#But. She's silly to me :] Also her fiancee leaves her over the fact that her day-job is literally erasing the memory of hostages So she's.

[selfcontainedunivcrse]

ive been thinking of a silly scp oc (Courtesy of my buddy making me get into it) . She's just some guy who works on the tech side of things. she's fresh out of regular science university and wanted a cozy govt job with experience in her field to look good on her resume while she works on getting her masters. This is not that

[clubsmarties]

"Not this guy," he pointed to himself. "Can't take the boy out of the small town." No matter how hard it got beaten out of him. "No, fame never took me for a spin. I don't like it. We had personal security following us, I think the fact that I befriended him was the only good thing about having one." Diego was actually one of his favorite people and was glad he was able to keep in touch with him. "I don't chase fame as some people do. For the most part it was fun. I liked seeing new sights and people but the homesick feeling never went away truly. I went to Spain and when I was walking around town I kept thinking how you would enjoy it. You'd have some random fact about what you read about said place." he chuckled, smile firmly placed on his features. " I sent ma a bunch of postcards which I am pretty sure she has plastered on the fridge and walls." The way she would still make his heart skip a beat with one look would never get old. When she dropped her gaze he kept his on her, blue eyes roamed over her features, she hardly changed just got older. "I am home." Whether that was about the actual place or about seeing her again he wasn't really sure about. "That is me," he laughed. "I figured if I was bothering them with coming every other week for therapy then the least I could do was help out. Turned out I actually enjoyed it that they gave me the job."

"I feel like there's a story there on St. Patrick day. I am all ears," his amusement couldn't be hidden if he tried. Hearing stories of her life after he left was something he desperately wanted to know. "You're not just anyone. She would love to see you I'll bet. You can also help her make that fruitcake she is always going on about. You can bring your grandma. I am sure ma would want to gossip with someone other than me. So, should I tell her to bring out two more plates? Three..." If she was attached to someone else which now made him feel a little sick. A giant oxymoron if he knew one since he was the one who was engaged. "I am. My primary care doc is actually in Lafayette so not too far away. Can travel so not a big deal. I mean the head injury kind of messed with my coordination so couldn't really get on a bull to do those fancy tricks. I am just glad I am alive. Cant imagine leaving ma alone with her own thoughts. Then she'd really regret not having a second one."

Rome couldn't help but laugh, thinking she was silly. "You and your ideas. When have I ever said no. Can't be too mad today, we are getting cake after all. No complaints here." He watched the server leave them for a second and sighed. "It is really good to see you. I have missed you. Thanks for doing this, you really could have just not come. I actually don't mind their assumption. Being married to you had always been a dream." though as quick as he said he shook his head at the talk of his fiancee. "Marge wouldn't really be into this, you know. Too many carbs. She's doing this for show. It's all for show. I've actually no idea what cake flavor I am in the mood for. Let's try every single one. Are you still a fan of coconut?"

"That's amazing that you're back for good. Most people are on the opposite end, finding any way to run as far away from here as possible. Well, I never really left." Except for the few years after college. "So, she did try to put the ad on the paper, that's really funny. Really? I mean, you did spend quite some time away. I figured it had grown on you. But, honestly fair enough, fame and this town don't really get along either." This place was too small for any of those big dreams anyway. "Was it fun, at least, traveling the world?" Juliet met his gaze, feeling the world stop for just a second. No, she couldn't go down this road again. "Yes, you are home," she agreed, but shortly after, she looked away, shying away from the intensity of his eyes. "What? That's amazing! I was wondering who was helping tun that spot now, it is in need of lots of love."

Relieved? Okay, now Juliet was puzzled. The wedding planner in her was curious what the story was there. Relief at his new wife being away on holiday wasn't really screaming lost in love, but knowing Rome, well she figured there had to be more. Perhaps, some kind of inside joke between them. Rome wouldn't marry without love. Without context, Juliet wouldn't be the one to make some inappropriate comment. "Everyone has that one holiday, I can't do St. Patrick's Day after college. Still, hating Christmas must be rough." Although the idea that Marguerite wouldn't be with him for the holidays was sad, Juliet felt the corners of her lips turn upwards upon hearing his plans. "Your plans sound just like mine then." At home with her grandma, perhaps the latest son of one of her friends that she swore was a good match. "Don't think I'm attached to much these days. Your ma is letting you invite anyone to your celebration though?"

"Oh, Rome. Sounds like you endured a lot, and still are. So, you're still getting the care you need, now that you're back here? Right? Can't neglect that. Oh, I made bonus points category? Lucky me. Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you're back too."

"Yes, that is right," she doubled-down with an amused grin. "Well, I saw it more as a situation of the guest getting the bigger slice. Don't worry about it, I'll make it up to the birthday boy today." Wedding cake sampling was not exactly the same as a birthday party, but cake options could prove to be fun. Juliet hummed a yes, before shrugging in an attempt to keep the positive energy going. "Well, she didn't jump up in excitement." Though, Juliet would attribute that to her old age. "Overall though, yeah not too pleased. She hates the impractical, so she just didn't understand why I left a stable job to pursue this crazy thing." Her glance reached him momentarily, then back at the sidewalk. "It's true, you know - that you're the pride of the town." Juliet gave him a smile as they stepped inside the bakery. It smelled wonderful in there, and Juliet was quick to take a seat in the area they requested. However, she felt her shoulders tense when they mistook them as the couple. A first in her wedding planning adventures, but she supposed not too weird since she had originally set this up for him and his fiancée. "Water, yes that's okay."

While they stepped away to get their glasses of water and the first round of tasting, she turned to Rome. Moments after, they brought a tray out with five different cake slices and the glasses of water. "So, cake. What are you guys thinking of, any particular flavors or some that are absolutely not allowed?"

[neonacity]

LUCID | NCT DREAM ‘00 LINE X READER | CH.6

LUCID DREAMS - A TYPE OF DREAM WHEREIN THE PERSON IS AWARE THAT THEY ARE CAUGHT IN A DREAM WORLD.

Summary: It was supposed to be a harmless, professional transaction. You were to tutor a group of boys, get your pay at the end of the day, and go home to your loving fiance. Kids aren’t supposed to be dangerous, right? So why, then, are you caught up in a web of madness that slowly makes you feel like you’re in a living nightmare?

NOTE:This is a yandere plot featuring NCT Dream ‘00 line which means there will be mature themes in the story as well as obsessive, toxic behavior. If you’re a minor, please refrain from interacting. If this isn’t your thing, then just scroll and skip. In no way am I condoning anything written here— this is not love, this is obsession—nor do I think that any of the people mentioned here will act any way like in this story. This is purely a work of fiction.

Genre: yandere, horror, suspense

TW: abuse, obsessive behavior, toxic relationships, suggestive scenes, stalking, possible kidnapping, mental health. Age gap–though nothing dramatic. Everyone is of legal age, drugs, slight smut for this chapter but nothing graphic, questionable consent (?) I guess? Creepy, creepy, creepy! This will be updated as the story goes along.

CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 3 | CHAPTER 4 | CHAPTER 5

“EVERYONE HAS A DARKER NATURE. EVERYONE. GOOD MEN FEAR IT, AND EVIL MEN EMBRACE IT.” - JAMES ISLINGTON

The silent hum of the air conditioning filled the space like a foreboding chant. Nothing else but the sound of the hospital machinery and random noises outside pierced the stillness of the room as you stared, unseeing, at the green and orange numbers that blinked on the monitor above the bed. 

You barely have any recollection of how you managed to find yourself in the hospital, but you do remember brief memories of Taeyong picking you up from the floor you found yourself crumpled on after you got the call. You remember seeing Jaehyun's parents at a brightly lit corridor and his mother pulling you into a hug as she broke down and his father telling you how his son hasn't woken up since he was brought to the emergency room.

You remember your heart breaking in shock, mind too numb from the godforsaken pills you have been taking and your own injury. So many times you wondered to yourself if you were still caught in one of your nightmares, but every time you tried to break free from it, you're slapped back with the reality of how all of this is real.

Your fingers gently tightened on Jaehyun's hands now as your gaze landed on his face. He looked so peaceful, like he's just sleeping, that you almost wanted to bend over and try to kiss him awake. You don't even have any idea what time and day it is already, but you have barely left his side since you were brought to him. The nightmares and sleeplessness? They're barely a problem for you anymore because right now, you're entirely not resting at all unless your body forces you to crash from physical exhaustion. Even then, you usually only sleep for about two to three hours at best to make sure that you never miss a moment with your fiance.

"Severe traumatic head injury. He was lucky enough that the airbag shielded him from the worst of the impact."

The words of his attending doctor echoed in your head again like a faraway voice. You could only remember bits and pieces of what he said to his parents back then as he reported his findings, but you caught enough context for you to draw a picture of the situation. You remember Jaehyun's mother asking the chances of her son waking up again, her voice barely holding up from her emotions. 

"I cannot promise anything, Ma'm. I'd say he has a 60 percent chance. He's fighting."

And he is. You know Jaehyun inside out. He might be unconscious now, but there is no way he is giving up. Not from something like this. 

"Keep fighting baby…" you whispered in the stillness of the room as you lifted his hand gently to your lips to kiss. "I'll wait for you. We still have a wedding to do."

The slight creaking of the door barely made you look away from his sleeping face. You only did at the gentle sound of a throat clearing, your eyes slightly widening as you recognized the man who just walked inside the room. Taeil had the same mildly shocked look on him as he stopped on the  other side of the bed across from you. 

"You…"

"Are you a relative of the patient?" He asked now as he tucked his clipboard under his arm. You simply nodded, watching him quickly glance at the numbers on the monitor before his eyes settled on you again.

"I'm his fiancee."

That made him raise his brows slightly. He pulled a pen now from the pocket of his coat to quickly write something on his file. "What a coincidence. Not a good one obviously. I'm sorry to hear about him. Mr. Jung, right?"

You swallowed. You didn't want to acknowledge anything that he just said so you tried to divert the conversation instead.

"You're not his doctor. Why are you…"

"Oh. He was turned over to me today. I am one of the resident neurologists here but he had to be moved to me because his first doctor has too much in his plate already. Don't worry, I was briefed properly about his case."

Your gaze followed Taeil as he bent over to check Jaehyun's oxygen level as well as the other wires attached to him. You don't know what to feel about him taking over, but at least you already know him previously.

"Are there any changes? Positive ones?" You asked in a frail voice that Taeil definitely didn't miss. You told yourself to not act silly and ask questions that probably do not have answers yet, but you couldn't help yourself now. The man seemed to think over his words first, noticing your state, before calmly giving his reply.

"No particular ones, but the fact that there are no negative developments is… something. I will have to request for some tests to be done on him again tomorrow so we can see if there are positive changes in his brain."

Neutral. Not good, but at least it's not bad either.

"How are you? I was about to check on you again. Is your head okay?"

You were still thinking over his words that you barely caught his question. Looking up, you tried to scramble for an answer to give. To be honest, you haven't given proper attention to your own injury since this happened. You would even only remember to take your medications on your clearest, less anxious moments, which, honestly, isn’t a lot. 

"I'm uh… the wound has closed. But the headaches. They're still there."

He simply nodded. "Any other side effects?"

You didn't immediately answer. You didn't want to sound whiny, but it's not like you're going to lose anything by telling him the uglier parts of your recovery. You swallowed to try and dislodge the slight blockage in your throat.

"Nightmares…" you said now, voice soft. You briefly remembered the last one you had back in the manor before you woke up to the bad news and you felt your stomach turn again. "Lots of them. Hallucinations sometimes…"

The doctor watched you carefully and you know he is trying to compute things in his mind despite his face remaining calm.

"Have you been keeping to your schedule with your medications? Are you taking too much?"

You firmly shook your head no to his last question.

"No, I haven't been overdosing. But… I've been skipping my pills the last few days because of...because of this."

"How have you been feeling since you started missing your dosages then? Do you remember?"

That made you actually stop and think about it for a moment. Now that you are paying attention, you did notice how the nightmares have calmed down slightly. Even the hallucinations are almost gone. You frowned slightly to yourself.

"A bit… better actually."

Taeil took his time to observe you a bit more before writing something on a new page of his clipboard.

"You must have had severe reactions to the mixture of pills I gave you. I'm going to prescribe you new ones and ask the nurses to pick them up and bring them to you here. Can you promise that you'll try and take them though? You really need them to fully heal."

You nodded and gave him a slightly sheepish look.

"I will, thank you very much."

Taeil dug his hands into the pockets of his coat and gave you a gentle smile.

"Well, that's it for today. I'll come back tomorrow to give you updates about Mr. Jung." He had already turned and started walking away when he suddenly stopped to look at you again.

"Oh, and another thing. Please try and get some sleep. Recover… and then focus on helping your fiance."

******* You didn't really know what woke you up. Stirring from your sleep, the first thing that registered to you was the sound of distant traffic mixed with the gentle chirping of the morning birds from outside the window. A warm feeling radiated on your cheek and made the back of your eyelids glow red.

You flickered your eyes open and immediately rolled away to escape the ray of sunshine that slipped from the open curtains and shone directly at your face. You easily evaded it as you moved over to the other side of the bed which was empty and cold from the night before.

That was when you finally remembered that you were back in your home, in the same bedroom you share with Jaehyun. The day before, his mother offered to take the responsibility of watching over him so there was a sudden change of plans that finally gave you the reason to check back into your apartment after so long. If it were you, you would have preferred not leaving your boyfriend’s side until he wakes up, but you also knew that your future mother-in-law wanted to spend time with him so you relented. 

Of course you weren't thrilled to be home alone, especially with Jaehyun not being there, but the comfort that a real mattress provided—over the small couch you used to sleep in back at the hospital—is definitely a welcome change for your body. You even tried to take your medicine properly, the new ones that Taeil had provided, in the hopes of getting knocked down fast. Your adrenaline and anxiety had been fueling you in the past days, but you know from the way your heart thumped and your hands shook that you need a solid rest.

And you got it. You still feel a little groggy now but your body is definitely lighter and your head clearer. The nightmares didn't even come, and while they were replaced by total darkness or dreams in white that still made you anxious, you are willing to take those anytime over the graphic ones that you used to have.

You gently sat back against the headrest of the bed now and reached out for your phone to check the time. It's barely 7AM but as expected, Jaehyun's mom has already provided you with updates from the hospital. He’ll have some tests taken today as Taeil advised and then they’ll hear more about his progress. From the looks of it, she seems still set on watching over her son, which means you still have at least today free to yourself.

You quickly typed a reply to her and sighed. You’re thankful that even though you weren’t related by blood, his parents have always treated you as if you were their own. Having a family is not something you’ve really experienced in your childhood, so that’s something you’ve always appreciated about them. That is also the reason why you wish for the best out of this situation, because you also couldn’t bear seeing your fiance’s mother and father heartbroken. He’s their only son, after all.

A quick look around your room left you feeling empty. The last week has been so hard that it felt longer and now you’re struggling to find your normal pace again. In an effort to bring yourself to focus, you decided to pick up your phone once more and started flipping through your calendar to check your schedule. It didn’t take long for you to frown when you realized the upcoming dates there. You’ve plotted important academic schedules in advance and one quick look at it told you how much you’ve obviously missed in the past week. You’ve been so lost in the mess of everything that has happened that you’ve entirely forgotten about your job at the manor. You realized that they didn’t even call you once to ask about your absence, probably because they also know about the situation, but even that is not enough excuse for you to entirely fall off the radar.  

Biting your lip, you quickly scrolled through your contacts now to look for the number you need. Your thumb hovered over the call button momentarily, but you eventually pressed it anyway. Your eyes wandered towards the clock on the wall, hoping silently to yourself that it wasn’t too early for you to call.

“Rosewood Manor, how can I help you?”

You straightened on your seat.

“Hey, Taeyong. It’s me. Sorry if I called so early.”

The other boy seemed to have been taken slightly by surprise by the way he fell silent at the other end of the line. You tapped your finger against your knee, waiting for him to speak again.

“Hi. No, it’s fine. Work started for me about an hour ago. Are you okay? How’s things on your end?”

You nibbled guiltily on your lower lip and finally got off your bed to walk over to the window. You pushed the curtains open and stared at the slight snowfall that had started falling on the ground. You’ve missed so many days of reporting to them but the first thing he does is to check if you’re fine.

“I um—things are still the same. My boyfriend’s still at the hospital.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Look, I want to apologize. I haven’t really reported to work and I didn’t even call about it. It’s just that—things have been so crazy lately, but still that isn’t an excuse for me to just not show up.”

Taeyong, however, was understanding as always. You were about to go off for another round of apologies when he gently cut you off. 

“Hey, it’s fine. We know you’ve been dealing with a lot lately so we also weren't expecting anything. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“But, the boys’ examinations and portfolio review is happening in three days and I haven’t really checked in with them. How are they doing now?”

“Oh...that. Well, we actually tried looking for a temporary tutor to help out but I...uh… I think he isn't really cutting it. Maybe because he isn’t the one who started the program with them. But he’s a big help still.”

“Oh god, I’m so sorry about that. I should have at least—look, I can drop by today and just try to fix things.”

“Are you sure? You really don’t have to. Don’t you need to be at the hospital?”

You started going around your room now, trying to gather the scattered papers and files that you’ll need. It’s a good thing you woke up early so you still have time to prepare for work. “My boyfriend’s mother is the one watching over him today so I have the day off.”

“And your injury? How is it?”

Your eyes landed on the new bottles of medicine sitting on your bedside table.

“Better. I’m feeling so much better.”

You heard Taeyong sigh in relief over the phone. “Thank god. We were so worried about that. Well, you really don’t need to go, but if you have time, I guess doing it today won’t hurt. It will help us a lot.”

A small smile tugged at your lips now and you switched the phone over to your other ear as you started arranging your bag. “Thank you so much for being understanding. I need a distraction anyway. I’d rather work than stay home alone… Thanks for not firing me.”

That made him laugh a little. “I’ll tell the boys that you’re coming over. Oh, and be careful on your drive here. The roads are a little bit slippery today because of the snow.”

“I will, thank you. I’ll be there by 9.”

******* “Noona!”

You have barely finished arranging your materials on your desk when the door to the room burst open and ushered an anxious-looking Jisung inside. You looked up quickly at him, only barely catching Chenle wobbling with his crutch before your vision of the entrance was blocked by Jisung’s tall frame. His hair looked swept up as if he ran and there was a slight flush staining his cheeks. He stopped right in front of you, stopping just in time for him not to topple you over.

“Hey, Jisung how are—” You tried to give him a smile but he was quick enough to grab your hands between his.  

“Are you back? Are you really back for real?” He pressed now, eyes wide as he tried to bend over to look closely at you. He looked like a puppy, the only missing thing being a wagging tail to complete the look. You couldn’t help the brief laugh that passed over you as you tried to calm him down.

“I am. For the day, yes. Sorry I missed so many of your sessions.”

“We thought you left us,” Jisung continued, his lower lip protruding just a bit. Just then, Chenle had finally reached the two of you, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. This is actually the first time you saw him again since the day the two of you had your accident and you’re glad to see him healthy despite his broken leg.

“Hi, Chenle. How are you?”

The boy scratched the back of his head and looked away slightly. “Fine… I’m sorry, noona. I wasn’t able to visit you when you stayed with us. I’m really really sorry about what happened in the forest.”

You tried to give him a reassuring smile and freed one of your hands from Jisung’s hold to ruffle his hair. The action seemed to have calmed him down a little because he finally looked at you again, a small apologetic smile on his own lips.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. But be careful next time, okay?”

“Are you going to be our tutor again, noona?” Jisung pressed once more and you turned your attention back to him. To be honest, you’re still not sure how your schedule will turn out after this, but you couldn’t really bear to break the poor boy’s heart at the moment.

“Yes… I’m here to teach your big brothers today for their tests though. We’ll have to schedule you and Chenle’s lessons again. Is that alright?”

A brief look of disappointment flashed on his face but he was quick enough to pick it up. Jisung smiled and gave your hand a squeeze.

“Okay. We can wait. It’s good you are back, Jaemin-hyung was so—”

“Yah, don’t hog her by yourself. You’ll scare her away.”

A new voice made the three of you look back to the doorway. Haechan smiled at your little group as he strolled casually into the room followed by Jeno and Jaemin. The three of them joined your crowd and you felt Jisung finally let go of your hand as he stepped away to go over to his brothers’ side.

