#Across the table so naturally you get rather close. And at one point I got somehow frustrated by smt (I wanted to tie up my hair?

[misskamelie]

Head in my hands, I'm doomed, this can't be going on for this long good grief. What the hell does my subconscious want to tell me. Hate the pms hormonal storm

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Hi would u be interested in writing something about Azriel being really soft with his mate and the IC find it cute but funny to see the scary spymaster acting like a love sick puppy?

Only you my girl

Azriel was known for being as quiet as the night. For being as cold as the deepest winter. To read him was nearly impossible. He was an observer. He collected information even when others thought there was nothing important to pinpoint at that exact moment. He sat in silence. He nodded when others talked, occasionally though. Said a word or two if the situation asked for it. But for the time, his presence in family gatherings was hazy. A true shadow this man was.

And then you came into his life. At first, his secretive nature had blossomed even more. Azriel got even quieter. Even more hard to read. The day he brought you over had been rather awkward. You were his lover - that's what was stated. Yet he sat there as if you weren't right beside him. While Cassian held Nesta close. Rhys's hands were resting on Feyre's. Azriel just couldn't and you knew it. This was new. He didn't know how. He wasn't sure if this was part of him. This vulnerable part of him could be shown.

It started slow. Azriel's hand-wound lingers on your thigh beneath the table. You didn't acknowledge it at first. Because Azriel and touch was like kid and medicine. The moment you point out the inevitable existence of one and another you get a negative correlation that leads to absolute opposite outcomes.

So you let him squeeze your thigh in peace. Then came the little rubs and him reaching for your hand. His chair would be scotched closer to yours. And so the little thing unfolded. You were glad that others never brought it up either. You knew how much they cared for the shadowsinger. Cassian had made it real clear that he didn't usually fight women but that if you were to hurt Azriel he would not be responsible for his actions to which you had nodded. They all had watched the spymaster suffering alone for long enough. Everyone was happy to get fed the crumbs of his open affection. Smiling tenderly when they were lucky to catch a glimpse of it.

But then came the trouble in the camps. The boys were barely home. At one point they had been away for more than a couple of days. That had broken something in Azriel though. It was the first time he had been away for a longer period of time. He was the last to come through the door. Barely dragged his feet. Tight frown on his face. Gears in his head turned so loudly it was hard to not hear it. You pushed off the wall. Moving past the other two couples lost in their conversation.

"Hey, big boy", you muttered, stepping closer, hands reaching to clasp Azriel's palms. "I hate it when you call me that", Azriel said flatly. Yet his mind had staggered for just a moment. "Right, forgot you preferred sugar plum more", you teased him, leaning against his chest more. That made a slight chuckle slip past Azriel's lips. Even if he rolled his eyes at your nicknames Azriel enjoyed them immensely, since no one had even cared enough to give him a loving nickname before.

The spymaster looked down at your much smaller frame. Hands still intertwined. The fact that he could hear your heartbeat so clearly calmed him down. Settled his demons. "Missed you", he muttered quietly, moving his hand to cup your cheek. "I missed you so much as well. The bed was so cold without you", you hummed, pressing your cheek deeper into his palm. Loving the feeling of his rougher skin. Azriel couldn't help but smile at your words, "That's the only thing you missed?", he teased. You gasped, shaking your head, "You horny...", "Oh, who said I was implying sex, I just meant my looks and charm", Azriel sassed, his words followed by a snort across the room.

Both of you instantly turned your gazes. Azriel's arms tightened against your body as you found four sets of eyes watching you. "Look at you joking around, huh", Cassian beamed, "Now we can tease him for being badly in love", Rhys added causing the rest of the family to chuckle. You bit your lip as you felt Azriel lower his head to your shoulder. "Leave my baby alone", you said, hand now combing through Azriel's tangled curls. "Oh, a baby", Cassian made baby sounds, whining till Nesta hit his chest.

"You never learned to play nice, huh?", you said to Cassian, but before the lord of bloodshed could answer you felt cold mist starting to swirl around you as Azriel winnowed with you still in his arms. "Tell me to eat his bacon in the morning", Azriel grumbled, bringing you even closer to him. Now more than ever I need to feel you in his arms. You chuckled, "I'll help you with that", you stated before wrapping yourself around your mate's frame.

[blossombriefs]

Noodles | A Goku OneShot

Authors Note: I'd write something short and sweet while I'm on a creative high! Drop a like and a follow if you like what you're reading! I'm gonna be posting around 2/3 times a week! I'd also love to follow back other writers :3 Update: MY MASTERLIST IS NOW PINNED TO MY PAGE! Summary: You meet Goku for a blind date after being set up by a friend Content: Goku x reader, SFW, cute, gender neutral reader Word Count: 908 Words

You were ecstatic that your friend Android 18 had set you up on a date with one of her friends. It had honestly been a while since your last date and you loved everything you had heard about her friend Goku. You dressed yourself up in your cutest outfit as you left the house with a bounce in your step. The sun hung rather low in the sky which casted a warm glow over the city as you navigated your way through the crowded streets. You sometimes find it overwhelming with the amount of people around you but your head was preoccupied about your date, the man you were meeting and where this might then take you.

As you approached your meeting point, you spotted Goku standing with a hand firmly against his waist. You could see him looking around for you, dressed in his iconic orange gi which made him easily recognisable as you got closer. He stood tall, his stature was muscular and his head housed thick, black spikes. Once he had clocked your approach, he waved with a friendly smile which assisted a wave of nervous excitement to rush through you.

"Hi! Are you Goku?" you smile toward him sweetly, trying to hide the flutter in your stomach.

Goku's face lit up with a wide grin, "Yeah! Nice to meet you! You must be Y/N? 18 told me all about you!"

As the two of you exchanged pleasantries you took a moment to admire the man in front of you. His friendly, goofy, and easygoing nature was helping to put you right at ease. You guys had decided on dining at a local ramen shop, Goku held the door open for you as you both entered. The first thing to greet you both was the chime of a light bell followed by the savoury aroma of the fresh, simmering broth. You could've sworn Goku was ready to levitate towards the scent. Your stomach growled in anticipation of your meal.

Settling in at a corner booth, you took in the cosy and warming atmosphere. The restaurant wasn't busy but there were still a few patrons sitting around, none necessarily close to you which allowed for a bit more privacy. The walls were a warm brown, decorated with beautiful hand-painted art, and the ceilings were dotted with soft overhead lights that complemented the wooden tables and chairs. Goku eagerly gripped a menu, his eyes widening at the selection of ramen that the restaurant had to offer. The waiting staff approached the table and you could tell his curiosity was getting the better of him as he smiled, "We should try a little bit of everything!"

Your eyes sparkled looking across the table to your date as you nodded your head in agreement, "That sounds perfect to me!"

You engaged in some small talk, his bright personality really drew you in. He shared some stories of the recent adventures he'd shared with his friends and his intense training sessions. You nodded along enthusiastically as you told him about yourself too. It wasn't long until you were greeted by the first bowl, Goku's eyes gleaming in pure delight. You looked up at him from across the table, blushing embarrassingly as you attempted to pick up your chopsticks.

"I uh," you started, fumbling the sticks between your fingers. "I actually don't really know how these work. I'm so used to using a fork."

Responding with a smile and a gentle pat at the wooden bench beside him, he signaled with his head that he wanted to show you the ropes. "Let me help you out, c'mon!"

Just like Goku you were also up for a challenge. You perched yourself beside him as he gently took your hand in his, positioning the chopsticks in your hand as he moved your fingers to the right place. As you ate together you could feel yourself fumbling them but it would lead to shared giggles between the two of you. Gradually the waiters brought out the rest of your feast. Noodles upon noodles, sushi platters, dumplings and much more traditional Japanese cuisine. Each one you enjoyed together, even if Goku ate significantly more of the food than you could let yourself indulge in. Between each bite he couldn't help but look up at you with a smile, "This was such a good idea. I'm so glad we came here!"

You beamed to him in response, "I'm glad we did too Goku! It's been a lovely day so far."

The evening slowly unfolded under the shared laughter you had over the warm bowls of broth, vegetables and noodles. You could feel a genuine connection with him. You bonded over so much and the way he made you laugh was unlike anyone really had before.

When you both left the restaurant the streetlights illuminated the now darkened city and the streets were much more tame, most people had already headed home by this point in the night. Goku rubbed the back of his neck, smiling down to you, "This was really fun! I haven't had that much fun in such a long time!"

"Me too Goku! Thank you," you say with a shuffle of your feet and a blush. He sighed happily as he carefully took your hand in his, the same hand he helped your chopsticks into.

"So how can I contact you? You know... for the second date? If you're interested that is..."

[madameaug]

One of Your Girls: KTH x Black Reader

Pairing: Actor Taehyung x Friend zoned Black Reader

Reader is delusional (like most of us), kinda feel bad, down horrendous, love sick for sure. Kinda mopey tone

I never could have imagined myself being a The Weekend girl. A girl who was so desperate for male attention that she convinced herself that being a side-chick was okay. Uttering that stupid phrase "he knows where home is." I actively laughed and made fun of those girls. Side chicks who believed that they would one day become the wife. That the man who was dragging her along would come to his senses. That she had something special and would motivate him to change his dirty dog ways. Ha! What fools.

Yet there was a voice that didn't belong to me , reciprocating that belly-aching laugh.

Look at you in madly in love with a man who sees you as nothing more than a friend.

Even though no one was pointing that finger at me the embarrassment was swallowing me up whole. Yet again here I laid in the California King bed, alone, hoping he would still be here with me. That after he tucked me into bed, that he would be curled up beside me. I wouldn't dare allow myself to hope that maybe in our mutual intoxication, we shared this bed in a more intimate sense. That I finally escaped the isolating box of friendship. Removing the burn of being called his friend, but rather yet just his.

"Ms. Yn? Are you awake?" Judah Tae's assistant spoke on the other side of the door. Huh, I guess he knew about me staying the night. I wasn't a total fool to know that Judah coming to wake me up, was a clear sign from Tae that my window of being a guest was rapidly closing. He was too much of a coward to address me head-on and politely kick me out. So he tasked that to either his softspoken Judah or his rough-around-edges security guard Binky. At this point I would have preferred Binky to wake me up.

"I'm up, Judah." I picked up my belongings that were scattered across the ground. Nothing too serious but a bright red corset top and a slinky black maxi skirt.

"Your phone and purse are on the dining table, and your Uber is outside. No need to rush out, take your time."

Judah added that last sentence to cushion the blow that I was again getting the discreet dismissal from his boss. I was the pitiful girl who couldn't get the hint. Or perhaps refused to get the hint.

I sat in front of the vanity mirror, getting myself together. Yes, I was a bit prideful. Even though I was on the edge of another anti-climatic emotional breakdown, I'll be damned if I showed it. If fake it til I make it was a person, it would be me.

Drunk me in all her right mind, was smart enough to remove the layers of makeup on my face. They weren't smeared across Taehyung's satin pillow sheets. Sheets I like to think he got for me, to protect my natural hair. I just like to think that he's thinking of me.

Catching my eye were two photo frames. The larger one contained Taehyung and his castmates of Hwarang. He was the youngest and his older castmates had bunny ears behind his head. Even though it was hard to see as Taehyung was dressed in a traditional hanbok. His perfect smile on display, his big ears poking out lateral to the black head strap. He looked like a kid in the candy store. Smiling cheek to cheek, that he actually looked like his six year old self.

Should I truly feel shame for allowing myself to fall in love with a man like him. A man who was kind, interested in the things I liked, was single, intelligent, and had a passion within his career. I wouldn't be exaggerating for saying that Kim Taehyung was one of a kind. It would be hard to find another like him. No. There is no one like him. I was already lucky to be in his space as a friend. Someone who he didn't have to worry about betraying him to the gossip-hungry tabloids, airing out his dirty laundry for the world to sift through and mock. I was honored to be his number one confidant, his best friend. But I won't lie to my heart and say I wish we were something more.

I wish I met his grandmother, the most important woman of his life under the guise of lover. That he posted my face on social media holidays like National Girlfriend Day. I wish that I had an initial in his bio, showing that he was taken.

But instead, I was reminded of the reason why none of my wishes would come true. His true love was currently occupying that space. The female co-star that he was currently the lead with. She was a beautiful ray of sunshine inside and out. Everything about her was pretty. Her skin was clear and smooth, not an imperfection is sight. She had a youthful look to her, easily being mistaken as Taehyung's junior despite her being older than him. Even her name translated to 'pretty' in both her native language and Korean. I didn't need intense calculations to understand why Taehyung was in love with her. If I was a male, hell I'd probably be in love with her too.

Which is why it hurt the most seeing the two lovebirds hug each other so lovingly. Her smile was turning into rambunctious teasing. Bragging that she won this little onsided game between us. That she was the victor in this drawn-out battle for Taehyung's attention and affection.

That I YN YLN was a loser. That I earned second place. Nah. That wouldn't stand for much longer. Kim Taehyung was in love with me. A seedling somewhere in that big heart of his was reserved for me. His girlfriend was the overcast, preventing my little seed from growing. Two can play this game. And rest assured, that this time I would be victorious.

Muah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!

(just jokes- i don't support homewrecking <3)

[scholastic-dragon]

Putting these two prompts together!!!

This is funny

This technically takes places in Infinty War and just replaces the scene from the movie.

Rocket x fem!reader

Stone Cold Jealousy

Warnings: established relationship, kissing, jealously, Rocket being a little shithead, spelling mistakes,

The man fell with a rather undignified thump onto the table.

He was human in nature, or at least what you figured what humans should be. He looked like Quill in nature, with a tall, strong build, but this one had much bigger muscles and an eye patch.

You and all the Guardians stood around the table, staring in disbelief at what had just landed on your windshield.

"How the hell is this dude still alive?" Quill mused, looking over a table with his vitals on it.

"My god," You lean over the side of the table, running your palms along his arms and shoulders. "He's built like a brick shit house,"

You see Rocket lift his head in his peripheral vision, squinting his eyes at you.

Gamora came up to your side, starting to reach out her own hands to touch the strange man. Quill quickly piped up, nodding to Mantis. "Wake him up,"

Mantis nods back, placing her palm on the guys forehead. "Awake,"

The man jolts, gasping deeply, and launching up from the table, staggering away from the group. You all pulled out your weapons, aiming it at the panting man.

Rocket pulls out his gun, cocking it and leaning over to whisper to you. "You really into those kind of muscles?" He tries to cover up the jealously with humor but its obvious.

"I prefer brains over brawn," You gently nudge him with your knee, both of you chuckling softly.

The strange man turns around, panting, glancing between all of you. "Who the hell are you guys?"

After a brief play-by-play of who you were, the man, now known as Thor, had explained how he came to land on your ship.

"Here," You placed a blanket around his shoulders, he was so tense, and you weren't surprised given what he'd been through. He looked up at you and smiled, his hand coming up and gently brushing against your fingers on his shoulder.

"Thank you, fair Maiden, you are very kind," He looks you up and down, making the others suck in a breath, knowing how this was going to end. "And very beautiful,"

You gave an awkward chuckle, removing your hand from his shoulder and taking a step back.

"Alright, humie," Rocket steps up, crossing his arms across his chest. "How about more explaining how you're a god and less flirting with my girl-"

"Your-" Thor scoffed, pointing between you and Rocket. "Your girl?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Rocket uncrossed his arms, placing his hand on his hip on the handle of his blaster, a clear warning.

Thor gave a smile. "No, no problem,"

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

"Whoa, whoa, you can't just take our pod!" Quill protested, following after Thor.

You walked up to Rocket, watching him pack a few essentials in his pockets.

"You really thinking about going with him?" You ask, leaning against his chair.

"Yeah," He sensed your apprehension, looking up at you. "Hey, it'll be alright, Groot and I'll be back in no time," He stood up in his chair, reaching eye level with you.

"I know," You smile, giving a soft chuckle as Rocket reached up and gently cupped your cheek.

Thor cleared his throat, making you and Rocket look at him. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Rocket smirked, grabbing the collar of your shirt and yanking you down into a passionate kiss. He pushed his tongue past your lips, making you gasp against him. He pulls back, the biggest shit eating grin on his face. "I'll see you later, doll,"

You stood there shocked, voice caught in your throat. He hoped down off the chair and walked over toward Thor.

"Well...that was something," You laugh, looking over your shoulder at Rocket, seeing him and Groot getting in the pod.

Rocket chuckled. "If you think that was something, wait till I get back," He winks, closing the pods door and starting the engines.

Gamora chuckles, nudging your arm. "Somebody's jealous,"

[filmbyjy]

BE IN LOVE

PAIRING: park jongseong x fem!reader

SUMMARY: it was quite cheesy that you fell in love with your best friend’s brother. what could you do to prevent it? jay was someone who you knew was out of reach but you couldn’t help but crush on.

WARNINGS: cursing. maybe slight angst (?). other than that, there isn’t much.

WORD COUNT: 3.6K words

taglist[perm]: @ja4hyvn @ahnneyong @milklix @kar0ki @sugarsunoo

a/n: this is a repost of a previous work I did that I loved! well repost from my old account that got deleted but yeah! I have also re-edited it so it’s better to read. I found the previous one a little cringy but idk if its cringy🙃 hope you enjoy it though!

A typical morning spent in your bed. perhaps, a little breakfast in bed because your parents were worried about your bruised eyes. Now, you must be wondering how you obtained this bruised eye?

[last week] It was any normal day at school and any normal day included physical education, or PE for short form. You didn’t particularly enjoy sports, you would rather be cooped up in your room for hours just watching some Netflix or Disney+, but of course, you couldn’t just escape from it since it was a required subject in high school.

“One point for us!” jake yells. Meet jake, the school’s soccer captain and one of the school’s heartthrobs. Right next to him was sunghoon and jay. Sunghoon was the second heartthrob of your school and he played basketball and badminton (on occasions). Finally there was jay, the third heartthrob and also a family friend.

