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darkdevasofdestruction · 2 years

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Chapter 7 - I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES!

The next night, Kisara and Ohma made their way towards the port, and they met with Kaede and Yamashita. There, Kiryu with his employer and her secretary came by to say hello - Same with Hatsumi and Nogi. Apparently those with the official invitation were allowed to go on the huge yacht that looked like the Titanic, while everyone else was forced to go on what looked like a beat down cargo ship that would sink the second people step on it. Awful.

Kisara felt absolutely sea-sick and she had to cling onto Ohma's arm - She loved going at sea, but not on a death trap ship! "Hatsumi Senpai, save meeeee~!" she wailed, getting dragged on that god-forsaken ship. "I think I feel more at place on this one" Ohma shrugged, patting her head simply. "But where are they gonna take us on this ship?" Yamashita asked, confused as he looked around. "No idea... I'm sure they'll make an announcement soon enough." Kaede sighed, trying to assess the situation as professionally as always. "Do you have any idea?" Ohma asked someone. "Uh, Ohma? Who are you talking to?" Yamashita asked, looking back with dread. "Huh? Who? I'm talking to her. Why?" Ohma pointed towards a girl shorter than even his partner. "Oh, hello! Nice to meet you!" she greeted the group cheerfully. "She's been following us around for a while now." the fighter spoke nonchalantly. "Oh, sorry - About that - Kind of missed my chance to introduce myself. Pleased to meet you! My name's Kushina Rin! I'm here on Mr. Nogi's orders to work as your secretary, Mr. Yamashita! So, Mr. Yamashita, I hope to serve you as best as I can!" she spoke very cheerfully. "S-S-Secretary?!" his jaw dropped to the ground, stunned out of his mind. "A secretary, eh? You've really made your way up in the world, Yamashita Kazuo." but before the poor man could protest, an announcer told the fighters to go through one of those doors, while everyone else was to go up the stairs. "Huh?! Does that mean that Ohma's parting ways with us now...?!" the old man was worried about his fighter. "Yeah, looks like it. Bye, Yamashita Kazuo. Hasashi Kisara, take care of them." with one last pat on her head, Ohma left through the door.

Up the stairs, there was a glass wall that remembered Kisara of the Louvre museum pyramid, and they could see the fighters from up there. Ohma looked pretty lonely out there, standing close to a corner - But he spotted them up there, and made a motion that he was thirsty. The manager realised that he forgot to return his drink, and wanted to hurry getting it back to him, but Kaede, with her dignified secretary look, said she'd do it.

"Ohhh, so cool~ Hey, Mr. Yamashita, do you think they're... An item?" Rin got close to the old man and pretended to whisper. "Huh?! Miss Akiyama and Ohma? I really don't --" Yamashita blinked, looking in surprise at her. "You think so...? Well, I think they'd make a cute couple..." the smaller secretary spoke, making Kaede's eye twitch at how she was so shameless, speaking about her love life in front of her. "No, wait, you're right - It might actually be possible...!" the old man's eyes widened in surprise. "Will you two stop talking about things like that?" the blonde glared at the two.

Kisara bit her lip and nonchalantly took the bottle from the old man's hand, going on ahead without another word. She wasn't jealous, and she definitely didn't think any differently of Kaede or anyone else who felt attracted to Ohma, nor would she blame them, considering the two of them never came out and expressed their relationship directly. It didn't mean that she was happy hearing that someone else would look cute as her partner's girlfriend. It kinda stung, but at the same time, she really couldn't blame them.

The door was pretty heavy, but Kisara had no huge trouble opening it and tossing the bottle to Ohma - He drank that drink in a blink, and he seemed pretty happy... And pumped up. "You're a life-saver." he smirked, crumbling up the bottle. "Ha, thank you, dear." she hummed in amusement. "Y'know - Rin and Yamashita Kazuo said that you and Kaede would look incredibly cute together. What do you think~ ♪?" she chuckled, teasing him. Ohma snorted, looking at her enigmatic smile. "Yeah, so? Let them think what they want." this typical him answer made her chuckle even more. "Well, darling, anything else I can do for you?" she asked, getting her hands in her pockets, swaying back and forth on her feet. "Nah, I'm good - But don't go yet. What do you think of this situation?" he asked, that cocky grin plastering on his face. "Well - Remember all those battle royale anime I've watched? That's what I'm thinking. You'll be fighting until there's only few of you left. So - You'll have lots of fun~ ♪!" she matched that grin of his, as hyped up as he was. "So you're thinking what I'm thinking. This is gonna be quite the show." that devilish look of his was making the red head feel heat on her cheeks - How handsome this man was, and he was all hers.

As they shared that mischievous look, the doors were slammed close, and the captain explained that they won't open until only 5 remain standing. Kisara slapped her forehead in disdain, and shrugged her shoulders - Nothing could be done about this tragic situation, so might as well enjoy the ride.

"Well, sweety, I guess, there is that! Protect thy fair maiden from the foes that threaten her life!" she laughed, stepping to lean back on a wall and watching her partner laugh at her words. "Ha, you've got a lot of nerve for someone who could easily beat these guys up in no time!" in that instant, two men jumped up, bashing Ohma for bringing 'a chick', and were ready to punch him - But he easily redirected them to punch each other. "Alright, then! Get ready to be protected, Your Majesty." he got protectively in front of her, while she merely smiled tenderly at him. "O, my knight in shining armor, purge this world of these puny weaklings that have deluded themselves into thinking they stand a chance against your might~♥️ !" she was having way too much fun with this. "More fancy words, and I'll throw you as bait." she simply pouted at his answer.

Still, as she watched Ohma get in a fighting stance, she heard his last name being yelled out rather passionately - Rihito has revealed himself, saying he's missed Ohma and all that - But that was irrelevant. He perfected his Razor's Edge... Not that he would ever be a threat or anything of the sort.

"Hey, aren't you that chick I saw before at the fight?" Rihito's eyes widened greatly, as they trailed up and down Kisara's outfit, mostly, that black crop top of hers that looked so good with her 'neo-samurai girl' aesthetic of high-waisted black pants, boots and a black and red haori with spider lilies that was staying loosely around her form, and a fox mask next to her sword. "Uh - Yeah, you did. I brought Ohma his drink, and - ... You're not even listening, are you" Kisara sighed, sweat dropping at the blond. "Are you single?" she wasn't even able to answer, she just hit hear head back on the wall. "No, she's not." she heard Ohma answering in her stead - It was the first time he ever said anything like that before. Frankly, it made her pretty happy. "Don't worry Miss Kisara! Rihito's here to protect you!" it's as if he didn't listen to anything either of them said. "No thanks, I'm fine." she replied immediately. "She says she's fine." he seemed as bored as she was about the obnoxious blond. Still Rihito was pretty hell-bent on 'protecting Miss Kisara' and getting Ohma to the main act, so they could have a match again. "Stand back, Miss Kisara! There's gonna be a bit of a blood rain tonight!" he was pretty hyped up, while Kisara could only hold her fist up in the air and say a monotonous 'yay'.

She's seen significantly better, granted, and she never thought Rihito was ever that great to begin with. Still, considering everything, for a preliminaries show, the most she can do is pick out any person with any above average skill that may get on to the main act of the tournament. Out of nowhere, the red head heard a bunch of really weird and completely non-sensical English curses, along with the sound of people getting knocked to the ground. From nowhere, a pretty tall guy with a huge grin was doing pelvic thrusts into the air. He was kinda creepy, and that mustache didn't help.

"Hasashi Kisara, is THAT a fighter too?" Ohma asked the girl. "Looks like it - But his curses kinda freak me out. Oh - He's looking our way. Great." she sighed, shaking her head in disdain. "He looks like he can entertain me a little." he smirked, confident that he could easily defeat him. "Oh! Are you my next target?!" thus, the American extended his arms forwards , fists closed, and propelled himself forwards, looking like a weird Superman, springing forwards towards Ohma. Kisara, just like Ohma, were looking with surprise at this man - His leaping was really weird and definitely something they've never seen before. He could pride himself for being very fast, like a missile... Though, this speed was nothing compared to theirs.

Ohma got his hands and fingers into position and waited until this man was close enough, so he completely changed the course of his phlight, with his Redirection Kata: Weeping Willow move - And he was thrown into the wall - Still, at that high speed, he was able to avoid collision and he redirected himself, as if he bounced or just like a diver in a swimming pool. "You're more fresh than mama's apple pie!" he cried out, triumphant with his technique. "Someone, please, knock him out already - I can't deal with those awful one-liners!" Kisara groaned, only for her eyes to widen, realising that he was charging in her direction. "When I said I wanted to die, I didn't mean in this fashion, and definitely not in this garbage bin of a ship." she sighed, crossing her eyes and waiting. The American tried to pull the breaks of his charge with his feet, but it was to no avail - He couldn't stop, nor stir in another direction other than Kisara's. He simply smiled in embarrassment and guilt. "I'm sorry, girl! This probably won't kill you, so please, forgive me for this!" The time she blinked, a flash of black found its way in front of her. "For God's sake, at least scream or something. You're not making yourself worth protecting. You could have knocked him out with a simple kick." he chuckled, looking past his shoulder and down at her. "O, my knight in shining armor, have you forgotten thy duty? Protect Thy Majesty, till death do us 'part? That and - I just like seeing you show off. You're very attractive when you do." she laughed nonchalantly, making his smirk widen. "Ha! You took at heart what I said four years ago. I really do have a thing for strong girl who're honest with their feelings." saying that, he flexed a bit, getting in a fighting stance, something that was similar to the way he stood like a shield, before her - Kisara couldn't help but bring her hand up to her mouth, stifling an amused giggle. "Well then - Will you tell me what was that you just used? I never saw you using that technique before." she pointed out, stepping sideways to get a better look of his stance. "That's because it's fucking lame - And I can't control it. Guess I don't really have an option." his cocky smirk was ever present. "So confident with something you can't control - I aspire to get to that level of self-assurance." she grinned, leaning back on the wall. Ohma used his elbow to block and then hit the American's face, knocking him out immediately - But, unlike before, he complained about his arm and side hurting, because of the technique he can't control properly. Still, once this opponent was done for, Kisara counted the remaining fighter - Just five remained. The captain called out that the preliminaries were over, and thus, the doors were opened. Once the two met up with Yamashita and the two secretaries, the ship reached the great Titanic-esque yacht, and the winners were directed towards the S.S. Kengan.

The five members of the Yamashita Trading Company were assaulted by Rihito, mainly Kaede and Kisara, who couldn't stop his perverted comments, and how he tried to play off touching them by 'giving them a shoulder massage'. "Where do you live?" No. "Wanna go for dinner?" Don't touch me."At least give me your number?" Go kill yourself. "At least just let me get your pussy!" Okay, that's it -

Kisara was on the verge of turning around to sock him in the face, but much to that idiot's luck, Ohma grabbed her wrist and dragged her in front of him, his hand protectively on her shoulders. "Shouldn't you be with the people from your own company right now?" his voice was lower than usual, and annoyed as well. "It's just me. Ah, you wanna know? Fine, I'll tell ya! As a matter of fact - I AM the president of S.F. Cold Storage." thus, as he continued grabbing away at poor Kaede, Rihito proudly told everyone that, after working at Nogi's storage company, the CEO came over to him and made him a president, as long as he voted for him as a chairman. Although, a smart political move on Nogi's part, he didn't really choose this chess piece well... Rihito was the bottom of the bunch without a doubt, and he had no way of even coming close, when it came to Takeshi, Hatsumi, or even little Cosmo! Not to mention Ohma - Also, some of those preliminary fighters weren't half-bad either, especially that mysterious arabian guy, or the old man. Rihito had absolutely no chance.

Still, with this conversation going, Rin was able to explain that not only Rihito, but Yamashita was in the same situation, so basically, this tournament was a battle of wits between the puppeteers... And even so, the ones doing the fighting are equally important. Well - All Ohma and Rihito cared about was... All they gotta do is win. Easy as that, and honestly, not wrong either.

The Chairman was then presented before all of them, with a ton of bodyguards all around him, and rightfully so. At that moment, he might just be THE most powerful man in the world, without any exaggeration. The old man explained everything there was about the basics of the tournament, only for the mysterious fighter to get pissed off and step forward, complaining that the ones in the preliminations didn't deserve to be treated that way, and that they were in no way inferior to the 28 or so that received the special invitation and went straight to the main part of the tournament... And into the luxurious yacht.

The Prince stepped forward, ready to go up to the chairman, but he was easily defeated and thrown into the ocean... By a simple bodyguard - Not even one of the main, important ones, just one of those basic ones. Pathetic. Is this the level of competition that Ohma has? Because if so, his win is in the bag.

Thankfully, they were finally allowed to step inside the S.S. Kengan, and Kisara's eyes widened and she remained speechless. If she could describe this opulence with anything, she would think of Jay Gatsby's parties - She's been dreaming of being able to attend something like this ever since she was a little kid, watching Disney movies. She felt so out of place, dressed like this... At least she has a cute dress in her luggage and tomorrow, she won't be sticking out like a sore thumb anymore. Hopefully, at least. She never had any reason to buy an elegant dress, considering she never had expensive events to attend, so... This was something else entirely.

Ohma immediately took off to find some food and he was nowhere to be seen, Rihito, thankfully, was lost in space, looking for girls, and Yamashita and the two secretaries were going towards a table. Kisara was alone, and freaking out internally. She was average height, but she couldn't see any of her friends from that spot, and she was afraid she might get herself lost in this huge place if she ventures too far away.

Oh, no, she was wrong. How could she not see Sekibayashi, even from the other end of the world? Kisara grinned and skipped towards the giant pro-wrestler, only to see, at the table, little Cosmo. Her smile grew ever larger. "Cos! Seki! Hi~ ♪ !" her whole mood changed to one much chirper and happy. "Ah! Kisara-nee-san! I should have known you'd be here too! Senpai and bro will be so happy when they see you!" the blond boy, still munching on food, jolted up from the table and hugged the girl tightly, swaying her a bit before allowing her to sit down next to him, pushing one of the plates towards her so that she would eat a bit too. "Woaw, Cos, what a warm welcome. I'm so happy to see you two, and I can't wait to see them as well! I missed you, guys." she chuckled softly, making the smaller boy grin cheekily, yet his face was a tint pinker. "Ever the charmer, little princess. Glad to see that Tokita boy made it through. I hope to face him again and see if he's improved at all." the wrestler chuckled lowly. "As long as I don't see any back-breakers again, I'll be very happy. You really put on a great show, I can't wait to see you guys fighting. Actually... I don't think I've seen 'Tsuki-san fight before, have I? It's been four years and nothing. That's going to be exciting." she blinked, surprising herself with that realisation. "I've only seen him fight once or twice, but they're always very quick. Senpai's matches always end in less than five hits. He's a real pro, you'll love it!" Cosmo praised senpai.

It was already close to 2 or 3 in the morning, and Kisara was getting tired, but had no idea where she could go sleep or something... And she'd rather not do what kids do on a trip and use someone's shoulder, that would be embarrassing. Her saving grace, however, came in the form of Ohma himself, who just swooped over, not greeting anyone - As always - And simply sweeping his partner to follow him. Apparently, after a filling dinner... And even more, in the plate he was holding, he asked a butler where the dormitories for the fighters would be, so he could crash. The Yacht will be arriving in about 27 hours, so it was enough time for a deep sleep... And even more food afterwards!

Getting inside the bedroom, Kisara quickly went to take a shower and dress in her nightgown so she could finally rest her exhausted body - She couldn't even imagine what the fighters would be feeling after that fight, and frankly, she didn't want to know either. Getting on the bed, she ate what remained from Ohma's dinner, dinner that he kept for her, and let out a deep sigh of content. Next to her, Ohma rolled to his side and extended his arms towards her, pulling her close to his body. Kisara smiled tenderly and hugged his head to her chest, playing with his hair. "You're gonna fuck them up, sweety~♥️ " she kissed his forehead softly. "It won't be easy, but you're gonna show them who's really the strongest man out there." Ohma let out a small hum of amusement and something that resembled a peaceful state that he rarely could achieve... Only in her arms, in that warm, loving embrace of hers, with those encouraging words and whatever woman-magic thingy she was doing to him. He never felt addicted to anything, nor attached to thing in general. He only needed his body and his wits alone to survive and finish any objective he wanted. Despite all this, he couldn't deny... The past four years have been the most 'emotionally happy', as she'd say.

He always remembers her rambling on the phone, when she'd comfort her dysfunctional friends about whatever relationship they had, he'd find himself agreeing with most of the things she'd tell them. He knew she liked him, but unlike what all her friends did, she never pressured him into anything - Hell, he never even called her 'girlfriend' or 'lover' or whatever other pet names normal people did. She was fine, as long as he was comfortable and at ease around her. She wanted him to trust and respect her, and that's what he did. Kisara is the only person alive that he trusts and cherishes. He won't name any word around the way he was feeling, but even if she doesn't ask him to, he will protect her.

She was so small and fit so well in his big arms, yet here she was, holding him like he was a little child seeking for comfort. She was cute back then, when she was more timid, but she's just as cute now, after gaining her confidence boost. Although until the kickboxer incident he's never seen her fight before, he was impressed that the girl who only survived on coffee and 2 hours of sleep was able to achieve, in such a short time, great speed and techniques. He was proud of his speed, but thanks to her petite frame and for weighting half of his kilograms, her great reflexes became unbelievable. He's never fought women before, and he had no idea what they're capable of, but her confident smirk and taunts were turning him off. Maybe that's why she always tells him to show off in front of her and gives him compliments. He knew he was declared universally 'attractive', but that mattered little to him. He wasn't like his stupid master, who told him to hit on any pretty girl he found. He couldn't care less about that.

And now, more than ever, in this tournament where only the strongest were present... He was going to show everyone that he was truly on top of the world. "That's right. And you're gonna be there to watch and cheer on me all the way to the top."

The next day, Kisara dressed in that cute blue summer dress of hers that flower around her ankles like the ocean waves, and her hair was falling down to her waist like a crimson cascade, and a cute bow was holding two small braids on the back. Most of the time of the day, she spent around Kaede and Rin, as Ohma was being pestered by Rihito and he wouldn't stop flirting around, but at night, she went by herself to get one of those really good cocktails, and on the way back to the dormitories...

She got lost.

I'm such a dumbass - Kisara thought to herself as she stepped forwards, hoping to find something to pin point her location. Lucky her, she heard the familiar voice of Cosmo. Smiling in relief, she walked a bit faster, hoping to still catch him. And he was with Wakatsuki too! "Hey, you two~ ♪ !" she called out cheerfully, lazily waving her arm around. "Ah, 'Nee-san!" Cosmo was the first to turn around, only to widen his eyes. "Behind you!" he cried out, but it was too late. Someone roughly slammed their hands on her shoulders. Kisara let out a small 'eep' sound, startled by the manhandling... But more, by the fact that whoever that was, made her spill some of that ice-cold drink on her hand, and it was going to get sticky. "Guess we've got our hands on a good bait, huh?" a dark voice called out from behind her. "Let go of her!" Cosmo stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Yeah, you heard him! I'm wearing my pretty dress and you're dirtying it with your gross hands." Kisara called out, reaching out in her purse to get some tissues, but before she could, she got shaken. And she dropped the glass on the floor. "Well, now you've done it! And it was really good too! You guys are jerks!" she groaned, looking down at the spilled cocktail with disappointment. "This bitch has no idea who she's talking to. Maybe we should teach her a lesson before we get to that small fry, eh?" the same voice growled and spun Kisara around so she'd face them. They, however, weren't expecting that the perpetrator would be feeling the heel of her thick wedged sandal in his chin. "Don't make me fight, I'm in a dress! What are you, perverts? Don't you know - Girls like being pretty around handsome men." she mocked the two idiots, and this time, by her own accord, she spun, making her cute dress fly around her gracefully, and she grabbed the other lackey that was lunging at her, and flipped him down, slamming her shoe down on his face... Down on the glass shards. "If you were trying to take down those two, but got taken down by me in two moves... You're even worse than those guys at the preliminaries. How pathetic." she scoffed, stepping on their bodies so she wouldn't be getting in the drink, and she made her way towards the two fighters. "Tsuki-san, could you please fix my bow? It always moves." she chuckled, turning her back to him, and she felt his fingers clumsily working around her hair. "Haha, Nee-san was so cool! You know, I really wanted a good workout, I was getting pretty bored of this voyage - But I guess you had all the fun to yourself! Well, I wouldn't call that fun, but still." Cosmo laughed, giving her a thumbs up. "You can still have your workout, kid - Look, they got up. So, have fun~!" she grinned at the younger one. "To think that I got Cosmo here, hoping to stay away from those guys, but they found us here too... How annoying." Wakatsuki sighed, stepping in front of the girl. Whilst the guy with a beanie went over to fight with Cosmo, the silent one went directly to the older fighter.

Cos got hit with that guy's brass knuckles - How unfair. He must be an assassin. No, she was wrong. That guy said he just needs to get Cosmo's fighter spot. He's in it for the money, but considering they came in a group of two... It didn't seem like he was just some stranger. "Cosmo, be careful. These guys aren't just thugs, they were hired by some company. Remember the Chairman's words. The one who wins gets to NOMINATE the future chairman. They're definitely working for someone who's in the tournament." Kisara called out to the younger boy. "Yeah, I see. I got it now. I really don't want you becoming a fighter." and with a simple grapple move, Cosmo got behind that guy weilding another baton weapon, and got him in a python hold, knocking him unconscious. "Don't worry, Kisara. I'll finish this quick. This isn't a place for girls to be at. We'll escort you back to your room." just after saying that, Wakatsuki stepped in front of the silent attacker. Before the enemy could even move, Wakatsuki, without getting in a stance... Or even bothering to blink or move a muscle, extended his arm... Or, punched, rather said, the attacker. He was slammed into the wall behind him. At the deafening, sudden noise, both Cos and Kisara jumped in their skin, only to look, more or less surprised, at the disaster the senpai made. "I... Think you went a bit overboard, senpai..." Cosmo chuckled awkwardly. "Pathetic. He broke after just one punch." Takeshi's voice was low and bored, completely unimpressed. Considering his 306 win record, and how long he's been fighting in the association, this must have been one of those stupidly easy fights. Well, if even Kisara could destroy them, it was no wonder Wakatsuki could blink and pulverize them. "That. Was. Absolutely. AWESOME!" Kisara cheered on the man, stupefied at the destroyed concrete wall. "THIS LOOKS LIKE IN CARTOONS - THERE'S NO WAY -- YOU'RE FUCKING FANTASTIC! See, I told you! YOU are the real Superhuman!" she laughed, unable to take her eyes away from the wall. "It's no big deal. Come on, let's go sleep, it's getting late." with an amused exhale, Wakatsuki walked ahead, followed by the two younger ones. "Ah - Before that, I want to go get myself another drink, I hope you don't mind. You don't have to come, I don't want to bother you!" she spoke quickly, not wanting to burden the two. "You already got lost once, who knows where you'll end up next. It's fine, we're men, that's what we do." he reassured her, not looking back even once. "Yeah, Nee-san, he's right, you know! So relax and enjoy that drink of yours!" Cos put his arm around her, and together, they rushed ahead like silly children. "Those two... I swear..." Takeshi shook his head, the ghost of a smile on his face, watching them being so innocent and cheerful. It was good they didn't yet lose any of that positivity of theirs. Hopefully, they never do. Not Cosmo, for being a fighter and having to go through all the ups and downs, the harsh training and all that beating, nor Kisara, who worked so hard to get stronger, and can only watch from the sidelines as her lover and all her friends, that became akin to her family, get constantly beaten up, while she can do nothing but worry and pray for their victory.

However, as soon as they got back up on the deck, and Kisara got her drink, she noticed Ohma and Rihito kneeling before Kaede, who was scolding them... For whatever reason, as if she was an angry mother reprimanding her children. Chuckling in embarrassment, she said goodbye to her two friends and stepped in front of Ohma, extending her free hand for him to take and get up. He was a fighter, his spot wasn't on his knees in front of anyone.

Well, maybe in front of her and her alone, but that was something that no one else should know.

"I wasn't done with them yet, Kisara!" Kaede was thoroughly ticked off at the interference. "Although I'm not opposed to expressing your feelings and what has bothered you, I don't think that putting fighters at respect by making them behave like guilty, submissive and obedient dogs would be in their, or the company's benefit, considering they will be seen like doormats. So, I'd like to know, Kaede... What did Ohma and Rihito do to incur your wrath like that?" she asked, subtly pulling her brunet partner behind her. "Well! First of all - This idiot lost EVERYTHING he had at the casino! Imagine what would have happened if I weren't there to shoulder his debt! And him - He had all those w-women waiting on him at the casino! What were you thinking?!" she yelled, pointing angrily at the both of them. "Dunno. They just came up to me." Ohma shrugged unphased. "I see... Well, I don't see what's the problem here. If they had fun and nothing happened to them, then it's no big deal. Besides... Rihito is more or less a slave anyway, I don't think anyone cares what happens to him." the red head chuckled, but it only made the blond confused at her words. "Kisara, it's not alright! What if they'd been targeted? The future of the Nogi group is in their hands as much as that guy's!" the secretary pointed out, earning a nod of approval. "Yes, I know - In fact, I have been targeted myself." this made everyone let out various sounds of surprise. "Y-You?! But you're not a fighter or a CEO, so why --" she gasped, her eyes widening from fear. "Well, I suppose I was the victim of circumstances. I wanted to go sleep, but I got lost. I found two fighters with whom I am friends with, but they got attacked by two guys sent by some company. They wanted to take their fighter spot so that their CEO would name their boss as the future chairman. So, yes, in this aspect, Kaede is right in her worries. You can be targeted at all times - However... If I can knock them out... And if my friend can defeat them in a single punch... Ohma will have no problem with them. I can't vouch for the SuperDumbass, but whatever." she explained, seeing the concern on the blonde's face. "Are you sure you're alright? That must have been frightening." she muttered nervously. "Oh, yeah, of course - Though, I'm not a fan of playing around in a dress. Still, the greatest damage that I took was that I dropped my cocktail... Hence, why I'm here. For a new one!" she showed off her brand new and very delicious drink. Seeing the familiar colour of the liquid, Ohma leaned down and sipped from the straw. Yep, it was his favourite, the same one from back at Nogi's office. Nice.

He was glad that Kisara came when she did, he wasn't sure how long he could take Kaede's annoying nagging, and for what reason? Was he supposed to throw all those girls off and injure them for climbing on him like a tree? Sure, he could see why his partner would be upset, but why a secretary? Was he actually right whenever he made fun of her for having the hots for him? And did Kushida Rin's and Yamashita Kazuo's conversation make her think weird thoughts about him? Not that it mattered. He just really couldn't stand all this stupid scolding. He did nothing wrong, and just like Kisara said, if he were to get attacked, he'd crush that poor idiot.

As he absent-mindedly tuned out the conversation between everyone present, still leaning on Kisara's shoulder and twirling a soft strand of her hair and sipping from that delicious drink - Until, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a presence closing in at a remarkable speed. That small bastard lunged at the spot him and Kisara were. Unfortunately for this jerk, he was too fast and weathered by combat, so he jumped away with his partner in his arms, and the drink not having spilled even one drop, and they were away, at safety.

"Ohma, he's targeting you!" the red head called out, watching as the attacker easily jumped up and stomped his boot in Rihito's face. Once again, even some hand-me-down fighter like this assassin could beat Rihito. What a surprise.

As expected, once he was done with the blond dumbass, the dressed in that hooded winter jacket found his way attacking Ohma at great speed and easily evading all of his attacks. He even used Ohma's leg as a spring board and showed him the middle finger, sticking out his tongue, tauntingly. As Ohma launched one more attacked, the enemy dodged and grabbed a strong hold of Ohma's shirt, bending him down, one leg coiled behind the back of his knee, while the other was over his shoulder. "... I'd have killed you if I hadn't noticed... Brat." Ohma stopped attacking - Instead, he took off the hood of the attacker, revealing a beautiful young girl, yet her eyes were different from anyone else. Instead of the normal white sclera, it was jet black, and her pupils were light of colour. "Don't try to hide it, I can smell it on you. Now, what the hell do you want?" he asked, and in that instant, the girl grinned widely, and tightened the grip of her leg around his neck, bringing him dangerously close to her face.

"I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES!"

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#kengan ashura x reader #kengan ashura imagine #kengan ashura #tokita ohma imagine #tokita ohma x reader #tokita ohma #wakatsuki takeshi #imai cosmo #akiyama kaede #yamashita kazuo #rihito #sekibayashi jun #kure karla

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damselofblueroses · 3 years

Text

Bambi, Ch. 2, Ghost

You are my Bambi, girl, I am your candy, tell me what are you waiting for?

Summary: As an archaeologist who works on the Ancient Greece, you were on the verge of excavations’ session. While you have been preparing your team, you learned that your institute decided on your team has to work with another team as they wanted the outcome as a collaboration. The head of other team was your biggest rival, a scumbag in your eyes: Byun Baekhyun.

You two were supposed to work together for three months, in a Greek Island, Chios.

Could you manage to not kill Byun Baekhyun for three months?

Chapter Summary: Byun Baekhyun and the Reader remember the day they spent in UN Village together while they are heading to Chios. (Guys, this chapter, which is dedicated to the beginning of their relationship, is going to be two parts, otherwise it is going to be more than 20k lol)

Word Count: 11k

Content: AU, heavily Greek mythology, enemies to lovers.

Warnings: Well, the story contains NSFW/Smut, please minors do not continue.

Note: This story will be 7 or 8 chapters if I will not change my mind in the meantime. It is inspired by my major; however, I do not have a complete knowledge on archaeology, I am a historian. If I will make a technical mistake, please let me know. I am willing to receive any kind of feedback; you are more than welcomed to drop a message.

Series Masterlist

Chapter 2: Ghost

5 years ago, Hannam-dong

Even if I want you so much it drives me crazy

You ghost

Even if I want and call for you all night long

You came to me and left without a word

You ghost, you ghost

You want to go crazy all night, you plead

You ghost

You disappeared again without a trace

“What type of sadistic and sick person could say that we have to work here?” you cursed between your teeth, you jaw clenched because of pure anger. “How do they expect us to do our job in the middle of fucking super-ultra-rich people?”

“Get used to it.” Junmyeon flinched your forehead, but his frustration was oblivious, even though he was doing definitely better than you. “Where is Baekhyun?”

“I do not know.” you recklessly pointed to the expensive cars on the road. “Maybe he was looking for a sugar mommy.”

“As your sunbae,” Minseok hit you. “I would like to remind you to hold on your manners.”

“Someone has to give a speech on manners to him.” your eyebrows knitted together. “Not to me.”

“Both of you,” Kyungsoo nonchalantly spoke. “need a really good beaten session, since both of you have no idea on how to behave.”

You threw the book you were holding to Kyungsoo, but he was too quick and easily saved himself from your unexpected attack.

“I am here, right?” you hissed. “Where the heck is that bastard? He always disappears when it comes to work, why do you hold me in the same esteem with him?”

“Because you are definitely a copy of Baekhyun.” Chanyeol laughed at your god-fucking-damn-it-so-horrible face expression. “Let’s face with the fact, Indy. Everyone knows that Baekhyun is a disciplined student, just as you are, badmouthed, just as you are.”

“Are you talking about me?” Baekhyun popped out of nowhere. “I heard you are praising me less than the way I deserve.”

Your face could be described as disgusted, but this would be the kindest way of telling how your appearance was. Actually, you wanted to punch his narcissistic self-perspective, to shake his cage in order to give him the lesson he deserved, but you did not want to be scolded by Junmyeon again. You just walked away from him, needing to put a safe distance between yourself and Baekhyun.

God, if you could run away to space, you would do it in order to not infuse with the same air with Baekhyun.

You disliked him, you disliked the way of his well-being, you disliked his velvety voice, his lame jokes, his sharp remarks, you disliked everything about Byun Baekhyun.

And you hated yourself because of finding him very handsome. Sometimes, you caught yourself, staring at Baekhyun, forgetting how to breath properly. His face was like a gift of God himself; his body ratio made you to say oh-my-fucking-god.

Thank God, he had the most annoying character, because if he had a good personality, you knew that you would fall in love over the heels with him.

“What kind of idiot chained us here?” Baekhyun asked to Junmyeon. “Fuck’s sake, what the heck we are going to here? Digging beneath the Richie riches’ villas?”

Chanyeol bite his lips before looking at you, silently reminding your own words and his remarks about being very same with Baekhyun. You did not back off, staring at Chanyeol with all frustration went through your veins, causing Chanyeol to laugh. Baekhyun hit his head, then walked towards Junmyeon to take his own tool bag.

You hated him for this, too. He was acting like he was a superior, like he was better than any of you, and what got your nerves badly was no one scold him as they would scold you if you would do the same things.

“Yeah, I am like this scumbag who does not carry even his own stuff, huh?” you literally sizzled between your teeth, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo heard your annoyed voice, but they preferred to keep their silence. Your hate was not a secret for the team, everyone was aware of the fact that putting you and Baekhyun was a dangerous decision since he also loathed you.

But to your dismays, you were the brightest students Sejong could always play on.

“Seriously what we are going to do?” Baekhyun repeated his question because he really did not have a single clue.

“Didn’t you read the mail Sejong sent us?” Jongdae asked him, raising one eyebrow. Baekhyun shrugged his shoulder, you bit your lower lip in order keep your frustration under your control. What a bastard!

“We have to visit UN Village, there are seven neighbourhood where we have to go and collect the permissions of the residents.” Junmyeon run his hand through his hair. He was already on the verge of cracking since he was the one who had to deal with a lot of capricious upper-class members in order to complete this fucking task. He wished nothing but changing his path, he started to think like the field was not his cup of tea, but before resigning from leadership, he wanted to find a good candidate who could lead the team.

He wanted you to be that leader. You and Baekhyun. Heretofore, Junmyeon laid his eyes on both of you and your abilities persuaded him to nominate your names when he could propose an election. He did not want to be a fieldperson, he wished to stay in his office, but at the same time, he could not inherit his legacy, Godfuckingdamnit Junmyeon’s did his best in order to engrave his name as one of the most successful captains, to anyone but the best. Yet, Junmyeon had no idea how to put you in good terms, since you were like a cat and dog, and Chanyeol, that giant idiot, used every opportunity to fan the flames, even that silent Kyungsoo enjoyed watching intangible scuffles between you and Baekhyun.

Junmyeon has been sensing that the team was becoming aware of the situation and camping as two different poles. Jongdae, Shinhye and Minseok were setting off closer to you while Chanyeol, Kyungsoo and the newbie, Jongin have been shifting to Baekhyun’s side. Damn, Junmyeon could not let it to be happen. He needed all of you under the same umbrella, especially you and Baekhyun had to stay together. He was seeing a great potential of you, if you could combine your powers, you were going to be the perfect team. Period.

“Let’s split into teams.” his eyes wandered around all of you. “We are eight, if we can divide ourselves into four teams, we will finish the job easier and quicker.”

“Yeah, you are right.” Kyungsoo approved. “I am going to take Chanyeol.”

“Are you my superior, dumbass?” Chanyeol hit his shoulder, but he was laughing. “I am with Kyungsoo.”

“Good.” Junmyeon inhaled. “Shinhye, you are with Jongdae.”

You automatically stirred next to Minseok, however you shuttered after hearing Junmyeon’s next orders.

“Indy, you and Baekhyun are together, Minseok, let’s go.”

“What?!” you immediately stopped and hissed at Junmyeon. “Am I with who?”

Jongdae realized the storm before seeing the clouds, clever as always, he disappeared while dragging Shinhye with him. You even did not notice, but Chanyeol’s smile widened, Kyungsoo smirked, and they rushed to their own direction.

Only four of you were standing on the pavement, you were throwing daggers to Junmyeon with your eyes. Baekhyun was nonchalantly looking at Junmyeon, while Minseok could not find a way to break the tension.

Junmyeon was cool as a cucumber.

“You are with Baekhyun.” he repeated his words, sounding like he was condemning you with execution. “What? Do you have a rejection?”

“Yes!” you exploded without thinking. “Why shou-

“Believe me,” Baekhyun interrupted your words, he was indifferent to your frustration. “I did not beg for being in the same team with you.”