“Hi. Sorry, I only returned now. Taeyong told me that you—”

You weren’t able to finish what you wanted to say as Haechan gently stopped you mid-sentence. He leaned his head to the side, eyes briefly scanning you from head to toe. Unlike Jisung, he looked calm and only barely excited.

“It’s fine. We knew you’ll come back. How are you?”

“Oh… I’m good. My head is better. I haven’t had the chance to thank all of you for taking care of me when I was here.”

“How about your boyfriend?” It was Jeno who asked this time and you quickly turned to him to address his question. Your eyes briefly slipped to Jaemin who was standing behind him before you could even speak though, and for a moment you had the impression that Jeno was shielding him—or blocking him from you. You blinked a little bit in confusion, wondering if it was just your imagination that was making you think that way.

“He’s still… still unconscious,” your smile dropped a little but you tried your best to keep your voice casual. “We’re getting more tests for him. His doctor said that he isn’t showing bad signs at least.”

“I’m so sorry to hear about him,” Haechan said with compassion and you gave him a grateful look. Your gaze settled on Jaemin again, however, who for some reason had barely looked at you since he came into the room. You know that he can be quiet and reserved at times, but there is something in the air around him that makes you slightly worried. He’s so still, but the way he carries himself makes it seem like he’s so strung up at the same time. It also doesn’t help that Jeno seems to be almost pushing him back from view.

“Hi Jaemin… How are you?” You tried to gently ask him to make sure that he is okay. He didn’t look at you at first, but when he finally did, you felt yourself freeze a little. His eyes looked dark and almost emotionless when he met yours and there were shadows under them as if he hadn't slept properly for days. He didn’t even answer and just simply stared, his gaze blank and accusing at the same time.

Haechan casually glanced over his brother and chuckled. “Our Jaeminie here has been sick for the past couple of days so he’s a little out of it. But he’s going to be fine now,” he put a hand over the other’s shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze as if to calm him down. “Right, Jaemin? We’ll try our best to go to class today since noona is finally back, hmm?”

Jaemin, however, didn’t even seem to hear him. He continued staring at you the same way that kept you pinned on your spot.

“Are you leaving again?” he finally asked and you almost felt goosebumps rise on your skin. It didn’t sound like a question… but more of a threat. You swallowed.

“I’m going to have to arrange my schedule till things get better…” you answered carefully, as if you’re navigating dark waters. That didn’t seem to cut it for him, unfortunately.

“So you’re not leaving. Forever?”

You blinked. To be honest, you’ve been thinking of quitting and just finishing the rest of the month if things didn’t improve, but you don’t think that’s the right answer to give at the moment.

“No… not for now,” you finally managed to say. You watched as Jaemin seemed to visibly relax, his stiff shoulders loosening under Haechan’s grip. He didn’t say anything after that, but he at least looked away, seemingly more satisfied with your words.

“Great. I think we should get to work,” Haechan broke the silence and looked around the room as if the tension you were feeling was just something only you could feel. He nodded towards Chenle and Jisung then. “You guys go back to your own classes. You’ll have your share of noona once it’s your turn.” He then glanced at you, smile still in place. “Should we start then?”

You nodded. “Is Renjun still not back?”

“Not yet. He’s going to be here tomorrow though,” Jeno answered as he took his seat on one of the desks.

“I see…”

Haechan also found his spot, but not before you’ve noticed him urging Jaemin to do the same. Playfully, he took the pencil you’ve arranged on the desk and started tapping it against the wood of the table.

“Don’t worry. We’ll tell him you’re back. I’m sure he can’t wait to have his lessons again~”

******* You looked over the window for the third time in the last fifteen minutes and sighed. The day had been busy with you trying to catch up on the boys’ lessons that you barely even noticed the state of the weather outside. When you finally did, it took you by surprise when you saw how much of the ground was covered by snow—one look at it told you that it is at least a feet deep by now. Your first instinct was to try and maneuver your car out of the lot before your tires get entirely buried in it, but then you remembered that you promised to wait for Taeyong to come back before leaving the manor. The butler requested for you to temporarily watch over the manor while he tries to do some last minute errands back in the city, but it’s been two hours since he originally promised to come back. You eyes glanced at your watch now, then back at the quickly darkening view outside. 

“...severe snowstorm has blocked some of the main roads in the city at the moment. Expect heavy traffic and don’t forget to drive safely.”

You turned to the television now to catch the last of the rambling dialogue of the reporter about the weather. You’ve been debating on whether to call Taeyong or not to check on him, but you didn’t want to seem impatient to go home when you only really wanted to make sure if he’s safe. From the looks of it, he’s stuck somewhere because of the hale, too.

You were on your way to get your phone from your bag to at least try to shoot him a message when you suddenly heard it ring. Getting it just in time, you almost sighed in relief when you saw his number there. You quickly took it and went over to the window to answer it to make sure you get some proper signal.

“Hello? Taeyong?”

“Hey. Finally. I’ve been trying to call you for the last hour, thank god it finally connected.”

“Oh, sorry, my phone’s in my bag. I think the signal’s getting bad because of the snowstorm. Where are you? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, about that, I’m still stuck in town. The traffic’s so bad here because a section of the main road is blocked. Road maintenance is supposed to come thirty minutes ago but I think there’s a delay because there are other roads they are working on.”

Your gaze drifted back to the television where scenes of the same blocked avenues were being flashed. “Yeah… the news says the same.  Are you safe though?”

“I am. I’m really sorry for making you wait. I’d tell you to drive back and not wait for me anymore but I don’t think you’ll also make it home in time with all this traffic going on. I don’t think it’s going to be safe. Do you mind waiting for a little bit more? I’ll tell you once the roads are better.”

You thought it over quickly, a frown settling on your face. You really want to go home, but he’s right. There’s no point in trying to drive back if you’ll only find yourself stuck in the roads for hours. Not being a big fan of night driving yourself, you can already imagine the stress waiting for you if you add a snowstorm to the mix. As much as you wanted to leave, you’re left with no choice, at least for the moment.

 “I can… I’ll just wait for you, I guess. Do you want me to do anything here while you’re gone? Dinner for the boys?”

“Oh no, no, you don’t need to do that, that’s not part of your job,” Taeyong sounded abashed when he said that. You stepped away from the window then and took a seat by the fireplace that Jeno started earlier. Half of your concentration was on the news which has now shifted to a different set of reports also caused by the snowstorm. “They’ll know when to go down and eat. Don’t worry about them. Where are they right now?”

“Ah, I think they went back to their rooms? I did tell them earlier that I’ll try to wait for you.”

“I see. Yes, I think that’s better. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated. If things don’t get better, I think I’ll have no other choice but find a hostel here and wait for the weather to calm down. You can stay there and just ask for help from any of them. You can stay in the same room just in case.”

You didn’t quickly react to the offer. Instead, your eyes flickered to the doorway of the room before refocusing your attention back to the conversation. It’s not like you have anything against spending the night again at the manor—you’ve done it before, after all—but it’s honestly not really something you’re comfortable to do again. Maybe it’s because you’ve never really been okay with overstaying at strangers’ houses but your gut feel is also telling you right now that it shouldn’t be your top option regardless of the situation you are in.

Still, you didn’t want to come off rude to Taeyong, not when he is only being kind to offer you temporary shelter while being stuck in the middle of nowhere himself. So instead, you went against your initial doubts and offered him your thanks in return. It’s just Plan B that he’s proposing after all. 

“I will. Keep me updated though if you need anything you think I can help with.”

“Thank you and I will. I have to go now though. Please make yourself at home. I’ll try to call again after an hour.”

“Okay. Take care.”

You put your phone down now with a worried frown as you heard the line drop. You couldn’t believe this is happening the first day you got back to work but it’s not like you can really blame anyone for it. The only good thing is that you’re sure Jaehyun is being taken care of right now so that is at least one thing off your shoulders. You didn’t really need to rush anywhere, not especially to a vacant home. Leaning back against your seat, you tried your best to relax as your gaze travelled around the room once again. You deliberated on sending a text to your mother-in-law to tell her about your situation but decided against it, not wanting to worry her more. You sighed. For now, you guess you didn’t have any other choice but to wait.

You did try to distract yourself by watching the news for a few more minutes before finally giving up on it. With resignation, you picked yourself up from your seat again and turned the television off. For a moment you simply stood in the middle of the room, trying to figure out what to do with your time when your gaze settled on the door again. Everyone retreated to their own rooms after they finished with their lessons so it means the house is pretty much yours for exploring if you wanted to. You toyed with the idea for a little bit, before finally resigning yourself to it. It’s not like there really is anything else left for you to do, and Taeyong did say you can make yourself feel at home if you wanted to. With a sigh, you finally turned on your heels to leave the room and peered silently into the hallway. It was deserted as expected, but still your eyes travelled left and right to check if there’s anyone out and about at this hour. It was only after you made sure that you were alone when you finally allowed yourself to step into the corridor.

Of course, you have a plan. You’re pretty much sure that checking out the rooms on the first floor is acceptable since it’s where you’ve been rotating your classes so you’re going to stick to those areas. You remember finding a library there once and you focused on finding your way to it to maybe check out some of the books in the collection. 

It did take you about five minutes to finally find the place you were looking for. For some reason, the sections in the manor always confuse you no matter how many times you try to memorize each one, probably because of how big and similar-looking they are on the outside. You’ve already tried four doors when you were finally welcomed by the familiar-looking bookshelves at the fifth one. You sighed and gave one quick look around the room before slipping yourself inside after making sure that you’re alone.

There will probably never be a time when you won’t find yourself fascinated by anything in this grand home. If the architecture of the mansion is not enough to convince anyone how rich the family is, their book collection is enough to assure that at the very least. You’ve only ever taken a quick glimpse of it once during one of your lessons with the boys, but one look of the titles in their shelves is enough to make any literature major excited. You looked at the floor to ceiling collection now, your fingers gently running over the spines of the books you could reach with a small smile on your face.

You were about to check out the rest of the collection on the other side of the wall when something in the middle of the room caught your attention. You didn’t really catch it at first because of the shadows that concealed it when you first came in, but you could pretty much discern the outline of a blanket covered standee now from where you stood. You frowned. Taking careful steps, you closed the distance towards it to try and figure out what exactly it is that you’re seeing.

A closer look revealed it to be an easel covered with white cloth. You could see the outline of the canvas where the blanket falls over it while shadows of colors peeked out into the thin fabric from the surface it was covering. How odd… you knew that Renjun had a different art room for his paintings so to see this now here in the middle of the library seems uncanny.

You didn’t know how long you remained standing in front of it, too. You know you should have walked away—after all, the white cloth hiding it away from plain view means whatever is on that canvas is not meant for everyone’s eyes to see, but you simply couldn’t tear yourself away from it. It’s as if there was a silent force asking you to pull that cloth to reveal what’s underneath, the inclination so strong that you could almost hear its voice breathing down next to your ear, unrelenting until you do what it says.

The next thing you know, you had your hand attached to one end of the fabric. You stared at it now, wondering last minute if you should go ahead or not. You swallowed and glanced around one last time around the room. If you’re alone… it wouldn’t hurt if you could take a peek, right? Nobody will know. You just have to see, then cover it back again. Before you could even think about it too much, your arm was finally moving on its own as it gently tugged at the covering. You watched as it fell gently on the floor, like a bodiless ghost melting into the shadows on the ground.

Your eyes couldn’t make out what you were seeing at first. The dim lighting of the room wasn’t helping at all, but you were sure that it was a woman’s silhouette that was staring back at you from the canvas. Colors swirled around her, like some unknown mass trying to drag her back into unknown depths. Shapes and tones jumped from the picture, but her form stood out from the rest, gracefully twisted as if she was in the middle of trying to fight and succumb to it at the same time. You frowned. Taking a step closer towards it, you tried to study its details under what little illumination the lamps above afforded you.

That’s when it all happened simultaneously. Your heart stopped beating the same time your eyes widened as they finally focused on what’s in front of them. It’s as if the ground suddenly vanished from underneath your feet and you were falling, falling, deep into the abyss despite your body being frozen in fear and shock.

You know this painting. You’ve seen it before. It was the same one by Renjun, the one that you saw on your first day working in the manor.

But it was different now. Instead of the unfinished state that caught your attention before, everything about the picture now is in sharp focus. The lines on the woman’s nude body, the hands—which you thought were simply dark swirls dragging her back—and her face twisted beautifully in pleasure and madness stared back at you like a nightmare.

But it was not those which truly shook you to your core. It’s the realization that it was your own face in the portrait that was staring back at you, silently screaming for you to run away.

You stumbled back in shock. Your chest felt tight as you tried to grasp for air while your hands fumbled to find something to hold on to keep you from crashing on the ground. Before you could even take another step, however, something hard hit your back and you felt strong arms wrap around your waist like a vice. You have barely realized what was happening when you felt someone lean over your shoulder, lips pressing against the shell of your ear.

“Isn’t it beautiful? You’re the perfect muse, don’t you think?” Renjun asked softly as he pressed a gentle kiss to your temple.

******* You didn’t know how long you stayed frozen in his embrace. For a brief moment you thought you were dreaming again until you felt his arms slowly tighten around your waist. As if a jolt of electricity shocked you, you immediately turned to push him away as you scrambled to put some distance between the two of you.

Renjun didn’t seem the least bothered when your eyes finally focused on him. He remained on his spot, his gaze on you unwavering. You, meanwhile, were shaking from head to toe, the vision of the painting still branded vividly in your head.

“Renjun—what’s this?” you managed to stutter as you pointed at the artwork in the middle of the room. You couldn’t even spare to look at it again while he merely gave it a casual glance.

“It’s you. I’ve been working on it for a long time. I was about to show it to you but it seems like you couldn’t wait for it yourself.”

You felt nauseous. A part of your rational mind was slowly losing it as you tried to process his answer. Something's not right. Something is so terribly wrong.

“Why—why did you do this?”

Renjun simply stared at you and leaned his head a little bit to the side as if he was only mildly curious of your reaction. Your stomach turned even before hearing his answer.

“You said it’s beautiful.”

“This is not right—!”

“I came home because they said you were leaving for good,” he continued speaking softly, effectively cutting you from what you were about to say. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end and you took another step back as you watched him get close to his artwork. You watched in horror as his thin fingers lovingly ran over the corners of the canvas. “Jaemin almost lost it… It’s a good thing I got here on time.”

And just like that, everything seemed to have clicked into place. The glances, the touches, the words that seemed to have a different undercurrent under them… they weren’t just fragments of your imagination. Every little thing that has gnawed at you from the inside came into crystal clear focus and you felt your knees go weak from the weight of it all. It took every fiber of your being to try and keep yourself steady now, your legs moving on their own as they took small backward steps away from the boy staring at you now with dead eyes. You couldn’t breathe, but it was the last words he told you that finally snapped you to run.

“I don’t think you’ve realized it yet. But no, you cannot leave. Ever.”

You didn’t know where you got the energy for it but in seconds you were flying out of that room and running blindly down the darkened corridors. Your blood pumped noisily in your ears and your chest felt like it was going to split from the sudden exertion you put on it, but you didn’t stop, not even looking back as you tried to put as much distance between you and the library. You didn’t even know where you were going. All you’re focused on is to find the exit and leave the house as soon as possible.

A loud bang that sounded off to your right startled you and you screamed, the force of your shock making you whip around and almost lose your balance. Before you could even hit the floor, however, a pair of hands caught you and you immediately turned, grasping at the chest of your rescuer.

You froze. Haechan smiled down at you as he tried to steady you on your feet.

“Haechan,” you gasped as you took fistfuls of his shirt and tried to shake him in your panic. “Renjun—he’s—please, help me. He’s after me—” you gasped out, almost out of your wits. You’re on the verge of a total breakdown that it almost escaped you, the way he simply smiled down on your shaking form. It was only when you felt one of his hands gently caress the top of your head that reality slapped you in the face again. You suddenly stopped struggling in his hold, pupils shaking as you watched him study your features lovingly.

“Shh… it’s fine. I got you,” he whispered and you could swear ice pricked you from the inside. A slight movement to the right made you turn your head and you saw Jaemin lean casually against the banister of the stairs, his face serene. He gave you one quick look before a gentle smile finally lit up his features.

“Has it started?” he asked and you felt Haechan’s hold on you tighten.

“It has.”

You didn’t struggle. It was as if any trace of fight you had left you in that moment and you let your hands fall limply on your sides. Haechan also loosened his grip on you and you stared at the two boys blankly, your chest heaving as if fighting for air. They didn’t move from their spots and simply followed you with their eyes as if relishing the fear and realization flashing in your face.

Trapped.

You’re trapped.

You’ve always been.

You didn’t even realize that your legs had started moving again on their own as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall together in your mind. You were only shaken from it when your back finally hit the front door, the cold metal of the knob pressing against your spine. Jaemin and Haechan remained on their spots still, even as you blindly reached out for it from behind.

You were expecting it to be locked, so you were a little bit surprised when you felt it give way under your hand when you tried to turn it open. Just before you could even entertain the idea of escaping, however, any trace of hope you had quickly died as you turned and came face to face with Jeno standing right in front of the entrance. He didn’t look the least surprised seeing you there, as if he was waiting for you in the first place.

You eyes took in his calm countenance before slowly moving to stare downwards at what he was holding by his side. Your gaze locked on it in fear, and that’s when the flight response in you flared up again.

Jeno’s hunting rifle shone dully in the light of the entryway, his pale fingers wrapped on its handle.

“There’s really only one place you can run, noona, but I won’t advise it,” he said evenly and you felt your blood freeze in your veins.

“After all, no matter where you hide, I’ll still find you in that forest.”

It happened all at once. You broke into a run, your body screaming at you to go faster as you heard gunshots pierce the air.

---

CHAPTER 7

A/N: Good lord, I wasn’t expecting I’d finish this today but I got one large iced coffee and well... things happened. Anyway, enjoy! Let’s hope the format won’t mess up this time. T.T Finally, all hell broke loose~ <3

Tag list! 

@negincho, @jhornytrash, @jaeminhyuckiii, @jungwoosswhore​, @jsturkey, @aj-7, @pukupukupawpau, @tomiesgirlfren, @vsszn, @those-winternights, @xsnelly, @lihyuck, @laheyspizza, @miyeux27, @haoshitt, @mindofthescattered, @huangberryyy, @d1nne, @choppedupcactus, @neokat​, @yutasnabi​

[ikeromantic]

My Favorite Place

A Mitsuhide Akechi fanfic, Approx. 2600 words. This scene takes place after the romantic epilogue and completely inside my head. Fluff!

First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden

Previous: Lunches with Friends

The letter from Sasuke arrived on the same day Mitsuhide planned to speak with Nobunaga - to request permission to take his little one on a journey.

The timing of the ninja’s reply could not be better. His letter said the passage 'home' would be open in less than a month’s time, ‘assuming calculations are correct.’

He also went on to say he was uncertain how regular these passages would be. And that he didn’t recommend travel unless all parties were committed to the destination.

An interesting wrinkle in Mitsuhide’s plans. He did not want to be caught, 500 years from all his plans, his allies, his work. It struck him then that this was what his little mouse had done. Perhaps not purposely, not when she left. But she’d chosen - for him - to abandon all she knew and held dear. How could he shrink at the possibility of doing the same for her?

These thoughts swirled through him as he mounted the steps of the tenshu. He did his best to bottle them up when he reached the door. In dealing with Nobunaga, he must have a clear mind.

Mitsuhide knocked lightly. The door opened.

His little mouse stood there, looking quite surprised to see him.

He smiled at her, hiding his own surprise. She’d gone out shopping today, or so Kyubei told him. Either his vassal was slipping or the chatelaine was improving her skill at misdirection. “Little one. I see you arrived ahead of me.”

Mitsuhide studied her expression. She looked pleased. Her cheeks were pink, eyes bright. His gaze passed her into the room beyond. Nobunaga sat, his newest tea set in use on the table. Ranmaru stood nearby, head down. The kitsune warlord wondered what transpired, but he knew he would get it from his little one later, if nothing else. She couldn’t dissemble well enough to avoid his direct questions.

“I . . . didn’t realize you were dropping by too! We could have had tea together.” She fiddled with the tie on her obi.

