#I don’t know how to say it but doing normal people medical things | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

too-much-tma-stuff · 7 months ago

Text

Finally Getting Help (pt 13)

Masterpost

Danny was holding Jason’s hand so tight he felt like his fingers were creaking but Jason wasn’t about to say anything. They were waiting in the doctor's office for Danny’s first ultrasound and Jason was accompanying him as promised, if Danny needed to squeeze his hand that was what Danny needed to do then so be it, it was better the bolting, which it looked like he was considering. Leslie didn’t usually make people wait long but when she had an emergency she had an emergency, it didn’t matter that Bruce funded her clinic, and was sitting awkwardly in one corner, they could wait.

It had been decided that as Danny’s guardian and maybe boyfriend? Bruce and Jason would be the ones to go in with him, with Danny’s agreement of course. Jazz and Dick had both wanted to come too but they didn’t want to crowd the room or overwhelm Danny so it was decided they would stay close by but not come In. Just then they were waiting together at a cafe across the road in case they were needed.

“Alright, I’m sorry to keep you both waiting but you know how Gotham is,” Leslie said a little grim-faced and still stripping off bloody gloves as she walked into their room and tossed them into the trash can. “So, Danny right,” Danny nodded. “Will you come with me into a private room for your examination?” She asked, because of course she did, the phrasing too was carefully worded to not put him on the spot so if Danny was feeling at all threatened or uncomfortable about Jason and Bruce being there he wouldn’t be blamed for following her.

“You don’t have to,” She added quickly when Danny looked panicked and clung to Jason so tight Jason couldn’t help wincing. “We can move forward with the appointment if them being here makes you more comfortable?”

Danny nodded quickly so she nodded as well and sat down at her desk, opening a file on her computer. “So, you’re here for an ultrasound right?” She glanced over and Danny nodded again, he seemed to be feeling really shy, Jason had never seen him so nervous, Bruce looked worried. “But it says here you haven’t had a check up in years so would you mind if we do a general exam first? I would like to make sure that You are healthy before we move on to the babies.”

“Yes that’s fine, but you know I’m not fully human right?” Danny asked, she paused for barely a moment.

“I was told you had some differences,” she confirmed gingerly. “What should I expect?”

“Well, my heart rate is naturally slower than it used to be, and my body temperature is lower. Like I get to ‘healthy human’ temperatures when I have a bad fever. I don’t know what else has changed, honestly. I’ve been avoiding the doctor ever since my accident because I knew how my parents would react,” he said sounding tired and resigned.

“Well then we’ll take today as a paceline and monitor changes. If you’re feeling well today?” She suggested, she probably would have liked to get a baseline before Danny was pregnant but obviously that was impossible.

“Ya that’s fine, my heartrate is probably a bit fast because I’m nervous but I’m probably healthier then I’ve been in a while. I haven’t been getting into fights and I’ve been eating regularly after all!”

“Alright. I understand but there’s no need to be nervous. This is a safe environment, I won’t do anything that’s not medically necessary.”

“I know, if Bruce and Jason didn’t speak so highly of you I wouldn’t be here. They don’t seem to see eye to eye on much so if they both trust and like you you must be good,” Danny said with a little smile though he was still tense and pale. That anxiety wasn’t going anywhere fast. In the corner Brace gave a sort of strangled cough that had Jason glaring at him even though he didn’t really know what it meant.

“Alright, then let’s get started,” She said before she started Danny’s check-up, all of the normal things a doctor would do if a bit more thorough. Checking eyes, mouth, ears, heart and lungs, and reflexes, circulation and blood pressure. His heartbeat was slow and his blood pressure was low but Danny thought that was probably normal for him? She gave an unconvinced hum. “We’ll have weekly check ups and check it again then. If it’s sustained and doesn’t affect you then we can say it’s normal for you.” She agreed.

“Alright, well based on the information you’ve told me I think we’ve established a baseline and you’re healthy. Are you ready for your ultrasound?” She asked and Danny took a deep breath, Jason, still standing next to Danny, squeezed his hand gently.

“Ya, as ready as I’ll ever be,” Danny agreed.

“Thank you, just lay back and pull up your shirt please,” Dr. Leslie requested and Danny did as she’d asked as she pulled up the little monitor and set things up. In the background Bruce shifted so he could see the screen better. “There won’t be much to see,” Leslie warned, shooting Bruce a look as she applied the ultrasound gel. “It’s still too early.”

She put on a fresh pair of gloves and grabbed the wand, “Alright, let's have a look.” She said, pressing it carefully against Danny’s stomach.

Danny had let go of Jason’s hand while he lay down but now he grabbed around for Jason again, without looking away from the screen now showing inside his abdomen. Jason stepped closer and grabbed Danny’s hand, looking at his face rather than anything else, monitoring for signs the trepidation there might be getting to be too much. He knew Danny was nervous, but they didn’t want this to progress into a panic attack.

“There they are. Oh! Two, twins. You’re further along than I expected, 10 weeks by the looks of it?” She asked glancing at Danny who nodded.

“Ya, I’ve only been carrying them for 6 but they’re test tube babies,” he confirmed, his eyes fixed on the screen.

“Ah,” She sounded, nodding her understanding. “The little round things below their hearts are odd. Do they have two hearts? No, those ones aren’t beating…”

“Those are their cores,” Danny murmured before it seemed to hit him and he looked at Jason, his eyes wide with panic. “Oh my god I AM actually pregnant, it’s not just the cores, I’m pregnant, oh my god I’m pregnant,” he was starting to hyperventilate.

Dr. Leslie pulled back and Danny practically threw himself into Jason’s arm who held him tight as Danny hid against his chest and trembled. “Do you want us to call Jazz?” Jason offered softly as he held Danny and let him cry.

“No don’t go,” Danny hiccuped against Jason’s chest.

“I’ll call Jazz,” Bruce added, of course. He would want to help, he did care, but he never had any actual idea how to help. The emotionally unavailable bastard.

“Do you want me to leave?” Dr. Leslie asked gently. “I would like to have a better look at the twins to check on their development but if you need time I can come back later, or even another day.”

“Just-just give me a minute, please,” Danny sniffled as Jason rubbed his back.

“Of course. I know this is overwhelming,” Leslie said gently.

Jazz barged into the room and immediately hugged Danny a well, sandwiched safely between her and Jason. “Scruff him, it’ll help,” she told Jason, who nodded and squeezed the back of Danny’s neck.

He shuddered and then started to relax between the two of them, basically letting the two taller, and trusted, people hold him up. His sobs turned into sniffles and then a few deep breaths. “Okay, okay I think I’m ready. I want to know that they’re okay too. I know their cores are developing well but if they have human bodies, we need to make sure those are healthy too right?”

“Right. Do you want me to stay, or do you want Bruce to come back in?” Jazz asked gently.

“No, you and Jason stay please,” Danny said softly. He had thought it was right for Bruce to come in as his guardian, but it was Jazz who had really been looking after him for years. “There’s not much to see right now, just little blobs. We’ll tell him how it goes.”

Danny took another breath and then squirmed out of both of their arms and went to lay back on the table, pulling up his shirt again. Jason stood next to the examination table, taking Danny’s hand again, Jazz went and sat on the table by Danny’s head and stroked his hair while Dr. Leslie applied fresh jelly to his stomach since it had been worn off during his panic attack. Jason might have to change his shirt after this.

“Alright, let’s have another look shall we?” She said with a warm smile as she pressed the wand against his stomach again. She found the babies again fairly easily. “They seem to be sticking pretty close together,” She said with a little smile. “They’re active little things! It’s far too early to tell anything else about them but from what you’ve told me they seem to be on track and developing properly,” She said, pulling back and offering Danny a cloth to clean the gel off his stomach.

“Do you mind if we call Bruce back in? As your guardian I’d like him to be here for you treatment plan?” She asked.

“Sure, makes sense,” Danny agreed with a nod.

She nodded back and looked at Jazz, who nodded as well and ducked out to get Bruce. “While we’re mostly alone I want to know, do you know all your options Danny? You know you don’t have to carry them. They’re just embryos right now, not even conscious. Your health and safety comes first,” Dr. Leslie told him gently. She knew Jason was firmly pro-choice.

“No, I know,” Danny said with a little smile and a nod, looking down at his stomach and gently caressing it. “I know I don’t Have to do this. But I do want them. I’m already attached to them, you know?” He said looking up at her, worried that she would judge him. He hoped he was making the right choice, that he wasn’t ruining his life at 16 or something. Fuck he could be on that trashy tv show!

“I understand,” She assured, no hint of judgment on her face. Of course not, if she could treat rogues without judgment she sure as hell wasn’t going to judge a teen parent. She glanced up as the door opened again and Bruce and Jazz entered. “Right,” Leslie said, sitting down at her computer and starting to type. “You’re still a little malnourished so I’d like to get you taking prenatal vitamins immediately,” she said, glancing up to see Danny nod. “With your unique condition I’d like to see you more often than usual, weekly visits would be best for now. Once we’re sure you and the babies are okay we can go down to every other week.”

“I don’t think we need to do that,” Danny said, shifting nervously. “I mean you say the human side is looking good, and my ghost doctor says they’re developing well on that side, if slower than usual. I don’t need to come in every week,” He said looking hopeful.

She hesitated for a moment, organizing her thoughts and considering his words. “Even so, there’s clearly some bleed over that makes it hard to tell how healthy you are. I would feel better if you came weekly, at least for the first month so we can establish a true baseline.”

“Alright,” Danny said, drooping again, looking back at Bruce. “Can you make the appointment? I want to go home.”

“Sure Danny,” Bruce agreed, pulling out his planner to check their schedule.

“I’ll take you back to the manor,” Jason assured, using his grip on Danny’s hand to help him up.

“I’ll go back to the cafe with Dick, we were having a good conversation, I wouldn’t mind continuing it,” She said, giving Danny a smile. “Unless you want me to come?”

“No, that’s alright. Have fun Jazz,” Danny said, leaning against Jason and letting him usher Danny out of the clinic. Jazz waved as she crossed to the cafe where Dick was waiting, looking worried till he noticed them, then he smiled and waved. Jazz waved back and jogged across, about to tell Dick all about the twins no doubt.

Jason led Danny to his bike, and got on first, pulling Danny onto the seat behind him. Danny wrapped his arms around Jason and pressed against his back, half hiding from the world. Jason didn’t try to talk to him, he needed time to process. He would talk when he was ready to.

#dc x dp #danny phantom #jason todd #fanfiction #trans!danny #trans pregnancy #teen pregnancy #dead on main #bruce wayne #jazz fenton #dick grayson #eldest daughter syndrome #that's what Dick and Jazz are called as a ship right?#finally getting help AU #Danny is pregnant #tw dysphoria

524 notes · View notes

senipsenipsenip · 2 months ago

Text

Hc that Stan never bothered going to the doctor after taking Ford’s identity bc he was paranoid the local doctor would realize the difference in his health records and expose him (I mean, they’d definitely have something to say about the missing finger)

Anyway, after Weirdmageddon as he’s getting his memories back he forgets certain medical things he’s been ignoring are Not Normal for other people.

“Grunkle Stan, how do you pronounce this word?”

“I don’t know, I’d need a soda to tell you.”

“What? How’s a soda going to help you?”

“The words are blurry.”

“Are your glasses okay?”

“Yea it’s just y’know your vision goes blurry during the day so you need a soda to fix it?”

“…Grunkle Stan I think you have low blood sugar.”

#gravity falls #Stanley pines #grunkle stan #Stanford pines #dipper pines #mabel pines #headcanon

195 notes · View notes

fioredeciliego · 6 days ago

Text

Accidental Confessions - Karina x Fem!Reader

9k words

The auditorium hummed with anticipation as Y/N settled into her seat beside Rei, folding her arms comfortably. The room was packed with freshmen eagerly taking in their first taste of university life, but she was hardly paying attention to the introductory speeches. Her friends were all around her, immersed in their own excited chatter: Jiwon and Rei kept stealing small, affectionate glances, Yujin playfully teased a blushing Wonyoung, and Gaeul was scrolling through her phone, occasionally nudging Y/N to show her funny photos she’d saved.

Y/N couldn’t help but smile at her friends' obvious happiness. It was almost laughable how quickly things had fallen into place on day one—new classes, new people, new possibilities. Still, she stayed grounded, focused on what they’d come here to do. Medicine. The program was reputed for being grueling, so keeping her head down and blending in felt like a safe plan.

But as the room began to quiet down, her attention was snagged by a shift in the crowd near the auditorium entrance. Her gaze landed on a new group making their way down the aisle, effortlessly drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the room.

Jimin led them.

Y/N had heard about Jimin from passing conversations on orientation day. A sophomore in the medical program, Jimin was known not only for her academic ability but also for her popularity on campus. She was the kind of person others naturally gravitated towards, with an air of confidence that set her apart. Jimin’s friends followed close behind, talking and laughing among themselves, but it was Jimin who seemed to capture the room with ease, even before she reached her seat.

Y/N couldn’t quite place what it was about her that held her focus. Maybe it was the smooth, unbothered way she moved, or the casual glances she tossed toward familiar faces, like she was already at home here. Her clothes were simple, yet every detail looked effortlessly put together. People had a lot to say about her—stories ranging from her perfect grades to her rumored love life—and as Y/N watched her, she could see why.

“Ah, already captivated by the upperclassmen, are we?” Gaeul’s teasing tone jolted Y/N from her thoughts. Y/N brushed it off with a shake of her head, but as she looked back, something unexpected happened.

Jimin was staring directly at her.

The gaze was cool and observant, and Y/N’s breath hitched as their eyes met. It was like being caught off guard by a flash of lightning—sudden, intense, and impossible to ignore. Y/N expected Jimin to look away, but instead, Jimin’s lips curved into a small, almost private smile, a hint of mischief lighting her expression.

Y/N’s pulse kicked up, and she felt a sudden flush creeping up her neck. A smirk? It was barely there, but the way Jimin’s gaze lingered for an extra beat before turning back to her friends left Y/N feeling as if she’d been drawn into a secret she didn’t fully understand.

“Nothing, huh?” Rei’s voice was closer, her tone knowingly playful.

Y/N scoffed, feigning a dismissive wave of her hand. “She just…looked over here,” she muttered, though her mind was racing with questions she didn’t know how to answer.

“Looked over here?” Rei raised a brow, lips quirking in amusement. “Looked over here how? Because from where I’m sitting, it looked a lot like staring.”

Gaeul, catching onto the exchange, leaned in with a smirk of her own. “Staring and smirking,” she added. “Don’t think she does that for just anyone.”

Y/N laughed it off, hoping her friends wouldn’t notice the color rising to her cheeks. “I think you’re all just bored,” she said, but she could still feel the residual warmth of Jimin’s gaze, like a phantom touch lingering on her skin. Forcing herself to turn away, she stared down at her hands, trying to will her heartbeat back to normal.

As the orientation continued, Y/N occasionally found herself glancing back in Jimin’s direction, half-convinced she was imagining things. But each time she looked, Jimin seemed completely focused on her friends, laughing at something Aeri was saying or nodding along with a calm expression as Yizhuo gestured animatedly beside her. Y/N told herself she’d imagined that whole moment, that maybe Jimin was simply lost in thought and accidentally looked her way.

But deep down, she knew that wasn’t it. Jimin’s gaze had been far too deliberate, and that subtle, knowing smirk had seemed almost…calculated, as if it was meant to leave her feeling exactly the way she did now—off-balance and uncharacteristically flustered.

“Y/N, you’re zoning out again,” Gaeul nudged her shoulder, snapping her back to the present.

“Right,” Y/N replied, blinking herself out of her thoughts and forcing herself to focus on the faculty members now introducing the semester’s course load and expectations. She tried to take in the information as the dean highlighted the program’s rigor and upcoming assignments, but her mind kept drifting back to that brief, charged moment.

She glanced back at her friends, watching as Jiwon leaned into Rei’s shoulder, and Yujin and Wonyoung shared a small smile, the kinds of looks that spoke of something unspoken and deeply mutual. Y/N had always been slightly baffled by these things—by the way some people could connect instantly, how a single look could change the whole atmosphere.

But sitting here now, with the heat of Jimin’s gaze still lingering like an invisible thread between them, she thought maybe, for the first time, she understood.

After orientation the girls decided to head out near campus to eat. The café was buzzing with the lively chatter of students, its walls lined with posters advertising clubs, study groups, and all kinds of university events. Y/N sat in the middle of the café’s cozy corner with her friends, sipping an iced coffee and feeling the weight of the day slowly lift. Jiwon and Rei were huddled together, heads close as they shared some inside joke, while Wonyoung and Yujin debated over which study group was actually useful for their biochemistry class. Gaeul, ever the people-watcher, scanned the room for familiar faces while picking at a muffin.

“So…” Y/N started, not quite meeting anyone’s eyes as she stirred her drink absently. “Did anyone…um, notice that sophomore from orientation? Jimin, I think?”

It was a casual question—at least, she hoped it sounded that way. She’d spent half the morning trying to shake off that lingering, half-dazed feeling from her brief encounter with Jimin. Maybe talking about it would somehow make it feel less…intense.

Gaeul’s head snapped around so fast Y/N thought she might get whiplash. Her friend’s eyes widened as she broke into a grin. “Oh? So you did notice her.”

Y/N tried to shrug it off, but Rei and Jiwon had already leaned in, their faces lighting up with an interest far too intense for her comfort.

“She’s cool, I guess,” Y/N said quickly, trying to sound casual. “I just thought she seemed…you know, confident. Unbothered.”

“Confident and unbothered?” Rei repeated, exchanging a sly glance with Gaeul. “And what else? Tall, dark, and mysterious?”

“She does have that vibe,” Jiwon chimed in, winking. “And someone here is clearly into it.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, desperately trying to ignore the heat creeping up her neck. “No, I’m just saying…like, objectively, she’s cool. That’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” Gaeul leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she studied Y/N with a grin. “Is that why you stared at her the whole time during orientation?”

Y/N’s mouth fell open, and she sputtered a quick defense. “I didn’t stare! You’re imagining things.”

But Gaeul was relentless, leaning in closer, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Oh, sure, because you just ‘accidentally’ brought her up and just ‘casually’ called her cool.” She exchanged an exaggerated glance with Rei. “Do you think we should tell Y/N what the first stage of a crush looks like, or…?”

“First stage?” Y/N huffed, crossing her arms, though her cheeks were on fire. “Please. It’s not like that. She just…made an impression, that’s all.”

“Oh, an impression, huh?” Rei teased, putting her chin in her hands as if deeply interested. “Did it come with a smirk and a little eye contact?”

Y/N tried to hold her composure, but the way her friends were zeroing in on every detail made it nearly impossible. “You’re all ridiculous,” she mumbled, her tone a bit too defensive to be convincing.Wonyoung decided to step in, reaching across the table to give Y/N’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Alright, alright, everyone, let’s give her a break. She just thought Jimin was cool, that’s all. Right, Y/N?”

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to have someone on her side. “Yes, exactly. Thank you, Wonyoung.”

But then Wonyoung shot her a mischievous grin, shrugging her shoulders as she added, “Not that I blame you, though. If Jimin had looked at me like that, I’d probably be talking about her, too.”

Y/N’s relief melted into exasperation as Wonyoung’s words set the rest of the table off again.

Jiwon laughed, nudging Rei. “See, Wonyoung gets it. That girl had some serious energy at orientation, like she knew everyone was watching her. It was kind of impossible not to look.”

Gaeul nodded sagely, pretending to be thoughtful. “And you know, for someone who was supposedly just ‘making an observation,’ Y/N here sure remembers a lot of details about Jimin.”

Y/N shook her head, trying to ignore the traitorous grin tugging at her lips. “I swear, you’re all being so dramatic about this.”

“Hey, don’t fight it,” Wonyoung teased with a grin. “I mean, if I got that kind of attention from Jimin, I’d probably be just as starry-eyed.”

“Starry-eyed? I am not starry-eyed!” Y/N protested, but even she could tell it was a weak argument.

The group broke into laughter, and Y/N hid her face in her hands, laughing despite herself. She knew they were mostly teasing, but the way her friends looked at her—like they could see right through her act—made her wonder if maybe, deep down, there was something there. Something she hadn’t quite let herself acknowledge yet.

Rei gave her a gentle nudge, still grinning. “Just admit it. There’s a spark there, and you know it.”

Y/N peeked out from behind her hands, shaking her head as she tried to brush off their words. “It’s not like that,” she insisted, but her friends were all smiles, too entertained to believe a single word she said.

“Sure, sure,” Gaeul said, waving her off with a smirk. “Whatever you say. But remember this conversation when you’re head over heels and can’t deny it anymore.”

Y/N tried to fight back a smile but lost the battle as their laughter filled the café, mingling with the clinking cups and soft hum of music.

-- Later that week, Y/N found herself in the anatomy lab, her nerves firing on all cylinders. She and her friends had spent the last few days studying the basics, but the hands-on part of anatomy felt different—more real and, in a way, daunting. Now, under the stark fluorescent lights and surrounded by gleaming tools and models, her mind went blank as she tried to organize the instruments in front of her.

She fumbled with the scalpels, picking one up, then another, unsure if she’d even grabbed the right tool. Flipping through her notes in a mild panic, she barely noticed someone approaching until a smooth, amused voice cut through her concentration.

“Are you really going to need all five of those scalpels?”

Y/N looked up sharply, her breath catching as she met a familiar gaze. It was Jimin, standing just a few feet away with a casual ease, arms crossed as she observed Y/N’s struggle with barely concealed amusement.

“Uh…” Y/N stumbled over her words, feeling her cheeks heat up. “I, um, just wanted to… be prepared?”

Jimin raised an eyebrow, her mouth tilting into a small smirk. “I see. So you’re the freshman who can’t keep her scalpels straight?”

A nervous laugh escaped Y/N as she looked down at the cluster of tools on her tray. “Guilty, I guess.”

Jimin chuckled, reaching over to pick up the one scalpel Y/N actually needed. Her fingers brushed lightly over Y/N’s as she handed it over, her eyes twinkling. “This one should do just fine, trust me. You don’t want to overdo it on your first go.”

Y/N let out an embarrassed laugh. “I thought being over-prepared was a good thing.”

“Well, maybe,” Jimin said with a playful shrug, studying Y/N. “But you seem like you’d do fine even if you were under-prepared.”

Y/N blinked, thrown off. “Thanks, I think?”

Jimin chuckled, her gaze lingering. “Y/N, right?”

Y/N nodded, surprised she even remembered her name. “Yeah. And you’re Jimin?”

“Sure am, darling” Jimin said with a smirk that seemed to linger just a second too long.

Y/N’s cheeks went pink at the casual nickname, but she tried to play it off, laughing nervously. She felt her heart stutter slightly, the weight of Jimin’s gaze and her easy confidence wrapping around her. She tried to gather herself, focusing back on the task at hand. “So, uh… do you volunteer in this lab a lot?”

Jimin shrugged, picking up a second scalpel and holding it up to the light. “I’m a second year, so I’ve been through it already. Figured I’d offer a little wisdom for the fresh meat.” She gave Y/N a pointed look. “Or maybe just the cute ones.”

Y/N blinked, thrown once again by the playful undertone in Jimin’s words. “Uh… well, I appreciate the wisdom. I’d probably be lost without it.”

Jimin smiled, looking far too pleased. “Happy to help. Though I think you’re selling yourself short,” she said, leaning a little closer with an almost conspiratorial grin. “Besides, if you get lost again, I’ll be around. Just call, and I’ll make sure you don’t get overwhelmed.”

Y/N smiled, caught off guard by the offer but genuinely grateful. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jimin leaned back, a glimmer of something unreadable in her expression, and gave a little wave before heading back to her own lab station. “Good luck, cutie,” she called over her shoulder with one last smirk.

As she disappeared into the crowd of students, Y/N felt her cheeks heat up all over again. Did she imagine the nickname? And the way Jimin’s gaze had seemed to linger just a second too long?

Y/N shook her head, trying to brush it off. It was probably nothing, just a friendly sophomore helping out a freshman… right?

But even as she went back to her work, a tiny part of her couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was more to it than that.

The steady hum of activity in the campus library was underscored by the soft scratching of pens and the quiet turning of pages. Late afternoon light filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow over the rows of bookshelves and study tables. Y/N was nestled at a large table with her friends, surrounded by open notebooks and highlighters as they reviewed the latest lecture notes for their anatomy class. A pile of flashcards sat between her and Rei, who was currently quizzing herself with intense focus, mouthing terms under her breath.

Y/N leaned over to Gaeul, whispering, “Hey, I just realized I don’t have that anatomy reference book we need.”