“Did I claim that?” you swiftly turned on your tiptoes. “Did I say you are eager to be with me?”

“It would be the greatest joke you could make.” Baekhyun winked to you. “But you are not so into the entertainment, right?”

“Baekhyun,” Minseok noisily cleared his throat. “I am not sur-

“What do you know about me?” you heard your own voice. “This is why we cannot work together, you always make assumptions out of your ass, instead I work as organized, with the facts and tangible proofs.”

“What do you know about me?” Baekhyun coldly smiled at you, you could not describe its impacts on you, that smile had you wanting to punch him at the same time ignited some fires in your lower stomach. “We barely talk, have you been watching me all the time?”

“You wish.” you took a deep breath. “You are not worth my time.”

“Oh,” his eyes glimmered with a menacing luminescence. “I am deeply wounded.”

“If you are done,” Junmyeon raised his hands to the air. “We have to work.”

“Jun-

“Young lady,” Baekhyun barged on. “They did not teach you this, so it’s up to me but we are not in kindergarten anymore.”

You had to admit, no one could get your nerves till now like Baekhyun did.

You had to admit, you hated being called as a kid. Junmyeon’s eyes blown up when Baekhyun labelled you as a kid, before he could open his mouth, you stared at Baekhyun.

“I can see why we could be a team.” you took the directional instructions from Junmyeon’s hand. “A kindergarten kid has to take care of a cry baby while the adults have to work.”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed, but you wholly ignored his visible annoyance, and started to walk. Junmyeon was looking at your back with a little bit concerned face, but he knew that he did what he had to do.

You were going to scold Junmyeon in the following hours of the day, however, now your job was teaching a couple of lessons on manners to this scumbag who has been walking beside you.

You spent the first hour in a total silence, talking only if the occasion called for it. The tension between you and Baekhyun was solid, someone could cut it with a knife without any problem. Baekhyun was bored to death, he never plan to have a day like this, he wanted to enjoy everything he did, he thought he could be with Chanyeol or Kyungsoo, having fun to death.

Instead, he was trapped with you.

The only girl he loathed to the bits.

He could not endure to hear your voice, even though you talked with the residents very kindly and respectfully. He had to admit that you were doing a good job, but it did not change anything he felt for you. He had been cursing Junmyeon since he put you two in the same task, however, he knew that if Junmyeon wanted something from Baekhyun, he would do it without question. Baekhyun could be many things, but he was loyal to his friends, and Junmyeon had a special place in his heart.

Also, behind the curtains of his hate, he could see why Junmyeon gave you to him. Although you were an abominable bitch, an obnoxious creature, a walking blasphemy, and a hate crime, Baekhyun did not think you could be an offspring of a lovely or healthy relationship, he was sure your parents were diabolical beasts, to his disappointment, you were reallyclever.

He wished you could be more reliable person, so he could work with you.

Baekhyun did not like to confess, yet he was aware of the fact that he desperately needed his own Evelyn O’Connor. Someone who could play the game with him, as his trustable partner in crime. He was extremely close to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, but they were not equal to his wits and ambitions. Sometimes he was brassed off the conversations, time to time he found them boring and lame. His logic was faster than his mates, actually he was longing for nothing, but someone was equal to his high-speed brain.

You could be the one he was searching for, but you were made of poison, greed, and wickedness. Even if he would be blessed by the Heavens, he could not agree to work someone with you.

“Your Highness,” he heard your fucking voice. “We have to visit at least twelve houses more; do you mind hurrying up?”

“The only thing I mind is your fucking attitude.” he gritted his teeth. “Give the plan to me.”

“So, you can destroy everything I organized properly?” you smirked. “I do not think so.”

“Organized?” Baekhyun cocked his eyebrow. “Organized, my ass. Didn’t you lose Park Sangwan’s house? Twice?”

“Look who is talking.” the red of embarrassment slightly painted your cheeks and ears. “The one who had no idea about today’s plans.”

“At least I did not lose my fucking way and circled around the same house almost for half an hour.”

“And the award goes to Byun Baekhyun for his greatest achievements.” you gave back the wink to him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Oh, breaking news. No achievement no award.”

Baekhyun took it personally since you two competed to each other as the finalists of last academic year. Your project was accepted as the winner while Baekhyun received only a certificate. You hit the lotto, he had to watch you, walking to the stage with a bright smile tugged on your lips.

Still, he could vividly remember the little smirk you gave to him that night when they announced your name.

“You did it consciously.” his jaw clenched. “That night. When they called you as the winner. You immediately turned to me just to annoy me.”

“It seems, I achieve my goal.” your smirk widened, a glistening layer of fun covered your face. “Were you disappointed?”

“Yeah, of course.” he did not miss a single second. “I was disappointed of the professors, I was believing they were cleverer than me, but their choice showed me they were nothing but idiots.”

“Could you smell the air, Baekhyun?” you asked with a serious face. He was confused for a second, you never ask a question to him or call him by his name, but before he could register, you tucked the words in his throat. “Oh, jealousy, my favourite.”

“Darling,” Baekhyun swallowed hard. “There is no single living soul who can be low enough to jealous you in this universe.”

That was not quite truth, because Baekhyun not only remembered your revengeful smile but also how you were looking like that day. He could paint you on canvas by closed eyes, and he would not miss a single detail.

And he was a little bit jealous on that day. Not only because he lost over to you, but also because of the people around you. You annoyed him not only with your award, but also with your closeness to the other men.

Despite of your usual oversize clothes or no makeup policy, you chose to present yourself in a different style. Your hair was perfectly combed, your makeup highlighted your face features, and you were wearing a little light blue dress which tightly caressed your body. Baekhyun, or none of your classmates knew that you had curves for example till that night and to Baekhyun’s dismay, you had a really good body. You were a minion, your beauty was very soft and although he really hated to admit this, you were a view for the spectators. Maybe not the prettiest, but you had something had people looking at you, liking you, desiring you.

You had an aura which was enough to make your biggest enemy to silently acknowledged that you were attractive.

“Maybe, there is no one.” you shrugged your shoulder. “But youwere eager to low yourself, huh?”

You did not forget the look on Baekhyun’s face when Professor Kim called you to the stage. You were sure as fuck, he was cursing you but also there was something else, glowing in his eyes. Something you could not describe, but you could see the same emotion in your reflection when you saw Baekhyun with that crowd of girls.

Rarely.

But still you knew that feeling.

That ceremony was hard for you, of course you were over the moon because of your achievement, that project opened you some fresh opportunities and proved that despite of being a junior, you were more than a bachelor student. You proved your talents and abilities to yourself by winning the first place, you completed a step, made your first goal come true.

And you nailed Byun Baekhyun’s coffin. It was worth of every minute you spent sleepless, your tears and sweats, the hours in library, the hours in front of the plan of Gyeongbokgung Palace and search for the most logical and safest ways of conducting an excavation around the palace.

Your ideas were chosen over Baekhyun’s ideas, and you were aware of the quality of the solutions he proposed.

You were proud of yourself.

It was the bare truth that Baekhyun’s face were singing to you just as your favourite band could sing, seeing his face just like someone fed him with cucumbers was equal to being accepted into your dream field, Chios’ excavations, as the chief archaeologist.

But you were annoyed.

You could not happily taste your success. You could not feel its flavour on your tongue buds.

Because of that bastard looked fucking magnificent in that bloody black suit.

You have been told about the dress code you had to follow, however no one, not a single soul managed to catch his level of looking good in a suit.

You were annoyed because your taste in men was exactly equal to Byun Baekhyun. He had everything you could ask for, he was devilishly charming, there was even no need for words to describe him, he was beautiful.

And he was the only one you hated the most.

Every girl in the room was drooling over him, to your dismay, just like you. You felt that feeling in your stomach, a pain which was spinning, spinning, and spinning, causing a tornado inside of your stomach.

Was it jealousy?

“I already noticed your ignorance about the feelings.” Baekhyun could not control himself anymore and grabbed your shoulder, turning you to the opposite direction. “We have to follow this fucking street, or we will be lost again.”

“Have you been observing me, Baekhyunnie? That’s so cute.” you ignored the second part of his words, just starting to walk on the direction he instructed to you.

“Observing you takes a minute, baby girl, since there is nothing to see.” he answered but he found it interesting when you called him as Baekhyunnie. “You are a spoiled brat.”

“Hop, that hurts.” you pouted, pressed your fist on your chest, faking a whimper. “Would you like to tame this spoiled brat?”

You started to think that you went nuts.

“In your dreams.” Baekhyun laughed, but he literally lost himself in the fucking possibilities you could be tamed by him. “You have to wait a couple of centuries for someone who can be willing to be with you.”

You chuckled but preferred to keep your silence after his words. Damn, your sudden quietude caught Baekhyun’s attention more. Why didn’t you not attack to him? Why didn’t you give him a sharp answer as you should have?

Why you chuckled like there was a line at your door?

Was it?

Baekhyun pondered that instead of the fact that you were generally with a small group of friends, to both of your dismays your common friends, he did not see you with strangers, so there could not a queue for your hand.

Could it be?

And why the fuck he should have care if there is a crowd for you or not? No one could want someone like you if they did not lose their mind.

But he cared. Fuck, he cared more than he wanted.

Because to his disappointment, he knew that there was a real cavalcade of knightly candidates for you.

“Okey,” you checked the time. “After this one, I am going to have lunch.”

“We are going to have lunch.” Baekhyun gritted his teeth. “I hate eating alone enough to endure your presence.”

“Didn’t you tell me there is no one who could want to be with me?” you snickered. “But you have no reservations about having lunch with me?”

“Imagine the situation I am in.” he grumbled. “The day gets better and better.”

You decided to annoy him, pushing him to the edges as much as you could do. The first response that came to your mind refusing him, but the other option was funnier. You could play with Byun Baekhyun, you could take your revenge by being a pain in the ass.

He said that he could endure your presence.

You could make him regretful of his words.

There was a very little smile tugged on your lips which you were not aware of, however, to his dismay, Baekhyun realized it.

Her lips are rosy and plump, he thought to himself. Even though he called you a spoiled brat, he was not sure of if you were a brat or not. Kiddos have not the type of lips, calling people for the kisses, like you. There was something, even during your cocky performances when you tried to beat the life out of him, although you always kept that dull and bored expression and acted like Baekhyun was not worth of your time, but there was something just in you.

Baekhyun swallowed down his own vomit when he admitted it to himself, and you have caught his glare.

“What?” you purred. “Can’t you take your eyes off me?”

“Who the hell wants to watch you?” he quickly collected his thoughts and put them in a fucking trail. “I am looking for a restaurant where we can have good food.”

After a permanent mutual ignorance session for years, his next words caught you off your guard.

“You like local foods, right?” he asked. “I guess the second shop on this street is famous for jjangmyeon and tteokbokki.”

Well, you had to admit that his questions made your brain a little bit foggy. How could he know that?

“Yeah.” for the first time in history, you did not come up with any sharp answer. “How about you?”

“As long as there is no cucumber or extremely sweet cuisine,” he started to walk. “I am fine.”

You heard that Baekhyun is really not in good terms with cucumber.

“Feel you.” you murmured in your mouth because you hated cucumbers as much as you hated Baekhyun. He swiftly look at you, you accompanied him on the street.

“We should celebrate.” he teased. “I said something, you just answered, and we did not have a fight.”

“This is a privilege for cucumbers.” you shrugged your shoulder, but you also felt that he did not buy your nonchalant tone. “I cannot stand them, mum loves it too much, I mean what type of person can love a cucumber? If I need water, I prefer to drink it.”

Your observation made him tilted his head back in that rumbling laugh of his, you were unwilling to join, but the corners of your mouth turned up slightly.

“Here we go.” He, as a gentleman, opened the door for you, you responded with the most neutral expression you could muster. “Oh, no thanks?”

“Thank you.” you rolled your eyes, however, despite of your strongly negative feelings against him, you do not like rudeness. “Sorry, that was insolence of me.”

“Your apology is fully accepted.” he winked, you hated that cocky tone, you hated yourself for falling into his trap. You passed him, went to a distanced table where it placed in the corner. You did not want to be seen as having a lunch with Baekhyun by your teammates.

Corner was fine.

“Oh, no.” he grabbed your arm, manhandled you to the tables of the center. “I will not let you escape. If they see us, let them to see.”

Your eyebrows knitted, your lips pressed to each other enough to form a thick line on your face, you could almost taste your growing anger. But at the same time, you realized that feeling his hand on your skin increased your heartbeats, you wanted to scream with self-hatred, but you bite down on your tongue as his hand quickly wandered to down, to your waist. He directed you to the most visible table from outside while you were fighting yourself in order to control your fucking pace of breathing.

Please, this could not be true, I could not be excited because of his touch, you thought.

This was not happening, what the fuck was happening?

Baekhyun was not so different from you, even though his face expression was not changed for a bit. He forced himself to take control, but it was really hard for him.

Your hate was reciprocated, right? You guys could not spend even a bloody minute in peace, the only thing you had was annoyance.

So, why you perfectly fit in his embrace just like you were made just to be under his arm?

Why Baekhyun wanted to tight his arm around your waist?

Why could you not say anything even though Baekhyun was literally holding you?

Why you felt like you were in the only place where you had to be for the rest of your days?

“Hi.” you heard the waitress who was a really beautiful girl. “Welcome to Sung’s String. How can I help you?”

Even though finishing her sentence, she begun to eye Baekhyun. You rolled your eyes and reached to the menu; to be honest, this show was not funny after seeing it for the million times. Every time, Sejong Team went outside for a drink, for a gathering or even for a museum trip, girls and sometimes boys gazing the members of Sejong Team just like they were idols or actors because of their good-looking. Eh, they were not wrong, you had to say that the Sejong Team included really, really, and really handsome boys from Baekhyun to Chanyeol, from Kyungsoo to Jongdae and these boys’ superiors were Kim oh-my-godJunmyeon and Kim lord-help-us Minseok.

Well…

You were already got used to the reactions coming from all around when Sejong Team showed their faces. You knew that both of insiders and outsiders of Sejong Institute called your team members as the Flower Boys or a shitty nickname like that.

“I would like to have a jjangmyeon without cucumbers, and a tteokbokki.” you turned the menu off. “With a light coke.”

“Coke?” Baekhyun mimicked you like he could not believe his ears. “Are you kidding? Everyone knows that you have to drink jasmine tea in order to help digestion.”

“Have you been majored in nutrition?” you gave him your bitchy resting face. “Shut the fuck up.”

“No coke.” he wholly ignored you and turned to the waitress who was watching him as drooling. “Please, we want two bowls of jjangmyeon, two tteokbokki, also please we would like to have kimbap and kimchi as the garnitures and of course a pot of jasmine tea.”

“Yeah!” she sounded weaker after Baekhyun conducted all power he had in his eyes to her. “Anything else?”

“I guess we are fine for the time being.” Baekhyun smiled to her, causing a flush of redness on her cheeks.

“I will be back as soon as possible.” the girl literally purred, Baekhyun’s eyes shined after her reaction. Little bastard. You did not want to think about it, but his visible joy had your stomach churned. You inhaled and took your book out of your bag.

“What are you doing?” Baekhyun glanced up at you, reached to take the book from your hands. “Having lunch together means conversation, are you going to read?”

“Give the book to me, Byun.” you kicked his foot under the table. “I know you do not know how to read and enjoy but that’s a good habit to have.”

“Yeah, I know that habit of you gives nothing but lonely hours in library.” he had no limits of shooting his arrows. “Have you ever tried something different for a change?”

“Like what?” you tried to get back your book. “Following your great example and dedicate my life to your favourite sport? Sorry, I have no interest in running after women by lolling my tongue out of my mouth.”

“Baby girl,” Baekhyun put your book in his leather bag. “You have no idea whose tongue lolls out of the mouth.”

You could not decide on what you hated the most. Baekhyun or the girls after Baekhyun? You concluded as both of them were equally horrible in your eyes.

“I am sure your stories are incredible.” you inhaled. “But I really do not like to hear the anecdotes of miserable women. Could you give the book back before I gauge your eyes off?”

“Nope.” he grinned. “I can bet on you are still a virgin but tell me if you have an affair or not, I would like to pay my condolences to your partner.”

He was already written as the first name in your list of most-hated-people, but suddenly became the first man to be written as the first enemy of a lifetime.

“Did you finish your own list of dead partners?” you raised one eyebrow. “Thinking of its length gives me chills.”

“No dead.” his grin widened from one ear to the other. “They just had some temporary heart problems due to the performances I gave to them.”

You opened your mouth to slap his face with the words, but the waitress came back to your table with a huge tray. She was placing every bowl and plate, actually fucking Baekhyun with her eyes, you literally hardly suppressed your instincts, telling you to warn her immediately.

But you were not honest with yourself about why you wanted to warn her. In the deep of your mind, but in very deep, you had been starting to realize that you disliked when the girls threw themselves to Baekhyun because you wanted them to stop. You did not like the scene because you did not want to share Baekhyun’s gaze with another person.

You were lying to yourself without realizing what was the real problem of you.

You loved Baekhyun from the beginning, even though he was a fucking tease and a bloody smartass. There was no other man for you, if someone could cut your chest, the only thing would be seen in your heart was his name.

But that would be the heaviest self-enlightenment, and you were definitely not ready for such as a thing. That’s why you unconsciously continued to trick yourself by disguising your own feelings from your own eyes.

You got the chopsticks and decided to have your lunch instead of burying yourself in the maze of thoughts. Baekhyun realized your discomfort, but he had no idea what the real reason of your mood was, whatever made you unhappy was more than okey for him. He could be happy as long as you were sorrowful.

“You still not give an answer to the question.” he was persistent on pushing your limits. “Do you have a relationship?”

“Why are you curious?” you took a mouthful amount of jjangmyeon. How much you wanted to stuff these noodle strings into his throat, suffocating him to death. “If you want to send a bouquet, please note that I love blue roses.”

“You are really a virgin, huh?” Baekhyun diabolically grinned, you could swear on you saw the red halo over his head.

“Darling, you cannot make me angry by stating what is obvious.” you smiled back, there was no reason holding it back, you were always open on these issues, and a sick part of you wanted to tell him to see his reaction. “Yeah, I am a virgin.”

“Do you conservatively follow a church?” his chin dropped a few inches. “How could it be possible with all the boys who try to seduce you?”

Well, you did not expect to hear this.

“Come on,” Baekhyun continued. “I always see you with a bunch of men, do you really think they are following you only for friendship?”

“On the contrary of you and your limit-does-not-exist type of libido, people can build the bonds of affinity.”

“Only when they do not search for an open door to sneak in.” Baekhyun pointed his chopsticks to your face. “Telling you, I can name at least six permanent names in the waiting room.”

You did not see the hidden meaning of his words, however, Baekhyun was already became regretful, he silently prayed for your ignorance and blindness were going to keep him safe. Because he gave you the biggest clue of his interest in you by stating he could give even names.

He still did not understand how he could know everything about you or why he always put a brick on the ways of the candidates for you, but he did. Hell, he was unapologetically finding a way to prevent the boys who liked you and no one could understand it was Baekhyun. He always came up with a solution in order to intimate them, put them back off. You were not aware but Baekhyun always appeared around you when he thought a candidate was close to you more than he supposed to be.

He already put his stamina on you as his girl, but he was not aware of his own actions. He was not aware of what he has been doing, how he was persistently looking for you, searching for your face in every class or harmoniously living with your voice. It was like your breathing was singing to his ears, and he was dancing with your melody.

Baekhyun did not understand but he was yours.

“I am not sure what you think,” you sipped from jasmine tea with self-confidence. “But there is no such a fucking waiting room.”

“You are really blind.” Baekhyun chewed a rice cake, generously dipping it into the gochujang sauce. “Don’t you think Oh Seunghwan is acting like more than a friend? Or Jang Jeongbun? Jesus, even you really cannot be that much idiot.”

Baekhyun was right for the first time in history. You were nothing more than a retard because you really did not understand the behind the scenes of his words. He was unconsciously giving you the signs of his interests in you, but you were so naïve to see.

“They are my friends, Baekhyun.” you rolled your eyes back. “I know grasping the nature of different relationships is hard for you, but people can be nothing but friends. No need to add tensions or searching for hidden meanings.”

Every time you vocalized his fucking name, Baekhyun felt its impact went straight to his dick, and he hated himself for that.

You were not the type of people who could be okey with the target of teasing. You wanted to play, you wanted to be enhanced by it, sinking into the waves of the game.

And even Baekhyun did not admit it in his head, he believed you were the most attractive girl he has been known because of you always corresponded to his moves and cards.

“How about you?” you immediately played your reverse card, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “I heard that you and your gorgeous looks which made entire school swoon and fantasize about you? Are you really called as the sexiest human being on the country?”

Your voice was the strongest indicator of your disbelief, he could be the biggest moron on planet Earth, nothing more nothing less.

Also, you were aware of those comments on Baekhyun more than you wished for. You kept everything you heard about him in your head, in the safest and the most secret file of your brain, refusing to think but keeping on unconsciously think about those speculations. You found them very suspicious, but not because of Baekhyun did not deserve to be called as the sexiest human being, you found those fantasies as unlikely because of Baekhyun had not that macho man stuff people were somehow attributing to him.

You had grown so sick from all of these dreams and comments, coming from every corner of school since Baekhyun was like a star.

And now, you had him seemed quite displeased with your tease.

“Only on the country?” he raised one eyebrow. “Shit, it seems I am not doing well.”

“Baby, you are coming after Park Chanyeol.” you sighed in joy of dancing on your tiptoes. “That’s a quite achievement, when you think.”

“Chanyeol?” he sighed in annoyance; you knew that you trapped his ego in a small box. “Coming after Chanyeol?”

“Yeah.” you gave the most nonchalant look to him. “Well, I can tell that’s quite unfair since Flower Boys includes really strong names such as Kyungsoo or Junmyeon but… Poor girls, they have to be lunatic to put you after Chanyeol.”

“What do you think about these extremely distorted images of us?” Baekhyun angrily took a mouthful of jjangmyeon.

“Do you ask my list?” you crossed your hands over your chest, cooing with gleamy eyes. “I cannot believe that Byun Baekhyun, asking me, a poor peasant, for her list.”

Baekhyun’s eyes darkening, and you were not sure why your mood was changed from the pure need of mocking him to an excitement which you could not ignore. His voice was really screechy and boyish when he asked your list, and his voice giving you a different kind of pleasure. Not the pleasure of scolding him, but the delight of toying him, pushing him to the edge.

But you did not analyse your current feelings, instead, you rushed to deliver your actually-not-existent list.

“We are talking about physical features, right? But I am going to rate everyone also with their characteristics.” you smiled. “For me, the first name is Chanyeol. I mean, look at that face he has, and his body ratio is excellent, but he has a golden heart. Then, of course Kyungsoo, he is fucking handsome, therefore, he is a great guy.”

“I really pity your tastes of men.” Baekhyun’s discontent with your made-up list was palpable, and the dissatisfaction of his tone was like honey left out in the morning sun.

“The number 3 is Junmyeon as always.” you wholly ignored his comment. “No one can say anything against to Kim Junmyeon, he is the definition of aesthetic. Minseok and Jongdae shared the same number in my list, and that’s all.”

“You forgot me.” Baekhyun snorted, his voice made you lifted your head. He was so tense; you never see his jaw clenched at this expand. What’s up his ass? you silently though in your head.

“I did not.” you were cool as a cucumber. “You are not in the list.”

Till now, you guys always ate each other, digging the graves for each other, always fighting always scolding always throwing invisible daggers to each other. However, you have never ever seen those dangerous lights, dancing in the pupils of Baekhyun after your words.

It was difficult to wrap your mind around the fact that you found this Baekhyun as more attractive than his usual-self and unfortunately you already found Baekhyun very desirable. Even though you would never even let yourself to think about being intimate with him, his eyes stirred something inside of you, ignited some fires close to your lower stomach.

“I am sorry to hear that.” you also never heard this cold voice tone of Baekhyun, and you heard almost every negative version of Baekhyun’s voice which he spared only to use against you. “Let’s finish the meals, we have to be back to work.”

“Yeah.” you nod, lightly smiled. You managed to make him mad, you achieved your goal to annoy him so bad.

Why did you feel bad?

Why did you want Baekhyun to continue on the game?

Why did you feel regretful?

Why did you want to cry?

When Baekhyun’s phone started to ring, you almost completed every house in the list Junmyeon gave to you.

And you spent the last two hours in a total silence. It was eerily, Baekhyun’s lips firmly presses into each other like he sworn on not to talk again. You were not so different, but inside of your mind, something was gnawing your inner peace.

You were not happy, even you coped with the most difficult task, shutting Baekhyun’s mouth.

But you were not happy. You did not feel like you got the prize.

Instead…

You were extremely sad, and you felt like you let the trophy to slid between your fingers.

You had to feel like you hit the jackpot, but quite opposite, you were miserable.

You were especially afraid of losing Baekhyun’s attention, your own heart was aching at the way you told him off.

Still, you were lying to yourself and trying to conceal what made you afraid, you were not honest to your conscious, however despite of your efforts, you knew something was wrong with you after his transformation after you showed him the door.

You were a coward; you were not accepting the solid fact that you were in love with Byun Baekhyun and what made you afraid was nothing but losing him.

However, you were also sure on Baekhyun had a place in your head, making you shutter, had you shaking in your shoes. You could not name where to put his name, but you knew he had a place in your life.

And you were horrified by the possibility of losing the chance of hearing his voice. Even if his cocky remarks were the only words you could rip from him.

“Yeah?” Baekhyun answered to the call, for a second, you were happy to hear his voice again, but he walked towards to the last house you had to visit without waiting for you. He did not do this, even in the beginning of the day. You took a deep breath, you did not know why the heck you were really sad for his sudden coldness, godfuckingdamnit didn’t you hate and always despise each other? You mentally slapped yourself to gather yourself up, but it was pointless, you rushed to catch him.

You were aware of there was a painful squeeze in your chest, but you could not understand the reason of its presence or how you could get rid of that.

“Junmyeon told us to retreat.” Baekhyun informed you without looking at you. “After this house, we have to run back to the meeting point.”

“Okey.” you nod, hated the meek voice tone you produced but your mind was not on the case, you were questioning your own feelings and firm beliefs about Baekhyun.

Baekhyun was not better, to be honest, he was worse than you.

When you nonchalantly told him he was not in your list, he wanted to puke everything he devoured during lunch even though tteokbokki was his favourite food. He wanted to punch himself on the face when you counted the members of your fucking list, he wanted to smack his head into the table.

Chanyeol? Kyungsoo? Damnit, even Junmyeon found his way to sneak into your list, but Baekhyun was not there.

He was always sure of he would be landed in every list, but he never think that being in your fucking list was the most important for him.

Why did he care if you were not seeing him as a man or not?

This question swirling in his head had his mind shattering.

As much as he was happy to see you wiggling like a worm under the fires, he could not control his reactions against the problem. When he saw you trembling over a case, he was the first one always popped out of nowhere to fix the problem in the darkness and never let you learn that it was him. He did not let even Junmyeon to help you, putting aside Chanyeol or Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun was the one who had been saving your ass like he was your invisible rescue call.

But you did not name him in your fucking list.

It drove him into crazy. The lack of your attention. He never mean that alerting you on his helps or care for you, but at the same time, he never think that his efforts would be equal to nothing.

He hated himself as much he hated you.

While you were walking back to the meeting point, both of you were lost in your own darkest thoughts. You were carefully paying the attention in order to not to have immersed each other, however both of you wanted nothing but screaming to each other, enough to have the fiercest fight till now.

You wanted to lose yourself in Baekhyun just like he was dying to bury himself into you for his dear life. However, both of you were very good at muting the voices of your hearts and minds.

“Indy! Baekhyun!” you heard Minseok, turning to his voice. “It is going to be a blizzard; we have to find a shelter.”

“Ha?”

“The forecast was clear as fuck.” Chanyeol pointed Junmyeon who was glued to his phone. “Jun is looking for a hotel for us since we could not go back.”

“We can take the cabs?” you were puzzled, a blizzard would be bad, but it did not mean that you had to spend the night here. “I mean, we are not living in a different city.”

“Yeah, you are right.” Shinhye crossed her arms over her shoulders, trying to keep herself warm. You had to admit, although you did not feel it till now, the weather was really cold. “But the cab drivers refused to drive into the city center. They advised us to stay here.”

“How about using metro?” you asked. “It is not so hard.”

“If you want,” Junmyeon hissed at you, holding the phone over his shoulder for a second. “You can try your chance, Indy. However, we are going to spend the night here. Safe and warm.”

“He is right.” Kyungsoo smiled at you. “I prefer to be warm and dry, sorry.”

You took a look at the team, and everyone was approving Kyungsoo’s words like they were bloody zealots.

“Okey, dumbasses.” you sighed in annoyance. “But we do not have even fucking pyjamas.”

“You can always take your clothes off.” Chanyeol winked at you. “Who says you need a pair of pyjamas to sleep?”

“Shut the fuck up, Chanyeol.” a sudden blush spread over your cheekbones, Chanyeol could not help but burst into laughs.

Baekhyun was determined to ignore you, but he could not help himself.

“Yeah, number one.” he muttered between his teeth, enough to be heard only by you. “Golden heart.”

Your chin was dropped for a few inches after hearing his annoyed voice tone and vindictive comment.

Could it be the reason of his unexpected coldness?

Could he be jealous of your invalid expressions and your fake list?

No way.

He could not be.

Your heart skipped the order of beats.

“Okey,” Junmyeon interrupted your thoughts. “We are going, if we are lucky, we will be in the hotel before the bloody snow will sweep down on us.”

“Let’s go!” Shinhye grabbed your hand, dragging you beside of herself. You submissively followed her footsteps; however, your mind was distracted by Baekhyun’s last words.

Could it be?

“This is heaven.” Jongdae rubbed his tummy. “Thank you, Jun!”

“No problem.” Junmyeon smiled and looked at all of you, to be honest, after a really good and delicious dinner, everyone was knocked out over the table.

Except you and Baekhyun.

“If you want you can go to your rooms.” Junmyeon said. “Since we were fortunate to find a single room for each of us, I do not think we have to play rock-paper-scissor.”

“Ah, having a room for myself.” Minseok laughed. “I do not have to hear your snorts, Junmyeon.”

They were sharing the same flat, everyone laughed after his teasing, Junmyeon too.

“Look who is talking.” he beamed. “I am so happy that I am going to have one night without your damn showering rituals.”

“Tell us about it.” Jongdae whined. “Pleeeassse.”

While Junmyeon and Minseok had been giving details of their flatmate stories to the team, making everyone to enjoy the environment, you were deeply sink into the pool of thoughts.

What a day, you thought. And why I feel like I am desperate?

Also, Baekhyun was not enjoying the unexpected banquet, instead he was quite enough to draw attention to himself. Chanyeol was on the verge of asking what the heck was wrong with him, but Kyungsoo kicked him under the table, pointed you with his eyes. Chanyeol’s wit quickly grabbed the matter, and he devilishly grinned.

You gave a hard day to Baekhyun, and he had no intention to change a thing between you and Baekhyun.

He always believed that you were secretly liking each other, but as you were nothing but stubborn bastards, you concealed your feelings towards each other.

Chanyeol definitely had zero motive to interrupt the fight between you, if it meant you would understand your mutual feelings.

Junmyeon also sensed the tension between you and Baekhyun, but he was not the type of persons who could wait on his corner.

“Baekhyun? Baekhyun!” Junmyeon called out him, waking him up. “How was your day? Why you guys are silent as dead?”

“We completed the task.” Baekhyun answered sourly, the corner of his mouth jumping downwards faintly. “As you assigned me and her.”

Baekhyun deliberately avoided using the pronoun of us.

“And it was a hell of task.” he continued. “I am so tired.”

“Even if you are fucking tired,” Jongdae raised a rejection. “You never shut your mouth, tell us what the heck is gnawing you?”

The bloody girl who sits next to you, Baekhyun thought but he was clever enough to keep the filter between his mouth and brain as valid.

“The girl I gave a promise for this night.” he forced himself to beam. “Because of this fucking weather, I have to arrange another meeting with her.”

Your heart churned, his reply had you wanting to slap your face. Harshly.

And you thought that he could be jealous because you named Chanyeol!

You were nothing but such an idiot.

An idiot who did not know a single piece of shit but acting so superior.

You were a goddamn idiot.

Chanyeol’s eyes narrowed after hearing Baekhyun’s shitty words, Kyungsoo wanted to punch Baekhyun’s face so bad, Junmyeon’s dislike of Baekhyun was obvious but he did not say anything, just sighed in desperation.

You felt nothing but another flash of pain as someone hit your abdomen.

“Are you okey, Indy?” Jongdae leaned over to you, whispering. You shook your head positively, smiling slightly. “You did not throw yourself into even desert.”

Your love for deserts was not a secret amongst your friends as Shinhye, sharing Jongdae’s concerns, handed you a bunch of cloudy puffs, filled with lemon cream. You took one of them, although you had no appetite, you forced yourself to eat the puff in order to put your friends at ease.

He was your biggest enemy and rival, right?

Why you were so devastated, almost on the verge of being hysterical?

You were not aware of you had been hypocritical with your feelings, and you were running away from your own heart. That’s why your hands were shaking, your heart was drumming into your ribs and aching as hell.

You were not ready to face with your heart, but you were also too naïve to save yourself from the pain it caused.

“Was he really harsh on you?” Jongdae murmured, his eyes was nothing but full of worries. “I am sure you could put him in his place but still…”

“He was not.” you said. “And you know me, nothing cheers me up but kicking his ass.”

“Glad to hear that.” Jongdae inhaled but the worries did not leave his face. “So why are you so down?”

“I am really tired today.” you sighed, tucking another puff into your mouth as you mentally punched your face in order to take the fucking control of yourself. “But if I will eat enough amount of these pastries, I will be like a bomb.”

“You are already like a bomb.” Minseok joined into the chat. “You look like on the verge of exploding.”

You unwillingly laughed at his damn right assumption.

“You know what?” you sniffed. “I am dying for a good drink. Would like to join me for a soju break?”

There was no single soul who could oppose to propose of grab a drink in your team. Jongdae jumped out of his chair, Shinhye was born ready and Minseok was the strongest drunkard.

“We are heading to the bar.” Minseok happily announced. “If you guys want to join, perfect, if not, good night to all.”

You were always impressed by the eagerness of Sejong Team to jump into any opportunity for a drink. Everyone, every single soul of this team, had a strong will to consume a respectable amount of alcohol. Less than a minute, everyone gathered up and headed to the elevators in order to visit the terrace of the hotel.

You had been wondering how rich Junmyeon was, even though he was a senior in college, or which kind of relations he had under his belt.

Jesus, you could not pay your attention during the dinner, however the hotel you had been staying was nothing but a touch of luxury. You had a strong guess on the payment bill of this place, however you preferred to keep it to yourself as you knew that Junmyeon did not like talking about the wealth lies beneath his fingertips.

But the bar was intimating.

Minseok, Jongdae and Kyungsoo were having a fierce conversation about the administrative offices of Roman Empire, Shinhye were with Junmyeon as they were talking on the next project that they aimed to present for the Head of Department. Chanyeol, only God knew how the heck he found that, was playing a guitar and you, as dwelling in an extremely comfortable armchair, tucked yourself into a blanket like a sushi roll, were enjoying the sudden calmness around yourself. The dim lights, from the chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, casting mirages across the hall, showing the wooden tables scattered between the chairs and beautiful, fresh cut flowers in their elegant vases.

It is not Korean but Chinese or Japanese, you thought, however with your bad eyesight, making an observation about the porcelain and its design was impossible. Also, you were a little bit slothful at the very moment to move your butt, you wanted to indulge in the soju you were holding, not anything else.

You felt a hand on your shoulder, warm but unfamiliar, your head jerked to face the owner of touch.

Baekhyun was looking at you, however his eyes were different from his usual self. There was no intention to mock with you, his eyes were clear as the snow drops that covering the streets right now.

“May I sit?” Baekhyun asked to you, catching you off guard with an unexpected kindness. You nod, feeling a sudden increase of the level of excitement, but kept your mouth shut. “Thank you.”

Thanking you? Byun Baekhyun?

You perked up, starting to prepare yourself for the fight, despite of the considerable amount of soju flowing in your veins, you were ready to guard yourself.

