#I should go to sleep and stop skeleton posting

[somegrumpynerd]

Do you think when Cross is sad or just holed up in his room all day for any reason, Killer uses his cats as an excuse to see him?

Like, he knocks the door and comes in holding a cat like “sorry but Freddie’s been looking for you all day, she wouldn’t stop screaming til I brought her in” and goes to sit on the bed with him. Sometimes the cat is eager to see Cross and plays along by purring all over him and curling up in his lap. Other times the cat shows absolutely no interest and it becomes pretty clear it was just a flimsy excuse for Killer to see him.

Either way it makes Cross feel a little better

[honeyhotteoks]

across stardust - one (j.yh)

summary: you and yunho have worked together for years, idol and makeup artist, but until today you've never touched him skin to skin. when the world tilts on its head from just a brush of his cheek, you realize he's so much more than a crush, he's your soulmate. one | two | three | four

note: please enjoy this truly self indulgent romance. will be four parts total, and i'll post each as soon as they are ready to go. happy comeback week, and i hope everyone enjoys this 💖

tags/warnings: idol!yunho, makeup artist!reader, fem!reader, soulmates au, soulmate identifying marks, soulmate tattoos, tattoed!reader, a lot of fluff and tenderness, love at first touch, shared feelings/emotions/physical sensations, anxiety/stress over what to do, reader's family isn't the best, kq is not the best company for the purposes of this fic!, light smut including - heavy makeouts/grinding, hand kink, size kink, phone sex, sexting, fingering, jacking off, dirty talk, praise, use of good girl, use of pet names like baby/jagiya/sweetheart. basically this fic is an excuse for me to write star-crossed desperate love so i would say it's the literal opposite of a slow burn lmao

pairings: yunho x reader

genre: fantasy, romance, smut || soulmates au

word count: 17.9k

It’s eleven in the morning when your day starts, hiding in the green room of a concert venue in Berlin, and the day feels lost already. With Eunji and Dahan ill that only leaves you and Iseul to handle makeup for all eight members and with how exhausted you are from yet another night of little sleep, you don’t know how you’ll be able to keep up. You’re trying to stay awake, but while the members are all out on stage learning their marks and rehearsing the improvisational moments for this tour stop, the green room is quiet and you keep nodding off. 

“Bad night?” Iseul’s voice startles you out of one of your dips into sleep and your body jerks up right. 

“Fuck,” You breathe, “hey,” 

“Here,” She pushes a bright can into your hands, an energy drink, “you need this.” 

“I need to be sedated,” You grumble, taking it from her, “the time difference is never this hard,” 

“Mm,” She shrugs, “it’s unpredictable,” 

“Yeah,” You sigh, “I guess.” 

The thumping music outside as they run through another track is starting to give you a migraine. You take a long sip of the drink and then leave the can on the table in front of you, choosing instead to hide your face in the sleeves of your sweatshirt and let out another long sigh. 

“Girl,” Iseul nudges you, “you look like shit. Your station looks like shit.” 

“Thank you?” 

“In thirty minutes we’re going to be busier than we’ve been since that Inkigayo stage for Answer,” She points out and you grimace at the reference. Back then it really was just a skeleton staff and one of the makeup artists quit on the spot, too stressed to continue the work and walking out in the middle of doing Yeosang’s foundation. 

What a mess those old days used to be. Nostalgia sometimes makes you forget how late those nights were and just how impossibly tired you had been. This feels too reminiscent of that for sure. 

Iseul taps your shoulder to get you to lift your face as she continues, “I know you’re tired, but I can’t do this shit on my own. I need you.” 

“Okay,” You breathe, scrubbing your hands over your face to jolt yourself awake as best you can, “you’re right, I’m sorry,” 

“Don’t be sorry,” She gives you a sympathetic smile, “I get it.” 

This tiredness feels different though, so deeply ingrained in your body. Something’s been keeping your adrenaline running like a long, drawn out anxiety attack and you can’t understand it. You’ve been on tour before, you’ve been on planes, you’ve had long days, and you’ve worked with this exact group for years. There’s nothing on paper that should be making you so anxious, but the threads of it are humming in the deep back of your brain even now. 

“Come on,” Iseul prompts again, pulling you to your feet, “let’s get you in gear.” 

“Right,” You take another long sip of your energy drink and pray it starts kicking in soon and that the effects won’t make you feel crazier, “let’s do this.” 

She helps you put your station together with ease and then pull yourself together. Within those precious thirty minutes of calm before the storm you’ve downed two cans of pure caffeine, assembled your station and strapped on your brush belt, and tried to make yourself some form of presentable by slicking your hair back into a smooth knot and adding a coat of lip balm. 

As always, the boys have used the ladder game to determine hair and makeup order which means those at the bottom of the list have more time to relax fresh-faced on the couches before getting poked and prodded and wrapped up like presents for thousands of screaming fans. With only you and Iseul available it’s about to be a race against the clock to get them ready. 

Their managers hustle them from the stage to the back rooms where the rest of the staff waits, and the members gather around you and Iseul and your makeshift makeup stations. 

“Alright,” Iseul says as the members quiet down, “we’re down some staff as you know,” 

They nod attentively and you trade a close lipped smile with Hongjoong. 

“We’re just going to do the best we can as quickly as we can,” She explains, looking down at their names on a slip of paper, “Wooyoung, Yeosang, Jongho, San,” she recites, “you’re with me in that order.” 

You run through the names on your slip, “Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Mingi, Yunho, that leaves you with me.” 

Iseul nods as you finish your words, “Please be ready to slot in when the person in front of you is finished, and then you can go directly to wardrobe for your soundcheck outfits,” 

“We’ve got it,” Hongjoong nods, “and if there’s anything you both need,” 

“We’ll be fine,” Iseul assures him, “but it’s definitely going to be cutting it close,” 

“We should get started,” You cut in, “if you’re ready?” 

Hongjoong jumps to your chair immediately and Wooyoung steps to Iseul’s, and before you know it you’re off. 

The room is alight with activity while you both work, only you don’t have a relaxed pace and only two members to perfect. You’re used to working with Wooyoung and Seonghwa, they’ve been your assigned members for as long as you’ve worked with Ateez, but when staff shortages or timing gets tight, it can be a bit of a free for all. 

You stay focused and execute each member’s makeup like a well rehearsed dance, and you do your best to ignore the buzzing anxiety in your veins. For a little while, you handle it like a professional. 

When Yunho finally settles into your chair, about a single second after Mingi leaves it, the exhaustion careens back into you sideways. It takes you a minute to prep your tools this time, and you’re pretty sure that without the artificial pick me up of the energy drinks you’d be passing out on the spot. 

You steady your hands against the vanity in front of you and take a deep breath, and when you look up you catch Yunho’s eyes in the mirror, a tiny crease of concern between his brows. 

“You okay?” He checks. 

You give him a smile, albeit a tired one, “The jet lag is really hitting this time,” you explain, “but I’m fine,” 

He looks sympathetic immediately, “Same for me, I feel like I’m barely sleeping,” 

“That’s not good,” You tell him as you prep your stainless steel palette, “you have a long night ahead,” 

“I’ll sleep tonight,” He says, “I’m sure,” 

“After dancing for three hours I’d hope so,” You smile and pick up your first set of tools before turning towards him. 

“Do you have anything you could take?” He asks, studying your face, “A sleep aid?” 

“I usually don’t like to,” You admit, “I always feel groggy the next day,” 

“And we have another show,” He finishes for you, his lips coming together in a thin line as he thinks. 

There’s nothing really for him to do, but it’s kind of him anyway to be so concerned. They always are, this rare group of eight idols who remember staff birthdays, bring coffee on the early morning schedules, and always, always take extra time to clean up after themselves so it’s not left to anyone else. 

You take a step closer towards him and glance over his bare face and then it occurs to you, “You know what’s funny?” 

“Hmm?” He tilts his face up to you. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever done your makeup before,” You smile, it’s a ridiculous thought. 

“No way,” He blinks, thinking back, “it’s been… forever, are you sure?” 

You nod, “You’re usually with Eunji,” you tell him, “and even when we’ve swapped around, I don’t think so. I think you’re the only member I’ve never done,” 

“Wow,” He laughs, eyes bright, “well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.” 

“Is there anything,” You start to ask him if there’s anything he prefers, anything special about his makeup that he gets done with Eunji that he asks for, but Iseul catches you idle as she pats foundation onto San’s forehead and answers for you. 

“His skin gets dry,” She jumps in, “don’t use too much powder,” 

Yunho grins, a laugh on his lips at the directness of her words. 

“And don’t use that oil,” Iseul adds, “that primer oil you like, he’ll break out by tomorrow,” 

“Thank you, Iseul,” Yunho says, and you watch San’s face as he stifles a chuckle. 

“Noted,” You smile, and you swap out two of the products in your hands before taking up your position by his side again. 

You’ve gotten used to working with idols, to working with Ateez and with Yunho specifically, and yet when you get this close a little flutter of nerves rocks through your belly. He’s handsome, and if you’re being honest he’s just your type. Maybe it’s the exhaustion, or this weird feeling in your chest that you’ve been dealing with all week, but for the first time in a long time you think about what it would be like to kiss his lips. 

“How do you want me?” He asks, breaking your thoughts, and you have to shake off the impending blush at the way his words make you feel. You have work to do, and you had gotten over your silly little crush on him years ago, you need to get a grip. 

You recover fairly smoothly though with a quick smile, “Right,” he’s never worked with you before, and he’s looking to you for direction, “head back a bit, please, and eyes closed,” 

“Alright,” He follows your instructions to the letter. 

“Okay,” You tell him, “primer first. Let me know if anything bothers you,” 

“Mhm,” He hums and stays relaxed. 

He has the loveliest eyelashes, that’s the thought that echoes through your brain as you start working on him, and you wish it never occurred to you at all because you keep glancing up at his closed eyes. He lets you work, he knows you’re exhausted so he doesn’t push you for conversation, and you’re strangely grateful. You know he’s chatty sometimes in the chair, an extrovert through and through and always keeping Eunji company or talking with the member beside him, but right now he keeps still and gives you respite on a hard day. 

You’re patting foundation into his skin with a large paddle brush when Iseul interrupts your thoughts, “Do you have that eggplant liner?” 

“Check my table,” You offer, but with how sluggish your brain is feeling there’s no way you remember a single thing on your station without looking.

“Mm,” She pivots around and pokes through the products and tools behind you, and you glance over as San opens his eyes to watch Iseul rifle through things. 

“Damn,” She mutters, “how much time do we have?” 

“Um,” You glance down at your watch, “twenty?” 

“Perfect,” She scoots behind you and disappears into the hall, no doubt to find your traveling makeup case and the liner. 

You sigh, chewing the inside of your lip at the idea that you only have twenty more minutes, but you really don’t want to rush and have his makeup melt off on-stage. 

“You’re fine,” San assures, his body angled towards you and Yunho now while he waits, “don’t worry about the clock,”

Yunho hums his agreement from below you, “Plenty of time,”

You refocus on Yunho’s skin and notice a long black and white hair from the paddle brush affixed to his cheek, mixed in with the foundation. You take the brush again, wiping off any excess foundation and checking to see if more fibers are loose, and then you work the brush against his cheek in an attempt to free the loose hair but it isn’t coming off easily. Every attempt you make just slides the hair into a different spot on his cheek and covers it with more foundation. 

“Um,” You usually don’t like to do this, but you might have to, “can I just…”

His eyes open but his expression stays smooth, “Can you?” 

“Sorry,” You shake your head, “do you mind if I touch you?” 

“You already are,” He smiles, a small, amused crease between his brows you’ll have to pat out momentarily. 

You tuck your brush away and gesture with your hand, “You just have a hair,” 

“Oh,” He laughs, “of course, yeah,” 

You’re just supposed to touch his cheek, brush away the hair with the pad of your finger and then get back to work, that’s all it is, so you’re completely unprepared for the feeling that rockets through your chest when your skin finally touches his. 

Yunho gasps softly as your fingers brush over his cheek, his eyes blowing wide and his expression blanking, and it’s the only indication you have that he feels something too. A tightness wrenches in your chest, like someone pressed something hot and hard directly into your breastbone and your stomach does a somersault. Your ears are ringing, and you’re pretty sure your heart is about to beat out of your chest now that it’s started up again. 

The tattoo on your chest feels warm beneath your blouse. 

“You,” Yunho manages, his voice shaky and you know for sure he felt it too. 

You rock back a step, “I don’t understand,” 

“Shit,” Someone else says, and then you realize that it’s San and you’re not alone with the only other person in the entire world, you’re in the middle of work in front of at least one other person and it’s only your existence that just got tilted on its axis. Yours and maybe Yunho’s. 

“Oh,” You glance to the side, taking in San’s wide eyed expression, “oh my God,” 

“I’m not insane, am I?” Yunho smiles, his focus entirely on you, and you think you might just pass out, “You felt that?” 

There’s a noise in the hall and San scrambles up to his feet, “Iseul,” he says heading for the door, “do you need help looking?” 

He’s covering for you both, but thoughts are slow to form and all you can manage is blinking at the man in your chair. 

“You did, right?” He asks again, eyes soft and hopeful, and then his fingers brush over the center of his chest. Squarely over his breastbone.

He’s yours. 

You want to reach out and yank up his shirt, check the tattoo over his heart to see if it’s the same looping knot shape as yours, but you don’t need to see it to know for sure. It’s him. 

San says something about forgetting the liner altogether, a little louder so you both know the room is going to get crowded again, and you shake your head to jolt yourself out of your paralyzed position. 

“You didn’t?” His hand falls. 

“I did,” You rush to correct, “I’m, I don’t know,” 

He nods, wetting his lips and shifting in his chair. He moves to reach for you, but reason and sense click back into place immediately and you realize that no matter what your tattoo feels like and no matter what this means, you’re at work and about to have a very private moment in a very public place if you’re not careful. 

You shake your head with a glance at his hand and jerk your head towards the door, “Later,” 

“Right,” He leans back from you, “of course, right,” 

Footsteps to your right draw your attention and Iseul is huffing, checking her own watch, “We’ll do brown,” 

“That’ll be fine,” San assures her, but his eyes are glued on the pair of you. 

Iseul moves to step around you again and realizes you’re just standing there, “What’s with you?” 

“Sorry,” You manage, blinking hard and refocusing, “I just got dizzy,” 

It’s not entirely a lie, given that you felt the entire earth shift under your feet thirty seconds ago and your life is completely changed. Dizzy is the least of how you’re feeling. 

Yunho’s expression shifts immediately, concern across his face, and he curls his fingers into his palms to keep himself from reaching out again, from being too familiar. 

“Oh,” Her eyebrows raise high, “do you need me to finish Yunho?”

“N-no,” You take a breath, “just give me one second,” 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Yunho asks, and in the back of your brain you wonder if his voice has always sounded this good. 

“Here,” San cuts in smoothly, cracking the seal on a fresh water bottle and passing it over to you, “do you need to sit a minute?” 

San’s hand rests on your upper back between your shoulders as you take a long sip of water, the cold shocking your brain back to reality in exactly the way you need. 

“Thank you,” You tell him honestly, “I think I’m okay, just a headrush,” 

San nods, and when you refocus your eyes on Yunho, you almost laugh. His gaze is squarely on San’s hand where it sits on your back, and you watch the fast, silent exchange between the two men when San drops his hand and Yunho realizes his own reaction. He blushes, ears running red and he dips his head to avoid both your eyes. 

“Iseul,” San steps around you both and distracts your friend, “ready to wrap?” 

“Yeah,” She agrees, “let’s finish up. You’re sure you’re okay, y/n?” 

“Mhm,” You hardly trust your own voice, but you nod anyway, “I’m good now.” 

Yunho tilts his face back up as you step close, and the tension between you is so palpable and so familiar that you can hardly breathe. Your tattoo feels warm and heavy and something tells you that his does too, you can see it in the tenderness of his brown eyes. 

“Dizzy?” He asks quietly, keeping his words just for you. 

You shake your head, “No,”

“That’s good,” He murmurs, but he lets whatever words he wants to say rest on his tongue. 

Your tattoo throbs and you don’t dare touch his bare skin again. 

His makeup takes fifteen more minutes and his eyes don’t stray from your face the entire time. You barely finish on time, and wardrobe is standing by to get them into their first outfits of the night, so when you put the final touches on he’s already being pulled out of the chair before you have a chance to say anything. 

You want to corner him and ask him exactly when he’ll have time to talk later, but despite working together for the last few years, you and Yunho aren’t that close. You’re friendly, but you’re not familiar enough to casually ask what he’s doing later and not have it seem strange. While friendships between staff members and idols are not discouraged, even between the opposite sex, being overly familiar or suggestive would certainly leave a question in everyone’s minds, and you don’t want to draw attention to yourself that quickly. 

This is between you and Yunho, no one else. You don’t want an audience for this. 

So he goes, pulled away by wardrobe and his other members, fitted quickly into his Soundcheck outfit. He has his game face on, so do all the members, and you watch him disappear down the hall without a second glance back at you. 

You collapse into the couch and press your eyes closed, focusing on the singular feeling of heat and soreness from your chest.

A soulmate. 

The tattoo on your chest was one you barely looked at anymore, too focused on living your life to sit in the mirror and wonder about the person who would be your other half, the person that would slot into the gaps in your spirit with a simple brush of skin on skin. But now, it aches. It pulses to remind you that it’s real and that you’ve found him. 

Everything in your life is about to change. Has already changed.

On the couch you don’t sleep as much as you disassociate, still stunned, your buzzing brain filtering out everything Iseul says as she cleans up around you and preps both of your brush belts for touch ups. There’s such a small amount of time between Soundcheck and the concert that you barely get to process, you just exist, playing the moment you touched him over again and again in your mind. Despite how utterly changed you feel, the world is just continuing on around you like a regular day.

Once again, you and Yunho miss each other for every brief moment between Soundcheck and stage.

The shift happens in the wings, in the underbelly of the stage where you and the other staff members for hair, makeup, and wardrobe wait for any last minute quick fixes. The eight of them are almost ready, pumping themselves up between rows of technical equipment and stage scaffolding. 

There’s so much commotion around you and yet your eyes are drawn to him like a magnet, the feelings you once had for him coming back to you full force in a blurry torrent. 

He shifts, stretches, swallows hard, and then looks up directly into your eyes. There’s a question in them that you can’t read, but you manage to smile. 

His shoulders relax just a little. 

You raise your fist, giving him the gesture for ‘fighting’ and he returns it with a wide grin. 

“Alright,” Hongjoong’s voice cuts through, the final step of their pre-show ritual as the concert hall starts to roar, “huddle up.” 

The eight of them circle up with each other, one leg in and one out. 

“We’ve practiced hard,” Hongjoong starts, patting his members on the back, “let that practice pay off, and have fun out there,” 

“Okay!” San hypes them up, getting the tension high. 

“Let’s give it our all,” Hongjoong continues, a wide smile on his face, “fighting!”

They echo it back, and a tense feeling starts to roll in your gut. 

“Alright, one,” Hongjoong starts the count and you feel the tension in your own body rising, enough to make you take a soft step back from the group, “two,” 

On three they chorus it, moving their feet in a synchronized step,  “Eight makes one team! Fighting!” 

They break apart, clapping each other on the back, and your eyes meet Yunho’s for one more fast second before he’s jogging after the rest of the members and finding his mark on the stage risers. 

You feel the sensation of his eyes on you even after he’s gone. You have the length of four songs and their opening ments before members start swapping out on stage for makeup touch-ups and technical adjustments. The sound of the audience is intense, the start of the first song keying up, and you stumble back from your post to get a breath of air away from it all. 

There’s a bathroom along the hallway two doors down from the green room that’s meant for staff and you blissfully find it empty. With shaking hands you flip the lock and sink down into a crouch, your back braced against the wall as you breathe through the sudden wave of feelings filling your chest. 

Adrenaline, that’s what the bitter taste on your tongue is. 

Your heart is thumping, double time like you’re running a marathon, and then you realize it. You can feel him, even now with the bond between you unfulfilled you can feel his emotions coming to you like a wave. Adrenaline, anxiety, euphoria, exhaustion, it all roils through you and you brace your hands on the wall to get your composure back. 

They say the first time you feel your soulmate link it takes you by surprise, but this is an intensity you couldn’t have imagined. It’s all encompassing and honestly terrifying, and you’re struggling to understand which parts of you are you and which are him. You can’t conceive of how an accepted bond would make this feeling stronger when it already feels like your emotions and his are knit together so tightly. 

Anxiety strikes down the link and you realize it’s not stage fright, it’s for you. He can feel your panic and your fear just like you can feel every ounce of his performance and if you don’t get yourself in check you’re going to be distracting him even more than you already are. 

You yank yourself up off the floor and collapse against the sink, turning on the cold water tap and taking slow and steadying breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Counting slowly, relaxing your body with every pulse of oxygen through your system. You hope he can feel it, but you have no idea how this all really works. You’ll have to call your sister when this is all said and done, find out what she felt when she met her wife, but right now in this bathroom in Berlin you have to do this by yourself. 

You hear the pulse of another song thrumming through the stadium as they keep performing, and you feel the thundering beat of his heart in your chest, but you breathe into it this time and try to keep yourself calm for his sake. You splash cold water on your face, keep breathing low and slow, and eventually you pull yourself back up to standing tall to look at yourself in the mirror. 

You look the same as you did a few hours ago, before him, but the warmth in your chest is still present and you wonder if that will ever go away or if that’s just a permanent part of the link. 

With shaky hands you unbutton your blouse and pull your bralette down in the center to reveal what you already know is there. Your breath catches in your throat at the sight. 

The tattoo nestled at the base of your sternum is the only one you were born with. Every other line of ink on your body was put there with intention, but this one you’ve had for as long as you can remember. The maedeup knot is small, but intricate, and until this moment it had always been colorless. Loops of black and gray twining together to make a rounded diamond, unbroken with no beginning or end to the threads. 

Now the ink has changed, a deep red against your skin that makes the knotted josephin soulmark look even more traditional, but the skin is slightly inflamed, tender to the touch as you brush your fingertips along it. It feels like a fresh mark, not something you’ve had since birth, but considering how it’s changed, maybe it is new. A soulmark shifting color is common, you know that, but it still stands out so starkly against your skin and your other black tattoos. You can’t look away from it. 

A pounding on the bathroom door makes you jump and you fix your shirt, covering the mark back up and buttoning it away. You wonder if Yunho’s mark is the exact same like other couples you know and if it too turned red, if it’s warm to the touch, if he felt you brush against your mark through the link. 

“y/n?” A voice comes through the door and you shut off the tap. 

“Coming!” You wipe the excess water on your hands onto your jeans and take one last, fast look to make sure your mark isn’t visible, before opening the bathroom door. 

Wonshik, one of their many managers, is waiting for you on the other side. His eyes narrow when he sees you, “Are you ill?” 

“No,” You assure him. 

