#I can definitely go down the list and pick out which ones stuck with me and which ones didn't

[cheeseofthecake]

Top 5 Magnus episodes

Oh gods uhhhhhhhh The ones where Michael shows up for the first time, and every subsequent Michael encounter thereafter. He's always been a highlight of the show for me. (26)

ANATOMY CLASS (34) WAS REALLY FUCKED UP NGL, LIKE WHAT

Literary Heights (46) is very interesting, I remember that one

The Space Station episodes were all very cool, I think

Binary (65) was strange and kind of out of place, we never hear about any other statements like that again. ... Now that I think about it, I wonder... TMagP is a lot more *digital* than TMA, so- I wonder if we'll see- more of those 'Binary' like statements. Very strange one off episode though

The Librarian (80) was pretty neat, ngl. Like, Up until that statement we've got an enigmatic picture of a man who unleashed untold numbers of cursed books upon the world but... In The Librarian well- We find out he's the victim, not the aggressor.

[elix8r]

Pink Whitney (psh) 

PAIRING: park sunghoon x fem!reader

GENRES: smut, fluff, crack, college au, friends to lovers au, brother’s best friend au, frat au 

WARNINGS: profanity, alcohol, mentions of birth control and Plan B, niki and jungwon causing chaos, one night stands, american college experience, unprotected sex (pls be safe!), mentions of pregnancy, drunk sex, frat parties, oral (m and f receiving), fingering, face-fucking, facial, and overall cuteness :)))))

SUMMARY: You had always trusted the beautiful bottle of Pink Whitney to deliver crazy fun nights with little to no hangovers in the morning. It was almost a sacred bond between you and your go-to drink. But that trust was shattered after a night that should have been like any other. Instead, you found yourself waking up in bed with your younger brother's frat bro, and worse, narrowly avoiding pregnancy. Now, as you navigate the awkward aftermath of it all, you feel betrayed by Pink Whitney, the drink that had never let you down before. But even as you mourn the loss of that trust, you find yourself more worked up over the boy who shattered it. 

Fuck Park Sunghoon for ruining Pink Whitney for you or better yet fuck Pink Whitney for making you fall in love with Park Sunghoon.

WORD COUNT: 19k

AUTHOR’S NOTE: this is definitely the fastest i’ve ever written but it’s because i had literally so much fun writing this! So many moments in this story are inspired by real life events and i have loads more of insane college stories that i will definitely be adding on to my upcoming series set in this same universe: The Frat Diaries! I really really hope you guys enjoy reading this and i love hearing feedback so feel free to send them my way! thanks for all the love so far and i’ll see you soon! 

GLOSSARY LINK  

THE FRAT DIARIES MASTERLIST

Of course, you would much rather be anywhere on a Thursday night (which was still a school night btw!) than at Epsilon Nu’s notorious welcome back party, but a promise was a promise and you couldn’t back out on it. Especially when it was a promise you made to your brother. Jungwon was a relatively easy sibling that rarely asked for much from you so when he came running across campus to you with a request, you couldn’t turn him away. 

“I promise it’ll be the best night of your life!” You doubted it but you let him continue rambling as it was becoming almost entertaining with how desperate your younger brother was becoming. 

As a first-year and a pledge, he was automatically sent to the bottom of the food chain and in the hierarchy of a fraternity if he didn’t bring anything to the frat, then he could wave his membership goodbye. 

“You know I never ask you for anything but if you and your sisters could come then it would help me out and by that, I mean like reaaaaaallly help me out!” His eyes were wide and shimmering towards you. 

“Ok fine, I’ll be there. I’ll probably be able to bring a couple of us but I can’t assure you anything.” You finally give in and before you can even finish your sentence, Jungwon was already pulling you into a tight side hug while jumping in glee. 

Each pledge was tasked with inviting girls to the party and the more that came under their name would be awarded more points and your brother was aiming to be on the top of that list. He was smart for reaching out for your help as you had the connections to help him out as you were also involved in Greek life. It wouldn’t be hard to convince your sisters to go as you knew many of them were already planning on going but it was the fact that you personally weren’t planning on going until now. 

“You won’t regret it! I promise I’ll make sure we’re stocked up on that Pink Whitney shit you like so much and I can even see if Heeseung hyung would be able to pick you and the girls up so you guys won’t have to worry about driving!” 

Seeing how excited he was also brought a smile to your face but if you knew what Thursday night had in store for you then you would have most definitely declined and stuck with your original plans of staying back at your sorority house lounging in the new pajama set you bought at Target while starting on assignments you were already given. But you were no fortune-teller and also weak to your brother’s puppy eyes how could you have known? 

Winter stood in front of the full-length mirror, frowning as she analyzed her outfit. "Is this cute enough that it gives off the vibe that I’m hot and fun while still being classy or is it giving try-hard slut?" she asked, mostly muttering to herself though. You stood beside her, admiring her fashion sense. Winter was a fashion design major and her exceptional understanding of style always showed in her outfits. The two of you were roommates at the Alpha Epsilon Sigma house and were lucky to have gotten a two-person room, unlike some of your other sisters who had to move into four-girl rooms. 

"Don't worry, Winter. You look absolutely gorgeous! You do this every time we go out, but I've never seen you dress bad," you reassured her. Winter's outfit was stunning: a sexy black dress with strategic cutouts that accentuated her figure. You, on the other hand, had opted for a more classic look with a corset top and jeans. 

Just then, your phone buzzed with a message from Heeseung saying that he had arrived and before you could even text the other three girls in your group of friends, they burst into the room. Times like this made you wonder if the five of you actually ran on the same brainwave. Without hesitation, everyone ran downstairs and piled into Heeseung's car, Winter sitting on top of Giselle (her big), while Karina and Ningning scrambled to find their seatbelts in the back. 

"Hey Heeseung, thanks for this!" you greeted him with a smile, giving him a quick hug. The other girls echoed your sentiment from the backseat. You could say that you were pretty good friends with EpNu's president, as he ran in the same friend group as you not to mention you shared a few classes (and maybe even a few smooches) with him in the past.

"Seriously, don't mention it. It's honestly my pleasure. Plus, I couldn't say no to Jungwon when he asked. I don't know how he does it, but that kid is really good at making you want to do anything for him," Heeseung said, crinkling a warm smile as he navigated the car out onto the road. 

"Oh, I know. He's literally so cute! You boys did really good with rush this semester," Karina chimed in from the back. Your big was the VP of Recruitment this year, so she knew exactly how impressive it was to have a successful recruitment. 

"They always do. I mean, EpNu's always top tier, which is why I'm even more looking forward to tonight," Ningning's grin widens as she chimes in. 

"Damn, now you've got all the pressure on us to deliver to your expectations." Heeseung laughed, playfully acknowledging the challenge, "Well, seriously thanks. And it seems like AES also had no issues getting their top choice in PNMs. A bunch of us drove by all the houses on bid day, and it wasn't a surprise, but you guys definitely did the best." 

"Well, you boys better behave tonight because most of our new girls are coming, and they better be treated well. Wonyoung texted me earlier that she, Yujin, and Liz were gonna pre-game before," you informed the group as you approached a familiar house, already bustling with people. 

"Thanks, again Heeseung!" you and the girls chimed as he parked, and everyone started getting out. As the group walked towards the door, you spotted a tall boy with a baby face standing in front, obviously on door duty to make sure no guys other than the EpNu brothers were coming in. "Hey, Niki," Heeseung nodded in acknowledgment, and the younger boy reached out for a high-five. 

"Welcome in, ladies! Enjoy yourselves and let any of us know if you need anything. You are our guests tonight!" The young pledge, Niki, said with a big smile as he turned to you and the girls. He was obviously full of excitement with the greeting he gave you all. 

"Aww, he's so sweet!" Giselle gave the younger boy one of her award-winning smiles, and you and the girls laughed as you could see Niki blushing furiously at the interaction. 

Heeseung shook his head, laughing along. "Well, I'm gonna go find the rest of the guys, and like Niki said, find me if you guys need anything. Have fun!" He gave you a small wink before leaving you and the girls in the foyer.

As Heeseung walked away, Winter leaned into you with a mischievous look on her face and poked your side. "Man, Heeseung's so cute, Y/N. I don't know why you've never done anything with him. I mean, he's obviously interested," she whispered. 

You playfully rolled your eyes before replying, "I don't know, I think my crush on him just kinda wore off but if you want him, then go ahead." 

You then took the opportunity to grab the girls and lead them to the kitchen, eager to get the party started. You knew that’s where they kept the good stuff. And by good stuff, you meant alcohol. You hoped Jungwon wasn't lying about the Pink Whitney.

As you entered the kitchen, you see a few EpNu brothers that you recognized, already drinking and having a good time. They waved at you and the girls, inviting you to join them. You spotted the promised bottle of Pink Whitney sitting in all its glory on the island with a sticky note specifically with your name on it so you didn’t hesitate to reach for it and take a swig. The sweet, tangy taste hit your tongue, and you could feel the alcohol warming you up from the inside. 

"Ah, I was wondering when you guys would show up," Jay greeted the group with his usual confident demeanor, reaching for the Pink Whitney bottle on the counter to pour himself a shot. You swatted at his hand, but he was already successful in pouring and knocking back the alcohol. You gave him a glare and punched his arm, but he didn’t even spare you a look as he pretended as if nothing had happened. 

"No, Jay, you were wondering when Ningning would come," Karina interjected with a smirk. 

"Yeah, you're not very subtle," Giselle added, and you and Winter couldn’t help but giggle as Ningning's cheeks turned pink. 

Jake, standing next to Jay, let out a loud cackle. "Damn, bro, they're already on your ass!" He reached over to fist-bump Karina and Giselle, and you all join in on the friendly teasing. Jay always seemed to become the target of everyone's jokes, but his reactions make it all worth it. 

"Alright, alright, you girls are ruthless," Jay shook his head sheepishly but didn't try to hide his arms wrapping around Ningning's shoulders. 

"Looks like Ningning and I are gonna have to find somewhere else to hang out where there’s more friendlier company. See ya, losers!" he playfully jabbed before leading Ningning out of the kitchen.  

You all laugh at his response, waving goodbye to your friends. Despite all the teasing, you couldn't help but think that the two were adorable. While they weren't officially together, everyone knew they were seeing each other semi-seriously, so none of this was a surprise and in fact, you were very much in support of the relationship.

As soon as Jake took a step closer to you, your instincts kicked in and you held the pink bottle closer to yourself. "So Y/N, you're cradling that bottle like it's your baby or something. Not thinking of sharing it anytime soon?" he teased, raising an eyebrow in your direction. 

"Oh hell no. If you know Y/N, then you know how precious Pink Whitney is to her," Winter shook her head before adding, "You'll probably have an easier time getting into her pants than getting her to share." 

You all chuckle at her remark, but deep down, you knew it was true. Pink Whitney was your absolute favorite drink - a perfect mix of sweetness and potency that always left you having the best night of your life.

"Is that a challenge?" Jake raised an eyebrow in your direction, but you were quick to react in disgust. 

"No chance Jake. Get the hell away from me. I don't know what kind of diseases you have with the way you sleep around!" Sure, Jake was attractive - but he was also a notorious womanizer who liked to sleep with anything that moved. You weren’t interested. 

"Yeah, get away from her, you horny bastard," Giselle added, teasingly holding you in her arms like a protective mother. 

Offended, Jake let out a loud and playful scoff. "Whatever, it's your loss," he said before pouring out four shots of Tito's for himself, Karina, Giselle, and Winter. "None for you, Y/N, since you're not willing to share. Neither am I."

As you watched the three throw their heads back and wince at the afterburn that came with the vodka your eyes started wandering around seeing who else was at the party. You couldn’t seem to locate any of your new sisters and frowned a bit as you were looking forward to seeing the girls. Like Heeseung mentioned earlier, AES definitely got the top picks in PNMs and you really enjoyed this year’s class. You were even hoping on picking up Wonyoung as your little and just at the thought a smile appeared on your face so you decided to shoot the younger girl a text asking if she was here yet.

Another swig from your bottle and you realized that the usual EpNu trio was missing one member. 

"Hey, where's your triplet?" you asked Jake, who was now making a concoction for Karina that you knew she would regret tomorrow.

"Why? Wanna fuck Sunghoon instead?" Jake quipped back playfully, and you played along.

"I mean, he has a better chance than you," you joked, "but seriously, you three always go everywhere together. I wouldn't be surprised if you go to the restroom together."

Karina winced as she took a drink from Jake's concoction (you knew it was gonna be bad) before giggling. "Well, actually, we’ve caught them all in the bathroom together before. Do you guys remember--" she started to say before Jake covered her mouth with his hand.

You're flooded with memories of witnessing Sunghoon and Jay holding Jake up, watching as Sunghoon lost a game of rock-paper-scissors to Jay and ended up having to pull the trigger for his friend. It was a cringe-worthy moment that Jake clearly didn’t want to relive, and you couldn’t blame him. 

The girls erupted in laughter at the memory, their cackles echoing through the kitchen. Sunghoon's face, twisted in a mix of disgust and determination, before he plunged his fingers down his best friend's throat in a desperate attempt to induce vomiting, was unforgettable. The mere thought of it made him scrub his hands with industrial soap for weeks. 

Giselle, struggling to catch her breath between bouts of laughter, managed to gasp out, "That's one of the funniest things I've ever seen!" She turned to Jake, wagging her finger, "Better be careful with your drinks, don't want you to traumatize Jay and Sunghoon again." 

Winter, seizing the opportunity, snatched the vodka bottle out of his hand, chuckling to herself. "Speaking of restrooms, I need to go. Anyone else want to follow?" 

Without a second thought, Giselle grabbed Winter's hand and dragged her out of the kitchen, blowing kisses and waving to the remaining guests. 

Left alone with your big and a pouty Jake, you were about to respond when you felt a sudden force collide with your back. Your brother had arrived, his giddy self already a couple of drinks in. You hugged him back, unable to resist his infectious energy. 

"Karina noona, you're here too!" he exclaimed, rushing over to her and hugging her as well. Jake had to pry Jungwon off Karina, holding him still. "Hey, kid, how much have you had? You gotta pace yourself," Jake said, ruffling his hair. 

Jungwon hummed, "Seriously, not that much, I promise. I think it's actually the edible finally kicking in." He paused, then added, "Anyways, you don't have to worry. I'm not a lightweight like you, hyung." Jake was left with his mouth agape, stunned by the younger boy's audacity. 

"What is this, gang up on Jake day?" he muttered incredulously. “Whatever I’m gonna go find Sunghoon, you guys deal with his drunk ass,” Jake then gave Jungwon a final pinch on the cheek before leaving.

“What’s up his ass?” You and Karina laughed while Jungwon frowned obviously oblivious to all that had happened before his arrival. 

Karina once again winced after finishing her drink. "Don't worry about it, baby Yang. Anyways, where've you been?" she asked. You took her cup and grabbed the cranberry juice to make her another drink, confident that your vodka cran would be much easier to handle than whatever Jake had given her. 

"Just around with Yeonjun hyung," you heard Jungwon say and from your peripheral you caught your friend becoming much more interested in what Jungwon was saying after the older boy’s name was brought up. 

"Where's he at?" you asked, to which your brother pointed vaguely in a direction outside the kitchen.

"Well, I haven't seen him in a bit, so I'm gonna go and see if he wants to catch up," Karina said which leads to you and Jungwon sharing a snicker as the two of you knew this was her way of saying she was going to go and see if he wanted to hook up. 

"Use protection, babe!" your brother giggled as you shouted out at her. She flipped you off, but you knew it was all in good fun. 

"So, Jungwon, what about you? Anyone on your radar?" you asked, feeling it was your duty to keep tabs on your brother's love life. Who else would protect him from crazy girls if not you, his older sister? 

"I mean, I'm not really looking for anything, but..." Jungwon trailed off, and you knew that meant he definitely had someone in mind. So, you decided to probe him further, after all, you were a nosy bitch. 

You snaked your arm around his shoulders to pull him closer to you, "C'mon Wonie, you gotta let me in on what's going on! You're always up in my business, so consider this me returning the favor." 

"Well..." he began drifting off again, but you gave him a small pinch. "Okay, okay, fine! I don't know, I mean, Wonyoung’s kinda cute," he shyly revealed, his eyes not meeting yours. 

Your mouth widened. This was news to you, but you weren't mad at all with his confession. In fact, millions of thoughts on how to bring the two together were flying through your mind. Now that he mentioned it, you thought the two would be absolutely adorable together, and it got you excited. 

"Oh my gosh, you have a crush!" you basically screamed out to everyone in the kitchen, and your brother panicked while shushing you. 

"Y/N! Shut up!" He attempted to calm you down and unfortunately failed.

"She's coming tonight! Wait, she might already be here!" you quickly checked your phone, and you were right. The younger girl had texted you that she was at the house about 15 minutes ago, and this instantly kick-started your body to go hunt her down. 

"Let's go," you said with determination as you dragged Jungwon out of the kitchen, with one arm linked with his and the other still cradling your beloved bottle. 

The party was at full force by now, and the sheer number of people was jaw-dropping. But to you, finding your future little was the only thing on your mind. 

Outside, Ningning and Jay could be seen conversing with one another on the couch, and you only spared them a small wave. Your brother, on the other hand, mouthed "help" quite dramatically  to them, but his cries went unnoticed. Realistically, finding the girl was going to be a challenge, but you were once a freshman like Wonyoung was, so you roughly knew how her mind worked. At least how a freshman sorority girl’s party-hungry mind worked. At a frat party like this, if you weren't by where all the drinks were, then you were most likely where all the dancing was happening. At the EpNu's house, this would be in the basement.

"Y/N, hold on, you don't even know where she is!" You rolled your eyes at your brother's lack of faith in your ability to locate Wonyoung. He seemed to forget that you had a talent for finding people in crowded spaces. But you didn't waste your breath arguing with him. 

Descending the stairs to the basement, the music blasted through the speaker system, and the smell of sweat filled your nostrils. You knew that EpNu's parties were always wild, but tonight's was on another level. Bodies swayed and bumped into each other as they danced to the latest pop hit you vaguely remembered hearing from TikTok.

Your brother's complaints by now had faded away, and you both scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wonyoung. Suddenly, as if luck was on your side, you spotted Yujin, one of your sorority’s new members and Wonyoung's best friend, dancing with some other familiar faces. You tighten your grip on Jungwon's arm before leading him through the crowd towards your target. 

As you approached the group of girls, they greeted you with warm smiles and even a few hugs. It was clear that they were all having a good time, most of them with drinks in their hands. You remembered how you were during your first few parties as a freshman. Those were definitely some of the wildest nights of your life.

"Hey, girls! It's so great to see everyone! I hope you all mentioned Jungwon's name at the front," you said, pushing your brother forward. He awkwardly waved and thanked them, clearly grateful for you coming through in getting him so many names. 

"Well I just wanted to stop by and say hi. Have so much fun you guys and stay safe! Oh, and by the way, did any of you come with Wonyoung? I have something of hers that I'd like to return." Your small fib got Yujin to point towards the area where the kegs were located, and you thanked her and waved goodbye to the girls before taking Jungwon's arm once again to move towards your goal. 

"Wonyoung! I finally found you!" You hugged her tightly, feeling happy to see her again. 

"Oh my gosh, Y/N. I was just about to text you!" Wonyoung exclaimed before noticing the figure behind you. 

"Hey, you guys have met before, right?" You tried to introduce Jungwon into the conversation, as naturally as possible. 

"Yeah, Jungwon. Nice to see you again!" Wonyoung reached out to give him a small hug, and you could tell even with the dark lighting that he was blushing. 

"Hey, Wonyoung! Glad to see you here. Are you having fun?" Jungwon asked shyly. You couldn't help but feel proud of your matchmaking skills. This was already going so well.

"Oh no, babe. You can't have any of that. It's horrible!" You decided to give the two the final push in getting closer and pointed at the keg before turning to Jungwon. "You need to show her where you keep the good stuff." You nudged your brother closer to Wonyoung, and before he could say anything, you walked away, feeling like a successful wingwoman. He definitely owed you one.

As you walked out of the crowd, the smile on your face had you completely distracted, until you suddenly collided with a figure. Your feet failed to find their footing and you dropped straight to the floor, feeling wetness all over your back. Fuck, your Pink Whitney. 

“Shit, I’m so sorry! Wait Y/N, fuck are you okay?” The figure quickly picked you up from the floor, but you were too absorbed in mourning the loss of your favorite drink to even register who you ran into. 

As you turned your face towards the person with an angry expression, you were ready to cuss them out until you realized it was a face you recognized. 

“Oh, Sunghoon,” you awkwardly let out, all the previous expressions leaving your face. 

Park Sunghoon was a frequent figure in your life, but you couldn't really say he was one of your closest friends. You were much closer to Jake and Jay than you were to him. The two of you shared many mutual friends and had seen each other at loads of Greek functions and classes, yet moments of just the two of you were next to none. It was always shared with other people, so you could say he was the last person you were expecting. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going. You fell kind of hard, are you okay?” His thick brows furrowed in genuine concern as he gave you a once-over to make sure you weren't sporting any immediate damage.

“It’s okay Sunghoon, I wasn’t looking where I was going either. I think I’m okay, just my bottle of Pink Whitney…” You trailed off, looking back down at the bottle now fully emptied out on the grimy floors of the basement. 

Sunghoon clearly didn’t even notice this before, as his eyes widened at the sight. “Ugh, Y/N, I’m so sorry,” he reached down to pick the bottle back up when he realized your entire backside was drenched. 

“Jesus, it’s all on your hair and back, come on,” and with that, he didn’t hesitate to grab your hand and lead you back up the stairs. 

You had never held his hands before, but they were soft and big. Your hands were being dwarfed in his, and you blushed at the realization. 

Lost in your thoughts, you failed to recognize what was happening until you found yourself already upstairs with Sunghoon leading the way towards the fraternity's dorms. You notice Karina sitting on Yeonjun's lap, and she shot you a wink while yelling, "make sure to use protection, babe!" Your face turned red with embarrassment as you realized everyone thought you and Sunghoon were heading upstairs to hook up, which was very much not the case. Wait, why was he leading you upstairs in the first place? 

"Sunghoon, where are we going?" you finally asked as you reach the top of the stairs. 

"My room, duh. You need to change," he responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He takes you to a room far down the left side of the house. 

The room took you aback. Firstly, it smelled amazing, like someone has baked fresh cinnamon buns or something, and secondly, it was clean—really clean, considering it was a frat boy's room. The walls were adorned with posters of bands and movies you liked, and the bed was neatly made, with a warm-looking comforter and fluffy pillows. You couldn’t help but feel a little surprised that Sunghoon has kept his room so tidy. 

"Wow, your room is really nice," you commented, still taking in the neatness. Sunghoon shrugged as he rummaged through his drawers, searching for something. 

"Yeah, I like to keep things tidy. Plus, my mom would kill me if she saw my room in a mess." He chuckled, finally pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. "Here, you can change into these. The bathroom’s across the hall.”

As you made your way to the bathroom, you couldn't help but smile at the thought of Sunghoon getting scolded by his mom. Unlike the bathroom on the main floor, which was borderline a health hazard, the one that the boys actually used wasn't that bad at all. Of course, it couldn't compare to the amenities of your recently renovated sorority house, but it was surprisingly clean and even had Bath and Body Works foam soap. 

As you looked at your reflection in the mirror, you couldn't help but let out a laugh. Your hair was sticking to your body, and your once-white corset top was stained pink with your favorite drink. You cursed at the sight but quickly got undressed to see if you could at least clean yourself up a little bit. 

Sunghoon had given you an EpNu formal shirt that smelled like him and a pair of sweatpants that were way too big for you. With your hair pulled up into a messy bun and the oversized shirt and rolled-up sweatpants, you looked a little funky, but it was definitely better than being in your sticky, wet clothes.

When you returned to Sunghoon's room, you found him sitting on his bed, scrolling through his phone, waiting for you to return. 

"Hey, seriously sorry about everything," he apologized sheepishly once again. But before he could continue, you cut him off. 

"Sunghoon, it's alright. You lent me your clothes, so it's fine. Seriously, stop apologizing," you giggled at his wide-eyed expression. 

"Well, I suppose you don't want to go downstairs wearing that, right?" You nodded, not wanting to face your friends looking like a hot mess. Your urge to party was out the window.

"Oh wait, I forgot! Hold on, wait here," Sunghoon suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room, leaving you puzzled. But before you could even step out to see where he went, he returned, holding something in his hand. 

Wait, is that...? 

"Pink Whitney!" Your face instantly lit up at the sight of your beloved drink, and Sunghoon let out a small laugh at your reaction. The way your entire demeanor changed at the sight of a single bottle of alcohol made him find you even more endearing.

"Wait, where did you get this from?" While not an expensive drink, Pink Whitney wasn't a common item at a frat house. It was stereotypically a sorority girl's drink, which made sense since that's what you were. 

"I remembered that one of our pledges, Niki, brought some bottles of alcohol back to the house a couple of days ago, and this was one of them." Ah, Niki was the cute boy you remembered being on door duty. 

"I don't want to steal from him!" You shook your head and offered to give the bottle back, but Sunghoon laughed and pushed it back into your arms. 

"It's fine, we'll consider it as him providing drinks to a cute girl." You blushed at his words and quickly thanked him. 

The room was filled with silence as you sat on his bed and he leaned against his desk. This was probably the longest you've talked to Sunghoon one-on-one, and the awkward tension was palpable. 

"Uhm, well, do you want to share?" You finally broke the silence, surprising Sunghoon, who looked confused. He remembered the last time he saw you nursing a bottle of Pink Whitney; you almost beat Jay with the bottle itself for drinking half of it when you weren't looking.

“Are you sure? I mean you’re known for not sharing… I don’t wanna get my ass kicked like Jay,” you rolled your eyes. 

With a playful grin, you open the bottle and took a swig of the vodka and pink lemonade straight from the bottle, the sweet and tangy aroma instantly filling the room. "Well, I think I can make an exception for you," you said, passing the bottle to him, who reciprocated your action. As he took a sip, he turned to you in surprise. 

"Wait, that actually goes down really easy. You can barely taste the vodka," he exclaimed, finally understanding why you favored the drink so much. 

"See, you get it now!" You reached out to take another swig, as Sunghoon moved to sit on his bed next to you. 

Suddenly, he asked, "Wanna watch a movie?" It wasn't a bad idea, considering you wanted to drink and didn't feel like going downstairs. You easily agreed and adjusted yourself underneath his cozy duvet, as he reached for the remote. 

Netflix popped up on the screen, and the two of you debated over some of the options that were presented to you until something caught both of your attentions. 

"Boss Baby?"

You woke up to a dry mouth and a blinding light that made it hard for your eyes to adjust. As you tried to take in your surroundings, confusion only intensified. Where were you? This wasn’t your usual room with your roommate across from you in her pink sheets; instead, you were met with a desk, clothes on the ground, and an empty bottle of Pink Whitney nearby. 

Suddenly, a groan came from next to you and an arm tugging your bare waist interrupted your thoughts, making you realize that you were naked next to another nude body. You panic and widened your eyes as you tried to recall how this could've happened. Unlike you, Sunghoon, your friend and now bedmate, was still sound asleep, cuddled up to you with soft snores escaping his lips. The last thing you remember was friendly exchanges and laughter while watching Boss Baby on the screen. How did it end up with you naked in his bed? The thought of you fucking while Boss Baby played in the background made you want to hurl, and you quickly stood up wincing in pain as you felt the tightness in your inner thighs confirming that you did indeed have sex. Nevertheless, you tried your best to ignore the burn and reached for your clothes (well, technically, his) on the floor. 

Sunghoon woke up to your movements, letting out a low groan before he realized the situation and sat up in a panic, his face filled with horror. You were half-dressed, wearing only his shirt, when your eyes met. It was as if the two of you were frozen in time, neither knowing how to approach the situation. Fortunately, the awkward tension was broken when the door opened. 

“Hey hyung do–” Niki's eyes widened as he took in the scene, and it was as if none of you knew how to move. Before you could say anything to the pledge, his mouth opened, and he screamed out, “Jungwon! Hey Jungwon, come over here quick!” That little shit. 

As if on cue, your younger sibling sauntered in with a toothbrush in his mouth, looking barely awake. But as soon as he took in the scene, his mouth immediately widened and toothpaste dropped from his mouth and onto the floor.

“What the fuck!” The scream Jungwon let out was the loudest you think you’ve ever heard your brother being. 

By now, Niki could be seen cackling behind Jungwon. The boy you had once thought was a cutie was officially on your shit list. You regretted ever complimenting Heeseung on his group of pledges. 

“Why are you naked?” Your brother shrieked out as you struggled to form any words. 

“Well they obviously fucked,” Niki once again added more fuel to the fire that he had started not giving a shit about the mess.

“Get out! The both of you!” Sunghoon was finally able to yell out as you walked over to push your brother out and shut the door on the two pledges. Protests from your brother could be heard but your quick reflexes kicked in as you quickly locked the door. Slowly you turned back around to face Sunghoon.

“Shit Sunghoon I don’t remember anything,” you softly said to the boy who had yet to have moved from his bed. 

“I don’t either other than fucking Boss Baby.” If this was any other situation, you would be laughing but you weren’t. Obviously, neither of you planned on sleeping with one another so how did you end up like this? 

The only culprit your eyes could find was the empty bottle of Pink Whitney lying on the ground. Never once had Miss Whitney done you dirty but here you were with more than half of the night missing from your memories.

You quickly reached down to throw Sunghoon his clothes as you searched for your panties which seemed to be missing. 

“What do we do now?” Sunghoon broke the awkward silence. You had no idea I mean you’ve never slept with any of your brother’s friends before and one-night-stands were not really your thing so you were lost for words.

As you tried to gather your mind to respond you realized something that made you freeze. Karina’s words echoed in your mind. “Make sure to use protection babe!” 

You quickly scrambled to the small trashcan next to his desk and rummaged around. Out of confusion of your action, Sunghoon moved to hover over you in hopes to figure out what you were doing. He inquired about your actions but you ignored him. There was no evidence of any protection used and you whipped your head towards him.

“Did we use a condom?” Your frantic eyes took Sunghoon aback but he tried his best to remember. 

“Uhm I’m not sure… But I’m clean so it’s fine.” No sir, it was indeed not fine as you were recently taken off your birth control as it was giving you lots of hormonal troubles. 

“Sunghoon I’m not on birth control!” You screamed out as the color from his face completely drained.

As if a bucket of ice-cold water was poured over you, panic set in as soon as you realized the gravity of the situation. Your heart raced faster than ever before, and adrenaline pumped through your veins like a rushing river. You frantically began putting the sweatpants on, and with a speed you never knew you were capable of, you finished dressing and yanked Sunghoon out of the room. The two of you ran down the stairs, passing by a couple of Sunghoon's bewildered brothers, who looked at the two of you with confusion etched on their faces. 

The house was a complete mess, but that was the least of your concerns at the moment. As you reached the bottom of the stairs, you spotted your brother still in shock on the couch, with Niki and Jake flanking him on either side. He got up, ready to confront the both of you, but instead, you pushed him aside and made a beeline for the door. 

"Where are you going?" He screamed out, trying to chase after you. 

"She's not on birth control!" Was all Sunghoon could yell out before he followed you to his car, and you both quickly got in.

“What the fuck! You got my sister pregnant?!” Was what most of the EpNu brothers woke up to that lovely Friday morning. 

You have always been an advocate for safe sex yet here you were sitting on the hood of Sunghoon’s car reading the directions on how to take Plan B. He was peering intensely at you with the bottle of water clenched tightly in his hands. 

You gingerly popped the pill out of its package and said a little prayer before popping it and chugging the water that Sunghoon was holding. The $50 pill had better work, or you'd be suing. 

Sunghoon looked at you with concern still present on his face. The two of you had run into the pharmacy demanding the morning-after pill, looking like a couple of hot messes. “Are we good now?” he asked tentatively.

“I mean, probably. If not, I'm actually going to sue Plan B," you responded with a stern tone, making Sunghoon wonder whether you were serious or not. He wisely chose not to question you and nodded in agreement.

As you drove back to the house, the silence was palpable, but the panic had subsided. You were still reeling from the fact that you had slept with Sunghoon.

“You think Jungwon’s gonna kill me?” Sunghoon's question made you chuckle, despite the tension that lingered in the air. You knew your brother Jungwon didn't have a violent bone in his body, but then again you had also never been in any situation like this before so you really didn’t know. 

"I mean, he can try, but I doubt it'll be fatal. You've got a good couple of inches over him, you'll be fine," you reassured Sunghoon, but this didn’t do much to ease the boy. 