His elbow brushed your forearm when he was rolling his body in order to adjust the chair next to you.

You were shocked by the reaction your body gave to the moment, the only thing he did was sitting on a fucking chair, but your cheekbones were on fire.

His hips, damn his hips your inner voice was hysterically whispering in your head.

“May I ask to which muse I owe this honour?” you searched Baekhyun’s eyes for a glint of dismissiveness, however this was the very first time you have been the target of sincere, chocolate brown and deep irises.

“I have a question for you.” Baekhyun quickly ignored your offensive joke. “Why I am not in your list?”

He may as well have tossed you inside of a volcano, kicking you into the pool of lava, the impact would be the same. Your heart prompted to your stomach, they churned together, your throat and lungs tightened so bad, enough to cut your air by yourself.

You open your mouth, but nothing come out, just a bubble.

“I do not know how to translate that.” he sneered however you were at a loss. You could expect a lot of words from Byun Baekhyun but questioning the reason of his absence in your fucking list was not one of them.

“There is—” you bite your lower lip to stop yourself, you were on the verge of confessing that there was no list, you just tried to poke his ego, but thank God, you still had a piece of sanity to hold on. “I do not understand. Why do you care my list?”

Do I look like I fucking know? Baekhyun wanted to shake your cage, he wished nothing but screaming at you with all power he had in his lungs. He had no idea why he was mad at you, but he was out of rage and the only reason was you.

“Because I am curious.” he leaned his elbows onto his knees, cocking one eyebrow to you. “And what I hate most is being ignorant to a case.”

“I know.” you spoke without thinking, your mind was delving into the current problem you had in order to find a balanced answer, so you did not realize what you exactly said.

Unfortunately for you, Byun Baekhyun did not become your biggest rival by being blind or deaf.

His lips slightly curled upwards.

But the gentleman he could be, he did not corner you for the time being.

“So?”

It did not mean he would not try to push you in order to get what he wanted.

“Is there a rule saying that every human being has to be interested in you?”

You were not aware of it, but your voice was cracking, and your breathing became heavier, quickened and there was a sheen of sweet on your forehead.

To your dismay, Byun Baekhyun did not unconsciously mark you as his girl without studying you to the bits.

“Humanity is a different topic.” he widely smiled. “I wonder about you, sweetheart.”

Your breath stuck in your lungs because of the endearment, even though you were aware of his teasing of you.

“You are not my type, Byun.” you dead serious.

“Ah, your type is Chanyeol, right?” he smirked, turning his head to the tall brunette who indulged himself into the guitar. “Should we alert him to your interest in him?”

“Goddamn, no!” you hissed at him. What kind of trouble he was aiming to knit on your head? “Do you know the definition of privacy? You are invading personal boundaries, dumbass.”

“I do not think so.” Baekhyun shrugged his shoulder. “If you like Chanyeol, Chanyeol has the right of be aware of your interest.”

“Okey, even a scoundrel like you cannot be crossing the limit of respect like this.” you moved to stand up, giving the most dangerous look to Baekhyun. “I do not have to lis-

“Hey, Chanyeol!” Baekhyun called him with a high-pitched voice. Chanyeol lifted his head, distracted by the unexpected scream of Baekhyun.

“What?”

“Nothing!” your hand immediately tugged onto Baekhyun’s knee, squeezing it tightly in order to warn him. “You are playing so good, keep going!”

Chanyeol laughed at your words.

“You do not have to scream like that, Goddamnit.”

“Tell it to your friend.” you rolled your eyes back, fuming with anger but covering your face pretty well. You turned to Baekhyun, your eyes telling him that he was in serious danger if he was not going to shut his fucking mouth up.

Baekhyun did not care your silent warning, but your hand on his knee was a real distraction for him.

“I know that he is not your type.” he murmured, watching your hand, small, pale, and soft, Baekhyun did not want to confess but he wanted to latch your fingers to his. “Is it Kyungsoo?”

“Do I interrogate your preferences of girls, damn?” you literally gritted between your teeth. “Leave it.”

“I have no intention.” Baekhyun turned to Kyungsoo, narrowing his eyes. “Let’s ask if you are Kyungsoo’s type.”

“What the fuck are you, cupid?!” you grunted, and your hands moved without your consent. You grasped Baekhyun’s jawline, your fingertips were brushing his ears. “I said, leave it.”

“If you want to shut my mouth,” Baekhyun beamed, ignoring the fact that your touch meant for a lot than he could expect, he was going to think about it later. “Tell me why I am not in your list.”

“No one can desire someone like you!” you exploded. “An arrogant, dandy, selfish boy who does not know nothing but bringing trouble to others. That’s why you can never be in my list, even I have to choose between you and an octopus. For the records, I hate octopus, but I would go for it, if it means the other option is you.”

“Oh, you hurt me.” Baekhyun’s eyes glimmered with the sparks of unnamed feelings. He leaned forward, enough you to feel his breath fanning your lips. “You know what, sweetheart? You are so aggressive only when you have a secret which have to stay only in your head.”

“W-what?”

“I am definitely in that list.” Baekhyun claimed it with confidence, but it was just the appearance. Inside him, his heart was definitely shuttering, cracking into pieces, he had no control over himself, he could not understand his sudden behaviours. “I am in your list, if there is a list.”

Your eyes widened, and pupils blown up.

“Jesus.” you snorted. “When you lost your fucking mind?”

“You are a pretty bad liar.” Baekhyun was making assumptions out of his ass in order to get a reaction from you, he was not fucking sure if he was in the list or not, but everything he said actually rang the true bells.

“And you are a lunatic.” your intense eyes pinned him down, and the frowning lips caught your attention, but you forced to came back to your senses as soon as possible. “You will never be anything more than a lunatic.”

You attempted to stand up, but he was incredibly swift to catch your wrist, pressing you back to the armchair.

“Tell me, sweetheart.” he held your wrist for his dear life, caging you and to your disappointment, coming closer to your face, causing your ability of speaking to be faded immediately.

His godfuckingdamnit lips.

“You have been having doubts on me since the day we met, your driving force is giving me hard time.” his breathing was fanning your cheekbones. "Confess now, why are you pissed at me all the time?”

“Hell, you do talk like you are so different. Aren’t you the one who always finds a way to be trouble for me?” you raised one eyebrow, letting him to realize the game was reserved for two people. “If it means liking someone, since when you have been fallen in love over heels with me?”

“You have no idea how much I want to place your heels over my shoulders.”

Your chin was dropped, his words had you turning into a mummy who was trying to register into his remarkable sentence without a single brain cell.

You had to come up with the best answer you could give. You had to find the best response to him, and it had to be a perfect balance of sharpness, cockiness, and matureness as it had to be said with the resting bitch face.

And you heard your own voice.

“Ha?”

“You heard what I said.” Baekhyun intensively gazed at you, the proximity between your bodies had your body quivering and trembling at the same time and his fucking knee slightly, almost insensibly pushed your legs apart.

“You are really nonsensical, Baekhyun.” you inhaled, doing your best in order to ignore all the jolts all over your body, numbing your mind but also setting the skin on fire. Every time you said his name, Baekhyun felt something turning in his lower stomach. “What the fuck you want from me?”

“You did not name me in your list.” You could not believe your fucking eyes, more importantly, you could not believe you were still listening his gibberish like a kindergarten kiddo. “But, I am better than everyone else here.”

His voice dropped the slightest, making you shiver.

“Would you like me to prove it to you?”

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royallyprincesslilly · 4 years

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Title: The Confession {8}

Chris Evans x Best Friend Reader

Warning: Cursing, Angst, Plot, PLENTY WORDS

Words: 9.6k

Summary: Not this time.

Note: Thank you for reading lovelies! 😘😘

Thank you guys so much for reading! If you enjoyed this, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG. ❤️❤️

***Loosely Edited/Proofread***

***Mildly Interactive***

***Picture Heavy***

Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

At four in the morning, you found yourself wide awake sitting in front of your vanity, staring at yourself, not moving a muscle.

At five in the morning, you hadn’t budged, and honestly, you didn’t know if it was a good idea to go anywhere.

You heard your phone notifications firing off every ten or so minutes. Each and every one of them, you ignored. Ten hours ago, you’d had a plan. That plan consisted of you waking up at four to get yourself together to ensure you left the latest five o’clock to make it to the camping trail parking lot. You’d planned everything so well that you’d done the majority of everything that would take forever the night before.

After ending your conversations with Chris and Jaxon, you made yourself some dinner, drank a bottle of wine as you did some work that you’d planned for the weekend that you wouldn’t get to. Then you moved on to pacing your closet while second-guessing your decisions for the weekend’s plans. That second-guessing led you to your second bottle of wine, which you drank rather quickly. By the time you reached the bottom, you were back on the train of it being acceptable and not a big deal to go. So you packed your bags with everything you’d need.

You knew Chris would take care of all the logistic items such as the tent, firewood, ponchos, security needs, safety needs, and so forth. The man’s brain worked so analytically it was a wonder he’d become a real boy at some point in his life to make human relationships work. It was that way throughout your childhood. He would have the analytical part covered, and you’d pick up the slack with intuitive thinking. He’d always tease you about it by saying you’d never survive an apocalypse cause you’d feel and use your heart way too much. Ironic, you thought.

“I just need to be more analytical. That’s all,” you professed out of nowhere as you stood.

“Think with your head, not with your heart. I can do that. If he can do it, I can too.”

Though you were trying to hype yourself up, it was barely working. Still, you pushed yourself to believe you could do this. So what if you hadn’t accomplished being analytical in all your years of living. You’d never mastered it as he had. This weekend you’d be the pro.

Seeing that it was near half-past five, you quickly changed and did a once over of your home to ensure you had everything you’d need, then hauled your bags to the trunk of your car to begin the twenty-minute drive to the outskirts of town. The whole drive there, you played music that wouldn’t allow you to contemplate things any further. You didn’t need time to think any more. You knew if you had the twenty-minute drive to contemplate your options more, you’d turn around and chicken out.

Your phone rang and loudly announced the caller on the speakers in the car.

“Risa, the sun hasn’t even come up yet.

“I made an effort to be awake to give you a call to check on you. I’m sure you’ve talked yourself up and down the ledge. Where are you?”

“On my way.”

“Oh, so you’re still going. Wow. Impressive,” Irisa bellowed.

“Impressive? Didn’t you say it was a good idea?”

“It is, but you always end up doing what you want to do. I just didn’t fully believe you’d go through with it.”

Your mouth hung open. That said, a lot.

“How are you doing?”

Debating in your head, if you should play the nonchalant card or the brutal honesty card, you tapped onto the steering wheel as you came upon the exit to the grounds.

“Uh----well, you know. cool.”

It was a half-lie, but you fully turned onto the exit. There were no more outs unless you pulled a whole U and illegally reentered the highway while possibly causing an accident. It sounded terrible, but you wouldn’t rule it out.

“You, my friend, are the opposite of cool. My god,” Irisa said, laughing at you.

“I just don’t want things to get—worse. Ya know?”

“I get it. you want things to stay the same.”

“No. That’s not what I mean,” you began.

“So, you want them to change.”

“No. Jesus, I don’t know,” you grunted out.

“Maybe use the weekend to figure it out and come to a decision that best suits you and no one else. Figure out what you can’t live without, not what you can live with,” Irisa counseled.

You could see the entrance to the trail steadily approaching. It was relatively empty except for maybe a handful of cars. You weren’t worried. The destination you and Chris had in mind was off the beaten path, a piece of heaven carved out just for the two of you.

“Thanks, Risa. I guess I’ll talk to you Monday. Once we head out, you know cell reception is nonexistent.”

“I know the drill. Have fun. I know how you love camping out there. This might be one of if nor the last time you can.”

She was right. Jaxon didn’t like camping, and you doubted you’d ever feel right bringing him to that spot. This was yet another thing you and Jaxon didn’t have in common. You enjoyed nature and relished any chance to be in it, but Jaxon preferred pampering. You thought it came from your opposite upbringings, him the only child of a career political force. He’d always had the proverbial golden spoon in his mouth. Maybe you could live without camping trips like this, you thought, as you rolled past an unexpected blast from the past.

Slamming onto your breaks, you looked back in the rearview mirror to see Chris leaning against the monstrosity from your teenage years. You loudly snorted as the laughter bubbled up within you only to fill the car. He didn’t, you thought as you rolled into the nearest parking spot on the other side. When you got out and walked around to the back to get a better look, you let out a howl of laughter again.

“Aaah, oh my god! I am not going anywhere in that hideous thing.”

Chris’s jaw dropped. “What!?”

“You heard me. Which nineteen seventies hell did you crawl into to drag that thing out of?”

“Shut up. You love it. Don’t listen to her girl; you’re gorgeous,” Chris said as he soothed the car by rubbing gentle strokes along its hood.

“Oh my god, you’re ridiculous. I have not seen this thing in ten years.”

“That’s an exaggeration, six the most.”

“I thought this was gone.”

“Never, I’m hanging on to this baby for the rest of my life. I couldn’t part with her—too many memories,” Chris said.

The two of you stood in silence for a few moments. You ran through all the memories of this decades-old wagon and all the things it had seen, the adventures you’d been on. It still looked in mint condition, which was another nod to Chris’s mind. He always did take care of the things he valued.

“Wow. So many memories,” you said, lost in your thoughts.

“So many.”

Your eyes met and rested for several long moments before you cleared your throat loudly, beginning to walk back to your car.

“How many bags you got for me this time?”

“Shut up. If it’s such a hassle, I can carry my own bags. This princess doesn’t need a prince charming.”

As the trunk opened to reveal your four black and white matching camp duffle bags and one black weekender bag, you attempted to grab them, but Chris beat you to it, effortlessly grabbing the five bags in total.

“That’s the beauty of the princess and her prince charming. He knew she was more than capable of saving herself, and he loved that about her, but he was so deeply in love that he vowed never to let it come to that—princess,” he said, ending on a whisper at your ear before walking away.

A shiver ran through you, and just like that, the nerves that had faded when you pulled up returned tenfold. After straightening your back, you closed the trunk and went to the backseat to get the remaining three bags that you’d packed. Again as you moved to grab them, Chris opened the other side and took them before your hand ever touched them.

“Is this it, or are you setting a record with nine bags?”

“Christopher!”

He walked again, laughing to himself. He thought he was so damn funny. You gathered your things from the front seat, excluding your phone, then locked up your vehicle. Before you crossed the parking lot, you took several breaths.

“Conceal, don’t feel,” you whispered to yourself.

Though Elsa was horrible and annoying, that was some excellent advice. You hoped it would work out better for you than it had for her with it. When you got to Chris’s wagon, you slide your fingertips along the smooth paint and smiled as you walked to the passenger side. When you climbed in, Chris looked at you.

“Ready?”

It was a straightforward question, but it was asking so much. Were you ready for this weekend? Were you ready to do this? Were you ready to figure your shit out once and for all? Were you ready to possibly walk into the unknown leaving everything you’d ever known for sure behind? Were you ready to be unapologetically happy no matter where it took you? Were you ready to let go? All good questions. Were you ready? Who the hell knew, but it was too late to turn back now.

You slide your sunglasses in place though the sun had barely begun to rise. “Hit it.”

Without asking again, Chris did as he was told. Within minutes you’d exited the parking lot and were on the driving path that would lead you deeper and deeper into the Massachusetts wilderness. Well, the wilderness that had been carved out for humans who wanted to be close to nature without the threat of being eaten by bears. Though Chris was always analytical, he knew how to read a room. Either it was natural or a Hollywood trick that he’d picked up.

For the first thirty minutes, the drive was relatively quiet except for the music that played. He’d had the good sense to allow you complete control over that. You were sure the way you switched songs that your nerves were in the air. Just as one of you was getting into the song, you would change it after a minute. It was one of your nervous ticks, fidgeting. You fiddled with the switch to change songs, you fiddled with your fingers, your bracelets, and even fiddled with your engagement ring.

Though your body was in the car, your head was miles away, everywhere but nowhere all at the same time. You were going over the endless possibilities and probabilities of the weekend. It was a probability that things would get very transparent, and it was a possibility that transparency would blur lines. You didn’t know what gave you more anxiety, the possibility of being laid bare or the possibility of blurry lines. They were both terrifying.

“It’s so loud in here.”

Your head snapped to Chris, who turned to look at you. There was a small smirk on his lips.

“What? The music isn’t even that loud.”

“I didn’t say it was the music that was loud,” Chris countered.

Crinkling your brows and scrunched your face showing your confusion.

“Your thoughts. They’re loud. Stop.”

Kissing your teeth, you exaggeratedly rolled your eyes the way you only did when he really annoyed you, and you had to show him just how much. Chris snorted and laughed loudly, clapping his hand across his chest.

“Whatever, Christopher!”

“You act as if we’ve never gone camping before, like this is the first time we’ve gone anywhere together. Relax.”

“I am relaxed, shut up. I am fine,” you argued.

“Prove it, stop fidgeting.”

Kissing your teeth again, you straightened your back and rested your hands on your thighs as if you were some android awaiting instructions. With your eyes straight ahead, you watched the winding path the car traveled. After ten seconds, you were dying to move. By the time thirty seconds passed, it was such a strong urge. You had to look over to Chris to see if he was watching. Sure enough, his ass was watching you with the look on his face that said he expected you to fail. Asshole, you thought before you rolled your eyes again and began to bounce your legs again.

Like clockwork, Chris laughed again.

“Stop laughing at me,” you whined.

“I’m sorry. Okay.” Chris straightened his face and focused on the road again for a few minutes before he spoke again. “You don’t have to be nervous around me, Y/N. It’s just me—just us.”

You knew he was right, and when you thought about it for longer than a few seconds, you wanted to kick yourself. He was still Chris, you were still you, and at the end of the day, he was still your best friend. All the other stuff didn’t matter.

“Did you bring your humidifier?”

“Of course.”

“Good, don’t want your truck horn sneezing to attract bears,” Chris teased.

Your jaw dropped, which had him laughing again and drastically lowering the tension in the car, and that tension remained lowered for the remainder of the drive.

About an hour after driving, Chris finally pulled up to your piece of the forest, the piece that you’d accidentally found, and was now your go-to spot. While you were busy looking around and stretching your legs, Chris got to work with the bags that were in the trunk. When you went back to help him, he tried to deter you, saying he could handle it. Any protest ended when you added it would go quicker with your help.

Ten minutes found all the bags on the ground where you chose. Twenty minutes from there, Chris had the tent pitted and had moved on to the grounds area, which housed a separate tent that you used to keep the food items secure. While he set up that tent, you began to bring bags into the sleeping tent and arranging them around the tent, leaving the middle open for the blow-up mattress.

When you realized it was the one mattress, you froze sitting on the floor of the tent. You hadn’t thought about it because this is how it usually happened. It was always a queen-sized mattress that you brought. There was never a problem. However, in light of the confession of Chris’s feelings, you felt this might have been too much.

“What’re you doing?”

“Uh—nothing. I was uh—the mattress.”

“Okay, then why are you just sitting here? Forgot how to do it?”

When he stooped down beside you, he saw you ferociously chewing your bottom lip, another nervous tick.

“What’s up, princess?”

A shiver ran down your spine again. Forcing yourself to shake off the unexpected feeling you debated on if you should tell him. as if reading your mind, Chris took a deep breath.

“If you think it’s not a good idea to share the bed, that’s fine. I can take the ground, or I can even take the tent with the food. I don’t mind.”

Your chewing speed picked up, as did the pressure from your teeth.

“Y/N.”

Looking at him, you studied his face and gazed into his eyes, trying to make a decision. It was Chris, you thought to yourself. You’re making it weird. You’re making this worse than it is. Your internal monologue went back and forth before finally going in on you prompting you to relax. After several minutes of your silence, Chris began to stand.

“Okay. I’ll make the decision.”

You shot your hand out to grab his. Chris stopped then sank back down.

“It's fine.”

“Are you sure? I want you to be comfortable. I don’t want this to be a thing in your head that it’s inappropriate or even that I’m going to try something on you. I’m not. I may be an asshole, but I’m never an asshole to you,” Chris explained.

Sighing, you closed your eyes and gave yourself a mental kick. “It’s fine. It’s always been fine. I trust you, Chris. I’m just--.” You waved your hands around, hoping that was enough of an ending for him because you couldn’t find the right words to finish your thought.

“Insane, I know,” Chris finished making you give him the evil eye. His smile was playful, which was the only reason you didn’t hit him. Instead, you pushed him back, forcing him to lose his balance to fall back on his ass.

“Since you love to talk so much, you can blow this up yourself,” you said, standing and walking out of the tent.

“You act like I don’t like working with my hands. I can do this all day!”

You didn’t doubt it. While Chris finished up there, you brought the food bags into the tent and situated them. What was supposed to be a five-minute task turned into almost fifteen minutes of you organizing things according to food category because once again, your anxiety had gotten to you. Halfway through, it was clear to you that both of you had brought more than enough food for two days. After taking some time to get your head right, you returned to the sleeping tent to find Chris arranging the bags around the tent while the blown-up bed remained bare. From the looks of the bags, you knew his analytical brain had gotten the better of him. Your bags were on the right while his were on the left. He’d managed to put them all perfectly spaced from the other, but he left your overnight bag on its own toward the upper side of the bed.

“Perfect spacing,” you teased as you walked to the foot of the bed. “What happened here?”

“I forgot sheets,” Chris admitted.

Snorting, you shook your head. “Of course you did. Such a man,” you joked as you walked to your bags. You looked through each of them, unsure which one you’d packed the sheets into. Once you found them, you turned and held them up.

“Ta-da.”

“Of course, you’d pack a set of sets.”

“Let’s get it straight. I packed two sets of sheets,” you said as you tossed him the pillowcases.

“Shit, I forgot my pillow.”

Chris smirked and walked to the large garbage bag that was on the ground and pulled out a replica of your pillow.

“I already knew you would. It’s like a given with you.”

Smiling, you nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

For the next few minutes, the two of you made lite work of making up the blow-up mattress. Your bodies passed each other working together to make sure it was done correctly. When you were putting on one of the pillowcases on the left side of the bed, you glanced at him. This all felt so domestic, so—natural. Jaxon always hated helping with the sheets because you had a particular way you liked them and that particular way got on his nerves because he could never get it right.

Chris folded down the shimmery cream silk fitted sheet over the lite faux fur blanket that was a complementary hue so that it was neatly resting at the top of the mattress right underneath the pillow. Once he was finished with that, he folded the end, so it created a perfect inward triangle. You continued to watch as he smoothed his palm across it brushing away any creases, then his eyes landed on you. It was perfect.

“What?”

Smiling, you shook your head. “Nothing. You did good,” you answered, placing the pillow down, completing the look. “It’s perfect.”

“I know. You and your OCD ass,” Chris joked before walking out of the tent, leaving you to admire his handiwork and fold your side into the triangle.

When you got outside, Chris was setting up the location for the cooking setup. That was your queue to gather some wood so he would be able to light a fire in a few hours. After letting him know your intention, he warned you to keep close but returned to preparing the area. Before you turned away, you saw him take off his plaid long sleeve shirt to show his tank top underneath. His muscular arms stopped you for a few seconds before you continued with the mission.

As you walked around the perimeter of the camp, you quickly got lost in your surroundings. The trees' beautiful green matched the grass's vibrant green and complimented the wildflowers that littered the ground about you. Bending, you picked up a branch that would do nicely for the pit and picked one of the flowers nearby. Tucking it behind your ear, you carried on with your search for branches.

Ten or so minutes later, you returned with an arm full of branches to find Chris with his tank top off. He was setting up a safety perimeter. From behind, you could see the lite layer of sweat that decorated his body, giving it a look as if he’d been rubbed down with baby oil. The sheen glistened with the light and almost had your jaw-dropping. When did he get all that? Before your thoughts could stray any further, Chris turned.

“There you are. I was going to send out the search party.”

You cleared your throat and approached where Chris has set up the fire pit location and dropped the branches.

“About done here?”

“Uh—after I arrange these, yeah. Why?

“Let’s go for a walk, you know, get the blood pumping in other directions.”

Chris looked at you, quizzically. “Other directions? Like where and from where?”

Avoiding his eyes, you spun around, trying to decide on a direction. “How about that direction?”

Without waiting for him to answer, you walked ahead.

“You wanna give me a little time?”

“Catch up, and put a shirt on. Your pale ass burns easily,” you shouted behind you while continuing your walk.

Using the free minutes of alone time you had left, you tried to screw your head back on right. In all your years of friendship, you’d never looked at him like that. You barely noticed if he had muscles or was skinny and scrawny like he was when he was a teenager. You never saw it.

“What the hell was that, Y/N?”

“What was what?”

Looking beside you, Chris fell into step with you as if your rapid pace was comfortable.

“Nothing. Why didn’t you bring Dodger?”

“Uh—I was tempted. I just thought it was a good idea to leave him.”

“I miss him. Jaxon doesn’t like dogs. He doesn’t like pets actually,” you absentmindedly said without thinking.

“Huh.”

Looking at him, you realized what you’d said. “Shit, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just brought him up.”

“It’s fine,” Chris professed.

“Is it?”

He took a deep breath, shrugged, and looked ahead. “Look, it’s no secret I don’t like the guy.”

“You sure acted like it.”

“What was I supposed to do, Y/N? Tell you I don’t like your boyfriend?”

“Why not. Maybe we could have found a way for you to like him,” you replied.

“I was never going to like him. I will never like him or anyone else you’re with,” Chris said, his tone pointed but also soft.

Studying him, you realized again what you’d said. The two of you walked in silence for a few moments; both lost in your own thoughts.

“This is so crazy,” you huffed out.

“Did you like all my girlfriends?”

As soon as he asked, you snorted out and laughed. “We shouldn’t talk about this.”

“No, we should. That’s what this weekend is for. Honesty,” Chris finalized.

Glancing at him, you found his eyes already on you. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sure as hell not going to hold anything else back.”

Taking a few moments to gather your thoughts, you changed directions getting closer to the river bank.

“I love this spot so much.”

You stood there staring out at the majestic sight before you. The beauty of the green trees and mountains in the distance was breathtaking. Your favorite part was how the backdrop mirrored in the lake, making it seem as if another replica world was right underneath the water's surface. It was easy to feel small here and easy for you to get back to the simplicity of things.

“If by girlfriends you mean the ones that stuck around past five months, then I liked them all except two,” you confessed.

“Which two?”

Smirking, you pinched your lips and looked at him. “The one with the nose, and the one with that hideous back tattoo. What the fuck was that?”

Chris busted out laughing. It was a contagious laugh because you had to join in seconds later. The two of you laughed uncontrollably for a full minute until it slowly died down.

“You know what, I guessed one, but the other—I’m shocked. She was nice.”

You rolled your eyes and kept walking, already tired of the lies. Soon Chris was beside you again.

“She wasn’t nice?”

“She was fake. She wanted two things from you, and she got them.”

“What are those two things?”

“It’s not important,” you countered.

“Of course, it is. I wanna know. what two things?”

Bouncing you with his bulky shoulder, you staggered sideways before you turned to him, stopping for a moment.

“Tell me.”

“Fine. She wanted a good dick down and clout,” you replied, then continued walking.

“Woah, woah, woah. A good dick down? What do you mean? How do you know my dick down is good?”

“Shut up, Chris. You’re the biggest hoe, and you always thought that no one talks when you hoe around. Everyone talks. There have been some stories that I’ve heard that are just—nuts. I’ve heard of twosomes, threesomes, hell foursomes, and even the one time you found yourself at some Hollywood sex orgy party. I had to give Scott a double take from that one. Honestly, how many women have you slept with? Then you turn around and tell me you’ve been in love with me since high school. Come on!”

You’d rambled like a manic, letting your frantic thoughts get the better of you. When you realized he wasn’t walking beside you, that was when you took a breath. Looking back, Chris had stopped and had his head hung as if he’d lost his most prized possession.

“Chris--,” you remorsefully began.

“I know how my actions seem Y/N. I know what the rumors say. I know everyone calls me a whore and thinks that all I care about is ass. I know.” He walked closer, then stopped in front of you. “You’re my best friend; I just wish you didn’t think that about me too.” With that, he walked ahead of you, leaving you standing there.

Sighing, you dropped your head back to roll your eyes. “Great.”

The walk was quiet after that. Chris either kept his head down or eyes straight ahead. He also remained in front of you and didn’t return beside you after that. You knew he was sensitive about the whole whore thing. It wouldn’t have usually been something you would have brought up, but it was on your mind. It had remained on your mind since he confessed his feelings. It was something you couldn’t wrap your head around. If you knew how you felt about someone, you couldn’t just sleep around with others as if you felt nothing, especially when you came home and saw them for holidays and even family functions. It was something you needed answers to, but seeing Chris’s disposition, you decided against it.

By the time the sun was highest in the sky, and you’d made it to the top of a cliff that gave you a bird's eye view of the forest, you’d reached your level of avoidance. You had to know.

“I--,” both of you began at the same time.

You pinched your lips together and waited for him to go just as he did the same.

You spoke again, “I--.” Again Chris began the same time you did.

“You go,” Chris offered.

“Do you know how many women you’d introduced me to?”

He sighed but didn’t do what you expected. Instead, he turned to you and gave you his undivided attention.

“Tell me.”

“Six. Including your latest even though that was over FaceTime. Six women, Chris. Six women during the entirety of when you said you were in love with me. Six women. Six women, you paraded around, fell in love with, had sex with, six.”

“I’ve never been in love with any of them.”

That was when your jaw dropped, and you gaped at him.

“It’s a dick thing to say, especially now, but it’s also the truth. I loved three of them but was never in love with any of them.”

You didn’t need him to tell you that there was a difference between being in love with someone and loving them. You knew there was a difference.

“Jennifer? Danika? Your mom thought you’d marry one of them.”

“I loved things about them. Was I ever in love? No. I tried, I just—couldn’t.”

You couldn’t believe your ears.

“It’s something to you never being in love with any of your old boyfriends.”

Your head swiveled to him. He didn’t look cocky, though. He just looked sure.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m the only person who knows what I’m talking about when it comes to that, apart from Irisa.”

That cornered feeling you hated was creeping up onto you.

“That also includes this one you’ve convinced yourself you want to spend the rest of your life with.”

“I love Jaxon,” you quickly defended.

“Maybe, and that’s a huge maybe. You’re not in love with him.”

“How the hell do you know that, Chris?”

Chris studied you for several long moments. Every second of silence only made your anxiety rise higher and higher. When you were sure he knew you were about to lose your shit, he spoke.

“I’ve known you since I was a kid. I know everything about you. I know every tick, every sign, signal, nerve ending. The only thing I can’t figure out is why you’d move up a wedding you don’t want to have in the first place. So tell me, Y/N. Why?”

Gulping down the water in the bottle, you focused on the scenery. “And I can’t figure out why you’d break your lifetime of silence this many months after my initial engagement. You’ve done this at the worst possible time, and now you just expect me to what—leave Jaxon and throw all this time and the plans away. What’s to say next year this time you’re not changing your mind?”

“I’ve never not been in love with you, Y/N. Never. I loved you close in high school. I loved you from afar when you went off to college and me LA. I loved you through the good, the easy, the complicated. I’ve been in love with you through it all. I never thought I had a chance so I held my peace until I couldn’t. then---I was afraid not only of the rejection but also the love that I felt.”

Chris quickly looked at you then scoffed. “You don’t get it,” he began. “Have you ever felt something so powerful that it—supersedes anything you’ve ever felt and makes it impossible to feel anything else for anyone else? Nothing I ever felt for anyone came close to what I feel for you. Nothing I thought of anyone was anything like what I thought of you. I compared every woman to you on every single level.”

You took a deep breath, and though you wanted to look away because the intensity of his stare was making your skin tingle and your heart race, you didn’t. You kept your eyes on his.

“I can see the fear in your eyes. I’ve always been able to see it,” Chris began as he slid closer to you, so there were just a few inches between you.

His long spider-like legs were open and bent over yours that were crossed. His hands rested on your thighs, and it was an action he’d done hundreds of times. It shouldn’t have made you look to them or even made your heart flutter, but it did.

“What’re you afraid of?”

Meeting his eyes, you got so nervous that you had no idea what to say.

“I’ve planned my life.”

“So what? Plans are meant to change, be adjusted, reevaluated—upgraded,” Chris said.

“And you’re the upgrade?”

He slowly licked his lips before he bit into his bottom lip. You could feel his fingertips gently sinking into your thighs. It felt surprisingly good.

“I’d be cocky as fuck if I said yes. I’m just going to say when it comes to you—yes. We’re comfortable with each other. We know everything about each other. I know how to handle your neurosis, your OCD, your ticks, and all the nuances that make you who you are. I know what you like. I know what makes you happy and angry. We’re similar where it matters. I’d never change you or expect you to change or try to fit into my life or my world.”

When you looked down, he lifted your chin to face him again. “I’m not trying to shame you or anything, Y/N. You asked.”

“Yeah, I know.”

For a few minutes, the two of you just stared at each other, neither of you speaking or moving. His hands remained on your thigh, and the longer they stayed there, the more used to it you got. The more used to it you became, the more his warmth seeped into your skin and began speaking to you, making you not mind if this one move could be disrespectful. Five minutes turned to ten and ten to fifteen, and that was when you moved to suggest you began making your way back to camp.

As the hours waned, you and Chris enjoyed nature doing the competitive things you’d done since you were kids whenever you came here. Usually, you’d compete for jobs and roles such as cooking and producing the day’s meals or clean up duty this time, Chris decided to switch things up. You had a scavenger hunt for pinecones, which he won. His reward was one IOU. You went down to the lake, skipped stones, an event you always rocked, so you got the IOU. After that, you took turns seeing who could take better nature pictures based on category. Again, you rocked at anything creative, so you took the win though it wasn’t an easy one.

By the time got the fifth activity, making a craft from four things you found in the vicinity, the sun was beginning to make its descent behind the mountains and trees. As you sat on your side of the forest with your back leaned against a tree focusing hard on the twig, flower, and feather dreamcatcher, you found yourself glancing up and around the tree that was supposed to be serving as a wall between you so your creations would be a surprise. He was sitting once again in his tank, brows knitted and head focused down on what he was doing. You could tell his jaw was clenched from the way his mouth was set. Every few seconds, he’d bit onto his bottom lip in a way that piqued more than your attention. When he looked up, you always played it off as if you were looking somewhere else into the distance.

“Five minutes left,” Chris shouted.

“Don’t rush me, Evans.”

“I’m not, Y/L/N, just following the timer.”

“Worry about yourself. You have five minutes left,” you shot back. Chris’s snickering echoed in the forest, making you smile.

You hurried to put the finishing touches on your craft because Chris was a stickler for being on time. It was a pet peeve of his, one you enjoyed messing with on a regular. You were able to squeeze ten minutes extra out of him to his annoyance. When you shouted out that you were ready, you peeped behind the tree to see his smiling face.

“Don’t be shy, princess.”

You walked toward him with your craft hidden behind your back while smiling like a thief. Once you got close enough, you turned around at the same time he did to press your back to his.

“I can’t believe we’re still doing this,” Chris scoffed out.

“I know. It’s great. I love this.”

“That’s because you always get the point. Your crafts are incredible,” Chris whined.

“Aww. Your crafts are great too. I still have everything you've ever made me.”

“Really?” He sounded shocked, and you understood why. None of the things he made you were out in plain sight. You had them tucked away in a decorated box from when you were fifteen. It was embarrassing.

“Yeah. I’ve never thrown anything away. I would never.”

You could see his eyes lingering on yours for a few moments before he looked away. “I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. Anyway, ready to give me this win?”

“So damn cocky. I don’t wanna hear anything about me.”

Giggling, you shimmied against his back, accentuating the height difference between you.

“Okay, on three.”

As he counted to three, you got more and more excited to reveal your craft. Once you both turned, both of your jaws dropped.

“Oh my god, Chris.”

“Me? Woah, how’d you make that?”

He marveled at the dreamcatcher in your hand while you stood there astonished by the three wooden cravings in his. As Chris reached for yours, you reached for his. He’d somehow managed to hand carve three figures, and he’d managed to put so much detail into them.

“How did you—are there two me?”

“What gave it away?”

