#I complained to that manager and it seems I'll be in smalls again for the foreseeable future; so I've had time to recover and am better :D

[mondaymelon]

₊⊹ … ALMIGHTY DRAGONLORD K'UHUL AJAW AND TWO CLUELESS MORONS | kinich x gn!reader

— in which ajaw tends to interrupt kisses. and ruin moments.

— this took way too long to get out, winner of this poll w 458 votes .. includes pre + post getting together, kinich does bite , i love ajaw

recently, the little pixelated... thing that called itself "almighty dragonlord k'uhul ajaw" had proved to be quite troublesome.

and it wasn't just in your love affairs with malipo kinich; ajaw took it upon himself to make not a single second of your day silent.

"i'm nOT forigiving you for this you... you... you- aGH, NEVERMIND! you're literally HOGGING kinich's attention so like.. screw off already!!"

needless to say, it seemed that ajaw was a jealous individual. you'd heard a thing or two about him from kinich, though rather.. unsavory things: irrelevant tidbits, a nonchalant little comment of "i forgot to mention, he'll take over my body when i die, so he constantly wishes for my misfortune."

oh yeah, like that was totally normal.

then, perhaps ajaw's jealousy wasn't unfounded — you "owned" kinich more than he ever would, lol. funnily enough, the way the two of you had met was purely due to ajaw, so if anything, he didn't have the right to complain.

from what kinich told you later on, he had been on some bounty mission for a troupe of ragtag saurian poachers, and had swung by to check grappling indents on the cliffside when ajaw spotted an adventurer scaling the rock. doing what he does best — causing a celestial fuck of a racket — he hovered over, preaching about how "real adventurers don't use equipment" and to "drop everything to show your bravery" ... after a proper talking to, kinich met with you to convey a formal apology.

at the time, you didn't know such a professional relationship would develop into something more.

"he's bothering you again? i'll scold him..."

kinich's voice was quiet, his head settled in your lap, one hand gently circling your wrist. you slowly ran a hand through his hair, released from its typical headband-style. soft, it was fluffy to the touch, and you heard kinich hum in content, bringing his hands up to caress your face — a silent request for a kiss.

and how could you resist? there was something in that gaze that seemed so pleading, so intimate-

"you ICKY ICKY LovEBIRDS !! FOR THE LOVE OF- GET A ROOM!!"

kinich withdrew his hands with a scowl, lips pressing into a thin line. "... read the room, ajaw."

"this almighty dragonlord is not going to witness a k-kis- grOSS, i can't even SAY it...!!"

"..."

kinich seemed to consider something, very briefly.

then, he grabbed the sputtering pixel-dragon forcefully, smothering ajaw's face with a gloved hand. watching in awe and feeling thoroughly entertained, you heard indignant shouts grow muffled.. and just like that, ajaw shut up for the first time in over a decade. historical.

your lover leaned forward, angling his head to the side to press a chaste little kiss into your neck. like he had flipped a switch, he grazed his teeth lightly against your skin, nipping at it first, though not hard enough to draw blood, then biting at it.

"ouch, are you trying to leave a mark? what's with you?"

"shush." he spoke with his face flush to your neck, kissing a small trail up your neck and onto your jaw as if in apology. "i'm merely claiming what's mine."

and there ajaw floated, suffocated and forgotten. "..hell, are those two SERIOUSLY making out ?? when im literally rIGHT HERE!?"

(a/n) ajaw is so detestable i love him if possible i think id want to pinch his pixel cheeks. anyway "so call me maybe" is up next w "so cradle these wings" after, they were supposed to be sorta related but i don't the release order matters so :p

[ tags: ] @manager-of-the-pudding-bank, @iamdedinside, @ilyuu-archive, @falors, @swivy123, @scara-is-my-wife, @lupicalbestwolf, @justyoureader,@fiannee, @aether-darling, @aioniela, @avensuersa, @dainsleif-when-playable, @intpessimistic

( dm or comment to be added ! i might miss ur comment so just to be sure, leave a comment on the actual masterlists page on my pinned ^ ^ )

[mysicklove]

summary: Sukuna might not be the best older brother, but at least Yuuji doesnt seem to mind.

wc: 1.6k

a/n: wrote this instead of kinktober. oopsies. i was feeling soft, ok? leave me alone.

big brother au masterlist

Two little fists bang at the door and you find yourself awoken from your sleep. In your half-sleep state, you manage to hear the desperate rattling of a door, and you furrow your eyebrows. Then, a sniffle, and a broken sob. “Brotherrrrr!”

“No Yuuji!” Sukunas voice echoes in your shared room, and at this, you seem to jump awake. Sukuna, turns his stare from the door back to you, and his lips curl upward. “You awake? C’mon lets go for round two. Been waiting hours.”

You pull yourself up, ignoring the suggestive kisses that your lover places down your neck. Another cry is let out from behind the door, and more pounding. “I-I'll be a good boy! Please, please, please Kuna!”

Sukuna growls into your neck, pulling away and yelling back a, “Yuuji, I told you it's adult time. Go watch your cartoons before you piss me off!”

A whined, “Noooooooo!” Is let out, and Yuuji by now must be sobbing, clawing at the door like some sort of puppy.

You turn to Sukuna, and his cocky smile returns, leaning forward to press more kisses along your cheek. You pull away, a scowl on your face, and he groans knowing what's to come. “Aw cmon, don't be mad. You promised me we would go again. ‘ts not my fault the brat is a clinger, Uraume is supposed to be watching him.”

You pull the sheets away from your body and Sukuna makes a noise of complaint. “Hand me your shirt,” You demand, pulling on your underwear as quickly as possible. He rolls his eyes at your tone, but pulls the cloth over his head and throws it to you. You are quick to put it on, satisfied when it comes just above your knees. 

Then you pad over to the door, while Sukuna sighs, and pinches his brows. He isn't getting lucky for nights to come, you've already decided.

When you open it, you find Sukunas four year old brother standing with his bunny stuffed animal, and tears streaming down his face. When he finally processes that its you, he immediately drops the bunny, and stumbles over to you as quickly as he can, the cries coming louder. His arms shoot up and he is warbling a, “Up! Up!”

You are quick to abide by his request, picking him up and pressing the boys body to yours, and shushing him when he sobs into your neck. Your hands run through the near identical pink hair, and you mumble out a, “I know, I know. Sukuna is so mean. Its okay. Shhhh, don't cry.”

The boy fails to listen, and you don't blame him. He must have been really hurt by his brother blatantly ignoring him. You glare at your lover as you make your way back toward the bed. He holds his hands up sheepishly, and you roll your eyes. You crawl back into bed, resting your back on the headboard, while the four year old straddles your lap, crying into Sukunas shirt.

“You coddle him too much,” The pink haired man complains, glancing at his brother who was staining his shirt.

You scoff at him, continuing to run your fingers through the boys hair as he finally begins to calm down from his wish being granted. “So you were going to let him just cry out there?”

“It's what our parents did to me, and I turned out just fine.” You bite back a frown, but place a comforting hand on his own. His eyes flicker to you, and he nods, not saying anything. You are glad their parents are gone, and he is too. Although being left to raise his brother was more tedious than he thought, to Sukuna at least.

The last of Yuuji's tears fall, and you wipe them away with a small smile. The boy leans into your hand, loving every second of physical touch. He always seemed to want to be touching one of the two of you, whether it by means of having you carry him, or him very tentatively asking his brother to hold his hand. In those moments, Yuujis smile seems to be the brightest. 

The puffy eyed kid turns to Sukuna, while continously holding onto your arm so that you don't stop your petting. “Brother is so mean!” Yuuji complains in a high voice, but he doesnt sound upset, only mimicking what you told him earlier. In fact, a smile was already beginning to creep on the boys face, already forgetting about the situation. 

A playful finger jabs into the boys chest, and the boy squeals with delight. “Wouldn't be mean if you weren't such a brat.”

Yuuji shakes his head, a massive grin plastered to his face. “Nuh-uh! You are brat!”

Sukuna raises his eyebrows and you chuckle, nodding at the boy with approval. “Tell me about it,” You encourage, and the boy in turn giggles, liking that you took to his side. 

The older of the two holds a predatory smile, and you raise your eyebrows. “You wanna say that again, kid?”

Yuuji doesnt understand threats, nor does he know that brat is considered an insult. “Brother Kuna is brat! Like me!”

Sukuna’s hands dart out to your lap, and make their way to Yuujis sides, quickly running his fingers over the skin. The boy squeals again, and then begins to frantically giggle at the ticklish feeling. Your lover's hands are tortuous on the boy, and in turn Yuuji's laugh begins to echo in the room, as he tries to squirm away. “No! Kuna! No!” He squeals, tiny fingers clawing into you as he tries to seek help from you. 

His brother holds a small smile too, obviously trying to hold the cold front, but can't when hearing the infectious laugh. Eventually, when Yuuji seems to be loosing airflow from all his laughing, you defend the boy, batting away your lovers hands from his small body. Yuuji comes collapsing into your abdomen, trying to catch his breath, but smiling non the less. You stare fondly at him.

Sukuna, on the other hand, manages to find a paper folded in Yuujis pocket. He glances at the kid, who is already watching him with pure adoration. The kid had a huge problem of idolizing his older brother, even after being tortured by tickling and left outside the room.

Yuuji points to the paper. “Gift!”

“Did you draw us something?” You question, tapping on Yuujis nose. He smiles and nods, squirming in excitement for you guys to see.

Your lover unfolds the paper, glancing at you with a bored expression. You read right through him though. He is curious to see what his brother made, you just know it. Yuuji's hands grips onto your shirt.

Inside is three stick figures, obviously drawn by a young child. Some of the heads are too big, and they are drawn with purple crayon, sloppy, but made with love. There is a little figure in the middle, coated with pink hair, and holding onto two taller peoples hands. On his left side is a carbon copy of the little one, also with pink hair, but frowning. On his right, was the color of your hair made sloppily with marker, and a smile big enough to match Yuujis. Cute.

“That ones me!” Yuuji exclaims, pointing to the little figure in the middle. 

“I couldn't tell,” Sukuna says very much sarcastically. Yuuji doesnt understand it, so he beams with pride, excited at the idea of possibly being compared to his brother that he idolizes so.

The boy giggles, and turns to you for confirmation. “Do me and brother look alike?”

You hum in thought, dramatically tapping your chin. “Definitely. But, one of you guys happens to be way cuter than the other though.” Before Yuuji can ask who, you lean forward and blow raspberries on his stomach, chuckling when more squeals and giggles come tumbling out. Sukuna hides a smile.

A second later Yuuji comes flying out of your lap and into Sukunas. The older grabs him forcefully by the hood of his jacket, like a mother cat does to its kittens. You roll your eyes at the treatment, knowing well that Sukuna by now knows how to hold a child. But the boy doesn't mind, now sitting contently in Sukunas lap and staring up at him. “You wanna look like me?”

“Yes!”

“Good.” Sukuna licks his hand, and you furrow your eyebrows. Then he very much too forcibly runs his fingers through Yuuji's hair. You jump watching the boy nearly collapse backward at the motion of his hands, but braces himself. Sukuna has a really bad problem of treating his brother with a little to much force than what a child should be used to. But Yuuji was a strong kid, so he never barked a lick of complaint – it was only you that were biting your fingers with nerves. 

Sukuna brushes the pink hair backward, similar to his hair cut. Then he uses more saliva to spike it up. Once finished he nods at the kid, content with the hair that looks identical to his.

“Alright. Good. Now go grab a sharpie, we gotta give you some tattoes.”

Yuuji borderline has a tantrum when you tell him why you can't do that, while Sukuna laughs the entire time. But, the two of you compromise, and now there is a picture hung in Sukunas room where Yuuji is coated with black marker tattoos, identical to his brother.

[strwbabydoll]

The Feeling Came Late (I’m Still Glad I Met You)

pairings: grumpy!college student! Harry x fem! sunshine!reader

summary: Harry hates Y/N, it seems like it's been like that forever. He's quick to insult and correct her even when she's right, he's just always been the only one to pick on her no matter what she does. She doesn't understand why it's like this between them or what she did to make him dislike her so much, but what if it's all just a lie?

overall warnings: slow burn, eventual smut, sexual tension, kind of enemies to lovers, angst, alcohol consumption and drug mentions, foul language, Harry is a major asshole in this tbh, heavy on the grumpy x sunshine in this.

chapter 2/? (wc: 3.4k)

masterlist

001 | 01 | 02

- - - -

Chapter 2: Surprise, Surprise

Harry wakes up to the sound of his phone dinging and he grumbles as he sits up and stretches. He looks around and stops his tired gaze at the small window next to his bed. It's dark with just a hint of sunlight beginning to cut through the glass windows, this is definitely not the scenery he's used to when he awakes from his slumber. Groggily he grabs his phone with one hand and rubs his left eye with the other, turns on the phone and hisses as he squints. 

He quickly turns the brightness of the screen down to a manageable setting and mumbles under his breath when he sees it's a little past six in the morning. 

"Who the fuck is awake right now and why are they trying to talk to me. Someone better be fucking dying." The message is from an unknown number, the numbers staring at him tauntingly. 

///

Unknown: hey. it's y/n. i got your number from principal Oscar. lmk whenever works best for you and i'll do my best to arrange my schedule otherwise! :)

— — — 

He grumbles once more about the timing of the text and stares at the screen trying to think of an appropriate response. He could and absolutely wants to just leave her on read and never talk to her again. That seems like the most appropriate since she interrupted his sleep, why is she even up this early? But maybe he should show a sliver of compassion and reply to the text briefly before going back to sleep. 

He decides on not texting back, simply because all this thinking of replying, responses and times is making his head hurt, so he sets his phone back onto the small wooden table beside his bed and clambers back into the warm cocoon of his blankets. Wrapping himself  in the thick blanket, he sighs blissfully as his head relaxes into the soft cushiony bed. He begins to close his eyes and go back to sleep, the pleasant warm feeling of sleep very quickly approaching him. 

Just as soon as he gets comfortable and almost falls asleep, his phone dings once more. He grumbles as he throws the blanket off of him and grabs his phone once again. The same numbers teasing him as another text comes through. 

///

Unknown: this is harry right? i'm so sorry if this isn't! 

////

He rolls his eyes as he mumbles, his fingers typing away on the keyboard as he sends his response. 

Harry: Yes, it's me. In case you haven't noticed, it's five in the morning. I was asleep.

///

He gets a response almost immediately, as if she was staying in the chat waiting for a response.

Unknown: yes i know! why are you still sleep? i like to get my day started early!

Harry: Because no one in their right mind is up this early.

Unknown: sorry for waking you! just wanted to see what times and days work best for you. :)

Harry: Give me a couple hours.

Unknown: okay! have a good nap! :)

— — — 

He mumbles again as he sets his phone grumpily back on the table, wrapping himself back into his blanket just to find it's not as warm anymore. He mutters under his breath, silently complaining about her up so early and choosing to annoy him so early as well, and to top it off she made him lose the warmth of his blankets. He wraps himself up in the blanket and lays back down, resting his head on the soft pillow as he closes his eyes. 

Opening his eyes once more a couple hours later, he gets up and stretches once again. The muscles in his back pops smoothly and he groans softly. He gets out of his bed and quickly makes his bed,  wrinkles sit in the middle of the blanket as he sets his pillow on top, but he can’t bring himself to care. He feels much better after getting another couple hours of sleep. 

He heads into the bathroom and relieves his bladder, sighing in relief as it empties. Shutting the lid down, he flushes the toilet and heads to the sink so he can wash his hands. After he's finished, he brushes his hair and puts it in a man bun.

Walking over to the small dresser where he keeps his clothes, he opens his needed drawers and pulls out an outfit. Settling on a white Rolling Stones t-shirt and some black skinny jeans, he gets dressed and makes sure he puts on his signature rings. Once he's done with that, he sprays his Tom Ford cologne and grabs his phone, responding to the very few notifications he does have and stares at Y/N's name in his message list. 

Her simple text stares at him, somehow politely demanding a response from a couple hours ago. He huffs and mutters 'fucks sake' under his breath as he clicks on it and begins to type out his response.

///

Harry: I'm available anytime

/// 

Not too long after, just long enough for him to set his phone in his pocket and slip on his brown Chelsea boots, his phone dings. 

///

Y/N: okay! um how about tomorrow around 6 at the library?

— — — 

Harry laughs dryly at her enthusiasm as he sends a plain thumbs up, the yellow emoji a stark contrast in the very one sided text conversation, and afterwards he heads out the small bedroom in his dorm and heads to the front door. He passes the various pictures of his roommate and his girlfriend and a couple of pictures showcasing his orange kitten, Delilah, in various moments. She was wrapped up in a soft towel from the day Harry brought her home, and other moments where he thought she looked pretty and decided to capture the moment. 

All the pictures are neatly hung in a long cardboard frame, colorful tacks adding a pop of color to the otherwise boring wall of pictures. The small hallway leads to a basic living room, a simple gray futon sits alongside the cream colored wall with a modern artistic sketch hanging above it, a dark brown bookshelf holding all their movies and the very few books and textbooks they happen to own is placed next to the futon, and a small dresser underneath a decently sized tv. 

In the corner of the living room area sits a small gray cat bed and Delilah lays there peacefully sleeping in a little ball, her tail twitching occasionally. The ends of Harry's lips begin to curl upwards at the sight as he slowly walks over to the small dresser designated just for her. He silently opens the top drawer and opens the small can containing her food. The smell quickly floods his nose and he grimaces as he walks over to her food bowl and pouring it in there, silently gagging as it squelches into the bowl. 

He throws away the now empty can in the small trash can and grabs her water bowl walking over to the dresser once again and fills it with a small water bottle sitting in the top drawer. He sets it down beside the food one carefully because he doesn't feel like cleaning up water right now and walks back to the dresser. He opens the second one and grabs a few of her favorite toys and sets them under the coffee table in the living room, allowing her something to do while he's gone and turns on the tv. Quickly pulling up her favorite tv show - Animal Planet - he walks over to her and very gently rubs the top of her head. He coos at her softly to coax the sleepy kitten awake. 

Delilah stretches and yawns as she opens her eyes, focusing on Harry crouching above her, she lets out a tired but happy meow as she nuzzles her face into Harry's hand. 

"Good morning, sweet girl. I gotta get to school but you got everything set up for you, just how you like. I love you and I'll be back soon." He says with a small laugh as he gives the small kitten a couple extra pets and gets back up, stretching slightly as he heads to the door, making sure to grab his signature leather jacket from the futon as he opens the door and heads out. 

— — — 

It doesn't take him long to head to the campus thanks to his dorm being a short drive from the campus. He parks his car in an empty space nearest the school and he sits in the car after he turns it off. He watches her as she walks to the bike rack, her long hair flowing gently behind her as she walks due to the wind blowing. She's dressed in an olive green sweater and dark blue Levi pants that flare at the end, she'd pair it with some white Nike Air Forces, a medium sized white tote bag and a matching olive green thin belt, he can see the small shimmer of her jewelry shine when the sun hits it as she ties her bike to the small rack. 

He turns the key to shut off his car and opens the door, slowly stepping outside the car as he puts on his jacket. He closes the door with a soft slam and locks it, the beep alerting the girl as she turns around, her hair briefly swishing in front of her face as she turns. He watches as she frowns in anticipation of a snarky remark but returns to normal when it doesn't happen. He slowly makes his way to the entrance, purposely avoiding eye contact with her as he grows closer. He hopes she gets the hint to leave him the hell alone, and wants to keep their interactions to an absolute minimum. 

"Hey!" He hears her voice ring out from behind her but his pace doesn't falter, he actually starts walking just a tad bit faster in an attempt to get inside before she reaches him. He makes it to the top of the steps before he feels a soft hand grip his shoulder and a tug, signaling him to turn around. He slowly turns around, face deadpanned and he takes a deep breath. 

"What?" 

"Any place specific you want to meet in the library?" She asks softly and he shakes his head as he turns around swiftly and starts his journey into the school once again. He can feel her presence behind him and his frown begins to form. 

He chooses to ignore her as they walk, the chatter of the other students in the hall filling their ears as they continue. One of Harry's friends, Alex, walks up to Harry with a big smile as he pays his shoulder and glares at Y/N. 

"How you doin' Haz?" He asks and Harry's frown only deepens at the unwanted conversation. 

"Not now Alex." He shakes his head as he heads to his locker. He can hear Alex scoff as he walks away but he can still feel her presence behind him. 

He scoffs lightly as he gets to his locker, one ringed hand reaching up to twist the little knob to the correct numbers and opens the door. He quickly grabs a textbook and slams it shut and he walks away, leaving a hurt and confused Y/N standing at the locker. 

— — — 

She can't help but frown at Harry's more than usual grumpy behavior as she heads to her own locker, true enough she was the main reason why he's so grumpy but honestly how was she to know he’d still be sleeping? It’s not her fault that she just loves helping people! She should know better than to assume they'd be friends simply because she's tutoring him, but she assumed they'd at least be better than this. She hoped he would be somewhat tolerable, a very silly thought of hers because when is he ever tolerable? She doesn’t know how it came to be this way. She can remember a time where the two of them were cordial and even dared to say the best of friends, but then something changed and she wishes she knew what it was.

She wishes she could just go back in time and watch the two of them under a microscope to see what went wrong, to figure out why he hates her. She misses him terribly, but that’s kept locked away in a box of her feelings and emotions never to be seen again alongside her favorite childhood memories. 

She huffs in frustration when she can't get the lock to open, her combination not seeming to work as she twists and twists. She swears it's the right one, so she tries once more and she's met with once again the lock not opening. 

"Come on!" She huffs as she stares at the lock intently. Beginning to think that maybe she changed the lock combination, she tries a different sequence of the same numbers and after a couple of tries she finally hears the satisfying click as the lock opens. 

She quickly grabs the textbooks for her first two classes and shuts it gently as she walks to her first class, her tote bag gently bouncing off her hip as she walks. She just barely makes it to her first class before the teacher closes the door, her hand pushing on the tall wooden door as she cries out 'wait please!' The door opens and she sees the teacher smile softly as he lets her in. 

"Just in time Y/N, have a seat." He says and she nods silently, with her head down she quietly makes her way over to an empty seat towards the back of the class. Grabbing her notebook and a pen out of her bag, she begins to write down the title of the notes she's gonna be taking and pulls her assignment due from the front of the notebook as well. 