“You’re sure?” He presses, “We can’t afford to lose any more staff or risk getting the members sick if you are,” 

“I know, Wonshik,” You nod, “I promise I’m just tired, jet-lagged. I was putting cold water on my face, that’s all. I’m not sick,” 

He exhales in relief, his expression softening, “Thank God,” he says, “I can only take so many surprises.” 

A little sickness is nothing compared to a staff member and an idol under a dating ban being soulmarked, but you hold your tongue. 

“They’re about to come off,” He says, “Iseul was looking for you, she seems like she might start climbing the walls if you don’t get back to help her,” 

“No, of course,” You start back towards the side stage entrance, “I lost track of time, but it won’t happen again,” 

“Make sure you sleep tonight,” He adds, following you closely, “no sleep means no immune system, and no immune system means sick.” 

“Don’t worry,” You promise, winding your way through the dark backstage, “you won’t lose me,” 

“I better not,” He sighs, and then Iseul comes into sight. 

“There you are!” She hisses low under her breath, “I was about to have a panic attack,” 

“I’m sorry, I’m here, I’m good,” In the commotion, your brain starts to ease into normalcy. You’re used to this pace, the speed of lightning fast makeup touch-ups and assisting wardrobe when things start to go awry with their quick changes. The audience feels none of this, they just see smooth change-outs on stage and cool idols in new clothes, but backstage is a wild flurry and it always puts you on an entirely different plane of focus. 

“Here we go,” A stage director starts, gathering everyone’s attention, “four minutes… starting…” 

The stage goes dark and in the venue a video starts to play to the crowd to fill the space between costume changes. You prep your hands, making sure your kit is ready to go and you see the wardrobe specialists out of the corner of your eye readying themselves to help facilitate the quick change. 

Suddenly they’re here, and the stage director interrupts once more, “Now, four minutes people, let’s go.” 

“Mingi,” He gets to you first and he crouches down to drop his face to your height, “stay still one second,” 

He says nothing, but he nods as you pat powder across his forehead and the bridge of his nose, checking him over for any other defects. He looks good and you nod, “Go, go,” 

Mingi peels off to the left of you and you hear the sound of fabric swishing as he and Wooyoung rip off the top layer of their outfits behind the privacy screens and trade garments with the wardrobe team. It’s a fast shuffle, but you stay focused on who’s in front of you. 

“Seonghwa,” You wave to him, pulling blotting tissues out of the pack on your belt, “here,” 

He knows this drill well, you’re used to working with him and you have a clean routine down. He blots the sweat off his brow himself and starts to unbutton his jacket while you shift focus to Yunho. 

For a split second you almost forget what happened earlier in the buzz of backstage, but the minute your eyes hold on his awareness floods you. 

“Hey,” You say, but there’s a time clock shout behind you and you beckon him down, “come here, let me fix things,”

He drops down to your height just like Mingi did and stays steady while you work, but his eyes flick up, “You’re okay?” 

“I’m good,” You nod, “don’t worry,” 

His expression clears a little and you guess you have your answer about the feeling of the link going both ways. 

Hongjoong clears his throat behind you both, “We’re short on time,” 

“Am I good?” Yunho checks. 

Your eyes flick over him fast, “Yep,” 

He’s out of your eyeline a split second later, and you’re grateful for the distraction of both Hongjoong and Seonghwa, otherwise you’re sure you’d dwell a little bit too long on the fact that Yunho’s half naked next to you, privacy screen or no. 

“One minute,” The stage director announces, “everyone’s doing great,” 

The boys are almost done, flying through the last of their zips and getting their hair smoothed down by that team as they finish. You put the last pat of powder on Seonghwa’s nose and give him a nod before he’s gone too, dropping his jacket as he goes and giving you all a quick flash of his bare back. 

You turn back towards the group as they prepare and your eyes zero in on Yunho again. His expression is serious, it’s his game face before he gets back out on stage, and you watch as he corrects the placement of his in-ears and ensures that his mic pack is secured. He runs through his pre-stage ritual and you can’t help but be a captive audience. 

“Good work,” The stage director says as Seonghwa rejoins the eight, fully dressed and ready for stage, “fifteen seconds for act two,” 

The crowd heats up again as the video starts to fade, and the members do their final checks. Yunho doesn’t look back at you once, his eyes forward and focused as he and the other members find their places on the rising platform that will take them back out to the main stage. 

You can see him a little though, in the low light in his white trousers and blue satin shirt. He lifts his hand, adjusting his microphone once again, and then as he drops it back to his side he lets his fingers skim over the familiar hollow of his chest. 

Your mark warms, you feel it as if it were your chest he brushed his fingers over, and your breath stops. 

The platform rises, the crowd roars, and your heart starts beating to a new rhythm. 

He really is yours. 

It turns out that later means much later. 

You manage to get out of dinner with some of the other staff members, but that just leaves you anxious and alone in a hotel room trying and failing to eat room service. Iseul would be back soon to take up her place in the other bed, and you’re starting to realize that you don’t have Yunho’s number. 

Now that emotions are a little smoother, you can’t feel him. Or maybe you can, but it’s so faint that you’re not sure. All you know is that he’s definitely in the hotel, but that’s partially the solid feeling of your link with him and partially the YouTube live being broadcast from Seonghwa’s room where all of the members are. 

You put the live on and watch, feeling strangely disconnected from the men on screen. You’ve known them for years, but suddenly with this new truth everything feels foreign and confusing. 

You should call your sister, but it’s only six in the morning in Korea and even though this is an emergency of life altering and epic proportions, you can’t bring yourself to wake her on a Saturday. 

You try your best to eat the pasta you ordered and watch as the live eventually ends. Your phone dings and for a split second you think it will be him, but it’s just Iseul telling you she’s heading back to the hotel. 

A soft knock at the door makes your stomach lurch. 

You’re frozen. 

There’s another knock, a little firmer this time but then you feel the warm touch against your mark and you’re on your feet, your hand on the door handle before you can think. 

He looks tired, that’s your first thought. His face is bare again, and his eyes are rimmed in a little bit of red like he just removed the day’s stage makeup. Despite all that, he smiles when he sees you and sighs, leaning against the door frame, “You’re awake,” he says. 

“I waited,” You manage. 

He grimaces, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” his eyes flick behind you into the room and he swallows, “are you alone?” 

“Yes,” You nod, “but not for long, Iseul’s on her way,” 

He nods, “Come to my room?” 

“Are you sure?” Your eyes widen. 

“We need to talk,” He nods, “can you get away for a little while?” 

Iseul will probably expect you to be asleep, but you can’t let this go until morning. If you’re ever going to sleep you need to talk to him now. 

“I’ll think of something,” You tell him, “what room?” 

“2606,” He answers, reaching into his pockets and producing an envelope from the front desk, “take this,” 

He passes you one of his room keys and you nod, “I’ll be up in five minutes, but you should go,” 

“Okay,” He breathes and neither one of you makes a single move to step away from the door until a sound down the hallway pushes you into it. 

“2606,” You repeat and he nods, swiftly moving down the hall before anyone can see him standing at your door. 

You have no idea what you’re going to tell Iseul that would make sense, but you don’t care. You stack up your room service for collection, kick on a pair of slippers, and give yourself the fastest look in the mirror ever on your way out the door. You want to be gone before she gets back, the idea of facing her and lying ten times more difficult than an empty text. 

No problem - I can’t sleep, I’m just going to walk a bit. Don’t wait up.

You don’t stick around to see if she’ll believe it. 

You try to seem casual when walking to Yunho’s room, like it's yours. You don’t want anyone to give you a second glance and wonder where you’re going, so you keep your head up, smile at anyone you pass, and when his door comes into view you scan the card like it’s any other day. 

When the heavy door shuts behind you, you sigh. 

“God, finally,” His voice startles you, and you look up to see him pacing, “I’ve been going insane all day,” 

Your shoulders drop, you aren’t alone, “Me too,”

He runs a hand through his black hair and finally stops pacing, but doesn’t come any closer, “So, this is real?” 

“It feels pretty real,” 

“How did we never feel it?” He manages, “I’ve known you for years,” 

“We’ve never touched until today,” You tell him, and that has to be the reason, it’s the only thing that makes sense. You’ve been turning it over in your mind all night, and with the exception of bumping into him last week in the hall, it’s all been polite bows and waves. 

“How is that even possible,” He breathes, “team dinners? Holiday parties? Work?” 

“Skin to skin,” You murmur, “I think that’s what it was,” 

“I had no idea,” He swallows, gesturing in the negative space between your bodies, “I always liked you, but I thought it was just, you know, a crush,” 

“You what?” Your eyebrows raise. 

“Well,” He backtracks, “not like that, it’s not like I’ve been holding a candle.” 

Your face stays neutral, but he grimaces at his own words. 

“I’m fucking this up,” He takes a deep breath, “I’m sorry, I’m really nervous.” 

Your stomach warms, “Yunho, it’s okay, honestly,” 

“I just meant I’ve always liked you, I thought about asking you out when our contracts loosened up if you were still single.” He clarifies and then you watch his face blanch, “You are single, aren’t you?” 

“Yes,” You nod, “we don’t have to worry about that,” 

He nods and you see him searching for the next thing to say, the right thing. 

“Your mark,” You cut in, taking a few steps further into the room, “did it change?” 

“Completely,” He nods, “did yours?” 

“Yeah,” You wonder the right way to ask him if you can see. 

“Does it feel,” He starts.

“Warm?” 

“Yes,” He nods, “and tender?” 

“Like a fresh tattoo,” You take another step in. 

“I’ve never gotten a tattoo,” He confesses, “but I’ll take your word for it,” 

“Can I,” The words are stuck on your tongue, “maybe this is weird, but I mean, I guess we’re soulmates,” 

“You want to see it?” He surmises. 

“Only if you’re comfortable,” 

His lips quirk, “I’m comfortable,”

Heat twists in your gut and you wonder if he can feel that too. If he does he doesn’t say it, but you watch as he pulls the black t-shirt off over his head. 

You’ve never seen his chest. Any inch of his skin except for his neck and arms really, and you guess that was part of keeping his soulmark covered. Idols always do, even when they’re in the most inconvenient locations, there’s always makeup or flesh colored tape or editing to take care of it. The idea that someone could replicate it and try to fake a connection is far too real for someone famous. 

He drops his shirt onto the bed and pink tinges his cheeks as he gestures towards it, “Well,” 

Your mouth drops, it’s the exact same, down to the size and the placement and every little loop and you stumble forwards to get a better look, “Yunho,” 

“Yeah?” 

“Has yours always been red?” You reach out, your fingertips hovering just over it. 

He shakes his head, “Not before today,” 

“Mine’s the same,” You tell him, your eyes glued to his sternum, “just the same,” 

You know every centimeter of this tattoo. You’ve studied it a thousand times in the mirror, tracing over every curve with your eyes, trying to find the place where the cord starts and ends. He sucks in a sharp breath as your fingers brush gently along his mark, and you feel the ghost of the sensation against your own. 

“I can’t believe we never knew,” You murmur, sliding your finger along each rounded edge. 

“You feel that?” He asks, “Right?” 

You’re nodding and moving to tug off your sweater before you can even think it through. He starts to shake his head, to say that you don’t have to, but you’re already tossing the sweater next to his discarded shirt and tugging down the front band of your bralette so he can see the whole mark. 

His eyes flick over you fast, but with the matching mark in front of him he doesn’t focus on anything else, “It’s exactly the same,” 

“I know,” You reach for his hand, but the minute more of your skin connects with his you feel your chest throb and you drop it like it burns you. 

He winces, touching his chest again, “Is it supposed to hurt?” 

“In the beginning,” You nod, “I think?” 

“Does it always feel like that?” 

“I’m not sure,” You admit, “I was going to call my sister and ask, but it’s too early at home,” 

He smiles, “Your sister found her soulmate?” 

“In highschool,” You smile back, “they’ve been bonded together since they were eighteen,” 

“Older or younger?” He asks, and you realize just how little you know about each other despite how long you’ve worked alongside him. 

“Younger,” You say.  

“I have a little brother,” He replies, “but he’s still in school,” 

You nod, painfully aware that this is such a strange conversation to have with your shirts off just standing in the middle of a hotel room, but somehow it’s easier than any date you’ve ever had. 

Your eyes flick from his eyes to his mark and he reaches out a hand again, “Can I?” 

Your heart quickens and you nod. 

His fingertips graze over the edge of your mark, mimicking your touch from before, sliding along the edges of the tattoo. His eyes widen and you know he’s feeling the sensation in his own mark, a mirror image of each other. 

“This doesn’t hurt,” He observes, letting his fingers linger. 

“I think we have to get used to each other,” You remember that fact from somewhere, “the link has been dormant for a long time, I think it takes a minute to get used to having it,” 

“Makes sense,” He murmurs, his eyes still squarely on your mark, “I’ll be honest though, I still really want to touch you,” 

“Yeah?” Your voice is thready. 

His fingers fall away and he nods, “Don’t you?” 

“Yes,” You agree, painfully quickly. 

He swallows tightly and takes the smallest step forwards, before offering out his hand, palm up and waiting for you.

Your eyes flick from his face down to his outstretched hand, and you reach for him slowly. You let your fingertips skate over the skin of his palm, down each digit, ghost the pads of your fingertips together. It’s warm, sharp and dizzying even just to brush against each other. 

You wonder what more will feel like. 

“Can I try something?” He murmurs, his voice nearly a whisper even though you’re all alone. 

You nod. 

He wets his lips unconsciously and moves a little closer, your bodies now only inches apart. Anxiety, anticipation, thrill, it all runs through your gut like a whirling wind and you shiver at the torrent of his emotions, a grin breaking out over your face. 

His smile mirrors yours, “Your heart’s beating a mile a minute,” 

“You can feel that?” 

“Yeah,” He breathes, grin widening, “this is crazy,” 

You laugh, a little nervous, a little elated, and he finally reaches out his hands. 

He takes a steadying breath, and then his fingertips brush along your jaw. 

You suck in a sharp gasp at the sensation, electric and hot, the feeling rocketing through your entire body. You tilt your face up to his as he continues his gentle touches, your eyes watching him as he studies you. His plush lips are parted, brown eyes wide with awe as he grows a little bolder to brush over your cheeks, down your throat, and back up to your jawline. 

“Feel alright?” He murmurs. 

You nod into his touch and he starts to lift off but you reach for him, “Don’t stop,” 

Your hands land safely on his hips, still covered by his sweatpants and you watch him swallow again at the sudden contact, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. Warmth fills the bond, no doubt the first threads of his arousal, and you wonder if he can feel your own. If he can sense how much he’s affecting you with just his fingertips on your face. 

His hands settle back on your skin, this time smoothing across you with his palms, one hand cupping your cheek and the other sliding over your shoulder and down your bare back. 

You can barely breathe, the room so silent and around you, like the only thing in the universe that exists is the two of you orbiting each other, standing at the precipice of something so catastrophic and wonderful. 

Your hands adjust, resting on his taut abdomen as you move a little closer together, and his eyes flutter shut as he breathes through the sensation of your hands on him properly for the first time. 

“You’re so warm,” You murmur, your hands softly tracing his abdominal muscles, instinct guiding you to touch more of him, seek out every inch of him as you unconsciously make a map of his body in your mind. 

He hums pleasantly, eyes reopening, “So are you,” 

He feels so right, so essential under your touch. 

Yunho wets his lips softly with his tongue, and a nervous thrill passes through your belly. His eyes flick over you, the pad of his thumb sweeping a line over your lips. You suppress a needy sound, still trying to keep your head amidst the thrumming emotions and steady thumps of your heart. 

He doesn’t stop, just stroking your skin slowly, fingers on your back pressing just a little as he sighs. 

“Yunho,” You shiver. 

“Cold?” He gravitates a little closer. 

“N-no,” Your body is all but pressed flush against him now, and you have to lean your face up even more just to see him as he stands tall over you. 

“I…” He starts to say something but lets the words die off, like he’s thinking something through, but then he sighs, “forget it,” 

His lips are on yours. 

Yunho lifts you, wrapping his arms around your back and tugging you up into his embrace. You gasp against his mouth, finding his shoulders to hold onto as one of his arms bands around your lower back. 

The kiss is shattering, the world tilting once again, a new frequency humming between your two bodies. It’s hot, your skin buzzing from the contact, but the way you move together is fluid and easy. Your legs part naturally, settling around his hips and his free hand finds your plush thigh as he tugs you into place, slotting your bodies together like they were always meant to be. 

“I’m sorry,” He mumbles against your lips when he draws in a quick breath, but he doesn’t stop kissing you. His nose nuzzles against yours, and his lips part at the same moment yours do, tongues meeting in the space between your mouths to flick against each other. 

“Don’t,” You push closer to him, fingers knotting into the back of his hair as you kiss him back. 

He hums, the hand on your thigh sliding up to cup your ass and you shiver as his wide hand stretches across your backside, squeezing your pillowy flesh. 

A tiny whimper does leave you then, liquid heat spreading through your body, the combined sensation of both your arousals giving you a headrush. 

“So beautiful,” He sighs between kisses, “you’re so beautiful,” 

“Yunho,” Your voice is thready, his name a stretched out sound. 

He holds you close, nearly stumbling as he moves. You blink your eyes open just as he spins you both, pushing you up against the hotel wall and pinning you in place with the weight of his body.  You should slow things down, but nothing in your life has ever felt this good and you find yourself diving back to meet his kiss again. 

 His arm slides out from behind your back as he pushes closer, your body fully supported by the flat of the wall behind you and his hips under yours and one hand firmly anchored on your ass. With his arm free he cups your cheek, a pleased sound on his lips as he dips you back into the wall and deepens the kiss. 

Heat blooms through you, your kisses getting needier, artless and desperate just to get a little closer together. The kind of kissing that sounds as messy as it is, tiny pants and moans muffled between you, skin on skin, tongue on tongue. 

“God,” He shudders, his lips breaking away, but his eyes only flick over you for a second before he dives back in. This time his lips travel, hot kisses across your jaw and back to the hollow of your ear, down your throat as he holds you a little higher on the wall for the right access. 

You grip his shoulders with one hand and lock your fingers in his mess of black hair with the other, your head falling back against the wall. He pants against your throat, a soft groan as he kisses, and your stomach tightens pleasantly. 

“Y-Yunho,” You gasp, arousal rolling through you, and unconsciously you rock your hips, desperately seeking some kind of friction. 

He hums low in his throat, kissing back up your neck fast to get to your lips again and his hand slides off your cheek as he crowds you tighter, bracing himself against the wall above your head. His abdomen presses against your core, and even through layers of fabric you feel his heat. Hungrily, you roll your hips again and catch a little pressure, moaning in earnest against his mouth. 

Yunho makes a tight sound and then he breaks the kiss, his forehead pressing hard against yours as he takes in slow breaths, his body all but trembling with need as he holds you. 

“We need to slow down,” He manages. 

You can’t find words, not yet, but you nod against him. 

“You deserve better,” He says, “dates, presents,” 

You laugh softly, your hand in his hair softening from a grip to a gentle hold, carding through the long locks at the base of his neck, “I don’t need all that,”  

He smiles wide, brushing off your words, “Still,” He sighs, still recovering from the heated make out, “I think I have more self control than fulfilling our bond by fucking you into the wall,” 

Reality bleeds back in at that. Soulmarks were just that, indicator marks. A way to find your person amidst a sea of thousands, if not millions. All the shared sensation and emotion a precursor to something more permanent and binding, something only sealed together by sex. 

You lift your head up, and he leans back to mirror you. 

“I lost my head there,” You admit, warm blush in your cheeks, “I didn’t know it would feel like this,” 

He smiles, and you take in his expression. His hair is a mess, mussed and disheveled and his face is pink from his nose down to the dark, well-kissed curve of his lips. His bare chest is flushed bright pink and his eyes are bright and warm. You fight the urge to kiss him again. 

“Me either,” He shakes his head, “it’s incredible,” 

“Overwhelming,” You nod, exhaling softly. 

He makes a soft sound to agree and then starts to push back from the wall gingerly, letting you slowly unwrap your legs from his waist and ease down to the floor. 

He lets you go when you’re steady on your feet and clears his throat, adjusting the waistband of his sweatpants and running a hand through his tangled locks. He’s hard, that much is obvious from the distinct outline of his cock through the gray fabric, but you do your best to look away and not think about how thick and heavy it looked just from kissing you. 

“Jesus,” He adjusts his sweats again, “sorry,” 

“It’s fine,” You cup your own cheeks with cool fingers, “I promise you’re not the only one,” 

His eyes hold yours for a lengthy beat and then he swallows, taking a wide step back and nodding, “Right,” he shakes his head, “we’re supposed to be slowing down.” 

“Slow,” You lean against the wall behind you, crossing your arms over your chest and trying to steady your thumping heart. 

“I’m going over here,” He grins and walks to the far wall by the door to the bathroom, leaning back and crossing his own arms, “we really should talk,” 

A pulse of anxiety flickers through you, and you realize just how quickly you went from his hotel room door to nearly falling into bed. He’s handsome, a kind man, your once upon a time crush, and certainly fated to be a good match for you, but that doesn’t mean you should throw out good sense and rush things. No matter how much your impulses were screaming at you to do just that.

You try to ignore the fact that there’s a bed between you, and you nod, “You’re right,” you finally say, “we barely know each other,” 

Yunho’s smile fades just a bit, “I wouldn’t say that,” 

“We’re coworkers,” The words tumble out, “I know what we’re both feeling, but,” 

His brow furrows as he thinks through your words and he shakes his head, “y/n,” he cuts you off, “do you believe in soulmates?” 

“Yes, of course,” Even if you hadn’t before, the way you’re feeling now would be enough to dispel any skeptic. 

He takes in a quick breath, the sound sharp as he draws it through his teeth and he cocks his head slightly to the side, “You’re scared,” he massages the top of his sternum with his fingers, and you recognize your own chest is tight with anxiety, “I can feel it, talk to me.” 

The instant vulnerability of the bond is startling, and you can feel your own expression crumble. It’s suddenly a bit like being an ant caught under a magnifying glass, too much sharp attention all at once and you swallow tightly, eyes flicking away from his tender gaze. 

“y/n,” He murmurs, “I’m not pushing for more, not tonight,” 

“Yeah,” Your voice is soft, too quiet for your own liking. Something about the way he sees you so clearly and so quickly makes you feel exposed, nervous and strangely childlike. 

“Hey,” He breaks through your little thought spiral, “look at me,”

You straighten up again, finding his eyes. 

“I’m just happy I found you,” He tells you, and you feel the truth of it in your gut, “we can figure everything else out together, and at our own pace, okay?” 

Relief spreads through you, the knot in your chest loosening, “Promise?” 

“Promise,” He nods, raising one hand with his pinky extended, “I just want us to try,” 

You nod, extending your own pinky to seal it, “Me too.” 

He smiles at that, “Barely know each other,” he scolds softly, “I’m offended.” 

“Oh yeah?” Tension bleeds out of your shoulders. 

