#Buying a home in Sydney

[bennichomes]

Is Buying a Home in Sydney Still Affordable in 2025?

Wondering if buying a home in Sydney is still affordable in 2025? Explore the current housing market trends, challenges, and tips to help you navigate the Sydney property market.

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[cconfusedkat]

Day 309: heket keeps fighting shamura and leshy, kallamar keeps asking me for new outfits and quests, and dr sozonius has pulled kallamar leshy and narinder.

Shamura kinda just in their own world and have never once asked me for anything since the last quest where they ask you to find their skull or something i forgot what it was

Alsooo at 97% now 💪

[teamseaslug]

Wdym you're the worst person to go to con with. Your plan is a really good plan. 10/10 would go to a con with you

I'd go anywhere with you any day any time

[technixes]

How to Buy Real Estate in Sydney: A Comprehensive Guide

Seize Prime Opportunities: Buy Real Estate in Sydney Now

Sydney is still one of the most popular places for real estate buyers because of its famous skyline, stunning beaches, and lively culture. Buying real estate in Sydney can be a wise choice whether you're searching for your ideal house, an investment property, or a holiday. But just like any significant purchase, purchasing real estate in Sydney takes considerable preparation and thought. Everything you need to know about purchasing real estate in Sydney will be covered in this article, including the steps involved and crucial considerations.

Why Invest in Sydney Real Estate?

Sydney is an excellent destination to invest in real estate because of its well-known robust growth. From busy inner-city flats to suburban residences, beachside getaways, and rural properties on the outskirts, the city has a wide range of possibilities. Sydney continues to be a popular destination for both domestic and foreign buyers due to its strong economy, first-rate infrastructure, and strong demand for rental properties.

The Sydney Real Estate Purchasing Process

Although purchasing real estate in Sydney is a strictly regulated procedure, knowing the processes can help you avoid problems and make the process go more smoothly. An outline of the normal Sydney real estate purchasing procedure is provided below:

Establish Your Budget

Setting a budget is crucial before you start looking for a home. This entails knowing how much you are able to put to a down payment and how much you can afford to borrow. To evaluate your borrowing capacity, use an online mortgage calculator. To have a better understanding of your financial status, speak with a lender or financial advisor.

Obtain a Mortgage Preapproval

Getting pre-approved for a house loan will help you in the real estate market. When you make offers on houses, having a pre-approval might reassure you because it shows that a lender is willing to finance your purchase up to a specific amount. Additionally, it assists in focusing your search on properties that fit within your budget.

Begin Your Search for a Property

It's crucial to begin looking at properties as soon as possible, regardless of whether you decide to engage with a real estate agent or want to browse on your own. Sydney has a variety of choices, ranging from large suburban residences to apartments in the central city. Look at various neighborhoods to pick one that fits your long-term objectives and way of life.

Offer Something

You can submit an offer to the seller of a home once you've found one that interests you. Either a private treaty (dealing directly with the seller) or an auction can be used to do this in Sydney. In Sydney, many residences are sold at auction, making it a popular option to purchase real estate. Attending a few auctions beforehand is a smart idea if you're new to them.

Concluding remarks

Although purchasing a house in Sydney can seem overwhelming, you can successfully complete the process with careful preparation and expert guidance. Every stage is essential to guaranteeing a seamless transaction, from figuring out your budget and obtaining loan preapproval to negotiating offers and closing the deal. Knowing the steps involved in purchasing real estate in Sydney can help you make wise choices and safeguard a priceless asset for the future, regardless of your level of experience as an investor or buyer. When you're prepared to investigate the real estate market in Sydney, make sure you collaborate with knowledgeable brokers and attorneys who can help you navigate the process and guarantee that you get the finest deal.

[auspakhomeloan]

Your Complete Guide to Buying Your First Home: From Deposit to Purchase! 🏡✨

Ready to turn your dream of homeownership into reality? Our step-by-step guide walks you through everything you need to know, from saving for your deposit to navigating the purchase process. We cover tips on securing financing, understanding contracts, and making informed decisions. Let’s make your first home journey a smooth and exciting experience!

Get started here: Auspakhomeloans.com.au/first-home-buyers

#FirstHome #HomeBuyingGuide #RealEstate #HomeOwnership #DepositToPurchase #AuspakHomeLoans

[perfectbowlnsw]

Find the Perfect Dog Food Bowls for Your Pet's Unique Needs

At Perfect Bowl, we offer a wide variety of dog food bowls that cater to different needs and preferences. From stainless steel to silicone, browse our collection today and find the perfect bowl for your pet. Give your pet the best with our premium dog food bowls at Perfect Bowl. Our bowls are designed to promote healthy eating habits, reduce mess, and make mealtime enjoyable for your furry friend.

[investmentpropertystock]

What’s the Most Suitable Way to Buy a New Home According to Experts?

One of the major milestones that one wants to achieve is buying a new home. This is referred to as the biggest investment of your life. So, if you are already on your way to purchasing a new property for yourself and your family, make sure to find the best way to make it happen. This will help you avoid the daunting process and make you feel at ease. If you want to purchase one on finance, you can reach out to a good company offering property finance in Sydney or offering the way to avail of such finance.

But now that you are already here, you should consider the following tips by experts to make the purchase of a new property successful:

Beginning with Budgeting

Make sure to create a proper budget for buying a new home. Consider doing a thorough assessment of your finances and how much you can spend on buying a house, renovating it, and maintaining it. Keep all your financial commitments in mind before proceeding further.

Choosing the Right Location with Care

The quality of your new home matters, but only to a certain extent. What you should also consider and give equal importance to is its location. Make sure to create a list of all the amenities you and your family need. If you have growing children in your family, make sure to choose an area that has top schools.

Checking Your Credit Score for Home Loan Eligibility

If you are purchasing your new home on finance, make sure to check your credit score before applying for a home loan. The score will determine whether you will be able to get a loan or not. If you have good financial standing, you can avail of one. To buy a new home in Sydney on finance, you should get all your documents ready to check your credit score first.

Now that you know about these essential factors, consider them on a priority basis and, accordingly, proceed further to buy your new home. Amidst everything, reach out to the best property investment specialists to make this journey worthwhile. They may provide you with the best assistance and insights into your decision to make your purchase better!

[sydneymortgagebrokers]

Renovation Loans Revolution: Transforming Homes, Empowering Dreams

Embracing Change: The Renovation Loans Revolution

Welcome to the dawn of a new era in home transformations! In our article, "Renovation Loans Revolution: Transforming Homes, Empowering Dreams," we unravel the dynamic landscape of renovation loans and how they are reshaping the way homeowners bring their dreams to life.

The Evolution of Renovation Financing

Gone are the days of limiting your home improvement dreams due to financial constraints. The Renovation Loans Revolution introduces a paradigm shift in financing, offering an array of options tailored to suit the diverse needs of modern homeowners. From cosmetic upgrades to extensive overhauls, these loans empower you to envision and execute the home of your dreams.

Unveiling the Renovation Arsenal

Our comprehensive guide explores the arsenal of renovation loans available, providing a detailed look at popular choices such as FHA 203(k), HomeStyle Renovation, and more. Dive into the specifics of each loan type, understanding how they cater to different scopes of projects, allowing you to choose the financial tool that aligns seamlessly with your vision.

Beyond Finance: Expert Advice for a Seamless Journey

Embarking on a renovation journey involves more than just numbers; it requires expertise and insight. Discover a wealth of knowledge from industry experts who share invaluable advice on navigating the renovation landscape. From initial planning to the finishing touches, our guide equips you with the tools to make informed decisions at every turn.

Stories of Triumph: Realizing Dreams with Renovation Loans

The Renovation Loans Revolution isn't just a theory; it's a celebration of real success stories. Immerse yourself in narratives of homeowners who turned their aspirations into reality through the transformative power of renovation loans. These stories not only inspire but provide practical insights into the limitless possibilities that await.

Navigating the Future: Your Renovation Roadmap

A revolution requires a roadmap, and our article provides just that. Navigate the intricacies of your renovation journey with expert tips on budgeting, selecting contractors, and maximizing the impact of your investment. Whether you're a first-time renovator or a seasoned home improver, our guide ensures a smooth and rewarding experience.

Join the Revolution: Redefine Your Home, Redefine Your Life

"Renovation Loans Revolution: Transforming Homes, Empowering Dreams" is more than an article; it's an invitation to join the movement. Your home is a canvas waiting to be reinvented, and these loans are the paintbrushes that empower you to create a masterpiece.

Ready to be a part of the Renovation Loans Revolution? Dive into our guide now and witness the transformation of not just your home but also your dreams.

[renovationloans]

Revitalize Your Home: The Power of Renovation Loans Unveiled

Unlocking the Potential: A Deep Dive into Renovation Loans

Renovating your home is not just about paint and fixtures; it's about transforming your living space into a personalized sanctuary. However, embarking on a renovation journey often comes with financial considerations that can be overwhelming. This is where the magic of renovation loans comes into play.

The Renovation Revolution

In our guide, "Revitalize Your Home: The Power of Renovation Loans Unveiled," we explore the revolutionary impact of renovation loans on the way homeowners reimagine their living spaces. From cosmetic upgrades to structural overhauls, these loans offer a flexible and strategic approach to turning your dream home into a tangible reality.

Tailored Financing for Every Dream

One size does not fit all, especially in the realm of home renovations. Our comprehensive article breaks down the various types of renovation loans available, from the popular FHA 203(k) to the HomeStyle Renovation loan. Discover how these financing options can be tailored to suit your unique project, ensuring that your vision aligns seamlessly with your budget.

Expert Insights for Informed Decisions

Navigating the labyrinth of renovation loans can be a daunting task. That's why we've gathered insights and tips from industry experts. Learn the dos and don'ts of renovation financing, gain a deeper understanding of the application process, and empower yourself to make informed decisions every step of the way.

Success Stories: Real Transformations, Real Inspiration

Our article is not just about theory; it's about real people achieving real transformations. Dive into inspiring success stories of homeowners who turned their renovation dreams into stunning realities with the help of renovation loans. From small updates that breathe new life into a space to complete home makeovers, these stories will fuel your enthusiasm and offer practical insights.

Planning Your Renovation Journey

Embarking on a renovation project involves careful planning. We provide a roadmap to guide you through the process, offering tips on budgeting, finding the right contractors, and maximizing the impact of your investment. Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and resources to ensure a smooth and successful renovation journey.

Your Home, Your Canvas

"Revitalize Your Home: The Power of Renovation Loans Unveiled" is not just an article; it's a gateway to unlocking the full potential of your living space. Join us on this exploration of possibilities, where financial empowerment meets creative expression. Your home is not just a structure; it's a canvas waiting to be transformed.