— — — 

Time seems to fly in front of her eyes, the day taking not nearly as long as it usually feels like as she gets released from her last class of the day. With a smile on her face, she plugs her earbuds in her phone as she walks through the halls, stopping briefly to answer any questions from her classmates and to wave goodbye to her teachers. 

She spots Harry talking to a pretty brunette, one of more popular girls who also happens to be on the cheerleading team she thinks, her lips pulled back into a dazzling smile as she twirls her hair around her finger as she speaks. Hesitantly, she makes her way over and taps him on the shoulder, meekly saying 'excuse me' and she's greeted with a very nasty glare from the girl. 

"Um, we're talking." The girl says with a frown on her face. Y/N can't help the flush of embarrassment that begins to heat her cheeks up as she looks down. 

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to remind Harry of the library. It's at six, if you can't make it or gonna be late, just let me know." Y/N's voice comes out quietly as she speaks, her hands subconsciously moving to her front as she begins to play with her fingers. 

Harry lets out a very unenthusiastic 'uh huh' as his eyes never leave the brunette's and he begins to talk to her once more, completely ignoring the other girl behind him as the brunette smirks and plays with the collar of his t-shirt. When she realizes that he isn't paying attention, she frowns slightly before making her way out of the school building as music plays in her ears. 

She mumbles curses to Harry under her breath as she unties her bike and sets the cord in her bag. Hopping on her bike, she begins her ride back to her apartment. She smiles as she passes the cars and families out and about, their joy and love radiating off of them making her smile and aw. As she continues biking, she makes a quick stop at her favorite flower shop, propping her bike against the side of the store and she quickly walks in. The smell of all the flowers welcome her warmly as well as the bright smile of the lady standing behind the counter. 

"Y/N! So good to see you! How've you been?" She asks and Y/N smiles as she walks up to the counter. 

"Hi Tameka! I'm good, how are you?" Y/N asks and Tameka responds with great enthusiasm as she starts telling the younger girl about her kids and how the store's been getting along. 

Y/N loves coming to this flower shop because no matter how long she stays away, she's always greeted with a warm welcome, one that reminds her of her mother at a young age. The shop gives her a sense of family no matter what happens, and she's never been more grateful. After Tameka finishes rambling on about her life, she turns her attention to the younger girl as she props her head onto folded manicured hands and flashes her a warm smile. 

"Here to get the usuals? Anything new to update me on chica?" Y/N shakes her head with a small laugh as she leans on the counter. 

"Of course, you know I never stray. And no new updates unless you count having to tutor the boy who seems to hate my existence an update." She says and sighs, the thought of having to do so is a big damper on her happiness and a heavy weight on her heart — it’s not that she doesn’t want to tutor him, she just knows that it’ll be like pulling teeth with him. She’ll have to pry answers out of him and will more than likely be the worst tutoring session ever, she’ll be exhausted afterwards. 

She can't help but to wonder how it'll go, will he be the same as he is in school? Is he gonna spend the whole time mocking her and poking fun (he most definitely will, she’s sure of it. He won’t turn down an opportunity to annoy her and get under her skin), or will he be kind and listen to her (maybe in another universe, some alternate reality where they’re cordial. She’s silly to even think this was a suggestion, she should know him by now), asking questions whenever he's confused? Will the session end in a screaming match as he tests her limits or will it be calm as he complies and agrees to her help. 

As she pays for her flowers, she can't help but to ask herself those questions. She knows wondering won't help determine the outcome of the coming day, but she knows there's only one way to find out.

She makes her way home, her bouquet of flowers sitting neatly in her tote bag as she rides along. She takes pleasure in the feeling of the wind brushing against her skin and flowing through her hair as she pedals along. The sound of people chatting on the sidewalks and the sound of cars whirring by her and honking at others fill her ear and she just smiles. She enjoys the sound of her community while others might say that it’s too loud and there’s no peace in all of the noise, she says otherwise. She can’t imagine her city in silence, to not listen to the usual sound because it’s all she knows. 

She makes it home and parks her bike beside her apartment, tying it up and making it inside the building. She heads down the short hall and to her door, unlocking it and walks inside and smiles at the sereneness of her own space. She locks the door behind her and sits down on the couch with her notebook and her favorite pen, thinking of the best way to carry out these sessions with Harry. What would be the best approach and everything to do with it. She wants to make sure that he understands that she’s not going to allow him to just walk all over her and cheat his way through. 

She wants to actually help him, not just give him what he wants; she wants to give him what he needs and what he needs is someone to take time out of their day and work with him, cater the worksheets and lessons to how he learns best so he can actually learn the information. She can only hope for the best as she begins to write out a plan for the next few weeks, she just knows that she’s going to need all the luck dealing with Harry.

[purinfelix]

you're here, that's the thing ˚⟡˖ ࣪ - franco colapinto

summary: your boyfriend tries his best to make your schedules, as a racer and student, work - even when miles apart w/c: 900

a/n: it's finals season for me and i needed to write something self-indulgent as a break from cramming forgive me 🙏

Being a full-time student was one thing, but being a full-time student in a relationship with an extremely clingy boyfriend, who also happened to be travelling the world to race in Formula One, was a whole other challenge.

You and Franco had had some time to adjust to a long-distance relationship since you started dating, having such different lives, and managed to make it work for the most part. But now, with him having to wholly commit to his racing and finals season rolling around for you, it put a strain on your relationship that neither of you was ready for.

It was a strange paradox - the less free time you had outside of classes and studying, the less you were able to spend talking to him, and the more you wanted just to drop everything and fly to where he was. Your morning texts and voice message updates stopped being enough, and before you knew it you struggled to go longer than an hour studying without sending your boyfriend a message to whine and complain.

You were fully aware of how immature and irresponsible this was, but this awareness did little to stop you. And it didn't exactly help that Franco seemed to share the same sentiment, telling you again and again how hard it was for him as well, how racing seemed almost impossible without you there to cheer him on. It hurt, but the two of you just had to do everything you could to get through it - for you to focus on your studies and for him to try his best at racing.

All this came to a head one Sunday though, the afternoon before one of your final exams and - because of the time difference - the night before Franco's next race. Sitting in your dorm alone, surrounded by piles of textbooks, notes and scattered pens you felt a sudden jolt of vulnerability and before you knew it you were reaching for your phone.

"Can you call?" you typed quickly to your boyfriend, your eyes lighting up upon seeing the three dots begin moving almost instantly.

"My gosh, I was just going to ask you the same thing," he replied, and before you knew it your phone was springing to life with a call from him. Clicking accept, you couldn't help but smile widely at the sight of his face.

"Hi," you say, almost shyly.

"Hi baby, how are you?"

"Good," you pause, "stressed."

He nods understandingly, "You're holding up okay, hm? Taking care of yourself?"

"Of course, Franco," you laugh at his almost motherly concern, "and you?"

"Nervous, of course."

"Well, that makes two of us." You pause after speaking, for some reason this call is turning out less enjoyable and more awkward than you hoped.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really tired," you hear your boyfriend say and when you look up you can definitely see it, his eyelids half closing over deep, dark circles under them.

"Do you want to sleep? I have to study anyways."

You watch as he chews his bottom lip, thinking of what to say though once he finally talks his voice is small, almost like a confession. "But I wanted to talk to you."

"We are talking Franco, and we can talk tomorrow once you rest."

This doesn't seem to quell his worries though, his brows still knitted in thought. "I just feel so useless knowing that you're struggling and stressed and I can't even keep you company like I normally do."

You nod sympathetically until an idea pops into your head. "We can keep the call on, carry me over to your bed - you'll sleep and I'll study."

Even through the fatigue pulling him down, Franco nods enthusiastically, doing as you say. You watch him sink into the plush white bedsheets of whatever hotel he's in, and whilst you feel a little jealous at his ability to rest right now, you turn back to your desk and start pulling out your notes.

"You'll be okay," you hear him mumble.

"What do you mean?"

"With your exams," he smiles sleepily, eyes flitting as he watches you pick up your highlighters and pens, "you're the smartest person I know."

"I don't know how much that's saying, you didn't even finish high school baby."

"Hey! I was trying to be nice," he says, feigning offence though there's a soft smile across his face.

"You're right, I'm sorry," you laugh, "you'll be okay as well, with your race tomorrow."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

"I wish you were here," he sighs, looking at you earnestly and all you can do is give him a nod in agreement.

"But for now," you wave your pen to hint at the fact that you need to get back to cramming and he seems to get the hint.

"Right, right, you won't even know I'm here," he assures you.

And despite that, the entire night passes without you once forgetting it. Not that he's distracting or anything, in fact he falls asleep mere minutes after telling you that - leaving you to work peacefully for the rest of the night. Instead, his presence, even as he sleeps, even through a screen and halfway across the world, is enough. You find yourself smiling as you study because maybe having a long-distance boyfriend, even one as clingy as Franco, has been a blessing in disguise all this time.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Dogs: Christmas

Keira Walsh x Laura Feiersinger x Child!Reader

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle x Child!Reader

Summary: Christmas with Pup

Lucy scrubs a hand over her face, yawning as she forces her eyes not to slump closed.

Late nights and early mornings clearly didn't agree with her anymore as she watches you whizz around the room with too much energy for seven in the morning.

Keira's seemed to doze off in the armchair by the tree while Ona and Laura happily work around each other in the kitchen.

"Presents now, please?" You ask, skidding to a stop in front of Lucy, who's only just realised that your Baby Sibling has finished their bottle of milk and fallen asleep again in her arms.

Lucy yawns. "You know the rules. No presents until everyone is ready. Ona and Laura are still busy with breakfast."

"I get them!"

"No, wait, Pup-"

You're already gone though and Lucy groans, moving your Baby Sibling up and attempting to burp them.

"She has too much energy," Keira complains, voice thick with sleep.

"You're not the one that got woken up first."

Keira yawns. "That's because she knows that she's got to wait until her clock has certain numbers to come and wake me and Laura. Why do you think I taught her numbers so early? I keep telling you to do the same but-"

You come skidding in again, slip-sliding over the area of wooden flooring before you're safely on carpet again.

"Mami and Mama say nearly ready! Have little pigs in blankets for us!"

"That's-" Another yawn from Lucy "-Great, Pup. Why don't you go and separate all the gifts into piles. Can you remember how to spell everyone's names?"

Your little face falls and you shuffle anxiously on your feet. "I don't. Sorry, Mum. I forgot."

"That's alright," Keira says, sitting up and snagging a pen and pad from the table," I'll write them out and then you can match the spelling to the words you see, alright?"

"Okay!"

By the time Ona and Laura come in with a tray of pigs in blankets and other small snack food that had all been properly cooked last night, you've managed (with Keira's help) to make little piles of presents for everyone.

You sit happily in the centre of the floor with Narla and Coco.

"You aren't going to open your presents, Pup?" Laura asks.

"No, Mama. I wait."

"Pup made us all gifts," Ona says," I think she's waiting for us to open them."

It's Keira that gets to hers first. It's quite badly wrapped but that's because you and Pina ended up fighting over the wrapping paper and tape at the arts and crafts table during training.

"That's us!" You say, pointing at the little misshapen plastic charm things that hang off the bracelet. "Is you because you've got your pretty curls!"

"Oh, Pup...That's so thoughtful, sweetheart."

Lucy's misshapen charm of herself is meant to have sunglasses on her because you think she's cool while you'd painted Ona's with stripes because she's fast like a cheetah and Laura's charm's head was fat because it was meant to represent the helmet she wears when she takes you climbing.

"Alright," Lucy says, hands covering your eyes," Now it's time for big presents. One from me and your Mami and one from your Mummy and Mama, alright?"

You try to pry Lucy's hands from your eyes. "And then tea time? Want to try my new puppy mug."

Lucy laughs. "Yes. Big presents and then we'll go and make a big brew so you can try out your new puppy mug."

"You ready, Pup?" That's Keira now.

"I'm ready!"

"Now," Lucy says," This one is from me and Mami."

Her hands peel away and you blink your eyes into focus.

Ona is standing behind a massive box.

"It's for your room in London," She says," Lucy's going to drill these into the wall for you."

"Like the climbing gym Mama take me too!"

"Exactly like that," Ona laughs," A little rock climbing wall just for you in the house with Mum!"

"Wow!" You say, eyes wide and face beaming with happiness," Thank you, Mum! Thank you, Mami!"

Lucy ruffles your hair. "You'll be the best climber in the world in no time!"

Keira rolls her eyes. "You better make sure those panels are secure, Lucy, otherwise you'll be in major trouble."

Lucy grins. "I've got this, don't worry."

Keira's hands covers your eyes now and you sit up properly again.

"And this big present is from me and Mama," She says," You're going to have to be very still and very quiet, can you do that?"

"I can."

"Good girl. I knew you could."

There's silence for a long while and then someone - Ona, you think - gasps.

"Kie, you didn't..." Lucy says.

There's a bit of movement in front of you and something wet comes across your cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Pup," Laura says as Keira removes her hands from your eyes.

Mismatched eyes stare back at you, a little tongue poking out of a little mouth and a little tail thumping against Laura's body.

"Puppy!"

Keira laughs. "Yeah, Pup, your Christmas puppy."

"My Christmas puppy? Mine?"

"Of course," Laura says," A puppy just for Pup."

"Is...Is a boy puppy or a girl?"

"It's a girl, Pup."

"I..." You look between your parents. From Keira to Laura and then from Ona to Lucy. "I...My book please? My puppy book?"

"I'll get it," Lucy says, standing up with your Baby Sibling in her arms," This one needs to be put down for a nap anyway."

You go flipping through your dog encyclopaedia the moment you're given it, trying to match a page in your book to the puppy in front of you.

You find it eventually, turning the book around for the puppy to say.

"This you," You tell her and you're pretty sure her tail wags even harder. "You're from...Mummy, what this word?"

"Australia, Pup. We went to Australia for the World Cup, do you remember?"

You don't actually but you nod anyway, looking back to your puppy.

"You're from Aus-tra-lia so...So you're like Bluey! Bluey's from there."

Your puppy wages her tail super hard.

"So...I call you Bluey. Merry Christmas, Bluey!"

[phighting-x-you]

If anythingggg id like to askfor more of that but like

Katana takes reader aside to try to warn them, but he keeps getting blocked by other phighters

Ok thank youuuu

I guess part 2s are becoming a regular on this blog,,,,not complaining ehehehehe,,,

Yandere! Phighting x human! reader part 2! 💘💌

It's been six months since you've been trapped isekai'd into Phighting!, and you've adapted to living in the game. Infact, the Phighters were planning a half-year anniversary party for you, how sweet!

Most days, you interacted with the Phighters and sometimes spoke with the NPCs. You even met the local Broker! Much to the dismay of a certain someone...

"Awww, what a cute little thing you are!" The Broker claims, squishing your face in his hands with a bright grin on his face. His hands were soft and cool as they cupped your cheeks. "If ya want, I could set you up with some sweet gear, on the house!"

"Hey! Hands off!" From the distance, Banhammer was approaching. Broker giggled and unhanded you, choosing to ruffle your hair.

"Oh-oh! Banny doesn't seem to like me much, and I thought we were friends! Oh well, I'll catch up with you another time. Bye-bye!" And with that, The Broker was gone just as Banhammer managed to reach you. He growled, agitated.

"Damn Broker slipping through my grasp again! Stay right away from him, if he's givin' you trouble, ya tell me." The Warden says, putting a firm hand on your shoulder.

The Flipside Brothers had also invited you to watch Phights alongside them! How exciting is that? The Phighters were delighted to see you watching from the stands, all trying to impress you at the same time.

Everything was going great, the Phighters had even planned a present for you! One you'd never forget!

"Alright, listen up!" Subspace clapped his rugged hands, capturing the attention of all Phighters in the cafè. "The anniversary party will be soon, and we need the perfect gift for Y/N."

"How about letting them choose the theme for the next Phestival?" Boombox suggests, leaning back in his chair. "I'm pretty tight with The Flipside, so I'm sure they'd allow it."

"Or how about gifting them something beautiful?" Vine Staff muses, gently drawing circles on the table. "Shuriken and I can turn their garden into something breathtaking!"

"Those are all good ideas, but..." Sword cut in, clasping his hands together in thought. "It has to be something personal, to show how much we love them."

"He's got a point. We should give them something, like a token of appreciation!" Slingshot brainstormed. The room was filled with murmers, everyone giving out their ideas.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Coil sped into the room, a bright light in his eyes. Rapidly, he ran to the front of the room, bumping into Subspace.

"Oh, for SFOTH's sake Coil! Do you min-"

"Shush! Everybody, listen!" Coil bellows, everyone snapping their heads towards him. "I've got the perfect present for Y/N! Look at what I found!"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, squared disc, looking very much like a spawning square. Coil threw it onto the floor, where it smacked against the ground before turning into...someone?

It was a Phighter.

"Y'see, I went scrolling through Y/N's Roblox profile to try get some ideas for what they'd perhaps like. I got curious and looked through their creations, and that's where I found this fella!" Coil explained, proudly patting the back of the Phighter. Suddenly, Medkit's crystal began to glow, his eyes snapping open. He had an idea.

"That's it! We could use Y/N's own Phighter...and make them one in the same!" He announced, slamming his fist on the desk with such excitement at the idea. "Not only will they be like us, but they can join the Phights!"

"I'll be more than happy to train 'em up!" Scythe agreed to the idea, her teeth flashing in a wide grin. "Good thinkin', 'kit." Everyone else loved the idea, beginning to plan it in thorough detail.

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

Katana's breath hitched. He had been listening in from outside. Turning you into something you're not? It's a sickening idea. He can't stand for this, he won't allow it. Kidnapping you was far enough, transformation was a whole new level of deplorable.

He crept away quickly and quietly, making a beeline straight to your home. He had to warn you, he had to tell you the truth. He had to help you.

You had been learning to ride your newly-gifted skateboard outside when Katana had rushed over to you. You were concerned when he didn't say hello back.

Swiftly gripping your hand, he pulled you back into your house, closing the door. He began to explain everything.

Unfortunately, before he could tell you very much, there was a knock at the door.

"Hello, Y/N! Isn't it such a beautiful day today?" Subspace asked, motioning towards the sun in an overzealous manner. You smiled in agreement. Katana, on the other hand, went completely still. His stomach dropped when he saw Hyperlaser and Biograft behind the scientist.

"Now, I was just looking for Katana. We have something planned for you, and I have to talk to him about it. Why don't you take a walk with Biograft? He wants to learn more about humans!"

With a smile, you stepped out of your house and began to take a stroll with the robot, describing what it's like to be human as best as you could. When you were fully out of earshot, Subspace pulled Katana through your front door and slammed him against a tree, grasping his horns in a harsh fashion.

"Listen here..." He growled, angry pink fumes spilling from his gas mask. "You aren't getting in the way of this. Hyperlaser told me everything, and I don't think he's above silencing his own partner for good if he has to!"

Katana struggled, reaching for his gear. Hyperlaser, however, ripped it from its sheath and threw it far in the distance. The overwhelming black mask burning right into the samurai's eyes. A tear of frustration spilled from his mask, making Subspace smirk sickeningly.

"I always knew there was something off about you. Do you not love Y/N? Is that it? Do you hate them? You heartless twit!" He continued, spewing accusations in Katana's face. He slammed the samurai's head forcefully against the tree, making a sickening thwack! sound before shoving him on the ground.

"Consider this your only warning. If you try interfering with us again, then I guess Y/N will be replacing you on the roster!" Subspace spat, kicking Katana in the ribs before marching away.

Wheezing in pain, Katana lifted his head up to look at Hyperlaser, shaky tears pouring down his face. A silent stare down between the two told them both that their relationship was no more, ending with Hyperlaser walking after Subspace, not looking back at his pained ex-lover.

As the days drew closer to the anniversary party, you didn't see Katana as much. It was almost worrying, but Hyperlaser assured you that Katana wasn't feeling very well, but you'd see him again at the party!

News about the party spread to the Flipside Brothers, who said they'd definitely come. The two went on to have a meaningful conversation about the party, worrying over what they should wear to the occasion.

"Dom should I just wear my usual suit or should I wear one of my Phestival outfits? I think my Ice Cream outfit would do nicely." Valk asked his brother, looking around his closet. Dom, who was busy responding to fanmail, simply just hummed in agreement.

He should probably fetch an outfit for the party, too. He put his pen down and opened up his own closet. Dom eyed up his Raven outfit when a thought dawned on him.

"Hey, Valk, do you think the Phighters have a surprise planned for Y/N?" He asked his brother.

"Oh yeah! Boombox told me they're gonna turn them into an Inpherno." Valk replied casually, taking his outfit out of the closet. "I was thinki-"

"Sorry, what?" Dom cut his brother off, slamming his closet door shut in surprise. Valk turned to his brother, surprised by the sudden sound of impact. The purple brother looked shocked.

"Turning Y/N into...an Inpherno?" He repeated, his expression contorting into worried concern. "Would that even work?"

Valk laid his Ice Cream outfit neatly on his bed and walked towards his brother.

"Listen, it sounds bad. But think about it, it'll be awesome! When Y/N becomes an Inpherno, they can also become a Phighter and-"

"And what if it goes wrong? What if Y/N ends up mutilated? Will that be awesome?" Dom rebutted, sending his brother into silence. Valk chewed his lower lip as he considered the possibility.

"Well, no, of course not." Valk answered, looking at the framed photo of Y/N beside the brothers. He picks it up and sighs. "Y/N doesn't even remember how they got here."

He paused, suspicion growing in his eyes. "Dom. How do you think they got here?"

"I don't know, man. But something tells me they didn't come here of their own accord."

Both idols stood in a silence, thick with contemplation. Eventually, they made a plan. A plan to find out how you got here.

[magicalrocketships]

Oh, Mog. I often think of you and hope you have energy enough to do the things you want to do, and if that happens to be writing amazing fic, what a cherry on the top of the cake.

HOWEVER! It is hard to be so altruistic when you dangle a little nugget of fic that is Sugar Baby Daniel au. I neeeeeeed it like Max needs sim racing, like Daniel needs his emotional support athletes. I am never going to get over this idea - I hope you manage to write it one day!