“Mhm,” His expression is full of cheek, “I’m the one with a crush, remember? I notice things,” 

Your stomach flips pleasantly and your arms relax from their tight position crossed over your chest, “What things?” 

“Let’s see,” He starts, and for a brief moment you think maybe he’s bluffing, but the moment he starts you melt and he holds your gaze as he warmly recites all the little things he’s noticed about you over the years. 

“You only wear silver jewelry,” he notes first, nodding towards you. 

Your tight hands uncurl. 

“You have a ridiculous sweet tooth,” The more he talks the more he relaxes against the far wall, “and you start getting flushed after the second shot of soju, you really are a lightweight,” 

“You always pick a Big Bang song for karaoke, and you’re late to work every Monday,” He laughs a little at that and keeps going, “you don’t wear a lot of color but when you do it’s red. We’re both from Gwangju but you moved to Seoul when you were five,” 

Your heart starts to beat a little faster, warmth filling you again and you don’t know if it’s your affection or his anymore, but it hardly matters. 

“Um,” He takes a deep breath and glances away for a moment and then catches more threads from his memory, “you’re a Sagittarius, you’re a runner, and the last book I saw you reading was Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. I bought it, but I haven’t had a chance to read it just yet,” 

“Yunho,” You find yourself smiling, a hand over your surprised lips. 

“I’m just saying,” He shrugs a little, “we aren’t strangers. I know this is scary and fast and going to change the rest of our lives,” 

Elation, pure joy, spills over unfettered from his side of your new emotional tether. 

“But I like you,” He confesses, “I have for a while, and this,” he brushes his fingers along his soulmark, “just changes the timeline.” 

He’s yours. 

You push off the wall, crossing the room and all but leap back into his embrace, your arms looping around his shoulders again as you push up on tiptoe to kiss his lips. 

“This is real,” You murmur. 

“Yes,” He cups your cheeks, nodding as he pecks your lips again. 

“You’re mine,” 

“Yes,” He grins. 

“Oh, this is crazy,” You laugh, forehead against his again. 

“We’ll go slow,” He assures you again, “we’ll figure it out together,” 

“Together,” You nod. 

He dips low once more, this kiss more tender, and he separates you both before things can heat up again. “Hmm,” He glances across the bed and makes a small face at the time displayed on the digital clock, “did you eat?” 

“I tried to,” You confess, “I was nervous,” 

“You need to eat,” He snaps up his black shirt from the bed and slips it back on, and your chest warms. It’s strangely domestic, strangely commonplace like you’ve been in this position a thousand times before. 

Yunho adjusts his shirt and then kisses your hair as he passes by you, padding over to the hotel microwave and searching through the assorted snacks and instant meals, “It’s too late for room service,” 

“I’m okay,” You pull your own sweater back on and sit on the edge of his bed. 

“y/n,” He glances back, a softly scolding tone. 

“Really, you need to sleep,” You offer. 

He dismisses that thought, “But I’m hungry, eat with me?” 

You concede, and while he starts whipping up two servings of ramen, you wonder if this is what he’s going to be like. It makes sense, he’s always been a caretaking kind of person, but having it so tenderly directed at you feels right. 

“When we get home,” He says as he pours in the spice packets, “I’ll take you somewhere nice,” 

“This is nice,” You smile. 

“y/n,” He sets the ramen on a side table and sits next to you, “this is cup noodle from a hotel microwave,”

“The company is nice,” You take the ramen happily though, and tuck into the warm meal.

“It is,”

“Mm, you know,” You slurp back some noodles and softly clear your throat, “you weren’t the only one with a crush,” 

He freezes, letting his noodles drop back into his cup, “What?” 

“I’ve always liked you,” Your own confession feels easier after his, “I put it aside since we work together, but I guess, I mean, what I’m trying to say is that we both felt it before the mark, you’re not alone in that.” 

 “I had no idea,” 

“I’m very professional,” You tease him lightly. 

He nudges you and tucks back into his noodles, “How long?” 

“Hmm,” You get more comfortable, crossing your legs and scooting back a little onto the mattress, “I thought you were cute when we first met,” 

“God,” He groans, “we were such kids,” 

You nod, swallowing another bite, “Mhm, you had that blonde hair,” 

He laughs. 

“I remember thinking, ‘that one’s trouble’,” You confess. 

“Me?” His eyebrows perk up, “I’m perfectly nice,” 

“Trouble as in you’re my type,” You roll your eyes, “but I don’t think the crush properly came until later. You’ve always made me laugh, and when I realized how I was feeling I just did my best to keep some distance,” 

He nods, face getting a little serious, “I know what you mean,” 

That knowledge leaves you both a little quiet. The late hour, the adrenaline come down, all of it barrels into you at the same moment as the next anxious thought. How in the world were you both going to navigate this with a contract as tight as theirs and the public eye always watching? 

“Yunho,” You murmur, the last of your noodles left to go cold as you sit with that thought, “Are we going to be able to figure this out?” 

“Figure what out?” He looks genuinely confused by your question, “Us?” 

“You’re an idol,” You nod towards him, “I’m staff,” 

He rests a hand on your knee, “We’ll be fine,” 

“Aren’t your contracts,” You trail off, letting him fill in the blanks. 

“They’re strict, yes,” He nods, “year seven,” 

Dating, romance, even the perception of it was more than discouraged by companies in this industry, their artists contractually obligated to be single and available and dedicated only to their fans. Five years would have been the industry standard to prevent any idol from being caught out with a partner, let alone a potential soulmarked one, but seven is excessive. 

You blanch, “That’s almost two years away,” 

“We will find a way,” He says, “we’re not the first people in the industry this has happened to,” 

“Really?” You perk up, “Who?” 

He falls short, “Well, I don’t know exactly, but it’s bound to have happened.” 

“And then ruined their careers,” You groan, flopping back flat on the mattress and covering your face with a hand, “which is why we’ve never heard of them,” 

Yunho laughs, earnestly laughs, and takes the half empty ramen cup out of your hand to discard, “Maybe, but for now, let’s just stay positive. Get to know eachother better,” 

You nod. 

“Nothing can change the fact that we found each other,” He points out, dropping down onto his side on the bed next to you, “and I’m okay with that.” 

“So we just lie to everyone?” You chew at the inside of your lip, staring up at the white ceiling. 

“Hey,” Yunho’s fingers tuck under your chin and draw your eyes to him, “I know you’re anxious,” 

You sigh, letting his softness calm you again. 

“I know,” He repeats, “I am too, but we don’t have to decide anything tonight. We’re both tired and it’s been an emotional day,” 

“Okay,” You nod, “okay, yes, you’re right,” 

His thumb strokes over your cheek again, and you watch him exhale and sink further into your touch, “Will you stay tonight?” 

That wakes you up. 

Your eyebrows raise, “Stay?” 

“Just to sleep,” He assures you, “I just… I don’t want to be without you yet,” 

“I need to get back before Iseul wakes up if we do that,” You note with a grimace. 

“What time?” He glances back to the clock. 

“Seven,” You say, “her alarm is set for seven-thirty,” 

“We can do that,” He grabs his phone off the side table and sets an alarm, “we’ll get up,” 

The pull between your bodies is so strong you’re fairly sure you would have stayed no matter the consequences, but you nod, “Then I’ll stay,” 

He grins and pushes himself off the bed, “I’ve got clothes, if you want to get comfortable,” 

“Sure,” you sit up and wait for him to find things in his still packed suitcase. 

“Um,” He pulls a pair of black sweatpants from the bag, “these should work, and if you get cold,” 

You smile as he grabs a gray hoodie and comes back to you. 

As you start to pull off your sweater again, he turns around and leaves his back to you, “Sorry,” 

“Thanks,” You chuckle, making short work of changing. You’re swimming in his clothes, but his sweatshirt smells like him and you just want to bury your face into it, “you can turn around now,” 

His shoulders relax as he turns back, and you watch his lips part as he takes you in. 

“What?” 

“You look cute,” He clears his throat, shrugging off his reaction. 

You smile and ease back onto the bed, “Oh, I get it,” you laugh, “is your guy brain on fire because I’m wearing your clothes? Is this some kind of… you won the competition, ownership thing?” 

He scoffs and rolls his eyes, kneeling on the bed to shuffle closer, “No competition when you’re literally fated for me,” 

“Right,” You let the word drag out on your tongue to tease him. 

“But I like taking care of you already, and now you’re warm and comfortable,” He collapses next to you onto the mattress with a sigh, “and I know I don’t own you, but you are mine, just like I’m yours now. I won’t apologize for liking you in my clothes or in my bed, for liking when you look like my girlfriend,” 

Warmth blooms in your cheeks and you duck your face into the sheets. 

“Now come get under the covers,” He maneuvers the duvet, “it’s late, you were dead on your feet today,” 

His voice is so warm and familiar, and you slide into the covers beside him. 

In bed you keep a little distance, and despite the number of times both of you say that you should go to sleep, your conversation is almost impossible to stop. Yunho holds your hand in the middle space of the mattress between your bodies, and in the dim lighting of the hotel room you whisper thought after thought back and forth. A million things coming to mind you need to tell each other so suddenly now that you’ve found each other. 

As you talk his fingers travel, restlessly stroking your skin, up and down your arm and tapping out patterns. When his palm slides back and forth over the sharp lines of the tattoos on your upper arm, and you feel the question slipping out of your lips and revealing more about yourself than you intended before you can catch it. 

“Your parents,” You blurt out, “will they be happy?” He’s spoken about them so much over the past hour that you can’t help but ask him that question point blank. 

“So happy,” He responds with ease, a laugh on his lips, “they always worried me being an idol meant I’d never be able to find the one and settle down, they’re going to love this story,” 

You smile at the easy way he calls you ‘the one’, but the question you really asked still remains unanswered and you exhale softly, “But,” you manage, “will they be happy with me?” 

Yunho stills, reaching across the bed to hook his finger under your chin and draw your eyes up to his again, “Very happy,” he says, “just like I am.” 

Your muscles relax, his words a soothing balm, and you adjust your position on the pillow beneath you, “Just checking,” 

“Mhm,” He studies your face, “jagi, why wouldn’t they be happy with you?” 

The endearment slips off his lips with ease, and a burst of warmth spreads through you. You’ve never needed pet names and softness like this from a partner, but from him it makes your heart quicken. 

The momentary elation fades though, and his question comes back into your mind. You take a deep breath, you owe it to him to tell him now, “My family won’t be happy,” 

“With me?” His eyebrows raise. 

“It’s me,” You shake your head, “my parents have difficult ideals, and I’ve never pleased them. It wouldn’t matter who you were, they… they’ll find a way to not be happy for me.”

His eyes soften, and his thumb strokes along your jaw, “I’m sorry,” 

“It is what it is,” 

“Are your parents soulmates?” He asks softly. 

You shake your head, “No, they don’t really believe in soulmarks,” 

You watch his eyes widen in surprise. 

“Unless,” You can’t stop yourself from rolling your eyes, “the match is ‘fortuitous’,” 

“For status?” He surmises. 

“Status, money,” You shrug, “connection. But I think I could marry the next president and they’d still find a way to be disappointed in me,” 

His jaw flexes tense for just a moment, before his expression smooths over again. 

“Anyway,” You clear the bad thoughts away as quickly as they came, “my sister and I never went along like they wanted, like my cousins and the rest of my family, so we are the great disappointments. It’s not… it’s fine, but, I guess you should know before we, you know,” 

He smiles, a bit of amusement in his expression that you can’t place, “Did you think having bad parents would scare me off?” 

“It could,” 

“No,” He slides a hand under your side and tugs you across the mattress to press a fast kiss to your lips, “it never could.” 

“But I’m,” You start, all the reasons why a partner might care ringing in your ears. 

“Beautiful?” He cuts you off, “Just my type? If it’s anything else I don’t want to hear you say it,” 

Your stomach flip flops hard and you push lightly against his chest to get him to stop. 

“The thing is,” He brushes your hair back from your cheek, “my parents are soulmates. I grew up in a house full of a lot of love, even when they were being strict and scolding us.” 

Your smile at his warm expression. 

“So I know they’ll love you,” He explains, “they know what this feels like, what it means. I have plenty of family for us both,” 

Your throat constricts, tears threatening for a moment. 

“Your sister, though,” He grounds you out of the bad thoughts without even thinking, “you two are close?” 

“Very,”

“I’d like to meet her,” He smiles. 

“You two would get along great, my sister and her wife both, actually,” 

Yunho nods, listening attentively, “Do they have kids?” 

“Not yet,” You groan, “but I’m dying to be an auntie,” 

His thumb drags a comforting line across your cheekbone, his expression warm and affectionate, “Cute,” 

You sink into the pillows, a yawn creeping up to your lips, “She’s going to lose her mind when I call her,”  

“Yeah?” 

“Mm,” You huff a laugh, “she thought that when I started working here I should have found an inconspicuous way to bump into all of you to test possible bonds. She’s going to be riding the ‘I told you so’ train.” 

“She’s funny,” He smirks. 

“Very,” You sigh, unconsciously cuddling into his warmth. 

“Has it been a while since you’ve seen her?” He asks softly, adjusting his arms around you so that you’re cradled against his chest with the pillows at your back. 

“Mhm,” You yawn again, the warmth of his body settling the last of the adrenaline inside you, “a while,” 

“Let’s find a day off after the tour,” He tucks the duvet around you. 

“Yeah?” Your eyes feel heavy. 

“Yeah,” He kisses your forehead. 

“Yunho,” You yawn again, dipping your forehead into his chest, “God, I’m so tired again,” 

“Mhm,” He yawns too, “me too, jagi,” 

You hum softly, fingers slipping under the edge of his shirt just to feel a little skin, “I like that,” you murmur, “I like you,” 

“I like you too,” He chuckles, “now go to sleep,” 

A piece of you wants to protest, wants more time cocooned in this day with him, but something about his body feels so right. After a week of sleeping poorly, your body tight and anxious and heart fluttering for no reason at all, when he touches you, your mind goes blissfully blank. 

Your muscles relax, your breath dropping low and soft in your chest. 

Nuzzled against his tattoo, you drift.

You’re supposed to wake up to an alarm. Early enough that you could slip back into your hotel room and your own bed to yawn and stretch next to Iseul and make her believe you were there the whole night. That’s what was supposed to happen. 

Instead, you wake to the heavy sound of a hotel door and Seonghwa’s voice, Yunho jolting awake beside you. 

“Oh my god,” Seonghwa says for what sounds like the third time to your fuzzy sleep-addled brain, “oh my god?” 

“Hyung,” Yunho pushes himself up, his arms unwinding from around you, “hey, don’t freak out,” 

“Don’t freak out,” Seonghwa’s eyes blow wide, “are you fucking kidding me? Hongjoong is going to kill you,”

“You don’t understand,” Sleep is still heavy on him and he shakes his head to try to pull himself away. 

“I understand plenty,” Seonghwa counters, “how long have you been lying to us?” 

His reaction surprises you, and you ease yourself up to sit next to Yunho. You’re not sure what to say or not say, you don’t know what they’ve discussed in the past when it comes to dating and relationships, but by  Seonghwa’s outburst you can guess it’s honesty at a minimum. 

Yunho’s face falls, “No, it’s not that,” 

“I can tell you what it looks like,” Seonghwa lowers his voice to what amounts to a stage whisper. 

“Hyung,” Yunho rubs his eyes, running a hand through his mop of black hair. 

“It looks like you’ve been sneaking around,” He continues, “how long have you two been fucking?” 

“Hey,” Yunho’s voice sharpens, and his hand crosses your body to anchor on your opposite thigh. 

Seonghwa’s eyes track it and he shakes his head, “This is so stupid,” he steps back in surprise, “you’re both being so, incredibly stupid.” 

Yunho gives you a squeeze and opens his mouth to reply but Seonghwa keeps going. 

“Naive is what it is,” 

Irritation bubbles in your gut and you can’t stop yourself, “Seonghwa, will you shut up for one second?” 

He stops in his tracks, mouth falling open, “What?” 

“Can you please,” You hold his gaze, “please, just listen to Yunho for a minute before you jump to conclusions.” 

He shifts, taking a step back and crossing his arms, and then he looks to Yunho. 

Yunho finds your eyes quickly, silently asking, and you give him a nod. 

“Okay,” Yunho runs a hand through his hair again, “I’ll just say it.” 

Seonghwa waits, his expression completely neutral except for the irritated corner of his lips.

“y/n is my soulmate,” Yunho squeezes your thigh again and you slip your hand into his to twine your fingers together, “we didn’t know, but now we do.” 

Seonghwa’s brows go high, shock filling his features. 

“We’re not hiding,” You add, “we just… it’s just,” 

“How long?” Seonghwa manages. 

“Soundcheck yesterday,” Yunho says, “we haven’t known long enough to lie, hyung.” 

“You’re sure?” He looks between you both, and you know what he’s thinking. How could it be possible to know each other for years and not know. 

“We’re sure,” You answer confidently, calmly, “I swear,” 

“It’s real,” Yunho’s thumb strokes across knuckles, “it’s very real.” 

Seonghwa swallows, taking in the news and sinks back against the hotel dresser, “Well, fuck,” 

“Yeah,” Yunho laughs. 

“You were off timing yesterday,” Seonghwa points out, “and distracted,” 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Yunho grimaces. 

“No, but,” He shrugs, “I know you and you’re never off time.” 

“It wasn’t easy to focus on the show yesterday,” Yunho admits. 

“I’m sorry,” You nudge him with your shoulder, knowing a huge portion of that must have been the panic flooding his side of the link. 

He shakes his head, “There’s nothing to be sorry for,”

When you look back up, Seonghwa is smiling and he sighs, “Oh, you’ve both got it bad.” 

“Obviously,” You hide your face in your sweatshirt sleeve. 

“So, what’s the plan?” Seonghwa asks, “Because you can’t act like this around anyone else,” 

Your mouth feels dry. 

“We don’t know,” Yunho answers, “we have to figure that out, for now I think we just try to keep things normal.” 

Seonghwa nods and then leans forward, “Listen, I know you’re not asking for my advice,” 

You both wait. 

“But you're my brother,” Seonghwa says unequivocally, “so I’m going to give you some anyway.” 

Yunho nods. 

“You wear your heart on your sleeve,” Seonghwa points out, “and I’m sure it will be hard to act like acquaintances in front of everyone, but you have to do it, at least until you make a plan.” 

“Yeah,” Yunho’s cheeks are a little pink and he squeezes your hand. 

“No one fires the idol for things like this,” He reminds you both, “so for her sake, put it away for today.” 

“He’s right,” You nod, “today we go back to coworkers,” 

Yunho draws your clasped hands up and kisses your fingers, “Okay,” 

“You’re lucky I offered to check on you,” Seonghwa sighs heavily, “if any of the managers came in,” 

“Check on me?” Yunho perks up at that, “Hwa, why,” 

Things come into focus for you at that moment, how bright the hotel room is with sunlight, how well rested you really feel. You twist in the bed and look at the digital clock, “Oh no,” 

“You were late,” Seonghwa explains, “we figured you overslept, I offered to use the spare key to get you up.” 

“Fuck,” Yunho curses. 

You both slept straight through Yunho’s alarm. 

“Iseul is going to fucking kill me,” You roll out of bed, your hands breaking apart as you scramble for you phone, “what the hell am I going to tell her?” 

Your phone reads nine-thirty. In thirty minutes you’re supposed to be packed into a van and on the way to the venue and when you look at the collection of notifications your stomach churns. 

Three calls from Iseul, and a lengthy string of text messages. 

Did you already get up and get ready?

Your work bag is still here…

Not funny, girl, where are you?

Did you make it back last night? 

Can you answer me?? 

I’m getting worried. I haven’t heard anything - You haven’t even read these? 

You better not be dead in a ditch, I’ll kill you myself. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Your hands are trembling as you tap out the fastest reply - Alive, be right there.

Yunho’s a whirlwind behind you, stripping out of his sleep clothes and yanking on whatever outfit is at the top of his suitcase, “It’s fine, it’s going to be fine,” 

“Sure,” You search the floor for your jeans and dart into the bathroom, “my best friend is going to murder me though,” 

You change at lightning speed, swapping his sweats for your jeans and then tying up your hair into a messy bun before pushing back out into the main room. 

“Everyone’s downstairs,” Seonghwa offers, “you shouldn’t run into anyone on the way back to your room.” 

“Good, okay, good,” Your heart is pounding, “where’s my room key?” 

“Here,” Yunho darts forwards and finds the little envelope, passing it to you, “take a breath,” 

“I have to go,” You manage, “I have to think of something,” 

“Don’t kiss and tell,” Seonghwa offers and he’s being funny but it’s vaguely helpful. 

“Wait,” Yunho grabs your hand and tugs you back, snapping your phone out of your hand. 

“Yunho, I don’t,” You start to say but he waves you off. 

He types fast, adding himself as a contact in Kakao Talk, “My number,” he explains. 

Seonghwa huffs a laugh. 

You take the phone back and tuck it into your pocket, “I’ll message you later,” 

“Good,” He dips forwards and presses one warm, tender kiss to your lips, “now get out of here,” 

You kiss him back, just once and fast, a little shred of self indulgence before you have to act like he’s just another guy, and then you’re darting out of the room, shouting back a thank you at Seonghwa as you go. 

You navigate the halls fast, and opt to take the stairs to get down one floor faster and more inconspicuously. You take a deep breath when you get to your hotel door, and then you dive. 

“So you are alive,” Iseul’s waiting, just like you thought she might be. She’s sitting on your still made bed, her phone in her hands and a tense expression on her face, “I was just about to tell the managers you were missing,” 

“I’m so sorry, seriously, I didn’t mean to worry you,” You take a few steps into the room. 

Her eyes flick over you, and you realize at the moment her eyes widen that you’re still wearing Yunho’s hoodie, your sweater still discarded on his bedroom floor. 

“You hooked up with someone?” Her voice spikes, “Are you kidding me?” 

Thankfully the hoodie is plain, just a heather gray with no identifying attributes that scream his name, but you’re still swimming in it and it’s clear you’re rumpled from bed. 

“Listen,” You hold up your hands, “I didn’t mean to not text you, I just fell asleep,” 

“With some guy?” She stands. 

“Yes,” You settle on some version of the truth. 

“Who?” She flounders, “We’re supposed to text each other,” 

And you always did, when either one of you went home with someone there was always a little preemptive safety report. A name, an address, a shared location, something so that you weren’t completely alone in the world with a strange guy. 

“I’m sorry,” You say again. 

She studies you, and it’s like she’s looking through you. 

“Oh my god,” Her eyes widen, “we know him.” 

“Iseul,” Your cheeks heat. 

She points at you, “I’m right!” 

“It’s not a big deal,” You skirt around her words. 

“The only reason you wouldn’t text me is if you were with someone we both know,” She narrows her eyes, “so give it up.” 

“I can’t,” You press, “leave it,” 

“Why are you being so weird?” 

