

Inside the hotel, you basically ripped the dress off.

You were still crying and called his number, "Hey, y/N, what's wrong." There he spoke with his beautiful voice, "Can you send me a picture of you right now?" You whispered, "Okay, wait." You heard a few noises, and then her phone vibrated.

"You don't feel bad?" You whispered while looking at it, "What you mean?" In any other moment you would've giggled because of his Korean. "You know I think it's funny; I trust you; I trusted you without a doubt, and then I was planning on having a nice night, but then I ran into your doppelgänger," you could hear his breath hitch.

"I met Wonwoo," you whispered and cried. "And I know that everything was just a lie; everything we had in those last few months was just based on a lie." You didn't let Jake speak.

"I just want to see a picture of you, Jake; I want to know why you decided to lie to me," and you just heard. Sigh, "Okay, wait, let me take one," and not even a second later your phone vibrated again.

*picture attached from Jake*

Your breath hitched. "This is you?" You could hear him taking a deep breath. "Yes." He was quiet now. "I do not understand why you lied to me; after this, I cannot understand this the slightest." You found him even more beautiful than Wonwoo; his looks matched his personality so well. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I need time, time to think about everything. Time to think about if I want someone in my life that just lies to me without feeling bad." You were crying so bad.

You were tired and you did not know how to handle this.

"Y/N, picture is not me, texting is me," he stuttered. "Believe me, I didn't lie about the things I wrote." He sounded sad.

"I don't know what to think, Jake; I need time," and with that, she ended the call.

And for both of them, this was a nightmare; the relationship they built was so good, and it just got ruined. Just because he was scared of being hurt, he did not realize how bad he hurt you.

When Liz carried you towards her date 2 days later, you did not want to join. You felt like you had the biggest heartbreak ever, and you constantly felt like crying.

"So he is also from Korea; his name is Seokmin, and he is the guy I hooked up with at the club." You barely registered her words when you two walked into the fancy hotel. "Damn, this guy must be rich," you mumbled, and Liz chuckled. "Well, his Louis Vuitton dress shirt definitely looked like it when I undressed him." She wiggled her eyebrows, and you giggled slightly. "Well bonus."

You took the elevator up the rooftop floor and there was a group already sitting, all eyes on you two. "Liz," the tall, dark-haired male, got up. "Seok." She grinned brightly and hugged him. You waved shyly towards all of them. "Y/N, this is Seokmin, Seok, this is Y/N." Liz introduced you, and he hugged you, "Nice to meet you, "Y/N." He smiled at you and introduced you to every friend, and when your gaze landed on Wonwoo, your breath hitched.

Why the fuck was he here?

"Is Mingyu running late?" Jihoon asked, and Wonwoo shrugged. "He has been weird for the last two days; his mysterious girl probably was someone ugly." He looked you right in the eyes.

"Mingyu met her?" Seokmin added now, "No, I don´t think so; he would not show himself right now." Wonwoo said, "He always does this," he added, and you ordered a drink looking around.

"Y/N, your name sounds so familiar." Jihoon said confused, and you shrugged. "I don´t you though," you giggled, and he chuckled. "Oh, there he is, Mr. Kim Mingyu, Mr. I just signed a Calvin Klein cooperation." Soonyoung cheered, and you followed his gaze, feeling your soul leaving your body.

"Jake?" you whispered, and Liz turned towards you. "Wait, thats him?" she whispered, and you nodded. "This is him, but why are they calling him Jake?" you furrowed your eyebrows. "Oh my god." You got up, and his gaze landed on you. "Y/N," he said, shocked.

"Wait, this is your Y/N?" Seokmin asked, and Mingyu could only nod, and you felt sick all of a sudden. "So Jake was also a lie," you scoffed. "What a fucking joke.".

"I can explain," he walked towards you, but you quickly took some steps back. "I don´t wanna hear; you lied to me with everything; we shared so many things with each other, every secret of me, every flaw of me, and you just lied the entire time; you told me your name was Jake, and you sent me pictures of your best friend; how messed up is this?" You tried your best not to cry, "but I guess that´s just your thing, right?" You walked past him. "I swear, I'm so done with you; I can´t believe I trusted you with anything I said to you.".

And when you left the building, you ignored how he pleaded for you to wait, to let him explain.

You could not do it; you were so tired of this entire situation.

When you entered the hotel room, the first thing you did was block him.

But now, 4 days later, when you arrived back home, your mother brought you a black envelope. You sat down on the couch while reading his handwritten letter.

'Y/N,

I know I am the last person you want to hear from, but I can only tell you what I really mean.

I want to explain, and I really want to see you. Dune will visit Seokmin tonight. I would love for you to join.

Maybe tonight will explain a little why I hid my Idenity.

Sincerly yours

Mingyu"

It was weird to read his real name; you fell for someone named Jake, and now hes called Mingyu´? How weird was that?

But you definitely wanted to know why he did it, so you were sure to visit this place with Liz.

You called her, and she quickly told you that she would drive there in 1 hour, so you needed to hurry. You took a quick shower and applied some make-up.

You slipped into a summery dress and some converse when Liz texted you that she was here.

"Can you tell me where the fuck I will find out why he hid his identity?" You whispered confused.

"I could tell you, but you should see it for yourself," she smiled slightly. "It will make sense by then.".

You both arrived at the stadium, and you furrowed your eyebrows; why? There were thousands of girls camping; you were confused.

But there was no time to think about it. Liz basically dragged you inside with two lanyards, and the security gave you two pink bracelets—'seventeen.' Follow again tour 2024' was standing there in bold letters. 'Staff' was added. "Don´t lose this; this will give you entry to every single room here." The security told you two this information, and you nodded.

"Let´s go to our seats. The show will start in 5 minutes." Liz dragged you along the rows until you landed in a separated seating area. There was one girl already looking at you. She smiled softly at you, and you smiled back.

She must´ve realized how confused you were.

"dune I don´t know what´s going on; where is he?" But before you could say anything, you saw a girl group walking past you with different pickets with his face on it.

On the others were pictures of Seokmin, Wonwoo, and Jihoon.

What the fuck was going on?

"You know, he will be happy that you´re here," a soft voice said, and you turned around. "Huh?" You furrowed your eyebrows, and she laughed slightly. "Sorry, I am Minseo, Mingyus sister." She smiled softly at you, and your eyes widened.

"Oh, I´m Y/N," you bowed slightly, and she hugged you. "Mingyu told me so much about you; he also called me after you left, and I quickly told him that he should be open about his work and that you will understand," Liz nodded. "Mingyu is a really nice guy, and I mean, I say this as his sister," she giggled, and you blushed.

"Minseo, I´m just so confused. I need to wrap my head around what's happening right now," she nodded, understanding, "oh guys, the show is starting." Liz screeched, and you looked towards the huge stage; the crowd was going crazy as they were coming down the stage.

You watched with wide eyes as the music began to play, as you saw the familiar faces perform, and when Mingyus voice began to ring through your ears.

The entire show you could only sit there and watch; you were speechless.

Your Mingyu was a global idol, and you did not know.

When the show finished, Liz was euphoric. "Aren´t they amazing??" you nodded. "Do you want to meet him?" She whispered, "I think I need to." You got up, following Minseo and Liz towards the backstage area. "They are currently changing into comfier clothes, but Mingyu told me that you can already wait in his room if you want to go to his hotel," Minseo told you.

You agreed because those were his duties; he also needed to go live, and you did not want to be a burden.

You waited on his king-size hotel bed, waiting for him to come when the door finally opened.

Mingyu walked inside, placing his backpack on the floor, taking off his cap, and then looking at you. "Y/N," he whispered, and you smiled. "Hi Mingyu." It was weird to say his name and to sit in front of him, but you were also excited.

"I´m so happy you´re here," he breathed out and smiled at you. "I thought that we should talk; I really enjoyed talking to you," you admitted, and he nodded. "I think I should explain some things to you." He pulled out a chair and sat down in front of you.

That he gave you space made you feel so respected.

"Okay, so at first I want to tell you that I am confused; everything that has happened was so confusing for me," you giggled slightly, and he nodded. "And I get it, believe me, but you know it´s hard for me to trust people," he sighed.

"I met this girl and she did not know me; I barely tell strangers my real name; as you can imagine, being famous has a lot of bad habits; I have to be careful, and then I was in it too deep. You can´t imagine how bad I wanted to tell you, but I wanted to do it in person; everything came different. I wanted you to know the real me, but I never had the chance." You nodded understanding.

"Imagine if I had told you over the phone you would´ve never believed me at all," he sighed. "I just hope that you can trust me again someday."

"You might think I´m crazy, but I trust you; I think you´re exactly the guy you pretended to be, and I want you in my life," you said with a shy smile. "You became a huge part of my life, Mingyu.".

"There is one more thing I need to tell you." He scratched his head and looked you in the eyes. "What is it?"

"I fell for you; after all those texts, I began to realize how much you mean to me," he admitted honestly, and you nearly choked on your spit.

"You fell for me?" You could not believe that at all. "I did; I´m completely smitten for you." He looked down, afraid of being rejected. "Gyu," he looked up. "I fell for you as well," you whispered, and his eyes began to sparkle.

"Can I kiss you?" He got up from his chair, and you also got up from the bed, nodding "please.".

There was not a second wasted when he attached your lips.

His hands pulled you close; your hands were around his neck, the kiss deepened, and you moaned into his mouth.

God, this was too good to be true; the way he kissed you made you absolutely crazy.

„We should take this slowly,“ you mumbled against his mouth. „Yeah, you’re right,“ but the way your hands were playing with the hair on his nape and the small moan he let out made your pants damp.

„I want you,“ you whimpered against his lips, and he smirked, pulling his sweatshirt over his head.

„Good that we feel the same,“ he laid you down on the bed until there was a knock on the door. "Maybe they will go away," he whispered while kissing your neck.

But the knocks became louder. "Mingyu, open the fucking door." The voice was unfamiliar. "Fuck my manager, you need to hide in the bathroom; if he sees you, he will freak out." You quickly got up, getting in to the bathroom.

"Mingyu-ah, were you sleeping?" He asked, confused. "Yeah," he scratched his head. "You got an interview for tomorrow morning; it´s pretty spontaneous, so I wanted to make sure you set your alarm." Mingyu nodded. "I´ll set one; see you tomorrow." He closed the door.

You were sitting on the bathtub edge when he walked in. "I´m sorry," he said, apologetic, and you giggled slightly. "That´s alright," you got up. "Maybe I should go," you yawned slightly. "You can also stay the night if you want. We can just lay down and talk?" he suggested while you two walked back into his room.

"I mean, if you want me to, but I don´t have any stuff here," you shrugged your shoulders, and he walked towards his suitcase, grabbing a shirt. "You can put this on?".

As the night got to the end, you both fell asleep while cuddling. You don´t know what time it was when you did, but you two talked until your eyes fell shut. He pecked your forehead and turned the light off.

You woke up with Mingyus alarm ringing, a yawn escaped you, and you felt him stir next to you. "Wake up, Gyu." You turned off his alarm, and he pulled you close. "Wanna sleep some more?" he pouted, and you giggled. "But you need to, and I also need to get to my hotel." he groaned. "When will we meet again?" he pulled you on top of him. "I don´t know; maybe when I have some days off, I have three weeks off in September." You shrugged your shoulders.

"Let me know when, and I´ll buy you some plane tickets," he softly kissed you. You both got completely lost within each other; his hands wandered under your shirt, his fingertips gliding along your skin; your hips were grinding on his crotch; you felt yourself getting extremely aroused.