Thank you, my lovely. Fatigue is the worst. It's the worst. I'm so exhausted all the time, so thank you for thinking of me <3

I do have more energy to think about fic than I do to write it, but I did write a LITTLE bit of sugar baby Daniel fic, and here's what I have (it might never be more than this, but I plan on thinking about it a lot). it's 2022, Daniel never got to F1 - backstory available upon application - and Daniel and Max met on holiday in Ibiza during at the start of Max's summer break.

&&&

"What do you want for Christmas?" Max asks, seven minutes into a phone call on Daniel's lunch break, where he's eaten half of a Sainsbury's meal deal sandwich he doesn't want and spent the other five minutes complaining to Max about how he fucking hates his fucking job. 

"Not to work here anymore," Daniel complains, opening a too-small box of tiny bits of chopped melon and squishy grapes and wishing he could afford the fancy packs of chopped mango from M&S. 

"Okay," Max says. "Where would you be instead?"

"Partying with you," Daniel grumbles, because the grape isn't nice and he's sick of working through his lunch and all the late nights in the factory and all for a racing team he's starting to hate. 

"Okay," Max says again. "What time do you finish on Friday?"

"It's supposed to be five," Daniel says, "but, like, it never fucking is anymore. You know it's supposed to be shorter hours when it isn't a fucking race weekend but if I'm out of here by seven then I'll be fucking lucky." He stabs a bit of melon with a wooden chopstick because the kitchen never has any forks and he doesn't like sticky fingers. He's cold and bad-tempered and he's had his Christmas extended leave turned down so he can't even go back to fucking Australia and see his parents. Fuck. The melon's on the turn too. It's not his fucking day. How can it be this fucking rainy in fucking August? This is supposed to be summer. 

"I'll send the car to pick you up at five," Max says, as if Daniel isn't midway through a whine. "It can wait until seven if you're still working. The jet will of course wait for you."

"Wait," Daniel says. "What?"

"You're coming to Monaco for the weekend," Max says. "And I'm going to fuck you in every room in my flat."

Daniel chokes on a going-off grape. "What the fuck."

"You didn't think we were not going to be fucking just because we're not in Ibiza anymore, did you?" Max asks. 

That's exactly what Daniel did think. One week in Ibiza fucking a partying racing driver and a few texts and two phone calls afterwards and he'd assumed this was one incredible, heady dream and not something that was ever going to continue beyond a holiday romance. Even this phone call seems improbable and made up. He's been limiting himself to a dream of just being a name Max remembers. 

"That's very stupid, Daniel," Max says, as if Daniel's the ridiculous one here. "I'll fly you back in time for work on Monday. Okay?"

"Okay," Daniel says, with a slightly embarrassing squeak. 

"Good," Max says in satisfaction. "I've missed being fucked by you."

&&&

Not only is there a car waiting for him on Friday after work, there's a private jet, there's fancy fucking snacks and nice gin and when he lands in Nice, there's a fucking helicopter waiting to fly him to Monte Fucking Carlo. Then there is World fucking Champion Max Verstappen waiting by a car that probably costs more than five times Daniel's annual fucking salary, followed by World fucking Champion Max Verstappen kissing him in the front seat of a supercar and depositing a gift bag in Daniel's lap like it's nothing but a bag of pickled onion Monster Munch. 

"We're going for dinner," Max says, starting the engine. "You can wear that."

Inside is a dark blue Tag Heuer watch. Daniel looks at it. "Are you lending me it?"

"I bought it for you," Max says, as the engine roars and Daniel gets hard. "I jerked off thinking about you in it."

"Fuck," Daniel says succinctly. He puts it on.

[mikimakiboo]

Time Travelers AU - Well, well, well...

I know I said I was gonna get back on track but I failed an exam and my grandpa's sick again so I'm really trying my best here :') I think I have ideas for two chapters after this one ? I'll try to write them faster than one month each lol :'D

I really want to get over Cross's time, I love this boy but I don't have much to say about his time sadly :')

Also everyone go check out @ancha-aus 's drabble because it is amazing !!! It takes place later in the story so I will link it again when we get there but still !! Go read !!

I swear I spend more time looking at dictionaries than actually writing the chapters, why did I gave them all dead languages

First

Prev

Next

The first night in Cross's house had been fairly calm, Horror and him had managed to make a bed for everyone, though Nightmare preferred sleeping on the bench on the kitchen side of the house, Cross couldn't blame him honestly, straw wasn't what someone would call a fancy beding, compared to it anything would be better, even a bench. Killer was very happy with the straws and kept making little braids with it, five in total, and he gave one to everyone afterward. Horror was fine too, Cross never heard the viking complain about anything anyway, so either he was really fine with it or he was just very polite. Dust was strangely excited, Cross didn't think it was possible to be excited about straw beds after having used the amazing couch in his house but here he was, mumbling things to himself as he sat on the bed.

It luckily hadn't rained, so the humidity didn't come in and they were able to keep a certain warmth inside of the small house. Usually peasant houses shared the space with the cattle and the warmth of the animals would heat up the house, but Cross was a knight, he didn't have animals, so he had to rely on fire, but as he didn't have infinite wood he would most of the time keep it to cook and use this heat to warm himself up.

Cross had been the first to wake up and had rapidly been followed by Horror. He saluted him with a smile.

- Dieus vos doinst boinjor.

- Kveðja, ér sofa vel ? Horror answered.

"Vel" meant "well", that Cross was sure, and he remembered Horror using "sofa" to say "sleep", with these two words he guessed he must have either asked if Cross slept well or informed him that he slept well. Cross nodded, both answering the question if it was aimed at him and showing satisfaction if it wasn't.

- Volez avoc moy aler a jart ? Cross asked if Horror wanted to go to the garden with him, pointing at the door.

He needed to pick some vegetables for dinner and the others were still asleep, so he might as well grab them now and not bother his friends later. Horror looked at the door, frowning slightly.

- Ek þurfa vitja úti ? He asked, confused.

Cross was confused too, what did Horror understand ? He looked around for a second before grabbing a basket and showing it to Horror, then going to the door and signing for him to come along as he went outside and around the house towards the small garden. Horror followed, curious, and watched as Cross pointed at the different plants than at the basket. Did Cross want him to pick those plants and put them in the basket ? He slowly picked a carrot and looked at Cross as he put it down, seeing him nod, he smiled, and both of them started picking the vegetables, teaching each other their names. It was nice, and when they went back inside, everybody was up.

Cross put the basket on the table, letting Dust inspect it, he seemed rather curious about the vegetables, surely comparing them to those he had at home. He glanced at his countertop, he had just enough bread for today and maybe tomorrow morning, he would need to go in town tomorrow in the afternoon and buy some more. He could bake some, sure, but it was time consuming so he preferred buying already prepared ones. He also checked his water supply, he needed to go to the well.

- Eo dei a puit aler. Dust, volez moy sivir ? Cross gathered all his courage, asking Dust to follow him.

Dust looked up at him, thinking, his sockets always squinted a bit when he was thinking, and he ended up looking at Nightmare who was staring at the bench, well, not the bench, but the little straw braid Killer made him and that he had put on the bench for the night.

- Nightmare ? What d-

Nightmare flinched and sharply turned to look at him.

- Oop, sorry, didn't mean to startle you, Dust apologized, what does "sivir" mean ?

Nightmare hesitated, his gaze diverting for a second, before he talked, for the first time since the forest, though his voice was low, not as self assured as when he would talk in Dust's time.

- S.. suivre.. ? He stuttered.

Everybody caught that, but nobody commented.

- Suivre ? Dust repeated, like uhh... I know this word, I've seen it on social media... oh ! Follow ! Yeah ! He turned to Cross, smiling, yeah I'll follow you ! I'll uhh.. sivir vos.. ?

Cross smiled, feeling a rush of warmth in his chest, he just invited Dust to the well, he did that, oh god. He quickly nodded and grabbed two empty jars before heading to the door that Dust opened for him.

- Nos anteruns viste !

They will be back soon, he said as he went out with the hoodied skeleton, leaving the three others together.

- So... what's a "puit" ? Dust asked as they walked.

- Por panre l'aigue, li n'en estat gueres à maise.

He explained as simply as he could, telling him it's to take water as he didn't have any at home. Dust just frowned.

- Huh-huh. Well you know what ? "Aigue" sounds like "agua" in Spanish and since you've got jars I'm gonna say it's for water. That or wine. I don't know what people usually drink in the Middle Ages.

He finally answered. Did he understand ? Cross had no doubt he did, Dust was smart, he always figured out stuff.

- Now if we're going to grab some water I guess it's either a river or a well ?

Cross liked hearing Dust talk, he had such a sweet voice, so confident and yet always sounding unsure at the end of his sentences, as if he was expecting to be wrong about every supposition he made when really he was probably the most smart of them all.

- ... Did I say something stupid ? Dust frowned, sounding a bit nervous.

Why would he feel nervous ? Cross didn't see any reason to feel- oh god he had been staring. He quickly shook his head and looked forward, a purple blush on his cheekbones.

- P-pardon. He apologized.

- Okay.. ?

The walk to the well was... awkward, Cross didn't dare look at him, he didn't want to stare again, at least with his arms holding the jars he wasn't tempted to grab Dust's hand.

Once they arrived Dust looked at the stone well with wonder. Was it the first time he saw a well ? He did have water directly in his house, so maybe wells weren't a thing anymore in the future ?

Cross put the jars down, grabbing the bucket attached to the log above the well to make it fall in until it hit the water and slowly filled itself. Dust was watching carefully, bent over the hole, his eyelights were almost sparkling with curiosity and Cross could see the water reflecting on his bones... he would give anything to be allowed to hold him close and-

- It's full, Dust announced, straightening.

- O-oh uh, oil.. ! Cross was brutally shaken out of his thoughts.

The bucket was full, so Cross pulled on the lever until it came back all the way up to grab it and pour the water in the first jar, when he straightened up Dust was looking at him. He made a grabby motion towards the bucket.

- Can I try ? He asked, badly masking his excitement.

Cross couldn't help but blush as he handed him the bucket and watched as he put it back in the well to wait patiently for it to fill. He didn't think such a simple activity would interest Dust so much, and yet here he was, happily filling the jars with water. There was something childish and yet so attractive to it, Cross wanted to protect that, he wanted to protect that amazement for everything that surrounded him.

- Estrez tanz jolif... Cross said without thinking.

He instantly blushed, he really didn't mean to call Dust pretty. Well, Dust was pretty, but he didn't mean to say it to his face !

- Huh ? Dust answered, not having heard as he was putting the bucket back on the edge of the well.

- E-Eo diseie nos devrïens antrer !

He corrected, saying they needed to go back home as he grabbed the two full jars.

- Oh, we're going ? Don't you want me to hold one ? They look heavy, Dust asked him, going to grab a jar but Cross stopped him.

- Eo puys porter, mercit ! He thanked, telling him he could hold them.

- If you say so, Dust didn't insist.

Cross smiled at him, and lead the way back home with two full jars and a soul racing like never before.

He really needed to get his thoughts under control.

[gatitties]

Beyond the sea

─Luffy x mermaid!reader

─Summary: Venturing outside the established limits made you meet what could be your soulmate, you are completely grateful for having disobeyed your father a little.

─Warnings: inspired by the movie ponyo.

SOOOO, this is a wonderful collab with @alicedash2, who had the idea, if you liked the topic you can check out her post too!! and Here is her Wattpad account in case you want content in portuguese! :p

Luffy took firm steps across the uneven terrain, a frown lingering on his face as he huffed angrily, Ace and Sabo didn't let him go up to the treehouse, so he decided to go to the beach to see the ships that came and went from Foosha Village port, he swung his arms until he finally reached a small cliff, he went down a clear path where the rocks were more worn until he reached the shore and kicked the water, still a little annoyed with his brothers.

His eyes scanned the sea, seeing how Shanks' ship was near the port, he smiled when thinking about the redhead, he waited impatiently for him to tell him more stories about his adventures, and he would also ask him again to be part of his crew.

"Huh?"

His gaze stopped at something floating near his, childish curiosity urged him to get closer, regardless of whether his clothes got wet, he cringed because of how cold the water was but he continued until the water reached up to his thighs, looking sideways, he found a stick floating next to him, he used it to poke the floating thing until it turned over, it was a fish.

"What a strange fish, it has human face… will it be edible?"

He continued poking until he saw how the fish's eyes opened, while his gaze shone, yours darkened as you noticed how he woke you up from your nap, sipping some salt water, you spit it right in Luffy's face with impeccable aim.

"Hey!"

You laughed internally as you saw his change of mood, using his stick to get away from you, you bit it preventing him from hitting you, he began to shake it up and down, making you dizzy as you were still chewing on the wood, Luffy ended up falling to the ground, the water level already on his chest, you swam in circles around him studying the human while he wiped the water off his face, he laughed as he watched you do some tricks in the water, forgetting his previous anger with his brothers, he spent the afternoon next to you on the shore.

You had ventured out of the depths of the sea, in a moment of confusion on the part of your father, you managed to escape to be able to see what was beyond the depths of the oceans, you had always been warned that you should not go up, but curiosity of a child is much stronger.

You really liked listening to what the human said about everything he did on the surface, and he seemed to be entertained by the way you swam and played with some crustaceans that were nearby, you didn't even realize that night was falling until Luffy sneezed because the cold settled on his body.

Neither of you seemed to want to separate now that you had begun to enjoy each other's company, so the boy quickly went to look for a bucket where he could carry you. You waited patiently on the shore until you saw him appear with a big smile and a green bucket, balancing it in his hands, he filled it with water and you jumped into it, a little uneasy at the reduction in space.

"I'm sure Ace and Sabo will be so jealous that I found you first, I'll rub it in their faces for not letting me go up to the treehouse! Oh, and you have to splash them when you see them, that will be fun."

You listened in silence as he ranted about his family, attentive to every anecdote and fact, you smiled when you saw his house in the distance, the wood on the walls was a little splintered, the interior didn't have the best decoration either and everyone seemed to have already started eating dinner without wait for Luffy.

"Why is everyone eating without me!? I'm going to starve because Ace will eat everything!"

"Stop complaining kiddo, we left a separate plate for you, what do you have there, boy?" Dandan leaned over to see you swimming in circles in the bucket "Did you bring fish for us to cook?"

"No way! She is not food!"

Ace raised his face from the plate on which he had crashed, Sabo sighed, passing a napkin over his brother's stained cheeks, both looked curiously at what Luffy had in his hands and approached.

"What is-?"

When both brought their faces closer to the bucket, a stream of water soaked them completely, Luffy laughed at their surprised expressions while you jumped, hitting his hand in a weird “high five” for the joke. They calmed down a bit after that as hunger won out for now, your mouth watering and delighting at the meat that ─somewhat reluctantly─ Luffy shared with you, although he probably stole some from Sabo to give to you.

You returned to the surface often after that day, your father became suspicious of your disappearances, but your mother was a little more permissive, over time, you developed powers that allowed you to transform, you could become a human or a combination of human and fish, with legs and arms but being parts of an amphibian, your relationship with Luffy became closer to the point that you did nothing if not together, you were rarely separated from the boy unless you were in the depths of the sea.

Your relationship with Ace and Sabo also grew closer, you enjoyed their company, you appreciated the things they taught you, Ace gave you some self-defense lessons while Sabo helped you understand some concepts and provided you with valuable information about the terrestrial world.

Normally you would rather watch them do their fighting tournaments, because you weren't that interested, plus they didn't like it either because you always won, even though you defended yourself by saying that using your mermaid magic wasn't cheating, you didn't care enough and you decided to observe in silence and write down each one's victories.

You competed with Ace on which of the two of you fainted more times a day, the use of your powers drained every ounce of your being, and Ace's narcolepsy was in competition, Sabo kept track of how many times you fell asleep during a day, while the blonde protects his brother's head from being hit, Luffy usually holds your body close to him when you start to rub your eyes drowsily.

Like this time, you were both on the same cliff as the first time you met, Luffy hugged you, your head rested against his shoulder while your eyes struggled not to close, the sunset was very beautiful, although at first you were just here to flee from his brothers for playing a joke on them, the moment seemed to be perfect to watch how the sky was stained with warm tones.

Luffy mumbled your name as he saw you closed your eyes, shaking a little, he said something you weren't aware of, giving a lazy yawn, you rubbed your eyes, opening them to look at him.

"Can you… can you repeat what you said?"

He chuckled as he saw your almost passed out form in his arms, nodding.

"I said I would be the king of the pirates and I asked you if you wanted to be part of my crew, I bet not all pirates have mermaids as companions! Shanks at least doesn't have one on board…"

As if Luffy's excitement had awakened your consciousness a little and gotten rid of the tiredness in your mind, you lifted your head from his shoulder like an owl, gave him your best smile, nodding effusively, you grabbed his hands with a new glow in your eyes, you had always heard the three brothers arguing about pirates, thinking that Luffy would include you in his plans delighted you.

"Of course! I will crush the sea creatures that try to break our ship, I will help you be the pirate king Luffy!"

Luffy laughed vigorously, tightening the grip he still had on your hands, both of you shaking them in some kind of weird greeting, like an agreed promise.

It was something you planned to accomplish, although you didn't expect that time would pass so quickly, with some setbacks and incidents that you preferred not to remember, you looked at the cliff with big eyes until an older version of Luffy snapped his fingers at you to snap you out of your daydream.

"Are you ready to go? Many adventures await us, I'm sure!"

You smiled softly at your companion's enthusiasm, nodding, you climbed onto the small boat with your own suitcase, rolling your eyes at the sight of Luffy's backpack only filled with food, you untied the knot that ran the ship aground in the harbor, raising the sail so that the wind will guide your first destination.

[fen-luciel]

Hurt

Thanks to @driksss for the idea:

[I loved your story

please

write a story in which the reader accidentally hurts herself during training and qimir feels guilty and takes care of her injuries]

Warnings: description of injuries/light smut/sub Qimir

"Again" I ordered, with my lightsaber on.

Qimir grumbled, his butt on the ground "Can I take a break?" he complained, getting up and brushing the dirt off his pants, the lightsaber at his feet.

"Come on, Qimir. At least until sunset, as usual. I'll cook tonight" I tried to cheer him up with a bright expression, but he didn't seem particularly pleased.

"It's just that... never mind" he called his lightsaber back to him before starting to walk. "But let's move from here. The ground keeps making me slip, I can't stand it anymore." I sighed but followed him without protest, my saber now off and at my belt.

I silently watched his back as we walked. We were both terribly sweaty, the forest was humid and the afternoon sun was dry, not to mention we had been training for hours. The tank top I wore was now clinging to me, and the loose pants that reached my knees were soaked with dirt, grass, mud, and sweat.

Qimir looked just as worn out, to the point where he had cut off the sleeves of his shirt with his lightsaber for some extra air.

His back was drenched in sweat, and my first instinct was to tease him, but things were tense between us.

It had been an uphill journey for us, friends, colleagues, and now master and acolyte.

Unfortunately, we were still working on the last part, especially considering how we were indirectly or directly... intimate.

I sighed.

I knew it was a bad idea.

But now, telling him to end it seemed even worse.

We kept training for at least a couple more hours, and honestly, I couldn't stand it anymore.

He kept making stupid mistakes, tripping over branches, getting distracted, it was infuriating.

We stood on top of some trees, the first pink and orange lights of sunset coloring the landscape. It would have been almost romantic if we weren't two Banthas soaked and dirty with earth. We definitely needed a shower.

We jumped from branch to branch, red against red, our bodies pulsing with fatigue. The goal was to get him used to more exhausting rhythms, but it was useless if two times out of three I had to divert my own stroke because he was too distracted to dodge them.

"If you're so bored, you could have spared me the trouble of paying attention to you today!" I finally snapped, and without even thinking, I crouched in a fluid motion, aiming at the thick branch under his feet and cutting it diagonally. Whether he was surprised by my shout or the move, I couldn't say, but he lost his balance, one foot slipping on the moss covering the tree, and he began to fall.

I had time to glance at him a little longer and realize my colossal mistake.

Below us, there weren't just a few meters separating us from the ground, we had gradually moved deeper into the forest, where the trees grew denser and taller, and the branches we were on directly overlooked a small cliff crossed by a stream. Qimir was about to fall into it like a sack of potatoes.

I reached out with my hand, pulling him towards me with the Force, just enough to grab his wrist in the panic of the moment. I managed to pull him up, but in doing so, I lost my balance. My other hand still held the lightsaber uselessly, and I began to fall.

I saw him as he clung to the branch where I had been seconds earlier. I instinctively turned off the lightsaber as I plummeted. Qimir reached out to stop me, but in a mix of fatigue and panic, he only managed to slow the inevitable. He lost his grip, and I crashed down the last few meters, finally rolling into the shallow stream.

I hissed as a ringing filled my ears, my body on fire as I tensed my muscles. I couldn't tell if I'd broken something in the process, but I was sure I was bleeding—I could feel it on me, and the stream wasn't deep enough to get me this wet.

I struggled to open my eyes, my vision dark at the edges as I tried to focus around me. I couldn't see Qimir, but I assumed he was about to come down, so I looked at myself, and it was bad.

Nothing seemed unnaturally bent, but I was bleeding profusely. My legs, arms, torso, not to mention the dull pain I felt throughout my body—if nothing was broken, I'd at least sprained something. Qimir's brief intervention had prevented the worst, but I was still in danger.

"Force, wait, i'm here"

I looked up to see Qimir sliding down the cliff before making one last jump near me, panic in his eyes as he looked at me, breathing heavily. "Come on, damn it, okay, I've got this-" he stammered as he knelt beside me, his trembling hands searching for a wound that wasn't even visible due to the blood scattered everywhere.

"Calm down, Qimir—" I tried to reassure him with a hoarse voice before grabbing his wrist. "I need you to carry me, so try to concentrate" He shot me a wide-eyed glance and nodded. He quickly stood up to retrieve my lightsaber, which had fallen a few meters ahead, and after recovering it, he came back to pick me up. It was quite complicated to get me onto his shoulders, everything burned, and while I could somewhat move my arms, I certainly didn't have the strength to pull myself up or bend my legs. He practically had to lie down next to me so I could roll onto him and slowly drag myself onto his back. Once he ensured I was in a stable position, he began to run toward the base.