Both of your families were close and you two have played around as kids before. Well i say kids but the only thing both of your parents did was let you play in the crib together and that’s about it. Growing up, the both of you never got to really talk to each other. Both were too shy to do so and plus...you liked to play alone. guess that’s where wanting to stay-in started from. Since then a natural distance came between both you and jay.

“Oh come on, are you really cheating jake?” Mia, your best friend, says.

“And what are you gonna do about it park mia?” jake yells. your dear best friend was also jay’s twin sister. the girl huffs.

“yah, park jongseong! would you care to smack the back of jake’s head?” and so jay does, he smacks the slightly younger boy. jake groans. Whatever Mia wanted, jay would comply because well...he wanted to be the great brother. Mia slings her arm around you.

“Don’t worry (name), jake isn’t going to bother us anymore.” she proudly says.

“WATCH OUT!” you turned around and a dodgeball comes flying onto your face. Your glasses flew across the room and you fell the ground, blacked out. Well at least Mia was right, jake didn’t bother you. rather a ball flew across and hit you.

[current time] Wasn’t a great thing honestly. Your mom popped her head at the door to check up on you. she brings in a plate of fruits for you.

“Here, eat this (name).” you sighed.

“Mom, it’s just a black eye. You’re acting as if i got hit by a car.”

“But sweetie, you’re injured.” she says.

“Mom, i’m fine.”

“Your glasses are broken too, we should get you a new pair.” she points over at your glasses that had shattered on impact.

“can i buy some contact lenses?”

2 years passed by, it was finally the last year of high school. Your class gathered in the classroom to surprise your form teacher, a small gesture to say ‘hey you survived teaching us for 4-5 years of your life. Hope you live well and we will see each other when we do’.

You were in your graduation gown, putting up the balloons. You felt the table shake but you knew you were great at balancing, well you thought before you fell into jay’s arms. Your eyes widened. You quickly got off jay and apologised. Mia smirks, she pulls you away from her twin brother.

“I saw what happened~so you and jay huh.”

you shoved her shoulder, “i don’t like your brother like that. besides, we are strictly just family friends.”

“oh shush, did you know our parents have this bet that you and jay would start dating?” she excitedly says.

“Whatever Mia. I have to go and grab the cake from the front gate, text me when Mr.Smith arrives alright?” Mia nods. While you went out though, Mia walks over to jay.

“Go with (name) now.”

“But-”

“Go and get the girl you’ve been crushing on since we were kids.”

“I don’t have a crush on her.” mia rolls her eyes.

“yeah sure. It’s like saying i don’t have a crush on jake.” mia deadpans.

“You have a crush on jake?” jay tilts his head.

“huh? what? I didn’t hear you.” jay rolls his eyes.

“I will tell mom on you.”

“We aren’t five anymore jay. Just go with (name) and be confident. I’m sure she likes you too!”

“Fine.” jay goes over to where you were. You thanked the person who delivered the cake and went back. Jay walks over to you.

“why are you here?” you say. Jay shrugs and then silence follows after. both you and jay went back to the classroom. where they graduation party really started.

That was the last time you saw the boy before college happened. It had been 3 years since you’ve last seen jay or even Mia. She went to a different department and so you couldn’t always meet up with her since she was extremely busy. It was just about towards the ending of exam season and so plenty of people started planning for parties.

You spot a familiar figure waving for you and so you walked over.

“It’s been too long (name)!” Mia gives you a tight squeeze.

“You’ve changed.” you say. your best friend looked so much more mature. she had made a decision to study business and so she dressed way more sophisticated.

“And so has jay.” she winks. You rolled your eyes.

“Are you seriously still trying to get me and jay together?”

“Has it worked?”

“No, we haven’t seen each other since the last party we held for our high school teacher.”

“What? But jay has to be in your class. You’re both in fashion right?”

“Fashion? I took arts, mia. I told you i had a passion for arts.” she facepalms and groans.

“Is that why jay cut me off. Urgh i’m an idiot.”

you tilt your head, “You haven’t talked to jay in 2 years?”

“Yeah, besides he has his friend group. Oh did you hear? They started a band together.”

“You mean those 3 heartthrobs of Decelis High?”

“Yeah, along with 3 freshmans and a senior.”

“That’s great. What about you and jake?” Mia shows you her ring. Your eyes widened, “He proposed in these 2-3 years we haven’t talked? Why didn’t you even tell me when you two started dating.”

“No, silly. It’s a promise ring. We’ve been dating for 2 years now. Best 2 years ever by the way.”

“Kinda hurt you didn’t tell your best friend about this.” you huffed and folded your arms.

“I’m sorry!” she goes to hug you.

“You had time with your boyfriend but not me. It hurt when you just cut all contacts with me you know.” you pout.

“Sorry (name).” she whines. You giggled. “I’ll buy you tteokbokki. how about that?”

“With cheese?” you say.

“With cheese.”

The both of you made it to a familiar tteokbokki stand, one that you went to everyday after school. You noticed a pretty familiar face. Mia tilts her head and looks over to where you were staring.

“He said he’d be having band practice.” Mia stares at jake. She pulls you over to where the 6 boys were. Then lets go of you before grabbing jake by the ear. “sim jaeyun, didn’t you say you were having band practice?” mia glares at jake.

“ah ah, i’m sorry, babe forgive me. sunghoon suggested to eat at our usual tteokbokki place so we decided to come here but cross my heart, we practiced before coming here.” jake says.

“(name)?” sunghoon says.

“Sunghoon.”

“hyung, who is she?”

“Oh umm, that is (name). (name), this is sunoo, jungwon, ni-ki and heeseung. Our bandmates.”

“Hi.” you waved.

“Where is jay by the way?” Mia asks.

“Bathroom.” Mia nods.

“Well, we shouldn’t disturb all of you. Me and Mia will just go shopping.” you grabbed her arm and quickly left the tteokbokki place. It fell silent between you and her as you walked around the shops.

“Why did you leave? You could’ve seen jay.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve caught up with each other. Come on, let’s go shopping.” you say. Mia could sense you didn’t want to talk about jay so she nods.

It was around 7.30pm when you finished walking around with mia. you decided to get back to your dorm, however as you were arriving, you saw someone familiar. he was walking a girl home. it was jay. He shyly converses with the girl and bid her goodbye. You mustered up the courage and quickly walked past them. The girl walks in first and you silently prayed that jay wouldn’t notice it was you.

“(name).” well...your hope was now crushed. You slowly turned to face jay.

“Jay. a little surprised to see you here.” you gave him the most sincere fake smile you could, “Why are you here?”

“Oh..just sending a close friend of mine to the dorms since it was quite late.”

“Oh. that’s nice of you. She must be a really great friend.” jay blushes slightly.

“a-ah no. We just talk a little.” it hurts to see jay so flustered by a girl. the younger you would’ve cried. You giggled.

“Someone has a crush on her. Well i’ll get going, see you.” you quickly left before jay could say anything. You were heartbroken. You went back to your dorm. Seems like your roommate just arrived too.

“where did you go?” you asked her. She was in a daze, clearly happy something happened to her.

“The fashion heartthrob walked me home today.” she says. You froze, was that girl your roommate?

“Which heartthrob? Our school has a bunch.” you nonchalantly say as you placed your shoes onto the shelves. it was true, your department and practically the whole school had a bunch of heartthrobs.

“jay. God, he’s so good looking. You think he likes me? He was so flustered while talking to me.” she says. You remembered asking him just now. He did look flustered and kinda happy when talking to her.

“Yeah maybe.” your roommate jumps in happiness.

“eekkk, i’m so happy!! I should get some beauty rest to see him tomorrow!”

“Yeah you should.” you say. Your roommate runs to her room and shuts the door. Your phone vibrates. A text from Mia, she asked if you wanted to call so you replied to her with a simple okay. you picked up the call.

“Hey, got to your dorms safely?” mia asks. you shut your bedroom door and placed your purse down on the table.

“Yeah.”

“Great but why do you sound so defeated?”

you sighed, “Do you think jay still likes me?”

“Of course. Even if it has been years. Jay will still look for you. Why?” you fiddled with your little songwriting book you’ve kept since you were 15. the pages were almost filled with inspirations and lyrics.

“i saw him walking a girl home and that girl is my roommate.”

“what? Oh he will get it.” mia says. you could imagine her holding up her fist.

“No, don’t. He will know i told you because i was the only one that knows about it.” you cracked open the book and began writing some lyrics for fun.

“Are you doubting yourself?” mia asks. you paused. did you doubt yourself? absolutely. jay was someone who was out of reach.

“I mean...he can date whoever he wants. I have no control over him. it’s not like i’m his girlfriend.” you quickly continue to scribble.

“(name), listen to me.”

“Go ahead.”

“We will dress up and meet the band tomorrow.” you dropped the pen.

“What?”

“We have to and besides jay blocked me from everything. i just wanna have a word with him.”

“Mia-”

“Whoops sorry, i have to go. Jake is calling me.” mia ends the call. You breathed in. you had to prepare to meet him again tomorrow.

The next day, mia tells you to get ready by 1pm and so you do. You put on a simple short black dress and threw over a leather jacket. to finalise the look, you wore a necklace. maybe this was a little extra but hey who said you couldn’t dress up.

“My god, what special occasion are you going to?” mia says upon seeing you walk out of the door. you rolled your eyes.

“is it wrong to dress up?” you say. Mia smiles.

“oh no, it isn’t wrong but jay would sooo drool over this. maybe if jay didn’t like you, you could go for someone else. like me perhaps.” mia winks. you laughed and smacked her arm.

both you and mia arrived at where the band frequently practices. The school provided a studio for them and they were elated. Their band played at school related shows and once at a prom. They were pretty known in the school. which surprised you since you’ve never seen them before. i mean, you never really go to school events anyways.

“baby!” jake runs up to mia. They hugged, you smiled at them. they were adorable. way different to how they were back then but you knew along the way that mia just liked jake.

“Okay the younger boys and heeseung have met (name) but yeah. She’s here today.” mia says. you waved.

“Your aura seems different today. Do you have a date later on or something?” sunghoon says as he nudges you. You giggled.

“very funny hoon, unfortunately, i am not going out for one.”

“maybe i could take you out to one later on then.” he smirks. you playfully rolled your eyes at sunghoon’s words.

“shut up.”

“then who did you dress up for noona?” sunoo says.

“yeah, for who?” sunghoon smirks, “is it possibly me?”

“In your dreams. I dressed up for myself.” your eyes met with jay’s, he was definitely checking you out and so you shyly looked away.

“hey (name), i just remembered when you showed me a music piece that you wrote in high school.” jake says. You blushed.

“jake, what do you mean? i never showed you anything.” the boys were interested.

“You’re lying. Mia knows about it too.” she nods agreeing with her boyfriend.

“Don’t tell me you still have it.” you say. jake smirks. He pulls out a book, it was your old lyric book that you had for fun since you had a lot of fun writing it. you swore you lost it so why does jake have it?

“Shall we try singing it, miss singer?” jake says.

“what? I can’t sing, jake.” he turns over to mia.

“Don’t hide that beautiful voice of yours, (name).” she comes up to you and whispers, “besides, don’t you want to impress jay so he wouldn’t be swayed by your roommate?” you breathed in. you really haven’t sang in a while and you didn’t want to do it. however, with everyone’s eyes on you…you couldn’t let them down.

“Fine.” you say. jake claps his hands. He grabs his guitar and starts the chords for the chorus since you only wrote for the chorus and then gave up. it was honestly impressive that you came up with guitar chords to go with the chorus you wrote.

You took a deep breath. you were a little nervous but you closed your eyes and pretended no one was there. it was as if you were singing in your bedroom alone.

Be in love, we know

Heart to heart, you feel it too, right?

Hey love, hey love, please wait for a while

We can be together

Say bye-bye to boring days

Feel our energy

Hey love, hey love, baby just stay in love, love

You stopped right there and when you opened your eyes, you instantly met with jay staring at you. You shyly looked away.

“Wahhh noona, that was great. You should’ve join music production or something.” sunoo says.

“I’m not that great. I just made these lyrics up because i had a crus-” you covered your mouth. great you just revealed the one thing you didn’t want the boys to know about.

“You had a crush? Why didn’t we know about this?” sunghoon says. You looked down at your hands.

“Because it’s not important. It’s just a crush. It wasn’t like i dated him or something.”

“Exactly but crushes are equally important as a boyfriend. So miss (name), are you going to spill the tea or not?” sunghoon says. You looked over at jay, he seemed like he wasn’t upset or anything.

“i-i’m not telling!” you say.

“then if she won’t say it...I WILL! IT’S-” you covered jake’s mouth.

“hehe, well i guess it’s a mystery. Well i have to go now, bye!” you grabbed your bag and left. Mia gives jake one look before running off to find you. Jake grabs his phone when he notices it’s ringing, he answers it and places it in speaker mode.

“(name)! Where are you going?”

“hiding in my room! I can’t believe i blurted that out loud in front of jay!”

“Oh come on, (name). It’s not bad.” you stopped and looked at mia.

“Not bad? that song was literally crafted for him because my teen heart loved him so much. If he found out then i’m fucked. I was stupid. he already has a crush on someone else now. what’s the use?” you confessed. Jake looks up at jay, a blush dusting the older boy’s cheeks.

Mia shows her phone and places it in speaker mode.

“Jay, you heard that? Also unblock me, you idiot.” mia says.

“u-umm can you pass the phone to (name).” jay says. your eyes widened. oh hell nah, he heard everything you just said. mia and her devious plans.

“Mia…” you glared at her.

“Talk to him.” she says handing you her phone after turning off the speaker mode. Jay found a place to quietly talk to you, preferably away from the other boys.

“Hey. jay says.

“Hi.”

“Let’s just get to the point. That song was for me?”

“Yes.” your heart was beating 10 times faster.

“So you liked me.”

“Would it be bad if i still like you up till now and i’ve been waiting for you?” you say.

“Meet me outside your dorm at 6pm.” jay says.

“Uh, sure.”

“I’ll tell mia to send my phone number after i unblock her.” you snort.

“Can’t believe you blocked her because she thought i took fashion.”

“Trust me, i was really mad when i couldn’t find you anywhere in the fashion department.”

“Well see you later.” you say.

“See you.” the call ends. You hand mia her phone back.

“Oh he just unblocked me and he asked me to send you his number...wait what happened during the call.”

“Not telling you.” you stick your tongue out.

Later at 6pm, you came downstairs in a hoodie and sweatpants because honestly, it was too comfy. Jay was waiting for you and you sneaked up on him and scared him. He flinches.

“Oh my god, it was just you.” you smiled.

“So why did you want to meet me here?” you asked.

“Well, i wanted to invite you to a party.”

“A party? Couldn’t you have texted me.”

“Umm...i’m inviting you as my date.” your eyes widened, “you don’t have to accept it. umm, if you don’t want to come to the party-”

“Jay?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll come.” you flashed him a smile. He shyly smiles. Before you left to get back to your dorm, you gave jay a peck on the cheek and then ran off quickly. Jay holds the side where you kissed him at, a wide grin forming. Jay texts you the details of the party.

Friday comes in, the day of the party. Jay comes to pick you up. You opened the door and there stood jay. He snuck up to the dorm apartment place just to meet you at the door. You were wearing a similar black dress that hugged your body even more perfectly than the previous one. Jay smiles.

“You look great.”

“Thank you, you too.” jay drives you over to the party. It was a huge party, almost every popular clique was here and they all were in their own fun world. Dancing, drinking alcohol and probably making out. Jay drags you to where his friends were.

“Oh hey, you two came together.” sunghoon says. Mia eyes you up and down.

“Isn’t that the dress i bought for you only specifically when you and jay are dati-WAIT (name)....” you shyly look over to jay and he wraps his arms around your waist protectively.

“Me and (name) are dating.” mia gasps.

“You didn’t ask me.” you whisper to jay.

“Well both you and i know, we have mutual feelings for each other so you’re my girlfriend now.” you hide your face at the crook of jay’s neck. he runs his hands down your back to pat you.

“AYYYYY (name), can’t believe you and jay are finally together.” jake says. Jay could hear you whine softly. He chuckles.

“Alright, she’s shy. Let’s not tease her.” jay says.

“Don’t makeout in front of us alright.” mia says.

“You and jake should take your own advice.” heeseung says. Jake blushes.

[epilogue]

It was still summer holiday so both you and jay went back home to visit your parents and well…

“I always knew you two would get together. A match made in heaven.” your mom says.

“mom~” you whined.

“jongseong-ah, where is your sister?”

“At jake’s house.”

“Oh my, are they dating? I knew something would spark between them, they used to hate each other and now look at them. Mia didn’t even tell me about both of them.” Jay’s mom says. Your mom settles the both of you down on the couch.

“so…(name), jay. When are the both of you planning to get married?” your mom asks.

“MOM!” jay on the other hand was blushing hard.

[writingbyshiloh]

Hi Shiloh ☺️

Everytime I get to type a message/request for you I smile like an idiot.But anyways can I request prompt 2 for Red

Please and Thank You in advance love❤️

ANYTHING FOR YOU SORAYA!!!! Request any Reddington content u wish!!!! Tagged all the Reddington fans at the bottom

CW: Flying, Pilot!Reader. All pilot references/knowledge is from Google so may not be accurate. Not beted. It took me almost 3 hours to write this so I lost all motivation to edit.

Prompt: 2. Giving them a shoulder message when they won’t leave whatever they’re working on

You kept looking at the digital clock in the cockpit. For flights longer than 10 hours, Dembe steps in to give you a break. You had 8 hours on then Dembe would cover you for 4 hours before you took over the final four hours of the flight. You were alert the whole time you were in the pilot seat, able to shower and sleep once on land in whatever destination Reddington wanted. Dembe got to keep his flight skills sharp. 

“Go on break.” A soft vogue cuts through your thoughts. You nod, shifting in your seat to stand and stretch, filling Dembe in on any important notes during your time in the air so far. 

“How is he?” you didn't need to specify who you were talking about. It is only the three of you on board. 

“Stressed.” 