"God, you make me crazy," he groaned, closing his eyes while you whimpered on top of him. Those little sounds you made made him dizzy; all the blood was rushing downwards.

His second alarm brought you down from your high; you were breathing heavily, and he sighed, "I swear the next time you´re with me this will end way better." He kissed you.

-

And now, 2 years later, you were living in Seoul; you quit your job and applied for some in Korea. You quickly found one with the help of Mingyus sister. Apartment hunting with the Kim Siblings was way more fun than you would´ve thought.

Minseo became like your sister; you both did so many things together that Mingyu sometimes grew extremely tired of you two.

But he was glad that his family accepted you like that; his mother directly liked you, and his dad as well. His family always said that the two of you matched so incredibly well. They were happy that Mingyu found someone apart from all that fame. Someone that brought him back to reality whenever life got too troubled.

You were currently making some food for Mingyu after his live show; it would be his last one for some time now. They deserved it; they all worked so so hard whenever you watched them.

The way Mingyu was always so tired when he came home and you both barely went out was draining for him. He wanted to spend more time with you; he wanted to travel the world with you.

His dream destination would be Italy. After they filmed the Nana tour there, you wanted to see the beautiful scenery as well.

So you bought two plane tickets and booked a beautiful Airbnb; tonight you will surprise him with that.

You were cooking some pasta and poured in some red wine when the door opened. "Jagi, I´m home," he said while taking off his shoes. "Kitchen love," you answered while putting the noodles on the plate.

"Mhmm, it smells so good," he said while walking inside, hugging you from behind and kissing your head. "Sit down, love. Dinner is done." You turned around to smile at him, and he kissed you.

When you both finished dinner, he yawned, "I´m really happy for this time off," you admitted, and he nodded. "We all are. Wonwoo and Joshua will fly to Europe and do a photography tour," he said to talk about the schedule of the boys.

"And we will go to Italy," you smiled brightly. "We will what?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Maybe I bought two plane tickets, and we will stay in Italy for a month?" you blushed.

"Oh my god," his smile became so big, and you giggled, "happy?" He nodded happily, "more than happy; I need to pack." He got up.

"No need to, I did it already." You put the dishes away, and he lifted you up, twirling you around.

And if someone would´ve told you that you would end up in Italy with a ring on your finger, planning your forever with someone you learned to love over the phone, you would´ve laughed.

But as you both exchanged your vows and your closest friends sobbed, you knew this was real.

This was your happy end.

[sunafc]

accidentally in love - 17, single

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Right now you are going to the college library, Oikawa offered to help you study for your linguistics exam. He’s right beside you and your fingers brush against each other’s as you walk. This is nice, you think. Over the past few weeks you and Oikawa had spent a lot of time together. It felt natural to be part of each other’s lives. You wanted to introduce him to your friends, as you had just met his own.

Oikawa tugs at your hand, ‘Are you listening to me?’

‘Sorry,’ you look down at your hands, interlaced together, ‘What did you say?’

He smiles softly at you, ‘Do you want to grab dinner together, later?’

Oikawa doesn’t let go of your hand and you come to realize you enjoy that. His skin is really soft. He tugs at you again, noticing you’re getting lost in your thoughts once more.

‘Sure,’ you nod smiling back at him.

He holds the door to the library open for you and then follows you in. You spend a few minutes looking for the books you need before finding a free table.

You chose to study in the library because you knew if you studied at home you would get somehow distracted, though it seems the library isn’t really helping you. You’re finding it very difficult to concentrate when Oikawa is sitting next to you and his thigh presses against yours under the table. You keep reading the same sentence over and over again but the words have no meaning. You can’t stop thinking about how the last couple weeks have felt like dating, rumors even started going around campus about you two. But you don’t need a boyfriend, that’s what you settled on. You let out a deep sigh and read that sentence once more.

Once you’re done reading the chapter Oikawa lends you some flash cards, ‘I made these when I took this exam, I thought maybe they could help you.’

‘Thanks,’ you smile.

He pats your head ‘You seem a little out of it,’ his fingers run through your hair, ‘Are you alright?’

You open your mouth to reply, already thinking of the usual answer Just tired, but you stop when you notice two girls making their way towards your table. Oikawa’s hand in your hair drops to your thigh as he turns to them.

‘Hey,’ one of the girls says, fidgeting with her hands. Oh, you already have a feeling of what is about to happen and the air around you starts feeling really cold.

‘Are you single, Oikawa?’ She finally asks.

He nervously looks at you and you’re not sure how to read his face. He looks back at the girl. Your stomach is in a knot, he is single, you two are not dating. She’s really pretty, too. You don’t want to be there when he answers her, you quickly gather your things under the confused gaze of Oikawa.

His grip on your thigh tightens ‘Y/n?’

You move his hand, ‘Sorry I–’ you get up, ‘I need to go,’ you walk towards the exit without even thinking about making up some excuse. Your heart is racing, your hands are tingling, it’s hard to swallow and you’re feeling anxious, worried, sad... is this jealousy? This is all my fault, you want to be mad at Oikawa but this was really all your doing. You did exactly what you told him not to do so, really, you can only be mad at yourself. You shake your head as your vision starts to get blurry because of the tears forming in the corner of your eyes.

notes:

well well well, if these aren't the consequences of y/n's own actions... ops

anyways!

things will get better next chapter.. maybe😋

for the people who asked to be added to the taglist but don't see their names: tumblr won't let me tag u for some reason so i'm sorry abt that 🙁

previous - masterlist - next

[pomefioredove]

hey there! could I ask a a headcanons of Jamil, Leona and Vil dating a pomefiore student(reader)? gender neutral, please 🙏

have a good day!

ooooh... this one is interesting!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ dating a pomefiore reader

type of post: headcanons characters: leona, jamil, vil additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is not yuu

it's no secret that Leona doesn't care for Pomefiore

...or their housewarden...

...and especially their vice housewarden

but he likes you

so he'll tolerate it

as long as you don't go around telling people that he lets you do his hair when you're alone

besides,

he's come to really enjoy visiting your dorm

strolling into the lounge like he owns the place, putting his feet up on the nice tables and taking naps on the fancy couches while he waits for you...

the look on Vil's face is just... priceless

if anything, your dorm has become quite the bonus

(he's very smug about it)

he wears your lipstick smudges like a badge of honor

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Jamil already has a lot of respect for Pomefiore

even before meeting you, he felt a little envious of the students there

the dorm always excels in their classes and exams

and has a great reputation...

...unlike Scarabia

but Jamil doesn't dwell on what could be, only what can

he's just glad you won't be involved in his little schemes either way

anyway,

your responsibility is just a breath of air

he doesn't have to worry about you failing your exams or forgetting to wash your hands with soap

he doesn't have to be the responsible one around you

he can just be... himself!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

you might think that Vil would have it the easiest

...but it was a difficult decision for him

of course, he likes you

that much is obvious!

but he's been in the industry long enough to know that power is not something to be taken lightly

and dating someone that he has such influence over would be irresponsible

it would take some convincing (and amends) to date Vil in the first place

you would have to be persistent, that's for sure

though once he's confident that you're more equal than not, he really is a good boyfriend

though...

that would excuse you from the rules, of course

if anything, his expectations are higher now

[lxvsiick]

CAMPING HORRORS: EPISODE ONE | BOYNEXTDOOR

PAIRING: college students! BOYNEXTDOOR! members x college student! fem! reader

SUMMARY: finishing their exams for the year, they thought a camping trip would help them reconnect with nature and get away from the busy student life -- after arriving to the camp grounds, strange things start happening and the weird feeling in their stomachs starts to grow ,, how did this camping trip go so wrong?

GENRE: horror, thriller, imagine

WARNINGS: mentions of killing, deaths, blood, gore(ish), etc.

WORDCOUNT: 2.7k

A/N: i was supposed to post this yesterday but i actually hibernated... enjoy!

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It was early, and the air had a crispness to it that hinted at the adventure to come. Y/n stood by her car, loading the last of the camping gear into the trunk. Woonhak had already claimed the front seat, bouncing with excitement, his face pressed against the window.

"Is that everything?" Y/n asked, glancing over at Leehan, who was hoisting a cooler into the back of the car with ease.

"Yup, we're all set," Leehan smiled, his laid-back attitude a sharp contrast to her own anxiety about making sure nothing was forgotten.

From the other side of the car, Taesan leaned against the hood, arms crossed, watching with a look of clear disdain. His lips curled into a smirk as he eyed Leehan, who had offered to help her without even needing to be asked. Taesan rolled his eyes, pretending not to care but clearly annoyed by the whole situation.

"Can we leave already?" Taesan muttered under his breath, loud enough for her to hear but still avoiding direct eye contact.

Jaehyun, along with Sungho and Riwoo, finished packing up the second car. After a brief head count and gear check, everyone piled into their respective vehicles. Y/n took the driver's seat, Woonhak already buckled in beside her. Leehan climbed into the back behind her, and after a dramatic sigh, Taesan took the last spot, pulling on his headphones and immediately tuning everyone out.

As the cars pulled out of the driveway, Woonhak gleefully scrolled through the music playlist. Soon, the familiar beats of their favorite road trip songs filled the car, and he was singing along, loud and off-key, but full of energy.

"Are you really gonna do this the whole way?" Taesan grumbled from the backseat, not bothering to lift his head or remove his headphones.

Y/n chuckled. "He’s excited. Let him have his fun."

In the rearview mirror, she glanced at Leehan, who had already leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, fast asleep. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she took in the peaceful look on his face. It was rare to see him this relaxed, and the sight made her heart flutter.

But just as she thought no one noticed, a sharp voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Don't get too carried away staring at him," Taesan snarked from the backseat, his eyes still glued to the window. His tone was dripping with mockery, and though he hadn’t looked directly at her, she could feel the heat of his judgment.

She shot him a look through the mirror. "I wasn't staring," she said quickly, though her face flushed, betraying her embarrassment.

"Sure, you weren’t." He pulled one earbud out just enough to hear her response, his smirk widening. "But don’t worry, your little secret crush is safe with me." The sarcasm in his voice was impossible to miss.

Woonhak glanced between them, oblivious to the underlying tension. "Are you guys talking about Leehan hyung?" he asked innocently, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Y/n sighed, trying to brush it off, her hands tightening on the steering wheel. "No, we're not," she said firmly, turning up the music to drown out any further comments from her brother.

Taesan laughed softly, satisfied with the slight discomfort he’d caused, and returned to his music, but not without throwing one more glance toward Leehan sleeping in the backseat. "Must be nice to sleep through all this drama," he muttered under his breath.

Y/n just shook her head, focusing on the road ahead. The trip had barely started, and she could already tell it was going to be a long ride.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

The cars slowed to a stop at the edge of the woods, and the group piled out, stretching their legs and taking in their surroundings. The campgrounds were deep in the forest, with towering trees casting dark shadows over the area despite the sun sitting high in the sky. Jaehyun glanced around, his face scrunched in unease.

"This place looks kind of... creepy," he muttered, shifting his backpack nervously.

The others groaned in unison.

"Already?" Taesan rolled his eyes, grabbing a cooler from the trunk. "We just got here, and you’re already freaked out?"

"I’m not freaked out, I just—" Jaehyun trailed off, eyeing the dense forest that seemed to swallow all sound. "I have a weird feeling about this place."

"Yeah, yeah," Sungho chuckled, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "That’s what you said about the last camping trip, and we survived that."

The group laughed as they grabbed their bags, tents, and coolers, beginning the walk down the narrow, winding trail. The tall trees loomed overhead, their branches intertwining like claws, creating a canopy that dimmed the light. Their footsteps crunched over dry leaves, and birds chirped distantly, the only noise in the stillness of the forest.