Gaeul glanced up from her notes. “You mean Anatomy Essentials? Isn’t that, like, a required textbook?”

“I thought I had it! I probably left it in my dorm,” Y/N said, sighing. “And I really don’t want to walk back just to get it.”

Rei nudged her, an eyebrow raised in interest. “Couldn’t hurt to take a break, right? Maybe you’ll run into a certain helpful sophomore on the way.”

Y/N felt her face flush as she remembered her earlier conversation with Jimin in the lab, and she shot Rei a look. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

Wonyoung, who had been casually eavesdropping from across the table, smiled mischievously. “I don’t see why she should. You were blushing like a tomato when you told us about it!”

“I was not!” Y/N protested, though her cheeks were already warming again.

“Oh, you were,” Gaeul chimed in, hiding her grin. “And who could blame you? Sophomore Jimin, practically a med school legend, calls you cute on day one? I’d be flustered, too.”

“Okay, fine. Maybe she’s… kind of interesting,” Y/N admitted, trying to downplay her reaction even as her friends’ knowing smiles widened.

Rei let out a satisfied sigh. “There it is. Our Y/N has a crush.”

Before Y/N could protest, Gaeul leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Tell us more about what she said. Come on, give us every detail.”

Y/N hesitated, casting a glance around to make sure nobody nearby was listening in. She couldn’t quite help herself; Jimin had left such an impression, and part of her wanted to share it. “Okay, fine. So she comes over while I’m struggling to find the right scalpel and makes this whole thing about how I’m a ‘freshman who can’t keep her scalpels straight.’ And then she, um… she started calling me cutie.”

Wonyoung raised her eyebrows. “That sounds… pretty flirty, actually.”

“Yeah, I thought so too, but…” Y/N trailed off, biting her lip. “I mean, she’s just being friendly, right?”

Rei shook her head with an exaggerated sigh. “She calls you cute, offers you help, stays in your space a bit longer than necessary, and you think it’s just friendly?”

“Sometimes I think Y/N could be oblivious even if someone put a neon sign in front of her,” Gaeul teased, her eyes twinkling. “I think Jimin was trying to make it obvious.”

Wonyoung gave a supportive pat on Y/N’s hand, though there was a teasing sparkle in her eye as well. “Hey, it’s okay, Y/N. Maybe she’s just the kind of person who’s friendly to everyone—though, from what I hear, Jimin’s a bit picky about who she gives attention to.”

Before Y/N could respond, a quiet but unmistakable voice spoke from behind her. “Hey, Y/N.”

She turned, slightly surprised to find Jimin herself standing at the end of their table, a casual smile on her face. Her friends, including Aespa members Minjeong, Aeri, and Yizhuo, were nearby, waiting by a row of bookshelves.

Jimin held a book in her hand, looking effortlessly at ease. “I overheard you mention needing Anatomy Essentials? You can borrow mine, if you want,” she offered, extending the book with a slight smile. “I already know all the material, so I won’t be needing it.”

Y/N’s heart skipped a beat, and she took the book, feeling warmth seep into her cheeks. “Oh—thank you! I didn’t realize you were so close by.”

Jimin tilted her head, her smile growing just slightly. “It’s a small library, and I just happened to be in the right spot.”

Y/N’s friends, who had been quietly watching the exchange, exchanged barely concealed glances of amusement. Rei’s hand came up to her mouth, as if she were suppressing a laugh, while Wonyoung nudged Gaeul under the table, her eyes practically gleaming.

“Hey, Jimin!” Wonyoung said, breaking the silence. “Thanks for helping our girl out.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble.” Jimin shrugged easily, but her gaze didn’t stray far from Y/N. “Besides, it seems like she could use all the help she can get with anatomy.”

Y/N let out a nervous laugh, feeling Jimin’s words settle over her. “Yeah, I’m still getting used to it.”

Aeri, who had walked over with Jimin, joined in, smiling at Y/N with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Well, maybe not Jimin,” she teased, nudging her friend. “She practically breezed through first year.”

Jimin waved it off with a modest grin. “I wouldn’t say that. I had help too, now and then.”

“From your many admirers?” Minjeong chimed in with a smirk, causing Yizhuo to stifle a laugh.

Jimin shot her friends a look, though she didn’t seem bothered. “Maybe,” she said, her eyes flickering back to Y/N, “but I think they’ve got nothing on Y/N here.”

The warmth in Y/N’s cheeks intensified as her friends snickered under their breaths. Trying to keep her composure, she managed a small laugh. “Thanks, I guess?”

Jimin gave her one last, lingering smile. “You’re welcome. And, you know, I’m around if you ever need a study partner.”

Y/N’s friends practically vibrated with excitement, but she just managed to nod, heart fluttering. “I’ll… keep that in mind. Thanks again, Jimin.”

With a parting wave, Jimin walked back to her table, Minjeong and Yizhuo leaning close and whispering to her as they all glanced back at Y/N’s table, clearly entertained by the exchange. Y/N’s friends immediately turned on her, their eyes wide with delight.

“She practically offered herself up as a personal tutor,” Rei said, fanning herself. “If that’s not interest, I don’t know what is!”

“Yeah, Y/N, did you hear the part about a ‘study partner’?” Gaeul said, nudging her. “Please tell me you’re not going to let this chance go.”

Y/N was too flustered to respond, her mind replaying Jimin’s lingering gaze and that easy, confident smile. She finally managed a shrug, though her eyes were shining with excitement she couldn’t entirely hide. “She’s just being nice,” she said, almost out of habit. Yujin let’s her head fall on top of the table with a loud bang.

Wonyoung put a hand on Y/N’s shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Y/N, we’re going to get you to realize what’s happening here. Jimin likes you, and you’re going to be the last person to figure it out if you keep brushing it off.”

Y/N laughed, unable to deny the thrill in her chest. “I’ll try to keep it in mind. I mean… it is kind of nice having someone offer to help.”

“‘Nice’?” Yujin echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Y/N, this is probably the most sought-after second-year flirting with you. ‘Nice’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Wonyoung leaned in, a soft, amused smile on her face. “And when you finally realize it, we’re all going to be right here, watching it unfold.”

Y/N felt a pang of warmth, knowing her friends were just as thrilled as she was, even if she wasn’t entirely ready to admit it to herself. As they settled back into their notes, her mind drifted to the book Jimin had handed her, the warmth of Jimin’s gaze still lingering in her memory.

“Maybe,” Y/N murmured, glancing down at the borrowed textbook, “it’s a bit more than nice.”

After an intense first week of university, Y/N felt like her brain could use a hard reset. The thought of home—the smell of her mom’s cooking, the comfort of her own bed, and maybe even a bit of Leeseo’s playful pestering—was a welcome change of pace. The train ride home was calming, a chance to breathe as campus life faded into the background, replaced by familiar sights and memories.

When Y/N finally stepped through the door, she was greeted by the smell of something delicious simmering in the kitchen. But before she could even set her bag down, a loud squeal echoed through the house.

“Y/N!” Leeseo came barreling down the hallway, a blur of energy as she threw her arms around her sister. “I thought you’d never come back! College hasn’t, like, made you too cool for us, has it?”

Y/N rolled her eyes and laughed, returning Leeseo’s hug. “Too cool for you? Never. I’ve actually missed you, believe it or not.”

“Oh, I definitely believe it,” Leeseo replied, pulling Y/N down the hall and into her room without missing a beat. “Now, spill everything. I want to know everything about college life, your friends, your classes, the parties you’re probably going to…"

Y/N chuckled, flopping onto her bed and watching Leeseo plop down beside her, eyes wide with excitement and curiosity. She knew there was no way around it. “It’s been… a lot, honestly. But good! There are great people, and the classes are intense, but I think I’m handling it. My friends and I are figuring things out together.”

Leeseo’s eyes narrowed, a playful smirk appearing on her face. “Good people, huh? Do any of those ‘good people’ happen to be… a little extra good?”

Y/N’s face warmed as she realized where this was heading. “Leeseo…”

“Ah-ha! So there is someone!” Leeseo practically squealed, bouncing on the bed. “Who is she? What’s her name? Does she have a reputation? Oh my gosh, tell me everything!”

With a resigned sigh, Y/N glanced at her sister, who looked like she was practically vibrating with excitement. “Okay, there might be… someone. Her name is Jimin. She’s a sophomore. We kind of ran into each other a couple of times this week.”

Leeseo’s eyebrows shot up, her eyes twinkling with interest. “Jimin, huh? And she’s a sophomore? Upperclassmen vibes? This sounds dangerous already.” She leaned in, as if trying to read Y/N’s thoughts.

“Leeseo, come on. It’s really not like that. She’s just… nice, I guess. Friendly.” Y/N paused, realizing how inadequate the word “friendly” sounded when describing Jimin’s smirks and teasing looks. “Maybe a little flirty.”

“Oh, I knew it!” Leeseo practically shouted, laughing with delight. “So, tell me—what does ‘a little flirty’ mean in Jimin terms?”

Y/N hesitated, memories of their last exchange flickering in her mind. “She… well, she teases me. She called me ‘darling’ instead of my name, stuff like that.”

“‘Darling’? Oh, Y/N, that’s definitely not just ‘friendly.’” Leeseo’s eyebrows knitted together, her expression shifting as she absorbed this. “Look, all I’m saying is, be careful. College sophomores, especially the popular ones… they’re not always serious, you know?”

“Oh, I don’t think she’s interested like that,” Y/N said, though a part of her was still turning over those little moments she shared with Jimin. “Besides, I barely know her. I don’t even know if she was serious.”

Leeseo sighed dramatically, but her eyes softened. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, Y/N. College girls—especially the confident ones—can be hard to read.”

Y/N smiled, nudging Leeseo’s shoulder. “You know, you sound just like mom right now.”

“Maybe. But I also know what it’s like to fall for someone’s charm.” Leeseo grinned, a tiny blush coloring her cheeks. “Actually… I have someone I’ve been meaning to tell you about.”

Y/N’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh? Do tell.”

Leeseo tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, glancing down for a second before looking back up at Y/N with a shy smile. “Her name’s Eunchae. She’s in my grade, and we’ve been… kind of seeing each other. I wanted to make sure it was real before I said anything.”

Y/N’s face lit up. “Leeseo! That’s amazing! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I don’t know… I guess I just didn’t want to jinx it.” Leeseo’s eyes shone as she spoke, and her happiness was so genuine that it made Y/N’s heart swell.

Y/N reached over, taking her sister’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I’m so happy for you, Leeseo. I can’t wait to meet her.”

Leeseo’s smile widened, and she looked away, embarrassed. “Well, about that… you’re actually going to meet her tonight. I invited her over.”

Y/N’s eyes widened, and she laughed. “Already? You’re fast, little sis.”

“Oh, stop! She’s been dying to meet you too,” Leeseo replied, tossing a pillow at her sister with a laugh. “Just… try not to embarrass me, okay?”

The doorbell rang, and Leeseo’s face instantly brightened. “That’ll be her! Be nice!”

Y/N smirked, following Leeseo to the front door. When they opened it, a girl with a bright smile and warm, expressive eyes stood on the porch, looking both eager and slightly shy. She waved at Y/N, offering a friendly smile.

“Hi! I’m Eunchae,” she said, glancing between Leeseo and Y/N.

“Hi, Eunchae! It’s nice to finally meet you,” Y/N replied warmly, giving her a quick hug. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Apparently, my sister’s got good taste.”

Eunchae laughed, her cheeks turning pink as she shot Leeseo a playful glance. “Well, I’d like to think so.”

Leeseo rolled her eyes, pulling Eunchae further into the house. “Come on, Eunchae, let’s sit down.”

As they settled in the living room, Y/N couldn’t help but notice the way Leeseo and Eunchae glanced at each other, the quiet ease and joy between them. She felt a pang of nostalgia, remembering when things had felt just as simple and new.

“Alright, Y/N,” Leeseo said suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I know I’m usually the protective one, but I’ve got one request: let me meet this Jimin someday. Just to see if she’s worth all this thinking you’re doing.”

Y/N chuckled, shaking her head. “Oh, no. It’s really not like that. She’s… just someone I met. I wouldn’t even call her a friend yet; more like an acquaintance.”

Leeseo raised an eyebrow, giving her a look of playful disbelief. “Just an acquaintance? Y/N, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about an ‘acquaintance’ this much before. Are you sure there isn’t a tiny, tiny bit more to it?”

Y/N paused, searching for the right words. “I don’t know… she’s intriguing, I guess? But it’s hard to say what her intentions are. It’s all just been casual run-ins and some light teasing. I can’t even tell if she’s actually interested or just… like that with everyone.”

Leeseo tilted her head, considering this. “Hmm. Well, college girls like her can be like that sometimes—charming and mysterious but hard to read. Just be careful, okay?”

Y/N smiled, grateful for her sister’s protectiveness but feeling a bit unsure herself. “Yeah, maybe. For now, though, I’m just letting things happen. If anything comes of it, you’ll both be the first to know.”

Leeseo nodded approvingly, relaxing back into the couch. “Good answer. That’s my big sister, smart and cautious,” she said with a teasing wink.

-- The weekend had flown by, and before she knew it, Y/N was back on campus, wading through her Monday routine. Her thoughts drifted now and then to her family and Leeseo’s “little sister advice,” which had been circling in her mind like a catchy tune.

She was weaving through the common area, textbooks hugged to her chest, when she heard a familiar voice call out.

“Y/N!”

She turned to find Jimin leaning against a nearby column, a confident smile tugging at her lips. Her presence was striking, standing out even in the busy hallway. Y/N felt her pulse quicken as she managed a small smile and walked over.

“Hey, Jimin,” she greeted, trying to sound casual despite the flutter in her chest.

“Hey yourself.” Jimin’s gaze lingered, and then she tilted her head with a playful smile. “So, my friends and I are throwing a party on Friday night for students from all years. Thought I’d see if you and your friends wanted to come.”

Y/N’s eyebrows raised slightly, feeling a jolt of surprise. “Oh… that sounds fun. Are you inviting… everyone?” she asked, her voice unintentionally hesitant.

Jimin chuckled, reading between the lines. “Not everyone,” she replied smoothly, eyes glinting. “Just the people who seem like they might be able to keep up.”

“Oh,” Y/N managed, feeling a little flustered. “Well, yeah, I think we could do that.”

“Perfect.” Jimin’s smile deepened, as if satisfied with Y/N’s answer. “It’s at the usual spot near the student center. Starts around eight, but feel free to come fashionably late,” she added with a wink. “Oh, and don’t forget to dress up. It’s not every day we get a chance to look our best, right?”

Y/N laughed nervously, trying to match Jimin’s relaxed confidence. “Got it. I’ll let everyone know.”

“Great,” Jimin said, her eyes lingering on Y/N for a beat longer than necessary. “Looking forward to seeing you there.”

With one last smile, Jimin turned and strolled down the hall, leaving Y/N standing there, trying to piece together what had just happened. Did Jimin really mean it for her specifically, or was this just an invitation in passing?

As soon as Jimin disappeared around the corner, Y/N’s thoughts snapped back to her friends. She quickly sent a text to let them know about the party, her fingers slightly shaky on the screen.

That evening, Y/N and the rest of the group met up at their usual café. The excitement in the air was almost palpable, as if the invitation itself was a sign of something bigger.

Wonyoung’s eyes sparkled as she read Y/N’s text out loud to the group for the third time. “She said just the people who seem like they can keep up. Y/N, if that doesn’t sound like an invitation meant for you, I don’t know what does.”

“Seriously, Y/N,” Rei chimed in, grinning widely. “Do you know how rare it is to get invited by Jimin herself? And not just invited—she wants you to dress up.”

“Maybe she just wants everyone to look nice,” Y/N mumbled, feeling her cheeks heat up. “She probably said that to everyone she invited.”

“Or she’s making sure you show up looking extra cute,” Gaeul teased, nudging her playfully. “I don’t know why you’re overthinking this.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, trying to hide her grin. “You guys are getting ahead of yourselves. It’s just a party. No big deal.”

“Sure,” Wonyoung said, smirking. “It’s not a big deal that Jimin invited you to her party and made a point of wanting you to look nice. No big deal at all.”

“Look,” Y/N sighed, “I just don’t want to assume anything. She’s probably just being friendly.”

“Or flirty,” Yujin interjected with a smirk, sharing a look with Wonyoung. “Just admit it, Y/N—you’re a little bit curious about her.”

Y/N hesitated, trying to find a way out of admitting anything. But her friends weren’t having it.

Rei leaned over, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Come on, Y/N. It’s a party. You’ll get to know Jimin better, and besides, it’s the perfect excuse to look amazing.”

“Fine, I’ll dress up,” Y/N relented with a sigh, fighting a smile. “But I’m only doing it so you guys stop giving me such a hard time.”

The group cheered, sharing ideas about what she could wear, swapping makeup tips, and even planning out the details down to Y/N’s shoes.

The night of the party arrived, and the lively hum of music and laughter filled the air long before Y/N and her friends stepped into the house. She felt a blend of excitement and nerves, her friends’ confidence pushing her forward even as she wondered what tonight might bring.

Y/N had gone all out for the occasion. Her dress, a short, fitted number in a striking midnight blue, hugged her in all the right places, shimmering subtly in the lights as she moved. She’d kept her accessories minimal—a delicate necklace and earrings that caught the light whenever she turned her head—but it was enough to make her feel special. Her friends hadn’t stopped admiring her look since they’d met up to head over.

As Y/N stepped through the threshold, she immediately felt the warmth of the party envelop her. The air was thick with the scent of snacks and the sound of music pulsing through the crowd. People were scattered around the living room, chatting, laughing, and dancing, and the atmosphere was electric with energy.

Spotting Jimin across the room, Y/N's heart skipped a beat. Jimin looked effortlessly cool as ever, dressed down in oversized, light-wash jeans that draped over her chunky white sneakers, paired with a simple black cropped tank top that showcased her toned midriff. Her dark hair was styled in loose waves, framing her face and giving her a carefree, yet put-together appearance. The way she moved through the crowd exuded confidence, and Y/N found herself momentarily mesmerized.

It wasn’t long after she arrived that Y/N felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she found herself face-to-face with Jimin, whose relaxed smile sent a small shiver down her spine.

"Hey, glad you could make it,” Jimin said, her voice smooth and warm as she held Y/N’s gaze, the corners of her mouth tilting up slightly.

Y/N’s heartbeat quickened. “Yeah, thanks for inviting me,” she replied, trying to keep her cool.

Jimin’s eyes flicked over her, her gaze lingering for a moment longer than expected. “Looks like you took my advice on dressing up,” she said, a hint of amusement in her tone. “Not that I’m surprised. You look… really nice.”

Heat rose in Y/N’s cheeks, and she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, laughing softly. “Thanks. You look pretty good yourself,” she replied, hoping her voice didn’t betray how flustered she was.

Jimin chuckled, lifting two drinks from a nearby table and handing one to Y/N. “You know,” she started, leaning in a little closer so her voice wouldn’t get lost in the music, “there’s someone interesting I’ve noticed in the freshman class.”

“Oh?” Y/N asked, sipping her drink to disguise the nervous smile threatening to break out. “Who’s that?”

Jimin’s gaze softened, a playful glint dancing in her eyes. “Just someone who… caught my eye,” she replied, her voice casual but her expression intriguing. “Smart, funny, kind of oblivious sometimes.”

Y/N’s heart did a small leap, but she shrugged, taking Jimin’s words at face value. “That’s nice,” she said, assuming it was probably just friendly conversation. “Freshman class is full of interesting people.”

Jimin’s eyes softened with a hint of exasperation, her lips tilting up into a smirk. “Yeah, I guess it is,” she replied, giving Y/N a playful nudge. “But I think this one is a little more interesting than the rest. You should get to know her better.”

“Maybe,” Y/N replied, a hint of teasing in her voice. “But I’m not so sure she’d want to get to know me.”

“Oh, I think she would,” Jimin said, her tone flirtatious as she leaned closer, her warm breath sending shivers down Y/N's spine. “After all, who wouldn’t want to be friends with you?”

Y/N laughed nervously, the compliment making her cheeks flush. “You really think so?”

“Definitely,” Jimin said, her smile brightening. “You’re pretty unforgettable.”

Just then, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd nearby, breaking the moment. Jimin’s attention momentarily shifted, and Y/N seized the chance to collect herself.

“Want me to get us some drinks?” Jimin asked, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

“Sure! I could use one,” Y/N replied, trying to play it cool, even as her heart raced.

“Alright, don’t go anywhere!” Jimin winked before she turned and weaved her way through the bustling crowd. Y/N watched her go, feeling a flutter in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain.

Minutes passed, and Y/N found herself glancing toward the kitchen, expecting Jimin to reappear at any moment. But as the seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, unease began to settle in. What’s taking so long?

Five minutes had come and gone, and still no sign of Jimin. Y/N took a sip of her drink, trying to shake off the nagging worry. It was a party, after all; it wasn’t unusual for people to get distracted. Yet, the more she waited, the more anxious she became.

Finally, unable to quell her curiosity any longer, Y/N decided to check on Jimin. She pushed through the throng of bodies, her heart pounding as she made her way toward the kitchen area. As she approached, she caught sight of Jimin standing near the counter, but her heart dropped as she noticed she was not alone.

Jimin was leaning in close to another freshman girl, their heads nearly touching as they laughed at something shared between them. The scene struck Y/N like a cold wave, the warmth of the party around her fading into a dull roar.

Jimin’s relaxed demeanor and the way she tilted her head back in laughter sent a sharp pang of jealousy through Y/N. She couldn’t help but feel small and unimportant, an outsider watching from the sidelines. The easy chemistry between Jimin and the other girl was undeniable, and Y/N felt a familiar sting in her chest that she had hoped to avoid tonight.

With her heart racing and a knot tightening in her stomach, Y/N turned away, trying to push the unwanted thoughts from her mind. You’ve known her for a week, get ahold of yourself she reminded herself, but the thought felt hollow. She couldn’t deny that a part of her was disappointed, despite knowing Jimin had every right to talk to whomever she pleased.

Y/N made her way back to the dance floor, seeking solace in the vibrant energy of her friends. As she approached, Wonyoung and Yujin were still dancing, their laughter infectious, but Y/N felt out of place.

“Y/N! There you are!” Wonyoung exclaimed, pulling her into a quick spin. “We were wondering where you went! Gaeul is getting some drinks and I think Rei and Jiwon are in the bathroom, doing god knows what”

Y/N forced a smile, trying to shake off the earlier encounter. “Just checking on Jimin,” she said, her voice casual despite the turmoil inside. “She’s... busy.”

“Busy how?” Yujin asked, arching an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.

Y/N shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Just talking to someone else. No big deal.”

Wonyoung looked at her knowingly. “Oh, you mean that girl over there?” She pointed to the corner where Jimin was still chatting with the other freshman. “Looks like they’re having fun.”

Y/N’s heart sank a little further. “Yeah, I guess,” she mumbled, feeling a wave of frustration wash over her. “It’s whatever.”

Yujin exchanged a glance with Wonyoung,

“Forget about her!” Yujin encouraged, her tone lightening as she grabbed Y/N’s hand. “Come dance with us! You’re here to have fun, remember?”

Y/N sighed but knew they were right. She had come to enjoy herself, and standing off to the side worrying about Jimin was not going to change anything. So, with a reluctant nod, she allowed her friends to pull her into the lively crowd, the pulsating music drowning out the worries that still swirled in her mind.

The bass pulsed through the dance floor as Y/N moved to the beat, slowly letting the music drown out her unease. She let herself get lost in the rhythm, and for a moment, she even forgot about Jimin chatting away with that other girl.

“Mind if I join you?” Yunjin’s voice broke through her thoughts, bright and full of confidence. She flashed a smile as Y/N blinked in surprise. Before Y/N could even respond, Yunjin had closed the gap between them, her hands finding a comfortable spot on Y/N’s waist as they started to move together.

Encouraged by Wonyoung and Yujin’s excited cheers, Y/N allowed herself to relax, finding herself caught up in the moment. Yunjin’s playful energy was contagious, and soon enough, they were laughing and dancing like they’d known each other for ages. With every playful flirt Yunjin tossed her way, Y/N felt herself blushing, but she leaned into it, glad for the distraction.

That’s when she felt it—someone watching them. She turned, catching sight of Jimin across the room, her gaze fixed and sharp. Jimin’s usual cool, laid-back demeanor was gone, replaced by something else entirely. Her jaw was set, her arms crossed as she watched Yunjin’s hands slide down to rest on Y/N’s hips, their bodies swaying closer than before.

Jimin pushed through the crowd, her eyes narrowing as she approached. By the time she reached them, Yunjin’s arm was draped over Y/N’s shoulder, and Y/N’s laugh had grown into a carefree smile. But as Jimin stepped right in front of them, Y/N felt the tension spark in the air.