Ready to embark on the journey of revitalizing your home? Read our comprehensive guide now and set the stage for a home that reflects your style, comfort, and dreams.

[batshit-auspol]

With the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, many of the former empire's resources were sold off to the highest bidder, and their $14 billion space shuttle program was no exception.

Seeking to recoup some of that eyewatering spend, in 1998, the "Buran" (Russia's answer to the American Space Shuttle) was offered up for sale on eBay for $10 million.

No serious offers were received - with most people assuming the listing to be a joke, until the New York Post confirmed the sale, with Russian authorities stating they "actually have two" if anyone is interested.

(Pictured: A later auction of a smaller scale Buran in 2005)

Sensing an opportunity, a group of Aussie entrepreneurs including Australia's first astronaut and the lawyer for Prime Minister Paul Keating offer to lease the shuttle from Russia, to put it on display in Australia during the Sydney Olympics.

After gaining permission from the Kremlin for the lease, in 1999 the Russian military briefly stops bombing Chechnya in order to dismantle the Buran, and it is placed on a barge to be shipped to Sydney on the (soon to be infamous for other reasons) Tampa shipping vessel at a cost of $5 million.

Once in Sydney, after a disastrous few months on display where crowds failed to flock to the shuttle exhibition featuring such compelling educational offerings as "activities is to assist in the development of issues of nutrition and hygiene at home" (an actual quote from their website) - the leasing company declared bankruptcy and washed their hands of the space shuttle completely.

The Buran Gift shop where you could buy soviet space ship themed football jerseys, in case you needed one of those

One of four people listed on the lease, described as a business partner of the Prime Minister, also claims he never knew he was a director of the company, which went on to cause a lot more problems.

This whole debacle presented a slight issue for the cash strapped Russian authorities, who had now only been paid $100,000 for the 9 year lease of the shuttle instead of the $600,000 they were owed. Eventually the decision was made to abandon the once $1 billion Soviet pride and joy in a Sydney carpark, where it resided for a year under a small tarpaulin.

Failed attempts to be rid of the shuttle included a 12 day auction hosted by an LA radio station, where listeners were offered the chance to buy the shuttle for $6 million, however all bids turned out to be pranks and the shuttle remained.

Multiple attempts were also made to sell the shuttle to Tom Cruise, with the exacerbated movie star's representatives repeatedly telling the insistent traders that he was not interested in owning a Russian spaceship.

Eventually a Singaporean group dismantled the shuttle and shipped it overseas, however Russian authorities soon reported they once again had been failed to be paid for the lease. Singaporean representatives responded that they definitely had paid for the shuttle, and that they simply couldn't remember when or how much was paid.

Representing the Russian government, Lawyer Suhaila Turani told the Wall Street Journal “I feel sorry for the Russians. They’re good in space, but they’re very naive in business.”

For a time the shuttle was abandoned in the storage yard of event company Pico, with the company owner telling the Wall Street Journal "I just want this thing out of my life" after three years of being stuck with it.

A few years later the shuttle was found by German journalists dismantled in a junkyard, and it was then bought and shipped to Germany to be put on display a museum, so all's well that ends well (except they dropped it from a crane while trying to set it up, but it polished up okay).

[softly-sirius]

The Staff of The Bear reacting to you wiping off their Kisses (GN)

Currently on Shift: Fak, Richie, Carmen, Marcus, Sydney, Luca

Fak:

When you wipe off his kiss he immediately breathes directly in your face, then asks if his breath smells. 

When you complain about him breathing all over your face like a dog he shrugs his shoulders. 

Then he’s mumbling about how he’s done much worse to your face.

 If you weren’t annoyed by his lack of upset before, you’re pissed off now. 

“Idiot” You mutter back, rubbing your cheek in misery. Until he kisses your other one, making you hide your smile with your shoulder. 

“Your Idiot” He hums.

Richie:

When you dare to wipe off Richie’s kisses? He is furious. 

Pins you to the nearest surface and covers you in disgusting, sloppy, wet kisses. 

Leaves a couple of hickeys on your neck for good measure too.

Will wipe off any of your kisses for the rest of the day saying ‘ew’ or ‘gross’ 

It’s funny until it's not and then he’s the one being pinned down and kissed within an inch of his life

Carmen:

Heartbroken, thinks about it all day

Because he didn’t say anything you assume he didn’t notice, but he noticed

You forget and kiss him when he comes home, but he tries to avoid it :( 

He spends all night trying to bring it up, but probably won’t

Please don’t do it to this poor man

Marcus

You give him a complex

Will laugh it off in the moment, but like Carmen he is thinking about it all day. 

Were his lips too dry? 

Buys lip balm and when you don't wipe away his kiss the next time he vows to always have lip balm.

You think the sudden amass of sweet-flavoured lip balms around the apartment is cute and you start sharing them and trying to guess what flavour he’s wearing today

Sydney

She’s always so busy, she didn’t even realise until she was out the door and sat on the L reflecting upon the morning, she was in such a rush.

When she gets home you are in for it.

She saw this prank and was planning on doing it to you first!

 She kisses you head to toe with spit-slicked lips and a glint in your eye until you’re begging for her.

She might not have gotten to do the prank, but she thinks she got the last laugh in the end. 

Luca

I’m sorry, but he will chase you around the boat threatening to spit and lick you in revenge. 

Gets his hands on your hips and pulls you up and into him and falls back onto the sofa (No matter your weight this man is ripped!) 

Sucks the wettest most disgusting hickey into your neck 

Sucks the wettest most disgusting hickey into your neck 

Definitely spits on you later

Still Hungry? Here is our Menu:

Would you love me if I was a worm?

Would you peel my orange?

Will you watch Barbie with me?

[lieslab]

Merry Christmas, please don't call

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎ ꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

Pairing: og8 X gn reader

Summary: When you struggle with the holidays for different reasons, the guys are right there to cheer you up.

Genre: Comfort/hurt

Word Count: 7K

Trigger warning: Loneliness, mentions of dead family members, grief, family issues, depression, insecurities, alcohol and drinking, and jokes about suicide as a coping mechanism.

If you or a loved one is struggling this holiday season, you can find some mental health resources here.

A/N: Some of these drabbles are rather lighthearted and others get a little dark. Whether you will be spending time with friends and family this holiday season, or spending the day alone, please take care of yourselves. Eat a good meal and drink some water. Let's survive this holiday season together and make the new year a good one <3

_ _ _

Chan: 

The clock struck noon and the chimes began to sing again. Another wasted day, another sound of silence, and another meaningful day slipping through your fingers. Lately, most days seemed to end up that way, but you couldn’t find it within your seeping soul to care. 

Most bodies were a temple, but yours was a walking grave. You were idle on the inside and just waiting for your time to go. Upside down on the leather couch, your arms dangled against the worn beige carpet. Your feet dangled over the back and on each side of the couch, two pillows sat in a place they called home. 

Chan was out today and he’d be out for most of the day. The two of you were having an extended vacation in Sydney, so he could visit his parents for the holidays. You were offered a chance to go along with him, but you politely declined. You didn’t want to overstep and it had been so long since Chan saw his family, you didn’t want to barge in and make yourself at home for the dinner they were making. 

It was a full spread with his father’s grilled lamb and some of his mother’s favorite recipes. His siblings were going to be there and you loved his family, but you hated the idea of sticking out like a sore thumb. Besides, you already had dinner with them a few times. 

You tried to get your mind off of it by cleaning the airbnb. His parents wanted him to stay there, but he wanted you to be comfortable. Plus, his old bedroom had been taken over by storage. Staying there required buying a brand new mattress, a box spring, and bedding. It felt easier to rent an airbnb. 

Your face grew darker and darker as the blood rushed towards your head. Your eyes shut and you let your hair dangle. While they were having dinner, you had to find your own dinner. Sydney was full of possibilities, but all you could think about was his father’s lamb. 

How many times had he raved about it? Back in Korea, he talked about it all the time. Whenever he ordered lamb from somewhere, it was delicious, but it was never up to the same standards as his father’s. The thought of it made your mouth salivate. 

“What are you doing down there?” 

Your eyes widened in shock. Above you, dimples formed in the sides of Chan’s cheeks. “Look at you, my little cutie.” He bent down and gently poked the top of your nose. “You look like a little tomato.” 

You huffed and lightly pushed his hand away. “Stop it, I’m just hanging out. Why are you here?” 

“I got halfway there and then turned the car back around. It didn’t feel right showing up without you. I don’t like the idea of eating a Christmas dinner without you by my side. Not to mention, my parents would demand to know where you were.” 

He grabbed one of your wrists, reached down to support your back, and supported you while you sat up. You allowed it, but when he tried to tug you off the couch, you hesitated. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

“I don’t want to ruin your Christmas dinner with your family.” 

“How will you ruin it?” 

“Your parents don’t get to spend holidays with you often. You should see them by yourself. They don’t need me there to worry about. They called Christmas a family gathering for a reason.” 

A soft sigh escaped his lips and he sat down beside you. “Sweetheart, you’re part of my family too. You don’t think my family considers you part of our family? Did you know that my siblings can’t wait for the day that we’re married? They’re excited to truly consider you a sibling.” 

Your head shook, your own stubbornness refused to let you see it. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” You tugged away, but his fingers didn’t let go of your wrist. 

“Talk to me, what’s really going on? What’s causing you to feel like this?” His hand cupped the side of your cheek. The familiar warmth of his thumb slid across your eye socket. “Please just talk to me. Do you not like them?” 

“Of course, I like them. I love your family, but I feel like an embarrassment. Shouldn’t I be celebrating my own holiday with my own family? I hate feeling like an intruder.” 

“Well, you’re not.” He leaned forward, his nose nearly touched yours. “You’re going to come along and, even if I have to drag you there, we’re going. If you’re lucky, maybe my dad might give you his lamb recipe.”

The pitiful look in your eyes was more than enough. He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to the tip of your nose. “What are you waiting for? Come on!” 

You squealed as he stood up and grabbed you. His fingers lightly tickled your sides and he hauled you over his shoulder. Your giggles filled the air with each dramatic bouncing step he took. 

No matter how much of an intruder you felt like, he’d never leave you alone.  _ _ _

Minho: 

The sudden shriek from across the room caused your eyes to widen. You glanced over and found Minho’s face returning to normal. Almost like he hadn’t just jerked his head back and let out the loudest wail known to mankind.

In his hands, a fresh ceramic mug of black tea sat. A steady stream of steam lazily twirled into the air. He ignored your look of concern, gently blew onto the drink, and took a sip. His lips smacked together and he let out a content sigh. 