You nod in understanding before going to the cabin of the jet. On break you try to nap, stretch out your limbs, and watch some TV if time permitted. Another chunk of your time is filled with Reddington asking you about what you watching and listening to you in earnest. Sometimes lightheartedly poking holes in the plot or pointing out the setups for plot twists. 

You place your hands on the back of the seats keeping your balance as you make your way to the small couch. 

“Hello, sweetheart.” Reddingtons deep voice caught your attention before you reached your destination. 

“Hey!” You moved a bit quicker down the seats.

“How are the skies?” 

You place your hand on the back of his seat, trying to sneak a peak from the windows, met with more gray. The table in front of him is covered with pieces of paper, pens, a phone, and a drink, while his suit jacket was on the chair across the aisle. 

“Cloudy, but better weather when we land.” 

Trying to get more of a view from the windows, you move your hand further on the seat in front of you landing on Reddington's shoulder. 

You expect him to freeze or gently remove your hand. What you don't expect is for him to lean into your touch, head tipped back on the seat, eyes closed. 

Now standing fully behind his set, you adjust your hands to get a better grip on his shoulder. Thumbs pressed deep into his upper shoulders before moving closer to his neck, and back again. You didn't really know what you were doing, basing your moves on his responses rather than any actual knowledge. 

The jet was comfortable, but if he was hunched over a table for eight hours you could understand the pain. 

“You may have chosen the wrong career.” He says voice soft. You try not to laugh. 

“I’m sure I’m a better pilot than a masseuse.” 

His head was tipped back to look at you.

“Are you saying I’m naturally gifted at giving massages, or I’m an awful pilot?” you tease. 

“The former. Although there was that one landing, in Switzerland?” 

You remove your hands from his shoulders. 

“Ha-ha. Very funny.”

(Dm to be added or removed), @soraya-daydreamsreams, @horrorqueen22, @wild-rose-35, @anonymoussherlockandmarvelgeek, @zombieskullxz, @rhepworth, @fanficismydrug, @navs-bhat, ( @btsjiminsthings, @emilynissangtr these r the people who liked the post about the tag list but didn't officially comment! just dm if you wish to be removed!!)

[nikofortuna]

JTTW Chapter 1 Thoughts

I finally managed to sit myself down and read the first chapter for the @journeythroughjourneytothewest Reading Group!

So I have actually decided on dual-reading each chapter. As I have a physical copy of Anthony C. Yu’s translation I read that one first, though afterwards I looked at the J.F. Jenner translation as well, which ultimately made me come to the decision of reading both versions each chapter. While Anthony C. Yu's version has more definitive detail, J.F. Jenner's is just easier to understand. It is very much a sense of I kind of got it the first read including the major points, but I really connected some additional dots with the second.

Additionally I'll be listening to the Audio Drama Series on YouTube by @jttwaudiodrama, the chapters that are available so far anyway, which honestly might be my personal favourite already. I adore that they use the Mandarin names at least once when they come up for the first time and they use the original measurements and such! It was so weird reading "36 feet and 5 inches", partially because I use the metric system, meanwhile “3 Zhang 6 Chi and 5 Cun” felt far more natural to hear. The Production Notes for each chapter are great too!

Now onto some of the thoughts that came up in my mind while reading!

“It’s free real estate.” When the monkeys were moving into Shuilian Cave that’s what immediately entered my mind.

Also something I found interesting is that the stone mansion was abandoned seemingly in a somewhat hasty manner? At least that’s how it came across to me with it not being completely clean, but there still being leftovers on the table. That or the previous owner didn’t care much for keeping things orderly, it could be either really.

Very much love the anti-grindset vibes when Sun Wukong sees how focused on fortune and fame humans are always striving for more. They are practically working themselves to death without ever stopping to just live in the moment for a while and are never satisfied with what they have either. One ought to think if you are already a prime minister as mentioned in the poem you have more than enough wealth to live comfortably.

One could argue that since they believe in reincarnation, which might even be a confirmed fact there, they might think they will be able to relax in another life. However when would that life come around then, if they just continue with this work ethic lifetime after lifetime? If they simply want their children to have a comfortable life, why would they be perpetuating this mindset actively preventing them from having one?

Then you have the woodcutter as the exception to the rule, who doesn't have much, but is still rather content outside of genuinely valid concerns regarding getting enough food on the table.

This whole issue being brought up so early in the book already puts it in a very good light. Looking forward to the story's further exploration of these topics!

Rounding out with something sweet, one of the animals Sun Wukong befriends in the Anthony C. Yu translation is a civet, which I didn’t know what it was, so I looked it up. They are so adorable! Just look at their big ol’ eyes and cute little snoot! Precious!

This is an Asian Palm Civet specifically, which I guess might be the kind he could have met. Something I read on African Civets specifically, which I assume goes for other kinds of civets as well to some extend at least, is that they are not felines which one might guess at first glance. They are more closely related to weasels or mongooses instead!

[moonlit-stay]

The Countdown To SKZ-MAS: Day 7

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Pairing: Seungmin x Female Reader

Activity/Tradition: Reading Christmas Stories

Genre: Fluff and Smut

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: Soft!Dom Seungmin, Sub!Fem reader, established relationship, unprotected sex, nipple play, clit stimulation, creampie

Other Warnings: Mentions of fire (fireplace)

Please let me know if I missed anything

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Color(s) Of This Fic: Dark Red and Silver <3

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If you are under the age of 18, please do not interact with this fic. This fic contains inappropriate content and is strictly 18+

Everything written in all of my work is consensual. Even if not stated within the work.

Enjoy :)

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The night grows late as darkness sets in, snow continuously falling and illuminating the outside of your home in a beautiful silver glow. The inside of your home is dimly lit by nothing but the fireplace and holiday candles placed carefully on your coffee table and other surrounding surfaces.

A long, dark red pillow with silver snowflakes sewn onto it lays across the surface of your fireplace, giving you and Seungmin the perfect place to sit and stay warm while you read your Christmas stories.

Seungmin brings some fluffy blankets over towards the fireplace, getting everything ready for you both to read together.

One of the traditions you had in your family was to read Christmas stories together every night the week before Christmas. It was a tradition you held close to your heart, so naturally when you and Seungmin started dating, it was a tradition you continued with him starting the very first Christmas you spent together as a couple.

"I got it!" You sing out, bringing the tote of Christmas books into the living room.

You stop in your tracks, carefully setting the tote down and taking in your surroundings. Your eyes sparkle as you take in everything Seungmin set out to make the space you two would be sharing this tradition in special for you.

You turn to him, your bottom lip jutting out as he smiles brightly at you, holding his arms out to embrace you. You walk into his open arms, resting your head on his chest as you wrap your arms around him. You feel his arms circle around you as he sways you back and forth with a laugh.

"Do you like it?" He asks you, peering down at you.

"Of course, I do." You sniffle, burying your head further into his chest.

He lets out another laugh, holding you close as he continues to sway you both back and forth.

"Are you ready to pick out our stories?" He asks, holding your face gently in his big palms as he swipes his thumbs along your cheeks.

You nod up at him, your hands coming to wrap around his wrists.

Once you both make your way over to the tote, you take a minute to briefly admire all the books, all the colors festive and perfect for this time of year. You allow your fingertips to run along the spines of the books, some new and in perfect condition, while others are old and worn down. Anyone could've guessed the books that are old and worn down are from your childhood, books you've grown up reading and a small smile pulls at your features at the sight.

"This one." You point, pulling out the oldest book in the tote before standing back and letting Seungmin choose a book for himself.

He chooses one that is also rather old before you both make yourselves comfortable in front of the fireplace. With your backs turned to the fireplace, large, fluffy blankets pulled over your laps, and Christmas stories in hand, you both were ready to read.

"You go first this year." Seungmin gently says, slightly nudging you with his shoulder.

You shyly smile as you pull your book away from your chest, opening it to the first page.

"Ok," you smile, looking over the pages of the book. "Here goes."

Seungmin listens intently as you read your story, his head coming to rest on your shoulder as he follows along as you read. Your eyes run across the words on the pages and along the illustrations, admiring the small details that hold so many sentimental memories for you.

After a short while, you finish reading your story, carefully closing the book, and setting it on your lap.

"Your turn." You almost whisper out, resting your head against his.

He reluctantly moves from his place on your shoulder, opening his book as he begins reading. Your eyes trace over his lips as he reads, his slender fingers moving to carefully turn the pages and trace over the illustrations.

You can't help but smile when you look up at him. His eyes sharp and focused as he reads the words aloud, you listen intently to every word as love pools in your heart. You watch his eyes dart across the pages as he reads, brief pauses in between his words as he turns the page, quickly peering at you from the corner of his eyes.

"What?" He asks with a smile, noticing your smile as you stare at him.

"Nothing, nothing. Keep going." You giggle, watching as he turns his attention back to the book.

He soon finishes the story, closing and collecting both books to put them back in the tote. He makes his way back over to the fireplace, sitting next to you once again as he pulls you into his side.

"All good, baby?" He asks, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

"All good, Minnie." You reply, looking up at him.

He leans down to press a gentle kiss to your lips, feeling your grip on him grow tighter.

"Thank you for doing this with me every year." You softly thank, suddenly feeling bashful as you hide your face in his chest.

"You're welcome, baby." He replies, holding you until you decide to come out of hiding. "I do really like this tradition, you know. Especially since it means so much to you."

"Really?" You ask, still hiding in his hold.

"Mhm," he hums in response. "I can't wait to do this with our kids one day. Hopefully, this tradition will mean as much to them when they're all grown up as it does to you."

"Our kids?" You ask, coming out of hiding to look up at him.

He nods slowly, looking over your features.

"That has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" You smirk at him, watching as he mirrors your smirk before pressing his lips to yours.

"I do." He breathes out in between kisses.

He grabs at your hips, guiding you onto his lap so your back is pressed flush against his chest. He moves to press kisses along your neck as you grind back against him. He groans in response, his hands gripping your waist as he guides you back and forth on his lap.

You move to quickly pull your sweatpants off, kicking them further into the living room as Seungmin pulls his down enough for his hard length to spring free. You pull your panties to the side, grinding along Seungmin's bare length before guiding his tip through your folds and into your heat.

"Oh my god." Seungmin groans out, involuntarily bucking his hips into you.

He soon bottoms out, feeling you squirm against him at the lack of friction. He tries to regain his composure as he feels you lift your hips, dropping them down to meet his in a harsh movement.

"Shit," you hiss, repeating the action as you ride him.

Seungmin's hands trail up your shirt, cupping your tits as you continue to ride him. Your thighs burn from your efforts, but you feel too good to stop as your head falls back against Seungmin's shoulder, moans leaving your lips as your hands come up to hold onto his arms.

"Feel good, baby?" He asks, his fingers pinching at your nipples to hear high-pitched moans leave your form.

"So good, Minnie." You moan in response, your hips speeding up on their own accord as you ride him with more force.

Skin slapping against skin echoes through the room as your nails dig into the flesh of Seungmin's arms, your back arching off his chest when he rolls your buds between his thumbs and pointer fingers.

"Oh, my fucking god." You choke out, moans getting caught in your throat as your hips faulter.

Seungmin smirks, loving the fact that he can make your mind go blank and your body crumble. Even when you're on top of him.

"Need more, Minnie. I'm so close." You whine out, feeling one of his arms snake around you before his hand trails between your thighs.

He thumbs at your clit, eventually replacing his thumb with his palm as he harshly grinds it against your bud. A loud, high-pitched moan of his name leaves your lips as his hips thrust up to meet yours. His other arm coming to wrap around your middle and hold you in place as his hips drill up into you as he chases his high.

"Fuck!" You moan out, your thighs shaking against his as he pounds you into your orgasm.

You cum around his length with a choked scream, feeling all air leave your lungs as your vision goes white. He thrusts into you a few more times before he's spilling into you with drawn out moans. He slows his hips, riding you both through your highs before he stills.

Gasps leave your lips as you try and catch your breath, your head still resting back against Seungmin's shoulder.

You turn to look up at him, connecting your lips once again.

"I love you." You whisper against his lips, your eyes locking with his.

"I love you, too." He whispers back, his hand coming to gently caress your cheek.

He shuffles you both to the floor, bringing the large pillow and blankets with him as you both settle on the floor. You rest back in his hold, feeling Seungmin pull the blanket over your partially clothed forms.

You both eventually doze off, bodies still connected, and limbs intertwined as you hold each other close. Snow still falling and the fireplace still keeping you both warm as you drift off to dreamland together.

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Main Masterlist

SKZ-MAS Masterlist

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*·°Author's Note°·*

I love this day so much. Makes my heart feel whole <3

I truly feel this tradition fits Minnie so well and I love how this turned out.

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°·*Taglist*·°

@kpophubb @whatudowhennooneseesyou @skzgallll

Send me a DM or an ask if you'd like to be added to the taglist!!

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·°*Other Tings*°·

©All rights reserved to Moonlit-Stay. Reposting, modification, translation, and plagiarism of any kind is NOT tolerated. Please notify me if you see any work similar to my own.

Released: December 22nd, 2022

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Please reblog my works. Share your thoughts if you'd like, even if it's just a simple keyboard smash.

I read every caption, tag, reply, ask, and dm. Feedback is what motivates me to continue to create content <3

[kat-is-laem-oa]

Chapter 4: Velvet Couches and Demon Summoning

(Previous Chapter) (Next Chapter)

From afar, an assailant slashed a man down the back, resulting in his tumble to the warehouse floor. Valentine had found the lair.

“Oh, God! Valentine found Magnus!” Clary yelled. She ran forward behind the group and Eljah stayed behind her. He was sure now that she was new to the shadow world. It was uncommon to learn about your angelic lineage this late in life, but if Eljah could exist, then Clary could be a late bloomer.

Clary and Eljah fell back from the group naturally, hiding behind metal horizontal poles at the sound of a child in distress. She was shaking her deceased warlock father, telling him to wake up.

Eljah stopped dead in his tracks.

“Papá! Papá!” echoed in his head. “Papá, por favor, despierta. ¡Tengo miedo, se acercan las sombras! Papá, te amo, despierta y mantente fuerte, ¡no puedo hacerlo!” The shadows. The shadows are coming. Wake up and stand strong. I can’t do it.

Clary found her confidence creeping forward, but something else was creeping in the shadows as well. As she yelled, "Watch out!” and marched forward to defend the little girl, Eljah turned to face the growing black void from the corner. His heart thumped hard enough it shook his body, but he still couldn’t move. The girl was safe thanks to Clary pushing away one of Valentine’s men, Eljah useless as a trance state took over. The fight echoed in the background.

“Clary Fairchild. Valentine will be so pleased to meet you.”

“Thank you!”

“Any time.”

“Eljah, what happened?”

“Eljah?”

“Just keep moving,” Eljah harshly responded, stumbling up and away from his spot. He held the metal previously behind him so hard it was indented and, wiping his hands, shook off tiny bits of its coating.

Isabelle wrapped her whip up, sure to investigate later when she had time. “Stick close. It’s safest if we stay together.”

Clary affirmed to the young warlock that she wouldn’t leave her alone. It soured Eljah’s mood more. How he wished he had someone like that growing up. When things got bad, he could only turn to himself… and maybe the street cats and dogs.

The entire group convened in Magnus’ now-destroyed living room. The velvet chairs and dark furniture tipped over or split in half. Said room had filled with splayed warlock bodies, and Jace respectfully closed their eyes one by one. Alec had come across Eljah taking a breather and the two walked in together, the last of everyone living.

Magnus was busy praising Clary for her bravery and heart and Eljah slid himself between some fallen furniture. He flexed his fingers, popping them again as an unconscious comfort technique.

Magnus stepped to the middle of the room, announcing, “Hold tight, everyone. We’re about to move.” He made eye contact with Eljah for the first time since crossing paths again. He looked concerned at the younger man's body language, nodding for permission to move ahead. Eljah took a deep breath and conceded.

This time, Magnus’ magic glowed blue. He moved them in the prettiest way Eljah had seen a warlock move whilst using magic. Eljah was straight to the point, but Magnus had flair just like his closet. The energy pulsated and then passed over every corner of the room, transporting them.

“Ah, much better.” Magnus sounded relieved, but after turning around, his face changed to disgust. “Ugh! It’s inevitable. After each move, I get the itch to redecorate.” He turned to Alec and Eljah, who were next to each other, pointedly telling them, “normally, I love a dirty lair, but this one is just sloppy,” emphasizing with a stomp to the broken table in front of him. Alec’s expression turned confused and slightly worried, while Eljah found amusement in the situation. Alec abandoned station and crossed the room as if he wasn’t attracted to Magnus.

Magnus moved on rather quickly. “I believe in payment for services rendered. Thank you for defending the warlocks.” He sweetly offered the necklace they’d returned earlier, telling Isabelle some of the history of their own family and the jewelry. He joked it would look silly on her brother and Alec physically reacted, telling Eljah these were siblings. Lightwoods, to be exact.

Eljah felt a twinge of jealousy at the obvious flirting, but especially at Magnus asking if Alec was more into flowers or cologne. Eljah’s answer, personally, would have been flowers.

He couldn’t tell who he wanted to be more…

“Okay, so how do we summon the memory demon?” Clary redirected. Eljah brushed off his butt, regretting it when he realized he brushed dirt onto freshly clean flooring, checking to see if Magnus noticed.

“Are you certain?” Magnus confirmed. “Summoning such a powerful demon could be lethal.”

“I’ll do anything to save my mother. Where is the demon?” Clary doubled down.

“Okay. Pretty boys! Get your team ready!” pointing in Jace and Alec’s general direction.

Jace spoke up, “you all know what to do.” But Magnus stopped him in his place.

“Alec, yes… but I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to you,” he pointed to both Eljah and Alec. Alec got real cheesy at that revelation and Eljah got shy. If the others could see his aura, it was consumed by a teal color that screamed “shy.”

Magnus beckoned Clary forward, saying, “come with me.”

—

Magnus led Clary off into a side room, and the others stayed outside. Eljah continued popping various parts of his body, stretching like a cat.

