#I had a moment of nonstop typing it was so nice

[nhlclover]

ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR QUINN HUGHES

pairings: quinn hughes x fem!reader, (little bit of) jack hughes x fem!reader

summary: trevor invites you to a lakehouse for the summer, attempting to set him up with his friend. however, the summer doesn't go to plan when you meet his older brother who captures your eye and flips everything upside down.

warnings: very obviously angst, sort of a love triangle, jack and quinn kind of hating each other, slow burn, reader and trevor having a sibling type relationship, one singular kiss, brief appearances from trevor & luke

word count: 11.6k

notes: wooooo mama this is the absolute longest thing i've ever written. i really hope you guys enjoy it, i'm pretty happy with this.

The scene of the lake house standing tall in front of you was something straight out of your imagination. It was picturesque, the way the large house was nestled amongst the pine trees and the glimmering water sparkling behind it. It was just the way that Trevor had described it when he invited (or rather insisted) you to come to his buddy’s lake house this summer.

“You’ll love it! It’s so nice up there,” Trevor had urged, his enthusiasm infectious. You could still hear his voice, brimming with excitement. “It’s my friend Jack’s place. You guys would get along great! And his brothers are super chill too.”

At the time, you’d felt a mix of curiosity and skepticism. It’d been about three years you’d been friends with Trevor, long enough to know that when his tone got this excited and he was this insistent, he was up to something.

“Are you trying to set me up with him?” you’d asked, narrowing your eyes suspiciously at Trevor as the two of you sat in a coffee shop a few months ago. He had been uncharacteristically fidgety, bouncing his knee up and down while stirring his iced coffee with an unnecessary amount of focus.

Trevor had grinned at you in that annoyingly charming way he did when he was caught. “Nooo, I’m just saying you guys would vibe. He’s a cool guy. Super chill.”

You rolled your eyes, folding your arms across your chest. “Uh-huh. And his brothers?”

“Also cool!” Trevor leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief. “But listen, Jack’s the one I think you’d really like. Just come for like, a week or two, see what happens. No pressure. I promise you’ll have fun.”

You’d hesitated, not entirely convinced. But Trevor knew exactly how to play on your curiosity, and a month later, you found yourself packing a bag for a summer getaway at some lake house owned by Trevor’s friend, Jack. Despite your reservations, a part of you was intrigued. What if Trevor was right?

The drive to the lake house had been a blur, punctuated by Trevor’s nonstop chatter and your own uncertain silence. You weren’t opposed to meeting Jack. Trevor had sung his praises for months, claiming you two had more in common than either of you realized. As far as setups went, this wasn’t terrible — you could trust Trevor to have good judgment. But still, you were unsure and slightly uneasy about the whole situation.

When you arrive, Jack is already waiting outside, leaning against the porch rail, hands shoved into the pockets of his shorts. He’s smiling — an easy, laid-back smile that makes you smile back automatically. The sun filters through the trees, casting warm, gold light on the porch, and for a moment, everything feels serene.

Trevor wasn’t lying when he commented about Jack’s appearance. “Some people call him a pretty boy but… I mean he is pretty, but he’s a good-looking dude, y’know?” He was definitely attractive, something anyone could admit you thought, but he wasn’t totally your type.

Trevor bounds up the steps of the porch, dapping up Jack and pulling him in for a hug. You followed, stopping at the bottom of the steps, watching as Trevor whispered something into Jack's ear, Jack’s eyes catching yours as a small smile appeared on his lips.

Jack steps forward, extending a hand. “Hey, you must be y/n. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says, his voice warm with that relaxed confidence you’d expect from someone who’s used to being the center of attention.

You shake his hand, feeling the easy smile on your face widen a little. “All good things, I hope.”

Trevor laughs, throwing an arm around Jack’s shoulder. “Mostly good things.” He winks at you, and you can’t help but roll your eyes.

Jack offers to give you a quick tour of the place, and you agree, letting him guide you inside while Trevor stays back, grumbling to himself about having to bring in your bags. The inside of the house is as beautiful as the outside, with high ceilings, wooden beams, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the lake. Despite being a new build, it has a cozy, rustic feel to it. Jack pointed out each room as you went, keeping up a steady flow of conversation that put you at ease. He was friendly and thoughtful, making sure you felt welcomed, and it struck you as genuine. You could see why Trevor thought you’d get along with him.

“And this is the back deck,” Jack said as he pushed open a sliding door, revealing a sprawling view of the lake, with a dock stretching out in front of the property. The lake is glittering and relatively calm, aside from a figure disturbing the water. You squint, watching as the swimmer glides smoothly through the lake.

“Who’s that?” you ask Jack, eyes not leaving the figure as you watch him pull himself up onto the wooden dock, pushing dark wet hair from his face.

“That’s Quinn,” Jack says, following your gaze and glancing out toward the dock. “My older brother.”

The sun seems to linger on Quinn’s form, highlighting the toned muscles in his arms as he stretches briefly, rolling his shoulders to ease out any lingering tension from his swim. Droplets of water cling to his skin, catching the sunlight and tracing down his chest in slow, winding trails emphasizing the smooth contours of his muscles as they glisten.

“Q!” Jack shouts, whistling to get his brother’s attention. Quinn’s gaze snaps to the two of you, your pulse quickening as his eyes land on you. “Come up here!”

Quinn grabs his towel from the dock, throwing it over his shoulder as he makes his way up the lawn towards you. As he climbs the steps to the deck, you feel his eyes travel over you, not in a way that feels intimidating, but with a curiosity that mirrors your own. There’s something magnetic about him, something calm and steady that draws you in as he steps up onto the deck, his mouth curving into a small, barely-there smile.

“This is Trevor’s friend, y/n. She’s joining us for the summer” Jack introduces.

As Quinn’s gaze flickers back to you, you notice there’s something about the way he looks at you — subtle, assessing. His gaze has a certain depth, a look you can’t quite decipher. It lingers just a second longer than what feels typical, enough to make your heartbeat skip, to leave you questioning the flicker of interest in his expression.

“Nice to meet you,” Quinn says, his voice low and smooth, a perfect complement to the quiet confidence he exudes. He reaches out to shake your hand, and as your fingers meet, you notice how warm his touch feels, even with the cool water droplets still lingering on his skin.

Up close, he’s even more striking. There’s a sort of ruggedness to him, outlined by the sharpness of his jaw and the intensity of his gaze. His eyes, a greenish shade of blue, hold yours with a calm intensity that makes it hard to look away.

“Nice to meet you too,” you manage, your voice coming out softer than you intended, and you feel heat rise to your cheeks. You mentally kick yourself, hoping he doesn’t notice, but the glimmer in his eyes suggests otherwise.

Jack, oblivious to the undercurrent, clapped his hands, breaking the moment. “Alright, well, there’s more to see, and if we don’t get back, Trevor’s going to start whining about being abandoned,” he joked.

You chuckle, your eyes pulling away from Quinns’ for the first time since he joined you on the porch. But as you turned to follow Jack back inside, you couldn’t help but glance back at Quinn. He was still watching you, his expression softened just slightly, and you felt a quiet thrill at the way he watched you.

The first week at the lakehouse passes in a flurry of days that blur together in laughter and lakeside relaxation. You fall into an easy routine of swimming, grilling, and long talks on the deck. Jack and Trevor keep things lively, always organizing something, whether it’s an impromptu game of cornhole, a daring cliff dive, or a spontaneous trip into town.

With Jack, the connection forms fast. He’s lighthearted, quick with a joke, and endlessly charming. He keeps you laughing and keeps the vibe lighthearted. His energy is infectious, and he keeps you roped into every activity, whether it’s cliff-jumping or getting you to help him with dinner when it’s his turn. You can tell that Trevor’s plan to get the two of you set up is working for Jack, as he lingers closer, laughs harder at your jokes, and you begin to feel his gaze linger on you just a little too long.

But it’s Quinn who holds your attention in a way you hadn’t anticipated.

Quinn is different from Jack in nearly every way. Where Jack is open and quick to draw you into his orbit, Quinn lingers on the edges, observing and listening. When he speaks, it’s with a low, steady voice that commands attention without trying. And unlike Jack’s energy, which feels like the buzz of the sun overhead, Quinn’s is deep and mysterious like the lake.

You find yourself gravitating toward him at every opportunity, captivated by the way he moves through the days with an unruffled calm. The nights at the lake house slip into an easy rhythm, with Quinn and you inevitably being the last ones awake as the both of you are night owls. Most nights, you find yourselves lingering on the porch, wrapped in the gentle hum of crickets and the low whisper of the lake. With the others upstairs, fast asleep, you and Quinn fall into intimate conversations, shared only between the two of you.

One night, you find yourselves tucked away on the porch, the air a little cooler than the other nights. You are curled up on a rocking chair, bundled up in a hoodie you’d borrowed from Jack. Quinn sat across from you, the beer he’d started during dinner going warm in his hand.

Quinn studies you, his eyes catching the faint glow of the porch light as he swirls his bottle absentmindedly. “So,” he begins, breaking the comfortable silence, “What’s California like?” He leans forward, genuinely interested, his voice carrying a warmth that makes you want to spill everything about life on the West Coast.

A soft smile creeps onto your face. “It’s… different from here,” you admit, glancing out at the lake where the moon dances on the still water. “It’s a bit fast-paced. And warm. Lots of sun, lots of people. But sometimes, it feels like everyone’s moving so quickly that you get lost in the crowd.”

Quinn nods, his eyes steady on you. “I get it. I feel the same way about Vancouver sometimes. Coming back here… it just reminds me that there's more than the noise and rush. There’s… balance out here.” He gestures out toward the lake, his voice contemplative. “Like all of this has a way of pulling you back to what matters.”

His words resonate deeply, and you find yourself nodding. “Exactly,” you murmur. “It’s like there’s space to breathe. And you notice things that usually get lost in all the… chaos.”

Quinn’s gaze lingers on you a moment longer, a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth. “I’m glad you came. It’s been… good to have you here,” he says quietly, his eyes soft. “We don’t have other people up here often.”

Your heart pounds a little faster at the sincerity in his voice, and for a second, the rest of the world disappears. There’s only Quinn and the quiet lake, and the feeling that he understands you in a way you hadn't expected anyone to. You hold his gaze, feeling the electricity between you grow, filling the silence with something you can’t quite name.

But then, as if drawn back to reality, Quinn’s eyes shift, his expression subtly changing. “And Jack,” he says, almost as an afterthought. “He… really likes you, you know? He doesn’t say it, but I can tell.”

It feels like a splash of cold water. You break eye contact, pulling your hoodie closer around you, the warmth you felt moments ago dissipating. The weight of Jack’s interest hangs heavily between you and Quinn now, an undeniable reminder of the complicated line you’re toeing.

“Right, yeah…” you reply softly, looking down, your voice tinged with a mix of guilt and frustration. You hadn’t meant for this to get complicated, yet here you are, caught between two brothers who couldn’t be more different.

An uncomfortable silence settles over you both, thick and heavy. Quinn’s eyes linger on you, as if he’s about to say something more, but he holds back. His lips press into a thin line, and you wonder if he’s feeling the same conflict, the same confusion that’s twisting knots inside you.

You force yourself to look away, swallowing hard. “I think… I should probably head to bed,” you murmur, avoiding his gaze. You stand up, offering him a small, tight-lipped smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes. “Goodnight, Quinn.”

Quinn nods, his expression unreadable as he watches you ebb towards the door. “Goodnight, y/n,” he murmurs, his voice low and steady, though there’s a flicker of something in his gaze — disappointment, perhaps, or longing. You slip inside, leaving him on the porch, the weight of his gaze heavy on your back as you close the door.

In bed, you toss and turn, Quinn’s words and the feel of his gaze lingering with you. Your mind is a whirlwind, caught between the easy, carefree friendship that’s growing with Jack and the simmering tension you feel with Quinn. Jack is perfectly nice and, like Trevor told you, the two of you were getting along swimmingly.

But no matter how much you try, your thoughts always drift back to Quinn. There’s something undeniably different about him, something that makes it impossible to feel the same way about Jack, no matter how hard you try. Jack’s presence is light and friendly but with Quinn… it’s like there’s a hidden gravity pulling you toward him, a quiet understanding that lingers beneath the surface of every conversation. Every night on that porch, he’s become your anchor, drawing you into a world that feels more honest, more intimate.

You lie there, staring up at the ceiling, your mind replaying the way he looked at you tonight — that almost undetectable spark that you’re sure you didn’t imagine. The way he listens to you, like every word matters, as he sees past the small talk and into the parts of you you rarely share. There’s no pretending with Quinn. And even though he’d mentioned Jack, it only made you realize how much more you’re drawn to Quinn. Jack might be developing feelings for you, but it’s Quinn who fills your thoughts, who leaves you breathless in a way you can’t ignore.

You pull the covers tighter around you, willing sleep to take you, but every thought seems to lead back to Quinn, to the way he made you feel seen, understood — even in silence.

The next morning, you do your best to shake off the lingering tension from the night before, determined to keep things light and normal. Under Jack’s enthusiastic suggestion, the group decides to spend the day out on the lake, hoping the sun and water will wash away any unease. It’s a sunny day, warm with a light breeze, and the water sparkles invitingly under the sunlight, making you think that everything might just go smoothly.

The boat is anchored in a calm spot on the lake and, despite the wonderful weather, there doesn’t seem to be another boat around. Trevor and Luke sit up in the bow, arguing about which mascot would win in a fight between Mr. Clean and Tony the Tiger.

Jack is quick to pull you into the action, handing you a beer from the cooler as he grins. “Alright,” he says, his smile as wide as the lake. “Are you ready for the full lake house experience? Because to really do that, you’ve got to jump off the boat at least once today.”

You laugh, shaking your head as you crack open the can. “I’m pretty sure you’re just making up rules to mess with me.”

He shrugs, a playful glint in his eye. “Maybe, but you have to do it anyway,” he shrugs.

Trevor chimes in, chuckling from his spot. “Jack’s right, y/n. First-time lake visitors have to jump. It’s tradition!”

You chuckle, your gaze drifting up to Jack as he stands in front of you. The sun shines directly behind him, casting him in a golden halo, the bright rays spilling around his frame in a way that makes him look almost ethereal. For a moment, you can see why anyone would fall for that charm. But even with this picture-perfect moment, you feel a pang of regret that you can’t feel more for him, because, somehow, your thoughts are pulled elsewhere and on someone else.

Jack’s laughter brings you back to the moment, and he leans a little closer. “Come on, we can make it a team effort. I mean, if you’re too nervous, I can just hold your hand.” His voice is playful, but there’s a hint of sincerity in his words, a hope that you’ll let him bridge the gap he’s trying so hard to close.

Your smile is genuine, but before you can respond, you hear Quinn's low chuckle from behind you. It’s soft, barely audible over the hum of the boat’s motor, but enough to pull your focus completely away from Jack. You glance back at Quinn who’s sat on the back bench, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, a flicker of something in his gaze as it bears down on the two of you.

Your attention is pulled back to Jack as he reaches for your hand in a gesture that feels both playful and pointed. “Come on, y/n, it’ll be an official initiation. We’ll jump together, yeah?”

Your gaze flickers between Jack’s outstretched hand and Quinn, who’s watching with an inscrutable expression, his eyes narrowed slightly as he leans back, crossing his arms. You can’t deny there’s an awkward tension here, a silent push-and-pull between the two brothers that seems to amplify whenever Quinn is nearby.

Swallowing the strange, charged feeling building between you all, you look back at Jack and nod, forcing a lighthearted smile as you stand up, pulling off the oversized t-shirt you wore as a coverup. You see Jack’s eyes scan your figure, hearing him gasp quietly. You blush, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear, taking his hand. He grins in triumph, his fingers warm against yours as he helps you stand at the edge of the boat. He holds on a little tighter than necessary, and the flicker of anticipation in his eyes doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Ready?” Jack asks, his voice softer now, his gaze lingering a bit too long as he watches your expression. There’s a hopeful vulnerability in his face, a look that makes you hesitate for a moment. You don’t want to hurt him, but there’s a part of you that wishes he’d pull back, that he’d realize you’re not as invested in this connection as he is.

You manage a nod, hoping he doesn’t notice the small sigh you let slip. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

He beams, counting down with a quiet “three… two… one!” before the two of you leap into the lake together, the cool water rushing up to meet you. When you surface, you’re greeted by Jack’s laughter as he splashes you, pulling you into a playful water fight. You laugh along, though your eyes instinctively drift toward the boat, where Quinn looks over the edge, watching you both with an unreadable expression.

Jack’s laughter fades slightly as he notices your attention elsewhere, his face falling for a fraction of a second. But he quickly masks it, pulling you back with a light splash. “Hey, stay with me here,” he says, his tone half-joking, half-pleading. And you want to, you really do, but Quinn’s gaze is magnetic, and you can’t help but feel pulled toward him, as if there’s an invisible thread between the two of you.

Eventually, Jack climbs back onto the boat, reaching out to help you up. But the moment you step back on board, the charged silence returns, thick and stifling, as Quinn hands you a towel, his fingers brushing against yours just long enough to send a spark up your arm. You catch his gaze for a brief second, and you’re struck by the quiet intensity in his eyes, a longing that mirrors your own.

Jack clears his throat, his shoulders tensing slightly as he glances between you and Quinn. He lets out a forced laugh, trying to dispel the tension. “Alright, what’s next? We could always do another round of jumps, or maybe a swim to the dock?” He says it with an almost desperate cheerfulness, trying to regain your attention, trying to keep the moment light.

Trevor and Luke, sensing the tension, start bantering about who would be the fastest swimmer, their playful arguments distracting you all for a moment, lightening the mood just enough.

────୨ৎ────

The night air was crisp as laughter and the crackling of the fire filled the space around the lake house. The lake is quiet behind you, a dark, glassy surface reflecting only starlight. You were settled in a lawn chair, leaning back, watching as Trevor dramatically recounted a story about when you nearly crashed his car.

You could feel his eyes on you, searching for a shared smile, hoping to catch your gaze even as he chuckled at Trevor’s theatrics. Every so often, he'd lean in, commenting with a low murmur meant only for you. He’d even offered you his hoodie earlier, though the night wasn’t nearly cold enough to need it. It was endearing, if not a bit overeager. Yet, despite the obvious attention from him, your focus kept drifting across the fire.

Quinn sat across the flames from you, leaning back in an Adirondack chair. His attention was barely on the story, barely laughing with the others as you had been. Every now and then you’d catch his eyes flicker your way, lingering on you just long enough to send a thrill through your chest. Your stomach tightened with a quiet anticipation each time, though as quickly as the moment arrived, it vanished. Quinn’s gaze would shift, his attention lost somewhere in the darkness beyond the flames, leaving you wondering if you’d only imagined it.

As Trevor finally wrapped up his tale with an exaggerated flourish, the group’s laughter rang out again, filling the quiet night. You shifted in your chair, stealing a glance across the fire to see Quinn looking your way again, his expression unreadable in the dancing light. The firelight cast soft shadows over his face, illuminating his quiet intensity—a contrast to Jack’s open interest. And just as quickly as his eyes met yours, he looked away, his focus deliberately elsewhere, leaving you feeling a subtle ache of frustration.

Jack nudged your arm gently, his voice breaking the spell. “Hey, want to grab a drink or something? I think I saw some ciders in the cooler on the porch.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” you replied, a small smile curving your lips as you pushed yourself up to join him.

You could feel the weight of Quinn’s gaze on you, or maybe it was just wishful thinking. As you walked toward the porch with Jack, a pang of prickling guilt settled over you, leaving a heavy shadow with every step. Jack was wonderful — funny, kind-hearted, and clearly eager to spend time with you. And yet, there was an emptiness in each smile you returned to him, a hollowness you couldn’t ignore. You tried to shake it off, reminding yourself to appreciate his warmth and interest. But you couldn’t deny it. There was no spark, no unspoken gravity that pulled you toward him.

The two of you reached the porch, Jack handing you a cold can from the cooler, his fingers brushing yours briefly. He shot you a quick grin, the kind that seemed to hold a hundred different things he wanted to say. But the look in his eyes—the hopefulness, the eagerness—only tightened the knot in your chest.

Jack took a sip of his drink, leaning casually against the porch railing, his gaze still on you. “It’s nice here at night, isn’t it?” His tone was light, but there was an unmistakable softness to his voice, as though he wanted nothing more than to keep this moment between just the two of you.

“Yeah, it really is,” you agreed, looking out at the lake rather than meeting his eyes. “It’s peaceful.”

Jack’s voice was quieter when he spoke this time like he was mulling something over. “You know, it’s been great having you up here. I mean…I’m glad Z brought you here.” he said softly, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. There was a vulnerability there, one that made you want to reassure him, to ease the sting of your own uncertainty.