“What the hell was that?” You finally asked. 

“What was what?” His eyes found yours. “Blowing on my tea? Can’t you see that it’s hot? Is your eyesight bad enough that we should take you to the eye doctor?” 

A blank look of your unamusement caused him to chuckle. He took another loud sip, trying not to laugh at your annoyance. You shut the book you were holding and leaned back along the couch. 

“So you’re just going to pretend like you didn’t scream?” 

“Oh, that?” He shrugged and adjusted his grip on the sage green mug. “I was just thinking about how excited I am to go home for the holidays. I can’t wait to see my cats again. You know them?” 

“How could I forget Soonie, Doongie, and Dori? Of course, I know them. Are you old enough that you have memory loss?” 

“I’m older than you, learn some manners.” 

You rolled your eyes, grabbed your book, and began to flip back to the page you were on. He headed in your direction, sat on the couch beside you, and placed his mug on the wooden coffee table. 

“I’ve mentioned my holiday plans a few times, but you’ve never mentioned yours. What are you doing for yours?” 

“I’ll be hanging out here in our apartment.” 

“What do you mean?” His eyes narrowed. “Why? What about your family?” 

“Pretty hard to celebrate when your family members are buried six feet down in the frozen ground.” 

He slowly blinked, wondering if he heard you right. You didn’t explain yourself, instead, you just continued to flip until you found the right page again. Your body relaxed back up against the arm of the couch and you started at the top of the page. 

When you didn’t clarify, he reached out, and he placed a sprawled out hand over the words, so you couldn’t read them. “What do you mean they’re dead?” 

“My family was small and there was an accident. They’re dead and life goes on. I haven’t celebrated the holidays since they died. Now if you’ll excuse me-” You pulled your book from his hand. “You’re blocking my story.” 

You acted like your words were normal. He wanted to know more, but you didn’t seem to be budging. He reached out, jerked the book away, and planted a finger in the page you were reading. 

“Hey!” You cried out. 

“We have to talk about this. You can’t just say that and expect me to be fine with that. No, no, no.” He brought up his free hand and wagged his finger in your face. “New holiday plans, you’re coming to my house to spend time with my family.” 

“Minho, it’s fine, really. I’ve gotten used to it and I’m okay with being alone. I’m not going to ruin your family’s holiday just because-” 

“Oh no, I’m not asking you.” He handed you your book back. You sighed and took it back. He pushed himself off the couch and began to pace while he pulled out his phone. 

You tried to ignore him, but curiosity got the better of you. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m texting my mom and telling her to make extra food. You’re going to meet my grandma and my parents. Your loneliness can be damned this holiday season. After this, I’m going to order matching Christmas sweaters for us and my cats.” 

“Huh?” 

“Don’t question me, my family is going to love it. I’m going to post the photos of my cats to Bubble afterwards. The fans are going to be mad. Not only do I have three cats, but they have matching sweaters, and they don’t.” 

“Do you always plan to torment your fans?” 

He finally glanced up from his phone. “Well, someone has to keep them humble. Nobody else is going to do it, so I will.” 

For the next twenty minutes, he kept showing you cat Christmas sweaters on pet store websites and asking which one you thought was cuter.  _ _ _

Changbin: 

“Are you staying there? Baby, are your eyes closed? Are you peeking? Stop it!” 

“I’m not peeking! My hands are over my eyes and I don’t know what more you want from me! I’m trying to be patient, but you’re freaking me out. What are you doing out there?” 

“DON’T OPEN YOUR EYES!” 

You were sitting with your legs crossed in the middle of the couch. Changbin came home from work wrapped in an oversized white blanket. Before you could even ask, he told you to stay put and close your eyes. So here you were, curled up, with your hands flat against your shut eyes. 

For the past few minutes, Changbin had been out in the kitchen. Soft clatters floated from the room, but you didn’t know what he was exactly doing. Every time you tried to peek, he’d shriek at you like a mother defending her eggs from a predator. 

There was more clattering and it was topped off with a giggle. In the kitchen, Changbin rubbed his hands together and grinned. “Baby, are you ready?” 

“Can I look now?” 

“One moment! I’m coming. Don’t look until I give you the okay!” 

Giddiness coated the lining of your stomach and you waited. His footsteps came closer and closer until they stopped altogether. “Okay, you can look now.” 

You opened your eyes with a smile on your face. It only grew wider when you saw what he was wearing. He was in a white button down long sleeve shirt. A black vest sat on top of it and a matching bow tie was secured around his neck. A white apron tied around his waist and gave the illusion of a long skirt. 

On his hand, there was a silver platter adorned with three styrofoam cups. You gave him a funny look, but all he could do was give you a goofy grin. As he balanced the platter, his legs began to move. 

“Hot! Hot! Ooh, we got it! Hot! Hot! Hey, we got it!” 

You slapped a hand over your mouth to stop the giggles from escaping. He moved and twirled around the living room with the platter. Unbeknownst to you, the empty cups were taped down and the tray was secured to the back of his hand with a strap. 

“Hot! Hot! Say, we got it! Hot chocolate!” 

His feet tapped against the floor and he spun around with the platter overhead. It took you a moment to find the fake mustache glued onto his face and when you saw it, you lost it. 

He didn’t stop singing and dancing. Your eyes widened as he stepped onto the couch beside you. You had to look up at him. He winked as your eyes met and he spun off and back to the ground. 

Just as you thought, he couldn’t do more, he moon-walked to the coffee table and jumped on top of it. Part of you was alarmed, but the other half of you was amused. He jumped off with ease and bowed in front of you with the platter held out to you. 

Heavy breaths racked his chest and his heart beamed with pride. Your hands went together and you began to clap in delight. He got back up, hurried into the kitchen, and came back with a mug of steaming hot chocolate. 

“For-” He sucked in a deep breath, “for you.” 

“Thank you,” You uttered as you grabbed it. “How long did it take you to learn the dance?” 

“About a week, but it was worth it to see that smile on your face. I know how much you like the Polar Express. I-I was trying to figure out a way to cheer you up, so I-” 

“Changbin?” 

He glanced down at you and you patted the space next to you. “I love you so much, you have no idea. This is the sweetest and most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. You look exactly like the waiters in the movie.” 

His cheeks went red and he brushed your words away. “It was nothing, really. Maybe I can teach you the dance and put a fake mustache on you. Do you think I should grow a mustache?” 

“I think if you ever find yourself out of a job, you should consider working on one of those trains that recreates the Polar Express. You’ve got the role in the bag.” 

“Is the hot chocolate good?” 

“Delicious.” 

“Good. Did it work? Did I make you feel better? You’ve been glum lately and I hate to see you so miserable during this time of the year.” 

You swallowed another sip before offering him the cup. He glanced over at you and giggled at the sight of the brown mustache sitting on your upper lip. His thumb reached out to wipe it away.

“Forget me growing a mustache baby, you would suit one perfectly.”  _ _ _

Hyunjin: 

“This is too hard and I’m dying. I know too many people. Why did I agree to go Christmas shopping with Felix and Jeongin?” Hyunjin’s hands wiped down his face and he groaned. 

Perched on your shared bed, there were four rolls of wrapping paper in different holiday prints. A bag of premade colorful bows scattered everywhere. Scissors were half open and nearly digging into his leg. The wrapping paper that he cut too short was scrunched into balls and littered the carpet beneath the bed. 

You were on your way to the bathroom when you glanced in to check on him. After coming home with multiple bags, he sauntered into the bedroom nearly an hour ago and he had been there ever since. He said he was going to wrap presents and you assumed he’d struggle, but you didn’t realize that it’d be this much. 

“Hyunjin?” You called out softly as you poked your head into the room. “Are you okay in here?” 

“Am I okay here?” He scoffed and gestured around. “Do I look like I’m okay? Look at this mess! How do you fold wrapping paper over a gift that’s not a square shape? I should have never let the guys talk me into buying so many gifts for people. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

You chuckled and stepped inside. “You’re very, very sweet. Do you want some help?” 

“Please. Preferably before Santa himself comes in and boots me from his workshop.” His arms crossed over his chest and his lips stuck out in a pout. “Wrapping gifts is too hard. We should just be able to give people items without them expecting wrapping paper.” 

“You don’t have to wrap them if you don’t want to,” you reminded him. 

“I know, I know. I want to wrap them, I just-” He sighed. “I’m just annoyed by it all. It’s really not that difficult, but I’m struggling with the amount of paper to use.” 

You headed over and grabbed the scissors. After searching for a few seconds, Hyunjin grabbed the tape and handed it to you. You glanced around at the gifts and nodded. “We can do this. Which wrapping paper and which gift?” 

He grabbed the black and red plaid wrapping paper. He nearly fell off the bed in the process of stretching to grab one of the gifts. Once he handed them to you, you gestured for him to follow you. 

You carefully averted yourself through the maze of gifts and headed out to the kitchen. He followed your steps and the moment his body broke free of the room, his stress melted away. You seemed so sure of your skills as you loaded up your tools onto the island. 

The first gift was a smaller square box with cologne in it. You unraveled some of the paper and set it in the center. “You see this?” You took the edge of the paper and rolled it up over the side. “You want this side of the paper to cover half the box.” 

“But it’s covering less than half?” 

You nodded and unraveled more wrapping paper. He watched as you adjusted the box and taped the first half of the paper down. You took your time letting the scissors glide across the end of the role. You pulled the other half over and asked for tape. 

He placed down a small piece, mimicking your previous motions. Once it was secured, you showed him how to bend and fold the ends. After you folded them, you let him tape them down. When you finished, you slid the box to him. 

“You made that seem a lot easier than it should be.” 

You chuckled at his words. “It’s really not that difficult to wrap a gift. My parents taught me that when I was younger. I’ve carried the skill around since then.” 

“God bless your parents.” 

You forced a smile at his words and watched as he disappeared to grab a bow from the bedroom. By the time he came back, you took your attention to the window above the sink. Painful memories adorned your brain at the mention of your parents. 

“Are you going to help me with the next one? You know I struggle with seeing things just once and being expected to know what to do. It takes me a while to get things.” 

You shut your eyes and nodded, still facing the window. “I’ll help you wrap the next one if you get it.” 

He kept an eye on you, worried about the sudden distance. Something flickered in your eyes when he mentioned your parents. When you reached up and wiped your eyes, he knew something was wrong. 

You weren’t expecting him to appear behind you. When his hand found your shoulder, you jumped slightly. Tears wet your eyes when you spun around to face him. Without a word, he tugged you to him. 

You couldn’t fight it. The familiar lull of his heart caused your eyes to shut. Your hands wrapped around his waist. “Family issues?” He uttered softly. 