"Where is everyone?" Leehan asked, peering down the empty trails that branched off into the woods. "I thought these campgrounds were supposed to be popular?"

Riwoo whipped out a camcorder and pointed it at the group, capturing their journey as they made their way deeper into the woods. "Guess we’re getting the VIP treatment," he said, laughing lightly. "Private campground, no distractions."

Jaehyun wasn’t convinced. "I still have a weird feeling," he said again, his eyes darting around as if expecting someone—or something—to jump out at any moment.

The others waved him off, continuing down the path until they finally arrived at their campsite. A clearing in the trees revealed a flat patch of ground, perfect for setting up their tents. They began unloading their gear, chatting as they worked, when a strange sound broke through the rustle of leaves and snapping of branches.

It was a dull thud, like something heavy hitting the ground.

Y/n and Taesan froze, their heads whipping toward the source of the sound. The rest of the group fell silent, following their gaze down the trail.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Y/n asked, her eyes scanning the treeline.

Jaehyun, now visibly tense, edged closer to Woonhak, gripping his arm. "What was that?"

Before anyone could answer, the faint shuffle of footsteps drew their attention. Emerging from the trees was an old woman, hunched over, gripping a cane as she made her way toward them. Her skin was wrinkled and her movements slow, but something about her presence sent a chill down their spines.

The group exchanged uncertain glances but politely bowed as she approached.

"Are you young folks here to camp?" the old woman asked, her voice raspy and thin.

"Yes, ma’am," Leehan answered, forcing a smile. "Just arrived."

She nodded slowly, her eyes scanning their setup. "This campground is old. Very old. Been here for 127 years," she said, her voice cracking on the word old.

"Is that so?" Y/n replied politely, though the tightness in her smile hinted at her unease.

Sungho cleared his throat, trying to keep things casual. "We didn’t see any other campers on the way here... Is it usually this quiet?"

The old woman hesitated, her bony fingers tightening around her cane. "The grounds are big," she said slowly. "Campers are... spread out."

A suspicious tension gripped the group, but they nodded, not wanting to press her.

The old woman gave a faint smile, but there was something unsettling in her eyes. "Make sure to keep your lamps and lights on at all times," she warned. "The forest gets... dark."

With that ominous advice, she turned and shuffled down the trail, disappearing into the trees before anyone could say anything more.

"That was... weird," Riwoo muttered, his brow furrowed as he watched her go through the screen of his camcorder.

"She was creepy," Taesan added bluntly, crossing his arms.

"Hey, watch your words," Y/n whispered, glancing nervously back at the trail. "She could hear you."

But when they looked back, the old woman was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

"Wow, she sure does walk fast." Sungho joked, trying to lighten the mood. A nervous chuckle rippled through the group, though the tension remained palpable.

The group finished setting up their tents, the eerie feeling from their encounter with the old woman still lingering in the air. With the sun still bright above, they decided to rest for a bit before planning the rest of their day, though none of them could shake the unsettling feeling that had taken hold since the old woman’s visit.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

Laughter filled the air as the group finally finished their lunch, which had taken nearly two hours longer than expected thanks to the guys' constant horsing around. Y/n wiped her hands, trying to suppress a smile at their antics, but inwardly she was growing restless.

“Anyone want to check out the campgrounds?” she asked, eager to explore.

Sungho leaned back, arms crossed. “Someone should stay behind to watch the campsite. You never know.”

Before anyone else could respond, Leehan stood up, stretching. “I’ll go with you,” he said casually, though his eyes held a softness that made Y/n’s heart race.

“Yeah, sure,” she replied, trying to sound nonchalant as her nerves buzzed inside.

The rest of the group waved them off, too full from lunch to move much, and soon, it was just the two of them walking the dirt path. Tall trees towered above, casting deep shadows, and every once in a while a cool breeze would rustle the leaves, making the woods feel even more isolated.

“So, how’s everything going? You seem a bit quiet today,” Leehan asked, glancing sideways at her.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Y/n replied quickly, cursing herself for sounding so awkward. Inside, her stomach twisted with nerves, but she forced a smile. “I’m just enjoying the walk.

"Uh, who's watching your fishes?" Y/n asks, nervously fidgeting her fingers.

"I asked my parents to." Leehan replied, a smile on his face at the mention of his beloved fishes.

They fell into a comfortable conversation, but she couldn't shake the butterflies. Every time he spoke, her pulse quickened. She was so distracted by her thoughts, she almost didn’t notice when they approached something unusual.

“What is that?” Leehan pointed ahead.

In the distance, nestled between the trees, was a small, rundown house. Its walls were covered in vines, and the roof sagged under the weight of age. The windows were dark, and the whole place looked as though it hadn't been touched in years.

A breeze swept through the trees, carrying with it a chill that made both of them shiver. Y/n wrapped her arms around herself as an unsettling feeling crept in.

“This place is... creepy,” she murmured, unable to take her eyes off the house.

A sudden snap of twigs behind them made them both jump. They whipped around just in time to see a tall bush near the path rustling wildly.

Before either of them could react, Taesan popped out of the bush, covered in leaves and twigs, muttering as he swatted away the foliage.

“Seriously?” Leehan breathed, letting out a laugh.

Y/n clutched her chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!” she scolded, though the adrenaline in her voice betrayed her.

Taesan raised an eyebrow, looking between them with a sly grin. “What’s going on? Did I interrupt something?” He gave them a knowing smirk, eyes flicking between Y/n and Leehan.

“Nothing,” Leehan said quickly, though his voice held a playful edge. He pointed toward the dilapidated house with a smile. “We were just checking that out. You up for exploring it?”

Taesan blinked in disbelief, then glanced at the house in the distance. “You’re crazy,” he said flatly, eyeing the old, worn-down structure as if it might come alive at any second.

Y/n let out a nervous laugh, her hands already pushing at their shoulders. “Yeah, no thanks. I’m not about to end up in some horror movie.” She ushered them both back to the trail, eager to put as much distance between them and the eerie house as possible.

As they made their way back, the uneasy feeling lingered in her gut. Leehan chuckled beside her, but Y/n kept glancing back over her shoulder, the tension refusing to fade.

They didn’t see the door to the house slowly creak open as they walked away, the heavy, wooden door moving just enough to cast a shadow on the ground.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

The forest was unusually quiet as Y/n, Leehan, and Taesan continued to walk down the narrow trail. The towering trees arched overhead, blocking out most of the sunlight, casting long shadows across their path. They were trying to see if they could find any other campers or hikers, but so far, the trail remained eerily empty.

Taesan walked off to the side, hands in his pockets, casting side glances at Y/n and her crush as they chatted ahead of him. His eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance every time he caught them exchanging a laugh or a smile, but he said nothing.

Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps broke the stillness of the forest.

All three of them stopped in their tracks, the laughter dying in their throats. They looked around, eyes scanning the dense trees and shadows, but there was no one in sight. The footsteps continued, slow and deliberate, getting closer.

"Did you hear that?" Y/n whispered, her heart beginning to race.

Leehan nodded, his eyes wide as he looked around. "Yeah... but where’s it coming from?"

The footsteps grew louder, the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs filling the air. They turned in circles, trying to spot whoever—or whatever—was approaching them, but the trees were too thick to see through.

Y/n turned to Taesan, her voice sharp. "Is this you? Are you messing with us? Did any of the other guys follow us?"

Taesan scowled, crossing his arms defensively. "What? No. It’s just me. I wouldn’t waste my time freaking you out—"

Before he could finish, the footsteps turned into running. The sound of something—or someone—sprinting toward them echoed through the trees, pounding footsteps getting closer and faster.

Leehan didn’t wait to find out what it was. "Run!" he shouted, and without hesitation, he took off down the trail, his face pale with fear.

Without thinking, Taesan grabbed Y/n's hand and yanked her forward. "Come on!" he urged, pulling her with him as they both ran after Leehan.

Their footsteps thundered along the trail, matching the speed of the unseen figure that was still running behind them. Y/n’s heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she tried to keep up, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts.

They tore through the trees, branches whipping past them, the campsite finally coming into view. As they neared the clearing, they stumbled into their group. Woonhak and the others looked up, alarmed at the sight of them running breathlessly back.

"Whoa, what’s going on? Noona? Hyungs?" Woonhak asked, standing up from the log he was sitting on.

Panting, Taesan bent over, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. "Something... or someone... was running at us," he managed to get out, his voice trembling with adrenaline.

Leehan, who had collapsed onto the ground, nodded in agreement. "We didn’t see them, but they were close. Too close."

The group exchanged uneasy glances. Jaehyun, already looking nervous, clung to Woonhak, his eyes wide. "What... what do you mean someone was running at you? Was it... a person?"

Sungho stepped forward. "I’ll check it out," he said, grabbing a flashlight as he walked back toward the trail. The rest of them watched in tense silence as he disappeared around the corner.

Several minutes passed before he returned, shaking his head. "There’s no one there," he said, though his tone was far from reassuring. "Trail’s empty."

"Maybe it was just a deer or a fox," Riwoo said, trying to sound casual, though the nervous waver in his voice betrayed him. "It’s probably nothing."

But the heavy, uneasy feeling that had settled over the group remained. Y/n glanced back at the trail, the trees now swaying gently in the breeze. She couldn’t shake the sense that something was watching them, just beyond the tree line, waiting.

The group sat down again, though the air felt colder now, and none of them spoke for a while. The forest was still quiet, but the silence was no longer comforting—it felt like it was pressing in on them, thick and oppressive.

Even though the sun was still up, casting dappled light through the trees, none of them felt safe anymore.

And so it begins.

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

THE HAUNTING HOURS MASTERLIST | BOYNEXTDOOR MASTERLIST

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, lxvsiick, 2024

[zepskies]

Never Say Goodbye - Part 3

Pairing: Dean x Female Reader

Summary: The first time you and Dean sensed each other’s thoughts and feelings, you were just kids. It would take years to realize that you both were bonded for life, and even longer to finally meet. [Soulmate AU] (Rated M for eventual scenes – 18+)

Word Count: 4,500 Warnings: Language, fluff.

Part 3: Contact

As it turned out, your life started to get better after you missed that shift at the coffee shop.

Oh, you still got fired. But the experience of nearly getting splattered on the pavement by an oncoming truck gave you some unexpected clarity about your life.

Mainly, you needed to stop wasting it. You were tired of jobs that would pay your bills but not bring you closer to your career. And frivolous thoughts of coffee shop boys and…the hope of running into your soulmate.

Maybe one day, you could dare to hope, but from now on, you wouldn’t let it rule your thoughts. You wouldn’t hope too hard either.

It could save you from the disappointment of never hearing anyone’s thoughts but your own.

So you decided to check the University of South Dakota’s career board for jobs, and you discovered an opening in the history department! A research assistant for one of your favorite professors, who was writing their dissertation on the strange, superstitious, and sometimes down-right disgusting social practices of the Ancient Greeks (including bottling up the sweat of their best athletes, because they thought their musky body oils contained magical properties).

Since you were already majoring in history, you were a shoe-in for the job. And working directly with your professor gave you a great resource for future classes.

Four years later, you had earned your bachelor’s degree in History. You even decided to further your education when you were able to get a scholarship for graduate school.

Now you were just one semester away from finishing your master’s. You still worked in the history department, but you had been able to upgrade—to Executive Secretary to the Dean of Ancient Studies.

It sounded fancy, but really, you were a glorified slave. Or at least, your boss seemed to think so.