“Hey, Y/N,” Jimin said, her tone measured, but her eyes betrayed a hint of irritation. “Been looking all over for you.”

Y/N hesitated, feeling the tension settle in her stomach. “Oh, um… didn’t mean to make you worry,” she replied, offering a small smile.

But Yunjin, still holding her close, wasn’t about to back down. “You’ve only known her for what, a week? I’m sure she was fine without you, Jimin,” she said with a smirk, her voice laced with a bit too much confidence.

Jimin’s eyes flicked to Yunjin, her gaze hardening. “You’d be surprised,” she replied, her tone calm but edged with something that made Y/N’s pulse quicken. “We’ve actually gotten to know each other pretty well.”

“Oh yeah?” Yunjin shot back, raising an eyebrow as she held Y/N a little tighter. “Well, looks like I’m getting to know her pretty well too.”

The tension between them was palpable, and Y/N felt herself caught right in the middle of it. She looked from Yunjin to Jimin, her heart hammering as the two seemed locked in a silent battle.

Jimin’s gaze never left Yunjin’s as she took a step closer, closing the distance between them. “I think Y/N can speak for herself,” she said coolly, looking at Y/N with an intensity that made her breath hitch. “Don’t you, Y/N?”

Y/N swallowed, feeling the weight of their gazes on her. She was painfully aware of Yunjin’s arm around her and the way Jimin’s eyes held hers with a mix of challenge and something else she couldn’t quite place. “I… um… I was just… dancing,” she stammered, her voice barely audible over the music.

Jimin’s lips tilted into a smirk as if she’d won some unspoken argument. She reached out, gently brushing her fingers along Y/N’s arm, her touch warm and grounding. “Mind if I steal you back?” she asked, her voice soft but laced with something that sent a shiver down Y/N’s spine.

Yunjin scoffed, still unwilling to give in. “You know, Jimin, if you wanted a dance, you could’ve just asked,” she said, challenging. “But it seems like Y/N was having a good time without you.”

Jimin’s eyes darkened, but she didn’t break eye contact. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you,” she replied, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a smile that held no warmth.

Y/N felt her cheeks burn as she realized just how intense the moment had become. Her friends had started to gather around, sensing the tension, and she could feel their curious gaze on her. Aeri, Minjeong and Yizhuo had also appeared beside Jimin, each watching the interaction with barely concealed interest.

“Everything alright here?” Aeri asked, her eyes darting between Jimin, Yunjin, and Y/N.

Y/N cleared her throat, suddenly feeling exposed under the watchful eyes of their friends. “Um, yeah, everything’s fine,” she said, giving a nervous laugh as she tried to defuse the tension. “Just… dancing.”

But Jimin’s gaze softened as she looked at her, and a flicker of something vulnerable appeared in her eyes, as if she were silently asking Y/N to choose her. “Y/N,” she said softly, reaching for her hand, “can we talk?”

Yunjin opened her mouth to protest, but Y/N, feeling overwhelmed, gently stepped back from both of them, her heart pounding. “Actually, I think I need some air,” she said quickly, her voice shaky. Without another word, she slipped out of their grasp and wove her way through the crowd, feeling the weight of their gazes on her as she hurried toward the exit.

The cool night air hit her as she stepped outside, her heart racing as she put more distance between herself and the party. Her phone buzzed repeatedly in her hand, and a quick glance revealed several messages from Jimin, each one growing more urgent, and a few from Yunjin as well. But she didn’t have it in her to respond.

She kept walking, her steps quickening until she was finally back at the quiet solace of her dorm. Once inside, she leaned against the door, letting out a long, shaky breath. Ignoring the continuous buzz of her phone, she only replied to a single message—Gaeul’s, who had texted to check in.

I’m safe. Just needed to get away. I’ll see you tomorrow, she typed before shutting off her phone and sinking onto her bed.

Hahaha, fuck.

Y/N screamed into her pillow. --

Y/N lay sprawled out on her bed, staring at her phone. Last night kept replaying in her mind. And all her other interactions with Jimin.

What am I doing? she thought. Why am I even overthinking this? Maybe Jimin was just being friendly, maybe that’s all it was. She’d probably done all those sweet things to dozens of freshmen before. Y/N felt a pang of embarrassment at how easily she’d gotten swept up by it all.

She decided to text her friends and turned on her phone.

Her phone buzzing woke her up of her 10 minute nap.

There is no motherfucking way.

Y/N couldn’t even send her final message before she heard a knock on the door. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Taking a deep breath, she scrambled to check her reflection in the small mirror by the door, smoothing down her hair and pulling herself together. Okay, just act natural. Pretend it’s no big deal. But her hands shook as she finally opened the door.

There stood Jimin, looking effortlessly cool as always, with a casual hoodie and that soft, knowing smile that never failed to make Y/N’s heart flutter. She held up her phone, her gaze flickering between Y/N and the screen. “I believe I got a text meant for someone else?” Her tone was playful, but there was something in her eyes—a glint of curiosity, maybe even amusement.

Heat rushed to Y/N’s face. “Wel! You see!!” She forced a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as awkward as it felt. “That—that was not for you, obviously. Fuck, I am so sorry-”

Jimin let out a soft laugh, stepping into the room as Y/N shut the door. “It’s okay. Really,” she said, putting her phone away as she looked around the dorm. “I mean, I was a little…surprised, but also—” Her gaze softened, the smile turning sincere. “—I’m kind of glad I got it. Now I know I’m not the only one who’s been feeling something.”

“Hahaha, yeah, of course.” Y/N nodded. Then she blinked. “Wait, what?”

Jimin laughed. “You really are adorable.” She smiled. “I just mean…well, I’ve noticed you, too. I’ve noticed that it’s different, with you.” She paused, as if choosing her words carefully, her eyes never leaving Y/N’s. “And that’s not something I get to feel very often.”

Y/N felt her cheeks heat up, and she immediately looked down at her feet, a flustered laugh bubbling out. “Oh, well, um…” She bit her lip, struggling to form a coherent response. “I didn’t, uh, mean for you to…find out. Like, that. But, um…yeah, that’s…wow. Cool. That’s cool.”

Cool? There is no way brother.

Jimin let out a chuckle, and somehow that made it worse. “Tell you what,” she said, her tone as easygoing as ever. “Why don’t we grab a coffee this weekend? We can pretend I didn’t read that text, and maybe you can tell me more of what’s on your mind. Sounds fair?”

Y/N’s brain struggled to keep up. Coffee? She nodded so enthusiastically she probably looked like a bobblehead. “Yes! I mean, yes, sure, I’m down, sounds nice.”

I need to shut THE FUCK up.

Jimin’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she reached out, giving Y/N’s shoulder a playful nudge. “Relax,” she murmured, her voice soft. “It’s just coffee. No pressure.”

“Right, right, of course,” Y/N stammered, even as her heart pounded against her ribs. “Just…coffee.”

With a warm smile, Jimin lingered for a second, her gaze drifting from Y/N’s eyes to her lips and back up again. The air between them felt charged. Then, almost instinctively, Jimin leaned in, her hand finding Y/N’s waist.

Y/N’s breath hitched, her heart hammering in her chest as Jimin’s face moved closer. She could feel Jimin’s warmth, her soft breath fanning across her skin, and before she could think twice, their lips met in a gentle, lingering kiss. It was soft, tentative—yet filled with a warmth that sent a thrill through her entire body.

When they pulled back, Y/N was too stunned to do anything but stare at Jimin, her cheeks flushed and her mind racing. Jimin’s smile turned a little shyer, her thumb brushing lightly over Y/N’s hip before she took a small step back.

“I’ll text you the details,” she murmured, her eyes sparkling as she gave a little wave. With one last look, she disappeared down the hall, leaving Y/N breathless.

As soon as the door shut, Y/N sank onto her bed, covering her burning face with her hands.

She screeched.

151 notes · View notes

moody-alcoholic · 1 month ago

Text

These Violent Delights

Chapter 8 - Everything Fades

Summary: Poly 141 x fem!reader, a/b/o alternate universe 10.2k words. Everyone is so emotional, 141 could use a break.

CW: MDNI +18 explicit content. a/b/o alternative universe, a/b/o dynamics, typical a/b/o universe tropes (heat, knotting, claiming, nesting), gaslighting, hurt/comfort, angst, panic attacks, brief mentions of needles, drawing blood, medical procedures, Sex, Oral (M receiving), ball sucking???, masturbation, cum eating/swallowing, use of medication, language, Fuck Graves I love making him the bad guy.

Previous - masterlist - next AO3

Enjoy <3

Price had left Ghost in charge and given him a list of things to do. It was mainly a list of ‘what if’s’. This was new to both of them. Normally it wouldn’t be such a big deal. Price takes breaks all the time leaving Ghost to watch over things.

This time it’s different because he doesn’t have anyone to turn to if things go tits up. Luckily, there were no missions, no risk of them being shipped out somewhere. They couldn’t just have an easy time though. Of course Shepherd and Graves had to stick their noses in at the worst possible time.

“We have to tell him right?” Gaz asks. Dr. Montgomery has put down her work, has all but forgotten that Shepherd has seized it all. She is listening closely to what Ghost is saying as he breaks the news to Gaz and Johnny.

“How long is left with her heat?” Johnny asks, turning to the doctor. “Could be 3 more days, could be 5. It all depends on what her body decides to do.” She shrugs.

“If we tell him, he’s going to want to do something about it. He can’t do that until her heat is finished,” Johnny says, looking at Dr. Montgomery for confirmation.

“Can't he just be with her at night? Then he has the day to figure something out,” Laswell says.

“It’s not that simple, but she has been through heats alone before. I don’t know how dangerous it would be for either of them to pull them out mid heat,” Dr. Montgomery says looking between Simon and Laswell.

“How can we be sure they’re even coming here in the first place?” Johnny asked.

“It's safe to assume that’s why they're here,” Laswell says.

“It’s also safe to assume Graves is bringing an army with him,” Gaz says huffing. The room goes silent.

“It’s not like he can do anything. What’s he going to do, take her by force? Kidnap someone on government land? She’s still a person at the end of the day,” Johnny says, Ghost sees Dr. Montgomery smile at Johnny’s words.

“What do you think LT? Your call,” Gaz says. Simon stands up from leaning on the table. He remembers what Price told him before her heat started. Not to interrupt them unless people were dying or the building was on fire. Shadow Company were not here yet, and there was no way to know if they would be here before the heat was done. Even General Shepherd said he would be back after the heat.

“We don’t tell him. If we tell him he’s going to want to do something, even if he doesn’t it’s going to be on his mind. That's dangerous for both of them right?” Ghost asks Dr. Montgomery.

“His stress could cause the omega to stress. It could prolong her heat, cause her to panic, or worse. Unless you want to take them out earlier the most we can do is keep an eye on her temperature. That will give us some idea of when she’ll be coming out,” she explains.

“It feels wrong. Surely he would understand?” Gaz says.

“He will, but for now he’s got a job to do and unless Graves is knocking on our door we wait, understand?” Ghost says. Everyone nods.

Ghost turns to Laswell “Let me know the second you hear anything, I want to know if he moves. We can’t have him sneaking up on us.” She nods, following out with Soap and Gaz. When they had all left he turns back to Dr. Montgomery.

“You made the right choice,” she says. He sighs.

“We’ll see.”

“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself Simon,” she says, sitting back down.

“How dangerous would it be to interrupt her heat?” he asks. She can sense his unease, his scent is strong in the air.

“It’s the first time she’s ever had a normal heat, I don’t know how it would affect her. It’s also John’s first heat,” she says.

“What’s the worst case scenario?” he asks, and she freezes for a moment.

“I’m not sure. She could end up in distress. He could hurt himself or the omega by accident.” She shakes her head. “It’ll be fine though right, he won't be back till after her heat?” He digs his eyes into her. If they pull her out of heat it could put them both in danger. Christ , this whole thing is a mess.

“It’ll be fine.” He replies.

That's the 3rd time he’s lied to her tonight.

It’s been 4 days since your heat started. Johnny and Kyle had slipped into the schedule of checking on you both every 12 hours just as Dr. Montgomery instructed. The routine is working like a well oiled machine at this point. The alarm goes off at 3am and 3pm. Kyle usually takes the afternoon shift which mean’s Johnny is the one who’s sleep gets interrupted.

It’s always the same though, by 3am you and Price are usually asleep, which makes it hard for Johnny to do what he needs to. He wakes Price first, passing him a bottle of water and a protein bar. He blindly accepts gulping down the water like it’s the first time he’s drunk today.

Then he wakes you, slowly trying his best not to startle you. Getting food into you is harder, you whine as soon as you’re awake, Johnny can’t help but feel bad as you call out for John who wraps his arms round you. Johnny presses the bottle of water up to your lips forcing you to drink. You take little sips, and sometimes you open your eyes, but Johnny knows you’re not really there. Pupils blown out and glazed over it’s like you’re looking through him, hazy in your heat as you do your job of taking your alpha’s knot. It must be exhausting.

“Anything new with Shepherd?” John asks. He’s more aware today, or at least more aware than yesterday.

“No, he keeps asking if you’re finished yet. Simon’s been keeping him away,” Johnny says, breaking off a piece of protein bar and pressing it against your lips.

“How is Simon?” He asks.

“Fine, been keeping his distance.” Johnny breaks off more of the bar for you.

“How are you doing?” Johnny asks, looking over at John.

“Fine, tired,” he says. Johnny tries to get you to take some more bites of food but you just moan, shuffling up against John. Dr. Montgomery said it would be okay if you didn’t eat at least for the first few days. But it's been 4 days now. If the protein bars don't work they’ll have to try other methods. John moans as you rock your hips against him. Johnny takes the empty water bottle out his hand before he drops it on your head.

“Easy, easy,” John says, pressing his lips against your neck. You’re still whining as his scent fills the air. Mixed with yours, it makes Johnny’s cock twitch in his pants. Honey, that’s what you smell like when you’re in heat. It’s so thick in the air Johnny swears he can taste it. His eyes wander to the covered part of the bed where your hips are rocking against him.

“Do you want to see?” Price asks. Johnny thinks for a second. He does, he’s curious but it also feels like some kind of invasion of your privacy. He nods letting your scent fill his nose. John pulls the duvet back, Johnny can see where you’re connected, your pussy stretched around John's cock. Shiny with a mix of your slick and John's cum.

“How does it feel?” Johnny asks.

“Hard to explain, it’s so sensitive and she’s so needy—” he takes a sharp breath in, Johnny watches as you move your hips up against John, moaning as John's hand presses on your abdomen. He lets out a groan then you go silent. Johnny doesn’t know what to say. John pulls the duvet back over you both.

“I’ll get Gaz to try some porridge for her later,” Johnny says, picking up the wrappers off the floor. John just hums laying back down next to you.

Johnny watches Kyle come out of the bedroom. It’s been almost 5 days now, it could be over soon, or it could go on for another 3 days. Kyle spoons some of the porridge into his mouth.

“Did she eat any?” Johnny asks as he goes into the kitchen.

“A little, Price ate most of it.” He puts the bowl in the sink then comes over to the sofa, sitting next to Johnny.

“What about her temperature?”

“Still high 38.” He sighs. “How’s things been with Simon?”

“Never seen him so desperate,” Johnny says shifting on the sofa, he was getting sore, his legs bruised from Simon being so rough.

“How have you been doing with this?” Johnny asks.

“You mean the constant smell of sex and lack of it?” Gaz asks. Johnny looks over at him, there’s a twinkle in his eyes.

“You want to go take care of Simon?” Johnny teases. Kyle turns to look at him. Johnny sighs scooting next to him. He lets the smell of honey fill his nose as he presses his face into Kyle's neck breathing him in. His scent is strong, mixed with the smell of honey in the air. It has Johnny craving Kyle’s touch. He runs his hand under his shirt and takes his time letting his fingers trace each muscle and scar.

“What about Si?” Kyle asks, leaning back on the sofa.

“He’ll wait,” Johnny hums into Kyle's ear, nipping at his lobe. Johnny’s hand slips down to Kyle's pants, running his hand over his already hardened cock.

“Jesus Tav, are you sure it’s not you who’s desperate,” Kyle breathes the smell of vanilla going to his head. Johnny pulls away from Kyle's neck.

“I don’t get desperate,” he whispers. Shivers run down Kyle's spine as Johnny unbuckles Kyle's belt and trousers letting his cock spring out. He licks his lips as he presses over the tip soaking his thumb with the bead of precum. Kyle twitches as Johnny thrusts his hand down. Kyle runs his hand through Johnny’s hair who hums, he likes the feel of Kyle’s hand massaging his scalp.

He presses his lips against Kyle's swollen tip, taking his time to coat it in his saliva before locking his lips and thrusting his mouth down. Kyle moans, tipping his head back as Johnny repositions himself on the sofa squeezing the base of Kyle’s cock. Kyle moans as Johnny takes him all the way, letting his tongue circle the head with each thrust.

“You need to relax,” Kyle says. Johnny takes his mouth off him, replacing it with his hand.

“I need to relax? You’re the one all pent up,” Johnny says moving off the sofa as Kyle spreads his legs leaving room for him to slip between them. His thumb continues to press into the underside of his shaft.

“How did you get the nicest cock of us all?” Johnny tuts shaking his head.

“Jealous?” Kyle breathes as Johnny speeds up with his strokes, keeping a firm grip on the base. He smiles in response.

“Pretty balls too,” Johnny coos. He licks his lips, wetting them before dragging his tongue across his balls. Kyle moans at the new sensation while Johnny takes one in his mouth sucking on it. Johnny continues to thrust his hand up and down his length, taking his time warming Kyle's balls in his mouth, feeling him twitch in his hand. Now he’s feeling greedy again. Maybe Kyle was right and he was desperate. It had been a while since Kyle and Johnny had been together. They very rarely get down time together.

Johnny moves his lips back up to Kyle's cock, his own twitching uncomfortably in his pants. He uses his free hand to unbuckle his belt letting his jeans slip down reaching in and pulling himself out. The thought of fucking his hand while he makes Kyle cum has his mouth watering. Kyle’s head is tipped back on the sofa, blissed out, the smell of vanilla is heavy in the air as Johnny thrusts his mouth down trying to match his speed with both his mouth and hand.

Kyle's moans are filling the air now and the faster Johnny gets the sweeter they are. Johnny can barely concentrate, giving in to the scents swirling around making his body tingle. His own cock throbs in his hand. His fingers are getting drenched in his precum, his mouth filling with saliva as the blowjob turns into a sloppy mess. Too much tongue not enough friction, Kyle doesn’t seem to mind though, bucking his hips to hit the back of Johnny's throat.

He’s not going to last much longer and he can feel Kyle is close too, his hips slowing down as he chases the peak. Johnny doesn’t stop even when he cums his release dripping down his hand. It just makes him work faster so Kyle can get his own orgasm. He works him faster, Kyle's moans make his spent cock twitch in his post-orgasm haze.

A few seconds later Kyle is cumming too, and Johnny pushes his mouth down to the hilt feeling his seed slide down his throat. Kyle grips Johnny’s hair pulling him up as Johnny rides him through the orgasm. The scent of leather is strong in the air now, as Johnny sits back wiping his mouth with the back of his free hand.

Johnny stands up, his leaking cock still in his hand. Kyle sees it, reaching out for Johnny’s waist, pulling him into his mouth. Johnny moans as Kyle licks him clean. It has Johnny getting hard again and he has to pull away from Kyle’s mouth.

“What? Don’t want to go for round two?” Kyle asks, a glint in his eye as a cheeky smile forms on his lips.

“You couldn’t handle round two,” Johnny says, pushing his shoulder making him lay back on the sofa. Kyle scoffs as Johnny tucks himself back in his pants.

“So you're going to go meet Si?” Kyle asks.

“Nah, I’ll let him sweat. I could use a nap anyway. You can hold down the fort right?” Johnny asks, watching Kyle clean himself up. He nods. Johnny winks at him then heads to his room. As he passes John’s room he can smell you and hear the moans start up again. He takes a deep breath in letting the smell of honey and leather fill his nose. The heavy smell of sex filling the building. Maybe Simon was lucky staying away, even Johnny could use some fresh air.

A sharp knock on the door wakes Ghost from his sleep. He swings his legs out of the bed reaching over to his mask on the bedside table pulling it on. The knock happens again.

“Yes, yes I’m coming,” he calls, pulling his trousers on. He opens the door to see Laswell standing there, looking like she dressed just as quickly as he had.

“They’re here, Graves and Shepherd. They want to see Price and the omega.”

“Get Soap and Gaz, I’ll meet you at the lab,” he says. She nods leaving. Ghost quickly dresses rushing over to the lab. It’s late, almost 10pm. When he walks through the door he sees Dr. Montgomery with her head over a desk. She snaps up looking over at him walking in the room.

“Hey hey, you can’t go in there!” He hears Soap calling. He looks over at the barracks seeing Gaz and Laswell come out of the building. He leaves the lab heading over to Shepherd and Graves who are walking over to the barracks. They stop when they see him walk round to them.

“Lieutenant Riley, I was expecting to see Captain Price,” Shepherd says.

“He’s busy,” Ghost says, crossing his arms. Dr. Montgomery rushes over to stand next to Johnny. Ghost looks over at Gaz and Soap. He can smell their worry in the air, but he focuses on trying to control his scent this close to the building. If he projects it you will definitely be able to smell it.

“We would like to have a word with Captain Price,” Shepherd says, Graves crosses his arms. Where are the rest of his army? Did he come alone? Ghost looks around, but he can’t see anyone or anything out of the ordinary.

“You’ll have to wait, he’s busy,” Ghost says again. If they try to force their way in, he’s going to stop them. He glances over at Soap who looks at him, his eyes digging into him for a second. There is no way anyone is getting in the building.

“We can talk tomorrow. You've had a long drive. Why don’t you get some rest, I can show you to the commander's quarters.” Laswell offers walking up to Shephard.

“I really would like to get this sorted tonight so we can start tomorrow fresh,” Shepherd insists.

“It’s really not a good time General, the omega is in heat and John is with her,” Dr. Montgomery speaks up.

“I’m sure he can take 5 minutes of his time to speak with us,” he replies. Graves chuckles, bringing his hand up to try and hide it, coughing.

“He really can't. Whatever you need is not that important,” she snaps back at him. Ghost shifts his weight. He needs to keep control of the situation.

“You can talk to me if it is so important. You’ll have to wait to speak with Price though,” Ghost says. It’s almost like they’re waiting for something. For him to let his guard down? The right time to make a rush for the building? Shepherd looks at him, like he’s trying to study his face, the tension is palpable in the air. Ghost watches as Graves takes a step forward.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” Price’s voice calls behind Ghost. Everyone turns to see him slowly walking down the steps out the barracks. Ghost can immediately see he’s unsteady on his feet. Gaz walks up next to him.

“You should be in bed sir,” he says quietly trying to help Price who just waves him away. Ghost looks over at Dr. Montgomanry who looks the most worried, her eyes not leaving Price, like she’s ready for him to keel over at any moment.

“Couldn’t get a decent rest if I tried with all this racket going on,” he says, walking up to stand next to Ghost. He can smell how strong Price’s alpha is in the air. He can smell you too, the lingering scent of honey and strawberries. He tries his best to ignore it, focusing on the matter at hand.

“Good to see you Captain, thought we would be waiting another few days,” Shepherd said.

“Well, this seems more important,” Price says through gritted teeth.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the news, Commander Graves and Shadow Company will be taking over responsibility of the base,” Shepherd says. “Of course I will stay here, to make sure you both get along and oversee the research for the cure.”

“I’m sure we’ll get along just fine,” Graves says, stepping up to Shepherd. Ghost hears Price sigh.

“What do you want, General? I would like to get back to bed,” Price asks.

“We were just wondering if we could check on the omega. Professor Hale was very insistent, especially because she’s in heat,” Shepherd says. The hairs stand up on the back of Ghost’s neck. Now his alpha is strong in the air. There is no way he’s letting them get anywhere close.

“The reason she is in heat is the reason you can’t see her. It could be dangerous, you could put her life at risk.” Dr. Montgomery steps up.

“Professor Hale said you might try to stop us.”

“Then you won’t mind relaying to him that you killed his only omega,” she says. It makes Ghost swallow hard. He looks over at her. Her body has taken another step towards them.

“How long is left?” Shepherd asks.

“A few days,” she says.

“You have until Monday, then we will see her regardless of her state.” Ghost looks at Price, he can see the quiver in Price’s face as he tries to keep it together.

“We’ll see you Monday,” Johnny says, going to stand next to Dr. Montgomery. Ghost digs his eyes into Graves and Shepherd as they weigh up their options.