“Something like that.” 

“I’m sorry I made you wrap a gift. I didn’t mean to bring up memor-” 

“Don’t apologize, I’ve missed wrapping gifts. Actually, I like wrapping gifts, but I’m not a fan of celebrating Christmas.” 

“So would you like to be a dear and spend the next few hours teaching and helping me wrap gifts?” 

“Obviously.” 

You forced yourself to smile, but he knew deep down that you weren’t okay. A storm brewed in the silence of your soul. Maybe one day you’d talk about it, but for now, he was just happy to be in your presence. 

He couldn’t heal the gaping wounds, but he could try to dull the ache.  _ _ _

Han: 

“Baby, please wake up.” Han reached over and shook your sleeping body. You had been asleep for a few hours and he was desperate for your feedback. “Please, get up.” 

When your groggy eyes finally cracked open, he grinned. “Hi there. I’m sorry for waking you up, but look!” He held open a homemade card and pressed it to your nose. “Be honest with me, can you read this?” 

“Kind of,” you mumbled. “Who is it going to?” 

“My mom.” 

“I’m sure she’ll be able to read it. Didn’t she grow up being able to read your handwriting?” 

“Well, yeah, but I wanted to make cards for the guys too.” He pushed the card against the bed and sat down on the edge. “I’m feeling festive this holiday season and I want to let people know how much I care about them.”

“Mm-hmm. That’s nice.” Your eyes slipped shut again and you twisted. You nuzzled the pillow and wrapped the blanket around your body tighter. 

“Baby?” 

“Huh?” 

“Do you want to get up and make Christmas cards with me?” 

“And send them to who? I cut off my family members, remember? I don’t talk to any of them to save my mental sanity.” 

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, baby, I totally forgot.” He laid down beside you and slithered his hands around your waist. You didn’t fight it as he pulled you against himself. “Is this why you’ve been sleeping so much lately?” 

“Here I’ve been going on and on about the holidays and the people around me, but I haven’t even thought about you and your situation.” 

“I’m not mad at you. I like listening to you talk about everything and everyone in your life. You’ve got a lot of love to give and creating homemade Christmas cards is cute. I’m sure they’re going to love them.” 

“I hate that you think your family issues make you unlovable.” 

“I-I don’t think-” Your voice cut off as a lump built in your throat. Tears began to build up and you blinked rapidly. Of course, you felt unlovable. 

Holiday ads were smeared with family gatherings. Songs chirped about winter and connection. Even when the birds migrate for winter, they fly to warmer weather with all their friends and family. So many creatures, human or not, have connection, but not you. 

You had Han, but everyone else? Everyone else seemed to be far away. Even when your parents’ compliments were backhanded. When your grandparents gabbed about your disappointing appearance and when your siblings reminded you that you were a loser, you were supposed to endure it for the holidays. 

It didn’t matter if you were their own flesh and blood. It didn’t matter if it hurt your feelings, you were just supposed to sit through it. You were supposed to be grateful you knew them. You were supposed to be thankful that you even had family. 

How many times have your holiday dinners been interrupted with a lump in your throat? When you excused yourself from the table, so you could let your tears fall in the privacy of the bathroom. How many times had you clung to the rope tethering your family together, despite no matter how much the rope burn rubbed your hands raw? 

So you walked away from it all. You were deemed an ungrateful traitor by your family members. They were the victims of your selfishness in your eyes, but if selfishness was what you had to be called to pick and choose your own lonely path of happiness, so be it.

You shifted and curled into Han’s chest. He held you to him tighter. One of his hands began to gently rub your back. The other hand went to the back of your head. 

“I can’t put into words how much I love you. I hope you get to hear it in some of my songs. I hope you’re able to pluck it out between the melody and the backing vocals. I hope you can feel it in my touch.” 

“Thank you,” you finally managed to utter through tears. 

“And for my next Christmas card, I’ll be sending it to your parents house. On the front, there’s a giant ‘fuck you’ written in glitter. Tis the season to tell them to fuck off.” 

You couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling up in your chest.  _ _ _

Felix: 

Jingling bells were mixed with sobs. The halls were decked with tissues. The snowy gray skies were dotted with misery and an impending doom that you just couldn’t shake. 

The holidays were a continuous slow death. The lack of sunlight brought in depression and your brain was haunted with past memories. Everything seemed to be decorated for Christmas, including downtown. 

A nearby business was having Christmas carols tonight and Felix wanted you to go with him, but you turned it down. It was an open invite by the business, anyone could come along and sing, but you didn’t have it in you to stand in front of a door of strangers and put on a smile. 

Your apartment was dark and when Felix first arrived, he wasn’t sure if you were home. It was only around seven and your car was in the parking lot, but the rest of the house seemed dead. Every light was off and there wasn’t a sign that you were around. 

He placed his basket over his arm and knocked but you didn’t answer the door. He frowned and knocked harder, but you still didn’t answer. Instead of leaving, he pulled off his glove, and pulled out his phone. He got to your number and hit the call button. 

Inside your house, you were drowning your worries in eggnog. You normally stuck to the non-alcoholic version that was stored in the coolers, but this time, you picked up a bottle at room temperature that was mixed with a spiced rum. Outside, the streets were wrapped in a velvet green and bright red, but your soul was tainted black. 

You thought about ignoring Felix’s call when his contact lit up your screen, but your hand moved before you could stop it. You answered the call and placed it on speakerphone. “What do you want? I told you I’m not singing tonight?” 

“I’m not here to gather you for singing. I’m outside and I have something for you. I thought we could do something together inside and enjoy each other’s company.” 

“Go away, I’m probably drunk.” 

“If you were drunk, you would have hung up. You forget which way is left and right. Why not let me in and see what kind of treats I brought?” 

You paused at the words and you glanced over at the front door from your spot in the kitchen. “Edible treats?” 

“Of course.” 

“Sweet treats?” 

“You bet.” 

“I’m coming, don’t leave.” 

He listened to the sound of your footsteps and when you finally cracked the door open, you looked like a mess. You smelled like nutmeg and rum. You hung up the phone in your hand and stared at him with red-rimmed eyes. 

“You poor, poor thing.” 

“I don’t want your pity.” 

He held up his hands in defeat. “Can I just come in? I think these things are cool by now and we can decorate them.” 

You eyed the wicker basket he was holding suspiciously. It was covered in a red and white patterned cloth. You couldn’t see in it, but you had suspicions about it. After a moment, you finally stepped aside and gestured for him to come in. 

He followed and a blast of chilled air rushed after him. You didn’t turn around as you led him towards your kitchen. He shut the door, kicked off his shoes, and he followed you. 

You flipped on the kitchen light, shielding your eyes in the process. The eggnog swirled in your stomach and with a small hiccup, you felt the alcohol crawl back up the back of your throat. You forced yourself to swallow it. 

“Welcome to my kitchen, you can do whatever here. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take a nap.” You began to turn and leave, but he grabbed your arm to stop you. 

“At least, look at what I brought with me first.” 

You sighed and spun back around. He peeled back the cloth and pulled out a variety of colorful piping bags. Small packets of gummies and candies followed. He even pulled out a few miniature candy canes. 

“What is this for?” 

He smiled at you and held up an undecorated gingerbread man. “I was hoping you could help me decorate them, so they could come to life.” 

“Why are you really here?” 

“Because I love you and I’m worried about you.” He placed the gingerbread man back in the basket. “Because every time I mention the holidays, you turn away and you scowl. Because you get a far away look on your face when I mention family and you frown.” 

That same frown that he had grown used to appeared on your face again. Just the sight of it broke his heart. His hand reached towards yours and he gently took your hand. 

“You don’t have to explain it to me, but I just don’t want you to feel alone this holiday season. I think everyone should feel warmth in this cold and I think you deserve it too. I love you and I don’t want you to feel alone.” 

The alcohol made you numb to your emotions. If you were fully sober, no doubt, you would have burst into tears. Instead, you just glanced over at his basket of gingerbread cookies. “And if they turn out ugly?” 

“Ugly cookies are still cookies at the end of the day, aren’t they? No matter what they look like, they still taste delicious. Deep down, they’re still loved.” 

When your lips met his, you finally felt the warmth you’d been lacking this holiday season.  _ _ _

Seungmin: 

“And for this holiday season, I might hang myself with the lights. Tell me, Kim Seungmin, would you kiss my corpse beneath the mistletoe? 

“I’d let your corpse kiss my ass beneath the mistletoe.” 

“I didn’t think you were into necrophilia, so I’ll have to note it.” 

“Fucking freak,” he grumbled. He turned back to the side of the house and continued to string the lights along the edge. The two of you had been working for nearly an hour, but it still wasn’t enough. 

You chuckled at his comment, but then you went quiet. Below him, you stood on the ladder with the raveled Christmas lights in your hand. They were wrapped around a piece of plastic and slowly, but surely, you were unstringing it as he hung the strands in clear clips. Your eyes finally found the ground and you held the lights steady. 

When you didn’t make another comment, Seungmin glanced down with a sigh. You didn’t hear it, too busy distracted by your own thoughts in your head. It took a few moments of him calling your name until you glanced up. “Hmm?” 

“Why are you making so many jokes about dying?” 

You shrugged, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “It’s not like I haven’t made jokes like that before. What makes it different this time?” 

“Well, usually you say you’re kidding afterwards, but this time, that never happened. You didn’t say you were kidding, you just pretended like you never said anything. I know you joke about it a lot, but it worries me that you’re doing it more than usual. Did something happen?” 

His gaze lingered, but you stayed quiet. Your teeth sank into the velvet section of your bottom lip. He began to descend the ladder when you didn’t respond. He walked over to you, pulled the lights out of your hand, and gently placed his hands on your shoulders. 

“Don’t do that. Don’t do that thing where you shut me out and you shut down. What happened?” He lightly shook you and caused your head to sway back and forth. “Just please tell me what happened.” 

“Nothing specifically,” you finally uttered as your eyes found the ground. “Nothing specific happened, I’m just struggling, that’s all.” 

���With what?” 

“It’s the holiday season,” you shrugged. “Haven’t you noticed that everything goes bad during the holiday season? A light bulb blows and you don’t have a new one. An elderly family member passes away. You feel warm and cozy because of the holiday season and then you’re slammed with the heartbreaking realization that people don’t care about you the way that you care about them.” 

His fingers gently dug tighter into your winter coat and you lightly shoved him away. “It’s nothing, really. I’m probably just being dramatic, but it feels like everything spirals during this time of the year, doesn’t it?” 

“I didn’t know you felt like that.” 