“Where are you from?” The voice of Alec startled Eljah, which made the taller man put his hands up in surrender, mumbling sorry.

“I’m from San Juan.”

“San Juan? Puerto Rico, wow,” awkward silence made an appearance, “uh, what institute did you train at?”

“Mexico City. It was the closest.”

“Was it… pretty?” Alec, for such a big and tough-looking guy, was incredibly awkward and shy. He cutely smiled, his energy gray with muddy, dark purple. Further proof of his anxiety.

“It was one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been. Overlooked the city and you could see everything. Tomas, the… previous head of the Institute,” he paused as he remembered his late father-figure, “used to take me to visit the city markets. I miss it a lot,” Eljah admitted.

“Why’d you leave?” Eljah felt like a Seelie out of water, tempted to shrug his shoulders despite knowing Alec is smarter than that.

“Shadowhunters, gather!” Magnus summoned. Relief flowed through Eljah, secured from extra questioning.

Magnus, in more comfortable albeit still flamboyant clothing, headed the group upon entry, but remained to acknowledge Eljah with an arm around his shoulders. The height difference made Eljah shrink, but he couldn’t deny physical touch and affection was rare for him. Especially from such an attractive group of people.

“Jocelyn was right, your artistry is beyond compare,” walking himself and Eljah next to Clary. She chuckled but denied the claims. Eljah, despite knowing summoning circles, always enjoyed the deep-rooted artistic nature of them, which the redhead tuned into with a rune activation. Although he was sure she was a natural either way.

“Oh, the only other person I’ve known who could draw as well was Michelangelo… who was excellent in bed, might I add?” Looking straight at Alec. Eljah could’ve howled at the shared reactions, familiar with some historical figures himself and their… deeds.

Upon viewing this specific circle, he realized everyone had a spot except for him. Magnus caught on quickly. “Don’t worry, little dove. You are my extra protection—you can stand by me, okay?” Everyone shuffled to their places, Eljah awkward behind Magnus.

“Okay, we’re ready.” Rolling up his sleeves, he told everyone to, “take your rightful place on the pentagram.” Eljah choked back a giggle at Clary’s confusion on where to step, considering it was a foot in front of her.

“We must initiate a bond. Once this bond is sealed, it cannot be broken until the demon retreats.” Magnus became more serious. “No matter what happens, we must not let go of each other’s hands.” He outreached his jewelry-clad hand to Alec. The two jolted as a low, booming sound built the connection.

One by one, the group magnetized together with wistful looks and gasps. Eljah could feel the shadows reach its oily hand up from deep within the Earth, the energy building and suffocating the air. He constantly wanted to turn around, senses on high alert for the incoming danger.

“I will lead the ceremony, and you all must do exactly as I say. The demon’s name is Valak. And at some point, he will ask for payment in exchange for Clary’s memories.”

This worried Jace, who asked, “what do you mean? What kind of payment?”

“Unfortunately, you won’t know until he is summoned,” Eljah responded. “Just keep your hands together and take a deep breath.” After a beat of confirmation between everyone, Magnus announced they’d begin.

He strongly chanted in Chthonian, summoning Valak. Everyone looked panicked, Eljah included.

“The necklace!” Izzy called out, “it’s pulsing.” A rush of wind came through soon after, everyone looking up as thick black shadows came down upon the room. Valak growled and Eljah watched the group struggle to hold on.

“Valak is among us! Do not break the bond!” Magnus reminded. Jace called out to Clary to hold on, who affirmed she was trying. While Magnus focused ahead of him, Eljah activated the luck rune on his chest. He circled the group, making sure the lines were strong and nothing had been ruined.

“We must each relinquish a beloved memory of the one we love the most,” Magnus rushed through the hectic noise. Isabelle naturally went first. An image of her brother appeared within the smoke before harshly dispersing. Clary and Alec followed, but when Alec’s memory surfaced, his emotions shifted.

Panic. Eljah saw straight panic. He couldn’t understand why the Parabatais were confused. Parabatais often, if not always, love each other, but Alec was shouting betrayal and deception into the wind.

“It’s not true! The demon deceived me!”

“Do not break the bond!” Magnus warned.

“Alec, It’s okay!” Isabelle insisted. But the damage was done, and Alec ripped his hands away, throwing himself back. Chaos erupted as the others shouted. The black smoke dispersed and everything in the room was thrown back. Eljah, instead of rocketing into the wall, smoothly slid across the floor.

Valak’s wrath was unmatched by their fear as they saw him in full. The wind became more like a tornado and the air was scarcely fresh.

“I cannot contain the demon much longer!” Eljah felt the same level of panic as the others, uncertain whether he should assist Magnus and risk exposing himself or try to kill the greater demon.

Alec dumbly stood and made his way in front of the demon. Jace sought to push him out of the way, but in doing so, offered himself up to the demon’s grip. Clary screamed in shock and Alec huddled in the corner.

It felt like too long had passed before someone grabbed onto Jace.

“Grab him!”

“The demon is growing stronger!”

“He’s slipping!”

“Clary, Eljah, help us!” The man ran to Magnus’ side, concealed by the veil of smoke from the others, and snapped his fingers like a match. It lit up the fiery red and purple radiance of Eljah’s magic and he took a deep breath, expelling air as he pushed with all his energy to contain Valak. Keeping up his opposing facades wasn’t worth the release of a greater demon in New York.

“Clary! If you kill the demon, your memories will be lost forever!” With the last call for help by Isabelle, Clary bravely stomped her way up to Valak with her seraph blade in hand, impaling the demon still grasping Jace.

Eljah fell next to Magnus, and the others rushed to check on their blonde shadowhunter. Magnus gently raised Eljah from the ground. “It’s alright,” he whispered, “Shadowhunter business usually ends like this.” Eljah was too tired to laugh.

“Is he gonna be alright!?” Clary cried out.

“I don’t know. Does he normally just lay like that without moving?”

No one else was laughing.

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆.

[morg-among-the-stars]

Concepts of Gender - vulnerable long winded-rambling

I remember watching my dad spit out his tobacco when I was little, and he taught me how to spit, too. My mom wasn’t too happy about that: spitting is what boys do

I’ve always liked playing with my boy dolls rather than the girls. It was fun to fling Ken around or throw him off things. Boys were durable and it was okay if they got scuffed up. Whenever I got scuffed up— scrapped my knees or fell off something— I was called tough. Boys were tough, but I was a happy, tough little girl

As a kid, I understood that I was a girl. That I’d get older and marry a man (I’m laughing as I write that, trust me) and be a homemaker. An inevitable fate that my life was slowly inching toward. Not necessarily something I cared about, more or less something I just had to accept would happen to me

I was supposed to be friends with girls, but I got along with boys better. They were tough and durable and so was I. But I still liked chatting with the girls every once in a while (which would end in some kind of teasing, more often than not)

In middle school, things started growing and changing: “blossoming into womanhood” wasn’t my favorite thing in the world. I had teachers explain during sex ed about how when you’re a young girl, you start to look at your guy friends differently. That… I did not understand. I’d had crushes on boys by then, but the idea of being fully in love with one made no sense. I liked playing with boys at recess or making crude jokes to each other. But the idea of holding hands with one was outright weird

One guy friend of mine was near and dear to me, and he pointed out the changes I was dealing with. I leaned across the table at lunch one time, and he pointed it out to me that I had cleavage. I didn’t care, but he did. He was uncomfortable, so I had to be, too. By the nature of puberty, I gained natural weight. That of which I also had to be uncomfortable about, thanks to him

He pointed it out to me that I wasn’t desirable, that I wasn’t like the other girls. I didn’t care, but I apparently had to

I became hyper-aware of how I was perceived for a long time

In high school, I made the long-time-coming discovery that I liked girls and that brought me peace

I had a stupid, too short Dutch boy haircut and wore big shirts and jackets. One girl asked me very point-blank, “What’s your gender?” and while I know now, years later, that she most likely meant no harm (the equivalent to, "What are your pronouns?"), that comment struck me

I was livid and I didn’t understand why. I can see her point of view now: baggy clothes, short hair, not too high but not too low-sounding voice… I can see how she was confused. But I spat back at her, “What do you think?”

And she didn’t answer

I knew I didn’t want to be perceived as a boy and I knew I was supposed to solidly be a girl. But the lack of answer sent me down some kind of spiral

Not a full identity crisis, but something close to it

Ironically, I openly dismissed the idea of being non-binary back then. I dismissed that entirely, for anyone. I was a prick who thought I was smarter for sticking to a binary

I clearly wasn’t smarter than anyone, but I took my anger and spat it outward

Anger at myself, at anyone who perceived me

My mom yelled at me for getting my hair cut so short (which was purely an accident; I didn't know how to tell the hair stylist to quit being so handsy with the scissors) and told me to quit trying to confuse people

I was angry and, I guess, confusing. I was confused myself, and I confused the people around me

But who wants to spend their life angry? I surely didn't

With time and educating myself, I opened myself up to the idea that I might be non-binary toward the middle of my senior year of high school. Without warning or reason, she/her pronouns started to feel… itchy. Not debilitatingly uncomfortable, but a small and nagging thing that I couldn’t avoid, like a faint itch

I explained that to one of my favorite teachers, that it felt like an itchy tag in a shirt and she was the first person to use they/them pronouns for me. I can’t thank her enough, still can’t even now

There wasn’t any judgment. I was met with, “If trying this out will help you, then I want to help you.” And that’s what I needed

A weight was lifted when I first heard that being used for me. It felt like peace

For as hard as I pushed it away and tried to sit still inside such a rigid box, I was far outside that box to begin with

I should've seen that coming, too

But I didn't and that's okay. I couldn't have predicted the future

I told a few close friends, some accepted it while others shrugged it off. I had an ex who was also non-binary but shoved me in the "girl" box and forced gender roles and ideas onto me. I couldn't hold a place of power or speak my mind. I just had to listen and go along with whatever they said

For a moment (a matter of about a month), I thought of changing my name. I was between "River" (honoring the character from The Politician who, still to this day, is one of the most Me characters I have come across) and "Clark" (Ironically pre-dating the Superman fixation, I liked the ease of one-syllable names and the sound of it). Ultimately, I decided, and still decide now, that "Morgan" is what fits me, and maybe my parents did something right with giving their kids gender-neutral names

I used to (or maybe had to) care so much, but now I am just me. I'm fortunate and incredibly grateful for my partner @strawberryfemmesapphic who supports me in my being Me-ness. She was the first person to try out more masculine compliments for me (which I learned I liked a lot, with feminine compliments, too). We joke that I'm a Boy (no gender/gender roles implied) and that feels good to me.

I'm allowed and able to hold space for little tough, tomboy Morgan and for the softer sides of me, too, without sorting that into boxes

I'm just Me, at this stage in my life, as I am

[brooklynislandgirl]

15. Do you have any piercings?

A Will and A Way || -

For a moment she thinks she has to have misheard Cisco. Not because what he said came across as though he'd been gargling mouth-wash with his lips pressed together while he was underwater. No, rather than the Charlie Brown Teacher sound effects, every word is clear and sharp and absolutely his voice in her ears though he's a respectable distance ~the other side of the table~ from her. Such an unexpected question and heard in a way she's unused to manages to scrunch her face in confusion. First, Cisco is never really comfortable talking about things like that. Idle discourse while they're working ranges the gamut of favourite video games, worst comic adaptations on streaming services, the nature of scientific advancement and the ethics they are bound in. Whenever she teases him about anything personal or untoward he tends to deflect with shyness and humour and in a lot of ways it feels like she's torturing him for no real reason. Second, she can't begin to understand why exactly he was asking. Was he considering getting his own piercings? Is he seeing someone and he needs to get some advice about how to work his way around them? Which brings up a more important question which is why he hadn't mentioned he'd met someone? Since when had she been out of the loop and how had she missed something so huge? "Uh." Ah yes, the eloquence of her intellect. Any day now, they're going to come along and confiscate her S*T *A*R Lab ID card and send her packing. Exactly what the Admiral would expect and would use at his pleasure to flay her alive. She keys in one more sequence before she slides out of her chair and comes around to Cisco's side of the table. This is a show-and-tell matter. She turns her head to the left so he can see her ear plain as day, and the four total she has there. "Lobe, and upper lobe," she says, pointing to the two lowest and most natural looking ones. Today, there's a crescent moon with a jewelled star in the lobe, an actual diamond solitaire in the upper. "Tragus" This is the opal stud in the bit of the ear attached to her upper cheek. Then she touches the silver ring and ball on the upper outer rim of her ear. "Helix." Then she shifts and offers him her right profile and the three there. The bar is the first one she points out. "Industrial." A matching solitaire diamond in the upper lobe, then a sort of tribal faux ruby in the lobe. "Bu wait, dere's more," she winks. She never takes her eyes off his face as she reaches down and unbuttons her jeans from first to last, and shimmies the denim down low enough that he gets a decent view of black lace against her skin. Three little aquamarine studs draw the eye to her narrow hip bone. "Sub-dermal implant. Dis one I got talked into when I was small kine tipsy." John had told her it was for protection. He'd held her head and whispered into her ear until the very last thing she was thinking about was someone cutting into her flesh and implanting metal into her body. If she was honest with herself, she's pretty sure John could have talked her into anything that night, and all the ones that came after before he disappeared from her life. But Cisco doesn't need to know that. To cover the sudden change in her expression, she turns around, back to him, and raises her shirt up a little. "An' I always keep small kine of home with me wherevah I go. Dis is symbolic of my aumakua, my islands, an' dere beauty." She doesn't mention or show him the other tattoos. They haven't gotten quite that close. "Now I'ma beatcha t' da punch an' say… no I don' got nipple piercings or ones…ah… down dere. I don' see da appeal, an' hand f' God, as a medical doctor, havin' dem can actually cause you to eventually lose sensitivity in dose places. So if ya considerin' piecings on ya… bits… my advice is…yeah, naw, brah."

[duskydestra]

Golden Hour

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen

Relationships: Kugisaki Nobara/Zenin Maki, Kugisaki Nobara & Hoshi Kirara

Characters: Kugisaki Nobara, Zenin Maki, Hoshi Kirara

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags: Vampires, Getting Together, Canon-Typical Hijinks, College AU, No Curses AU, First Kiss

Summary: By day, Nobara's a part-time model. By night, she studies at a design school.

When she invites her crush to a Halloween party, what happens when she gets more than she bargained for?

(Or: Nobara girlbosses a bit too close to the moon.)

If you'd rather read on AO3, click here.

Nobara tilted her head up, letting sunlight run along the side of her face. This late into fall, there wasn’t much warmth to accompany it. Unfortunately, today’s shoot was for an athleisure line, and the material wasn’t the thickest. She held down a shiver as she heard the rapid-fire clicks of a burst shot. Their 30 minutes were nearly up, and Kirara always made the most of it.

“Alright. You’re done for the day. Great job!” Kirara gave a thumbs up from behind the camera.

Nobara hopped off the brick wall. Leaves crunched beneath her sneakers as she ran over to see the results. She admired Kirara’s range, which was why she requested the modeling agency pair them together. Their candid shots were the most natural Nobara’s ever taken, and they had an eye for poses that suit her resting position.

Out of today’s photo batch, there were two clear winners. The first, a lovely candid they took while she was people watching; the contemplative sparkle in her eye was merely Nobara wondering where a girl across the street had gotten her windbreaker. In the second, she was posed on the wall lining the park with one leg folded under her. She balanced one hand on her knee while she leaned on the other behind her, angled in a way to casually show the brand’s logo.

Nobara pointed them out on the screen. “Send me these.”

Kirara added an orange flair to the previews. “Got it.”

Nobara threw on her backpack and darted into the nearest restroom. There, she changed into a comfy cream sweater and brown pants. Stepping back out into the brisk air, she felt much warmer than before.

Reluctantly, she held out the set of branded clothing to Kirara.

“Can I keep them this time?” she teased.

Kirara snorted. “That’s not up to me. And if it was, it’d be something more insulated.”

Nobara grimaced. “Was it that obvious?”

“Only to me. And that’s ‘cause it’s my job to notice these things. I’ll have to erase the goosebumps later, but that’s it.” They cracked a smile and put the camera away. “You don’t make me work too hard, though. Everything else is perfect.”

“How could it not be?” Nobara asked, striking one final pose.

Kirara laughed, knowing it was rhetorical.

As the sun sank below the horizon, Nobara claimed her spot on the subway. The park was two stops from campus—just long enough to mentally prepare herself for the toll of night school.

Interior design was a breeze. It helped that it was a solid discipline to pair with her modeling career. However, that sense of easy accomplishment dimmed on the way to her architecture class. At the risk of failing, she’d come up with three reasons to see it through:

In order to round out her credits for the year, it was a necessary addition.

Once she could afford her dream home, she’d be able to lay out exactly how it should be built.

She shared a table with an especially pretty girl, so skipping wasn’t an option.

She greeted Maki as she took her seat, who returned it pleasantly.

“Be honest,” Maki said. “How’d I do today?”

Nobara sat back and got a full view of Maki. Today, her glasses were a different shape. The roundness of the frames played well with the sharpness of her other features. She wore a classic, dark green flannel with a matching undershirt. The legs of her pants were tucked into a pair of steel-toe boots.

Under her guidance, Maki had come a long way from leg warmers. Ever since Nobara recognized green as one of Maki’s best colors, it’s been a joy to see her work it into her wardrobe.

Nobara hummed in approval. “Simple. Nice. I love what you did with the glasses. Feels like I get to see more of your face.”

Maki pushed the frames up the bridge of her nose, trapping a grin behind her hand. The urge to move her arm out of the way tugged at the back of Nobara’s mind. Thankfully, Maki dropped her hand, allowing Nobara to appreciate that smile for a few more seconds.

“Thanks.” Maki cleared her throat, and a familiar eagerness settled over her. “Any favorites today?”

Nobara swallowed the other compliments that had rushed to the tip of her tongue, resolving to say them later. She dug her phone out of her pocket and pulled up the photos from Kirara.

Maki leaned in, eyes wide and gleaming. In the face of such open admiration, warmth swelled in Nobara’s chest.