You wanted to tell him you felt the same, that you were excited, that his attention filled you with butterflies. But it didn’t. Not the way Quinn’s lingering gaze did, not in the way his silence could reach across the fire and wrap around you more tightly than any words Jack could offer.

And Jack could sense it. You could see it in the way his gaze fell just a bit, in the way he seemed to retreat into himself, trying to figure out where he’d lost you. A soft, sinking guilt bubbled up, but before you could say anything, he cleared his throat and looked at you, trying to keep the mood light.

“Should we head back?” he asked, giving you a small smile that tried to mask the disappointment behind his eyes.

You nodded, and as you followed him back toward the fire, your eyes drifted back to Quinn. Why did he have to make it so complicated? Jack was there, warm and steady, giving you his full attention, yet your heart kept tugging you toward Quinn — Quinn, who never gave you more than half-glances and unspoken hints. It was as though he knew the effect he had on you but chose to keep you guessing, leaving you in this restless, uncertain state. And every time he looked away, your chest would ache with a longing that you couldn’t shake, no matter how hard you tried.

You felt like you were making it up in your head. You felt like all of this was just concocted by your brain, a made-up situation. But then you’d think back to the nights when it was just the two of you, sitting across from one another on the porch, finding bits of commonality, causing you to talk for hours.

It was during those quiet nights, with only the soft hum of the lake and the occasional call of night birds, that the two of you would sit just a little closer, voices lowered as if sharing secrets with the stars. He’d be calm, reserved, but there’d always be a hint of a smile when you teased him about his stoic nature, a glint in his eyes when he’d challenge you back. It was in these moments that your doubts faded, that all the confusion seemed worth it.

But then the sun would rise again, and Quinn’s indifference would come back like the morning mist, blanketing any closeness you thought you’d found. The spark that seemed so real under the cover of night would dim, replaced by his guarded demeanor and quiet aloofness. It was maddening, this cycle of near-closeness followed by a cool retreat. He’d show you just enough to make you wonder, to keep you holding onto the memory of his quiet smile and that soft look in his eyes.

As you and Jack rejoined the group, you settled back into your chair, glancing across the fire toward Quinn once more. He was looking down, a hand idly fiddling with the edge of his sweater. There was something vulnerable about him in that moment, something that made you wonder if maybe—just maybe—he felt the same hesitation and uncertainty. You wanted to bridge that gap, to ask him if he ever felt the same tug, the same strange pull that made every shared glance linger in your mind.

But before you could even entertain the idea, Jack’s hand brushed your shoulder, pulling your attention back to him. He was smiling, his gaze as steady and warm as ever, making you wish you could return it with the same openness.

“Hey, you okay?” Jack asked, concern lacing his voice. You hadn’t realized the way you were chewing on your lip, or the way your brow was furrowed ever so slightly.

You nodded, giving him a soft smile that you hoped looked genuine. “Yeah, just…lost in thought, I guess.”

But as you said it, your gaze slipped across the fire once more, finding Quinn’s eyes fixed on you with that familiar, unreadable intensity. And for a fleeting second, you thought you saw a softness there, a hint of something deeper. It vanished just as quickly, but that one look was enough. It was enough to make you cast away the doubt that lingered in your mind, to dismiss the thought that this was all in your head.

The night dragged on, punctuated by laughter and more ridiculous storytelling from Trevor. Gradually, one by one, everyone began to call it a night. Luke was the first to slip away, yawning as he muttered something about wanting to have an early workout, clapping Trevor on the shoulder before heading inside. Trevor followed soon after, stretching with exaggerated laziness before flashing a grin and winking at you. “Don’t get into too much trouble out here,” he teased, earning a playful eye-roll from you.

Finally, it was just you, Jack, and Quinn. Jack was lingering, his eyes occasionally drifting to you with a look that hinted at something he wanted to say but couldn’t quite bring himself to voice. He shifted in his seat, clearing his throat as he looked at you, then glanced over at Quinn.

"Alright, I guess I’ll head in, too," Jack finally said, his tone reluctant. His gaze lingered on you for just a beat too long, as though he wanted you to ask him to stay or tell him that you would head up with him. But you didn’t, and after a quiet sigh, he nodded, gave Quinn a brief glance, then turned and headed inside, the screen door shutting softly behind him.

And then it was just the two of you.

The quiet stretched between you and Quinn, thick and tense, as the night air settled into a stillness that seemed to wrap around you both. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the soft rustle of the trees, and it was painfully quiet, each unspoken word between you two heavy with meaning. You could feel his presence, magnetic and steady, even across the fire. Finally, after a moment that felt like an eternity, you drew a deep breath and decided to speak.

“Quinn, can we talk?” Your voice was steady, but just barely. Quinn’s eyes finally locked with yours for the first time since before everyone began to filter to bed. Quinn nodded after a couple of seconds, giving you the silence to continue.

��I don’t know what’s going on between us,” you said softly. “But… fuck, I can’t stop thinking about you, and it’s driving me crazy. I need to know if it’s all just in my head or if you feel it too. Because if there’s a reason I feel this way… I need to know.”

You trailed off, heart hammering against your ribcage as the words hung in the air between you. For a moment, he didn’t respond, his expression unreadable, his face softened by the glow of the firelight. Then, with a sigh, he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as he stared into the flames. His silence was torture, each passing second pulling you deeper into a pit of anxiety and frustration.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low and steady, as if he’d rehearsed this response in his mind countless times. “It’s not in your head,” he admitted, his gaze flickering up to meet yours. “There’s something here, between us. I feel it too.”

The words sent a rush of relief and hope through you, a spark that reignited all those moments spent wondering and waiting for some kind of sign. A soft smile spread across your face, the edges of your doubt finally beginning to soften. But then, his expression shifted, the corners of his mouth tightening as he looked away, eyes fixed on the shadows just beyond the firelight.

“But…” His voice was barely a whisper, rough around the edges. “It can’t go anywhere. Not with Jack. He’s…he’s into you.” He looked back at you, the regret in his eyes evident, a pain mirrored in your own chest. “I can’t do that to him.”

His words were like a punch to the gut, and the warmth of the fire suddenly felt distant, fading into a cold, empty ache spreading through your chest. You hadn’t expected it to hurt this much, hadn’t realized how much you’d been hoping he’d say the opposite, that he’d fight for whatever was happening between you.

You dropped your gaze, feeling foolish, vulnerable, exposed. “So that’s it? We just… pretend this doesn’t exist?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. “Like nothing’s been happening all this time?”

Quinn’s jaw tightened, and he looked away, his expression pained. “I don’t want to pretend. But I can’t… I won’t hurt him, not like that. He’s my brother.” He hesitated, his voice cracking slightly. “And he really cares about you.”

You swallowed hard. It felt ridiculous—being here, feeling so foolishly hopeful, only to be left with a hollow ache and a fractured connection that couldn’t ever be more. Part of you wanted to yell at him for leading you on, for those late-night conversations and stolen glances, for every unspoken word that now felt like a cruel joke.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I wish it could be different.”

The words left you hollow. Part of you wanted to fight, to tell him that what you felt couldn’t just be ignored, but another part — the part that knew him and understood his loyalty — couldn’t bring yourself to ask him to choose you over his brother. Not when you saw the conflict in his eyes, the pain that mirrored your own.

“Fine,” you whispered, barely able to meet his gaze. You stood up, the cool night air prickling your skin as you walked away from the fire, leaving him there in silence. You didn’t look back. It felt like your chest was filled with broken glass, each breath painful, as you made your way back to the house.

Inside, the stillness was almost suffocating. The others had already gone to bed, and the darkened living room felt cold and empty, mirroring the ache in your heart. You climbed the stairs to your room, shutting the door softly behind you as you sank onto the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the wall. A mix of anger and sadness filled you. You were mad at Quinn, for drawing you in only to push you away; mad at Jack, for being in the way even if he hadn’t meant to be; mad at Trevor, for ever convincing you to come here; and, perhaps most of all, mad at yourself, for letting your heart hope for something that could never be.

The next morning, a heavy quiet blanketed the lake house. You moved through the motions of breakfast with the others, but your thoughts felt distant, lost somewhere between the memories of last night and the weight of Quinn’s words. The morning was made slightly easier by the absence of Quinn who you were told went into the town early that morning to run errands and hit the gym. The guys bantered and talked about heading out on the boat, planning an afternoon on the lake, but you could only muster half-hearted nods and polite smiles. It was hard to focus, every small sound—the clinking of mugs, the soft scrape of a chair—only intensifying the ache you couldn’t shake.

Excusing yourself, you slipped away before anyone could ask questions, making your way down to the dock. The air was cool, a gentle breeze rippling across the lake's surface, and you sat at the edge, feet dangling above the water. You were still in your sleep outfit, not exactly pyjamas, but rather a comfy oversized hoodie and a pair of mens boxers. The familiar scent of pine and fresh earth surrounded you, but even the peaceful view couldn’t ease the storm of emotions inside.

The quiet was soon broken by the sound of footsteps approaching, and you didn’t need to look to know it was Jack. You felt him sit beside you, his presence warm and grounding. For a moment, he didn’t say anything — just let the silence settle between you both, as though he was waiting for you to be ready.

Finally, he cleared his throat, glancing sideways at you. “You okay this morning? You’ve been… quiet,” he said softly, his voice tentative, as if he were stepping carefully around broken glass. “Distant.”

You swallowed, bracing yourself as you met his gaze. His eyes were filled with genuine concern, a softness that only made this harder. “Yeah,” you murmured, looking back out at the lake. “Guess I just needed some space.”

Jack nodded, though he didn’t seem convinced. His fingers drummed nervously on the edge of the dock, and after a beat, he spoke again, his tone thoughtful, almost nostalgic.

“You know,” he began, eyes cast down at the water, “when Trevor told me he was bringing a friend this summer, he was so sure we’d hit it off. He kept going on about how you and I would be perfect for each other, that we’d get along great.” A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I remember feeling this weird, excited energy like… maybe he was right, you know? Maybe I was going to meet someone special.”

You felt a lump forming in your throat as he continued, his voice carrying a warmth that was both comforting and deeply bittersweet.

“And when you got here…” He hesitated, his eyes meeting yours, as if to gauge your reaction. “I don’t know, it just… felt easy, from the start. Like we’d known each other forever. I started to feel like maybe Trevor had been onto something.” He gave a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it, just the weight of unspoken feelings.

“Things felt really good between us, and I thought you felt it too,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “So I started to get my hopes up—thinking maybe this was the start of something real.”

You winced, guilt gnawing at you. “Jack… I’m so sorry,” you said, your voice shaky. “I didn’t mean to lead you on, truly. I think you’re amazing. From the bottom of my heart, I just… I mean there’s gotta be some sort of spell this fucking house puts me under because I would be insane otherwise to not like you! You… you’re so perfect that any other girl would be scremaing at me, trying to claw my eyes out for not appreciating you. But… I just can’t. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Jack’s eyes softened, a mix of sadness and resignation settling in them. He looked down, his fingers still drumming but more slowly now, as if grounding himself. After a moment, he took a deep breath and let it out, his shoulders sagging slightly.

“I get it,” he murmured, though his voice had an unmistakable crack in it. “I mean… I think I get it. You can’t force something that isn’t there, right?” He gave a sad smile, one that tried to mask the hurt but didn’t quite succeed.

He stared out at the water, his expression distant, like he was trying to piece together what had gone wrong, or maybe just what he’d missed. A tense silence settled between you, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on the air around you. Jack cleared his throat, seeming to steel himself, his gaze searching your face as if looking for an answer to a question he hadn’t yet asked.

“Can I… can I just ask you one thing?” he said, voice barely above a whisper. His vulnerability in that moment was palpable, and you could feel your heart pounding, bracing yourself for what was coming.

You nodded, feeling your throat tighten.

“Do you… have feelings for Quinn?”

The words hung in the air, heavy and painful, and a part of you wished he hadn’t asked. But the look in his eyes told you he needed to know, that the uncertainty was gnawing at him just as much as the truth might.

Slowly, you nodded, a tear slipping down your cheek as you whispered, “Yes.”

A heavy silence fell between you, and Jack seemed to shrink a little, his shoulders slumping as he took it in. Jack’s gaze fixed on the lake, and for a long moment, he said nothing. You could see the effort it took for him to keep his expression neutral, to keep his emotions tightly bound. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke.

“So, you… you and Quinn. Is there… anything actually happening between you two?” He glanced at you, a flicker of something raw in his eyes — hope, maybe, or just the need to understand.

You shook your head, offering a small, bittersweet smile. “No, Jack. We’re… we’re not together. We won’t be.”

He looked at you, brow furrowed. “Why not?” he asked softly, his confusion obvious. “If you feel that way about him, why wouldn’t you try?”

You took a shaky breath, the words catching in your throat. “Because Quinn… Quinn’s too good of a brother. He’d never go for me because of you… and because of what he knows you feel.”

Jack blinked, his brow furrowing as he took in your words. “Wait—what does that mean? Because of me?” he asked, his voice laced with confusion. His gaze softened, and you could see he was fighting to keep his tone steady, like he was trying not to hope.

You sighed, feeling a bittersweet ache settle in your chest. “Quinn told me he could never be with me because he knows how you feel. He doesn’t want to hurt you, Jack.”

Jack’s jaw clenched, a flicker of frustration flashing across his face. “So… let me get this straight,” he muttered, almost incredulously. “He’s not doing anything about how he feels—because of me?”

You nodded, and Jack fell silent, staring down at his hands, which had stopped drumming and were now clenched tightly in his lap. He seemed deep in thought, his brows furrowed as he processed what you’d just told him. The lake was quiet around you, the stillness broken only by the occasional ripple of water.

For a long time, Jack didn't say anything, just stared down at the water, his brows drawn together. You could almost feel the weight of his thoughts, the way he was wrestling with everything that had just been laid out. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, raw.

“So he… he cares enough to stay away,” Jack said slowly, the words laced with a sadness that felt almost like admiration. “That's… just like him.” He took a deep breath, forcing a small, sad smile. “I wish things were different. I wish we could just rewind, go back to the start of summer and… and pretend this never happened.”

You swallowed hard, his words striking a chord deep within you. “Me too,” you whispered, eyes burning with unshed tears. “I never wanted any of this to happen, Jack. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you.”

Jack looked over at you, his expression softening, and for a moment, you saw a flicker of the easy, unburdened friendship you’d had in the beginning. “I know,” he murmured. “You’re not the kind of person who’d do this on purpose. It’s just… life, I guess. It’s complicated, ‘n messy as hell. And… maybe Trevor was right. We do get along. Just… maybe not in the way he thought we would.”

He smiled, a genuine one this time, though tinged with a sadness he couldn’t hide. “Maybe someday… I won’t feel this way,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible above the soft lapping of the lake against the dock. “But for now… I think I just need a little space. Time, maybe.”

You nodded, understanding that this was what he needed, even if it hurt to hear. “I get it, Jack. I do.”

Jack gave a nod, his gaze returning to the water, the weight of unspoken words settling over the two of you. In the next moment, he reached over and gave your hand a small squeeze—a quiet truce, an understanding. Then he stood, brushing off his shorts and glancing back at the house.

“I’ll be up at the house for a bit,” he murmured, the distance in his tone unmistakable. With that, he turned and walked back up the dock, his footsteps slow and heavy.

In the following days, there was a noticeable shift in the air; everyone felt it, though no one dared to name it. Conversations were stilted, laughter felt forced, and even the once-lively dinners had become quiet affairs, each of you treading carefully as if one wrong word might shatter the fragile peace that held you all together. Jack avoided you and Quinn as much as he could, lingering at the edge of group activities, his usual easygoing energy replaced by something more closed off, guarded.

Quinn, for his part, kept his distance too, his usual calm presence clouded by an unspoken tension. It was as if he knew that the delicate line he was walking might snap at any moment, sending everything spiraling out of control.

You couldn't ignore the heaviness that had settled over the house, a tangible sense of tension that made everything feel off-kilter. As much as you'd wanted this summer to be an escape, it had become the very opposite — a painful reminder of all the ways things could go wrong.

That evening, after everyone had gone to bed, you found yourself wide awake, thoughts racing. The decision took shape slowly, a reluctant resolve that you couldn’t shake. You needed to leave. Staying here, caught between the fractured pieces of what had been and what could never be, was too much to bear. The thought of facing both brothers day after day, watching Jack’s guarded smiles and Quinn’s restrained distance—it was too much. They deserved space, and, you realized, so did you.

With a deep breath, you grabbed your phone and booked a flight out for two days later, the earliest you could manage. You barely slept, running through potential conversations in your mind, eventually deciding you were only going to tell Trevor and slip out quietly, not wanting to cause anymore issues.

You forced yourself to push through the pain and awkwardness during the two remaining days until you would be returning back to California. As the days inched closer to your departure, the weight of unspoken words grew heavier, settling into every corner of the lake house. You caught glimpses of Jack, his face turning away when he thought no one was watching as if even looking at you and Quinn felt like reopening an unhealed wound. Quinn’s glances were no less fraught, though his were filled with a wistful restraint, as if he was already mourning the loss of something that had barely even begun.

The dinners, once filled with laughter, now passed in subdued tones, each person more focused on their plate than the conversation. You found yourself counting down the days and hours, conflicted between the need to escape the tension and the ache of leaving it all behind. In those last two days, you kept reminding yourself that soon, you’d be on a plane back to California, back to your own life — away from Jack’s pained looks and Quinn’s longing stares.

Your final day there, you packed your belongs up quickly, hoping Trevor would buy your excuse of not wanting to miss your flight as a good reason for him to take you to the airport early, and not because you couldn’t bear to spend one more hour in this suffocating oasis. Everyone else was lounging by the water, with the exception of Jack who lingered in the kitchen, opting to do the dishes rather than be around the others. He was lost in thought when he heard the patio door slide open and shut, the sound of bare feet padding against the hardwood. He turned to the entrance of the kitchen, seeing Quinn wearing his boardshorts and a slightly guarded look.

Quinn stopped at the threshold, eyes flicking briefly to Jack’s hands as he scrubbed the dishes. They were tense, knuckles white around the plate he held, and the silence between them was palpable and heavy. Jack set down the dish with a clatter, bracing himself on the edge of the sink, not looking at Quinn. Jack didn’t give Quinn time to speak. The words erupted from him, fueled by everything he’d been holding back.

“Do you even understand what you’re doing?” Jack’s voice was low and seething, barely contained. He didn’t wait for an answer, didn’t dare let Quinn get a word in. “You’re hurting her, Quinn. A perfectly nice girl, who came here not looking for this mess but got dragged into it anyway. And the worst part is, you know it. You know it, and you’re still just… sitting back like a damn martyr, thinking that by staying distant, you’re somehow making it easier for everyone. That by holding back, you’re sparing her, sparing me.”

Jack’s words cut through the quiet, sharper than the silence that had settled in the house over the past days. The vulnerability in his tone was raw, scraping against Quinn’s stoic expression. Quinn shifted uncomfortably but didn’t interrupt; he only looked at Jack, his gaze unwavering.

“And you know what? I kind of hate you for it,” Jack continued, voice unsteady. He turned his head just enough for Quinn to catch the anger, the hurt in his eyes. “I hate that you waltzed in and just took her from me without even trying. And, yeah, maybe that’s selfish. Maybe I never really had a chance, but she was still there, and I was trying. I was there, damn it!”

Quinn finally took a step forward, but Jack cut him off again, his hands clenching at the counter. “And I hate you for pretending like you’re doing the right thing by telling her nothing will happen. You act like you’re some noble saint by ‘staying away,’ but it’s a lie, Quinn. It’s a lie, and we both know it. You’re holding back because you’re scared — scared to go after what you really want, and in the end, you’re just making it worse for everyone. For her. For me.”

Jack’s voice wavered, then cracked, as he finally fell silent, chest heaving from the force of his confession. The words had cost him, as if each syllable had drawn blood. The only sound in the room was the dripping of the faucet, each drop amplifying the tension between them.

Quinn stayed quiet for a long moment, his gaze steady as he absorbed every word. He studied Jack, weighing something unspoken. “Would you hate me if I went for her, then?” His tone was gentle, almost hesitant, a softness that Jack hadn’t been prepared for.

Jack’s jaw tightened. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I probably would.” He ran a hand through his hair, a bitter laugh escaping him. “I mean I hate you right now for making her feel the way she does. But it shouldn’t matter, Quinn. Not if you two… if you actually care about each other.” Jack’s voice faltered, breaking under the weight of his own honesty. “Look, I’ll get over it. In time. But don’t waste what could be something good just because you’re trying to spare everyone. It’s pointless, and it’s selfish. You need to get to her before it’s too late.”