“I don’t want to ruin your holiday cheer.” You reached down and grabbed the lights from the ground. “At least, the house will look festive.” You tried to force a smile, but it came out as a grimace instead. 

He pulled the lights from your hands and put them on the ground. You let him tug you inside and into the warmth of your shared house. The scent of the homemade apple cider you made earlier still lingered. The cinnamon sticks swirled with sugar and apples and spritzed the air. 

Seungmin spun to face you and he reached for your coat. You stayed put as he began to unzip your coat and pull you out of it. The freezing temperatures caused the tip of his nose and the tops of his cheeks to turn red. He was working with gloves coating his fingers. 

“What are you doing?” You finally whispered as he peeled off your hat. He didn’t respond and pulled off your scarf. You stayed quiet and watched him begin to peel off his own winter articles of clothing. 

You blinked and tried to keep your focus away from his face. You weren’t sure what he was doing, but he looked rather determined. His eyebrow sat in a furrow and he threw his hat onto the couch behind you. 

When he finished freeing himself, he gently cupped your face. You swallowed the lump in your throat as your eyes met him. He finally began to speak for once. 

“You lost a family member this time last year.” 

“So?” You hoarsely uttered, trying to keep the tears at bay. 

“It’s your first holiday season without them.” 

You pressed your lips together, desperate to keep the tears away. Decorating a grave isn’t nearly as fun as decorating the Christmas tree. Christmas lights lose their allure. Santa Claus sightings, Christmas cookies, and holiday songs can’t tune out the emptiness in your heart. No matter how many parties you go to, no matter how many presents you wrap, it’s never enough to heal your bleeding heart. 

The moment tears appeared in your eyes, he leaned forward and pressed soft lips to the center of your forehead. Your eyes shut, savoring the flicker of attention, and seeping in his silent love. He didn’t utter another word as he pulled you into his arms because he knew that you knew what he was saying. 

A strangled sob came out and his arms slipped beneath you. With snow encrusted snow boots, he took you to the nearby couch. He didn’t care that he sat on the mix of scarves, hats, and gloves. He rubbed your back as you let the holiday turmoil ooze out. 

Not every season was meant to be jolly. Not every holiday would be full of laughter and smiles. Sometimes the lower branches of the Christmas trees would be empty underneath and hold nothing. Sometimes the people you wished to celebrate the season with the most would disappear. 

Seungmin would hold you until the snow on your boots melted and soaked the carpet. He’d cling to you until the sobs stopped. He’d do this forever if you asked him to. He’d sit here until the next holiday season and do it all again. 

Maybe next year, you’d feel better, but until then, you were entirely his.  _ _ _

Jeongin:

“I hate the holidays. I hate this time of year. I hate people dressing like Santa. I hate red and green, they’re the worst colors.” 

“Okay, Ebenezer Scrooge, we get it, you don’t like Christmas.” 

You glared over at Jeongin, but he didn’t seem to see it. Instead, he continued to fold a piece of white construction paper. Your arms crossed over your chest and he continued. 

“I think the Grinch might have more love in his heart than you and that says a lot. For someone who tore down Christmas trees and stole Who Hash-” 

“I get it! I get it!” You threw your hands up in the air. “I’m the most miserable person to be around this time of year. I know!” 

His eyes widened, he sighed, and shook his head. “Well, you’re not going to ruin my Christmas cheer. I’m making snowflakes from construction paper because I actually like this holiday, unlike some people.” 

You stuck your tongue out at him and he pointed his scissors at you. There was a loud snip, but he didn’t dare try to injure you. The two of you were back to playfully being a pain in one another’s ass. 

“How the hell do you make snowflakes from construction paper?” 

“You fold the paper over and over and over and over again. I think you’re supposed to fold it in a certain way, but I just fold in whatever way I want to. I take these scissors-” He snipped them loudly a few times. “I cut snips into the paper and I open it back up.” 

He carefully unfolded the paper and once it was back to its normal shape, there were multiple slits to create an uneven snowflake. “Look at it! A snowflake! Ta-dah!” 

“Why does your snowflake have scoliosis?” 

“Hey!” He cried and he tugged the paper to his chest. “Be nice to my snowflake. Haven’t you heard that each snowflake is unique? Bully my snowflake again and I’ll give you scoliosis.” 

“You’re going to open up my spine, curve it, and stitch me back up?” 

He held up the scissors again. “If you don’t stop it, I’m gonna scissor you with these scissors.” 

Your cheeks sucked in as you tried not to laugh. Realizing what he just said, his eyes widened. “Hey, no! Stop it! Not like that! Ugh.” He tossed the scissors onto the kitchen table. “Let’s go back to the main topic. Why are you literally acting like this time of the year is the worst?” 

“Because it’s cold outside and I’m miserable, Jeongin! Look at my feet!” You pushed your fuzzy-sock feet up in the air and wiggled them. “Look at them! I have two pairs of socks on and I’m still freezing!” 

You got up to show off your hoodie and sweatpants combination. “Look at me!” You spun around and gestured to your clothes. “It’s the worst time of the year to celebrate when I’m freezing.” 

“I can’t go swimming or to the beach. If I try to go outside on a walk, I nearly freeze to death. Don’t get me started about the glasses I wear. Going from the freezing cold outside to the warm inside and then being unable to see from condensation, it’s the worst!” 

“Is that all you have in your defense?” 

“Yes, Jeongin!” 

“Wow.” 

“Santa Claus would find more joy in the depths of hell during this time of the year.” 

“Do you even know how hot hell is?” 

“Hot enough that I wouldn’t be freezing my sweet cheeks off, catholic boy!” 

He shoved a hand over his mouth and turned away, trying not to laugh. You scoffed and shook your head. “Laugh all you want, but when I turn into an icicle in this household, it won’t be funny then.” 

“The heat is on.” 

“And I’m ten degrees away from turning into a freezing cold corpse.” 

“I forgot how sensitive you are to the cold.” 

“Oh, you have no idea. Grocery shopping and entering the cooler and freezer section is the worst. It doesn’t matter if I have on a hoodie and a coat. Once I’m cold, I’m chilled to the bone and it ruins my day. I’m cold for the entire day and can’t get warm.” 

He reached down and began to fold a paper. You settled back down on the couch after yanking the decorative blanket off the back end. You took your time tucking yourself in and leaned back. Your hands ran down the velvet and you sighed softly. “This is so much better.” 

“You big baby.” 

“Frozen corpse.” 

He playfully rolled his eyes, stood up, and began to head towards you. Without asking, he leaned over and wormed his way on top of you. The moment he appeared, more warmth flooded your body. 

“I’ve been blessed by Jesus himself this holiday season.” You basked in the relief as you shifted to get comfy. “Merry Christmas to me, you’re not allowed to leave.” 

“Who says?” 

“If you go anywhere, you’re getting a lump of coal for Christmas.” 

“A harsh price to pay. I guess I should just be lucky that some part of me loves you. Thankfully, my catholicism blessed me with patience and gratefulness.” 

You shot him an unamused glare. He responded with a dimple-showing grin. As much as he was annoying sometimes, you still loved him. When you shut your eyes, he shifted and placed his head against your chest. 

The craft snowflakes would be there later, but if he didn’t warm you up now, he was secretly worried your heart would freeze over, just to spite him.

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CRY BABY .♡⊹ (( bang chan )) mdni this is part 1 » FIC MASTERLIST

Chapters:

1: cry baby ((word count: 4.1k))

2: dollhouse ((word count: 3k))

⋆˙⟡♡

ONE: cry baby

you're all on your own and you lost all your friends, you told yourself that it's not you, it's them ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

It didn't matter how long the journey had been; when it came to reaching his hometown, fatigue and jet lag ceased to exist for Chris once his body felt the air of Australia. He had arrived at a wonderful time, with time to arrange things in his new home and visit his girlfriend.

Chris picked up his phone and sent a text to his girlfriend letting her know he had arrived and that he'd pick her up after work. There were still a couple of hours left, so he decided to order a taxi to take him to his new home. He had planned his stay in Sydney carefully and thoughtfully, considering every angle. It favored him quite a bit; his girlfriend of two and a half years lived here, he could continue working from the comfort of home, and he could pick up extra jobs that he didn't completely dislike. Indeed, for Chris, working hard and keeping his mind occupied was always better.

Everything was going quite perfectly that he couldn't help but smile. He bought his dream house a couple of months ago and had since begun his official move, moving his entire life from Seoul to Sydney. Returning, for him, was something he hadn't expected. He found it almost funny that after all his effort, he returned to where it all began, where everything started as a simple dream. But all his sacrifice had yielded excellent results since he had a steady job and stability, doing what he loved most, writing and producing music. When he announced he had to leave, his colleagues almost tried to stop him. He was quite successful and famous as a producer, but they understood that he could continue working, just not in that distant country anymore.

Chris looked at the beautiful landscapes the city offered through the taxi window. He was so excited that once he spent the afternoon with his partner, he would consider immediately go to visit his family. A long day awaited him, but he knew it would be worth it.

Buying a house in a neighborhood like this, spectacular in every aspect, suitable for childless couples, professionals, and simply for families, whose children rarely went out to play and make noise, and for retired elderly people living alone, was just what he needed, a large space just for him, even though it wasn't part of his plan; but suddenly a change in his life and routine sounded so good. Chris didn't know exactly why a house and not an apartment, to start with, as he had in Seoul; not even his own father understood it, Chris just excused himself saying he needed to own a more spacious place where noise could easily be canceled out, for the construction of his own recording studio... but inside him, perhaps there was a certain instinct that he wanted to start a family soon, he knew exactly that this wasn't his girlfriend's idea, not even as a joke, but maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny feeling like that in him.

Once entering the neighborhood, he felt the warmth of living in Australia again despite it being a slightly cool afternoon with the sun hiding behind the clouds. He never thought he would come to this place; he always believed he would live in Seoul for the rest of his life; he was so excited to start a new life but still leaving aside illusions, if something went wrong, he knew he could flee to Korea whenever he wanted... but he wasn't like that, he was never the type of guy who just run away. In fact, he thought that he left Sydney to pursue a dream, never by choice; it would be a lie to say he didn't like Seoul since it was his home for a long time... but once he could see the green grass, the well-kept roses of the people, he realized he had disconnected a bit and had lived in the noisy city long enough. This was what pleased him the most, nature, and if he wanted more buildings and noise, the city center wasn't far from his new address.

He stood there for a few seconds admiring the facade of his new home and noticed a teenage boy entering the house next door, they must be the neighbors, he thought. When he was initially given a tour of the house, as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, a woman welcomed him, told him her name but Chris didn't remember it, she mentioned that she lived with her family and other things like how much they had started to remodel and modernize that house. Still, he felt strangely safe, the distances between the houses were large enough to provide privacy, to his right was that family he supposed consisted of the teenager, and to his left was an older widow, or at least that's what the real estate agent told him.