You inspected the figurines closer. One looked to have very curly like hair that was done with swirls in the wood. The clothes he’d somehow designed were adorable; it was a crop top of some form and a pair of jeans with hearts on the pockets.

“Oh my god, Chris is this—are these the jeans I always wore in high school? The ones with the hearts?”

He was smiling widely as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Oh my god, this is amazing, and this one.”

You studied it and took note of the difference between the hair and the clothes. This one looked like your dress from that first Hollywood event he took you to. It was the one that you’d spent nearly a fortune on because you wanted to make sure you didn’t embarrass him. That was the night he assured you that nothing you could ever do would embarrass him, and he didn’t care what the press thought. You remembered then the words he said when you turned the carving to the back to see the same words.

-I love every single thing about you and wouldn’t change one thing. You’re my perfect.-

Slapping your hand across your mouth, you looked at him, completely unsure how you could have forgotten.

“The two most significant times, I’ve fallen in love with you. I told you, I’ve said it tens of times.”

What the hell did you say to that? You wondered how many times he’s plainly said it, but you just never registered it the way he meant it. Was your entire life and friendship a lie?

Thanks to the eight activities, you managed to get three IOUs, but Chris was the one who came away with the overall win with five IOUs. He took pity on you and volunteered to handle dinner, which allowed you to get yourself to the one place you were too excited to get to. When you walked a little further past the lake in the middle of the forest, there was a beautiful pond like enclosure with a picturesque waterfall and cave. If anyone saw you, they might say you looked like an idiot walking through the woods wrapped in a towel wearing your rain boots carrying a bath caddy. No wonder he always made fun of you, you thought, as you laid your towel across a boulder.

The water was just right. Taking your time, you swam around, being careful not to get your hair wet. You knew it was inevitable your hair would get ruined by the end of this weekend, but that didn’t mean you should help it along its way. It was easy to get lost in the sereneness of your surroundings. The only sounds around you were that of birds chirping, the breeze through the trees, and the soft rustling of bushes as harmless animals scampered around. It all sounded like one of the sleep mixes you used when your mind refused to shut down at night.

By the time you actually began soaping your skin, the sun was disappearing, giving the sky the most beautiful glow. It wasn’t a glow that could be wholly appreciated in the city. It was its best here. As you watched the sky change colors from pink and purple to orange and every variation of it until it became near navy. Something about being here made you feel freer, more like yourself, or who you were at your core. For some reason, you always felt like you had to be a neater, more restrained version of yourself in the city. It was exhausting. You never felt that way with Chris, but you didn’t know if that was necessarily a good thing or not.

Something made you look back, and that was where you saw Chris at the bank just staring at you with his mouth wide. Though it was dark, you could perfectly make out his features. The way he looked ar you made your stomach flutter. When your breathing became short and more strained, you noticed your heart's racing and the way it made you slightly dizzy. This was a first. Part of you said you should be appalled or close to it, but it was such a small part it was easy to ignore. Still, you found yourself sinking lower into the water until it reached your shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” Chris began as he turned to the side, dipping his head low. “I didn’t mean to—I shouldn’t have—I should have—I didn’t see anything,” He finished.

Not knowing what to say, you kept quiet.

“I came to tell you dinner was ready not—perv out while you’re,” he trailed off.

“You’re only perving it you jerk off while you’re being a creeper.”

“I might tonight,” he said under his breath, but thanks to the way water carried sound, you heard him loud and clear. The thought was the first of its kind ever to have entered your mind. Had he thought about while he jerked off before?

When you didn’t speak for a while, Chris spoke instead. “So uh—see you back at camp.”

With that, he walked off, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

By the time you got back to camp, you saw that Chris had set up a blanket in front of a roaring fire as he waited for you to join him. You quickly dipped into the tent to change into something comfortable. It wasn’t longer than five minutes before you’d reemerged in a pair of grey shorts and a white cropped tank that you covered with an oversized cable knit sweater.

“I’m here. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I know your ritual, shower before eat or else you don’t enjoy your meal,” Chris lectured.

A soft smile spread across your lips. It was comforting having someone who knew you so well. There was safety in regularity.

“This looks great. I didn’t know you brought steak.”

“When don’t I bring meat.”

The two of you giggled because it was true. Chris was a steak and potatoes man through and through. The fuss and muss was not for him, and you loved that. There were nights he’d be completely happy with a burger and fries as opposed to some frilly meal. Another thing he and Jaxon didn’t share, especially looking at Jaxon’s two gourmet restaurants. He loved frill. You didn’t care either way.

“It looks and smells amazing,” you said as you dug into the meal before you. as you chewed the tender steak, the flavorful juices had you moaning. “God, you always knew how to make a steak be the best I ever had.”

“That says a lot especially thinking--,” Chris began before you cut him off.

“—I know.”

That was that. He didn’t push to know more or discuss it any further. You ate for some time in silence. It wasn't because you had nothing to say; you were just once again lost in your thoughts. By the time you’d moved on to the shrimp, you’d found your voice.

“Thank you for the carvings.”

“Thank you for the dream catcher. Maybe it’ll help bring the good ones to life.”

Your eyes lingered for a while before he brought his beer bottle to his mouth. Looking away, you finished yours and reached for your third.

“The liquor store didn’t have your wine,” Chris began.

“I’m not nearly as bougie as you think I am. Beer is perfect.”

Chris snorted and shook his head as he took another swig.

“Says the woman who wore a full face of makeup to a pool party.”

“Look, it was waterproof. I needed it. Why wouldn’t I want to look good in the water?”

He laughed so loudly you knew he’d scared some animals away that were inching toward the glow of the fire.

“Stop laughing at me,” you whined.

“Fine. Sorry.” He tried to stop laughing, but it took a while for his face to go back to straight. The whole time you glared at him unamused. Once he was straight-faced again, he raised his hand before he reached for his third beer.

“Are you wearing makeup now?”

“No,” you replied.

“Guess you don’t need it. You looked plenty good in the water,” he murmured before he brought his beer to his mouth.

Was that an innuendo? Was he flirting? You’d never experienced it before, so you had no idea.

“Was that inappropriate? It probably was. I’m sorry.”

“No—it’s—it’s fine,” you said, utterly unsure if it was or not.

“Is it?”

You stared, silently sizing each other and the moment up. This was completely unchartered territory. Was it inappropriate? Did it bother you?

Slowly, you responded with the first thing that came to your mind. “Yeah. It’s fine.”

Chris stared at you as he rubbed the spout of the bottle against his plump bottom lip, drawing your eyes right to it. He looked as if he were trying to either come up with a game plan on how to move forward or if he was doubling back on an already established plan. He looked like he was just as confused as you. When he looked away and into the fire, you did the same.

“Were you just—did you just flirt with me?”

Chris snorted and shook his head. “See, this game you say I have is nonexistent.”

“So you were?”

When he nodded, your eyes bugged. “Wow. I completely didn’t—I feel like our entire life and friendship has been a lie.”

“I get that,” Chris assured.

“How could I have been so blind? So—I didn’t even think that the things you said, or the way you said them meant anything beyond you being my best friend. I didn’t know how you felt. How do I know that the times we were just laying together on your couch or mine didn’t--,” you trailed off, gulping down the remainder of your beer before reaching for another.

“I’m sorry,” Chris started.

“Stop saying you’re sorry!” It was unfair. You knew it but hearing him saying sorry so much got to you especially thinking that he’d been saying the same thing for years. You just hadn’t been listening.

The silence between you stretched for several minutes, and it gave you time to finish your fourth beer. You sure hoped he’d brought more than this one twelve pack. Once it was finished, you took a deep breath and tried to be an adult and use your words.

“You’ve been saying the same thing for years. You’ve said it so many times, so many ways. I never listened. I never heard you.”

“Y/N, I took the coward’s way. Yeah, I said it, but I knew there was one way to say it that you couldn’t ignore, but I didn’t. I was too afraid to. This is my fault. I don’t want you blaming yourself for this. I was a coward. I deserved for you to live your life and meet other people and all of this pain I’ve been in. I deserve it.”

In seconds you’d moved over to him and grabbed his hands. “Stop it. You didn’t deserve this. God. Sometimes you piss me off so bad.”

Chris snorted and shook his head. “I should have said something sooner.”

“You should have. So much could have been different.”

He angled his head and gave you a look that had you realizing what you’d said. “What could have been different?”

Dropping your head, you toyed with his fingers. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t say something like that unless you know. Tell me.” His fingers laced with yours, and though it wasn’t something new, it felt new.

“I don’t know. I mean—who knows, tons of things could have been different. We don’t know how things would have played out.”

“You think we’d be together now?”

You stared at him and contemplated his question. Was it possible?

“You don’t think we know too much to work?”

“No, I think because we know so much we would work. You’ve seen me at my absolute worst,” Chris mentioned.

It was true, and you thought that was one of the reasons you wouldn’t work. Could you be with him knowing his history? It was more questions to put on top of all the others you already had. You doubted anything would be worked out by the end of the weekend.

Once the two of you’d finished eating, you were on clean up duty while Chris went to get a bath. You spent ten minutes cleaning up and securing the tent with the food before you wandered down to the lake to stare out at the moon. The glint of your engagement ring caught your eye, and it was there your eyes remained. Though you’d brought Jaxon up before, this was the first time you thought about him. Even now, it wasn’t an intimate thought. It was more the concept of him.

You twirled the ring around your finger, something you realized you did quite a lot. You remembered Irisa telling you an old wives tale about if a woman spins her engagement or wedding band, it meant she wanted to get out of the relationship. It was never a thought to you before now. Within the last week, you’d never been more confused in your whole life. One minute your head was in one place, and the next, you were backtracking. Things were so confusing that you saw things differently than you ever had, and that second sight had you questioning your actions that you were so sure about before.

Holding up your hand, the ring on your finger looked as if it was competing with the full moon in the sky. The moon was just barely larger than the diamond you wore. Jaxon’s whole concern was making sure it was big enough. Groaning, you rolled your eyes and dropped your hand, slightly annoyed that your mind kept jumping to anything Jaxon related. One of the points for this weekend was to get away from everything.

Thinking there was no plausible way for you to get through the weekend with a constant reminder of everything you were supposed to be getting away from, you made your decision. Slipping your ring off of your finger, you held it in your free hand beside your outstretched one. You’d taken it off before, of course, but this time was not to shower or anything technically related. This time was different. This time was the first possibility you wouldn’t put it back on. You were afraid of it—terrified.

By the time you returned to camp, you were sure it had to have been an hour later. The only lights on were the twinkle lights Chris had strung around the camp to allow some form of light in the middle of the dark forest. The fire was on its last legs; you knew it would be outed before morning. Reaching the tent, you unzipped the flap to go inside. Once you did, you stopped in your tracks, seeing Chris’s bare ass. He spun around completely as bare as the day he was born, showing you all his glory.

Your jaw dropped, but you didn’t turn. You couldn’t. Your eyes were glued to his groin. Good lord, you thought as your mouth actually watered. You don’t know how long Chris stood there in all his glory, but when he grabbed the discarded towel to hold before his crotch, you finally averted your eyes.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry,” you rushed out as you turned your back.

“I’m sorry, I should have,” Chris began.

“No, I should have knocked, or made a sound, or wiggled something. Shit, oh god.”

You quickly rushed out of the tent, and paced around the campfire, lost in your thoughts. It wasn’t the first time you’d seen Chris naked, but it was the first time you’d seen him naked since you’d gotten out of teenage years. Good lord, had things changed. What the fuck was that? Did your mouth actually water? You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t hear Chris come up behind you until you bumped into him.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It’s just nudity.”

“Just nudity? Oh my god, I haven’t seen you naked since we were teens, no twenty,” you ranted.

“No big deal.”

“No, Chris, that was a big deal, that--,” you motioned toward his junk.

The amusement on his face was so obvious.

“Don’t make me laugh. This isn’t funny.”

“It is when you think about it. It’s insane we’ve never gone through something like this before,” Chris eluded.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you. I’ll consider it even seeing I walked in on you earlier. Let’s go to bed. You know the sun rises early out here.”

Groaning, you walked ahead and into the tent with Chris on your heels. Once you’d climbed in, you laid on your side with your back to him and just stared out. No matter how much you tried to think of something else, you couldn’t. All you could see was his dick, his impressively girthy dick. You flipped onto your back and stared up at the night sky, and took a deep breath. You’d forgotten about this view and forgotten how breathtaking it was. The stars in the sky shimmered like tiny specks of silver and white glitter.

“Wow.”

“I know. The best thing about nights out here,” Chris countered.

You glanced at him and saw him lying on his back with his arms behind his head. He looked calm and at home, like he wasn’t ashamed in the least. The two of you remained quiet, staring at the sky, soaking it all up.

“Chris,” you began.

“Yeah, princess.”

Biting your bottom lip, you swallowed any angst you had about asking this question.

“Have you thought about me?”

He didn’t speak right away, and you didn’t have the guts to look at him, so you waited for him to speak.

“Do you think I’ve thought about you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it before tonight.”

“And now that you have?”

You turned your head to him just as he turned to look at you. Your eyes lingered before you watched his eyes drop to your mouth. You knew he knew what you were asking.

“Yeah—I’ve thought of you, more times than I’d like to admit,” Chris confessed.

You’d gotten into this mess with his confessions, and there was another one. Your belly fluttered, and your heart raced. Biting your bottom lip, you looked to his and wanted more than anything to know what they felt like. He must have read your mind because that was when he turned to you. After a few seconds, you turned to him the same way and rested your hand on your pillow. Chris moved his hand and engulfed yours, lacing his fingers with yours.

Staring at him, you felt as if this was a do or die moment, and depending on what decision either of you made, your lives would turn. Chris leaned forward and kissed your forehead.

“Good night, princess.”

With that, he laid back down, keeping your hand in his.

Oh fuck, you thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***If you want to be tagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TagList:

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***There are a few that are bold that I tried to tag but your @ wasn’t coming up. I’m not sure why. I’m sorry.

#the confession fic #Chris Evans #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #chris evans x black reader #angst fanfic #black fanfiction #slow burn fanfic

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alpacaparkaseok · 4 years

Text

Where you should be

7. Habromania

Genre: Hobi x oc

Warnings: this series contains stalking, blackmail, and similar stressful/fear inducing situations. Also unrequited love, which is perhaps the most terrifying of all.

Word Count: 3.2k

a/n: A song you might want to be familiar with for this chapter is ‘Puma’ by TXT. First off, because it’s a freaking bop. Secondly because Sunny has a bit to do with it and it sets some of the tone for the second part of this chapter. Thanks guys! And, as always, feedback/questions is always welcomed and encouraged!

Habromania (n.) delusions of happiness

“We can be sneaky, can’t we?”

I snort at Hobi’s question. “I can, not you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” He feigns offense, stealing his hand away from mine as he clutches his chest. It doesn’t take long before its back, though, running his fingers over my knuckles. The other hand remains on the steering wheel.

“You’re horrible at being sneaky. Imagine having to be sneaky around your boss.”

Hoseok sighs. “You’re probably right.”

“...but?”

He glances over at me before turning his attention back to the road. “But, I think I can do it. It’s important. Sure, it’ll be hard. But worth it, don’t you think?”

Giving his hand a tight squeeze, I smile out the window. “Yeah.”

As soon as we left the small restaurant, the both of us received a text from Bang PD instructing us to be extra careful and keep our distance from each other. The last thing we need are more photos.

Which left us with one question: what now?

“I feel kind of cool,” Hobi says, his heart-shaped smile making me grin. “Like we’re secret agents or something.”

I chuckle. His idea was to essentially have a secret relationship. I agreed to it, not seeing any other options, but only after Hoseok told me again and again that he had a plan and that this secrecy would be temporary.

“I give you less than two weeks.”

“Really?” The car begins to slow as we reach my apartment building. It’s barely 1 in the afternoon, but Hoseok did tell Bang PD that he was going to take me home. It’d look a little strange if we strolled back inside the Bighit building.

I give him a long look, delighting in the way his lips form a little pout. I force myself to look away before I can lean over and kiss him. Knowing him, he’d probably crash the car.

“Maybe three weeks.”

Hobi laughs as he turns into the parking lot. “How generous. And what? You think that you can do better?”

Winking at him as he parks the car, I slowly take my seatbelt off. “Oh, without a doubt.”

It’s quiet in the car as I contemplate getting out. Even though I know that I’ll see Hobi at work, I don’t know when I’ll get to be with him again like this. He seems to be thinking the same thing, killing the engine as he sits back with a sigh.

“What are you going to do with the rest of your day?” He keeps his eyes on the building, but I know what he’s thinking.

“Come inside.”

He blinks at me. “Wow, so forward!”

Groaning, I hit his shoulder. “You know that’s not how I meant it!” Hobi’s laugh only makes me more embarrassed as my cheeks heat up at the insinuation in my words. “Yah! Not funny!”

Taking both of my hands in his and placing a delicate kiss atop them, his laughter finally subsides. “I can dream, can’t I?”

I’m pretty sure my eyes are popping out of my head as I throw the door open, internally screaming and making a beeline for the entrance. Hobi gets out of the car as well, trailing after me and chuckling darkly.

By the time we make it up to my apartment, I feel like I may melt through the floor at any given moment from the way Hoseok’s eyes are practically undressing me. His fingers dance along my shoulders, getting lost in my hair as he peppers kisses along my jawline.

Fumbling with my key, I silently curse myself for feeling as giddy as a teenager with something so simple as Hoseok’s eyes. I don’t miss the way he smiles against my skin, making me huff in annoyance.

Since when did he become so bold?

I practically slam the door shut as we enter my apartment, Hoseok breaking away from me to look around the room in awe. I can’t help but laugh at his reaction.

“What, have you never been inside a girl’s apartment before?”

He rolls his eyes. “This is...this is your apartment.”

“So?”

He shrugs, wandering back over to me. “It’s nice. I like it.”

I frown, looking around the apartment. It’s a decent place to live; I’ve tried my best to make it look like a home. But in comparison to the immaculate place that Hobi calls home, I hardly see anything to marvel over.

“Why?”

Standing in front of me and looking over every square inch of my face, he gives me a smile so soft that I find myself sighing in contentment.

“It feels like you.”

♟

April 2020

Work falls into a familiar pattern. Granted, I have to avoid Hoseok like the plague, but Bang PD keeps everyone busy enough that it isn’t too difficult.

That, and the meetings we hold every day in Bang PD’s office, trying our best to sort out the entire situation.

“You’re telling me he wants either 1 billion won or a position here?” Bang Si-hyuk sputters out, looking absolutely appalled. “This...this is blackmail!”

Hobi chuckles beside me, Namjoon sitting on his other side and looking none too happy to be a part of this meeting. However, he is the leader of the group.

“Yes, well, I think he did actually state that this was blackmail,” Hobi remarks. “Are you really that surprised?”

Fixing him with a glare, Mr. Bang’s veins look like they’re about to burst. “You’re one of the people that got us into this mess, Hoseok. I’d save the snide comments for later, if I were you.”

These meetings have been going on for a couple of weeks now, and everybody's reaching the end of their patience. Any time we attempt to negotiate with Jihun, he spirals out of control and comes back with a higher demand.

It’s becoming rather tedious.

“Why can’t we just give him what he wants?” Namjoon asks gingerly. “At the end of the day, as long as he leaves us alone, it’s fine, isn’t it?”

Mr. Bang shakes his head. “No. There is no way I’m giving him that much money, and we all know that I would never let him be employed here. He’s a pimp. We don’t do business with his type.”

I stare down at my hands as I wince at his words. While I’m grateful that he isn’t considering giving him a job here, I can’t help but pity him. If what Jihun told me was true; I’m part of the reason his marriage failed.

“He has a daughter,” I mumble under my breath.

“What was that?”

I blink up at Mr. Bang. “He has a daughter.” When he just continues to stare at me with a confused expression, I do my best to articulate my thoughts. “He’s a human being. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he freaks me out. I don’t support any of this, but he’s desperate for something to help him and his family survive. We shouldn’t be making him into some sort of monster-”

“As the two of you made clear to me, this is my company that’s in trouble, so I will treat this threat as I would any other.” Bang PD sits back in his chair, squinting at his computer screen. “Or have you forgotten that your job is also at stake here?”

Clenching my jaw, I see Namjoon laying a hand on Hobi’s shoulder. “Then fix this.” Rising from my chair, the strict tone of Mr. Bang’s voice stops me.

“What?”

Turning to face him fully, I struggle to keep my voice level. “Fix this. Quit talking about it so much and do something. I have work to do.”

Striding out the door, I barely catch Bang PD’s incredulous words. “It’s a good thing she’s talented-”

Namjoon cuts him off. “So what’s our plan of action? Sunny’s right, this has to end.”

♟

I’m staring at the monitor in front of me, only half-listening to what Yeonjun is saying to me as my blood boils.

Or have you forgotten that your job is also at stake here?

I have to fold my arms in order to hide the fact that my hands are currently clenched into fists. Yeonjun and Soobin are talking to both Pdogg and I, going over a track that we’ve been preparing.

“I really like the feel of this all so far, but I feel like we need something a bit more...edgy?” Soobin frowns, looking down at his phone where he compiled his notes. “We really want to have a sharp album, you know?”

I nod, finally returning to reality. “Has anybody come up with any ideas? Lyrics, melody?”

Yeonjun shakes his head. “Actually, I was going to ask if either of you wanted to help us come up with something. I know that we’re dropping the album in May, but-”

“I can do it.”

Pdogg and Yeonjun raise their eyebrows. “That was quick.”

Pdogg shakes his head. “I think Yeonjun is talking about creating a track from scratch, Sunny. That means that after you finish the music, you’ll need to write the lyrics, too. Right?” He looks to Yeonjun for confirmation.

“Yeah.” He shrugs. “Honestly, if you want to do it, I won’t stand in your way. I’m just happy that you want to with such short notice.”

“You think you can crunch it? This is your first time through the entire process, it’s ok if you want to try the next time around and have more time.” Pdogg reassures, still looking confused at my sudden change in attitude.

I shake my head. “No, I can do it. I need to.” The thinly veiled threat on my job pushes me forward, desperate to show Bang PD that I’m not the kind of person that runs away under pressure.

“Alright,” Soobin says, looking at Yeonjun with a shrug. “I guess...do you need us for anything? When can we expect to come in and take a look at the song?”

Ignoring Pdogg’s stare, I glance at my calendar. “Soon. Give me the rest of the week?”

♟

My desk is a flurry of notes, post-its, and discarded ideas. After a brainstorming session, I consulted Pdogg in the next step of the song process. He helped me solidify my idea, offering a couple of tips and pointers.

He’s in the middle of saying goodbye when there’s a light knock on the door.

“I’ll grab it,” he says. I turn back to my monitor, trying to make sure I get everything put together before I forget it.

Muffled voices at the door don’t bother me as my fingers fly across the keyboard. Line after line appears, forming the first verse of the song.

“Hey.” Hobi grabs the chair that Pdogg just vacated. “What’cha working on?”

I glance at the clock, realizing with a start that it’s already 8 o’clock. “New song for TXT.”

“Hm.”

We sit in silence as I continue working, Hobi knowing better than anyone not to interrupt my creative process. He knows how hard it can be to get back into the zone.

It isn’t until nearly nearly thirty minutes later that he finally breaks the silence, but not by speaking. Bringing a gentle hand to rest atop my own that has stilled over the keyboard, he intertwines our hands together.

I lean back against my chair, sighing. Hobi chuckles lightly beside me, completely understanding the feeling.

“It looks like you got a lot done,” he mumbles, using his other hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

“I think I did,” I whisper, still unable to tear my eyes away from the screen. I’ve been completely sucked in, my mind loud with the sound of the beat and the lyrics I’ve written down.

“Should I take you home?”

I shake my head. “No. I’ll take the bus.”

Silence. He raises my hand to his mouth, dusting light kisses over my knuckles. “We’re paying him off.”

Startled, I finally shift my gaze to Hobi. My breath falls short as I see his hair swept back, styled to make him look like some sort of CEO. He must have had a shoot today that I forgot about.

“Really?” I breathe out. He gives me a soft smile, pressing one more delicate kiss atop my knuckle before lowering my hand and enveloping it in both of his.

“Really. Bang PD will just have to swallow his pride.”

I chuckle lightly, shaking my head. “How’d you convince him?”

He shrugs. “I can be persuasive when I want to. We won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

While his words are intended to give me comfort, I find myself doubting them. Something tells me that this mess is far from over, but I smile at him nonetheless. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

Hobi gets up from his seat, embarrassed as he starts heading toward the door. “C’mon, I’ll take you home.”

I look back at my screen. “No, I think I’ll stay here for a little longer.”

“Oh, well then I’ll st-”

“Go home, Hobi,” I turn my chair around to face him. “Don’t worry about me, I just want to finish some of this up. I won’t be long.”

“Good. That way I won’t have to wait long.” Stubborn as ever, he sits back down. “Should I order some food?”

Giving him a long look, I fight the guilt gnawing at me for making him stay even longer. But I really just want to get as far as possible with this project…

“Let me split the cost?”

Laughing darkly as he holds his phone up to his ear, he winks. “In your dreams.”

♟

“I really, really like it, Rin-ah.”

Fidgeting with my hands, I chew on my lip. “Really? Is it too much? I don’t what to overwhelm-”

Cutting me off with an incredulous look, Hoseok shakes his head before pulling my chair away from the computer. “Yes. Positive. They’ll love it. I mean, it’s such a cool idea. You said it was based off a true story?”

I nod, reaching in vain for the desk, I groan as Hobi keeps pulling my chair away. He laughs at my expression.

“Do you have a title idea?”

I shrug, finally giving in and allowing myself to be pulled away. “I’ll probably just keep it simple. Like, ‘Puma’ or something.”

Hobi throws away all of our food containers, nodding to himself. Tossing me my coat and making sure everything is saved and shut off, he opens up the door. “They’ll think it’s amazing.”

Shutting off the lights, Hobi makes a show of double checking that the hallway is clear before grabbing my hand and making his way toward the elevator. It’s only when we’re in the confines of the elevator that he asks me a question.

“What made you want to do it? This usually isn’t your style.”

I let out a long breath, instantly remembering my outburst with Bang PD earlier in the day. “I want to be good at everything. I…” I lean back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. “I know that sounds stupid, but after Bang PD said that about my job, I felt like I had to do something more. Prove myself to him.”

“Mm.”

“It was time for me to expand. Try something new. And I was already pissed off, so when the boys asked for a more edgy track, I felt like I could do it.”

“Well, you’ve done very well with it.”

I see that Hobi also has his head angled upward toward the ceiling. From this angle, I wonder how I can see him so often and still feel like it’s the first time I’m looking at him.

He looks golden in the dim elevator, the lights picking out the paler shades in his hair and setting them alight. With his hands clinging to the railing at his back and his eyes falling closed, I wonder for a moment if this is right.

“How did I get so lucky?”

I ask the question more to myself than to him, but he hears me nonetheless. Ears perking up and tilting his head to look at me almost with the same mannerism as that of a golden retriever, Hoseok shakes his head.

“I wouldn’t call this luck,” he murmurs. “We’ve fought for this, haven’t we?”

At his words, I feel the exhaustion of the past few weeks sinking in. Sneaking around and hiding our relationship from everyone hasn’t been easy. Trying to navigate a brand new relationship without being able to actually spend much time together is tricky, especially when we are still healing from the hurt we’ve caused each other over the past few months.

Closing my eyes against the reality of our situation, I tuck the image of golden Hoseok in the elevator into the corners of my mind. “Do you think that we’ll ever get to rest?”

It’s quiet for a long moment as Hobi ponders my question. We both know what I’m really asking: will we ever stop hiding?

“Someday.” His voice is solid as he answers me. “For now, I think the seconds between floors 8 and 1 are enough to keep me pushing forward.”

For now, standing side by side and quietly speaking on the elevator, basked in golden light and listening to the whir of the machine are all we need.

However, will there ever come a time when this is no longer thrilling? When Hoseok decides to just leave early rather than hanging around with me?

What if I’m not enough?

Indeed, peeking over at Hoseok who currently resembles some sort of fallen deity who’s basking in the golden light, I can’t help but wonder what it is that keeps him coming back.

Now that I’m finally giving in to his pursuit, will it be over?

The ding of the elevator reaching the ground floor does little to pull me out of my daze, and it isn’t until Hoseok is looking back at me from the other side of the doors that I push off the wall and follow him out into the night.

That night as he drops me off outside my apartment building and pulls me in for whispered ‘I love yous’ and stolen kisses, I can’t find it in myself to bring it up. How do I begin telling him that I’m not sure I’m worth the trouble when he’s sure to write it off as some sort of crazy idea?

As I go to open the door, he grabs my hand, looking at me with a concerned expression.

“You sure everything’s alright? You seem...off.”

I lean across the console, watching with delight as his eyes widen. Swooping around, I kiss his cheek before retreating, laughing a little at his deflated expression.

“I love you.”

He gives a contented sigh. “I love you, too.”

Walking into my apartment building, I hope that he doesn’t realize that I completely avoided his question. I kick my shoes off with a sigh as soon as I enter my apartment, turning around to flick on the lights and lock the door. Making my way toward my bedroom, I don’t see the dark figure resting on my couch until their dark chuckle reaches my ears.

“You were out late tonight.”

Whirling around and stumbling backward until my back hits the wall, I stare in horror as Jihun turns on the lamp beside the couch. He holds up a wine glass, giving me a saccharine smile.

“Come sit down.” Filling the glass to the brim with red wine, he extends it to me. “We’ve got a lot to celebrate.”

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taglist: @taylorroe3 @dreamcatcherjiah @diorhoba @eusticenatalie @ddaeng-i-need-help

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fckinsupreme · 4 years

Note

How about the reader and murder house michael being in a relationsship. They seperate because of the reader going to college. After a few months she comes back because she misses him just to find out that he‘s not living in the murder house anymore. Months or years went by until the apocalypse started. The reader got kidnapped by the Cooperative and is sent to Outpost 3. The reader can‘t handle the whole situation and gets depressed until she meets Michael again. (1/2)

(2/2) He then tells her that he‘s responsible for her being at the Outpost and yeah... that idea is literally 24/7 on my mind.

——

The circumstances that brought you to this point had been less than ideal. One apocalypse, a kidnapping, and a great deal of distress later, here you were. The large room in the outpost was menacing, shadowed by darkness and the firelight from the candles & the fireplace. One of the women in charge of the outpost, Ms. Mead, had told you that a special visitor was on their way to see you. You had no idea who it could be, nor any clue as to how they could even get here. Outside was a desolate wasteland, not a single human left alive or, if they had been, they were in no shape to travel. All you’d been told was to wait in this room, and you were beginning to get antsy when the door opened.

No. It couldn’t be.

You sit there in shock, watching as the beautiful stranger walks into the room. Only, he isn’t a stranger to you; you know him. He was a fixture of your past, one of the only things you had clung to since the world—and your life—went to hell. Years ago, before the apocalypse, you had been neighbors with this man—Michael Langdon. He had been the absolute love of your life at that point, your first & only real love. You shared a pure relationship in the spring, a passionate, yet innocent, romance in the summer, and in the fall, you were gone. It tore you both apart, Michael not wanting you to leave and crying on your shoulder the night before as you shared a bottle of red wine.

You promised him you would come back, and indeed, you did. Thanksgiving break came, and you decided you wanted to spend it with Michael. But when you arrived to the old hangout spot, the famous Murder House, you discovered he was gone. Violet, his sister, had clued you in on what had happened in your absence: Satanists came in the night, sacrificed a virgin girl, and Michael gave himself over to the Devil himself. It was completely outlandish, but then again, you always knew there was something special about Michael. Of course that was it; it was the only thing that made some shred of sense in the jumbled mess of your mind.

Fast forward a couple years later. The world ended in nuclear hellfire, leaving nothing but ash and radiation and death in its wake. You thought that you would be one of the unfortunate souls left to rot in the nuclear winter, but before the bombs even dropped around you, you were taken here. Kidnapped, by Ms. Mead and a woman whose name you still hadn’t memorized, on “orders from the Cooperative.” You didn’t know what they meant at the time, and spiralled into a deep depression wondering where Michael had gotten to in all of this. You missed him, you missed your family, you missed the world you once knew.

But now you knew what had become of Michael. He was here, eyeing you as he strides to the desk, a complete antithesis of the boy you once knew. Gone were the striped shirts and baggy shorts, the shaggy hair, the innocent flair. A stranger stood in his place, a gorgeous one, with long flowing hair and clothes that looked straight off the runway. Rings adorned his fingers, his features illuminated in the yellow glow of candlelight.

“Y/N,” he says with a wide grin, sitting at the desk in front of you. “How nice to see you again.”

You’re speechless, frozen. You have no idea what to say to him, what kind of response would he appropriate in a situation like this. It was awkward, it was relieving, it was maddening...but you force yourself to meet his eyes before clasping your hands together in your lap. You struggle for a moment, before opening your mouth as the words begin slowly tumbling out.

“You...How...?” you ask, unable to formulate a full sentence.

“I found you,” he says, leaning back in the chair, his icy gaze fixated on you. “Before the world ended, I found out where you were and had my associate bring you here.”

“You...You did this?” you ask, eyes growing wide. “You’re the one who had me brought here.”

“Precisely,” he says with a smug grin. “You didn’t think I would just let you die out there, did you?”

You say nothing. Mostly because you don’t know what to say, and partly because you’re too stunned to speak. Your gaze flickers to your lap, watching your hands in the shadows, and you don’t even notice that he’s moved from the desk until he’s standing right in front of you. You jump when you lift your head, not expecting him there, his hand coming out to grasp your jaw. The cool metal of his rings on your skin causes you to shiver, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“You’re just as beautiful as I remember,” Michael says, kneeling before you so that your eyes are level. “You haven’t changed at all.”

“You have,” you say, your heart jumping in your chest. “A lot, actually.”

“I have,” he agrees, brushing a finger down your cheek. “In many ways.”

“I don’t understand,” you murmur. “Why did you save me?”

“Because I couldn’t let you die without saying goodbye,” he says, a smirk playing across his lips as he tucks some hair behind your ear. “I had to see you again, one more time.”

His words are like icy daggers to your chest. What did he mean by that? Was he planning on letting you die? You stare into his eyes, hypnotized for a moment before you look away. You can’t bear to think that you could die by the very hands you once held for dear life, the ones that clung onto you as though his own life depended on it. It was almost too sickening to fathom.

“Do you want to know what else has changed since the last time we were together?” he asks gently, as if his previous statements had never been uttered.

“What?” you ask in a small voice.

“I’ve become something of a...dominant personality,” he says with a smirk. “Remember how innocent I used to be? Nothing but quick kisses, hand holding, and cuddling? I’m not like that anymore; I’ve evolved, you could say.”

You look up at him in surprise, eyes wide. “You mean—“

“Why don’t you take off your dress for me,” he says, twirling his fingers with a serious expression, “and you can find out what I mean.”

—

Baby taglist: @littledemondani @wroteclassicaly @angel-langdon @leatherduncan @codyfernmorelikedaddyfern @littlegirlsdontplaynice @wickedlangdon @melodylangdon @lvngdvns

#this turned out so bad im sorry 😩😩#michael langdon #michael langdon blurb #michael langdon imagine #michael langdon x reader

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cakesunflower · 5 years

Text

Reach For You [Dad!Calum AU] Ch. 18

A/N: so sorry for the......6 month wait omg. hope y’all missed Aspen, Calum, and Luna as much as i did. yeeeee happy reading!

Chapter 18

“IT’S LIKE PULLING teeth, trying to get them to talk,” Mali whispered, leaning towards Aspen as she spoke, eyes on the scene in front of her rather than on the wine glass she was cleaning with a dish towel. “It’s painful to watch.”

Aspen’s throat worked. She could only see Calum’s profile from where she was standing, his dark eyes set on the television as it played Home Alone. He sat on the single lounge chair, while his mom sat on the smaller couch opposite of him and his dad and Luna occupied the other couch opposite of the TV. The two of them seemed to be in their own world, Luna having gotten along with her grandpa exceedingly well, talking amongst themselves about the movie. Calum was pretending to pay attention to the movie, while Joy was pretending not to be staring over at him occasionally.