“Iseul,” You sigh, avoiding her gaze, “I just woke up in a panic, and I have like fifteen minutes to get showered, can you give me the third degree later?” 

“I’m not letting this go,” 

“Yeah,” You pull off Yunho’s sweatshirt and head to the bathroom, “I know, but we have work.” 

“Work with a coworker you slept with,” She stands in the doorway while you start the shower, and you realize her tone isn’t so much as angry anymore but probing. 

“I didn’t sleep with him,” You groan, “well, I guess I did, but we didn’t have sex, okay?” 

“That’s awfully cozy for a one night stand,” She crosses her arms, “unless you’re seeing someone? Are you seeing someone?” 

“No,” You test the water heat and unbutton your jeans, “I swear I’ll explain another time, but can you just drop it for today? Or do you want to stand here and watch me shower?” 

“Fine,” She concedes, “you will tell me?” 

“I swear,” You nod, “I want to tell you, but I’m not ready yet, okay?” 

Her eyes soften up at that, “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” You nod, “but I’m having big feelings about it and I need to work it out,”

“Oh,” In all the years you’ve known her, she’s never seen you in love or even close, and she just blinks, “got it,” 

“Can I shower now?” You gesture towards the running water. 

“Yeah,” She steps back, “yeah, but I’m still mad you didn’t text me.” 

“Okay,” 

“And I’m still going to guess who it is,” She smirks. 

“Fine,” 

Her smile widens and she rolls her eyes, “I bet it’s one of the BB guys, isn’t it? You always like a dancer,” 

She turns the corner before she can watch you blushing harder, so nearly on the money with her guess, but you put it all out of your mind for now and focus on your day. You’re late, and it’s about to be another long one. You’ll have time for everything else later, if you can just keep your cool. 

Work is bizarre to say the least. You and Yunho both do an excellent job of not looking at each other except for when he’s in your makeup chair, and you’re getting better and better at ignoring both San’s and Seonghwa’s nervous glances. 

This time you start the makeup early, less time pressure with the schedule adjustments, and the night goes off without a hitch. Soundcheck to stage to VIP benefits, it’s a whirlwind and you’re grateful for the distractions everywhere you look. 

You can still feel him, emotions from his side of the link ebbing and flowing throughout the day, but the sharp intensity of yesterday has dulled a bit after your night together. In quiet moments you find yourself thinking about his lips, or the way his hands held you as you tumbled into sleep, but you push it down and stay professional. 

As the show ends, Iseul ropes you into team dinner, desperate to observe who you interact with and how, still on her quest to find your mystery bed partner, but the boys aren’t there and so there’s nothing for her to really see. 

Later, with Iseul passed out from one too many shots of soju, you slip back into Yunho’s hoodie and cuddle into the warmth of your own bed. You need more sleep, you know that, but your brain isn’t cooperating. You toss and turn in the sheets, body feeling like a taut cord, and all you can think of is him. 

You miss him. 

It’s not even two days of having him in your life like this and you feel nervous and achy without him. There’s no way you’ll survive two years of this. 

Over an hour passes as you sigh, changing positions again and again, and then your phone finally buzzes. You scramble to see if it’s a message from him, nearly dropping your phone in the process. 

Can’t sleep? - He must be feeling your restlessness. 

Not at all - You reply, chest feeling warm at the contact. 

Little bubbles pop up immediately to indicate he’s typing and then another message pops on your screen - You’d think after last night we’d both be exhausted.

So you’re as awake as I am? 

Just can’t relax. I liked having you here last night. - He confesses. 

You roll over in the bedding onto your front and push the pillow under your chest before you keep texting - I liked it too. I’d come up except Iseul wouldn’t lay off guessing who I was with this morning. 

Oh? Did she guess correctly? - You can practically see the smirk on his face. 

Nope - You tease back. 

Was she upset? - He asks. 

At first, but I told her I would tell her soon I just needed some time - You reply. 

That’s good, honest. - His message makes you smile. 

How was Seonghwa? - You tap out. 

Fine…. stressing and acting like a hyung, you know - He says. 

You smile and type out another message - Is he keeping this to himself for now?

Yes - Yunho’s message comes in, and then another - For now, he knows we need to decide things first. 

That’s good - You send back. 

Things lull for a moment, and you try to think of something more to say, but Yunho swoops in with a question that makes you bite your lip to keep from laughing - Who did Iseul guess you were with? Was I even on the list?

I thought you’d be happy she didn’t guess - You reply. 

Bubbles appear immediately, then another message - I’m a little offended, I’m the obvious choice.

Why’s that? - You tease him. 

You feel something warm in your chest, and his next message flies back - I thought I was your type? 

You stifle another laugh - You are, she’s not very observant.

So who did she guess? 

Your belly flip flops and you hide your face in the pillow for a moment. His obvious jealousy, even just to tease you, is making your heart quicken and you can’t stop yourself from making it harder on him. 

You take a breath and reply - About half the BB crew and a few of your managers.

The replies don’t come for a moment, and you nervously refresh the chat. 

Finally a message comes in - I’m trying to think of something funny to say, but I’m actually just irrationally jealous. 

She was just teasing, no need to be jealous - You smile into your hand. 

Doesn’t matter - He says - Now I’m just here alone wondering which of our coworkers Iseul thinks you have chemistry with

He is jealous. You swallow hard, trying to ignore the swooping sensation in your belly and press your legs a little tighter together. If you close your eyes you can feel the echo of his hands on you from last night, and all you want in the world is for him to come down here and kiss you hard like that again. 

With a slow exhale you return to your phone - Don’t be jealous, Yunho. We both know I’m yours.

Yeah? - His reply comes after a beat - No need to be jealous then.

Exactly - You reply. 

I bet you like it a little though - His message flies in as yours sends.

You feel warm all over and you run a nervous hand through your hair before replying - No, I don’t. 

Jagi, you forget I can feel how worked up you’re getting. 

Your stomach clenches, drops and twists. He’s going to be the death of you and you’re still just flirting.  

You work up the courage and finally send your reply - You’re the one that pinned me to the wall last night. 

I’ve been thinking about that all day - The message reply is fast. 

You smile and bite your lip, snuggling further into the mattress and trying to ignore the growing pulse between your thighs - You did seem distracted during rehearsals.

You feel warmth in your chest, and you know exactly how much your flirting is affecting him. Another text pings through and you shiver when you read it - How could I not be distracted with you there? All I could think about was the way you said my name last night. 

Your thighs press together - Yunho?

Yes, jagi?

Or more whiny, was it? Yunho-ya? - You type it out fully, emphasizing the extended sound, knowing exactly what he wants to hear from the way he gripped you last night. 

The room is suddenly hot, and your heart beats faster to sync with his. 

It takes a moment for him to respond, bubbles popping up and then receding again and you wonder how he’s lying in bed. If he’s hard already, if he’s palming himself? You wonder if he sleeps naked when he’s alone and youre core clenches, arousal pooling in your gut and you know he can feel the threads of it. When he finally presses send on his message you have to cover your mouth to keep quiet. 

Feeling needy? Are you squirming around in that hotel bed wishing for me, sweetheart?

You feel that message from your top to your toes and you steal a fast glance at the bed next to you. Iseul is sound asleep, turned away from you and snoring softly, and you let out a relieved, shuddering breath. 

You could pump the brakes here, tease him and find a way to say goodnight, but you simply can’t. Need and arousal overwhelms you and you tap back your reply fast - I’ve been aching all day.

Do you have headphones? 

The question catches you off guard, but you write back - Yes, airpods.

Put them in - He says, and you swallow tightly, reaching for the little headphone case on your bedside table. 

Your fingers are shaking as you take them out of the case and put them in, making sure they’re connected before you reply - Done. 

His call lights up your phone, ringing in your headphones and you swipe to answer with a panicked glance at the bed next to you, but Iseul sleeps on, none the wiser. 

“y/n?” His voice is so rich and quiet, a little raspy edge after singing all night and you nearly moan. 

“Hi,” You whisper as soft as you can, “I can’t,” 

“Don’t talk,” He soothes you, “don’t wake Iseul up, I’ll talk to you and you can text me back, okay?” 

You minimize the call and open your chat back up, sending him a quick emoji to acknowledge his words. 

“Perfect,” He laughs softly, “this is way easier than texting. Listen, I know we said slow, but I’d love to help you relax if you want that. If not, I can just say goodnight, it’s up to you.” 

You exhale softly, a needy thrill in your gut - Let’s relax together. 

“Oh,” He sighs pleasantly, “yes, I’d love that.” 

You want me? - You ask. 

“You can feel how much I do,” He responds, “I’m sitting here convincing myself not to come downstairs and get my hands on you.” 

You hum softly, shifting in the sheets and relaxing deeper into the pillows. 

You hear his own breath, the way he parts his lips with a wet sound, “Can you tell me what position you’re in?” 

You tap out the reply - Lying on my front, on my stomach. 

“Hmm,” He sounds pleased, “I bet you look so cute, all twisted up in the sheets and blushing,” 

I was tossing and turning. 

“I bet you were,” He groans a little, “I tried everything. I hit the gym, cold shower, did some deep breathing, but you have me so keyed up I can’t sleep,” 

You send him another emoji, the blushing face. 

He laughs, the rumble of it too deep and warm in your ear with your headphones in. 

You tap out another message - What position are you in? Trying to picture it. 

You hear him shift around in the sheets, “I’m on my back,” 

Wearing? 

He chuckles, “Aren’t I supposed to be the one asking what you’re wearing?” 

I asked you first.

“Fair,” He shifts again, and you picture him restless on his back in the bed you shared the night before, “just boxers,” 

A heavy sigh passes through your lips. 

“And you?” 

You wish it were sexier all of a sudden, but that just wouldn’t be practical in a room with your friend so you tell him honestly - Pajamas, the button down kind, they’re gray. 

“God, you’re adorable,” The covers on his end shift again, “wish you were up here with me.” 

Me too 

“This is probably better,” He says though, “I don’t think I could hold myself back for another night.” 

Me either - You confess. 

“y/n,” His voice warms, low in his chest, “jagiya, can I help you? Can I tell you what I want you to do?” 

Your hands are shaking and you type the reply so fast there’s a typo that you have to fix - Pfease - Please.

He chuckles, “Alright, get comfortable, just listen to my voice, okay?” 

You message him one last thought - What about you?

“I’m… I’m, uh,” He lets out a shaky breath, “I’m already stroking for you,” 

You press your lips together to keep from making a sound, dropping your forehead to the pillow in front of you. 

That’s so hot - You text him quickly when you hear him say your name, probably a little nervous he came on too strong. 

He hums, “Good,” he says, “then don’t worry about me, just listen to my voice.” 

You set your phone to the side, snuggling into the mattress and the pillows just like he asked for, sparing one more glance at Iseul to confirm she’s still completely out of it. 

“Comfy?” He asks when you stop shifting around. 

“Mhm,” You murmur in a whisper. 

“Good,” He sighs, “now slip one of your hands under your cute little pajamas, between your thighs.” 

You slide your arm down, tucking it under your body and into your sleep pants. 

“Under your panties too,” He says, his voice a little husky. 

“Mhm,” You murmur again, following his words. 

“Tease a little for me,” He instructs you, “not too fast, just your fingertips on the outside,” 

You breathe low and slow, gently passing the pads of your fingers over your slit, just barely ghosting against the hard nub of your clit. 

“I bet you look so pretty right now,” He groans a little and you hear the sound of sheets, “you make the cutest faces when you’re feeling good,” 

You make the tiniest noise of acknowledgement, fingers still brushing your cunt. 

“Can’t wait to see you fall apart for real,” He confesses, a strain in his tone as he sighs, and you picture him. His long legs spread wide in the bed, stretching from corner to corner, his boxer briefs pushed down and his hand fisting his cock. 

You’re going to lose it when you finally get to touch him again. 

“You can touch now,” He murmurs, getting your attention back, “are you wet?” 

You push your fingers through your folds and sigh when you feel just how slick and swollen you are. With your other hand you find the phone nearby and tap out a quick message - So wet

“That’s good, that’s so good,” 

Your fingers start to circle on your oversensitive nub and there’s no way he won’t have you coming in five minutes or less with it feeling this good and his heavy breath in your ear. 

“R-rub your clit for me,” He pants and your eyes roll, you can hear the sounds of the sheets rhythmically swishing as he pumps his cock harder, “get your fingers nice and wet,” 

You whimper into the pillow, biting down hard on your cheek to keep yourself in check. 

“Oh, fuck,” He groans, “sound so pretty,” 

You rub harder, faster, your legs stretching wide under the downy comforter to give you better access. 

“Baby,” He gets your attention with that, “push two fingers inside yourself, imagine I’m there with you,” 

You shift, hand slipping lower and body arching to slide your middle and ring finger as deep as they’ll go. You stay mostly quiet this time, but your breathing is heavy and you’re sure he can hear it. 

“Close your eyes,” He murmurs, “picture my fingers,” 

You gasp softly. 

“Grind,” He tells you, “grind your pussy on my palm and feel my fingers fucking you,” 

You bite back a moan, only the slip of a soft sound into the microphone as you start to rock, rolling your hips and working your clit against your hand as you sink into his fantasy. You always took him for soft, the romantic type who’d blush at saying the word ‘pussy’ let alone talking you through what’s bound to be the headiest orgasm of your life, but you’ve never been so happy to be wrong. 

“Yes,” Yunho moans and you shudder, “I can hear you moving, you’re doing so good,” 

Pleasurable stars burst behind your eyes and you grind harder into your slick palm. 

“So good,” He groans and you hear him roll in the bedding, his voice changing to something lower and breathier, and then the rhythmic rock of sheets from his side of the phone tells you all you need to know. You can almost see it, Yunho braced on his forearms, hips thrusting to drive his cock in and out of his hot fist, his face buried in the pillow you slept on the night before. 

Heat melts through you, your body alight, and you grapple to find the phone again - Close

“Already?” He says in a flushed exhale, “You’re so hot, that’s so hot,” 

You need him to talk to you, you need him to tell you what to do, and you whimper into the bedding as you work your body faster up to the peak. 

“You gonna come for me?” He murmurs, “Yeah? Hmm?” 

You drop the phone and press a hand over your lips, stifling the threat of a real moan. 

“Let go,” His voice is so low in your ear you can practically feel the warmth of his breath on your skin, “come for me,” 

Your legs are trembling, knees digging into the mattress and sweat gathered on your brow, and you feel the pressure start to crack open inside you, “Coming,” you whimper into your fingers so he knows, and then it breaks. 

“God, good girl, yes,” He groans, “I’m coming with you, fuck,” 

Your body curls into itself as you release, locking up in pleasure as you feel wave after wave of heat. You bite down on your knuckle to keep from making a sound, silently falling apart, dimly aware somewhere in your gut that half the heat you felt was his, that part of that pleasure was his own. 

Yunho moans in your ear as you ride the sensations, panting and cursing and you can’t wait to feel him pulsing inside you while he sounds this good. 

You’re not sure how long it takes you to recover, but when your brain starts to connect again you realize you’re panting against the cool flat of the mattress and both your phone and pillow are nowhere to be found. You swallow hard and pop your head up, but Iseul hasn’t moved an inch and you thank god for her liberal use of melatonin while traveling. 

In your ear you register the sound of Yunho’s breath and the end of a sentence, “still there?” 

He must have been talking, and you try to focus in on the sound of him now as you slip your hand out from between your sticky thighs. 

He exhales slowly and you hear him shifting around, “y/n, baby, are you there?” 

 “Uh-huh,” You manage. 

“Sleepy?” He murmurs, misreading your sound, “That’s okay,” 

You make a tiny noise of protest and search the bed for your phone. 

“Baby?” He’s confused and you grin at his sleepy sated tone. 

Sliding off the bed onto nearly boneless legs, you find your pillow off to the side and your phone underneath. You snap it up and send a message quickly - Wait

“Wait?” He breathes, “Sure, I’m not going anywhere, I’m here,” 

You tiptoe to the bathroom as quietly as you can and then shut yourself behind the heavy door, flicking on the light and collapsing to sit on the closed toilet lid. 

You disconnect your earbuds and bring your phone to your ear, “Hey,” 

“Hey,” He murmurs, “you okay?” 

“Yeah,” You smile, still a little breathless, “Hiding in the bathroom for a sec so I could actually talk to you,” 

He hums, a quiet, lazy laugh, “Ah,” 

“Are you okay?” You find yourself asking, a little nervous tumble in your gut. 

“Me?” He says, “I’m incredible, you’re incredible,” 

“Yeah?” You draw your knees up, wrapping your arms around yourself and smiling into the phone. 

“That wasn’t too much, was it?” He checks, but you still hear the sound of him calling you ‘good girl’ and you shiver. 

“Not too much,” You sigh into the phone. 

“Good,” He hums, “I thought so, I was trying to pay attention to how you were feeling, but it was a little,”

“Hard to focus?” You offer and he laughs. 

“Yeah,” He sighs again, heavy and sated. 

“I can’t wait for this tour to be over,” You confess, “I just want to be with you,” 

You feel a pang in your chest and listen as Yunho rolls in the sheets, “I know, I want that too,” 

A little lump forms in your throat and you breathe through it, “Yunho,” 

“Yeah, baby?” 

“Have you ever felt like this before?” Your thundering heart has started to slow, and you let your eyes close as you murmur the question. 

“Never,” He murmurs, “but I felt this way before we touched,” 

You feel his tenderness wrap around your heart as if he were in the room with you, and with a small smile you whisper, “I thought you said you weren’t holding a candle?” 

“I lied,” He says softly, “it’s been you for a long time,” 

He doesn’t say it, not in so many words, but you feel the way he loves you through the link in a wave. It’s as good as any confession to you, just as honest if not more so. 

“I wish I could come upstairs,” You manage, tears pricking your eyes. 

You hear him swallow and breathe a slow breath through his nose, “Soon, I promise. We’re going to do this right,” 

“I know,” 

“Are your headphones still in?” He asks

“No, but I can switch back,” 

“Put them back in and go get back in bed,” He softly instructs, “it’s late, but I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep, okay?” 

“Okay,” You swap back over to your earbuds and adjust them. 

“Get back to bed,” You can hear the smile in his voice. 

“Yunho,” You interrupt him, “thank you for staying with me,” 

“Always,” He says, and for the first time in your life when someone says they’ll be there, you believe it. 

“I’m going back out,” Your voice drops to a whisper, “good night,” 

“Mhm,” He listens as you slip back into bed, “just get comfortable, just breathe. I’m right here with you, jagiya, I’ll be right here.” 

He murmurs to you softly until your mind is sinking into darkness, body finally unspooling and letting you drop off into sleep. It’s not the same as his arms around you, but it settles you more than any meditation, his voice a steady whisper through your dreams. 

In the morning when you wake the call is still connected and the first sound you hear is his slow breath and the steady beat of his heart.

[imtrashraccoon]

Whew! It's over...don't mind me but I'll probably be taking a few days off writing again. Thank you so much for coming along on this journey with me! I learned so much and had so much fun! It's definitely given me so many ideas for future projects...

There will probably be an announcement post coming soon... (ﾟ⁠οﾟ⁠人⁠)⁠)

@owl-bones

First Day & Previous Day.

Bad Sansuary: Free Space - Snuggle

Word Count: 3,301

Feat. Everyone!

You were relaxing in your room with a book you'd borrowed from the library after dinner. This high fantasy series Nightmare recommended was seriously good and once you'd started, it was incredibly hard to put down. Well, unless someone interrupted you that is...

There was a playful knock at your door, pulling you out of the story and back to reality. You knew exactly who had chosen to bother you and a part of you wanted to just pretend you had gone to bed early so he'd leave you alone. But...that wouldn't be very nice and you could always read later on before you did actually go to sleep.

With a sigh, you slipped a book mark made from laminating the pressed flowers Axe had given you between the pages and hauled yourself off the comfortable couch to go answer the door. The knocking grew more insistent until you finally threw it open and fixed Killer with your most exaggerated grumpy face.

"What's so important that you would drag me from the realm of Middle Earth just to see you?" you grumbled.

Killer shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and smirked. "hm? oh i was just bored out of my mind, angel face~"

You sighed and ran your hand down your face. "So, you want me to help you?"

"nope."

"What? Then...why did you come see me?" Now you were really confused and you stared at him for a few seconds, waiting for him to break and claim he was just messing with you.

"i wanna have a movie night and almost everyone else has already agreed. so...?" He wiggled his bonebrows in a playful way until you finally relented.

"Alright, I guess that sounds like it could be fun."

No sooner had you agreed did Killer take your hand and nearly drag you into the common area. You protested from the suddenness, but he only laughed and barely slowed down at all. It seemed you'd have to revisit Middle Earth another time.

"she said yes!" he announced to the other three skeletons.

Axe and Dust seemed to have been trying to figure out which movie to watch, but by the looks of things, they hadn't been able to come to a decision. Nightmare was casually lounging on one of the couches watching the two of them. All three looked up at the news and Axe smiled at you.

"guess i could whip up some snacks. do ya wanna help, lil' chip?" he asked.

You shrugged and glanced over at the tv to see what they had narrowed the choices down to. "Sure, but what movie were we going to watch anyways?"

Dust, Axe, and Killer glanced at each other before saying different titles at the same time, none of which you'd ever heard of before. They then proceeded to start arguing over which was the better movie.

Nightmare sighed and shot you a look that seemed to say "See what I deal with?" You gave him a sympathetic smile before clapping your hands to get the other's attention.

"Why don't we watch all of them and just turn this into a movie marathon night?" you suggested.

Thankfully, your idea seemed acceptable and they nodded in agreement. Even Nightmare seemed suitably impressed which made you quite happy to have solved the argument.

"guess we should start on those snacks then," Axe hummed and started for the kitchen.

"dusty and i could go pick up some pizzas and pop if you're fine with that?" Killer suggested and glanced at the aforementioned individual, who merely shrugged.

"sure, do what ya want," Axe rumbled, not even bothering to stop and look at them.

The two disappeared to presumably go get the food and you went to follow Axe into the kitchen, although not before glancing back at Nightmare. He gave you a bit of a disinterested look before getting up and leaving the common area.

You frowned and started to go after him to figure out if something was wrong, when Axe called out for you.

"ya comin' lil' chip?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there." You hesitated for a moment before hurrying to the kitchen. It seemed you'd have to check in on him later.

You helped make some buttered popcorn, cut up some fresh fruit, and arrange some cookies that Axe had made earlier on a plate. By the time you were done, the other two skeletons had returned with a couple of still hot pizzas and two bottles of pop. You didn't question where they'd likely pilfered them from and neither did Axe, as the answer would likely be either unpleasant or exactly what you suspected they'd done instead of paying like proper monsters.

Just as you were helping to arrange the food where it would be easily accessible, Nightmare reappeared with his arms and tentacles full of various cushions and blankets. While you were a little surprised, you were also glad to see that he was interested in participating in the fun afterall.