Quinn could feel Jack’s anger and pain, an emotion so raw and tangled it clawed at the air between them. For a second, Quinn thought of how different things could have been if he had stayed on the sidelines, if he hadn’t let himself get close to you. But as Jack’s gaze softened, an odd understanding settled between them. Jack wasn’t letting go easily, but he was letting go.

Jack’s shoulders slumped, exhausted, as he ran a hand over his face. “She’s leaving today, you know?” he said to Quinn, a look of surprise appearing on his face. “Trev told me last night she booked her flight out for this afternoon.”

Quinn’s face fell, and the guarded look faded, replaced with something dangerously close to panic. He hadn’t known—hadn’t expected that this was it. That today was the end.

“She’s leaving?” Quinn asked, Jack nodding. “Why didn’t she say anything? W-why is she leaving?”

“Because why would she stay?” Jack said. “She’s going to protect herself. She’s not gonna stay here, hoping for something that won’t happen. She’s too smart for that.”

The realization struck Quinn like a punch to the gut, leaving him breathless. Jack's words echoed in his mind, each one sharper than the last. She’s leaving. Of course, she would. She wasn’t the type to hang around hoping for some half-hearted promise or for Quinn to finally decide what he wanted. She deserved so much more than waiting for him to get his act together.

Jack's voice softened, pulling him back to the present. "Quinn, it’s not too late. She hasn’t left yet. If you really care about her, don’t let her go like this."

Quinn’s gaze faltered, a flicker of something vulnerable crossing his expression. Could he really undo the damage he’d done by staying away? Could he find the words to convince her that, despite his silence, he’d felt everything just as deeply as she had?

A heavy silence followed before Quinn found his voice. “What… what should I say to her?”

Jack shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping him. “You really think I’m giving you advice on how to get the girl I wanted?”

Quinn’s face softened in a rare, grateful smile. “Fair enough.” He hesitated, then turned, steeling himself as he left the kitchen, leaving Jack to his own fractured thoughts.

Quinn climbed the stairs two at a time, his pulse racing with every step, anticipation and fear warring within him. As he reached the top, he saw Trevor just exiting your room. Trevor paused, giving Quinn a look that held no small amount of concern.

“I don’t know what went down between you three,” Trevor said, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “But I care about her, and I don’t like seeing her like this. You going to fix whatever mess this is?”

Quinn’s chest tightened. He knew Trevor had been close to you, learning this summer just how much of a big brother figure he was to you. He couldn’t fault him for looking out for you.

“I’m going to fix it,” Quinn said, his voice quiet but firm. He met Trevor’s gaze, hoping to communicate the sincerity in his words. “I have to.”

Trevor didn’t say anything else, but he gave Quinn a long, steady look, as though weighing whether to believe him. Then he gave a nod and shifted your duffle bag, stepping aside to let Quinn pass. With a final glance at Trevor, Quinn walked to your door, his heart racing. Quinn stood outside your door for a moment, his hand hovering above the doorknob. He knew what he needed to say, but a part of him feared that the damage was already done. Bracing himself, he knocked gently before pushing the door open.

You were standing by the window, your zipped duffle bag sitting on your bed. Your back was to the door when Quinn entered, and for a moment, he almost turned around, the words caught in his throat. But then you turned, your eyes meeting his.

“Are you really going?” Quinn asked, his voice quiet and strained.

You nodded, stepping away from the window and closer to Quinn. “I think it’s best. This whole summer has just… it’s too much, Quinn. I didn’t come here expecting any of this, and now I just feel… caught. And I can’t keep feeling this way.”

Quinn swallowed, his gaze never leaving yours. He looked as though he was battling something heavy, words lingering on his lips, waiting to escape. He stepped forward, close enough that you could see the faint circles under his eyes, the fatigue that seemed to pull at his features.

“I didn’t expect any of this either,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “And I get it — you’re right. I hurt you. I know that. I thought… I thought if I kept my distance, it would somehow make it easier for everyone. That maybe you'd move on from this — move on from me, and be with Jack. I thought it would hurt less.”

You held his gaze, your voice low but unwavering. “Do you have any idea what that did to me, Quinn? All summer, feeling this… this connection between us, and thinking that I had to be imagining it because you couldn’t even look at me. And you’re saying you did that on purpose? To protect me?” Your voice trembled. “That’s not protecting me. That’s running away.”

Quinn took a shaky breath, stepping closer, his expression taut with regret. “I know I messed up. I was spineless and I should have told you the truth sooner.” Quinn said, bowing his head briefly before forcing himself to look up at your hurt eyes. “I told myself that it was better this way, but all I was doing was lying to myself. Because every time I saw you… every time I heard your laugh, or watched you talk to Jack, or caught you looking at me — I couldn’t breathe.”

Quinn took one last step forward, less than a foot away from you. He raised his hand to reach you, fingertips grazing your arm gently, as if he feared you might pull away. “But I care about you, more than I thought possible. And I was afraid of that. Afraid of hurting Jack, afraid of hurting you… and afraid of wanting you this much.” He swallowed, his voice growing rough. “But I can’t let you leave without knowing how I feel. I want to be with you I — I need to be with you.”

Your breath hitched, the confession settling over you like a warm, crushing weight. This was what you’d wanted, but it also brought a whirlwind of conflicting emotions crashing down. You took a small step back, just enough to put some distance between you, needing space to gather your thoughts.

Quinn was saying everything you wanted to hear from the beginning. Laying his feelings bare, and exposing his heart in a way you hadn't expected from someone as reserved as him. It was like seeing a hidden part of him, one he’d kept carefully guarded. The vulnerability in his eyes made it clear that this was as terrifying for him as it was thrilling for you.

But in the back of your mind, Jack lingered, his hurt and disappointment woven into every stolen glance and quiet moment of the summer. The image of his face as he realized how you felt about Quinn was something you couldn’t shake. The memory clawed at you, guilt mixing with the longing Quinn’s words evoked.

“You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to hear that,” you said, voice catching. “But Quinn… Jack — he tried so hard with me this summer, and I couldn’t give him what he wanted because of… well, because of you.” You hesitated, torn between the longing in Quinn’s eyes and the memory of Jack’s earnest, hopeful glances. “The last thing I wanted was to hurt him. And I feel like I’ve done enough damage by just… being here.”

Quinn’s gaze softened, his hand lingering just above your arm, hovering close as if he wasn’t ready to let you go. “I know,” he murmured. “I know it’s complicated. But I talked to Jack this morning. He told me… he told me to come up here and talk to you. To tell you how I felt. He wants you to be happy, and he knows that’s not with him. He’ll get over it.”

“Jack said that?” you whispered, barely able to believe it.

Quinn nodded, a slight smile tugging at his lips, though there was sadness in his eyes. “He might hate me for a while, and I can live with that. But he said I’d regret it if I let you go. And… he was right.”

His hand, warm and steady, traced down your arm, his fingers slipping around yours with a gentle firmness. The touch, gentle but insistent, sent a jolt through you. “I know I’ve messed up,” he murmured, voice barely a whisper. “But if you’ll let me, I’ll make it right. I want this, us… if you do too.”

You nodded, words escaping you as Quinn stepped even closer, his free hand lifting to gently cup your face. His thumb brushed against your cheek, and you could feel the slight tremor in his touch. He leaned in slowly, giving you every chance to pull away, but you didn’t.

His lips barely brushed yours, soft and tentative. Your breath mingled together briefly before your lips locked together. He lingered for a heartbeat, savoring the closeness as if he, too, couldn’t believe this was real. Then, with a surge of emotion, the kiss deepened, all the restraint and hesitation of the summer dissolving as his hand rose to cradle your cheek, holding you to him as though afraid you might disappear.

His stubble that had grown out over the last couple weeks of summer scraped along your jaw and chin, leaving a faint burn that only added to the rush of sensation.

When you pulled back, both of you breathless, he rested his forehead against yours, a soft smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I’ve wanted to do that since the day you got here,” he murmured, a hint of relief in his voice.

You giggled, staying close and feeling his heartbeat echoing against yours. The silence that followed was thick, but it was different now — no longer tense or uncertain like it had been for most of the summer. It felt as though the weight had been lifted from both of your shoulders.

But even in that moment, you knew the reality of what this would mean—for Jack, for Quinn, and for yourself. There was a part of you that still ached, remembering Jack’s quiet disappointment and knowing it would take time to heal the wounds this summer had left behind.

You swallowed hard, raising a hand to Quinns face and brushing aside his dark locks that fell over his eyes. “I still think I need to go,” you said softly, your voice barely above a whisper. “Not because I don’t want this. I do. But I think both of you need time, and maybe I do too. To let everything settle.”

Quinn nodded, understanding settling over his expression. “I get it,” he replied, taking your hand in his and giving your palm a soft kiss. “I’ll be here when you’re ready. Take all the time you need.”

Quinn let you slip from his arms, his heart squeezing as he watched you grab your bag and exit the room. As you descended the stairs with your duffle bag slung over your shoulder, you saw Jack waiting near the door. His expression softened as you approached, a bittersweet smile crossing his face.

“So, this is it?” he asked, his voice gentle but with an undercurrent of acceptance.

You nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s best. Thank you, Jack. For understanding. And… for everything.”

Jack gave a short nod, his gaze momentarily flickering towards the stairs where Quinn had stopped to watch from a distance. He returned his gaze to you and managed a small, sincere smile. “Go live your life. I wish you and Quinn all the best.”

You hugged him, both of you holding on just a second longer than necessary. When you pulled back, you could see the mix of emotions in his eyes, but there was a sense of peace there too. He’d let go, not because it didn’t hurt, but because he genuinely wanted you to be happy. You felt your heart swell, gratitude mixing with the faint sting of regret for the friendship that would never quite be the same. But Jack’s words lifted the weight off your shoulders, letting you and Quinn move forward.

With a final look, you stepped outside, Trevor waiting to drive you to the airport, his brow furrowed in confusion at the way you suddenly had pep in your step, a small smile present on your lips that had been missing for weeks. As the car pulled away, you stole one last glance at the lake house, catching a glimpse of Quinn watching you from the porch. He raised a hand in a small wave, and you returned it, a soft smile on your lips.

This summer hadn’t turned out anything like you’d expected.

[lovemybluebully]

How To Pet a Wolverine

I finally got to see 'Deadpool and Wolverine' on Sunday and have been inspired to write a little tickle fic. :) Hope you guys enjoy!

Warning for movie spoilers and lots of foul language and general Deadpool-isms. But if you've seen the movie too then this is exactly what you should expect from the two of them. XD

M/M Tickle Fic

Word Count: 2,343

Deadpool groaned as he was slammed headfirst into the dashboard of the Odyssey again, taking a moment to upright himself as he turned back around to make eye contact with one pissed off Wolverine.

They had been nonstop fighting for over twenty minutes now and with the both of them being able to heal so quickly it could go on indefinitely. But there was no time for this! With every minute that ticked by that was one less minute that Wade had at the chance to save his universe.

Wade wasn't the type of guy to ever give up, but he knew there was absolutely zero chance that Logan was going to. The older man even seemed to be enjoying taking all of his pent-up anger out through his endless stabbing and slicing at Wade's body.

"Okay! Time out!" Wade screeched with his hands up in a 'T' shape just as Logan launched himself from the back and landed on top of him with his claws at the ready, though managing to restrain himself from thrusting them into Wade's head for the moment.

Wade spoke slowly with his hands still up as a sign of surrender.

"Now let's just take a second here......to calm down......and reassess the situation."

"You started it, bub," Logan growled in his face as the merc scoffed and tossed his head around in exasperation.

"Ohhh c'mon! Can't we just admit that we were both giant assholes?!"

Logan only retained his glower while the tips of his claws pressed into the side of Wade's head.

"Uggh fine! I'll be the grown up here, geez. Okay I'm sorry I punched you in the face first. And I'm sorry I lied about being able to get your world back. But you know there is still a chance that it is possible. Right? We don't know for sure yet that my claim was total bullshit. But I promise that from here on out there will be no more lies from me .....Okay? We good?"

The anger in the feral man's eyes began to subside along with the tension in his muscles diminishing as his breathing grew less harsh and had evened out.

"Not a lie. An educated fucking wish," Logan smirked and retracted his foot-long claws back into his hand much to Wade's relief, "Ya know that's probably the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time."

"Sorry, but I was in a panic trying to diffuse the situation and sometimes my mind just comes up with the stupidest shit and I can't control what comes out of my mouth."

"Sometimes?" Logan raised a skeptical brow, making Wade gasp in mock offense.

"Well that's not very nice. I'm a human being, you know, with feelings and dreams.....," he paused as he eyed the man hovering over him up and down before adding, "...and a raging boner."

The Wolverine let out an annoyed sigh and shook his head.

"For fucks sake, does everything have to be a perverted joke with you?"

"Who's joking, gorgeous? Now get off of me. My pants only have so much room for expansion," he carried on while simultaneously giving Logan a poke in the stomach, eliciting a snort and a faint twitch that Wade didn't fail to notice as the man promptly backed off of him.

"Well well, what in the name of PG-rated shit have we got here?" Wade said a little giddily, tilting his head as Logan looked at him with a suspicious frown from where he had now settled into the 3rd row back seat.

"The fuck you babblin' about?" He continued to glare while Wade began slowly crawling towards him from the front of the van.

"I mean, either this is just a wet dream I'm having, or it appears the big, bad Wolverine may be a little ticklish."

Logan's face remained stone-cold, showing no sign of fear as he just huffed and rolled his eyes.

"You're insane. Just stay the fuck away from me."

Wade only shook his head with a grin a mile wide being concealed by his mask as he closed in on his quarry.

"Mm mm, sorry Peanut. But I think we've reached that point in our relationship where it's time to explore each other's bodies. Don't worry, I'll be gentle," he was a mere arm's length away now as Logan bristled up and snarled at him; his claws shooting back out of his fists.

"Wade, I'm not joking. Do NOT fuckin' touch me, or so help me I'll splatter your brains all over the walls of this fucking cab!"

"Ooooh getting a little defensive there," the merc pauses as he turns his head to look out at the audience, now speaking in a husky whisper, "I love it when they play hard to get. Time to enact my elaborate and well-thought-out plan..."

Deadpool lurched back with an act of surprise and flailed his arms around in a frenzy before pointing out the window behind where Logan sat.

"Holy shit! Look! It's Johnny! Oh thank God! He's alive!"

Logan had absolutely no idea why he turned around to look. He knew damn well that there was going to be no one there. Maybe it was his nerves finally getting to him as he came to the realization that this crazy freak of a man was seriously about to tickle him.

Wade delayed not a second as he threw himself onto Logan and tackled him back into the cushions where he got his bigger frame trapped between the seats, ending up with Wolverine's claws plunged into both sides of his ribcage.

"Ouchie! Hahaha! Just kidding! Johnny's still dead, you dummy! Now it's tickle time!" He buried his dancing fingers into Logan's stomach as the man growled and clenched his teeth while beginning to squirm underneath him. 

"Grrrrggggh! Wade! Motherfuc-Get the fuck offa me!" He yanked his claws out of Wade's sides and continued to frantically stab into his body. Really he wanted to slice the other man's arms off to get him to stop, but the way he was wedged between the seats didn't give him very much room to move his arms efficiently.

"Awww are you trying to tickle me back? How fun! But you know, you really need to work on your technique. Something more like this would work a loooot better....," Wade's hands moved up to tickle his ribs, pressing in hard to make sure to get through the X-man's thick uniform top as Logan bucked and snorted while he tried to hold himself together.

"St-Stop! Goddammit! Stop ticklin' me, ya prihihick!" A regrettable giggle escaped him, and he knew he'd lost any hope that Wade would lay off of him now.

"Ahh now we're getting somewhere. Looks like you really are ticklish, huh?" His hands continued squeezing up and down Logan's sides with rapid speed.

"I never...ssssaid I wasn't-Gahah! Stupid ahahasshole-Aahahahaha!" Logan finally couldn't keep it in any longer as gruff laughter spilled out of him and the power behind his stabbings grew weaker and weaker.

"That is so true. Thank you for pointing that out. You wanna go ahead and do that for me? Hm? You wanna tell me how ticklish you are? How the mighty Wolverine absolutely cannot take the tickles? C'moooon, tell daddy all about it," Wade grinned as he was rewarded with a hard snort from Logan as he unsuccessfully tried to regain control of his laughter.

"Fuhuhuhuck yooooou-ahahahahahaah! Okay okay I'm.....," he wheezed much to Wade's amusement, "I'm seheeheeheerious! That's enohohough!"

"Oh no, this is just getting good. Pretty sure you've had this coming for a long time now, big guy. This may sound crazy, but I'm guessing you don't get tickled very often. Which is a damn shame because look how adorably ticklish you are!" Wade cooed teasingly while kneading his fingers into Logan's belly again as more snorty laughs bubbled out of him.

"I hahahate you sohohohooo fuhuhuhucking muhuhuhuch!" By now Logan had completely abandoned his attempts to stab Wade as he realized that it was pointless and now tried using his arms to guard his sensitive torso while continuing to writhe helplessly.

"Don't say such things, my squirmy wormy. I promise I'll grow on ya. Like a hemorrhoid sure, but that's all semantics. Tell you what, if you promise to refer to me as Marvel Jesus for the rest of the movie I'll let you up right now."

"As soohoohoon ahahas ya let mehehehehe uhup-eehehehehhehehe-I'm g-gonna fuhuhucking kill yooohoou!" Logan bellowed out, but the way he was giggling and pathetically making attempts to push Wade's hands away gave the appearance that he was far from being able to kill anyone right now.

"Ooooh someone's a little sassy pants. Not exactly smart to mouth off to someone who's tickling the crap out of you, but I get the impression you're more of an act before thinking kinda guy. That's alright, we'll tickle that shitty attitude right out of you."

Logan was able to get his big forearms crossed over his stomach in defense, prompting Wade to quickly scope out another target for his tickling barrage as he lunged forward and managed to jam his hands past Logan's clenched biceps up into his armpits.

"Nohohohooooo.....," Logan's thundering guffaw broke up into a long, airy wheeze as he thrashed about in silence for a few moments with Wade delighting in his reactions.

"Awww look at you. Wolverine's not such a tough guy. You just have to know how to pet him and then he's just a cute little helpless Wolvie, isn't he? Does that tickle too much? Does it? Coochie coochie coo!" He pushed his fingers in further to wiggle deep into the soft center of the armpits while the feral mutant convulsed in spasms before finding his voice again.

"Shhh-Shhhihihihit! Hahahahahaahaa! You're dehehehehehead!"

Wade sharply tilted his head in disbelief.

"Really? Still being a grumpy cunt after all this joy and laughter I've brought to you? I was sure you'd be thanking me by now. Hmmm maybe I'm not trying hard enough. You know what? Yes, I think I have just the thing." 

The merc pulled his mask up past his nose before shoving Logan's arms out of the way and yanking up his uniform top, exposing a hairy wall of tightly packed abdominal muscles that Wade was nearly distracted by before refocusing on the task at hand.

"Time for a blow job!" Wade quickly dove his face straight into Logan's belly and began blowing a very ticklish array of raspberries all over as the tough Xman exploded into hysterics.

"Bwwaaahahahaah! You fuhuhuhuhuck! Ahahahahahaha! Stahahap ihihihit! Stahahahahahahaaap! I'll kihihihihilll yoohoohooou! Baaahaahaahahahahah! Fuhuhuhuhuhuuuuck! That tihihihickles!  N-Nohohohohoahahahahahhahaha! Pleeheeheeease!"

Wade almost stopped in shock as that last word played over his ears. He had neared the point of getting Wolverine to beg for mercy, which he would most certainly never do when tortured under any other circumstances. That seriously put it all into perspective for him of just how ticklish the big lug really was.

Having gotten this far he wanted to push it more. Logan's stomach was clearly a major weak spot and with the right technique he was confident that he could drive some forbidden words from his lips. 

The loud farting noise his mouth made as he blew long and hard right into Logan's bellybutton echoed throughout the whole vehicle along with the screaming laugh that burst out of Logan's chest as he momentarily levitated off of the seat cushion.

Several fantasies began playing through Wade's head as he pictured Wolverine completely breaking down and begging profusely for mercy. That would give him the ultimate bragging rights for sure. Unfortunately, his devious thoughts had distracted him far too much. 

Logan had desperately been looking for a way out of this situation and now was his chance. He had to act fast before he was literally tickled to death. 

With a twist of his body, he managed to lift one of his legs to put a foot against Wade's stomach and violently kick him away, sending the merc flying back towards the front of the van with a surprised yelp.

Grateful for the tickling to finally end Logan immediately sat up and tried to catch his breath while Deadpool again had to turn himself over from his current upside-down position where he had landed on his head.

"God...dammit.....I told ya....to fucking....stop....," Logan panted as he glared dangerously at Wade, who simply scoffed and gave him a dismissive hand.

"Oh don't be so dramatic! It was just a little tickling. Besides a guy like you should be able to take ten times worse than that."