I don't know exactly how much time passed—I hadn't noticed how deep we were in the forest, and we reached our shelter on the edge of the woods when it was already pitch dark. I kept myself awake by sheer miracle, more to keep Qimir from panicking than anything else, as he seemed on the verge of a panic attack, mumbling something I couldn't hear well and was too exhausted to ask him to speak up.

We had rented a house for a while nearby—a woodland retreat for those who wanted a nature getaway. We were there to train undisturbed, which wasn't in our favor now that we actually needed to be near civilization to call for help.

Qimir opened the door, quickly closing it behind us and heading straight for the bathroom with determined steps. "We have some medicine, but I don't know how much it can help" I could only let out a laughing breath. "I told you we'd regret not stopping by the store"

He shook his head but said nothing more, letting me slide to the floor beside the tub where I collapsed without strength.

I kept my eyes half-closed—the bathroom light seemed to burn my eyes. "Turn it off, please" I whispered wearily, hearing him rummaging through the bottles behind the sink's glass. He grabbed what he needed before turning off the main light, leaving only the dim secondary one on.

"Swallow these—one for the pain, and the other to make sure no infections develop... we only have one more, so tomorrow we need to get you to a doctor" I swallowed them, thankful for the miracles of bacta that might help me get through this.

"Now, I'm going to put you in the tub and heal you with the Force, okay?"

He began to open my robe with trembling hands, and I chuckled. "Don't be shy, it's not like you haven't seen me before" but he didn't find it as funny, given the glare he shot me.

I didn't feel uncomfortable being naked—I had never had too many problems about it, just as he didn't with me, and besides, given my overall condition, neither of us was really focused on anything else. Qimir turned on the hot water in the tub and started to undress.

"We haven't tried this before. You're brave tonight" I noted with poorly concealed amusement and a tired voice.

"Stop it. I need to wash you, and I can't afford for you to slip in the tub."

I muttered something, but I felt my strength leaving me. "I really need to close my eyes for a bit" I whispered as he grabbed me under the armpits and moved me into the tub, which was filling with hot water. I hissed at the sensation—the pills were beginning to numb my nerves, but the dull pain I felt would continue for a while. The warmth of the tub was pleasant, but it burned my skin, and within seconds, the water had already taken on a brownish-red color.

"I've got you, don't worry" Qimir's voice near my ear made me shiver, though I hoped he hadn't noticed. Once he made sure I was in a safe position, he leaned over to grab the soap "Qimir. I really need to close my eyes" I said in an increasingly faint voice. I saw his lips move, his expression worried, but I couldn't hear his words, and I passed out.

When I opened my eyes, I was still in the tub.

The first thing I heard was my heavy breathing filling the small bathroom. The water around me was strangely clean. I raised a hand to rub my eyes and noticed how wrinkled my skin was, a sign that I had been here for a while.

I caught a glimpse of the long abrasion wounds covering my arms when, from behind, a hand gently took mine—Qimir's hand.

"It's okay, I'm here." His rough voice in my ear was enough to finally understand what was happening.

He had sat behind me in the tub, resting me against his chest. I was so confused that I hadn't noticed his head next to mine.

I turned my gaze towards him, realizing how close we were. He seemed more relaxed and calm now, his eyes fixed on mine, and a sad smile on his lips.

“You’ve been out of it for a while" his tone was still low and slow. This time, the trembling in my body was obvious, but he misunderstood the reaction, as he gently slid us a bit deeper into the warm water.

“You washed your hair” I noted with poorly concealed amusement and a tired voice.

He chuckled with a smile. “And for the record, I washed yours too” I giggled, followed by him, the atmosphere much more relaxed now, although a slight glance outside the tub made me notice the dried blood on the floor.

But I was feeling better.

I think.

I pressed my face into the crook of his neck, still feeling dizzy and tired, but the movement was terrible. Though I appeared better on the outside, inside, I was still a mess. I couldn’t tell if the pills had already worn off or if they weren’t strong enough from the start. “Take it easy, I... I haven’t healed you yet” Qimir admitted, tightening an arm under my chest in a hug.

I murmured in confusion, and he sighed. “I... can’t. I took some time to relax and clean us up. I’m feeling better, but... I can’t focus” the discomfort was evident in his tone.

I couldn’t really blame him, it wasn’t such a common power, and during his years as a Jedi, it seemed to have remained dormant, now forcing him to train it from scratch.

Unfortunately, I could only help him from a theoretical standpoint, which made the learning process slower than usual, but he was gradually improving.

“It’s the first time you’ve tried with internal trauma and not external injuries. Not to mention it’s much more complex than the small cuts you’ve been practicing on until now. You need to relax” I murmured against the skin of his neck, my eyes closed as I pressed more gently against his chest.

I could feel the tremor in his heavy sigh through the contact between our bodies. I moved our still intertwined hands to my stomach, while the free hand moved to the side of his face in a gentle caress. I left a slow kiss on his neck before slightly lifting myself up so that my lips were at the height of his ear.

“Do you want to make me feel good, Qimir?” I asked sweetly, looking at him. He had closed his eyes, tilting his head slightly upwards. I released his hand to rest it on my stomach.

“Y-yes” he stammered in response.

“Then breathe. And focus on me.” I kissed his jaw a couple of times, leaving a slight trail of saliva along his skin. His chest rose and fell deeply, dragging my body along with his as our breaths synchronized “Good boy.”

There was a moment of silence before a pleasant warmth began to soothe my aching muscles and bones. I only let it go on for a few seconds, worried he might overdo it. “Slowly now, we both need our strength” I moved his hand away from me, caressing the back of it. He opened his eyes and lowered his gaze to meet mine, his lips slightly parted as his heartbeat quickened in his chest.

He leaned in towards my lips, but I pulled away with a small smile. “Slowly now” The disappointment was clear in his features, his dark irises, and the moisture in his eyes seemed to burn me alive.

“I really need to get out of the water” I whispered against his lips before giving him a quick kiss on the forehead.

“Keep being good, and maybe I’ll give you a reward later.”

This seemed to cheer him up, and we moved to get out of the tub. Unfortunately, Qimir couldn’t help me as much as he would have liked; my body was still in constant pain, though much more manageable than before. All the wounds on my arms and legs had stopped bleeding but needed to be bandaged.

We took a brief walk to the bedroom in a somewhat ridiculous manner. I was still in pain, and Qimir had used some of his energy to heal my bones, so he was feeling as tired as I was.

“Wait, I want to sit down” I said, letting myself fall into the armchair next to the bed with a sigh.

“Okay. One last effort. And then we’ll sleep” he said, picking up the kit that was already on the bed. I glanced at him sideways as he sat down next to me and started covering the cuts with soft, bacta-soaked bandages. They couldn’t completely heal the wounds, but at least I would sleep more peacefully.

A few seconds passed before he spoke “I’m sorry. It was my fault” his voice rough and low as he kept his gaze fixed on what he was doing, the room dimly lit only by the moonlight outside.

“Nonsense. I wasn’t careful” I replied, looking at the ceiling.

So much had happened in just a few hours that I had almost forgotten how it all started, and as much as the dynamic still irritated me, I was partly responsible.

I should have just talked to him.

“Stop it. I... you’re right to be mad at me” I looked at his bowed head, avoiding my gaze. Slowly, he knelt in front of me, and I couldn’t help but blush a little seeing him between my legs, the wounds long forgotten.

“We both made mistakes—” I began, but he shook his head. I saw the way his jaw clenched when he was nervous, and I bit my lips in response. He was finally opening up to me, and I was getting distracted.

I was hopeless.

“No. I was distracted. I deserved a lesson, but you were too kind to me” his long, slender fingers gently held my ankle as he carefully tightened the bandage up to my thigh.

I swallowed a lump in my throat.

“Distracted by what, anyway? You’ve been doing well lately” I tried to focus on his words, but even his tone sent a shiver between my legs, and not being able to rub them together was even worse.

A few seconds passed. He finished the bandages completely before raising his gaze to me, and I almost lost my breath.

He looked at me with those dark, deep eyes, which unsettled my stomach.

Kneeling between my legs, I felt terribly vulnerable given the weakness of my limbs, not to mention he was wearing a loose shirt that allowed me to see part of his smooth chest from above.

I knew what he was about to say.

Our relationship had inevitably solidified into something much more than just a simple friendship or brotherhood due to the time spent together.

I didn’t know if it was I who had seduced him first or if he had fallen at my feet.

But we liked it.

The only thing was that Qimir had still been a Jedi, and now his experiences were limited, if not non-existent. He wanted to learn, but he felt awkward, so he often behaved like a wounded puppy, using some excuse to put his hands on me and feel less pathetic for begging for my more experienced touch.

“By you. By what you do to me” he finally answered, his hand slowly caressing my ankle with his thumb. The fingertips of his hands trailed up along my calves, stopping behind my knees, where his palms gently squeezed.

“I’m obsessed with you. With your scent. With your skin. I can’t stop thinking about your voice,” if possible, his voice dropped even lower.

“I want to make you feel good.” He placed one of my legs beside him before slowly bending down to kiss the bandaged side of my knee.

“I want to deserve everything you give me” Without even realizing it, I spread my legs to let him position himself better between them. He kissed a patch of skin higher up, and even higher, until he was inevitably approaching the part of me that craved his touch the most.

He gently rested his head on my inner thigh, looking directly into my eyes through the strands of hair falling over his face.

“I want to learn to worship you. So please, teach me again how to touch you the way you need”

I had to exhale with trembling lips as I gripped the armrests of the chair beneath me.

"I'll be a good boy for you."

[solidaritygaming-fanblog]

So. Toy Jimmy. When ever he gets injured, he gets a rip that needs to be manually stitched up. He doesn't know how to sew. God Joel. He made all the stupid toys by hand. He is VERY good at sewing.

The first thing Jim does after they make up is go "also. Um. I know you do a lot of sewing... and you're probably really good at it.. and I don't know how to sew..." this drags on for a bit because he doesnt know how to ask for help and the whole while Joel can just feel he's about to see the most disgusting shitty fucked stitching he's ever seen (he's completely right). Anyway he sees Jimmy's awful job of fixing a cut on his arm and goes "hmm okay I'll have to seam rip it but I can fix this up easy! You don't have any others that need immediate attention though right?" And Jimmy is quiet for a few seconds until he goes, "... I need to take my shirt off. Don't be weird, okay?" Bro has a BUNCH of these fucked up stitches over rips on his chest and arms. Joel is crashing out and it all seems like there's a shred of "okay this is still kinda fine" left here until Jimmy goes weakly "you should see my back". Joel walks around him. THERE ARE THESE FUCKING MASSIVE TEARS ARE SAFTEY PINNED TOGETHER BECAUSE HE CANT REACH THEM TO STICH THEM UP EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BIT. Joel crashes out even harder and immediately is like "right I am fixing this RIGHT NOW and you are getting sewing lessons afterwards because what the fuck". And then gay shit (wound tending) happens bleehhhh :P probably getting all these stitches pulled out is very uncomfortable for Jim so he's trying not to cry or move the whole time. And Joel is very locked in and eventually (after a botched seam rip stretches one of the tears a bit more) decides to distract Jimmy by explaining different types of thread, needles, stitches, and knots to him. He also gives him something to bite down with the added benefit of Jimmy not being able to complain about this sewing info dump.

And after this, whenever Jimmy gets hurt he just shoots Joel a text like "heyyyy guess who got shot by a skeleton again". And Joel has to come over and fix him up because yknow. They're friends and it's good to have healthy interactions. Plus Jimmy does need to learn to sew so it's a good learning opportunity. The first time Jimmy successfully manages to sew himself up he immediately runs to Joel and they are both very excited. Even after Jimmy becomes mostly self sufficient (except for some spots he can't reach and pain levels fucking up his motor skills) they still hang out a bunch.

Perhaps at some point Jimmy gets a massive cut over his face and barely makes it on his own to the lore and law building near spawn. It takes so long for him to type a misspelling ridden message to Joel asking him show up. Eventually the door swings open and he manages to get out some almost utter nonsense before passing out. Meanwhile Joel is incredibly confused and scared because ????? What???? The fuck???? Anyway he locks in and stitches Jimmy's face up and waits with him until he wakes up (Jimmy doesn't remember Joel showing up, or a lot from after he got the injury). Tee hee

Ultra mega fucked up mode is a few of his stitches staying in Jim's skin after esmp2 ends. So Joel and him try to figure out why this happened (spit balling stupid ideas while Joel is pulling stitches out and absent-mindedly patting gauze and sterilization stuff on the small wounds the stitching leaves behind). Just grhrvjdvrhev

[out-there-tmblr]

Wip: Zaundads2EB (10)

***

Vander,

(That's how Silco's letter starts. Not with any fond endearment, no. Just Vander's name. Like he's woken up in the middle of the night and started complaining about Vander stealing the blanket.)

I've traded rations for paper and pencils. I don't yet know how I'll get this message to you, but writing this gives me the illusion of being able to do something, so I'll work that out later.

I'm in Stillwater for minor theft, apparently. No one can tell me how long I'll be here or if there's any way to dispute my sentence, so it's not greatly different from working in the mine. Do as you're told and be thankful for something to eat and somewhere to sleep.

There seems to be only two divisions of prisoners here: those who haven't attacked guards and those who have. The latter are kept in the lower floors, in solitary stone cells until the guards decide they've learned their lesson. The rest of us sleep four to a cell, in metal bunks that feel very familiar.

There is a small yard with high stone walls and smooth walking path worn into the bedrock. In fair weather and foul, we're left out there for two hours a day with nothing to do but walk in a circle, or stand against a wall and marvel at the colour of the sky. This island must be as elevated as Piltover. On a sunny day, the sky is the brightest blue imaginable. In bad weather, the clouds are so dark it feels like home, but when the rain falls, it's clean enough to drink.

(There's a line on the page, maybe two words long. Then the letter starts again as if Silco came back to it hours or days later.)

You might be amused to hear there's no washroom here. When I asked about it, my cellmates laughed. That does explain the smell of the other prisoners and the state of their clothing. We are fed once a day, stuck in cells that leave the four of us absolutely no privacy, with no better entertainment than to watch a square of sunlight pass across the floor, but I could accept all of that if we were simply given the opportunity to bathe. I have started hoping for rain.

(Vander has to stop reading. He can hear Silco's voice in the words. He knows the sour glare Silco would aim at the page as he wrote. There are still more pages to go, but Vander takes a moment to let the tightness in his chest pass, the ache of missing Silco sharp and brittle. He wanders over to the doorway, peers around to check that Felicia's handling everything, and then leans against the wall and keeps reading.)

I hope you found my notes and followed them. I would remind you that the Tensheer (Damacian wine) and Dauntless (sugar, flour, salt) are arriving next week, but I doubt this letter will get to you before they do. You will either manage without me or you won't, and there is nothing I can do from this cell to influence that.

I have started rationing how often I write to you. A paragraph a day seems miserly but it gives me something to think about as I wait for time to pass. Hour after hour, and there is nothing to be done. If I did not share this cell I would pace back and forth like a caged animal – but surviving such close quarters is only possible when we all avoid annoying each other.

I hope Connol has managed to divert the water to the Lanes by now. I hope he managed to finish the boiler design. By all accounts it should be fairly simple to run pipes to each house once there's water flowing to the Lanes. My dearest wish is that by the time I return, there will be the possibility of washing with warm water in our own home.

I do think of that bar as home. As ours. It's not the first place we built together and it's still not finished, but I find myself thinking of it. Thinking of our bed. Thinking of you. Of us still there, years from now. With power and water. Perhaps with big glass windows and daylight. It sounds foolish – and I have no idea how we'd ever manage it – but I have nothing else to do here but daydream.

I suppose it's too much to hope that you've finally put the sign up for the bar. It needs a name, Vander. Just because everyone thinks of it as 'the bar' doesn't mean it should be left half-finished and unnamed.

Success! It rained today! So I am now wet and cold and half-dressed, but I was able to rinse my clothes out and wash the dirt off my face. I have hooked my clothes from my bunk and am waiting for them to dry, wrapped in a sheet like it's the highest of topsider fashions.

I've worked out how I'll get this message to you. All I need is someone about to be released who will go close enough to riverside or the mine to take this to you. The difficulty with that is that most of the miners and fishermen in here are like me: arrested with no set sentence and no way to know when we'll be released. The topsiders know their dates but the chances that any of them would go to the Lanes for a few bronze… Still, now that I know how to do it, I simply need to wait for the right opportunity.

I find myself wishing that there was hard labour to be done here. At least the hours would pass faster. Even in the foundling home, we had chores and study to complete. I have grown to hate sitting on my bunk and staring at the slats above my head. I feel that Benzo and Felicia would laugh at me, at the poetic justice of being forced to do nothing when they both claim I do nothing but work. If I ever get this letter to you, you should tell them. Let them laugh at my expense.

I dream of you. More often than my pride wants to admit. I miss you. I miss you snoring beside me. I miss your hands on my skin. I miss how you always pour me a glass of the best whiskey we have, even though it should be kept for paying customers. I miss your smile and your laugh. I miss the way you curse when you burn your finger and the tunes you hum when you're cleaning up the bar and the ridiculous faces you pull at Violet to make her giggle. I miss you like I lost a leg or a hand, survivable but a constant loss I can't ignore.

I miss you and the worst part of it is that I'm sure you miss me too. There was a time, when we first shared a bed, when I was sure this would end in heartbreak, that you would lose interest and find someone easier to be with. Someone new and fun, less angry at everything. But I know that won't happen now. You don't want someone simple and light-hearted. You're as angry as I am, as dedicated and willing to work for what we deserve. You're mine as much as I'm yours, and being apart doesn't change that. I'm sorry, Vander. I'm sure it would be easier for you if it did.

There's a sailor getting out of here next week, traveling back to Bilgewater. With a little luck this letter will be in your hands by the end of the month.

No one from the undercity receives visitors but occasionally care packages get through. Talk to Babette, ask one of her customers to send it from Piltover. The package will be checked by the guards and anything valuable will be taken before it gets to me, so don't send currency or alcohol. The food here is passable but jerky and ship's biscuits might be good to trade. Matches and candles. Dice. Cards.

Any messages are bound to be intercepted so don't bother writing a reply.

Silco

***

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

The idea that future Leo and mc having bouts of "was that past Leo just now??? Smh" is SO funny to me like

Imagine past Leo keeps coming back to take a look at his future, and it's starting to piss Leo off like ??? Man he just wants to cuddle with his wife after work, and now there's this little shit coming in to steal his cuddles AND he's treating his wife semi poorly??? (Future Leo can't fathom that it's his own damn self that's the problem LMFAO)

Future Leo starts to leave notes and passive aggressive comments on his body so past Leo can find it. Past Leo doesn't know what's going on but every time he goes to the future he keeps finding angrier and angrier notes (first it's "treat her well, you're a guest here" and "you love her more than life itself even if you don't know it yet" but after a few rounds he gets impatient and starts going nuclear "listen you little shit you make my wife uncomfortable again I'll remember this shit and shave your head in the past" "get the fuck out and leave me alone I'm gonna make you binge eat and make you fat")

Imagine future Leo being so pissed off about the "stolen" time that he insists that he gets EXTRA loving from his wife for it (it's really not that bad, he's just being dramatic again) and whoops it looks like all those extra rounds have gotten his darling wife pregnant 🥴🥴🥴

if past Leo manages to come back in the middle of a sesh with a very obviously pregnant mc he might just have a heart attack then and there pp

The diabolical streamer might be peeking into the future too much

Leo has gotten used to popping to the future for a little while. Leo is neither used to the interruptions to his life and very upset about it

Wc: 1,6K

Notes: nah but he would actually die jsjsjsj he knew he was married to her but not that he was that down bad! This was so fun to write

Cw: she/her for the reader, implications of sex and Leo comes when his future version has sex with his wife

Leo recognizes he can be hard to get along with most of the time, he is snarky, snoops around for secrets and extorts people with them, can be cruel, among many other things. But he never expected to say that he got himself fed up with his existence.

He seems to be getting on his last nerve, Leo notes at the greenish bruises on his midriff while changing clothes after bathing. He once again visited the birdpond even if his trip was a rather short one as Sho pulled him away when he (or rather whatever consciousness from his future self he had in his body) started hitting and scratching himself on the stomach.

Sitting down on his bed, he starts spending cream on the small wounds, he would hate to have any sort of scar.

“And you want to go back tomorrow after that?” Sho asks besides him, watching the reddish and purple splotches and thin red lines across his abdomen.

“Well, yeah, I want to see what number will be drawn on the influencer gala” he says, as nonchalant as ever, as if whatever damage he did to himself was nothing more than a light annoyance.

“You are crazy, dude”

“Hush, I'm learning a TikTok dance”

And as he said, that night as soon as Alan turned off his light they both sneaked off to the hedge maze centered around the birdpond.

“So, you remember what we are doing?”

“10 minutes in and I take you off. If you start hitting yourself I'm just allowed to hold you but not lift you”

“Good! If I see one more bruise and it will be all your fault, m'kay?”

“Hey, no, wait-!” But before he is able to complain he already dipped his head underwater.

Already used to the ache inside his lungs and the feeling of drowning, it doesn't take him much longer to settle on the current situation.

There is a colorful movie playing on the 65 inches mounted tv and he feels a comfortable weight on his lap. When he looks down he sees your head on his chest and legs thrown over his own, most of the weight must be from the sleeping toddler on your legs. A string of spit threatening to spill on his leg makes Leo recoil away violently, almost making you fall off the sofa and your daughter too.

Now awake and in a bad mood Emmy pouts and kicks her little legs “Daddy!” she waddles towards him so he would pick her up and lull her to sleep as always.

With the same coldness as you remember his first year version having, he spits venom at the, honestly quite messy, child “Don't even touch me, you have spit and sugar all over yourself, you are going to mess my clothes” and he barricades himself inside the bathroom, leaving you to calm down an upset toddler.

Hidden away inside the bathroom, he sits down on the bathtub rim and swipes around his phone, looking at his TikTok account and looking for videos that are around 10 years old. For once he curses being so active in social media as when he reaches his current year Sho was pulling him up to the past.

“So? Anything good?”

“Hardly anything and her kid almost slobbers all over me”

“I think that is also your child, dude”

‘stupid child’ Adult Leo growls mentally. Each and every time his past himself would rudely interrupt in his few soft domestic hours he has with his family and treat them like shit his head would be splitting down the middle with an unbearable headache, no matter what he took or if he drank water he would have to sit down for hours until it passed. Luckily his wife and daughter would comfort him while they watched tv with very low volume.