It didn't take long to make the floor by the tv extra comfy and get situated. Axe was content to lean against the couch where his large frame wouldn't be blocking anyone. Dust claimed a beanbag chair, which practically swallowed him up, and you were pretty sure he wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. Killer, being the absolute gremlin that he was, went about stealing as many pillows as he could to make a makeshift pillow nest for himself. At first, Nightmare chose the couch, but when you all but insisted that he should join everyone else, he relented and eventually chose to copy Axe, leaning against the couch instead.

Two problems quickly became apparent though. Problem one was that no one could agree on whose movie choice to watch first. Problem two was that you could tell each of the boys wanted you to sit with them.

You really didn't want what was supposed to be a fun evening devolving into a jealous fight. So before anyone could actually get upset, you decided to try and take charge.

"How about this... To keep things fair, I'll just swap places for each movie so that I can sit with all of you in turn," you suggested. Unfortunately, your attempt at a solution wasn't nearly as effective as you'd hoped.

"sooo...who gets to have the cutie to themselves first?" Killer asked. He had a dangerous look on his skull as he spoke and while his tone sounded light, even like he was almost teasing, you knew him well enough by now to know that he wasn't playing around.

"definitely not you," Dust growled and sat up a bit, his gloved hands digging into the bean bag.

Even Axe seemed to stiffen up and his good eye socket narrowed into a harsh glare at his loud-mouthed colleague. His clawed phalanges twitched slightly, as if aching to wringe a certain someone's neck or curl around the handle of the weapon of his namesake.

While Nightmare remained silent, you could tell by the way his tentacles were twitching restlessly, that he was at the very least mildly annoyed by this situation. His cyan eyelight flicked to you and the intensity of his gaze was almost enough to make you want to shrink into yourself. His expression held something else though; a look that you couldn't quite place but one that seemed to suggest he was scheming about something.

You swallowed and managed to tear your eyes away from his piercing gaze. Raising your voice again, you cried out, "No fighting! I have another idea...you should all play rock, paper, scissors to determine the order."

They glanced at each other but no one protested. After playing a few rounds, an order was established, minus Nightmare, who claimed he didn't care when his turn was. Killer won each time making him first, Axe was second, and Dust was third, much to his frustration. Nightmare was content to go last, which of course nobody protested over.

Killer was all too happy to welcome you into his nest. His arms fit snugly around your waist, teasingly close to your pelvis, although he otherwise kept his hands to himself and just continued spooning you during the first movie.

Speaking of, the movie was one of those corny horror movies. It was full of gratuitous violence with plenty of obviously fake gore. Still, you couldn't help but cringe whenever the monster attacked the very doomed side characters. Killer was quick to soothe your nerves with soft whispers of encouragement and occasionally making fun of the many cliches present in the film. Overall, the experience left a sort of thrill coursing through your veins and you were admittedly a little disappointed when the movie was over, a sentiment Killer seemed to mirror, although he attempted to hide it.

Axe had picked a tamer movie, although that wasn't saying much as there were more jump scares than the previous one that never failed to startle you. Still, Axe was also very good at comforting you and multiple times throughout the movie, you felt his eyelight watching your reactions just to make sure you were okay.

You ended up snuggled up against his left side with his hand around your back and resting on your left hand which was on your thigh. You wrapped your right arm around his broad back and laid your head against his ribcage, which inadvertently meant you could listen to the soothing hum of his magic that emanated from his soul.

At some point during the second movie, you glanced over at Nightmare and were a little surprised to find that he seemed a bit bored. It was odd because you had assumed he'd actually get some sort of satisfaction from witnessing how terrified the protagonists of the film were.

He sensed your gaze and glanced over, tilting his skull in a silent question.

"Are you okay?" you mouthed.

His eyelight flicked back to the screen and he shrugged. "It's manufactured fear... I can't gain any benefits from attempting to absorb it," he murmured. When he glanced back at you though, a subtle smirk formed across his skull and he went to say something but stopped himself when Axe took notice of the conversation.

You were momentarily fascinated that there was that much of a difference. Would it be any different if it was a live broadcast and the actors didn't know what was going to happen? You'd have to ask him about it sometime.

You glanced at Nightmare a few more times throughout the movie and occasionally caught him looking a little amused. The boys weren't easily spooked but the rare times one of them was seemed to coincide with those little moments. You figured he was the one who hadn't exactly wanted to have a movie night, however he'd seemingly decided to go along with it anyways. Probably under the guise of this being a group bonding activity like any good boss would host. The thought was actually kind of funny to you now that you knew them all a lot better.

Dust's movie of choice was definitely a thriller, and while you didn't mind the change, it made you feel really anxious, which you hated. It was about an old cop trying to solve a series of murders apparently perpetrated by the one criminal he had failed to bring to justice years prior. The plot was certainly intriguing at points and you could see why he had picked it.

You'd been right on the money earlier when you'd assumed he wasn't planning on budging from the comfortable beanbag for a long while. That was fine of course since he didn't really need to move in order to actually cuddle with you. His idea was for you to sit in his lap so you'd be as close as possible, which you'd expanded on and chosen to sit side saddle. It meant you could both hold each other and he'd get to watch your face, so he didn't protest at all. You wrapped one of your arms around his shoulders and he sort of mimicked the gesture, except he supported your back, leaving your other hand free to hold his other one.

By the time of the fourth movie, which was a classic monster movie about a mad scientist and his creation, you noticed something strange. Save for yourself and Nightmare, everyone else seemed to doze off, almost at the same time too.

Turning to the only possible perpetrator, you narrowed your eyes suspiciously. "Did you...put them to sleep?" you hissed under your breath.

His grin seemed only to grow more smug and even without him saying anything, you knew your suspicions were correct.

"Indeed~" he purred. "It is said that good things come to those who wait. They had their fun, so now I get to have mine..."

Your heart skipped a beat at the deliciously dark tone of voice he'd used. It was at that moment that a flock of butterflies decided to assault your insides with their delicate wings. You'd managed to control yourself with the others but now that you were technically alone with him...well, you weren't sure if that was possible anymore.

He pressed his skull against your hair and growled low in his throat. "I had to watch them hold you so close all this time... Have some empathy, dear..."

A chill went down your spine from the possessive tone of his voice and your tongue felt heavy like it was made of lead. Even if you could complain, he probably wouldn't even listen to you.

Nightmare pulled you into his lap yet again, which seemed to be his preferred method of holding you for whatever reason. Maybe it was because he could cage you in with his arms and tentacles so you couldn't escape. Or maybe he just liked the feeling of having you so intimately close to him. You tried not to dwell on it, partially because you liked it too.

Neither of you said much of anything for a little while, being content to enjoy the closeness and intimacy of this rare moment in time.

He was the one to break the silence first. He seemed to grow restless the longer you went without saying anything and his tentacles twitched with pent up energy, leaving you wondering what was really on his mind today. Then his clawed phalanges hooked under your chin, gently turning it so he could make eye contact and ensure he had your full attention before he even attempted to say anything.

"My dear, I cannot see into what the future holds, but I believe with all my soul that you'll fit in here. You've won over each of my boys in your own way and they've come to care a great deal for you in return."

He paused to take a breath before continuing. "I'm not normally a very...romantic person... But, even I can admit that I care a lot for you. No matter what you think, you matter to us and you've made a difference in our lives...for the better. I hesitate to use the word 'love' as I don't, and maybe can't, exactly feel that...but you will always be safe under my care."

He drew closer to you, his touch growing more tender now, and his tendrils slowly undulating against your clothing. "I promise, dear..." he murmured, almost against your lips, before closing that final distance.

For a moment, you were frozen in place as your brain tried to process what all he'd said. You caught on quickly though and wrapped your arms around his cerebral vertebrae so he wouldn't pull away too soon. You felt him stiffen ever so slightly but he soon relaxed into your embrace and actually deepened the kiss further.

It was over much too soon. You had to separate to catch your breath, although he didn't seem winded in the slightest. There was a soft cyan glow colouring his otherwise dark cheekbones and you could also see a small spark of what you thought might be true happiness in his eyelight.

Neither of you said anything for the short remainder of the film and you snuggled up against him as close as you possibly could get. Your soul was practically leaping for joy in your chest at the implications of what he'd said. You'd been assured by the others, but now you had definitive proof that he really did like you afterall.

Whatever magic he'd used to put everyone else to sleep seemed to fade as the end credits began to roll. One by one, the boys stirred before waking up, although you could see they were still a bit drowsy from the effects of the spell.

"Nice of you all to join us," Nightmare remarked with a chuckle and lightly squeezed your body against himself one last time.

They could only seem to respond with a cacophony of various tired grumbles, which even you had to admit was a little amusing.

Dust was the first to move and his mismatched eyelights scanned the room before locking onto you. The intensity in his tired gaze was nearly breathtaking but you couldn't read what could possibly be going through his mind right now. He dragged himself to his feet and managed to shamble his way over to you like a dead man walking. He ended up collapsing half on top of you so that his skull was resting just above your knees.

As soon as Killer realized what he'd done, he dragged himself over to you as well, plopping himself down on your shins with his skull resting on one of his arms so he could still look up at you. Interestingly, the black ooze that always leaked from his eye sockets had slowed to a meer trickle now, possibly from sleeping?

You were slightly flustered by all this contact at once but there was still one skeleton missing. Glancing over at Axe, you saw that he seemed to be conflicted. His eyelight flicked from his two colleagues to you and back again, while his large hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.

You couldn't exactly reach for him but you motioned with your chin to try and reassure him that you didn't mind if he wanted to join in. That little push was all he needed to scoot over and wrap both you and Nightmare in a big hug.

The aforementioned god let out a low growl of annoyance at basically being smothered and his claws pressed into your waist in a vain attempt to keep you to himself. Yet, he didn't shove any of them away, even though he was plenty strong enough to, as demonstrated when he used his tentacles to move some of the boys and yourself into more comfortable positions.

You couldn't move even if you wanted to and definitely wouldn't be able to for a while. Your eyes were finally starting to grow heavy, but still, you resisted the tempting allure of sleep to enjoy what had turned into a snuggle pile.

It was obvious that all four of them felt strongly about you and if the events leading up to the movie marathon were anything to go by, this wouldn't be the last time you'd need to intervene. Each of them were equally stubborn and also quite dangerous when provoked, which could quickly lead to hurt feelings or injuries.

You would have to either get good at breaking up future arguments or simply pick one of them and stick with your decision. Unfortunately, you didn't want to pick one over the others as you liked each of them equally. You'd have to give this matter a lot of thought.

You were confident you'd make the right choice though...

[battlemaiden13]

Since HND part two have been going on for a little while now. I am curious on the HND skeletons relationship wise with reader as it's been a little while since it was last asked about. The latest update to this being at chapter 135. How do they feel about the MC romantically and such up to the most recent chapter 171?

HND Feelings chapter 172 since I just posted that one XD

Sans -His crush is still going strong but he also still has no idea what he should be doing about it. He’s not great when it comes to these sorts of feelings and they always leave him feeling sick with nerves. When you came back into the skeletons' lives he realized just how strong his feelings were and seeing Papyrus also be in love with you was killing him, that was until the two of them talked. He still feels horrible about ruining your date by confessing to his brother but he doesn’t want to push down his feelings for you anymore either. 

Papyrus -So his brother threw a bit of a wrench in the works and being apart from you for so long made him feel odd about just asking you out right away as more than a friend but he still plans to. He still needs to find the perfect moment though and he now wants to make sure he doesn’t hurt his brother's feelings in the process. It’s a very complicated thing but he is working up a plan. 

Red -So he doesn’t think you hate him anymore but he is still convinced that he's not good enough for you. He ended his casual thing with Casey over guilt and he couldn’t bang someone else knowing the love of his life is right there. He’d seriously do anything for you but has convinced himself that you would never like him as anything more than a friend. 

Edge -He actually feels much better about himself and feels ready to ask you out, if only he could find the words and a way to do it without dusting his brother by accident (From breaking Red’s heart accidentally). Seeing you again and you being so excited about him made him feel like all of his hard work payed off. He’s still unsure about whether or not he could actually protect you but he wants to be with you. You just make him feel safe and seen. 

Blue -He’s working on it. Honestly the Interview boosted his ego on this a lot. If people thought you were dating already perhaps that idea could begin to sprout in your head. He already knows you're attracted to him but he doesn’t want just attraction. He wants love. So he’s being patient and building that up first.

Orange -Has it bad. He gets so jealous over every interaction you have with the others it’s driving him insane but he feels like you wouldn’t date him if he asked. He feels as if he has been nothing but bad luck to you and that he always ruins or makes things worse. This of course won’t stop him from getting jealous when you flirt or mention being interested in someone else. Like Kal. He hates Kal for no other reason than he thinks you were going to sleep with him 

Berry -Still in love with you and very much working up the nerve to kiss you and propose a poly relationship where he can share you with his brother. He has been working a lot since you came back into the skeletons' lives so he’s missed seeing you but his feelings for you haven’t changed in the slightest. 

Syrup - If he hadn't of made that deal with his brother he would have asked you out the moment that you admitted that you loved him. He still can’t think straight whenever your around and knows he’s going to go back to making an absolute fool of himself if you spend time together. If it wasn’t for Charm telling him he’s an idiot and that he would scare you away he would be in full stalking mode. 

Axe -Still doesn’t remember your real name but he knows he likes you. He can’t say how much he likes he just knows it’s strong. He can’t remember the last time he felt so strongly about anyone. He wants to protect you and keep you safe. The others have noticed Axe will often ask about you even if he hasn’t seen you in weeks proving just how much you are on his ever slipping mind 

Crooks -He still has a crush on you and still doesn’t have a name for it. If asked he says that he likes you a lot and will gush about you but he believes this is just a strong admiration. He doesn’t understand why he feels bad hearing your hanging out with other people or why when you tell him he’s hot it’s the first time in a long time he actually believes you. Even if he can’t name his feelings as a crush he knows he wants to be around you as much as he can. 

Error -Is still trying his hardest not to fall in love with you. And he doesn’t. You're annoying and an earworm. His only saving grace really is that you were hardly around but now your back and he finds himself wanting to see you and also wanting to stay as far away from you at the same time. When he heard about your trip to the hospital it really got to him and now he keeps checking in on you which is just pissing him off. He’s probably going to be annoyed the next time he sees you purely because of the happy feeling that will spread through his chest when he does. 

Ink -He still is conflicted about you. He doesn’t feel a rush of love or anything for you but he is still very curious. Surely there is more to you than what you are showing him. More than anything he misses the version of you he knew. He was probably one of the only skeletons unaffected by your absence and sudden return into the skeletons' lives. 

Nightmare -Still in love with you and still is trying to not get involved. He doesn’t want you to get hurt, he couldn’t do that again. After checking in on you at the house and seeing your face again it’s all he could think about. He wants to spend more time with you but his scared. What if you aren’t what he thinks? What if you get hurt again? Or what if he loves you more than he did when you were his sacrifice? 

Dream -Still likes you and has no idea what to do about it. As such he's in a sort of waiting period where he won’t do anything, not even seek out your company but whenever you are around he gets all giddy and happiness floods over him. He has never actually acted on his own feelings before in the ways of love so he’s not even sure what his supposed to do. 

Killer -Fuck he missed you. He didn’t realize how much he missed you until he saw your face, until you snapped him out of spiral with a simple touch and how you had grounded him so easily. Killer also knows as much as you ground him you also make him insane. He wants to be near you but couldn’t bear the thought of you getting hurt. Whatever he chooses though doesn’t stop the fact that he is very much in love with you. 

Daydream -He thought he would be ok. He thought he could just be friends with you but after that kiss the memories of his wife flooded back. He is still madly in love with you but being near you hurts too. He knows he could get you to fall in love with him again but feels greedy for wanting that. He is going to avoid you as much as he can until he can get his thoughts straight. 

Mint -Still hates you purely based on the fact that you are a human although there is something itching at him. You don’t disgust him as much as some other humans in fact he finds himself being comfortably numb in your presents. He’s always numb but you seem to make him falter and he’s not sure how to act near you. 

Mango -He might have a small crush. He hardly knows it's there though he’s just happy to have another human friend. He’s so excited that you seem to want to talk to him more that he’s going to send you a million messages and then get embarrassed that he sent you that many. His crush will only get bigger the more the two of you talk and the nicer you are to him.  

Roulette -He is no longer concerned for your safety, well, he is to a point but he’s no longer concerned about you getting involved in his job. It's obvious you can take care of yourself but he still thinks you should avoid getting dragged into their family business as much as possible. His crush has grown the more he spends time with you and he’d be happy to date you but would actually feel more comfortable if you were dating some others as well. That way there's more people looking out for you and you wouldn’t be lonely when he’s away at work. 

Sniper -He’s completely and utterly embarrassed. He now knows he loves you, he wasn’t sure until he tried to apologize to you at dinner again and you shot him down but even though he knows you can take care of yourself now he still doesn’t want you to have to put yourself on the line and if you were dating he knows you’d have a strange obligation to do so. He’s trying to come to terms with the fact that the two of you won’t ever be together but it’s hard to get over someone you are madly in love with. 

Colt - Next time he sees you he is going to ask you out. The only thing that will stop him is if any of the others get in the way but he’s made up his mind. He was in love with you long before he knew it was you and ever since meeting you that love has only grown stronger ever since meeting the skulls. Seeing you in action just gave him the push he needed. He wants to be with you. 

Musket -You telling him off for saying he needs to be stronger for you really made him fall harder, which he didn’t think was possible. He likes that you told him how you felt about the gang and actually enjoyed being a part of it part time. He wants to ask you out too but is planning his moves very carefully. 

Carbine -Is still convinced himself that this is just a little crush and nothing more. You are literally the only being who can make him put his work down but that doesn’t mean you're special or anything. Of course if you asked him out he’d say yes but you have so many skeletons to choose from he is doubtful that you would even pick him. 

Rifle -Fuck he has it hard for you. He will still go out of his way to listen in to any conversation that might be about you and will full on fanboy about you when he has a moment. He snuck away from work to visit you in the city and even almost got a kiss. Now the two of you are planning a beach trip. Even if it won’t happen for a while he’s excited to spend time with you. He won’t ask you out though, convinced you’ll say no and just see him as a friend. 

Lust -He’s interested to say the least. He thinks you're very attractive and would like to do many things to you but there are moments when his attraction feels like more. He’s not reading too much into it though. Love doesn’t really exist after all and even if it did he would be far to horny for a single partner. He would very much like to kiss you. 

Charm -Is still very attracted to you physically. Personality wise he thinks your lovely and he can see why the others hold you in such a high regard. He would still love to explore that physical attraction but with Syrup being his best friend it feels wrong to ask so he’s content to stay on the sideline and help his friend make better decisions to win you over. 

Wine -So that kiss may have fucked him over. He wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was nor turn him on as much to put you in your place. He wouldn’t call it love or anything though. Just an attraction that he would very much like to see more of. He’s more shocked at how fast you have gained his attention more than anything else. No one has been able to catch his eye as quickly or efficiently. That slap you gave him must have knocked out some brain cells. 

Coffee -He was in love the moment he laid eyes on you. He never really believed in love at first sight until then. Because of this he also had no idea how he was supposed to act around you. What is he supposed to do with his hands? He gets so embarrassed around you he just doesn’t know how to act. He’s never been in love like this before

Black -He’s so very annoyed that he likes you. Mainly because he hates you at the same time. He’s also very much still convinced you hate him. Sure you called him a friend but the two of you argue so much that there’s no way you actually like him as anything more than an annoyance, which is making him even madder about his feelings. After all you never actually said you didn’t hate him, you were clearly putting on some sort of act for the other monsters. 

Mutt -He liked you from the moment on the train. Now he’s just trying not to make a complete ass of himself. Him and Coffee often talk together about you as neither know what the fuck to do. Mutt may come across like he has a lot of experience in dating but he has very little. Either way he fell quickly for the human and now he’s stuck with these feelings. 

Vi -There might be something there but he hasn’t registered it yet. Sure he panicked when he saw you having a panic attack and his soul feels lighter when he sees he’s scheduled to work with you for the day but that’s purely just because your nice and nothing more. Probably. 

Money -He likes teasing you and thinks you're cute with how obvious your crush for him is. He doesn’t have feelings beyond friend for you though and is convinced he won’t develop any more as it’d be too much work with the amount of other skeletons trying to get with you. 

[osleeplessflowero]

Part 2 to Scares And A Sudden Friendship! - Reader goes by They/Them as always. - Bravery soul! 🧡 - Content Warning: Swearing - Horror goes by Sans because this is a Horrortale exclusive timeline. - Recommended to have context from the previous oneshot for this one! - posting while it's raining..hopefully it goes through-

You enter your apartment, tossing your costume aside the moment you enter your room and changing into some comfy pajamas. Looking through some albums, you put one of your favorite CDs into a small radio and let the music play in the background.

..You're not happy. But you also had a lot of fun with..what was his name again?

You hold up your phone, looking at the newly added contact.

'sans' is what it reads. Right, "Sans". Sans the skeleton. The skeleton who helped you scare the shit out of your shitty boyfriend..priceless.

Your thoughts are interrupted by a reply from your soon-to-be-ex. With a deep breath, you look at his message.

[him] (what do u wanna talk abt)>

[you] (you)>

[him] (tf did i do)>

There's a long conversation between you..his messages making you angrier and angrier until you abruptly break up with him, blocking him immediately after.

You don't realize you're crying until you see your teardrops hit the phone, hurriedly wiping them off to avoid possible water damage. You glare at your ex's name. FUCK him. And all of his friends he'd rather spend time with.

You let out a sigh. This might be the worst Halloween you've ever had..

You hear a ding from your phone, looking back down to see a new message, tapping it.

[sans] (heya)> (get home safe?)>

You can't help but smile a little, leaning back and replying.

[you] (yup)> (just dumped him, feelin like shit)>

[sans] (well we all gotta feel like shit at some point)> (its a part of life)>

[you] (thats true)

He sends you some random memes he had saved in his phone from someone he knows, letting you get some laughs.

[you] (so are we still up for getting coffee tomorrow??)>

[sans] (yeah if you wanna)>

[you] (hell yeah i wanna)> (this'll be fun)> (i wanna know more about you mr. skeleton)>

[sans] (mr. skeleton? cmon you can make a better nickname than that)>

[you] (gotta get to know you better first!)>

[sans] (fair enough)> (it's pretty lafe you should be going to sleep rn)> (*late)> (big hands)>

You let out a snicker.

[you] (yeah but i don't really wanna sleep)>

[sans] (if you sleep now you can wake up on time to go get coffee tomorrow)>

[you] (hmmm)> (fair enough- wait what time should we go? and the place??)>

[sans] (i usually wake up late so how does 12 sound? we can just go to that little coffee shop around the corner from the haunted house)>

[you] (perfect i'll see you then :])>

You pass out cold the moment your head hits your pillow, exhausted from the night's events.