Logan's only reply was a vicious snarl and the snikt sound of his claws coming out as he got up and began to approach the now wide-eyed merc.

"Woah woah, take it easy! It was all in good fun! You don't have to pull that big macho act on me. You can't fool me, I know you were having fun too, right Logan? Uh.........Right?"

"............."

A few minutes later and Wade found his whole body completely wrapped up and restrained by all of the seat belts in the van with them even covering his entire face and preventing him from uttering more than muffled words.

"Hmph. Finally figured out a way to shut you up," Logan smirked as Deadpool squirmed in his prison of seatbelt webbing; able to hear but unable to see and speak clearly.

"It's true what they say, silence is golden. And I definitely prefer you as bein' the merc without the mouth. Whaddya think about that?" He reached over and tickled his fingers over an exposed area on Wade's side, producing muffled chuckles as his thrashing increased.

"Well I certainly ain't letting you get one up on me. Besides, you like this ticklin' stuff, don't ya? Don't worry, it's all in good fun. Unlike you though, I promise not to be gentle." 

One hand dug hard into vulnerable ribs and the other into his thigh as Wade made a futile attempt to scream for mercy.

[ghostofhyuck]

NCT Dream and situationships with them.

Mark Lee

Everyone thinks that you're wasting your time having Mark as a situationship only. HELLO ??? That's Mark Lee??? He's kind, a gentleman, and everyone wants him but he's there!! stucked in a situationship with you and you're just taking advantage of the situation. But you told Mark many times, you like him yes but you just couldn't commit to a relationship at the moment and he was alright with the setup. You do feel bad but you two consent with the setup, so it's fine. 

Huang Renjun

Having Renjun as a situationship is such a light feeling? You two started as friends who confessed that you two like each other and the next step was what now? You two aren't prepared for a relationship so a non-label situationship it is. It still has that platonic soulmates feeling around but at the same time, you two know when one gives affection and gesture, it's something the other should take seriously. Seriously, having him as your situationship is just having a relationship without the label. 

Lee Jeno

OH. Pulling my hair hard right now because a situationship with Jeno is going to be so chaotic!! It'll be because first, you two have mutual feelings; second, past issues would leave you overthinking about Jeno; and third, you don't want to jump into a relationship where you're the only who wants it. So there's no communication!! And as much as you and Jeno like each other, the mixed signals can be so confusing like why are you so sweet to me, I know you like but do you like me enough to commit ???? tell me !!!

Lee Donghyuck

Another situationship that has a lot of mixed signals. Haechan's sweet, an ideal boyfriend really BUT he already told you that he's just not ready for a relationship BUT he just tends to be so indecisive with his feelings. (cough, gemini, cough) so there's a tendency where he opens up about commitments and stuff but then the next day, it'll be nothing for him LIKE !!!! make up your mind Haechan !!! because you'll be there all confused and wondering where this situationship will go !!! 

Na Jaemin

Hey are you still there? Good --- situationships with Jaemin would probably be the worst, (leos lol) he's the life of the party and if he's bored, he'll be bored. But if he remembers that he has you, he'll go back to you even though there are times that you'll be left hanging. You don't know what to feel about it but hey, it's Jaemin. Even if he calls you at an ungodly hour of 1 am, you'll be willing to meet up with him because you like him, and you hope that his feelings for you haven't fade yet. 

Zhong Chenle

Oh situationships with Chenle would probably be the fun type of situationship ??? It's like the honeymoon phase where you two are clingy with each other, flirt nonstop, and probably had fucked more than once. Everyone is convinced that you two are together but they'll be shocked that you two are not in a relationship. A situationship ??? Really ??? when you are THIS clingy with each other ??? You two probably would laugh it off but wouldn't try to open it to the other because you two are afraid of ruining with what you two have because of a serious commitment. 

Park Jisung

Situationships with Jisung can test your patience. Sure, he's everything and perfect. He treats you nicely BUT why can't he commit? why does he need to put you in a situationship when he is a complete package of a boyfriend !!! You tried to open it to Jisung but he tries to brush it off, he never said that he's not ready for a relationship so what's holding him back ??? probably would ignore all the signs that you want him because Jisung thinks that being a situationship is okay with him and you deserve more (but at the same time, he doesn't want to let you go!)

[sunsents]

neteyam sully - beautiful boy

This is the fluffiest thing I've ever written. I'm on my period and very emotional.

➵ summary: Neteyam's beauty renders you speechless, you can't help but gawk at him.

➵ pairing: neteyam x fem!reader (no use of y/n)

➵ word count: 990

➵ warnings: pure, teeth rotting fluff. it's so sweet that even I was embarrassed while writing it. reader is literally just pining after him like an idiot and doing nothing else. reader is a simp.

DON’T REPOST MY WORK

"Will you stop it?"

"But you're just so pretty,"

Sat snugly on Neteyam's lap, you're tracing his facial features with a gentle finger. Your mate, frustrated and flushed - a combo you've come to adore after years of knowing him - keeps swatting at your hand and grumbling lowly.

You can't help it though, he's just so pretty. The type of pretty you stare at for hours without getting enough of it, no matter how much you trace and retrace his facial features with wandering eyes. The type of pretty that has you questioning how, or rather who allowed him to be this beautiful. The inquiries are daily and, nonstop - Eywa's likely fed up with you bending your neck at the sky and letting out a muffled scream of misery. 

Because Neteyam was a hurting kind of pretty - like he was incapable of making a facial expression that made him look even a tinge bit ugly, and this hurt your chest. Squeezed your heart until it shriveled and let out a pent, 'Enough, no more'. Worst of it all, you were free to touch. Free to look, free to fondle, and free to love. He was your mate, after all.  

This thought brought you immense joy every waking hour of the day.

So, he should cut you some slack. You were allowed to trace his facial features, because he looks like that, and he needs to be marveled at and cooed at. 

"I'm not pretty," he grumbles and squeezes your side in an effort to make you stop. It's useless, you're going nowhere. This is where you'll be spending the rest of your years, growing old and all that. Right between his arms. "I'm handsome and mighty!"

"Sure, you're all those. But you're also," you lean close to his ear, "pretty..." 

Neteyam grumbles all the same but stays still when you return to tracing his romanesque nose. His eyes are closed and you can't help but stare at his lashes - dark and long, kissing his cheeks. "I can never say no to you, can I?"

You smile, deciding to stay silent. You both know the answer, Neteyam would jump into a fire if you asked nicely.

So, with this in mind, you give him the softest kisses - peppering them on his smooth cheeks tenderly. His face is truly gorgeous and right in front of you; you can't help but kiss his lips. It's tame but drawn out, a press of lips as Neteyam stays completely still. (Which is a struggle for him since your mate always has to be doing something useful with himself.) You feel him smile against your lips, and a big, warm hand closes around your nape. His beautiful lashes - the ones you were admiring just moments ago - flutter against your cheek.

Neteyam likes to look. Not as much as you, but he had the strange habit of opening his eyes mid-kiss. You don't know how this action became a habit of his, but you're sure it was between the periods of I want to hold your hand longer, and I think I'm in love with you.  It would have been weird if you opened your eyes as well, but your heart never allowed you to. It's surprising you even noticed him doing this since you melt into pudgy goo whenever his lips touch you. So curse Neteyam's long and perfect eyelashes, it's hard not to notice them when they flutter softly against your cheek and tickle your heart. 

You pull away to which he whines, then continue your tracing. The tip of your pointer finger lingers on the curve of his lips - another feature you absolutely adore. His lip twitches and your finger moves to his bottom lip, pulling it down to watch it bounce back. The scene drives you crazy - causes your mind to reel. 

His lips are plush and soft, and his skin is oh-so pliant under your body. Your hand cups the sides of his face, massaging his temples. Neteyam hums and wraps his tail around your waist possessively. "Feels good," his eyes flutter shut again, letting you knead at his face. You try to be as gentle as possible, yet determined to make full use of this moment your mate has allowed you.

You feel the need to knead and smooth over every inch of his body so somehow - hopefully - the ache to just settle into his entire being and live there for the rest of your life is soothed. And the ache scares you.

The intensity of your love scares you because sometimes you feel like you cannot breathe. Neteyam has that effect on you - stealing your breath away with a kind smile and not even being apologetic about it. He's not even aware of his effect on you, and you think that only makes him more guilty. 

Punishing him is fun though - peppering kisses all over his face so he's unable to catch his breath as well, serves him right. You don't stop your kissing, out of breath and flushed. 

"Stop!" Neteyam laughs breathily, trying to push you away. He catches your face between his palms and harshly kisses your lips. Like a kiss a young child would share with a crush, only to run away, giggling, because ewww. 

You scrunch your nose, mumbling protests against his mouth. "You stop!"

He pulls away with a grin - and, oh Eywa. You're truly done for.

"I love you, so much. I could stay here all day, even if people come looking for us. Even if Eywa wills it herself for us to separate. I'm never letting you go, my love." he casually hums as he wraps his arms around you again, pressing you into his chest. So casual that you're baffled, looking up at him through your eyelashes with your lips parted. You feel your heart melting, sliding off from your parted lips and into his palms, snugly finding a new home in his hold.

[wonijinjin]

seventeen members comforting a crying s/o

author’s note: to anyone feeling a bit under the weather i hope this gives you a bit of comfort<3 take care!

synopsis: what the title says

word count: 1.7k | genre: fluff, angst, hurt/comfort | pairings: seventeen x gn! reader | warnings: mentions of being sick, overworking, bad relationship with loved ones, bugs, broken glass a bit of blood and a small cut, horror movies and jumpscares, mental health, nightmares, injury

the moment you stepped into the apartment cheol could see something was wrong; the way your lips quivered and your eyes sparkled from wet tears already forming in them. he would drop everything he was doing and come to you, taking your face into his hands. “my baby, what’s wrong? did someone hurt you?” he would question to which you started crying into his chest. he would rub your back while asking questions nonstop, like “is it about work? are you in pain, love? did you have a fight with someone?” he would really try to stop with the questions as not to overwhelm you, but he couldn’t help it, he was worried about you. eventually you would calm down a bit and he would take you to the couch and talk about how work was starting to be too much for you you while kissing your cheeks from time to time.

hannie decided to surprise you by driving to your workplace to pick you up, and when you didn’t use your usual emojis in text he got a bit anxious if something happened. when you exited the building he watched as you got to the car, and gave him a quick kiss. he pulled you into a hug, whispering in your ear in the process. “i can see that something is wrong, angel. will you tell me so i can help?” you instantly broke down, crying, realising that you definitely overworked yourself, seeking comfort from hannie, who would get into the car with you and reassure you that he would always be there for you, bringing you home and tucking your exhausted form into bed.

all shua heard was something shattering on the floor and your loud cry right afterwards. he sprinted to the kitchen to look for the source of the sounds and there you were; standing next to a broken glass, holding your finger, crying. he knew you disliked blood and that was one of the reasons why, altough luckily you hadn’t been badly hurt, you were in shock. he immediately got the first aid kit and got to work. “my love, does it hurt? don’t look, it is a small cut, it will be alright, i wrapped it up for you, nice and clean. please be more careful, i hate seeing you so scared.” he would sigh, hugging you and kissing your forehead after tending to the cut on your finger and collecting the shards of broken glass. he would cuddle with you all night after the incident, lulling you to sleep.

you always had a complicated relationship with your parents, and it was just one of those days, when you argued over something unimportant, which always ended with you storming off to jun’s place, and him finding you on his doorstep with teary eyes. your feet already knew where you were heading before you could realise, and there he was, looking at you gently from the doorstep, arms open for you to ran and cry into. “it happened again, didn’t it sweetheart? don’t worry, you are always welcomed here, you know that. let’s get you a tissue and something to eat, okay?” he would pamper you every single time, without fail, holding you for hours on the couch.

you didn’t expect your energetic boyfriend to offer to watch a horror movie together as he wasn’t the type to like them. while the movie was playing you gradually got more scared with time, but managed to finish it without any problem…only to have hoshi scare you when the credits were rolling, when you were already dozing off. you immediately started sobbing because you were still very vividly glued to the story you two saw. “oh my gosh baby i am so sorry. i didn’t know you would be so scared if i did this. please don’t cry, i feel so bad my baby.” he would pout while trying to comfort you by guiding your head on his shoulder while you hiccuped with fear. eventually at the end you would fall asleep on his shoulder, him stroking your hair and whispering silent apologies to you.

when wonwoo didn’t receive the usual hug from you as soon as he stepped into the house he was very confused. he started looking for you and found you in your shared bedroom sobbing, tissues around you on the floor. he would approach you slowly so you wouldn’t get scared, and without saying a word he would wrap you into his arms, letting you sob into his shoulder. after your cries subsudued he rubbed your back a bit more. “i don’t know what happened darling, but i am here for you, your mental health comes first, you know that right? do you want to talk about it?” if you did he would listen attentively, and if you didn’t want to share it with him he would offer letting you rest on his lap while he games so you could get a bit distracted from whatever was bothering you.

when you came to visit woozi’s studio he already knew you were pretty tired, so he let you sleep on the couch next to him, so he could watch over you while working. not long after you fell asleep you were startled awake by a nightmare, tears from the events in the dream on your face. “honey, what is wrong? you had a nightmare didn’t you? ah my poor baby, come here sit on my lap, i will protect you in your dreams, don’t worry.” he would be very soft spoken with you, knowing how upset you must’ve been, draping a blanket over you as you sit on his lap while he hums a sweet melody to help you sleep.

throughout your relationship dk had always been in tune with your emotions, and the day when you arrived to your date night at the restaurant with a puffy face wasn’t any different. you had a fight with your friends whom you had previously met up with. without words he was already hugging you tightly, guiding your head into his chest and stroking your hair. “don’t worry baby, i am here. as long as i am here noone will hurt you. shall we go home?” he held you by your waist on the entire way to the car, and never left your side after this incident, being more attentive afterwards too.

mingyu insisted on you going to the gym with him, which turned out to be one of his worst ideas. after giving a try to some weights a little too heavy for you the first thing mingyu saw was you dropping them to the floor while wincing in pain. he immediately rushed to your side, noticing the tears cascading down your cheeks. he would immediately inspect your arm, which made you cry upon touching. “i am so sorry sweetheart, i should’ve helped you more, it is all my fault. let’s get this checked out, okay?” he would feel so guilty, even though it wasn’t his fault. he would treat you like you were made of porcelain, not letting you lift a finger after getting hurt, serving breakfast in bed the next morning.

minghao knew you had an important exam that day, but he didn’t expect you to burst into the practice room sobbing and hiccuping, saying that you failed. he would hold your hand and wait for you to calm down enough to speak about the test, not wanting to further upset you by asking stupid questions. “honey, i know you worked really hard, and i know you feel really bad, but believe me when i say those grades don’t define you. now let’s go home and i will make you some tea, okay? that will help you calm down a bit.” he would try to make you as comfortable as he could, caressing your head while you cried.

it seems like when you got together with seungkwan you didn’t expect him to be so protective about you. the moment he found you at your desk, in front of your laptop, looking at the screen and trying to hold your tears he immediately began questioning what was wrong. “my babyboo who hurt you? who do i need to threaten? do i need to talk with your professors?” he would kind of panic on the inside though, hates seeing you sad, and would do anything to prevent you from feeling like you did at that moment ever again, so he would he ready to throw hands at anyone who hurt you. he would be rocking you back and forth while shushing you and telling you he would always be by your side and how proud he was of you.

vernon was not really keen on doing the job of getting bugs out of the house, but you weren’t either so someone had to do it. he knew you found a spider in the bathroom when you screamed loudly, cries echoing through the hallway. he would always come into the room of the incident prepared, efficiently and quickly catching the bug not long after his arrival. “babe please don’t cry, oh my god. i know you don’t like them but i already got rid of it, you have nothing to worry about.” he would kiss your forehead, wiping the tears from your cheeks, leading you out of the room and distracting you with something like funny videos of cats.

you hated feeling sick, but you caught the flu, leaving you at home in bed, watching series on your laptop to pass the time. dino knew you felt unwell so he came over, bringing you some soup and medicine. as soon as he saw you he cooed at the sight, he could see your lips quivering from what he thought was exhaustion; you always got upset when you didn’t feel okay. “my sweet baby, don’t cry please, i am here to nurse you back to perfect health as soon as possible! i will take care of you, just like you always do when it comes to me, you can lean on me, love.” he would get under the covers with you, watching whatever was playing earlier and patting your head until sleep overtakes you.

[beestriker015]

Nejire x shy male s/o

S/o is a member of class 1-A and met Nejire when she and the other two members of the Big Three visited his class.

Nejire, being the sweet and bubbly girl she is, immediately introduced herself to s/o.

“Hi! I’m Nejire Hado from class 3-A! What’s your name?”

“I-I’m s/o…”

He said timidly as Nejire smiled brightly at him.

“Nice to meet you s/o! What’s your quirk? I bet it’s super cool? Can you show it to me? Please? Pretty please?”

Poor s/o is overwhelmed by the blue haired girl’s bombardment of questions, but is lucky saved by his close friend Eijiro Kirishima.

“Eease up on him a little Nejire, my buddy s/o is kinda shy and you might be scaring him.”

“Oh so he’s just like Tamaki?”

She says out loud to herself before turning to s/o with an apologetic smile that makes him blush a little.

“Sorry about that s/o, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“I-it’s ok. T-thank you…Nejire.”

He looks at his upperclassman with a small smile that she finds absolutely adorable.”

From that moment onward, s/o and Nejire began interacting more and more before they eventually became friends.

Being friends with Nejire obviously means s/o is also friends with Mirio and Tamaki as well, the latter of whom he’s especially close to since they’re both shy guys.

Very soon after forming her friendship with s/o, Nejire became determined to help him with his shyness.

“It may take some time, but I know I can definitely break that shell of yours s/o!”

“Y-you really think so Nejire?”

“Yep! Just look at Tamaki! He was a lot shyer before he met me and Mirio than he is now. Yeah he’s still shy, but progress is still progress! I know I can do the same for you s/o!”

True to Nejire’s word, s/o started to open up more as time passed, which he was quite grateful for.

“I appreciate you helping me Nejire, it means a lot.”

He tells her without stuttering even once.

“Aww, you’re welcome s/o! That’s what friends are for!”

Friends

That single word caused Nejire’s smile to fade for a brief moment after it left her mouth.

Why? Because at some point in their friendship, Nejire developed feelings for s/o.

The f word didn’t just affect her however, as s/o had an unexpected reaction to it as well.

“Y-yeah…friends.”

S/o says with disappointment in his voice as Nejire looks at him strangely.

“Everything ok s/o?”

She asks him while tilting her head cutely as s/o lets out a small sigh and looks at her with a slight tinge of red on his cheeks.

“…..Nejire, I have something to get off my chest. Throughout our time together, I….k-kinda caught……feelings for you. I like you Nejire…a lot more than just a friend.”

After the initial shock from s/o’s confession wears off, Nejire smiles widely and glomps him into a tight hug.

“I feel the same way s/o! I love you!”

S/o blushes deeply as he melts into her embrace.

“I l-love you too Nejire.”

And thus, the two began dating.

Now that they’re boyfriend and girlfriend, s/o and Nejire are practically connected at the hip, spending whatever time they can together.

Upon learning of Nejire and s/o’s newfound relationship, Mirio and Tamaki are happy for their friends and congratulate them.

“You two make a good couple! Don’t you agree Tamaki?”

“Y-yeah, I’m r-really happy for both of you.”

“Aww! Thanks so much you guys! That’s really sweet of you two to say! Don’t you agree s/o?”

Nejire exclaims as s/o simply smiles and gives the two a thumbs up, much to Tamaki’s appreciation for his equally shy friend.

Being extremely extroverted, Nejire has no problem being affectionate with her boyfriend in public.

S/o however, is still shy and turns into a blushing mess when Nejire kisses or hugs him.

Texts between the two are almost nonstop, sometimes to the annoyance of others.

“Nejire, we’re supposed to be studying. I know you love him, but can you go five minutes without texting your boyfriend please?”

A classmate of hers says as Nejire types away on her phone.

“Hmm? Sorry, I was texting s/o. What were you saying?”

She looks up at her classmate as he shakes his head.

“….nothing, I knew picking you as a study partner was a bad idea.”

He grumbles to himself as Nejire continues texting s/o.

Despite being in different classes, Nejire has a tendency to make surprise visits to s/o’s class from time to time.

“We’re in the middle of something Nejire, go back to your own class.”

Aizawa says with a tone of pure boredom.

“Sorry Mr. Aizawa, I just wanted to check on my cuddlebug! I’ll go now. Bye cuddlebug, I love you!”

Nejire leaves after blowing s/o a kiss, his face red from embarrassment as a few of his classmates tease him about the cute nickname his girlfriend gave him.