“Monday morning, 8am. No excuses,” Shepherd says. He hears Dr. Montgomery let out a sigh of relief. They turn to walk away. It’s only when they make it to the entrance to the building when Ghost turns his attention back to Price.

“You really should be in bed,” he says. Price looks at him. He looks like he’s about to say something but instead sways and lands against Ghost.

“Shit,” is all he manages to get out, using his chest to keep him from collapsing to the floor completely. Gaz and Soap are there in an instant with Laswell and the doctor following close behind. Gaz and Soap take an arm each propping him up as they half drag him back in the building.

“Laswell go try and keep him away. Find out what he’s planning.”

She nods and he heads into the barracks with Dr. Montgomery behind him. It's the first time Ghost has been in the building since your heat started. He can smell honey and vanilla in the air. It makes his head spin, his body is craving you, craving your touch. He almost takes a step towards Price’s room before Dr. Montgomary grabs his arm. He looks down at her, she looks up at him sympathetically.

“What's happening?” He asks as he watches them disappear into Price’s room.

“He pushed himself too quickly. He needs time to recover too.”

“What about her?”

“I would check but I think it’s best we both leave. When he comes around, he’s still going to see us as a threat,” she says. He sighs. Soap walks out of the room first. He watches in the doorway for a second before coming towards them. Dr. Montgomery lets go of his arm

“He’s okay, go get some rest LT,” Soap says, putting his hand on Ghost’s shoulder.

“Whose job is it to check on them next?” Ghost asks.

“Me,” Soap says.

“You and Gaz will take it in shifts. No one is allowed in the building,” Ghost says. “As soon as she’s out of heat, let me know.”

“You want us on guard duty?” Johnny asks.

“Problem?” Simon asks. Johnny shakes his head. Simon nods and walks out the building.

“Nothing’s going to happen right?” Dr. Montgomery asks following him.

“No, nothings going to happen. Not on my watch,” he says heading back to the main building.

“You sound like Captain Price,” she says. He quickly turns to look at her and the smile on her face.

“Get some rest, it’s going to be a busy few days,” he says as she stops at the door to the lab. He doesn’t look back as he continues walking. He hears the door to the lab open. He likes Dr. Montgomery but he can’t let himself get too close. It’s just a job at the end of the day.

You feel empty, sore, and sad. John still has his arms wrapped around you while you’ve been crying into his chest. It happened quickly, one moment he was there the next he was being dragged back into the room semi-conscious. It broke your heart, especially because as soon as he saw you upset he wouldn’t tell you what was wrong. The opening of the room door makes you jump and John pulls you tighter into his arms.

You smell beta in the air, turning your head to see Dr. Piper in the doorway. John loosens his grip on you as he sees her. She walks into the room slowly putting her bag down on the floor. John turns you in his arms so you’re face to face with her supporting your back. He called for her the moment you came around crying in his arms. You tried to tell him it was normal but when you started to shake he insisted you get checked out.

“Hey, hun how are you feeling?” she asks, pressing the back of her hand against your forehead. You don’t know what to say. Your lip starts to quiver as more tears come. “I know, I know,” she coos wiping her thermometer across your head.

“Is this normal?” John asks, pressing against you, sitting up in the bed.

“She’s coming out of heat quicker than normal but nothing she’s not used to. She’ll still be pretty out of it for the next 24-48 hours.” Dr. Piper pulls out a blood pressure cuff, ignoring your whines as she wraps it round your arm.

“How do you feel?” she asks looking up at John. He sighs.

“Fine,” he lies. She raises an eyebrow at him.

“Well, I would recommend painkillers and ice packs, and to take it easy for the next few days. Trust me you’ll need the rest,” she says, taking the cuff off her.

“Don’t exactly have time for that,” he sighs. You look at Dr. Piper. What does he mean? What happened? She looks at you sympathetically as she brushes hair out of your face.

“You should get some sleep. Johnny or Kyle will come and check on you both. You’re not out of the woods quite yet.” You watch as she stands to leave John pressing his face into your neck.

Piper smiles watching your eyes gloss over as John’s scent fills the air. She stands as he pulls you into his embrace. She leaves, going out to Johnny and Kyle waiting in the common room.

“They’re fine. She’s coming out of her heat but they’re still going to be pretty out of it for the next few days. Her temperature is coming down, let me know if it spikes,” she sighs.

“Anything we need to do?” Johnny asks. She shakes her head.

“Keep an eye on her temperature. If she starts feeling dizzy, nauseous, or she’s in pain, call me,” she says heading for the door.

“Thanks doc,” Johnny calls as she leaves heading over to the lab.

She walks in seeing Simon waiting in the dark.

“You should go get some rest Simon. You’re going to need it.” She puts her medical bag back in her office, closing the door behind her.

“How is she?”

“Coming off her heat. John getting out of bed seems to have triggered it ending sooner. I guess that’s good for us with Shepherd here now,” she says. He hums. “I take it you don’t get along?”

“Not exactly. Graves is an annoying piece of shit who sticks his nose in everyone's business. Shepherd, well, he’s our boss.”

“You have a problem with authority but you joined the army. Interesting,” she says.

“I don’t have a problem with authority, just them. They’re not to be trusted,” he says.

“Not really a good sign if you don’t trust your boss,” she chuckles. He raises an eyebrow.

“You don’t trust yours,” he says. She smiles, nodding.

“I’m going to get some rest, you should do the same,” she says passing him. She makes it to the other end of the lab turning back to look one more time. He’s already gone. He’s so silent she didn’t even hear the door open or close. She smiles, turning off the light and heads out.

Your head feels stuffed with cotton, and your senses feel numbed. Dr. Piper started you on muscle relaxers and painkillers. You knew you were going to be sore and emotional for the next few days. John had slept for a full 24 hours before he finally got out of bed. You were curled up on the sofa with a hot water bottle. You were still cold and shaky, falling asleep on the sofa for hours at a time. Normal things to go through after a heat. At least this time you can actually relax, not being poked and prodded.

Johnny had come back a few minutes ago, flopping down on the sofa as you leaned up against him. You weren't sure if it was just because you were coming out of your heat or something else but they had been acting weird around you. John had been gone from the moment he felt he could walk again. You’d see him downing pills before going off somewhere with Kate or Simon. It was nice to have Simon back again. You felt bad that he’d had to leave the barracks while you were in heat.

“Do you feel different?” Johnny asks finally. “Now that you’ve been claimed.”

You turn your head to look at him and hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

“I don’t think so, I feel the same,” you say. You’re not disappointed. Maybe it will feel different when you’re really done with your heat and you don’t have drugs running through your system numbing you out. You need to see Dr. Miller, but you’ve barely been able to make it to the sofa without being in pain. Johnny’s hand rests on your side rubbing your arm as you try to ignore the pain stirring inside you. It was almost time for you to take pills again. You want to wait as long as possible so you don’t have to move.

This heat did feel different. You don’t remember much, and that’s normal. Things will become clearer over the next few days. You remember John claiming you, and you remember him being gentle even when he was in his deepest rut it wasn’t overwhelming. You wish you could remember more, and maybe you will at some point.

You hadn't had time to talk to John about how things went and how this will change things, or if he was feeling any different. You’re starting to doze off again in your own world when the door to the building is flung open and people pile in. You sit up, Johnny gets up off the sofa. You don’t recognise any of them. They look like soldiers, only all dressed in black. You immediately want John, but he’s not with them.

“What do you think you’re doing Graves!?” Johnny snaps getting up in front of the one he called Graves. The man looks over at you. You can smell Johnny’s anger in the air and it makes you worried.

“We’re here to search the place for contraband,” Graves says. Contraband?

“What? Does Price know about this?” Johnny asks.

“Price is a busy man. He’s in a meeting with General Shepherd right now.” You don’t like this Graves person, and you can tell by Johnny’s body language they’re not friends either. Johnny looks back at you. You've forgotten about the pain, you’re just too worried about them going through your private space. You watch as Graves orders people around while Johnny protests.

The door opens again and this time Kyle steps in. You feel tears running down your cheeks as you watch Kyle cross over to Johnny protesting with him. You watch as the other men in the entourage make their way down the corridor opening rooms.

You stand up clutching the blanket. You feel sick watching them break into the rooms. You don’t even realize Kyle has left until Johnny shouts at Graves again pulling your attention back to him. You’re worried something bad is going to happen. You haven’t heard Johnny so angry before. You walk up to him gripping his sleeve but your eyes are locked on your open door. They’re in your space, looking for something you don’t have.

“It’s okay lass, Graves will put everything back,” Johnny says, resting his hand on yours. You look up to see him, your cheeks swollen with tears. Then you see them throwing pillows out your room door. That's your nest, they’re destroying your nest.

You don’t have time to think before you’re sprinting down the hallway to the man holding a pillow in his hands. You’re seeing red. They’ve destroyed your nest, your safespace. A place that is supposed to be yours. It feels like they’ve ripped your heart out. You pull the pillow out his hands, almost fighting with him as he protests. You look into your room seeing the place a mess. Things go fuzzy as you walk in falling to your knees. You hear Johnny come behind you, his hand resting on your back as you grip the pillow you'd pulled out the man's hands.

You feel like you’re back in the bunker, your vision going blurry as you sob into the pillow, clutching it as tight to your chest as you can. The Professor would let you build nests just to destroy them. It’s happening again. You thought you were safe here, you thought you could have a nest that would be yours and only yours. Now it's gone, and it feels like you can’t breathe, your breath catching in your throat as you collapse to the floor pulling your legs up to your chest.

You’re never going to be safe again.

“What the fuck did you think you were doing?” It’s the first voice you hear as you come too. You’re still curled up on the floor. You can’t tell who’s shouting. There’s a ringing in your ears as you look at your destroyed nest. Someone is by you though, shaking your shoulder with warm hands.

“Hey, it’s okay.” You hear Johnny. It’s his hands on your back, and there’s a pillow under your head. You feel a lump form in your stomach, pain radiates through your body. You sob into the pillow. You don’t know what else to do.

“Hey, c’mon lass, take a big breath.” Johnny moves around so you can see him kneeled on the floor. You can’t look at him, it just makes you too upset. You hear more voices now, and you can smell alpha in the air.

“What happened?” It’s Dr. Piper's voice. She kneels down behind you. Her cold hand rests on your shoulder.

“They destroyed her nest,” Johnny explains. You hear her sigh. The sobs come back. You can’t breathe, it feels like someone is sitting on your chest.

“Honey, you need to relax, take deep breaths,” you hear her say. You can't, it hurts too much. Panic comes over you. You’re never going to be safe again.

“In and out, come on.” You feel her starting to rub your back. You hear more shouting, people moving around. Each raised voice makes you jump, and you start to shiver, more tears running down your face.

“What happened?” It’s John’s voice, his scent fills your nose. You stop sobbing, letting yourself take a deep breath in.

“That’s it, good girl,” Dr. Piper says. You look up at Johnny whose fingers come to brush hair out your face.

“Sit with her,” you hear Dr. Piper say as her hand leaves your back. You feel John come to kneel down behind you. He tucks his hands under you pulling you up to his chest like you weigh nothing. You don’t let go of the pillow as you shiver feeling him kiss your head holding you in his arms. Johnny gets up pulling the duvet off your bed and dropping it over you.

“Go keep Ghost from ripping Graves apart,” John says. Johnny smiles at you as he leaves the room. You hear Dr. Piper leave too, closing the door behind you. John takes a deep breath in squeezing you tight to his chest as you lean up against him quiet sobs leaving your throat.

“They destroyed your nest?” he asks. You nod, gripping the pillow.

“It’s never going to be safe again,” you say. Your throat is raw from all the sobbing.

“Yes it is. We’ll make it safe here. Graves should have never been in here.” You can hear the anger rising in his voice. He swallows it away as you breathe in his scent. You’ve calmed now, now that your alpha is here, holding you in his arms. You close your eyes, loosening the grip on your pillow. Now you can feel it, the bond you have with him. It’s like the one you have with Dr. Piper just turned up to the max.

“Will you build it again? Your nest?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” you say. You don’t know if you can. You need to feel safe again, and you don’t feel safe anymore. You sit there in silence for a few more minutes letting John’s scent relax you. You wait until you can’t ignore the pain traveling through you anymore. You need to move, to take your pills. John seems to sense how uncomfortable you are, trying to shift his body for you.

“How about a nice cup of tea and you can relax on the sofa?” You nod, taking the excuse to get up. He kisses your neck one more time before helping you to your feet. Your legs feel like jelly as pain pulses through your body. You whine, dropping the pillow as you double over in pain. His hands are on you in an instant.

“I’m okay,” you say through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, yeah, c’mon,” he says, opening the door and helping you out. Dr. Piper sticks her head around the corner watching as you walk down the hall. She presses her cold hands on your face as she looks at you.

“Let’s get you that pain relief. You got yourself all worked up, almost distressed. It’s a good job Johnny was there. He was able to get you to come round before I got here,” she says, taking you out of John’s arms and over to the sofa.

“What exactly is distressing?” John asks. You lean back on the sofa pulling the blanket over you.

“Distressing can happen to omegas, it’s last resort defense mechanism. Her body shuts down to protect itself from whatever threat is around. It can be dangerous because it’s hard to come out of a distressed state.” Dr. Piper comes over handing you a glass of water and some pills. You take them all watching as John crosses his arms.

“Her nest being destroyed is something that would cause that?” You sip the water slowly, thinking about your ruined nest makes you sad. You’ve cried enough over the last few days. You’re sick of crying.

“Not necessarily, but that coupled with strangers being in her space as well as coming down off her heat is a recipe for disaster.” The pills taste bitter in your mouth, but in a few minutes you’ll be relaxed and lulled by them. Dr. Piper sits with you, taking the water out of your hands as you lay down.

“Can you stay with her until Kyle or Johnny get here?” John asks. Dr. Piper nods. You watch him leave hearing the door close. Dr. Piper rubs your leg, you close your eyes feeling sleepy. Your nest has been destroyed. You're never going to feel safe here again.

Price finds Simon and Johnny pacing outside the conference room.

“We got kicked out,” Johnny says, throwing his arms up.

“Where’s Kyle?” he asks.

“Inside, we’ve been taken in one by one,” Simon says, pacing the hall. John sighs, he shakes his head going into the room.

“Captain Price!” General Shepherd shouts standing up as he enters the room. Kyle looks around in the chair.

“Sergeant Garrick, go back to the barracks.” Kyle moves to stand up.

“Sergeant Garrick, stay where you are,” Shepherd says. John crosses his arms.

“Captain, you can wait outside.” John ignores him walking around Kyle up to the General. “This doesn’t have to get messy, Captain.”

“Is that a threat?” John asks, standing his ground. Shepherd sighs sitting back down in the chair waving Kyle away. John turns to look at everyone leaving the room. Simon’s eyes stay on him for a second dropping his head slightly.

‘Want me to stay?’

John shakes his head. He turns back to Shepherd as the door closes.

“Sit down, John,” Shepherd says, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I’m good.”

“John we’re trying to work–”

“Our goals are not the same.”

“Did you forget who you work for, Captain? You have a job to do here,” Shepherd says, leaning back in the chair.

“We were waiting for a cure. You stopped that.”

“We’re following orders.”

“We want a cure, and you stopped Dr. Montgomery from working on it.”

“Because it’s not our priority--”

“I don’t need the speech again. I don’t need the bullshit!” John snaps.

“Calm down John, you’re only still here because of me. The CIA wanted anyone other than 141 on this case.”

“Don’t act like you did this for us.” John shakes his head, turning around.

“We can make this work, it doesn’t have to get messy,” Shepherd says again. John sighs.

“No Professor, you leave the omega alone, and you let Dr. Montgomery continue her work on the cure,” John says, turning back around to look at Shepherd.

He sighs, shaking his head. “Or what?”

“We walk and we take the omega with us.”

“Captain, you’re emotional. Stop now before you say something you regret. You’re not going to kidnap the omega.”

“Who said anything about kidnapping?”

Shepherd gets up off the chair. “John, things can get very difficult for you very quickly. You should be careful.”

John shakes his head.

“No Professor, leave the omega alone, let the doctor work on a cure,” John says and heads to the door.

“Captain.” Shepherd calls. “You’re too emotionally invested in this. You’re making it dangerous for everyone including the omega.”

John freezes his hand on the door handle.

“If you or Graves lay a finger on her I’ll break your fucking hands. Keep your dog on a leash,” John says, opening the door and leaving the room before Shepherd could get a word in. John looks up at Simon waiting outside the room. Of course he is.

“How did that go?” Simon asks, uncrossing his arms and walking with John.

“Where are Soap and Gaz?”

“Back at the barracks.”

“Does Soap still have that house in the highlands?”

“Yeah, think so. Rents it out when he’s not using it,” Simon says, confused. “Why? Thinking about a trip to the highlands?”

“Yeah, I heard the weather is nice there,” John says, pushing through the double doors out into the fresh air.

“They’re coming after her aren’t they?” Simon asks. John doesn’t say anything for a second.

“Yeah, yeah they are.”

You wake in your bed. You remember dozing off on the sofa between Kyle and Johnny. You turn over looking at your nest. It was still trashed and it made a pit form in your stomach. You need to move though and get out of bed. You need to see Dr. Miller, it’s been 3 days since your heat ended.

You should be getting better now but everything still feels so sore. You sit up pulling clothes out and getting dressed. You swallow down painkillers but skip the muscle relaxants since they make you sleepy and you want to keep a clear head. You leave your room, you can see the sun just starting to rise now, and the sky is filled with colors of pink and the grass is heavy with dew.

You don’t know why you’re being sneaky as you leave the building before anyone is awake, walking across to the lab. The place is empty. Even Dr. Piper has been getting a decent amount of sleep, not having to get up at the crack of dawn. You walk over to Dr. Miller as he’s flicking through some papers.

“Hey stranger! How was the heat?” he asks, opening his arms to you, but you keep your distance.

“Good, I think, I still don’t remember much.” You rub the back of your neck smiling. You like being around Dr. Miller. He understands you just like Dr. Piper does.

“Come on, let's go to the medical room.” You smile at him following him into the room. You sit on the end of the bed as he prepares a tray of things.

“I need to take some blood. How long did your heat last?” he asks, coming over as you roll your sleeve up.

“6 days I think. It was good, John was nice, and he claimed me,” you say, watching him get ready to take your blood.

“Can I see the mark?” he asks as he inserts the needle. You’re not sure. You haven’t shown anyone the mark. It’s on your neck, and you don’t want anyone to see it, but you trust him. He just wants to help. You nod. He smiles, finishing up taking the vials of blood. He turns around placing everything on the tray. You stand up off the bed as he throws his gloves in the trash. He stands in front of you, you feel nervous as you turn so your back is facing him. You let your hand move up to the back of your neck running over the mark before pushing your hair out the way.

You squeeze your eyes closed as you wait for him to inspect the indents on your skin. You can smell alpha in the air, and smoke. John always smells of smoke, smoke and the ground after rain. You wait in silence as he finishes inspecting your neck and you can feel his breath on your skin.

“Beautiful.,” he breathes. It makes you uncomfortable and you let your hair drop back down goosebumps rising on your skin. You turn back to look at him. His alpha is strong in the air as he smiles at you.

“It looks good, nice and healed. Do you feel any different?” he asks.

“I’m not sure. I’m still in alot of pain. I think I will feel better tomorrow.”

“Well that’s normal. I would like to run some tests over the next few days. If you could come in tomorrow that would be perfect.”

“What are you working on?” you ask. Now that your heat is over he can’t still be working on a hormone blocker.

“Well Dr. Montgomery is working on a cure and has assigned me to work on a scent blocker. Something people can use to mask their scent with a chemical spray,” he explains. You nod. That would be useful.

“Do you think she can find a cure?” you ask as you follow him out the room.

“Dr. Montgomery is a very talented scientist. I know she will try her best,” he says as you follow him down the stairs. You watch him put the blood samples away as you head for the door.

“See you tomorrow,” Dr. Miller calls. You nod, stepping back out into the cold morning air. The pink sky has faded now as heavy clouds move in. It’s going to rain again, but you like the rain. You like the smell of rain and the smell of the forest. You want to go for another walk in the forest with John or even alone. You don’t care. You just want to be in the forest. You make it back to the barracks hoping you don't run into anyone and you can get into bed without any worries.

You’re not that lucky when you walk into the building you see Simon in the kitchen. He turns to look at you as you walk in. He’s not wearing the skull mask you’ve seen him in, not even the simple black ski-mask. He’s only wearing a black surgical mask pulled up over his nose and mouth. He has blonde hair. You’ve never seen his hair before. You’ve never seen the top of his head before. You’ve only ever seen his eyes, his deep brown, harsh eyes. Right now he looks kind, leaning over the counter as he waits for the kettle to boil.

“Hey,” you say, stepping into the room. You want to walk towards him but also avoid him at the same time.

“Been for a walk?” he asks. You feel a pit form in your stomach.

“Yeah, I like the morning dew,” you say smiling at him, passing him as you head back towards your room.

“I heard your nest was destroyed,” he says, stopping you in your tracks before you make it around the corner. You look at him, nodding. He reaches into his back pocket, you didn’t even know he had anything in his back pocket but now he’s thrusting it towards you. You take it out of his hand. It's a black ski-mask. You bring it up to your nose. It smells of him, the ground after rain and gunpowder. You learned what the smell was. That’s Simon's scent, the ground after rain and gunpowder.

“When you build your nest again I want you to have something from me. I heard you were too scared to ask. I don’t want you to be scared of me.” You look up at him.

“I’m not scared of you,” you say. You project your scent in the air for him. It’s all you can do to prove your sincerity. You can’t see him react to it, his mask covering most of his face. You smile at him.

“Thank you,” you say, bringing the mask back up to your nose and turning back to your room. Your fingers run over the soft fabric of the mask. You walk into your room leaving the door open. You look at the broken nest on the floor then back over at your bed. Nothing feels right. You pull the bedding off your bed into the space where your nest used to be. You pick up the items.

Dr. Piper's scarf, John’s hat, Johnny's shirt, Kyle’s scarf and now Simon’s mask. You arrange the pillows and blankets round the nest letting the scent of nature fill your nose coming through the open window.

You work on it until you’re exhausted, till it feels good. You’re not sure how long you’re working on it but the last thing you remember is crawling up into your new nest and pulling your duvet over you.

Piper walks out of her room, and seeing your room door ajar she can’t help pushing it open slightly until she sees you sleeping in a newly built nest. It makes her smile, letting out a sigh of relief at the scene. You’ve built a new nest which means you still feel safe here which is important. You need to feel safe. What happened with Phillip yesterday almost caused you to distress. You could be unconscious, hooked up to machines right now fighting to stay alive. You’re not though, you’re safe, you’re sleeping peacefully in your nest.

“‘Mornin,” Johnny says, coming out of his room smiling at Piper as he rubs his eyes going into the bathroom. She walks into the common room seeing Simon and John already sitting at the table.

“We have a meeting with General Shepherd and Commander Graves this morning,” John says as soon as he sees her walking over to the kettle. She sighs taking in the information. She doesn’t even like the tea. There’s coffee in the lab but no one should be there until later, especially since Shepherd put a stop to her work.

“What’s the meeting about?” she asks, half paying attention as she pours herself a cup of tea, trying to enjoy the little caffeine she’s going to get this morning.

“I gave Shepherd an ultimatum,” John says. She turns to look at him. Even Simon’s body language seems tense as he grips his mug.

“What did you say?” she asks.

“The Professor is not allowed on the base, they’re not allowed to go near the omega, and you’re allowed to continue your search for a cure,” he says looking at her for her reaction.

“I will try to find a cure, I cannot promise anything,” she says as the kettle clicks.

“I know, but we need you. The omega trusts you, we trust you. We need you on our side,” John says. Piper nods.

“I will be on your side, as long as she’s safe. What happened yesterday was too close. She could have been pushed into distress. They need to understand how this world works. I don’t care who it comes from,” she says with a hint of hostility in her voice.

“Yeah, whatever makes you feel better,” Simon says under his breath. John sighs, shooting him a glance.

“Will you be there? We need you on our side. She needs you to advocate for her,” John asks. She nods, turning to her cup of tea. Johnny walks out into the bathroom changing the energy in the air.

“I’ll be there,” she says.

It feels like she’s walking to her execution, following John and Simon into the same conference room as before. Now, demands had been laid out. John had set out his terms. She knows realistically the General could just override him, send them back to the UK, and continue the project here without them. She hopes, for everyone's sake, that is the last thing that will happen. The room is warm, there are only 3 people inside, Kate, Phillip and Shepherd. General Shepherd waits until everyone is seated before standing up at the head of the table.