“I need you to cancel my meeting at two,” said Dr. Birch. She breezed into your tiny office without knocking, startling you from where you were hunched over your laptop.

“Good morning!” came your reflexive greeting, though it was a bit too loud and sharp. You internally winced at yourself and relaxed your posture, like a bird unruffling its feathers. “Cancel your meeting with Dr. Wells?”

Dr. Wells was a nice man, and an important one. He was the Head Dean of the entire History department. Technically, he was above Dr. Birch. It wasn’t a good look to blow him off, but you weren’t about to say so.

“Yes, I have an important lunch, and I already know it’s going to go overtime. Gary will understand,” she replied. She was looking at her phone rather than at you. For all she cared, you were just a calendar with hands.

Dr. Helen Birch was a brilliant woman. She’d published no less than five books, had won awards for her peer-reviewed articles, and she had been your academic advisor all through graduate school.

She could also rival Meryl Streep for “bitchy-ass boss” in The Devil Wears Prada.

“I also need you to grade the final exams for one of my classes,” she said. “Greek Studies this time.”

You held back a sigh. Again? I’ll never finish my own finals at this rate.

But what you said was, “Sure, I can do that. And I’ll email Dr. Wells to reschedule.”

“Yes, make sure it’s not on Thursday,” she said, brushing a finger through her thin blonde hair. “I have to leave early to get my roots touched up before I go away this weekend.”

“That’s fun,” you chatted while you revised Dr. Birch’s calendar on your computer (and sent an apology email to Dr. Wells). “Where to?”

“Oh, I have this tedious conference in Chicago. But then my boyfriend is taking me skiing in Breckenridge.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I simply can’t wait. This semester has been a drain on my psyche, and just terrible for my migraines.”

With the email sent, you took a little breath and gathered some courage as you got up from your desk and gathered a handful of papers you had stapled together. It was a rough draft of your thesis, which was only a bit worse for wear (including a suspect coffee stain that you didn’t remember accidentally putting there).

“Actually, I was going to ask you if you got my email about my thesis. I just wanted to go over some of the feedback you gave me on the draft,” you said, trying to sound more confident than you felt.

Dr. Birch raised a brow. “What of it?”

“Well.” You showed her the front page, which was covered in red ink. “Mainly the part where you crossed out the first three pages and commented, ‘Missing the point.’”

She nodded. “Yes. I’m afraid I have nothing to add about that.”

Well, that didn’t exactly help you. The first three pages was your entire introduction to your thesis, “TV & Film: The Modern-Day Mythology of the Masses.”

You must’ve had a pitiful, lost look on your face, because Dr. Birch finally took pity on you. She sighed.

“You are a creative girl. I’ll give you that, but your degree is not in cinematography. You are a historian,” she said. “And while the ‘Well of Souls’ in Raiders of the Lost Ark may be based on a real historical place in Jerusalem, that does not mean Indiana Jones can, or should be described as a ‘religious experience.’”

My ten-year-old self would bed to differ, you wanted to retort, but you kept your mouth shut and lowered your eyes. Dr. Birch nodded to herself and was about to leave your office, until she stopped short and gave you her Amex card.

“Oh. And get me a coffee, would you, dear?”      

The moment your day ended and you were able to get into your car, you let out a long sigh of relief. While you waited for your car to warm up, you massaged your hand, aching from grading papers for Dr. Birch’s class.

You rubbed your hands together, this time to warm them as the frigid air draining from the car still bit into your skin. A shudder tingled through your body, and not in a pleasant way. Honest to God, I hate the winter.

On reflex, you toyed with the silver ring on your right hand—your mom’s ring. It usually comforted you, but today, remembering her made your heart heavy. Because today was the anniversary. 

You still remembered that snowy day when you were fourteen, could picture it so clearly, like a scene painted on glass.

With one last sigh, you fished out your phone to call your dad. It rang for a few seconds (it always took him an eternity to answer his phone, and it drove you crazy).

“Hello?”

“Hey, Dad,” you said.

“Hey. Just got off work?”

“Yeah, I’m headed back to Sioux Falls. Want to meet at home and go together, or do you just want to meet me at the cemetery?”

The other line was silent for a moment. Longer than you would’ve liked.

“You’re coming, right?” you pressed.

“Look, I’m gonna have to work late tonight,” Jack said. “Don’t wait up for me.”

“Really?” Your voice was terse. “It’s one day a year, Dad. You can’t even manage that?”

“I told you I’m working a case.” He sounded annoyed. You didn’t care.

You were pissed.

“Whatever,” you dismissed. But then, you realized you weren’t willing to let it go just yet. “You know, I just find it interesting. On her birthday, Christmas, today, somehow you just can’t be bothered to visit your wife.”

“Hey, drop it, all right?” your dad snapped back.

“Sure. It’s none of my business, I guess.”

“I don’t need your sarcasm either.”

You silently fumed, but you weren’t willing to hang up the phone first. You didn’t want to look petty, and apparently, neither did he. You both could be stubborn like that, sitting in a tense stretch of silence instead of just…

Instead of just, I don’t know what, you could admit, if only to yourself. Eventually, his voice reached your ears.

“I’ll go when I can,” he said.

“Fine.”

And you really did hang up this time.

What should’ve been an hour drive back into your hometown took almost two with the traffic.

Oh yeah, you still lived at home with your dad. It wasn’t ideal, especially with a long-ass commute every day. But unfortunately, being a full-time student with a part-time job didn’t give you the budget to have your own life.   

At least you had your car—a dark blue Camaro your uncle had restored and gifted you for your twenty-first birthday. You didn’t talk to your Uncle Bobby as much as you would like. Between work and school and taking care of the house for you and your dad, you didn’t have much free time on your hands. You did see Bobby around town sometimes, and occasionally shared a beer with him when your demanding schedule allowed.

Your dad had never liked it, you hanging around your uncle. So you didn’t tell him.

That seemed to work out better for both of you.

In fact…

You reached for your phone again and found your uncle’s number.

“Stop badgering me, Rufus. I’m busy.”

Your lips curved into a grin. “Uncle Bobby?”

“Oh. Hi, darlin’. Sorry, thought you were some riff raff that keeps spammin’ me.”

“What did Rufus do now?” you asked.

“He knows,” Bobby said. The surly edge to his voice made you smile in amusement.

“What’re you doing later? Up for a beer?”

“Usually I’d take you up on that, but I’ve got some people coming in pretty soon.”

You scoffed. “You have people? What people?”

“You’re not the only number in my cell, you know,” he said dryly.

“What, you mean Rufus?” you teased.

“All right, now you’re just runnin’ up my minutes,” he said. “If you really want that beer, you’re welcome to swing by, if you want. I’ve got a stocked fridge full of cold ones.”

You laughed, then you considered his offer. Did you really want to go home and deal with your dad (whenever he bothered to come home)?

“Well, I’m going to the cemetery first, but I could maybe swing by after,” you replied.

“Right, that’s today, ain’t it?” Bobby said. “Give your mom my respects.”

A more genuine smile grew on your lips. “Thanks. Will do.”

You hung up with him just as you got to the cemetery. It was hard not to feel melancholy here, especially in the winter. All the graves were lightly dusted with snow, and it felt like the world came to a quiet stillness here.

You bundled up with your scarf and gloves as you braced yourself for the cold, stepping out of the car. On your way in, you heard the rumble of a car going by. It was loud enough to make you turn your head and see a flash of black speeding away.

You shook your head. People drive like maniacs nowadays.

You were about to continue on your way towards your mom’s grave, when you finally heard it.

Say goodbyeee…never say goodbye-y-aaayy. Holdin’ on we gotta try, holdin’ on to never sayyy goodbyeee.~

Someone was warbling a Bon Jovi song in your mind, and it certainly wasn’t you.

But you did come to a dead stop in your path. Your eyes widened as shock claimed your heart and your brain. Soon enough though, your heart warmed as you became aware of something new. It was like a low hum at first, reverberating inside your chest.

You and me and my old friends, hopin’ it would neeever end. Say goodbye—

The singing continued, but all you could focus on was the thrumming in your skull, the thread of connection you could sense and feel inexplicably. You didn’t realize you were crying until you felt warmth trickling down your cold cheeks. Sniffling, you wiped your tears with the back of your hand and smiled tremulously.

You were finally feeling your soulmate.

Which meant, he was close by…and with that realization came an important question:

What the hell do I do now?

They were in South Dakota again.

Dean knew coming back here was…potentially dangerous. He hadn’t heard his soulmate’s thoughts in four years, since the last time he was in this state.

Truth be told, he hadn’t wanted to come here. After the last hunt though, he could use some R&R at Bobby’s for a couple of days.

This time Dean had his brother with him, albeit the circumstances weren’t…great. Their dad was missing, and Sam had lost his girlfriend in the process of trying to find him.

Sometimes, Dean really regretted going to find his brother at Stanford. Part of him thought, if he hadn’t hooked Sam into coming with him to try and find John, maybe Jessica Moore would still be alive.

A more selfish part of him (one he wouldn’t name) was glad to have Sam with him. Dean was actually having fun hunting with him. And maybe, Dean was having to get to know him again too.

“You think Bobby will have any intel on Dad?” Sam asked from the passenger seat of the Impala. They were about five minutes away from Singer Salvage, the old man’s tow business (and his house).

“Doubt it,” Dean replied, changing the radio station once Bon Jovi turned to REO Speedwagon. He could get down with some pop rock from Jovi, but REO was pushing it.

“Then why are we here?” Sam turned to him with a frown. “We just ganked a poltergeist in our old house and…we saw Mom. You think we should be wasting time right now?”

Dean’s lips pursed. Leaving their old house behind in Lawrence, Kansas was exactly why he needed a minute before jumping into the next case. As much as he wanted to find John, Dean just…he needed a minute to breathe.

Revisiting those old (painful) memories wasn’t easy for him. He wasn’t sure that Sam completely got that.

“Bobby’s got a stack of lore books to Kingdom Come. Who knows, he might have a way to help us find Dad,” he said.

Sam shot him an unimpressed look. “And if he doesn’t?”

Dean resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He got why Sam was so fired up. Really. The fact that the kid was having weird…premonition dreams about the near future was concerning. And he wanted to find the thing that killed Jess, that killed their mom, but this was clearly going to be a marathon. Not a sprint.

“In the meantime, we crack open a couple beers,” Dean said, “get one or two of free nights on actual beds, and then we’re on our way to the next gig. How’s that sound?”

Sam let out a sigh through his nose and faced the road ahead. They both knew he wasn’t happy. Dean couldn’t exactly blame him.

When they finally got to Bobby’s, the old man greeted them with a casual wave, beckoning them inside. He offered them the contents of his fridge—a few beers and a frozen lasagna defrosting in the fridge. Dean scoped it out while Sam dropped off his bag in the upstairs guest room.

“That for us?” Dean pointed to the lasagna with a grin. “Didn’t know we merited the red-carpet treatment.”

“’Cause it’s not just for you,” Bobby said dryly, then he hesitated. “...My niece might be swingin’ by later.”

Dean raised his brows in curiosity. “Didn’t know you had a niece.”

Or any family, for that matter. He knew the old man had a wife, once upon a time, but he assumed she’d passed away. No kids. Bobby had never talked about having an extended family. He didn’t have pictures on the walls, and the shelves only had books and locked boxes.

Bobby took a long sip of his beer after opening a bottle each for himself and Dean. He had one ready on the counter for Sam, who came into the kitchen looking tired. The kid hadn’t been sleeping well for the past few weeks, to say the least. Dean handed him the beer.

“I don’t see her much,” Bobby conceded.