“Cuddlebug huh?”

Kirishima asks his friend, but not in a teasing way.

“Y-you’re not gonna laugh at me too?”

“That wouldn’t be very manly of me now would it? I’m really glad you found yourself a girlfriend s/o, don’t let the others get you down.”

S/o looks at Kirishima and smiles.

“You’re a great friend Eijiro.”

They fist bump each other before shifting their attention back to today’s lesson.

When it comes to Nejire’s hero work, poor Ryukyu has to listen to the girl ramble on and on about how amazing her boyfriend is.

“From the way you speak of him, s/o sounds like quite a nice young man Nejire.”

The dragon hero says as Nejire looks at her and nods rapidly.

“He is! S/o is the best boyfriend ever Ryuko! He’s kind, handsome, and his shyness is just so cute! Maybe I could introduce you to him at some point?”

“Perhaps we can pay him a visit after patrol?”

Nejire gets excited at this as Ryukyu smiles, happy that the girl she views as a little sister found someone she cares so much about.

Whatever hero s/o interns under will receive constant calls from Ryukyu passing along messages from Nejire to her boyfriend.

“Ryukyu just called me s/o. She wanted me to tell you that Nejire-Chan says she loves you so much and that I need to keep her ‘cuddlebug’ safe and sound while we’re out on patrol today.”

He/she says with a chuckle as s/o can’t help but crack a small smile at his girlfriend’s message.

“You two love each other a lot don’t you s/o?”

“Uh-huh, she means a lot to me sir/ma’am.”

The pro hero smiles in response as he/her and s/o get back to patrolling for villainous activity.

If s/o ever got seriously hurt, nothing could prevent Nejire from staying right by her boyfriend’s side until he fully recovers.

“Miss Hado, visiting hours are almost over. You can come back first thing in the morning to see him.”

“No! I refuse to leave my cuddlebug alone all night! I’m staying right here with him.”

After a little persuasion from Ryukyu, the doctor eventually relents and allows Nejire to stay in s/o’s room with him for the night.

Once he’s back in good health, s/o is shocked to learn from Nejire’s friends some time later what she did while he was out of commission.

“Y-you were there the entire time I was in the hospital Nejire?”

He asks as she nods with a gentle smile on her face.

“Of course. My cuddlebug was injured and unconscious, so I absolutely could not leave until I knew he’d be ok.”

S/o smiles at his girlfriend as a few happy tears trickle down his face before he hugs her affectionately.

“I have the best girlfriend in the whole world. Thank you for everything Nejire. I love you so so much.”

With a slight blush, Nejire returns s/o’s hug and rests her head on his shoulder for a few moments before pulling away.

“I love you too s/o.”

She kisses him as they cuddle on his bed while watching a movie, a look of pure adoration is seen in Nejire’s eyes as she softly strokes the hair of her shy boyfriend until he falls asleep in her lap.

“Aww, I put him to sleep. Well then, sweet dreams my cuddlebug.”

Nejire whispers softly to s/o before closing her eyes and going to sleep as well.

[r3starttt]

HELLO REN! i luv luv luv ur works so much <333 ever thought ab childhood best friend caitlyn where she asks reader about how she found out she liked girls? can be sfw or nsfw :P

a/n: Tysm! It made me sob 🥹🩷 also, loved this request. Hope u enjoy!

Warnings: fluff. a lot ig(?

Caitlyn had always been pretty self-confident. She would never hesitate, would always speak out loud and never really doubted herself.

But recently she’s transformed so much, she can’t stop doubting about her, about her mind and her heart and her whole life. About you.

She’d been friend with you for so long. You’re the only one she truly trusts, the person that makes her feel more comfortable, the only one that she feels like she can be her true self. No need to be perfect or strong or smart.

And it shows. The moment she sees you a wide smile appears on her face, a sparkle grows on her eyes, so unexplainable. And what you likes the most, she becomes the most tender person whenever she’s with you.

And it was like this since you met her. It took you a while to get close to her though. She’d always hesitate before answering all the questions you made about her, and her response was always to short, just telling you what was necessary.

But you never gave up on her because she seemed so nice, you were dying to be her friend. The little you’ve talked with her let you know how much you had in common, you’d never stop.

So she finally gave in and started to talk back, and she regretted so much for not doing it before, because you were so nice too, you’d hear hear if she needed to speak, you would remind her to breath whenever she spoke too fast. You’d hold hands with her if she was too nervous, you’d let her cry on your shoulder when she was feeling off and you’d hear her complain about her mom nonstop.

If she needed to be quiet then you were there for her, to stay hours in her room just staring at the ceiling in silence, or to talk about whatever came to your mind to entreating her. If she needed to speak you’d always listen. If she needed any advice she’d only listen to yours.

And she did the same for you.

You’d always be invited to whatever fancy event the Kiramman’s made, and caitlyn adored you so much for attending. You were probably the first relationship she had that didn’t felt like it was all about power and money and society and perfection. She felt so real with you, so comforted.

And she’d always find a way to let you know how much you meant for her. Like on your birthday, she’d always spoil you so much. Or if she noticed you weren’t doing good she’ll put you first until you felt better. She’d always convince you to tell her what was wrong, always avoid any conflict with you and would apologize whenever her emotions made a mess of your friendship.

She was just so nice for you and you were even nicer to her.

But she always thought it was a platonic feeling, nothing romantic. She’d love you, a lot, but only as a friend, as family.

“Do you like her?” You we’re both laying on her bed, in complete silence until now “She’s fine but… not my type I guess”

You’d met a girl some days ago, but it was nothing serious. I’m fact you didn’t even planned a second date. Tiny detail you’ve forgot to mention to Caitlyn.

“So you have a type?” you could notice her smirking from the corner of your eye, your hand slapped Caitlyn’s, and she let out a very loud and dramatic ‘oww’

“What about you mhm? You’ve never dated anyone, you’re so boring” now she slapped your hand

“How…did you know you like girls?” you let out a small giggle, was that the reason of her singleness?

“Uhh long story, but if you’re wondering if you like them then you probably have the answer already” she groaned, her head turned to look at you, there was a serious expression on her face “I just… I don’t know, I met a girl and I thought I loved her as a friend but…. It took me a while to understand my feelings”

You stopped talking for some seconds, thinking on how to explain it properly without gettin much into detail

“It’s kinda weird but, I only realized about it because the idea of kissing her or hugging her, maybe cuddling with her or touching her in general made me feel nervous. Like a mix of excitement and happiness”

She nodded. You moved your whole body to face her, resting your head on top of your hands. There was a slight blush covering her cheeks.

It was probably the first time she was unable to maintain eye contact with you. Did it mean anything? Maybe you were just overthinking it a lot, she’d let you know if she felt something for you right?

“Who are you thinking about?” she gulped, not really sure on how to answer “is it me?” the way her eyes widened gave you the answer you were looking for, but you needed to hear her saying it out loud “Answer me Caitlyn”

“It is, yes”

“So? you know you can be honest with me, I won-“

It happened so suddenly. Not a proper thing of her to do, but you wouldn’t complain.

Her soft lips pressed on top of yours, her hands traveled to yours and her long cold fingers intertwined with yours. Her touch felt so sweet, so tender and pure.

Your hands moved to her face, cupping it and caressing her cheek with your thumb.

Until she broke the kiss.

And if it wasn’t because of the sparkle on her eyes, because of the way her lost look wandered around your whole face, because of the way you could almost feel her heart as if it was yours, because of how your breathing became one, then you would’ve asked her if she liked it.

You moved some of her pretty blue hair and tucked it behind her ears. She looked even prettier now that you could look at her this closely.

“I think I like you” you giggled “I think I like you too”

[another-lost-mc]

I love how you did a better job with the worldbuilding than solmare ever did. I’m literally still interested in this game because of your blog. I had a discussion with my sister about how annoying it is that some characters always behave the same, like beelzebub being hungry all the time. I dislike how solmare didn’t put a lot of effort into understanding the sins. They were just like, 'Oh, gluttony? Let’s make this demon hungry all the time' while the actual sin is more about overconsumption in general. So, I was curious how you felt about that lack of depth. Like for example when you write about your oc’s or other characters where the sins play a role, do you have like solmare’s version in mind or do you go think deeper than that?

Oh, that's such a nice compliment that you enjoy some of the world building nonsense I like to ramble about. 🤗 I can literally talk about this stuff all day.

The upside to Solmare's neglect of those nitty-gritty details is that players have more room to explore the other possibilities. I love how everyone in this community has their own headcanons and beliefs to shape their view of the game world and its characters. This community is so creative! I've read so many other ideas that are fascinating and more in-depth than what Solmare have written themselves, and while my ideas won't appeal to everyone, it's nice to have this space to explore them anyway.

When it comes to my personal worldbuilding, sins are really important to fleshing out all the different motivations and goals characters have. I agree that a lot of the characters have the odd moment to shine, but otherwise are lumped into the lazy stereotype of their character. It's really annoying.

Part of the problem with having so many characters and trying to give them screen time is that none of them get developed beyond easily recognizable traits: Beel eating nonstop, Satan being obsessed with cats, Mammon complaining about being broke, Asmo's narcissism and flirtations. Even with the events, some of their choices are missed opportunities to highlight characters in ways we don't normally get to see. Beel being the highlight character for a Fangol or sports-themed event? Nah, throw Barbatos in there because Beel can show up when there's food around. Like yes, okay, we get it. But what else is there? If Solmare won't explore beyond the bare minimum interpretation of their sins, the players just have to do it themselves.

My personal solution for that is two-fold: assigning a secondary sin for each character to add more nuance/depth to their view of the world and their place in it, and expanding the interpretation of their sins beyond the literal meanings. Demon royalty, as leaders of the Devildom and the most powerful embodiments of sin, may have multiple sins that influence their leadership styles and priorities.

(I have some ideas for angelic virtues and elemental alignments, but that's a subject for another post.)

Some other ideas tied to my headcanons about sins include:

Demons have extremely long life spans and I think it's natural for their secondary sins to shift over time as their environment and circumstances change. (I think in extreme situations, a demon's primary sin may also change - this is something I imagine happened with Diavolo's father.)

Certain types of demons are naturally drawn to one sin more than others. Crow demons, as a part of Mammon's cohort of demons, tend to be Greed-aligned. Not all Lust demons are incubi, but all incubi/succubi are Lust demons. Lesser demons - the ones that make up the foot soldiers of the Devildom's legions, tend to be aligned with Wrath or Envy which empowers their capabilities in times of war with the angels/other realms.

Demons that are exorcised and respawn later may have different sin alignments than their previous incarnations.

Fallen angels demonstrate early "warning signs" of their sin(s) at some point prior to being cast out of the Celestial Realm. Their natures truly manifest once their transformation from angel to demon is complete after falling to the Devildom.

The canon cast and OCs all have designated primary and secondary sins. I know some of the combinations for the OCs in particular might seem a little...odd...but that's because the interpretation of their sin goes beyond "greed = money-hungry" or "gluttony = over-eating". Some of the sins have some overlapping tendencies too. Here are examples of how the OCs' primary sins manifest for them:

Karasu & Greed - Karasu might not appreciate spending or earning money the way Mammon does, but he appreciates wealth of all sorts. Not only money, but knowledge. His nest is a hoard of the riches he's accumulated over his long life, earned through his lifetime's work. Other hints of this sin peek through in his romantic relationships: he wants to be praised, to worship and be worshipped, to have his lover's time and attention and focus solely on him. He gives all of himself in return - an equal exchange, but not one made lightly either.

Azra & Lust - It's not just about sex, but it does play a significant part in how his sin manifests. After a long list of poor choices made with good intentions, he ultimately fell from the Celestial Realm because what he wanted - his relationship with Meta, one that he didn't think was possible if they remained angels under Father's strict thumb - outweighed everything else in his mind. When he fell, he became an incubus, and in a way it damned him to a life where he is forced to feed his sexual appetites with anyone but the one person he desired most.

Tenebris & Gluttony - He was obsessed with finding ways to make himself powerful and worthy in the eyes of the nobility and his father. He embarked on a very selfish and relentless pursuit of knowledge and power that would enhance his naturally gifted magical abilities. Those efforts led to him gorging himself not on food but on humans. Not just their souls either, but their flesh and blood and bones - all harvested without guilt or shame, to be used for his magical experiments and to fuel his spell work. He nearly killed himself in the process but he justified it in his mind as necessary. It was only his indirect involvement in Bathin's exorcism, and the shame and guilt that came after, that finally convinced him to stop and reflect on what he had done.

Related world building posts:

Primary and Secondary Sin Alignments

Demon Royalty & Sin

Diavolo's Father: Sins of the Demon King

[talkfastlibrary]

Pretty When You Cry--Jake Seresin (An Arrangement Series)

An Arrangement Masterlist

Follow here for all updates as I do not have a taglist

word count: 1.3k (longer than a blurb, oops!)

warnings: feelings of lonelinees, sadness and lowered self-worth, little bit self-indulgent with this one

Feedback, asks, comments/reblogs mean the world to me!

Authors note: this is taken in the near future of the series!

Enjoy!

You know you shouldn’t but you can’t help yourself by looking through the Instagram stories of your girlfriends; the three of them took a trip to sunny California and this was how you found out. Money has always been tight, but it’s even tighter now because of your grandma and you have to make sure you have food.

You’ve been saying no a lot to hanging out but feel the judgment from them when they see how often you go out with Jake and “it must be nice to have a guy take care of you” cycles through your head. They didn’t say it to your face but you overheard it while you went to the bathroom.

That made you shut down and isolate yourself from them and especially from Jake. You told Reynolds he didn’t have to drive you anywhere for a while. Guilt and shame clouded over you but seeing them all having fun made you feel even more lonely. 

What hurts the most is that they didn’t even tell you they were going and that you had to find out through social media. Why didn’t they say anything? Purposely not telling you makes it seem like they didn’t want you to know but then why post about it? 

Your mind is spiraling and your self-worth is spiraling with it into a deep dark hole that you haven’t been in since high school. 

You ignored Jake’s texts and calls, thankful he was gone on a mission so he couldn’t even stop by. You didn’t want to burden him with your racing thoughts and feelings of despair. You’ve dealt with them on your own, it’s rough, but eventually you talk yourself out of it and tell yourself you were just overreacting. 

So why is it that your fingers found his name in your messages and typed the words ‘I’m feeling sad and I miss you.’

You stare at it waiting to see the little bubbles appear but your screen turns black. You tap it again to see how late it is and sigh. He’s probably out with the guys or probably found some other girl to entertain him for the night. That’s the thought that breaks you and brings on the waterworks. You turn your phone off and shove it under the pillows letting your tears consume you. 

Sometime later the door opens and you’re flooded in the light from the hallway. It scares you  into an upright position because no one is in Jake’s house except you and the same moment you do, the lights flick on. Jake is standing there in jeans and a sweatshirt, duffel bag on his arm and his phone in his hand. 

“Where’s your phone? I’ve been calling and texting nonstop for hours,” he drops his duffel bag on the floor without a second care for it. “Are you hurt? Why are you sad?”

He rushes across the room kneeling in front of you, his hair is unkempt and the circles under his eyes are dark again. You open your mouth to tell him but the words get stuck and a broken sob comes out instead. Fresh tears are flowing and you throw yourself at him, arms around his neck and your face curved into his shoulders. 

“Woah, woah, hey, hey, hey,” his voice is soft in your ear. He holds you closer to him, hesitant at first because you don’t normally initiate physical contact but when you don’t pull away, he holds on tighter. “What’s got you so sad, Sugar?”

You shake your head sniveling into his neck, the fresh scent of his cologne swarms all around you. You can feel his heartbeat in his neck, the warmth of his skin.

“Hmm? Tell me so I know who’s ass I need to kick.”

“It’s stupid,” you whisper.

“No it’s not. C’mere,” he rises from his knees and maneuvers your legs around his waist. He sits down on the bed with you wrapped around him like a koala. 

And the physical contact feels so good that it makes you cry harder. It’s been so long since you’ve been held like this so you hold him tighter. As if he knows you only need to be held while you cry, his fingers start to pet your hair and rub soothing circles on your back.

You stop crying when your head starts to throb and his sweatshirt is a darker gray. You pull away to wipe the excess tears away, he offers the sleeve of his sweatshirt. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“My friends are in California together and they didn’t ask me or tell me they were going. I found out from them posting about it. And you were gone and I hate how I’m always pushed to the side or left behind,” you sniff. 

Jake sighs frowning. His palm is warm and a little rough as he caresses your cheek.

“I’m sorry you had to find out that they’re on the trip like this. I hate leaving you when I have missions but I’ll never push you to the side. You’re at the forefront of my mind, always.”

You duck your head, you never know what to do or say when he says nice things like this.

“Hey, no, don’t hide away from me, Sugar,” he lifts your face back up so you’re looking at him. He gives you a soft smile. 

“Sorry,” you clear your throat. “I didn’t know you were coming back today.” 

“I wanted to surprise you. I’m glad you texted me what you’re feeling.”

“It’s stupid–”

His thumb presses down on your lips.

“Stop. Your feelings are never stupid. You’re sad and rightfully so but I’m here now and I will make it my duty to get you smiling.”

He smooths out your lips then swipes leftover tears from your lashes.

“Damn,” he says.

“What?”

“I hate seeing you sad but you’re so damn pretty when you cry,” he shakes his head, “shortcuts to heaven through your eyes.”  

The upturn of your lips is shy but automatic because no one has ever spoken to you like this before. 

“There’s my favorite smile,” he smiles back at you, sliding the hand from your back to your thigh. He rubs it affectionately. “Screw your friends. You want to go to California? I’ll take you across the whole state, we’ll stop at every vineyard and stomp on grapes to make our own wine. We’ll post about it and they’ll be so jealous.”

You can’t help but laugh at his antics. From the crying and deep emotions your laughter turned into a yawn.

“How about we watch The Wizard of Oz until you fall asleep?”

“In here or in my room?”

“Wherever you want, Sugar.”

Your answer is by crawling under his sheets and Jake staring at you in bewilderment. This is all new territory with you and he hopes it means you’ll be more open with him. He grabs his remote, pushes a button and the large screen tv slowly rises from the floor at the end of his bed. He has all your favorite movies in one spot and quickly turns on The Wizard of Oz.

“Where are you going?” you ask when he moves to his closet. 

“Just changing, I’ll be right back,” he smiles over his shoulder.

He’s never changed faster in his life, and all his years of Navy training have prepared him to get dressed in thirty seconds or less. He joins you under the covers and is again surprised when you drape half your body over his. Jake starts rubbing your back again, resting his head on top of yours as Dorothy spins in the twister and enters the land of Oz.

Throughout the movie you comment on it and tell him facts about the production that he pretends he had no idea about. He listens to you hum along to the songs and just as Dorothy is clicking her red ruby slippers, you’re fast asleep.

There truly is no place like home, especially when you’re here with him.

[erxxi3]

hi rin!! u said ur requests are open so i’ll request something ! ellie with a reader she lovesssss to spoil? like spoil with gifts , kisses , affection , money , literally whatever you want. it can be smut or fluff 🤭🤭🤭

Oh…OH MY GOD YES!

I’ll provide you with some short headcannons for ellie along w/ nsfw parts here and there!

Please don’t get mad at me because my grammar checking website is making me pay a monthly purchase and I don’t want to so please know I am writing from the top of my head with whatever comes to mind and I’m hella tired rn as always!

Sfw

— Ellie is such a softie when it comes to the reader, but with anyone else she is ruthless and mean, even stubborn.

— Whenever you guys are on a expedition she scavenges to find whatever she could and finds left behind gifts like teddy bears (The kind of good condition probably ones just missing a few buttons or only a eye) , jewelry (She will clean it to make it new as possible just so you can wear it, good as new), kind of trendy clothes, and even movies that could still possibly work with the projector back at base.

— She likes to show you the most affection whenever your doing chores around the house because she can just come up behind you planting kisses upon your neck, which made you laugh all the time because you got so distracted that you had to get mad you couldn’t finish what you were doing. But you only got a bit frustrated although she was there to help you, so she just let you watch how better she is at cleaning up around the house for her perfect gf/wife!

— Whenever you guys are cuddling you may or may not sneak a few photos of her laying ontop of your chest as your fingers ran through her hair enjoying every moment with her. Surprisingly she didn’t notice you taking pictures of her being soft, but we all know it was to show off to your friends and have a laugh at ellie being nice to someone for once. The next few minutes passed by and you both dozed right off to sleep only to find eachother in a warm embrace, two bodies that had never left the same position or let go of eachother.