“Here’s what's going to happen: The Professor will stay at his home in Seattle, however Dr. Montgomery has to share all her future research with him.” He looks around the room making sure people are listening. His eyes linger on her. She doesn’t say anything, her legs starts to bounce nervously under the table though.

“Dr. Montgomery, you’ve been cleared to restart your research for a cure. You will however need to work with Professor Hale.” He says, she sighs. It’s better than him being on the base, she can live with it.

“We can’t force the omega to go back to Professor Hale but he does want to have contact with her if she is willing. He also wants a tracker placed in her.”

“No fucking way,” John says. Shepherd sighs.

“You have to meet me halfway here John,” Shepherd says exasperated.

“She’s a human being, not a dog,” Simon speaks up.

“It’s just insurance for Professor Hale.”

“It’s wrong,” Piper says, shaking her head.

“What about an ankle monitor?” Kate suggests.

“She’s not a criminal,” Piper says. John sighs, his eyes digging into the General.

“I can ask Hale, see what he says,” Shepherd says, going to jot something down on paper.

“She’s not going anywhere,” John says.

“Look, I’m trying to make it work here. I don’t need people to be happy, I need you to do your jobs,” Shepherd says.

“Speaking of which,” Phillip Graves says standing up as Shepherd sits back down. He looks tired, he must have had a long few days.

“Got a job for you boys.” He hands John a folder. He opens it and Piper tries to look over his shoulder to see.

“Laswell will work with you, I'm sure it’s right up your alley. Been a while since you’ve been out in the field, you could use a good run,” Phillip says as he sits back down.

“Since when did you work for the DOD again?” John says, passing the folder to Simon.

“Since they’re paying me to take care of this base.”

“We don’t need you sitting around here when we could use you,” Shepherd says. John sighs, taking the folder out of Simon's hand and standing up. Simon and Piper follow him out of the room. There’s no ‘have a good day’ no ‘thank yous’ just silence as Shepherd and Phillip watch them leave. Piper closes the door behind her.

“Still thinking ‘bout that holiday?” Simon asks.

“Could use a change of scenery,” John responds. Piper looks at their backs confused.

“Private jet would be nice,” Simon says.

“I know a guy,” John replies.

“When were you thinking then?” Simon asks.

“Don’t know, ‘pends on how quickly we can scramble,” John says. Are they talking in some kind of code? Piper thinks as she listens in.

“12 hours, an hour if you’re desperate,” Simon says.

“I’m not that desperate. You should talk to Soap and Gaz, see how they feel about a holiday.” Simon nods going out the doors of the building while John stays behind. He turns to look at Piper.

“C’mon let’s have a chat,” he says, gesturing her out the door. They walk in silence all the way until they’re out of the base and in the woods.

“I bring her here, you know. She likes the forest,” he says eventually. Piper nods.

“She likes being outside, she spent so much of her life locked up,” she says.

“Sergeant MacTavish has a house in Scotland. It’s rural, by a loch away from prying eyes. That’s where we would go if we needed to flee,” he says. A pit forms in Piper's stomach.

“Why would you need to flee?” she asks, keeping her voice steady and her nerves tucked away.

“We might need to flee if Professor Hale was to try anything.”

“Do you think he will?”

“Don’t know, but I don’t trust Shadow Company or General Shepherd. They’ve lied to us in the past and I wouldn’t be surprised if they would do it again.” He sighs.

“So what? You want to run away, become fugitives? I’m pretty sure as soldiers you’d be deserting.” She looks up at John, his eyes seem darker all of a sudden. He doesn’t say anything and they continue walking. “Okay so what would happen?” she asks after a few seconds.

“If any of my team come to you and tell you we’re going on holiday you need to be ready to leave within the hour,” he says. She nods.

“Your job will be to stick with the omega, and I mean stick with her. If we get separated, we’ll find you. But you need to keep her safe.” Piper's heart was pounding in her chest now, the nerves slipping through her facade.

“You would do a better job protecting her,” she says.

“No, not if things get hairy. Things can change in an instant. You need to listen and keep her safe if we can't. She needs someone she can trust to stay with her,” he explains, it makes her more nervous.

“Do you think we’re in danger?” she asks him straight.

“No, if I thought that we would have been gone by now. We just have to prepare for any eventuality,” he says, stopping and looking up at the trees.

“I’ve never been to Scotland,” she says.

“Hopefully you never will. At least not with us,” John says, turning back to head down the path. She follows him.

“I don’t know if Johnny will be happy you said that.” She smiles trying to lighten the mood.

“No I don’t think he would,” John chuckles. The rest of the walk goes in silence, Piper's mind running over different scenarios. If John was right then they would have to flee. The Professor was a threat, and maybe John didn’t want to admit it but Piper knew it. He wants his omega back. Only she’s not his omega anymore, she’s John’s omega, which puts his life in danger too. She stops him before they walk into the barracks pulling his arm before he opens the door.

“Professor Hale always had a plan for what would happen if the omega was claimed by someone else. I hope you know, you have a massive target on your back now.” John smiles which confuses Piper.

“Don’t worry, I’m used to having a target on my back. You worry about finding that cure, we'll deal with the rest.” He opens the door walking into the building. Piper turns away, she should get back to work, the quicker they find the cure the quicker you’ll be safe. Or maybe the quicker she finds a cure the more disposable she is. She looks through the window of the door. She can see you resting against Kyle as John talks to Johnny in the kitchen.

“Price told you about the holiday destination?” Simon asks from behind her, making her jump off the steps. She turns to look at him.

“We call it a vacation over here,” she says walking up to him. She thinks she can see him smile. After so long of looking only in his eyes she thinks she can tell when he’s smiling.

“Well, I wouldn’t call Scotland a holiday destination,” he says.

“Anywhere other than here feels like a vacation.” She sighs, smiling at him. There’s a silence in the air as the sun is setting. There’s a light breeze making Piper shiver, bringing her hands up to warm her arms.

“Need any help?” he asks. She looks at him confused.

“In the lab?”

“Yeah, with the tests or whatever.”

She nods, smiling at him. She walks past him towards the lab.

“I can always use a hand.”

Next Dividers by Plum98 & gild-ui Beta reader and editor - rememberwren

192 notes · View notes

bellejolras · 11 months ago

Text

i don’t mean to go on a rant but I’ve been reading reviews of Poor Things bc i hate being happy and ohhhh my goddddd

spoilers under the cut but I have complaints about people’s (lack of) media literacy

Oh my god okay so first of all, if you haven’t seen a movie how are you going to comment on it. Reading summaries and other people’s reviews only is not sufficient to make an original point. you do not know what you’re talking about. just stop.

Second, the movie is. satirical. Which I thought was obvious from the absurd premise and surreal visuals? This is not supposed to be the real world. Nor is it advocating for all the stuff it shows. In fact, it’s even actively indicting some of what it shows. For example: fucked up power dynamics in sexual relationships exist in the movie, but the movie is not saying they are good, it’s criticizing them. Is this not getting through to people?

Third, and related, it’s not ! just ! about ! a sexy baby !! Partly because again, satire. But also partly because she rapidly goes through childhood & adolescent maturity. And it’s not meant to be, like, linear… the regular laws of empirical data and science do not apply to this world… so she is not in fact, like 6 when she’s having sex but more like 16. Which you could argue is still a minor, and im not disputing that, because again the movie is critical of this part and duncan is a total loser. But there’s a massive difference between the mental development of those two ages. ALSO there’s literally nothing inherently wrong with baby bella autonomously discovering masturbation. That’s extremely normal for little kids, often just as a way of self-soothing because it feels nice and not with any awareness of sexuality. And it’s fine if you thought that was a weird scene! but it’s hardly pedophilia to include in the film when the “baby” in question is in fact played by fully grown adult emma stone and I cannot believe that I’m seeing people accuse this movie of that

Fourth, if you claim your takeaway from this movie is “it wants me to believe that women’s power only exists through their sexuality” then I don’t believe you’ve seen the entire movie (see point 1). Narratively it’s only a means to an end for Bella, and when she gets tired of it, she stops! She gets bored of duncan and reads philosophy! She leaves her sex work career and becomes a medical professional! And, even in the sex scenes, while there are many, they center her and her experience, her pleasure. Yes, her tits are out a lot but the sex scenes are weird, intentionally grotesque without being violent. The montage with duncan is shot through a fisheye lens and literally pans away from the bed to focus on a bird landing in the room. Duncan can proclaim himself the best lover in the world, but he’s really not important to the scene ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In conclusion, I know the people I’m complaining about aren’t going to read this, but just in case, I urge you to learn media literacy. And anyone else who read all of this, thanks lol!! accepting good faith discourse in the notes/replies

#this is literally just me complaining about people lacking media literacy so look away if that sounds boring #also there be spoilers #poor things #poor things 2023

932 notes · View notes

watermelongirl01 · 14 days ago

Text

The Tattoo

Aaron Hotchner x fem!reader

Criminal Minds x Supernatural

Summary: Your first humankind case reveals a new Hotchner´s side you didn´t know.

Content Warning: Flirty Hotch, Homicide description, Abuse, Rape, Violence, Triggering situations. (Please let me know if I let something out.)

Note: This is my version of the episode "Jones" in the early seasons, I changed a lot of the things but not all of them, It is just how I would've liked the case to be in my opinion, and obviously added a bunch of other things to fit the thread of my story, like Jason Gideon not being there. I hope you like it.

“Short stuff, are you ready?”

“Nope”

“Come on, you’re going to be just fine.” Morgan gifted you a reassuring smile.

This was your first time filling in for a member of the group. Normally it wasn’t necessary, but the team was reduced to four. Emily was on mandatory vacation and JJ stayed at home to take care of a sick Henry, so now your presence was requested.

“It’s not what I’m used to.”

“No it’s not, but you are a great agent and will do just fine.” He said gently squeezing your arm. “You will charm them all.”

“Of course I will, there is no doubt.” You smiled back.

“Let’s go then.”

You both walked to the briefing room where the rest of the team was waiting, Morgan quickly walked to the empty chair In front of you, slightly pushing you to the side, leaving you with no option but to sit next to Hotch, not that you minded but lately all the members of the team have been acting a little weird.

You looked at Morgan with a questioning look but he completely ignored you and lowered his gaze to read the case files.

“We have a serial killer in New Orleans. Two men’s dead bodies were found over the last month, and a third body was found last night, the same MO, male, throat slashed, they were all found in semi-public places in the French Quarter.” You heard Penelope explain. “The local police have no leads and no suspects so far, Mike Weller, the head detective is waiting for you.”

Hotch nodded and looked at everyone in the room. “Wheels up in thirty.” He said before disappearing out the door.

—

When arriving, Hotch sent you and Reid to the forensic lab to examine the body.

“No hesitation marks.” You said pointing to the terrible wounds.

Spencer nodded. “Cuts are methodical and almost procedural.”

The forensic doctor looked at both of you. “The person who did this definitely had medical training, there’s no other way he could have done this.”

“He?” You glaze up to the doctor.

“No defensive wounds and took out pretty big men.” You frowned. “Although all the toxicology tests showed signs of alcohol.”

“Any relatives came to claim the body?” Spencer asked.

The doctor nodded. “His wife came with his former colleague.” Both of you looked at him with a confused expression. “He was a retired officer.”

“The lead detective didn’t say anything about that.”

“I’m not surprised, he wasn’t popular at all, he had a reputation for being a dirty cop.”

“I’ll call Garcia.” You said getting your phone out.

But suddenly Spencer’s phone began to ring and he immediately answered. “Where? Okay, we’ll be there.” He looked at you as he got off the phone. “Another body was found, call her on the way there.”

—

“Same MO.” Morgan informed. “Some people saw him leave the bar down the street.”

“So, he was drunk just like the other victim.” You said while eyeing the Weller. “Do we know his profession?”

“Does it matter?” He asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

You step aside standing closer to him and shrugging your shoulders. “Humor me, detective.”

Detective Weller side-eyed you but nodded. “He was a well-known lawyer.”

“I see.” You crossed your arms while raising an eyebrow. “You forgot to mention that the fourth victim was a cop who used to work at your police station.”

“I don’t think it is relevant to the case.” Weller huffed.

“Well, we don’t know that yet.” You insisted. “Do we?”

The BAU men were looking at your disagreement with confusion, and suddenly a strong back wearing a gray and elegant suit got in between, blocking your vision. It took only a few seconds to recognize that it belonged to Hotchner.

“We would like to have access to all of the information available, it’s vital to be able to get the unsub’s profile.“ You heard Aaron talking to the detective.

“Sure, Agent Hotchner.” After Weller left the crime scene, Hotch turned around to see you.

“You are riding with me.” Hotch left the place hurriedly making you roll your eyes and toss your keys at Spencer.

You manage to keep up with Hotch’s pace and climb up on the SUV, some minutes passed and neither of you talked, but you got tired of the unbearable silence.

“If you’re going to scold me, just do it now.”

“I’m not.”

“Hotch he was in the wrong, you know that, right?”

“I’m aware.” You shot him a puzzled look.

“Then why get in the middle of my conversation?”

”Because that wasn’t a conversation, he was starting to raise his voice.”

“I can take it, Hotchner.”

“I know you can, doesn’t mean I want you to.” You felt how your facial expression softened at his comment. “Listen, some of these detectives think we are here to make them look bad, they feel threatened.”

You rolled your eyes. “How are their insecurities my fault?”

Hotch chuckled a bit. “They are not, just go easy on them so we can keep the case.”

—

You, Hotch, and Spencer stayed at the precinct to read all the new information about the victims while Rossi and Morgan left to talk with the new possible witnesses. Currently, you are on your third cup of coffee and your fifth case file.

“I can’t believe we were missing all this information.” You hissed.

“Simmer down.” Hotch murmured.

You looked at the evidence board leaning against the table, focusing on the victim's photos, and frowning when looking closer.

“Oh.”

“You found something new?” Spencer asked.

“Hmm, have you seen that all the victims have tattoos?” Both men got closer to look at the photos.

“Well actually, in some religions tattoos are forbidden because they think of the body as a temple.” Spencer babbled and immediately stood up from his chair. “Some other religions even think that if you get a tattoo, you’re not allowed in heaven.”

“Really?” A look of confusion crossed your face.

Spencer quickly nodded while pointing up with his finger. “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:28.” He added.

“So, we think this is a religious matter?” You asked.

“It could be a coincidence. Let’s ask Garcia if she can find something about it.” Spencer took his phone and left the room, leaving you and Hotch alone, looking at the board side to side.

“Well, that’s concerning. You know, some tattoos are meant to protect you.”

Hotch turned his head towards you. “What do you mean?”

“There’s this kind of tattoos that are protection symbols, usually hunters get them.”

“You have one?” Hotch’s upright posture was visibly shaken.

“I'm no hunter.” You said before walking back to the table, Hotch following you. “But yes, I do have one.”

“I’ve never seen a tattoo on you.” Hotch frowns

“That´s because it’s not in a visible spot.” You giggled while turning your back on Hotch to take out another stack of files.

Hotch’s eyes were found unconsciously roaming over your body. He had seen you in the summer, in short skirts and tiny tops, or with risky cleavages, hell he even had seen you in your pajamas when you shared a hotel room once or twice, but he never noticed any tattoos. That can only mean one last place.

Hotch knew you were busy getting the files so his eyes ended up going down your back to your ass, He was positive your tattoo was on your hip or ass.

You could feel Hotch’s eyes going down and up your body, You even turned your back on him longer than needed, so he could linger his sight on you even longer. Anyone could’ve said it was just Hotch’s curiosity but you saw that tiny shade of lust, sparkle in his eyes for a brief moment when you mentioned you having a tattoo.

You turned your body in a slow move and caught him still hypnotized by your body. “Looking for something Hotch?”

“Hips or ass, agent?” He asked with a straight face but his voice showed a hint of playfulness. He was teasing you.

The question made you smirk. “You’re not gonna hear it from me, you’re going to need to find out in another way, Sir.”

But before he could open his mouth to speak, Spencer came back to the room with bad news.

“Another body appeared, no tattoo.”

–

“Body number five, we can barely keep up with this guy.” you heard in the distance.

“Do we know who he is?” Hotch asked.

“Since it matters so much, His friend says he is a salesman.” Weller said, sending a nasty look at you. “No connection.”

“Detective Weller, I would appreciate it if your answer were directed at me. When I ask a question.” Hotch replied.

Weller huffed with irritation and you thought you heard him grumble something, but you’re not sure if he was agreeing with Hotch or cursing you under his breath. “We have five bodies, Agent Hotchner, and no correlation.”

“Okay, all victims were partying late at night with their friends and killed in the alley with no one noticing, how did the unsub manage to get them alone?” Hotch looked at his team, they were all lost in thoughts.

“A woman.” Detective Weller's mocking laughter echoed in the room.

“Let her finish.” It only took the look on Hotch’s eyes to harden, to force Weller to shut up.

“What is the only temptation for a straight man that’s going to lure him away from his friends and make him leave the bar?” Your expecting eyes were moving around glancing at your team’s faces.

“A woman.” Rossi repeated while nodding his head.

Hotch turned on his heels and looked at the detective. “Gather your men, we are ready to give a profile.”

—

“Ready?” Hotch whispered in your ear, making the baby hairs on the back of your neck stand at the sound of his voice.

“What?” You whispered back feeling numb by his closeness.

“Ready to give the profile?”

“Hotch, I’ve never gi-.” Your voice trails off. “I don’t think it is a good idea.”

“It is.” He assured you pushing you to the side and walking to the room full of cops.

Lost in your thoughts you barely felt two hands holding your arms from behind, giving you a light squeeze. “You got this, Kid.” Rossi left your side and followed Hotch in the other precinct's room.

You sighed and took a deep breath. This was your first time profiling a human case, not covering up supernatural events or rehearsing made-up stories. This felt different, good different.

You walked confidently and stood in the middle of the room surrounded by your team.

“We are looking for a woman between 30 and 35, she’s friendly, she’ll lure with charm but kill with rage.” You began your speech, feeling every pair of eyes looking at you with attention. “We believe she kills men to reclaim her power.”

“She probably suffers from low self-esteem but covers it well.” You heard Morgan's voice.

“We believe this woman went through a catastrophic event, that’s when the killing started.” Rossi pointed.

“She has medical training, you should consider EMTs, doctors, or veterinarians.”

“It’s more likely we are dealing with the Aileen Wournos archetype, motivated by paranoia and fear, luring men with sex.” Spencer added.

“She certainly knows the terrain, so be careful out there.” Hotch remarked.

A couple of hours later after the profile, Detective Weller came in a hurry with a piece of paper in an evidence bag.

“Forensics found a letter on the victim's body.” He said handing it over to Hotch. “She’s mocking us.”

“Dear boss, he wanted it. With that sharp tongue and vulgar hand. I thought you’d like to know that another will soon get what he deserves.

Yours truly.”

“That 's weird.” All eyes searched Spencer’s voice. “Typically offenders write letters to be heard. Jack the Ripper bragged about not being caught yet this Unsub isn’t using correspondence to flaunt her latest kill. Only to explain why she did it.” He explained while moving his hands around.

“It’s possible that she considers herself a vigilante. That the man she’s killing deserves to die.” Rossi blurted.

“Then, every kill she’s acting out is a fantasy of revenge or a real revenge?” Everyone in the room returned to their thoughts wondering at Morgan’s question.

You shifted in your place with uncertainty. “Maybe she is contacting us not because we are on the case, but because she believes we understand.” With fingers tapping against the wood, you began to unravel the tiny hints in the letter. “The Unsub wrote, He wanted it as she couldn’t help herself. What if she’s mirroring the man who raped her?”

”Where are the files stored from your Sex Crimes Division?” Hotch looked at Weller’s direction.

The detective stepped out of the room momentarily and returned with a medium-sized carton box with a few files that barely stuck out of the box. “Here they are.”

“That 's it?” You let out with a surprised tone of voice.

After several hours of trying to match your profile with any file in the box, you were exhausted. You decided to take a quick break and enter the bathroom, You locked yourself inside one of the bathroom booths and sighed while your hands held your head.

The sound of the door being opened ripped you out of your pessimistic thoughts. Suddenly a hand left a piece of paper report at your feet, leaving you uncertain on what to do. You tried to thank the person but, you were answered with fast footsteps leaving the place.

You took the paper and read in a whispered voice, Disturbance at Jones.

“Care to tell us what happened then, detective?” Hotch asked.

Detective Weller shifted in his seat with discomfort. “How did you know about this incident?”

“It was in the box you gave us, Weller.” Morgan said while leaning against the wall, looking directly at Weller.

“I don’t think so.”

“Maybe you misplaced it, who cares?” You argued.

He looked at you with disdain. Aaron couldn’t help himself and stepped closer to you showing protection. “This happened when the head detective before me was in charge, I took some of the declarations but that’s it.”

You smirked with satisfaction Knowing you were right all along. “The detective before you as our third victim?” He nodded.

“What happened there, detective?”

“One of the boys asked her if she wanted to play pool. Witnesses claim she was up for anything. His friend, not far behind.“ All the eyes were on him. “He claims she knew he was there, She said she claimed for help but not a single person claimed that they heard her.”

You shook your head in disbelief.

He continued, “That’s why it was registered as a disturbance. She wanted to press charges. But the head detective back then told her it was a waste of time.”

“How is this just a disturbance?” Rossi asked, frowning at Weller.

“As far as I was concerned, no such rape ever took place, and the boy was a colleague’s son, he is a good boy.”

Something in your stomach twisted and anger started to build up.

“We are trying to know her name; she could be our Unsub.” Morgan pointed out. Weller sighed when this realization dawned on him, but he slightly shook his head as he was ashamed of not knowing the answer.

But you were sure shame wasn’t a feeling men like that could understand.

“You don’t remember her name?“ Morgan asked with incredulity.

“It was nine years ago.”

“What about the name of the good kid that raped her?” You bickered.

“Mr. Tibideaux, we need you to answer a few questions about a disturbance you were involved with.“ Hotch’s voice resonated inside the four walls of the interrogation room.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Disgust appeared in your face, but you hid it by biting your tongue. You didn’t know why Hotch asked you to be there, but you hated every minute of it.

“At a bar called Jones, It was Mardi Gras.” Hotch reminded him.

“You know, then I must’ve been drinking or something. Cause I don’t remember a thing.”

With your feet tapping the floor, you were counting the seconds to be able to leave the room and be away from the so-called good boy.

“We just need to know the name of your accuser.” Hotch demanded. If he was annoyed there was no way to know.

“Look, I told you. I don’t know what you are talking about”

You roughly massaged your right temple, fuming.

”The statute of limitations is up, we just need a name.” He added calmly.

“Someone accuses me of rape, I’m gonna remember her name.” You taunted.

“Well, what can I tell you, Cher? I guess she didn’t make that good of an impression.“

Your eyes narrowed dismissively.

”Unlike yourself right now.” You retorted.

“You know. I’m guessing if someone did do something to that girl that night then she was probably asking for it. Maybe even liked it.”

You controlled the urge to smash his head against the table and abruptly took the file out of Hotch’s hands, you opened it and began to display all the victim's photos in front of him.

“You know Hotch, maybe we are not too late, she murdered these men and I’m guessing it’s only a matter of time before she works her way back to the one she really wants to kill.” You tilted your head to look at him but he was busy looking at the pictures with a horrified look. “Is she making an impression now?

Your words suggested you were talking to Hotch but your sight was set on the other man in the room.

“You don’t want to tell us, fine.” You snickered. “Cause Daddy can’t make this go away, and I have no problem waiting for your dead body to give me a new hint.”

You leaned closer, you didn’t have to talk anymore, you knew your eyes were saying enough. But you continued.

“In fact, I wouldn’t like anything else, so I’m gonna go ahead and set my alarm for tomorrow morning when I get the call from the police.” You ranted. “Cause, believe me, I’m going to sleep better knowing there is one less offender out of the streets.”

After hearing the name you needed, you stormed out of the room leaving everyone behind without looking back until you heard a voice calling for you.

“That was out of line, agent.” You abruptly stopped and turned on your heels to look at Weller.

“The only thing out of line is how pathetic you are at doing your job, Weller.” You turned back at him one more time and kept waking till reaching a quiet corner to make a phone call.

“Work me.” You hear Penelope’s voice on your phone.

“We have a name. Sarah Danlin. I need an address.”

“1141 Sherman Avenue. It looks like she was a med student at Tulane but she dropped out.”

“Let me guess, February nine years ago.”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks.”

You returned to the hotel room by Hotchner’s request, and you knew he was in the right to send you back, you got carried away by your emotions.