“Why’s that?” Dean asked.

It took a moment for the other man to answer. Eventually, he was honest. “Well, she's grown. Going to school, got a job. But you could say I had a fallin’ out with her dad, a while back.”

“You have a brother?” Sam said.

“Brother-in-law,” Bobby corrected. He didn’t say anything more about it though. Sam and Dean shared a look that said they agreed: There’s something off there, but I’m not gonna pry.

“You still see her though?” Dean asked.

“Every now and then,” Bobby said, sipping at his beer again. “It’s a small town.”

That kind of pissed Dean off. Bobby was a good guy. He’d watched Sam and Dean a lot when they were kids, their dad on a hunt. He’d made sure they had decent food to eat, good movies to watch, and even played catch with Dean a time or two.

So what kind of assholes did Bobby have for family, that they couldn’t be bothered to check in on the old man every now and then? They must’ve been off living their lives, in their own little world. Must be nice.

Dean brought the bottle of Heineken to his lips, only to realize it was empty. Couldn’t have that, could we?

He went to the fridge and opened the cap, only to jump as the beer fizzed and leaked over his hands.

Damn it!

Bobby sighed. “And I just mopped the damn floor.”

“All right, Martha Stewart. Keep your slippers on,” Dean teased. “Sam, get me a paper towel.”

Bobby tried to get by him to get the mop, but beer was still dripping down Dean’s arm.

“Would you move to the sink, already?”

Sam finally cracked a small grin as Dean rolled his eyes. “Fine. Jesus. You’d think Miss America was comin’ into town.”

Damn it.

You heard him again. And this time, you could hear his voice, so you knew the thought belonged to a him. The voice was pleasantly deep, and annoyed. You actually felt his irritation and were able to recognize that the emotion didn’t belong to you.

Excitement bubbled in your throat, almost making it hard to breathe as you drove your car down the road. You had been too worked up to go see your mom, and technically you were supposed to head to your Uncle Bobby’s house, but this was too important.

You needed to figure out how to talk to him—your soulmate.

So you pulled over on the side of the road, and even turned the radio off. Okay, now what?

You didn’t know what you were supposed to do. They taught about this subject in school, sure, but that had been years ago! You’d spent the past six years filling your head with college and work and learning how to be an adult.

Okay, just breathe. You calmed down a bit with some deep breaths, and you closed your eyes. When you first heard your soulmate’s singing in your head, you remembered feeling warmth spread through your body, emanating from your chest. Then in your mind, you’d noticed a…a thread, of what could only be described as energy.

You felt it now. You could almost visualize it with your eyes closed. In your imagination, it was bright and beckoning. You focused on it, and it grew brighter, thrumming and soft.

You thought of what you wanted to say, and you tried it—sending your thoughts and your will through the connection.

Having a rough day?

Dean was still wiping beer off the floor in Bobby’s kitchen when he heard your voice ring through his mind.

Having a rough day?

His entire body tensed, and he paused with a ball of wet paper towel in his hand. Sam had taken the mop from Bobby and was about to finish off the floor, until he noticed Dean blanking.

“Dean?” he asked.

It shook Dean out of his shock, enough for him to look up at his brother. “Hmm?”

“What’s up? You were staring off into space.”

Dean feigned innocence. “Nothing.”

Sam’s brow rose, but he didn’t press the issue and went back to mopping. Dean took the opportunity to toss the wet paper towel in the garbage.

“I’m gonna hop in the shower,” he said, and made his swift exit to the bathroom upstairs, so quickly that he didn’t see Bobby watching Dean curiously from the living room.

“Don’t use up all the hot water!” Sam called after him.

Once again, Dean found himself locking the bathroom door and staring at himself in the mirror. His green eyes were conflicted as he tried to calm down. Maybe his heart was starting to beat a tick faster. Maybe a trickle of nervous sweat was making its way down his spine. Maybe he didn’t know what the hell to do.

His dad’s warning was still clear as a bell in his mind.

“Unless you’re prepared to hang up your gun, and stop hunting, don’t open that door.”

Dean knew why John had said it, and even agreed with him…at least, logically he did. His life was complicated, and insane, and bloody. How could he put someone else through what he went through? What he still went through every day? It wasn’t right.

But his chest was aching. He rubbed at it absently.

He could feel your worry again, he realized. You were anxious, probably waiting for him to respond. Dean could feel you. Having a rough day? you’d asked him.

So as usual, he made an impulsive choice.

You could say that, he carefully replied. He remembered the way your voice sounded, smooth and pleasant in his mind, and he couldn’t help smiling a little. But not for long, I’m thinkin’.

Your relief hit him in a slow, but powerful wave. It almost made him feel guilty for taking so long to answer.

Well, it’s not every day you hear someone else in your head. Maybe you’re going crazy.

She was teasing him. You were teasing him.

It brought an incredulous smile to Dean’s face. You’re one to talk. Maybe you’re just talkin’ to yourself right now.

Hmm. I don’t usually warble to Bon Jovi, but maybe you’re right.  

A beat of surprise, another to remember what he and Sam had been listening to in the car earlier, and then embarrassment prickled at the back of his neck.

You heard that, huh? he asked wryly.

Maybe, you giggled. It was a cute sound, and it cut through some of his embarrassment. He wasn’t used to being put back a step by women. He was good at reading people’s body language, and usually it didn’t take him more than one look to figure out what a woman thought about him, and what they wanted to do with him.

So the fact that he couldn’t see you was a challenge. With that realization, a slow smile spread across his face. He was game for a challenge.

Well, I’m likin’ your voice so far, he said. Think I could get you to sing for me?

He felt you pause, a flutter of warmth through a tendril of shyness. I’ll leave the performing to you, Romeo.   

Come on, it’s only fair.

Who said life is fair?

Dean sobered a bit at that. Ain’t that the truth.

Hmm, so you were having a rough day.

Make it a week, he said.

Yeah, I know the feeling…I wasn’t having a good day today either.

Dean sensed your melancholy and didn’t like the feeling. Well, now you’re talkin’ to me. So it should be smooth sailin’ from now on.

He could feel you brighten at that. It made warmth bloom once again inside his chest, especially because he sensed you were smiling—a bit shy, but genuine.  

…What’s your name? he asked.

It took you a beat, but eventually you gave him your name. It wasn’t what he expected, but he liked it. Your name rolled through his thoughts, and he tested on his tongue.

What’s yours? you asked predictably. Somehow, Dean didn’t anticipate the follow-up.

Suddenly he realized exactly what he was doing: he was talking to you. (Something he’d told himself he wasn’t going to do.) Not to mention, he’d been locked in the bathroom for about ten minutes and hadn’t even showered yet. Pretty soon either Sam or Bobby was going to come knocking to see what the hell he was doing, so he might as well shower for real.

He answered you as he turned on the showerhead and started undressing. I’ll make a deal with you…if you can guess what I do for a living, I’ll come by and introduce myself in person.

Dean felt your shock, so he let you think as he stepped into the shower. Eventually you came back, annoyance coloring your emotions and your voice.

That’s stupid.

Dean smiled. Aw, come on. It’ll be fun.

For you!

Don’t you know, sometimes the best things in life come after some delayed gratification.

You paused for a moment, in which Dean didn’t know if you were in shock again, or just pissed. Maybe a combination of both.

Great, I got a comedian, you deadpanned. …You’re not a comedian, are you?

Sweetheart, I’m hilarious, Dean replied. But no. Good guess, though.

He sensed the equivalent of you rolling your eyes.

Just then, Sam knocked on the bathroom door.

“Hey, you better not use up all the hot water!”

“Twenty minutes of peace, Sammy. That’s all I ask,” Dean shot back. Sam made a sound of annoyance, but he went away, leaving Dean almost alone with his thoughts.

Look, I gotta go, he said regretfully. But I expect you to have some guesses cooked up by the time I get back from work.

You were still annoyed, but you begrudgingly agreed to his terms.

Fine. Just…don’t wander too far off. I can’t win the game if I can’t hear you.

Dean sensed your underlying worry, and your fear. You were afraid he was going to leave.

His heart softened. As a result, he ended up promising things he didn’t know if he meant.

Don’t worry. I’m not leaving town until you win, he said.

He felt your warm smile, along with your excitement.

Goodnight, sweetheart. We’ll talk soon.

Okay…goodnight.

He hung onto the feeling of your presence for a few seconds longer, before he let go of the connection. For now.

Dean caught himself smiling, but it quickly turned to a frown.

“Nobody should be waiting on men like us to come home bloody.”

When he once again remembered his dad’s warnings, that new warmth in his heart chilled, and it sunk like a stone. He leaned against the cool bathroom wall and pressed his forehead against the tile, while lukewarm water beat the side of his face and body.

Shit.

AN: Oh, Dean. What're we gonna do with you? lol

I hope you enjoyed Part 3! I promise they'll finally meet soon lol. What did you think of their first conversation?

To keep reading: Part 4

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Dean Winchester Masterlist

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˗ˋ𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕋𝕖𝕖𝕥𝕙 𝕋𝕖𝕖𝕟𝕤ˊ˗

Chapter Eight: Smoke Breaks

Kyle Broflovski x fem reader

And it's more a question of when than a question of if, since that night you hopped out of my car, left behind your American Spirits and I keep a lighter in my pocket at all times 'cause never know when you'll need one.

Also available on Ao3 and Wattpad!

Premise: Summer is kicking off a little duller than you anticipated but there’s still time to turn it around.

Warnings: crude language and humour

MASTERLIST

You sit in the hard, plastic chair, your fingers cramped around the pen as you scrawl your answers onto the biology exam paper. The classroom is a hushed sea of students, the only sounds are the faint rustling of paper and the ticking of the clock. You glance to your right, where Kyle is hunched over his desk, scribbling furiously.

It had been easy enough thanks to the absurd amount of caffeine pills you had been taking the entire week to be sure you had studied enough. Now you were flying through the exam, barely even looking at the question before an answer popped into your head.

Your eyes flicker back to your paper and all the topics you've crammed for in the past week blur together. You can feel the pressure, the weight of this exam that will determine so much. Kyle shifts slightly in his seat, and you wonder if he's feeling the same as you though it was hard to tell with how he always had his eyebrows drawn together like every thought running through his head was a worry.

There was a certain feeling of dread that came with the last week of school, it was like the last day of summer camp when you had no idea when you would be seeing the people you had spent so much time with next. You didn't know what you would do with your summer, likely spend it going for runs in the afternoon, working for shitty tips until ten, and then staying up until your eyes sting and turn bloodshot.

You scribble down your final answer, a sense of both relief and anxiety washing over you. You look up, and there's Kyle, setting his pencil down at the exact same moment. It's uncanny how often this happens, how often the two of you mirror each other in these small but significant ways. It never failed to creep you out.

You and Kyle push your chairs back simultaneously, the screech of metal on linoleum synchronizing like the final chord of a symphony. You stand up, and so does he, both of you gathering your papers and heading to the front of the room.

Head craned to look at him as he walked parallel to you, you picked up your pace so you could be the first to turn in your exam. He didn't try to race you to the front, just quirked an eyebrow watching you rush your way up to Mr. Waterman's desk and slam the booklet of questions down, turning around to see if he was gaining on you. He was not.

"Wow, done already?" Mr. Waterman asks with a slight smile, keeping his voice down. Next to you, Kyle stands and turns his papers into the teacher, glancing at you. "You too Kyle? Nice work, guys."

"Thanks," You press your lips into a thin smile, waiting for the approval to leave.

Mr. Waterman glances at the clock above the door "You two are good to go unless you want to take another look over your exam."