He did bring up a good point though as you knew that dealing with Jungwon was going to be a pain in the ass. While he had never had issues pertaining to your love life, it had also never involved a friend of his before. The fact that he was present to witness the aftermath of you and Sunghoon's drunken hookup made your head pound with worry. As Sunghoon parked the car back at the house, you braced yourself for the inevitable confrontation with your brother.

“You gotta hold me back if we see Niki, I might actually go after him,” you grumbled while walking up to the door. 

"Go ahead, I'm not gonna hold you back. He deserves it," Sunghoon laughed, momentarily easing the anxiety in your chest. But as soon as you entered the house, the anxiety came back with a vengeance.

The two of you were met with multiple pairs of eyes staring straight at you. It was as if everyone was waiting on the couch for the two of you to get back. Then out of nowhere, you see Ningning running up to you and giving you a tight hug.

“Jake ran around the whole house screaming that Sunghoon got you pregnant!” She cupped (more like squished) your cheeks together as she harbored wide eyes. 

Your face wrinkled at what she said and you quickly whipped your body to the said boy who seemed to be looking around at everything but your eyes. 

“Jake, what the fuck? I’m not pregnant!” He still had a hard time meeting your eyes indicating guilt. 

“I’m sorry Y/N! You know how dramatic I get! I just couldn’t believe something like this was happening to someone else for once and not me!” His pathetic excuse caused a couple of his brothers to shake their heads in hopes to distance themselves from the Australian’s failed attempts at justifying his actions. 

This group of boys was certainly going to take you to an early grave, and you could do nothing but roll your eyes and let out a sigh before searching for your brother. Surprisingly, he was not present in the group of people (hyenas) waiting at the door for you and Sunghoon's return.

“Where’s Jungwon?” You asked the group and Jay pointed up towards Jungwon’s room.

“I think he’s lowkey traumatized. It’s fine though, Heeseung hyung is with him.” You nodded at Jay and turned around marching up to his room.

You knocked on the door, but there was no immediate response. As you raised your hand to try again, the door opened, and Heeseung greeted you. "Oh, hey Y/N," he scratched his head awkwardly. There was a moment a silence before he spoke again. "Well, I have to get to class, so I'll leave you two to it. Bye, Jungwon. See you later," he said and before you could even say anything back, he left leaving you alone with your brother. 

Unlike Sunghoon, Jungwon had a roommate, probably Niki, making his living space cramped and messy. A small moment of silence passed between the two of you before you decided to speak up. 

"Sorry for this morning," you said, unsure of how he would respond. But instead of being upset, Jungwon looked genuinely confused. 

"What are you sorry for?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. You were taken aback by his response, as you had expected tension between the two of you after the scene he made earlier that morning. 

You paused for a moment, trying to gather your thoughts. "I thought you were upset with me for...what happened," you said, not wanting to bring up the embarrassing details of the previous night. 

Jungwon's expression softened. "Oh, no, I was just...surprised, I guess. I mean yeah I was kinda mad that you slept with one of the guys that I was hoping would be my big, well now thinking of it I don’t know if I want my big to be someone who’s been inside of my sister–" you quickly cut him off before he was able to continue on further.

“Ok, I get it no need to go into details!” You protested waving your hands at him as if that would immediately erase what he had just said. Your brother seemed more nonchalant than you though as he just shruged.

“I mean, you were the one doing stuff with Sunghoon hyung, not me! But anyways, I’m probably more mad at him than you. Maybe I’ll drag it along a little further with him. Make him my bitch for a little bit,” he said with an almost mischievous look in his eyes, clearly relishing the idea of getting revenge on his fraternity brother. You couldn’t help but raise an incredulous eyebrow at your brother's words and made a mental note to keep him away from Niki, who you were sure was making an influence on him. 

“Like it’s fine though. Well, not really. It’s gross but whatever I’m not going to judge you for who you sleep with 'cause you don’t do that to me.” You couldn’t help but feel grateful for your brother's words as it was clear that he didn’t want to make things awkward between the two of you. 

“Actually, I do judge you, but I just don't say it out loud all the time,” you teased, hoping to ease the tension. Your brother rolled his eyes at you, but he couldn’t hide the small smile forming on his face. 

“But seriously, neither of us planned this, and we don't remember what happened. So it's almost as if it didn't actually happen,” you explained, hoping to put the situation to rest. “You can forget about all of this because I promise you, I won't be sleeping with Sunghoon, or any of your fraternity brothers anytime soon.” 

You meant what you said. Sunghoon was a mistake, and you blamed it solely on Pink Whitney (and maybe Boss Baby).

“So, I’m guessing you took care of the whole potential pregnancy situation? Because I don’t think I’m ready to be an uncle,” Jungwon asked, his expression serious. You had completely forgotten about that whole part of the ordeal as your stress about Jungwon overpowered everything else. 

“Yeah, we were quick to do a fetus deletus. Plan B was fucking expensive, but I made Sunghoon pay,” you said with a slight shrug. The thought of raising a child right now was terrifying. After all, you were just starting your second year in college. 

Jungwon shook his head before piping up in a much less serious tone. “Have you seen those TikToks of people showing how they were raised by frats and sororities because their parents got knocked up in college? They’re kinda wholesome. Like EpNu could've had your kid as a mascot or something.” 

You rolled your eyes, thinking about the idea of your non-existent child being raised by the Epsilon Nu brothers (specifically Jake). “Not happening, at least not to me. So, you can let go of that fantasy of yours,” you said firmly before standing up and heading downstairs, with Jungwon following closely behind.

To say the week after the party was unremarkable was an understatement. In fact, you were surprised at how fast people got over what had happened seeing as they made such a big deal out of it on Friday morning, but you weren’t complaining. Sure the rumor of you being knocked up by Sunghoon (once again, thanks Jake) was passed around like a disease with the amount of YikYak posts talking about how you were getting kicked out of your sorority for being pregnant but as soon as you showed up to class on Monday in your letters, everyone went quiet realizing that none of it was true. Plus, the glares that Karina shot at the new members during chapter the second she saw anyone whisper or point at you was quite effective. 

“So are your parents coming down for the weekend?” Winter asked out of nowhere while she plucked her eyebrows. You on the other hand was furiously typing away on ChatGPT to see if it could help you obtain sources for an upcoming paper so her question failed to register in your mind.

“Huh?” Your fingers still continued to type as you slowly peeled your eyes away from your screen to face your best friend.

“Parent’s Weekend? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten I mean both of your parents’ kids are in Greek so I’m guessing they’re both coming at least for the game.” To be honest, you had in fact totally forgotten about reminding your parents about coming but you were sure that your brother at least would have brought it up to them.

“Shit, I totally forgot. Thanks for reminding me I’m gonna call Mom right now,” you thanked her before grabbing your phone and running downstairs to go outside on the porch. 

It took a couple of rings before your mother answered and you were met with her familiar sweet voice, “Hey honey!” A smile instantly lit up on your face.

“Hey Mom, sorry it’s been a while since I’ve called,” you started the conversation, guilt creeping in for not keeping in touch with your parents as much as you should have. “I was just wondering if you and Dad were gonna come down this weekend? Jungwon probably already told you Parent’s Weekend and the game, but I know the both of us would really love having the two of you guys here.” 

As your parents were big fans of football, you knew that your parents were most likely coming. Your mom's response confirmed your assumption, "Yes, your brother did actually call a few days ago. He specifically emphasized Epsilon Nu’s tailgate and how it was going to be amazing. Of course, your father is much more thrilled about that than I am, but I’m just happy to see both my babies." 

You grinned at her words. It was nice to hear her voice again. You missed her and your dad. “That's great to hear, Mom. I can’t wait for you guys to meet some of the new girls. I know the girls would love to see you guys again. Oh, and you have to meet Wonyoung! Jungwon’s got a major crush one her,” you gushed out to her.  

As soon as she heard you, you could feel your mother’s excitement at what you had just said, “Oh my goodness, of course, he didn’t mention anything! What’s she like? Is she an AES girl?” 

You laughed at her eagerness, “She’s such a sweetie and she’s in the pledge class below me so I’ve actually been eyeing her as a potential little. I’ve been really hoping she felt the same way. You’d really like her.” It was as if you had the Midas touch as ever since you forced Jungwon to get closer to Wonyoung, they’ve actually been hitting it off well. He even texted you earlier today asking if you knew her schedule as he wanted to go pick her up after class.

“Wow, that’s wonderful!” Your mom exclaimed. “I can’t wait to meet her. It sounds like your brother is adjusting well to HybeU. How about you, honey? How’s your second year going so far? Any special boys catch your eye?” At her question, your mind instantly went to Sunghoon. 

Wait what the fuck. You were taken aback at what you had just done, but you did your best to brush it off and get back to answering your mom. 

“It’s going great, Mom. Classes are good, and the house is amazing. No boys, though. Well, anyways I actually have to go back to working on my paper, but I can’t wait to see you this weekend. Love you and tell Dad I love him too. Bye!” As your mother bid you goodbye and you ended the call, your mind went back to Sunghoon. Why did he pop back into your mind out of nowhere? You were definitely confused but decided not to probe your mind further and tried your best to focus back on your paper. 

As Saturday quickly arrived, you found yourself sitting in front of your vanity, carefully adding finishing touches to your makeup. Ningning and Giselle were stationed on the floor, equally focused on getting their makeup just right. On the other hand, like always, Winter was furiously debating over her clothing choices for the day. The last of your group, Karina, was probably somewhere downstairs running around and putting final touches on the house as she was tasked with making sure the sorority house looked flawless for the parents. 

“Where are you guys tailgating?” Giselle asked the group. You knew that you were obviously going to head over to the Epsilon Nu house with your parents to see your brother. You also assumed Ningning would probably be going there as well as she previously mentioned wanting to introduce Jay to her parents. 

“Well, I was actually thinking about stopping by the SKZ house just cause I heard there was going to be a mechanic bull,” Winter said while finally deciding on a scarf top and a fringed bottom. 

“Wait I heard that too! My lab partner, Felix was talking about it the other day,” added Giselle, fully convinced by the idea of a mechanical bull.

“That honestly sounds like so much fun, but surprise surprise, I’ll be over at EpNu for obvious reasons,” you said and Ningning shot you an agreeing smile before spraying her face down with an excessive amount of setting spray. 

“What, to introduce your baby daddy to your parents or for Jungwon,” at Winter’s playful remark you quickly threw one of your decorative pillows at her head which she ducked to avoid just in time. You rolled your eyes at the three who were giggling but you knew that the small jokes that your friends had been making all week were all out of fun and harmless so you didn’t actually mind at all.  

“I swear if you guys say anything like that in front of my parents, I will actually kill you,” to which the girls laughed out loud again. You were of course joking as you knew they wouldn’t do anything like that to make you actually uncomfortable. These were your girls and though you had known them for roughly a year, they already felt like lifelong friends to you. 

As if on cue, your phone vibrated, alerting you of a text message from your parents, informing you of their arrival. Hastily, you got up, grabbing your clear purse that was stuffed with your essentials - a small case of Advil, sunglasses, your beloved Dior lip oil, and your sorority stickers and pin. "C’mon, girls. My parents are here. They want to say hi before we head out to see Jungwon," you said and everyone followed suit, grabbing their belongings, and heading down to the foyer. 

As you made your way downstairs, the house was already abuzz with parents. You easily spotted your parents as your mother's recognizable laugh drew you to them. Karina could already be seen giving them a warm welcome, and you saw your mother continuing to laugh while your dad smiled at whatever your big was telling them. 

"Mom, Dad!" you rushed over to give them each a hug. The girls followed suit as they were already well acquainted with your parents. 

"Oh, all you girls look so lovely today!" Your mother beamed at the five of you. It was no secret that your parents deeply approved of your group of friends that you made at HybeU, even inviting them over to your place for a month over the summer. 

"Yes, and the house also looks amazing. I'm guessing Miss Karina had something to do with that?" Your father added, winking at Karina. He was right; while the house always looked great with its marble floor and chandelier, Karina's touch with peonies all over the place elevated it even more. As your friends continue conversing with your parents, you heard someone call your name. 

"Y/N!" You turned around to see Wonyoung waving at you with her parents next to her, looking at you with warm smiles. You had already met them before on bid day. "Oh, hey Wonyoung," you greeted her and you could see lights go off in your mother's mind as she heard her name. "Hey guys, this is Wonyoung. I've told you guys about her," you introduced her and her parents to your own. 

Soon enough, the rest of your friends' parents also found their daughters, and the group all seemed to be getting along well as small talk was shared between everyone. Suddenly, a text from Jungwon interrupted the friendly conversation, reminding you and your parents that you had a place to be. With this, everyone bid your family goodbye before the three of you headed out making your way towards your brother’s frat house. 

The drive to your Jungwon's frat house was short, a mere 7-minute ride away from your sorority's house. As you approached the house, you saw the lawn full of friends and family alike, all sporting a drink in their hands while enjoying whatever was on the grill. Jungwon was easy to spot and as soon as he saw you and your parents walking towards him, his face lit up with excitement. He greeted your parents with a warm hug equally enthusiastic to the one you gave them, and didn’t hesitate to lead your dad to meet the other dads by the grill. You and your mom followed closely behind. 

As you made your way through the crowd, someone offered you a freshly grilled hotdog, which you eagerly accepted. You savored the juicy flavors, when your mother nudged you before saying, "So Jungwon, we just met Wonyoung and she seems like such a lovely young woman. I can see why you’re so fond of her." 

Jungwon, who was in the middle of taking a sip of his White Claw, choked and coughed, trying to regain his composure. His face turned red, and your dad had to pat his back a few times to help him breathe. You couldn’t help but laugh at your brother's discomfort, while your mother feigned ignorance to his reaction and gave him a wink indicating that she knew all about their relationship already, courtesy of you.

"Uh, yeah, Wonyoung's great," Jungwon finally managed to say. "I'm glad you guys got to meet her." 

You could sense your brother sending you a look of annoyance at you for bringing Wonyoung up to your parents before he could have had a chance to, but you ignored him and continued to laugh with your parents. 

You went in to take another bite of the hotdog when you heard your brother say, “Oh, yeah Mom, Dad you have to meet Sunghoon hyung, I’m hoping for him to be my big,” and with that, he turned around and called an unsuspecting Sunghoon over. “Hyung come and meet my parents!” Now it was your turn to choke on your food. You couldn’t believe that your little shit of a brother just Uno reversed you. Touché Jungwon touché.

Sunghoon was taken aback when Jungwon's voice called him over. He was enjoying a drink with Heeseung, their parents engaged in conversation nearby. Jungwon motioned for Sunghoon to join them, and he quickly informed his parents and Heeseung of his departure before making his way towards the group. As he approached, he noticed the two individuals standing beside Jungwon, whom he assumed were your parents. And there you were behind them, seemingly coughing furiously.

As you were recovering from choking, you realized that this was the first time you’d seen Sunghoon since Friday morning. You couldn’t help but check him out. Fuck, he looked real good with his black hair flopping perfectly down his face and school jersey that fit him perfectly. The single gold chain that he was sporting around his neck alone was about to send you into a frenzy.

Sunghoon also noted how pretty you looked however, his thoughts were quickly overtaken by his skepticism of this whole thing. Jungwon had been making him do every little task imaginable during the past week. It started innocently enough, with Jungwon asking for a cup of water or help with assignments from his introductory classes. But the requests escalated, reaching a point where Jungwon even made him go on an alcohol run, a duty specifically assigned to pledges. When Sunghoon tried to protest, Jungwon guilt-tripped him with a dramatic monologue about his traumatized state after witnessing his sister half-naked in Sunghoon's room. Before he knew it, Sunghoon found himself already halfway on his way to the liquor store. Jungwon was diabolical, and Sunghoon couldn't help but think this was his punishment from the heavens for having unprotected sex.

“This is Sunghoon hyung! He’s been one of the guys that took me in with open arms and showed me the ropes around campus and the frat when the semester first started,” Jungwon tightly wrapped his arms around Sunghoon’s shoulder while excitedly introducing him to your parents.

Secretly in Jungwon’s mind, he was laughing his ass off relishing in this. Jungwon was killing two birds with one stone as he was not only getting back at you for telling Mom about Wonyoung and also just messing with Sunghoon for sleeping with you.

"Actually, Sunghoon and Y/N are really close too," Jungwon added with a sly grin. "I believe he even bought her a nice gift last week, worth around $50 or something." He pretended to ponder the details.

Your parents remained oblivious as they greeted Sunghoon, but both he and you were taken aback by Jungwon's audacity. Sunghoon found it difficult to meet your parents' eyes, especially your father's, but he mustered his composure and extended his hand for a handshake.

"Oh, you sound like such a sweetheart!" Your mother exclaimed, already won over by the boy and clearly proud of the company her two children were keeping at school.

"Absolutely, son. It's a pleasure to meet you," your father chimed in a wide grin on his face. He even reached down from the cooler to hand Sunghoon a can of beer, a gesture symbolizing his gratitude.

Out of nowhere, Sunghoon felt a hand come down his shoulders and as he turned around he saw that his parents had joined him. 

A sigh of relief escaped Sunghoon as he sensed your own tension easing upon the arrival of his parents. Your eyes met, conveying a shared feeling of relief, before diverting your attention back to his parents, warmly introducing yourself to them.

"I can already tell how well-behaved your son is, not to mention how handsome!" your mother complimented Sunghoon to his mother. The two women giggled, clearly getting along and enjoying each other's company. The topic swiftly shifted to the upcoming game, with your fathers also having no trouble engaging in a discussion about their predictions. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they failed to notice you harshly slapping the back of your brother's head.

“You fuckhead, you’re such a little shit. I actually hate you so much, I can’t believe you actually did that,” you uttered in a low voice, ensuring none of the parents could overhear. However, the anger in your tone was evident to your brother, and Jungwon started to feel a twinge of fear under the intense gazes both you and Sunghoon were directing at him.

Fortunately (at least for Jungwon), your dad spoke up, extending an invitation to the Parks inviting them to join your family in the stands if they didn't have any other plans. Sunghoon's parents gratefully accepted the offer without hesitation, and as the group made their way toward the school's stadium, you caught sight of a familiar figure across the lawn. It was Ningning, accompanied by Jay and both sets of parents. They all appeared to be getting along well, which made you smile, and you started waving at Ningning, who returned the gesture. However, her expression shifted to one of confusion before a sly smile took over as she noticed the company you were in. She nudged Jay, drawing his attention to you, and the two of them burst into laughter, clearly finding amusement in your current situation. Sunghoon also notices their behavior and sends them a quick finger while rolling his eyes at their antics before guiding you back toward the stadium.

The sun beat down mercilessly as your group finally found a good spot in the stands. Your mom and Sunghoon's mom decided to go to the restrooms while also offering to fetch some water for everyone before the game began. Meanwhile, your dads continued their conversation, and Jungwon appeared engrossed in something on his phone, most likely Wonyoung, you presumed. Silently, you and Sunghoon sat next to each other.

As you were about to say something, he beat you to it, “Think you got enough in there to spare me one?” His smile was playful as he pointed at the plethora of gameday stickers in your bag which reminded you that you had yet to fully decorate everyone in them. 

“Yes, of course! I totally forgot about these,” you quickly said before taking them out and handing him one. You proceeded to put one on your brother and offered them to your dad and even to Sunghoon's dad as well. 

Everyone gladly accepted the stickers, eager to represent your sorority. Your brother, however, delved further into your bag, searching for more to wear.

"Here, take this," he said suddenly, passing what seemed like a spare pin you had in your bag to Sunghoon. The pins were not as readily distributed as the stickers since they were typically worn by sorority members or their significant others. You knew what Jungwon was up to when he handed a pin to Sunghoon, but before you could say anything, Sunghoon didn't hesitate to accept it and pin it to his shirt.

The nonchalant way in which he accepted one of your pins caught you off guard and caused a blush to rise to your cheeks. While Sunghoon was undeniably one of the most attractive guys you had ever met and always kind, he had never really captured your attention before. So, what had changed now to make you feel this way toward him?

Lost in your thoughts, you were snapped back to reality by the return of Sunghoon's mother and your own, carrying cold and refreshing drinks. Gratefully, you accepted one and gulped down the water, hoping it would quell the butterflies fluttering in your stomach because of the boy sitting next to you.

"Oh, you guys look so cute with the matching pins! Perfect for the game. Come on, let me get a quick photo of you two before it starts," Sunghoon's mom exclaimed excitedly as she noticed the pin that had previously not been on her son's shirt, swiftly grabbing her phone.

"Mom, I think we're fine. You don't��" Sunghoon tried to protest, but his mother paid no heed, cutting him off and insisting on taking a picture. Following suit, your mother pulled out her phone, eager to capture the moment as well.

Unable to resist their wishes, you and Sunghoon obliged, striking a pose. His arm draped effortlessly around your waist as you leaned closer to him, both of you wearing beaming smiles. Soon after, your brother was ushered to join, and the parents took turns capturing photos of the three of you before the game finally started.

During the kickoff, your phone buzzed with a text notification from your mom. Opening it, you found that she had sent over the pictures taken moments ago. Another text arrived, causing you to look up at your mother, who gave you a subtle wink.

“No boys my ass. He’s a cute one.” 

Anticipation had filled the air as everyone gathered for the game, confident that your school would emerge victorious. As the final whistle blew and the outcome proved them right, the festive mood carried on well into the night. However, the time had come for you and your parents to bid farewell to the group and make your way to the sorority's dinner, specially arranged for Parent's Weekend. Parting ways with the rest of the group, you couldn't help but appreciate the sight of everyone getting along. Surprisingly, even Sunghoon appeared less tense around your dad, their bond strengthened through the shared excitement of the game. Your parents even exchanged contact information before saying their goodbyes, showering your brother with warm hugs before he joined Sunghoon and his parents, who kindly offered him a ride back to the frat house.

The remainder of the night unfolded smoothly as your parents enjoyed their dinner, engrossed in conversations with other parents at the table. The topic of Sunghoon didn't resurface for the rest of the evening, as everyone was caught up in socializing and making connections. Even you, for a brief moment, managed to forget that you had spent nearly the entire day in Sunghoon's presence. However, that respite of course vanished the second you walked into your room.

To your surprise, Ningning and Giselle were seated on Winter's bed, sharing a bag of chips when you walked in. Their unexpected presence caught you off guard, especially since your actual roommate wasn't even around. As soon as they laid eyes on you, they bombarded you with a barrage of questions, eager for all the details.

"What happened? Ningning told me she saw you with Sunghoon and his parents!" Giselle quickly ushered you to sit between her and Ningning, the latter's hand freezing mid-air as she pulled it back from the chip bag, eager to not miss a single detail of your story.

"It was all Jungwon. I spilled the beans to Mom about him and Wonyoung, so he decided to get back at me by introducing Sunghoon to our parents," Ningning snickered, earning a disapproving look from you before you continued. "It was so fucking awkward, I swear I thought I was going to strangle Jungwon right then and there. He even mentioned how Sunghoon supposedly 'bought me a $50 gift,' and Sunghoon looked like he was going to pass out next to my dad." At this, neither could contain their giggles which in turn transformed into full-fledged cackles with Giselle even seeming to be sporting tears. 

"Hold on a sec, Karina needs to be here for this," Ningning exclaimed before rushing out the door to find your big.

"Where's Winter?" you asked Giselle, as her laughter started to subside.

Giselle wiped at her teary eyes. "Oh, I introduced her to Felix, the SKZ lab partner I mentioned earlier, at the tailgate and they hit it off really well. Like she was with him the whole day and is at the SKZ house right now. She’s probably partying with him."

You noded, at least your roommate was having fun living her best life. The door then slammed open, as Ningning returned hand in hand with Karina. Karina swiftly took a seat on the ottoman next to Winter's bed, eagerly requesting you to recount what she had just heard from Ningning. Unsurprisingly, she joined in the chorus of laughter as you told her exactly what you told the other two, "Fuck, Y/N your little brother is an absolute legend!"

"Whatever. If my dad ever found out what those fifty dollars were actually spent on, Sunghoon would probably be six feet under by now," you muttered, silently grateful that your brother didn't delve further into the specifics.

You decided to shift the focus away from yourself and directed it towards Ningning, who seemed to have had an eventful day as well. "Hey, how did your parents like Jay?" you inquired, and her face immediately lit up. She eagerly delved into how her parents adored Jay and even extended an invitation for him to come visit their home one day. Ningning also revealed that she and Jay discussed taking their relationship to the next level and making it official, prompting squeals of joy from you and the other girls. Finally, you thought, it took them long enough. 

Suddenly, Karina gasped, capturing everyone's attention to her phone. "Y/N, look at what Sunghoon just posted on Instagram!" She thrusted her phone in front of your face, revealing the photo that was taken by your moms posted with the caption, "Thanks, Mom, for this one! Also, peep the matching pins :)"

Your jaw dropped in astonishment, and you instinctively reached for your phone to confirm the post's existence. More squeals fill the room as the other girls examined the post. Your notifications confirmed that Sunghoon indeed shared the photo, as Instagram alerted you that you were tagged in a post.

"Y/N, he definitely likes you! There's no way he would post you on his main if he wasn't interested," Giselle exclaimed, her eyes brimming with excitement as she swiftly liked the post and contemplated a comment.

Ningning fervently nodded in agreement. "The caption says it all!"

However, you were too shocked to respond to the girls' remarks. Could they be right? Did Sunghoon actually have feelings for you? 

"Not just a sticker, but a pin," Karina wiggled her eyebrows while nudging you. "You sly girl, it's like you were claiming him."

"No, that was Jungwon’s doing again," you rolled your eyes, yet deep down, you wondered if Jungwon's mischievous act inadvertently worked in your favor. Was this his way of paying you back for what you had done for him with Wonyoung on Thursday night? 

"All right, but the real question is: Do you like Sunghoon?" Giselle's question hung in the air, causing the room to fall silent as all eyes focused on you.

"Um, I'm not sure," you pondered, feeling a blush creeping up your cheeks. "Honestly, I've never really paid much attention to Sunghoon before this semester like he’s just been one of the guys in our friend group, but after the party, he keeps coming up in my thoughts. I'm not sure if that means I like him, but maybe?" Your answer seemed to have left the girls satisfied as they enveloped you in tight hugs.

"Oh my gosh, my baby's in love!" Karina dramatically exclaimed, pretending to wipe away tears.

"I never said I was in love with him!" you retorted playfully, though a smile graced your face as the realization that you might have a crush on Sunghoon sank in.

"You have to text him right now!" Ningning insisted, passing your phone to you and urging you to open the messaging app swiftly.

"What am I supposed to say? Don't you think it's weird for me to text him out of the blue?" You felt a hint of apprehension, unsure about taking the plunge. 

"Babe, you literally spent the whole day with him, and he just posted a picture with you! He practically made the first move and is begging you to react!" Giselle interjected, snatching your phone from your hand and swiftly typing something, with the other girls huddled by her side, nodding in approval.

"Here, send this," she said, and as you read the message she wrote, you were impressed. It sounded natural and confident: 

"Just saw the post. Feeling honored to have made it to the main, but you do realize this means you won't be able to rep any other sorority from now on?"

"You have to send it, Y/N. It's perfect," Karina pleaded, her excitement palpable. Your finger hovered over the send button, contemplating whether to go through with it or not. Saying a small prayer, you took a deep breath and pressed the button, unleashing a wave of anticipation.

You gasped in excitement as you saw the typing indicator appear instantly, and the room filled with a collective hush as everyone gathered around the phone, their eyes fixed on the screen, waiting anxiously for Sunghoon's response. And then, the message appeared: 

"Wouldn't dream of it ;)" 

In an instant, everyone in the Alpha Epsilon Sigma house could hear screams of joy erupting from your room. 

The following two weeks breezed by, filled with steady and playful exchanges between you and Sunghoon. You were pleasantly surprised by how genuinely funny he was, as his late-night texts consistently left you in fits of laughter, desperately trying to stifle your giggles so as not to wake up Winter. It was remarkable to think that you and Sunghoon hadn't had much one-on-one interaction before this semester because his personality complemented yours so perfectly. The two of you were quick to make a habit of walking to classes together and you even found yourself going over to his every other night to watch Love Island. Spending time with him suddenly became the highlight of your days. Even your friends were picking up on how well the relationship was developing based on your mood. Just last night, Jungwon (who was also still upset with the fact that Sunghoon only posted the photo of you two and none that included him) even texted you, telling you to stop distracting Sunghoon from their big/little bonding dinner. He even went as far as to complain about how he felt like a third wheel. It was safe to say that the both of you were completely smitten with each other.

While your social life seemed to be thriving, school on the other hand was not as kind to you.  You were really struggling with a couple of the assignments, specifically a 12-page sociology paper that you were only halfway done with that was due tomorrow. Clearly, procrastination was something you struggled with. Determined to find a conducive environment that could fuel you to stay concentrated on finishing it by tonight, you decided to head to the library. As you typed away on your computer, nodding your head to the rhythm of the music flowing through your headphones, a cup of iced coffee suddenly materialized before you.

You whipped your head around to be greeted with Sunghoon's familiar dimpled smile. He was casually dressed in an EpNu shirt and gray sweatpants with his backpack lazily hung over one shoulder, but he looked effortlessly attractive like it was borderline criminal that it caused an immediate smile to spread across your face.

"It's for you," he said, his smile still beaming. "I noticed you were here and thought you could use a little pick-me-up." He was absolutely right, and you gratefully reach over to take a sip of the coffee, feeling already an instant rejuvenation and you let out a sigh of relief.

"You're an angel, Park Sunghoon, I swear," you exclaimed, to which he chuckled. "Wanna join me?" You gestured to the empty space in front of you, and he nodded before settling down across from you and unpacking his belongings.

"Studying for an upcoming exam?" he questioned, gesturing towards the open book beside your computer.

"No, it's a paper, but it's sucking all the energy out of me. I have to write 12 pages by tomorrow, and it's been a struggle. So, expect me to be here all night," you admited, feeling the stress weigh on you. However, deep down, you knew you were more than capable if you just focused hard enough.

He exhaled audibly upon hearing your plans before offering, "I could keep you company until you finish. If you're okay with that, of course."

His response caught you off guard, and your eyes widened. "Oh, no, seriously, you don't have to do that. I don't want you to waste your night here with me when you probably have better things to do," you quickly dismissed his offer, feeling that it would be too unfair to accept.

"Y/N, you do realize that I'm also a student, right?" he chuckled lightly before adding, "I have an anatomy test next week that I've been putting off, so this will help me out too."

Although you still felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that he had his own studying to do eased your mind. "Okay, well, in that case, you're more than welcome. But seriously, don't feel obligated to wait for me to finish. If you're done studying and want to leave, go ahead!"

With a nod of agreement, he retrieved his computer and textbook. Hours slipped by unnoticed as you delved deeper into your essay, your focus unwavering. It was only when you by chance took a glance outside that you realized the sun had long disappeared, leaving behind the blanket of a starry night sky. You now only had a couple of pages left before you would be able to submit your assignment. Sunghoon, too, has been deep in concentration, his handsome face displaying a serious expression. Though you exchanged words from time to time, you both managed to dive back into your work seamlessly. If you had known that studying with Sunghoon could be so enjoyable and productive, you would have made him your study buddy much earlier. 

"Wanna take a break?" he broke the silence as you finished a sentence, and you looked up to see him stretching his back.

"Yeah, I think we're way overdue for one. Wanna check out what they have at the vending machines?" you suggested. With that, you and Sunghoon left your belongings at the desk and made your way towards the front of the library, where an array of snacks and drinks awaited you.

After contemplating for a moment, you decided to grab a bag of chips and a Gatorade from the vending machines. Sunghoon followed suit, opting for a bottle of Gatorade and a candy bar. Back at your table, the two of you munched away on your chosen snacks.

"You know anything about what the upcoming social is going to be about?" Sunghoon asked, finishing his candy bar. Your sorority and Sunghoon's fraternity were organizing a joint social event this weekend, but unlike previous occasions, they've kept the theme a secret.

"No idea, but I could probably get Karina to spill the beans since she’s on exec, so she probably already knows what’s going on. It's unusual for them to be so secretive," you replied, puzzled by the lack of details. Typically, you would have known about upcoming events months in advance.

"I saw Yeji noona at the house doing something with Heeseung hyung the other day, so I'm guessing they were planning the social. And Jake mentioned that he thinks it's going to be a really big one," Sunghoon shared. The news of your sorority president meeting with EpNu's president caught you off guard. Usually, the planning was left to the social chairs, so their involvement suggested that something significant was in the works.

"I can't even think of a reason why they would need to be involved," you chuckled, a humorous thought crossing your mind. "Imagine if it's a frat wedding."