— Whenever she kisses you she grabs your waist pulling your close to her hands moving to holds each side of your face, as her lips crashed into yours and her tongue invading your mouth. After a few minutes, she broke away from you with a `pop!` saliva connecting the two of you before she went back for more. You tasted like cherry to ellie it was probably because of the chapstick you were wearing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nsfw

— The only way to get her in the mood for sex is if you kiss her nonstop turning into a full blown makeout session, which causes ellie to push you down or into something pushing her knee between your legs keeping you secure in that area.

— She loves to buy you revealing outfits for when the two of you are alone, allowing you to wear them as she fucks you until you scream her name and everybody knows who you belong to.

— Definitely is the type of person to pin you against a tree on a expedition with the others, which is out of sight and she would start to practically drown you in her kisses before sliding her hands up your shirt and squeezing your perky breasts gently, while you tried to suppress a moan as you bit your lip. Ellie starts to leave a trail of hickeys all over your body marking you incase anyone decided to mess with you, they were also fairly visible.

— When your in a bad moon ellie tries to her to cheer you up, “Want a kiss, love?” She cups your cheek as you nodded, lips joining yours with ease while she trailed her hands lower into your pants letting a gasp escape your lips, and rubbing over your panties soaked with your arousal hearing a whine come from you while clutching onto her sleeve your head leaning into her arm desperate for her fingers “please…”.

“This what you wanted? Such a naughty girl so needy for my fingers to be inside you.” She said taking your shorts off, slipping your panties to the side, and sliding her fingers inside your tight hole “your so tight…fuck.” You felt Ellie’s hot breath fanning over your neck, and a moan escaping her mouth when she felt you tremble in her hand “oh Ellie… please.” Ellie looked down to see your body writhing under her, and smirked knowing Ellie knew you were already wet and it would make it much easier to pick up her pace inside you, so she pushed her fingers deeper inside of you making you gasp “oh Ellie...fuck—- you feel so good.”.

Ellie’s thumb rubbed over your clit before she began pumping faster making you shudder, “I want you, Ellie. I wanna fuck you. Please….” She stopped stroking and gripped your hips squeezing them together before picking up speed pounding into you at a slow, steady pace. You could hear yourself moaning as Ellie kept up with her pace “oh god yes—fuck—Ellie~”. Ellie was quick to respond, feeling your moans vibrating against her stomach as Ellie pounded in and out of you quickly, and picked up her pace harder causing you to cry out louder, “ahhh—Ellie--you’re so good—don’t stop---fuck… Ellie~”. Ellie had never heard someone scream that loud or so beautifully. She smiled softly and pulled back slightly pulling her finger out slowly watching you shake and pant trying to catch your breath. She licked your juices from her fingers tasting every last drop of you.

Why did she taste just like candy? it’s addicting I need more of her, Ellie’s thoughts had been playing as if it was a endless loop. She wrapped her arm around your waist guiding your face back towards hers kissing you softly. Ellie continued kissing you gently until she finally pulled away after awhile “I think it’s time we take this upstairs.”.

[good-beanswrites]

hi! may i request some mikoto + amane (platonic obvs) … anything? they are very dear to me 😭

Yes!!! Thank you so much for the request -- they really are such a good pair ;-; (The thing is, I had so many nice scenes in mind about how they parallel each other, but they wouldn't know or reveal that about each other so I kept restarting...) Anyway, here's something right after Mikoto's first trial/verdict!

Mikoto could pick up on someone’s bad mood from a mile away, though the skill was unnecessary when the other party very clearly and calmly informed him, “I’m in a bad mood.”

After refusing his offer, Amane turned back to a thick textbook she’d been taking notes on. Didn’t kids usually complain that school was already a prison? She must have wanted the full experience. He'd worked nonstop at his studies as well, but this was a new level. Amane often reminded him of his little sister, though she always took the extra step like this. His sister would have jumped at this opportunity to play a few rounds of their favorite card game.

“It’ll be fun!”

He flashed a smile, but it had no effect on her severe expression. “I know you’re just trying to comfort me about our verdicts. I refuse to be pitied.”

“Comfort and pity are two very different things. But anyway, it wasn’t either of those things.” He gave an easy shrug “To be honest, I’m just a little bored. It’s weird not having any work to do during the day.” 

Mikoto couldn’t remember the last time in his life he’d had so many hours to himself. A lot of the others were fun to play games with. A few of the sportier prisoners helped him stay active. He enjoyed smoking breaks with the other men. Still, he was left to his own devices for the majority of his time. It was maddening. He’d recently requested some more art supplies, having used up the last batch, but they had yet to come in. Now with the verdict announcement, he wasn’t sure they’d ever arrive.

“That is your own problem. I already have something to do.” Her eyes lingered on the cards for the briefest of moments before returning to the book. “I told you, I’m not in the mood for it.”

Regardless of her hostility, he took a seat beside her. He leaned his arms out on the table. “We don’t have to play the same game.” The last time they'd played as a big group, several prisoners pulling the tables together to fit everyone. Amane had kept very quiet, eyes darting around at the cards as she tried to keep up with the rules. Not many of the others noticed the frustration clear in her face. Mikoto wasn’t the type to let her win out of pity, though he had begun to mutter the rules and strategies to himself a bit more as the night went on… 

“Is there a game you liked to play at home?”

 “No. There was no time for games in the house.” 

“All work and no play… hah… I know what that’s like.” He slumped his cheek onto his arm, lazily shuffling the cards around. He felt bad for bothering the girl if she truly was upset. He thought it was the bad experience that made her reject him, he hadn’t realized there were also family issues attached. Usually he could read people well; maybe he was losing his touch. He seemed to be losing touch with a lot of things, these days.

He readied a game of solitaire. 

“Mikoto?” Amane kept her face turned away. “There was… one game.”

“Yeah?” Mikoto shuffled the cards back together. He slid them over to her. “You should teach me!” 

She didn’t touch them. “You probably already know it.”

“Nah, I only know a few games. I’m better with tarot cards, though those aren’t really the gaming type. Come on, what is it?”

She told him the name of the game, insisting it wouldn’t be worth playing. She kept her attention on the textbook, but her eyes weren’t reading any of it. 

“Ahh, I’ve heard of that one! We start with four cards, right?” He started dealing them out.

“No, five –” she pointed to the deck, urging him to add two more. 

“Right, right.” He laughed lightly. “And the goal is to get pairs, and put them in a pile, uhh, here.”

Amane shook her head. She shifted her body slightly towards him. “You must be thinking of a different game. There’s actually three piles for pairs. One here, one here, and when it’s your opponent’s turn…” 

Her eyes gleamed as she explained the rules. She pointed to various cards, telling him exact moves and point values. “And to win, you need to –” Her expression shifted. “You… you already knew all this.”

“Of course not!” He put on his most convincing smile. 

She deflated. “You’re not a very good liar.”

“Tch, tell that to the warden.”

His shoulders sagged along with her. If Amane could see right through him, why was the rest of Milgram still coming up with stories about what he did and didn’t do? “Well, I might already know the rules, but it’s been a long time since I’ve played. You can still give me a hand. Plus, if you really are in such a bad mood, it’ll be good to take a break from your studies. You should always take a break when things get too overwhelming, yeah?”

She gave him a withering stare.

“Eh? What’s that face for?”

“Alright, let’s play. You can go first.”

“I mean it, what was that look? Aw, come on…”

[scaralvr]

08. to find out a secret chapter eight to the secrecy of our confessions [masterlist]

note :: only one more chapter guys... how do we feel

synopsis: confused as to why your friends have been acting distant and with scaramouche suddenly ghosting you, you demand answers after growing tired of their behaviour.

"hu tao, i think one of your strings sound off," yoimiya points out, merely side eyeing the brunette. it interrupts the current music practice and you put down your drumsticks. hu tao adjusts the pegs of her guitar with a blank expression and you tuck your bottom lip beneath your teeth. "hey, i was thinking if we could go to the mall later. it's been awhile since we all went out," you ask in a hopeful tone. yun jin looks at you from over her shoulder, "sur-"

hu tao cuts her off, "i can't. i have plans with my brother today." you pause and nod, "it's okay. what about you, aya?" ayaka replies in a murmur, "sorry, me too. ayato wants to take me to a new boba tea shop." you turn to yoimiya and she gives you a solemn grin, "i don't feel like it today. maybe next time, 'kay?"

music practice has never felt like this. everyday, it would be the only thing you ever looked forward to but now, it seems to be something you dread. the pealing of the bell is something your ears ache to hear rather than the music you play with your closest friends coming together. as the rest get up to leave for the day, yun jin stays behind as you put away your drum set.

"i'm glad you were able to join me," you say to her, sounding genuinely happy after quite a while, which in this case, would be two weeks. in those two weeks, you've been texting scaramouche nonstop, asking him about how his day went or if he wanted to come over for another band practice session. every single text was left on open. the most you got from him was the three dots indicating he was typing, but all of that was unsent.

you wonder if that had something to do with your friends' glum mood as well. yun jin smiles, though it seems different from her usual one. the one that makes the corners of her eyes crinkle and the one that could light up the whole room. "so am i. after all, the rest have been quite busy, no? with the battle of the bands coming up and... what not." she looks away from you after her last few words.

the two of you walk down the stairs, exchanging small talk accompanying moments of awkward silence. not even the sound of her barely audible humming can calm you, as it causes you to tense up even more. how did things end up like this? was it something you said? something you did? either way, you intend on finding out. lately, the music you play with them isn't the same, either.

the changes of your life and theirs have always seeped through the crevices of your music and with this complicated time, the sound that you release from the drums aren't the same as they were from before.

"hey, yun jin?" you pipe up, fumbling with your fingers. the pretty milkshake set out before you is untouched and the same goes for yun jin. despite going to the ice cream parlor of the mall for a nice chat, neither of you made any move to drink the milkshakes you ordered. the other girl nods, waiting for you to go on. her lithe fingers play with the straw settled in the glass.

you're looking down at your lap and continue to wring with your hands. "you... noticed the atmosphere lately, right?" your words are small and sorrowful. at this, yun jin lets out a noise of surprise, her pupils dilating. "you know it, but no one's telling me why we're like this. did you four get into a fight?" you finally look up and her calm expression falters for a moment at the sight of your pleading gaze.

yun jin sucks in a breath before letting her shoulders relax. "hu tao, she — i mean, she totally blew up on us. we were preparing a surprise for you, involving the student council president, and because something interfered with our plan, she saw it as a way to finally get you away from him, from scaramouche," yun jin explains in a firm tone. you're struck by shock, "does she hate him that much?" you decide not to question the 'surprise.'

"her brother, xiao, already explained the reason when she wasn't around. i get where she's coming from but she refuses to see the changes scaramouche has developed." yun jin adds, "back in junior high, scaramouche spread a rumor in their class that anyone who got too close to hu tao would have something tragic happen to them. it was just a few days after her grandfather passed. of course, scaramouche apologized some time later, but she hasn't overseen it."

you furrow yours brows and gently clench your hands, "he said that?" yun jin doesn't say or do anything for a bit before nodding. "then, it's my fault — i didn't know that that happened to her and the fact that she knew this and allowed me to like him was... was wrong!" you harshly gulp and yun jin abruptly stands up from her seat. "but remember, (y/n). you mustn't let her feelings get in the way of what you want. we all know scaramouche has changed and despite those tiny flaws of his, those are things we can't take away from him. it's up to you on how you'll proceed with this situation."

she squeezes your shoulder and turns to leave the parlor. your eyes shift to her retreating figure before moving to her milkshake. you slowly drag her glass to your side and feel the unmistakable sense of guilt and sadness gnawing at you. you wrap your hands around the chilly glass and attach your lips to the straw. the milkshake tastes too sweet on your tongue and you come to a conclusion that food really does taste better when eaten with someone else.

"you've been leaving them on seen!?" mona says in disbelief, waving around her nail file. scaramouche is new to all of this, having a deep devotion for someone and letting the relationship fall to shambles with the choice he's made. he looks at his sister with an unfazed expression, "yeah. and?" she groans and grips at her hair, "you are so stupid! the last thing you want to do in that situation is exactly what you're doing right now! you should be talking to them, not avoiding them like the plague!"

scaramouche throws his bag onto his bed and sits on the floor by it. "what's done is done. i'll continue my studies, get into a nice university and graduate as a single, sexy businessman. i've got two of those traits already, i think i'll be fine," he flatly says, taking out his phone to open spotify. mona rolls her eyes, "okay, kunikuzushi. but really, you should at least apologize to them even if they find no interest in you and likes this other guy instead... uh, cyno."

scaramouche narrows his eyes at the name and his lips turn into a sour frown. cyno. he has the characteristics of a man someone like you would totally be into but scaramouche himself still cannot put his finger on your current crush. who has two sisters? his head begins to hurt just thinking about it all over again and he tucks in his earphones. scaramouche hesitates to press the play button on one of the songs your band covered where he last left off crying to last night. 'sprechchor.' he plays it anyway.

hu tao switches the channels of the television set with boredom portraying her features. from baking, to reality tv, to cartoons, but nothing piques her interest. she's starting to regret lying about having plans with xiao. she's about to go to her bedroom when the sound of rapid knocking at the front door stops her in her tracks. hu tao gets her wallet at the ready, thinking it's her favourite girl scouts qiqi and yaoyao coming over to offer some cookies. it'd be a nice way to make her day.

when she swings the door open, she wasn't expecting you of all people. hu tao blinks, "(y/n)." she shakes her head and repeats, "(y/n)," with a more steady tone. "what are you doing here? didn't you have plans to go to the mall with yun jin?" she asks, sounding a little more meaner than she intended it to be. you don't say anything and stand there, just... looking at her.

"okay, weird. well, if you have nothing to say, run along-" before hu tao completely closes the door, you lodge your shoe in between the door and the wall to keep it from shutting. you then use your hand to open it and firmly say, "we need to talk." before she can add, you're welcoming yourself into the house and taking off your shoes. hu tao closes the door and stomps after you. "and what do you think you're doing?" she interrogates and sets her jaw.

you sit on the couch of the living room and face her. "i know now, hu tao. i know why you despise scaramouche," you say with ease. hu tao places her hands on her hips and feigns a grin, "wow, i'm so proud of you for cracking the case, detective! get out." you stand up and approach her, "no, i won't. because," you grab at her wrists and pull her towards you. hu tao is taken aback and you engulf her in a hug. you tightly latch your arms around her and she awkwardly tenses up.

"i need to apologize. had i known you were that uncomfortable with me liking him, i wouldn't have done so in the first place. i'm sorry, i really am," you mutter in her ear as you bury your face into her brown locks by her neck. a few moments pass and before you start to regret it, she eventually returns the hug. "it's okay, (y/n). i guess i should have spoken up about it if i was that bothered." hu tao smiles against the skin of your cheek and you giggle, "i missed you."

"hu tao, what did i say about eating near the instruments!?" yun jin scolds. hu tao grins with a mouthful of cake, "mmh, sorry!" she picks up her plate and makes her way to the table near the corner of the music room. you're sitting with yoimiya and ayaka and a whole feast of desserts presents itself on the table. "my brother dropped these off for us today. oh, i told him he shouldn't have," ayaka sadly mumbles.

yoimiya loudly laughs, "who cares, let's dig in! we're finally back together again!" ayaka smiles, "i suppose you're right." yun jin adjusts hu tao's flower barette and tsks, "don't go making any more trouble again, okay? we only have four more days until the battle of the bands so we have to cramp in as much practice as possible since we got held up with the argument and all." you and hu tao exclaim in unison, "yes ma'am!" and continue eating the desserts.

you indulge in a fine chocolate cheesecake with hints of strawberry. a wide smile curls at your lips. "ayato sure knows how to shop for desserts!" you say, digging your fork into the cake. ayaka places a hand on your head and titters, "hurry up now, we should practice a bit more before leaving." the sound of the doors opening alarms all five of you and find yanfei entering the room.

she waves while approaching. "hi, guys! i'm glad everything's going smoothly now. i have the costumes prepared for the big day, i just need to create a few more headpieces and accessories," yanfei says, her eyes looking over the desserts. "please, enjoy yourself. you've done so much for us," yun jin says and gives the pink haired girl a cupcake. yanfei's shoulders lightly shake with her laughs. "thanks, yun jin. oh, (y/n), have you told them about that thing yet?" she queries.

you perk up, "i forgot all about it!" you stand up from your chair and rush to your locker to get your bag. hu tao quizzically raises a brow, "what thing?" you have a big grin as you run back to them with papers in your hands. you lay it out onto the table and yanfei proudly crosses her arms. "i helped them out with it last night. it's a great idea, isn't it? it'd be nice to try something new," yanfei states.

yun jin's eyes sparkle. "this is," she turns to you, "you wrote your own song, (y/n)!?" ayaka giggles and looks at another sheet, "this is so cute!" you nod, "i think with this, we'll win the battle of the bands again. because you, yun jin, always handle the vocals in our live performances and maybe we should do something that will bring out all of us. also," you begin to fidget with your fingers, "i also want this to be a special performance. we went through some difficulties along the way but the important thing is, we're all together again."

"(y/n)..." yun jin pauses before trapping you in a hug. hu tao snarkily teases, "you're so sappy, (y/n)!" yoimiya wraps her arms around you and yun jin, crying out, "i love you guys so much!" hu tao deadpans, "nevermind. someone's cornier."

on his very tippy toes, scaramouche is clutching at the door handles of the music room for stability while trying to peer through the small windows at the top of the door. he's been gathering the courage to apologize to you, but after xiao told him about what happened with hu tao, you must hate him even more. scaramouche settles back onto the floor with a solemn expression. why was he even rooting for you in the first place? you already have a crush on someone else, what chance would he stand?

he loves you. he loves everything about you, except your unusual taste in men...

your unusual taste in men, indeed.

© scaralvr.

@meowlumi @beriiov @apr1cityyyy @xtodorokismistressx @dollpoetwriting @bleedingwhiteroses222 @r0ttenhearts @sammy-hammy @atsukawolfcat @pooonyo @strawberryclumsy @emmaemoseila @kunikuzushiit @scaramouchesmoocher @lxry-chxn @koiir @rvoulte @kunihaver @slash3rcore @sup-zfam @cotton-eee @twistedrxses @dameofthorns @ayamvirus @thinkingotherwise @jameineliebe @thenightsflower @lumpywolf @whatamidoing89 @strawbxrrytiger @sunfloens @one-offmind @angryhope @gyros-cum-sock @celestair @sixscara @bewithmecats @mikathasquirrel @kunisbeloved @asthespirit @itsyourgirlria @lunavixia @elysiasbae @bsd-goes-brr @jewelscara @envder

[showtoonzfan]

When it comes to Helluva Boss I really tried getting into it and wanting to love it because it seems like a interesting show and keep hearing so much hype on it. While the concept is a cool one and the animation is good as well as Viv art style being something uniquely different and some of the characters designs being nice enough, but despite those few decent qualities. All and all Helluva Boss to me just feels like any other very below average typical adult cartoon that to be honest reminds me of the type of adult cartoons that came on Comedy Central during the early 2000s that didn't last way too long or ones that came on Fox that only lasted for one season or a few episodes, the whole show just feels like a typical overly edgy adult cartoon that's trying so hard to be deep or have the same kind of mature depths of Bojack Horseman or even Tuca and Bertie except the writing is nowhere near on the same levels of those shows. Everything about Helluva Boss just feels like a total mess from the worldbuilding to the writing amongst other issues with the show also the creator and her nonstop baggage of ever-growing controversies. I can see and get why a show like this is popular and I see the reasons for it, but I don't think its the greatest when it comes to adult animation solely on the fact that it seems to can't figure out on what its wants to be or can't properly balance mature issues and themes alongside comedic moments. For a better show about demons also angels just watch Good Omens or Adult Swim Your Pretty Face is going to Hell seems to do a much better job at the whole hell thing and dealing with demons better then Helluva Boss.

Yeah that’s how I feel about the show. I have no idea why people say Helluva is different from all those early 2000’s adult cartoons because in reality it’s like every other borderline average adult cartoon you’ve seen. The constant swears, the gore, the edgy childish humor, it’s literally just Brickleberry or Paradise Pd but with pretty animation. It tries to have the same deep writing chops on part with shows like Bojack Horseman or Morel Orel, even something like Breaking Bad, but it clearly can’t accomplish that. It’s just…literally a kids show disguised as an adult show, and I don’t think Vivziepop realizes that edgy swearing and sex automatically equals “mature”. I and many others have said it, but this show wouldn’t be as popular if it had the same style as Family Guy.

[longislandcharm]

TIMING: Early to Mid September, not long after the blue moon. LOCATION: The Wormhole PARTIES: @longislandcharm and @recoveringdreamer SUMMARY: A nice night out turns into a night of fear and suspicion when Winter starts to come to a conclusion about her new friend, Felix. CONTENT WARNINGS: Mentions of alcohol

She hadn’t been back to the wormhole much since her last stop in, Winter having been so busy that she didn’t have time for things like fun. Tonight was different though, tonight she was celebrating the end of a painful and eventful journey. Two of the nearly inedible drinks was enough to get her loosened up for the night, switching to water after so that she didn’t overdo it, and she was soon looking around the bar to see what could keep her entertained as her buzz took hold. 