"I'm okay," Kyle says, voice hardly above a whisper so as not to bother the other students.

"Okay well," Mr. Waterman clicks around on his computer for a moment before looking back at the both of you "All of your assignments are finished, tests written, so in case I don't see you again keep an eye out for your results and have a good summer," He smiles.

"You too," You give him a little wave as you leave the class, Kyle trailing not far behind you. When he slowly shut the door behind the both of you, you spoke up "I can't believe I finished first," You smiled up at Kyle. Wendy would've been the first to finish had she not left a week early for a trip and written her exams prior.

"You finished first?"

"Yeah?" You say "Why are you saying it like that?"

He shrugs "Pretty sure we finished at the same time."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yuh-huh."

"Kyle?" You ask, sweetening your tone.

"Yeah?"

"I finished first, let me have this."

He raises his hands in defence "Okay, you finished first, good job."

"Thanks!" You smile. You search for something else to say to fill the gap of silence "Erm, so I guess we're done with Biology."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Yup, guess so," You nod awkwardly, paraphrasing his words and wanting to maul yourself for it.

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" Kyle asks, his tone is casual but with an edge of something else, something that makes your pulse quicken.

"Nothing much," You reply, trying to sound equally casual. "I work like every night after today so I think I'm just gonna relax. You?"

He smiles, and for a moment, you think he's going to say something more, something significant. "Cool, I have to work."

You try not to let your face drop despite the disappointment you were struck with. Part of you thought he would ask to hang out or go for a drive but you shouldn't have expected so much. "Oh, sick."

He nods "Uh, are you coming back for I days?" I days were for students who had missing or incomplete assignments, they would be forced to come in the following week to finish them off while the other students got to enjoy the start of their summer and only return for the final day where report cards were received.

"Nah, are you?"

"Nope."

You didn't really know how to talk to Kyle when there wasn't school involved or some high-pressure situation where lives were on the line. It always felt stiff without arguing "What answer did you get on question twenty-three? the one about decomposition."

"Uh," He runs a hand through his curls "I don't remember, sorry."

"No, it's fine, I already wrote it, so," You take a small breath in "Yeah."

"Do you think you did okay?" he asks, glancing at you with those hazel eyes that seem to cut right through you. You shrug, trying to muster a nonchalant tone.

"Probably. Some parts were tough, but it's over now, right?" Your voice sounds strange to your ears, higher pitched, a bit too enthusiastic. You cringe internally but hope he doesn't notice. "How about you?"

Kyle chuckles softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Honestly, I don't know. That last essay question really threw me off."

"Yeah, same here," you reply, laughing a little too loudly. You cringe internally, but Kyle doesn't seem to notice. He smiles but you don't seem to catch it, eyes focused on the ground and mind trying to decode why you were acting so humiliating.

Kyle nods, shoving his hands into his pockets, his shoulders hunching slightly. The two of you walk in awkward silence for a moment, the sound of your footsteps merging with the distant chatter of other students. You steal a glance at him, noticing the way his hair falls into his eyes, and the curve of his lips as he looks down at the ground. "Hey, Kyle-

"Hey, Kyle!" Before you can even finish your sentence you're cut off by Leslie, she's digging around in her locker and smiling at the two of you, sticking one hand out to wave at Kyle.

He glances at you like he is waiting for approval "Go ahead, I gotta go this way anyways, I parked at the back," You lie through your teeth, you had parked in your usual spot in the front lot.

"Really?" He lets out a breath "See you on game night?"

"Okay, cool, well, see you whenever."

Before he can say anything else you begin to walk down the first hallway you see. It took you an extra seven minutes to walk through the labyrinth of corridors and then walk your way back to the front where your car was waiting for you. By the time you inside of it, you wanted to punch your window shield.

Heat rose to your cheeks, eyes wide "Fuck!" You shouted, slamming your head down into the car horn and leaving it there to let the awful sound ring out and draw attention to your embarrassment.

New Message- Red 🧌🔫

You: wyd

Red 🧌🔫: bed rotting

You: wanna hang out?

Red 🧌🔫: just got off work

Red 🧌🔫: so no

You: Boooooooo

Lately, you had been trying to ignore the feeling of loneliness that threatened to creep up over you. You spent the entire first week of summer by yourself and whoever offered up small talk at work. It wasn't as easy to pretend that you liked the solitude as you had imagined. While everyone else was filling up your social media feeds with pictures of them on vacation and out with friends, you had been coming home from your serving shifts covered in sweet chilli mayo, hair a mess from the misters your boss installed on the patio where you ran back and forth to attend to tables.

Now you were freshly showered and laying in bed, trying to figure out what you wanted to do with your night before the sunset. You didn't want to spend another night alone with your eyes turning bloodshot red from the blue light cast off your phone.

So far everyone you had reached out to had plans though you didn't stop digging through your contacts.

New Message: Nichole 💕

You: Wanna do something?

Nichole 💕: Right now?

You: Yeah

Nichole 💕: Srry bb, I can't

Nichole 💕: Tuesday?

You: Fo sho

You glance around, taking in the posters on your walls, the books stacked haphazardly on your desk with binders you no longer needed, the photos of friends and family. Your gaze lingers on a picture of you and Bebe from last summer, both of you grinning widely, arms slung around each other's shoulders. A pang of something hits you square in the chest, before you can even process what emotion you're feeling you snatch the photo off the wall and crumple it up, tossing it across the room.

With a sigh, you flop back onto your bed, staring up at the ceiling. The fan spins lazily above you, and you let your thoughts drift, trying to make sense of the jumble of emotions swirling inside you. You were convinced adults were lying when they said these were the best years of your life.

It's been a few days since that awkward walk from school with Kyle, and you haven't seen him since. You hadn't even texted him but kept checking to see if he had sent anything, the answer was no. Your chat hadn't been touched since the night of the lock-in. You replay your conversations in your head like you were performing an autopsy, wondering if you missed some hidden meaning, some unspoken truth. Whatever, it didn't matter, you just needed someone to hang out with so you could stop dissecting things that were already irreversible.

New Message- McWhoremick

You: Hey Kenny

McWhoremick: Who's this?

You: ?

McWhoremick: He's busy

Okay so, Red was tired, Nichole was preoccupied, Kenny was getting laid, and you were still alone. This didn't seem fair.

New Message- Annie!!!!!

You: Annnnnie

Annie!!!!!: Yesssssss?

You: Want to do something?

Annie!!!!!: I have to leave early tomorrow for a road trip :/

You: Aw man

You: Have fun

Annie!!!!!: Omg but when I see you again I need to tell you what happened with Ashley

Now it was getting a little sad. You always thought you were fine with being alone until you were actually alone, when the invites to sleepovers and parties stopped rolling in it was like you had been locked up in isolation. You wait, your phone clutched tightly in your hand. Minutes pass, each one feeling longer than the last. One by one, the replies trickle in or they simply don't come at all.

New Message- Heidi🦆

You: Hey

Heidi🦆: Hiiiii

You: Are you busy?

Heidi🦆: Yeah :(

You: Bummer

New Message- Dildo Faggins (Tolkien)

You: Hey

Dildo Faggins (Tolkien): Hey

You: What are you doing?

Dildo Faggins (Tolkien): On a date 🤠

You: Sweet

You: Have fun!!!

Dildo Faggins (Tolkien): Will do

New Message- Craig

You: hey

Craig: What

You: what are you doing?

Craig: With Tweak

"Shit," You mutter. The loneliness hits you all at once like liquor on an empty stomach. You put your phone down before you quickly grab it again, scrolling through social media, but it only makes you feel worse. Everyone seems to be having fun, their lives filled with parties, dates, and adventures.

You consider your options. You could stay in, watch a movie, maybe read a book. But the thought of spending the evening alone in your room feels unbearable. You need to get out, even if it's just for a little while. If you were so interesting and funny then why were you on your own?

After another ten messages are either left unanswered or rejected you start to consider your final option.

New Message- Uncle Richie

You: Wanna hang out?

Uncle Richie: ??????

Uncle Richie: dude it's seven pm on a saturday

Uncle Richie: you should be with your friends

You: So is that a yes or a no?

Uncle Richie: bruh

Uncle Richie: no

You: What

You: Why?

Uncle Richie: because I actually have plans kid

"Oh, fuck this," You throw your phone down onto your mattress, running your hands down your face. Uncle Richie had plans and you didn't. If Wendy was in town you would've asked her though she probably would've been doing something with Stan.

You can hear faint sounds from your brother's room across the hallway. You get up and head to his room, pushing the door open without knocking. Weston is sitting at his computer, hood pulled over his head and a sickening energy drink beside him, headphones on, engrossed in a video game. His fingers move rapidly over the keyboard one hand on the mouse.

He doesn't even acknowledge your presence until you plop down onto his navy blue bed. Weston turns around, doing a double take and with a groan moves one of the earcups away so he can hear you "Bruh, get out."

"I can't," you sigh "I'm too heavy."

"Yeah, I can tell." Weston looks back at his game, bringing his mic close to his mouth "Sorry, dude, my sister just came in," Someone on the other end says something and his face contorts in disgust "No, she's not hot," His nose wrinkles up "Gross, Ike, don't say that."

From your view of his unmade bed, you can look past the overpriced gaming chair he got for Christmas, you can see he's playing one of those cookie-cutter online shooter games. Your gaze glances to the hamster cage sitting on top of his dresser, a little grey and white Siberian hamster lazily burrowed inside. Slinking off the bed you walk over to the cage, hit with the smell of bedding and god knows what. Slowly, you open the latch and as gently as the summer breeze you place him in the palm of your hand and go to sit on the edge of your brother's bed.

"Hey," Weston catches you in his peripheral, pulling his mic away from his mouth "Are you holding Mr. Worldwide?"

"Yeah," You say, gingerly stroking the top of the little hamster who gives no indication of whether she enjoys it or not.

"Put her down," He shoots you a dirty look whilst trying to keep up with his team on the game.

"No, she likes me more than you."

"Ike, shut up," He exasperates, ignoring your comment completely. You can see him visibly tensing up as his character begins to sway and rock every time it's shot. Weston tries to shoot the opposing player but in turn, his screen slowly fades to red as his character drops to the ground "Fuck!" He slams his fist down onto the desktop. He swerves his head back to look at you "Don't you have people your own age to bother?"

"No," You say, honestly.

Weston sucks a sharp breath through his teeth "Maybe you should get on that and make some friends instead of harassing your brother."

"Maybe you should take a shower," you retort.

"I showered this morning," He pulls up the collar of his shirt to smell inside and wrinkles his nose at the smell.

"Doesn't smell like it," You stand from the bed and place the hamster next to your brother's keyboard. "Do you wanna go to the movies or something?"

"Jeez, are you really that lonely?" His mocking tone carries the slightest bit of sympathy, something you never thought he had.

"Pfft, no, get out of here, man." You wave him off.

"You're in my room!" He shouts, his face turning red as he does so. "God, I wish I had a normal sister."

"I wish I had a hygienic brother," You say as you shut the door behind you. Your own brother didn't even want to spend time with you and he wasn't even bountiful in company. Making your way down the stairs you head straight for the door.

"Jellybean, where are you going?" Your dad asks craning his neck to look at you from his spot on the couch.

"Just going to Red's for a bit," You lie. You were truthfully going for a drive to smoke but it seemed a little less sad when you smeared the truth.

"Finally, you're seeing the sun," he jokes, a smile breaking onto his face like he had struck comedy gold "Have fun, text me if you decide to stay over."

"Kay, love ya," You grab your keys from the little dish on the mantel, heading out the door.