Morning soon arrives, the sun rising as you do. You bury your face in your pillow before your alarm abruptly goes off, forgetting why you set it and frowning. ..Before you suddenly remember, jumping up in a tired daze. You rub the sleepiness away from your eyes with your hands, standing up and going to make some of your favorite breakfast.

Your morning routine goes as it usually does, you then approach your closet to figure out just what to wear. It should be something casual, yet warm..you look through your selection, picking out something that feels perfect, looking in a mirror and making sure nothing is out of place.

TIme to go! You rush outside, grabbing your bag on the way out and holding up your phone.

[you] (omw!)>

[sans] ( 👍)>

A cold breeze blows through the air, moving your clothes a little with it. You come to a stop as you reach the coffee shop, looking around for a particular skeleton and running up to him with a wave.

"Hey, there you are! Sorry if I'm late." You smile sheepishly, resting your arms at your sides. The skeleton simply sends a smile your way, shoving his hands in his now clean jacket's pockets.

"nah, you're early. i just got here myself." He shrugs a little.

"Sweet, looks like we're right on time then, huh?" You smile, holding open the door for him. He promptly replies with a "thanks", before walking in and holding the door so it doesn't shut on you.

You both walk over to one of the booths in the back at Sans' suggestion, sitting by the window across from one another. The sounds of cups clinking and very few people talking fills the air, a comforting sound. You can faintly smell the coffee beans in the back, taking a deep breath to take in the scent.

Sans taps his fingers against the table in a rhythmic pattern, his bright red eyelight turning from you, to the window, then back to you.

You sit your bag to your left, resting your elbows on the table and putting your head between your hands.

"So, Mr. Sans..consider this an interview of sorts."

"yikes, haven't had one of those in a hot minute." He puts his other arm's elbow on the table, resting his cheekbone in his palm to somewhat match you. "shoot."

"Alright- first off...why a haunted house?" You raises a brow, genuinely curious why he chose to work there.

"well, you tend to get used to spookin' people when you're a monster that looks like i do. so, why not take advantage of it? maybe get paid in the process. sounds pretty good to me. plus it can be pretty funny if you catch the right person off guard. just look what happened last night."

"Yeah..people shouldn't judge you based on how you look, though. At least, that's what I think."

"weren't you scared too?" He raises a browbone.

"Well, not as much as I could've been. But I've always been like that. Not a lot of things can scare me. Stumbling across you was more fun than scary. 'What will this actor do?', y'know?"

"huh..interestin'. would've assumed based on, ..well..you know. i tend to come across as big 'n scary."

"Not to me." You smile. His eyelight shrinks a little in its socket, before returning to its usual burning state as he smiles.

"Okay, your turn. You wanna ask me anything?" "why'd you end up with that scaredy cat back there? lemme know if that's too personal. i can change it." "No, it's fine," You sigh, lowering your hands so now your arms are fully on the table. "I dunno. We were fine at first, it seemed like he genuinely liked me back..but then he just grew really distant and ignored me a bunch." "well, it's a good thing you're not stickin' with somebody that's wastin' your time, huh?" "Yeah.."

A waitress walks over cheerfully, asking both of you what kind of coffee you'd like. You order your favorite, Sans shrinks down a little in his seat before replying with "black". She walks off, and he visibly relaxes.

"I'm..guessing you're not much of a people person, huh?"

"absolutely not. at least when i'm actin' i don't have to worry about talkin'. i just.. chase."

"I get that. I'm not the best with people myself. ..That's something we have in common." You smile.

"i guess it is, huh?"

A moment passes of comfortable silence between you. The waitress returns with your cups, sitting them down and waving goodbye before walking back over behind the counter.

"So..you have any family here?"

That question piques his interest, a fond smile crossing his face.

"yeah..my brother, papyrus. we're livin' together up here. he's a lot more..energetic than i am. kinda loud since his hearin's not all there. i think he'd like you."

"Really?"

"he's the kind of guy to wanna make friends with everybody, no matter who it is. he always.. sees the good in people." He looks down at the table, his smile still ever present. You can't help but smile too, about the fond way he speaks of him. They must be very close..you'd like to meet Papyrus sometime, if given the chance.

Maybe..

"You think I could meet him sometime? I-If that's too forward, I totally understand, of cour-" "..yeah. i'm sure he'd like to meet a new pal." "A..new pal?"

He nods. Your smile shifts into a grin.

"I'd absolutely like to be pals." "then i guess what's what we are, huh?" "Yeah..I like the sound of that."

The two of you finish off your drinks while you shoot more questions back and forth then exit the coffee shop, bidding each other goodbye. You can't help but feel a little pep in your step as you make your way back home, sitting on your couch and watching one of your favorite childhood movies.

Next

[pocket-sized-nightmare]

this post by @teapot-of-tyrahn reminded me that pearl was canonically in a coma on empires s1 for long enough to fill her empire with cobwebs. which made me wonder – how did she wake up from it? so consider: gempearl

The creatures just keep attacking.

They’ve morphed from skeletons to demons to faceless shadows, but they refuse to stop. Pearl’s swords never last. There’s nothing in her environment that’s stronger than wood, and something seems to weaken its durability with every new sword she makes. Pearl can feel her energy waning and her strength slipping away. She doesn’t have much fight left. The worst part?

None of it is real.

Pearl’s body is heavy with the weight of sleep. She knows she’s dreaming. The realization would normally be enough to awaken her, but somehow, she’s remained unconscious through this one. She’s tried everything – pinching herself, screaming, splashing water on her face, even cutting herself with her blade – but the nightmare refuses to release her. Whatever she does, PearlescentMoon will not wake up.

A shadow grabs her by the hair and drags her backwards. She claws at its arm until it lets go of her, then stabs through it with the remains of her last sword. It bleeds with crimson ink, but it refuses to die. Pearl turns and runs, desperate to find another tree. I can’t let them kill me. This can’t be the end. If I die in the dream…

She doesn’t want to think about that.

I have to get out of here. I have to wake up.

Gem has done a lot of questionable things in her life, but she’s never broken down a castle door.

It’s Pearl’s castle door, too. Her partner. If there’s anyone whose infrastructure Gem wants to preserve, it’s Pearl. There is absolutely no reason why she should be approaching the castle gate with an invisibility potion and her staff.

It’s just… Pearl hasn’t responded to her messages in two weeks. She hasn’t been seen since then. Jimmy only just rescued Gem and Scott from imprisonment, and Xornoth’s new minions are still furious about it. And now, the Gilded Helianthian castle is locked.

“It’s just to make sure,” Gem mutters to herself. “Just to check on her.” With a deep breath, Gem points her staff at the locked door and whispers a breeze spell.

Even with her wind charge, Gem has to use her full body weight to get the door open. She stumbles into the entryway and stares in concern. The spell definitely broke the lock, and Pearl’s door is not that heavy. The pit in Gem’s stomach grows. Something’s wrong here. “Pearl?”

Her voice echoes through empty hallways, but there’s no response from her partner. She sees cobwebs in corners and dust on shelves. Still, the lock was on the inside of the door. Someone must be there. Unless…

The tiniest thought of what if she’s dead crosses Gem’s mind, but she refuses to let herself process it. She would have seen a death message. Pearl must still be alive somewhere. She has to be. “Pearl, where are you? Please say something!”

The castle remains silent and still. Gem takes off running, checking every room she passes. It barely registers in her mind that she has the castle layout memorized as though it was her second home. It doesn’t feel like home right now. She needs Pearl. She has to find Pearl.

Gem runs up the stairs and reaches Pearl’s bedroom. The door is closed, and there are cobwebs across the doorframe. It looks like it hasn’t been opened for…

for…

for as long as Pearl’s been missing.

Gem doesn’t so much as hesitate before casting another wind charge.

She has no idea what she’s going to see when the door flies open. Her mind races through a thousand possibilities, each more horrifying than the next. She casts another wind charge at the door, desperate to reach her partner. “Please. Pearl, no, you’ve got to be alive, please just be alive, please be okay…” She’s not used to this feeling. Even while Sausage and Joey were holding her captive, she refused to beg until the very end. She refuses to make herself vulnerable for anyone’s sake. So why is it that now, when she isn’t even the one in danger, she can’t hold herself together?

Gem casts one more spell and throws her entire body against the bedroom door. This time, it splinters and cracks in two. She collapses into Pearl’s bedroom, leans her head against the wall, and takes a deep breath. A piece of her wants to turn around and run away before that awful feeling can hit her again. Her stomach aches. She presses the cold crystal tip of her staff to her forehead and closes her eyes. Void, what would Pearl say?

The cool, smooth texture against Gem's skin is grounding. She takes another deep breath. “She’d say… she’d say something like ‘letting your walls down is good for you,’ or ‘loving people can scare you sometimes,’ or…” She blinks back a stray tear. “Or honestly, she’d say something like, ‘Aw, you nugget, I’m really that important to you? When did that happen?’” Gem laughs under her breath. “But I’ve gotta…” She uses her staff to push herself to her feet. “I’ve gotta find her first. And then she can make fun of me.”

There’s a soft, distressed sound from across the room.

Gem’s smile fades.  She races over. “Pearl?”

----

Pearl has known she’s dying for days, but now it’s starting to scare her.

She misses once every few hits now, and it’s getting harder to get up when she falls. Her whole body aches. No matter how loud she screams for help, nothing she does breaks through to the real world. Giving in sounds more appealing by the minute. 

No. Don’t even think about it. She’s a warrior, isn’t she? She’s supposed to fight through everything, to defend her empire and her friends without so much as a cut on her skin. Xornoth wants her gone, but she’s fought him before, right? She can win this. She’s not hopeless. She’s not–

A shadow shrieks and dives for her, pinning her to the ground. The weight on her chest makes it hard to breathe. She’s never been more tempted to give up.

There’s a sudden sound from behind her. It’s soft, almost imperceptible, but familiar – a voice, speaking in low tones. She knows that voice. It’s Gem’s voice. Either she’s somehow hallucinating within her own nightmare, or her partner has found a way back to her.

The shadow tries to claw at Pearl’s skin, but Pearl summons a newfound wave of energy and kicks it in the chest as hard as she can. She stumbles to her feet. “Gem? Is that you? Help me! Get me out of here! Please!”

She isn’t sure how much of her message has gotten through to the waking world. All she can do is hope it’s enough.

----

“Pearl!”

Gem shakes her shoulder, but Pearl stays fast asleep – beyond asleep, really. Her skin is clammy and pale, and she looks like she’s starving to death. If it wasn’t for her unsteady breathing and pounding heart, Gem would think Pearl was already gone. “Pearl, wake up! You have to get up!”

Pearl doesn’t move.

“Oh, void.” Gem struggles to hold back tears. “Pearl, no, what’s happening? Are you sick? Is there a cure? What happened?”

She doesn’t even stir.

“Pearl, wake up! Please, just give me a sign! How can I heal you?” She’s not going to cry. GeminiTay, Wizard of the Crystal Cliffs, does not cry. She keeps a level head and solves problems before they can hurt her. She does not let Xornoth or their corruption emotionally affect her. She has to keep herself safe. She has to keep herself safe, even if Pearl isn’t. Right?

“Fuck it,” Gem says aloud. Her eyes spill over with tears. “Not doing this. Not today. Pearl, please, you have to come back to me.” She kisses Pearl on the forehead, trying not to focus on how cold Pearl’s skin is. “I love you so much.”

Pearl doesn’t stir. She doesn’t make a sound. But somewhere in the emptiness of her body, she manages to make her hand grab Gem’s wrist.

Three short squeezes, three long, and then three short again. Gem doesn’t know much Morse code, but she does know exactly what an SOS signal looks like. That’s a distress call. She’s in danger. But how can she be in danger if she’s asleep? Unless…

The locked doors. The unbreakable quiet. The impossibility of communication. Gem knows this story. 

She’s lived it.

----

The voice grows closer and louder, surrounding the whole dream. It’s still unintelligible, but it’s more familiar now.

Four words – give me a sign – cut through the noise. Pearl punches an approaching shadow. “I’m trying, Gem! I can’t! Where are you?”

More noise, and then a whisper. You have to come back to me. It’s the clearest phrase yet. The shadows hiss and shrink away.

And then, for the first time in days, she can sense again. A soft, warm point of pressure on her forehead. The scent of glowstone and nutmeg. Words she hasn’t heard in weeks but keeps with her every day: I love you so much. The fuzzy outline of her partner sitting next to the bed. A way out. She has a way out.

Pearl puts every last ounce of strength she has into wrapping her hand around Gem’s wrist and sending out a distress signal. Her energy ebbs away. Xornoth’s got me, she tries to whisper, but sound refuses to escape her lips. Please help me.

From the way Gem reacts, Pearl hopes she’s right to believe her partner got the message anyway.

----

Xornoth kidnapped Pearl. Jimmy found me and Scott too easily last time. He needed somewhere safer to hold her, somewhere she wouldn’t be found. And she’s beaten him in a fight before. Where better to hold a fighter than a realm of her own monsters?

Gem's mind goes unsteady with a new wave of panic. But I’m not a healer. I explode things and make potions. Katherine is good at healing people. Sausage is– I mean, Sausage was the one who always took care of us before everything. I’m not a savior. I don’t know what I’ll do if I try to save Pearl. I should get– That thought dies quickly in her head. No, I don’t have time to get anyone. If I leave, she might not make it. This one has to be me.

Gem takes out her staff and presses the crystal against Pearl’s forehead. “I’ve got you. You’re gonna be okay. Please hang on. This is gonna take a lot out of me.”

She closes her eyes and whispers a spell under her breath. A small beam of purple light illuminates the crystal, then floods into Pearl’s mind. Gem searches, reaching out with all her power to break through shadowy fog. “Pearl, it’s me. Just try to move towards the light. I’m gonna get you out.”

The shadows scream and swarm Pearl, dragging her back into the darkness. She struggles forward, reaching out in desperation. “Gem, they won’t let go of me! Help me!”

Gem reaches deeper into the nightmare spell, breaking through concealing walls and monsters. She will destroy the whole nightmare if she has to. “Keep going. You’ve got it. I’m not going anywhere. Not until you’re with me.”

Pearl summons everything she has left in her, throws the shadows off of her, and runs into the purple light. “Gem, do it now!”

Gem uses her full concentration to drag Pearl’s soul out of the nightmare prison and back to earth. As the prison dissolves, Gem slumps against the bed and tries to catch her breath. “Please tell me that worked. I don’t think I can do it again.”

Pearl sits bolt upright, barely able to breathe herself. “Gem?”

Gem gives up on compartmentalizing her emotions and breaks down sobbing. “Oh, void, Pearl…”

Pearl collapses into her arms and blinks back tears of her own. “You did it. You saved my life. Thank you…”

“Of course.” Gem tries to get her emotions in check, but she can’t. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to… this hasn’t… it’s wrong. Nobody’s died before.”

“Correct,” Pearl says with the tiniest smile. “Nobody’s died. And that’s because of you.”

“You know I’m nobody’s protector.” Gem’s hands shake as she pushes Pearl’s hair back to cradle her face. “I barely figured out how to save you in time.”

“But you did.” Pearl struggles to her feet. “How long was I out for?”

Gem doesn’t meet her eyes. “Two weeks.”

A flicker of alarm passes across Pearl’s face, but she shakes it off. “My empire’s probably grown cobwebs by now, huh? I should deal with that.” Her stomach growls. “Also, I think I’m about to starve, so I should get… breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? My schedule’s still all thrown off.”

“Lunch,” Gem says softly. “I’ll get you some bread and soup. Please eat slowly. I don’t want you to make yourself sick.”

“Nobody’s protector, huh?” Pearl chuckles.

She expects Gem to laugh, but instead, Gem wraps her in a tighter hug than she’s ever given before. “You scared me. You disappeared. I thought… you were… I really thought…” She can’t finish her sentence.

“Bread and soup,” Pearl says. “And tea, and a bit of gardening later once I’m really awake. I can celebrate you saving my life forever, or we can never speak about this again. It’s been a scary few days. I know that.” She kisses Gem on the forehead, then hugs her back even tighter. “If Xornoth thought I had a dysfunctional sleep schedule, they could’ve just told me.”

Gem snorts. “Glad to have you back.”

“Anytime.” Pearl stops in the hallway and takes Gem’s hands. “Listen to me, okay? No one is going to die. We’re going to defeat Xornoth, and no one is going to die. This isn’t the end of the world. I promise.”

Gem doesn’t let go. Pearl doesn’t either.

[bluegalaxygirl]

Am i crazy? (Zosan X reader) P5

Plot: Reader hasn't been sleeping or eating, they wont let anyone touch then and keeps having accidents. Everyone if worried or thinks they've gone crazy but the reality is so much worse.

Warning: Domestic abuse (Not by the hands of Zoro or Sanji), Bad language, violence, self harm, blood, mental damage, manipulation and making out.

Zoro X Sanji X reader, Poly relationship, established relationship, Reader is GN.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8

The yelling from outside the kitchen got louder, brook, Nami and Sanji were standing by the door ready for a fight while Chopper and Usopp kept you back, you knew something would go wrong but trusted your friends and boyfriends to deal with it. "Hay get back here you coward" Luffy's voice rings out in anger as the others seem to run around the ship someone stopping at the kitchen door "He took Shark Submerge III" Franky yelled form the other side of the door making your heart drop, he did escape and leave, in a way your happy he's not on the sunny anymore but now you have no idea where he is or if he'll come back. "What do we do?" you manage to speak up Sanji looking behind him to see your scared state, he walked over and pulls you into him "We'll find him, he won't hurt you again" The cook whispers rubbing your upper back. The door to the kitchen opens everyone jumping slightly while Brook almost pulls his sword out only stopping when he see's its Zoro, his face is full of anger and the sword at his side is held in a death like grip.

Nami sighs and puts her staff behind her back before turning to you "Do you know where he might have gone?" her voice is soft but you can tell she's worried. "Probably back home" you pull away from Sanji to look at the navigator then to Zoro "Lets go then, Luffy's ready for a fight and i want this guy dead" The swordsman's voice snarls, you can see he wants blood and revenge, Nami nods and runs off to find a log post that leads to your island while Usopp and Chopper walk out to help the others. Brook looks over at Zoro then to you which makes you a little nervous "Y/N, you never said what company he owns" he sounded concerned and you didn't know why "Urm... a biology robotics company" you shrug earning a nod from Brook "I have a feeling we'll be in for a fight when we get there then" he smiles before walking out the room leaving You, Sanji and Zoro inside. "So he's smart who the hell cares" Zoro groans after the skeleton walking towards you two. "Did i say something wrong?" you ask only for Sanji to pull you in closer and kiss your forehead "No of course not love" the cook whispers trying to comfort you. Zoro places a hand on your cheek looking down at you with a slightly angry expression, you know its not directed at you but you wish he didn't look at you like that. "It doesn't matter what he does, i won't let him touch you" You smile up at his words and place your hand on his leaning into his touch.

The island you arrived at wasn't too big but it was covered in houses other than an area to the east that was just trees as far as you could see, thats where your ex lived, away form everyone in a big fancy house. You were told to stay in the kitchen while the others worked on getting the ship fixed or getting ready to fight. Chopper stayed with you and he could tell by your bouncing leg that you were anxious, during the ride over you had time to think about everything but you were still torn between two desertions, either stay on the ship where its safe or go with your crew and end this once and for all. Franky, Usopp, Nami and Chopper where staying behind to fix up the ship and protect you while Luffy, Robin, Brook, Sanji and Zoro were heading out to the house in the woods. You finally stood Chopper grabbing your hand scared of what your going to do "I just want to see" you sigh looking down at the doctors concerned face "You should stay in here, where its safe" He tried to make you sit back down but you don't instead you pull away heading to the door.

Opening the kitchen door and stepping out with chopper at your heals your met with a sight worse than when you left. The houses were small but most of them looked disheveled, the streets where full of people either trying to do washing or sleeping on the hard cold floor. The market you once loved going too was no longer there instead there was a big metal factory blowing out dark smoke from the top. It made you sick and your mind went to your mother, you haven't thought about her safety in a long time but you hoped she ok. No matter how bad she made you feel you never wanted her to live like this. "What happened?" you whisper as chopper takes your hand looking from you to the island "So it wasn't always like this?" you nod trying to comprehend what your seeing "Y/n my love what are you doing out here" Sanji runs up the stairs and over to you taking your hand and walking you back into the kitchen, you don't stop him not really wanting to look at your home anymore. Chopper closes the door as you sit down Sanji kneeling in front of you "Please love just stay here" he begs making you look at him instead of the floor.

You sigh and place your hand on his cheek "Im sorry i just wanted to see but... thats not home, it was bad but never that bad" Sanji stands and places a kiss on your head as the door opens. "We're heading off" Zoro's voice calls out before walking over to you and Sanji "Please be safe" you stand up hugging the two "Please come back to me" your so scared of losing them, you know their strong and capable but your ex is crazy and out of control. "We will, i promise you" Sanji pulls away form your hug, his eyes move form yours to your lips, it's been so long since he kissed you there he wants to lean down and kiss you but the fear of rejection hold him back. You smile and run your hand across his cheek leaning up and lightly placing your lips on his, he doesn't hesitate to kiss back, its gentle but you can tell he's holding back so you give him the push he needs. Running your hand up into his hair you grip a little and lean closer while licking his lower lip, he shoves his tongue into your mouth as his hand goes behind your neck tilting your head back slightly, so he can kiss deeper. The cooks moan catches Zoro's attention pulling away to see you two kissing and soon pulling away form each other panting for air "I love you" Sanji smiles still breathless from a long needed kiss "I love you too honey"

You turn to Zoro with a smile managing to catch your breath "I love you hunk" your words bring a smile to the swordsman face as he leans into kiss your lips, placing light kisses over and over again "I love you baby" he whispers in between kisses before he fully connects his lips with yours, your other hand goes behind his head as his tongue slips into your mouth, his hand around you pulls you in tighter to his chest as you both kiss, his tongue frantically explores your mouth missing the feeling of your touch and kiss. Pulling away for air you try and catch your breath while he trails kisses along your jaw line and down your neck. "We won't be long" Sanji leans down placing a kiss on your cheek before pulling away along with Zoro who nods at you before leaving with Sanji "Chopper, Take good care of them" Zoro smiles down to the doctor who stands up straight and nods with an "AI".

The walk through the woods was along one but the cobble path they took made it easy to find their way to the house. It was massive, almost 4 floors and quite wide, It was surrounded by a high brick wall with some gaps between some of the bricks. The lights inside were on, and they could see someone standing in the big window facing them, Zoro's eyes locked onto him as he gripped his swords. About to run forward something heavy landed behind them, they didn't have time to turn and look when more large metal casings landed around them and across the open field in front of the house, the casings cracked open with dark steam coming from them turning into big bulky robots with yellow glowing eyes. Luffy's smile grew wider at the sight before him, he loved it but also wanted to break them. One of the robots pointed its fist at the captain before launching it at him, Luffy stood his ground and managed to stop the fist holding it in his hands as it stopped moving "Lets go" Luffy yells launching the fist back at the robot who falls back into the floor but it wasn't damaged, it just got back up and reattached its hands. The fight started but Zoro and Sanji were more focused on getting through the robots and making it to the house and Robin was more than happy to lend a hand to help them.