Wobbling out of the bathroom and aiming for the modular sofa he whines for any scrap of affection he believes he is entitled to “LI, Emmy, let's watch a movie, daddy doesn't feel good”

Plopping down on ‘his’ side of the sofa he just noticed Emmy was too busy getting calmed down to watch a movie with her dad.

“What happened, Emmy? Want to tell me while we watch Cinderella?” and even after attempting to bribe her with her favorite movie she just looks the other way with a pout before stomping towards her room, slamming the door.

Noticing your husband was back you smile, a part in relief of not having to take care of your toddler alone and another part of mocking delight “Emilia is very angry at you because your past self told her you weren't going to carry her because she was dirty and was going to mess your clothes”

Mortified, Leo grasps his forehead, he doesn't remember himself as one to be that mean to kids. When he feels you sit next to him and hug his shoulder he starts acting for affection and attention.

“That stupid brat is going to make my baby hate me”

“honey, that brat is you”

The attempt at reasoning with him is met with more whining. After years of marriage he learned that there wasn't anything he couldn't get from you with enough whining “my head hurts” he digs himself a space on your clavicle “I just want to sit down and enjoy myself with my family but now I can't even do that”

Combing some fly away hairs and planting a kiss on his helix honeyed words lure him closer “Emmy might not want to be close to you now but why don't we have some personal time together”

And with a devilish smile his hands dip down your back and butt while his mouth attached itself to whatever patch of skin he can get close to.

Family vlogs are something Leo found himself doing weekly, complying with his fans' demands. There is rarely anything interesting, sometimes doctor's visits, minor sickness, projects he had to say nothing about yet still hype, that sort of day to day things.

After going over a possible trip to Spain for a gaming convention he was invited to, Leo looks over the most frequent questions of the last vlog. He is so thankful that he coded a bot to group comments with the same or similar key words.

“So, for the last question… YN they are asking if you were hungry when we filmed the last video, they say you were scrolling UberEATS for a while”

You shrug while playing with your phone, not paying him much mind “well, when I was pregnant with Emmy I was pretty hungry, it is normal that I would be now too”

It is hardly one second before his usual fake smile dropped, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. In an attempt to turn off the video his hands fiddle with the button but it takes a few extra seconds than he expected. It is going to look awkward when he uploads it but why act as if he has ever cared about it and more so especially now?

The last few seconds it's possible to hear an ‘are you serious?’

His fans did go wild in the comment section after he posted

Leo_simp76: damn, he is locked down for real, let's cry simps

User_8274849: He already had a kid and is married, did you truly think he was free???

Leo_simp76: I would delulu into thinking he got babytrapped and was going to leave her!!

T.B.d.e: wasn't his child's first birthday one week ago?? How did she let him hit it?

Leo_simp76: I would let him as soon as I could stand. If anything it's weird it took that long!!

The last day before he took a break from looking into the future,as soon as he dips his head down to the water the usual annoyance in his lungs is overpowered by a different kind of ache caused by breathlessness like in Gym class.

“Leo, stop teasing~” a breathy moan begs from beneath him. Looking down he finds his hand snug against the column of your neck, lips connected to your skin just below your collarbone.

You were splayed under him, legs hugging his hips and one arm drawing figures on his biceps. Bodies close enough to notice your swollen stomach against his abdomen. Thankfully enough you had your eyes closed shut and couldn't notice the switch.

He on a technical level guessed this future version of himself and you fucked (as awkward as that image is for him) there was Emilia, or Emmy, that looked very much like him and you; when he snooped around he found condoms and there were multiple pregnancy tests in the en suite bathroom. But he had never barged in during the act.

Such a great fucking time he gets in, balls deep inside the nerd and an orgasm threatening to wreck him. Or so he would think if a wave of dopamine didn't swallow him whole in the same breath.

Quickly he leaves the water, if Sho had to say he almost looked horrified, eyes wide, breathing quickly, face red and… oh, he was just suddenly horny. Any teasing he might have wanted to do is cut short with Leo's nasty side eye but no explanations.

On the other side of the timeline there is a married couple with a sulking husband.

“Are you feeling alright?” opening your eyes you manage to see a very clearly upset Leo resting his forehead against your sternum and a hand on your breast.

“I can't even have sex with my wife without that brat ruining it”

“What? He was here just now?!”

“Once again, I didn't get to enjoy it”

“Wait a second! I'm still sensitive! ~~!”

[ravenrothstr]

I SHOULDN'T HAVE MET MY IDOL

summary. y/n chasing her dreams of working as a graphic designer at SM to meet Jaehyun, just to find out expectations are different than reality

genre. idol! au, fluff

words count. 12.0k

disclaimer. the story is fully fictional. other names mentioned are just for the story and pure imagination, with no bad intentions

tags. @dulyrana

-- ★🎸🎧⋆｡ °⋆ --

You have been living in Seoul for almost five years now. Well, it wasn't the best thing that ever happened in your life but when you opened the email today, every bad day just flushed down the toilet in your brain.

Congratulations! I am writing to formally offer you the job for the trainee program on Graphic Designing and Creative Media for SM Entertainment Co. We strongly believe that your skills and expertise will help our company to reach great heights...

You read it twice, thrice, quadruple, quintuple and millions of times. It is just too good to be true. Tears stung your eyes like shards of glass, slowly recalling the hardships you had gone through throughout the journey.

--

It was cold when you finally left to finish your work on a Friday night during her first job in Seoul as an intern at a small firm. You looked at the phone to check the temperature immediately regretting how thin she dressed that day.

-11

The cold wash over your skin repeatedly as you freeze in front of the company. You threw your arms around yourself to hug, hoping to feel warmer. Just then, you heard footsteps approaching out of the company door in which you immediately recognised the person. It was your supervisor and head boss. You quickly gave them a warm smile and a gentle bow, although you were unfamiliar with that culture.

"Hello", you greeted. The head boss just grinned at you as he replied in Korean which made you struggle to understand but lucky enough to have your supervisor translating it for him.

"He's asking if you wanna join for a drink"

"Oh sorry, I can't drink"

"Ah it's okay, I'll let him know", just then the supervisor translated it to the head boss but a different meaning.

"Sir, she's not going. She's not like us", leaving a remark.

You definitely understood that, you managed to learn some Korean before she came here. The head boss gave you a side eye, looking down at you as he scoffs and heads off with the supervisor. You stared blankly towards their direction, hearing the supervisor continue to speak to the head boss. With the knowledge of the Korean language you knew, you mixed the puzzle of words to understand why the supervisor was complaining about you.

The supervisor had the right to complain, though, you thought.

You messed up big time that day. You had the design wrong again this time because you misunderstood the client during the meeting. It was hard for you to catch what they were talking about, every word seemed too fast for you and no one bothered to help or clear it out. By the time, the supervisor presented the new design, they were too furious. You had to remake the design repeatedly for the client until they were satisfied. They suffered a lot that day.

The emotions caught you as she looked down at the ground that is now turning into white snow. You dragged your feet to the studio she lived in, making your way to the bed. Thinking to yourself.

Have I made the right choice to come here?

--

This thought came up again when you was working as an assistant graphic designer at another firm when you witnessed the design that you spent sleepless nights on it to not be selected for the presentation. Your coworker, who had the simplest design, smiled widely when they presented hers in front of the client.

The unfairness killed your confidence as you grew smaller and smaller in the community. Sinking in the pile of majorities. With you timid attitude, it makes it easier to bully her at work. You did most of the editing, the hard ones, and the complicated ones and you never complained. Because deep down, you knew this work was what put the food on the table.

You closes the lights at the desk, making your way out of the office. You were again the last person to leave the office. Lifting up your face, you saw the snow falling to the ground. Significating another year's end. You took out the earphones you plucked them into your phone and brought it to your ear. Looking at your recent playlist, you picked a song for your walk back home.

Timeless - NCT U

You start walking back home as the song starts, it reminds you why you came here in the first place. It was no surprise to anyone that you would be moving to Korea since you were very influenced by the Korean industry ever since you were in high school. You loved everything about it.

Food. Music. Drama. Outfits and of course.

Idols.

Throughout the years, you stan a lot of groups but never beats NCT. It was everything to you. Your happiness, comfort, sadness. You named it. Nothing cures you more than them, same goes for other fans out there, you feel connected with them. Despite of being very immersed in fangirling, you is too just an average girl out there living her life.

--

“You really think I can have my internship in Seoul?”, you questioned your friend sitting in front of you.

"Of course, a lot of our seniors did it. You can apply for that program since you like kpop so much, you should go"

You shrugged your shoulders, even if you wanted to your confidence wasn't thick enough for you to crush all the obstacles you imagined and your friend was quick to notice that.

"Come on, y/n. You'll have fun there, and who knows you might meet Jaehyun. He's your bias right?", you smirked at her comment.

"He's everyone's bias. Besides that's too impossible to happen. You know fans and idols are separated by reality"

"And you know fans are dreamers, and you can't go into reality without waking up"

You didn't say anything. It was true that meeting up and being close to your bias is very delusional but as a fan who dreams for it to become true, you hold onto something called hope.

This memory was definitely a core reason for your hope to work somewhere near Jaehyun. The greatest thing about it is that you really loves your job and you love kpops. Therefore, you always find yourself pushing through the hardships of living there alone.

--

You stretched your neck from side to side as you relieved your tiredness from your work. It has been almost three months since you worked at SM as a trainee, and you like working there. Most of your colleagues treated you nicely, not to mention the bossy seniors but overall it was alright. However, it does dishearten the fact you haven't met any idol yet. You were starting to believe that trainees don't get any opportunities to meet any idols. Just then, you heard someone tap your shoulder softly. It was no surprise to you this time when you saw a familiar figure standing behind you. Your face immediately lifted up a smile.

It was your trainee partner, Beom Seok.

"Meet me at the pantry", he mouthed. You nodded as you headed to the pantry after him.

"Are you still working on the mood board for the new group debut concept?", Beom Seok asked leaning his back on the countertop and taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, you know how fussy Daeun can be", rolling your eyes back as you stir your coffee next to Beom Seok.

He smiled.

"It's amazing, isn't it? You get involved in concept ideas for the new debut as if they are letting us decide what's the new trend-"

"Or our supervisor is just not that up to date with the latest edit trend of Photoshop so she's asking her little minions to explore it for her"

"Well, if you see it in that light. I can't stop you from being a pessimist, just like how you can't stop me from looking at how great you are"

You chuckled, Beom Seok is definitely a 'words of affirmation person' and he has a lot to share with you. The days go on as you continue editing your work, reconsulting it and repeating. She looked around the office to see who was still available. She felt relief when she saw Daeun and Beom Seok at their table. It was really a hectic week for them.

They decided to call it a day not long after, Daeun offered them to have dinner together saying she had to get rid of some nervousness for a crucial presentation but Beom Seok politely declined as he headed home straight away. Although you couldn't drink, you figured it wouldn't hurt to accompany Daeun. Besides, it was going to be at her apartment so you didn't have to send anyone home or worry about how to get back.

--

Your eyes widen when you enter Daeun's apartment. It was so white-coded, with the minimalist interior it makes the place warmer. Daeun opened her coat and tossed her keys at the table. Your eyes were scanning the room when you caught on something to your liking.

Regular-Irregular

"Unnie, I didn't know you liked NCT 127"

"Oh that?," Daeun responded while setting up the table.

"I was involved in their comebacks a few times before. Also, for the upcoming next year", she continues. "Tomorrow's presentation is about their comeback. It might be a bit tense even if they approved the concept",

You could only nod to her statement, not ignoring the jealousy you felt inside. In fact, you did come here with the hope of getting close to Jaehyun. Daeun showed you the ring book about their concept as your eyes read the title.

2 Baddies.

Daeun continued to show and explain to you about the concept, with the thought of her practising for tomorrow. You were all ears for it. With the cars and race suits, they're definitely gonna look amazing. As time passed by, Daeun took a sip from the glass. It was the fifth bottle of soju. Your eyes pulled closed at separate times as they fought to stay awake, the sleepiness was getting into you.

You squeezed your eyes shut due to the tiredness. The next thing you knew you were witnessing the sunlight rays through the sliding door across Daeun's living room. Your body shoots upright in the chair as your mind tries to deny the reality the sun is up.

"Daeun, you have to wake up or we will be late for work", you aggressively shake Daeun, hoping you shake her off from the drunkness.

But it was no use, she was still completely wasted from last night.

"Unnie you have a presentation today, get yourself together!"

Daeun begins to groan as she tosses and turns her body around. She was clearly not ready to go to work. You grumble in frustration.

"Daeun, I'll get going first. I am so sorry", you apologise. You quickly made your way out of Daeun's apartment and you headed to your house at the speed of light. Luckily, your apartment wasn't that far from Daeun's.

The clock on the wall of your office was showing you 15 minutes late. Your heart started pumping with the calves burning, breath forming clouds in the air from your face. Your feet fly over stones and leaves. The clock on the wall of your office was showing you 30 minutes late. when you entered. You tried your best to look calm in front of the others as you made yourself comfortable at your desk.

"Are you okay?", Beom Seok mouthed from his desk, next to you.

You just gave him a small nod and started to work as usual.

--

Daeun was nowhere to be found when they began to search her for the presentation. The voice of your senior teammate's roses as they called decline again. The clock struck near to 2pm, and the team got more and more restless of Daeun missing in action. You and Beom Seok kept your head low, trying your best not to get involve in this matter.

You secretly prayed for Daeun's appearance. You would be in great trouble if they knew you were with her last night. Just then, you heard one of your senior teammates answered a call.

"Daeun, where the fuck are you?!"

Your shoulders pulled back to the chair, letting out a long relief when you thought Daeun coming to the office anytime soon.

"What do you mean you're not coming? Did you drink last night?!", the senior scolded.

You could the shivers under your skin, making you turning into white. Daeun has always been a pain in the ass to the team but you didn't expect her to bail out on work last minute just like this. You tried your best to ignore the conversation and remind yourself it wasn't your fault for Daeun's action but you couldn't help when you heard the senior mentioning your name.

"You passing y/n to present because she revised the presentation with you?", the senior turned her head towards your direction.

Blood drains from your skin, and your entire body becomes impossibly still. There was no way they were letting you do the presentation just because your drunk supervisor said so.

Just before you can protest, you find yourself standing in front of the door meeting room with your other seniors rehearsing the presentation with them. They make sure to tell you all the ethics of the meeting and also remind you that the meeting will be recorded for their content.

"And also, there will be the members in the room so don't go throw yourself at them. Remember you are the concept creator and you must stay professional"

The comment made you stand rigid with terror, too overwhelmed to move. You're not ready for this, not in this way. But if you told your seniors now you couldn't do it, you felt like you were passing the burden instead of lifting it up for them. It's indeed your job and you are here for that.

You entered the room with your seniors and other teams. You assume they were all working together too for this comeback. The more you scan the room, the more nervous you get. NCT was definitely there at the end of the room with all cameras directing to them. What's happening was so surreal to you but you kept yourself composed as you focused on the meeting.

--

The presentation went well for you, although most of the time you were just filling it with compliments on how the members would look great with the concept because you had no idea what the presentation's content was. As soon as the director gave the cut queue, everyone started bowing at each other. The sight of NCT approaching you caught your eye and you immediately went into panic mode, making sure of a good impression.

You gave a smile and quick bow as soon you made eye contact with Jaehyun, the first member approached you. Feeling the butterflies in your stomach and your heart fluttering. Luckily he replied with the same smile before he spoke.

"Are you new here?"

"Yeah, but I'm just here to give the presentation on behalf of Daeun sunbaenim"

"Ah I see, I wonder too where was she"

He knew Daeun?, you scoff at the thought in your head as Johnny gets in your view.

"Well, hope to see you around. It was nice meeting you"

You again smiled uncontrollably at those words as you brought it to the dinner table with Beom Seok.

"I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I NOT ONLY SAW THEM IN FRONT OF ME! THEY WERE CONVERSING WITH ME!", you said excitedly at Beom Seok. He only continued to grill the meat for you, just before you could continue fangirling Beom Seok raised his voice at the owner of the restaurant.

이모, 소주 주세요

"One bottle of soju, please". You took a hint he might be having a hard time at work today.

"Feel like drinking today? Should I invite Daeun?" you try to lift up the mood.

"No, it's okay. Just wanna have a drink with you"

--

"Beom Seok, let's get you home. You are really drunk now", tapping gently at his shoulder who's now putting his face down at the dinner table with a hand on the soju glass.

“You’re being… ridicu-lush… ’m not that drunk…”

You rolled your eyes at the comment. Beom Seok was totally wasted too at the other end of the table. And here you are, struggling with how to get him home after paying for the meal.

"Beom Seok, we need to get you home now", you said, trying your best to lift him up. Just as you made it to the door with Beom Seok, you caught into a familiar person covered in long black coat.

Oh my god

"Oh, it's you again", said Jaehyun.

"Hi-"

"This is really bad timing actually", you tried to laugh off the embarrassment.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?"

"Actually yes, he's quite heavy"

Is it really Jeong Jaehyun helping me?

He took Beom Seok's arm from you and continued to carry him.

"So do you know where he lives?"

"I- I don't actually too", Jaehyun laughed, clearly you guys weren't that close yet. Nor friends with benefits.

"We can take him to my apartment first, then we can search for his address"

"WHAT?! I don't think we are allowed to do that. Besides, if you know me, I should be the last per-"

"You're a fan, aren't you?"

The question caught you off guard, you could only stare blankly at him before Beom Seok's sudden nausea hit you back to reality. Seems like bringing him to Jaehyun's apartment was a good option.

You tried a few times to unlock Beom Seok's phone, while Jaehyun went out of the room to take off his coat. It took longer than you expected to unlock his phone. Apparently, the fingerprint or face ID wasn't working and now you had to figure out the passcode.

"Hurry up what's your passcode", you clench your hands in frustration, wanting to throw the phone away.

You closed your eyes, letting you a long sigh. This was one of the reasons you hate the idea of drinking. It brings you back to your childhood.

--

The image of your alcoholic father drunk on the sofa flashes before your eyes when you peck through the door of your room. Again today, he came in with another woman wrapped around his arms.

"Mom, are you done at the restaurant?". you said as soon as your mom picked up the call.

"I'm sorry dear, we're almost done. We're just closing, I'll be back soon I promise"

She said that every time.

And every time you called, you hoped for her to enter the house to witness this messy affair herself. Little did you know, the day your mom found out about the affair was the last day you ever saw your mother. If you knew she couldn't handle the news, you would have brought the affairs to grave. She must been having a tough time with her life.

--

"Hey, are you okay?", Jaehyun gently placed his palm on your shoulder, bringing you back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired"

"That's okay. You really should spend the night here-"

"NO", you quickly protest.

"I'm sorry, we should leave. I think his wallet is here somewhere and we can get a taxi from her-"

"I think it'll cause more trouble if you leave my apartment at night. I saw some sasaeng on our way back here"

You felt bad, this is your first time encountering your bias and you have caused much trouble for him. Seeing how persistent Jaehyun were, you decided to stay. Besides, he really didn't seem uncomfortable leaving the house at the moment after mentioning the sasaeng.

You opened your iPad as you made yourself comfortable on the sofa and started studying the repackage concept after the upcoming comeback for 127. Thanks to the impromptu presentation, you have the slides for the next comeback. You were focused on studying when suddenly Jaehyun went to you with a pair of white tshirt and a plaid sleep pants.

“Here, you can change into these if you want too and it’s okay too if your not comfortable doing so”

“Thanks, I’ll just stay in this outfit for a bit until I finish studying”

He smiled at you at your gesture, looking at how immerse you are at your job.

“So what are you studying?”, he asked as he sits besides you at the carpet.

“Well, from what i know this is the repackage concept for your comeback. You wanna have look?”

“Yeah, sure. Gotta make sure I look good in it”, he jokes.

You laughed at his actions. The night continues with both of you sharing experiences with each other, you share your concert experiences and how you ended up in Seoul while he shares TMI during their trainee's day. Both of you shared the warmth of the conversation together that cold night.

Later that morning, you left the apartment with Beom Suk once he was sober enough to walk. You made sure to thank Jaehyun for the night before you left.

—

As another Monday comes in, another chaos comes around. You and Beom Suk sat quietly at your desk, listening to the argument between Daeun and the rest of the team. Apparently, SM decided to sack off Daeun due to her inappropriate attitude lately.

It's been weeks since the Daeun incident. With no supervisor around, you and Beom Suk had little task to do and seems like everyone was just too busy for you guys. You question how the system and organisation really works. Regardless, you still try your best every day.

You sat in front of Beom Suk at the lunch table, your appetite was long gone along with your motivation. Beom Suk lets a sigh as he looks at you playing with your food. He saw 127 members entering the cafeteria. He thought it might be a good chance to lift up your mood, knowing how much you like them.

"Y/n, look it's 127", Beom Suk shakes your little hand, making you turn towards them.

"What's the use of that? Our work is not even close to that. We are to be sacked off too like Daeun unnie"

Beom Suk answered nothing, as both of you returned to your lunch quietly. Just as you entered the lift together with Beom Suk, you met the senior who was with you during the presentation.

"y/n it's been a while", she said, smiling at you.

"Hi, it's nice to see you too. This is my coworker, Beom Suk"

She exchanges bows with Beom Suk.

"I heard about Daeun resigning, it must have been a tough position for both of you"

"Yes, it is, do call us if there's any work we can help you with", you answered politely.

"Actually, we do have some work if you like. Do you have some time?"

You give it a look to Beom Suk, unsure if it's a good idea for both of you to jump at another team's work but you figured out Daeun used to be a part of another team as well and you guys had extra lunchtime so you decided to stop by. They showed you around with the NCT team, the album photo shoot, the fashion line and the choreography for the upcoming tour. It never fails to make you feel more proud of them.

Once the lunch hour was over, you and Beom Suk made your way back to your office floor and of course, you could not stop talking about how much you liked the concept and you had already imagined the fans (you) would react. His tender smile naturally reflected his genuine feelings, he was happy for her.

"But don't you think the youngest fashion designer looks familiar to you?", you asked Beom Suk.