“Yes. We could have. I was under the impression you were in town. How silly of me.” Mitsuhide raised an eyebrow.

His little one had the grace to blush. “Ah, well, I am going to town. Now. To shop.” She looked down.

Mitsuhide chuckled. She was still so very innocent, even when she tried to be tricky. He cupped her cheek and gently raised her head to look at him. “Then allow me to kiss you goodbye.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Slowly, savoring the moment he felt her relax into his touch, responding with her mouth, her body.

She took a step closer to him, and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“Mmm,” Mitsuhide smiled as he pulled back from her. “I will see you at home later. You will be back before dinner?”

“Yes.” Her voice was a tad breathless.

“Good. I am sure we will have many things to discuss.” His golden eyes shone with curiosity that would not be denied.

His little mouse nodded. “See you later, then.” She scurried past and down the stairs.

“Was that for my benefit,” Nobunaga asked dryly.

“It was for mine.” Mitsuhide entered and bowed.

Nobunaga gestured him forward. “Sit. I expected to see you today.”

“I thought you might.” Mitsuhide sat and waited quietly while Ranmaru poured tea.

“Do you have something to report?”

Mitsuhide sipped at the hot tea, considering what he did have to say, beyond requesting time absent from Azuchi. His gaze drifted to Ranmaru and then back to Nobunaga.

His lord’s eyes narrowed. “Ranmaru, you are needed in the kitchen.”

“My lord?” The page looked up, surprised.

“The kitchen,” Nobunaga repeated.

Ranmaru gave a quick bow and hurried out. He cast one look at Mitsuhide over his shoulder, a nervous glance, and then he was gone.

“Thank you my lord. I do prefer privacy for our discussions.”

Nobunaga frowned slightly. He said nothing, only waited for his warlord to continue.

Mitsuhide picked out a few gems to share. “The Aki province is not as peaceful as Hideyoshi has been led to believe. The coalition he is working on a treaty with will fall apart. They are not honest in their dealings.”

Nobunaga’s brow furrowed. “How do you know this?”

“A bit of information here, some there. I put it together. The Mouri clan will continue to defy you, I am sure. And there is more. The Ikko Ikki still have much influence among the common folk. They continue to recruit and train. It is only a matter of time before they make another attempt on your life.”

“That isn’t news so much as a certainty.” Nobunaga gestured imperiously. “They will yield or fall. I do not fear Kennyo.”

“It isn’t the demon abbot I worry about either. It is the forces that seek to use him. He was once friends with The Tiger of the Kai, and some of his followers have been seen in Sakai, speaking with foreign merchants.” Mitushide shrugged. “I cannot say what it will mean.”

Nobunaga nodded. He hadn’t forgotten their enemies in Echigo.

“I have placed some people in each camp, watching. If an opportunity arises -”

“I trust my left hand to deal with the knives at my back.” He smiled for the first time since Mitsuhide’s arrival. “But I think you came to do more than report?”

Mitsuhide bowed his head. “Perceptive as always, my lord.” He cleared his throat. “I need to be absent for a time. With my fiancee. I wish to show her Sakamoto, and to take her to the Mino province. Perhaps . . . further.”

Nobunaga was quiet for a moment. “How long do you intend to be gone?”

“A month? Likely more.”

“You would take my good luck charm and leave me one-handed, knowing my enemies surround us?” Nobunaga didn’t sound angry, only curious. He knew Mitsuhide always had some sort of plan in mind.

“Think more than your left hand will be out of sight, rather than gone.” Mitsuhide looked up.

Nobunaga regarded him with those impenetrable carnelian eyes. He was one man the kitsune warlord could never fully read. “And my good luck charm?”

“Will be in good hands.”

“And if I say no?” One brow rose in question.

Mitsuhide smiled, sharp and thin. “Have I ever betrayed you?”

Nobunaga laughed, a full throated, head thrown back guffaw. It faded to a chuckle and then just a smile. “You may go. I expect you to bring my luck charm back unharmed and in good spirits.”

He bowed again. “I will endeavor not to disappoint you.”

“You will not.” Nobunaga’s eyes were hard, though he still smiled.

Mitsuhide spent the rest of his day wondering what his lord and his lover had talked about. He could think of a dozen things. A sewing commission? Her work as chatelaine? Funds? Was there something she needed - and had she gone to Nobunaga for it? Not knowing bothered him more than he expected.

Worse, Kyubei was nowhere to be found. A fact that made him certain his vassal knew what she was up to. Of all the things Mitsuhide had expected to share with his lover, his vassal’s loyalty had not been his first thought. Not that he minded . . . much. But Kyubei’s first oath was to him.

He nearly went to Azuchi to look for the two of them. But patience was always the wiser course. Instead, he busied himself at the manor, sending missives to his castles and telling them to expect his arrival. Then, preparing his manor servants for an extended absence. They knew what to do and needed very little instruction.

Despite his attempts at distraction, he was on pins until he heard Kyubei and his little mouse return. They were laughing as they walked into the hall, his vassal’s low voice an indistinct rumble under her high, sweet chatter.

“We were lucky we -” She stopped speaking as Kyubei interrupted.

“We were! I did tell you, my lady. I expect we will need to -” His vassal stopped himself, then continued on a whole different topic. “Ready yourself for dinner with my lord. I will check on the menu. Do you need a maid?”

“No, Kyubei. I think I can handle it. Thank you, again.”

“It is the least I owe you.”

Her laugh, sweet and gentle. “You owe me nothing. But I’d like to think we’re friends now.”

“We are, my lady.”

Mitsuhide looked out in time to see Kyubei bow and leave for the kitchens. Clearly he suspected they were being listened to. What lucky thing had happened? And what did he expect they would need to do? His little one was turning into quite the conspirator. She would need to deliver herself of these secrets. Her lover had some ideas on how best to get them out of her.

He waited until she was in her rooms to approach, sliding her door open silently. She was dressed in just her underclothes, a cool, wet cloth pressed to her face. She didn’t hear him as he came in, and shut the door behind him.

Mitsuhide took advantage of the moment to see if she’d brought any packages, but there was nothing new in her room. He came up behind her and settled his arms around her waist.

His little one shrieked and leapt up. She put her foot back and tried to pull him forward, but that move only worked if he was moving that direction when she did it. Like this, it was ineffective, but he was proud of her for trying. She turned, ready to place an elbow in his ribs, and then she saw who had her.

“Mitsuhide! You - you bastard!” Her cheeks were bright pink, all the way to the tips of her ears.

“Are you angry with me, little mouse?”

“No. Yes! You scared me!”

Mitsuhide chuckled. “And are you still afraid?”

She shook her head. “Just mad at you.”

“Oh? Then I will have to make it up to you.” He bent down to kiss the nape of her neck. “I cannot bear for you to be angry with me.” He kissed along her neck, enjoying the little sigh of pleasure that escaped her lips.

“It’s going to t-take more than a few kisses. Tease.”

“I have much more than that in mind.” Mitsuhide sat and pulled her into his lap. He hadn’t realized how much he missed holding her until she was in his arms. His unsettled feelings faded as she nestled against his chest.

“I missed you today.”

“And I, you.” He kissed her and it made the one they’d shared at the tenshu seem a pale shadow for the warmth and passion in it. Mitsuhide stroked her back and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

They parted, reluctant and breathless. Neither said anything for awhile. And then they both spoke at once.

“What were you -”

“Why were you -”

She laughed. “You first.”

“Alright.” He shifted her to face away from him and began unpinning her hair. Mitsuhide told himself it was because she was less guarded when enjoying herself, but the truth was, he just liked the feel of it. He waited until he’d released her hair from it’s bun, and began gently combing his fingers through it, before he spoke again. “I wondered what you went to Nobunaga for. Did he summon you?”

“Mmmm, no . . . I just had to talk to him.” She sighed happily at his gentle ministrations.

“Oh? Is your lover allowed to know what you talked about?”

She gave a breathy laugh. “Are you jealous, Mitsuhide?”

“No.” He scowled. “A little.” It was more than jealousy, and less. A layered emotion. He didn’t fear that she loved someone else. No one could take her from him. It wasn’t that. It was . . . Nobunaga’s claim on her as his charm. His casual ownership of her as an Oda princess. Coming from his lord, he could accept it but if she saw herself that way . . .

“I needed to talk to him about us. I didn’t want bad feelings. He was my boss after all. Still is, I guess.” She laughed again.

“About us, little one?” His heart thudded suddenly in his chest.

She bent her head forward and took a breath. “I hope you don’t think it’s silly. I just wanted him to know I love you. And that I needed to be here with you.”

Mitsuhide froze. Of all the things he thought they might have discussed, he hadn’t thought she went to Nobunaga to have a heart-to-heart.

“Of course, I let him know I still care about him, and the others. I mean, I haven’t abandoned them - I’m still around.” She realized he wasn’t moving. “Is that alright? Mitsuhide? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?” She looked at him, worried.

He pulled her into a hug, burying his face against her shoulder. “You have no idea . . .”

She kissed him on the side of his head. “I don’t understand you sometimes. Most times, actually. I thought you might be angry.”

“I am never angry with you.” He sat up and resumed finger-combing her hair. Mitsuhide was intensely glad no one could see how easily she disarmed him. Took apart his plans and defenses and left him bare by just being so adorable.

“Is that all you wanted to know?”

“About Nobunaga, yes. How did your shopping go? Was Kyubei a help?” Mitushide was relaxed now, confident her answer would be as innocent as the first.

“Shopping went fine. Kyubei was great. He is really very resourceful.”

“Oh?” Mitsuhide began to braid her hair. His dextrous fingers were good at three and five strand plaits. It was a little like tying a bond, or ropework. But infinitely more pleasant.

“Yes. We - we found what we needed to.”

“And what was that?”

She shrugged. “Just, stuff. Nothing to be interested in.”

Mitsuhide knew deflection when he heard it. “But I am, little mouse. Did you find some new fabric? A tool for your sewing kit?”

“No . . . don’t worry about it.”

“Is it a secret?” Mitsuhide’s eyes shone. “You know how much I like teasing secrets from you.”

She wriggled in his lap, as if considering escape.

He tied off the braid with a ribbon and leaned down to nip her neck. With his lips against her ear, he whispered, “Is that what you want me to do?”

“N-no! This is - Mitsuhide - that’s not fair!” She nestled back against him as if defeated. “I’ll tell you if you really want to know. But I’d rather keep it a surprise.”

Ah, what a conundrum. He wanted to know everything about her, especially the things she wanted to hide. But he knew how hard she tried to surprise him. His gorgeous haori was the latest example, though he’d figured it out only a week into its construction.

Mitsuhide stroked his hands down her arms, soothing. “I will be patient then. Until your surprise is ready. But . . . we’ll be traveling soon. Will that be a problem?”

She made a happy squeal. “Are we going to visit your home? On a vacation?”

“Yes, love. I spoke with Nobunaga about it and he has granted us both leave.”

“I can’t wait. I want to see all your favorite places. Hear all the stories about you as a boy! Will you introduce me to your family?” She sounded so excited. It pleased Mitsuhide to no end to hear joy in her voice.

“My family has passed, but I will be glad to introduce you to those that remain. I will show you everything you might find beautiful, but you should know little one, my favorite place is wherever you are.”

Next: My Home Is Your Home

[divinefireangel]

The Way You Love

SF9 Youngbin x F! Reader Imagine.

He's so precious I WANNA PROTEC

Disclaimer: This is just a work of fiction. If this piece of fan fiction is offensive to any celebrity, fandom or culture please let me know so I can take it down. Also note that this is my version of a character or celeb, which will vary from person to person.

Author's Note: Got the idea at literally 3am. And I cried a lil while writing this. I do recommend reading this when you have a bad day. Because I have to say it is cute.

Copyright: Please note that this is my work and if you want to publish this on any other platform, take my permission before doing so. Taking an author's work and posting it somewhere else without any intimation is just disrespectful. I readily welcome suggestions and criticisms. That being said, Happy reading! 🤍

Warnings: All ages and written with she/her pronouns but everyone can read it. (nothing specified with respect to anatomy, appearance, etc of reader). Nothing really. Just pure fluff. Slowburn and crappy ending because I went blank 😂💀

Summary/Pre-Requisite: Youngbin and Y/N are in a well established relationship. But it isn't enough.

1.6k words

Youngbin smiled at the small box in his hand. He can't believe he is actually going to do this. How can something as little as this be the source of so much joy, he didn't know. Maybe it was her. Or the fact that it was for her, from him. An eternal promise to love her till his last day, last hour, last minute and final breath. Well there is still much time to worry about that now though.

Loving Y/N is definitely the best decision he took without having to take it. Loving her, was as easy as breathing the fresh morning air. Listening to her talk was his favourite sound in the entire universe. Watching her dance goofily is his ideal view, other than when she's paying attention to something. Her face looks so cute when she's concentrating, he almost feels like he can cry over her adorableness.

Watching her from across the room, her movements, the way she smiles and makes everyone around her laugh with her silly jokes only adds to one of the many reasons why he loves her. She is the brightest light in his life, illuminating his existence with unfiltered joy and eternal love and affection.

He loves it when she snuggles up to him, wrapping her small arms around his torso and asks him what he's doing with her honey sweet voice, never fails to make his heart melt and burst with adoration. He loves it when she sleepily moves closer to him, like a pair of magnets, because she feels cold and knows that she can always rely on him to keep her warm.

He loves it when she bonds with his members and treat them and scold them like they are her children. Although he loves it more when she becomes a source of reassurance not only to him but also to his little brothers. He loves it when she helps them with anything, no matter how small the help may be. Since he is treated like the Dad of the group, Y/N automatically became the Mom and he couldn't wish for someone more perfect then her for that role.

He loves her understanding nature, her positive spirit, her overly motivating presence, her genuine compliments and concern. He loves the way she looks at him, like he's the only man in a room full of people. Her eyes reflecting the same twinkles of his eyes, with just as much love when he looks at her.

He loves when she slightly shuts her eyes when he moves her hair out of her face. He loves it when her small frame hugs him so tight he can barely stand still. He loves it when she plays with his hair when he takes a nap on her chest. He loves how her hand fits into his perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle.

If there was one thing he could do again, it would be to go back in time and fall in love with her all over again for the first time. Everyday, she gives him something new to love about her. Whether it be her shy smile, her blushy flustered face or the way she gets excited when she sees something cute, the way she coos his puppy to sleep, the way she always makes him feel better on a bad day and so many more things that may seem insignificant to her, but are never to him, makes him fall for her harder and deeper in love than he ever thought possible.

"Hyung! HYUNG!!! "

Snapping back to reality, Youngbin sees a wide eyes Chani looking at him with a questioning expression.

"What? "

"Were you daydreaming about Noona again? Why are you so distracted today? "

"It's nothing Chani-ya. She just makes me happy. That's all. Did you tell the camera crew that I need them this evening? "

"Yes I did Hyung. That's what I was telling you as you were zoned out. I don't even want to imagine what it's going to be like when you get married. We probably won't get anything done at all since you will be distracted all the time. " Chani said in a factual manner.

"Okay that's a bit excessive. And you haven't found someone whom you love as much right now. You will understand better when you do. Till then I can't really explain this." The older said smiling lighty as she took over his thoughts again. Rolling his eyes, Chani patted his leader and left wordlessly.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"This is nice. The air isn't as humid as I thought it would be. " Y/N said as she walked next to her lover, fingers intertwined, arms swaying back and forth as they moved forward. Stopping still he twirled her around till she faced the railing covering the boundary of the lake. Giggling she wrapped his arms around her so he could hug her, keep her warm, even though she wasn't as cold yet.

Resting his chin on her head, he sighed heavily, feeling content with his beloved in his embrace. Oh how he could stay like this forever and never leave. Hmm. She's right. The air is just perfect. Like her. And it is definitely the perfect weather, to take the next step most relationships do.

Looking up at the sky, the stars shine bright, twinkling and shimmering beautifully. Taking this as a positive sign from the universe, Youngbin hugged Y/N tighter, knowing that it's now or,well later but now is nice. Turning her head to her lover, Y/N stands on her tippy toes to kiss him.

Breathing out the two lovebirds stared up at the star filled night sky. The soft wind getting stronger with time, but not too strong to have any effect yet. Just a light breeze that can be felt. Like the love that's surrounding them, keeping them warm from the exterior and from within.

"Oh! Did you see that! That star is shining the brightest." Youngbin said pointing at a distant star.

" Which one? " Y/N stepped forward by one step, trying to see the star he pointed out.

" That one? " She asked again, this time she was the one pointing.

" No. The one standing in front of me right now. "

Drawing her hand back to her body, her heart thumping strongly in her chest. Now, what had happened when they hugged is that Y/N had felt a small poke on the side of her thigh, where Youngbin's jacket was over on her. So being the smart young lady she is, Y/N knew. She knew what was happening. And it wasn't just feeling the poke, she's been feeling like this for some days now. And she knows that he has too.

Slowly turning around, Y/N was faced with her lover, who was down on one knee, holding a small box with the cutest ring she had ever seen. To say that Y/N.exe had stopped working was an understatement. She stood there, as though she was frozen. Looking up at her, Youngbin breathed heavily and started.

" When I met you for the first time, I never thought that you will love someone like me. So I was happy to settle being just your friend. But we both started liking each other at the same time. I asked you out and you agreed to date me. I never thought that you would actually date me for a long time because I've, well I was thinking that you deserve better. But you told me and made me belive different. And I am really really grateful that you did. And as time progressed, we both grew to love each other so much. You know all of this already, but saying this out loud, makes me sure that I want more. You, have helped me grow into a better person, over the time that we have dated. You, motivate me and drive me to do better, because even if no one did, you knew my limit and my capabilities. You, make me the happiest I've ever been. So will you please make me a little bit more happier by becoming my fiancee and the happiest, in the near future, when you become my wife? Will you marry me? "

Y/N stares at him, while breathing through her mouth. The only sound that's heard is the soft wind.

" Yes. "

Y/N gets down on her knees, in front of her lover, sweet tears of shock and joy streaming down her face.

" Yes. I will marry you Kim Youngbin. "

" Hyung!!! Congratulations!!!!!! "

Breaking his face into a grin, Youngbin removes the lovely and intricately detailed ring and puts it on Y/N's finger delicately. Kissing her left knuckle, Youngbin realises he is crying as well. Sobbing out loud Y/N throws her arms around him, making him tumble backwards a little. Laughing a little, Youngbin slowly wraps his arms around her, caressing the back of her head as he looked up at the sky, trying to stop the tears from falling down his cheek.

Hugging each other tight for what seemed like forever, they move away from each other's embrace upon hearing clapping sounds and cheers from the young men and their team who have now approached them.

Standing up Y/N couldn't help but hide her face in her lover's chest. Kissing her forehead, Youngbin thanked everyone.

" Let's all celebrate! Dinner is on us. " Youngbin stated looking you. Smiling you nodded you head in agreement as everyone around you cheered and wiped their tears away.

It all felt like a dream. But it wasn't. It was reality. A reality that she was so thankful to have. Smiling till their cheeks hurt, Youngbin and Y/N not couldn't wait till they were married and called as Husband and Wife.

[azuchifairy]

The Corpse Bride

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13672392/3/The-Corpse-Bride

“Big blue eyes, captivating, enticing, yet strange..” 

this chapter is dedicated to @unvalley​ 

Chapter 3: His Mother’s Ring

Gray was steaming with anger, “I can’t believe his nerve. Why can’t he ask me what I want?!”

He kicked the ground watching the stones roll over and the leaves rustle. Shoving his hands down into his pockets he continued into the forest. He tried to clear his head but it was inevitable that when he went back he was going to meet a potentially worse fate. It had finally dawned on him, how he was supposed to live his own life when he was just playing along with his father’s wishes? Gray wasn’t looking for a wife, he just wanted her to come along when it was supposed to happen. What he really wanted to pursue was his immense talent in magic, like his mother. When Ur tried to show his father Gray’s skills, he waved it off regardless of her opinion.

His fit of rage had him distracted until he noticed something about his surroundings. With nothing but the sound of the rain in his ears he looked through the trees. There was a sensation that someone was watching him, and it was completely undeniable. His shoulders tensed and he tried to look through the trees and the rain. There was nothing to catch the rain above so it was hard to make out exactly what he was seeing, but it looked like a dark shadow floating above the ground only a few feet away. It took him by surprise when it’s red eyes glowed in the coming darkness that he jumped back. When his foot landed, it crunched something instantly.