That’s how dinner had gone. It was awkward and seemed to drag on forever, but at least Aspen had Mali on her side, the two of them making up for Calum’s silence at the table. It wasn’t like he didn’t speak at all, dropped a sentence or two here and there, but he didn’t directly speak to his parents. Well, at least not to his mom, anyway. He was still upset with his dad by association, but the true object of his anger was Joy, and he wasn’t too subtle about it either.

Not even the pretty Christmas lights they’d decorated the apartment with could bring a sense of tranquility and joy. Not to this group, anyway.

Aspen would be exasperated by his lack of trying if all of this wasn’t her doing to begin with. She called his parents behind his back. She’s the one who invited them for Christmas dinner and ambushed Calum with it. Shit, what had she been thinking?

The sound of Luna’s giggles broke through Aspen’s thoughts, and she felt herself relax a little bit. At least she could count on her daughter to lighten the mood.

“I don’t know what to do,” Aspen responded to Mali quietly, gripping the bottle of wine. She was ready to down the whole thing by herself. With a disgruntled hand running through her hair, Aspen added, “This was a terrible idea.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Mali disagreed, wiping the last glass. “You’re just trying to save Cal’s relationship with our parents, like any caring partner would want to do. It’s not your fault they’re being stubborn about this.”

Aspen wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, but—” She sighed, eyebrows drawing together in distress, looking towards the living room before her gaze met Mali’s again. In a quiet voice, she added, “I knew he wasn’t ready to move forward and I pushed him anyway. I didn’t—” Aspen paused, frowning as her gaze dropped to the counter, twisting her lips as the guilt started creeping through her veins. “I didn’t give him enough time to be angry—”

“He needs to let that anger out before it becomes too much,” Mali told her. “He needs to say his piece and try to move on. What’s done is done and no one can change the past, no matter how much we all want to, and the sooner Calum accepts it, the sooner he’ll feel that burden lift from his shoulders.”

Aspen took a breath, processing Mali’s words. She was still afraid of pushing Calum, not wanting to push him too far and have him be upset with her again—truthfully, she wasn’t even sure if they were okay from the last time they argued about the very situation. Ever since the arrival of his parents, he’s been in an off mood, which Aspen had expected, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed with his lack of trying after he said he would try. She knew she was at fault for springing all of this on him, knew that if he didn’t hold up his end of the promise then she couldn’t entirely blame him. Still, the dismay was present when all throughout dinner Calum didn’t really make conversation, didn’t engage if it wasn’t with her or his sister or Luna.

Before Aspen could say anything to Mali, Joy’s voice sounded from the living room. “I think it’s time we get going; it’s getting late.”

“No.” Aspen didn’t realize it was she who had protested Joy’s statement until all eyes were on her. Though, all Aspen could feel were Joy’s surprised ones and Calum’s irritated ones as he looked at her over his shoulder. Taking a breath, Aspen offered an encouraging smile. “We haven’t had dessert yet and I was just about to open the wine. Please stay, at least for a little bit.”

She figured, in that moment, she didn’t really want Calum’s parents to leave until at least there was some kind of step forward made. Was she pushing it? Maybe.

“We can’t force ’em if they wanna go, Aspen.” Her eyes met Calum’s dark ones, noted the silent way he told her to just let it go. To let them leave. There was a hint of edge present in the undertones of his casual voice, and Aspen fought from rolling her eyes because she knew he could’ve pretended harder if he wanted to.

“Noooo, I want Grandma and Grandpa to stay!” Luna whined, sitting up on the couch with a frown and pout on her face. Looking at Joy with a puppy dog look the five year old had terrifyingly mastered already, Luna begged, “Please stay! There’s cake and cookies.” Looking at David, she added, “Home Alone isn’t done yet.”

“Lunes,” Calum started, tone genuinely becoming soft as he addressed his daughter. “It might start snowing soon and they can’t be on the road when it does.”

Mali and Aspen both exchanged flat expressions at the lie. It wasn’t going to snow, Aspen knew for a fact, and Calum lying to Luna about it just so she’d possibly drop the subject was ridiculous. So with a lick of her lips and trying to keep her tone even, Aspen said, “Hey, Cal, can I talk to you for a second?”

His gaze met hers once again, the tension in the room returning as she nodded towards the hallway. She noted the way his throat worked in annoyance before pushing himself to his feet, and Aspen shot everyone else a quick reassuring grin as she walked out of the kitchen. They went to Calum’s bedroom and Aspen felt his presence behind her looming as they reached the room, and she shut the door behind her before turning to face him.

Together, both of them demanded simultaneously, “What the hell are you doing?”

Calum exhaled forcefully as Aspen’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? I’m trying to salvage your relationship with your parents.”

He shook his head, jaw tight before retorting, “That’s not your concern, Aspen.”

“We’re partners, Calum, so yeah, it is.”

She saw the anger flash across his face, accompanied by a sense of hurt she hadn’t expected as Calum returned, the edge back in his voice, “If we’re partners then you should be on my fuckin’ side!”

Aspen blinked on an expression of incredulity, lips parting as she inhaled a surprised breath at Calum’s accusation. There was a brief numb silence in the space of the room before Aspen’s brain caught up with her. “I am on your side, Calum,” she exclaimed, fighting to keep her voice low enough so it didn’t travel to the living room where everyone else was. But it was hard to keep her voice from raising with the surprise Calum’s accusation brought. For him to think she wasn’t with him was upsetting and insulting. “I just—I want you to say what you need to say to them and try to move past this.”

Calum gave a shake of his head, slow and defeated. “There’s nothing left to say, Aspen,” he said, voice lower yet still carrying that same level of intensity. He licked his lips as his dark eyes flickered past her and towards the door, thinking of who was currently in his living room, and he expelled a breath. Looking back at Aspen, he continued, “I’ve already said how pissed and upset I am. I’ve told her how she’s fucked up and she’s apologized and I don’t know where we go from here.”

Her heart bled for Calum and the pain he still so obviously was in, attempting to hide it behind anger and stubbornness. But she knew Calum, and as much as it hurt to see him hurt, to see how difficult it was for him to have his parents here, Aspen knew for a fact that he wouldn’t truly feel better until all of this was done with. Calum had always been so close with his parents, was a family oriented man that could be seen in his relationship with Luna, and to see his relationship with his parents crumbled into dust was heartbreaking.

Forgiving Joy wasn’t something Aspen ever thought she was capable of. For the longest time, she hated the woman for everything that happened. But holding onto those kind of strong, negative emotions wasn’t doing her any good. It was only weighing Aspen down, sometimes suffocating her, and it wasn’t until things with Calum had been mended and she finally decided to forgive his mom that Aspen could feel completely okay again. And it was no secret her accident played a big part in Aspen wanting things for Calum to be alright, too. Life was too short to remain under a dark cloud of anger.

“You move forward, bub,” Aspen told him, her own tone growing soft as she took a step towards him, green eyes never leaving his brown. “We can’t change what happened, but we can change how we go from here. I know how much it hurts you to not have your parents, your mom, in your life like you used to. I—”

“I have you and Luna,” Calum cut in, eyebrows drawing together in a subtle frown.

Aspen pressed her lips together into a kind, genuine smile. “You do,” she agreed with a nod. Calum’s throat worked as Aspen looked at him, and she felt herself take a breath. Her shoulders sank in acceptance, her hand finding his. A warmth spread through Aspen as he looked down at their joined hands, maneuvering his fingers to interlock with hers, the sensation of his cool rings one she never tired of. “And if you genuinely feel. . . Complete. . . with us—which is totally and utterly fine—then I will go back into the living room and tell your parents goodnight.”

Calum blinked a couple of times at her words, taking a breath as he lifted his chin, eyes never leaving Aspen’s. She didn’t look away, either, wanting him to know that she genuinely meant it. Sure, Aspen wanted Calum to make amends with his parents, and maybe it was a little too late to realize, but she shouldn’t have pushed him on the matter. She understood why he’d been so pissed off when she told him she’d invited his parents, understood that she’d crossed a line. If Calum genuinely did not want to engage with his parents, if he was content with not restoring a relationship, then Aspen would support him. She couldn’t force him more than she already had, not if she wanted to fuck up their relationship.

Supporting Calum was all that mattered.

“You would?”

Aspen’s smile softened, squeezing his hand, taking yet another step towards him. Her heart thudded within her chest at the look he gave her, uncharacteristically shy and looking so small, and it only reminded Aspen of how difficult this was for him. She nodded. “If that’s what you want, then yeah.”

He was silent as he considered her words, pulling his lower lip into his mouth as he chewed at it thoughtfully. She let him have his time, let him carefully think about what he wanted their next move to be. It concerned all of them, but this was Calum’s decision to ultimately make. Aspen felt badly about taking the choice away from him in the first place, and the least she could do was be by his side and support whatever he chose.

She watched the muscles in his jaw tighten, her eyebrows drawing together worriedly as he squeezed his eyes shut, head lowered as he shook it. Through gritted teeth, Calum confessed, “I want to move on but I just. . . I don’t know how.”

Aspen’s free hand lifted to cup his cheek, lifting his head to connect their gazes once again after he opened his eyes. She offered him a sweet smile. “We can figure it out together.”

They entered the living room, the credits for the movie on TV now rolling, everyone’s eyes on Calum and Aspen as they walked back in. Expectant expressions were painted across all of their faces, and Aspen took a breath before smiling at her daughter. “Hey, Lunes, why don’t you go show Aunt Mali all the presents you got, huh?”

The five year old grinned, jumping off from the couch with Duke hot on her heels as she ran over to where Mali stood, grabbing her aunt’s hand as she tugged. “Come on, Aunt Mali!”

The blonde grinned happily, letting her niece pull her along as her dark eyes met Calum and Aspen’s briefly. She understood the need to get Luna out of the room, happy to comply as she silently agreed to keep the little girl occupied.

An anticipating silence fell upon the room as Luna’s giggles soon silenced behind the closed door of her bedroom. Joy and David watched them patiently, and Aspen glanced at Calum in time to watch him take a breath before gesturing to the couches. “We should, uh, sit down, I guess.”

His parents shuffled around the coffee table, settling on the smaller couch against the wall as Aspen followed Calum to the one diagonal of them. It was silent in the room save for the ever so subtle thick clinking of the chains Calum wore, disappearing under the neckline of his full sleeved dark red sweater. He ran his fingers through his curls, ruffling the shaggy dark locks before he interlaced his fingers together. Calum bowed his head, lips parting as he ran his tongue along the inside of his lower lip, running the words through his head before he finally spoke.

“I’ve told you how I feel. . . And I know how sorry you are.” His words were slow, careful, not meeting anyone’s eyes as he uttered them. Aspen watched him, knowing he was thinking while he spoke, making sure whatever was running through his mind, whatever he was feeling in his heart, was properly articulated. “I just don’t know where we go from here—how we find. . . A sense of normalcy in all this.”

“We find it slowly, son,” David spoke up, his voice a wave of smooth calmness as he looked at Calum. He glanced at Joy before looking back at his son, adding, “This won’t be an overnight thing, we understand that. Still, we would. . .” David let out a soft sigh, his hand finding Joy’s before nodding at Calum. “We would like to try and earn back your trust.” His eyes met Aspen’s. “Both of yours.”

“That’s—” Calum breathed out with a shake of his head, wringing his fingers together as he let out a forced chuckle. Aspen pressed her teeth together as she watched him, wanting to jump in with something. Anything. But Calum needed to do this. So she resorted to resting a hand on his knee, a comforting act of encouragement. “That’s not goin’ to be easy.” Calum looked up, looked at his parents, expression a mixture of the conflict he was fighting and tiredness from it all. “You gave me everything I could’ve asked for, but took away the family I never knew I had.” Twisting his lips, Calum added, “Trust and forgiveness, that’s gonna take some time.”

Joy nodded, looking desperate for some kind of relief, some kind of step forward they all were in search for. “There’s no rush,” she assured with a somewhat nervous smile. She looked between both Calum and Aspen, and even though this was about her boyfriend getting back on the right path with his parents, Aspen was appreciative of Joy and David making her feel included in this. Her and Calum were partners; she was glad his parents saw it, too. “Take all of the time you need. Whatever you think is best for your family, it’s how we’ll deal with this, okay?”

Aspen watched as Calum rolled his lips into his mouth, considering their words. She knew that Calum, just like her, was taking note of how Joy and David were giving them the power, a vast difference from the part they’d played in when it came to the situation that led to all of this in the first place. They were in total control over what was to happen, how they were going to move from here, and the importance of that wasn’t lost on Aspen or Calum. They had basically been kids when they’d unknowingly gotten into this mess with his parents; now they were adults, with a daughter to think about and a family they had no intention of ever losing. They were finally in control, just like they should’ve been since the beginning.

Calum nodded, biting the inside of his lower lip as he sat up, shoulders straight. He sniffed, rubbing under his nose with a finger as he looked at his parents once more. Then his gaze shifted over to Aspen, his expression softening once his brown eyes met her encouraging green. A small smile tilted at his lips, hand coming to rest on top of hers that was on his knee. He took a breath, decided and sure. “Baby steps.”

She nodded along, mirroring his smile, turning her hand under his to properly hold his hand. “Yeah,” she agreed, returning the meaningful look he cast her way before shifting her gaze to his parents. “I’m sure we’ll figure this out.”

For the next hour or so, they brought Luna and Mali back out before they divulged into the wine and desserts Aspen had promised. The shift in the air was noticeable, the tension from before having dissipated significantly. Aspen sipped her wine, watching Calum finally be at ease for the first time since his parents’ arrival, Luna sitting on his lap as he held a plate with a slice of chocolate cake, feeding both himself and her. Mali had decided on playing some music, finding a Christmas playlist on Spotify, to keep the light mood in the air. Aspen figured she was maybe worried that lack of it would bring back the tension from before. Aspen found the gesture cute—and probably needed.

Joy and David didn’t leave until everything was cleared out, both Joy and Mali insisting on helping out in the kitchen to put away the dirty dishes and put the leftovers in the fridge. When it was time for Calum’s parents and sister to head out to their hotel, they all gathered by the door, Luna insisting on hugging her grandparents and aunt goodbye. As Mali pulled Aspen in for a hug, she rubbed her back before whispering, “Good job.”

Aspen let out a quiet, breathless chuckle at that, Mali grinning as they pulled away, the two of them sharing a pointed look. And then Joy stepped up in front of Aspen, bringing her a step away from everyone else, and Aspen still felt a prickle of surprise when Joy took her hand in hers and squeezed. “Thank you,” the older woman whispered, the sincerity crystal clear in her eyes. “It means a lot that you invited us. And it shows just how much you care about Calum.” A sadness swept over Joy’s face as she gave a regretful shake of her head. “I’m so sorry I didn’t see it before.”

Throat working, Aspen felt her heart stop for a brief moment at Joy’s apology, taking a breath. The sense of relief was only growing at this point. “I know you are,” Aspen nodded, offering a kind smile. “Thank you for coming.”

Luna ended up in her arms after hugging her grandfather goodbye, and Aspen rubbed at the little girl’s back as Luna rested her head in the crook of her neck, tired after the day’s festivities. She gently swayed her, the movement subtle yet still soothing Luna, as she watched Calum bid his mom goodnight.

“Our flight isn’t until seven tomorrow night,” Joy was saying to Calum. Aspen watched them, trying and failing not to do so, noting how small Calum’s mother looked in front of him. Not just because of their physical height difference; she took in the way Joy, a woman she’d always known to be assertive and bold in her own right, seemed to fold into herself. She hugged herself, as if she was protecting herself from any oncoming rejection, totally uncharacteristic and Aspen understood why as Joy added, “Would it be alright to see you before we go?”

She spoke with trepidation, not wanting to push her luck after only just beginning the process of making amends. Aspen watched on as Calum looked at his mother for what seemed like minutes that stretched on forever, until he finally answered with a single nod, “Yeah.”

Joy smiled in return, shoulders sinking in relief, as the goodbyes and goodnights came to a close, Calum’s parents and sister leaving with smiles and waves as they closed the door behind them. Calum let out a sigh as he locked it, the night coming to an end, turning around just in time for Aspen to whisper, “Hey, you wanna put her to bed? I’m gonna clean up the living room.”

Calum nodded, gaze shifting to a near slumbering Luna, as he stepped forward and reached for his daughter. Luna easily shifted from her mother to her father, arms lazily going around Calum’s neck as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. He felt and heard her take a breath before snuggling closer to him, and it easily brought a gentle smile to his face as he walked down the apartment and towards her bedroom.

He settled her down on the bed, switching on the bedside lamp that provided for a dull glow as opposed to the harsh brightness of the ceiling light. Calum brushed some dark curls out of Luna’s face as she sleepily smacked her lips together, and he suppressed a fond chuckle as he made his way over to the dresser to get her pajamas out. He sat down on the edge of the bed, murmuring quiet encouragements to the little girl who was seconds away from completely falling asleep as he changed her into her pajamas.

But just as Calum laid her upper half back down after putting on her shirt, thinking she was already mostly asleep, Luna spoke up. “I had fun today.” She spoke in a slow, tired drawl, a bit of a wistful hum in her voice as Calum settled her blankets over her.

He sat right next to her on the edge of the bed, hands on either side of her as he looked down to see her dark eyes blinking open. Calum smiled at the sight of her; for her to be this tired, he knew she did have fun. Despite his own issues, Calum had seen, much at the expense of his tightening jaw, that Luna had been enjoying her time with Mali and their parents. Calum hadn’t made for a much pleasant host to his parents, but Luna made up for it with a newfound excitement towards them. A childlike thrill that had, for the most part, put everyone at ease. “Yeah?” Calum mused, smiling down at her teasingly. “You liked all your presents?” They may or may not have spoiled her—Calum more so than anyone else; his first Christmas with his daughter had proven to be his favorite despite the initially unwanted presence of his parents.

“Mhm,” Luna responded, pulling the blanket up to her chin as her brown eyes met Calum’s. “I like Grandma and Grandpa, too.”

Something tightened in Calum’s chest at that, not entirely sure if it was a good or bad feeling as he heard Luna’s words. He’d been struggling with his emotions ever since his parents had arrived, knowing he hadn’t done a good job in keeping his promise to Aspen in trying to be civil. To actually try. But it hadn’t been too bad towards the end. They had made some progress, as much as they could tonight, and Calum had even agreed to see them again tomorrow before they left. That was more than he’d expected to do. And even though he’d been upset with Aspen over inviting his parents without even telling him, Calum knew his anger had dissipated at this point. Not entirely gone, of course, but slowly crumbling away. Slowly.

Calum took a breath before smiling, finger brushing away a stray curl from her face, brushing along her cute, soft little cheek. “They like you, too,” he told her truthfully. Because they did. He could tell. He wouldn’t agree to seeing them tomorrow if they didn’t. “Come on, bug, get some sleep.”

Luna hummed, giggling ever so softly as Calum leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss. He bid her goodnight after switching off the lamp and turning on her nightlight, leaving the door just slightly aja before stepping out into the hallway. He glanced in the direction of the living room, realizing all of the lights were off and that Aspen was probably back in the bedroom.

He walked in, shutting the door behind him just as Aspen emerged from the bathroom. Her makeup was already off, changed into her pajamas, which only consisted of sleep shorts and one of his shirts, and she offered a small smile as he took in the sight of her. “Hey,” she greeted softly. She nodded towards the door. “She’s down?”

Calum nodded, pushing himself off the door. “Out like a light,” he confirmed.

Aspen smiled, running her fingers through her hair. “Good, that’s good.” Licking her lips, her smile turned a bit shy, and she added, “I, uh, have something for you. One more gift.”

Calum blinked, fighting the urge to laugh because of how similar they were. He watched as she walked towards her bedside before his gaze shifted towards his own bedside, more specifically, under the bed where he’d hidden his last gift for Aspen. They’d exchanged presents in the morning, of course. Gifts they’d bought one another by knowing the other’s likes, gifts they’d both loved. He was gonna give her the last gift before bed, but looked like she had beat him to the punch.

Calum approached the bed as Aspen climbed onto it on her knees, him doing the same on his side, eyes going to the very familiar book he’d seen in her apartment. It was Luna’s baby book, and Calum’s eyebrows furrowed together as she held it out to him, slowly taking it from her but not before shooting her a confused look.

Aspen let out a breathless chuckle, rubbing her hands down her sides as she said, “Just look inside. I, uh, added some more pages.”

His eyebrows raised at that, settling back on his legs as he opened the book. He’d seen the familiar pages, all of Luna’s firsts and the pictures that went along with those moments, until he got to the pages that were definitely new. Calum could feel Aspen watching along in anticipation, in nervousness, except all he could focus on was the pages he was looking at and the tightness of his throat.

There were pictures added in there that Calum knew about, and some he didn’t know anyone—Aspen—had taken. Pictures with the labels of “First Spaghetti Sunday w/ Dad”, or “Dad’s First Gift”, or “First Birthday w/ Dad”. Aspen had added all of these pictures of Calum with Luna, or of the three of them together, of moments that had become some of his favorites. A warmth spread through Calum as he took in every picture, every word, heart picking up its pace. He could hear his own breathing, heavy with the emotion that suddenly washed over him, fingers brushing against the photographs of him with his two favorite girls. Aspen had made sure to make him as much a part of the baby book as he was in their lives, and while Calum was not much of a crier, she did a good job in springing the tears in his eyes with this thoughtful gift.

“Aspen,” he breathed out, voice thick and throaty with appreciation and adoration. “This—” Calum let out a short, disbelieving chuckle as he looked at her. He saw the hopeful expression on her face, eyes wide and small smile, and Calum shook his head. “Thank you so much, sweetheart. I don’t—I love this.” He put the book down on the mattress before reaching for her, pulling her into a hug and keeping her close as he said, “I love you.”

He heard her let out a relieved laugh, returning his hug, and Calum shut his eyes as she squeezed him, the smile on his face hurting his cheeks as she returned, “I love you, too. We’re in this together, right? You and me.”

He pressed a kiss to the skin of her shoulder where his shirt fell off. “You and me.” Calum sniffed as they pulled away, and Aspen let out a soft, adoring laugh at the flush in his cheeks, cupping his face as she shot him a grin. “I’ve got somethin’ for you, too,” he told her, prompting Aspen to blink in surprise.

He shifted backwards, one foot touching the ground so he could bend down and pull out the gift bag from under the bed. Aspen raised her eyebrows as he handed it to her. She took it with an anticipating smile of her own, and right as she reached into it, Calum said with a nervous chuckle, “It’s really cheesy, okay? So don’t laugh.”

Aspen rolled her eyes at him, dismissing his thought. “I’m not gonna laugh,” she said, hand reaching past the decorative red tissue paper to grab onto the gift.

Calum pressed his lips together, watching as Aspen pulled out the medium sized decorative jar with a gold lid on top. He watched as Aspen observed it, took in the custom made label on it that read a simple and cheesy message of My Love For You. He felt the heat spread across his cheeks at that, mentally chastising himself for writing something so utterly cliche on the label. Then again, the entire idea of the gift was utterly sentimental and cheesy.

“It’s, uh,” he began explaining, chuckling shortly. “There’s a message on every slip of paper inside for you. Like, uh, reasons why I love you and stuff. There’s, um, one thousand six hundred and forty three little slips in there. . . One for each day we, uh, weren’t in each other’s lives.”

He watched the way her lips parted at his words, eyes widening as she returned her gaze to the jar she held in her hands. He wasn’t sure why he felt so shy about giving her the gift, the vulnerability not something he was entirely fond of, though when it came to Aspen, Calum was quick to realize facing these types of things was a lot better than running away from them. His throat worked, waiting for her to say something, heart jumping when her glassy green eyes met his dark brown ones.

“Calum, it’s—this is so sweet,” she breathed out, her voice thick with awe as she let out a gentle laugh. Her voice took a teasing tilt, wanting to lighten the emotional mood as she playfully asked, “You have over a thousand reasons why you love me?”

Calum cracked a small smirk, quirking an eyebrow despite his racing heart. “It’s funny that you think I can run out of reasons.”

Her expression softened, a soft chuckle escaping at his words as she gave a shake of her head. Before she let the tears escape, Aspen put the jar down before one had found his cheek, pulling him in for a kiss. Calum returned it eagerly, softly, arms winding around her waist as he kissed her, settling back on his legs once more before using his hands on her thighs to lock her legs around his hips. She tasted like mint toothpaste and he reveled in the familiar softness of her lips, in the touch of her hands on his face as they kept each other close.

“Merry Christmas, love,” he found himself whispering against her lips, wanting nothing more than to melt into her.

Aspen sighed against him, utterly content. “Merry Christmas, Cal.”

tags: @irwinkitten @sweetcherrymike @meetashthere @valentinelrh @softforcal @astroashtonio @hereforlukescruff @novacanecalum @captain-what-is-going-on @angelbbycal @singt0mecalum @hopelessxcynic @lfwallscouldtalk @bodhi-black @findingliam-o @softlrh @calntynes @calumsmermaid @erikamarie41 @quintodosuniversos @longlastingdaydream @babylon-corgis @lukehemmingsunflower @imfuckin10plybud @pastelpapermoons @conquerwhatliesahead92 @rotten-kandy @metangi @neigcthood @ohhmuke @old-zeppelin-shirt @5sos-and-hessa @trustmeimawhalebiologist @vxlentinecal @pettybassists @vaporshawn @lu-my-golden-boi @visualm3nte @isabella-mae13 @dontjinx-it @lifeakaharry @neonweeknds @antisocialbandmate @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave @calpalbby @grreatgooglymoogly @sunnysidesblog @gorgeouslygrace @cocktail-calum @miahelizaaabeth @madelynerin @dramallamawithsparkles @theagenderwhocriedwolf @kaytiebug14 @hoodskillerqueen @bitchinbabylon @empathycth @xhaileyreneex @inlovehoodx @aestheticrelated @bloodlinecal @sublimehood @madbomb @raabiac @britnicole11 @outofmylimitcal @fluffsshawn @bloodmoonashton @vxidhood @tea4sykes @lukeinblue @mysteriouslycali @hoodcentral @rosecoloredash @hearts-to-the-sky

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anotherkpopvictim · 4 years

Text

Seven Is Our Lucky Number - OT7 Story Chapter 5

(Oh, hey look it’s my avatar)

Chapter 5: When Jungkook met Taehyung

A/N: ...so listen...I can’t control my urge to write TaeKook, okay?

Relationship: BTS X BTS (Taehyung X Jungkook focused)

Rating: G

Words: 2871

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When the BTS members had been told that their Map of the Soul: 7 tour had been postponed due to the pandemic, they were disappointed. Well, disappointed would be an understatement, a better word to describe what they were feeling would be ‘devastated’.

They’d worked so long and hard on the concert and to have it taken away from them so suddenly hurt them in ways they didn’t know were possible. It felt as if everything was crumbling to pieces around them. Nothing could be done, however, as the reasons behind canceling were obviously beyond their control.

Each of the members had spent a few days after that sulking in their rooms, not really interacting with anyone. Perhaps it was selfish, but they needed to take some time to come to grips with the sudden change in plans.

It was the fourth day after the tour had been canceled that Taehyung marched around the dorm and forced everyone from their rooms. They (unwillingly on their parts) gathered in the living room and looked at Taehyung with expectancy.

Jin had Yoongi half-asleep in his lap on one couch, Jimin next to him and running his fingers through Yoongi’s blonde-streaked hair. On the other couch, Namjoon was resting his head on Hoseok’s thigh while Jungkook was on the dance leader’s other side, leaning on his shoulder. Every single one of them had prominent defeated pouts on their faces.

“Enough moping!” the second-youngest member shouted, hands on his hips. “I know we’re all sad - I’m sad as well - but ARMYs are probably sad too and I can’t sit around doing nothing when I know that in my heart.”

The rest of the members looked around at each other with guilty eyes, knowing that Taehyung was right. They couldn’t just sit around when people were in need of some happiness and, frankly, a distraction.

“You’re right, Tae,” Jimin said, straightening his back with determination. “I guess we could do some more V Lives, and interact more with fans on Twitter.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Namjoon’s eyes suddenly lit up with an idea, “We would have to talk to the company, but what if we streamed some of our old concerts for free?”

They’d all sat up in their seats by now, the sad sleepiness from before all but eradicated from the atmosphere thanks to Taehyung’s encouragement.

Seokjin smiled, “ARMYs would love that!”

“I - uh - I had an idea, too,” Taehyung announced a little shyly. With six sets of eager eyes on him, he continued, “We’ve always wanted to create an album completely by ourselves, but we’re normally just too busy to do that. We don’t know how long this quarantine is going to be, so why don’t we do it now?”

There was a pause where the six others kind of just looked at Taehyung in wonderment, jaws slack.

Jungkook was the first to break into a proud grin. He’d always loved it when his hyung’s creativity and intelligence showed itself in the form of a brilliant idea. People tended to forget just how smart Taehyung was, even his own boyfriends sometimes.

“That’s perfect, hyung!” Jungkook exclaimed, nearly bouncing up and down in his seat with excitement. “We could come up with the concept, a-and the music video - OH MY GOD, CAN I DIRECT THE MUSIC VIDEO?!”

Hoseok wrapped his arms around Jungkook and pulled him into his lap, kicking a whining Namjoon off of his leg with the movement. Hoseok couldn’t help himself when he kissed the maknae repeatedly on the back and side of his head and giggled. “Calm down, Kook-ah. We have a lot to talk about first before we decide anything. It would be really cool if we could choreograph our own dance, though.”

Everyone started blurting out their ideas as well before Jimin stopped them all to get his phone out from his pocket and write them all down.

It had been just over two months since that fateful day and progress on the new album was both good and bad. Good because they felt like they were pouring their hearts into every little detail and it was therapeutic in a way, to express themselves with complete honesty. Bad because it was extremely challenging. Without most of the BigHit staff who usually helped with the concepts, the flow of the album, and all the other extra things they hardly ever thought about, the members found that they had a newfound respect for their staffs’ roles in the entire production.

Jungkook was given the main task of working on the title track. He’d been the first to bring in a sample of what he’d been working on and it caught everyone’s attention. It was a collective decision to task the maknae with producing and writing the main song of their album. Jungkook had taken the challenge eagerly and though some nights when he was overtired and frustrated he regretted it, he pushed himself onward.

He was determined to prove to everyone, and himself, that he could handle such an important task.

“Jeon Jungkook!”

Jungkook startled out of the trance he was in when he heard the knocking at his studio door and the yelling. With a tired sigh, he got up and slugged over to the door, opening it up.

Taehyung stood there, looking uncharacteristically disappointed. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Um...like six o’clock?” Jungkook replied, rubbing at his dry eyes.

“No,” Taehyung said, “It’s two in the morning. You told hyungs that you would be back at ten.”

Jungkook didn’t even have the energy to be truly sorry, but he let out an “oops?” anyways.

“Now,” Taehyung forced his way into the room, “What part of the song is making you so pouty?”

Jungkook pouted even harder. “I’m not pouting.”

“Right.”

Jungkook sighed with all the feelings of frustration and the looming defeat of the night. “It just...it doesn’t sound right. Any of it.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” Taehyung replied, “You’ve been listening to it nonstop for hours. I’m sure it sounds like nothing more than a mess of instruments now.”

He wasn’t wrong. For the past hour, every time Jungkook pressed play on the song, it was no longer work he was proud of and instead was just an overwhelming mess.

“You need a break,” Taehyung continued, his expression softening at the maknae’s poor state. “Let’s go home, Kookie.”

Jungkook was nothing if not stubborn, especially when he was beyond tired, and perhaps if it were any of the other hyungs bugging him right now, he would refuse to listen to them. But this was Taehyung, his Taehyungie-hyung who looked at him with a worried and determined gaze, and maybe Jungkook had always been a little bit softer for him than the others.

“Okay,” he caved, shoulders and head dropping in defeat. Tonight was just a night of defeat for him, wasn’t it?

Taehyung could see just how exhausted Jungkook was, so while the younger saved his work and shut down his computer, the older gathered up all of his things. He helped the younger into his hoodie and wrapped an arm around his waist and led him out of the company building.

The older drove them home in the car the group shared for times like this, one hand on the wheel while the other one was running through Jungkook’s hair soothingly.

When they got back to the dorm, Taehyung waved off Seokjin and Hoseok who were both waiting to scold the maknae and took him right to his room. Taehyung helped Jungkook change into comfier clothing and then helped him wash his face and brush his teeth.

Jungkook would normally have protested to being taken care of like a baby, but in times like this he really just couldn’t do anything other than appreciate it.

Taehyung tucked the maknae into bed and pressed a loving kiss to his lips before he moved to leave.

Jungkook stopped him with a tug to his arm and gave him the big doe eyes that he knew none of his boyfriends could resist.

Taehyung crawled under the covers with him indulgently and immediately wrapped his limbs tightly around him like an octopus.

“Thank you for making me stop, hyung,” Jungkook mumbled. “I just...I thought I could do it.”

“The song is going to be great,” the older insisted. “You just needed a break from it. Maybe you’ll dream something about it.”

Jungkook hummed and shifted around until he could rest his head on the other’s warm chest.

There was a few minutes where the two of them just laid there, Taehyung rubbing up and down the maknae’s back with his big, warm hands. The lamp on his bedside table was still on, but both were too lazy and comfortable to attempt to turn it off at the moment.

Jungkook didn’t fall asleep right away, instead, he fell into this kind of halfway point between dreams and reality where he thought about memories from the past. Of course, with all the talk lately about the number seven and everything, his mind kind of drifted towards his own past with the members.

October 29, 2011

Jungkook was between lessons at the BigHit Entertainment company building and was sitting outside his vocal teacher’s room. He was keeping to himself as he always did, head down and scrolling through social media.

The hyungs didn’t use social media all that much, so they didn’t really understand the point of Tumblr, even though Jungkook really liked it. He stayed away from the inappropriate side of Tumblr, of course, and used it to follow some of his favorite photographers and artists.

“Hello!”

Jungkook looked up from his phone with wide eyes as he took in the young male approaching him. He had on a red sweater and had dark bangs that just fell into his eyes. The boy gave a bright boxy smile and took a seat right next to him.

“You’re Jungkook, right?” he asked.

“Um...yes?” it came out as more of a question than an answer and Jungkook internally scolded himself for his awkwardness.

“I’m Taehyung!” the boy introduced himself. “I’m joining your group. Namjoon-hyung said that you were probably waiting here and I wanted to meet you so...”

Jungkook nodded, now taking in the boy as a potential work partner. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Taehyung-ssi.”

Taehyung grinned, friendly and bubbly in a way that Jungkook couldn’t ever hope to be. “It’s nice to meet you, too. You’re born in ninety-seven, aren’t you? I’m ninety-five, so you can call me hyung.”

Jungkook was a little overwhelmed by the other’s open personality but stayed polite. “Okay, hyung.”

“Oh!” Taehyung eyes lit up as he caught sight of Jungkook’s phone, “You like Jung Minhyung, too? His paintings are amazing!”

Blinking in surprise, Jungkook glanced down at his phone in his hands and saw that he had stopped on a post of a painting. He recalled seeing this painting a couple of times before, but it had been in a mass post of works by the artist so he didn’t know the specific details about it.

It was a painting from the perspective of someone standing at the bottom of a mountain, looking up towards the top where the bright, glowing sun peeked over and lit up the sky in a fade of pink and orange and yellow.

“Um, yeah, I always thought his attention to detail was incredible,” Jungkook admitted shyly.

Taehyung shuffled closer and leaned in to point at specifics on the painting. “This one is one of my favorites because of the visible texture of the paint on the canvas. What’s the painting called again? I can never remember.”

Jungkook was curious about that as well and so he scrolled down a little bit so they could see the caption of the painting.

“’The Seventh Beginning’ represents the feeling of defeat we feel when trying to chase our dreams and find many hurdles in our way. The process of achieving one’s dream is rough and rocky, like the mountainous landscape depicted in the painting, but hard work eventually pays off and there are accomplishments and happiness awaiting at the top.”

After reading it, Jungkook turned to Taehyung and asked, “You like art?”

Taehyung smiled at him, “Yeah, it’s so interesting! I also like photography.”

Jungkook was pleased and kind of excited that the other was into similar things to him. Namjoon was probably the only one of the hyungs who was vocal about his interest in art, but no one else really got the same enjoyment out of it as Jungkook seemed to. Now, with this new member, he already had a lot more in common.

“Me, too,” Jungkook said quietly.