"Well, I really couldn't tell. There were too many people back there"

Your mind went puzzled, you were so sure you'd made some of them somewhere but none of your memories rang the bells. You shook the thought off when the lift indicates the office floor.

--

"You think this colour suits him more?", Yun Hee asked.

"Hm yeah, Johny really suits any colour though but black does matches his hair"

"If then, let's go with shirtless! We can add more accessories", you were stunned.

"Suit yourself"

You have been visting 127's team lately with Beom Suk, the team also love that you were there often. They really appreciate your idea. You were there again with Beom Suk during their album photoshoot, lucky you, your design team allowed you and Beom Suk since there were not much work for you guys for the time being.

As you entered the room with Beom Suk, you can see the car in the middle of the set, covered with white wall around. When Yun Hee and the rest of the styling team entered the room, you knew the members was ready for the shoot.

"I think they look great!", Yun Hee whispered to your ear as she dash next you and Beom Suk.

You turn over your sight towards the members entering the room after Yun Hee.

You froze with your muscles locked in a momentary paralysis, surprise with the visual in front of your eyes. You felt your inner fangirl could scream any moment now, just like when they first appear at any concerts.

"Hey, didn't expect you here", Jaehyun said when he pass by you.

He was the last member to enter the room. It quickily snap you back to reality. Reminding you are here as a stuff at SM.

You were unable to think, you wanted to answer him perfectly that you eventually missed the chance. You just replied to him with a smile, as he made his way to the set.

The photoshoot went smoothly, you observe how they started editing the pictures as they also started shooting for the individual photoshoot.

Jaehyun started talking to you now and then whenever he was free, you were glad he did not ignore you completely after the incident at his apartment yet you can't help noticing youngest member of the fashion line had been eyeing you and Jaehyun all day. It definitely felt weird, more like she was stalking you.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?", Jaehyun asked, he was quick to notice the situation.

"I am a bit uncomfortable actually, maybe it's because of the cameras", you lied.

"It's okay, just ignore them. You'll get used to it soon"

"You're saying it like I'm the one who is an idol", you joke.

"Well, if I would want to talk to you again, would it be in a situation like this too?"

Your mind went puzzled again.

"Do you mean you wanna talk to me more often?"

"Yeah, I would like to. It's nice to have a conversation like this once in a while"

A soft smile played on his lips, you stared at the in front of you. It cannot be more perfect.

You pushed the thoughts aside when they call Jaehyun for the individual shoot and offered you and Beom Suk to edit the photocards for the album, which both of you gladly took the job.

--

“Y/N?”

You heard someone calling you as you step out of the company, finally ending the day. It took you by surprise that it was the one was who calling you was the familiar fashion designer you talk about to Beom Suk the other day.

“Hi. I am Rose, I haven’t formally introduced myself to you”, she reach out her hand to you.

“Hi, odd to meet you here. Can i help you with anything?”

“No no”, she quickly cleared the assumption before continuing.

“I just wanted to invite you to dinner, since now we are on the same team”

She sounded very uncanny, but she was indeed really kind to the rest of the team and you wanted to get to know her more so you accept her invitation to dinner. It took you by surprise on how ordinarythe dinner was. Both of you exchanged stories and really had nice conversations.

“Are you 127 fan, y/n?”

“Yes, I am a fan. Although I do love my job as a graphic designer at SM, I won’t lie working with your bias is a good motivation”

“Is Jaehyun your bias? I saw you talking to him on the set today”

“He is, I’ve been a fan since-“

“Is that’s why you go to his apartment the other day?”, she confronted you.

That’s when it hits you. Rose was one of the sasaengs that waited outside Jaehyun’s apartment. Suddenly, everything makes senses to you.

Her gazed immediately changed when her intention was out. It creeps you out the fact she is working for the 127 inside the company. Having a lot of access and information about the members.

“You misunderstood the situation, Rose. It’s nothing like you imagined”

“I know it’s not like that, we know”, giving insight to you that she’s not the only one.

“I have an offer to make. How about you tell me about Jaehyun or what’s is in his apartment and we pay you and release a insight he is dating someone like you?”

You could not believe what Rose was doing. Of course it would be flattering that Jaehyun had a scandal with you but being paid for being in a scandal while you know it’s less that true is really beneath you. You felt insulted.

“I am not interested in selling Jaehyun’s name or to be in your dirty game, Rose. You know this is against the company and idols policy”

“We’re never know, y/n. I can already imagine how heartbreaking it is for you when Jaehyun reveals his true colours”

You remain silents. It is true idols are products of how the company have groom them to be and it will be devastating to know that they might not be the same as what you had pictured them. But you can’t let Rose get into your head, Jaehyun deserve to live as much as you do.

“Nice dinner with you, Rose”, you stood up from the table and leaving some cash enough to pay your portion of the dinner.

“You can always find my number in the group chat, y/n”

“Your just selfish because you couldn’t have your bias to yourself”, your turn your back to Rose, storming out of the restaurant.

—

Not long after, you and Beom Suk joined 127 team. Your previous team had a great conflict on the new upcoming team, where they are considering taking out some members of NCT. The conflict worsen day after day until they decided to discontinue the team for the time being. As a fan, you felt bad you couldn’t defend the members. The best you could do now is wait for the company to decide and give out an official statement before you and Beom Suk could continue your original work.

Today, you focus on editing the cover of the album. It’s due by the end of the week. The nearer the comeback date, the more workload you have. It gives you a lot of pressure, it’s the first time you handle editing for a comeback. You wanted to excel your work, especially for NCT.

Looking at the clock that strikes 10 p.m, you decide to wrap up your work. You search for Yun Hee, hoping she’s still around but she was nowhere to be found at her desk. So you thought she might be with the members for some measurements or final fitting.

You press the button to the practise room floor, you’ve been there a few times with Beom Suk when both of you worked on the content editing during the time both of you were waiting your own desk. Those moments definitely became core memories for you.

—

“Let’s have dinner together, y/n”, Johnny said to you, who was focusing on the editing.

“Pardon?”

“I said, let’s have dinner together. Everyone here is going. It’s hyung’s treat”, he grinned at the choreographer.

During that time, the incident with Rose was pretty recent so you thought it’s better for you to avoid being with them too much. Being at the practise room frequent was good enough for Rose to follow you around.

“I’ll have to rain check this one. I’m really sorry”

“Are you skipping dinner? Again?”, Beom Suk asked worriedly.

“No, it’s just that I really have to finish this editing so-“

“Y/n, it’s we have to finish this editing. Come on, I’ll help you out later”

“That’s not it, Beom Suk”

“Then why are you not going?”

Johnny quietly witnessed the situation, he too wanted to know why you have been skipping a lot of their invitations. At the corner of your eye, you can see Jaehyun was there too waiting for your answer.

It was hard for you to explain, you should told them about the sasaeng situation in the first place so that it won’t be complicated for you. You held back screams of frustration. Deep inside you felt mad at Rose for making you feel obligated to her, at the same time you were disappointed in yourself for being scared of her. It took a while for you to process your thoughts when you finally made the decision.

"You know what? Let's go", you said, closing the laptop in front of you.

Johnny and Jaehyun begin to grin ear to ear at your decision. On your way out of the building, the choreographer starts to counsel you on how you shouldn't stress out and give yourself a little fun along your career until all of you make it into the lift.

"Hyung, I think she gets it already", Jaehyun placed his hand on the choreographer's shoulder.

He certainly has saved you in that situation. You peek over your shoulders at Jaehyun. In moments of bliss, both lips curved into matching smiles.

All of you headed to the restaurant, and you tried your best to not walk closely or look too friendly to the members. You walked at the back of them, looking at the ground figuring out how things around.

"Y/N", you heard.

You immediately lifted up your head.

"Yes, Jaehyun. Is there something wrong?", you were concerned and he let out a chuckled at your action.

"I think I should be the one asking. You seem uncomfortable again"

"There's so much going on right now with the comeback", you tried not to spill out about Rose to him.

"Is everything okay? You know you can talk to me if you want to"

And that statement itself made you flutter, you smiled uncontrollably. Although you tried your best to hide it, it was pretty visible to Jaehyun. He couldn’t help but smile at you.

"I haven't sorted out my mind on this stuff that I'm not okay with, but I really should warn you to be careful with the people around you"

At the end of the day, you wanted Jaehyun to be happy and live comfortably just like a normal person except that you regretted saying that when his soft expression turned immediately to anger and worry.

"Has anyone been hurting you? You were blackmailed?", this was the first time you saw this side of Jaehyun and you wished it was your last.

"No, no Jaehyun. I'm fine. It's just I've been watching a few sasaeng fans videos during my work and it worries me that it's might be you going through"

Jaehyun came back to his normal state as you too tried your best to calm down.

“So your saying you want me to be careful of people around me?”

“Yes”

“Have you seen anyone suspicious around me?”

“Yes”, you spoke honestly, making an eye contact with him. He stared at your eyes, both of you stayed at that position for a while.

“Okay. I was about to tell you not to worry so much about things around and enjoy your times with us. Why don’t you help to keep an eye for me since I don’t know how is the suspicious person-“

You felt bad, you should’ve be the whistleblower and tell the company about Rose.

“And in exchange, I’ll spend more time with you”, Jaehyun continued.

“You mean more conversations? Because that’s the only thing we do”, you giggled.

“Yeah that would do, i can be your listener if you want someone to talk too. Plus, I like hearing you speak”

“Thanks, Jaehyun. I really look forward to that”, both of you smiled at your shared secret, making your way to restaurant to enjoy the rest of the night.

—

Once the elevator stops at your floor, you went straight ahead to the practise room area. You took a peek at the door, making sure it’s 127’s room before entering. You saw Yun Hee at the corner of the room measuring Yuta while the other members were practicing.

“Is everything okay?”, you asked, looking at how intense Yun Hee is.

“Apparently someone lose the measurements for the concert outfits, now we have to measure it all again”, she was so focus she couldn’t bother lifting up her face to you. You understood her actions.

“Was it you, Yun Hee?”

“Of course not. Do you think I take my job lightly?”

You were stunned at the sudden burst, Yun Hee was at her peck moment. Luckily Yuta was quick to address her.

“I don’t think she meant that way, Yun Hee”, he explained.

“It wasn’t her and I’m sure of it. The person who has been measuring us the same person all the time. It’s not Yun Hee”

“If she’s measuring it all the time, doesn’t mean she can use the previous measurements?”

“She doesn’t have all those, she’s new. I assume she lost the whole book or just didn’t bother to keep it”, Yun Hee spoke.

While you try to understand the situation, you heard the door swing open, followed with the sound of small steps close enough to tell they were running.

“There you are. You should be here the moment you lost the book”, Yun Hee said to Rose.

You didn’t like what was happening. Instead of helping Yun Hee, you questioned more Rose intention. Did she really lost the book or she’s just trying to get on people’s nerves? Yun Hee started scolding her, as you can Yun Hee has been in deep stress lately. The members are stop their practise and slowly approaching them.

It made you realise Rose really wanted to be noticed by the members. Regardless whatever it takes.

“Yun Hee let’s not do this here, you need to focus on what to do next”, you quickly reminded her before it gets worse.

Yun Hee looked at you sternly, as she let out a long sigh and looked at the ground.

“I’ll help you. We can get this done by tonight, I’ll call for Beom Suk. He’s always here”, you continued.

“No, we can’t. The members really need to rest tonight. We can’t drag any more time”

“It’s okay, Yun Hee. Yun Hee right, your name?”, Johnny asked.

“You can measure us quickly now, only we’re a bit sweaty now. Sorry about that. Here, measure me now”, he pick up the measuring tape and pass it to Rose.

Yun Hee smiled a little, she was glad to see people are willing to help. You softly put your hand at her shoulder.

“I’ll help too, okay?”, picking up another measuring tape.

Although you are not sure of what to do, but it won’t hurt to help. Jaehyun approach you while you were trying to figure out how and what to measure.

“Please measure me, miss”, he said, opening his arms straight to the side. Indicating he was ready, you laughed at him and played along.

“Okay sir. Please note this is my first time, I might need to measure you a few times”

“As you please, madame.”

You and Jaehyun had fun as you two played around when you measured him. Of course the other could see how the both of you enjoying each other’s company, so they let the two of you have sometime together.

“Y/N, can I check the measurements?”, Rose interrupt the laughter.

“Yeah sure, here is it. Is it okay?”

“Well, apparently there’s a lot weird measurements here. I think I need to remeasure him.”

She immediately took the tape and start to measure Jaehyun, pushing you slightly. Jaehyun didn’t like what he was witnessing, he reluctantly gave Rose a glare. Her intentions were clear to you, but you did not want to make things anymore complicated so you start help measuring other members.

The night was late after all of you finished with the measurements and as to make up to it, all of them decided to have some drinks that night.

You were about to make your way out of the studio along with other, when Jaehyun gently pulled your wrist.

“Hey, let’s walk together. To make up with the wrong measurements”, he trying to taste the water making sure your okay.

“Sure.”

The group disper off in their own direction heading towards home after the drink. Some of them were really drunk, unlike you. You're glad Beom Suk was there to make sure they didn't ask you much about why you weren't drinking.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?", Beom Suk asked.

"Looking at your stand, I'll be the one walking you home. Thanks for offering anyway."

Beom Suk smiled at you as he waved at you before heading towards the opposite direction. Just then, Jaehyun ran out of the bar after you.

"Do you care for some midnight walks?"

--

Under the cloak of night, the Han River becomes a place of quiet contemplation. The rhythmic hum of traffic fades into the background, replaced by the soothing melody of crickets and the occasional splash of a fish breaking the surface. The city skyline twinkles like a jewel in the darkness and there was you and Jaehyun.

In the dark night, he sure shines bright to you.

You thanked all your bad days that led to this moment shared with him. Both of you stop at the fence of the river, looking down at the gentle waves of the river.

"Have you protected me today?", he broke the silence.

"I have", you said proudly, and he was glad.

"Funny how some of us come here, feeling depressed while some come here, feeling content", you continued.

"So how do you feel?"

"Healed."

He admired how you were able to feel content and appreciate the days, even when they were tiring or difficult. The more he got to know you, the more he could appreciate his own days.

"You are truly the strongest person I know, y/n," sliding his gaze slightly towards you as you did the same.

"I have great motivation here", you said smirking.

"What's your motivation?"

"NCT"

Both of you laughed at the answer. It felt a bit awkward for you to say it in front of a member, maybe because you never had to chance to join any fan meet or win a fan call event. Even though, saying it through fan meet and fan call would definitely be less embarrassing.

"I admire how fans have us as motivation and their pillar strength, making tough times easier. I envy that sometimes", he opened up to you and you listened to him dearly.

"What will shine the brightest to you will definitely come to you during the darkness. You'll find your light, trust me. You're my light!"

Jaehyun felt pleased listening to you. The night ended with you and Jaehyun walking down the street heading home to rest, filled with laughs and giggles along the way.

"I wish we could do this every night, it will heal me", you joke.

"Then let's do it."

Their gazes locked, and time seemed to pause, an eternity encapsulated within a fleeting moment following Jaehyun's heartfelt statement.

You contemplated what to answer him, and in that moment of uncertainty, you simply bid your goodbyes and headed your way, leaving him alone on the street, pondering the depth of your interaction.

--

“You looked really tired. Do you want to take a day off? I can help you out with the works”, Beom Suk looked at you worriedly.

“No, I’m really okay”

“Do you perhaps still hangover from last night?”, Yun Hee asked.

“No, Y/N don’t drink.”

“Thank you for remembering”, you grinned at Beom Suk.

As the members and rest of team entered the meeting room before they start the short briefing for the comeback and schedules. There will be a tour this time, it will be more work for the team and the members yet you can see how all of them were happy for this opportunity. It has been a while since they had a tour, looking at how much work they will be doing later really shows you how much NCT has grown.

“And that is all”, said the team leader, indicating the end of the meeting.

“Oh and the graphic team, don’t forget to submit the album for printing”, he quickly added.

You and Beom Suk nodded.

The editing team was chaotic that evening. The deadline for the album printing is today, and all of you gave out your last 100% for this.

“Please make sure you check the folder before sending”, the team leader reminded you and Beom Suk.

Both of you struggled with saving and making sure none of the graphic are pixelated. After so much trouble, you check one last time on the folder and clicked send.

“We did it”, Beom Suk reached out his hand for a high five to you as you replied it.

You sank your weak body into the chair, ready to end the day at the office.

--

The comeback happens smoother than you could have imagined. Everyone's spirits were high, eagerly anticipating the tour and embracing their new schedules with enthusiasm. Your friendship with Jaehyun continued to progress, deepening over time. Well, you didn’t go to Han River every night, but you and Jaehyun find time for each other perfectly. Moreover, you found yourself gradually overcoming your anxiety about Rose. Nothing could go wrong, you thought, as you filled your heart with each passing day.

You were making your way at the bar with Jaehyun, laughing on today’s inside jokes together. As you approach the red tent, Jaehyun automatically rise his hand lifting up the tent for you.

“Ladies first”

“Thank you”, you replied.

It took a while for you to search for the rest of the team and members. Most of the tables were taken by the time you reached. Although in the mid of your search, Jaehyun froze when he noticed Daeun at the table with the rest of them.

“Y/N, Jaehyun, over here!”, they called for you.

The rest of dinner was delight for you, it has been a longtime since the last time you met Daeun. You excitedly told her how well the concept is been going for the team that you. However, you couldn’t help but noticing how Daeun has been exchanging and taking glances at Jaehyun who was beside you at the table throughout the night.

It did made you feel uncomfortable, it felt like you were holding Jaehyun back from something so you decided to go out of the tent for a while with faking that you wanted some fresh air from the smell of alcohol and Daeun did seize the opportunity to approach Jaehyun.

Through the tent, you can see Daeun absolutely hit it off with Jaehyun.

“They really look good together”, Johnny said, taking you by surprise. He went out for smoke when he saw you peaking on them.

Only god knows how much you wanted to scream “NO!” on top of lungs to Johnny’s question. But again, you’ll suffer more living in this imaginary world of yours.

“Yes”, you answered. “They would be a perfect couple.”

Daeun comes over to talk to you when you return to the bar, but is only met with awkward conversation instead of the same boisterous talks you had. You wanted to blame it so much on Johnny’s statement that melded in your mind but deeply you know you was just upset if wasn’t you.

You would be lying if you say you didn’t cry yourself to bed that night.

“At least it’s sends me to sleep”, you thought to yourself when you woke up with puffed eyes the next morning.

Regardless it didn’t stop you from work. With those eyes, you sat on your desk the next morning and continue editing. Shallowing all the pain and heartache you felt last night.

—

The atmosphere among the office workers is tense and fraught with unease as you arrive at the desk that day. Beom Suk and the other colleagues are frantically searching through files or documents, while the team leader is furiously typing emails and making urgent phone calls. Your emotions run high, with feelings of anxiety and perhaps even panic palpable in the air. You aren't sure what's going on in the office.

"Yes, we are very sorry. We will address and amend the cover straight away," you hear the team leader say on the phone.

Your eyes widen in alarm. It was you who emailed the cover for printing. Just then, the team leader calls her out to the meeting room and scolds you about the mistake on the cover. Apparently, SM had printed out the album and released it. Soon, the fans noticed Doyoung was not on the cover, and the situation went viral on the internet.

As hard as it is for you to brush off the emotions, you begin going through the files again and resending the correct folder for printing. Despite the lingering anxiety, you focus on rectifying the mistake and ensuring that the issue is promptly resolved. Once the situation is handled and the correct files are sent, you step out of the office to take a moment to calm down. You sat on the bench on the terrace alone with your coffee when a familiar figure came next to you.

"Hey", said Beom Suk, you felt calm again.

"Can I cry now?", Beom Suk immediately taps on his shoulder and shoves it slightly towards you, ensuring you he'll be there for you.

It made you smile, even with tears rolling down your cheeks. You lean on towards him, putting your head on his shoulders.

"Beom Suk, I have something to tell you"

"What is it?"

"I didn't send the wrong file"

“What?” he asked, as if he hadn’t heard what had been said.

"I checked the files before sending, in fact, Doyoung was the last person I edited so I remember it clearly," you explain, trying to ease his confusion.

"I'm not sure how, but the email was sent twice, and the second one wasn't from me," you add, feeling a pang of frustration at the situation.

"Well, do you know who it is? You should really clear out your name," he says, his tone edged with frustration as he tries to stand up from the bench, ready to confront whoever is responsible. But you quickly reach out and hold his arm, stopping him.

"It's okay, you'll find out who it is later. Let's just stay like this for a while," you say softly, wanting to diffuse the tension and find solace in each other's company amidst the chaos.

That night, the members invited you out for a drink again. However, halfway through the evening, you begin to feel uneasy about being with them at the moment. You decide to personally apologize to Doyoung for the mistake. Thankfully, he forgives you and offers you some comfort, reassuring you that he didn't take it personally and urging you not to worry about it.

Grateful for his understanding, you thank him sincerely before excusing yourself from the bar. Despite their invitations, you feel the need to retreat and process your emotions in solitude, hoping to find clarity and peace of mind away from the distractions of the night.

At times like this, you can't help but feeling sad, wishing you could stroll along the peaceful Han River with Jaehyun by your side. But ever since that night with Daeun, your once-close friendship with Jaehyun has faded, The silence between you weighs heavily on your heart, leaving you feeling lonely. Despite longing for his company, the unspoken tension makes it difficult to bridge the gap between you two.

--

“Where have you been? Aren’t you supposed to protect me?”, Jaehyun smirked.

“Oh sorry, Jaehyun. Things got messed up again”

“Great, I like messes!”

You laughed.

“No, you don’t”

“I do, come on tell me what’s going on. You left the bar alone again last night”

The image of Jaehyun hanging around with Daeun flashes back in your mind. It was almost like your still at the bar.

“Nothing that big nor about the comeback, so don’t worry”, you continue to march on with your arms crossed, hoping Jaehyun would scoff off any minute but he caught you arm holding you back.

“Y/N, do you not want to talk to me anymore?”, he looked serious.

“Not today, I’m sorry”, as you push his hands away from you and walk off.

As you expected, he didn't try to stop you from leaving. You glance back at Jaehyun as he walks away, feeling regret. You realise you've become used to getting what you want lately, and now you're feeling greedy for his company.