Kicking up into the air thanks to Robins hand, Sanji kicked through the air making it over the wall and to the house just as Zoro got through the robots and sliced the metal door down. Running across the lawn to the house Sanji raises his foot and kicks the door in raveling a very minimalist looking house with wide open spaces. The two stepped in only to be electrocuted, it didn't stop until Sanji managed to kick at one of the senses and Zoro sliced the ceiling where the electricity was coming from, they both pant from the pain spiking through the muscle, but they headed in any way, Sanji fixing his hair and placing a cigarette his mouth "Why don't you come out, I'd like a word" Sanji calls out lighting his cigarette and taking a puff. "I doubt you only want to talk" the mans voice echoed off the walls making it unclear where he was but Zoro closed his eye hoping to sense where the man is "Your right... i want you dead" the swordsman speaks with venom on his tongue "Don't bother swordsman, my technology protects me form your Haki" the man laughs only for Zoro to smiles and pulls his sword back before swinging at the kitchen, the slash sends a wave through it cause dishes and windows to break, a man yells out and a chair in the living room falls over.

Sanji jumps up and kicks down on the chair only for the person on it to move away just in time. They couldn't see him but Zoro managed to make out a slight aura, the same one he sensed around you all the time. Sanji pushes the chair away and stays on his guard unable to see or sense the man "You hurt my love and now your going to pay, so show yourself" the cooks words get more and more heated as he spoke "Fuck you two, they deserved it" The man yells out as metal spikes shoot out of the wall, Sanji just manages to dodge as one comes near his face while Zoro easily cuts through the spikes "I gave them a roof over their heads, i fed them and" Zoro swung his swords as Sanji joined him both managing to hit the guy, but he managed to get away again seeming to hide quite well even after being hit. "You abused them, you don't ever abuse a partner, you never make them feel worthless" Sanji yells out his face full of anger standing back-to-back with Zoro "They are worthless don't you get it, They lived in a rundown shack before they met me , Y/n should be at my feet" The man yells loud enough to give away his position, Zoro slices at air managing to hit your ex and cut his torso, he lost control of his devil fruit powers for a minute become visible as Sanji lite his foot on fire and kicked the man into the wall. "Don't you ever say their name" Zoro growls only for the man to start laughing.

Pulling out a needle your ex stabs it into his torso, the bleeding stopping and the wound being covered by something white and sticky. "I know i can't take you two in a fight but i'm sure they can" the man yells as the house starts to shake a little as Zoro slashes his swords at the man who turns invisible again and dodge to the side as the furniture around them changes turning into robots that attack them. Sanji bites hard on his cigarette before kicking the robots and melting whatever they are made out of but it doesn't stop them form coming at him, while Zoro keeps trying to go after your ex only for the robots or spikes to get in his way. "Get out of my way" Zoro yells in frustration, he wanted this man dead now, he wanted you to feel safe again.

The ticking clock was starting to get to you, it was the only sound in the quiet kitchen, Franky was still fixing the damage a makeshift bomb did to your shared room while Nami and Usopp were keeping look, Chopper sat next to you holding your hand, you could tell he was worried. "I've made up my mind" you finally speak getting the reindeer's attention as you let go of his hand and turn to him "You've been great Chopper and i know i don't deserve to ask for anything but i need help" You gulp kneeling on the floor to be eye level with the doctor "What?" Chopper looks at you confused not understanding what your talking about. "Zoro and Sanji are right, i'm strong and brave and no one not even my ex can take that away from me but i need to prove that to myself... i can't stay here being scared. If i can't fight by stuck up ex than how am i going to help Luffy become king of the pirates?" you ramble a bit but you hope he will understand "Y/N, what do you mean?" Chopper deep down knew what you wanted but didn't want to believe it, you take the doctors hands in yours with a small smile "I know the others will stop me so i need your help getting off the sunny, i can do the rest on my own" Chopper jumps a little in shock thinking it over for a minute "Please Chopper, i need to do this" you grip his hands a little more making him look you in the eyes, the fire and determination that have been gone for so long is back and Chopper can't help but nod squeezing your hands back.

[joshriku]

drabble request 👀: xmcu cherik’s erik finding out charles has been paralysed

i keep saying 'drabble' and then it gets out of my hands u_u here! post xmfc, bit of altered dofp scene. thank you for the prompt!!!!

Erik grips the headboard tightly.

Charles sleeps so soundly, so peacefully, like nothing has happened to him. Erik’s chest gets smaller, tighter, like not enough blood is being pumped and like the oxygen is out of reach for his lungs. The nurse, still under Emma’s control, keeps talking: 

“It’s a good thing the bullet was removed,” she explains, the weight of the words crashing upon Erik with each intonation. The bullet, so small and light, never truly left his hands. Every time he looks down, he can see it again. “It lessened the neurological effects it could have…”

Erik stops listening. There’s sand everywhere, leaking through his suit, and it’s so, so hot. It’s so hot. When he looks down, Charles is still sleeping, not having moved an inch. 

He removes one of his gloves, cradling his face. He doesn’t wake up. It’s better this way, perhaps, because every time his thoughts trail back to Charles, the thought of his disappointed and heartbroken stare makes him sick. I’m sorry, but we do not. The tremble of his voice, the tears that refused to fall, the pain he must have been in—

And the pain he will continue to be in, because of him—

“I’m sorry,” Erik leans down, pressing his lips against his forehead. It burns him. His skin tastes of sand, of bullets. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so very sorry.”

No reaction. When he turns around, the nurse has left the room, and all that remains is Emma staring at him with what seems to be her version of pity. 

“It shouldn’t have been like this,” Erik says. He gestures at Charles. “It should have never ended like this. This—this is a mistake. It can’t be like this.”

“Erik…”

“No, I could—” he runs a hand through his hair. “An exo-skeleton suit, is that what they call it? I could make one for him—I could—the pins in his spine, I could—”

“Erik,” Emma says, firmer, the sympathy in her eyes gone. “You can’t fix this.”

A broken cry threatens to escape his throat. He turns around to stare at Charles, still sleeping, and would still be when Erik left, unaware he was ever here. And perhaps that’s for the better, isn’t it? Erik’s caused him a lifelong injury. Every time he wanted to get up, he’d remember Erik did this to him. Every time he took a breath, he’d remember the mistake he made when he trusted Erik. He loved him as he was, and Erik retaliated with a bullet to his spine.

Charles would never forgive him.

“You can’t fix it,” Emma repeats, a bit softer, reaching out to move him. “We have to go, Erik, I can’t keep the rest of the staff frozen any longer.”

Erik nods. 

He takes a second to hold Charles’ hand again, kiss it. “I’m sorry.”

Even if he never forgave him, the least Erik could do is change the world for him. Make the world a better place, for him and for all mutants. 

“Erik,” Emma urges again.

Erik gives him one last look, grabs his helmet, and leaves with Emma.

------

“I’m sorry, Charles…  for what happened,” Erik says. The apology hurts less to say, but carries the same meaning. Ten years did that to a person. “I truly am.”

Charles takes a sip of his drink, avoids his eyes, and focuses on the board in front of them. It’d be an admirable strength of feat, if Erik couldn’t see how hard he’s trying to not look at him. 

“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” Erik continues, a bit addicted to the feeling of confessing this guilt. “I hope—I hope by stopping this madness, I could—”

“I don’t…” Charles stops. It silences Erik immediately. When Charles looks back at him, Erik finds it hard to hold his gaze. But he does. He hasn’t stared at him in so long—being able to do it again, it’s downright hypnotizing. His next words pull Erik out of his little fantasy, though: “I don’t forgive you.”

“I know. I—”

“I don’t forgive you because I don’t blame you,” Charles finishes. Another sip, like it could give him more strength, but once he realizes his glass is almost empty he sets it aside. “I did, at first. I wanted to—oh, so badly,  I wanted to hate you.”

“Charles…”

“The first few nights at the hospital, I would sleep through it all. Until the anesthesia wore off, and it was as though—” he tries gesturing with his hand, but there are no gestures that encapsulate what he must have felt. “I don’t think I could describe it. I would ask my legs to move, and they would not. Every time I woke up, I thought, perhaps this time it’ll work. And every time it didn’t, I wanted to curse you. Just curse your name and blame you for every single thing. And I couldn’t.”

“Why?” Erik asks. Does he sound hoarse? “Why couldn’t you?”

“You loved me, back then,” Charles says. “I knew you would never hurt me like that, willingly. How could I blame you for an accident?”

Charles looks shocked by his own words. Erik’s chest tightens. 

“I only ever blamed you for leaving. I wanted you to be there, to be with me through this change. To adapt with me. To… just be there,” Charles shakes his head. “How foolish of me, truly.”

“I’m sorry,” he says again. “I hope… with time, you can forgive me for that, then. And if not—” Erik tries to reach out with his hand. Charles doesn’t respond to it. “If not, I will still not leave.”

Charles chuckles. He looks at Erik as if asking, how could I ever believe you again? 

“Logan… Logan says we sent him, together,” Charles tentatively brushes his fingers against Erik’s. It’s not enough. He could be under Charles’ skin and still not begin to make up everything he missed. “I suppose we shall see, then.”

Erik swallows. He needs to close the space between them, he needs to hold him, he needs to—he needs to—

Erik leans back. “You have the first move.”

Charles looks at the chess board as if he forgot its existence. “It’s been a while since I played.”

“I’ll go easy on you,” Erik promises, slightly teasing, and for the first time in a decade he stops tasting sand.

[the-family-business-83]

Be My Pumpkin?

Fandom: Supernatural

Genre: Fluff, slight angst

Type: One-shot

Pairing: Dean x Female!reader, no body type or ethnicity mentioned

Word count: 1,674

Summary: Dean doesn't always stop to have a normal moment very often, if at all. Ever since you came along, a lot of things have changed. And this year, you're the reason he remembers to have some fun on Halloween.

Warnings: None honestly. Just some possible spoilers if you haven't seen much of the show but I tried to keep it vague so it's not spoilery.

Dividers created by @firefly-graphics; cover image taken off of Pintrest

A/N: I wrote this at like 3am because I couldn't sleep and I wanted to write some fluffy Dean. I was feeling the Halloween vibes but I also kinda wanted to touch on season 8 post-Lisa feelings. I don't care if those makes sense because honestly I just wrote it to write something. Any and all mistakes are my own because I wrote those without a Beta or anyone to preview it before I posted it. I hope you guys like it because I kinda love it and I thought it was super cute. Anyway, enjoy! :3

Sometimes there were mundane things you did with Dean that brought back older memories. You didn't mean to, hell you didn't know half the time–and how could you, you weren't psychic. But you'd ask him to take the trash out with a tired sigh because it probably wasn't the first time you'd asked that, and sometimes it reminded him of Lisa. You got excited over every holiday and insisted that the bunker should be decorated even if Sam found it ridiculous, and it had him thinking back to a time when he and his brother made the best of a year. Come to think of it he couldn't remember the last time they actually sat down and celebrated a holiday that wasn't their birthdays, if you even counted those.

It was the middle of October, and you'd covered the bunker in whatever dollar store decorations you could find. Mini-skeleton garlands on the railings with little orange fairy lights, Halloween monster themed window clingers on every mirror or glass you could find, you'd even changed out the bathmats in the shower room to be those color-changing white ones that turn red with water. Sam had vetoed those though on the premise that they were a bit distasteful. Little did he know Dean had tucked them away for later pranks. But now you and Dean had gone to the grocery store for a supply run, and you were walking past the giant bin of pumpkins that they had. You didn't say anything beyond a happy little gasp and stopped to look at them. Some were small, some were huge, and some looked a little worse for the wear. They were all pumpkins in your book though and you were perfectly happy looking through them to find a good one.

Dean realized after a few moments that you weren't by his side anymore, because he turned to ask you what was next on the list. He frowned when he didn't see you, and stopped in his tracks as he did one of those half-circles around himself with the body language of where the hell did she go?; that was when you called out to him.

“Dean! Help me put this in the cart, it's heavy as shit.” You called out to him, huffing as you set the big, cartoonishly perfect for carving pumpkin back into the pile. You practically squinted at it like it had done something to offend you personally by not being easy to move.

The Winchester spun on his heels when he heard your voice, emerald hues taking a second or so to lock onto you before he relaxed a bit and made his way over to you. “Midnight already there Cinderella?” He teased, cocking a brow up.

“Ha, ha. Yeah except my prince ran away from me, imagine that.” You countered, rolling your eyes at him. You could see that tiny smirk on his lips already forming and you fought against one of your own as you raised your brows. “Would you just put it in the cart already?”

Dean chuckled a bit at her quip, he thought he was pretty hilarious now and then, and he liked to think she did too, at least sometimes. Glancing over at the pumpkin in question, his eyes raked across the others in the cardboard bin. “What do we even need one of these for?” He asked out of curiosity, one hand fiddling absently with one of them, poking and prodding at the orange gord before letting it fall back down to his side. Dean was what you might call a Halloween nerd, sure, but he didnt often partake in the activities associated with it, so the thought didn't really occur to him.

“To carve, Dean.” You began, as if it were an obvious thing. “You pick one too, and I think we should get one for Sam. He probably won't, I know, but at least the option would be there and besides, an extra pumpkin can't hurt. I mean look at em, they're pumpkins!” you rambled on excitedly and gestured to them as you spoke. Palms out and faced up, you waved them over the pumpkin bin as if presenting them like some proud mother of her star children.

After a moment or so, you noticed Dean hadn't said anything. It made you look at him, wondering why he was so quiet. Because generally, he wasn't. Not unless something was wrong, and that had you worried just a bit. “Dean?” You asked, a little quieter this time as you tried to catch his attention.

When Dean registered that you had been talking to him, he felt a little bad that he hadn't said anything. His eyes were glued to those pumpkins–the only thing she'd been talking about for several minutes now–in thought. He couldn't help it; he was trying to remember when was the last time, if ever, that he'd actually gone out and picked a pumpkin to carve for Halloween. Certainly not since he was a kid, and not after his mother had died when he was 4. Maybe there had been a couple of Halloweens with Bobby where he let them carve some at the table. But that still had been some decades by now. Then he remembered…. The year he'd spent with Lisa and Ben. Which actually hasn't been all that long ago that things had gone sour and he'd almost lost them. He remembered that Halloween before everything went bad, taking Ben out to the store and getting a few pumpkins for them all to carve together. He remembered showing Ben how to hold the knife right so it was easier, how to make it look scarier with the teeth. He remembered working outside and spotting squirrels chewing on them, and scaring the little furballs off with Ben. Lisa yelled at them for being idiots but Dean still couldn't forget the loving look in her eyes that betrayed every word she tossed at them for that. He still missed it all so much. He'd have thought he'd have gotten over it by now but he still hasn't, he still woke up some days with the urge to call Lisa and check on them before he remembered that he couldn't. He wasn't about to mope around about it when there was still work to do, but he was human, he was allowed to feel pain over something he'd lost, especially when he knew they were out there somewhere, happy and safe, he just couldn't be with them. So much crap had happened and there was still crap going on. It was all whirling in his mind until he looked over at you.

You were standing next to him, you had turned the bunker into a festive warehouse when they hadn't even had the place very long, and now you were telling him how you were going to carve pumpkins for Halloween. In the middle of the world's 80th apocalypse. He shook his head lightly and let out a light chuckle, short and dry with disbelief laced in it. “You wanna carve this…” he trailed, eyes drifting back towards her prize.

You weren't sure if you were scared or confused. Or, maybe both. You frowned at the way he looked at you because you knew that look. You knew those eyes. Even if he wouldn't come out and say it you knew something was wrong but for the life of you, you couldn't figure out what. Following his line of sight towards the pumpkin you'd picked out, your brows knitted together as you chewed at your lip in thought. “I mean, you don't have to. I just thought it might be fun. And uh…I mean I thought you and your brother could use some fun.” You reasoned aloud, quietly. Mostly because you weren't totally sure what was going on with him and if something might set him off. “It's Halloween, y'know? Horror movies….bad popcorn…carved pumpkins. But- it's, I mean. It's not a big deal, I promise.” You shrugged shaking your head but mostly at yourself because you'd rambled enough.

You made another attempt at getting the big orange lump out of the bin full of them, and peripherally you heard Dean chuckle again before suddenly the pumpkin felt a lot lighter. Because his hands had joined yours in the effort of moving it to the cart. Once it was set down, Dean turned back to the bin and pulled out another one. You frowned, confused and blinked as you watched him grab not just one but two more of those pumpkins.

“What?” He cocked a brow up slightly as you looked at him like that. He knew why you were giving him that look, but he didn't really want to talk about it and he was trying to play it off so he smirked her way. “I thought you said it's Halloween, let’s bring home some pumpkins. Maybe Sam'll finally ‘conquer his fears’ or whatever, therapists say that's good for you and all.” He joked, that smirk widening into a bit of a grin.

Your worries weren't gone but they'd been substituted for mischievous joy at the notion of giving Sam a bit of shit. Mostly she just loved to see the two in their natural rhythm, and it had–admittedly–been a bit tense lately between them. The idea of some good old fashioned fun sounded good for all of them.

But above all, you were just excited to challenge them into a carving contest. With a grin, you tiptoed to pull Dean into a gentle kiss. “Pretty sure there's no therapist protocol for people like us, that's what whiskey and John Carpenter is for.” You teased back, kissing him again when he chuckled. Tomorrow night was going to be fun, you knew that much. But so would tonight and you made sure Dean knew that in the way your lips lingered on his just a little longer before pulling away so you could finish your shopping trip with a bit of incentive.

[thesweetnessofspring]

Trick or Treat!!!

Prompt: Katniss and Peeta trying to have their first Halloween post-rebellion.

(Could be moodboars, drabble, headcanons, etc..) 🧡🖤🧡

I don't think Panem (or at least D12) have Halloween, but I have a little something for Everlark in their first autumn post-rebellion.

First, some music for ya:

Our bedroom has gotten colder these past few weeks, but we don't shut the window. Peeta emanates enough heat to keep us warm under our blankets. When my nose gets cold, I bury my head into his neck and warm up right against his skin.

This morning, my nose buried between his neck and our pillow, I'm between the place of a rare pleasant dream and the grounded reality of Peeta's arms around me. And something in me is so grateful for him, I give him a kiss on his collarbone.

He stirs under me and asks in his deep, groggy morning voice, "Katniss?"

I hadn't thought of him feeling the kiss and I wonder if I should be self-conscious of what I just did. We've been sharing a bed since the start of summer, but we hadn't kissed one another yet. A lot holding each other, hands wiping away tears, but nothing to give way to what we had been that night on the beach.

I pull back and hope not to talk about it. Even hope that maybe he'll question if it was his own pleasant dream.

"I have a surprise for you," I say. "But you have to get up and get dressed."

"What's the surprise?" he asks.

"That's not how surprises work," I say as I pull back the covers and sit up. "Get dressed. Sturdy shoes and warm."

He doesn't ask any more questions as he goes to the closet to pick out his clothes while I go to the bathroom to change into mine. From there, I go to the kitchen and prepare two thermoses of hot tea, one with a spoonful of sugar and one unsweetened. I'd prepared both of our bags the night before and give Peeta his.

Outside, our hands automatically find one another as we walk in the dark autumn morning. The rest of the district continues to sleep, the skeletons of buildings in the middle of their construction waiting for the workers to return.

We walk past the Seam, past the meadow, and past the apple trees we'd spent last week gathering to make apple fritters. The palest sunbeams filter through the forest's trees, dark pines and autumnal oak.

Peeta's grip tightens. "You're bringing me in here?"

"It's safe," I say. "I'll make sure you stay safe."

"It's not that," he says. "I guess I've always thought of this as your place. Yours and...his."

"It's anyone's who wants it to be theirs now," I say. "And I want to show it to you."

He acquiesces and follows me into the forest. I keep an eye on him. Even without a fence or Peacekeepers enforcing the perimeter, few people have braved the woods. Yet Peeta takes it all in with round, awed eyes. Sometimes I can sense he wants to stop and pause, but I keep us moving until we reach the rock ledge looking out to the crests of mountains and the spine of the valley below. The sun has illuminated the land with morning honey light, filtering through a distant mist. It is a dappled mixture of deep green pine trees, yellow-leaved birches, orange-leaved oaks.

I've seen it every fall for years, so instead I take in Peeta's face as he faces a scenery entirely new to him. Yesterday he'd been admiring a single leaf from the oak tree at the entrance of Victors Village and I knew then he had to see this place of unimaginable, untouched beauty, blooming with the season's colors. And he doesn't disappoint. A long puff of a cloud emerges from his lips parted in wonder and the corners of his mouth peak up.

"This is beautiful," he says.

"I put your travelling paints in your backpack," I say. "In case you want to paint it."

"I most definitely do."

I get out the food I'd packed in my bag while Peeta prepares his watercolors and paper and gets to working. I've divided up the breakfast of raisin bread, candied pecans, and apples onto two plates but I've finished all of mine before Peeta looks up from his colors to nibble on his own. I sip my tea and simply watch the sun rise over the ridges and Peeta's hands dabble color onto his paper.

When he's finished he sets it aside to dry a little as he finishes his breakfast and sits back.

"I'd seen these colors on the mountains around us, but I could never imagine what it'd be like to look down on them," Peeta says.

"There's still a lot of beauty for us to see," I say.

"I don't know what I could possibly show you," he says.

I think of what I can't put into words. Hope. Light. Warmth. The beauty Peeta gives me every day is so much more precious than this view, even if it's all I have to offer him in return.

Instead, I lean forward and kiss him on the cheek so he knows this isn't a dream.

[dogtoling]

Hey, I know this is not really splatoon related but can you give us tips of how to draw fat peopll/ink fishes? I always struggle to do so, and i' trying to learn how to do it

I got an ask similar to this a while ago and answered it here! I guess check that out for more of an in-depth overview of how I approach drawing fat inkfish (and people!) myself. There's a lot of good posts and tutorials floating around tumblr about this already (and i'm too lazy to go look for links, but they're out there lol)

I wrote down a lot of general tips in that previous post and I don't really think i have anything to add that other people haven't already said and that i haven't already said myself, so I'll just stress the importance of referencing Real People. As with drawing pretty much anything, you want to understand the mechanics behind it and How It WORKS, and then you'll mostly be chilling... especially with a subject with this much variety in it!