Sunghoon joins in the laughter. "Can you imagine? I mean it would be a big thing to plan, but there's no way!"

Little did you know... 

"What?" you exclaimed, mouth agape in shock, as Yeji revealed to you on Thursday as soon as you return to the house from your morning class.  

"Yup! I'm going to announce it in the GroupMe tonight, but I wanted to let you know first. EpNu and our sorority decided it would be fun to host a fake wedding since we haven't had one in a couple of years," Yeji explained, confirming the absurd notion you mentioned to Sunghoon earlier in the week. The idea of a fake wedding between the two houses was actually coming to fruition.

"Oh, and I'm giving you an early heads up because we've chosen you and Sunghoon to be our bride and groom," she casually added, causing you to lose all words. "He and his frat are coming over later tonight so that he can 'propose,' and I want you to dress up and look cute. Everyone will probably be taking photos—it's going to be a blast."

You were still processing the news that you and Sunghoon would be the ones tying the fake knot.

"Why us?" you finally managed to ask, feeling a mix of confusion and embarrassment.

"Well, everyone knows there's something going on between the two of you, ever since, you know..." Yeji began, a mischievous smile forming on her face. "Initially, we thought Jay and Ningning would make a good bride and groom, but they're like too in love and would actually make the whole thing like an actual wedding so we decided that it wouldn’t be as fun as having you and Sunghoon. We're even planning to have Jungwon walk you down the aisle, with Niki and Sunoo as the flower girl and ring bearer! And, of course, you'll have the father-daughter dance with Heeseung since he's Sunghoon's big, and vice versa with Sunghoon and Karina, as she's yours. Jake will officiate it cause Lord knows that boy can run his mouth. All you need to do is find an outfit and write your vows!" It became clear why Yeji was involved in the planning with EpNu—they had thought of every detail.

As the shock and apprehension settled in, you found yourself caught between conflicting emotions. The idea of being the center of attention and having an entire night dedicated to you made you nervous, considering you had never experienced anything like it before. And then there was the fact that you would be fake marrying the boy you had a crush on, adding a whole new layer of complexity to the situation. However, amidst the uncertainty, there was an undeniable sense of excitement bubbling within you.

The thought of spending the entire night with Sunghoon, dancing, and even sharing kisses sent a thrill through your veins. Deep down, you couldn't deny the flutter of anticipation that accompanied the idea. With these conflicting thoughts swirling in your mind, all you could manage was a small nod before quickly retreating to your room. 

As the night fell, the anticipation grew, and the house became a flurry of activity. Word had spread quickly, and girls from your sorority kept coming in and out of your and Winter's room, eager to be part of the preparations for tonight's fake proposal. Yujin skillfully curled your hair, while Wonyoung and Winter engaged in a debate over the perfect outfit. Ningning added the final touches to your makeup, and outside, Karina and Giselle scattered rose petals onto the lawn. It seemed like the entire sorority had gathered at the house, each person eager to witness the spectacle. You couldn't help but wonder if a similar scene was unfolding at EpNu.

“They’ll be here in 10 minutes!” Yeji bursted through your room with Lia, another member on exec, excitedly telling everyone.

“Ok, I think we finally got an outfit!” Wonyoung said as she handed you a cute pink dress that had sheer sleeves. You figured it was something of Winter’s since you had never seen this piece ever in your life but you didn’t mind as you put it on carefully trying not to mess Ningning and Yujin’s work. 

Winter then gasped at the sight of you, “You look like such a pretty princess! I can’t believe you’re getting married!” Everyone laughed at your best friend’s dramatic statement. You couldn’t help but agree that you did look really pretty but anxiety was coursing through your body. 

"They're here! Take her to the balcony!" Karina's voice boomed throughout the house, signaling the boys' arrival. Lia swiftly ushered you to the balcony, and as you stepped outside, a sight greeted you that brought forth laughter. 

Roses were scattered everywhere, and the boys of EpNu were standing dressed handsomely. Word had spread like wildfire throughout Greek Row, attracting the attention of other sororities who eagerly gathered to witness the spectacle with their phones out ready to record. Heeseung gestured for the boys to form a semicircle around the balcony, and their melodic voices filled the air as they serenaded you with Taylor Swift's "Love Story." Their harmonies were surprisingly impressive, and Jay's exaggerated riff at the end elicited laughter from the crowd. Then, Sunghoon emerged, wearing a radiant smile and holding a box that presumably contained the fake ring. He approached you, and as he went down on one knee, your heart threatened to burst. He looked absolutely breathtaking as he opened the box, revealing an obnoxious sparkling ring that perfectly fit the occasion. 

"My beloved Y/N, I know this may come as a surprise," Sunghoon began, eliciting laughter from the crowd, due to the irony. "But this morning, I realized that I couldn't envision a future without you. So, if you're willing, would you make me the happiest man at HybeU by saying 'yes' and marrying me this Saturday?" Phones were raised, capturing the moment between you and Sunghoon. With a nod, you set off a resounding cheer that rippled through Greek Row. You quickly went downstairs to join the excited crowd. Sunghoon enveloped you in a warm embrace before sliding the ring onto your finger. The cheers continued, and amidst the flurry of photographs, your brother emerged from the crowd, lifting you off the ground in jubilation.

“My sister’s getting married!” 

Later that night, the video capturing this enchanting moment found its way to your unsuspecting father, plunging him into a state of panic, resulting in a frantic midnight phone call that left you laughing and reassuring him of the truth.

As Yeji had mentioned on Thursday, you only had two tasks to complete before the wedding: finding a dress with a veil and writing your vows. Luckily, Wonyoung came to the rescue, lending you the dress she had planned to wear for initiation. The white, flowing gown was a perfect fit, and to complete the ensemble, your Amazon delivery with your veil came just in time. However, the task of writing your vows proved to be more challenging. Unlike traditional wedding vows, frat wedding vows usually consisted of much more playful banter, which you found incessantly difficult to come up with.

"Stop stressing, Y/N. It's actually quite funny, trust me!" The room was filled with your friends once again as you all prepared for the social. Ningning skillfully applied your makeup, and you couldn't help but admire how stunning you looked.

"Yeah, and by the time of the actual ceremony, everyone will be drunk, so no one will remember if it’s bad," Winter chimed in, carefully adjusting the veil atop your head.

"Ugh, I just don’t like being the center of attention," you confessed. Presenting in front of a crowd had always made you uneasy, so the thought of so many eyes on you tonight was daunting.

"Just take a few shots before we go in, and you'll feel better," Winter suggested with a knowing smile. You had already planned to do just that as being the only sober person at your own wedding was not an option.

"Alright, are we ready to go?" With everyone seemingly prepared, you took a deep breath, steeling yourself before heading out. If the fake wedding was making you feel this way, you couldn't even fathom the emotions that would accompany your real wedding day.

Jay offered to drive you all to the house where the social would be held. It was no surprise that Ningning had convinced him to do so. Squeezing into the sedan as best as you could, Ningning handed something to you from the front seat. The unopened bottle of tequila felt weighty in your hands as you opened it and took a much-needed swig. You passed it on to Karina, whose lap you were currently on, and she did the same before the bottle made its way around the car.

Arriving at the house, it seemed that you were among the last to arrive. The place was already bustling with your sorority sisters and the EpNu brothers. Taking one final gulp from the bottle, you handed it off to Giselle before stepping out of the car.

"She's here! The bride has arrived!" A pledge (Sunoo maybe?) shouted excitedly, igniting cheers from the crowd. As you and the girls you chose to be your ‘bridesmaids’ were escorted to the kitchen to wait, you were met with the rest of the wedding party which consisted of Yeonjun, Jay, and Beomgyu as they eagerly passed everyone shots before pairing up to walk. Your brother was also present as he greeted you with a big hug and you could tell he was already drunk. The doors then opened signaling everyone to start walking down, then the familiar sound of the Bride's March then blared through the speakers, cueing Jungwon to offer his arm.

As you made your way down the aisle, the air was filled with screams and shouts of excitement. The backyard had undergone a shocking transformation, adorned with white chairs and a beautifully decorated altar surrounded by flowers. Sunghoon stood at the end of the aisle, looking dashing in a perfectly fitted tuxedo, and next to him stood Jake, dressed as a priest. Whoever had assigned him the role of officiating the ceremony deserved an applause as you were laughing at how silly he looked. As you approached the end of the aisle, you were met with Sunghoon’s smile radiating warmth, instantly putting you at ease.

"Alright, alright everyone, settle down!" Jake's voice boomed through the microphone, commanding the attention of the crowd. "Today, we have gathered here to witness the union of our dearly beloved brother and sister," Jake continued, interweaving jokes and witty remarks that ignited waves of laughter among the guests. However, your focus was solely on the man standing before you. Whether it was the lingering effects of the tequila or something more profound, a burning sensation swelled within you. The way Sunghoon looked at you, his eyes filled with a depth of emotion you had never experienced before, leaving you breathless. Despite the fact that the two weren’t even dating, you couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it felt like to be in love.

Lost in your thoughts, you were abruptly brought back to the present as Jake passed you the microphone, signaling that it was time for you and Sunghoon to exchange vows. From behind, Winter handed you the piece of paper you were previously meticulously writing on. Taking a deep breath, you grasped the microphone.

"Hi Sunghoon," you began with a bashful smile, setting off laughter among both Sunghoon and the crowd. "To be honest, when we first became friends during our freshman year, you weren't the one who immediately caught my eye. In fact, I think I had a thing for Heeseung, which I'm sure everyone already knew of," you playfully winked at Heeseung, who joined in on the laughter, seated at the front row with the rest of the audience. "I’m sorry to say, but the only remarkable thing you did that gave me a lasting impression last year was when you stuck your finger down Jake’s throat and he threw up all over your arm. Like that’s a sight I’m never going to forget, but that all changed in an instant, sorry Heeseung, when you accidentally made me drop my beloved Pink Whitney bottle at the EpNu back-to-school party a couple of months ago. Now, for those who know me, know just how much I adore Pink Whitney, so I should have been furious with you. However, you won me over in that very moment when you not only swiftly snagged a replacement from a pledge to appease me, thanks Niki, but also had the audacity to put on 'Boss Baby.' Yes, you heard it right."

A collective chuckle ripples through the crowd as memories of that night resurfaced. Sunghoon joined in on the laughter, his eyes fixed on you with affectionate amusement. "But, of course, the enchantment of that moment quickly faded the morning after when I discovered that you had let 'Boss Baby' be the soundtrack to our fucking. Let me tell you, Sunghoon, I truly believe you've forever tarnished 'Boss Baby' for me. So, thanks for that," you teased, earning another round of laughter. "And to make matters worse, you almost got me pregnant! I think it's safe to say that you left quite an impression on me, enough to make up for the lack of one that you gave me during our freshman year." 

Pausing for a moment, you let the lightheartedness settle before continuing, "Now, while your dad jokes can sometimes be horrible, and your obsession with 'Love Island' occasionally turns me off, I can honestly say that I wouldn't be happier than being fake married to you. So, here's to hoping that our one-day marriage surpasses all expectations!" The room immediately erupts with cheers, hoots, and applause, celebrating the witty and heartfelt vows you've just delivered.

Sunghoon was genuinely impressed, even honored, by your heartfelt and humorous vows. Now, the pressure was on him as he took the mic from your hands and retrieved his own set of vows. "Well, well, well, Y/N," he began, adopting a playful tone that draws laughter from the crowd as he mimics the tone of your introduction. "During our freshman year on bid day, I was cruising down Greek Row with the boys when my eyes landed on a girl at the AES house, passionately air-guitaring with a broom in hand alone. I thought to myself, 'Wow that’s interesting,' before continuing on with my day. Little did I know that fate had a different plan in store for me, because the following week, I was introduced to you at a party. And let me tell you, it was a surprise that surpassed all expectations because my initial impression of you was spot on. You're a bit of a weird girl, but hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Sunghoon let out a little laugh before he continued, "Honestly, you kind of scared me just a tad from then on, and it didn't help that I witnessed you taking down Jay," he glanced behind him, catching Jay pointing a finger at you as he shook his head at the resurfacing memory. "So, when I accidentally knocked you over at that party, let me tell you, I was scared shitless so that's why I was so quick to steal from Niki. Thank you, by the way," he added with a grin."I was also shitting my pants when you informed me that you weren't on birth control, and let's not forget the time your lovely asshat of a brother forced me into meeting your parents. I'm still grateful that your dad remains oblivious to the Plan B incident, but I must admit, I'm glad my first gift to you turned out to be a rather expensive one.

Pausing for a moment to let the laughter subside, Sunghoon continued with a touch of sincerity, "I have to give a shout-out to Jungwon for bringing us closer together though. And while you still maintain your status as the wonderfully weird girl I first saw on bid day, especially with your unconventional milk-before-cereal habit, I'm relieved to admit that I'm no longer as scared of you as I once was. That fear has now been transferred to your father, but maybe I'll work on overcoming that too." 

Sunghoon's playful and heartfelt vows reached their crescendo, leaving you unable to wipe the radiant smile off your face. "I genuinely hope that our marriage exceeds all your expectations, fulfilling every hope and dream you've ever had. Oh, and I made sure to come prepared this time," he concluded with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he reached into his pocket before whipping out a condom, drawing cheers from the crowd. 

As the playful energy infused every word of your vows, a deeper, sincere emotion lingered beneath the surface. Both you and Sunghoon couldn't help but feel the genuine affection woven into the words you exchanged. 

"I can't hold back the tears, you guys. That was incredibly touching," Jake exclaimed, taking charge of the ceremony again. "Well, it seems there's only one final thing to do before you two lovebirds become officially married," he said mischievously, reaching down and producing a bottle that was way too familiar to you.

"Take a shot, seal it with a kiss, and then make your grand escape, my dear sweetlings," Jake declared, passing the Pink Whitney to you. Without a moment's hesitation, you brought it to your lips, savoring a sip of its contents, before passing it to Sunghoon, who followed suit with a generous gulp. The room fills with cheers as the anticipation around the kiss builds.

Locked in each other's gazes, you and Sunghoon shared an unspoken understanding. His hand tenderly reaches to cup your face, and with a gentle touch, your lips meet. The kiss was pure magic, his softness melding seamlessly with yours in a dance of perfect harmony. The air becomes electric, charged with the palpable energy of love and celebration. The sounds of friends whistling in delight further amplified the moment as Sunghoon concluded the kiss by dipping you ever so gracefully. With a burst of shared exhilaration, you take each other's hands and make a swift, joyous dash down the aisle. 

As the clock struck midnight, the EpNu house transformed into a haven of intoxication and euphoria, with every single person succumbing to the infectious celebratory vibes permeating the air. Sunghoon's arms remained firmly wrapped around your waist, anchoring you to his side with an unwavering grip, unwilling to let you wander off into the chaotic crowd. Your bodies melded together intimately as you swayed to the rhythm of the music, caught up in the enchantment of the moment. Glancing around, you witnessed your friends engaging in similar fervor, each lost in their own uninhibited dance of revelry.

A soft whisper then caressed your ears. "Wanna get out of here?" Sunghoon's words instantly intrigued you as you understood the implications behind his words. You nodded subtly before playfully tugging him towards the front door.

Confusion flickered across his face as he questioned your actions, "Shouldn't we just go upstairs to my room?" 

You clearly had something else in mind though. "The house is empty," you revealed. "How do you feel about fucking in my room?" The knowledge that boys were forbidden upstairs in your sorority house made this offer even more enticing. After all, this was your wedding night. Who would catch the two of you when everyone was here?

Sunghoon considered the implications, obviously intrigued. "But what about Winter?" he asked, his desire quickly taken as he remembered that you didn’t live alone.

In response, you retrieved your phone, unveiling a message you had received earlier from Winter. "Look," you told him, displaying the words before him. "Leaving for the SKZ house tonight! Room's free—have the best wedding night, Mrs. Park!" A radiant smile spread across his face, and laughter bubbled forth as you both ran out of the house.

As expected, your sorority house was dead silent indicating that there was no one home. You still made sure to be quiet though as you could never be too careful and quickly dragged an eager Sunghoon up the stairs.

He took a moment to admire the elegance of your room, finding it far more luxurious than his own. But his focus quickly returned to the purpose of his visit. This time, you took charge, pulling him in and initiating a passionate kiss. His lips pressed against yours with a hunger that contrasted the gentle tenderness of your previous encounter at the altar. As your lips part, you invite his tongue inside, while your hands move down his body to skillfully undress him.

His jacket slips off effortlessly, and you eagerly worked on unbuttoning his shirt, planting kisses along his neck. The intoxicating scent of his skin drove you to emit a soft moan.

"God, you sound so pretty," he whispered, causing a blush to creep up on your cheeks. Emboldened by his words, you decided to push the boundaries further. Stepping back slightly, you reached for the zipper of your dress, conveniently located at the side. Without hesitation, you unzipped it and let the dress gracefully slide down, revealing your bare breasts standing proudly. The sight instantly got him hard. This was beyond even his wildest fantasies, and he was silently kicking himself for not remembering the night you two first had sex.

As you stepped out of your dress, you were left in just a white, lacy thong. You didn’t hesitate to drop to your knees and Sunghoon wondered what he had done in the past life to be able to deserve this as you looked like an angel on your knees.

Your fingers worked nimbly to undo the button on his pants and you slightly teased him as you dragged the zipper down slowly instigating a groan out of him. You could tell he was already hard as his bulge was visible through his boxers and you spared him a look before reaching to fully undress him. 

As his cock released, your jaw dropped. No wonder you were so sore after the first time as he was obviously the biggest you’ve ever been with. The tip was furiously red and you could see his pre-cum glistening. He was absolutely beautiful and your mouth watered. 

Quickly you spit on your hands before wrapping them around his length and groans instantly filled the room. 

“You’re so big babe, the biggest I’ve ever been with,” you marveled further at him while slowly starting to move your hands.

“You feel so good, can you use your mouth,” you eagerly obliged at his request leaning forward to wrap your mouth around him. You start sucking at just the tip while still moving your hands slowly around the rest of his length. As you started to slowly descend your mouth you could feel his fingers softly weaving into your hair.

“Just like that. Fuck, you’re so warm,” his groans were heavenly and you could feel yourself getting wet just at the noises he was making. 

You decided to take him further as you tried your best to g as far down as you could before you felt him hit the back of your throat. Determined to fit him all, you pushed yourself to go further and you could feel the tears pricking at your eyes as you gagged. This didn’t deter you though as you start to bob around his length at a slow pace, getting yourself adjusted before attempting to go faster. At this, his hand became tighter around the back of your head guiding you up and down his cock. Spit slowly drips down your mouth and to your neck as you furiously worked on making Sunghoon feel good. By now, he was basically fucking your face as you heard his pants get louder. 

“I’m almost there, just a little more.” At this, you felt even more motivated to see him reach his climax and you continued to maintain your pace. Then all of a sudden you felt him twitch inside your mouth. Quickly you released him from your mouth as your hands took over. 

“I want you to cum on my face,” and at your request, he does just that as you felt the ropes of his cum painting your tear-streaked face. It was a sight that made Sunghoon wonder if he was in heaven. You were absolutely breathtaking as his cum slowly dripped down your face and you caught some of it with your fingers before putting it in your mouth. God, at that sight, he almost came again. 

“You’re such a little minx aren’t you,” he quickly pulled you up and threw you onto the bed inciting a giggle from you. Now it was his turn to return the favor. 

Your panties were quickly ripped off and he didn’t hesitate to go straight for your core. You were absolutely drenched and he couldn’t help but feel proud that you were in this state because of him. He quickly inserted a finger and had you instantly moaning. 

“You’re so wet pretty girl, all this for me?” You nodded while biting your lips. His finger was thick and long and felt so amazing as he slowly started to move them in and out. 

“You get wet like this all the time or is it just for me?” He grinned at your reaction to him fingering you and decides to slowly insert another one.

“Fuck, Sunghoon just you. Just you,” You answered him eagerly pawing at his wrists to feel him deeper. 

Then without warning, he lowered his tongue to your clit and you almost screamed from the pleasure. He was already hard again just from seeing you writhe under him. He continued to use both his tongue and fingers and your hands desperately latched onto his hair, pulling him closer to your core. The tightness coiling within your lower stomach intensified before you felt yourself overcome with blinding pleasure. He continued his assaults on your pussy as you rode out your orgasm. No one has ever eaten you out like Sunghoon had just done and you were lost for words panting as he looked up at you, mouth sheen, covered in your release. 

He then climbed up over you and leaned down for a kiss and you could feel his dick hot against your thighs. As you dove deeper into the kiss you could feel him adjusting himself to enter you. His tip rested at your entrance making you beg to feel more of him. Your core was throbbing for him.

“Please Sunghoon,” and that was all he needed to hear before he fully sheathed himself inside of you. There was an obvious discomfort from the unfamiliar stretch, but it quickly it faded as it turned into pleasure. 

“Shit babe, you’re so fucking tight. You’re like sucking me in.” Sunghoon felt almost unworthy of your pussy as it molded perfectly around his length as if you were made for him. He slowly started to move and your hands moved to grasp onto his back pulling him closer. The pace the started to pick up as he moved in and out of you with more force and moans and pants were all that filled your room. Then all of a sudden you felt him grab you by your waist and turn you around. Without warning, he entered you from behind and the position allowed you to feel him deeper hitting the spot. 

“It feels so good Hoon, fuck you’re so deep in me,” you moan out as he pushes your head deep into the mattress. Your hands clawed around you, desperate to hold onto anything. His hands then find your shoulders as he uses them to get leverage to thrust into you harder and within seconds you could feel the warmness reappearing in your lower belly.

“I’m almost there please don’t stop, keep going!” You screamed out holding your sheets tightly as you could also hear him grunting over you. And then it came as all you could see was a blinding white light and your eyes roll to the back of your head. It was so good that you couldn’t even seem to form any sounds and you felt him continuing to thrust in you until you felt warm spurts of his cum painting your insides. 

“Fuck, Y/N,” he says while he collapses on top of you, not pulling out. Sounds of heavy breathing are all that you could hear for a while as the two of you attempted to catch your breaths.

As he finally moves off of you and pulls out, you could feel his cum slowly dripping out of you. He reached for the box of tissues beside your bed and gently cleans you up before tugging you in his arms.

"I honestly think that was the best sex I’ve ever had," you confessed, a mixture of satisfaction and amusement in your voice. He bursted into laughter, clearly pleased with your response.

"Well, I'm glad I could meet your expectations, Mrs. Park," he replied, his remark reminding you of the fake marriage you both had just gone through. You couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of the situation.

"So, are you available tomorrow?" you asked, curiosity tinged in your voice. He erupted into laughter, playing up the moment dramatically.

"Wait, is Y/N asking me out on a date right now?" he exclaimed, pretending to be taken aback. Rolling your eyes, you knew he was teasing, but he quickly shifted to a more genuine tone. "Yes, I am free. Down to grab breakfast and finish Love Island together?" And you eagerly nodded.

The two of you continued conversing throughout the night while deciding to go for another round  before you finally decide to sleep. 

Like a déjà vu, you wake up in a familiar state as you did a couple of months ago, bathed in sunlight as you heard the soft snores emanating from the boy beside you. Smiling, you admired him for a moment, reaching out to touch his hair, before abruptly stopping as a realization hit you. 

Fuck, you once again forgot to use a condom.

Bonus:

You found yourself seated quietly in one of the meeting rooms of your sorority house, a sense of unease washing over you. Your gaze was fixated on the two individuals standing before you. Lia, the standards chair, had called you earlier, and whenever that happened, it usually meant trouble. To make matters worse, Yeji was also present, indicating that your offense must have been quite severe to warrant both of their attention.

"I'll get straight to the point. Unfortunately, I have to inform you that you will be fined," Lia spoke briskly, leaving no room for anticipation. Your mind raced, trying to recall all the things you might have done in the past week that could have led to this reprimand.

"Um, okay, but I'm not exactly sure what I'm being fined for," you revealed hesitantly.

Yeji cleared her throat and offered you a small, sympathetic smile before speaking, "Well, the house mom was reviewing the security footage and noticed you bringing Sunghoon into the house. And, well, we also saw you sneaking him out in the morning, so we know he was in your room."

Oh fuck, you had completely forgotten about cameras being all over the house. You really thought you had successfully managed to have Sunghoon over without anyone knowing. The realization that you were caught red-handed, captured in literally in 4k, flooded you with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about the cameras," you sheepishly confessed, unable to meet their eyes.

"I understand that it was your 'wedding night' and you two are in love," Lia said, empathetically. "But please remember not to do this again. I don't want you getting into trouble repeatedly." She then proceeded to inform you of the amount of the fine.

As you walked out, still filled with embarrassment over being caught sneaking your boyfriend (yes, boyfriend!) out of the house, your friends wasted no time in questioning you about the situation the moment you reached your room.

"What did you do to get in trouble?" they eagerly asked.

"I forgot about the cameras and snuck Sunghoon in," you confessed, causing everyone to burst into laughter

"Don't worry about it. I got in trouble last year for trying to let Yeonjun in, but I found a way to avoid getting caught," Karina shared, piquing your interest.

“Wait how?” Giselle asks deeply interested too.

"The backdoor cameras haven't been functioning since the summer. Take that information as you will," Karina revealed mischievously, and with that, you didn’t hesitate to send your boyfriend a text with a smile on your face.

“Wanna come over tonight?”

taglist: @cha0thicpisces @abdiitcryy​  @moonlighthoon @franknsteinn​ @sjakewrld 

[beenbaanbuun]

different types of dates with ateez

kim hongjoong - studio date

he loves producing but he also loves you and sometimes he has a little trouble balancing the two

absolutely thinks he’s a genius when he realises that he can just combine the two instead and take you to his studio

he loves to sit you on his lap whilst he works, answering all your questions with a pretty smile

will order food to the studio and ask (beg) one of the members to collect it for him so neither of you have to leave the romantic haze you seem to be stuck in

you feed him while he works, pressing mouthful after mouthful to his lips before using the same cutlery to feed yourself

“what does this button do?” you ask as you lean over to point at a circular one that sits just left of his hand. he quirks a brow at you, a smirk sitting pretty on his lips.

“do you actually want to know? or are you going to zone out again like last time?”

park seonghwa - lego date

it’s an incredibly cute concept in theory, but i feel like seonghwa would take over a little when it came to building the lego

you’d have to come up with some sort of system to make sure it’s fair like doing one number on the instructions each before passing it over

either that or the two of you do separate lego sets on opposite ends of the table (which he hates because the pieces get mixed up)

if he sees you do something wrong whilst it’s your turn to built, he doesn’t say anything but gently corrects you with his hands instead

displays it next to his bed and stares at it when he misses you a lot

“there’s a pink piece missing somewhere, seonghwa,” you mutter as your fingers card through the left over pieces that your boyfriend was trying to sort into organised piles.

“well maybe if you let me sort them out, you’d be able to find it easier…”

jeong yunho - city date

he loves exploring cities whilst he’s got your hand tightly grasped in his or a strong arm wrapped around your waist

definitely has a long list of places that he picked out for you, and after each activity he sits you down and gets you to choose the next one

loves taking you on the public transport because more often than not it’s a tight squeeze and he gets to hold you close

lots of stops at cafes in between activities where he’ll definitely buy your coffee

and if he buys you a pastry he won’t actually let you feed yourself because why would you when he’s around to feed you instead?

“i can feed myself, y’know,” you giggle along with yunho as he pressed yet another forkful of cake to your lips. your complaints don’t stop him as he breaches you lips with it.

“why strain yourself when you have a boyfriend to do it for you?”

kang yeosang - aquarium date

he takes you there because he thinks it’ll be calm and romantic but actually there’s actually screaming children everywhere

not that he really minds because the moment he sees your face light up at all the fish, all thoughts of having a calm date slip out of the window

lets you drag him around to each and every tank and listens very intently as you tell him which fish you like best

the two of you name the fish together; you name the cutest one yeosang and he finds the weirdest looking one and gives it your name

you tell him he’s being mean, but he’s quick to shut you up with a kiss

“look at that cute little epaulette shark,” you squeal as your hand shoots out to grab at your boyfriend’s. you’re too focussed on the fish to notice that he hasn’t taken his eyes off of your face the entire time.

“cute, indeed…”

choi san - gym date

he lets you know that you don’t have to go to the gym with him, but you insist on the fact that you want to

you actually just want to stare at him as he works out, which he works out pretty early on when you zone out watching him do bicep curls

it’s a mutual thing though because he absolutely almost drops to the floor when you start doing squats in front of him

the whole date is just you two going back and forth to see who’s going to break first

it’s him and it only takes like 20 minutes because he’s a man after all, and seeing you in those little gym shorts it’s enough to drive him insane

“bet you can’t sit there in silence while i do this,” you poke fun at him as you grab a pair of medium weight dumbbells and begin to squat. you don’t have to see him to know where his eyes are focussed.

“why would i stay silent when i can tell you how hot you are instead?”

song mingi - bed date

it’s exactly how it sounds - the two of you lay in his bed in pyjamas doing absolutely nothing all day long

although you do actually do stuff, but you just do it all in bed with the exception of sending mingi to pick up the take out

he brings it up to the bedroom and lays a blanket out across the sheet

the two sit on it like you’re having a picnic whilst mingi finds a nature documentary to put on so he can ‘create a vibe’

whatever vibe it is, you’re not sure, but you find it cute anyway and you’re more than happy to follow along with his weird suggestions

“the picnic i can cope with, but the bird sounds?” you get cut off by mingi shoving a piece of salmon maki between your lips to silence you. you chew on it gently, trying your hardest not to laugh when a pigeon starts cooing.

“it’s for the atmosphere, sunshine… the vibes, y’know?”

jung wooyoung - hair dye date

the two of you, in his bathroom, surrounded by the smell of chemicals and the feeling of a bleach burnt scalp…

it doesn’t sound romantic at all but as he massages the pink dye into your hair with his fingers, you can’t help but relax against his touch

he refuses to get his own hair dyed because he ‘doesn’t trust you’ and ‘doesn’t want the stylists to yell at him’

but he does get in the shower with you when it’s time to wash your own dye off

and after he’s done washing your dye away, he bends down so you can wash his hair too, even if there’s no dye coating the stands

“there’s either shampoo or hairdye in my eyes, jung wooyoung,” you grumble as you desperately rub at them with the heels of your hands. he rolls his eyes and pulls your hands away from your face.

“i’m not the one doing my hardest to rub it in to your eyeballs, though, am i?”

choi jongho - basketball date

literally in the dead of night he drags you out to the park nearby to play on the courts

he says it’s because it’s ’romantic under the moonlight’ but you’re pretty sure he just likes it when he has the court to himself

even if you’re proficient at basketball, he’ll find some excuse to come up behind you and wrap his hands around yours to ‘correct you’

you actually end up playing worse after his ‘corrections’ but that just gives him even more of an excuse to invade your personal space to help

you end up playing a match together but he keeps playing dirty by kissing you and then claiming ‘there’s no rules against it!’

“i know how to shoot a basket, idiot,” you giggle as jongho positions your arms from his spot behind your back. he’s pressed in close as he puts the ball into your hands.

“i’m not so sure, baby… you definitely look like you need my help.”

[heavenlyraindrops]

Change With the Seasons| Stardew Valley| Sebastian x Reader

♡♡♡♡♡♡ Chapter One: Moving In

♡♡♡♡♡♡

A/N: This is just gonna be a cute romance between Seb and the Farmer, aka Reader. If It’s also available on AO3 and Quotev. I’d visit the masterlist if I were you, since it contains trigger warnings + the story blurb (summary/ synopsis)

♡♡♡♡♡♡

Chapter Summary: After moving in and getting accustomed to life at the farm, you happen to meet a certain someone on a rainy day by the docks.

♡♡♡♡♡♡

The wind whistled through the trees, snaking its way through your hair and causing the leaves to skitter. Immediately the breeze died down as soon as it picked up. 

You had just finished speaking to Major Lewis. Robin, the carpenter, however, had decided to stick around for some more conversation, an idea you weren’t completely against yet weren’t completely welcoming towards either. 

“You should definitely get to meeting all the townsfolk,” Robin said, eyes surveying the wooded, overgrown land. They flicked back to yours, and she smiled. “It’s not everyday we get a new person here in Pelican Town. So they’re all very eager to meet you.”

You smiled and nodded, as she continued:

“And you should meet my kids too. They live with me in the Mountains, oh, the mountains…”

As Robin went off on a long rant on how wonderful and fresh the crisp air of the mountains were, you looked out at the farm stretched before you. It was covered in rocks, wood, overgrown grass and trees. You winced at the thought of having to clean it all up. 