You forget your thoughts as you see Rose passing by the corridor. Without hesitation, you march towards her and quickly grab her wrist.

"What are you doing?", she struggles to release her hand from your grip.

"I'm letting you know that the tricks you are playing are not funny anymore and you should stop hacking into someone's computer", letting go of her hand.

Rose smirks at you with a wicked gleam in their eyes. Behind those eyes, she enjoys how agitated you are. She can't wait for the next evil scheme.

"Looks like reality is finally hitting you, y/n", Rose said to you, making you frown.

"You really don't scare me, Rose"

"Of course, I don't. Your job will"

"And Jaehyun's true colours with do it themselves to you", she added.

You strode away from her, your footsteps thundering down the hall. Clouded by a storm of emotions and rage, you feel torn. Protecting Jaehyun means everything to you, yet your job is equally important. Juggling both was taking its toll, gradually wearing you out.

You were about to pick up a tray as you arrived at the cafeteria when Beom Suk approached you.

"Hey, have the team leader spoken to you?", grabbing your attention.

"About what?" you ask, your tired body making its way through the food section.

"The tour, we're coming with them"

You flinched at his words. After Rose hinted at her sinister intentions, you couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with the concert. It seemed like she knew all along that you were going to follow them on tour as well.

"No", you protest.

"Yes, y/n. Remember when you told me you wanted to travel a lot during your 20s? This is a perfect opportunity"

"Perfect opportunity for Rose", you thought.

Beom Suk was right. After returning from lunch, the team leader called for a meeting and announced that you and Beom Suk would be joining 127 on tour to work on the stage graphics. While others congratulated you happily and mentioned it as an opportunity to become a permanent member, your heart couldn't fully embrace the joy. Instead, anxiety crept in, overshadowing any sense of excitement you might have felt.

—

After weeks of sleepless nights, this morning you marked crossed on the calendar at your house, looking at the reminder that you wrote on today's date.

TOUR TRIP D-DAY

The nerves crept in, making the moment feel surreal. It seemed too good to be true, yet you knew deep down that you deserved this opportunity. You and Beom Suk had worked tirelessly for this comeback and tour, overcoming countless obstacles. Through all the challenges, you poured your heart and soul into your work, and now, you found yourself at the top. Despite the anxiety, you wanted to allow yourself to feel proud of your accomplishments.

"Hello, yes, Beom Suk?" you picked up the call, abruptly halting your daydream and bringing you back to reality.

"Hey y/n, sorry to break it to you, but we're having a serious problem with the flight tickets," Beom Suk's voice crackled through the phone.

"What do you mean?" you asked, your heart sinking.

"I'm with Manager Hyung right now, and it looks like our tickets, along with Jaehyun and Taeyong's, were not booked."

"WHAT?" Your disbelief echoed through the phone, mingling with a rising sense of panic.

You made your way to the company straight away after the phone call. As you reached the advertising and promotion floor, you spotted the member gathered on the couch near the entrance, their expressions reflecting a sense of hopelessness. A wave of pity washed over you, stronger for them than for yourself.

The manager went to get their flight tickets earlier this morning when they found out the reservations had been mysteriously cancelled by someone in the company.

The atmosphere filled with frustration and anger grew as they tried to rebook flights at such short notice proved difficult. Hours passed with no solution in sight. Jaehyun and Taeyong sat quietly, tired and disappointed.

In a tough decision, they sent Jaehyun and Taeyong back home temporarily while the rest of the members and team proceeded with their scheduled flight. It was hard, but it was the best decision they could make.

As they bid goodbye, promises were made to keep Jaehyun and Taeyong updated on the situation. With heavy hearts, they watched their friends leave, hoping for new tickets soon.

You remained there with Beom Suk, both of you tiredly trying to sort out the situation and waiting for the staff to deal with the new tickets. Taking a seat on the couch, you let out a long sigh of exhaustion. With your eyes closed, you lean back, resting your head against the soft cushions.

"Are you okay? You've been staying up the whole week to finish this work", Beom Suk asked, he was worried for you.

"I'm a bit tired, I should be sleeping on the plane by now"

"Just hold on for a bit, okay? It will be okay soon", you nodded to him.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting and uncertainty, a sense of relief washed over the room as the staff finally announced that the new flight tickets had been successfully booked.

You and Beom Suk exchanged tired but grateful smiles, your weary expressions giving way to a glimmer of hope. Both of you quickly gathered your belongings.

--

As you called Taeyong and Jaehyun for the pick-up at the airport, your heart sank when Jaehyun didn't answer his calls. Concern etched into your brow as you tried multiple times, each attempt met with the same silence.

Thoughts raced through your mind, imagining various scenarios that could explain his lack of response. The driver wasted no time and headed straight to Jaehyun's apartment. You and Beom Suk hurriedly made your way to his building, heartbeats quickening with each step. With the passcode provided by the manager, you swiftly punched in the numbers and the door clicked open.

Your eyes widen as you entered Jaehyun's apartment. The smell of the house felt familiar to you, even some of the stuffs seems familiar to you. Although it was hard to recognise where you seen them. Just then you found yourself in front of the master bedroom, the door was slightly open enough to have peek in and the view was a disappointment to you.

Clothes shuttered on the floor, both a man and woman clothes. You gather up all the courage you ever had in you as you lift up your head to the bed. You saw Jaehyun's naked body, sleeping with his arms wrapped around Daeun's naked body.

"At the end of the day, Jaehyun is a man of his own and I am a delusional fan", a bitter realisation settling in your heart.

As your eyes slowly turning into glass, Beom Seok quickily reach out the door knob slamming the door close. Hoping it was enough to wake up the lovebirds inside.

"Hyung, your flight leaves in 3 hours we need to go now", he screamed from the door.

Beom Seok turned his gaze to your stone figure. He knew how much Jaehyun meant to you, caught Jaehyun in bed with someone who is close to you definitely breaks your heart in pieces and Beom Seok can see that through your eyes.

"Y/N, please grab Jaehyun's luggage and passport at the living room. Take it down at the car, okay? Wait for me there", he said as he bends down to catch your eyes.

You wiped the drolling tears across your cheeks and responded to Beom Seok's instruction. The next thing you know, you witnessed Jaehyun and Daeun bid goodbyes. Giving them one last kiss before all of you made it to the airport after picking up Taeyong.

The fans ran everywhere, pushing each other and flashing their cameras and phones at them. Your body was definitely exhausted by now as you tried your best to make it through the crowd of fans following Jaehyun and Taeyong. As you continue walking, you feel your leg trembling like a jelly. With no hesitation, you held on to Beom Seok's wrist for support and whispered.

"I can't stand"

"Hold on to me, we'll find a place for you to sit at the gate", firmly fixing your hand on his arm, both of you continued walking like that until the gate.

Jaehyun watched the scene unfold with a heavy sigh, realising the toll their fame was taking on you. It pained him to see you and Beom Suk caught up in the chaos, especially now that you had witnessed his relationship firsthand.

Finally reaching the gate, you collapsed into a weary nap against Beom Suk's shoulder, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to you.

"Y/N, we need to board the plane now", Beom Seok shook you gently.

"Oh really? Thank you Beom Seok, for letting me lean on your shoulder"

"No problem Y/N, you really needed that nap", he replied as all of you made your way to the plane.

"Yeah, I'd love to continue that in the plane. I'm reserving your shoulder again," Beom Suk smiled at your statement as he glanced at your boarding pass.

"But Y/N, your not sitting beside me"

"What?", as you searched for the seat number on your boarding pass.

Your heart skipped a beat when you made eye contact with Jaehyun as both of you boarded the plane. The stewardess asked for your seat, and even Beom Suk refused to believe it.

"I'm sitting next to him", you said to the stewardess.

--

Jaehyun helped put your bags in the compartment above before both of you made yourself comfortable in your seats. You remained silence at your seat, giving Jaehyun the cold shoulder, still hurt by what you had witnessed earlier.

Jaehyun, sensing the distance, felt the guilt for the discomfort he had caused. He gently reached out to offer you a blanket, and headphones when your's didn't work, and even adjusted the air conditioning, hoping to provide some comfort during the flight as he was determined to mend the strained relationship.

You stubbornly ignored his gesture, your gaze fixed firmly out the window. Jaehyun was unfazed by your actions and persisted, quietly asking if you needed anything or if you were feeling alright.

As soon as the flight dims the lights to indicate nighttime, your emotions overwhelm you once more. Tears welled up in your eyes as feelings of betrayal washed over you, you wondered why Jaehyun had toyed with your feelings if he wanted to be with someone else.

Trying your best to conceal your sobbing, you assumed Jaehyun was asleep. But as you struggled with your tears, a gentle hand reached out to touch your shoulder, surprising you. You turned to find Jaehyun looking at you with concern, his eyes filled with empathy.

"Y/N, are you okay?" he whispered softly, his voice laced with genuine concern.

You longed for Jaehyun's comfort and presence, but the reminder of his relationship status held you back. You missed him, yet you couldn't ignore the boundaries.

You couldn't bring herself to open up to Jaehyun anymore.

"I... I don't want to talk right now." you declined Jaehyun's offer of comfort, your voice trembling slightly.

It pained you to push him away, but you couldn't ignore the reality of their circumstances. With your decision you turned away, seeking solace in the solitude of your thoughts as you grappled with conflicted emotions.

--

As you reached the destination, you, Beom Suk, and Yun Hee went on an exhilarating tour of the country, exploring its sights and immersing yourselves in its culture in every free time the three of you had aside from work. Every moment was filled with laughter and joy as you created cherished memories together.

Meanwhile, the members dedicated themselves to rehearsals, pouring their hearts and souls into perfecting their performances for the upcoming tour. Their determination never wavered.

Amidst the excitement and busyness of the tour, you found yourself avoiding any mention of what had happened between you and Jaehyun. You pushed aside your feelings of sadness, burying them deep within as you threw yourself into the distractions of sightseeing and work.

One night, you found someone texting you in the middle of the night after work and the second you saw the text you knew who was it from.

‘Glad you found yourself a ticket to the tour. Suprise with his true colours yet? We are ready to have you here’

You were tempted to give out the details. It haunts you that you were tempted. The feeling of betrayal and anger lingers in your mind. Tears starts to gather in your eyes as soon you found yourself typing out Jaehyun caught in bed with ex staff, you couldn’t click send. It kills you to betray him.

He has nothing against you and so do you. Again, you reminded yourself what you use to tell Rose.

“Your just selfish because you couldn’t have your bias to yourself”

As you switch off the phone and tossed it aside. You tried your best to calm down, so you decided to go out of your hotel room and sit by the pool. No longer after, Beom Suk approached you.

At first, both of you shared simple and fun conversations but as time went on his usual cheerful character was replaced by a very serious look. You could feel the conversation getting deeper.

"Y/N, with what happened between you and Jaehyun, I just want to remind you it's okay to be sad and mad," he began, his voice barely above a whisper.

"But dwelling on those emotions won't change what happened."

You looked at him, each word carrying a weight that resonated deep within your soul. It was as if he had peeled back the layers of your heart, revealing the rawness hidden beneath the surface.

He placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. His eyes looked the same went he first offered you his shoulders, again he reminds you he'll be there with you for anything.

"I loved him," you confessed,

"And it hurts a little too much," your voice trembling with the rawness of your emotions.

The words carry out the heavy burden lifted from your chest. The emotions finally became too much for you to bear with tears welling up in your eyes.

That night, Beom Suk listened you tentatively. You told him everything that has happened between you and Jaehyun, along with the saseng you met along the way.

He comforted you with his words to your wounded heart. But as the night wore on, Beom Suk gently reminded you to focus on the task at hand – the upcoming tour.

"Y/N, I know it's difficult," he began softly, his voice filled with empathy. "But you're not alone. We're all here for you, every step of the way."

"Remember," he said with a reassuring smile, "fans are counting on us to deliver. Let's give it our all, together."

You nodded in agreement, grateful for Beom Suk's wise words and encouragement. Though the road ahead may be difficult, you knew that with Beom Suk by your side, you were ready to face whatever challenges came your way.

--

Bringing along the lingering tension between you and Jaehyun, you managed to pull yourself together for the tour, throwing yourself into your work with renewed determination. Each performance was a testament to your resilience, a reminder that you were capable of rising above the pain and focusing on the task at hand.

You also you had it enough with Rose after the night she texted. You realised that stooping to her level would only perpetuate the cycle of toxicity and invasion of privacy that had plagued Jaehyun's life.

So with Beom Suk encouragement, you courageously decide to report her to the company, determined to protect Jaehyun and members from the invasive tactics of sasaeng fans.

Soon the truth came to light – one of Jaehyun's stalkers was working at SM Entertainment, a breach of trust that sent shockwaves through the fandom. In response, the company took immediate action, terminating Rose's employment and sending a clear message that such behaviour would not be tolerated.

As the tour came to an end, you found yourself facing a new chapter in your career – working on the debut of a new boy group for SM Entertainment. The opportunity to spearhead such an important project filled you with excitement and anticipation, pushing aside the lingering thoughts of Jaehyun and the unresolved tension between you.

Yet, as the debut day arrived and the new boy group took the stage for their first performance, you felt a sense of pride and accomplishment wash over you. In that moment, all thoughts of the past were pushed aside, replaced by a sense of excitement for the future and the promise of new beginnings.

Years passed, and yet the situation continued to simmer, unresolved and unspoken, until this day. Despite the passage of time, the tension between you and Jaehyun remains an unspoken truth, a silent reminder of the complexities of love and the scars it leaves behind.

--

Jaehyun arrived at the wedding hall, he was dressed neatly in his black suit with his hair pulled up. An old man greeted him at the hall door which he assume is your father, soon he was escorted to his seat along with the members at the table.

"Glad you made it", Johnny patted his back, welcoming him next to his seat.

The light dimmed as they started the ceremony, all the lights reflected on the crystal chandelier making the hall look dreamy. The band starts playing a lovely melody at the corner of the hall.

"It's just too perfect", Jaehyun thought.

The guests began to clap their hands when they announced that the bride was entering. Jaehyun did not dare to face you, he kept his head forward to the stage while others were already admiring you down the aisle. Tangled with emotions, he knew he shouldn't have missed this moment of you. It might hurt him dearly but he would rather get drunk all night than miss your once-in-a-lifetime moment. He adjusted himself in his seat and turned towards to direction.

Your dress was serenely beautiful and looked ethereal in the soft light. With that smile you put on, it does show you are happier now.

He smiled, reflecting on the joy you brought into his life.

"She's really pretty", Johnny commented on the table.

"She is"

"Didn't you say you had a crush on her back then?", he whispered to Jaehyun.

"I did, it's just I found myself back to Daeun"

"Then, you should have married her!"

Jaehyun's eyes went back to you. How he imagine it was him next to you, instead of Beom Suk. Bitter truth, he was hopelessly in love with someone of the married couple.

"I should", he said while his eyes were serenade by you.

"I should have".

-- ★🎸🎧⋆｡ °⋆ --

[robin374]

Okay, I’ve seen your platonic head canons of kid reader meeting their father (alastor), now, if it’s okay with you, may I request husker x daughter reader (platonic) where husker couldn’t take care of reader in their human life, so he gave her up when she was a kid. Unfountky, reader when they were a teen and taken to hell, but unlike the other hell citizens, reader is very shy and pretty meek, and knowing she would survive in hell alone and after hearing about the hazbin hotel, she goes there for safety. Anything after is up to you!

You were not a talkative demon, everuone could tell. You always avoided danger and any problems that could affect you, but it wasn't because you were afraid, on the contrary, you just didn't want to be a burden. Talking to people made you nervous, why? Maybe because you thought you had been a burden in your past live. You couldn't remember your father, he died long ago and you too, but you sure rememebered those afternoon's where you couldn't eat anything because your father didn't have any money. Or those times where he forgot about you the whole night and didn't come home until morning. You managed to stay alive until you were 15 by stealing bread and clothes, then one cold winter, you died from hypothermia.

When you fell down to hell, everything was chaothic, which you didn't like. After wanfering around for days, you saw an advertisement about a hotel where people who wanted to redeem themselves went. You weren't quite sure if it was reliable, but the employees sure seemed kind. Except the Radio Demon, of course, you've heard what type of things he did when he fell to Hell.

The moment you arrived you were greeted with a very exicted princess. She shook your hand eagerly and showed you around with a kind face on her face. However, she noticed that you weren't very extroverted, so she decided to leave you be and get comfortable. You saw that there was like a small bar where an arachnid-like demon was talking to another cat-like demon. You felt a little bit confident and walked towards them to star a little conversation. As you were approaching you noticed one thing, the cat like demon looked a lot like you. You were so confused that you didn't notice the barstools in front of you, you lost a little bit of your balance and before you could fall a hand grabbed you from your jacket. The arachnid demon looked at you simpathetically and helped you stand up. He introduced himself and his friend, then, Angel Dust sat back on his seat. Husker's gaze was on you for a little longer, maybe he was wondering why he looked like you? After a small chat you decided that it was enough socializing for that day.

One day, you were feeling down because you missed your hometown and you couldn't go back. SUddenly, you noticed a glass of your favorite non-alcoholic drink slid towards you. You looked at it for a second and then your gaze focused on Husk who was cleaning a glass on the other side of the bar. "You can talk to the barman. I'll listen." He said with a small understanding smile. Then, at that moment, you tought that he was the only one that you could consider a friend. He never complained about how you were always quiet, or how you refused to do the little games that Charlie proposed.

That's why you decided to give him your trust and talk about what was burdening you. You told him how you missed your hometown, which apparently was the same as his, and how you thought that you didn't enjoy your life enough. Hell, you even told him that your dad neglected you. However, he answered back when you said that: "Maybe he felt bad about it." was his excuse. You just shrugged and continued talking, but he interrumpted you again.

"I had a daughter. I know I wasn't a good father but I loved her with all my heart. Every night, I went to a bar and tried to gamble for money, I was good, but there is always a bigger fish, I guess. Whenever I won a little bt of money I thought to myself, 'you should play another round a double it' but I never won that round. I always went back to my house in the morning and with my pockets empty. I felt so bad. Then, when I died, the las thing I thought about was her."

You couldn't believe it. That story sounded a lot at how you father behaved. You kept quiet, you still didn't believe it. As he walked around the bar to be at your side every single memory of you and your father came back to your young mind. Tears breamed your eyes, you sniffed and hid your face behind your hands. You felt his warm and fluffy body hug your smaller one, it was a warmth that you had never felt, you couldn't compare it to the distant warmth that Hell realeased. It was a warmth that you had been wanting to feel since you were born.

"Let me start over, Y/N. I'll the best father you'll ever imagine." He said his husky voice made you relax and stop crying for a moment, when your breath was constant again you looked at him. "You already are." You said as you felt tears falling down your eyes again. Maybe Hell wasn't so bad after all.

[ouiouimochi]

Rayne, Rayne

rayne is a bit ooc at the start since the story would start when they were still children

Part 2

pairing/s: rayne ames x f!reader, rayne ames x you

genre: childhood friends(?), self-sacrificing mc, hurt/comfort

wc: 5,700+

warnings: VERY long fic (idk if considered slowburn), misunderstandings, use of honorifics, mentions of bullying, violence, blood, injuries, swearing, unethical experimentation

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

what if you were a bit of a bully when you were a kid and you thought rayne left because your teasing got too much?

it was raining hard

all you could do was stare out the window of your second floor bedroom while your mother prepared a warm dinner for your family downstairs

you thought back to the times you got too mean at the other children your age in the neighbourhood

maybe if you were just a tad considerate, it would've been different

Children's laughter rings out throughout the playground as kids run and chase each other. All the while, Rayne and his little brother Finn, were at the swings as the former pushed the latter on one. It was peaceful.

“Boo.”

Until small hands clamped around Rayne's shoulders, surprising the boy and causing him to stumble to the floor. A girl’s loud laughter immediately followed, making fun of him.

Rayne groans in annoyance, picking himself up from the floor after rolling his eyes.

“What’s your problem now, (y/n).” He calls you out.

You stuck your tongue out at him.

“Nothing~! Just thought I'd say hello to my favorite lil buddy~” You emphasized the word a little too much while mischievously smiling at the boy.

Rayne sighs, dusting himself off as he positions himself back to pushing his little brother on the swings.

You pouted at being ignored.

“Raaaayneeee~” you drawl out his name.

“What?” he snaps at you.

“Nothing~!” You smile again.

“Ugh, you're so intolerable.”

“Ooh, big word. Don't understand it though ~” you quip back and giggle at him.

This was a normal interaction between the two of you—you annoying and making his life miserable (his words) while all he does is complain but doing nothing to change the dynamics of your friendship.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

Another day comes, and you manage to somehow come up with a stupid song to annoy Rayne with.

“Rayne, Rayne, go awaayy~ Come again another day~” You sang out for the nth time as the tortured male covered his ears to drown out your noise but to no avail. Finn was playing with other kids while he was stuck here trying to stand your irritating presence.

“Ugh, you're so original, you know that?” he sarcastically said.

You seemed proud of that, doing an extravagant curtsy. “Oh, I try. Thank you for noticing!” You beam at him as he only gets more annoyed when you sing that song again.

“Can you stop? You know if it wasn't me you were bullying, others would've left you alone by now.” He had enough.

But it seemed the words only went in one ear and passed through the next.

“I'm only tryna have some fun here, thoughhh.” You whined at the honey eyed boy as he can only do nothing but sigh at your shenanigans.

“It's time for us to go already.” He stood up, going to fetch Finn.

You whine again, “Are you gonna be back here tomorrow?” you genuinely asked.

“So that you can annoy me again? Pass.” he quips.

You pout and still whine. “But who can I make fun of but you? “

“Go look for other kids, then.”

“Immediate pass.” You deadpanned, enjoying the dual-colored haired boy’s presence much more than the other kids in the playground.

He walks and you stand up.

“I'll be here tomorrow so you better prepare for me!” You declare to him.

“Prepare for you? In your dreams, (y/n).” He spoke but you don't miss the smile he exhibited as he turned back and left.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

The next day, you waited for him and Finn, but they weren't there.

‘Maybe Finn got sick and Rayne had to take care of him’ You thought to yourself as you went back home early.

The day after that, there were no signs of them either. Like the day after and after and after.