"Love you, Jellybean," Your dad was quick to turn his attention back to Facebook where he did not fail to comment on every post he saw.

The warm air is beginning to fade into something cooler as you walk to your car. The familiar scent of the interior greets you as you slide into the driver's seat, and you take a moment to just sit there, letting the silence envelop you.

Starting the engine, you pull out of the driveway and onto the quiet streets. You don't have a particular destination in mind, just a need to drive and clear your head. The hum of the engine and the rhythm of the road beneath your tires are soothing, a welcome distraction from the turmoil in your mind.

After driving aimlessly for a while, you pull into an empty parking lot overlooking a small park. The area is quiet, the streetlights casting a soft glow over the deserted playground and picnic tables. You reach into the glove compartment and pull out a pack of cigarettes, a habit you've been trying to kick for the past week after the hunt for nicotine almost gave you rabies but tonight feels like an exception.

You light one, the flicker of the lighter briefly illuminating your face. The first drag is harsh but familiar, the smoke curling up towards the open window. You exhale slowly, watching the smoke dissipate into the night air.

As you sit there, smoking and staring out at the park, your thoughts drift back to Kyle. You wonder what he's doing right now if he's thinking about you too. The uncertainty of your feelings for him weighs heavily on your mind.

You take another drag, trying to push the thoughts away, but they keep coming back. The memory of that awkward conversation after the exam, the unspoken words, the lingering glances—it all feels so confusing and frustrating.

Once again you're almost overcome with the urge to to slam your head against the dashboard, thinking of the embarrassment you had brought yourself. Had he noticed you being so sheepish? Did he really care? Probably not and that thought is not one that soothes you.

It wasn't like you to trip over words or wait by your phone all week just hoping for a text from him. You had thought you were becoming friends or at the very least something similar.

You liked to think that maybe he had been waiting for you to text him and not the possibility that you really didn't cross his mind until you were in front of him. Do you really have the right to sulk when you weren't doing anything for what you wanted?

You finish your cigarette, stubbing it out on the outside of your car, right beneath your window. You had done more than enough wallowing and didn't want to wait around any longer for something you wanted.

The restlessness in you intensifies, and instead of heading back home, you find yourself driving towards Kyle's house. For a moment you think about driving past and letting this simmer away with you but instead, you pull up into the road in front of his house. For a moment, you just sit there, the cool night air drifting in through the open window to be sure the smell of tobacco has elevated. You reach for your phone and shoot him a quick text.

New Message- Kyle Broflovski

You: Wanna hang out?

Kyle Broflovski: Now?

You: Yeah

Kyle Broflovski: Sure

You: Cool bc I'm outside ur house

The blinds of Kyle's bedroom are pulled open and curtains pushed aside, you can see him staring down at your car to be sure you were really there. You give him a little smile and wave. His eyebrows are furrowed in confusion, curls pushed down with black headphones. He quickly yanks the blinds shut again and retreats from the window.

Moments later, he slips through the front door, pulling a hoodie over his t-shirt while awkwardly jogging over to you. "Hey," He says, ducking into the passenger seat.

"Hey," You almost nervously tap the steering wheel "So, what do you want to do?"

"You texted me?" He phrases it like he's unsure.

"Yeah but that was kinda an impulsive thing, I was just going to listen to every Weezer song for fifteen hours, I didn't actually have anything planned."

"So why did you ask to hang out?"

"Because I wanted to do something," You try to say it as casually as possible even though you were writhing inside "Why did you come out?"

He shrugs "I dunno, I just wanted to see you."

"Yeah, okay," You turn away from him, trying to ignore the heat rising to your face "Did you eat dinner yet?"

"No."

"Okay, sweet let's do that then," You pull away from your stationary spot and begin rolling back down the road. This was hard for you. You had felt stupid for even trying to be friends with him and making small awkward conversations because neither of you would admit to the fact that you just wanted to be around each other and do things that friends do. "Your parent's home?"

"Yeah," he cracks a small smile "My mom didn't believe me when I told her that you texted me."

You suck a sharp breath through your teeth "I wouldn't believe you either."

Kyle furrows his eyebrows, glancing around the car "What's that smell?"

"Sorry, I was smoking in here earlier." You feel somewhat embarrassed. Maybe you should've sprayed some perfume to drown it out.

"No, it smells good, like coconuts and kiwi," He adds.

"I'm not from new Zealand but I just washed my hair." Without realizing it, your face brightened just the slightest. Thank god your mom had bought the wrong conditioner and left you smelling like a tropical thunderstorm "So."

"Oh," He turns his head to look out the window "Well it's nice."

"Thanks." You try your best to bite back a smile though the attempt fails miserably.

You grip the steering wheel a little tighter than usual, feeling the slight hum of the car beneath you as you navigate the quiet streets. Beside you, Kyle adjusts the radio, settling on a soft rock station. His presence is both comforting and nerve-wracking, a mix that sends your heart racing in a way you hope he doesn't notice.

"Your cars clean," he says, his voice somewhat staggered behind the statement

"Yeah, no shit," you reply, trying not to take offence. "What, you surprised?"

"A little." It was the first time he had ever been in your car, the only time you had been in his was a painfully quiet thirty-minute drive when you broke down on the highway and his parents forced him to pick you up.

You focus on the road ahead, but out of the corner of your eye, you watch him. The way he leans back, relaxed, one hand resting casually on his knee. You wonder if he can hear your heartbeat, loud and insistent in your chest.

As you pull up to a red light, the car idles quietly. Kyle turns to you, and for a moment, your eyes meet. There's a softness there, something unspoken that makes your breath hitch.

"You're a good driver," he says, a teasing lilt in his tone. "I always thought you'd get into a collision per mile."

"Yeah? Maybe I should get you one of those passenger princess stickers," you reply with a smile, trying to mask the warmth spreading across your cheeks.

The sky overhead is dusky, the sun falls back slowly behind the mountains leaving a pink hue in its place. The traffic is light, and the streets are calm, giving you time to savour the journey. The streetlights cast a gentle glow on the road, illuminating your path as you turn onto the main avenue.

"What's this?" You wrinkle your nose at the music blasting through the stereo. You scroll through your playlist and find the perfect track. The heavy, fast-paced beats of a metal song blare through the car's speakers, the vocalist's intense screams filling the space.

Kyle's eyes widen in shock, his fingers instinctively reaching for the volume knob. "What the hell is this?" he exclaims, his voice almost drowned out by the music.

You swat away his hand and turn it up instead "It's metal, it's good."

"Good?" he shouts back, wincing as the vocalist hits a particularly aggressive note. "I can't believe you listen to this shit."

"It's the same stuff Stan listens to."

"Doesn't mean it's good," He says "I think I'm gonna blow out an eardrum."

"You're just feeling the music very deeply,"

"Yeah, well, the only feeling I'm getting is a headache," Kyle grumbles, leaning back in his seat and shaking his head. "How do you listen to this?"

Months ago his whining would've had you shoving him out of the moving vehicle but now you just thought it was funny "So sorry I can't accommodate your delicate sensibilities."

"Delicate?" he scoffs. "I'm just not into... whatever this is."

You pull into the diner's parking lot, the neon sign flickering invitingly in the growing darkness. The gravel crunches under the tires as you find a spot near the entrance. Turning off the engine, you both sit for a moment, the sudden quietness filling the car like a shared secret.

"Let's go, matchstick," you say, breaking the silence and unbuckling your seatbelt.

"So we're not done with that nickname?"

"Nope, not until every ginger hair sheds off your skin."

"Wow, super poetic," His voice is flat.

"Always," you grin, opening the door and stepping out into the cool evening air. The smell of fried food wafts from the diner, making your stomach growl in anticipation.

Kyle joins you at the front of the car, hands in his pockets, looking around. "Think they'll have a table for us?"

"Only one way to find out," you reply, heading toward the entrance. Kyle falls into step beside you, his shoulder brushing against yours.

As you push open the door, the familiar bell jingles, announcing your arrival. The interior of the diner is cozy, with red vinyl booths and checkered floors. A jukebox in the corner plays an old rock tune, adding to the nostalgic atmosphere. The warm light casts a golden glow over everything, making the place feel inviting and homey.

It was the same diner that you used to frequent with Bebe though you liked it when you didn't think about it much. You and Kyle stand by the host stand, waiting to be seated. It was somewhat busy like you had expected it to be on a Saturday night in the summer.

A waitress with a friendly smile approaches, she was on the older side and had probably been working at that diner for longer than you'd been alive. "Hi, honey, I haven't seen you in so long."

"Hi, Sylvia," You smile in return, hands awkwardly clutched together.

"No Bebe?" Sylvia frowns just the slightest.

"No Bebe," You repeat to solidify the statement.

"Aw, that's too bad," She reaches into the host stand to grab menus "So, it's just you and your boyfriend?"

"Not my boyfriend, but, yeah," You rush to correct yourself, quickly looking at Kyle for a reaction though he didn't seem to care.

"I just call it as I see it," Sylvia gestures for the two of you to follow her "Right this way," she says, leading you to a booth near the window. You slide in opposite each other, the red vinyl squeaking slightly.

As you settle in, Kyle picks up a menu, scanning it quickly. "What do you usually get?"

You shrug "I dunno, depends on the day," You crane your head over to look at his menu, pointing at one item "You should get that one, you're a classic burger kinda guy."

"I am a classic burger kinda guy," He absentmindedly mutters under his breath, eyes hyper-focused on the menu. After a quick glance at the menu, you set it down, mind already made up on what you want to order. Kyle glances up at you "Already?"

"Yup," You nod "I'm kinda a big deal around here so I know the menu by heart," You joke, arms crossed while you lean back in the cushioned booth.

"Yeah, I believe it," Kyle says, placing his menu down and shrugging off his hoodie, letting it crumple beside him.

"Wait," You sit up slightly "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Nothing?"

"You were supposed to be like 'Woah, I had no idea, I couldn't tell whatsoever,'" You deepen your voice to mimic his.

"I do not sound like that," His eyebrows raise slightly.

"You're right, your voice is way more irritating."

"Remind me why I'm having dinner with you."

"Probably because I'm so incredibly charismatic and charming that you couldn't possibly turn down my invitation."

"Nah, that doesn't sound right," He too leans back, matching your eye level.

You were prepared to shoot back with something equally snarky before your gaze shifted past Kyle and landed on a booth in the back of the restaurant. The smirk fell off your face completely watching Bebe laugh about something with Cylde sitting across from her doing the same "Oh my god, Kyle, look behind you."

"What?" He turns his head but you quickly reach forward and smack his arm.

"What are you doing? Don't look."

"Jesus," He mutters "Is it Bebe?"

"How did you know?"

"Because you're so insanely weird about her," He taps his fingers on the table.

"I'm not insanely weird about her, I'm averagely weird about her," You correct the statement as if it paints you in a better light.

"So are you going to keep staring at her or actually apologize?" He asks, trying to make eye contact though your gaze is locked on the blonde girl.

"I think I'll keep staring, thank you."

You were almost burning a hole into the side of Bebe's head for entirely too long. Nothing in the diner piqued your interest more than the upturn of her glossed lips when she laughed or how she pushed her curls away from her tanned face until you saw Kyle scrolling on his phone.

"What are you doing?" Your attention finally shifts back to him, settling back into your seat. "You're addicted to your TikTok."

"I'm checking my messages and I don't think it's the worst thing in the world when I'm sitting next to Joe Goldberg."

"And I'm sitting next to the drummer from the muppets," You sigh dramatically. Quickly you push yourself up and steal a glance at Kyle's phone screen, surely enough he's on TikTok, sifting through drafts of himself. He pulls his phone towards him and shoots you a glare "I knew it."