“Anyways, I won’t keep you any further!” Robin smiled, and left. 

You proceeded to dump your luggage on the bed, which creaked under the weight, and rolled your sleeves up. The first thing on your list today, you decided, was to go into town and see how it was. You had, after all, dropped your safe, stable life in Zuzu for this. 

The walk to the village wasn’t too long. You picked up a daffodil along the way, with no other reason than finding it pretty. Immediately you arrived at what seemed to be a clinic. You peered in, but it was closed. The building next to it had a large sign. Pierre’s General Store. A calendar nailed to the wall caught your attention- it was listing all the events and birthdays in town. A specific day seemed to jump out at you: Flower Dance. 

You’d have to ask Mayor Lewis about that. 

You put your hand on the door handle to Pierre’s store and pushed, but the doors refused to budge. It must have been locked, too. You checked your watch. It was only seven. That explained it. 

You wandered down a little, taking in the buildings and houses. You squinted at a small figure in the distance, loitering near a couple of flowers. Seemingly very interesting in them. 

As you moved closer, you realized that it was a little old woman, tending to the flowers. She smiled at you, and you smiled back. “You must be the new farmer. Welcome to the community, dear. I’m Evelyn. You can call me ‘Granny’ if you like.”

You flushed at her kindness. “Alright, Granny.”

She smiled and nodded, before heading inside a small blue house, claiming to go bake some cookies. 

You exhaled slowly, staring at the flowers. The spring sun seemed to glow off of everything, yet the breeze was cool. You felt a faint smile growing on your face. You’d like it here, in Pelican Town. You knew it. 

-

A week had passed. So had your doubts. 

Everyone in the town had been kind to you so far- so far, being the keyword as you hadn’t met many people yet. You’d woken up that morning with rain lashing down, pattering on the roof, echoing through the small cottage. With watering your rather small number of crops being taken care of, you’d decided to devote the day to fishing at the docks, ever grateful for the rather flimsy bamboo rod Willy had gifted you. 

The rain was pouring down harder than when you had left as you arrived at the docks. Your hair stuck to your forehead, slick with water, droplets of it rolling down your cheeks. You carefully picked your way across the docks, which had grown slippery. The sea was choppy, and occasionally hit against the supports of the docks but they were fortunately high enough from the water level. Yet still a few salty drops sprayed onto your face now and then. 

Being as drenched as you were all ready, you just decided to sit down on the edge of the dock, before casting out your rod. You didn’t even notice the man already sitting next to you amidst the whirling wind and drops of rain and seawater. You shivered, cold, before glancing to the side and-

“Oh!” You jumped in surprised, almost toppling off the dock and into the angry sea. “H-hello.”

The man stared at you in silence, the black strands of hair obscuring his face, making it unable to be seen properly, before turning back to the sea. “Hey.”

You’d never felt awkward with the people in Pelican Town until now. You forced a nervous smile, tilting your head. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. You don’t mind if I sit here, right?”

He dug his hands into the pockets of his black sweatshirt, the moody look on his face deepening. “Whatever,” he muttered, then said under his breath, “The ocean’s better enjoyed alone, though.”

Your own frown hardened into a scowl. “What’s that supposed to mean?” It hadn’t even been ten seconds since you’d met this guy and you were already starting to feel a growing dislike for him.

“Nothing,” he said. You noticed the eyeliner around his eyes getting slightly messed up from the rain, and stared hard back out at sea. So much for everyone in the twon being nice. You must have jinxed it, or something. 

“What’s your name, anyways?” You asked, taking another stab at being friendly. 

“Sebastian,” came the blunt reply.

You stared at him again, for a moment. He caught you staring, and raised an eyebrow, an action which for some reason made your heart pound. “What?”

“Nothing.” You turned your attention back to the fishing rod. The weather was becoming harsher now, your clothes completely drenched through with droplets rolling down your face and arms. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed, making you jump and let out a small noise. Sebastian smirked and you glared at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said, clearly mocking you in such a subtle way you wouldn’t expect. You scowled, feeling something tug at the rod. It was a soggy newspaper. Feeling your face burn with embarrassment, you picked it up and scrunched it up in your hand before getting up and stomping down the dock, back towards your farm. 

“Nothing,” You muttered, mockingly. That day, you decided. 

You do not like Sebastian. 

[elminx]

Magic for Recentering During Times of Conflict

Note: I am writing this immediately following the November 2024 election cycle, but this is not meant to be specific to this time. Nor am I inferring that magic can solve all of our problems. Please seek out help from a professional if you need it.

One of the deep truths that I have uncovered in my life is that when I am unbalanced (emotionally, physically, spiritually), I am of no use to myself or to others. When something rocks me to the core of my being as this election has, I need to feel all of the feels first and foremost. Then, I need to find a way to move on from the immediate (VERY VALID) emotional turmoil so that I don't get stuck in a pattern of rumination or pathological catastrophizing.

These are some of the ways that I do so. This list is not meant to be exhaustive and, of course, I do not expect every one of these to work for everyone. That is okay and expected. I'm also not including medical, psychological, or court-based interventions because I am not a doctor or a lawyer. Some of these tips are purely magical in nature and some are what I would call magic adjacent - they are mundane actions that are cleansing in nature.

Feel your feelings. I know I said AFTER, but I feel that I need to reiterate this. These steps are unlikely to work until you have worked your way through the first stages of rage, revolt, grief, name your emotion here. How long this takes will be different for everyone. Don't rush this.

Breathe. When I am really In It, I find meditation nearly impossible. I need to be reminded how to take deep breaths. This is when I get help—I use the Tide App for this. I set it to "Breathe," a fifteen-minute timer, and balanced breath. If you're new to breath work, start with five minutes. This is very simple: The app makes a sound for inhalation and one for exhalation. For many people, deep breathing helps to bring your nervous system into balance.

Change. This isn't a tip for everyone, but you know who you are. (I'm definitely guilty of this) If you've been wearing the same clothes for a week, stewing in your emotional turmoil, it's time to change them. Every single item you've been wearing. This may go to blankets or bedding, too. Put them all in the wash and give yourself a fresh set and a fresh start.

Wash. Take an intentional bath or shower. Wash every part of your body, focusing on removing the bad emotions with soap and washing them down the drain. You can add oomph to this by using soaps with cleansing scents (think lavender, citrus, lemongrass, sage, etc.).

Cut or Dye your hair. This is a deep take that will only work for some people, but if you're like me, cutting your hair can be a big release. It doesn't have to be a big change (though I find the bigger the cut, the bigger the release). Sometimes, making a visible change to your appearance can change how you feel. IYKYK

Small Cleansing Rituals. These will vary greatly depending on your practice and culture. If cleansing yourself with smoke or crystals really gets you, do it.

Clean Your House - stale energy is stale. Part of getting over an emotional episode, for me, is getting the energy in my environment flowing again. Open some windows. Wash your floors. Pick up the mess you created when you were too In It to do anything more than feel. This could be your bedroom, house, or space in which you spent the most time while you were down for the count. You can add oomph to this with Cleansing Vinegar.

Big Cleansing Rituals—When something is really stuck, we need the big guns. This could be cord-cutting or cleansing spells, whatever works well for you. I have a spell that works for this here.

Flush it out of you. (TW: alcohol) If you're the potion type, you can make a cleansing potion to move the emotions through your body until you eventually pee them out. This doesn't have to be alcoholic, though I like alcohol for its mild diuretic effects in this scenario. Think cleansing with citrus here, especially. My long-form lemonade will definitely work here, as would many types of tea. I have a seasoned cocktail specifically designed to do this here.

Banish it. There are too many ways to do a banishing spell for me to list them all here. But, since we are talking about explicitly banishing something from your own body - I suggest using food. Onions and black pepper are good banishing ingredients that taste great, too. I have a French Onion Soup banishing recipe here.

I want to reiterate here that if you are still dealing with your emotions stage of things right now, that is completely okay. This isn't meant to rush anyone through this process. We are all different people with different needs. It's also okay (and probably expected) that all of these things listed above won't work for all people - after all, they are things that work for me, specifically.

You need to find out what works for you. If don't know where to start right now, I hope this gave you some ideas. And, as always, if there's a method of getting through the hard shit that you'd like to add to this, please do! We could all use some new ideas for the hard road ahead.

[avengerscompound]

Shared Experience - Chapter 5

Shared Experience - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Rating:  E

Warnings:  mentions of past torture, murder, and sexual assault

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Rose Astor

Word Count: 1809

Summary:  Rose Astor met her end in 1920, joining the ranks of the living dead two years after the birth of Steve Rogers.  A century later the two meet in battle - a beacon of light clashing with a creature of the night.  Despite their differences, the two bond over their shared life experiences.  Can a vampire become an Avenger?  Can two such different beings create a life together?

Chapter 5

It had been decades since Rose had felt as helpless and weak as she had when she’d broken down in tears in the foyer of her house.  It was such an alien and awful feeling that once the tears had run out, anger replaced them.  She was so angry that she still had it in her to feel this way.  She had thought she had become immune to that.  She thought she’d lost that part of her.  That had been the weak human in her and she’d cast it aside when she no longer needed Marcellus to teach her.

After the anger faded it left an overwhelming loneliness.  She’d been alone for so long, and for so long she thought she’d been okay with that.  It was better to be alone than to be around people as they aged and then died around her and it was definitely better than being stuck with someone like Marcellus.  She had convinced herself that she didn’t need companionship.  That she was above those mortal needs.

And just like that her worldview had shattered.

Steve led her to the living room and pulled out a handkerchief.  It was large and pale blue with blue and red stripes around the edge.  It had been so long since she’d even seen one, that it made her start laughing, which made her cry harder.  She wiped her eyes, the blood from her tears stained the delicate piece of fabric right through and she looked up at Steve and saw the blood stains smeared over his shirt.

“Oh god,” she said, uselessly trying to wipe the blood from his shirt with the handkerchief.  “I'm so sorry.  I must look ghoulish.”

Steve shook his head.  “I've seen worse.”

Rose stood and wrung the handkerchief in her hand.  “Let me go clean up.  I’ll be back.  Just… Make yourself at home.”

She waited for his go-ahead and that pause for permission made the anger boil up again.  Steve gave a short nod and she rushed off, covering her face.

When she reached the bathroom she leaned against the vanity and squeezed her eyes closed as she centered herself.  Things had gone so wrong.  It was the risk involved with starving herself, but of all the expected outcomes, being held prisoner by the Avengers, being blackmailed to join, and ending up crying blood tears in the arms of Captain America had not even made the list.

She huffed and began to wash her face.  With no reflection, it was always impossible to know if she’d gotten everything, so her ritual had always been to scrub thoroughly for longer than seemed reasonable.  Today she scrubbed harder still.  She scrubbed until her skin felt raw and continued scrubbing for some time afterward.

When she finally stopped scrubbing, she went looking for something Steve might be able to change into.  It proved to be a useless endeavor.  She was significantly smaller than Steve, so even her largest items of clothing were far too small to fit him.  There were some outfits that Marcellus had abandoned, but he’d been much thinner than Steve, and even if they did fit, the fabric was so old that when she picked it up, it began to fall apart.

She went back to Steve empty-handed.  He was standing in the drawing room, looking at her collection of vinyls that filled the shelves built into the whole back wall.  He looked over at her, holding one of the singles.  “Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded.  “That was new for me.”

“Your tears…”

She shrugged.  “I can’t explain it.  My heart doesn’t pump, and yet everything is blood.  I’m sorry about your shirt.  I tried to find you something to change into.”

He looked down at himself and then back up at her.  “Don’t worry about it.  I’ve had to catch the train home with more blood on me than this before.  None of it’s mine this time, which is nice.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at that.  “What have you got there?” she asked, nodding to the single in his hands.

Steve looked down at it like he was startled that he was holding it.  “Oh.  I was just looking at what you had.  It goes back a long way,” he said.

She came over to him and took the single from his hands.  It was the 1939 version of Sunrise Serenade and Moonlight Serenade by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.  “I was eighteen and spending all my time in speakeasies when I died.  I’ve been in this house ever since.  My collection has only been added to over time,” she explained as she went to her record player.  It was styled to fit into the Art Nouveau style of the house but was actually only a few years old.  Despite her love of vinyls, she kept up to date with music technology and her sound system was the best that money could buy.  She put the record on, choosing the B side of Moonlight Serenade, and the clarinet and saxophone floated through the room.  If it weren’t for the slight scratch of the needle moving over the vinyl, it almost sounded as if the band were right there with them.

Steve closed his eyes and listened for a moment, swaying ever so slightly to the sound.  It made Rose want to go to him and take his hands.  It had been so long since she danced with someone, and watching Steve, she felt like the same might be true for him too.

Instead, she stayed where she was and hugged her arms around herself.  “So what do we do now?”

Steve opened his eyes and looked at her.  “Bruce is right,” he said.  “We can’t just keep you captive and force you to fight.  But - I do think you should join us.  You’ve been alone for too long, Rose.  I know you think you can do this all alone, but you don’t have to.”

“I don’t see how I could be much help to you,” Rose said.  “Fighting in the War was different.  They took us where we needed to be.  We’d wake, and it was like firing a bullet from a gun.  How will you plan your battles around the fact I only wake at night?”

“That’s a secondary issue,” he said.  “We can figure out how best you can help us.  Maybe it won’t even be in a fighting role.”

She tapped her fingers on her arms and worried at her bottom lip with her teeth.  She knew if she did that for too long, she was likely to prick it with her fangs, but she couldn’t seem to stop as she considered the offer.   “Like a spy?”

“Possibly,” he said.  “From the sound of it, you’re good at keeping secrets.”

A small bubble of laughter escaped her, taking her by surprise.  “That’s true,” she said.  “I am.  I still feel like this isn’t about you wanting me to join as much as it is about you wanting to keep an eye on me and make sure I’m not going around murdering people.”

Steve sighed and pushed his hands into his pockets as he looked down at his feet.  The record reached the end of the track and there was a whir and a click as the needle moved off and the machine flipped the record over.  The blast of wind and brass instruments startled both of them as the start of Sunrise Serenade started and Steve’s eyes met hers again.

“Can you blame me?” he asked.  “I saw you kill a man.  You drained him right in front of me.  Everything I know about vampires is that they hunt and feed off people.  And it’s not like I know you.  I swore I’d protect people and I can’t help feeling that letting you go is breaking that oath.”

She went to interrupt him on this circular conversation that it felt like they’d been having for days now but he held up his hand to stop her.  “But you did kill that man in battle and you saved a lot of lives.  And I have no reason other than mythology to believe that you’re about to go on a murder spree.  You’ve been honest with me.  So I want to trust you.  I do think you’ll be an asset to the team, and I do want to keep an eye on you.  I also think you need people.  I think we might have things in common and we might be friends.  Those aren’t conflicting ideas.”

Her fang punctured her lip and she winced and wiped her mouth.  “If I agree to this, it puts me in danger.  You’re right.  I am good at keeping secrets.  I have to be.  There’s a reason the general population doesn't know about us.  We’re completely helpless in the daytime and we’re their predators.  How many predators have been hunted to the edge of extinction by mankind?”

Steve’s eyebrows knitted together.  The reminder that the people he had promised to protect were her food had obviously been a mistake, but she needed him to understand that it wasn’t just a case of her being a risk to humanity, humanity was a risk to her too.

The upbeat melody of the song carried on for a few bars before Steve seemed to finish wrestling with his thoughts.  “We can keep people from finding out,” he said.

“I don’t just mean not announcing you have a vampire on your team.  There are people that hunt my kind and will know what I am when they see me,” she explained.  “I don’t show up on film, so you can’t do a press conference and introduce me.  And I can’t be in places where footage of me fighting will end up being public.”

“Who would hunt you if you’re an Avenger?” Steve asked.

“There’s a secret order of monster hunters who hunt us as a sport.  The followers of the Egyptian god Konshu consider us a threat to those who travel at night.  There is one of us, a day walker, who has vowed to rid the world of us.  If they know where to find me, they’ll come for me.”

Steve approached her.  “We’ll keep you under the radar,” he promised.  “And we’ll protect you.  You’ll be part of the team.  We won’t let anyone hurt you.”

 She looked up into the blue of his eyes.  Behind her the record reached the end of the song and the needle lifted and moved back to its off position and the record slowly stopped spinning.  She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip again and sighed.  “Fine.  I’ll do it.  I’ll join.  God, you are impossible.”

He smiled, his eyes twinkling.  “It’s one of my better qualities,” he joked and held out his hand.  “Welcome aboard.”

// NEXT

[thewatcher-ofmedia]

🔥CHARACTER REVIEW TIME🔥

(Can you tell that my portuguese teacher didn't come so I have 100 minutes without shit to do)

ANYWAYS, since I'm in the 4th episode I think it's a good time to see first impressions

MAIN CHARACTERS

CHARLES

I love him so much, like I was 10 minutes in and saying "I would die for you, I would kill for you, just ask and I'll do it"

Favourite character obviously

Wanna put him in a jar and protect him from everything bad in the world

He's brunette, has curls, is the sunshine character, has daddy issues and uses humour to cope so obviously he's also on the list of fictional crushes

Also something that I absolutely love about this show is that they pick this "stereotypical characters" and make them better.

Like, in this case the always happy character would have a ton of trauma but the show (or the characters, but that's a talk for another post) would not acknowledge this, they would show real depressed shit and then completely ignore it for the rest of the show.

Or just show it in the end of the series then kill him off.

But here they're letting people know from the beginning AND it's visible that the fact that he hides it is gonna be a major plot point in the show which makes me SO HAPPY

And in the loop scenes they made sure to focus on Charles face and reaction every. single. time.

Anways, I'm soo curious to learn more about his trauma and death and to see his character development

And he's so cute and trying so hard to make sure everyone likes him and lighten the mood and to not be a bother and to make everyone happy and I'm gonna cry

EDWIN

I also love him so goddamn much

He's also going in the jar, don't worry I'll protect you from everything

He's my baby (he was born more two hundred years before me and is my age BUT HE'S MY BABY)

Seriously someone needs to sit him down and say that everything is going to be ok (and get death the fuck away from him, my boy does not deserve hell, he deserves to be with his boyfriend best friend)

Also love this concept that everyone around him knows he's not straight, he knows that he's not straight but somehow he's still in the closet. Like, he never says he's straight, but he says to Niko that Mounty and him both boys, so one cannot be into the other and when Niko says that boys can like like each other he just turns the conversation around

I think they're writing that so well. It's subtle yet obvious, it's so good

Also, he's autistic, definitely in the spectrum. He obviously doesn't know because the first diagnosed case of autism was in 1943

And the dynamics that he has with everyone is SO GODDAMN GOOD

CRYSTAL

Someone give this girl an aspirin, a therapist and a bed

My girl cannot catch a break

One more in the protection jar, don't worry, I'll find your family for you, you need to rest

Overall great character, she's sassy, she's funny and she's the only emotional intelligent one

She's definitely gonna be the bridge for Edwin and Charles' romantically relationship

Like she's Miss "Edwin is acting weird because he's jeaulous of the sexual tension that we have, Charles" and Miss "Charles got stuck in the loop because he has strong feelings towards abusive fathers because he had one, Edwin"

Really love that we have someone to smack this idiots and say "You're in love with each other" because they are not gonna realise that by themselves

Also, DAVID GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER, SHE DOES NOT DESERVE YOU. I'LL GET THE CROSS, I SWEAR I'LL DO IT.

NIKO

She's so cute, I wanna protect her from this cruel, cruel world

This means that I already have her in the jar, no one else is gonna get to her

At first I thought she was gonna be this really closed and introvert character that was gonna talk when absolutely necessary and was a bit emo. But like her hair her personality lightened up as soon as the parasites got out (she was sick it's normal that she was wuth a really depressed attutude but Bea's too focused on the story to remember how people act socially)

I really wanna hug her, I need to

Also love how eager she is to help and how she has nothing to do with the boys , she's a "cas closed" but even Edwin can't say no to her

I feel like her "almost dying" trauma is gonna be a bit underrated (although I see that they are not completely ignoring because of the 3rd episode where she felt like she couldn't deal with death since she almost met her the week before) but I want to believe the opposite because until now the show has not disappointed me in terms of traumas (or in other terms really)

SIDE CHARACTERS

ESTHER

I don't have much to say, I like her in the twisted "this is a fun villain" way

I'm really curious to know more about this Lilith and immortality thing

She did loose some points in my book with the whole torturing the crow thing

I am ✨️traumatised✨️

CAT KING

I'm so confused about his character

Like, he's a really fun character

And his outfits are great

But at the same time, get the fuck away from Edwin, in both the scenes with both of them I was so scared that he was going to the "no consent" zone

I do love that both the scenes where he's in he slays the outfit, tries to drag Edwin out the glass closet, fails, keeps him trapped so he can try to do this one more time and goes away

Like, he has one objective and one objective only and honestly, respect

JENNY

My patient queen

I have not much more to say

She accidentally adopted two really weird teenagers and regrets that so much

I respect her so much

As an older sister, if she snaps, grabs a knife and kills them both out of annoyance I would support it

That's it 🫶

If you haven't understood yet I have way too many thoughts about this series

[animestsstuff2]

Twitterpated

ProHero Hawks x Fem Villainreader

Part 5

Master list here!

Content warning: blood, bruising!

01:00

“H-Hawks!” His head turned as he spotted your bright white wings in the dark sky. A small smile settling on his face as you landed on the rooftop beside him. You sat down on the ledge, dangling your legs over with him.

“Hey Angel, whatcha’ up to?” He asked, staring ahead at the city, ignoring his increasing heart rate and warm skin.

A routine now settled between you both ever since the first night Dabi requested you go out to find Hawks. A routine that you both enjoyed but hated. You loved being able to just be out, to just stretch you wings and see things without Dabi hut hated why, hated how you would be made to ask Hawks specific questions, hated that this pro hero wasn’t a good guy. He couldn’t help you.

“Any crime tonight?” You asked glancing over at him and ignoring your own beating heart. The feelings that were settled deep in your stomach refused to leave and only grew. It hadn’t been long into this routine. A few more days before it would end but something about Hawks drew you to him.

“Nah, pretty quiet night” He yawned, tipping the remnants of his coffee can into his mouth. “What about you Angel? Anything nee in the League?”

“No, not really- well, actually we are mean’t to be leaving this city soon” Hawks feathers bristled as he shifted his earphones around his neck.

“Yeah? Forgot about that actually. Dabi mentioned it a while ago” He lied. His head turning to you as he smiled softly. Your heart skipping as your cheeks darkened.

“Y-yeah? We are heading to Deika city” You stated dumbly, very dumbly.

“Deika city! Thats the one Dabi mentioned though he never said what for. He did want me there, do you know why Angel?” Hawks prodded, you shook you head softly.

“No sorry Hawks. I don’t know why he wants you there but I know its because All for One has left something for Shigaraki to help him” Hawks just nodded cooly. Your mind elsewhere and missing the click of his phone.

“Hmm thats okay Angel. I haven’t heard from Dabi in a while y’know. You think you could mention to him about meeting up?” Hawks asked. His head turning back to gaze down on the city.

“Yeah sure! Um, do you have a place in mind? Or just want me to say to Dabi to contact you?” You asked feathers flittering behind you as the wind picked up.

“Hm? Just ask him to contact you- oh! I know. You have a cellphone yeah?” Hawks asked now turning back. You opened your mouth but the words stuck to your throat as you tried to conjure up a plausible lie.

No hawks! I do not have a phone actually! Dabi keeps me against my will and therefore i am unable to contact anyone.

But before you could force a lie out his headphones beeped. He flicked his visor down which now had a screen displayed and stood up sliding his headphones on and turning to you. He waved a quick goodbye and shot through the air not wasting another moment. You stared in slight awe at the swiftness of the Pro-Hero.

…

03:00am

You were still out. You weren’t ready to go back yet nor did you want to. Your wings lazily kept you afloat in the air as you looked at the lit up city below. You wanted nothing more than to drop down and venture through the streets, window shop all the closed boutiques and grab a snack from some 24hour store but Dabi would kill you if you dared.

You scanned the sky before you. You were honestly hoping you’d see Hawks again, especially since Dabi wasn’t happy that you hadn’t got much information out of the hero yet. Your hooded eyes darted about once more. A yawn breaking your lips apart when a flash of red zoomed by.

Your eyes widened and your wings flexed as you followed the red flash that was slowing down, staggering and almost looked to be falling. You moved quickly, wings soaring against the air as you dropped to the red and yellow blur that was Hawks.

You seen now, seen that his wings were small barely there and definitely unable to support himself. His face was bruised and bloodied. His clothes torn. Your hands reached out and grabbed at his jacket. The weight of the pro almost caused you to fall with him but you pushed through, flexed your wings further and flapped harder.

His eyes widened as much as they could with the swelling skin at the angel above him—you, Angel. You had saved him from plummeting to his death. He watched you struggle and forced himself to wake up, to help you as much as he could. The last of his feathers left him, plumes falling away and zipping round to you.

A gasp left your lips as they filtered in with your own and gave you strength. The feeling was foreign and odd as you could almost feel the connected tether to each individual red plume. They clung to your white ones with support and allowed to you lift both Hawks and yourself. It took some struggling but you were able to pull him against your chest. Your arms wrapping tightly around his chest and under his shoulders.

“Heh—you really are an Angel huh, savin’ my life like that” Hawks mumbled against the skin of your neck where his heavy head rested.

Your cheeks burned at the feeling of his mouth on your skin. His hands lazily came and wrapped themselves around the small of your waist hugging closer to you.

Hawks knew he shouldn’t. He knew he could hold somewhere else, grab your arm or just keep his hands limp but he wanted to. These feelings that swelled in his chest, caused his heart to quicken, stomach to flutter and worst his bottoms to tighten. He could let them out just this once. After all he was technically hurt, technically not in a right state of mind.

“U-Um..You’re hurt! Hawks—where do I bring you?” You asked. The obvious answer was a hospital but you couldn't go there. You couldn't be seen. You sucked your lip between harsh teeth as you waited his reply.

You wanted for his response, wings flapping slower now getting used to the support from Hawks feathers and no longer feeling as though you were going to drop any moment now. Hawks brows knitted together as he felt his chest grow tighter.

Definitely a broken rib

"My place-ju-just bring me to my place" You nodded with firmness and took off. Hawks giving you muffled directions as your fingers curled into his back whilst you flew through the air.

You eventually found his place. A penthouse apartment. You landed on the roof as Hawks instructed..well more like fell on the roof. The minute your knees touched the ground you buckled unable to hold him up with just the strength of your legs. Hawks coughed at the abrupt landing and you immediately fumbled to get him back up

A string of apologies leaving your lips as you hooked his arm around your neck and positioned yourself under his arm to carry him in. Hawks only shushed you with a laugh but you could hear the strain behind it. You found his living room and gently set him down, turning the lights on. Finally getting a good look at the injured hero.

"H-Hawks you should really go to hospital!" You crouched down on bent knees before him. Your hands flying in all directions as did your eyes, unsure what injury to tend to first. He only rolled his eyes and set his head back on the sofa, spreading his legs with a sigh.

"M'alright Angel. I don't needa go to a hospital, just a few scratches" He reassured as he pulled his glove off and carded his fingers through his hair, pulling it back from his face. He put his avian eyes on you, taking you in from where you kneeled before him.

He couldn't deny how pretty you looked right now, even with only half your face showing. He just knew under that silly mask were pretty pink lips all chewed up with worry, worry that consumed your face as your brows wrinkled and eyes creased.

His hand moved before he could think to stop it. His rough thumb hooked round the top of your mask and tugged. It fell without much effort. Your lips parted and eyebrows raised as his thumb continued to smooth over your cheek. Your heart beat flooded your ears, stomach fluttered. His thumb moved just slightly down to the edge of your pink lips. You didn't mean to, it wasn't intentional as your tongue dipped out to wet the dry, cracking skin.

His eyes narrowed and his chest swelled. His skin bubbled with warmth and skin prickled as he hooked a finger under your chin and dragged your face forward. He wanted you up here, up on top of him.

You both wanted each other..until, until you realised--no, you shook your head, snapping yourself from his memorising eyes and looking away. Dabi's threat overriding what you truly wanted. Your quirk always putting him first and now.. now

You felt like you were going to be sick.

You snapped yourself from the fizzy of thoughts that bubbled in your mind and fell back onto your bum away from his hand. Your hand coming to slip the mask back up as you stumbled up. Hawks seemed to snap out of whatever it was he was under and tried to get up with you but fell back down and almost immediately the overwhelming atmosphere that consumed the both of you had disappeared and your concern returned to his injuries.

You looked around and spotted his kitchen, walking over and finding his kettle. You quickly boiled some water, found a clean washcloth and bowl. You checked under the sink and luckily found a medkit, bringing it all back to the coffee table before him.

You grabbed the warm, damp cloth and took a seat beside him. Your eyes fixated on anything but his as you gently pressed the cloth to the open wounds, cleaning both dry and fresh blood from his face. Your lip jutting out a bit as you found yourself annoyed someone would want to disfigure such an attractive man.

No--stop, don't think that. Hawks is not handsome.

He stayed silently as he allowed you to press and prod at his face. Your delicate fingers moving his face as you pleased, cleaning, wiping and disinfecting; which did sting a bit. You were eventually somewhat pleased and cleaned everything up, coming back to stand in front of him swinging your arms slightly as you still avoided eye contact.

"Thank you" Hawks low voice made you jolt a bit as you finally glanced at his eyes. They were tired and hooded as he stared back at you. A small ghost of a smile on his face.

"Y-You're welcome, anyone would have done it" You mumbled, grabbing your arm with your hand and once again turning your head to look out the large glass wall. The sun was beginning to rise.

"Maybe they would have but i'm glad it was you" His statement caused your cheeks to tinge pink as a smile broke out under your mask. Hawks liked how your eyes crinkled, at least he knew you were smiling.

"D-do you want me to call anyone? A friend..or, um- girlfriend?" You couldn't help but add that in. You were curious, thats all nothing more.

Just curious, you didn't care if he did or not. It wouldn't matter or change anyt-

"Girlfriend? No-" he laughed a bit, hand flexing up to his chest "no girlfriend unfortunately"

He eyed you a bit watching as your brow quirked ever so slightly. How your eyes widened just a bit and pupils dilated. Hawks wouldn't mind having you as his little girlfriend.

He shut his eyes at the thoughts that rushed to him and suppressed a groan. He already spoke to his doctor about these stupid primal needs that were getting in the way of his rationality but the only advice from his doctor was..

"Well, unfortunately Hawks science hasn't developed anything for people with your type of need. The best thing we have found is to just give in and find someone suited to it. It helps it pass quicker"

His cheeks burned and you noticed the sudden redness of his face, reaching a hand down. You pressed it to his cheek, catching him off-guard-when did he close his eyes? He looked up at you, seeing your brows knitted again in worry as you quickly walked off and shortly came back with a glass of water for him and some tablets.

"Take these. Do you want me to bring you to your bedroom?" You asked and Hawks glanced at the rising sun. He'd get no sleep in here with those big windows. He nodded curtly and reached a hand out.

You repeated your earlier actions, allowing him to lean on you as he guided you to his bedroom. The curtains were already drawn as you sat him on his bed and took a step back, placing the cup of water on the bedside table.

"I'll be alright, y'can go y'know" he reassured you with a small smile. You eyed him warily as he began to, well, struggle to take his top off. Pausing and wincing every few seconds as a sharp pain shot down his chest.

"Let me help you into bed then ill go" Hawks had no time to protest as you grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it the rest of the way off. A little to roughly for the weakened man and he tipped back blindly reaching a hand to grab something.

That something was you. His fingers curled tightly around your wrist and dragged you down with him. The bed caught you both with a bounce as he let out a staggered groan from your sudden weight on his definitely broken rib. You quickly pressed your hands to either side of him and lifted yourself so you were face to face with him.

"Are you crazy? Hawks I could have hurt you more!" You scolded him, completely ignoring just how close you were. Now laying between his spread legs

He just rolled his eyes at you and choked a laugh. You quickly stood back up and crossed your arms.

"Right thats it, i am leaving and I want you to rest" he waved a lazy hand at your retreating figure.

"You sound like a doting girlfriend Angel!" He yelled after you and your cheeks burned. "Gonna need my feathers back too!"

You stilled as what felt like sand bristling through your feathers caught you off guard. One by one his red plumes wriggled themselves free from their snug positions between your own plumes. The feeling was odd and sent a tingling feeling down your spin as you pushed the glass door open to the balcony and looked at the bright sky.

A sigh leaving your puffed cheeks as you jumped from the ledge and spread your wings out. Dabi was going to kill you. He always expected you back before the sun broke free.