He looked down to his foot and saw a bone cracked in half that looked too large to be that of an animal. Taking his foot off and rotating to his left he saw where the bone had originated and thought for a moment that he was dreaming. Only inches away sticking out of the ground was a human skeleton with many of the bones cracked and eroding away. Gray gasped in horror and stepped back quickly, almost losing his balance.

“No way..that can’t be..” He said in disbelief. Intertwined with the sound of the rain were the cawing of crows that landed on the thicker branches of the bare trees. Their black eyes bore down into him as lightning flashed overhead. Gray shook his head vigorously, still convinced he could be dreaming, but when he looked back down to check if the skeleton was still there more had appeared.

“Gah!” He shouted with his whole body now on high alert for escaping. Being amongst the dead was not a good omen, it was one of the number one rules amongst magic users. Do not tamper with the dead. Chills ran down his spine from the rain drenching his suit and the temperature dropping. He never felt bothered by the cold, but this was different from cold.

He spun around trying to remember which way he had entered the forest, yet received no sign of where it was. All he could think of is trying to get out before he ended up like one of the skeletons in the ground. Then out of nowhere he felt a pressure on his shoulder that felt like someone had their hand there, however from his peripheral vision he saw no such thing. An eerie laugh could be heard resonating through the forest, definitely from a woman. His heart was beating loudly in his ears and his throat felt so dry. The only thing he could think of was breaking into a sprint.

He hoped that the forest would break and he could get the hell out. Of course he didn’t want to be around his parents, but he preferred them to skeletons and shadows. The rain seemed to let up slightly and Gray heaved out another breath from how hard he was running. The suit was clinging to his body making it even harder to move in that he needed to take a breather before continuing. He leaned against a tree trunk and turned around to make sure he wasn’t being followed.

Then it appeared again, the butterfly from the entrance. It floated around him leaving a trail of frost in its wake giving him the instant fact that it had to be his mother. He lifted his finger out watching its wings flap through the air towards him. The butterfly landed on him, twitching its antenna slightly when it perched comfortably.

Gray whispered to it as he panted, “C’mon mom, help me out a little, just here. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll get me out of this place.” He always believed that his mother was listening and watching for when he needed help.

Just as he was going to turn around again to check he saw something curious on the forest floor. The butterfly flew off his finger in that moment and dipped down towards the object before it fluttered away. As he bent down to get a closer look he noticed it was a ring. It had a brilliant blue gemstone and a silver band that looked very familiar. It was gorgeous and his curiosity got the better of him when he realized it looked similar to his mother’s wedding ring. Gray picked up the ring and held it up to see it better. The rain washed off any dirt that was on it, but it was in perfect condition, like time hadn’t touched it. All fear left his mind from the notion that something was connected to his mom.

Suddenly the gem on the ring began to glow and shine beams of blue light through the trees and rain. Gray cried out and dropped the ring while trying to cover his eyes from the blinding light. As he backed away he tripped over a tree root and fell backwards into the dirt. He groaned in the mudd shaking his head from the residual light that had bothered his eyes. Oddly enough the rain subsided as if someone turned it off and the clouds lifted to reveal the full moon overhead. The feeling that someone was watching him had left as well and it was replaced with a gentle presence. Gray lay there gazing up at the moon when he heard a soft sound and pressure over his heart. As he sat up further, there was a woman slowly lifting her head off his chest with groggy eyes.

She held her head for a moment, as if she was in pain and then raised her head slowly to see Gray and her eyes grew wide instantly. She took in a small gasp and looked around as Gray stared at her gazing downwards to her hands on his chest and her body placed between his legs. She appeared strange, her skin was slightly grey in color and her hair was a delicate periwinkle shade with deep blue eyes to match. She was in a white dress as well that looked a bit tattered at the end but seemed to resemble a night gown.

When she looked back to him and their eyes connected, he felt a blush on his cheeks. Not only could it have been from her chest touching his and the pressure of her body on him, but she was beautiful despite her strange appearance. She was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, he couldn’t pin why he felt so breathless. Her eyes were so big and curious as she looked at him yet also bashful as if she didn’t know what to say. He was frozen in his place only holding up his body from his elbows.

“Who are you..? Where did you come from?” He asked finally.

“Juvia is...” She glanced down shyly, “you are.. Juvia’s fiancee.” She picked up her ghostly pale hand to show him the blue gemmed ring on her finger. He was certain it was his mother’s, but he had absolutely not a clue what it was doing on her.

“Fiancée?! What? Wait, I don’t even know you?” Gray exclaimed in fear noticing her inch closer. She stopped abruptly, “But our souls connected, so now we are to be connected through marriage as well.”

“But I don’t-!“

“Oh! Your ring fell off!” She said and suddenly she reached behind him to pick up his ring in her fingertips. He watched her take his hand with a sweet smile, not even knowing he had dropped the ring. Gray didn’t stop her as she slid the ring on his finger and an ethereal blue glow radiated around both their rings.

“With this ring, Juvia makes you hers..” she said in a soft tone. At first it sounded like she was joking and he was just stunned in place.

Suddenly the glowing got brighter and then stopped all together. The silver band felt like it was glued to his finger and before the panic settled in he tried to pull it off. No luck, it really was stuck on him. Gray thought he was losing his mind. He thought he was dreaming, like his father caught up to him and knocked him over the head. That’s what he was seeing, she wasn’t really there, neither were those skeletons earlier. She couldn’t be. It just had to be some kind of dream. He tried to keep himself calm, if she really was there it had to be the work of magic so magic could make it right again.

“Oh..” she said breaking him from his thoughts. She was gazing down at him thoughtfully, “Juvia spent so long in the dark.. that Juvia forgot how beautiful the moonlight is.”

The soft light on his face captured all his features, including a small scar above his brow. His dark eyes reflected the glow of the moon and doing so captured her heart entirely. She felt like all that time she had missed him so much.

“In the dark..? Hold on just wait one second. What are you talking about?! Who are you? And why is this stuck on me?!” He persisted in frustration.

She laughed and his heart skipped a beat, “Juvia told you already, silly. Oh! But what should she call you?”

“G-Gray.. just Gray is fine.” He said bashfully looking away even though she didn’t answer his other questions.

“Well, of course. ” She gushed in a dreamy voice. She noticed that he couldn’t get up because of her, “Oof, sorry, couldn’t help myself..”

As she sat up and she rested her hands on her knees and watched him get up onto his feet and brush off his now muddy suit.

“Gray-sama, you already look dressed for a wedding! So you did come for Juvia after all!” She cheered holding her face. “How soon can we get married?”

He tried his hardest not to groan while he wiped his face in exasperation. It seemed like the topic of marriage just continued to follow him everywhere and his day just got even harder. In his foul mood he would've been faster to show attitude, but he already knew he would feel bad if he snapped at her. The only thing truly protecting her was her connection to his mother. With a sigh Gray ruffled his damp hair back into its normal style, “Keep dreaming, come on get up.” He said holding his hand out to her, “You’ve got some explaining to do.”

Her eyes twinkled at him as she took his hand and he helped lift her up from the ground. She stumbled forward like a fawn however, and he caught her against his chest making him blush.

“Juvia’s sorry, Gray-sama. My legs, they hurt a little..” She said with her eyes lulling slightly. Leaning her head into his chest Juvia was instantly calmed by his warmth and scent alone.

“Juvia?” He asked as she tried to push herself up. He heard her wince softly and before he could take another breath he was catching her in his arms. Her body was limp and she was excessively cold, in a way he had never felt before.

“Juvia!” Gray shouted, “Damnit, she fainted..!” Now he had an entirely other problem on his hands as he lifted her up in his arms like a bride. It was then he realized she didn’t appear to be breathing. Gray swallowed hard fearing there was much more to this than meets the eye. The entrance of the forest was suddenly visible again and the trail of the butterfly was seen leaving the trees.

***

After Gray went through the painful stealth mission of getting Juvia into his estate without anyone seeing him, he laid her in his bed. She looked so peaceful, like she was dreaming. He moved the blanket up over her and paused for a moment noticing the ring on her finger looked different from before. The gemstone no longer shimmered like it did when he first picked it up, it was still pretty nonetheless but it lacked the brilliance he remembered.

A knock on the door startled him, “Is that you young master?” the voice of a servant said.

“U-Uh, yes it’s me. I’m just about to change!” He yelled over his shoulder running towards the door before it could open. He cracked it slightly and smiled awkwardly at the servant.

“I’ll let your father know you’ve arrived safely once he returns, is there anything I can do for you?” The servant asked looking rather skeptically at Gray. He had to have noticed that he was full of mud and soaked.

He swallowed hard, “Just make sure no one comes in here for the moment. I need to be alone. That’s all.”

The servant nodded, “Whatever you wish.”

Gray closed the door as the servant walked away and sighed in relief. Leaning up against the door he checked on Juvia again to see her curled up on the bed still fast asleep. 

He knew he needed to consult his mother’s journals and some books she kept that might help him understand what Juvia was before she woke up. They were up in the attic where many of his mother’s possessions were stored. As he left his room closing the door very carefully he was greeted by the person he wanted to see the least at the moment.

“Going somewhere, Gray?” they asked with a smirk in his tone. Gray sighed heavily and turned around to see his step brother, Lyon Vastia.

“None of your business. I’m in the middle of something that I have to fix.” Gray said pointedly and noticed a pink haired girl next to Lyon who stood innocently by.

“Oh come now Gray. I bring my fiancée here for you to meet and you can’t spare a second? This is Meredy, and this is the Gray I’ve told you about.” Lyon said.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Lyon always has a lot to say about you.” Meredy giggled.

“Whatever he says isn't true. Sorry, I’m just caught up at the moment. Nice to meet you but I really have to go.” Gray responded curtly.

He pushed past both of them and headed up the stairs to the third floor of the house. It was rarely visited by anyone unless they were adding to it so Gray would be able to privately search.

Lyon and Meredy watched as he rushed off and shrugged to each other, “Gray usually likes to get himself mixed up in impossible situations.”

As they were about to pass his door they heard a soft yawn and the pair looked at each other curiously.

***

[46ten]

AH: marriage and military service should not mix

The summary of this post: A lot of historians have noted how important AH’s marriage to EH was to his future, a true before and after marker in his life. But the strangeness of it has gotten less attention - AH married while the war was going on, and even wrote of not hanging around the army at all in order to setup for his life with his new wife. Once one sees the oddity of that, a lot of other things fall into place in his 1780/81 letters.  

For the past few years, I’ve wanted to work more on the theory that although marriage was generally expected of the 18th century Anglo-American colonial man (see prior posts here and here), the elite in AH’s circle did not marry until their military obligations and other duties were complete. From their examples and a few phrases here and there, getting married seemed to have been frowned upon, perhaps because of the uncomfortable examples of general’s wives and this idea that romantic love with a woman was a weakness that interfered with duty and hindered one’s commitment to military glory. (I am familiar with the challenges faced by Martha Washington, Catharine Greene, and Lucy Knox; Philip Schuyler refused a return to military assignment and presidency of the Continental Congress after the death of a newborn, among other things, in 1778). AH is an exception among his circle, with Meade, in getting married during the war itself - nearly everyone else who is unmarried waits until after their military service is complete (and sometimes well after) to marry. Not enough is made of the oddity of his courtship and marriage, within his circle, while the war is ongoing.

Now to modern thought, the title of this post makes a lot of sense - relationships are often strained when one partner is in military service, and the hows and whys are very familiar to us. But for the 18th century, when adult manhood was tied to matrimony, avoiding matrimony seems odd, as does the length of some of the courtships of AH’s friends: two years for William Jackson, about the same for Tilghman, four years of flirtation for McHenry. At a time when engagements lasted a matter of weeks (and AH notes that his own is unusually long - it’s lasting “an age” in one of his letters to ES), the delay in taking the next step is notable. Even in the prior generation, although Philip Schuyler was sexually intimate with Catharine Van Rensselaer, he continued his military service and did not marry her until it became unavoidable by decency standards (CVR was 4 months pregnant). 

So what’s with AH and ES wanting to get married in such a hurry, comparatively, besides the obvious emotional ones? Maybe he really was 26-27 years old and time was running out! Another obvious possibility, noted then and noted by biographers since, was the benefits of their marriage on a personal and political dynastic level. @aswithasunbeam has noted a contemporary article (sourced from Mitchell) about what Philip Schuyler had to gain through the new attachment between himself and Washington’s aide-de-camp. (And look how quickly P. Schuyler had AH working to get GW to visit them.) The advantages for AH were obvious to, as the Marquis de Fleury stated outright to AH: “ I congratulate you heartyly on that conquest; for many Reasons: the first that you will get all that familly’s interest, & that a man of your abilities wants a Little influence to do good to his country. The second that you, will be in a very easy situation, & happin’s is not to be found without a Large estate.”

I also suspect part of AH’s decision to hurriedly marry was tied to getting a command and spending the rest of his time studying the law.* I agree with most biographers that he never takes the steps of leaving Washington’s family and asking for (Nov 1780) and then demanding (June 1781) a command without being Philip Schuyler’s son-in-law. (I also think the break with GW doesn’t happen without AH feeling VERY confident in his relationship with his new wife. EH should have been a better patriot - as in other times - and seemed less happy in her marriage, or at least not let AH read her letter to her sister.) I think that’s what Laurens knew while on parole in Phil. and causes the minor flurry of letters in late August/September 1780, when P. Schuyler was briefly at HQ and then sending lots of letters about Congress to GW, AH was going on about his planned six month leave, McHenry was writing a love poem about AH and ES and trying to get AH to get P. Schuyler’s help in getting him a command, etc . AH and ES likely intended to marry in October/early November, but both Meade and Harrison took leave instead, and AH had to stay, though he would leave in late November before their return (in fact, Harrison and Meade never returned.)

Take Laurens (left wife and daughter he’d never see in England) and Lafayette (absent from France from March 1777 to Feb 1779 and March 1780 to early 1782). Both of them left wife and child(ren) behind, and here AH was planning a long absence from military service and telling his fiancee that he’ll leave it entirely if that’s her wish. AND Meade is discussing doing exactly that! [So Laurens presumably wrote to AH - we don’t have that letter - that he hopes AH will get over this quickly, and AH wrote back that he won’t, but I’m getting ahead of myself.]

I offered to make a comparison of AH’s letters to Laurens vs Elizabeth Schuyler - while revealing of personal feelings, in content and expression they are more different than they are similar - but I think I first need to set up that major transition that’s occurring in AH’s life in 1780/81. To the extent Laurens may have objected to AH’s excitement about ES and their impending nuptials (and there’s only one phrase in one letter, and that from AH to Laurens, from which it can be interpreted that those were Laurens’ feelings), and AH felt embarrassed about conveying the news of his engagement, it was because it interfered with a (believed to be mutual) sense of military obligation and public duty and dismissal of marriage and its attendant obligations. I touch on it in a response here; I’ll try to elaborate on it in upcoming posts. [I will get into why this makes the most sense, and why claims of AH trying to spare any romantic feelings JL may have felt, quite frankly, do not make sense in a later post. Spoiler: AH wrote absurdly callous stuff re ES and his relationship with her in his letters to JL if he was hoping to spare JL’s feelings.]

I already put some of my thoughts on this in old posts that may have some helpful content and may spare me having to repeat myself too much, and then I’ll also provide some quotes from letters to get started, limited to 1777-1782 and then probably the most famous quote from 1799. 

Hamilton on marriage part 1 (overview)

Hamilton on marriage part 2 (feelings on marriage 1777-early 1780)

Hamilton-Schuyler engagement (early 1780-mid 1780)

Hamilton on marriage part 3 (my breakdown of the July-Oct 1780 letters to ES)

Hamilton on marriage part 4

Reynolds Pamphlet, part 2

And a post (not my own) about how much AH’s military involvement as Inspector General was affecting his family financially. 

Letter quotes [my emphases]: 

You and I, as well as our neighbours, are deeply interested to pray for victory, and its necessary attendant peace; as, among other good effects, they would remove those obstacles, which now lie in the way of that most delectable thing, called matrimony;—a state, which, with a kind of magnetic force, attracts every breast to it, in which sensibility has a place, in spite of the resistance it encounters in the dull admonitions of prudence, which is so prudish and perverse a dame, as to be at perpetual variance with it. AH to Catharine “Kitty” Livingston 11Apr1777

Do I want a wife? No—I have plagues enough without desiring to add to the number that greatest of all; and if I were silly enough to do it, I should take care how I employ a proxy. AH to John Laurens 1779 [likely from mid-April up to July - this letter is actually undated, and the April date is based on other mentions in the letter; both JCH and Lodge dated it December 1779]

The most determined adversaries of Hymen can find in [ES] no pretext for their hostility, and there are several of my friends, philosophers who railed at love as a weakness, men of the world who laughed at it as a phantasie, whom she has presumptuously and daringly compelled to acknowlege its power and surrender at discretion. I can the better assert the truth of this, as I am myself of the number. She has had the address to overset all the wise resolutions I had been framing for more than four years past, and from a rational sort of being and a professed contemner of Cupid has in a trice metamorphosed me into the veriest inamorato you perhaps ever saw. AH to Margarita Schuyler, Feb1780

I would add to this by way of consolation, or rather of countinance, that the family since your departure have given hourly proofs of a growing weakness. Example I verily believe is infectious. For such a predominancy is beauty establishing over their hearts, that should things continue to wear as sweet an aspect as they are now beheld in, I shall be the only person left, of the whole household, to support the dignity of human nature. But in good earnest, God bless both you, and your weakness, and preserve me your sincere friend James McHenry to AH, 18March1780 [this was during the time of AH’s courtship of ES]

Here we are my love in a house of great hospitality—in a country of plenty—a buxom girl under the same roof—pleasing ⟨expect⟩ations of a successful campaign—and every thing to make a soldier happy, who is not in love and absent from his mistress. ... Assure yourself my love that you are seldom a moment absent from my mind, that I think of you constantly and talk of you frequently, I am never happier than when I can engage Meade in some solitary walk to join me in reciprocating the praises of his widow and my betsey. AH to ES, 6July1780  

I hope for a decisive campaign. No one will desire it more than me; for a military life is now grown insupportable to me because it keeps me from all my soul holds dear. Adieu My love. Write to me often I entreat you, and do not suffer any part of my treasure, your sweet love, to be lost or stolen from me. AH to ES, 20Jul1780

Impatiently My Dearest have I been expecting the return of your father to bring me a letter from my charmer with the answers you have been good enough to promise me to the little questions asked in mine by him. ... Meade2 just comes in and interrupts me by sending his love to you. He tells you he has written a long letter to his widow asking her opinion of the propriety of quitting the service; and that if she does not disapprove it, he will certainly take his final leave after the campaign. You see what a fine opportunity she has to be enrolled in the catalogue of heroines, and I dare say she will set you an example of fortitude and patriotism. I know too you have so much of the Portia in you, that you will not be out done in this line by any of your sex, and that if you saw me inclined to quit the service of your country, you would dissuade me from it. I have promised you, you recollect, to conform to your wishes, and I persist in this intention. It remains with you to show whether you are a Roman or an American wife. AH to ES, Aug1780

But now my love to speak of the practicability of complying with both our wishes in this article—There is none, I am obliged to sacrifice my inclination to ⟨my public⟩ ch⟨aracter.⟩ Even though my presence shou⟨ld n⟩ot be essential here, yet my love I could not with decency or honor leave the army during the campaign. This is a military prejudice which while I am in a military station I must comply with. No person has been more severe than I have been in condemning other officers for deviating from it. I have admitted no excuse as sufficient, and I must not now evince to the army, that the moment my circumstances have changed, my maxims have changed also. This would be an inconsistency, and my Betsey would not have me guilty of an inconsistency. Besides this my Betsey, The General is peculiarly averse to the practice in question. If this campaign is to end my military services, ’tis an additional reason for a constant and punctual attendance, if it is not my leaving the army during the campaign would make it less proper to be away all the winter ’till late in the spring. In one case, my honor bids me stay, in the other my love. AH to ES, 31Aug1780