It was more than enough to fend off the night’s chill when she caught the late train to her apartment. The memory of Maki’s smile fixed itself at the top of her mind as she went about her night routine and settled into bed.

~~~

Mercifully, there was no class the next day. With no need to rush, she luxuriated in her skin routine, pausing to admire how soft her face was to the touch. After a light breakfast, she used the morning to clear the pile of homework and discussion board posts.

By late afternoon, she arrived at the park ready to work and excitedly picked up her assignment from Kirara. Nobara peered into the bag, spotting a houndstooth coat and the solid base. She squinted in obvious confusion.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s what they gave me,” Kirara said, hesitant. “Maybe we can make it work?”

The style only felt more out of place once Nobara had changed into it. Despite that, she did her damnedest to take Kirara’s direction. At some points, the camera flick was near constant. At others, Kirara let as many seconds pass as needed so they could capture the best shot.

When they called her over to see how it all turned out, she braced herself. She looked good, but that was a given. While this collection could fit alongside any photoset, nothing about the look itself stood out to her. And why settle for good when she was capable of excellence?

She looked up to see Kirara’s mouth twisted to the side.

“You don’t like it, either, huh? I always thought houndstooth belonged more to winter than fall.”

“Right,” Kirara said. “Making us shoot stuff out of season doesn’t do them any favors. They didn’t wanna provide a substitute, but I’m sure they will when I show these to them.”

“Can you blur my face before you do? This is embarrassing.”

“How about I just crop it so you don’t look like you’re in witness protection?”

“You’re a lifesaver.”

She ducked into her usual shop to change—very glad to be back in the season’s latest—and handed the assignment back to Kirara.

“Can-”

“No, you can’t keep them.”

Nobara huffed. “I’d have given it a good home.”

At the very least, she’d have worn it when it was meant to be worn.

“I don’t doubt it, but I’ll be surprised if they don’t cancel their contract instead. You can have this, though.”

Kirara pulled an orange flyer out of their camera bag. Basic clip art of pumpkins and bats decorated the page. Heavy black letters declared this an invite to a Halloween party. It’d take place at a different university’s civic center. Costumes were mandatory.

“I’m working that night and can’t afford to double book,” Kirara said. “But at least one of us should get to go.”

Nobara slid the flyer into her backpack.

Outside the campus library, Nobara took out a compact mirror. She ran a hand over her hair to smooth out her bob. Even though she was on the verge of failing ARCH 1101, it presented the best silver lining: a weekly study session with Maki.

Nobara weaved through the visitors to reach her table. It didn’t have her name on it, but she’d put a pink heart sticker at the center of it and that was close enough. Tucked away in the corner, Maki looked up from her notes when Nobara took a seat.

No matter how late in the night they met, Maki always had a glow about her. The ceiling lights were unforgiving, but Nobara was hard-pressed to spot a flaw in her face. Other students shuffled about the library with hunched shoulders and dark circles under their eyes—but not Maki. She was such a welcome sight, even without the comparison. 

“Hey,” Maki said warmly. “Do you have any favorites to show off?”

“Nah.”

Maki’s face fell slightly. She made a noise of understanding, but it was enough to make Nobara wish she'd kept a photo for her.

“That’s alright,” Maki said. “We should be studying, anyway.”

“Fine, fine.”

“Still having problems with blueprints?”

“I hate them. Too many damn symbols.”

“You’ll get the hang of it.”

“Easy for you to say,” Nobara groaned. “This is your major, not mine.”

“Stop whining. It just takes practice.”

Maki attached an empty sheet of graph paper to her clipboard and pushed it across the table, watching Nobara take out a mechanical pencil. She stood, briefly towering over Nobara (much to Nobara’s delight), and jerked her head toward an open section of the library.

“Come on, then.”

They strolled around the perimeter, pausing for Nobara to sketch the symbols of each furnishing they passed. Some were straightforward, but many were too similar to each other.

At the staircase, Maki peered over Nobara’s shoulder.

“Almost” was her only hint.

Nobara moved her pencil about the page as she wondered what was wrong. Eventually, she erased the direction arrow on the stairs and drew it in the opposite direction. She looked up at Maki for confirmation, who nodded in assent.

The first page was filled with as many bold lines as eraser marks. She didn’t expect much improvement on the second floor, but flipped the sheet over anyway to start again.

Upstairs was home to the reference section, and she’d never been so grateful to see giant bookshelves and uniform lights. Easy to sketch, less room to mess up. As she moved down one row, her shoulder nicked a shelf. Without thinking, Nobara slapped the shelf back. It wasn’t until she heard the awful creaking of wood that she looked up from her task.

The shelf tipped forward and books from the top row began to pelt the ground. Nobara raised her arms in an effort to protect her face. She braced for the impact of several hardcovers, but only heard them rain down around her. She cracked one eye open to see Maki with her back against the shelf, arms outstretched to hold it back.

There wasn’t a bead of sweat on Maki’s forehead and barely a line of tension between her brows.

Nobara was rooted in place, marveling at this display of strength. The shelf had to be at least ten feet tall, to say nothing of the weight of the books on the other side.

“Whoa,” Nobara breathed.

Maki shook her fringe out of her eyes and looked down at Nobara. “Are you okay?”

“I…Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good.”

Maki pushed the shelf back into position.

“You must work out,” Nobara blurted.

Maki was silent for a beat longer than expected, eventually offering a simple “Yes.”

Nobara hummed. Maybe that came with the territory for construction majors. Or Maki just took it more seriously than most.

As they each grabbed a ladder and got work replacing the books, Maki turned to Nobara with a questioning look. 

“Why did you slap the bookshelf?”

“It hit me first.”

Maki rolled her eyes. “I bet it’s the curb that hits your car, too.”

“Obviously. That’s why I take the train now.” Nobara grinned up at her. “But thanks for saving me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just be careful next time.”

“Of course. Starting now.”

Once everything was in its rightful place, they figured that was as good a place as any to end the study session. Nobara folded the library sketch to keep as a reference. As she went to put it away, the orange flyer drew her eye. She snatched it up and held it in front of Maki.

Maki took a second to read it, then blinked at Nobara. “Congratulations?”

Nobara would’ve thought this was self-explanatory, but maybe not to Maki.

She clasped her hands, not unlike a prayer. “Please go with me.”

“Ah.” Maki rested her weight on her back foot. “It looks cool, but I won’t know anyone there.”

“You’ll know me.”

Maki tilted her head in consideration.

“Come on. I’ll make sure you have fun. And I’ll handle costume ideas, so you don’t even have to think about it.”

To seal the deal, Nobara put on the puppy dog eyes. Slowly, the lines of worry on Maki’s face gave way to curiosity. The corners of her mouth wavered, but eventually lost the fight against a smile.

“Fine,” Maki said.

Nobara cheered and was greeted with a chorus of shushes. She paid them no mind, given tonight’s big win. Her heart pounded, barely able to keep pace with her excitement.

Finally, she’d get to dress up with Maki and hang out for real.

~~~

Nobara spent longer than she’d like to admit looking up joint costumes. The trick was finding one she would like and that Maki would agree to. In a stroke of genius (or sleep deprivation), she decided on a vampire costume for Maki. It would call for dramatic, matching outfits. Plus, if Nobara played her cards right, she might get some neck kisses out of it.

It was perfect.

For the first time that semester, she made it to their desk early enough to wait for her tablemate. Maki looked slightly wary of the unbridled excitement on Nobara’s face, but she was sure Maki would see the vision soon enough.

“No need to be scared. I’ve got the best costume idea for us.”

“Uh-huh,” Maki said skeptically.

“You’ll be a vampire, and I’ll be your hapless heroine.” Nobara rested the back of her hand on her forehead and reclined fully over the side of her chair.

In her head, Nobara heard applause and cheers. With her ears, she heard Maki burst into a fit of laughter.

She pulled herself up to see Maki doubled over, eyes screwed shut behind her glasses. A few other students turned to stare, but all her focus was on Maki. She’d heard Maki chuckle before—sometimes even cackle when a joke hit her just right—but this was a completely new sound. It rang so clearly that Nobara was sure she’d remember it for the rest of her life.

“Do you…not like it?”

“No, no,” Maki said between gasps for air, “It’s great.”

The nearest shopping plaza was only a few stops from campus. But this deep into October, with the sun and its warmth far below the horizon, the ride seemed longer than it actually was. On the way out of the station, Maki buried the bottom half of her face in her scarf.

To stave off the biting chill, Nobara linked arms with Maki.

“Do you mind?”

To her delight, Maki shook her head.

Maki shoved her mittened hands in her pockets, further nestling her arm into the crook of Nobara’s. There wasn’t much heat to be shared between their bulky coats, but Nobara offered what she could.

Not wanting to overstay her welcome, she let go of Maki’s arm once they entered the costume shop. Glowing Halloween decorations lined each windowsill and shelf. Nobara would’ve enjoyed them more if she didn’t have to flick a fake spider off one of the price signs.

Her nose wrinkled at the quality of the outfits, some of which felt thin as paper. She circled around to the dress section, only coming to a stop when a lovely off-shoulder gown caught her eye. It was blood red with a fitted bodice. The material was smooth and sturdy between her fingers. She lifted it by the hanger and was pleased to see an open leg slit.

At the other end of the shop, Maki was staring at a flowy white blouse. Nobara sidled up to her for a closer look.

“Whatcha got there?”

Maki pulled it off the rack, and Nobara gasped. It may have been half of a pirate costume, but it lent itself well to a vampire’s ensemble. The open neckline and puffy sleeves were a great start.

“Oh, we have to try these on!”

In a tiny fitting room, Nobara left her outfit folded on the bench and turned to the full-length mirror. The gown slipped on with ease, clinging to her waistline. The neckline curved toward her upper shoulders, where the straps draped elegantly. She ran her hands over the bodice. A tug on the corset’s gold lacing revealed it was only for show. Just as well, since it needed no alteration. Turning to the side, she admired the swish of the fabric as it showed off a sliver of leg. In her mind’s eye, she pictured the exact set of earrings in her jewelry box that would bring the look together. 

She emerged from the fitting room at the same time as Maki. They took each other in, wonder reflected on their faces.

The open neck of Maki’s blouse showed off her graceful collarbone. A simple, yet appealing corset detail accentuated her torso. It wasn’t until Maki cleared her throat that Nobara realized how long she’d been looking.

“Do you like it?”

In the blink of an eye, Nobara closed the distance. She cradled Maki’s face and tilted one side up into the light.

“What are you doing?” Maki asked, slightly muffled by her cheeks.

“I wanna see something.”

Maki’s face hadn’t fully warmed up from the outside. A small blessing, since it meant Nobara’s palms wouldn’t get sweaty and embarrass her. From this angle, there was the slightest glint off the corner of Maki’s glasses. The slope of her shoulders artfully widened the shirt’s neckline.

Even under the shitty fluorescent lights, this vision of Maki squeezed Nobara’s heart.

“You’re so handsome,” Nobara said.

“Is that right?”

“Yes! Now hold this pose, I’m gonna get my phone.”

Maki grimaced, her face tense under Nobara’s hands.

“You're the model, not me.”

All things considered, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Maki would be camera shy. What a shame, Nobara thought, what a crime that someone could look so good and not want to capture it.

“Alright.” Nobara pointed her index finger at Maki. “But we have to take at least one at the party.”

Maki huffed a laugh under her breath, the earlier tension easing from her face. “If you say so.”

Afterward, bags in hand, the pair crouched in front of the display counter. Maki frowned at the plastic fangs behind the glass, thoroughly unimpressed. In addition to looking cheap, the only ones left were the wrong size.

“Whatever,” Maki said. “I’ll make some after shop class.”

“You can do that?”

“I can do anything.”

The sure calmness sent a thrill up the nape of Nobara’s neck, and she grinned.

“Plus we already have the materials,” Maki added. “I don’t even need to buy anything.”

“However you do it, I’m sure it’ll be perfect.”

“They’ll be sharp.”

It sounded like a warning, which left Nobara slightly confused.

“They’re supposed to be. Ooh! Can you do the bottom row too?”

“Yeah, I can make that work.”

The frigid air nearly dried out Nobara’s eyes, but it was worth it for a second chance to take Maki’s arm. Maki was cold enough to allow it all the way until her own stop arrived.

~~~

Thursday’s photoshoot was for a line of parkas and turtlenecks. Nobara got the feeling Kirara had requested it to make up for the last assignments. Even though it wasn’t their fault, the gesture was greatly appreciated.

To hold up her end, Nobara tried to be professional. Despite her best efforts, anticipation simmered in the back of her mind. It left her both restless and light on her feet.

Kirara hummed from behind their camera. “I don’t know what happened, but it must’ve been good.”

“Oh yeah,” Nobara said, another grin breaking free.

“You better tell me everything as soon as we’re done.”

The shutter clicked, capturing Nobara mid-giggle.

When it came time to review the shots, each pose was playful and loose—Kirara’s answer to the energy Nobara brought. The breakout among them was a closeup of Nobara’s face. Her eyes shined over the parka’s high collar, the tiny creases at the corners proof of a hidden smile. The glowing sunset behind her wreathed the top of her hair in light.

After Kirara marked that one to send to Nobara, they turned to her with an eager look.

“Okay, what happened?”

“So. You remember that party you told me about?”

Kirara nodded, and Nobara rocked onto the balls of her feet.

“Well, I got Maki to go with me.”

“The one with the glasses?”

“The very same.”

“Nobara,” Kirara gushed. “Way to go. No wonder you can’t keep still.”

They paused, then kicked a pinecone by their shoe. “Damn it!”

Nobara watched it sail toward some poor stranger. “What?”

“I won’t get to meet her.”

Nobara waved the thought away. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll get another chance. She agreed to a joint costume.”

“Whoa.”

She took a moment to bask in her victory. Technically, it hadn’t come about yet, but that didn’t stop her. What mattered was that it was within reach.

~~~

Nobara had never been so excited for a Friday in her life.

The classrooms were abuzz with everyone discussing Halloween plans. Nobara was far from immune to this atmosphere. Toward the end of a lecture, her legs assumed the runner’s stance under her desk. The dismissal bell was her starting pistol. The moment it sounded, she bolted toward the architecture wing. She muscled her way through the throng of students, only stopping once she reached her final class of the day.

At their table, Maki had already taken her seat and was unpacking her notebooks. Nobara slid into her chair and turned to face her.

“Hey. How do you feel about tonight?”

“Good. Mostly,” Maki added after a beat. “I’ve never gone to a Halloween party, so I don’t know what to expect.”

Nobara’s eyes widened. “Never ever?”

Maki shook her head.

Nobara recalled the flyer and what it had listed.

“Well, there’s a dance floor at this one. If you were by yourself, you could hang out by the drinks. But you’re going with me, so we will be dancing.” Maki looked as though she’d expected such a condition, much to Nobara’s satisfaction. “Probably a photo booth, too. I’m only holding you to one pic, so don’t even worry about that. And if you don’t wanna stick around after that, I bet there’s at least one parade we could walk to.”

“Okay. Doesn’t sound that bad, actually.”

“See? Nothing to worry about.”

Maki hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose. Speaking of pictures, though, did you have another favorite?”

Nobara whipped out her phone and pulled up what she’d saved from her last shoot. Maki leaned in for a better look, eyes poring over every detail.

“They look like magazine covers,” she said reverently.

Something in her tone settled heavily over Nobara’s heart. That photoset came out as well as it had because she’d been thinking of Maki the entire time. She wasn’t sure when would be the best time to admit that, but she hoped it would be soon. In the meantime, she did her best to commit the sight of Maki’s unabashed wonder to memory.

As more students rushed in before the bell, Maki sat back and looked at Nobara.

“Well,” she said. “Only one bit of business left. How’d I do?”

Nobara swung her legs under her seat, not bothering to curb her excitement.

Today, Maki wore a pine green cable knit sweater. Its hem brushed the belt loops of high-waisted jeans. A pair of practical walking shoes completed the look.

“Great! You could probably go down a size on the sweater, but it looks super comfy so I get why you didn’t.”

“It is,” Maki said proudly.

“Either way, I’m sure you’ll look even better tonight.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Later that night, Nobara took a final look in her mirror. A short length of gold dangled from each ear. Peach lip tint gave her mouth a gorgeous sheen. With a classy pair of mid-heels, it all came together exactly as she’d imagined.

Brimming with confidence, Nobara stepped out of her apartment and into the taxi she’d called. She briefly regretted leaving her jacket at home, but she doubted there’d be a coat check. Outside, the sidewalks were packed with partygoers. Nearly everyone was in costume, some of them cradling props so as to not bump into anyone.

Once the cab pulled up to the venue, Nobara disembarked. The cold outside was bitter, but she was determined to tough it out. 

“Nobara!”

She turned to see Maki waving her over by the entrance. Nobara wasted no time joining her.

“You weren’t waiting long, were you?”

“Nah, I just got here.”

Maki, amazingly, had also foregone a coat. Nobara was immensely grateful for this, since it let her appreciate Maki’s entire outfit. This was the first time she’d seen Maki wear her hair down. It was parted on one side and the ends brushed her shoulders, leading the eye across the open neckline and down to a pair of sensible black trousers.

“Whoa,” Nobara whispered.

When Maki flashed a smile, her accentuated canines glistened under the light. While Nobara admired the effect, Maki patiently held out one hand.

Curious, Nobara placed her hand in Maki’s. Maki slowly lifted it to her mouth and placed a gentle kiss to the back of it. A different kind of shiver worked its way over Nobara’s skin, and the chill was soon forgotten.

“I figured I should get into character.” Maki said, voice rumbly with humor.

A ton of words fought their way toward Nobara’s mouth. They all died in battle, so Nobara settled on a demure curtsy in response.

After a moment, they burst into laughter.

“Let me see your fangs.” Nobara balanced on her tiptoes to inspect them.

“Be careful,” Maki muttered.