You did not want to imagine the anger that was etched across his marred face. You knew how he would act. He was definitely already in your room, possibly trashed it in a fit of anger before sitting calmly on your bed. The only sign he was in any way furious would be the tap of his shoe. A tell tale sign that his patience was wearing thin.

You chewed your lip as you thought of an excuse, some lie to tell him. If you were able to believe the lie yourself. Your thoughts so caught up in your growing anxiety you failed to notice the tiny red plume that wriggled its way further into the fluff of white feathers, hiding itself.

[multiversefanfics]

Best Friends

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Best Friend!Reader Summary: You and Steve are best friends, but your friendship is tested when someone tells you he has feelings for you. Warning: fluffy Steve(I mean come on look at the gif) probably cussing.

Steve was your best friend and you were his, well except for when Bucky was around. You admit you were jealous of Steve and Bucky’s friendship, it was like Bucky could do no wrong in his eyes. No matter what he always had Bucky’s back, he had yours too but not like he was with Bucky, it was just different maybe because they’ve known each other longer, they both fought in the war, who knows. You and Bucky always competed for Steve’s attention. You were suddenly pulled from your thoughts by the feeling of air brush past your ear you turned your head and there he was, Bucky throwing a piece of bread at you, why bread you’ll never know. “James” You groaned throwing the bread back even though you knew he would dodge it “Why did you throw bread at me?” His smile turned into a smirk and read your face chuckling at your annoyed expression. “Because I’ve been calling your name and you’ve ignored me each time.” You got up from where you were sitting and walked towards him, standing firmly in front of him staring deep into his beautiful blue eyes “What can I do for you today, Mr. Barnes” He licked his lips but then rolled his eyes seeing that you were joking, yet he loved when you called him ‘Mr. Barnes’ but Bucky knew Steve liked you, maybe was in love with you. Bucky chuckled smacked your forehead with another piece of bread “Okay dude seriously stop with the bread” He rolled his eyes leaning against the kitchen counter “Steve wants us to go pick up some things.” You looked at Bucky knowing Steve asked him to pick up things but he didn’t want to go alone, of course you went, an outing with Bucky was always an adventure. You got to embarrass him in public, which was your favorite past time. You grabbed your shoes and followed Bucky out the door and into the car “You know, Steve talks about you a lot.” You looked over at him while he drove “What do you mean? How?” Bucky stared forward tapping his fingers against the steering wheel “He goes on and and on. Y/N did this, Y/N did that, did I tell you Y/N said the funniest joke the other day.” He rolled his eyes as if he was jealous that Steve talked about you nonstop, you couldn’t help but feed into it “Aww is little Bucky jealous?” You giggled while poking his cheek “Oh hush, I am not jealous. I’m just tired of hearing your name all the time.” You smiled wide looking back out the window “You’re jealous.” You mumbled while still looking out the window. You finally reached the grocery store, it was one that you went to often so many people that work there know you by name and greet you like they’ve known you, your whole life and you love it. Bucky grabbed a shopping cart and began reading things off of the list, but you weren’t listening all your attention was on a very attractive, tall, dark and handsome man, you knew Bucky would definitely intervene if you tried to talk to him when he was around “Hey, I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick, I’ll be back.” Bucky groaned and waved you off. You weren’t a bold person but maybe he’ll make the first move, so instead of walking directly up to him you went to the left side of the aisle while he was on the right, you pretended to look at cereal in hopes he’d see you and make a move. Just as you were about to give up and walk away he bumps into you, knocking the cereal you had out of your hand. “Oh I am so so sorry I didn’t see you there” He reached down to pick up the cereal and that’s when you saw his eyes, they were a gorgeous green color with little brown flecks, you took the cereal from him nodding your head “Thank you, I mean- It’s okay, I’m Y/N” You stuck your free hand out to shake his “I’m Bradley” He shook your hand smiling wide, damn even his teeth are perfect “I am truly sorry about the cereal uh, I know this is a little forward but do you want to get dinner sometime?” You nodded exchanged numbers and found your way back to Bucky.

You were getting ready for your date when you heard a knock on your bedroom door, you yelled for whoever it was to come in and that you were in the bathroom. You looked out the corner of your eye and saw that it was Steve, he leaned against the door frame watching you fix your makeup, Steve was in love with you and has been wanting to tell you for ages but there was never a good time, he thought maybe now but with you all dressed up and makeup on your face he knew you were going somewhere “Earth to Steve” You waved your hand gently in front of his face “Oh sorry I was lost in thought, where are you going?” You straightened your skirt while looking at yourself in the mirror “I have a date tonight” His head went back a bit “Oh, okay.” He started to walk away “Wait, Steve what did you want?” You walked after him, grabbing his bicep so he’d look at you “It’s movie night, but you have a date it’s okay. I’ll make Bucky pick the movie.” You mentally smacked yourself you forgot all about your weekly movie nights “No wait, I’ll call Bradley and let him know I can’t make it.” Steve shook his head “Go on the date, have a fun time if you need us we will be right on the couch” He leaned down and kissed your forehead “Have a fun time.” And just like that he walked out of your room, not giving you a second glance. You shrugged your shoulders and walked down the stairs and out the door after saying goodbye to the boys, you met Bradley at the restaurant you didn’t feel comfortable having him pick you up, you didn’t know this man and you have to be careful nowadays. You found the table Bradley was sitting at and walked towards him, he stood up pulling your chair out, helping you push it in before sitting back down in his chair. “I’m glad you agreed to go to dinner with me.” He smiled cheekily, which you returned back to him “Never thought I’d be asked out in the cereal aisle of the grocery store.” You both shared a laugh and continued talking getting to know each other until the waiter came up. “Can I start you off with something to drink?” Bradley told the waiter what he wanted and all you wanted was a water the waiter excused himself and you two went back to talking all while looking at the menu, you felt eyes on you but you decided to shake it off, you’re in a public place people look around. Bradley was talking about his work as a lawyer and you tried your best to listen to him but that feeling of eyes on you crept up again, you looked to your left and there he was. Bucky. You rolled your eyes and looked back at Bradley “I’m sorry would you excuse me for a second.” He nodded and you politely got up and marched over to Bucky’s table “What are you doing here” You whispered/yelled Bucky looked up at you then back at your date “I’m making sure you’re okay.” You groaned and took his menu from him “Go home, Im fine.” Bucky rolled his eyes and walked out of the restaurant.

You walked back over to Bradley “I’m sorry, where were we.” Bradley looked at you with a raised eyebrow “Boyfriend?” Your eyes widened and shook your head “Oh god no, overprotective brother.” He nodded in response to your answer then continued talking about himself, that’s when you realized he never asked anything about you, he went on and on about his accomplishments and awards and many many women he’d dated. You were getting bored and wanted nothing more than to go home and watch a movie with Steve and Bucky. Finally the food came you looked down and it was an array of vegetables on top of a small piece of chicken you looked up at Bradley “I’m sorry, I ordered for you. I don’t want you to feel heavy after dinner I have big plans” You were taken aback by the audacity of this man, what did he mean to feel heavy and what plans did he have after dinner “Um, thanks but I can’t eat this.” He raised an eyebrow “And why not? Y/N let’s face it your eating habits aren’t the best, I barely know you and I can tell” What the hell is that supposed to mean, was he calling you fat? You nodded your head and gently placed the napkin that was folded on your lap back on the table. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know you but I think I’m going to leave.” You stand up, putting your jacket on “That’s a little rude don’t you think?” Your head snapped in his direction “Rude? No, what’s rude is you calling me fat, well trying to.” Your blood boiled as the man tried to defend what he meant even though you knew exactly what he meant. “You know what you’re right, you could lose a few pounds and when you do, call me.” Your fists were balled, angry wasn’t the word, you picked up his glass of red wine and dumped it all on his head earning a gasp from everyone in the restaurant “How about I never call you again since I’m so fat.” You picked up your purse and stormed out of the restaurant and into your car. You slammed the steering wheel, cursing at yourself for being excited about the date. The drive home was silent, in fact, you don't even remember the drive home all you know is that you were outside the compound staring straight ahead. You slowly got out of the car walking inside, you past Steve and Bucky who were still on the couch watching a movie, Steve looked over at you "Hey, how was the date?" You groaned and continued walking up the stairs, you slammed your door shut, falling face first on your bed. You screamed into your comforter wishing you could get the time you wasted back, you wish you would’ve just went home with Bucky instead of going back to that table.

You sat up on your bed peeling off your clothes so you were only left in a bra and underwear “This was such a disaster, girl you spent hours on your makeup and for what? A loser” You scoffed and walked into you bathroom wiping the makeup from your face, you heard a knock at your door, at this point you didn’t know who it could be and you didn’t care, you kept taking your makeup off ignoring the footsteps you heard getting closer and closer “Oh, uh- Y/N I’m sorry” You looked over and saw Steve covering his eyes “It’s fine Steve, you’ve seen me naked before it’s not a big deal.” He slowly uncovered his eyes and kept eye contact even though he wanted nothing more than to let his eyes wander and take in all you had to offer. “I’m assuming the date didn’t go well?” He leaned against the doorframe watching you wash your face “He called me fat.” You looked over as Steve stood straight up, his face turning red and you swore that you could see steam coming out of his ears like a cartoon character, you watched as his fists balled and clench “He what?!” Steve was very protective of you, no one is going to do anything to you as long as he was around. “Steve it’s fine, I should’ve just went with my gut and went home with Bucky when I caught him at the restaurant.” You shrugged your shoulder drying your face off, you turned and walked out of the bathroom, slightly brushing past Steve, you were at a loss for words a feeling that you haven’t felt in a long long time, it gave you butterflies, but you shook it off. It was Steve, he was your best friend nothing more nothing less, maybe. You finally put on your pjs and sat on your bed “Listen, Y/N, why don’t you come finish this movie with us, we can cuddle and i’ll make a Bucky go get all your favorite snacks.” You thought for a second “Come on, it’ll be fun.” You looked up at him and he was giving you puppy dog eyes, you rolled yours “Fine fine, I’ll come. But Bucky better get all my favorite snacks” You pointed a finger at him then followed him down the the living room “Bucky, can you run to the store and get all of Y/N’s favorite snacks?” Bucky looked over and before he could say anything sarcastic he saw the look on your face and nodded “Yeah, I’ll be back, pick out a movie” He stood up and grabbed his keys, you’ve never seen Bucky so soft before, he really cared about you, it almost made you feel bad for yelling at him at the restaurant earlier. Steve grabbed your hand and pulled you to the couch, sitting down first then pulling you onto his lap “So, what do you wanna watch?” You watch as he scrolled through countless movies, when your eyes landed on White Chicks “Oh that one” He clicked on it and pressed play “Shouldn’t we wait for Bucky?” Steve groaned and threw his head back “He’s gonna take forever” You giggled at his whining and kissed his cheek “You’ll live, so how was your day today?” Steve shifted in his seat so he could hold you better “Pretty boring, Tony had us training all day for an upcoming mission” You both went back and forth talking about random things until Bucky came home with 4 big bags of snacks “I know I don’t like that many things” He huffed and placed the bags on the table “You do, but anything for you” Finally you guys could watch the movie although half way through you fell asleep, well sort of. Steve rubbed your back not taking his eyes off the movie “When are you going to tell her?” Steve looked over a Bucky with his eyebrow raised “Tell her what?” Bucky gave him a look then rolled his eyes “That you’re in love with her.” Steve quickly looked down at you then back at Bucky “It’s never been the right time, and tonight is definitely not the right time.” Bucky scoffed and turned to face Steve “If you don’t tell her by Friday, Im telling her.” Steve stared at him for a bit, that gave Steve 4 days to tell you how he feels and if he doesn’t Bucky definitely would, he knows Bucky would and he needs to figure out how he’s going to tell you, because he knows you deserve the best.

Steve Rogers Masterlist - Main Masterlist - Part 2

A/N: This has been sitting here for a while and honestly I hope y’all like this! please, like, reblog, comment anything helps!

[gummybugg]

🎶Stuck in an ADHD Rut🎷🪲

Howdy! If this applies to you, let's see if we can get you out of there!

From what I have learned, the little ADHD brain creature craves happy chemicals. What usually gives us those? A sense of completion and satisfaction with our work! But those with ADHD lack a sufficient amount of baseline happy chemicals, which means it's harder for us to want to get things done! 

If the reward at the end of a task doesn't give your brain enough happy chemicals, you're more likely to procrastinate!

So what are we going to do to get unstuck? If unmedicated or without therapy, it can be very difficult to work around the ADHD rut! But I can share some things that have helped me in the past.

Of course, everything I mention will not help 100%, because everyone's brains are complex and this is anecdotal!

If you are able to, find a window of time that is easiest for you to work at! I typically do my best work in the evening or at night. This isn't always the best solution, as working around a schedule is not always easy.

Crank the stimulus up to 10 if you're feeling under-stimulated/bored! Louder music, brighter lights, drink something warm... Even stretching can get the blood pumping because now you got all the bone crunches out of your system! Are you there, Brain? It's me, Bug!

When I can remember, I create a Very Detailed to-do list. But I also know that people with ADHD are notoriously bad at keeping track of lists! I tell myself, "First, write a bullet list of ideas. Second, cherry-pick what you like. Third, write the thesis/main idea. Fourth, write ONE paragraph…" This works more so for writing essays or an entire draft! For some reason, breaking down every single step makes it slightly more manageable for me. 

I have heard of people who stop writing right before an interesting part and take a break! Perhaps the thrill of wanting to finish up that good part is what makes people want to jump back in. 

This goes against the previous points, but sometimes writing the most interesting pieces of my stories first (as opposed to writing linearly) helps more! The burst of energy I get when reading back on these pieces drives me to continue writing! I remember how excited I was when I wrote it all down, and it makes me think that past Me was definitely onto something!

To sum up, the ADHD brain is a fussy child who needs to be constantly reminded how to get things done. The more you get angry at it, the harder it is to cooperate with it! But, that is easier said than done. No one said that gentle parenting your brain was easy.

If you made it this far, then kudos to you because writing this was a miniature hurdle of its own! And If it seems scattered, I am well aware!

[elix8r]

Pink Whitney (psh) - teaser

PAIRING: park sunghoon x fem!reader

GENRES: smut, fluff, crack, college au, brother’s best friend au, frat au, friends to lovers au 

TEASER WC: 0.46k (not sure how long the actual story will be but it’s already past 7k ૮₍ ˃̵ࡇ˂̵ ₎ა

SUMMARY:  You had always trusted the beautiful bottle of Pink Whitney to deliver crazy fun nights with little to no hangovers in the morning. It was almost a sacred bond between you and your go-to drink. But that trust was shattered after a night that should have been like any other. Instead, you found yourself waking up in bed with your younger brother's frat bro, and worse, narrowly avoiding pregnancy. Now, as you navigate the awkward aftermath of it all, you feel betrayed by Pink Whitney, the drink that had never let you down before. But even as you mourn the loss of that trust, you find yourself more worked up over the boy who shattered it. 

Fuck Park Sunghoon for ruining Pink Whitney for you or better yet fuck Pink Whitney for making you fall in love with Park Sunghoon.

Of course, you would much rather be anywhere on a Thursday night (which was still a school night btw!) than at Epsilon Nu’s notorious back to school party, but a promise was a promise and you couldn’t back out on it. Especially when it was a promise you made to your brother. Jungwon was a relatively easy sibling that rarely asked for much from you so when he came running across campus to you with a request, you couldn’t turn him away. 

“I promise it’ll be the best night of your life!” You doubted it but you let him continue rambling as it was becoming almost entertaining with how desperate your younger brother was becoming. 

As a first-year and a pledge, he was automatically sent to the bottom of the food chain and in the hierarchy of a fraternity if he didn’t bring anything to the frat, then he could wave his membership goodbye. 

“You know I never ask you for anything but if you and your sisters could come then it would help me out and by that, I mean like reaaaaaallly help me out!” His eyes were wide and shimmering towards you. 

“Ok fine, I’ll be there. I’ll probably be able to bring a couple of us but I can’t assure you anything.” You finally give in and before you can even finish your sentence, Jungwon was already pulling you into a tight side hug while jumping in glee. 

Each pledge was tasked with inviting girls to the party and the more that came under their name would be awarded more points and your brother was aiming to be on the top of that list. He was smart for reaching out for your help as you had the connections to help him out as you were also involved in Greek life. It wouldn’t be hard to convince your sisters to go as you knew many of them were already planning on going but it was the fact that you personally weren’t planning on going until now. 

“You won’t regret it! I promise I’ll make sure we’re stocked up on that Pink Whitney shit you like so much and I can even see if Heeseung hyung would be able to pick you and the girls up so you guys won’t have to worry about driving!” 

Seeing how excited he was also brought a smile to your face but if you knew what Thursday night had in store for you then you would have most definitely declined and stuck with your original plans of staying back at your sorority house lounging in the new pajama set you bought at Target while starting on assignments you were already given. But you were no fortune-teller and also weak to your brother’s puppy eyes how could you have known? 

AUTHOR’S NOTE: ngl around 60-65% of this story is based on real life events (yes i am indeed involved in greek life, specifically at an sec school so you guys will be getting the whole southern experience lmao) so not only am I excited to be sharing this piece but also scared shitless so I hope no one judges lol! but in all seriousness I’m having so much fun writing this, lowkey might wanna expand on this universe and maybe continue it as a series with different members? but hope you guys enjoyed the trailer and send me an ask or anything regarding the fic if you’re interested! ♡

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Light on the Darkside - Chapter Twenty Four.

Big thanks as ever to you all, the LOTD book club! :)

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty One Twenty Two Twenty Three

Tag list - In the comments. Please DM to be added/removed.

Words - 3,268

Warnings - 18+ throughout. Topics cover depression, suicide and eating disorders. Minors DNI!

“Oi! Put it down!” 

“But dad I can use it as a lance!” 

“Nah, son. No improvising medieval weaponry. It’s too sharp, drop it.” 

“N’aww dad! You get to play with weapons!” 

“That’s for music videos and album art. Put the bloody massive stick down, Wolf.” 

“Alright. If I find one that isn’t sharp, can I play with that one?” 

Closing his eyes, Steve groaned, brows furrowing as his best mate hissed with laughter at his pain. “That boy’ll be the fucking death of me.” 

“Can I, dad?” 

“Fine, go on, find another,” he called, watching his son run off at the speed of light across the muddy terrain. “Anything to save my pissing ears for five fucking minutes!” he then added in quieter tones, James still laughing.  

They’d taken the kids out to Kinver Edge for the day, a woodland escarpment four miles west of Stourbridge. It was over an hour away from where they lived, but definitely worth the visit. It brought back many memories.  

“Freya,” James warned, his child now taking over in the picking up something she shouldn’t stakes. “Put the rock down.” 

“I can’t! Need it!” 

“What for? I don’t trust that you’re not about to dash it at your sister.” And for a three-year-old, she had one hell of a throwing arm.  

“Demons!” 

“Ain’t no demons up Kinver, baba. Put it down.” 

“There might be, daddy! Who can say!”  

He couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “Well, if there is, you’re enough to see ‘em off all on your own, innit. You forget that you’re the chaos of the night, they don’t stand a chance.” 

The rock was dropped. “And I have the army of the dead!” 

“Yeah, you do!” he chuckled, Steve laughing at his side. 

“I love that kid to pieces, she’s such a riot.” he spoke, the pair watching as Freya pottered away over the mossier ground, Logan and Zara leading the pack in the distance along with Hugo and Otis, as well as Fenrir, Steve’s Northern Inuit dog. As soon as he’d seen them used as the dire wolves on Game of Thrones, he’d chewed Andrea’s ear off until she’d agreed they could get one.  

And James was stuck with French fuckery number one and number two. Because Ella had always wanted French bulldogs and he couldn’t say no.  

Continuing to walk, they navigated a path down to one of the draws of Kinver Edge, the famed and old red rock dwelling that apparently used to be inhabited by a herbalist until her death in 1617. Many folklore stories existed about the woman, most of which James and Steve had heard when visiting the place in their youth.  

“Ahh, the last time we were up here, sunshine. Getting stoned with them hot girls,” Steve began, the kids screaming with mirth on the other side of the rock formation, the dogs barking excitedly. “You over in that corner getting ridden by that bird you were seeing from... where was she from?” 

“Halesowen,” James confirmed, looking over, remembering his nineteen-year-old self, and the gorgeous twenty-year-old he’d been casually dating at the time.  

“And what was her name?” 

“Nicola.” 

Steve flicked his fingers, waving his hand in remembrance. “That’s it! That was her, and I was having a bit of her mate...” 

“Cerys.” 

“Yeah, her,” Steve grinned, remembering. “Oooh, that girl couldn’t half suck a dick. Telling ya. Quality blowjob skills, proper gorgeous an’ all. Fucking sky blue eyes and great big tits.” 

“Calm yourself,” James snorted, “but yeah, she was top grade sexy. Never told you this at the time, but after you and her stopped seeing each other, I was shagging her for a bit. She used to go up that rock club in Birmingham, XL’s. Gaz was seeing her best mate Nat, so yeah. Took me up there with him and it just happened one night. Broke the bed in Nat’s spare room giving her a damned good banging. Proper little wild thing, she was, innit?” 

Steve boomed with laughter at that revelation. “You fucking tart, Jim! Nabbing my leftovers, ya dickhead.” God, how they’d had some fun in their single years. “We were proper reprobates in our youth.” 

“Ain’t much fucking better now, man,” James chuckled, “just married ones with kids and mortgages and all that.” 

“Yeah, suppose you ain’t wrong there.” How different things were upon their return twenty-one years later. “Logan, don’t lick the rock, son.” 

“Why? Freya did!” 

“Freya, stop licking everything. It ain’t yours just because you lick it, we’ve talked about this,” James called, the tiny destroyer of worlds grinning at him, her mouth covered in red dust. And so, it continued... 

“Logan, mate, don’t pee off the side of the rock! There might be people walking below.” 

“Freya, don’t wipe snot on your sister.”  

“Wolf, that’s a branch. You’re not bringing a branch with you! Now look, the bloody dogs got in on it too! Fenrir, come back.” 

“Zara, don’t put mud on your face! No, it ain’t warpaint. Stop.”  

Steve was in hysterics at the last one, reaching for her as they caught up, dropping a kiss atop her head. “Something might’ve pooped in that, honey.” 

“Doesn’t smell bad, though,” she reasoned, giving him a quick hug before she was hurtling off again, threatening Wolf with a beating. 

“Yeah, you give him stacks, sweetheart,” Steve chuckled, shaking his head. “So how come big girl didn’t come along? She’s usually well up for this.” 

“Gone off swimming with her mates,” he revealed, unscrewing his water bottle and taking a few gulps. “That almost didn’t happen either, with the mouthful she was giving her mum this morning.”  

“Yeah? Guess I’ve got all this to come, but boys are easier. We just communicate in a series of grunts an’ all that.” 

“Yup, and girls screech, which was Lyra’s preferred communication at being told she wasn’t allowed to go to the cinema later. Like way later tonight. She knows she ain’t allowed out past eight, but nah. Really trying it on right now, so yeah, Ella is satan at the moment because she put her foot down and told her she’d be collected from Kitt’s at 6pm as arranged.” 

Steve clicked his tongue with a small grimace. “Nah, can’t be good, mate. Suppose it’s normal, though. Ain’t like we never challenged authority. Remember when we snuck out of your bedroom window and ended up in The Crown all night when we were fifteen?” 

Ahhh, the halcyon days of the nineties, where I.D’s weren’t checked if you looked eighteen, James and Steve looking much older than their years for both being tall and needing to shave from their early teens.  

“Fuck, yeah I do. Dad opening the back door and finding us on the shed roof pissed out of our heads, trying to climb back up to my room again! Sneaking us through the house so the duchess didn’t wake up. Man, if Lyra gets up to even half of what we used to, I’m gonna be going even more grey than I already am real fucking quickly, innit,” James laughed, remembering how cool his dad had been about it, wheeze laughing at the teenagers as they’d staggered around atop the shed. 

Their trip down memory lane was then disturbed by the demoness of darkness, shouting loudly. Freya did, after all, only have one volume. “Daddy! I’ve found a corpse!” 

James closed his eyes, wincing slightly. “I ain’t a religious man, but I pray when we get over there that it’s a bird or some kind of woodland animal, cos’ with her, you never know.” 

Steve hissed with laughter. “She’d not be scared, would she?” 

“Nah, she’d be there poking it with a stick screaming ‘why are you dead, though?’ and all that. She’s too much like me for her own good.” They caught up with the kids, seeing quickly that it was a dead and decaying badger, Steve moving quickly to grab Freya when she went to touch it. 

“Oi, no touching the cadaver, little destroyer of worlds,” he advised, holding her in his arms as she began to fiddle with his long, blonde hair. Gone were the days of dyeing it dark brown with his two bleached streaks at the front, Steve back to his natural colour, plus a few silvery grey strands he couldn’t be bothered to dye. Unlike James, who dyed his every three weeks to keep them at bay.  

“Uncle Steve, can I have piggy back?” 

He nodded, pointing a finger. “Yeah, but no kicking me, right?” 

A kiss to his cheek was delivered, Freya beginning to scramble around to his back with his help. “Promise no kicks!” A further three kilometres were walked that afternoon, returning to the carpark and going their separate ways. Ten minutes into the journey home and James had two sleeping children in the back of his truck, the dogs settled in the front passenger footwell also nodding off. Long walks were a sure-fire way to exhaust those with abundant energy, that was for certain. 

They arrived home at just gone six, Ella obviously out fetching their eldest. He couldn’t see anything obviously set out for dinner, deciding to order pizza in for everyone instead after quickly calling his wife to check. She thanked him endlessly, telling him they’d be back in ten minutes. He noticed she sounded a little terse on the phone, swiftly finding out why that was when she and Lyra entered the house not long after, the latter causing a fuss.  

“Zara, take your sister to the den, go on,” James spoke, jerking his head in the direction, not wanting them to have to suffer what would likely be a full-scale attitude fit. “I’ll call you when the food arrives.” 

His second eldest nodded, picking up Freya and heading out. Five seconds passed before the kitchen door flew open, the harbinger of said attitude stomping in. “Dad! Tell her she isn’t fair, because I cannot with her. I really can’t!” 

“Is this about the cinema again?” he asked, leaning against the dishwasher and folding his arms, turning to give Ella a kiss. God, she looked tense. He envisaged she would need a large drink and a shoulder rub later that night, both of which he’d happily provide.  

“It isn’t fair! Kitt is allowed out until ten, so why can’t I be?” 

“Kitt’s a little bit older than you. Once you’re thirteen we can talk again about how late you’re allowed out, but while you’re twelve, eight o’ clock is late enough,” he explained, being met by further exasperation. 

“You’re only saying that to side with her!” she raged, gesturing towards Ella as she took a seat at the island, combing her fingers through her hair a few times with a sigh. 

“I’m saying it because it’s a rule we set as your parents, and what we say goes.” 

A loud huff filled the air, Ella chipping in to try and deescalate the situation. “Kitt also has Danielle with him, so he’s only allowed out late because of that, since she can take them both home afterwards,” she reminded her, speaking of Kitt’s elder sister, who was seventeen and had her driving license as of a few months before. 

“She could have brought me home, too! Or one of you could have picked me up!” she screamed, James frowning. 

“Lower your voice, Lyra,” he warned, watching his daughter stomp to the fridge, pulling a carton of juice out aggressively. “She couldn’t have brought you home because it meant you being out past your curfew, and that ain’t happening. Same with us picking you up. Plus, even if the time wasn’t an issue, I’m knackered and so is your mum. We drive you guys around for this and that all week. Now, be bloody told.” 

“You dad is right, love,” Ella spoke, receiving a thunderous look, “and you know you had to be in at six tonight because you’ve got homework to do, which you really should be making a start on now instead of arguing with us.” 

“I fucking hate you!” 

Oh, now she’d done it. “Oi, less of that. You ain’t getting away with swearing at your mum like that. Room. Now.” 

“But dad, I...” 

“Lyra, get upstairs. Now. I ain’t joking.” 

Grabbing her juice, she flounced from the kitchen, slamming the door so hard the glass pane rattled, James moving to behind his wife to begin kneading her shoulders. “Fancy letting those magical hands wander lower, baby?” 

He laughed dirtily. “Yeah, and I’ll follow ‘em with my mouth later on, too.” 

Tilting her head back, she kissed the side of his neck, leaning against his chest when he wrapped two massive arms around her. “I approve of this.” 

“Thought you might,” he winked. “So, good day apart from big girl being a beast?” 

“Yeah, it was great,” she replied, heaving herself up and reaching for the bottle of Merlot over on the other counter, pulling two glassed from the tall, slim cupboard beside it. “I got all the house clean, laundry caught up on, then had that one session that I needed to rebook because of my dentist trip on Thursday. I even had a nap in the bath. Woke up all bleedin’ crinkly like E.T! How about you?” 

He took the glass of wine she passed him, moving to sit down at the island next to her. Sitting felt good after an eight-kilometre walk. Their dogs agreed, neither of the potatoes moving from their spot on the rug in the lounge, where they’d flopped down as soon as they’d arrived home.  

“Yeah, had a right top grade time, with Freya being Freya. She found a bloody dead badger and didn’t even flinch. Then on the way back, she went headfirst into a massive puddle. Got most of it cleaned off her but she’s gonna need flinging into the bath.” 

Flung she was after they’d all sat down to eat together, minus a moody Lyra, who Ella had taken a plate up to and received nothing in response. Once the youngest two were bath fresh and in bed, their parents happily sank down onto the sofa to watch a film, choosing Goodfellas, one of James’s favourites.  

“Oh, can I watch this with you?” Lyra spoke, entering during the first ten minutes of the film. It was nice to hear her a little more cheerful, but then again, they could both guess it was only because she wanted something. 

“Hmm, no, sweetheart. It’s got a bit too much questionable content for a twelve-year old,” Ella spoke, after thinking on it for a few moments. She didn’t want to be overly strict a mother, but with the foul language – much worse than anything James came out with in front of the kids – and the murder, plus drug use, she didn’t feel it appropriate. 

“But you let me watch Guy Richie films and they’re full of the same!” she had argued back at her, as Ella knew she would. 

“Yes, but they’re not quite as graphically depicted.”  

A large huff left her mouth. “Treating me like a child.” 

“Newsflash, Lyra. You are one,” James offered, starting to feel his patience wearing a little thin. If Ella was being in any way unreasonable, he might understand the hostility, but in truth, she wasn’t. 

“You know what, dad? You used to be so much cooler, like even a few weeks ago but now you just take her side all the time! Tired of it!” Oh, god. Not round two. 

James merely shook his head, sighing hard through his nose. “And we’re tired of you being a drama queen over the slightest thing. Ain’t exactly like you’ve had a stifled upbringing is it, Lyra? You’ve spent virtually every summer since you were born at music festivals, we’re way more relaxed with things than our parents used to be with us, but nah. That ain’t enough, is it? Really getting tired of your shit, kid. The way you speak to your mum especially.” 

Leaving for the kitchen, her mouth threw back some further attitude. “Moody old bastard.” 

“Woah, no, no,” Ella spoke, pressing a hand to his chest and pushing him down when he went to jump off the sofa. If James was pushed too far, he had the tendency as ever to run his mouth, and loudly. Him and Lyra were entirely too similar in that respect, and it was the last thing she wanted to see happen. “Let me go, calm down.”  

She rubbed his chest fondly, leaning to kiss him before getting up, entering the kitchen. 

“What now?” Lyra snapped, Ella closing the door after her and pointing at the island. 

“Sit down.” 

“Don’t want to.” 

Her jaw tightened, eyes rounding. “I said sit down. Now.” Ella didn’t raise her voice a single octave, but the look on her face made Lyra understand loud and clear that she meant business, the girl moving to a seat, her mum standing adjacent. “Look, what you’re doing right now, all this gobbing off and pushing back against us, or rather me more often than not, I get it. You’re a teenager, it goes with the territory,” she began, Lyra rolling her eyes. 

“Here we go. Therapy bullshit,” she scoffed, Ella closing her eyes and counting to five. 

“It isn’t. This is me telling you I understand the mood swings, the challenging us. I wasn’t born at thirty-nine, Lyra. I was twelve once too, you know, and I was a gobby little cow to your nanny April as well. You need to stop throwing my job in my face at me when what I’m doing is no different to any other mother concerned for her child. And yes, you are a child still.” 

Her words were met with a sniff on nonchalance, Lyra beginning to pick at the ends of her hair as her mum continued. “Listen, you know your dad and I have been quite relaxed as far as parents go, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any rules. Life doesn’t work like that. It’d be nice if it did. I’d definitely like to tell the council to piss off on occasion with how much they bleedin’ rinse me for tax every year.” 