The medium hadn’t been expecting to see a familiar face, her head tilting as she searched her mind for a name. Felix. That was it. They were the fidgety medium she’d met not long after getting to town. Lunch with them was the same as their initial meeting, Winter trying to ask more questions about what they could do as mediums before she gave up after getting nothing from them. Maybe now that she had some answers though she could be the one to share the knowledge if they wanted to know more about what they could do. Lil was a great teacher and while she didn’t have a ton of answers Winter knew more now than she had during her first encounter with Felix.

She grabbed her water, making her way over to their table and setting the glass down. She didn’t even bother asking if the seat was taken, Winter would have sat down anyway even if they were with a friend. Again, in this person’s presence, a weird feeling came over her. But she ignored it for the time being. “Long time no see, friend. Can I get you another drink?” 

This wasn’t the type of bar Felix would normally haunt. It was seedy, it was too close to work, it was full of a lot of different smells and sounds that the jaguar disliked. But they’d been so restless lately, unable to sit still at all. Going from constant fights and nonstop action to a whole lot of nothing while their injuries from the fight with Razor healed enough for them to return to the ring wasn’t doing their mental health a lot of favors.

So… they figured they’d try something new. The Wormhole wasn’t their usual kind of place, but maybe all those sounds and smells would tire the jaguar out a bit, make him quiet enough for Felix to catch up on sleep. Maybe a few drinks would help with that. 

Or… maybe it’d just stress them out more.

They spotted her from across the bar, recognized her immediately. Hard to forget a medium when you’d been taught to fear them all your life, after all. Immediately, Felix tensed. It wasn’t fair, of course. Winter had been perfectly friendly, and they’d even enjoyed lunch with her in spite of all the stress, but they couldn’t shake that old anxiety their father had planted in their head. They kind of just… hoped she wouldn’t notice them. But, of course, those hopes were dashed. She spotted him and made her way over, and Felix squirmed just a little in their seat. “Hey, Winter,” they greeted. “Um, nice to see you. I — I should probably limit myself to just the one drink, actually. I’m, uh… I don’t drink often.” There was no way he was getting drunk with a medium, no matter how nice she was.

“I can respect that.” She nodded to accentuate the words, knowing that’s why she cut herself off after two of her own. Even if she was feeling pretty good at the moment she never liked getting too far gone to be out of control and Winter just assumed that was the same for them. “I usually wouldn’t have more than one either but this…has been a rough couple of weeks.” And she’d needed something to make her feel like the world wasn’t spinning on without her. In fact, she was dangerously close to ordering another for herself but refrained since she was in the presence of someone else. She needed friends, not to alienate more people. 

Which was the reason she hadn’t brought up this weird feeling she got around Felix yet. It occurred to her that she never felt this around Lil who was the only other medium she’d met but both times she’d been around them there was an instinctual pull in her gut. Winter’s mind was begging her to ask what this was about but for once in her life she was trying to fight the questions threatening to spill from her lips. They probably wouldn’t know what she was talking about anyway, they didn’t seem to have many answers last time. 

Winter glanced over at Henry who was eyeing Felix curiously before she concentrated on the water in front of her instead. Her ghost seemed to realize that Winter was holding something back, something he’d never seen her do before, and it was clear he wanted to know why. “What have you been up to since our last encounter?” Generic. It was so generic but she couldn’t think of anything else. Normally she was so good at small talk too. “How was that blue moon for you?”

A rough couple of weeks. Felix could certainly relate to that. Their arm still ached beneath their sleeve, the wound stitched and tightly bandaged to avoid any kind of infection but still painful even with the time that had passed. The scar would be an impressive one; with a sizable chunk missing from the flesh, they doubted it would ever heal correctly. But the Grit Pit didn’t exactly offer a health insurance plan, and the healers they had on site would only do so much for the fighters. They had to save their energy, after all, had to ensure that they could help everyone. Felix got that. 

Still, they wondered what kind of ‘roughness’ Winter had been dealing with. It was so much easier to ask that question than it was to dwell on their own string of bad events, even if the medium still made him uneasy. “Uh, I hope you’re… okay,” they offered, a little uncertain. Were they friends? It seemed ludicrous to even ask, but it wasn’t as if Winter knew they were a balam. Given how little she seemed to understand about spirits, Felix was unsure she’d even know what a balam was. She was nice to them, though. That had to count for something.

She was glancing around, and Felix assumed that meant the ghost was here. They weren’t shifted enough to see it, didn’t dare try to change that in a bar full of people, especially not with Winter so close. She may not have noticed the slitted pupils that came with shifting his eyes enough to see ghosts out in the streets, but she’d probably pick up on it here. At her question, though, he quickly glanced away. “Work stuff,” they mumbled, arm burning. “Uh, it got — really busy. Around the full moon. It always does, but this was… I don’t know. Worse, I guess.”

She felt her lips lift up into a half-hearted smile with their words, her heart swelling just a smidgen. It wasn’t something that Winter would admit but she always appreciated when others showed their concern even if she didn’t want it at the time. It meant that despite her attitude and her brash comments they still somewhat cared and that…was nice. With her two drinks in her system, she was more willing to show that appreciation. 

“I am…now.” She paused, her mind going to the night of the full moon when she really didn’t know what was going to happen. Luckily, things had worked out and in hindsight she felt she had been a bit dramatic with it all but at the time she’d been certain that things had been bad. “Just…you know, abilities going haywire. It was weird. Still don’t know why.” Winter tapped the side of her glass, wondering if they had experienced the same thing she had. It had been almost a full week of the voices attacking her at all angles, not to mention the images flashing in her vision and she was still a little shaken from it all. “You didn’t have any issues?”

But maybe they had. The way that Felix had turned their gaze away, how careful they seemed with their words, it was something that sparked Winter’s interest as usual. She sat up a little, still ignoring that pull in her gut while she pushed forward with the conversation. “I’ve always heard the full moon could mess with people in weird ways but never really thought much of it…until coming here, anyway. I hope you don’t work at a hospital, I bet that place was hectic.” Fishing had always been one of her many talents when she wasn’t feeling too bold but tonight she wasn’t able to resist getting straight to the point. “What is it that you do? For work, I mean. Why was it so crazy?”

Was whatever had happened with the full moon affecting mediums as much as it had affected shifters? Felix had felt strange for days, the jaguar far more restless in their chest than it usually was. And they hadn’t understood it. The moon had never affected their shift before. It was something their family had taken pride in, something they figured other balam probably used as a bragging right as well. Werewolves were ruled by the moon, but balam were gods. The moon had no power over them, no hold. But it had, during the blue moon. Everything had been so loud, so bright, so strange. They wondered if their family, wherever they’d run off to, had felt it too.

Maybe it was… nice, knowing for a fact that other people had. That Felix wasn’t broken, somehow. Winter wasn’t a balam, but she’d still felt something strange with the second full moon of the month, and it made Felix feel a little less alone. So when they replied, they replied with honesty. “Yeah. Yeah, I definitely had issues. It was… weird. The moon’s never made me feel different before.” A risky confession, considering he had no idea whether or not the moon affected mediums and he was still pretending to be one, but it seemed safe enough. As far as Felix knew, the only ones really affected by the moon’s pull were the wolves.

But maybe they were wrong. Winter said she’d heard that the full moon messed with people, but Felix had never gotten such warnings. Their father had only ever talked about the moon in relation to werewolves, because their father had always had a problem with tunnel vision. Did mediums have similar effects? It was too late to take their words back now, in any case. Just like it was too late to avoid talking about his job, because of course she’d ask where he worked. Felix looked down at their lap, shrugging a shoulder. “Uh, I work at an MMA gym in Worm Row. We have fight nights and stuff. And like you said, the full moon always makes people crazy.” It was mostly true, at least. Just… a little misleading.

”So, you think it was the moon?“ Yea, she had mentioned it, but mostly in connection to the fun notion that the full moon made people do crazy things. It was something Winter had heard a lot while growing up, her own mother such a supporter of the notion. ”Be careful tonight, it's a full moon. You know people do stupid stuff around this time.“ The voice of Sharon Hall echoed in her mind and she smiled softly, the sudden ache of homesickness now pulling at her along with the weird feeling from before. ”The Blue moon, right? Someone was talking about it before but I didn't think it could...do what it did. It's starting to make sense though.” Maybe it was what caused such hell for her, and apparently others. The idea of it affecting her so much was a little scary though. “It's never done that to me either. Not even after the abilities really manifested themselves.”

She raised an eyebrow as Felix spoke of his job, the girl giving him an incredulous smile. They worked for the fight club? The one that the rando online tried to lure her to? “Wait, wait...the name, is that the uh..” She was reaching back to that conversation she'd had with the other person, not entirely confident when she spoke the name aloud. “ The Bit Pit? No, that's not right. Grit maybe?” That smile was still plastered on her face as she shook her head, Winter not sure what to think of this. “I never thought you would be a fighter. You give off more of the 'lover' vibe I guess...no offense. Some guy invited me to the fight on the night of the full moon but I was a little...too incapacitated to show up. I also thought it was a little sketchy but that's beside the point. Did I miss you fighting that night?“ 

If so, Winter would be highly disappointed. With Felix's docile demeanor it would have been very interesting to see them take someone on in a ring. She couldn't even imagine them having any sort of temperament for them to be able to do that. ”Maybe I can show up at the next one. You'll have to let me know when it is.“

“I don’t know. Maybe? I know a lot of people were acting weird.” They tried not to think about the fight with Razor, about how much more brutal it had been than most. Other fighters who’d been scheduled for the Blue Moon fights hadn’t gotten as lucky as Felix, who’d managed to walk away with only a chunk of flesh missing from their arm and a few other injuries to speak of. They heard that at least one fighter hadn’t made it out at all, with one of the Grit Pit’s staff members bragging that the payout from the match had been legendary. Felix tried not to read into it too much, tried not to put much thought to it at all. It was so much easier that way. “It was a Blue Moon, yeah. Um, they’re supposed to be really rare, so I guess they have… more of a kick to them. Or something. I don’t really know.” They felt some relief in knowing that they hadn’t misspoken, that the moon didn’t usually affect mediums any more than it did balam. They weren’t looking to blow their ‘cover,’ even if they were very bad at maintaining it.

She knew about the Grit Pit? Anxiety pulled at their gut again. If she had shown up at the Pit that night, she would have seen them fighting… but not like this. Felix only ever fought in a shifted state. Never fully shifted, granted, but never fully human, either. If she saw them like that, she’d know. And a medium knowing about them was one of the most terrifying things they could imagine. For the first time, they began to wonder about the audience at the Pit. Were there hunters in the stands, taking notes? Exorcists making plans? Their heart was pounding so intently that they nearly missed Winter’s next question. “Huh? Oh. Um, yeah. I — Yeah. I fight sometimes. Um, it’s not really — I wouldn’t, um, recommend going, though. It’s kind of intense. Not much fun, I think.”

They hoped it would be enough to dissuade her. Truth be told, Winter’s status as a medium wasn’t the only reason Felix didn’t want her in the stands. They didn’t want her thinking differently of them, either. They didn’t want her to see them the way they were in a fight, half feral and brutal. In spite of everything, in spite of their own fear, Felix liked Winter. They really did.

“It’s kind of scary knowing it can affect even us.” It made sense though. It was the week leading up to it when all of her problems started and the night of the actual full moon had been the worst for her. Now that it was over Winter had been slowly getting back to normal. Knowing something so out of her control could throw her so out of sync wasn’t the easiest pill to swallow and for a moment she was lost in thought about it, the medium swirling the water in her cup around. So many people had been acting out of sorts that week, it didn’t seem too out of the ordinary for her abilities to go haywire as well, right? 

Before she could dwell on it further, Felix was confirming his status at this fight club and her interest in the Blue Moon waned. She’d go back to it later, right now she couldn’t help her desire to know more about their career choices. “Not fun? Why do you do it then? I can’t imagine fighting for a living if I wasn’t passionate about it.” As often as Winter talked to them around town and online she was still very aware that she didn’t know Felix’s story. There could have been a million reasons for them to do what they did and she was always one to pry, especially when something felt off. The more she learned about them, the better her chances were of finding out why she got this nagging in her gut when they were around. 

A nagging that was suddenly getting worse. Out of the corner of her eye, Winter saw Henry sidle up to the table, done with whatever he’d been trying to get into, and it suddenly hit her that this feeling she got around Felix was the same one she always had around the ghost, or any ghost for that matter. She’d never noticed it before because Henry hadn’t been away from her side when Felix was around and, well, she’d been too wrapped up in her own problems to really put the pieces together. But with the two of them now in such close proximity to her it was obvious that they were both causing it to be stronger than usual. Eyes lifting back to Felix, Winter made sure to keep her expression neutral but she was doing her best to watch for anything weird going on. Why would Felix give her the same feeling that Henry did when they were most definitely not a ghost? 

“I mean, unless you always win or something. Are you that fighter that no one can touch?” It was best to keep them talking, not let on to what was going on in her mind. Winter didn’t want to spook them. But she did look at her phone for a second to text a question to someone who could help get the answers to the questions running through her mind.

“Yeah,” Felix agreed, and it didn’t feel like as much of a lie as the rest of the conversation because this was a thing they thought might be true for everyone. Werewolves understood that the moon had an effect on them. It was part of the deal when you were born or bitten, part of the package. But it wasn’t supposed to be that way for anyone else. Not for mediums, and not for balam, either. Having the rules change on you so suddenly was a scary thing, no matter what rules you were used to playing by. 

She asked about the Pit, about why they did something they hated, and part of Felix wanted to tell the truth. Part of Felix always wanted to tell the truth, wanted to scream from the rooftops just how exploitative the Grit Pit was so that no one else would ever fall under its spell. But that wasn’t something they could do. No matter how much they wanted to, no matter how much they wished it, there was that pesky clause in their contract that prevented them from hurting the Pit’s business. Felix could find ways around it, did find ways around it sometimes, but never without consequence. Never without pain. Best to save that sort of thing for people more likely to be taken advantage of; the Pit had little interest in humans, even humans who saw ghosts. “I just, uh… need the money,” they lied. “And I’m not really… good? At anything else.” That was… less of a lie, actually. Felix had so few marketable skills and no real education to speak of. Even without the contract tying them to the Pit, their options were always going to be limited.

Winter looked at something behind them, and it occurred to Felix that her ghost was probably here. They didn’t dare shift their eyes to confirm, too afraid that even the slightest change would be picked up on in such close proximity. It was good to know that the ghost was around, though; if Felix was going to keep pretending to be a medium to keep her from growing suspicious towards the truth, it was best to know when there was a ghost they were supposed to be seeing even if their eyes weren’t in the right state to catch it.

They shrugged, tapping their fingers against the bar. “I win most of the time.” Unless they were going against one of the real heavy hitters on an off night, Felix typically walked away victorious. It was why the Pit kept such a tight hold on them. They were an asset, Leo told them once; the kind no one in their right mind would let walk out the door. It wasn’t a good thing to be.

“I bet you’re better at some things than you realize.” Lying could be considered as one of those things but Winter was starting to wonder if she just sucked at reading people around here. It had been easy back home, back in LA, but for some reason she couldn’t quite get a read on a lot of them around here. Maybe it was because, like she’d noticed before, she was too wrapped up in her own thing to notice when someone was deceiving her. The irony was, Wicked’s Rest was where she needed the lie detection the most. 

Looking back on it, Felix wasn’t that great at covering things up. She’d thought that her aggressive approach had been what spooked them last time but now she wondered if maybe it was because they didn’t want to get caught up in their own story they were spinning to her. Nerves had taken over them, at one point they had looked like they were on the brink of a panic attack. Why were they so worked up when they spoke to her? 

Things were starting to click now. Winter had thought that maybe they were just weird in their own way but it was starting to seem like something else, especially now that she realized they gave her that same feeling a ghost did. “Most of the time is way better than never. I’d like to see one of your fights, when are you up next?”

Another glance at her phone gave her a confirmation of something she’d needed to ask them the question that was on the tip of her tongue. Winter took a sip of her drink before she gave them a serious look, no joking tone or her usual sarcasm in sight. “I have to ask you something and I don’t want you to think I’m…being dumb or whatever.” Nerves were being added to that now familiar pull in her stomach but she pushed on despite not knowing if they would even admit to this if it were true. “Are you…possessed or something?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Probably not.” They’d always struggled with new things. It took Felix months to perfect skills that took other people mere weeks to accomplish. Even the fighting, which they were good at, was probably more the jaguar than it was Felix. The spirit inside of them knew how to use his claws and his teeth on instinct, and some of that instinct bled through. But Felix, on their own? They’d never been very good at anything at all.

The idea of Winter coming to watch one of their fights made them anxious for a thousand different reasons, not the least of which being that it would be impossible to keep up the lie that they were another medium if she saw them in a fight. Mediums didn’t have claws, or cat eyes, or tails, or spots. Mediums didn’t fight in a way so animalistic that it scared people. Mediums didn’t rip their opponents to shreds. If she saw them in the ring, she’d know they were lying. Maybe she’d know enough to know what they were. Maybe she’d be so angry about the lie that she’d decide to do something about it.

A familiar panic rose up in their chest, and Felix shook his head quickly. “Oh, no, you — You wouldn’t want that. To come watch. It’s — I mean, the crowds are really rough, and it’s loud, and there are a lot of ghosts there who — Who died in a lot of bad ways, and it’s pretty overwhelming, is all. And, you know, the fights are really violent, and not much fun to watch unless you’re the kind of person who likes watching people get hurt, and I don’t think you’re that kind of person.” The words all tumbled out quickly, fumbling together with a nervous undertone.

Their heart was still pounding as she continued, palms sweating with anticipation. She needed to ask them something? That wasn’t good. That couldn’t be good. Felix shifted uncomfortably in their chair, eyes darting towards the door. When she spoke, it wasn’t something he wanted to hear. The answer was yes. Of course the answer was yes. Not in the way she meant it, but what was a balam if not a person born possessed? The spirit within him wasn’t a human one, wasn’t one that operated the way a human spirit would, but it was a spirit all the same. And someone like Winter, they’d been taught, might want to separate them from it because of that. Abruptly, Felix scrambled to their feet. “Actually, I — I forgot, I have plans! With a friend. Somewhere else! I should really get going, haha!”

“I think you should have more faith in yourself, Felix.” If she was anything, Winter was an advocate for self confidence. There was always something for people to be proud of in their lives, even something they might think is miniscule in comparison to what others could boast, and she wished that people could grasp onto those things and run with them. It’s what she’d had to do her whole life with the belittling her mother had always done to her whether Sharon was aware she was doing it or not. But it was a skill that had to be honed and all Winter could do was try to encourage everyone to work towards it. 

Besides, she was aware that she was making them nervous again, that much was obvious with how hard they were trying to dissuade her from the fights and the way their words stumbled over each other. Why did the mention of her going to see them in the ring cause so much anguish when they were the one winning most of the time? She was no stranger to violence these days and Winter was about to say as much but they jumped up from their chair before she could.

“Wait, Felix.” She hadn’t meant to scare them off but that’s exactly how they looked; terrified. She’d definitely hit a nerve there and it pretty much confirmed that something was going on with a spirit. But as Winter was continuing to learn the more time she spent in Wicked’s Rest, she knew nothing about the supernatural and how it worked. Did mediums get possessed often? Was it something that was allowed or was it frowned upon and that’s why they were afraid? She stood from her chair, not exactly blocking them from leaving but grabbing onto their forearm to get their attention. “Look, I promise, I’m not judging you or anything. I just-” She paused, trying to figure out how to explain this and not scare them anymore. “That feeling we get when a ghost is around, it intensifies every time you're near me and I got curious. Are you okay?”

“I think I have… the right amount of faith in myself,” Felix replied. They kept their tone light, like it was funny. Like they were joking rather than being honest. Other people deserved to have confidence, deserved to believe in themselves, but Felix? They didn’t feel they were much worth believing in. After all, what had they ever done but let people down? Their father, their siblings, even Leo had wound up disappointed after thinking Felix was something they weren’t. And weren’t they ensuring that Winter was set up for that same disappointment? This entire friendship was built on a lie that Felix had facilitated, this idea that they were the same as her, that she’d found someone who understood. They had exactly the right amount of faith in themself, and that amount was very little. They didn’t deserve anything more.

And now, every desperate word tumbling from their tongue was a frantic attempt to prevent Winter from discovering this. They didn’t want her at the Grit Pit, didn’t want the truth of their dishonesty laid bare for her to see. They were afraid of what she might do, sure — that old fear of exorcists and mediums was so ingrained in them now that it felt impossible to shake entirely — but they were afraid of what she might think, too. Of the disappointment that would come with the revelation. 