Pardon me my love for talking politics to you. What have we to do with any thing but love? Go the world as it will, in each others arms we cannot but be happy. ...I was once determined to let my existence and American liberty end together. My Betsey has given me a motive to outlive my pride, I had almost said my honor; but America must not be witness to my disgrace. AH to ES, 6Sept1780

I have told you, and I told you truly that I love you too much. You engross my thoughts too intirely to allow me to think of any thing else—you not only employ my mind all day; but you intrude upon my sleep. I meet you in every dream—and when I wake I cannot close my eyes again for ruminating on your sweetness. ‘Tis a pretty story indeed that I am to be thus monopolized, by a little nut-brown maid like you—and from a statesman and a soldier metamorphosed into a puny lover. I believe in my soul you are an inchantress; but I have tried in vain, if not to break, at least, to weaken the charm—you maintain your empire in spite of all my efforts—and after every new one, I make to withdraw myself from my allegiance my partial heart still returns and clings to you with increased attachment. To drop figure my lovely girl you become dearer to me every moment. I am more and more unhappy and impatient under the hard necessity that keeps me from you, and yet the prospect lengthens as I advance. AH to ES, 5Oct1780

I would not have you imagine Miss that I write to you so often either to gratify your wishes or to please your vanity; but merely to indulge myself and to comply with that restless propensity of my mind, which will not allow me to be happy when I am not doing something in which you are concerned. This may seem a very idle disposition in a philosopher and a soldier; but I can plead illustrious examples in my justification. Achilles had liked to have sacrificed Greece and his glory to his passion for a female captive; and Anthony lost the world for a woman. I am sorry the times are so changed as to oblige me to summon antiquity for my apology, but I confess, to the disgrace of the present age, that I have not been able to find many who are as far gone as myself in such laudable zeal for the fair sex. AH to ES, 13Oct1780

How often have I with Eloisa exclaimed against those forms which I now revere as calculated to knit our union together by new and stronger bands...Meade already begins to recant. I have received a letter from him on the Journey2 in which he tells me he finds he must return to the army. This will be a new proof to you that I cannot leave it, as we both so ardently desire. AH to ES, 27Oct1780

You possess a heart that can feel for me; you have a female too that you love. I was reduced at one period to entreat, threat, kiss, but all to no purpose; her fears were for my safety, mine for hers. You must imagine to make out the tragedy all that I am incapable for want of words to express. After placing her with at least Twenty other females & children at a safe distance I immediately returned, & joined the Baron about the time the Enemy left Richmond in order to render him all the aid I could being intimately acquainted with the Country for many miles in the vicinity of the Enemy & on their return down the river I left him to go in pursuit of a residence for a favorite Brother who was driven from his home & obliged to attend to his Wife & a family of little children. Was it not cruel my dear fellow that my matrimonial enjoyments should have been interrupted thus soon; not more than one month had passed when the damned invasion seperated us, & we have yet to meet again, for 60 miles divides us. You know I am a Philosoper my dr fd & prepared to meet much more serious disappointments. This gives me an opening to speak of my return to the army. I have been long wishing your advice in full on the occasion; you are acquainted with the arguments I have used in favor of my stay here. I have now but one to add to them, the experience of that happiness I ever expected to enjoy with the best of Women. She loves not less than your Betsy, & I fear could not bear a seperation. I have not however as yet thrown off the uniform, but I am inclined to believe that it must be the case. Meade to AH, 13Jan1781

I was cherishing the melancholy pleasure of thinking of the sweets I had left behind and was so long to be deprived of, when a servant from Head Quarters presented me with your letters. I feasted for some time on the sweet effusions of tenderness they contained, and my heart returned every sensation of yours. Alas my Betsey you have divested it of every other pretender and placed your image there as the sole proprietor. I struggle with an excess which I cannot but deem a weakness and endeavour to bring myself back to reason and duty. I remonstrate with my heart on the impropriety of suffering itself to be engrossed by an individual of the human race when so many millions ought to participate in its affections and in its cares. But it constantly presents you under such amiable forms as seem too well to justify its meditated desertion of the cause of country humanity, and of glory I would say, if there were not something in the sound insipid and ridiculous when compared with the sacrifices by which it is to be attained.

Indeed Betsey, I am intirely changed—changed for the worse I confess—lost to all the public and splendid passions and absorbed in you. Amiable woman! nature has given you a right to be esteemed to be cherished, to be beloved; but she has given you no right to monopolize a man, whom, to you I may say, she has endowed with qualities to be extensively useful to society. Yes my Betsey, I will encourage my reason to dispute your empire and restrain it within proper bounds, to restore me to myself and to the community. Assist me in this; reproach me for an unmanly surrender of that to love and teach me that your esteem will be the price of my acting well my part as a member of society. AH to EH, 13Jul1781

Don’t think me unkind for not talking of your making a journey to the Southward. It would put us to a thousand inconveniences and would in fact be of no avail; for while there I must be engrossed in my military duties. Heaven knows how much it costs me to make the sacrifice I do. It is too much to be torn away from the wife of my bosom from a woman I love to weakness, and who feels the same ardent passion for me. I relinquish a heaven in your arms; but let me have the happiness to reflect that they ever impatiently wait my return sacred to love and me. Give your Mama, your sisters and the whole family every assurance of the warmest affection on my part. Indeed I love them all.

Yrs. with unalterable tenderness and fidelity AH to EH,  25Aug1781

Early in November, as I promised you, we shall certainly meet. Cheer yourself with this idea, and with the assurance of never more being separated. Every day confirms me in the intention of renouncing public life, and devoting myself wholly to you. AH to EH, 6Sept1781

My heart disposed to gayety is at once melted into tenderness. The idea of a smiling infant in my Betseys arms calls up all the father in it. In imagination I embrace the mother and embrace the child a thousand times. I can scarce refrain from shedding tears of joy. But I must not indulge these sensations; they are unfit for the boisterous scenes of war and whenever they intrude themselves make me but half a soldier. AH to EH, 12Oct1781

You cannot imagine how entirely domestic I am growing. I lose all taste for the pursuits of ambition, I sigh for nothing but the company of my wife and my baby. The ties of duty alone or imagined duty keep me from renouncing public life altogether. It is however probable I may not be any longer actively engaged in it.

I have explained to you the difficulties which I met with in obtaining a command last campaign. I thought it incompatible with the delicacy due to myself to make any application this campaign. I have expressed this Sentiment in a letter to the General and retaining my rank only, have relinquished the emoluments of my commission, declaring myself notwithstanding ready at all times to obey the calls of the Public.4 I do not expect to hear any of these unless the State of our Affairs, should change for the worse and lest by any unforeseen accident that should happen, I choose to keep myself in a situation again to contribute my aid. This prevents a total resignation.

You were right in supposing I neglected to prepare what I promised you at Philadelphia. The truth is, I was in such a hurry to get home that I could think of nothing else. AH to Meade, March 1782 (from a JCH transcription)

You were right, My dear General, in saying that a Soldier should have no Other wife than the service...William North to AH, 12Nov1799

AND just for amusement:

I thank you My Dear Sir for the military figures you have sent me. Tactics you know are literally or figuratively of very comprehensive signification. As people grow old they decline in some arts though they may improve in others. I will try to get Mrs. Hamilton to accompany in games of Tactics new to her. Perhaps she may get a taste for them & become better reconciled to my connection with the Trade-Militant. AH to McHenry, 21June1799

__________________________________________

*I broke this down in a prior post too, but I’ll repeat it here again: I think the clearest statement of his plan left to us is from the draft of the letter he sent to Philip Schuyler explaining why he wants to break with GW (18Feb1781): 

As I cannot think of quitting the army during the war, I have a project of re-entering into the artillery, by taking Lieutenant-Colonel Forrest’s10 place, who is⟩ desirous of retiring on half pay. I have not however made up my mind upon this , Start insertion,head, End,, as I should be obliged to come in the youngest Lt Col instead of the eldest, which I , Start deletion,should, End, , Start insertion,ought to, End, have been by natural succession had I remained in the corps; and , Start insertion,at the same time, End, to resume studies relative to the profession which, to avoid inferiority, must be laborious.

If a handsome command for the campaign in the , Start insertion,light, End, infantry should offer itself, I shall ballance between this and the artillery. My situation ⟨in the latter⟩ would be more , Start deletion,substantial, End, , Start insertion,solid, End, ⟨and permanent;⟩ but as I hope ⟨the war will not last long enough to make it progressive, this consideration has the less force. A command for the campaign would leave me the winter to prosecute studies relative to my future career in life. With⟩ respect to the former, I have been materially the worse for going into his family.11

I have written to you on this subject with all the freedom and confidence to which you have a right and with an assurance of the interest you take in , Start deletion,what, End, , Start insertion,all that, End, concerns me.

This letter implies 1) he had a plan post-military; 2) he had discussed with PS what that plan was, and possibly that six month leave (that never happened because of illness and unavailability) was tied to undertaking some of those studies to be a lawyer, to put himself in better shape to support a family. Being able to do so was important to AH - Philip Hamilton was born Jan 1782, and Angelica would not be born until Sept 1784.

[unmanageable-day]

16. Between a friend and another friend

When you are friends for so long, and it has never come across your mind to date one of them. Until one particular guy friend of yours came to offer you a relationship, a new chapter of life like no other before.

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Taeyong wished he could skip the dinner invitation from Yuta who specially arranged it for you and Doyoung. He didn't have to come though. But you had personally texted him in the morning, asking—making sure that he would be there. Now he felt obliged to come. Despite the fact he had talked with you and Doyoung, basically suggesting he was now (still trying to be) cool with your relationship, how he wished there is a pain killer for his longtime broken heart.

There you were, approaching the group with a big smile. Doyoung walked behind you. On the contrary, he looked tense but he tried to give his best smile. This dinner was held to celebrate you and him after all. Maybe he was just nervous to meet Taeyong again.

Somehow you just made the way to sit beside Taeyong. Doyoung had no choice but to follow you. He would never choose to sit across you to have better sight of you and Taeyong.

Taeyong felt it again. That happiness, warmth, and the comfort whenever you were around, yet pain wouldn't leave him. He must know his boundaries. And he must witness all your interaction with the dearie fiancee. Although, little did he know, Doyoung felt the more or less similar.

Trying his best to shrug off all the bothering feelings, Taeyong would just respond at the bare minimum to everything you said. Yet he effortlessly earned your attention, making him like the center of your world no matter the least words coming out of his mouth.

He lost it.

The initial intention was not to get too close to you. Instead, you were the one who kept approaching him, merely thinking because things were cool and you could have your bestfriend back. Taeyong found himself unable to reject your friendly gestures. He kept coming back at you, like he used to be, with random stories about his niece and nephew, a new dog he was going to adopt, the never-ending battle in games with Jaehyun, and how he wanted to re-decorate his closet. Just like the old days, you would actively respond with enthusiast. The little giggles you let out whem he told you silly stuff of how clumsy he was. Oh, how he had been longing to hear that.

Taking things even further, he also kept making sure you have something on your plate. He knew you were not into seafood dish, beside that you were allergic to some of it. He forgot to tell Yuta to not pick a seafood restaurant. He knew you can't eat spicy food too much, that was why he would always have a taste before giving something to you. He would do all of this unconsciously and he couldn't stop himself. Even after realizing that Doyoung seemed bothered.

Doyoung was mostly paying his attention to the youngsters. Or more like diverting his attention so he didn't have to look whatever Taeyong did for you.

"Doyoung, try this." You had nacho chips with tomato salsa in your hand, ready to feed him. He took a quick glance at Taeyong, who was not looking at you. He accepted the nacho with a shy smile yet he felt a little victory.

"Yummy, right? I think I can eat this my whole life. It looks like it's easy to make too," you commented as you took another bite.

"Don't. Let's just go here if you want to eat this. You'll leave crumbles all over the place at home." Soon he exposed you how he had to do the cleaning after you cooked—more like experimenting a new dish you never did—and ate the food in the living room. Non-stop complains and nagging kept coming out of his mouth.

Taeyong's ears sting at the word home, which followed by the stories he didn't want to hear about your new life. Doyoung's voice sounded like murmurs as sharp as knife piercing both his ears and heart. He instantly lost focus and stayed quiet, while your friends were laughing and chattering. He couldn't even smile when the youngsters were teasing Doyoung.

"Oh, what to do.. Our Joo-ey noona has to spend her entire life with Hyung's nagging," Donghyuk said dramatically.

"Since we live closer now, Noona can visit us easily anytime. Especially when Noona is fed up with Hyung," Jaemin added. "We will send Jeno there and we are very happy to exchange Jeno for you."

"Jaemin, not you too!" Doyoung hissed.

"Be ready to pick up my call everyday, guys," you replied their jokes. "Ah, right. Since I live nearby, it would be easier for me to get a ride home. Johnny, Jaehyun, my office is the closest with you guys." You wiggled your eyebrows at the giant guys.

"What, why? I will pick you up." Doyoung protested.

"It would be faster if I go home with Jaehyun though?"

"Eyy, Hyung, Joo-ey noona already stays with you. She can't even take a rest on the way home? She must want to have some time not being with you." Donghyuk butt in again.

"Look at you speaking, Lee Donghyuk." Doyoung pointed at him with a bread instead of his finger, his expression was rather funny than threatening.

"Taeyong hyung, this hyung bullies me," he cried, still teasing the bunny guy. "Noona, too, you will join us against Doyoung hyung, right?"

You let out a crisp laugh. "Anything for baby Hyuckie."

"That's right!" he exclaimed with his annoying face that never fails provoking Doyoung. "Teaming up with Taeyong hyung is much better than with Doyoung." Donghyuk meant it as a joke. Either you, Doyoung, and Taeyong himself knew that better than anyone else. But the three of you slightly got worked up. If Johnny didn't cut in to save the mood, the tension in the air between you, Doyoung and Taeyong would be too obvious.

Taeyong couldn't help but feeling envious and jealous. He imagined it over and over, would it be the same if you chose to be with him? Would he now sit where Doyoung was sitting, bickering like lovebirds with you?

"Taeyong?" you softly called him, making him flinched now that he had gotten back go reality.

He always liked the way you call his name. It was always soothing his ears. Sometimes he wondered if you call Doyoung that way too. But why would it matter? Doyoung had all the privilege to be with you 24/7 now.

"I think I'll head back home first. It looks like Doyoung's brother sent us something. The delivery guy is waiting for us," you told him.

Nodding was the only answer he could give. Again, how he wished it was him who gets to leave with you. He silently watched the figures of you and Doyoung walking away without looking back. You'd often rub Doyoung's back and stretch up your neck talking to him. Taeyong hated himself for asking this over and over; why it can't be him. Why Doyoung instead of him?

Johnny, Jaehyun, Mark and Yuta ended up taking him out for another round of drinks and some more of late night snack. They kept saying 'good job' and 'you've gone through a lot', hoping it could console him even for a bit. Yet those words couldn't even penetrate his ears anymore. His throat felt numb as he chugged on his drink, not even bothered to feel the burning sensation of the alcohol.

Taeyong felt a buzz from his phone inside his sling bag. He didn't feel like knowing who contacted him this late at night, yet he still checked his phone. When he saw your name popping up on the notification of new messages, again, the mixed feelings filled his heart. To him, you were that close yet so far. He could easily come to you, but he wouldn't be able to reach your hand. If he pushed himself, either he couldn't afford letting you go, or you would end up leaving him again. Pretending to be strong was never this difficult. From : Joo Great to see you today. I know you had a hard time and you went through a lot. But you are stronger than you know. You did well. You always do. Thank you once again. And one more thing... I'm sorry. —

on the way back home from restaurant

"Doyoung?"

"Hm?"

"Don't think too much of what the kids said. You and I know how much jokesters they are," you calmly said, as if having the capability to read his mind. "I would never compare you and him. Both of you are my friends. I cherish you both."

Teaming up with Taeyong is better. With Taeyong is better. Taeyong is better.

Doyoung would acknowledge that. Even when he was the one with you right now, Taeyong would still win.

Yeah, sure, both Doyoung and Taeyong were your beloved friends. But why did it feel like he had to compete with Taeyong? The intention of marrying you was merely for Doyoung to have a normal life as someone's husband who will make the wife, the parents, and the in-laws happy. He knew he was capable of that. You were not someone he chose after going for a deep thinking. He was just 'oh, I think she's good and we both know each other for a long time, so it should be easy' and there he was now. Everything went smoothly until he realized there was this man named Lee Taeyong and his great willingness to walk through fire for you if he has to. It was truthfully one part that Doyoung never thought it would be this severe. None of his intention ever had something to do with him. Thr relationship with Hyemi used to be promising to be the long-term one. Who knew it would get crushed by Taeyong himself? Why can't he just stay with Hyemi? Doyoung even had imagined it before, him and Taeyong being married with the significant other, complaining about marriage life, sharing their old married couple stories, and also the happy and dark days in child caring when they got much older. Honestly it was a beautiful future he had hoped. Yet now he and him became rivals?

"I don't," he lied, giving you a smile to convince you enough.

Was it Doyoung's fault to choose you out of all people?

You smiled back at him, hugging him from the side part and rubbing his back.

No. Up to this second, you never brought up any sensitive topic about the relationship that will be official in a matter of weeks. Doyoung kept reassuring himself that he had made it clear to you if in any time you doubt anything, you could call it off.

Calm down, Kim Doyoung. She already chose to be with you. If she doesn't have any regret, then this should be the right thing to do.

[accio-moon]

puzzled (david dobrik)

Warnings: none

requested!!! david is crushing on u big baby style

David had been battling with the fact that he had a crush on you for weeks. You got introduced to the vlog squad because you worked with Erin’s fiancee for Emo Nite, and he had caught feelings ever since. He loved your laugh, how smart you were, and how you were always down to have fun. His feelings sincerely scared him. He hadn’t had a true crush since his last girlfriend, settling on mindless hookups here and there. But you were different. There was something about the way you looked at him that gave him butterflies. He would get visibly nervous whenever you were around, and people started picking up on it. Jason was the first one to notice, but he mainly kept it to himself. He was excited that David finally had someone he was interested in. He was surprised but very happy. He would find ways to get Carly and Erin to invite you to their outings. Carly and Erin were the second set of people to catch on. You had joined them on their Starbucks runs and David was unusually quiet, the nerves quite apparent. He drummed his fingers on his steering wheel aggressively when he responded to you. Finally, Natalie realized what was going on when she caught him creeping on your Instagram feed. She also didn’t say anything, but she smirked to herself and sent a text to Jason.

-

natalie: omg david is so in love with y/n

jason: Took you look enough to realize!

natalie: we HAVE to set them up

jason: I know, if not it’ll never happen.

natalie: has anyone else realized? this is so cute i cant hes such a baby

jason: C & E

natalie: perfect! they know y/n a lot better anyways. we should come up with a cute date for them that they’d both enjoy

jason: Yes! 

-

The group schemed up a perfect date for the two of them: an escape room for two. They knew you loved solving puzzles and David loved vlog-worthy content, so throwing you two in a room for an hour would be the perfect way to get you two to talk and hopefully realize your feelings for one another. When you got the invite from Carly, you didn’t think twice. You were looking forward to spending time with everyone. Plus, you absolutely adored escape rooms. You loved working in groups and solving problems. When you arrived, you found David, Carly, Erin, Jason, and Natalie. You smiled excitedly as you greeted everyone with a hug. An attendant from the escape room explained that each was designed for a two-person solve. Immediately, Carly and Erin paired up. Jason and Natalie were next, high fiving each other with a big smile. You looked at David and shrugged nonchalantly, making him giggle and shake his head. The two of you were assigned to a horror-based escape room that required you to figure a way out before you were caught. It was set up like an intricate basement under the captor’s house. You worked closely to piece together all the answers you needed to solve the different puzzles, completely losing yourselves in the story. You collaborated to easily, and David collected a ton of silly footage of the two of you piecing together the clues. As the time got closer, the ceiling would shake and creak under the weight of the captor, making you scream and work faster to find things. Audio of the captor yelling at you played loudly into the room, scaring the two of you. You jumped into David’s arms instinctively. He wrapped his arms around you and hid his face in your shoulder as he screamed.

“Uh, sorry. Back to the game. We have five minutes.” You laughed nervously, scratching the back of your neck.

“Y-yeah, the game.’ David blushed intently, immediately getting flustered.