Despite herself, Lyra snorted, not quite able to bite back her little burst of laughter. “Suppose.” 

“If you met us halfway, too, we might be a bit more lenient with you, but as it stands, I don’t think we’re being too firm.” 

She continued the hair picking, her moment of being entertained over as the smirk returned. “Could have done that tonight and let me stay out, but no.”  

It was like running in circles, it truly was. “I’ve said all I need to on that front. Just try to meet us halfway, alright?” 

“Yeah,” she hummed, “whatever, mum.” It was a little less frosty than before, but her face said it all. While Lyra returned upstairs to head to bed, Ella collapsed onto the sofa, burying her head in James’s lap. 

“While you’re down there, little.” Emerging, she saw him wink, his grin widening considerably. “What?” 

“Dirty boy. But I will, don’t you worry. I need a damned good shagging to unwind a bit.” she spoke, turning over and stroking his thigh while continuing to watch the film. By the time they headed to bed, another few glasses of wine drunk, sleeping definitely was not on the agenda.  

In times of parenting hardship, they always had one another to fall back on. Or in that particular instance, fall onto a bed with. 

[asimplearchivist]

' 𝕐𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 '

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐕 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄, 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊.

[𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓽'𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽] [𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓] AO3 | SPOTIFY | PINTEREST summary ✴ ⤏ when the kids grow restless during the weekend, you entreat optimus to take the group of you out for 'educational' purposes—all goes well until a thunderstorm strikes, but it could have resulted worse. pairing ✴ tfp!optimus prime/reader word count ✴ 15.1k a/n ✴ ⤏ I’ve never actually been to sequoia national park, but I read up on it a little and found out you can’t just camp anywhere in the park - but for the sake of this fanfic, I’m going to tweak it a little. thus is the beauty of fanfiction, I suppose. also, since it’s kind of in the middle of the school year, there’s not a lot of people visiting the park so optimus has more leniency on not being confined to his altmode than he would normally (plus he has scanners that would detect anyone nearby).⤏ on a smaller note, ‘s’mol’lis’ is derived from latin ‘mollis solis’, which means ‘soft sunlight’. because cybertronian (at least according to fanon, which I accept as canon) uses a lot of adjective strings describing the word they’re saying all at the same time on different frequencies (see: the masterpiece that is Fortuna Primigenia by SS_Shitstorm), it might be difficult to derive every meaning from hearing it, especially taking into account the fact that we can neither hear all the frequencies they use nor fully understand their language to begin with, but this is can be taken as the full meaning of the word even though it’s technically a descriptor. consider it a term of endearment that’s really subtle but not really a term of endearment at the same time - it’s just how optimus sees you. I also picked latin because that’s what many of the names are derived from and it’s just convenient as well as ancient/alien-sounding when you tweak it a little. ⤏ now that I think about it, this oneshot has a lot of similarities to FP, actually…consider it an homage of sorts, since it’s been my most recent reread of it that inspired me enough to finish this old thing. :) the poem referenced is ‘Serenade’ by Mary Weston Fordham!

“Truth or dare.”

“Um...truth.”

Miko groaned. “You’ve been picking truth this whole time!”

Raf shifted nervously, pushing his glasses back up his nose as he glanced at Miko from his laptop. “You made Jack lick the floor.”

“He’s got a point,” you said, looking up from your textbook.

Miko groaned a little louder, folding her arms and pouting. “You guys are no fun.”

“No one likes licking the floor, Miko. And I would hope you don’t.” You jotted down a definition in your notebook. “He’s still brushing his teeth. He’s been in there for ten minutes.”

“Of course no one does! That’s the point!” the girl cried, her bangs falling into her face. She brushed them behind her ear with an irritated huff. “Fine. What’s a place you want to go to?”

Raf perked up a bit at this, seemingly relieved that it was a relatively tame question from the Japanese girl. “Oh, uh...well, Italy is up there, since that’s where my family is from...but one of my cousins went to Yosemite and he said it was really pretty there. I’d love to see the trees.”

“Yeah, that’s always been on my bucket list, too,” you admitted. You reached for one of the highlighters strewn on the couch cushion next to you, marking an important quote on the page. “I read that they get up to two hundred and fifty feet.” Miko’s eyes rounded. “Wow, that’s like...fifty Optimuses!”

“Only about eight,” Raf corrected, “and it would be Optimi, since his name is derived from Latin the way we understand it, but yeah. Puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?”

Miko stuck her tongue out at the boy, and you chuckled softly. “What about you, Miko? Got anywhere you want to visit?”

“Besides Cybertron?” she quipped, casting a glance towards the groundbridge looming far behind you. “Not really. I’ve been to most places I’ve wanted to go already.”

“By sneaking in through a groundbridge,” Jack grumbled from the stairwell. He still looked worryingly pale, a stark ivory against his jet-black hair.

Your brow furrowed. “You okay?”

“Fine,” he said, raising a palm and sinking into the couch between you and Raf, jumping and scooping the writing supplies towards you. “Remind me next time why I won’t play truth or dare with Miko ever again.”

“Hey!” she cried, and you rolled your eyes with a fond smile.

“Let him lie, Miko. He’s just had a traumatic experience. Who knows what’s been on these floors.”

She huffed, but seemed to drop it nevertheless. She turned her attention to you. “What about you? Truth or dare?”

“You already know my answer,” you responded.

The girl growled. “I might start playing with ‘Bee. He’s more fun.” She tilted her head, rubbing at her chin as Jack muttered a quiet ‘you mean more gullible’ that she, thankfully, didn’t hear. She shot Raf a look when he snickered, though. “Hmm…what about...nah.” She pursed her lips and studied you intensely, as though she were trying to read your mind. You felt dread begin to bubble low in your belly. “Do you...oh!” She straightened sharply, eyes lighting up with mischief. “Do you have a crush on anybody?”

You stilled, feeling your stomach grow cold and leaden. You tried to play off your hesitation by giving her a pointed glance before returning your attention to your homework. “No.”

Unfortunately, the girl was better at reading people than you’d hoped. An absolute shit-eating grin twisted her face and she leaned forward conspiratorially. “Oooh, you dooo!”

“I do not,” you tried again, but you felt your face betray you by warming at her accusation. Dammit, self.

Your denial only served to excite her further. “Oh my god - who is it? Is it someone at school? Someone in your class? Is he hot?”

“Miko!” Jack reprimanded, looking like he was suffering from secondhand embarrassment. He gave her a scandalized glare. “Leave her alone. She said she doesn’t.”

“But she’s blushing!” the girl insisted, gesturing towards your face. You ducked your head on reflex. “You only blush when you’re guilty!”

“It’s because you keep heckling her!” Jack persisted.

“Like you’re one to talk, lover boy!” Miko crooned. “‘Oh, ‘Sierra’ this, ‘Sierra’ that - you’re no better than a girl!” She froze, then nearly gave herself whiplash looking back at you. “Oh! Is it the guy on the track team? I saw him talking to you during lunch the other day!”

“He was asking for my chemistry notes because he couldn’t be bothered to take them himself,” you deadpanned.

“Still! Isn’t that how every high school rom-com starts out? Hot jock asks all-A’s nerd for her notes and they end up plastered over the hood of his car by the end of the movie?”

“Miko!” Jack exclaimed, leaning protectively over Raf, whose cheeks had turned bright red. He looked like he was trying to melt behind the safety of his laptop screen. “Stop that!”

“What?” she demanded. “It’s true, isn’t it?”

You tried to will away the blush saturating your cheeks. “That doesn’t mean you should - just chill, Miko, I don’t have a crush on anyone at school.”

Unfortunately, you seemed to have only shot yourself in the foot. Miko began to vibrate in earnest, and some distant aspect in the back of your mind that had a maternal love for the girl was worried that she would hit a frequency that would make her phase through the loveseat. “So you do have a crush on someone!” she squealed.

“Would you four quiet down?” Ratchet hollered from the computer terminal. “Some of us are trying to retain our hearing, you know!”

“Afraid of losing it, Docbot?” Miko called back, making you choke on your own spit.

“What?”

“Shut up, Miko,” Jack hissed, ducking his head to avoid the fire cast your way by blazing cyan optics. “Just shut up.”

“Sorry!” you called, crossing your toes within your shoes. You hadn’t written your will yet.

Fortunately, Ratchet didn’t seem too particularly inclined to commit homicide that day, and only gave Miko a hard look before returning his attention to his work with a low grumble of what could’ve been Cybertronian.

You looked back at Miko with furrowed brows and pursed lips, scolding her with your eyes. She shrugged with a smug smile.

“Anyway,” you pressed, “I don’t have a crush on anyone right now, and I’d appreciate it if you’d kindly drop the subject.”

“Fine,” she groaned dramatically. “But I will find out who it is eventually.”

You rolled your eyes again at her insistence, deciding to be the bigger person and refocus on your homework. The four of you lapsed into silence for a long while, the scratch of your pencil and the clicking from Raf’s keyboard filling the silence with a familiar ambiance. Jack seemed to be enduring an existential crisis from the horror he’d experienced (despite the fact that he had willingly taken part of it at Miko’s challenge), but you had the bad sense that Miko was plotting because she was being too quiet, even if she had resumed scratching in her sketchpad with a bright pink pencil.

It was never a good thing for Miko to be quiet.

Distantly, you heard the door of the silo crank open, followed by the deep, familiar rumble of the local Prime’s engine. You perked up and peered over the back of the couch, watching him emerge into the hangar and slow to a smooth stop. He transformed, but while you tried to follow all the moving parts, your eyes failed you. You were sure it would never cease to amaze you.

“Hi, Optimus!” Raf called in greeting, catching his attention. As he drew up to his full height, he regarded the four of you with warm optics and that familiar barely-there smile, returning the sentiment. You cast him a small grin before returning to your studies.

“Did you find anything?” you heard Ratchet ask him.

“Unfortunately not,” rumbled the Prime. You counted his footsteps until he stopped (likely near the medic) - five heavy, even thuds of metal on concrete. “The signals I did track only led to small deposits that are still forming. I saved the coordinates for later observation.”

Ratchet hummed, and you heard him drumming his digit tips on the hollow kibble of his forearm. “We’ve got enough to last two weeks, give or take, not accounting for emergencies. I’d advise checking our usual deposits within the next few days.”

“Noted.” There was a long pause. You could swear you felt your ears burning, but it faded almost as soon as you noticed it. “Where are the others?”

“Patrol. They’re trying to put off their bimonthly physicals,” the medic scoffed. “You’re the ever-noble leader - would you care to set a good example?”

Optimus let out a low hum, but you were surprised to notice that he didn’t sound very pleased. If you dared to consider it, it almost sounded as though he was filled with dread. Nevertheless, he responded, “Of course, old friend.”

He must not like doctor’s appointments, either. Relatable.

“I’ve been meaning to check the pneumatics in your shoulders and upper spinal strut,” Ratchet said absently, and you heard him clicking on the computer console. You glanced over your shoulder and saw that he’d moved over to the monitor he used for medical readouts, squinting and noticing that he was bringing up schematics of Optimus’ frame. “Ever since that incident in the last energon mine, I’ve noticed you’re not lifting as much as you usually do.”

“There is a lingering ache,” Optimus acquiesced quietly, as though hesitant to admit it. “Do you suspect there is some damage?”

“Possibly. You weren’t built a weight-lifting frame type by any means - the fact you held nearly the entirety of the cave ceiling up for as long as you did was by a pure miracle. You certainly aren’t Bulkhead.” Ratchet stroked his chin briefly, then pointed to the rotator joints connecting Optimus’ arms to the concave cuffs that housed them. “I suspect you might have strained the cabling, at the least. That would be the easiest to fix. If there’s a tear in the joint itself, I’ll have to patch it and you’ll have to rehabilitate.”

“I don’t feel the damage is that severe,” Optimus responded almost immediately.

Also doesn’t like being under the knife, you observed sympathetically.

Then an idea occurred to you, and you didn’t stop to consider the pros and cons of it before you spoke up.

“Do you mind if I sit and watch?” you called to Ratchet, catching both mechs and the other kids’ attention. “I’ve been meaning to ask you more about Cybertronian physiology, but it kept slipping my mind.”

Almost as soon as Ratchet opened his mouth, probably to refuse your request if you knew him well at all, Optimus’ optics brightened minutely. “Of course.”

“Optimus,” Ratchet started, staring at him askance. “You realize it will be incredibly invasive - I need to check the integrity of your sparkchamber, among other things-”

“You can prioritize around that, can you not?” the Prime inquired evenly. “It wouldn’t hurt for her to observe everything else. She could depart whenever it came to that.” Optimus cast a look at you, pointed and appraising. “Correct?”

“Yeah,” you agreed, catching the medic’s optics. “I’ll leave when you get to the nitty-gritty stuff.”

Ratchet’s mouth worked wordlessly, optics flickering as he gesticulated in half-aborted movements (such a hand-talker, he was). When it was apparent that he wasn’t going to win the argument (if one could even call it that - he’d been in checkmate the moment Optimus had given you his blessing), the medic ex-vented heavily and cast his optics towards the ceiling. “Very well. But only you can observe,” he pressed with a firm look to Miko, “and for the love of Primus don’t distract me with any lead-helmed questions. It takes long enough to perform physicals without an observer.” He paused, then mumbled to himself, “So much for doctor-patient confidentiality.”

“You needn’t fix it if it isn’t broken,” Optimus pointed out, and you spotted the subtle curve on the corner of his mouth.

Ratchet shook his helm, grumbling low in his chassis, and started towards the corridor. He made a beckoning gesture over his pauldron, and Optimus cast you a glance before following. You smiled giddily and set your homework aside, hurrying across the mezzanine and down the stairwell. You thought you might’ve heard one of the kids snickering, but you were too caught up in your excitement to take true notice of it.

“Transformation seams are intact...energon and coolant flow is normal.” Ratchet glanced up from the datapad he’d laid on the berth next to Optimus, peering into the exposed depths and layers of the larger mech’s forearm. “Have you been experiencing any lag in transformation? Any pain?”

“None that I have noticed.”

“Good. The tension cabling is intact...” Ratchet’s digit tip pressed into a divot in the mech’s wrist and the armor cycled shut with a flourish that reminded you of a bird’s feathers smoothing down. He took Optimus’ servo and rotated it slowly, testing different angles at different pressures. “Any trouble with your servos?”

“No.”

Ratchet twisted Optimus’ servo outward and the Prime winced subtly.

“Liar,” he huffed, reaching to the side and picking up the electromagnetic calibrator he’d been using to stimulate irritated or misfiring wiring clusters. He tapped the curved plate covering Optimus’ radiocarpal joint and it opened at his command. He began to go over the exposed cabling, locating the nodes and poking them lightly to see which one was agitated. “If you’d just tell me the truth this would go a lot faster.”

“If it doesn’t pose an issue, I don’t see the need in pointing it out and delaying progress any longer than necessary,” Optimus rumbled. The armor along his shoulders flared sharply as Ratchet finally found the culprit.

“I’ve told you,” Ratchet started, optics flashing, “if you don’t allow me to fix these things, they’ll get worse - then what will you do when your servo malfunctions and you end up a pile of scrap metal in the middle of a fragging warzone?”

Optimus rumbled low in his chassis, optics glowing. You realized with delight that he was borderline chuckling.

Obedient by nature and not wanting to incur the wrath of your already irate host, you were seated across from the two mechs on the other medical berth in Ratchet’s private medical ward. This was where he performed less urgent surgeries and stored all his supplies, tools, and records. The smaller bay in the main hangar was for general inspection and small repairs (and emergencies, if one of the ‘Bots were hurt in the field and needed immediate medical attention), so this was new - not to mention the fact that you were learning so much more about Cybertronian physiology than you would’ve ever thought possible - and just from watching and listening no less.

Ratchet had started out with preliminary scans and basic questions that seemed a little superfluous (but were no less important, you supposed), things like how his armor was fitting his frame and if he had any injuries he’d been keeping from him. He’d then checked the integrity of Optimus’ armor, poking and prodding and flexing the outermost metal to see if there was any damage. He’d found a couple of ruptures and had made quick work of mending them, then had moved on to the few exposed slivers of protoform and secondary armor protecting the lower half of his chassis. Now he was checking Optimus’ arms, starting low and likely headed up to the larger mech’s shoulders.

Watching Optimus and Ratchet interact was a novel experience, as well. Normally they were rather civil, saving face in front of the other three Autobots (for professionalism, you suspected), but in private it was obvious how long they’d been friends. Optimus was much more open than he was normally, even speaking to you with glittering optics and teasing almost smiles. His voice had taken on a different inflection, as well - he didn’t sound as grave and sober as he did around the others, and he seemed much more relaxed in his wording. (You’d wondered if this was Orion Pax talking and not Optimus, but you’d dismissed the thought as silly - he was still the same person, after all. He’d changed over the centuries, certainly, but that obviously hadn’t affected his core being to the point that he couldn’t relax around one of his oldest friends.) He was plainly comfortable with Ratchet, and you were still mystified that, by extension of him inviting you to be present, he was just as comfortable with you.

It still made you warm on the inside just thinking about it.

“I have held up this far, old friend,” Optimus reminded the older mech gently. “I would inform you if there were a dire enough problem along that vein.”

Ratchet muttered under his breath, sounding suspiciously as though he were mocking the Prime with an exaggerated tone, and you giggled quietly. He shot you a look, optics bright and mouth thin, before straightening and leaving Optimus’ radiocarpal joint behind to check his ginglymus. There seemed to be nothing wrong because he merely jotted something down before continuing upward to the Prime’s glenohumeral joint.

Here, Optimus tensed up. You wouldn’t have been able to discern it, normally, but given how long you’d been in close quarters with him by now and being able to read his tells somewhat, you could see the way his optics dimmed and his servos tensed around the edge of the medical berth. You even saw the cabling at his vocalizer flex as though he were swallowing.

Ratchet tapped the armor protecting the joint with his knuckle. “Open up.”

The red metal folded away obediently, the major panels remaining in place for the most part but flaring out, and the smaller pieces tucked themselves into previously unseen nooks and crannies to reveal the mech’s joint. Ratchet hummed low in his chassis, grimacing as he eyed it.

“You did strain it,” he confirmed. Optimus’ finials twitched back slightly. “But the damage isn’t too severe. The leverage you had prevented any substantial damage, but this is a concern that needs to be addressed now, or else it will worsen. I’ll dampen the nodes within and around it before I repair it, though.”

Optimus ex-vented. “Thank you, old friend.”

Ratchet nodded once before stepping away to a small tray of vials that were bigger around than you were tall, grabbing an injector and connecting the two pieces with a mighty click. The fluid within the canister glowed a soft blue, though it was duller than energon. It soon disappeared into the protoform exposed just below Optimus’ ginglymus. The tension in the Prime’s armor seemed to dissipate as the next few moments dragged on, and he looked more at ease when Ratchet picked up a tool you were unfamiliar with before beginning to repair the damage to Optimus’ joint. It didn’t take long, and soon he was checking the opposite side and, upon seeing that there was similar damage, performing the same action.

“I’m putting you on medical leave until your self-repair systems finish this up,” he told the Prime. “No heavy lifting, no heroics, limited patrols. I’m also going to give you medical-grade energon to speed it up.”

Optimus let out a soft ex-vent, but he didn’t argue. “Yes, old friend.”

After that, the rest of the examination didn’t take long. Ratchet checked his other arm, then his legs and pedes for joint erosion. He also took meticulous time checking his helm, which surprised you because you hadn’t thought of how delicately they must’ve been constructed - but studying his audials, optics, and even his intake was an affair that Ratchet took great care to ensure everything was tested. It was when he started to read the larger mech’s chassis with the built-in scanner in his forearm that Ratchet cast you a look and made a shooing motion.

“Observation time’s over,” he said dismissively. “Everything after this is confidential and private.”

You nodded, having already prepared yourself for it - you were surprised that he even let you watch at all, for as long as he had.

“Thanks, guys,” you said, slowly climbing down from the medical berth using small grooves in one of the legs as hand and footholds. “I really appreciate you letting me do this - I learned a lot.”

Ratchet merely gave you a soft hum of acknowledgment, while Optimus regarded you with warm optics.

“If you have any questions,” he rumbled, “I will try my best to answer.”

You grinned up at him, not recalling of any currently but sure you’d have some after you had the chance to think about all that you’d seen. “Thanks, Optimus - really. I know it’s probably a little awkward letting a stranger in on something like this.”

He gave a small shrug with his armor, since his shoulders were still probably numb (or the Cybertronian equivalent, anyway), which surprised you - either he was starting to pick up on human body language more than you’d suspected, or he was just that comfortable with you. Either way, it made you smile. “You are far from a stranger, s’mol’lis. You have shared intimate things about your body in the past - I see it only fair that I return the gesture.”

You felt your face warm with embarrassment at remembering the incident a mere month ago regarding your menstrual cycle, but you were touched that he’d been so considerate - he’d obviously put much more thought into this than you’d thought. But you were more preoccupied with that unfamiliar word than anything else - it was definitely Cybertronian, given the way he’d said it and the multiple layers to the word that made it sound like he was humming a song. You hadn’t heard that one before, though you hadn’t had many chances to hear their mother tongue, to begin with - you wondered what it meant because it’d seemed like he’d been addressing you. 

Ratchet’s vents let out a short chuff-like sound before he made another shooing gesture with his servo, more insistent this time. “Alright, alright, enough. I can’t take all day on this if I have hopes of updating your records by tonight.”

You laughed a little, waggling your fingers at the medic over your shoulder as you turned to the door. “Fine, Ratch, fine - I know when I’m not wanted.”

You heard that same borderline chuckle from before rumble on a frequency that made your ears sing and your belly flip, and by the time you shut the small, human door off to the side of the ‘Bots’, your face was hot. You rubbed your cheeks with some bewilderment, wondering why your face was so hot, but insistent thoughts reminding you that you had homework to finish put your curiosity to the back of your mind - for the time being, at least.

“All right, which one of you hooligans is ready for their physical?”

A unanimous, hushed silence fell over the previously rowdy hangar and you smothered a laugh into your hand, already serving to prop up your head as you tried to finish your homework. All you had left was a section to read in literature and you’d be done. You glanced to the side discreetly, seeing that Bumblebee’s optics were cycled into pinpricks, his doorwings drooping into the lowest position their housing could manage. His shoulders hunched upward as he clutched the makeshift remote controller Raf had jury-rigged for him, and you had the sudden impression that he was hoping he’d magically turn invisible to the medic’s hawk-like eye. You gave him a sympathetic look.

“I, uh…” Bulkhead reset his vocalizer, optics darting to either side as he raised his servos in a shrug. “Sorry, Ratchet, I - I’ve got a patrol to, um…”

“No, you don’t,” the older mech snipped, folding his arms over his chassis and looking wholly unimpressed about his weak attempt to dodge the matter at hand. “I’ve had Optimus clear your schedules for the next cycle or so. We can afford not to patrol while I’m making sure none of you are hiding anything from me.”

“But what about the kids?” questioned Arcee almost immediately after, sounding tense, and that honestly surprised you because she’d always seemed like the type that wouldn’t be bothered by such a thing. Her steely nerves didn’t extend as far as Ratchet’s examination room, apparently. “They’ll need to go home soon.”

“We’re keeping them over the weekend,” Ratchet responded easily, making the younger three look up in surprise.

“Yeah, but - who’ll watch them?” Bulkhead returned anxiously.

The medic huffed and rolled his optics in such a perfect arc that you wondered whether it was preprogrammed or if he’d just had enough practice over the centuries dealing with medically elusive Autobots. “‘But’ nothing. I’ll start with you, Bulkhead, and that’ll be the majority of it done.” He made an impatient gesture towards the corridor. “Optimus didn’t complain, so neither should you. And, if it will placate your concerns, he will watch the children for the evening.” He cast a look toward the mech in question, who had been standing wordlessly behind the main computer terminal until then. “Right, Optimus?”

The Prime turned and blinked, but didn’t look surprised. He merely dipped his helm. “Of course, old friend.”

Ratchet nodded, looking at the other three Autobots with the age-old ‘see?’ expression. The green mech seemed to wilt, his shoulder plating drooping as he turned and trudged towards the corridor like a kicked puppy. You almost felt bad for him. Almost. Ratchet needed to be on top of the others’ condition at all times, so you knew that even if they didn’t like it and would rather not (and even if there wasn’t anything wrong with them), it wouldn’t hurt them to let Ratchet be Ratchet.

Arcee and Bumblebee exchanged an uneasy look, and Ratchet cast a look over his shoulder. “You two are to wait in here until I call for you. Understood?”

They nodded sullenly, and you smothered a laugh. They were supposed to be hundreds of thousands of years old and they still acted like begrudging teenagers.

“So…” Miko stole your attention away, twirling a pink strand of hair around her finger and glancing to either side conspiratorially. “...what’re we going to do now?”

You shrugged. Raf shrugged.

“Not truth or dare,” Jack iterated firmly.

She rolled her eyes at him. “You’ve already ruined the game, there’s no point in doing it anymore.”

Jack had the air of intensity that warned of a strong verbal retaliation bubbling just beneath the surface, eyes rounded and brows furrowed, but he held his tongue when you made a subtle cutting gesture. He sighed.

“We could ask Optimus if we could get KO Burger for supper,” Raf suggested, and you recoiled slightly.

“Or,” you pressed, “we could go to the supermarket and I could cook something decent. You fools need all the nutrition you can get. I’m thinking stew or something.”

Miko made a face. “Since when have you known how to cook?”

You hesitated, then tried for a nonchalant shrug to cover up the way your stomach twisted. “I’ve got to grow up sometime, living on my own. Eating fast food on the regular is not the way to go.”

Miko looked as though she wanted to question you further, but Raf’s eyes lit up and he straightened abruptly. “Oh! What if we went camping?”

You blinked at him, as did Jack. “What?”

“Since the ‘Bots aren’t going to be able to go out for a while,” he said excitedly, “we could ask Optimus if we could groundbridge to Yosemite for the night! They’ve got a small admission fee per person, but it would give him a chance to relax, and we’d get to see the sequoias! Plus, if we found somewhere discreet, he’d be able to transform and enjoy being outside without being seen!”

That...honestly didn’t sound too bad. Optimus had seemed a bit wearier than usual lately, and you figured he’d enjoy a breath of fresh air out of the base. The only problem would be convincing him.

“That sounds great, Raf,” you said with a warm smile, “but I’m not sure he’d agree.”

“Isn’t that what we have you for?” Miko remarked snidely, eyes glittering.

You stared, ignoring how your ears warmed. “I...guess? What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on,” she groaned dramatically, and you cast an anxious glance over your shoulder. Optimus seemed occupied with his work on the computer terminal, and ‘Bee and Arcee were talking in low tones in the open medical wing of the hangar. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to you. “You’ve got all thirty feet of him wrapped around your pinky! If any of us could convince him to take a day off, it’d be you.”

You remembered how he’d taken care of you when you’d last been inflicted by your cycle (as embarrassed as you were to recall the memory). You remembered the ease with which he’d invited you to accompany him on low-risk patrols and energon scoutings. You remembered when he’d saved your life in the cave. He never treated any of the Autobots like that - he was kind, sure, considerate, and cared for their safety, but it felt...different, the way he’d seek you out to spend some time away from everyone else. You’d always figured he just tolerated your incessant curiosity, but...you hadn’t really considered anything beyond that. Could his motivation be that he simply enjoyed your company? You found the concept flattering, if unlikely.

You powered through the last of the literature passage, chewing on the inside of your lip before closing the book and tucking it back into your school bag. You stood and moved over to the steps, descending silently and walking towards the Prime on the other side of the hangar. When you got close enough, you patted his pede and leaned against him. “Hey, Optimus?”

The Prime leaned over just enough to peer down at you over the top of his chassis, an optical ridge rising. He hummed inquisitively.

“Since the others are going to be caught up in this for a while,” you gestured towards the other two ‘Bots sulking in the corner, “Raf had a thought.”

“And that would be?” Optimus rumbled curiously.

“Could we go camping at Yosemite?” you asked. You paused, but when his brow lowered once again you went on hurriedly, “It would just be for tonight, and since it’s the middle of the school year a lot of people probably won’t be there if you wanted to stretch your legs. We’d get to see giant trees.” You hesitated. “It’d be educational.”

Optimus regarded you for a long moment, his optics shuttering as he thought it over.

“We could come back if you got any signals from Decepticons,” you added. “But I thought you could use a break, even if it’s only one night. You seem like you’re tired.”

The Prime’s optics dimmed a little, and he ex-vented slowly. “Is this ‘Yosemite’ a state landmark?”

“It’s a national park,” you told him, hope sparking to life in your belly. You tried not to seem too excited at tiding him over. “Over in California. I figured taking the groundbridge would be the easiest method - there’s a fee for entry, but we’d be able to set up away from the other campsites if we’re discreet about it.”

He hummed quietly, contemplatively. “I should ensure with Ratchet that someone would be available to activate the groundbridge should you need it, but...I don’t see why taking an evening for the sake of education would be a detriment.”

Bingo. You’d been positive that would snag him.

You smiled, suddenly giddy - you hugged what you could reach and flashed him a bright, thankful look. “Thank you, Optimus - the kids will love this.”

The mech surprised you with the crinkling of his optics and the lifting of the corners of his mouth. “I am unaware of the requirements of camping, but I am sure Bulkhead or Bumblebee would be willing to take you, should you desire. I see no harm in it.”

Your shoulders dropped, and you tried not to look disappointed. You didn’t want to have your hopes dashed so easily. “You...you don’t want to take us?”

Optimus glanced at the screen before him. “I have much work to do. Bulkhead’s physical should not take long, and he’s the most capable of the three to…”

“But you’ve already finished yours,” you pointed out gently, not wanting to come across as argumentative. He returned his gaze to you, attentive. “And your altmode has more room. Besides...haven’t you heard what I said about taking a break at all? You’ve been working nonstop lately, and...well. Even you aren’t indestructible.”

Optimus regarded you for a long moment, but it didn’t look as though he was actually focusing on you - his optics had a far-away look, a million-mile stare that you didn’t dare interrupt. They shuttered some more, his mouth thin. Your left hand, still lingering on the brace plate on his pede, tensed subconsciously, and it seemed to draw him out of his thoughts. He ex-vented and dipped his helm, an odd half-smile playing at the edges of his mouth and optics.

“Very well,” he submitted, and you realized with a start that his expression was fond. “You raise a very compelling argument, s’mol’lis.”

Too distracted to feel the full throttle of embarrassment at having that look directed at you of all people, you grinned a little wider. “I have a good feeling that you’ll love it there, Optimus - they’ve got these massive trees that’re five times bigger than you are.”

His optical ridges inched upward in clear surprise. He looked immediately curious. “Oh?”

“They’re called sequoias, or redwoods,” you told him. “They’ve been growing there for a very, very long time - scientists speculate since ancient times. The biggest one is about thirty-six feet around and over two hundred and seventy-five feet tall.” You chuckled a little. “The people who found it called it ‘General Sherman’, and it’s the biggest tree recorded on the planet.”

He stared, seeming uncharacteristically shocked. “I...was not aware that earth housed such large flora.”

You grinned, hopeful. “I’m sure you’ll get to see it.”

Optimus hesitated, then dipped his helm. “...I look forward to it.” He glanced over to the kids, the groundbridge controls past them, then back over his shoulders towards the corridor. “Allow the children time to pack what they need,” he told you, “and I will speak with Ratchet over comms to establish the plan.”

You gave him a double thumbs-up, smiling brightly up at him and backing up to give him room. “Will do, Chief - thank you, again!”

He said nothing more as you turned and trotted back over to the stairwell, already telling the troublesome trio that the green light had been issued, but the warmth in your face lingering from the fact that he hadn’t referred to you as a child was making your stomach do flips you were sure weren’t good for your health. Fortunately, you missed the soft look with which Optimus had followed your path - but you weren’t fortunate enough to miss the smug grin on Miko’s face behind the can of soda she was taking a sizeable swig from.

“Are we there yet?”

You dug your fingertips into your eyes and gritted your teeth, ignoring the urge to throttle yourself against the window you’d been trying to merge with molecularly for the past thirty minutes. “For the fifteenth time, Miko,” you murmured as gently as you were capable of, “we are not there yet. We had to groundbridge far enough out that other people wouldn’t see it or question why a semi is pulling onto the road in the middle of the woods.”

“But did it have to be this far out?” she groaned, dropping her head against the headrest in the back seat dramatically.