As with everything she set her mind to, Maki’s craftsmanship was excellent. If she wasn’t already going into construction, Nobara was sure she could have a future in costume design. The top row’s fangs matched the pearly shade of the surrounding teeth, filed to a uniform length and sharpness. The canines on the bottom row were a few centimeters shorter, but retained the style.

Nobara was beyond impressed. “Damn, you did good.”

“Thanks. You’d be amazed what you can do with plaster.”

Having arrived fashionably late, there was hardly a line. Inside the party, colored lights pulsed to the beat of the music. Plenty of costumed guests tried their luck at party games. Nobara scouted along the edges of the dance floor and led Maki to a spot with enough room for both of them.

In keeping with their themes, Maki took a bow and Nobara took her hand once more. Maki held it steady as she led Nobara into a twirl. Orange locks flared about her face. Spinning in and out of Maki’s hold left Nobara’s head in a pleasant daze. At the end of one rotation, Maki shifted the placement of her arms to support Nobara’s back. In one fluid motion, she leaned into Nobara’s momentum and Nobara allowed herself to be lowered into a dip.

Neon illuminated the sides of Maki’s face, lending her an ethereal look. Awe coursed through Nobara as quickly and as potently as her own blood. Maki gently brought her upright and pulled Nobara’s back to her chest.

Nobara reached back to caress Maki’s face as they swayed to the music.

She could’ve stayed this way all night.

In a blessedly unoccupied corner, Nobara spotted the designated photo area. Instead of a photo booth, a mobile phone tripod was bolted to the floor in front of a couch.

Nobara jerked her head toward the corner. “Let’s go.”

Maki sighed. The warmth of her exhale ghosted along the shell of Nobara’s ear, but she followed without a fight.

Nobara adjusted her phone in the tripod cradle and set it to take a video. It was more reliable than a countdown and would yield plenty of screenshots to compare. She focused it on the couch and turned to Maki.

“If we’re doing this, we’re gonna do it right.”

Nobara sauntered over to the couch and draped herself on top of it. She settled into position: head leaned on the armrest, knee propped out of the dress’s slit. She brushed her hair away from her shoulder, baring the slope of her neck, and locked eyes with Maki.

“Come on, then.”

Hunger flashed across Maki’s face, Nobara’s reward for a job well done.

Maki’s weight settled above her, boxing her in on all sides. As she leaned down, it wasn’t fear that made Nobara’s pulse pound, but anticipation. Her plaster fangs scraped the side of Nobara's neck. It delighted Nobara’s nerves alongside the heavy pants that curled against her skin. Maki drew in a shuddery breath as she struggled to hold still.

It was admirable, but not what Nobara was after tonight.

She ran two fingers up Maki’s arm, watching the hairs stand on end. Maki let out a rough, gravelly sound she’d never heard before. She gripped Nobara’s shoulders and pushed herself away. Maki arched her back, looking down at Nobara with something fierce in her eye.

After a set of calming breaths, her grip on Nobara loosened. Despite Maki’s attempt to calm herself, her voice held an obvious strain when she leaned down again.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Please,” Nobara said, breathless.

Maki kissed like she took no prisoners, which was more than fine by Nobara. It was an overwhelming pressure, the kind that wiped all thoughts from her mind and left a mounting urgency in its wake. She wrapped her free arm around Maki, ushering her closer. Maki obliged, kissing a path from her jaw to the juncture of her shoulder. Nobara’s hand sought the back of Maki’s head, fingers running through silky strands. Maki licked a stripe up Nobara's neck. The sensation brought forth a warm sensation that left them both trembling.

When they were truly out of breath, Maki did the favor of fetching the recording. Nobara could only watch from the couch, savoring the daze Maki had left her in.

Tonight’s mission was a grand success.

She sat up and reached for her phone, eager to see the footage.

But Maki didn’t hand it to her. “In a minute. I have to explain something first.”

Nobara sat up. “Oh shit. Did my phone die?”

Maki shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. “No, nothing like that. Do you mind if we go outside?”

“Huh?”

“Please?”

A look she couldn’t quite define shaped Maki’s face. It was both earnest and reluctant. Whatever this was, it clearly wasn’t pleasant for her.

“Sure,” Nobara said.

Maki helped her off the couch, which was as necessary as it was appreciated. They worked their way through the crowd until they reached an exit. The pair emerged into an alleyway behind the civic center, empty save for the two of them.

Maki came to a stop underneath a beam of moonlight. As much as Nobara would’ve liked to question her again, the grimace Maki wore exuded discomfort. In this state, it was unlikely she’d respond well to prodding. So Nobara endured the silence, knowing Maki would speak when she was ready.

“I’m going to tell you something, even though I don’t expect you to believe me,” Maki started.

A daunting possibility appeared before Nobara. One that, looking back, she should’ve considered earlier. Nobara screwed her eyes shut. She refused to open them until she steeled herself enough to ask, “Do you already have a girlfriend?”

Maki’s brows nearly lifted to her hairline. “What?”

Once she realized Nobara was dead serious, she answered. “No. I don’t.”

“Okay,” Nobara sighed. She placed a hand on her chest in an attempt to rein in her heartbeat. “Go ahead. I can deal with anything else.”

“You sure?”

“Hey. I’ll tell you what I can’t deal with. Not the other way around.”

Maki laughed. Not in a disbelieving way, but in an incredulous way.

“Fine. I’ll just say it.” Maki stepped closer, her voice low and serious. And yet, her eyes held a withdrawn look, as if she were bracing herself for something. “I didn’t make these fangs. They’re real.”

Nobara scoffed. “Very funny. You might be too deep into character.”

“I figured you’d say that. I don’t blame you.” She handed Nobara’s phone back to her. “You’ll see what I mean.”

Nobara started the video. She took a few screenshots of herself laid out on the couch and kept watching. She prepared to take more when Maki joined her, but the moment never came. In silence, she scrubbed through the video again only to see herself grasping at someone who wasn’t there.

At no point did Maki appear on camera.

“No reflection,” she whispered.

Nobara thought over some of the time they’d spent together. How they only met up after night classes, how she stopped an enormous bookshelf without breaking a sweat, why she laughed so hard at the idea of playing a vampire, and why she hadn’t let Nobara take a photo of her before tonight. To that end, Nobara connected another dot in her mind.

“So that's why you always ask me how you look.” It wasn’t a question, but Maki still nodded. “I figured you just wanted a compliment.”

“That too.”

Nobara gasped, then playfully smacked Maki’s arm. Maki gently rubbed the spot, a wistful look softening her features.

“It’s also why I ask to see your favorite pictures every day,” she admitted. “That’s the closest I can get to seeing you in your element.”

The realization came with a sinking feeling in Nobara’s gut. Sunrise, sunset, and the time in between were forbidden to Maki.

But she’d never been one to give up on anything or anyone.

“Lucky for you, I look good at any time, day or night.”

Maki looked at her, eyes wide and searching. The silence stretched on as more and more questions seemed to come to her, but Nobara stood firm in her decision. Eventually, Maki determined the one she wanted to ask the most.

“You're not scared?”

Nobara smiled as she reached up to cup Maki’s cheek. “Vampire or not, you're still my date.”

Maki’s head bobbed backward as though the words had struck her bodily. 

“It’s true,” Nobara said. “You’re smart. You’re strong. You take fashion advice well. Plus, if you wanted to suck my blood, you'd have done it already. I gave you plenty of chances.”

“Too many.”

“Not enough,” she said coyly.

Maki’s brows drew together. Worry underscored her tone. “Why’d you say it like that?”

Nobara trailed her hand down and grabbed a fistful of Maki’s shirt, yanking her down to Nobara’s eye level. She planted a kiss square on her lips, smudging what remained of her lip tint. This time, they took care to maneuver around the very real fangs. They clutched at each other, shameless in their enjoyment, and Nobara only pulled back when her lungs screamed for air.

She lined her mouth up to Maki’s ear. “It’s still Halloween. If you bite me, I'll say it's part of my costume.”

“Here? I don’t think so,” Maki said, full of disapproval. “I’ve taken enough risks tonight. But I won’t pretend I haven’t thought about it.”

Since honesty was in the air tonight, Nobara took another chance to seize more of  it.

“Will it hurt?”

“Not if I numb it first.”

Maki cast a meaningful look toward one side of Nobara’s neck. Nobara rubbed the area that Maki had licked earlier, only now noticing it didn’t register the frigid temperature like the rest of her body did.

“So,” she continued, “I suppose the real question is: Do you want it to?”

“I don’t know,” Nobara said. “You’ll have to do it both ways so I can decide.”

Maki chuckled. “If you insist. Let’s head to my place.”

Maki turned around and hefted Nobara up onto her back, who went with no complaints. The night was plenty young, enlivened all the more by having company like each other’s to spend it with.

[perplexedflower]

Debito Fluff Alphabet - [Q]uirk

Fandom: La storia della Arcana Famiglia.

Category: F/M.

Relationship: Debito x Female Reader.

Type: Fluff Alphabet.