You were a mess. Closing your room door, you let your emotions overpower you once more. Tears were falling down your face. You weren’t sure what you were feeling. No one ever prepared you for this kind of case, you felt powerless, empty, and lost. And finally, rage possessed your emotions.

You tossed glasses and trails of empty dishes, and your luggage and clothes flew around the room until your energy and strength gave up and tiredness reached you.

You are sure the hotel staff let Hotch know, cause he kept checking with you constantly. He let you know when they arrested her and how she told them she killed every man who helped cover up her abuse.

You heard your door being open and looked at Hotchner with a questioning look when you saw him standing there.

“How did you open my door?”

He showed you his key. “We are sharing.”

You frowned. “Since when?”

“Since now, there has been an unexpected cut in the budget.” You nodded knowing it was a lie and he probably wanted to check on you. But you said nothing.

“Some things fall by themselves, I think there’s a ghost.” You said when you caught him looking at the mess on the floor.

“I think you can manage that.”

He left his duffel bag on the floor and sat next to you on the bed.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

That simple question was enough to break your strong façade. It was a question you normally have no problem answering with a lie, and you didn’t know if it was the situation or just because Hotch was the one asking. But it brought you down to tears.

He took you in his arms and hugged you tight.

“I’m sorry.”

“It 's okay.” He softly mumbled on your head reassuring you. “You said what you needed to say.”

You quickly shook your head.

“I meant it.” You sniffled. “I was willing to wait.”

“I know.” He said while caressing your back with soothing movements.

“So, normally you have to deal with these detectives making your job impossible?”

“Yeah, all the time.” He chuckled.

“God, it’s exhausting.” You laugh a little

“You don’t?”

“No, they basically beg me to take the case out of their hands.”

Hotch sighed. “You need to learn new methods for the interrogation.” He searched for your eyes. “I mean, only if you want to keep coming to these cases with us, you want to?”

“Yeah.” You smiled at him.

“You are a profiler now, welcome to the team.”

Back in Quantico, you were getting ready to leave your office when you got a call from an unknown number. You hesitated but finally answered after letting it ring for a couple of seconds.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sweetheart.”

“Dean?” You frowned looking back at the number.

“We need a little bit of help.” Reality sank on you.

“Tell me you are not calling from where I think you are calling.”

“Agent Henriksen got to us.”

“Damn it, Dean, How the heck did he manage to do that?”

“Bella Talbot.”

“That bitch again?” You sighed. “Where are you?”

“Colorado.”

“I’m on my way.”

118 notes · View notes

clockwayswrites · 1 year ago

Text

A Broken Sort of Normal, Part 18

WC: 1565, Masterpost

“Here to bring me to a debrief?” Danny asks the shadow lurking in the doorway. He swears that Batman almost looks chastised at that. “It’s fine, Batman, I know how these things work.”

“The core Titans are insisting on being there, for moral support,” Batman rumbles. “If you aren’t comfortable with that, they’ll be sent away.”

Danny chuckles; that really is like them. “No, I might as well only go through it all once. Besides, that’s sweet. Can I at least take the time to put on real clothing?”

Batman narrows his eyes at Danny. “You’re still injured. Loose clothing only.”

“Gods, how does no one see what a dad you are,” Danny teases.

Batman smiles, just for a moment, before he turns to sweep over dramatically out of the room. “I’ll send in Flash with some approved clothing.”

“That better be my Flash you’re sending in!” Danny calls after Batman. When the doorway is free of the luring hero, Danny lets himself fall back against the pile of pillows.

A debrief. How is he supposed to explain any of this? So far he hasn’t been allowed to explain things, really. Part of it is that he’s spent most of the last several days asleep. When he has been awake, it’s to a rotating cast of heroes; all heroes that he was close to and knew behind the mask. With every able bodied hero busy with clean up, no one has been able to stay long. He sees Barry the most, what with the other’s leg, but even Barry is busy helping coordinate the recovery efforts.

(Danny’s also pretty sure that they’re using the chance to visit him as a way to make people take a break.)

While the heroes are with him, it’s been mostly Danny getting updated on everyone and whoever is with him getting information to update everyone else with. They won’t even let him work, but they do pass on information about his crews at least. It’s Wally who’s with him the most. Wally was there the first time Danny woke and as Danny breathed through panic attacks and to patiently reply to the endless stream of messages for Danny.

Speak of the devil… Danny’s phone chimes again.

He can’t look at it.

He hasn’t been able to look at it since the first message from Jasmine came in. Since they all remembered.

Wally hadn’t asked. He had just let Danny shake apart in his arms and has handled Danny’s phone from then on. ‘This is Danny’s boyfriend. He’s alive and will recover. He’ll contact you at a later time.’

“I thought we put that thing on silent,” Wally says with a glare at the phone as he steps into the room.

Danny makes shameless grabby hands at the clothing. “So did I. Who is it?”

Danny’s proud that his voice doesn’t shake at the question.

Maybe it’s fair that they’ve all been avoiding the big big questions. Maybe it really is obvious that he’s still only hanging on by a thread. He certainly feels less like a live wire and more like the one, stubborn fuse still humming in the circuit breaker.

He certainly feels weak.

“Jasmine again.”

Danny sucks in a staggered breath and lets it out slowly. “Just… just tell her that I’m sorry, but I can’t yet.”

Wally presses a kiss to Danny’s temple. “I’ll remind her that you’re healing too. You just worry about getting dressed.”

“What, don’t want to help out with that part?” teases Danny as he undid the tie at the base of his neck. The Watchtower might have pretty nice quality, but any medical garb was going to be a little scratchy, and Danny is glad to have it off. He’s careful with his taped over IV port as he slides on the plain white shirt and then the well worn hoodie. It has a faded Nightwing logo and smells like Wally.

Something in Danny’s chest relaxes a little as he buries his face into the fabric and it nearly makes him sob.

“Danny?”

Danny just shakes his head.

“Oh, babe, it’s okay, I’m here. I have you.” Wally tosses the phone onto the bed and wraps Danny up into a hug. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been around—”

“Don’t, you were saving lives,” Danny says and tucks his face against Wally’s neck. “It’s what you needed to be doing.”

“Yeah, well, I’m here now. I’ve officially been pulled off duty. My job right now is you.”

“I don’t want to take you away from anything important.”

“You aren’t. Babe, you’re why we’re all still here. Let yourself be cared for, okay? I promise if anything comes up that really needs my help I’ll go, but let me make you my priority,” Wally urges.

Danny closes his eyes. “I told myself I’d never ask that of you. I know what you are.”

“You aren’t, I’m offering. Please, babe, let me make you my priority.”

He wants to. Gods does he want to. He wants to go back home to their apartment and have Wally with him and just let the other take care of everything, just for a little bit, just until it stopped feeling like his insides were hollow. Just until he could be okay enough to lie and say that he was fine.

Just until then.

“Okay. I— yeah, okay. I think I need that right now,” Danny manages to admit.

“Thank you,” Wally whispers like it was Danny doing him the great service. “First act, let’s get you out of those pants.”

“You cad,” Danny gasps dramatically.

Wally rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling now so Danny counts it as a win. “And get you into the sweatpants.”

“I can’t believe I’m going to debrief in sweats,” Danny says as he lets Wally help him finish changing. He’s a little less balanced in his feet than he’d like to be.

Okay, a lot less balanced.

Wally doesn’t even let him walk to the debrief, instead he insists on pushing Danny there in a wheelchair. Danny knows there’s no shame in needing a wheelchair, but it doesn’t help him be less frustrated at the way he feels weak down to his bones. Hell, he feels weak down to is core. At least he gets to move himself to a regular chair once they’re inside the conference room.

"Thank you for being willing to do this, Danny,” Wonder Woman says. She’s leaning forward, arms resting on the table, and offering a smile. At the table is a selection of other top tier members: Batman, Superman, a Green Lantern (Hal Jordan in this case), John Constantine, Zatanna, and, right next to Danny, Barry.

The Titans are off to the side, slightly behind the Dark members, in chairs that were obviously dragged into the room. Garfield gives Danny an enthusiastic thumbs up that almost makes him laugh.

“Of course. I get why there are questions,” Danny says instead.

“There are,” Superman agreed. “Now, as you aren’t a Justice League member and are in no way under any sort of investigation, this is going to be a bit informal. We’re just trying to make sure our report on recent events are as clear as possible.”

Danny huffs out a breath of air. His gaze darts over to Wally before dropping. “It’s a big more than that, isn’t it?”

“Kid?” Barry asks gently.

“You all want to know what I am, which is fair. If I could have, I would have told you.” Danny looks back at Wally again and gives a half hearted smile. “Sorry I couldn’t.”

“Why couldn’t you?” Batman asks, though the rumble of words isn’t unkind.

A sour smile twists Danny’s lips. “Curses are like that. Aren't they, Laughing Magician?” Danny hears Constantine and sucks in a breath and steels himself to look up at him. “How much do you know about her? About Desiree?”

Constantine shakes his head. “Not much. It’s not wise to go digging into the affairs of a member of the Infinite Realms, even an ended one.”

“Speak normal for the rest of us,” Hal says. “A who of what?”

“Infinite realms. That means a sodding ghost,” Constantine snaps.

Barry scoffs. “Ghost’s aren’t real.”

“Boo,” Danny replies. His smile is slightly too wide.

“Not funny, Danny.”

Danny shrugs. “Not trying to be. I’m half ghost.”

“How is someone half ghost?” Hal asks.

“I’m like Schrödinger’s Cat,” Danny explains. He can’t help for for his gaze to flick over to where the Titans are sitting and find Wally’s eyes. “I’m still in the box, basically. I’m half alive and half dead. Both and neither. A balance.”

“A myth.” Constantine leans forward. He taps the butt of his unlit cigarette against the table. “Or so we always thought. You telling me that you’re a halfa?”

The question pulls Danny’s focus back to the main table of heroes. “Yep. One of three. Me, my godfather, and my clone.”

Superman clears his throat. “Ah, your clone?”

Danny just gives another shrug. “Shit gets weird when you’re a teenage vigilante.”

“Danny,” Batman says, and Danny can’t help but smile again because the man is clearly one step away from pinching the bridge of his nose like he does as Bruce when one of his children is driving him mad. “Start from the beginning. State your name for the record.”

“Danny Jasper Fenton.”

---

AN: Vote was in favor of splitting it up. I've got a chunk of the next part written, so hopefully I can get it finished up next week! Sorry if there are lots of issues, words and me are struggling atm.

Poor Danny is really struggling with things as his world has once again changed. And what will everyone think of him now...?

I no longer tag, instead you can subscribe to the masterpost.

#dp x dc #abson #quick death ship #quick death #danny/wally

774 notes · View notes

daengtokki · 1 month ago

Text

part five // serial killer!Kim Seungmin/afab reader

WC: 11k

RATING: mature/explicit/mdni—contains: angst, sex, murder, medication usage, hallucinations, sa mention

SYNOPSIS: Seungmin floats through life alone, haunted by his memories—keeping himself under control, and quieting his mind the only way he knows how…killing and watching the life leave his victims eyes. When you cross his path on a morning hunt, something new (something forgotten) starts to move inside of him, leading both of you on a path to confront the unspeakable past.

˗ˋˏ♡ I wasn't sure how many parts I would need to get to the end, but this isn’t it, ha—we’re not done yet! Thank you for sticking with me!

Please support and reblog if you enjoy! Reblogs help your favorite writers on Tumblr! ˎˊ˗

[ ML — DEITY MASTERLIST ]

—taglist: @kkamismom12 / @r0tt1n / @heluvschibi / @feckinbecky / @missystay / @seungluvr / @babrieeee / @curiouscocoabean / @feelikecinderella / @carpioassists / @soulsbbg

Where do you go from here?

You can’t tell yet, because Seungmin hasn’t spoken more than ten words to you in the last three days. The feeling deep down in your gut was right, but despite your heartache, your sleepless nights, and your lonely days…this still feels normal. He heard the words, panicked(?), put a new wall up, and now you’re left with this painful, awkward silence.

But it’s not fair. He started this.

He said it first, and you don’t think he would say those words lightly—it didn’t take all these weeks to figure that out. You knew the night he came looking for you and finally managed to tell you he didn’t want you to leave. It took a lot out of him. Taking you in and caring for you has taken a lot out of him, even though it does seem to be the other way around most of the time. That came naturally, though. Being responsible for the people around you is your normal; taking the blame when things go wrong, or don’t work out…that’s all yours. Damage control is your specialty, but you haven’t done a great job of it lately.

Seungmin looks at you from his spot in the living room. He’s sitting up, but hugging his pillow and resting his head on the arm of the couch. This has been his typical afternoon for the last few days after taking his medicine, and you’re worried he’s adjusting poorly…hallucinating, and just not telling you.

“Did you eat last night?”

He closes his eyes.

“I’ll take that as a no. So, nothing since yesterday morning.”

Maybe if you go over there and beg him to say something; get down on your knees and plead, you’ll get a word. You want to tell him about your nightmare last night. If you were thrashing around and talking in your sleep, he didn’t hear you—he didn’t wake you and comfort you. You woke on your own, gasping for breath and clenching the sheets, and Seungmin’s eyes were shut tight. Trying to get any sleep after that was useless, so you gathered your pillow, a blanket, and Daengmo (he was looking at you, at least) and left him there.

Daengmo is still here on the opposite end of the couch, like a strange mirrored image of his owner.

“I can try to make you something”

Nothing.

“Or I can order it. I haven’t exactly mastered Korean cooking yet.” But not for lack of trying. You’ve consumed nothing but news, dramas, and cooking shows lately to help with learning the language. And to make sure you don’t hear anything else about Seungmin’s last kill. So far it’s been quiet, but it’s only been three days.

“I’ll just go grab something.” You throw your sweatshirt on and head for the door, “you can eat it if you want…” tighten your shoelaces, grab your keys. A mumble comes from him as you reach for the doorknob, and you almost ignore it. “Did you say something?”

“I said I’ll come with you”

It takes him a few more moments to sit himself up, but once he gets that far, he seems to wake up. You wait patiently by the door as he changes, and he makes a point to duck into the bathroom and fix his hair. Another thing you did in complete silence; dyed his hair, and you noticed him staring at the trashcan where the he threw the negative test. Seungmin comes back out looking almost exactly like he did the day you met him; the black and white windbreaker, the calm, somewhat confident look in his eyes. You’re not sure where that came from. He even grabs the pack of cigarettes on the coffee table on his way to you.

“What are you in the mood for?” You tread lightly, not wanting to disrupt whatever jumped into him so suddenly. It was silly to think you got through his worst, but you hoped for just a moment that the closeness and the consistency would help…and the medicine. You still have a long way to go.

“I like your cooking”

You’re not sure where it came from, but you think you see a smile around his cigarette.

“Thank you for cooking for me. And everything else.”

Seungmin watched, or stared absently at you folding laundry this morning. It was then you wondered if it was on its way back—his itch. It has to return eventually, but you hoped you both had more time. The cocky look on his face makes you think otherwise.

“I like doing it.” For him you don’t mind it, and it’s because he doesn’t expect it of you, or demand it.

“Right here”

He opens the door, and you can feel the heat. The smell should help perk him up if his appetite has returned.

“What are we getting?”

“Galbijjim”

It’s small and crowded inside, so when Seungmin finds you an empty table to sit at, you hesitate. “You don’t wanna take it home?” You’ve already gotten a few looks, and you’re not sure if it’s just directed toward you, or the two of you together. It doesn’t bother you much, but you remember how Seungmin felt on the crowded train. “It’s pretty busy in here.”

“No, I’m fine if you are”

But you do notice his eyes wandering around, taking in each person, letting them linger for far too long.

“How are you feeling, still sleepy?”

“Hm?” He doesn’t look at you.

You try to find exactly what he’s looking at, and you do. It’s obvious. Seungmin is staring at one of the girls waiting for an order. His eyes are pitch black, all pupil, when he finally shakes himself free to look at you.

“I said,” your voice shakes, so you shut up and try to calm the wild heartbeat in your throat. “How are you feeling…with the medicine?”

Still he doesn’t answer, but he’s looking right at you.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna go back home? We’d be more comfortable on the couch…we could watch a movie, maybe.”

“I’m good, the medicine is…” he drops his gaze to his hands, and you follow. Seungmin starts to fidget; pick and scratch at the table, stop himself and wring his hands together. “The medicine is fine.”

The medicine might be doing its job, but fine isn’t the word you would use, and Seungmin is not with you right now. He’s somewhere between his own head and the girl ten feet away…the one that is now staring at him. Now you’re hoping his feeling has returned, because the only alternative would be pure attraction, which she clearly shares. He wouldn’t do that to you after everything, though. Your jealousy is just winning over logic.

“Good. You seem less tired.”

Ignoring it is difficult, but you have to. What else are you supposed to do; confront him, ask if this is his next target, and just wonder why? What is it about her that appeals to him, and in what way…murder? Sex and murder? Just sex? You need to know…that will happen again. You remember him telling you that last time. But you remember everything else, too. There is no denying or hiding your jealousy.

“You’re right, maybe we should take our food home.”

/ / /

The two of you start walking, food in hand, but it takes about ten seconds to realize why he changed his mind about staying—he’s following her. Why is he doing this while you’re with him?

“Seungmin, where are we going?”

“I need you to do me a favor.” His tone is flat, uninterested. He’s not asking you a favor, he’s giving you an order…calmly. “Take the food and go home, and then leave for a while.”

“What? Leave and go where?”

“Anywhere…coffee shop, the university library to study…shopping.”

He’s getting rid of you to seduce her. Kill her, yeah, but first he’ll have sex with her in the bed you’ve been sharing. You have to do what he says, though, because you knew what Seungmin was when you decided to return to him, and you knew he’d return to this, eventually. Getting upset about it now might make him upset, and his medicine, combined with the itch, and then you on top of it all being jealous and difficult...it won’t help. You decide you should be grateful for the last few weeks you’ve had him all to yourself.

“Okay, I’ll go”

“Let me know when you leave the apartment”

“I will, I’ll text you”

“If for some reason it falls through, I’ll pick you up wherever you are”

You doubt it’ll fall through, not with the way she was looking at him. He’ll have another kill under his belt by the time the sun goes down.

Seungmin continues straight, and you take a left on the next block, but you watch him for as long as you can before he disappears. The university library is a good idea, but you’d only sit there and wonder what Seungmin was up to the whole time. You’d go through his possible actions, step by step, thinking of the two of them initiating. Touching, kissing, undressing. Her hands on Seungmin’s hips, pulling at his sweatpants to get to what you now believe is yours. Will it just be a blowjob, like the last time? Will he lay her on the bed and eat her out? That feels too intimate for him, but that’s because he’s so intimate with you when he does it. There is no reason for him to be careful and gentle and attentive to anyone else, especially if they die at the end.

Maybe shopping will keep your mind more occupied.

You unlock the door and look around the deserted apartment. The two of you have barely left before today and since the trip to Uljin, so it makes everything feel even more strange. The bedroom is cold, and you’re glad. Hopefully it stays that way for his guest, and it moves things along quickly.

You look around for yourself in the room…your clothes—you left the shirt you wore last night on the floor, but it’s technically his and isn’t out of place. Your bedside table is mostly bare, save for the end of your phone charger and a single necklace you haven’t worn in weeks. You open the drawer and drop it inside. There isn’t much of you in here, and it took until now for you to notice.

Next, you check his drawer. Everything is neat and exactly where it should be.

Seungmin feels out of practice. He’s gone this long without plenty of times, but he at least had most of the voices pushing him forward during his lull. Everything was silent this time; the spaces in his head were filled with your voice, and filled with thoughts about you if he let it wander long enough. They were filled with sex—good sex, the kind of sex he doesn’t get from his victims, and the butterflies you give him when you look at him as he wakes up every morning. But he can’t think about that right now. He needs to focus. He can’t think about the way you make love to him when he needs it. The way you actually love him.

“Are you following me?” The girl turns and asks, but there’s obvious flirtation in her voice. One hand, the one not holding her bag of food, lands on her hip.

His focus came a few steps late. “Following you? No. What makes you think that?” Seungmin licks his lips and puts on his best charming smirk. “Just headed in the same direction.”

“Where’s the food you got? And the girl…that definitely wasn’t your sister.”

“It doesn’t matter. Are you in a hurry?”

“Well, I do have a bagful of food, but if you let me drop it off to my coworkers…I can slow down for you.”

“I’d like that”

/ / /

He was a little worried you would put up a fight about returning home without him just to leave again, but the apartment is empty when he brings his guest inside.

“This is your apartment? You’re here all alone?” She takes off her coat, and Seungmin grabs it, taking a moment to get closer. He catches her eye, and then the scent of something sickeningly sweet…too much perfume. “No girlfriend?”

“Just us”

“Good, let’s get you out of jacket so I can get a good look at you”

Seungmin obliges and pulls at the zipper, and he’s thankful when he finally feels the blood moving to his dick. As soon as it’s over his head, her hands are on him, sliding across his stomach as his tshirt is pulled up, and he has to shut his eyes as she pulls him closer.

“Where should we take this?”

The touch is overwhelming. It’s like static as her hands slide up his bare chest. It’s off of him, and they close around his neck as she leans in—tall enough to get to him without Seungmin accommodating, and she puts her mouth on his. More static, and the taste of something sour.

“No,” he pushes her back, “don’t kiss me.”

“Damn…sorry”

“Everything else is fine”

“Are you sure?”

He wipes his lips, “yes,” and runs a hand down his dick, because he can feel himself losing momentum. “Take your clothes off.”

“You’re not gonna take em off for me?” She takes a step closer and touches his chest, his stomach, and her hand slides under his waistband. “You wanted this. Don’t you wanna touch me? Oh…”

“Yeah,” Seungmin grabs her arm, but she keeps her hand closed around him.

“Nervous?”

No, he doesn’t get nervous. Whatever he’s feeling is something else. Something he hasn’t dealt with before, at least not to this extent. He’s distracted, just like the day he met you and tried to make up for it with a quick kill—when you sent him that text thanking him for his kindness. “Take your clothes off.” He closes his eyes, moans it as her hand moves up and down his length, over and over, and he feels his dick growing again.

“I will,” she pulls Seungmin closer. “I want this. You gonna give it to me?”

Eyes still closed, he lets himself enjoy the slow, firm movements of her hand. “Yeah, I’m gonna…”

“Where’s the bedroom?”

“The bedroom?”

“Take me to your bed and fuck me. Isn’t that why I’m here?”

His legs shake as she frees him, and then she’s gone…looking for the bedroom herself, maybe. The first door she tries isn’t it—she flicks the bathroom light off and on a few times before slamming the door shut. Seungmin follows as she heads for the right one.

“Wow, this is cozy”

It is, Seungmin thinks, because you made it that way. The lamp on his side of the bed is clicked on, and the one on his dresser is as well. The lights around the bookcase are casting a warm glow on everything; the books and records, the music box, the flowers. The pillows are fluffed up and arranged in a way Seungmin never did it—a little chaotic, but still neat. And the bedspread is pulled down and out of the way. It wasn’t like that before the two of you left this morning.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he says, and he’s relieved when she finally starts stripping off her clothes. But then she heads toward the far side of the bed. “Over here.”

“Other side? Picky…” her pants drop to the floor and she sits, not so patiently waiting for him to come closer.

Time to stop fucking around and get things moving. He doesn’t want to leave you waiting somewhere longer than he has to—Seungmin didn’t want to do it at all, but there was no other choice. “I am picky. Take those off.” He heads to his drawer, and from the corner of his eye he sees her move up the bed and toss her panties to the floor. Right next to your tshirt. He bends to pick it and sets in neatly on the table as he slides it open.

“Where…what the hell?” He mumbles.

“What’s wrong? Please don’t tell me you’re out of condoms.”

There’s one left, and he quickly closes the drawer after grabbing it and the lube. “No, I’m not.”

“Good, get over here and let me look at you.” By you, she means his dick, still trapped in his sweatpants.

He slides them down his hips, just enough to pull himself out and stroke to get back to one hundred percent. No matter where he lets his mind wander, he can’t keep himself hard, and it’s beginning to piss him off. If he can’t use his anger right here, right now, then what’s the point? Maybe he can’t do this right anymore, either. Instead of letting his mind wander, he tries to shut it down to nothing; darkness, black…no, the white noise of an old television set. The fuzzy hum fills his ears as he goes for her, crawls on the bed, and pulls her thighs apart.

“That’s much better,” she says in her best seductive voice.

Shut up, he screams in his head. The relief of pushing his dick in makes him lose control immediately. He slides in without a single tease, and without much effort. Her cries of surprise and pleasure wipe out the static and he hears nothing but her. He hates it. He slams in harder, getting himself close as quickly as he can manage, but he can’t seem to get anything in return.