“Unfortunately so, Miko,” rumbled Optimus over the radio, effectively silencing her complaining with rounded eyes and a sheepish expression at the indirectly aimed paternal note his voice had taken on. “But it is better safe than sorry to merge as best as we can with our surroundings.”

She mumbled indistinctly under her breath, folding her arms over her chest and pulling her legs onto the seat to curl up against the siding. Raf glanced uncomfortably between the two of you, one of his earbuds removed and obviously not unaware of the exchange. He said your name hesitantly, and you felt the tension uncoil within you instantly. “...do you think we’ll get pulled over if you’re driving? It’s not really normal for an eighteen year-old to drive a semi.”

You stilled, fingers dropping to drape over your lips as you glanced at the radio’s screen. It flickered softly in response.

“Worry not, Rafael,” came the Prime’s rather cryptic answer. “I have a plan.”

You met Raf’s questioning gaze in the rearview mirror, and you offered him a bewildered look and a shrug in return, before looking back out the window at the passing scenery. The trees were already big, bigger than anything you’d ever seen in Nevada, but you couldn’t help but feel the anticipation build for the potential of getting to see the famed redwoods you’d heard so much about over the years in school.

Jack shifted in the passenger seat, chin propped up on his fist as his fingers drummed on his leg. He glanced over at you, chewing on his lip, then looked at the radio, too. “Hey, um...Optimus?”

The engine rumbled in an attentive hum.

“Do you mind if I, uh...channel surf? It’s kind of quiet in here.”

A pause. Then, the cab of the truck shifted upwards and downwards just enough to allude to a shrug - the others must’ve missed the minute movement, or taken it as a bump in the road, but you smothered a smile in your palm and wondered at how easily you’d grown to be able to read him so well. (Not that you were able to read him clearly all the time, but you were proud of what you could manage. It seemed that what you could perceive of him was always whatever he wanted you to perceive.) “I would not mind that at all, Jack. Please be mindful of anything...obtrusive, however.”

“No heavy metal. Got it.” Jack grinned when Miko let out a cry of indignation, reaching over to fiddle with the dial on his side. He passed over the top forty stations because of the high ratio for suggestive themes, skipped intense rock at Optimus’ gentle declination, and finally settled on an old country station that had Miko grumbling and curling her hands over her ears in frustration. You began to hum along with some familiar songs, and it helped to kill the time it took to finally reach the entrance of the park. When he rounded the bend and the check-in station appeared about half of a mile out, you felt the mech shift on his axles subtly, murmuring your name. “...I would ask that you move into Jack’s seat - and Jack, please move into the back with Rafael and Miko.”

You exchanged a curious glance with the teen but did as the Prime bade nonetheless, buckling yourself in and opening your mouth to question him. You did a double take when the air around you seemed to crackle with static, and a holographic image of what resembled nerve impulses slowly solidified and took on the shape of a man. Your breath caught when it finally stopped, the image of a stranger grasping the steering wheel despite having no need to do so. The kids were speechless.

“Optimus?” you breathed, and the image of the man tilted his head to look at you. The stratospheric blue of his eyes made your heart flip.

“I’m sure you are familiar with the holomatter avatar that Arcee utilizes due to the nature of her alt-mode,” he began to explain - his voice lacked the familiar electronic hum behind it, fully originating from the avatar’s mouth instead of the radio system. It was strange, but...not that bad, if you had to be honest with yourself. “Jack, in the least. You mentioned that there would be a need for an adult representative for this trip to not elicit suspicion.”

You nodded, dumbfounded. Miko leaned between the front seats, peering at him with awed and critical eyes. Her nose wrinkled after a moment. “How are you powering this and driving at the same time? You’re moving around and stuff - ‘Cee’s doesn’t do that.”

You had to agree. You’d...never really given this concept any thought before, not having encountered it in conversation or a situation where he’d needed it. You’d only seen Arcee’s in passing, and it never seemed as though she used it to embody her awareness like Optimus was doing - just a frozen image to throw off suspicion if nothing else.

“In order to remain fully aware of her frame, Arcee uses a simplified avatar that doesn’t require her to split her consciousness or expend as much energon.” Optimus returned his eyes to the road, more for appearances than anything, you suspected. “But generally when a Cybertronian has his or her avatar activated, their frame is put into stasis to reduce disorientation and energon consumption and their processor shifts into the avatar.”

“So are you actually driving?” Jack asked, sounding a little wary.

“I will maintain enough mental function until we arrive at our destination,” the Prime rumbled, and even though he was reduced to a smaller being his voice still filled the cab and made your ribcage vibrate. You decided then that he could read from the phonebook and it wouldn’t bore you in the slightest. “What will happen after that remains to be seen.”

He eased to a stop behind a line of three other vehicles, his brakes hissing and engine grumbling as he idled. He gestured that Miko return to her seat and leaned over, burly arm reaching for the glove compartment. You admired his impossibly broad hand, large and long-fingered like someone who would play the piano or the cello, but you noticed a number of faint scars littering his knuckles, faint strips of lighter skin that puckered against the rest of his dark tan. The compartment popped open and revealed a zipped canvas bag, which he pulled into his lap. He fished out a worn leather wallet with numerous cards poking out of it, including a driver's license, and when he pried it open there were at least ten crisp twenties tucked inside.

“Optimus…?” you repeated.

He glanced over, quirking a thick, black brow, before following your line of sight. He dipped his head. “Agent Fowler requires that we carry a means of identification with us at all times, should we need it when encountering other humans. It is falsified, of course, seeing as we are not proper citizens of your country, but he constructed records for us if someone were to pry that deeply.”

“Ooh, cool!” Miko crooned with a wicked smile. “Like a secret agent!”

“I suppose,” Optimus agreed, a faint glimmer of a smile in his eyes. There were crow’s feet there, and if you looked hard enough you could see laugh lines around his mouth as he spoke. You wondered idly if he had dimples as he continued, “We are also given a biannual salary of sorts to compensate for our residence here in case we require anything. Most of it goes into Ratchet’s necessity for more machinery and raw materials, but we also carry some on our person; especially now that we have the four of you to consider - for emergencies, should you need anything.”

You shouldn’t have been surprised, because it made sense - but it still touched you at how considerate the underlying sentiment was.

The cars ahead of him began to ease up, and he followed suit.

Jack shifted uncomfortably, stuck in the narrow middle seat between both younger kids. “So, are you, uh… solid, or…?”

Optimus held up the wallet, an obviously tangible object, in lieu of an answer. Jack nodded.

Miko gasped in delight, leaning forward again and poking at his arm avidly. She met solid matter, the leather of his jacket giving and the simulated flesh underneath seeming to appease her inspection. She eyed him up and down again, appraising. She returned, once more, to her seat. “Please don’t tell me that’s a Nashville shirt, Bossbot.”

He cast you a glance, inquisitive. You shrugged. “You can wear what you want to. You seem more like a Nashville guy than LA or Hollywood, anyway.”

The cars shifted again, and Optimus was then next in line.

You chewed on your lip briefly, debating whether to bother him with more questions. He seemed to notice it, as he returned his gaze to you. You bit the bullet. “So, is this…” You gestured at the avatar as a whole. “...all, uh...preprogrammed?”

“The basic template that is generated is a human male at its core, at least for this planet,” he said smoothly, unbothered. You exhaled softly. “From there we incorporate our own preferences and ideas into how we should like to appear. We make modifications and adjustments as we go to suit our personal needs and tastes.” He scratched absently at the faint patches of stubble on his chin that matched the shape of the accent framing on his faceplate. “I will admit that Agent Fowler assisted us a great deal to make our avatars seem more realistic.”

‘Realistic’ wouldn’t be the only word you would associate with the form of a man sitting less than a foot away from you with the most muscular thighs you’d ever seen in your life trapped in taught, dark denim, but you weren’t about to go down that rabbit hole. Instead, you offered him a smile. “I think it suits you just fine.”

He met your eyes with his, warm with something like flattery. (At least you hoped that it was flattery.)

“Is that what they’re used for?” Raf asked. When the Prime turned his head to look at him, he elaborated, “To help blend in with other races?”

This almost pulled a smile from him, as you saw the laugh lines pull back into his cheeks. You looked out of the windshield pointedly, face warming. Dimples there certainly were.

“That is precisely correct, Rafael,” Optimus praised. “They were first invented during Cybertron’s golden era, when we explored the vast cosmos with little abandon. They were utilized to observe cultures that were primitive or had yet to achieve space-flight capability and thus had no exposure to alien life. It became a prerequisite to include them in cold-constructed frames like Bumblebee, and for those of us who were forged, we had them implanted. That didn’t happen until the war began, however, seeing as none of us knew where we would end up should Cybertron fall.” The final car ahead of him pulled forward, and he began to creep up to the check-in station where a guard stood. His voice was quieter when he added, “I am glad that we had the foresight to do so.”

The window rolled down of its own volition when the guard listlessly gestured for him to do so. He glanced up, disinterested as he jotted something on his clipboard. Probably a vehicle description. “ID, please.”

Optimus handed him the wallet, and the man eyed it for a moment. “Date of birth.”

The Prime blinked, but the hesitation wasn’t abnormal. “September seventeenth, 1974.”

The guard raised an eyebrow. “‘Orion Paxton’?”

“My parents were rather fond of astronomy,” he replied smoothly. You smothered your smile with your hand.

“Ah.” The guard returned the ID back to him. “How many have you got occupying the vehicle?”

“Five, including myself.”

“Minors?”

“Three, and one independent.”

“School kids?”

“Yes.”

The guard, only able to spy you from his lowered position, raised a brow. “It’s a bit early for spring break, isn’t it?”

“They participate in an extracurricular program involving the outdoors,” Optimus told him smoothly. You figured he’d been thinking about it. “I am their chaperone.”

The man’s eyes narrowed just a touch. “Are you related to any of them?”

Optimus glanced at you out of the corner of his eye. “This is my daughter.”

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from visibly startling, offering the man a small smile and a wave. You heard Miko snicker in the back seat, and your stomach flopped with embarrassment. You hoped your flush wasn’t too obvious.

The Prime nodded, satisfied with your seamlessness. “The others are her schoolmates. Family friends.”

The guard looked at you, eyes skimming your appearance. “May I see your ID, miss?”

You blinked, reached for your wallet, and pulled out your driver’s license. Optimus passed it over to the man. You noticed the name on his badge was Harrison.

He glanced between the two of you for a moment, seeming to contemplate his next words. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it and shook his head, then gestured at the woman manning the tiny station behind him. The gate opened. “That’ll be thirty dollars.”

Optimus handed him two twenties, and when Harrison made to give him his ten dollars of change the Prime merely waved him off. “Do not trouble yourself. Consider it a donation.”

The man dipped his head, seeming unsurprised by the notion, and Optimus pulled forward to cruise through the entryway. The forest was thicker, the trunks bigger, and the longer he drove the more they seemed to expand. It looked like something straight out of a fantasy novel, the canopy of sun-dappled leaves shading your eyes like a mantle - you could only imagine what it’d be like to climb one of them, to see the landscape stretching out in all directions. It’d be breathtaking, you knew that for sure.

Fortunately, the gradual change of scenery seemed to distract Miko from her evident boredom, and all three of them were leaning up around the front seats to peer out the windows. Optimus’ eyes were focused on the outside as well, but his hand on the lower arc of the steering wheel was steady. You tried not to look at him more than necessary, only stealing glances on the few occasions he’d shift in his seat and braced his forearm on the lip of the window. 

You had to admit that he couldn’t have curated a more befitting holoform if he had tried, and the ensemble of his outside certainly lent to its credibility. He was dressed plainly in worn jeans, a simple leather belt and buckle, an old, charcoal gray and white Nashville t-shirt under a maroon and navy plaid flannel shirt, topped off with a caramel-toned leather jacket that looked as plush and comfortable as it did genuine. Proportionally, he was a mirrored image of his real frame - broad shoulders, a barrel-like chest, impossibly long legs that you were surprised he hadn’t adjusted his seat to accommodate, hands that would likely swallow your head if he held it between his palms. His tawny skin was littered with pale scars in places (what little you could see of it, anyway), a five o’clock shadow lining his jaw and throat, and his hair and thick eyebrows were an inky raven black that glimmered like onyx in the sunshine, cut similarly to marine veterans you’d seen in passing. That was likely the effect he’d gone for, perhaps to help explain his militaristic behaviors and mannerisms between the lines if anyone bothered to read into them that closely. Buzzed on the sides but longer and combed back on the top to form a quiff, you wondered at how the contrasting textures must feel. You wondered if it felt silky or downy or coarse. Soft, probably, since there wasn’t any illusion of product to hold it in place.

But his eyes, most of all, stuck out to you. Against his skin, the startling cornflower blue of his irises popped like daisies in the dark. They didn’t glow like his real optics did, but they looked like they could - focused and analytical and expressive and pretty…

“...think that this would be a suitable path to take?”

Your eyes fell to his lips, unbidden. There was an indication of a barely-there scar at the left corner of his mouth, his upper lip a little thin but the bottom pillowy and full despite appearing chapped. The level of detail was astounding to you.

Your face caught fire when you realized you’d been staring.

“Oh, um - yeah,” you said, hastily looking out from the windshield to a worn trail leading off the main road. The tire marks were obvious, blazed through the brush. “The further away from any prying eyes, the better.”

He nodded and turned onto the barely beaten path. You rubbed your face, hoping it hadn’t been too obvious. The kids were too enamored with watching the landscape go by to have noticed. (Hopefully.) You forced yourself not to look at him, trying not to think about the faint, fawn-like freckles you’d sworn you’d seen speckled over the bridge of his noble, Grecian nose.

Within ten minutes, he’d driven out to the limits of the trail to find a small gravel parking lot that likely would’ve held no more than six small vehicles, three large ones at best. It was lined with logs, and there were RV hookups on one side and metal fire pits and benches for tent campers on the other. Fortunately, it was empty. He turned to look at you inquisitively. “What do you think?”

You worried your lip for a moment. “You’re the boss. What do you think?”

The corner of his mouth quirked upward, tugging on that little scar. “This is your expedition,” he reminded you. “Whatever you think is best, I will do.”

“Okay,” you said, trying not to feel overwhelmed. This was such a simple, silly thing, yet having him put you in control made you feel...powerful, in a way. Humbled, definitely. He was a Prime, and he was deferring to you? “Um...I don’t want you to have to be cramped up in your altmode all day, so maybe we could go offroad and find somewhere more secluded? Then you could stretch your legs if you wanted to.”

Optimus nodded, and without warning his holoform fizzled from the cab. His voice returned to the radio. “If you would all gather your things; it would be easier to traverse the forest out of…”

You grabbed your backpack from the floorboard, slinging it over your shoulder and slipping out of the passenger seat when he opened the door for you. The kids clambered out soon after, and Optimus’ altmode shuddered and morphed before he transformed. You craned your neck back to peer up at him, smiling helplessly. Despite being so big, he hardly compared to the trees looming over all of you - he seemed just as mesmerized by that fact, peering up into the heavily leaved boughs forming a sort of ceiling over you. The sun was setting rapidly, the golden hour at its peak, and his armor glimmered like precious metal. You were so very glad that no one else was around.

Raf fumbled with his pack, almost as big as he was, and drew out a map he’d printed of the park. He studied it for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he pointed to a spot on the west side. “We’re here. If we go that way-” He pointed east. “We could see one of the mountains around here; maybe we could camp there. General Sherman’s nearby, too.”

Everyone nodded, and Optimus knelt down and offered his hand. “I would like to have the campsite set up before dark falls,” he admitted. “We can make more ground this way.”

Jack and Raf climbed up onto his palm obediently, and Miko cocked a brow at him with good humor. “Are you calling us short, Bossbot?”

Optimus returned the jest in equally good humor. “My legs are a little longer than yours, young Miko. I do not wish to leave any of you behind.”

You snorted, settled against the arch of his thumb, and held on once you were all settled. He raised you carefully to cradle you against his chest plating, his windshields reflecting the sights around you like a television screen - and, just like that, you were off. Optimus consulted Raf as he went, ensuring that he was headed in the right direction. He had ample room to maneuver most of the time, listening as the excited boy rattled off facts about the valley being discovered and the landmarks therein. You listened, quite content, watching the trees slide by. The bushes and shrubs seemed so far below you, and you were suddenly grateful that heights didn’t bother you as much as they used to - you’d grown used to being so far above solid ground, soothed by Optimus and the others’ ease of keeping you safe and promising never to allow you to fall.

Time passed, with little lapses of silence in between. The kids were chattering amongst themselves, pointing out deer frolicking away or birds startled by the gentle giant wandering through their home. There were little creeks here and there, boulders he had to be careful not to trip over, and you watched Optimus’ composed mask fade with every careful, measured step. You’d never seen him look so at ease, optics soft and expression serene as he witnessed your home’s beauty at its finest. You felt a silly surge of pride at the thought, happy that he was finding delight in the planet he and his comrades were otherwise trapped on.

Miko and Raf gasped at once, peering between the Prime’s carefully curled digits. You looked, and your breath caught.

“That,” Jack said, “is one big tree.”

And big it was.

Bigger than anything you’d seen in your life, bigger than the Autobots, there General Sherman stood, straight and strong and rigid amongst the rest of his kindred. Optimus’ pace slowed, and when you glanced up at him you were softened by the sincere wonder making his mouth drop open just so, his optics rounded and shuttering and glowing brilliantly.

“I...did not anticipate…” he began, voice startlingly quiet.

You couldn’t help but concur. “I wonder how old it is…?”

Raf was buzzing with anticipation, scooting to dangle his legs off the blade of Optimus’ servo. He pointed at the roots taller and wider than vehicles sloping up over the earth and disappearing back into it. “You could fit a car in them!”

Optimus approached the ancient sentinel slowly, reverently, placing his free servo flat over the bark. “There was never anything like this on Cybertron that I witnessed,” he murmured, half to himself. He looked up into the crown of branches far over his helm that just seemed to stretch on forever. “I never thought that earth would hold such treasures.”

“Wait ‘til we tell you about Mount Everest,” you muttered absently, watching his digits twitch, studying the texture beneath his touch.

Optimus seemed adamant to walk the circumference of the old redwood, stepping over roots and studying the knots and scores and old wounds the tree had endured. He was utterly enthralled, and it was the most endearing thing you’d ever seen.

Within seconds, it seemed, the sun had fallen below the horizon somewhere hidden by the forest. Optimus seemed reluctant to leave the old titan but knew it would be for the best, lest a random park ranger stumble upon the lot of you.

He headed further into the park, gradually ascending, weaving and picking his way along with care, and soon the trees began to thin out a bit to reveal a valley lined with cliffs and hills and smaller trees. A mountain loomed in the distance, still pinkened by the retreating sunset, and he set to work crossing the river that flowed through the middle of it to find a place to settle for the night. By a pure stroke of luck, he found a hollowed alcove that he could sit comfortably under, shaded from view from most angles, with boulders fallen from the cliffside to provide even more shelter. He managed to scoop away some rocks to make the ground more even, and while he sat and settled against the rockface, the four of you set to work.

Jack shared his limited, fuzzy experience of being a boy scout for a couple of years, and delegated a task to each of you. He would handle the firepit, Miko would get a bucket of water from the stream, Raf would get the food they’d packed, and you’d get firewood. Optimus kept a watchful eye over the lot of you, scanning the edge of the valley for any signs of unwanted observers, and you felt comfortable leaving the kids with him while you looked for more fuel.

You didn’t have to go very far, thankfully. There were clusters of trees scattered around, not huge, but big enough that they’d shed some branches and bark over time. You gathered an armful of both, grabbed a handful of dried leaves for kindling, and shuffled your way back up the hillside. You heard laughter before you crested the crumbling shale, and saw that Miko had flicked water at Jack. He was doing his best to be the bigger person, schooling his scowl and ignoring how his hair dripped into his eyes as he set up the border stones and dug out the pit with a small trowel. He seemed grateful for your return, and you flashed him a smile as you set down your supply and went about arranging it for optimal burning. You opted for a log house style, dropping the leaves and needles into the middle before delicately covering them with smaller twigs and sticks while still giving them room to breathe. Jack slipped his hand through the gap with his lighter, flicking it on and coaxing the fire to life. All of the wood was dry so it took to flame easily, crackling and smoldering before beginning to glow and snap in earnest.

Optimus, hands settled comfortably over his lap, watched with dimmed optics, a gentle expression on his faceplate. When Miko began to needle Jack about supper, he diverted her attention by asking her about school. She took the bait unwittingly, griping about her teachers, drawing Raf and Jack into a debate about how terrible their last history test had been, and you shook your head fondly as you set about opening up the package of orzo you’d snuck in. You set up the simple wire grill as they talked, setting out a small pot and filling it with a bottle of drinking water to boil before beginning to cook the pasta.

The night grew darker, and Optimus’ pale blue biolights shimmered against the orange glow and dark shadows cast by the campfire. He looked quite at home, settled against the stone, fans humming quietly as a breeze flooded the valley with a gentle chill. You shivered, tugging your sleeves down your arms as you stirred, glancing at the sky. You frowned when you noticed a swell of clouds to the right of the valley, but opted to dismiss it. You’d checked the weather report for the area while packing, and it had said there was only a twenty percent chance of rain.

It’d be fine.

“Why didn’t you just cook rice if you wanted rice?”

“It’s not rice, Miko, it’s orzo.”

“But it’s obviously supposed to look like rice!”

“I doubt the ancient Italians had ready access to rice. Maybe they just liked the shape, since it’s simple.”

“Copycats,” the girl grumbled, shoving another spoonful into her mouth and chewing sullenly.

You’d opted for a rather simple dish, stewing the orzo in a bit of canned cream once you’d strained it and adding cheese and a can of stewed tomatoes to make it pop. Salt, black pepper, and cayenne had made it quite good, in your humble opinion.

The kids seemed to agree if how they were already finished with their second bowls was any indication.

They’d already sent brief texts to their parents and guardians, and Optimus had informed you that Ratchet had checked in to ensure nothing disastrous had happened. June had insisted that Jack talk to her over a call, so he’d paced the edge of the firelight for a good ten minutes before managing to reassure her that you were all fine. You’d settled back against Optimus’ pede, sitting on your sleeping bag, curled up in the light jacket you’d brought just in case. Your bowl was warming your lap, half empty, and you sipped idly from your bottle of water.

The clouds had drawn closer over time, covering up most of the stars, though you could still pick out a couple in the gaps of hazy black. Moonbeams poured into the valley through those patches, and the sound of crickets and the distant cacophony of nocturnal animals gave the place a sense of enchantment you hoped you wouldn’t disturb.

You wouldn’t. But nature herself would.

“Hey!”

You looked at Miko, who was scrubbing her cheek with a curled lip. “What? Mosquitoes?”

“Rain!” she exclaimed, just as a fat, cold droplet smacked the side of your neck and made you shudder on impact.

Gooseflesh rose under your clothes, and then you heard it - the hiss of rain beginning to fall on the grass not far from you.

You cursed under your breath.

The four of you had seconds to scramble for your things, dragging your bedrolls under the canopy of rock and hastily putting away the trash, dishes, and food accumulated on the ground. Optimus looked like he wanted to help, but because he didn’t want to risk hurting any of you with sudden movements, all he could do was shield you as best as he could with his extended servos.

The skies opened up, and rain began to flood the valley in earnest.

You hissed at the others to get close to the Prime where it was sheltered, fumbling and grabbing their packs. They scrambled to get close, clustered near his knees, and you stumbled over a rock before managing to get into safety.

You all stared at each other, soaked to the bone, and began to giggle madly.

“Our luck, huh?” you wheezed, doing your best to wring out your hair and tie it into a damp bun. Poor Raf was doing his best to dry his glasses, and Jack watched, crestfallen, as the rain smothered his campfire.

“I thought you said it wasn’t going to rain!” Miko claimed, shivering and pulling her jacket from her backpack with a scowl.

“It was unlikely,” you said, shrugging, just glad you’d been able to cook a hot meal before the weather had struck. You glanced out, watching as water began to soak every inch of the earth stretched out before you. You scratched your head. “Don’t know how we’re gonna manage to all spread out without getting wet, though.”

“Allow me.”

Optimus shifted, pulled his legs up, and the four of you tried to make room for him. He transformed, leaving much more room in the alcove, but he surprised you by opening his doors. “The wind might blow in the rain.”

“But...all night?” you questioned.

“I have spent longer in my altmode,” he soothed. You heard the telltale click of his heater kicking on. “I do not wish for any of you to catch ill.”

You’d brought a hand towel, luckily, and you had them pat themselves mostly dry before grabbing their sleeping supplies and climbing up into Optimus’ cab. The last thing you wanted was to get all his interior wet - you hated to think about it getting moldy or smelling bad.

You settled into the driver’s seat, sliding it back to give yourself a little more room to curl up with your back against the door. The kids were already quite content in their blankets and leaning close to the vents scattered throughout the cab. You wondered briefly about smothering without fresh air, but you noticed that Optimus had rolled his windows down just a fraction. You hid a smile as you pulled the hood of your jacket over your head, resting your temple against the shoulder of the seat.

“What now?” Miko questioned, drawing all of your attention. She snapped her phone shut with a dramatic sigh. “I don’t have any service out here, and it’s too early to go to bed.”

“We could play a game,” Raf suggested.

“Not truth or dare,” Jack reiterated firmly.

“We know.” Miko retorted.

“Why don’t we tell campfire stories?” you proposed, trying to redirect around the inevitable argument that would crop up from shortened tempers if you didn’t intervene.

“In case you didn’t notice, the rain ruined the main thing required for that,” Miko said flatly.

“We don’t have to have the ambient lighting,” you replied, brows furrowing, but the radio screen flared to life once more.

“I believe I may be of some assistance,” Optimus said smoothly. You watched, dumbfounded, as the biolights littering the interior of his cab shifted hues into a warm, flickering range of amber to gold - just like the flames left to smolder in the onslaught outside. To add to the effect, the sound of crackling wood and chirping crickets piped through the speakers. “Is this acceptable?”

“More than!” Miko crowed, grinning wickedly in the dim lighting. “Thanks, Bossbot!”

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Raf wondered out loud, thoroughly mesmerized.

Optimus rumbled that same almost chuckle, though it could easily have been passed for his engine under the hum of the heaters clicking down into a lower setting. “I am afraid that there are quite a few things, Rafael, that I am unable to do.”

“Who wants to go first?” asked Jack, tugging his blanket over his torso and settling into the passenger seat. His eyes were already half-lidded.

“Me, me!” Miko exclaimed. “Maybe it’s not a campfire story like you’re used to, but I know a few old legends about Japanese demons that’ll make your skin crawl right off your body!”

Poor Raf already looked spooked. “Please just don’t make them too scary. I’d really like to be able to sleep, you know.”

“Why don’t I start?” you tried. “It’s just a story I heard from someone at school, and it’s not too bad - just a little spooky.”

Miko folded her arms over her chest but didn’t argue, and you smiled as the kids settled their eyes on you. “Okay, so there once was an old lumberyard a few miles from any nearby town that could only be accessed by train and trolley. They had those massive log-splitting saws that would never fly with today’s safety laws - and for good reason. There was one man that worked there who was huge - seven feet tall, just as big as a grizzly bear - who always kept a bag of sunflower seeds in the front pocket of his overalls and chewed them throughout the day.”

Miko faked a rather obvious yawn, but the boys shushed her immediately. Just as Optimus had forewarned, the wind began to blow the rain into the alcove, drumming against his windshield in a fierce spray that only enhanced the background noise.

“One day,” you continued patiently, “this man’s ankle got caught up in one of the logging chains they would attach to draft horses’ harnesses to drag the logs to the saw. In a freak accident, the man was pulled through the saw, and both of his legs were sheered right off his body like butter. The other workers couldn’t do anything to save him, so he bled out in seconds.”

Raf sucked in a breath, and Jack’s eyes rounded. Even Miko was staring more attentively.

“Some have said,” you concluded, “that they have found sunflower seed shells chewed up on the ground around their campsites, as well as furrows in the ground from this man dragging himself through the dirt with his bare hands. A few have sworn that they could hear him groaning in the middle of the night, begging for the other lumberyard workers to help him find his legs, and that you can still hear the saws roaring deep in the woods-”

All three kids squealed when a deep, juddering groan filled the cabin. You jumped, glancing around, heart pounding at the unexpected sound.

“My apologies,” Optimus rumbled, and were you imagining things, or…did he sound smug? “The wiper blades must be dry. We do not often see rain in Jasper.”

Did he…? There’s no way. You covered your mouth, trying your best to withhold your laughter. Maybe the Prime had a sense of humor after all. “That’s the end of the story anyway,” you concluded, clearing your throat. “Go ahead, Miko.”

“Great!” She leaned forward, waggling her fingers with anticipation. “Now, it all started with…”

The worst of the storm had passed by the time the kids finally grew too drowsy to exchange stories anymore (which had quickly devolved from spooky ones to personal experiences, particularly gossip, which you had noted with some amusement), leaving a lazy drizzle just outside the alcove. The clouds had thinned just enough to allow enough ambient lighting from the moon above them to cast the valley in a gloomy hue, but the sound was soothing (living in a desert certainly had its detriments, as you loved the rain dearly, but that’s what you had modern technology for anyway) - enough so that the kids were fast asleep and snoring in their respective seats, curled up in their blankets like chrysalises. Optimus’ biolights had long since dimmed, and his silence suggested that he likely had drifted into stasis likewise - but you couldn’t convince yourself to do the same.

You smothered a yawn and reached down into your open backpack on the floorboard, drawing out a book you’d borrowed from the library. You squinted, even tried holding the bookmarked page up to one of Optimus’ biolights, but even that couldn’t illuminate the words enough for you to read. Flashlight it was, then.

You fished the pocket light out of the side pocket and, as quietly and gingerly as you could manage, cracked open the door to slip down the step onto the wet gravel below before pressing it shut again. The last thing you wanted was to disturb any of them - especially Optimus - so you hoped he was deep enough in stasis that he wouldn’t notice the movement.

One of the folding stools Jack had brought was damp but didn’t soak your pants through when you sat against the rock wall, clicking on the miniature flashlight and highlighting the page.

Much better. You glanced up at the cab and its windows but saw no movement to suggest that it was rousing the kids. You smiled softly to yourself and returned your attention to the words, whispering them quietly to yourself. “‘Sleep, love sleep, the night winds sigh, in soft lullaby. The Lark is at rest with the dew on her breast. So close those dear eyes, that borrowed their hue from the heavens so blue, sleep, love sleep.’”

“You are not resting?”

Your head snapped up, eyes rounding as Optimus’ holoform fizzled into being from nothing before you, reminding you of old myths about Grecian gods (and the forms they took to woo mortals). You smothered the thought immediately. “I didn’t realize you were still awake.”

“I was not, but you left. I wanted to ensure you were all right,” Optimus rumbled, stepping over and settling himself onto the stool next to you, closer to the whispering rain - close enough that your elbows would touch if you were so inclined to lean towards him.

“I’m fine,” you told him softly, clicking off the light on reflex. “Just couldn’t sleep.”

He studied you for a moment, and you could swear that perhaps his eyes did almost glow in the dark. “You struggle with insomnia?”

It was honestly less of a question and more of an observation, but he was polite enough not to let it be known that your behavior was that obvious. You shrugged. “I have for a few years now, but I’ve gotten used to it. I just left my supplements at home.”

His brows furrowed just so. “You require aid to assist?”

“It’s not like I can just turn my brain off,” you joked, pointing towards your head. “I don’t know if it’s different for you guys, but humans’ brains stay active even while we’re sleeping. That’s why we dream.”

“I…see. Our autonomous functions continue similarly, but we do not dream.”

“Oh.” You frowned lightly. “Not at all?”

Optimus tilted his head slightly, staring resolutely down at the gravel beneath his boots with a contemplative hum. “It is difficult to explain.  We do not…‘dream’, by your common definition, so much as we relive our memories. Our processors cannot reinvent nor repurpose information already recorded as humans do. Our memories can become corrupted and data will bleed together as a result, but that is as close to dreaming as we come. And, if that happens, the memories themselves are of a more…volatile nature, to produce such a result.”

Your frown deepened. “Are you saying you can only have nightmares?”

“In a worst-case scenario. It is simply more common due to the health concerns involved in their development related to stressful or traumatic events.” He released a long exhale. “Though it is much rarer, memories with other strong emotional attachments can produce a similar result. Exultation, for example - however, such cases are simply not as frequent.”

“I see. Like flashbulb memories, but on a much more extreme scale,” you related. “I enjoyed learning psychology a couple of years ago, though I know it doesn’t really come close to this biologically since you’re…well, mechanical, and we’re organic. It just fascinates me that our wiring produces similar results, so to speak.”