Neither of you could think clearly. You felt so comfortable in his embrace, and he wanted that moment to last forever, You were seconds away from losing when you finally unlocked the door, cheering in excitement. He engulfed you in a hug, lifting you off the ground and cheering. You laughed loudly, wrapping your arms around his neck tightly.

“I guess we’re a good team, Dobrik.”

“Guess so.”

“Congratulations, you were the only two who escaped.” Jason laughed, approaching the two of them.

“How was it?” Natalie wondered, raising an eyebrow.

“Fun. Really fun.” You smiled widely, looking up at David.

“Yeah, I loved it.” He nodded, returning your gaze.

“Did you finally kiss in there?” Erin wondered, making the two of you turn red in embarrassment.

“W-What? Why would we?” You stuttered, laughing nervously.

“You’re both so in love with each other. David, stop being such a dork and kiss her.” Carly instructed, crossing her arms.

“You guys are the worst.” David shook his head, rolling his eyes playfully.

You were interrupted by the game master, who helped all of you check out. David drove everyone home, leaving you for last. The entire ride, he contemplated whether or not he should ask you how you felt about him. He was head over heels for you. but your true feelings were the one puzzle he couldn’t solve. You seemed equally as friendly and flirty with him as the rest of your friends. He didn’t want to make things weird. He parked outside of your apartment building with a smile. You quickly hugged him goodbye before starting to gather your things.

“Y/N, is what Carly said true? Are you actually into me?”

You smirked, looking up at him through your long lashes. You swallowed your pride and did the unthinkable. You leaned towards him, pressing your lips against his. He took your face in his hand, deepening the kiss. You pulled away breathlessly, smiling widely.

“I’ll let you solve that one.”

[twi-sight2020]

Bella has a Nightmare....and I’m Drinking

Listen, it’s my birthday, so i can have as much cake and champagne as I want. I can also gift you-and myself- the pleasure of getting through one of the last slow chapters before things actually get into = OH SHIT territory. That’s right, we are so close to all the big reveals I can almost taste it but first....Bella gotta Bella. So, let’s get to it. So Bella goes home and listens to some music while falling asleep. And in it she has a dream about Jacob, Mike, and Edward. In the dream Jacob and Mike are trying to lure her away from Edward, Jacob turns into a wolf, and Edward has fangs. Now, clearly, this has to do with Jacob telling her the wolf and vampire legends of the tribe, but.....Bella literally sees Jacob turning into the wolf he later becomes in book two. Gotta say...this insight kinda goes along with some of the other “odd” things about Bella that often make me wonder if there were some dropped plot lines with her somewhere along the way. I know I keep saying this, but I promise in the next few chapters I’m gonna lay out what some of those things were or-at least in my mind- seemed to be leading to. Of course, these were just my personal fan theories, nothing more. Our girl takes a shower, makes her bed, basically does everything possible to avoid doing the vampire research that she knows she probably should jump to after knowing these legends. (as a fellow procrastinator, I relate, though in her case it’s probably more out of dread than the laziness of me) Also, “free internet service” omfg, the sentence that dates this book more than any other. Also, the Quote from Rev. Montague Summers Bella finds on her Vampire website?  Yea, this guy is real. Very very real. I have his book on Vampires and Vampirism. He fully believed in the existence of Vampires and Werewolves and....lemme tell you, if you think it’s impossible to make vampires boring and dry, boy have a I a book for you. It reads like the dullest of textbooks...and I LIKE musty old books, I live for them. Bella realizes that the majority of the Vampire myths don’t particularly match with what she’s been told by Jacob...or what she’s seen  and it pisses her off, not to mention makes her feel a bit silly because ...she’s researching vampires. So she decides to go for a walk. Now, we get some pretty prose here, but not much action. Bella is going over the facts in her mind. Could Edward be a vampire?  She thinks it’s ridiculous, but at the same time, things like skipping Blood Typing day do give her pause  Then she tries to decide what to do. She knows the smart thing would be to avoid the hell outta monster boy but....she’s drawn to him and it hurts her to even consider it. Now, I remember being a teenager, hell I know even now when I’m attracted to someone it’s hard to stay away but....Bella, honey, you’ve only talked a handfull of times and he’s been a creeper most of those times. I know he saved your life but....a bit of caution would be the smart thing. But, of course, if Bella were smart we wouldn’t have this story so..... Bella has made her decision-something she said once she does she sticks to it no matter what-something we see over and over in these books. She finally gets inside around noon, works on her paper, and has a nightmare free night. She gets to school early the next day- which is warm and sunny- and Mike is super happy to see Bella. She at first like it, but then he is an uber creep and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear making her uncomfortable. Mike, baby doll, she’s not given you any sign that it’s ok to to that so...no. She then says she is doing (or rather did since she’s finished) her essay on if Shakespeare’s treatment of women was misogynistic.I find this topic interesting, and wonder if Stephanie included it because she knew some people would make the same claim about her books..... Anyway, Mike seems to have no clue what this means, and then ask Bella to go out with him. Now, dude, she turned you down for the dance, encouraged you to ask her friend, and you are....going to the dance with said friend. Bella-helpfully- points out Jessica may be upset but...seriously, Mike, honey.....no. Just....no. Jessica ask Bella to go dress shopping with her and the girls and she thinks about it but...Lauren in coming so she’s indecisive. Then she agrees to go because...Edward isn’t in school and this makes her miserable. Now this...this makes me groan a bit, i can’t lie. Again, I know, teenagers,  I was one...I mooned over people like there is no tomorrow and yes, you always have a bit of disappointment when you’re crush isn’t around but...’Spiraling downward in misery”? Nah, Bella, that me because there is only one piece of cake left and my glass is empty before I finished this chapter.  Jessica cancels her dress shopping plans because...Mike ask her out  so Bella goes to respond to her mother’s emails. Her mother, who is her “best friend”, who she has barely spoke to gets a tiny paragraph in response to her “backlog” of letters, and then Bella goes outside to read. RUDE. Like, come on guys, just....get a long distance phone plan, heesh. Now, I have to say, I do like her taste in Austen, though-imo- the hero of Sense and Sensibility is definitely Colonel Brandon . He’s the good guy, he’s not flakey, he doesn’t have secret fiancees hiding around. But, you know, she’s fixating on Edward, so I’ll give it a pass. She ends up giving up because of all the Eddies in Austen and dozing off.Charlie gets in, Bella tells him she’s going dress shopping tomorrow night and will leave food out for him. The next day is sunny so Bella moans a bit because Edwards isn’t there, but is happy that Lauren isn’t going dress shopping after all and...then they are off to shop once school ends. So we get...dreams........Mike being weird....and learn Bella likes Jane Austen. that’s...pretty much it, but next chapter we finally get to her and Edward having a conversation and shit not being ...dull. Praise God, Parts i love coming up. Now, I’m going to eat and...probably drink more. Until next time,  Stay Safe.

[djinmer4]

Scarborough Fair (Noir AU)

“Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?” Stefan made no effort to keep his voice down, but the noise of the party easily drowned him out.

“I don’t understand your question,” Jimaine carefully brushed a few straggling hairs back into her coiffure.  “My fiancee is handsome, charming, polite and generous.  Plus, Kurt’s our foster brother, we’ve known him for years.  What more could I want?”

“I guess if you’re happy, that’s enough.”  Jimaine held out her arm, but her brother waved her away.  “Go and wow your fiance.  This party’s for you after all.”

She flashed a quick smile and strode into the festivities.  Kurt’s grin dutifully widened at her entrance, and he offered his arm to squire her around.  Stefan remained in the shadows, offering brief smiles and nods at any guests who noticed him but refraining from participating.

As he observed, he found himself being less and less happy about the upcoming nuptials.  On the surface, it was a fairytale marriage, with Jimaine as the golden bride and Kurt as the handsome groom.  And yet . . .

It wasn’t that Kurt was ignoring Jimaine.  He had greeted her effusively when she had entered, catered to her every voiced desire, remained well within view during the whole party.  But Stefan noticed, aside from the first moment, he never really looked at Jimaine.  He answered when she called for him, but he never initiated a conversation with her.  And while in view, he was almost never in arms reach of her.  If his sister wanted something, she had to walk over to him, never the other way around.

“Don’t you want a husband who will actually see you rather than take you for granted?” he whispered to himself.

~~~~~~~

He crouched on a hillside, burying himself in the low shrub.  It was nothing like Bavaria or Winzeldorf or Schwarzwald or any other place he’d ever been hunting.  There were no trees, what little cover existed came from the shadows of hills and rocks and low scrub.  But that meant the same thing for his opponents.  On the battlefield, it was only a question of whose eyes were sharper, whose reflexes were faster.  And so far, he’d been better than all his challengers.

Through the scope, he watched a sparrow land and peck at the frozen soil.  He followed it into the brush, searching for the telltale glint of metal.  He snuggled deeper into the camouflage blanket, letting it obscure the shadow of his body and hold back the biting cold.  He’s the only one on watch this hour, the rest of the squad in exhausted, fitful slumber will eventually end at an officer’s command or the whistle of incoming bombs with the dawn.

Not seeing any threats, he takes a few minutes to pull out his holdout.  He cleans the pistol but refrains from polishing it.  Too many fellow soldiers have lost their lives from either lack of maintenance or from bright flashes of metal in the dark.  An explosion of red breaks the early morning gloom and the silence and he abandons his post, shouting directions to the other waking soldiers.  More explosions wrack the night and they retreat through the trenches, the sand and mud and worse sucking the warmth from their legs with every step.  A man ahead of him stumbles and falls, and he grabs him by the leather harness on his back.  When a break occurs in the artillery fire, he realizes that the man he was dragging was already dead.

~~~~~~~

It’s ridiculously easy to gain access to the cabaret.  Despite being frequented by Weimar officials, it’s not one of the higher quality ones.  The bouncer doesn’t bother to even ask for ID, nodding him through with barely a glance at the crow’s-feet around his eyes and his thinning hair.  He drops his trench coat at the unmanned coat check but keeps his scarf and hat.  Inside, no one even glances as he takes a seat at the corner of the bar.  Two drinks later, and he leaves his seat for the bathroom.

It’s the work of moments to flip his suit jacket inside out, the white lining hastily limned in black thread to imitate the waiters’ uniforms.  His accessories go under the jacket and the blue mask goes his face, hiding the gas scars.  Again, he’s thankful for the target’s poor choice of venue.  The masks are as gimmicky as they come but all the servers are wearing similar ones and with the dim lighting it could be anyone under the fantastical facade.

It’s another hour before the target shows up and Kurt’s reminded why he hates jobs like these.  The music isn’t bad and he’s spent longer on his feet assisting senior surgeons, but suppressing the urge to beat all the rude fools to death is always a chore.  But finally, the officer comes in with about half a dozen friends, including a few working girls.  The loose way they hang over each other could be an issue, but he’s brought enough strychnine for all.

One of the longer, and frankly more interesting acts comes on stage and he makes his move.  About five minutes in, he goes around the table, refilling drinks and dropping quick dissolve capsules in the champagne.  The officer and his friends are too riveted to consume their drinks, and he drops off their meals just as the lights come back on.  Another fifteen minutes of serving, he slips back into the bathroom changing back into his suit.  A couple more drinks at the bar, and then he leaves, just as the first member of the party collapsed.

~~~~~~~

“Jimaine, grab his things.”  Stefan lifted the shorter man by the collar of his shirt and threw him out of the wagon.  “We’ve reached Winzeldorf, as promised.  Don’t let me catch you hanging around here again.”

Kurt brushed himself off, then caught the untidy parcels his foster sister tossed him.  “I’ll pray that God will soften your heart and you will repent this, brother.”

“Pray for yourself, murderer!”  With that, he turned and ordered the caravan back on the road.  Behind them, Kurt slipped on his boots and jacket, gathered his possessions and slipped off into the night.

~~~~~~~

“There’s been extensive degloving across the entire back.”  Dr. Wagner let the orderly clear a path through the busy hallways only pausing when they reached the entrance of the theatre.

“Is there any intact skin?”  He stripped off the scarf he was wearing and the broader man flinched and averted his eyes.

“I-I don’t think so.  The only place that wasn’t shredded was the front of his torso and using skin from there would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul.”  The orderly shot the surgeon a confused look as he reached into a wardrobe in his office.  “Is that a butcher’s apron?”

“I can never seem to remember to change my clothes before going home.  I thought maybe trying to protect my clothes during surgery might at least make me look less suspicious.”  The older man quickly tied the apron strings behind him.  “Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be much to work with.  What about the limbs?”

“Dr. Connors isn’t too optimistic about the results.  He said there’s going to be at least one amputation, maybe multiple ones, although he’s holding off until you’ve patched the torso.”

“In that case, I’ll take the skin from the limbs and try to patch over the torso with that.”

“Uh, are you sure that’s wise, doctor?”

He reached back into the ward to pull out the black leather bag containing his personal equipment.  “The man’s as good as dead anyway, so this is the perfect time to experiment.  If he lives, all well and good, if he dies, that’s what everyone was expecting anyway.  Really, there’s nothing to lose in this case.”  He replaced his scarf with a new surgical mask and also put on a new pair of thin rubber gloves.  “Now go start the carbolic spray.”

~~~~~~~

“Do you ever think about leaving the city?”

Kitty had spent the past 2 hours staring at her typewriter and welcomed the interruption.  “Leaving New York?  Sometimes, I think it would be nice to live in Boston or DC for a change but I’m pretty happy here.  Definitely not going back to Chicago though.  Too close to my parents.”

“Not what I meant.  I mean something like going out to New Jersey.  Or Ridgewood or Greenville.”

Her lips twisted down.  “Ugh, no!  I hate the idea of living in the countryside, I’d be so bored.  Why do you ask?”

He shrugged and then waved a hand in the air, dismissing the subject.  “I’ve been a little homesick.  Missing the woods of Winzeldorf.”

Kitty lay her hands on the keys, but didn’t apply any pressure to them.  “I’m telling you right now, if you’re planning that we get married and move out to some pastoral green acres, I’m giving back the ring immediately.”

His laugh turned into a snort turned into a brief coughing fit.  Once he got his breath back (after Kitty fetched him a drink of water) he demurred.  “Not right now, certainly!  If nothing else, I’d make less moving out of New York.  But maybe in a couple of decades, after I retire, would you consider it?”

The frown melted off her face and was replaced by contemplation.  “I’ve got to admit, it still doesn’t sound good to me but who knows how I’ll feel in twenty years.  Ask me then.”

~~~~~~~~

“There’s another one gone.  That’s the third one this year.” Dr. Connors was back from probation (or maybe more accurately stated, he was back on probation).

“Who’s gone?”

“Another one of the nurses.  Bertha, I think her name was.  They all swear they’re single when they first start, but six months later they’ve gotten engaged to some patient and they’re gone.”

Dr. Wagner looked up from the desk where he was writing case notes.  “That’s no good.  We can’t stop them from falling in love, but we’re short-handed.  Can’t they at least have the decency to tell us when they’re getting engaged so that we have a few months' notice to hire a replacement and train her?”

“Even if the girls are too silly to think of that, you’d think the patients would.  But it’s out the door and straight to the chapel.”  Connors took a sip of his coffee and grimaced.  “Still, it gives men like you a much-needed advantage.”

Blue eyes narrowed above his mask.  “What does that mean?”

“Well, I suppose the fact most of your patients are under ether makes it difficult for you to impress them.  Still, I’m sure that a few of the lady patients have thought even you to be as hotsy-totsy as Valentino.  Or maybe you’ve had a few shebas in the linen closet?  Either way, it’d be a sockdollanger for you.”

Kurt took several minutes to untangle the slang that Connors was using.  Once he did, he straightened up like a poker had been rammed up his backside.  “I’m married, thank you very much.”

The other man simply grinned at him.  “Is she from Canada?”