Taehyung really looked at him and took in his shy demeanor. He couldn’t help but find this boy adorable with his cute nose and big eyes. “There’s a photography exhibition next week a few blocks away from here. Maybe we could go together.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened in immediate fear, “Aren’t photography exhibitions usually pretty...high class?”

“Not this one,” Taehyung assured, “It’s casual. A few of the SNU students are putting it together. They gave me a flyer for it yesterday.”

For the few months that Jungkook had been in Seoul, living in BigHit dorms, he hadn’t once gone out to do something fun. He slept, ate, went to school, and went to the company building to practice. Then he’d repeat it all the next day. Occasionally, the members would all go out for dinner when they could afford it but that was the extent of his “fun”. Jungkook hadn’t even gotten close to anyone else at school or even any of the other trainees he saw on a regular basis. He was too focused on debuting and was frankly too shy to make friends. He always had been.

So, he surprised himself when he agreed to the outing with Taehyung. “That sounds...fun. I’d like that.”

And even though Taehyung had been smiling practically through their entire first meeting, the boy broke into a grin at Jungkook’s answer that lit up the whole room. Jungkook was only a little bit mesmerized by the beauty and contagiousness of it.

Jungkook reopened his eyes as the memory came to an end. “Hey, hyung?”

Taehyung hummed and the maknae could feel the vibrations of it in his chest.

“What do you think about this “seven” thing?”

Taehyung’s hand paused it’s soothing motions on the maknae’s back for just one moment before it resumed its pacifying touches. Jungkook caught it though, caught the little hiccup in his hyung’s movements.

The maknae lifted his head up to look at Taehyung with furrowed brows, “What?”

“Nothing,” the older man replied, giving a very convincing smile. “I, uh, I guess I believe it.”

“Really?” Jungkook replied, before continuing, “Wait, on second thought, this is you we’re talking about, I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Taehyung pinched him in the side with his free hand in reprimand but smiled, “Do you believe it?”

“That seven is some magical number for us?” Jungkook said before biting his lip. “Yeah, I do. I was just thinking about when we first met and that painting we were looking at-”

“-Was called The Seventh Beginning,” Taehyung finished for him. “I remember.”

Jungkook frowned at him, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “You know, whenever the group talks about it, you’re always really quiet. That’s not like you.”

The older man’s nonchalant facade slipped enough for the maknae to see that familiar look on his face. It was the same expression Taehyung had when they were younger and got caught doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing, whether that be sneaking out of the dorm past curfew or smuggling in sweets or just plain goofing off.

“Do you...know something?” Jungkook asked, confused by his hyung’s reaction.

Taehyung just looked at him for a minute, biting the inside of his cheek in thought. Then, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak-

“Babies! I’m here!”

Jimin burst through Jungkook’s bedroom door, in sweats and t-shirt, and his hair wet from a shower.

“Jiminie!” Taehyung exclaimed, turning his immediate attention towards his other boyfriend. “Wait, why are you still awake? It’s like three in the morning.”

Jungkook watched Taehyung with a thoughtful sigh. The older man had obviously taken Jimin’s appearance as a way to get out of their conversation, but Jungkook let it slide. For now, at least.

“Well, I could ask you the same thing,” Jimin countered as he walked over to the bed and unceremoniously dropped himself in between the two of them. “How about we just cuddle and sleep instead of talking. We all need the rest.”

The three of them shared gentle kisses and Jungkook reluctantly leaned over to turn off the light for the night. As they snuggled together and the other two’s breathing quickly evened out, Jungkook couldn’t help but wonder why Taehyung had been acting so strange about their lucky number seven.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

A/N: So I’m just starting to write the rough draft for the final chapter and as stated in the tags I’m writing some OT7 smut ;) Let me know which pairings you’d like to see specifically and what you’d like to see from them and I will do my best to incorporate them.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

8 notes · View notes

inevitably-johnlocked · 5 years

Note

Hey! Will go on a 10-day trip soon and I was thinking i would like to save some fics just in case i don t have data over there. Share some longer stories? (also really loving your blog, million heart emojis from me)

Hi Nonny!

Oh gosh, that’s exciting!! I love long trips! And lucky for you I LOVE long fics, because they’re perfect for a long trip! (that and I have SO MANY FICS for 20 to 25 and 25 to 50 that I had to choose one or the other for you, LOL).

Lucky for you I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to share that very list!! BUT if you prefer some longer fics, check out these past lists I made:

Top 20 Fave 40K+ w. Fics (April 2017)

Novel Length Fics: 50 to 100K (Nov. 2018)

Novel Length Fics: 100K+ w. (May 2019)

Smut-Free Fics Over 50K (Aug. 2019)

Otherwise, I think these fics will be perfect for your trip! And as always, I sort them by length so if you want longer fics, check out the bottom of the list and work your way up, or just want something that will last you a plane ride or a day of relaxation, check out the top to bottom!

—–

NOVELLA-LENGTH FICS: 25 to 50K w. (Aug 2019)

Among the Secret Things by Kate_Lear for coloredink (E, 26,073 w., 14 Ch. || Angst, Drama, Amnesia) – Sherlock would be the last person to describe himself as given to flights of fancy, but at the look on Lestrade’s face he could swear that something inside him curls up and dies. Part 1 of Among the Secret Things

Dropping the Act by jadztone (T, 27,258 w., 10 Ch. || Parentlock, Fake Relationship, Mary’s Family, Post-S4, Cuddling & Snuggling, Bed Sharing, Pining, Christmas) – Sherlock and John are quite happy living together with Rosie in Baker St. They might be even happier if they didn’t act towards each other like their love is only platonic. Mycroft brings troubling news in the form of Mary’s parents wanting to know just what their grandchild’s home life is like. The boys decide to spend Christmas pretending like they are in love in order to seem more like a "normal" family. It's easy enough to pretend when all you're doing is dropping the act.

And A Doctor by StillWaters1 (T, 27,393 w., 6 Ch. || Friendship, Doctor John, Whump, Soldier / Doctor Dichotomy, Five and One) – It was only when people actually saw John working as a physician that they began to understand: that it wasn't just about bullets and IEDs and trauma care under fire. That "doctor" actually covered a pretty wide field. And that John was bloody good at covering ground. 5 times Dr. Watson treated others and 1 time he treated himself.

Don't Leave Anything Out by lookupkate (E, 27,422 w., 24 Ch. || Letters / Epistolary, Misunderstandings, Angst, Happy Ending, Alternate Meeting, Sherlock in Love, Pining Sherlock) – The first letter John writes home from Afghanistan is meant to go to a woman he went on only one date with. How it ends up in Sherlock's hands is completely innocent. What happens next is not. What do you do when you find out the person you're in love with has been lying about something as monumental as who they are? What do you do when you're the one who lied?How on earth do you put the pieces back together?

Vena Cava by SilentAuror (E, 27,452, 1 Ch. || H/C, Infidelity, Angst, HLV Fix-It, Romance) – Sherlock has been shot in the chest; John has been shot in the heart. Though everything is broken, they do their best to heal the wounds that Mary left on them both.

Trust Me, Trust Nobody by BlueMoonOnTheRise (T, 27,751 w., 10 Ch. || Kidnapping, Friendship / No Slash, Adventure, Trust Issues) – Whatever he told Mycroft, John trusted Sherlock almost instantly. When a new case shows up - smattered with the usual thrill of danger, death and cool logic - such trust ends up pushed to its very limits...

26 Pieces by Lanning (E, 28,236 w., 1 Ch. || H/C, Torture, First Time, Happy Ending, Schmoop) – Mycroft gives Sherlock the apparently simple task of solving a puzzle box containing a stolen microchip. It isn't simple.

Silhouettes by allonsys_girl (E, 28,585 w., 7 Ch. || Canon Compliant, POV John, Heavy Drinking, Sad/Depressed John, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Reunion, Foot Jobs, Blow Jobs, Infidelity, Cheating, Drug Use/Abuse, Anal, Switchlock, Rimming, Parentlock) – Sherlock and John find comfort in each other's arms, but as ever with these two, it's not your typical relationship. It's fluffy at the beginning, gets deeply angsty in the middle, gets porny at the end.

Hellfire by testosterone_tea (E, 28,596 w., 9 Ch. || Fantasy / Magic / Mages / Elementals AU || Mage Sherlock, Elemental John, Developing Relationship, Torture, Powerful / BAMF John, POV Alternating, Dark / Blood Magic, UST, First Kiss) – Sherlock is a Mage that gets involved with a case involving Dark Summoning rituals, leading him to John Watson, a man with Berserker blood. The only thing is, Berserkers have been extinct for centuries. And of course, nothing involving Mycroft and his interfering ways is ever simple. This time, even Sherlock may have bitten off more than he can chew.

An Experiment in Apathy Series by belovedmuerto (G to E, 28,701 w. across 13 stories || Empath John, Empath-by-Proxy Sherlock, Epic Bromance Becomes Romance, Angst, Nightmares, Experiments, Trauma, Dreams) – "No man is an island, John. You less so than most." A sequel to the EiE Series, wherein John and Sherlock explore their relationship.

To be Loved by You by TwisterMelody (M, 28,775 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, H/C, Friends to Lovers, Post-HLV, Infidelity, Character Death) – Too many times they had confessed themselves in the darkness, leaving it there, never to speak of it again. But this is different. This love deserves the light of day.

To Mend Icarus by AlessNox (T, 29,186 w., 14 Ch. || Post-TRF, Friendship, Drama, BAMF!John, Emotional Turmoil, Introspection, Harry is in this Fic, Angry John, Happy Ending, Queerplatonic Relationship) – After a case lands John Watson in court, he tells Sherlock that he is leaving. Not understanding why, Sherlock decides that the only way to learn the truth is to investigate his flatmate, Dr. John Watson. A revision of the story Mending Icarus.

The Wisteria Tree by SilentAuror (E, 29,773 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S3, Emotional Love Making, Amnesia/Memory Loss, Sherlock Loves John So Much, Sherlock POV, Romance, Angst with Happy Ending, First Times, Hurt/Comfort, Est. Rel., Retirement) – Sherlock wakes up from a month-long coma only to discover that he has no memory of the previous six years to his own shock as well as John's...

M Is For Moriarty by ElvendorkInfinity (T, 29,882 w., 12 Ch. || Suspense, Mystery, Case Fic, Worried Sherlock, No Slash, Whump) – A figure at the end of the hospital bed; a needle in the dark...Moriarty has John, and Sherlock must follow the paper trail through London to find him before time runs out. Sequel to BANG.

"finally kiss the bloody idiot" by Salambo06 (E, 29,812 w., 13 Ch. || Mutual Pining, Declarations of Love, First Kiss / Time, Angst, Misunderstandings, Fantasies POV John) – Inspired by a fic idea on tumblr : "John and Sherlock know the Yard has a pool going for when they’re finally going to get together. It’s been running forever, and it’s worth thousands of pounds. It’s all fun and games, hahaha, until they find out Lestrade is in dire financial straits (dog needs emergency surgery, he’s putting his kid through gymnastics training, I don’t know, something), and they decide to fake a relationship to win the pool for him. Sherlock figures out the day and way that Lestrade thinks it’s going to happen, and they act it out. It’s all for a good cause, fake relationship style, until it’s not." Part 1 of The Pool

Another Auld Lang Syne by DiscordantWords (M, 30,234 w., 31 Ch. || Post S4, Mutual Pining, Alternating POV, Introspection, Parentlock, Christmas, New Year’s, First Kiss, Past Drug Use, Angst with Happy Ending, Drinking, Sherlock Whump) – There had been years of missed chances.

Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles an Hour by what_alchemy (E, 30,568 w., 5 Ch. || Fake Rel., Roadtrips, Slow Burn) – “You love your mother, Sherlock?” John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk.“Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.”

The Kissing Disease by cottonballz_of_death (E, 30,856 w., 15 Ch. || Sick Fic, Angst with Happy Ending, Case Fic, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Jealous Sherlock, Body Image Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional H/C, POV Sherlock, Oral / Anal, Thong, Frottage) – John brings home a boyfriend, shocking Sherlock, who long ago gave up hope that his straight flatmate would ever take a romantic interest in him. In a bid to reconnect with John, he tries to infect himself with a "harmless" virus. Neither of them is prepared for the emotional fallout that results.

An Acquired Taste by kinklock (E, 31,059 w., 4 Ch. || Vampires AU || Vampire Sherlock, Misunderstandings, Bat!Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Humour, Magical Realism, Fluff and Angst, Blood Drinking, Holmes Family, Slow Burn) – At Montague Street when Sherlock was forced to sate his body’s needs, he was at least able to wander about the flat as much as he pleased. At Baker Street, it was mini-bags in a mini-fridge and bedroom confinement.

Shallow Grave by SilentAuror (E, 31,672 w., 1 Ch. || Romance, Angst, HLV Fix It, Infidelity, Pining Sherlock, First Person POV Sherlock) – Starts as Sherlock's plane is taking off at the end of His Last Vow. When he finds out that Moriarty is alive and that he's being recalled from his mission, Sherlock decides that he should have told John how he felt before he left. So he walks off the plane and kisses him.

Love or What You Will by miss_frankenstein (T, 31,987 w., 11 Ch. || College/Uni AU || Professor John, Ph.D Student Sherlock, Pining John, Poetry, Falling in Love / Slow Burn, Light Angst, Happy Ending) – John is an English professor who specializes in War and Post-War Literature and Sherlock is the brilliant yet impossible Ph.D. student assigned to be his TA because no one in the Chemistry Department is willing to put up with him. And - somewhere between Waugh and Plath, e-mails and takeaway, novels and villanelles - they fall in love.

Here Comes The Sun by JennLynn77 (E, 32,126 w., 15 Ch. || Post S4/TFP, John Whump, Caring Sherlock, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Emotional Sex, First Time, Virgin Sherlock, Switchlock, Cuddling/Snuggling, Surgery/Injury Recovery, Endearments, Anal, Hand Jobs, Porn with Feels) – John suffers an injury and needs surgery. Sherlock, and those around him, help John recover. Along the way, John and Sherlock realise what they mean to each other, and what they've had together all this time.

The Midas Touch by flawedamythyst (E, 32,231 w., 1 Ch. || Magical Realism, John has a Magical Cock, Dub Con, Healer John) – John Watson has a medical condition that means everyone he sleeps with is instantly healed of all illness and injury. This causes complications when Sherlock breaks his arm, and even more complications when Sherlock falls in love with him. Yes, this is a story where John has a literal magic healing cock. It's a lot less cracky than you're probably imagining. Warning: Contains complex issues of sexual consent, although not between Sherlock and John.

Five Times They Kissed for a Case, and One Time They Kissed for Real by fleetwood_mouse (M, 32,406 w., 6 Ch. || 5+1, Slow Burn, Fluff / Angst, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers) – A stolen ring! An artful blogger! And many more adventures for your enjoyment.

A Study In Auto-Signatures, Sniper Dolphins, and Sex Holidays by cwb (E, 32,690 w., 8 Ch. || Case Fic, Post S3, Evil Mary, Dev. Rel., Honeymoon, Epistolary, Bottomlock, First Kiss / Time, Fluff, Secret Agents, BAMF!John) – John and Mary go on their sex holiday, and Sherlock is grumpy and pining about it. Part 1 of HOT DOLPHIN SEX

a good old-fashioned happy ending by darcylindbergh (E, 32,731 w., 26 Ch. || Christmas, Frottage, Comfort, Est. Rel., Fluff, Insecure Sherlock) – For Christmas this year, Sherlock wants to get John something special: something every fairytale deserves. Part 2 of things fairy tales are made of

Our Enthusiasms Which Cannot Always Be Explained by withoutawish (M, 32,961 w., 1 Ch. || Christmas, Fluff and Angst, H/C, Post-TRF, Case Fic, Mild Gore, Sherlock Whump) – The list that is tacked haphazardly on the refrigerator of 221B reads, ‘Kidney(s), and/or a full cadaver (preferably male, late 30s, under six feet tall), bag of fresh toes, sixteen cow’s eyes (corneas retained), dual exhaust hand –held flame thrower, an unopened first edition copy of Joseph Conrad’s 'Heart of Darkness', and no less than ten abhorrently gruesome murders in the upcoming month.” The one neatly hanging next to it simply reads, “Sex.” One of these lists is not John Watson’s. If John Watson were to put what he really wanted in list form, to live in a land somewhere beyond ‘almosts' now that Sherlock Holmes has indeed returned to him, he would never be able to look his flatmate in the eye ever again.

Chaperones by MissDavis (T, 34,114 w., 7 Ch. || 11 Years Post-S4, Fake Relationship, Parentlock, Disney World, Bed / Room Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, First Kiss, Obsessive Sherlock, Insecure John) – Right. Of course. Everyone assumed they were a couple and no one would question it. John put his elbows up on the table so he could rest his head in his hands. "You want to pretend to be a couple so we can chaperone a trip to Disney World with Rosie's class and you won't have to share a room with a stranger?" "Exactly." Sherlock beamed at him. "Don't worry about the cost. The Birmingham case last month paid more than enough to cover expenses for all three of us."

Pater Noster by SilentAuror (E, 34,256 w., 2 Ch. || Case Fic, HLV+, Family Trauma, Sherlock POV, Villain Mary) – During the autumn that John is staying at Baker Street again after Sherlock was shot, he ruminates over the similarity between Sherlock's shot and the one that killed his father when he was fifteen. Cold case meets series 3 fix-it. Part I takes place entirely within His Last Vow, Part II takes place starting at the end of HLV and continues after.

Bedtime Stories by Liketheriver (M, 34,388 w., 1 Ch. || Emotional H/C, Romance, Angst & Humour, Bed Sharing, John First Person, TRF, John Whump) – John's POV during Season 2 and beyond when Sherlock takes up semi-permanent residence in his bed. A collection of codas and missing scenes wrapped up into one long fic and topped with a bow that takes the story beyond Reichenbach and into happy territory once more. Part 1 of Bedtime Universe

carrying up his morning tea by darcylindbergh (E, 34,504 w., 5 Ch. || Post S3, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Wakes/Funerals, Estranged John, Pining Sherlock, Depression/Insecurity, Slow Burn, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Chronic Pain/Injury, Reconciliation, Awkwardness, Loneliness, Scars, Heavy Angst With Happy Ending) – His fingers tremble as he dials and he can’t force them steady. Familiar number, even though he hasn’t used it in two years. He isn’t even sure he should be calling it now, but she’d asked. She’d made him promise.

Inexplicable by emmagrant01 (E, 34,664 w., 6 Ch. || Body Swap, TSo3, Magical Realism / Artifacts, Infidelity, Angst) – So what was in that matchbox, anyway? John and Sherlock find out, the hard way.

Where Else Would I Be? by cwb (E, 34,910 w., 10 Ch. || Retirementlock, Domestic Fluff, Falling in Love, Parentlock, Fluff and Smut, Reminiscing) – John and Sherlock's five-year-old granddaughter spends the weekend with them in Sussex. Sherlock happily indulges her whims, and John takes care of them while quietly revisiting the past thirty years of their lives together.

The Yellow Poppies by SilentAuror (E, 34,952 w., 1 Ch. || H/C, Nightmares, HLV Fix-It, PTSD, Trauma, POV Sherlock, Doctor John) – Sherlock is threatened and assaulted in the hospital immediately after having been shot in the heart, first by Mary, then by Magnussen. As he recovers at Baker Street with John and plans the attack on Appledore with Mycroft, he fights to work through the trauma caused by these two visits. Set during His Last Vow.

LHR-HNL by scullyseviltwin (E, 35,066 w., 7 Ch. || Hawaiian Vacation, Post-TRF, Friends To Lovers, Slow Burn, Just Talk Already, Drinking, Mutual Pining) – In need of an endangered flora sample, Sherlock and John must make a trip to an unexpected destination.

That Partitioning of the Things of Youth by wearitcounts (E, 35,353 w., 7 Ch. || Humour and Angst, Post-TRF, Fake Relationship, UST / RST, Friends to Lovers, Jealous John) – Victor Trevor is in town, and nobody's happy.

The Wrong Wagon by DancingGrimm (E, 35,663 w., 20 Ch. || Alternating POV, Molly x John [Molly pines for John], Public Sex, Casual Sex, Obliviousness, BAMF!John, Awkwardness, Angst & Humour, First Time, Virgin Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock) – Molly sees John in a new light and realises that she may have hitched her horse to the wrong wagon...or something like that. John pines for Sherlock and worries what he will think if he ever finds out. And Sherlock doesn't know what Molly's up to...but he knows he doesn't like it.

Classified(s) by blueink3 (E, 36,153 w., 4 Ch. || Wedding Date AU || Fake Relationship, Jealous, PIning, H/C, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending, Mary is not Nice) – Clara's American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger. See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she's also best friends with John’s ex-fiancée. Whom she's placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor. And John just happens to be Best Man. Bloody brilliant.

The Boy Who Drank Stars by kinklock (E, 36,157 w., 4 Ch. || Howl’s Moving Castle AU || Witches and Wizards, Slow Burn, Magic, Jealous John, Happy Ending, Bed Sharing) – “I’m looking for a castle,” John informed the scarecrow. “A moving one.”Except that, as it turned out, it was not a moving one at all.

we have never seen a greater day than this by Lediona (T, 36,420 w., 7 Ch. || A Royal Night Out AU || WWII / VE Day, Prince Sherlock, Soldier John, Alternating POV, First Kiss, Bittersweet Ending, Homophobia, Dancing) – Peace. At long last. It’s VE Day and Prince William desires to join the celebrations. It is a night of excitement, danger and the first flutters of romance.

Malediction by MapleleafCameo (M, 36,680 w., 11 Ch. || Ladyhawke AU || Magical Realism, Romance, Curses, Eventual Happy Ending) – Cursed to a half-life, John and Sherlock must fight the forces of evil to be reunited once again.

Nothing to Make a Song About by emmagrant01 (E, 36,833 w., 10 Ch. || Post-TRF, First Time, Reunion, Jealous John, Pining Sherlock, Romance, Angst with Happy Ending) – When Sherlock returned from his faked death, John could not forgive him for the deception and broke off their friendship. Ten years later, John returns to London in search of yet another new beginning. Sherlock, not surprisingly, is waiting.

A Promise Made to Be Broken by PlantsAreNeat (E, 37,018 w., 7 Ch. || Fake Relationship, Pining, Slow Burn, RST, Eventual Relationship, POV Sherlock) – A young John makes an ‘if we’re still single at 40, we’ll get together’ pledge to a woman who ends up all wrong for him. She keeps reminding him of the promise, and won't let go of it. John asks Sherlock to pose as his boyfriend at a family wedding, so as to dash her hopes permanently. Sherlock, who has at last acknowledged his feelings for John, reluctantly agrees despite knowing how painful it will be to ‘have’ John, but not keep him.

The Unfinished Letters by SilentAuror (E, 37,391 w. , 1 Ch.|| Post S3 / S3 / HLV Fix it, Angst with Happy Ending, Romance, Infidelity, Depression, Case Fic, POV Third Person Sherlock, Love Confessions, Pining Sherlock, Letters) – A fire at Baker Street leads John to read something he was never intended to see: a notebook of half-written, unfinished letters Sherlock wrote during his time away...

Turn Left at the Park by Glenmore (NR (E), 37,409 w., 28 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting / ASiP Divergence, Case Fic, Depression, Suicidal Ideation, Loneliness, No Mary, Possessive Sherlock, Fluff & Angst, Nightmares/PTSD, Sherlock Saves John, Sherlock Whump-ish, Doctor John) – So what would have happened if John hadn't walked through the park and met Stamford?What if, instead, he walked around the park and just went home?

Goodness Gives Extras by mydwynter (E, 39,629 w., 6 Ch. || Fluff & Angst, Case Fic, Oral / Anal, Humour, First Time, Miscommunication, Snark, Christmas) – Christmas time. 'Tis the season to settle down with a drink, some food and a present or two, and to enjoy the quiet relaxation of the holiday. Instead, there's a case that drags them all over, missing presents, disappointed kids, angry parents, and a freak snowfall. On top of that John has to deal with Sherlock, who is being even more of a prat than usual. He really shouldn't have expected anything different.

Act IV by SilentAuror (E, 39,707 w., 1 Ch. || First Person POV Sherlock, HLV Fix-It, Indifelity, Angst, Drama) – After Sherlock is shot, John moves back into Baker Street. They spend the autumn together as John tries to make sense of his life and make some important decisions about both Mary and Sherlock. Canon-compliant, excerpts from His Last Vow.

A Week is Just Seven Days Isn't It? by scifigrl47 (T, 39,906 w., 4 Ch. || Humour, Friendship/Bromance, Stroppy/Bored Sherlock, Undercover/Army John, Texting, Pining-ish Sherlock, John Whump) – When John heads overseas for a week, Sherlock's forced to fend for himself. It goes about as well as anyone could have anticipated. Which is to say, very, very poorly. Don't worry, things'll be fine in just seven days.

(Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea by DiscordantWords (M, 39,968 w., 7 Ch. || Post S4 Fix It || Grief / Mourning, Victor Trevor, Friendship, Sherlock is Not Okay, Nightmares/Flashbacks/Panic Attacks, Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, John Comes Home) – Baker Street is very much the same. Only different. And Sherlock is just trying not to drown.

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

The Curious Adventure of the Drs. Watson by ShinySherlock (M, 40,883 w., 14 Ch. || BBC & ACD Fusion || Victorianlock, Time Travel / Magical Realism, Friends to Lovers, Love and Kissing, Romance, Body Swap) – What if ACD Watson and BBC Watson switched places... “Imposter!” Hands clenching the lapels of John’s coat, Holmes shoved him anew. “Yes!” John agreed, nodding, and then grimacing. “Sort of!”

There's Someone On Your Shoulder by halloa_what_is_this (NR, 41,215 w., 6 Ch. || Pining Sherlock, Introspection, Daydreams, Sherlock Loves John So Much it Hurts) – Sherlock trips and falls head over heels in love, makes a lot of lists and stares, stares, stares.

The Semantics of Crop Circle Formation: a case study by Sherlock Holmes [unpublished] bycanolacrush (M, 41,710 w., 9 Ch. || Sherlock POV, Aliens, Wordplay, Casefic) – “Look at these photographs,” I said, gesturing to the wall of crop circles. “What do you observe?”“Crop circles,” John replied.“Obvious. What else?”“Are…are those intestines surrounding them?” “Yes. The majority are bovine and ovine in origin. The farmers who have acquired these crop circles in their fields have also had a tenth of their livestock murdered and arranged thus.” “Why?” John said, presumably in a rhetorical fashion. I detest rhetorical questions. “That is what I must find out, John.”

Resistivity and Relative Charge by liriodendron (E, 41,770 w., 8 Ch. || Synesthesia, Angst, Case Fic, Romance, Est. Rel., Homophobia, Religious Content, Victor Trevor, Mild Jealous John, Mild John Whump) – In which Sherlock Holmes meets an old acquaintance, John Watson doesn't enjoy a trip to the country quite as much as he thought he would, and the past absolutely refuses to stay where it belongs. Part 3 of Conductivity

Right Hand Man by SilentAuror (E, 42,031 w., 4 Ch. || H/C, Injury, Slow Burn, Infidelity, Mary is Not Nice) – When John's left arm becomes paralysed after a car accident, Mary asks Sherlock to take him back to Baker Street to recuperate, as she's about to give birth. Despite the fact that the search for Moriarty is ongoing, Sherlock takes John in and takes responsibility for overseeing his rehabilitation as he adjusts to the loss of his arm.

In the Still of the Night by SilentAuror (E, 42,234 w., 1 Ch. || S4 Fix It / Post-S4, Sherlock POV, Angst, Drama, Romance, Virgin Sherlock, Awkwardness, Misunderstandings / Miscommunications, Case Fic, Travelling, Pining) – As locals on the Northeastern coast begin to report UFO sightings, life at Baker Street becomes significantly awkward as John brings up his desire for more than friendship and Sherlock refuses him. They embark on the investigation from the confines of the tiny cottage Mycroft has rented for them, attempting to navigate both the clues of the case as well as their own inability to communicate...

Guidelines by WithLoweredVoices (M, 43,018 w., 15 Ch. || Winglock || Angels, Fantasy, Angst, BAMF! John, War, Jealous Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Jealous John, Falling in Various Ways, Needy Sherlock) – The Good Soldier, one of the oldest and strongest of the fallen, is offered a bargain: to live as John Watson and to Guide a fledgling archangel so that he will stay on the path of good. Of course, Sherlock Holmes has different ideas about his destiny. Fantasy AU. Warnings for violence, occasional gore, and a whole load of hurt and angst.

Bloody But Unbowed by BeautifulFiction (E, 43,211 w., 8 Ch. || Abduction, John Whump, Mild Torture, Background Case Fic, Friends to Lovers, Post-TRF / S3 Rewrite, Hurt/Comfort) – When a familiar argument threatens to destroy the last remnants of John and Sherlock's failing friendship, both men are left questioning their worth to one another. Before either of them has the chance to make amends, circumstance intervenes. John is left at the mercy of his abductors, and this time, he's not sure Sherlock will bother coming to his rescue.

The Soul Remembers by i_ship_an_armada (E, 43,636 w., 10 Ch. || Oblivion AU || Post-Apocalypse, Movie Fusion, Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Angst, Dreams, Bittersweet Ending) – John Watson is the lone security repairman stationed on a desolate, nearly-ruined future Earth. His dreams are plagued by a tall, dark-haired man, and when his dreams meet reality, he will be forced to question everything he believes is the truth about his life.

The Case of the Vanishing Pants by SwissMiss (E, 44,025 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, Case Fic, UST, Homophobia, Friends to Lovers) – Five times John and Sherlock lost their pants in the course of a case.

Sentenced by SarahKnight (T, 44,777 w., 30 Ch. || Dev. Rel., Alternate S4 Canon, Drama, Angst, Pining, Feelings are Hard) – Virtual series 4 opener. Sherlock's in prison being targeted by a murderer, John's married to a pregnant assassin and Moriarty's back.

Left by lifeonmars (M, 45,153 w., 9 Ch. || Magical Realism) – John Watson is left-handed. He’s tried not to let it affect his life, but as any Lefty knows, that’s almost impossible.

The Real Great Perfumers by shelleysprometheus (E, 45,355 w., 68 Ch. || Case Fic, Alternating POV, Gay Sherlock / Bi John, Canon Compliant with Divergence at TRF, Friends to Lovers, Oral / Anal, Pining, First Kiss / Time, Dev. Rel., Drugging, Body Worship, Bathing, Love Confessions, Travelling, Bottomlock, Cranky Sherlock, BJ’s, Alternating POV, Jealous John) – The case, this case. This extraordinary, fascinating, scintillating case. A house. Designed entirely by its eccentric owner, built by no less than five hundred expert tradesmen in the heart of Marrakesh. A house that had, seemingly not only driven its owner out, but also to his quite unpleasant death. And a perfumer, a chemist no less, the very thought of the secrets that house could reveal, would reveal was irresistible. Sherlock had to have this case ... and it seems, he also had to have John! Part 1 of the Forethought and Fire series

Corpus Hominis by mycapeisplaid (E, 47,709 w., 12 Ch. || Casefic, Fluff, Romance, Frottage) - John knows the human body intimately. He’s had plenty of opportunity for study as a doctor, soldier, and lover. There’s one particular body, however, he knows very little about. When Sherlock launches himself head-first into a new obsession and they get sent on a case in an unlikely location, the pair discovers each other’s bodies with confusing yet delightful (and sometimes hilarious) results.

The Norwood Love Builders by flawedamythyst (T, 47,798 w., 9 Ch. || Fake Relationship, Slow Burn, Post TRF Angst) – Sherlock and John go undercover to solve the murder of Joanna Oldacre, but things are complicated by the many feelings John has been repressing in the wake of Sherlock's faked death and return.

The Pieces That Fall to Earth by Itsallfine (M, 49,513 w., 84 Ch. || S4 Fix-It, Epistolary, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Parentlock, Past Abuse, Coming Out, Questioning Sexuality, Mental Health Issues / Therapy, Angst, Happy Ending) – John and Sherlock have hit rock bottom, but with all their armor stripped away, they can finally speak honestly, seek healing, and find the truths that matter most.An epistolary post-s4 fix-it fic. Now complete.(This fic is rated T except for one very clearly marked and easily skippable chapter, which is rated M.) Part 1 of The Pieces that Fall to Earth

Holmes is where the heart is by Rose de Sharon (T, 49,636 w., 13 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Post-TRF, Reunion Fic, Bromance, Empty House Inspired, Adventure) – Three years after the Reichenbach Fall. On the anniversary of Sherlock's death, John pays a visit at 221 B Baker Street… and he gets the shock of his life.

Bedroom Tales by Junejuly15 (M, 49,950 w., 22 Ch. || Friends to Lovers, Through the Years, H/C, Military Kink, First Kiss / Time, Romance, Insecure Sherlock, Voyeurism, Post-TRF, Ficlets, Fluff and Angst, Fix-It Fics) – Bedroom Tales is a collection of John and Sherlock ficlets. They are set at various stages of their relationship and are in no particular order. Some are fluffy, some sexy, some angsty, there is hurt and comfort, romance and love. What unites them is that they all play in a bedroom, but not necessarily the one in 221B.

A Love with No Name Series by aceofhearts61 (M, 49,955 w. across 20 fics || Ace!Sherlock / Straight!John, Queerplatonic Relationship, Cuddling/Snuggling, Soulmates, Caretaking, Platonic Romance) – In which Asexual!Sherlock and Straight!John are platonically in love life partners.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #long fics #my fic recs #e-rated fics #Anonymous #long posts #25 to 50k words

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minimalexertion · 5 years

Text

Chapter 3

Lives Worth Saving

Chapter 3: Identifying the most Valuable People

Step 5 - Finding Valuable Lives

Every single character that displays the characteristics of a main character or important side character (e.g. strangely coloured/styled hair, overly-determined about a single goal, somehow inspires others because of that goal, makes everyone like them through actions etc.) will often have a tragic back story. However, you cannot save all of these lives. Some deaths are pivotal in the story to motivate other characters and drive them to accomplish things they would have never dreamed of.

The lives worth saving must tick off the following 5 requirements, known as 'The 5 Principles of Hasamelis':

Must have an important part in the story for the future;

Saving their lives will not, in anyway, impact the progress of the characters around them;

Their existence must contribute to the better good of the collective;

If a villain, they have shown remorse and/or guilt for their previous actions; and

The dimension traveller must not have, in anyway, have saved their lives because they were important to the traveller on a personal level.

Once the person has ticked off all 5 requirements, they are deemed as a 'salvum hominem' and their lives are now under your protection.

Handy Tip #7: Although we love redemption arcs, some villains will not be able to experience this despite your best efforts to push them in that direction. It is better to finish them where they are instead of wasting time listening to their tragic backstory.

Handy Tip #8: Try not get too attached to characters, which will hinder your abilities to perform this step. Instead, try to become friends with the characters that have a 90% ~ 100% chance of surviving until the end of the story {see the character profiles given by your assigned protector eorum for more information}.

Handy Tip #9: If you know the name of the "show" in which the new dimension exists, then the chances are that the show is named after the main character.

Note: Even though the main character is important, it is very rare that they will die, so you do not need to worry about their lives as much as you need to.

Opening the door to the Hokage's office with a quiet, "Pardon my intrusion," You slipped through the door, only to come face to face with 5 'strangers'. Well, you could recognise everyone there, but how creepy would it be for someone (who you don't know) to approach you and suddenly say, "Hey, kid. You don't know me but I know you, and you're going to be a raging psychopath hell-bent on revenge which will get your ass whooped more times than you would like."

Yeah, definitely not creepy at all.

The Hokage seemed to brighten up at your appearance, whilst the other 5 (2 adults and 3 children) looked baffled at your arrival. "Ah, [f.name]! Nice of you to join us at last." The Hokage said, his smile kind and his voice gentle.

Your eyebrow twitched, "No offence, Gramps. But, you literally made me wait outside for 1 hour just so we could have a a dramatic entrance where they'll think that I'm cool, so we'll all get along." You shot back snidely, the smirk dancing on your lips the only indication that it was a jest. Walking right up to the Hokage, punching his shoulder gently as a greeting (which would hopefully defuse the sudden appearance of strange tension in the room). The Hokage only shook his head, chuckling, as the adult with a scar across the bridge of his noise completely lost his mind.