It's like the two brothers were just gone.

You began to worry, wondering if something bad happened to them.

You even asked the other kids but they only shrugged their shoulders, knowing as much as you. Only having noticed when you asked.

So now, back at home, you were moping around as your mother made no mention of it— thinking it was just a kid thing.

You overthink that maybe Rayne actually did get tired of you.

That he left because you were too mean and a bad influence to Finn.

so you tap on the glass as the pitter patter of the rain goes on

“rayne, rayne…”

•°•°•°•°•°•°

then in easton, you meet him again and try to make it up to him through helping him in any ways possible

you met again when you were in middle school, having enrolled at easton academy

it was awkward meeting him at first, since he seemed more… cold

especially when his face was stoic as you observed so far

you caught wind that he was aiming for Divine Visionary for when he moves up to high school

so you dedicated yourself to being a white mage that would support him

he doesn't even need to ask

you just really felt like you needed to do so in order to make up for your childhood guilt

Rayne would just be doing his business, but then he'd feel the burning sensation of eyes on him. The male inconspicuously investigates the source and finds out the gaze burning holes into him was you.

He clicks his tongue mentally. ‘Same as ever. Annoying.’

It happens a lot but he never does anything about your staring at all.

So when you two got paired up for class, it was hella awkward. Not much was said as you two individually did your tasks silently.

You two wordlessly exchange your papers to double check each other's work— the silence was still thick.

Your eyes rake over Rayne's work, it was well done. You would've handed it back to him already if you hadn't spotted a small error in the last paragraph.

So you tell him about how it's wrong, surprising the male that you broke the silence first. He had nothing to say about your part since it left no room for error.

The male checked his work and you were right about the mistake he made, “I see…”, so he corrected it.

Back to that silence.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

Your entire stay at Easton consisted of diligently practicing your support magic and trying to not get into Rayne’s way whenever you two were grouped together by some twist of fate.

You always attentively observed the male in case he needed something and other students started taking notice of it— this was in your first year of highschool in Easton Academy and Rayne was starting to gain influence from his feats (that you also had helped him in some).

And so the students began to talk and rumors began spreading that you were Rayne’s fangirl, some being overly twisted and getting farther from the truth.

Rayne did not like hearing rumors get twisted each time one reached his ears. Especially not when it involves you and your reputation.

He's always noted how you've been helping him each time. Ever so diligently but silently. The honey eyed male was grateful for you but he still had a goal to achieve— that doesn’t mean he didn't care about you, though.

He observed you to see how you were faring from the gossip, but only to find he had nothing to worry about when you were completely unbothered.

‘Always unperturbed by others.’

•°•°•°•°•°•°

By the end of your first year in Easton highschool, Rayne was assigned as a red mage while you were assigned as a white mage. You both were impressively the top for the respective positions in your year.

Now, having dedicated the past few years to training and honing his skills, it took no time for the stoic-faced male to rack up credits even without your help during your second year.

You've also managed to garner credits on your own despite specializing only in support magic, but you don't have any plans in using them to become a Divine Visionary Candidate.

If anything you only wanted to give all your coins away to Rayne. However, you know he wouldn't accept it anyways.

When the Divine Visionary Candidate Examinations came around, Headmaster Wahlberg called upon each candidate to his office– which included you as you passively managed to collect enough credit to be a viable contestant.

You politely declined the ticket many hoped to even achieve and instead volunteered to be the on-site healer during the examinations.

“Hmm… Very well then, you are a very capable white mage despite your age.” The wise old man answered after a short but careful deliberation.

You bow your head in gratitude at the greatest mage of the time before excusing yourself to leave.

Walhberg is left to his own thoughts of how a promising white mage such as yourself declined the opportunity of sitting at the top since it's not unheard of to have someone specializing in support magic as Divine Visionary.

‘She worked hard the past few years only to step down from what others can only dream of reaching. Where do her aspirations lie, I wonder?’

•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Rayne.” You call out to the said male as he subtly turns his attention to you during a walk to the next class.

“I won't be participating in the Divine Visionary Candidate Exams.”

He stops walking, then turns his body to face you. An action that urged you to explain.

“My spells won't get me far in the competition catered for offensive magic anyways, so I wish you luck.” You smile up at him.

Rayne wanted to tell you otherwise, of how your support magic can beat even the most aggressive assault of spells so long as you willed it.

But those words never managed to make it out his mouth as you two arrived at your class for Fortune Telling— a subject he doesn't particularly enjoy.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

The candidate exam went by like a breeze for Rayne— a feat of overwhelming victory. It wasn't like his enemies were anything to scoff at either.

His spells and efficiency in dealing with his opponents were a testament to the effort he put into honing his skills during his whole time in Easton— ever since the first day.

The crowd may have been shocked, but you were not. You expected someone as honest as the dual-haired male to be capable of declaring anything and he'd achieve it. He's not one to give empty promises to anything or anyone.

You felt a pang of emotion you can't quite place at that.

‘He never really promised anything back then, so stop reacting like that. The past’s in the past.’

You smiled bitterly at the thought.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

The Tri-Magic-Athalon Divine Visionary Final Exam eventually arrived as the most anticipated event of the year.

You oversaw the event with Headmaster Wahlberg as per his request to have you as the assigned white mage for the occasion.

The Flame Cane was there as well, so you politely greeted him as the Headmaster introduced you. Kaldo watched in interest, hoping to see your talent in support magic as endorsed by someone as great as the Headmaster of Easton Magic Academy.

Such a shame you weren't a contestant to showcase such talent.

Back to the exams, Rayne was effortlessly powering through opponent after opponent. One in particular from Saint Ars managed to keep up with the half blond's attacks before eventually getting outskilled by him.

Walkis Academy dished out powerful mages as per usual so Rayne managed to go against their most promising candidate for the final round that decided who would become Divine Visionary.

The sheer destructive power the opponent had was domineering, instilling fear and awe into the audience as they watched on.

It seems a few words were exchanged on the field as your childhood friend only scoffed and brandished his wand in preparation.

Attacks were exchanged and defended against continuously, Rayne’s opponent showing visible signs of agitation at his unbothered expression.

The opponent sent out a much more powerful spell that the dual haired male was forced to defend against. A thick cloud of dust covered the two candidates as the audience watched in anticipation.

You smile, already knowing the victor of the match. The Flame Cane noticed your reaction.

As the dust settled, Rayne had his eyes closed while calmly storing away his wand back into the confines of his robe. His opponent lied pitifully on the floor as multiple swords had him meticulously pinned.

The crowd cheers as the announcer praises the dual-colored haired male as the winner of the Tri-Magic-Athalon and the next Divine Visionary— making him the youngest in history.

You were going to immediately applaud him if you hadn't noticed a suspicious movement from the defeated Walkis Academy student.

You bring out your wand as Kaldo watches for your next action.

The Walkis student couldn't accept it. That he was defeated despite being part of a school that was more powerful than Easton.

That he was defeated by a mere commoner with no background.

He couldn't accept this.

He managed to snatch his wand that was a few feet in front of him, quickly chanting a spell to attack the winner.

‘Winner you may be, you wouldn't expect this!’

And so the spell launches to the back of the new Divine Visionary and hits as smoke spreads out from the impact.

The audience collectively gasped in shock.

The student was wickedly smiling at having the spell land— but the smoke cloud cleared to reveal Rayne was unscathed behind a golden translucent barrier and looking at him with a disgusted glare.

The guy was clearly not in the right mind, readying another spell before being interrupted by bands of the same property as the barrier tightly binding all his limbs together. He unceremoniously falls to the floor with a harsh thud.

Thankfully, the security responded quickly in escorting out the bound student as you neatly kept your wand back into your robe’s sleeves. The Headmaster and Kaldo had to applaud you for the display of skill to quickly defend and neutralize a hostile force.

You turn to the two adults, excusing yourself politely before they said anything as you rush down into Rayne’s waiting room.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

You open the door in a hurry, completely disregarding the need to knock.

Rayne was allowing himself to lounge on the plush sofa with his head situated on top of the backrest of the furniture, facing the ceiling.

The male listens as your feet bring you behind the sofa he's at. He opened up his eyes to stare into the ceiling but found you in his field of view instead.

“You have a wound on your cheek.” He sighs while closing his eyes again.

“Just a scratch.”

The dual-colored haired male hears you click your tongue.

“My spell apparently didn't block the attack fast enough.” Rayne opens his eyes and stares right back into your eyes.

“It's fine, I could've handled it myself.” You sigh this time, making your way round the furniture.

He feels your presence situate itself in front of him, so he sits up.

“Let me heal that for you.” He wordlessly leans forward, allowing you to do what you wanted.

He didn't expect you to hold his face delicately as you aimed your wand near his wound though.

The area around both of you lit up with a gentle golden glow, orbs and wisps of light dancing around the small field of your magic.

It felt warm and comforting but Rayne doesn't dare to speak a word about it.

He also won't speak about his dismay when the moment ended way too quickly for his liking.

“Done.”

“Slightly overkill with the magic.”

“Hey, I had to make sure you had no other injuries.” You tut at him before pulling your personality back together.

The half blond acknowledges your effort with a grateful nod of his head— a slight smile itched itself into your expression at that.

You don't mind even if he doesn't acknowledge the effort you put into helping him. You only cared enough to know that your actions helped.

And that's enough for you.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

It got very busy for Rayne. Divine Visionary interviews, paperwork, inauguration, and the like got him so preoccupied that you barely remember when was the last time you saw him on campus.

That's also when you realize that you're all alone without the dual-colored haired male that you usually follow around. Your peers found that to be another subject to talk about.

You could care less about what they think. If anything, you only thought it was annoying that you can basically hear them despite their sorry excuse of whispers. Their gazes pierce through your skin as they talk and talk and talk.

Irritated, you brought yourself somewhere more quiet.

'Finally, peace.' You sighed out, having decided to walk through the hallways of the middle school department. Memories fill your mind of the training and effort you did during your whole stay in the department.

You smile, finding it endearing that your past self was so determined despite being so young (as if you weren't currently 17 or something cough).

A smack resounded throughout the empty hallways— or at least you thought it was empty at first.

You look to the end of the hall where a student seemed to have fallen to the ground along with his things. Other footsteps resounded in the same direction, you thought that maybe the owners would help the poor boy.

But they only sneered at him as the fallen student opted to bow and kneel at their feet to ask for forgiveness instead of picking up his fallen possessions.

You walk closer and closer as you start to hear their conversation— bits and pieces making up something along the lines of their dissatisfaction with their homework score as the fallen boy tried to reason he also had homeworks to do. All the poor kid got in response was a flood of paperworks being dumped on his head as the bullies showcase all the scores they were unsatisfied with.

You then noticed how familiar the fallen student was. Noting the familiar dual-colored hair before it clicks it was Finn.

‘Do they not know his brother is the newest Divine Visionary?’

The bullies started to become more agitated it seems as they were showing signs of wanting to engage in violence. Most of them raised their wands in preparation to send spells to the younger Ames as the pitiful kid can only hope it'd be over soon, closing his eyes to wait for the pain.

Except he never got attacked. The soft hearted male opened his eyes to see his bullies bound by bands of translucent gold.

“Shit!”

“The hell is this!!!!!”

“The fuck!”

They all exclaimed their curses and confusion— Finn was also confused before hearing the silent clicking of footsteps coming their way.

You cringe at their vocabulary. Not particularly fond of profanities being spouted by children their age.

“You stupid kids are abhorrent.” Finn’s head darts quickly in your direction, immediately recognizing you.

“(Y/n) nee-sama.” He gaped as you went straight to him, not minding that his bullies were still struggling to get out of their bindings.

“Greatest white mage you may be in this school, you don't even have a title!”

Your ears perked up, interested that information spread even to the middle school levels about yourself.

“Wait til’ our parents hear about this!!”

“We'll have you expelled immediately!”

Their noise immediately gets silenced as you cast a spell that covers their mouths like duct tape.

“How noisy.”

The younger Ames only watches as you gracefully tuck your wand away before gently holding his shoulders to get both of you up from the floor.

You quietly pat away the dust that settled on his robe like a caring older sister.

“Finn,” you called his name out as the boy flinched and prepared himself for a harsh scolding, “are you okay?”

He nods after getting over his shock from your recognition and worry for him even after all these years. He felt guilty that he and his brother were unable to properly say goodbye to you back then— they just disappeared so suddenly from your life.

“Let's talk after this, okay?” You smiled at the kid to reassure him.

You then turn your attention to the bullies still squirming around in your binding spell. Your eyes were chilly, the smile you gave Finn erased from your face.

“I'll have to bring you to Headmaster Wahlberg, it seems,” you coldly stated. The younger students freezing up in fear— they were not going to get away with this like they usually did.

Long story short, you explained to the Headmaster how the kids were making Finn do all their classwork as the poor kid barely had enough time to do his. After some interrogation with a magic spell that makes you spill only the truth, it was found out these kids were doing this since their second year.

The Headmaster was furious and valued academic integrity that was especially expected from those of noble lineage. The kids were quickly expelled, the wise man thanking you for bringing the issue to his attention before dismissing you and Finn.

Now that the issue was over, you went to the cafeteria with the boy— believing that it can ease up his nerves before you ask him about his school life.

The first thing you asked was why would the kids continuously bully him after knowing his brother became the newest Divine Visionary. You immediately followed up with a question asking if Rayne knew.

Finn seemed antsy, fiddling with his spoon.

“Why does Rayne not know?” you basically demanded to be answered, knowing how important it was.

“Nii-sama,” he gulps, “we— he doesn't talk to me…”

That was a big reveal, your eyes immediately widened.

“What?”

He continued, “It's understandable… I'm just a weak embarrassment to him…” the poor kid dejectedly said.

You don't know what to say.

Rayne was known to be protective of Finn when you were kids— he cared about his younger brother a lot.

You wonder if something drastically changed aside from how the older Ames acted. It just wasn't like him to not care for his younger brother.

For now, all you could offer to Finn was your help whenever he needed it. You brought it upon yourself to take care of him while his brother was busy ignoring him.

You think about what else you missed out on— what you didn't know. All you knew was that your childhood guilt was not the cause of the sudden disappearance of the Ames siblings back then.

But your inner self keeps chewing you out for not treating them nicer at the very least back then, always poking fun at them.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

It was all too unexpected— what was only supposed to be a simple recon mission turned to an all out battle against a whole dark magic organization. You and Rayne were getting more and more exhausted as the enemies endlessly appeared to capture or kill you both.

You heave.

Let's backtrack a bit, shall we?

Rayne finally got assigned his first mission as Divine Visionary to do some reconnaissance on a suspicious organization that's been monitored by the Bureau for a while now. As the newest and youngest of the Visionaries, someone else would have to accompany the male to his first mission. However, the other Visionaries were busy with other work.

The male in question had no qualms about going solo at all, but the protocols called for him to be paired with someone skilled enough incase of a worst case scenario. So it came as a bit of surprise when the Flame Cane recommended you as his pair for the mission.

Some Visionaries had questions as to why Kaldo suggested pairing up two young students on a mission that potentially had its risks— but knowing how sharp the albino’s judgement on talents is, approved of the arrangements after a bit of discussion. So you were called into Headmaster Wahlberg’s office— you've been frequenting a lot this year, you noticed— in order to request your assistance in the issue.

You accepted since it almost seemed like your life mission was to help Rayne in just about anything. The male, despite knowing full well of your capabilities in application, was slightly displeased at the information he received of being assisted by you on his first Visionary mission.

He kept his expression as neutral as possible, you however were able to pick up on it quickly as you two got a quick rundown of the mission before being sent off. You felt kind of rejected for some reason— but did not question the half blond.

The location of the organization you two were supposed to investigate was very isolated and secluded so even if a commotion were to happen, no outsider would be able to help you two. So that was also one of the reasons they had to pair Rayne up with another capable mage despite his skills.

It was supposed to be just a simple recon, nothing less. The place had pretty tight security so you two proceeded with absolute caution.

The organization’s executives were having a meeting, so that was where you two observed with a stealth spell you conjured up and the special cloaks the Bureau provided you both with.

They were talking about the progress of their research in creating chimeras— monsters made through combining different parts, be it magical creatures, animals, monsters, or even humans. You felt sick to your stomach listening to them casually talk about getting more live human subjects.

Then the meeting got so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

It was just one of the executives, who was very vigilant, had quickly informed the other members of intruders' eavesdropping. The whole place quickly turned upside down as an alarm rang throughout the underground establishment.

You two had to leave— but it was impossible to do quickly without revealing your exact whereabouts.

Eventually you two got discovered and had to fight for your lives. And here we are back to the present.

“Elite magicians incoming from the next hallway.” You informed Rayne, having to continuously cast a survey spell to detect enemy locations in a certain area incase of another unexpected variable.

“Any response from the Bureau?” he asked urgently. The honey eyed male didn't waste another second to send his swords flying to the group of elite magicians that just rounded the corner before they could even try preparing an attack.

You two continued running, “Said they'd send the Light Cane since he just finished his mission in the next town.” you said, setting up another barrier to defend against an attack from behind you two. “It'd take a while, though.”

“We can bulldoze through the units in the right turn.” Rayne wordlessly follows, trusting your judgement and skills.

After a few twists and turns, you managed to maneuver yourselves to a very spacious chamber— a training room, you supposed. At least this would allow the half blond to securely summon up more powerful spells to deter the enemies. The open area also allowed the two of you to anticipate attacks quicker due to the absence of the sharp corners of each twisting hallway.

“A whole bunch of them are rushing in here, seems to be the last.”

“Can finally wipe them all out in one go.” he muttered, exhaustion was actually taking its toll on both of you.

You nod in agreement and set up a trap that would completely immobilize those that step within its area of effect radius— a spell you were proud to call your Secondth.

So the enemies all come rushing in, without regard to possible traps set up. They were only thinking how the two of you can be easily overwhelmed by their sheer numbers no matter how powerful you two were.

As easily as that, they get impaired by a magic circle appearing beneath them— golden chains shooting upwards to capture each and every soldier. They could do nothing but be mercilessly beat up by the rain of swords your companion sent towards them.

You heaved, magic reserves almost completely drained due to the continuous casting of surveying, shielding, and binding spells. You casted one last survey spell to ensure the area was clear.

Your stomach dropped in dread and Rayne quickly noticed.

“Is there more?” he had to get it out of you fast.

“Only one…” you steeled yourself once again, “but this guy's way beyond the power level of the elite ones we dealt with.”

You were barely swift enough to set up a shield in time before a very destructive spell was shot in your direction. The whole area shook from the impact of the explosion.

“Tsk. So they sent the newest Visionary to foil my plans in creating the greatest beings of all time? I guess I'd have to take care of some pests that are in the way.”

It was the executive from earlier. The guy didn't even try to flee. He was a lanky middle aged man that had his messy, shoulder length hair down— wearing a suit that seemed a size too big for him. Overall looks like an old tired office worker that either was on something or just has perpetual insomnia.

The smoke clears and you two were mainly unharmed from his magic.

“Oh, you survived that… “ The old man scratches his head.

“Partisan.” Rayne wasted no time to send a counterattack.

The enemy clicks his tongue, the main battle only having just started.

•°•°•°•°•°•°

It was admittedly tough— given that you both were worn down from the endless waves of mages that came your way prior to the fight against the lanky executive. At the very least, he was defeated, motionlessly laying on the floor.

You sigh out a breath of relief, absolutely glad it was over. Rayne also visibly showed signs of ease as his countenance released tension.

“We should probably wait for Mr. Grantz outside instead.” You pat away the dust from your robe, as your companion only wordlessly nods his head in agreement with your plan.

You two start heading out calmly as if there weren't bodies littering the ground around the entrance of the training hall. You observed that all of them were down for the count anyways.

Feeling something strange hanging in the air, you look back to see the executive standing up on his feet in a stagger. Something fell with a clink as a glass vial started rolling away from the old man.

Although you were confident that the executive would be unable to continue fighting— your gut feeling was urging you to immediately flee.

Without much of a thought, you tackled Rayne to the floor as a stream of dark ominous flames barely missed you two.

You strangle back a scream as searing hot pain ran across your back. You look behind to see that you weren't able to completely dodge the attack. The clothes on your back were just burned away as your skin got mercilessly scorched. You observed further as the security you and Rayne defeated got the brunt of the attack, and were in a much worse condition than you were— their screams of pain and the sight making you want to throw up.

You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to forget the grotesque sight, trying to block out the sounds.

“(Y/n).” Rayne’s voice brings you back to reality as you open your eyes to meet with his golden ones.

You gulp, trying to find your voice amidst the pain spreading around your injury.

The half blond was cursing in his mind very badly— having noticed too late that the enemy wasn't fully incapacitated. It didn't help that you got wounded while getting the both of you out of the line of fire.

The pain was unbearable, you were trying to cast a healing spell to at least stop the bleeding and the pain. However, you find that the attack made it impossible to do so.

“Shiitshitshit.” You swore, you can't be here being a liability to Rayne.

Another attack was sent but the male luckily picked you up and dodged it. You hissed from the abrupt movement but you had no choice but to suck it up.

“Rayne, don't get hit by any attack… my healing isn't working…”

He was worried to learn that you weren't able to heal yourself— he had to put you somewhere safe first. And so he ran with you in his arms as he sent a barrage of swords behind him to stall time.

He stopped at an empty hallway, setting you down prone due to your back injury. You two were basically backed into a corner, not even knowing when backup would arrive.

“Just leave me here.” You urged him, thinking that it was best that at least one of you got out— you were also starting to see black dots within your vision.

“No.” Rayne immediately refused.

“I won't be any help,” you breathe as the air makes your wounds sting further, “you have the best chance of getting out.”

“I can still fight, I just need you to hold on until then.” He left no room for arguments as you clenched your fist.

Footsteps approached from down the hallway.

“Found you.”

“Stay put.” The honey eyed male basically commanded you.

You watched on as he faced the executive head on, exchanging attacks. He was holding up well, having followed your advice in avoiding getting hit. Despite how capable Rayne was, you knew how he was basically at his limit due to the earlier events.

So with your consciousness fading away, you've gathered all the power you can into a spell and casted it on your companion. You watch as he takes a quick glance in your direction, but cannot observe further as you promptly fall unconscious— energy completely depleted.

And so everything turned black.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

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