Q) Quirk: Something he has that is beneficial to the relationship.

~~~~~~~~~~

While certain individuals possess a handful of specific traits and quirks that may come in handy in a romantic relationship with someone else, this isn't entirely the case for Debito: due to his rather unique and eccentric nature, it's his entire personality as a whole that helps to contribute to his relationship with you. He's known to be quite unpredictable at times and is considered by many, including yourself as a wild card, especially within the friend group you form with the other division heads in the Family. You know that this side of him is sometimes frowned upon by some, mainly because it can get him in trouble, but also because these people simply don't appreciate much being around a loose cannon such as him, never knowing what he might be about to say or do. But when it comes to you, unlike these people, you've never found this trait of his as annoying or bothersome in any way: if anything, you actually like it. Maybe this is only a point of view that can be applied to you, given you're in a relationship with him, but you think of Debito's unpredictability as beneficial. Thanks to it, your couple never falls into a boring, repetitive routine that would bore you over time, and it's instead spiced up with various, unprompted changes from time to time, which pleases both you and Debito. Obviously, he doesn't overdo it, not wanting to drown you under too much irregularity and inconsistency. But he brings into the relationship just enough of them to keep the two of you busy, to keep you entertained; a part of you suspects that this may be the manifestation of one of his insecurities, that he makes sure you won't leave him any time soon by ensuring that you remain satisfied in the relationship and that you won't ever go look elsewhere for more adventure. And even if this instinct of yours is right, he would never admit it. But he's got nothing to fear: you're not going anywhere.

Mini Scene

Standing in front of Felicità's office, I knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

I opened the door halfway and peeked my head into the room.

"Good afternoon, Felicità." I greeted her with a smile. "You wouldn't happen to have come across Debito at any point this morning, would you?"

"Oh, no, I haven't. Have you tried his bedroom?"

"Well, we took a nap in his room earlier this morning, but when I woke up he wasn't next to me anymore. I wonder where he's gone off to, and I don't even know for how long he left before I opened my eyes..."

"Oh, I see." Felicità said with a nod. "I'm sorry I can't be of any help..."

"Don't worry, it's okay. Thank you anyway."

I closed the door, letting Felicità to her paperwork, and exhaled a deep breath.

"This is gonna take a while..." I whispered to myself before I walked off.

It was no surprise I had lost Debito, this was something that happened every now and then; he would disappear, without leaving a trace, and most of the time, without informing anyone of where he was going.

And so, I repeated my exchange with Felicità with the others as I searched the manor, running into Libertà, Nova, and Dante. But none had seen him.

Defeated, I headed to the kitchen in hopes of asking Luca. But when I opened the door to the dining room, I was met with an unexpected sight: the table had been arranged for two people, two sets of silverware placed in front of each other. And as I stepped deeper into the room, the door closed on its own behind me, startling me into a jump. Before I could turn around, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, an invisible pair of arms that appeared out of thin air.

"Debito?"

"Surprise, amore." He softly spoke against my cheek before kissing it. "I thought I'd invite you to lunch here in the manor since we always eat out. I had Luca help me out with the food, of course."

I gazed at the neatly set table with a smile as he held me tighter in his embrace and leaned even closer to me.

"So, Bambina, hungry?"

[psithurista]

approach shift pt. two

pairing: Peter Parker x f!reader (TASM/Andrew Garfield version) length: 4k  rating: explicit 18+  warnings: cunnilingus, unprotected PIV sex

Peter Parker is a weirdo. A hot, distracting, irritating weirdo. And you can't afford distractions right now. So there's only one thing to do.

series masterlist

“No foam, half-sweet.” She’s not even looking at you as she speaks, her nails clicking against the glass of her phone’s screen.

You force a smile onto your face, knowing she won’t see it. “Coming right up.”

You’re tense, and tired. Your neck aches from another late night curled uncomfortably with your laptop on the sofa, a recorded lecture playing in front of your glazed-over eyes, your earbuds in. You’d been so out of it that it had taken your roommate three tries to get your attention from across the room; waving a bowl of stir-fry at you.

And even now, as you run a cloth over the wand of the milk frother, your mind is elsewhere. Inside a cold, windowless research lab, to be precise. Sitting on the edge of a metal bench, the quiet tick of the clock on the wall behind you.

You shift you weight from one leg to the other as heat spikes in your lower stomach. The insides of your thighs still tingle with the feeling of him standing between them; the warmth, the tautness. If you breathe slow enough, you can almost still feel him inside you. Unconsciously, your muscles squeeze.

It’s a question you’ve been trying to avoid, but there it is again: is he thinking of you right now, as you are of him? You try to imagine where he is; what he’s doing. It’s hard to place him jogging or working out, but then it also doesn’t feel natural imagining him laying around at home in front of a screen either. You wonder what home is for him. Does he have roommates? Family? What does his bedroom look like? And then, naturally, you’re imagining his bed…with him in it.

“Uh, I said no foam.”

You glance up to see the girl staring at you, one finger pointing at the cup in your hand. “Oh! God, I’m sorry. It’s been a busy day. I’ll make a new one; it’ll only take a sec. Sorry.”

She shrugs, returning to her phone. You grit your teeth. You’ve only got an hour left until closing time. One hour, then a walk to the station, then a subway ride, then another walk, and then—finally—you can lock yourself in your room and work off some of this lingering tension.

You nearly drop the newly-filled takeout cup as she gasps suddenly. “Something’s happening. Not even three blocks away! Someone just posted a Spider-Man pic—really close up, too—like two minutes ago.” She’s waving the phone too fast for you to actually see the screen yourself, and then she spins and darts for the door.

“Wait!” you call. “Your drink!”

She’s already gone, and you sigh. Last time you were this close to a Spider-Man-related incident, there were major train delays, and a police cordon blocking pedestrians from an exclusion zone for the entire length of your street. You’d been outrageously late for work, and the only glimpse you and a handful of excited onlookers had gotten for the trouble was a brief flash of red high overhead.

You find that you simply do not care about whatever’s happening outside. It’ll be all over the news later anyway. And now that there are no customers to serve, you can fill the remaining time with thoughts of your own.

Those thoughts gravitate, again and again, back to the same place. The bump of his teeth against your lip. The breathy quality to his voice. The slightly softened sibilance to some of his consonants; not a lisp exactly, but a definite softness. His fingers. God, his fingers.

You start slowly counting out the cash register, trying to decide which route you should take home. It’s probably easier to walk, rather than risk getting stuck in a carriage for hours. Hopefully whatever had been happening is done now and you won’t be trapped in a crowd of tourists craning their necks up to get pictures.

You’ve just finished wiping the last table when the bell at the top of the door jangles, and your heart plummets. Really? Really?

“We’re closing,” you say, trying to inject more apology than irritation into your voice. “So unless you’re just after a bottle of water or something—”

“I know. I don’t need a bottle of water.” Your head whips up. He stands just inside the doorway, a shy, closed-mouth smile half-lifting his lips.

“Peter?”

“Hey. Hi.” He digs a heavily-shattered phone out of his back pocket, squinting at it before shoving it back. “Oh shit. It’s a lot later than I thought. Sorry. I—I’m glad I caught you in time.”

“What the…why are you so sweaty?” His hair stands up around his head messily, like he’s just stuck his head upside-down into a wind tunnel. Several dark strands are stuck damp to his face, and he wipes his forearm across his brow.

“I guess I was rushing. I was trying to get here earlier but I, uh, got sidetracked for a sec.”

You blink twice, smoothing your hands down over your thighs and hoping you aren’t covered in coffee grounds. You hadn’t even realised he knew where you worked. The only conversation you’ve ever had with him had been the one directly before you’d…

“I wanted to apologise. To you. For the other day, in the lab.”

Coldness trickles into your stomach, and your voice comes out sounding tight. “For what?”

He takes a step toward you, one hand loosely waving into the space between you. “For…I dunno, I should’ve been more…respectful, I think.”

You raise an eyebrow, resting one hand on your hip. “I initiated it. So what exactly are you saying? You don’t think I was chivalrous enough toward you? Gonna tell me I should’ve bought you a drink first?”

He shakes his head emphatically, side to side like he’s trying to dislodge water from his ears. “No, that’s not what I meant. You were great. I’m glad you did—I appreciate it—”

Your eyebrows are furrowed now, and you cut him off. “You’re thanking me?”

His lifts both hands to his hair, gripping it in tufts. He laughs, a short, nervous sound, his teeth pressing into his lower lip. “This isn’t coming out right.”

You notice for the first time that he isn’t in his regular slouchy-looking hoodie. He’s wearing a nice shirt; a deep blue henley, fitted to his broad shoulders. It’s flattering. It’s also inside-out.

“Your shirt is inside-out,” you tell him bluntly.

His soft, dark gaze finally meets yours and something shifts low in your stomach. He takes another step closer, and you need to lift your chin to keep looking up at him.

“I was rude to you. Implying I didn’t want anyone knowing. You didn’t deserve that. And I could’ve been better. Should’ve. Let me make it up to you.”

You stare at him, your mouth open. You should probably tell him that this is unnecessary: he’s overthinking it, it’s sweet that he seems to care how you feel, but you’ve had worse, and this isn’t going to help with your fixation—

His lips meet yours. Your breath rushes out through your nose as he gently coaxes your mouth open, his tongue pressing out, gathering the taste of you. His hands come up to the nape of your neck, gently tilting your head back as he curves down over you.

It’s nothing like last time. He’s assured; focused and intent. Like he’d prepared for this. Like he’d specifically worn a nicer shirt, figured out where you worked, planned to come and find you.

Your head spins as you tentatively curl your trapped hands against the firmness of his chest. He tastes like salt, the sweat on his skin cooling against your cheeks. This is surreal. You were daydreaming about this—about him, and he’s here somehow, his fingers in your hair. And yet he’s still too far away; there are too many clothes in the way, the windows of the cafe exposing you both to the street. You ache for him.

You both break the kiss at the same time.

“Is there a back room—”

“Can we go somewhere—”

He grins embarrassedly at you, his back hunched slightly to keep his face close to yours. You speak first. “There isn’t a back room. Just a bathroom. How far is your place?”

He tilts his head to the side, glancing behind him to peer outside. “Walking? Uhh…ten minutes?” He sounds unsure, like it’s just an estimate.

You snort. “You don’t know?”

“Ah, ha. Yeah, no I usually fly. S’quicker, y’know? Just gotta keep your mouth closed, unless you like pigeon feathers.”

You half-cringe, scoffing. “You really, truly think you’re funny, don't you?”

He slaps a hand to his heart, gasping. “You don’t?”

You shake your head. “Well, your place is closer than mine. Let me lock up real quick.” You spin away, hurrying to close the cabinets you’ve left open as you yank your apron over you head without bothering to untie the strings. It’s the fastest you’ve ever closed, and he raises his eyebrows in silent question as you stride toward the door where he’s leaning on one outstretched arm.

“Come on,” you say, flipping the sign to closed. “I’m following you.”

“Yes ma’am,” he murmurs back, smiling down at his feet.

It’s cold outside. Hard to believe he’d shown up without a coat, unless he ran the whole way here. Which would explain the sweat. You’re about to ask, when he speaks first.

“How’d you like Daniel Deronda?” You glance up at him. His hands are shoved in the pockets of his jeans, his head down. How did he…? “It was sticking out of your bag. The other day. I just noticed it.”

“Oh. It was a re-read. I just like the part where Gwen gets back from her sailing trip and has a complete existential crisis.” He flinches visibly before seemingly forcing himself into a quick recovery, and you pause, curious. “Have you read it?”

He shakes his head. “Nah. Don’t have a lot of time to read for fun. I liked comics when I was a kid.”

“Comics are cool. There’s a place just near my apartment that sells vintage runs, called Reggie’s—”

“Reggie’s Basement. Yeah, I’ve been going there since before I could read on my own. My uncle used to take me sometimes.”

A cab swerves toward the curb to avoid a cyclist, sending up a splash of filthy water from a pothole. Peter steps lithely to one side, yanking you out of the way before you can get drenched. You stumble, grasping onto him. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

He holds onto your shoulders for a beat too long, awkwardly lifting his open palms in a slightly-exaggerated gesture as he steps away. You walk beside him in silence a little longer, bewildered.

Clearing your throat, you attempt to restart the conversation. “You grew up here? In the city?”

“Yep. Queens. You?”

You give him a sideways look. “Nope. Jersey.”

He groans. “You’re ki-dding,” drawing the word out into three syllables. “Well. Nice talking.” He spins as though to walk away, but then keeps pace with you, now backwards on the sidewalk, a wry twist to his expression.

You grin. “Watch where you’re going. You’re going to fall on your ass, and then I’m going to laugh at you.”

“Not me. Catlike reflexes. You should see me dancing.”

“You dance?”

“Sure I dance. I’m a—” he steps sideways, avoiding a fire hydrant, still backwards as he waves his arms. “I’m a great dancer. Like you’ve never seen. Hey! Don’t look at me like that. I am!”

You realise your cheeks hurt a little, and you wonder if it’s the cold or just how hard you’re smiling. His earnestness is infectious; and your chest aches at the slightly insecure way he glances at your face through his eyelashes every time you giggle, as though checking to make sure you’re still with him.

He comes to a stop in front of a bodega with three of its four windows boarded with paint-tagged plywood. “S’a walk up, that okay?”

You nod mutely, following him inside. It’s dim and cracked in the stairwell. You feel strangely nervous all over again; all the ease of the walk dissipating in the yellowish light. And when he unlocks his door, bowing his head and gesturing you inside, your stomach flips over. It had felt a lot easier to scrunch up your courage and make a move when it was spontaneous. But this feels oddly formal; the walk, the conversation, and now the reality of his tiny apartment.

You take a step inside. It’s a studio; the kitchenette overlooking a desk stacked with textbooks, papers and tiny pieces of tech. His bed is tidy, at least; you note with relief that he actually has sheets on his bed—the same, unfortunately, hadn’t been true for some of the other guys’ rooms you’ve been inside. There’s a pair of sweats tangled beside the desk, which he kicks under the bed as he passes.

You find yourself staring at him again as he stands opposite you, gnawing his lower lip and blinking down at your legs. There’s the faintest shadow of stubble on his jaw, a shade darker than his hair. Wisps curl around his ear and down to the nape of his neck. You take a step closer, your heartbeat thrumming in your throat.

“Why’d you change your mind?” you whisper. A tiny line appears between his full eyebrows. His hand comes up to tentatively trace the open edge of your coat, and you shiver as his fingers brush your skin. “You didn’t want to make this a whole thing. But now…”

His breath is warm as he blinks several times. His eyelashes are full and dark. And then he looks up, his eyes darting between yours, lips parted. “I just thought…I guess. I thought it’d be okay. There’d be no harm in…seeing you again. I like you. It was nice. Being with you. And there’s no reason we can’t…be friends. That should be okay, right?” He sounds like he’s doubting his own words, and you’re immensely confused, and he’s heartbreakingly sweet, and it’s cold and you’re nervous and stressed and you like him right back, God, you like him, so you decide to pick up where you’d left off in the cafe and lean up to kiss him again.

Time slows. The random, sporadic sound of a car alarm outside punctuates your movements without seeming to mean anything. You sit on the edge of his mattress and watch as he kneels in front of you, pulling your sneakers off one by one, then your socks. You feel your blood thickening with desire, your thoughts turning syrupy and lazy. He’s entirely unhurried, loosening your blouse as though unwrapping something precious, one button at a time. You lean your weight back on your hands to watch as he lifts your hips, easing your jeans down over your thighs.

When he rolls your underwear off your legs, you let yourself lay back, your eyes fluttering closed to the sight of the water-stained popcorn ceiling. The feeling of his lips inside the softness between your knees, up to your thighs, in every crease and dimple of your skin, all sears straight to your core. Thoughts burst in your head: you haven’t showered yet, you’re pretty sure your phone is dead and your roommates are probably worrying, the finals next week…and as fast as they appear, they’re gone again, overwhelmed by the smell of his skin on the sheets beneath you.

He kisses higher, closer, and when his lips meet the heat of your aching cunt you jerk, your muscles clenching.

“S’okay,” he breathes into your core, his hands spreading your legs wider. “I got you.”

He closes his lips around your clit, enveloping you in warmth as his tongue works against you. Every pass makes you tense anew, and you lift your feet to the bed either side of him, bracing yourself as your hips shift restlessly.

He groans into you, opening his mouth and sucking messily at your soaked cunt. You gasp, scrabbling at the bedding beneath you as his tongue circles your clit in steady, gentle strokes. It feels like heaven, tightening every muscle as you rock against him.

“Pete—Peter…” His name comes out garbled somewhere between a sigh and a whimper. Encouraged, he leans up onto his knees, and you glance down at the top of his messy brown hair. The angle’s changed like this; his long neck arching as he focuses on you, his eyes closed. He slides his hand up between your legs, sinking two fingers knuckle-deep into the tightness of your hole and making your breathing hitch at the intrusion. He crooks his fingers, curling them upward, and the feeling instantly wrenches a weakly roughened exhale from you, the heat of his mouth never leaving your clit.

As he works you into a rhythm, your eyes roll shut again. Your spine arches, the feeling too much, but with the mattress beneath you, there’s nowhere to go.

“Oh shit, oh, oh, shit, you’re gonna make me…”

Your chanting breaks off into a harsh little wail as everything below your waist squeezes almost painfully tight, fresh heat soaking his still-pumping hand. From the centre of your body, pleasure sharp enough to numb you blinds everything for several long, drawn-out moments, and you gasp for breath, your chest heaving. You aren’t sure how long it takes before you’re coming back down to the feeling of him climbing up onto the bed over you, leaning on his elbows. You drag your eyes open to see his face hovering close to yours, his lips glistening with the evidence of your orgasm.

And then your hands are grasping at him, trying to simultaneously yank his shirt off while pulling him down closer to you. You feel the muscles in his back flex as he holds himself up one-handed, reaching down to help you. Freed from the shirt, he proceeds to kick his jeans off, and you’re rewarded with the feeling of his lithe solidity bare against you once more. Pale bruises are scattered across the lower half of his ribcage, so fresh that they’re still deepening.

He grasps his cock in his fist, barely pressing at your still-sensitive cunt and pausing. You don’t give him a chance to say whatever it is he’s thinking before you’re pushing him sideways, onto his back. Bewilderment flashes across his features in the brief second before you’re straddling his narrow waist, sinking yourself down until his entire length splits you open. His eyelashes flutter shut, and as you bear down, his hands blindly skate up your thighs, digging into the plush of your skin.

You begin to roll yourself against him, relishing the feeling of fullness. Like this, he’s deep; deep enough to nudge at something sharp inside you, and you readjust until—right there—his hardness drives against the place that makes you feel mindless and weak. You chase it, grinding yourself hard into the growing pleasure until your breaths shorten with exertion, your breasts feeling heavy against your chest. The shitty mattress beneath you squeaks with every bounce as you drop your weight onto him, but you can’t find it in you to care whether he has neighbours; whether they’re listening.

All that matters is this moment; him, his head thrown back, lips parted as his hands glide up onto your waist, encouraging your movements, pulling you back and forth onto his length. The cresting sense of release rushes up to you so fast you have no time to prepare, and you convulse, bending at the middle and collapsing over him as your cunt squeezes his length in a wash of hot, roaring bliss.

Your face is buried in the crook of his neck as he thrusts up into you, holding your ass cupped in his palms to keep you steadily in place. When he empties himself inside you, he crushes your body closer to him, driving himself deep and holding you there until you can feel the last pulses of his cock slowing.

You stay draped over his chest until he softens, both your hearts rabbiting in your chests, separated only by skin and bone. His fingers are lightly tracing the length of your spine, and it’s with sticky reluctance that you ease yourself off, rolling instead onto your side and facing him on the bed. His dark eyes are soft as he blinks at you, his lips parted to show his teeth.

“Was that better?” he breathes, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “Than last time, I mean.”

You shake your head weakly. “There…was nothing wrong with last time.”

“Yeah, but this was still better, right? Like, how’s my score looking?”

You groan, slapping a hand over your face. “That was an eight.”

His grin looks vaguely goofy as he leans closer. “Ouch. That’s harsh, Miss Jersey.”

“Okay, eight and a half.”

“Not the worst, then.”

“No. But still room for improvement.”

He laughs quietly. “Got it.”

You sit up, crossing your arms over your chest and reaching around your feet for your clothes. The room feels clammy with sweat and sex, and your attention catches on the sight of a single takeout container left sitting on the cracked laminate counter. You want to stay here.

“I need to go,” you tell him, standing and smoothing your hair back from your face. “My roommates probably think I’ve been eaten by a monster or something.”

He’s pulling his jeans back on, and you watch his lean forearms flex as he closes the fly. “Ah. Valid fear, actually. Can I walk you home?”

You’re shrugging back into your coat when you pause, looking across at where he leans against the desk. First visiting you at work, now offering to walk you home? It’s sweet, and thoughtful, and completely contradictory to the loose agreement you’d established at the beginning: just to itch the particular scratch that had charged the energy between you. But this is normal, right? For friends? So you lift one shoulder, shaking your head. “I’ll be fine. Thank you, though. I guess I’ll see you Tuesday.”

He nods, ducking his head, seemingly shy again as you turn to leave.

As you let yourself back out onto the street, the edge of uneasy sadness still swimming somewhere in your chest resurfaces. You can’t put your finger on it at first; unsure whether it’s lingering awkwardness, or worry about the repercussions of this latest development in whatever it is that’s unfolding between you.

You’re three blocks from home when you decide it’s not because of the shittiness of his apartment; after all, yours isn’t a whole lot better, and considering he’s not splitting the rent with anyone, it’s a relatively decent place to live.

No, the thing you’d been bothered most of all by was the sight of the single set of cutlery sitting in his sink, beside the glass drying upside-down. This, out of every hint you’ve gathered about self-effacing, sweet, confusing, embarrassing, decidedly-uncool Peter Parker, is the hardest thing you’ve learned: he’s lonely.

[blu-joons]

Our Little Girl ~ Jeon Jungkook

Pairing: Expecting Dad!Jungkook x Reader

Warnings: Slightly descriptive pregnancy, labour and birth

Word Count: 5.3k

Summary: Your little girl has been what the two of you have dreamt of for so long, finally the time has come to welcome her into the world with Jungkook by your side.

“You know, for a man that’s about to raise a daughter for the next eighteen years at least, you’re looking rather cocky.”

Jungkook could only smile from the other side of the room as a grimace danced upon your face at the feeling of another contraction hitting you. You’d lost count of the hours you’d been almost doubled over in bed some time ago, barely able to keep your eyes open at the excruciating pain that you found yourself in. With each passing breath, the gaps of relief that came between contractions became smaller and smaller, almost unbearable.

You’d watched plenty of documentaries before your pregnancy to know what to expect, and yet as you found yourself staring forwards at the figure of your husband, keeping his distance from your growing temper, none of what you saw on the television seemed to play out before you. Under watery eyes, you could just make out the time on the clock hanging just above Jungkook’s head, 3:15am.  You scoffed at the sight, doubting even in yourself how much longer you could go through such an ordeal. Despite the several months you’d had to lead up to this moment, not a single part of it could truly prepare you for what was to come.