The German refused to dignify that with an answer, instead just dumping the remaining paperwork on the other doctor’s desk and walking out.

~~~~~~~

“Dad sent you over a Christmas gift.”

Kurt looked up from the journal he was reading.  “Your parents don’t celebrate Christmas.”

“Yeah, I know.  But I think they’ve finally resigned themselves that I’m not going to move back to Chicago and marry a nice Jewish doctor the way they want me to, so they’re at least acknowledging your existence now.”

“Does it help at all that at least I am a doctor?  Even if I’m not very nice. ”  He carefully unwrapped the fire-engine red wrapping paid and set it aside.  Inside the matte velvet box was a pocket watch with the Star of David emblazoned on it. “What’s this?”

“It’s the bare minimum.  I think they’re lying to their friends, telling them the reason I’m not coming back is that I really did marry a nice Jewish boy from Queens.  If they really accepted you, Mom probably would have pushed that we do another wedding ceremony in Chicago.  I suppose I should just be grateful she didn’t sit shiva for me.”  Kitty slid down the side of the armchair to curl into his side.  “That’s a Pryde family heirloom.  It’s been passed down from father to son for about five generations now, but well . . . Dad always said he’d give it to the guy I’d marry.  So there’s that.”

He set the journal on the coffee table and pulled her into his lap.  “I suppose it would be rather difficult for you to run away now.  No one’s going to believe you if you say I’m a bigamist or cheating on you.”  He slid his hand around her side, down over her ribs.  “And I’m definitely not impotent.”  

She giggled at the tickling sensation.  “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in exchanging you for a new model, even if your hair is vanishing faster than a dewdropper’s scratch on a bangtail.”

A brief pause.  “I have no idea what you just said.”

She chortled again, leaning up to kiss the crow’s-feet around his eyes.  “It’s not important.  Just be glad at least one of my parents has accepted our marriage.  Albeit dragging his feet all the way.”

He thumbed the lid of the pocket watch, tracing the Star with his nail.  “Still, it takes a lot of bravery to step out of your comfort zone and let your daughter make her own decisions on these things.  Such courage should be rewarded.  Do you think he would take it amiss if I returned the gesture?”

She squirmed around until she was lying crosswise in his lap, the cold point of her nose touching bare skin just above the collar of his shirt.  “I think that would be a bad idea.  He’s gone out of his way to follow your culture this time, now it’s your turn to show that you respect his traditions.”

Kurt sighed, the sound slightly muffled by the mask.  “I can’t exactly go back in time and ask his permission to marry you again.  And Hannukah’s already passed . . .”

He felt more than saw her shrug.  “Dunno.  But Dad always did want a boy . . . “

“Well, I’ve never had a father.  Maybe we can bond over that.”

[migleefulmoments]

Jason Momoa is wearing a PINK tuxedo at the Oscars. According to Abby's color "signs", he must be gay, and in a suffocating closet marriage!

The CCers have spent the week claiming that Darren got married so that he looks less “queer” (they are so thoughtfully inclusive until Darren can legally clarify where on the LGBTQ spectrum he identifies himself) #“no homo”. He needs to look less queer so he can get “straight roles or a superhero role”. As if to prove the ccers are full of crap, Aquaman, Jason Momoa wore a pink tuxedo to the Oscars. We know pink is Darren’s color and OMG, it’s so gay.

This trope is silly of course. Ajw- “who has incredible insight”- claims she doesn’t believe he wants to play a superhero-thats too simple I guess. Or maybe she remembered “if he gets married, it’s his decision ”. Whether the Chairman of the Board believes it or not, I saw a lot of comments repeating the “he got married in order to play straight roles or a superhero” trope.  At some point when they were raging over the wedding and trying to figure out WHY? WHY? the trope was born and the minions were all over it. 

I found this post when looking for a post to show the trope.  I know ajw is denying it here, but this thread is pure gold and if you haven’t read it-or even if you have- do yourself a favor and give it a read. It is the definition of ridiculous.  

ajw720 answered:

Anon, trust me, I am here and I am supporting him, I didn’t leave even though i was tempted to and I am finding this difficult because her smug face makes my stomach churn, but I do have the right to have questions.  

This action very much confuses me as I watched him fight and I cannot figure how this happened. I agree, i think there was extreme duress and threats.  I would guess his ability to work was threatened because I do not buy for one second he did this to get straight roles or superhero roles. I also would not be surprised if they threatened C as well.  There are powerful people that have enormous influence in the industry and they have a lot to hide when it comes to the closeting of D, the closeting of CC (again KEY), the extreme abuse of D, the continuance of keeping him tied to a beard that is harmful to his emotional and physical being.

One of the goals i believe is that TPTB want us to believe that this is entirely his fault.  And right now, in the public eye, to those who know he is queer, that is the assumption.

I have incredible insight into the situation and I am well aware of what his vile team, bosses, and beard have put him through, to some level and so I am extremely concerned about this latest move.  But i am not going anywhere. Quite frankly, I am one of the handful of people that is keeping this fandom in tack, something I do think he needs right now. But I do think we all have a right to be critical and to be confused without being harsh.  And I am very much trying to walk that line because I cannot fathom being in his shoes. And the fact that C is still supporting him tells me this is not something he wanted even if he agreed to go along with this sham.

cassie1022

I’ve had my time to be angry with him, and I will admit that was my initial reaction. I hate that he felt this was his only option. It breaks my heart that he’s in this situation. I very much fear for his safety, as I don’t think many people understand just HOW powerful TPTB are and what happens to people that come to be seen as a liability (apparently Darren signed a contract with the mob)

All of that being said, I will never walk away when he/they need us most. But, I too, have many questions that I wish we could get some resolution for.

Oh, and just for the record? I don’t think I’ve ever had a stronger desire to punch a condescending smirk off someone as I did when those airport pics surfaced. I didn’t feel that way about the “wedding” photos because, well, she did an excellent job making herself look ridiculous and the GA did all the tearing her to shreds for me.

chrisdarebashfulsmiles

Nobody is mocking him. But we don’t have to be hypocrite if we are against something. The fact that almost all the people of our fandom are still here in a way or another despite everything I think it’s very telling about the support. Despite the fact of being pissed or annoyed because of the sham wedding.

ajw720

Fact is, TPTB literally have laid him out at the altar as the sacrificial lamb to atone for all of THEIR sins.  And it sucks, and we have a lot of emotions about it. Mine vary literally from one minute to the next (and yes i accept that i care too much), but now that the wedding is over and there is a “marriage” lavender or not, I am concerned how the next few months/years play out.  Because has to deal with her demands that were bad enough as the public gf and fiancee. What will she be like as the wife?

kfs1001

If we go by history, we can pretty much extrapolate what she may be like. The question I would love to know is what safeguard did D get out of all this? If this is is just and extension of his previous contract, he must have gotten something in return? Now this I can but speculate on but I can strongly assume it includes protections for his true relationship with C. I can see a career path as a second measure.

Two me, the scary bit is the power on industry can hold out someone in a country were freedom is held so high. How can a contract supercede fundamental rights?

Regardless of everything D faced a yes or no question. Yes, marry and face the consequence and, no, come out an face the consequence. Yes and no a simple facts in life. No must have been a super hard pill to swallow, but in all this, somehow, I believe he had a win we may never see.

Not everything is black and white. With D ww see a prime example the question now resolves around not what was but what will come. We will see D rebelling as we have come to known…tongue in check…as the picture goes.

We are all here to support D and C in our own ways. Some ar vocal and direct, while others are mor subtle. In our own ways we have their backs. Going forward as a community that is all we can do.

flowersintheattic254

Unfortunately I’m someone who maybe harsher right now. Am I sad for him - yes because he’s made himself look fool. (wait chrisdarebashful just said “Nobody is mocking him!”)

I believe he knew it would be a spectacle. I believe he spent this year distancing himself from the wedding arrangements during interviews. He knew how this sham wedding would look and the shit storm it would produce amongst his fans and I think at some point made his peace with it. I’m not sure how he managed that but I think he did. (let’s be honest here- NOT his fans, just amongst the ccers) 

Maybe all his choices in this instance were equally shit, but there are more people involved here than just D. When did his forced choices have to impact so many people?

I’m less concerned with the rebellion. Tbh I saw the nail varnish and sighed and rolled my eyes.

ajw720

@flowersintheattic254 you know more than almost anyone the extent of my feelings and why. And I agree, no matter the options, this isn’t the choice I would have made. Life is the most precious thing we have. So I do have a really hard time comprehending it.

And I still would like to know why he did some of the things he did before this happened. You know precisely what I’m talking about.

I’m jus trying really hard to get clarity and answers.

[madaboutmerlin]

Merlin Writer Month: Round up

Hello Merlin fans! We hope you’ve all had a fabulous week and that you found new authors to enjoy. 

We wanted to let you know that we’ll be posting a compilation of all your recommendations every sunday so, please, if you uploaded something remember to use the hashtag: #MerlinWritterMonth2018; so that we may include what you shared. 

This post will always be divided by the pairing that is the focus of the fic, if it is not tagged under one, then it will go under a General category that  will be at the end. Also, all fics will be found after the cut, because this is a long post and we don’t want to clog yout timeline.

With all of that out of the way, enjoy!

Arthur/Merlin

1. If Merlin’s Into It, by Remianly Length: 660 words Summary: Arthur realizes he’s in love with Merlin and wishes to convey his feelings. He asks Gwaine for advice to help him in writing a love song.

2. The Witchfinder by StoriwrYNos Lenght: 4,669 Summary: When a witchfinder comes to Camelot looking for the person responsible for the magic witnessed there he quickly settles on Merlin as the perpetrator. Will Arthur be able to come up with a plan to save Merlin in time, and will he even want to if he knows what Merlin really is?

3. Em-bare-assing by alienvomplanetenwooh Lenght: 1,589 Summary: Letting down your pants in public can lead to unexpected outcomes.

4. A More Comfortable Place to Sleep by JimJamDavis Word Count: 912 Summary: On the floor in front of the fireplace he could see the tasseled edge of one of his cushions, where it had no place being. The misplaced cushion wasn’t what had stopped him however, but the curl of delicate fingers loosely grasping it.Apparently the room wasn’t quite as empty as he’d thought. Merlin falls asleep on the floor, and Arthur makes him more comfortable.

5. Dead And Breakfast by yourrockyspine Lenght: 4,345 Summary: After his Mum’s demise, Merlin kept her beautifully-maintained B&B up and running.And though he mostly loves having his mother’s ghost nearby, it’s some of the other deceased residents that make it exceedingly hard to please his (living) clients.[This was originally going to be a Happy Merloween chapter, but it’s just too silly and whimsical. No scary here, just utter madness. And a spot of smut and romance.]

6. My Major is Pre-Sorcery by princepratness Lenght: 5,843 Summary: Merlin’s in the pre-sorcery department and Arthur’s in the Prince program. The last thing Arthur expected is for them to ever get along. However, they do. In fact, they get along so damn well that Arthur’s stuck wondering how he never noticed when the insults became kisses instead.

7. Modern Merlin AU by V_L_G_4200 Summary: Inspired by tumblr posts by ‘katiemcgrath’“Almost got arrested.” Lenght: 6,494 “What?? Why?” “Punched the Prince of Wales.” “Was he angry?” “I don’t know. Gave me his number.” “You going to call him?” “Nah, gonna post it on Twitter.”

8. all the best it could be (just you and i) by pynk (pinkjook) Lenght: 7,860  Summary: Arthur’s never been much for pining, but he’s never been much for lying, either. Not even to himself.

9. Between the shadow and the soul by fireatwill52 Lenght: 29,333  Summary: Arthur meets Merlin at a wedding and falls head over heels. About an hour later his fiancee Vivian talks Merlin into being their wedding planner. Arthur thinks this is fantastic, because he gets to spend more time with Merlin… if only there wasn’t going to be a wedding that married him to someone else at the end of it.

10. of blowjobs and candy rings by coffeeandparchment Lenght: 6,221  Summary: "No.“ "What? I didn’t even say anything yet.” “You didn’t have to. It’s all in your beady little eyes. You want me to give you a piggyback to the club.” Arthur said. “My feet hurt,” Merlin said, as if that was a good enough reason for a piggy back. At Arthur’s silence, Merlin pouted. Gods, maybe he was a little more than tipsy. Arthur slowed down as Merlin walked past. “What are you doing now? For someone who is all about doing these quickly you sure ar—” Merlin cut off as he turned to see Arthur stopped and crouching down. "What are you doing?” Arthur huffed in annoyance. “What does it look like, Merlin? Are you going to get on or just leave me crouching here like an idiot all night?”

11. If You’re Still Breathing You’re The Lucky Ones by Withstarryeyes Lenght: 1,722 Summary: But the concern wasn’t the fact that his eyes itched, but what that meant. Ever since Merlin was a child he’d get random fevers at least once or twice a year. They’d stay for a day or two but they always spiked during the night, leaving him delirious and shaking under blankets. He would wake up with itchy eyes, then at midnight he’d have a 105-degree fever and his mother would have to tend to him all night to make sure didn’t die or boil alive. But tonight, Arthur was going on a hunting trip with the knights and Merlin had to tag along to cook and clean and polish armor and his eyes itched.

12. Carry On, Calm or Not by yourrockyspine Lenght: 14,765 Summary: After an inadvertent attempt on his life, 17-year-old Merlin finds himself stuck in the Camelot Ward for Troubled Adolescents. Forced to work through his feelings of helplessness, Merlin develops a new lease on life and learns to find happiness in the strangest of corners.

13. You Can Be King Again by asuralucier Lenght: 14,886  Summary: Victorianesque — Arthur Pendragon, Marquess of Harington flees to his (father’s) country estate for a well-deserved summer holiday. He has his hands full with Merlin, the surly stable boy and Arthur is also pretty sure there’s a ghost haunting his father’s house.

14. The Vacation by Mina264 Lenght: 5,718  Summary: Merlin needs a vacation from Camelot and Arthur tags along. They make some realizations during this vacation that will change their lives forever.

15. Fractured Magic by LunaCanisLupus_22 Lenght: 141,847 Summary: “Oi!” Merlin shouts. “People are trying to study in here. Piss off somewhere else!” “What did you say, spellbegger?” he calls back, tone arrogant and haughty like just about every other Knight on Campus. “Come down here and say that to my face.” Or the Sky High AU where Knights and Magic Users attend University to learn how to fight evil magic and Merlin and Arthur do not get along. Until they do.

16. Knights on the case by TheGameIsOn_Geronimo Lenght: 3,707 Summary: The knights decide that they just can’t deal with all the pining and sexual frustration that comes from being near Merlin and Arthur, so they decide to take matters into their own hands. As (probably) expected: chaos ensues.

17. The Jealous King by guessimaclotpole Lenght: 2,057 Summary: “How about jealous Arthur when he finds out there are loads of other knights and servants who have crushes on Merlin (who sometimes flirts back) and he loses his shit when one starts to court him and is just like “no” and kisses him up against the wall and afterwards Merlin is just like “it’s about fuckin time” mm yeah that’s some good shit right there”

18. inhiare ardens by mishcollin Lenght: 9,616 Summary: Merlin starts a courtship, and Arthur’s fine with it. Completely fine with it. In which Arthur discovers that he’s not fine with it, and some other things about himself.

Gwaine/Merlin

1. For the Love of All Who Gather by  Nebula5030 Lenght: 92,053 Summary: Merlin hadn’t wanted Arthur to discover his magic like that: with Merlin performing a spell in the woods and Arthur simply stumbling across him. But with wounds both old and new festering within him, Arthur believes he has no choice- and banishes his dearest friend. Forced from Camelot, Merlin and Gwaine find themselves living amongst Druids, and Merlin discovers he has the chance to learn more about his magic, his heritage, and the prophecy that binds him and Arthur together. But with tensions stirring both near and abroad, past lies come to light, and everyone finds that not everything is truly as it seems.

2. My Dearest Merlin by Nebula5030 Lenght: 2,305 Summary: A week after the Battle of Camlann, Merlin receives a letter.

3. Private Moments by Nebula5030 Lenght: 758 Summary: With Gwaine’s body against his, the mattress to his back, and Gwaine kissing him slowly and deeply, Merlin found himself wondering why they didn’t do this more often. Why they always waited before taking time to do this. Merlin’s hand began to slide up under Gwaine’s shirt- “Merlin?” Gaius’s voice came through the door. Merlin and Gwaine both froze, their heads snapping to the door. Oh. That was why.

4. Obelus: Doubt The Tale by Lion_owl Lenght: 2,427 Summary: Gwaine's got back to Camelot and Gaius is safe; now, he's worried about what's become of Merlin. But soon they're reunited and they talk everything out.

Arthur/Gwen

1. got to be (something bigger than me) by CyberQueens Lenght: 30,620 Summary:  A thousand and a half years (or thereabouts) after Camlann, Gwen finds two strange men at her door. Written for roundtablemanagers' Round Table Minutes March 2016 prompt 'Once and Futures'.

2. Baby this is it by sadpendragon Lenght: 342 Summary: It had given Arthur a certain joy to tease Guinevere about the words she had told him during his illness. But it had also made him think.

3. Knights & Merlin (+ Gwen) by tymedfire * Lenght: 9,171 Summary: This is a collection of unconnected fics, with each fic focusing on the relationship between Merlin and a Knight of the Round Table, with a bonus addition of Gwen. There will be fluff and angst, though mostly angst, but who knows. There WILL be fluff, though, I promise you that.

* We decided to put this one here because even though most of the fics in this series are not tagged to go with a certain ship, one of them has Arthur/Gwen as the tagged pairing.

Gwen/Merlin

1. Kiss me when I’m down by sadpendragon Lenght: 937 Summary:  We were each other’s first after all.

Merlin/Morgana

1. Any Other Name by RemixConstellation Lenght: 1,024 Summary:  She fits him, like nothing else he has ever worn. Nothing he will ever wear again. There’s a bounty on their heads. One they cannot out run. One that flows in their veins and lights up their eyes. Sometimes, in the glow of the fire, he wonders what crime it is to just be born. How could a king with magic under his sign, put a sword through a sister’s chest for the magic under her skin?

Arthur/Leon

1. A Poetic Affair by sadpendragon Lenght: 732 Summary:  Leon knew what poetry meant, and Leon wasn’t so sure he was amused by it anymore.

[tellywoodtrash]

ishqbaaz 15.08.17 lb

damn ragini looks realllllllly hotttttt today. if shivaay won’t wife her, i will. 😍😍😍

lmaooooo yiiiikes, the look he gave her when she said anika and vikram look made for each other. i haven’t seen that hostile a look from shivaay in ages! 😬😬😬

oh ragini, why do you want his stupid sada hua shakal in your selfies when you literally look like a goddess today? you look even better than the bride!!!!!!! 😯😯😯

ohhhhh boy. shivaay is MAAAAAAAAAAAD about the press conference stunt and the fact that she’s parading around calling herself his fiancee. 😬😬😬

god, he’s being hella rude to her. i hope at least now she’ll get over her silly crush and realise he sucks. leave him to anika, girl. you deserve so much better. why don’t you try maarofy on fine vikram here? he’s taller and hotter and seems to have no discernible anger management issues. 😌😌😌

ohhhhhhhhhh, he’s also mad coz she misbehaved with ANIKA in front of the press! damn billu. if you care so much about anika, then why don’t you just give up at this stupid game and go tell her that? 😒😒😒

“shukar karo ki main baat kar raha hoon.” 

yeah, as opposed to throwing his phone at you. or threatening to blow samar up. girlllll, you don’t even know the extent of his issues. run while you can. 😐😐😐

god she looks so sad and taken aback. *holds her and hisses at shivaay like a cat to keep him away from my girl, ALL MY GIRLS* 👿👿👿

lolololol his LORD GIVE ME PATIENCE look 😆😆😆: 

daaaaaaamn, ragini bhi koi kachchi khilaaadi nahi hai. i’m so fucking glad she’s letting him have it and calling him out. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

wow. guess he couldn’t have put it any plainer than that. 😗😗😗

meanwhile rudra is here on his ownnnn trip. bitch, keep calm and have faith in chulbul bhaabi! 😒😒😒

there’s more fabric in bhavya’s dupatta than in the lehenga skirt itself. kahin tailor se galti toh nahi hui, and now she’s resorting to carrying the lehenga piece around as dupatta as an ‘accent’? 🤔🤔🤔

lmao omkara just up and fucked off to germany for ‘a workshop’. sure. not at all for a few mental health days away from you crazies. 🙄🙄🙄

but gotta say, bhavya loooooks hot af too today. seriously all the girls look like 🔥🔥🔥 today. 

damn i want some rasna now. (bg mein se “I LOVE YOU RASNA!”) 

lolololol rudra’s eyes just LIGHTING THE FUCK UP at whatever that shady white powder is just amazing. 😊😊😊

abhi yeh pilaana kisko hai? vikram ko? 🤔🤔🤔

o bete ki! ANIKA KO!??! 😧😧😧

oh thank god, gauri’s a chatur chiraiyya who caught these idiots in time!!!!!!! 😰😰😰

raginiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. you so shady, girl. i fucking love it. 😆😆😆

LMAO VIKRAM GETTING STARTLED AT PINKY TOOT-PADOFYING ON HIM HAHAHAHAHA 🤣🤣🤣

oh man, i can actualllllly FEEEEEL vikram’s “main kahaan phas gaya yaaaar 😩😩😩” feelings take on a physical form and start to seep out my screen. 

ragini, what the fuck kinda pic are you gonna get from that angle? it’s just going to be a solid black square of vikram’s shoulder. back up a little, girl.😕😕😕

why isn’t billu here to see these shenanigans and grind his teeth!???? 🤔🤔🤔

OH, RIGHT ON SCHEDULE!!!!!!!! 

OMFG THE WAY HE ACCOSTED VIKRAM’S HAND HAHAHAHA. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