His hand works his way up, resting on her stomach as he fucks her, then to her chest where he can feel the shake of her screams and moans. Finally, it lands on her neck and it wraps around it with no protest from her. He squeezes, but not enough to scare her, because he hasn’t decided yet how long he wants to work to reach his orgasm…but there’s nothing. He forces a moan when their eyes connect, but it’s all he can force himself to do.

Tighter. Still, she reaches out only to touch him; his stomach, his hips as they roll back and forth. His arms. One hand grips his wrist, and the other holds onto the forearm flexing as his fingers squeeze even more.

“Okay…let go,” she croaks and smacks his arm.

Seungmin doesn’t let go, but his mind goes to tv static again.

“Let go!” She pushes her nails in, and it stings, but still he continues…and then something hits hard against his hip, and it burns and almost knocks him backward. Her kick somehow lands perfectly.

Fuck, his mind turns back on. He sees her scrambling to her feet and off the bed as he drops to all fours. “Fuck…”

Just as he turns and gets to his feet, she reaches for the doorknob and the door swings open. Again, he forgot to lock it. If he didn’t lock the front door…he’s close behind, but not close enough. Her hand is on the knob, it turns freely—and then you’re there.

You stand blank-faced at the threshold, and the girl stops in her tracks when she realizes she’s trapped. But Seungmin feels his heart drop at the thought of you being in the line of fire.

“What the fuck, both of you?”

She takes a few steps back. Seungmin can’t figure out why, because you’re smaller, and probably not much of a challenge to get through. It’s then that he sees the glint of his missing knife, gripped tightly in your fist.

“Okay,” Seungmin says softly. Now what? This is not where he expected the day to go, and his mind is racing as he tries to picture where it’s going to end. The girl is frozen, terrified at which way to turn; Seungmin’s hands, or your knife; his knife, his hilt digging into your soft, innocent fingers. He steps to the right and finds your eyes, but you don’t look at him. And he can’t tell you to drop it, because if you do, she’ll run, and she might make it out if this building with a story.

“Please,” the girl begs.

Seungmin wonders if she’s thinking of taking her chances and pushing through.

“No.” Your voice is so soft, but he hears it.

“Nae salang…” do you even know what that means? Seungmin isn’t sure, but he saw your notebook full of Hangul practice; his name written over and over, pages full of 김승민, 안녕하세요, 사랑해요, your name, his name and your name together like a lovesick teenager. He didn’t know how to feel when he saw it because it seemed so private, but you weren’t hiding it from him. Thinking back to it now gives him that familiar feeling in his stomach.

You look at him for just a moment before your eyes move back to the girl, and you take a step over the threshold. She moves back, too, and Seungmin takes a cautious step to the side.

“Please don’t.” Now Seungmin begs—he begs you not to do what he sees happening in your eyes. “Close the door, and give me the knife.”

You shake your head, and Seungmin sees the tears brimming in your eyes.

“Please don’t unlock that part of you…it’s too much. It only feels good for a moment.”

“Minnie…”

“Yes, love?” He watches your knuckles stretch and your forearm flex. His heart pounds, but his stomach swirls and his cock fills with blood again no matter how hard he tries to calm himself. The sight of you standing there wielding his knife—it’s the same feeling he gets when it’s in his hands.

“It's too late for that”

His body shakes. His mind goes back and forth between the static and his clear view of you, the tears running freely down your cheeks. Have you really been here before? Is that why you came back to him?

Seungmin sees you move, and he hears the familiar sound of knife against flesh. The blade disappears into the girls chest, right between her ribs, and she falls to her knees as she gasps for air. You finally let go and take a step back to watch the aftermath of what you’ve done.

The gasps slow down and quiet as she lets herself collapse to the floor. Blood trickles onto the hardwood, but not much…you left the blade in place, and that’s slowing things down. Seungmin watches you watching the body, and he’s getting dizzy from his pulsing erection.

“Seungmin?”

He almost falls to his knees when you look at him, but he forces himself to move—one step, another step around the almost lifeless body. He slams the door shut and grabs your throat, guides your blank stare upward. Your eyes soften when they meet his.

“What have you done?” He whispers and kisses the corner of your lips. “Hm?”

“I’m sorry”

“No.” He kisses you fully, and brings you close enough to feel every aching inch. The grip on your neck tightens, he can’t help it. “Have you been here the whole time?”

“Yes”

“You heard everything?”

“Yes, but I couldn’t take hearing you in the bedroom…so I went out in the hallway…”

Seungmin is patient as you begin to sob quietly, and he frees you to hide against his chest. He has to be grateful that you didn’t leave, and that you were exactly where he needed you right outside the front door. “Why did you have my knife?” With his knife in hand, no less. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been much of a challenge. Right? Maybe he’s underestimating you. “Were you planning something else?”

You take a deep, shakey breath and he pulls you away from him. “I’m not sure."

“You wanted to kill her…even if she hadn’t almost escaped, you still would have done it.”

“I would have tried ”

“You succeeded,” he looks at the now lifeless body at their feet, and his hand finds your neck again. “And you have a lot of explaining to do,” Seungmin kisses again, working his tongue to the back of your throat as his free hand starts undressing you, “but not right now.”

You both nearly trip on your way to the bedroom, first coming through the door, and then again on the discarded jeans of your victim. The yelp down Seungmin’s throat doesn’t deter him from his kissing, but you pull away and look at what you stepped on.

“We’ll take care of it afterward…I will.” Seungmin is not worried about the disposal right now, even as blood slowly drips onto the living room floor, and text after text pops up on the dead girls phone. “I need you, now.”

You’re flat on your back, eyes on the ceiling, and Seungmin’s hands work quickly. His mouth works slowly, and his tongue moves just how he knows you like it. He takes his time with you, slowing down even more when your hands reach for him, and your fingers comb through his hair and pull. Seungmin takes your hand and gives you what you were stupidly afraid the dead girl would get—his hunger, and his overwhelming need for you. Seungmin doesn’t let go until you come, and you wait for more, because he always wants more, but this time he works his way up until he can kiss you on the lips.

“So,” he mumbles against your cheek, leaving little kisses as he goes. It’s not something you’re used to getting from him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Minnie”

“You can tell me”

“Tell you…”

“Anything you think I should know.” One more kiss and he’s up, heading for the door. “You can’t just be okay after this.”

Maybe he’s right. No, he is right, but you still don’t know how to start, or where to start. What you do know is that this is now partially your responsibility—the clean up, and getting rid of the evidence. Seungmin said he would do it, but he probably wouldn’t have made this much of a mess if you had listened to him. You snatch up her clothes, the panties and the jeans, and her phone slips from the back pocket and onto the floor. The phone…how does Seungmin get rid of the phones, and does he not worry about them getting tracked? He hasn’t been caught, so he must be doing something about it.

There’s a long string of notifications on the screen, mostly text messages, and all from the same person.

“Seungmin?”

He’s busy laying out a piece of thick plastic drop cloth, but he smiles sweetly when he looks up at you. “Yeah?”

“What do you do about the phones?”

He reaches for it, and as soon as his eyes scan over the messages, his face changes for just a moment. He scrolls through, and to his surprise, there’s no passcode. A few moments later… “I need another favor, a very big favor.”

“Yeah?”

“Pack a bag, bring whatever you might need…but not much. Start one for me, too.”

At first, you just nod. His voice is so calm, and nothing about his body language suggests you should be questioning his request. “Yeah, okay…”

Seungmin didn’t say to hurry, but you do anyway. And take what you might need? It depends on where you’re headed…his medicine, clothes, obviously. Oh, the clothes. You take the girls clothes to Seungmin, because the gears are starting to turn in your brain, finally. After that massive surge of adrenaline, and then coming down from your orgasm, your mind is in a strange, untrustworthy place…but you’re getting there. Every piece of damning evidence needs to be collected and destroyed, now, and there may not be that much time. What was it he read on the phone notifications?

You start packing faster, and start another bag for him. Eventually, you stop and scan the room, knowing you’re forgetting something.

“Oh, we need you…” you head for the bookshelf and scoop up the music box, opening it and swiping a few loose petals before you wrap it and shove it in your own bag. His drawer—it can’t stay, but is he bringing it along? You don’t bother him with the question, you just find a small box to throw everything in and add it to the growing pile.

Does Seungmin have anything else in the room? As far as you know, the drawer is where everything goes, but the minute you stop and think, you start to hear your heart pounding in your chest and throat and ears. It’s so loud. But you feel calm, despite it, because Seungmin is calm. You grab more clothes from the closet, and scan every corner while you’re in there. If Seungmin wasn’t so organized, you wouldn’t even bother, but the neat stack of shoe boxes catches your attention. There really isn’t time for this, but a quick peak won’t hurt.

The one on the very top has something scribbled out, but underneath in black marker there’s more writing: 00-03. Inside are photographs, not organized in anyway aside from the years written on the box. The first one you pick out and look at is baby Seungmin in the arms of his mother, and on the back is Hangul you can’t read except for his name. You wonder if his father took the photo. The next one is him again, a little older, sitting in a man’s lap—his father, you can only assume. You leave them out and open the next box: 06-08. This one is much lighter. Inside is, again, Seungmin and mom. You add that to the others. The next one is a family portrait; Seungmin, his mother, and his stepfather. Nobody looks very happy. You decide to try one more, and you finally find one of just him…a close-up of his young face, seven years old according to the year written on the back. Same chubby cheeks, same big brown eyes, same sideways smirk. You keep that one, too, and put everything else back in its place.

The shuffle and drag of something against the living room floor makes you move faster. Seungmin is probably working as quickly as he can, so you need to be ready when he is. The last stop is the bathroom, and you watch him work for a moment as you walk by; he’s zipping up a suitcase identical to the one from before, and he glances at you before you look away.

“Are we ready?” He looks at the bag you packed for him, and only adds a few more things.

“I think so. Where are we going?”

“We’ll figure that out after we get rid of the body”

Seungmin is quiet and focused as he drives, and right now, you’re not headed in the direction you expected; east, toward Uljin. You’ve been driving north for half an hour, and you still haven’t spoken up and asked him exactly what happened, or if he figured out a destination.

He looks at you, though, because eventually, he feels you watching.

“Hey,” you say as softly as possible. You’re turned toward him, knees hugged to your chest, “Minnie?”

“You should put your seatbelt on…you’re making me nervous.” His hand reaches out, and his fingers slide from your ankle all the way to your toes.

“That’s what making you nervous?”

There’s nothing nervous about him, actually. Seungmin bit down on his lip once since you’ve been watching, sighed twice, and mumbled to himself twice, at least that you caught. Very normal for him. If he is, he’s keeping it together for your sake, and you hate that.

“Yeah, a little.” He smiles at you and licks his lips. “We’re almost there.”

“And then you’ll tell me what’s going on?”

“Yes. And you’ll tell me…whatever I need to know, I hope.”

The seatbelt clicks, “I will, I promise.”

“Did you bring my music box?” It just hit him. He grabbed a few things, and he even checked his drawer. You assumed he saw the empty spot on the bookshelf, but he may have forgotten. Just as you suspected, he looks calm, but he isn’t. His mind is moving much faster than he’s letting on.

“Yeah, it’s in my bag”

“Thank you”

“We’re not going back, are we?”

Seungmin doesn’t answer right away, because he comes to an intersection and turns, and then turns again into an almost empty parking lot. “I’m not sure.”

“The Jasmine…we’re staying here tonight?” It's nothing special, and it's not very big, but the vacancy sign is lit up in the office window. Seungmin got here without directions, so he must be familiar with it.

He looks at the building, sees the sign already glowing in the early twilight, and then his face falls. “I forgot your flowers.”

“My flowers? The forget-me-nots? That’s alright.”

“No, I got you something else, and I was waiting until I felt better to give it to you”

“What was it, what kind of flowers?”

“Moonflowers. I’ll find you more somewhere. Let’s get inside.”

/ / /

Thirty-five miles away from home isn’t very far, but the small town you ended up in feels safe enough for the night. The man that checked you in hardly looked up from his book as Seungmin counted out enough money for two nights, just in case.

He withdrew a significant amount of cash before leaving Seoul, and brought even more that he had hidden even further back in his closet. Seeing such a large amount in one place was surreal, and sitting in the passenger seat putting the two separate amounts together for him was even more bizarre. You did your best counting it, writing it down, adding it up…

“Twenty-six million won…how much is that in American money?”

“I’m not sure,” he laughs and watches as you carefully sort the last few paper-clipped bundles. “Around twenty thousand maybe.” Seungmin smiles and laughs so easily, and it doesn’t seem the time for it.

“Definitely more than I’ve ever had at one time...maybe ever“

“Well now you have it, it’s all yours”

The room is small, about the size of Seungmin’s bedroom, but it’s clean and warm, and you don’t really care where you are as long as it’s with him.

“You packed a lot”

“Did I? It didn’t seem like much at the time…sorry”

“It’s alright. Maybe we just have a lot of important things.”

You unzip the biggest bag first and dig around, “that must be it,” pull out Daengmo, and toss him to Seungmin. He was almost left behind, but luckily he caught your eye as you were headed out the door.

“I thought we forgot you”

The way he holds him and looks at him reminds you of the little boy in the photograph—happy for the moment, comforted by his friend, and maybe a few good memories…but he can never quite hide the sadness in his eyes.

“Minnie?”

His mouth squishes to the side, and he looks even more like his seven year old self. Even the haircut matches. “Yeah?” The words get stuck in your throat when he looks from Daengmo to you. “I know, we have a lot to talk about—“

“No. I mean, yeah I know. I just wanted to tell you again, that I love you.”

“Still?” He smirks. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.” If he says it back, you’ll feel better, lighter. You just want to hear it again.

Seungmin doesn’t speak right away. He falls back on the bed, and you can hear him sigh. “I don’t want you to get hurt if something happens. It’s not fair. None of this is your fault.”

What is he talking about? You were the one holding the knife when it pierced the girls heart, not him, and that’s exactly how you wanted things to play out. He picked her, yeah, and he fully intended to do what you did, but something happened, and you got your chance.

He sits up again. “I’ve never had to protect anyone but myself.”

“I know I’m safe with you, Minnie”

You watch as he hears the words, takes them in, understands them. Maybe it’s like saying I love you to him again…maybe better.

He joins you on the floor and crawls closer, “I hope so.”

“I am”

He sets his lips against your shoulder, “I love you, too.” It’s just a mumble—barely enough to make out, but you hear it.

Seungmin waits a few moments, feels your lips on the top of his head. He knows it’s time to explain the situation to you, and then you have to explain yourself to him.

“You should eat before we talk”

The forgotten galbijjim is replaced, and Seungmin smiles sweetly as he watches you take your first spoonful of rice. “This looks better than the place we bought from earlier." It gives you butterflies, his still hesitant smile. "Are we sharing? Did you just get one bowl?"

"I'm not hungry"

You stare at him and wait for more of an explanation, but he just sits silently. Not having an appetite makes sense, and you can't really blame him. You shouldn't have much of one either, but you do, and you plan on feeding it.

"You haven't eaten in a while, Minnie. I'd feel better if you had some."

He just shakes his head and changes the subject. “The phone. The notifications. They read like a friend checking in on her, and then worrying when there was no reply, which is bad enough, because I usually manage to get rid of the phone before we get anywhere near the apartment. Not every time, though, and if I do and they notice it’s missing, they freak out and leave to look for it.”

He pauses and seems to gather more of his thoughts, and maybe give you a chance to say something.

“So you forgot to take her phone?”

Seungmin nods and takes a drink of his coffee. “I fucked up the whole thing before I even got started. My head was not in the right place to do this, but I thought it was what I needed. I was stupid and selfish."

The two of you stare at each other, and it feels like he’s trying to tell you more without opening his mouth—something he doesn’t want to say out loud, but his acknowledgment that it was a mistake from the start is a relief. He seems to be out of that fog that had him gripped so tight for days.

“She was sharing her location the whole time…to the same friend who was texting her. So the phone is gone and burned up with everything else, but the damage was done as soon as I let her in.”

“Seungmin, this is bad”

He sets his mug down, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…I may have ruined everything. The girl will be reported missing, and the friend will have some information about the guy who took her back to his apartment. I’m sure they’ll find some evidence I left behind, and if we’re lucky—”

“Minnie…”

“If we’re lucky, we’ll have a little more time together before my face is all over the news.”

“And if that doesn’t happen? If they don’t find evidence, or a body…or find you, if they even manage to come to that conclusion? The location she was sharing won’t be the apartment, it will be the building…and it’s a big building.”

“I like how practical you are, even now…yes, there are sixty-two occupied apartments in the building.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

Seungmin laughs and picks up his coffee again. “I own the building. I guess I never mentioned that.”

You’re surprised he still has any sense of humor, considering how worried he revealed himself to be. “No, you didn’t. That explains a few things, and might complicate them, too.”

“I know. They’ll look for me because I have everyone’s information, and I won’t be there, which might be suspicious.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Going out of town isn’t evidence for murder. I tried to clear out anything that would be suspicious—the drawer, the ten boxes of hair dye. You may have had other things I wasn’t aware of, though.”

“No, the drawer was the worst of it…that was everything”

The memory of finding your ear cuff in his drawer pops into your head. You probably threw it in the box with everything else without realizing. “You don’t keep trophies?”

“No, I don’t. If anything gets left behind,” he thinks back to the silver hoop earring dropped on the floor, “it’s because I messed up. I have no desire to remember them after they served their purpose—what?”

You’re grinning at him, and you don’t even realize it. Seungmin charms you, if you can call it charm, with little effort, and without even realizing it. “I like your brain. And learning more about you every day.

“You like my damaged brain?”

“I love your damaged brain”

“That’s a first”

“I'm sure another one of your victims was hoping for a second date before the first one ended abruptly"

"Like you?"

"Yeah, exactly like me"

Seungmin has to think. How many people does he have to think backward through; two dozen? More?"

“I have taken people out on real dates before…before taking them back. Sometimes it seemed like they were genuinely interested in me, but I never got the impression that those feelings stuck around.”

“Why not?”

“Mm, there was a girl I brought back to the apartment a few years ago. She was nice, even though I assumed the whole time we were both working toward one thing. But she seemed kind, and when we got to the apartment, she told me how badly she wanted to meet someone and develop something real, and that she was tired of being alone. Tired of dating apps and first dates, that's exactly what she said, and I don't know why I still remember that."

“So what happened?”

He returns to his silence, but you know there’s more to his story. The memory is returning to him slowly. “We got to the bedroom, and everything seemed to be going well, but then she saw Daengmo,” he turns and looks at him sitting on the bed, “and she laughed…asked me why I had that on my bed.” He sighs deeply, “she made me feel stupid.”

You remember the first time Seungmin took you to his room, and how out of place his little dog looked. The mood of almost everything in his apartment is grown-up and dark, except for a few things—Daengmo being one of them. But asking him about it was the furthest thing from your mind, especially the second time you ended up in his room.

“We didn’t get any further than that”

“You let her go?”

Seungmin shakes his head, “I’ve never let anyone go,” then smiles at you. “Did I seem weird? My apartment, and me…you left in such a hurry the first time. You must have thought something was off. Or thought I was off.”

Sort of, you think to yourself.

“Oh, you did call me weird. I remember now.”

Should you tell him what went through your mind on your first visit? “No, not you…your patience with me is what was weird.” Something tells you he can handle it, at least if it’s coming from you. “The expensive apartment was a little odd, only because I could tell you were young. But yeah, I did always assume something was off about you—the way you looked at me and touched me when we sat on the couch, I wondered if I was over-looking something. I wanted you—I wanted your attention, and your touch. That’s why I ran.”

“Because I was giving you attention?”

You nod.

“You seem to think so little of yourself…why?”

It’s hard to put into words, and it’s so much to dive into. Seungmin is going to want to know more—he’ll have questions, certainly more tonight than he had this morning. But you believe he’ll understand what you have to say more than anyone else you’ve ever spoken to, and that’s a comfort you’ve never imagined. “I was tolerated by everyone my entire life.”

“Tolerated?” He rolls the word around in his mouth and his head. His English is almost perfect, but some words are just not in his vocabulary.

“I was cared for, but nobody really cared about me.” You speak as simply as possible, but you’re sure he’ll understand. “I was fed, sent to school, had somewhere to sleep, but there was nothing else. No bedtime stories, and no help with my homework. No advice or comfort when I came home with a black eye from a playground fight.”

“Nobody loved you?"

“They may have, sometimes. It could be that I’m just forgetting…but when I think I remember something, it was because my sister was there with me.”

“She took it all?”

Spilling everything to him is easy. Every time you think you should stop for fear of scaring him off, you catch him looking at you with a warmth he probably doesn’t realize he has in him. “It wasn’t her fault. It was given to her. If they gave it to me, I would have taken it all, too.” And you remember exactly who he is, and how far away you are from scaring him.

“I’m worried I won’t always have enough in me”

"Enough?"

“Love. I’ll give you all I have, I promise.”

/ / /

Seungmin watches as you slowly dig through your bag. He’s grateful for how much you actually managed to pack so quickly and so well, because he already misses being home. You pull out one of his old t-shirts and hold it to your chest, and then find another small bag holding the contents of your important nighttime ritual.

“Shower? That will help you feel better.” He feels your kiss hit the top of his head, and a wave of pleasure travels all the way through him.

“Much better if you join me”

“I’ll grab my stuff…I’ll be in”

Now it’s his turn to dig around his bag, except he has no idea what you packed and where you put it. He pulls out his pill bottles and sets them somewhere he won’t forget them. Whether he’s adjusting to them or not is still a mystery, but if today is any indication…probably not. He’s been in a fog most of his time awake since restarting them. He's been seeing things far more frequently, and his dreams are still as intense as they've ever been.

The bathroom door is cracked and Seungmin can see the steam already starting to swirl out. You aren’t in the shower yet, though. You’re partially undressed, crouched down, back against the wall across from the sink.

“What’s wrong?” Seungmin’s drops to your level and his hands cup your face, but he doesn’t move you. He watches your eyes squeeze shut and then relax, over and over until he says your name. And they finally open. “What happened?”

“Just dizzy. I’m okay now, I think.”

“Do you feel sick?”

“I get vertigo when I’m anxious, and sick in the stomach from both. It’ll go away.”

He turns the hot water down, and you’re already attempting to stand before he can get to you again. “Please let me help you—hold onto me.”

“You gonna hold me in the shower, too?” You smile and squeeze your arms around him, but the dizzy feeling has mostly passed.

“Yes, if you need me to. I’m sorry you don’t feel well. I’m going to fix this, and I’ll get us back home."

somewhere in the middle of the forest, pine trees on every side, and up…he can hardly see the sky through the mist and crowded treetops. he doesn’t know where he is, this scene is new. if it wasn’t so unsettling, it’d be beautiful. but seungmin doesn’t get scared so easily…no, He’s not around this time to scare him. but someone is getting closer. footsteps crunch across the thick, cold forest floor. someTHING, maybe. the steps are off and far too light to be a person.

a black cloud bounces in the corner of his eye. and then again on the opposite side

crunch crunch

but it’s so loud. snowflakes start dancing in front of him. no, not snowflakes…what is this? the dead remnants of a distant fire.

scratch scratch

fingers…claws, digging into the bark

His eyes open, slowly and calmly. No pounding heart; no tears; no sweat rolling from his neck and forehead. It’s quiet for a moment and the only thing he hears is the tick of the old alarm clock. Seungmin wonders how you fell asleep with that sound in your ears.

scratch scratch

The door moves ever so slightly. The loose doorknob shakes. Two scratches, and then three. Over and over. He thinks he hears a whimper. Maybe he’s still asleep. Seungmin reaches back and squeezes your hip. He’s relieved to feel you shift and turn and wrap around him.

“I thought you were asleep,” you whisper and settle against his curled up body. “Bad dream?”

“Did you hear that?”

You stay quiet for a few seconds and listen. “No, what—“

scratch scratch

“That”

“I don’t hear anything”

Seungmin sits up, and your hands fall away from him. “You don’t hear it?” But he’s going for the door before you can answer him. “That scratching?”

Again, you listen and hold your breath, but nothing happens—no sounds, no scratching anywhere in the room. Seungmin is hearing something that isn’t there. You watch as he listens carefully, inches from the door, hand flat against it. The muscles in his neck and back tense as he goes for the lock, and then the knob, and he turns it so slowly.

There's nothing, but your heart still pounds like crazy because Seungmin is so sure something will be on the other side. He stops and releases it, turns to look at you, and he seems confused; tired, sad, and very confused.

“I think it’s gone, whatever it was”

Before you can respond, his hand grabs the knob and swings the door open. And nothing is there. Seungmin is standing alone in the empty doorway, and he steps out into the dark until you can’t see him.