He sighed in frustration at the sight of the pile of boxes scattered around and thought that he didn't have enough time, but fortunately, he was always prepared and a step ahead, so the interior designer would come tomorrow with her team to help her move stuff. He had to prepare as soon as possible for the start of his new job in the morning, as a professor at the university. He would teach two subjects related to music at different levels, and a few courses about Asian culture. He was nervous, but he had become a teacher in his spare time, and he felt quite prepared for whatever he might face.

He was hesitating whether to take a nap or move a few things in case Leah, his girlfriend, wanted to come; Chris ran his hand through his hair, thinking, so he opted for the second option; he cleared the living room area, tidied up, cleaned a few things, took a shower, and without thinking twice, it was time to pick up Leah.

He took the keys to his new car, really taking seriously the idea of living in Sydney and being well prepared. Ready to have a new life. He felt tense when he realized that he would be driving in Australia again and that the steering wheel was on the right side, unlike his old home where he had obtained his license from a very young age. Still, he set his GPS and left; this time, as he passed by the house next door, he now noticed it was a girl entering the house.

When he finally picked up his girlfriend, the sky was completely dark, and he noticed how tired she looked; Chris felt slightly bad and reproached himself for not thinking earlier and not bringing her a small romantic gesture of welcome, even though he was the one who had just arrived. They hadn't seen each other for a long month, he missed his girlfriend so much that it almost physically hurt not to be with her. A few seconds later, Leah's expression softened, and her serious demeanor turned into a warm smile.

“Channie” she called him affectionately by his Korean nickname, almost in a sigh, and extended her arms.

Finally, they hugged for just the right amount of time and exchanged a tender kiss. He had met her almost three years ago in Seoul; she worked in advertising for a magazine and was somewhat related to the entertainment world, so her social circle was so similar to Chris's; like him, Leah had grown up in Australia with Korean parents, the only difference being that she did have her whole life back in Oceania; still, he was captivated by her at that party, she was only two years younger than him, Leah at that time was just a beginner still in college on a trip in Seoul with her other circle of friends, and he was a recent graduate with a special gift. Despite the differences, they decided to give it a try, leading them to a long-distance relationship for just over two years, but it didn't matter now, at least not anymore for him; right now, he was with her, and he could have her whenever he wanted.

Chris, or Chan to her, caressed his girlfriend's face as he gave her a gentle kiss, breathing in her perfume one last time before pulling away and lowering his hand to her bare thigh with a smile.

“Do you want to go out to eat? Should we go somewhere...?” he spoke.

“Mm, let's order food and you can show me your house.”

“It's still a bit of a mess” he warned.

Chris let out a small laugh and did exactly as Leah had suggested. She had been inside the house before, but she was always surprised at how well laid out it was in terms of space and design. He found her reaction endearing and with a smile on his face, he thought about how all of this might one day belong to her too. They both headed to eat at the small and only nightstand table in his TV room; some larger items were arriving tomorrow, so for now, that was what they could improvise with. As they ate, Leah kept talking about how stuff should be arranged to create harmony and coherence in the house. Chris listened attentively and lovingly; they talked about their respective jobs and what awaited them.

After sitting in silence and letting the food settle for a while, Leah spoke.

“Is your room upstairs...”

Chris turned to look at her; not seeing her for a long time suddenly had a quick effect on him, and from one second to the next, he found her ten times more attractive.

“Yeah, do you want to give it your approval?” he replied playfully, hoping this would lead to something else.

Chris looked at her profile for a few seconds before she turned and gave him a teasing smile in response. He examined her, from her smooth, slightly upturned nose and her legs barely exposed by the skirt, to her shiny, loose silk blouse. Suddenly, every detail of her drove him crazy and made him feel like a hormonal teenager. He wanted to fuck her right there, right now.

He felt that her mischievous smile and soft gaze were enough signals for him, so he dangerously leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. He started slow and passionate, his right hand traveling up to the hem of her skirt, playing with the thin seam, unsure whether to slide his hand gently between her thighs or do it quickly in one swift motion, while the other hand firmly held her waist. Chris was gradually losing himself, his tongue slipping in, giving her a bolder, dirtier kiss; however, after a torturous session of just wet and hot kisses, Leah squirmed out of his grasp and pulled away from him slowly.

Chris looked confused, but his girlfriend's expression only worried him. With her pink, swollen lips, Leah suddenly seemed shy, with her eyes cast down. In seconds, Chris realized that maybe it was just something she didn't feel like doing right now, and he respected that... but it still seemed quite strange to him. Had she pushed him away? Since when did she reject him? Every time they saw each other, because of their painful long-distance relationship, the most intense and pleasurable sex awaited them.

Chris wanted to believe that maybe it wasn't the best situation for her, tired in her work clothes after a long day.

“It's a bit late... and we both have to work tomorrow” she said, raising her gaze and captivating Chris's gaze, “You'll do great, love” she smiled.

He knew her so well, he didn't understand why she suddenly gave him an awkward smile pretending to be kind... Had something bothered her, and he had no idea? He wanted to ask her so many things, but Leah stood up from her position on the floor and grabbed her bag.

“I really need to rest, and it's getting late. See you tomorrow?” she interrupted.

Chris quickly got up and gently took her waist.

“Of course, I'll drive you home.”

As they got into the car, Chris looked at the completely quiet street, with no noise, the houses perfectly illuminated, there was no one outside except for the two of them and the mysterious girl next door coming out of her house with the cold wind blowing her hair.

During the drive, Leah became herself again, outgoing and energetic. She told her boyfriend how they should spend the short break he had as teachers in September; he just thought about how grateful he was to have a sweet moment with her and looked at her with tenderness when the traffic lights indicated he should stop... yet, he was a little hurt, deep down, slightly bruising his pride as a man that he didn't get any physical intimacy from his girlfriend that night... he had waited so long, he thought he could reward her, and when his house is no longer a mess, he would make sure to satisfy her and shower her with gifts.

“I'll see you tomorrow, Chan” she leaned in, giving him a quick goodbye kiss, “Call me.”

Again, for the third time that day, she felt strange to him. It was obvious she wouldn't be the same young woman she used to be, capable of throwing a party every time they saw each other... but he felt there was something about her that she had to tell him as soon as possible, or he would go crazy. It wasn't surprising, Chris was an intense guy.

Once he returned home, he threw the keys with fury... he had tried to keep his sanity, but the more he overthought it on the way back home, the less sense it made to him. She didn't anger him, never could he be angry with her, it just, maybe, he thought, it was about him.

He went up to his room, in one swift movement he took off his shirt, feeling the cold air seeping through the small opening in his window. He checked the time on his phone, 11:43 p.m., he needed to rest, to take a shower in the morning and start his day... but he could only think about the romantic date options he could do on a simple Monday.

As he took a few steps towards his bed, approaching it, he noticed through his window how a faint, warm light, not so noticeable, managed to penetrate into his dark room. He turned his body and cursed for not remembering to put up curtains before; for a moment, he felt sorry for not realizing that significant detail, he was so used to the large windows in his old apartment in Seoul restricting the view. It was obvious that there was another room, right next to his.

Chris didn't want to pay attention, but catching the subtle silhouette of a girl sitting by his window captivated him inconsistently. She was wearing a thin white tank top despite the cold weather. He thought about how warm her room looked while giving it a quick inspection. The girl had her face buried in her naked knees, and her loose hair covered her face; her arms embraced her legs. Suddenly, she pushed her hair behind her ears, revealing just her profile. Yet it wasn't hard for Chris to see that she was crying. Her cheek was shining, wet, and he could see the small tears sliding down.

The girl by the window began to sob, causing her back and chest to contract. Chris suddenly didn't want to watch; he felt like he was invading her privacy and pain. But somehow, he couldn't stop watching her; he was so dismayed, but he was more bothered by the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off her.

He had no idea how long he had been watching her... but somehow, deep down, he thought, in the most hidden part of himself, that she looked strangely beautiful crying. The large rectangular window frame captured that girl with glowing cheeks and slightly messy hair, crying in what seemed to be a corner with books and a seat by the window.

The girl by the window closed her eyes tightly and slowly lay down, facing away from Chris's window, ending the performance completely. Finally, he reacted; she was still sobbing, her back moving uncontrollably, but it was harder to see her now.

Chris didn't know what had come over him; he almost felt annoyed that his neighbor didn't put up her own curtains. He could see everything, from his bed, which was positioned so that it faced his room directly, to his posters on the wall, to her backpack thrown on the floor.

Chris sighed and tried not to worry about his neighbor anymore. He wanted to think it was just a young girl in the age of broken hearts and not something deeper... but she was crying with such emotion that it made his head spin. He puffed his cheeks, letting out a sigh, and, retreating to the window, he took off his pants, slipping into his sheets, making sure she wouldn't accidentally turn and see him. Unlike her room, his bed was positioned sideways, his front door facing his bed, and her room's door was on the right side of the bed. Somehow, he felt like her room was more exposed, so he would have to move to avoid causing her any discomfort.

At dawn, the light bothered him, and he prayed that the girl had her curtains closed. Otherwise, he would have to get up semi-naked, and if she saw him, she might think he was a pervert. And just for his luck, some pretty white lace curtains covered her window; Chris was able to leave freely and go to wash up, taking his clothes with just a towel covering his lower half and changing in another room.

Chris looked at himself in the mirror, wondering if his outfit was appropriate: formal pants with a black button-up shirt. He wanted to think it was the best option for winter. He adjusted his dark hair before heading downstairs for breakfast, tired of boxes everywhere; he hoped everything would be in order between today and tomorrow for a better rest.

As he left, driving his car towards the university, he saw her again, walking down the sidewalk in the same direction as him; the famous girl who had been crying by her window, his neighbor, wearing blue jeans, white ankle boots, and a thin pale pink sweater. He saw her so fleetingly that he only saw her profile once again and noticed her backpack slung across her body.

And then she saw him too, just in a quick glance, driving his car, dressed all in black. She hadn't seen him completely, they hadn't even introduced themselves, but her mother confirmed it, he's a very handsome young man, he lives alone, and he bought the property outright, he must have a lot of money. His name is Christopher.

She had seen him at least twice, an embarrassing encounter in the morning when she tried to open her curtains just before leaving home, as she always did, but found his broad back naked, wearing only a towel while holding his clothes; Celeste immediately slid the curtain with embarrassment and just left her room. She hated to admit her mother was right, but the short two seconds she saw of his build weren't bad at all. And the second time was just moments ago as she headed to the university.