'That man, I feel like I should know him. I knew I should've read those character profiles that 'stink-bag' [your 'guardian angel' was now currently demoted to insulting nicknames] gave me.' You thought, your eyes narrowed and finger scratching your chin as you stood there thinking about his face for a bit too long.

The familiar feeling of the Hokage's hand ruffling your [length] [colour] hair drew you back into the present, as he mockingly asked, "So, are you going to introduce yourself, [f.name]?"

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that." You replied, snapping back to reality. Turning your attention to the 3 kids and single adult in front of you, you quickly bowed, "I apologise for my rude behaviour. I am [f.name] [l.name], feel free to call me [f.name]. I hope we can all get along, like back in middle-school - not like any of you know what middle-school is. I just moved here a couple of weeks ago and I'm here for a good time, not a long time." You stood straight, a large smile on your face.

A small silence followed after your introduction, before the masked man with silver hair (which was, honestly, a little frightening at its apparent disregard for physics) waved, his one visible eye closed, and introduced himself, "I am Kakashi Hatake, your new teacher," He then gestured to the 3 kids, "And this is Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke. We're glad to have you on our team."

Your [colour] eyes scanned over a blond boy, a pinkette, and a gloomy dark-haired boy. I mean seriously, the third kid could probably suck out all the light in a room. Before dismissing them as some random 'side-characters', you jolted, a nervous sweat breaking out on the palms of your hands. When you heard the name Naruto, you could feel the remains of your soul attempting to escape. You were on the team. The team with the main character, which will also mean the team with the hardest work. You had a suspicion that the blond child was Naruto, but now you were sure.

Great, chances of surviving past the age of 15 is probably now dwindling in the single digits.

I narrowed my only visible eye at this [colour] haired girl. She didn't look like she was strong, but she wasn't weak either. I let out a resigned sigh as Naruto immediately thought that it would be a good idea to start rambling about his 'skills' and ambitions, even going as far as to shove his entire body into the poor girl's personal space. Feeling the beginning of what would be the 15th headache of the day, I quickly stepped in as I saw Naruto start to roll up his sleeves.

"I'm going to be the Hokage one day, believe it!"

"Sure, buddy. Don't know why you have to scream it into my face, but you do you, boo."

"You don't believe me, do ya?!"

"Uh, you asked me if I believed you and I said sure, so I have no idea what you are screaming about."

"I'll show you!"

"Uh... okay?"

Swiftly grabbing Naruto by the collar of his orange jumpsuit, I sigh quietly, shooting the new girl an apology over Naruto's constant yelling, "Sorry about Naruto, [f.name]."

She just shrugged carelessly, finger gunning as she replied with a, "It's cool. Kid must have not had a good support system if he says stuff like that. I get it," Before casually strolling out the doors.

'She knows something.'

The moment I had exited the room, I felt the tension in my shoulders disappear. About to walk outside to bask in the sunlight before it became dark, I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. Hearing the Hokage's eerie voice, I shuddered, "Ah. [f.name]. Leaving so soon? We're just about to discuss mission details."

Snapping to attention, I quickly replied with a frightened screech and a salute before making my way back into the office, palms sweaty, knees weak, and arms heavy, as I gulped at the forced smile on the Hokage's face. Closing the door quietly behind me, I let out a nervous laugh as I met Sakura's quizzical gaze.

Turning my attention back to the Hokage, I quickly caught the next sentence out of his mouth, which made my jaw drop to the floor, "You will all be bodyguards on this C-rank mission."

Now, I know I haven't seen any episodes of Naruto, but I did read the episode synopsis of the first 20 episodes, so I sure as hell know that this is going to be a hard time for me.

Sweating slightly, I heard Sakura ask, worry evident in her tone, "[f.name], are you okay? You look a little pale."

Gulping slightly, I decided this would be the best time to pretend I was a fortune teller and thus put my excellent acting skills to use. Swooning slightly, I let out a groan as my eyelids fluttered quickly. Sakura quickly grabbed me in an attempt to hold me upright while I grasped onto her, looking her right in her bright green eyes with my own wide [colour] eyes, before muttering urgently, "Mirrors are dangerous. There's no way out!" Before collapsing onto the floor and into Sakura's arms.

"Sensei!!"

Sakura's piercing shriek made me aware of the credibility of my acting skills, which was only further strengthened by Naruto also screaming, Kakashi looking into my blank eyes, and the sound of the chair screeching as the Hokage rushed to my side.

"[f.name], what's wrong?! Are you okay?" The Hokage asked, his voice panicked and urgent. "What do you mean mirrors are dangerous and there's no way out?"

I let my body slump weakly onto the floor, before looking at Sasuke. Weakly raising a finger, I pointed to him, much to his displeasure (which I didn't necessarily care for since I was reveling in the look of disgust on his face) and quietly croaked out, "You will die in the mirror maze, Sasuke Uchiha."

With Sasuke's black eyes widened in shock, I remained a steady eye contact with him as I slowly lowered my arm, before closing my eyes for a quick snooze. If I wanted this to be realistic and say I have an overpowered ability, then there has to be major drawbacks, and the only thing I can think of right now is falling asleep right after a 'prediction.'

Ignoring the exclamations of the people around me, I let myself take a 10 minute nap, and to be completely honest, after all the shit I have been through and the stuff I have yet to experience, I think I deserved it.

Step 6 - How to Gain Trust

Just be "honest" and hardworking. Have the type of personality that everyone likes to be around. But you must have a few believable flaws, such as never being on time, always forgetting to wear socks, never eating breakfast, bringing dishonour onto your family name, etc.

When this part is done, start to build a meaningful relationship with the people, remembering their likes and dislikes, important dates and people in their lives, and overall just being a really good friend.

Handy Tip #10: The quietest people are often the most interesting and easiest to get along with.

First impressions: 8 out of 10

Acting skills: 15 out of 10

Fortune telling abilities: 9 out of 10

Probability of survival: 43.49%

#wishful thinking volume i #naruto x reader #naruto various x reader #x reader #reader insert

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etaeternum · 6 years

Text

Quarrels

Bond of the Grey Ch 7 An unexpected meeting is called when the march returns to Skyhold.

Weeds flattened to the ground by the mass of soldiers on foot and horseback. Through the Exalted Plains, the expedition persevered. The Inquisition's massive army trekked almost uninterrupted through open land. Any enemy blocking the march met soldiers capable of eradicating them with minimal effort.

Like clockwork, at dusk they set camp and each morning camp broke with the same succinctness. Night after night, the armies traveled through the Dales to the Emprise du Lion. Tepid days and cool nights changed to a steady chill. The frigid climate took its toll, shortened daylight hours made for shorter days of marching. But the urge to stay warm and escape of the icy environment compelled everyone to move faster.

“So you’re telling me you have magical fragments of the enemy fused in your lung… and it’s not a big deal?” Alistair questioned, frustrated with Caoilainn's nonchalant attitude.

Caoilainn informed Alistair of her conversation with Philippa when she joined him for the evening, leaving the Wardens’ camp to join him in his tent. Her brow arched, annoyed with his question.

“It’s non-magical. And it’s nothing, Alistair,” she waved off his question and occupied herself with removing her outer layer of armor. “Philippa didn’t seem worried. She plans to meet with Fiona to discuss a ceremony to remove the red lyrium.”

“Oh!” Alistair’s arms rose in the air as he turned on his heels. Pacing, he looked to Caoilainn to accent key points of his speech. “Great. A ceremony. Done by the mage who miscalculated the power needed for her genius plan in the Arbor Wilds, meeting with the mage who accidentally trapped this red stuff in your body. That is a splendid idea.”

She pulled her tabard over her head and tossed it onto his cot. “Do you have something better?” Shaking her head, Caoilainn pressed him for an answer.

“Well, no.” He sighed, paces coming to a halt.

Patient steps carried her toward him. She took his hand into hers, her thumb rubbed the top of his palm. Her silvery-blue gaze soothed the worry in his hazel stare. “Look, Fiona saved my life. And I trust Philippa.”

“Uh-huh,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes as his shoulders relaxed. “You always trust these mages way too much, if you ask me.”

Her lips curved, an amused smile responding to his evaluation. “I didn’t ask, my King.” Caoilainn’s hand reached to his cheek and rested, appreciating the texture of his stubble on her palm. “But I’m glad to have you with me.”

Thoughts of their conversation lingered in Alistair’s mind. An explicit agreement for honesty, secrets known to be hazardous to their sanctum, Caoilainn gave Alistair what little detail Philippa shared. Displeased with the news, Alistair’s doubt and distrust of magic boiled. But in this case, Caoilainn’s stubbornness calmed him in its own way. Decisiveness recognized as confidence settled fears of the unknown; it reminded him what captivated him about her. Furthermore, Caoilainn's coughing fits subsided, nightmares disappeared, Philippa's potion did as promised.

Trotting side by side on horseback for significant portions of the march, and sharing the same tent each night, the royal couple’s openness placed value on shared time. Working to uplift one another rather than give up in despair to the dangers ahead. Arguments diminished, conflicts resolved with less effort and the renewed shared perspective strengthened their connection.

Communication found a different form for Nathaniel and Hale. Short, fiery spats often extinguished by fervid trysts, neither addressed the recurring themes of these incidents. Rather, when quarrels escalated in severity, yelling ensued, then the pair retreated. The two took turns backing out of conflict before either stated the truth of their concern.

“Said he bet I shot like a girl,” Hale reflected on an event in the alienage when she was a child. Nate and Hale walked through the snowy ground of the Emprise late in the evening. She invited Nathaniel to hunt with her with the rationale of catching larger prey. Bows in hand, the pair kept their senses tuned through the conversation.

Nate hummed, glancing at the proud huntress beaming at his side. Her story reminded him of a fond memory: an impromptu competition he had with an elven woman in the Marches long before his conscription to the Wardens. “Let me guess, you showed him how a girl can shoot.”

“Bet yer arse I did,” she stroked the smooth wood of her bow and plucked the newly strung cord. “Wanker didn’t ‘spect me to cut his time in half and split his arrow on the last shot.”

“I would’ve liked to have seen that.” Nate stepped over a snow-covered log, keeping his attention on Hale.

“So, what were you like as a kid?” Hale smiled to him and squinted her eyes before pondering aloud. “Lemme guess. A sweet, little noble boy- always did what yer da told you; never once even thought about breaking rules.”

“Hah, not quite,” Nate smirked at Hale’s projection of him as a child. The smile faded as he recalled aspects of his past. "The truth? I couldn’t do anything right in my father’s eyes. I did what he said most of the time. And when I broke rules, I suffered for it. He said all of it would make me a better man.” Unfocused, he stared ahead. “For the longest time I believed him....” Nate’s sentence trailed off.

Hale’s cheeks flushed, regretting the question she asked and the direction he took. She hurried to lighten the mood, “Well, I like the man you are now.” Nate’s eyebrows raised and his smirk returned, entertained and waiting to hear more of her approval. Face hot, Hale broke eye contact and held up her bow. “‘Least until you snap my bowstring and nearly break my new bow ‘cause yer boots are so damn heavy.”

Lips resuming their frown complimented his creased brow, the criticism irritated Nate. He almost demolished her bow when he packed that morning. Poor placement of her weapon led to the string breaking when the pressure of his foot forced it beyond its threshold. Nathaniel, known for his orderliness, had not expected Hale's things strewn about his floor. He took the weight off his foot before he splintered the entire weapon.

“If you didn’t leave your things on the floor of my tent when you go off with Damia, I wouldn’t step on them,” he snapped. Implied resentment seeped through his harsh tone. Hale’s jaw dropped as her cheeks remained red, now from anger. Annoyed with his own reaction, Nathaniel avoided her eyes.

Hale had left the tent while he slept, this time to bathe with Damia before the camp broke down. The two women found rinsing off in the icy water far more bearable together. When Nathaniel stepped on her weapon, it took little effort to deduce Hale’s whereabouts. If not hunting alone or in his company, Hale would only be with her close friend. The women’s friendship, in line with Hale’s brash nature, often became flirtatious and physical.

The quarrel escalated. Hale accused him of jealousy and Nate called out her inconsiderate behavior. A whispered argument transpired as both archers stayed attuned to the environment. Even their row would not warrant losing a kill, and a potential hearty meal that night.

True to their pattern, neither willing to ask when they neared the same underlying question: ‘why do you come back to me?’ This time Hale backed down, agreeing to remove her things when she departed from his tent. Not once did ending the intimate aspects of their relationship arise in conversation.

In one breath, the two stopped in unison. Form shifted, arrows nocked and loosed, and an august ram just within their sight taken down by their shots.

Days grew to weeks, and the land changed around them. Snow and sleet melted to soft earth, covered in fallen leaves. The Inquisition forces met little resistance as they reached the foothills of the Frostback Mountains. Filing into a narrow line, the trip back up the mountain range was tedious. Through valleys, they climbed to higher elevation until reaching Skyhold.

The colossal fortress, unmistakable amongst the mountains, dominated the landscape. Layers of stone, stacked and sealed with magical energy, Skyhold remained as breathtaking as always. Repairs completed, the stronghold provided security and asylum to refugees, and harbored its allies with care.

The grounds, filled well beyond capacity left Ferelden’s Royal Army, Highever soldiers and the Grey Wardens camped in the valley outside of the haven. Regardless, the soldiers valued a temporary home with a limitless supply of clean water and steady meals before returning to Ferelden. Surreal after so many weeks of travel, the comfort near the fortress welcomed them.

Provided a room within Skyhold’s walls, Alistair and Caoilainn made their way across the bridge and through the gatehouse. The calm welcome to the quiet stronghold did not last long. Hurried steps carried the Inquisitor down the stairs from the main hallway. The sight of a displeased elven woman approaching shocked the royal couple, since she had been in the ruins of the temple as the rest departed the Arbor Wilds.

The Inquisitor addressed Commander Rutherford. “I require a council meeting right away. You can rest later.” Alanna turned to face Alistair and Caoilainn. “Your majesties, if you would be so kind as to join us.” Alistair and Caoilainn shared a glance; Alanna's curt words lingered to carry those gathered up the steps.

The click of the door shutting behind brought the War Room's attention to Alanna. Cullen stood to her left, Morrigan to her right. Equipped with her board of notes, Josephine and Leliana stationed at the side of the table between them. Opposite the Inquisitor, Alistair and Caoilainn stayed side by side passing confused sideways glances to each other.

The Inquisitor addressed her Commander first. “Commander Rutherford, I know our losses were high. Tell me: what’s the damage?”

Cullen shifted on his tired feet and he looked to the War Table. Papers spread across the map, calculations, lists of names and letters littered the surface. Not among them: his notes from the most recent skirmish.

“Ah… yes. I am pleased to report we won the battle, Inquisitor. I have a rough estimate based on the bodies collected at the pyres and counting those on the march. However, I will need time to go over the data compared to the standing armies now.” Cullen held eye contact with Alanna, and tilted his head forward, brows raised. The pair communicated through the gaze.

“Thank you, Commander.” Her shoulders relaxed and her tone eased. “But I would appreciate any information you have now, even if it’s rough estimates.”

“Of course.” Cullen nodded, his lips hinting at a smile. It vanished as he straightened his posture, speaking to all the attendees of the meeting. “We made a significant dent in Corypheus’ forces before they retreated.”

“Then Corypheus is finished?” The scratching from Josephine’s quill halted. She looked to Cullen and the Inquisitor.

Before they could speak, another voice answered. “If Corypheus is wise, he will hide and rebuild before he attacks again.” Leliana, face obscured by her hood, responded to Josephine without making eye contact.

“Regardless, Cullen, how many did we lose?” Alanna redirected the conversation back to her original concern.

Cullen nodded and looked up, counting numbers in his head before giving his estimate. “It looks like we lost close to a quarter, including our allies. Your work with the sentinels kept that from growing larger.”

“Yes. I’m glad we managed.” Alanna stood straighter, regaining professionalism. She looked across the table to Caoilainn. Caoilainn’s eyes widened. “Warden Commander, I’m surprised to see you standing. Please, would you care to explain the mishap that occurred among your Wardens?”

Caoilainn gave a sideways glance to Alistair, seeking his support. Aware of the silence, she lowered her head to think. Hands clasped behind her, the pose provided comfort, a reflection of her leadership. She met Alanna’s stare and cleared her throat. “Yes, Inquisitor. Philippa must not have expected the strength of the enemy mages. We destroyed the demons without difficulty, but our mages didn’t have the magical power to sustain control over the enemy.”

“We realized this was a risk,” Alanna’s eyes squinted, studying the woman across from her. “And we decided if this occurred, the corrupted mages would be eliminated rather than saving them.”

“Correct.” Feet shifted, Caoilainn stood wider, her hands behind her clasped tighter. “We took them down with few casualties among my soldiers.”

“Not including yourself, evidently.” Alanna’s brow rose. The small elven woman seemed to grow taller, more intimidating as her posture straightened. She mirrored Caoilainn’s pose. “For a moment, many of us were under the false impression you died.”

The room remained silent. Brows furrowing, Caoilainn eyes narrowed as she interacted with Alanna. What is she getting at? Distrust encouraged a lifted chin; the Warden Commander gave the Inquisitor a cynical grin. “I’m sorry to disappoint, Inquisitor Lavellan. Is that a problem?” Caoilainn thought she could hear Alistair’s teeth grinding. His hand twitched at her question.

“Oh no,” Alanna’s voice softened, the words sounded sincere, but her stance maintained her stoicism. “But your army and yourself, Commander, could have compromised our mission. Your incident - fleeing your post from your army, mind you- besides the error of your mages impacted our losses. The Inquisition depends on every last one of our soldiers out there, putting their lives at risk for this battle.” Her hand pointed toward the courtyard where the Inquisition troops recuperated from their expedition.

“As my Wardens and I have done,” Caoilainn’s steeled gaze at Alanna darkened; her frown deepened.

Alistair chimed in. His voice a pleasant break from the tension between these women. He spoke to the room. “And let’s not forget about Ferelden and Highever armies, who, I will add, would not be here if not for my tenacious Queen. Isn’t that right, my dear?” He glanced at Caoilainn.

She read his body language, the use of words and inflection. Alistair was urging her to back down. Not happening. “If the Inquisitor does not see my contributions as substantial to her losses, I cannot change that. What are you suggesting as consequence, Inquisitor?” Caoilainn’s brow arched, prepared for Alanna to state her requirements.

“Leave,” Alanna’s arms unclasped and crossed her chest. “You and your Wardens are too unpredictable against Corypheus. We cannot afford the risks accompanied.”

The weight of the Inquisitor's dismissal hung heavy in the room. Baffled stares questioned her words and strong judgment of the Wardens. Wary of the distrust between Alanna and Caoilainn prior to the battle, no one questioned Alanna's decision. Josephine's lips squeezed tight as she took notes on the meeting.

The words hit Caoilainn with force, knocking the wind out of her. With a desperate glance to Morrigan, Caoilainn had a sudden awareness of the pounding of her heart and the clenching of her fist. Her jaw slacked for a split second before she regained her composure. “Inquisitor, we... have you thought this through? We can help in other ways. If Corypheus has some sort of archdemon-”

“‘Tis not an archdemon. Corypheus will not hide.” Morrigan responded to Caoilainn’s concerns, the witch's cool demeanor unaltered by the disagreement. “The Well held many voices and they speak to me now from across the ages. I know how to defeat the dragon. The beast, corrupted by red lyrium and Corypheus' pride, is our key. If we destroy the dragon, you may slay the Elder One.”

I thought you would help me. Gazing at Morrigan, Caoilainn’s hands fell limp at her sides. I’m not done here. A search for a cure to the Calling, a personal motivator for her involvement in the Inquisition’s campaign, now seemed a lost cause.

“If she goes, I go.” The King's hand brushed against his Queen’s; their fingers laced in subtle solidarity. With raised posture, a determined stance, Alistair made his announcement. His free hand lifted, rolling with his speech. “Though I would like to continue offering the help of my army, I am not willing to support an operation so unappreciative of those who offer allegiance. Particularly alliances willing to enter an enemy country and fight alongside old foes for your sake.”

“The Highever troops will return with me. It was part of my agreement with my brother.” Caoilainn steeled gaze resumed, despair faded to her authority.

“So be it.” The Inquisitor's hands came to lay flat on the table. She glanced to Morrigan before replying. The two nodded to each other. “Your troops may rest here before you leave. Thank you both for your time and efforts.”

You’ve got to be kidding me. Furrowed brows, mouth gaping, Caoilainn barked her response. “Our effort must not have been-”

Alistair gripped her hand tighter and interrupted. “What I think my Queen is trying to say is: ‘it was our pleasure.’ If the circumstances were different, we could have made a great team.” With a diplomatic bow of his head, he held up their clasped hands. “If our support is no longer required, we will leave you to your meeting.”

Alanna’s eyes wandered to the doorway, and she dipped her head the same direction, giving the couple permission to leave. Wordless, Caoilainn’s eyes wide, dumbfounded by the recent events; she followed Alistair’s guidance from the room.

Creaking, the door swung shut, dotted with a pointed click. Morrigan’s sophisticated lilt followed. Assuring her expertise, she informed Alanna. “Speak to me when you are ready, Inquisitor. In the meantime, I must aid my friend before she departs.”

The Witch of the Wilds took prompt leave, not waiting for permission. Whispers of the Well sensed the taint in Caoilainn and Alistair’s blood and spoke of a way to expel the sickness.

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popcornblotter · 7 years

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My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2017

Good news everyone! No need for intros here, let’s end the year on a high note shall we! Here, we, go!

#10

Writer/Director Sofia Coppola further proves her mastery of filmmaking with The Beguiled. A drama set in Virginia during the Civil War when a wounded Union soldier makes his way to an all girls school in the summer, the Headmistress and students wonder what to do with him, and subsequently find out how he affects their lives.

The biggest standout for me was the lighting and cinematography. Each shot is perfectly well framed as well as only using light sources that would be available in that setting. Candles, lanterns, and the sun brought this ambiance of uneasiness. The location of schoolhouse and it’s surroundings was marvelous as well, transporting you to an almost ethereal bayou of sorts.

Colin Farrell continues to impress as he furthers his career. Bringing an edge of quiet fear, seduction, and anger all within a 95 minute runtime.

I know this film was very divisive for comic book fans, and I can understand some of their qualms, but Justice League was just a heck of a lot of fun.

I loved the coming together of the team, as well exploring a bit into the newer character’s stories. Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa were the standout actors here.

I loved the humor, the interactions between the characters, and man did I love the scene when The Flash knew he was in trouble.

Despite it’s problems, the sometimes not great CGI, I still had fun, and would easily revisit this film again as it made me hopeful for what is to come from DC Films.

The first time I saw this movie, I wasn’t super crazy on it. Did I think it was funny? Yes, but something didn’t quite hit the first time. So after a second viewing, I grew to love this film. While the first Guardians is a little more straight forward, plot wise, stop the bad guys from doing this, and save the day. Guardians 2 is a little less structured, there isn’t a necessary Point A-Point B plot because most of this film is exploring familial relationships. Whether its Peter and his dad, Gamora and Nebula, or Yondu and Rocket. It brings forward the idea that your family doesn’t always have to be blood. And by the time this movie ends, I was a mess.

Blade Runner 2049 was a surprise for me this year. Mainly because I’ve never seen the original. I was curious, it looked cool, I’ve enjoyed director Denis Villeneuve’s work in the past, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

The way this film is shot is extraordinary. You could take any shot out of this film and have it be a painting on your wall. The sound was so booming and explosive it transported you to this neo-noir Los Angeles. The acting is superb as well, especially the chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas. You felt from the first scene they have that this is a couple who’ve known each other for a while.

My only nitpick with this film is a pro and a con, which is it’s pacing. This film moves much slower than a normal film does these days. It has a very slow pace, which I enjoyed for most of it, because it allowed you to soak in this world with so much to see and hear. But towards the end, when things start coming together, you expect for things to speed up, which they don’t. In that, its very realistic to a world that is far removed from ours. I’d just hoped it would’ve wrapped up a little faster.

Despite that nitpick, I loved this film, its great, and it is genuinely a great mystery that keeps you guessing until the end.

This past July, the web slinging, wall crawler returned to the MCU in a big way.

The biggest achievement of this movie is the cast that is multi-racial, extremely talented, and can make you laugh at a moments notice. Director Jon Watts was able to represent the population of New York with the characters they have, even changing the origins of some to fit the story.

Tom Holland is obviously the standout, being able to be funny, awkward, and charming all in one go. I just loved that we actually got a high school looking Spider-Man. Yes, I know Tom Holland is in his 20’s, but it’s all about what age you can play, not what age you are. Versus Maguire and Garfield, looking like they were both about start investing in 401k’s.

Michael Keaton as The Vulture does a great job, probably being the second best villain, behind Loki. He was able to make you understand where he was coming from and why he was doing what he was doing.

This is a big thumbs up for me that’ll have you laughing all the way through.

All I can say is cool, cool, cool. I’ve been a fan of writer/director Edgar Wright for a bit, and his films always have this top, fun layer that you can appreciate, but then there’s this emotional layer underneath that just hits it home, and Baby Driver is no exception.

Ansel Elgort plays Baby, a get away driver with tinnitus, so to drown out the ringing in his ears, he constantly plays music on old iPods. What comes out of this film is a rollicking good time with all of the great witty dialogue Wright is known for, along some of the best edited action I’ve seen in a film. Since we watch the film through Baby’s perspective, we’re constantly hearing the music he’s listening to, either loud, or droned out. But when the action kicks up, you can’t help but say wow as gunshots and hits are timed perfectly to soundtrack in Baby’s ears. And I’m just a nerd for that kind of stuff.

Ansel Elgort has charm coming out of his ears in this film, and makes you wonder how he isn’t swarmed by women everywhere he goes. You also have a great supporting cast in Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, Jamie Foxx, and a small role from Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

If you’re looking for an action flick with a twist check this one out.

With no surprise to myself, Marvel Studios gets another spot on this list with Thor: Ragnarok. I was immediately hooked into this new tone change from the first trailer. Marvel was finally going to let Chris Hemsworth do what he does best, and that’s be hysterical. I think the person to thank for that is New Zealand director, Taika Waititi, who’s known for wacky, off the cuff humor that works brilliantly.

I was hooked within the first minute when Thor is trapped in a cage, talking to someone about how he got there, and they flip the camera, and it’s a skeleton, which then proceeds to drop his jaw. That is the type of ridiculous humor I love. We then get a taste of the awesome action accompanied by Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song. And I was smiling ear to ear like a fool.

While the previous Thor movies have been done with a more serious, Shakespearean tone, this one goes for crazy, balls out, 80’s metal look with almost every frame look like something you’d want painted on the side of a van.

All of the actors were great. Tessa Thompson was great as Valkyrie, I loved the appearance by Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, and of course you can’t forget Tom Hiddleston as Loki and his chemistry with Hemsworth. Other great additions were Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster and Taika Waititi voicing a rock alien named Korg.

To me this was the tightest made film that Marvel Studios put out, with a crisp runtime of a little more than two hours it’s just enough to make you want more, but not long enough to check your phone.

Anyone who knows me knew this would be on my top 10 of the year. I’m a Star Wars nut! What can I say that I haven’t already? Porgs, porgs, porgs, porgs, and porgs.

If you haven’t seen this film yet, do yourself a favor and get your ass to theater.

I’ll be completely honest here, I didn’t have high hopes for Wonder Woman. At the time, here’s a studio with three movies with mixed results critically, and this one being directed by someone who hadn't made a film since 2003. But I went opening day with some slight chance of hope. And I gladly ate my words.

Words can’t necessarily describe how great a film Wonder Woman is. Patty Jenkins made what some have called a masterpiece in superhero filmmaking. I agree with about 98% of that. My only qualm was that on the second viewing in the theater, I did feel its runtime a little more, which is why it isn’t in the number 1 spot.

Gal Gadot and Chris Pine have a romance that seems practical for the amount of time they spent together, it seemed genuine, and I loved how Diana would call people out on their shit if she thought they were wrong. The No Man’s Land sequence left me in tears of joy at how wonderful everything worked from the cinematography, the music, the acting, the action, just everything.

You can’t miss this one, even if you aren’t a fan of DC characters, this is just a damn good movie.

I wanted to put some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut.

What would’ve been #12

Christopher Nolan’s war film, Dunkirk is a technical marvel. The cinematography is breath taking and the sound scared the shit out of me. I saw this in an IMAX theater and when bullets fired, you never knew where they were coming from until they made contact. This literally made me jump several times throughout. The reason that this didn’t make the top 10 is that none of the characters particularly stood out in any way. I could tell you the names of the actors, but not their character’s names.

What would’ve been #11

The reason It isn’t higher is because I’m not a fan of horror movies. But I was intrigued at all of the critical success this movie was gaining, so I saw it with a few friends.

The reason this movie works as well as it does is because of the writing and the great child actors they got. Aside from Finn Wolfhard, of Stranger Things fame, the rest of these kids were unknown. But damn it if they didn’t knock it out of the park with their acting chops and chemistry. But if it wasn’t for that reason, I probably would’ve left the theater within ten minutes because I don’t do scary well. And as much as I enjoyed this one, I probably won’t revisit it.

And my favorite film of 2017 is

Logan is the perfect combination of my two favorite types of films. Action blockbusters and deep, emotional character pieces. When I went into Logan, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I’d heard it took some inspiration from some of the comics where Wolverine is an older man, but that was about it. What I got was something that seriously fucked me up.

Like a lot of people, I grew up with Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine since the first X-men film in 2000. And it seemed with each iteration Jackman tried to deepen the character to reveal Logan’s core, instead of just being a mindless killing machine. With this you get the best of both worlds. Jackman stripped Wolverine down to the point it seems like he’s given up and is ready to die. But at the same time we get to see what would actually be the effects of a guy with claws for hands mauling people like an animal, and you learn that in the first few minutes. It is gory, but damn is it awesome!

Patrick Stewart also has a phenomenal performance as a Charles Xavier that we’ve never seen the likes of in the films. His mind wandering, breaking down, plagued by what I assume is the mutant version of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Seeing Stewart’s and Jackman’s near 20 years of working together is heart warming, heart breaking, and brutal.

This film also breeds a new star in newcomer Dafne Keen as Laura. This is a girl who is wise beyond her years as an actress. For about the first half of the film she doesn’t say a word, but you see all the emotion in her face communicated brilliantly. She is definitely someone who will have a prosperous career.

What director James Mangold succeeds with Logan is that he’s able to make a superhero film, but not have it be about something super, per se, but makes it about something everyone can relate to, family. Whether it’s Logan’s relationship to Charles, Logan to Caliban, Logan to Laura, its about the relationships that you grow with and foster when you inevitably have to say goodbye. Mangold was able to make a western, a superhero film, a family piece, a deep character study, an action film. This literally has something for almost everyone. I think Logan is the perfect example of what the superhero genre could and should become.

I’ll be completely honest, like I said before, this movie fucked me up. And I was crying for almost the last five minutes. And for me to cry at a piece of media, whether it be a series or movie isn’t uncommon, but to the degree that I did was what stayed with me. It was a typical silent cry that I usually do with most films I see, but this was uncontrollable, hard breathing, loud noised, ugly face sobbing. When the word “Daddy” is said, I lose it every time.

I guess I didn’t expect to get as attached to this film as I did. But I guess with Jackman playing that character for as long as he did, he sort of became synonymous with that role. I guess it’s to the effect of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker or Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter. But the sendoff Jackman and Mangold give this character is one of pure mastery, sadness, and hope. With the Fox/Disney deal, there is some part of me that wishes Jackman will return as Wolverine for the MCU, but if he doesn’t, that’s fine as well. Because this film is all but perfect to me.

I hope this film gets nominations for Jackman, Stewart, Keen, and Mangold for the Oscars because I think it deserves it because it broke boundaries of what a superhero film could be. And that is why Logan is my favorite film of 2017.

I want to thank you guys for reading this and for the support. Here’s hoping that 2018 will be even better! In the vain of a dumb catchphrase I tried to start years ago, stay tuned for more blotter!

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yoon-kooks · 7 years

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Lie- Part 13

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Genre: Angst / Fluff

Summary: There was a time when you loved him and he hated you. Now you hate him, but does he love you?

Parts: 0 // 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // FINAL

“Who’s that cutie?”

“The dance department’s top student, Park Jimin!”

“Wow, not only is he hot, but he’s also mega talented??”

“Yep, and I heard he’s single too~”

“Not for long, I bet!”

“Maybe you should pursue him while you still have the chance.”

“Maybe you’re right~”

You failed to block out the two girls fawning over Jimin outside the dance studio, but that was quickly becoming the norm. In nearly all of your classes, you’d hear people gossiping about Jimin or confessing to their friends that they had a crush on him. It was nice to know that the boy you loved was loved by everyone else too. But you also had a fear of losing him.

“Hey, let’s go home, Y/N.” Jimin walked out of the studio, wiping his sweat off with a towel. “You didn’t have to wait for me, you know…”

“But I like watching you dance~” your eyes brightened. “I think that’s when Park Jimin becomes a really cool guy!”

“Am I not a cool guy otherwise??”

“I dunno~” You only shrugged with a teasing smile. Of course you knew Jimin was always cool. Whether he was dancing, reading manga, playing sports, failing an exam, tripping over his clumsy self, or just being a dork with you, he would always be an amazing and beautiful person in your eyes.

As you and Jimin walked off together, you noticed all the squealing from the two girls had turned into complete silence.

“I still can’t believe Jimin gave me his number!!”

“Yoora, it’s been like two weeks since the double date…” You hated calling it a double date because that’s not what it was at all. “How are you still talking about it??”

“I’m never gonna stop talking about my love for Jimin~” Yoora threw up a peace sign. “So when’s the next date?”

“I don’t know.” You didn’t even want to think about another date where you’d have to face Jimin again. And you had been lowkey avoiding your boyfriend as well. You’d eventually have to tell Jungkook that you messed up, that you had gotten a little too close to Jimin that night. No lines had really been crossed, but if you were going to hold hands with anyone, it should’ve been your boyfriend and not the other boy in the room. And it had been slowly eating away at you for two weeks. “But Jungkook and Jimin are probably too busy with Bangtan stuff anyway.”

“Yeah, that’s true…” Yoora nodded. “They’ll be leaving for their world tour soon~!” World tour? You weren’t aware of that. Neither Jimin nor Jungkook had mentioned it to you at all. “But speaking of that, we should totally go to their concert here in Seoul together to support our boys!”

“We should.” But as much as you loved hanging out with your friend, the thought of seeing him, even if from a distance, scared you. And you hated that you could never fully get the boy out of your head. Regardless of whether you loved him, hated him, felt happy or scared, guilty or sad, your feelings always went back to Jimin. Maybe the only way to end that was to lose him.

“Ooh! Maybe the concert could be our next date with them! I mean, if you’re still down for a double date?”

“Actually,” you tried your best to act supportive, “Maybe you should ask Jimin out, just the two of you.”

“Whaaat??” Yoora’s face flushed with red. “B-but do you honestly think there’s a chance that he’d like me enough to say yes?”

“He said yes to the double date, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, but that’s different! That felt more like a friend thing!”

“Why are you getting all scared? This is Park Jimin we’re talking about. I though you loved him. Wouldn’t it be the best feeling in the world if he said yes?”

“You’re right, Y/N… I dunno, rejection’s just a scary thought…” Yoora finally lifted her chin. “But since I’ve got the support of my best friend, then I guess I have to go for it!”

“I’ll be cheering for you~! Let me know how it goes!”

“Thanks Y/N! You’re really the best~”

You really did hope for the best for Yoora and Jimin, but you still had your own relationship to take care of and try to save.

The first thing you needed to do was apologize to him, you told yourself as you waited for Jungkook at the coffee shop near your apartment. And if he didn’t dump you after hearing what you had to say, it would be a good time to move forward in your relationship after a minor setback. If all went well on the date, perhaps you’d return home having kissed a boy you actually loved.

“Yo,” Jungkook placed two mochas on the table and gave you that adorable bunny smile of his. “I was surprised you called me out all of a sudden.”

“I just wanted to see you~” You thanked him for the cup of coffee as the edges of your lips curved up. You loved how contagious that boy’s smile was.