But since I want this answer to have any net value at all and not just be a "well look at this other post i made" referral, i would also like to talk to everybody who is New to drawing fat people or just generally unsure of their ability to do and reassure that you will probably do it badly at first. that's fine, i think i probably did it badly for 10 years. this is how learning art works. it probably won't take you ten years if you actually use references for it though lol

But to save you some time and frustration: give some love to areas that are NOT the stomach or torso. Fat also accumulates in the limbs and the face and you will hit a wall really quickly if you just add a belly and draw stick arms and legs (which also occurs in real body types obviously, but if you're trying to go above Chubby territory it doesn't really work, and most of the time when people struggle with drawing fat people my understanding is that they can't make bigger sizes look correct at All). But to do this effectively you will probably need to learn basic fat distribution, and after you learn this, you will probably be able to eyeball proportions correctly while drawing and also be able to eyeball when they seem off. (This is doubly why I recommend looking at a variety of real people for reference).

And for Inkfish - THE TENTACLES. Don't sleep on the tentacles. Those are part of the body and they are FLESH! Therefore they should also have fat accumulation to some degree. It's a pretty effective visual in conveying higher fat percentage and works the other way around too, if you have a particularly skinny character (which is surprisingly hard to convey in a species with no skeleton, i'm ignoring whatever the FUCK Acht has going on. i'm choosing to believe those are the structure for the gills if we wanted to explain it), you can give them notably thin tentacles and it will help get the point across. Just scale the suckers accordingly if you're into that kind of stuff. They don't change size, so they will look smaller on bigger tentacles and really big on tentacles where there's not much else than the central muscles.

My final beginner tip is stop drawing fat characters with anime boy sharp jawlines. this might work with characters that are just barely chubby but the majority of people will have a double chin or AT LEAST a generally softer jawline. if you're drawing someone who's like, significantly fatter than chubby and they don't have a double chin, it will look like a skinny guy in a fat suit 99% of the time. hope this helps lol.

[aceghosts]

WIP Thursday

Hey everyone! I've been tagged by @nightbloodbix, @socially-awkward-skeleton, @cassietrn, @katsigian, @captastra, @marivenah, and possibly others that I'm forgetting.

Tagging (Opt In/Out): @bbrocklesnar, @carlosoliveiraa, @captmactavish, @alexxmason, @clicheantagonist, @theelderhazelnut, @direwombat, @strangefable, @amalkavian, @voidika, @cloudofbutterflies92, and anyone else who would like to participate.

I have more snippets from Rooney's CP2077 universe for you, including those listed in this poll. (Not gonna lie, I'm kinda surprised that Rooney's family won, lol.) I'm gonna start with two slightly depressing snippets, and then I also have two small fluffy snippets.

First, let's kick off with the winner of the poll, a snippet from the oneshot about Rooney's family. Also, I have to give a strong warning for this entire fic in general. In Mass Effect, Rooney's background is colonist, which means you are essentially left the sole survivor of your colony after being attacked by batarians. In their AU, Rooney's entire town is attacked by bandits, leaving Rooney the sole survivor. This fic is going to deal with distressing topics. If you need to skip it when I post, please do so. I will also have more detailed warnings when I post the final version of the fic.

As for this snippet, I do want to give a trigger warning that Rooney is not in a good mental state and is very much struggling:

The week that Rooney’s family died is always the worst week of the year. Rooney’s normally unflinching, steady demeanor turns brittle. Their mood is an ever vicious cycle of grief looping into tv-static like numbness, which eventually loops back into a grief that threatens to swallow them whole. Their sleep schedule goes to hell, ghosts haunting them in their dreams. Even in their waking hours, the ghosts still haunt them, always there. Nothing holds any interest for them, and they feel a slight sense of nausea, picking at their meals. The weight of a broken promise weighs heavily on their shoulders, and Rooney feels like they’re drowning underneath it all, exhausted of fighting the tide. All they want to do is hide in their room underneath blankets until the storm passes, when they are finally able grip onto some sense of normality. Most years, they power through, only taking the day of their family’s death off. Their usual ritual is to spend the day alone, writing unsent letters to the ghosts they carry with them. This year is different. The grief hits harder, a dark, black cloud hanging over them. It feels so hard to breathe, to exist. Their limbs feel weighed down, each movement more difficult than the last. They feel so numb to it all, to the whole point of their existence. Perhaps, it’s because they died and now know death intimately. Maybe, it’s the fact they’re stuck in this Arasaka facility, amongst enemies and isolated from their comrades. Maybe, it’s that small glimpse of what they saw between life and death. And then, there is Yorinobu, Rooney’s only friend in this lonely place. They’ve been avoiding him all week, unwilling to let him see them like this. He doesn’t have to know, and Rooney doesn’t want him to think less of them. The grief will pass like it always does, and Rooney will be fine. …Right?

(Also, due to this fic winning, you're probably going to get Rooney and Yorinobu's second meeting first as this fic references that fic.)

Second snippet is from the Relic Malfunction fic. The Relic Malfunction fic is dealing with Yorinobu finding out about Rooney having the Relic in their head and the ending of CP2077. Here is the snippet:

V nods, tears running down their face. “I’m so sorry. I should have-.” “Yes,” Yorinobu cuts in, his tone brutal, “You should be the one dying in their place.” Vik opens his mouth to protect V, but someone else beats him to it. “Yori, stop it. This isn’t V’s fault. If you need to be angry at someone, be angry at me.” Everyone turns to Shepard, awake and alert. Yorinobu sits back down, his hand coming up to cup their cheek. “Rooney, is that-?” “It’s me,” They reassure him, pressing a kiss to the inside of his palm, “Silverhand hasn’t taken over yet.”

And lastly, here are two small snippet from some short fluffy fics. This first one is from a fic inspired by a tumblr post (and is essentially Rooney and Yorinobu shamelessly flirting with one another):

Giving him a curious look, Rooney says, “You have that look again.” “What look?” He asks, shooting them a charming smile. “The one where you’re planning something.” “Possibly,” Yorinobu shrugs, as Rooney continues, their hands coming down to the lapels of his jacket. He shivers underneath their touch. With a heavy sigh, Yorinobu starts, “It is such a shame I am going to this party alone. I wish I had-.” “No,” Rooney replies, a response that would sound curt and brutal to most. Yet, he notices the way the corner of their mouth twitches upward, the humor in their eyes.

This second one is from a prompt:

“Delighted?” They quip, still playing with Yorinobu’s hair. He laughs. “Alexandre and Marion adored you. I thought they were going to ignore me all night.” Rooney remembers how Alexandre and Marion lit up at the sight of Rooney, both getting out of their chairs to greet them. Marion gave them a tight hug, telling Rooney how good it was to see them again. Alexandre gave them a firm handshake, but they couldn’t miss the way he looked at them with incredible fondness and a misty look in his eyes. When Yorinobu and Rooney sat down, Alexandre and Marion overwhelmed Rooney with questions about what Rooney had been doing since they left the Arasaka facility. “I thought the same,” Although Rooney couldn’t be too frustrated, when every time they looked over at Yorinobu, he was watching them a slightly smitten smile on his face, content to let Rooney talk, “I really missed Alexandre and Marion too.”

[josephslittledeputy]

WIP... Oh shit, its actually Wednesday??

Tagged by @wrathfulrook @clicheantagonist @marivenah @cassietrn @the-silver-chronicles @socially-awkward-skeleton @direwombat and I thiiiiink that's it... sorry if you've tagged me & you're not on here, its been a hot minute since I've posted a wip wednesday & my memory is basically Swiss cheese

Tagging anyone who wants to self indulgently share a WIP! Feel free to tag me, I love to read new stuff :)

**Also terribly sorry in advance cause this turned out to be a bit longer than I thought it would be**

WIP 1: OG Verse - fun times with Celeste & Gabriel

He has to resist the urge to throttle her, lest he ruin the inside of his house filled with years of carefully handpicked items, ones he held a certain fondness for. "You ruined my life, Celeste. Or do you not recall?” "Your life?" She tilts her head in mock curiosity. "What life? The one where you were sent anywhere they told you to go, like some mongrel with a barely slackened leash?" “Excuse me?" “We can pretend otherwise. Keep up the illusion that your life was marvelous, picture perfect even. But we both know the truth, don't we?" She takes a step closer. “You were nothing but the High Council’s defanged pup. Cluelessly doing their bidding before I freed you. If anything, you should be thanking me." "Thanking you?" He clenches and unclenches his fist in an attempt to suppress his anger. "Hate me if you must, fight me even, but do it later. Right now we must get out of here. If they do not know where I am yet, they soon will. What do you think will happen once they realize one of their precious dhamphirs has been under their nose this whole time?"

Celeste truly is the nicest individual you'll ever meet :))

Including this little snippet from Gabriel's pov as well cause idk, I just really like it

Unbidden worry strikes him. He listens, waits, and when his ears pick up the sound of soft, even breathing he lets out a breath of his own. Celeste and the baby were still there, unharmed, perhaps even sleeping. It brings an odd sense of comfort, reminiscent of times long forgotten, times he didn’t want to remember. If he did, he’d have to remember what brought them to a halt in the first place and he had a job to do. Grief and old wounds had no place here, at least not at the moment. Kicking his boots off, he treks into the bathroom and gently closes the door behind him. It’s a simple design: Shower to his left, toilet to his right, and a sink with a mirror above it directly across from the door. Leaning against the sink, he ruffles his short, black hair that's shaved on the sides and traces his fingers over an old, faded scar. It runs down almost the whole length of his face, going over his left eye and stopping just shy of the corner of his mouth. Overlapping it is another, only this one goes across his face horizontally, over the bridge of his nose and from cheek to cheek. The only thing that remains of the old Gabriel are his blue eyes, once full of life and mischief, now faded and dull. Turning away from his visage, he heads toward the shower and turns it on, stripping down while he waits for the water to heat up. He doesn’t need a mirror to see the multitude of scars and tattoos that adorn his body. Aching for another drink—if only to dull his senses and lingering memories once more—he curbs the yearning and steps beneath the water.

WIP 2: They Watch From The Pews

Willa squirms, trying to dodge cold fingers that reach out to trace over the letters, caressing them with a sadistic fascination that makes her stomach curdle in disgust. Disgust quickly transforms into a desperation to get away once he finally reveals the knife kept hidden behind his back. “Usually I’d peel the sin off but… I think this will suit you much better, don't you?" Pressing the tip of his blade into her skin, he teasingly drags it across her skin. "Tell me, Deputy, how did you feel when you got the news of Samuel's death?" "Chipper." She spitefully answers with a sneer. John heaves a dramatic sigh and presses the blade down harder, prompting tiny beads of blood to bubble up as he traces over the letters of her tattoo. "You can make this easier for yourself, you know." "I've heard that before. Got me a bullet to the leg." "Because you ran. My men only acted accordingly." "Fuck you and your men, pussy." "My, what a mouth on you." He tuts and makes a deeper cut. Her teeth sink into the leather in her mouth, denying him the satisfaction of hearing her make a noise. Without pause, he moves onto the second letter, brows scrunched up in concentration as he goes over the lines again and again. It isn’t until he’s on the last letter that she finally breaks with a muffled groan. He stops, lifting his eyes from his work. “Comfortable?”

John & Willa are bonding so well. Truly, I think they're starting to get along!

[27dragons]

New Year Countdown: Dec 30

I forgot again! I was actually going to sleep last night and thought, "oh shit, did I remember to post?" and then thought, "yes, of course I did" with the full memory of shuffling around my file and everything. Bad memory, no cookie! So for yesterday's belated post, have some Cyberpunk Steve/Tony, and since I'm going out tonight, I'll put tonight's post in the queue for later.

Dec 30 - Stony - Cyberpunk AU - Fireworks

It always took Tony a few minutes to recover when he dropped his connection to the Net. The nanites were so fast, faster than thought, and if he dumped them without the proper procedures, he’d be half-stunned, unable for a few minutes to think properly or even move his body without tripping over himself.

So he kept his eyes closed, breathing carefully and counting the beats of his heart until the spaces between them seemed merely slow and not interminable.

When he did open his eyes, Steve was standing in front of him, waiting patiently. “You back in the real world?”

Steve wasn’t wearing his smart armor, just a standard BPV, so the situation couldn’t be too bad. “The Net is real,” Tony said for probably the thousandth time. “But yeah, I’m back in meatspace. What’s up, Cap?”

“Not sure,” Steve admitted. “There’s rumors floating around that something’s going to happen down by the river. I thought we should go check it out.”

“No idea what?” Tony wondered. “You want me to dive back in, see what I can dig up in the Shadows?” He tapped at the housing embedded in his chest that maintained the nanites when they weren’t in use.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Netters,” he said, fondly exasperated. “I thought we could go check it out in person.”

“Old man,” Tony shot back at him, grinning. “You spend all your free time pining for the old days, don’t you?” He reached for his overcoat. It wasn’t armor, but it was lined with protective panels, and besides, it was cold out there. “Who’s staying here to keep an eye on the children?”

Predictably, Steve said, “Bucky.”

“And who’s going to keep an eye on Bucky?” Tony teased.

Steve shoved Tony playfully -- and gently, because despite his grousing about the danger of too much cyber enhancement, Steve’s skeleton and musculature were boosted and he could put Tony through a wall if he didn’t keep a tight rein on his strength.

They made their way out to the street and headed toward the river. “What do you think we’re going to find?” he wondered. Steve didn’t seem tense, like he was expecting trouble, but he did seem a little nervy.

“Don’t know,” Steve admitted. “You know, you spent the whole day in the Net. Must be hungry; want to stop at Joey’s for a burger on the way?” He waved at the diner’s signpost, just half a block from where they were passing.

“You don’t want to chase this thing down first?” That wasn’t much like Steve.

“From what I’ve heard, we’ve got some time.”

Tony shot Steve a suspicious look, but he seemed not to notice. “...Sure. Burger would be good, actually.”

Steve drew Tony into a discussion about the latest smartlink upgrades as they ate, and then they bickered lazily about whether Bucky should let Tony work on his cyberware or if he’d be better off going to WakandaTek for maintenance, and Tony forgot about his concerns. By the time they left Joey’s, they were well into a threadbare old argument about enhancements for Steve’s holoshield.

It wasn’t until the first explosion made Tony all but jump out of his skin that he remembered why they were wandering the streets in midwinter. “Fuck!” he gasped, ducking into an alley for cover and looking around wildly. “What was that?”

Steve looked up into the sky, and Tony followed his gaze. Against the purplish glow of the city’s night sky was a sparkling glitter of lights.

Steve grabbed Tony’s wrist. “Come on, it’s starting!” He tugged, and Tony was helpless to do anything but follow.

Another explosion lit up the sky with jewels of color and light. “Fireworks?” Tony said. “Your mysterious something was fireworks? You tricked me into a patrol to... what, get dinner and watch fireworks?” He blinked as the obvious answer occurred. “Is this a date, Steve?”

Steve shot Tony a slightly sheepish smile. “Well... yeah. If you want it to be.”

Crowds were gathering, now that it was apparent the explosions were benign, but there was no one there who knew them. Tony leaned into Steve’s warmth and looked up at the blooming colors in the sky, and smiled as Steve’s arm wrapped around his shoulders.

“Happy New Year.”

[inafieldofdaisies]

WIP Wednesday | Tagged by @adelaidedrubman ❤️

"Nothing like little arson to make a point." won the last WIP poll game, so I'm dropping the sentences for it below.

"Ah, bud, I kinda wish my old man was here.", Calahan grunted out into the night air, sending a quick glance in Zorro's direction and finding him sniffing at something in the overgrown grass, "We used to joke about catching Ragnar before-" Just as a fish finally bit, the tranquility ruling over the small boat ramp dispersed with the appearance of a pair of headlight, accompanied by shouts and all-too-familiar pleas for help. "For fuck's sake, you fucking Peggies. We have company, Zorro.", he quickly got up, swapping the fishing rod for his gun and turning in the direction of the distressed calls. After putting a bullet or two between the eyes of unlucky cultists and cutting lose the group of kidnapped civilians that were chosen for a midnight Cleansing, he found himself gathering his things as his mood only soared by the idea another one of his favorite fishing spots was about to be polluted with Bliss and that maybe, just maybe he had finally hooked Ragnar. "Let's go, son.", he called for Zorro as he deposited his gear in the back of his truck, an idea carrying a promise of destruction forming while he helped him into the passenger seat, "It's about time I send Johnny a message he'd understand clearly, especially since he ain't taking the hint from my notes." The road ahead of them was for once empty when Hartley set out towards Fall's End and neither the cool air or the cigarette he had lit up helped dispel the anger bubbling inside him. Goddamn John Seed, why should I have peace for even one night, while you're sleeping in your fancy ranch and probably dreaming of Gray givin' ya some?! Tires screeched as he came to a stop in front of the Spread Eagle and jumped out, pushing his way in and coming face to face with a confused Mary May. "What in the hell, Rookie?", she asked in disbelief when he vaulted over the bar and grabbed the first bottle of booze he could, her complaints dying down the moment his lips found hers and he stole a kiss before heading back out. "Cal, where are you going?", she followed close behind him and into Gus' abandoned garage, heated gaze falling on him as he grabbed two jerrycans, "Calahan." He ignored her appeals, dropping off the gas cans in his trunk while his mind ran over the plan that was bound to result in John having a guaranteed shitty night. "You gonna give me an answer, or just steal my liquor and drive off?", Mary May probed again and rested her hands against the rolled down window, examining Calahan as he leaned back in the driver seat with an expression that screamed trouble. His lips twisted in a devilish smile when his baby blues met hers, "It's time to say 'No', Angel, and what a better way to do it than getting rid of that goddamn ugly sign?" "Give me a second.", she instructed sternly, breezing into her bar before he could argue how taking her along would be a bad idea and put her in unnecessary danger. A tired sigh left him as his gaze moved over to Zorro, "She truly is the one, ain't she, buddy."

Tagging, @chazz-anova @jillvalentinesday @poisonedtruth @madparadoxum @strafethesesinners @josephseedismyfather @g0dspeeed @florbelles @clicheantagonist @strangefable @corvosattano @euryalex @josephslittledeputy @voidika @trench-rot @theelderhazelnut @aceghosts @socially-awkward-skeleton @black-dragon-posting @simplegenius042 @direwombat @nightbloodbix @cassietrn @stacispratt @v0idbuggy @thesingularityseries @purplehairsecretlair and anyone that would like to do the tag ❤️

[sp4mja]

So I've decided to accept who I am and make a OP x QSMP AU. But before making any art I made a list of possible Devil Fruits each member would have plus some lore

This will be a long and extremely self-indulgent post, so everything regarding this AU is under the cut.

So, both the hispanics and the English speakers are invited to the island, they all range from ex marines to civilians to pirates. The only thing they have in common is that everyone is a devil fruit user, which quickly raises their suspicions about the island.

The logic behind having so many Devil Fruit users together is that the Federation purposefully gathered them all together. Expect for the brazilians and the french, who just happened to stumble upon the island, some of them do have devil fruits but not all.

And that's one of the reasons why the Federation dislike them, as they don't fit in the plan.

Speaking of the Brazilians and the French!

The Brazilians knew each other before the island but very briefly (except for Pac, Mike and Cellbit) since they all made it into the same ship and ended up crashing on Quesadilla island (Felps is not a good navigator and Forever was too worried to actually steer the ship.)

As for the French, they were traveling to a Sky Island on a big ship and they ended up falling from the sky, they didn't particularly know each other before but they grew closer on the ship before the ship fell.

Now, I'm still thinking about some fruits and roles (backstory from the cubitos before the island) but these are my general ideas, feel free to share your thoughts!

Some of my ideas are pretty self-explanatory but ask away if you have any doubts!

● Hispanics:

Luzu — tbh idk something about metals, maybe the smelt-smelt fruit? Maybe even a cyborg

Rubius — .... Wish-Wish fruit?? He grants wishes or something

Mariana — Whisper-Whisper Fruit (Taking into account his rp on tortillaland and integrating it into the qsmp, he should be able to talk to animals. I don't think the animals talk back tho)

Spreen — Bear-bear Fruit Model Black Bear

Missa — Bird-Bird Fruit Model Raven / Revive-Revive Fruit (Debating over this, specially because it would be funny if both Missa and Philza share similar DF, but also skeleton Missa is fun)

Roier — Spider-Spider Fruit Model Latrodectus Hesperus (black widow)

Vegetta — Scroll-Scroll Fruit (He's the wise man of the mountain, I'm sure he uses his knowledge to make powerful scrolls)

Maximus — Clank-Clank Fruit / Magnet-Magnet Fruit (Tbh I want something relating to Max's abilities with machines)

Quackity — String-String Fruit (freaky, the man who pulls the strings)

● English:

Wilbur — Tone-Tone Fruit / Song-Song Fruit (For this one I think going with Uta's power is better, Wilbur is extremely powerful but he is also a whimsical British guy who sings beautiful songs for his daughter to have a good night of sleep)

Fit — Pop-Pop Fruit

Philza — Bird-Bird Fruit Model Crow (Love-Love fruit if I'm feeling a little crazy, he turns Forever into stone sll the time)

Jaiden — Bird-Bird Fruit Model Parrot / Brush-Brush Fruit (As much as I love parrot jaiden, I think she being able to draw bobby after his death but stopping herself from bringing the art to life is extremely angsty and I love it)

Bad — Hollow-Hollow Fruit

Foolish — Shark Fish man. Swim Swim Fruit (I know, he can't swim so he now has a fruit that lets him swim everywhere? Yeah, but also a logia fruit that could help him build fits as well)

Dan — ? (Sorry)

Slime — Jello-Jello Fruit (Following the food themed devil fruits from the Big Mom Pirates, he turns into Jello... Lime flavor, he is sticky, sugary and a little sour, both Mariana and Juana are intrigued)

● Brazilians:

Cellbit — Archeologist and Archivist, former captain of a crew (as much as I would love to give Cellbit a DF, I think it would be charming if he could save Roier from falling into the sea all the time, as well as Felps)

Felps — Calm-Calm Fruit (He makes silent bubbles for Richarlyson everytime he gets overwhelmed, best dad)

Forever — Navigator (Pirate, former marine, he loves travelling and lost his right hand man on the way)

Pac and Mike— Shipwrights (Do not separate. They make the craziest ships on the world. Also criminals with bounties but not necessarily pirates)

● French:

Baguera — Mink Duck (she's a duck, she went to explore the world and oh well)

Etoiles — Woods-Woods Fruit / Arms-Arms Fruit (This one is complicated, he is a cucumber (?) So I thought a extremely powerful fruit like the Woods-Woods one its him, but he is also very dangerous and into weapons, so the other one also fits him? He is a bounty hunter)

Antoine — Stich-Stich fruit (He stiches dirt together, doesn't really use his power but he starts doing it after Pomme gets interested (he makes her clothes!!!))

Kameto — Normal ninja lmao (literally just a ninja, just a guy, he is terrifying)

Pierre — Inventor (Both Marines and Pirates buy his inventions, money is everything)

As for the eggs, I believe they follow the same logic as the seraphims. They were artificially made using human DNA and thats why they are both inteligent and fragile. They are replaceable and the Federation can make more if they find a quicker and cheaper way.

Oh and Cucurucho, I think it would be extremely fucked up if it has the Shadow-Shadow fruit. Imagine Cucurucho taking Cellbit's shadow, creepy.