So that's her new neighbor, a man who emerged out of nowhere, bought that modernized house that had been empty for so long. She was so used to there being no one next to her room, now she had to be careful of walking around wearing with what she’s comfortable with.

Celeste took a couple of buses and one more subway line to reach her campus, where the first classes went by normally, and it wasn’t until brunch when the only person she talked to approached her.

“Celeste” he said to her.

She looked up from her food, observed him, gave him a smile, and invited him to sit with her gaze.

“I heard we’re finally getting a music teacher” he said again.

“Wow, it’s about time, it’s been a week”, she replied.

The guy smiled at Celeste and took one of her fries.

“There’s going to be an art exhibition, you should come” he suggested.

“When?” she asked.

“Friday at 7.”

Celeste raised her eyes, thinking if she had to work that day and concluded that if she asked for the day off they’d give it to her since she worked a week with no days off, she could perfectly go see Hyunjin’s exhibition.

It wasn’t new for Celeste to be somewhat… strange. She didn’t know how to explain it, but little by little, she distanced herself from all the people she once spoke comfortably with, and surprisingly, the handsome exchange student was the only one who talked to her. He was two years older than her and was studying visual arts, yet he decided to take music courses, and that’s where they met.

“I’ll be there” Celeste replied, checking the time on her phone. “We still have about 20 minutes ‘till class” she added.

Hyunjin smiled at her; he was quite handsome and popular, so a part of Celeste wants to feel human and like him like most do, if she paid proper attention to him... she could develop feelings for him, she hated the feeling part, and that feelings lead her to false illusions but she felt that in her dull life she needed to at least, have a little crush on someone. Maybe that would help distract her.

Falling in love was something Celeste didn't know, something that was out of her hands and even something she thinks is out of her reach. It's not that she doesn't want to have attention and affection... she just gave up and decided to think that maybe life is lonely for her. Her last intimate encounter and affection for a man was when she was 13 years old at a birthday party when she was dared to kiss someone, that was her last and first kiss. The rest of her years she lived normally without the opportunity of a prospect and love... that was one of the last things she thought and cried about, truly. Love.

The depression and anxiety was diminishing her libido and she remembers that maybe the last time she masturbated out of boredom was a year ago.

But Hyunjin... Celeste thought about whether she should like him, whether she should bring excitement into her life for the first time in twenty years.

She was an interesting and pretty girl, shy, but lonely, she isolated herself too much and lived absorbing the pain and problems of her surroundings; her issue was that she felt too much that sometimes she would go into a kind of self-control, on automatic, off without feeling anything, until she overloaded herself and exploded, it was always the same with her and she felt pathetic that she could never change. Her behavior led her to pull away from everyone... wondering why they didn't come back to her, maybe it's them, not me, she thought constantly.

Celeste watched Hyunjin closely as they talked for 10 minutes and the next 10 they used it to walk to the classroom. She was quite observant and took it upon herself to memorize every detail about him, his full lips, his eyelids hiding in his sharp brown eyes, the almost invisible mole under his eye, thick dark eyebrows, long hair and big hands, come on Celeste, feel something, she thought.

She wanted to bang her head against the wall, only then did she think she would come to her senses to feel something for someone as attractive as Hyunjin, besides he was an artist and the only person nice to her... she felt like a heartless bitch.

Arriving at the classroom, Hyunjin and Celeste sat together and the teacher was already inside as well. She spotted his silhouette as she passed, but saw him completely once again looked up at him... suddenly he seemed so similar, those broad shoulders and all black clothes, she shouldn't have been excited, but something small grew inside her, perhaps the intrigue that maybe her teacher is also her new neighbor? Suddenly the big city she always grew up in seemed small to her with such a coincidence.

Celeste was at least ninety percent sure it was him, she watched him a minute longer and as she felt their gazes cross, she turned to Hyunjin, embarrassed. Class started two minutes later and he finally introduced himself.

“I am Christopher Bang. Sorry for the delay of the subject by a week.”

TWO: dollhouse

places, places, get in your places, throw on your dress and put on your doll faces. everyone thinks that we're perfect, please don't let them look through the curtains ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

Celeste had lived in that house her whole life. It was only when she turned 18 and graduated that she managed to leave for a year and breathe… but due to economic reasons, she had to return. It's not that she wasn't grateful… she just needed a break from what her family could sometimes be.

Her father was an accountant who worked hard to provide his children with a home in what was considered one of the best neighborhoods in the city. At least she agreed that he did the right thing in that regard. However, he was insolent, dishonest, and unfaithful. She discovered her father's infidelity when she was only eleven years old, one June night when her father probably thought the house was completely empty since her mother usually took them —her younger brother and her— to visit their aunt… but that day was different, one of those when Celeste's puberty rebellion hit, and she refused to go with them. So, she wanted to stay in her room… until she saw them, him and his lover entering the house. She was so surprised, scared, and overwhelmed with emotions that she didn't know what to do, so she pretended not to be there. Overnight, her innocence was gone in an unpleasant way.

She couldn't live with the guilt, so a year later, she confessed it to her mother. Celeste already knew the gravity of the situation by then and had considered a million options that could happen: her mother going crazy, even blaming her daughter for not telling her, or a calm and depressive reaction… but in all scenarios, Celeste maturely considered divorce as a good option. She felt that she was no longer a child, she could live with it; after all, she had discovered that her father was not a good person and that her mother could take care of them. The only concern of poor twelve-year-old Celeste was her younger brother, who at the age of eight, for them, everything seemed like a fairytale, and having both parents was part of their fantasy world. She hated that she cared and loved him… but she was sure that the little one could overcome a divorce. She didn't want to be there anymore; she couldn't even look at her father in the eyes, she was always avoiding any encounter with him.

But her mother's reaction to the truth was… something different from the expected options. Even after years had passed, it still seemed so strange to her. They were there, sitting in the dining room, and it was three days after Celeste turned 12, on a rainy day in July when Celeste got tired of crying and wondering every night why… her birthday celebration made her angry; she didn't feel so sad and dejected anymore. She hated the way her father pretended to love her and everything was fine, the way he played with her brother and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, she couldn't stand it anymore, so she told her mother. That time she had murmured an oh, and stared fixedly at a fixed point.

“I know, because I saw them,” Celeste said before her mother even asked anything else, but she didn't, she didn't do anything and was shocked. During the night, it was as if nothing had happened, and she served dinner… that wasn't what she expected, she wanted a scene and chaos; she wanted there to be shouts, but somehow she was grateful that there was no such behavior because of Celeste's little brother. But she was blinded by hatred and remorse towards her father.

The next day she remembers that she reproached her mother, shouting, “won't you do anything?”. She didn't answer. After that, she felt so cold and distant, her father was becoming more and more obvious with his affairs, the smell of a perfume that wasn't his wife's, spontaneous outings, and even nights without returning home.

Celeste couldn't stand pretending to be okay, and two months later, after seeing how her mother deteriorated and faded more and more, she walked to her father's small office in the house, being completely a mess, and told him the truth. “I know you have another woman, maybe mom wants to keep pretending with you but I can't.”

She remembered her father's expression, the surprise on his face and its paleness. Celeste didn't expect a response from him, so she was about to leave, but back then her father acted quickly, getting up from his chair and questioning her. “I saw you, don't try to deny it.”

The following years were him trying to fix it and build a bond with her but it was in vain; suddenly her little brother wondered why his father was too lenient with his sister. Celeste lived through her remaining teenage years trying to be someone normal until she finally got lost in music; she didn't want to spend time at home so she tried to enroll in all the extracurricular courses at her school that didn't involve physical effort like sports. Months later after her horrible confrontation, she found a passion for the piano, all her following school years were based on music, being in recitals whose events she never invited either of her parents to, playing for the drama club, being in the literature club, debate club, creative writing club… until she enrolled in her chosen university dedicated to that one thing she was passionate about.

At first, she knew she would annoy her parents with her career choice, but it was the perfect time to blackmail her father to pay for her institution. She wasn't anywhere near forgiving him, but the psychological damage somehow had a price: getting out of that house. Celeste had a busy life, after rehearsals, she started having part-time jobs since she was sixteen with the dream of living in her own space near the university.

She was so busy, she would come home around 10 or 11 at night and what she found at home was devastating. Her mother was a secretary who became a housewife after her second child was born, a boy named Blake. She dedicated 12 years to taking care of her children until she found out about her husband's infidelity. Cecille gradually became an alcoholic.

Celeste had to see it every night when she came home from work. Her wasted mother lying on the couch with the TV on and a strong smell of alcohol. Celeste had tried everything, her aunt's intervention, enrolling her in support groups, but her mother didn't seem to cooperate.

When she turned fifteen, she begged her father to divorce her mother, but she refused to accept it.

Every now and then she had to go check on her brother, to make sure he didn't turn into a complete idiot like his father, or simply into a bad person, related to what was he seeing at home. But even in that, both dysfunctional parents were lucky, Blake was a shy boy, four years younger than Celeste, who grew up with a passion for physics and mathematics; unlike her, he did go out in the afternoons with his friends and lived a life outside of his home. He didn't care how bad things were, as long as he had somewhere to live and his own space he was more than okay, even when he was fourteen he managed to steal alcohol from his mother to go try it at a friend's house later, not everything had to be so bad, or at least that's what he thought… sometimes Celeste wanted to be like him and try not to worry too much. Little by little, both of them grew up without showing affection, Celeste thought that maybe that's why it wasn't something she sought in other people, her perception of love and respect had been so damaged since she was young but she couldn't accept it. She never felt anything when she saw her classmates holding hands, seeing the cheesy actions of strangers showing affection, a hug was something she only remembered fleetingly from her childhood.

When she finally turned eighteen, she found a roommate and rented a dorm room on campus; that place wasn't her dream, the floor was noisy, full of extroverted theater kids, but it was all she had. She had lived like that for a whole year, with no communication to her parents, working and studying at the same time, only communicating with her brother to wish him Merry Christmas and New Year, and in May, to wish him a happy birthday. It all fell apart in her second year of school when her roommate told her she was moving out and Celeste couldn't afford the full expense, she already had an academic scholarship and her parents were still paying for her institution.

Celeste did it, she called her brother on a normal day that wasn't a holiday, her little brother advised her that she could go back home, that's what he would do when he entered college, since it would only take him routes and buses to get there. “I'll let mom and dad know,” he told her over the phone before abruptly hanging up. Celeste couldn't answer, she couldn't say don't do it. And she insisted by text that she would manage on her own. That day her heart broke when she read the text from her fifteen-year-old brother saying: why do you hate them? come back home for me the uni is literally half an hour away from home

She had no choice, she had everything, she wouldn't pay rent, her payment at the university would continue, she would only work to buy her own things and take care of Blake. She never thought he would feel abandoned. She thought about how much it must have sucked to come home alone, with an absent father and an alcoholic mother.