Winter stood with them, and Felix worried that their heart might burst with how frantically it was beating. She grabbed their arm and they stilled, turning to face her with wild eyes that they just barely managed to keep from flashing yellow as the jaguar sensed their desperation. “I…” They could be honest with her here if they wanted to. They could admit to the lie, they could tell her the truth and face whatever came with it. But that fear in their gut churned violently, and anything resembling the truth got stuck behind their teeth. “I’m okay,” they said quietly. “I promise, I’m okay. It’s not — It isn’t anything you need to worry about. I’m good, I swear.” 

It seemed very much like they had something they wanted to say to her, laying in wait underneath their surface ready to be released at any moment, but it seemed that Felix wasn’t ready yet. Truthfully, Winter didn’t know if she was either. What would she even do if she found out they were possessed? She could tell Lil, throw them to the exorcist and see what came of it, but…she didn’t want to if it meant they would get hurt in any way. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Winter really was starting to care about Felix. They were a light in a town full of darkness, a light that she knew she needed in her life every now and then, and much like the other lights in this town she didn’t want to do anything to dim them.

So, she took their words for truth even with the voice in the back of her mind calling bullshit. It went against everything she stood for, and it took a lot for her to let it go, but she did. Slowly, the medium took her hand off their arm, now more conscious that she had been holding onto them, and took a step back. “Okay, I’ll trust you. But if you ever….you know…well, you know. I’m here.” 

After a deep breath, her composure was back. She put on a smile, made her way back to her seat, and gestured for them to join her once more. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. The seat is open.” But she wouldn’t blame them if they left. She had spooked them again, something she was very good at apparently, and Winter herself would have walked away annoyed. Her focus went to the drink sitting in front of her despite how empty it was, leaving Felix to make whatever decision was best for them.

She dropped their arm, she took a step back, and Felix hated themself a little for the relief that flooded them. Winter was their friend, wasn’t she? She’d given them no indication that she wanted to do anything more than help them. But… Sometimes, people thought they were helping and they weren’t. Sometimes, the most damage was done by someone who thought they were doing what was right. Felix knew that better than most.

Still, they offered her a smile. “I know,” they said, and they did. They knew that she was there for them. Maybe that was part of what scared them. If she got the idea in her head that the jaguar was a bad thing… They shook the thought away. No need to worry before there was something to worry about; for all Winter knew, Felix was just another medium who was a bit peculiar. They could keep pretending that.

They looked to the open seat, hesitating a moment before settling back into it. “Maybe just one more drink,” they agreed, offering her a small smile. There were worse ways to spend the evening.

[stayandot8]

Track Seven: Case 143

Genre: Fluff

Relationship type: established boyfriend/girlfriend

Important Contents: Thank you for reading. I think the next part is going to be more...mature. So beware. It's going to take you for a ride... or at least a nice, long Drive. ;)

WC: 1.5k

Next Part I Last Part I masterlist

7. Case 143

Me: Karaoke Night at JinRacha’s tonight. Bring your own booze or sing first ;)

I sent this text to all the members that morning after talking it over with Chan the night before. They all needed a night to just be themselves after working so hard lately so I thought this would be a good way to relieve some stress. I had to beg Han to let me raid his alcohol stash with the promise that I would show off my bartending skills that I had learned since the last shindig we had. 

The members shuffled in one by one, each with their own bottle in a bag and cup of their choice. Felix, of course, was the last, bringing in treats of his own. I had promised him any drink he could think of if he brought his coveted sweets with him. Seungmin grabbed the mic first, wanting to show off his rapping skills with Jeongin. Chan was crouched by a table by the TV, flipping through his laptop that was connected to the TV that the boys were singing from. I brought the mobile disco ball from my own apartment, claiming it wasn’t a party unless there was a disco ball. Han agreed, bringing his from out somewhere deep in his closet. I had mine placed in the corner by Chan’s laptop, Han’s in the kitchen near the drinks to ‘spread the party atmosphere’ he said. 

Minho and Han were picking out what song to do next from Chan’s laptop, my boyfriend relinquishing control to sit next to me on the couch. He put his arm around the back of the couch and leaned into my ear. 

“Do you plan on blessing our ears with your voice tonight, darling?” His smile reached his eyes. I could see he wanted me to. Lucky for him, I already planned on taking the mic, but not for that. 

“You know I love to keep you in suspense.” I gave my best devilish smirk, which he kissed off my face and nuzzled my nose. I couldn’t keep up any facade when he did that. 

The ruckus around us was carrying on as normal as it could, screaming and yelling and loud, loud laughter. Watching Chan with his kids was a sight to see. The gleam in his eyes just watching them act insane was something so special to see up close. They reminded him that it was okay to still be a kid sometimes. Yes, they drove him absolutely bonkers. But they were his family. 

All this fun however reached an interesting peak when I was asked what song I wanted to do. I, of course, accepted the challenge. Han didn’t know I had been preparing for this moment exactly. He squinted his eyes after he spoke the words, thinking he had caught me in something. I raised my eyebrow at him, accepting the challenge, thinking about who I was going to bring down with me. My eyes roamed over the waiting suspects. 

“Rapper Seungmin. I call you to the floor. Rapper Lee Minho, I call you to the floor. You’re both doing this with me.” Seungmin popped up, always ready to show off. Lee Know on the other hand…

“What??? Why me??” Minho’s protest got drowned out by Han’s laughter at my instance. Han shoved him out of his seat to Hyunjin’s left to where Seungmin was waiting. I found myself at Chan’s laptop, finding the song I had been listening to nonstop. Chan showed me this song for their upcoming album and it had been stuck in my head ever since. I scrolled down the songs until I found one labeled ‘3Racha’ and I felt a smirk cross my lips. I threw a pointed look at Chan until he gave a small look of curiosity, brows coming together and tilting his head. My smirk only grew as I pressed play and the beginning chords began playing. Chan’s look of curiosity grew into recognition and then pride. Seungmin jumped at the chance of Changbin’s part since they all had known the song for a while. Seungmin had no trouble keeping up with his chosen part, flawlessly running with the flow of the song. Lee Know took his best stab at Han’s part, actually doing pretty well. Then Chan’s part came up. The moment the first few words came out of my mouth, the rest of the members just stared in shock, followed quickly by yelling, cheering me on and watching with wide eyes. I couldn’t help but stare straight into my boyfriends’ eyes while I rapped/sang his words. He stared straight back, mouth slightly agape as he watched me with stars in his eyes. 

As the song ended, the applause erupted from the room. I was worried the neighbors would come banging on the door. Most of the boys were crowding around me in excitement, Han was yelling the loudest, saying I just had to come with them to the studio the next time. Seungmin didn’t last long, back to picking his next song on the laptop. When the small crowd finally parted, I spotted Chan sitting alone again, a huge smile on his face. I couldn’t hide my satisfaction with my performance as I plopped back down in my spot beside him. 

“I think that was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” He whispered in my ear, making me shiver. Our smiles only grew as we broke into a giggling fit until Seungmin demanded our attention. Chan brought his arm around me again and dropped his other hand to rest on my thigh, gently squeezing and lazily stroking me with his thumb.

My phone buzzed across the room where I had left it on the drink table by Felix. 

“Hey, your phone is buzzing!” He called to me. I responded without looking up from Seungmin’s rendition of some Day6 song.

“Who is it?”

“I’m guessing it’s your sister because it says ‘Older Shithead’.” Anyone who could hear bursted out laughing. I waited with a patient smile to call back. 

“You would be right. What does it say?”

“It just says 143. What’s that?”

“Just her saying ‘I love you.’” I applauded with the rest of Seungmin’s audience while he belted out the last note of his performance. Felix brought my phone, the plate of cookies, and bowl of popcorn back over to the group and set them on the table in front of the couch. 

“How do you get ‘I love you’ from the numbers 143?” I.N. glanced over with a raised brow. 

Chan responded for me this time with a confused look. “Because the numbers represent the letters in each word. Back in the olden days, people would leave messages on pagers with that to tell them.” A sudden hush fell over the room, the rest of the members looking at each other with furrowed brows. The sudden silence made me look up from my phone, finding just about all fourteen eyes on me and glaring like I had three heads. I felt the initial wave of defensiveness come crashing through my brain. 

“What? Please tell me you guys knew that. I know we’re not the only ones who knew that. Come on, you guys are all over social media. You have to have seen it somewhere.” A few grumbles from Lee Know and Changbin, a couple ‘of course’s and whatnot as it dawned on them. Some blank looks from the younger ones. 

“How do you even know that?” Hyunjin smushed his face in disbelief. 

“Maybe because some of us were born before the turn of the millenia!” I cracked a smile. 

“I will crack out the old jokes! Don’t tempt me!” Han tried so hard not to let his smile break through but it did when Seungmin butted in.

“So Chan, when the cavemen discovered fire, did you all run away from it?” All the young ones laughed with him while I rolled my eyes, cracking another smile. I.N. hit us with another one, looking right at me. 

“When the first movie was released, what was it about? Did you scream when the people started moving but they weren’t in front of you?” More laughter from the room, I bury my head in my hands, trying my best not to let them see me crack. I move to look at Chan beside me who’s got his eyes closed and his tongue poking his cheek, trying not to crack either. 

“Wait wait! I’ve got one! Channie-hyung, I know what I’m getting you for your birthday this year! What size diaper are you now?” Hyunjin cracked out and I felt my shoulders shake involuntarily with suppressed laughter. It’s all I can do not to falter as the boys continue on their own huddle of jokes, more focused on making each other laugh than really making fun of him. Chan finally sees me staring at him, trying to hide and breaks ever so slowly at the sight. 

“I brought this on us, didn’t I?” I say for only him to hear. He nudges my shoulder as he leans down to my ear.

“Maybe, but it just means that you’re in.” He gives me one of those genuine smiles that I crave daily. 

“In? I’m a Stray Kid now?” 

“Oh yeah. No getting out now, you’re in for life.” He kissed me with that. And I found myself not wanting to be anywhere else. 

[subbe93]

The Symptoms of Love: The Diagnosis

After Sonoko's parents' party, Ran hadn't been herself: the certain detective has been on her mind nonstop, and it is time to do something about it! But before she can do that, she needs to meet her last client of the day.

A/N: Well, here it is, the last part! I want to thank all of you, once again: Thank you for reading this story, thank you for leaving a like, thank you for comments, and thank you for sharing these (and leaving comments on tags, I have read them all!) ❤ They have all meant so much to me! And it also makes me happy that you have enjoyed the story so far ^_^ Now, let's wrap up this story! I hope you enjoy the last part ❤

The First Symptom The Second Symptom The Third Symptom The Fourth Symptom The Fifth Symptom

The Diagnosis

Ran’s fingers ran fast on the keyboard when she typed her report on the computer. It was the last one of the day. It was almost four and Ran was so happy to know that after this, she can start her weekend. The day had been very long, busy, and challenging and she was so ready to go home and rest.

Well, the end of this week had been one kind of a mess in many ways. She kind of didn’t want to admit it to herself, but Sonoko’s parents’ party and how it had ended had been running through her mind all over again. As much as she tried to move on, get them away from her head, it all came back to her, haunting her nights and distracting her days.

She was still very disappointed that she hadn’t had a chance to talk with Kudo after the whole mess. She knew that there was a simple solution, but even though she had tried, she was still too shy to make contact with him.

But she had promised herself that it was going to be her mission for a weekend: She would do something about it! She has to!

But… maybe tomorrow. She deserves her rest for today, right? Right?!

She knew that if she would do it after work, it would have been done, but only the thought made her stomach twitch. Somehow the idea of buying some wine and good food on her way home, taking a warm shower, and taking it easy, maybe watching some movies or series, sounded so much better. Oh, and only the idea of wearing something nice and cozy, just be and enjoy peace and silence…

And probably thinking about Kudo, stressing about the call or the message, thinking about all kinds of outcomes…

Well, maybe you should contact him right after work, so you can relax as soon as you got an answer?

Ran let out a sigh. Yes yes, she would do it. Tomorrow.

You said that yesterday too, right?

Fine! I’ll do it after this!

She heard the knock on her door.

What now?

“Come in!” she called. She could hear the door opening. Fast she ended the sentence that she had been writing before she ripped her eyes away from the report and turned to look at the door. It was Hotogi, their receptionist, who peeked inside from the doorway.

“Mouri-sensei?”

“Yes”, Ran answered gently and turned with her chair to encourage that young man to come in and tell what was on his mind. “How can I help you?”

“Well”, he started nervously. “I know that your day is over, but… There is a client who wants to meet you.”

Ran frowned. “Well, Natsuo-san is working on six, so he can…”

“But the client said it has to be you.”

Ran wanted to sigh, but she kept it to herself. “Is it urgent?”

Hotogi hesitated for a moment. “Well, he said it is”, he answered, sounding unsure. “He said it can’t wait…”

Ran glanced at the clock on her table. There were five minutes before her day would end, so technically she didn’t have to take this client in. But at the same time, she didn’t have the heart to turn him off, and if he really got something urgent…

She reminded herself that this isn’t going become to a habit.

“Fine”, she said finally and smiled at Hotogi. “Tell him to come straight in. But he is the last one, period.”

He showed her a smile and nodded before closing the door. Ran looked at the closed door for a moment before she turned back to the computer and looked at the report, checking it through. God, she felt a little disappointed that her day was stretching a little, but at least she would get paid for it, and in the end, it wouldn’t take long. At most a half hour…

She heard a knock on the door. A client.

“Come in!” she shouted and hoped that the client was brave enough just come in. She typed the last sentence to the end while the door opened and closed. She almost hit Enter to mark it as done.

“Good day, Mouri.”

Her movement stopped and her index finger stayed hovering over the Enter

That voice… 

Butterflies started to fly on her stomach and a wide smile came to her lips. God, she almost wanted to hate herself for that! And this time, she couldn’t even blame the wine.

What was he doing here?

Well, at least you don’t have to contact him now.

It almost made her stomach turn around, but she tried to get hold of herself.

“Good day to you too, Kudo”, she answered as casually as she could while finally pressing Enter. Ran tried to control her smile when she turned around with her chair, meeting the man in front of the door, and raised her leg on top of another. She looked at Kudo Shinichi, who stood there, his sparkling blue eyes looking at her. He got a little smile on his lips, and like a few days ago, he got a suit on him. Not as formal though: Light-colored jacket, dark shirt, and a little darker jeans and tie.

Well, who was she trying to kid? He probably looked good in anything he wore.

But for a man who had come to see her with an urgent matter, he seemed to be fine.

“How can I help you?” Ran asked and raised her eyebrows, trying to ignore how her heart beat in her chest. “I hope you know that this is going overtime.”

He sneered out. “I know it very well”, he answered. “It took so much time and effort to talk your receptionist over.”

Ran rolled her eyes. “Well, I also hope you know that since it is you, I’m going to charge you with very good extras.”

Kudo laughed. “I figured”, he said and looked at her. “But I promise, I pay as soon as we are done here.” He kept a little pause. “And with good extra, if you accept it.”

To be honest, she wouldn’t. But he would find it out from the bill.

“So, before your bill is going to be too much to pay, what can I do for you?” she asked and smiled. She enjoyed this too much. Suddenly, she wasn’t in that much hurry to leave.

Actually, now she felt like she would love to stay in this moment forever.

Ran observed how Kudo’s smile faded before he looked away like… Like… Was he nervous? That made Ran become serious too. She couldn’t say that she knew Kudo too well, but to be honest, she wanted to claim that she had spent enough time with him that she could tell when the situation was serious and when not.

And now it looked like this was something serious.

“I… I think it’s my heart.”

Ran felt her chest tightening and it made her only worried.

“Your heart?” she asked and stood up.

“Yeah”, he answered and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. “I… It’s… sometimes beating so fast and… and I got nervous and… warm, and restless, and…” He looked away like he was embarrassed. “And sometimes it feels like it’s… hard to breathe…”

That didn’t sound good, not at all! Ran stepped closer to him and took her stethoscope in her hand. “Took off your shirt, I listen…”

He startled a little and took a step away from her. Ran raised her eyes at him, seeing how he looked terrified. “Oh… well, I… I don’t think it’s necessary…”

Ran frowned for a while before she smiled at him gently. He must be really worried. “I know it’s sometimes scary to find out what’s wrong”, she started as gently as she could, hoping it would make him relax. “But to be honest, that doesn’t sound good at all, and the sooner we find out a reason for it, the sooner we can start to act and take care of it…”

Kudo looked at her troubled, yet he didn’t meet her eyes. “I don’t… think it’s anything that medicines can help with.”

Ran tilted her head. “You don’t?” she asked and looked at his chest. She doubted it. “Maybe you should let a doctor decide about it.”

“Well, it… it usually happens around one certain doctor”, he continued.

What?!

Ran raised her eyes to look at him. He was looking at her, with a weird expression, while his cheeks got a nice shade of red. Wait, was he meaning…

“So”, he continued before stepping back a little bit and taking his hand away behind his back. Before Ran really realized it, in front of her was a big, beautiful bouquet of red roses. “Would that Mouri-sensei, who has been messing with my feelings for some time now, maybe go out with me?”

Ran stared at those flowers for a moment before she raised her eyes to see Kudo’s expression. He was looking at her with a determined look, and yet, she could see his nervousness.

He means… me?

It made something flutter on her stomach while her cheeks were burning. She dropped her eyes back to the roses, trying to get out any reasonable sentence, but instead, she felt like her head was empty. She didn’t find the words, not any kind of…

Then she started to smile. God, she felt like she was smiling so much that her cheeks would be torn apart.

He is asking her out?!

She is going on a date with him?!

“When?” she asked finally, as soon as she got hold of herself even somehow. She courage herself to look at him again, trying even a little bit to hide her excitement, but when she saw his face, she could tell that she hadn’t succeeded. He seemed relaxed and he smiled. He looked as excited as Ran felt right now.

“As soon as you get out from work”, he answered.

She let out a laugh. “You know you’re the one who is keeping me here?”

He glanced at the clock on his wrist. “And if I’m fast, maybe I don’t have to pay extra”, he said, gave those roses to Ran’s hands, and winked. “I’m waiting for you in the parking lot.”

She just stared at those roses, feeling happy and excited and… and…

And then the reality hit her.

Ran raised her eyes fast from the roses. “But… wait!” Kudo stopped at the door and turned to look at her. Ran felt nervous, so she lowered her gaze. She kind of hated that she was the one who was ruining this moment, even though she tried to tell herself that it wasn’t her fault. How in the world she could have known this morning that she is going on a date? Of course, she had put those cozy, worn-out clothes on her before coming to work. In the grocery store, they wouldn’t mean anything. No one would care. And after that, she had planned to go straight to home. But…

But knowing Kudo, he would take her just somewhere. She was pretty sure that he would take her to some fancy place, somewhere luxurious… And looking at him, in a suit…

God, she could never stand beside him with that old, pink hoodie and sweatpants.

So, as much as she wanted to… “I…” She stared at those roses, feeling sad and disappointed. “I don’t really have suitable clothes with me that I could go for a… date…”

“A woman like you looks amazing in everything”, he answered, making Ran blush even more. She felt like a teenager, getting flattered by one, simple and very cheesy sentence. She could hear her mother's voice telling her how men with cheesy words like those would be the worst and that she should stay away from them.

But had Kudo said anything nice to her before? Considering that she didn’t have anything in her mind, she believed that he wouldn’t say that for fun.

Or maybe she was the fool here, getting flattered about every nice word he said?

She let out a short laugh and courage herself to look at him. “I don’t think I look very good on worn-out sweatpants and hoodie.” Then she let her eyes wander to his suit, and she felt even more awkward. Even the thought… “There is no chance I can go out in those, with a man in a suit.”

Kudo frowned. “Well, I would go out with you even if you have dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie”, he said casually, making Ran smile again and roll her eyes. God, she felt really stupid right now! Has she really fallen for him that badly? “But if you want to, I can always drive to your place so you can change before we go.”

Those butterflies started to fly on her stomach again when she tightened her grip around the bouquet. “Then I’ll be there soon”, she answered and raised her eyes to meet Kudo’s. He nodded before stepping outside and closing the door, meeting her eyes just before the door was shut.

Ran looked at the door for a moment before lowering her eyes to roses. After a few seconds, she let out a silent shriek and carefully hugged those roses, trying her hardest not to ruin them. God, she just wanted to dance around and scream with her excitement! God, she was so happy!

And with that excitement, she hurried to check out that she had made all her work and reports ready before shutting the computer and leaving the room in a hurry, running to the dressing room to change!

That night, she got a fancy (and expensive) dinner at the restaurant and a nice walk in the city, and after he escorted her home, she got a long and sweet good night kiss.

~ The End ~