"You are so annoying."

"No shame in it man," You raise your hands in defence.

"You would lose your shit if I did that to you."

"I don't even have anything interesting on my phone for you to see," You shake your head "You should see the way kids frown when they ask if I have games on my phone."

"We ready to order?" Sylvia stands next to your booth, a notepad and sparkly pink gel pen in hand.

"Yes ma'am," You hand your menu over "Loaded nachos and a big chocolate milkshake please."

She nods, scribbling it down before looking up at Kyle "And for you?"

"Just the classic cheeseburger with the side salad, please."

"You don't want a Diet Coke or something?" You ask him.

"No, Diet Coke is worse for you than regular soda."

"What? No, it's not."

"Yeah, aspartame is more addictive than sugar."

"in that case, get a milkshake."

"I'm not really a chocolate guy," He dismisses.

"They have other flavours."

"Do you need another minute?" Sylvia chimes in, standing awkwardly between you two.

"No, it's fine," Kyle glances over the drink menu one last time "Uh, a strawberry milkshake, thank you."

"Alright," She gives the two of you a tight-lipped smile "I'll be right back."

"Woah, you actually caved," You smiled at him. "You should've got chocolate though."

He shakes his head, nose wrinking the slightest "It's way too sweet."

"And strawberry isn't?" This might've been the moment you realized that those familiar hateful spats between you and Kyle had boiled down to banter. You had wasted so many years throwing him nasty remarks when you could've been sitting in a diner together.

Kyle looks over at the drink menu "This better be the best damn milkshake I've ever had for eleven dollars." You didn't even try to fight back your laugh, instead dropping your head to rest in your hands on the table while your body shook with laughter "Why are you even laughing?"

"You sound like your dad," You could hardly get the words out with your fit of giggles.

He freezes, eyes going wide and heart dropping. Quickly he leans back in his chair trying to look more relaxed as he gazes out of the window, toward the street.

It took a moment of composure before you finally took a deep breath and sat yourself back up, trying to ease the pain in your ribs from laughing so hard. You look back at Kyle, his eyes narrowed slightly as if he's deep in thought while he looks out at the road. His jaw was clenched as he turned away from you. It was only seconds until you were giggling again.

Kyle looks up, caught off guard. "What?"

"What the fuck are you acting so mysterious for?" You ask, face split in a smile "Staring at a damn dental clinic."

"I'm not acting mysterious, I'm sitting here," He defends himself.

You look out the window in the same direction that he was to see a drunk man stumbling around on the street. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and looked like he had been abandoned during a bachelor party. The man staggered, bumping into a lamppost and in doing so falling onto the pavement. He slaps it and shouts something like it was the sidewalk fault he fell over "Real man of mystery, watching a drunk guy fight concrete."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Alrighty," Sylvia places two large glasses down on the table "I've got your milkshakes and your food is coming up."

As the waitress walks away, you see Kyle studying his strawberry milkshake with an exaggerated seriousness. He takes a tentative sip, his expression turning from doubt to surprise, and then he purses his lips, clearly trying to suppress a reaction.

"Regretting your choice of flavour?" you tease, raising an eyebrow.

"Not at all," he says, wiping a stray bit of whipped cream from his lip. It was clear he was now trying to beat the allegation of behaving like his father "Just trying to figure out why anyone would choose chocolate when strawberry is an option."

"Clearly, someone has scrubbed off your tastebuds. Chocolate is the classic choice. Timeless, even." You take a sip, the cold sweetness a perfect contrast to the warm diner and the dry heat outside.

"Timelessly boring," Kyle counters "Strawberry is adventurous. It's for people who know how to live a little."

"Adventurous?" you laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the statement. "The most adventurous thing about you is that one time you tried siracha mayo on your sandwich."

"And I suffered for that decision."

"Yeah, I remember," you say, chuckling. "You drank about a gallon of milk to cool your mouth down."

"Hey, did you go to the hardware store for your dad yet?" He abruptly changes the subject. Kyle wasn't necessarily in the mood to rehash embarrassing stories.

"Nah, it's not that important," You wave him off "Don't do today what you can do tomorrow."

"That's an awful quote."

"But a quote nonetheless." Unintentionally, your eyes shift to look at Bebe. She could feel eyes on her and turned to meet your gaze, her smile dropping. You look back to Kyle and pretend the last twenty seconds didn't happen.

"Oh my god," He runs a hand down his face. There were some things that came out of your mouth that just left him baffled.

Minutes later Sylvia circles back, gently placing the dishes onto the table. The food may not have been the highest quality but you came mostly for the atmosphere. "Burger with a side salad and loaded nachos. Enjoy, let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," you both say in unison and look at each other's terrified expressions.

Kyle picks up a forkful of leafy greens, inspecting it before popping it into his mouth. "So, what's the plan after this? You heading home to watch another episode of that trashy reality show you love?"

"Bold of you to call it trashy when you always hang back to watch it and what I do in my free time isn't your business."

"I have never once done that."

"You do it all the time."

"When?" He asks.

"Sorry, did you want me to write down the date, time, and place?" You snark, shoving a nacho into your mouth "Point is, you're a filthy liar and you love them."

"I don't love them, it's hard to ignore it when people spray paint themselves orange and inject so much Botox that they can't cry."

"But you find them entertaining?"

"Someone throwing plates at their friend's head is always gonna be entertaining, doesn't mean it's good," Kyle picks up his burger taking a large bite before chewing thoroughly and setting it back down onto its plate. "Those shows are going to rot your brain."

"Please do not talk about brain rot when you're a TikTok degenerate."

"Degenerate is a pretty big word for you."

"Are you seeing anyone?"

"What you do in your free time isn't my business but you want to know if I'm dating?"

"I meant like a therapist," You say casually.

"Why would I see a therapist?"

"Like, you might be the most annoying person I've ever met but I don't think you should hate yourself."

"I don't."

"Really?" Your tone is so sincere that it takes Kyle aback briefly. This time, it's Bebe whose staring at you, no longer laughing with Cylde, just scowling at you where you pretend you hadn't been creeping earlier.

"Yes."

"I think I would hate myself if I were you."

"Why?"

"Because your name is Kyle and you're a ginger so that's already not the biggest leg up in life."

"Dude, what," He sounds like he's in genuine disbelief.

"Forget it, it's hard watching you brood over your strawberry milkshake" You dismiss him, taking a long sip of your drink "So what did you do since school ended?"

"I've been hanging out with Stan and Kenny, working, went to Tolkien's."

"You cutting out Cartman or something?"

He thinks about it for a minute, letting the past week play out in his head "Yeah, I guess but it's a little hard to get rid of him. Thoughts?"

You nod "And prayers."

"No, not like- never mind," He takes another bite of his tiny side salad "What have you been up to?"

"Just work, really, I almost took Weston for dinner but he cancelled on me to go to his friend's house."

"You should've texted me, we could've done something," He says nonchalantly and you look up from your meal.

"Well, why didn't you text me?"

"Did you want me to?" His eyes dart back and forth beneath furrowed brows, searching for a clue that might make sense of the situation.

"Of course I wanted you to," Your mouth moves faster than your head and the words are quick to fall from your lips.

"Shit, I'm sorry," He says "I just figured you didn't want to talk to me after the raccoon thing, you were kinda weird on the last day of school."

The raccoon thing. You looked down at your hands, a few little cuts where the glass had broken skin "I'm such an asshole," You mutter looking up from your arm to Bebe who was standing up from her booth then to Kyle "I didn't even say thank you when you picked the glass out of my hand."

"It's fine," He's trying to calm you down before something else emerges "I don't care."

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Pick the glass from my skin."

"Because you were hurt and you're my friend," He says with ease, trying to get a read on you. Bebe and Cylde brush past you, Bebe actively makes an effort to ignore you while her boyfriend didn't know you were there to begin with.

"We're friends?" You ask, somewhat shocked by the answer. You had always had a hard time putting a label on who was your friend and who wasn't though you had wanted so badly for Kyle to finally say it.

"Yeah, man," He gestures around the table "We're eating dinner together by choice."

You watch as Bebe disappears through the door of the diner and abruptly slide out from the booth. Excusing yourself and rushing to the door to catch her. You didn't want to let another moment slip by, this was an opportunity to set things right and you wouldn't let it fall through the gaps of your fingers.

"Bebe, let's do this," You call after her, stumbling out of the door.

She quirks and eyebrows looking at Cylde before she looks at you "I'm not going to fight you."

"No, I'm not trying to fight, just, oh my god," You rub your temple trying to recompose yourself "Bebe, we got to have it out."

"Did you just quote Little Women?"

"Yes! Because I know you love that movie," As much as you fought against it the desperation was clear in your tone. "And I would watch it a million times just so I could be around you."

Something in her shifts, she crosses her arms, staring you down but makes no indication that she's going to retreat into the car.

"Okay," You nod, trying to put your thoughts into order "And you aren't a slut or a whore or a cunt or a bitch or whatever I said, I don't really remember but I know it was awful and I am just kept awake with the thought of something being the last thing I ever say to you."

Cylde stays silent, eyes flickering back and forth between the two of you, he has one hand hanging on the handle of an already-opened car door. Bebe still stays silent, waiting to hear your next string of apologies. It was difficult enough to humble yourself to do this but the stillness on her end wasn't making it any better.

"I'm not gonna lie, this is hard for me to say but my life without you fucking sucks," You exasperate "I see you in everything I do and I'm bored all of the time. I can't even talk shit with anyone because everyone became a saint all of a sudden and I'm still a dick but I don't really want to-

You're cut off by a man leaving the diner, carrying his takeout boxes. The man awkwardly skims past you, holding his car keys out "Just gotta get to my car," he says in a flat sing-song tone, pressing his lips into a thin line.

Cylde moves out of the way and the man slides into the driver's seat, closing the door with a loud thud. He inserts the key into the ignition, turning it with a hopeful twist. The engine groans in response, a series of sputters and clicks, but it refuses to catch. His brow furrows, and he tries again, turning the key with more insistence this time. The car responds with a grinding sound, followed by an ominous silence. The three of you all look at him, discomfort filling the stagnant air.

"Sorry, you can keep doing your thing, it does this sometimes," He sighs deeply, frustration etched on his face. His fingers drum impatiently on the steering wheel as he looks around, perhaps hoping for a miracle. He pumps the gas pedal a couple of times, as if coaxing the engine back to life, and then turns the key once more. The car protests with a stubborn cough but remains lifeless.

"Um, okay," You close your eyes for a second trying to regain where you were "Bebe, you're my best friend and I don't know what I would do if I never saw you again but I love you so much and I don't wanna be an awful person anymore. I'm so sorry that I'm always doing something shitty but I'm so over it. I just really miss you."

Bebe's stoic face break into a pout and her arms drop at her side as she walks toward you and wraps you in a hug " I really miss you too."

"Let's not fight again, okay?"

"Okay," she confirms "Like never, this was awful."

Leaning back in his seat, the man rubs his temples, trying to think. His eyes dart to the dashboard, checking for any warning lights that might give him a clue. There's a fleeting moment of hope as he fiddles with the battery connections and checks the fuel gauge. "Everything seems to be normal but my car won't start," The man calls out from his window, breaking the tender moment.

You lift your head from Bebe's shoulder, glaring at the man "Okay, fuck off."

"Yeah, seriously, fuck off," Bebe whips her head around and does the same. The air feels lighter all of a sudden, and despite the nervous knot in your stomach, you are happy to call Bebe your friend once again.