When she told her roommate that she would return to her home in Woollahra, her expression was incredulous, “you've been living there all this time? Why would you want to live in an uncomfortable dorm?”. Celeste wondered if she was being ungrateful.

And then she returned, her father couldn't be happier, and even her mother's dull face lit up at having her only daughter back. She would go back to being the same, practically just going home to sleep.

If she had everything… why did she feel so empty. Her room was still the same as they had decorated it since she was eight, covered in pale pink and white shades. The years passed and she continued to support her brother, going to academic competitions he attended, and for the first time, she asked him to come see her perform at a recital in her university's auditorium.

And so her life remained, until now that she felt stuck once again, in her third year of university. She felt like she was repeating her high school years and it was suffocating her. If she could leave with Blake she would, but she was just a simple university student with anxiety attacks in the school bathrooms.

“You should ask the new guy next door if he has a girlfriend, seriously, he's cute, Celeste. You've never had a boyfriend, right?” her mother mentioned, leaning on the kitchen counter.

Celeste looked at her incredulously, wondering since when her private life mattered to her, and if she had a boyfriend, it wouldn't be something she'd inform her about. She was about to leave for university, she didn't want those kinds of conversations at 7 in the morning.

“Ew, isn't he like thirty?” her brother added, eating a spoonful of his cereal.

“Age can just be a number, Blakey, we want your sister to find love.”

“I have to go” Celeste sighed, escaping the conversation.

She couldn't stop thinking about it. Once again, she was right, why couldn't she find love? Her only friend, whom she rarely contacted, moved in with her mother in Melbourne after finishing high school. And now socializing at university where classmates change and come and go, it was so difficult for her to establish any kind of relationship with anyone. The only person she talked to was… an exchange student who shared only one class on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Celeste couldn't help but wonder if she should start flirting with him, just to try to feel something in return.

Every time she examined him more… she realized how cute he was, should she approach him? Anyway, he would leave at the end of the semester, no one could die trying.

When they sat together in class, she couldn't help but be distracted by thoughts that tomorrow she would dress up more for Hyunjin, fix her hair more, wear more makeup… the idea of being liked by someone made her so nervous.

And when she looked up, she saw her new teacher, who she could swear was her new handsome neighbor.

As the class began, she remembered her mother's voice saying he was handsome, and without realizing it, a slight mocking smile appeared on her face as she analyzed her new teacher's appearance in detail. Slightly tanned skin, short, dark brown hair semi-wavy, his intense gaze beneath his slit eyes, prominent nose, and thick lips… and his voice was strong, commanding, and nasal, and his build was… Celeste thought… was this what imagination was like when dealing with the sudden rush of hormones?

She had the idea that maybe she wasn't the only one so surprised and delighted by the assignment of the new teacher. She discreetly turned her gaze to the sides, to her other classmates, and noticed how they looked at him intensely without taking their eyes off the man giving the class, Celeste felt foolish, had she looked so obvious? Had Hyunjin noticed?

Once the class ended, Chris said:

“Before you all leave…” he approached his desk and quickly and gently picked up a paper from his desk, “Is Celeste Burton here?” he looked up searching among the students.

Celeste frowned and timidly raised her hand, Hyunjin quickly glanced at her friend and then at the teacher, it also seemed strange to him but he didn't pay attention to it; Chris finally managed to perceive her and added:

“Can you come up for a moment to talk?”

His gaze fixed on hers, Celeste nodded gently and began to gather her things, suddenly she was feeling nervous and not understanding why.

“The rest of you, I'll see you tomorrow” Chris concluded.

With a nervous smirk, Celeste was about to approach but a warm and large hand holding her wrist made her turn, Hyunjin was so close to her face that she couldn't even react.

“I have to go to the arts campus now, but I'll see you tomorrow, Cel” he informed her with a smile, almost feeling his cool breath.

“Sure.”

She limited herself to answer, she was so overwhelmed by the situation's overload, Chris wanted to talk to her and suddenly Hyunjin was approaching dangerously, she couldn't process it. Celeste returned her gaze to Chris, who had his eyes fixed on Hyunjin until he left the classroom, after feeling Celeste's soft gaze, he cleared his throat and looked at her, waiting for her to come closer.

Celeste walked to his desk and the last two students had already left the classroom, leaving only the two of them; she didn't want to appear nervous, she didn't have to be.

“You signed up during the academic break as an apprentice to some teacher at the beginning of the school year” Celeste quickly processed the information while he made eye contact with her, “well Burton, I'll be your mentor, is that okay?”

“Oh, sure, I didn't know I had been selected… it's a pleasure, Professor Bang.”

Chris gave her a smile and observed her, her still and straight posture with her hands together against her jeans.

“Yes well, the other students applied for classes with other teachers, but you were selected as my apprentice, I heard you're the best in the class.”

Chris raised his eyebrows waiting for a reaction from her to his last comment and suddenly he realized that he was starting to ramble, he didn't understand why he did it. He shook his head slightly and tried to refocus.

“I want to discuss schedules. Wednesday is general rehearsal, so I like discipline, how about Monday to Friday excluding Wednesday, from 1 to 4? It'll be in the music room, for tomorrow.”

Chris looked at her intently and Celeste began to think… she would have to shorten her work hours if she said yes, she couldn't miss the opportunity, it would be so beneficial to her resume, she wants to believe that he is a good teacher in terms of his knowledge and being his apprentice could lead her to expand her mind. But she would have to sacrifice a few hours of work; despite being sunk in sadness, she liked the little things like makeup, clothes, going to nice cafes, visiting the cinema alone, all without having to ask her parents for money at her twenty years old, so being his apprentice would only mean a little less pay, and working with him, or for him, for free.

Celeste thought for a second about how young he looked to be a mentor, she wondered if he was really qualified.

“You can’t…?” he interrupted her, expecting an answer.

“Oh, sure, yes, I'll be there. Thank you.”

She smiled at him and Chris returned the gesture. Celeste was about to leave when the female desire to play a little took over.

She was steps away from walking through the door, but she turned, with a playful smile she searched his gaze, Chris was drawn to her sudden movement thinking that maybe she had forgotten to say something.

“By the way, Mr. Bang, did you just move to Woollahra?” he looked at her with a slight furrow of his brow and she continued :“Oh, I didn’t want to sound weird; I just think we're neighbors now too. So, welcome.”

Her tone was so sweet and innocent yet somehow wicked; Chris recognized the slight intentions of approach.

She left and left him sure of one thing, that it was her, the pretty and poor girl who cried through her window the night before. Chris swallowed, she's even prettier up close, he thought.

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

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divider by chilumitos

[mattsjuul]

introducing. . . reach the sunshine ౨ৎ

skater!chris x surfer!reader .ᐟ .ᐟ

in which.. a florida surfer girl believes she’s got everything she needs in life. she has a hobby she’s incredibly good at, a good group of friends, a family that loves her and the beach a ten minute drive away. then there’s a guy who’s not as put together as her. he’s got about two friends, a decent home life and basically nothing besides his skateboard. she’s had one boyfriend all her life and he’s been single all 18 years of his life. she never really thinks about getting in a relationship, he only really does when he sees olivia rodrigo post on instagram. yet the day they meet, both of them can only ever think about each other.

skater!chris . . . is an 18 year old boy, also known as owen, who just graduated high school by a mircale. he’s never really cared about school. only reason he really went was to see his best friends. and well, his two brothers made him. he’s usually kept to himself. not because he’s some mysterious guy or he’s shy. he just chooses to. ever since he met his two friends in fifth grade, he’s kept it like that. he thinks friends bring too much drama. meaning, he’s never even considered getting a girlfriend. he’s told himself and everyone he knows that if he ever does, he’s got to have a really good feeling about her. and she has to be the prettiest girl ever. he thinks the ‘looks dont matter’ thing is bullshit. but no girl’s ever caught his eye like that. so for now, he’s sticking with having a celebrity crush on olivia rodrigo. although he never really listens to her music, he just thinks shes the prettiest girl hes yet to see. he only really listens to music when he’s skating. which is.. really really often. he spends about 90% of his free time skating with headphones on. he used to be on the airpods wave but they slipped out of his ears too much. then he tried wires and had the same problem. plus he accidentally skated over them when they fell off one day so they’re gone. eventually he just bought some beat headphones and he’s stuck with them ever since. theyre covered in stickers like his skateboard. the skateboard he’s had since he first started. he loves it to death. he’s learnt all her knows on it. he’s considered buying a new one but none have really ‘connected’ with him. and if they ever do theyre about a hundred bucks too much for him. so he sticks with his current one although it’s slowly dying. he’s been gifted many before but he just doesn’t feel them. so basically, christopher sturniolo is a loner skater boy loser.

surfer!reader . . . is an 18 year old girl, often called sunny, who recently graduated from high school with honors. she was always top of the class and mostly handled the stress well. she’s very patient and attentive, which made her a good student. although, she was never pressured to have good grades while in school. her parents understood the stress school can cause and even sometimes tried helping with stressful assignments or projects. she has a good group of about six friends, all met freshman year. except her best friend, sydney. they met in second grade due to sydney moving in across the street. sunny’s mom wanted to get off on the right foot with the recently moved in family, so she knocked on her door with a batch of cookies and sunny shyly hiding behind her mom. since then, sunny and sydney havent left each others sides. and after many many trial and error friend groups, they found the ones freshman year pe class. eventually, she shared her love of surfing with them and they’ve all become decent surfers. slowly, everyone in the group has gotten into a relationship. except for her. she’s happy where she’s at. she’s not looking for anyone. she’s focused on surfing. she even wants to enter a surf competition. so if anyone thought she used to always be at the beach, they’d be worried about how much shes been at it recently. she’s practicing her every move. even trying new things. shes determined. and once she sets her mind on something, she doesnt stop. so, she’s basically a ball of sunshine girl who loves everyone and everyone loves back. and i mean everyone.

authors note ♡: I CAAAANT BELIEEEVE IT!!!!! my first au.. this is crazy. this is js the introduction to chris n reader but im rlly rlly excited for this :’) as u can tell i love summer n the beach n stuff lol!! n ps, this takes place in the florida keys and theyre still teens!! i’ll prob do a lil smth talking abt other lil details like if they ever crossed paths at school or smth but thats for later:’)) i rlly rlly hope this does well n u guys enjoy it. ALSO! thank u for 100 followers i love you all, i’m glad you love what im putting out ♡ ♡