poor vikram, this whole fam is manhandling him like fuckkkkkk today. 😗😗😗

lmaoooo the looks pinky and ragini just exchanged. fucking amazinggggg. 🤣🤣🤣

meanwhile: 

“nagini? humara matlab, RAGINI (kya sunnna tumne?) ” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

hahaha bulbul’s MANIC smile. god, this episode is killing me with everyone’s facial comedy. 😂😂😂

ragini, no!!!!!!!!!! so many empty calories! (and unknown drugs.) BUT ALL THAT SUGAR, GIRL! 😫😫😫

question: who are all these rando guests? like... anika has no one, and vikram ke liye toh this isn’t real, so it can’t be anyone from his side. neither of them are oberois, so it’s not THEIR fam. WHO ARE ALL THESE PPL? 😕😕😕

pfffffft, dulhan is eye fucking her ex hubs. 🙄🙄🙄

“kuch kehna hai anika?”

OMFG SHIVAAY. YOU’RE FUCKING ASKING FOR IT. 😡😡😡

waah, is saal ka filmfare toh bulbul ko hi jaana hai. for such superlative ~~~ACTING~~~ 🙃🙃🙃

OH NOW HE NOTICES THAT SHE’S BEEN WEARING IT. AFTER A WHOLE FUCKING MONTH. FUCKING IDIOT. AANKHEIN HAI YA BUTTON? 😒😒😒

oh shut up ruVya. khud toh kuch kiya nahi jaata, aur gauri ke plan ko anshann kahe jaa rahe ho. 😒😒😒

man, i didn’t know rudra had this gunda side to him. 😗😗😗

waah, is haath pe ddlj waala pentra. 🙄🙄🙄

was this gauri’s big dramatic plan??? girl needs to stop watching so much bollywood. 😣😣😣

lololol shivaay’s sardonic eyebrow raise at rudra’s slip up. 😆😆😆

god, i love bulbul. she’s just too fucking cute. 😍😍😍

god, most overrrrrdramatic saddd song EVER. 😑😑😑

BILLU YOU FUCKING FUCKKKKK I HATE YOU STOP KILLING ME WITH YOUR STUPID FACE. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

is he a fucking idiot??? he can see her standing there crying, and he still won’t do anything? that’s how much his zidd means to him. even more than her (and his own!!!!) absolute misery. 😤😤😤

“gauri bhaabi paagal ho gayi hai.” *snort* 😆😆😆

JFC THOSE TACKYASS SSO SHOES. SET THEM ON FUCKING FIRE, LORD. 🤢🤢🤢

bulbul is master of the angst. i fucking love it. 😈😈😈

dadi looks like she might keel over from the pain of all this. 😟😟😟

no point of looking at her all angstily and like you want to die, billu. you brought this upon yourself. 😗😗😗

arre waaaaaah, plan is a gauri - sahil alliance! 😚😚😚

oh no ragini knows! 😯😯😯

ouff naagini, FAINT already!!!!! 😶😶😶

my god, vikram, 5 minuteeeeeeeee ho gayeeeee, abhi tak ring ungli ko choo bhi nahi rahi. aur kitna slow motion mere bhai??? 😑😑😑

waah, sahil is familiar enough with the electrical circuitry of Oberoi Mansion to pull this shit off. 😧😧😧

ok, can’t deny, heart gave twinge at him holding her and whispering “main hoon na. kuch nahi hoga tumhe.”  😣😣😣💔💔💔

“aap nahi hai. aapne mujhe khud se door...” 

aaaaaaaand i’m crying. 😭😭😭😥😥😥😪😪😪😢😢😢

... is this a dream? it feels a little bit like a dream. 😕😕😕

oh. it’s not? okay. 😶😶😶

is that the ring shivaay was holding, or the one vikram was holding? 🤔🤔🤔 

ok i don’t like this weird theme music. it sounds too much like the x files theme song. which is fitting, coz half the shit happening in this show can only be explained by “aliens”, but not in romantic scenes like this, come on. 😒😒😒

i don’t like this weird... editing of this scene. it makes it feel weird and dream sequence like and NOT REAL. 😑😑😑

lmao vikram’s face at bulbul commending him for “andhere mein sagaai”. 🤣🤣🤣

ragini’s more cognizant even after being drugged, than i am sober. 😐😐😐 

nowwww what???? how will they get out of thisssss one???? 😯😯😯

OH HO ANIKA, WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT HIM??? WOH JO KAR SAKTA THA USNE KIYA, AB TU BHI TU KUCH KAR, MERI MAA !!!! 😫😫😫

“kaisi dheent womaniya hai, gir hi nahi rahi! gir jaa! GIR JAA!” 

lolololol gauriiiiiii. 😂😂😂

is no one else noticing this ex-husband/wife CONSTANTLY STARING AT EACH OTHER????????? LIKE???? 😬😬😬

oufffff issse zyaada slow motion mein bardaasht nahiiiiiiiii kar saktiiiiii. 😫😫😫😫

LMAO RUDRA’S CHUCKLE AT RAGINI FAINTING. 🤣🤣🤣

“achcha hua jo bhi hua.” omfg this petty idiot. i love him. 😂😂😂

vikram, sach sach bol. chakkar kya hai tera ragini ke saath!??? 😟😟😟

OK GAURI HAS TO BE ANIKA’S CHUTKI. PLEASE. SHE EVEN HAS THE “LOGIC” WAALA GESTURE. WHICH ANIKA HAS NEVER EVEN DONE IN FRONT OF HER!!!!! 😫😫😫

also my god, i think i might be in love with shrenu fucking parikh. 💖💖💖

omg i love these two fucking idiots. such hardcore shippers they are. the IF/twitter shivika fandom has nothing on these two. 😊😊😊

billu’s in his room fiddling with his ring again. 😚😚😚

oh looks like anika ka rona dhona quota for day is over. now commences aaj ka badass quota. 😏😏😏

ugh this fucker and his hand sex. fuckkkkkk him. 😯😯😯😳😳😳

andhera ka fayda. god, that too in such a lame PG 7 way. you’re the lamesttttt, billu. at least should have gotten in a kiss or two. 😒😒😒

“sach bata do, and i’ll put an end to all of this.”

one more time i hear this dialogue, i swear, i’m taking a flight to bombay and beating his skinny 4 foot tall ass myself. 😠😠😠

GOD YOU TWO ARE THE FUCKING WORST. THE. ABSOLUTE. WORST. STALE BREAD? BETTER THAN YOU. SOGGY FRENCH FRIES? BETTER THAN YOU. PEOPLE WHO USE TOO MANY HASHTAGS IN THEIR IG CAPTIONS, LIKE #BLESSED #LOVE #BAE #INSTAGOOD #INSTACUTE #INSTADAILY #INSTAPUPPY #THUGLYFE #PHOTOOFTHEDAY #SMILEOFTHEDAY #FOODIE ETC. ARE BETTER THAN YOU. THAT GROSS MALAI THAT FORMS ON TEA/COFFEE YOU LEAVE ALONE FOR LIKE, 5 NANOSECONDS???? BETTER THAN THE TWO OF YOU. 😑😑😑

aaaaand he’s back to sad face fiddling with the ring. and this time she joins him (but in different location.) the couple that cries over their rings like a buncha STUPID fucking assholes together, stays together or whatever, i guess. idek anymore man. just show me what’s up with jhanvi and her creepy ugly boy-man stalker. 😒😒😒

i like how they just keep the shitty tejVi plot for the last 5 minutes, instead of editing it in between the other stuff. this way, the ppl who don’t care can just fucking get done with this in one go. 😊😊😊

“tum yahaan kyun aaye ho?” jhanvi asks man-boy, IN HIS OWN DAMN HOUSE, LOL. 😆😆😆

“tumhaare inkaar mein iqraar se bhi zyaada mazaa hai.” oh right okay, he’s one of THOSE. *sharpens my knife to stab him in his fucking ugly face* 😌😌😌🔪🔪🔪🔪

ok she couldn’t have made it plainer than that. but nope. creepers gotta creep creep creep creep creep. 😊😊😊

oh wait, we’re not done with the oberoi mansion for the day yet! 😯😯😯

god, this bhavya’s boss is just asking to get kicked. he’s so annoying. 😑😑😑

ABHI???? WHO’S GONNA HELP OUT WITH THIS WEDDING AND MIX ILLICIT DRUGS IN THE JUICE THEN? 😣😣😣😥😥😥

ugh no tej don’t leave her aloneeeeeeeeeeeeee. 😫😫😫 

words i NEVER thought i’d say, tbh. 😐😐😐

GOD HE’S SUCHHHHHH A FUCKING CREEP. FUCKING KILL HIM, JHANVI. 😤😤😤

this place is soooo fucking middle class, for the oberois to stay in? like... come on. 🤔🤔🤔

GOD DON’T BE FUCKING STUPID JHANVI. LOCK THE FUCKING DOOR AND STAY INSIDE. 😩😩😩

WHO THE FUCK HAS A CRUSH ON SOMEONE FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS? GET A GODDAMN LIFE, FOOL. 😟😟😟

GOD I HATE MENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN 😡😡😡

great more misunderstandings tomorrow thanks to the unholy (&hot!!!!) coupling of vikram + ragini 😒😒😒

aaaaaaaaaaand anika used “faraq nahi padta???” move

so absolutely nothing new happening. for the 12th episode in a row. 🙄🙄🙄

[lubdubsworld]

The unfaithful Wife ( Jimin /OC)

Chapter 2

I stopped short in front of my apartment, dread rising up inside me like a living thing as i stared at the man in front of my door. I swallowed nervously. How dare he come here? I pulled Jin Soo closer and hoisted him up into my waist , before walking over to the door. Lee Taemin straightened up from where he was leaning against the wall of the door and I resisted the urge to be physically sick. He disgusted me.

"Min Hee yah... Oppa has been waiting for such a long time... Were you held up by something?"

"What do you want?" I swallowed.

"Can't I come visit my favorite girl? Jin Soo, say hello to uncle.." He said to my son, who dutifully whispered, " Hello uncle."

"Jin Soo, come here..." I opened the apartment door and sent my son in , " Mama will be right there.. Why don't you go set up your truck.. We can play ??" I smiled and he nodded eagerly, rushing in to find his toy. I shut the door carefully before rounding on Tae Min.

"Stop chasing me. I don't want anything to do with you..." I snapped. Tae Min ignored me and reached out curling one finger around a lock of my long hair, yanking sharply. I shoved him away but he grabbed my wrists, pulling me flush against his chest. His grip was so strong I could feel a whimper build up inside my throat but I swallowed it.

"Leave.. before I call the cops..." I spat out and he rolled his eyes.

"We both know you aren't going to do that... Did you hear about your wonderful Jimin? He's getting married now. I think you can drop your penance now and come to me. " He said angrily . I yanked my hand away hard, although it hurt like hell and he let go.

"Get out. " I said, voice trembling.

"Your son is the rightful heir to the Park empire. Do you really want him to grow up like a pauper while some other child takes his place? Come to me and he can have everything he's supposed to have. Everything he deserves. Don't be foolish , babe. " He said warningly.

I glared at him.

"He will have everything he deserves and it doesn't have to be from you or anyone else. I can damn well give him the life he deserves. Get the hell out of my face.." I snarled.

He grinned at that.

"You're delusional if you think you're little cup-cake business is going to turn you into a freaking millionaire. Listen to sense, woman. Park Jimin is getting married. He's not going to forgive you or take you back..."

I snorted.

"You're an idiot, if you think I want to go back to him... I hate him almost as much as I hate you..."

"Really? ... So you don't mind the fact that I told him you're my mistress...."

I froze in place.

"What?" I whispered in disbelief.

"He came by the office earlier looking like death. And that bird-brained fiancee of his was yelling at him about you. i decided to bring some peace by letting him know that you were with me now, so he needn't worry. What's wrong? You should be happy.... At least you can have some pride in case you run into him... "

"You're disgusting..." I turned around to leave, reaching for the door knob but he yanked my hand away.

"I'll leave... but you know what always amazed me? How quick Jimin is at believing anything I tell him about you... I mean five years ago, he believed that I slept with you and today he was just as quick to believe that you're still sleeping with him. He doesn't trust you an inch, does he?" He said , sounding amused.

I pulled my hand away , my entire body shaking in violent rejection. It hurt so damn much because it was true. Jimin had never trusted me. When I'd needed him the most, he'd abandoned me. But he'd known Taemin since childhood. Even though they were business rivals, they were best-friends . So when Taemin had assaulted me, tried to hurt me in the worst way possible , Jimin had believed his rediculous story of me seducing him. Apparently he still believed it.

I shook my head resolutely. I would not let Park Jimin into my head again. What was done, was done. I couldn't go through that again.

"Make your choice wisely, Min Hee. One of these days I'm going to stop asking and I'm just going to take what I want." Lee Taemin warned as I slammed the door shut on his face.

~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm sorry about last evening." I said and Mrs . Min waved it off.

"I'm very familiar with how these society brats act, Ms. Kim. I'm not one to lose good talent because of some hysteric and insecure female. You're welcome to work with me, because you're good at what you do. " She said with a cheerful smile and i felt my respect for the woman grow tenfold. I wasn't used to acceptance. In the early days of my divorce, when the scandal and my face was fresh in everyone's mind, no one had wanted to give me a job. I shut away the old memories and smiled cheerfully at Mrs. Min.

"Thank you so much. You won't be disappointed." i said resolutely.

We spent the next few hours discussing the menu for the upcoming wedding and I had a very bitter revelation. No matter how long it had been, no matter how much I ought to hate the man who had failed me, I couldn't really bear the thought of him with another woman. It was a shameful realization , one that made me hate myself.

It was almost evening by the time I packed everything up, a blueprint and a timeline framed. There were two dozen different recipes to be perfected and tweaked and i could see a few sleepless nights ahead of me. I glanced at the clock and felt a little bit of elation. Mrs. Min had offered me an advance which would likely cover my rent and Jin Soo's daycare fee. It was also just a little past five which meant i could take Jin Soo to the park ,give ourself a little treat. i hadn't been out with him in over two weeks, weighed down by work. My mood perking up considerably, I slowly walked the few dozen blocks to the daycare.

In the beginning I hadn't been able to afford public transport everywhere. So I'd learned to walk. But now, it was more habit than anything else. I enjoyed walking in the fresh air. kit helped clear my head and brough a modicum of peace in an otherwise turbulent life. But today there was no peace to be found. Tears stung instead.

I still felt upset although the initial bitter anger that I'd had for him had now faded into a dull ache, a sort of hopeless acceptance really. Some relationships, I'd convinced myself, were only meant to reach a certain level. Maybe we were just one of those couples who were never meant to be together at all. It was easier to think of it that way, rather than to endlessly nurture hatred and anger for a man, who would probabaly never accept that he had been the one in the wrong.

But , stunningly, it was the good times we'd shared that were harder to forget. The late night ice cream runs, the walks, the shared dreams and the endless nights of passion. I hjad been young, but I'd truly loved him and in his own way he had loved me too. I was sure of that.  

But it had all changed when Lee Taemin had come into our life. He was Jimin's best friend , almost like a brother and they'd grown up together before Taeming had moved to Busan. He had been working in Busan before moving back to Seoul, about four months after our marriage. I'd always noticed the way he looked at me but I'd been a naive eighteen year old. Too embarrassed to bring it up to Jimin. It was the worst mistake of my life. Maybe if I'd confided early on, the events that followed would have gone differently.

One night, about a year into our marriage,  when Jimin had been working late. Taemin had come home. I'd been nervous , had texted Mirae to call Jimin.... Because I couldn't do it in front of Tae Min who looked drunk as well as dangerous. But that had just been another huge mistake on my part.

In the end my husband had walked in on Taemin pinning me to the couch, and to my complete and utter horror he had taken Taemin's side. I'd been furious and angry that he would suspect me , had walked out on him with dignified anger.

But what i hadn't known back then was that Mi Rae had always resented that I had managed to land the most eligible bachelor in all of Korea. So she took the opportunity to completely wreck my marriage. And hurtfully, Jimin fell for her little ploy. It took me a few weeks to realize that Mi Rae had told Jimin that I was cheating on him with Taemin and if he left at once he could catch me in the act. I'd been horrified and determined not to let a silly misunderstanding come between us. But it was too late and the damage had been done.

And i had begged. Shamelessly. on my knees, i had begged Jimin to believe me. But all he'd done was throw a cheque on my face and ask me to get out.

I stopped short when I realized that I'd somehow managed to walk past the Daycare center, lost in thought.

"Mommy!! You came fast..." Jin Soo threw himself into my arms and I melted a bit, the sweet smell of baby powder clinging to him . He was such a well-behaved kid, I always felt blessed. I may regret a lot of things about my life but I would never regret marrying Jimin. Simply because it had given me this wonderful boy in return.

"What say, we go to the park? Blow some bubbles, get some dukbokki..." I grinned and Jin Soo's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Yes.. Yes.. Park!!" He squealed and the caretaker, Ms. Lee gave me an amused smile.

"He's so happy when you come early. " She smiled. I nodded.

"I'll try to be early more often. " i said sincerely.

When I stepped out of the daycare , I got a genuine heart attack.

Park Jimin stood at the entrance, a shiny black Porsche parked near the curb as he stared up at the sky , seemingly lost in thought. He didn't seem to be there on purpose. So it was all just a hideous coincidence, that he'd somehow managed to stop right in front of the daycare when i was taking Jin Soo out. He was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and jeans and I swallowed  nervously. He looked even better than I remembered and I had a disturbing flashback to how he used to wear the same white t shirt and faded jeans on weekends that he would spend, wrapped up on the couch with me. I had to drag myself to the present, remind myself of all the reasons he couldn't see me now, with Jin Soo.

Just as I tried to make up my mind if i ought to just run. he turned around and I froze in my tracks , his gaze pinning me to the pavement.

And then I actually made the mistake of turning and running. Jin Soo cried out in shock as I held him closer.

I barely reached a few steps before Jimin managed to come ahead, holding both arms up as he stared at me.

"Min Hee, what the hell.."

"What are you doing here???" I hissed, panicking.

"What the hell a re you doing?" He rasped out. His eyes finally focused on Jin soo, who was staring at him in wide eyed terror, trying to burrow closer to my shoulder. I stepped back a few more steps and Jimin stared at me in disbelief .

"Jimin... You should leave.." I said desperately.

" He looks like me... Just like me... Fuck, Min Hee....  Tell me it's not what I think. You wouldn't hide something like that from me, would you??" He snarled.

I sobbed out a protest. " You kicked me out of your life, you have no right..."

"Like hell i don't.... Tell me the truth..." He demanded and I looked away from him, panting. We were in a public street and people were starting to stare.

"Let's... Let's talk about this like civil people..." I begged.

His eyes narrowed and then widened when Jin Soo burst into tears. His gaze softened and he looked torn. I quickly pulled Jin Soo close and shushed him.

"It's okay... baby.... This is a friend... Momma's friend.. Don't worry... He's an.. uncle.." I said helplessly . Jimin gave me a look that was impossible to decipher.

"Like Taemin uncle?" Jin Soo sniffled and both of us froze. Jimin's face slowly turned black and hard and I shut my eyes in despair.

"Yes... " I choked out." Like Taemin uncle.."

"We need to talk.." Jimin said fiercely and I stared at him. There was no sign of the man I'd once loved. He looked hard and unforgiving , like he wouldn't stop at anything to get what he wanted.  

I nodded bleakly.

"I.. I can meet you tomorrow. After dropping my ... After dropping Jin Soo off." I said quietly.

"Good. And don't even think of running away again. Now that I know what you've been hiding from me, I'll chase you to the depths of hell if you try to get away from me. you're not getting away from me this time." He whispered.

And then suddenly, chillingly, he reached out and brushed a strand of my hair away from my forehead.

The touch of his fingers to my skin made my entire body seize up.

"Jimin..."

"Tomorrow."

And then he turned and walked away.

[themangaguide]

Secondary school student comes under a fantasy globe

I am quite negative tester and reader, but I really feel that I should talk about this manga. I have to shield my manga since this the fiancees live together is one of my most favored mangas. And I hope you appreciate it as I did. This publication has to do with a mean high-schooler that's over? Common in archery. 1 day he's thrown into an area making use of Moon-Bro, has been delivered from the Bug in the cost that she 'd take one of his kids and where mentioned MoonGod-Bro clarifies that his parents are from another world. Our primary personality needs to be hauled additionally needs the duty in place, leaving letters to obtain his family members. After he arrives him throws right into the border of the earth for not being 'rather'. MoonGod-Bro saves him and also defines him that people have extremely power within this globe and also supplies him a few of his very own capacities in the area of the Bug's "true blessing". Giving so we will not see him again.

That's basically it, the rest follows his journeys in this brand-new universe. It is till these crap chapters as well as in which he participates with politics. Let us access to some concerns I've seen men and women complain around. This is the thing concerning individuals, they're trying to continue romance. Why will it not go away? Women, back to the subject? THAT !?!? Both friends in the world that admitted were reasonably rejected due to the fact that he desired to take it slow down as well as adore them prior to going out. He had not been being very easy, he turned them down, LIKE A NORMAL PERSON and did not enjoy them. The buddy in the border town's sis who seemed much like one? Why could he have feelings for this man that 'appeared like'? She did not believe of him as well as why could she? He is simply some random male. She watched him as a few crowded out rescuer, which she 'd make every effort to accomplish his subdued capacity after he rescued her as well as her sis. They haven't fulfilled given that and also were divided. The library her host sister and also woman? Alright, that curator has some psychological issues (initial idea, don't take me seriously) and can be experiencing lots of points right now. I think she's thinking of some educator that conserved her of her kingdom instead of love. Her sibling is also pointed out. The just one are his 2 fans, as well as there's absolutely no love!

How usually does the primary character of the fiancees live together need to state it! They do not appear to be crazy, although I will recognize, the ladies are throwing themselves at him. They have established a bond and also spent some time with each other, which means that they love and secure one another, nevertheless they aren't in love i shall seal the heavens manga Yes, they 'd jump at the idea of doing it with him, however if they socialize in later phases that they look much more like a silly household than a hareem (particularly with Shiki). There is no other way a link can originate from it because he does not require to, as well as he makes it clear. I actually like just how that they mingle as is, it's straightforward and also straightforward. People claim he's spineless leading them on but is just how an individual would certainly deal with these individuals that are wacky, bush off it or simply laugh. As well as some individuals today are inclined to forget, he's A NORMAL PERSON!! Not some very spy, not some planner thinking of the motion picture he enjoys. He deals that makes him look ordinary and stupid yet it's all-natural given that he's NORMAL.

And also you understand what? He's subdued yet does not utilize it. Simply how could he use it? He is a person, ignorant and also young. He doesn't have to use his power, he doesn't need to eliminate individuals. Permit him to remain his self that is tranquil, it's a small change in the normal 'eliminate, kill, eliminate' powerful individuals do. As well as yes, in those infrequent events he deals with, it's impressive! That's not whatever I wan na claim to safeguard my preferred manga, but I assume it's enough. If you're looking for a [light manga online] and don't know where to start. Give this manga a flight and also you'll love it.

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