“Minnie?” You really don’t want to get up and go after him, but you will. “Seungmin, please come back to bed.” Just as you throw the blankets off, you hear the creak of his footsteps in the hallway, and it’s hard to tell if they’re getting closer, or further away. He doesn’t reappear, though.

“Seungmin?” It’s so dark. It’s impossibly dark, even though it’s nearly dawn, and you don’t even feel his presence out here. Where could he have gone? He wouldn’t leave you by yourself with the door wide open and unlocked. “Please, Min—” the floor creaks again, as if someone is putting their weight down gently. Now you feel him there, and the outline of him slowly comes into view. “Hey, you’re scaring me…say something.”

He reaches out and grabs you, or someone does. It looks like his hand, but everything feels wrong. It squeezes your wrist and pulls you, and you’re face to face with something else—something that isn’t quite Seungmin. This isn’t who you just woke up next to. Two angry eyes stare you down, and lips pull back from its teeth before you manage to pull your arm free, but you lose your balance and fall backwards.

“I’m here, open your eyes...look at me…that’s better”

Everything is a blur, but you keep your eyes open and blink until he’s finally there. It’s really him…

“Hey, good morning”

It’s his brown eyes, big and full of worry, his pretty smile, and his messy morning hair. That horrible face won’t go away, though. It’s burned into your mind.

“Morning?”

Seungmin nods and comes down to kiss your forehead. “Yeah, we made it through the night. Bad dream?”

“Yeah. Strange one. Did you wake me up last night?”

He tucks you back under the blankets and curls up next to you, “no, I slept through the night for a change. I had a dream, but it wasn’t my usual one.”

“So you didn’t hear anything last night?" It's the second thing you remember after that face; Seungmin, if he were truly a monster. "Scratching?” You’re floating, suddenly…the room warms, or you do. Yeah, it’s you. A cold sweat starts as you force yourself up, and now your stomach spins. “I have to—”

“What? You have to what?” His hand touches your cheek. “You’re cold.”

Both feet touch the ground, but your legs won’t hold you up. He makes it to you quickly, and his arms wrap around you as you sit there doubled over in pain. All Seungmin can do is wait and listen to you quietly cry—there aren’t many people in the hotel, but it’s not empty. You can’t risk the attention.

"What can I do?"

"It's okay...it'll pass"

"I can get you to a hospital. Last night, and now your stomach."

“We can’t go to hospital, we don’t even know if they’re looking for you”

Seungmin knows you’re right, but he’s avoided checking any sort of news because he doesn’t want his world to truly come crashing down on him yet. “Can you look at me? At least let me get you back into bed.”

You sit up slowly, and he’s right there steadying you, hands on your shoulders. He doesn’t want to tell you how worried he really is. Seungmin thinks he’s done a great job so far of keeping himself and you calm, but he knows this isn’t going to go away so easily. “Where does it hurt?"

Everywhere, you think. You take his hand and spread it out right above your belly button. And then you slide it down below it. He pushes a little and the whimper catches in your throat.

“Let me know if it gets worse, or better.” His hand moves to your forehead, cold and covered in sweat. “I think it’s time we checked the news.”

/ / /

There’s not much you can do aside from observe until the pain eases up, and it doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere. It gives you time to dwell on the dream, and the dream within the dream. Were you inside of his? “Where are you checking?”

Seungmin finds and turns on his phone for the first time since you left yesterday. “A few local news sites, social media. Looking on Twitter would be easier if I had gotten a name.”

“Is there anyone in your building you trust enough to talk to and ask if anything strange happened?”

Something hits him—some clarity, the sudden realization that his mind has been moving so fast it’s made him overlook the most obvious solution. “The security cameras.”

“You have cameras up?”

“I’m required to have them at every entrance and exit, but I turn them off as needed. That’s the only thing I didn’t fuck up yesterday.” He’s back on his phone, typing, and then watching silently. “Did you bring your laptop?”

Now you can clearly see what he sees—the screen is split into four separate camera feeds, and the quality surprisingly good. Seungmin turned the cameras off when he escorted the girl into the building, but he forgot to turn them off again after that. At 50x speed, he watches the main entrance, the side and back exit, and the elevator starting around the time the two of you snuck out the back.

Twenty hours of footage...tenants coming and going, and you assume Seungmin recognizes the faces that are supposed to be in and out. His eyes don’t leave the screen, and you keep quiet and let him watch. Three hours of footage later, he pauses it to rest his eyes.

“Nothing strange yet?”

“No, not that I can tell”

“You should eat something”

He shakes his head. “Maybe last nights food got you sick.”

“I didn’t eat very much”

Seungmin starts the footage again. Another three hours of almost nothing. “This doesn’t make sense. Did her friend not report her missing?”

“Maybe the police didn't believe her. At least not six hours after.”

Another three hours. Nothing. “How is the pain?”

You flip onto your back and let his hand wander over your chest and stomach. “A little better.”

“Good”

Three more hours. Seungmin picks up the speed between midnight and sunrise, and then slows it down again—9 am, 10, 11…nothing out of the ordinary. He switches to the live feed, and still nothing.

“So the apartment is safe for now”

“For now. We’re not going back yet, unless you start feeling worse.”

“Are we staying here?”

scratch scratch

Despite the pain, you push yourself up and look at the door. Did you actually hear that? Seungmin doesn’t move, so he obviously didn’t. You definitely heard it, and it sounds just like it did in your dream.

“We can stay another night, or we can find a new place on the way to Uljin”

The live feed still has his attention when you turn and set your feet on the carpet, and this time, your legs hold you up. Pain shoots from your belly button to your chest, and then back down, but you try to breathe through it.

“Where are you going? Get back in bed”

“You didn’t hear that?” You reach the door and open it, and the hallway is empty…just like your dream. “Let’s stay somewhere else.”

Now you head east, and you drive much longer this time. Seungmin’s gaze falls on you every few minutes for the entire first hour, but he stays silent until you get to the new destination. Wherever you are, surrounded by mountains…it’s nice.

“Where are we now?”

“Hongcheon”

“Dal…”

Seungmin looks at you, and waits patiently as you attempt to read the Hangul on the motel sign.

“Oh, double k…g. Dalkkum?”

“Very good...Dalkkum.” He says it properly, and it sounds pretty coming from his mouth.

“Dal means moon, right?”

“I’m not surprised you remember that, yes. Dalkkum means moon dream.”

“That’s nice. We should stay here for a while, I like it.”

He turns the engine off and sighs, but it’s a good sigh; one of relief, and a little bit of satisfaction. The lack of activity at the apartment may have put his mind at ease, but you both know it's still too early to truly relax. “Yeah, we can stay more than one night if you want”

The pain in your stomach is mostly gone, so maybe you can convince Seungmin to go on a walk around town. It’s cold, but the fresh air might be good for both of you. “Can we get kimbap?”

“Yeah, whatever you want”

“Cheesy kimbap?”

“Yes, I will eat if we get cheese kimbap”

/ / /

The sun is warm, and Seungmin doesn’t mind the walk, but he eventually drags you and the food to a nearby bench. He checks the bag, and you can tell he’s taking in the smell. “Are you comfortable here, or should we head back to the motel?”

“We should eat it now, while it’s fresh”

“And can we talk?”

“Talk?”

He clears his throat, fidgets a little. Seungmin actually seems a little nervous now, but he unbags all of the food and separates it before continuing. “Yes…about what happened, and what you said.”

“Oh, right”

Seungmin jumps in before you can change the subject. “You said I already have. What exactly did you mean…that you were ready to do it, or that you’ve done it before?”

This is what you’ve been ruminating on for weeks—from the moment you came back in his bed, and tried to escape. When he let you go, and when you couldn’t stop thinking about him even though he should have been far behind you, and quickly getting further and further away. Seungmin kept catching you in your own thoughts, and in your dreams. You went looking for him, and it worked—he still wanted you just the same as you wanted him. He’s been wondering why, you assume...wondering why you want to be close to him, but he’s stopped pushing the question. That’s good, because you still don’t have an answer.

“It’s hard to talk about. I’ve never spoken about it to anyone, ever, and I never expected to. I had planned on taking this to my grave.”

“I understand. You’ve kind of answered my question, so if it's too difficult, you don’t have to."

“No, I do. This is something I need to say, and it’s something I need to give to you."

“It must be too heavy to carry around all by yourself”

You nod as Seungmin lifts a bite of food up to your mouth, and you can’t help but smile when he does. It seems like his way of putting you at ease. “Yeah, but also…” you let him feed you, and then he takes his own bite. It’s a relief to see him eating, finally, after three days. “It’s something you deserve to know.”

“Who did you kill?”

The question, asked so bluntly, throws you back in time. You stand in your living room, bare feet on the dirty floor, tv on and blaring in the corner. He’s sitting in front of you where he always does every single night, and you know in a few hours, he’ll do the same sick shit he does every Thursday night while your mother is at work.

“My dad”

“Your dad? You killed your father?” He sets his chopsticks down and stares at the food, and you wonder if this was too personal. Seungmin doesn’t know his victims, and you already know he was very close to his mother. His stepfather, no…but killing a parent is personal. Maybe you’re actually worse than he is. “When?” He’s looking at you again, but he’s looking at you the way he always looks at you when he’s not in a fog, or having a bad day—like he wants to kiss you.

“I was fourteen, so…almost twenty years ago”

“Fourteen? You were so young”

“I had to”

“I don’t doubt that…and we don’t have to get into it, unless talking about it will help”

“It is heavy to carry around, and sometimes the guilt catches up to me. But he was a very bad person.”

Seungmin finds your hand and squeezes it between his. “We are strangely similar, despite being a world away from each other our entire lives.”

“You don’t think I’m terrible for killing my father?”

“Are you forgetting who you’re talking to?

“No…but, it seems different. It's worse than killing a stranger.”

His stare goes straight through you, and you're so exposed again. Whatever is going on behind his eyes is locked up, though. You need to know what he's thinking about. “Let’s go back to the room and finish this. You’re getting cold.”

#kim seungmin x reader #skz x reader #kim seungmin fanfic #kim seungmin x you #skz x you #stray kids x reader #kim seungmin au #stray kids au #stray kids angst #kim seungmin angst

130 notes · View notes

miniwheat77 · 10 months ago

Text

Cologne. (Captain Price x Reader.)

!CW! NSFW, Smut, p in v sex, reader pining after Price, brief mentions of masturbation(f), age gap, unprotected sex, (sorry if I missed any.)

(forgive me this isn't edited.)

He drove you crazy. His sweet smile. His huge hands. Cargo pants that squeezed his thighs just right. The fact that he wore cologne even though it wasn’t always allowed in the military, not to mention whatever fucking Cologne it was smelled amazing.

You ended up on the task force by chance. You were only in your 20's, but you tested really well. Laswell and John happened to be on the base you were on because of a medical emergency of one of the extra members on the task force. He was injured badly enough to the point he’d be unable to aid in anymore missions. They were both talking when they came across you sparring with a couple of other soldiers, seeing how quick you were on your feet, deciding to watch you when it came to shooting and stealth too.

For how young you were, you were a good soldier. It was John who made the first move. He found your Commander and asked to recruit you.

He didn’t mind, he knew it would be a great opportunity for you. Since you were a good soldier he knew you would do great. John and Laswell offered you the position and you didn’t hesitate to accept it. The first time John approached you, he introduced himself as Captain Price and shook your hand. His grip made you weak in the knees. His hands were massive and his smile was fucking adorable. It was the ride back with him and Kate that changed everything for you. His toned stomach showed through his shirt as he drove, hands on the steering wheel. He talked through gritted teeth at the mention of the wounded soldier who would be let go from the task force. He cared about his people.

Needless to say it was uncomfortable ride back to the base. You shifted uncomfortably a lot. Heat pooling between your legs. An uncomfortable knot in your lower stomach. This was only the first of many restless days and nights you would experience on base.

When you arrived, everyone welcomed you with open arms. You settled in just fine, you even enjoyed it more than the last base you were on. It did feel a little odd that you were the youngest on base, but you didn’t mind the teasing. Captain Price took you under his wing immediately. Anytime you were down or acting different than usual, he was asking you how you were. If everything was okay, he treated you like you were his daughter and you hated it. You wanted to be closer to him, you wanted to be with him.

The sleepless nights, distracted shifts, the hurt feelings you always had. It was too much.

You were on laundry for a while. You were washing everything. Bedding, clothes. Everything.

Laundry was easy. Load them up, and wait. Your hands glided across a piece of fabric, the familiar deep gray shirt you’d seen him wearing. You swallowed hard, looking around before bringing it up to your nose. His cologne still fresh on it. The scent of it alone sends chills up your spine. You tuck it into a clean sheet and set it there for a moment. You felt dirty for taking his things, but the thought of it alone drives you crazy. Once you finish the laundry, you rush to your room. Once you’re inside, you lock the door behind you.

You can’t help it as you lay back, bringing it up to your nose, fingers dancing across your bare thigh. Moving lower to where you needed it. His scent throws you into another world, eyes rolling back.

When you finish, you have to return to doing laundry, like nothing happened. This becomes a normal thing. Taking his clothes.

The scent of him always pushes you over the edge.

You like to imagine his body weight on you, pinning you down as he ruts his hips into you, deep inside of you. Reaching places untouched by another. The chills that rise on your skin at the thought of it, shivers moving through you. You don’t know how much you can take before you burst. You feel like a freak, a pervert. Constantly worried that he’ll find out what you’re doing and be disgusted by your actions. You don’t want to feel like this, but can’t help it. He invades your thoughts like a plague, an illness. You’re obsessed and it’s sickening how easy he’s trapped your mind.

You’re completely spaced out, staring down at the sheet in your hands. You don’t hear anyone coming. Not until a hand is on your shoulder and you’re jumping. “Woah!” He mumbles. “You alright darling?”

“W-wha- yeah. Yeah I’m good.” You breathe. “I was talking to you but you weren’t replying. Is everything okay?” He asks. “Y-yeah. It’s fine. I was just.. spacing out. Didn’t sleep well.” John can see the small beads of sweat forming at your hairline. Something is stressing you out. “I can finish the laundry if you wanted to get some rest.” He tries to soothe you with a hand on your shoulder. Seeing the way you freeze up when he touches you. “I’m alright. I’m almost done anyways.” You smile nervously. “Okay. If you’re sure. I was just going to ask, have you seen my army green shirt? I thought I put it in the wash the other day but haven’t seen it.” He asks. You need to come up with something, and quick. “Umm. I think I did see it yeah. I might’ve mixed it up with someone else’s, I’ll keep an eye out for it.” You smile. The thought of you burying your face into the fabric, cumming hard around your fingers fills your mind. “Okay. Thank you Y/N.” He smiles. You nod your head with a small smile. When he’s gone, you breathe out a sigh of relief.

You quickly finish the laundry, heading toward your room.

You didn’t know it, but he knew.

You left your door cracked, in a hurry to get to that shirt of his that you loved so much. The cologne was starting to fade away from it and you knew that you needed to wash it and give it back soon. He happened to be passing by, thought he’d check on his new recruit. He sure as hell didn’t expect to see you, fingers knuckle deep in your pussy with his shirt up to your nose.

He figured it was a crush, thought it would go away with time. But every single day around the same time. Your door was closed and locked. He knew what you were doing behind that door. Especially when his clothes would disappear for a couple days before reappearing. He liked the game. He liked to see how nervous you got around him. He didn’t know why out of everyone on base you could’ve liked, you chose him. But he liked it. Some days, he wanted to confess to you that he knew what you were doing. Just to see those red blushing cheeks, that little stutter you do. He had a plan. He like your little game, so he'd play along.

“Hey, will you drop my clothes into my room for me? I’ve got a meeting here in a minute.” He peeks into the laundry room. “Yes sir.” You swallow hard. “Good girl.”

He wants to chuckle at the way your body goes rigid as he says those words, but doesn’t. He makes his way back to his room, closing his door and waiting.

When he hears your footsteps coming a while later, he waits behind his door. You come inside, he can tell you’re nervous. It’s your Captains room, of course you’re nervous. You place his clothes down on his bed and this is when he pushes the door closed with his foot. When it slams behind you, you whirl around. Your eyes are wide, lips are parted slightly. “Jesus.” You sigh. Placing your hand on your chest. “You scared me.” You laugh. Your heart thumps hard in your ribcage. He smiles, his arms are crossed. “See you’re finished with my gray shirt, which are you going to take next hm? The one I’ve got on?” He smiles. He can see the way your blood runs cold. Eyes wide. “I- what?”

He laughs, stepping closer, watching the way you step back away from him. “I know what you’re doing with my clothes darling.” You keep quiet, swallowing hard.

“I just don’t understand, why me huh?” He laughs. “Aren’t I old enough to be your dad?” Your cheeks are burning and your eyes are everywhere but on his. “I…” you start. But your lips form to a line. If you could crawl into a hole and die, that’d be best case scenario. He moves closer to you. His arms still crossed as he closes in on you. “Do you get off on that hm? That I’m so much older than you? There’s something about me that gets you going, it can’t just be cologne.” You’re so embarrassed and cornered, you want to run away and disappear off of the face of the earth. Your eyes flicker to the door beside him and he laughs. “You going to run from me? That won’t fix this." He laughs. Moving in closer. "If you run, I'll just catch you." He mumbles it quietly.

You swallow hard.

The backs of your knees are pushed up against the metal frame of the cot he’s sleeping on. A gasp leaving your lips when he pushes you back onto it. You sit up quickly, staring up at him. “Cmon, cat got your tongue? Say something.” He chuckles. You pause for a moment. “I- I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m sorry.” Your voice is quiet and unsteady. He bites his lip slightly. “How about.. a thank you.” He smirks, making you look up at him in confusion. “What?”

“For letting you borrow my shirts. For all of those orgasms you got from me without me even touching you. Go on.” He nods, a smile on his face. “Thank me.”

You look up at him, the look in your eyes is pure sin. “T-thank you, Captain.” You blush. He moves right up to the edge of the cot, closing you in. “That’s my good girl.” He breathes. “Take your shirt off.” He nods. “W-what?” You look up at him. “Come on, take it off. That’s an order, darling.”

You look at his door nervously. “It’s locked. Pay attention.” He breathes. Lifting your chin up to look at him. The look in your eyes, it’s pure lust. It always is when you’re looking at him. It drives him crazy. You hesitate for a second. Grasping the hem of your shirt, nervously lifting it over your head. “Bra too.”

You sit up further, unclasping it and sliding it off. Setting it down. You take in a sharp breath when he pulls his shirt off. “Put it on.” He tosses it to you. You pick up the very comfortable fabric. Slipping it over your head. The smell of his cologne invades your senses. A whine leaving your lips. He laughs. “Don’t worry darling. I’ll give you what you need.” He breathes. He lowers himself down to one knee at the edge of the bed. Helping you remove your pants. Revealing you to him once he’s gotten them off. He sighs. “So fucking pretty.” He mumbles. Running his fingers up your slit, feeling you shiver under his touch. “How.. how did you find out?” You look down at him. His thumb circles over your clit.

“Passed by your room when you were meant to be in the laundry room. You left your door cracked, in such a hurry.” He shakes his head with a laugh. “Knuckle deep in this pretty pussy to the thought of me.” He shakes his head, leaning into you. Pressing a kiss to your clit, smiling when you shudder. He kisses it again, sliding his tongue over you. Your thighs shiver slightly, and he smiles, wrapping his arms around you and holding you still, moving his other leg so that he’s on his knees at the edge of the bed. Gliding his tongue through your folds. “You have to be quiet for me. Use the shirt.” He smirks. You nod your head. Lifting the fabric up to your mouth to muffle yourself. He laps at your entrance, keeping a steady pace with his tongue. You focus on the ceiling of his room. He starts slow at first. Gentle, small glides of his tongue. Waiting for you to get used to him. He knows you don’t have much experience, if any. So you’re going to be really sensitive at first. He gives you a minute to adjust to him. Eventually flattening his tongue and pushing down hard, flicking his tongue faster. You shudder, thighs clenching up tight. He holds you still though, you’re not going to squirm out of his grasp that easily.

He pulls away for a second, his facial hair glistening in your arousal. He can’t help but chuckle at the way you react to him. Flushed cheeks, beads of sweat beginning to form on your forehead. "Doing good for me darling. Can you take more?" He asks. You nod your head. He raises his right hand, gliding one of his fingers over your opening. He gathers up your arousal on it before pressing it into you. You tense up at the intrusion, gasping into the shirt. He lowers his face into you again, tonguing your clit. He adds another finger while he laps at your clit. You wrap a hand in his hair, tugging slightly. You whine out when he groans into you. He can feel you tightening around his fingers, you're getting close. Your thighs shake and he can't help but smile into you. Right when you're on that edge, right about to topple over the ledge into pure bliss, he pulls away. Drawing a mewl out of you. He can't help but laugh. Looking down at you as he stands up. "Relax, I'll give you more." He breathes. He starts kicking off his boots, reaching for his belt buckle. That's when it starts to hit you, he's going to fuck you.

He finally takes a second to drink you in. Your cheeks are flushed red and you look dazed. You look fucked out and he hasn't even fucked you yet. He frees himself from his cargo pants and you swallow hard. He's well endowed.

He moves you with ease, like you're a feather. Turning you so that he has space to move between your legs. He runs his hand back through his hair and you clamp your eyes closed.

He looks confused. "You alright darling?" He asks. "Yes. Just... overwhelmed." You breathe. "Do you want me to stop?" He asks.

"No, please." Your pleas have him chuckling to himself. His deep laugh sends chills down your spine. Like he's making fun of you for being so desperate. "Good girl." He raises your thighs up higher on his hips and lines himself up with your entrance, dipping the head of his cock into you. Seeing the way your eyes widen. Letting your head rest back into his pillow. His entire room smells like him. His sheets, his pillow. Him.

You can't help it as you wrap your legs around him, forcing his pelvis into you. Until he's pressed right up against you. "Fuck-" He gasps. The sudden feeling of you wrapped around him has him gasping out.

"Eager little thing aren't you?" He smiles. Running his thumb along your bottom lip. He rocks his hips into you and all at once it hits you. All of those day dreams you'd had of the way he'd feel, didn't even come close to as good as this felt. His touch lit fires on your skin. Your walls clenched around him, feeling every inch of him, every vein.

He picks up his pace, sliding deeper. You gasp out, clutching onto him. He shakes slightly, the way you're gripping him is almost too much to hold himself together. He grits his teeth, holding onto your hips tight as he rocks his hips into you. He forces you down into the bed with each hard thrust he takes, watching fall further apart beneath him. "Fuck... So good. You feel so fucking goad baby." He pants. He lowers one of his hands from your hip, resting it onto your swollen nub. Feeling your hips cower away from his touch. "Sensitive are we?" He chuckles. You whine out again and he laughs. "Quiet sweetheart. We don't need anyone finding out about this do we?" You shake your head after he says it. Not really caring about it. You didn't care if the entire task force heard you at this moment. You were too dazed to care.

He lowers himself into, resting more of his body weight onto you. Placing that pressure onto your body that you had daydreamed about so frequently when you had his shirts. Before you can stop it, you have tears gathering in your eyes, unable to stop them as they stream down your cheeks. "I'm- I-" You whine out. "S'alright. Cum for me. Show me what you got pretty girl." He smirks. He circles your clit with his finger still, pushing you closer and closer to the edge. You shake when you finally reach your peak, walls throbbing around him as you cum. He clamps a hand over your mouth, smirking when they muffle the moans you were letting out. You could get him into so much trouble. "Just a bit more sweetheart. Gonna fill this pretty pussy. S'what you've been dreaming about right?"

Your hands grip the sheets as he overstimulates you. His pants get more desperate and labored as he approaches his own orgasm. He grits his teeth, he's so deep inside of you, you've never felt so full. He curses when he reaches his high. Lowering his head to rest against your chest. Panting hard as he pauses his thrusts. "Bloody hell." He gasps. Feeling your chest rise and fall with every breath you take.

It's silent for a minute, and than he's climbing off of you. You sit up, sliding to the edge of his cot as you redress yourself. Reaching to take his shirt off. "Stop." His stern voice has you freezing up. "I didn't say to take it off did I?" He laughs. Once he's redressed, he sits next to you on the bed. "Need something to tide you over for when I'm gone right?" He laughs. Raising up the bottle of cologne he has and spraying your chest with it, seeing you blush. "Although, you can always just come to me when you need something. Don't have to steal my shirts anymore, bad girl." He bites his lower lip.

You roll your eyes, embarrassed. He grips your chin, turning you to kiss him.

#call of duty mw2 #cod mw2 #captain john price #captain price #price mw2 #mw2 smut

709 notes · View notes