As another struck against the pit of your stomach, Jungkook raced back across to your side, resting his hands over your reddened ones that gripped tightly onto the rails beside your bed. Murmurs of encouragement came from him, words you’d listened to him repeat for countless hours, and still each time they somehow managed to make your heart a little bit happier. As he counted you through the breaths to see you through, his free hand brushed over your hair, ignoring the beads of sweat that had formed in your hairline as best as he possibly could, focusing on the task at hand and being the best possible husband instead.

“You’re doing so incredibly well,” he whispered as he noticed that the pain was beginning to subside once again, offering you the best possibly smile he could muster, hiding his own feelings of exhaustion that were beginning to come through. Your head nodded, tilting slightly to the left, biting down on your bottom lip until you were sure that the contraction had subsided. A small wriggle from your little one let you know they were done for the time being, waiting patiently, or impatiently, to make their grand entrance.

“You’re getting close now,” your midwife called out, stood in the doorway, keeping an eye on the corridor as she had done for most of the evening, and night. “I must admit, I’ve not seen many women get through labour as well as you have for quite some time Y/N.”

“I’m not really left with much of an alternative to get through it right now,” you sighed, throwing your body back against the bed, allowing the sweat ridden sheets to wrap around you. The end never seemed to quite be in sight, no matter how many times her cheery voice suggested otherwise. In fact, if Jisoo wasn’t quite such a sweetheart, you’d have probably given her what for a long time ago with all of her reassurances.

“She’s a strong girl, I always told you that,” Jungkook whispered from the side of you, grinning proudly across at the elder woman. “So strong I think I might end up having to take up one of your beds soon with a couple of broken knuckles, are women supposed to squeeze this hard when they’re in labour?”

Jisoo’s head nodded, having told you about her four kids several times throughout the night, she had experience on both sides. She’d seen it all, broken hands, broken noses, but best of all, hundreds of humans enter the world.  

“Y/N you do what you want, ignore your husband,” she teased.

Once again, your head could only manage a nod, too consumed by the everchanging feelings that were going on around your bump to truly pay much attention to what was being said around you. The beep of the heart monitor, murmurs of passers-by, shrieks of other women in the ward all seemed to amalgamate into one at this point.

“I don’t think we’ll have to wait around much longer for baby to arrive,” she advised the two of you, “but things are only going to get worse, are you sure that I can’t get you anything?”

“No,” you muttered, despite a concerned Jungkook looking down at your tired figure, “I said that I was going to try and do this naturally, and until I can’t take it anymore, that’s what I’m going to do.”

“No one would think any less of you if you wanted an epidural,” Jungkook reminded you, moving his hand back across to rest over your now much calmer one. “Or maybe gas if you’re not feeling a needle? We saw it on that programme, remember?”

“We spent an hour laughing at a woman too high to even push,” you scolded, shaking your head at the memory. It had tickled you at the time, but the more you thought about not being able to remember your baby’s birth like she had, the more off-putting it became.

“It’s all here just in case,” Jisoo spoke up anyway, pointing across to a small table that was at the back of the delivery room, “too many women change their minds last minute and then we have to leap into action with it all.”

“I bet you might end up having another case like that, she’s a stubborn one,” Jungkook joked.

“Excuse me, I’ll have you- “

You were cut off by another pain stabbing against your side, hurling your body forwards, instantly gripping tighter onto Jungkook’s hand, causing him to yelp. He sat further up in his seat, throwing his free arm around your back, tracing circles against the exposed bit of skin your hospital gown showed off. Your body didn’t have much time to react, snapping your eyes around to look at Jungkook, searching for any bit of help he could offer. Instead, he could only stare helplessly back at you, there was nothing that he could do to truly take away your pain, nothing that would make the experience better for you in that moment, instead all he could promise was to be the best possible father and husband once your little girl eventually decided to come into the world.

As the pain fell aside once again, you leant across to rest against Jungkook’s shoulder, soaking his grey tee, not that he minded, pressing a kiss against the top of your head.

“So strong,” he whispered against your skin, as he had done tens, if not hundreds of times since your water broke in the very early hours of the previous day.

“I feel so weak,” you hummed in response to him, loosening your grip against his hand once again, holding onto only his index finger, admiring the tattoos that he wore so proudly. “I always thought I was strong Kook, but even this might be too much for me.”

His head shook instantly at your words, searching across to Jisoo for a small piece of reassurance that could remind you how good of a job you were doing in delivering your miracle.

“Soon,” her voice called out, although it wasn’t much, it was a small bit of hope that you could hold onto that your ordeal would be done soon. You adored Jungkook, but the calls of the professional who had taken such good care of you made you feel a lot better in an instant.

“Soon,” Jungkook reiterated, tightening the hold that he had around your waist, inviting you to relax into his side as opposed to the bed that you’d been on for hours. “This will all be worth it; you just have to remember that through the hard times.”

Another hum came from you, tracing aimlessly against his calloused skin. “I wish it was as easy for me to believe that as it is for you to say it right now.”

“Y/N,” he whispered, kissing against your forehead once again, “please don’t start giving up on any of this right now.”

“I’m just tired,” you whined, fighting the urge to give your eyes even a second to close out of fear of what might happen if you did. “Every part of me is so tired right now.”

“I get it,” Jungkook assured you, refusing to let you go through the fight alone, “I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this is for you right now my love.”

“Are you sure it’s too late for us to swap positions?” You joked, trying to remove the negativity that ran through your mind, “I think you’d love to be in labour secretly.”

“You know I would if I could, in a heartbeat,” he sniggered, raising his free hand up innocently, “it’s just such a shame that you’re the one that’s got to go through this. Trust me though, it’s not easy being a spectator, seeing you in so much pain is breaking my heart, I can only watch in awe of what an incredible woman you are.”

“You’ve got a good one there, Y/N,” Jisoo called out as she busied herself in the room, paperwork in hand, unable to stop herself tuning into your conversation. “You’d be surprised how many husbands sit back and relax during a time like this.”

“See, you’ve got a good one,” Jungkook continued to joke, tapping lightly against your arm, “can I get that in writing to remind her of this when this is all over?”

“I can change my mind,” Jisoo responded, drawing a light giggle out of you as the two of them continued to exchange innocent threats for a few minutes, until you chose to interrupt.

The mood of the room instantly turned sombre as a loud groan came from you, leaning forwards once again, breathing under the command of your husband. Whilst Jisoo continued to notice how much quicker your contractions came, Jungkook was solely focused on you, counting each time, resting his hands where you needed them, offering his shoulder back for you to rest on as soon as the contraction finished once again.

“I think I’ve decided something,” you whispered across to Jungkook once you’d caught your breath, “we are definitely only having the one child.”

“But I thought we agreed on an army,” he smirked, earning himself a slap against the bicep from you, although with your strength, the strike was pretty weak, even by your own high standards. Still, Jungkook grabbed at his arm, gasping at the sudden strength that had come over you. “Jisoo will tell you, I bet loads of women say that, but once they remember how sexy their husbands are, a quick trip to the bedroom, and suddenly baby number two comes along.”

“Have you ever met a man who makes sex sound so unappealing?” You asked Jisoo before she even had the time to respond to Jungkook’s comment. “It’s rather confident of you to assume that you’re that sexy anyway.”

Rather than answer either of you, Jisoo made her way across to you, asking Jungkook to give the two of you a bit of space as she checked how far dilated you were. You’d counted down almost every single centimetre, as if your little girl enjoyed teasing you before she was even a part of your world. Each time you hoped for the magic number, but each time Jisoo had muttered something else. You’d almost lost onto your last stretch of hope, that was until you looked across, noticing a wry smile etched across her face.

Before she even said the words, you knew exactly what the smile meant. As if your contractions hadn’t made things obvious enough, the expression on her face was the final touch you needed to know that at last that end was somewhat in sight. Once she called Jungkook back across to your side, his eyes locked with yours, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile, extending his arm out for your hand to intertwine with his. The relief was clear on your face, and in your hold, your body was in turmoil, but now it seemed as if you could finally begin to settle.

You were all too aware that there was a long road ahead of you, but just the thought of pushing appealed to your body and every part of you that was crying out for a rest.

“Ten centimetres,” Jungkook whispered beside you, “I bet that feels pretty good.”

“It feels pretty good,” you smirked, keeping your eyes on him as he sat back down in the chair at your bedside. “I had no idea the body could stretch as big as this, it’s surreal.”

Although he hadn’t taken too close of a look at everything that was going on at the foot of your bed, Jungkook had done enough research to know just how your body was changing. From the very first sign of a bump, Jungkook had waited impatiently for the moment that he finally got to see your little girl come into the world, the final change that would complete what the two of you had dreamt of for so many months.

“I love you,” his voice then whispered, just as your eyes looked away from his and down to your bump, “and our baby, I love our baby too.”

“I love you too,” you smiled, quickly looking back at him, “our little one is the luckiest girl in the world to have you.”

What came over the next few minutes felt like a blur to you, several instructions were sent your way, your body reshuffled with your legs propped up, pillows placed behind your back, and a towel dabbed against your head, but one thing remained, the hold of Jungkook’s hand tightly against yours, refusing to leave your side as the first few pushes began.

“This is ridiculous,” you huffed, just after the first few. You’d hoped for some sort of immediate impact, but your baby made no sign of movement instead. If you hadn’t spent hours laid in the hospital bed, you would have given up there and then, but there was one man that was never going to let you do that.

“Patience,” was all that Jungkook had to say, desperate to try and calm you down as he noticed how flustered you became. His hands pressed against your red cheeks before wiping underneath your watery eyes, failing to withhold the pressures that were placed before you.

Whilst labour was never something you expected to be a walk in the park, you could never have prepared yourself for the overwhelming feelings of pain that you’d end up enduring throughout your labour.

“If I push one more time, my body is going to cave,” you admitted, leaning against the cold metal of the rail against the bed. Jungkook’s head instantly shook, moving his arm around you to pick you back up, holding your back against the palm of his large hand.

“You’re far too strong to give up now,” he smiled, standing up from his chair to press a kiss against the side of your head, “there’s still pain relief if you want it, no one is going to think any less of you if that’s what you choose to do,” he reminded you once again, but still your head shook, you’d had plans for how your labour was going to go, and a natural birth was always top of your list of things that you wanted to see through. “Just hold my hand, and don’t break any of my bones and I promise that we’ll get through this together.”

Your eyes rolled at his warning, pinching especially hard against his hand to keep him on his toes, and make sure that he kept his mouth shut too.

“I’m only messing with you,” he whimpered, shaking at your hand for you to loosen your grip around him. “Just try and keep positive babe, we’ve jumped over too many hurdles over the past day to give up now. This one might just be a little bit bigger, but I know more than anything else in the world that you’re going to get over it.”

Your eyelids slowly fluttered shut, letting go of a shaky breath in the hope that it would keep you so composed. Rather than focus on the pain that came from your bump, your mind focused on the traces that Jungkook ran along the back of your hand, just like you’d done against his only a couple of hours ago.

“I just want to hold her and be done with this,” you continued to vent, opening your eyes back up, flinching slightly at the bright lights that came from all four corners of the room you’d somehow ended up calling home.

“I mean it when I say not much longer this time,” Jisoo smiled from the foot of the bed, perched on a stool, keeping a close eye on proceedings. “It’s natural to feel like you want to throw in the towel, there’s often a bit of a wait between dilation and pushing, not feeling anything can sometimes feel worse than the pain of a contraction.”

“You’re spot on,” you responded, forcing the smallest of smiles to your face, hearing a gentle giggle come from Jungkook. “At least the pain let me know that she was definitely moving.”

As if on cue, your baby began to make her presence known again, with Jungkook rising to his feet once again when he noticed how quickly you shot forwards. His arm reached out across your chest to stop you moving too far forwards, just as Jisoo had advised.

Something about this contraction just felt different for you though, as if your little girl was giving you a sign that she really was on her way. Although you couldn’t feel her drop, the pain certainly did. The smile on your face instantly captured Jungkook’s attention, unsure if he should worry, or be pleased to see a sign of happiness in your expression.

“I can feel her,” you whispered across to him before he even had the chance to ask, “it’s like she’s letting me know she’s on her way Kook.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” He anxiously queried, looking across to Jisoo who’s head nodded. “She really is on her way, our little girl.”

“Our little girl,” you repeated, feeling his hands press to either side of your face, just managing to press the softest of kisses against your puckered lips before another contraction hit. His left arm instantly moved around your waist as his right hand held onto yours, it had become second nature for Jungkook now to step each time that your body called out for him, a murmur of his name was all that he needed to know exactly what you wanted from him, and as another contraction passed, he was relieved when he could sit back down again.

As soon as it passed, both you and Jungkook stared across to Jisoo, desperate for any sort of update she had on how things were going.

“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” she assured you, “plenty of pushes coming up Y/N.”

“R-really?”

“Hey,” a deep voice whispered beside you, brushing his thumb back across the pad of your hand, drawing your eyes across to him with the sound of your voice. “It’s going to be alright, we’ve talked about all of this, the two of us are here, and very soon our little girl will be here soon, remember why you’re doing this Y/N.”

“Pushing feels so real,” you slightly chuckled, feeling the beat of your heart quicken in your chest, “are you sure it’s really time to push?”

“Absolutely,” a cheery Jisoo smiled from the foot of the bed, repositioning your legs slightly so that you were a little more stretched out. “When the next contraction comes, I want you to take a big deep breath, and then lots of little pushes, let your body guide you rather than you guide your body. Listen to my voice, and most of all, listen to Jungkook too, he sounds like he has all the right things to say to you.”

“That’s exactly how we got into this position,” you sighed, shooting a glare in his direction.

“Unfortunately, it’s exactly how you’re going to get out of this position too,” Jisoo grinned, shaking her head as Jungkook leaned forwards to try and give her a high five. “Just support your wife,” she smiled, “I’ve spent less then a day with this guy and I’m struggling to see how you’ve managed to put up with him for so many years.”

“Don’t make me regret it,” you called out, just as another contraction came. The mutters of ‘push,’ that came from both of the people beside you instantly set your body in motion, clutching tightly onto the rail, and Jungkook’s hand as you tried to push down as best as you could, grimacing at the pain.

By the time the contraction had passed, you could feel how quickly your bottom lip was beginning to swell, pouting across at Jungkook, who was unable to hide his surprise when he noticed how red your lip was.

“Still beautiful,” he complimented, leaning forwards once again to press a kiss against the reddened skin, “and so strong too. Who knew I managed to marry such a strong woman?” He questioned, receiving no answer from either of you. It came as little surprise to him, instead he grabbed the towel that was beside him and dabbed it gently over your forehead, and your lip too, trying to make the swelling as minimal as possible before you bit down again.

As another contraction soon came around, you couldn’t quite get your head around at how surreal it was suddenly all becoming. You’d sat with your little girl nested in your tummy for two days short of nine months, and now you could slowly feel her making her way down to enter the world. All of the fears and the doubts that you’d had about labour had been torn apart, your dreams had been blown so far out of proportion, no part of what you were doing felt real anymore. But for the two of you, it felt like the best, and worst, experience in the world, the pain had been hard, but slowly it was beginning to feel as if it was worth it for you both.

When the next contraction came around, the sound of Jisoo’s voice stopped you from biting down on your bottom lip, feeling her hand move a little further up your leg, carefully pushing your legs a little further apart, surprising even you by how flexible you suddenly were.

“I can feel something,” you nervously whispered, looking across to Jungkook who was trying to get the best look he could at what was going on from beside you.

“No need to worry,” Jisoo instantly replied to you, “but I can definitely see the first signs of your little girl.”

“Really?” You chuckled, feeling Jungkook’s head turn to look back across at you. His eyes looked at you for permission, as your head slowly nodded, encouraging him to stand up from his seat and walk across, peering over your leg to where the first sightings of your little one’s head could be seen. A quiet gasp came from Jungkook, squeezing gently against your hand, feeling his eyes watering at the sight before him.

“She already looks beautiful,” he whispered up to you, “I can’t believe she’s all ours Y/N.”

“I wish I could see,” you chuckled, trying your hardest to look past your bump, but failing with ease. You couldn’t help but laugh, remembering all the times you’d failed to see your feet, or bend down to change your shoes, only now, at the most important time, your bump had stopped you from getting your first glimpse of your little girl. A small part of you couldn’t help but be slightly envious that Jungkook had such a clear view from beside you of everything that was going on.

However, as soon as your next contraction hit, Jungkook’s attentions were turned straight back to you, sitting back down in a heartbeat as more encouraging whispers came from him. He’d never told you how proud and how in love he was with you than he had done today, but he also knew he could never love you more than the moment you brought his child into the world.

The late nights, early mornings, and everything that came in between during your pregnancy had been hard on you both, but everything that you needed from Jungkook, he did with a smile. He could never appreciate enough how incredible your body was to carry his little girl, to nurture her so perfectly and give her such good health. There was simply never going to be enough that he could do to repay you for everything that you’d given him over the last nine months, and for the rest of his life too.

“Y/N, keep pushing!” Jisoo’s voice called out, snapping you out of the small daydream that you found yourself in. By the sound of her voice, you knew that something significant was happening, with adrenaline the only thing keeping you going, you did as she said, pushing as hard as you could, paying close attention to the sound of Jungkook’s voice, the only thing that had kept you going through out.

“She’s coming,” he whispered, flickering his eyes between you and your baby, noticing how quickly she seemed to be arriving. Your head nodded, repeating his words over and over again in your head, the only boost of motivation that you needed to dig in to somewhere you didn’t know you had, using up every last ounce of energy that you possibly could.

“Kook,” you whimpered, as you felt the contraction begin to collapse again.

“Just one more,” Jisoo then called out.

“You can do it,” he urged, leaning closer in towards you.

Although your head shook, your body still pushed, and soon the cries of your little girl could be heard ringing throughout the room, as tears fell from both yours and Jungkook’s eyes, feeling his hand slip out of yours so that you could collapse down against the bed.

“I love you, you’re incredible,” he chimed, giving you a moment before leaning over you, brushing the hair out of your face, coupled with a lingering kiss against your forehead, ignoring the droplets of tears that fell from his cheeks against your own. “She’s here Y/N.”

In just a matter of moments, Jungkook moves away from your side, replaced with your little girl settling against your bare chest, with Jisoo dabbing away at her to remove the markings of blood, stretching out of her limbs and making sure to clear out her airways.

As your eyes looked down at her for the very first time, your breath was taken by what was before you. “Wow,” was all you could whisper as you studied every fine detail of the bundle you held tightly against your chest. “Look at you,” you soon added, sniffling back the tears that fell.

Jungkook’s hand reached across, wiping underneath your eyes, perching himself on the end of his bed. He used the tip of his thumb to trace over the top of her head, feeling along her arms, staring in awe of how tiny each digit of her hand was. Neither of you could look away from her, all expectation you had had been succeeded, unable to comprehend what you had just endured.

“Our little girl,” Jungkook whispered, leaving a kiss against the top of your head with his words. It had been the saying you’d had for her since the moment you found out it was a girl that you were expecting, and yet somehow neither of you could correlate that the little girl you’d wished for was finally in front of you both.

“Congratulations,” Jisoo spoke after a few moments, scribbling down on some papers attached to her clipboard. “I’ll give you both a second to adjust, you’re new parents after all.”

“We’re parents,” Jungkook muttered in a moment of disbelief, continuing to stare wide-eyed at your daughter, silently reiterating the promises he’d made to her most nights when he laid beside your bump, trying to help you get to sleep. Although she was still attached to you for a moment through the umbilical cord, his body was itching to get his first hold of his little girl, feel the body and the heart he was going to protect for the rest of his life. “Thank you,” he whispered across to you once he finally looked away from her, “it’s never going to be enough, but thank you for being so strong, and for being the best wife, and mum in the world.”

“How can you say that when I’ve only been a mum for five minutes?” You teased, bringing a smile to Jungkook’s face. His eyes rolled at the chuckle that followed your question, knowing if it wasn’t for your little one, he’d be attacking your side in an instant.

“I just know, call it instinct,” he assured you, “and I’m going to make sure that this little girl knows what a special mummy she’s got to. I’ll never let her take you for granted, just like I never will, ever again. I’m in your debt forever, nothing can make up for all of this.”

“You know, we can’t call her our little girl forever,” you hummed, noticing how quickly Jungkook’s eyes lit up at the mention of her name. Several had been exchanged between the two of you, and yet one always seemed to stand out to you both, almost as if it was just meant to be, her name was her destiny.

“Is it still the one that you want?” Jungkook asked, making sure you didn’t have any doubts.

“Just looking at her, she suits it,” you hummed, taking any excuse that you could to get a glance of your daughter. “Don’t you think, it’s perfect for her?”

Jungkook’s head nodded, leaning across your body to press a gentle kiss to the top of her head, treating her as if she was the most delicate thing in the world. As her name fell from his lips for the very first time, Jungkook knew you were right, it was perfect for her, and the perfect name to complete your family too.

“Can you believe we have her forever?” You asked him, brushing your thumb over the top of her head, “we don’t ever have to give this one back, or keep her only for a night. We never have to let her go, she’s ours, always.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever believe that I’ve been so blessed with the two of you,” he giggled in his confession, “every day, my little girl, and my incredible wife, I will love you.”

“She’ll have you wrapped around her finger in no time, I bet,” you laughed, “if she’s anything like you, we might as well enjoy the peace and quiet for now, because she’ll be causing trouble in no time.”

“I hope she takes after you,” Jungkook acknowledged, staring back at you, “everyone will fall in love with her, just like I did with you.”

“Do you still love me after I almost broke your hand?” You teased, staring across at his still slightly reddened hand.

“Y/N, I have never loved you more than I do right now, and I’ll love you more and more every day. You’ve given me the greatest gift, love just isn’t enough.”

“We love you too,” you smiled across to him, feeling his lips peck against yours.

“I’ll never tire of hearing that.”

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