Optimus gave you an appraising look, seemingly pleased. “Our peoples are more similar than I would ever have initially thought upon making contact with humanity. Anatomically we could be considered cousins - distant, perhaps, but still related.”

You realized, then, that the limited familiarity you had with reading him normally was amplified tenfold seeing his microexpressions and body language translated into human form. He had never before looked so obviously open with his emotions - the inquisitive sparkle in his eyes, the unwavering attentiveness of his gaze fixated wholly on you, the softness of his features. He was so innately curious about anything and everything, despite having every reason to have become callused throughout his lifetime, and you found it endlessly endearing.

“I’d like to study that further,” you smiled, “though I’m sure Ratchet would get tired of my questions.”

“He, too, is as studious as I,” Optimus mused. “That is partly how we met. If a topic is ever struck about that which he is passionate, it is difficult to curb his enthusiasm.” That same barely-there smile, so much more prominent than usual. Perhaps he was unaccustomed to moderating his expressions in his holomatter avatar since it was so rarely used. “But if ever you have questions, I would be more than happy to indulge you, s’mol’lis.”

“What does that mean?” you blurted, unable to help yourself. His brows rose slightly, expression carefully receding back into neutrality. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to. I’ve just never heard you say that before, what little you’ve spoken Cybertronian.”

“You hear it as Cybertronian?” he questioned quietly, sounding taken aback.

“Um…yes?” You frowned. “Am I not supposed to?”

“I am saying your name in English,” he explained, and…was he genuinely surprised? “That you are able to understand the harmonics attached to it is…unexpected.” You blinked at him, and he elaborated, “In Cybertronian dialects, we speak on multiple frequencies at once. It takes the internal complexity of our audial structure to understand each layer individually, as well as combined. It is how we assign titles, ranks, or…feelings to certain objects, or people.”

“It’s not like I can tell what exactly you’re saying, it’s just…quiet, in a way.” Your face felt unbearably hot. Were you not supposed to notice or comment on this? “I’m…sorry if I’ve overstepped or anything, I was just curious. I’d noticed my name started to sound a little different, but today it really stood out to me.”

“Yes. To address someone by their name is an inherently transparent statement of one’s regard for that person. A Cybertronian cannot lie in how they feel for another. It is impossible.” He watched you carefully for a long moment, eyes studying your face. It took him even longer to continue. “I have much respect for you, s’mol’lis, and hold you in high esteem. You are a primary example to me of the ideals that humanity represents. Your outlook on life is highly advanced for someone of your age, and I find that you have caused me to reconsider things from different perspectives I never would have imagined on my own. It is…refreshing, to hear your opinions on things. You are highly intelligent, as well as open-minded, and your capacity for compassion is one to be admired. I am exceedingly grateful that I have had the opportunity to meet you. You have afforded me room to stop and observe the little things that I had forgotten were just as important as the grand scheme of them. Your world is truly beautiful, and you’ve reminded me not to take that for granted. I wish to protect it, unlike how I failed to do so for Cybertron.” His gaze turned to the rain still pouring from the sky, and he reached out with an upturned palm to watch the droplets dribble over his artificial skin. His expression tightened slightly. “…Although I do wish it might have been under different circumstances. Knowing that I pose an eternal danger to you merely by proxy…”

“I’d risk it a million times over,” you interrupted instantly, causing his brows to rise again as he withdrew his hand and smeared the moisture onto his jeans. “You - all of you - have changed my life in ways I would never have expected. I am so very grateful for that. You don’t know how much you - all mean to me.” Your eyes stung, but you took a steadying inhale through your nose. “You’ve changed my life for the better.”

“As have you. I shall have to inquire Ratchet about the potential implications of you being able to understand even a small fraction of our native tongue, though it can wait for later.” Optimus’ lips upturned, and your heart squeezed. He glanced down at the book in your hand. “You were reading poetry?”

“I, ah…yes.” You handed him the book and tried to give him the pocket light, as well, but he shook his head. “I’ve really enjoyed reading it lately. It’s calming, and gets my mind off things.”

“I am able to see more in the dark than a human can, even while utilizing my holomatter avatar,” Optimus rumbled, flipping it open to the page you’d had marked. “I find that it has a similar effect for me.” He glanced down at you, earnesty in his stratospheric baby blues. “Would you like to continue reading it by me narrating it aloud?”

“Oh,” you murmured, face growing hot again. (God, would he ever stop flustering you?) “You don’t have to, really - I didn’t even mean to wake you up-”

He leaned in closer, peering directly into your eyes. “I do not mind,” he told you plaintively. “I enjoy reading it as well. It would be no trouble to help you sleep.”

Oh. You really were that transparent, huh?

“I…guess I can’t argue with that.” You leaned back against the stone wall behind you, trying to ignore the fact that while he may have been composed of solid light in this form, he undeniably radiated warmth. “Thank you.”

“There is no need.” He, too, reclined against the worn rock, folded his legs at the ankles, and propped the book against his knees. “You were half-way through this one?”

“Yeah,” you said softly, eyes drifting up to study the faint illumination of his profile against the midnight backdrop. Maybe your initial associations with Greek mythology weren’t too far off the mark, after all.

“Very well.” He cleared his throat quietly, then settled into a low, rhythmic cadence that immediately set you at ease. “‘Sleep, love sleep, the pale moon looks down on the valleys around, the Glow Moth is flying’…”

You exhaled slowly, eyelids slipping shut as you turned to face him - and, in so doing, brushed against his arm. Wordlessly, he lifted it - and though you hesitated, he waited for you to tuck yourself into his side proper before enclosing his grasp around your back. His broad and impossibly warm hand settled on your shoulder, and you firmly told yourself that he was being considerate of the chill blowing into the alcove on a gentle breeze causing you to shiver. He was the epitome of a gentleman, after all, and even as his voice vibrated through his apparition’s side against your ear, you could summon no proper argument against allowing him to be so courteous.

And he was warm - so very warm, and safe, and maybe it wouldn’t hurt if you just rested your eyes for a minute. You didn’t want to fall asleep against him, because that would be awkward and would make him uncomfortable and he’d have to move you back into the cab eventually, but…

“…‘the South wind is sighing, and I am low lying, with lute deftly strung, to pour out my song’…” And were you really imagining things again, or did he turn his head to whisper the last line directly into your ear? “…‘sleep, love. Sleep.’”

…No, that didn’t sound like a bad idea at all, actually. Maybe five minutes wouldn’t hurt.

“We’re baaack!”

You heard Ratchet’s scoff all the way across the hangar, even as the churning vortex of the groundbridge drowned out most other sounds. You shook your head with a thin smile, watching as the kids eagerly ran into the interior of the silo. You took your time, sore all over from sleeping upright all night.

You had fallen asleep, much to your chagrin, and deeply, too. The chipper twitter of birdsong in the bleak dawn had roused you, and you’d realized with a start that you’d just about fallen into Optimus’ lap - which he hadn’t disengaged all throughout the night. Startled awake when you’d sat up abruptly, mortified beyond measure, he’d gently explained that he hadn’t wanted to disturb you and thus had merely allowed himself to fall into stasis likewise. While it was not your preferred method of getting him to rest, you’d take it - even if Miko had been giving you her signature side-eye all morning after they woke to the scent your haphazard breakfast consisting of black instant coffee and PB&Js.

Ratchet stepped out of his alcove to greet the lot of you (though primarily Optimus, you knew). “You missed your midnight check-in,” the medic groused, pointing an accusatory finger at the Prime.

“We were preoccupied,” responded Optimus smoothly, “with telling campfire stories.”

Ratchet’s optical ridge rose incredulously. “A thunderstorm passed over your location.”

“We improvised!” Raf piped up with a grin, already halfway up the mezzanine with the other two. “It was really fun!”

“Yeah, it was,” Jack agreed. He turned to address the crimson and cobalt mech. “Thanks for taking us, Optimus.”

“Yeah, thank you!” Raf parroted.

They both pointedly looked at Miko. “Oh, yeah. Thanks!” She shrugged. “Sorry you got cramped up in your altmode, though.”

“It was no trouble,” he responded. “And you are welcome.”

Ratchet gestured him over impatiently, already activating his scanner and opening the screen embedded into the kibble encasing his forearm. “Yes, yes, that’s all well and good - but I need to make sure that the static didn’t accumulate in your wiring, and…” His optics narrowed suddenly, and he squinted up at the Prime. “Your energon levels should not be that low. Did you even properly recharge?”

You looked up at him, too, doubtful, but he merely shook his helm at the medic once before glancing around the rest of the hangar. “Where are the others?”

Evidently, his dismissal and redirection worked because Ratchet let out an aggravated ex-vent. “You’ll have to call them out of the field,” he glowered. “I managed to wrangle them long enough to examine them, but as soon as I brought up updating their firewalls they may as well have vanished into thin air. Which reminds me!” He reached to one of his shelves and withdrew a syringe that made you feel faint just looking at the length of its needle. “I forgot to inject yours, as well.”

Optimus shifted slightly, optics shuttering. “I will go find them first,” he said, and you watched in dumbfounded silence as he power-walked with as much poise and grace a mech of his size could manage right out of the hangar into the corridor.

You expected Ratchet to grow even more livid, but despite how it flabbergasted you, a knowing smirk curled at the edges of Ratchet’s intake.

“You like having them scared of you, don’t you?” you asked with some amusement.

That hint of a smile disappeared instantly, and Ratchet scoffed again while turning to face his monitor. “It’s not my fault that they avoid standard maintenance!” he retorted. “But they’ll eventually have to come back to refuel, and they’ll get their immunizations one way or another - even if I have to chase them down myself.”

You smothered a laugh into your hand, shaking your head all the while, and made a beeline for the corridor. “I’m going to shower. Just don’t tear down the base while I’m gone.”

“There’s no telling with how Bulkhead squirms,” Ratchet responded.

It wasn’t until you had your head down, fair flipped over and scrubbing the grime away in the warm stream, that you realized that Optimus hadn’t exactly answered your question.

[harlowsbby]

Impalas and Air Force 1’s part four

"Jack hasn't been the same since Y/N left, I think I saw him once or twice today." Neelam told Nemo, Urban was just about to come around the corner and get a snack but stopped when he heard the two of them talking.

"What exactly happened? He didn't tell me anything." Nemo asked Neelam and she sighed.

"Well as far as I know Y/N broke up with him that's all he knows she wouldn't tell him why, but he's been hurting ever since she left." She frowne; everyone has been feeling pity on Jack ever since you broke things off with no explanation.

"So, is he basically like depressed?"

"Well, I'd say he is I mean you know Jack isn't one to show his emotions or talk about his feelings so

I'm not sure but l am guessing he is."

Urban felt horrible he didn't want Jack to be depressed he just wanted what was best for Jack and he convinced himself that the two of you breaking up was the best thing for him, but boy was he wrong.

"Well, he needs to cheer up before tonight he's performing at one of the most historic arenas in the world, we don't have time for him to be moping around." Neelam nodded her head in agreement.

"I agree with you Nemo let's hope he cheers up by tonight at least somehow."

"My biggest fear is he doesn't cheer up then what happens?" Nemo asked Neelam, she let out a big sigh.

"We might have to end this tour, Jack loves giving his all to his fans and if he isn't himself, they'll definitely pick that up."

Urban walked back to his room he had to figure out a way to get Jack and You back together he realized now that he was wrong, he realized that you were the glue to keeping Jack sane and going and he just prayed you'd be willing to take him back.

He sat at the edge of the bed and picked up his phone, his finger hovered over your name on his contact list.

"Here goes nothing." After a few rings you finally answered the phone. “Hello? who is this.” Ouch that hurt you didn’t even have his number saved which was understandable seeing as he’s caused so much stress in the last 24 hours.

“It’s me uh Urban.” You sighed and rolled your eyes wondering what he wanted now.

“What’s up Urban?” Urban licked his lips and closed his eyes praying that you’d take Jack back.

“Can you take Jack back.” He asked bluntly which honestly caught you off guard, why would you take Jack back especially after he cheated on you.

“Urban, are you hearing yourself right now? You just told me Jack was cheating on me so why would I go and take him back.” You weren’t sure what Urban was on or where he was going with this, but you honestly just wanted to hang up.

“I know if I explain it over the phone, it’ll be a mess, but it’ll be a mess in person but at least I’ll have a witness incase things take a bad turn.”

“Urban what time are we meeting up? My flight leaves for Atlanta later on tonight so it needs to be before then.” You didn’t want to talk to Urban but what else did you have planned; you were stuck in London with no friends or family.

“Meet me outside the hotel later on in about an hour or two and we can walk to the tea shop down the street, does that sound good?” Urban asked, you nodded even though he couldn’t see you. “Sounds good I’ll see you later Urban.”

“Let’s just hope things go well.” Urban told himself but he knew before he met you, he had to talk to Jack.

Getting up he walked over to Jack’s room on the way he had passed the living room where Neelam and Nemo sat, they looked up and gave Urban a few dirty looks ever since they found out Urban was trying to breakup Jack and You they haven’t talked to him since, they wanted him to fix things between the two of you and even though Neelam didn’t know Urban set up the fake texts she was just certain it was him.

He was a bit hesitant, but he knocked on Jack’s door anyways at first Jack didn’t answer but after a few knocks he eventually did.

“Urban? what’s up? you can come inside.” Jack let Urban in the room and his eyes widen seeing the state of Jack’s room.

He had a pile of clothes laying on the floor and I mean sure they were in a hotel suite so there wasn’t exactly anywhere for him to wash clothes but usually Jack had them tucked away in his suitcase, he had empty plates with pieces of food still on them. Jack wasn’t a messy person at all so seeing this surprised Urban.

Urban even had to plug his nose a few times the smell in this room was indescribable, he looked at Jack who honestly looked like he needed a long shower, he had stains all over his shirt which he assumed was once white, his curls were everywhere and sticking onto his forehead he just didn’t look like himself.

“Can I talk to you about something Jack.”

“Yeah, you know you can talk to me about anything Urban, what’s up?” Jack watched Urban intently he watched how Urban’s body tensed up.

“Well, you see I kind of made up a lie about you cheating on Y/N, I had Stassie text me as if I was you and made it seem like you were cheating on Y/N and I’m the reason why she broke up with you.”

Once Urban finished talking he let out a huge breath he didn’t even know he was holding in, Jack just looked at Urban trying to comprehend everything he just said.

“So, you’re the reason I’m no longer with Y/N, you’re the reason why everything just keeps going downhill.” Jack was pissed he felt betrayed he had let what happened the first time go he forgave Clay and Urban but for Urban to turn back around and do the same thing again was just intolerable.

“Jack it was for a good reason.” Urban tried to protest but Jack wasn’t trying to hear it.

“For a good reason? Are you kidding me right now what was the reason Urban please tell me so we can get this over with!” Jack yelled; he paced around the room running his fingers through his already messy hair.

“You weren’t being yourself she was turning you into some big softie and honestly I wanted the old Jack back.”

“The old Jack? I don’t want to be that version of me Urban why can’t you understand that this new and improved Jack is the version of me that’s here and staying, Y/N makes me happy she Kees be going even on those days when I don’t see the purpose in moving forward, she was my everything and you took that away from me once again.” Jack’s voice cracked as he expressed his feeling to Urban, Urban hung his head low he hated himself for even starting any of this drama.

“Urban I don’t think you’re understanding what I’m saying I was happy I was enjoying myself and my life and I know I should never depend on someone as my happiness, but Y/N was my happiness she was my home away from home.” Jack’s voice cracked while he spoke about you and that’s when Urban finally realized what he did was wrong Jack needed you and You needed Jack. 

“I’m sorry Jack I promise I will make everything better.” 

“How Urban? she blocked my number she won’t answer none of my calls or texts and I’m just supposed to believe that that you’ll find a way to fix it when you’ve been ruining everything.” 

Jack flopped back into his bed and put his head in his hands, Urban was determined to make things right between the two of you. 

“I promise Jack everything will come together.” Urban gave Jack a faint smile before getting up and leaving, checking his phone he had seen you messaged him. 

Y/N 

I’m on my way to the hotel 

Making his way downstairs to the hotel lobby and outside, he waited around the side of the hotel where he said he’d be meeting you at. After a while of scrolling through his phone he was interrupted by someone tapping his shoulder. Looking up he jumped slightly at your appearance. 

“Y/N is that you?” You always took care of your appearance; your nails were always done as well as your hair but now you looked a mess. Your hair was going in every and any direction a few of your nail were chipped, whenever you were frustrated, you had this bad habit of chipping and breaking your nails, you also had stains on your shirt just like Jack they weren’t as noticeable, but they were there. 

“It’s me I know I look a mess.” You laughed, shifting from one leg to another suddenly feeling insecure. “What did you want to talk about?” 

“I know you’re going to hate me but those messages I showed you the other day.” Urban spoke slowly you raised your eyebrow and waited for him to keep going. “None of those were true they were all fake Jack was never cheating on you I lied, and I feel horrible about it. Please take him back Y/N he’s a crying mess without you.” 

You didn’t know what to say your first instinct was to slap him for making up more lies but you were just done you had no more energy for this. 

“I’m sorry Urban but I just can’t get back together with Jack maybe everything you said was a lie, but I’m done I can’t keep doing this back-and-forth stuff anymore.” It was draining the energy and life out of you, and you had enough. 

“Please Y/N you can’t do this to Jack he’s a mess you have to take him back if not Neelam and Nemo are cancelling his tour and you know how important this tour is to him, it’s his first world tour.” You did know how important this tour was to Jack and hearing that it might be cancelled made you feel bad. 

“I’m sorry Urban but I’m done I just I can’t anymore.” You started to cry, “Y/N please come on you can’t do this.” You whimpered and covered your mouth to stop your lip from trembling. “I can’t Urban I’m sorry, but I have to go.” 

Urban watched you leave he sighed heavily he fucked up and now you really weren’t taking Jack back, he had ruined everything he let his jealousy of his best friend having a stable and healthy relationship get the best of him he hated the way someone else was making Jack happy and he now knew the mistake he made.  

Later that night 

“Jack get up you have to get ready for the show it’s literally in a few hours.” Neelam shoved and attempted several times to removing Jack from his head, but he didn’t budge. 

“Leave me alone Neelam I don’t want to perform tonight or ever again.” 

“Now you’re just being dramatic Jack come on and get up.” Drama came into the room and shook his head at Jack. “I got this Neelam let me handle it please.” He told her. 

“Jack man look I know things with Y/N didn’t work out but that doesn’t mean you sit around and feel sorry for yourself or reminisce on past events we worked hard to get to where you are today, remember that young man who came up to me and started rapping and was rapping his ass off to prove everyone wrong?” Jack was now sitting up in the bed giving Drama his full attention. 

“Look how far you’ve came Jack you’re performing in sold out arenas all over the world you’ve been Grammy nominated three years in a row, you’ve achieved so much in this year let alone and you can’t mope around. If things with Y/N are meant to be then God will make that happen but for now you need to get up and get ready. you have about a million of screaming fans waiting for you to put on a show for them, can you do that or not?” 

Drama was right Jack has achieved so much this year and if things between the two of you were supposed to be then God will make that happen. 

“I can do this.” Jack smiled as well as Drama, he brought Jack in for a hug. “Now let’s get shit poppin.” 

You were now on your way to the arena Jack was performing at, after Neelam called you, she had convinced you to come to his show and try and talk things out with him afterwards, it took a lot of convincing, but you finally agreed. You were nerves to say the least. You weren’t sure how Jack was going to react when he saw you again, the possibility of him already moving on was flooding your mind and you hated that. 

“We have arrived Ms. Y/L.” The driver smiled at you through the mirror you gave him a smile back before stepping out of the car. 

“Here goes nothing.” 

“Y/N is that you?” Ace smiled when he saw you the mention of your name caught everyone’s attention. 

“In the flesh.” you smiled and laughed as they all ran towards you taking turns hugging you. “What made you come?” Urban asked. 

“Well, I realized Jack makes me happy and I make him happy, I don’t care what anybody thinks or feels anymore all I care about is my happiness and Jack’s” 

“That’s all that matters.” Nemo told you. “Y/N I am really sorry for everything I’ve started I feel so bad.” Urban apologized you gave him a faint smile before pulling him in for a hug. “I forgive you Urban but if you pull something like that again you’ll be in the hospital.” Everyone laughed and you looked around the room wondering where Jack was. 

“Where is Jack?” You asked and Neelam smiled before pointing behind you. 

“I’m right here baby and I heard every single thing you said.” Your vision got blurry instantly with tears, you turned around and ran into Jack’s arms. He picked you up and spung you around a few times making you squeal before putting you down. 

“I’m so sorry Jack I promise I’ll never leave you again.” You cried out and took his face in your hands God did it feel good to touch him again. 

“I’m sorry too baby, I love you so much Y/N. You have no idea how happy you make me.” 

“Well I’m happy for this little reunion but Jack you’ve got fans outside chanting your name so let’s go and put on a damn show shall we?” Drama laughed and Jack smiled but before he went on stage he gave you a kiss a real kiss filled with so much passion and emotion.

“You’ll be here when I get back right?” He joked and you laughed and shoved him back playfully. “I’ll be here Jack, always and forever.”

author’s note 💗

damn I can’t believe I finished my first series after starting so many before and never finishing 😌 but I hope you all enjoyed this mini series and let me know how you feel about everything.

tag

@heavyhitterheaux @nattinatalia @moody4world

@hoodharlow @mortirolo @softtcurse

@harlowthot @alowkeyvibe

[fallenclan]

hello, it is me, here with ANOTHER potential deputy list. essentially i'll list cats i think are viable options and give some reasoning behind my choices. i also tried to account for age when picking

YEWBERRY---the oldest contender on the list. yewberry used to have the insecure trait and currently is ambitious. combining these together, i'm not sure if he'd be a particularly good deputy and (as beetle has stated) he would probably feel stressed being in charge of other cats. HOWEVER, i believe he would want to be deputy. yewberry has a lot of narrative potential for wanting to be deputy, with him seeking to escape otterslip's legacy and "prove" himself. i believe brambletuft and ivybounce would both be with him a lot and offering her support to him, and to a lesser extent, poppyfeather.

POPPYFEATHER---my number one choice. she has the perfect combination of traits: charismatic, vengeful, and eloquent speaker. she would be a cat who'd be great at convincing cats to see her point of view and in general "inspiring" cats. i like to think she has a bit of a grudge against the other clans ever since henryclaw's mysterious death, with the shallowclan war only worsening this. poppyfeather would be a well-respected deputy but also a lot of cats would probably get an "off" vibe from her. her vindictive nature is lesser known to the clan, but she isn't someone you want to cross. going with the lore stating that the deputy picks a successor, i think crowflame would realistically either choose poppyfeather or antbite. poppyfeather is the more experienced of the two, and also would avoid claims of nepotism. anyway. she's the perfect choice imo. not that much older than cherrystar also.

MOOSEFALL---he, along with the previous two, was also on my last deputy contender list. my old points still remain. i think moosefall would be a kind-hearted and compassionate deputy but have trouble with being easily influenced by his family and friends. he could potentially be a bit gullible or swayed too quickly. still, his heart is in the right place and he would always try to do what's best for his clan.

ANTBITE---antbite would be a serious, no-nonsense deputy. he would get things done. lionsong's death has definitely made him even more reserved (if that's even possible) so i doubt he'd be the type of deputy that cats support for his charm/speaking skills, but rather for his orderliness and hardworking attitude. i believe antbite would have trouble thinking outside of the box and would probably get stuck in the same old routines pretty easily. in other words, a lot of younger cats especially would be complaining about him being a killjoy. but he gets the job done! 2nd place choice

SALMONSKIP---she might be chaotic and silly, but i believe that as she's gotten older she's also gotten more mature. she works hard while also knowing how to have fun. cats generally like her and she's good at making everyone feel right at home. she leads with her heart, not her head, which can lead to her making mistakes, but she's always willing to admit when she's wrong (although many consider her to be stubborn, she is actually quite capable of seeing when she has made a mistake---she will never back down on her opinions, though). whilst cherrystar is wise and a lot more careful, salmonskip is a risk-taker. she'd definitely push cherrystar out of her comfort zone (for the better!).

MOSSFROG---the child prodigy, now a mother. i love mossfrog. she's quiet and unassuming but shockingly clever. she's always coming up with ingenius ideas and no cat can dispute that she's brilliant. her social skills might be lacking, but i believe motherhood will soften her somewhat. she doesn't say much, but when she speaks it's always worth listening. she would make an excellent deputy however i do believe the role would cause her a lot of stress, at least at first. i think rustbee and salmonskip's support would help her a lot, though!

BOULDERSTEP---not much to say on this one. food for thought.

RUSSETFLARE---one of my favorite cats, actually. she's a bit of a goofball but i believe she'd make a good deputy. she's very good at influencing others however she always has their best interests at heart. she's open to new ideas and experiences and genuinely loves her clan. russetflare inspires a sense of comradery and warmth everywhere she goes. she might not be the most clever or most talented cat, but she's definitely got a lot of potential - and she has an entire friend group (juniperfoot, sandsnap, myrtleclaw, feathersight, ospreyswipe, cinderstone, ramstep) to back her up!

JUNIPERFOOT---she's cool, she's clever, she's funny. juniperfoot might often be overlooked compared to her siblings, but she also has a lot of potential. as a deputy she'd use her shrewdness to solve problems. i believe she'd be very organized (like antbite) but also open to new ideas and concepts. she'd often look to senior warriors for advice, valueing the unique perspectives of her clanmates. juniperfoot is my 3rd choice (personally she's my 2nd but due to her lack of relationship with crowflame i've bumped her down to 3rd).

there were of course many options, but these are my top picks

tldr; top deputy contenders imo are yewberry, poppyfeather, moosefall, antbite, salmonskip, mossfrog, boulderstep, russetflare, and juniperfoot

-🐉

OOOGH such a good list. big fan of your thoughts on Juniperfoot especially, I hadn't considered choosing her, but she's actually a fantastic choice. the only relationship Crowflame has with her though is a tiiiiny bit of Respect, so in lore I don't see it as very likely, but she's absolutely on my list now

[keyh0use]

only Barry and Rafe don't know they're dating

Pairing: Rafe x Barry

Swearing, brief jealousy, gross fluff.

This is really just an outline for a 2 chapter fic I haven't gotten around to properly writing yet. Enjoy!

Chapter 1, Part 1

♡ Barry and Rafe have been sorta friends since the first time they met. Back then, freshly eighteen, the kook was just starting to get heavy into coke. Having a cute dealer definitely contributed to how fast he gave in to the temptation.

♡ It becomes like Barry's third job to care for the boy, keeping track of how much shit he's putting in his system and stealing Rafe's bike keys when he's too fucked.

♡ Days after the first time Rafe clocked out on the porch couch from too much expensive cocktails over brunch with Topper and coke with Barry, the boy starts continuously running back to the trailer at the end of the day instead of Tanneyhill.

♡ They share a bed and every stupid secret they overhear. Everyone knows if you tell Rafe something, Barry will know about it too, and vice versa.

♡ Everyone can see how sickeningly into each other they are, affectionately poking fun at how inseparable and domestic they've become.

♡ Rafe starts picking up around the house when the man is at work or out doing a drop, disposing of empty beer bottles and old take-out containers.

♡ Since (non-explicitly) moving to the cut, Sarah conveniently finds her way to the trailer every damn time her brother is gone, trying to convince Barry to ask dumbass Rafe out. "If you don't, it's never going to happen! Don't you want a sister like me?"

♡ Wheezie feels left out being the only one stuck in Tanneyhill, making excuses to Rose about meeting with friends in order to bike all the way to the south side.

♡ The youngest Cameron sibling doesn't actually know where The Chateau or wherever the heck Rafe lives. So she pulls up alongside a fruit stand and asks for directions.

♡ Rafe, as expected, loses his fucking mind when there's a knock on the trailer door and he opens it to his thirteen year old baby sister, all on her own. But Barry is chill, hides the drugs with smooth ease and invites her in, telling the boy to calm the hell down.

♡ It turns out Wheezie and Barry have a lot of common interests, most of which she was never allowed to act on. Barry loves fishing and Wheezie wants to wade in the shallows to see tiny fishies, but that's deemed unladylike by her father.

♡ They both love action and psychological thriller movies, much to Rafe's bemusement, the kook only ever wanting to watch slasher films.

♡ "I wanna watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre...again," Rafe told the man. "Of course you fuckin' do," mumbled Barry, searching through the list for it.

♡ Meeting the parents is the last thing Barry ever thought he'd be doing, especially for someone he's not even dating. Yet here he is, pulling up alongside the manicured lawn of Tanneyhill with a present tucked safely underarm, neatly wrapped after watching four tutorials.

♡ "You came!" Wheezie exclaimed, hugging the older man around his waist.

♡ Barry had borrowed dress pants from his coworker, tucked his funeral shirt into it and ran a comb through his wet curls. Looking around at all the well-dressed guests he feels like he made a grave mistake coming, even as the little girl beams up at him.

♡ But then there's Rafe: pretty, perfect Rafe with his styled hair and wearing a suit tailored to fit him just right, nothing out of place. And he looks so happy when he spots Barry, instantly excusing himself from conversation to jog over.

♡ Rafe's hands grab for Barry's face as his instinctively latch onto the boy's waist, kook telling him with a sly grin how good he looks and suddenly his self-doubt slips away

♡ Barry catches sight of Sarah in the near distance watching the display of public affection. She mouths nut up to him, the very same words said to the girl when Barry taught her to gut a fish and she got blood on her fingers and wouldn't stop whispering ew, ew ,ew.

♡ Why should he, though? Nut up, that is. What the two of them have together right now is nice, admitting feelings might complicate it or ruin it altogether.

♡ Only fifteen minutes pass before Ward has found them, introducing himself and his wife to Barry like the woman can't speak for herself.

♡ Ward is shockingly nice to Barry, shakes his hand and starts conversation about an old car he wants looked at, something the dealer is well versed in. Which obviously the Cameron patriarch knows, making Barry spend the rest of the evening wondering how much Rafe talks about him.

♡ Other than in passing with no speaking, this is the first time Barry meets Rafe's friends too, who keep giving the boy these looks like there's some joke Barry wouldn't understand. It's only mildly aggravating, hard to find much to be pissed over when Rafe is leaning against his side.

♡ Rafe is so appreciative the man attended Wheezie's birthday, he attempts to make a thank you dinner the next evening.

♡ One day Barry gets a panicked call from Wheezie, who speaks almost too fast to follow. Her father is away on a business trip and Rose won't answer, so she hasn't been picked up from her after-school program.

♡ When the beat up truck rolls alongside where Wheezie waits with a teacher, the girl turns and says, "That's my brothers boyfriend!" And no the fuck he isn't, but if Barry doesn't bother correcting the mistake then so fucking what?

♡ Nothing compares to the amount of shit Barry's own circle gives him, though.

♡ Rafe will often stop in the garage or the pawn shop, sit on rickety chairs and watch Barry work, usually with lunch for the two of them waiting to be eaten.

♡ All the guys will take jabs at how clingy Rafe is, but ignore the way Barry's arm goes around his waist the moment they're within reach of one another or the way he draws idle patterns on Rafe's thigh just at the cut-off of those sinful pastel shorts.

♡ "Wish my wife brought me lunch," one would joke. Barry would reach over and brush his oil-stained knuckles against the flush on Rafe's cheek with a golden grin.

♡ Despite the light-hearted jabs, Rafe is always invited to shit. The mechanic shop owner loves when the kook attends because he's good at keeping a couple business type cousins away from everyone else.

♡ "The day your man stops attending these things is the day I stop having them."

♡ Rafe is attractive. Anyone with eyes could fucking see that so it's not odd that Barry stares sometimes. The boy is just so damn pretty it hurts, makes his cock swell up until he's throbbing and suffering in the bathroom trying to think of something besides blue eyes and delicate hands and a snarky attitude.

♡ Barry agrees to go to the country club with Rafe for Kelce's birthday or something, rolling his eyes when the boy threatened to upset his friend by not attending if Barry wouldn't go.

♡ That's when the older man realises other people notice how hot Rafe is, too.

♡ Some bitch mixing drinks watches the boy all night, gives him this little smile anytime he goes over, like she wants to write her number in salt on the counter and hope he gets the hint. Or like she wants Rafe to meet her after shift change.

♡ Something visceral charges in Barry then.

♡ "You gon' stay right the fuck here, got it, country club?" "Got it," Rafe whispers, bottom lip sucked between rows of white teeth.

♡ Barry holds Rafe close all damn night, likely bordering on improper behaviour in such a classy place. But he doesn't give a fuck.