“Really? Even after I fell asleep on you during the movie on our last date?” Jungkook glanced down at the table. “Sorry about that, by the way.”

“It’s not your fault, Kookie. Jimin told me you were pretty busy right before the date, so I don't blame ya for knocking out,” you assured him. “And if anyone should be apologizing, it’s me.”

“For what?” Jungkook tilted his head, unsure of whether you were serious or joking.

“Promise me you won’t get mad at Jimin, okay?” You saw Jungkook’s eyes widen at the mention of his friend’s name. But he nodded for you to continue. “You remember how you asked me what my relationship with Jimin was?”

“Yeah, you said you were just childhood friends… right?”

“Right, but,” you lowered your voice a bit. “…it was always a little more complicated than that.”

“He liked you, huh?” Jungkook still kept a small smile. “And from the way he glows when he’s talking about you or texting you, it’s obvious he still has those feelings.” Your stomach turned.

“Well I don’t know what his feelings are… but I’ll admit, I used to like him, and now-”

“-and now you still do?” Jungkook bit his lip.

“I don’t,” you corrected him. “But it took me until recent to realize that.”

“Recent as in like… while we were dating?”

“I’m sorry, Kookie…” You could no longer look the boy in the eye. It was selfish and unfair that you were dating him but had had feelings for someone else as well.

“It’s okay,” he lifted your chin with the tips of his fingers. “I kinda figured that was the case.”

“You can be mad at me, you know…”

“I can’t be mad. You’re allowed to be lost and confused about your feelings, even while you’re dating,” Jungkook took a sip of his coffee. “At the end of the day, if you can say with confidence that your heart belongs to the one person you’re dating, you know you’re headed in the right direction. It just takes time.”

You nodded. The boy made a lot of good points, but wondered if you could say with confidence that your heart belonged to Jungkook. Maybe in that moment, yes. But what about tomorrow? What about the next time you saw Jimin? You weren’t confident at all, but you still wanted it to work.

“I think you’ve been watching too much romance anime,” you finally broke out a smile again after all the serious talk. “But you’re right. Thanks, Kookie~”

“Of course, Y/N~ Now shall we go?” The boy got up and held his hand out to you. “This’ll probably be the last time I can take you out for a while.”

“Because of Bangtan’s world tour?” You took his hand.

“That too.” Jungkook nodded. There was something else, but you decided not to probe any further. You just wanted to have fun with your boyfriend as if it really was the last time. “So where are we headed? You pick.”

“Another strike??” Jungkook’s jaw kept dropping lower and lower, until it was practically on the alley floor.

“I told you I wasn’t messing around when I asked for a rematch!” you winked and threw up a peace sign.

“I can’t even catch up at this rate!” he whined, seeing that there was only one more turn left. “Let’s just restart the match~”

“Haha very funny, Kook.” You patted him on the back. He was having one of his worst games while you were having one of your best, but you didn’t feel too bad. “This is literally the one time I’ll ever beat you at your own game! Just let me have it, yeah~?”

“Fine! But just so you know, I’m letting you win.” The boy crossed his arms, huffing and puffing like a small child would. “Only because you’re cute.”

“Sure, you’re letting me win,” you rolled your eyes at the boy’s childish excuse for his loss. “But you’re right—I am pretty cute, huh?” You stuck your tongue out before sliding your way into his arms and squirming when he started to tickle your body. And in between tickling attacks, he’d just hold you in his embrace while you caught your breath from all the laughing.

“Very cute,” he whispered into your ear.

“You’re kinda cute too,” you giggled and broke free from his hold as a sudden idea popped into your head. “Hey, let’s make a bet on this last turn since we already know I won~”

“Whoever knocks down more pins gets to pick a punishment for the loser?” The flame in Jungkook’s eyes returned after getting put out by three gutter balls in a row.

“Yep!” You handed him his bowling ball and gave him a push. “You first~” Three pins were knocked down on his first roll, and one pin on the second. You’d only have to knock down more than four pins, which seemed very possible with the great game you were having. But, you decided to throw it to your boyfriend—two gutter balls.

“You flopped!” Jungkook gave you a high-five. “Just kidding. I know you just threw it, you brat~”

“So what’s my punishment?”

“Hmm…” He tilted his head to give it some thought. “You have to come to Bangtan’s Seoul concert!”

“That’s a punishment?” You raised an eyebrow.

“You never know~” Jungkook ruffled your hair with a smirk on his face. The boy was up to something and you wished you knew what it was. But you trusted him.

“I was planning on going with Yoora anyway.”

Buzz! You quickly glanced at your phone screen and coincidentally, it was a text from Yoora. It was probably her screaming about landing a date with the love of her life. And as eager as you were to read the message, you wanted to finish your date with Jungkook first.

“I think tonight was the most fun I’ve had in a really long time.” You and Jungkook stood in front of your apartment gate, hand in hand.

“Wow, you must have a pretty boring life then,” the boy snickered. You jabbed him in the abs, which were a lot harder than you were expecting. “I’m kidding! I had a lot of fun too~”

“Good.” You wrapped your arms around your boyfriend and pressed your cheek into his chest.

“I’m gonna miss this, you know.” He caressed the back of neck as you gave him another squeeze of affection.

“Me too.” There were so many things you’d miss. His playfulness, his teasing, his comfort, his hugs, his bunny smile, and of course, him.

“Don’t forget we’ll still see each other at the concert before I leave for the tour,” he spoke softly.

Right. There was still the concert. So why did everything already feel so bittersweet?

#bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts angst #jimin #bts #bangtan #jimin x reader #jimin fanfic #lie #bts fanfiction

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crankpendletonplays-blog · 8 years

Text

Lay it on me- Jughead Jones

Pairing: Jughead x Reader

Description: This is a continuation of "Wipe it off of me", reader wants to try some stuff out with her boyfriend ;-D

(Read Part 1 )

Warnings: THERES SO MUCH SIN THAT EVEN HOLY WATER CANT SAVE ME. AVERT YOUR EYES, SMALL CHILDREN.

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The next day after what happened with Jughead, I immediately went to Veronica. She was my best friend, and I trusted her completely with my life, so I also trusted the fact that she would explain to me what the hell I should be doing when it comes to.....things like this.

"Veronica, I just, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about all this kinky stuff, but I know that if there's somebody I'm comfortable enough with, it's him, And Jughead, sometimes with the way he is, he, he..." I trailed off, crossing one leg over the other on Veronica's mattress.

"Turns you on?" Veronica asked, a giggly tone in her voice as she spun around in her vanity chair to look at me.

"Yes." I admitted, heat spreading across my cheeks quickly.

"Girl, I get what you mean, every time I see Betty in that cheer uniform-" Veronica dramatically draped herself over her chair, fanning herself with her hand. " my gay ass heart just can't handle it." I rolled my eyes before standing up and swatting her in the arm.

"I'm serious, Ronnie! Jughead does.. Things to me! Things I'm not used to feeling! Things I seriously don't like-" I cut myself off, groaning loudly in sexual frustration, and flopping back down on to Veronica's bed face up. My arms sprawled out across the duvet and I sighed, turning my head to look at my friend now looking down at me.

" He's going to be the death of me, Ronnie. He really is."

"Cheer up sunshine. Let me show you a few things first."

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

I had left Ronnie's house with a lot of ideas, and I planned to use them this weekend. The knowledge she had given gave me somewhat a surge of confidence, and I was positive that the rain check I had made with Jughead would be worth it. It was the next weekend when I finally acted upon my ideas.

My mom was going away for the weekend, which meant I would have the house all to myself.The last bell had rang, signaling to the students that they had just been relinquished their freedom and were free to leave the torturous hell that was Riverdale High (ok, maybe it wasn't that bad, but I'm a drama queen). I saw Jughead standing in front of his locker, rummaging through It while Archie leaned against the locker beside him, hands moving as he told Jughead something. I quickly moved from in between Betty and Veronica, quickly making my way to my boyfriend. I grabbed his shoulder as he stood facing away, pulling him down backwards so my lips brushed against his neck, and whispered.

"My house, tonight. I wanna make good use of that rain-check." I let go of Jughead, my hand pushing him slightly and his body sprang back in to his previous position, his mouth open. I was halfway down the hall when he turned around, and I just giggled before winking and blowing him a kiss.

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

Instead of meeting Jughead at Pop's, I went straight home, checking to make sure my mom had left for her trip. When I saw the empty driveway, I knew I was in the clear. I ran inside and up to my room, dropping my bag and trying to think of my next move. I figured taking a shower was good, so I took a quick one, making sure to shave even though I had done so a couple nights ago. I got out, towel-drying my hair and brushing my teeth before grabbing my nicest pair of bra and underwear. I wasn't a huge lingerie person, but my mom had bought me a couple nice sets for my birthday, which I was now extremely thankful for.

I threw on a cami and a pair of (extremely short) shorts afterwards, before brushing my hair out and spraying a little perfume. When I was done, I went back down stairs.I occupied myself by getting a little something to drink, and messing around on my phone. I started to almost worry that Jughead wouldn't show up, and my head started to get the best of me. What if he didn't want this? What if I freaked him out and potentially ruined our relationship?

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts, and I padded towards it, unlocking the bolt and swinging it open to see Jughead. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, his head raising to look at me. His eyebrows raised as he took in my appearance.

"Is your mom home?" He asked, stepping inside and locking the door behind him.

"No, she's gone for the weekend. Business trip."

"Good." Jughead quickly had me pinned against the door, his hands wrapping around the back of my thighs and lifting me so my lower body was wrapped around his waist. His lips went to mine, kissing me roughly. My hands went around his neck, knocking his hat off when my fingers curled in to this hair. I tugged lightly and Jughead groaned against my lips. I broke apart from him, panting heavily.

"Do you uh, do you want something to eat?" I asked him, mentally face palming myself. Jughead laughed, his head falling in to the crook of my neck.

"Sure, what's on the menu?" Jughead responded, lifting his head to look at me. I had an idea to fix the mood I just killed, bringing my lip between my teeth.

"Me." Jughead looked taken aback for a second before a smug look took over his face.

"Hmm, dessert first. I like that idea." Jughead leaned back down to kiss me, his lips on mine only for a second before trailing down my jaw and to my neck. Jughead began to litter my neck with dark, purple bruises, his body pressing in to mine. Jughead's hands traveled down my body, his fingers slipping under my shirt. My breath hitched at the feeling of his warm hands on my cold skin, gripping at my waist firmly.

"M-maybe we should- we should go upstairs." I panted, my breath heavy. Jughead adjusted his grip on my thighs before complying to my suggestion, stumbling a bit to find the stairs.

"You're going to break your neck." I giggled, clinging to his shoulders for dear life.

"Don't undermine my masculinity." Jughead pouted, climbing up the staircase with me still in his arms. I laughed at the clumsiness of my boyfriend as he actually managed to make it up the stairs, kicking my door open. Jughead dropped me down on to my bed, my back bouncing against the cool mattress. I sat up, reaching out and gripping Jughead's jacket and tugging it off of him.

"Eager, are we?" Jughead taunted, helping me pull his jacket off. I rolled my eyes, my hands now going to the sweater underneath his jacket. I pulled it over his head to be met with another shirt.

"What is it with the layers?!" I groaned, my hands now working on getting the short sleeved shirt off. "Really, Forsythe, I thought when I invited you over, you would get the memo to wear less clothing."

"Unless you wanted me to be a popsicle stick by the time I made it here, that wasn't happening." Jughead retorted, his hands going to my tank top." Although, I'm pretty sure I woulda been warm in a matter of moments anyways." Jughead leaned down, his teeth biting gently at the skin on my neck, making my breath hitch in my throat. Jughead pulled my tank top off my body, his hands running down my sides and to my hips before gripping them tightly and pulling me closer to his body.

Jughead and I had had sex only a couple of times, the first time obviously being an awkward and romantic mess, and the second time almost being caught by Archie and Betty, who happened to live across the street from me.Jughead and I weren't huge on sex, it wasn't something we wanted to do 24/7 like a lot of the kids at our school, but the both of us had so much pent up sexual frustration lately that we were seconds away from creating tears in our remaining clothes.

Jughead grabbed the waistband of my shorts, slipping them down my thighs. I kicked them off before pushing Jughead over and down on to my bed. I unbuttoned the top of his skinny jeans, pulling them down his legs quickly before straddling Jughead, grinding down in to his hips. Jughead groaned, raising his hips to meet mine and I held them down with my hands, grinding my hips down harder on to him.

"Fuck." Jughead moaned, his breath becoming heavier. I felt him get harder underneath me and I grinned, glad I was getting the reaction I wanted. I sat up, grabbing one of my scarves hanging off my bed frame and toying with it in my hands.

"You wanna try something?" I looked down at my boyfriend, his eyes wide and fixed upon the fabric slipping between my fingers.

"Lay it on me." Jughead smirked and I grinned, taking his wrists in my hands. Jughead looked confused as I tied his hands to my bedpost, looking up at me.

"To be honest, I thought the roles would be reversed when you asked." He chuckled, relaxing under my body.

"We've got the whole weekend, babe." I reached behind my back, unclasping my bra and letting it fall off my shoulders. I flung it aside, my hands now traveling down my boyfriend's body and running over his hard-on, hidden by the fabric of his boxers. I cupped it lightly before moving away.

"Do you really have to be a tea-ease." Jughead groaned when my hand dipped under the elastic, wrapping my hand around him firmly. I slowly pumped my hand up and down, Jughead's breathing becoming rapid. I pulled my hand down, my fingers pulling his boxers off and slipping my underwear off after. I leaned over Jughead's body, grabbing a condom from the drawer of my nightstand.

I took the end of the foil package between my teeth, ripping it open. I was met with the gross taste of lube and a disgusted look swept across my face quickly.

"Why didn't you just.... Open it with your hands??" Jughead tilted his head, stifling a laugh at my reaction to the flavorless substance.

"Veronica said it'd be sexier." I scoffed, pulling the condom out of the package." Last time I take her advice."

"Wait, you went to Veronica for advice on sex?" Jughead sat up a bit. I pushed him back down with my hand, looking shocked at my surprise burst of dominance.

"Jughead, I'm literally about to sit on your dick. Please don't ruin the mood." I pinched the tip of the condom, rolling it down Jughead's penis. Jughead laid back down, eyes wide and looking at me. My knees went to either side of Jughead hips, my hand guiding him as I slowly sank down on to him. My hands went to my chest, my lower body feeling a bit tight and uncomfortable. When my thighs reached Jughead's hips, I stopped, giving myself a moment to adjust before slowly beginning to rise up and sink back down on to him. I tried to keep a steady pace, my legs burning as I grinded down on to Jughead's dick.

Jughead's uneven breathing turned in to small groans and my hands went down his chest, my fingernails leaving scratch marks down his stomach. I began to go faster, already feeling worn out. Jughead's hair was already starting to stick to his forehead, and my chest was glistening with a thin layer of sweat. I painted, picking up the pace even more and going as fast as I could.

"Baby, baby untie me." Jughead panted, wriggling his arms that were suspended over his head. I paused, leaning over and untying the knot of my scarf. When Jughead was free he immediately sat up, his arms wrapping around my body as he thrusted in to me. My head fell in to the crook of his shoulder, my nails dragging down the muscles in his back.

"F-fuck, Forsythe, I-I'm-" my body tensed, the fuzzy feeling in my lower body and the twitching of my abdomen telling me I was close. Jughead flipped us over so I was on my back, his arms holding him up as he pounded in to me at a rapid pace.

My orgasm hit me like an oncoming train, my nails now digging deep in to Jughead's skin and my back arching. My vision was blurry, colors and stars clouding my sight. Jughead came a few moments later, collapsing on top of my body. My arms went around his neck, my hands playing with the ends of his hair as I tried to calm my breathing.

Jughead eventually pulled out of me, his body leaving mine for a moment to discard the used condom before grabbing his sweater. He climbed back on to the bed, his hands pulling my body up in to a sitting position before pulling the sweater over my head.

"You know, I can dress myself. I'm not five." I teased, pulling my arms through the sleeves of the long sweater. The end of the fabric went to my knees, reminding me of how tiny I was compared to my beanstalk of a boyfriend.

"I know." Jughead was standing up, his boxers now on and his shirt slipping over his head. I raised my arms up, making grabby hands at him.

"Well if you're going to treat me like I'm 5, then I demanded to be carried to the kitchen." I pouted. Jughead turned to me, a grin on his face.

"As you wish." Jughead's arms went under my body, listing up like I was a feather. I squealed, clinging to him as he kicked my door open.

"So, why the kitchen?" Jughead asked, now carrying me back down the stairs he had carried me up about an hour ago.

"Well, I made dinner, and then after we ate, I thought we could test how sturdy the island in my kitchen is." I bit my lip, looking at Jughead.

"I'm honestly convinced that I died and I have gone to heaven." Jughead shook the fringe out of his face, dipping his head down and pressing his lips to mine.

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mar-gega · 8 years

Text

No regrets

So here’s the deal. I’m happy to keep this a standalone fic. But if you’d like another part, I’m happy to work on it. Enjoy!

Summary: This is a bit angsty because when the reader finally coughs up the courage to ask Bucky out, it turns out, he’s not that interested. Or is he?

Word count: 1667

Warnings: A swearword or two? Angst.

‘Hey Y/N, Natasha asked me to drop this off for you to analyse, she's a bit busy on another meeting’ you look up to meet the deep azure eyes. His arm is fully extended and he's keeping the distance, his eyes quickly dart away too, as if spooked by your stare. 'Thank you Mr Barnes' You reply. 'Erm, Bucky. Just call me Bucky, you're practically part of the team so might as well drop the official titles' he shoots you a tight smile and drops the USB stick in your hand.

Since the first time you met Bucky Barnes, you tried to remain professional, but let's be honest, professional is far from what you'd like your relationship to be. It's his muscles, his strong jaw, his beautiful eyes, luscious silky hair, the metal arm (and it’s abilities) - needless to say, you stupidly let yourself develop a massive crush on Captain America's best pal. In the unattainable mind of the former Winter Soldier you saw a challenge, because deep inside there's good in everyone, and come on!, The Captain entrust him and he can't be wrong, right?

In only a couple of seconds you manage to fully scan the man in front of you - tall and muscly, hair tied back in a low bun, still damp presumably from a recent shower. Your nostrils fill with the smell of his aftershave, it may be a cliche but that man smell just gets you going. And he does (get you going) EVERY TIME you see him. It's ridiculous how much he affects you and it's about time you do something about it. You cannot continue to fixate on this man, it's just not healthy!

There is nobody else in the lab and you smell your chance. Hey, what's the worst that can happen? He turns you down and you get to move on with your life knowing the two of you will never work out? Okay, admittedly that is a sad prospect, but there's every chance of a good outcome so surely it's worth the risk? You take a deep breath and go for it.

'Hey Bucky?' You stand up from behind your desk and walk towards him 'I know it's a bit forward but you seem like a nice guy' his eyes widen in confusion 'So I was wondering if you'd like to grab a drink sometime, just me and you?' You try to keep a bit of distance between you, as much as you'd like to touch every inch of him, you don't want to cage him in.

'Gee, Y/N…' Oh god! He's hesitating! What were you thinking? Of course he's not interested! You begin to panic 'I'm not too sure if it's a good idea, you know us working together and all, it might be a bit awkward?' He bows his head trying to meet your eyes 'I'm so sorry...'

'Hey it's alright, yeah, I suppose you're right. Eh, forget I asked!' You try to smile but it's tight lipped and there's no way he doesn't notice the disappointment in your voice. You take a step back, turn around and walk back to your desk to finish work. 'I'll see you around anyway!' You murmur. Bucky opens his mouth but shakes his head and decides not to say anything opting for a dart towards the door. As soon as he leaves you bang your head on the desk. 'Loser!' You scoff at yourself. Your mouth feels dry and your eyes are burning but you won't allow yourself to sulk, not right now. Right now you're at work and you have to stay strong so try to remember one of the breathing exercises your meditation leader suggested last week. You're fine. You're FINE.

The rest of your workday is pretty easy and pleasantly uneventful. The last thing to do is to transfer any new data onto another USB, so it can be used in the Avengers briefing tomorrow morning. There are quite a lot of files to be saved so when you hit ‘SAVE’ the computer tells you of an estimate time of 7 minutes before the job is done. Brilliant, just enough time for a quick refresh and a change of clothes before you go home!

You're back just in time, feeling much better, surprising what a quick splash of water to your face, and a change into comfy jeans can do! You grab your coat and bag, unplug the USB which you decide to drop off now to save you the job in the morning.

When you step out of the lift on the floor you're intrigued to hear muffled music and laughter. You carry on to the main lounge and are met with cheer. 'Y/N!' Natasha practically skips towards you 'Can you stay a while? We're just having a little celebration, we had a really good mission today!' 'Yeah, I've seen the intel, some really important stuff there!' You scan around the room - all the usual suspects are there: Hawkeye and Wanda, Tony and Rhodey, and the Holy Trinity Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and, of course, Bucky Barnes. You try to think of an excuse but before you know it Natasha is grabbing your wrist and dragging you to the sofa. Thankfully Bucky is sat across the room, some distance between you so maybe you'll be OK to stay for a bit?

Couple of hours go by, everyone's enjoying themselves, drinking and laughing, there's such a great atmosphere so naturally the conversation topic shifts towards relationships. 'Y/N, we don't know much about you, are you single?' Sam is the one to bring attention towards you. 'Yeah...' you put on a wide smile and take a sip of your beer. 'She's a right picky one!' Natasha chimes in 'I tried to set her up so many times but she always finds excuses not to meet anyone!' 'That's not true!' You correct her 'I ask guys out all the time, I just get rejected a lot!' You don't mean to sound self-deprecating but it obviously comes out that way because Steve gives you a comforting smile. 'I hardly doubt that! You would reject you?! You're beautiful and smart and any guy would be a buffoon not to take you out on a date!' He looks around for support, smiling and nodding in a 'Am I right?' manner. Everyone is nodding in agreement except for Bucky who, being sat behind Steve, escapes his look. 'I don't buy it either, when was the last time you asked a guy out and he turn you down?' Clint prods 'I bet it happened long time ago and you're still sulking!'

As much as you'd like to vent you decide to be the bigger person here and protect Bucky, it's not his fault he doesn't see you that way, it's certainly YOUR fault to allow yourself to develop such feeling for him.

'Okay, it happened this week. That's all I can say' you take another sip of your beer.

'No way!' Sam booms 'Who was it?' You don't reply straight away and that spikes Sam's interest 'Wait! Do we know him? Is he from work?' The 'oohs' and 'aahs' spread across the room and suddenly everyone's eyes are glued on you, including Bucky's, who is looking nervous. He's bobbing his leg and runs hand through his hair. He's clearly trying to avoid your eyes but when you accidentally meet his gaze he quickly averts your eyes and takes a big gulp of his drink. You look around the room and release a deep sigh. 'I don't really want to talk about it.. But yes, he's from work, I asked him to go out for a drink and he said he doesn't think it's a good idea because we work together and it may put us in an awkward situation' A moment of silence is broken by Wanda who must have sensed your discomfort. To be honest it doesn't take a genius to figure you're uncomfortable because your drink is long gone and all of a sudden you're quiet, replaying the events from earlier in your head. A movement across the room catches your attention and it's Bucky walking away towards the hall, perhaps to get another drink from the kitchen? You catch Steve looking at you and he sends you a wide smile. It's so beautiful you swear that smile can cure depression! You're certainly feeling better already! 'Fuck him, Y/N, he's clearly not worth it, his loss!' Wanda walks up and gives you a pat on the shoulder 'I'm gonna head off now, it's getting pretty late and it has been a long day!' 'Yeah, me too' you stand up and grab your coat 'Thanks for having me guys, and congrats on a great mission!' You say your goodbyes and head towards the lift. You press the button and wait. 'Y/N?' You hear a familiar voice and turn around to see his tall frame jogging towards you. 'Hey, sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to upset you' 'Bucky... it's alright, I'm not that upset, like I said, I'm used to rejection, I'm a big girl I can take it' it takes all your strength (or what's left of it) to smile at him. 'Listen, you seem like a really cool girl, so maybe we can go for that drink after all?' He's definitely talking to you, there's no one else here, but you wouldn't be able to tell because he's looking everywhere else but at you, shifting nervously. The beep of the lift brings your focus back to the situation 'Don't worry about it, I don't need a pity ask...' 'I didn't mean-' 'Bucky' you cut him off 'please don't make this even worse, you've made your feelings pretty clear earlier and it's fine. I'm fine' you stand into the lift and wait for the door to close before releasing a strangled cry. Rejection is one thing but you certainly did not need anyone's pity. Especially not Bucky's.

Part 2

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #Bucky #Bucky Barnes #Steve Rogers #bucky barnes imagine #marvel imagine #marvel fanfiction #avengers imagine

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xofanfics · 8 years

Text

Honestly

Genre: fluff, slight angst

Word Count: 2,467 words

Pairing: Kihyun x Reader

Summary: *REQUESTED* You’ve been friends with Y/N for years. Your friendship is put on hold when she decides to study abroad. When she graduates and comes back to Korea, you realize how much you like her. With the help of your friends, you try to confess your feelings.

If you said that your jaw didn't drop when you saw her, you'd be lying. If you said that you didn't get butterflies in your stomach upon seeing her walking toward you and her younger brother, you'd be lying.

You liked her when you were both younger, when you first met her in high school. But she already had a boyfriend, so you never got a chance to say anything. They were together most of your high school career, on and off. They were off a few times, but Y/N had been too busy crying about whatever fight that had caused their breakup. She’d always bawl her eyes out saying that she thinks that they “really broke up this time.” You got so used to hearing it that it had stopped bothering you and hurting your feelings.

After high school, you thought you'd have a shot since she and her ex-boyfriend had broken up two months before her graduation. She said that she wasn’t going to get back together with him. She didn’t get back together with him, much to your relief. You thought that was the perfect opportunity to tell her how you felt about her, but you were wrong. To top things off, she got accepted to go to school in Canada and decided to go.

So, obviously, you never got to tell her your feelings. She didn’t come back home that often—just around the holidays. You didn’t blame her, after all. The tickets were expensive. When she was home, though, you didn’t get a chance to speak up. She was usually pretty busy when she came home, spending time with her other friends and family.

Over the years, she’s changed. She’s gotten prettier, a little taller, and wiser. She wasn’t exactly the same girl that you knew in high school, but your feelings for her never changed. Not even when you knew that she had that boyfriend in high school. Not even when she had a boyfriend in Canada, even though he looked like a model out of a fashion magazine and he was taller than you and had a better body.

But you waited. You waited about eight years for her. Eight years and counting...

She was single now, from your understanding. And you hopes that she stayed like that for a while, at least until you could make your confession. You’d been holding your feelings in for so long. You just hoped that she didn’t see you as just her friend. You just hoped that she saw you as more than just a little brother.

As she walked toward you, she smiled at you. You smiled back, of course. In fact, you could hardly contain yourself as she hugged her brother, Hyungwon.

Hyungwon ruffled her hair. “Look at you,” he said, hugging her again, “getting so big.”

She slapped his arm, putting her hair back in place. “Hey! I’m the older sister!”

“I’m still taller,” he teased.

“Whatever,” she said, waving her hand.

Then she turned to you. “Kihyun! It’s been forever! It’s so good to be back!”

She wrapped her arms around you and you returned the gesture, squeezing her. You took a moment to take in her scent. The scent of her perfume was something flowery that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, whatever it was. But it was so her.

Disappointment filled you immediately as she pulled away from you. You wanted to hold her tightly, not letting her go. You wanted to hold her in your arms and tell her how beautiful she was. You wanted to tell her how much you missed her. And that you were proud of her. But you couldn’t do any of those things. Not yet.

“Congratulations on your graduation,” you said instead.

She smiled again, this time showing her smile, worth a million dollars if not more. There’s that smile… “Thank you, Kihyun!”

Hyungwon took her suitcase and started pulling it as the three of you walked toward the exit. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to see you…”

She shook her head. “It’s okay. I know that it costs a lot of money...and Mom and Dad still have bills to pay and your tuition, too. I was just happy that Mom was able to come. She must’ve been saving a lot.”

Hyungwon nodded. “Yeah. Dad got a bonus at work and put it toward a ticket.”

You were really proud of Y/N. She’d worked so hard to get where she was today. She studied really hard in high school, even nagging you and Hyungwon to study harder so that you could get into good colleges. Her nagging might’ve even helped you a little. Both of you were doing significantly better in college than in high school.

Since she came back a couple days ago, you couldn’t stop thinking about her. A million thoughts ran through your mind at once.

How would I confess? How could I do it without her freaking out? What if she doesn’t even like me? What if she has someone? Someone that she hasn’t told me about? She wouldn’t tell me every guy she talked too, would she?

Your mind was racing. How could you possibly concentrate on anything right now? You and your friends were supposed to get dinner in an hour, but you couldn’t wait that long. You needed to get all of this off of your chest as soon as possible. You picked up my phone and opened the group message.

Guys, can we go to dinner now? -Kihyun

I thought we were going at 7? -Minhyuk

I don’t want to wait that long -Kihyun

I’m starving. Let’s meet by the gym! -Wonho

But I just made ramyun… -Changkyun

Why would you make ramyun when we’re going to dinner?! -Minhyuk

I was hungry… -Changkyun

Jerk! -Kihyun

I’m cool with going early -Shownu

Let’s go -Jooheon

Where’s Hyungwon? -Minhyuk

Sleeping as usual. I’ll wake him up. We’ll be there soon. -Wonho

By the time everyone got to the gym, almost fifteen minutes had passed. You rolled my eyes as you saw Hyungwon and Wonho finally walking your way. It had taken long enough for your levels of anxiety to rise.

Minhyuk had spent the whole time complaining, mostly about how hungry he was. He’d even suggested that we leave them and eat without them. But you needed everyone present for the talk that you were about to have with them. You needed as much advice as possible.

“Come on,” Minhyuk huffed, “we’re late.”

Wonho smirked and raised a finger matter-of-factly. “Actually, since we were supposed to go at seven, we’re early.”

Hyungwon yawned, putting his hand on his hip lazily. “Let’s not fight, guys…”

“Yah! It’s your fault we’re late,” Minhyuk complained as the seven of you waited to cross the street.

“That’s a good point,” Shownu muttered under his breath.

“Hey! Don’t go pointing fingers at me!” Hyungwon pointed to Changkyun. “At least I wasn’t a traitor who made ramyun when we made plans for dinner.”

He rolled his eyes in response to Hyungwon’s comment.“I would’ve had room to eat after…”

You and your friends had arrived at the restaurant within a few minutes. You’d decided on pizza. For once, that was something that the seven of you could agree on without much of a fuss. For a Friday night, it wasn’t too crowded. This was your favorite place to eat near campus. It was nicely priced and had good food despite the place being kind of small.

You ordered three pizzas to start. One cheese, one pepperoni, and one with kimchi. Once the orders were in, you broke the silence. “Hey, guys, I was wondering if I could tell you something…” Everyone looked at you expectantly, waiting for you to say something. You suddenly grew shy. You wanted to tell them to forget it, but you’d never forgive yourself if you didn’t get this out.

You said, “I like Y/N…”

Hyungwon was the first to speak, being her younger brother and all. “I already knew that, dummy.”

Your face began to feel hot with embarrassment. You could almost feel it turning redder and redder by the second. You felt yourself shrinking in your seat. “Is it that obvious?” Before anyone could answer, you buried my face in your hands. “Oh God. Do you think she knows?”

Hyungwon shook his head. “I doubt it. In high school, she was too busy worrying about… What was his name again? Hansol? Hansoo? Hansomething… And then she didn’t see you that often after we all graduated high school.”

“You should ask her on a date,” suggested Jooheon.

“You know,” said Wonho, “seduce her…”

“I'm not trying to sleep with her!” you protested. “I want to date her!”

“You know what I mean,” said Wonho.

“Make her want you,” said Minhyuk.

That was certainly a better choice of words. Of course, if you dated her, sex might come into the equation later but that was the least of your problems. You more concerned about making her your girlfriend than getting her into bed.

You wanted to do cute things for her. You wanted to take her places and show her things she's never seen before. For the most part, her exes were jerks. The one from high school broke up with her because they were graduating and didn't see the point to continuing their relationship. The one from Canada, apparently, cheated on her. You just wanted to be the one to treat her well, for once. You had no intention of breaking her heart. She was the only girl you’d felt like this about. And you still did, all through high school and now college. You wanted to make her your girl but you had no idea how she felt about it. You had no idea if she'd even considered it at all. Has she ever thought about me? In that way?

“You should tell her how you feel,” Shownu suggested.

“What if she rejects me?” you asked.

“Hey, man,” said Jooheon, “it’s better than sitting here wondering.”

“Make a move before it’s too late,” Changkyun added.

They were all right. All of your friends had really good points. If you didn’t tell her how you felt now, you might not ever get the chance to do it. She could find someone else, leaving you and your feelings in the dust once again. Your heart fluttered every single time you saw her, since you were about fifteen. It was time to let your feelings be known.

If she rejected you, so be it. It would hurt since she was your first love, but you’d rather her let you know sooner than later. If she rejected you now, you’d feel better than you would if you spent nights tossing and turning in your bed, wondering what could become of the two of you. You didn’t want to do any of it anymore. You were going to confess your feelings and get them off of your chest, whether or not her feelings for you were the same.

Hyungwon suggested that you come to dinner with him and Y/N the next evening. It was the perfect opportunity. Hyungwon said that he’d even get up to “take a phone call” so that you could make your confession in private.

You had to admit that you were nervous. You weren’t sure what to say or how to begin in the first place. Should you just be straightforward? Should you give a little background information first? What if you ended up being too corny? What if she thought it was dumb? There were so many questions that you couldn’t answer. There were just so many things that could go wrong tonight. Hyungwon had suggested that you have a couple glasses of soju first, to get you a little relaxed first. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea.

As you walked toward the restaurant, you felt your heart racing a little faster. When you got inside, Y/N was already at a table waiting. At the sight of you and her brother, she waved, smiling wide. Of course, your heart fluttered again. Her hair was down, slightly curled.

“I hope you don’t mind,” said Hyungwon, “I was studying with Kihyun and he was hungry, too, so I told him that he could come too.”

“It’s no big deal,” she said. “The more, the better, right?”

You smiled as you sat down across from her. “Hey, Y/N. How’s your day been?”

“It’s been okay,” she said. “I’ve just been helping my parents out at the travel agency. I’ve been applying to jobs. I’ve been thinking about internships. My dad’s friend knows someone who might be able to help me.”

“That’ll be good experience,” you said. “I can’t wait to graduate.”

“Another year for you guys,” she said.

Hyungwon picked up the menu. “Did you order anything yet?”

“I was craving pork belly so I ordered some already,” she replied, calling the waitress over. “Can we have a bottle of soju please?”

The smell of pork filled your nose as you slammed down your glass of soju. You’d had three. You weren’t much of a drinker, so you felt it more quickly than you thought you would. Maybe you should’ve only had two glasses? You picked up your chopsticks and picked up a piece of beef. Hyungwon’s phone rang as you began chewing. He winked at you when Y/N wasn’t looking.

As planned, Hyungwon answered, “Hello?” He paused. “Can you hear me?” He paused again, as if trying to hear. You knew all of it was for show, though. Hyungwon seemed to be a pretty good actor. He pulled the phone away from his ear, casting an apologetic look. “It’s a little hard to hear in here. I’ll be back.”

Y/N nodded took a sip of her water as her younger brother walked outside of the restaurant. “So how have you been? We haven’t really had much of a chance to catch up yet…”

“I’ve been okay. School’s school, you know?”

She crossed her arms across her chest. “So boring. Are there any girls you like?”

You paused for a moment. This was the perfect opportunity to tell her how you felt. Without realizing, she opened up the conversation. You sighed. “There is this one girl…”

She raised her eyebrows, intrigued. “Really? What’s she like?”

You said, “She’s pretty. Beautiful, actually… She’s really smart and creative. I like hanging out with her even though she’s a little older than me.”

“Does she go to your school?”

You shook your head. “No. She’s someone I’ve known for a while.”

She smiled. “Oh yeah? What’s her name?”

You reached across the table. “Y/N… It’s you. I like you.”

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